Land Of The Forgotten. Brit Taylor

De Amerikaanse muzikante Brit Taylor leek zich met haar debuutalbum te scharen onder de smaakmakers binnen de countrypop, maar ook op haar nieuwe album kiest ze weer vooral voor een wat traditioneler klinkend geluid.

Als je een stem hebt als die van Brit Taylor kun je eigenlijk alleen maar countrymuziek maken. Dat doet de muzikante uit Nashville dan ook en ze doet het bovendien heel goed. Op haar derde album Land Of The Forgotten lijkt ze definitief te kiezen voor een wat traditioneler geluid met zowel invloeden uit de country als de bluegrass, maar de songs van Brit Taylor klinken ook fris en aanstekelijk en schuiven af en toe wat op richting een moderner geluid. Het is een geluid dat in alle songs is volgestopt met fraaie bijdragen van een heel arsenaal aan snareninstrumenten, waardoor Land Of The Forgotten het waarschijnlijk uitstekend gaat doen bij liefhebbers van Amerikaanse rootsmuziek.

Brit Taylor leverde net iets meer dan vijf jaar geleden met Real Me een prachtig debuutalbum af. De Amerikaanse muzikante had haar leven net goed op de rails toen haar huwelijk op de klippen liep en ze financieel aan de grond kwam te zitten. Ze werd opgeraapt door Black Keys voorman Dan Auerbach met wie ze een aantal van de songs schreef die op Real Me terecht kwamen. Real Me was wat mij betreft een van de betere countrypop albums van 2021 en de concurrentie in het genre was dat jaar stevig. 

Twee jaar na haar debuutalbum keerde Brit Taylor terug met Kentucky Blue en ook dat was een uitstekend album. Vergeleken met haar debuutalbum koos de Amerikaanse voor een flink traditioneler geluid met vooral invloeden uit de country en de bluegrass, maar de songs op het album klonken ook fris en toegankelijk. Ook het door David Ferguson en Sturgill Simpson prachtig geproduceerde Kentucky Blue kon in 2023 mee met de beste rootsalbums van het jaar, al was de doelgroep net wat anders dan twee jaar eerder. 

Brit Taylor bracht in 2024 nog een nieuwe versie van Kentucky Blue uit (Kentucky Bluegrassed), waarop ze de songs van het album een extra bluegrass injectie gaf, maar het deze week verschenen Land Of The Forgotten is wat mij betreft het officiële derde album van de Amerikaanse muzikante. 

In de openingstrack Broke No More lijkt de muzikante uit Nashville te kiezen voor een nog wat traditioneler geluid dan op Kentucky Blue. Ze groeide op aan de voet van de Appalachen en laat in de openingstrack van Land Of The Forgotten horen dat ze de invloeden uit haar jeugd niet vergeten is. 

Het derde album van Brit Taylor is in veel songs een album dat het geluid van haar vorige album doortrekt, maar af en toe sijpelt er ook wel wat door van haar debuutalbum, dat de countrypop wat steviger omarmde. Na de producers van naam en faam van Kentucky Blue koos Brit Taylor dit keer voor de samenwerking met haar (nieuwe) echtgenoot Adam Chaffin, die het album trefzeker produceerde. 

Het eerste deel van het nieuwe album zal zeer in de smaak vallen bij liefhebbers van wat traditionelere country en bluegrass, maar naarmate het album vordert winnen de wat modernere invloeden met enige regelmaat aan terrein in de songs van Brit Taylor. Modern is niet helemaal het goede woord, want het album blijft verwijderd bij de countrypop van het moment en sluit incidenteel eerder aan bij de countrypop uit de jaren 90. 

De titeltrack van het album is een track waarvoor Fleetwood Mac zich in de jaren 70 niet zou hebben geschaamd, al houdt Brit Taylor wel vast aan het instrumentarium dat is verbonden met de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek. De muziek op Land Of The Forgotten wordt gedomineerd door snareninstrumenten, waarvan er flink wat worden ingezet op het album (gitaren, dobro, mandoline, viool, pedal steel, banjo). 

Het levert een smaakvol en ook warm geluid op, waarin de prima muzikanten die zijn te horen op het album de kans krijgen om te schitteren. Dat doet Brit Taylor ook zelf, want ze beschikt over de perfecte stem voor het maken van country, bluegrass en countrypop. Ik vond haar stem nog net wat indrukwekkender op het met melancholie overladen Real Me, maar ook op Land Of The Forgotten zingt de Amerikaanse muzikante prachtig en ik gun haar uiteraard het levensgeluk. Al met al het derde uitstekende album van de in Nederland helaas nog wat onbekende Brit Taylor.

Erwin Zijleman

So Long Little Miss Sunshine. Molly Tuttle

Molly Tuttle was op haar debuutalbum niet vies van invloeden uit de pop, ging op de albums met haar band vervolgens vol voor de bluegrass, maar kiest op So Long Little Miss Sunshine weer voor pop zonder de bluegrass te vergeten.

Molly Tuttle liet de afgelopen jaren horen dat ze in meerdere opzichten zeer getalenteerd is. Ze is een bluegrass snarenwonder, maar ook een zeer getalenteerd songwriter, die ook nog eens beschikt over een hele mooie stem. Op haar vorige albums domineerde de bluegrass waarmee ze opgroeide, maar invloeden uit de bluegrass krijgen op So Long Little Miss Sunshine gezelschap van invloeden uit de pop. Molly Tuttle overtuigt nog wat meer als zangeres en heeft een serie aansprekende songs geschreven, maar samen met een aantal topmuzikanten uit Nashville is ze ook de bluegrass niet vergeten. Het levert een bijzonder klinkend en zeer overtuigend album op.

Molly Tuttle is in iets meer dan vijf jaar tijd uitgegroeid tot een van de vaste waarden binnen de hedendaagse bluegrass muziek. Met dit stempel doe je de Amerikaanse muzikante overigens wel wat tekort, want Molly Tuttle heeft op de albums die ze inmiddels op haar naam heeft staan laten horen dat ze binnen de Amerikaanse rootsmuziek op een breder terrein uit de voeten kan. 

De liefde voor bluegrass kreeg ze van huis uit mee en al op hele jonge leeftijd kon ze uitstekend overweg op de gitaar, de mandoline en de banjo. Molly Tuttle sleepte met haar snarenspel een aantal aansprekende prijzen in de wacht, maar bleek niet alleen een geweldige muzikante, maar ook een getalenteerd songwriter en een uitstekende zangeres. 

Ik hoorde het voor het eerst in het voorjaar van 2019 toen haar debuutalbum When You're Ready verscheen. Het is een album dat het hele palet van bluegrass tot en met countrypop bestrijkt en laat horen dat Molly Tuttle bulkt van het talent. Sindsdien is Molly Tuttle alleen maar beter geworden, wat is te horen op het met bijzondere covers gevulde ...But I'd Rather Be With You uit 2020 en op de twee albums die ze maakte met haar band Golden Highway, Crooked Tree uit 2022 en City Of Gold uit 2023. 

Zeker op de laatste twee albums domineren invloeden uit de bluegrass en maken Molly Tuttle, de leden van haar band en de uitgenodigde gastmuzikanten indruk met muzikaal vuurwerk. Op het deze week verschenen So Long Little Miss Sunshine doet Molly Tuttle het voor de afwisseling weer eens zonder haar band Golden Highway. Op de cover van het nieuwe album zie je de Amerikaanse muzikante met een aantal verschillende pruiken en eenmaal zonder pruik. Molly Tuttle lijdt immers aan de ziekte Alopecia, waardoor ze geen haargroei heeft. 

Op So Long Little Miss Sunshine kiest Molly Tuttle voor een net wat ander geluid. De invloeden uit de (country)pop stonden sinds haar debuutalbum op een laag pitje, maar zijn terug op het nieuwe album. Het is waarschijnlijk even slikken voor de bluegrass puristen onder haar fans, maar liefhebbers van wat breder ingestoken Amerikaanse rootsmuziek horen op So Long Little Miss Sunshine heel veel moois. 

De muzikante uit Nashville neemt op haar nieuwe album misschien de afslag richting (country)pop, maar de liefde voor de bluegrass is zeker niet helemaal verdwenen. Je hoort absoluut meer pop op So Long Little Miss Sunshine, maar het razendsnelle snarenwerk uit de bluegrass is zeker niet verdwenen en ook de bijdragen van de viool herinneren aan het oude geluid van de muzikante uit Nashville. 

Het zorgt er voor dat de muziek van Molly Tuttle toch anders klinkt dan de muziek van andere populaire (country)pop zangeressen. So Long Little Miss Sunshine legt wat minder de nadruk op muzikale virtuositeit, maar verlegt de aandacht naar de songs en de zang. De stem van Molly Tuttle klinkt echt prachtig op haar nieuwe album en ook de songs van de Amerikaanse muzikante zijn zeer aansprekend. 

Het zijn songs die me meer dan eens aan Taylor Swift doen denken, maar het is dan wel Taylor Swift die haar oude liefde voor country heeft teruggevonden en de bluegrass er bij pakt. De stem van Molly Tuttle vind ik persoonlijk mooier dan die van Taylor Swift, maar het is maar de vraag of een pop minnend publiek uit de voeten kan met de bluegrass invloeden op So Long Little Miss Sunshine. Ik ben zelf al wel helemaal om en vind dit echt een geweldig album.

Erwin Zijleman

 

Je kunt So Long Little Miss Sunshine hier luisteren en bestellen:

https://mollytuttle.bandcamp.com/album/so-long-little-miss-sunshine 

2025, week 42. 10 singles

Weeks just speed by it seems. Another one gone and still so much to do. Weekends in general are fun though. It gives me the opportunity to listen to new music, among all the other things. So, enjoy the songs that caught my ear this week!

Husband & Wife feat. Owen Pallett. Nick & June

What is it I'm listening to? Husband & Wife feels like a road trip through the history of rock itself. I want you to explore that trip for yourself, as it will be far more fun should I present it all to you. The result is a song that partly is superb, while at times it also seems to be struggling a little to make it truly flow. What is a success is how the song builds itself up and up towards a grand finale. I had never heard of Nick & June as far as I know. Nick & June are from Berlin but have worked with and recorded in the U.S.A. Arrangers associated with The National and members from others bands can be heard on the album. 'New Year's Face' will be released on our St. Nicholas day. If this single is anything to go on, it will be an epic album. That description is only slightly less modest. The bio speaks of a opus magnum no less.

kansas. Nathalie Miller

Nathalie Miller is a new name on the blog. With kansas she has released a serious pop song that comes close to a ballad. The tempo is fairly slow, the mood and lyrics are best described as reflective. To me this means that Miller is not taking the easy way out. Now I'm not a connaisseur of modern pop, as it somehow all passes me by. It may be that kansas is the epitome of the sign of the time. For me the song is on the fringe of my musical tastes. What attracts me is the way she sings, the inventive harmony vocals that constantly meander throughout the song and the way some of the instruments are used in this same, shimmering way. As a whole, kansas sounds simply great. Should you want to hear more. Nathalie Miller has released her EP 'like you used to' a few days ago.

Heaven's Gate.  The Quality of Mercury

And yet another new name. The Quality of Mercury is a band from Pennsylvania. If you listen to Heaven's Gate for the first time, you will automatically think 'band'. It isn't. The Quality of Mercury is the solo project of Jeremiah Rouse. Everything you hear has been conceived and played by Rouse himself. In that he's not unique of course. It does give pause to think what a great musical ear he must have to arrange and play everything himself while remaining critical on himself at the same time. Heaven's Gate is rock like they used to make them with layers upon layers of guitars creating a wall of sound with behind it all a huge drum and a bass part. All kinds of guitars and keys meander in and out of the sound to crawl back again later on. It takes almost 80 seconds before Rouse adds his voice to the whole. There is an album coming up, 'Voyager', to be released on 24 October. It is the follow up of 'Transmission', The Quality of Mercury's debut album from 2017.

Monsters. Strawberry Alarm Clock

Strawberry Alarm Clock? Wasn't this a band on the 'Nuggets' box set I bought somewhere in the 1990s? I have to look it up, as there were so many bands with extremely trippy names on there. Whichever way, I'm listening to the band's first new release in decades. It is part of a special Halloween album Big Stir Records releases this month containing all songs about the primarily American festive activity. It is spreading though into our neighbourhood with the many U.S. expats / immigrants living here. Monsters is a far from scary song though. It slowly progresses without any exclamation marks. The quality is there though. This band knows how to arrange a song and adorn it with some nice harmony vocals. At best it is the singer who puts some fear into his way of singing. Everyone in the band is trying to soothe him as much as possible. And, okay, the guitar solo is the monster inside trying to come out. The band and harmony singers come to the rescue immediately. Nice song. Do catch the album, 'CHILLING, THRILLING HOOKS AND HAUNTED HARMONIES'.

Peg Leg. Speedfossil
"I try not to fuck it up", is the central lyric line in Peg Leg and, rest assured, Speedfossil does not fuck it up here. It is one of those that make me wonder how it is possible to come up with another great song in a tradition that was started by The Kinks in the mid-sixties and can be followed down the decades by a long line of bands right up to Speedfossil's new single, announcing its anthology album 'Time Flies: 10 Years of Speedfossil'. Look at the video and you'll notice that the band's members have been around for at least a lot of their predecessors career. In Peg Leg one of the guitars has this nice wobbly effect before things get very concrete once again. With Peg Leg the band makes its statement showing how good it is while at the same time showering some honours on its heroes of the past. The combination works in all ways.

