Suomen Zorro – Hölmö humalainen Maria
Suomen Zorro released a new single from their forthcoming debut album on 1st of April. My apologizes that it took me so long to write about this one. Life has been busy with the hockey playoffs and Richmond Fontaine concerts etc . The few regular readers are probably well aware that I love all things Vähäsarja and this new song isn’t an exception. He definitely is one of the finest new songwriters in the country and Hölmö humalainen Maria is once again a brilliant and unique song. I can’t wait to hear the whole debut album that is due out on Sound Of Finland later in the year.
[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=7-1XPQNLC8A]
Eric Bachmann – Eric Bachmann
I spent the week mostly listening to Richmond Fontaine, because they were touring here (and played a spectacular concert, definitely among my all time faves despite some disturbances from thrash metal concert that took place upstairs). Therefore I didn’t have much time to listen to other new music before this weekend.
My favourite album of the weekend has been the new Eric Bachmann album. I’ve been listening to it all weekend long. I can’t say Eric Bachmann’s song vault is my biggest expertise. Actually it’s probably been something like a decade since I last listened to him a lot. Dignity and Shame by Crooked Fingers meant a lot in the mid 00s, but I’ve lost touch since that. It’s definitely time to reacquaint my heart with Eric’s songs, because this new self-titled album is an absolute beauty. Such a compassionate hug is much needed in this current world where complete lack of empathy to one another seem to be a running theme. This is Mercy from Eric’s new album that is now out on the always great Merge Records.
Fernando – White Trees (video)
Fernando Viciconte is currently on a European tour and will be the opening act on Richmond Fontaine’s Finnish dates this week. That’s a mighty good reason to post this excellent new music video White Trees. It’s an outtake from his latest album Leave the Radio On that is out now on Decor / Fluff & Gravy.
[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=Bv5WLDL_VM8]
And do not miss these concerts. Fernando is currently touring the country with one of the best bands of the past 15 years.
Richmond Fontaine & Fernando Finland Tour:
April 5th Korjaamo, Helsinki
April 6th Telakka, Tampere
April 7th Gong, Turku
Robbie Fulks – Upland Stories
1st of April was a pretty great day for music and bad one for my bank account. Robbie Fulks, The Burning Hell, Woodpigeon and Charles Bradley all released new albums. The first three are all very dear and important to me and my feelings towards Charles might soon reach the same level.
Me and Robbie, we go way back. I think I started listening to him in the late nineties, when I heard his album Let’s Kill Saturday Night. I think that was among the first country-flavoured albums I grew into with Wilco, The Jayhawks and the likes. So Robbie was one of my gateway drugs into this thing country/folk thing that has become my biggest addiction. I did lost track of him in the late 00s for a few years, but Robbie’s songs have been With me for the most part of my adult life. His previous album Gone Away Backward in 2013 was the one that got me and Robbie fully back together. Perhaps Robbie doesn’t rock me anymore, but I’ve grown older with him and actually prefer to rest my weary head on the warm shoulder of the gentle sway of these folk tunes.
The new album Upland Stories is now out on Bloodshot Records and continues to the same direction that Gone Away Backward started. I think this might well turn out to be the finest album that he has written. Beautiful and warm folk/bluegrass sounds and wonderfully written stories set in the uplands. It’s both entertaining and deeply moving. It explores the humanity and keeps a warmhearted perspective (somehow even during the times it deals with the fragile and/or unsettling sides of people and their lives). Upland Stories is a great example of the fine art of songwriting. This is the opener Alabama at Night from this magnificent album.