Tag Archive for tavastia

LCMDF with Phantom and Wino4ever DJs at Tavastia

February 6, 2013 David de Young Music No comments
Phantom at Tavastia - Photo by David de Young

Phantom at Tavastia – Photo by David de Young

The double bill of Phantom and LCMDF at Tavastia Wednesday night made for a lovely mid-week evening out in Helsinki.

When we arrived, the Wino4ever DJs were warming up the club with their enthusiastic vibe. Their musical selections were from all over the map, but always fun. The energy from the DJ booth was contagious.

The live show started around 9 with Phantom, the electropop duo of sound designer and media artist Tommi Koskinen (effects) and Sibelius Academy-trained Hanna Toivonen (vocals). Koskinen’s gear included a very cool theremin-type device that looked like it was salvaged from a Starship Enterprise model. The device added a nice touch to the live feel of the show, which was nice as there is only so much visible effort you can put into twiddling nobs when working with primarily pre-recorded backing tracks. A third band member manipulated images from a live camera on the screen behind the band.


Phantom video for Phantom’s “Kisses”

Phantom has been hyped this week in Finland and has also received favorable press recently in the UK. They’ve been praised by British band the xx, and their single “Kisses” was premiered by the Guardian. The centerpiece of their show is Hannah Toivonen and her mesmerizing vocals. You get a fine example of those vocals in the much touted video for “Kisses” (which you are advised to watch here, as you won’t be disappointed). Live, the song brings the same shivers up the spine as in the recording. It’s sensitive, beautiful and disturbing at the same time. And it’s a tasteful and perfect use of Satie’s Gymnopédie No.1. Toivonen is still growing into her role as a front woman, but her fluid hand-motions and subtle dancing enhance her impeccably-pitched singing. Phantom’s set was nicely paced and varied. They even slipped in a cover of Bon Iver’s “Skinny Love.” This act will only get more powerful as they get more experience touring.

You can download Phantom’s 4-song EP “Scars” for free from their website here. For more photos of Phantom’s live show at Tavastia, check out this excellent set of pictures by Eetu Ahanen.

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LCMDF at Tavastia – Photo by David de Young

LCMDF is a band who first and foremost knows how to entertain a crowd. They get extra credit from knowing how to appeal to a wider demographic than just young people who like electropop girl groups. Though the band likes to cite ‘90s influences to their music, bands like Weezer, Chemical Brothers and Beck, perhaps the appeal to older audiences (like myself) is the influences of ‘80s groups ranging from dance bands such as The B-52s to the playful tease of fun girl groups like The Waitresses’ (“I Know What Boys Like”).

Primary vocalist Emma Kemppainen wasted no time revving up the crowd as the set began, clapping her hands and wireless mic above her head. (Kemppainen is a singer who clearly can’t be tied down by a cord.) Sister Mia Kemppainen was grounded stoically stage left behind her electric guitar. The duo also features a live drummer who perfectly rounds out both the sound and visual experience with her steady beat. Lack of a live bass player is a non-issue. Once the set began, the energy never let up. Emma oozed confidence and Mia’s steady, sometimes understated guitar provided the perfect accompaniment.


Video for LCMDF’s “Future Me”

This band is also one that seems ready-made for outdoor summer festivals and live TV. As an audience member you feel seen and like you’re a part of the show. At one point Emma jumped from the stage to dance with the audience, literally breaking down the fourth wall she’d been breaking figuratively from the start with her interactive stage demeanor.

LCMDF played most of their well-known songs including “Paranoia” and “I Go Insane” from their latest EP Mental Health Part 1. (Two more EPs are due out soon as part of a trilogy on FAN Recordings.) Also heard were “Ghandi,” “Future Me,” “Take Me to the Mountains” and “Cool and Bored” from 2011’s Love & Nature.

Their acoustic encore of “Beach Life” was lovely (and a sing-along for some in the front row.)

LCMDF is off now on a tour of Finland this weekend and then a European tour this spring.

LCMDF early 2013 tour dates:

  • 7-feb FIN Nuclear Nightclub, Oulu, Finland
  • 8-feb FIN Freetime, Jyväskylä, Finland
  • 9-feb FIN Valoa Festival, Tampere, Finland
  • 13-feb SE Fritzs Corner, Stockholm, Sweden
  • 14-feb NO By:Larm Festival, Oslo, Norway
  • 15-feb NO By:Larm Festival, Oslo, Norway
  • 20-mar DE Comet, Berlin, Germany
  • 21-mar DE Halle 01, Heidelberg, Germany
  • 22-mar FR Point FMR, Paris, France
  • 23-mar CH M4 Music Festival, Zurich, Switzerland
  • 26-mar DE Uebel & Gefährlich, Hamburg, Germany
  • 27-mar DE Beatpol, Dresden, Germany
  • 28-mar DE Zoom, Frankfurt, Germany
  • 29-mar NL Merelyn, Nijmegen, Netherlands
  • 01-apr DE Studio 672, Cologne, Germany
  • 02-apr LX Rockhal, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Soliti Roadshow at Tavastia, Helsinki featuring Cats on Fire, Big Wave Riders, Astrid Swan, Delay Trees and Black Twig DJs

January 16, 2013 David de Young Music No comments
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Delay Trees at Tavastia – Photo by David de Young

If you’re looking for great Finnish indie bands who sing in English (and admittedly, I am), you need look no further than Soliti label’s impressive – eight artists and counting – roster. On Wednesday night I got a chance to see four Soliti bands live at the their roadshow at Tavastia in Helsinki, and it left me looking forward to hearing more.

The line-up was refreshingly diverse for a single label showcase and kicked off with a dreamy set from Delay Trees who played to a quiet and attentive crowd. Delay Trees is pleasantly earnest, their music immensely listenable. A plenitude of shimmering songs reminded me at times of what Cocteau Twins might have sounded like with male vocals. This sort of music has been done a lot and could easily be pretentious, but in Delay Trees’ hands it never is. Though sometimes I found myself wishing the boys would “bring it” a bit more, this is probably my American cultural bias reacting to the band’s Finnish reserve, and in retrospect they “brought it” just about perfectly.

Delay Trees video for “HML”

Next up was multi-instrumentalist Astrid Swan, performing as duo with just her on piano and a drummer. Swan’s songs feature interesting chord progressions and dynamic range, her vocals sometimes reminiscent of Kate Bush. Her latest album on Soliti is 2012’s collection of all Pavement covers (yes, you heard me right, 9 songs written by Stephen Malkmus) called (appropriately?) Hits (Pavement for Girls). Swan’s no stranger to covers, incidentally, as she performed an acoustic version of The Killers “When You Were Young” on KCMP 89.3 “The Current” in my home state of Minnesota in April, 2007, a song that appears on Live Current Volume 3. While I didn’t have nearly the musical connection with Swan as with the other band’s on Wednesday’s bill, I was nonetheless impressed by her musicianship and rapport with her drummer. Together, the two of them brought the dynamic range of a full band to the songs, and as a duo, whether piano and drums, or guitar and drums, this is a skill not to be underestimated.

Astrid Swan video for “Here” from Hits (Pavement for Girls)

Perhaps as a harbinger of good things to come, the featured DJs of the night (members of Soliti band Black Twig), played Hüsker Dü’s “Makes No Sense at All” between sets, reminding me of my Minneapolis heritage. (Black Twig aren’t participating live in the Soliti Roadshow, but they have their own show at Tavastia on January 26th.)

Cats on Fire at Tavastia - Photo by David de Young

Cats on Fire at Tavastia – Photo by David de Young

The act that originally drew me to the show and Soliti music was Cats on Fire. I wish I could remember how I came upon them, whether it was Radio Helsinki or a Google search, but what’s most important is that we found each other. Cats on Fire’s albums are world-class English-speaking indie pop, reminiscent of Belle and Sebastian, the Decemberists, Camera Obscura, The Smiths, and many more bands in whose direction my tastes were already bent. Strong in the studio, it’s on stage this band really made their impression on me. Charismatic and articulate lead singer Mattias Björkas keeps your attention, his acoustic guitar worn high like a strolling troubadour, stiff but charming formality and a quick bows to the audience after each song. Stage banter between songs was in both Swedish and Finnish, some songs ending with a tack as well as a kiitos. Live, Cats on Fire cast a shimmery aural brilliance across the room, the kind that really makes you feel good inside (and that’s the main thing I look for in music at times.) Their new album, 2012’s All Blackshirts To Me is top notch and worth your time if you like any of the bands I mentioned above. The songs are well-crafted, memorable and distinct.

Cats on Fire video for “After the Fact” from All Blackshirts to Me (2012)

The roadshow’s final band, Big Wave Riders started a little late so I had to miss the end of their set but I was impressed by what I did hear. Before seeing them live, I’d heard only one track from them (the New Order flavored “Sunny Season” – see video) and that didn’t prepare me for what I saw. Big Wave Riders slammed into me like a swaggering locomotive from their very first song. Definitely not fucking around, they took no prisoners with their funky, frequently soaring 3 guitar attack. On 2012’s Life Less Ordinary which I’m only beginning to listen to as I complete this review, the same confident rock and roll attitude prevails. Yet another band to watch and one I look forward to seeing again.

Big Wave Riders video for “Sunny Season” from Life Less Ordinary (2012)

The Soliti Roadshow continues with shows in Tampere January 18th and Turku January 19th.

18.01.2013 Yo-Talo, Tampere : The New Tigers, Big Wave Riders, Paperfangs

19.01.2013 Dynamo, Turku : Cats On Fire, The New Tigers (Nick Triani Dj.)