Album of the Month, Featured, Finnish music

Album of the Month: Nopat – Kadun tuolla puolella

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Nopat – Kadun tuolla puolella (Kleppari, 2012)

I’ve been looking forward to this album for a year or two, because Nopat is a big favourite at this household and I loved those little discs they released back in 2010. Therefore it was quite clear that Nopat has to take the album of the month spot, if the album will be as good as I hoped it would. And it definitely turned out to be just as good as I had hoped. Cosy sunday afternoon is actually a perfect time to write a few words about the new Nopat album Kadun tuolla puolella, because this is a great sunday album. Even some minor stomach bug can’t stop me from enjoying the subtle beauty of the everyday that Nopat injects to my heart. Kadun tuolla puolella is a comfortable place to be and these fairly simple but thoughtfully crafted easy-flowing folk pop songs are able to turn a vulnerable moments into something manageable. Something very Finnish is gently colliding with delicate 90s american indie (perfect soundtrack for painting a house red in the early hours). Gentle, warm and captivating. Well done.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/34167893″ iframe=”true” /]
 
Nopat Website

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Finnish music, News

Nopat & Burning Hearts

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Today was a great day for Finnish pop music, because two marvellous albums came out. I already know that the Nopat album is awesome and I’m 100% sure that the Burning Hearts album is also wonderful (I will buy a copy next time I visit the 8raita record store). Unfortunately I was too busy to write a proper news entry today, so I just give you the soundbites this time around. I will write about these within a week or two.

Nopat: Kadun tuolla puolella

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/34167893″ iframe=”true” /]
 
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/32142602″ iframe=”true” /]
 
Nopat Website

Burning Hearts: Extinctions

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/32193643″ iframe=”true” /]
 
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/13845336″ iframe=”true” /]
 

Burning Hearts Website

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Finnish music, Top lists

Favourite EPs of the Year

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This is not really a list. I didn’t buy enough EPs to make a top 10, but there were two little discs that I really loved and therefore I want to mention them.

Nopat: Kaupungit ihmiset

If Kaupungin ihmiset had been an album, it would have made the top ten on the album list. If there had been “the best finnish releases of the year” -list  on this blog, Kaupungin ihmiset would have taken the second spot after A Cab To The City. This is a fantastic little disc and Nopat can really turn an everyday struggle into stress-free and serene beauty. They are the perfect antidote against all those “self-made hurry” situations that most of us are so good at creating. This is warm & beautiful in the vein of Excuses Of Travellers. What a lovely release.

Nopat at myspace

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqjn22ScKKs]

Heartjet: Goodbye, Stan

Heartjet’s digital only EP Goodbye, Stan introduces a new finnish power pop band/duo. There certainly aren’t too many of those around nowadays and therefore I’m obviously excited about the fact that there’s a new power pop band in the country. However, that excitement wouldn’t last very long, if they weren’t any good at it. Thankfully there’s no need to worry about that. They are pretty damn good already and all five songs on the EP are wonderful. Extremely highly recommended.

Heartjet at myspace

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