Richard Laviolette – All Wild Things Are Shy (You’ve Changed Records)
Leaving the Finnish borders on this anniversary week collection. This first one leaves me teary-eyed, but it’s still one of my favorite albums of 2024. Canadian songwriter Richard Laviolette wrote and recorded All Wild Things Are Shy during the last five years of his life, in the time between his mother’s death from Huntington’s Disease and his own. A community of friends and colleagues helped him along the way and eventually released the album exactly one year after his death. It’s a really powerful and cathartic album that will stay you long after the last chord has drifted into the air. Here’s a couple of my own favorites from the album. Catacombs plus an older video of album cut Don’t Quit On Me.
Wren Kitz – The Thinker (Feeding Tube Records)
Next to Burlington, VT for a bit more experimental folk sounds by Wren Kitz. It’s not too weird though for my simple taste and some of it is even catchy in a blissfully twisted kind of way. A damn good record. Here’s one of my own favorites, quietly captivating Vast Amiss.
The Bird Calls – Old Faithful (Ruination Record Co)
Moving over to New York for some Sam Sodomsky songs. He releases music under the moniker The Bird Calls and his gentle folk tunes always have some down-to-earth magic inside them. The latest album is called Old Faithful and this one of my favorites from that album.
Nightbird – Out of These Days (Nighttime Recordings)
From The Bird Calls to Nightbird and back to Finnish shores too. Nightbird aka Anna-Stina Jungerstam is a great Finnish folk/blues songwriter and her latest album Out of These Days that came out in early May is one of my Favorite Finnish albums this year. Here’s the hauntingly beautiful single Starling Murmuration to end tonight’s anniversary posts. Maybe more tomorrow, if I’m not too tired.
Anniversary celebration continues with more songs that I love. The actual birthday post ended with Hattara, so I’m sure Jake Nyman would be proud if I post something from an EP called Kaikki on hattaraa. It’s the debut release from Huonosti puetut lapset and I love it to bits. Magical stuff with mostly piano and a beautiful voice. Here’s the last song Mikset voisi minua.
Leija Lautamaja – Ylpeästi sun
This album has been one of my biggest favorites all year long. Leija Lautamaja might be better known from trad circles, but this popular music adventure Sydän tuli piilosta is nothing short of amazing. Full of beautiful playing, great songwriting and gorgeous lyrics that sometimes make you smile and other times move you into tears. I love almost all of the songs, but let’s go with Ylpeästi Sun on this little blog post. A song for mother that is so real and true. Quietly mesmerizing. I love it as much as you can love a song.
Toinen Maisema – Usvaa
Wrapping this quickly with a couple of singles. First the past and future of Finnish rock. Only a little bit joking. I saw Toinen Maisema live late this summer and absolutely loved everything about the concert. If I had a label I would sign them in a heartbeat and force them to make a full length album as soon as possible. There’s two great singles available right now. The latest is called Usvaa.
Nikita Titov – Kirkas tähtiyö
This last one is called Kirkas tähtiyö and it’s filed under the very best songs of 2024. What a beautiful dreamy monster from Nikita Titov. I can’t wait to hear more. Whenever there’s an album, it’s going to cause a havoc in my heart.
Here we are. Twenty Three Strikes. A few years back I considered that it would be good to get to 23 years and call it a day by posting All About Chad’sRäkärodeo classic Twenty Three Strikes. Well here we are, but I will only fullfill one half of that idea. I will post the song, but I have no intention of quitting. Maybe someday if I lose the love for new music, but I just don’t see that happening. During the recent years I’ve fallen in love with artists/bands like ITE EEROLA, Kristiina and Hattara just as intensely as I did with Bridget, The Sugarrush and Office Building back when I started this thing in 2001. I hope I will never lose that almost childlike enthusiasm for new music, because that’s the best part of this. Hearing something new like Olva’s song Mehiläisille this year and just instantly being so wholeheartedly in love with everything about it. I understand if that can get a tiny bit annoying too, but if you are reading this anniversary post, you are probably well aware that this blog has nothing to with music critique and everything to do with passionately loving music.
One Chord to Another is a big part of who I am and I’m proud that I’ve been able to keep it going for such a long time. Sure it has its flaws and shortcomings and maybe it could be more if I was less lazy, more brave and not hindered with self doubt. Still I do think this has a lot of value. There’s so much beautiful new music in this messed up world and a lot of it won’t be covered in the actual music media at all or it will be just a sidenote there. And well unfortunately there isn’t a whole lot of that music media even left these days. There’s definitely still a need for the music bloggers that spend their spare time finding the new gems that fly under the radar. In the future it would be nice to find the time and energy to write a bit more and maybe organize some live concerts, but most likely things will stay relatively same and I’m quite content with that too. So I don’t think there will be a whole lot new on the horizon, but I hope you stay with me on this new music adventure. It means the world to me.
All About Chad – Twenty Three Strikes
There wouldn’t be this blog without Miettinen and his Räkärodeo radio show. These days I also cover a lot of music that maybe wouldn’t have been played on Räkärodeo, but it’s the clear foundation of my music taste and I owe everything to Räkärodeo. This song was a usual request whenever some of us listeners turned 23. That’s why it has to play on this blog’s 23rd anniversary. This is an indie pop classic from 1995. So not a new one, but extremely highly recommended.
Olva – Mehiläisille (Minna Records)
And then a few 2024 songs that I love. First my favorite song of the year. That’s the aforementioned Mehiläisille by Olva. A poignant and profoundly beautiful song where bees try to thrive on this planet after the humanity failed. Sounds devastating, but there’s a mountain of warmness and comfort in that song too. I have zero need to see Oasis live, but oh how I would love to see Olva.
ITE EEROLA – Näidenkin seinien takana (Panama-levyt)
I think I’ve mentioned it a few times that my favorite songwriter during the last few years has been ITE EEROLA. Everything just feels so heartfelt and resonates deeply. This latest single Näidenkin seinien takana is again something so pure and affecting and hits close home on a personal level too. I’m shy, quiet and socially clumsy and curling up inside four walls isn’t at all uncommon. Thankfully there’s live music that drags me out and songwriters like ITE EEROLA that make me at least open the window to shout their name to the world or the surprised upstairs neighbour who is walking the dog.
Hattara – Halla (Cotton Candy Company)
Let’s pick up the pace a little and share one song from the album I’ve listened the most in 2024. It’s the debut full-length Ehkä me nähdään huomenna from Helsinki-based dream pop band Hattara. They have quickly become one of my favorite bands. I loved all the singles last year and this new album is equally brilliant. But it’s way past midnight so time to quit the anniversary ramblings and just play Hattara on repeat until I fall asleep. Maybe more video/song posts later in the week. This is Halla from the new Hattara album.
