Like the Summer Never Ended

It is time for some updating. Getting around to doing that seems to be way too challenging for me these days. I do think about writing almost all the time. The problem is that I have schoolwork to do and writing extra stuff doesn't feel appropriate very often. I need to relax sometimes too! However, I have also noticed that writing to this blog may be the perfect means of relaxation and therapy.

Anyways, my favorite band from Finland, Lemonator, released a new album on September the 1st. What can I say? They did it again: made the sun shine right when I needed it as the leaves started falling down from trees. The album carries the name Shake, Shake, Shake.. What a good indication of the lightheartedness it represents! It is the band's least rocking album yet but it is just as good as the other albums.

Lemonator is, in fact, one of my dearest and also oldest favorites (if you don't count childhood favorites). This magnificent Helsinki band made its way to my heart in 2003 when I saw the music video for a song called Broken Record on TV. Lemonator had just released a new fourth album Grandpop. I bought it and was instantly very impressed. Now that I think about it, Grandpop was the album that introduced me to power pop as a music style. It was a great introduction because of its great songs, rock & roll edge and capability of also showing the fabulously atmospheric and melancholic gentler sides of the band. In 2010, they are still my favorite Finnish band.

Well, yeah, there was that thing with Tehosekoitin and whether I might like them more than Lemonator. Tehosekoitin is (was) also very, very good.. But I still think Lemonator has the #1 spot in my heart when it comes to the loveliest Finnish bands.

It is easy to fall in love with bands that have made excellent albums - and if they also happen to sound like the Posies and the Beach Boys there is really no escape! So far, Lemonator has only released excellent albums the first being Yellow (1997), a happy, fun, fast-paced and loud album - perfect music anytime when you wish to hear high-energy pop rock (to me that is often...). The second album, Maison Rilax (1998), was a clear response to Yellow's overflowing happiness. Maison Rilax was a slower-paced album that dealt with lost love. The album included more complex song structures and various influences signaling that there was much more to Lemonator than just fun, rampaging rock'n roll. Maison Rilax was an impressive sophomore effort. The biggest hit, however, was yet to follow.

Most Lemonator fans probably consider the third album, The Waltz (2000), as their favorite. I do, too, of course... The Waltz is the culmination of Lemonator's best sides: it has an amazingly heartfelt and comforting mentality, spectacular songs that all have something important to say melodically, emotionally, soundwise and as well as lyrically. The album also shows Lemonator's sense of the dramatic. Even though the album presents a pretty broad variation of themes and moods - quite a few dark or melancholic ones too - the result as a whole is an album so deep, loving and touching that I still regard it as the Finnish Pet Sounds.

Following Grandpop (2003) came out At the Presence of Great Beauty (2006), the fifth album by Lemonator. This album was another really heartfelt effort. It had the heart of The Waltz, the rocking edge of Grandpop and the melancholic shades of Maison Rilax. All this made the album a simply unforgettable listening experience. The song material is gorgeous. Also, the string arrangements are a pretty good match for ELO's best work.

As I said, Shake, Shake, Shake is the latest album. It is lovely, of course it is lovely.. California Fun and I Always Wanted to Be a Drummer are some of the catchiest songs of the year and Hold Me Now is clearly the loveliest song of the year... At least to me.

Thank you Lasse Kurki, Risto Eskolin, Antti Karisalmi, Kelly Ketonen, and Mikko von Hertzen (former drummer). You always make my day!

Lemonator at MySpace

Lemonator website

Tehosekoitin Back on Stage

This summer, one of the biggest names of Finnish 90s/2000s rock has been playing a six-gig series of reunion concerts, five years after the band broke up. Tehosekoitin returned for the first time in Helsinki on June 18th – I was there, of course. A few weeks later, I saw them again at Tammerfest. These gigs were my first and last time to see this awesome, legendary band live, and I wasn’t let down.

The two gigs were both good. The set lists were identical, I think, but there wasn’t after all a reason to alter them. The band played songs from all of their albums, except for the first, which was a bit disappointing. Still, I have to say that this band has a plenty of other good albums and songs as well.. But I would’ve loved to hear Syön sipsejä, or Ulkona.

There was some true rock’n roll fun going on the stage – and groovy dance moves! Otto sang really well and performed all his trademark maneuvers, including releasing his Marc Bolan-esque hair. That was a sight, I can tell… Otto didn’t seem to know what to say between songs during either of the gigs but he did talk, and so did the other guys. In my opinion, even thought it’s music, a gig, a band has to talk to the audience. If I were to find faults in the two gigs I witnessed, I would say I wasn’t completely pleased with the instrument solutions. I was expecting a more rocking sound but it was more keyboard-oriented and included only one electric guitar. However, the keys were really good so it didn’t matter that much. The gig at Tammerfest was a bit better soundwise. The band must have gotten their sound balanced by then.

You don’t often have the luxury of seeing your new favorite broken-up band live. I guess I got lucky - it was really cool. I wish other broken-up bands would do this as well.. Now there’s something more I’m going to blab about. As I was in the middle of this new craze a month or two ago, I of course had to find out some things about my favorites - the important being what these Tehosekoitin heroes have been doing since their old band disbanded. Levy-yhtiö’s forum revealed pretty much everything. Otto, in addition to releasing a poetry book, has been singing in a punk band called God Given Ass. I’m happy to know that Otto has continued with singing activities. He has surely made it to my gallery of favorite singers. Another thing Otto could do is sing on a solo album.

