Finnish music, Headline, News

Flavour of the Month: Jerry Lindqvist & The Grace, Koria Kitten Riot

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Another wonderful Flavour of The Month coming up on next thursday, 5th of january. Jerry Lindqvist & The Grace and Koria Kitten Riot share the stage. More information below.

FLAVOUR OF THE MONTHIN LOPPIAISAATON KATTAUS

Vuoden 2012 ensimmäistä Flavour of the Month-klubia vietetään Turun Pikku-Torressa poikkeuksellisesti torstai-iltana 5.1. Loppiaisaaton esiintyjinä ovat Jerry Lindqvist & The Grace sekä Koria Kitten Riot.

Vaasalaislähtöinen Jerry Lindqvist on tarponut Suomessa niin usein kovin upottavaa countryrock-suota jo vuosia, ensin The Outlaws-kokoonpanon ja sittemmin The Grace-taustayhtyeensä kanssa. Jälkimmäisen albumi Rivertown on päättyvän vuoden satoa ja vienyt Jerryn aina New Yorkiin asti ja kuuleman mukaan levy on saanut mukavasti radiosoittoa ja muutakin arvostusta, jos ei niin kovasti Suomessa, niin ainakin muualla. Turkulaistunut Jerry on tehnyt musiikkia myös muille artisteille ja lähdössä maaliskuussa keikalle Kanadan Torontoon. Sitä ennen kuitenkin visiitti Flavour of the Monthissa.

Tämän vuoden levysatoa on myös Koria Kitten Riotin The Lows & The Highs. Johnny Superhero-yhtyeen Antti Reikon sooloprojektina alkanut yhtye on laajentunut kvintetiksi, julkaissut jo toisen täyspitkänsä ja lähdössä keväällä kiertueelle saksankieliseen Eurooppaan sikäläisen levyjulkaisunsa tueksi. Joten jälleen: sitä ennen visiitti Flavour of the Monthissa!

LYHYESTI:
JERRY LINDQVIST & THE GRACE
KORIA KITTEN RIOT
+ Flavour of the Month DJ team
to 5.1. 2012 klo 21-03
Pikku-Torre, Yliopistonkatu 30, Turku
liput 3€

Koria Kitten Riot Website
Jerry Lindqvist & The Grace Website

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Featured, Headline, International music, Top lists

Albums of the Year 2011 – The International Edition (15-1)

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15. Andreas Mattsson – Kick Death’s Ass

It’s certainly wise to listen to old Popsicle records from time to time, because those are some of the best power pop albums ever released, but don’t forget that Andreas Mattsson is still on top form. Nowadays his music is much more peaceful than during the golden Popsicle days, but the quality is still there. Ok, I’m not sure have I ever listened to the first song Jazzmaster in its entirety, but the rest of Andreas Mattsson’s latest solo album Kick Death’s Ass is amazingly beautiful pop music. This is the wonderful first single AA.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/9605914″]

 

14. Daniel Romano – Sleep Beneath The Willow

Canadian Daniel Romano released one of the best traditional country albums. Sleep Beneath The Willow is a beauty. Some of it sounds a bit like Gram Parsons, almost all of it sounds excellent. Full of great songs like Hard On You, Lost (For As Long As I Live), Louise, There Are Lines in My Face. Daniel Romano is totally mastering this country ballad thing.
 
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH6Go6llEBs]
 
13. Hezekiah Jones – Have You Seen Our New Fort?

Philly-based folk collective Hezekiah Jones (led by Raphael Cutrufello) has become more and more important during the year. Couple weeks back I bought their back catalogue and my feelings towards this most recent release are also getting stronger and stronger every day. Have You Seen Our New Fort? contains some of the most magical music released during the year. There’s also a couple of songs I’m not too keen on and that’s why I had to be honest and leave it outside top 10 even though it breaks my heart. However, the gentle ones like Lift The Shadow From This Heart, Last Parade on Ann St, Traffic To The Sea.. oh my. Speechless.

