ALBUM PICK : KISHI BASHI - "151a"

One of the most endearing, graceful and uplifting albums of the year so far comes from multi-instrumentalist and songwriter K Ishibashi aka Kishi Bashi, whose lush new album "151a" is pure sky-lifting bliss from the heavens.

Striving from the same vein as Owen Pallett and Andrew Bird, K Ishibashi is the touring member of Regina Spektor and of Montreal.

Even with the comparisons, on "151a" Kishi Bashi is it's own animal, packing a much more energetic, fun and groovy way of expression and delicious pop-crafting skills with big dynamics within the songs and the album as a whole.

"151a" is simply a fun and heart-touching piece of heaven to listen and uplift the day.

Intro / Pathos Pathos with it's spine tingling orchestral arrangements and choirs touch the heavens, Bright Whites has that almost distracting quality of poisonously catchy, It All Began With a Burst makes the body move with it's deliciously inventive groove and I Am the Antricrist to You is, along Oh Lord by Winhill/Losehill one of the most emotive, heart-wrenching songs of the year.

You can listen and get the album from Bandcamp below and watch a beautiful looper-orientated rendition of Manchester below along with the music video for Bright Whites. The album can also be listened with Spotify and can be found on the "Stereotype Helsinki // 2012 Q2 Albums + EPs + Singles" playlist.


MANCHESTER LIVE:


BRIGHT WHITES MUSIC VIDEO:

ALBUM PICK : WINHILL / LOSEHILL - "SWING OF SORROW"

One of the most heart touching songs of the year is by far Oh Lord by Swedish 6-piece called Winhill/Losehill.

The group's name took it's form by two mountains called Win Hill and Lose Hill located in Hope Village, England where the band leader Jonas Svennem Lundberg took part in a folk music camp as a youngster.

The group's double album "Swing of Sorrow" is dedicated Lundberg's mother Karin, who died of cancer a few years earlier. Thus the songs were born from a grieving process and deals with the painful loss of a parent, about love and breakups, but also of reconciliation, hope and joy.

The two albums of vibrant, timelessly yearning and beautiful Americana styled folk-pop packed with lush string and horn arrangements are a lot to take in as a whole, but after a few listens the soulful emotion that carries the vast collection through takes over and highlights get clearer.

The lush string orchestra based intro dedicated to Lundberg's mother Karin's Hymn, leads straight to the big piece. Oh Lord instantly catches attention and can easily make a grown man weep. I Will Never Get Enough continues the album with that spine tingling fragility that the group is partly all about. The House Is Black as a contrast makes a nice feel good piece while the first album closes to the mellow serenity of Those Same Damned Days.

The second album starts off slowly with Winnhill/Losehill Part II picking up the pieces of the first album, but quickly makes it clear this time we're on clearer water, carrying on with the more feel-goody soulfulness that the first album only hints about. Don't Let the Inside Shine Out is packed with bittersweet head-bop that makes you smile and "aww" at the same time. I Leave You 'Cause I Don't Care continues with the recipe but adds a poisonously memorable, punchy chorus hook making it a clear second album highlight.

Hope Village is another highlight in it's serene feel good lushness and makes you think Lundberg must've been having the time of his life on the camp.

In all it's soulful emotiveness, "Swing of Sorrow" is still a very easy, approachable album to listen to. But being easy doesn't mean the lack of depth here, as the album is still a clear grower rewarding the persistent listener with something new to catch the attention on every listen.

Listen to "Swing of Sorrow" by Winhill/Losehill through Spotify and watch a graceful live performance of Oh Lord below. The album can also be found on the "Stereotype Helsinki // 2012 Q1 Albums + EPs + Singles" playlist.

ALBUM PICK : SENTRIDOH - "WEED FORESTIN'"

In 1986, Lou Barlow made 4-track recordings in his parents' basement while tracking "You're Living All Over Me" with Dinosaur Jr. 

Made of tape hiss, beautifully untuned instruments and all the crackly nostalgia and slacker phantasie of the 80s lofi-waves and college dramas, the album of the day is "Weed Forestin'", Barlow's very first collection of solo home recordings, released under the name Sentridoh in 1987.

Even in these lofi-revivalistic times we're living now, "Weed Forestin'" actually feels extremely fresh in it's sincerity, it's pureness and it's pure analogue tape collage of college slacker poetry.

Listen to the album with Spotify or right below through Bandcamp:

TOP OF 2010 : MAGIC KIDS - MEMPHIS

One of the most awaited albums of the last half of the year was Memphis by Magic Kids, and it certainly met the expectations. It's made of lush orchestrations, fantastic melodies and all around infectious, heart stirring catchiness with comfort.

They say it's so good to be, and they just might happen to be telling exactly how it feels.

You can listen to Memphis by Magic Kids below and watch the geekiest video ever for Superball.

A big row of album picks: Summer, Hey Boy, Good to Be, Phone, Candy, Superball.

TOP OF 2010 : CARIBOU - SWIM

One of the most anticipated albums of the spring was by far Swim by Caribou who popped by Helsinki in August for one of the best performances of the Flow Festival this year.

This previously featured old timer also known as Manitoba or just plain Daniel Victor Snaith has released a lot of albums and a definite hit tune, and yet he's just a couple years over his thirties. Quite an accomplishment as also is the album being released tomorrow.

Swim means tropical simpleton bounce at it's finest. It's made of lush and delicate textures suitable excellently for bathing and it's often without a definite kick and crackle which is refreshingly fantastic. Odessa has a definite instant classic feel to it.

Sit back, take a load of your feet, lay down and embrace the chilly but warm waves of Swim in it's full glory below and watch the ominous video for Odessa, the track that has somewhat an instant classic feel to it. Check out also the vid for Sun and also for that earlier definite hit tune just to realize that you definitely might have heard the dude earlier than you'd think.

Album picks: Odessa, Sun, Bowls.



ODESSA:


SUN:


MELODY DAY:

TOP OF 2010 : BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE - FORGIVENESS ROCK RECORD

In 2005 Broken Social Scene was going places.

There was the self-titled album on which Feist sang that huge hit we all know, they performed with so many guitars nobody though was possible and rode the waves of that Canadian rock revolution.

Then something happened, everyone in Canada stopped making music and the dudes at Broken Social Scene released solo albums that nobody listened to.

Well, now five years have passed and 2010 is a big year again for Canadian music as Broken Social Scene came up with their Forgiveness Rock Record, Arcade Fire came up with Suburbs and Memoryhouse with Years EP.

The new Broken Social Scene is a vast album, sprawling to multiple directions with every song being a different kind of a mess of ideas and arrangements, which just happens to work suprisingly well again.

Album picks: World Sick, All to All, Ungrateful Little Father, Sentimental X's, Sweetest Kill.

Listen to Forgiveness Rock Record and watch the vids below.



TEXICO BITCHES:


CHASE SCENE:


MEET ME IN THE BASEMENT:


FORCED TO LOVE:

TOP OF 2010 : KISSAWAY TRAIL - SLEEP MOUNTAIN

Kissaway Trail's Sleep Mountain is made of a sparkly sun on the purple sky about to fall down behind the pastel coloured buildings and trees, with the ice on top of the sea glistening like a beautiful promise of a bright tomorrow.

Listen to "Sleep Mountain" and watch the vids for SDP and Beat Your Heartbeat.

Album picks: Beat Your Heartbeat, SDP, New Year, Friendly Fire, New Lipstick.

TOP OF 2010 : BEST COAST - CRAZY FOR YOU

Best Coast's debut full-lenght Crazy For You is made of countless oohs and aahs, some mournful but playful longing, and buzzyness tuned to the finest. It's all a simple-as-it-gets kinda treat and spends no time in anything but poisonously infectious hooks and saying things as direct as possible.

It's all about bittersweet, sandy fun and staring at those sundowns by the coast and 23 year old Bethany Cosentino ended up making one of the definite albums of the year.

Listen to Crazy For You and watch the vid for the mega-hitter When I'm With You below.

Album picks: Boyfriend, When I'm With You, Crazy For You.

TOP OF 2010 : THE MORNING BENDERS - BIG ECHO

The Morning Benders' second full-lenght Big Echo is made of lush and vibrant feelings, rich textures and the opening track "Excuses" is somewhat an instant classic. It's sometimes big, sometimes small and still at all times really comfy.

No wonder though, as the record was produced by Grizzly Bearies' Chris Taylor.

Listen to Big Echo and watch the vid for Promises below.

Top tunes: Excuses, Promises, Wet Cement, Cold War.

TOP OF 2010 : WILD NOTHING - GEMINI

Wild Nothing's debut album Gemini is packed with seemingly simple yet poisonously infectious, hazy landscapes and all around phantastic daydreaming.

Summer Holiday and China Town are among the definite tunes the summer of dreams will be remembered from.

Listen to the album and watch the vid for China Town below.

NO AGE - EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

No Age continues their minimal sprawl with the most straightforward and concise record from the duo yet.

You can listen to "Everything In Between" below.

DELAY TREES - S.T.

Some might have declared the best albums of the year already but they just keep on coming.

Delay Trees just released their long-awaited eponymous debut album by Johanna Kustannus and it's made of lush textures, rich harmonies and poisonously infectious hooks wrapped up in a delicate, all around dreamy atmosphere spiced up by the fantastic production by Julius Mauranen.

The singer Rami Vierula mentioned on the Stereotype Club gig upon playing the album opener "Gold", that they're extremely happy with the album and they might have something of a golden nugget in their hands. The question is indeed, is this the best Finnish album of the year?

You can listen to Delay Trees self-titled album entirely at Levykauppa Äx until October 5 and listen to "About Brothers" and "Cassette 2012" below.

Delay Trees - About Brothers
Delay Trees - Cassette 2012

DEERHUNTER - HALCYON DIGEST

Deerhunter have their new album "Halcyon Digest" finally out and it's one dreamy, flowy journey. It might be their biggest album yet and one of the best albums of the year. So yeah, it's huge.

Listen to Deerhunter "Halcyon Digest" full album stream below and check the vid for the tune of the fall, "Helicopter".

EL GUINCHO - "BOMBAY" MUSIC VIDEO

The absolute best music video of the decade so far is here and it's made of every single thrill imaginable.

Watch El Guincho's stirring "Bombay" and listen to the tropical wonderland of an album "Pop Negro" below.

SLEIGH BELLS - INFINITY GUITARS

Sleigh Bells had one of the most awesome shows at Flow Festival last month. They've now got a new vid for "Infinity Guitars" that's made of all around radness indeed.

Watch the vid and listen to their album "Treats" below.




PREVIOUSLY :
SLEIGH BELLS - TELL 'EM
SLEIGH BELLS - CROWN ON THE GROUND

SHINE 2009 - ASSOCIATES EP

The Helsinkians Shine 2009 have finally their EP "Associates" out and it's made of remembrance, glacial hymns of the past and future times.

Take a load of your feet with Shine 2009 - "Associates EP" with or without visuals below or with Spotify .

STILL CORNERS - WISH

Still Corners are all about a dreamy haze and beautiful hushy gushy harmony and they hit the nerve of now already two years ago with their fantastic, haunting EP "Remember Pepper?".

There's a gorgeous a vid for "Wish" which is a B-side to their new "Don't Fall in Love" 7".

You can watch the vid and listen to "Remember Pepper?" EP entirely below and the rest of their stuff at the group's site.

MAGIC KIDS - MEMPHIS

One of the most awaited albums of the last half of the year is "Memphis" by Magic Kids, and it's made of lush orchestrations, fantastic melodies and all around infectious, heart stirring catchiness with comfort.

They say it's so good to be, and they just might happen to be telling exactly how it feels.

You can listen to "Memphis" by Magic Kids as a full album stream below or with Spotify.



UPDATE:
The group just put out their video for "Superball", and it just might be something of a geekiest video ever, so there you go.

SUFJAN STEVENS - ALL DELIGHTED PEOPLE

Sufjan Stevens has a surprise for us all - a whole new record in the name of "All Delighted People EP". He calls it an EP but it's 60 minutes long, so we might as well call it a new album for what it is. And boy, it is gorgeous.

The record begins with the biggest sound and the biggest feelings Mr. Stevens has ever released on a record and continues to kind of pick up the pieces left. It's made of somewhat an apocalyptic feel, in a somewhat heavenly way.

The whole EP is out for listen below and out there to buy for only $5.

NIGHTLANDS - FORGET THE MANTRA

"Forget the Mantra" by Nightlands might be one of the definite surprise records of the year.

It's an all around amazing, delicate piece made of endless harmony and rich textures plus one gorgeous Beach Boys cover. It's made of sparkly daytimes, sunrises and those quiet later hours of the night and it creates a strong, daydreamy feel of being somewhere else.

It's like a vast ocean and you can just see Brian Wilson giving a big smile on this one.

Catch a wave with "Forget the Mantra" by Nightlands below.