Recto verso (2). Zaz

I'm going off the deep end here. Writing on an album of which I do not understand more than loose words here and there, never having managed to really grasp French, beyond ordering an egg or something. Still, with thanks to Erwin Zijleman's excellent blog 'De krenten uit de pop' (click here), I'm going to describe why you should not hesitate for one second to listen to Recto verso.

Recto verso is one of the most playful records I've heard in 2013. An album that I suggest to compare it to is 'A night at the opera', Queen's 1975 masterpiece. Also an album in which all barriers between pop, hardrock, jazz, vaudeville and what not were let down, leading to an unique blend of music that took nothing away from the strength of what was on offer. It is a comparable feat that Zaz pulls off on her second album. I missed out on her first one, 'Zaz', something I will make up on very soon. The comparison to 'A night at the opera' is not so much in musical styles, but in the blend that Zaz offers us. Jazzy like Vaya Con Dios in 'Comme ci, comme ça', driving on relentlessly in first single 'On ira' and beautifully poppy in 'Gamine' and these are just the first three songs, while at the same time touching on different moods in a very convincing way. The resigned desperation of 'Si je perds' or 'Si' is so beautiful in its impact and execution. By pointing out the utterly clear production of Recto verso on top of this all, it is clear that I'm writing on something close to a masterpiece here.

Zaz is Isabelle Geffroy, born in Tours in 1980. Busy with music from very early on in life she is active professionally for over ten years now. It is only in the last three that Geffroy is active under her own name and with a lot of success too I noticed reading up on her. Her background is mostly in jazz music it seems, but this is not what sticks out on Recto verso. There are jazzy elements on recto verso. The most playful contribution 'Oublie Loulou' is without doubt jazz. Zaz has listened to French chansons (and has the raspy voice for that kind of music too) and pop just as much. And is able to put down a very convincing ballad. It is this mix that makes Recto verso so interesting and diverse. 'Déterre' is such a great song that starts small and goes towards a climax driven forward by piano, organ and electric guitar next to Zaz's voice. 'Déterre' is followed just as easily by the jazzy 'Toujours'.

Recto verso takes the listener on a musical trip as well as on a mood trip. The album is bold as well as shy, self-assured and bashful, full of swagger and utterly vulnerable. Zaz gets away with it all, presenting herself on this broad range full of confidence. This album is something special, deserving to be heard. So, what are you waiting for?

Wo.

You can listen to 'Cette journée' here.

Shimmer & glow (2). Douglas Firs

After the very positive review of Erwin Zijlemans (click here) it's time for Wo. to share his views on this album.

From the very first seconds Douglas Firs captured me. Ultimate beauty just spat off the digital airways. Intimate, quiet and very intense Douglas Firs presents itself in opening track 'Shimmer & glow'. It's either run and hide or embrace the Crosby & Nash or The Eagles harmony singing that kicks in after the solo piano notes intro is over. It's the 70s all over again as if punk never happened (and all things after). And yes, you're hearing right when listening. This is also a song on eating broccoli. Strange but true.

Douglas Firs (not to be confused with the U.K.'s The Douglas Firs) is basically a one man project of Gertjan van Hellemont a 26 year old from Gent in Belgium, who is the guitarist in/for The Bony King of Nowhere. Although the album was released nearly one and a half year ago, I think it is more than good enough to deserve a review now that I have discovered it.

Shimmer & glow is an album with two faces. Beautiful ballads are mixed with some fierce rockers. The first notes of 'I don't think you are good to have around' startled me to be honest. The guitar fires of electric riffs like if there's no tomorrow. Drums pound, like the bass does, some fuzz and a psychedelic keyboard solo. Compared to the celestial sounds of 'Baby Jack' the difference could only be larger if house beats were pumped out of my earphones. Both tracks work by the way, but perhaps not perfectly in this contrasted setting.

The reference to colleague Belgian band TMGS is a correct one (click here). Although the influences TMGS shows also have a Mexican flavour, the quality pop both bands offer is the common denominator. Douglas Firs also reminds me of the level Douwe Bob debuted with on 'Born in a storm' (click here) and has a level that Rogier Pelgrim can aspire to (click here). All acts look to a musical period that lays far behind us and find their own way in the 10s. Succeeding in finding their own sound and voice. In 'Dirty dog' the 70s claim on Shimmer & glow is highest. The jazz chords that were woven into west coast pop in those days, is a dead give away here. Harmonies are very important to Douglas Firs' music. Hence I'm surprised that they are not always dominant in the mix. This is however the only flaw that I can find on an otherwise awfully good sounding album.

Douglas firs grow to become very huge. Gertjan van Hellemont is not at those heights yet, but certainly trying to get there with Shimmer & glow. He certainly has laid down a stepping stone to reach that high. Shimmer & glow is an album to listen to intensely and to be enjoyed at leisure. Both work and that's an achievement in its own right.

Wo.

You can listen to 'Pretty legs and things to do' here.

Girl Beard. Girl Beard

Hell, yeah! Girl Beard rocks and rocks hard. Like a bulldozer hitting the brick wall of an old building. Girl Beard basically gives away its debut album for free; that is, for any amount that you wish to donate. On WoNo Magazine's blog we do it differently, we pay the band back with our time and write a review for all the world to read.

The career of Case Mayfield is taking unexpected turns with each new release. Having started out with a singer-songwriter album, 'The many coloured beast', Mayfield surprised me with the great album '10' on which he showed the band side of his talent. This led me to write a very positive review (click here). Now he teams up with drummer Nienke Overmars and releases a garage rock album in a duo setting. In one word: fantastic. Unbelievable that Girl Beard gives the album away for free. On the other hand in these modern digital days somebody else easily does that for them without asking. So why not do it yourself and create more interest that way?

What's in a name? Overmars? Nienke is as fast as her, perhaps, family member Marc was. She's the driving force behind Mayfield's rockers. Just listen to the level of noise she produces in the non-song 'Swinger shlongrider'. Somewhere deep in the background there may be a song going on, the contours of which come out towards the end of the song, the rest is this endless pounding of Nienke underneath all this other noise going on, while Mayfield is shouting pieces of text over and through it in several layers. Perhaps no one knows what is really going in the diverse layers of the song that ends the album. (Until you listen more carefully....)

Before that the listeners has heard several straightforward rockers. Arranged "simpler" than The White Stripes, not unlike Blood Red Shoes in the days of its debut album, much more down to earth than 'El Camino' of The Black Keys, but the good news is that the quality of the songs on Girl Beard can easily compete with those on the albums of these bands. There is not much of a bigger complement possible. Mayfield may be picking fights with a lot of people in recording and broadcast circles, but delivers higher quality per album. 'Alright Jane' is such a fantastic rock song. The guitar playing starts elementary, after which Mayfield finds lead notes while keeping up the rhythm, presenting small variations and small melodies that make 'Alright Jane', just like all other songs on Girl Beard, more than interesting and great fun.

In a two piece band there's no hiding. The only thing to keep a listener interested is the quality of the song. Mayfield and Overmars do just that by taking him on a tour around the curves of each song, with the right dynamics, stops and starts, explosions of sound and above all well written songs. And then Girl Beard holds 'Erased'. A sort of holy grail kind of song. I just love the muted guitar part that drives the verses.

Case Mayfield's not every day voice keeps up very well in the garage rock setting of Girl Beard. This surprises me somewhat, but I'm glad it does. Girl Beard is a new stage in the comet that Case Mayfield is. A bright new star on the firmament, tail blazing with the help of Nienke Overmars. What will be next? There's no predicting what Mayfield may come up with next. In the pace he keeps up, it won't be long before we find out.

Wo.

You can listen to and download Girl Beard here.

