2023 week 14, 10 singles

Happy Easter to all who celebrate it. In my country spring is everywhere. Although the nights are still cold, the sun is finally out and the days fresh but very lovely. Musically, this week brings you a very diverse set. From 1950s nostalgia to an instrumental heavy rocker. You will find everything in between as well. So, enjoy your Easter holiday and some good music to go.

Nothing's Free. Angel Olsen

Nothing's Free is the single Angel Olsen released ahead of her new EP 'Forever Means'. The EP is filled with "leftovers" from her 'Big Time' recording sessions. They have a common theme in learning, loving, experiencing and growing and as such belong together. With Nothing's Free she moves even further back in time then on the country inspired 'Big Time'. The song is a 21st century take on the 1950s. Music my mother brought with her from Canada when she moved over here to get married. Music that is somewhere in my deepest unconsciousness. Ingrained somehow in me; before I broke the arm of the little record player and was devoid of music in our home for over four years. A dark piano starts the song over a jazzy, brushed rhythm. Olsen sings like a jazz singer in a smoky bar, oh so slow and as articulate as it is vulnerable. One person who starts talking and the magic all falls apart. This is ultimate beauty but it does make me wonder what she sees as her next step in music. The range is getting pretty stretched if not too wide. In the meantime I'm not complaining. Lay that sax on me again please.

Little Troublemaker. Slamdinistas

No one ever got hurt from some dirty, sleazy rock and roll and Slamdinistas delivers an extra dose from the streets of southern California. Little Troublemaker is a straight up and down rock song played by men of a certain age who still have the fire in them and some heat to share with the world. There's nothing not straightforward here. Dual guitars play a tight rhythm and all the little (and huge) playful accents before both unleash a nice solo lighting the song up some more. The song seems so simple and yet is so effective. It always makes me wonder how it's possible that after 70 years of rock and roll it's still possible to come up with a great rock song like this? Slamdinistas do. It may start off as a little troublemaker, it winds up as a great rock song.

Kick Me. Big Batch

Big Batch is a hardrock band from France with some hints at The Offspring/Green Day kind of punkrock. With Kick Me, the single from its upcoming album 'The Last To Fall', the band makes its debut on this blog. Expect a lot of energy being shared. Big Batch goes for the big effect. This is not the same as going full out the whole time. Kick Me is nicely divided into softer and harder parts, creating the dynamics where the contrasts allow for a far more interesting song. Yes, you will have heard it all before. Don't expect new tricks in the genre. Do expect a strong intro that drops away to a more subtle part, first with a muted guitar part and later with a full force blasting bass. It all ends with an outro bordering on heavy metal for some extra changes. In between the whoa's are all over the chorus. Shouting along is taking care of as well. Nice introduction.

Night Shift. Lucy Dacus

Night Shift is a five years old song but recently Lucy Dacus decided to release it with a video attached. Usually she and a few other related female alternative rockers are the domain of Erwin Zijleman on this blog, today I do the honours. (Also Erwin does not do singles.) Night Shift almost had me fooled in the first minute or so, because nothing much seemed to happen. I decided to do a quick lurch forward and got hooked easily. Night Shift explodes more and more by the minute. From a woman strumming an electric guitar to a huge rock anthem in six minutes. In that sense a lot happens in this song. A musical explosion may be the best description, as that is what happens here. From one person, to elementary band accompaniment to an orgiastic finale. All over it Lucy Dacus sings her story. She obviously has a lot to sing about but most of all she wants to kiss a pair of lips, to know how they feel, if only for a very short while. In the middle there's a change and she wonders what it will be like five years from now .... and here's the video.

Orale. Mozzy Dee

Rock and roll made in 2023? Yes, it still exists and it is not a coincidence Luke Metz is involved. The star however on this song is Mozzy Dee. With her deep voice she leads the whole she-bang of call and response: orale indeed. The song is as 1950s rock and roll as it comes. No, not in the style of the great male rockers of the day. It's closer to rhythm and blues and surf. Expect a guitar playing a walking part the whole time and the high sound of the lead guitar. Perhaps Link Wray style. Chord changes are to be avoided as much as possible. The result is a song that just keeps going and going. Dolores D. Fuentes sings it with Shanda Cisneros Ratto (Shanda & The Howlers) and Frankie Miller responding in the choruses. Orale!. Is there a market for this kind of music in 2023? Who cares, Orale! And with John Fallon co-producing the whole Las Vegas Rum Bar gang is present

Ominous Silence. Lizzy

There's no predicting what Lizzy comes up with next. Of course expect a mix of old fashioned song writing and modern elements in the sound of the individual singles. This is no different for Ominous Silence, the second single from hr upcoming EP 'Every Colour Suits Me ', to be released somewhere this spring. Unless one is John cage, there are no compositions that can claim an ominous silence. The mood of Lizzy's new single does capture a negative or better, a sad feeling. This is all in a minor key and don't we all love to wallow in sad, sad songs every once in a while. Ominous Silence is just the song for such a moment. Lise Reynders is singing this beautifully, with great harmonising, there's a lot of it on this single and all perfect. Producer Joes Brands played 'Sad, Sad Songs' in my living room two weeks ago this weekend with his band The LVE. Here is another sad songs that deserves to be heard far and wide.

