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 Nightflyafter one of my favorite albums and favorite albums covers of all time - more about that here:
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As always, it was pretty tough to pick only twelve music videos among the many fantastic ones I posted on The Nightfly in 2017.
But here they are: The Diamond Dozen, with a link to my original post below each video.
Happy New Year to my lovely readers around the world, thank you for "tuning in" - come back often in 2018!!! May your year be filled with love, fun and good vibes!!! NOTE: February 27 I'll be doing a special post to mark the [drum roll] 10th anniversary of The Nightfly!!!
Norwegian singer-songwriter Sigrid previously recorded under her full name SigridRaabe. Now 21 and signed to Island, she has dropped the four-track EP 'Don't Kill My Vibe' - which includes an acoustic version of the stellar song "Dynamite" - as well as her newest release, the outstanding single "Strangers".
The quirky video accompanying "Strangers"was created by London-based director-photographer-writer Ivana Bobic.
She flawlessly performed "Strangers" and "Dynamite" at the excellently produced Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo on December 11 hosted by British-Nigerian actor David Oyelowo. (Other performers included Lukas Graham, John Legend, Zara Larsson, as well as Matoma with guest vocalists Shy Martin, Adam Douglas and Becky Hill.) This year's prize was awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons aka ICAN, a global civil society of coalition of 468 - and counting - peace, human rights, environment, development and faith groups.
Sigrid has two dates coming up in January: Debaser Strand in Stockholm on the 21st and Vega in Copenhagen on the 22nd. Between March 12 and 24 there will be seven shows in the the UK plus one in Dublin. Additionally, a gig at the OverOslo festival has already been scheduled for June 20.
When South Korean band BTS made their U.S. television debut at the American Music Awards on November 19 in Los Angeles they brought the house down, greatly aided by their loyal fans aka A.R.M.Y. Yet, until that day, many viewers in the States were likely not familiar with these seven young men from Seoul who brilliantly fuse K-pop with hip hop, boldly sing in Korean sprinkled with English, and deliver dance moves & vocals that make jaws drop and hearts beat faster.
Since 2013, BTS (an acronym that translates to Bulletproof Boy Scouts, though they now also use the acronym Beyond the Stage) have released a handful of stellar singles, EPs, and albums, as well as numerous outstanding videos. In addition to writing their own music/lyrics, they also produce their records.
The members whose ages range from 20 to 25 are: Jungkook (singer/rapper/choreographer) V (singer) Jimin (singer/choreographer) RM (rapper) J-Hope (rapper/choreographer) Suga (rapper) Jin (singer)
"DNA" and "Blood Sweat & Tears" are my personal favorites, both musically and visually. The stunning clips were created by Seoul based creative collective Lumpens.
Three years ago, Brisbane native Dalli released his superb debut single "Down This Road". Then, following a tragedy (five family members were in a light aircraft crash), he dropped out of law school, relocated to Melbourne and started busking full-time.
Now, a year later, the singer-songwriter has dropped an outstanding second single entitled "Who Are You", written on a solo camping trip along the Great Ocean Road.
Both tracks are accompanied by excellent videos. "Who Are You" was created by Melbourne based director Jem Rankin. "Down This Road" was co-directed by Dalli and Melissa Romao.
Check Dalli's Facebook page for gigs in the new year (the last show of 2017 was Wednesday.)
Note: The Great Ocean Road is an Australian National Heritage listed 243 km/151 mi stretch of road along the south-eastern coast between the cities of Torquay and Allansford in Victoria. Built by returned soldiers from 1919-32 and dedicated to soldiers killed during World War I, the road is the world's largest war memorial.
[Wikipedia]
So far, Stockholm singer-songwriter Anna Leone has released only one song, but oh, what a song. The single "My Soul I" is a flawless composition of boundless beauty, further enhanced by the stellar, sparse production that wisely gives Leone's stunning voice the ample space it deserves.
I can't wait to hear more from this immensely gifted artist who is 19 or 23 years old, depending on which media source one picks out of the bunch. But whether Leone is 19 or 23, one thing is for sure: she has her whole life ahead of her - and hopefully a brilliant career.
The lovely video was shot around the Stockholm archipelago by French directors Victoria Lafaurie and Hector Albouker.
And speaking of French: the track dropped back in September on Paris/London indie label AllPoints.
Fridolin Nordsø aka producer Nilo +Julius Aas aka producer/dj Ligron make up brand-new Danish/Norwegian duo Panda People, formed only this year. Friends since childhood, the two have worked with stellar Danish artists such as Mø, Oh Land, Choir of Young Believers, Fallulah, Mads Langer, and more.
