Kentuckyseven

1. Joe Purdy – Eagle Rock Fire

• Joe Purdy made the best album of 2014, no doubt in our mind. His talking blues wanders the tender streets of Townes van Zandt, Bob Dylan and Kris Kristofferson. The LA-mans 12th album over 8 years shows he’s on top of his game. Listening to this record, we remember what music is all about; why Kentuckyseven is still around. A humbling experience – thanks Joe.

2. Broken Twin – May

• Sometimes music gets deep under your skin, into your gut. Broken Twin, the wonderful Danish 25 year-old songwriter Majke Voss Romme, does exactly that. It’s a lo-fi wholeness, an important piece of haunting art, back to basics. A divine debut record to really care about.

3. Gary Clark JR – Live

• This blues rocking Texas guitar man got the balls to release a double disc live album. And man, he delivers. 15 songs that create a six-string thunder, a raw edged monster of a record. Gary Clark Jr is building his house brick by brick as a modern day travelling blues man. We’re forever in his yard.

4. Eli Rhodes – Running Out Of Jesus

• Nashville-singer/songwriter Eli Rhodes debut EP had us from the get-go. Five songs that are easy-going yet troublesome, tales that sum up the emotions of a young man. He got the swift air of greatness about him, a clean-cut record that made our everyday life a bit more wonderful.

5. Horse Thief – Fear in Bliss

The Oklahoma band that totally swept us of our feet this year. The album Fear in Bliss was released in April and has been spinning ever since. This is the sound that will keep us listening to music. There is hope for the future. For all lovers of Band of Horses, The Magic Numbers or My Morning Jacket… This is for you. This is the next generation.

6. I’m Kingfisher – Avian

Thomas Johnsson, the Swedish genius that released one of 2010’s absolute greatest album came back with nothing less than a masterpiece, once again. The Swedish melancholy mixed with tunes that are so in tune with the now that it is almost frightening. And mr Johnsson’s voice is probably the only one that can accompany that. An album that only needs a larger audience.

7. Strand of Oaks – Heal

Just when you thought that you found the cure. This album came back with an itch. I love the way it keeps changing and growing. Synthezisers join classic guitars, and everything just blends in a magical harmony. Timothy Showalter has created something that leaves no one unaffected. This year we really felt the love. And we will go on loving.

#CloseCalls – 7 Great Albums We Also Absolutely Adored 2014

• Noah Gundersen – Ledges

• Jamestown Revival – Utah

• Josh Nolan – Fair City Lights

• The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream

• Hurray for the Riff Raff – Small Town Heroes

• Sturgill Simpson – Metamodern Sounds in Country Music

• Ryan Adams – Ryan Adams

I’m Kingfisher – Avian
Released 2014-09-17 (Kite/Playground)

Kentuckyseven has many favorites. It kind of comes with the trade somehow. You fall in love with the albums and tracks that you write about and consume.

There is somehow some artists that clings to your heart a bit tighter. One of them is I’m Kingfisher. Mr Thomas Jonsson from Sweden. His new album, his fifth,  Avian, was released last week.  The last album Arctic is still one of the best albums released on a swedish label in my book.

Avian is something very special. The songs and sounds of this album just blew me off my feet, from first listen.

Thomas Jonsson’s voice is so in tune with the emotions in every note, it is uncanny almost. I can not remember ever having felt so privileged before, when listening to music. The feeling of darkness and light combined in lyrics and harmonies is so delicately balanced, it is sometimes hard to tell which is which.

This is really something huge. A singer songwriter of this caliber is very rare in this country of many great artists.

I’m Kingfisher has created something that every artist probably just dreams about, a follow up album that lives up and exceeds all expectations. A masterpiece. I am totally in awe. On my knees. This is a true Kentuckyseven-Seven! Thank you for making music mr Jonsson.

7/7 – End of discussion.

Our dear friend, and very much a Kentuckyseven favorite I’m Kingfisher has given us something new and beautiful. The new single ”Force of Habit”, from the forthcoming album, is immensely good. The darkness is there, and the light. Thomas Jonssons voice crowns the music in a way few singer-songwriters manage. The sound of his guitar together with that heavy bass is just pure magic. It appeals to me in so many ways. I just can’t wait for the full length…

When we summed up 2010, Arctic, I’m Kingfishers latest album, Arctic, was right there. Just saying.

Take a minute and listen to some real fine music:

Mount David is David Andersson, a singer songwriter from Sweden. A man with a voice made of gold. Listening to his music strengthens the sensation of why we love music so bad. A genuine signal in the sound of white noise, a beacon of good feelings and great warmth.

Mount David resides on the same label as I’m Kingfisher Kite Recordings, a Kentuckyseven favorite. And just yesterday, he released a new song… Sit back. Relax. Enjoy.

One of Sweden’s most talented singer/songwriters I’m Kingfisher – Thomas Jonsson, released the video for ”Svalbard” from the great album ”Arctic” (Playground Music) today.

The album made it to the best of 2010, and keeps rotating on our lists. Arctic is an masterpiece. The video is no exception.

Listen to the album, find the magic.

I’m Kingfisher – Arctic

One of 2010 best albums,  came from this man. Thomas Jonsson, AKA I’m Kingfisher. The album, ”Arctic” was released by Playground Music, the harbour of great swedish music. I’m Kingfisher is one of the greatest in that crowd.

The man has toured with artists like Ed Harcourt, and has recorded stuff with artists such as Rosie Thomas (one of my all time favorites) Damien Jurado, Ned Oldham and other great acts.

He is currently on tour with Damien Jurado, and will be playing @ Pustervik (Woody West, again with the majestic bookings) and later in Malmö and Stockholm.

Thomas is a man with a plan, Arctic is just a part of a trilogy plan, and one can only imagine the great stuff that is coming our way. We’ll be waiting. Impatiently, but still.

Got a word with the awesome swedish singer-songwriter that is I’m Kingfisher…

What are you listening to right now?

– A lot of instrumental drone stuff. I just fell in love with Earth’s newest album ’Angels of darkness, demons of light I’. This year I think Earth, Mogwai, Tennis, Thomas Hine and James Blake have done really good stuff.

I’ve also recently listened a lot again to last year’s best album ”St Bartlett” of Damien Jurado, since I just got it on vinyl after our show in Copenhagen a couple of days ago. And oh, it has also been a lot of Efterklang’s newest.

Best book read during 2010?

– Der Ganze Weg by Kristin Berget, Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, Fantasiön by Henrik Brandao Jönsson and Poetry of Birds (anthology)

Your hopes for this year?

That I will tour as much as I want while finishing the recordings of my next album, as well as an album with a new Swede-Swede-French collaboration project I’m a part of. That mink farming will be banned once and forever. That sound engineers on my shows from now on and forever will set my guitar sound as loud as I want without questioning me.

Three artists who inspire you?

Recently: Victoria Legrand, singer of Beach House.
For the Arctic album: Six Organs of Admittance. Forever: M Ward.

Who deserves a breakthru in 2011?

– Dear Euphoria, my favorite Swedish band, whose 2010 EP ”This Night will Flee” contains ”Rescue”, one of last year’s two best pop singles (together with Sleigh Bells’ ”Rill Rill”). It’s on Spotify!

I for one, is going to see I’m Kingfisher on sunday, and I know for a fact that you can still pick up some tix.

Listen to the magic that is ”I’m Kingfisher”…

I’m Kingfisher – Artic by Playground Music

1. Deer Tick – The Black Dirt Sessions

Det är svårt att ta ut  7 plattor på ett år. Men att The Black Dirt Sessions skulle hamna på den här listan var solklart.

Skivan har snurrat i min spelare sen den kom ut, och det känns inte som den kommer att försvinna på rätt länge. John McCauleys röst, melodierna, känslan och soundet är magiskt. Magiskt på så oerhört många sätt. Det är en lugn och rätt mörk platta, men med en nerv som talar om vad det här gänget är kapabelt till. Deer Tick kommer att bli ett band som kommer att betyda nåt. För mig. För många.

2. Wolf People – Steeple

Psych-rock är som jag tidigare har skrivit om, balanserar ofta på en tunn linje. Lätt att tippa över, mest åt fel håll.

Steeple, som är brittiska Wolf People’s debutplatta, är på rätt sida om gränsen. En platta som dånar, klirrar och får en sugen på att skaffa en afghan-päls. Ett suveränt sound rätt igenom.

3. John Grant – Queen of Denmark

Efter att ha fastnat fullständig för Midlake efter deras senaste alster, The Courage of Others, blev bekantskapen med John Grant helt naturlig.

Grant har lyckats göra ett album som påminner, känslomässigt, mig om Anthony & The Johnsons debutalbum. Skört, sorgset och väldigt personligt. Jag är glad att ha fått lära känna John Grant, för det är så det känns efter att ha lyssnat till hans musik. Lyssna bara på ”I Wanna Go To Marz”, vill man inte bara åka med?

4. Phosphorescent – Here’s To Taking it Easy

Phosphorescent med Matthew Houck från Athens GA, känns stort redan på namnet.

Phosphorescent, som för övrigt är oerhört lättstavat, är bandet som vet hur man lirar, hur man gör en riktig countrydänga. På den där sköna bluesiga tonen. Houcks röst känns som den är gjord för att sjunga denna musiken. Fanns det något val? Bästa på skivan: Mermaid Parade, och alla andra låtarna.

5. Mountain Man – Made The Harbour

Molly Erin Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig och Amelia Randall Meath, har lyckats med sin debut. Amerikansk folkmusik när den är som allra bäst.

Det är svårt att inte förtrollas av harmonierna, rösterna och gitarrspelet på detta mästerverk. Saknar ingenting, när jag hör Mountain Man, det känns komplett. Bruset fyller en funktion. Ljudet när fingrarna flyttar från ett band till ett annat. Svårslaget.

6. The Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt

Precis när man trodde att, det är omöjligt att följa upp en sån debutplatta, släpper Tallest Man nytt.

Och som han gör det. Helt omöjligt var ordet. Det är inte mindre Dylanesque än tidigare, det är inte mindre svängigt. Om man kan lyssna på den här skivan utan att klappa på knäna, stampa med foten, gunga med huvudet, så har man inte riktigt kontakt med sin musikaliska ådra. Omöjligt säger ni, jag säger Kristian Mattsson, det är inte slut med The Wild Hunt, det är säkert.

7. I’m Kingfisher – Arctic

Thomas Denver Jonsson, var för mig ett rätt okänt kort innan I’m Kingfisher. Men nu.

Det är häftigt när man hittar plattor som man bara gillar från första tonen. Arctic är en sån skiva. Det är som att den är skriven för mina öron, Kentuckyseven-musik. Texter och melodier är rättigenom ärliga, vackra och lagom lågmälda. Med en känsla av vinter, mystik, rött vin och kärlek förmedlar Arctic nåt som känns nordiskt på det där sättet som vi är stolta över. Inte det andra. Bara att svepa in sig och lyssna.