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Rain. Steph Cameron
Who feels like travelling back on this blog circa 10 years will find Steph Cameron in two reviews by the hand of Erwin Zijleman. Since then we encountered silence here. With Rain she returns to the blog. Rain is a single from her upcoming album 'Blood Moon' (25 April). It is announced as her first band album. Is Rain a spectacular song? No, that it is not, but it certainly brings back fond memories of one of the most popular rock albums from the past, Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours'. It is said to be one of the best selling albums today. Steph Cameron does a Nicks-McVie here and that is the second time I write this in just a few weeks (see 'The Test' by Billy Nomates on 23 March.) Steph Cameron's music is a little softer than Fleetwood Mac's, a Lindsey Buckingham is missing, but the intention is so clear. in the way she sings but even more in the harmony vocals. They are such a dead give away. And yet, this makes for pleasant listening on Rain.
"Know I'm dead, so funny I'm dead", singer Luis Felber sings in Hilarious In Love. Quite the chorus, isn't it? The music is just as slacker as the lyric suggest. The song started when Felber caught Covid for the first time and had to socially distance from his wife for over a week. The Peruvian-British singer came out of it with a song that is quite rich in details. There are some Britpop influences from Oasis to Supergrass, a The Beatles string arrangement comes in and in my head I can even hear George Harrison laying down a slide guitar solo. The basis of the song contains a bongo, that partly explains the slacker vibe that hangs over the song. Attawalpa may be playing dead, that rhythm just goes on and on. It makes sure the song is totally alive. Album 'Experience' is released on 4 July.
Although Corin Ashley has a role in music for over 20 years playing in bands and working with several more or less famous names, Empathy Centre has nothing to do with music from the past 20 years. This is 1960s territory for the whole of the way. You can hear everything from The Small Faces to The Kinks, right up to The Beatles and a whole lot of psychedelia for good measure. Add a Stevie Winwood organ solo and you get the drift of what Empathy Centre is about. Ashley is a musician from the Boston scene who played for ten years in a band called The Pills. Empathy Centre contains the final work of his friend Ducky Carlisle, who has since passed away. as a memorial song. Both can be proud of their achievement.
With Tessæil Skyjoggers enter this blog for the first time with more than just a bang. Alexi Belle (guitars & effects), Juan Rico (bass, synth & vocals) and Gabo Sabor (drums & vocals) present an over 12 minutes long instrumental sonic onslaught of loud and wide, relentless drumming, a tough pounding bass and loads of effects put on the guitar(s). The Tampere, Finland based band holds nothing back on Tessæil. The result is a sonic adventure Skyjoggers takes you on. Yes, it may take some stamina to sit through over twelve minutes of space rock but I'm not complaining. This is space rock as it is meant to be. Loud, tough and spacey. I visited Tampere for a conference at the start of the summer of 2023 when Finland was experiencing record breaking temperatures. with light so bright that wearing glasses inside of the venue was necessary in the main hall of the university. Skyjoggers were not in sight unfortunately. Tessæil sounds like this bright light.
"This is Bakersfield Country Music that Rocks", reads the start of the bio accompanying the link to the song. Country?, if you say so. Make it rock as far as I'm concerned. Until today, I had never heard of The Highway Dollys, so here we have another band making its debut on the blog today. The trio consists of Pamela Hogan (vocals & guitar), Liz Borden (vocals & guitar) and Greg Hogan (guitar). All musicians of a certain age. (Liz Borden was on this blog circa a half year ago with her single 'Shake'.) When the chorus of The Game starts, I'm sold. Liz Borden sings with a punk-fired voice. Well worn in and has the rough edge to make The Game sound totally convincing. The lead guitar work is nice as it gives the song its own flavour. If The Game is the quality mark of The Highway Dollys, then I'm game for more.
Real Beaut? That brings me be back to Australia where I lived for a half year as a teenager. Just think the local accent to it and you get the drift, that's a real beaut, mate!. Real Beaut is also an alternative rock band from Boston. The band consists of Andrew Doherty, Benny Grotto, Johnny Northrup and Keith Pierce and together they are able to combine tough rock with good and honest melodies that allow for enjoying listening to and singing along when the time calls for it. Keith Pierce's voice sounds like it has been recently tarred and gives the band a very authentic rough sound. The three musicians match their frontman but also provide a lighter touch at the right moments. Politics is only four songs long, a true EP, long enough to convince and short enough to long for more. The first two songs really rock out and when the tempo and volume goes down in 'Profane And Pedigree' the band convinces as well. Not for the first time guitarist Andrew Doherty shows that his chops are well above par. Allow him to go off for few seconds and he lays down a brilliant short solo. I'd swear there is a female backing vocalist for most of the record, but if it's so, she gets no credit. Bass player Johnny Northrop does. A(nother) girl called Johnny?
Ciara
Mary-Alice Thompson or CMAT can be found on this blog once in 2024 with
a review by Erwin Zijleman of her album 'Crazymad'. For me CMAT is a
new name and during the first minute of Running/Planning I was wondering
what to do with this single. Slowly but surely I found myself getting
into its groove. The Irish singer lays one down alright. A slow The
Stone Roses vibe lies under a voice that brings Lily Allen to mind, when
she dared to sing "fuck you" in the sweetest of voices. That vibe is
all that happens in Running/Planning. It is all about surrendering to
that medium slow beat. Around it a violin may jump in to give the song a
little extra. CMAT does the rest, especially in the chorus and the
bridge where she shows off her vocal prowess. Once into the vibe there's
no stopping Running/Planning.
Also The Bablers makes its debut on the blog. The Finnish band of music veterans will release its album 'Like The First Time' on 25 April. Judging by Where The Wind Blows it could be an album that combines Paul McCartney style The Beatles ballads with The Connells' '74-75'. That gives you an impression of the mature sound of The Bablers. Soft pop with a prominent string arrangement and a soft vocal leading the way. There's nothing spectacular going on, all smooth sailing and pleasant listening. When The Wind Blows Free is part of the re-release of the album that at the time was only available in Finland and Japan. Given a new mix and arrangements The Bablers go for a wider international release and deserve a listen into for certain. (Having one Finnish band on the blog is already special, but two in one post?)
'V', was the album that got a short but sweet review in 2019. I don't know what happened to 'VI' but album 'VII' is underway (30 May). Overlander is described as Zambian rock. Now I have no experience at all with Zambian music, but what strikes me is that I do have albums from 1969 by Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago Transit Authority that sound somewhat like this track. The lead riff even brings Chicago's '25 or 6 to 4' to mind, as does the sax solo that is presented in Overlander. This is a mix of jazz rock, fuzz and psychedelia if I ever heard it. Overlander is an instrumental rock track, where The Budos Band really goes full out. 'VII' apparently was recorded without any concept in mind when starting to work after a two years hiatus. Many a band can only hope for so much spontaneous energy spouting from the instruments and players.
'No Light to See' was released last Friday and is the 5th studio album from The Slow Death. The Minneapolis punk rock band presents itself with flying colours on I'll Be Fine. Listening to the single there's absolutely no doubt there. Singer Jesse "Pretty Boy" Thorson has a rough voice, think Mike Ness for one, that makes sure his message lands loud and clear. Together with Jack Gribble (drums), Luke Lechler (organ, guitars) and Alex Bammel providing some lead guitar here and there, Thorson is able to shift a truckload of energy across to my ears. I'll Be Fine kickstarts at a hundred miles per hour and ends there. No rest, no stopping, just go, go, go. Another band makes its debut here and in a memorable way as well. Hell, yeah, I'll be fine with music like this.
Wout de Natris - van der Borght
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