Harbour Festival Heemstede. Wednesday 24 June 2026

Two rotary clubs organised a festival at the harbour of Heemstede paid for by sponsors while all proceeds will go to a good cause, poor children in Haarlem. For my own band Sweetwood, it was a new experience to see our band name on billboards and flyers all over Heemstede. For an amateur band to be on the same bill as (semi-)professional artists is quite something.

The day was extremely warm. In fact it was hot and I felt truly sorry for the people who have been working all day to put everything up and to take it down again late in the evening. It also showed that the location at the harbour of Heemstede lends itself really well for activities like this. People come in by bike or on foot and the more fortunate people sail in with their sloop and watch the festivities from the water.

The festival opened with Haarlem based singer-songwriter Yorick van Norden. Van Norden is fairly well known at national level, as he can be heard on the radio and seen on tv. Besides that, he is also seen as an expert on The Beatles' music. I've seen him perform in the open air theater Caprera in Bloemendaal where he also introduced the film 'The Last Waltz' that was played on a big screen on nice spring evening. He started his show with a very appropriate song, 'Here Comes The Sun'. And did that sun come! I was already soaking wet from just setting everything up and soundchecking. Alternating between his own songs and another cover, David Bowie's 'Space Oddity', Van Norden played a short but very pleasant set. Accompanying himself on a beautiful acoustic guitar, he made a great impression for far too little people paying attention.

The third act was Amsterdam "volkszanger" Danilo Kuiters. His kind of music, is totally not mine. Perhaps because of that, I had never heard his name before. To my surprise there were a lot of people who could sing along to his songs and having a great time. That was deserved, because the music in a setting like this can put a smile on faces, including mine. Most "volkszangers" performed with a tape in the old days and today perform with a usb stick containing the music and sing live over it. Unfortunately this went wrong somewhere, because at some point the electricity failed and kept failing every time things were reset, so Kuiters could not finish his intended set.

The headliner was the Hermes House Band. This band started 45 years ago and has had over 140 members through the years. The members are all from the Rotterdam student fraternity Hermes, its house band. So, the version we saw were students with an average age of what, 21, 22 years?, including three singers and two horns. If I heard correctly, the bassist played his second show and the keyboard player his last. These youngsters are all so good, at an age that I did not even think I would ever play in a band, in fact, did not play an instrument. They were joined by a veteran member for a few songs, who still knew all the moves, suggesting the choreography does not change either. The repertoire is most likely what that first versions of the band must have played, all disco songs from the 70s and 80s. Almost all played in a somewhat faster version than the original. The audience, average age at a minimum 50, danced like they used to, despite the heat. I think there was only one song I could not sing along with and there was a Bruno Mars and an Avici song from 10s. The band's claim to fame, was its version of the Gloria Gaynor's 1979 (and 1988) hitsingle 'I Will Survive'. The band scored a huge hit in 1994 with 'I Will Survive (La La La)' by taking one of the horn lines in the background of the original and turned it into a prominent vocal line. It accompanies each goal football club Feyenoord scores at a home match. Of course they kept it for last. Before it, one hit song after the other, in the form of full songs, shorter renditions and medleys, was fired at the audience, with an enthusiasm and energy that was incredible and certainly under these extreme circumstances. If you want to build a huge party, this is your band.

And Sweetwood? I can only write about ourselves that we were very happy with our set. We proved that we can handle a podium like this. Our repertoire is very diverse and except for our slow blues songs, we played some of all else. The audience responded, sang along, clapped to the rhythm when invited. What more can you ask for as a cover band. So, if you are looking for party but slightly more modest than the Hermes House Band provides, come to us.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Black and Blue 50th Anniversary. The Rolling Stones

Forty nine and a half years ago my parents took me on a roadtrip to the south of the U.K., including two uncles and aunts and a niece. That spring The Rolling Stones had released a new album called 'Black And Blue', and I would be allowed to buy the album there. It cost two pound sixty nine pence. a lot cheaper than at home it was. It was my first Stones album, followed within a few months by 'Goat's Head Soup' and Get Your Ya-ya's Out.

On the radio pirate station 'Mi Amigo' the new single of The Rolling Stones was announced and played, 'Hey Nigrita'. It turned out that the leaked song was not the single. One week later 'Fool To Cry' was played. Both songs were a bit of a shock for the young Stones fan I was. But then, I only knew a few singles at the time and that was it.

Black And Blue is often displayed as a weak intermediate album by a band that had to reinvent itself after guitarist Mick Taylor had left the band in 1974. Now I have always found Black And Blue a very strong album. An album on which the band dared to experiment with a host of styles. It was far removed from the formalistic band it would become from the 80s onwards, until 2023 that is.

Through the years I've always returned to it. To my 1976 album with that great cover or to the cd I bought decades later. And now my third version with the extra cd entered the home. The album got the Steven Wilson remix treatment. Yes, I have the idea that I'm hearing things (better) than before. Elements in the music have been brought forward.to garner the attention they deserve. I also experience a guitar more up front that I would not have minded had it remained more obscured, but that is a minority. Mostly the album sounds great.

Years ago I wrote that dying means never to be able to listen to 'Melody' again. And although I received a return message that we can never know, I'm not hopeful in that respect. So, I'm enjoying it while I can. 'Melody', did Billy Preston write parts or most of it?, remains the dirtiest song the Stones ever recorded.  That dragging tempo, the way the piano picks up the song, the guitar accents, the singing between Mick Jagger ad Billy Preston is masterly. Jagger sings as if he's on her trail and ready to kill. And then near the end the horns come in for a support slot that hammers the song home. It is one of band's best songs, if not the best.

With 'Memory Motel' the album contains one of the best ballads of the band. It is a song I just love to hear and sing along to. Let's not forget 'Fool To Cry'. Another superb ballad with Jagger turning his voice inside out. He had found his falsetto voice and wanted the world to know it.

With 'Hot Stuff' and 'Hey Negrita' the album has explorations into funk and with 'Cherry O Baby' into reggae. All while remaining The Rolling Stones. David Bowie with help of no less than John Lennon had released 'Fame' in 1975. The Stones recorded these forays into other musical styles in 1975. Ten years plus into the band's career, it was time for another change. It did the band a host of good.

