Named after the debut single by Teenage Fanclub.
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This blog is all about being a music lover in Glasgow; reviews, interviews, memories, old faves, new discoveries (past & present) and more. Thanks for visiting - I hope you discover something amazing you have never heard before, or that you rediscover an old favourite.
Regular features/playlists; Never Ending Mixtape / Cover Version of the Month/ Trust Me.
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Hoppipolla, released by Sigur Ros back in 2005 as a single and on their Takk album, is one of the most uplifting songs I've ever experienced live. Everything swells and soars to take you to a special place.
Sidenote - I've only just discovered that Hoppipolla is means hopping into puddles in Icelandic. Lovely!
The BBC quickly picked up on the uplifting and euphoric qualities of the song, using it to incredible effect in the 2006 Planet Earth series which took the band to a new level.
Hoppipolla connects emotionally through the wonderfully widescreen cinematic feel of the song. The strings are almost out of this world. Starting with a simple piano riff, the song builds quickly, naturally and beautifully. The piano is layered with orchestral strings, horns, beats and a vocal and melody (that I find myself attempting to sing - even though it is a mixture of Icelandic and a made up language!) are introduced, falling and then rising mesmerisingly to an epic conclusion.
Hopelandic is the bands 'invented language'. It works. Hoppipolla is universal, filling listeners with heartwarming joy.
Sigur Ros played, arranged and produced the song perfectly. The way things float down gently from 1 minute 49 seconds to almost nothing, before rising majestically to soar even higher than before is remarkable. I don't mind admitting to pretending to conduct an orchestra while blasting this song in my flat when I was younger ... after a few beers of course!
And it just keeps soaring for a while, then it glides down swiftly to land and finish.
Check this beautiful live film of the band performing the song at the Icelandic festival Heima in 2006.
Hoppipolla is added to my Trust Me playlist; search for Everything Flows - Trust Me on Spotify or CLICK HERE
Check below for all previous blogs in my Trust Me series.
I first heard Faces and Places (the debut album by Mark W Georgsson) around a year ago when Mark sent it through. I had been a fan of his band Velveteen Saints but they had split up and Mark had gone off and recorded an album. He warned me it wasn't the pop punk vibe of the Saints, but more acoustic, country and alt folk.
I fell for it immediately; warm, tender, loose, reflective....it got better with every listen. It is out tomorrow on Last Night From Glasgow on limited 12-inch with stunning artwork on the outside and inside by Brian Sweeney.
The title is very apt; various cities and countries are namechecked throughout the album, it was also recorded in Edinburgh, Mull and Iceland. Then there are Mark's friends who help - Rod Jones from Idlewild produces and plays guitar, his friends in Iceland reprise the beautiful duet Ballad of the Nearly Man in their native tongue to close the album and Brian Sweeney (a fellow Albion Rovers supporter) provides stunning artwork.
Opener Break Free is the oldest song on the album, written when Mark was in his teen's, it has a youthful edge to the lyrics but they could be sung by anyone of any age. The wistful and weary voice over the strummed acoustic guitar give the song a beautiful feel. The picked solo is exquisite.
I feel you near to me but a distant memory
Oh My Dear Friend picks up the pace, a jaunty country rocker with a great hammond flow throughout. At under 2-minutes long, Mark and co race through it. This is always a live highlight.
The title track is sublime, it has a glorious lazy loose feel to it. The playing is sublime, the jazzy saxophone is Van Morrison-esque, the vocals are perfect.
I'm hearing answers to questions that I never asked
Rodeo, as the title track might suggests, is west country blues, with Mark reminiscing about a girl he met once and can't find again. The chorus comes in at just after 33-seconds, the harmonies on the verses and the choruses are full of emotion and soul. There is honky tonk piano and a screaming sax. You'll be singing this chorus after one listen.
I swear I'll never leave you and I swear I'll never go
I swear I'll always be the one who'll hold you forever more
I swear I'll never leave you and I swear I'll never go
I swear I'll always be the one
Your rodeo
All the songs I'm playing are screaming for you
Nickel Or A Dime is another upbeat country rocker with free form violin throughout. The feel to the record is superb. Tight loose is how Mark refers to it - trusting the musicians on the album to bring their own magic to his songs, letting them play and go for it, they repay that trust ten-fold. This is another live gem.
And if the rain should start to fall
On a glorious sunny day
I would hold you tight and whisper close
That a cloudburst don't last long anyway
Mark sold out his album launch show at the Hug and Pint for Celtic Connections last week and assembled a 7-piece band to bring his album to life. Oh how they brought Forever Lonely Forever Blue to life. The chemistry between Mark and his great friend Tino MacDonald dates back to their Velveteen Saints days and to see them duel and bang off each other on stage is a delight, I can almost sense it happening in the studio on this song. The pedal steer guitar is stunning and li
No-one even comes close to you
Forever lonely, forever blue
I still miss you
I still miss you
The Ballad Of The Nearly Man was the debut single that launched Mark's solo career. Slow and tender celtic soul, this is a gem. Katie McArthur duets with Mark and her vocals are pure gold. The video, by Brian Sweeney is beautiful. I'll never forget Sweeney firing into the label launch party last June with the finished cut and us playing it on to a curtain behind the stage as Mark and his band played.
Mark and co pick up the pace again on A Banjo Lament and Mark is still missing his girl. This is about a girl Mark in the Arlington Bar in Glasgow - love at first sight. She told Mark she was in all the time, so Mark went back the next day....and the next....and the next.....and he still goes! And he still talks about her!
If I see her again
I'd love to hear what she's gotta say
Pic by Brian Sweeney
And then we get to the final 3 songs, a trio of beauties. Stay is unbelievable - Mark displays maturity beyond his years, in his lyrics, his delivery and his voice has a 70's era Rod Stewart feel to it - stunning. It is only January but this may already be my song of the year - check it out - the playing, singing and feel are pure soul.
You're Not Alone is Mark's best vocal, he stretches his voice out, the piano playing is sublime. The production and feel on the entire album is absolutely superb, but for the final 3 songs Mark, Rod Jones and team take it up to 110%.
It's good to know that we'll remain close
A new day has just begun
The Ballad of the Nearly Man is reprised in Icelandic for the finale; sung by Mark's friends Arnari and Sigríður. My heart melted when I first heard this and it melts now - good god listen to that girls voice. I love the fact that they not only sing in a different language but switch the order of male and female on the Scottish version to be female and male on their own version. This floors me and I always have to play it again immediately.
There you have it - I can't recommend this album highly enough. It is the complete package and you can order the vinyl via the Last Night From Glasgow online store or check it on iTunes or Spotify tomorrow.
How do you choose what song(s) will launch a record label?
Well in the case of Last Night From Glasgow Records, the label that I helped to co-found earlier this year, it kind of landed in our laps.
Mark W Georgsson has recorded a stunning album of celtic/folk/Americana songs with Rod Jones from Idlewild producing. I've known Mark for a number of years as he used to be in a band called the Velveteen Saints who I really liked.
Mark went off and did something completely different after the band broke up. The depth, maturity and quality that is displayed throughout the album (that the label will be releasing in January) is quite incredible.
So Mark sent me the album, around the same time Ian Smith and I started discussing forming a record label. We approached Mark and asked if he would be interested in releasing a single - a AA side as Mark's friends in Iceland had recorded vocals for The Ballad Of The Nearly Man in their native tongue.
So the A-side is a beautiful duet between Mark and his friend Katie McArthur and the AA-side is the same song in Icelandic by Mark's friends, including Arnarni who sings for the band Leaves.
AA-side artwork by Brian Sweeney
So Mark is pretty good at networking! Rod Jones for production, friends singing on his record and then as a friend and fellow Albion Rovers fan, acclaimed Scottish photographer Brian Sweeney has provided the artwork. The AA side cover (above) is an Icelandic football pitch in the snow (quite stunning) and below is the A-side cover is a Scottish football pitch.
A-side artwork by Brian Sweeney
OK - now i'm going to ask you all to set aside 3 minutes and 13 seconds to watch Brian's beautifully shot promo film to accompany Mark's single.
I'll then tell you what I think of the film and song afterwards.
Well I hope you agree; song and film are beautiful.
The guitar is sparse and beautifully played, Mark's voice is gentle, weary and soulful, the lyrics paint a picture, the production allows everything to breath, there is no rush, a sense of reflection...
The barren winters cast a doubt
Upon his weary mind
As a storm brews out on the Atlantic Sea
Set to blow all his thoughts back to me
That sense of space, time and reflection is amplified by a truly gorgeous 40 second instrumental featuring some exquisite guitar playing.
Katie McArthur then joins us to beautifully sing a verse, before Mark returns towards the end and the two sing in tandem;
As a storm brews out on the Atlantic Sea
Set to blow my one true love, back to me
Brian Sweeney was introduced to me by Mark as 'a mad genius'. I've met Brian a few times and Mark's description is pretty perfect. He is literally fizzing with creative ideas 24-hours a day. His thoughtful and stunning film (featuring South Uist, Vatersay, Eriskay and Barra) is the perfect compliment to Mark's song. It is truly beautiful.
So yeah, I'm delighted with the first release on Last Night From Glasgow; the song, performance, artwork, film, the people involved...... we have many more to come.