High Beams. Captain

The British band Captain is the latest signing of the Rotterdam based label Gentlemen Recordings. The band released its first album in 2006, after which it lost its guitarist Mario Athanasiou to cancer. The dark days are behind the band as it releases a fine alternative pop-rock song somewhere in between Britpop and U.S. powerpop. Apart from the nice bittersweet feel of High Beams, the song excels in the double fronted lead vocals shared by Rik Flynn and Clare Szembek. Somewhere between dreamy and solid, the two sing together in a way that makes the song come totally alive. It took me a few listening sessions to realise that I'm reminded of the Ricky Ross - Lorraine McIntosh Deacon Blue tandem. This is meant as a compliment. I had never heard of the band Captian but this certainly makes me curious for the album that is to follow later this year.

Hazy Shade Of Winter. The Downhauls

Via The Bangles The Downhauls cover Simon & Garfunkel's album track. I doubt whether the famous 1960s duo ever imagined the song could rock this hard. Even The Bangles most likely. The Downhauls really shred the song apart in a fantastic version. The lead guitar really rips the riff apart. It is the drummer however who kicks off the song by pounding away for quite some time. Not giving away anything of course of what is to come for the unsuspecting listener. When the guitar bursts loose there's instant recognition for the pop connoisseurs. This is punk rock, whatever you like to call it, heaven. The Downhauls are working on a new album and kick it off with this fantastic cover. There's an abundance of energy, joy and fun bundled into the track. The love of music comes through in all ways possible. Hazy Shade Of Winter announces spring 2023 in a big way!

Trench Coats. Cold Expectations

Boston alternative rockers return with a banger that could have been a single by a U.K. punk band from the late 1970s anytime. The tempo is there from the very beginning and never lets go. Cold Expectations is back with a nice single and an album, 'Static Reactions'. Trench Coat is the kind of song that does not take a lot of words to describe. Just dance to it, sing along, shout "trench coats, trench coats" and you'll be fine for the evening. And if you can't dance, just move your head up and down to the rhythm and you'll be fine to. Even just sitting in your chair at home!. Trench Coats is pop and punk defined into one.

odèm / yola des goz. néander

We end this week with an instrumental. Of the kind that does not need a vocal. néander unleashes a virtual storm. néander is a post rock band that incorporates hard rock, surf, metal and probably a lot more into its music. In yola des goz it all comes together. A huge sound is created that seems to come from all sides. The song starts out like ships passing each other in a thick fog. Their horns sounding out muffled over the river. That image can be shelved when the band kicks in full force. Man, am I glad I'm not the drummer of néander, Sebastian Grimberg. Most likely you could sweep up from the floor in about half a minute. Neither could I keep up with the guitar shredding. My muscles were not designed to do this. My ears are totally up to it though and that is what counts here. With three guitarist the band has a great line up and that shows. With odèm - yola des goz néander has released a 7" single especially for the tour the band embarks on next month taking them all through Germany, with a t-shirt design after the single sleeve. Better be fast if you want both.

Wout de Natris

Happy Easter

 

 

 

 

 

 

A happy Easter for all who celebrate it. A good weekend for all others!

The WonoBlog team

Shame live. Melkweg, Amsterdam Thursday 6 April 2023

Photo: Wout de Natris

All the excitement Shame promises on its albums was present in abundance in the Melkweg (Milky Way) on Maundy Thursday. Singer Charlie Steen spread his arms wide so often that I could imagine him participating as Jesus in 'The Passion', the yearly passion play on national TV that I managed to avoid once again. No, I thought more that Charlie Steen has everything going for him to become the Roger Daltrey of his generation. Just a brown leather waistcoat with flares and bingo.

Shame has three records under its belt and especially the first, 'Songs Of Praise' and the third, 'Food For Worms', are fantastic. Both contain exciting punk songs, to avoid the word postpunk, as how post can punk become? From the 1970s right through to the Franz Ferdinand and Arctic Monkeys generation. It's all in there with Shame adding its own energy. 'Drunk Tank Pink', the second album, has its moments but always sounded a bit forced to me.

Energy is there in abundance. A bass player who appears to have some kind of bouncing device underneath his shoes, who keeps running, does a flip over with bass and all, not spearing his instrument there. He draws a lot of attention, setting him apart from the two guitarists who just work real hard. It does not draw any attention away from the band's focal point, Charlie Steen. He is the real thing where a frontman is concerned. "Walking" on the hands of fans, forced to a near split, stagediving and the big, big movements. I don't know whether the world is ready for Shame, Steen is ready for the biggest stadiums. Drummer Charlie Forbes has to remain somewhat anonymously behind his drumkit, but is the one pounding Shame forward, never missing a beat.

Photo: Wout de Natris

At times Steen even draws away from the music. I doubt whether all the songs played were really good, a lot were, don't get me wrong, but it did not seem to matter. Something was happening here. The sold out venue was ready to party. Invited to do so by Steen, more than once, as this was the final show of this tour, band and audience went for it. Where Personal Trainer in Paradiso earlier this year was on the verge of making the room explode, Shame did, multiple times. Not that difficult with a few real bangers on its setlist, but also with the slower songs of which it has a few, concentration did not lapse. People kept moving together to the slower rhythm.

My imagination ran a bit wild during the show. I never saw The Who live but saw them live on television and saw the video of 'See Me Feel Me' on one of the very first 'Top Pop' shows in 1970. Charlie Steen's biggest secret is that Roger Daltrey's son-in-law is called Steen. Next I imagined Shame writing the 'Pinball Wizard' and 'See Me Feel Me' for their generation and conquer the world fully with them. In theory the band has it in it. Who are the millions of fans these days?, is the bigger question. Next I imagined the band 50 years from now still playing in huge venues. By the time Josh Finerty refrains from bouncing this hard, say 20 years from now, most likely I will be too old, if lucky, to go to shows. That part struck me as less attractive.

Photo: Wout de Natris

Shame played a great show and ought to be on route to the next level. It has all it takes to achieve this. For the first time in over a decade I came home with a t-shirt. The artwork of 'Food for Worms' is exactly that, art. Well worth buying.

Wout de Natris

 

You can listen to and order Shame's albums here:

https://shamebanduk.bandcamp.com/album/food-for-worms

Growing Pains. Courtney Hale - Revia

Vanuit het diepe zuiden van Texas maakt Courtney Hale-Revia op Growing Pains indruk met een gloedvol ingekleurd rootsalbum, mooie persoonlijke songs en een zeer aansprekende stem vol gevoel.

Rootsalbums zijn er momenteel in overvloed, waardoor er wel eens een uitstekend album buiten de boot valt. Growing Pains van Courtney Hale-Revia had makkelijk zo’n album kunnen zijn, maar gelukkig wees een jaarlijstje me op dit uitstekende album, dat eind vorig jaar verscheen. Growing Pains is een wat traditioneel aandoend rootsalbum met vooral invloeden uit de folk en de country, maar de fraaie instrumentatie met een hoofdrol voor gitaren spreekt al snel tot de verbeelding, net als de persoonlijke songs. De meeste overtuiging komt echter van de mooie en karakteristieke stem van de Texaanse muzikante, die het album van Courtney Hale-Revia optilt tot grote hoogten.

In een wat obscuur country jaarlijstje kwam ik Growing Pains van Courtney Hale-Revia tegen. Het is zo te zien al het derde album van de Amerikaanse muzikante, maar ik ben haar naam volgens mij nog niet eerder tegen gekomen, waardoor ik ook haar vorig jaar verschenen album Growing Pains heb gemist.

Courtney Hale-Revia woont in Beaumont in het diepe zuiden van Texas, vlak bij de Golf van Mexico. Het is een plek die met enige regelmaat overstroomt, waardoor het leven er zwaar en ingewikkeld is. Het is daarom een plek die Courtney Hale-Revia in haar dromen al vele malen is ontvlucht, zeker toen ze nog niet volwassen was, maar ze woont er, ook tot haar eigen verbazing, nog steeds. In Beaumont combineert Courtney Hale-Revia het moederschap en een baan als lerares met het muzikantenbestaan. Ze runt er een podium voor muzikanten uit de regio en maakt zelf albums.

Growing Pains is een album dat ik bij eerste beluistering wat aan de traditionele kant vond, maar het is ook een album dat iets heeft, waardoor ik toch ben blijven luisteren naar de muziek van de Texaanse muzikante. Inmiddels heeft Growing Pains wat mij betreft meer dan iets, waardoor ik behoorlijk enthousiast ben geworden over het album.

