2026, week 24. 10 singles

Another week has sped by, it seems to go ever faster. In between I have played a great live set with my own band Sweetwood, that showed that we are still progressing and become better. Below you find ten recent singles, with a surprising number of duos making their debut on this blog. Old and new, you will find it all, so enjoy!

Deny. La Sécurité

Post punk? Yes, very much so. La Sécurité dives into the postpunk coming out of the U.K. around of 1980, when melody was traded for a sort of communist five year plan kind of music. All pleasure was traded in for music of a rigorous socialist orthodoxy kind. Enter Deny in 2026. The rhythms, the talk-singing, the accents and bursts of guitars all fit. Except this song is set on fire. The Montreal art-punk collective makes the song come totally alive and manages to throw in a musical joke or two. Listen to how the electric guitars drop away revealing the synth underneath them. Slowly but surely it also becomes clear how danceable Deny is. the song is a clear winner. Eat your heart out Gang of Four and their ilk.

Tide - Prologue. The Stream

Leiden's The Stream has found its way to this blog for over a decade now. Jan Stroomer and band are true veterans. When a new record is announced, I tend to prick up my ears. Fans will remember fondly how the previous record, 'Nature Calls', was accompanied live with a host of physics and chemistry experiments while the band played on. In 2026 things have changed somewhat. The band decided to record an instrumental album, 'Flood', and had to say goodbye to its long time drummer Koen van Dijk. This results in music that is rather far detached from what I usually listen to, but then being a guitar man, The Stream always was a bit aside of my usual musical playground. I notice that it is easy to listen to Tide - Prologue. The piano plays an upbeat melody, that comes close to classical, making The Stream leave its usual habitat of pop songs with a piano as main instrument. The doubled part gives Tide - Prologue a nice darker edge, allowing some tension to enter the composition. It is the first release from an upcoming EP, ''Flood - Prologue'.

Young Hearts. Isaac Roux

I was about to write that we have a debut on the blog, were it not that Erwin Zijleman reviewed Isaac Roux' (Louis de Roo) debut album 'Troubeld Waters' two years ago. For me it is though and I'm pleasantly surprised by the uptempo song Young Hearts is. A long time ago Rod Stewart sang about "young hearts" in his hit single 'Young Turks' and Isaac Roux taps into this line of energy, while making his song rougher and more alternative. It starts right away with the intro, where an electric guitar is allowed to go for it, after which most instruments drop away when the first verse starts, to come in again on the second line. There is some Kensington in the way the chorus presents itself, except that Young Hearts avoids the platitudes in the music that band excels in. Young Hearts remains alive, fiery and energetic. Bigger and bigger seems to be the adagium used in this single and it works from beginning to end.

Precious Days. Brand New Heartache

Usually, I listen to new singles on You Tube, as most are available there and it's easier and faster to access them. So I found that Brand New Heartache, the Nashville husband-and-wife duo of Eleese and Matthew Meschery, has exactly 1 person who subscribes to their channel and and the video had 13 views. That is no reason to write a review but this song is. Based on what I'm hearing these numbers ought to rise fast. Precious Days meanders somewhere between country, folk and pop. It's a great up tempo song not unlike Emmylou Harris' rendition of Chuck Berry's 'C'est La Vie (You Never Can Tell)'. Precious Days simply rocks and is rich in sound, orchestration and vocal delivery. Far more comparisons are possible to make, but I'll let you find your own favourites. I prefer to just like Precious Days for what it is. Album 'A New Alchemy' is slated for 24 July. Based on what I'm hearing here, it's something to look out for alright.

3, 2, 1. Bente 

Bente is meer een naam voor mij dan een zangeres. Wel heb ik een paar afleveringen gezien van het programma 'Beste Zangers', waarin zij liet zien een heleboel in haar mars te hebben. Haar eigen werk gaat tot nu toe gewoonweg langs mij heen. Tot dat ik dit nummer hoorde op de Radio 2 ochtendshow waar mijn vrouw graag naar luistert voor het werk. Ik hoorde een heleboel energie en vooral een alternatieve poprock song waar de stukken vanaf vlogen. Ja, ik krijg de doorgaans jeuk van de manier waarop veel jonge, Nederlandse zangeressen zingen. Bente moet deze techniek in 3, 2, 1 grotendeels loslaten, omdat het tempo zo hoog ligt. De manier van zinnen afbreken dat lukt nog wel, nog zoiets, maar maakt het nummer niet minder goed. Hier wordt gerockt en het staat Bente goed. De opbouw is eveneens goed. De rustpunten in het nummer zal er voor zorgen dat een zaal op het juiste moment loos zal gaan. 3, 2, 1 is een sterke Nederlandstalige pop- en rocksong.

Low Sunday Ghost Machine - Black EP. Lowsunday

Lowsunday is the second of four duos making their debut on this blog in the same week. Shane Sahene (vocals, guitar, synth, bass, drums) and Bobby Spell (bass, guitar, drums) are the two members of the original band from the late 90s who came back to release new music. In 2026, I can't judge the old work, I'm afraid, Lowsunday releases music that is as dark as it used to be in the 1980s except that it lays the light side of a band like The Cure or Big Country over its Joy Division foundation. The result is music that is simply infectious. Opening song 'You're So Wired' immediately sets the stage for rock and for the typical shoegaze style of dancing, i.e. looking at the points of your shoes and move as little as possible. Should you not be a shoegazer, I'm sure other forms of dancing are allowed by Lowsunday. Tracks like 'You're So Wired' and 'Shattered' are made for moving with abandon. Should the band plan to play live again, it will need more musicians, as layer after layer of guitars and other stuff are stacked upon each other creating a huge wall of sound. Lowsunday certainly did not leave it to chance where its comeback is concerned. This kind of music makes you noticed immediately. Love it or hate it, you can't escape it. I'm all good here.

Bug In The Cake. Violet Grohl 

Going by the name Grohl, no matter what you say, will open a lot of doors. Father is famous for well over 30 years, first as drummer and then as front man of Foo Fighters. Violet has recently released her debut album 'Be Sweet To Me' and received a lot of attention surrounding the release. It made me somewhat sceptical, next to having too many albums to listen to already. And then I ran into this video. I can only admit straight up that Bug In The Cake is a great alternative rock song. In fact, I love it. It fits in very nicely with alternative rock songs coming out of the U.S. since the 1990s. It has just enough of a pop vibe, because it has a few great hooks and an instantly singable (pre) chorus. Not to forget some great guitar solos. Bug In The Cake has a lot of urgency that Violet Grohl is sharing with the world and the song is simply a lot better than many, not all, her dad gave the world. It looks like I have another album to listen to.

