”A very nice album, great songs. Nothing wrong with that.”

”Hun zesde album “Ain’t Bad Yet” is opgenomen in Wales met de bekende producer John Porter. De titel zegt het al en is eigenlijk een understatement; zo slecht is het niet, eigenlijk is het best goed. De elf songs zijn zelfgeschreven. Het klinkt allemaal lekker en, als je al in een hokje wilt stoppen, zou je het een soort bluesrock light kunnen noemen. Bij tijd en wijle stevig, maar het ligt allemaal lekker in het gehoor en de ritmes zijn aanstekelijk. Het album begint stoer met het rockende “Last Train To “Memphis”, varieert met akoestisch werk, funky nummers om weer met een stevige blues te eindigen. Een erg leuk album, prima nummers. Niets mis mee.””
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”These blues rockers capture the Muddy Waters just up from the Delta and working in a auto part factory vibe.”
MICKE BJORKLOF & Blue Strip/Ain’t Bad Yet:
Some things just sound like set ups for punch lines. Try this on for size: John Porter goes to Wales to produce Finland’s top, award winning blues rock band, and on the way to the studio where Queen recorded ”Bohemian Rhapsody”… Strange but true? You have to adjust your stateside ears a touch for this but these blues rockers capture the Muddy Waters just up from the Delta and working in a auto part factory vibe. This is the sound of blues rock for the nu generation that have been looking for more than beats to fill their phones with.
-Chris Spector, Midwest Record

Micken haastattelu Saksalaisella Bluesfeeling.com sivustolla

Micke talks about his blues path in this interview by Bluesfeeling .com

”Ain’t Bad Yet” šesti je album finskog rock n’ blues benda Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip. Album je 15. svibnja objavila diskografska kuća HOKAHEY! Records.
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Radio and press contact in USA & Canada:

Frank Roszak Promotions “Keeping the Blues Alive”Award Recipient 2014″

TEL: 818-679-7636

froszak2003 @yahoo.com

www.frankroszakpromotions.com

”This one should be chasing it down the awards road, as it’s a cracker. There isn’t a duff track on offer, so blues rockers need to be checking this out quickly”

Off to Finland for some blues now.  And it’s the sixth album from Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip, even if they are a new name to me.  But blow me down with a big blowy thing, but they’re good. I should have known that because when they travelled to Rockfield Studios in Wales to record this, it was to work with multi Grammy award winning producer, John Porter.  Now he may have spent time working with shite like Billy Bragg and the Smiths, but it was his later work with the likes of Buddy Guy, B.B King, Taj Mahal, Keb Mo and Santana that has filled his mantelpiece with awards.  And I assume he doesn’t have to wrok with rubbish nowadays. And so to Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip who have been playing the blues across Scandinavia for over 20 years, with their last record “After The Flood” voted as best Finnish blues album of the year on Radio Suomi ( I take it Erja Lyytinen didn’t have a record that year).  And this one should be chasing it down the awards road, as it’s a cracker.  Musically it veers from Chicago to ZZ Top, to mainstream blues rock with some slide guitar from Lefty Leyeppanen that lifts every song it appears on. There isn’t a duff track on offer, so blues rockers need to be checking this out quickly.  No, quicker than that.
-Stuart A. Hamilton, The Rocker