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Devil Box – The Thing at the End

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Blues collective Devil Box released their debut album The Thing at the End on friday 20th of january, 2012. I’m just listening to it for the first time while writing this and I’m really enjoying it. The album was released by Kääntö Records. This is the opener Dial D For Devil.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/30785080″]
 
Their record release concert took place at Pikku-Torre on the 20th of january. I recorded some songs with my iPhone. This one below is Cyanide Process. You can check out four others on this playlist.

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

Devil Box Website
Devil Box at Facebook

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Black Twig – Paper Trees

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I’m finally noticing that it’s 2012 already and I better start recommending some new stuff. Soliti released Black Twig’s debut album Paper Trees last week and pretty much every blog has already mentioned that it is excellent. I still want to join the party, because it definitely is an excellent album. The standout tracks are the first outtakes Lake Song and Death Scene, but the whole thing is truly enjoyable. Beautifully distorted fuzzy pop album with noisy and/or hypnotic songs. This is Lake Song.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/27757971″]

Black Twig Website

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Reissues & Compilations of the year 2011

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One more list to go and then it’s finally done and I can focus on 2012.

TOP 5 Reissues & Compilations (ok, I know it’s actually a top eight)

5. The Poets: Wooden Spoon – The Singles Anthology 1964-1967

This was my first proper introduction to Scottish 60’s band The Poets. I think previously I had only heard That’s The Way It’s Got To Be on the Nuggets II box sets. That’s a really great song and so are the other 11 cuts on this singles anthology.
 
 
 
4. Mickey Newbury: An American Trilogy (4CD)

I’ve had the Frisco Mabel Joy vinyl for years and even included it on some all time favourite albums list on the old website. This American Trilogy was a must have box set, because it also contained two other albums I’ve never heard before and a rarities disc. Four CDs in a row might be too big one time dose of Mickey Newbury, but one at a time these work perfectly. Mickey Newbury was a magnificent songwriter.
 
 
3. Miettinen – Pieni rockhistoriikki 1979-2000

I thought about putting this as #1, but maybe that wouldn’t have been an honest thing to do. On a purely emotional level this is the number one, because I love Miettinen and he is one of the main reasons I came so addicted to music (+ started One Chord to Another). However, I’ve always been more pop-orientated than rock-orientated and therefore I’m not that into everything on this box set. Roughly put, I really love 1/3 of this, I really like 1/3 of this and 1/3 of this is not really my cup of tea.
 
 
2. The Left Banke: Walk Away Renee / Pretty Ballerina & The Left Banke Too

Sundazed get one of those onechord.net’s imaginary culture awards for releasing these two The Left Banke albums. Beforehand it was pretty impossible to find these baroque pop treasures, but now I finally own these beauties. Especially the debut Walk Away Renee / Pretty Ballerina is a perfect album. The Left Banke are one of the best bands there is.
 
 
1. Fading Yellow Volume 11, Volume 12 and Volume 13

I’ve been aware of this compilation series for a few years, but because I knew most of the compilations are/were out of print, I didn’t start buying them at the time. I kind of knew that if I buy one, I want them all. This is exactly what happened when I finally did buy volumes 10, 11, 12 from Stockholm in september 2011. I instantly fell in love and have since bought also volumes 1, 2, 8, 9 and 13. Unfortunately volumes 3-7 seem to be pretty impossible to find unless one wants to pay $100 for a used CD and I don’t. Hopefully JJ will eventually reissue volumes 3-7, because I’m dying to get them. Fading Yellow gave us three near-perfect CD compilations and one vinyl (which I don’t have) during the year 2011. Volumes 11-13 are all utterly wonderful and therefore I let them share the #1 spot on this list. If I had to choose just one, I think I would go with Volume 12 – A Lighthearted Life: Another Collection Of Euro, UK & Australian ‘60s/Early ‘70s Pop Sike And Other Delights. It’s just contains a huge amount of songs that I now love, but would never have found without Fading Yellow compilations. Like Like It Never Was by Paul Vigrass.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2jy18heTtI]

Fading Yellow at Tumblr
Fading Yellow at Facebook

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Favourite EPs of the Year 2011

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Another pointless list. This time showcasing my favourite EPs of the year. I don’t buy that many EPs, but after browsing through my record collection and iTunes collection, I found six EPs that I absolutely love and adore. I don’t have the heart to drop one out to make it a top 5 and adding another 4 that aren’t equally important to me don’t make much sense either. Therefore this is top 6 EPs of the year list.

6. Burning Hearts: Into The Wilderness

I think I’ve written very little about the latest Burning Hearts release Into The Wilderness EP. That’s quite criminal, because I love it to bits. Especially the title track Into The Wilderness is out of this world. The new album Extinctions is out on 1st of february. More about that after I get these year end lists done & dusted. Listen to Burn, Burn, Burn from the upcoming album here. This song below is Into The Wilderness from the EP.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/13845336″]
 
 
5. Klifton Filente: Breaking The Clouds

Eight songs and 24 minutes is maybe more like an album or a mini-album than an EP, but because of some weird unexplained reason I decided to put it on this EP list instead of the album list. Anyway, this is a wonderful release and full of heartfelt and lovely indie pop songs. Jonas Lundvall from Gothenburg, Sweden is a great songwriter and has the sweetest voice.
 
 

 

4. The Wonderminers: The Wonderminers EP

The Wonderminers EP is a thing of beauty. Four amazing atmospheric guitar pop songs. Everything works, but especially Stars in The Window is mindblowingly brilliant.
 

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/15055848″]
 
 
3. Hurricane Fighter Plane: Hurricane Fighter Plane EP

This young band from Australia is already incredible and they are getting better all the time. 60’s pop, garage rock, mod brought to date. It’s a whole lot of fun to listen to them. It Won’t Last is a hit in my heart. And the new 7″ single that arrived just before Christmas is in fact even better than this fabulous EP.
 
 

 
2. The Genuine Fakes: Liner Notes EP

The new Genuine Fakes EP was a mixed affair with leftovers from the debut album sessions, covers and one new song. However, this mixed affair is actually damn brilliant and full of gorgeous power pop songs. I think this sounds even better to my ears than the debut. A lot said, because I loved the debut album. I’m not gonna make a concerts of the year list, but if I did, The Genuine Fakes would easily win that category with their concert at Flavour of the Month.
 
 

 

1. Marmalakes: Even Clothed EP

The second Marmalakes EP Even Clothed is absolutely wonderful. I’m especially addicted to the last song Balmorhea, but the whole thing is gorgeous. Their folk songs are unique and nuanced and oh how I love the vocals and the harmonies. These guys are definitely on to something. Even Clothed is my favourite EP of the year 2011 (a really close battle with The Genuine Fakes though and I kept changing the order several times).
 
 

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