On Stage: St. Vincent

Anne Clark started out in The Polyphonic Spree and in Sufjan Steven's touring band until she formed her own band in 2006 and became St. Vincent. Last year she released her self-titled fourth album that won her a Grammy. Her live shows are one of a kind so on a hot tropical Wednesday we went to see her in Paradiso.

St. Vincent at Paradiso Amsterdam, July 1 2015



I am surprised to see that Paradiso's main hall isn't sold out and there's plenty of room left, which is quite a blessing on this hot day. Before the show there's a request to "refrain yourself from recording the experience digitally" so I only take a handful of pictures for this blog post. St. Vincent, who always has a great wardrobe, comes up in a wonderful kind of latex suit and starts off with a great version of Marrow. She's in great form tonight and her voice sounds very clear. Her guitar licks are ferocious with lots of distortion, but especially in the more quiet songs you can hear her remarkable talent.



She climbs up the white stairs on stage halfway the show to perform a few songs including wonderful versions of 'Cheerleader' and 'Prince Johnny'. It's those theatrical elements that make a St. Vincent show a lot more than live music. The lush compositions become even stronger when you see her perform them with a little choreography and mimicry. After the encore she returns to the stage by herself for a very intimate performance of 'Strange Mercy' that everyone is watching breathlessly. With a spectacular version of 'Your Lips Are Red' she ends the show in style. St. Vincent is a one of a kind experience by a charismatic unique artist.



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Setlist:
01. Marrow
02. Birth in Reverse
03. Regret
04. Cruel
05. Digital Witness
06. Year of the Tiger
07. Severed Crossed Fingers
08. Cheerleader
09. Prince Johnny
10. Rattlesnake
11. Actor Out of Work
12. Chloe in the Afternoon
13. Teenage Talk
14. Every Tear Disappears
15. Bring Me Your Loves
16. Huey Newton
Encore
17. Strange Mercy
18. Your Lips Are Red
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Spinning: TV On The Radio - Seeds

Slowly Brooklyn Collective TV On The Radio have been transforming their sound during the course of their existence. From the slightly rough and experimental sound in the beginning into a more accessible sound you can hear on their last album Nine Types Of Light. It resulted in a larger fan base although they lost some down the road because of this transformation. But it keeps me looking forward to new music from the band, so it's good news they have released their fifth record Seeds.

TV On The Radio - Seeds

On this album they are trying to balance their sound even more, patiently crafting their songs. You can hear this in songs like 'Test Pilot' and 'Ride' where they carefully build them up, layer by layer. Effectively they know how to create the right atmosphere for the tracks. It results in another colourful and detailed record which once again shows their talent and skill. They didn't get rid of the experiment completely, but it's evened out more. Some may regard this as less adventurous, but that's not entirely fair. The band just uses it less frequently, making those moments stronger, like they do with other elements. Patience is a virtue my friend and yes, this is the concept of "less is more" which totally works for them.

It doesn't mean they have completely lost some of the roughness of the earlier songs, although they do pace themselves a lot more. But a song like 'Lazerray' is a more old style straightforward track, that has plenty of impact between the other ones. Making use of lots of electronic drums and effects, many songs get a bit of mechanic feel but at the same time sound swinging. Together with the soulful vocals it sometimes results in a nice contrast and somewhat awkward atmosphere, like in title track 'Seeds', but in a good way.

Seeds shows TV On The Radio are still trying to find the right balance in their sound and music. They keep shaving their compositions until they eventually will make it perfect. It's not quite their yet, but they have taken another step. It doesn't make this record necessarily better or worse than previous ones, but it's an obvious step into the right direction. I'm confident they will find the perfect balance some day. Until then great and interesting albums like this one will keep us more than busy.



Listen to 'Seeds' on Spotify.



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Magnus Shines As Five Piece

After seeing Tom Barman with Magnus on Vlieland in September I was wondering how the band would sound when they were complete. At the ITGWO festival the band was missing a few members because they had other obligations. Now on their short tour they are in their normal five piece line-up with a drummer and keyboard player added to it. So I headed to the new venue in northern Amsterdam to find out.

Magnus at Paradiso Tolhuistuin, October 30 2014



Soldier's Heart will be supporting tonight. This band doesn't ring a bell and a search on Google leads to some roots band from the US that doesn't really fit the program. When I arrive at the venue I discover it's actually a band from Belgium making danceable electro pop. It turns out their song 'African Fire' even sounds familiar and I'm pleasantly surprised with the young band.



Right from the start it is immediately clear that the full line up definitely makes a difference. The songs sound more organic and have more body. The drummer is sometimes playing the groove of the song, with a nice warm full bass sound, at other times he's filling in around the beat from CJ Bolland by adding subtle percussion, both electronic and acoustic. The keyboard parts are now more complex since Barman doesn't have to play them himself while singing, adding more depth to the songs.



Another advantage is that Barman can now move freely around the stage, so he and guitar player Tim van Hamel are competing each other who can come up with the most silly dance moves (won by van Hamel). It turns the show into a lively performance and the band is clearly having a good time. Needless to say that everyone else is as well and soon most people are dancing and temperatures are rising, turning the venue into a sultry place.



The old and new songs mix well together even though there is ten years between some of them. Van Hamel uses an eighties kind of guitar sound, that reminds of Duran Duran and early Simple Minds. Together with new wave elements it gives the songs an eighties kind of feel, without sounding outdated. Some songs get more punch than on the record and get even better. 'Puppy' is more powerful and although it's hard to replace Tom Smith's vocals on 'Singing Man', tonight's version sounds just as good. With this full line up the songs sound more like rock songs than just plain electronic dance songs and in 'Catlike' it's impossible not to hear a bit of dEUS. In the end this was a fun show for both band and audience. Let's hope we don't have to wait another ten years for new material.



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New Sounds: The Horrors - Luminous

The Horrors released one of the best records of 2011 with Skying and are now finally back with the follow up Luminous. They are streaming the album online ahead of its release on May 5. Listen over here:



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Balthazar Work Up Appetite For New Album

Belgian alternative band Balthazar slowly have grown into one of the top musical export products of Belgium. They have crafted their own unique sound and their live shows have come close to perfection. Almost too perfect since they show little room for improvisation. Songs sound just like the album versions. However this still is a delight to watch. With a new album already in production, they were playing a sold out Paradiso.

Balthazar at Paradiso Amsterdam, February 13 2014



I expected some new songs from the new album. In the end a couple of new ones make it into the set. The rest of the set is a nice mix of songs from their first two albums Applause and Rats. That second album gave them their big break and its hits give the biggest response. All in all the set list doesn't show a lot of surprises.



But the songs do sound better than ever. They get slightly different versions than the album versions and the band is playing them with renewed energy. Hits like 'The Oldest Of Sisters' sound sparkling and fresh. The band are looking stoically as always but also very focused. The instruments sound crisp and the way the band knows how to integrate the violin parts of Jinte Deprez and Patricia Vanneste is still quite remarkable. Even though there isn't a lot of contact between the band and their fans, this is in no way disturbing. It is this distance that actually adds to the atmosphere of the songs.



The new songs sound promising. 'Leipzig' already is starting to sound familiar and the other two, 'No More' and 'Will My Lover', are worthy Balthazar compositions. They don't show any major changes in their sound and so I don't expect the new album to be a major change. It only makes the anticipation for it higher. In the second encore the band closes their gig traditionally with 'Blood Like Wine' where everyone is raising their hand and glass. Will that ever get old? It is always good to see this band play and we'll definitely be back when they present their new work to us.



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Setlist:
01. Lion's Mouth (Daniel)
02. Later
03. The Boatman
04. The Man Who Owns the Place
05. Leipzig
06. No More
07. The Oldest of Sisters
08. Will My Lover
09. Joker's Son
10. Fifteen Floors
11. Morning
12. Sinking
13. Listen Up
14. Do Not Claim Them Anymore
Encore 1
15. Sides
16. Any Suggestion
Encore 2
17. Blood Like Wine
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Words Fail To Describe Nick Cave

For the second time in two weeks Australian musician Nick Cave is visiting the Amsterdam Heineken Music Hall with his The Bad Seeds. This is the original first show, but since it sold out so quickly the show on November 4 was added later. This year he released one of the best records of this year and is playing sold out shows that receive the highest praise, something he also proved at Lowlands earlier in August. Could he live up to these high expectations?

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds at Heineken Music Hall Amsterdam, November 17 2013



Cave himself is answering that question in the first song right away. 'We No Who U R' from his last album Push The Sky Away sets the tone for the night. The slow song has exactly the right amount of tension. 'Jubilee Street' follows which makes clear that the fans have embraced the new songs. Although it is a relatively quiet start, there's no way Cave will let us sit back and get too comfortable. 'Tupelo' is showing Cave in his best way: his piercing eyes scouting the crowd, spitting out his words with great determination. Once again the man is in great shape. Every night the set list differs only for a small bit, so any one who has seen a show or has looked at an earlier set list knows what songs can be expected.



