2026, week 26. 5 singles (3)

A change of the weather is coming up. It's darkish, thunder and lightning loom in the distance and the first drops of rain fall off and on, without gaining momentum yet. The storm can't make up it mins yet, it seems. It probably will when we have to go to the trainstation later this afternoon. In the meantime its clammy and sticky, while the very sporadic wind feels fresher already. In the meantime I'm setting five more recent single aside for your pleasure, so enjoy!

Jealous Lover. The Rolling Stones

And here is the third the Rolling Stones songs released before 'Foreign Tongues'. The song fits into a long line of Stones songs, that show the more pop side of the band. At 82 Mick Jagger can still put in his falsetto voice, as if time has no grip on him. Let us go back to 'Emotional Rescue' from 1980 as a starting point. It is not exactly my favourite The Rolling Stones single, but like almost all singles of the past, I found my way into it at the time. Jealous Lover in the end will go that way, as I do like the chorus and that slick guitar work shared between Keith and Ronnie sounds really smooth and nice. Newspaper 'The Times' already spoke of "a career high" when it wrote about  'Foreign Tongues'. Based on the three songs so far, the rest must be really, really exceptional, to nestle with albums like 'Beggar's Banquet', 'Exile On Main Street' and 'Tattoo You', to name but a few. Jealous Lover is nice, it's smooth, but can't tip 'Sweet Sounds Of Heaven' from 'Hackney Diamonds', to name a recent smash song.

Great Start. In Loom 

Gijs Kerkhoven and Sander van Munster have made music under many names. As In Loom they have made these pages twice this year and here is number three. As said, in In Loom it is Kerkhoven who is the lead singer, making the sound of the duo stand apart from their other collaborations. With Great Start the subtlety that characterises Sander van Munster's work is thrown overboard completely. Can a guitar sound much dirtier than in the intro and beyond of Great Start? Certainly, it can, but that would leave little room for a song. Great Start draws on some of the psychedelic songs The Rolling Stones presented on its 1967 album 'Their Satanic Majesty's Request'. In Loom adds some totally underwater bubbly experiences to it as well. Over this that dirty guitar is put, making Great Start stand out and makes it a very intriguing song. There's far more happening than I could ever have guessed when the song started. Great Start is a listening experience.

The Sweet Goodbey. Opus Kink

Recently I wrote of Opus Kink that there is a strong connection to Dutch fanfarepunkers De Kift and with The Sweet Goodbye the likeness is not taken away. The way the band uses the horns tells me all. At the same time all sorts of influences are let into the mix. Although this song is far less of a genrebender than 'The Head Tree' that featured The New Eves, you will find more than enough surprising elements. At the same time The Sweet Goodbye is more traditional post punk, with horns. Opus Kink does go one step further, at least, than the saxophone DEADLETTER uses to spice its songs for example. Again Opus Kink intrigues with its mix of music, that no matter what is straight in your face the whole time.

Moping. Personal Trainer 

A few weeks ago the first song of Personal Trainer's upcoming third album was reviewed on this blog. It surprised me with its sound and approach. With Moping Personal Trainer is back to its more traditional sound. A little lighter perhaps, maybe even with a disco rhythm guitar sound, added to by a The Stone Roses style drumming, but without doubt Personal Trainer. A female voice answers Willem Smit's vocal in parts of the song. I myself took a shine to Moping immediately, just like I did with so many songs of Personal Trainer and of Willem Smit's previous bands. "This is simply, just good", a voice says in Dutch in the middle of the song. And that comment, made by the band itself, sums it all up for me.

Pay To Play. Tornado Lobster Killer

Punk from Italy? Yes, why not. Tornado Lobster Killer is from Milan in northern Italy and plays punk(rock) as it is supposed to. Don't expect anything different then tremendously fast played instruments, releasing energy and the venting of anger of having to pay to play a show. Bandmembers need to earn some money, except when its a hobby and even then its nice to get something to pay for rehearsal rooms and gasoline. So, writing about this style of music may sound like a summing up of clichés. The music isn't, as Tornado Lobster Killer has the right energy but also the skills to make a song like Pay To Play sound interesting, because of the little melodic additions woven into the whole. So, punk from Italy? Yes, please.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

I Am June. Romy Liz Rose (2)

Romy Liz Rose liet de afgelopen maanden al van zich horen met twee indrukwekkende EP’s, maar met haar debuutalbum I Am June schaart ze zich definitief onder de beste vrouwelijke singer-songwriters van het moment.

