Featured, International music, News

While No One Was Looking – Toasting 20 Years of Bloodshot Records

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bloodshot

One more thing to do before those year-end lists. It’s time to celebrate 20 years of Bloodshot Records. They have given us a huge amount of wonderful music during their existence and they are still one of the finest labels out there. While No One Was Looking – Toasting 20 Years of Bloodshot Records is a new compilation where 38 excellent artists cover classic songs from the Bloodshot Records catalogue. There are way too many great versions to mention, but I really enjoyed (for example) Samantha Crain’s rendition of Cold Forgiver by Ha Ha Tonka, Possessed by Paul James singing I Came Around by Murder by Death and Superchunk covering one of my all-time favourite songs, Come Pick Me Up by Ryan Adams. The list could go on and on. This one below is also excellent. Blitzen Trapper doing another Ryan Adams classic To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High).

Bloodshot Records sure do have a great history, but even more importantly, they are still relevant today and have released a lot of great music during the year 2014. I haven’t really featured their fall releases on the blog even though I’ve been listening to them a lot. So maybe it’s to make amends and shortly go through some of them now.

First we have excellent songwriter Cory Branan and his new should-be hit record called No-Hit Wonder. A really strong record and also a candidate for those year end lists. This is the opener You Make Me that also features mr. Jason Isbell.

Moving on to Luke Winslow-King and his awesome old-fashioned tunes that are timeless and refreshing. His new album Everlasting Arms is absolutely adorable. This is the gorgeous title track Everlasting Arms.

After that it’s time go into darker, but equally beautiful surroundings. Bloodshot’s Danish recruit Maggie Björklund also has a new album out and available. This album called Shaken might not be the closest match with my heart, but it’s still rather convincing effort and I wouldn’t be least bit surprised if someone thinks this is the best piece of music that has been released during the year. Especially this Fro Fro Heart that features Kurt Wagner from Lambchop is just stunning and leaves me speechless.

Bloodshot Records Website

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Finnish music, Headline, News

Common Tones – Broken Heart Sounds & Flannelmouth – I Am The Town

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Sometimes it feels like One Chord to Another has drifted a bit too far from the starting point, which was to love, praise and promote melodic Finnish guitar pop. Finnish pop music was the reason I started this whole mess over thirteen years ago, so let’s get back to that core at least for one blog entry. These two new new releases perfectly fit under that original idea.

commontones

First we have the new album by Common Tones called Broken Heart Sounds that just came out late last week. I’ve had the chance to listen to it since early summer and I think it’s a wonderful album full of addictive melodies. These boys certainly have a great pop sensibility. You’ll find a couple of fine examples below. The first single Shine from Bandcamp and Finding Life from Spotify. The album is available at least on iTunes and Spotify. Oh and about that thing that drove me insane in the summer. After listening to this album for hours and hours, I came to conclusion that it’s Tommy Keene whose vocal phrasing occasionally came to mind while listening to this.

Common Tones at Facebook

flanneli

Finnish pop veterans Flannelmouth has a new album out, available and ready to hit your heart. It’s called I Am The Town and it came out in early November on Bianca-Pop Music. They have certainly written a really good album once again. They always do this melodramatic and graceful pop music so brilliantly. This first single and music video Forgotten Tapes is a great example of their talent.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1cWS93Y5Kg]

Flannelmouth Website

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International music, News

She Keeps Bees, Bear Medicine & Faux Fawn

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I should start making those year-end lists, but I still have a few dozen 2014 releases that I haven’t featured at all. Some that even might appear on those lists. So I try to shortly go through some of them before writing those lists later in December.

shekeepsbees

This first one is a very current favourite actually, because I just got fully into this She Keeps Bees album that is out in Europe On BB Island. It might not be something that I usually listen to, but thankfully I gave them a chance, because this is rather excellent on all accounts. I find that certain hypnotic beauty of the album 8 Houses irresistible. This song and video Owl is a perfect example.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyTKyFlos1w]

She Keeps Bees Website

Bear Medicine from Lexington, Kentucky brings us music for traveling to the moon. The new album The Moon Has Been All My Life has been on the playlist for a month or two and I’m liking it a lot. Here are two fine examples of their beautiful sounds, Blood In Common and Sevens.

Bear Medicine Website

fauxfawn

And last but not least. Something brand new. If you are dedicated follower of onechord.net instead of fashion, you are well aware that I’m a big fan of Paul Otteson. This guy just has the loveliest voice and is always able to write amazing songs. His new band Faux Fawn just released their new album Lonesome Loon. This one sure goes to darker side of things as well, but still I often find myself just adoring the warmth of their sound. But in a way that dark vs light contrast works wonderfully. You can stream/buy from Bandcamp. This is the opening track Lover’s Curse.

Faux Fawn Website

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International music, News

Adam Carroll, Chris Stalcup and The Grange & Michael Rank and Stag

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I should start making those year-end lists, but I still have a few dozen 2014 releases that I haven’t featured at all. Some that even might appear on those lists. So I try to shortly go through some of them before writing those lists later in December.

let-it-choose-you

Adam Carroll is a Texas-based songwriter and definitely a mighty good one. Otis Gibbs introduced him to me years back on his guest post at ninebullets, if my memory serves me right. His new album Let It Choose You has gotten a lot of air time in this household and I should have written about it months ago. This is the awesome opening track Bernadine.

Adam Carroll Website

stalcup

We haven’t heard of Chase Fifty Six (or at least I haven’t) since their really good Allatoona Rising album back in 2010. However, Chris Stalcup has a new project these days called Chris Stalcup and The Grange. Their album came out in April, 2014 and should have gotten recognition back then. But better late than never I suppose, if we start celebrating cliches. This is Eastern Stars from the album called Dixie Electric Co.

Chris Stalcup and The Grange Website

rank

Michael Rank and Stag is also a group that should have a thing or two to say to the lazy blogger who is writing this. I’ve been listening to their last three albums, enjoyed each and every one of them, but have never written a single word about them. This North Carolinian is a really prolific songwriter and he has released these three albums during the past two years. His 2014 release is called Deadstock and these are Idle Hands and Little Late For Me from that album.

Michael Rank Website

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