Summer is the perfect time to push some musical boundaries. I have added both pure jazz, classical music, world and Europop to this week’s blog list, knowing that you are too sedated by sun and sea to protest. By then you may have fallen in love with new tracks you never would have considered if it hadn’t been for my blog list. To soften the blow – and to remain ahead of the game – you will find the music both in Spotify and in Apple Music! Some tracks are not yet available in Apple Music, but enough are there to give you a real choice. You’re welcome.

The most controversial trakcs added  are  of course songs from Eurovision Song Contest. It is easy to forget when being exposed to one crap song after another that every year a small number of countries come up with something different and worthwhile listening to. I added five of the 20+songs last year, and I do the same this year: the songs from Latvia, Belgium, Australia, Norway and Cyprus. Grit your teeth and give the songs a chance if you haven’t already done so.

And when you’re in a broadminded mode, lend your ear to Kyle Eastwood. Yes, he is the bass playing son of the great Clint. Like many sons of celebrities there has been advantages and disadvantages of being in the spotlight with your parent. The expectations are high, but at the same time exposure is easier to get. Kyle is, however, a true artist in his own right, a great jazz musician and film composer. His new Timepieces album is filled to the brim with classic jazz, perfect for summer listening.

If you haven’t given up on me by now, let me move swiftly to the wonderful voice of Angeliquie Kidjo, (the flag is from Benin, if you wondered) performing some of her best world songs with a symphony orchestra from Luxembourg, Orchestre Philharmonique Du Luxembourg True African beat fans might find this a bit too polished, but I think Sings is the perfect mix of Western and African influences, and if you are unfamiliar with African music, this might be your ticket into an exciting musical world.

Staying within the classical world, let’s move to James Horner and his collaboration with the Norwegian siblings Mari and Håkon Samuelsen. Their album, Pas de Deux, has been this spring’s surprise hit in Norway, where classical music doesn’t normally reach the hit lists. Reviewers haven’t all been kind to the album, classifying it as kitsch and not demanding enough, a criticism that has only heightened the interest. Tragically, James Horner was killed in an airplane accident shortly after the release only 61 years old. Pas de Deux consists of compositions clearly inspired by the great romantic masters and of Hollywood, but I find both the siblings’ violin performances and Horner’s compositions beautiful, haunting and tender.

Tenderness is at the centre of JD Souther’s new album called – naturally – Tenderness. Souther doesn’t even try to make music that sounds remotely modern, but for all of us missing Don Henley, Harry Nilsson and other 70s crooners find some consolation in JDs sweet, tender pop music. I have fallen in love with this album and will turn to it every time life runs off with me, reminding me of the wonderful first decades of my adult life.

I have also fallen in love with Canadian married couple duo Whitehorse and their album Leave No Bridge Unburned. The album came as a complete surprise to me. As I listened to it for the first time, I was completely taken aback by the quality and the smartness of the song writing. There is a freshness and cheekiness to the music that is quite rare these days.   This is Whitehorse’s second album, so hopefully we have years of wonderful music to look forward to. I have had a hard time cutting down the number of tracks, but if you want more, go to the whole album and also to their debut album. You will not be disappointed.

Chungking, a trio from Brighton, England, don’t flirt too much with Top 20 contemporary music, rather there are throwbacks to the disco age in their music with Jessie Banks’ sugary vocals at the front. The band was big in Japan already in the early 2000s, and now they hope to make it in Europe, too, with Defender  At least they made my blog list, so let’s see where that can lead Chunking.

American indie band My Morning Jacket, also has a background performing with symphony orchestras. The five-member band recorded and performed with The Boston Pops as far back as in 2006. Now they are out with a fresh new album, The Waterfall, their seventh to date, and definitely their most successful. I have added three tracks, but if you like it, go to the full album.

The last entry this week is also an American artist, country singer Shelby Lynne. I consider her 2003 album Identity Crisis, one of the best country albums ever. In my view she has never reached that level since, but her albums are always well crafted and unique. That goes for her latest as well, I Can’t Imagine, a truly inspired album.

We are saying goodbye to Matthew Edwards & The Unfortunates, Blake Mills, Paul McCartney, Saint Saviour, Moi, Anthony D’Amato, Mimmi Tamba, Yusuf/Cat Stevens and Elin Furubotn, who have all cuddled our eardrums since January.

 

Here is the music in Spotify:

 

 

 

And for you early adapters, here is my Apple Music playlist. It might not work everywhere and on every device yet. But believe me, the music is there: https://itunes.apple.com/no/playlist/petter-wallace-bloglist/idpl.8201d6af39254e54a713b6dbc7c6dbdb?l=nb

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what a reviewer called the latest album from Marina & The Diamonds (reviewed by me below), and I thought this was a great title for my blog list overall. Except you will also find Blues, Jazz, Folk, Country, World and Rock for Grownups in my list. It is the grownups part that is particularly fitting, not necessarily grownup in age (I appreciate the many younger readers/listeners) but grownup in taste. I imagine readers/listeners have listened to a lot of music before and like to be both challenged and gratified. Today I am publishing 74 tracks from 14 albums with artists from 7 countries, a new record I believe, but to get you to the music fast, let me be short about what they are and who are behind them.  https://open.spotify.com/user/pewalla/playlist/0IYuA8tJNdTAT8sc1E8dBk

 

Michael Bublé, P.J. Proby, Georgie Fame, Claire Teal, Natalie Cole, Chris Farlowe and Mark Knopfler are all helping Van Morrison out on his first duet album, Duets: Re-Working the Catalogue. . You should think this was an unbeatable collection, but although I have picked 7 tracks, I was disappointed, because Duets serves more as a sing-a-long album with Van. Very little new is added to the interpretations of his classic songs. But I thought: These are great songs however they are treated, so what the heck. Sing a long, you too, if you like.