Luister alleen naar de prachtige openingstrack The Remedy en je bent waarschijnlijk al verkocht. De pedal steel zorgt voor ruimtelijke en wonderschone klanken en ook de stem van Romy Liz Rose pakt je direct in. De lat ligt met de openingstrack direct hoog, maar de Rotterdamse muzikante houdt het hoge niveau op de rest van het album makkelijk vast. I Am June overtuigt niet alleen met de muziek en de zang, maar overstijgt ook op knappe wijze genres en maakt bovendien indruk met mooie maar ook zeer persoonlijke songs. Er verschijnen momenteel nogal wat albums van jonge vrouwelijke singer-songwriters, maar I Am June kan met de beste albums mee, nationaal en internationaal.

We hebben in Nederland momenteel absoluut geen gebrek aan talentvolle jonge vrouwelijke singer-songwriters. Het is daarom flink dringen in het genre, maar voor een supertalent is altijd plek. Dat Romy Liz Rose een supertalent is liet ze al horen op de EP’s die ze het afgelopen half jaar uitbracht. Dat haar deze week verschenen debuutalbum I Am June een prachtig album is geworden is daarom geen verrassing. Een deel van de songs op het album is immers al bekend van deze EP’s, maar toch weet Romy Liz Rose me te verrassen met haar debuutalbum. 

Er lopen niet alleen in Nederland veel getalenteerde jonge vrouwelijke singer-songwriters rond, maar ook internationaal is de concurrentie al jaren enorm groot. Probeer dan nog maar eens te komen met een geluid dat anders klinkt, maar het is Romy Liz Rose wat mij betreft gelukt. 

Het alter ego van de uit Zwanenburg afkomstige maar inmiddels Rotterdamse singer-songwriter Romy Laarhoven begint met ingrediënten uit de inmiddels beproefde recepten van de indiepop en indiefolk van het moment. Ze zingt zacht maar ook met veel gevoel, ze kiest voor een vol en warm geluid en ze schrijft persoonlijke songs die niet vies zijn van flink wat melancholie door een liefdesbreuk en waarin het volwassen worden centraal staat. 

Dat klinkt als een typisch ‘coming of age’ of breakup indiepop album en ook het etiket ‘sad girl pop’ zal snel uit de kast worden getrokken. En toch is I Am June geen moment een standaard indiefolk of indiepop album. Romy Liz Rose maakt op haar debuutalbum een aantal opvallende keuzes die het album ver boven de middelmaat doen uitstijgen. 

Wat direct opvalt bij beluistering van I Am June is de grote rol voor de pedal steel. Het is een instrument dat niet mag ontbreken op een goed countryalbum, maar dat is I Am June niet. De pedal steel voorziet de songs van Romy Liz Rose niet alleen van zeer sfeervolle klanken, maar laat ook nog wat extra wolken melancholie overdrijven op het album. 

De pedal steel staat centraal op het debuutalbum van de Rotterdamse muzikante, maar ook de overige inkleuring van haar songs is prachtig. De songs op I Am June zijn voorzien van een verzorgd en aangenaam warm geluid, dat zich steeds weer als de spreekwoordelijke warme deken om je heen slaat. Het is een geluid dat mij direct wist te betoveren, maar het is ook een geluid dat op hele knappe wijze bruggen slaat tussen aan de ene kant de indiepop en aan de andere kant de indiefolk en Amerikaanse rootsmuziek. 

Door de prachtige muziek op I Am June werd ik direct gegrepen door het eerste album van Romy Liz Rose, maar haar stem maakt de verleiding van het album nog wat groter en intenser. De zang op het album doet af en toe denken aan Phoebe Bridgers in haar mooiste songs, maar Romy Liz Rose leunt wat meer tegen de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek aan, wat gevoel en doorleving toevoegt aan haar stem, die ik schaar onder de mooiste stemmen van het moment. Het is een stem die in de overigens wonderschone productie prachtig meebeweegt met de ruimtelijke klanken van de pedal steel. 

