That’d have to be November, if you think about it. It really has fuck-all on its side. Its full of days like this, when you walk out and its barely raining, but luckily the wind is so strong it pelts the drops of water, that would otherwise be suspended in air, into your face at gale force. Suddenly, you experience an overwhelming urge to look over the side to make sure Matt Damon didnt just fall in the raging sea. You look over the curb. All you see is tram tracks and debris. No Hollywood stars, just Snickers wrappers and bottle caps.
Thats just as well
Im not sure I wouldve jumped in before the morning coffee. Ugh. Wet. Luckily, rock music can be enjoyed in dry circumstances.
Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department receives WOMEX Award
WOMEX is huge, both in size and relevance. This year in Sevilla, Spain, the festival showed 49 acts from 40 countries on 5 stages. There were 2800 delegates gathered to discuss everything under the sun. Naturally, awards were given out and the Fenno-Ugric peoples of the world kicked ass this year. Muzsikás from Hungary received an award for its music.
Another award was given for Professional Excellence in the Service of World Music. This one was given to the Folk Music Department of the Sibelius Academy.
Now, this is a major big deal, as far as these things go, so congratulations to all involved.
Luomo kicks it up a notch
Producer Sasu Ripatti has been hot stuff in the underground for years now, as both Luomo (HUUME RECORDINGS)and Vladislav Delay (HUUME RECORDING). Now his new album Convival, which features a cavalcade of singers adding their stuff to his enveloping sound blankets, is really taking the world by storm with its, relatively, populist charm. The best known vocal contributors include Cassy and Jake Shears from Scissor Sisters. Especially the UK press has really taken to the record and Ripatti and his output have been written up in The Guardian, IDJ, FACT, Music Week and Wire. Thats quite a breadth of media
Stay tuned.
Europe will burn with Finnish Fire
Now, heres a tour. If youre looking for an evening of metal and fantasy, this is the ticket. Headliners Korpiklaani (NUCLEAR BLAST) are seasoned folk-metal veterans of the European road. Theyve brought many a bierstube into a state of total bedlam in their time. Their new album is Korven Kuningas. Theyll be joined by the epic metallic tolkienists of Battlelore (NAPALM RECORDS), the everything-metal-but-the-kitchen-sink newcomers Falchion (MASSACRE RECORDS) and a forest-metal breeze blowing through the sacred grove in the form of Kivimetsän Druidi (CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS).
Check out the dates at the end of the newsletter.
Five Corners Quintet hits the Hot Corner
The renowned dancefloor jazz band Five Corners Quintet (RICKY TICK RECORDS) has relased its newest album, Hot Corners. Featuring guest vocalists Okou and Mark Murphy, the band is set to scale new heights of cool in its unstoppable and besuited conquest of the world.
The climate within the band has inexorably moved from the debut albums cool sample-based shenanigans to the hot of a top-notch live band. The palette that musicians of the caliber available here present has had a definite impact on the compositions of head honcho Tuomas Kallio, allowing him to flirt with a number of different styles, while keeping the dance floor heat squarely on 11, Tufnel-stylee.
Lordis got an ache in his dead! Bring the man a big, big pill!
Lordi (SONY BMG), the biggest monster band on the planet, released the highly anticipated new album Deadache in Europe, USA and Japan on October 27, 2008. The new album presents melodic hard rock, which has characterized Lordis musical career throughout the years from Get Heavy to The Arockalypse. Lordis previous album, The Arockalypse, has sold 350.000 units to date and certified gold in Sweden and Germany not forgetting the triple platinum status in their home country Finland. Their hit single, Hard Rock Hallelujah has sold gold in Germany.
Music samples from selected tracks can be heard from October 20th, 2008 onwards.
Lordi will hit American, Japanese and European stages later this year and in the beginning of next year. Two-month European tour will start in mid-January. Check out the tour dates later this month and see entirely new and spectacular stage show!
As is customary for the band, the look of each character has been completely redesigned for the new album. The new costumes were designed by Mr. Lordi, who is also responsible for Deadaches striking artwork.
Going for positive publishing by Negative
Tampere heart-throbs Negative sign a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music Finland. The deal covers the songs for their next two albums, with an option for a third. The internationally successful band and major publishing company are looking at the start of a beautiful friendship.
Copenhagen is about to get boned!
Over here in Finland, Bone Voyage Nights are a well-known and loved quantity. Now Denmark is about to get a spoonful of that sugar. 2 days and 2 nights of music, film and art, featuring 22 Pistepirkko (BONE VOYAGE), side projects and bands on their label Bone Voyage, as well as some local special guests. Its a great chance to see hot, new indie sensations like Joensuu 1685 (BONE VOYAGE) and Anssi 8000 & Maria Stereo (BONE VOYAGE), as well as the tried and true greatness of the event hosts.
12th Dec and 13th Dec, Copenhagen, Denmark
at Huset i Magstraede
Bellows in motion
busy Pohjonen
After a successful tour of Portugal showing off a new member of Kluster (HOEDOWN ARTS), Juuso Hannukainen, Kimmo Pohjonen (HOEDOWN ARTS) is working on a new project with famous drummer Sami Kuoppamäki. They have a Helsinki concert coming up in December. The pair debuted their project in London in 2005 where they performed two Jimi Hendrix songs at Patti Smiths Meltdown Festival in the event Songs of Experience at Queen Elizabeth Hall.
The second KTU (Pohjonen, Gunn, Mastelotto with Samuli Kosminen) (HOEDOWN ARTS) album is slated for a January release. The album was composed, arranged and produced by KTU at Zone studios, Texas and mixed in Helsinki at Seawolf Studios.
Lodger finds accommodations in China
Lodger‘s (URBANITED MUSIC) nihilistic animation videos from their debut album back in 2004 will be made available for mobile downloads in China. China Mobile, world’s largest mobile operator, will release the animation videos as 40-second clips in December. Since the release, the videos have been viewed over six million times from the band’s website.
“The black humor animation videos will be made available as both streaming and download services by China Mobile to 450 million users” says Laura Sun representing China Mobille.
Lodger was featured as the Record Of the Day‘s Soundclip last week, James Foley wrote: “...Now ready with their third album Honeymoon is Over, Nostalgia is a fine example of their convincing quirky rock sound.” The new album will be released in Scandinavia by Urbanited Music on November 19th.
Neverdice plays for Ukraines Children of the Night
On August 20th, Finnish industrial/metal/goth band Neverdice headlined festival called Chorna Rada Deti Nochi 5 (Children of the Night 5) in Kiev, Ukraine. The festival is said to be one of the biggest industrial/goth gatherings in the former USSR.
Neverdice shared the stage with 13 bands from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and also a guest from Japan, Demonoid 13. Festival gathered over 800 enthusiasts and the reception was overwhelming. Neverdice drew a lot of media attention from local magazines, gathered important contacts and requests for future gigs in Ukraine. Clips from the gigs can be viewed on YouTube.com.
Neverdice also played a small warm-up gig at Prague on previous day which also caused buzz and requests for more gigs. The band has performed in Spain, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and, of course, in Finland.
Neverdice recently released their 7-track EP, including their hit “Let them die” with two remixes. All the songs are available also on their Myspace. At the moment Neverdice is working on new studio material and preparing for series of gigs in Finland and Europe.
Liveness
Kimmo Pohjonen (HOEDOWN ARTS) solo
15 Nov - Vilnius, Lithuania, Accordion Festival, Kotrynos baznycia
18 Nov - Reims, France, lAtelier
29 Jan - Kirkenes, Norway, Borders Control or Rock and Roll festival
Lordis (SONY BMG) wings Over America
07 Nov - Houston, TX, House of Blues
08 Nov - Dallas, TX, House of Blues
09 Nov - San Antonio, TX, The White Rabbit
12 Nov - Las Vegas, NV, House of Blues
13 Nov - San Diego, CA, House of Blues
16 Nov - Pomona, CA, The Glass House
17 Nov - Hollywood, CA, House of Blues
20 Nov - Denver, CO, Gothic Theatre
22 Nov - Chicago, IL, House of Blues
23 Nov - Cleveland, OH, House of Blues
24 Nov - New York, NY, Irving Plaza
Czech Republic
29 Nov - Zlin, Czech Republic, Winter Masters of Rock Festival
Värttinä (SONY BMG)
Nov 28 - Stockholm, Sweden, Kista world music festival
Nov 29 - Eskilstuna, Sweden, Teatern
Korpiklaani (NUCLEAR BLAST), with Finnish Fire and In Extremo tours
Finnish Fire Tour
13 Nov - Hessenhalle, Giessen Germany
14 Nov - Alte Spinnerei, Glauchau Germany
15 Nov - Retro Music Hall, Prague Czech
16 Nov - Boogaloo, Zagreb Croatia
17 Nov - Alcatraz, Milano Italy
18 Nov - CCO, Lyon France
19 Nov - Le Camji, Niort France
20 Nov - Mephisto, Barcelona Spain
21 Nov - 2 Pi R, Mengibar (Jaen) Spain
22 Nov - Sala Live, Madrid Spain
23 Nov - TBA, Basque Country Spain
24 Nov - TBA, Tolouse France
25 Nov - Espace Julien, Marseille France
26 Nov - L’aterie, Strassbourg France
27 Nov - Centrum, Erfurt Germany
28 Nov - Matrix, Bochum Germany
29 Nov - MOD Club, Hasselt Belgium
30 Nov - Melkweg, Amsterdam Netherlands
01 Dec - Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton U.K.
02 Dec - Cathouse, Glasgow U.K.
03 Dec - Jillys Rock World, Manchester U.K.
04 Dec - Carling Academy Islington, London U.K.
05 Dec - Rio’s, Leeds U.K.
06 Dec - Hard Rock Hell, Prestatyn Sands (North Wales) U.K.
In Extremo minitour
26 Dec - fürth stadthalle
27 Dec - hannover awd hall
28 Dec - erfurt thüringenhalle
29 Dec - leipzig haus auensee
Amberian Dawn (KHY SUOMEN MUSIIKKI)
14 Nov - New Salamandra, Barcelona (SPA)
15 Nov - Caracol, Madrid (SPA)
16 Nov - Azkena, Vitoria (FRA)
18 Nov - Le Ramier, Toulouse(FRA)
19 Nov - Rock School Barbey, Bordeaux (FRA)
20 Nov - Olympic, Nantes(FRA)
21 Nov - Elysee Montmartre, Paris(FRA)
The Cyan Velvet Project (GAGA GOODIES/POKO RECORDS)
22 Nov - IKRA Club, Moscow (RUS)
Shade Empire (DYNAMIC ARTS RECORDS)
25 Nov - (CH) Geneve @ L’Usine
26 Nov - (GER) Stuttgart @ LKA-Longhorn
27 Nov - (A) Worgl @ Komma
28 Nov - (GER) Trier @ Exhaus
29 Nov - (CH) Erstfeld @ Transilvania Live
30 Nov - (FR) Colmar @ Grillen
01 Dec - (ITA) Piacenza @ For Sale
02 Dec - (SLO) Ljubljana @ Media Park
03 Dec - (A) Traun @ Spinnerei
04 Dec - (A) Vienna @ Szene
05 Dec - (GER) Hannover @ Musikzentrum
06 Dec - (GER) Berlin @ K17
07 Dec - (POL) Warsaw @ Progresja