The Valkyrians
Encyclopedia
The Valkyrians is a Finnish rocksteady
and ska
band.
In 2006 they released their debut album High And Mighty, which was popular on the radio and charted at #24 on the national Finnish album chart. One of the album's singles, "Rankin Fullstop", peaked at #6 on the singles chart.
The Valkyrians released a second album, The Beat Of Our Street, in 2009. It reached #28 on the album chart.
Their third album Punkrocksteady was released 10.8.2011. The album´s songs are cover versions of the 70´s and 80´s punk and new wave bands and a tribute to the early influencers (outside of ska, and reggae).
, Big Deal
, Letku Leroy and Gladiator
met at a familiar watering hole in Helsinki, Finland. These musicians had known each other for years and on this night they decided to make a shared dream a reality. They were going to start a band that played the sweet, smoky rhythms that had for decades emanated from the island of Jamaica
. The first gig was set up for Big Deal’s and Leroy’s birthday party. Ska
, rocksteady
and reggae
, as well as 2Tone and punk
classics had the crowd dancing like crazy. The gig was a success and the party exceeded all expectations.
The Valkyrians were born.
Their first release, an EP called Miracle by Semi Sounds/Fat Belt Records, came out in 2004. It featured I Don’t Wanna Go Home, a real dance floor burner loved by audiences everywhere. The band started to seriously consider making an album.
High and Mighty was released in 2006 (BALE/Fat Belt). With the crowd, as well as critics, going wild for the Jamaican sound, the band decided it was time to take the show on the road. They toured all around Finland and Scandinavia. They toured in central Europe. The album rose up to number 24 in the Finnish charts.
The band won a slew of awards that year: a Femma (which is a kind of alternative to the Finnish Grammy Emma) for most danceable act of 2006. Finland’s premier alternative rock paper Rumba agreed and gave them an award for setting the floor on fire, too. Do You Really Wanna Know was named song of the year by Funky Elephant, an association of Finnish lovers of the almighty groove.
Stupido Records and Pork Pie Records released the band’s second album, The Beat of Our Street, in 2009. It climbed up to number 29 in the charts. The band went on a tour that lasted the best part of a year: Finland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Holland, Belgium, and Sweden all received the gospel of skanking to the beat.
Come late 2010 and the band started thinking about album number three. They wanted to try something different and decided to approach the songs they’d loved in their youth from a different perspective. A Valkyrian perspective. Eventually it boiled down to covering punk
and new wave
classics from the late-70s and the early-80s and infusing them with some rhythmic Caribbean magic. After some fairly brutal arranging sessions, the band retired to Seawolf Studios on the fortress island of Suomenlinna. It was a very snowy and cold December. The Valkyrians, mixing engineer Petri Majuri and recording engineer Pasi Hartikainen worked until June of 2011.
Punkrocksteady was released 10.8.2011. It’s all about punk dressed in rudeboy garb, with rocksteady, ska and reggae rhythms. The album is an homage to the classics of past decades and the people who created them. They’ve all had a major impact on the musical and spiritual development The Valkyrians and its constituent parts. The roots of the band are in punk.
Some artists worth mentioning: The Clash
, Buzzcocks
, Elvis Costello
, 999
, Devo
, The Only Ones
, Misfits, Sham 69
, Wire
… And many more.
The future sure is bright. And the band is now thinking about what to do for album number four.
Rocksteady
Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor to ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was performed by Jamaican vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, The Maytals and The Paragons. The term rocksteady comes from a dance style that was mentioned in the Alton...
and ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
band.
In 2006 they released their debut album High And Mighty, which was popular on the radio and charted at #24 on the national Finnish album chart. One of the album's singles, "Rankin Fullstop", peaked at #6 on the singles chart.
The Valkyrians released a second album, The Beat Of Our Street, in 2009. It reached #28 on the album chart.
Their third album Punkrocksteady was released 10.8.2011. The album´s songs are cover versions of the 70´s and 80´s punk and new wave bands and a tribute to the early influencers (outside of ska, and reggae).
History
Back in 2002, Angster, MoonheadMoonhead
Moonhead is the second full-length album by Thin White Rope.-Track listing:All songs written by Guy Kyser, except "Not Your Fault" , "Moonhead" , "Mother" , "Crawl Piss Freeze" , "Atomic Imagery" , "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" .# "Not Your Fault" - 3:45# "Wire Animals" - 4:00#...
, Big Deal
Big Deal
Big Deal or The Big Deal may refer to:* Big Deal , a 1986 Broadway musical* Big Deal , a 1996 series on FOX* Big Deal , a British comedy drama...
, Letku Leroy and Gladiator
Gladiator
A gladiator was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gladiators were volunteers who risked their legal and social standing and their lives by appearing in the...
met at a familiar watering hole in Helsinki, Finland. These musicians had known each other for years and on this night they decided to make a shared dream a reality. They were going to start a band that played the sweet, smoky rhythms that had for decades emanated from the island of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. The first gig was set up for Big Deal’s and Leroy’s birthday party. Ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, rocksteady
Rocksteady
Rocksteady is a music genre that originated in Jamaica around 1966. A successor to ska and a precursor to reggae, rocksteady was performed by Jamaican vocal harmony groups such as The Gaylads, The Maytals and The Paragons. The term rocksteady comes from a dance style that was mentioned in the Alton...
and reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, as well as 2Tone and punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
classics had the crowd dancing like crazy. The gig was a success and the party exceeded all expectations.
The Valkyrians were born.
Their first release, an EP called Miracle by Semi Sounds/Fat Belt Records, came out in 2004. It featured I Don’t Wanna Go Home, a real dance floor burner loved by audiences everywhere. The band started to seriously consider making an album.
High and Mighty was released in 2006 (BALE/Fat Belt). With the crowd, as well as critics, going wild for the Jamaican sound, the band decided it was time to take the show on the road. They toured all around Finland and Scandinavia. They toured in central Europe. The album rose up to number 24 in the Finnish charts.
The band won a slew of awards that year: a Femma (which is a kind of alternative to the Finnish Grammy Emma) for most danceable act of 2006. Finland’s premier alternative rock paper Rumba agreed and gave them an award for setting the floor on fire, too. Do You Really Wanna Know was named song of the year by Funky Elephant, an association of Finnish lovers of the almighty groove.
Stupido Records and Pork Pie Records released the band’s second album, The Beat of Our Street, in 2009. It climbed up to number 29 in the charts. The band went on a tour that lasted the best part of a year: Finland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Holland, Belgium, and Sweden all received the gospel of skanking to the beat.
Come late 2010 and the band started thinking about album number three. They wanted to try something different and decided to approach the songs they’d loved in their youth from a different perspective. A Valkyrian perspective. Eventually it boiled down to covering punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
classics from the late-70s and the early-80s and infusing them with some rhythmic Caribbean magic. After some fairly brutal arranging sessions, the band retired to Seawolf Studios on the fortress island of Suomenlinna. It was a very snowy and cold December. The Valkyrians, mixing engineer Petri Majuri and recording engineer Pasi Hartikainen worked until June of 2011.
Punkrocksteady was released 10.8.2011. It’s all about punk dressed in rudeboy garb, with rocksteady, ska and reggae rhythms. The album is an homage to the classics of past decades and the people who created them. They’ve all had a major impact on the musical and spiritual development The Valkyrians and its constituent parts. The roots of the band are in punk.
Some artists worth mentioning: The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton in 1976, led by singer–songwriter–guitarist Pete Shelley.They are regarded as an important influence on the Manchester music scene, the independent record label movement, punk rock, power pop, pop punk and indie rock. They achieved commercial...
, Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, 999
999
Year 999 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Silesia is incorporated into territory ruled by Boleslaus I of Poland.* The Orsay commune is founded.- Asia :...
, Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, The Only Ones
The Only Ones
The Only Ones are an English rock band. They were initially active in the late 1970s and were associated with punk rock, yet straddled the musical territory in between punk, power pop and hard rock, with noticeable influences from psychedelia...
, Misfits, Sham 69
Sham 69
Sham 69 is an English punk band that formed in Hersham in 1976.Although not as commercially successful as many of their contemporaries, albeit with a greater number of chart entries, Sham 69 has been a huge musical and lyrical influence on the Oi! and streetpunk genres. The band allegedly derived...
, Wire
Wire
A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Standard sizes are determined by various...
… And many more.
The future sure is bright. And the band is now thinking about what to do for album number four.
Band members
- Angster – vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Letku-Leroy – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Mr Moonhead - pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with... - Gladiator – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Big Deal - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Albums
- High And MightyHigh and Mighty (album)High and Mighty is the ninth studio album released by British progressive rock band Uriah Heep."High and Mighty" was the last Uriah Heep album to feature vocalist and founding member David Byron, who was subsequently fired due to his troubles with alcohol.The album was not terribly well-received,...
, released 6.2.2006 by BALE Inc. licensed by Pork Pie Records - The Beat Of Our Street, released 30.9.2009 by Stupido Records Oy licensed by Pork Pie Records
- Punkrocksteady, released 10.8.20011 by Stupido Records Oy licensed by Pork Pie Records
Singles
- Miracle EP, released October 2004 by Semi Sounds/Fat Belt Records
- Ranking Fullstop, 2006 BALE Inc.
- Do You Really Wanna Know, 2007 BALE Inc.
- Hooligans, 2007 BALE Inc.
- Hold On Rudy, 2010 Stupido Records Oy
- Heart Of GlassHeart of Glass (song)"Heart of Glass" is a song by American New Wave band Blondie, written by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. Featured on the band's third studio album, Parallel Lines, it was released as a single in January 1979 and topped the charts in several countries, including the US and UK.Rolling...
, 2011 Stupido Records Oy
Compilations
- Goodness Gracious - Reggae from Finland, released Oct 2005 by Fat Belt Records
- Sue CD 8, released 2006
- RiddimRiddimRiddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm," but in dancehall/reggae parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. Thus, a dancehall song consists of the riddim plus the "voicing" sung by the deejay. The resulting song structure may be taken for...
, released May 2007 - OxOxAn ox , also known as a bullock in Australia, New Zealand and India, is a bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration makes the animals more tractable...
, released April 2007 - Rock´n´Roll Circus Tour No 1, released 2007
- United Colors of Ska 4, released September 2007 by Pork Pie Records
- Wahrschauer, released in winter 07/08
- The Sun Of The Beach 2 - Ska, released in 2008
- 2 Tone Records Tribute / Respect To Gangsters, released in 2008
- The Spirit Of Ska, released in September 2009 by Pork Pie Records