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Day Of The Canyon. Canyons & Locusts
To
think it is only thirteen months ago that Boston - Phoenix duo Canyons
& Locusts debuted on this blog. It returns with a new single and
like most of their songs, blink an eye or two and I have to put it on
once again. Brevity is Canyons & Locusts forté. Of course Day Of The
Canyon is a strong punk, garage, alternative rock song. It flies
through the three genres like a flight simulator or Hollywood movie pilot
through a canyon. Singer and guitarist Justin Keane and drummer Amy
Young really go for it in this song, with loud, distorted guitars and
fierce drumming. This is all about impact. Forget about beauty, and yet.
Day Of The Canyon does have a melody to like. And once again the song is
over. Time to move on.
There's
always a first single of the year for a label and for Big Stir Records
it is Out Of My Head by Sorrows. New? Well, that was until I started to
read the bio. This single was recorded in 1981 but remained on the shelf
until now, just like the album, 'Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow', which
follows on 28 February. So in a distorted way this is a new song.
Sorrows was a band that clearly played music in the post punk period
with influences from punk but also from the likes of Ian Dury or Joe
Jackson but also U.S.' powerpop bands of the era. Out Of My Head starts with a tight rhythm and comes totally alive when the
band kicks in and even more so when the rest of the band/instruments come(s) in. The
circa 40 seconds intro is extremely nice. The verse simply can't match
it. It's nice in its own right but after such a smashing intro? Slowly
but surely the song catches up once again and makes good on its promise.
I have no clue what the story of Sorrows is (yet). Be sure I'll find
out next month to discover if 'Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow' is as good
as this rocking single.
I'm
a bit in doubt here. The music is appealing, the voice of the
background singer reminds me of the lovely voice of Deacon Blue's
Lorraine McIntosh on
e.g. 'Raintown' and 'Dignity'. What I clearly have a hard time with is
singer Owen ‘O’ Williams's voice. The intro and the outro are simply
beautiful, so allow me to point at that and the great guitar work of
George Nicholls. The Tubs is a band from London by way of Wales. On 7
March the band releases it's album 'Cotton Crown'. If Narcissist is
anything to go by, it must be a good album and that voice something I
will have to learn to live with. Yes, The Smiths come to mind a little,
but I'd say that The Tubs musically are far better. Perhaps richer is
the better word. The Tubs' music is far more layered. Based on this
single it may well be Wales has another band to be proud of.
Grumpy
can be found once before on this blog. Last November with the single
'Flower'. Singer-songwriter Heaven Schmitt and band are joined by Sidney
Gish and Precious Human. Beyond them being friends, is where my
knowledge stops. The result is interesting to get to know though. Like
'Flower' Lonesome Ride is a song somewhere between abandon and serious
moodiness. Like a party with the break on, with no one daring to let go.
The same goes for the song being somewhere between analogue and
digital. The music and the vocals both seem to not be able to make up
their minds. And yet it works. It is Schmitt who shows her true colours.
Especially near the end of the song when her voice comes out. Like
'Flowers' Lonesome Ride is not your ordinary song and that is exactly
what makes both songs stand out in a positive way.
Earlier
this year I missed the opportunity to see Porridge Radio live for the
first time. And now I read that the band calls it quits, releasing a
final EP and first this single. 'The Machine Starts To Sing' is out on
21 February. Don't Want To Dance is instantly recognisable as a Porridge
Radio song because of Dana Margolin's voice. It is one to recognise
from thousands. As insistent as it is tearful. Always on the brink of a
breakdown she, at least her voice, seems. It is what makes Porridge Radio's music so
impressive and dear. The single also is smaller than many songs that
came before. An acoustic guitar accompanies Margolin. The song becomes
bigger but in a subtle way. I hear a faint trace of Four Non Blondes'
'What's Up', especially how the song is built up, but just about the
point where Porridge Radio is expected to blow up, it winds down again.
Don't Want To Dance is instantly likeable. Stemming from the same
sessions as the latest and last album by the band, it is surprising this
song did not make it on there. It's that good.
