International music, Reviews

Review: Jonny – Jonny

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Jonny: Jonny (Turnstile Records, 2011)

Euros Childs and Norman Blake working together sounds like a match made in harmonic pop heaven. Their collaborative project Jonny has an album out on Turnstile Records and it’s a really lovely pop album. These guys are such a fantastic pop tunesmiths that they could write good pop songs without even trying too hard. Maybe some of these songs even feel like they haven’t tried too hard and aren’t anything that special when compared to some of the magic that Teenage Fanclub and Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci have created in the past. But why should I blame them for having fun and making carefree, warm and playful pop music. There’s absolutely no harm in that and everything sounds lovely (well apart from 10 minutes long Cave Dance) and enjoyable. And don’t get me wrong, only about half of it falls into this “lovely, but nothing truly special category”. The other half contains a lot of magical pop moments and songs like Circling The Sun, Candyfloss, English Lady and I Want To Be Around You set the bar extremely high in the pole vault competition for the best pop songs of 2011.

Candyfloss:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yhaEch_Iuc]

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International music, Video of the Day

Video of the Day #40: Shotgun Jimmie

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Lately I’ve been introducing myself to Canadian lo-fi indie rocker Shotgun Jimmie. It started with this goofy video One Trick Pony a week or two ago. First I thought it was a little too goofy, but soon I gave in and admitted that I loved it. Then it was time to check out other stuff and after listening to his songs on spotify and youtube, it’s rather easy to say that Shotgun Jimmie isn’t just another indie rocker. This guy is actually pretty damn good. Somehow his songs take me back to the nineties when north american indie rock bands ruled the world. New album Transistor Sister is due to be released in march by You’ve Changed Records. You’ll find a couple of mp3s from the new album if you visit these links. Pigeon Row & Herohill. And here’s that One Trick Pony from the earlier EP.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en1X7lbwcDc]

Shotgun Jimmie Website
Shotgun Jimmie at myspace

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International music, Video of the Day

Video of the Day #39: Stranded Horse

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Something little different this time around. I can’t say I have listened to a lot of music played with kora. Well to be honest, I didn’t even know what that instrument was beforehand. However, it certainly sounds like you can make some pretty magical things with it, if you know what you are doing. French Yann Tambour aka Stranded Horse seem to know what he is doing and this song called And the Shoreline It Withdrew In Anger is absolutely wonderful. New Stranded Horse album Humbling Tides was released in january and if the other stuff on it is equally brilliant, it has to be amazing piece of music.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmLR4ua6t_0]

Stranded Horse at Facebook
Stranded Horse Website

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International music, Reviews

Reviewshine part #2: John Statz, The Famous, Another Hundred Miles

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Continuing to go through some of the good records, I’ve gotten through reviewshine.

John Statz: Ghost Towns

John Statz is a folk rocker and singer-songwriter from Madison, Wisconsin and Ghost Towns is his fourth album. I’ve been really enjoying this one. I think it’s a very fine album from the first note to the last word. Only thing that is lacking is that one killer song that would lift him up to the next league. Jackson Hole is already close. Certainly a name to keep an eye on, if you are into folk troubadours.

Listen to Jackson Hole:
[audio:http://onechord.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/04-jackson-hole.mp3]

John Statz Website

The Famous: Come Home To Me

The Famous from San Francisco are exploring the darker side of the country field, even though the album doesn’t often enter into such deep & dark waters as the video single Come Home To Me below. There’s actually a lot of versatility in here. There’s beautiful country songs, raw rock’n’roll entertainment and some brutal bluesy americana. I have rather mixed feelings about this one. I’m really into some of the songs like Without You or Moving On, but there’s also stuff I don’t like that much.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jyfqrPi7tY]

The Famous Website

Another Hundred Miles: Move The Fader

Another Hundred Miles is Douglas Holmes and Daniel Maynard from New Hampshire and Move The Fader is their debut album. Their folk rock has also a lot of pop sensitivity and lovely melodies, which I find thrilling. There’s plenty of really good songs, but unfortunately also several “just nice” tunes. The best stuff could have formed a really good EP, but as an album it’s a bit too uneven. But hey, it’s a debut and a really promising one.

Listen to Go On and Wake Up
[audio:http://onechord.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/03-go-on-and-wake-up.mp3]

Another Hundred Miles Website

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