Fridolin Nordsø also happens to be the son of Mikkel Nordsø who was the stellar guitarist in Sneakers, one of Denmark´s all time best rocks bands. With his twin brother Frederik Nordsø as well as Kristian Leth he also found time in 2008 to form The William Blakes; fourth member Bo Rande was added later.
Panda Peoples' ambitious plan is to release one single a month plus remixes. The first single "Accidentally" featured American singer-producer-songwriter Brandon Beal who has collaborated with Lukas Graham, among others.
The second single "Overflow"features Danish singer-songwriter Jonas H. Petersen who started his acclaimed solo project Hymns From Nineveh in 2007.
The studio versionof "Overflow" combines future bass & pop with Petersen's indie-meets-altar boy vocals to such a heavenly effect it might make angels weep, not to mention boogie 'til the break of dawn.
The stunning acoustic version of "Overflow" performed by Petersen solo (with older b/w photos of Denmark's long-reigning Queen Margrethe and her French-born prince consort Henri aka Prince Henrik watching) strips the song down to its beautiful basics, sounding very much like the quintessential Hymns From Nineveh composition.
Panda People do not have any shows scheduled at this point.
However, you can catch Petersen with his Hymns From Nineveh live band at two Christmas concerts:
First up: Saturday, December 2 @ 7 pm at the Christianskirken, Frederikshaldsgade 15, 8200 Århus N.
Second show: Saturday, December 9 @ 8 pm at the Christians Kirke, Strandgade 1, 1401 Copenhagen K.
Australian band Cut Copy dropped their fifth studio full-length 'Haiku From Zero' last month.
The superb album track/single "Standing in the Middle of the Field" now has a fantastic and very clever video created by Moscow-born, Melbourne-based sound/audio wizardVincenzi Vandella of Sensory Systems.
Dan Whitford, Tim Hoey, Mitchell Scott and Benjamin Browning kick off an extensive North American fall tour in Santa Cruz on November 9 and wrap it up in Miami on December 6.(there are two shows scheduled in Canada: Toronto November 21 and Montreal November 22). They will also be performing at four festivals in Australia in late December and late January.
Melbourne quartet City Calm Down was founded in 2008, but did not release their debut EP 'Movements' until 2012. The full-length 'In a Restless House' followed in 2015. They are currently working on a second album.
The stunning new single "Blame" is paired with a stellar video, shot in the Nevada desert by L.A. based director Sam Kristofski.
Tour: Jack Bourke (vocals), Jeremy Sonnenberg (bass), Lee Armstrong (drums) and Sam Mullaly(keyboards) have five dates between November 23-29: four in the UK and one in Paris. Between February 2 and 11, the band will be playing five shows in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Fremantle as part of the annual Laneway Festival.
22-year-old Paris born twins Naomi Diaz & Lisa-Kaindé Diaz aka Ibeyi (in Yoruba, the language of their Nigerian ancestors, the word means 'twins') have just dropped their second full-length 'Ash' on XL Recordings. The multi-lingual daughters of the late renowned Cuban percussionist Anga Diaz and French-Venezuelan singer Maya Dagnino (now also the duo's manager) once again combine vocals, percussion plus piano, and come up with their own intoxicating, unique sound.
My favorite tracks on the album, the superb "Take Away Away" and "Deathless" (featuring acclaimed saxophonist and L.A. native Kamasi Washington), are accompanied by excellent videos: the first clip gets the playful treatment from Christian Beuchet; for the latter clip, directed by Ed Morris (a frequent collaborator), a more artsy, but no less effective approach was taken.
A tour kicked off September 30 in France and also wraps up in France, March 25. With more than forty shows this fall and winter in the UK, continental Europe and North America ahead of them, the Diaz sisters would be forgiven for taking some time off when they're done.
Danish trio Nelson Can drop their third EP, simply named 'EP3', September 29. Three outstanding singles with accompanying videos are already out: "Break Down Your Walls", "Move Forward" and "Miracle".
Tour: Bassist Signe SigneSigne, drummer Maria Juntunen and powerhouse vocalist Selina Gin have five shows in Denmark October 5-20 plus eight shows in the UK November 17-27.
Melbourne duo Kllo aka cousins Chloe Kaul and Simon Lam drop their 12-track debut full-length'Backwater' on October 20. So far, two songs have been released to whet our appetites:
The bouncy-yet-chill "Virtue" echoes some of the best output on legendary U.S., label Naked Music (Lisa Shaw, Gaelle, Aya, Miguel Migs, Blue Six, etc.). "Nylon" uses a minimalist approach that is equally enthralling. The outstanding EPs that have come before showcased Kaul's hypnotic vocals and Lam's playful production; the new album looks to be of the same stellar quality.
A video for "Virtue" was published last month; as of today, there is only an audio clip to go with "Nylon". Hopefully, a regular video will premiere soon.
Kaul & Lam have a string of shows lined up for October, November and December with dates in the U.S,, the UK, continental Europe and Australia.
NOTE: Unfortunately, the tour schedule listed on Facebook and Songkick differ somewhat, so be sure to check online for each venue.
In February, Danish composer-singer-guitarist Sara Grabow (born 1979) self-released her album 'EneRum' [Solitary Space] containing ten beautiful songs that - as is the case with all great music - have universal appeal and thus do not necessarily require the listener to understand the lyrics; it's about the vibe and the sound. Having said that, Grabow happens to be such a skilled lyricist that I find myself wanting to give my non-Danish readers a crash course.
The ten tracks were recorded north of Copenhagen at the centuries old Esrum Abbey, a location chosen specifically for its sublime acoustics. A musical labor of love about Grabow's journey of the past two years and the search for contemplation and tranquility, the songs are also an exploration of sound and tone. The lyrics express longing and pose questions, including "Might music help show us the way?" I believe her flawless album answers this question with a resounding yes.
The Nightfly: At
what age did you start writing songs?
Sara Grabow: I remember writing a
funny little song at age 7 or so. I still remember it. A song about a pencil
and an eraser.
The Nightfly: What came first –
singing or playing an instrument?
Sara Grabow.: Singing I guess. When I
look at my children today, it’s obvious that singing is a part of every human being’s life from an early stage
- even before talking.
The Nightfly: What is your
songwriting process typically like?
Sara Grabow: I wait until there’s a
special feeling in my body. I really don’t feel that I am a songwriter.
Songwriting to me is not that enjoyable and free anymore. Too much anxiety and
too many thoughts: Is it good enough? It destroys my creativity. So I have to
wait until it’s really there - the feeling. I have accepted the fact that it
can take years. In between, I concentrate on singing and performing and writing
poems and stories.
The Nightfly: What and/or who
inspires your songwriting?
Sara Grabow: If speaking of writing - not just songwriting - I am inspired by my inner emotional life and development,
the nature and silence.
The Nightfly: Which do you enjoy
the most: writing, recording or performing?
Sara Grabow: Definitely performing!
The Nightfly: Do you prefer not
to label your music in terms of genre?
Sara Grabow: Yes.
The Nightfly: Do you view your
songs as having a specific feminine element and/or woman’s point of view?
Sara Grabow: My songs are very soft,
heart-opening and calming. Those are
feminine energies. If we talk about a balancing alchemy between the masculine
and feminine which is often seen in great music artists such as Prince, Madonna
and David Bowie - or the classical sensitive songwriter guy - there is a very
feminine energy to what I do. But the way I do it is masculine. I play alone
and stand strongly with my message, I hold the room with my energy and create a
direct contact with my audience when I perform - and I am not afraid to do it.
That is masculine, I guess.
The Nightfly: You often perform in
churches. Is this mostly a choice based
on the beautiful acoustics in church rooms?
Sara Grabow: Yes, that is the main
reason. But I am also very interested in the religious symbols and wisdom.
Church rooms hold a treasure of wisdom about the human body, mind and soul that we
need to rediscover.
The Nightfly: Do you ever see
yourself not creating music?
Sara Grabow: Yes. But I could not see
myself without a creative output - it might be writing or painting instead.
The Nightfly: It´s often said that great
music is universal. In your opinion, how
vital are lyrics to a song?
Sara Grabow: I love lyrics and a
strong text, but it has never been my first priority. It has always been the
feeling, the mood in the song.
The Nightfly: Have you performed
outside Denmark, and if not, are there plans to do so?
Sara Grabow: I was playing some small
concerts in New York 10 years ago. I have played in the Faroe Islands and in
Norway. It would be great fun to play abroad again!
The Nightfly: Unfortunately, few
readers outside Scandinavia are likely to be familiar with your father
Sebastian (born Knud Torben Grabow Christensen in 1949), one of the most
celebrated and beloved songwriters in Denmark. You’ve both recorded his songs as well as performed them live, and have stated in interviews that you are very proud to be his daughter. Has
it been a challenge to find your own path as a songwriter in Denmark?
Sara Grabow: Yes, definitely. My
album 'EneRum' is about finding my own voice after being in the shadow for years.
It has been a long journey, and finally now I am beginning to find my own path and seeing my mission as not only being a songwriter writing in a specific
way, but more of a performing artist concentrated around experiencing music
together with other people, discovering, listening, sharing.
The Nightfly: All of the ten
tracks on your latest EP “EneRum” are stunning. Do you have a personal favorite?
Sara Grabow: Til Dagen Svales!
The Nightfly: Tell me a little
about each of the ten tracks: Sara Grabow:
Fald Ned Engle Små [Fall Down Little Angels] it's a small song about walking in the forest. Accepting the solitude. Connecting to the trees and nature instead of people. Fuglene
[The Birds] The birds are a symbol
of thoughts flying around, disturbing and distracting. By connecting to a higher
wish or intention and by patiently listening, the birds slowly descend and
place themselves quietly on my shoulder.
Kære Stille Hjerte [Dear Quiet Heart]
A song about listening
to your heart. The heart is always with us. It is our true home. It was written
at a time where a large number of immigrants fled from Syria in boats and I
thought about this feeling of survival and connecting to your inner values, a feeling which immigrants in a crisis situation must feel quite intensely. In
comparison, we live in our safe homes and forget to listen and keep on living
our money fixated lives.
Søvnige Øje {Sleepy Eye]
It’s a song about
letting go. Here, it is letting go of the soul that flies to the sky during
sleep to get nourishment from above. Whether it’s during sleep or when you die -
you have to let go to enter the flow.
Lille Atom
[Little Atom]
This is my song about
micro-macro. And I invite the audience to sing with me on this one to make it
obvious how good it feels to sing. When we stimulate our own cells, it affects everything
around us, and in the end, if everyone on Earth were singing at the same time,
I think we could heal all the wounds we have created on our planet.
Stilhed [Silence]
A melody I wrote to
Sanne Tytte Hoffmann Rasmussen's lyrics. She died from cancer last year. Before
she died we did some small lectures where she read from her diary about how
cancer affected her family, including her three small children and how they prepared for her
departure. I played songs that I wrote to her lyrics and this one made it to
the album. The lyrics are about embracing the darkness and having a feeling of
being home and safe in the dark silence.
Aftentak
[Evening Thanks]
I wrote it as an evening prayer to my children
at a time they were feeling uncomfortable at bedtime. I suddenly felt like
putting it into music and it has been quite popular, even though I have some
trouble with using God in my song.
Til
Dagen Svales [Until the Day Cools]
The lyrics are from 'The
Song of Songs' in the Bible. I picked the words and sentences that spoke to me.
It is the most beautiful story of letting go of your loved one. Be patient and humble
when it comes to love.
Daglige
Brød [Daily Bread]
I haven't played this
song live, so I forgot what my intentions are. Hmm, I guess it’s a kind of
prayer and a thank-you to my mother and father.
Improvisiation Løgumkloster Kirke
[Improvisation, Løgum Abbey, Jutland]
This is quite
interesting for me. It is a landscape of sound without words. It is the total
devotion to moods, my inner feeling here and now, the acoustics in the room,
playing with overtones, singing with the room. This is something I’d like to
work more with in the future.
Born in England, but raised in Sydney to a South African mother and a British jazz pianist, 19-year-old Odette has just dropped her flawless debut single "Watch Me Read You".
The clever video was created by Melbourne based director Josh Harris.
Odette has three gigs lined up in Australia: two shows at the Big Sound Festival in Brisbane September 5 + 6, as well as a performance at the EMI New Music Night in Sydney on October 3.
Hope to see much more from this wonderful new artist.
Cam Nacson and Toby Chew aka Sydney duo MOZA have a stellar new track and video out. The hyperkinetic clipfor "Keep Up" was produced by local company yeahsure, based in Surry Hills.
The spooky video that accompanied the excellent 2016 single "On the Line" was created by Nacson/Chew themselves and starred Australian model/singer Tristyn Lecia.
Sydney producer Chris Emerson aka Emoh Instead has been doing just fine on his own with What So Not since musical partner Flume's departure in early 2015 from the project they co-founded in 2010. (Flume is not doing so bad himself.)
The stellar EP 'Divide & Conquer' was released almost a year ago to great acclaim. Two superb videos directed by fellow Sydney creative Leticia Dare were created for the outstanding tracks "Buried" and "Trust" (the latter brand new clip features American model/Alvin Ailey trained dancer Shaun Ross whose unique beauty and immense charisma makes it even more memorable.)
"Buried" is a flawless collaboration with Australian artist George Maple and Atlanta rapper Rome Fortune. On "Trust", Scottish singer/songwriter/dj/producer BURNS provides the gorgeous vocals which have distinct echoes of Usher''s gem "Climax" from his 2012 "Looking 4 Myself" album.
Tour:
There are four shows remaining in the U.S. and Canada this weekend.
August 12 - 27 he'll be performing in continental Europe and the UK.
And between September 23 and November 25 there are a string of gigs back home in Australia.
Published since 2008, The Nightfly is a non-profit one-woman operation based out of Long Beach/Los Angeles, California. An eclectic virtual music magazine with readers in more than 100 countries, it features videos along with interviews, reviews, news and points of views.