(As an almost post scriptum. This Tuesday Jimmy Cliff died. It made me realise that he was one of two artists who introduced me to reggae, without me understanding to be listening to reggae in a conscious way. With 'I Shot The Sheriff', Eric Clapton's 1974 hit single, 'Cherry Oh Baby, was my second return to the music. Not much later Bob Marley and Peter Tosh started to score hits and UB 40 entered the musical scene.)

Finally, there are two straightforward rockers, 'Hand Of Fate' and 'Crazy Mama', so the fans of old would have a handle to hold on to. Especially 'Hand of Fate' is a very strong song. All together the songs make for a great album in which the band branched out in a very successful way.

On the second cd the already released 'Shame Shame Shame' can be found. The Stones turned the Shirley & Company number 1 hit into a fun Rolling Stones song with Jagger enjoying himself no little. His explorations into the nightlife of NYC were paying themselves back here. The second new song 'Love Letters' is a soul track, a nice to have but not a must have.

The jams with the guitarists who did not become the new member are nice to hear but not exceptional. All together this makes the re-release of Black And Blue far less urgent than e.g. 'Goat's Head Soup' and 'Tattoo You' as the additional cd there contained truly good songs, that would have made one great record together, say as 'Tattoo You Too'.

The clear sound of the new mix does make it of interest to buy the album. Steven Wilson did a very good job here. It provides a very good excuse to play my old fave album a few more times once again.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Frank Farian (1941 - 2024)

German singer and producer died in Miami last week. A man responsible for a huge string of hits. Songs I hated one by one at the time but are etched in my brain. From 'Rocky' to 'Daddy Cool' and 'Ma Baker', etc., etc., they are there and I can't get rid of them.

Everybody knows the story of Boney M and Milli Vanilli, so I'm not going to repeat them. In 2024 I have to admit that a lot of Boney M hits are a lot cleverer than I gave them credit for in the 1970s. What I will share with you is an anecdote. Something my now well grown up son started on when we saw each other today as well.

In 2005 we were on holiday in the Czech Republic. Having come out of the High Tatras in Slovakia we were somewhere in the east of the Czech Republic, close to the border. Eating a pizza in the very empty village square. While we had set ourselves down and had ordered I noticed that the same song played again and then again and again. It was Boney M's 'Rasputin'. The waiters did not speak a single word across their border and even pointing to the music's source did not help. The only other people eating pizza were another Dutch family. We found they had no ear for music as they hadn't noticed it at all.

We had finished our meal and paid. On leaving the restaurant I heard them stop the music and put on something else. 'Rasputin' for over an hour has something comical but is also extremely challenging I can tell you.

On hearing of Farian's death, my son played 'Rasputin' and concluded the song is a perfect history lesson. More artists ought to be so accurate, he noted. People may actually learn something from music.

Wout de Natris

2023 Week 48, 10 singles

Week 48, the end of 2023 is coming near fast and surely. Another year over and what have we achieved? As a blog not more than a truckload of reviews on new music. Hopefully a few people decided to listen and buy an album or song. The final musical words will come a month from now with the traditional end of year lists. This week we focus on another single from the oldest and greatest band still active, but mostly new names that have not been on this blog (often) before. More than enough to discover, I'd say.

Can't Believe We're Here. J Mascis

J. Mascis, that is Dinosaur Jr fame of course. Decades of music and you will not find anything of it in my home. I never caught on to the band and here is a single on the blog, sort of out of nowhere. Can't Believe We're Here is an alternative pop-rock song, with a hint of a lot that came out of Boston three decades and more ago and one of R.E.M. in the way the acoustic guitar is played. The mix makes for an attractive single that is in a darkish way very optimistic. That acoustic guitar and the sus notes it plays take care of that. The guitar solo fits very well, as it lets in a little extra darkness. The whole makes for a solid sound, built up from a very solid drum sound. Last words, I learned something thanks to the video. You pronounce the man's family name as Mascis, with the c as a k.

Mess It Up (Purple Disco Mix). The Rolling Stones

Why would a band like The Rolling Stones mix a new song as if it is 1978? Pretending as if 'Miss You' has never happened. Good question, no answer really. Mess It Up certainly has a 'Miss You' vibe the whole of the time. The song already was the disco song of 'Hackney Diamonds' and a very good one at that. Like most of the songs on the new Stones album it has an unexpected twist that makes it a very attractive song to listen to. Even in this old-fashioned disco version. In the mix there even is a sequence Donna Summer would have been very happy with at the 'Hot Stuff' and 'Bad Girls' time. In other words, Mess It Up can go for it with the best disco hits of the late 70 and early 80. Just listen to that bass going for it. The additions of all the keyboards work really, really well. And the star of show? Of course, that's Mick Jagger who still thinks he's on the dance floor of Studio 54 in NYC, late 70s. And you know what? He gets away with it gloriously. I don't know how he does it, but at an age many a man walks with a stick or far, far worse. He is sounding like a 20 or 30 something. No, not looking it, granted. This disco version of an already very danceable song is a true winner and after knowing it now for over a month, it's better than 'Miss You'.

Wakare No Kotoba. Mei Semones

A new signing to Bayonet Records from New York releases her first single on the label. Be prepared for several surprises from the American singer of Japanese descent. Surprises because the music holds surprising little cascades played by Mei Semones on her guitar and surprises because despite all the little weirdnesses in the song, the melody remains intact, always. Surprises, because of the music swelling to bigger proportions and fading away once again. Surprises because of the violin joining the guitar cascades. Together they make Wakare No Kotoba, "parting words", a very nice introduction to Mei Semones' music. No doubt we will hear more from a very soon.

First Of June. Tim McCoy

How to call the music Tim McCoy makes? It contains sped up country, without becoming rock and roll. It has a clear punk attitude without actually being punk. It's Americana but with punk built in. All sorts of genres rubbing sides and spitting out Tim McCoy. The singer and bass player played in several bands over the years (and his voice shows it), like Watts, a band familiar to this blog. McCoy has worked over several years to produce his first solo outing. First Of June is one of the singles released from the upcoming album 'Best Of Us, Worst Of Us, All Of Us' (8 December on Rum Bar). Tim McCoy most likely never made it into the Wiener Sängerknaben, his voice fits this kind of music perfectly. Both have an edge that in the end lead to a great party to be had by all. The rhythm is so enthusiastic that my mind's eye shows partying people at the shows Tim McCoy and band are going to play soon. All shouting "na na nana nana na" together.