Backstabber (Tailor's Version). The Dresden Dolls

And here is another new name on this blog. Although I have heard the name The Dresden Dolls before, I do not recall having heard its music. That may have been a great miss, as Backstabber (Tailor's Version) is a great song. Duos come in a lot of ways but usually it is guitar and drums ever since The White Stripes, with some doing bass - drums like Royal Blood. The Dresden Dolls present themselves as a piano - drums duo. Reading up on the band, I found that the band formed in 2000 and released two albums in the 00s. One of these albums, 'Yes, Virginia' is getting a re-release with a pun on Taylor Swift's re-releases of her first albums. For me, I'm glad to hear this song because of the re-release. Amanda Palmer's piano playing is forceful and rhythmic, while Brian Viglione fills in everything else with his drumming, besides providing background vocals. Backstabber is an ideal song to get to know the band in the 2020s.

Diablo. Deep Purple 

Deep Purple is around for 58 years in 2026. Everyone with the slightest knowledge of hard (classic) rock knows the band went through several line up changes through the decades. The current line up is four old timers and new guitarist Simon McBride. They already present their second album soon. Deep Purple is acting as if El Diablo is on its tail and given the average age of the members, that is not far beside the truth. With Diablo Deep Purple again, after first single 'Arrogant Boy' shows that it has not lost its chops. Don't expect anything new, but do expect the classic Deep Purple sound at its best. A driving rhythm, dualling guitars and organ, a great riff or two and Ian Gillan singing in his older gentleman voice, that fits this music perfectly. In 2026 Deep Purple still is a great band, no doubt about it.

Socialism Ditty. Mr. Dinkles

After The Dresden Dolls a forth duo features for the first time on this blog. This time The White Stripes is the blueprint. Mr. Dinkles, vocalist/guitarist Mac Rettig and drummer Rocco Ramos, is more a punk band though than the blues rock The White Stripes based its music on. The title and lyrics refer to what 'The Economist' recently dubbed "Gen-Z socialism". It is a spot on description as ms. Rettig shout-sings "you don't really need that, just give me that". We all know it doesn't work that way, although there definitely is a point to gen-z socialism and rethinking wealth distribution. Musically, Socialism Ditty is a raucous song, dirty for the whole of the way. A distorted guitar and ever dirtier overdubs make up the body of the song, with drummer Ramos hitting everything else home. The song starts like many other punk/garage rock songs do. The energy is there, creating the fun and expectation of wanting to listen to it. The explosion comes and does not go back into its corner until the very end. In fact, more flares start exploding, making Socialism Ditty more urgent by the second.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

 

The best albums 2000 - 2024, 10 of 10

Incredible, but the first quarter of the 21 century is nearly over.. Yes, yes, I know officially the 21st century started on 1 January 2001 but doesn't that look strange? So, I chose to run a list of the 100 best albums, in my humble opinion, of the years 2000 - 2024. It may be that I have missed some, as I never kept true score of albums. However, there is a huge archive to fall back on: my end of year lists on this blog and in WoNo Magazine before that, starting all the way back in 2001. That gives a very solid basis. So, yes, there may be an album I got acquainted to in the year(s) after its release and subsequently forgot about. So be it.

There are albums in this list that I remember as very good but haven't played for years, but put it in anyway. More recent years are more at the front of my memory. It is a fair question whether these albums would still be in here, had they been ten or more years old. There's no way of telling. All in all, it is a good cross section for most years. Only 2006 is not represented I noticed.

100 Albums. That is a lot. Can any of these albums match the impact the albums that I got to know in puberty? The albums that are a true part of me? Most likely not, but that said, some of them certainly come close. Even in the past few years a few albums have. I will have to wait a while before I know for certain. What I know with almost certainty, a list for the next 25 years seems highly unlikely.  Let's start this adventure with:

100. Ten Aarzel. Krang (2000)

Krang is the band of, also, comedian André Manuel, a man who got fined for baring his bottom to the (to be) king and (to be) queen. He sings in the local dialect of eastern The Netherlands, with his loud but raspy voice. Musically, Krang is somewhere between De Kift, Tom Waits and Kaisers Orchestra, lyrically he is everywhere, even on a bicycle with Herman Brood and Marco Pantani, the former Tour de France winner or lauding the beauty of a field full of leek. Krang released several nice albums in the first years of the zeros. This was my first one and deserves a spot on this list. Not in the least because of the great live shows I went to in those years. A great title as well. It translates into something like forward, hesitating.

99. Working Man's Cafe. Ray Davies (2007)

The former The Kinks frontman Ray Davies, released five albums this century, if I include one with choir versions of his old The Kinks hits. All are good but this one is simply better. The songs are almost as good as his old hits and stick to the mind like glue. In the year Davies turned 80 years, I celebrate his great career with a spot in this list.

98. Bang The Drum. The Maureens (2015)

Former Utrecht band The Maureens released four albums in the past 12 years. They were all on my longlist. But life is hard, choices need to be made. The Maureens' mix of pop, California's west Coast muiss and The Beatles, is nearly irresistible. Its songwriter Hendrik-Jan de Wolff is able to find the extra melodies in all his songs. His band members are very capable of playing and not to forget singing them. On record and on stage the band always delivers. With a song like 'September' on this album, it scores the extra points to make it here with ease.

97. Riding With The King. Eric Clapton and BB King (2000)

The owner of an American grill restaurant in Matsumoto, Japan, can claim to be the reason why this album is in this list. He played it all evening long while frying delicious American chicken wings, slices of beef and what not for us. In a further totally empty place full of U.S. memorabilia, while not speaking more than five words English. Clapton and King were going through their set of blues songs where all the danger has been taken out, yet play with so much joy and obvious respect for one another. Once home I bought the album immediately and have played it many times, but not as often as that Japanese gentleman, bar owner and cook.

 96. Everything Now. Arcade Fire (2017)

I'm following Arcade Fire since the first album, 'Funeral', but never became a true fan. In fact, I do not own any of the albums between 'Funeral' and Everything Now. The upbeat songs really got to me and the mood changes are simply superb. I played my LP version a lot. and was totally surprised to find out that it is already seven years old.

95. Songs Of Praise. Shame (2018)

The first post punk album by the latest generation post punkers from Ireland and the U.K. on the list. Shame never really delivered on its promise. Songs Of Praise is an album that is charged with the energy of a young, new band that went into its hobby in the hope of turning it into a career. It has it all and the band does not hold back for one second. Especially the second album seemed far more calculated, the third somewhere in between (With fantastic artwork though. I wear the touring t-shirt proudly.) Songs Of Praise is the Shame album to really check out, but do take it from there.

