Some reviews

Hi all!

It´s another round of some reviews of cds I´ve listened to. And as always it is quite varied pack. And also some info of free concerts in the centre of Helsinki!

Let´s start off with a quite disappointment.

What can I say? I had previously heard Kiss presents Garage City collection mixed by Bobby and Steve and Dj Spen. This cd is worth seeking out for the Spen mix only. It´s one of the best soulful house mixes I´ve ever heard. Right up to the par of Masters At Work In The House etc. GC was released by Defected and has tracks such as Kings Of Tomorrow´s Finally, U.B.P. We Are One, negrocan Aquela Esquina and Kenny Bobien´s wonderful U Gave Me Love.

I really had big expectations for this cd and it didn´t deliver. I got no emotion out of this cd, just pumping tracks, some good but boring overall. The biggest problem with this cd is that all the tracks sound exactly the same. As for soul, I didn´t find it in this house at all. Tracks are good and well mixed, there´s no complaining in that, it´s just that it is boring to listen to since all the tracks sound the same. Cd has house and old disco well blended together, points for that. Cd has artists such as Sandy B, Linda Clifford, Mark Grant and Jovonn. Good artists indeed and 3cds well worth of your money, if you´re into 70´s disco and deep vocal house and don´t mind the song remaining the same. 2 cds are mixed, the 3rd one isn´t. This is their definition of soulful house, but I have to disagree.

Samples:

Mr V Feat Patty: Da Bump

Sandy B Feels Like Singing (Def Club Mix)

Melba Moore:Les Stand Together

Loni Clark: Rushing (Mood II Swing Dub)

The next stop is really hard to review... I don´t know what to think of this cd, but I kinda like it.


I guess this should be filed under humour music but somehow it doesn´t quite seem to fit this cd, eventhough you can´t take this record seriously. Please, don´t even try. Album 20 tracks long and some are just small clips more than tracks. All songs are short and that´s only a good thing. I guess I could say this is rock version of Weird Al Yankowich (hope I spelled that right). Instead of polka this has fake songs (Fake pixies song, fake Björk song, fake David Bowie song), which could also be seen as tribute to these artists, it´s up to listener to decide what to think of. Cd is overall really mixed bag going from rock to hillibilly speeded up country and to pop. There are some good tracks that can be taken bit more seriously, like United States Of Whatever, which can be seen as statement also. Also got give points for his diy attitude.

United States Of Whatever

Still Wasted From The Party Last Night

Fake David Bowie Song

Keeping things on pop side of things I have to reviews this next cd, eventhough it is bit old, but sill hey good music doesn´t look age. These cds are just perfect summer soundtracks.
I first noticed Lisa Hannigan when she was Damien Rice´s right hand woman. Her voice strucka chord with me and I was intrigued by her. Just listen to Nine Crimes (from album 9) to see what I mean. So here it is, her debut album. And it is gorgeous album! Critics said it was moderate, but I consider it to be smashing debut showing truly talented singer. The cd doesn´t have a bad song on it and is nicely varied to keep things interesting. Lisa´s beautiful voice, good melodies and warm atmosphere make this one of my choice of summer record. I just love Ocean AndA Rock, which opens the album and Lille is such a wonderful way to end the cd. If you like this, try Kate Havnevik. They have bit similar atmosphere, though Kate´s voice is stronger. I don´t know is good uplifting song with nice lyrics. Strong songs, beautiful voice and looks and good melodies. What is there not to like?

Lille

Ocean And A Rock

Keep It All

I Don´t know live at pub

And more beautiful fragile music is on offer from our next artist


Mandalay is one of my all-time favourite artists. It has influences from trip-hop and pop blending them to something bit like A Man Called Adam. Really chilled, melodisc and woulnerable. This is really sweet, strong on melodies (I know, I´m repeating myself) and singer has such a frail voice. Sends shivers down my spine. Band has now released 4 albums after they first broke up after 3 and reunited for a new album. The first 3 I have and the review will consentrate on this album, Empathy.

Album hails from land of triphop but it´s not as dark as Portishead, so triphop isn´t correct label for this cd. I guess if I had to pigeonhole it somewhere, I´d say it´s more melodic, electronic pop with influence from triphop. Opening track, This Life, really grabs your attention with it´s beauty. Rest of the cd is same high quality luckily. This Life really rises expectations to high par that albums rarely reach. This one luckily does. One of their song, by the way, was in Next Best Thing soundtrack. Here´s another one of those perfect sundown cds. Ethereal, electronic, melodic are adjectives to describe this cd. I tried to think which artist would be in similar vein, but I honestly didn´t come up with anything. Maybe a bit of Smoke City´s Underwater Love or Massive Attack´s masterpiece Protection with it´s atmosphere. And other comparison would be Terry Callier´s Love Theme From Spartacus (Zero 7 remix). You decide and let me know how off the mark I was:)

This Life

Beautiful

Enough Love

And as I promised here´s some info what´s going on during summer in centre of Helsinki. Head out to Esplanadi park to hear free concerts! Right in the heart of the city and if the weater is good, it´s good, free fun. Here´s programme:

10.6. Navy Orchestra plays pop time 14.00

on same day there´s a chance to see traditional finnish dance show. For tourists this will be fun and rare chance to see a glimpse of our history Time 17.30

And even more free happenings going on in the park! It´s time for samba! It´s the start of the Helsinki Samba Carnival today at 19.00 Tons of stuff happening on that day!

There´s something every day so I´ll stick to the music part.

12.6. sunday is Helsinki day and on stage there´s program from 10-17. There´s music, speaks, circus etc.

13.6. there´s Tixa & Hevospistooli 18.30

14.6. you can enjoy jazz by Johanna Hollmen and trio 16.30

14.6. There´s also Five Degrees performing. 5 man showband offering selection of rock, acappella and musicals

15.6. there´s concert for lovers of big band by Tuusulanjärven Big Band 16.30 This group ain´t newcomer, they´ve been around already 20 years!

So there´s lots of free stuff going on during the summer. More about the Esplanad happenings can be found here in english and finnish. And just in this news. There´s a Linkin Park concert in Helsinki! 16.6. is the date at Kaisaniemi Park. Gates open at 16.00 and tickets are 70,05€ from Tiketti. There´s also a competition with price to meet Linkin park! Here´s how it goes. What song is the latest single by the band also heard on Transformers 3? E-mail your answers and contact info to kilpailu@livenation.fi.

C ya next time!