CESSNA. First band in the Radio Khartoum universe. Generally considered the godfathers of Finnish indiepop at this point. But RK likes them because they're quirky, they disagree with us, and they never fail to surprise. Oh, and the trick to distinguishing Sami's vocals from Tomi's is to listen for Tomi's smile. Dead serious. Works about 80% of the time. More (dis)information on Cessna? Download the press release (pdf, 2.3 MB) for Terminus.
 

CESSNA: The Loves, Longings and Regrets of Cessna
khz100 - CD album: $7 - buy
Our Finnish lads are back at last, with a set of seven postcards and late Valentines to bring us up to date on their travels since leaving Bordeaux. A record showing the seasons and the effects of the moon. Four songs that are softer than before, more lush, and more emotionally charged. The warbling basslines and jazzy chords are still in effect, but vintage organs and analogue synths pick up momentum on this outing. The mix this time also features some lovely trumpet lines. The songs are beautifully balanced (when you hear the devastating opener, "Summer Boy Winter Girl", you'll understand why we wanted balance) by a pair of up tempo instrumentals perfect for speeding down the coast of Crete on a stolen scooter to. The whole package gets a definitive rain-soaked (and cheerful) wrap-up by a third instrumental, "Go Easy Gavin", a low tech number courtesy of the infamous Lira organ that will shock and delight. Hints this time of Belle & Sebastian, Cloudberry Jam, and Cinnamon, but basically, this is Cessna.
 

Elegant and eclectic by turns, Bordeaux blends laidback bubblegum riffs with flavors as diverse as Razorcuts, early Daily Planet, young Monochrome Set, the Monkees, Young Marble Giants, and warbling basslines à la Field Mice or Factory-era Wake. Topped off with breathy vocals and a dusting of whimsy. The antique "Lira" organ, which accents many of the songs, is of suspected Italian origin, and deserves to be mentioned in a sentence of its own.