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GRADING THE CHARTS

Grading the Top 10 Songs ... IN LATVIA!

By Molly Lambert at

1. Prata Vetra, "Lantern"


Impressionistic lyrics, post-rock guitars, skateboarding high fives, and some serious indie falsetto. Prata Vetra finished third in the 2000 Eurovision competition. Their name is Latvian for "Brainstorm," and three of their most popular singles are named "Gardener," "Oranges," and "Airplanes." They have an album with a Latvian title that translates to "The Kitten Who Didn't Want to Give Up." They once opened for the Rolling Stones in Prague, and gifted Mick Jagger a saxophone for his birthday. They are big in the U.K. as part of the "world-indie" boom that helped the band Beirut achieve some crossover success there.
Grade: A-
Best YouTube Comment: "LATVIA I LOVE YOU" — The Es4a

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