Soon the review of Ceremonials!

Finally I bought the double cd version of "Ceremonials" by Florence and the Machine. It's great! But the strange thing is that I have been playing more the second cd that has couple songs that didn't go to the actual album and some beautiful acoustic versions. What I really felt from the album was the nice drums, lot more than in the first album Lungs. Have to listen the album couple times more through and then I'll write review about it. Somehow I like also better the demo version of "What the water gave me" it has more different kind of kick in it and more electro sounds!

But here's my ultimate favorite from the second cd and almost also from the Ceremonials side:

"Remain nameless"

And I found a really nice behind the scenes -video about creating the album. Check it out: Then you'll know also how it sounds when a zombies head is cut off.

http://music-mix.ew.com/2011/11/10/florence-the-machine-behind-the-scenes-interview/

And  a small update. Just found the videoclips from the Channel4 special launch Hackey gig videos with some interviews on it. Check them out here. Thanks for the FATM army for uploading them for people outside UK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_dofsIfdUM first part

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh6e0Tc6GOI second part

S&V (One song, One video): Emika - Double edge

Again a great singer/artist from Ninja Tunes (record label). Check out more about the artist: http://ninjatune.net/artist/emika

Emika myspace: http://www.myspace.com/emikamyspace

Emika - "Double Edge"

Gil Scott Heron and a song for All saints day

In Finland we don't celebrate so much halloween. We have more the all saints day, pyhäinpäivä. And I found a perfect song and video for them both. Here you can find more about this interesting artist: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Scott-Heron

He passed away May 2011, but did still 2010 over 100 gigs. Check his last album, after 16 years brake in 2010 he released "I'm New Here". There's also very great remix version of this album done by Jamie xx and it's called Gil Scott Heron and Jamie xx: "We're new here"

Gil Scott Heron - "Me and the devil"

This song has also quite heavy but beautiful lyrics:

leaving grief beyond compare

so if you see the vulture coming

flying circles in your mind

remember their is no escaping

for he will follow close behind

only promise me a battle

a battle

for your soul and mind

and mine

and mine

Gil Scott Heron and Jamie xx - "I'll take care of you"

Gil Scott Heron and Jamie xx - "I'm new here"

I did not become someone different

That I did not want to be

But I'm new here

Will you show me around

One song, one video

I just found this one. It's great with a beautiful video.

.....Catch a fire, catch a fire, start a fire, burn a fire...

The Bug: "Catch a fire"

Some info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Martin_(musician)

Finnish Old School

Oh my. Sorry for the longer break. Went to Finland. So now it's going to be some Finnish old school music post and very awesome songs! All these people were big stars long ago, around 50's 60's in Finland. And they are still great because they have style and glamour in them!

Pirkko Mannola is a very famous Finnish iskelmälaulaja, singer that sings hit songs, also an actress and she won the title of Miss Finland in 1958. She became also the second in the competition tv format Dancing with the stars in 2009 in Finland. She can sing in many languages and sung also Finnish versions of international hits. Some of my favorites are the following songs:

Pirkko Mannola - Tytön tie (1961)

Pirkko Mannola - Oi mitkä tunteet (So soviel liebe)

And very famous cover from "Itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini" - "Pikku pikku bikinissä"

original was done by Brian Hyland.

One song from Helena Siltala - "Ranskalaiset korot"

Laila Kinnunen (1939-2000) was very famous hit singer from the 50's and 60's. Here's some my faves.

Laila Kinnunen - "Kellä kulta sillä onni"(Everybody loves a lover)

Kinnunen made also a cover of "Bei mir bist du schön" but I like more the cover of Arvi Tikkala (1906-1940) from that song. He was in the 1930's the forth most records published hit singer artist in Finland. He was also an actor. His career ended because he had to go to the Winter war against The Soviet Union (30.11.1939-13.3.1940) as so many other Finns at that time. And he died in the battle field just 10 days before the war ended at the age of 33.

Arvi Tikkala - "Sä kaunehin oot"

Harmony Sisters was the first ever hit song group in Finland in the mid 1930's. It was a group of three sisters Vera, Maire and Raija Valtonen. From the "living archive" of Yleisradio you can listen some of the great songs from them: "Sataman valot", "O Josef Josef", "Kodin Kynttilät", "Sulle salaisuuden kertoa mä voisin" and "Kielon jäähyväiset"

http://yle.fi/elavaarkisto/?s=s&g=8&ag=94&t=212&a=2713 

And very nice video (in Finnish) where they told how they met their composer George de Godzinsky in a elevetor in Viipuri.

http://yle.fi/elavaarkisto/?s=s&g=8&ag=94&t=212&a=150

Harmony Sisters - "Lumikki" (Snow white) 1938

and cover of "Whistle while you work" - "Laulaen työtäs tee"

Oskar Merikanto (1868-1924) was a very famous and is still famous composer and musician in Finland. One of the dearest songs, at least most well known for many Finns is "Kesäillan valssi". I listened to this when I was really small when one of my relatives used to play this to me on piano.

Check also another blog with some posts (In Finnish) about old Finnish songs http://tahtipuikko.blogspot.com/2010/01/suomi-arkiston-aarteita-vol-3.html

Hyvää yötä!

Ben Frost - Haunting sound

Iceland Dance Company: Transaquania: Into Thin Air

The music for this video is done by Ben Frost and Valdimar Jóhansson.

Ben Frost is Australian musician, composer and producer. He lives in Reykjavik, Iceland. He has released: "Music for sad children" 2001, "Steel wound" 2003, "School of emotional engineering: Self titled" 2005, "Theory of Machines" 2007 and "By the throat" 2009. I found him because of this dance video clip. I just found him so I don't know yet a lot from his work, but it's awesome!

Said about his work:

"...it’s compelling, mystifying, disturbing, and beautiful... When the record ends, you’ll wonder where you are, how much time has passed, and whether you ever want to feel this way again." -The Agit Reader"

"Stomp"

"Understanding why it hurts"

"Invisibles"

Go to check and search more about him and his songs:

http://www.ethermachines.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Frost_(musician)

http://www.myspace.com/theghostofbenfrost

Some words about him at his homepage:

"Boomkat named Frost "one of the most interesting and groundbreaking producers in the world today" and even went so far as to call Theory of Machines "the future of electronic music" "

What other press has said about him: http://www.ethermachines.com/press.htm

From Valdimar Jóhansson I was only able to find this: http://www.myspace.com/vj76music

Susanne Sundfør

I found something amazingly beautiful, haunting and touching. I haven't heard anything like this for a very very long time. It's bit like, no I don't start to compare. She has some of the most amazing and captivating voice I have ever heard. After three songs I ordered two her latest albums and this has happened only with Wende Snijders before. She's from Norway, she's 25 years old, she likes a-ha and Cat Stevens, she has released three albums and she's coming to play a concert in Rotterdam - De Unie Saturday 26th November 21:00, tickets 10 euros.

She's Susanne Sundfør.

This is what the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet said about her: "Så bra at andre norske artister kommer til å begynne å grine." So good that the other Norwegian artists are going to start crying.

Her released albums are: The debut album "Susanne Sundfør" 2007, "Take One" 2008 and "The Brothel" 2010. The first song I listened was by accident the "Mitt Lille Land" in the memorial concert for the victims of the massacre in Oslo.

And then I listened "Black Widow"

And third "Father Father"

After these three songs I knew enough. When I hear something this beautiful I'm just mesmerized by the strenght of the voice and sound.

"The Brothel"

Check more of here songs: Especially "O Master", "Interlude", "I Resign", "The Dance", "Knight of Noir", "Lullaby", "It's all gone tomorrow" and "As I walked out one"

To listen more from Susanne Sundfoer check these links:

http://www.myspace.com/susannesundfoer

http://www.susannesundfor.com

http://soundcloud.com/susannesundfor

And buy your tickets to her concert in Rotterdam here:

http://www.deunie.nu/agenda/26112011_SusanneSondfor.php