The
name Hiqpy has been going around for over a year now but there still
was no official release. That changed this month. Something is the
official single of Abir Hamam, Victor ter Veld, Tom Radsma and Kasper de
Boer or Hiqpy. The band describes its music as a mix between Nirvana and Ariane
Grande. I don't know about the latter singer. What I do know is that
Something goes way beyond Nirvana. Hiqpy obviously works with the mind as much
as it does with the heart. The band worked hard to get this sound and
this effect. Especially the start of Something brings U.K. band Wolf
Alice to mind. Those swaths of guitars like fog over a field in the
earliest part of daylight. When it's still unclear what is approaching
in the semi dark. Something is a very exciting single and then it
explodes as well. Judging this one song, and that is tricky, I can
imagine that this is an exciting band on route to great things. If Wolf
Alice can play the world, nothing is stopping Hiqpy to do so, providing it presents more music on this level. Then only
local chauvinists' snubbing can stop the band from a breakthrough. Let me hear more soon.
With
Nashville. (The Cinderella Sessions) Rooster Blackspur releases a mini album
containing seven songs and debut at that. It certainly is worth your while if you're into
country songs sang by a rough voiced lady. She walks a thin line for me
with her songs but falls well into my good side. The style of the songs
are traditional country. The execution though is a tough sound that does
not shun electric guitars and a huge sound. Big enough to fill your
room and in your mind dance with her right through it. Rooster Blackspur
originally is from New Mexico but was invited to come to Nashville to
record a new record. She did and here's the result. The record opens
with the rocking 'Kicking Dust' where a harmonica accompanies the singer
and the band rocks not unlike Eva Cassidy's take on 'Take Me To The
River' and Janiva Magness' 'That's What Love Will Do'. Just 'Kicking
Dust' is worth putting this record on. You'll find some songs verging
more towards country but still more than o.k. The second song is a
ballad called 'Hard Road'. Rooster Blackspur's voice knows her way
around a ballad alright. Check out the rest of Nashville
yourself, it will be worth your while, like I wrote above.
Amsterdam
band Marathon has a subscription to this blog it seems. Once again a
single makes it to the singles section. Of course, For The Better is an
alternative rock / postpunk song. Things start with the pumping bass of
Lina IJzinga. Together with drummer Lennart van Hulst she is really
driving For The Better forward. What a drive! Singer / guitarist Kay Koopmans has his
bed made up for him in this song. He can't go wrong and doesn't. He
lays down several interesting guitar parts that make For The Better
extremely good to listen to. The genre Marathon operates in is becoming
extremely full, as there is a seemingly endless string of youths
interested in playing it. Marathon deserves its place under the sun
though. Once again the band delivers a good single.
Better
pay attention, PO Box 96 is over before you know it. The Men go at it
and finish comfortably within the two minutes. With going at it, I mean a
dirty, sleazy garage rock sound including sounds that a teenager
practising in his parents' garage in the 60s could not even dream of in his wildest
dreams. The solo is so distorted and far out, that its almost too hard to keep up what is happening in the solo.
Ears are greased beyond recognition. The tempo is up and the goal is
not to play neat and clean. The sound is huge and cluttered but it smells of pogo
sweat in tremendous amounts. The Men are around for quite some time but
its members are not planning to lay down on the living room couch and behave their age. If the
fans can keep up with them, a party is guaranteed for all.
Marlon Williams is found more often on this blog than I realised. Never with a single though. And never before singing in the Maori language of New Zealand or Aotearoa. Aua Atu Rā, meaning there is nothing to be concerned about, is a song that is far removed from what is on this blog usually. This is more in the style of singing, which goes back to Elvis singing his movie song ballads in the 1960s, than the music. That is far more solid, with a firm bass at the front of the mix, with around it soft drums and meandering instruments. The guiding role is for the background singers, the He Waka Kōtuia singers, who support Williams no little in this song. One never knows what happens in life, but I suspect I can come to like this song. I was blown away by Marlon Williams during a Paradiso live show in 2022, where I came for the support act Reb Fountain. That has not happened here but a willing ear certainly has been offered. The album, 'Te Whare Tīwekaweka' is announced for 4 April.
Wout de Natris - van der Borght
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