Big TV. White Lies

There are these magical moments while listening to music that are unexplainable. It happened to me recently listening to a piece of music that I had no clue about what I was listening to. After listening to the brilliant show of Arctic Monkeys at Glastonbury this year, when something else came on. I was playing hte music somewhat louder than I usually do. These dark foreboding synths, a deepish voice. A combination of early eighties music and Scott Walker or The Walker Brothers. The music slowly picking up and going towards gigantic proportions, totally enveloping me. I was captivated. There's just no other word for it. What is this? I just needed to know. 'Big TV' by White Lies was the answer. And I was surprised.

White Lies was a band that was of my radar. First album 'To lose my life' was sort of okish. Not bad, but far from good and certainly not lasting. The follow up album 'Rituals' disappeared from my radar almost immediately. More of the same and more pumped up. So Big TV was not high on my list of new albums to check out. Fate helps every once in a while. 'Big TV' made me listen to the rest of the album and yes, I'm liking what I'm hearing.

White Lies is a band that was born thirty years too late. They would have loved to have broken big in 1983-1986. The difference being that we probably would not have heard from them again since 1988. Most bands did not make it beyond this era. White Lies seems to be going around for a while. The sound of Big TV is bound to bring them to arenas and stadiums. A career like Muse has, should be within its grasp. On Big TV White Lies has put a lot of attention to songs, melodies and boombastic production. The synthesizers of Gary Numan's Tubeway Army are all around. The passion of Simple Minds is there in a sort of undercooled way. Tears for Fears' Roland Orzobal's voice can be heard in Harry McVeighs bariton. The 80s are all over in the synths on Big TV. And here I am a certified 80s music hater. Sort of caugh out.

White Lies seems to have gathered the few elements that I do like into most songs on Big TV. The way the guitar kicks in on 'First time caller' works wonders with the typical 80s electronic violins part. The double tracked vocal on 'Mother tongue' is all it needs to be. McVeigh is harmonising with himself in a great way over a muted electric guitar and tight rhythm. Most songs are a strange mix of dark depression and upbeat melodies. The music and the voice are not always in sync, but I'm starting to think that this is one of the secrets of Big TV. When both do find each other, like in the chorus of 'Getting even' things go from good to sheer magic. "I can forgive. We can forget". Listen to that and you'll know.

White Lies is not alone in 2013. Editors is a band that is close to it. (Perhaps I'll have to set myself to listen to Editors' new album as well.) Muse is even more bombastic and classically influenced, but comes close. In other words, from 'The sun ain't gonna shine anymore' right up to 'A ton of love', it is all here on Big TV. From ballads to up-tempo rockers and serious songs. All together Big TV is this amalgam of new wave, rock and synthpop with the good elements incorporated in the right places.

To balance this review, I'll admit to the fact that with two ballads on Big TV, my attention span wanders off quite fast. All moody, no inventiveness. Where 'First time caller', a third ballad, has all these features, a song like 'Heaven wait' has not. A bit too boring to be honest to make the ballad work. Harry McVeigh's voice works against him or to be more exact, me, here.

Should you ask me where the difference between the first two albums and Big TV lies, I would say at this stage that Big TV holds songs that are better crafted. The vocal melodies are more fluent and invite (me) to singing along. Something I was not bothered with before. Most songs have all these fun details going on, giving my ears something extra to listen to each time again. And yes, the 1978 sound of Tubeway Army is all over Big TV and I loved 'Are friends electric?' Then and now. The guitars coming over the melodies at times. All these sort of arrangement parts that stick out. It makes me want to listen and listen again. And that's a first and necessary step to becoming a favourite album.

Wo.

You can listen to 'There goes our love again' here.

Ride on the train (2). Hollis Brown

It took me a while to warm to Ride on the train. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood when I listen to the album the first two times. Not even Erwin Zijleman's review (click here) or the enthusiasm of Q-Bus coordinator and infrequent WoNo Magazine contributor Hans could persuade me differently. Now that Hollis Brown is booked for said venue, I decided to give the record another spin. One thing's for sure, I'll be there on 12 September. Perhaps I can persuade you to join me and buy a ticket?

Hollis Brown is a new, young band from New York City. However, looking at the sleeve of the album it has all the tell-tale signs of a 1970s LP or even 10 years older. All the titles are on the sleeve, green and orange clothes. Musically the past is present as well. Creedence Clearwater Revival or more accurately the singing of John Fogerty is here. Neil Young can be heard in the chugging guitar of 'Gypsy black cat'. The ooh-ooh harmonies of The Eagles? It's here in 'Down on your luck'. In other words there's that rare mix of rock, country, blues and soul on offer here. Then the one, then the other musical flavour comes up a bit more. 'Faith & love' has this soulful glow that makes the song shine like a polished shoe. It's so relaxed with its firm drum and voice around which the other instruments dart adventurously.

'If it ain't me' comes as a total surprise. Hollis Brown tries to topple a song like 'Thirteen' by Big Star in beauty. Time will tell if it succeeds. The acoustic guitars are intricate and soft. If 'if it ain't me' shows anything it is that Hollis Brown isn't caught out at being good at one trick. The band has the confidence to put this song in between the somewhat harder rocking songs, making Ride on the train all the more interesting. When a band can come up with a beautiful song like this, it can do anything.

Ride on the train reminds me of the debut album of Dirty Sweet, '... Of monarchs and beggars'. To really succeed one thing is missing. A winning rock 'n' roller like 'Delilah'. This is the only thing I find lacking on the album, one or two songs with just a little more spunk that really make it stand out. It wouldn't surprise me if those songs will come in the future. The potential is there in Hollis Brown. Ride on the train as a whole beats '...Of monarchs..' easily by the way.

Summing it up, Hollis Brown has delivered a fine debut album, that is rich in songs and melody and shows a variety in songwriting that holds a promise for the future. Yes, musically the band looks behind them for inspiration, the future is there for it to conquer. On Hollis Brown's first steps in The Netherlands I'll be watching the band from up close. Come an join me, I'm sure it's worth it.


Wo.

You can listen to 'Nightfall' here.

Tour dates:
Woensdag 11 september Metropool, Hengelo
Donderdag 12 september, Q-Bus, Leiden
Vrijdag 13 september Music Star, Norderstedt
Zaterdag 14 september Take Root Festival Oosterpoort, Groningen
Zondag 15 september 013, Tilburg

Outside chance. Perfect pop from The Turtles

'Nuggets' is the famous two album collection of garage rock and pop songs compiled in the early 70s and re-issued in a four cd box by Rhino. Many a treasure can be found on this collection. Some totally over the top psychedelic relics, others proto punkrock and some examples of great pop records that for one reason or another never made it into any record collection, let alone chart lists. One of the biggest treasures on 'Nuggets' is Outside chance by The Turtles.

The Turtles is a band compiled around the vocal strength of Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, two well sized young men in the 60s. A band that is famous for a few songs, best known for the hit single 'Happy together' of course, but also for 'She'd rather be with me' and the more than beautiful ballad 'Eleanor' (with the great joke in the background just before the last chorus repeat: "One more time".) Songs that still come by on the radio every once in a while.

The Turtles' breakthrough in the U.S. came with a Bob Dylan cover, 'It ain't me, babe'. Leading to several hits up to 1970, after which the band disbanded. Around Kaylan and Volman many players came and went through the years. The best known names being John Barbata on drums who later played in Jefferson Starship and Jim Pons on bass who followed Flo and Eddie to Frank Zappa's The Mothers of Invention in 1970. Leading to one of Zappa's most hilariously outrageous records 'Live at the Fillmore East'.

