I’m so far behind with all the great 2017 releases that I don’t even know where to start again, but here’s a couple of beautiful things from both sides of the pond that have given me shelter from the everyday stress during the last few months.

I’ve been somewhat familiar with East Nashville’s Allen Thompson for a few years, but I didn’t do the proper due diligence until last summer when I bought the new album Brace Yourself. Allen Thompson Band passed the process with flying colours and it turned out my heart and their songs were a rather perfect match. Actually with that gorgeous voice, even a not-that-good song would seem like a treasure.. and no, there’s nothing wrong with the song material either. This is River City Blues from the new album.

Allen Thompson Website

While Allen Thompson is a fairly new acquaintance, I’ve been a fan of UK-based Danny George Wilson since Grand Drive’s See The Morning In, which came out 15 years ago. He’s had a hell of a career and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, the new Danny & The Champions of the World album Brilliant Light could well turn out to be the brightest highlight of his career. Sure it takes quite a long while to properly introduce one’s heart to 18 songs and 80 minutes of wonderful soulful folk rock, but it’s well worth the effort. This one below Gotta Get Things Right In My Life is the song I love the most on the new album and it almost became like a theme song for my summer. I was extremely tired all the time and it started to reflect on everything and everyone around me. There was a clear danger that I was turning into someone that I would resent and therefore someone else singing simple words like “gotta get things right in my life” in such a beautiful manner was exactly what I needed at the time. Brilliant Light by Danny & The Champions of the World is now out on Loose Music.

Danny & The Champions of the World

Progress is still rather slow-mo, but I think I’ve relocated the spark and plan to continue at least a little more regularly than during the past 3-4 months. Here’s a couple of recent song addictions that fits nicely under the same post.

Twain aka Mt Davidson will release his new future classic Rare Feeling on the 20th of October. He is a superb songwriter and I’m so eager the hear this one. The first single Solar Pilgrim is out and available and it takes my breath away. Rare Feelings will be released by Keeled Scales. You can already pre-order either on their website or from the bandcamp page by clicking that song link below.

Twain at Facebook

The Deslondes from New Orleans is a pretty obvious post companion for Twain, because they are often touring together. The new Deslondes album came out already in June on New West Records and I bought it back then or thereabouts, but this blog has been standing silent so I still haven’t even mentioned it. Maybe Hurry Home is still not the home run I expect them to hit one day, but it’s a damn good record. (This Ain’t A) Sad Song is such a wonderful song.

The Deslondes Website

And as little bonus selection, I have to post The Deslondes and Twain performing a song called Run Wild together. I suppose this is why someone invented youtube. Incredible stuff.

This little blog/website turns 16 today. Lately there has not been a whole lot going on in here and therefore there’s maybe not a whole lot to celebrate. As if a so-called blog birthday would be significant thing anyway. Even though 16 strikes, I’m still not completely out. Maybe when 23 strikes, but I’m not ready yet and the title of the song I selected for this small post is not a reference to the latest blog activity. I just tried to think my favourite song in the world that had the word “birthday” on the title. Hayden’s No Happy Birthday is that to me and also one of the most moving songs of the last few years. Hayden wrote this for her non-verbal daughter whose favourite song in the world is Happy Birthday. Hayden tried to trick her daughter into liking his song as much by using the words happy birthday in his own song. Her daughter is too wise to completely fall for the trick, but the song No Happy Birthday is a beautiful treasure that holds inside a mountain of pure love and warmness. No Happy Birthday is an outtake from Hayden’s wonderful 2015 album Hey Love.

This whole Live at Massey Hall concert is wonderful and I fully recommend watching the whole thing even though I made it start from the No Happy Birthday introduction. So here it is. The most beautiful song in the world that contains the words happy birthday.

Hayden Website