De songs op I Am June waren zoals gezegd al deels bekend, maar ook de resterende songs op het album zijn van hoge kwaliteit en onderstrepen het grote talent van Romy Liz Rose. In Nederland mogen we ontzettend trots zijn op een singer-songwriter met de allure van de Rotterdamse muzikante, maar ook internationaal kan I Am June zich meten met het beste dat momenteel voorhanden is.

Erwin Zijleman

2026, week 26. 5 singles (2)

The sparrows are fallow dead out of the gutter, as we say over here. At some point it becomes hard to concentrate on anything and at times I feel somewhat light-headed. For the rest things are fine, only two to three more days to go before the weather changes back to more normal weather conditions for the time of year, that will then probably feel cold. We'll see. First four more new singles and one EP for you to explore. You can do that sitting with a fan in your hand. Enjoy!

Born Sentimental EP. Julia Greenberg

Ray Ketchem is the name of a producer that in the past couple of years I run into more and more, but as far as I can recollect, I've never heard him produce a traditional folk, roots, country album. That is exactly what I'm hearing, listening to the opening song of Born Sentimental. In the title song Julia Greenberg shares with us that she was "born sentimental" and that is what the music sounds like. An accordeon plays lonesome notes in a song that sounds as if it could have been recorded in the 1950s before rock and roll broke big. Speaking of sentimental journeys. Ms. Greenberg has the exact right voice for this song, a little dark, a nice sort of wobble in her voice. In the next song, 'Sometimes The Sea', she sings as if she is a close friend of former Californian, now Swiss singer Beth Wimmer. An accordeon remains the lead instrument on this EP, giving it an authentic sound. Julia Greenberg and her three band mates recorded the seven songs in one day, but have crafted their skills through extensive touring the northeast coast of the U.S. She comes from New York City and that is quite surprising to be honest, but why not? Tradition?, yes, nice to listen to?, yes, authentic, certainly. Born Sentimental simply is a warm mini album.

My Life In England, Pt.1. Dexys Midnight Runners

46 years ago Dexys Midnight Runners slowly grew into my absolute favourite band and 'Searching For The Young Soul Rebels' became my favourite album around that time, beating The Beatles and The Stones and Pink Floyd. The singles in between the first and second album were great as well, and 'Come On Eileen' an absolute smash of an hit. 'Too-Rye-Ay' as a whole was a less good album. What happened after, I have no idea, because I played the third album about half a time, I think. And here is My Life In England, Pt.1 in 2026. Kevin Rowland's voice has certainly aged but remains totally recognisable. After having heard the song a few times the song is better than I thought during the first listen session, but can't stand in the shadow of the songs on that first album. 'I Couldn't Help It If I Tried' can still bring tears to my eyes on a good day. No matter how technically bad 'Big' Jimmy Patterson blows his trombone, as a conservatory schooled now ex-colleague pointed out to me, it is absolute heaven to me. My Life In England, Pt.1 holds nothing of that magic. It's a nice tune. Nothing more but also certainly nothing less.

Alive. Bluai

Chances are about more times than 9 out of ten that where female singers are concerned Erwin Zijleman will beat me to writing about them first. Bluai is no different. Album 'Save It For Later' was reviewed by Erwin in 2024, to be followed by the single 'Sober' by me in April this year and here is Alive already. In hindsight the album's title 'Save It For Later' has gotten a bitter meaning. In Alive singer Catherine Smet reflects on losing both her grandmothers and realises that she had not visited and talked to them enough, asked questions, finished conversations, like youngsters do or by far most of them. "I should have loved when I had the chance", she sings. And then it is too late. Musically, the theme is underscored in a beautiful way. The music is both melancholy and accusationally confrontational, while at the same time beauty is let in. The song is alive, just listen to that beautiful chord progression at the start. It is as simple as it is effective.

1999. Integra Pink

Alive, see above, and 1999 have something in common, an as simple as effective chord progression the song starts with. After that Integra Pink is the tougher band of the two. A distorted guitar, a tough drumming drummer and a big bass. The mood is not that much different though. 1999 is a melancholy song as well. The singer reflects on a situation he has been (or still is) in. The mix of rock and a little reflective sadness works quite nice here. Leo Mendez (vocals/guitar), Bardo Mendez (vocals/guitar), Nick Jauregui (drums), and Roman De La Fuente (bass) who make up Integra Pink, are announced as a punk band, but don't expect any of that here. Whether it is, you can learn on EP 'Knucks (Left)' that is out already. A tougher version of a pop-rock song is a better description.

