W♥M

Introducing Kardemimmit

Discography [2006] Viira [2009] Kaisla [2012] Autio huvila Tour Dates 02/02/13 Wrexham Wales, United Kingdom 03/19/13 Cafe Mascot Helsinki, Finland 03/23/13 Kanteleviikko Ylivieska, Finland 05/29/13 Semifinal Helsinki, Finland 06/21/13 Private gig Rautalampi, Finland 07/08/13-07/14/13 Kaustinen Folk Music Festival Read More Ólöf Arnalds Ólöf Arnalds, cousin to Ólafur Arnalds, is a woman singer/songwriter who doubles as a touring band member of múm..…

Recently I signed up to World Music Network’s download subscription service. The service allows me to download two albums per month from labels such as Rough Guide. The package provides a neat little  nudge into widen my horizons. And thus I am doing a write up about a Finnish folk group called Kardemimmit.

They featured as a bonus disc (Introducing Kardemimmit) alongside The Rough Guide to the Music of Scandinavia album. After some research I discovered that Introducing Kardemimmit is a rebranded, reissued Kaisla. Now I know next to nothing about the music scene in Finland - aside from watching a documentary claiming tango was invented in Finland - but Kardemimmit's Kaisla was  a lesson well learned.  The album has a magical, medieval vibe to it. I initially attributed this magic to the harp, however the main instrument is actually the kantele, which has apparently existed for approximately 2,000 years and yet nobody told me about it.

Four friends from music school, Maija Pokela, Jutta Rahmel, Anna Wegelius and Leeni Wegelius, their music covers a wide range of Finnish musical styles such “reki-style of singing, Perhonjoki valley kantele style, Karelian small kantele and runo-song traditions as well as archaic improvisation.” As I said, I am no expert in Finnish folk so that’s a copy and paste job from their biography. Think Joanna Newsom with a kantele (which is definitely not a harp) and shorter songs (in Finnish).

Now I know this style of music ain’t going to be to everybody’s taste, but the opening track is called Maiden of Death so I guessing there is a darker element to these songs. Rock on (or just chill out). I’d recommend this album to traditional folk fans everywhere.

As for The Rough Guide to the Music of Scandinavia album, there’s only one band I know on it, múm (btw Ólöf Arnalds has recently successfully  funded her next album via PledgeMusic). The rest of the album is as a diverse as I've come to expect from Rough Guides. My highlight track has to be Texas by Wimme - strange Sami techno.

ryan () ♥ www.kardemimmit.fi ♥ twitter.com/Kardemimmit

Music Review: Hope and Social #tweetbands

Pitching Far Too High

It is been a long time since I wrote a review. I guess I needed the right group to come along and inspire (kick up the ass) me. I’m going review some of the bands I have discovered on twitter in a series of reviews I am calling ‘#tweetbands” – an affront to originally, I know.

I’ll be frank, I don’t know if I have enough words in my dictionary to review music anymore, these days I’m all about torture and suffering (sadly not a Slipknot fan, though). I hope I do because I’ve found some amazing bands via social media. Talking of hope and social media, the first band I’m going to discuss is Hope & Social.

Instantly confronting me is  the same problem I have with Belle and Sebastian/Belle & Sebastian, I don’t know if I should use ‘and’ or ‘&’ with this group.

I discovered Hope & Social via a tweet about ‘The Umbrella Project’ – an amazing collection of ‘soundwalks’ around York. Having read a little about that the project, I followed the @umbrellaproject. From that simple following, I ended up in a conversation with @SimonRalphGoff and then @TheHuxCapacitor.

Now, apparently, Hope and Social are already quite well-known, having performed twice at Glastonbury as finalists of some emerging talent contest.  But I had never heard of them so they are a personal discovery.

If I had to describe the sounds of Hope & Social, I’d say they make N.IC.E music, which stands for Nice, Intellectually Charming & Enjoyable music. It is the sort of music that adds a spring to your step and puts the sun in the sky (even as you walk to the train station at 7am on a rainy Monday).

Best of all, you don’t have to trust a word I write about them, not one word. Wait for a rainy day, download one of their albums, I’d recommend April as a starting point, and start walking to work. Alternatively, sit in an art café, high on too many teas. Either way, it is good stuff.

You don’t even have to pay for it! Because these guys are suckers! They’re giving it away via Bandcamp. But they’re not really fools. They’re in it for the music and I think they have a better understanding of the industry than the big fish. Proponents of the ‘Pay What You Can’ model, they’re a recession-friendly band. In their words:

We believe that the old fashioned record industry model is on its last legs. We believe that it’s better to sell direct to fans than via shops. We believe that we now exist in an environment where recorded music is essentially available for free and that environment is totally created by the laziness of the record industry and why fight that? If you want our music you are more than welcome to it. Please… take it, play it, give it to your friends. If you feel that the music we make has value to you then feel free to give us some money. If you do give us some money then you can do so safe in the knowledge that all that money goes to us.

More details available in a special section of their website.

I like their style of music and I like their style of business. It means that the people can decide. It places the power in the ears of the people. This is anti-Simon Cowell stuff. You’re not being told to like it, you’re being given the chance.

Throughout this review, I’ve had April blazing away in my ear. I don’t know how they sound live, but I imagine that, given the right crowd, a Hope and Social gig would be a highlight.

Other albums for you to sample include Sleep Sound and Architect of this Church.

So will I give them any of my valuable money? Well, that would be telling. At the end of the day, they don’t need me write this blog post for them. They’re already critically acclaimed, including a very good reference from BBC 6Music! Enjoy!

ryan () ♥ hopeandsocial.com

W♥M052: Outtakes #1

� W♥M052 [download (16 min, 15mb)]

Subscribe to our show at gcast.com (RSS), more information at podcast.weheartmusic.com.

Sorry this week's episode is an outtakes show because I was out all all weekend. I'm finally home, chillaxing with pajamapants and going to put on Messenger 2: The Scarecrow on the TV.

The Pretenders - Brass in Pocket

I am hoping to put together a semi-regular Britpop Podcast show - please send me name suggestions. I'd like to have the word 'britpop' in the title, but not necessary.

The good news is that we actually have enough material to last for a few weeks (!!), so I don't actually have to do any real work as it's all recorded and processed (I just need to copy and paste it into a 10 minute show).

So, in order of appearance on the first outtakes: Ryan, Goodnight, States, Graeme K, Kate and Lara. Bonus: Devi.

Hopefully next week, we can bring on Raconteurs expert Christopher.

�08/23/2009 21:49:04�♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com

W♥M050: Welcome Back Ryan

W♥M050 [download (79 min, 36mb)]

Please visit our website for more information, podcast.weheartmusic.com.

The White Stripes - Hello Operator

Welcome back Ryan to the W♥M team. Celebrating the 50^th episode of W♥M Radio, we talked about a few things: Gary McKinnon, an overview of the podcast, music & tech: Twitter and Spotify, what we're listening to, The White Stripes, Fruit Bats, Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill", M Ward, Modest Mouse's King Rat, etc.

The show is long, split into two parts: the organized topics section and the random "just two guys talking" segment. The long run time also means extra large file size, so I had to compressed the file to just mono and at 64kps. It sounds OK to me - but if you want a higher stereo quality, send me an email and we'll have to do a file-transfer or a yousendit kind of thing. The stereo file is over 70mb, the mono file is 36mb.

Ryan compiled is a list of musicians/music-related websites on Twitter:

colinmeloy, fruitbatsmusic, monstersoffolk, subpop, BBC6MusicNews, guardianmusic, rufuswainwright, theboyhimself, hypem, pitchforkmedia, IndyMusic, EOTR, Dominorecordco, portobrien, forfolkssake, realdaytrotter, asthmatickitty, easystarallstar, greenmanfest, TheWordMagazine, TheDandyWarhols, BeardedMagazine, THE_EELS, and heymanchester

Since I had problems with the previous (free) audio recording software, we used a new one called Powergramo, which seems to work out just fine. I may have to pay for the "professional" version as the "basic" version is quite limited (to just recording skype to skype). If you have any good suggestions for a free Skype (usb mic) recorder, please let me know. I would prefer to not pay, but it looks like all the skype software costs money.

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Archive of this show at archive.org. More information on mypodcast.com

08/10/2009 09:16:30?♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com

Radiohead - Harry Patch (In Memory Of)

Harry Patch

I am aware there are a lot of Radiohead fans on W♥M, so I thought I'd mention a recent release by Radiohead called 'Harry Patch (In Memory Of)'. 

It is a tribute to Harry Patch, who died on 25th July 2009, aged 111. He was the last surviving veteran of World War 1. The song swept me off my feet as it is a fitting tribute to a man, who in later life became a convincing anti-war campaigner and a powerful critic of all wars in general. I have no intention of posting the song on here. Buy it as it only costs £1 and the money goes to the Royal British Legion, 'a UK charity providing help and welfare to the serving and ex-Service community and their families'.

If you would like to read more about Harry Patch then check out the write-up in the Independent. The song can be purchased directly from the Radiohead Online Store.

   ♥ ryan () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ myspace.com 

 

Two Nights of The Young Republic

The Young Republic - Girl From The Northern States The Young Republic Tour Dates 08/16/08 J.J.s Market Nashville, TN 09/11/08 Westgarth Social  Middlesbrough 09/12/08 End of the Road Festival 09/13/08 End of the Road Festival 09/15/08 ULU  London 09/16/08 100 Club London Read More The Young Republic return to the UK in September http://sites.goog... The Young Republic return to the UK in September They impressed fans on their last dalliance over...

Sometimes bands are so good you just have to see them twice; in fact you have to see them on a Wednesday and then the following Thursday, which is exactly what I did this May when I saw the Young Republic in Barfly in Liverpool and then the small little folk bar at the end of my road in Manchester

It is a decision I do not regret because I am fairly confident that The Young Republic are a band of great talent and skill. By all accounts, they are still surprisingly young! The voice of lead singer, Julians, is misleading. His voice suggested warily old-timer, or at least somebody in his early thirties. However his physically appearance led me to conclude that I should never judge a voice by it's singer...or something along those lines.

The Young Republic have it all; skilled musicians, great lyrics and the ability to perform. I will never forget the amazing Tom Waits cover I bore witness too (two nights in a row). I do not exaggerated. It was very impressive.

Having heard their debut album I was expecting to enjoy a night of good music but in the end I just had to settle for two nights of awesome entertainment.

The Liverpool show was a shared event. I went to see the excellent Port O'Brien, however I was humming The Young Republic as I left the venue. It was their heavier, plugged in set.

The Manchester show was in a folk bar, which The Young Republic didn't realise until the night. Quick on their feet, they decided to play their Paris set. It was supposedly played in a lower key, but it remained an impressive performance.

The only disappointing news was the absence of their new and irreplaceable drummer, Dustin Jensen.

Do not despair if you are worried about missing their May tour as a reliable source informs me that The Young Republic are due to return to the UK this September for gigs that included the ever wonderful End of the Road festival (Once again, the best line up of the UK Summer Festivals). This time they should have their band too!

More excitingly, I am told they are working on their follow up album. If they capture the energy they display on stage then rest assured this album will be something very special indeed; it may even solve the global energy crisis!

Links: theyoungrepublic.net myspace.com/theyoungrepublic

 08/05/2008 13:00:22  ♥ written by ryan ()

Eugene Francis Jnr

Eugene Francis Jnr - Poor Me Eugene Francis Jr Read More Eugene Francis http://weheartmus... The reason why I'm checking out this band, Eugene Francis Juniors, is because there was an annou...

When I say I like folk music it is because, more than anything else, I like lyrics. So when I receive an album labeled folk I have certain expectations. With the exception of Banhart, I don't take kindly to nonsensical mumbo jumbo song writing. My other gripe is this singer-songwriter genre aka bland songs about why you ain't getting regular oral sex or love...mostly about love.

Of course, none of these criticisms can be lodged against Eugene Francis Jr; I just woke up in an armchair surrounded by cheap beer; with the shopping network trying to sell me something that looked like a sex aid but turned out to be a gas powered candle. My eyelids were pretty heavy and the flame wasn't lit. Again, nothing to do with EFJ, who releases his latest album, The Golden Beatle, on 28th April 2008.

The album art is pretty cool, depicting EFJ as a Native American riding on the back of a dog while being hunted by a gang of men and hounds. To explain what is at first glance an absurd piece of art, EFJ has Native American and Eskimo blood and he loves his dog.

The biggest criticism I have against The Golden Beatle is I've heard it all before, a great singing voice and ability to play instruments are no substitute for original content. My favourite song on the album is 'Poor Me', with the lines like 'I favour tigers but I celebrate cowards' followed quickly by 'don't want a world where religion is power'. What can I ; I am a sucker for any hint of atheism in a song. However the best line in this song and the entire album is, '...it's not a story where boy meets a girl, more like a story boy encounters world'. For this line alone I am grateful.

I could relate to 'Mistakes I Have Made', by all accounts a breakup song. While the songs isn't a gritty hard hitting attack on the girl (or guy) who smashed your heart into a thousand pieces before running off with some singer in a second-rate band; it is a pretty decent song about the fear that the mistakes made in one relationship may echo in all future relationships.

The theme of mistakes continues in the next song, 'My Own Pollution'. To me this is a song about the human condition, dealing with the thoughts and feelings that make us all human. It's an optimistic piece, set to a nice electronica tune.

 

Eugene Francis Jnr - Kites

Eugene Francis Jnr

Another track on the album is Kites. I'll admit I looked up the word 'Kites' in google, hoping for a less obvious definition. As an interesting piece of trivia, the name Kites was "applied to the goddesses Isis and Nephthys in the Osirian cult but also represented women who were hired to accompany or greet the coffins of the deceased at funerals (professional mourners)". Disappointingly, this is a song about actual kites or the metaphor of a kite representing the freedoms and failures of life. Strangely, the song then moves on to use a metaphor of a river to represent a similar idea.

All-in-all, Golden Beatle contains exactly what you would expect from this sort of album, the passing references to love, a mention of poetry and some witty lyrics (Or, at least, I think it was wit; my witdar hasn't really worked since I watched the 1997 pirate comedy, Captain Butler). It won't change your life. It won't really teach you anything you didn't know about yourself. It just sounds pretty nice.

We're All Going To Die For Christmas

Malcolm Middleton - We're All Going To Die

I hate jumping on to bandwagons (or should I say bandsleighs?) but we live in dire times. Lapland is on the brink of civil war, terrorists are disguised as children's toys and another factory-line squeaky clean vomit-inducing single is about to make it to number one in the UK charts. Where's President Bush when there is a real crisis? Why he is training his babies to be junior park rangers...of course (If you follow the link there is some free Christmas tunes courtesy of the Whitehouse website).

Malcolm Middleton's odds on winning the 'Christmas Number One' have risen faster than Father Christmas' sleigh in the winter skies. But now is not the time to be complacent! The result of the nationwide musical talent contest, the X Factor, was announced last night. Almost instantly winner Leon Jackson's single appeared on the front page of the iTunes store.

Having never paid any intention to the Christmas Charts, I was shocked to discover that the X Factor winner has seized the 'Christmas Number One' chart position too many times. Leon Jackson is evil. He is charming, he is dashing, he is Scottish, he is pretty much everything I am not. He must be stopped.

On the other hand, Middleton has produced the musical equivalent of Bad Santa, a working man's 'Do You Realize?'. He has captured spirit of the microwave meal for one Christmas. A track to unite all of those people who have ever enjoyed a Christmas glass of Gin and Tonic without the Tonic. A tune for those folks who find themselves taking advantage of themselves under the mistletoe. A ballad of such proportion...oh you get it, I hate Christmas.   

Sufjan Stevens - Put the Lights on the Tree

Actually I am not too fussed about who gets the 'Christmas Number One' but I needed to pad out this writeup in order to share the Middleton video with you.

Another lovely little video is Sufjan Stevens's Put The Lights On The Tree. This is included as a bonus feature in his Songs For Christmas boxset along with a comic book and other little goodies. I offer this video as Sufjan's Christmas spirit is the yin to Middleton's yan.

Finally in the spirit of Christmas, Okkervil River are offering a free Christmas Mixtape EP on their website. Check it out. It's quite good and it's free. If you see any more free Christmas goodies on offer, let me know!

Merry Christmas!!

December 16, 2007 16:20  Ryan my posts wereallgoingtodie.co.uk

Radiohead: How much are they worth to you?

Tracklist 01. 15 Step 02. Bodysnatchers 03. Nude 04. Weird Fishes/Arpegii 05. All I Need 06. Faust Arp 07. Reckoner 08. House of Cards 09. Jigsaw Falling Into Place 10. Videotape

 

 

Radiohead - In Rainbows   Creep (Acoustic)

I just read over on The Guardian Music blog that a new Radiohead album, 'In Rainbows', will be released in 10 days. 

Interestingly, there are two purchasing options for the album. If you are flush with cash and love collectables then you can splash out £40 for the boxset. This includes the CD, 2 x 12 inch vinyl records, enhanced CD containing more songs, digital photographs, artwork & lyrics booklets and the right to digitally download the tracks. 

Alternatively, you can opt to buy the downloadable album only. The best bit is you get to pick the price you will pay for the album.

As people in the North of England are famed for being tight with money, I have just purchased 'In Rainbows' for £1.50 with a 45p transaction charge on top.

If you are looking to preview the tracks on the album then check out the Guardian article which contains links to youtube videos.

If paying for music is just too great a burden for your wallet then you may be interested to know that The Charlatans will be releasing their 10th album for free via XFM. It'll be available online on 22th October 2007.

 

  October 1, 2007 20:25   Ryan my♥posts www.inrainbows.com

 

As an aside, I thought I'd highlight this campaign:

'International Bloggers' Day for Burma on the 4th of October 2007'

International bloggers are preparing an action to support the peaceful revolution in Burma. We want to set a sign for freedom and show our sympathy for these people who are fighting their cruel regime without weapons. These Bloggers are planning to refrain from posting to their blogs on October 4 and just put up one Banner then, underlined with the words Free Burma!“.

I know blogging can be addictive but I think supporting this campaign be an amazing statement of unity with the oppressed bloggers of Burma. While this will not free the people of Burma, it is a clear indication of the importance of blogging in fighting against repressive regimes.

For information on other countries that repress bloggers, check out the Amnesty International Irrepressible Campaign.

Love Above All: Devendra Banhart

Uncut: Love Above All: 11 Tracks Compiled by Devendra Banhart 1. Jana Hunter - Vultures 2. Rodrigo Amarante - Diamond Eyes 3. Papercuts - Unavailable 4. Rio En Medio - Tiger's Ear 5. Kyle Tomzo - Bicycle 6. Matteah Baim - Wounded Whale 7. Feathers - Ulna 8. Hecuba - Peace and Money 9. Eliza Douglas - Shell 10. Noah Georgeson - Build & Work 11. Bert Jansch - Life Depends On Love

Uncut Magazine (Nov 2007)

Back in 2004, Acid-folk god Devendra Banhart compiled a collection of folk music for some magazine. Much like Nostradamus before him, he managed to predict some of the leading lights of modern folk music, freak folk, new weird america or whatever label you want to give it.

This collection was entitled The Golden Apples of the Sun. It featured artists like Antony and the Johnsons, Joanna Newsom and Vetiver.

Fast forward to 2007 and a similar feat is being attempted in Uncut magazine (November 2007 UK Edition). This time Banhart has opted to call the album "Love Above All"  and has selected some known friends like Bert Jansch and Feathers and some unknown friends who have yet to release a record.

 

Rejoicing In The Hands

Devendra Banhart

According to Uncut, the track list originally contained 39 tracks. I'd love to have seen that list. Anyway, it was edited down to 11 tracks (Boo). It is one of my favourite Uncut compilations since Hard Rain Volume One & Two ( A collection of Bob Dylan covers in the May 2002 UK Edition).

 

The magazine is currently available in the shops and if you are a fan of Devendra Banhart and the Golden Apples of the Sun then I recommend picking up a copy ASAP.

I've also included links to most of the artists on Love Above All. The only one missing is Kyle Tomzo, which is a shame because his song, Bicycle, is one of the best on the CD. I guess you'll just have to buy it to hear it...

 

 September 30, 2007 18:05   Ryan my♥posts Uncut.co.uk