The Mattoid

Ville Kiviniemi is The Mattoid, a bald, poncho-wearing enigma from Finland who moved to Nashville to take over the scene with his unique blend of lounge-flavored Velvet Underground rock & roll, Scandinavian throat singing, and signature rhythmic guitar technique known simply as "sango." He formed the Poppy Fields Band in 2001 with an Israeli chanteuse of the same name, eventually splitting in 2003 to strike out on his own. Backed by a group that consists of some of Nashville's finest, including members of the Lone Official, Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminals, Lambchop, and Poppy Fields herself, the Mattoid toured the states, taking his punk/lounge act to basement pubs and house parties, occasionally throwing in a heart-wrenching cover of "Hello" by Lionel Richie.