Keep On Pushing Me. Today Junior

An indie fuzzpunk trio? Now what kind of music would that be? "Anarchy in the U.S.A.", Today Junior sings in Keep On Pushing Me. That of course brings The Sexpistols to mind with their incredibly shocking, at the time that is, single 'Anarchy In The U.K.'. Don't expect a punk anthem though. Today Junior, from Boston, keeps far from punk (and fuzz) in its latest single. As far as I'm concerned, I would file it under alternative rock with a mild pop feel to the melody. It is another sign though that in the underground of U.S. music something is brewing. There are more and more artists that do show some protest at what is going on in their homecountry on the other side of the pond. Brave? If democracy holds, far from. In the other case, God knows what will happen. With Keep On Pushing Me, Today Junior has produced an urgent song at the right moment in time.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Harbour Festival Heemstede. Wednesday 24 June 2026

Two rotary clubs organised a festival at the harbour of Heemstede paid for by sponsors while all proceeds will go to a good cause, poor children in Haarlem. For my own band Sweetwood, it was a new experience to see our band name on billboards and flyers all over Heemstede. For an amateur band to be on the same bill as (semi-)professional artists is quite something.

The day was extremely warm. In fact it was hot and I felt truly sorry for the people who have been working all day to put everything up and to take it down again late in the evening. It also showed that the location at the harbour of Heemstede lends itself really well for activities like this. People come in by bike or on foot and the more fortunate people sail in with their sloop and watch the festivities from the water.

The festival opened with Haarlem based singer-songwriter Yorick van Norden. Van Norden is fairly well known at national level, as he can be heard on the radio and seen on tv. Besides that, he is also seen as an expert on The Beatles' music. I've seen him perform in the open air theater Caprera in Bloemendaal where he also introduced the film 'The Last Waltz' that was played on a big screen on nice spring evening. He started his show with a very appropriate song, 'Here Comes The Sun'. And did that sun come! I was already soaking wet from just setting everything up and soundchecking. Alternating between his own songs and another cover, David Bowie's 'Space Oddity', Van Norden played a short but very pleasant set. Accompanying himself on a beautiful acoustic guitar, he made a great impression for far too little people paying attention.

The third act was Amsterdam "volkszanger" Danilo Kuiters. His kind of music, is totally not mine. Perhaps because of that, I had never heard his name before. To my surprise there were a lot of people who could sing along to his songs and having a great time. That was deserved, because the music in a setting like this can put a smile on faces, including mine. Most "volkszangers" performed with a tape in the old days and today perform with a usb stick containing the music and sing live over it. Unfortunately this went wrong somewhere, because at some point the electricity failed and kept failing every time things were reset, so Kuiters could not finish his intended set.

The headliner was the Hermes House Band. This band started 45 years ago and has had over 140 members through the years. The members are all from the Rotterdam student fraternity Hermes, its house band. So, the version we saw were students with an average age of what, 21, 22 years?, including three singers and two horns. If I heard correctly, the bassist played his second show and the keyboard player his last. These youngsters are all so good, at an age that I did not even think I would ever play in a band, in fact, did not play an instrument. They were joined by a veteran member for a few songs, who still knew all the moves, suggesting the choreography does not change either. The repertoire is most likely what that first versions of the band must have played, all disco songs from the 70s and 80s. Almost all played in a somewhat faster version than the original. The audience, average age at a minimum 50, danced like they used to, despite the heat. I think there was only one song I could not sing along with and there was a Bruno Mars and an Avici song from 10s. The band's claim to fame, was its version of the Gloria Gaynor's 1979 (and 1988) hitsingle 'I Will Survive'. The band scored a huge hit in 1994 with 'I Will Survive (La La La)' by taking one of the horn lines in the background of the original and turned it into a prominent vocal line. It accompanies each goal football club Feyenoord scores at a home match. Of course they kept it for last. Before it, one hit song after the other, in the form of full songs, shorter renditions and medleys, was fired at the audience, with an enthusiasm and energy that was incredible and certainly under these extreme circumstances. If you want to build a huge party, this is your band.