Extended Play. The Mistons

This five song EP goes off like the firecracker The Mistons sing about on 'Brika Braka'. The EP is presented to me in alphabetical order I notice and this song is the right one to put a punkrocker fan like me on alert. Whatever happens next, no one is going to take the ride 'Brika Braka' is from me. The Mistons is a trio from Portland, Oregon with a long history in music. Started as a duo in 2017, Sean Croghan and Micah Kassell, they are for this record joined by bassist Scott Fox. The result is a storm that is being cooked to a higher pressure and caught on tape by Adam Lee. Most songs have this load of energy that is shared with the listener. It is not just about making noise. The Mistons know how to write a song and what makes a song attractive. Not only to listen to but to sing along to as well. There are more than enough references to find in the music, from recently all the way into the 1980s and even 1960s garage rock. It's all in there and above all the enthusiasm of The Mistons itself. 'Wait A Minute','Contagious', there all more than just good songs. Fans of this kind of music know enough, so go and check it out.

Lianne Ging Op Reis. Winston

Afgelopen zomer daalde ik spectaculair of naar de plaats Kotor. De volgende dag legde er een cruiseschip aan dat het hele Middeleeuwse stadje aan het oog onttrok. Waarom is dit relevant, omdat op de cover van Lianne Ging Op Reis zo'n schip staat afgebeeld. De nieuwe single van Winston is een uitermate prettig popnummer. Heel anders dan waar ik me op had ingesteld. Het is een braaf nummer, dat in een iets ouderwetser arrangement een nummer van Louis Neefs of Rudi Carrell kunnen zijn. En toch werkt het, zoals ik 'Ein Kleines Kompliment' of 'Een Muis In Een Molen In Mooi Amsterdam' nooit van mijn leven meer uit mijn hoofd krijg. Winston bespeelt hetzelfde sentiment merk ik. Het nummer gaat over een vrouw die aan haar laatste reis begint, tot aan "het bezoekje van Magere Hein" en alles wat daar vanaf het vertrek tijdens gebeurt. Simon Alice René werkt samen met een aantal bevriende muzikanten en dat levert een mix op van Spinvis en popmuziek van alle jaren die het nummer een mix van verwachting en nostalgie geeft. Lianne Ging Op Reis is op vele manier volledig geslaagd.

Het Was Maar Een Jaar. De Held

Na 'Meisjezoet' eerder dit jaar staat De Held, in het meer dagelijkse leven bekend als Jo Jacobs, opnieuw op dit blog. Het Was Maar Een Jaar is een persoonlijk nummer, "een jaar dat wij niet eens samen waren". De titel geeft wel reden tot nadenken. Zeker nu het jaar er alweer bijna op zit. Die bespiegelingen zal ik u besparen. Niet die over de nieuwe single van De Held. Dat is namelijk een heerlijke popsingle, die zeker past in een lange lijst van popmuziek, maar tegelijkertijd door de stem van Jacobs een heel eigen karakter krijgt. Denk een klein beetje aan Henny Vrienten, dat helpt om u nieuwsgierig te maken, hoop ik. De akoestische gitaar is het instrument van De Held. Dat is de basis, slag en solo, begeleid door bas en drums. Het is genoeg om de stem van Jo Jacobs tot volle wasdom te laten komen. Kortom, na 'Meisjezoet' is er een tweede single om te genieten van nieuw werk van De Held.

Easier Done Then Said. The Tearaways

When a band can tell it has a legend in its ranks, that always makes it easier to get some attention sooner. Blondie drummer Clem Burke is a member of The Tearaways and the video shows it. 45 years ago Burke ruled the musical world as drummer for one of the sexiest women in (punk)rock. The all male The Tearaways contend for the purest popsong imaginable with Easier Done Than Said. The subtle notes suspending and diminishing chords for the whole of the song, makes for little melodies that are extremely pleasant to listen to. The Byrds and The Beatles of the mid-1960s are all over the song. In the Rickenbacker guitar sound, the perfect harmonies and the mix of the mood going up and down in the vocals. Think 'Ticket To Ride' or 'Eight Days A Week'. These are the kind of songs Easier Done Than Said reminds me of. In this decade the pop rock songs of Brad Marino come very close. John “Fin” Finseth, bass, vocals, Greg Brallier, rhythm guitar, vocals, David Hekhouse, lead guitar with a little help from Benmont Tench on organ know exactly what a perfect pop song takes. And this is one alright. It's no doubt much easier to write a review on the song than to write and arrange it.

Secret Second Moon. Leon Frear

Sometimes it takes a lot of changes to get a life back on the rails and it seems that Leon Frears managed to just do that. The process resulted in this single, announcing his upcoming album 'Wild Rice' (2 February). Second Secret Moon is a rock song that sounds both modern and traditional. Frear sings like he has put the reverb of a surf guitarist on his voice, yet rocks like it is 2023, which it is. The combination of the tough drum sound that starts and props up the song for the whole of the way and the voice are the two anchors of Secret Second Moon. Everything else plays around the two and that makes the song not only stand out, it is what is making it so good. The guitars and bass play second fiddle. It is a bit of a mystery to me who Leon Frear was before he moved to Chicago and changed his name but there are links to the 1980s in his music. It is a hint at most. Secret Second Moon is as timeless as it is modern. After my initial hesitation, which lasted for about one minute into the song, I found I could not stop listening it. In about two months we will know more what Leon Frear has in store for us.

Lunar Eclipse. The Vaccines

The Vaccines and WoNoBlog go right back to the beginning and here's the latest single of the band. Lunar Eclipse sounds both familiar and fresh. The band blends pop and rock, blandness and energy, the ordinary with brilliance. Just listen how clever this song is arranged. The seemingly superficial verses versus the so extremely good choruses and that pre-chorus bridging the two. Lunar Eclipse is such a clever song. The Vaccines simply can't and don't go wrong here. In fact it may be its best song since 'Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)'. On 24 January the new album, 'Pick-Up Full Of Pink Carnations' sees its release. On the basis of the three singles so far, it is almost impossible for it to disappoint.