 

 

12. Dolorean – The Unfazed

Al James’ Dolorean is climbing towards the top all the time. I enjoyed the previous album, but The Unfazed was the first Dolorean release that completely won my heart over (I haven’t even heard the first two though). I’m especially addicted to the first trio Thinskinned, Country Clutter and The Unfazed. Amazing songs each and every one. The track that first caught my attention was this ultimate break-up song Country Clutter.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/9438864″]
 
11. Sloan – The Double Cross

As the title of the website shows, Sloan is an important group for me. The new album The Double Cross is once again marvellous. This legendary Canadian band has been around for 20 years and are still going strong. The Double Cross is one of my favourite pop albums of the year. An absolute joy to listen to. This is the first single The Unkind.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/12313398″]
 
10. Ryan Adams – Ashes & Fire

As a long time Ryan Adams fan, I’m excited about each and every one of his releases, but I couldn’t be happier that he decided to take this slower & beautiful route this time around. I admit that Ashes & Fire felt a little boring for the few first times when I listened to it, but the reasons were that a) I was being an idiot b) I wasn’t paying enough attention, it was just playing on the background. Then one day I just went for a walk, put Ryan on my iPod and he injected all this beauty into my head and I saw the light. Ashes & Fire is a wonderful album and easily in the better half of the fantastic Ryan Adams back catalogue.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/21742179″]
 
9. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – Here We Rest

During the first six songs, this is an album of the year contender. The quality drops just a hint after that, but don’t worry. The rest of this is really good as well. Just not as friggin’ great and magical as the first half of the album. Anyway, Jason Isbell has once again proved that he is one of the best songwriters in the genre (or in general for that matter). Here We Rest always had a cemented place in the top 10.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/15130395″]
 
8. Patrick Sweany – That Old Southern Drag

Soulful blues rock doesn’t usually rule my year-end lists, but Patrick Sweany’s That Old Southern Drag is a magnificent record. Blues, soul and 50’s rock’n’roll. A perfect combination. I can fully agree with Jorma Kaukonen who said that “If there was any justice in this old world, Patrick Sweany would already be a big star!”.
 

 

7. Chris Bathgate – Salt Year

Chris Bathgate from Ann Arbor, Michigan is another great folk troubadour I found during the year (thanks to Slowcoustic) and I’m also currently working through his back catalogue. A Cork Tale Wake just arrived on my doorstep today. A good reason to get this album of the year list finished, so I can slip that one to the cd player. Anyway, Salt Year is a beautiful work of art. Just listen to this magnificent title track and you will understand it too.

 

6. Small Houses – North

More Michigan-based folk artists. Let’s put these albums one after another, because it’s impossible to say which one I love the most. In the end, Small Houses gets the sixth spot, because it contains my favourite song of the year. Ok, I haven’t really finished that list yet, but during the last weeks I’ve had the feeling that it has to be Late July by Small Houses. I just love every second of it. Well done Small Houses and Jeremy Quentin. And no, Late July is not the only great song on the album. I’m just always focusing on it, because I love it almost too much.

Small Houses – “Late July” from Spencer Wells on Vimeo.

5. Austin Lucas – A New Home in The Old World

Austin Lucas is an older favourite, but he showed some new tricks this time around. More electric Austin sounded equally great as the one I knew before and A New Home in the Old World might be his best record to date (even though it’s pretty hard to top Somebody Loves You). Excellent record with a lot of versatility. I’ve listened to it an awful lot during the year and can’t get tired of it.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/14728871″]
 
4. Jessica Lea Mayfield – Tell Me

An early favourite that kept me hooked through the whole year and I’m still addicted to Jessica Lea Mayfield’s second album Tell Me. I love that mellow voice and Dan Auerbach has done an excellent job with the production. I never though that me and drum loops could see eye to eye, but apparently we do in this case. The key attraction is of course Jessica and her beautifully written folk songs. Often dark, but always beautiful. This one below is called Somewhere in Your Heart.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/28016848″]
 
3. Dawes – Nothing Is Wrong

The guy looks a bit like young Bruce Willis and writes songs like Jackson Browne and Eagles did in the 70s. How could a person not love Taylor Goldsmith. The second Dawes album instantly won my heart over. The whole album is gorgeous and the first two songs Time Spent in Los Angeles and If I Wanted Someone are out of this world. The finest 70’s influenced folk rock. This one below is also one of my top 3 songs for the year 2011. If I Wanted Someone by Dawes.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/14682084″]
 
