Finnish music, International music, News

Jarkko Martikainen and Austin Lucas

No Comments

Jarkko Martikainen has recently recorded a cover version of Austin Lucas’ Bells with Finnish lyrics. Kellot was recorded last september with the help of Samae Koskinen and it’s a very good version of the song. I do prefer the original, but also Jarkko nails this one pretty damn well and adds his own vision and style to the song. You can listen to the song on Jarkko Martikainen’s new website. He also has a new album called Usko coming out in april.

Jarkko Martikainen Website

The great Austin Lucas has a new digital single Thunder Rail out now on Last Chance Records and the new album will follow in the spring. I think this was the second time I’ve ever bought a digi-single, but I love Austin and had to get it. The single is fantastic even though a little surprising. He seem to be going towards a full band sound, but I don’t mind at all because this sounds equally brilliant as the earlier country & folk troubadour stuff. I’m really looking forward to the album. Here’s a cool live version of the title track of the previous album Somebody Loves You that was one of the best albums of 2009.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9T3OUKXbnw]

Austin Lucas Website
New single at Last Chance Records

Continue Reading

International music, Reviews

Review: Phil Wilson – God Bless Jim Kennedy

No Comments

Phil Wilson: God Bless Jim Kennedy (Yesboyicecream / Slumberland, 2010)

Phil Wilson was the frontman of the somewhat legendary mid-eighties indie pop group The June Brides and now, over 20 years later, Phil returns to this ball game  and shows that he can still handle the art of writing really good pop music. That’s also a small relief, because every now and then one has to face the fact that a past hero returns and releases something that you don’t find interesting at all. Thankfully this is not the case with Phil Wilson. God Bless Jim Kennedy is a great pop album and it seems like quite a logical step forward even though there’s over 20 years in between the last The June Brides releases and this album. He hasn’t abandoned his indie pop roots and a lot of that same magic is still around. However, he is not just trying to relive the past glory by totally copying the old sound, because it’s the only thing he knows how. Not at all.  It’s more like he is just gently modernizing the 80’s indie pop sound and it works beautifully. The album is full of sweet & delicate pop songs which are also catchy and danceable and the whole thing sounds fascinating. Well done.

I Own It:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92ejojMSoO0]

Phil Wilson Website

Continue Reading

International music, Reviews

Review: Jonny – Jonny

No Comments


Jonny: Jonny (Turnstile Records, 2011)

Euros Childs and Norman Blake working together sounds like a match made in harmonic pop heaven. Their collaborative project Jonny has an album out on Turnstile Records and it’s a really lovely pop album. These guys are such a fantastic pop tunesmiths that they could write good pop songs without even trying too hard. Maybe some of these songs even feel like they haven’t tried too hard and aren’t anything that special when compared to some of the magic that Teenage Fanclub and Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci have created in the past. But why should I blame them for having fun and making carefree, warm and playful pop music. There’s absolutely no harm in that and everything sounds lovely (well apart from 10 minutes long Cave Dance) and enjoyable. And don’t get me wrong, only about half of it falls into this “lovely, but nothing truly special category”. The other half contains a lot of magical pop moments and songs like Circling The Sun, Candyfloss, English Lady and I Want To Be Around You set the bar extremely high in the pole vault competition for the best pop songs of 2011.

Candyfloss:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yhaEch_Iuc]

Continue Reading