Good man down. Ewert and the Two Dragons

You can listen to 'Good man down' here.

A première for WoNo Magazine blog and for me personally as well. I honestly can't remember ever having heard a pop band from Estonia. Not even when I was on holiday in the country some years back. Having heard the neo-classical work by Arvo Pärt with the revolving bell is as far as I go musically on Estonia. So here I am reviewing Good man down by Ewert and the Two Dragons.

The band stems from the Estonian capitol Tallinn and consists not of three, but four members joined live by a three piece brass band. Ewert Sundja sings, accompanied by guitarist Erki Pärnoja, drummer Kristjan Kallas, and bassist Ivo Etti. Since the release of this album in 2011 the band has been gathering up awards in Estonia and beyond ever since, resulting in a world wide deal on a major label.

Ewert and band follow on the path that Mumford and Sons have paved, but are apart enough to be interesting to people not liking the new folkrock scene. I'm reminded of Elliot Smith quite often also during my sojourn into Good man down. A reminiscence I like more than Mumford c.s. Not all is acoustic on Good man down, but to say that it's the basis of the album, is close enough to the truth. Hand claps are in there a lot too making the rhythm of the album more playful. Estonian hit single and the song giving the album its name is a good example of this as the verses are driven by a muted guitar and hand claps the whole way, till the exuberant, but only by comparison, chorus comes along. The mood of the album is just as stated here. It's restrained, a bit down, with shiny bits, but, as said, only by comparison. The overall feel is one of a distant light in the darkness. The clip to the song, worthwhile watching, is all light. Of course filmed at a järv (lake) as every Estonian seems to have his or her own järv. There so many of them!

It's the subtlety of Good man down which wins me over. The little guitar melodies, concert bells, hand claps and sparse keyboards that are interwoven into the rhythm produced by the acoustic and bass guitar with the drums. The up-tempo of 'Jolene' comes just in time, making the album more various in sound. Ewert and the Two Dragons seem to know how to work dynamics in its favour, making the album more interesting and thus better. The songs are more crafted well then spectacularly good, but that is quite all right. They are all worth while listening to and listening to again, as they invite me to put the record on again and get acquainted better with them. In 'Panda', and here it is again, there is a clear influence of The Moody Blues at its soberest. 'Panda' is a plain, but beautiful song, that shines out on Good man down, holding a definitive promise for the future of this band.

There may be a good man down, Ewert and friends are on the up. This album deserves to be heard and liked, even treasured as it may well be one of the better releases of ... 2011. It's never to late to find out about good music.

Wo.

You can order Good man down here


or here

De doos van Doe Maar. Doe Maar

You can listen to '32 jaar' here.

I am not going to write about the recently released box containing all of Doe Maar's recordings here at all, as this box does not add anything to my experience with the band over the past 30 something years. For those not familiar with Doe Maar. This band is The Netherlands' most popular band singing in Dutch ever. Although its heyday was between 1982 and 1984 only and in that period during the last year already waning, the craze of (pre)teenage girls for the then already 30something band members let to the band's demise as well as its eternal fame. Once people were able to look beyond the teenage tears and screams a collection of great songs became apparent. In 2012 Doe Maar is into its third reunion cycle and still attracting so many people it fills whole stadiums with them. I'm just thinking that the band, now well into its sixties, is really enjoying itself and may just start recording a new album in 2013, to follow up on 2000's 'Klaar'.

My personal experience started with a single around 1979. The almost ballad 'Ik zou het willen doen' was sort of o.k. but not the sort of music I fancied at the time. This became somewhat different with '32 jaar (sinds een dag of twee)' and 'Smoorverliefd' in 1981. The music was reggae infused with clear pop and a little rock flavour. Not unlike many other bands of the period. The Police, early Joe Jackson, The Specials and Madness. The two songs became radio staples at the time (and to this day) and '32 jaar' a small hit. Through the cover of 'Skunk', the second LP, pink and green later became Doe Maar colours.

It was in the summer of 1981 I got to see them play live as a bonus as they supported Dexys Midnight Runners (read on Dexys here) at a live show in Brouwershaven organised by Dutch national radio station VARA. Doe Maar stood out as they played good, with loads of enthusiasm and added different songs to what I usually listened to. Enough for me to buy 'Skunk', the second album, straight away. 'Nix voor jou' is still playing in my head regularly and was a major favourite in my college days, finding our way home in the middle of the night, waking up people singing "Early morning and I'm looking for my socks' as loud as we could. (I apologise here and now for having loads of fun.) The addition of Joost Belinfante at the concert playing trombone and what not obviously added to the quality and diversity of the show. Doe Maar moved and made us move. And no little girls in sight anywhere.

1982 brought 'Doris Day en andere stukken'. Again a great album which I play to this day. Next to the two hitsingles 'Doris Day' and 'Is dit alles', songs like 'Belle Hélène', 'Radeloos', 'Okee' and 'Liever dan lief' are just great songs. No doubt about it. For the band that year somewhere things took a wrong turn as they never aimed at such a young audience and fans. Perhaps at first it was fun, but things went wrong publicly and privately.

