International music

Elvyn

1 Comment

A lot more about this later on. It’s 3 am here in Finland and I’ve been trying to go to bed for an hour now. But I’m finding it hard to stop listening to Elvyn. It’s a canadian pop group that I found tonight (thanks to Absolute Powerpop). They have a new album out and you can listen to it on their website. I didn’t get very far before ordering the album. I just instantly fell in love with their songs. Think of things like Big Star and TFC and throw in a little bit of soft country. It just sounds perfect to my ears. But like I said, it’s late, I need to sleep and I don’t really know that much about them (an hour ago I didn’t even know they existed). So more later on. I was just so excited about them that I had to get this out of my chest and make a quick entry. This is simply fantastic music and I’m already in love with Elvyn.

Elvyn Website
Elvyn at myspace

Continue Reading

Finnish music, News

Olavi Uusivirta

No Comments

A lot of things have happened lately that should have been mentioned in here. First I had the flu and then the playoff fever. I’m still suffering from the latter, but I suppose I should start thinking about other things as well and try to get this blog up-to-date

At the moment one of my favourite records is Olavi Uusivirta’s new album Preeria that came out about a week ago. This is the first time that I’ve actually paid any attention to his music. It took me so long, because I’m a prejudiced prick who just assumed his got nothing good to offer (I should be old enough to understand that being a bit famous and being on major label doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a BAD songwriter. Shame shame shame on me). Anyway, now I’ve actually listened to him and I’m very impressed. Sure the album does have a couple of tracks that I don’t like at all (Puberteetti, Uni), but mostly the songs are either really good or utterly wonderful. The album has a nice 70’s and 80’s feel on it and it just sounds better than 99,9% of major label releases. I’ll try to find time to write a review later on, but now I’ll leave you with this video. It’s the first single Nukketalo palaa. I’m not entirely sure about the video, but I do love the song (it’s not my biggest favourite though).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-KlaKh-pL8]

Olavi Uusivirta Website
Olavi Uusivirta Widget (listen to more songs)

Continue Reading

Finnish music, News

FOTM’s Punk Special 1.4.2010

No Comments

Flavour Of The Monthissa kiirastorstain “punk-special”

Turkulainen indieklubi Flavour Of The Month pistää 1.4. kiirastorstain ja aprillipäivän kunniaksi hiukan tavallista enemmän punkiksi. Ihan tanakinta hardcorea ei toki ole luvassa, vaan FOTM pysyy leviskässään ja tarjoilee punk-henkistä ja -taustaista musisointia omasta näkökulmastaan.

Illan avaa juuri turkulaisella pikkumerkillä Airiston Punk-levyt seiskatuumaisen vinyyli-EP:n julkaissut Jukka Kiesi, jonka akustinen punk-trubadurismi haisee aidolta ja puhkuu silkkaa asiaa.

Sessioiden ulkomaalaisvieraan osassa kuullaan saksalais-suomalaista Martti Trillitschiä, joka esiintyy vinksahtaneen aliaksensa Mäkkelä’s Trash Loungen takaa. Vanhasta brittipunkista, pubrockista ja amerikkalaisesta vaihtoehtorokista musiikilliset juurensa versonut Martti tunnetaan paitsi miehenä, joka esitteli saksalaisille Eläkeläiset, myös sooloartistina, jonka musiikissa yhdistyvät Billy Bragg, jenkkiläiset singer-songwriterit sekä suomalainen melankolia.

Pääesiintyjänä lavalle nousee debyyttiesiintymisensä tekevä 1981. Nimensä mukaisen vuoden punkin ja uuden aallon innoittama yhtye on innoittunut mm. bändeistä kuten The Mob, Crass, Joy Division sekä New Model Army ja tiedossa on ennakkotietojen mukaan “lohdutonta mutta ajoittain myös äärimmäisen tanssittavaa kuravelliä”…

lyhyesti:

FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH esittää:
1981
Mäkkelä’s Trash Lounge (GER)
Jukka Kiesi
+ FOTM DJ team plays punk, rock & fight songs
to 1.4. 2010, klo 21-03
Pikku-Torre, Yliopistonkatu 30, Turku
liput 4€

Airiston punk-levyt at myspace (Jukka Kiesi songs and more)
1981 at myspace
Mäkkelä’s Trash Lounge at myspace

Unfortunately it looks like I’m going to miss this one myself, because I’ve got the flu (or the playoff fever) and it doesn’t seem to give up too easily. Three evenings of 38° C fever and eventhough it looks like the worst is behind, tomorrow comes a little too soon.

Continue Reading

Reviews

Review: Drive-By Truckers – The Big To-Do

No Comments

Drive-By Truckers: The Big To-Do (ATO Records, 2010)

Drive-By Truckers is still a great band. Yeah, it’s true that The Dirty South was a stunning album and Drive-By Truckers probably can’t ever reach the same level of perfectness. A Blessing and A Curse flew under my radar, but I really enjoyed Brighter Than Creation’s Dark even though some editing could have been done.  The new one called The Big To-Do isn’t entirely flawless either, but there’s still enough great songs to keep one interested. The album starts of brilliantly and the opening trio of Daddy Learned To Fly, Fourth Night Of My Drinking and Birthday Boy introduces the good old rockin’ Drive-By Truckers. Especially the latter two are fantastic songs. Unfortunately the album took a little boring direction in the middle, but then the  great first single This Fucking Job shooted the album back to the right path and rest of the album stayed on a high but not groundbreaking level. In overall, The Big To-Do is a really good solid album, but only a few times it rises into something really spectacular.

Picture

Drive-By Truckers Website
Drive-By Truckers at myspace

Continue Reading