Om te beginnen beschikt Courtney Hale-Revia over een prachtige stem. Het is een stem die gemaakt is voor het soort Amerikaanse rootsmuziek dat ze maakt, maar het is ook een stem met een karakteristiek eigen geluid. Het is een warme stem, maar het is ook een stem vol gevoel en melancholie. De zang op Growing Pains doet me af en toe denken aan Natalie Merchant en laat dit nu net een van mijn favoriete stemmen zijn. Het is een vergelijking die overigens maar heel af en toe op gaat, maar het was genoeg om me over de streep te trekken.

De emotie in de stem van de Texaanse muzikante is er niet voor niets, want naast dagelijkse beslommeringen worden ook het ingewikkelde leven in het diepe zuiden van Texas en de dood van haar vader bezongen. De vader van Courtney Hale-Revia, overigens zelf ook een singer-songwriter, overleed aan corona, dat de gemeenschap van Beaumont zwaar trof.

Het voorziet de songs op Growing Pains van een stevige emotionele lading. Het is naast de zang een van de sterkste punten van het album, maar Courtney Hale-Revia heeft meer te bieden. Growing Pains klinkt op het eerste gehoor zoals gezegd wat traditioneel, maar het album is zeer smaakvol ingekleurd, met flink wat prima gitaarwerk en de violen die het zo goed doen in de genres die de Amerikaanse muzikante bestrijkt.

Dat zijn er overigens heel wat, want Courtney Hale-Revia kan uit de voeten met country en folk, maar sleept er af en toe ook nog wat omliggende genres bij, als rootsrock en honky tonk, met name in de wat stevigere en uptempo songs. Het mooist vind ik echter de tranentrekkende ballads waarin de viool jankt en je de melancholie met bakken van Growing Pains kunt af scheppen.

Hoe vaker ik naar Growing Pains luister, hoe meer ik gecharmeerd raak van de zang, de authentiek klinkende instrumentatie en de persoonlijke songs. Courtney Hale-Revia heeft, ver van Nashville, een sterk en verrassend veelzijdig rootsalbum gemaakt, waar flink wat zangeressen in Nashville een puntje aan kunnen zuigen. Alle reden om deze Texaanse muzikante in de gaten te gaan houden.

Erwin Zijleman

The Fooler. Nick Waterhouse

The Fooler is Nick Waterhouse's sixth album since his debut in 2012. For some reason I read the name and thought to be able to dismiss the album. Wasn't this guy into modern electronic semi-dance music? Nothing on The Fooler comes close, so I must be mistaken. Instead The Fooler is an album with a modern sound where old fashioned music is played. Early The Rolling Stones, as in real early and other 60s pop comes by on the album with Waterhouse singing as if the Beat invasion never took place. So expect a little 50s as well.

Is Pat Boone still alive? If so, he must be pleased to hear a song like 'Play To Win'. He could have scored a hit with the song, along side 'Bernadine' or 'Love Letters In The Sand. This is total nostalgia, however without trying to sound exactly like Pat Boone would have sounded in 1950-something. This is why I like this album and do not like many of the copycats' albums recreating the era.

The Fooler is a relaxing record. Nick Waterhouse takes the backseat and slowly shares his songs with the listeners. The more surprising 'Late In The Garden' is with its The Velvet Underground guitar. Two chords and a little riff that just keeps going and going. As tough as things get on The Fooler, the song is a nice change to the softer songs preceding it. Waterhouse shows how an extremely elementary song, just two chords going up and down, can remain interesting from the very first second.

Photo: Benjamin Heath

There are more rock and roll oriented songs as well. 'The Problem With The Street' is a song that moves towards The Walker Brothers and Nancy & Lee. A trumpet or two truly define the sound. The classy kind of rock and roll with a dark, undefinable edge. Nick Waterhouse is able to bring this feeling across quite nicely.

Listening more often to the album, I do get the feeling that for each song he tasked himself to come up with a song in a certain genre or in the style of a specific artist, all from before 1967. 'Plan For Leavin'' is in a The Animals/Them style. A little cleaner but unmistakably so. What catches my ear, is the richness of the sound. The song is filled with details, that leave enough to discover after the first listen sessions.

Nick Waterhouse was born in 1986. Musically his birth lies at a minimum 45 years before that and probably several years more. There's nothing 2023 about this album, except for its clear sound and recording technique. Will this music go down with youths of today? I doubt it. The people who were buying these records in the 50s and early 60s are old or have died already. This makes for a precarious career path in my estimation. That said, The Fooler is a good album because of its original approach to old music. How ever to produce this live in a successful and financially manageable way, I have no clue. Let me put The Fooler on once again instead and stop worrying.

Wout de Natris

You can listen to and order The Fooler here:

https://nickwaterhouse.bandcamp.com/album/the-fooler