2024. Week 18, 10 singles (2)

It's almost May and is spring finally really upon us? There's no way to predict yet, but let's hope so. Today a catch up on singles. There are so many of them, that it is impossible to keep up. It starts with one of the most exciting bands out there and from my city of birth at that. Not that I can make any claim to fame, besides having recognised how special the band is from its very first single. (And, yes, I cheated, I put it on top of my list on purpose.) What comes after, is once again truly diverse, so enjoy the exploration into new music.

Beech. Tramhaus

Very recently I wrote in a review "where is Tramhaus"? It must have been a gut feeling, as yesterday, on writing, an album was announced, 'The Final Exit', for 20 September and a single released. I am one of the people who can say to have heard 'The Final Exit' and that it is as good as the band promised all along, if not better. The touring and playing together clearly have a very positive effect on the band. Just as long as I don't have to take the title literally where the band is concerned please. How big a band like Tramhaus can become is always a question, as it makes confrontational and loud music. Beech is no exception to that rule. All the familiar elements are there. It starts with a driving rhythm played by the bass and the drums. The two guitars come in playing notes that are not straightforward for pop ears. Then the chorus comes and everything explodes. The link with a band like Personal Trainer is there, but then just a bit more alternative and wild. If anything Tramhaus is wild and exciting. The band is not afraid to let all the brakes loose, cut them off even to leave them by the wayside and see what happens next. The result is a song like Beech. It rocks, it's electrified, it's here and there a 2024 version of U2, it's loud, it's wild, it's the best what this country has to offer in postpunk and ready to conquer the world.

Shimmer. Two Headed Horse

Only two weeks ago Two Headed Horse found its way to this blog for the first time with debut single 'I'm Not Hidden' and already the band is here again. Shimmer is a song that keeps reminding me of things I liked (a lot) in the past, without crossing the line of being too over familiar. The foursome, James Gable (vocals, guitar), Tristan Gable (keys, guitar, backing vocals), Gary Hanratty (bass, backing vocals) and Leigh Baines (drums), obviously has a well-stacked record collection. They manage to blend these influences into a great song of their own. I hear Radiohead guitar work, Marjorie Fair singing, folk from the ages and modern pop from Half Moon Run to City and Colour and some complexer forms of rhythm than most bands would opt for. Shimmer is not an easy song to digest in one go. For most listeners it will be too complex. Take your time to follow all that is happening here and you will find so much interesting elements to listen to and enjoy. Fans of The Smile's last album will find a lot to their liking in Shimmer.

The Greasy Pole. The Carnivals

In The Netherlands we had the legendary TV programme 'Te Land, Ter Zee en in de Lucht'. Glouchester, Massachussetts has "The Greasy Pole". Watch The Carnivals' video and all will be explained. Usually events like these has ordinary people place themselves in 'Jackass' situations with a severe chance of hurting themselves. For the rest to laugh about of course. The song, as that is what this blog is about, presents a Pat Boone or Bill Haley kind of rock and roll, that is nice and neat, but not less fun to listen. The lyric celebrates Gloucester's highlight of the year of slipping and sliding on the greasy pole. The music sounds very familiar, like a grown men's version of The Stray Cats or The Paladins. No one can take offence, but it's okay. The Greasy Pole is great fun, just like the greasy pole fest is.

Replace It. Tiny Wine

From traditional rock and roll we move to some more alternative rock with a darker, querky sound. The Dover, New Hampshire duo Tiny Wine do not make music that is easy to define. Lo-fi, sure, Sparklehorse, okay, but there's more to it than that. This music is not made to be perfect, it just is. The basis is electronic drums and over it a very prominent bass plays, a synth plays the lead melody, until later electric guitars come in; enter Lou Reed/The Velvet Underground in the guitar hook. The singing is muffled and through an effect. It all gives Replace It a detached feel, but it does not push you away. Label mate Astral Swans comes to mind here. Listening to Replace It more often makes me discover more and more details. The song may be lo-fi, it is not as if the duo has left it at one recording session. There are numerous overdubs and parts in this song and that is what makes it so interesting and good.

Poppies. La Luz

It is still a month before 'News Of The Universe' is released. In the meantime we are allowed to hear another single from the album and it is simply beautiful. With Poppies La Luz presents a dreampop single that allows anyone to ravel into dreamland unobstructed and without a worry in the world. If The Bangles had ever recorded a song like this I may have been a fan at the time. I was a lukewarm listener, with the exception of 'Hazy Shade Of Winter'. Poppies is oh so sweet in sound but somehow it has this edge. I can't put my finger around what that edge is, except that I feel it. My best guess is the melancholy longing in Shana Cleveland's voice. This makes me listen to the song in a different way than to say 'Eternal Flame'. Musically this song is simply beautiful. A mix of things past and today. Part psychedelia from the past, part 2020s ballad, Poppies delivers the goods on both sides. Poppies is a very beautiful song.

Cellphone. Night Court

On route to an eight song split album with The Dumpies, Night Court releases its new single. For the first time since 2022 the band finds itself on this blog with another preppy, upbeat punkrock song. The Vancouver, Washington band plays loud music but manages to give Cellphone the mood and pace that simply makes me happy when listening to it. It invites to listen, to sing along and to dance. You may not hear a new approach to alternative/punk/garage rock. Whatever the label you would like to opt for, what you hear is the pleasure of making, arranging and playing this music. Night Court is able to write a good punkrock song and then take it further. Just listen to the backing vocals. They take Cellphone to the next level and it already was at a very good one. Early May the 'The Shit Split Part Duh' is available. Something to look out for alright.

Reckless Heart. Arrows of Athena

Welcome to WoNoBlog Arrows of Athena. The Boston duo, Scott Lerner: guitar, bass, synths, drum programming and Jac-Lyn Gibson: vocals, attracts in a way that bands playing this kind of music can. It rocks hard enough, it manages to blend in a pop element and has a seductive sounding singer. In a very self-assured way Arrows of Athena manages to combine the likes of ABC with Garbage. It always rains on the look of love, something like that. Lerner lays down a very heavy groove for Gibson to sing over. Just listen to that bass. As a band from Cottbus, Germany does not easily reach the U.S., listen to Para Lia, another duo that excels in this kind of music. And the lyrics? Let me just point to the video. That starts with a glass of wine. The lyrics end with one. Quite abruptly. Stop talking baby, the message appears to be.

Barrow Boys. Marcel Wave

Marcel Wave? More like a make over of Gruppo Sportivo with either Meike or Josée singing the lead. Coincidence has it the singer of Marcel Wave is called Maike but not Touw at the end. Barrow Boys is a post punk single which could just as easily stem from 1979-80 as from 2024. The Stranglers e.g. could have recorded it as soon as they left their original sound behind. The singing of Maike Hale Jones has that mix of declaiming and enthusiasm the ladies of Gruppo Sportivo were famous for around 1980. Listen to 'Hey Girl', 'Superman' or 'Beep Beep Love' e.g. and you will know what I mean. Barrow Boys is the only song I can find by Marcel Wave, so it's hard to tell whether the London band will sound like this all the time. It seems a fair prediction though that the Farfisa organ and stocky rhythms will play an important part in this band's music.

She Hulk. Beebe Gallini

Beebe Gallini returns to this blog with a cover of The Traits'' 'Nobody Loves The Hulk'. Miss Georgia Peach, Amy Pearson and Travis Ramin recreate garage rock as if it never went out of fashion in the decades since 1969. She Hulk has the energy to convince as a rock song, it has the spunk to convince as a garage rock song and the attack to be called Iggy and The Stooges inspired. Miss Georgia Peach not only attacks the song vocally but would have splintered a 45 RPM to smithereens with her guitar solo. This is some rock and roll for the 2024 masses alright. The cover art tells it all. A guitar can better not be handed to a she Hulk, to Miss Georgia Peech is totally other matter. We should not forget the rest of the trio. Amy Pearson's driving bass is a great support and a strength on its own. Travis Ramin's drumming is powerful and filled with great breaks and fills. Together they bring the song totally alive and to great heights. She Hulk is an extremely strong song.

Going Out. Jennifer Tefft & The Strange

Not long ago Jennifer Tefft & The Strange debuted on this blog with a great rock song called 'Caffeine'. Today the band returns with another great rocker. As Tefft explains this all about (young) mothers finally going out for the night, once again, and "might" fly off the rails as well. The riffs and rhythm may sound familiar, the lyrics certainly provide a fresh perspective on modern day life. The music is a mix of T.Rex, Blondie, Joan Jett and 90s Britpop bands like Supergrass. The combination not only works but sounds extremely fresh besides. This band knows how to rock without having to do anything exceptional. Just play like a song has to be played. "I want to hear my favourite song" Jennifer Tefft sings. Going Out has all the qualities to be one for the coming weeks. Going Out not only rocks, it begs singing along to.

Wout de Natris

2024. Week 18, 10 singles + one mistake

What? 11 Songs this week?! Yes, all will be explained later on, in due course. As usual, we present you with a nice mix of music from different genres and niches. With music from artists that are around for a long time but totally new to me, to an artist who is around for even longer and a few truly new names. More than enough to discover, so enjoy!

Rare Earth. Vacation

Rare Earth used to be a band, sorry is a band. It had two well-known songs, both covers, 'Get Ready' and '(I Know) I'm Losing You'. Here it is the title of Vacation's first single of the upcoming album, 'Rare Earth'. Vacation may spend its time in the musical past, but far removed from the circa 1970 sound of Rare Earth. Expect to be taken back to the 1990s. Grunge, Britpop is what Vacation presents here. The song begins and ends with a nice guitar melody that sends a listener straight back to the days when the guitar became popular once again very fast. To me Vacation is a new name. I learn that the band has released eight(!) previous albums. There's no time for catching up I'm afraid. Based on Rare Earth it seems I have missed something through the years. Vacation knows how to blend in familiar features into its music that rocks no little. Rare Earth is a nice song.

Never Say Anything. Gramercy Arms

Not unknown to these pages, Gramercy Arms returns to this blog with a nice country-tinged single called Never Say Anything. An acoustic guitar drives the song, with around it a soft electric guitar playing these nice little licks and a pedal steel guitar providing the country feel as if someone is about to start crying. Dave Derby and producer Ray Ketchum have laid down a perfect mood for this song. Sometimes a song provides a certain feel and it can be enough. Of course, everyone on this single can play well, just listen to the nice guitar solos weaving into each other. That is not what Never Say Anything is about. It is about getting this song across. "Close your eyes and not say anything", that is the message the song shares with the listener. A wise advise, as this is exactly the way to enjoy the nice mood Gramercy Arms provides. Let me change that just a little. 'Close your eyes and just listen'.

On Top Of The World. Eric Din

Who is Eric Din? I have no idea. What I do know, is that he knows The Velvet Underground and David Bowie. They both shimmer straight through On Top Of The World. This song could have been written in the mid to late 60s. Din wrote the song mostly inside of his head where it turned over and over for a long time. When he started to record it things fell into place fast. And then it took some percussion, as you can hear in the song. On Top Of The World appears as a song that is somewhere between professional and amateur. Don't be fooled by that one moment where the song appears to be falling apart. That moment aside, On Top Of The World is nice and rich in sound. It has that The Velvet Underground style guitar playing and the early Bowie just creeps in here and there. And Eric Din? He plays in a band called The Uptones and records music for himself as well. His Bandcamp page (https://ericdin.bandcamp.com/) is filled with songs and albums.

The Woman You Will Never Know. Kate MacLeod

Kate MacLeod returns to the blog with a special single released for this reason: "In recognition of National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s Day which falls annually on May 5". The message is harrowing. "I am the woman you will never know", including the ghostlike repeating. MacLeod manages to catch the mood to show how serious this topic is. She's not alone in this. Carla Halverson Eskelsen, joins her on vocals with far deeper voice than the more traditional country voice of MacLeod. Bob Smith plays percussion and Robert Dow the acoustic bass. So, I guess Kate MacLeod plays the violin herself, as this is a quite prominent instrument in The Woman You Will Never Know. The single falls nicely in the folk tradition of telling stories that often do not end well. Above all, it is proof that activism can go together with beauty. Kate MacLeod manages to share an important message within a beautiful song.

Sailing Song. Tylor & The Train Robbers

It is starting to seem like country music is the theme of this week. And believe me, it is purely coincidental. Besides, what are the chances of having the name Ketchum twice in the same post? See above under Gramercy Arms. Tylor & The Train Robbers features Tylor Ketchum. The band presents a country song that has enough pop and rock elements within it to please more than just one musical genre. Someone like me can crossover easily. Sailing Song has a nice slide guitar part and a very warm organ sound sailing into the song regularly. This band is of the kind who seem to do things simply right without having to play any tricks or add special effects. Tylor & The Train Robbers let the song do the talking and succeeds with ease.

The Dotted Line. The Spackles

The Dotted Line is a strange song. A verse that is extremely strained is followed by a chorus out of a past 1965 play book and yet it does not follow the dotted line left behind by bands from that past like The Kinks or The Small Faces. In a way I'm left with the feeling that the three that make up The Spackles, Marie Slurrie - guitar, vocals / Phil McKraken - drums / Brian "Spackle" McKraken - bass vocals, have heard small snippets of famous songs, without ever having heard the context and started to learn themselves play from there. This results in some very great moments alternated with sheer chaos. This makes The Dotted Line as fascinating as it is strange to listen to. I'm still not certain which is winning though.

All In One. Been Stellar

All In One is bunch of nerves. The whole band seem to be on edge, with the drummer in the worst state of all. Been Stellar expresses itself from a position where there seems to be no rest and no way to relax. Just listen what happens around one minute and ten seconds. Should I have to listen to this sequence for much longer, I truly would be jumping out of the window. I can imagine a liveshow where the stroboscopes would be blasting full on for half a minute, driving everyone mad. Been Stellar is from NYC and about to release its new album in June, 'Scream From New York, NY'. The band makes a statement with All In One. The song lasts for a little over five minutes and knows a few different sides. Towards the end straightforward alternative rock slips in, like I heard on the previous single, 'Passing Judgement', see week 13. Having listened to the song a few times, it seems to draw me in anyway, but it was close to being discarded.

What Would You Call Yourself. Fink

An album was here five years ago and there was one single almost three years ago. Fink returns to the blog with a strong single. What Would You Call Yourself reminds me of early Coldplay, a song like 'Clocks'. When a song comes close to a banger like 'Clocks', Fink must be doing something right. His single has this driving force. It is already in the relatively empty beginning. It's not truly empty. The instruments are sort of mixed in a stacked way, so they all seems to come from the same source. And then the song opens like a flower in bloom. (Wasn't that a Fink album title?) That driving rhythm does not change, the song just widens and widens making it ever stronger. I'm almost sorry for that 'Clocks' reference, as What Would You Call Yourself has an inner strength all from itself but perhaps the comparison helps to bring people over to What Would You Call Yourself. It deserves it totally.

Docket. Blondshell ft. Bully

Alternative rocker Blondshell or Sabrina Mae Teitelbaum returns to this blog with a nice rocking single. She receives support from a singer called Bully, a name totally unknown to me. Teitelbaum explains that after writing Docket she kept hearing Bully's voice inside her head. No longer, as we can now all hear her contribution. It appears to me that it was not only Bully she heard, as parts of the verse start another song inside my head, from some post-punk band or other from around 2000. The song goes off in other directions so there's nothing to worry about. Docket rocks with the right amounts of light and shade in it to make the song more interesting. The same goes for the voices. Blondshell and Bully's duet make Docket more interesting than if it had only been either of the two. The ending is abrupt and the final line "my worst nightmare is he", does give cause for reflection to whoever that he is. And Bully? This is now the solo project, former trio, of singer Alicia Bognanno. Now you know all.

How We See The Light. John Cale

Only a few weeks back we had Keith Richards covering Lou Reed's 'I'm Waiting For My Man', that originally holds John Cale's bass or piano of course. Last month John Cale turned 82 but is not calling it quits yet. On 14 June his new album is released called 'POPtical Illusion'. How We See The Light is a fairly modern sounding song, sung by an old man with an old voice. Cale recorded his voice a few times to give it more power as a whole. The sound of the song is dense. An instrument is allowed to escaped for a moment to be drawn back into the whole. Over and under it are more mysterious sounds, almost ghostlike, like the wind blowing through something providing background noise. How We See The Light holds a faint trace to the most driving songs of The Velvet Underground in the way the piano is played, but does not hold any of that band's energy. Although this track is fine to listen to, it is also the last spark of a once fierce fire. John Cale is still at it and rightly so. Just as long as you do not expect fireworks.

Wout de Natris

P.S.

Shadow Changes. Kate MacLeod

Without looking I clicked on the video You Tube presented me and was baffled by the beauty presented to me. Unwittingly I was listening to Shadow Changes by Kate MacLeod. A song from 2001 put on You Tube in 2015. Here's what I had written before I found out that the single I wanted to review was not released yet on the time of writing. Shadow Changes is too beautiful to ignore.

Time for a little singer-songwriter and folk music. Kate MacLeod was on this blog in the past two years with the Jean Richie experience songs she recorded. Today she returns with a special song "In Recognition of National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women’s Day", which falls on 5 May this year. The song starts with a beautifully clear recorded country guitar. Kate MacLeod's voice follows and that is the sort of moment the world stops for a few minutes. I'm listening to sheer beauty for three and a half minute.

(And then I found out, reading about contributions that I did not hear on this song. And yes, I've heard many songs like this before, but this is the bonus one that always comes along at some point. Sheer beauty it is.) WdN

Zwart/Wit. Meis

Aysha de Groot maakt als Meis diepe indruk met haar indringende debuutalbum Zwart/Wit, waarop zeer persoonlijke teksten worden gecombineerd met mooie en gevoelige zang en fraaie en avontuurlijke klanken.

Meis komt uit een muzikale familie, maar haar debuutalbum Zwart/Wit maakt niet alleen indruk door haar muzikaliteit. De Nederlandse muzikante doet op haar eerste album verslag van een zeer ingrijpende persoonlijke gebeurtenis en doet dit met zoveel gevoel dat luisteren naar de teksten bijna pijn doet. Meis combineert deze heftige teksten met fluisterzachte zang, die prachtig past bij de fascinerende klanken op het album. Zwart/Wit is soms vol en soms bijna minimalistisch ingekleurd met vooral elektronica en houdt je elf songs lang op het puntje van je stoel. Het is dringen in het kielzog van Eefje de Visser, maar Meis houdt zich op het prachtige Zwart/Wit heel makkelijk staande.

Nederlandstalige popmuziek gaat nooit echt mijn ding worden vrees ik, maar de heftige weerstand die ik in het verleden vaak voelde is inmiddels gelukkig wel verdwenen. Mijn reserves ten opzichte van popmuziek in de eigen taal zijn er echter nog steeds en dat is waarschijnlijk de reden dat ik het recentelijk verschenen Zwart/Wit van Meis niet direct in de week van de release heb opgepikt. Ik ben heel blij dat ik het album uiteindelijk wel heb beluisterd, want het debuutalbum van Meis is een bijzonder indrukwekkend en verpletterend mooi album.

Dat het zo’n indrukwekkend album is heeft voor een belangrijk deel te maken met de zware thematiek op Zwart/Wit. Meis is het alter ego van Aysha Meis de Groot, die met Boudewijn de Groot een beroemde grootvader heeft en die zijn muzikale genen mee kreeg. De Nederlandse muzikante kreeg echter ook te maken met minder wenselijke genen, die er voor zorgden dat haar oma en haar moeder op jonge leeftijd overleden aan een erfelijke vorm van maagkanker. Meis moest op jonge leeftijd het besluit nemen om haar maag preventief te laten verwijderen, wat niet alleen zorgde voor een flink litteken op haar buik, maar ook voor een enorme kras op haar ziel.

Het hele proces staat centraal op Zwart/Wit waarin Meis de luisteraar deelgenoot maakt van de lastige keuzes, de forse gevolgen en vooral ook van de vele persoonlijke twijfels. Het levert een zeer persoonlijk album op, dat respect afdwingt voor de persoon Meis. Dat afdwingen van respect doet Meis ook met de songs op haar album, die stuk voor stuk opvallen door schoonheid, intimiteit en avontuur.

Meis speelt in de band van Eefje de Visser en dat hoor je. De muziek van Eefje de Visser is absoluut een inspiratiebron geweest voor Zwart/Wit. Nu hoor ik veel vaker invloeden van Eefje de Visser voorbij komen en dat is ook niet zo gek, want ze behoort tot het beste dat de Nederlandse popmuziek te bieden heeft. Bij Meis slaan de invloeden van Eefje de Visser echter nergens te ver door, waardoor Zwart/Wit een duidelijk eigen identiteit heeft.

Het debuutalbum van Meis is in muzikaal opzicht een fascinerend album. Meis kleurt haar songs vooral met elektronica in, maar op de achtergrond hoor je in een aantal songs ook meer organische klanken van onder andere gitaren en blazers. Door te variëren met klanken klinkt Zwart/Wit niet eenvormig, wat in dit genre vaak anders is. Met name wanneer Meis kiest voor bijna minimalistische elektronica aangevuld met ritmes is haar geluid niet alleen avontuurlijk, maar ook bijzonder mooi. Wanneer de elektronica niet alleen minimalistisch is maar ook schuurt passen de klanken perfect bij de persoonlijke teksten van de Nederlandse muzikante, die alle heftige gevoelens heeft laten neerdalen in prachtige teksten.

Het zijn teksten die Meis op fraaie wijze voordraagt. Ze beschikt over een fluisterzachte stem die flink wat gevoel meegeeft aan de heftige woorden en die song na song de juiste snaar weet te raken. In de vooral elektronisch ingekleurde Nederlandstalige popmuziek is de autotune de laatste jaren een ware plaag, maar Meis doet het gelukkig zonder en overtuigt makkelijk met haar stem.

Elf songs staan er op Zwart/Wit en ze zijn me inmiddels allemaal dierbaar. Het zijn songs die steeds weer net een andere kant op buigen, wat het debuutalbum van Meis veelzijdig en nog wat indrukwekkender maakt. Zwart/Wit is in alle opzichten een wonderschoon en indringend album. Ik ben er echt even stil van.

Erwin Zijleman

This Could Be Texas. English Teacher

English Teacher played support for Dublin's SPRINTS in the winter and made quite an impression with its live show, without having an album out. The set was as diverse as This Could Be Texas proves to be. English Teacher may be lumped into the post punk class of the last six, seven years, it is not that easy to classify as many of its contemporaries.

The members of English Teacher met at university in Leeds and started the band in 2020. My guess is that not a lot studying is being done lately. Through a string of singles and an EP that band drew enough attention to itself to be able to tour and land a record contract. The result of all this work in the past few years is now in front of me.

What strikes me overhearing the whole, is the diversity of songs. Pure post punk, sure but also songs that seem more like poetry set to music. Take 'Broken Biscuits'. Singer Lily Fontaine declaims her lyrics while the band plays more improvising that with a true structure. The song is allowed to go in any desired direction, moving towards a hint of free jazz or something like it. Without losing focus and that reveals the class this band already has. The title song is another example of how differently this band approaches its songs.

Musically, you will find hints at Wet Leg and Porridge Radio. Sometimes an echo on Fontaine's voice reveals a clear influence in the sound. This makes English Teacher a more modern band than a lot of its contemporaries. The influences are modern ones and not 1980s band like with so many others. This is their own teenage record collection, not their (grand)parents'.

Another influence is Wolf Alice. Like that band English Teacher is not afraid to tone down. 'Mastermind Specialism' is an alternative ballad of the kind that seems to work towards an explosion, like Porridge Radio is extremely good at. But does it? It also shows the delicate use of the piano that can be heard in other songs as well. Softly drifting piano parts that deliver a specific sound to that diversity I already pointed to. (I also remember the drummer moving to the piano during the live show with a stand-in drummer taking his seat.)

These moods make it hard for me to state that English Teacher is a post punk band. It's just one side to the band. Without comparing the band to The Beatles, it is not that good, I can point to the fact that this band dares to experiment and very likely wound up a few times with a totally different outcome than it started with. Just listen to 'This Could Be Texas', the song. A lot happens here and more than you would think possible for a debut album. In that sense an early Bowie album like 'Hunky Dory' is certainly a reference where the anything goes attitude is concerned. Musically the two are far and wide apart. What ties the two albums is that this band proves that a lot is possible as long as you try.

English Teacher is Lily Fontaine (vocals, rhythm guitar, synth), Douglas Frost (drums, piano), Nicholas Eden (bass) and Lewis Whiting (lead guitar, synth). Together they have undoubtedly started a musical adventure. With This Could Be Texas English Teacher has set itself firmly on the roster of modern bands. Like SPRINTS, like Tramhaus, English Teacher is something different. Very talented and all underway to making it bigger and then really big.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order This Could Be Texas here:

https://englishteacher.bandcamp.com/album/this-could-be-texas

Festina Lente. Dog Park

"The jingle-jangle morning comes following you". Most lovers of 1960s pop and folk music will recognise this famous line. I'm reminded of it because of the way guitars are played on Dog Park's debut album. It is all over Festina Lente.

Dog Park is an indie pop/rock band from Paris, that made its debut on this blog several weeks ago with the singe 'Time', a song that made me curious to hear the album. That album is now here and does not disappoint. In fact, most of it is pretty good. For a few reasons, the songs, the variety, the sound. An album can do a lot worse.

Dog Park is Erica Ashleson, Isabella Cantani, Sarah Pitet and Jean Duffour, from the US, Brazil and France. They all play multiple instruments and sing. So don't ask me who does what, where. I don't know. It explains the variety I heard before realising the band's set up. They all met at a live show in 2021 and decided to start making music together. As good a place as any.

Musically the band's bio mentions Veronica Falls, Real Estate and Beach Fossils. I have reviewed albums of all three bands on this blog, so writing on Dog Park should not come as a surprise. The influences I hear go back all the way back to the 1960s but the 90s, 00s and 10s indie music is the most obvious.

Dog Park always plays a softer form of indie rock/pop with very dreamy vocals. Always soft and relaxed, looking at the world from a distance. My guess is that Erica Ahleson is singing then, based on the accentless English. Like in 'lalala', one of my favourite songs on Festina Lente. On top of it all a The Cure like guitar line comes in adding that final, fine coating to it, making the song perfect.

This is just one example. I could mention 'Mirror' as another example. With its fine slow bass, Robert Smith guitar and a smooth carpet from the keyboard, the song will allow for a swaying form of dancing at a live show.

With Festina Lente Dog Park has released a fine album. Not one I associate with Paris nor France. (Ok, 'Stimulation' may have a chanson side to it.) Good music can come from anywhere. The challenge is to make it reach my ears. Dog Park succeeded and I'm glad for it to have done so.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Festina Lente here:

https://geographie.bandcamp.com/album/festina-lente

Feathers. Alówan

Alówan debuted on these pages with the single 'Let It Flow'. A beautiful ballad with a passive aggressive power contained within it, captured in the voice of Chantal Acda and the music of Alówan and Jean Yves Tola. Now Alowan's debut album is out and 'Let It Flow' indeed was a fantastic introduction to this beautiful album.

Jean Yves Tola over 20 years ago played in 16 Horsepower, Dave Eugene Edwards' band at the time. Tola plays on that fantastic dvd that I still play regularly, contributing to the broodingly dark atmosphere Edwards pours out over the listeners.

19 Years after the band disbanded Tola now returns with an album that leans on the sound of his former band, without copying it, while proving himself to be an excellent songwriter in his own right. What comes out on Feathers, is exactly what he brought to his former band. The dressing of the cake as it were. What comes out on Feathers is brooding music without the fear of the devil running behind your tail end, about to catch it. This still makes for intense listening, but also includes rays of light coming from Chantal Acda's voice and the electric piano notes or softly strummed acoustic strings. While the violin brings that darkness, that moodiness drawing me even more into Alówan's world.

There's more. Regularly Acda's pleasant voice is matched by the tough voice Calvin Dover of Dover Brothers. The contrast is enormous but more importantly matches. Bridging the light and the dark on Feathers. The balance between the two is excellent. Jean Yves Tola has created a delicate musical world where the two sides come together. The choice to invite Chantal Acda to sing on his songs is an excellent one. It creates a warmth the album deserves. Just listen to 'Horsewind' and you will understand why.

Musically, Feathers could be put in the folk department. Do however not expect flutes, and bells and upbeat U.K. folk tunes. Alówan is far too experimental for that. The most folky song, 'Kevnidenn' is driven off the rails when darkness sets in. From that moment I'm reminded more of Nick Cave not in the least because of Dover's voice and the exploding lead guitar. Acda's sweet voice is ostracized by the dark side of the album. She faintly tries a new role in the background without truly succeeding.

I'll admit, I had all but forgotten about Jean Yves Tola. Thanks to Feathers he is firmly back in my attention span. Feathers is a good album and surprising in a few ways. Alówan presents a lot to listen to and explore. It is an album to bond with.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order Feathers here:

https://glitterhouserecords.bandcamp.com/album/feathers

Desert Pavement. ISMAY

Het is al weer dringen binnen de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek, maar het zou echt doodzonde zijn als het bijzonder klinkende en in alle opzichten uitstekende Desert Pavement van ISMAY zou blijven liggen.

Binnen de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek wordt niet al te veel geëxperimenteerd, waardoor subtiele uitstapjes buiten de paden al een duidelijk ander album opleveren. Desert Pavement van ISMAY, het alter ego van de Californische muzikant Avery Hellman, is zo’n album. Het tweede album van ISMAY klinkt in vocaal en muzikaal opzicht net wat anders dan gebruikelijk in het genre en ook de songs van Avery Hellman wijken net wat af van de norm. Het pakt allemaal prachtig uit, want Desert Pavement is een geweldig album, dat deels vertrouwd en deels eigenzinnig klinkt, maar dat steeds weer het oor streelt met een mooie en bijzondere stem, fraaie warme klanken en sterke songs.

Het muziektijdschrift No Depression vind ik de laatste jaren een stuk minder interessant dan in de hoogtijdagen in de tweede helft van de jaren 90, waarin met name ontwikkelingen binnen de destijds nieuwe alt-country op de voet werden gevolgd. De website van het tijdschrift is echter met enige regelmaat nog wel een bron van interessante tips, zeker wanneer de wat obscuurdere nieuwe releases binnen de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek onder de aandacht worden gebracht. Recentelijk kwam No Depression met een geweldige tip, want ik ben echt compleet verslingerd geraakt aan Desert Pavement van ISMAY.

ISMAY is een project van singer-songwriter Avery Hellman, die zichzelf ziet als een non-binair persoon. Desert Pavement is het tweede album van ISMAY, want in 2020 verscheen, vlak voor de start van de coronapandemie, Songs Of Sonoma Mountain, al kan dat vanwege de speelduur van 25 minuten ook worden gezien als een mini-album. Het is een (mini-)album dat ik destijds niet tegen ben gekomen en dat is jammer, want de muziek van ISMAY was ook in 2020 al bijzonder.

Het is muziek die zich laat beïnvloeden door de wat traditionelere Amerikaanse rootsmuziek, maar die vervolgens wordt voorzien van een eigentijdse en ook eigenzinnige twist. Dat doet ISMAY op Desert Pavement nog een stuk indrukwekkender dan op Songs Of Sonoma Mountain. Die eigentijdse en eigenzinnige twist in de songs van ISMAY is overigens best lastig te beschrijven, want de Amerikaanse muzikant overdrijft de uitstapjes niet.

Het eigenzinnige zit deels in de stem van Avery Hellman, die anders klinkt dan de gemiddelde singer-songwriter in het genre. Het is een stem met net wat meer expressie en emotie dan gebruikelijk, waardoor de zang op Desert Pavement onmiddellijk de aandacht trekt. Ik vind het echt bijzonder mooie zang, want de stem van Avery Hellman heeft iets verslavends en tilt de songs op het album een flink stuk op.

Ook in muzikaal opzicht is niet altijd duidelijk waar ISMAY zich buiten de grenzen van de wat traditionelere Amerikaanse rootsmuziek begeeft. De percussie is meestal wat zwaarder aangezet dan gebruikelijk en hier en daar klinken ook de gitaren wat ruwer, maar Desert Pavement blijft altijd een warm klinkend rootsalbum. Daar drijft het album nog het verst van weg wanneer bijzondere soundscapes worden ingezet en de stem van Avery Hellman wel wat doet denken aan Suzanne Vega, maar ook dan is de rootsmuziek nooit ver weg.

Wat overblijft zijn de songs en die zijn net als de zang en de instrumentatie op subtiele wijze eigenzinnig, waardoor Desert Pavement de fantasie sterker prikkelt dan gebruikelijk in het genre. Het tweede album van ISMAY klinkt door de verschillende subtiele zijpaden net wat anders dan de meeste andere albums in het genre en zal hierdoor ook liefhebbers van wat minder traditionele Amerikaanse rootsmuziek aanspreken.

ISMAY verruilde de geboortegrond in Californië voor het opnemen van Desert Pavement voor de studio van producer Andrew Marlin van de band Watchhouse (voorheen Mandolin Orange) in Asheville, North Carolina, die ook flink wat instrumenten voor zijn rekening nam en het album binnen een paar dagen op de band zette. Dit deed hij zonder in te leveren op kwaliteit, want Desert Pavement klinkt echt geweldig.

ISMAY heeft met Desert Pavement een album gemaakt dat er in alle opzichten in positieve zin uit springt en dat bij herhaalde beluistering zeker niet aan kracht inboet. Integendeel zelfs. Alle reden dus om No Depression als interessante en relevante tipgever te blijven volgen. Ik ga mijn abonnement toch nog maar een jaartje verlengen.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt Desert Pavement hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://ismay.bandcamp.com/album/desert-pavement

Johan live. Paard, Den Haag. Donderdag 18 april 2024

Foto: Hared

Zoals door Wout op 29 januari jl. op dit blog besproken, heeft Johan een nieuwe plaat uit, The Great Vacation. Je moet er wat moeite voor doen. Dus meerdere keren luisteren, in mijn geval ook een paar maal in de auto, dan hoor ik het pas echt lekker. Maar die inzet wordt beloond, het is een echt fijne Johan CD, met wat vernieuwing hier en daar, maar wel duidelijk Johan.

Nieuwe plaat, nieuwe tour. Dus de vijf heren die momenteel deel uit maken van de band -zanger Jacob de Greeuw is de enige constante sinds het begin in 1990, eerst als Visions of Johanna en vanaf 1996 als Johan- trekken sinds begin maart door het clubcircuit. Hoewel slechts met 1 optreden per week, is het wel een bijna volledig uitverkochte tour. Petje af dus. En goed nieuws, want de tour gaat verder in november, met speciaal voor Wout het laatste optreden in het Patronaat. Deze zomer staan ze ook op enkele festivals (zie www.johantheband.com).

Foto: Hared

Aan belangstelling voor Johan dus geen gebrek en ook de grote zaal van het Paard was uitverkocht. Veel generatiegenoten, vijftigers en zestigers derhalve. Het leek wel of Johan zich aanpaste aan dit publiek, want na de verrassende opening met hun oudste single Swing (een van mijn meest favoriete Johan-nummers) werd een mix van oud en nieuw werk gespeeld. Opvallend vaak maakte De Greeuw gebruik van een stemvervormer, die ik niet in die mate op de CD had gehoord. Had voor mij ook niet gehoeven, maar goed. De nieuwe nummers passen naadloos in het oude werk, zeker So it Goes, Time for Change en I Don’t Know Man. Fijn om ijzersterke songs als Pergola, In the Park, How Does it Feel, of Coming in From the Cold weer live te horen. Nieuw nummer Cincinnati en titelsong The Great Vacation zijn ook lekker. Maar toch, het kabbelde, het was zeker mooi gebracht, er was eigenlijk niks op aan te merken, maar er ontstond ook geen uitgelaten sfeer. Het was een beetje mat, of zoals mijn vriendin zei: ‘De Greeuw staat er bij alsof hij zo snel naar huis moet om zijn powerpoint voor morgen tijdens de accountantsoverleg af te maken’.

 
Daar kwam eigenlijk pas op het laatst verandering in, te beginnen bij Oceans, Day is Done en een mooie uitgerekte uitvoering van Why Don’t We. In de toegift ging het pas echt los. Fly on the Wall is wat mij betreft het beste nummer van de nieuwe plaat en dat klink echt heel lekker live. De afsluiters Tumble and Fall en Everybody Knows zorgden ervoor dat iedereen met een blij en tevreden gevoel de Haagse avond inging. Al met al, ondanks het rustige en overbeschaafde eerste deel, toch een aanrader. Johan blijft top.

HareD

2024. Week 17, 10 singles

A week when spring is turning colder than the average winter's day this year. Hail, wind, rain and thunder, alternating with a clear blue sky. That old Crowded House hit is totally in tune with this week. Musically, you will find me all over the place once again. There's even an almost 20 minutes long "single" in here and two EPs. More than double the regular joy, so enjoy.

Kabatomushi EP. Mei Semones

Mei Semones, the 23 year old singer-songwriter from Brooklyn of Japanese decent, can be spotted on this blog with three singles from her five song EP that was recently released. The three songs, 'Wakare No Kotoba', 'Inaki' and 'Tekami', all held this promise of exotic adventures. Mei Semones blends genres as if the borders between them do not exist. The closest in my discotheque is Steely Dan. Mei Semones goes a few up in genres and may not match this level of quality (yet) but certainly in adventure. The songs on Kabatomushi (Rhinoceros Beetle) all mix jazz with pop and rock or bossa nova. In fact anything can happen in Mei Semones' musical universe. She sings in Japanese and English, making it partly impossible to understand, while she sings over a song that would have surprised Astrud Gilberto but would have suited her perfectly. 'Takaromono' moves from jazz to bossa nova to rock and somewhere in between. Mei Semones has no limits it seems to where her imagination takes her. It may be awkward music for purists but as soon as they free their minds from the inhibitions stopping them to appreciate something new, they will find that Mei Semones delivers the goods. Kabatomushi is the EP of a very talented your artist who is not afraid of experimenting within her artform. As that is what the music on Kabatomushi is, an artform.

Intangible. Personal Trainer

Will Willem Smit ever stop to amaze me? With Intangible Personal Trainer moves into a funky kind of disco track. It is the more surprising after the huge intro that promises the listener everything but the empty beat coming after it. It takes some time to get into the groove of Intangible because of that huge intro that promises a huge over the top party. Instead the listener gets his own private party. No huge rave. Over a year ago Personal Trainer showed the promise the band holds in a sold out Paradiso that was ready for a Personal Trainer party. The next record will be very decisive for the growth potential of the band. It holds that promise in Intangible. Whether it's shown more in the huge part or the empty funk, is to be determined.

Bird. Megan de Kruijf

The contrast between the harrowing video and the song is huge. Megan de Kruijff appears to be chased through the woods, looks like a soldier without battle dress and is ready for conscription should it ever return. The song is a softly driven alternative pop-rock song. The drums and bass have this relaxed beat, slowly but very determinedly pushing the song forward. In short interludes everyone gets a breather before they continue and the song is set back into motion. Electronic elements make the song sound modern. Be on the look out for very short contributions of other instruments. It can be just a few notes before the instrument disappears again. Over it all Megan de Kruijf sings her song about a bird, building its nest, while she is contemplating what the rest of her life will be about from her dark and cold home. Listening to Bird, the positive energy the bird gave her, leads to very positive results. Bird holds a promise for the future in a few ways.

Human. Lenny Kravitz

It's been a while since I last heard a new song by Lenny Kravitz and what I heard after circa 2006 did not exactly make me run to the record store. Let's face it, he will never make another 'Are You Gonna Go My Way', which will probably remain my all time Lenny Kravitz favourite. I heard Human come by on the radio and thought it was not too bad. Listening repeatedly for this review, I'm not completely certain any more. It is ok but also remains a bit bland. Even the solo is, although nicely played, not exactly inspiring. Human has a soul element but also a part of this percussive bells that get on my nerves a bit once I seriously noticed them. All in all, Human does not make me curious for more new songs, but it won't be the first nor the last time an artist I've known for decades does return with a great song. That song is not Human unfortunately.

Clear. DAIISTAR

Texans Daiistar return to the blog with a super dreamy song called Clear, released as a 7" with a remix of 'Sonic Boom' on the flipside. Clear is clearly a psychedelic song. One of the kind that is a smooth continuous trip of the kind where this person is just sitting and smiling at the world marvelling at everything going on about him, without a worry in the world. In Clear it is all about watching the ocean and not much more. Listening closer into the song, you will find that Daiistar has found all these nice little melodies surrounding the drummer who just keeps going. The steady basis for the smooth sailing trip and keeping it all together. Daiistar's Alex Capistran (guitar/vocals) says that "the idea behind 'Clear' was to write the perfect song for a perfect day". I can only answer, mission succeeded. No matter how wavy the song is, perfect pop is perfect pop.

All Business EP. Robotic Hawks

Put on All Business and within seconds you know you've heard it all before and from Boston as well. In the next five seconds you'll start moving and after fifteen you'll know you are going to be alright. Robotic Hawks know where Abraham found his alternative rock mustard and dipped its writing pen deep into that mustard well. You will hear everything from Buffalo Tom to Gin Blossoms and back and on the side you'll find a short detour to stark punk rocking. 'Further', is the song in which the Bostonians really let go and start rocking with lead-filled riffs. The most surprising is the cover of 'Wishing Well', one of the four or five hits of Terence Trent d'Arby's debut album. The song is turned into a huge rock song without any trouble. The huge guitars fit it easily. The lead song from the EP is the opening song 'High Maintenance'. The band rocks in a melodic way but to me appears as the least itself. (I know, it's hard to judge based on four songs.) This is something different than not having produced a good song. 'High Maintenance' rocks, period. Add the fourth song 'Cab Ride', a cover of a The Squaeky Fromme song, and All Business becomes a highly entertaining alternative rock EP with more than enough songs worthwhile to get to know and to sing along to.

Drifting. Schedule 1

Schedule 1 makes its debut on WoNoBlog. The Vancouver, Canada band is ready to release its album 'Crucible'. Expect the clock to strike rock. Schedule 1 finds its inspiration in punk and post punk from the 1980s. The song kicks off in a stormy manner. An instrumental intro with the band fully going at it. When the singer joins the music does not leave off in any way. The punky vocals come straight out of the U.K. 1976-77 punk song book. The music is more from the 1980s what bands like Killing Joke played. In 2024 the combination of loud instruments, a few good riffs and a strong melody remains unbeatable still. Drifting contains it all. All through the song a new melody pops up underwriting the strength already there. Schedule 1 has released a very strong single that makes me more that curious to learn more. 'Crucible' it soon will be.

Hidden Sun. Dreamwave

Previous single 'Mindcave' was described by me as "a fierce uptempo psychedelic outing". Hidden Sun is all but. The psychedelic track sounds like French duo Air having started a psych rock band. The music floats more that it rocks, finding the perfect middle between the two acts. So expect a nice guitar riff leading the song towards the softly sung verse and chorus, under which the riff returns. Because of it I'm inclined to write that Dreamwave makes dreampop in this song. Well, my definition of it, as all the bands my colleague reviewer on this blog calls dreampop, do not exactly excite me. To me this Hidden Sun is dreampop. The Brighton, U.K. band has shown two different sides of itself but both make me curious to get to know more. We will just have to wait for that EP coming soon.

Joan In The Garden. The Decemberists

What, a single of 19.21 minutes? I already have reviewed a song of 18.22 minutes this week, 'Flight Of The Sloths' by No Man's Valley. Now, The Decemberists had an album years ago that was sort of one song. (I was sure I had it on cd but can't find it anywhere.) With 19 and a half minute the band nearly has a new cd already. The beginning sounds immediately familiar. Exactly why I like this band so much over the years. Nothing happens in a way, yet every second somehow counts. The melody is pleasant Colin Meloy's voice sooths in a roughish kind of way. The accompaniment is all soft, nice and so melodic. In the arrangement all sorts of melodies meander over and through each other. Meloy stops singing and the listener enters a mix of Pink Floyd with Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells'. The melody on the tubular bells in Joan In The Garden is lifted from 'Welcome To The Machine'. The song rises in volume and denseness and becomes darker fast. Only God knows where this is going. Well, I know, The Decemberists are honouring Pink Floyd, Roger Waters and David Gilmour here. This is simply a huge surprise, as I have never any association of these two bands with eachother. From there it becomes The Decemberists' 'Echoes', sound experiments and all. Like with 'Echoes' something like too much of a good thing exists here as well. The instrumental freaking with electronic instruments is just not that interesting, I'm afraid. Before the sixteenth minute the band returns and turns into a heavy metal version of itself. Quite convincing by the way. Compensation for the previous 10 minutes is justified. The drumming is the loudest this band has ever presented. The end of Joan In The Garden is the equivalent of racing a horse on the prairie. There's nothing stopping it. Summing up, this is a composition with four very different faces.

I'm Not Hidden. Two Headed Horse

Two Headed Horse is a new folk pop band from London formed only in 2023 and already it has worked with Ride's Mark Gardener. The debut album's release is scheduled for this summer. I'm Not Hidden is the band's first single and shows that the band is a part of a long tradition and on route to its own sound. The song reminded me first of what would have happened had Steve Winwood decided to make his hit song 'When You See A Chance' as an acoustic folk song. There's a connection here to my ears. And of course the hey ho influences, translated here into ooh ooh ooh. The intro is somewhat disconnected from what follows. It sets the listener on the wrong foot. Two Headed Horse starts to trod a fine line between alternative and folk. But then listen to that piano coming in. As if heaven opens up and the clouds are gone immediately. Yes, I can mention a few names here, but I want you to focus on the strength of the song and not get distracted. I'm Not Hidden shows a few sides to Two Headed Horse that all score well. What more can you ask of a debut single?

Wout de Natris