Bowie For Dummies, #43

Today we present a new rendition of David Bowie For Dummies with new items found on the internet, compiled by Tineke Guise.

This post remains popular with people visiting this blog. It has by far the most views, for years on end. Chances are that there is a lot of new items to be discovered there. This is the 43rd version since we published the first one on 8 January 2017. In this post you find all Tineke's explorations on Bowie on the Internet with the links to music, clips, news, and what not.

Here is the link to the original but updated post where all is revealed:

https://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2017/01/bowie-for-dummies.html

 

As the post has gotten too large, it is now cut in two. Here's the link to the second part:

https://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2017/01/david-bowie-for-dummies-2.html 

5 Year Plan. Berthaju

There seems no end to postpunk bands coming out of The Netherlands. O.k., Berthaju is both Dutch and German. To place them immediately, the band is more in the Wet Leg side of postpunk (have you heard the 'Chaise Longue' reference?) than Tramhaus. The music has that same sort of optimistic energy and less of the darkness that the quirky chords and notes conjure up.

Right from the start Berthaju bounces out of the bits and bites of my MP3 file. The band has fun playing this song and wants to share it with anyone willing to listen. Yes, it's a lot of noise. Undeniably it's a lot of fun as well. The intro simply jumps at you. The band goes off singing "Eins zwei drei vier" to underscore their enthusiasm to start off their third EP/mini album with eight songs. As a final comparison, I would venture Dutch band POM, but based on what I'm hearing Berthaju is way ahead of this band, I'm truly a fan of nonetheless.

Berthaju is Bertha Jürges (voice), Zoë Tausk (guitar), Hugo Kurstjens (bass), Senna van Buuren van Zon (drums) and Chris Sigl (producer / musician). The band has already toured extensively and are on the road as we speak. As far as I'm aware there are no tour dates here in NL. Our loss based on what I'm hearing here.

With its debut album Wet Leg made a huge impression on me. It is the latest addition to my personal absolute favourite bands and album. It's impossible to impress me with a record like that again at that level and that includes 'Moisturizer', Wet Leg's great second album. Sorry, Berthaju, but from here it will only get better. 5 Year Plan is a great album, for the simple reason that the band managed to capture so much energy on its record. If there's more energy unleashed during a live show, all involved will have to go on life support: band and audience. Probably only the personnel of the venue with mandatory earplugs in will survive. That energy is combined with seven great songs.

Photo: Risk Media

In the final and eighth song, 'All In My Head', all is wound down. A song that's more suspense than a true composition. Don't worry, the band will go at it later on and quite successfully, ending the album in a successful way.

In the Soviet Union the 5 Year Plans worked well for a while but all was so strict and the terror so debilitating that failure was not an option but happened anyway. All initiative was killed for fear of standing out. This 5 Year Plan is the complete opposite. All initiatives lead to better songs, more energy and better songs. Oh, I had already written that.

I have missed the first two EPs by Berthaju. Here's 5 Year Plan, one of the better records of 2026 so far. What a surprise!

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order 5 Year Plan here:

https://berthaju.bandcamp.com/album/5-year-plan 

2026, week 45. 10 singles

Preparing this post, I'm looking out of my window and see a beautiful sunny day, with the leaves in the tree hanging in front of it turning brown. Yesterday, it was raining leaves. This was also the first day that I felt a bite in the air, the promise of winter. In this week's post an awful lot of new names to this blog come by. All others are reasonably new as well. More than enough to explore. In other words, enjoy!

inside outside upside downside EP. Objects in Motion

Yes, it is still possible to present a new band from Boston. Today it is the trio Objects In Motion, Dan Angolano, Michael Lantow and Vinda Souza. Together they have released their debut EP which contains a dreamy kind of indie that sounds extremely pleasing. Vinda Souza's voice has a specific kind of depth that may not appeal to everyone. As I've found, she sings in a way that both seems to be as if she is far away in her mind, while able to accuse the listener for moving off to too far of places with her. Remain alert!, she seems to signal and let me do the dreaming for you. Musically, Objects In Motion has a strong connection to music from the past. The first part of the 1980s is an influence. The band left out the darkness and doom, making a connection to a band like Belle and Sebastian from Glasgow. The guitars have a lighter touch, the keyboards are organic and not deep synth sounds. The contrast with Souza's voice stands out more because of it. The combination makes inside outside upside downside a more than just interesting introduction to Objects In Motion. The EP makes me want to hear more soon.

you're in my bed. Nathalie Miller

Although I've called Natalie Miller a pop singer in the past, in her new single 'you're in my bed' she strays a stage further. She starts with just an acoustic guitar playing the same riff a few times and her voice coming in over the riff. All very innocent in sound. In the second part of the verse the band comes in, shoring up the sound. And then it happens. In the part where the intro is repeated an electric guitar joins in with a dirty sound. Mixed into the background, as if it was played softly. My guess is, it wasn't. It makes 'you're in my bed' a richer song. Together with producer Brian Charles NYC artist Nathalie Miller has made her song a rich sonic experience encompassing far more than the standard drums-bass-guitar set up. Again, Nathalie Miller captured my attention with ease. Not much longer before her album 'I’d like to think you saved me' sees the light of day.

The Hole. My Purse

In April My Purse released its debut single 'I Smell'. Not only because of the title of the song I compared the band to Tramhaus ('I Don't Sweat'). Let's leave it at that. My Purse plays postpunk like many bands do over here. Inspired by the early 1980s and Franz Ferdinand, the combination of quirky notes and a superb melody is what trumps the current bands over the likes of Gang of Four and Comsat Angels as far as I'm concerned. The Hole is a song that is elementary in sound. The instruments are well compartmentalised, the vocals strict and divided between female and male. The strictness is loosened because there are some great guitar part overdubs. And note the cowbell all through the song. At heart My Purse is a trio, Una Jongenelis, Keetje Voogd and Igor Jongenelis. Those really paying attention to this blog, will have recognised the name Una Jongenelis, as she had a spot on the blog only one week ago under the name I Am Bird. With My Purse she is on an interesting course as well, because The Hole is a very promising single.

Good Times. Isaac Roux

Isaac Roux' new album ' Lost And Found' was released a week ago. As it is impossible to review all albums I receive and that is a euphemism of rather large proportions, allow me to put my attention on his latest single, Good Times. Again, it is an alternative poprock song. It has pace, energy and rhythm. Although Good Times does not contain an inch of danger in it, for that it has been smoothed over totally, it does have an instant pleasing factor. The sound is like a wall. All is mix in such a way that there is no hole anywhere to be found in the song. (The break sequence apart.) Singer Louis de Roo's voice is pleasant to hear and carries the song with ease. The band paves things over for him, resulting in a song that is instantly noticeable.

Bittersweet. Tony Marsico and The Ugly Thingz

With Bittersweet Tony Marsico and band kick the door right in with the intro solo to the song. Bang, here it is and you better start paying attention. I did and was captivated from there onwards. No, there's nothing new to hear here. Even the final chord is 100% The Beatles of the early 1960s. The jangly 12 string brings back memories of a host of songs from circa 1965 when the Rickenbacker became the instrument to play. Tony Marsico has managed to write a song that fits in nicely what came before and stands it own in 2026. This band calls itself The Ugly Thingz. They may well be, the music sure is not. Bittersweet has an urgency about it that will make you want to play it again and again.

Luminous EP. The Summertimes

Welcome to a new name on the blog. The Summertimes is a band from Australia. The name of the band may be new, the music of choice is not. The Summertimes present five songs that are somewhere in between pop, rock and country. Expect a beautiful combination of Beatles- and Jayhawkesque harmonies with songs that are upbeat, of the kind that make you feel better instantly. On Luminous you find five songs that seem to flow so effortlessly. A warm Hammond, the sound of a 12 string guitar are all in good taste. Nothing is overdone. It just seems perfect. There are dozens of bands like The Summertimes, if not hundreds and yet, this EP manages to stand out effortlessly. The opening song serves best as an example, I'd say. Pop rock does not get much more convincing as 'Save You Now'. The Summertimes do not verge from the pop side like circa 30 years ago someone like Dan Baird did verge with 'I Love You, Period' or a band like The Caulfields did with 'Alex Again'. Both pop songs at heart, but with an edge added. Before you get me wrong, I like all three songs, a lot.

