Great bands from odd locations

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I'm not sure if Aussie bands, such as Thirsty Merc, would count as coming from an "odd location". There are some really world-famous Aussie groups and singers: (off the top of my head) AC/DC, INXS, The Bee Gees, Air Supply, The Seekers, Olivia Newton-John, Kylie Minogue, Keith Urban ... and, of course, The Wiggles. Other groups to make it big overseas would include Silverchair, Jet, Savage Garden, etc. I'm sure there are others.

That said, I love Thirsty Merc. But I'm pretty sure "In The Summertime" was released as a single about 10 years ago.

Laibach is the only Slovenian band that I can think of.

It'll be a shame if the Burmese metal band, iron Cross, get no worldwide recognition. Why? Their guitarist is probably the best guitarist on the planet. His technique alone would put Steve Vai, Yngvie Malmsteen and Eddie Van Halen to shame. It's an enormous technique and needs to be seen live to be appreciated. (Video embedding isn't working. Sorry.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PproYFgDYLo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4O_J8SLmf8

Some bands that need to be mentioned:

The Accolade - the first all-female rock band in Saudi Arabia. Due to religious restrictions, they cannot perform or even give their real names in interviews. They hope to be pioneers in their own country and meanwhile perform live in more open countries such as Dubai. Their song "Pinocchio" is on YouTube and it's quite good.

In Pakistan, the "socialist rock" band Laal (which means "red" in Urdu) is great, they got several videos on YouTube, it's great how they use old Urdu language poetry and turn it into melancholic songs that get stuck in your head despite the language barrier.

In Cuba, there is Los Aldeanos, a hiphop band that is critical of the regime but too popular for the regime to want to take action against them (ironically some people listening to their records have been arrested though)

Someone mentioned Iceland but forgot Mum in the list (the accent on my keyboard is not working ) and recently, Of Monsters and Men have risen to fame. They're Icelandic too.

In Israel, I'd like to add HaMachshefot to the list. They became famous with a punkrock version of an old Hebrew folk song, "Kesem al Yam Kinneret". But their own material was very good too. Their singer, Inbal Perlmuter, passed away in a car accident sadly enough.
Aviv Geffen, highly popular amongst young Israelis from the left wing, is iconic in Israel too.

From Tunisia, I'd recommend the metal band Myriath who mix metal with Arabic sounds. Truly a great band, also live.

well the band I like isn't from another country, but it's still from a odd location. I like this punk band called Teenage Bottlerocket and they're from Wyoming. I know, a punk band from Wyoming. You don't hear about that every day.

Bruno Mars is Phillipino.

I learn the other day that "Radar Love" (one of the ultimate all american highway trucker classic rock anthems) is a Dutch song. Didnt know that golden Earring is a Dutch band.

Golden Earring is Dutch indeed, and the longest still actively performing band in the world (1 year older than Rolling Stones)

The Netherlands have Always had good musical export products despite their small size. Just few examples include The Gathering, After Forever, Epica, Ilse de Lange, (short lived) Twarres, Heideroosjes, ... This list is incomplete + leaves out a very large number of quality musicians who sing in their native Dutch language.

Simply Saucer, who were/are the Canadian answer to the Velvet Undergroud, hailing from neither Montreal, Toronto, Winnepeg, or anyplace major, but hailing from, Kitchener, Ontario, of all places.

Read more and download a sample here.