Featured, Finnish music, Headline, Top lists

Top 10 Songs Of The Year 2015 – The Finnish Edition

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This is the next chapter of the dreaded end of the year lists. The Finnish songs I loved the most during the year. I try to get the albums of the year lists done before the Christmas as well, but it’s possible that you will have to wait a little longer (as if someone is actually waiting). The day job keeps me rather busy during the holiday season.


Top 10 Finnish Songs of the Year 2015

maanvaivaa

10. Maanvaiva – Kalpeanaama

I have to bend my own rules a bit to include this one. No cover versions policy flies out of the window when Tom Stenman starts singing. Maanvaiva makes a great rendition of Noitalinna Huraa’s Kalpeanaama.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ1fSTMlcSM]

satan'sfingers

9. Satan’s Fingers – Kangaroo

Satan’s Fingers are onto me and definitely know which strings to pull to get my attention. They pick the name from a song by The Mountain Goats and they sing about Big Star. I definitely recommend seeing them live, because their album doesn’t completely capture their greatness, but it’s still pretty damn good. This might be a slightly weird choice, because there’s far more catchy stuff on the record, but I want to go with this homage to Kangaroo.

vasas

8. Vasas flora och fauna – Nog var han en vän

My Swedish skills are rather limited, but my love for the melodic sense of Mattias Björkas has no limits whatsoever. Therefore Vasas flora och fauna reaches my heart, even though I don’t completely understand what he is singing about. Gudförälder would have been equally good pick, but still it had to be a song where Mattias sings the lead.

hiljaisetkallot

7. Hiljaiset kallot – Miespaikalla Ruotsiin

Hiljaiset kallot debuted with a 7″ single Miespaikalla Ruotsiin on Fonal Records. This one is a must for TV-Resistori fans, because it has the same guys (no Päivi though) and King Yrjö is still a master of creating unique pop songs.

rollstonsswiss

6. The Rollstons – I am Asparagus

One of my biggest favourites The Rollstons were back in this ball game and they were once again in top form. The lyrics on this one might not be for everyone, but I’ve loved this song from the beginning.

vähäsarja

5. Vähäsarja – Palava silta

Vähäsarja’s self-titled debut full-length contains three songs that I absolute love (nothing wrong with the rest of the album either, which you will find out when I list the albums). These are Peili, Palava silta and 13 kerrosta. Palava silta is the choice tonight, but the other two are equally wonderful.

viljami

4. Viljami Kukkonen – Keinuta mua

Säkki already made my list last year, so I’ll go with my another big favourite Keinuta mua. Also the first two songs would be just as good picks, but somehow this has appealed to me from the start. I’m still a huge fan of Viljami Kukkonen and love the warmness of his songs. The new one wasn’t as good as Mörönsyötti, but I’m not gonna hold that against him. After all that was/is the finest Finnish album of the decade so far. Actually the new might end up getting the album of the year award this year as well. There’s not a clear favourite and I have a few options.

salaliitto

3. Salaliitto – Kaikilla on aikaa

I just bought the Salaliitto album from the in-store concert at 8raita, so I can’t be sure is this the best song on the album. But if there are songs better than this one, it’s one incredible record. Kaikilla on aikaa appeared as the b-side of their digital single and that’s why it’s been on heavy rotation for several months. The album will now get the same heavy rotation treatment, so I can figure out where it will be on my albums of the year list. I’m quite sure it will demand a very high spot on that list.

topinyky

2. Topi Saha – Helsingin Taivas

Topi Saha was leading my imaginary rankings throughout the year, but had to give up one spot during the last few months. It doesn’t change the fact that Helsingin Taivas is one amazing song and a perfect ending to his latest album Nykyaika. The song might not be universally considered instantly catchy, but I fell in love with it the first time I heard it and our relationship has remained equally strong throughout the year.

fowler

1. Ochre Room – The Fowler

And the Finnish Song of the Year Award goes to The Fowler by Ochre Room. It was a pretty close call with Topi Saha, but in the end my love for Ochre Room was just too strong. It’s kind of like a swan song for the current incarnation of the band, because things are changing. It’s definitely somewhat sad, but thankfully Lauri will continue writing and performing and I’m 100% sure that we will hear more great music from him and Ochre Room in the not-too-distant future. This is The Fowler by Ochre Room.

Ochre Room – The Fowler from Monadi-Filmi on Vimeo.

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Featured, Headline, International music, Top lists

Top 20 Songs of the Year 2015 (The International Edition)

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Time for the dreaded end of the year lists. I’m gonna kick off with my favourite songs of the year. First the international edition and the Finnish one a few days later. Remember that the lists aren’t in any way objective. These are just the songs I fell in love with during the year. If I fell in love with a simple little tune that lasted two minutes, for me it’s one of the songs of the year. The first 3-5 were very obvious and the songs that meant the most to me. After that the order could be very different on another day. They are all very dear to me. They are the glue that holds me together. These songs are my friends from now on and ranking one’s friends is pretty fucked up business, if I may say so. It was a really good music year. I made this a top 20 instead of 10, because there was so much great ones. I should have stuck with 10 I guess, because I still couldn’t fit in even half of the ones I wanted to. I need to make that album list a top 50, if I want to avoid heartbreak. Nobody wants to read that, so perhaps I’ll do my best and cut it down a bit. Anyway, time to begin.

Top 20 Songs of the Year 2015 (International Edition)

danielmartinmoore

20. Daniel Martin Moore – Sign Of Life

Kicking of the list with my latest favourite Sign of Life by Daniel Martin Moore. Simple words, but when they are wrapped into that beautiful melody they go directly into my heart. Such a beautiful song.

kneiser

19. Joey Kneiser – To My Younger Self

More fairly new stuff. My favourite song from the new Joey Kneiser album The Wildness might still be changing on a daily basis (this is why one shouldn’t make these list before February), but right now it’s this one where Joey tells life lessons to his younger self.

joanshel

18. Joan Shelley – Jenny Come In

Joan Shelley’s album Over and Even is full of beautiful folk songs. This is my biggest favourite Jenny Come In. Mr. Will Oldham in harmony vocals. This is a live version of the song.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1sVwsB8qS4]

feueri

17. Michael Feuerstack – I Wanted More

The latest Michael Feuerstack album has been a big favourite throughout the year and is filled with wonderful songs. This one called I Wanted More is instantly catchy and rather simple, but still moves me deeply.

isbelli

16. Jason Isbell – Speed Trap Town

Something More Than Free is no Southeastern, but let’s not get stuck into that. If you win the MLB one year and next year you end up on the losing side of the world series, the latter result is still pretty damn good. Something More Than Free contains some amazing songs like Children Of Children and Speed Trap Town for example.

romanooo

15. Daniel Romano – Old Fires Die

Daniel Romano delivered another great album with bunch of gorgeous songs like Old Fires Die and The One That Got Away (came back today). I’ll go with Old Fires Die, because it’s a song that I fell in love with during Daniel’s Finland tour that was a big highlight of the year for me. Actually it’s was a damn great year for Finnish country/folk fan, because we got to see Daniel Romano, Austin Lucas, Ryan Boldt, Shuyler Jansen, Michael Feuerstack and Small Houses live in Finland.

decem

14. The Decemberists – Cavalry Captain

What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World by The Decemberists is maybe a little too long and cutting a song or two would make it better. Not a big deal, because it’s a really good record as it is and also has a couple of songs that are among the very best of the year. These songs are Cavalry Captain and Make You Better. I love them both wholeheartedly. I flipped a coin and chose Cavalry Captain to this list.

