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 

Evergreen In Your Mind. Juni Habel

Iets meer dan drie jaar na het uitstekende Carvings keert de Noorse muzikante Juni Habel terug met Evergreen In Your Mind, dat net als het vorige album opvalt door de bijzondere sfeer en een zeer karakteristieke stem.

Ik ben niet altijd gek op traditionele Britse folk en toch is dat het genre waardoor Juni Habel zich het meest heeft laten beïnvloeden. De Noorse muzikante geeft echter wel een eigen draai aan invloeden uit de Britse folk en voegt Scandinavische ingrediënten toe aan haar muziek. Het is muziek die een onthaastend karakter heeft, maar vergeet niet om goed te luisteren naar en te genieten van de mooie muziek op Evergreen In Your Mind en van de bijzondere stem van Juni Habel, die de muziek van de Noorse muzikante een eigen karakter geeft. Alles wat Juni Habel doet is direct mooi, maar haar intieme en soms bijna verstilde nieuwe album beschikt ook over flink wat groeipotentie.

In de eerste maand van 2023 verscheen Carvings, het tweede album van Juni Habel. Het is een album dat zich zeker heeft laten inspireren door Britse folk, maar de muziek van de Noorse singer-songwriter klinkt ook absoluut Scandinavisch. Carvings is een album waarmee je even kunt ontsnappen aan de drukte van alle dag. Het tempo is laag, de muziek is het grootste deel van de tijd uiterst sober en ook de stem van Juni Habel heeft iets rustgevends. 

Carvings is echter ook een album dat het verdient om aandachtig beluisterd te worden. De songs van de Noorse muzikante zitten knap in elkaar, de muziek op Carvings is subtiel maar is ook versierd met subtiele accenten en er gebeurt echt van alles in de zang van Juni Habel. 

In april is de opvolger van Carvings verschenen en ook Evergreen In Your Mind is een album dat vrijwel onmiddellijk een serene rust brengt. Op de cover van het album zien we Juni Habel in een weids en wat ruw landschap, waar de stilte vast regeert. De Noorse muzikante nam ook haar nieuwe album grotendeels thuis op en heeft de rust van het Noorse platteland meegenomen naar haar muziek. 

Evergreen In Your Mind is net als Carvings een album dat het predicaat folkalbum verdient. Ook op haar derde album laat de muzikante uit het Noorse Viken zich inspireren door traditionele Britse folk, maar ook dit keer geeft ze haar muziek een Scandinavische vibe mee. 

In de basis hebben de songs van Juni Habel genoeg aan een akoestische gitaar en de stem van de Noorse muzikante, maar ook op Evergreen In Your Mind zijn fraaie versiersels toegevoegd aan het sobere geluid op het album. De accenten die zijn toegevoegd aan het akoestische gitaarspel zijn subtiel, maar zorgen er door de inzet van steeds andere instrumenten voor dat er voldoende variatie tussen de sobere songs op Evergreen In Your Mind zit. 

De schoonheid van de muziek op het album hoor je vooral wanneer je het nieuwe album van Juni Habel met de koptelefoon beluistert en ervaart hoe knap de productie van Juni Habel en Stian Skaaden is. Bij beluistering met de koptelefoon hoor je bovendien veel beter hoe mooi de stem van de Noorse muzikante is. 

Juni Habel heeft een stem die het goed doet in wat traditioneler klinkende Britse folk, maar ze verloochent ook haar afkomst niet en voegt een Scandinavische touch toe aan haar zang. Het unieke karakter van Evergreen In Your Mind zit hem deels in deze Scandinavische invloeden, maar wat ik vooral bijzonder vind aan het album is de wijze waarop Juni Habel de tijd neemt voor haar songs. 

Dat hoor je terug in haar zang die nergens gehaast klinkt en ook de muziek op het album neemt alle tijd om zich te ontwikkelen en om ieder instrument een goede plek te geven. Bij eerste beluistering van het nieuwe album van Juni Habel was ik vooral geïntrigeerd door de bijzondere sfeer op het album, maar nu ik er vaker naar heb geluisterd, hoor ik steeds meer en steeds intenser de schoonheid van de muziek van Juni Habel. 

Zeker op een zondagochtend doet Evergreen In Your Mind al snel wonderen, maar ook op de andere momenten van de dag wordt de muziek van de Noorse muzikante me steeds dierbaarder. Carvings ben ik na de indrukwekkende kennismaking helaas snel weer vergeten, maar Evergreen In Your Mind gaat zeker langer mee.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt Evergreen In Your Mind hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://junihabel.bandcamp.com/album/evergreen-in-your-mind 

2026, week 25. 5 singles (5)

On the longest day of 2026, again only five singles, again due to the same reason. Add extremely warm and humid conditions, making it impossible to collect my thoughts after a long day. There are more than enough singles to listen to and that seems to work better than whole albums at the moment. Because most singles come from (to be) released albums, they get the attention anyway. So, it's your turn to explore new music. Enjoy!

Nobody’s Coming To Save You. Gurriers

Somewhere last year My Love came home after seeing old friends from London after many years and asked me "do you know the band Gurriers"? Two days later she again said a friend or colleague had gone and seen the band, just like the Londoners had. I could answer "yes, I reviewed its album not that long ago". That album was 'Come And See' (2024). With Nobody’s Coming To Save You the Dublin based band has started its campaign to release its second album with the same title (25-9). Post punk is all over the single. With deep and dark sounding guitars Gurriers sets a mood for the song that is played out excellently. It plays with dynamics but don't expect too much light in this single. If the rest of the album is as good as this, Gurriers will be in direct competition with the bands that came before it, Shame, Fontaines DC, etc. and it might just be a must watch in the fall.

Building Fences. Trixie Whitley

With Building Fences Trixie Whitley, the Belgian - U.S. singer-songwriter, returns to the blog after seven years. Building Fences is an intriguing song. Somehow Whitley manages to combine the mood of David Bowie's 'Blackstar' album with the voices of modern pop singers. An acoustic guitar starts the song played in a bossa nova style but not much later is joined by saxophones that become the lead instruments together with Trixie Whitley's voice. With a higher register harmony voice, she moves into Mariah Carey territory, without the vocal acrobatics. Because she stays away from this type of singing the contrast between the darker horns and her voice becomes ever bigger. Building Fences as a whole is far lighter than anything on Bowie's swan song album. That she manages to capture it anyway, is all the more impressive. There will be more coming up later on this year.

Cheap Thrill. Yea-Ming and The Rumors

Another new name on this blog today, although with Cheap Thrill Yea-Ming and The Rumors announced its fourth album (12-6). The music is a form of shoegazing without the gravelly guitars. Yea-Ming sings with a soft, serrated voice, almost like the French sigh girls from the mid-1960s. The negative of the sigh girls was of course Nico in The Velvet Underground. Cheap Thrill does have a 'Sunday Morning' vibe also. A lead guitar accompanies her with a little reverb and delay on its tone, played in a slow version of Johnny Marr's style of playing in The Smiths. The outcome is an extremely dreamy song. From the very first second it had caught my attention and Cheap Thrill did not let go until the very end. The Bay Area band strikes the exact right tone and notes to get away with new music that could have been made in 1966 also.

A Song Called Sha La La. The Amplifier Heads

Speaking of the 1960s. Just listen to the intro of A Song Called Sha La La and tell me you don't think of 'I Can't Control Myself', one of The Troggs' big hits, immediately. Of course you do and if you are not familiar with the song, go check it and The Troggs out. The Amplifier Heads recreate a 1960s vibe quite convincingly. Of course, you can wonder is the world in need of a new song in a style that emulates the at thee time wild rockers The Troggs? Strictly speaking the answer is no, but why pass up on the obvious fun the Amplifier Heads has in making songs like A Song Called Sha La La? I can't see why I should. There's even a Clarence Clemons style saxophone solo in there. Sal Boglio and fellow musicians strike all the right chords here.

(You Won’t) See Me. Speedfossil

With (You Won't) See Me some more nostalgic feelings for music from long ago enters the blog this week. Speedfossil, recently presented a compilation album of the first ten years of its career called 'Time Flies: 10 Years of Speedfossil'. Searching for this song on You Tube, I found that it is eleven years old. In 2015 nobody had ever told me about the band, but thanks to people in Boston pushing the local bands around the globe, I have been able to catch up, to become a fan of many Boston bands, besides the world famous Dropkick Murphies. (You Won’t) See Me brings bands to mind that for me start with The Kinks right after they left behind the powerchords of its first two hitsingle and started releasing songs like 'See My Friend'. Speedfossil takes that mood and adds a little more power. The outcome is a powerpop ballad with a nice melancholy edge that is the signature of an artist like Ray Davies.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght