General, News

One Chord to Another hits 19 plus Luka Kuplowsky, Jennifer Castle, J.E. Sunde and Amuri

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This little music blog / website is now 19 years old. How did that happen? Time is a weird concept. Thank you to all dear readers who have followed this long and strange journey through music and I hope you stay with me at least for another year. After getting this close, I surely want to reach the 20 year mark as well.

I don’t have any big blog birthday celebration plans this year. This blog post is pretty much it. Perhaps next year when this thing hits that 20. If you want to revisit last year’s online anniversary festival, you will still find most of the action by clicking that OCTA18 link in the top bar. I think I will do my own celebration by just watching live streams from blog favorites after I get through this work week. J.E. Sunde for example will have one this Friday, so I’m going to tune into that. As for this post, I think I’ll just do what I’ve done for these past 19 years. Share some songs that mean the world to me. That’s all there has ever been. I’m not much of a writer nor do I have a wide knowledge about music in general. All I have is love for the music and the passion to find new artists and songwriters. But maybe that’s enough.

It’s close to midnight and the alarm goes off 6am, so this is just a quick round up of beautiful songs and music videos. First stop, Toronto, Canada. Long time favourite Luka Kuplowsky is getting ready to release his new album Stardust on the 2nd of October. It will be out on Mama Bird Recording Co (US/World) and Next Door Records (Canada). The third single Crazy Love was accompanied with a beautiful animated video by Sonia Beckwith-Cole. Here comes the tidal wave of loving you.

Luka Kuplowsky at Facebook

Staying on Toronto for something brand new. The big announcement of the day is that we will get a new Jennifer Castle album Monarch Season on the 20th of November (LP/CD) and October 16th (digital). This beauty will be co-released by Paradise of Bachelors (US/World) and Idee Fixe Records (Canada). Here’s the first single Justice with an animated music video by Jesi Jordan.

Jennifer Castle Website
Jennifer Castle at Facebook

Across the border over to Minneapolis, USA. J.E. Sunde is one of my favorite songwriters and his new album 9 Songs About Love is one of my most anticipated albums of the year. It will come out on Vietnam Records on the 20th of November. Here’s the wonderful new single Love Gone to Seed in form a music video along with my favorite song of 2020 I Don’t Care to Dance.

J.E. Sunde Website
J.E. Sunde at Facebook

And last stop is Tampere, Finland and the self-titled debut album from Amuri. It was instant love when I heard their debut single Halla back in 2019 and it ended being my Finnish song of that particular year. I’ve been really eager to hear their debut album ever since and now this beauty is finally here in my arms. Halla might remain as the brightest diamond, but it’s an album full of treasures and I love it to bits. Here’s one of them called Masa. Music video by Kalevi Suopursu & Sami Sänpäkkilä.

Amuri at Facebook

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News, Playlist

OCTA Music Weekly – Episode #104

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Another week, another new music weekly.

Not a whole lot of album releases this week or maybe I just missed some of them. The big international album is the new Elizabeth Cook album. At first, it might feel a bit like a bit of a curve ball, but let it spin a while and eventually you will hit it. Such a great album. There’s also new albums from Lo Tom, Waylon Payne, William Tyler, Delta Spirit, Sally Anne Morgan and an EP from Patrick Sweany. I’m sure there had to be more. It’s never that quiet on the release front. That Juniper album came out in June, but I didn’t know about it until I got an email from Michael Shelley this week. I loved his solo albums in the late nineties and early 00s plus the Cheeky Monkey he did with Francis MacDonald. Anyway, Juniper is his 15 year old daughter and she created a great pop album with a bit of help from his dad and other power pop gurus. Check out the video for Kids On My Corner here. And here’s a full list of international albums/EPs that were on my radar.

Elizabeth Cook – Aftermath (Agent Love Records)
Patrick Sweany – Get That Feeling, Vol 1 EP (Nine Mile Records)
Lo Tom – LP2
Waylon Payne – Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher & Me (Carnival Recordings Company)
The Flaming Lips – American Head (Bella Union)
Delta Spirit – What Is There (New West Records)
Sally Anne Morgan – Thread (Thrill Jockey Records)
William Tyler – New Vanitas (Merge Records)

Here in Finland we got another double homerun from Helmi Levyt. My favorite Finnish label these days. Just a few weeks after that awesome Amuri and Metsäheikki combo, they release new albums from Lätsä and Rosita Luu and both sound magnificent. Arwi Lind and Helmi Levyt should get all possible culture awards. Other Finnish songs this week are the excellent new singles from White Jackets, Manna and Jere Ijäs ja Monacon työväen palloilijat.