Moving down to Ireland and to a promising, for me, new group, Villagers. Darling Arithmatic is their third album, and everything seems to be centred on Conor J. O’Brien,. The music is atmospheric and with lovely tunes and great, romantic lyrics.

I often hear music enthusiasts speak condescendingly about Danish pop music. I find this quite unfair, as the two artists I have added ought to prove. Mew has been around for a while and is big in their home country. Like Villagers the band offers atmospheric pop with beautiful harmonies. Not all tracks on +- is as brilliant as the four tracks I have added, though. But isnt’t that the point of this list, you get the best bits?

Oh Land, or Nanna Øland Fabricius as her real name is, has been in my list before. Her new album, Earthsick,  offers more of the same, but I like the variety in the songs and the grandness of the orchestrations. Nanna likes to pour it on and the result is well worth listening to.

While in Scandinavia, let’s listen to two Norwegian artists, very different from each other. Daniel Kvammen from Geilo comes from a singer/songwriter tradition, but his debut album Fremad i alle retninga (Forward in all directions)  offers great variety the transcends the genre.

 

Anneli Drecker is a seasoned artist, vocalist in arctic electronica band Bel Canto who has also recorded with Röyksopp. The tracks of her new album Rocks and Straws are all based on poems by Arvid Hanssen translated to English. There is not much electronica left in Anneli, but what remains warms the heart and massages your eardrums. This is really lovely.

I started quoting a review of Marina and the Diamonds’ new album FROOT. Although the terms used fit the overall description of this blog, the album at times becomes to bubblygummy for me. I loved their previous album and Marina Diamandis’ sultry voice, but on FROOT there are too many tracks leaving me with nothing. What is left, though, is great pop music, and you find those seven tracks in the list.

I am also a bit disappointed in The Leisure Society’s new album with the great title The Fine Art of Hanging On. Nick Hemming (who for the most part is The Leisure Society) has given us fabulous pop music before, and four of the tracks on the new album should give you reason enough to delve into their back catalogue. Long standing blog readers should remember many previous samples from the band.

Death Cab for Cutie’s new album offers a number of good songs, but again I had expected more. Lead singer Ben Gibbard realeased an excellent solo album last year, so perhaps most of the energy went into that one? Still, this is a brilliant band, so when the songs I didn’t appreciate were deleted, I was left with four enjoyable tracks from Kintsugi to wet your appetite for their back catalogue.

You might also remember Denai Moore. She is still a young, fairly unknown artist, 22 years of age, but her sound is remarkable, solemn and with an insisting voice that grabs me, reminding me of Adele and Laura Mvula. Enjoyr tracks from her new album Elsewhere.

There is not much fun around Bill Fay either, this is an introvert performer, but with a quiet intensity in the very low-intensity songs. Bill Fay seems to deal with the greater questions in life on his new album Who is the Sender? , and even about the art of song writing. Bill has been around since the 70s, but has always been an outsider in the business, which might explain the quality of his music…

London’s jazz/funk band Bassistry shows a lot of promise, but even though their latest album,What the Hell Do You Call This?  was a bit disappointing, I have added 3 tracks to the list. Let’s keep an eye (and two ears) on the band, great things may evolve later.

The Lilac Time also shows a lot of promise, with folksy pop music with a country twist, reminding me of Prefab Sprout, with beautiful, well-crafted songs, sweet melodies. Their album is called No Sad Songs, which is not entirely true.

Finally, something very different, Pokey LaFarge. This (Something in the Water) is a mixture of old styles of pop music, from ragtime to swing to music from down south. Some of it gets a bit too much and too rich, but in small doses (I have added four tracks) this is a lot of fun.

Like Sarah Brightman so poignantly proclaimed, it is time to say goodbye, this time to Gjermund Larsen, Sid Griffin, Deptford Goth, Adrian Crowley, Bell Gardens, Stars, Neil Diamond, Skinny Dipper, The New Basement Tapes, Jaymay, Pink Floyd, Woman’s Hour and Mark Nevin,

 

 

The major advantage of having someone else (me!) listen through the myriad of new music tracks out there, is that you don’t have to listen to songs with little merit, even from artists who mostly deliver. It surprises me to see how many great albums that I present in my blog also have a number of mediocre, weak or uninteresting tracks. That’s why I give you from three to seven tracks from each album, leaving out the not-necessarily-so-brilliant stuff. However, if you really like what you hear from an artist and/or an album, please test the whole album and even that artist’s back catalogue. I am sure you will find more that you like, but also be prepared to be disappointed at times. Some of the albums I add today fall into the category of “mixed bag”, but hopefully you will agree that the specific tracks I have picked offer some good music to brighten your May.

Let’s start with Mr Mixed Bag himself, Ringo Starr, in my view a fabulous drummer and an underestimated member of The Beatles. The world’s best pop group would not have been as great without him. Too few have taken Ringo seriously, and he seems to be among them himself, because most of the solo releases have been at best uninteresting and uninspired. I saw Ringo in concert a few years ago (my daughter’s band While You Slept opened for him, how proud am I of that?), and it hit me how much pure fun it was. This is a man who has put frivolity and happiness into music, and that’s what we should expect from the music, not art. On his latest album, Postcards from Paradise, he is better than ever (still a mixed bag), he even sings better than before, and a number of the tracks leave no doubt that this is an artist who has been around for a long time and brought with him good ingredients that make up excellent pop music. Few musicians seem to have more friends than Ringo, and he brings them to the studio to have fun with him. No man is an island.

