2024. Week 30, 10 singles (2)

"Summertime and the living is easy", is a very famous line from the very famous song 'Summertime'. I am being fooled twice here. Foremost by the summer here in NL this year so far (not much to speak of) and by a cover covered in this post (total surprise). Once again, there is a varied lot for you to digest, so let me no longer keep you. Enjoy!

Spider Legs. Wild Powwers

Wild Powwers is singer/guitarist Lara Hilgemann, bassist Jordan Gomes, and drummer/singer Lupe Flores. The band released its fifth album 'Pop Hits & Total Bummers Vol. 5' on the 5th of July. This is an alternative pop song that is powerful but also hard to put my finger on. Nothing is straightforward, with exception of the singing. The three instruments play parts that fit in the harmonic sense but each comes across as if on its own planet. This makes Spider Legs harder to listen to. Wild Powwers makes me work for my listen. The beginning is easy to follow. Slowly but surely parts seem to change, become more difficult. The chorus is not one to sing along to easily. I immediately knew I wanted to write on the song but got seriously confused along the way. See what you think.

Songs From Home EP. Wild Remedy

Today we have some country and folk on the blog as well. Recently Wild Remedy debuted with the single of this EP on this blog. Here is the five song EP. Amy Russett, Colleen Roberston and Shay Mahoney, from Ottawa and Montreal, breath life into the "hey-ho" genre, though they opt for only 'ho', that petered out about ten years ago. The three women sing together adding strength to their individual voices. Think boygenious, Mouth of Babes or Worry Dolls and then add a lot of enthusiasm. They sing as if they have nothing to lose, yet a world to win. The basis of the song is an acoustic guitar and a (kick) drum. From there, the song can be expanded, it is the singing that always is in the middle, the focus point. You will find most songs in an uptempo rhythm for folk songs. When the tempo does go down a little in 'Wild Remedy', the voices steal the show even more. Together with producer Nate Hardy the trio found the right additions to its trio and probably live sound, without being pressured into something that it is not. Wild Remedy is a vibrant singing trio of (indie) folk songs with a country tone here and there for good measure. Songs From Home is a very welcome surprise, where boygenius will have to watch, as far as music is, the competition.

Try. Elephant Tree

This song is a lot heavier than what is usually found on the blog. Elephant Tree plays a sludgy, psychedelic kind of rock. A deep and dark riff lies at the heart of Try. At the same time the song has a clear melody. The vocals are recorded with an effect on them, making them sound trippy and psychedelic. The "go" deep in the mix from the chorus to the second verse, shows how enthusiastic the band is. Even the best band may need a pointer every once in a while as well. The guitar solo plays some notes I did not see coming and so does the chord change in the instrumental part after the solo. It all makes the song stand out. The deep dark growl from the rhythm guitar at the end is a befitting ending. Yes, Try is on the blog because I tried as well. The album, 'A Handful Of Ten', is the band's first in 10 years. Its two previous album are to be re-released on the same day.

A Great Escape. POM

Last year, POM made it to the list of my favourite albums for 2023. A Great Escape is the first release since 'We Were Girls Together' on route to a to be released EP later in 2024. Fans will recognise the sound immediately. That tremendously energetic punky rock sound. The band opts for the moniker fuzz rock. I certainly add the word pop, as it oozes out of A Great Escape like fresh water from a well. POM managed to find another optimistic sounding guitar riff at the beginning of the song, before holding back for the first verse. Liza van As can sing the verse with ease over bass and drums accompaniment, with a few keyboard notes coming in in the second half. In the second verse more keyboards are added, making the single sound a bit spacey. The chorus is one of the better POM has released so far. Think 'Exoskeleton', that good. With A Great Escape POM proves that its best songs were not a coincidence. The world is going to enjoy this band a lot more in the future.

Summertime. The Dogmatics

Summertime is announced as a cover. So I sat down expecting another cover of the famous American songbook standard by Gershwin. Not The Dogmatics. They play Summertime written by Richie Parsons and played by his band Unnatural Axe. The Dogmatics play the song with reverence. Drummer Tom Long kicks the song into life with a great drum intro. The band falls in repeating the chord sequence accented by the lead guitar, with just a note, perhaps two. That's enough in the verse. Jerry Lehane's voice is rough and serious. He "can't wait for the summertime", when all the college kids have gone home once again and the city is for him to love his baby. And of course for The Dogmatics and all these other great bands in Boston to start playing to their own crowd. "Summer's here and the time is right for dancing in the streets", to The Dogmatics' Summertime. I'm sure Bowie and Jagger and all the others who sang the song, didn't see that one coming.

Massachusetts. Jensen McRea

Boston is in Massachusetts, so it's a small step from the previous single in this post. Despite singer and songwriter Jensen McRae is from LA. A new name to me, but not to Erwin Zijleman. He reviewed her debut album 'Are You Happy Now?' in June of 2022. Listening to this single I can understand why he would fall for a singer with little edge to her voice and the rich music behind her. Massachusetts reminds me a little of 'Fast Car', Tracy Chapman's number 1 single of over three decades ago. This song is far more than a girl with guitar though. Behind Jensen McRae more happens than my ears can keep up with during the introduction to the song. From a modest beginning, explaining the title in the first words, the song is slowly but surely built out as more and more instruments join the song, harder and harder to keep them apart. The lyric lines are not necessarily connected to one another but do tell a story of some kind that is interesting to follow. A nice introduction to this new singer, for me that is.

American Ocelot EP. American Ocelot

Five song EPs are almost a mini album. Do they deserve their own post or is it more befitting to be ranked among the singles? The short answer is here, as that leaves more room for albums. American Ocelot deserves a spot as its self-titled debut EP sounds as if it could have been made around 1968 by an alternative early rock band, had they had the recording technique bands now have that is. American Ocelot, named after a wild cat, sounds simply so good, with a special spot for singer and band leader Joanie Lynch, who is dreaming her dream in music and has formed her own band with Sara Billingsley on vocals and percussion; Kevin James on lead guitar; and Charlie Sullivan on bass. The music varies from alternative rock to garage rock. 'Non Participant' is a very good example of this. Lynch's vocal may not be the best here, the context and band make up more than enough. Non Participant is a fantastic dirty rock song. 'Secret' also is but a little more punky. American Ocelot is an EP containing a nice variation of songs that shows the different sides to the band. Where some bands overdo diversity, American Ocelot presents a nice fit. Its EP is a great introduction on route or so I hope, to more in the future.

Paint Me Like A Woman. Gia Ford

This is totally mysterious and so intriguing. Gia Ford lays down a mood that I'm immediately sucked into. On route to her debut album, 'Transparent Things ', out on 13 September, she's out to make a deep impression with this single. Oh, of course, something in the mood sounds immediately familiar, but who cares. Something Radiohead but also a name I can't get my head around, I think triphop from England but ?? A song that has the exact same mysterious atmosphere and then exactly that piano sound. Expertly the drum and bass come in for the second verse, making the sound bigger. The pre-chorus brings the song down and then comes the chorus itself. Gia Ford plays her listeners with her seductive, yet solid voice. For her debut album she was able to work with producer Tony Berg (Phoebe Bridgers). The collaboration pays off. I am no little wanting to her 'Transparent Things'. If she's able to maintain this level of music making, it may well be a winner.

Familiar Place. Neighbours Burning Neighbours

It's over four years ago that I reviewed 'Neighbours Burning Neighbours', a three song single. After that there was a solo album and duo album by Alicia Breton Ferrer but then things went quiet. In the meantime another band from Rotterdam took over the alternative post punk torch: Tramhaus. Come summer 2024 and this other Rotterdam band is back and on on track. As always completely without even searching for a form of compromise to whatever convention except for making noise in abundance. I can control my volume here in my home, live this will be devastating to the quality of ageing ears. Familiar Place fully works though. All through the near dissonant notes and chords the song comes through. There is a superb use of dynamics, putting air into the song, while allowing for the moment that when the band really lets it rip, it comes across double. Familiar Place is a single that will not make it to a lot of radio stations but is a great promise for album 'Burning Neighbours' slated for 13 September.

Wrong Ones. The Vices

Above, POM presented its new single, here are Mattan Records label mates The Vices with a new single as well. With Wrong Ones the Groningen band goes for their alternative rock side. And rock Wrong Ones does. With a stark rhythm, great dynamics and wild abandon that is unleashed in the chorus, the band shows its capable of rocking. Just listen to the intro. The guitar plays the lead and drops away for the start of the verse. The Vices keep playing with the dynamics all through the song and where another band would put in oohs and aahs in the background, The Vices opt for an electric guitar playing harmonies replacing the vocals. To think that The Vices come out of the band Ten Years Later and that I received an LP to review from the boot of a car years ago (and did). The Vices by now has a tour in the U.S. under its belt. With a song like Wrong Ones only more doors will open.

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