Featured, International music, News

Robert Chaney – Cracked Picture Frames

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robertchaney

The blog has been pretty much on hold during the spring and therefore I still haven’t written about some real treasures that have been released during the first half of 2015. Robert Chaney’s new album Cracked Picture Frames is one of those treasures. This London-based folk troubadour has written extremely convincing album. It’s not really an album that I listen to on a daily basis, because it doesn’t work as just background music. You really need to pay attention, but that’s only a good thing. We already have more than enough of that zip-a-dee-do-dah filling the airwaves. So every now and then it’s good to just focus on the song and listen when a gifted folk musician tells you a dark story. Robert Chaney is a brilliant songwriter and storyteller. The whole album is gorgeous, but these two below really take my breath away. This is songwriting of the highest order. The Cyclist and The Ballad of Edward and Lisa.

Robert Chaney Website

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Featured, International music, News

Great Peacock – Making Ghosts, Hip Hatchet – Hold You Like A Harness

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peacock

A big favourite during the week has been the debut album by Great Peacock. I wrote about the earlier EP a year or two ago. It has taken them a while to finish the debut full-length, but now the wait is over and Great Peacock from Nashville, Tennessee are ready to create a beautiful harmony-filled havoc in your heart. Making Ghosts is an excellent album and something that will stay on my playlist for a long time. They say it’s pop music with folk tendencies. So it’s kind of like made for me, because I’m a fan of melodic pop, who has drifted more and more towards folk/country/americana during the years (therefore the word pop still stands proudly on the subtitle of the blog). Making Ghosts was released by the forever lovely label called This Is American Music. They know their stuff and I can highly recommend pretty much everything they’ve released during the last few years. This is Church Bells from Making Ghosts. Listen to/buy the whole thing on that Bandcamp page.

Great Peacock Website

hiphatchet

I wrote a little about this one a few months back, but the whole beautiful thing wasn’t out then and therefore a reminder is in order. Portland-based singer-songwriter Hip Hatchet aka Philippe Bronchtein has a new album out and available. It’s called Hold You Like A Harness and it’s mighty good. This one is Tacoma Bound, one of my own favourites from the new album. Check out and buy the whole thing on his Bandcamp page.

Hip Hatchet Website

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Featured, Finnish music

Topi Saha – Nykyaika

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topinyky

It’s probably quite true that I don’t really like the major labels that much. It feels like they don’t really have anything to offer for me. Of course I’m a total lo-fi twat and therefore even when I like the songwriters and their ability to create catchy melodies, the production/arrangements often makes it still sound rather horrible to me. So in my books, major labels quite rarely get things right, but credit when credit is due. Warner Music Finland have done a couple of things right during 2015. Maybe that’s because of Lasse Kurki. I don’t really know. That Egotrippi album Vuosi Nolla is gorgeous and then there’s of course folk singer-songwriter Topi Saha and his new album Nykyaika that just came out.

I’m a long time Topi Saha fan. I’ve been following him since someone recommended him on onechord.net guestbook all those years ago and forwarded me to his myspace page. I don’t think I even know for sure who that was, but whoever it was, I thank you. I found the song Hämeentie 61 then and I’ve loved Topi Saha’s music since I first heard that song. I suppose it’s a bit silly, but somehow the fact that Topi Saha was signed by Warner and that they have sticked with him for two full-lengths gives me belief that this music business still makes some sense and that good things happen to good people (I’ve never met the guy personally, but I believe he is a good guy). I even admit that I was concerned that Warner was going to destroy him and turn him into something he is not (or something I thought he is not.. yeah I know the whole content of that sentence is stupid and ludicrous). This has not been the case and Topi Saha’s music still sound magnificent to my ears. Sure being a lo-fi twat, I might have a little against a few arrangement ideas, but there’s nothing there that could even remotely spoil the magic of his songwriting and Nykyaika is another great Topi Saha album. It just sounds really really good. I especially love the last song Helsingin taivas. If I remember correctly, Topi Saha took a couple of those onechord.net’s year-end titles last time around and Helsingin taivas is definitely a good candidate for that Finnish song of the year 2015 award.

Topi Saha at Facebook

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Featured, Finnish music, Headline, International music, News

Satan’s Fingers, The Rollstons & Smug Brothers

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Getting back to this blog thing I suppose. There are some issues that still continue to bother me (which you are aware, if you red that silly personal blog post), so I don’t really know how regularly I will be updating. Anyway, here are some great new albums that you might or might not be aware of.

satan'sfingers

Hell yeah, Satan’s Fingers just released their debut full-length Enduring Love. They are one of my favourite live bands these days. Ok, I’ve only seen them twice, but really loved every second of those performances. However, It’s probably not that easy to turn that dynamic live duo performance into an equally perfect studio album. They do a mighty good job though, because this thing sure does work wonderfully on this record as well. Such a damn fine band. Energetic rock tunes, male-female vocal interplay, lovely melodies and catchy choruses. The lo-fi twat in me totally approves the not-too-polished sounds and actually loves them. The indie snob in me totally approves mentioning Big Star in the lyrics and picking up the band name from that The Mountain Goats song. This definitely sounds a bit like The Mountain Goats as well, because of Ville’s voice and melodic sense. Obviously I have nothing against that. This is the album opener, Beauty of Punk.

Satan’s Fingers at Facebook

rollstonsswiss

This is a life of high excitement. There’s also a new The Rollstons album out there called Swiss Time. The Rollstons are one of the dearest bands in the whole wide world for me and this new album is another blissfully twisted indie rock treasure. I’m very much enjoying this right now and hopefully I manage to write a bigger piece about this during the spring/early summer. While waiting for that to happen, check out I am Asparagus from the album below and pick up a copy of the album from the local record store. Both The Rollstons and Satan’s Fingers albums are now out and available on the wonderful Levy-yhtiö Äänetön.

smugbros

Moving on to the American version of The Rollstons. Well not really, but Smug Brothers and The Rollstons do have a lot of same influences from the 90s US indie rock. Somehow Smug Brothers have slipped under my radar completely, but thankfully the most excellent Captain’s Dead blog educated me and after reading about Smug Brothers there, I went and downloaded three of their albums from their Bandcamp. That’s pretty much what I have been listening to all week long. The new one is called Woodpecker Paradise and it’s a mighty fine record. They are from Dayton, Ohio, Don Thrasher plays the drums and they perfectly master the art of writing short indie rock tunes. So yeah, Guided By Voices is obviously the name that comes to mind. Which I love of course. This is Teach Them a Slide from the new one. You can buy their whole discography over at Bandcamp.

Smug Brothers at Facebook

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