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Favorite Finnish Albums of the Year 2022

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The year end routine starts with the Finnish albums of the Year. A good year of Finnish music again and even though the list is fairly long, I still had to leave out some good albums. I did put the numbers there this time around, but it’s kind of arbitrary. I could easily move albums up or down 5 spots and be probably just as happy with the list. Music is love, not a competition. There’s a playlist link with one song each on the bottom, if you are into such things. An easy way to give an introduction, but remember to buy music too if you are able to do that. But don’t worry if you aren’t. Food and rent comes first no matter how much you want to support the arts.

Not a whole lot of writings and descriptions, because I don’t have the time and well does anybody really care about that. The records are what matters. And yeah, definitely possibility I forgot something and a fact that there’s stuff I haven’t even heard. This is just a one man hobby spare time operation.

FINNISH ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 2022

30. Kytäjä – Kolmos (Panama-Levyt / Joteskii Groteskii)

A welcome return from the instrumental duo. Kolmos is a good guide for exploring the musical cosmos.

29. Mara Balls – Maranormaali ilmiö (Stupido Records)

Catchy bluesy rock with good songwriting.

28. Henna Emilia Hietamäki – Maja (Soliti)

Down-to-earth folk minimalism with moving songs and heartfelt atmosphere.

27. Antti Autio – Kaikki talot huojuu (Soit Se Silti)

A new Antti Autio album is always something to love and cherish.

26. Samae Koskinen – Viima Vie (KHY Suomen Musiikki)

I’m an indie kid (well indie middle-aged man) and therefore too much stuck in the golden Sister Flo days. Thankfully I’m not completely lost and can appreciate this excellent Samae Koskinen album. Marketin rappuset is a big personal favorite.

25. Rosita Luu – Maaginen Elävä (Playground)

More heartfelt and catchy pop/rock greatness from Rosita Luu on a new label.

24. Samanna – Sinisellä Sametilla (Humu Records / Hillotehdas)

Light and lovely jazzy breeze but not without depth.

23. Hexehexe – Midnight Zone

Spooky alternative rock from Pori.

22. Bad Sauna – POTSLOJO (All That Plazz)

New indie rock monster from Bad Sauna.

21. Joni Ekman – EkMania (Soit Se Silti)

A new rock’n’roll beauty from Joni Ekman.

20. Itä-Hollola Installaatio – Velipuolet (KHY Suomen Musiikki)

Songwriter Robert Ensio Niemistö is household name on the onechordnet year end lists. This time with the wonderful new Itä-Hollola Installaatio album.

19. 22-Pistepirkko – Kind Hearts Have a Run Run (Bare Bone Business / Universal)

The legends show how its done.

18. Message Field – New Meadow (Soit Se Silti)

A moving finale to Message Field’s album trilogy.

17. Knife Girl – Uniform (Soliti)

World class genre-hopping indie blender from Knife Girl.

16. Tamara Luonto – Honeymoon (Humu Records / Hillotehdas / Lempi & Sylvi Discs)

The last minute entry to the list is the long-waited rock blast from Tamara Luonto. Too early to tell where it should be on this list, so let’s drop it here in the middle. Kristiina Tuhkanen was one of my favorite songwriters of the year and if there will be a songs of the year list too, Neiti B from this album will take place #2 and it will be closely followed by the solo single Hai.

15. Punomo – Punomo (Solina Records)

Turku retro soul in Finnish. Well count me in for sure.

14. Puhelinseksi – Vieraita toisillemme (Svart Records)

One of my favorite punk rock bands with a new slice of melodic punk heaven. Also loved the concert on a very rainy summer night at indie-iltamat festival.

13. Joose Keskitalo & Mystic Revelation of Teppo Repo- Orfiset laulut V & VI (Helmi Levyt)

New double-headed behemoth from Joose Keskitalo & Mystic Revelation of Teppo Repo can share this spot on the list. Joose was again prolific and also had collaboration album with Paavoharju early in the year. That had moments I really loved too, but overall wasn’t exactly my kinda album. This one is.

12. Bobby Oroza – Get on the Otherside (Big Crown Records)

New heartfelt soul beauty from Bobby Oroza.

11. Litku Klemetti – Asiatonta oleskelua (Is this Art!)

A new Litku Klemetti album is an event and this one is even a bit more my cup of tea than the few previous ones. I have a feeling this one will be a grower too and I need to start sending hate mail to myself for not putting it a lot higher.

10. Heta Narkaus – Liian ohutta ilmaa

A new find of the year. I had no idea who Heta Narkaus was some months ago, but I think it was Viitasen Piia who shared the debut single when it came out (so credit to her). I listened and instantly loved the combination of folk and dreamy pop. Further advance singles and this album were equally great.

9. Amuri – Ettei kukaan tuntisi pimeää (Helmi Levyt)

A new beauty from one of my biggest faves of recent years. Maybe also a bit filler this time around, but I love 3/4 of it. Also check out their awesome cover album Minä olen muistanut.

8. Rock Siltanen Group – Rock’n’rollin voima (Rockia ja sporttia)

Rock’n’roll entertainment and a song about the Lahti doping scandal. What’s not to love.

7. Jukka Nousiainen & Kumpp – Matkalla kotiin (Jukan Musiikki)

High end small beer country from one of the finest in the country. Well that didn’t make sense, but the record does.

6. A.Reikko – A.Reikko (Karhuvaltio Records)

Long time fave Antti Reikko that you might remember from Koria Kitten Riot and Johnny Superhero made a great solo album in Finnish.

5. Mikael H – Optimisti

Beautiful solo folk album from another long time favorite Mikael H.

4. Jani Matti Juhani – Maailma palaa raiteilleen (Ainoa Productions)

Jani Matti Juhani released a wonderful album of his own material after a couple of Elvis cover albums. Very fond of this one.

3. Sur-rur – Entisyydestämmekinköhän (If Society / Joteskii Groteskii / Roku Records)

The legendary Finnish band still in great form. Absolutely love the first half of this. Pure (should-be) hit galore there. This 14 song and 75 minute monster fades a bit towards the end, but that’s hardly an issue, if the first half is 6/5 and the second is 4/5.

2. Teini-Pää – Maailma kyllä odottaa (Soit Se Silti)

Fabulous super catchy teenage dream melodic punk rock from one of my favorite bands Teini-Pää. Sometimes I feel like this could have been even better, but that’s kinda pointless nitpicking because I love every second I spend listening to it.

1. ITE EEROLA – On tullu mietittyä kuolemaa ja semmosta (Panama-Levyt)

And the Finnish album of the year is On tullu mietittyä kuolemaa ja semmosta by ITE EEROLA. In fact, it’s the release I loved the most during 2022 and would have been #1 even if there was not an own category for international albums. The song Tilaa mulle taksi is also by far my favorite song of the year. Despite the grim album title, this folk album is not doom & gloom. I would say it’s more like warmth & empathy. A kindhearted shoulder to lean on, if life throws too many curveballs at once. A treasure of an album.

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International music, Top lists

Favorite Songs of the Year 2021

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And last but not least the favorite international songs of the year. Just quickly doing these songs lists, because I badly need some kind of Christmas break from the blog stuff. So just like the Finnish one, this is mostly a mega long playlist of favorite songs from the year. I’m sure there’s something important missing, because such a long playlist becomes an uncontrollable monster at some point and I have no idea anymore what I already added. So something might be missing solely because I already thought it was there. Most of my favorite songs of the year already have been mentioned on the album list, so I just thought I highlight a few non-album tracks that I loved wholeheartedly and then select a top three.

Kelly Sloan – I Wanna Wake Up / Tangled / Worse Way To Go

Absolutely loved this beautiful run of timeless singles from Canadian songwriter Kelly Sloan. Sorta goes into Carole King, Carly Simon territory and does it ever so beautifully.

Keven Louis Lareau – Not All Songs Have Been Sung

This beauty from Keven Louis Lareau also takes me into the 70s, but more in the west coast folk rock type of surroundings. Thanks to New Commute for the introduction back when this came out.

Anna Tivel – Two Dark Horses (Fluff & Gravy Records)

Anna Tivel is one of my absolute favorite songwriters in the world and I still feel bad for leaving out her wonderful album from the album list. I love all the songs on that record and new piano-driven versions were oh so beautiful but I’ve also heard them before in some shape or form and therefore gave that spot to albums with completely new material. I can make a little bit of amends by adding the only brand new song to this song list.

Katy Kirby – Portals (Keeled Scales)

Another one that could have and maybe should have been on the album list. This Katy Kirby album was one of the last few cuts, but I can also make amends here by putting the song I love the most on this song list. Portals is such a special song.

Jeffrey Martin – I Know What I Know (Fluff & Gravy Records)

A new Jeffrey Martin song is always something to love and cherish and this quietly powerful new song is not an exception to that simple rule.

CARLENE – Time Passes / Looking Out My Window

These two beautiful folk singles from Canadian songwriter Carlene were among the music I loved the most during this strange year. There’s a full album on the way in 2022 and I can’t wait to hear it. Carly’s dog Ruby also delivers my favorite music video performance of the year in that video below. Pure gold.

3. Isaac Vallentin – Diane in the Morning Light / The Ballad of Nunangat

These two masterful folk songs from Canadian songwriter Isaac Vallentin can share the third place here. Beautiful, moving and captivating storytelling.

2. Will Stratton – Infertile Air (Bella Union)

Next Will Stratton’s softly monumental song about state violence, family separation and the people who are interpreting inhuman laws on the field. First you get hooked into a sweet melody and soon you’ll find yourself in a gut-wrenching story. Such a beautiful song about such a heavy subject. A song you won’t easily forget from one of the finest albums of the year.

1. Melissa Carper – I Almost Forgot About You (Mae Music)

And my favorite song of the year is I Almost Forgot About You by Melissa Carper. This comes as no surprise for anyone who is following my social feeds, because I’ve probably mentioned it a few times already that it’s going to be this one. Such a sweet softly swinging old time country beauty and I just fell in love with the first time I heard it and the feeling is the same after listening to it countless amount of times. Simply the song I loved the most during the year and therefore fully worth the song of the year title on this little blog. Below you’ll find the bandcamp link and the Western AF video. Please do visit the the Western AF youtube channel, because it’s probably the best place there is on this internet thing-y.

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Finnish music, Top lists

Favorite Finnish Songs of the Year 2021

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And finally song of the year lists. First the Finnish ones. I’ll do these rather quickly, because I need a some kind of Christmas break from the blog stuff. These are mostly just a never-ending playlist, but I typed down some big favorites and chose the top 3. I’m sure there’s a ton missing from the playlist, because I didn’t do a great job keeping the ongoing list up to date throughout the year and this list was built using that. That ongoing list will slowly transfer to 2022, so this one will stay for the “history books”.

The playlist is slightly top heavy, but somewhat random after the first 3 and completely random after the first 30 or so. Oh yeah and Haamusoittajat would be easily among the top picks, but it was December 2020 release and ruled the lists already a year ago. However, it didn’t become streamable before January 2021 so I wanted to include it on the playlist.

Here’s 12 big favorites in random order. In some case there are two songs mentioned, because I couldn’t decide between the two. My silly lists, my silly rules.

Arppa – Täällä taas (Johanna Kustannus)
Joakim Daal – Shelter (All That Plazz)
Astrid Swan – Luxuries (Soliti)
Eden Prairie – Birch Street / Josie
Rock Siltanen Group – Pizzaa ja kaljaa / Santanan Kolmonen (Rockia ja sporttia)
Laura Moisio – Kirje (Texicalli)
Kielo Kärkkäinen – Ajattele tulevaa (Texicalli)
Mustat Kalsarit – Puhu Musta (Hiljaiset levyt)
Hulda Huima – Luomet kuin tähdet / Kotimatka (Helmi Levyt)
Joose Keskitalo – Doors (Helmi Levyt)
Amuri – Hattupäinen mies (Helmi Levyt)
Tvärtom – Kadun humina (267 lattajjaa / Jumatsuga)

3. Teini-Pää – Näin sen unessa / Kissat ja koirat / Tähdet, Tähdet (Stupido / Soit Se Silti)

We’ll start the top three with an early peek to my Favorite Finnish albums of the year 2022 list. Everybody knows that Teini-Pää and Tvärtom are the best bands. The latter one took home the album of the year award while Teini-Pää released several fabulous singles. Well maybe Downtown was only good, but Näin sen unessa / Kissat ja koirat and Tähdet, Tähdet are absolutely marvellous.

2. Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L feat Laura Moisio – Kirsikankukkia (Svart Records)

And on the second place there’s this timeless folk beauty from Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L. Another big favorite singer-songwriter Laura Moisio adds some vocal magic too. I kept changing the order of the first all the time, so this is basicly just as dear to me as the song of the year.

1. Ty Roxy- True Colours (Fonal Records)

My favorite Finnish song of the year is True Colours by Ty Roxy. What a perfect lofi version of the disco high life. The album 音楽 (music) has several equally great moments, but this started it all for me and therefore remains the dearest song on it. Love love love.

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