Tanana / Mush. Portugal. The Man

With Tanana, Portugal. The Man delivers a true hybrid song with pop and alternative balladry. The Portland, Oregon based band is working towards the release of its upcoming album 'Shish', that will hit the shelves on 7 November. Tanana is a slow moving song that gives away its secrets slowly but surely. From a hesitant intro and first verse, the song explodes, in a moderate way, into the chorus. Things are toned down again for the second verse, but listen to how the bass moves into the mix and that funky guitar in the corner of the mix. All throughout Tanana the band manages to surprise with the next move. By releasing this single as a double a-side, the band is able to show its other side in one go. Mush is an uptempo alternative rocker, that is almost straightforward. Almost, because the band again throws in a few surprises in between all the rocking going on. Three songs into 'Shish', it seems things cannot go really wrong with the album.

Keep It Cool. Bee Bee Sea

We move over to Italy once again for another dirty sounding alternative rock band. Keep It Cool sounds as if it was recorded in a sewer in full operation. The sound is as dirty as its surroundings. There is zero tolerance for subtleties in Keep It Cool. Cleanliness has been thrown out the window with the bathwater. I have no idea what Bee Bee Sea is, as I only this single to go by. It is all about excitement and energy. It all sounds as if Keep It Cool was recorded with one mike in a strategic point in the room, so that everything going on could be caught more or less in a balanced way. The VU meters were in deep red for the whole time distorting everything in the recording. If you like this sort of unpolished energy, keep a lookout for the upcoming album, 'Stanzini Can Be Alright'.

French Exit. Garlands

Glasgow's Garlands are a regular on this blog and especially the weekly singles post section. Every few months there is a new single and the latest is called French Exit. At heart this song is another Britpop influenced song with close ties into the influences of the best Britpop bands of the past. What sets it a apart from many other Garlands songs, is the synth that plays a riff all throughout the song, dominating the sound. It pushes away some of the nice details that are in there as well. The double tracked vocal in the verses work really well, just like some of the guitar work in the chord changes and lead lines, all behind that synth. (I have a little doubt if it isn't a guitar anyway with some weird effect on it.) French Exit may not be the best song I've heard over the years by Garlands, but just like always it is a more than welcome addition to my Garlands collection.

Hammer. Timo de Jong & Leadbeaters

This month The Hackensaw Boys from Charlotte, Virginia are touring the country with the 20th anniversary of the album 'Love What You Do'. Thomas Olivier, producer of Hammer and member of Leadbeaters is also a member of The Hackensaw Boys when they play over here. Luckily we have Timo de Jong and Leadbeaters for the rest of the year. The second single from the upcoming album 'The Ballad Of Too Much Glitter' shows exactly how much fun the collaboration of singer-songwriter De Jong and the Dutch bluegrass band Leadbeaters will be. Timo de Jong has this bronzed voice under which all other type of voices can be heard in that twangy Americana way that makes Bluegrass a genre of its own. The music fits the bill of course with violin, banjo, acoustic guitars, washboard, etc. And if you listen carefully, an electric guitar as well. What profanity, a purist would say. I don't, this single is great fun.

Tell Me She's Alright. The Gypsy Moths

The Gypsy Moths return to the blog with an almost powerpop single. Almost, because the song does not have the full power of a powerpop song. It comes close though and has this great feel to it. Everything from the 1960s pop, to country and all mixes between the two from the previous decades can be heard in Tell Me She's Alright. The instrument that steals the limelight on the single is the piano. Dave Buckley's subtle notes manage to catch my ears in a special way. Of course, there are some very nice guitar parts as well, just like the vocal melody, but the piano gives the song its relaxed vibe. In two weeks album 'Five By Five By Four' is released with a party in Boston. A bit far away for me, but then I have tickets for La Luz that evening.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

 

Kissing Other ppl. Rachel Baiman + Viv & Riley

De Amerikaanse muzikanten Rachel Baiman, Vivian Leva en Riley Calcagno (Viv & Riley) bundelen de krachten op Kissing Other ppl, wat een bijzonder fraai rootsalbum met veel speelplezier en wonderschone harmonieën oplevert.

Ik hoor niet heel vaak dat muzikanten on the road de samenwerking zoeken met hun support act, maar de Amerikaanse singer-songwriter Rachel Baiman deed het en wist haar support act Viv & Riley te verleiden tot een gezamenlijk album. Het zijn drie muzikanten die ik gezien hun albums uit het verleden hoog heb zitten en ook Kissing Other ppl stelt geen moment teleur. Je hoort het plezier dat de drie hadden in de woonkamer van de producer van het project en je hoort bovendien dat hun stemmen prachtig bij elkaar passen. Voor het album van het drietal werden een aantal songs van andere geselecteerd, maar Rachel Baiman + Viv & Riley maken er hun eigen songs van op dit prachtige album.

No Depression was halverwege de jaren 90 een legendarisch muziektijdschrift dat vooral gericht was op het destijds nieuwe genre alt-country en niet voor niets (onder andere) is vernoemd naar het legendarische debuutalbum van de Amerikaanse band Uncle Tupelo. Het tijdschrift bestaat alleen nog online en is tegenwoordig meer gericht op wat traditionelere Amerikaanse rootsmuziek. Ik hou de website van het tijdschrift nog altijd goed in de gaten, want zo af en toe komt er een interessant album voorbij dat verder nauwelijks aandacht krijgt. 

Dat gebeurde ook in augustus met een bijzonder mooi album van drie muzikanten die ik heel hoog heb zitten. Ik ben zeer gecharmeerd van alle albums van de uit Nashville, Tennessee, afkomstige singer-songwriter Rachel Baiman en ook het soloalbum van Vivian Leva en de twee albums die ze maakte met Riley Calcagno konden rekenen op mijn sympathie. 

Op Kissing Other ppl heeft Rachel Baiman de krachten gebundeld met Vivian Leva en Riley Calcagno, die sinds enkele jaren muziek maken onder de naam Viv & Riley. Het is een samenwerking die wat mij geweldig uitpakt, want het debuutalbum van Rachel Baiman + Viv & Riley is een zeer fraaie aanvulling op beider oeuvres en kan zich meten met de betere rootsalbums van de laatste tijd.

Het idee voor een gezamenlijk album ontstond tijdens de tour die volgde op het laatste album van Rachel Baiman, die Viv & Riley vroeg als support act. Tijdens het reizen tussen de verschillende podia kwam het gesprek op favoriete songs van anderen en tijdens het spelen hiervan bleken de stemmen van de drie prachtig te blenden en uiteindelijk zo mooi dat het zonde was om er niets mee te doen. 

De drie trokken voor hun gezamenlijke album naar de studio van producer Greg D. Griffith op het platteland van Connecticut. De studio werd uiteindelijk echter nauwelijks gebruikt, want het grootste deel van de songs op Kissing Other ppl werd opgenomen in de woonkamer van de Amerikaanse producer. 