But that doesn't mean the music is predictable. Far from it. Cave moves across the stage restlessly, seeking contact with the audience like we saw before: his hand supported by a fan's hand. At the same time he's singing his poetic lyrics with so much fire, as if he wants to convince us all personally. At points he's crying it out. During the quiet songs, the more than 5000 fans don't make a sound. The big hall is completely silent. It gives a song like 'God Is In The House' even more impact while every single one of us is holding their breath. Cave turns 'Higgs Boson Blues', one of those gems of the new record, into a an intense experience. Eventually whispering the words "Can you feel my heartbeat?" while supported by his fans who are holding him firmly. He breaks the almost tangible tension himself by whispering "You can let go now".



Cave is in total control and The Bad Seeds will always have his back. The fine musicians know exactly what the songs need. Their use of dynamics in the songs is invaluable and is the finishing touch. Laid back and patiently the band is playing the slow songs while Cave is massaging our souls, only throwing tiny accents around. Brutal and aggressive eruptions sound right when Cave is spitting fire. Warren Ellis dances around like a mad scientist with his heavy beard and violin play, tossing his bow around stage when he's done. I don't know how many bows he is breaking during this tour. He is an attraction himself and is giving, like all the others, the perfect backup for Cave.



The gloomy sounding 'Push The Sky Away' ends the regular set before the encore starts with 'Abattoir Blues', a song you won't hear often in a live set. Cave already warns they will probably screw it up and he admits "that was fucked up on every level" at the end of it. Was it really? The gorgeous 'Into My Arms' ends this more than brilliant show in a perfect way. The past thirty years seem to have been just a warm up for Nick Cave. I don't think he ever wrote a bad song, but it feels as if the best is yet to come. Imagine what he will come up with in the years to come. Once again Cave proves to be an extraordinary and gifted artist who will never disappoint. All these words simply aren't enough to describe him. Superb, magnificent, grand! They simply don't do him right.



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Setlist:
01. We No Who U R
02. Jubilee Street
03. Tupelo
04. Red Right Hand
05. Mermaids
06. The Weeping Song
07. From Her to Eternity
08. West Country Girl
09. Sad Waters
10. God Is in the House
11. Wide Lovely Eyes
12. Higgs Boson Blues
13. The Mercy Seat
14. Stagger Lee
15. Push the Sky Away
Encore:
16. Abattoir Blues
17. We Real Cool
18. Do You Love Me?
19. Into My Arms


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Intense Performance By Impressive The National

The big Heineken Music Hall doesn't sound like an ideal place to see a band like The National. But ever since releasing High Violet a few years back things went fast for the Brooklyn based band. This year's Trouble Will Find Me established their newly achieved position as a high profile group. It also means shows in small clubs are something of the past.

The National at Heineken Music Hall Amsterdam, November 7 2013



The band doesn't forget that they owe their success mainly to the last two albums. Their set list is focusing mainly on them. Their self titled debut album is even completely ignored. With ten songs from the latest album it means they're playing almost the entire album. Although it is their newest album of course, you don't see many bands doing that. It proves how confident they are about the new songs, but also that they recognize the fact that a large part of the audience probably isn't that familiar with their older work.



That older work has some gems of its own of course. A true fan wouldn't accept a set list without a vicious 'Abel' and the beautiful 'Fake Empire'. However the last two records are simply of such rare high standard that it would be a crime not to play songs like 'Anyone's Ghost', 'Demons' or 'Sea Of Love'.



Singer Matt Berninger has to warm up in the beginning before he's relaxed. He's moving around in his usual fashion like a caged tiger, continuously sipping wine. It never gets old watching his emotional performance. There's no other artist who can sing with so much intensity and emotion like him. His warm baritone is massaging your soul until the tension has build up inside him and just bursts out with huge outcries. Later on in the set everything falls into place. The crowd is quiet and is listening breathlessly to beautiful versions of 'Hard To Find' and 'Pink Rabbits'. By the time they play the gorgeous 'I Need My Girl' they have resized the big Music Hall to a tiny intimate club and I'm completely lost in the music.



The guitars played by the twin Dessner brothers Aaron and Bryce sound great and big in the climax parts, but they are ringing modestly in the subtle picking parts. The horns add precisely enough melancholy to the music. Bryan Devendorf's creative grooves are pushing a song like 'Bloodbuzz Ohio' forward. At the end audience and band connect literally when Berninger is taking his usual plunge into the crowd during an always thundering 'Mr. November' and again in 'Terrible Love' that closes the set. A truly magical performance we don't see very often in this place.