And Sweetwood? I can only write about ourselves that we were very happy with our set. We proved that we can handle a podium like this. Our repertoire is very diverse and except for our slow blues songs, we played some of all else. The audience responded, sang along, clapped to the rhythm when invited. What more can you ask for as a cover band. So, if you are looking for party but slightly more modest than the Hermes House Band provides, come to us.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2026, week 26. 5 singles

A long, long time ago Martha and the Vandellas sang a song called 'Heat Wave' and the band Heatwave scored a hit called 'Boogie Nights'. With the temperatures awaiting us in the coming days, I doubt if there is going to be a lot of boogieing. Listening to music is always an option of course, so here's four recent singles and one EP for you to explore. Enjoy, but keep cool!

CIA. Mont Loser

'CIA' is very likely the loudest song recorded by the former Dutch band Caesar on what proved to be its last album around 2003. It looks like that is the mood that the U.S.' Central Intelligence Agency conjures up within musicians. Proof of point, Mont Loser from Paris, France really goes for the jugular as well on its new single. The song flies right off the road into an orgy of guitars and sound eruptions. If CIA expresses what the youth of France thinks about the U.S., it is clear we all have to start looking elsewhere. This song is not pretty, a far cry from welcoming, total chaos, a statement of anger. Nothing is hidden, despite the sound being a mud pool of noise, with everyone playing and singing at their loudest. The message is clear.

Hollow Heart EP. Heidi Curtis

The intro to the title song opening Heidi Curtis' EP really put me on the wrong foot. Listening to the acoustic guitar I expected to be listening to a singer-songwriter song. When the band kicks in that is changed into something that mixes between 70s rock and 2026 pop rock. And Heidi Curtis' voice will ring another bell with everyone listening to 'Hollow Heart'. When the acoustic guitar returns for a short intermezzo, the Buckingham-Nicks connection is even underscored. This EP starts with an extremely strong track. This impression does not leave me in 'Behind The Doors'. Of course, the music lover with some mileage behind him will think to have heard it before, but then isn't 'Rumours' the best selling classic rock album on vinyl for several years in row? The number of youths I see walking with it in records stores tells it all. Of course a new generation is influenced by its sound.The strong point of Hollow Heart is that it does not make me want to hear 'Rumours' immediately. I do not mind spending time with the powerful poprock songs of Heidi Curtis from Newcastle in the U.K., and her powerful voice.

Making Pretty Babies. Sally Jaye

Nostalgia seems to be the theme of this and the previous singles post. Believe me, the order is random as far as I'm concerned. This is roughly the order songs come in, with leaving out what doesn't attract me at first hearing. Sally Jaye brings that mix of music that is somewhere between roots, americana, country and a little rock. My all time favourite song in that genre is Hazeldine's 'Drive', from the late 1990s. Making Pretty Babies reminds me of that song, as it catches the same atmosphere. The pedal steel guitar is a nice additions, as it gives the song a more traditional sound. The band obviously knows what is expected of it and all Sally Jaye has to do, is sing convincingly with her voice that has the right timbre for this kind of music. And she does just that.

Drunk at the Gym. Jazmine Mary

This morning I was at the gym. Perhaps there was a little alcoholic residue left in my body, but I was certainly not drunk. Drunk At The Gym, Jazmine Mary's new single, is a far weirder affair. It starts with a car park and a bag of drunks. From there you better follow the story yourself. Ms. Mary sing-tells the story to us, singing in her deeper registry, giving the song a darker mood. With that she falls into line with (former) label mates Aldous Harding and Vera Ellen, who are able to create a mood like this also. The accompaniment is not your average as well. A banjo, strings and a clarinet steel the bigger roles from the more traditional instruments. When she moves up a register with her voice, the mood changes for a short while. All together, it makes Drunk At The Gym an intriguing single.  

Beautiful Things. Donnie Vie

After 'Plain Jane' in February of this year, Donnie Vie finds himself again on these pages. Again, it is a single that has a psychedelic vibe like The Beatles created around 1967 and adds a pop element that brings the best pop singles of the era to mind. Beautiful Things is a song with nothing less than a wall of sound, in music and singing behind Donnie Vie. Nothing was held back in order to make this song shine. It's as if Jeff Lynne and George Harrison had brought together another band than The Traveling Wilburys. To create an even bigger form of pop music than ELO itself ever made. Beautiful Things is an undertaking and Donnie Vie gets away with it with ease. Beautiful Things could easily have become a pastiche of things past or worse, a failure. It isn't, and that tells you enough about the accomplishment of Donnie Vie and his team.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght