Bel Vel, aka Jussu Pöyhönen, introduces himself as a crooner with one foot in americana and the other in alternative pop. Such combination results in elegantly crafted songs. For Bel Vel’s newest song, Motion, artist Leevi Lehtinen has created a beautiful video that seems to place the band in a little music box in your bedroom.
From the deepest of the Finnish indie nation (that is Helsinki neighborhood Kallio) comes one-man electronic band The Glass Mountain. The man behind it, Mika Mäkilaakso, has already released the first three home recordings, which combine guitars, old fashioned synths and pleasant pop melodies to create a weird retro futuristic feeling. More songs and live gigs are expected later in the year.
It’s the 15th of the month and that means that we present a new edition of the world greatest mixtape. This month we welcome blogs from India and Estonia, making 39 of us. The amazing psychedelic folk/drone of Hexvessel represents Finland this month before hearing to the SXSW festival in March.
You can download now the first issue of Encore, a new series of interviews with the coolest Finnish bands and artists.
The first issue is dedicated to the great Big Wave Riders, and it includes great band photos by June, of the Alice & June blog.
Anni Mattila, or just Anni, has been working hard on her debut EP and now you can hear the first taste of it below. Such a great work is really paying off as Where I belong is beautifully arranged and performed song. It is like Norah Jones without the yawns, and with a Scandinavian pop twist. Starting with playful jazzy piano notes backed by a solid acoustic bass, the song incorporates a string quartet while Anni delivers an impressive pop vocal performance. But it’s in the final coda, when the song reaches its climax, where you can really appreciate all the passion and effort poured into this recording.
The EP Water Lilies is to be release on 13 February, just on time for Valentine’s Day gift.