Song of the Day - December 5, 2006

Here's another musical adventure for those that yearn for an acquired taste of aural challenges. First start in Finland and journey across the sea to Glasgow and you will replicate Nalle, a Finnish band based in Scotland, that makes some of the most hauntingly beautiful music you will hear this year. Taking their name from the Finnish word for teddy bear, you will either love this record or wonder what the hell it is all about. I personally love it. Lead vocalist Hanna Tuulikki sounds like some unusual cocktail of Bjork, Joanna Newsom, and Josephine Foster. You may not be ready for this, unless you were raised on a musical diet of the aforementioned artists. Employing a wide variety of instrumentation ranging from bouzouki, viola, flutes, kantele, and clarinet, Nalle create a sonic environment that conjures up visions of the Arctic, North Africa, and the Far East. Their album By Chance Upon Walking is a sonic delight. One of my favorite tracks is "Forest Mountain." I love the interplay between the viola and Hanna's voice, while the rest of the band provides relaxing, but slightly eerie accompaniment. Click here to listen.