Playlist

OCTA Weekly Playlist Episode #54

No Comments

Another week, another weekly playlist.

Not sure did anyone miss the playlist, but some may have noticed that there was no playlist last week. I spent Sunday in Helsinki watching a Pat Reedy concert and thought this was a good opportunity to try that biweekly updating. So this one has songs from the last two weeks. If I do this biweekly in the future, I need to start making some notes because it was hard to remember to include stuff that came close to two weeks ago. I’m sure I forgot more than most weeks. I haven’t really decided it how I will continue. So there might or might not be a playlist next week. Oh and submissions still open for that forthcoming online anniversary festival. Click the links on the right column for more information and feel free to share them as well.

The two big album releases from the last two weeks were Beth Bombara and The Hold Steady (and of course Hulda Huima too from the Finnish section), but that’s just a tiny fraction of the release action. The playlist also contains songs from the new albums by Eilen Jewell, The Commonheart, Frog, Spirit Family Reunion, Dylan Earl, Lillie Mae, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, Brack Cantrell, Kyle Cox, Jason McCue, Nels Andrews, Fionn Regan, Ikebe Shakedown and Field Mouse.

The small Finnish section contains albums from Hulda Huima and Aino & Miihkali plus a new single from Antti Autio.

There’s way too much wonderful singles to namedrop. I absolute love this third single from the forthcoming John Calvin Abney album. Simon Joyner as usual hits a homerun with the debut single of his record. Nickel & Rose song is very powerful, Kacy & Clayton single is again a treasure. If you dig some alternative rock and powerpop, you’ll need to listen to the Stoner Control single. Michaela Anne, Kelsey Waldon, Jason Hawk Harris released new ones from their fall albums. Oh well, these are all great, so just take a listen.

That’s it for now. Hopefully one or two those four arms thingies mid-week, but no promises whatsoever. The festival stuff will take a lot of the blog time I have and well I’m back in the day job again. I need to start yoga or something though, because otherwise I will resign soon.

OCTA Weekly Playlist Episode #54

1. Beth Bombara – I Only Cry When I’m Alone (Evergreen, 2019)
2. John Calvin Abney – Kind Days (single, Black Mesa Records, 2019)
3. Eilen Jewell – Who Else But You (Gypsy, Signature Sounds, 2019)
4. Simon Joyner – Tongue of a Child (single, BB*Island, 2019)
5. The Hold Steady – Denver Haircut (Thrashing Thru The Passion, Frenchkiss Records, 2019)
6. The Commonheart – Different Man (Pressure, Jullian Records, 2019)
7. Nickel & Rose – Another Man (single, Magik Family, 2019)
8. Kacy & Clayton – High Holiday (single, New West Records, 2019)
9. The Highwomen – Highwomen (single, Elektra Records, 2019)
10. Frog – RIP to the Empire State Flea Market (Count Bateman, Tapewormies / Audio Antihero, 2019)
11. Hulda Huima – Aika (Maa, Helmi Levyt, 2019)
12. Michaela Anne – Somebody New (single, Yep Roc, 2019)
13. Spirit Family Reunion – Ease My Mind (Ride Free, 2019)
14. Dylan Earl – Two Hearts (Squirrel in the Garden, Rootsy Music, 2019)
15. Christopher Gold & The New Old Things – Fellow Traveler (single, 2019)
16. Jason Hawk Harris – The Smoke and the Stars (single, Bloodshot Records, 2019)
17. Stoner Control – Open My Heart (single, 2019)
18. Jesse Malin – Chemical Heart (single, Wicked Cool Records, 2019)
19. Kelsey Waldon – Sunday’s Children (single, Oh Boy Records, 2019)
20. Lillie Mae – You’ve Got Other Girls For That (Other Girls, Third Man Records, 2019)
21. Karen & The Sorrows – Guaranteed Broken Heart (single, Ocean Born Mary Music, 2019)
22. Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors – But I’ll Never Forget the Way You Make Me Feel (feat Ellie Holcomb) (Dragons, Magnolia Music, 2019)
23. Big Thief – Not (single, Saddle Creek, 2019)
24. Field Guides – Guessing at Animals (single, Whatever’s Clever, 2019)
25. Antti Autio – Liikaa (single, Soit Se Silti, 2019)
26. Kyle Cox – Midnight Dance (Perhaps One Day, 2019)
27. Jason McCue – Shadow (Wasteland, Fluff and Gravy, 2019)
28. Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster – Friend of Mine (single, Big Legal Mess, 2019)
29. Hiss Golden Messenger – Happy Birthday, Baby (single, Merge Records, 2019)
30. Jacob Faurholt – Hide From the Dark (single, Raw Onion Records, 2019)
31. Yee & O’Brien – Break Waves (single, 2019)
32. Very Good – Ghost Warning (single, 2019)
33. Office Culture – Hard Times in the City (single, Whatever’s Clever, 2019)
34. Rachel Sermanni – Tiger (single, 2019)
35. Brack Cantrell – On a Dime (Famine or Feast, 2019)
36. Paul & The Tall Trees – Someone to Someone (single, Big Crown Records, 2019)
37. Malin Pettersen – Alonesome (single, Die With Your Boots On Records, 2019)
38. Andrew Combs – Born Without Clue (single, New West Records, 2019)
39. Josh Rennie-Hynes – Caught In a Dream (single, Soundly, 2019)
40. Spencer Burton – The Mountain Man (single, Dine Alone Music, 2019)
41. Vincent Neil Emerson – 7 Come 11 (single, La Honda Records, 2019)
42. Nels Andrews – Pigeon & The Crow (Pigeon & The Crow, 2019)
43. Pauline Andres – Hoping For the Best at the Springwater Supper Club (single, 2019)
44. Bror Gunnar Jansson – Will You Help Me When I’m Old (single, Playground Music, 2019)
45. Gospelbeach – Dark Angel (single, Alive Naturalsound, 2019)
46. German Error Message – Fine (single, 2019)
47. Queen of Jeans – Only Obvious To You (single, Topshelf Records, 2019)
48. Field Mouse – Skygazing (Meaning, Topshelf Records, 2019)
49. Fionn Regan – Head Swim (Cala, Abbey Records, 2019)
50. Reina del Sid – Bernadette (single, 2019)
51. Michael Kiwanuka – You Ain’t The Problem (single, Polydor, 2019)
52. Ikebe Shakedown – Kings Left Behind (Kings Left Behind, Colemine Records, 2019)
53. Josh Rouse – Trouble (single, Yep Roc, 2019)
54. Alasdair Roberts – Common Clay (single, Drag City, 2019)
55. Aino & Miihkali – May (Aino & Miihkali, 2019)

