Best Kept Secret 2018 Day 1

By now the Best Kept Secret festival feels like coming home. We have been here several times and we can't wait to move into our jungalow. By the time we do, the light drizzle has stopped and the sun is showing itself. We get comfortable in front of the jungalow and it doesn't take long to get into the festival mood. Let's go see the first band of the day!

Best Kept Secret 2018 Day 1, June 8 2018

Palm

I heard a lot about this band so I wanted to check them out. Their music is quite hard to grasp and I’m having trouble getting into it. Obviously these are skilled musicians but they are making things too difficult for me. The empty spaces that appear in the tent reveal I’m not the only one. Of course it is good to have bands like this who are taking a risk and make things more difficult, so kudos to them for taking a chance.

Official Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

The Districts

Time for a bit of action and The Districts are the ones to give it to us. Their songs remind of The Killers and are big enough to fill large venues and festival stages. The band plays with a lot of heart and are eager to win the crowd over. The band sounds pretty tight and solid, although they need a bit more variation in their music. But the group has the right spirit and when they keep working this hard on stage, things could work out for them in the end.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

Mozes and the Firstborn

Susanne Sundfør had to cancel and fortunately Mozes and the Firstborn are here for a DJ set so they can replace her. By the time we arrive at stage Three the band has already wrapped the crowd around their finger. There’s a party going on in front of the stage and there’s one on stage. These guys are having a great time and their energy is contagious. The young group have grown a lot and have improved their sound, their playing and stage appearance. This is a band you simply have to love.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

Future Islands

Another band you have to love is Future Islands. Of course for the largest part this is because of Samuel T. Herring, their charismatic front man. By now you know what to expect but his emotional and soulful performance never gets old. When you look at his sweaty face that seems to be in pain, you wonder how much of this is acted. I want tot believe it is all really him. The songs do sound alike a lot and the band is pretty much acting as wallpaper. Herring doesn't jump off stage to climb the fence this time and in general their performance is less impressive than the other times I have seen them. It's still not a bad way to spend your afternoon though.



Official Website | SoundCloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Death

Technical issues kind of screw up the first half of the show but when they finally get fixed this band sounds very powerful. I don’t really get the changing of position by Conrad Keeley and Jason Reece taking turns on guitar and drums. Although they do this quite smoothly the small breaks take away some of the momentum now and then. Fortunately they pick things up fast and their heavy sound is very convincing, resulting in a solid performance.



Official Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

Deerhunter

Deerhunter can make it quite difficult for their audience but cleverly chooses to show their more accessible side. It is a smart move on a festival and they let people get in their music. The dark songs sound wonderful and the band shows how good they are without overdoing it. Interesting song structures combined with a very focused band makes this performance a winner.

Official Website | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify

Arctic Monkeys

There has been a lot of talk about the new Arctic Monkeys album Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino. I simply love it and this band one of my favourite rock bands around. This raises high expectations and you can feel people are eager to know where the band stands these days. Boy, do they deliver tonight. The slow mellow new songs are amazing live and the band is in total control, shifting smoothly between slow and fast songs. Alex Turner has grown into a charismatic confident performer, who is moving around stage like a experienced dandy. I simply love his lazy delivery of his vocals and their songs are simply gorgeous. I think this group is one of the best bands of the past decades. The Casbah sounds like a good place to end this day in style. Rock the casbah!



Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

All Pictures

Best Kept Secret Festival 2018 Day 2
Best Kept Secret Festival 2018 Day 3

Read more!

On Stage: Future Islands @ Paradiso

After the sudden success of their previous album Singles, Future Islands were able to come up with a new one that didn't disappoint. The Far Field wasn't a lot different but they continued where it left off and wrote another bunch of good songs expanding on their sound. By now their live reputation has been established and a fun night is guaranteed.

Future Islands at Paradiso Amsterdam, November 13 2017

Of course all eyes are on singer Samuel T. Herring who stole so many hearts with his amazing dance moves and his sincere performance. Herring is a story teller and uses music to get them across. Not just the way that songs are stories in themselves and the lyrics, but also the way he's singing them. He will portray the songs with his lively performance, stretching his hands out to imaginary people on stage, putting imaginary things in his mouth or pulling them out.