Madonna is another classic pop artist relentlessly moving on. Madonna has tried to keep up with the times, but she is still at her best when she goes back to her own 80s roots. Some of the tracks on her new Rebel Heart have that feel to them, and the album is the most backwards looking album from the queen of pop for a very long time. Not that the sound is old fashioned; the production is in most ways 2015, but the writing is often reminiscent of the best songs from the first ten years of Madonna’s impressive career. I have added seven tracks; if you prefer to listen to a less old fashioned Madonna, listen to the whole album.

Another supergroup of rock music is Fairport Convention. They have been around since the 1960s and have spurned great solo artists and have inspired even more. Folk rock without Fairport Convention would have been a totally different matter altogether. They are still around, at least in name, but to a certain degree also in spirit. Their latest release, Myths and Heroes, are, dare I say it, a mixed bag, but the best tracks on the album are up there with the very best the group has produced before. There is very little keeping up with the times here, so if you like what you hear on the blog list, you most likely will enjoy their back catalogue as well.

Ron Sexsmith is now in his fifties, but there is something very boyish in his music, even though the lyrics signify that this is not his first album. I have listened to him for years, and if you have been a follower of my blog for some time, you have been exposed to Sexsmith many times. His newest album, Carousel One, is a bit of a disappointment, but still consists of a number of great tracks, all of them of course in the list. It is a bit mellower than the previous albums, but even a great composer as Sexsmith must be allowed to relax and just have fun.

Brandi Carlile reached super stardom through Grey’s Anatomy with the song The Story. Few artists manage to keep a career going with one single song, and Carlile hasn’t reached the same peaks as after that initial fame, but she has kept going, kept releasing, kept performing, and her intense, powerful voice is still intriguing to listen to. Her new album, The Firewatcher’s Daughter, offers some brilliant songs, albeit less intense than The Story, but still with power and sincerity. Four great tracks are now in the blog list.

Runner-up of the 2010 X Factor in the UK, Rebecca Ferguson, has also managed to keep a career going following the first burst of fame. She has an extraordinary voice, and as with the two previous artists, she has been in my list before. This year she has released a tribute album to Billie Holiday, and her voice fits the material like a glove. The album, Lady Sings the Blues, isn’t a copy of the famous album from one of the greatest voices ever, rather Ferguson has picked songs from Holiday’s whole career, and made them her own. So if you like this, you have two paths to go: back to the originals and back to Rebecca Ferguson’s small but beautiful catalogue. Either way you won’t be disappointed.

I end with two younger artists who haven’t really made it yet; both heavily influenced by our first artist today, Ringo Starr and The Beatles. Keith Mead doesn’t try very hard to be arty-farty, this is sunshine music, happy and chill, and Sunday Dinner may delight you and give promises of the summer to come. He brings memories of Paul McCartney in the late 60s, early 70s. And that’s not half bad.

Canadian Tobias Jesso Jr. also knows how to churn out McCartney-esque songs. He was discovered by Adele, who tweeted about him and got him a spot on Jimmy Fallon in the US. There is a lot of looking back on Goon, I hear Lennon, Billy Joel, and many other similar men in awe of women and love. Jesso’s craftsmanship is undisputed, and I dare predict this is not the last album from him.

Alvvays, Beck, Buika, Erlend Øye, The 2 Bears, Annie Lennox, Sofia Karlsson, Shaun Bartlett, Nina Pedersen and Marit Larsen graciously leave us to make room for the above 44 great tracks.

I know you faithful followers of my blog listen to the music I recommend in different ways. Some of you tell me you listen to the albums one by one, others start at the top and play till you get to the bottom. My own favourite method is the shuffle: I open the list in Spotify, put it on shuffle, and move from one track to another on an algorithmic day trip, being repeatedly surprised by how much good music there still is in the world –  even after The Beatles broke up. Whatever way you listen that’s up to you, but if you haven’t tried the shuffle yet, perhaps this Easter that’s how you are going to make a change in your life. To help you along I have added 45 new tracks to make the ride even more pleasant.

I have admitted it before, and here I go again: Country is the new rock’n’roll. As long as I can escape the most bland, old fashioned country, I take great pleasure in what comes out of Nashville and other country Meccas. One of the nu-country bands I haven’t listened to is Pistol Annies, but I will reconsider after having listened to band member Angaleena Presley and her American Middle Class album. This has been labelled sophisticated bluegrass, which sounds like a contradiction in terms, but I know exactly what is meant, and listening to the milky smooth voice of Angaleena will possibly give you a country epiphany as well.

It isn’t far from Angaleena Presley to Gretchen Peters. She is older, born in the Bronx, and occasionally strides away from pure country, but Peters’ new album Blackbirds, is unmistakably Nashville as well. She also reminds me of last year’s number one in my book, Roseanne Cash, with similar intelligent lyrics, catchy and well crafted tunes, performed with true conviction and more than a pinch of melancholy. My heart overflows.

Willie Nile is even older than Gretchen Peters, born in 1948 (she in 1957), he is labelled as a rock’n’roll singer, but his piano centred music has elements of country in it, if you ask me. He is from Buffalo, New York, but has travelled the world. A concert in Oslo, Norway with Eric Andersen in he late 1980s was videotaped and brought to the attention of a talent scout in Columbia Records, and Nile was given a second recording career after that. Listening to his latest album, If I was a River, gives me a feeling of being near a true classic. The songs are bordering on the pompous, but his insisting voice forces the listener to hear the words, filled with reminiscence, and the good in humankind, and I realize it isn’t pomposity at all, just truth.