Fire! Fire! Fire!. Clustersun

Although 5 March is still months away, Clustersun's single Fire! Fire! Fire! announces its upcoming album 'Anti You'. The track is as urgent as the situation calls for. When there's fire, there's little time to waste if one wants to get away. Clustersun have shifted the gears in 5 right from the start and speed ahead in this rocking psychedelic track. When the song's over there's absolutely no doubt left about how urgent the situation is. When all else fails, I suggest calling the pre-CCR band The Golliwogs to fight fire with fire. The Italian band is on fire itself, as there is nothing able to stop them in this track. A new name to this blog, but I'm already looking forward to hearing more. Give me some 'Anti You' soon, please!

Born Again. Star Moles

And yet another new name. Star Moles is the moniker of Philadelphia based Emily Moales. She is blessed with a Stevie Nicks kind of voice. The way she uses her voice could lead to a comparison, were it not that Star Moales operates in a far more alternative segment of music. Sure, I can imagine a 'Rhiannon' or 'Sara' sound for Born Again, but there isn't. Star Moles music is far more elementary and not aimed at perfection and sheer beauty. In Born Again space in the music is let in, the musicians play almost hesitatingly. Emily Moales is allowed to shine over the song, as she's absolutely up front of it all. She recently signed a record deal and her album 'Highway To Hell' will be released on 4 December.

Victorians. Aderyn

And, yes, one more new name. Aderyn is Lisa Martin a.k.a. Cardiff's queen of indie pop. As I've never been there, I'm sure I'm excused here. Victorians is an extremely elementary track. What you will hear, is a drum computer and a primitive sounding keyboard with Lisa Martin singing over it. Add some treated words and atmospheric rhythm and sounds and you have Victorians. As such it reminds me of Carol Cleveland Sings. Victorians shows that it does not take a multi-million dollar production to capture my attention. The music may be clinical, Lisa Martin is able to get her emotion across without hesitation. There's an EP in the works called 'Hot Pink'. We might well keep you posted on it.

Gnashville. On Lé Ore

Believe it or not, yet another new name to the blog. On Lé Ore is a duo. Musician and singer Jon Moore works here with drummer and producer Travis Harrison (Guided by Voices and Build To Spill). The result is an indie poprock track of the kind that will put a smile on the face of the people who like this kind of music. Expect an upbeat track with a nice intro containing a few nice melodies already slipping into a verse that places accents and short melodies at the right moments on the chord changes. I notice it makes my mind expect and wait for the next one. The song seems so effortless but pay attention and you'll notice how perfectly free-flowing it is, showing how much effort went into finding perfection in the different melodies you can hear going on at the same time. I know nothing else about On Lé Ore but certainly hope to hear more soon.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

River Shook. River Shook

Na een aantal geweldige albums van Sarah Shook & the Disarmers gaat Sarah Shook verder als River Shook, wat een indrukwekkend mooi debuutalbum oplevert, dat het talent van de Amerikaanse muzikant nog eens onderstreept.

Het eerste soloalbum van River Shook sneeuwde na de verschijning in juli wat onder, maar gelukkig wordt het album langzaam maar zeker toch nog in brede kring opgepikt. Dat is volkomen terecht, want de Amerikaanse muzikant heeft wederom een prachtalbum gemaakt. Het klinkt wat meer ingetogen dan de muziek van de band die River Shook de afgelopen jaren aanvoerde, maar het klinkt nog altijd ruw en eerlijk. De stem van River Shook is er een die van alles met je doet, waarna de indringende teksten, de geweldige songs en een fraai gitaargeoriënteerd geluid de rest doen. Na de prachtalbums van Sarah Shook & the Disarmers en het onderschatte project Mightmare is ook het eerste album van River Shook er weer een om te koesteren.

In het voorjaar van 2018 stuurde een promotor van Amerikaanse rootsmuziek uit Nashville me een album van de mij onbekende Amerikaanse band Sarah Shook & the Disarmers. Years bleek het tweede album van de band uit North Carolina en ik vond het direct een verpletterend mooi album. 

Sarah Shook groeide op in een streng religieus gezin op het platteland van North Carolina en kreeg in haar jeugd geen enkele vrijheid. Toen ze die vrijheid eenmaal had veroverd koos ze voor een ruig en zeker niet gemakkelijk leven, waarin alcohol vaak troost bracht. Ook muziek bleek een goede uitlaatklep en dat komt er allemaal uit op Years, waarop Sarah Shook en haar band op gepassioneerde wijze traditionele Amerikaanse countrymuziek vermengen met rock ’n roll en honky tonk. 

Years eindigde in 2018 op de derde plaats in mijn jaarlijstje en dat vind ik nog steeds volkomen terecht. Met Nightroamer uit 2022 en Revelations uit 2024 volgden nog twee uitstekende albums, waarop de band af en toe wat opschoof richting indierock, maar ook de traditionele countrymuziek niet werd vergeten. Tussendoor maakte Sarah Shook onder de naam Mightmare het flink afwijkende, met elektronica gevulde en totaal onbegrepen Cruel Liars, maar dat album is beter dan ik vier jaar geleden dacht. 

Sarah Shook gaat inmiddels als River Shook en als non-binair persoon door het leven en leverde vorige week een soloalbum onder deze naam af. Ik heb inmiddels al acht jaar een enorm zwak voor de Amerikaanse muzikant, die het allemaal niet voor niets heeft gekregen in het leven, maar zich knap staande heeft gehouden en was daarom heel nieuwsgierig naar het nieuwe album. 

Na vier (in 2017 verscheen het ook uitstekende debuutalbum Sidelong) fantastische albums van Sarah Shook & the Disarmers ligt de lat hoog voor River Shook, maar de Amerikaanse muzikant stelt wederom niet teleur. Het eerste album van River Shook klinkt wat meer ingetogen en wat minder stevig dan de muziek van de band, maar de verschillen moeten ook niet overdreven worden. 

De stem van River Shook is er nog altijd een die direct iets met je doet en ook de persoonlijke en indringende teksten vol ellende herinneren aan de albums van Sarah Shook & the Disarmers. Ook in muzikaal opzicht hoor ik veel overeenkomsten, zeker wanneer de gitaren wat ruwer klinken. Het debuutalbum van River Shook leunt weer wat dichter tegen de traditionele countrymuziek aan, maar de rock ’n roll is zeker niet verdwenen. 

Zeker de wat meer ingetogen countrysongs laten horen hoe mooi en doorleefd de stem van de muzikant uit Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is. River Shook werkte op het album van Mightmare en op het laatste album van Sarah Shook & the Disarmers samen met gitarist Blake Talent en hij speelt ook een voorname rol op dit album. River Shook en Blake Talent zijn verantwoordelijk voor de productie van het album en voor het overgrote deel van de muziek, waarin het fraaie gitaarspel van Blake Talent een belangrijke rol speelt. 

Ik luister nog altijd regelmatig naar de albums van de voormalige band van River Shook, die wat mij betreft moeten worden gerekend tot het allerbeste dat de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek de afgelopen tien jaar te bieden had. Het eerste soloalbum van River Shook voegt iets toe aan deze geweldige albums en doet er zeker niet voor onder. Knap werk weer.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt River Shook hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://rivershook.bandcamp.com/album/river-shook 

Rammstein. Live in Mexico City

For the second time, I went to see Rammstein in a movie theater. I own two DVDs also, but have never seen the band play live in a stadium. I am convinced of two things. The live experience can not be as close up as this movie shows and the quality of the music in the way it is presented will be ten times better. At the same time, I almost felt the heat of the explosions in the movie theater.

