Fresh from Finland

HiiiiiiYa!

Now that we’ve officially reached February in 2010, we think it’s time to revive and resuscitate this lovely blog from it’s hibernation / winter coma. Like the our blog title would imply, this time it’s time to focus on some Fresh and Finnish tunes. Finnish synth ghouls I Was a Teenage Worshipper’s new album Strange Light brings some depth to the accustomed sounds of the crew and nudges the band forward in their artist life-cycle. This combination might just make it the best IWATSW show of talent, so far.

I Was a Teenage Satan Worshipper by Aki

Strange Lights serves a mood mixed from passed decades and new 2010 electrotunes. If dissected, some songs appear rather weak by themselves, but this time around the album in it’s entirety is rather controlled and together. IWATSW sound like they are ready to stand behind their instruments one hundred percent. The combination of many partial messes, do sound better when served with confidence.

As the proverb goes, Strange Lights includes something old and something new, something borrowed and something.. well, it almost fit here. Blackie Loveless on keyboards joins in song in two tracks for the first time. A womans touch fits this albums like a carrot on a snowman and it gives away a feel, that the sound has progressed and found a crucial missing (well, rather hidden) piece. The renewed synth sounds serve as a reminder of the fantastic first EP, Bees & Honey, even as the band can definitely not be said to have regressed to its former self. The track Martin, dedicated to Suicide’s Martin Rev oozes the influence (of their idols).

I Was a Teenage Satan Worshipper - Strange Lights

I Was a Teenage Satan Worshipper hasn’t been, and is still not, a hit chasing group, not since their first EP. Strange Lights stands true to this pattern as well, although danceable features are included even in the most gloomy of tracks. The best track of the album Amsterdamned and the familiar Just Do it are definite speeder tracks, which are the first to linger on your mind from an album that grows on you. You shouldn’t dismiss the rest of the tracks either, as for example the more ambient instrumental Stand Back, Forces of Evil also demonstrates a fine craftmanship.

I Was a Teenage Satan Worshipper
I Was a Teenage Satan Worshipper - MySpace

At the risk of sounding like a Coca Cola commercial (PUN!); the holidays have passed and we’re ready to come back to work as well! This year will feature so many surprises and twists, that we strongly encourage you to tune in to our channel and keep your bananas peeled. And that’s guaranteed!

Last year we got our knickers in a twist from pulling out all the stops and arranging for the Pinky and the Brain

Coming up next, I Was A Teenage Satan Worshippers new album reviewed! Should be up tomorrow, but you just never know. Naah dude, we manpromise!

*Yawn*
*Yawn*
Poof!

At the start of a new decade, we at Fresh Tunes Finland want to acknowledge our beloved little blogger, whos words have been stumbled upon by many and made an impact on several. Actually, her previous blog has even been nominated for The Voice’s Web Awards, for the top music blog of the year.

Unfortunately that blog is only in Finnish, but that’s what google translate is for, am I right?

Check out Most Sexiest Music here!

Show your support!

Here’s a little something for all you odd balls out there. Filmed just outside Helsinki during the late summer, this little creation was slowly honed to resemble the band itself. We think it came out spot on, how about you?

One Morning Left - BD_L3ftoverz! - Official Music Video

Puzzled?

In the middle of the nordic dream winter, there has been quite the supply of fascinating and current international musicians. At least that is the case for the capitol of Helsinki - more remote locations are often not so lucky. One Tuesday we got to scout out Fuck Buttons at the venue Kuudes Linja and the next night we were entertained at Redrum by one of the most hyped bands of the fall, Neon Indian.

It’s actually not the first time Fuck Buttons has been to Finland. The previous visit was in the same place, the summer of 2008 just as their debut Street Horrrsing was still fresh paint on the walls. After wooing the crowd in 2008 the duo attracted a nice amount of interest again. The playlist that Tuesday night was mainly from the new album Tarot Sport. The show didn’t really pull any surprises - it looked and sounded like Fuck Buttons. Had the show been lined up for the weekend, it would have surely got more attention from dancers, as now the audience settled for bobbing along with the rhythms. Any grand gestures like applause were limited, partly as the band didn’t allow any room for them until the end of the show. And after these, it was off the stage and don’t look back.

The next night at Redrum, there was some instrument issues. Neon Indians touring drummer Jason Faries base pedal broke in the middle of the show, which didn’t resume until the missing component was replaced. Not even the Texans surprised me. Front man for Neon Indian and Vega, Alan Palomo was just as charismatic as could be expected, he might have even overshadowed the rest of the band. The hype crew seemed to be enjoying the limelight, but that feeling got lost somewhere in transmission between the stage and the audience. During the hit Deadbeat Summer the mood picked up and was raised momentarily to the roof, but it didn’t last too long. Personally, I would probably have enjoyed the same crew playing a Vega performance, but it’s understandable to want to pick the lock that’s already half broken.

Even as the experiences are not always earth shattering, one must acknowledge those who orchestrate these performances and enable artists to perform in Finland. At the very corner of Europe, we now see crowd (even if it’s rather a small one..) pleasers several nights a week. This weekend you can admire performances by Ellen Allien, Jack Beats, as well as Justin Miller and Jacques Renault (DFA) in the chilling city of Helsinki. Maybe one of these days Helsinki can be compared to other European capitols, when talking about performing arts.. even as that is still a distant dream.

Fuck Buttons
Neon Indian