I’m not sure does it make a whole lot sense to keep on buying music, if you don’t even have the time to listen to it. This was pretty much the story for me during the spring and early summer. So I’m catching up now that I’m on vacation and hey I was only kidding about that making sense part. Of course it makes sense to buy the music and support the artists that matter to you. Matthew Ryan matters and I picked up the download of his new album Hustle Up Starlings some weeks ago. This will be definitely be a big part of my vacation soundtrack, because it seems to be rather magnificent. Hustle Up Starlings was produced by Brian Fallon and came out on 12th of May. Here’s a couple of early favourites from this gorgeous album. The music video for album opener and single (I Just Died) Like an Aviator and Close Your Eyes.

Matthew Ryan Website

Speaking of pop legends. BMX Bandits also released a new single/video. It’s in Her Eyes is an outtake from their extremely highly recommended 2017 album BMX Bandits Forever and then there’s a couple of awesome b-sides and super lovely video for the lead song. There’s a little mistake in the press release though, because it says that You’re So Fine is a song by Alex Chilton that has never been released. This is not true, because Chariot already released that song on their 1998 album I am Ben Hur. I fell in love with it back then when I heard Ken Stringfellow singing it on that Chariot album. Not that I mind at all. It’s a great pop song and I’m so thrilled to hear BMX Bandits take on it, which is a lot different but equally magnificent. You’ll find them both below along with that lovely official video for the new BMX Bandits single It’s in Her Eyes.

BMX Bandits Website

Brilliant news for the fans of the Australian indie pop legends The Lucksmiths. And well brilliant news for pop fans in general, because I’m 100% sure that Last Leaves will charm the world with its own pop magic and it won’t be just a sidenote to The Lucksmiths story. Last Leaves does contain three members of The Lucksmiths (Marty Donald, Mark Monnone, Louis Richter) and Noah Symons from Great Earthquake. If I’m not mistaken the primary songwriter is Marty Donald. The excellent first single and video The World We Had came out a few weeks ago and full-length album Other Towns Than Ours will follow October 13 on Lost And Lonesome (Aus) and Matinée Recordings (USA). I can hardly wait, but before setting up a camp outside the record store I’ll keep on spinning The World We Had over and over again.

Last Leaves at Facebook

Swedish group The Country Side Of Harmonica Sam and their new album A Drink After Midnight has been a bit of a surprise favourite here at the onechord headquarters. But hey what could possibly be more entertaining during these late nights and early mornings than sink knee deep into traditional honky tonk heartache. The Country Side of Harmonica Sam master all this just as well as their current American colleagues. This damn fine record is now out on El Toro Records.

The Country Side of Harmonica Sam will also have a concert coming up in Finland next week at Racecoast Rockin’ Fest #6. It takes place at Kangasala on Saturday 15th of July. I think that might be a good destination for a little summer vacation trip. So if you see someone there who doesn’t look like he belongs in the crowd, that’s probably yours truly. I’ll try to get the hang of it, if I end up in there. I’m not completely new into the music. I learned a lot from El Nino and also have several fifties rock and rockabilly box sets and compilations. Hardly an expert though, but one has to start somewhere and Racecoast Rockin’ Fest #6 might be a good place for that.

This is the video for the awesome single and title track A Drink After Midnight from the new album by The Country Side of Harmonica Sam.

The Country Side of Harmonica Sam Website