Playlist link

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

Four Arms to Hold You, International music

Pony Bradshaw, TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, Ian Noe and Darrin Bradbury

No Comments

A short round-up to end the day with a quartet of gorgeous music videos. All these would deserve essays, but right now I don’t have the time and I’ll never have the skill. Beginning from Chatsworth, GA with a song from the wonderful new Pony Bradshaw album Sudden Opera that came out 21st of June on Rounder Records. I’ve been a huge fan since the song Josephine burned its way into my heart some years ago and therefore this one was a really high anticipated for me. There’s some overlap with the earlier maybe less official Bad Teeth album, but I don’t mind at all because these songs deserve this new and better opportunity to find your heart. There’s three great acoustic performances on his youtube channel. Here’s one of them called Bad Teeth. Check out the rest too and then ask your local record store (if your lucky enough to still have one) to order a copy of this powerful record.

Pony Bradshaw Website

Next we head to Portland, Oregon and more precisely Laurelthirst Public House. I did share one of the videos from this TK & The Holy Know-Nothings concert, but I have to revisit because Hard Times wasn’t available at the time and it’s one of my biggest favorites from their wonderful new record. Mama Bird Recording Co released the album Arguably OK on the 24th of May. Watch the video below and then click the links on that bandcamp player to inject some damn good storytelling, catchy bar boogie and rock’n’roll grit into your lovely day.

TK & The Holy Know-Nothings Website

Traveling on to Beattyville, Ky and continuing with some powerful storytelling. Ian Noe’s magnificent debut album Between the Country came out 31st of May on National Treasure Recordings. I had been eagerly waiting for this one after falling for his Off this Mountaintop EP and somehow this is able to shake hands with my even unfairly high expectations. Here’s the music video for the excellent title track Between the Country.

Ian Noe Website

This little blog posts ends in East Nashville, Tennessee with a couple of songs from long time favourite Darrin Bradbury. Anti- should receive one of those onechordnet’s imaginary culture awards for signing this fabulous storyteller and releasing his new album Talking Dogs and Atom Bombs on the 20th of September. Non-album track Newark and first single and title track is already out and available in this internet thing-y. Listen to them below and then go and order some physical goods too.

Darrin Bradbury Website

Four Arms to Hold You is an ongoing feature with a weird name. It might not contain a whole lot of words, but it does contain a whole lot of love towards the featured songs. Basicly this is just four albums / songs / artists that have done their part in holding me together and therefore I want to tell the world or the seven readers of this blog how much I love them. Not entirely sure do these kind of posts serve any kind of purpose and I do hope I manage to write longer posts too. Right now it just feels like the playlists and these kind of short posts are the only way to keep this dear hobby alive. Plus it’s really the music that matters, not my random ramblings and these posts will always contain magical music.

Continue Reading

Four Arms to Hold You, News

Carla Geneve, Black Sea Dahu, Joan Shelley and Lauren O’Connell

No Comments

I’ve been busy on planning the anniversary festival, but a small break in the arms of songs that mean the world to me. Tonight this story begins from Perth, Australia with the self-titled Carla Geneve EP that came out on the 7th of June on Dot Dash / Remote Control Records. I’m especially fond of the last song I Hate You (For Making Me Not Want To Leave The City), but it’s all great and powerful.

