2026, week 25. 5 singles

Yes, you've read right, only five singles this time and no album on a Thursday. Too much work, too much football, too much playing with my own band Sweetwood, too much summer days and what not? There are only 24 hours in a day. Still, here is a nice subset of songs that were presented to me in the past weeks. Old and new, so enjoy!

Brothers. Garlands 

It has been quiet around Garlands for a while. I'm glad to announce the band from Glasgow is back with a psychedelic pop rock song called Brothers. The trio around singer-guitarist Gordon Harrow excels in songs that always have a foot firmly in the past, while certainly keeping an eye on what is going on today in the more alternative forms of pop music, only to plant its second foot right there. Brothers is no exception. The song starts with just Harrow and his guitar doing his take on an earlier George Harrison in The Beatles kind of song, while the rest of The Beatles were out doing something else. When the band joins in, the song gets far more solid (of course) but is also fleshed out. The vocals are doubled, harmonies come in, making the song open up. With Brothers Garlands has done it again.

La femme qui s’était faite toute seule. Prisoner

"The woman who made herself" is the title translated into English. As a Dutchman, "God created the world, the Dutch created The Netherlands", I can relate to the title. More importantly, the French band from Bordeaux is playing a great form of garage rock, including punky guitar and a Farfisa kind of organ that gives the song its 60s vibe. Of course not a band from the 1960s played its chords with a sound like this, but the origins are totally obvious. Singer Susanne Pemmerl brings French sigh girls to mind but just as easily Debbie Harry and a host of singers from U.S. female fronted punk bands. The addition of a deep and dark saxophone gives the song an extra layer to chew on while rocking out. Great single. On 7 august there's an album as well, the self-titled 'Prisoner'. Based on La femme qui s’était faite toute seule, it may well be great fun.

Sometimes The Sea. Julia Greenberg

With Julia Greenberg this week's post already has its second new name to the blog. The indie-folk singer from New York presents an introspective song like generations before her have done both as recording artists and from the days before songs could be recorded. Despite this enormous legacy, Julia Goldberg manages to capture my attention with ease. Both with her voice, that has a typical folk edge to it but also with the music. At heart you will hear Ms. Goldberg and her acoustic guitar like she would play it at home or at a campfire. It is enough to make the song interesting already. When all is said and done, Sometimes The Sea is as good as its basis is. What is added, is an accordion (Will Holshouser), playing as an accompanying instrument and some lead notes in between. The bass strings on the acoustic guitar are recorded so well, that it is hard to tell whether there is a bass guitar or not. There is absolutely no need for anything more. Recently, an EP was released called 'Born Sentimental'.

Wasn't It Just Yesterday. Girl With A Hawk

With Wasn't It Just Yesterday Boston band Girl With A Hawk returns to this blog with a song that immediately landed well with me. From the very first second somehow it is clear that the song is going to be just fine. It starts with an intro of a lead guitar, the band is there and then an organ enters putting the cherry on the already delicious cake. Linda S. Viens once again leads the band through a song of significance. With influences from both sides of the ocean shining through, Girl With A Hawk creates a hybrid song that should work for both fans of U.S. rock and U.K. Britpop and older (Bowie!). "I've got the looks and I've got the tunes", she sings and then she looks in the mirror and realises that "time is running out" and there's even a political statement in there, as she moves from the personal to the more general before she proclaims her love of the rock and roll life. She sounds like she does for the whole of the way. It shows in every single second of Wasn't It Just Yesterday. Album 'Renegades' is there on the 19th!

Hard Luck. Hoaxxers

With Hoaxxers we have another new name on the blog but not a new kind of music. The upbeat power/punkpop of the band will resonate with fans of a host of bands playing this genre of music since the 1990s, and mostly from the U.S. or influenced by such bands. Hoaxxers is a band from Austin, Texas and holds members of the band Joe Jitsu in it. Hard Luck is the title track of a six song EP with the same name that was released on 29 May. The song is a punkrock song that at the same time strives to be a perfect pop song. Loud and punky, but with harmonies that work while at the same time sounding very familiar. Dynamics are used successfully, in other words a textbook song and still it works. Not the best I've ever heard but certainly plain good. No more words are necessary, except rock on!

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

Enlightened, Baby. POM

Amsterdam band POM can be found on this blog for well over four years and many times at that. Calling myself a fan may be overstating it a bit; there are no posters above my bed or things like that. Where the music is concerned though, debut album 'We Were Girls Together', now 2,5 years old, still comes by regularly. And here is album number two.

To fall with the door into the room, as we call it here, Enlightened, Baby is an album that is at least as good as 'We Were Girls Together' and may well prove to be better. In opening song 'Rover' POM immediately touches on the quality level The Beths has a tradition to start its albums with. That rock and alternative pop blend that many bands go for but seldom touch upon. 'Rover' does and sets the expectation level for Enlightened, Baby quite high.

My overall view comes up with one word only: growth. POM's debut album was one full of enthusiasm and a few very good songs, as in really, really good. Enlightenment, Baby knows the same level of enthusiasm and joins that with better songs on average. The album was produced by POM's guitarist Luc Siegers, who seemed to have not only make the band's sound deeper but broader as well. Keyboards and an endless level of additional melodies can be heard, that make the album not just good but also a joy to listen to. The sheer fun of discovering all the extras that went into a song!

Speaking of joy, guitarist Joy Kunst left the band and was replaced by a new guitarist, Kiki. That is all I currently know, though. Up front, if course, is Liza van As. She's, if possible, even more present than before. Liza is the front woman with a voice that will reach all corners of the world, need be. POM deserves this by the way, as the band is that good in 2026. I hope that after this release the band is able to move up a notch in the venues and play abroad some shows. Ekko should be my last time in a smaller venue with POM.

Promo photo

Liza van As went through a dark streak after losing her father. When she decided to write about her deep mourning, what came out were pop songs. Most likely to everyone's surprise. Listen to the title song, deeper into the album. The lyrics are serious, the music is full of spunk, inventiveness and synth sounds. For the first time POM must be laid against my Veruca Salt meter and succeeds. I wrote about growth and this is what 'Enlightenment, Baby' shows.

Having played Enlightenment, Baby several times, I notice I find the album better than the listening session before that, with obviously still more to enjoy in the future. On the basis what I've heard, this album should bring the breakthrough.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Enlightenment, Baby here:

https://pomtheband.bandcamp.com/album/enlightened-baby 

The Rideout. The Chelsea Curve

With the avalanche of albums reaching me every week, it is extremely hard to catch up on albums that are released during a holiday and other periods of time where listening and writing are hard to do. Based on listening to the single 'Ride' by The Chelsea Curve, I knew it was time to make the extra effort.