94. The First Exit. Tramhaus (2024)

The first really new album. It is hard to really judge the mettle of albums so new in the years to come. I am quite convinced though that The First Exit, Tramhaus' debut album, will be one that stays. The post punk band is extremely inventive in finding the more awkward melodies and yet make them work with such ease. Now touring extensively through Europe with undoubtedly more to come, this band will grow and become bigger and bigger and will be able to compete with the best of them. Tramhaus truly is a young band worthwhile following and live close to a sensation. At number 94, it is conservatively scored for now.

93. Oh, Mayhem. Bettie Serveert (2013)

Bettie Serveert, over thirty years ago, was the indie darlings of The Netherlands and far beyond. Now the band is in semi-retirement, has not released a new album for eight years and its members have regular jobs. Only recently they started to play some shows together again. Oh, Mayhem is the example of the albums of this quarter century. 'Log 22', 'Pharmacy Of Love', 'Damaged Good' all could have taken Oh, Mayhem's place. All the albums are more than just good. The world is a little less good because Bettie Serveert is not releasing new albums any more.

92. The Hazards Of Love. The Decemberists (2009)

A rock opera, no less by The Decemberists. I loved the album from the moment I found out about it, shortly after its release in 2009. Together with its 2024 album, my favourite. I decided against featuring 'As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again' at the very final decision point of this list. It is too new to make a truly correct decision on the final 100. The Hazards Of Love truly takes the listener up and down like a rollercoaster. Fire and brimstone, hell and damnation versus ferry-like love. It all comes by, in abundance. The Decemberist make music at a very consistent level but this one sticks out just this little more.

91. Mesmerize. System of a Down (2005)

Speaking of musical rollercoaster.s The four Californians of Armenian decent take their listeners through all sorts of emotions. Where singer Serj Tankian may sound crazy, when Daron Malakian takes over craziness is but a metaphor. Gotham's Arkham seems like a funfare. In my opinion the band never made a better album then Mesmerize. All the inventions and inspiration, twist and turns that can come out of and into a single song were blended superbly. (And then there's the hit single 'Chop Suey' of course.) Mesmerize rocks in abundance but don't throw out opera, reggae and so much more. The album has it all and then some. 

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

2024. Week 31, 11 singles

"Opzij, opzij, opzij, maak plaats, maak plaats, maak plaats", we have some catching up to do. There are simply too much singles but luckily less albums that I think should really be reviewed. For some a single could be enough to give a pointer, for others the single simply stands out. So enjoy, but not before I pointed you to that great single from 1979, which I 1quoted at the beginning, 'Opzij' by Dutch comedian and singer Herman van Veen.

-:). The Japanese House

The oldest reference in my email to The Japanese House in my inbox is from 2017. Seven years later Amber Bain, who has been making music under the name The Japanese House makes her debut on this blog. -:) or Smileyface is an upbeat pop song that has something from Joni Mitchell in it and other singer-songwriters that combine a story with a strong melody. Amber Bain has a voice that is not very distinctive in this song. She is not overjoyed or extremely filled with joy that something is happening that is making her happier. She puts the elation in the electric guitar following the chorus at the end of -:). Where Bain is still sitting on the fence the person playing the guitar is already running into the future. A nice mix of two responses to something new.

Bow Of Gold. Huge Molasses Tank Explodes

More trippy rock from Italy. Huge Molasses Tank Explodes is a four piece from Milan, Fabrizio De Felice (voice, guitar, synth), Giacomo Tota (guitar), Luca Umidi (bass) and Gabriele Arnolfo (drums). The band plans to release its third record 'III' on 6 September. This is celebrated with this psychedelic outing. The music is like the floor in the Johnny Depp movie 'Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas'. Everything pulses and is taken through a load of effect boxes. The keyboard goes through at least two Lesley speakers to sound so wobbly. Bow Of Gold is a song that can compete with songs of The Black Angels to name an example. A slightly better singer would have been welcome, but the trippy voice does work against the extremely psychedelic background of the music. Just listen to how Bow Of Gold is built up. I really like that organ there. Summing up, a nice introduction to a new band for me.

Morganatic Panic. The Shang Hi Los

The songs of The Shang Hi Los are so nice and more importantly good that I'm almost starting to take it for granted. So I better pay attention. The song kicks off with a strong guitar part. Just listen when that bass and drums really come in. Especially the deep end covered by Lee Harrington really makes a huge difference here. Listening to Morganatic Panic, I have the impression that is more a Dan Kopko song, embellished with Jen d'Angora's voice. It is the duo's singing that makes a big part of The Shang Hi Los' charms though. Kopko's tough voice is matched by the almost as tough vocals of d'Angora. The two are a match made in rock and roll heaven or hell, wherever you think it belongs. I opt for the first. With a little "oohs'' and "de doo run runs" lent from history Morganatic Panic almost makes me believe all is well in world.

Stand. The Legendary Swagger

The Legendary Swagger is Geoff Yeaton - vocals, Saxaphones, Skot Pollok - guitars, Jim Sena - drums and Dino Everett - bass, Vocals. The four play garage rock bordering on punk rock and released two songs on a 7" single. Stand is one of the songs. It is extremely hard to write original words on Stand. Why? Because everyone loving this kind of music has heard it all before. If you have heard Social Distortion's 'Sex, Love And Rock 'n' Roll (2004), you know all. Intro, guitar solo, great melody, short, explosive solo, tough singing. The good news is that The Legendary Swagger has that swagger and energy to play a song like Stand to the standard it needs to succeed and convince. Stand has it all, so enjoy it.

Hot Rod Rampage EP. Brad Marino

Brad Marino can be called a veteran of the blog by now. He returns with a tribute EP filled with The Beach Boys from 1962-64 and Jan & Dean sound in a very convincing way. He even has got a "woody". You will truly have heard it all before and those older than I am for about 60 years. Marino manages to make it all sound great and with songs that are plain old, great pop rock and roll songs that made kids wild in the early 1960s. Together with Craig Sala (drums) and Dave Strong (rhythm guitar) he played the basic tracks and overdubbed some things himself later and brought in lead guitarist Bobbie Davis for the very authentic sounding solos and Kris Rodgers for the piano parts in 'Wax, Board & Woodie'. And then all the harmony vocals. Brad Marino is not leaving anything to chance here. He did all this with drummer Sala. And let's face it, it simply sounds great. Hot Rod Rampage sounds like it is straight from the early 60s and I can't help loving it, just like I still love to hear 'Surfin' USA, 'Surf City' or 'Help Me Rhonda'. The EP ends with an instrumental surf song 'Tripwire'. Again, Marino really knows what he is doing on this EP.