1983 came with the first number 1 hitsingle 'De bom'. Fantastically insync with the time of anti bomb and anti-nuclear mass protest. '4us' was an album I did not particularly like, although it contained Doe Maar's second #1 'Pa'. A song like 'Je loopt je lul achterna' was not exactly what 13 year olds could relate to, nor what their parents wanted their kids to hear. Cynical and harsh was where Singer/Bassist Henny Vrienten was at at the time. The same goes for the anti-heroin song 'Heroin' and '1 nacht alleen'. 1984 single 'Macho' was a fairly weak song and I was not surprised that the band called it quits soon after. Doe Maar was over and finished, only two years into real fame. Burned up and spent, the way all teenage idols end after a few years. Put aside ashamed by then 15 year old girls and no one else wants to be associated with them. Still, I noticed that they had real fans during my college years, in the second half of the 80ties, as we were reminded time and again that a lot of Doe Maar's songs had a quality that would stand time.

And then it happened from late 1999 onwards, when Doe Maar announced the come back tour. One show in Ahoy became 16 shows and a great album, that almost nonchalantly made clear to us all what we had missed in the 16 years in between, had the band just taken a rest. 18 fantastic songs at a high level of quality were offered on 'Klaar'. In 2008 and 2012 Doe Maar filled stadiums and now they appear to go on an extended club tour in 2013.

Everything is now available in one box. Pop, reggae, ballads, a little rock and new wave and great, great songs. Doe Maar is one of Holland's best bands ever. There's no denying this fact in 2012.

Wo.

You can order 'De doos van Doe Maar' here


or here

Death of a decade. Ha Ha Tonka

You can listen to 'Usual suspects' here.

And once again the Q-Bus in Leiden managed to present a band that I had never heard of and came home a fan and very curious what the band would sound like on record. Where the show was surprising and with loads of variations in songs, the album just totally does justice to the live performance of the Ha Ha Tonka. Death of a decade holds all the elements, excluding the exceptional four piece a-capella singing the band is just plain sensationally good at.

Listening to Death of a decade my first impression is REM. The band starts off from 'Losing my religion'. The way the mandolin comes to the prominent position in several songs, there's no mistaking this influence. The second influence I hear is Mumford & Sons, although the question could be who came first?, but I'm not familiar with Ha Ha Tonka's previous efforts, 2007's 'Buckle in the bible belt' and 'Novel sounds of the nouveau south (2009), so can't judge on this question. Beyond that a whole bucket of influences come by perhaps starting with the early Jefferson Airplane and The Byrds, e.g. in 'Jesusita' and all that learned from them after.

Having said that, there is more than enough Ha Ha Tonka to justify the comment that the band has its own signature sound. The rough-edged voice of Brain Roberts is the first indicator. The voice is warm and harsh at the same time, with loads of expression which stands out compared to many other bands. The harmonies from high to very low fills several gaps making songs decidedly more interesting than they otherwise would have been.

Another thing that catches the eye immediately is the band name. Not exactly your everyday one. It has nothing to do with Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka, but everything with a statepark in Missouri and is supposed to mean "laughing waters". Do not get fooled by the name, as the band is into some serious music and into finding ways to express itself beyond the obvious. This quest leads to at least 50% of the album being outstanding and the rest certainly above average.

The switching between mandolin and electric guitar as lead instrument gives Ha Ha Tonka also a distinct sound. Although not unique, Brett Anderson's playing is different from most guitarists in a folkrock band. Something which is live more apparent than on Death of a decade as the band rocks out live a bit more in several songs.

And what struck me most is how much the sparkling opening track 'Usual suspects' brought my favourite Rod Stewart track 'Maggie May' to mind. Not that they are so much alike, but in feel and that is meant as a great compliment. Death of a decade deserves more interest than it has received in The Netherlands so far and as far as I'm concerned far beyond. Ha Ha Tonka may be a band to watch as they convince on stage as well as on record. And as this decade is far from over, take your chance, says,

Wo.

You can order Death of a decade here

or here

Coexist. The XX (2)

You can listen to 'Angels' here.

Na de recensie van Wo. (klik hier) volgt nu de recensie van Erwin Zijleman.