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Setlist:
01. I Should Live in Salt
02. Don't Swallow the Cap
03. Anyone's Ghost
04. Bloodbuzz Ohio
05. Demons
06. Sea of Love
07. Hard to Find
08. Afraid of Everyone
09. Conversation 16
10. Available
11. Cardinal Song
12. I Need My Girl
13. This Is the Last Time
14. All the Wine
15. Abel
16. Slow Show
17. Sorrow
18. Pink Rabbits
19. England
20. Graceless
21. Fake Empire
Encore
22. About Today
23. Humiliation
24. Mr. November
25. Terrible Love


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Yeah Yeah Yeahs Play A Very Tight Show

Earlier this year NY band Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their fourth album Mosquito. It was received with somewhat mixed response. It is a good album but just can't compete with Show Your Bones and It's Blitz!. Known for the lively performance of front woman Karen O they are always worth checking out.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Paradiso Amsterdam, July 17 2013



In the hot venue tonight Karen O is appropriately dressed in shorts. She's also wearing a jacket and this is obviously a bit too warm. It doesn't slow her down whatsoever. She's one of those people who are born to be on stage. It all seems to come so natural to her. From our position, close to the speakers to one of the sides of the stage, the sound is a bit off balance. The bass and drums are very loud, but the vocals are hard to hear. Probably because in this position the low sound is drowning her high voice. Originally a trio, live on stage Dave Pajo is helping them out on bass.



Set opener is latest single 'Sacrilege' off the new album. About half of Mosquito makes it into the set. The songs are scattered throughout. The rest is a nice overview of their entire catalogue, not ignoring any of the other albums. What is becoming very obvious tonight is what a tight band this is. Drummer Brian Chase's grooves are solid, loud and very tight. Guitarist Nick Zinner is a very creative guitar player, mostly looking down to control the many pedals and effects around him. Of course during their biggest hits 'Zero' and 'Heads Will Roll' Paradiso's main hall explodes. The band is clearly pleased by this response, judging from the smile on Karen O's and Chaser's face.



Karen O is smiling a lot anyway. It is one of her regular facial expressions while performing. Once and a while she's singing with her eyes closed, next thing she's jumping up and down or in circles, looking like a kid in a candy store. It's a delight to watch her perform. After a total of fifteen songs including three in the encore and a final blow from one of the confetti cannons, the 75 minute set is over. That is quite short I think, but it sure was a fun night. Yeah indeed!



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Setlist
01. Sacrilege
02. Gold Lion
03. Mosquito
04. Phenomena
05. Slave
06. Zero
07. Soft Shock
08. Subway
09. Cheated Hearts
10. Pin
11. Machine
12. Heads Will Roll
Encore
13. Despair
14. Maps
15. Tick


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The National Are In Full Control

They kept us waiting for quite a while. Brooklyn based band The National took their time after their highly successful and critically acclaimed album High Violet. That album put them on top of the musical food chain and on top of my year list in 2010. For the past few years everyone was eagerly awaiting their successor.

The National - Trouble Will Find Me (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)

Backtracking through their discography it's safe to say the band improved with every album. Their self-titled debut displayed an average indie band, but especially Boxer already exposed some of the unique qualities that eventually bloomed in High Violet. Fortunately we can conclude that they were able to maintain this high standard. But this time the difference lies more in small and subtle details.

It's not the same big step they took in between previous albums. That of course is just a luxury problem. It shouldn't be a surprise that the new album has the same sad feeling that we're used to. Like before they are not only depressing songs. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it's a pale one now and then. The band sounds very confident on the record.

The songs are nicely balanced, well produced and never do you hear a superfluous note. Some subtle piano notes here and there, a bit of trumpet, all well proportioned, the band has complete control. Especially in the middle does the album reach great heights. 'Graceless', 'Slipped' and 'I Need My Girl', consecutive tracks on the record, are simply gorgeous songs. They make the world stop turning for a moment, while all you can do is listen breathlessly and let the music completely overtake you.

There are plenty of gems on the album, 'Fireproof' and 'Heavenfaced' for example are beautiful. Singer Matt Berninger doesn't write about happy things, he's trying to chase his demons away, trying to make sense of it all. Or not. Nor do his lyrics always reveal what he's singing about. Some are just dark heart breaking poems.

Remember when you lost your shit and
Drove the car into the garden
And you got out and said I’m sorry
To the vines and no one saw it

Does this make it the perfect The National album, their masterpiece? No, they raised the bar so high on High Violet, that it's more a matter of consolidation. The time they will finally drop their master piece, is the time they will blow us away. That time is near, but not upon us yet. In the meantime let's be patient and just treasure and be happy with Trouble Will Find Me.



Listen to Trouble Will Find Me on Spotify.



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Flea Is Blowing Off Steam In An Interesting Way

Everyone has heard of Flea of course, the kind and wonderful bass player of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The fact that he was mostly interested in jazz and a very talented trumpet player as a youngster is probably less known. After a gruelling RHCP tour in 2007 they took a long break. Their disappointing show in Nijmegen that year made it very clear that the band was completely exhausted. Flea used that break to blow off steam by recording some music. The result are the songs on Helen Burns.

