Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

  This week's dose of #FinPop sees the solo return of HIM's Ville Valo aka VV, Softengine's Topi Latukka producing and co-writing a newcomer Samuel Glassar, yet another banger from Helena Routa and a new one from Miro Miikael. Enjoy! VV - Loveletting Samuel Glassar - Kiiltokuvan taa Miro Miikael - Varjopuolii Helena Routa - Jumalasta seuraava

Love metal meets Swedish pop when HIM's lead singer Ville Valo gives his voice to guitarist MGT's (Mark Gemini Thwaite) debut album's first release, an ABBA classic Knowing me, knowing you.   MGT stated in Loudwire , “ABBA released ‘Knowing Me Knowing You” nearly 40 years ago in the winter of 1977, and the single sleeve and their video had a wintery feel to it, so when we decided to shoot a video for our version. Both myself and Ville Valo agreed we should try and capture some of the feel of the ABBA version and have a winter vibe to our video as well.. So we shot my footage up in snow covered mountains, and Ville’s close-ups in front of a fire place in a secret place in Hell-sinki. We’re pleased with it, and director Ville Juurikkala did a fantastic job!” This blogger thinks those Björn & Benny have proved once again how timeless and flexible their music is. This is great!

The audio of Hope never dies , the Czech entry in the Eurovision 2015 by Marta Jandová and Václav Noid Bárta has been released today ahead of the video release tomorrow. All I can say this is the entry Finland should have sent. It reminds me of The Rasmus, HIM, Nightwish.... the genre Finns do best. if only... It will be curious to see how's the visuals in video and how the staging will be... Meanwhile I just have to listen this again... and again.... Welcome to the final for the first time, Czech Republic, the break has done you good!

In our exlusive interviews n Malmö 2013 Finland's Krista Siegfrids mentioned The Rasmus as the one she would like to see represent Finland in Denmark 2014.  This is also been this blogger's wish for years already! However, recently the lead singer Lauri Ylönen said The Rasmus is about to take a break while he is to release a new album with his new band Amanda . This album was supposed to be his second solo album following the success of his debut.... Meanwhile The Rasmus has announced tour dates in Russia this fall! Things are a bit complicated here but The Rasmus/Lauri/Amadeus would a great choice anyways, but only a wish I guess as UMK 2014 will be here again.... But maybe could be at least involved in writing the song? He and his partner PMMP's Paula Vesala wrote for example Johanna Kurkela 's Rakkauslaulu . Anyways, The Rasmus is one of the most succesful Finnish bands abroad. In 2003 their In the shadows was the number one single in Europe that year. Othe...

Teosto ry has published the songs that have made the most money abroad in 2008 based on radioplay, TV, recordings or other public performances. Truth to be said, the top-10 includes only pieces by Sibelius with  only The Rasmus's In the shadows at #3, so they have published also a Sibelius-free top-10 and it is: 1. The Rasmus - In the shadows 2. Arn - Tempelriddaren ( soundtrack ) 3. Darude - Sandstorm 4. Arn2 - Riket på vägen's slut ( soundtrack ) 5. Einojuhani Rautavaara - Cantus Arcticus 6. Him - Join me in death 7. Bomfunk MC's - Freestyler 8. The Rasmus - Living in a world without you 9. Kwan - Tainted love 10. Mongol ( soundtrack ) Worth noting is the presence of Tuomas Kantelinen who has written the music to three movies in top-10: the Swedish saga Arn 1+2 , and the Russian Mongol . Besides Sibelius another classical music composer gets in, Einojuhani Rautavaara.

Everybody knows HIM , The Rasmus , Nightwish and Lordi but how about Husky Rescue , Turisas , Tracedown , Murmansk , Manna , Joensuu 1685 , Jori Hulkkonen, Finntroll , Disco Ensemble , Free Spirit , Le corps mince de Francois ( LCMDF ), Lapko , Stalingrad Cowgrils , 22-pistepirkko , Swallow the sun , Villa Nah , TV Off   or Shogun Kunitoki ? Ok, I don't know them either but they are the biggest Finnish bands abroad claiming praise from the critics - Husky Rescue's laters album got 5 stars from Daily Telegraph and Times featured it as the album of the week in Britain where almost 2.000 new albums are released weekly - and are doing the clubs and festivals. The Finnish music export was in 2008 over 23 million euros when in 2007 it was around 19 million. Very indie rock and heavy metal oriented. Let the Swedes do the pop! :-)

In Finland the taxes are public information and every year the papers publish who earned what, how much less or more than before, who has to pay more taxes and who gets a refund (lucky me, I do get a big one!) Anyways, the internationally famous Finnish artists are of course also of interest and once again Lauri Ylönen, the lead singer of The Rasmus earned the most: 541.000 euros but that's 100.000 less than last year. It's a lot more than the next one, Tuomas Holopainen of Nightwish (378.000) and Ville Valo of Him (360.000). Lauri Tähkä , even if being "only a Finnish" artist singing in Finnish and performing only in Finland almost earned as much as them: 318.000, but the real King of income in Finnish is Kari Tapio with 565.000, more than Lauri Ylönen. That means the best earning pop/rock artist in Finland for the first time in many years earns his money inside the Finnish borders! Mr Lordi or Tomi Putaansuu is far behind with 72.000, much less than a year befo...

Finland biggest and most important summer rock festival is happening this weekend and the artists include HIM; Nightwish, The Ark, Apocalyptica and Teräsbetoni . Also Jippu makes her rock festival debut - she says she never attended one in her life - and will perform her songs and "surprises" with a gospel choir of 40 members! If gospel and Jippu sound a bit strange in a rock festival how about the Eurovision connections? Has Eurovision become more rock or rock festivals more schlager?