The Big Man Upstairs. Party Dozen

Party Dozen is a duo from Sydney in Australia. Kirsty Tickle plays saxophone and Jonathan Boulet is a percussionist. What can you expect from such a different kind of line up? Not what I'm hearing in The Big Man Upstairs. This is a very solid song with an immense beat. Yes, there are very warped saxophone solos in the song but if someone had told me it was a distorted harmonica, I would have believed it as well. Tickle is singing also but as if she she wants to hide it. The video is about mass protests and arrests in Queensland. It tells of political corruption and the rise of punk music in protest. Coincidence has it, I was in Australia in the winter and spring of 1977 but no news reached the village where my mother was raised in NSW. I only learn of it 47 years later! It all takes me away from The Big Man Upstairs itself. This is a great song. An alternative early The Waterboys with that saxophone. The album 'Crime in Australia' is due on 6 September.

She's Leaving You. MJ Lenderman

MJ Lenderman, guitarist in alternative rock band Wednesday, is making a name for himself more and more. With She's Leaving You' he adds another alternative rock song to his oeuvre that adds nothing new to a genre in existence for over 35 years and yet has it all. I can't really explain why to be honest. The song just has it. That is the only thing I can sensibly say. The right vocal melody, the right notes progressing to the next chord, the exact right interplay and a few tough sounding solos. For me this spells Buffalo Tom as I got to know the band with 'Taillights Fade' in 1992. MJ Lenderman recreates the hey-day of alternative rock and adds another great song to that roster. That is all you need to know. Will he have the time to keep playing in Wednesday though?

Zodiak. Delving

An instrumental track is something I usually pass by. What to write about an instrumental? In a way it is nonsense I am writing here, as I usually focus on the music and refrain from commenting on the lyrics. Delving is led by Nick DiSalvo and one of a few band he's active in, with Elder as best known. Zodiak is very worth while listening to. The single version is abridged, as the more ambient part is far longer on the album ('All Paths Diverge' 23 August). It is an easy conclusion that Zodiak was influenced by symphonic rock groups from the 70s, with its well taken care of sounds and references to classical music in the way the song is structured. There is some great guitar playing in the song, with a huge bass and drums behind it to prop it up and make it shine. The keyboard is there as a nice extra. This single version is already 8.31 minutes, so be prepared. 8 minutes plus and I have not missed a singer. That is meant as a compliment.

Bells And Whistles. Bright Eyes

When did I buy my last Bright Eyes record? It turns out I was still in my previous marriage and that was in the 00s. And for me out of nowhere Bright Eyes releases this great and fun song called Bells And Whistles. Conor Oberst still sounds as if each word has to be wrung from him one at a time, and perhaps even a bit more now he's well into his 40s. His voice makes the new single recognisable instantly, the music far less so. Bells And Whistles has a vibe that could have been made by The Decemberists. There is even a trumpet later on, there are whistles and a bouncing piano. Together with Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott Oberst provides Bright Eyes with a great comeback single. I had not expected to hear something I liked by the band any more. It is so nice to be surprised every once in a while.

Stepping Loose. Black Market Karma

Another instrumental no less. With Stepping Loose Black Market Karma returns to the blog after one and a half years. The new single is off the upcoming album 'Wobble' (26 July) and is a totally different song than the others I know. It is not so much psychedelic, despite have some hints due to a wobbly sound here and there. It is a stab at 1960s film music, let's say John Barry of some of these French movies containing pretty girls on and near the beach. Underneath the slow moving music, underscoring the heat at the beaches of southern France, there is a more modern beat. Like it was introduced by G. Love & Special Sauce in the early 90s when he mixed different genres. Black Market Karma does this for film music and makes me want to go on holiday. Good idea, but not just yet.

Windowpane. Worshipper

Looking through a windowpane is the subject of one of fanfare punkers De Kift best songs called 'Nauwe Mijter' (tight miter). The other song I'm instantly reminded of is 'Outside' by post grunge band Staind. I am triggered by the theme of Windowpane as well. The singer is on the outside looking in. Where De Kift's song jumps musical boundaries, Worshipper heads straight back to 1980s hard rock. In the band's own words, it pays tribute to Cheap Trick. I also hear the band go back further to Deep Purple and to Swedish rockers from a long time ago. Every once in a while I still play albums by Deep Purple of the 1970s, so I can appreciate Windowpane as well. The Boston band rocks with is heart in the right place. As a nice aside, the fact that the band is proud to have shared a stage with Nick DiSalvo's main band Elder, is a nice closing to this week's singles. (See Delving above.)

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

= 1. Deep Purple

Equals one is the title but what it equals is unclear to me. It's not as if the very elementary artwork is giving a hint. Joined with a younger, new guitarist, Simon McBride, who replaced youngest member Steve Morse, Deep Purple releases its latest album. The hard rock veterans do what they are good at, rock hard.

= 1 follows up on their 2020 album 'Whoosh!', that, to my surprise, brought me back on board for the first time since 1976's 'Come Taste The Band', which was also my first Deep Purple album. I had skipped everything in between.

From the most famous line up John Lord and Ritchie Blackmore are missing. With replacements Don Airey and McBride the band is still able to come up with good songs. Of course, not a single one has the impact 'In Rock' had. That is impossible. The four older members are well into their seventies and not experimenting with a new sort of music as the band was as 20-somethings in 1970. In a song like 'Now You're Talking' some of that original shine still comes across totally convincing. Old men can rock with ease.

The one having the hardest time to keep up is singer Ian Gillan. At 78 his voice is a far cry from what it once was. That is okay. He fronts Deep Purple, even if it costs him energy. The whole is Deep Purple and what people expect the band to sound like. In part that is a formula. Either a guitar solo id followed by a keyboard solo or the other way around. We have heard it many times before. 76 year old Don Airey hammers his Hammond organ. The style of Jon Lord's improvisations on Johann Sebastian Bach is still leading but I would say Airey has brought in his own touch, also in experimenting with different sounds for the solos.

McBride is on fire in some of the songs and breaths some extra life into the songs. His brings in some more modern sounding metal riffs and mixes them with classic rock riffs and solos. That mix is exciting at times, even where he obviously plays something that is more in line with Deep Purple's legacy. (Please, don't scare off the 60 and 70 year old fans.) I like this mix for one.

The drumming of Ian Paice is fantastic, I am really enjoying listening to him, as I already did decades ago. Roger Glover's bass playing is just as great. He has the deep end of Deep Purple with ease it seems. Their Deep Purple bedrock is an important part of the band and it shows/hears.