Flea - Helen Burns (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)

The title is a reference to a character in the Jane Eyre book, who he admires a lot. The songs were never supposed to be released. In 2012 he decides to put it out anyway, to raise money for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. The EP can still be downloaded digitally on silverlakeconservatory.com/helen_burns using the "name your own price" principle. At the same time it was released on a personally signed vinyl edition that has been sold out for quite a while. Now the record is finally seeing a wide release as well.

It's quite an introduction for an EP with only six songs, that was never meant to be heard by a big crowd anyway. But this background is important for what you will find when listening to the record. Flea himself warns that you should definitely not expect any RHCP music, so loyal fans won't be disappointed. This is quite clear when playing the music. The songs feel kind of unfinished. They are experiments and sometimes nothing more than sound scapes. Lots of electronics were used for it. Therefore it's quite hard to really interpret the songs and rating them is not entirely fair.

But at some moments things fall in place. For example when the trumpet makes its entry like in '333' and the accompanying '333 revisited'. 'A Little Bit Of Sanity' starts with a short fast drum solo, which isn't that strange considering RHCP drummers Chad Smith and Jack Irons were lending a hand. On the title track, a slow ballad that sounds like a complete song the most, Patti Smith is helping out. In general the cinematic music has a nostalgic and melancholic sound with a jazzy feel. After a few listens it is becoming more and more intriguing. As an experiment it is definitely interesting enough to look forward to more full material by Flea in the future.



This review has been published on ROAR E-Zine in Dutch over here.

Listen to Helen Burns on Spotify.



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!!!'s Dance Is Slowing Down

From California comes the band with the somewhat strange name !!! (pronounced chk chk chk), who released a new album every three years since their debut in 2000. Their biggest success, both commercially and creatively, was achieved in 2007 with the highly praised Myth Takes. They combined their mix of punk, disco and funk into a delicious set of songs, that made it impossible to stand still. Now there's the release of their fifth album with a similar strange name THR!!!ER, referring to the Michael Jackson masterpiece.

!!! - THR!!!ER (Ronald Says 6 out of 10)

The raw punk part was even reduced more on this record. This was already the case on the not so well received predecessor Strange Weather, Isn't It? The production itself is fine. The tracks sound clear, where a lot of time was put into dressing up the songs. But they overdid that a bit too much. It feels as unnecessary pimping of the compositions who are full of claps, timbales, shakers and other frills. Where the band was working in an exciting and rash way in the past, now they sound very mindful. A lot of spontaneity and excitement was lost this way.

Fortunately there are a couple of highlights after all on the nine song record. It opens with a catchy 'Even When The Water's Cold'. 'One Girl/One Boy' is a pleasant funky disco song with catchy falsetto vocals and especially the closer 'Station (Meet Me At The)' is a great typical !!! killer song. There's still plenty of reason to dance but it will be less enthusiastic.

Unfortunately THR!!!ER didn't become the masterpiece the title promises it to be and that we hoped for. It feels more like another step back. Where Myth Takes felt like a pleasant slap in the face, this time it's more a friendly tap on the cheek. The raw edge that !!! once had is missing here. Instead they are acting too cautious now. And that's a real shame. Hopefully there's still plenty of craziness left in their normally so lively and energetic shows.



This review has been published on ROAR E-Zine in Dutch over here.

Listen to THR!!!ER on Spotify.



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The Sky Not Even The Limit For Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Nick Cave is one of those artists that keeps releasing albums on a regular basis with a consistent quality. I challenge anyone to name a Nick Cave album that is actually bad. With every new album it's hard not to start comparing it to the other ones. So I cleaned my mind and head when I started listening to Push The Sky Away for the first time.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away (Ronald Says 9 out of 10)

With the Grinderman project, Cave was showing his rough and impulsive side. Gone were the Bad Seeds subtleties and we got some delightful powerful, energetic and aggressive songs instead. But on Push The Sky Away it's back to the thoughtful side again. The songs are showing the poetic, deep and calm Nick Cave. The side of a great composer who is patiently showing us the insight of his head with lyrics that embed beauty, excitement and tragedy all at the same time:

I’m pushing my own wheel of love
I got love in my tummy and a tiny little pain
And a ten ton catastrophe on a 60 pound chain

Of course The Bad Seeds know exactly how to give shape to these figments of Cave's imagination. But don't be fooled too much by the quiet nature of the nine brilliant songs. Still there's that dark side as well, lurking underneath. This makes them all the more impressive. Cave is like a predator that is slowly creeping towards his prey, lingering around, almost putting him to sleep. Just waiting for that perfect moment for his final strike. Cave comes in for the kill and leaves you stunned.

It's hard to pick a favourite one from the nine gems. The melancholic 'Jubilee Street', the dark title track 'Push The Sky Away' or the slow 'Higgs Boson Blues'? They're all equally great on this almost perfect Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album. Almost perfect? I think Cave couldn't care less about perfection. Or as he puts it:

And some people say that it's just rock 'n' roll
Oh but it gets right down to your soul

Listen to Push The Sky Away on Spotify.



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Dutch Uncles Put Us To Work

Despite raving reviews for their second LP, Dutch Uncles remain a relatively unknown band. Of course they are not choosing for the easy road. The music is not your average indie pop and the the band can make it a bit difficult for their listeners. By using less common time signatures than a standard back-beat for instance. This is not any different on their third album Out Of Touch In The Wild, that was released this month.

Dutch Uncles - Out Of Touch In The Wild (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)

No simple pop tunes this time either, which wasn't to be expected of course. But again ten songs that require quite some attention. The catchy sound with playful tunes did stay though, combined with the unique vocals of Duncan Wallis. His high voice is flawless and sometimes even sounds feminine. Together with his style of singing now and then, it reminds of Kate Bush from time to time. Add to that influences of Talking Head and King Crimson and you may understand a bit what it sounds like.

Besides using non-standard time signatures, the quintet is treating us to some nicely layered and lush arrangements. Often strings are used here, which gives songs like 'Zug Zwang' a more dramatic sound. Despite the more difficult ingredients the band never loses touch with the song itself. Many songs do have a catchy hook like first single 'Fester'. The nervous xylophone line in it will stick in your head for days. Instruments like a xylophone are used more often this way, but it never feels like a trick. It is giving the band, together with Wallis' vocals and a funky guitar here and there, their own face. For instance 'Flexxin' is getting its swinging character from these kind of elements.

Dutch Uncles underline their qualities and creativity with Out Of Touch In The Wild. Maybe they are not making it easy for themselves, since they are keeping far from mainstream with it. The band won't reach a big audience quickly or play the big stages because of that. Of course there's nothing wrong with that at all. On the contrary, let's hope this band will continue down this road in their own way and will put us to work many times to come.



This review has been published on ROAR E-Zine in Dutch over here.

Listen to In My Time on Spotify.



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Emanel And The Fear Have Too Many Faces To Show

From Brooklyn are the relatively unkown band Emanuel And The Fear. The Janus Mirror however is already their third album. While reading up on their background, you get the feeling this is not your avarege indie band, before even hearing a single note. Once there were even eleven members in the band, a small orchestra. Now there's only six, but the line-up still is quite remarkable. Besides the usual instruments, some strings are added. And they play an important part on the record.

Emanuel And The Fear - The Janus Mirror (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)

This is clear right away in the theatrical title piece and opening song, that starts in a calm way and then is showing many faces. Strings and drumbeats shape the prelude to some kind of prog-rock explosion that really let's the song take off. Quite an impressive beginning of the record. This prog-rock sound continues in 'Samuel'. Striking about this song are the many variations and changes in it. It's all very clever, but it feels very crowded. Actually the "normal" parts of the song sound best.

This also the case in 'My Oh My' which simply a gorgeous song. Beautifully arranged and played. This is where the band sounds balanced, the music is breathing and it all comes together. This doesn't mean, that the band should just stick to simple songs. But when they can balance it a bit more, the complex songs will sound more consistent too. As a listener you're grasping for air a lot now. Maybe that's why the album is only just above 41 minutes.

It's clear that the members of Emanuel And The Fear are very good musicians. The Janus Mirros has plenty of examples of this. But they should put less effort into showing it. Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, is often pictured as a man with two faces. This sextet is showing even many more, but never their real face. However when you like theatrical, crowded music and like many twists and turns, this record definitely is worth a listen.

This review has been published on ROAR E-Zine in Dutch over here.

Listen to The Janus Mirror on Spotify.



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Colourful Yeasayer

You have got to give Brooklyn band Yeasayer credit for trying to reinvent themselves on all three albums they released so far. After the highly successful second one, Odd Blood, they travelled into a different direction again. Fragrant World sounds more electronic and for some fans this is hard to get used to. How is this band going to put this together live on stage?

Yeasayer at Paradiso Amsterdam, December 5 2012



Well, they need a lot of equipment apparently. Paradiso's main stage is full of keyboards, samplers, drum machines and other electronics. Together with a huge backdrop, consisting of numerous triangular mirrors, and colourful lights there's hardly any room for the band members themselves. When the show takes off it's clear right away how effective these lighting effects are. Together with the new electronic direction it's as if we're looking into the future.



