Featured, Headline, International music, News

Ariel Sharratt & Mathias Kom – Fuck The Government, I Love You

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goverment

File under: the best song in the world right now and a song worthy of a blog comeback. I really fell in love with this one last weekend and listened to it over and over again. I didn’t really plan on ending my blog hiatus this week, but this is just too good not to post. So if you missed One Chord To Another, you can thank these lovely people for getting it back on track. They are Ariel Sharratt & Mathias Kom from The Burning Hell and their duo album called Don’t Believe The Hyperreal will come out on the 27th of November. It will be released by BB*Island (Europe) / Headless Owl (Canada).

The past year has been a year of The Burning Hell for me. Perhaps in more ways than one, but let’s leave the health concerns aside for a second and focus on the brighter part of The Burning Hell. The songwriter Mathias Kom is my own happiness guide. There are lines in his songs that make me so ridiculously happy that perhaps one day I can say that the lines in my face did come from smiling. The first outtake Fuck The Government, I Love You from the forthcoming duo album is once again an injection of happiness. Co-workers probably think I’m finally loosing it, because all week long I’ve been packing potatoes while singing along loudly the words “pass the wine, fuck the government, I love you too”. Thanks Ariel & Mathias. I love you too.

And some old The Burning Hell classics.

The Burning Hell Website

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Featured, General, Headline

14 Down, 1 To Go: One Chord To Another Turns 14!

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happy

One year to another. OCTA is now fourteen years old. That’s already a far longer time than I ever expected, but there’s still work to be done. Ok, you might have noticed that nothing is really happening right now and I feel extremely guilty about it. I just don’t really have enough energy for this at the moment. I apologize. Maybe things will get better soon. I doubt it, but at least I’m a bit more hopeful today than yesterday. Anyway, fifteen has been my goal and I intend to keep this thing somehow alive until that point. What happens after that I’m not entirely sure. The wise thing would be to organize a little anniversary concert / memorial service for the blog and go out with a bang. It’s also possible that I just don’t have the heart to completely stop after doing this for so long and this turns into one of those dreadful “one more year” things where a person with a decent track record (well lousy track record in my case) just doesn’t know how and when to quit.

Anyway, I’ll figure out 15 when I get there. Now it’s time to celebrate the 14th birthday (the actual birthday is actually tomorrow on the 17th of September, but I don’t have time to do this then) and I’ll do that by doing what I always do. Posting three songs that I really love at the moment.

Christopher Paul Stelling – Dear Beast

Hezekiah Jones – The Dark Heart’s Out

Joan Shelley – Over and Even

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Finnish music, Headline, News

Hiljaiset kallot, Salaliitto & Janne Tapio

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hiljaisetkallot

There hasn’t been enough Finnish music here lately. Let’s make amends by posting some of my recent favourites.

First we have Hiljaiset kallot and their debut 7″ single Miespaikalla Ruotsiin / Kaunis nainen. It’s been out for a while on Fonal Records and it’s definitely a crime that it took me this long to post it. Hiljaiset kallot carries the torch lit by the forever lovely TV-Resistori and delivers a couple of outstanding and unique pop songs. This one is the a-side Miespaikalla Ruotsiin.

Hiljaiset kallot Website

salaliitto

I posted about this single by Salaliitto a while back, but a reminder is in order because I just keep on listening to this all the time. Plus I still haven’t posted this b-side Kaikilla on aikaa, which is one of my favourite Finnish songs of the year. I can’t wait to hear the full-length. I probably have to wait for a long while though because getting those vinyls pressed takes ages these days. The single is available on their Bandcamp. This is Kaikilla on aikaa.

Salaliitto at Facebook

jannetapio

Janne Tapio released his self-titled debut album early in the summer. I remember this guy from Supernova Crush. Maybe that’s why I get all these Posies-vibes and melodic power pop vibes even though this doesn’t have that much to do with that. Anyway, together with Jussi Suonikko (whom you might remember as the violin/mandolin maestro of Hi-Lo & In Between), Janne Tapio has created a very good folk-tinged pop album. This is Hälytyskello from the album. You can buy/listen to the whole album on his Bandcamp.

Janne Tapio at Bandcamp

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Featured, Finnish music, Headline, News

Maanvaiva & Hate Paper Doll

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maanvaivaa

My favourite song yesterday, today and probably tomorrow as well is Kalpeanaama by Maanvaiva. There isn’t too much information available on this internet thing, but what matters is that their debut release Tuuli / Kalpeanaama 12” maxi is now out and available on Gearwheel Records. I like both songs, but my favourite is definitely Kalpeanaama. Jukka Melametsä plays the guitar and Tom Stenman sings his heart out. I sure love that combination as a long time fan of The Refreshments and Mental Market. The maxi single can be bought from them directly (you’ll find the information on their Facebook) or pick it up from your local record store. At least Levykauppa Äx has it in stock.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ1fSTMlcSM]

Maanvaiva at Facebook

hatepaperdol

I have a good opportunity to turn this little blog entry into a Tom Stenman special and I can’t let that opportunity to pass me by. There’s a new band called Hate Paper Doll out there. A name from a Husker Du song and a line up of Tom Stenman, Näkä Hyle, Teemu Horto and Kim Kannussaari. What’s not to love. These guys have really delivered with their earlier bands and I’m 100% sure they are going to do that again. They have just started playing live and haven’t released more than demo, but here’s Afterlife from that demo.

Hate Paper Doll at Facebook

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