'Ride' is a such an energetic song. The Boston band is rocking in a serious way, without forgetting that a golden vocal melody is the thing of miracles where hit songs are concerned. Whatever the influence of The Radio Indie Alliance Top 100 is I can't tell you, the fact that 'Ride' recently was its number 1 does tell you something. 'Ride' is the kind of song that deserves being a number 1. Most likely the current number 1 in our Top 40 doesn't, as far as I'm concerned.

Like me, The Chelsea Curve is a remnant of the past. From the time when Blondie managed to top the charts with 'Denis' and the albums 'Plastic Letters' and 'Parallel Lines'. Listen to 'Kindawanna' and 'Out Of My Head' and you know more than enough. Both are songs that deserve to be hits in that parallel universe of mine and The Chelsea Curve's and that Indie Alliance Top 100.

Photo: Trebmal Photography

The Chelsea Curve is from Boston and consists of Linda Pardee (bass, vocals, keys), Tim Gillis (guitars, vocals, keys), and Bruce Caporal (drums and percussion). The Rideout is the band's second album after 'All The Things' (2021), that was released after eight single releases in just as many months. You'll find many reviewed in the singles' section but not the album as a whole. With The Rideout WoNoBlog makes its amends. The Rideout deserves your full attention.

Despite being a mini album of just seven songs, the energy shared with you by the band will last you for the rest of the day. In the first seconds of the album The Chelsea Curve grabs me and, the trio does not let go of me before the final note has faded away, leaving me totally fulfilled. The Rideout is one explosion of energy, contending for the Blondie crown. If you plan to listen to one powerpop/rock album this year, The Rideout should be your record of choice.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order The Rideout here:

https://thechelseacurve.bandcamp.com/album/the-rideout 

P.S. 20-08. This week the sad news reach me that, The Chelsea Curve's front woman Linda Pardee has passed away. My condolences to all her loved ones.

2025, Week 48. 10 singles

Another week has gone by and all of a sudden or so it seems, there are only four more to go before it's the end of 2025. It is time to start thinking about best of year lists, etc. I haven't made my mind up yet. There remain a few contenders for the honour of being on top of the album list, with a few more weeks to go. In the meantime here are ten new singles/EPs. So, enjoy!

Constant Distance EP. Emma Hessels

With Constant Distance Belgian singer-songwriter Emma Hessels releases her debut EP. Expect a record that whispers in your ear. Hessels keeps her music small and delicate singing with a soft, whispering voice. My gut feeling tells me that her voice is able to roar if she decides so, but does not. Her voicing of choice reminds me of Lou Doillon and her stepsister Charlotte Gainsbourg. Her music of the late Norwegian artist St. Thomas (Hansen). The way she seems to hesitate in what the next move in a song should be, the use of a choir way of singing in parts of the songs, are giveaways. In the fifth song that hesitation is thrown out the window, as the song keeps growing in volume, including the trumpet of Marthe van Droogenbroeck, who is allowed to play the song home in the softest way possible. Before this eruption Emma Hessels has long convinced me of the quality of her music. An acoustic guitar, a piano is enough to make a point. Fans of Suzanne Vega will find their way with Constant Distance. Based on the EP, Emma Hessels will soon have fans of her own.

Hanging On The Telephone. Christina Jean & Her All Stars

What is my favourite Blondie song? I have never ranked them, I have to admit. But 'Hanging On The Telephone' definitely will rank high. It is one the band's wildest songs, totally befitting the rough edge Debbie Harry has in her voice. Is she a good singer? That question is beside the point. It's Debbie Harry. Today a cover in honour of Blondie but more specifically its late drummer Clem Burke. Drummer Richie “BoomBoom” Mendez got friends together, including singer Christina Jean to record their version of the song. They stick nicely to the original Jack Lee-penned song, but it all sounds just this little neater than Blondie's version but that makes it this version. For the rest, when you play this song close to the original, you simply can't go wrong.

Don Enzo Magic Carpet Salesman. DITZ

For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite. Their Satanic Majesties Request. As a title Don Enzo Magic Carpet Salesman reminds me of the two previous ones. A real weird title. Ditz finds itself for the first time on this blog. Early this year they released an album called 'Never Exhale' that passed me by. This over nine minutes(!) long single holds several passages that make it go between alternative rock like e.g. Personal Trainer right up to psychedelic experimental pieces and some sort of hardcore or whatever it is called. Loud, loud music. In other words Ditz takes you on an adventure. You are in for some (nasty) surprises.

 

This Hotel Room / Look At Miss Ohio. King Hannah

Liverpool's Hannah Merrick and Craig Whittle have found themselves several times on this blog this decade. So it comes as no surprise that they are here once again. This time with a special 7" single, with a Gillian Welch cover on the flip side. This Hotel Room is an alternative, indie ballad in the style of someone like Bonny 'Prince' Billie. Too dirty in sound to be truly country, but the DNA of the track is fully descended from the genre. The song gets bigger and louder by the minute, with Merrick and Whittle singing ever closer together. The word epic doesn't fit this kind of music, but as far as I'm concerned it's epic in its own way and style.

Build A Box Then Break It. Ulrika Spacek

One more debut this week. The only Spacek up to now I was familiar with, is Sissy. Things do not get as hot as in 'Carrie', I'm glad to say, her "niece" Ulrike presents a song from its upcoming album 'Expo', out on 6 February, in quite an undercooled way. Radiohead is the word that popped into my head. More in the way Rhys Edwards is singing, than in the music. This is best defined as spacey. Swaths of keys float into my ears, while the drums keep up the rhythm is sort of jazzy way. As a whole it makes Build A Box Then Break It a rather mysterious track. Ulrika Spacek is a U.K. five piece, all male band that formed in 2014. Two members are playing together since their school days, starting in 2002. Expo is the band's fourth album and one I'm certainly interested in hearing more based on this single.

The Wind Doesn't Blow This Far Right. Lisa O'Neill

Far right is the place where storms of rage, ruin and indignation are created nowadays, I find more and more, shaking western democracies to its foundations. I am not certain if Lisa O'Neill is singing about this kind of metaphorical wind but there clearly is something that is upsetting her. For a song that took her eight years to finish, the opening line is remarkable: "I've lately been thinking of an old friend". Already it is clear that this song is something special. The Wind Doesn't Blow This Far Right is a modern kind of folk song. Sang in her Irish-English dialect, she is accompanied by an acoustic guitar and all sorts of droning instruments, making the song an amalgam of tradition and modernness. This is the kind of song that gets to you. Her new ep 'EP' releases on 26 February.

