Hope sings

Maybe being completely blinded by sunshine could illustrate the way that Hope Sandoval sweeps into your life if you let her. I remember when Mazzy Star came along for me. I had just left home and it felt as if life had finally begun. The move also marked a musical shift for me. After mainly feeding on hard, aggressive and angst ridden music for most of my life the time had come to let something else in. "Flowers in December" had actually caught my attention years before so I thought this Mazzy Star-group ought to be explored. I figured it was soft enough without being mushy. I couldn't stand to listen to music that was too demure.

I listened to Mazzy Star a lot that fall and all through winter. Walking home from school with Sandoval's voice in my headphones on clear winter days made the season magical. Winter still sounds like her to me. I remember those days fondly, everything seemed to move so slow. Maybe it was the dazed songs of Mazzy Star that brought the stillness. How could you rush when Hope Sandoval sings? She won't let you. Maybe I owe serenity to her, maybe she taught me to slow down and take a look around the moment.

Listening to her nowadays makes me feel the vast distance between now and then, yet she is still as relevant. I was reminded to go back to the Mazzy Star albums when I found out that she had recently relesed her sophomore album with The Warm Inventions. It's been eight years since debuting Bavarian Fruit Bread was released and eight years worth waiting for Through the Devil Softly. If you find yourself blinded by all the uglyness in this world then direct your attention to this album. It encapsulates everything that is its complete opposite.

Sets The Blaze - Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions

Blanchard - Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions

Missa inte nya videon från Totalt Jävla Mörker! <3

Nite Jewel

Ramona Gonzales, aka Nite Jewel, makes cosy psych-electro that's filled with the kind of lo fi-mystique that could only come from recording on a portable 8-track cassette deck. She's actually playing a show right here in Turku in a few weeks and I'm really looking forward to it. The Nite Jewel combo also includes visual artist and synth-provider Emily Jane, so I think the whole live experience is going to be a good package deal.

Home

This one's for you

Today is a very, very good day.

I'm glad that Joose Keskitalo and Sami Kukka have become so popular that they immediately sell out venues in this town. Unfortunately I missed the memo and didn't have the foresight to buy a ticket in time. It's also unfortunate that their gig was held in one of the smallest bars in town. Oh well, at least I got to see Sami Kukka's intimate record store performance. I got a glimpse of Joose as well, who walked into the store by the end of Kukka's set.

I forgot to mention that I went to see Band of Horses in Helsinki last week. I had been looking forward to it so long, that in my head I had already been to this concert several times. The real one, however, was 10 times better than I had imagined. I didn't it expect it to be as much..fun! Not all bands are worth paying a lot of money to see live, you know. But this is one band who really respects its audience. Ben Bridwell played steel guitar and his vocals never let us down. He's such a back bone in every song with his high soaring animalistic power vocals. It was definately one of the finest shows I've ever attended, and what's more, they played a really affectionate cover of Gram Parson's "A Song For You". I wish I'd brought my camera. Oh well, next time.

I had this one couple in front of me who made me feel more comfortoble with singing along to the songs, because the boyfriend/husband was the loudest in the whole crowd. He was singing loud and proud, shouting encouragements to the band and doing horse imitations. It's always fun to be at a show where there's an atmosphere that evokes that kind of interaction. When they played "No One's Gonna Love You" he affectionately kissed his girlfriend at that vital moment in the song, to tell her just what the song is supposed to. I really enjoyed that moment, even though it wasn't mine. I'm glad they let me share it.


Everyone knows Band of Horses is brilliant, I don't have to elaborate. But how about the girl that warmed up for them, Jessica Lea Mayfield? She really won me over with an excellent cover of Buddy Holly's "Words of Love". She made it so very necessary to grasp.



Her laid back folk rock songs were imploded with the ambient sounds of fellow Nick Cave-looking guitarist, Richie Kirkpatrick, who added a wistful atmosphere to her set. Her coctail dress and acoustic guitar didn't fool me, I immediately knew she was a punk at heart. Her lyrics were filled with an in your face punk attitude and all the while she was softly strumming her guitar. We were instant friends.