Musically The Turtles can be placed between the folk pop acts that broke big in 1965, and 1966 like The Byrds, Loving Spoonful and The Mamas and The Papas. Even the first incarnation of Jefferson Airplane. All with great singing and melodic strength. Songwise The Turtles looked to others to write its material. Songwriters Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon e.g. are responsible for its greatest hit 'Happy together'.

The single 'Outside chance', written by Warren Zevon, never charted, but contests with 'Eleanor' for the best The Turtles track easily. It kicks off with a The Byrds like 12 string Rickenbacker sounding intro and a loud, tight cowbell that kicks in next. It is all an intro to superb vocals. The lead singing is harsh and sheer rejection. This is not a love song. A girl is made made clear that there is nothing to win here. The singer has "a heart of stone". "Stone walls surround me", he sings. At the same time there are the exact sort of harmonies of John Phillip's vocal group, the sweet, loving sounds of The Mamas and the Papas. ("Leave me alone, yeahhh".) The Turtles try hard to reach for The Beatles levels here and nearly succeed. The rejection sounds through in the loud cowbell and fierce rhythm and edged on by the repetitive, driving guitar strokes in the part in the chorus. In the meantime Kaylan and Volman and the band harmonise together in a beautiful way. The harmonies just go higher and higher in the background.

The few lead notes of the electric guitar are not only bluesy, but also shows that The Turtles have heard the sign of the times when recording Outside chance. A good lead guitar is a good thing to have. In the driving rhythm and guitar of the chorus and outro is a clear The Rolling Stones of 1965-66 influence. This successful blend of vocally incorporating The Beatles with east and west coast folkpop, while musically mixing west coast folkpop with hints of the most hated musical group of 1966, by parents that was, makes Outside chance one of the better tracks of the mid 60s. A great song by all standards.

What makes 'Outside chance' also so intriguing is the dichotomy between music and lyrics. The song is upbeat, like many a pop love song in 1965-66. The nearly happy sounding, pounding straight through the song, cow bell just sprays happiness on the listener (and driving hammer blows unto the sung to girl). Like the organ solo is all optimism. The melody is full of positive vibes. The lyrics, no matter how enthusiastically The Turtles sing them, are all about turning somebody down: "You don't stand an outside chance". The singing itself is harsh and full of rejection, with hardly any sign of empathy for the girl. At the end of the song the lyrics take a strange turn though. The girl is told to keep on trying and is even spurred on. "Get an outside chance", sounds quite different, doesn't it? So is the singer just playing hard to get?

At 2.08 minutes it's all over. Point made and a great pop anthem is faded out. The Turtles, that is Kaylan and Volman, is touring still under the name The Turtles. Do they still play this wonder of 60s pop?

Wo.

You can listen to 'Outside chance' here.

mcii (2), Mikal Cronin

Nadat Wo. zijn licht op mcii heeft doen schijnen (klik hier), is het nu de beurt aan Erwin Zijleman.

Het heeft er alle schijn van dat de Amerikaanse muzikant Mikal Cronin gaat uitgroeien tot één van de sensaties van 2013. Daar zag het tot voor kort niet naar uit, want van zijn titelloze debuut was ik twee jaar geleden niet erg onder de indruk en ik was zeker niet de enige, want jubelrecensies kan ik me eerlijk gezegd niet herinneren. Opvolger MCII is echter tien klassen beter en mag met recht een sensatie worden genoemd. Op MCII verrast Mikal Cronin, een maatje van de vorig jaar door de muziekpers omarmde Ty Segall, met de ene perfecte popsong na de andere. Het zijn popsongs die het etiket powerpop opgeplakt zullen krijgen, maar Mikal Cronin voorziet de powerpop zoals we die uit het verleden kennen van een geheel eigen geluid. Aan de ene kant heeft de muziek van Mikal Cronin het gruizige garagerockgeluid dat we kennen van de vorig jaar zo bejubelde Ty Segall, maar MCII staat ook bol van de invloeden uit de West Coast pop en klinkt alles bij elkaar genomen als een mix van The Sonics, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Lemonheads en Big Star. Ook qua arrangementen en instrumentatie wijkt MCII flink af van de standaard powerpop klassiekers in de platenkast. Mikal Cronin heeft zijn tweede plaat aan de ene kant voorzien van een rechttoe rechtaan live-geluid dat lekker mag rammelen, maar heeft MCII aan de andere kant volgestopt met opvallende instrumenten waaronder een heerlijk krassende viool en heeft MCII ook nog eens voorzien van een lekker vol geluid waarin de akoestische gitaren zorgen voor de warmte en de elektrische gitaren voor het gruis. Dankzij het heerlijk volle geluid en de veelheid aan invloeden is MCII zeker een opvallende plaat, maar omdat Mikal Cronin op zijn tweede plaat het ene na het andere memorabele popliedje uit zijn mouw schudt is het ook een opvallend goede plaat. Zeker wanneer Mikal Cronin de gitaren laat scheuren zijn de songs op MCII vrijwel onweerstaanbaar, maar ook de songs waarin louter zonnestralen uit de speakers komen laten zich na één keer horen niet meer uit het geheugen verwijderen. Ik was na een paar minuten al overtuigd van de kwaliteit van MCII, maar de plaat is sindsdien nog minstens tien keer zo goed geworden. Mikal Cronin heeft een collectie songs afgeleverd die tijdloos en eigentijds zijn en in vrijwel alle gevallen na één keer horen memorabel. De eerste helft van het jaar zit er nog niet op, maar MCII van Mikal Cronin durf ik nu wel alvast een jaarlijstjesplaat te noemen. Een van de betere jaarlijstjesplaten van 2013 denk ik zelfs.

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt hier luisteren naar 'Weight'.

Het onderste uit de man. Hausmagger

The most surprising act on the recent edition of Waterpop festival in Wateringen to me was Rotterdam's finest Hausmagger, led by actor/singer Theo Wesselo. A band that before the gig was totally unknown to me. Hausmagger rocked and punked from all sides, fronted by the sometimes provoking humour of Wesselo. It took awhile for me to get used to his humour, but it did work and I can only assume that the humour is meant to provoke. How does this translate into music on an album?

Having found the bandcamp site of the band quite easily, I bought the latest album and was treated to a more varied set of songs than on stage. More subtle and even delicate, without losing impact. Live Hausmagger is a wall of sound of hard hitting on drums and the tight pounding of the bass snares over which the lead guitarist makes all his noises. On record there is more room for songs that are of a little less velocity, even some electronics can be heard. Theo Wesselo at those moments sounds very much like Kees van Kooten's creation "De Vieze Man". Listen to 'Shit, wat ben je nat' and you'll know what I mean. Listen closely and you'll find three different guitar parts in the song also. Someone knows what he's doing there (and unreproducible on stage with one guitarist). It is songs like these that make the album better.

Theo Wesselo is not a singer in the way the term is meant to be used. No choir would ever let him in. In his role of poet-singer-provocateur he's well in place. His lyrics are clearly thought through well and aim for maximum effect. "Am I hearing what I'm hearing"? is one of those effects Wesselo strives for. I'm sure of that. His twists in the lyrics are delightful. The songs that are woven around his lyrics and melodies support them and make them worthwhile hearing. As I already wrote before, some of the songs on Het onderste uit de man are plain good. A great melody, well played and at times rocking hard.

The mix of styles on Het uiterste uit de man is intriguing to say the least. Hard rock or punk riffs are mixed with a small lead line on the guitar that is straight out of Dutch tearjerker music like André Hazes. The subtlety of 'Slot' is left behind halfway the song with a Suede like lead guitar and a strong rhythm that erupts under the lyrics, that are extremely moving. In an odd way. It is a song like this that shows that Wesselo's theme's go way beyond dirt and sleeze. It's the same sort of vulnerability he shows in 'Gozer (voor E.)'. About wishing that he was the guy he wanted to be when he was a little guy. The humour of 'Paranoia man' has some well found jokes in the lyrics over the fiercely pounding bass in the background.

