Zebra and Snake

I often find bands with roots in remote rural locations have a creative sense of space that reflects the territory in which the composers grew-up and Zebra and Snake are no exception, childhood in Alajärvi is reflected in the open spaces the band manages to fold in to their music.

The enchanting reflection of wilderness and wonder is enmeshed seamlessly in to the out-put, which fades the tempo to a highly emotionally charged sound. The duo are dab hands at the understatement, which adds to the sense of engagement with the music. The effect is one of music flowing with you, rather than at you, making it a very easy to loose sense of time and context as the pulsing beats wash gently through the ears.

The band describe the creation of the music as being cathartic for their own experiences and they have capably translated this to enable the listener to lift grey mist from their own minds.

ZEBRA AND SNAKE – BIG BAD DRUMMER from WSWC on Vimeo.

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Nighttime by Zebra and Snake is available on *

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She describes her output as being from the heart, without boundaries.

Manna

The output by Manna has me clamouring for comparisons, which are self-evident, so let’s stay away from that line of thought.

Many artists grow on me over time, Manna is of a rare breed, musical output which immediately on listening to, I had a sense that this was something special. With an alluring voice, she manages to capture the essence of not only the lyrics, but also the instrumentation. Her vocal acting as a conductor and lightning rod for the performance, which sucks the listener ever inwards.

From rock influenced tracks to dreamy ballads, she has the uncanny ability to make the sound believable. Manna is a name to watch out for. Were she based in the UK or USA, I have little doubt that her coverage and distribution would be far wider.

Her music speaks for itself…

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Playing on the UK on the 8th December 2010, I recommend getting out to see the live performance.

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Husky Rescue

The out-put, while pushing forward with catchy beats contains the hypnotic sounds of the keyboards and the haunting vocals of Reeta, which help the mind drift off to places afar.

Husky Rescue is a band who are at peace with their sound and contain some highly effective musicians who are able to blend together around the creative spark of Marko, to produce hugely effective mood music.

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News of their up-coming tour and album release will be posted on the blog in the next week or so. To keep in touch with the latest tour news subscribe to the  indie bands blog newsletter.

Them Bird Things Photo by Pirita Särmä

Salla loved the songs written by Steve and Mike and formed a band which intended to perform from the hundreds of unreleased songs the pair had written since the 1960′s. The song writers were smitten with Them Bird Things and started to write specifically for the band.

The story of Them Bird Things makes a fascinating read in itself and well worth exploring on the bands website.

The distinctive voice of Salla Day leads the band on a tour of Americana. With so many talented musicians and writers involved in the project, it would be easy to become lazy. But Them Bird Things are producing their distinctive out-put through hard graft and as a result the songs are tight, yet have the sound of spontaneity which is absolutely essential as influences of 60′s beat and folk-rock rise to the surface.

They easily traverse the bridges of their diverse out-put with superb acoustic guitar being replaced with rockabilly beats from one track to the next. The echoing guitar reminds me of The Shadows, the whole of Them Bird Things is far more than the sum of their individual parts.

Them Bird Things: I Can See Russia From Here

Them Bird Things | MySpace Music Videos

Their recently released album Fly,Them Bird Things, Fly! is available on *.

Currently working on a second album due for release in summer 2010, Them Bird Things are set for greater success.

Thanks to Will Shade for spending time answering my questions. Follow the link for more on the indie bands blog about Them Bird Things.

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