There are quite a few albums among today’s additions to the blog list that permeate the mundane and bring us to music that may last longer than we do, the mark of true classics. I first heard Father John Misty’s voice as part of Fleet Foxes, the wonderful post-Beach Boys band that was the talk of the music industry four-five years back. I added his first solo album to the list, but it is with I Love You, Honeybear, that Father John Misty emerges as a truly great and perhaps lasting pop artist. Of course his name isn’t John Misty at all, but Josh Tillman. His lyrics come with a warning, not that I would think many would take harm from listening to his stories of doubt, sexual urges, of falling in love and of sticking to relationships. It is not necessary, however, to glue your ears to the speakers to grasp every word; the songs are small symphonies with a great value even without the lyrics.

Sticking to potential classics from established artists, the Head of Moaning is next. I have never been thrilled by Damien Rice’s whispering, ultra-thin falsetto voice before, and have never liked much his sad and introvert music. Then My Favourite Faded Fantasy comes along, and I am completely taken aback. I know I have used the word classic a lot today, but I have to use it again. Yes, the voice is still there, but it is put to use in a collection of songs that never stop growing on me. Many of the tracks start small and grow into wonderful landscapes of sound. It is hard to label the music, we used to say Damien Rice was a folk singer, but I don’t think so, not any more. This is the music of conviction. He is dethroned as Head of Moaning. I take it back.

Punch Brothers are even harder to label. Stephen Holden called it American country-classical chamber music, and perhaps this is the closest we’ll get to describe what this is. The mix of elements is sometimes bewildering, and I haven’t found more than four tracks that I dare add to the list, but if you like it, there is more of the same on The phosphorescent Blues album. Classic instruments abound on all tracks as well as Chris Thile’s boy band vocals. I like what I hear, it is different, it is surprising and it is fresh.

The most unknown artist in today’s blog is Canadian Travis Bretzer. His music roots, however, go way back, there is a lot of Beach Boys and surfers’ pop in here, reminding me of summer and sun and an uncomplicated life. He has named the debut album Waxing Romantic, a good description of the coating most of these songs have been given. And isn’t it about time to look forward to months with no r’s in the name?

To help develop a genuine summer feeling, I end with English Mark Ronson’s compilation album, Uptown Special. I know you have heard it a lot already if you have a radio, but I reserve the right to occasionally add tracks that followers have run into before, because they are so good, and ask forgiveness for that. This album is a true homage to old-fashioned funk and rhythm & blues. The most famous track, Uptown Funk, featuring Bruno Mars, is perhaps better than most songs it is inspired by. Funk just doesn’t get better than this.

Avi Buffalo, Yes, Larking Poe, Emilie Nicolas, Brian Setzer, Mark Fry, Shovels & Rope, Ally Kerr and Adam Cohen have all decided to leave us for the time being. So be it. Happy Easter, everyone!

The 30 plus songs I am adding this week, all have in common the passion of the chant, whether chanteuses or crooners perform them. The songs all deal with love for the common man – or woman – or a city. Either way, I am sure you will find a number of pleasant surprises among them.

English folk singer Darren Hayman discovered an old pamphlet from the 1880s with lyrics for songs to be sung by socialists. In only two cases did the writer, William Morris, specify a tune, so Darren made up the rest. The album, Chants for Socialists, open this week’s blog list, and even if you’re not a socialist yourself (I’m not), you might be moved by both the poignant, historical lyrics, but also of Hayman’s great new tunes and harmonies.

Ryan Bingham sounds like he has swallowed a broken bottle, and I yearn to give hum a dozen Fisherman’s Friend to alleviate the obvious pain in his throat. Still, it is fascinating to listen to him, there’s a lot of pain in his lyrics, too. No wonder, Bingham has had his share of tragedy: his mother drank herself to death and his father committed suicide. But from pain comes beauty, and his latest album, Fear and Saturday Night, contains a number of beautiful tracks. I have added four of them. Here’s a sneak preview:

More tragedy is at the base of Passing Through, performed by Grace Griffith. The American Celtic singer is suffering from Parkinson’s Disease in a bad way, and the recording of this album is nothing but a heroic endeavour. Most of the songs were recorded a cappella, with orchestration and harmonies added later, and the result is truly beautiful. It should not be a surprise to anyone that Griffith reminds us of Eva Cassidy, both in terms of her fate and in the quality of her voice. Although she has stated this is her very last album, we may all hope that she manages to tame this horrible disease and give us more music like this.

 

On to one of Eastern Europe’s finest voices, according to people who happen to know these things. I have very little experience with many Eastern European singers, but I am enthralled by the voice and music of Amira Medunjanin. Her third album is titled Silk and Stone, slightly misleading since all songs are sung in her mother tongue. Not that it matters; the passion and the emotions shine through the (at least to me) incomprehensible lyrics. Folk music, jazz and pop are all mixed together in this wide-ranging music landscape, very accessible even to Western European ears.

If Amira Medunjanin is a one of the most exciting new Eastern European artists, Maggie Björklund is certainly one of the most exciting Western European. I have listen to her new album, Shaken, more than any other album the last couple of weeks. The Danish chanteuse is also a credible steel guitar player, and the album’s most original and exciting track, Missing at Sea, is all instrumental. There is darkness in both her voice and her lyrics, but I nevertheless find listening to Björklund’s music strangely comforting.

French chanteuse Zaz is another guilty pleasure of mine. Even when she is bad she is good, and after her fabulous debut album she has underperformed. Now she has released a tribute album to the love of her life, the city of Paris. Most of the songs are well known, even slightly worn out, but Zaz manages to add energy to even old hits like Champs Elysées, and to duet partners like Charles Aznavour. Zaz, with her enticing raspy voice, gets my attention every time, and my feet are tapping frantically on all the tracks of Paris. Here’s a little taster to get you in a similar mood – hopefully:

If you’re an avid reader of eclectic magazine New Statesman you may already know that one of the editors is also a singer-songwriter. Yo Zushi is English, but with Japanese genes, not that youhear much of Asia, It Never Entered My Mind  is truly a European folk album. I am not thrilled by all tracks, but four of them stand out. Here is a taster of one of them:

 

The 36 new tracks force out favourites we have enjoyed since September last year: Bahamas, Team Me, Luke Sital-Singh, Sinead O’Connor, Bishop Allen, Parker Millsap, Thea & The Wild and Tina Dico.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aren’t these four great categories of music and not only descriptions of safe bridal wear? Today I am adding samples from seven albums, all recently released, all offering music most of you haven’t been exposed to yet, not because it isn’t great, but because.. well, lets not delve into this, for a broadcaster like me, touchy subject.

This is the third live album from Antony and his band, the Johnsons. I am not particularly fond of concert albums, but I’ll make an exception for Turning, it is touching and it is hard to notice an audience until the very end of each song, and Antony’s fragile, yet strong voice is definitely in the forefront. He toured with this material as far back as in 2006, and now he is reperforming the material with an accompanying film. We will have to do without the latter, but that is just fine.

The Decemberists are back with another album, What a Terrible World What a Beautiful World. The harshness of Colin Meloy’s voice is still there and not much new has happened since their latest great release, The King is Dead, except that all songs are new, some of the equally brilliant. Decemberists sound so folkmusicy and Irish/British, but they are all the way from Oregon. If you haven’t listened to them before, you’re in for a treat if you start going back into their catalogue.

Norwegian Katzenjammer has also released new material, Rockland. I have waited for the definitive album from this all-female group, and I hope and expect this is it, because Katzenjammer deserves an even larger following than they have today, with their foot stomping folkmusicy (I have to patent this word) and happy music. Regrettably I haven’t heard Katzenjammer live, but for my German and American readers there might be opportunities to experience one of the best reviewed live artists in Europe right now or soon. Look it up. In the mean time, listen to Rockland and to the well crafted songs offered.

For obvious reasons I have thought Belle & Sebastian was a Danish duo consisting of two overweight folk singers. This is what such a duo would have been called, believe me – and they would have performed the Danish entry to Eurovision Song Contest. Not so, this band is truly Scottish, and has been recording and performing since 1998. I have listened to them occasionally without really getting into their music, the variety in the genres has made their musical image a bit blurred for me. Their new album Girls in Peactime Want to Dance, is full of fun, irreverence, and looking back as much as forward, with both dance, disco and Abba lurking in the background. I love it, so now I promise to go to Belle & Sebastian’s back catalogue and listen properly, and never take them for Danes ever again.

The last album offering truly new music is the Brooklyn group HAERTS with their self titled debut album. The group met, of all improbable places, on Iceland, although none of the members are Icelandic, rather they carry US, English and German passports. HAERTS had a minor hit with Wings in the US, and the band has received decent reviews for their first album. There is something wonderfully old fashioned about their sound and orchestration, and the songs are good pop songs, with Nini Fabi’s lovely voice in the foreground.

On to the Borrowed category: The American duo She & Him, consisting of Zooey Dechanel and M. Ward, has just released their second album of classic songs, Classics. This is sweet bordering on nauseous, but never making me sick, because it is done with such sincerity and simplicity, and with respect for the songs and the previous performers. I am a great fan of the old masters like Gershwin and Porter, so this suits my taste just fine. I have added the less famous songs to the list, but please go the full album if you enjoy what you hear.

Finally, time to be blue. Pianist Anders Loven went to South Africa and joined forces with sax player Buddy Wells and vocalist Spha Mdlalose to make a beautiful, accessible and international jazz album, Nagijala. The album also includes the title song from Norway’s most popular movie ever, Flåklypa, and suddenly a song I have heard too many times, soars to the sky and gives me a completely new experience, particularly thanks to Wells’ sad and stunning sax.

Leaving us this week is Benjamin Clementine, Dan Clews, Girma Yfrashewa, Got a Girl, Jenny Lewis, John Hiatt, King Creosote, Kodaline, Loundon Wainwright III, Slow Club and Tiken Jah Fakoly. Some of them will be back, I predict.  Until then.. enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No doubt in my mind: 2014 was another magnificent music year. Narrowing the annual Best of-list down to 10 turned out to be impossible; down to 12 was hard enough. Having to leave out Adrian Crowley, Tina Dico, Eliza Doolittle, Family Crest, Mark Fry, Jaymay, Hamilton Leithauser, Emilie Nicolas, Conor Oberst, Martin Stephenson, The Temples, Sharon van Etten and Woman’s Hour (yes, in alphabetical order, no favouritism) feels senseless, since they all released especially well crafted, ground breaking and/or immensely pleasurable albums. So have many other great new and old artists. However, the following twelve have got something truly unique about them, and for me they represent hours of exceptional music pleasure.

Here’s the 2014 countdown, with excerpts of what I wrote about the albums when published. And even though some of the albums were released the year before, it is the year in which I wrote about them that counts, that is fair.

 

12. Lana del Rey – Ultraviolence

”Lana Del Rey is another artist proving that history indeed does repeat itself. She is truly a contemporary artist, but there is no doubt she gets her inspiration from music and artists from previous decades. Her third album, Ultraviolence, is a collection you probably would have run into even without this blog; it debuted at the number one spot on Billboard’s top 100; but a blog with focus on great music with roots needs to add well-known artists as well. So there. ”

 

11. Cherry Ghost – Herd Runners

”Cherry Ghost is an amazing new discovery for me. Their new album, Herd Runners, is among the best of new releases this year. The group from Bolton, England plays pop music shamelessly, borrowing from the best, creating silky arrangements around strong melodies and great performances.”