Still-Talk-Small-Houses

13. Small Houses – Seventeen In Roselore

A long time favourite Small Houses dropped a new album early in the year and also visited Finland twice during the year. Still Talk; Second City is a magnificent album and contains plenty of songs that could make this little list. In the end it was a choice between the catchier single Staggers and Rise and this beautiful song called Seventeen In Roselore that also features the great Samantha Crain.

andyshauf

12. Andy Shauf – Wendell Walker

Sad song beautifully told. I fell in love with this one a couple of years ago, but Andy Shauf’s Bearer of Bad News album got a re-release this year and therefore it’s probably still ok to list it. And well it’s my blog so I can make the rules. This is a live version of Wendell Walker by Andy Shauf.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dThrMKG4r4]

darrenh

11. Darren Hanlon – Letter From an Australian Mining Town

Where Did You Come From? probably isn’t my favourite album by Australian pop troubadour Darren Hanlon as a whole (still great of course), but this song. Everything about this song. Classic Darren Hanlon storytelling.


kacyclayton

10. Kacy & Clayton – If You Ask How I’m Keeping

New Kacy & Clayton album is only out in Canada at the moment, so we shall continue praising Kacy & Clayton when the album hits US/Europe during 2016. I’ll make a bit of a head start, because I’ve been watching the youtube video of this song If You Ask Me How I’m Keeping so many times that I can’t even count that far.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR65DuZ48Co]

twocow

9. Two Cow Garage – Let The Boys Be Girls

Old favourite band Two Cow Garage was in top form and kickstarted the year in perfect fashion, with this glorious anthem Let The Boys Be Girls. I was slightly disappointed with the previous full-length, but this is just fantastic.

barnaquite

8. Barna Howard – Then and There

We are not good at holding secrets here at onechord.net headquarters, so I can already say that Quite a Feelin’ by Barna Howard will win the album of the year award later in December. It’s pretty hard to pick a favourite song for this list, because they are all so dear and that’s why nothing really stands above the rest. In the end, I thought I go with There and Then on this list. It might be a bit weird favourite, but there are lines there that I really love.

johnmoreland

7. John Moreland – You Don’t Care For Me Enough To Cry

John Moreland is a huge favourite of mine and his new album High On Tulsa Heat was full of amazing songs. The album will rank in my top 3, when it’s time to make that album list. I love the whole thing and could pick any song from it to this list, but I go with this sad song called You Don’t Care For Me Enough To Cry. I’m very excited to see John Moreland perform in Stockholm, Sweden in early January 2016.

hezekiah

6. Hezekiah Jones – Borrowed Heart

It might be questionable to select this as one of the songs of the year 2015, if I have been in love with it since 2011. But it’s now out and available on the brand new and brilliant Hezekiah Jones album. Raph and co created a stunning album that you will find from my top 10 albums later and you could pretty much drop any song from it on this list and it wouldn’t feel out of place.

andrewbryant

5. Andrew Bryant – My Own Saving Grace

Andrew Bryant might be better known as a member of Water Liars, but he also releases stunning solo albums. His album This is The Life has been a real grower for me during the year. I didn’t even have it on my top 10 on my mid-year list and now it looks like it will end up on my top 3 on the album list. There’s several songs that I really adore (well basicly everything), but my biggest favourite has been My Own Saving Grace. I think it works even better in the context of the album, because for me My Own Saving Grace and Do Your Work wrap the album together beautifully. Still it works wonderfully on it’s own as well. That last minute of the song is a bliss. A hopeful bliss.

stevenlambke

4. Steven Lambke – Memory Forever

This might be a bit weird choice. Just two and half minutes and on that exact moment when I fell in love with the song, it starts to drift away. At first I found that a little annoying, but now I think it’s just perfect as it is. The moment is when Tamara joins Steven and they sing the words “strong enough to love / strong enough to be loved / to listen close to love / and hear love” together.