Kissing Other ppl bevat uitsluitend songs van anderen, waaronder songs van Lennon Stella, Wilco, Songs: Ohia, Dr. Dog, Joan Armatrading en Dottie West. Het zijn songs die vrij sober, maar ook bijzonder mooi zijn ingekleurd met vooral gitaren, banjo en viool, met hier en daar wat fraaie uithalen op de elektrische gitaar van Rachel Baiman. Het zijn songs die behoorlijk traditioneel klinken met vooral invloeden uit de Appalachen folk en bluegrass, maar de muziek van Rachel Baiman + Viv & Riley klinkt ook fris. 

Rachel Baiman, Vivian Leva en Riley Calcagno beschikken alle drie over een prachtige sten en wisselen de leadzang af op Kissing Other ppl. Ik heb een voorkeur voor de songs waarin Rachel Baiman en Vivian Leva het voortouw nemen, maar ook de songs waarin Riley Calcagno de leadzang voor zijn rekening neemt zijn prachtig, al is het maar omdat Rachel Baiman en Vivian Leva tekenen voor prachtige harmonieën. De harmonieën op het hele album zijn prachtig en dragen stevig bij aan de hoge kwaliteit van KIssing Other ppl. 

Het is maar de vraag of de samenwerking tussen de drie een vervolg gaat krijgen, maar de songs op Kissing Other ppl smaken zeker naar meer. Het doet af en toe wel wat denken aan de muziek die Gillian Welch en David Rawlings maken, maar de extra vrouwenstem op het debuutalbum van Rachel Baiman + Viv & Riley heeft absoluut meerwaarde. Wat ben ik blij dat ik wekelijks even kijk op de website van No Depression, want anders had ik dit bijzonder mooie album met een klein half uur vocale pracht zomaar kunnen missen.

Erwin Zijleman

 

You can listen to and buy Kissing Other People here:

https://kissingotherppl.bandcamp.com/album/kissing-other-ppl-3 

2025, week 23. 10 singles

Summer of 2025 is near and a tremendous lot has happened around the world. For me personally that all of a sudden Covid is there again. So far a heavy cold and the feeling that comes with it. I had managed to forget all about it until a colleague said my wife has it and I decided to test. And summer? Outside it's cold, wet and gloomy more a premature fall at the moment  No reason to not listen to new singles though or practice for a gig in Haarlem and Oslo soon. Here are another ten recent ones. Enjoy!

Manhood. Girljockey

Strap yourself to your chair, tie your headphones to your head so it doesn't run off and then quietly undergo the varied and extremely different sides of Girljockey's debut single Manhood. From a voice accompanied by an electric guitar, not necessarily playing an average chord with a sound somewhere between clean and dirty, with a little sloppiness as a bonus and a cello, to an eruption the Etna would be proud of. Gillian Chamberlin, who formed the band last year, really is letting herself, her voice and the band rip it up and even more than that in the solo section. My ears have barely escaped catching fire. If anything Manhood reminds me of Hole but then even more extreme. The bio says PJ Harvey but I'll have to take its word for that. I could not get through her in the 90s, later music somewhat. My advise? Just dive into Manhood head first and let yourself be surprised. I have and lived to tell.

Swallowing Your Pride. CIEL

Where in 2023 I wrote about CIEL that it would follow into the Brighton shoes of former local band Blood Red Shoes, in 2025 there's little left of that reference. At least in Swallowing Your Pride. Another name I mentioned at the time was Kim Wilde. That early 80s vibe is what can be heard on CIEL's new single. But more like a tea bag that has been reused again and again. At least compared to the sound of e.g. 'Kids In America'. Swallowing Your Pride does offer a naive kind of new wave pop that makes for dancing and singing. In 2025 CIEL is a duo, singer-songwriter Michelle Hindriks and drummer Tim Spencer. Producer, and now it becomes interesting remembering the first sentence of this review, is Steven Ansell of Blood Red Shoes. Together they have set this song apart, not only from his own band but also from the old days, while providing it with an energy that does make it stick out. We have some time to go before the album is released late in October.

Magic Of The Sale. Teethe

The second new name this week is the Southern slowcore band Teethe. Working towards the release of the same titled album on 8 August, the band introduces itself to me with a track that is as solid as it is mysterious. This has everything to do with the atmosphere of the song. There are clear and present instruments and there's vaguer ones and then atmospheric ones. Add a singer that seems to simply float on the music and you get the picture. Teethe is or used to be from Denton, Texas and released an eponymous album in 2020. The members, who all write songs, collaborated with a host of other musicians of whom MJ Lenderman and his Wednesday colleague Xandy Chelmis are known to me. Magic Of The Sale, not to mix up with 'The Art Of The Deal' and for a good reason, takes the listener on a musical trip that brings him/her to a few unexpected destinations. Intriguing single, with more to come soon.

Laugh So Loud. Duncan Lloyd

Pop aficionados will recognise the name Duncan Lloyd immediately. As guitarist of Mäximo Park he has made my life a lot more pleasant and with 'Apply Some Pressure' co-wrote one of the ultimate singles of the 00s decade. A lot of that energy and freedom of expression, as in no rules, can be heard on his solo single Laugh So Loud. In fact, I think it a better song than most I've heard from his mothership for some years now. No, he's not the best singer, but his soft voice works quite well on his own single. The layers of guitars do the main work, also played by Cloud Nothing's Joe Boyer, not in a little supported by a great rhythm section. Bass and drums are very drivingly present. Above all Laugh So Loud is an adventurous song, that wants to take the listener along. In that it is quite steering. The quality makes you go along for the ride without protest.

Bookends. U.S. Girls

The good thing about the singles blog post is that they are so diverse (besides that I seldom have an idea what to expect next on this endless list of singles). With Bookends I enter a totally different sort of music. U.S. Girls, the moniker of singer-songwriter Meg Remy, presents a ballad tempo song that is as U.S. as it comes. I think some people call this roots music, let me just pose that it's going a long way towards beauty. Remy has a voice that is well-worn in. It has plenty of mileage on it and she doesn't mind showing it to the world. Charlie McCoy's harmonica gives the song even more desolation the Springsteen's 'The River'. The way it interacts with the Hammond organ gives Bookends an almost desolate feel. One big question remains, can you call a 12 minutes something long song a single? The change later on in the song comes as a huge surprise. It is pure funky. I will let you find out for yourself. Album 'Scratch It' is released on 20 June.

New Threats From The Soul, featuring Catherine Irwin. Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band

This is more straight forward country. It may be a song filled with other elements, the way of singing, the pedal steel and structure all spell country, somewhere between tradition and a band like Slobberbone. That is a nice mix to listen to. With Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band we have another debut artist on this blog and well deserved. Davis and band know how to play on a thin line and keeping a perfect balance. The intro is already so nice, with a few unusual instruments joining in. Again, like 'Bookends' right above here, Ryan Davis presents himself with a long song. This one well over nine minutes. And I do not mind one second of it. The addition of Catherine Irwin as guest vocalist works really well. Beauty and the beast duets often do. Album 'New Threats From the Soul' will be released on 25 July.

