#7 Rolf Junior feat. Anne Veski, "Liiga Noor"

Nii palju on asju millest sa veel ei tea

"Liiga Noor" is probably the living incarnation of a "stomper." I can't tell you the number of times I've turned the volume up just about as high as it can go and, hands over my head, jumped along to this song in my room. I'm still suspicious that it might be a cover (and if anyone knows that it is, please let me know!), but otherwise, why on Earth was this not submitted for Eurovision? With that heavy beat underneath it, it's far more insistent and catchier than a not-even-the-first-single from an unsuccessful Eurolaul contestant's album has the right to be. I can't talk up this song enough--I mean, dance-pop with a deep heavy but still bouncy edge to it that features Rolf and the much older diva Anne trading off vocals and a chorus whose key line is Anne singing "You are too young"? What more could you ask for from a song? I would literally pay money to see a music video for it. As is, I'll just have to settle for listening without visual accompaniment to this song that is approximately 5,000,000 times AMAZING.

You do really need to hear it in proper high quality to appreciate it fully, though. Oh, and as before, the translation of the lyrics can be read here.

"Ingel"/"Angel Eyes," another single from this album, is also pretty great.

Find it on: Ingel

See right through my disguise

I've been meaning to write about this artist ever since Posh & Becks introduced me to the fact that he'd actually released music to follow up on his Eurolaul song. Eurovision addicts may remember Rolf Junior from his Estonian national final entry "One On One," probably the best of a generally pretty weak field. If you don't remember the disco song itself, maybe you'll remember the controversy that surrounded his desire to have a rainbow flag on stage. The music video for "One On One" is below.



Also, who knew that this is apparently what he used to look like (pre-ridiculous '70's mustache, which luckily has, I think, been ditched now)? Most importantly, though, he's apparently been busy making some great songs (though I like "One On One"). "Ingel"/"Angel Eyes" (I would love to have a high quality version of the latter, which is playing on his MySpace), but "Liiga Noor" ("Too Young," sung with [the older diva] Anne Veski) is great as well (as is his cover of the dance version of "Uninvited") and might just win out.

"Angel Eyes"'s (shady MySpace quality; sorry! I opted for low quality in English over high quality in Estonian) fairly gentle dance beats and catchy melody on some xylophone-like instrument are just so refreshing. I tell you what, quality-wise, it would have absolutely blown everything else out of the water at this year's Eurolaul (though that's never any indication of likelihood of winning). It's really excellent, enough so to make me wonder if it's a cover.

I don't want to underrate "Liiga noor" (high quality but in Estonian) though, a single in Estonia and an excellent one. The electro beats in it are more pounding, with Rolf and Anne trading vocals back and forth (translated lyrics here, if you're interested).

I'm actually really tempted to buy the album, which you can buy here (physical). I wonder if the whole thing is this good or playing on these styles. I think if it had "Angel Eyes" on it (it does have the Estonian version, "Ingel"), I'd have already bought it. It looks like most/all of the songs are on YouTube--I may have to spend some time listening to them. And if I got the CD, then I'd get to see the credits...

Next up: maybe a Swedish song.