10 Favorite Finnish EPs of 2024

A quick rundown of my favorite Finnish EPs. Same story as before. Numbers, but pretty arbitrary. Very subjective. Playlist on Tidal and Spotify. Oh and big praise to the Finnish EP of the year aka Kaikki on hattaraa by Huonosti puetut lapset. Absolutely loved it. One of my favorite Finnish releases of the year altogether. Considered it for the album category too, because it’s six songs and 26 minutes. It would have been in the top 10 among the albums too. I think it’s that good. A lot of other good ones here too. STINAKO had a gorgeous trilogy of EPs that share one spot here.

Spotify Playlist
Tidal Playlist (missing Huonosti puetut lapset)

10. Jenna-Marie Laine – Three Songs by

9. Juovat – Juovat EP

8. STINAKO – Mind / Body / Spirit (Soliti)

7. Jantso Jokelin – Taxi to a Housefire (Musakonttori)

6. Jean Ramsay – The Snowblind E.P.

5. The Plastic Tones – We’re All In This Together

4. Modem / Dragsvik – Miten täällä voi elää? (Modem Age Records)

3. Teini-pää – Mietin minne meet (Soit Se Silti)

2. Poni – Poni (Minna Records)

1. Huonosti puetut lapset – Kaikki on hattaraa

Continue Reading

35 Favorite Finnish Albums of 2024

Next up my favorite Finnish albums of 2024. I already had the 30 albums picked, but then Emilia Sisco threw a last minute curveball and released a great album. So I expanded this to a weird amount of 35 favorites, because I didn’t have the heart to remove any that I already had there. Almost went with 50 though, because even with 35 I had to leave out so many good ones. There’s more on the playlist, if it doesn’t feel like enough.

Again there’s numbers, but they are mostly arbitrary. So don’t take them too seriously. Music is love, not a competition. The first two were pretty clear, but after that I could have switched them endlessly. And the order of the first two is a bit difficult too, because I listened Hattara the most but on the other hand, half of that Leija Lautamaja album hit me harder than anything else I heard this year. Sinun takiasi, Ylpeästi sun, Jos jos and Ilman sua tää ei ois elämää is such a tremendous song quartet that in the end it felt like Sydän tuli piilosta had to be the Finnish album of the year.

As usual, this is entirely subjective. I don’t try make an objective best of or try to figure what will stand the test of time. It’s a snapshot of what I loved in December 2024. Even my own list might look somewhat different in a few months.

I didn’t write any blurbs, because I’m lazy and don’t have the time. And most would probably just check out what’s on the list anyway. There’s a Spotify and Tidal playlist if you are into such things. They actually have a lot more than 35 albums, because that was my draft for this. But I left them there as a giant bubbling under section. Maybe not wise because I know there’s stuff missing too. I didn’t add many Bandcamp / YouTube embeds, because if there’s a lot of them the site will either crash or take forever to load. At least on mobile devices. It would make it easy to check out the records, but not worth it due to those issues.

Samae’s album was a tricky one, because I love that he made it and I wished that it would have aged really poorly. Unfortunately we just saw that it’s still very relevant. So extra bonus points for that important album, even though it’s not on this list.

Spotity Playlist
Tidal Playlist

35 FAVORITE FINNISH ALBUMS OF 2024

35. Kot-kat – Yöruoan aikaan (Kazakstan)

34. Kansalainen – Ikuisen yön kaupungissa (Helmi Levyt)

33. V. Härkönen – Lähinnä selkeää (Soit Se Silti)

32. Pekka Laine – Pekka Laine & The Enchanted in Slumberland (Svart Records)

31. Kaspar – Calling the Waters (Soliti)

30. Tams – Tams

29. Rebekka Holi – Kukkaan (Booa Music)

28. Joose Keskitalo & The Mystic Revelation of Teppo Repo – Tähdet palaavat paikoilleen (Helmi Levyt)

27. Samanna – Mittasuhteet (Humu Records)

26. Arppa – Muovipussi kummittelee (Johanna Kustannus)

25. Henna Emilia Hietamäki – Luutarha (Soliti)

24. Penniless – Ego Catastrophe (Soit Se Silti)

23. Ystävät – Ystävät (KHY Suomen Musiikki)

22. Viive – Sen jälkeen kun (Mustik Motel)

21. Mikko Joensuu – Long Ark (Is This Art!)

20. Kaita Isäri Seppälä – Korpit kyselevät (Soit Se Silti)

19. Bad Sauna – Kerro sille miltä susta tuntuu (All That Plazz)

18. Inginmaa / Hypnomen – Maailma katoaa (Stupido Records)

17. Kielo Kärkkäinen – Näkijä (Texicalli)

16. Iron Country Sisters – Grace (Soit Se Silti)

15. Anis Kiitu – Kaihola (Humu Records)

14. Susanna Leppänen – Kaikki on kaikki (Panama-levyt)

13. Litku Klemetti – Funny Girl (Is This Art!)

12. Jari Raaste – Fresh! (Minna Records / Panama-levyt / Raastepöytä)

11. Kumma Heppu & Lopunajan Voidellut – Vain tuuli tänne jää (Rockadillo Records)

10. Essi Leppänen systeemi – Zverynasin talo (Helmi Levyt)

9. Amuri – Kun mä kotoa lähdin (Helmi Levyt)

8. Emilia Sisco – Introducing Emilia Sisco (Timmion Records)

7. Nightbird – Out of These Days (Nighttime Recordings)

6. Joni Ekman Group – Joni Ekman Group (Näkki-levyt)

5. Modem – Megalomania (Modem Age Records)

4. Rosita Luu – Yöeläin (Playground)

3. Viitasen Piia – Ihmisen aika (Utopiia)

2. Hattara – Ehkä me nähdään huomenna (Cotton Candy Company)

1. Leija Lautamaja – Sydän tuli piilosta (Leija Organs Records)

Continue Reading

100 Favorite Albums of 2024

It’s the time of the season. The year end routine starts with the albums of the year. A good year of music again and even though the list is absurdly long, I still would have loved to be able to squeeze in another 50 or so. If a record is missing from this, it doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. I covered well over 600 albums on the new music weekly posts, so there’s a lot of really good music out there.

I did put the numbers there, but it’s totally arbitrary. Music is love, not a competition. Maybe first 10-20 at the top were somewhat obvious and my biggest favorites this year. After that it could have been alphabetical order just as well. I could move these albums up or down 20 spots and be just as happy with it. So the numbers are only there to give you a vague idea of what I loved the most, because everyone isn’t a music addict and willing to listen all 100 albums (actually 101, because I couldn’t decide which Rambling Nicholas Heron to include and therefore those share one spot on the list).

As usual, the list is totally subjective. I never try to make an objective list of the best albums or try to figure out what will stand the test of time. It’s just a snapshot of my taste in December 2024. Even my own list might look a lot different in two months. For example right now as I compile this, I’m maybe little less into country than earlier in the year. So I might easily look back this later pondering why the hell I didn’t include more country albums. I’m also just one man and there’s tons of stuff I haven’t listened enough or at all. Not to mention the hundreds of records that I didn’t even knew existed before reading other people’s aoty lists.

I didn’t write any blurbs, because I’m lazy and don’t have the time. And most would probably just check out what’s on the list anyway. There’s a Spotify and Tidal playlist if you are into such things. They actually have a lot more than 100 albums, because that was my draft for this. But I left them there as a giant bubbling under section. Maybe not wise because I know there’s stuff missing too. I didn’t add many Bandcamp / YouTube embeds, because if there’s a hundred of them the site will either crash or take forever to load. At least on mobile devices. It would make it easy to check out the records, but not worth it due to those issues. You’ll easily find them on Bandcamp, if you so wish.

Tidal Playlist
Spotify Playlist

100 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2024

100. Rachel Love – Lyra (The Cat Collects)

99. GospelbeacH – Wiggle Your Fingers (Curation Records)

98. TJ Douglas – Dying (Team Love)

97. ROY – Spoons for the World (Idee Fixe Records)

96. Kaia Kater – Strange Medicine (Free Dirt Records)

95. Lindsay Reamer – Natural Science (Dear Life Records)

94. Jake McKelvie – A New Kind of Hat

93. Wren Kitz – The Thinker (Feeding Tube Records)

92. Kathryn Williams & Withered Hand – Willson & Williams (One Little Independent)

91. Lee Baggett – Waves for a Begull (Perpetual Doom)

90. Mary Timony – Untame the Tiger (Merge Records)

89. Ducks Ltd. – Harm’s Way (Carpark)

88. Jackie West – Close to the Mystery (Ruination Record Co)

87. Maya De Vitry – The Only Moment (Mad Maker Studio)

86. Humdrum – Every Heaven (Slumberland Records)

85. JP Harris – JP Harris is a Trash Fire (Bloodshot Records)

84. Styrofoam Winos – Real Time

83. Andre Ethier – Cold Spaghetti (Telephone Explosion Records)

82. The Pearlfishers – Making Tapes for Girls (Marina Records)

81. The Softies – The Bed I Made (Father / Daughter Records)

80. West of Roan – Queen of Eyes (Spinster)

79. Caleb Caudle – Sweet Critters (Missing Piece Records)

78. Bob Sumner – Some Place to Rest Easy (Fluff and Gravy Records)

77. Max Bien Kahn – Flowers (Well Kept Secret)

76. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – Woodland (Acony Records)

