The Rollstons: Doing Time (self-released cd-r, 2001)

As a typical indie kid, I have to go with the first demo. Not meaning it was all downhill after this and that they sold their soul or all that garbage. I pretty much love everything they’ve done. But Doing Time was the starting point and damn.. this little disc is still one of the loveliest lo-fi indie rock records made in this country.

The Rollstons “released” Doing Time late 2001. I’m ashamed that I can’t seem to remember how I first heard about them. Did I hear about them at the great huoneistoklubi that took place at Ilokivi, Jyväskylä or did I read about them from one of those web 1.0 emailing lists like molekyyli, oooooo, räkärodeo where people chatted about music at the time? Anyway, I was extremely excited about the fact that there finally was a band in Jyväskylä that played the kind of music that I loved and did it so well. That was definitely something I had been missing. Therefore finding Doing Time and The Rollstons meant more to me than just finding wonderful music. It was also about finding like minded people who shared my passion for indie music (and football). The band members soon became my dear friends and I still love those guys even though I rarely see them nowadays. Plus I found the greatest football team AC Temptation (ok, it’s a tie with FC Kerttu) and a huge amount of great people through them. So yeah, I’m not the most objective guy to write about Doing Time or anything The Rollstons-related, but if you are looking for an objective music website you would have left onechord.net nine and a half years ago.

Doing Time was recorded on 4-track at various apartments. It is definitely very lo-fi stuff, but because I hate everything over-polished, this little rugged, but alive sound palette suits me just fine. Style-wise it’s lo-fi indie rock in the vein of Pavement, Guided By Voices, The Pixies. A lot of witty lyrics, colourful playing and enchanting melodies. And great songs obviously. Especially Still Life With Onions and Garlic and So Real should be categorized as Finnish indie classics, but also things like Heart Burn, Who Would Turn My TV Off? and Depression Grows still rock my world. I’m not saying it’s a perfect record. Heck, it’s a ten year old home recording. It’s not even meant to be perfect. But I loved it then and still love it. And not only for nostalgic reasons. Most big budget indie rock records just doesn’t contain half as much magic as this little album.

Another great cd-r album Earth Against World followed in 2002 and later on they were signed to Stupido Records who released the first real studio album Our Grain Could Fill Your Stadium. Either of these would be equally good selections, but I went with Doing Time for the emotional reasons. Our Grain Could Fill Your Stadium might still be available somewhere somehow and actually contains the finest song material, because it’s got the best songs from both of the early self-released albums and some great new songs. I still think they did a fine job with that album. Sounds better than the early recordings, but not over-polished and still holds that same magic. And I definitely recommend the later albums as well. Taping Trees is my least favorite at the moment (but still mostly very good), but the last two Song Folks and Gauguin’s Trunk that were released by Brunamosse IF are wonderful.

I can’t find any early songs. I suppose I could just add them myself, but will teosto nail my balls to the wall if I do that. Well here’s Very Funny Guy from Song Folks:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izrmt–KdsM]

And if your computer can still manage myspace and doesn’t crash down whenever you try to visit it, there’s some songs from Gauguin’s Trunk there. I especially recommend Foreign Onions. That’s a huge favourite of mine.

The Rollstons Website
The Rollstons at Facebook
The Rollstons at myspace

(The reason why I started making One Chord To Another was the fact that I had totally fallen in love with Finnish guitar pop / power pop bands and wanted to make them better known. Nowadays onechord.net seem to cover a lot of obscure country bands from all over the globe, but Finnish pop was the starting point and still is the main reason this website/blog exists. One Chord To Another becomes 10 years old on 17th of september, 2011. It’s been a long journey and therefore I think I’m allowed to feel a little nostalgic. This not-so-cleverly named 10 years & 10 reasons writing series is meant to select 10 albums/releases that were a huge reason why I either started making One Chord To Another or why I’m still making it. So basicly just 10 finnish releases that will always have a huge place in my heart. One every month I think, so it will be december until the nostalgia is over. Bear with me)

Next month: Well there will definitely be some higher grounds on it and the smell of an artist will be present.