The biggest surprise comes in the final song, 'Bleeding Obvious', with its David Bowie style interlude. If this is a promise for the future, then instead of = 1 most likely being Deep Purple's last album, we still have at least one exciting album to go.

= 1 is an album that on the one hand is a little too obviously going on routine, while on the other it has more than just its moments. It shows that the band has life in it. Knowing the age of its members everything can be the last. Listening to this album, it seems like the hard rock veterans have decided to defy time. Good for them and us.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

2024. Week 8, 10 singles

There are quite some new names on this week's singles post. A good sign as far as I'm concerned. You will find a few familiar ones though, don't worry. Where last week contained a lot of ballads and softer songs, this week has a good mix that will keep you on your toes. Enjoy!

Love Goes Down The Drain. Canyons & Locusts

Before I had the chance to start writing, the song was already over. Well, almost. 1.45 minutes is all Canyons & Locusts needs to make its point after love went down the drain. Last week, this weekly post had nearly all softer songs in its 10 song roster. To make amends we start with the new outing of the Boston - Phoenix duo. Love Goes Down The Drain punk rocks and no little. The big and fat guitar plays as loud as it can over the drums that are pounded on relentlessly for the whole song. With all the punkrocking noise Justin Keane's voice comes as rough as the genre calls for but not without a melody that allows to singing along to in any environment. Another successful single in a short while. There is supposed to be an EP out soon, called 'The Red Angel'.

Heavy Dream Cycle EP. Otherworldly Things

Released last week, today Otherworldly Things from New York City makes its debut on this blog. Heavy Dream Cycle contains some tough rock songs that combine the best of the last decades of pop and rock. Opening with the song 'I'm Tired Of Monsters' the band makes an impression immediately. Starting with a tight, yet inventive drum intro on the back of which the whole band starts playing and plays from. Pop and rock fans will recognise a host of influences in the song, which is totally infectious in its own right. In the next song, 'No Use', things only get better. A great bass part compliments the again, supertight drumming. The guitars are more frivolous and the harmonies better. Jim Browne (guitar, lead and backing vocals, violin), Matt Revie (guitar, keyboards, glockenspiel), Jason Binnick (bass, backing vocals, keyboards, cello) and Travis Harrison (drums, percussion) know really well what they are doing here. In 'Work Out Right' the band tips its toes deeply into the well of 1960s pop music. Clearly an era Otherworldly Things really likes to listen to. The result is a strong set of originals from the NYC band, adding to what has come before. Otherworldly Things returns to the record front with the release of a very nice EP that leaves me with one complaint only, I wouldn't have minded a double dose.

I Idled. The Follies

The Follies is another band that tipped its toes into the already in the above mentioned well of 60s music. In I Idled the band combines The Beatles with The Byrds (oh, wait, that is the description of The Byrds itself, isn't it?) Added is a solid jolt of poprock from the late 70s and some 80s R.E.M. styled guitar work, and out comes I Idled. On the basis of this single, I'd say that this band is anything but a folly. Gloriously up tempo and catchy, with a lead guitar that is jumping hoops all of the time, with great, fast runs showing pure competence after years of practice. What remains to be mentioned is a punky attitude with which the whole is presented. This is far from a punkrock song, yet I'd venture that the band doesn't mind listening to the music and take from it what spices I Idled. I had never heard of The Follies before. This is the kind of introduction one needs to be wanting to hear more. With 'Permanent Present Tense' around the corner, the wait will not be long.

Burial Ground. The Decemberists (feat. James Mercer)

Only a few weeks back I wondered if I was ever going to be hearing new music by The Decemberists. Only a few days later I ran into this single. It is quite some years since I heard new music, perhaps my bad, but well pre-Covid, I'd say. The time was used to sound familiar and yet different. Colin Meloy's voice is Colin Meloy's voice. There's no changing this factor. It is in the music and melody that I discern the change. Despite the title Burial Ground has a lightness, something I do not associate with The Decemberists. There is always a sense of darkness around most of its music. This is like a 1960s The Kinks single, with Dave Davies' rawking guitar replaced by a light-sounding one. Add Beatlesleque harmony and backing vocals and a trumpet solo and the sun is shining bright over the burial ground Meloy is inviting someone to meet. What a nice return to the record front for The Decemberists.

One For The Road. Scott Clay

One for the road was the name of the bar on a ship called Mississippi Lloyd. After its last voyage, that I sailed on from Rotterdam to London in 1978, to New Orleans, where else, the sign was always in the window of my parents' home. As first officer, my father had brought it home with him. Scott Clay's is a song worthy to have been played there and sung along to. His slow countryrock ballad has two sides, the slow moving pace with the wide ranging instruments that all have a distinct place in the mix, and that dark, brooding electric guitar, that sounds like an announced thunderstorm on the horizon. It sets a mood of resignedness for the deluge coming. There's nothing that can save Scott Clay now. The warm Hammond tries to soothe him, a mandoline urges him to leave, but there's always that guitar, like the lights keeping the rabbit caught. There's only one thing left to do, to take one for the road. I have to say that I simply like the two sides contained within One For The Road.

Floating On A Moment. Beth Gibbons

I have to admit that I had almost clicked the song away for the next one on this list. The song simply did not seem to get started and in a way it does not. In another way it does. There's a wealth of little details to discover and it simply makes the song blossom. Floating On A Moment opens itself in a very baroque way. The tempo remains slow with Beth Gibbons whisper singing over it. Instruments and voices are added to what is already being opened. Any form of beats and hop elements are missing, it's the trip that is contained in Floating On A Moment. The music that is Beth Gibbons and not her former band members'. This single is like a dream come true. The kind of song that carries the listener. I am reminded of what Lou Doillon and Charlotte Gainsbourg are producing in France. That dreamy stuff and the soft singing that these modern French sigh girls use, is here in abundance. Listening to the song again, more and more little sounds and melodies spring up, as if I do not have enough ears to catch them all. This is one intriguing song.

Rice. Slomosa

With Rice by Slomosa we move into rock territory. The band shares some heavy riffing with the world but all in support of a song that has a great vocal melody. Singer Ben Berdous is not necessarily a hardrock singer. I'd even venture that he could replace Morten of Aha if necessary. He stands his ground in Rice, don't worry. Slomosa is also from Norway. Bergen to be precise and in May will release its second album. Based on this single I'd say that lovers of some good old fashioned headbanging will love the fierce riff in between the verses. Call it desert rock, stoner or even grunge, whatever you like, Slomosa rocks in all the right ways.