God Given Ass at MySpace

Checking out Tehosekoitin’s albums resulted in the band turning out to be more than just your average straightforward rock’n roll band - in many ways, actually. In addition to being energetic, Tehosekoitin is a true musical blender. Matti Mikkola’s knowledge led Tehosekoitin to record songs in a big variety of styles, everything from jazz to disco, punk to Motown-funk. After Tehosekoitin’s end, Mikkola founded a band called Saimaa.

Saimaa, named after Finland’s largest lake (a very national romantic name – although Mikkola’s Saimaa is not the only band with that name), might be the next big thing in Finland – at least in indie circles. Mikkola has convened a number of Finnish musicians to bring his latest vision to life. Some of the attributes that have been combined to Saimaa are symphonic/progressive rock, showtunes, and schlager. There are only a couple of samples of unfinished recordings at Saimaa’s MySpace but those clips sound really convincing. I’ve listened to them many times. The samples give evidence of big sounds and easy-going feel. Mikkola hasn’t lost his touch. On the contrary, he continues realizing his genius. I can’t wait hearing this music on a full-length album.

Saimaa at MySpace

The Best Day of Summer

As you might have guessed, I wasn't so much liberated from schoolwork after all.. Well, now I'm feeling a lot more free - no deadlines tomorrow.. In order to celebrate the current heatwave and the fact that I don't need to wear woolly socks, here is an awesome summer hit by my newest Finnish mega-favourite Tehosekoitin. This song was released in 1999 on the band's Freak Out! album. It is a song about the best day of the summer. The asphalt is really hot and the mood summery, even though the beautiful girl seems to be (curiously) missing..

Asfaltti polttaa is a perfect song for summer. The arrangement is excellent and has a lot of 60s/70s vibes. You just can't go wrong with those saxophones... This video was filmed at the Mediterranean. More about Tehosekoitin soon.

C’mon Now Baby, Baby C’mon!

I’ve finally managed to cure my SS1/2 addiction. It’s only temporary, I know, but it’s simply awesome to experience something new! You know it, it’s the feeling of discovering a new amazing band.

My new favourite Tehosekoitin comes from Finland, more specifically Lahti (originally). They were a big success in this country from mid-90s to early 2000s. At that time, especially in the late 90s, I was of course only 8-12 years old – way too young to understand the secrets of rock & roll. In the 90s I was listening to something completely different instead of bands that girls throw their panties at (I probably wouldn’t have had a clue why girls threw their underwear at some guys, but now I understand perfectly…). I was aware that there was a band called Tehosekoitin, they had several hit songs (some of which are still played on the radio), I even knew their lead singer was called Otto, and that he had long, curly, reddish hair. What I didn’t know/realize then: their music is fabulous!

I also remember year 2004 when the band broke up. However, I didn’t receive the critical stimulus until a week ago when I heard their song C’mon Baby Yeah for the second time in my life. Yes, it was the second time. The second time was important because it was a night I was spending at a club with my friends, and I thought the music wasn’t very good – too much dull 21st century disco rock. So, when C’mon Baby Yeah filled the air with its rock & roll feeling and incredibly catchy chorus the song became the best song of the evening. A few days later I decided to check out Tehosekoitin’s music. I was immediately faced with a whole variety of different styles (everything from punk to Finnish schlager!) but I liked the stuff. The songs I’d heard somewhere before (on the radio or somewhere else) sounded perfect. It was really nice to finally realize the absolute greatness of songs like Kaikki nuoret tyypit, Valonkantaja, Pillitä Elli pillitä, Hetken tie on kevyt – and Asfaltti polttaa, one of the most absolutely perfect summer songs I’ve ever heard, and it sounds just like The Rubettes.

Tehosekoitin started in the early 1990s as a punk band. Later their musical style was influenced by lots of styles (including psychedelic rock, blues, country, disco, jazz etc) and the songs occasionally had wind instruments and/or big string arrangements. The singing language was Finnish (except on their last album it was English). Most of their lyrics were written by lead singer Otto Grundström, and composing was Matti Mikkola’s job. The first album Rock’n Roll was released in 1994. Their breakthrough hit was C’mon Baby Yeah from their 1997 album Köyhät syntiset. The name Tehosekoitin means blender, since the band wanted a name that would represent speed and energy. The band will play half a dozen festival reunion gigs in Finland this summer. You know who will be there…

In 2002, Tehosekoitin released an album in English under the name The Screamin’ Stukas. The songs were new versions of their hits and other popular songs. The band also apparently toured The Brits and elsewhere in Europe but the success was minor. What a shame! I think they are a lot more interesting band than, say, The Rasmus. Also, the English album, A Lotta Rhythm, is really good. You can say that it’s their greatest hits in English.

I noticed there are no Screamin’ Stukas videos on YouTube (but lots in Finnish). There are, however, some copies of A Lotta Rhythm CD at Amazon, for example. I would be a lot happier if there were Screamin’ Stukas videos on YouTube or MySpace (and English-speaking people would understand the lyrics), but, on the other hand, there are a lot of people who listen to rock music sung in Japanese... I suppose Finnish language is just as exotic as Japanese.

Here are some Tehosekoitin hits and other cool songs, some of which come with music videos.

Asfaltti polttaa
C’mon Baby Yeah (a bit incomplete in the beginning – hear the song in its entirety here)
Kaikki nuoret tyypit
Lentää lentokoneetta
Maailma on sun
Valonkantaja
Hetken tie on kevyt
Syön sipsejä
Fiksu ja kypsä (awesome live TV performance)