The previous movie was called 'Rammstein in Paris' and no doubt my review will be along the same lines. Yes, everything may be even even one notch up, but that is what Rammstein is. The band is larger than life. It is the musical equivalent of a Nürnberg meeting of the NSDAP. An audience that is enraptured and totally under a spell, moving in unison. A German band singing for 99% in German and having a Mexican audience of tens of thousands singing along. Singing a phrase like "Deutschland über alles", no less. (See the comment below. It seems I've heard wrong. The next line here remains very true, WdN.) I personally do not know of a band not singing in English that has managed this at a level like Rammstein: stadiums.

The band is getting on in life. Most members are in their late 50s here. That much was clear from their faces and that not all members are as fit as they once were. Most are though and were more than willing to show it. Keyboardist Flake Lorenz walking in his personal "treadmill" during parts of the show. Bassist Oliver Riedel showing off his trained, lean torso. Till Lindemann is his grotesque self.

But it is about the music, after all has been said and done about the visuals. Rammstein is not a band I put on regularly at home. In fact, I realised that I had not even listened to the album after 'Deutschland'. When I do play Rammstein, each time it's clear why I love this band. The metal is almost always interspersed with the melodies that Lorenz brings in with his keyboard. His contribution is a playfulness that as it were undermines the deep sound of the band. As the music is so deep, you can not just feel it but almost touch it. In the movie theater it became a presence. The great rhythms and playing with time and measures. It will take a lot of practice to perfect and perfect it was. The music is so overwhelming that it's easy to forget I was listening in a movie theater.

From the music comes the show and the experience the band offers. Seeing these huge towers spew fire. The ever larger flame throwers on stage. It is all familiar but can go one step further each year it seems. In the end, they do play with their well-being. One mistake and they will have cooked another member, literally during 'Mein Teil'. The orchestration of the show and the build up must be flawless, because of the consequences should one mistake be made.

Sitting in the theater made it a larger than life experience as well. Seeing things from so up close and from far away for the larger pyrotechnics, is simply fantastic. Rammstein, there's no other band like it.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Tapes & Demos. The Pretty Graves

Today I, again, present a new name on the blog. It appears I've missed the band's debut album, 'The Pretty Graves' this May. Tapes & Demos is, as the title suggests, not the sophomore album but the one in between, sharing the band's music from before the debut. Tapes & Demos is a collection of b-sides, left overs and live favourites that did not make it to 'The Pretty Graves', but are too good to leave behind in the mystery of time or for that 30th anniversary edition. Chances are I won't make it to 2056, so thank you for releasing them in 2026.

Coincidentally, I bought a new version of The Velvet Underground's 'Loaded' last weekend. It is not just because of this that I'm reminded of the legendary band. The Pretty Graves play on the brink of pop music and alternative, garage and psychedelia, just like The Velvets do on 'The Velvet Underground', 'Loaded' and 'VU'. The comparison is not fair, as I put Tapes & Demos in competition with albums I know and love for (over) forty years. But, I'm writing, am I not?

Tapes & Demos is an album that spoke to me right from the very beginning of my listening to it. Going through some new albums quite fast, this was the one where I stopped skipping songs, thinking well could be the one, followed by an affirmative yes. Putting the album on again, only made the resolve stronger.

Just listen to opening song 'Sorry I Left The Way I Did'. The melancholy pop song is inspired by every band between Big Star and Teenage Fanclub (in the 1990s). That sad feeling is translated into eternal pop beauty. Enough indie to be credible, yet so commercially inclined it should catch everyone's ear who is looking for a great pop song. The guitar solo catches it all perfectly as well.

A more alternative feel enters in the second song, 'Bluebird'. Enter a shrillish little organ playing just one note for the whole time, while the band does its own version of a song like 'What Goes On' from 'The Velvet Underground' album around that note. 'Bluebird' has an identical drive, making it a song I instantly related to.

Tapes & Demos swings between the kind of alternative pop songs and more 60s inspired songs, making the album as varied as it is interesting. Of course, there are more modern influences but it does boil down to music that was created well over 50 years ago. Because some of the tracks are demos, they even sound more primitive. 'Return To Love' is such a song. There's so much energy there, while singer Chris Lisorti is singing over it, as if he's got all the time in the world.

'She's A Killer' takes us back to the Velvets once again, but by then I'm more than convinced. It's time to check out 'The Pretty Graves' album, but it may well be that Tapes & Demos is more than enough. The honesty, rawness and energy captured on these tapes tell it all.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Tapes & Demos here:

https://theprettygraves.bandcamp.com/album/tapes-demos 

Tomorrow Is Now Today. Lesoir

A new name on the blog, Lesoir. To my surprise the band is from Maastricht in the province Limburg in The Netherlands. I would never have guessed, as I thought the band to be from the U.S. or perhaps the U.K. While names that popped listening for the first time were Within Temptation, The Gathering and Kovacs (the voice). That should have pointed me to The Netherlands. It didn't.

I am not a big fan of the symphonic-goth rock of the two Dutch bands mentioned. Lesoir does go into their territory but is not trespassing. By broadening its sound, being far more subtle, names like an alternative act like Finom (formerly Ohmme) pop up in my mind as well. Besides, the band can rock in a huge way also. 'Is It Nothing' simply explodes in the outro, after holding back for most of the time. A great guitar solo, with a layer of delay on top makes the song sparkle more and more.

This is exactly what attracts me throughout the album. No matter what influence is let in, you can a hear a little Pink Floyd from the 'Animals' album for example in the title track, it is always worked into its own sound and plans. Who are physically a part of this plan, is a hard to determine. I see a picture containing seven people, read a bio saying a five piece band band, while online information mention six persons. Whatever the outcome, the lady in front, also responsible for the lyrics is Maartje Meesen. She can also be heard on guitar, piano and flute. The latter instrument makes Lesoir stand apart from most other bands.

Promo photo

In general, I would start comparing Lesoir with a band like Marillion, as on my personal (and only) favourite 'Misplaced Childhood'. Lesoir manages to blend very direct music with an ethereal, dreamy component. In the 90s a band like The Gathering managed to do the same, once they left the metal behind. It is not a coincidence that Lesoir will be supporting Anneke van Giersbergen on her upcoming European tour.

Taking in the whole album, Lesoir maintains a high level of musicianship. The adventurous composing is mixed with a flawless execution, creating an album that is like a fantastic ride to listen to. A lot of different components are presented, making the listening experience an adventure as well. I had never heard of the band, as far as I'm aware that is, and I'm glad to have picked Tomorrow Is Now Today up.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Tomorrow is Now Today here:

https://lesoirmusic.bandcamp.com/album/tomorrow-is-now-today-2 

Bad Things Feel Good*. Rowena Wise

Iedereen die twee jaar geleden luisterde naar het debuutalbum van Rowena Wise weet waartoe ze in staat is, maar op haar in augustus verschenen tweede album Bad Things Feel Good* maakt de Australische muzikante nog meer indruk.

Rowena Wise beschikt over een stem die iets met me doet, waardoor ze me twee jaar geleden direct te pakken had met haar debuutalbum Senseless Acts of Beauty. Haar stem klinkt nog veel mooier op dit tweede album Bad Things Feel Good*, waarop Rowena Wise opnieuw folksongs met een indierock vibe maakt. Ook het nieuwe album werd in korte tijd en live opgenomen, wat de songs van Rowena Wise iets ruws geeft. Tegelijkertijd zijn het songs van een bijzondere schoonheid en intimiteit. Die schoonheid komt vooral van de stem van de Australische muzikante, maar ook in muzikaal opzicht maakt Bad Things Feel Good* makkelijk indruk en dat doen ook de zeer persoonlijke songs op dit prachtige album.

De Australische muzikante Rowena Wise bracht iets meer dan twee jaar geleden haar debuutalbum Senseless Acts of Beauty uit. Het is een album dat in Nederland helaas nauwelijks werd opgemerkt, maar ik vind het nog altijd een erg mooi album. Op haar debuutalbum maakt Rowena Wise indruk met songs die zowel invloeden uit de folk als de indierock bevatten. 

Het zijn songs die live werden ingespeeld in de studio, waardoor de muziek op het album lekker ruw klinkt. De inkleuring van de songs op het album is in de meeste songs vrij elementair, wat het bijzondere karakter van Senseless Acts of Beauty verder versterkt en dan is er ook nog eens de mooie en karakteristieke stem van de muzikante uit Melbourne. 

Ik hoorde op het debuutalbum van Rowena Wise af en toe wel wat van een jonge PJ Harvey, waardoor Senseless Acts of Beauty nog wat meer indruk maakte. Desondanks heb ik het album de afgelopen twee jaar nauwelijks meer beluisterd en dat is jammer, want het debuutalbum van Rowena Wise is echt een heel goed album. Op haar tweede album Bad Things Feel Good* (de * is geen typo) heeft Rowena Wise het bijzondere geluid van haar eerste album nog wat verder geperfectioneerd. 

Ook op Bad Things Feel Good* staat de stem van de Australische muzikante centraal en ik heb echt een enorm zwak voor deze stem. Rowena Wise zingt, net zoals zoveel van haar collega’s in de indierock, zacht, maar ze beschikt over een hele mooie en bijzondere stem en stopt veel gevoel in haar zang. Dat hoor je in de net wat stevigere songs op het album, maar je hoort het nog veel beter in de uiterst ingetogen songs, waarin de zang, in ieder geval voor mij, goed is voor kippenvel. 

Bad Things Feel Good* is een heel persoonlijk album over de demonen waarmee Rowena Wise vecht, wat het album voorziet van een wat melancholische sfeer. Op haar debuutalbum slaagde de Australische muzikante erin om een eigen geluid te creëren door de songs live op te nemen en te voorzien van een wat ruw geluid en dat recept is ook gevolgd bij het opnemen van het nieuwe album. 

Het zorgt ervoor dat Bad Things Feel Good* klinkt als een indierock album, terwijl veel songs op het album betrekkelijk ingetogen zijn en absoluut kunnen worden getypeerd als folksongs. Rowena Wise nam de songs op haar nieuwe album in drie dagen op met een ritmesectie en voegde uiteindelijk bijdragen van een beperkt aantal gastmuzikanten toe, waarna producer Rob Muinos, die ook al haar andere muziek produceerde en daarnaast werkte met Julia Jacklin, het album een klein beetje oppoetste. 

Het is de stem van Rowena Wise die in eerste instantie de aandacht trekt, maar ook het gitaarwerk op het album is bijzonder mooi en hetzelfde geldt voor alle subtiele accenten die het geluid op Bad Things Feel Good* verder hebben verrijkt. Op Senseless Acts of Beauty hoorde ik vooral de belofte van Rowena Wise, maar op haar nieuwe album is ze de belofte ver voorbij. 

De songs op Bad Things Feel Good* dringen zich stuk voor stuk genadeloos op en zijn me inmiddels allemaal dierbaar. Objectief bezien doet het tweede album van de muzikante uit Melbourne niet onder voor de beste indie-albums van 2026, maar Australië is ver weg, waardoor het album niet zo makkelijk de aandacht trekt. We zijn afgelopen zomer al enorm verwend met geweldige albums van vrouwelijke muzikanten, maar Bad Things Feel Good* doet er zeker niet voor onder.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt Bad Things Feel Good* hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://rowenawise.bandcamp.com/album/bad-things-feel-good 

ZIRP! DIIV

ZIRP! is DIIV's fifth album and all four previous albums can be found on this blog, 'Oshin' (2012), 'Is The Is Are' (2016), 'Deceiver' (2019) and 'Frog In Boiling Water' (2024). As you can see, ZIRP! follows on the previous album in record time. Once again, I took an immediate shine to a new album by DIIV.

Also, once again the music on the latest album is different from what came before. The Cure references are largely gone, the grunge of 'Deceiver', as is the shoegaze of 'Frog In Boiling Water'. It is harder to pin  ZIRP! down easily, as the music is far more diverse. Zachary Cole Smith's voice remains the same of course. Devoid of bass, it reminds me most of Billy Corgan, without that snarling sneer Corgan uses to emphasise his lyrics. The change in DIIV's music is in what happens around Cole Smith's voice. There is quite some electronics involved.

Listen to the intro of 'The Fountain' opening ZIRP!. It's as if the electrical currents connecting the instrument to the recording gear is broken or somehow hindered, making it impossible to be recorded in one piece. This sort of effects return all over the album, creating a darker vibe over the whole. The contrast between Cole Smith's voice and the music is almost shocking in 'Underground', making the album more than the 80s influenced indie rock that may have been the basis when starting work on ZIRP!, before the studio options and effects took over.

The result is that DIIV gets something of Smashing Pumpkins. However, on the one side it is far softer or more precisely, a sound not blown up to the max, allowing for far more details to be heard, while on the other hand the details are far more radical in sound. That DIIV found the right balance between the two, shows the craft of the band and its producer A.G. Cook. Cook pushed the band to revisit the demos and recordings of ZIRP! already done and started to rework them together, using effects and not computers. The result is astonishing in most of the songs.

ZIRP!'s sound palet will allow the listener to hear new sounds and parts after many listening sessions. Time will tell if that will make the album grow over time with each new listening sessions as well. My guess tight now is that it will. Exactly because it is so rich in sounds, that go way beyond the guitar (Andrew Bailey), bass (Colin Coulfield) and drums (Ben Newman).

DIIV has more or less surprised me with each new album, but this time it is different. I am genuinely looking forward to hearing this album more often.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order ZIRP! here:

https://diiv.bandcamp.com/album/zirp 

2026, week 44. 10 singles

Today I do not feel like writing a lot more. Enjoy this new selection of recent singles.

The Witch. Soraia 

The Sonics' 'The Witch' is a part of the famous 'Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968'. I only know the four cd expanded version from the 1990s. That invigorating compilation containing (somewhat) famous songs from the era and a lot of obscure 7" from even more obscure bands. Bands that played and practised in the garages of their parents. Hence the name garagerock. Soraia is a garage rock band from Philadelphia in the 2020s and decided to make its own rendition of The Witch. The band has familiarised itself with the original but gave it its own twist. The options 2020s recording technique offer makes the sound twice as big, at least. The result is an exciting rendition, that is even wilder than the original. Singer ZouZou Mansour squeals as if she's on the pile with flames licking at her feet, making The Witch extremely convincing. 

Brothers At The Wheel. Caulbearers

Manchester, England, England's Caulbearers return to the blog after four years with a single of its new album 'Come Back Home', released on 30 October. I know that not all music Caulbearers makes, is made for my ears. Brothers At The Wheel is though. This six minutes plus song combines a laidback The Stone Roses rhythm with a slow funky guitar, some jazzy sounds and an indie style of singing. Add to that a The Beatles pop feel via Field Music rhythms and here you are with Brothers At The Wheel. There is an awful lot happening in this single and it's all good. Damien Mahoney sings, again, with Ruth Blake and together they make the song sparkle and let the instruments do the rest. Brothers At The Wheel is an as intriguing as it is an interesting song.

I Am Bird. Lady Overdrive

Lady Overdrive is artist Una Jongenelis, who also writes music. Her debut single is a dark and elementary track in which she battles not only her own demons but also those of her deceased grandmother. Lady Overdrive's song is punky in a post punk and garage way. The sound is dry and bare, until I Am Bird is expanded with additional instruments like e.g. an electric lead guitar. The start is an acoustic guitar, before a weird sound, bass and drums announce the singing part. There is some likeness to Indian Askin. And not only because of the "down, down, down" part. The drive and the feel of the song lead to the comparison. As Indian Askin is one of my favourite Dutch bands of the past ten years, I'm fine with it. Lady Overdrive finds the right voice to distinguish herself from other new acts, making I Am Bird a great introduction to her work.

Spirit In My House. Palmyra Delran & The Doppel Gang

This is a Joey Ramone solo track covered by Palmyra Delran & The Doppel Gang. They were invited to play at a Joey Ramone tribute evening and decided to cover a song. Now recently, I wrote on Cream and especially its song 'N.S.U.' The beginning of the verse has quite some likeness. Where Cream bursts  into "ah-ah-ah" Spirit In My House takes another route with a great chorus. Just listen how this band sings together. It may even trump the ah-ha part of Cream. Only in June Palmyra Delran debuted on this blog along side Dan Miraldi in 'Magic In The Air'. Today with a nice punk cover. It's time I get to learn what Palmyra Delran & The Doppel Gang themselves are about. This  track is absolute top.

