I had an impromptu mini-vacay last week. I had a business trip down to Xiamen on Friday and the plan was to go down in the morning and back in the evening. Actually, I wanted to go on Thursday night so I could eat these noodles I love, but then my friend Julia was in town and it was her last night so I didn't. But anyway, I got stuck down there, and leaving Thursday would not have made a difference. Shanghai had crazy rain and thunder and lightning, and apparently over 600 flights were cancelled or redirected. Including 2 I was scheduled to be on. But then I finally got onto a late night flight, leaving at 9pm. Which kept getting delayed. So once it got delayed for the 3rd time, with an estimated departure at 12:30, I decided to wait until the next day. Which meant I couldn't leave before 3pm, because everyone who was on the cancelled flights Friday was trying to get onto other flights.
Anyway, long story short, I got stuck overnight. So I just booked a nice hotel with an ocean view and ate a bunch of the noodles I love. Also, since I had Saturday morning there, I did a bit of exploring. First, I went to this temple with a big mountain behind it that I climbed up for a view of the city, and then I went to Xiamen's art district, called Shapowei. It doesn't seem to actually be an art district, but it does have some pretty awesome shops and restaurants. All of which were closed even though they were supposed to be open. But despite that, I thought the place was super cool and I want to go when it's actually open. Also, I bought myself a bunch of clothes because I didn't take anything so why the hell not? I needed some, but I bought more than some. But whatever, it was fine. So in the end, it turned out to be really nice! And anyway, I've always liked Xiamen. That city's got a great vibe, really chill and tropical. And the delicious noodles definitely help.
While I was there I was listening to this woman Laura Misch, who is the sister of Tom Misch, who I wrote about a few years ago and thought I wrote about again this year, but apparently haven't. Well, Tom Misch finally released his official debut album called Geography, which is exactly what you'd expect of him. Really great, pretty chill R&B. And, as usual, he's collaborated with LoyleCarner on my favorite song from the album, Water Baby. All in all, a great debut. Maybe not up to the level that I expected, but solid.
And as it turns out, he has a sister named Laura who also makes music. And she plays the saxophone. She put out her own little album called Carnival last year, which I never knew about. But then I heard this song Lagoon, which is a new single, and which is really great. Not at all like what her brother does, but also great. Talented family, those Misches.
I originally thought I was going to share two Laura Misch songs with you. I thought I was going to share this song Twin Peaks. But turns out it isn't Laura Misch. It just sounded similar to her previous LP, and I had put it into a playlist right after her. It's actually by SaintSister, who apparently I have heard a bunch of songs by but never written about because their other songs are just ok. But this one I like, even if I'm not a Twin Peaks fan myself. So I know nothing about them because I never cared enough to look it up, and then didn't even realize this song was by them. So enjoy listening and knowing nothing else.
So yesterday was my birthday. I didn't really plan anything. I just wasn't feeling it. I'm usually big on birthdays, but this year I kind of don't care. Not sure what changed, but that's how it is. But my sister is here and she wanted to plan something for me. She had to plan it today, though, not yesterday, because she's working in a gym and had to work last night after her day job. I have no idea what she has planned for tonight, but she's planned it together with my friend Julia, which does have me slightly concerned they will do something ridiculous. Because put those two together... But we'll see. I'll report back next time.
In my mind, my celebration was last Sunday. Except it wasn't a celebration per-se. Iron & Wine was in town and had a concert on Sunday night, so that was my birthday celebration. Hanna came along, as did my friend Eddie and a couple of his friends, but nobody else. We did tell people about it, but I didn't publicize too much. It seems a bit weird to be like "hey guys, come do this thing for my birthday that's going to be quiet and in the dark and we aren't going to talk to each other." Doesn't sound like the most fun. Maybe if it was a more fun concert I would have publicized more. But I didn't. And actually I didn't care, because I was just so happy that Iron & Wine was coming. Honestly, when I saw the tickets go on sale, I was wondering if it was a mistake. The entire time leading up to the concert, I was sure it would get cancelled. I mean, it's Iron & Wine. What the hell was he doing in China? It made no sense. But then he was here, and it was beautiful and wonderful and amazing. And he brought a full band (I thought it might just be him, which would make a very quiet and calm concert) which made it much more lively and wonderful. And he played songs from his entire career. I thought he'd maybe only do Beast Epic, the new album from last year. But no. He went all the way back to Jesus The Mexican Boy and Bird Stealing Bread and Passing Afternoon, from his earliest EPs and albums in the early 2000s. It was so good. He did change up a bunch of songs, which I also usually appreciate, but when he did it to one of my favorites (Boy With A Coin) I kind of wished he hadn't. I love that song, and this being the only time I've seen him live, I wanted it the way it should have been. But I guess it's a good thing he changes it up live. And he was talkative and funny. I would have expected him to be completely silent and just say thank you a few times. But not at all. So all expectations were exceeded. It was great. And he did also do a few solo songs in the middle of the set before bringing the full band back in. That section ended with Passing Afternoon, which is a beautiful song, and which was even better live with the full band (and which I am playing for you today). It was the best song of the whole night, in fact. And from there, he went right into Call It Dreaming, which is the best song off Beast Epic and was the second best song of the night. It was so good! I was very happy. It made for an excellent birthday celebration.
As for the actual birthday, it was a great day, despite having not done very much. It started with going to work as usual, but I found a 100 RMB fapiao in the subway. For those of you who don't know, fapiao are official tax invoices in China, which can be used to make tax-free claims. So it was basically as good as finding money. Then I had a nice day at work without being too busy. Then I went home and Hanna bought me cake. Then I went to yoga, which I usually do on Tuesdays, but my instructor knew it was my birthday so she asked if I wanted to hear anything special or work on anything special, so we did a few back twists. I didn't have any music requests, though, cause she's got great music taste (it's a big part of why I only do yoga with her), so I just left it up to her. And she finished off the class with another beautiful and chilled out song, called Valentine Virus Par II (Ode to Prod) by Royce Wood Junior. It's pretty old, seems to be off his first EP Rover, from back in 2014. He has one album, which has a couple good tracks, but anyway this song is by far his best so you get to listen to it today.
So it was yoga, then dinner, then cupcakes, then bed. Very relaxed day, but very good day. And today, we actually celebrate. So I'll let you know how that goes.
I've spent the week in Malaysia so far this week, which, as usual, has been pretty uneventful. I never do anything there, cause I don't know anyone and stay way far away from Kuala Lumpur. So I watch lots of TV and movies. Or in this specific case, Netflix comedy specials since I have access to Netflix. The new one from Ali Wong is pretty solid. You should watch it, too.
But anyway, music. Today is all about solo projects. The first of said solo projects is TT, which is a solo project of Theresa Wayman, who is one of the members of Warpaint, which is one of my favorite bands. This is the second side project I'm aware of, after jennylee's 2015 solo album. She's got 3 singles out so far, but her album, LoveLaws, is out tomorrow. Most of the singles are pretty Warpainty, which is great, and today I'm sharing The Dream with you.
Then there's La Force. This is Ariel Engle, the newest member of Broken Social Scene, another one of my favorite bands. She just joined last year for their newest album Hug Of Thunder, and actually did the vocals on my favorite track Stay Happy (one of my favorite tracks of 2017, actually), and also Gonna Get Better, which I love. So now, just like every other member of Broken Social Scene, she is doing a side project as a solo artist and calling herself La Force. The first single, You Amaze Me, just came out a few days ago, and it's a great one. Also pretty Broken Social Sceney, which, again, is a great thing.
And lastly we've got Hindu. She is a new artist, but she is not a spin-off of any other band. She's just doing her own thing. Literally. Hindu is the brainchild of Ukrainian singer Tania Iankovska, who decided to start a "band" by herself and see just what she could do while eschewing the traditional concept of a "band." Meaning she's a solo artist who does everything herself and doesn't want to work with anyone else. But she's doing a pretty good job so far. I just heard her new song Gorgeous yesterday, and it immediately reminded me of Grimes. Which is also a great thing (at least Art Angels Grimes is a great thing, pre-Art Angels Grimes was pretty hit or miss for me). She's got a couple other singles, which are also pretty great, and an older EP which is more watered down but has the potential to be as great as the newer singles. I think she probably got shinier toys and things to work with after that first EP though, since she got signed to some small record label and moved to London. But yeah, this is a great start for a new artist.
For some reason (probably because I'm at work), I just had the urge to start this blog post with "Dear Colleagues." Weird, right? Actually I always feel like that's a really weird way to start an email also. Maybe it's just like formal German style, and working for a German company (and never having worked for an American company) it's all I know and I think it's a weird German thing. Or is it American also? I doubt it. Who knows.
Anyway, Dear Readers. I am at work. It is Friday afternoon. I have been mildly busy today. And all week for that matter. I got to go to Hong Kong for the night this week, which was nice because I a) didn't have to come to the office, and b) got to go see Shuk-Wah who took me to a concert. So those were the good times.
Also I have not been sleeping. Ever since I got back from Europe it's been really bad. I never really get jetlagged, I'll maybe have like a day or max 2 days where I wake up at like 5am after I arrive. But this time, I have been up between 3:30 and 5:30 every day until Thursday morning. That's like a week of this shit. It is insane. I have had like 5 hours of sleep a night, and not because I'm out doing anything fun. I am going to bed early. But I can't sleep. It's very annoying. It's starting to get better now, finally, so hopefully it's all uphill from here. We'll see. I'll be in Singapore and Malaysia next week, which should also mean I don't have to get up super early for work and will maybe help as well. Who knows.
In the meantime, let's catch up on some fun music. Most of this is music I've shared in the past. Well, artists I have. Starting with Brazilian Girls. We all (meaning me and the 2 of you who read my blog on a normal basis) know I love them. We all (see previous note) know they have been working on their first album in like 10 years, called Let's Make Love. And now it is here. And it is an excellent album, but there is one song in particular that is super excellent, and that song is Balla Balla. I swear every time I'm walking down the street and I hear it I get a little bounce in my step and it is difficult not to break out into full dance. The only thing holding me back is shame and embarrassment. Powerful forces, those. But put this on at home, or in a place where dancing in public is appropriate, or in a place where it's not while you're drunk, and I dare you not to dance.
Sticking with the dancy sounds, it's Sofi Tukker. They also put out their debut album, Treehouse, just a few weeks ago, and it is a fun one. Which is exactly what you should have expected considering the music they were putting out previously. And the opening track, Fuck They, is probably my favorite. Super weird video, though. But great song. I was just thinking while listening to the album yesterday that they would be super fun to see live. I have a couple friends who have sen them, and have been told that my thinking is not wrong.
And then we move on to the chill dance music, compliments of Shelter Point. They are a UK band who I just found out about thanks to the track Feel, off of their newest EP, also called Feel. Apparently they were touring as support for Jack Garratt, who is also pretty great.
So I'm supposed to tell you about Japan, I think, but I'm going to skip ahead to Scandinavia. Well, technically not Scandinavia, I learned today. Apparently, Scandinavia officially only refers to Sweden, Norway and Denmark, the 3 countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula, but it is often also used to refer to the region plus Finland and Iceland. So I was technically in Scandinavia, cause I did spend one night in Stockholm, but the trip was centered around Finland. Get ready, cause I'm on a 3 hour layover which has now become a 5 hour layover due to a delay, so this may be long. Or just skip to the music at the end. Either way.
Anyway, from Germany I was planning to go to Helsinki and visit my friends Lie and Sanna, who just moved back from Singapore. I was talking to my friend Mathias, who lives in Stockholm, and invited him to join. He had quit his job, and as it turned out the first day of my trip was the last day of his job. So he convinced me to fly up to Stockholm for the night first, and then take an overnight boat to Helsinki from there. Who can say no to that? So I flew to Stockholm for a Friday evening with perfect weather, which we then spent outside drinking on the terrace with some of Mathias's ex-colleagues. After that, we had dinner at a nice restaurant to celebrate Mathias's freedom, then a drink at one of the top 50 bars in the world, which is around the corner from Mathias's house. Whenever we used to hang out when he was living in Shanghai, we often end up back at my apartment just listening to new music and talking, which is what we did this time too, but at his apartment for the first time.
Saturday morning the weather stuck with us, so we went for walk for a couple hours around town, then Mathias had to pack up before we got on the boat since he was moving out that day also. So it was walk, pack, kebab pizza (maybe Scandinavia's best contribution to the planet, and I haven't even had the one where they make it with french fries on the pizza. Right? That in and of itself is enough reason to visit Sweden.), coffee and people watching, and then a boat ride. And boy, was it a boat ride. I had asked the other Swedes I met about it, and was told by literally everyone that it was just a party on the ocean full of Finnish white trash. And that is exactly what it turned out to be. Now just to be clear, this is like a proper cruise ship I'm talking about, not just any boat. 12 stories tall, with night clubs, casinos, restaurants, bars, a duty-free shop - everything. We got on the boat around 4:30 then went up to the deck to have a beer and watch the scenery as we sailed through. While we were having out first beer of the evening, a very friendly, very drunk Finnish man (who I will call Dave because he had the name Dave embroidered on his jacket) came to talk to us. He was not very good at English, but he did his best to drunkenly tell us all about his favorite sports, all his tattoos (and even some he doesn't have yet but wants), and how most Finns don't like Swedes (which Mathias confirmed is true, the two have a US/Canada style rivalry) but he does. It was a great time. Dave's bravery in speaking to the foreigners in poor English emboldened another nice Finnish man who could barely speak any English, so instead he sang us My Heart Will Go On from Titanic. It was a beautiful moment which I wish I got on video, but which will live on in my heart forever. All this before 6pm, and before finishing even 2 beers. Although they had all managed to finish much, much more. It was also Mathias's 10,000th day on the planet, so we also went to buy champagne only to spray off the deck for a good Instagram post (although there was enough left for us to drink as well). The drinking continued into dinner, and then after dinner at the night club, where they had an entire Vegas style dance show and live band playing all night. We met a woman and her mother headed back to Finland, so we spent a while with them. I got to dance with the 60 year old mother while Mathias got to have his ass grabbed by the daughter. I definitely think I won that round. And then, of course, more drunk Finns making friends with us until 2am when we finally went to sleep for like 4 hours.
All this and we hadn't even made it to Finland! But that's ok, cause then we did make it to Finland where we spent half our trip recovering and the other half drinking more. The first day was recovery. We did take a walk for a couple hours after napping, then went to the sauna and took another nap, and then went to a great Finnish restaurant for dinner (it's called Sea Horse. Check it out if you go) before going to sleep earlyish, cause the next two days were the real reason to be there. May 1 is International Labor Day, and a public holiday in many countries, and in Scandinavia they celebrate the day of the student as well, which welcomes Spring and involves lots of drinking outdoors. In Finland, April 29 is party day and May 1 is family day, and we took part in both. On the 29th, we spent the morning on a walking tour and just exploring the city a bit more, because it was a beautiful day (unlike the rain we had thus far experienced). And then around 4, the drinking started. We met Lie, bought a bunch of stuff at the liquor store and went to sit in the sun on the steps in front of the main cathedral, where we spent the next 6 hours talking and drinking. And of course meeting some more drunk Finns, because they are very friendly people, especially when they're drunk. Which in my experience is always. The place slowly filled with people until the entire square was full, including 3 public busses that had been rented by students as party busses and set up with a volleyball net in between and a group of students who brought their instruments and played pretty freaking great instrumental covers of pop songs. Good times. And then, we had a Hesburger (which is Finland's version of McDonald's, so you can guess what state we were in mentally), and then went to a club in Kallio, which is the hipster neighborhood of Helsinki. Until about 3am. Luckly our only activity on May 1 was brunch with Lie and Sanna and her family at 1:30pm, so we got to sleep in. Which was good, because Sanna has 8 and 10 year old kids, who were on a sugar high after lunch and just wanted to play with us. It took lots of energy, but was actually super fun. Also, they're 8 and 10 but speak perfect Swedish and English. They know how to say bedrock in English. I'm not even sure I know that word in Chinese, and I work in foundation engineering. Plus they can talk some serious trash in English while playing video games. Very impressive kids. But that meant we were dead at the end of the day, so we ate a burger, went to the sauna, then slept for 11 hours. 11 hours. That is insane. I rarely sleep more than 7 or 8. On the rare instance where I'm very tired it might be 8.5 or 9. But 11? I haven't done that in years. Which tells you it's been a long few weeks with heavy drinking. I need a drinking break after this. Which I will kind of do. I'll do 5-day dry week. Which for me is something to be proud of. Then maybe I can do a dry month in June? We'll see. If I don't have visitors it might actually be possible.
So that brings us today, where we just wandered town a bit more and went to a really nice restaurant with Lie from lunch called Farangi, which is Southeast Asian food opened by two Finnish chefs that are apparently kind of famous. It was delicious. And now I'm in Istanbul waiting for my flight to Shanghai. Overall, great trip. Helsinki is a nice enough town. Nothing amazing, but nice and small and easy to see in just a few days. And very different from Stockholm. But regardless of how Helsinki is, it's always great to see Mathias. We were neighbors in Singapore, but then actually became friends when he was in Shanghai for 6 months like 3 years ago. So we actually haven't spent all that much time together in the grand scheme of things, but there's just something about that guy. I'm super comfortable with him, can talk (or not talk) for hours, and just always have a great time and find him really fun and interesting. I actually find myself talking with him in a way I used to talk to people when I was young and naive and interested in people, as opposed to the old grouch I am now. And somehow even more open with him than with friends I've had for years. So I'd say I consider him a really close friend, which normally would take much longer. But he's a great guy. It's strange, there are not many people like this in my life, but I think it's a good thing. It's too bad we only see each other every couple of years, but I'm already looking forward to the next time.
Now if you've made it this far you will be rewarded with music. First up is Olli, a Finnish artist who I coincidentally found a few weeks ago. Right in time for the trip! He just put out his second EP, Little Deaths, which is quite nice and interesting. A lot of it is really chill, like the first half of the song I'm playing for you, Horse Aquarium. But then Horse Aquarium picks up really nicely afterwards. Which is a big part of the reason I picked it for you. Although I'm not 100% sure how these bandcamp mini-players work, so it might just continue on to the rest of the EP after playing Horse Aquarium, so if it does, lucky you! Now I just need to go give his first EP a listen.
I wasn't planning to share Twin Shadow with you in the same blog post as Olli because there's no real connection between the two artists or between Twin Shadow and Scandinavia. Not that I'd really know, because I know very little about the man and Wikipedia isn't working in Istanbul (thanks government, I guess?) and I don't feel like taking the time to google and read a bunch of articles. But I'm guessing there's no connection. But then Twin Shadow released his 3rd album, Caer, the day I flew to Stockholm, and I absolutely love it. Although my favorite song is not even a song. It's just an interlude, called Rust. But it's so good. I have thus far been unable to listen to it without repeating it at least twice, and I'm pretty sure it will be one of my favorite songs of the year. So get ready for a damn good minute and a half.
So good. So beautiful. I absolutely love it. And I'm not even a huge Twin Shadow fan. I mean, there's a couple good songs on the older albums, but nothing even close to as good as this track. And definitely no album as good as Caer yet. But it's not only Rust. There's plenty of fantastic stuff on this album. I actually had trouble only picking two songs for you (not including Rust. That song would even get its own blog post if necessary). But the other clear standout was Runaway, which I also think is really beautiful.
Now I don't want to give you the wrong impression about Twin Shadow. He does not make slow music. He makes very much upbeat music. And very much 80s throwback music. Which is maybe why I didn't love him before, because it was fun but not amazing or new or whatever. But this time it is. And I have to play you something upbeat. Also because I can't just have 4 songs on the blog all of which are super slow and chill. So here's Too Many Colors. I picked it because it's maybe the most upbeat of the other tracks I really like. In fact, when I first heard it, I liked it but thought maybe it was too poppy. I mean, this song is verging on Robyn's Dancing On My Own. Which is actually a great thing. So here it is.
