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Seen It All Before. Jody and the Jerms
Jody
and the Jerms return to the blog and with what else then an oh so nice
pop gem where sweet and bitter meet to perfection. The upbeat tempo is
full of positive vibes making the song a joy to listen to. The vocal
(melody) tells another story. It is here where the two meet to
perfection. And yet the vocals are full of pop as well. The jangly
guitar gives the song an indie touch, a little R.E.M. even, while the
lead guitar and rhythm section all rock out. Jody Jeger, who before this
band never sang in a band before, is the star of the show though with
her vocal melody. The Jerms do everything to make her shine and
the clear production of Mark Gardener (of Ride fame) does the rest. Jody
and the Jerms are on a roll here. Britpop in a modern jacket. Life
could be a lot worse, I tell you. Even for people who've heard it all before.
With
the single 'Phoning' German rockers Bird's View debuted on this blog
over a year ago. The album did not make it to these pages. This new
single does. Again the band has listened to what worked well in the past
and comes up with a blistering new rock song. Do I Have To Call is a
dirty rock track, that makes good use of dynamics. Holding back and
going (more than) full out. The tight and dry rhythm comes across in the
verses, the guitars sore in the instrumental interludes and chorus.
Apart from the very soft break with a soft voice and picked guitar
Bird's View loves to go at it and it comes across superbly. Do I Have To
Call is the kind of song that makes audiences go berserk and lets them
make a soft landing in between. Bird's View has not only listened to the
dozens of examples, it knows how to write its own success song as well.
Soul
in 2023? Maarten Devoldere certainly seems to qualify with his new
single. Released to support a fall tour, it will do just that.
Devoldere's solo project turns super relaxed on Popcorn. A title that
was taken since the synthesizer pop hit of 1972. Warhaus is claming it
though. I do not see it climbing to the number 1 position on the charts.
To compensate, the ghost of the late Marvin Gaye will be nodding contently over
Devoldere's shoulder. The latter's former partner Sylvie Kreusch steals a
part of the show on the single. Singing like a soul angel and
impersonating the popping phase of corn. "Goodbye, my baby", Devoldere
opens the song. Heartbreak once again leads to a beautiful song. The
question that lingers who else is suffering from heartbreak in this song. Not Kreusch,
I gather from listening to Popcorn. She's leading the pack, pop, pop, pop.
Little
Hansi in the title is far better off in 2023 than he would have been in
1923 and any year before. Horses in the street are not an everyday sight any
more. The Mono Kids tells it all on the fear of little Hansi. They do
so with a loudly rocking song that we have come to like so much from the duo, Roelof,
drums and Michel, guitar and vocals. A noise intro followed by a
short, effective riff and devilish break played by both the instruments ,
launches the song into the stratosphere, from where it refuses to
return. Little Hansi rocks, loud with loads of energy, The Mono Kids have
in abundance on this song. Just 2.29 and that includes the sound
effects at the beginning and end. It's more than enough to leave all
involved out of breath. In the meantime, I simply can't hear that break enough. Yes, it
may have been done many times before but I just love it here.
This
is the fourth time CIEL can be found on this blog, all in this year. The
Brighton band falls really nice into the shoes left behind by Blood Red
Shoes when the band left Brighton to conquer the world. Listening to
CIEL's second EP of the year, it is ready to follow in the former band's
footsteps. Rather Be Alone is exciting, fast paced, full of energy and
great. This is exactly what a modern rock band should sound like.
There's a hint of 80s and again I mention Kim Wilde this week. The sound
her brother Ricky created for her in the early 80s is fused with rock
guitars and even more pace. The combination works like a miracle in
2023. Singer Michelle Hindriks sings like a combination of Kim Wilde and
Laura-May Carter. It's not surprising that the band was allowed to tour
as a support act warming up audiences for the, at this point in time,
real thing. If anything CIEL is the contender. The four songs on this EP
all convince, with single 'Talk' as final powerhouse should anyone
doubt the band's intentions. In fact, I'm sure opening song 'Circles'
will have taken care of any doubts long before that. CIEL is one of the
new bands to watch.
More
music from Down Under, Australia this time, Merci, Mercy is the name
singer-songwriter Merceedes Thorne works under. The name is a reference
to her nickname, Mercy, and the mispronunciation of her name Merceedes.
She fits in with many popular singers of this day and age. When I like
the music best, is when an alternative rock element is infused into the
music. Opening song 'Shovel' is a great example of this. The pop music
receives a great edge that makes the song very attractive to listen to.
The acoustic guitar is tightly strummed and the bass gives the song a
sprightly step. It results in a tremendously poppy chorus, where Merci,
Mercy sings with an undercooled voice to pass her the shovel, creating the
little distance she's asking for. Message understood. A nice, pleasantly shredding guitar solo
does the rest. Points long scored I have to admit that the rest of the
EP is not for me. Don't let that stop you, as 1) there's one great song
on the EP and 2) taste, remember?
A
new single by The Smile and the announcement of a new album and tour. Is the death knell rung for Radiohead, now the two leading musicians, Tom Yorke
and Johnny Greenwood put more effort into their new band, with drummer Tom
Skinner? (Nice name for a drummer, isn't it?) Wall Of Eyes is a strange
song. It starts out like a very average kind of guitar song. A hint of
Brazilian music in the guitar's rhythm. Bossa nova or some such. Yorke
of course starts singing as if he is perennially remembering the next
word at the moment before last. It's in the slurring way he sings, what
it is. In the beginning he actually manages to keep up. Slowly but
surely weirder elements creep into Wall Of Eyes. Finally leading to
total estrangement. The result is a very intriguing song, where I keep
wondering what possibly could happen next, without ever losing contact
with the song. When all is said and done, Wall Of Sound is more a
Radiohead song than anything else. It keeps me wondering why, to quote
Steve Miller Band, The Smile exists? In the meantime, I've decided to
enjoy it.
Jean
Weaver returns to WoNoBlog with a mysterious song. The chord
progression may sound familiar, the way they are painted over makes Love
In Constant Spectacle a song to remain on alert. Over the music Jane
Weaver sings a very nice song. I simply love the melody. It has a
laidback feel, a little hippy like even. The music is totally
psychedelic. The drums is the instrument grounding the song. The
(synth?) bass drops huge holes in the rhythm, creating loads of spaces,
as does the (I'm almost sure) guitar with its wobbly sound. There's a
synth playing a few notes here and there. The whole leaves all the space
in the world for Jane Weaver to sing her different parts in. Love In
Constant Spectacle is one of the slowest dance songs imaginable. The
rhythm is too slow to dance to, yet the song is totally funky in it's psych kind of
way. The weird guitar solo ends the song adding to the mystery that is
there from the start. Simply very well done.
The
loss of Justine Covoult is unimaginable for someone living as far away
from Boston's music scene like I do. Girl With a Hawk had signed to
Covoult's Red on Red label late in 2022 and released only it's second
single when she past away before the summer. The band found a new home
with Rum Bar Records, where else?, and releases a new single in memory
of Justine Covoult, before the band's EP is coming out on 8 December.
Feel Me is a rocker with a lot of sadness in it. From the generalised
"The world can't live without you" to the personal "Can I live without
you"?, singer Linda S. Viens wonders. Although originally written
with someone else in mind, Feel Me does express the loss the band's
members felt. Having known each other since the 1980s and going through
the same phases of life, both singers were rocking still or again, with life on
the other side. Feel Me is a song that is well balanced, including a
rough edge besides a 80s pop side in the keyboard. Kim Wilde on a rock
guitar, something like that. It all ends with a guitar solo that simply
sets the world ablaze for a short while. Feel Me deserves to be heard
far and wide.
Looking at the video, I got the feeling to be looking at an outtake of Wim de Bie, instead of Johan's singer Jacco de Greeuw. And then the text "welcome player Jacobse" pops up. Coincidental? (Yes, I know De Bie played Tedje van Es, but still.) Johan's new single, again, is different than what came before. So It Goes has a rougher indie edge, once the near acoustic first part of the song is over. Like 'Cincinnati' it is Johan and it is not, except for the voice. I notice it takes me time to get it all in. I'm hearing a good song but my brain keeps warning me "this is different, watch out". Expectations are the enemy of every band with a legacy wanting to try something, even mildly, new. Johan obviously is going into a new direction and it takes getting used to. What I've heard so far, does make me curious for what else is coming. And for the tour that undoubtedly will follow.
Wout de Natris
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