One thing that sticks out is that there's no drum kit any more. New drummer Cale Parks is not seated but is standing in the middle, surrounded by samplers, drum machines, pads, cymbals and some drums mounted to a rack. He's playing them ceaselessly during the show, producing great beats and rhythms. Contrary what you may think the music still sounds human, which is quite impressive. Every band member has transformed his sound accordingly. Anand Wilder's guitar produces synth like sounds instead of guitar riffs, while it's hard to believe what Ira Wolf Tuton is able to make his bass sound like.



Songs of Fragrant World sound very organic live. The gentle 'Henrietta' has gained more depth. It's hard not to move to 'Fingers Never Bleed' and 'Demon Road' with their groovy tribal like drums. Older songs got new arrangements so they fit in as well. 'Wait For The Summer' never sounded better. From time to time it's almost like everyone is a bit stunned by the music and the colourful lights. Chris Keating is telling us so many times how much they love playing here, that it's hard to believe him. But after an impressive one hour regular set and a half hour encore, it's easy to forgive him.



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Setlist:
1. Blue Paper
2. Henrietta
3. 2080
4. Longevity
5. O.N.E.
6. Don't Come Close
7. Madder Red
8. Demon Road
9. Wait for the Summer
10. Reagan's Skeleton
11. Ambling Alp
Encore:
12. Fingers Never Bleed
13. Devil and the Deed
14. Tightrope
15. Folk Hero Shtick


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Tame Impala Space Out In Amsterdam

After the release of the brilliant second album Lonerism things are going fast now for Australian bandTame Impala. The band is selling out club shows all over the place and this may even be the last time you'll be able to see them at the smaller venues. I wasn't in time to get my ticket for Paradiso but fortunately a friend had one left. Will mastermind Kevin Parker be able to stun us on stage the same way he did with his album?

Tame Impala at Paradiso Amsterdam, October 29 2012



We get a great spot at the right side of the venue close to the stage when the band begin their show. They head off with 'Be Above It', one of the great psych rock songs on the new album. The bass and drums start pounding our ears and only a few songs later we cannot take it any more. We have to move to the back of the venue where the sound is more in balance. Even with ear plugs in, it was more than I could take. I'm not too pleased with the sound in general. Of course this music has lots of effects and reverb, but tonight the music kind of drowns in it. The subtleties and layers in the music get a bit lost that way, which is a shame since that's what's making this music so good.



Former drum player Jay Watson has shifted to keyboards and they enlisted a new one. It's obvious why: Frenchman Julien Barbagallo is playing solid grooves and fills with great timing. Together with singer Kevin Parker he's also adding some life to the mostly static rest of the band. This is too bad, since a bit more action on stage could drag you even more into the spacey songs. Now I'm having trouble to completely get sucked into the music. Parker himself sometimes is trying to direct a few words to the crowd but they are mostly smothered in reverb and occasionally interrupted by guitar effects. For the rest he has completely submerged into his spaced out musical world.



But the music itself is what is lifting this performance to a higher level. The great songs sometimes get a surprising twist like 'Elephant'. Just before the end it takes a sudden turn into a drum solo and completely spaces out. Then it returns to the original song and ends in the last few chords. The set is a nice mix of the two albums, where the songs of Innerspeaker sound more confident. I guess over time the other songs will sound just as convincing. The band do find their balance in the last song of the night, a brilliant version of 'Half Glass Full Of Wine'. Here they are showing why their music is so extraordinary. Too bad their whole set wasn't of the same level or this could have turned legendary. Not that it was disappointing, not at at all. Maybe I was expecting too much of it, but now it was "just" a good show in the end.



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Setlist
1. Be Above It
2. Solitude Is Bliss
3. Endors Toi
4. It Is Not Meant To Be
5. Music to Walk Home By
6. Elephant
7. Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
8. Lucidity
9. Alter Ego
10. Mind Mischief
11. Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind?
12. Desire Be Desire Go
13. Apocalypse Dreams
Encore
14. Half Glass Full of Wine


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Tamaryn Makes You Feel Sleepy

You won't find the name Tamaryn a lot over here, but it is used as a girl's name in Australia and New Zealand. Tamaryn also is the somewhat mysterious name of the singer of the album Tender New Signs. She's from the faraway country New Zealand, but is living in San Francisco nowadays. There's she's collaborating with producer Rex John Shelverton. A first album The Waves was released a while ago, with positive response. The music can best be described as dreamy shoegaze pop, like for example the Scottish band Cockteau Twins did in the past.

Tamaryn - Tender New Signs (Ronald Says 6 out of 10)

The new album continues down the same road as that first record. The sad songs, nine in total, are mostly slow and will get you into a lazy feeling. Tamaryn's thin voice is giving the songs a cold feel which results in an oppressive atmosphere. This is reminding a bit of The XX, but without the estranged character. The music doesn't dig deep enough for that and the songs stay within the accepted boundaries. The usual shoegaze wall of reverb and effects is less thick and remains tasteful.

