Merry Christmas

 

Te gast bij The Wonderstuff, 19 december, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

Foto: HareD

In mijn bijna veertigjarige carrière als concertbezoeker was ik nog nooit te gast van de optredende band. Tot afgelopen vrijdag, toen ik op de guestlist stond bij het Londonse concert van The Wonderstuff.

Dat is één van mijn favoriete bands, waarover ik al vaker schreef op dit blog. ‘The Stuffies’, zoals de Britten ze liefkozend noemen, bestaan 40 jaar en geven traditiegetrouw (ook) een reeks concerten in de weken voor Kerstmis. Shepherd’s Bush Empire (2000 man) was ook nu weer uitverkocht, na goedbezochte optredens in Manchester en thuisstad Birmingham eerder in de week

De violiste van de band, Erica Nockalls, is naast haar muzikale werk ook schilderes. Een paar jaar terug gaf ik haar een opdracht voor een schilderij en haalde dat bij haar thuis op (ze woont in Parijs).  Tijdens het mailcontact in het kader van het schilderij werd door haar een toekomstige guestlist-plek aangeboden, waar ik afgelopen najaar op kon ingaan.

Ik wist niet precies wat ik kon verwachten, maar kreeg het ‘totale pakket’. Dus toen ik mij meldde bij het loketje van het theater kreeg ik zowel een gratis kaart, als een polsbandje. De kaart bleek voor een gereserveerde stoel op het eerste balkon, met perfect uitzicht op het podium. Nu zijn concerten de enige gelegenheden waarbij ik zodanig beweeg dat het in een verre verte op dansen lijkt. Daarom sta ik altijd en gelukkig was daar ook ruimte voor (zie foto, links boven).

Foto: HareD

Na het concert kwam het bandje van pas. Daarmee mochten wij, na wat gedoe met de bewaking, naar een aparte barruimte. Van daaruit nam een medewerker van de band enkele gelukkigen mee naar boven, naar de kleedkamers van de band. ‘Back stage’ bleek in dit geval ‘above stage’. Daar was het een gezellige, maar typisch Britse ongeorganiseerde, puinhoop. In en uitlopende bandleden, roadies, managers en gasten, samengepakt in twee heel kleine ruimtes. Inderdaad met afgetrapte lederen bankstellen, kledingrekken, wandspiegels met gloeilampen erom en -na wat zoeken tussen de lege flessen -  een beetje wijn uit een papieren bekertje. Na de nodige small talk met bandleden en gasten ging ik op zoek naar de uitgang en toen ik die eindelijk vond, bleek daar nog zanger Miles Hunt te staan, met wie ik ook nog een praatje en een selfie kon maken (zie foto).  Al met al erg grappig en leuk om een keer mee te mogen maken.

En de muziek? Erg goed, zoals altijd. Extra tof was dat ook Vent optrad in het voorprogramma. Dat was een band van Miles Hunt, samen met drummer Billy Duffy (The Cult), Peter Howard (The Clash) en bassist Morgan Nicholls (o.a. Muse) die in het midden van de jaren negentig kort bestond, zonder al te veel succes. De heren Hunt, Howard en Nicholls zijn na 29 jaar weer verenigd en speelden ook nieuw werk. Een donkere en hardere versie van The Wonderstuff, dat erg lekker klonk. Zowel Vent als The Wonderstuff brengen volgend jaar een nieuw album uit, waarbij er ook nog opnamen voor een live album werden gemaakt. Dus laat 2026 maar komen!

HareD

 

Een kleine aanvulling van Wo. HareD heeft namens WoNo Magazine op de guestlist van Bettie Serveert gestaan in het jaar 2016, waar hij tevens een interview heeft afgenomen. Zie alhier:

https://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2017/01/interview-bettie-serveert-hedon-zwolle.html

Dit doet vanzelfsprekend niets af aan de mooie ervaring hier boven.

Wo. 

 

Cul-De-Sac Kid. Jess Jocoy

De naam Jess Jocoy zal niet bij iedereen een belletje doen rinkelen, maar iedereen die haar eerste twee albums kent weet dat ze behoort tot de beste rootszangeressen van het moment, wat nog eens wordt onderstreept op album drie.

Ik koester de eerste twee albums van de Amerikaanse muzikante Jess Jocoy, die haar muziek aan het begin van 2020 persoonlijk onder mijn aandacht bracht. Met Such A Long Way en Let There Be No Despair maakte Jess Jocoy twee prachtige rootsalbums, die deze week gezelschap krijgen van album nummer drie. Cul-De-Sac Kid doet niet onder voor zijn twee voorgangers en staat vol met zeer aansprekende en smaakvol ingekleurde songs. Ondanks het beperkte budget klinkt ook het nieuwe album van Jess Jocoy weer prachtig en de Amerikaanse muzikante maakt ook op Cul-De-Sac Kid weer diepe indruk met haar sensationeel goede stem. Wat mij betreft een van de grootste talenten binnen de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek van het moment.

In het begin van 2020, vlak voor het uitbreken van de coronapandemie, stuurde de Amerikaanse muzikante Jess Jocoy mij haar debuutalbum Such A Long Way. Ik werd onmiddellijk verliefd op het album, waarop de muzikante uit Nashville, Tennessee, echt alles goed deed. Toen het album een paar maanden later verscheen was de wereld totaal veranderd, maar mijn liefde voor het debuutalbum van Jess Jocoy was alleen maar groter geworden. 

Het album haalde aan het eind van 2020 dan ook met overtuiging mijn jaarlijstje en dat lukte twee jaar later ook het in het voorjaar van 2022 verschenen Let There Be No Despair, dat ik net als zijn voorganger schaarde onder de beste rootsalbums van de afgelopen jaren. 

Op Such A Long Way en Let There Be No Despair imponeert Jess Jocoy als zangeres. De Amerikaanse muzikante beschikt over een mooie, krachtige en karakteristieke stem, maar de zang van Jess Jocoy zit ook vol gevoel, waardoor haar songs keihard binnen komen. De songs van de Amerikaanse muzikante zijn op beide albums ook nog eens fraai ingekleurd met vooral snareninstrumenten en het zijn van die songs die onmiddellijk vertrouwd klinken en die je vervolgens eindeloos wilt koesteren. 

Het is daarom niet zo gek dat mijn hart een sprongetje maakte toen ik een nieuw album van Jess Jocoy tegen kwam in de lijsten met de nieuwe albums. Ik begon met torenhoogte verwachtingen aan de eerste beluistering van Cul-De-Sac Kid, maar na een paar noten wist ik al dat Jess Jocoy de verwachtingen met gemak waar zou gaan maken. 

Ook op haar derde album zingt de muzikante uit Nashville weer de sterren van de hemel, wat je nog wat beter hoort wanneer je het album met de koptelefoon beluistert. Het is bijna niet te geloven en eigenlijk ook diep triest dat een geweldige zangeres als Jess Jocoy met twee prachtalbums op zak een crowdfunding campagne nodig had voor het maken van haar derde album, maar gelukkig is de campagne geslaagd. 

Er kwam uiteindelijk een kleine 12.000 dollar op tafel voor het maken van Cul-De-Sac Kid en dat is niet heel veel. Het was wel genoeg om een geweldig klinkend album te maken, want het derde album van Jess Jocoy klinkt nog wat mooier dan zijn twee voorgangers. De muziek op Cul-De-Sac Kid is over het algemeen genomen subtiel en beperkt zich af en toe tot een akoestische gitaar, maar met grote regelmaat zijn ook fraaie elektrische gitaar en vioolpartijen te horen en worden bovendien bas en drums toegevoegd aan het geluid van Jess Jocoy, dat af en toe wat steviger klinkt.

Het is een warm en een verzorgd klinkend geluid, maar het is boven alles een geluid dat alle ruimte biedt aan de stem van Jess Jocoy. Dat is een wijs besluit, want de Amerikaanse muzikante behoort wat mij betreft tot de beste zangeressen binnen de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek van het moment. De zang op haar vorige twee albums was al prachtig, maar de stem van de muzikante uit Nashville lijkt alleen maar mooier te worden. 

De songs op Such A Long Way en Let There Be No Despair zijn me inmiddels zeer dierbaar en de songs op Cul-De-Sac Kid zijn zeker niet minder. Het zal inmiddels duidelijk zijn dat Jess Jocoy wederom een droom van een rootsalbum heeft afgeleverd en het is een album dat zeker zal opduiken in mijn jaarlijstje. Ga dat vooral horen!

Erwin Zijleman

Issues. Sandy

For once, I'm going to be very direct in the first sentence: no, Issues is not an earth shattering debut album. With that out of me and to prevent disappointment at the end, I urge you to read on, as Issues is worthwhile learning about. why?

Sandy (Skye Netburn) is an 18 year old singer-songwriter from somewhere on Long Island who released her debut album Issues last month. I caught on a little belatedly because of the single 'I've Got Issues' that was on my singles list to listen to, and running about a month behind. It caught my ear immediately for three reasons. Of course, the song itself struck a chord. Besides that, two names popped up: Karen Jonas and Melanie (Safka). After listening to the song I could not get 'Oklahoma Lottery' and 'Beautiful People' out of my head for days. The firmness in her voice did the rest.

These comparisons are with me again while listening to Issues. Sandy dared to release a record with just her on it. With her voice that sounds like it has been around for a few centuries instead of 18 years and her acoustic guitar. It is all that Sandy needs to make a huge impression or perhaps she is because of this setting. Just listen to that voice and you know you are encountering the real and rough deal.

Musically, you can hear her play in a style like Nancy Wilson and Richie Havens, finger picking, arpeggios and heavy chords, it is all in there on Issues. It seems a very conscious choice to release this album as just Sandy. To me it seems like a very good choice. If anything in my lifetime, Issues reminds me of another great debut album, Steve Forbert's 'Alive On Arrival'. Despite this is a full band album, the impact on me is the same. Perhaps, this is what people older than me experienced when they listened to Bob Dylan for the first time.

I will protect Sandy from calling her the new Bob Dylan. Besides, it is a remark that doesn't make sense any more in 2025. She is Sandy and fits in quite nicely in a long line of folk inspired singer-songwriters with stories to tell. Sandy is 18 but had she been 25, the impact of this album would have been the same. Issues may not be earth shattering, it is an impressive debut album.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Issues here:

https://sandyland.bandcamp.com/album/issues 

2025, week 51. 10 singles (2)

Another week gone, only one and a few days left to go, in 2025 that is. The first albums and singles for 2026 are already stacking up. First, we enjoy this latest batch, including several season songs that I've kept for this week. Enjoy!

Facts Don't Mean A Thing EP. Ramkot

Type in Ramkot in the search engine in this blog and the trio, Tim and Tom Leyman and Hannes Cuyvers from Ghent, pops up multiple times, ever since 2021. In the meantime the band signed to V2 and turned its hobby into something even more serious. With Facts Don't Mean A Thing, what an apt title for these times of ubiquitous information that is ever more to be distrusted it seems, a new EP is added to the oeuvre. With 'Algorithmic Kings', containing the EP's title, the EP opens surprisingly. An electronic rhythm leads the way. Don't worry, the song gets under way and sounds familiar soon. The way Ramkot rocks is far suaver than a few years ago. Soulwax circa 2000 comes to mind. From further back, the main riff reminds me of 1980s staples 'She's Sells Sanctuary' and 'Rain', The Cult's two best songs. In short, Facts Don't Mean A Thing starts with a fantastic song. The Soulwax vibe remains with 'A Grain Of Sand'. The song is slower, barer but certainly not less entertaining. A Ramkot to listen to, yes, I know that sounds a bit weird, makes for a change. 'Hollow' featuring Jef Neve already received full attention recently, so let's move on to the next song, 'I Think I've Gone Slowly Insane'. This live track shows the totally opposite Ramkot. The trio goes all out, underscoring the song's title masterfully. I'm so glad that I do not have to sing this one. My vocal chords would be turned inside out and bleeding within two seconds. The song shows how tight Ramkot is live. With Facts Don't Mean A Thing Ramkot shows different sides of itself in a successful way.

Shall Be Love EP. The Question

The Question? If you have not heard of this band, it is not something to be ashamed about. The band formed in 1980 and disbanded decades ago. Today it is branded as Los Angeles' answer to The Jam. In its days, it released a few songs and recorded a few more. Oglio Records is about to re-release them all. Recently, the band reformed and will record a new record 40 years plus something down the road. Joining so many bands that reform now the kids are out of the home and the members may be even retired from their jobs. Shall Be Love is a re-released single with three extra tracks. What to make of it in 2025? Let's face it, I have heard better in the past close to 50 years. But that said, The Question does sound like a band that deserves renewed attention. The title song is a really good song, just like 'One More Time'. That song borrows very nicely from a 1960s track like 'Mony Mony'. 'One More Time' has that same sense of energy. Listen to that bass! This is some tough ass playing. Opening song 'Brand New World' also has a load of energy and again lends from a nice riff that is changed just a little, e.g. 'Everybody Needs Somebody To Love'. It shows that a hip young band from 1982 knew its classics and reworked them into its favour. Based on the four songs on Shall Be Love, The Question is a better band than many bands that did get to release albums around 1980. As a final comment: What I'm hearing here makes me think more of The Buzzcocks than The Jam.

Split single Hilken & Melissa feat. Kay Hanley / The Other Girls

What's So Bad About Christmas. Hilken & Melissa feat. Kay Hanley 

With What's So Bad About Christmas, Hilken & Melissa with Kay Hanley bring us back quite some decades to a time when there were still ice blooms on the windows in winter, with one heat source in the home and the days towards Christmas just would not pass due to sheer excitement (and boredom of being inside). That memory is deceptive though, as this song contains enough of an indie vibe, that would have made all my late family members shudder. I love the tone of the guitar, that is old and new at the same. The song has a country vibe and is something else at the same time. I have no idea who Hilken & Melissa feat. Kay Hanley are, but this single is absolutely top and blends eras with ease. Mariah Carey eat your heart out, I'd say.

I'm Not Getting Anything For Christmas. The Other Girls 

The Other Girls do not beat around the bush with I'm Not Getting Anything For Christmas'. Let me amend that, here's your present, ladies, in the form of a review. The Other Girls rock out and no little a that. The guy may have been kicked out of door and the Christmas stocking empty, it brought us this great single. The sound is really wild, dirty, unwashed faces and all. This song would have been fantastic with another lyric about whatever replacing Christmas. I thought the flip side of this split single was good, but this is a Christmas song that really blows me away. Not since 'Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus' by Morgan Mecaskey have I been so impressed. Wow!, is the only word/sound that says it all for me. Whatever Christmas brings, no one is going to take this away from me.

Christmas, Baby Please Come Home. Greg Antista and the Lonely Streets

It's only the second time Greg Antista and band find themselves on this blog and with a Christmas song at that. Yes, it is possible to make a punkrock Christmas song, so I've just found out. With all respect to Antista, but just take a lot of Green Day, add several repeated whoas at the right intervals and here is Christmas, Baby Please Come Home. All I have to add, is that it works in this form. A Christmas punkrock song, why not.

 

Mister Grinch. The Haymakers Boston

Okay, there was just a link someone sent me and I have no idea who did so. The link however led me to this song by a band that does not ring any bell. The band is from, Boston. where else? I'm inclined to say. Mister Grinch is another great rock song. The Haymakers Boston play a raucous form of rock that is extremely infectious. Yes, even if it is a Christmas song. Riffs and short solos fly into my ears, tickling my fancy and the singer has a voice that belongs to this kind of rock. The band obviously has fun playing this song and is giving it its whole and perhaps a little bit more. Christmas songs are getting more fun by the minute, folks.

The Fart That Ruined Christmas. Red Peters

When I was young there were these country songs, except that I did not know what country music was at the time, that told a story. Always a man with a bronzed voice telling it and women coming in to sing a chorus, working towards an ending of some sorts. Well, here is another one by comedian Red Peters. I suggest you just go over to You Tube and listen to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ujeF59K6wU. 

 

 

The Bleak Midwinter. Lisa O'Neill

Earlier this week, I was quite surprised to find Lisa O'Neill mentioned in a Tom Smith review when he was interviewed following the release of his solo album. He championed her song ‘The Wind Doesn’t Blow This Far Right’ as a great modern protest song. O'Neill returns to this blog with a song that has the feel of Christmas in many ways, but not the mood. The lyric is a poem by Christina Rossetti, called 'A Christmas Carol'. The song is ever so slow, the accompaniment an acoustic guitar, double bass, violin and accordion. The effect is a Christmas song like they were sang in the church of my youth, the music resembling more a Medieval song than anything modern. And yet, Lisa O'Neill presents pure beauty with The Bleak Midwinter. Of all the Christmas songs here, she's the only one sounding like they used to sound.

Sad Clown. Melanie Baker

Globalisation may be going out of fashion fast, with all sorts of consequences, it still exists in music. Newcastle (UK) artist Melanie Baker signs to a Copenhagen based record label and finds a lot of inspiration from 1990s U.S. band Hole, to name one example. That is not all, as Sad Clown also emulates the softer pop rock female singers from the same decade, like, well name your own favourite here. The result is an alternative rocktrack that is more than just a song emulating the past. Melanie Baker rocks with a little slack in her diction. The band goes for it in the choruses, in the verse the rhythm matches her relaxed diction. The combination is almost invigorating. Almost, as the slackness does not want it to be 100%. One thing's for certain, Melanie Baker is far from a sad clown. Mission accomplished.

Crime Wave. Sunbendr

We end this week on the blog with an alternative rocktrack, or a house-party song as the band calls it, by San Diego's Sunbendr. With Crime Wave Sunbendr successfully blends rock with The Beastie Boys. The band is a new name to me, so to this blog. Sunbendr is Frank Dixon on drums, Chris Coté on bass, vocals, Percussion and Brandon Parkhurst on guitar, vocals and together they rock. In this country I would point to Nijmegen giants De Staat, except that this band lays on the hiphop rhythms far thicker. The end result though is not that far apart. Both present songs that are out to provide a party and Crime Wave is exactly doing that. Sunbendr's latest single is a great song to end this week with.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Faded Polaroids. Lanie Gardner

Na haar verrassend sterke debuutalbum A Songwriter’s Diary laat de Amerikaanse muzikante Lanie Gardner op haar deze week verschenen tweede album Faded Polaroids horen dat ze nog beter en veelzijdiger kan.

Ik begon in de herfst van 2024 met hele lage verwachtingen aan het debuutalbum van Lanie Gardner, die ik alleen kende van een vreselijke Fleetwood Mac cover, maar haar debuutalbum bleek een verrassend goed countrypopalbum. Ik vond A Songwriter’s Diary uiteindelijk zelfs jaarlijstjeswaardig. Het is nog altijd dringen binnen de countrypop, maar ook het tweede album van Lanie Gardner valt in positieve zin op. De Amerikaanse muzikante heeft een flinke stapel aansprekende songs geschreven en heeft deze voorzien van een geluid waarin ruimte is voor invloeden uit de country, pop en rock. De mooie stem van Lanie Gardner maakt het ook dit keer helemaal af.

In de herfst van 2024 verscheen het debuutalbum van de Amerikaanse muzikante Lanie Gardner. Ze was op dat moment vooral bekend van een door David Guetta tot goedkope danstrack getransformeerde versie van Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams, waarin haar stem echt het enige lichtpuntje was. Haar debuutalbum A Songwriter’s Diary bleek echter een verrassend sterk album, dat het uiteindelijk schopte tot mijn jaarlijstje. 

Op haar debuutalbum maakte Lanie Gardner lekker in het gehoor liggende countrypop, maar het was wel countrypop met een voldoende dosis pure country en een niet al te dik laagje pop. Ik vergeleek het met de meer country getinte songs van Kacey Musgraves en veel mooier dan dat ken ik het niet in het genre. 

Lanie Gardner keert deze week alweer terug met haar tweede album en laat horen dat A Songwriter’s Diary geen toevalstreffer was. Ook op Faded Polaroids maakt de muzikante, die opgroeide aan de voet van de Appalachen in North Carolina maar op jonge leeftijd neerstreek in Nashville, Tennessee, het soort countrypop dat momenteel populair is in de Amerikaanse country hoofdstad. 

De eigenzinnige Lanie Gardner heeft zich echter zeker niet volledig in het strakke keurslijf van de Nashville countrypop laten persen. Veel songs op het album bevatten wat stevigere uitstapjes, die laten horen dat Lanie Gardner niet alleen een zwak heeft voor country en pop, maar ook voor rock. De Amerikaanse muzikante flirt hiernaast met Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter pop en laat hier en daar horen dat haar liefde voor Fleetwood Mac verder reikt dan Dreams. 

De muzikante uit Nashville schreef samen met een aantal gerenommeerde songwriters uit Music City en nog geen jaar na haar debuutalbum maar liefst 18 songs voor haar nieuwe album, dat ruim 50 minuten muziek bevat. Op haar debuutalbum hoorde ik af en toe iets van Kacey Musgraves, maar Faded Polaroids zit dichter bij de albums van Megan Moroney, een andere persoonlijke favoriet uit de countrypop van het moment. 

Zeker wanneer de songs wat steviger klinken heeft het tweede album van Lanie Gardner bovendien raakvlakken met de albums waarmee Gretchen Wilson en Miranda Lambert ooit opdoken. Ook Morgan Wade en Carly Pearce, overigens ook persoonlijke favorieten, dragen zeker relevant vergelijkingsmateriaal aan. 

In muzikaal opzicht klinkt het allemaal aangenaam en wat mij betreft nergens te glad, maar het sterkste wapen van Lanie Gardner is ook dit keer haar stem, die zich soepel beweegt door de mix van country, pop en rock. Ik kom wekelijks meerdere albums tegen die in dezelfde vijver vissen als Lanie Gardner, maar net als op haar debuutalbum heeft de Amerikaanse muzikante genoeg in huis om zich te onderscheiden van de moordende concurrentie. 

Het was ook dit keer de stem van Lanie Gardner die me over de streep trok, maar Faded Polaroids trekt ook steeds nadrukkelijker mijn aandacht met een serie hele goede songs, met persoonlijk teksten die een inkijkje geven in de persoon Lanie Gardner en met een lekker veelzijdig geluid dat door de subtiele invloeden uit de rock en de hoorbare liefde voor traditionele Amerikaanse rootsmuziek altijd oprecht klinkt. Met Faded Polaroids maakt Lanie Gardner de belofte van haar debuutalbum A Songwriter’s Diary dan ook makkelijk waar.

Erwin Zijleman

Under Dark Skies. Tombstones In Their Eyes

Previous Friday, Tombstones In Their Eyes' new album was released, Under Dark Skies. I'm not going to beat around the bush. Based on my memory my conclusion is that I'm not hearing anything new compared to the Los Angeles band's last 2024 album, 'Asylum Harbour' (2024), but it sounds so incredibly good. The band has delivered an album that went straight into my brain and played every individual cell in there.

This feeling started with the opening and title song 'Under Dark Skies'. A drum pickup and off the band goes with a layer of guitars, a deep bass underneath it all and a drumkit that is mixed slightly to the foreground. The triple vocals of John Treanor (also guitarist), Clea Cullen and Courtney Davies are riding the waves the band provides them with like pro surfers. This song is such a great opener to the album.

The tempo may go right down for 'You Never Have To Love Me', the mood of Under Dark Skies remains and sails straight ahead. A psychedelic rock ballad? Why not. Tombstones In their Eyes shows how it's done. A massive sound is created by the whole band, besides Treanor, Cullen and Davies, there are Phil Cobb, guitar, Stephen Striegel, drums & percussion, Nic Nifoussi or Joel Wasko on bass and Paul Roessler, keyboards, harmony/ backing vocals. Finally, there is the late Paul Boutin on guitar & backing vocals. Boutin passed away in October but can be heard on the album.

Photo: Karin Johasson

The band with ease seems to be able to keep this level of quality. John Treanor wrote all the songs bar a co-written one. The band turns them into huge psychedelic rock anthems. There is not a lot of room for subtlety. The best is to let Under Dark Skies wash over you, to let it become one with you. The sound is so massive that it is easy to imagine to be completely covered by all coming at you. This tombstone is like a warm blanket wrapped around you on a cold night. A whole record long I am enthralled by the vocals. As they are singing with so many voices, the vocals become as massive as the music itself. Maybe there are more bands doing this, I'm not familiar with them. Because of it Tombstone In Their Eyes is a band that is unique. Under Dark Skies is an Ayers Rock, sorry Uluru, of an album. A solid monolith.

Yes, in a way I could have copied my review from last year. Except that I have the strong impression that Under Dark Skies is simply next level, perhaps two levels.

Wout de Natris - van den Borght 

 

You can listen to and order Under Dark Skies here:

https://tombstonesintheireyes.bandcamp.com/album/under-dark-skies 

2025, week 51, 10 singles

Catching up some more, here's another bunch of recent singles. What surprises me still, is that even after nearly 14 years of this blog and the probably thousands of singles reviewed over the past years, there still are so many new names that pop up in this section. There is no end to (new) artists wanting to release songs (and then there are all the songs that do not make my circa 30 seconds cut decisions). Going against every grain of commercial advise and distressing news about missing revenues and AI-generated music. As music fans, we are the better because of these artists. Let's celebrate and applaud them. Here's ten more songs, so explore and enjoy!

Things To Do When It’s Dark. Tell

TELL's album 'Life In Reverse' is one the best read reviews on this blog. Here's the band with a new single. Of course, it's an alternative rock track. The beginning though is a very tense affair. After an already very bare intro as in one dark piano note, the first verse is just the drums and singer David Wildman. This makes the track stand out immediately. When the band comes in, it is still not your average rock track. This has everything to do with the rhythm that is not a straightforward affair. Things To Do When It's Dark is a track to pay attention to because of these musical surprises. In my album review last year, I pointed to post-'Hunky Dory' David Bowie and again I hear a faint hint in that direction but this description would sell the song short. TELL is fully it's own here. Lyrically, the song does not leave you with a lot to guess. "Resistance rock" is a new term, but what else can it be when "We take back our country" is one of the lead lyric lines?

Smoke And Drive. Bobby Mahoney

Next up this week is a punkrock track from New Jersey's Bobby Mahoney. In a genre where a lot has been said and done already, Mahoney manages to present us with an exhilarating track  There's nothing new in there, but he manages to excite. Smoke And Drive's rhythm is tight. Over that the lead guitar plays these great melodies. In the lyrics there are enough whoawhoawhoas to allow for a lot of singing along. Living in Ashbury Park he is close to where Bruce Springsteen found his voice. Musically they may be far apart, the energy and intensity are the same. Smoke And Drive boils over with it. 

Take It Back. Regal Beagle

Take It Back is a punk track as punk comes. Dirty, fast, yet with a chorus that is as simple and straightforward as they come. No one has to hear this a second time before it can be sang along to. Regal Beagle is another new name on this blog. Formed in 1993 in Monterey Park, California, the band is about to release its first album in over a decade, also called 'Take It Back.' It seems highly likely to me that with the title track released as a first single, Regal Beagle makes a clear statement. We're back and you better be well prepared as we are going to give you an energy boost you will not easily forget. Take It Back simply works from the first to the last second. Two and a half minute is enough for this statement.

Long Time Gone. Speedtwinn

Speedtwinn is a band from Los Angeles. That makes two California bands in a row. Musically there is a difference though. I'm inclined to call this music bluesrock, but it also has a 1960s pop element hidden in there. Things start with the hard riffing lead guitar played by Derwood Andrews. The mildly dirty sound matches the mildly rough voice of singer Gary Twinn. The riffs are augmented by a slide, making the guitar part stand out even a bit more. I find the song slowly packed me in. At the start I thought been-there-done-that, heard it too many times before, but half way through the song I had gotten into its rhythm. Finally, I wanted to hear it again and again. The hint at Stevie Ray Vaughan is unmistakable, but there are not a lot of Vaughan tracks I like as well as this one. That says enough, right?

The Drop. Queen's Pleasure

Amsterdam's Queen's Pleasure returns to the blog with its final single release before its third album is unleashed on the world on 9 January, called 'Stunt Double'. After its first EP and album, I sort lost track of Queen's Pleasure. This had to do with the fact that the music did not convince me. It made me start listening to The Drop with a negative expectation. And then came the end of the song. It is an explosion of music. It's as if the band understood this was it last chance with me. At the start, of The Drop my impression was that the music was neither meat nor fish. That sealed it sort of. And then the end came in and I advise you to listen to it. The band lets it all go, as in taking no prisoners. What an orgiastic musical delight to listen to.

Indie Hero. Laptop

Laptop debuted on this blog in September with its single 'Additional Animals'. Again, the band of father and son Hartman return to the blog. Listening to Indie Hero, I would say that they present a tribute to that other Hartman, Dan and to Patrick Hernandez, both two mid-70s disco icons, with songs like 'Relight My Fire' and 'Born To Be Alive'. Songs that still light up parties to this day. Indie Hero is far more modern in sound but has this groove that calls for moving your body to the rhythm. The topic of Indie Hero, "I wanna go to Japan again", is one I can subscribe to. Having been there once, I'm sold. I'm also sold on Indie Hero. The track is simply fun. Jesse Hartman's return to music is paying off as far as I'm concerned.

This Guy? Hater

Hater is on this blog since 2017. The last time was in 2023 with its album 'Sincere'. On route to its new album 'Mosquito', the Swedish band released a new single, This Guy? I can be quite short. This Guy? convinces from the very first seconds. It has an indie rock vibe allowing singer Caroline Landahl to present a perfect mix between a Scandinavian ice diva and a warm- blooded singer. Equal parts between distancing and longingly dreaming are created by her voice. The lead guitar manages to underscore this in a great way, making the song grow and grow. I'll own up and admit that I had all but forgotten about Hater in the past years. I'm glad to have renewed our musical relationship today.

L.O.V.E. The Mono Kids

What can I say but that The Mono Kids from Eindhoven have done it again. Of course, this is another punkrock record by two men of a certain age, who love to play the genre they like best. The enthusiasm is more than matched by the quality of the song itself. L.O.V.E. is one of the songs on E.P. 'Lucky Guys', but deserves individual attention. Add the humorous video and the picture is complete. L.O.V.E has so much energy that it ought to be able to assist in unstressing the energy grid in the south west of The Netherlands. From the very first second the song goes full blast and there's no stopping the duo in any way. With the accents all in the right spots, it makes for interesting listening as well. With We Are Joiners in the vicinity, The Mono Kids may have received some local competition. For me the world gets just this little better having them both in it.

Flowers. Shadowman

At the start I had no idea what to make of Flowers (and no, this is not a cover version of Miley Cyrus' 'Flowers'). Music like walking in trickling rain, yet making you very wet and in the dark of course. That darkness remains, the rain swells and subsides. Nick Cave is the name that pops up when listening to Flowers. Just like the Australian artist, Shadowman, and its singer John J Presley, is able to impress with the directness and its impressive wall of sound and with the quiet parts in equal ways. Once that beginning is over, it becomes clear that a musical onslaught awaits us listeners. The musicians go full out and a saxophone works its way into the mix, screaming bloody murder. To think this is the debut single of a collective consisting of Presley, Ben Hillier and Danielle Perry. All three have completely different backgrounds/careers in music, yet collaboratively come up with this impressive work of musical art. Flowers is one heck of an introduction to Shadowman. Besides the message "debut album in 2026", we have to await further news.

Everybody Knows. The Legal Matters

Okay, let's end this post with a band trying to go for the perfect pop song; and comes a long way. The Michigan band may be called The Legal Matters, it has very little to do with the 1965 hitsingle by The Who of that title. This song finds itself in a more guitar laden spot where a sweet song like '74/75' finds itself. Core trio Chris Richards, Andy Reed and Keith Klingensmith have put a silver lining of pure pop over their nostalgic poprock song. The guitar parts are all over the song, backed by organ, bass and drums and they all are very much worthwhile exploring. But then: enter the real forté of The Legal Matters, the vocals. This band knows how to sing together and get the most out of the vocal melodies. The combination of music and vocals creates an extremely rich song that is a pleasure to listen to. Welcome to this blog, The Legal Matters.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

And Your Song Is Like A Circle. Skullcrusher

De Amerikaanse muzikante Helen Ballentine leverde drie jaar geleden een fluisterzacht en betoverend mooi album onder de naam Skullcrusher af en herhaalt dit kunstje op het nog wat mooiere And Your Song Is Like A Circle

Direct vanaf de eerste noten van And Your Song Is Like A Circle neemt Helen Ballentine, de muzikante achter Skullcrusher, je mee naar andere werelden. De wat zweverige klanken op het tweede album van Skullcrusher zorgen voor onmiddellijke ontspanning en hoe dieper je het album in duikt hoe mooier het wordt. De bijzonder mooie muziek op het album wordt gecombineerd met de zachte en dromerige zang van Helen Ballentine, die nog wat mooier zingt dan op het debuutalbum van Skullcrusher. Droom echter niet te ver weg, want de Amerikaanse muzikante heeft de songs op haar nieuwe album volgestopt met prachtige accenten. And Your Song Is Like A Circle is een droom van een album.

Toen drie jaar geleden een album van Skullcrusher opdook in de lijst met nieuwe albums had ik niet direct het idee dat het een album voor mij zou zijn. De naam Skullcrusher past op het eerste gehoor immers prima bij de namen van de obscure metalbands die ik iedere week zie opduiken in de releaselijsten en dat is niet het soort muziek waar ik van hou.

De betekenis van Skullcrusher is echter niet zo duister als de letterlijke vertaling suggereert en de muziek op Quiet The Room bleek heel ver verwijderd van de klanken van de gemiddelde metalband. Skullcrusher is een project van de Amerikaanse muzikante Helen Ballentine, die op haar debuutalbum vooral zachte en intieme popsongs liet horen. 

De popsongs van de muzikante, die destijds Los Angeles als thuisbasis had, vielen op door zachte maar bijzonder mooie zang en door relatief ingetogen maar op hetzelfde moment wonderschone klanken, die prachtig waren geproduceerd door Big Thief producer Andrew Sarlo. Quiet The Room kon absoluut een folkalbum worden genoemd, maar het was ook een sprookjesachtig, beeldend en af en toe vervreemdend album met hier en daar een vleugje Twin Peaks. 

Toen de naam Skullcrusher de afgelopen week opdook in de lijst met nieuwe albums was ik daarom direct bij de les. Helen Ballentine heeft Los Angeles inmiddels verruild voor upstate New York en heeft de tijd genomen voor haar nieuwe album dat in meerdere sessies werd opgenomen gedurende een aantal jaren. 

In de openingstrack March valt direct op dat het geluid van Skullcrusher wel iets is veranderd. De songs van de Amerikaanse muzikante zijn nog steeds zacht en intiem, maar klinken ook donkerder en bezwerender. In de openingstrack kruipt Helen Ballentine dicht tegen de onheilspellende muziek van Grouper of Ethel Cain aan, maar ik hoor ook flarden van de muziek van Cocteau Twins uit de jaren 80. 

Het zijn invloeden die op And Your Song Is Like A Circle veel vaker terugkeren en het album voorzien van een wat zweverige sfeer. Het betekent overigens niet dat de folky elementen zijn verdwenen uit de muziek van Skullcrusher, want een groot deel van de songs op And Your Song Is Like A Circle heeft een folky basis. 

Ik begon vrij laat op de avond aan de eerste beluistering van het tweede album van Skullcrusher en bovendien op een avond met stevige regenbuien en dat bleek een prachtig decor voor de stemmige maar ook zeer sfeervolle muziek van de Amerikaanse muzikante. 

And Your Song Is Like A Circle werd met een beperkt aantal muzikanten en op verschillende plekken opgenomen en dat hoor je in de songs, die steeds subtiel van kleur verschieten. De fluisterzachte maar echt bijzonder mooie stem van Helen Ballentine staat centraal op het album en de muziek op het album draait hier fraai omheen. Het is muziek die in de basis genoeg heeft aan akoestische gitaar of piano, maar vervolgens verder is ingekleurd met benevelende klankentapijten en hier en daar met bijzondere ritmes. 

Het levert een album op dat het oor onmiddellijk streelt, maar het is ook een album dat beter en fascinerender wordt wanneer je het vaker hoort en wanneer je steeds dieper het muzikale universum van Skullcrusher in wordt gesleurd. De naam Skullcrusher blijft bij mij wat gewelddadige associaties oproepen, maar de bijzonder mooie klanken en zowel lieflijke als wat onderkoelde zang nemen je mee naar sprookjesachtige werelden waar alles prachtig en vreedzaam is.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt And Your Song Is Like A Circle hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://imskullcrusher.bandcamp.com/album/and-your-song-is-like-a-circle 

The Resurrection Game. Emma Swift

Het is niet veel muzikanten gegeven om een onuitwisbare indruk te maken met een serie Bob Dylan covers, maar Emma Swift deed het en laat op The Resurrection Game horen dat dit zeker geen toevalstreffer was.

De Australische maar in Nashville woonachtige muzikante Emma Swift bracht na een geslaagd mini-album een album met alleen Bob Dylan covers uit. Dat was nogal gewaagd, maar het pakte geweldig uit met het in alle opzichten uitstekende Blonde On The Tracks. Het heeft nogal wat druk gelegd op het toch altijd al lastige tweede album, maar daar is niets van te merken op The Resurrection Game. Het is een album dat wederom indruk maakt met prachtige klanken en de nog mooiere stem van Emma Swift, maar het samen met flink wat topkrachten uit Nashville gemaakte album laat ook horen dat de Australische muzikante een prima songwriter is. Heerlijk album, zeker nu de herfst er aan komt.

Het is alweer vijf jaar geleden dat de Australische muzikante Emma Swift imponeerde met haar debuutalbum Blonde On The Tracks. Het was een opvallend debuutalbum, want welke muzikant kiest er voor om alleen maar songs van Bob Dylan op een eerste album te zetten. Emma Swift deed het en ze deed het op indrukwekkende wijze. 

De Australische muzikante deed een niet al te voor de hand liggende greep uit het oeuvre van de Amerikaans legende, waarbij zowel stokoud als gloednieuw werk van Bob Dylan aan bod kwam. Blonde On The Tracks was verder zeer smaakvol ingekleurd, maar het was vooral de mooie en trefzekere stem van Emma Swift die zeer tot de verbeelding sprak. Wat Blonde On The Tracks nog wat knapper maakte is dat de Australische muzikante niet probeerde te klinken als de oude meester en een eigen draai gaf aan zijn werk. 

Van Blonde On The Tracks verscheen ook nog een luxe versie die liet horen dat Emma Swift ook live indruk maakt, maar al met al is het best lang stil geweest rond de muzikante die Australië al een tijd geleden heeft verruild voor Nashville, Tennessee, waar ze samenwoont met de Britse muzikant Robyn Hitchcock, die we kennen van The Soft Boys, maar inmiddels ook van een omvangrijk oeuvre als solomuzikant. 

Het lange wachten op de opvolger van Blonde On The Tracks wordt deze week beloond met de release van The Resurrection Game, waarop Emma Swift haar eigen werk laat horen. Het op Isle of Wight en in Nashville opgenomen album bevat een aantal zeer persoonlijke songs over pieken en dalen in het leven, wat de songs nog wat meer lading geeft dan haar fraaie vertolking van Bob Dylan songs. 

Emma Swift maakte vijf jaar geleden indruk met smaakvolle klanken en een prachtige stem en dat zijn ook twee belangrijke ingrediënten van de songs op The Resurrection Game. Het album is voorzien van een stemmige en sfeervolle orkestratie met de nodige strijkers, maar ook de pedal steel van virtuoos Spencer Cullum, en dat is een geluid waarin de stem van Emma Swift nog wat mooier klinkt dan in het rootsgeluid van Blonde On The Tracks. 

Het is een stem die niet alleen opvalt door schoonheid, maar ook door gevoel en precisie. Dat kennen we nog van Blonde On The Tracks, maar Emma Swift legt in haar eigen, zeer persoonlijke en vaak behoorlijk melancholische songs nog net wat meer emotie. Het is direct vanaf de eerste klanken betoverend mooi, want zowel de strijkers als de zang komen heerlijk binnen en kleuren prachtig bij de herfst die langzaam maar zeker zijn intrede doet in Nederland. 

De inkleuring van de songs op The Resurrection Game is soms sober en stemmig, maar ook als de muziek net wat voller klinkt is de stem van Emma Swift betoverend mooi. Na Blonde On The Tracks wisten we al het een en ander van de zangeres Emma Swift en voor haar goede gevoel voor fraai ingekleurde songs, maar na beluistering van The Resurrection Game weten we ook dat de Australische muzikante een uitstekend songwriter is. 

De vakkundige productie van Jordan Lehning, waaraan een Daniel Lanois sfeer is toegevoegd, en de smaakvolle bijdragen van meerdere topmuzikanten uit Nashville voorzien The Resurrection Game van extra glans. Natuurlijk lag de lat enorm hoog na het jaarlijstjes album Blonde On The Tracks, maar het nieuwe album van Emma Swift kan de idioot hoge verwachtingen absoluut aan. Indrukwekkend.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt  The Resurrection Game hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://emmaswift.bandcamp.com/album/the-resurrection-game 

patching. runo plum

The singles released by runo plum in the past months really made we want to listen to her album. The way they both played with my ears and surprised my expectations made listening to 'patching' almost an obligation. I was not disappointed.

runo plum is a singer-songwriter from Minneapolis. She has released some singles and EPs in the past years. She played some interesting support slots but with this new album it is time for a new step in her career. She recorded 'patching' in a cabin in Vermont with multi-instrumentalist Noa Francis and co-producer Lutalo. Together they created an album with a slow, relaxed pace, that is very nice to dwell in for a while.

The place to start reviewing 'patching' is runo plum's voice. It has a soft, sleepy quality. Listen closely and you'll notice it is double tracked, making it more forceful than it actually is. plum sounds as if she's about to fall asleep or awakens without anything urgent sounding out telling her to get up now. This atmosphere takes me through the whole of the album, without making me want to stop listening. Yes, over ten songs, the music sounds somewhat uniform, it is more than o.k.

promo photo: Alexa Viscious

The music is just as relaxed. An acoustic guitar or two, soft drumming and a soft plopping bass guitar. A distorted or reverbed electric guitar shines through every once in a while, mixed in such a way that it fits in quite well, without upsetting the tranquil mood. It is described as indierock, but I do not fall for that. This is intimate singer-songwriter material that gets a very modest alternative treatment with a soft electric guitar. That's about it.

The whole makes 'patching' a very intimate album. As a listener you have to work at listening, as 'patching' takes your attention to flourish. Once you surrender yourself and thus your time, the album, runo plum, her musicians and you will become one for a while. A rich and relaxing experience.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order patching here:

https://runoplum.bandcamp.com/album/patching 

The Fortunate Sons live. Patronaat, Haarlem Friday 12 December 2025

Photo: WdN-vdB

Creedence Clearwater Revival was no longer a band before I had the chance to see any band live, with the exception of The Cocktail Trio that I perhaps even saw twice (and it did not play my favourite of the day, 'Li Wang Tai Fu'). The next band was Kayak in the gym of my high school and then David Bowie in Ahoy.

Two years ago, The Fortunate Sons competed in 'The Tribute: Battle of the Bands' and came in second that year, after a Bee Gees tribute. Both bands are touring a lot since. Yesterday. it was Haarlem's turn to enjoy this tribute. The four piece band comes incredibly close to the original. With his harsh voice singer-guitarist-pub owner in Almelo Toon Eppink is John Fogerty, The sound of the band is indeed "the real deal" as The Tribute juror Spike said. Arn Kortooms, bass, Ipo van Drooge, drums and Jan van Bijnen, guitar, organ and harmonica can take full credit alright.

CCR scored an immense number of hits in a very short period of time. Albums came out in a tempo that is beyond incredible. In my country, The Netherlands, it all started in 1969 with 'Proud Mary', a song many people associate with Ike & Tina Turner.and ended with 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' in 1973. By then the band had already folded. Brother Tom Fogerty had already left the band and the bass player and drummer thought they were successful  songwriters as well. Add the well-known issues with the record label and CCR came to an untimely end fast.

Around 1980 I had the money to buy most albums. I think I miss the last one, 'Mardi Grass'. Slowly but surely, the music became a pleasant memory but not something to actively enjoy. I saw John Fogerty live in the mid 00s and it was a great show but it didn't push me to play the records again. That happened Friday evening before the show. I put on 'Green River' and then 'Willy And The Poor Boys' and was truck by the quality of the songs, the energy and diversity in the music. My memory didn't serve me well, to paraphrase Bob Dylan/Julie Driscoll.

Photo: WdN-vdB

The Fortunate Sons played for close to two hours and all the hits and more came by. All, no, I missed 'Sweet Hitchhiker' and 'Someday Never Comes' but that was compensated by 'Rocking All Over The World', made famous by Status Quo of course. Singing along, dancing along, and enjoying myself tremendously. The Fortunate Sons is a machine of a band, that has a lot of fun on the side. Allowing the audience to sing in the right places and all. What I also realised really for the first time, how many songs by CCR my previous band, Flopsband', played, of which my favourite was 'It Came Out Of The Sky'. FYI, that band plays its 50th(!) anniversary show next month, with me returning for a last time for one set, including 'I Put A Spell On You'.

In 2025 a band like The Fortunate Sons can play in bigger venues like Patronaat easily on the strength of the material written by John Fogerty and/or played by CCR at the time. Fogerty is still touring at 80, with his sons. The Fortunate Sons will make a lot of people happy with its rendition of CCR. It all ended with 'Up Around The Bend', one of the two number 1 hits over here. What a song to go home with!

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2025, week 50. 10 singles (2)

Yes, two packets of singles in one week. There's so much to catch up on before the new year starts. So, don't let me hold you back on exploring the next ten. Enjoy! 

Golden Rules / Guilty Pleasures. Fuzzy Teeth

The name Fuzzy Teeth suggests a band name. It is the musical project of Anthony Koenn, a man who played in his first band, The Hague Punks, at the age of 11. Whatever that may have sounded like or what the quality was, I can't tell you. Single Golden Rules / Guilty Pleasures is a mature alternative pop track that shows that pop is not necessarily something produced by x with y featuring z, a and b, co-written by c, d and e. Koenn's may sound dreamy, he also sings a little off kilter. It gives his take on pop an even more alternative sound. In sync with a lot of bands and artists coming out of Brooklyn, N.Y., the Dutch singer is right on top of the musical waves right now. A golden lining this guilty pleasure of a song has.

Shopping. Rayon

Rayon is a postpunk band from Portland, Oregon made up out of people who have played in several other bands and is led by Eric Sabatino. The single blends a few guitars that play between the light and the shade but a little askew where the melodies are concerned. Over it Sabatino sings with a dreamy voice, adding some dreampop into the postpunk. In the first verse the guitars drop away, making shopping sound very open, putting the emphases on the fine drums and bass part. The two main guitars come in and later a host of overdubs. All in all, it remains on the safe side of postpunk. Don't expect Tramhaus antics here. The dreamy vocals even take on a light psychedelic vibe later in the song. It is the combination of it all that makes Shopping an attractive song. The single is released on 7", so you better hurry. 

I've Got Issues. Sandy

A young woman, one acoustic guitar. If anything, I've Got Issues reminds me of the songs of Tom Lehrer a friend played for me close to forty years ago. That cheekiness of wordplay that comes unexpected and can be funny as well. The topic of I've Got Issues is not exactly funny but the way Sandy presents it, suggests her sense of humor. This is added to by the video, that shows Sandy (Skye Netburn) having fun in multiple ways. Her voice is something different. No sweet girl in hearing distance here. She has a tough edge to her voice. Maybe not a Janis Joplin one, but who knows what happens after a few years in music? Musically, she comes close to Karen Jonas on this song, like in 'Oklahoma Lottery'. I've Got Issues has a country element to it. It is not country, but what it is? Good question. Let's say singer-songwriter. Her album 'Issues' was released in October on her 18th birthday.

Alive And Well. Tombstones in their Eyes

The L.A. band returns to the blog with a song that is sort of a signature of its sound. Loud rock, a wall of sound and a psychedelic, dreamy sauce laid out over it all by way of the singing. The title Alive And Well is not entirely appropriate. The song is dedicated to the band's guitarist who died in October. Paul Lovecraft plays on this track and the band decided to release it in his honour anyway. The world is a little better because of it, as it is an optimistic track. The intro may be fuzzed up guitars as if the gates of hell just opened themselves, after that the track starts properly and a huge sound opens itself to my ears. It makes me wonder exactly how many guitars I'm hearing. It could be dozens, all stacked on top of the other. "I'm coming back" the band sings. Well, if that happens, Paul Lovecraft is the second who manages that feat. Now that would be something.

Go On, Move Your Body. Jana Horn

A mood change, Go On, Move Your Body brings to this post. Depressing, that is the right word to use here. On this single for her upcoming album 'Jana Horn' (16 January), the NYC resident presents a song so slow that Low might have deemed it too slow. The bare intro, think electric guitar, bass and drums, with an derailing sound somewhere in the corner of the mix, provides the right mood for Jana Horn to sing-talk her lyrics. Slowcore is the term, I believe. There's nothing in there that will bring you joy or beauty. What it does, is show you how glad you should be not to feel like this. Jana Horn excels in this song, that is quite easy to listen to, as it is full of subtle details, that pop up for a second or two. An accent on a bass string, a few bass notes, the slow hitting on a cymbal. It all stands out all of a sudden and makes Go On, Move Your Body, shine, perhaps despite itself. A whole album? That may be a bit too much for me.

Rearview. Tad Overbaugh

Some countryrock is welcome after the darkness presented right above here. Tad Overbaugh presents nothing new. With his band The Late Arrivals, he shows how to excel in this well-known genre. With a voice that presents enough wear and tear to sound convincing, he leads the song. The guitars have that sound that comes with the territory. The lyrics are about being left behind, for someone else. Overbaugh was left in the rearview. The only criticism possible is that the music sounds a little too optimistic to match the lyrics. That apart, Tad Overbaugh delivered a nice song. Watch out for his new album as well, 'Farther From Near' pours now on tap at Boston's Rum Bar Records.

Bob's Bolero. Reluctant Bob & the Lonely Lovers

A kind request by email to listen to Bob's Bolero and why not? In The Netherlands in the mid-60s there was a band called ZZ & The Maskers (yes, masks) and if Bob's Bolero reminds me of anything it is of this band's famous songs, like 'Dracula' for example. That band's singer, another Bob, Bouber, wrote one of the best Dutch pop songs ever, 'Ik Heb Geen Zin Om Op Te Staan' for the band HET. Check it out, Americans! Back to Bob's Bolero. Reluctant Bob is Robert Baker and together with producer Phil Christie he made the song. It is built from a bolero rhythm Baker found on You Tube, with no less than 12 views! With The Lonely Lovers, Mark Liepmann, Álvaro Martínez, Baker makes a sound like they used to a long time ago. The name vintage pop seen from the vantage point of 2025 is not a strange connotation. ZZ & The Maskers were old for their time. at least I think, as I only got to know the band much later. Let alone Bob's Bolero. It's fun though. (See also posts on The Crayon Set on this blog.)

The Gallopers. The Would-Be-Goods

1988, that is 37 years ago. In that year The Would-Be-Goods released its album 'The Camera Loves Me'. The band around Jessica Griffin returns next year with a new album, 'Tears Before Bedtime' (13 February). First there is the single, The Gallopers. The song has a pre-The Beatles pop vibe, just listen to the organ emulating Del Shannon's 'Runaway' there in the background or the intro tangy guitar. In the rhythm there is a hint to the "Elvis chipshop" song by Kirsty McColl and Tracey Ullmann's 'Breakaway'. All influences from a long and even longer time ago. Jessica Griffin is no longer young, as her voice shows. The topic of The Gallopers is either a memory from long ago or stated through a top-down relationship. The melancholy mood of the song points to the former. It makes for somewhat distant but nice listening.

To The Brim. DEADLETTER

DEADLETTER found its way to this blog for the first time in 2024, with positive words on how a saxophone was oven into the postpunk music, so many other bands were already good at. It created something different and new. In late 2025 the band returns, announcing its upcoming album 'Existence Is Bliss' (27 February) and a tour. To The Brim is the first single and once again combines three forms of expression. 1) The singer that is somewhere between singing and talking, 2) the postpunk that comes in after a very quiet and relaxed intro, and 3) the sax that moves in between the rest. To The Brim is a relatively relaxed track. The acoustic guitar is not what I expect in a postpunk track. Neither are the electronics you can hear. Singer Zac Lawrence slowly applies some pressure on the song, by putting in more and more words into a line. And then it all goes back down again. Intriguing track To The Brim is. 

Talking (Pt.II). Raman

Belgian singer-songwriter Raman returns with a second single from his upcoming debut album, 'When Loneliness Succeeds' (9 January). Someone who dares to use Jeff Buckley as a reference to his music, has a lot of courage. Who dares to compare himself to the angelic Jeff? Well, listening to Talking (Pt.II) it is justified. This is a mighty track. Raman has a voice that shimmers between high and lowish, hovers between soft and mighty. In his music Raman is able to do exactly the same. At the same time there is a triphop reference in the way he sings, as it reminds me of Massive Attack's 'Teardrop'. In the vocal melody there are even direct links to Buckley. And then the end awaits us. A huge slide guitar part escorts us to Talking (Pt.II)'s exit. It blows the song right  up into our faces. What an ending it is. This song deserves a lot of attention. One tip for Raman. don't go swimming in a river and certainly not with your clothes and boots on when a barge comes by.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght