Soul Sister Dance Revolution live in LVC

You can listen to the band live here.

You can listen to 'Hold the line' here.

From the moment these boys got on stage I had the idea, I knew them from somewhere. It took me a while before it finally dawned as you will read on later. Friday 7 December this band from The Hague played the support slot for Di-Rect at the LVC in Leiden. (You can read on that later this week.)


That morning I had heard a song I liked on the radio by Soul Sister Dance Revolution. I didn't get the title, but I liked it, although it reminded me a lot of 'Unbelievable', the 1990 hit of EMF (Eternal Mother Fuckers?) and a Kasabian song of the first album that I always forget the title of. Looking at the LVC website what time we had to be in, I noticed the support act for the first time. So let's be on time. I wasn't disappointed, although I was the only one of a party of three who wasn't.

Foto Wo.

Soul Sister Dance Revolution has the energy, the understanding what makes a good and/or exiting song, but also has a lot to learn. That they are 3FM's Serious Talent is quite understandable, even earned. Single 'Hold the line' has a lot going for it and several other songs have what it takes. Their Handsome Poets/The Killers interpretation 'Soldiers of love' has everything to make a huge hit and a top 2000 song for the future. By the time the band started this song I had already laid the connection with The Fudge concert in Het Paard in March (read that evening's review here). Again I was surprised how good this song is and found myself singing along, like most people in the audience. This is a clear sign, that this band is on the right road. Support act and have people singing along without an album out? Not a lot of bands can claim this. As enthusiasm and energy shine through its songs, Soul Sister Dance Revolutions is able to make its audience move, even those who are there to see the main act. Again not a lot of bands can claim this.

Foto Wo.

The band members have the looks and the moves. In the circa seven months between the two gigs the band obviously has grown. Overdoing it is an issue, although the keyboard player perfectly fits in the line of like acts as Infadels, The Automatic and Kasabian. Acting very cool and posed. The long chain around his neck may cost him a couple of teeth any day though. Stage - audience communication is something that needs to be worked at though.

Foto Wo.

As a well meant advice. Most songs need just a little extra to make them stand out more. That could be a chorus, more variations in the harmonies or variations in the guitar parts played. Find a producer that helps with these aspects, that challenges and I'm very much convinced that the début album will be all that it promises to be, listening to the two gigs I saw this far. Soul Sister Dance Revolution is young and has the future. Go for it boys! and see you again.

Wo.

Allah-Las. Allah-Las

Je kunt hier naar 'Busman's holiday' luisteren.

O wat een heerlijke cd is dit. Direct bij de eerste gitaarklanken op het debuut van Allah-Las was ik fan en het wordt vervolgens alleen maar lekkerder en lekkerder. Allah-Las is een band uit Los Angeles en schaamt zich zeker niet voor haar afkomst. Het titelloze debuut van de band staat vol met muziek die rijkelijk citeert uit de archieven van de Californische psychedelische muziek uit de jaren 60.  De muziek van Allah-Las zit vol zonnestralen, maar heeft af en toe ook een rauw randje. Bands als The Animals, The Byrds en vooral Love hebben flink wat invloed gehad op het geluid van Allah-Las, maar de band is ook niet vies van een vleugje garagerock. Het debuut van Allah-Las werd geproduceerd door niemand minder dan Nick Waterhouse, die zelf één van de beste retro soulplaten van het jaar uitbracht, maar ook precies weet hoe de psychedelische muziek van weleer moet klinken.  Toch is Allah-Las meer dan de zoveelste band die de "summer of love" nieuw leven in probeert te blazen. Het debuut van de band klinkt bij vlagen heerlijk retro, maar weet de jaren 60 uiteindelijk wel te ontstijgen. Hier en daar klinkt het zelfs wel wat als R.E.M. in haar beste dagen, al wordt het Californische sausje nooit weggelaten. Je kunt eindeloos blijven zeuren over de muziek van bands als Allah-Las. Kopiëren ze schaamteloos muziek uit een ver verleden of voegen ze ook nog wat toe? Het is een vraag die ik nog steeds niet goed kan beantwoorden. Het debuut van Allah-Las had volgens mij ook in de jaren 60 kunnen worden gemaakt, al verwerkt de band ook invloeden die destijds niet werden verwerkt. Ik vind het ook niet zo heel interessant. Allah-Las maakt muziek waarvan ik heel erg vrolijk wordt. Met name de gitaarloopjes zijn zo onweerstaanbaar lekker dat het buiten opeens tien graden warmer is en alle wolken zijn verdreven. Wanneer de band ook nog met een Braziliaans tintje op de proppen komt is het opeens zomer. Ik word niet alleen vrolijk van de muziek van Allah-Las maar ben ook onder de indruk van de kwaliteit van hun songs. Het debuut van de Amerikanen staat vol met popliedjes die je bij eerste beluistering al jaren lijkt te kennen en een flink deel van deze popliedjes blijft bijzonder aangenaam hangen. Stop de cd van Allah-Las even in de cd speler en je bent even in een andere tijd en een andere wereld. Het is een wereld vol kleuren waar de zon altijd schijnt en waar je niet veel meer hoeft te doen dan lekker wegdromen. Als een band met haar muziek dit effect op mij weet te hebben, heeft deze band wat mij betreft een goede plaat gemaakt. Allah-Las heeft een hele goede plaat gemaakt en hij wordt eigenlijk alleen maar leuker. Waarschijnlijk wordt de cd niet vernieuwend genoeg gevonden voor de jaarlijstjes, maar in het lijstje met de feelgood platen van 2012 moet het debuut van Allah-Las heel erg hoog gaan scoren. Heerlijk. 

Erwin Zijleman

Je kunt Allah-Las hier bestellen


of  hier.

.NoWordsNeeded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGUukIlOjvA&list=PL2A132CA955CAD8F2&index=16

.No

All the madmen. Clinton Heylin

All the madmen has quite a long subtitle as you can see and this version has two more drawings on the front than mine. This review is the result of a chance meeting between this book and myself at Dublin airport on route to New York. Exactly the right sort of airplane book, with a lot of my favourite artists from the time I started to discover music that are discussed.

Basically I'm to young to really know the music that is analysed (together with its creators). I knew the 45s from the radio and possessed a few of them myself, but albums were far beyond me and my financial means at the time. Acts like The Kinks, The Who, David Bowie and Pink Floyd did become my favourites album acts from the mid-70s onwards. So, a book to read.

The book takes it title from David Bowie's 1970 song All the madmen on 'The man who sold the world'. The album's title track being best known in 2012 for Nirvana's cover on the legendary MTV unplugged session.

Heylin starts from a premisse that there is a long tradition of madness in the UK "due to the freedom of mind" enjoyed there, as other countries pointed out in those days. Undoubtedly implicitly implicating that freedom of expression, etc., was not for them. Thus he goes out to show that a lot of the greatest artist of the 1965 - 1975 British rock era suffered from depression, deeply felt insecurities and nervous breakdowns. The term schizophrenia is all over this book. Mind, these were the days before media training as most of these guys spilled their guts in interviews! No holding back here.

The book focusses on a number of pivotal acts of this era, following their careers or demise through the years. David Bowie, who's half brother Terry and lots of family members on his mother's side were diagnosed with schizophrenia. Mr. Bowie new exactly how to use this. Despite all the drugs and all the madness surrounding his life, he came out all right as a great commercial pop star in the 80s. Ray Davies lived to tell, although his hit-writing career was over in 1970. Pete Townsend lived to tell and was even able to enjoy how good his music was. Others were less fortunate. Firstly Nick Drake of course, who sank away in deeper and deeper depression and most likely took his life in 1974. It would take all the way up to 2000, when a Volkswagen commercial in the US made his albums finally soar. Peter Green and Syd Barrett lived, but were singed by the fire they courted called LSD and couldn't cope, one way or another.

The conclusion of this book is what Richard Ashcroft taught us years ago: "The drugs don't work". Perhaps fleetingly, but not on an every day basis. The term "self-medication" which Heylin refers to regularly, is a nice one, whether drugs, booze or whatever.

The research for this book is fantastic. There appears to be so much interviews about to cull information from. Implicitly the book also shows how tedious being interviewed must be if reporters still try to discuss points from 10, 20, 40 years back again and again and again. Most artists happily discuss their doubts, their (failed) plans, their neuroses and what not, except for those that did not make it. There is a lot less material on them. What does that distinction tell us? I can't remember Heylin addressing this question, except where Bowie is concerned. Because he found Bowie lacking of sincerity?

The book starts of with a discourse on anti-psychiatry and Syd Barrett almost making an appointment with the leader of this 1960s failed psychiatry form, one Robert Laing. I didn't get this bit really, but the rest of the story line is well thought out. Except that Heylin may have overseen some of the most obvious: it's lonely at the top. The pressure is enormous to deliver the goods time and again and who can you trust once at the top. The other one is, that people who are very talented set everything aside in order to create, most likely obsessed. Just read about Townsend and Davies and pushing human boundaries and as everyone is insecure .... (There's a great anecdote on "big feet" in here.) They have to be a bit crazy, otherwise nothing would ever happen and everything would distract them. Look at all art (let's start with Pablo Picasso or Vincent van Gogh), politicians, business tycoons, writers, etc. And, yes, also pop stars. Perhaps very creative people are just more sensitive than the "average" people, exactly the reason why they can be so productive, creative and function perfectly well as long as something or other doesn't push them over the edge.

Yes, I am a bit sceptic here, just as I was on the psychiatry intro, but still it's a great book and one hell of a reconstruction of the life of some very creative people that helped change the face of music. Well worth the read.

Wo.


You can order All the madmen here

Big moon ritual. Chris Robinson Brotherhood

You can listen to 'Rosalee' here.

Earlier this year Chris' younger brother Rich already pleasantly surprised me with a good solo album, Through a crooked sun (click here for the review). Recently Chris Robinson surprised me with a very pleasant album. Of course we know both brothers for circa 21 years as the driving duo behind The Black Crowes. When I'm honest, I never liked their band as much as I do these two albums. Too much a rip off of The Faces, which band could never stand in the shadow of its heroes, The Rolling Stones. So, heaving said this and undoubtedly having made many new friends, lets talk about Big moon ritual.

Chris Robinson Brotherhood has released an album that holds all the best from the 70s, I'd say. Slowly fleshed out songs, mixed with psychedelia, experiment, Americana/Southern rock, Traffic and west coast pop. The pop element makes sure that whichever bend in the song the band explores, the song is held together by the force and intention behind it. 'Rosalee' plays out for over 8 minutes, but remains interesting for the whole duration.

What makes Big moon ritual so interesting, is that the album sounds very warm. The electric piano, played by The Black Crowes' keyboardist Adam MacDougall, constitutes a main part of the sound of this album. Neil Casal's, of Ryan Adams fame, guitar playing gives the album a Mick Taylor flavour, as in the more country songs of 'Exile on Main Street'. Not that Big moon ritual copies the greatest of Stones album, by far not. It is its own, more American. 'Star or stone' evolves in a slowly expanding, epic guitar solo, where the chord progression is slowly explored, at ease, with grace and loads of beauty.

The songs on Big moon ritual are so smooth. The way they're played is like a warm bath. Luxurious and soothing. Listening to them I feel enveloped, become one with the music. Chris Robinson's ragged voice is soothed by the harmonies of the band and the general sound. The intro to 'Tomorrow blues', with the out-dated synthesizer sound, is just a set up to another great melody and song. Steve Winwood is a definite influence on this album. I already mentioned Traffic, but 'Reflections on a broken mirror' almost could have slipped unnoticed onto 'Arc of a diver'. It's slightly to bluesy for that, but the keyboard solo? 100%.

The Black Crowes are somewhere in this album. Especially in Chris Robinson's voice obviously, but the music is so much more relaxed. (I admit that I never heard an album passed 'Amorica', which was enough for me.) Partly helped by Neal Casal, Robinson has written seven songs that are more than worthwhile listening. Every time I hear another hidden treasure or reference in the music come by.

In short, Big moon ritual is a seven song long anachronism. The longer version I've just explained to you. Not many albums in a 70s like experimental US southern rock style, come as good as this one. Chris Robinson Brotherhood has managed to keep the song going, where this was often forgotten by its predecessors. The result? A cd that has been in my cd player many a time and loud at times too.

Wo.

You can order Big moon ritual here


or here