Laura Gibson, Leah Senior, The Wild Reeds, Sharon Van Etten and Ylva Haru

Hey, it’s 2019. I think it’s time to start again and do some other kind of posts too and not just the weekly playlist. Kicking things off with just a quick video post though. I’m still a little bit stuck in 2018 and therefore I have to start by posting the new music video from my favorite album of last year. I Don’t Want Your Voice To Move Me is the ending song of Laura Gibson’s phenomenal album Goners. A gorgeous music video to accompany a deeply moving song.

Laura Gibson Website

This is another one that came out in 2018 and just got a music video. Graves is the latest single from Australian folk singer-songwriter Leah Senior. Her album Pretty Faces was in my top 10 back in 2017 and I’ve been eagerly waiting for more. I hope there’s an album on the horizon, because this new single is again so gorgeous. Graves came out on Flightless Records on the 14th of December 2018.

Leah Senior Website

Moving on to the best songs of 2019. Sharon Van Etten’s new album Remind Me Tomorrow came out on the 18th of January on Jagjaguwar. The highlight of that album is this brilliant song Seventeen. “Began as Lucinda Williams-esque, but wound up as more of an upbeat nod to Bruce Springsteen” says the press release. That’s some high level namedropping, but this time the song can actually live up to that.

Sharon Van Etten Website

New The Wild Reeds album Cheers is coming out on Dualtone on the 8th of March. A couple of outtakes are already available. I love this latest one Don’t Pretend. It’s a bit more relatable to me than what I would like to admit. I should learn from it, because I master at crawling into my self-inflicted misery. I can’t wait to hear the whole album in March.

The Wild Reeds Website

The Delines album is probably the best album I’ve heard this year, but this one by Ylva Haru is the one that I’ve loved the most and the one I’ve listened to the most. Ylva Haru aka Finnish folk singer-songwriter Lotta Jääskelä has created an endearingly beautiful and deeply moving album. I hope I manage to write something a bit more detailed about it during the coming weeks. If not, I still want to let the world and/or the seven regular readers know that I love this. The album Linnut came out on the 11th of January on Soit se silti. This was a bit of video entry so let’s go with the live version of the title track on this blog entry, but you should definitely listen to the whole amazing album.

Who am I really kidding? I have to post another song too. Going through this one without shedding some happy tears is an impossible challenge. It’s also a challenge that I don’t want to win. This is Oikeiden luona by Ylva Haru. That’s it for tonight. Now I will cry myself to sleep with this song and my loved ones on my side.

Ylva Haru Website

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OCTA Weekly Playlist Episode #25

Another week, another weekly playlist.

Oh well, again the week kind of flew by without any onechord action. Other than that I was toying a bit with the idea of organizing some sort of concert/party when this blog reaches 18 years next fall. It remains to be seen whether that will happen. I’m not super optimistic, but I’m not burying the idea either.

A pretty big release week and therefore I ended up with 40 songs. I’m fully aware that it’s a bit too much, but even now there was not space for everything. Lots of albums this week. The return album of Pedro The Lion and the new Steve Gunn album are the ones that I’ve spent most time with so far. I really like both of them. Other excellent new albums on the list are from Alice Wallace, Charlie Shafter, Sharon Van Etten, Crane Like the Bird, Ally Kerr, Liz Brasher and Juliana Hatfield. Plus the reissue of Andrew Combs debut album. Two new excellent Finnish albums too from Klasu and Lokit. Also from Finland are new singles from Tomi Nordlund & Syvä Joki and The New Magnetic North (forgot this earlier, because it came out just before Christmas) and another song from Ylva Haru album (because I love it and therefore wanted to keep it here for another week).

And then the singles. Oh my. The list starts with three songs that I really love. Caroline Spence, Twain, Strand of Oaks are all long time favourites and these songs are wonderful. It’s a double single from Caroline Spence, so be sure to check out the other song Mint Condition too (well it will be on this list next week too). Rounder Records is really striving right now. Caroline Spence’s new songs (and later album) are a fantastic start, Pony Bradshaw album hits our hearts next week, Logan Ledger sometime later in the year. John P. Strohm and co are doing an excellent work by giving a platform to these great artists.

And that’s not all. There’s new outtakes from the forthcoming Bob Sumner, Tiny Ruins, Cass McCombs and Cale Tyson releases. Then there’s the first singles from the forthcoming Weyes Blood, Son Volt and The Wild Reeds albums. Oh and an unreleased Townes Van Zandt song is worthy of a parade. Everything else on the list rule too and this time lots of stuff didn’t make the cut, because I haven’t had the time to listen everything even once (for example Flatland Cavalry, Steel Woods etc). I would highly recommend checking out Maggie Rogers and Deerhunter too. These are maybe not totally my cup of tea and therefore not on this list. Still excellent and worth a praise.

OCTA Weekly Playlist Episode #25

1. Caroline Spence – Long Haul (single, Rounder Records, 2019)
2. Twain – Death (or S.F.?) (single, Keeled Scales, 2019)
3. Strand of Oaks – Weird Ways (single, Dead Oceans, 2019)
4. Pedro The Lion – My Phoenix (Phoenix, Polyvinyl / Big Scary Monsters, 2019)
5. The Wild Reeds – Don’t Pretend (single, Dualtone, 2019)
6. Alice Wallace – The Lonely Talking (Into the Blue, Rebelle Road Records, 2019)
7. Bob Sumner – New York City (single, 2019)
8. Charlie Shafter – Thought Too Soon (When I Was Yours & You Were Mine, 2019)
9. Townes Van Zandt – All I Need (single, TVX Records / Fat Possum Records, 2019)
10. Cale Tyson – Red Blooded Fools (single, 2019)
11. Sharon Van Etten – Malibu (Remind Me Tomorrow, Jagjaguwar, 2019)
12. Weyes Blood – Andromeda (single, Sub Pop Records, 2019)
13. Tiny Ruins – Holograms (single, Marathon, 2019)
14. Steve Gunn – Chance (The Unseen in Between, Matador Records, 2019)
15. Crane Like the Bird (feat Conor Oberst) – When I See (Crane Like The Bird, 2019)
16. Tomi Nordlund & Syvä joki – Vuodet (single, Soit se silti, 2019)
17. Klasu – Näkymättömiin (Kaikki maailman reitit, Soit se silti, 2019)
18. Lokit – Pelastusvene (Lokit, Combat Rock Industry, 2019)
19. Ally Kerr – Ragged Man (Upgrade Me, Much Obliged Records, 2019)
20. David Smalt – Dear old Earth (single, Palo Santo Parade, 2019)
21. Scott Orr – This is How I Want To Feel Forever (single, Other Songs, 2019)
22. Cass McCombs – The Great Pixley Train Robbery (single, Anti-, 2019)
23. Jake Paleschic – Bad Memories (single, 2019)
24. Son Volt – Devil May Care (State Fair Records, 2019)
25. Christopher Gold & The New Old Things – County Line (single, 2019)
26. Vandoliers – Cigarettes in the Rain (single, Bloodshot Records, 2019)
27. Matthew Logan Vasquez – Trailer Park (single, Dine Alone Records, 2019)
28. John Paul White – The Long Way Home (single, Single Lock Records, 2019)
29. The New Magnetic North – When The Winter Comes (single, 2018)
30. Megan Nash & Bears in Hazenmore – Snowbank (single, Coffee Row Records, 2019)
31. H.C.McEntire – Houses of the Holy (single, Merge Records, 2019)
32. Carson McHone – Drugs (single, Loose Music, 2019)
33. Andrew Combs – Too Stoned to Cry (2019 recut) (Worried Man reissue, Loose Music, 2019)
34. Charlotte Cornfield – Andrew (single, Next Door Records / Outside Music, 2019)
35. Harlem – Blonde on Blonde (single, Female Fantasy, 2019)
36. Liz Brasher – Love Feasts (Painted Image, Fat Possum Records, 2019)
37. Juliana Hatfield – Lost Ship (Weird, American Laundromat Records, 2019)
38. Leyla McCalla – Money Is King (single, Discograph / Jazz Village, 2019)
39. Tiffany Williams – Big Enough To Be A Mountain (When You Go EP, 2019)
40. Ylva Haru – Oikeiden luona (Linnut, Soit se silti, 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.

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OCTA Weekly Playlist Episode #24

Another week, another weekly playlist, another planet, another..

The release schedule is definitely picking up after the holidays. Not a whole lot of albums yet, but so many fabulous singles from forthcoming albums. The albums that did come out set the bar pretty high for 2019. The Delines led by Willy Vlautin and Amy Boone delivered a wonderful album full of masterful country-soul storytelling and Finnish folk songwriter Ylva Haru released her brilliant debut album Linnut. Both are extremely highly recommended. The other great new albums on the list are from Joose Keskitalo, Ronny Tibbs and Terra Spencer. Plus an EP from Jackson Pines.

The singles game was extremely strong this week and I can’t wait to hear the full albums later in the year. Anna Tivel’s album is among my most anticipated releases of the year and her new single is again so amazing. I also loved the new songs from Joseph Robert Krauss, Steve Gunn, Hand Habits, Sharon Van Etten, Small Houses, Pedro The Lion.. oh well. I could just as well namedrop them all, because all of these are so good.

Next week hopefully some other kinds of posts too and not just this somewhat useless weekly playlist. NFL playoffs always mess up my sleeping patterns, so I’ve been way too tired to do anything else. Thankfully that gets easier after this week. Aka I only have to stay up one night of the week instead of two.

OCTA Weekly Playlist Episode #24

1. Anna Tivel – The Question (single, Fluff and Gravy, 2019)
2. Joseph Robert Krauss – New Mexico (single, 2019)
3. The Delines – He Don’t Burn For Me (The Imperial, El Cortez, 2019)
4. Steve Gunn – Vagabond (single, Matador, 2019)
5. Hand Habits – Placeholder (single, Saddle Creek, 2019)
6. Sharon Van Etten – Seventeen (single, Jagjaguwar, 2019)
7. Small Houses – Safe Kill (single, 2019)
8. Pedro The Lion – Quietest Friend (single, Polyvinyl Records, 2019)
9. Susto – If I Was (single, Rounder Records, 2019)
10. Ylva Haru – Tähän hetkeksi jään (Linnut, Soit se silti, 2019)
11. Joose Keskitalo – Luistelen kirkasta selkää (En lähde surussa, Helmi levyt, 2019)
12. Samae Koskinen – Kukaan meistä ei oo täällä liian pitkään (single, Johanna kustannus, 2019)
13. Daniel Steinbock – 13 September (single, 2019)
14. Jacob Furr – Return (single, The Relevator Records, 2019)
15. Kirty – These Days (single, Postwar Records, 2019)
16. Ronny Tibbs – All She Wrote (Lone Fry, High-Castle, 2019)
17. Ally Kerr – Another Way (single, Much Obliged Records, 2019)
18. I Was a King – Bubble (single, 2019)
19. Blank Range – Radio (single, Sturdy Girls Records, 2019)
20. Todd Snider – Just Like Overnight (single, Aimless Records, 2019)
21. Mandolin Orange – The Wolves (single, New West Records, 2019)
22. Nick Waterhouse – Song For Winners (single, Innovative Leisure, 2019)
23. Caleb Elliott – Makes Me Wonder (single, Single Lock Records, 2019)
24. Gabriel Birnbaum – Stack the Miles (single, 2018)
25. The Coathangers – Bimbo (single, Suicide Squeeze Records, 2019)
26. Adia Victoria – Different Kind Of Love (single, WEA, 2019)
27. Abigail Lapell – Devil in the Deep (single, Coax Records, 2019)
28. Joe Bourdet – El Capitan (single, 2019)
29. Jackson Pines – Radio Kid (Gas Station Blues & Diamond Rings EP, 2019)
30. Terra Spencer (feat. Stewart Legere) – Cotton Mill (Other People’s Lives, 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.

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OCTA Weekly Playlist Episode #23

Another week, another weekly playlist. And also another year. This September this baby of mine will turn 18 and there’s still no end insight. I haven’t given any other promises to myself than to at least do one more year and see how things will look at the end of 2019. One new year resolution is to do this weekly playlist every week this year, because even though its value and relevance is highly questionable it felt like a fun thing to do and it felt like it really helped me keep up with the steady flow of fabulous new music. If you want to help me in the process, listen, follow or share the playlist. And always feel free to drop hints of stuff that I’ve missed that should be included. I know only a tiny fraction of all the great music and I’m always keen to hear what likeminded people are listening.

There’s not a whole lot of new 2019 music out there yet. I expect the release schedule to pick up next week now when the holidays are over. I probably also missed way more than usual, because I took a couple of weeks off from the blog and did some netflix binge watching instead of the usual search for new music. Anyway, here are the ones that have still managed to grap my attention. Some pretty fantastic stuff I would say. Like the latest outtake from forthcoming The Delines album that I expect to set the bar pretty high for 2019. The only new album that I noticed was the album from Sore Loser. I haven’t even listened to the whole thing yet, but I definitely will because I’ve really liked what I’ve heard so far. Matthew McNeal released a gorgeuos single dedicated to his father. The new single from country soul queen Yola is so great and so is the new double single from Joe Bourdet. Christopher Gold & The New Old Things seem to release a wonderful song every week. Skyway Man’s cover EP is also so good. The only new Finnish song is the excellent new single from Ylva Haru. Everything else would also be worth namedropping, because I like each and every song. Many of these are from the last weeks of 2018, because I took a few weeks off from this playlist routine. Anyway, that’s it for now, because I feel like I need a bit of a nap before the NFL playoffs start. Following US sports sure can make a mess of sleeping patterns.

OCTA Weekly playlist Episode #23

1. The Delines – Holly The Hustle (single, El Cortez, 2019)
2. Matthew McNeal – Michael (single, Matte Black Sound Company, 2019)
3. Yola – Faraway Look (single, Easy Eye Sound / Nonesuch, 2018)
4. Joe Bourdet – Seamist (single, 2019)
5. Christopher Gold & The New Old Things – Joni (single, 2019)
6. Skyway Man with Teddy and the Rough Riders – Richmond (Lagniappe Sessions EP, 2019)
7. Robert Ellis – Passive Aggressive (single, New West Records, 2018)
8. John Kilzer – Hello Heart (single, Archer Records, 2018)
9. Diamondtown – Forever (single, 2018)
10. Alicia Stockman – I’d Do That Too (single, 2018)
11. Abigail Lapell – Gonna Be Leaving (single, Coax Records, 2018)
12. Ylva Haru – Elämä kantaa (single, Soit se silti, 2019)
13. Martha – Heart Is Healing (single, Big Scary Monsters, 2018)
14. Sore Loser – Bravery (Hurry Up and Wait, 2019)
15. Pinto Bennett – I Like Singin’ the Blues in a Honky Tonk Song (The Last Saturday Night, 2018)
16. Michael Chapman – After All This Time (single, Paradise of Bachelors, 2019)
17. M. Lockwoord Porter – Rosetta Stone (single, Black Mesa Records, 2018)
18. Laura Stevenson – The Mystic & The Master (single, 2018)
19. Goodbye Max – Low Health (Out in the Quiet split single w Half Birthday, 2019)
20. Jeffrey Silverstein – Finds You Well (single, Driftless Recordings, 2018)
21. William Tyler – Call Me When I’m Breathing Again (single, Merge Records, 2018)

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