There’s again a lot to love in the singles game. Brennen Leigh’s new song Billy & Beau was probably my favorite of the week. I’ve loved both new singles and can’t wait to hear the whole album. New Floating Room song is also superb and so are the new ones from Ian Daniel Kehoe, Malin Pettersen, Jeremy Ivey, Emilee Emiko, Why Dogs Why, Raye Zaragoza and Jake Tittle. Oh yeah and there’s a new song from The Wannadies. A really great Swedish pop band that ruled the pop world in the 90s with Popsicle and The Merrymakers. Other artists would be worthy of a namedrop too, but you’ll find them on the list below or better yet listen to the playlist.

That’s it for this week. Next week is a birthday week, because this little blog/website hits 19 years on Thursday. Isn’t that crazy. A life’s work. Or well a life’s hobby to be more precise. Time is a weird concept. There’s no big plans to celebrate this year, but you can still revisit last year’s anniversary festival by hitting that OCTA18 link in the top bar. That’s it for this week. I try to come up with a post or two next week, but no definite promises. Love from a distance.

OCTA Music Weekly – Episode #104

1. Elizabeth Cook – Thick Georgia Woman (Aftermath, Agent Love Records, 2020)
2. Patrick Sweany – One Thing (Get That Feeling, Vol 1 EP, Nine Mile Records, 2020)
3. Brennen Leigh – Billy & Beau (single, 2020)
4. Lätsä – Keskiyön cowboy (Lätsä, Helmi Levyt, 2020)
5. Rosita Luu – Toista maata (Samettisuu, Helmi Levyt, 2020)
6. Floating Room – Held Open Door (single, 2020)
7. Juniper – Kids On My Corner (Juniper, Confidential Records, 2020)
8. Ian Daniel Kehoe – Endless Rain (single, Tin Angel Records, 2020)
9. Lo Tom – I Need Relief (LP2, 2020)
10. Why Dogs Why – Freak (single, 2020)
11. Jake Tittle – Double Vision, Looking for the Metro Station (single, Anxiety Blanket Records, 2020)
12. Jeremy Ivey – Things Could Get Much Worse (single, ANTI, 2020)
13. Malin Pettersen – Wildhorse Dream (single, Die With Your Boots On, 2020)
14. Emilee Emiko – Duet (single, 2020)
15. Raye Zaragoza – They Say (single, Rebel River Records, 2020)
16. Waylon Payne – Shiver (Blue Eyes, The Harlot, The Queer, The Pusher & Me, Carnival Recordings Comapny, 2020)
17. Lucero – Time to Go Home (single, Liberty & Lament, 2020)
18. The War and Treaty – Hearts Town (single, Rounder Records, 2020)
19. Bahamas – Trick to Happy (single, Brushfire Records, 2020)
20. Night Shop – In the Twilight Sun (single, Salinas, 2020)
21. White Jackets – Endgame (single, Pinetree Records, 2020)
22. The Wannadies – Can’t Kill the Musikk (single, Startracks, 2020)
23. Yeah Is What We Have – I Could Only (single, 2020)
24. Milky Wimpshake – Vignette (single, Bobo Integral, 2020)
25. friend. – Bleed into Gold (single, 2020)
26. The Flaming Lips – Flowers of Neptune 6 (American Head, Bella Union, 2020)
27. Delta Spirit – Making Sense (What Is There, New West Records, 2020)
28. Helena Deland – Truth Nugget (single, Luminelle Recordings, 2020)
29. This is the Kit – Coming to Get You Nowhere (single, Rough Trade Records, 2020)
30. King Hannah – Creme Brulee (single, City Slang, 2020)
31. Juanita Stein – L.O.T.F (single, Nude Music, 2020)
32. Derek Ted – Focus (single, 2020)
33. Jacob Faurholt – Don’t Go (single, Raw Onion Records, 2020)
34. Manna – Ai tämä oli taivas (single, KHY Suomen Musiikki, 2020)
35. Jere Ijäs ja Monacon työväen palloilijat – Niin hiljaa kuin osataan (single, Texicalli Records, 2020)
36. Mike McClure – I Am Not Broken (single, Crow and Gazelle, 2020)
37. Robyn Ludwick – Lake Charles (single, 2020)
38. Gillian Welch – I Just Want Yout to Know (single, Acony Records, 2020)
39. Bedouine, Waxahatchee and Hurray For the Riff Raff – Thirteen (single, Spacebomb Records, 2020)
40. In Earnest – 29 (single, 2020)
41. Jacksonport – Looking for a Light (single, Tularosa Records, 2020)
42. Sadler Vaden – Best Days (single, Dirty Mag Records, 2020)
43. Lisa Caruso – To Call You Mine (single, 2020)
44. Jack Klatt – Tennessee Blues (single, Yep Roc, 2020)
45. Sally Anne Morgan – Polly on the Shore (Thread, Thrill Jockey Records, 2020)
46. Gus Clark & The Least of His Problems – Sing a Song (single, Plastic Pistol Records, 2020)
47. Brittany Brooks – Mulberry Tree (Lend Me Your Hand, 2020)
48. Tennessee Jet – Someone to You (The Country, Tennessee Jet Music, 2020)
49. India Ramey – Hole in the World (Shallow Graves, 2020)
50. Emily Barker – Any More Goodbyes (A Dark Murmuration of Words, Everyone Sang, 2020)
51. William Tyler – Four Corners (New Vanitas, Merge Records, 2020)
52. Scone Cash Players – Mind Blower (single, Mango Hill Records, 2020)

Playlist link

Playlist Archive

Oh and do buy the vinyl/cd/download. Spotify and other streaming services are perfect for these introductory purposes, but try to buy at least the music that matter the most to you

If you are looking this after a week has gone, the embedded Spotify will show the latest playlist. I’ll just update the same playlist because a) if someone wants to follow it, they can just follow that one list and will get a new set of songs each Sunday b) so that I don’t have a trillion of different playlists on my Spotify account.

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Playlist

OCTA Music Weekly – Episode #103

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Another week, another new music weekly.

A bit more rushed effort this week. A few game sevens took some time away from the new music listening. But here’s some of the highlights that I did manage to listen.

Emily Barker and Bill Callahan albums were the big ones for me and both are awesome. Brittany Brooks is a new artists for me, but I’m liking her album a lot after a few spins. Long time favorite Matt Woods released a new EP and we also got great new albums from India Ramey, Tennessee Jet, Annie Dressner. Outside of the streaming services, Drew Danburry started a new cassette label and released a wonderful cassette-only album under the name Icarus Phoenix. You’ll find it from Bandcamp. Josienne Clarke also released more song treasures at Bandcamp and I’m sure there was quite a bit more on that lovely platform because it was a Bandcamp friday. Always worth noting that while playlists and Spotify are good for the introduction and expanding the listening habits, please buy the music that really matters to you. Anyway, here are all the international album / EP releases that were on my radar this week.

Brittany Brooks – Lend Me Your Hand
Emily Barker – A Dark Murmuration of Words (Everyone Sang / Thirty Tigers)
Bill Callahan – Gold Record (Drag City)
Matt Woods – Mornings After EP (Lonele Ones Records)
India Ramey – Shallow Graves
Tennessee Jet – The Country (Tennessee Jet Music/Thirty Tigers)
Annie Dressner – Coffee at the Corner Bar
Lomelda – Hannah (Double Double Whammy)
Josiah Johnson – Every Feeling on a Loop (ANTI)
Grant-Lee Phillips – Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff (Yep Roc)
Smug Brothers – Room of the Year EP
Beautiful Dudes – Nite Songs EP (Dowd Records)

+ Bandcamp only

Icarus Phoenix – Icarus Phoenix
Josienne Clarke – Historical Record vol. 3&4 Learning To Sail

The Finnish section is somewhat small this time around. There’s just the new singles from Message Field and The Phonochromes. Message Field song actually came out a week ago and I’ve had a cloud of guilt hanging over for a week, because I forgot to include it then. The playlist also revisits Amuri and Metsäheikki albums.

As for international singles, there’s plenty to love. A couple of big album announcements from long time favorites John Calvin Abney and Becky Warren. Pre-oders are up on their bandcamp and the first singles are on the playlist. Several other big favorites like J.E. Sunde, Luka Kuplowsky, Jerry David DeCicca, Daniel Romano, The Burning Hell, Sun June and Adrianne Lenker also released beautiful new songs. The list starts with a fairly new favorite Gus Clark & The Least of His Problems. They released a couple of wonderful singles this week. I found them from Western AF, which is pretty much the best youtube channel there is. Probably one of the better things in this internet thing altogether. All others would be worth a namedrop too, but you’ll find the songs on the list below.

That’s it for this week. This blog is 19 years old in a couple of weeks. No big celebrations planned this time around. I’ll save that for 20 years, if this blog and world still exists at that point. I think everyone’s has had more than enough of stream / online events at that point, so hopefully it’s an actual concert or something in that nature. Love from a distance.