 

 

10. Annie Lennox – Nostalgia

”Maybe with the exception of Ella Fitzgerald, Annie Lennox is perhaps my favourite singer of all time. There is something about her voice that manages to turn any song into true emotion. A lot of reviewers have given her rough treatment, particularly when she has interpreted other people’s work, but I ignore them and I hope she does, too. Her new album, Nostalgia, is filled to the brim with songs that I love even before she interprets them. ”

 

9. Kacey Musgraves – Same Trailer Different Park

”Last year I publicly converted to Country Music, exploring artists like Caitlin Rose and Guy Clark. That doesn’t mean I have taken up listening to some of the heaviest country artists, but I find myself listening to more and more mainstream Country. One of these artists is Texan country girl Kacey Musgraves (the name alone!), and to try to win over more converts I have added some of her delicious songs from her latest album “Same Trailer Different Park” (the name alone!).”

 

8. Robert Ellis – The Lights From the Chemical Plant

”Robert Ellis has a voice that at times turns me off, and his music is too often taking me into traditional CW land. But this man knows how to tell a story, and I have added six stories for you to enjoy. Ellis is from Texas, and went from bar performer to feted artist from one day to another when American Songwriter’s Magazine named him one of the top songwriters of the year in 2011. His latest album is called The Lights From the Chemical Plant and for country aficionados it must be nothing less than brilliant. For the less orthodox of us, it is still very good, primarily for the cleverness of the stories he is spinning. And it doesn’t hurt that he is covering well Paul Simon’s Still Crazy After All These Years….”

7. Highasakite – Silent Treatment

”…a revisit to another Norwegian band, heavy on the female ingredients. Highasakite, with their new album Silent Treatment. It is already number 1 in the band’s home country, but this is an album that deserves world recognition.  Their sound is so unique, with a lot of echoed percussion and harmonies, and the album has a distinct Eastern influence. I can’t get enough of it.  The song writing and the production are outstanding.  I have added six tracks, if you enjoy them – and don’t already count yourself as a Kite fan, listen to their previous releases as well.”

 

6. Mark Nevin – Beautiful Guitars

”… a new favourite, the Welchman Mark Nevin. It is of course totally unfair to call Nevin new; he was part of Fairground Attraction, but this is the first time I have run into him as a solo artist. This is old fashioned, unpretentious pop with a touch of folk, I am sure it is unfashionable, but I couldn’t care less, I thoroughly enjoy the niceness of Beautiful Guitars. Mark and I share birthday, he is two years younger than I, but I feel kinship nevertheless (more with him than with Fidel Castro who was born on August 13 as well). ”

 

5. Joan as a Policewoman – The Classic

”Her name is Joan Wasser, but she is performing as Joan as Police Woman. She is from Maine and had a tough start in life. One of the many results of American teen pregnancies, she was adopted as an infant. She coped well and prospered, took up the violin and started on a classical eduction. Perhaps this is why she called her new album The Classic – or maybe because she knows it may just turn out to be just that – a classic album. Time will tell. Her songs grow on me every time I listen to them, and she never gives the listener a chance to be bored, as this is happy, varied and high accomplished set of songs.”

 

4. Loundon Wainwright III – I Haven’t Got the Blues (Yet)

”On to another artist I have listened a lot to lately, Loudon Wainwright III. His latest album, I Haven’t Got the Blues (Yet), is filled to the brim with strong, well-written, powerful songs. I urge to listen to the whole album, and I dare you to find one track that isn’t well crafted. Talent runs in the Wainwright family, and I am a great admirer of many members of the clan. This album proves that the best of the all may in fact be Loundon senior. ”

 

3. First Aid Kit – Stay Gold

”The two Swedish sisters in First Aid Kit are about 60 years younger than (John) Mayall. If we are to philosophize over this, it must be to conclude that the audience have 60 years of wonderful music to look forward to. Because First Aid Kit just gets better and better. Their new album, Stay Gold, is nothing short of amazing, both the song writing and the performances. I am normally not fond of harmony singing like this, but Johanna and Klara’s voices are as moulded together. This is just so incredibly beautiful to listen to.”

 

2. Eddie Reader – Vagabond

” On to a national treasure (yes, Scotland is a nation whatever happens in September), Glaswegian Eddi Reader was the sound of Fairground Attraction, with a voice sweeter than honey and more moving than that of Karen Carpenter. After Fairground Attraction she started on a solo career, and also acted in movies, TV and radio for a bit. The albums she made alone were great, but after the 90s, the albums didn’t sell quite as well as before. This is not linked to the quality of her recordings, but it is never a great career move to move into standards land (unless you are Rod Stewart). For the many who appreciate that genre of pop music, like me, Reader’s new album is a must. It is called Vagabond, and I had a harder time than usual to limit the number of tracks that I would like to offer, but ended up with seven lovely songs for your enjoyment.  I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: Scotland (together with Australia) is really at the top of the food chain when it comes to sophisticated pop and rock. Go tell it on the mountains.”

1. Rosanne Cash – The River and the Thread

” Family counts. But talent helps as well. If you have both, like Rosanne Cash, there’s a chance you may stretch a career across four decades – and then reach your peak at the end of those four decades. With The River & The Thread Johnny Cash’ oldest daughter may have done just that. Her new album is almost without faults. Nearly every track lingers in my head long after I have listened to it. What is this? Country, soft rock, pop, folk? Or is Rosanne her own genre? ”

 

 

 

 

 

And here are all albums in a package with a bow (note: a separate playlist from my regular one) :

A final note: Thank you for following, spread the word about the blog and playlist, if you like what you read and hear. And keep sending me your suggestions.

Happy New Music Year everyone. More to come in 2015….

Warmest wishes from Petter.

Record companies seem to believe that we are more prone to spend money on music in November and December. Who knows, maybe we are, even in this time and age of streaming. The result is in any case a wave of releases at the end of every year. 2014 is no exception. I have had a hard time choosing the very best of these. If you reload the blog list in Spotify now, you will find samples from as many as 13 new albums. I suggest you take a few extra days off over Christmas and spend them horizontally listening to great new stuff. You won’t be sorry, I promise.

 

 

There’s a lot of mellow stuff being released these days, but maybe that’s what we need at this time of year. Let’s start with a Canadian group, Stars, out with an album called No One is Lost. Some of the tracks are highly danceable, but I have picked some of the quieter indiepop ones. These are catchy and carefully crafted songs, and the mix of male and female vocals works really well for me. The band has been at it since 2001, but very little has reached the non-Canadian world. Perhaps this will change with this great album. Taster: Stars – From The Night

Similarily, the Irish has kept Adrian Crowley to themselves. I have not heard of him until this month, and I have made a mental Note To Self to listen to his many previous albums and get updated on the music of a great singer. From listening to his new album, Some Blue Morning, images of Leonard Cohen comes to mind, perhaps Richard Hawley as well, none of which lessens the interest in his music. Adrian’s deep, masculine voice, backed up by an equally dark orchestration, creates an eerily beautiful sound. Taster: Adrian Crowley – Trouble

And while we are in this mood, it makes sense to listen to Bell Gardens from California. Their second album, Slow Dawns for Lost Conclusions, glides into your ear like melted butter, sweet, full bodied and melodic. We should be so happy that record companies, in this case Rocket Girl in the UK, go against the flow and release music they must know never will reach any chart, but will excite most mature listeners. Taster:

On to something completely different, Norwegian folk music, or at least music inspired by such; Gjermund Larsen is a young fiddle player and composer, and on his new album Trønderbarokk, he pushes the boundaries of traditional music, working with classical musicians from Trondheimsolistene, creating music in the little known landscape between classical and folk music. The result is really exciting, neither classical nor folk, but a great hybrid. Give it a listen, you may just like it. Taster: Gjermund Larsen – Svingom (feat. Einar Olav Larsen & Trondheimsolistene)

Jaymay’s music has been described as anti-folk, whatever that means. On her new album Jaymay in Norway, there aren’t much reminiscent of folk, I’ll grant her that. However, if you had stripped the songs of the bright orchestrations and given Jaymay a classical guitar, perhaps it would have sounded folksy. Not that it matters, this is melodic, playful and well produced pop, very catchy indeed. There is a self-confidence in Jaymay’s voice that makes the songs stand out when you listen to them. Taster: Jaymay – Orange Peels

On to the oldies-but-very-much-alive-segment, in fact three artists qualify for the category in the updated blog list. I used to love the music of Neil Diamond when I was a teenager. It was not the coolest thing to do at that age, but I bought into his insisting sincerity, particularly when he strayed away from the blandest of songwriting – Song, Song Blue and such – which he frequently did. Diamond is still at it, and his newest album, Melody Road, is simply very good, sounds very much like vintage Neil Diamond, and impeccably produced by Don Was and Jacknife Lee. Taster: Neil Diamond – First Time

Pink Floyd is at it again as well, at least remnants of the group, and although The Endless River lack any of the songs that never leave your head, it is atmospheric rock at its best. I know a lot of reviewers have given the album thumbs down, but whether you are a fan or not, the tracks will grow on you with repeated listening. Most of the album is instrumental, and has an almost classic feel to it in my view. Yes, it may prompt a feeling of being in an elevator, but if you can’t hear the difference between Pink Floyd and muzak, perhaps you should get out of the elevator more often. Taster: Pink Floyd – Side 2, Pt. 4: Anisina

Bob Dylan is not at it again, but a group of other artists has taken on Dylan’s unfinished lyrics from the 1960s and released an album called Lost on the River, under the artist name of The New Basement Tapes. Among the artists are T-Bone Burnett (producing), Elvis Costello and Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons. This is what Dylan would have sounded like if he had worked with other composers instead of composing himself – and hid the lyrics in a chest for 30 years. The result is surprisingly good and varied, not necessarily cohesive, but the variation works well. Taster: The New Basement Tapes – Card Shark

Skinny Dipper’s EP, Masks, is considerably more cohesive. The nine talented Scottish musicians have created a beautiful little album, filled to the brim with strings, brass and wonderfully smooth vocals. I came across the album because I am following the members of last year’s brilliant debut group Quickbeam from Glasgow. It turns out these musicians move around a bit from band to band, so it is not easy to keep up with them. Right now, however, you’ll find two of them in Skinny Dipper, so enjoy it before they move on again. Taster: Skinny Dipper – Son of a Mitch

Country singer Sid Griffin lives in London, but the music is pure Americana. I have lived four years in southeastern Ohio, and Griffin’s music vividly brings to mind the bluegrass of the Midwest, but of a polished and sophisticated variety. No wonder, as Sid Griffin is born and raised in neighbouring state Kentucky. The new album is called The Trick is to Breathe, and ain’t that the truth? Taster: Sid Griffin – Ode To Bobbie Gentry

Two other artists added today also reside in England. Deptford Goth is nothing like the name would suggest, there is nothing goth about these almost hymnlike songs on the album, simply called Songs. Daniel Woolhouse hides behind the name, and is supposedly from a town called Deptford. The orchestration is as broad brushed as Skinny Dipper, and it can easily be mixed with their music, and with Pink Floyd for that matter (which is exactly what you’ll do if you let Spotify shuffle the tracks I have added for you – highly recommended by the way). Taster: Deptford Goth – Relics

