Playlist

OCTA Music Weekly – Episode #143

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Another week, another new music weekly.

Sorry for being so lazy during my vacation. I had plans to do more blog stuff, but the heatwave got to me and I didn’t get much done. Hopefully I’ll manage to do more on the second part of the vacation in September when the blog hits 20 as well. Anyway, let’s at least do this weekly post, because there’s lots of big album and single releases this week.

The album of the week for me is the new Andrew Bryant album A Meaningful Connection. I’m a long time fan and absolute love this new album. Another big one for me is the second album from Jeremy Ferrara. That’s not all though and we also got excellent new albums from Shaela Miller, Anne Soldaat, Wild Earp, Ben Reddell Band and Babehoven.

The Finnish section only has two great singles from Teini-Pää and Keidas. I’m sure there had to more.

And last but not least the international (should-be) hits. There’s so much to love here. We got the first singles from forthcoming albums by Riddy Arman, Margo Cilker, TK & The Holy Know-Nothings, Strand of Oaks and Charley Crockett. Kind of a big deal if you ask me. There’s also further magic from forthcoming Josienne Clarke, Scott Hirsch, Kate Vargas and Jeremy Squires albums. Oh and that Apollo Flowerchild single is pure gold and we also got some pop heaven in the middle from the likes of Motorists and Ducks Ltd. Also a new from from the Swiss giants Black Sea Dahu, first one from the Mercy Bell EP and a whole lot more. Too much to mention them all here, but you’ll find them below.

That’s all for now. Love from a distance.

1. Andrew Bryant – Truth Ain’t Hard to Find (A Meaningful Connection, Sentimental Noises, 2021)
2. Jeremy Ferrara – Clear My Mind (Everything I Hold, American Standard Time Records, 2021)
3. Riddy Arman – Half a Heart Keychain (single, La Honda Records, 2021)
4. Shaela Miller – I Don’t Want Your Love (Big Hair Small City, Bad Ideas Records, 2021)
5. Margo Cilker – Tehachapi (single, Loose Music / Fluff & Gravy Records, 2021)
6. TK & The Holy Know-Nothings – Serenity Prayer (single, Mama Bird Recording Co, 2021)
7. Anne Soldaat – One Book, One Life (Facts & Fears, Excelsior Recordings, 2021)
8. Josienne Clarke – Super Recogniser (single, 2021)
9. Apollo Flowerchild – Me and My Shadow (single, 2021)
10. Jeremy Squires – Diminish (single, Blackbird Record Label, 2021)
11. Nico Hedley – Waking Dreams (single, 2021)
12. Scott Hirsch – Spirit True (single, Echo Magic, 2021)
13. Strand of Oaks – Galacticana (single, Galacticana Records, 2021)
14. Curtis Harding – I Won’t Let You Down (single, ANTI, 2021)
15. Charley Crockett – I Need Your Love (single, Son of Davy, 2021)
16. Mercy Bell – Golden Child (single, Bell Records, 2021)
17. Ben Reddell Band – 12 Bar Blues (La Baby, 2021)
18. Wild Earp – Step on By (Dyin’ For Easy Livin’, Western Myth Records, 2021)
19. Elijah Ocean – Livin’ To Love You (single, 2021)
20. Kate Vargas – Glorieta to the Holy Place (single, 2021)
21. Black Sea Dahu – Glue (single, 2021)
22. Bess Atwell – Nobody (single, Real Kind Records, 2021)
23. Molly Linen – The Day Starts (single, Lost Map Records, 2021)
24. Babehoven – Like Artists Making Offerings (Nastavi, Calliope, 2021)
25. Smug Brothers – Seemed Like You To Me (single, Gas Daddy Go! 2021)
26. Motorists – Through to You (single, Bobo Integral, 2021)
27. Ducks ltd. – 18 Cigarettes (single, Carpark 2021)
28. The Reds, Pinks and Purples – I’d Rather Astral Project (single, Tough Love Records, 2021)
29. Fortitude Valley – Baby I’m Afraid (single, Fika Recordings, 2021)
30. Teini-Pää – Downtown (single, Stupido Records, 2021)
31. Kurt Baker – Anytime at All (single, Wicked Cool Records, 2021)
32. Dim Wizard – Whole Lotta Nothin (single, 2021)
33. Keidas – Sisko tahtoo diskoon (single, 2021)
34. Cedric Noel – Nighttime (Skin) (single, Joyful Noise Recordings, 2021)
35. Sleepy Jean – By the Oceanside (single, Half Right Records, 2021)
36. EG Vines – King of the Rat Race (single, Birdtooth, 2021)
37. Ro Myra – Railroad Weed (single, Ponderosa Records, 2021)
38. The Artisanals – The Road (single, Rootsy, 2021)
39. Jeffrey Alexander and the Heavy Lidders feat Marissa Nadler – Black Peter (single, Arrowhawk Records, 2021)
40. Stories feat J.E. Sunde – Still Crazy After All These Years (single, Pockets inc, 2021)
41. Deren Ney feat Lauren Barth – Easy Money (single, 2021)
42. Erik Shicotte – Miss’ry Pacific (single, Black Country Rock, 2021)
43. Laura Stevenson – Don’t Think About It (single, Don Giovanni Records, 2021)
44. Jack Name & Aoife Nessa Frances – Watching the Willows Burn (single, Mexican Summer, 2021)
45. Billie Flynn – Hey Stranger (single, 2021)
46. Scott Orr – Disappear (single, Other Songs Co, 2021)
47. Yee and O’Brien – You Said Oh (single, 2021)
48. Trippers & Askers – Keeping Watch (single, Sleepy Cat Records, 2021)
49. Gerycz / Powers / Rolin – June (single, American Dreams Records, 2021)
50. Andrea Von Kampen – Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulders) (single, Fantasy Records, 2021)
51. Ismay – The Last of My Kind (single, 2021)
52. Huck Notari – Good Days Ahead (Strange and Beautifully, 2021)
53. Drew Beskin – More Bad Days Than Good (Problematic for the People, Super Canoe, 2021)
54. Mt. Misery – Satellite (Once Home, No Longer, Prefect Records, 2021)
55. Michael James Tapscott – Baba Ram Dass (The Only Dance There Is, 2021)

Playlist link

Playlist Archive

Oh and do buy the vinyl/cd/download. Spotify and other streaming services are perfect for these introductory purposes, but try to buy at least the music that matter the most to you

If you are looking this after a week has gone, the embedded Spotify will show the latest playlist. I’ll just update the same playlist because a) if someone wants to follow it, they can just follow that one list and will get a new set of songs each Sunday b) so that I don’t have a trillion of different playlists on my Spotify account.

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Playlist

OCTA Music Weekly – Episode #142

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Another week, another new music weekly.

I’ve been on vacation mode and I might have missed a thing or two. Plus I’ve been completely obsessed with that Hurry album that came out last week and have listened to it countless amount of hours. Maybe this is still pop blog and I’m still a pop kid (or well pop middle-age man). I also did some mid-year lists earlier in the week, so check out that post if you want to know what I’ve loved during the first half of the year. Besides that Hurry album. But let’s stop this intro chat and go into the new releases. Looks like a bit slower one after last week’s monster week. No suprise though, because the July 4th week seem to always be a slow release week. But we did get some albums that I’m very excited about.

The key album release trio for me is from long time favorites Huck Notari, Drew Beskin and Michael James Tapscott. I’m a big fan of all of them and their new albums seem wonderful on quick listen. The big new find for me is a UK pop band called Mt. Misery. Their album came out a week ago, but I found it today thanks to John Jervis and have been loving it a lot. There’s also a new album from Flatland Cavalry and that is definitely something that I need to give a listen.

From Finland, we’ll have a new EP from Kami Mate and rarities collection from Eerie Deer. Plus singles from Räjäyttäjät, J.A. Mäki and Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L.. I also included Anton Haring single that I forgot to put on this a few weeks ago. There was probably more..

Plenty of international hit singles too. The Pines at Night single is now streaming too and It’s a great one from Matthew Ryan. Icarus Phoenix, Jeremy Ferrara, Yola and Jesse Daniel continue to charm. Then there’s new RF Shannon, Miss Tess, Elijah Ocean, Reb Fountain, Nick Jaina (full album already on Bandcamp, so check that out) and The Feels. Again just to name few. You’ll find them all from the list below.

That’s all for this week. Love from a distance.

1. Huck Notari – Blizzard on a Freeway (Strange and Beautifully, 2021)
2. Michael James Tapscott – Fortune Bay (The Only Dance There Is, 2021)
3. Drew Beskin – Genuine Article (Problematic for the People, Super Canoe, 2021)
4. Mt. Misery – Tell Me (What’s On Your Mind) (Once Home, No Longer, Prefect Records, 2021)
5. Icarus Phoenix – All the Same (single, 2021)
6. Jeremy Ferrara – Growin’ (single, American Standard Time Records, 2021)
7. The Pines at Night – Song for a Hard Year (single, 2021)
8. Yola – Starlight (single, Easy Eye Sound, 2021)
9. Reb Fountain – Beastie (single, 2021)
10. RF Shannon – Dublin, Texas (single, Keeled Scales, 2021)
11. Chris Acker – Mahogany (single, Gar Hole Records, 2021)
12. Miss Tess – Real Change (single, 2021)
13. Flatland Cavalry – It’s Good To Back (Round Here Again) (Welcome To Countryland, 2021)
14. Elijah Ocean – Thirty Five (single, 2021)
15. Jesse Daniel – Lookin’ Back (single, Die True Records, 2021)
16. Zach Aaron – The Gear Jammer and the Hay Farmer (single, 2021)
17. Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit – Sad But True (single, Blackened, 2021)
18. The Feels – Is Everything Alright? (single, 2021)
19. Hurry – Oh Whitney (Fake Ideas, Lame-O Records, 2021)
20. Kami Mate – Coffee (Kami Mate II EP, 2021)
21. Anton Haring – Room For You (single, 2021)
22. Räjäyttäjät – Kesäaika (single, Räjä Records, 2021)
23. J.A. Mäki – Ei Päivänselvää (single, UHO Productions, 2021)
24. Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L – Minotauros (single, Svart, 2021)
25. Eerie Deer – A Ghost Exists (Until I’m Whole Again, 2021)
26. Lorkin O’Reilly – Still You (single, Team Love, 2021)
27. Babehoven – Annie’s Shoes (single, 2021
28. Steve Gunn – Other You (single, Matador, 2021)
29. Paul Bond – Sunset Blues (single, Concerto Records, 2021)
30. Woods – Nickel and Dimes (single, Woodsist, 2021)
31. The Smittens – Wanna Go Dancin’ (single, Fika Recordings, 2021)
32. Holy Hive – Ain’t That the Way (single, Big Crown Records, 2021)
33. Nick Jaina – How Can Everybody Let the Light Back (single, Fluff & Gravy Records, 2021)
34. Leon Creek – Call It a Day (single, 2021)
35. David Ferguson – Boats to Build (single, Fat Possum Records, 2021)
36. Joe Troop – Love Along the Way (single, Free Dirt Records, 2021)
37. Deer Tick – If She Could Only See Me Now (live) (single, 2021)
38. Erik Shicotte – Flint (single, Black Country Rock, 2021)
39. Gary Hector – Today I Ride Alone (single, 2021)
40. Trippers & Askers – Making Forest (single, Sleepy Cat, 2021)
41. Jeff Tweedy – For You I’d Do Anything (single, Light in the Attic, 2021)
42. Michael Cormier – Yellow Sadness (More Light! Dear Life Records, 2021)
43. Vincent Neil Emerson – White Horse Saloon (Vincent Neil Emerson, La Honda Records, 2021)
44. Dawn Riding – Friend Of Mine (The Light, Long Road Society, 2021)
45. Dana Sipos – Swallows Call (The Astral Plane, Roaring Girl Records, 2021)
46. Flora Hibberd – Dancing With my Darling (Hold, 2021)

Playlist link

Playlist Archive

Oh and do buy the vinyl/cd/download. Spotify and other streaming services are perfect for these introductory purposes, but try to buy at least the music that matter the most to you

If you are looking this after a week has gone, the embedded Spotify will show the latest playlist. I’ll just update the same playlist because a) if someone wants to follow it, they can just follow that one list and will get a new set of songs each Sunday b) so that I don’t have a trillion of different playlists on my Spotify account.

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Top lists

Mid-Year Favorites 2021

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Just a quick pointless mid-year list of things I’ve loved during the first half of the year. Things might change a lot before the eoty lists, because there’s plenty I haven’t listened enough at this point. For example from last friday, there’s only a few here. I’m sure Hiss or Dacus could easily make the cut, but I haven’t even had the time to listen to the whole records yet. There’s no order in any of these lists. The covers and text is actually in different order, so that already shows how much the order mattered to me. There’s already been a lot to love this year and I already had about 70 international albums on the first draft, but forced myself to cut it down to 30. I’ll make the (even more) ridiculously long list in December, if the blog is still alive at that point. There’s some playlists at the bottom, if you are into such things.

INTERNATIONAL ALBUMS:

Hurry – Fake Ideas (Lame-O Records)
Melissa Carper – Daddy’s Country Gold (Mae Music)
Michael Feuerstack – Harmonize the Moon (Forward Music Group)
Joe Bourdet – Meadow Rock (Mountain Sounds Recorderds)
Evan Cheadle – Fault Like Serenade (Victory Pool)
The Deep Dark Woods – Changing Faces (Six Shooter Recordings)
Teenage Fanclub – Endless Arcede (PeMa)
The Weather Station – Ignorance (Fat Possum)
Flora Hibberd – Hold (independent)
Vincent Neil Emerson – Vincent Neil Emerson (La Honda Records)
Vanessa Peters – Modern Age (Idol Records)
Jesse Aycock – Jesse Aycock (Horton Records)
Rosali – No Medium (Spinster)
Turner Cody & The Soldiers of Love – Friends in High Places (Capitane Records)
Tristen – Aquatic Flowers (Mama Bird Recording Co)
Johanna Samuels – Excelsior (Mama Bird Recording Co / Basin Rock)
Esther Rose – How Many Times (Full Time Hobby / Father/Daughter Records)
Bobby Dove – Hopeless Romantic
Will Stratton – The Changing Wilderness (Bella Union)
Quinn Pilgrim – Jericho Dream (Partially Sealed Records)
Dillon Warnek – Now That It’s All Over (independent)
Libby DeCamp – Westward and Faster (independe
Wes Tirey – The Midwest Book of the Dead (Dear Life Records)
Damien Jurado – The Monster Who Hated Penssylvania (Maraqopa Records)
Isaac Vallentin – “…” (independent)
Charlie Marie – Ramble On (Soundly)
Pony Bradshaw – Calico Jim (Black Mountain Music)
Austin James Craig – Violet and Still (independent)
K.C. Jones – Queen of the In Between (independent)
Quivers – Golden Doubt (Bobo Integral / Ba Da Bing)

FINNISH ALBUMS:

Eden Prairie – Give Up the Ghost (independent)
Joose Keskitalo – New Songs For Old Motifs (Helmi Levyt)
Tams – Menolippu ei minnekään (independent)
Sami Heikkilä & Kolme Viljaa – Sami Heikkilä & Kolme Viljaa (Kitka Records)
Marian Valinta – Kahden valtakunta (independent)
Janne Laurila – Janne tuu jo tänne (Soit Se Silti)
Palor – Lähenee Nyt (Musakonttori)
Janne Laurila & Hot Heros – Nuotiosavua (Playground)
AK-77 – Lowdown Kryptoniitti Blues (independent)
Litku Klemetti – Kukkia muovipussissa (Luova Records)
Jani Matti Juhani – Laulaa Elvistä Suomeksi Vol 2 (Ainoa Productions)
Antero Kaksikäsi – Pihapihlaja (Hyvät Levyt)

INTERNATIONAL EPs:

Clara Mann – Consolations (Sad Club Records)
Dan Wriggins – Mr. Chill (Orindal Records)
Alexis May – Killing Pain, Memories and Time (independent)
Jess Jocoy – Brighter Eyes (independent)
David Myhr – And Now This (Lojinx)
Sarah King – The Hour (independent)
Leche Malo – I Wouldn’t Forgive Me Either… (independent)
Jeffrey Silverstein – Torii Gates (Arrowhawk Records)
Katie Spencer – Hurt In Your Heart (KRS Music)
Tiffany Williams – I’ll Be Back Soon (independent)
Porlolo – No Praise, No Blame (independent)
Emmett Morris – A Better World’s To Come (Gunn St Music)

INTERNATIONAL SONGS:

No clear cut absolute favorites this time around, but here’s a couple I love along with a 60 song mid-year playlist.

Melissa Carper – I Almost Forgot About You (Mae Music)
Isaac Vallentin – Diane in the Morning Light (independent)
Will Stratton – Infertile Air (Bella Union)
Esther Rose – Songs Remain (Full Time Hobby / Father/Daughter)
Carlene – Time Passes (independent)
Flora Hibberd – Night, Perpetual (independent)
Summer Dean feat Colter Wall – You’re Lucky She’s Lonely (independent)
Kelly Sloan – Tangled / I Wanna Wake Up (independent)
Charlie Marie – El Paso (Soundly)
Hurry – A Fake Idea (Lame-O Records)

And here’s the playlist. There’s a few Finnish ones in the playlist mix too. Random-ish order. Or well not in order of preference. For example the pop stuff is lumped together and so forth. It could also easily be three times longer, so I’m sure there’s plenty of stuff missing.

FINNISH SONGS:

Not a clear cut favorite in this category either. Plenty of ones that I love equally. For example these:

Eden Prairie – Birch Street (independent)
Joose Keskitalo – The Doors (Helmi Levyt)
Laura Moisio – Kirje (Texicalli)
Kielo Kärkkäinen – Ajattele tulevaa (Texicalli)
Burning Hearts – Where You Belong (Betula Pendula)
Teini-Pää – Näin sen unessa / Kissat ja koirat (Stupido)
Hulda Huima – Luomet kuin tähdet (Helmi Levyt)
Rock Siltanen Group – Pizzaa ja kaljaa
Haamusoittajat – Ahvenheinä (independent) (this came out in December, but I wanted to revisit, because I love it and it wasn’t on Spotify before January)
Astrid Swan – Silvi’s Dream (Soliti)
Maria Milvus – Love While You Still Can (independent)
Mosaiikkisiipi – Tiedätkö kuka hän on (independent)

I actually was making a mid-year list out of Finnish too and narrowed it down to 30-ish songs, but then I just threw most I remembered that I’ve heard on the ongoing Finnish songs playlist (that I haven’t really updated during 2021). So there’s a bit of an overwhelming number of songs, but you’ll find it here if you want to take a look. I know there’s something missing too, because I should go through all the weekly posts.

I didn’t do Finnish EPs, because that would be pretty much listing everything I remember. Which was pretty much V.Härkönen, Palor and Treemer. All great though.

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International music, News

Hurry, Drew Beskin, David Myhr and The Dungeon of Skeletons

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A quick sunday morning round up with some recent or fairly recent (should be) pop hits. This blog entry was inspired by falling madly in love with the new Hurry album Fake Ideas that came out on Friday on Lame-O Records. I’ve been somewhat familiar with this Philadelphia-based power pop band led by Matt Scottoline for a couple of years, but I didn’t fully understand how great they were until I listened this new album yesterday. Totally my kind of pop music. That double hit of It’s Dangerous and A Fake Idea in the beginning for example. Total Teenage Fanclub meets 90s US power pop perfection. Maybe a bit dangerous to feel so strongly after just few spins, but definitely feels like an instant classic and one of the best pop records I’ve heard in recent years. Monstrously highly recommended on the old Not Lame scale.

Hurry at Facebook

Next we move to Athens, Georgia to meet up with long time blog favorite Drew Beskin. I’ve loved all his work both solo and with the bands The District Attorneys, Party Dolls and PURSES. His new solo album Problematic for the People will be released 2nd of July by Super Canoe. To get a headstart, here’s a couple of gorgeous songs from the forthcoming album.

Drew Beskin at Facebook
Drew Beskin Website

Moving over to Sweden where former Merrymaker David Myhr continues to make us smile with melodic pop treasures. His new EP And Now This came out on the always great UK power pop label Lojinx. Here’s the fabulous lead single We Wanted to Shine from the new EP.

David Myhr Website
David Myhr at Facebook

Last stop on this pop goes the world tour is Nashville, Tennessee. Dungeon of Skeletons is a new one for me and I only found them some months ago. They have three singles on their Bandcamp and oh my, they are all pretty perfect pop songs. Hopefully there’s more on the way, because it doesn’t get much better than this. Here’s a couple of those singles. 2020 lyric video for Valencia and the most recent single Gonna Be Alright.

Dungeon Of Skeletons at Facebook

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