Carrying on with posting some song and music video favorites from the 20 years that I’ve been making Onechord.net. Here’s the link to the monster playlist, because I don’t have the time to write a post about everything.

Starting with a song from Steven Lambke’s wonderful album Days of Heaven that was a #5 on my aoty list back in 2015. I loved the whole record, but perhaps my favorite moment is the song Memory Forever. I also love this video that features Steven Lambke, Tamara Lindeman and Ian Daniel Kehoe.

Steven Lambke at Facebook
Steven Lambke Website

After that it’s fairly obvious where this blog post is headed. While J.E. Sunde’s I Don’t Care to Dance is my favorite song of the 20 onechordnet years, the favorite album might well be the self-titled The Weather Station album. I’ve listened it a million times and somehow it still holds true and feels fresh every time I put it on. What a magical record. Her new 2021 album Ignorance is also tremendous and one of my big favorites of this year.

The Weather Station at Facebook
The Weather Station Website

Not so surprisingly next one in line is Ian Daniel Kehoe. I’ve been a big fan since the 2013 Marine Dreams album Corner of the Eye. Both the earlier stuff under that moniker and the newer material under his own name is very dear to me.

Ian Daniel Kehoe at Facebook

I think I make this part centered around Toronto and wrap this with a spectacular live set from Luka Kuplowsky. This one has a Finnish angle too, because this is also a beautiful homage to Aki Kaurismäki. I love Luka (doesn’t everybody) and I love Aki (doesn’t everybody), so this one feels very special. These songs can be found from his 2020 album Stardust that came out on Mama Bird Recording Co (I think I’ll do one part with just Mama Bird family, because it’s my favorite record label in the world. But that will be so crowded, so Luka can have a good home here with this Toronto crowd).

Luka Kuplowsky at Facebook

The blog hits 20 years this Friday. I don’t have any big celebration plans because I didn’t have the energy to set anything up nor did this feel like the time when one should ask favours from artists. But I’ve been making a bit of nostalgic trip through the years and making a monster playlist of favorite songs from the onechordnet era. You’ll find that still growing playlist from the bottom of this blog post. I also thought I post some of these favorites to the blog leading up to Friday’s blog birthday. Not a whole lot words, just some songs and music videos I’ve loved madly during the years. I don’t have clue how many I’ll have time to make, so this will be a random selection. A glimpse of the music that I’ve loved during the years.

If I had to choose my favorite song that has been released during these 20 years I’ve been making this blog, I think I would go with I Don’t Care to Dance by J.E. Sunde. Perhaps there’s a little bit of recency bias, because the studio version came out on his 2020 album 9 Songs About Love. However, I’ve loved it a while longer, ever since I heard the live at Pony Rug version. I just love this song as much as you can possibly love a song. It’s a dance at a wedding reception. A kind gentle sway against toxic masculinity. Subtle, but full of heart. I’m a shy, self-doubt ridden, overly romantic unmanly man and this song is everything to me. A very few songs have ever resonated with me as deeply I Don’t Care to Dance.

Another J.E. Sunde song A Blinding Flash of Light also ranks up pretty high on my imaginary all-time favorite songs list. And of course it’s not just that. I’m very fond of everything J.E. Sunde has released over the years.

J.E. Sunde at Facebook
J.E. Sunde Website

Next a couple of treasures from the Hezekiah Jones song vault. Absolutely love this Philly-based folk collective led by songwriter Raph Cutrufello. Here’s some personal favorites from their catalogue. Borrowed Heart can be found from their 2015 album In Loving Memory of oosi Lockjaw, Lift the Shadow from This Heart is an outtake from 2011 album Have You Seen Our New Fort? and Kings of People is a brand new 2021 single that should have gotten its own blog post weeks ago.

Hezekiah Jones at Facebook
Hezekiah Jones Website

Moving on to Sweden to post something from the first decade of the blog that remains oh so very dear. I fell badly for the first Hello Saferide album back in the day and have been a fan ever since. The song Anna is from the second album More Modern Short Stories from Hello Saferide and I still remember how this music video broke my heart into tiny pieces. I watched it on repeat for days and still return to it every now and then. Perfect song and perfect video. It seems like lightweight fun and then it hits you harder than a graveyard full of black metal guitarists ever could.

Hello Saferide at Facebook

And let’s wrap this first trip in Australia with a couple of songs from the wonderful Australian singer-songwriter Leah Senior. All My Friends is one of my all-time favorite music videos and the song can be found from her 2017 album Pretty Faces. Graves on the other hand is an outtake from her 2020 album The Passing Scene.

Leah Senior at Facebook

And here’s the still growing 20 years playlist. Far from complete, because I’m way too unorganized to handle 20 years of favorite songs. So don’t take any offense, if you are not on it and feel like you should. I still love you and probably just assumed that I had only added your song even though I hadn’t.

Thank you for following this blog adventure during the year. I will take a small blog break to rest and recharge, so there won’t be a new playlist for couple of weeks. I think the music weekly will return on the weekend of 9-10 January. Maybe a week later if the release calendar or my batteries are still empty at that point. The blog will hit a ridicilous 20 years in September 2021, so hopefully I’ll figure out a decent way to celebrate that during the forthcoming year.

Before that I’ll share some great new Christmas songs. The big one for me this year is the new Matt Dorrien EP My Christmas Plea. I think listening to this will become a part of my yuletide tradition for years to come. Too bad I missed the Matt Dorrien / Mama Bird yuletide special, because that would have been a perfect watch for the holidays. Just had to get the eoty lists done first.

Kelly Finnigan released a great soulful Christmas album A Joyful Sound

This yuletide song Merry Christmas Asshole by Brennen Leigh is an instant classic.

Very much enjoyed this new Kyle Cox song as well.

Joe Algeri and his Christmas Crew has been making a new Christmas song every year for 20 years. That’s some yuletune commitment. Here’s the new one called Won’t Be Leaving Home For Christmas.

And that was just to name a few. I made a playlist out of these because there were so many. It includes new songs and new cover versions. Feel free to drop me a note, if I need to add something to it. This is all for 2020. Thank you all dear readers and listeners. See you in 2021.