Wout de Natris

Week 36 2023, 10 singles

You must have lived underneath a stone in the past week to have missed the enormous campaign the oldest rock band in the world launched to announce its latest single and album. Attention guaranteed and the raucous deserved, as the new song is vibrant. The nine other songs deserve attention as well, so keep on reading!
 

Angry. The Rolling Stones

Wednesday 6 September some minutes after four o'clock CET a giant riff, classic Stones style, goes out over You Tube. The world premiere of Angry and I'm there. Skipped a final part of a meeting to be present. How many more times will there be a release of a Stones single? (Although in the interview with Jimmy Fallon preceding the premiere Keith mentioned two albums have been recorded, including two songs with Charlie Watts, one of them with Bill Wyman on bass.) At first listen two things struck me. One is the urgency of the sound. Yes, it is a 'Start Me Up' kind of riff, the song is not a formulaic Stones track. It really, really moves into sweet territory like in the old days and in a way that '(Has Anybody) Seen My Baby' and especially 'Saint Of Me' do in the bands later career. Angry holds the anger of the title and yet drifts away from it, to be balled together in the outro were anger turns to rage. This is all first impression, fresh off the first listen. I am totally surprised and fully pleased and found myself clapping my hands softly in front of my computer when the video was over. 'Hackney Diamonds' the album is called and it's out on 20 October. About the album Mick Jagger said to Jimmy Fallon we go into the studio first to please ourselves and "we're pleased". It may well be that the fans are too.

Grønland. Vor-Stellen

Nice to meet you too, Vor-Stellen. The first single by this trio from New Zealand is both intriguing as trance inducing. It lasts a little over five minutes but appears endless in the way the rhythm keeps going and going. Other elements are added, a female voice, a bass playing the same three notes over and over. The rhythm reminds me of The Stone Roses et al immediately. Danceable without being a dance track as such. Steve Reay and Brendan Moran were on this blog under the name avoid!avoid and the album 'Particles and Waves' (2016). Together with Jared Johanson they've formed Vor-Stellen and recorded an album called 'Parallelograms' that was released on the 8th. If Grønland is anything to go by, expect to dance to hypnotic music.

Fourth Of July. Steve Conte

Fourth Of July rocks but is a pop gem in disguise. Steve Conte was able to find all the right options hidden within the original idea for this song, that he wrote with Andy Partridge of XTC fame. Where XTC always hid the pop element in their songs in complexer rhythms and oft estranging melodies, here they shine. XTC comes forth in the solo and the main riff for example, while in the rest of the song it is 60s pop that rules. As far as I'm aware, Steve Conte came into my life with the Leather Catsuit mini album, containing that fantastic rocker 'Piece Of The Pie' that he wrote for Kim Olin. Fourth Of July is far more playful, while at the same time having that sing-a-long factor. The song is full with rich details to explore while listening more often. I guarantee you, it is very much worth doing.

In The City. Linnea's Garden (feat. Carissa Johnson)

Linnea's Garden returns with a nice poppy single to this blog. There are a few different sides to the song. 1) It has a fine reminder of the Two Tone ska records of the late 70s, 2) but also Blondie's later hits like 'Call Me'. 3) There's a nice disco synth sound woven in for good measure. 4) The song includes a nice psychedelic solo, seemingly slowing the whole song down. 5) The verse sets it all nicely apart. 6) Carissa Johnson, who recently released a deluxe version of her album 'Blues Hour', that ought to have made these pages but did not, sings a duet with Linnea Herzog. She adds a tougher part to In The City. Adding this all up, Linnea's Garden has released a somewhat surprising but totally convincing single to her oeuvre.

Unchained. Erny Belle

"Baby, it's in the water", Erny Belle (Aimee Renata) sings in her new single Unchained. I've been wondering what it is in the water of New Zealand, as bands from this relatively small country on the edge of the world are releasing one amazing album after another. This single is no exception to this observation. It may be a direct line to an artist like Aldous Harding what can be heard here, the quality of this song is beyond reproach. A slow chord progression, a soft rhythm and long held notes is all Erny Belle needs to deliver her beautiful lyrics. When the drums come in after the first chorus the song is given some energy and a mild oomph, I'm all but floored by Erny Belle. It seems like the girls are winning out more and more in my record collection.

The Trench Coat Museum. Yard Act

Where have the football coaches wearing a trench coat gone to? Retirement, placed in this museum I suppose, replaced by fashionistas because of contracts and big, big money. Yard Act debuted not that long ago on this blog. My initial enthusiasm for its album was replaced by oblivion and then enter a new single with the weird name The Trench Coat Museum. I had to get used to it but was convinced within a few minutes. Yard Act gets the groove right and all the interesting things coming with that groove. The light and the shade is there. Dynamics is a important ingredient of The Trench Coat Museum. Yes, the post punk is still there but also guitar histrionics of a to be Adrian Belew, great percussion and electronic beats. If the song is extended for the video or truly has a 12" length, I don't know. Like (almost) all 12", things get a bit tedious but that is a matter of taste. Before that moment kicks in, Yard Act will have your body moving.

Elvis In The Army. A. Savage

I almost discarded Elvis In The Army. Just in time I got into the punky groove of A. Savage's single announcing his solo album 'Several Songs' (6 October). Savage is a member of the band Parquet Courts, not unknown to this blog (and my cd collection). I was not aware of this link until I decided to write on the song and read up in the bio. Elvis In The Army, we're talking 1958 or something here, is an elementary song. Guitar, bass, drums, voice, all connecting to that groove, with the bass escaping here and there for a great melody run. Now Elvis' stint in the army led to his marriage with Priscilla, so where will things lead for A. Savage. I can't help but wonder. What I'm so glad to notice, as so often, that a "simple" song can have this impact. There are a million songs like this, that do nothing to me. This groove does. I can ride it forever. And then it stops with a verse, an original choice.

Alley Light. Squirrel Flower

Single two of Ella Williams' upcoming album and again bull's eye. Alley Light is more a ballad. With a little imagination I'd even call it an alt.country rocker. An alternative and tough one. Can ballads rock? No, they can't but if anyone came close with an effort to do so, Squirrel Flower qualifies. The guitars sound tough, as do bass and drums behind them. The tempo ranges somewhere in the middle bringing the song closer into ballad territory. Williams sings it with a slow voice, she's not in a hurry to deliver her song about taking another girl out. The way Alley Light starts, with a loud guitar, seems to announce a stark rocker but her singing is longing, wishing, despite that she often is in a hurry, as she sings "I can never take it slow". This song isn't and really does the job. Whatever we decide to call it, a good song is a good song. Alley Light is.

Lucy. Brad Marino

More music by Brad Marino is always welcome. The New Hampshire singer-guitarist manages to contain his favourite music in around two minutes each song and give you the idea to listen to a song at least a minute longer. It contains it all. Verse-chorus-bridge-solo and always catchy from the get go. Lucy is one of them. A song that sounds deceptively simple and familiar. Marino no doubt lends a little here and there but always in an original way. Lucy is no exception. Listen to the song once and you're singing along. If anything, if Fountains of Wayne ever want to reform, I know who the replacement of Adam Schlesinger could be. Don't be fooled, Lucy is craftmanship, Brad Marino the artisan.

Give It Up. Geoff Palmer

Coincidences almost do not exist. Marino's former band mate Geoff Palmer comes next. Palmer is about to release a new record as well. The t-shirt in the video is a dead giveaway for what to expect. The punksong really goes down well. Not even close to two minutes and it's all over. Repetition is the word here. The chorus is nothing else than the title of the song over and over. Singing along becomes almost mandatory this way. Like in A. Savage's single a little higher in this post, it is the bass that is stealing the show here. Kurt Baker's fingers are running all over the frets, providing a lot of extra excitement to Give It Up. You do not have to be a punk connoisseur to recognise a little The Ramones in the single. Geoff Palmer uses the influence to his advantage and creates his own excitement along the way.

Wout de Natris

2023. Week 26, 10 singles

We are half way through 2023, believe it or not. The sun is backtracking already for more than a week. It's even raining today. Yet, I'm sitting here in my short pants and a polo shirt enjoying the summer anyway. This week some bands return to the blog, some make their first appearance. Even Bo Diddley does, in an indirect way. So, go and find out what's all in there.

Sally H. Alamo Race Track

After years of silence, in 2023 Alamo Race Track's breakthrough album 'Black Cat John Brown' was re-released and the band toured after it this last spring. At the same time a new album was announced for fall this year and with Sally H. the first single is shared with the world. Expect pop in a lot of guises. Mid-60s psychedelia, The Beatles, indie pop and loads of melody, voices and instruments. Like a lot of the best songs of these eras Sally H. is just as poppy as it is melancholy. It is the mix that makes this song stand out successfully. More than twenty years after the start of the Amsterdam band there's still a lot of life in it.

Ramones & Stones. Brad Marino

Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, Tommy, Mick, Keith, Brian, Charlie, that's all Brad Marino needs. (Where's Bill or have I missed something?) Marino rocks out for less than two minutes and all is clear for the world. The song is more Ramones than Stones, that much is clear. All I'm missing here is "one, two, three, four" after which the song kicks in. Ramones & Stones is tight, punk, and in your face. Like The Ramones can't make it anymore, as all original members died, far too early, I have to add. This song is a great tribute to an original band that still speaks volumes to a lot of people. Without ever having sold albums in numbers that The Stones did, nor scored big hits, The Ramones are the standard for many band after them and to come. Perhaps, even more than The Stones are. This single show just that. The Kinks and The Beatles though? I'm keeping them if you don't mind, Brad. They are truly my bands as well.

In The City ft. Carissa Johnson. Linnea's Garden

Be surprised and hear the disco in Linnea's Garden's new single. Not that in The City is an obvious disco song, far from even. The rhythm is unmistakable though. As is the little synth effect just before and in the chorus. Think a small sister version of the huge synth in ABBA's 'Gimme Gimme Gimme'. In The City adds a psychedelic interlude in the guitar solo with (I think) a flanger effect on the guitar, giving it a wobbly, spacey sound. With In The City Linnea Herzog is experimenting with her sound and rather successful as well. Her duet with Carissa Johnson pays off too. The two, different voices give the song something extra, as a duet should. In the verse it is the twangy country guitar that is surprising in hindsight, after the disco drums and synth come in in the chorus. Overhearing it all, In The City surprises on a few levels and gets better by the spin. Welcome back on this blog, Linnea.

Allison Wonderland. Apricity

"Nana nana", the oh so simple yet so effective singing draws the listener straight into the 90s style rock song of Scottish-Canadian singer Apricity. With Ben Healey's guitar backing her up and the bottom end in the able care of bassist Thomas McKay and drummer Davide DiRenzo the song becomes huger than huge in their hands. The story is inspired by Lewis Carroll's famous story about a girl who wants to live in the wonderland. The video, a big production, 30 years ago promised high rotation. Does this even exist anymore? It shows scenes inspired by the book and movie and the flipside of living in a dreamworld, as in real world response to it. Apricity produced a very convincing rock single. Allison Wonderland is a great song borrowing from a lot of things from the past, including a small part where a grunter could have appeared with ease. It's all there but the winning element is the pop vibe that comes with it all. A nice single Allison Wonderland is.

Come With Us. Children of the Sün

Album 'Roots' received a positive reception in this blog a little of a year ago. The Swedish rockers return with a stand alone single in the late spring of 2023. The single brings back a lot of memories from my teenage years when all sort of rock bands started to break big. From Dutch symphonic rockers Earth & Fire to U.S. bands like Heart and Fleetwood Mac (also haling from the U.K. of course). Come With Us is not just a copycat song. The obvious fun the Swedish rockers have in playing it, adds the energy the song needs and because of it an element of Children of the Sün. The six piece, with the ladies winning 4 to 2, led by a singer with a huge voice. Josefina Berglund Ekholm is the kind of lead singer any rock band can only dream of. Supported by three other voices, it makes a song like Come With Us, "to the sun", interesting on different levels. Vocally there are many options while musically the sound is all ready big and bigger. The Swedes rock like Heart did on its first two album with songs like 'Magic Man' and 'Barracuda'. Come With Us is in direct competition, also in quality. Who starts playing the song on the radio over here? It deserves it.

For Your Love. The Dreggs

The Dreggs is a duo from Australia playing folk songs with an acoustic guitar and a banjo. There's no doubt which band inspired The Dreggs to start playing: Mumford & Sons. The good news is that I like my introduction to The Dreggs better than any of the songs by the U.K. band that for a few years were one of the biggest bands on this planet. Paddy Macrae and Zane Harris are from the Sunshine Coast in Australia with a great liking for the ocean coming together with the shore there. For Your Love is an upbeat song of the kind that should come with living in sunshine for most of the year. At the same time the song knows a longing for something that for both Macrae and Harris is still unfulfilled. The love of children that are not yet born, is the theme of For Your Love. Caught in an upbeat folk song, driven by the banjo and the drums rhythm, the yearning for love is very acute. In August The Dreggs can be found in NL, without a debut album in sight (yet).

Everything Unspoken. Oscar Lang

Not long ago Oscar Lang found his way to this blog for the first time, since one single after the other is being released. This is the third, if I counted correctly, and of the kind deserving a spot. Everything Unspoken is an up tempo psychedelic song somewhere between rock and pop. Lang starts and ends the song with a gamelan kind of sound, adds an acoustic guitar, before that tempo kicks in. Although that tempo is what I noticed first, it is much worthwhile to listen behind it, as Everything Unspoken is extremely rich in sounds and small melodies. It's the kind of song that will still divulge surprises years after listening for the first time. There's so much happening that my ears simply can not keep up. From a three note sequence that is repeated throughout the song, to weird atmospherics moving in and out, it all has its place in Everything Unspoken. For the second time in three songs Oscar Lang surprises me. Three more weeks before 'Look Now' hits the stores.

Feet Up. My Ugly Clementine

My Ugly Clementine returns to the blog with a nice rocker. Is it me or is there some Wet Leg in the song? The lyrics certainly bring some of the Isle of Wight band to mind. Which is fine, as 'Wet Leg' was my favourite album of 2022. The Vienna threesome, Sophie Lindinger, Mira Lu Kovacs and Nastasja Ronck, manage to present a seriously rocking song like it is just fun and not simply good. Feet Up has a few elements that stand out. Good singing, a nice beat on the hi-hat, and a descending guitar run, enough to make a song special. The band literally sings about having their feet up. It's nice but boring, rhyming to icecream from the store. The interlude where the rhythm disappeared, underscores the boredness, before the party goes off anyway, as it does not take a lot of imagination to see a venue or field get off on the final section of the song, with its discolike rhythm. Just one question. Why in this time of woke, are more and more female bands and singers tape nude videos? I don't get it.

Tilt-A-Whirl. The Gypsy Moths

Is there anything wrong with a straightforward rock song? No, there isn't as The Gypsy Moths show on its latest single Tilt-A-Whirl. The Bostonian band is not your average band. It has a saxophone player as dominant as the one on Bowie's 'Absolute Beginners'. It gives the rock and roll a soul injection that works really well. I'm even reminded of Dexys Midnight Runners mach 1 with great hits like 'Geno' and 'There There My Dear'. Tilt-A-Whirl has that same kind of aliveness, while musically certainly different from the northern soul Dexys was emulating in 1980. Besides, Steve O'Brien is a rock singer with a great voice. Together with Scott Miller's double tracked sax he draws the most attention but listen behind them and notice the warm Hammond sound and some tinkered piano notes here and there played by Mark Donahue. The other three play a serving role but are part of a great song. In fact the more I'm hearing it the more I notice and the better the song becomes. Tilt-A-Whirl spells hit in my world.

Hey Bo Diddley. The Mono Kids

I'm one of the persons who was present in time in "far-away" Lochem to hear and see Bo Diddley play in 1984 at the now long-extinct festival with the same name. To see Jack Bruce and Friends play live after having seen Bruce on Rockpalast Nacht. I had no real idea who Diddley was, except one of the rock and roll greats, mentioned usually in one go with Muddy Waters, which in hindsight is quite odd. I remember thinking after a few songs that it all sounded the same, which is actually true. Diddley died 15 years ago on June 2nd and that led to Eindhoven's The Mono Kids to cover Diddley's signature song Hey Bo Diddley. The song may be recorded in the lo-fi style of The Mono Kids, the energy that is part of Bo Diddley's song is there alright. The duo does the song totally right and gets Bo Diddley a little out of the obscurity he has descended into for decades. I had sort of forgotten all about him. Yet truth be told that stop-start-stop-start rhythm that is truly his, is exciting, for three songs at a time, agreed, but his for sure. And Hey Bo Diddley in this new version shows it.

Wout de Natris

Personal Trainer live. Paradiso Amsterdam, Friday 10 February 2023

Photo: Wout de Natris

After my first Personal Trainer show I left Paradiso with only one question in my mind: How far can this band go? Despite the chaos, well, only seemingly as the band never fell apart, ending the show's second encore I stood totally, musically satisfied. Personal Trainer was only an inch away from totally letting the venue explode. It is learning its way and undoubtedly getting there.

This was my third Willem Smit - Ruben van Weegbree show. The first one was almost eight years ago, in Rotown (I started my review with the words "Pi day". Little did I know that not much later Canshaker Pi would see the light of day.) Almost three years ago I was present at what would be the final show.

Since then singles and EPs of a new band Personal Trainer were released and found on this blog. "I have to start bending my head a little", I wrote in one of the reviews. Glancing back, I discern that I noticed the band finding its way, experimenting, as well. Willem Smit bending his mind towards a new form, leaving the strictly alternative rock behind him, while submerging and coagulating it into his new music at the same time.

'Big Love Blanket', the band's (perhaps collective or project are better words) first album was released in November 2022 and I did, again, not find my way into it easily. There was so much to digest, even disco rhythms. Strange ballads, huge punky anthems and everything happening in between (songs) it all comes by. The album made my top 30 albums of 2022, somewhere low but kept growing since. Yesterday I bought the LP to support the band maximumly this way.

Photo: WdN

At lights out some bossa nova started playing and slowly the stage started to fill with no less than seven musicians. Things went quiet and there stood the singer with one arm raised. After a "long time" he starts singing "Write a line a day", kicking off the show with the album's title song, with the band singing along, five of seven, building the song up and up, creating a truckload of expectations. All fulfilled and more.

"Look out for a job ,,,, a real one". This line from public favourite 'The Lazer', a truly fantastic song, may just have come true in Paradiso. Being an artist is a real job, as a million things come with being an artist. The mystery that eludes most, is how to make a serious living out of it. What I saw and that is as important as what I heard is a singer who has almost found his stage persona. At this point still more surprised than convinced of the power he and his band have. A sold out Paradiso was obviously new and a great experience. What they did with that opportunity is the most important. About 1500 people went home telling about a great show and that makes it grow into a thousand in the next and the next venues and the AFAS. Will that happen? There's no telling. This is not instantly pleasing music, yet it has the power to move people, to make them sing along in droves. Two important factors to grow bigger already were there: Representatives from most age groups and more than enough girls/women.

Photo: WdN

As I wrote, Paradiso was less than an inch from totally erupting. Playing 'The Lazer' again in the first encore nearly did it. Personal Trainer has it within it and Willem Smit as singer right up front has the ability to truly lead and communicate without forgetting the core of his business: singing.

I witnessed a total makeover from a modest, even shy alternative rocker with a guitar to a shaman to be. The only thing I had to get used to, was being with so many people on a small space once again. The rest: a total winner Personal Trainer is.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and buy Big Love Blanket and EPs here:

https://personaltrainer.bandcamp.com/

Margriet Eshuis and Anita Pointer

In the last days of 2022 death made a sprint and took with him two female singers and an emeritus pope (and no doubt many other lesser and unknown people).

 

Margriet Eshuis (1952-2022)

She was a Dutch singer who broke big here in 1975 with a band called Lucifer. For a while in the 1980s and 90s the best known fact concerning the band, long after it disbanded, was that its drummer was tv personality Henny Huisman. Before he broke big on tv of course.

This is all irrelevant, as Lucifer is all about that one big hit: 'House For Sale". Not that I particularly liked the song at the time as a teenager. The topic was as far removed from my adolescent brain condition as possible. Perhaps it even was for Margriet Eshuis at 22 or 23. The song never left my life and that of everybody of my generation, as it can be heard on a very regular basis. Up to this day I will not tell you I truly like the song, but what gets to me is the emotion the singer puts into it. This quality is what makes the song a hit forever. She means this alright. You can feel the pain of being in the house for the last time into your marrow.

After Lucifer Margriet Eshuis started the Margriet Eshuis Band and once again scored one major hit, the somewhat jazzy 'Black Pearl'. Again a song that stands out and is special. More time constrained, in sound, than 'House For Sale', which is a genre on its own. An extremely forceful ballad. 'Black Pearl' has a laidback laying at the beach with a cocktail in hand kind of atmosphere.

There must be many more songs. Either they passed me by or I simply have no recollection of them. I liked her voice but no enough of the music is the conclusion.

Anita Pointer (1948 - 2022)

One of the four Pointer Sisters, with now only Ruth left alive. They came into my life with the funky 'Yes, We Can Can', in 1974. A funky track, sung by four sisters, totally alien music to me. I found I have the album, bought at an extremely low price. Probably played not even once as a whole.

For years that remained it for the Pointer Sisters. Somewhere Bonny Pointer decided to go it solo and was never heard of again, by me. Her three sisters though became a regular staple in the Dutch charts. Looking back on the last few decades, it is easy to see the trio has become something of a guilty pleasure. The first single charting was the biggest hit, a number 1, with Bruce Springsteen's 'Fire'. The sisters put some sex into the the song, not unlike Karen Jonas did recently with 'I'm On Fire'.

From there on a string of hits was released over several years. The ones I like best are, the steamy, rocking 'I'm So Excited'. One of the true party songs of the early 1980s. If there ever was a song with the exactly correct title, it is this single. The three sisters give it their all vocally, lifting the song up and beyond control. There's only one thing left to do: dance.

The other two that stick out for me, show another, deeper side to The Pointer Sisters' music. The first is 'Automatic'. Totally 80s in sound, in its disco tinged mood. That mood is mysterious and makes all the difference. For the rest it could have been any band of the time. And the differences in the voices of course. The contrast of deep, eldest sister Ruth, and high works really well here.

Finally there's 'Slow Hand'. A ballad, again so 80s in sound, with Anita singing lead. The song touched a soft spot within me, making an instant impression. The kind of song that has nothing to do with my musical taste in general but effortlessly coming on board and staying there, also over forty years later.

The trio scored several other hits between 1979 and 1985, but it is these three that stand out for me. Had I been able to point out Anita before today? No, I could not. I have never known. This was about the music only.

 

And that pope, Benedictus XVI? It appears he played piano. For the rest, let's not waste too much time on him.

Wout de Natris

10 singles, week 41

Another week and we present 10 more singles for you. Some artists return to the blog, some are here for the first time. Again it is a diverse set, from grunge veterans to nostalgic country music. You will find it all here. Have fun exploring!

Delete And Start Again. Litzberg

Litzberg is back and how! From one man band to band fronted by Matthijs Peeters in the years of Covid. Delete And Start Again is a short sonic storm. Within two minutes all has been said and done. "This is what you want and what you need... Better take it", Peeters sings and that sums up his offer to the world. The new single is a fantastic mix of alternative rock with punk elements. The energy comes across with ease and is exemplified by the lead guitar that aims to lift off into space, defying all the laws of gravity. Some songs do not take longer to tell it all and Delete And Start Again is such a song. If this is the promise Litzberg provides the world, let the new album come soon. Litzberg takes on all the youngsters in alternative rock and then some. What a statement Delete And Start Again is.

Stolen Moments. The Visual

With Stolen Moments The Visual returns to WoNoBlog. The new single from upcoming album 'The Shore' (out on 11 November) is an extremely serious affair. A ballad full of longing, despair and melancholic feelings for things past. Anna van Rij sings in a way fully matching these feelings. The song reminds me of one of my very first musical experiences, a single my mother played called 'Tammy' sung by Debbie Reynolds. I can hear her singing this song in my mind, against the backdrop of a full orchestra and not the soft rock Van Rij's backing band provides. The music on Stolen Moments reminds me of someone else entirely: Jeff Buckley and more specific Gary Lucas' guitar antics. Django Trienes has certainly studied Lucas' unique playing on 'Grace'. The warbling sounds in the background are a dead giveaway. So are the way the synths/keyboards come in. Stolen Moments is the kind of song that slowly but surely creeps up on you. The more I've played it, the more I hear and the more impressed I am. This is a song not to take on at face value. It deserves serious studying.

Desire. Warhaus

Desire is the third single already released by Warhaus announcing its third album 'Ha Ha Heartbreak', also out on 11 November. Maarten Devoldere became a household name for many music lovers because of the band he plays in Balthazar. By now he is gaining fast with his solo vehicle on the total output of Balthazar's. I'm not a connoisseur of Balthazar's work but do know some songs and Desire is my first taste of Warhaus. It makes me ask: Is this music so much different that it deserves a solo career? No, it is not that much different. Only if it's impossible to release more music under the name Balthazar it becomes understandable. So, let's stick to this explanation. Desire is a song on the brink of soft disco and soul, in the style of circa 1980 when bands like Shalamar ruled for a short while. With his dark voice Devoldere puts the right vocal sound to enhance the richness of his warm music. Is this my kind of music? Not really but it sounds so good. I think I can take a little more of it.

Noodverband. Goldband

The singing plasterers from The Hague are huge in The Netherlands. I know they exist but somehow did not run into the band's music. And then it came by on the radio station my girlfriend likes to listen to. My mind paddled back about 40 years and stripped away the hip synthesized rhythm and what came up is Het Goede Doel. 'België' and 'Nooduitgang'. Listening to the song it is easy to understand why a lot of young people can go wild on this song. Easy to sing along, partytime, no difficulties in any way, very danceable. What I miss, is, originality aside, the freshness that Het Goede Doel brought to bands singing in the Dutch language. This is totally lacking and for me that lack makes it hard to listen to the song. Het Goede Doel for the 2020s Goldband may be but not my Het Goede Doel.

Beguiled. Smashing Pumpkins

When was the last time I heard a song by Smashing Pumpkins that made me think, yeah!? Most likely not in this century/millennium. 'Adore' most likely qualifies. Enter Beguiled. The song is driven by a strong metal riff, classic Smashing Pumpkins. Now the band has always been a bit of a mystery to me. There's not a single album I can listen to in its entirety. Yet, I have them all until circa 2005 and a whole stack of singles with all the extra's. And then it stopped and I haven't listened to anything for two decades. My hopes were low for Beguiled and the 'Atum' project, 33 songs, three albums in a few months or something like it. First, as streaming albums and then in April 2023 as a box set. Well, with thanks to this single at least my appetite is wetted and that is much more than I ever expected.

Seaside Girls. Candy Coffins

Candy Coffins manages something fairly unique. The band manages to combine the post punk from the early 1980s in a successful way with a fresh 2020s sound. The postpunk is there in dark mood and the fresh sound shines through with the piano riff moving into and out of the single. The freshness is all over the sound of Seaside Girls. This is not The Cure or The Cult. Because of it the single stands out for me in an era filled with nostalgia for rock music from long ago.

Candy Coffins is a band from South Carolina led by songwriter Jame Lathren. Stuck in the pandemic he decided not to write a downbeat song and succeeded in spades with Seaside Girls. The single announces the album 'Once Do It With Feeling' which is out on 21 October. The band is around since 2018 only and is filled with musicians with some mileage behind them. This shows in the maturity of the sound. This is a band that knows exactly what its going for and found it. Seaside Girls stands out, "It's all the rage", as Lathren sings himself.

Noah. Birds In Row

French punk/hardcore rockers Birds in Row released two singles at once, Noah and 'Cathedral'. we focus on the former single. This is a dark song driven by an inventive, relentless drum rhythm. Accents are all in the right places, for large parts on the skins only. The bass, seriously distorted, is the lead instrument for a large part of Noah. Playing a riff over and over. The song starts relatively calm. It is the one before the storm, as the singer totally goes off his rocker later on. Screaming his fear, anger and loathing into the microphone. Most likely he had to scrape little bits and pieces of his throat that came loose in the process from the mike's grill. The song is fleshed out in a superb way. A little more by the seconds and every time and again it's possible to add some more. Hardcore is usually not for me but Noah works like a miracle.

Easy. Third Party Incidents

This week Third Party Incidents releases its third single. And all three can be found on this blog. All three are also quite different. One for each member's favourite musical taste? Who knows. Easy combines a tough metal like riff with a punky song. The riff reminds me of Smashing Pumpkins, see above, while the singing is more like everything that happened in punk over the past 45 years. The result is a song that is just as easy to headbang to as to pogo. Easy does not pretend to be more than what Third Party Incidents is. There are no tricks to make things bigger and bolder. This single is the real thing where this band is concerned. It should not be hard to capture an audience with Easy and make them go up and down and forget the rest of the world for a while.

Tears Only Run One Way. The Williams Brothers

See the posts above and you will not run into the word nostalgia but for most of the music the word is applicable in one way or another. So why is it that when I listen to Tears Only Run One Way that I also write the word? The answer is simple because this music is drenched in nostalgia. The Williams Brothers do not try to hide their love for music that went out of style a long, long time ago in any way. Clocking within the two minutes, what I hear is The Everly Brothers and whatever came before the duo. Andrew and David Williams weave their voices in such a way that only some brothers (or sisters) can who have been singing together from a very early age. Assisted by musical veterans like Greg Leisz, Marvin Etzioni and Don Heffington they created the kind of country-pop music that is so easy to listen to and somehow, despite tears that only run down, manage to make the song shine. It's impossible not to like Tears Only Run One Way.

A Thousand Lives. The Murder Capital

With a second single The Murder Capital is just about ready to release its new album and go back on the road. With its first album the band got on my good side quite fast but did not maintain that position. The album did not stick like its contemporaries Shame and Fontaines DC's albums did. And with A Thousand Lives I am also wondering where we will go together. For starters, it has a slow start. Great drumming and almost mysterious keyboard sounds. The singer declaims his lyrics in characteristic post-post punk style. The way the song develops makes me give it the benefit of the doubt. The mystery gets a boost by a tough sounding guitar playing single notes with some enhancing effect behind it. A Thousand Lives gets an intriguing sheen this way and that is what makes it attractive to listen to it. Enter a load of dynamics and it may become a winner in the end. The Murder Capital really went out of its way here to create something special and noticeable. A Thousand Lives is just that. Mission accomplished.

Wout de Natris