Punch. Jello Biafra with Motorpsycho / Patrik Fitzgerald

A curious combination on a double sided single where on one side Patrik Fitzgerald plays his song Punch and on the other Motorpsycho plays it with Dead Kennedy's Jello Biafra on vocals. The Norwegian procgrockers have left the prog part at home when they entered the studio for this song. This is a rock song of quite some proportions. Motorpsycho is a trio that is always able to make itself at least twice as big than it is. Here the sound becomes huge and extremely broad. Biafra sings a little like John Lydon here and there, with a nice sneer in his voice. The combination works on Punch that much is clear. The band lets it all go and really rocks beyond the well thought out improvisations it is also capable of.

Patrick Fitzgerald's original version could not be more different. His performance is (closer to) spoken word than singing. That riff is there though. All the rest is so different. Weird sounds are all over the place and yet this is fun. The song is from the 1980s my guess is. Thank you for the introduction.

Know Your Religion. Garlands

Garlands are near veterans of this blog. With its new single, it once again manages to sound urgent in 2024 while giving a strong nod as far back as The Kinks of the 1960s. In other words, Know Your Religion has that pop feel and great harmony vocals Ray and Dave Davies were capable of at the time. (With Ray's then then wife Raisa often somewhere in the background as well.) Know Your Religion starts with a good chord progression on the guitar that caught my ear immediately and then the band comes in with a punch telling me to listen should I have wavered for a second. What Garlands is good at, is keeping its songs at lengths that were fashionable on 45s of the 1960s, catching pure pop prowess on vinyl. This song doesn't have anything that is extra. Pop, power, a catchy melody and a little bordering on psychedelia ending. A nice surprise in my Friday inbox indeed.

My Desire Is Pure. Halo Maud

Let us end this week with the single of a modern style sigh girl, who uses synths and modern beats, called My Desire Is Pure. I have no reason to doubt Halo Maud is full of the you she singing about. What is more interesting that everything around that desire is different, at times weird and fascinating. Whoever Halo Maud is, a singer with band, a band, just a singer or a dance producer?, I just do not know. What I like, is that nothing is what it seems here and the listener is challenged the whole time to accept the next weird sound, the change between French and English, the jolts of sounds that are not there to immediately please. Halo Maud is not afraid of taking a left turn a few times, without ending where it started. Is this my kind of music? No, not really, but I like it none the same. There's a little Portishead in here but not enough to not be Halo Maud. My Desire Is Pure dares to take a few risks and that pays off.

Wout de Natris

Week 35 2023, 10 singles

This blog left you without a singles section for over a month. Everyone deserves a holiday, even a proliferous blogger. The holidays are over, the meteorological summer gone, an indian summer upon us, so here we go. Enjoy the variety of music here.

Full Time Job. Squirrel Flower

"Taking it easy is a full time job" Squirrel Flower singer (and almost all else) Ella Williams sings in the opening line. It's hard to relate, being a part time reviewer of music besides everything else going on in my life. In the two minute songs Squirrel Flower underscores taking it easy measured in length, not in strength. The gravelly indie rock song really goes for it. It has all it takes to be noticed and to make a dent in the huge flow of music that comes by. With the two albums already in my possession it is off and on between Squirrel Flower and me. It's songs like this single of the upcoming album 'Tomorrow's Fire' (13 October), that score with me, that light my fire. Even in the slacker and lo-fi beginning of Full Time Job it's potential is already clear. The explosion comes and in combination with an exactly right guitar solo, the song wins me over completely. Great introduction to hopefully another nice album.

If You Could Read My Mind. Karen Jonas

Sometimes silence is better than words. Karen Jonas' version of Gordon Lightfoot's If You Could Read My Mind simply leaves me speechless.....

With The Other Hand. Lost Girls

Time for some dreampop. Lost Girls is a duo from Norway, Jenny Hval & Håvard Volden, presenting it's second album. The first, released under the name Nude on Sand, saw the light of day in 2012. The second eleven years later. Songs start with Volden who creates beats and guitar chord progression after which Hval starts sprinkling her magic over it all, including complete deconstruction and rebuilding. In the case of With The Other Hand this leads to a beautiful dreamy song that could have been a part of Loupe's 'Do You Ever Wonder What Comes Next?' album. In the background there is a soft beat that repeats itself. Over it a guitar is strummed, fast. Over it the dreamy voice of Hval sings. Think more Charlotte Gainsbourg than Warpaint. Like Gainsbourg, a longing belying her age comes through in the singing. The fact that the soft beat is replaced by a big one, accompanied by handclaps and Hval harmonising with herself in a beautiful way, adds strength to the initial beauty. If this is the standard of 'Selvutsletter', out on 20 October, this is an album to be on the look out for.

Rich Men North Of Richmond. Oliver Anthony

When a song reaches the news section of national newspapers and evening talkshows, it is time to pay attention. Not the music was the news but a) the fact that Rich Men North Of Richmond entered at #1 on the U.S. singles charts and 2) the song was embraced by the whole of conservative U.S. I'm going to leave that there. How good is the song? The first thing I notice is that this is just Oliver Anthony singing with a rough voice and it's just Oliver Anthony playing on an acoustic guitar. There is nothing else added to this recording. The song is somewhere between folk and country. The lyrics and the delivery are as direct as you can imagine. Anthony sings this direct into your face and makes an impression. The singing is so strong and convincing. As such Rich Men North Of Richmond falls into a long tradition of U.S. music, but that does not explain the phenomenon the song has become. This starts with the delivery and attitude Oliver Anthony shows. The song attracts your attention. Even if you should not like the music. That is where it started and is what makes the song special and stand out. What people make of the lyrics is always in the ear of the beholder. My verdict? Rich Men North Of Richmond is a very good song deserving attention in its own right.

Tracemaker. Daiistar

Daiistar is from Austin, Texas. The foursome, Alex Capistran, Nick Cornetti (drums), Misti Hamrick (bass) and Derek Strahan (keys), formed at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. After a few singles the band will release its first album next week. First we focus on Tracemaker, the third Daiistar single. There's more than enough fuzz to go around for some heavy music induced tripping. Underneath The Stone Rosed are revived in the rhythm drummer Cornetti lays down for the band. It makes Tracemaker danceable as well. Think of the best tracks of Canadians Elephant Stone. Hippy music keeps attracting youngsters in droves. With Daiistar another band is added to the roster and very much welcome there. Tracemaker is extremely trippy but adds a punch in all the right ways. A great hook and them drums. Shake your tailfeather, baby, right underneath them fluid projections on the wall!