When looking behind the first "shock" of some of the lyrics, when all the smoke and dirt of the vocal bombshells have landed, there's only one conclusion left to tell: Het onderste uit de man is a great album. Hausmagger has a rare quality that mixes the unmixable in one huge blend of great music. Poetry, sleeze, cabaret (Dutch style) and (punk)rock all fight for attention and all come up trumps.

Wo.

You can listen here to 'Fijne vent' here.

Cave rave. Crystal Fighters

In the summer of 2011 'Plage' was a single that was unavoidable on Dutch 3 FM radio. The up beat song did not so much chart high, but sort of hung in there for ever. Nearly a half year. The album that it was drawn from, 'Star of love' did not impress me much. That being the reason that Cave rave remained on a big pile of albums that I intended to listen to, that sort of never happened. When my MP3 player mysteriously went from album to shuffle, as it is sometimes prone to do, this fun upbeat song came by: 'LA calling' by Crystal Fighters. That was the beginning of the fun trip called Cave rave.

Crystal Fighters is a band from London that also gets the mention that it is a UK/Bask band as there clear links to the Bask province in Spain. The band presents a modern mix of pop and electronic dance without being afraid to bring in rock guitars as well. Next to that the folk rock explosion has not gone by unnoticed to Crystal Fighters either. The influence from Edward Sharpe and ...Of Monsters and Men is quite obviously. Boy - girl singing, high sounding acoustic guitars, up beat and happy. It suits Crystal Fighters quite well.

Cave rave lets a few different songs loose on the listener. The slightly exotic sounding songs, the folk rock and beautiful ballads like 'Bridge of bones'. It is a song like this that totally won me over to Cave Rave. Piano driven, the song stands out. If anything it is close to a James Blunt song, but better than anything I ever heard from him (with a nod to his number one hit 'You're beautiful' from me here.). 'Bridge of bones' is a fine crafted mini opera. Not because of any high brow sympho rock antics, no because of the turns the song leads us on and the way it is spread out from piano to full out mid-tempo rocker. Live it should be a killer if the audience kicks in at the end.

'Plage' is a sort of dead weight on the necks of Crystal Fighters' song writers. How to top a novelty hit? A band usually can't and shouldn't try to do so. This band seems to have tried a middle way on Cave rave. A song like 'Love natural' seems to try to evoke a 'Plage' atmosphere. As far as I'm concerned it succeeded. 'Love natural' has more depth and is more varied. It shows that Crystal Fighters is trying to find its way in the long shadow 'Plage' is throwing over Cave Rave. This second album of the band is one giant step forward. Together with producer Justin Meldal-Johnson (Paramore, M83, Neon Trees and a near endless list of studio credits) Crystal Fighters has found a beautiful pop voice that makes it a lot of fun to listen to. A perfect summer record and undoubtedly a great record to fight off the darker days that are coming towards us in an unstoppable way. The intricate vocals of 'These nights' virtually guarantee it.

The further I get into the album, the more pleased I become. Also I'm just about convinced that the first single of the album 'You & I' is one of the weakest tracks on it. Perhaps radio friendly, but Crystal Fighters shows the world that they can do a lot better. One of the better pop records of 2013 of this year, competing with Mister & Mississippi for best folk rock record of 2013. No small words are used here and deservedly so.

Wo.

You can listen to 'You & I' here.

Pushin' against a stone. Valarie June

Je kunt hier luisteren naar 'Working man's blues.

Valerie June groeide op in Humboldt, Tennessee, waar haar vader als "brick cleaner" werkte (een beroep dat in Nederland waarschijnlijk al eeuwen niet meer bestaat). June kreeg uiteraard de (zwarte) muziek van het diepe Zuiden van de Verenigde Staten met de paplepel ingegoten, maar raakte ook al snel geïnteresseerd in muziek uit andere windstreken, variërend van de reggae uit het zonnige Jamaica tot de antieke folk uit de koude Appalachen. June trouwde jong en vormde vervolgens samen met haar man het duo Bella Sun. Bella Sun was niet erg succesvol en hetzelfde bleek te gelden voor het huwelijk van Valerie June. Valerie June is inmiddels de dertig net gepasseerd en heeft inmiddels een aantal jaren ervaring als soloartiest. Dat heeft haar tot dusver vooral succes in lokale kring opgeleverd, maar met haar debuut Pushin' Against A Stone is de Amerikaanse muzikante klaar voor wereldheerschappij. Om niets aan het toeval over te laten werkt Valerie June op haar debuut samen met grootheden als Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) en Booker T. Jones (zijn orgel herken je uit duizenden), maar ook zonder de hulp van anderen had Pushin' Against A Stone het makkelijk gered. Valerie June is namelijk volkomen uniek. Een deel van de plaat moet concurreren met het hele legioen neo-soul zangeressen dat de afgelopen jaren aan de oppervlakte is gekomen, maar Valerie June gaat net zo makkelijk de concurrentie aan met de neo-folkies die zich de afgelopen jaren lieten inspireren door stokoude folk uit de Appalachen. Dat zijn zo ongeveer twee uitersten. Warm en koud, uitbundig en verstild, zonnig en bewolkt. Toch is Pushin' Against A Stone geen debuut dat op twee gedachten hinkt. Valerie June vertolkt op buitengewoon natuurlijke wijze de blues, gospel en soul uit het diepe Zuiden van de Verenigde Staten, maar gaat op net zo authentieke wijze aan de haal met de oude folk uit het hoge Noorden van de Verenigde Staten. Om het allemaal nog wat veelzijdiger te maken bevat Pushin' Against A Stone ook nog een aantal tracks die tegen de country en bluegrass aan schuren en ook hierin blijft Valerie June met gemak overeind. Om op een zo breed terrein te kunnen overtuigen moet je haast wel een vocale kameleon zijn en dat is Valerie June. In de gospel tracks hoor je de Valerie June die ooit in het kerkkoor zong, in de wat soulvollere tracks lijk je de reïncarnatie van Amy Winehouse te horen, maar Valerie June heeft ook een Dolly Parton en een Gillian Welch in zich en het knappe is dat Valerie June altijd zichzelf blijft. Pushin' Against A Stone is hierdoor een razendknappe plaat die zich laat beluisteren als een bloemlezing uit de Amerikaanse muziekgeschiedenis. De ene keer ingetogen en bijna vroom, de volgende keer rauw, energiek en met de duivel op de hielen (met geweldig gitaarwerk van Dan Auerbach). Direct bij eerste beluistering van de plaat wist ik dat ik met een ware sensatie te maken had en dat gevoel is eigenlijk alleen maar sterker geworden. Het is bijna niet te geloven dat er in eerste instantie geen platenmaatschappij op Valerie June zat te wachten en ze haar debuut daarom zelf moest financieren. Gelukkig is ze hierin geslaagd, want een sensationele plaat als Pushin' Against A Stone had ik niet willen missen. De ontdekking van 2013.

Erwin Zijleman

The best part (EP). Paul McDonald & Nikki Reed

You can listen to 'All I'm asking' here.

Another gift from Noisetrade.com. In the past days I've played this album several times and each time liking it more. On The best part there is absolutely nothing exciting going on, there's not one road travelled that has not been travelled before and still this EP is a winner.

Paul McDonald and Nikki Reed are man and wife since 2011. This EP is their first collaborative effort on record. McDonald was a part of the 2010 edition of 'American Idol'. The music on The best part is anything but what I associate with a show like that. The best part is modest, all music and no show. The songs are all in a melancholy mood, aimed to impress the listener, but only from the background. With the exception of 'Now that I've found you (version 2)', that has a more country flavour, the songs don't call out loud for your attention. And even the exception is only by comparison.

To me The best part is best listened to when I'm in a relaxed mood, music in the background. It was in this form that this EP called out for my attention. Something in the back of my head signalled in that there was something interesting going on in the background. Paying more attention this turned out to be true. Hence this review.

Whether Paul McDonald's voice is enjoyed by me for a whole album and solo, I can't say yet. It is sort of high and sounds strained. The combination with Nikki Reed's angelic voice does wonders. The beauty and the beast is a too easy found platitude, but it's true. Their voices work well together in an atmospheric song like 'Goodbye', but also in a "real" song like the title track. The three examples given so far are an example of the diversity of this album. Just five songs, but the differences in the approach makes them stick out, where as a prevailing mood they would not. In other words: well done!

Despite the fact that there may not be a lot of new things going on on The best part, the EP is worthwhile to pick up if you are interested in alt.americana. The tandem McDonald-Reed works well on record. (And yes, Nikki Reed is the same as in all those movies.)

Wo.

By the lamplight. Larry and his Flask

You can listen to 'The battle for clear sight' here.

Regular viewers of this blog have not been able to escape Larry and his Flask last year. After having been swept of my socks on the evening before Queens' Day, the review is still one of the best read posts on this blog ever, the band returned for another show, there was an album and EP review and an interview with Jamin Marshall. Although I missed the show in the Q-Bus last May, I did meet with Jamin afterwards and learned of a new album coming up. And here's the review.

At first listening, it's clear that the band delves deeper than before, several songs are even better, without losing any of the energy that is the basis of all things Larry and his Flask. What I noticed next is that the band is so confident that it leaves the best song of the EP 'Hobo's lament' aside, as it could easily have been added to the track list. Not that there is a lot new on By the lamplight. The basis of Larry and his Flask is a major load of enthusiasm, a shot of bluegrass-polk-jazz, some Dropkick Murphies and The Hackensaw Boys and all sorts of other musical forms that make a lot of noise and do not take the tempo down too much. Of course there's an odd ballad. Even this band needs a breather in between. It also gives By the lamplight more depth.

Although the basis of Larry and his Flask is up-tempo punkified blue grass and country rock songs, the way the band manages to vary in the approach and changes moods within a song surprises me everytime. 'Barleywine bump' is an example of such. The chorus would allow all present to shout along as if in an pub hidden in a cove in western Ireland. Andrew Carew sings here in two different ways, first as if recorded in 1930 then as 2013, also giving the song a great extra edge. The mood changes of the By the lamplight make it a very authentic experience for those who were present at a Larry and his Flask live show. Just like on 'All that we know' the band succeeds in capturing its live show energy on record. The explanation for this is, imho, that the sound of the record is not the best possible. The production could have been loads better, wider in the mix and all sorts of effects on it, with the result that it would not have been Larry and his Flask, but any other band. It takes courage and a clear view of what the band wants to be and my guess is that it has both. This is who we are and this is what we sound like. To great effect.

The biggest surprise on By the lamplight may be the ballad 'Gone from you'. Ian Cook sings this solo with an acoustic guitar. There's a spine chilling moment when a part of the band kicks in with a great harmony vocal as well. Not unlike the effect 'Alabama shamrock' by The Hackensaw Boys had on me long ago. How well the band can sing together, can also be heard on the intro of "Pandemonium', right at the start of the album.The lyrics of 'Some cruel twist of fate' are far from party music. It's about the death and burying of an expecting wife. The horn section of Larry and his Flask, also a large chunk of the acoustic string session by the way, plays passionate notes after the funeral.

Having undergone the storm that is Larry and his Flask live first, I had expected never to listen to a record. For three times in a row the band has showed me my erring ways. By the lamplight deserves to be heard at home as much as in a venue. There's some excitement, loads of it and good time party songs, but some contemplation and seriousness as well. The rare mix Larry and his Flask presents to its listeners deserves to be heard more wider than it is now. By the lamplight is a great new step in that direction.

Wo.

Ride your heart (2). Bleached

Na de uiterst positieve recensie van Wo. (klik hier), is het de beurt aan Erwin Zijleman om zijn mening te geven over deze heerlijke pop-punk plaat van dames duo Bleached.

Voor het maken van een goede plaat heb je uiteindelijk maar één ding nodig: goede songs. De Amerikaanse zusjes Jennifer en Jessica Clavin zijn geen geweldige zangeressen, hebben geen geweldige muzikanten om zich heen verzameld en konden geen beroep doen op een dure studio of producer van naam en faam, maar hebben wel een fantastische plaat gemaakt. Ride Your Heart van Bleached  moet het uiteindelijk maar van één ding hebben: geweldige songs. De zusjes Calvin speelden eerder in de donkere punkband Mika Miko, maar verruilen op Ride Your Heart van Bleached de grauwe kelders voor een plekje in de zon. Ride Your Heart bevat een serie volstrekt onweerstaanbare punky popliedjes die je doen geloven dat het leven een sprookje is (of op zijn minst dat het altijd zomer is). Het rammelt aan alle kanten en ook de zang is niet altijd even goed, maar je vergeeft het de zusjes direct wanneer het ene na het andere aanstekelijke refreintje uit de speakers komt. Bleached haalt de mosterd bij Blondie en The Ramones, bij The Go-Go’s en The Bangles en bij Best Coast en The Dum Dum Girls. Ride Your Heart klinkt daarom direct bekend in de oren, maar dat maakt de muziek van de band eigenlijk alleen maar leuker. Bleached kiest op Ride Your Heart afwisselend voor punky popmuziek, muziek uit de hoogtijdagen van Phil Spector of muziek met een vleugje Westcoast, maar het is allemaal even onweerstaanbaar. Ik ben normaal gesproken helemaal niet vies van loepzuivere vocalen, muzikale hoogstandjes en glasheldere producties, maar als het debuut van Bleached uit de speakers komt tellen maar twee dingen: zonnestralen en meezingen met refreinen die je na één keer horen nooit meer wilt vergeten. Het lijkt zo makkelijk wat Bleached doet, maar makkelijk is het zeker niet, vooral wanneer stiekem toch wat geniale gitaarloopjes en hemelse harmonieën voorbij komen en je het tweetal zo af en toe toch gaat verdenken van productionele vaardigheden. Natuurlijk zijn er in dit genre veel meer bands die bijzonder aanstekelijke popliedjes kunnen schrijven, maar zo onweerstaanbaar als op Ride Your Heart hoor ik ze toch niet heel vaak. Ride Your Heart van Bleached is geen plaat waaraan zoveel worden moeten worden vuil gemaakt als ik nu nodig heb. Ride Your Heart van Bleached is een plaat die je moet horen en leven. Gooi de ramen open, zet de volumeknop open en gooi het debuut van Bleached de wereld in. Resultaat: het is zomer. En niet zomaar een zomer, maar de mooiste zomer in jaren. Heerlijk, heerlijk, HEERLIJK!

Erwin Zijleman

Hier kun je naar Bleached luisteren.

Mozes and the Firstborn

You can listen to 'I got skills' here.

So far several fine records have been released by Dutch bands in 2013. For months on end the rumour about a new top band has been going around and now the album is here. Mozes and the Firstborn is a band from Eindhoven in Noord-Brabant. Listening to the album for the first time last week, it became clear once more that retro-psychedelia is the new hip in 2013. Mozes and the Firstborn has found its way to the well and dipped the instruments in deep.

