International music

Luka Kuplowsky, TJ Douglas, Myriam Gendron and Haley Heynderickx

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One more anniversary week round up before moving to usual routine. First some beautifully arranged smooth sounds and enchanting singing-poems from long time favorite Luka Kuplowsky. His latest album or play as he calls it How Can I Possibly Sleep When There is Music came out on Next Door Records in May. This is the lovely title track.

Dying by TJ Douglas is a really heavy album, but it’s also warm-hearted and very human. TJ is a palliative care hospital chaplain and the new album revolves around that work and what they’ve felt, learned and experienced. A lot of grief, despair and death, but not without love, empathy and humanity.

More artists that will always have a home in my heart. Folk singer-songwriter Myriam Gendron from Montreal, Québec has been a big favorite since the 2014 album Not So Deep As A Well where she set Dorothy Parker’s poems to music. New album Mayday came out in May and it’s one of my 2024 favorites. Magical stuff all around. Here’s one of the highlights Long Way Home.

Let’s wrap these anniversary week posts with something really new that just came out today. Seems like the thing to do for a new music blog plus we are talking about Haley Heynderickx who is an artist that I really love and on my favorite record label Mama Bird Recording Co too. This is a bit of a Mama Bird appreciation post in general too, because 3 out of 4 have at some point been on the label. Anyway, new Haley Heynderickx album Seed of a Seed will be coming out on November 1st so don’t submit your AOTY ballots too early. This is the beautiful daydream-y new single Foxglove.

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International music

Melissa Carper, Abe Partridge, Adeem the Artist and Caleb Caudle

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Blog anniversary week continues with some 2024 songs and albums that I love. Melissa Carper has been one of my biggest songwriter favorites during the last few years. The previous two albums landed on my top ten for the year and I fully expect the same to happen with her latest called Borned In Ya. Full of golden country sounds with a mixture of jazz, blues, soul, gospel and well all kinds of vintage greatness.

Abe Partridge’s album Love in the Dark was one of my favorite albums of 2023. This year he has released a great single with Jack Barksdale and this gorgeous adventure No Teacher Blues where he tries to discover the secrets of songwriting by visiting some legendary places.

And more of my songwriter heroes of recent years. This is starting to look like an extremely early excerpt of that AOTY list, because I’m sure you will find Adeem the Artist’s latest album Anniversary on that as well. Wonderful americana/country songwriter who can deliver a perfect love song, but doesn’t shy away from heavy and political subjects either.

And wrapping this little blog post with even more great songwriters and 2024 albums. Caleb Caudle is a long time favorite who just released his awesome new album Sweet Critters couple of weeks ago. Here’s a live in studio take on album track called The Brim.

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International music, Finnish music

Richard Laviolette, Wren Kitz, The Bird Calls and Nightbird

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Richard Laviolette – All Wild Things Are Shy (You’ve Changed Records)

Leaving the Finnish borders on this anniversary week collection. This first one leaves me teary-eyed, but it’s still one of my favorite albums of 2024. Canadian songwriter Richard Laviolette wrote and recorded All Wild Things Are Shy during the last five years of his life, in the time between his mother’s death from Huntington’s Disease and his own. A community of friends and colleagues helped him along the way and eventually released the album exactly one year after his death. It’s a really powerful and cathartic album that will stay you long after the last chord has drifted into the air. Here’s a couple of my own favorites from the album. Catacombs plus an older video of album cut Don’t Quit On Me.

Wren Kitz – The Thinker (Feeding Tube Records)

Next to Burlington, VT for a bit more experimental folk sounds by Wren Kitz. It’s not too weird though for my simple taste and some of it is even catchy in a blissfully twisted kind of way. A damn good record. Here’s one of my own favorites, quietly captivating Vast Amiss.

The Bird Calls – Old Faithful (Ruination Record Co)

Moving over to New York for some Sam Sodomsky songs. He releases music under the moniker The Bird Calls and his gentle folk tunes always have some down-to-earth magic inside them. The latest album is called Old Faithful and this one of my favorites from that album.

Nightbird – Out of These Days (Nighttime Recordings)

From The Bird Calls to Nightbird and back to Finnish shores too. Nightbird aka Anna-Stina Jungerstam is a great Finnish folk/blues songwriter and her latest album Out of These Days that came out in early May is one of my Favorite Finnish albums this year. Here’s the hauntingly beautiful single Starling Murmuration to end tonight’s anniversary posts. Maybe more tomorrow, if I’m not too tired.

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Finnish music

Huonosti puetut lapset, Leija Lautamaja, Toinen Maisema & Nikita Titov

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Huonosti puetut lapset – Mikset voisi minua

Anniversary celebration continues with more songs that I love. The actual birthday post ended with Hattara, so I’m sure Jake Nyman would be proud if I post something from an EP called Kaikki on hattaraa. It’s the debut release from Huonosti puetut lapset and I love it to bits. Magical stuff with mostly piano and a beautiful voice. Here’s the last song Mikset voisi minua.

Leija Lautamaja – Ylpeästi sun

This album has been one of my biggest favorites all year long. Leija Lautamaja might be better known from trad circles, but this popular music adventure Sydän tuli piilosta is nothing short of amazing. Full of beautiful playing, great songwriting and gorgeous lyrics that sometimes make you smile and other times move you into tears. I love almost all of the songs, but let’s go with Ylpeästi Sun on this little blog post. A song for mother that is so real and true. Quietly mesmerizing. I love it as much as you can love a song.

Toinen Maisema – Usvaa

Wrapping this quickly with a couple of singles. First the past and future of Finnish rock. Only a little bit joking. I saw Toinen Maisema live late this summer and absolutely loved everything about the concert. If I had a label I would sign them in a heartbeat and force them to make a full length album as soon as possible. There’s two great singles available right now. The latest is called Usvaa.

Nikita Titov – Kirkas tähtiyö

This last one is called Kirkas tähtiyö and it’s filed under the very best songs of 2024. What a beautiful dreamy monster from Nikita Titov. I can’t wait to hear more. Whenever there’s an album, it’s going to cause a havoc in my heart.

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