Secret Scandinavian Singers: Exposed!

They are among us, sneaking undetected among singers who sound as American as can be: Scandinavians! It's happened several times in the past few months -- I've started listening to a certain artist, and only weeks later, much to my surprise, will I discover that they're actually Swedes or Danes or Finns. It's a testament to their language skills, certainly -- most grow up speaking a few different languages and learn English in school. I spent a week in Denmark a few years ago, and one evening hung out with a twentysomething kid who for the longest time I thought was an American frat boy studying abroad -- until he told me he was from Greenland, of all places. I felt so mono-lingual!

Check out Swede Kristian Matsson, AKA the Tallest Man on Earth, who could not sound more American. Some are even calling him the second coming of Bob Dylan:

Or Jose Gonzales, also a Swede.

Or there Sondre Lerche, from Norway:

Sondre Lerche - To Be Surprised (Live on Late Night with Conan O'Brien) from Sondre Lerche on Vimeo.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are singers like Jonsi, from Iceland's Sigur Ros. Now THIS is how you let people know you're Scandinavian!

Jónsi - Go Do from Jónsi on Vimeo.