But that low pace is also a weak spot in this case. The pitfall for this dreamy music is monotony. 'Heavenly Bodies' and 'The Garden' sound flat and are playing along unnoticed. The dream shouldn't get to wild but you have to keep on dozing instead. So don't expect any violent eruptions or outbursts. Tamaryn's style of singing, that doesn't have a lot of variation, doesn't help either. She will keep rocking you asleep. Maybe that was exactly her intention, but it just won't get really exciting because of it. Until the end, where the strong and best song on the record 'Violet's In Pool' closes the album. Here's she's showing that she's able to surprise after all.

Tender New Signs didn't turn into a bad record, but it just can't keep you focused. It is easy to listen to and fans of dreamy shoegaze won't be disappointed. But it could use more intensity and dynamics. Now it has led to an average end result. It does enable you to doze off gently though.



This review has been published on ROAR E-Zine in Dutch over here.

Listen to 'Tender New Signs' on Spotify.



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Radiohead Redefine Standard Once More

If there's one band who has been pushing boundaries and keeps reinventing itself it has to be Radiohead. The band from Oxfordshire released The King Of Limbs already 1,5 years ago, but decided to wait a bit longer before visiting our small country. After radically changing musical direction a few times before, this album may have been hard on many a fan. I actually quite like it despite many critics calling it one of their less good records. And I was sure they would play many songs of it.





Radiohead at Ziggo Dome Amsterdam, October 14 2012
Unfortunately we end up late at the venue and have to miss Caribou who played first. We can find a spot somewhere halfway the field. Last time at the Pearl Jam concert we had seated tickets, so this is the first time that I'm in the field at this brand new venue. One thing is clear right away: the stage isn't high enough. Although I'm quite a tall person, I have to try my best to see the top of the stage. Throughout the concert I can only see the musicians from their knees up. A smaller person will have a hard time seeing anything at all.



When the show takes off, it's greeted with loud cheers. Fortunately there's plenty to see besides the band on the stage. A large video-wall with thousands of lights is showing abstract visuals, while twelve square flat screens are lowered from the ceiling. These panels can be moved in any direction, so that they will change position with every song. On top of the stage there are six more square screens. Small cameras make sure that every band member is showing in one of those screens. The twelve screens sometimes are working as a ceiling, other times creating a surreal image, like autumn leaves scattered around, frozen in time. Once again Radiohead have managed to create a stunning light show and visuals. A job well done by stage designer Andi Watson.



It combines perfectly with the music that is surreal itself from time to time. Kicking off with 'Bloom' of the new record, we get treated to a fine selection of songs. Many tracks of The King Of Limbs and from the older albums especially OK Computer and Hail To The Thief are well represented. Pablo Honey and The Bends are completely ignored. The band has added Portishead drummer Clive Deamer to team up with Phil Selway. This is a wise choice, since the complex rythms of the last couple of albums are impossible to play with just one drummer. Instead of using even more sequencers and samples, the two drummers are doing a great job playing the tough jazzy and breakbeat grooves.



The electronic sounds of the past years translate very well to this live environment. Together with the spectacular visuals, they seem to show us what's going on inside singer Thom Yorke. It's like he's showing us the inside of his brain, the images and music he's experiencing when he wrote the songs. Yorke himself has transformed into a confident front man. Moving around stage in his own, sometimes freaky way, submitting himself to the music, seemingly unaware of 15,000 persons watching him. As if he's just enjoying himself in his own living room. Guitarist Jonny Greenwood is even more involved in his own world. The two are left on stage by themselves for 'Give Up The Ghost' where Yorke is looping his voice on the spot to create his own backing vocals.



Twenty-four songs in total are played including the new song 'Ful Stop' and 'Supercollider'. 'A Wolf At The Door' even made it onto the setlist. In the third encore we get treated to a wild version of 'Idioteque' and then it's over. I'm left stunned, wondering what I've just experienced. Even now it's hard to describe. This was so much more than just a music concert. This was a total experience of the senses. Once again Radiohead have pushed the boundaries of the music world a bit further.



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Setlist
01 Bloom
02 Lucky
03 15 Step
04 Kid A
05 Myxomatosis
06 The Gloaming
07 Separator
08 Reckoner
09 You and whose army?
10 Nude
11 Ful Stop
12 Lotus Flower
12 There There
14 Karma Police
15 Feral
16 Paranoid Android
Encore 1
17 Give Up The Ghost
18 Supercollider
19 Morning Mr Magpie
20 A Wolf At The Door
21 Bodysnatchers
Encore 2
22 How to disappear completely
23 Everything In Its Right Place (with 'Unravel'Bjork intro)
Encore 3
24 Idioteque


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