xx, het debuut van de Schotse band The xx, verscheen precies drie jaar geleden en wordt inmiddels gerekend tot de meest sprankelende, avontuurlijke en belangrijke debuten van de laatste jaren. Het debuut van The xx werd vooral vergeleken met een ander debuut dat al vele jaren in de boeken staat als bijzonder memorabel; het uit 1980 stammende Colossal Youth van Young Marble Giants. Young Marble Giants wist haar droomdebuut helaas nooit een vervolg te geven en ook The xx bezweek de afgelopen jaren bijna onder de druk. De band is gelukkig uit de diepe dalen geklommen en levert nu haar tweede plaat af. Ik zal er niet omheen draaien: Coexist is als je het mij vraagt net zo indrukwekkend als het debuut. Dat is een mening die zeker niet door iedereen gedeeld zal worden, want een band die na een sensationeel debuut gewoon verder gaat op de ingeslagen weg hoeft niet op de sympathie van de critici te rekenen. Coexist is zeker geen kopie van het zo bejubelde debuut, maar ligt absoluut in het verlengde van zijn voorganger. Net als op xx domineren op Coexist de bijna minimalistische songs vol toverkracht. Hier en daar klinkt Coexist net wat elektronischer dan het debuut van The xx, maar de meeste songs op de plaat hadden net zo makkelijk op het debuut kunnen staan. Is dat erg? Nee, wat mij betreft niet. The xx maakt immers nog altijd unieke muziek en bovendien muziek van een bijna surrealistische schoonheid. Het merendeel van de songs sleept zich in een uiterst traag tempo voort en valt op door de bijzonder sobere maar bijzonder trefzekere instrumentatie. The xx denkt na over iedere noot en Coexist bevat hierdoor geen noot teveel. De minimalistische en vaak spitsvondige instrumentatie wordt ook op Coexist weer gecombineerd met de lome, soms bijna verveelde, maar ook emotievolle vocalen van Romey Madley Croft en Oliver Sim. Hier en daar experimenteert The xx voorzichtig met beats, maar de band maakt nog altijd muziek die het vooral van de sfeer moet hebben. Iedereen die op Coexist nieuwe wegen zoekt komt bedrogen uit, maar een ieder die zo langzamerhand wel toe was aan meer muziek van The xx, krijgt met Coexist een hele mooie en betoverende plaat in handen. Natuurlijk ontbreekt de pure verbazing waarmee het debuut drie jaar geleden werd onthaald, maar zet je hier over heen en je hoort dat The xx de afgelopen jaren alleen maar is gegroeid, waardoor het geluid van de band is vervolmaakt. Coexist borduurt misschien voort op het debuut van de band, maar is ook subtieler en verfijnder. Ondanks het feit dat de zon nog altijd lekker schijnt omringt Coexist me met ondoordringbare wolken nevel en klanken die me steeds dierbaarder worden. Coexist is net als zijn voorganger een groeiplaat die steeds nieuwe dingen laat horen en is volgens mij in staat om te groeien tot ongekende hoogten. Ik lees nogal wat teleurgestelde reacties op de plaat en daar begrijp ik helemaal niets van. Wat drie jaar geleden uniek en betoverend was kan niet opeens gewoontjes en slaapverwekkend zijn. The xx heeft de receptuur van haar muziek niet veranderd, maar waarom zouden ze? Coexist is echt een prachtplaat die een onbevooroordeeld oordeel verdient. Grote kans dat je hierna net zo in de wolken bent als ik.

Erwin Zijleman

Collider. Moke

You can listen to 'Burning the ground' here.

If something stands out before I've even played Collider, then it's the cover design. It seems to have become quite popular to have a design like this in 2012. My hopes weren't very high when I heard about a new Moke album to be released. In the interviews around the band's previous album 'The long and dangerous sea' were mostly on how stylish the band is, the suits they pressed themselves, blah, blah, blah. Quite rightly so, because the music totally bored me and after giving the album a second chance, I put it away for ever. Hearing the single 'Burning the ground' at Giel Beelen on 3FM one morning, I pricked up my ears. Yes, this is a great Polderbritpop song, like Moke should be making. With all these little extras. Even an 80s Howard Jones like keyboard sound, which just works beautifully in 'Burning the ground'. It has a great chorus, breaths in the verses and has this tension just begging to explode. In other words: I wanted to hear more!

The first time I heard Felix Maginn sing was somewhere in the 90ties in the LVC in Leiden, where his band Supersub, with JB Meyers on guitar, played as least as good as Dodgy, the band Supersub supported. Maginn got a second chance, with Phil Tilly, ex-guitarist of Tröckener Kecks at his side. Moke released its first album in 2007, Shorland, which I liked for about 50%. Collider fares better with me. Moke seems to have let a slightly more poppier influence into its music, that gives it just a little extra. Songs flow more easily, have more melody and are easier to sing along to. Take the intro to 'I've got silence you've got sound'. It makes me smile instantly. It's the sort of sound that makes me feel happy and most of the rest of the song does the same.

'Didn't want my love' is a hard working rock song. Guitarist Phil Tilly puts his stamp all over the song, with fast played storms, subtle as well as double tracked furious lead lines. There are several sounds to discover here. 'Straight' to you' reminds me of the best Robbie Williams has to offer, without the bombastics he likes to put into most songs. By the time 'Lessons to learn' comes by it's clear to me that Collider is more than just the new Moke album. Without being absolute top material, the band has come up with a Britpop album that can compete with most releases of the genre of the past years.

Whether true or not, I'm under the impression that Moke worked one step harder to perfect the material or were challenged more to make it more special. And then all comes together. Producer Gordon Groothedde worked with Nick & Simon, for which the other half of Holland fell for like a brick. (The other half, because I personally do not know anybody claiming to be a fan.) He injected an element of pop into Moke that makes Collider an outstanding album in its own right. Seems like a right choice to me.

Wo.

You can order Collider here


or here