Soliti Music Sign Team Play

Our Finnish friends at Soliti always uncover great gems; we’ve most recently fawned over bands like Pintandwefall…but, now we’ve got Team Play to be excited about. The duo is made up of friends Minja Koskela and Tapio Viitasaari, two dear friends who love writing songs about human existence. At times, this song’s stark nature creates this sort of elegance, a brand of folk that feels as fragile as it is moving. Both singers wrap their vocals atop one another, building this musical texture that provides stunning depth, enabling the project to take pop music to new heights. The label promises that there’s a new album planned for summer, but we’ll keep you informed as we hear more!

Pintandwefall Drop Last Minutes Single

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that if Pintandwefall were from the States (or maybe the UK) then they’d be an absolute darling on all the cool kid blogs. I’ve been trying to hype them up as a one-man show here, but hopefully this new single will grab you enough to show you what its all about. It hits you with this immediacy upon pressing play, and there’s this playful indie style coming forth that I dove right into. Then the song sort of erupts in a new direction, bringing in a more soulful feel to things, almost like the band magically inherited Nashville vibes. The band are releasing Seventh Baby on February 25th via Soliti.

Rules Share The Ghost Single

Finnish outfit Rules have been delivering hyper-literary influenced pop tunes since 2000 (aside from that blissed out Weezer cover, of course!). They return today with a Henry James influenced ditty, and a new member, Oskari Haltsi, adding his production and vocals to the mix. We start off in familiar territory, with a quick euphoric burst and the distinctive vocals. But, the track, playing upon the concept of duality between a ghost and human, offers these little elegant peaks and valleys, mixing in the abstract dreaminess and the pulsing hook that captures the listener. No word on a new album just yet, but always great to hear this bunch bring new tunes to the table (courtesy of Soliti).

Pintandwefall Announce Seventh Baby

Finnish outfit Pintandwefall, who dropped the stunning Your Stories Baby in 2020, return with their 7th album, aptly titled Seventh Baby. I love how the new tune opens with this heavy drum stomp and ringing guitar line creating this jagged wall of noise. Once the vocals catch up, they bring this powerful ballad feel, soaring boldly and directly. We get a quick glimpse at the chorus, but it quickly gets yanked away to let the tune go back to its core. You can feel the track picking up around the 2 minute mark, building vocal textures on top of one another as the song’s title is layered with various tones atop one another; it’s a feeling that’s likely going to have your stomach churning and turning in the best way. Seventh Baby will be released via Soliti Music on February 25th.

Astrid Swan Announces D/Other

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.

RULES Cover Say It Ain’t So + New Single

Last year Rules released their self-titled album, which was an undeniable surprise hit for me, compiling joyous electric pop sounds and hyper literary references into gem after gem. Today, they’re back with their first new music since the album, an enthusiastic electro cover of Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So!” They keep the hooks, so don’t worry that by stripping the song of guitars that you’ll lose something; they stretch it instead with heavy synth work and booming voices! Plus, you get a sense of the band in their natural habitat, as they roll about for a nice evening with director Pekka Harkonen. The band release this tune with another new single on Friday via Soliti!

Astrid Swan Shares Silvi’s Dream

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

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!

Pink Chameleons Announce Peace and Love

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.

Black Twig Share Big Cat

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.

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