Country, Americana, Folk, Power Pop, Indie Pop
Tomi Nordlund & Syvä Joki will be releasing their debut full-length in the spring of 2017. The excellent lead single Syvä joki is now out and available. Harri Joensuu ja Tomi Wahlroos also directed a mighty good music video for the song. I will get back to this when the album Maisemia hits the stores and my heart later in 2017. Meanwhile I will keep on spinning this gorgeous song.
Something little different this time around. Brent Cash is a pop wizard and songwriter from Athens, Georgia. It has been a while since the last album, but Brent is now back with his third album The New High. It came out on the 27th of January and it was released by Marina Records just like the earlier ones. They don’t put out that many releases these days, but sure have put their mark on the pop world with their excellent catalogue of releases. The Pearlfishers and Brent Cash discographies being the brightest diamonds.
I’ve only just begun with the new Brent Cash album. So this blog entry is also a note to self that I need to pay this one a lot of attention. I bought the earlier ones and really enjoy them, but have only spinned The New High a few times on Spotify so far. It definitely feels like Brent still has the magic and still wonderfully masters this sophisticated chamber pop that echoes the sunshine pop, baroque pop and soft pop of the 60s and 70s, but also has a few modern pop twists. This is Every Infliction from this beautiful pop album.
I’ve never had the chance to meet Otis Gibbs, but I’m loving him anyhow. Both his records and his podcasts have meant a great deal to me and have kept me company for hours and hours.
Otis Gibbs recorded a new album on his 50th birthday in his living room. The album is called Mount Renraw and it came out on the 13th of January. It’s obviously rather stripped-down and bare, but this is actually a perfect fit to these songs. Otis Gibbs is a folksinger and a teller of real American stories. Mount Renraw is an excellent album and might even turn out to be my favourite Otis Gibbs release. You can a grap copy from his website or bandcamp.
There’s a lot of great songs and stories to choose from, but I think my early favourite is this one below. This is a story about Sputnik Monroe. A professional wrestler from the fifties who refused to wrestle unless his black friends were allowed to sit anywhere they wanted. This eventually led to first desegregated sporting events in the southern states. Thanks for the great song and history lesson Otis and thanks Sputnik for standing up for what is right.
And here’s also an official video for the song.
A long time favourite Janne Laurila is getting ready to release a new full-length album in the spring of 2017. The first outtake, digital single Levylaulaja came out last Friday 3rd of February on Lumpeela julkaisut and it’s a good one, a damn good one. I’ve always loved his voice and he is also a lucky guy to have such a talented group of musicians around him. The arrangements on this one are top notch and lift an already really good song to a new level. Looking forward to hearing the new album in the spring.
On related news, there’s also at least one Janne Laurila plays Office Building concert coming up at Valoa Festival. Catch that if you can. Some my fondest live music memories are from the early 00s watching Janne Laurila play solo gigs at Vakiopaine under the Elvis clock. Both Office Building songs and selected covers from the likes of Vern Gosdin and Townes Van Zandt. Obviously To See Only Shadows is also one of my desert island discs for as long as I live. Not that I even need to take the disc with me, because the songs sort of became a part of who I am and I already carry them with me wherever I go.