Earn The Thirst. Dartz

New Zealand's Dartz can be found in the single section several times now. Earn The Thirst is no exception. The up tempo punk rocker once again combines punk urgency with a great pop melody. Every pub still playing a punk song every once in a while can join in the community singing of Earn The Thirst. Sing loud enough and deserve the next pint. Something like this, is how I imagine it. Of course, dozens of bands have done this before, there's no denying here. Dartz adds its own enthusiasm to what came before and easily fights its way in. Earn The Thirst is as infectious as Dropkick Murphys' best songs and competes well with Rancid's last album greatest songs. Do I need to write more? Don't think so. Besides, I'm getting thirsty from listening, processing and writing.

Salt, Sand Sea. Ebony Lamb

In the spring of 2018 I wrote a very favourable review of Eb & Sparrow's album 'Seeing Things'. Five years later its singer Ebony Lamb returns with a single of her upcoming solo album 'Ebony Lamb', slated for 20 October. Salt, Sand Sea is a dreamy kind of rock song. The arrangement is kept elementary without cheating out on the nicer elements that can be captured in a track. The listener can find more than enough little elements that make the song oh so nice to listen to. Ebony Lamb's voice hovers over Salt, Sand Sea, like a fairy over the branches in a fairytale forest. High, without straining, lovely without the sugar. In the music the musical equivalent of the hovering is present in those extra few notes played that make the song sparkle. Her self-titled album is something to look out for.

Sharp's Catching Waves. Pseudo Cool

I couldn't make head not tails of the title of Pseudo Cool's single. It turns to be about a 1970s Welsh surfer girl called Linda Sharp. The song lauds her and her very successful career, in Europe and the U.K. Pseudo Cool is a punkish pop band, admittedly based by me on the basis of this single, from Maesteg in Wales. The song is razor sharp as well. It is instantly singable and great fun. Whether ms. Sharp is into punkrock, the story does not tell but there are worse ways to get celebrated over 40 years down the last wave surfed. Pseudo Cool makes her catch all the waves once again. "She was the only girl in the world", they sing while trying to create the biggest waves possible with their instruments. The result is a song like a wave that keeps rolling forward until it hits that final piece of beach that makes it fizzle out. Pseudo Cool captures that feeling with certainty. Excitement mixed with skills Sharp's Catching Waves is.

Heksenketel. Zegel

"De heks van dovenetel, die roerde in haar ketel". How many times I've heard that song in the mid 90s is impossible to recall. We had to sing Dirk Scheele's song all day long. Not even the witch could have imagined what came out of her kettle about 27 years later. Zegel plays a song that is like a roadroller. Unless you are Michael Palin in 'A Fish called Wanda' there's no surviving this onslaught. The start is softer, with soundscapes, and atmospheric sampling. A guitar comes in and here we go. Zegel delivers not just an extremely loud song, It is also exiting. That makes the song a winner. The riffs are flying all around, while drums keeps up its tremendous pace and power. Animal 2.0 is behind the kit alright. These Flemish musicians come into my musical universe with a big, loud bang.

Lost In A Dream. Elephant Stone

It's close to nine years when Elephant Stone made it to this blog for the first time. The band even made it to the top 10 albums of 2014. Although I appear to have missed some albums along the way, the band found its way regularly. Today a new single is present, announcing a European tour for September. Lost In A Dream is a poppy psychedelic song, where the Canadians (Montreal) sound like a lot of other bands from the present and past. I will let you identify your own favourites in there. For me it is the poppy sound that makes Lost In A Dream sound so tremendously attractive. The 60s guitars and the long, long held synth notes make this single such a joy to listen to. The latter even adding a magical element. Add the beautiful chorus and I am sold. Okay, yes, it has a high Half Moon Run connotation, but that only makes it the more beautiful. I'm impressed and am looking forward to hear more. Patience is called for, as the new album is not planned for this year.

Wout de Natris

2023. Week 19, 10 singles

This week, we are starting of real slow but from there things will get out of hand. The first song is 22 years old and is re-released this year. A punk band playing for over 30 years is making its debut on this blog. Again, this post offers the chance to run into some new names and find a few veterans. It's all there, enjoy.

(You're So) Pretty. Cloudboy

Oh, wow! This (video) single is 22 years old today but released to cheer up the first ever vinyl release of Cloudboy's first album 'Down at the End of the Garden'. The bio speaks of Dunedin's dreampop band. To me this is super psychedelic. Slow sounds crawl around like a snake on sticky tarmac. Everything seems to come to me through a cloudy haze of a certain kind of cigarette. Singer Demarnia Lloyd hovers as it were over the mix of electronic and analogue music. The only thing not floating is the drums that are played in a firm way, making sure the rest of the music coagulates into a song, instead of evaporating into thin air. The moment the band comes in, I am in 1960s The Beatles territory. Then add the modern synths, etc., that did not exist in 1966/7. I have no way of judging the status of Cloudboy's album in New Zealand. My guess for here in NL is, it beyond obscure, but please correct me if I'm wrong. The re-release seems totally justified on the basis of this single.

Untitled. Caspar Auwerkerken

Another dreamy song but less overtly psychedelic. Belgium singer-songwriter Caspar Auwerkerken returns to this blog with his fourth single. Late August he is about to release his first EP, 'Abloom'. Untitled is a slow song, where Auwerkerken strives to build up a close relationship with his listeners. His voice, an electric guitar and atmospheric resonances is what makes up Untitled. Ever so slowly the song unfolds. If there ever was a song that was not in a hurry, it is Untitled. Do not make the mistake to think the song is not urgent. Slowly but surely the song builds itself out to something larger, huger, ever more present. Auwerkerken plays with dynamics superbly before letting the listener off the hook by winding down. As far as I can judge so far, Casper Auwerkerken is a young, new artist worth following. There's a lot of promise in his songs.

Drop The Needle. The Short Fuses

Time for a wake up call. Miss Georgia Peach and band mates return to the blog on full blast. Drop The Needle is a dirty rocker only to be touched with thick gloves on. Ms Peach sounds as dirty as the lead guitar played by her long time partner Travis Ramin. The song is written by rhythm guitarist Justin Staggs, to complete the band. There's no room for any kind of subtlety on this single. The band simply goes full out and does not stop until the very final seconds. Hearing the level of energy that is shared here, it is almost inconceivable The Short Fuses is around for over 25 years. This band is not giving in an inch to ageing and goes at it like a couple of youngster bursting out of the garage and combine the bursting part with years of experience. Travis Ramin lays the whole foundation of the song playing bass and drums in a ferocious way. Literally propelling the rest of the band forward. Drop that needle again, please!

Solitary Walker's Blues. Mad Dogs

A single from Italy is up next. We are rocking some more, and loud at that. In between I listened to a single by Danko Jones. You do not find it here. Why you may ask and why Mad Dogs? The difference between music sounding forced and a bit boring and music jumping out of my speakers. Something like that. Yes, some parts of Solitary Walker's Blues sound a bit forced as well. It doesn't matter, as the single is simply energised. It all starts with a great riff. Yes, of the kind you may have heard since the start of Black Sabbath but who cares. Mad Dogs plays the real thing. Jumping around guaranteed. The light and the shade are taken care of and the singer's voice has the right touch. Solitary Walker's Blues is all but a blues, it's a great hardrock song, with a little pop on the side because of the memorable melody.

Signed J.C. / One Dead Family. Avery Plains

Groningen's Avery Plains returns to WoNoBlog, after three years. Signed J.C. is a nice dark monster of a song, that combines a whole lot of nice music from the past and gels all that into a superb song called Signed J.C. For me this starts with The Cure but just as easily I hear Boudewijn de Groot's band Tower in there and Wally Tax in Jurgen Veenstra's way of singing in this song. The Outsiders could impossibly have sounded like this but the band is not far away here. For a more modern comparison, I'd go for Litzberg. Add a wallop of loud rock and out comes an epic song of almost 13 minutes. Signed J.C. / One Dead Family is a single but released on a 10" format and with this length it has to. (You can order it here: https://averyplains.bandcamp.com/album/signed-j-c.) Avery Plains really goes all the way with Signed J.C. Lead guitarist John Krol gets minutes and minutes to show what he's capable of. One Dead Family is a more traditional song with a driving beat and an alternative form of rock and roll lead guitar. Again The Outsiders pop up in my mind. Not exactly the worst kind of comparison, is it? (P.S. The lead parts at the end are played by both John Krol and Jurgen Veenstra, I've been told.)

Loud, Bright and Violent EP. Sunshine Riot

Producer Steve Albini. That is quite some time ago I came across a record with his name underneath it. It may be me, but circa 30 years ago he was inescapable. Everyone and my mother-in-law seemed to be working with him. Revert to 2023 and Boston grungers Sunshine Riot have recorded four songs with him that in a pleasant way brings back memories of old, including the enthusiasm needed to be relevant today. The four songs have the rawness of, again, see above, 1960s Dutch band The Outsiders, not to speak of The Velvet Underground,, the best of Nirvana's tricks and a lot of bands that followed the proto-grungers. It all comes by on Loud, Bright And Violent, a title inspired it seems by a fish taco! Why I like Sunshine Riot is that the band has its own take on these obvious influences. By playing with the light and the dark in exactly the right way, the band creates a balance that not all bands are able to strike. In Jonny Orton the band has the right kind of singer. Rough, without having to overdo it. His voice can take on a little sharp edge and sound "normal", a little mysterious even, like when he declares some text in opening song 'So It Comes'. In 'Looking At The Past' Sunshine Riot shows that it looks way beyond the early 1990s. The sixties beat and atmosphere gives a lot away, while there are hints at a band like Oasis as well. Loud, Bright and Violent is a very interesting EP making me curious about what else this band has in store for the world.

Sunken City. Howling Giant

Some more hardrock in a more or less classic form. Reading that trio Howling Giant is from Nashville in Tennessee almost rocked my very existence. Here I am believing that I can ignore almost everything coming out of that city, here comes Sunken City. A single with music making me remember my introduction into hardrock with singles by Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath and Deep Purple's late album in the mid seventies like 'Stormbringer' and 'Come Taste The Band'. Howling Giant is on the blog for the first time, so let me introduce the members: Tom Polzine, guitar, vocals; Zach Wheeler, drums, vocals and Sebastian Baltes, bass, vocals. Someone is playing a Jon Lord style organ on Sunken City, giving the song even more of the right touch. For the rest, anyone with a little knowledge of classic rock will recognise the style of playing. So, it's all about the quality of the song and that is more than alright.

Tell Me More. Son Mieux

Time will tell whether 'Multicolor' is that song of a life time for The Hague band Son Mieux. It was the first one I liked by this band. So how is the follow up single? A little in line with the huge hit propelling the band into the next level a few times over but slightly less in quality. As is almost inevitable. Son Mieux touches on the atmosphere of 'Multicolor' and gets away with it with ease. Tell Me More holds a lot of great pop elements. Some do sound eerily familiar and here I do not not point to the big hit. I also wonder where The Netherlands had ended up had Son Mieux been playing at the European Songcontest this week. The song seems to hold a lot that would score there and in a positive way. Not being just a gimmick what so many acts simply are. Tell Me More does something else as well. It combines The Waterboys of decades ago with a modern pop sound. It makes me like the song better and the saxophone solo tops things off nicely. A good new single.

Tomorrow Never Comes. Rancid

We have not had our shot of punk music today. Well, here it is. What a shot of energy this single is. Tomorrow Never Comes starts at full speed and then goes faster and faster, just like my floor manager always used to say in the morning when we started work in the distribution centre of large clothes retailer. A long, long time ago. Luckily for me many other tomorrows followed not involving loading and unloading (boxes containing) clothes eight hours a day. Life had other things in store for me, like this single. Boy, this is good. I don't know where Rancid has been at for the past thirty years, but it cannot have as good as this song. To not let you in the dark, it's only six years Rancid released it's previous records, so not that long, counting the pandemic. (Even more) punk veteran Brett Gurewitz is producing and it's obvious he just lets the band rage and canalised its energy. All four members get there moment to shine on Tomorrow Never Comes. The ferocious drumming comes out really well, the basslines are simply fantastic and both guitarists get to play lead and rhythm. Three of the four sing lead as well. Democracy in a band if I ever heard one. Rancid is back with an extremely strong punk rock and roller.

Minus Twenty / Erik's Song. Tramhaus

The third and final single this spring of Tramhaus, the Rotterdam punkrock sensation that is slowly but surely marching forward on the stages of Europe. Minus Twenty is a minimal song. Not a lot seems to be happening. Slowly but surely the hypnotic quality of the the song comes through more and more. It's the kind of song that can bring the listener under its spell. Playing it over and over becomes mandatory, without noticing the compulsion. Live the song can serve as the breathing moment for band and audience before havoc is wreaked once again. There's a weird little guitar solo that upsets the apple cart for a few seconds. There is the chant "ahh" already again to sooth us. Had the song stopped at about 4 minutes, the illusion would have been true. It does not. After the four minutes sign the band moves in for the grand finale. Earplugs in place, folks. Erik's Song is more traditional but fully in the bare style Tramhaus is getting to be renowned for. Again the band found some lead notes that are not your average, almost beyond the edge of what the chord progression allows for. It always works though. No, this song will not be to the liking of the more sensitive ears. This music is not made for these people's ears. The (post)punk rocking crowd should be totally alright here.

Wout de Natris