Featured, Finnish music, Headline, Top lists

Top 10 Finnish songs of the year 2013

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10. Janne Laurila & Tuhlaajapojat – Taika haihtuu pois

This one almost slipped out, because it came out very early in the year. The whole Janne Laurila & Tuhlaajapojat album was really good, but I especially loved this opening track Taika haihtuu pois.


9. Gim Kordon – Ei ole helppoo

I really love this early demo version of Ei ole helppoo. Even more than the second Gim Kordon that soon followed. But a real indie kid loves the first rough demo song of course. It’s all downhill from here haha. I still have high expectations for the debut album due out next year on Soliti.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/111060781″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”100″ iframe=”true” /]
 
8. The New Tigers – Secondary City

My favourite song from the second The New Tigers album The Badger that will appear on the album list as well.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/123340546″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”100″ iframe=”true” /]
 
7. Ochre Room – Garbage Trucks Are On The Move

First outtake from the forthcoming Ochre Room album due out spring 2014. One of my most anticipated albums of the year 2014.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/109758089″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”100″ iframe=”true” /]
 
6. Koria Kitten Riot – Between a Pillow and a Soft Place

The second outtake from the excellent forthcoming Koria Kitten Riot album that will hit the stores in January 2014.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5-ExY-OinM]

5. The Lieblings – She Motorway

Classic Coma from the excellent The Lieblings debut Take Us To Your Leader

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/107989270″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”100″ iframe=”true” /]
 
4. Hills (Of Vaasa) – It Was There

Classic Coma part 2 from the Hills (Of Vaasa) digital single.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/115284590″ params=”color=ff6600&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”100″ iframe=”true” /]
 
3. Nicolas Kivilinna – Rauhattoman rukous

I’m not a very logical person. I left Eino Leino -EP by Nicolas Kivilinna out from the EP list only because it didn’t feel right to include something that I haven’t bought. However, I wasn’t able to leave the lead song Rauhattoman rukous out from this list, because I’ve been listening to it a lot online and think it’s just so utterly wonderful.

 
2. Samae Koskinen – Hullu nainen

Hyvä päivä is not my favourite Samae Koskinen album (Ok, still a great one and easily among my top 10 Finnish albums of the year), but this song. Everything about this song from that Kaseva-like verse to that awesome chrous. I love it. I had this as #1 for a long time, but during the last week or two something sneaked past it.


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1. Topi Saha – Kolme veljee

At first, Topi Saha’s second album Kolme veljee felt like a minor disappointment. In some sense I still feel like the album could have been even better. Which might sound like a really odd statement after you’ve red my upcoming Finnish albums of the year list. Anyway, this is the song list and there’s plenty of wonderful songs on this one. There might be several worthy of that Finnish song of the year award, but during the recent weeks it has become clear to me that the title goes to the amazing title song Kolme veljee.

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Featured, Headline, Top lists

Favourite EPs of the Year 2013

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Time to write these year end lists. The Christmas time is always extremely busy in this food factory / warehouse job I’m in these days and therefore I haven’t had any time or energy for the blog lately. I think the next week will be the same, but after that it gets easier. That’s a good thing, because there’s a huge amount of excellent Finnish releases coming up in January that I need to write about. But first I need to get these lists out of the way. I’ll kick of with this short EP list today. Album lists will probably go until next weekend, if the work week will be as busy as I expect it to be.

EPs of the Year 2013:

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5. Paper Beat Scissors – Live at St.Matthew’s Church (Forward Music, 2013)

I’m not really into live recordings and I hardly ever buy them. Therefore it was a bit of surprise that I ended up spending a huge amount of time with a digital live EP. Paper Beat Scissors aka Tim Crabtree is a just so good and with a help of talented musicians he creates a magical intimate atmosphere. Especially this song Tendrils is perfect in every way. One of my favourite moments of the year.

 
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4. Robin Pahlman – Robin Pahlman (Monkey Records, 2013)

Robin Pahlman’s long-waited debut EP came out late in the year on Monkey Records. This is my favourite Finnish EP of the year, but it has to settle for a place outside the top 3, because I decided to make just one list for the EPs. I have posted the excellent lead track Miss Lonelyhearts so many times and therefore I’ll go with this song called Ghosts this time around.

 
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3. The Weather Station – Duets #1-3 (You’ve Changed Records)

A recent purchase, but an instant favourite. Might have challenged the top 2, if I had spent as much time with it. I don’t know why I waited so long, because I love The Weather Station aka Tamara Lindeman and I love two of her duet partners Daniel Romano and Marine Dreams. Not that familiar with the the third duet partner Baby Eagle, but I should check him out as well, because those two songs are also absolutely wonderful. Both Daniel Romano and Marine Dreams will be under the spotlight on the upcoming best albums of the year list, so I’ll go with a song by The Weather Station featuring Baby Eagle. This is Brook and Branch.

 
westirey

2. Wes Tirey – I Stood Among Trees

One of the big finds of the year (thanks to April). One day Wes Tirey will be huge.. or at least should be huge. Things don’t always go the way they should. Anyway, Wes Tirey is a magnificent folk singer-songwriter and he released two amazing EPs this year. False Idols EP was a really good one, but this debut EP I Stood Among Trees was the one that was out of this world great. This one is The Time Leaves So Soon.

 
jeremysquires

1. Jeremy Squires – Central Nervous Station

It was a tough decision between the first two. If I think pure artistic value, Wes Tirey probably takes the first spot by an inch. But I’m an emotional guy and hauntingly beautiful Central Nervous Station by Jeremy Squires was something that took care of me emotionally. I’m not sure am I completely fucked up to say that, because the lyrical content is often really dark and melancholic. However, heartwarming vocals wrapped into gentle folk melodies is a perfect way to tackle that darkness within us and soon it reminded me that even the longest night leads to daylight. Therefore Central Nervous Station is a friend that holds me together if I stumble into the dark. Whole thing is wonderful, but my favourite songs are these two, Central Nervous Station and A Warm Glow.

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Album of the Month, Headline, International music

Album of The Month: Widower – Fool Moon

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widower

My biggest addiction right now. Widower’s Fool Moon has been out for a while now, but I just bought it a week or two ago. I don’t know why I waited so long, but thankfully I saw the light now. This is going to be a last minute entry to my albums of the year list. It’s just so beautiful. Almost spiritual, because sometimes the melodies might be as close to Finnish church hymns as american folk rock songs. I find the album amazingly beautiful, but maybe it’s fair to warn that the beauty of the album is often rather devastating. Actually Kevin Large kind of rips your heart out sometimes. But even then he does it delicately and compassionately and he doesn’t forget to put the heart back in and make you feel more whole than before. I’m not sure has any record moved me as deeply as this one during the year. There’s a couple of songs that are not that special and therefore this has to settle a place in the top 10 and won’t be the album of the year contender. However, the finest songs like Thoroughbred, Grasp, Oh Catherine, My Catherine and Almost, Always, All Yours are just heavenly.

This is Oh Catherine, My Catherine from Fool Moon that was released by the great Mama Bird Recording Company on 30th of July.

Widower at Facebook

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Featured, Finnish music, Headline, News

The New Tigers – Secondary City

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baDGER

The New Tigers just released new music video Secondary City from their excellent 2013 album The Badger. This is my favourite song of the new album. Such a great chorus. The Badger was also released in the UK today and will be distributed in the UK by Shellshock. More about The New Tigers when I compile my top 10 Finnish albums of the year list later in December. This is Secondary City.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj-V8zETf_I]

The New Tigers Website

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