Carla Geneve at Facebook

Moving on to Zurich, Switzerland for the new Black Sea Dahu single Thaw. They are probably my biggest music crush at the moment and I find myself listening every new song on repeat for a long time. I don’t know how these melodies always become a part of who I am. Their new EP No Fire in the Sand is due out on the 27th of September on Mouthwatering Records. Both this new one and the first single How You Swallowed Your Anger are pure gold and I can’t wait to hear the rest.

Black Sea Dahu Website

Traveling across the sea to Louisville, Kentucky to meet up with Joan Shelley (and hopefully Dwight too). She has a new album Like The River Loves The Sea coming out on the 30th of August on No Quarter. She is an exceptional folk songwriter and this album is going to be a beautiful treasure. Here’s the latest single Cycle (with gorgeous artwork and animation by Douglas Miller).

Joan Shelley Website

And the last station on this little blog entry is Oakland, CA. This is also a small step back to 2018, because Shimmering Silver is an outtake from Lauren O’Connell’s brilliant 2018 album Details. There’s a couple of good reasons to revisit the album 1) I still love it passionately 2) Marta Dymek directed a wonderful music video for this wonderful song.

Lauren O’Connell Website

Four Arms to Hold You is an ongoing feature with a weird name. It might not contain a whole lot of words, but it does contain a whole lot of love towards the featured songs. Basicly this is just four albums / songs / artists that have done their part in holding me together and therefore I want to tell the world or the seven readers of this blog how much I love them. Not entirely sure do these kind of posts serve any kind of purpose and I do hope I manage to write longer posts too. Right now it just feels like the playlists and these kind of short posts are the only way to keep this dear hobby alive. Plus it’s really the music that matters, not my random ramblings and these posts will always contain magical music.

Continue Reading

Four Arms to Hold You, International music

Beth Bombara, John Calvin Abney, Will Johnson and Matt Harlan

No Comments

Tonight’s round up of songs and albums that I love starts from St. Louis, Missouri. If the Stanley Cup parties are starting to slow down, the locals over there can start celebrating the release of the new Beth Bombara album Evergreen. The album was just released yesterday on the 9th of August and it’s a damn enjoyable collection of roots-rock and americana. Sean Kirkland made a gorgeous double music video for the starting duo I Only Cry When I’m Alone and Upside Down. Watch that below and then hit those bandcamp links on the player to hear/buy the whole beautiful thing.

Beth Bombara Website

A smooth transition to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sure there are some miles between the cities, but the hearts of the songwriters aren’t far apart. In fact, John Calvin Abney co-produced Beth Bombara’s record and also plays keys on it. He also has a new album of his own songs on the horizon. The album Safe Passage will be released by Black Mesa Records on the 27th of September. Two excellent singles have already been released. This latest one Honest Liar just surfaced earlier in the week. It’s a very timely reflection on the toxic habits of certain people. You’ll find the other single and pre-order options by hitting the links on the bandcamp player.

John Calvin Abney Website

Moving on to Austin, Texas to gently sway a while in the arms of the fragile new Will Johnson single A Solitary Slip. It’s an outtake from his sixth solo album Wire Mountain that will come out on the 27th of September, just like John Calvin Abney’s record. This one will be on the wonderful Austin-based label Keeled Scales. This beautiful man probably doesn’t need an introduction, because he has been releasing great records for a couple of decades (Centro-Matic, South San Gabriel, Marie/Lepanto, Molina and Johnson and so forth) and in-between collaborated with other artists in multiple ways. Again hit that Bandcamp player links in order to find pre-order options and the powerful first single Cornelius.

Will Johnson Website

We shall wrap up this little blog in Houston, Texas with a song or two from the new Matt Harlan album Best Beasts that came out on the 12th of July on Eigth 30 Records. This is a strong and powerful album full of first class songwriting that is trying to make some sense out of this mess of a world where anger is continuously trying to overshadow empathy. We sure need our poets and folk songwriters during these dark times and hopefully their words can cast away the clouds from our hearts and breathe some sense into our minds. Maybe Best Beasts is just a record, but it’s a record that has a good heart. Sometimes that is everything.

Matt Harlan Website

Four Arms to Hold You is an ongoing feature with a weird name. It might not contain a whole lot of words, but it does contain a whole lot of love towards the featured songs. Basicly this is just four albums / songs / artists that have done their part in holding me together and therefore I want to tell the world or the seven readers of this blog how much I love them. Not entirely sure do these kind of posts serve any kind of purpose and I do hope I manage to write longer posts too. Right now it just feels like the playlists and these kind of short posts are the only way to keep this dear hobby alive. Plus it’s really the music that matters, not my random ramblings and these posts will always contain magical music.

Continue Reading