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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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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