Herring, who now looks like Jack Nicholson halfway his transformation in the nineties movie Wolf, gets more and more into his role during the show, dripping with sweat after a while. The man is a delight to watch, the way he passionately performs the songs with grunts, audible slaps on his chest and his famous monkey dance. He will drop to his knees, jump up and down in faster parts and at one point slides head first to the side of the show. You would almost forget about the rest of the band who are almost invisible, playing with him in the background. It is maybe a bit unfair to them but I'm sure they are comfortable with their part in the band and the man in the spot light.

Let's not forget the music, that is both dark but also has a summer vibe to it at the same time. The warm synth sounds make sure it doesn't get all sad and desperate, but become melancholic most of the times. The tracks from several albums aren't too different from each other but still are varied enough. Of course people still react to big hit 'Seasons' but also show plenty of love for the other songs including new songs like the singles 'Ran' and 'Cave'. At several moments the applause and cheering keeps going for a long time after the end of a song, showing how much Paradiso has embraced this band tonight. Herring slaps his fist on his chest a few times to return the love.

All Pictures



Official Website | SoundCloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify

Setlist:
01. Beauty of the Road
02. Before the Bridge
03. Time on Her Side
04. A Dream of You and Me
05. Walking Through That Door
06. North Star
07. Ran
08. Balance
09. Long Flight
10. Cave
11. Through the Roses
12. Give Us the Wind
13. Ancient Water
14. Inch of Dust
15. Seasons (Waiting On You)
16. Tin Man
17. Spirit
Encore
18. Black Rose
19. Beach Foam
20. Vireo's Eye
21. Little Dreamer


Read more!

Best Kept Secret 2015 Day 3

Last night's sudden and nasty end of the second day had one advantage: I had a great night's sleep and am totally ready for day 3! Not after we had bacon and eggs of course and a lot of coffee. This is going to be a long day! No, really, it's midsummernight so it's the longest day.

Best Kept Secret 2015 Day 3, June 21 2015

Although I slept a good night I don't make it in time for Johnny Greenwood and the London Contemporary Orchestra, which is too bad because it would have been quite nice.



Marmozets
Instead we end up at the main stage for something completely different. Marmozets are going full force with powerful rock songs and singer Becca Macintyre is screaming her lungs out. It's not really crowded yet and the rain that is falling at one point doesn't help. But it gives us a good spot at the front to see the band put in a lot of effort. Maybe not all songs are really original, but the band adds so much energy it turns into a fun performance.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Wolf Alice
Wolf Alice's name has been buzzing around lately and their first album My Love Is Cool that came out this week, is getting raving reviews. I listened to it a few times now and it had to sink in, but now I love it. The group sounds more heavy and less electronic on stage, with the clear voice of Ellie Rowsell. Once and a while they will take it a bit more slow which balances out the set very nicely. It's a very convincing show and the band wraps the crowd around their finger with great ease. Bought tickets to their show later this year right away.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Waxahatchee
Katie Crutchfield recorded her first album in her bedroom. She formed a band to play it live and recently released her third album. Her melancholic music is quite interesting and sounds pretty good. But her band are almost invisible and her performance would have made a bigger impression without them. It's simply not enough to keep your attention, no matter how good the songs are.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify



Alvvays
Canadian band Alvvays are all ready for the summer with their positive music. The dreamy indiepop songs are bit rough around the edges giving them a bit of a bite. I do like the sound, with the feel good tunes, but the band with singer Molly Rankin still look a bit shy on stage. Although I really want to like it and music wise I do, the performance is not impressing me.

Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Black Mountain
Time for some dark and heavy psychedelic rock and Black Mountain are the right band for that. The start of their show is a bit slow, where the band looks kind of static and singer Amber Webber looks a bit lost. But once they are warmed up and get in the groove, the songs become longer and sound more dangerous. Sometimes it's leaning towards Pink Floyd especially when the songs have a dark repeating groove. Guest saxophone player René Evers adds a nice touch to the dark rock songs and in the end this turns out to be a good show.