2. Glossary – Long Live All Of Us

Glossary’s soulful rock found the core of my heart late in the year and their delightful album Long Live All Of Us brought plenty of light and warmness to these dark november/december nights. The whole thing is fantastic and every single track is a winner. Therefore it’s almost pointless to start naming favourite tracks. Everything works.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/25480105″]
 

1. The Deep Dark Woods – The Place I Left Behind

Well this comes as no surprise to anyone who has been regularly reading this blog. The Place I Left Behind by The Deep Dark Woods is the album of the year 2011 here at onechord.net. These Canadians just released something truly wonderful. “Beautiful lead vocals, rich harmonies and warm sounds gently collide with sad & lonesome thoughts, gloomy & dark stories.. and even old-fashioned murder ballads” I wrote on my short my review back then and that still sums up my thoughts rather nicely. Ryan Boldt and co are my new heroes and The Place I Left Behind is a perfect folk rock album.. And the Album of the Year 2011.

Sugar Mama:

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/28709334″]

West Side Street:

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/18096317″]
 
The Deep Dark Woods discuss their new album The Place I Left Behind.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDDJtQoz6a8]

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Featured, Finnish music, Headline, Top lists

Albums of the Year 2011 – The Finnish Edition

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Trying out some new tricks this year and I made two lists. The Finnish edition and the international edition. This is how the real magazines do these, so I suppose it’s alright. I’ve felt that doing these lists separately somewhat underestimates the Finnish releases. As if they are not good enough to make it to the list, if you make just one list. My top three Finnish albums would have made the top 10 in any crowd. Anyway, at least I get to choose two albums of the year.

Here we go (again)..

10. 22-Pistepirkko – Lime Green Delorean

There’s a few tracks on the new 22-Pistepirkko album that I’m not a big fan of. On the other hand, the album contains couple of songs that I really love. Especially Sweet Rodeo Heart and Ufo Girl are absolutely brilliant. Legendary band are still delivering the goods.
 
 
 
9. Kim Curly Band – So Long, King Desire

Kim Curly Band broke up after this album. I don’t think it had anything do with the quality of the music, because this second album from the masters of Finnish americana was a really good effort. A bit of Ryan Adams and Neil Young influences can never hurt.
 
 
 
8. The New Tigers – The New Tigers

Not too keen on the last three tracks, but up until that point The New Tigers debut was awesome. They won my heart over, even though I wasn’t the easiest soul to reach due to the fact that fuzzy pop and shoegazy vibes aren’t things I would take with me to a desert island.
 
 
 
7. NT’s White Trash – Mourning Becomes Electric

Nick Triani’s record label Soliti has gotten a lot of praises in the music media and blogosphere. I adore the label as much as any other, but my favourite Nick Triani -related album is Mourning Becomes Electric by his own band NT’s White Trash. Pop distortion with great melodies. Works for me.
 
 
 
6. Regina – Soita mulle

A welcome reminder that it’s still possible to become popular and hit the charts with great songs. Regina’s latest album Soita mulle was a thing of beauty and their new direction suited me perfectly.
 
 
 

5. Hi-Lo & In Between – We Are Not The Wind

This should have gotten much more recognition. This one ticks all the right boxes for me. Beautiful (but sometimes haunting) atmosphere and well-crafted folk songs. A couple of really amazing songs like the first single A Clear Silence and The Day When The Madness Came.
 
 
 
4. TV-Resistori – TV-Resistori

A tough task to beat those early TV-Resistori albums. Maybe they didn’t quite achieve that, but they definitely kept the quality really high and again released a delightful pop album. The loveliest of songs by the loveliest of bands.
 
 
 

3. Samae Koskinen – Kuuluuko, kuuntelen

Samae Koskinen released his best solo album to date and I love it to bits. Hän, jolla on kaikki is my favourite Finnish song of the year and the whole album is brilliant. The album compassionately handles low self-esteem issues in such caring manner that real-life Crane brothers would struggle to do a better job at it. And more importantly, it’s incredibly catchy pop album.
 
 
2. Mirel Wagner – Mirel Wagner

“Mirel Wagner proves that pitch black can shine brightly. A graveyard full of black metal guitarists couldn’t create anything half as heavy and raw as Mirel Wagner’s self-titled debut album.” Just quoting my own review. Is that allowed? Anyway, Mirel Wagner’s debut album still sounds stunning. A truly remarkable effort from a young folk/blues singer-songwriter.
 