75. Sinai Vessel – I Sing (Keeled Scales)

74. Jeremy Ferrara – Darkness is a Bright Sound (A for Effort Records)

73. Turner Cody – The Days of Duke and Nancy (Capitane Records)

72. Leyla McCalla – Sun Without the Heat (Anti)

71. Mr. Sam & The People People – Again! Again! (Tape Dad / Gar Hole Records)

70. Jon McKiel – Hex (You’ve Changed Records)

69. Pony Bradshaw – Thus Spoke the Fool (Black Mountain Music / Soundly)

68. Ned Collette – Our Other History

67. Kimmi Bitter – Old School

66. Jimmy Montague – Tomorrow’s Coffee

65. Wesley Fuller – All Fuller No Filler (Cheersquad Records & Tapes)

64. Mac Cornish – Never Made Much of a Lover

63. Laughing – Because It’s True (Meritorio Records)

62. Daniel Romano – Too Hot to Sleep (You’ve Changed Records)

61. The Reds, Pinks and Purples – Unwishing Well (Tough Love / Slumberland)

60. Kasey Anderson – To The Places We Lived (Nervous Kid Records)

59. Sierra Ferrell – Trail of Flowers (Rounder Records)

58. Scott Ballew – Rio Bravo (La Honda Records)

57. Jake Nicoll – Lonely Mission

56. Daniel Markham – Just Like a Dream (Velvet Blue Music)

55. Dorothea Paas – Think of Mist (Telephone Explosion Records)

54. Gabriel Birnbaum – Patron Saint of Tireless Losers (Western Vinyl)

53. The Secret Beach – We we’re born here, what’s your excuxe? (Victory Pool)

52. Charley Crockett – $10 Cowboy (Son of Day / Thirty Tigers)

51. Charlie Overman – Charlie Overman

50. Advance Base – Horrible Occurrences (Run for Cover Records)

49. St. Lenox – Ten Modern American Work Songs (Don Giovanni Records / Anyway Records)

48. Micah Schnabel – The Clown Watches the Clock

47. The Innocence Mission – Midwinter Swimmers (Bella Union)

46. Little Kid – A Million Easy Payments (Orindal Records / Gold Day)

45. American Aquarium – Fear of Standing Still (Losing Side Records / Thirty Tigers)

44. The Bird Calls – Old Faithful (Ruination Record Co)

43. Adam Remnant – Big Doors (Coiled Myth Records)

42. Adeline Hotel – Whodunnit (Ruination Record Co)

41. Luka Kuplowsky – How Can I Possibly Sleep When There’s Music (Next Door Records)

40. Vanessa Peters – Flying on Instruments (Idol Records)

39. Chime School – The Boy Who Ran the Paisley Hotel (Slumberland)

38. Christo Graham – Music for Horses (We Are Busy Bodies)

37. Shabason, Krgovich & Sage – Shabason, Krgovich & Sage (Idee Fixe Records)

36. Andrew Bryant – Loosa Schoona (Sentimental Noises Records)

35. Shawn Hess – Wild Onion

34. Josienne Clarke – Parenthesis, I (Corduroy Punk)

33. Simon Joyner – Coyote Butterfly (BB*Island)

32. Beachwood Sparks – Across the River of Stars (Curation Records)

31. Eric Slick – New Age Rage (Slick Records / Thirty Tigers)

30. Michael Feuerstack – Eternity Mongers (Forward Music Group)

29. Hello Emerson – To Keep Him Here (K & F Records / Anyway Records)

28. Chris Acker – Famous Lunch (Gar Hole Records)

27. Rambling Nicholas Heron – Cinema Teotro / Manuel’s Dream: Gunmetal Clouds (Suitcase Studio & Shop)

26. Alex Izenberg – Alex Izenberg & The Exiles (Domino Recording Co)

25. Desiree Cannon – Radio Heat (Gar Hole Records / Long Road Society)

24. Fred Thomas – Window in the Rhythm (Polyvinyl)

23. Quivers – Oyster Cuts (Merge Records)

22. VanWyck – Dust Chaser (Maiden Name Records)

21. Haley Heynderickx – Seed of A Seed (Mama Bird Recording Co)

20. Adrianne Lenker – Bright Future (4AD)

19. MJ Lenderman – Manning Fireworks (Anti)

18. Rosali – Bite Down (Merge Records)

17. Jennifer Castle – Camelot (Paradise of Bachelors / Solstice Radio)

16. Hurray for the Riff Raff – The Past Is Still Alive (Nonesuch Records)

15. Myriam Gendron – Mayday (Chivi Chivi / Feeding Tube Records / Thrill Jockey)

14. Anna Tivel – Living Thing (Fluff and Gravy Records)

13. Adeem the Artist – Anniversary (Four Quarters Records / Thirty Tigers)

12. Frontier Ruckus – On the Northline (Loose Music / Sitcom Universe)

11. The Lemon Twigs – A Dream Is All We Know (Captured Tracks)

10. John Moreland – Visitor (Old Omens / Thirty Tigers)

9. Mt. Misery – Love In Mind (Prefect Records)

8. Eamon Fogarty – I’m an animal now (Orphean Kiosk Recordings)

7. St. Yuma – Country Sleight of Hand (Quietly Records)

6. Jessica Pratt – Here in the Pitch (City Slang)

5. Office Culture – Enough (Ruination Record Co)

4. Willi Carlisle – Critterland (Signature Sounds Recordings)

3. Melissa Carper – Borned in Ya (Mae Music / Thirty Tigers)

2. Richard Laviolette – All Wild Things Are Shy (You’ve Changed Records)

1. The Lostines – Meet the Lostines (Gar Hole Records)

Continue Reading
1 2 3 701