The Nightfly Music Blog 10 Year Anniversary: Signing Off

On February 27, 2008 I started my music blog, simply because I wanted to write about music and share it with others. I named the blog The Nightfly after one of my favorite albums and favorite albums covers of all time - more about that here:

http://latenightdj.blogspot.dk/2008/02/nightfly_27.html

And here:

http://latenightdj.blogspot.dk/2008/02/what-beautiful-world-this-will-be.html


The first year I didn't post as much as I would have liked to. However, in the fall of 2009, I began posting on a regular basis, kicking off with an interview with Mozez on October 13. For some reason I wasn't yet posting music videos; that didn't happen until November of that year.

Unfortunately, due to some music videos having been removed from YouTube (by YouTube or record labels or users) over the years, there are a few "blanks" here and there, i.e. videos that cannot be played. It's basically every music blogger's nightmare, but I long ago chose not to bother with these "dead videos" aka "blanks".

Anyway, today, on the 10th Anniversary, I've decided now is the right time for me to stop blogging.  A total of 674 posts, a boatload of music videos, numerous interviews, and more fun that I could have possibly have imagined when I started out. But the day only has 24 hrs., and other writing projects are now taking up much of my spare time.

The great thing is, The Nightfly music blog will still be on the World Wide Web - as long as Google (yep, they own Blogspot too) decide not to pull the plug.

Before I start bawling my eyes out, quite possibly ruining my PC keyboard with a river of tears and snot, I want to thank all of my lovely readers - whether you just "tuned in" this year or ten years ago. If the music that I've blogged about has inspired, comforted, or awed even one person, my work was not in vain.

Important note: I can see from the blog stats that The Nightfly readers "tune in" from all over the world which has been so incredibly gratifying to me. More about that here:

http://latenightdj.blogspot.dk/2011/01/to-readers-of-nightfly-incl.html

I also want to send happy thoughts to the many artists and bands that I have posted about. Obviously, without anyone writing, recording and performing music, there would be zero to blog about.

I'm going to sign off with something so feel-good, it's borderline criminal: the late, great gentle giant Israel Ka'ano'i Kamakawiwo'ole aka Braddah Iz (Brother Iz) , in his native Hawaii, giving Judy Garland a serious run for the money with his stunning version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Doesn't really get much better than that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Kamakawiwo%CA%BBole

Note: I first posted this video for Xmas of 2014.

Karui: Signals

Her mother is a Danish native, her father is originally from the Solomon Islands. Annelie Karui Saemala aka Karui herself was born and raised in Herning, and currently works as a vocal teacher in Ringsted. This past Saturday on Danish network television, the 19-year-old singer was one of ten participants competing for the coveted honor of representing Denmark in the 63rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest which will take place in Lisbon in May.

Although she did not win, Karui gave the hands down most self-assured performance, completely owning the stage, and wowing everyone watching. The superb electronica-R&B gem "Signals" (co-written by the artist) showcased her formidable voice which effortlessly moves from silky smooth to powerhouse and back. The singer was expertly backed by a stellar three-piece band (Note: the names of the musicians were not available to the press.)

In recent interviews the singer has stated that she loves her teaching job, but has also expressed great interest in pursuing a professional music career.  There are only a few videos on YouTube, but no recorded material. Here's hoping that will change - and soon.


 

Django Django: Tic Tac Toe

UK quartet Django Django dropped their third full-length 'Marble Skies' this week.

The superb album track/teaser single "Tic Tac Toe" is thankfully now accompanied by a fun, hyperkinetic video directed by John Maclean, brother of the band's drummer/producer David Maclean (and formerly of The Beta Band.)

David Maclean, Vincent Neff (vocals/guitar), Jimmy Dixon (bass), and Tommy Grace (synths) have twenty shows scheduled between February 26 and March 24: eight gigs in the UK, one in Dublin, eleven in continental Europe. 



https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/marble-skies/1287955740?i=1287955787

https://www.facebook.com/thedjangos/app/308540029359/

Dream Wife: Hey Heartbreaker

Rakel, Bella, and Alice.

Powerhouse lead vocalist and Iceland native Rakel Mjöll plus Brits Bella Podpadec (bass, vocals) and Alice Go (guitar, vocals) make up London-based trio Dream Wife.

Their self-titled debut full-length drops January 26 on UK indie label Lucky Number. The album includes the stellar track "Hey Heartbreaker" which is accompanied by an excellent animated video directed by Mason London aka Joe Prytherch, formerly the art director for global online music streaming service Boiler Room.

Tour: There's a gig in Brooklyn January 22, followed by a string of shows scheduled between February 6 and May 13 in the Australia, UK, continental Europe, and North America.



https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dream-wife/1296107774

http://www.dreamwife.co/

https://www.facebook.com/dreamwifedream/

Palace Garden: Take Shelter

Caspar Hesselager & Carl Coleman

It might seem like a bad joke to post a song entitled "Take Shelter", only a day after the now infamous false 'incoming missile' alert was mistakenly and unforgivably sent to millions of cell phones in Hawaii on Saturday.

Trust me, it's complete coincidence. But as I began blogging, it was impossible not to think of the terrified residents and tourists who had every reason to believe they might perish within minutes.

What caused this massive screw up? During one of three routine daily shift-change drills, a Hawaii Emergency Management Agency employee "clicked the wrong thing on the computer", a spokesman stated [New York Times, Jan. 14, 2018].

Oh, okay.

Back to the music:

Copenhagen-based duo Palace Winter have just dropped the single "Take Shelter" from their 11-track sophomore full-length 'Nowadays' which will be released May 4.  

Their acclaimed debut album 'Waiting for the World to Turn' came out in 2016, and while it was excellent, the upcoming collection of tunes promises to even better, if judging by "Take Shelter", a stunner of a song with haunting echoes of the Moody Blues and Crosby Stills & Nash.

Tour: There are six gigs coming up March 17-21: one in Amsterdam, two in Brussels, and three in the UK. In addition, a show in Copenhagen has been scheduled for May 18.  For live shows, Australian singer/guitarist Carl Coleman and classically trained pianist/producer Caspar Hesselager are joined by Jacob Haubjerg (guitar) and Jens Bach (drums).

No proper video yet, but I will post it as soon as it's on YouTube.



https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/take-shelter/1321831025?i=1321831036

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/nowadays/1322470061

https://www.facebook.com/palacewinterdk/app/308540029359/

https://soundcloud.com/palace-winter