 

1. Mummypowder – Centuries Later

Extremely easy decision in the end. Mummypowder’s fourth album Centuries Later is the Finnish album of the year. It is also the greatest pop album of the year 2011 even all countries considered, because if I would have made just one list Centuries Later would have taken either second or third spot on that list and the only one(s) ahead of it would fall more into the folk/country zone. I think this is just heavenly good pop album. The lyrics are the best Janne Lehtinen has ever written. The songs have been perfect before so it’s hard to become any better at that, but this might be the most consistent Mummypowder album to date. There’s not a single bad track on it. Everything sounds brilliant. I just can’t understand why this beauty doesn’t rule every year-end list.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/playlists/790440″ height=”200″]

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Featured, Finnish music, Headline, Top lists

Year 2011 Round-Up Part 5 – The best Finnish songs (unreleased or self-released)

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Title pretty much covers it all. These are Finnish songs that I absolutely love and adore. Some are waiting to be released, some will probably (and unfortunately) forever remain unreleased, some are self-released. All are utterly wonderful. I hope I didn’t forget anyone really important. Of course there’s plenty of others I really enjoyed as well, but these are the ones I really loved the most. It’s actually rather pointless to divide these finnish songs into label-stuff and unreleased, because let’s face it. If I make a top 30 finnish songs of the year list, these all would make it to that list.

Here we go (again).. These are not in any specific order.

Carmen & The Devil – Love Drove My Baby Away & Tell-Tale Heart

Impossible to decide between these two Carmen & The Devil originals, so I have to include them both. It’s definitely been a year of Carmen & The Devil at this household. I loved their concerts and those three limited edition cassettes. Playing just the kind of music I love these days and doing it exceptionally well. Country duets, traditional folk songs, great cover choices, beautiful originals. Hopefully an album next year.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/12211863″]
 
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/28673494″]
 

Carmen & The Devil at Facebook

Tolbiac – Elokuussa

Just how amazing is this song? The radio host of the highest order and the writer of the legendary indie hit Purkkaa , the international man of mystery, Tolbiac returned with a couple of stunning songs. Especially this song entitled Elokuussa is so good that I could listen to it all day long.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/24343728″]
 

Heartjet – Grace

A big onechord.net favourite, power pop duo Heartjet gave a couple of new songs for free. Grace & World are both awesome. A bit more serene than before, but equally great.

Heartjet at facebook

Puskii! – Mä haluun bändin

Puskii! has an album ready, but it seems to take a long while to get it out and available. A big shame, because I love listening to them. This song is a whole lot of fun and sometimes that’s everything you need.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/17006370″]
 

Puskii! at Facebook

The Wonderminers – Stars in the Window

Petri Nakari’s new band released a digital 4-song EP that is a thing of beauty and takes a high place on the best EPs of the year list, if I decide to make one. This slice of pop heaven is called Stars In The Window.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/15055848″]
 

The Wonderminers Website
The Wonderminers at Facebook

Swaying Wires – Never Fade

Swaying Wires is a new band from Turku and I’m enjoying them more and more each day. They have four songs over at Soundcloud. I can’t really decide which one I like the most, because they are all extremely good. I previously posted Bluebird, so let’s go with Never Fade this time around. It brings to mind early Songs: Ohia occasionally. I’m loving it.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/22124175″]
 

Swaying Wires at Facebook
Swaying Wires at Blogspot

The Spoonshiners – Three Years

The Spoonshiners EP hits all the right spots for a fan of 90s US indie, and 70s power pop. I especially loved this track called Three Years, because it reminded me of things like Dinosaur JR and Buffalo Tom.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/25574468″]
 

The Spoonshiners at Facebook

Treehouse – By The Lake

I was totally into this song early in the year and it still sounds brilliant. Just a fantastic pop song. A bit of TFC, a bit of Popsicle and a bit of country. A perfect formula if you ask me. And I love those harmonies..

Treehouse – By the Lake from Hessu on Vimeo.

Treehouse at Facebook

Matti Jasu & The Loose Train – Fingers Crossed

And then a really late favourite. This outtake from the upcoming Matti Jasu & The Loose Train album is friggin’ great. I loved Matti Jasu’s work at Goodnight Monsters and this new stuff seem to be equally awesome.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LT80lUksDRs]

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