Miss You Girl. Ape Hangers

At the end of next month Ape Hangers' new album will be released. And listening to the enormous jolt of energy the band shares through its single Miss You Girl, a whole album may be more than I can handle. In other words, this is a great rock track. The band opens with a huge intro before the verse opens up. The sound is big and loud. The guitars and drums drive everything but do mind that Hammond that comes in at all the right moments. It's easily overlooked in the all compassing rock but you can hear it seep through the cracks of Miss You Girl, to share its warmth with you. If one thing is made clear though, the singer is missing his girl alright. Miss You Girl sure makes me very curious to hear 'Ape Hangers II' next month.

Getting Sober. Spike Fuck

I never bought a T.Rex album but do have a few of the band's later singles like '20th Century Boy' and 'Solid Gold Easy Action', when it's heyday was already over. Enter Spike Fuck in 2026. I won't say it is a T.Rex rip off but I am reminded immediately of a song like 'Get It On'. And why not? That kind of rhythm works. Spike Fuck is a new name to this blog and recently released his debut album, 'Evidence'. The Melbourne, Australia musician has a whole story behind him. It took ten years to follow up on a debut EP. This song's title may say it all. The song is bluesy rock with modern instruments involved. The mood is sweaty and warm. The singer is driven forward with a hellhound or two on his trail. The good news is Spike Fuck makes it to the other side in one piece.

Queens. Grumpy

"Everyone thinks we are in love, but we are only practising kissing". Just a surprising sentence from Grumpy's new single Queens. The song is a slow, albeit alternative ballad. Clocking in at almost six and a half minutes, the song is an example of restraint with a modest release towards the end. Grumpy can be found with two previous singles on this blog. In my previous review, of 'Lonely Ride', I wrote that I had the impression Grumpy could not make up its mind. Lyrically that certainly is the case once again. The song starts with just a piano playing oh so slow notes. Almost like one of these modern classical piano albums, an acoustic guitar joins in, strumming just as slowly. When an electric guitar and percussion join the song as such does not change as much, as the mood of the song becomes more intense, with Grumpy working towards a beautiful finale. Mind made up, is my best guess.

On My Knees. RubinCarter

Following up on his EP 'Still In The Race', spring 2026, RubinCarter follows up with a new single that hangs somewhere in between indie and pop. The verses are somewhat harder to follow, the choruses free flowing and full of pop followed by a golden guitar part leading up to the next verse. The guitar solo's fire later on comes as a surprise. With this RubinCarter steps into the footsteps of Dutch bands like Darryl Ann and Sunday Sun and a host of bands from the U.K. and U.S. With Queen's Pleasure playing its final shows this fall, the spotlight can be put in full on RubinCarter in whose members you can recognise members from the aforementioned band. Sal Rubinstein is, soon was, its drummer. In On My Knees an own sound may be missing, the song works quite well. If anything, On My Knees sounds promising for the future.

Hurricane Bruise. Fionn Regan

Another new name this week. The blame must be all mine, as Fionn Regan will release his eighth album in January, called 'Berlin, Berlin'. Stemming from Ireland, the artist wanted to release songs that should be "something minimal". Mission succeeded, at least based on Hurricane Bruise. What you can hear are intricately played guitars and a double tracked vocal with enough reverb on it to simulate a large bathroom. It results in a singer-songwriter ballad that sounds as smooth as it is beautiful. I don't want to use more words, as you should go and listen to the song itself. Hearing is believing.

 

Vacuum. Tommy LeFroy

The final song this week is an alternative folk song. Tommy LeFroy is not a singer/artist but the duo Wynter Bethel and Tessa Mouzourakis. They worked six years on honing their skills and perfect the songs on the duo's debut album 'The Precariat' that was released on 23 October. Vacuum is an alternative track with folk in the background. Vacuum opens with a similar note as 'Sex On Fire' but immediately goes its own way. The electric guitar is played softly and has a treatment that makes it almost sound like atmospherics. A second guitar (or the strings caught with a separate microphone) is strumming tightly and muted. Wynter and Mouzourakis are harmonising in the vocals. When the band comes in for the chorus, Vacuum changes into an alternative rock track. It all ends with near a capella singing. Is Vacuum special? No, for that it's too familiar in sound and approach. The song is certainly good enough to attract attention.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

Cream and The Doors live on CD

Through the years I've built up a substantive record collection. This will not come as a surprise for those following this blog. A result of having so many records is that (once) new additions sort of fade from memory and can easily remain hidden inside that collection for years, even decades.

To change this somewhat and not return to old time favourites or chasing new releases for this blog the whole of the time, I've decided to pull out an LP or CD from the collection and put it on without looking at the artwork and label. Quite often it works. Do I recognise the music? That answer is sometimes no, but in general the answer is yes. Do I like what I hear? That answer is more often yes than no and even better than at the time for some albums.

Recently, something very coincidental happened. I consecutively pulled out two live CDs. There were more similarities. I did not like the CDs really after I bought them. Both are from bands that were active about the same time, Cream 1966-1969, The Doors 1965-1971 (with Jim Morrison). Both bands caught my attention right when or soon after I got my first Radio Veronica Top 40 leaflet in October 1968. 'White Room' for Cream and 'Hello, I Love You' and 'Touch Me' for The Doors. So, what happened during the two listening sessions?

What has altered, is that I liked both albums in 2026. They are 'Live Cream' and 'Absolutely Live' both from 1970. Up front, I have never become a true Cream fan, where I became a truly deep The Doors fan from the early 1990s onwards. Because of the Oliver Stone movie 'The Doors'? Yes, that was the moment I took out all my LPs once more. I do not have a favourite Cream album, but dote on 'L.A. Woman', one of the best albums ever made.

On 'Live Cream' the band shows what a live jam band it was. A powerful b-side of two minutes something, 'N.S.U.', is transformed into a 10 minutes plus monster. Is it good? The short version of my conclusion is, it is far better than I once thought, because it is so powerful. Live the band is on fire, certainly, but an edit would have done the song good. It is more a thing of you should have been there, then essential to listen to at home. Fact is, it did not turn me off, where it did that in the 1990s when I bought the CD at a discount or second hand. The truth is that the isolated solo themes Clapton plays are simply not that interesting, (BTW, N.S.U. is not the German car but stands for "non-specific urethritis, a common type of sexually transmitted infection", source Wikipedia.) That Bruce is off on his own planet is what makes the song more interesting. Baker keeps it together, while doing his own thing as well. It is a miracle how they all keep time. The following three songs are all this long drawn out. It seems easier to jam on a blues theme then on the self-penned Jack Bruce music. This makes it far easier to listen to. The final track is not live at all, but a studio recording called 'Lawdy Mama', that obviously was later transformed into 'Strange Brew'. And yes, I recognised 'N.S.U.' in the first two seconds.

I can't claim that for 'Absolutely Live', as it starts with a venue announcement that the people in Philadelphia have to take their seats, as otherwise the show will not start. Should it have started with 'Who Do You Love' instead, the organ sound of Ray Manzarek would have given it away immediately. Which album it was, was harder to determine, as I own a few of the later live releases also, although I stopped buying them after some time. I would like to buy the "Matrix", but it is too expensive to my taste.

I taped 'Absolutely Live' from a friend and flat mate in my student years. What did me in was 'The Celebration Of The Lizard'. It still does, as it is not my favourite The Doors music. The rest is super though. Yes, The Doors did a lot of live jams also, a bit less on this album though, but it always seemed to go somewhere. Comparing The Doors' jams to Cream's 'N.S.U.', for me the latter simply lacks clarity and direction. Next to that, The Doors had the better composers in it. The average The Doors track is simply better that Cream's. A few Cream songs are absolute top. The Doors have many songs that fit right under their absolute top songs. Cream not that many.

The question had Bruce and Baker not fought that much, would the band have developed further?, will never be answered. But I doubt it. For me, it is often the U.K. bands that win out on U.S. ones. Here it is definitely the other way around. The Doors grew beyond its live reputation. The songs stood out and several may live for ever. With Cream people still point to the great live shows, while the songs are definitely fading away. So will its live reputation, when people who were there have left this world. The reunion shows in the 00s more or less underscores this. The Doors are immortalised because Jim Morrison joined the 27 club, yes, but it already had the songs to make this possible.

The proud winner of this coincidental contest is: The Doors.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

 

Fudge. Michael Kiwanuka

The news that Michael Kiwanuka shared before the release of his new album Fudge is devastating. I can only hope that he is able to make a recovery allowing him to have a decent life and on top of that be able to work as a musician. Strength and courage, Mr. Kiwanuka.

This horrible news does not make it easier to write a review of his fifth album, Fudge. Let me start with my travels with Michael Kiwanuka.

His first album, was lent to me by Hans from his commercial cd, video and dvd lending shop in Leiden. It came highly recommended, but I remember not finding my way into the album and returned it without copying it. Because of this experience I decided to ignore his second album. But then I did something very illogical. Needing a third album for a three CDs for €25,= discount, I picked up 'Kiwanuka'. It turned out to be my favourite of the three albums. From there I bought 'Love & Hate' at a discount immediately as well.

'Small Changes' was the next album I bought and here we are with Fudge. Having listened to the album extensively in the past days, I'm experiencing, as far as my recollection is accurate, a renewed 'Home Again' moment. Fudge is not speaking to me like the other three albums do. The album is less exciting, less interesting; or so I think at this point in time.

Things are not the same as in 2012. I have come to love Michael Kiwanuka's warm voice and that is of course all over Fudge, making me more receptive to his music than when I heard it for the first time. It also makes me listen more receptive to the music as well. It is here that I hear on the one hand the quality of the body of work but also that it is more of the same of what came before. The warmth of the voice and the music are undeniably there. 'Just Another Moment' expands in a way that Michael Kiwanuka is so good at. It may well be the best song on Fudge. It gives me hope to find my way into the album anyway.

Am I listening too critically? Perhaps, but that is what a critic should do. For now I've decided to let Fudge hang in the balance and come back to it. I just don't really know what to think of it yet.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Fudge here:

https://officialmichaelkiwanuka.bandcamp.com/album/fudge 

Role Model Hermit. mary in the junkyard

Het debuutalbum van de Britse band mary in the junkyard komt voor mij echt uit het niets, maar wat hebben deze jonge honden uit Londen een bijzonder klinkend, veelzijdig en aansprekend album afgeleverd.

Bij het beluisteren van de openingstrack van Role Model Hermit van mary in the junkyard twijfelde ik nog wat, maar hierna had de band uit Londen me snel te pakken. De leden van de Britse band zijn nog piepjong, maar ze slagen erin om een origineel geluid te creëren en het is een geluid dat de fantasie uitvoerig prikkelt. Het is misschien even wennen aan de stem van Clari Freeman-Taylor en ook de mix van invloeden op het album is zeker niet alledaags, maar mary in the junkyard heeft een album gemaakt dat je blijft verrassen en dat zich ondertussen steeds genadelozer opdringt. Midden in de zomer een album uitbrengen is misschien niet heel handig, maar deze band is een blijvertje.

Er verschenen in juli niet heel veel nieuwe albums en dat heeft ook voordelen. Ook albums van wat minder bekende bands en muzikanten maken nu een redelijke kans om ontdekt te worden en hetzelfde geldt voor albums die je bij voorkeur een paar keer moet horen voor je ze op de juiste waarde kunt schatten. Het gaat allebei op voor Role Model Hermit van de Britse band mary in the junkyard (geen hoofdletters). 

De basis voor de Britse band werd gelegd toen gitariste en zangeres Clari Freeman-Taylor en violiste en bassiste Saya Barbaglia elkaar op 14-jarige leeftijd tegen het lijf liepen tijdens een zomerkamp voor jongeren met interesse in het spelen van klassieke muziek. Later werd drummer David Addison toegevoegd en was mary in the junkyard compleet. De leden van de band zijn volgens mij nog altijd onder de twintig, maar met Role Model Hermit ligt er een knap debuutalbum. 

Ik liet hierboven al doorschemeren dat het een album is dat je eigenlijk een paar keer moet horen voor je er een goed oordeel over kunt vormen. Dat zal niet voor iedereen gelden, maar ik moest zelf wennen aan de muziek van de band uit Londen. Dat ligt voor een deel aan de jonge en soms ook wat onvaste stem van Clari Freeman-Taylor, maar ook in muzikaal opzicht maakt mary in the junkyard muziek die wat mij betreft om enige gewenning vraagt. 

Zeker in de openingstrack van het debuutalbum van de Britse band wist de stem van Clari Freeman-Taylor me niet direct te overtuigen. Sinds de albums van Big Thief ben ik wel gewend aan dit soort stemmen, maar de zang op Role Model Hermit vond ik bij de eerste kennismaking wel erg meisjesachtig. 

De openingstrack is ook in muzikaal opzicht overigens van het uitdagende soort. Atypisch drumwerk wordt gecombineerd met complexe gitaarlijnen en nogal onconventioneel gitaarspel, wat een bijzondere track oplevert. Het is een track die ervoor kan zorgen dat luisteraars afhaken, maar dat zou zonde zijn. 

De muziek van mary in the junkyard klinkt in de tweede track, het sterke Blood, een stuk conventioneler met spannende gitaarlijnen en een mooie basis van bas en drums. Ook de zang van Clari Freeman-Taylor vind ik in de tweede track een stuk sterker, al geeft haar stem de muziek van de band absoluut een bijzonder geluid. 

Je hoort goed dat de leden van de band al op jonge leeftijd zijn begonnen met het bespelen van een instrument, want de muziek op Role Model Hermit is vaak complexer dan die van de meeste startende bands. De muziek van mary in the junkyard is bovendien verrassend veelzijdig. 

De songs van de band passen met enige fantasie allemaal in het hokje indierock, maar de band uit Londen bestrijkt binnen dit hokje een breed palet en schuift ook op richting folk(rock), postrock en psychedelica en daar blijft het niet bij. De veelzijdigheid hoor je ook in de stem van Clari Freeman-Taylor, die goed tot zijn recht komt in zang die neigt naar spoken word, maar ook ruw uit kan halen of lieflijk kan klinken. 

Role Model Hermit bevat een aantal wat lastiger te doorgronden songs, maar de band kan ook overweg met lekker toegankelijk klinkende songs. Het zijn songs die zijn te plaatsen binnen het kwadrant Big Thief – Wolf Alice – Wet Leg – Black Country, New Road, maar met vergelijken doe je de bijzondere muziek van de band te kort. 

Het album klinkt bij vlagen overigens behoorlijk lo-fi, maar bij beluistering met de koptelefoon hoor je dat de onder andere van Olivia Dean bekende Oli Bayston wel degelijk veel aandacht heeft besteed aan de productie van dit bijzondere album.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt Role Model Hermit hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://maryinthejunkyard.bandcamp.com/album/role-model-hermit 

Odd Numb3rs And Slanted Rhymes. Gary Calamar

Reading Gary Calamar's Wikipedia page gives me the impression being presented with a modern day uomo universale. From a volunteer at a radio station filing cds, to DJ, music supervisor of motion pictures and series, record store owner, musician and a lot more. With Odd Numb3rs And Slanted Rhymes Calamar bundles the many singles he's released in the past few decades and adds a few new songs to the whole.

No, Calamar is not the best singer I've ever heard, but his deadpan delivery fits his music perfectly. This music spans the decades of his life in which he obviously soaked up the various forms of pop music and turned that into his own musical world. His voice, at times assisted by background vocals, surfs over the pop music, making a whole that just works. Music that bubbles, not explodes, music to listen to yet feel alive with.