Pond. Runo Plum

In September I reviewed 'Sickness' and here is Pond, Runo Plum's new single. It is a slow affair with an acoustic guitar at its heart. Again, it is an electric guitar with a moderately dirty sound that sets the song mildly aflame. (When I think it's starting a solo, the song abruptly fades out.) Runo Plum sings with a super dreamy voice that fits but also contrasts with the music underneath it. The tempo befits it, of course, but it is also more direct than the style of singing. That makes for a very interesting mix.  Album 'Patching' was released two weeks ago. Is it varied like Georgia Knight's album 'Beanpole'? More on that album tomorrow.

 

Does This Go Faster? Lala Lala 

I had to walked down the stairs to check, but yes, I own a cd of Lala Lala. It was sent to me a few years ago I guess, but, to quote our former prime minister, "I do not have an active recollection" of it. Things get worse for me, because it turns out I wrote a review of 'I Want The Door To Open'. Lala Lala is Lillie West, who signed a contract with Sub Pop this year. This single is the first output of their collaboration. The main question she tries to answer is "how was the day after the party?" This is a question that often is better not asked, I personally find. Does This Go Faster? is an indie rock track, in a tempo that is mellow enough for the circumstances. Everything in the song makes clear the party is over, were it not that the rhythm does prod the listener that moving some more definitely is a possibility. There's a little The Stone Roses in the tempo, just this little bit slower and laid back in the rest of the instruments. As a whole it works.

IX.I. Papir

Here's another debut on this blog and another nine minutes plus "single" today. Papir is a psychedelic rock band from Copenhagen that releases its records on Germany's Stickman Records. Titles are unnecessary, at least on this record, as I do not know any others. IX is the ninth album and I is its first song. Things can be that simple. In principle the songs are jams that the band works out. There's a drummer, a bass player and a guitarist. The bass player is not just a rhythm supporter but plays as many notes as possible, with melodies supporting the composition as well. The guitarist creates wide landscapes of sounds, that open the whole song up. Nine and a half minutes is long for a song but I does not overstay its welcome. I do not know about a whole album like this though. You can out for yourself, as IX was released last week.

I'm In Love With My Friends. Girl With A Hawk

Let's end the week with another pop rock track by Girl With A Hawk. The Boston band around singer-guitarist Linda Viers presents a positive sound that makes me feel good immediately. Not unlike Blondie's single '(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear'. The song starts with people chattering at a party or at the local pub where friends meet to celebrate an event or just the being together. This is exactly the setting that Viens celebrates in this song. Some things in life can be so simple. Musically it takes a few chords, a nice little organ and a fine, relaxed guitar solo to underscore that great feeling that spending an evening with friends brings you. Girl With A Hawk captured the feeling expertly, doing the theme completely right.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Week 35, 10 singles

Yes, it's that time of the week again, that WoNoBlog looks at 10 recent singles. You will find a very varied lot. Youngsters taking on the world, "oldtimers" returning to the game and everything in between. There's even a better known name among the lot. Find out more, so off you go.

Superspreader. Ber

Superspreader is the kind of word that I do not want to hear at any time in the coming decades. It would mean that we have left the pandemic behind us. Although I fear there will be another Covid fall and winter coming up, I deeply hope to be surprised. And here comes singer Ber with her new single titled Superspreader. No, thank you, Ber, despite friends calling you that. The music sounds extremely familiar. Superspreader is a song that has been made many times before in the past few years. E.g. by Dutch singer Judy Blank. At the same time it is nice to listen to. Especially when the vocal harmonies and counter melodies come in and the music is being pushed to another level. All in all Superspeader is a song that I've heard too many times recently, one too many it seems. Nice, certainly, but not more than that.

Dentures Out. The Proclaimers

My guess is just about the whole world knows one song by The Proclaimers. Twins Craig and Charley Reid sing their upbeat song, 'Letter from America', with a thick Scottish accent. Is there a day that goes by without the song on the radio somewhere? Probably not. Now I have never heard another song by the duo and here it is 2022 and Dentures Out is delivered on my digital doorstep. And to my big surprise, The Proclaimers' new single is also a very upbeat affair. Could they imagine in 1987 to ever sing a song about dentures, let alone having them out? A topic that was as far away from most youth as disease and death. Dentures Out is also the title of the upcoming 12th album. Its title song is such pleasant song to listen to. A country flavour to the guitar playing, a warm organ and uptempo and beat for the whole of the trip. A nice re-introduction 35 years later.

Thank You. The Vacant Lots

Listening to the intro of Thank You and anyone my age is back instantly into the 1980s. That mix of doom and disco, Giorgio Moroder beats and pulses, are instant ticklers of memories from long ago. The funny thing is of course that this mix at the time hardly existed. You would wind up with Blondie's 'Call Me' to find something similar and strangely enough Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love' which is even from the 1970s. It is the deadness of Joy Division, the early Simple Minds, The Cure, Comsat Angels and the like the comes through in the singing and the darker synth sounds with the disco(side) of The Human League, Depeche Mode and when all is said and done Giorgio Moroder. The Vacant Lots, a duo, is from Brooklyn and totally from 2022 where the lyrics are concerned. No trace of a life being fucked up because of (fill in your doom laden worldwide issue here) but something which happened to the singer "this evening". "Thank you for wasting my time", he sings with a rather deadly sounding voice, In other words, totally self-centred. As a single the song totally works though. In 1981 it would have been totally exciting and probably "totally out of time", to quote singer Jared Artaud a final time. No matter from what date you look at Thank You, this is danceable stuff alright.

Life Got In The Way. The Young Hasselhoffs

It must have been a shock to punk purists when over the decades something like punkpop became a reality and extremely popular as well. Sort of blending with what used to be called powerpop. The first great result, to my ears, was 'What I Like About You', The Romantics' big hit, but perfected by the likes of Green Day and The Offspring. Bands that still tour today. Enter The Young Hasselhoffs from Omaha, Nebraska in the U.S.A. With the title song of its upcoming LP the band makes no qualms about loving music from long ago, while at the same time perfecting the genre with a 100% pop gem. If the perfect powerpop-punkpop single exists, The Young Hasselhoffs are in close reach of that holy grail. For that final step the bridge should have been better, for the rest, boy, what a nice song. Life Got In The Way rocks alright, while the band obviously sidesteps that old truth the title holds. It's never too late for second chances. The hard thing is to recognise them and even harder, to act on them. With this song the choice made by The (not so) Young (anymore) Hasselhoffs is very obvious and Rum Bar is just the label to assist a little here. Go for it!

