20 Personal Egotrippi Favorites

Yes, you guessed it just right. I am planning to write a lot more about Egotrippi but first, here is a list of my favorite Egotrippi songs, a list that practically wrote itself.

Actually, I had already a picked a similar list of favorite Hollies songs before this and decided to do the same with Egotrippi. The Hollies list is coming up later. 

Given that there were eight Egotrippi studio albums and two compilations to pick from, many awesome songs had to be left out. There are no songs from the first album and there is only one song with lead vocals by Knipi – the competition was really tough. I couldn't decide which song was better than which so decided to put the songs in alphabetical order. I included a link to each song, YouTube or other.

1. Aprillipäivä 

Album: Vielä koittaa uusi aika (2006)

This is a very sad song even though some parts of the arrangement sound like a happy fanfare. The song was written by Mikki Kauste who also gives a heartbreaking yet peaceful lead vocal. The song structure is very good, allowing the song to grow and get more intense towards the end, ending with heavenly harmonies that sound like they could have been taken from Teenage Fanclub's repertoire (the Beach Boys could also be a relevant comparison...).

2. Elämä on kaunis

Album: Pilvien alla, maan päällä (2013)

Another song written by Mikki Kauste, this was originally written for the Finnish Idols semi-finalists to sing. The Egotrippi version is surely far superior. It is very beatlesque, and the vocal harmony work especially in the chorus is beyond all perfection and blissfulness. At one point I just kept listening to the harmonies in complete amazement over and over again. I think this is one of the most pleasant song Egotrippi ever has recorded, even though this version has also received some strangely negative feedback. Maybe the message of the song is too positive and optimistic, I wouldn't know.

3. Häälaulu 

Album: Maailmanloppua odotellessa (2008)

In this song written by Knipi the narrator is attending a wedding and in his mind gleefully criticizing everyone in sight, especially the newlywed couple – the marriage is surely bound to fail. The lyrics are probably not to be taken too seriously but the light-heartedness of the lyrics is also a perfect match for the happily sarcastic mood. The arrangement is fantastic: quite beatlesque, and it surely reminds of Jellyfish.

Also check out Irina Björklund's fantastic French-language chanson version of Häälaulu, Ton mariage.

4. Jos sä lähdet pois (If You Leave Me Now)

Album: Moulaa! B-puolia ja harvinaisuuksia (b-side compilation 2001)

I wanted to include one actual cover song (not written by anyone in the band) because this one is simply so great. This Chicago song was originally performed with Finnish lyrics by Pepe Willberg in 1977.

What can I say? I can't resist music like this. In this version there is plenty of energetic mid-tempo power pop melancholy and awesome jangly guitars. Also, rarely has Egotrippi performed music as syrupy as this, which explains a lot of my fascination towards the band's take on the song. Egotrippi was mostly not known for romantic songs at this point. This version was recorded for b-side purposes and probably not many have heard it.

5. Kauppatori

Album: Maailmanloppua odotellessa (2008)

Here we have another piano ballad written by Mikki Kauste. This slightly apocalyptical image of the future was inspired by current environmental issues and global warming. According to Kauste, this song is not at all political even though it practically brings the issue to our backyard. Political or not, the lyrics make it clear that our actions may someday result in some very concrete consequences. The situation begs the question: what kind of devastation does mankind have to face before we change our ways? What would convince you that something must be done before it is too late?

We once again hear some heavenly vocal harmonies. I enjoy the huge interval between the verse and the chorus. Mikki isn't afraid to use his falsetto.

6. Lennokki

Album: Helsinki-Hollola (2000)

It is kind of surprising that my #1 favorite Egotrippi song wasn't written by either of the band's main songwriters, Knipi or Mikki Kauste. Lennokki is always introduced as lead guitarist Skele's composition – it is the only one he has written for the band (that I know of). The lyrics are Mikki's handiwork and represent his poetic side at its best, truly serene and fascinating words, I think! The overall sound is big, and there is also a very emotional chorus and a dramatic guitar solo. Everything about this song is loveable. I just feel safe and peaceful listening to this.

7. Lydia

Album: Superego (1997)

Superego is certainly Egotrippi's funkiest album. Some of that funkiness is present even in this wistful song about lost love, or perhaps it is about unrequited love towards a woman who doesn't even exist. Despite being a rather sad song, the melody is also very uplifting. Lydia was released as a single and is favored by many fans but for some reason the band is unwilling to perform the song anymore.

8. Matkustaja 

Album: 20 Suosikkia (greatest hits, 2004)

Here we have Egotrippi's most popular and famous song. Originally left away from the album of the same name, Matkustaja was re-recorded for Egotrippi's greatest hits album 20 Suosikkia. The song indicated that Egotrippi had indeed taken a step from power pop towards folk rock. Matkustaja is very radio friendly and was played on Finnish radio more times than any other domestic song in 2004. When the song came out I went to buy the single – something I haven't done very many times... And I surely listened to it even though you could hear the song just anywhere and on almost any radio channel.

According to producer Lasse Kurki, Egotrippi was reluctant to include strings in their music at this time despite the fact that audiences surely embraced the end result. In fact, Matkustaja does sound fantastic also when performed live without the string arrangement. The acoustic version performed by composer Knipi on his tour with Matti Johannes Koivu makes me wonder if those certain small but extremely memorable melodic hooks sung by Mikki were even included in Knipi's original vision of the song.

9. Miten vaan

Album: Pilvien alla, maan päällä (2013)

This song was changed in many ways when Egotrippi created their own version. Originally Knipi gave this to Jonna Tervomaa and it was released on her second album Neljä seinää in considerably slower tempo. The Egotrippi version has a whole different structure, it is more energetic and while it preserves the bittersweetness of the theme (a nasty break-up) I find Knipi's vocal rendition and the overall ambiance mysteriously hypnotic and comforting. The hypnotic effect even increases towards the end. Something really magical was captured in this version!

10. Näkymätön

Album: Pilvien alla, maan päällä (2013)

Näkymätön is another song that was originally recorded by Jonna Tervomaa who also wrote the fantastic lyrics about feeling cut off from the outside world. The lyrics are really easy to relate to. Compared to the “original” version, Egotrippi's take is more grandiose. This song is a prime example of how some of Mikki's compositions end up sounding really dreamlike and in that way almost psychedelic – especially when they are arranged just right. Näkymätön is an incredible song, a true classic.

11. Onneton

Album: Matkustaja (2003)

Talk about hypnotic! This mostly acoustic song was recorded using only the things that could be found at producer Lasse Kurki's home. The result is lots of vocal echo, using a piano pedal and a Nick Drake vinyl box as percussion (!) and other cool things. This is another extremely bittersweet break-up song – maybe not even bittersweet, just plain bitter, as well as very dark and almost oppressive. A slower version of the song, released on the Matkustaja CD single (re-named Onnellinen, not to be confused with Mikki's solo song of the same name!), practically sounds like acoustic doom metal or something. Despite all, somehow I think Onneton is always really nice to listen to. Mikki's mesmerizing vocals are a huge part of the magic, and the arrangement surely is haunting!

12. Poika kalpea

Album: Alter Ego (1998)

Now, time for something lighter (maybe?). Even though Alter Ego was a relatively heavy album it had room for some tongue-in-cheek material as well. Poika kalpea is an extremely catchy, jangly song about a pale nerdy guy on the beach, accompanied by Beach Boys harmony vocals. Even though this sounds like a really happy song, the lyrics lead to a whole different conclusion. “Girls only smile at pretty guys – I could just blow up everything and go home!” I guess the tongue-in-cheek element here is quite superficial.

13. Rakkaani

Album: Vielä koittaa uusi aika (2006)

Many songs on Matkustaja album were really melancholic and sad, even though there surely were some happier moment as well. On the next album (Vielä koittaa uusi aika) Egotrippi decided to focus primarily on comforting sounds and themes. Rakkaani is a perfect example of this: a song about the beauty of a person offering emotional support to another person. I think the first comparison that comes to mind is surely You Still Believe in Me by the Beach Boys. These two songs share a similar melancholy while being extremely heartfelt and comforting.

14. Sininen 

Album: Matkustaja (2003)

This song was probably the first clear indication of Mikki Kauste's fascination towards the Slavic melancholy of schlager music. The arrangement sounds to me like a crossover between schlager and pop-rock. I think it does sound great even though producer Lasse Kurki has stated that this isn't the final mix he wanted to have released. Sininen is certainly one of Egotrippi's most dramatic songs, and I think Mikki's vocals are some of his best I have ever heard.

15. Sinä 

Album: Helsinki-Hollola (2000)

Representing the huge power pop guitar sounds of the Helsinki-Hollola album, Sinä is an absolutely exhilarating rocker written by Mikki Kauste. Sinä is a perfect opening song, clearly representing the sarcastic section of the album. I guess a lot of the fun emanates from the fact that we all know at least one person described in the lyrics – a really superficial person, that is. All in all, this is a superb song. The chord structure is amazing, the song structure is extremely well-built and there is, in fact, also clearly some melancholic schlager quality in the melody.

16. Suklaasydän

Album: Alter Ego (1998)

In my mind Egotrippi has never been very eager to write and sing wistful love songs but here we have one of the sort, written by Knipi. On the same album there were actually even a couple of other love songs as well, the most popular being Posteljooni (which I didn't pick for this list). Suklaasydän is my favorite because of the charming atmosphere. The song narrator mourns for lost love but is also happy to have collected such wonderful memories. This song is a real power ballad. You have to love the warm analogue sound the band was relying on at this time.

17. Toisinaan

Album: Matkustaja (2003)

When I first heard this as a sensitive teenager, I thought this was really scary. Toisinaan does sound ghostly and gloomy but also uplifting. If I had to choose Egotrippi's gloomiest song, this would probably be it. However, there is much more to this song than gloominess. Toisinaan captures nothing less than one of life's biggest philosophical dilemmas. When you think about it, not too many years before the release of this song these guys were singing about “Se on tosi jees”. I bet no one saw this song coming.

I seem to favor many of Egotrippi's darkest, saddest songs. I do, because they are so good and memorable. This is of course not to say that gloominess is superior to joyfulness. I guess when it comes to Egotrippi I appreciate the opposites. Besides, I remember once hearing someone say that joy is one of the deepest human emotions, and that sounds quite plausible to me.

18. Yksinäisyys 

Album: Vielä koittaa uusi aika (2006)

You might say I didn't fully discover the beauty of this song until year 2013 even though I heard it already back in 2006. Now Yksinäisyys has become a huge favorite that I love to listen to for instance right before going to sleep, to give a peaceful feeling. Yksinäisyys is one of Egotrippi's most uplifting and comforting songs and it might also give your soul some peace.

19. Ympyrä

Album: Superego (1997)

Ympyrä was released years before Yksinäisyys but the spirit is actually very similar: peaceful, soothing, and a bit melancholic. Ympyrä is probably everyone's favorite because it is simply a magical song. You can't really describe it, you have to hear it. The song has a very nice guitar solo and a beautiful cello arrangement at the end.

20. Älä koskaan ikinä 

Album: Matkustaja (2003)

This song is an obvious choice. Despite being partially very much influenced by a certain Procol Harum song, Älä koskaan ikinä is not only part of the Finnish pop classics repertoire but also still a really spellbinding song with its perfectly compressed power pop sound and catchy rhythm. The lyrics have been criticized for being silly but I think there is nothing wrong with being silly from time to time. It is indeed fascinating to think that even though the song sounds flowing and natural the recording process was extremely long and difficult.

Best of 2010 - Part One

This is not a real year end top list. This is just a small non-numbered list of 2010 releases that I have enjoyed a lot. I am really slow when it comes to new releases. Therefore it might actually be more useful for me to write a best of 2009 list but that would be obsolete now.. So, here we go:

The Posies: Blood/Candy

A beautiful album by one of my very favorite bands. Gosh, I wasn't sure at all that they actually hadn't broken up – again.. Even though there aren't that many distorted guitar sounds, there is plenty of rock on this album, I think. Yes, the overall sound is at its cleanest since Dear 23 (which is actually probably my #2 favorite album from the Posies!) but does it really matter if the songwriting is absolutely superb? Blood/Candy is an album that doesn't wear out even with intensive, repeated listening.

Lemonator: Shake, Shake, Shake

A WONDERFUL album by dear, dear Lemos! Also my favorite band from Finland had been causing me to worry a bit if it was still around at all.. Relief came in the form of Shake, Shake, Shake: a fresh addition to the absolute high-quality Lemonator discography, and a very well balanced album. Shake, Shake, Shake can be seen as the first clearly ”happy” album since the debut effort Yellow (1997) but anyone who has paid attention to the band's music as a whole knows that Lemonator's music always comes with a dash of wistfulness. Sometimes the very Brian Wilsonesque melancholy remains hidden but it is still there – creating a big part of the magic.

Teenage Fanclub: Shadows

An album that I ignored at first (even though I had puchased it..). Then I received the gospel of Teenage Fanclub alive in front of me and I was made a whole new TFC fan! I ended up becoming a worshipper of Songs from Northern Britain rather than the new one but Shadows is a real beauty, of course. It was actually the songs from the new album that appealed to me the most in the live situation. Just like with Blood/Candy, one of the things that especially make me happy, is that TFC is also still going strong and maintaining its identity as the most cosy and charming power pop-related band of the planet.

The Apples in Stereo: Travellers in Space and Time

Yippee! The Apples made it: a more compact album than the previous one (New Magnetic Wonder) with the same lovely futuristic pop elements. The number of songs could have been smaller but I don't mind the album being the way it is either. Travellers in Space and Time is a cheerful, exciting, and fresh album that weaves some electronic dance music into power pop as if it was the most everyday thing.. The songs are catchy, and Robert Schneider sounds like a candy bar. That's the way it's done, friends!

Teenage Fanclub Live – Larger Than Life

My musical relationship to Teenage Fanclub has been renewed. I feel like a whole new TFC fan – a lot more devoted one. More deeply charmed by the magic of the Bellshill Beach Boys than ever!

It is such an amazing thing to get Teenage Fanclub to Finland only a few weeks after the Posies paid a visit to this distant land. It is a real privilege... Besides, it never ceases to amaze me to actually see other people – lots of people – coming to see bands that I like really much. It is not all that common for me, you know... I have seen near-deserted clubs so many times. Although it is very difficult to be certain of it, experiences like witnessing one's favorite band with hundreds of other people might have some unexpected, positive effects on one's subconscious. I like to think that it does.

After traveling to Helsinki by train, arriving at Nosturi, and listening to Finnish warm-up act Delay Trees play a nice set, it was inevitable that I was going to see one of my all-time biggest favorites alive in front of me – for the first time.


Soon the gig started. There they were... Norman Blake, the most talkative guy, rhythm guitarist, a sort of lead character who was smiling sunnily almost all the time. Raymond McGinley, the absolutely sympathetic guy on the left who delighted the audience with his riffs and guitar solos. Gerry Love, the more serious-looking bass player, but still the sweetest-sounding guy of the entire band. Drummer Francis Macdonald, the current provider of the loveable TFC beats. Keyboardist/guitarist, multi-instrumentalist David McGowan. Together these guys made the Teenage Fanclub experience come alive.

It was amazing to see these people and what they look like while playing these songs. I have always thought that TFC has its very own special style that I respect deeply... Seeing TFC live felt almost like a pilgrimage, with the difference that the band came to Finland, instead of me going abroad to see the band.

The first song was Start Again. I was very impressed: only Norman and Gerry were singing but the sound was incredibly rich... Bang! The huge vocal talent of TFC suddenly became so clear to me that it was quite overwhelming. What an unforgettable moment! The current TFC line-up includes five guys, all of whom sing harmony vocals. Luckily most of the gig was very well mixed and the harmonies could be heard quite nicely.


Some of the most wonderful songs of the set were Sweet Days Waiting and When I Still Have Thee – both were songs from the new album (Shadows) and really fresh and new to me, who hadn't listened to them very much yet... I was also very charmed by I Need Direction, I Don't Want Control of You, It's All in My Mind, Verisimilitude, Don't Look Back, Sparky's Dream, and all the other classics! The gig was concluded with a great version of Everything Flows, as usual.

The warm atmosphere during the gig was, after all, just the beginning... During the next days after the gig I listened to a lot of TFC, mostly Songs from Northern Britain, and also other albums... I felt things I hadn't felt before this much: new, wonderful, warm feelings, as well as understanding. When I started listening to TFC years ago, I was generally quite new to pop/rock music.. or any kind of music. Since then I have introduced myself to many different types of music and therefore it is now much easier to see TFC in the context of power pop, or pop, rock, or any other music in general. Now I understand why some people regard TFC as the best pop band in the world. The people who don't appreciate TFC much... They just haven't been enlightened yet!

By the way... How I have missed listening to sweet power pop! I looked at my mp3 player and noticed there were practically only about ten power pop bands there. That is not much for a person like me, you know... Moments like this remind me of the fact that even though I don't wish to consider any specific music genres/styles better than others, I do like to amuse myself by placing sweet power pop above everything else. In a way I really think about power pop as my favorite music attribute. There is something very special about the combination of those features that tend to be present in the music called “power pop” by many people. Power pop often is sweet... I like sweet vocalists, most definitely I like sweet-sounding guys, who play sweet music with sweet sounds. I want more sweet guys into my life!

What a speech... Also, this might not really be the end of the subject ”TFC and me”. So, beware!

Another Dream Come True

Nononononononono. I'm NOT talking about the very unfortunate and sad demise of Not Lame. This record company will be dearly missed. Thanks for everything, Bruce! I look forward to the new Pop Geek Heaven site.

What I wish to say is that Teenage Fanclub, the heroes of jangly, cozy and warm, extremely charming (power) pop, are playing live in Helsinki, Finland, tomorrow. I will be there, of course. I haven't seen the Fannies before, so I am really excited!

These Scottish popsters were among the very first power pop bands I ever listened to. You could say they are an old favorite of mine, although there most definitely are loads of people who have followed the band much longer than me.

I have paid so little attention the latest Fannies album Shadows (2010) that I really feel embarrassed. I purchased the album when it came out but somehow it got lost when I was in the middle of some another 70s hard rock craze... Fortunately it's never too late to go back to being a big Teenage Fanclub fan again!

In any case, Shadows is a really beautiful album... Sweet songs, peaceful feel, and definitely a lovely atmosphere! Soundwise it is like Man-Made (2005) with everything made sound even better. Some people were not happy with the sounds on Man-Made but I am sure they don't have anything bad to say about Shadows. I LOVE Man-Made – the sounds, too.

Well... I am not going to start analysing this band and my experiences with it any further now. I might do that after the gig.

Some really good stuff from 1997:

TFC at MySpace

TFC website

The Band They Couldn't Hang

Yes, “The band they couldn’t hang” still seems to be the catchphrase of Finnish indie pop act Red Carpet even though they called it quits in the end of year 2007. I myself witnessed their lovely goodbye gig in Helsinki on November 28th. All in all, I saw the band about five times and it was always such a thrill to hear those beautiful melodies and harmonies.

During its existence, Red Carpet brought two fine pop albums to the world: Halfway (2003) and The Noise of Red Carpet (2005). I’ve especially concentrated on the latter, and it really is a solid album of melancholic, gentle, uplifting, and charming guitar pop. The band's music has been compared to Teenage Fanclub, Buffalo Springfield, CSNY and Simon & Garfunkel, for example.

Why I actually decided to write about Red Carpet was that I noticed they have quite many songs at Last.fm – and they’re free downloads! So, go there and hear the absolutely fabulous and gentle songs Blood Sweat and Tears, When You Sing, Golden Days, Reminder, and the amazing baroque pop beauty of Sigh. Sigh, indeed... And don’t forget to listen to the oh-so-lovely song about every 9-year-old boy’s favorite moment, My First Goal! All these songs are from The Noise of Red Carpet album.

Also go to their MySpace, you’ll find a couple of other tracks there, including a cover of Finnish electropop duo Viola’s Sad Eyed Disco Dancers, and a song from their farewell CD single The Band They Couldn't Hang (2007), a song called Death of a Band.

Red Carpet band members have continued making music in other projects. Veli Kauppinen has a project called Tolbiac, and Petri Nakari makes sweet pop tunes as The Wonderminers. It’s really great that such talented guys keep up the good work, even though Red Carpet is no longer among us.

Red Carpet at Last.fm (free downloads)
Red Carpet at MySpace
Tolbiac at MySpace
The Wonderminers at MySpace