Fresh from Finland

Wednesday the venue Tavastia was once again filled with passionately conscious music folk. Florence Welch already accustomed back home in England, received some weeks back the award for best british album at the Brit Awards, now wooed the finnish crowd as well. In addition to the brit awards, they were nominated for the Mercury Prize last year too.Florence + The Machine have received a reasonable amount of exposure in Finland as well, even as they have yet to break with the big crowd. This will undoubtedly be accomplished as they the big summer festival Ruisrock, but the situation is in no way dire, as there is a large enough crowd to fill Tavastia already.

Right off the bat, I can state that I wasn’t the most excited among the crowd. In front of me stood a redhead girl, who was bouncing, jumping, woggling, singing, screaming, punching the sky, raising the roof in such a manner that I felt like the designated driver on Saturday. Even as the album by Florence pleased me last year, I still preferred the remixes somewhat more. I’d like to add that I did manage to get my groove on as well, even as I might not have been the most excited of the bunch, as Welch commanded the audience and transformed the whole venue into a jumping frenzy towards the end of their show.

Redheads with energy were definitely the topic that day, as on stage the beautiful Florence Welch proved her worth. The massive voice will capture you instantly, but given the sheer power and awe struck by that insane voice, maybe you could have accompanied it by a larger backing band. Some play on set ups, like Florence and The Marching Band could boost the vocal and instrumental experience all together. And Welch and her amazing voice would definitely not be lost in the company of even larger backing instruments.

As a whole, the set list was pleasant and even the more usual songs at the start managed to keep up the interest, even as the crowd did explode only during the last three songs. You’ve Got the Love, Dog Days Are Over and Rabbit Heart(Raise it Up) concluded the show in a spectacular manner, that one couldn’t possibly be left with anything but a great experience.

A personal favorite emerged at the end of the show, when Drumming Song, with its growing interpretation live was by far the biggest blow away of the entire evening. It knocked the socks off all the previously mentioned remixes, as well as the album version. A sight for sore eyes was made up when Welch banged those drums with all her might. If the stage presence is anywhere this level at the summers Ruisrock festival, the playtime will prove irrelevant and the group will surely win the affection of a nation, right there and then.

Just wanted you guys to know about these two amazing artists who have updated their spaces lately with brand new tunes.

First up, Collarbone. A band that has been around for ten years (first five of which our editor in chief have had honour to tour/help/hang around with) released their debut album “The Back of Beyond” in 2007 and to be honest, it was a bit of a flop. Not that the content was shit or anything, people just sort of missed it.

Anyway, their new album is out on 28th of April and the first single “The Machine” is out for radio play today. It’s a good and catchy pop/rock song but before you haters judge, I have to admit, it does have a certain “edge”

We’d say dirty pop rock but you just have a listen and say whatever you want. Fair play. And hey, whenever horny Phil Collins is mentioned, you kinda like it don’t you?

Have a peak at their MySpace

www.collarbone.org

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Next up, our dear friend (again) late. Man who started producing abstractive type of “weird hiphop” (Definitive Jux -style, you know…) a few years ago and finally found his true style in Dubstep, as someone might say, Naturally.

Being released by several big dubstep labels worldwide (noppa, disfigured, formant… ), he still manages to keep his head down and just concentrate on his beautiful trip-hoppy-ish dubstep music. Chilled out as hell and down to earth. Thumb, credit and respect.

The rumour is he will release an EP later on this spring/summer via some big-ass label so keep your ears pointed at him. That’s an order. Late MySpace

G’day mates!

Plenty of good new stuff coming through this week.

Firstly, growing phenomenon Wedding Crashers released their debut single “Electric Butt” today. You can download for free at http://electricbutt.com

It is also a power play song on Finnish Broadcasting Company’s YleX channel this week. Good stuff. GOD STUFF.

Pic: Lassi Kaaria

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New cool club consept KELA (held every Wednesday in Redrum, Helsinki) released their first mixtape. Kela Mixtape #1 The Hypest Hype is mixed by one of the club’s resident dj’s Pluris Hilton and it’s mainly Dubstep-bassline-UK-funky-Baltimore-dancehall-based stuff. Good stuff tho.

Download it at http://www48.zippyshare.com/v/91197578/file.html

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Finally…the ultimate treat…

The Finnish dubstep-legend Tes La Rok is releasing new material via his own label Noppa Recordings.

Tight Tight TIGHT preview at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrxbOPeUP5M

www.myspace.com/teslarok

Just a quickie:
The Legendary festival “Ilosaarirock” have announced their first bunch of bands to play in Joensuu 16th-18th of July:
Bad Religion (USA)
Boban I Marko Markovic Orkestar (SRB)
DevilDriver (USA)
DJ Shadow (USA)
Imogen Heap (UK)
Katatonia (SWE)
Queen Ifrica (JAM)
Rise And Fall (BEL)
UNKLE (LIVE) (UK)
Ziggi (NLD)

(+ some finnish no surprisers who play every festival anyway)

http://www.ilosaarirock.fi/2010/

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