Merry Go Round. Carissa Johnson

More punkrock but this time of a more bittersweet nature. Carissa Johnson is turning around in circles and wants to get out of that situation. She sees the future but still has to say goodbye to a situation that must have been good once. She catches the past, present and future in her song in a way that resonates immediately. Every person has been in a situation like that at least once, so can relate. The music Carissa Johnson shares with the world in this single, is of a true richness. In that sense Merry Go Round is far from a punkrock song. It is richly layered with a keen ear for detail and melody. The effect is as much in the pace and attack of the song as in the melodies that are keenly worked out. It results in a song that can be partied on and seriously listened to. Her voice fits her song like a glove, sharing with us all the emotions that come with the described situation. If the person sung to, still does not get the message, nothing will. "Een plaat voor de kop" we call that in Dutch. Translate at will. A fine song Merry Go Round is and a great teaser for album Blue Hour, also out.

Smile Through The Dark. Starry Skies

There's no starry something in a title which does not trigger  'Vincent' starting to play inside of my head. I read recently someone quoting Don McLean on what the song 'American Pie' meant to him. He was said to have answered: "It means I never have to work again". He most likely could have answered that for 'Vincent' as well. Whether Smile Through The Dark will have this result for Starry Skies, I strongly doubt. People who like 'Vincent', should take notice though of this single. It is one of these silent little pearls where the voice totally carries the song and accompanying instruments are exactly that. Warren McIntyre is the owner of that voice. His band Starry Skies is around since 2014 and has already released four albums. Little did I know. Smile Through The Dark certainly invites me to get to know more music by the band. The single was written in honour of a woman who repaired Spitfires in the Second World War and taught children after. It does so in a modest way, melancholy but with a strong, determined voice. The song instantly convinces.

Skyline. After Elmer

A young Rotterdam punk band releases a single and video, co-starring the Rotterdam skyline. Had I not visited the city regularly, I can assure you I would not have recognised the city I grew up in as a child. These four youngsters live in the new Rotterdam and play their music with the self-assuredness that comes with being Manhattan on the Maas. Skyline celebrates being young and alive. Although life is life it is important to have fun and that comes across, even when "waking up sober". Skyline may sound familiar in the sense that it follows well-worn paths of punkrock's past, the enthusiasm After Elmer shares comes across and won me over, as it will any punkrock fan. Skyline holds clever little elements that make it possible for the song to set its hooks into your brain and making you not only easily remember it, but will want you to play it once again.

The Pilgrim. ATEM

How to play tough on the acoustic guitar? Well, listen to The Pilgrim by new German artist ATEM (breath). This instrumental rock track shows how a six string, steel snared acoustic guitar can be integrated successfully in a hardrocking environment. Not by playing loud but by playing confident, strong notes, by making each one stand out for itself. ATEM is the solo project of Jan Korbach and The Pilgtim his first release towards an album in November, 'Concrete America'. The Americana is not faraway in the song. The start is of the kind that could take the song in any direction. When the band kicks in, more becomes clear, slowly but surely. The drums make the song tougher straight away, the rest comes in slower but surely, building the song out further. The organ is slowly replaced by "aahhs" and an accompanying electric guitar, reminding me a little of Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells' rocking sequence. Korbach has found an interesting melody to start from and successfully builds up to what is The Pilgrim. Exquisitely done.

Animal. More Kicks

With a riff in a kind way reminding me of the central riff of 'My Sharona', a band can attract my attention easily. That does come with a truckload of expectations though. No, they're not all being fulfilled in Animal, More Kicks' first single from its upcoming album 'Punch Drunk'. Enough are, otherwise you would not be reading this. More Kicks does so by taking the song in another direction, with its own dynamics and being far closer to British (punk)rock. Coming out of London, that's not so strange an outcome. From The Undertones right up to Oasis, you can find it all in Animal. The song derails nicely in the guitar solo and fuzzed up bass guitar. The drummer keeps it all together for us. The bass player manages to escape the confines of the first part of the album where he plays the same two note riff over and over. Later on he can play one nice bass rum after another, totally livelying the song up to great heights. This is fun alright and, as I said, a truly different direction from the fantastic, but rigid 'My Sharona'.

Charley Bronson. Black Honey

Charles Bronson, how long ago is it that people wanted to see a movie with the hard-fisted hero in a starring role? Indeed, he was born in 1921 and is dead for 19 years in 2022. So, were does the title of this U.K. band come from? The song is as tough as Bronson was in his movies though. "I'll take you down with me", only if need be, Bronson wanted to win. Black Honey may be on the same track with the song, as it is without compromise. The fuzzed guitars are hard and loud, aggressive as a boxer. Black Honey on the other hand is a master in restraint, as you will notice the use of dynamics in Charley Branson. Although I'm reminded of Blood Red Shoes and a little on the loud side of Wolf Alice, Black Honey has enough to stand out on its own. But let me warn you, this is not a band to approach without gloves on. It dances like a butterfly and stings like a bee.

Wout de Natris

 

Three albums, 10 May 2022

Today three albums that were about to fall in between the cracks of this blog but deserve a spot. So here are three little write ups, to give them the attention they deserve.

Solo. Jesse Mac Cormack

Somewhere, pre-Covid, I saw Jesse Mac Cormack play a support show. To whom? Sophie Hunger? The show was extremely intense, almost more experience than listening. One man, one guitar and a whole host of effects. In the past few years, I had all but forgotten about the Canadian singer-songwriter, so was pleasantly surprised to find a new album by him.

Solo is a modern album. In sound and in approach Mac Cormack presents different sides to himself. His voice, subdued, almost disguised behind effects, does not sing in the traditional sense in some of the songs. The rhythm, like many other sounds, is electronicly induced. This allows the music to spread out like wind sweeping over a bare plain.

The mood of Solo certainly has a kinship to his countryman Patrick Watson. The dreamy atmosphere is there, as there is some likeness in the way of singing. The electronic rhythms are the big difference. Solo's pace is so much tighter and faster. Jesse Mac Cormack's music is more, immediately, present. The two find each other in finding the right sounds for their songs, with great inventiveness. Solo will surprise you a few times with the sounds that come by.

Listening to Solo, it cannot be further removed from the one man, one guitar and a truckload of effects. It may be a huge challenge to bring this music alive on stage on your own. Coming from your speakers, the album is one big musical adventure sending you in many directions. And that is what an album is all about.

All The Things. The Chelsea Curve

Last year The Chelsea Curve was on a one a month single release schedule. I'm not certain they all made the weekly singles post. I am certain a lot of them did. A few weeks back the album was released and what fun it is to hear all these songs, eight!, and five more, combined together.

The Boston band brings together a lot of nostalgic music for the 50 and 60 plus music lovers and all that latched on in the decades afterwards. Expect Blondie pop punk, expect Dave Edmunds, expect Joe Jackson Band and all sort of bands from around 1980 who blended punk with 1960s best pop melodies and a little rock and roll as an extra. In short, the best the era had to offer.

The Chelsea Curve is a trio from Boston, drums, bass, guitar and the voice of singer/bassist Linda Pardee. With the tougher background vocals it all together rocks out in such a nice way. Yes, it is nostalgia that trickers me first in this music, but if All The Things wasn't as good as it is, why listen to it? I already have a 'Look Sharp', right? All the Things totally stands its own ground compared to let's say 'Plastic Letters' and Linda Pardee is the better singer. Man is this album fun to listen to. The only question I can never answer is: How would it truly have compared in 1978? Answer could well be that I like it a lot better in 2022. My musical tastes are a lot wider today. With All the Things The Chelsea Curve tickles all my fancies.

Immortalized. Ava Vox

Ava Vox has come by on this blog twice now and, yes, her album deserves some extra attention. With a voice sounding like years of smoking two packets of Gauloises a day, smoothed over by some Four Roses, she immediately makes a first impression. She may sounds ten times as tough as she really is, I do not know of course, but as a singer this is one tough lady. The opening song, 'Crash', sprints out of the docket as if there's no tomorrow.

Singer Elaine Hannon created Ava Vox two years ago and celebrates her return to music, since her band, The Seventh Veil, formed in the 1980s called it quits in 1991. 'Crash' is a song by The Seventh Veil. The 1980s are all over Immortalized, her eight song album released a few weeks ago. With her doom voice, she brings singers like Ian Curtis to mind and all who followed his style of singing over 40 years ago. The music matches the mood her voice conjures up. Apart from that, what gets into my ears first, is the huge sound of Immortalized. Big drums, like Simple Minds around 'Up On The Catwalk'.

You will find two covers on this album. Soft Cell's 'Tainted Love' and Bowie's 'Life On Mars'. The former gets a guitar rendition, the latter starts off with a beautiful piano part like the original. Where 'Tainted Love' is concerned I totally see the added value, with Bowie's signature song I am less sure after a few listening sessions. Together with two other ballads, it does show the other side of Ava Vox.

There is a third side. With 'Heart Of Good Intention' she also shows a more pop side of her music. The song is totally upbeat, something harder to achieve for her voice. The combination does work, helped no little by that organ melody. Immortalized holds enough to make it worth your while to take a listen.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order the albums here:

https://jessemaccormack.bandcamp.com/

https://redonredthechelseacurve.bandcamp.com/album/all-the-things

https://avavoxmusic.bandcamp.com/album/immortalised

Kismet. Kid Gulliver

Kid Gulliver's singles have come by on this blog ever since Red On Red Records opened it offices in Boston. The string of pop-punk powerpop singles has resulted in the album Kismet and it is such a joy to listen to it.

Kid Gulliver is a duo, Simone Berk sings and David Armilloti writes the songs and plays a lot of the instruments. The bass is mostly played by Eric Otterbein and the drums are shared by Will Porturo and Sandy Summer. Between them they reach for pop punk heaven and come a long way there.

On all songs melody is combined with energy and noise fully in service of a great pop feel. The result is songs that are easily identifiable, fun to sing along to and just plain fun overall. A conclusion does not have to be more complex when there's no need to. Kismet is fun, period.

This conclusion is not the same as the album having no substance. A song about chemotherapy takes away every single thought about lightness. The same goes for 'I Started A Joke', one of Bee Gees many hitsingles in 1967 - 1969. This is far from a fun topic. The cover is though. There's no other word for it. My only question here is, why start the album with a cover song when you have so many strong songs of your own? Perhaps because it is so different from the original slow ballad that it has become a Kid Gulliver song.

If I have to mention anything less positive about Kismet, it is that Simone Berk's voice is somewhat flat for a whole album. That said, her voice fits the music like a glove, while her enthusiasm certainly compensates a lot. What also compensates, is David Armilotti's inventive guitar playing. There are quite some solos to enjoy on Kismet. There's no cutting the budget where guitar overdubs are concerned. The harmonies and even a duet in 'Beauty School Dropout' do the rest.

It is the whole picture that makes the album so nice to listen to. The drumming is oh so nice and the bass plays some really interesting parts in songs like in 'Gimme Some Go'. I can't help hearing "gimme some dope" in the ska rhythm song with horns as if The Specials have come back in vogue. These little extras provide Kismet with an extra layer of music to enjoy.

I had never heard of Kismet. Destiny is the translation I found, but in a fatal sense. It stems from the Islam, so the Internet tells me. To have an album with such a serious title that is so much fun to listen to! Let me rest my case with one of the singles released, 'Boy In A Bubble'. Can songs come more bittersweet than this? All is minor where this song is concerned. The lyrics, "Oh how I wish I was kissed by the sun/anyone today", expresses a near fatal longing, yet the guitar riff/solo is so joyous. The whole atmosphere of the song so utterly expressing being alive. If 'Boy In A Bubble' does not touch you, I can only muse what does?

"I Wanna Be A Popstar" Simone Berk sings on Kismet. Wanna be? Mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned.

Wout de Natris

Complete Recordings (2017 - 2020). Heatwaves

Complete Recordings (2017 - 2020)? It sounds more like complete recordings 1958 - 1962, re-recorded in 1978. Or The Supremes led by Ana Beltrán backed by Blondie. Believe me, it only starts here.

I have been to Spain multiple times, I enjoyed, the good weather, the culture, all kinds of tapas and paella's, cerveza's, sangria, Jarabe de Palo and what not, but never had I suspected that all lines of 60s girls pop and late 70s punkpop would converge somewhere in Spain to produce Heatwaves. This is pre-Lee Hazelwood Nancy Sinatra, The Sangri-Lah's, 'Under The Boardwalk' and the pop side of Blondie all tossed into one. Led by a voice to fall in love with, Ana Beltrán's.

A voice full of innocence, of life still ahead, of dreamy days from long ago waiting for life to happen. In a way the way Ms. Beltrán became the singer of Heatwaves sounds like a dream come true. The founding members, José Dolz and Luis Sanchez, heard her sing during a karaoke and asked her to join the band. They both play in other bands, but I can't imagine one of them being as good as Heatwaves. In pop enthusiasm and perfection by an unknown band I can only compare Complete Recordings to that obscure record 'Catchall' by the band Swag, a one album band comprised by members from other bands as well. Pure pop and perfection all around.

I could continue in the vein but all other words are superfluous. Where pop is concerned this is the real thing. Nothing less than a great party for all. Just go out and listen. Do your ears the greatest pop favour you can imagine, because as I already wrote, there's honey dripping from Ana Beltrán's voice.

Wo.

You can order Complete Recordings here:

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/complete-recordings-2017-2020

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

Fun Sized. Hayley and the Crushers

Hayley and the Crushers have already come by twice in two posts on recent singles. 'Church Of Flag' and 'Jacaranda' have received a favourable review, where especially the former stood out as an extremely great single. So how does the mini album Fun Sized hold up?

Let's first take a look at who this band is as this is its first album on this blog. The band is from California's San Luis Obispo and describes itself as "poolside glitter trash", just so we know. Also "one part punk-pop, one part sunny surf" comes by as a description and that I'll abide to. Hayley Crusher Cain fronts the band on guitar and singing. Dr. Cain wields his bass, while Action Ben Cabreana is the drummer. Musically the band looks in the rear-view mirror to music that was made in the late 70s to late 80s. The band has two previous albums to it name, 'Vintage Millennial' (2020) and 'Cool/Lame' (2018).

Here I start with the punkpop side of Blondie, but also the Go-Go's are a part of the mix but what to think of a song like 'Walking On Sunshine' by Katrina and the Waves? Hayley sings very much like Debbie Harry did but has the much better and stronger voice. What is more important is that Fun Sized is not only called this way but is fun all around.

Hayley and the Crushers are able to make music that blends pop and punk in an utmost way. The result is songs that are instantly recognisable and likeable. Yes, you may correctly state that this has all been done before, but my answer is that when this is done this good, the comment becomes inconsequential. From the first guitar strokes of 'Jacaranda' the lover of punkpop is in punkpop heaven. The kind of song that aims for the head, the heart, the legs and the mouth. Just try to sit still and not sing along. I dare you!

Promo photo: Jenny Ashley

'Church Of Flag' was the correct first single of Fun Sized. The song is the toughest of the six and the melodically the best. It resonated with me immediately and remains to do so. The kind of song that I could play all day and put it on once more just for good fun.

The four songs that were not released as singles, show that liking the two singles wasn't a coincidence. The three Crushers show how tight as a band they are, how they fill the sound spectrum as a force, like a trio setting must and don't lose the melody out of their sight no matter how tough they are playing. A nice bass run when the guitar plays tight chords, the drums like a powerhouse, just some details to be aware of when listening. A song like 'Water On Glass' is the best song Blondie never made and I can even imagine it as a cover should Blondie ever release an album again.

As a final comment I will point to Hayley's voice. No matter how loud, tough and strong the music becomes, she always masters the song. There's no need to scream, to shout, to exert herself. Her voice always sounds like she is truly singing, with ease and comfortably. This is something that is not given a lot of singers in this genre. She presents herself as the woman she is without having to try to be tougher than she is. The combination is totally charming. I love hearing her sing this music.

All fans of poppunk, powerpop, whatever you would like to call it, this is your music. Fun Sized is a fun sized album alright.

Wo.

You can listen to and order Fun Sized here:

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/fun-sized

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

For Those About To Pop!. The Yum Yums

For Those About To Pop! sounds like the songs are with me since forever and in a way they are. The Yum Yums are inspired by music from an era spanning roughly a decade and a half from 1964 to 1979 and a few years in the mid 90s when Green Day and The Offspring both broke to the mainstream of rock with their supertight punkrock songs.

The more cynical among you might now sneer that this is a fully redundant album. Wrong! For Those About To Pop! presents a half hour of great music that brings a smile to my face of the broadest of kinds. So what makes this album so special?

For starters The Yum Yums unleash a host of great pop tunes on the world. Pop tunes of the kind that take one listen session to be able to sing along to. Everything is done just right. From The Beach Boys to Blondie can be found here. Just like the best songs of those two bands the songs on For Those About To Pop! demand immediate attention. I just want to listen and undergo the songs fully. Be immersed by them and become one with them.

The tightness of the songs is the second quality. The band manages to be supertight without losing the strong melodies for a second. The result is a punky pop that is extremely inviting and enticing. Next up is the harmony singing that is impeccable. Not as complex as Brian Wilson's arrangements but extremely efficient, inviting singing along to.

The album was six years in the making and the result is like it. The band may have lost itself for a while in the myriad details on For Those About To Pop!, it made all the right choices where the final versions are concerned. Just listen to a track like 'Summertime Pop' and be convinced. Classic powerpop, bubblegum, a rocking guitar solo and a The Beatles end chord. At least half of the songs on For Those About To Pop! deserve to be hits, starting with the title song opening the album. Unfortunately in an alternate universe these days.

Norway has delivered another band to follow in the future. As a few of my favourite Norwegian bands are no longer around it is welcome and timely. It's the kind of album that makes me forget all the worries that may come tomorrow and focus exclusively on the here and now. For Those About To Pop! is a title this album deserves to proudly wear. This is pop music of the highest quality and could cause every champagne bottle to uncork spontaneously. Pop indeed.

Wo.

You can listen to and order For Those About To Pop! here:

https://rumbarrecords.bandcamp.com/album/for-those-about-to-pop


or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

9 Singles

It's been a short while only but the singles keep pouring in. Wo. presents another number of them and delves in deep to share his thoughts and feelings with you. There were times that a single was everything and youths could not wait to hear the next single by their heroes. Now a single is something put unto Spotify to announce an album. Charts have not much to do with sales any more. Does that mean a good single has lost its power of attraction? It does not. It remains the best and shortest way to attention. The radio is just no longer the only option to hear a new song for the first time. Like many others in the series this one was called 7 singles but things kept happening before finishing the writing....

Medic. Price
Medic is the new single by the band Price from Groningen and Culemborg. Frontman Martijn Visscher is active in Korfbal and FisscherPrize. The two songs on the single are the announcement of the band's first album called 'Timesaver' to be released in November.

The two songs on the single show two faces of Price. The first a nervous alternative rocker with those little prickly accents in all the right moments. The song keeps driving the listener onwards towards an imaginary finish line he can only hope to arrive at. The song is not a pleasant experience but is simply right. From Gang of Four in 1980 to Franz Ferdinand in 2004 then taking in some alternative, modern, yet in its own way melodic rock like Canshaker Pi excelled in. Mix it all together and out comes 'Medic' and b-side 'Brick'. Although 'Brick' is a more empty song, that is until it explodes around the 4 minutes point. Both songs show how easy it can be to delve into the past and come up with passionate new music. Price does it in these two alternative rock songs that promise a nice album later this year. Once again it shows the high level alternative rock from The Netherlands is at these days.

Queen Of The Drive-In. Whistlestop Rock
In time of Covid-19 everything changes. Even the drive-in has returned in full glory as people can watch movies safely from their cars. Who would have imagined just months back? A host of lady musicians from around Boston have decided, while socially distancing, to create a single together, lauding the drive in and the privacy allowed there, in the darker spot "and rub together till we see sparks".

This song is beyond perfect pop. The ooh-ooh-oohs are so extremely sweet. The pop sound of decades ago is played perfectly in a new song written by Simone Berk and Linnea Herzog. The three and a half minutes song allows for great singing, playing and guitar solo. Somehow I can listen to it for forever. There's nothing complex, just the pure pleasure of playing and singing about an activity that has become almost prohibited. The ladies call it an "ode to summer". I call it an ode to life. Simply because songs like this make me feel alive and then some. Thank you Justine (and the Unclean) for sharing this great song.

LP's Yard. Nato Coles & the Blue Diamond Band
Unfortunately some releases escape me. I was certain that I only had a single by the band. It turns out there's an album. I will check it out soon. First this single released in March this year. Nato Coles is another band released through Rum Bar Records. The music is straight U.S. rock from the 80s. A little Springsteen, a little Bryan Adams, though Canadian, John Mellencamp, that sort of rock. Artists I'm not a particular fan of. What Nato Coles and band does is lay another kind of melody over it. Not unlike Slobberbone did in the 90s. The combination makes for an irresistible musical mix. Melodic, duo tracked guitars and a fun chorus. That pop element, that Bryan Adams does have in his best songs, gives LP's Yard that little extra. Just listen how the lead guitar kicks in during the intro. The piano entering is pure Roy Bittan, lifting 'The River' single to great heights and Bowie's 'Station To Station'. Nato Coles and the Blue Diamond Band combines my favourite elements of U.S. rock, making me very curious what 'Flyover' sounds like as a whole. Chances are that these are not the last words on this band.

Above The Fray. Fridolijn
Fridolijn is about to release a maxi single called 'Chapter One'. As the first two songs already came by as singles in this series, 'Truth Or Dare' and 'Merry Go Round', I focus on the third song now released, but not before sharing with you how nice the collection of these three songs is.

Above The Fray is another serious and somewhat mysterious song. On the one hand there is a frivolous sounding piano in the verses (and a dark one in the instrumental part) on the other there is a mysterious part reminding me of Kate Bush, when she still made regular songs, so roughly the first three albums. Above The Fray starts nearly empty, to be joined by an acoustic guitar or two. The double tracked voice stresses certain sentences. The electronic elements give the song its slightly eerie atmosphere. The contrast between the two elements makes Above The Fray so interesting to listen to and give it true attention.

'Chapter One' as a whole shows the interesting path Fridolijn has started walking on. Three songs with a promise of much more to come in the future.

Headspace. Lonus
An email reached me with the request to write on a debut single. So that message at a minimum can count on a sympathetic ear. A first single is special for any artist/band. Lonus is a musician/producer duo, Simon Reyners and Sander Villers, that makes psych pop in their own words. It is an adequate description. The psychedelic part is in the singing and some of the instrumentation that never seems to continue in a straight line. The pop part for the most part is modern and can be put in line with what my girlfriend likes to hear on the radio and what Belgian singer/songwriter Lizzy sends me regularly.

All this puts Lonus' music on a dangerous edge where my musical tastes are concerned. No, I would not be running to the music shop to buy this but Headspace does meet a sympathetic ear and not just because of this being the first single. The melody is nice to listen to and several of the elements in the song itself work well. All together it is so easy to listen to.

Lady. Alex Izenberg
Lady is the third single released by Izenberg this year. All three have been collected on a new maxi single called Lady. It is an extremely different affair from other single reviewed recently. That makes the contrast more remarkable. My first inclination was not to write anything but I changed my mind about a minute into the song. In a way it is so weird that it is worthwhile listening to it only for that reason, but there is more. The song starts with a subdued re-working of Dave Brubeck's Take Five'. So it has an unusual time signature for starters. From there layers of samples, weird sounds, certainly psychedelic and a vocal, that is as weird as the rest of the song, are added. "Take Five" keeps it all together. Izenberg's voice is not a pleasant one and has trouble to keep the melody it seems. Then a guitar takes over and plays a solo that could have been on an older Stones album from around 1970, but that is far from all happening. There's much more. Hearing is believing.

No Ties. Wax Chattels
From a subdued song filled with loops and samples to completely bare rock and roll. In New Zealand this single is a long awaited event. For me an introduction. The busiest, distorted bass in rock business spews out notes and chords. The drums just pound and pound and a light sounding 60s organ plays a modest melody. Over it lyrics are sung and spewed in classic punk style.

Listening to the drummed intro, furiously, gives no clue what to expect except balled energy. That is what No Ties is. No one goes over board here. The music is contained within tight rhythms. Not even the angry part in the lyrics is allowed to escaped the rigidity of the rhythm and metrum. The result is a loud but certainly impressive two minutes single.

And You Invade Him / Born In The Blood. Joshua Burnside
Two months ago Joshua Burnside debuted on this blog with a mini album filled with folk songs. He returns with a new single with a double title. Again folk music is what he presents but of a kind that would make it hard to recognise for traditional folk artists from long ago, if they could be brought to life somehow and listen to this song.

Electronics, some sampling, vocal treatment, it all found their way into Burnside's new song. It gives the atmosphere a dark vibe and a somewhat angry background. The start, And You Invade Him, is 100% experimental not a song but setting the tone. This is not about getting a song on the radio because that part will most likely fail straight away. When the song comes in, there are resemblances to modern folk artists, were it not that Burnside paints the Born In The Blood part in a dark black way. But please keep on listening as Joshua Burnside fleshes the song out into great and impressive proportions. There's no understating here. The end is small again and full of electronically treated voices over an acoustic guitar. For those with a less experimental streak there's the radio edit called 'Born In The Blood'. All other comments remain valid though.

For those loving their folk slightly more traditional keep listening as Joshua Burnside provides that as well on the maxi single. One of the songs is even called 'Whiskey Whiskey'. That should even make those revived folkies of old feel better.

Criss Cross. The Rolling Stones
The surprise came in the way of an announcement by The Rolling Stones. No, there still is no new album. Will it ever come? The world is awaiting it ever since 2005. No, 1973 album 'Goat's Head Soup' gets its revamping, including three new songs. One of which being Criss Cross. Now 'Goat's Head Soup' is the album containing their last major hit 'Angie', nothing came close afterwards and the raucous and scandalous 'Star Star', originally even more scandalously titled.

So, enter Criss Cross. It is a typical song by The Stones 1973-1974 era. Instantly recognisable with all the elements that make 'It's Only Rock And Roll', 'Tumbling Dice' and 'Star Star' work as singles at the time and are still welcome songs in the band's shows. Criss Cross is somewhat more funky because of the electronic organ (Billy Preston?) and the typical Stones rhythm guitar. It does sound very similar to 'Brown Sugar''s though. That may be the reason the song was shelved in 1973. In my opinion it would have worked on the album.

So, is this a matter of 'Homegrown', Neil Young's "new" album, and I'm simply happy to hear unreleased music by a favourite artist from 45 years ago? Yes, in the end the same goes for Criss Cross. It is very welcome, but not the best song from that era of the Stones, mysteriously not released like Bob Dylan tended to do at the time. But hell, it's nice to hear!

Wo.

Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g

14 Singles, part 1

Are there more singles being released in these Corona/Covid times? Or is it that I notice them more having always focused on albums? I can't tell really. Fact is that I notice a lot of singles and a lot of them are so good that I decided to pay more attention. This week there are so many that I decided to make two iterations of this series to make sure to get them all noticed. Here's Part 1.

Lockdown. Neville Staple Band
39 Years ago three men were sitting in a car pretending to be driven through an empty town in lockdown, "all the shops have been closed down". One of the three men was Neville Staple. Little did his younger self know that he would be singing about an actual situation in 2020. After 'Living In A Ghost Town' of the Rolling Stones, that lent a little from The Specials, the Neville Staple Band sings about Lockdown. Of course in reggae rhythm in the best The Specials tradition. The diverse vocals, the rhythm, the trumpet moving in and out of the tune. It's all there. All together they make Lockdown a song that is extremely pleasant to listen to, even if the theme is one the world can't wait to get rid off. Neville Staple captures the mood of lockdown in the right way. Dark and brooding but not being able to wait to move and party to the music. The virus rules for now, no matter how hard that conclusion is. Lockdown is a worthy follow up to 'Ghost Town'.

Fourth Love. Justine and the Unclean
A leftover by Justine and the Unclean, released as a single from the Rum Bar Records summer collection 'Somebody Out Here Is Having A Party, vol.2'. With the song the band is influenced by another genre than usual. My first impression is that I'm listening to an outtake from The Bangles. The result is that I'm sort of torn in two here. The vocal melody is not the best I've heard from the band in the past two years, the music though is simply completely right. The guitar intro promises a lot and the little solo in between is just right, as is the sound as a whole. The result is a bitter sweet tune that attracts and pushes away. In my ears Fourth Love is not a winner but does come in line with a song like 'Manic Monday', with a far better guitar solo (deserving a better song).

The After Glow / Northern Song. The Asteroid No. 4
A band calling itself The Asteroid No.4 better play some heavy, spacey music. I'm not disappointed here. The After Glow is very far out there. From modern psychedelic acts like The Black Angels to deep psych cuts from the 60s 'Setting Controls For The Sun', it's all in there. The overdubbed vocals sing slow and vowels are long, drawn out. Long held, heavily distorted guitar notes colour in the music, while a drum and bass keep the sluggish rhythm going. The result is totally psychedelic. Even in such a way that when a chord change announces itself it almost comes as a total surprise.

This band is around for a long time it tuns out. The upcoming album 'Northern Song' is it 10th. Since 2011 the band resides in the former psychedelic capitol of the world San Francisco. Whatever it was in the water there, it still hasn't lost anything of its potency.

The b-side Northern Song is more traditional. The Byrds on lsd. It is more a folk-pop song in disguise, making it more recognisable as a song but also one that can join in all songs like these of the past 55 years and claim a position there. The Asteroid No. 4 know how to write a song and mix The Byrds with The Moody Blues in the right way. Interesting development that second influence that presents itself halfway the song and I did not see coming.

C'Mon And Love Me. Indonesian Junk
Indonesian Junk is another Rum Bar protégé band, with an upcoming retrospective of it career in the past 10 years. A single has been presented announcing the best of album. 'C'mon And Love Me' is a dark rocking song befitting the Rum Bar collection of records. The kind of song that makes every protective father reach for his proverbial shotgun (at least proverbial here where I live) and drive the long-haired, up to no good, aggressive sounding singer away from his lovely daughter. In other words Indonesian Junk hits the rock and roll bell in all the right ways. Hard, tough and a little rancid on the side. The singer sneers his invitation to love him. The loud guitar underscores his sneering. The drums pound on the door to open up and don't hesitate. In these days of #MeToo undoubtedly all elements that are not politically correct will be scrutinised. No matter how direct in sound it is a request and I can imagine voluntarily opening of doors and consent here. It is rock and roll and many people like it like that.

Dig In. I Like Trains
I Like Trains, another band I have never heard of before. The band from Leeds started in 2004, has released three albums before the upcoming 'Kompromat', its first since 2012. Dig In is a nervous sounding song with influences that range back into the 20th century. Fischer-Z like synths sound out, dark vocals depicting something like despair. Dig In is a haunting song. Without being extremely fast, it makes me feel uneasy. The accents made by the guitars left on the 1 and 3 and right 2 and 4 makes for uneasiness. It also leads to paying attention. The synths laid over the whole is almost like a band aid for the troubled mind. All together makes Dig In sound like a statement. I Like Trains is here and you better pay attention. Yes, I'm definitely interested to hear more later this summer please.

Maybe Someday. Tombstones In Your Eyes
What's in a name? Let's not go into the band's name, but let me suffice that it sort of blocks any breakthrough I'd say. That aside, the single itself is worthwhile a listen or two and more. Again we move into modern psych music. Bands that manage to give the impression that songs are endless and the notes and chords drawn out even longer than that. The effects used on the guitars and the long held organs/synths together with the slow singing, deeper into the mix all take care of that. Because of these effects songs can be very elementary like Maybe Someday is. It is one chord progression over and over. Still there's so much going on within that progression that the melody becomes slightly addictive. And in flies another distorted guitar allowing me to sore along with it high in the sky overlooking and understanding it all. Well, maybe someday.

B-side 'Can't Feel It Anymore (Junkie Version) is just as trippy but also somewhat more direct. A junky needs to score, right? Mission accomplished it seems listening and reading the title. Anguish it is though. What a guitar solo! A psychedelic song can be very direct in this sense.

In My Side. Vision Video
The 7th single of this week. A pattern is clear though. Singles that reach me are all by (older) bands making/recreating music from the past. Vision Video, with its first single, brings me back to bands like Big Country. Bands from the mid 80s with huge sounds led by four young Dublin lads called U2. They were to become the lasting ones. Vision Video is of the more direct sort mixing Big Country with The Smiths. Vocals that sound like the singer is in deep anguish. The music makes sure that his anguish becomes deeply felt by all. A broad mix that is compressed to make it sound like the voice(s) and leading instruments escape the whole. B-side 'Inked In Red' more or less does the same, slightly faster and more direct. Of the two I like it better. I am still undecided whether In My Side is too classically 80s for me. I do tend that way, but then a single always was the right format for me with bands like this. It would be a real surprise if I was to like the whole album coming later this year.

Vision Video is from Athens? Being European I automatically thought of Greece's capitol, but no, it's Athens, Georgia, U.S. Nothing to do with REM or the B 52s though. These influences all come from the U.K., from days long gone by. Is there nothing really new any more? (that I like).

Wo.


Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g