Woman’s Hour’s debut EP was part of the blog list last year. Now their album, Conversations, is out, and it has definitely been worth the wait. Take a look at the artwork as well; this group knows how to create a stunning universe around their music. Some of the tracks are almost painfully beautiful; Fiona Burgess’ voice is smoother than Sade’s from the olden days. Taster: Woman’s Hour – Two Sides Of You

I’ll end this blog list – and the year – with a new favourite, the Welchman Mark Nevin. It is of course totally unfair to call Nevin new; he was part of Fairground Attraction, but this is the first time I have run into him as a solo artist. This is old fashioned, unpretentious pop with a touch of folk, I am sure it is unfashionable, but I couldn’t care less, I thoroughly enjoy the niceness of Beautiful Guitars. Mark and I share birthday, he is two years younger than I, but I feel kinship nevertheless (more with him than with Fidel Castro who was born on August 13 as well). Taster: Mark Nevin – Kiteflyer’s Hill

 

So this is it for 2014. I intend to wrap up the year with this year’s best albums, but don’t expect to hear from me again until after Christmas. New songs will be added in 2015. In the meantime, enjoy the 364 songs, less music from Violet Road, ESC, Glen Tilbrook, Dina Minsund, Lily Allen and Brandon Benson that are now officially retired from the list.

 

Have a great Yuletide, music lovers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There’s been a lot of talk about the underrepresentation of female artists in the hit lists. I don’t dispute the arguments, but am bemused by it, because I come across so many excellent female musicians in my search for great music, that I sometimes wonder if it is men that are underrepresented. Today’s blog list additions are definitely an argument in that favour. A number of female artists are worthy of the right to reach your ears, and a few men as well, of course.

 

 

Let’s start with, not one man, but two. The 2 Bears consist of Joe Goddard and Raf Rundell, two Brits that formed the duo in 2009. The music is happy and varied, ranging from indie to electronica and dance, with a sense of fun running as a red thread throughout the tracks. Their second album, The Night is Young, was released a few months back, and I have added four happy songs from it to the blog list. Taster:

To get the men out the way: The multitalented artist and composer Beck has released a peculiar album, Beck Song Reader.In fact, this isn’t really a Back album; he has written a number of songs published as sheet music, and have asked other artists to interpret and record them. I think the result is a bit varied, but mostly good. I have picked songs performed by Bob Forest, Eleanor Friedberger, Juanes, Scott Sparks and one of my favourites this year, Loundon Wainwright III. If you like what you hear, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will find similar songs on the rest of the album. But give it a try. Taster: Loudon Wainwright III – Do We? We Do

Last man out this time is Erlend Øye, better known as half of the duo Kings of Convenience, the group that picked up the relay baton after Simon & Garfunkel. Øye has released a sweet, reggae-dominated album, Legao, produced and recorded in Iceland with the Icelandic band Hjálmar. We are now further away from Paul and Art, but I really like a number of the new songs, elegantly and minimalisticly produced. Taster:

The Canadian band Alvvays (sic) has two women at the front, Molly Rankin on vocals Kerri MacLellan on keyboards, and has a fresh, female sound, if there is such a thing. I am getting a bit tired of the echo/ballroom sound of so many of the contemporary indie bands, but with Alvvays it works well. The songwriting is clearly above average, there are quite a few memorable songs on the Alvvays debut album. Taster:

On to Scandinavia, first stop Sweden and the Swedish-language album Regnet faller utan oss (The Rain Falls Without Us) by Sofia Karlsson. Sofia is originally (and still very much) a folk singer, but has delved into pop music with a much local success. Her songs and voice are worth listening to, independent of genre. Taster: Sofia Karlsson – Dalarna från ovan

In Norway, the homespun diva Marit Larsen has released her fourth solo album, establishing her as the Norwegian pop princess of the last decade. The album is blandly enough called When the Morning Comes. This is an album for the fans, more of the same. That doesn’t have to be as bad as it may sound. Marit Larsen deserves her royal title; she is one of the best pop song writers around regardless of country of origin. Marit was part of the teenie group M2M, and has been a musician since she was a child. That pays off now. Taster: Marit Larsen – Please Don’t Fall For Me

Nina Pedersen is also Norwegian, but has built her jazz career in Italy. If there ever is going to be a prize for building cultural relations between Italy and Norway, Nina should be the second recipient after Henrik Ibsen. She introduced Norwegian folk music to a wide Italian audience with Songs From The Top of the World, and with her new album, So Far So Good, she brings exquisite Italian jazz musicians to Norway. I am bewitched by her lovely voice, and also marvel at the quality of her song writing. Taster: Nina Pedersen – The Moon And I

Maybe with the exception of Ella Fitzgerald, Annie Lennox is perhaps my favourite singer of all time. There is something about her voice that manages to turn any song into true emotion. A lot of reviewers have given her rough treatment, particularly when she has interpreted other people’s work, but I ignore them and I hope she does, too. Her new album, Nostalgia, is filled to the brim with songs that I love even before she interprets them. Taster:

That’s it for this time. Oops, one more thing, to paraphrase a certain inventor, I have added one more song. NRK in Norway is publishing the thriller series “Øyevitne” (Eyewitness) these days, and the title track, Saviour Unknown, is wonderful, performed by Shaun Bartlett. So you see, there ARE a few good male singers around. Taster: Shaun Bartlett – Saviour Unknown

 

 

We’re saying goodbye and au revoir to Ayo, The Belle Brigade, Jeremy Hunter, Joan as a Policewoman, Lucius, Marte Wulff, Morten Harket and Peter Mulvey, but with the additions there are still more than 21 hours of great new music for your enjoyment.