Jamie C'Mon [Andy Lewis Remix] + Hey Sah-Lo-Ney. The Chelsea Curve

It's three years ago that The Chelsea Curve from Boston was on this blog with the album 'All The Things'. Before that the band debuted with a string of singles, one a month of which several made the cut. Today the band returns with the digital version of what will be a 7" single somewhere in the summer. Listening to the b-side, a cover version of Mickey Lee Lane’s Northern Soul track Hey Sah-Lo-Ney from 1965, it will be well worth the buy. The Chelsea Curve is on fire here, leaning into the rock and moving with the roll just it is meant to be. It's all but unbelievable this song used to be a soul track. The a-side is a remix of the lead single from the afore mentioned album from 2022. Hear the horns and all and Northern Soul is far closer than on Hey Sah-Lo-Nay. Together the two songs make a golden, if not pure steaming combination. The Chelsea Curve is back alright.

Illinois. Joe Bourdet

Dan Fogelberg? I faintly remember an advert for several album on the inner sleeve of 1970s albums, perhaps even my favourite Zappa album, 'One Size Fits All', promoting a Fogelberg album. A man with a blow wave in his hair and a moustache? I will have to check. Perhaps I even know a single that was played on the radio somewhere in the latter half of the 70s. That's as far as my knowledge goes. Why is all this relevant? Because Illinois is a cover of the Dan Fogelberg song. Joe Bourdet takes the man out of obscurity and judging by this version, rightly so. It's a true country song, the kind that makes me imagine riding though the desert somewhere, with an endless stretch of road ahead of me and dust all around me. The flavour of the song is enhanced by the pedal steel sound played by "Catfish" Connor Gallaher. The song could have been on an earlier Eagles album. The vocal harmonies are spot on. Bourdet does a really, really good job here. Fogelberg died at the age of 56 in 2007, leaving behind a long stretch of albums of which some were million sellers in the U.S. Somehow this does not surprise me but I had no idea. Also not that he has had two songs in our yearly music fest in the last week of December, the Top 2000. Not since 2014 though.

Not Broken. Alan Sparhawk With Trampled By Turtles

It's not possible to go much slower and still maintain a stable melody in a voice. Alan Sparhawk, formerly of Low and by sad necessity a solo artist since a few years, teams up with blue grass band Trampled By Turtles. You can find one album by both on this blog, written by Erwin Zijleman. Not Broken is taken on by me. The song is a duet between Sparhawk and his daughter Hollis. It is impossible to not think that the topic is about the death of their wife/mother. Instrumentation by the band is as delicate as the singing is. Together they bring each other to ever higher levels of emotions. While pretending to contain them, I should add. It is almost painful to listen to Sparhawk singing, where daughter Hollis continuously tries to bring it all back to earthly proportions. When her father joins her for the chorus, things do land back on solid ground. In the end, when all has been said and done, things remain in one piece.

Born At Night. Pile

We end with another new name, the band Pile from Boston, working towards the release of its ninth album. A band from Boston that was never brought to my attention? I'd have thought that to be impossible but here I am. Born At Night is a single with a few faces that all together make for very interesting listening. Pile is advertised as a DIY band, that for its upcoming album 'Sunshine And Balance Beams', 15 August, called in the assistance of some technical support in the after recording process. (DIY? That explains me not having heard of Pile before.) I can not compare, but Born At Night has a mighty sound as soon as the band lets go of the reigns it has put itself in at the start of the song. Two guitars playing arpeggios respectively two notes from a chord over which Rick Maguire sings. When the band joins in, also a few violins join. and Maguire builds up the tension and start to vent some anger as well. When the song truly explodes Pile takes no prisoners, this is full out musical war. In a phenomenal way. The whole is brought down for a short rest, before we go off again for the second half of the rollercoaster Born At Night is. What an introduction to a band this single is.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2025, week 17. 10 singles

Glorious sunshine outside while I'm finishing up the singles section today. Again on Sunday itself. Once again also with a fine mix of songs that have recently been released as a single. Some totally new names on the blog and some a little or much older. In other words, more than enough to discover. Enjoy!

Pillar Of Fire. David Eugene Edwards & Al Cisneros

David Eugene Edwards is on my musical radar for close to 30 years in 2025. I may not have all his output but certainly over half. Recently he released a 7" instrumental in collaboration with the unknown to me Al Cisneros (Om and Stream). Pillar Of Fire is a desert song, like what could have been played under Harry Dean Stanton's foray into the desert in the movie 'Paris, Texas'. The song tries to produce the deepest sounds possible on a guitar string. A guitar plays the rhythm and a bowed instrument plays an alternate lead melody. There is some percussion and other instruments augment the desolate atmosphere Edwards and Cisneros create. An instrumental track can contain pure beauty and Pillar Of Fire does just that. It's the kind of introduction that invites to further listening. I have no idea whether there's more to come than b-side 'Capernaum'.

Here We Go Again. Audiogust

Chris Evans from Seattle has chosen a good title for his first single under the name Audiogust. After twenty years at Microsoft he has picked up his old love: playing music, which he did as guitarist and bassist in a few bands in the 1980s. As Audiogust Evans takes a  trip down memory lane. Here We Go Again starts as a Smash Mouth track and develops into a Green Day light, with a chorus that can compete easily with the Bay Area punkrockers. It's funny to read the bio where Evans' music is compared to the likes of Ben Folds Five, Elliot Smith, Paramore, The Proclaimers and Barenaked Ladies. The Scottish twins of The Proclaimers are there a little at the start of the verses but the rest? I hear something totally different as you just read. That's the way music works in individual minds. Who knows what happens on the album of course, which is expected on 30 May and has the same title. Here We Go Again is an incredibly pleasant sounding pop song with just the right punky overtones. Welcome back from the software world, Mr. Evans.

I Can Do What I Want. Mei Semones

Looking at the title of this song, there seldom was a more apply titled one as far as the music goes. Mei Semones returns to the blog with her latest single I Can Do What I Want. Again, expect a rollercoaster of a song in which you never know what to expect. Like a rollercoaster ride in the dark. With lights and images popping out of nowhere illuminating the dark for just a few second. Since the fall of 2023 Brooklyn singer and musician extraordinair Mei Semones can be found on this blog. All songs have created that sense of wonder with me. What is it I'm listening to? What is she doing now? Did I hear that right? I Can Do What I Want is no different. Semones takes us through a sequence of classical music and goes straight into a rock section, to move into a Sinatra part that ends in a short burst of Zappaesque virtuosity. Where most other artist totally fly of the road to fall off of the cliff, the Black Midi singer anyone?, Mei Semones somehow stays on course and delivers the listener at the other end of her rollercoaster attraction. A whole album though? We will know in a few weeks, as het debut album 'Animaru' is released on 2 May.

Fuselage. Tom Lark

I have no idea who Tom Lark is at this moment. The fact that Flying Nun made it its record of the month is enough of a recommendation to take a listen. And justly so. Fuselage is the single from album 'Moonlight Hotel'. Fuselage is a strong with a powerful drive, without being a totally powerful song. Lark sings with a dreamy voice about being "so lost". The music is rich, varied and subtle, besides having this enormous drive forward. A little Googling tells me Tom Lark is the project of Shannon Fowler of Christchurch, who started out as a DIY bedroom musician. That certainly paid off. Fuselage is a great strummer of a song made by someone with a wide imagination where music and arrangements are concerned. There are sounds coming from everywhere it seems. Prominent, in the background, popping up to disappear and much, much more. Comparisons, no doubt there are some, but they don't do right to what I'm hearing here. I've got to listen 'Moonlight Hotel' and hear more for certain. It was released on 4 April,

Enough Is Enough. The Hives

How long ago is it that I bought a The Hives album (and played one)? Somehow enough was enough. And now the band comes with a single with that title. And it is great. Punkrock like it is supposed to be played by the Swedes. Where somewhere, a long time ago I thought the band to sound strained, Enough Is Enough has not only the energy but also the melody to convince. This song rocks and no little. Per Almqvist leads the way showing that he's not had nearly enough. The Hives is ready to take on the world after the release of 'The Hives Forever Forever The Hives' in late August. Fans of The Hives will not be disappointed by Enough Is Enough.

Gather Round. Neive Strang

Another record from New Zealand released on 4 April is Neive Strang's new album 'Find Me In The Rabbit Hole'. Gather Round is one of its singles. For a long time I've been wondering what it is in water in New Zealand, as for a relatively small country it produces so many fantastic artists. Based on Gather Round I gather to have been introduced to another one. It is a slow singer-songwriter song with a slowly strummed acoustic guitar and a brushed snare drum with a soft rimshot for the accents. A slow plopping bass does the rest for Ms. Strang. Her voice is mixed right in front of the song. There's no doubt who this song is all about. Yes, you will find minor references to other singer-songwriters from New Zealand like e.g. Ebony Lamb or Vera Ellen, but above all Neive Strang is herself. That's another album to check out soon.

(And In The End) We're All Gonna Die. Timo de Jong & The Leadbeaters

'Life sucks and then you die', is an English expression that most people will know. This song is a longer version of that expression. One that in a live situation invites everyone in the audience to cry along with the wolves in the woods. Preferably, as out of tune as possible, as that creates the best effect. I'm talking from experience here. Timo de Jong from Groningen and The Leadbeaters from Amsterdam have started a collaboration that may lead to an album later this year. For now we have this extremely nice single. De Jong is a singer-songwriter with a nice, deep singing voice, where The Leadbeaters excel in bluegrass, that specific form of country music where traditional instruments and harmony singing is the form of expression. The combination works quite well. Hearing The Leadbeaters play, I know exact;y what I've been missing in the past years with my favourite bluegrass band, The Hackensaw Boys, a violin! The Leadbeaters are strong contenders for the title. (And In The End) We're All Gonna Die is a fun song, with a promise of getting more in the future.

Loline. The Bats

What a fantastic single The Bats from New Zealand has released recently. What is it that makes it so great? There's nothing special in the chord sequence or a spectacular melody nor immense musical surprises. And yet this song ticks all my boxes. It starts with the fuzz on the rhythm guitar that gives Loline a pulse that doesn't stop. It propels the song ever forward. The rhythm section keep that pace up in a superb way making the pulse stronger and stronger. Other guitars add melody and rhythm to the song. I love that lead melody on the lead guitar, so in sync with that pulsating fuzz guitar. Later on guitar melodies tumble over one another and even a synth comes in at the end. Finally there's the singing of Robert Scott and Kaye Woodward. It's the cherry on Loline's cake. In New Zealand The Bats is rock royalty with a forty year plus track record. On this blog you can find the band since 2018. Of course thanks to that New Zealand record store/label Flying Nun. Loline, go listen to it.

CCF (I'm Gonna Stay With You). Car Seat Headrest

Car Seat Headrest started as the bedroom project of Will Toledo, who cranked out one album after the other on his Bandcamp page. The desire to play live led to the forming of the band with the same name. Toledo was joined by lead guitarist Ethan Ives, drummer Andrew Katz, and bassist Seth Dalby. When Covid struck the band had to go into hibernation, just like we all had to. Except Will Toledo developed long Covid in 2022, stopping all future plans. The band is now sort of back with an album, 'The Scolars' (2 May). It's an ambitious rock opera with songs of over 10 minutes. CCF (I'm Gonna Stay With You) is the second single announcing the album, lasting over eight minutes. It is song with a strong build up from a piano motive with percussion behind it, that slowly but surely grows into an epic rock song. CCF (I'm Gonna Stay With You) is far from a simple song. The band forces you to make an effort to listen to its single. Car Seat Headrest plays with structures and the way the tempo is filled in. It moves from empty but strongly rocking parts to a band that goes beyond full out. A song part is filled with overdubs from all sides. The band that comes to mind most is The Killers, but I will trade every The Killers song bar one, 'Somebody Told Me', for this single immediately. That tells you more than enough. If the rest of 'The Scholars' is this good, the album is a must have.

Be Laurel. Search Result

Search Result is an Irish postpunk trio from Ireland. I doubted whether to write on Be Laurel or not. I could not find the unique angle to write on the song. For that it sounds too much like a lot that came before, e.g. The Smiths. There's a lot in the way of singing of Morrissey to be found here. The music is different enough. Nothing a trio can reproduce on stage together, though. There's too much happening. Be Laurel is an erratic affair. In energy and length. 1 minute 39 seconds is all Search Result needs to make its point. The strong point is that on the one hand I realise the song is over fast but on the other so much has happened in that short time, that I tend to forget it is so short. And there are found my angle. Search Result, Adam Hoban: electric bass, electric guitar, percussion, vocals, Fionn Brennan: electric and acoustic guitar, organ, synth, vocals and Jack Condon: drums, percussion,organ, synth, acoustic guitar, vocals, is extremely intense and because of bringing it in the right doses.in Be Laurel very much worth while writing about. Album 'Go Mutant' will be released on 23 May.

Wout de Natris -van der Borght

Timo de Jong and The Leadbeaters live. Rode Bioscoop, Amsterdam, Sunday 6 April 2025

Photo: Wout de Natris

Let's get this party started. This could well be the motto of The Leadbeaters and party we did. I would never have heard of this dhow, were it not that Timo de Jong, who played in our living room in February had not announced it there. He said he was going to practice with a band in Amsterdam the next day and going to record later this year. We jotted the date down in our agenda and took the train to our capitol city.

We walked into this obviously old venue, with an atmosphere where I can imagine my grandparents walking around in when they were courting in the 1910s. Should they have been in to socialist or communist propaganda films, which I cannot imagine in any way they'd be into. Good Catholics as they were.

In the middle of the venue microphones and instruments were standing in a circle, classic bluegrass style. There were a few chairs and I made sure we got some of them. A beer for me and a glass of white wine for the ladies. We were ready for the show.

Timo de Jong opened the afternoon with three solo songs, including the great 'Ring Them Bells' and  the saddest love song about two ants ever written. His deep voice resonated nicely in the Rode Bioscoop. After these songs, he was joined by six musicians (although one came in late), on fiddle, guitar/banjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar, upright bass and charismo/triangle/spoons. Not to forget lots and lots of voices. To my surprise there were even two  familiar faces, as the bass player Thomas Olivier is a member of The Hackensaw Boys when they play in Europe and his son has been detected on stage there also.

A range of songs came by in the blue grass, cajun and folk style. Little mistakes were allowed for as it is all still new. But what an energy and what a joy to listen to, clap your hand and stomp your feet to. Not to forget sing-along to where possible or invited. There was even a The Hackensaw Boys cover, 'Listen To The Radio'. Note to self. The next time don't forget to take my snakeskin leather boots.

Photo: Wout de Natris

What became apparent during the afternoon was that my reference for this kind of music is The Hackensaw Boys, but especially the songs of former band member Ferd Moyse IV. He played the fiddle and his songs were not so much blue grass as cajun (or zydeco). I only realised this at this show.

After the break, Timo de Jong played one more song with the band, the latest single '(And In The End) We're All Gonna Die'. They had the whole audience jodeling in this ode to life with its expected outcome. Timo said farewell and that was when the party really got started. The Leadbeaters were smoking and there was no stopping them. In age ranging from anywhere between 60 and 18 the band members were really going at it. The force and stamina of the rhythm section was matched by subtlety and skill on the lead instruments. The voices sounded as if they came from deep in the bayou, with that strange sounding, highish drawl cajun singers are famous for. All in Amsterdam.

Photo: Wout de Natris

A speciality of the house are songs that start quite fast, go faster and then even more, until a moment where you expect limbs to start falling off. These are songs that become musical workouts and for some of the members it shows in the colour of their faces. It does lead to an ever more enthusiastic audience, that much is certain, but it also hurts and it shows.

What struck me most, is how much fun this music is and that it spreads joy. To players and audience alike. Some songs allow for singing along with, others strike you like a tidal wave with its brute force, while finally there is a point for rest every once in a while, though exceptions to the rule. The Leadbeaters have it all and then some.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

The best albums 2000 - 2024, 6 of 10

And then I thought, I'm missing albums here. Luckily, it turned out that I skipped this list of 10 in my list of draft posts. Not that you will notice, it just gave me a fright that despite rigorous checking album I by accident skipped some albums. I hadn't, pfff, so here is numbers 60 to 51.

60. Rough And Rowdy Ways. Bob Dylan (2020)

My album of 2020 is not found that high in this list. I can't say that I've played it a lot since then. Despite that, it remains a return to form for the old bard. The album has a great mood and most of the songs are very strong. I can't say that it would end in the top five of my favourite Bob Dylan albums. They are simply so much better. Rough And Rowdy Ways is the album no one expected to come any more and surprised in various ways. That is what makes it so good and exceptional.

 

59. A Rush Of Blood To The Head. Coldplay (2002)

One of two albums by Coldplay in this list. After A Rush Of Blood To The Head things went downwards musically quite fast. Not financially or where the band's success is concerned. I had heard the songs of this album before it was released. The Paradiso show was rescheduled to the, then, "beer hall" in Amsterdam. From 1200 to 5000 people, the demand was a lot larger than expected. The strength with which the show and later the album kicked off, 'Politik', said it all. Coldplay was going to rock harder and did. Masterpiece 'Clocks' led the way as well. The band's first big hit. Not the band's best album but still a well deserved spot in this list.

58. Love What You Do. The Hackensaw Boys (2005)

The second and last The Hackensaw Boys album in this list. In that first show I saw, see 'Keep It Simple', there was this song that made shivers run down my spine. It was on this album and is called 'Alabama Shamrock'. It is also the album that contains 'Cannonball' not the band's best song but certainly the closest it had to a hit, as it made everyone sing along in shows. Love What You Do also showed to me that this band changed members faster than the change of seasons occur. In 2024 there's only one constant left, David Sickmen, the rest are anonymous band members. My friends, are all (long) gone. What remains is an album like Love What You Do. It's the band's best.

57. Not God. Finom (2024)

A band that changes its name per album is a disaster, seen from a marketing point of view. Musically though I can't complain. Where the album under the name Ohmme was left behind on the long list, the most recent album by Sima Cunningham and Macie Stewart under the name Finom is incredibly good. From the staccato way of playing and singing right up to the exuberance on display, Not God is an album to undergo completely. In 2024 there were a few albums by women that I cherished but not a single one comes close to Not God. Whatever the name of the band is next time, if the quality is this good, who cares?! The one thing is, I need to pay attention.

 

56. Origin Of Symmetry. Muse (2001)

Muse was the last band I discovered in the 20th century. Coming home from band practice on Thursday evenings I always had to unwind before being able to sleep. I always watched 'Alter 8' for a while on MTV and it showed a song by Muse, 'Muscle Museum'. The next day I bought the album. This is the band's second album with a host of strong singles, starting with the fantastic 'Plug In Baby' with its signature riff longer than the road to Rome. Origin Of Symmetry in everything was the boss over the band's debut album 'Showbiz'. With further singles like 'New Born' and 'Bliss' Muse became a household name in alternative rock, slowly climbing to the stadium act it already is for years.

 

55. Push The Sky Away. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (2013)

My first Nick Cave album and one I bought as an LP a few years later. Why did Cave all of a sudden touch me? Good question. Most likely because I decided to download the album from The Pirate Bay because of a review I'd read. Four of the songs really got to me. Songs like 'Jubilee Street' and 'Higgs Boson Blues' just did it. It made me start listening to the man and his band for the first time. I haven't stopped since but also have not bothered to look back so far, with one exception, 'Dig Lazarus Dig'. Who knows, if I run into something second hand, I might buy some more. Push The Sky Away keeps coming by regularly, so deserves a spot here, despite not making it to my year list in 2013.

 

54. Ghosteen. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (2021)

And yet another Nick Cave album. His mourning album for his 15 year old son Arthur, who fell of a cliff. Not much later he lost a second son. Ghosteen is an impressive album but also hard to listen to, not as hard as Lou Reed's 'Berlin' but you have the picture. The album is so quiet for the most part that The Bad Seeds could well have stayed at home. Cave is pouring his heart, mind and grief out over us. Shows became therapeutic sessions for singer and audience. Musically he grew to great heights though as Ghosteen is a monument.

53. Somos. Jarabe de Palo (2014)

Somos is Pau Dones last studio album before he became ill and left the music business to die at the age of 54. On Somos he is the exuberance itself. Somos is a celebration of fun to be had in and through music. My album of 2014 is not his best album, be patient, but is so deserving of having a place here. The band is in great form and the songs show why. Somos is party time and Jarabe De Palo shares it with the whole world. By then the band didn't bother to play up here any more. The latin part of the Americas lay at the band's feet by then. And then it all came to a tragic stop. One album was to follow, not unlike David Bowie released as a surprise just before Dones' death. Let Somos be the album to remember him by.

52. Rock n Roll. Ryan Adams (2003)

There were days that a new Ryan Adams album was released by the week it seemed, so many came out. Of inconsistent quality, o.k., but never bad. One of these albums stood out for me and here it is, Rock n Roll. To me it is the Ryan Adams album. As far as the Americana artist rocked, it is here. The album is extremely varied and brings together what I truly like about Ryan Adams. Part of that is his voice, the other half how he approaches his songs on this album. Rock n Roll comes across as far more direct and that pays off. Whatever happened to and more importantly because of Adams' behaviour in later years, he never surpassed this album for me.

51. Cluster Funk. Death Goldbloom (2014)

A totally obscure band from Vancouver B.C., Death Goldbloom brings us halfway of this list. Natalie Ramsay, a singer-songwriter from Vancouver was interviewed by me and pointed me to a guitarist she thought was great and here came Cluster Funk my way. Tim Claridge and drummer Tomek lay it all down on this rock album. Claridge is a guitarist extra ordinair. Just listen to all those lead and rhythm guitar parts he lays down on the album. His voice sounds not unlike the singer of Masters of Reality, Chris Goss. Death Goldbloom mixes classic rock with elements of desert rock and electric blues. The devil, 66(6), satanic, it is all pretty dark in the Vancouver of Tim Claridge. It pays off though, as Cluster Funk is a fantastic mini album of six songs. That darkness only distracts from how Claridge and Tomek are playing. They really rock out and can turn a soft blues into a sonic storm. And then there's '66th And Crimson' the absolute top song of Cluster Funk. Check it out folks. By the way, if I remember corrected it is Natalie Ramsay you hear singing background vocals on that fantastic song '66th And Crimson'.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

The best albums 2000 - 2024, 8 of 10

We continue the list at number 80 and work up towards number 71.

 

80. In Rainbows. Radiohead (2007)

There has to be a Radiohead album in here, shouldn't there? Admittedly, I have no active recollection of In Rainbows, just the feeling that it is really good. I promise to play it again in the coming days. That will tell if my choice was correct and if not, in which direction my mistake must be found.

79. Serpentine Prison. Matt Berninger (2020)

The slow voice of The National's singer shines even more on his solo album. On an album produced by soul legend Booker T. Jones, Berninger shows himself more than on his band's albums. I could also say that Serpentine Prison was my way in to The National's recent oeuvre. (I never made it back past 2013 yet.) Serpentine Prison wins out easily though. An album to play late in the evening when nothing else is called for except for a cup of tea or a glass of red wine. Usually the first. This albums really winds me down in a very positive way,

78. Life On Other Planets. Supergrass (2002)

Supergrass was always more about enthusiasm than really it was good and producing consistent albums. Until Life On Other Planets, as far as I'm concerned. 'Zazazaza', I just love how the band sings together. This is the pinnacle of its career. 'Road To Rouen' followed and perhaps one or two more, but this was it for me. Several realy great singles in the 90s and Life On Other Planets. 

77. Heavy Flowers. Blaudzun (2012)

My first Blaudzun album and favourite. More good albums followed. In fact, the 'Jupiter' series was one of the final albums to not make it to this list. On Heavy Flowers everything seemed to come together for Blaudzun. This album should have made him a household name in a lot of countries. The album is varied, has passion, and the songs show it. Listen closely, and you will hear the influences from which Johannes Sigmund built his signature sound but you also soon forget about them, as Blaudzun is Blaudzun. A close to unique sound.

76. Skinty Fia. Fontaines DC (2022)

A late addition to the list, in part because I cannot really judge yet how good 'Romance' is going to be in some years. That put me on the tail of Skinty Fia and that it deserved a spot in this list. Two years after its release, I'm still returning to it, more than to 'A Hero's Death'. (I never got into 'Dogrel'.) Skinty Fia can still be called postpunk but you can hear a band searching for what it wants to be. In some of the lyrics the band is repeating lines like it has come in fashion for some in this decade. The message is rammed home. Looking back on the band's career so far, it may be that we are looking at postpunk's "winner", the band that will grow bigger and bigger. Skinty Fia is a significant step in that process.

 

 

75. Please Describe Yourself. Dogs Die in Hot Cars (2004)

The band that came and went. Although there was a mysterious online album, if I remember correctly. I do not think it as good as I did twenty years ago, but after Franz Ferdinand, this was my latest hot band at the time. That U.K. mix of pop and rock with an alternative post punk twist really tickled my fancy. Great songs to sing along to, to wonder about, "how did they do this"? Although the final songs on the album are not as good as the rest before it, the band has scored a few classic songs that should be heard on the radio regularly, but are not. 'Lounger' and especially 'I Love You Cause I Have To' are among the finest songs this century so far. If you don't know this band, check it out.

74. Ultraviolence. Lana del Rey (2014)

One of the superstars of the 10s and 20s, is the mysterious Lana del Rey. On her second album, under her alias, she worked together with The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach. It paid off, as this is an album where she comes forward more directly. It can't be called rock, but in Ms del Rey's universe it is. Auerbach made her explore a side of herself she must dislike, as she never went back to it. The albums afterwards are becoming more interchangeable, but as you will find out, there's one that is not.

73. Keep It Simple. The Hackensaw Boys (2002)

There is not a band that I came closer to ever than The Hackensaw Boys, once from Charlottesville, Virginia. Visiting backstage, hang out together in the streets, my then 10-year old being taught 'Blackbird' in the dressing room and playing it in another circa ten years later after David Sickmen returned to the band. Played on the same guitar a well Friends is a big word, but certainly close. It all started with a show in the Q-Bus in Leiden, two years after the release of Keep It Simple. Bluegrass in a mix of traditional and modern, fast and slow, like an engine's pistons pumping. Keep It Simple holds it all. Many of its songs still highlight the band's shows today. The title song, 'Jonah, 'Ruby Pearl', 'Dance Around' and 'Nashville' are great songs.

72. Everyone Smiles. The Maureens (2024)

The Maureens' second album on this list. The most recent and its best. The songs simply are next level. The blend of music seems to come together just this little bit more, the melodies are stronger, the harmonies even better. The band took its time releasing the new album, but said goodbye to its lead-guitarist after the recordings. The years it took to make this album were well spent, as Everyone Smiles is an album that puts a smile on the face of everyone listening to it.

71. The Nightly Disease. Madrugada (2001)

Madrugada's second album. Although I only got to know the debut album 'Industrial Silence' this century, the official year of its release is 1999. On The Nightly Disease the band's sound is just more suave. The recording better. Not that it is perse the better album. However, with songs like 'Dead End Mind' on board, a place in this list is secured. The show following this album, I think in the Melkweg in Amsterdam was the best I ever saw by the band. The sound was so well balanced and not too loud, that all shows afterwards were a little disappointing because of it. Four more albums followed, including the comeback album of a few years ago. They all did not make it to this list, although for two it came very close.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght