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Attention Span. The Dollyrots
Have The Dollyrots ever heard of The Dolly Dots? With a name like that it does make me wonder. Musically the two bands could not be further apart, except that they both know where pop music goes to dwell. Attention Span is a punk rock song though of the kind that is being played ever since Green Day and The Offspring broke big in the mid-90s. Expect all energy levels at maximum, a pop feel hidden into the punk attitude. Duo bassist/lead vocalist Kelly Ogden and guitarist/vocalist Luis Cabezas know what a good punkrock song needs to succeed and that is exactly what Attention Span does.
More female fronted rock music but this time from Oslo in Norway. Last year I was in the city for a week, even played on a huge stage in Lillestrøm's convention centre, but no one there pointed me to a band called The Cocktail Slippers. Too bad. Had they been playing in town a visit would have been very much worth my while judging Joyride. Of course for about 30 something years that title is claimed by fellow Nordic band Roxette. This Joyride is just that little tougher and I have to say, at least as good. I love the dirty sound of the song and the punky way of singing. Here I'm reading that the band is working on its sixth album and I've never ever heard the name before. It's time to catch up.
It's eight years since Bed Rugs released its previous record. For someone like me, The Power Runs Ripe is an introduction. Having nothing to compare to, gives a totally fresh ear where the music of Bed Rugs is concerned and what I'm hearing is landing well. Bed Rugs is a four piece from Antwerp that plays a form of psychedelic rock that has a tough pace. The drummer is not allowing the band to escape into fantasy land; until 1.34 minutes that is. As if the mixer has just cut out the drums totally. Should you like a comparison. The closest I can come is Dutch band Moss, partly in the way Stijn Boels sings. The Power Runs Ripe has a great pace and that is a part of its charm, the keyboard sound is the other. There's more underway, but we will have to be patient.
At times I do wonder if any new music is made in 2026. Having lived as long as I have, I'm most likely entrenched in favourite genres. That makes it hard to hear something new, even with recent acts. All follow in the footsteps of giants. This is especially the case with artists who return to music after years of absence or have worked in the relative margins of music for decades and release a new record. Ian Pickering was a member of bands like Sneaker Pimps and Work Line Assembly. Bands that totally passed me by at time. And now I'm pointed to his new band, The Noise Who Runs. Bang Bang is a single that brings 80s angst to mind immediately. That puts the song into a basket for me. What stands out is, the lead guitar playing strong accents, the deep bass in the chorus and the 80s synths laying down a nice carpet in the background. Together it makes a strong single. Album 'RE: GEN X' will be out on 8 May.
I almost passed up on Sweet Nothing, until I heard something that triggered my memory towards an album from, I think 1993, and I haven't played for a long time, but loved a lot at the time: 'Whirligig' by The Caulfields. Sweet Nothing has that same unpredictability. The song is able to set me on the wrong foot a few times within a few minutes, almost making me forget that it is a strong song. Jesus The Dinosaur is the band of Tommy Ng from Boston. The band is on route to release an album called 'Nothing To The Branches'. Re-listening, the changes in the song become stronger and better. Sweet Nothing is truly growing on me. Thank you for reminding me of 'Whirligig' for starters and the album is from 1995. And, yes, I want to hear more soon!
In the above under The Noise Who Runs I wrote about artists returning to music. The Greenberry Woods are a new proof of point. The band released music in the 1990s and then called it quits. In 2026 the band returns with Whenever You Want Me Too, a single on which pop music is celebrated in its purest, albeit U.S. form. Think of bands like The Rembrandts, where golden pop melodies go together with singing in harmony. The intro to Whenever You Want Me Too is a dead give away. Guitar parts weave in and out of each other, with the bass and drums going ahead unperturbed ,laying a sound foundation. The same goes for the harmony vocals in the choruses. Pure pop, as if the past 30 years did not happen. In May there will be an album as well.
Sober is a single with two very distinct faces. Looking down from a helicopter, the Antwerp based band does a Nirvana or The Police. A soft verse versus a chorus that let's it all hang out. Expect no grunge or rock-reggae though. Bluai plays a kind of folk music with an indie foundation. The band consists of singer/guitarist Catherine Smet, drummer Mo Govaerts and bassist Caitlin Talbut and can be found on this blog in June 2024 with a review by Erwin Zijleman, who lauded album 'Save It For Later' no little. Sober is my personal introduction to Bluai and I have to say I like what I'm hearing. That change between the dark and the light is well done. Learning a little more about the background of Sober tells you that the chorus is more about wishful thinking than solving the grave situation addiction is. A serious topic is tackled by Bluai. A new album is under way.
Every once in a while a song allows you to dream away. And Beabadoobee (Bea Lous) allows you just that with All I Did Was Dream Of You. The single has such a relaxed atmosphere. The music is warm and soothing, in the second verse almost bubbling over. Bea Lous sings over it as if she's half asleep, lulling in a beach chair, half in the shade on a very warm day. On this track she collaborated with María Zardoya, better known as The Marias. I cannot tell you what her role is. What I do know, is that you should not go dreaming for too long, as you will be rudely awakened when All I Did Was Dream Of You explodes into an indie rock track where the lead guitar goes off into its own exploration of the song. It makes for interesting listening this combination does.
Some more music like they used to make and still do today. How Do You Feel? rocks out with a strong country feel. That fat twang in the guitars reminds me of The Fabulous Thunderbirds from a long, long time ago. Rosie Flores makes her second appearance on this blog. Two months ago she featured on Ruby James' 'Bumble Bee'. Now she provides a tough edge to How Do You Feel? with her rough voice and like with Ruby James some extra guitar work. Nocona is here for the first time. The veteran alt-country/cowpunk band presents a song with a great boogie feel to it. The kind of song it's impossible to stand still with. An album is underway for this summer, that is all I can share with you at the moment.
More music from Norway today. Waste A Saint debuts on this blog with a song somewhere between rock and metal. A song that is as busy as it is present. The band goes at it like your ADHD little brother. Every member seems to go at it in full action mode. That this is not necessarily a bad thing, is proven by Porcelain. In every way this is a strong and powerful song. From the drum intro, already telling you something of what to expect, into the synth led second part of the intro. Bogey Stefansdottir sings in a way that reminds me of the goth metallers that broke big around 2000. She has a great voice barring the opera influences like Floor Jansen has. Alexander Skomakerstuen (guitar), Ole Nogva (bass/synthesizer) and Trym Solan Renolen (drums) all support her vocally, like in the great ending of Porcelain. The music is deep, dark, yet strongly melodic making the single not just a physical experience but also something I want to listen to. Album '...And It's Evergreen' is out already.
Wout de Natris - van der Borght
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