The Düsseldorf Düsterboys (DEU)

The Düsseldorf Düsterboys (DEU)class="English">The band’s name hints at a layer of irony – not just because the musicians Peter Rubel and Pedro Goncalves Crescenti actually hail from Mainz and are based in Essen, but also given track titles like “Tenerife” and “Kaffee aus der Küche” on their 2019 debut album Nenn mich Musik. On it, the duo explored the music of the 1960s and 1970s, echoing the laconic and psychedelic vibes of the Velvet Underground, complete with backing vocals and tube amplifiers. Their laid-back rhymes and guitar sounds are paired with lines such as “I’ll fetch the coffee from the kitchen and the ciggies from the cupboard”, enabling The Düsseldorf Düsterboys to maintain a certain levity amidst the gravity of life. With the addition of Edis Ludwig on drums and Fabian Neubauer on piano and organ, on their follow-up albums they elevated German folk pop to new heights.