One song sticks out far above all else. 'I got skills' is the summer of 2013 radio hit for the band, coming by in mid rotation. It has all it takes to be a novelty hit like Nada Surf's 'Popular' or Armand's 'Ben ik te min'. The single reminds me of both so much. A slacker hit if I ever heard one. But not the song the band will want to be remembered for for the rest of its career, I guess. There's a lot more going on on this first album.

Mozes and the Firstborn consists of Melle Dielesen (lead singing and guitar), Ernst-Jan van Doorn (guitar), Corto Blommaert (bass) and Raven Aartsen (drums). They are all young, early twenties and sound more enthusiastic than super proficient. The sound of the album is semi-primitive, as if recorded in the garage, actually the basement I understand of one of the parents, while at the same time there is a clear and keen ear for details in the production. This way the music has a rough and a sweet edge, which works well most of the time. The sound is straight out of the 60s, not unlike The Outsiders or Q65, but with a lot better English (pronounciation).

The music period that Mozes and the Firstborn is inspired by is about the same as Jacco Gardner, this band sounds more alive and less studied. Something is happening that makes me prick up my ears, even if a song is not so special all by itself, but something is happening in it that make it worth while listening to. 'Time's a headache' e.g. does not have a special melody, but the dynamics and the guitar eruptions make it a fun song to listen to. And a little detail like the pre chorus acoustic guitar strokes announcing to the rest of the band to catch up, is a fine detail.

What I also like about the album, that it is all but one dimensional. It rocks out and has a poppy song like 'Skinny girl' based on the acoustic guitar, with fun details and o so 60s. It is not pretentious. The songs are all pretty straight forward. There may be a guitar overdub here or there, sometimes a few organ notes, but all to serve the song and not a concept. There may be no virtuosity on Mozes and the Firstborn, it all leads to songs that are worthwhile hearing and hearing again. Towards the end of the album is 'Heaven'. Low tempo, not much going on until the lead guitar lets it all rip. Totally over the top, showing again that Mozes and the Firstborn is able to have a great impact with minimal effects. One to be exact in this example, on the guitar.

To be honest, I can't wait to see the band live. This is going to be one big party, I'm sure. Until then I'm happy with Mozes and the Firstborn at home and underway.

Wo.

Muddy "Mississippi" Waters live. Muddy Waters

You can listen to 'She's nineteen years old' here.

On the occasion of Muddy Waters' 100th day of birth I re-posted a blog on 'Checkerboard lounge', the DVD of Muddy playing together with three (or four) Stones in Buddy Guy's Chicago club. I promised then to listen to some of Muddy's albums and write a review. Let me start with the first one I ever heard.

Around 1980 I had a friend who basically changed his life's rhythm pattern in the summer holiday. From day to night, listening to the radio all night, picking up new music and old. One of his tips was this live album that remained one of my favourite live albums ever.

Muddy Waters', born McKinley Morganfield in 1913, recording career started on a farm somewhere in the Mississippi delta where Alan Lomax recorded him on his porch, decennia later released as 'The complete plantation recordings'. Like many other coloured Americans he took his chances and moved north to Chicago, where he emerged with an electric guitar being one of the pioneers of electric blues. His career was revived, especially in Europe, through the blues bang in the UK in the early to mid 60s. In the 70s Johnny Winter revived Waters' career again by producing three albums in which most of Muddy Waters' best songs were rerecorded in a modern studio with modern techniques. Blasphemy to some, the best thing that could have happened as the songs now stand out as an epitome of electric blues. This live album was the third album in a row of four with Johnny Winter in control. Since several years the original album is also available as a legacy edition with more than twice as many songs on the second disc.

Looking at the original album there are just seven songs, recorded at three different locations in 1977 and 1978, released in 1979. Not even the musicians are all the same. Despite that, this was how blues was supposed to sound to me when I was twenty and some years old. It took me years before I could appreciate the original thing. Now in 2013 that has changed, just like blues does not offer many surprises any more. It has become good time party music to listen to live every once in a while. This album, together with 'Hard again', Muddy Waters' first release with Johnny Winter, are the exceptions. Before Live I had hardly ever heard anyone play a solo like Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson. This solo that sort of goes on and on, where it is "supposed to stop" at the turn around at the 12th bar, but doesn't.

There are other instances of fine musicianship. The mouthharps of James Cotton and Jerry Portnoy. The call response between singing and harp were all new then to me and still sound fresh and fun to me now. The piano of "Pinetop" Perkins that rolls in the background and at times comes forward.

Muddy Waters by that time was an older man. Looking like a benevolent grandfather, which he was many times over. (At the same time, he had a much, much younger girlfriend, 'She's 19 years old', 'Deep down in Florida' seem to have to be taken literally here.) At shows he used to sit on a stool and mostly reserved his energies for his singing. The band did everything for him, making sure things gelled and rocked, whether slow or fast. At times Muddy lets things rip in a fiery solo, like in 'Howlin' wolf' and 'She's nineteen years old'. As slide guitarist he may not be flawless, but certainly full of passion and great attack. There's no mistaken who is satisfying who through the solo in 'She's 19 years old'.

Should anyone be wandering what thé version of 'Baby, please don't go' is, just listen to this one. Everything is on a roll here. The rolling drums of Willie "Big Eyes" Smith drives the song forward as the drumming on this song is superb. The rolls and fills are in all the right places giving 'Baby, please don't go' the steampower it needs.

Muddy "Misissippi" Waters live is an album that has the right balance between hard rocking blues, subtlety and virtuosity. The band is a great dynamic machine, serving the right mood in the right places of a song. Solos are dispensed by Waters to all band members who get the chance to shine in his sun. There's no misunderstanding about who's the boss here. Just listen to the cheers of the audience at specific parts of the lyrics. At most of the tracks where Winter's playing he gets a little extra attention, being a star in his own right, somewhat consumed by alcohol and heroine, but a star of late 60s and 70s blues in the U.S.

The legacy version gives more, which I will not discuss here. The original LP is enough. That had the strong impact on me and defined my taste in blues. Let me end with referring you to a Muddy Waters biography that is well worth the read: 'Can't be satisfied: The life and times of Muddy Waters' by Robert Gordon.

Wo.

Recto verso. Zaz

Je kunt hier naar 'On Ira' luisteren.

Het titelloze debuut van de Franse zangeres Zaz, het alter ego van de uit Tours afkomstige Isabelle Geffroy, vond ik bijna drie jaar geleden in de Franse Supermarché en groeide al snel uit tot een persoonlijke favoriet tijdens en ver na de zomervakantie van 2010. De muziek van de Française sprak ook de lezers van deze BLOG aan, want de recensie die ik over het debuut van Zaz schreef stond lange tijd in de top 10 aller tijden van deze BLOG (en staat nog altijd in de top 20). Deze week verscheen de tweede plaat van Zaz (het live tussendoortje uit 2011 reken ik maar even niet mee) en ik zal er niet omheen draaien, ook Recto Verso is weer een geweldige plaat. Zaz wilde zich op haar debuut al niet beperken tot de gebaande paden van de Franse chansons of de moderne zuchtmeisjes variant en doet dit ook op Recto Verso niet. Op haar tweede plaat laat Zaz zich geen enkel moment in een hokje duwen en maakt ze moderne Franse popmuziek die zich door van alles en nog wat laat beïnvloeden, maar ook weet te vernieuwen. Op het moment dat ik deze recensie schrijf komt de regen met bakken uit de hemel, maar als de muziek van Zaz uit de speakers komt schijnt de zon. Recto Verso bevat maar liefst 14 tracks en een ieder die er snel bij is krijgt nog eens 3 bonustracks cadeau. Ondanks de grote hoeveelheid songs klinkt iedere song op Recto Verso weer anders. Zaz is op Recto Verso een chansonnière uit een ver verleden, maar ook een popprinses uit de toekomst en alles tussen deze twee uitersten in, waarvan met name het vleugje gipsy niet onvermeld mag blijven. Zaz kan zwoel en verleidelijk zingen, maar kan zich ook beperken tot ruwe emotie. Ook de instrumentatie op de plaat schiet alle kanten op en varieert van uiterst sober (minimale gitaarakkoorden) tot zeer uitbundig (met flink wat elektronische impulsen en strijkers en blazers). Het is de veelzijdigheid die van Recto Verso zo’n goede plaat maakt. Waar veel muzikanten tegenwoordig één kunstje uitmelken, is het portfolio van Zaz overvol en opvallend veelkleurig. Recto Verso is als een goed gevulde doos bonbons. Het zijn bonbons die aantrekkelijk zijn versierd, maar de muzikale bonbons van Zaz zijn ook nog eens bijzonder smakelijk en smaken bovendien allemaal anders. Als ik Recto Verso helemaal heb beluisterd heb ik het gevoel dat ik naar tien platen heb geluisterd en het zijn ook nog eens tien hele goede platen. Hoewel de songs van Zaz lang niet allemaal even vrolijk zijn is Recto Verso een plaat die je alleen maar met een brede glimlach kunt beluisteren. Vergeleken met haar debuut is de muziek van Zaz niet alleen veelkleuriger geworden, maar is ze ook veel beter gaan zingen. Zaz beschikt over een donker stemgeluid met een rauw randje en het is een stemgeluid dat makkelijk voor kippenvel zorgt. Beluister Recto Verso met de koptelefoon en de impact van de plaat is enorm, beluister Recto Verso op de achtergrond en de zon gaat schijnen en de bloemetjes gaan bloeien. Zaz maakte bijna drie jaar geleden een nauwelijks te overtreffen plaat, maar Recto Verso doet een zeker niet kansloze poging om dit toch te realiseren. Ik was bijna drie jaar geleden diep onder de indruk van het debuut van Zaz, maar Recto Verso raakt me nog dieper. Zaz staat binnen de Franse popmuziek op eenzame hoogte en onderstreept dat met een plaat die net als zijn voorganger een meesterwerk genoemd mag worden.

Erwin Zijleman

Once upon a time. The lives of Bob Dylan by Ian Bell

You can listen to 'Like a rolling stone' here.

"Once upon a time" are the first four words of what rock critics deem the most important rock single of all times: 'Like a rolling stone'. Ian Bell takes the reader on a trip down the highways and bylanes of rock's greatest poet. The question regularly comes by: is Dylan a musician or a poet? Two stories stick out in describing 'Like a rolling stone'. The first is that the text is derived from some 20 odd pages of free thought writing condensed to 6 minutes plus of singing and the improvised recording. Slab dab put to tape without too much looking back. No one's seen the 20 odd pages, Dylan claims to have written and the recording surely sounds slightly chaotic, but most likely is perfect in its craft, callousness and sheer raucous playing.

'Once upon a time' shows several things. That Bob Dylan can't be trusted on anything. Everything's a smokescreen (or not), including his autobiography, 'Chronicles, volume one'. Dylan is a very lonely person, as highly gifted artists of any creed must be. Their art goes foremost above everything. He is totally his own man, probably because he has a problem with authoritarian figures in his life. This man worked very hard to become what he became. What amazes me most though: How can grown men and women look at a 22 year old for all the answers to seemingly all the problems in the world? There's a lot to do about Dylan's betrayal to the folk movement, but hey, history showed him right and we're talking about three years of his recording career that now spans 51 years. "Don't follow leaders", he sings quite clearly in 'Subterranean homesick blues'. So how could he ever be one himself? Ian Bell delves in, comes up with some great details and leaves enough room for the reader to judge for himself. Perhaps some points and questions come up a few times too often, but that did not bother me as this book is well written and points are made. A clear conclusion e.g. is that some fans apparently stopped listening to Dylan's lyrics after he exchanged an acoustic for an electric guitar (and didn't listen to or simply forgot songs like 'Girl from the north country'). Personal observations of any sort, so also political, are always nearby with Dylan.

Dylan came into my life in 1976 with 'Desire'. For me Dylan was a name, with the exception of 'George Jackson', his early 1972 single. As far as I knew he was not played on the radio. In contradiction to most hits from just before my radio listening days, that started in 1967 or 68, I was surprised to find out later that Dylan had scored hitsingles like 'Like a rolling stone', 'I want you', 'Just like a woman', etc., only in 1965 and 66. Apparently they were just not played often. Although that I had several of his albums since 1976, it wasn't until 'The bootleg series, 1 - 3', that I became a real fan and stared to appreciate the first part of his career. I honestly thought the guy had no humour and couldn't laugh. This all changed there and then. 'Biograph' of 1985 had this kind of impact also, but to a somewhat lesser extent.

Ian Bell works all the way up to 'Blood on the tracks', so everything I missed out on. (It seems there will be a part two.) What sticks out most for me, is the tremendous drive of Bob Dylan. Although that all questions and points looking at purposes, choices and the lies/stories made by the boy and young man Robert Zimmerman are interesting, they would have been futile if Dylan hadn't broke big. We all make choices in life, don't we? Fact is and one that Bell touches on but doesn't make explicit enough in my opinion, is that Bob Dylan would have been Robert Zimmerman's name whatever would have happened. He changed his name before he signed any contract. So the conclusion that Zimmerman wanted to shed something is correct. Bell shows that Dylan kept shedding every few years. So his question: Who is Bob Dylan?, is an intriguing one. The drive is also in the music output, in the gathering, no, the soaking up knowledge, in adding and shedding friends and colleagues, in changing styles and going where he wants to go. For better or worse. So much, so fast and so different in just a few years. The last I want to touch on is the choices of output. The famously great songs that were not released until the 1990s. A mystery it is and will remain. Fact is a lot has been released since the early 90s, which made the impact of the Bootleg series so important and huge. So in a way we should be glad for that, after the mostly very bleak 80s.

Finally, 'Nashville skyline' is one of my favourite Dylan albums of all time. It just speaks in volumes to me. Perhaps because of the lightness of tone. Let me put that on record here, before I wind up.

Ian Bell's Dylan biography is well written, tries to tackle some tough questions and gives some answers without trying to turn Dylan into a saint. It does honour to the most controversial artist of the last fifty years. To his person, life, music and art. Well worth the read. And is Dylan a poet? I don't care. I enjoy his lyrics only in combination with the music and the better the song, the more I listen to the lyrics. He's a singer-songwriter.

Wo.

Seesaw. Beth Hart Joe Bonamassa

Je kunt hier luisteren naar 'I'll love you more than you'll ever know'.

Joe Bonamassa behoort inmiddels al een aantal jaren tot de betere gitaristen in het rootssegment (en ver daarbuiten) en heeft bovendien een aantal prima soloplaten op zijn naam staan (persoonlijk vind ik vooral Dust Bowl uit 2011 heel erg goed). Beth Hart had na haar doorbraak met Screamin’ For My Supper (met hierop de single L.A. Song) uit 1999 moeten uitgroeien tot een wereldster, maar een bijzonder wild leven (dat flink wat mannelijke rocksterren degradeert tot koorknapen) stond een glanzende carrière vaak in de weg. Twee jaar geleden vonden Beth Hart en Joe Bonamassa elkaar en doken ze de studio in. Het leverde de geslaagde selectie covers op Don’t Explain op. De samenwerking beviel de twee zo goed dat de studio alvast werd geboekt voor een opvolger en die is nu verschenen. Seesaw is een logisch vervolg op Don’t Explain, maar is ook in alle opzichten beter dan zijn voorganger. De ingrediënten zijn voor een belangrijk deel hetzelfde. Beth Hart en Joe Bonamassa zijn de studio ingedoken met een geweldige band die de pannen van het dak kan spelen, maar ook gas terug kan nemen om Beth Hart te laten schitteren, topproducer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin is de meest indrukwekkende naam op zijn goedgevulde cv) zat wederom achter de knoppen en voor de songs vertrouwden Bonamassa en Hart wederom op de goedgevulde archieven van de popmuziek. Net als op Don’t Explain is het gitaarwerk van Joe Bonamassa verder om je vingers bij af te likken en Beth Hart zingt ook op Seesaw of haar leven er van af hangt. Toch is Seesaw een veel betere plaat dan zijn voorganger. De keuze van de songs is een stuk ambitieuzer en soms zelfs behoorlijk gewaagd. Wie durft zich nog te wagen aan een uitgemolken song als Nutbush City Limits en wie durft Billie Holiday’s versie van Strange Fruit naar de kroon te steken? Beth Hart en Joe Bonamassa durven het aan en komen er mee weg. De keuze van de songs is echter niet bepalend voor de kwaliteit van Seesaw. Belangrijkste verschil met Don’t Explain is dat we nu twee muzikanten horen die elkaar door en door kennen en elkaar bovendien perfect aanvoelen. Wanneer Beth Hart de emotie uit haar tenen laat komen houdt Joe Bonamassa in en wanneer Bonamassa de snaren betovert neemt Beth Hart even genoegen met een plekje op de achtergrond. De chemie tussen de muzikanten op de plaat springt makkelijk over op de luisteraar. Seesaw bevat heerlijke blues, soul en rock, waarin vooral de geweldige stem van Beth Hart opvalt. Beth Hart zingt op Seesaw als Janis Joplin, maar ook als Etta James, Aretha Franklin en noem nog maar wat grootheden op. Samen met het gitaarspel van Bonamassa voorziet het iedere klassieker op deze plaat van een nieuw laagje chroom. Het is vrijwel onweerstaanbaar op kille zondagochtenden als deze.

Erwin Zijleman

Once I was an eagle. Laura Marling

Je kunt hier luisteren naar 'Devil's resting place'.

Laura Marling is pas 23, maar ze heeft toch al drie bescheiden meesterwerken op haar naam staan. Alas I Cannot Swim uit 2008, I Speak Because I Can uit 2010 en A Creature I Don't Know uit 2011 krijgen nu gezelschap van Once I Was An Eagle. Direct bij eerste beluistering was ik volkomen stuk van de vierde van Laura Marling en inmiddels is de plaat tot angstige hoogten gestegen. Het einde van de groei is nog lang niet in zicht. Op haar debuut leek Laura Marling nog uit te kunnen groeien tot een folkzangeres voor een heel breed publiek, maar op Once I Was An Eagle is hier weinig van over. De vierde van Laura Marling is een lastig te doorgronden plaat waarop Laura Marling geen compromissen sluit. Na enkele mislukte relaties heeft Laura Marling haar vaderland de rug toe gekeerd. Ze zoekt haar geluk nu in Los Angeles, maar afgaande op Once I Was An Eagle is dat nog niet erg gelukt. Op haar vierde plaat maakt Laura Marling donkere muziek die nauwelijks houvast biedt. Akoestische gitaar en de stem van Laura Marling domineren en van songs die zich houden aan de conventies van de toegankelijke popsong is nauwelijks sprake. Once I Was An Eagle doet wel wat denken aan de platen die Joni Mitchell in een heel ver verleden in hetzelfde Los Angeles maakte, maar de overeenkomsten moeten niet overdreven worden. De donkere folksongs op de vierde plaat van Laura Marling grijpen in muzikaal opzicht immers veel vaker terug op de muziek uit haar vaderland dan op de muziek uit de stad waarin ze zich nu heeft gevestigd. Once I Was An Eagle staat bol van de invloeden uit de 60s en 70s psychedelica, heeft goed geluisterd naar de grote Britse folkrockbands uit deze periode en is ook zeker geïnspireerd door de weemoedige platen van Nick Drake. De plaat bevat maar liefst 16 tracks en duurt ruim een uur. Die 16 tracks zijn overigens maar moeilijk te onderscheiden. De songs zijn zo ver verwijderd van het toegankelijke folkliedje dat ik beluistering van de vierde track in eerste instantie dacht dat de eerste track nog bezig was. Veel songs hebben ingetogen passages waarin akoestische gitaar en de expressieve stem van Laura Marling domineren, maar dit kan zomaar ontsporen. Hier en daar is de percussie behoorlijk uitbundig en hetzelfde geldt voor de gitaren, strijkers en vooral de hier en daar opduikende instrumenten uit India die het psychedelische karakter van de plaat versterken. Laura Marling verdient alle respect voor haar lef om een plaat als Once I Was An Eagle te maken, maar het blijkt al snel niet alleen een lastige maar ook een zwaar verslavende plaat. Laura Marling had al drie uitstekende platen op haar naam staan, maar de vierde is nog vele klassen beter. Ik heb de plaat inmiddels talloze keren gehoord maar het gevoel van euforie blijft. Laura Marling heeft een plaat gemaakt die zich niet laat vergelijken met een andere recent verschenen plaat. Ze doet precies wat ze zelf wil en doet dit op zo knappe en bijzondere wijze dat diepe bewondering op zijn plaats is. Once I Was An Eagle is, zoals inmiddels een aantal malen gezegd, geen hele makkelijke plaat, maar als hij eenmaal onder de huid kruipt krijg je hem er echt nooit meer onder vandaan. Met afstand de beste plaat van het moment en dat zal nog wel even zo blijven.

Erwin Zijleman

mcii. Mikal Cronin

You can listen to 'Shout it out' here.

Every once a while a record comes by that just sparkles, like a mirror-ball out in the open sunshine. Fountains of Wayne was such a record. Recently I heard another such one. No, it's not that good, but Mikal Cronin beats most made by Weezer, so that is an achievement.

Mikal Cronin is a 27 year old musician from the U.S. associated with the scene around Ty Segall. Looking at his discography it's like looking at the playlist of a 70 year old rock veteran. A shear endless list of collaboration, EPs, 45s, cds he played on. Ever heard of Epsilons, Okie Dokie, Party Fowl, Moonhearts? I haven't. Cronin played with all. And found time to come up with his second solo album, mcii. And what a record it is.

Cronin manages to bring together a mix of sixties, garage rock, punkrock and a whole lot of pop feel in a bunch of super enthusiastic songs that make up mcii. As far as I'm concerned Ty Segall can't stand in the shoes of Mikal Cronin where song-writing skills go (let me correct that, as it is sometimes hard to discern a Segall song, the arranging skills). There's no shortage of that on mcii. Melodies flow freely and as if it's easy to write a great popsong. Several songs sound like they were created effortlessly. To make them more fun a saxophone comes by or a violin.

It's hard to pick out any one song, as they all have something special, something that endear. When the volume and speed go up, like in 'Change', it is still possible to hear the song as played on an acoustic guitar. It's only the distortion pedal adding flavour to the song, while a violin is allowed into the sound as well, resulting in a modern day 'Rawhide'.

The pop level on mcii goes so far that songs come close to 'I'll be there for you' the theme song of sitcom 'Friends', without annoying for one second. (Okay, the "Friends"song is sort of fun, but a bit sweet, right?) Cronin keeps surprising. When in 'Don't let me go' he bares his heart for all to hear, he comes dangerously close to the acclaimed Fountains of Wayne album and it is time to admit that mcii is not just your average punk-pop-garagerock album. mcii goes way beyond this. Mikal Cronin is showing himself as a major talent that can write great pop songs. It's time to put the album back on.

Wo.

You can order mcii here


or here