Opening song 'The Prince of Pico Boulevard' and second song 'Who Are We Gonna Be Today?' (with Robyn Hitchcock) are statements on that soaking up. I have no doubt that there are more references in them to other songs and albums in the texts that I am able to recognise. Musically, this goes for the whole album. 1960s and 70s reference are abound. Some The Beatles, some The Byrds and far more.

It also means that not much more words are needed to single Odd Numb3rs And Slanted Rhymes out. From beginning to end this is a pleasant album to listen to. Gary Calamar does a lot right here, making for some great, albeit nostalgic listening.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Odd Numb3rs And Slanted Rhymes here:

https://bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com/album/odd-numb3rs-and-slanted-rhymes 

 

The Knife, The Needle. Elanor Ross

Fluisterzachte albums als The Knife, The Needle trekken wat minder makkelijk de aandacht, maar het debuutalbum van de Britse muzikante Elanor Moss blijkt een album van een bijzondere intimiteit en schoonheid.

Met name de Amerikaanse muziekpers was afgelopen zomer lovend over het debuutalbum van Elanor Moss. Dat is bijzonder, want de muziek van de muzikante uit Londen klinkt vooral Brits. Haar debuutalbum The Knife, The Needle bevat flink wat invloeden uit de traditionele Britse folk, maar het is ook een album dat in het hier en nu opvalt. Dat doet het album allereerst met de bijzondere stem van Elanor Moss, maar ook de muziek op The Knife, The Needle maakt indruk met zeer subtiele en ook bijzonder fraaie details van strijkers en blazers. Het is een album waar je even voor moet gaan zitten, maar vervolgens openbaart zich een in alle opzichten wonderschoon album.

Je hebt albums die overdag nauwelijks opvallen, maar die tot leven komen wanneer de zon onder is. The Knife, The Needle van Elanor Moss is zo’n album. De songs van de Britse muzikante vervliegen makkelijk wanneer ze op de achtergrond klinken, maar luister met volledige aandacht naar het debuutalbum van de muzikante uit Londen en het blijkt een album van een bijzondere schoonheid en die schoonheid komt nog wat beter tot zijn recht wanneer het daglicht is verdwenen. 

Elanor Moss maakte de afgelopen jaren twee EP’s, maar The Knife, The Needle is mijn eerste kennismaking met haar muziek. Het is muziek die past in het hokje folk en het is wat traditioneel aandoende folk. Daar ben ik lang niet altijd gek op, maar ik vind het debuutalbum van Elanor Moss in alle opzichten een opzienbarend en wonderschoon album. 

Het eerste wat opvalt bij beluistering van The Knife, The Needle is de stem van Elanor Moss. De Britse muzikante zingt zacht en ingetogen, maar ze zingt ook met veel gevoel en precisie. Het doet wel wat denken aan de grote Britse folkies van weleer, maar de zang van Elanor Moss heeft een duidelijk eigen geluid, wat deels wordt bepaald door het feit dat ze geen noot te veel zingt. 

Zeker bij beluistering met de koptelefoon hoor je hoe mooi en intiem de zang is op The Knife, The Needle. Het is zang die je makkelijk weet te raken, want de Britse muzikante legt zoals gezegd veel emotie in haar stem. Het is een stem die het goed doet in een sobere muzikale setting, want de zachte zang wordt makkelijk overstemd. 

The Knife, The Needle is aan de ene kant voorzien van een relatief sobere instrumentatie, want ook de klanken op het album zijn over het algemeen zacht en ingetogen. Het is aan de andere kant ook een instrumentatie met een uniek eigen karakter en schoonheid. De songs van Elanor Moss hebben in de basis genoeg aan haar akoestische gitaar en haar stem, maar de muziek op het album is vervolgens verrijkt met een flink assortiment strijkers en blazers, die het album voorzien van een uniek karakter. Ook de bijdragen van de strijkers en blazers zijn vooral zacht, waardoor muziek en zang fraai in balans zijn. Ook de muziek op het album hoor je het best via de koptelefoon, want veel bijdragen zijn uiterst subtiel. 

The Knife, The Needle trekt niet alleen de aandacht met de prachtige muziek en de even mooie stem van Elanor Moss, maar ook met haar songs. Het zijn songs met mooie, soms poëtische en soms persoonlijke teksten en het zijn zonder uitzondering songs die zich in een laag tempo voortslepen. Het zijn intieme songs die zich, zeker wanneer de liefde voor traditionele folk niet heel groot is, langzaam opdringen, maar wanneer je eenmaal wordt gegrepen door het debuutalbum van Elanor Moss, laat het album je niet meer los. 

Het doet me af en toe wel wat denken aan Little Black Numbers, het doorbraakalbum van de Britse folkie Kathryn Williams, al klonk dat album niet zo verstild als The Knife, The Needle. De songs van Elanor Moss houden je een ruim half uur in een wurggreep en dat is ook genoeg, want de songs op haar debuutalbum vragen om aandachtige beluistering en dat kost energie, zeker als je niets wilt missen van alle subtiele versieringen op het album. Wacht even tot het donker is en dit album doet wonderen.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt The Knife, The Needle hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://elanormoss.bandcamp.com/album/the-knife-the-needle 

Echoes Of Unfortunate Times. Kant

With Echoes Of Unfortunate Times today we focus on rock. Part psychedelic, part classic, part symphonic with a little shredding as well. Kant is not afraid to make a lot of noise, nor to reference what came before to make its point. The title of the album can be seen as somewhat euphemistic in 2026, as I, as someone a few decades older than Kant's members, see echoes from disastrous times right in front of me every day. People died (horribly), their (grand)children forget and some of them see their chance and take it.

I do not know if Kant is referring to this with the title of its new album. The music holds some urgency anyway. The album opens in a great way with 'Faces In The Fog'. The song holds elements of 1969-1970 rock when the flute all of a sudden was an instrument to be used in rock. Here in NL for example in that great number 1 hitsingle, 'Back Home' by Golden Earring, but also in the more blues oriented Bintangs' hits 'Ridin' On The L&N' and 'Travellin' In The USA'. 'Faces In The Fog' is more than that quiet interlude. The song rocks out tremendously. Anyone not convinced of the quality Kant presents here, does not like this kind of music. It is this simple. The song takes you through many forms of rock in a successful way.

Kant is Marius Seidel (Guitar, Vocals, Flute), Nicolas Jordan (Guitar), Elena Strähle (Bass) and Bryan Göbel (Drums ). The band hails from Aschaffenburg in Germany, a town between Frankfurt am Main and Würzburg. With Echoes Of Unfortunate Times the band released its third record. As I'm not familiar with the previous records, I can only assume that the music is indeed more direct.

Photo: Jan Vornholt

There certainly are very direct parts, but, what appeals to me is the changes in the mood that Kant is able to interlace its music with. Take the fourth song, 'Mystic Mountain'. The mood change is as mystic as it is different. The fairly short instrumental is exchanged for the onslaught of 'Avalanche'. From ultra quiet to an explosion of sound. 'Avalanche' rocks hard but comes with strong melodies. Kant simply knows what a song takes to be interesting at a few levels. 'Digital Beam' turns into a powerful, slower rhythm driven psychedelic rock track. Once again the song explodes later on.

It is this diversity that makes Echoes Of Unfortunate Times stand out for me. Before the two singles that preceded Echoes Of Unfortunate Times Kant was a new name for me. No longer. It's time that more people in NL discover the band as well, allowing it to tour over here.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Echoes Of Unfortunate Times here:

https://kantmusic.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-of-unfortunate-times 

 

2026, week 43. 10 singles (2)

The oldest band to be regularly found on this blog has already released a new single again, as if it is an ambitious new, young band wanting to conquer the world, instead of having already done that in 1964. The pleasure is all mine and yours. This band is mixed with new names and somewhat older ones, plus a new single by a band that is more than ten years younger, while the two principle members today are octogenarians as well. The news may be as bleak as ever, in a way worse, the new music keeps coming, so, enjoy!

Soul Lovers (Quartet). Effi

Listening (and watching) quite mesmerised to the video accompanying Soul Lovers (Quartet), I was totally surprised it lasted only 4.27 minutes. I had the impression to be listening for a far longer time. No one can grab me again like Jeff Buckley once did, but I have to say Effi comes close. She has obviously listened to a song like 'Lover, You Should Have Come Over' and then gives Soul Lover (Quartet) its totally own twist. Connaisseurs will recognise the familiar elements anyway. The other element that caught me is the string section, like Chris and Carla, then of The Walkabouts, used when recording in Thessaloniki with local musicians on their duo live album. Effi makes her song come alive in a totally identical, majestic and superior way. I have no clue who Effi is. Greek, a former chemist making music in the U.S.A. That's enough information for me, if she drops songs like Soul Lovers (Quartet) every once in a while.

Skin. Mood Bored

We have to go back three years and some months to find Mood Bored on the blog for the first time. Since two EPs saw the light of day and today the first single comes by, of the debut album announced for next year. In 2023 I saw the band play in support for Pom in Rotown and it does not come as a surprise in 2026 that the Mood Bored shares a kinship in music. Mood Bored presents a new alternative rock track where the light and the shade is used super effective. The music in Skin goes way beyond the trio format with overdubbed heavy guitars and all. When Mood Bored goes of it goes off big time. To wind it all down in the first verse. And off it goes again. I have to be honest, that I've heard a song like this many times before. It doesn't make Skin a less energetic single though.

Breakfast Of Champions. Library Card

What an energy is released with this single. "I'm crushing all my enemies, it's a great success and nothing less", singer Lot van Teylingen crows in Breakfast Of Champions. The band holds in during the first verse, as the song starts with the chorus. Slowly it works again towards the next chorus. But without some surprises. Breakfast Of Champions is a song that is quite hard to describe. Library Card is not afraid to use different styles and an extreme form of light and shade. Is the start a chorus? Or is it the intro and further on the outro? With in between just different parts of the song? Library Card seems to throw in parts that may have been part of other songs or a part it did not know what to do with and glued  together into one song. Whatever the background, just listen to the bass part in the second part. It is a super one and that goes for just about the whole lead guitar part throughout the song. As I already said, what an energy!

Xono EP. Quiz Show

Two years after the EP 'Flotsam', New Jersey's Quiz Show returns with a new EP that shows two sides of the band. In my previous EP review I pointed to the rock that Smashing Pumpkins launched its career with. This is present mostly in the second song, 'Haircut Sphinx'. The song is loud, sludgy and rocks no little. The deep sounding guitars and heavy drumming of Joe Billy III define the sound of the song. The previously released single 'Xono' is heavy as well but also has a little of The Rolling Stones of old in the melodies, while at the same time the song has something playful within the depth of the sound. It does not all need to be dark and bleak. The second face of Quiz Show is an acoustic one. 'Pom Pom Boy' is played on acoustic guitars and sounds like The Who did a long time ago. Think 'Behind Blue Eyes', but also in the harmony vocals Quiz Show presents. Surprising, but certainly a different and nice side to the band's repertoire so far.

Atomic Girl. Echomatica

When I read Atomic in a title, my mind jumps back over 40 years to one of my favourite Blondie singles, with on the b-side of the 12" single a live rendition of 'Heroes' with Robert Fripp on guitar. Echomatica is a new name to me, but Atomic Girl has a little of the vibe of Blondie's 'Atomic'. That electronic, alternative disco vibe is all over Echomatica's single. This New Zealand band released its first album in 2025, which passed me by. So, I can't compare, but if the album has the quality of this single, it must be good. The music sounds familiar in the sense that it takes some queues from the 1980s electronic pop and the new romantics. The lyrics are just as doomy, as it has the fact that youths will have it worse than their parents today. Well, we had atomic doom, the Club of Rome Report and what not over our heads and my parents were only slowly outgrowing their parents at the time. In 1800 the Malthus Report heralded the end of sustainability. So, let's wait and see what the future brings. If it's music like Atomic Girl, things can't be all bad.

Stretch Under Strain. Lowly

Next up is a piano ballad from Denmark. I can't remember having come across the band Lowly before. It is on route to release its fourth album on 30 October, called 'Softy'. Based on what I'm hearing here, it may well be a soft album. Delicate piano playing is the basis of the track. A few notes are repeated, changing with the chords, not changing the intention of the way the piano is played. Lead singer on this track is Soffie Viemose. She sings with a clear voice over Klaus Staub's piano and keyboard parts. Add a little bass and some atmospherics and the song is there. The added parts add some extras to the song but the main part lies already behind us by then. Stretch Under Strain is a beautiful ballad.

Spectral Eyes. Blondie 

42 Years after its inception and 39 after me hearing 'In The Flesh' for the first time, Blondie is back with a new single. After Clem Burke's demise last year at the age of 71, octogenarians Chris Stein and Deborah Harry are the only ones of the original line up left. (Burke is mentioned to have recorded his parts before his demise.) Ms. Harry's voice may have gone down an octave, she's still pretty much herself. Spectral Eyes is far from spectacular, but certainly is a song that deserves to have the name Blondie stuck to it. Coincidentally, I referred to 'Atomic' in a review of Echomatica's single 'Stretch Under Strain' here in the above. Spectral Eyes has more to do with the Blondie of the late 70s than 1980's 'Atomic'. It would have sound a little wilder at the time, but it would have fitted nicely next to a track like 'Sunday Girl'. If it's possible for me to conclude this fact in 2026, Blondie definitely deserves a spot on this blog.

Tightrope. After Elmer

After Elmer has an entry pass to this blog it seems. That makes it all the more sadder that the band is calling it quits after the release party of its final album, 'Are You Happy Yet?'. The release date is 13 November. The (farewell) takes place in Rotown on 17 December. With Tightrope another veil is lifted of the new album. After the ultra short 'Are You ...?', Tightrope is a classic U.S. punkrock track. Loud, yet slick, wild, but melodic. The song is a duet with Ivyvox's singer Bianca Vrind. One that works really well. Jaap Smit and Vrind take alternating lead lines, while band lays down the ultra smooth punk track behind them. In a better world this song would be a major hit, like Green Day and The Offspring were able to have 20 - 30 years ago. Unfortunately, near unimaginable today. In my universe this song is climbing the top 10 fast.

Who You Callin' Crazy. The Rolling Stones 

New The Rolling Stones songs are released faster than I can keep up with; well almost. Who You Callin' Crazy is also a part of the rerelease of 'Foreign Tongues', called 'Foreign Tongues, Loose Lips'. The original album with five bonus tracks of which two so far have been revealed. In Japan, I found, it's possible to buy such an extra record separate from the older album. Not over here, as far as I know. Why buy 'Foreign Tongues' again, I wonder? Especially as it is not even five months after the initial release?! That aside, I really like this single. It is so relaxed, yet so to the point. Saxophone player Courtney Pine takes over the role from Sonny Rollins on 'Tattoo You'. A smooth, jazzy solo adorns the new release. Who You Callin' Crazy sounds familiar, like the Stones do on the past two records, yet it all sounds smoother than on the four studio albums released before 'Hackney Diamonds'. It's a sound I like and have gotten used to very fast. To me it proves that the band is on a high, while we all know that we are experiencing its end game. 64 Years after forming, the band still delivers, with Mick Jagger and Courtney Pine in the lead roles this time around.

Blue Cheese. New Trash

New Trash is a new band on this blog, releasing its first single, Blue Cheese, on route to album 'The New Trash', to be released in February 2027. Expect a punky track, with postpunk elements, as well as somewhat smoother chorus. New Trash is a trio from Leuven in Belgium. With Blue Cheese, coming with quite a confusing cover artwork as far as the title is concerned, it releases a very energetic track. The music is jumping out of the bucket like the proverbial frogs. Different sounds come from everywhere, also some surprising one in, for lack of a better word, the solo. The electric guitar comes in to smooth things over and pushing the frogs back into the bucket but to no avail. Weird sounds and a quirky guitar riff keep popping up, making Blue Cheese a fun song to listen to from beginning to end.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght