Tag: finland

Astrid Swan Announces D/Other

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Award winning artist Astrid Swan has already established herself as one of the strongest songwriters in Finland, but with her new album, D/Other, she wraps up a study on being a mother…from the perspective of both daughter and mother. The latest single’s a bright pop song, using these light little piano bits and steady drumming to give the song a bit of bounce. I really love the chorus here, with the perfect vocal accompaniment helping raise the melodic. This song’s got a very traditional pop structure, which leads us to believe that the whole of the album will be filled with more charm than we can handle, not to mention that it will include string work/arrangements from the heralded Owen Pallet. Look for D/Other on October 8th via Soliti.

Astrid Swan Shares Silvi’s Dream

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It’s been a few years since we’ve had fresh music from Astrid Swan, but I’m here imploring you to spend some time with the Finnish artist. She spends the first minute and a half illustrating her gifts with a steady piano backbone to match up with her soaring voice; there are some angelic arrangements built in early on, but its the 1:49 minute when the song just explodes into this joyous celebration of life. The drums pound a little heavier, the song swells, horns jump in and Astrid offers up some monosyllabic melodies to win you over. The song takes on special meaning, personally, thinking of leaving your child with the perfect pop song as evidence of your love; I don’t think anyone could have penned a better one, so well played to Astrid here!

Pink Chameleons Share Slow Me Single

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You’d be forgiven for thinking that the new Pink Chameleons was a nod to 90s rock n’ roll styles; I mean, you can’t run from those opening riffs! But, as evidenced by the brash strut of the saxophone and the effects of the vocals, you can tell the band aren’t here to rehash anything in particular; they’re building their own sound, something akin to what leader Paltsa-Kai calls “arty-psych.” Indeed you can hear that blending of sounds as those thundering riffs crash into the underwater vocals, like being tossed and turned in the undercurrent of the sea, flipping you this way and that…musically speaking of course. Taking such an approach will surely gift listeners a creative listen when the group drop their forthcoming Peace & Love LP via Soliti on May 21st!

Verandan Share Open Sea

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We’re over a year or so into this pandemic, and we’re all tired. For me, the Zoom meetings, the lack of interaction with my students, etc just drains me, so this tune from Verandan (who I adore) is perfectly fitting, both in sonic feel and thematically. To paraphrase Ville Hopponen, the tune’s about putting work behind you at the end of the season and sailing off into the unknown…be it tragedy or adventure…you take it all on openly. Interestingly, the music feels similar, to me. It begins with pushing the musical boat out to see and raising the sail, catching a gust and moving a little quicker. But, the seas are mostly calm here, so you’re carefully cutting through the sea to an unknown destination. This single comes to you courtesy of Soliti!

Pink Chameleons Announce Peace and Love

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Toady we bring you great news, with Finnish outfit Pink Chameleons returning to the fold with their debut LP, Peace and Love. Those of you that were into garage rock will want to lend a close ear here, as the band have a banger of a tune. It’s all fuzzy riffs and nods to power pop hooks that leave you with anthemic sing-along choruses you won’t get out of your head. The pounding drum work feels like the band’s marching up to your door clapping hands to the beat and ready to drag you outside for a day in the sunshine! Infectious and fun, you’ll be stoked to get your hand on the band’s debut album, dropping May 21st via Soliti Music.

New Silver Girl Return with Pale Statement Pieces

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After their debut LP, Olli Happonen reconfigured the line-up for his group New Silver Girl; they’ve spent the last few years just learning to play together, jamming out and creating chemistry. Today, we get the band’s first recorded output, which shows the group returning to the top of their game. The rhythm of this song really sets it all up, using this pounding beat to allow Olli to craft these gentle vocal lines atop his careful strum. Still, the chorus has the whole band joining in, giving us this really steady musical climax that’s worth its weight in gold. Plus, the band are still into exploring the space in the song, as you can tell by the meandering solos in the song’s middle, leading to a soft moment that sets you up for another punch from the chorus! The song’s available everywhere via Soliti on Friday!

Stream Black Twig’s Was Not Looking for Magic LP

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The last few months, I’ve personally been hyping the new LP from Finland’s Black Twig, Was Not Looking for Magic. Below…I give you an early stream, as well as my track by track breakdown. If you’re interested in picking up the album, it’s out this Friday via our friends over at Soliti, and I promise you, its got my stamp of approval! Leaving the stream at the top as that’s what’s most important, but my track by track breakdown lives below!

 

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Black Twig Share Big Cat

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It seems like the five year wait for new music from Black Twig has really worked out in our favor, as the group share another incredible single from their forthcoming Was Not Looking for Magic. I was committed to loving this song when it opened with that sort of pastoral post punk feel, circling guitars over a thundering rhythm section. Still, I was blown away by Aki’s performance here; he sounds huge and solemn, creating this sort of fatherly comfort; the forceful jump in the chorus is equally matched, putting his range on display for all of us to enjoy. I know there’s a lot of hype around releases, but this song just made the new LP jump to the top of my list! Look for Was Not Looking for Magic on February 26th via Soliti.

Black Twig Return with Devils Please Be Gone

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After a five year absence, Finnish outfit Black Twig return this year with a brand new LP, and we’ve got a sneak peek at what’s in store. While their early work had this heavy hand to it, I love how the group seem to have polished off the edges in favor of this darkened pop vibe; it almost reminds me of my faves The Black Watch. At times it feels gothic, but almost pastoral, perhaps tying into the band’s ‘secular gospel” theme on this particular song. Alas, you still get a heavy-hand as guitars dart towards the end, echoing and feeding back in this tailspin of squall. Both bright and dark, this song finds the band taking comfort in achieving a perfect balance. We expect great things when the group drop Was Not Looking for Magic on February 26th via Soliti.

RULES Release Constantia Video

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One of the great musical surprises of this year has been the debut release from Finnish duo Rules. An entire album of carefully crafted pop music spun around literary characters favored by Iti and Sarra; this time around their latest video pays homage to Katherine Mansfield’s “The Daughters of the Late Colonel.” One of the reasons I love this tune is that it introduces a harsher element to some of the record’s shinier moments. Sure, there’s still a nice electronic brush atop it, but the song is all about the perfect balance and execution, shining through at the 2:44 mark as the song hits that euphoric finale. If you dig what you hear, the album is available now via Soliti Music.

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