OCTA Music Weekly – Episode #103

1. Gus Clark & The Least of His Problems – Thoughs & Prayers (single, Plastic Pistol Records, 2020)
2. Brittany Brooks – Lend Me Your Hand (Lend Me Your Hand, 2020)
3. Emily Barker – Geography (A Dark Murmuration of Words, Everyone Sang, 2020)
4. John Calvin Abney – Shine Like a Friend (single, Black Mesa Records, 2020)
5. J.E. Sunde – Love Gone to Seed (single, Vietnam, 2020)
6. Luka Kuplowsky – Crazy Love (single, Mama Bird Recording Co, 2020)
7. Bill Callahan – Pigeons (Gold Record, Drag City, 2020)
8. Becky Warren – Me and These Jeans (single, 2020)
9. Matt Woods – Sunshine (Mornings After EP, Lonele Ones Records, 2020)
10. India Ramey – Shallow Graves (Shallow Graves, 2020)
11. Tennessee Jet – Stray Dogs (The Country, Tennessee Jet Music, 2020)
12. Daniel Romano – Green Eye-Shade (single, You’ve Changed Records, 2020)
13. Jerry David DeCicca – Texas Toad (single, 2020)
14. Cut Worms – Every Once in a While (single, Jagjaguwar, 2020)
15. Annie Dressner – Beyond the Leaves (Coffee at the Corner Bar, 2020)
16. Sun June – Singing (single, Run For Cover Records, 2020)
17. Lomelda – Kisses (Hannah, Double Double Whammy, 2020)
18. Adrianne Lenker – anything (single, Saddle Creek, 2020)
19. CF Watkins – The Tell (single, Whatever’s Clever, 2020)
20. Jim White – The Sum of of What We’ve Been (single, Loose Music / Fluff & Gravy Records, 2020)
21. Josiah Johnson – I Wish I Had (Every Feeling on a Loop, ANTI, 2020)
22. The Burning Hell – I Want to Drink in a Bar (single, Love Thy Neighbor, 2020)
23. Ottoman Turks – Fightin’ Blues (single, State Fair Records, 2020)
24. Ben Pirani – More Than a Memory (single, Colemine Recods, 2020)
25. M Ross Perkins – Wrong Wrong Wrong (single, Karma Chief Records, 2020)
26. Oliver Wood – The Battle Is Over (But the War Goes On) (single, Honey Jar Records, 2020)
27. Grant-Lee Phillips – Gather Up (Lightning, Show Us Your Stuff, Yep Roc, 2020)
28. Beautiful Dudes – Beverly Hills (Nite Songs EP, Dowd Records, 2020)
29. Smug Brothers – Radiator One (Room of the Year EP, 2020)
30. Kurt Baker – Over You (single, Wicked Cool Records, 2020)
31. Phonochromes – Phonochromes (single, RMR, 2020)
32. Message Field – Lux (single, Soit Se Silti, 2020)
33. Native Harrow – Carry On (single, Loose Music, 2020)
34. Ian Wayne – Winter’s (single, Whatever’s Clever, 2020)
35. Great Peacock – Heavy Load (single, Soundly Music, 2020)
36. Cordovas – Rain on the Rail (single, ATO Records, 2020)
37. Diana DeMuth – All the Liars (single, Creaky Gate Records, 2020)
38. Bella White – Not to Blame (single, 2020)
39. Honey Magpie – Midnight Morning (single, 2020)
40. Hollan – I’ve Been Alone (single, 2020)
41. Kevin Morby – Campfire (single, Dead Oceans, 2020)
42. The Duke of Norfolk – August / Orchid Blue (single, Bramar Records, 2020)
43. Emily Brown – Game Show (single, Song Club Records, 2020)
44. Dylan LeBlanc – Never Tear Us Apart (single, ATO Records, 2020)
45. Jeremy Squires – Swan Dive (Many Moons, Blackbird, 2020)
46. Amuri – Sameaa (Amuri, Helmi Levyt, 2020)
47. Metsäheikki – Horses (Sammakko saunassa, Helmi Levyt, 2020)
48. Arppa – Huhut (Laavalamppuja, Arppa Music, 2020)
49. Justin Wells – The Bridge (The United State, Singular Recordsing, 2020)
50. Zephaniah OHora – Time Won’t Take Its Time (Listening to the Music, Last Round Up Records, 2020)

Playlist link

Playlist Archive

Oh and do buy the vinyl/cd/download. Spotify and other streaming services are perfect for these introductory purposes, but try to buy at least the music that matter the most to you

If you are looking this after a week has gone, the embedded Spotify will show the latest playlist. I’ll just update the same playlist because a) if someone wants to follow it, they can just follow that one list and will get a new set of songs each Sunday b) so that I don’t have a trillion of different playlists on my Spotify account.

Continue Reading