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

simonjoyners

3. Simon Joyner – Nostalgia Blues

Simon Joyner’s Grass, Branch & Bone contains some of the greatest songwriting of the year and several songs worthy of a song of the year title. Two sneaked ahead of him mostly because I just haven’t listened to Simon 7-minute long songs as many times. These days I probably love a few other songs of this amazing album just as much as Nostalgia Blues, but I still have to select this, because It’s the one that I first fell in love with. One of the best songs of the year from one of the best albums of the year.

stelling

2. Christopher Paul Stelling – Dear Beast

C.P. Stelling might have to settle for a spot just outside the top 10 on the album list, because I don’t love those energetic songs as much as these beautiful ones. Those are really good as well, but Scarecrow, Burial Shroud, Too Far North and Dear Beast. These are the key songs of the album for me and there’s no limit to my love for these songs. Especially this song Dear Beast is out of this world.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NGw6RhuGoo]

goverment

1. Ariel Sharratt & Mathias Kom – Fuck the Government, I Love You

And the Song Of The Year Award goes to Fuck the Government, I Love You by Ariel Sharratt & Mathias Kom. There was never any doubt after I heard this for the first time. This is by far the song I loved the most during the year. It’s a lovely story of a couple meeting at a new year’s party and it has the finest singalong chorus I can think of. I just love every second of that song. Perhaps I prefer The Burning Hell version, but if my addiction doesn’t fade away I can make a cunning plan and select that as the best song of 2016.

And here’s the Burning Hell version aka Song of the Year 2016.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIRph805nJE]

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Headline, Top lists

Top 3 Reissues of the Year 2014

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My blog break has been a little longer than expected. I’ve had some issues.. like visiting a neurologist a few days ago. That’s pretty scary stuff, but thankfully anything serious seems extremely unlikely. Even so, this will still bother me on some level until I get rid of the headaches and numbness on my limbs. It just appears to be that it’s the tension neck that causes all these issues that trouble me. Anyway, I guess I should at least try to forget that stuff and finally move the blog to 2015. A lot of great new releases are already on the horizon like Vähäsarja, Viljami Kukkonen, Elephant Micah, Small Houses, American Aquarium, Justin Townes Earle, Andrew Combs. However, before getting into that new stuff, here is a really small and quickly made list of my favourite reissues of 2014. A rather pointless list, because I didn’t have much money to spend on these last year. There was so much good new music last year, that I had to leave most reissues to the shelf of the record store. Therefore I didn’t even make a top 10, because I’m not sure do I even own that many.

Top 3 Reissues of the Year 2014:

richardbuckner

3. Richard Buckner – Bloomed

Merge Records celebrated their 25th Anniversary last year and reissued a lot of fabulous records from their back catalogue. I already owned most of them, so I only picked this Richard Buckner album Bloomed that I never bought back when it first came out. Excellent album and pretty much on the same level as my earlier Buckner favorites Devotion + Doubt and Dents and Shells.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/132894802″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”100″ iframe=”true” /]
 

sisterflo

2. Sister Flo – Tragician’s Hat (10th Anniversary Edition)

Sister Flo’s Tragician’s Hat is one of my all-time favourite Finnish albums. Actually you could even remove that word Finnish from that sentence. Soliti celebrated the 10th anniversary of Tragician’s Hat by reissuing it. This masterpiece definitely deserved that treatment.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/155772976″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”100″ iframe=”true” /]
 
bobcarpenter

1. Bob Carpenter – Silent Passage

Sister Flo will probably always remain far more important to me personally, but the reissue of the year is going to be Bob Carpenter’s Silent Passage. Mostly because I have been listening to Sister Flo for ten years, but last year was the first time I actually heard this classic by Bob Carpenter for the first time. I had been aware of Silent Passage for many years and when No Quarter reissued it in 2014, I knew I needed to pick up a copy so that I’m finally able to hear this album. Buying a copy was definitely a great decision, because Silent Passage definitely lived up to it’s status as one of the great lost country-folk treasures.

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Finnish music, International music, News, Top lists

Top 10 EPs of the Year 2014

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Let’s get this EP list out of the way as well before the Christmas break. There’s of course that reissue list to do as well, but I’m not sure am I going to do that one. There’s always so much new stuff that I haven’t had much money left to buy a lot of wonderful reissues. Top 3 would be awesome of course Bob Carpenter, Sister Flo etc… We shall see if I do it at all. But first it’s time for this EP list. I have a strange feeling that I’m forgetting something important. Maybe I add an eleventh if I figure it out after posting this. That Love Sport Ep might have made the cut, but I haven’t had the time to listen to it enough at this point.

Top 10 EPs of the Year 2014

harryheart

10. The Harry Heart Chrysalis – Bodensee and Other False Stories EP

Let’s get the list going with Australian The Harry Heart Chrysalis. This lovely EP came out very early in the year. I especially love the song You Are Not A Rarity. This has some rather brutal lines “if I could take you anywhere, I’d take you off my mind”, but somehow I still love it.

redjacket

9. Red Jacket Mine – Pure Delight EP

Moving on to Seattle. Red Jacket Mine released their new soulful EP Pure Delight late in the year and like the title promised, it sure is a pure delight to listen to it. This is Crow from the EP.

jamesfrost

8. James Frost – Nameless EP

Next stop on our world tour is England where James Frost released a rather amazing folk EP. Traditional British folk gently collides with more modern sounds and the end result touches you deeper than where a doctor could reach. Especially the title track Nameless is spectacular.

weat
7. The Weather Station – What Am I Going To Do With Everything I Know

Back across the pond and to Canada. A long time favourite Tamara Lindeman aka The Weather Station released incredibly beautiful new EP called What Am I Going To Do With Everything I Know. Simply stunning like always.

songbirds

6. The Perfectos – Songbirds & Wolves

The Perfectos has been a very big deal at the onechord.net headquarters during the last couple of months of the year. I’ve been listening to their whole excellent back catalogue lately. Their 2014 release was this excellent EP Songbirds & Wolves.

paxtoni

5. Matt Paxton – Mountain Eyes EP

I’ve been a big fan of Matt Paxton since I first heard his album How The Land Lies. We still have to wait for that next full-length, but Other Songs Music Co put out a really lovely Mountain Eyes EP this fall. A bunch of great originals and a lovely The National cover. I’ve actually never really listened to The National, but after hearing Matt’s version, I kind of like to start. It can work this way around as well. This is Pink Rabbits from Matt Paxton’s beautiful Mountain Eyes EP.

thetaste

4. The Taste – Sea Legs EP

Toronto-based The Taste gave us a magnificent little pop record called Sea Legs. I have big smile on my face when I listen to this one. My kind of pop music. I hope they release a full-length album sometime soon. I would love to hear one.

lacbelot

3. Lac Belot – Elizabeth EP

Because I only had a few Finnish EPs that I had really listened to a lot, I didn’t see the point in making a separate list for them. I couldn’t even come up with ten. Therefore they had to fight for their place on this international list. One made the cut and it’s this wonderful debut EP by Lac Belot. Elizabeth was my Finnish song of the year and all three songs on the EP are magnificent.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/163284516″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”100″ iframe=”true” /]
 
gudridi

2. Gudrid Hansdottir – Taking Ship

Gudrid Hansdottir’s Taking Ship was one of my big favourites during the year. I’m not entirely sure should it have been on the album list. I think I’ve seen people call it an EP, a mini-album and an album. It feels like a mini-album to me, so therefore I didn’t put it among the full-lengths. One thing is certain though, it’s spectacular.

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And the EP of the year award goes to..

caletyson

1. Cale Tyson – Cheater’s Wine EP

I really loved and enjoyed Cale Tyson’s EP Cheater’s Wine. Well-crafted and beautifully delivered classic country songs. This was even an album of the month on this little blog of mine, even though it’s not even an album. Cheater’s Wine is just brilliant. I hope we will finally get a Cale Tyson full-length album sometime next year.

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