With soaked hair dripping down across his face, his black buttoned up shirt already drenched in sweat, George Clarke appears on stage with a feral look in his eyes. Like he’s sizing up the opposition and ready to attack. It’s late summer in Helsinki and an unexpected heat-wave has been hanging over the city the whole day.… Read More Deafheaven live at Tavastia, Helsinki 8/22/2016
I caught up with Finnish singer Robin Pahlman and talked about his new album, his influences and why you shouldn’t expect another folk record.… Read More Robin Pahlman gets reluctantly nostalgic on new album
Ceremonials’ original line-up. From left: Evgeniy Gonchenko, Santtu Mäkelä, Juuso Kaasalainen, Niklas Willstedt The fist time that Niklas Willstedt met his future band members was in a rehearsal space in Helsinki back in 2013. It was a nervous Willstedt who met up with two strangers that had replied to his advertisement, looking for people to… Read More Ceremonials: Finding an unexpected voice
There was a stark sense of doom in the rustic Pub Arthur that Friday 13th. Situated in the heart of Turku’s old wooden house district Port Arthur, or Portsa, this sparsely lit basement bar was the perfect setting for Mirel Wagner, the sullen troubadour famous for her death ballads. Although you could argue that this was… Read More Mirel Wagner live at Pub Arthur, Turku 13.2.2015
If you’ve ever managed to find just the right soundtrack to your everyday life then you know the kind of cinematic makeover your environment receives. When you find that right sound, any mundane landscape can be instantly dramatized. “You Are Listening To” is a website where real life and music are blended in a very… Read More You Are Listening To New York
“Music became a refuge from all sense of powerlessness and helplessness that I and many Syrian friends have felt.” So says New York based singer-songwriter Rami, who is extending a hand of support to his native Syria through his music. In an attempt to raise awareness for the ongoing Syrian crisis, Rami began recording songs… Read More Tristâme – Common Ground [Charity EP for Syrian refugees]
A month ago today I got the news. Jason Molina, of Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co., had passed away. It had happened two days earlier, Saturday March 16. Organ failure. Alcoholism. 39 years old. Another troubled songwriter to eulogize. On March 16 I lost one of the most important influences in my life and… Read More Remembering Jason Molina
Southern country singer Brad Paisley and rapper turned actor LL Cool J recently teamed up to record a song together. In this song the pair decides to tackle the issue of racism in America. In their own misguided way. In the song, curiously entitled “Accidental Racist”, Paisley attempts to shed light on what he perceives… Read More The “Accidental Racist”
The musical world of electronic duo Team Morale is full of bleeding colours and overflowing emotions. The Kent-based duo’s soulful electronica is as intimate as this genre permits. “Airglow” (stream below), taken from upcoming debut EP Forteana, leans towards a darker sound, with its mixture of electric guitars and surging beats. The song starts off… Read More Listen: Team Morale – “Airglow”
Finnish folk-singer Sami Kukka almost fell into obscurity all because of bad timing. Twenty years ago he entered a musical landscape which wasn’t quite ready for him yet. The Finnish folk singer released his debut album in 1988 to lukewarm reception and didn’t get the recognition he deserved. His minimalist acoustic songs drowned in the… Read More Sami Kukka
In Between Songs 