Official Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Rats on Rafts
One of the most interesting Dutch bands still is Rats On Rafts, the band Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos loves so much. And that's for a good reason since the band's no nonsense new wave punk music is working again today. The band grow into their set and have mixed in more surf music. I still haven't listened to their new record properly, but I really like this sound. I'd rather see them in a small dark club though and I have to leave halfway since I want to see Future Islands as well.

Official Website | MySpace | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Future Islands
It's clear you either love or hate this band, telling from the reactions around me. I love their danceable electronic pop music, although the sound is terrible today. But fortunately Samuel T. Herring's performance makes up for that. Some say it's all just an act, but I think this is actually the way he feels the music. He just has to add the silly dance, the expressions and the grunts. I think he really pulls it out of his soul. It's not their best performance and it's too bad I missed my favourite song 'Sun In The Morning'. Herring pulls another stunt today where he ends the show off stage, runs towards the fence and climbs over to get back stage again.



Official Website | SoundCloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify



Royal Blood
British rock duo Royal Blood are shooting up in the music scene like a comet and are playing every festival there is this year. That's not bad for a band who formed two years ago and released their first album in August last year. Although the songs not always have a lot of variation, the powerful grooves are too damn good. Live on stage they are knocking them out with great force. Big hit 'Figure It Out' is even early in the set and should set this place on fire. Bass player and singer Mike Kerr looks unhappy with the crowd's response which seems to make him even more determined. If you're into this music like me and the people at the front in the big pit, this show is simply irresistible.



Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify



Alt-J
We stick around for the big headliner of today, Alt-J. Their music is definitely not my cup of tea which I find simply boring. But of course they have become a big name so there's a large turn up. Despite an impressive light show, their performance is very static and combined with the music it can't grab me at all. Too bad for me, however it seems most people are definitely enjoying the show.



Official Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

Instead we end in style ourselves with white wine and great oysters. By the time we finish them, all our friends have gathered there as well and we make sure today and the festival ends on a big high. This was another great edition of this festival with a lot of good performances, great food, wonderful vibes and a lot of fun. Hopefully they can keep this up and I will keep visiting.

More Pictures

Best Kept Secret Day 1
Best Kept Secret Day 2

Read more!

Top 10 Albums 2014

To be fair, I don't really care too much about year lists. They don't mean a lot, even though many music magazines aggregate them from many personal lists of people in the industry. But they aren't saying that much, especially when it comes to albums that are not in the top 3. At most the top 3 are albums that are generally considered favourable this year. But people tend to like those lists and ask about them. Since I'm a writer for FestivalInfo and ROAR E-Zine I also have to send in my top ten for their list. So without too many more words, here's mine. Have a great 2015! See you on the other side.

1. The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream
Play in Spotify

2. Shaking Godspeed - Welcome Back Wolf
Play in Spotify

3. Temples - Sun Structures
Play in Spotify

4. Spoon - They Want My Soul
Play in Spotify

5. Future Islands - Singles
Play in Spotify

6. Ty Segall - Manipulator

7. Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
Play in Spotify

8. Beck - Morning Phase
Play in Spotify

9. Fratsen - Caspar

10. TV On The Radio - Seeds
Play in Spotify


Read more!

Passionate Show By Future Islands

Besides all the bands and artists who are carefully crafted and shaped by producers and record companies, completely adapted to a certain style or image in order to come up with hit machines (= money machines), there are still bands who are working hard and struggling. A small leap of fate can suddenly alter their careers. Future Islands have been around for ten years and already made three records before this year everything changed. Their new album Singles is definitely a record that sticks out. It landed them a performance in the David Letterman show, which went viral and put the band on the map.





Future Islands at Melkweg Amsterdam, October 3 2014

Of course it are the dance moves of singer Samuel Herring which made the difference. His unorthodox moves and passionate performance make all the difference. But it would be unfair to only focus on that. The band have come up with a wonderful album that is full of smart electro pop songs, including their smash hit 'Seasons'. Tonight they prove there's more about them than silly dance moves, although of course it's impossible to forget about that. But the sold out show in the biggest hall of the Melkweg is more than justified. The band even think this could be their biggest show so far.



Herring apologizes for his voice, that indeed sounds a bit hoarse, although it's only the start of their European tour. It's no wonder, since the way he keeps changing his vocals, asks a lot from his voice. He's singing low, high, everything in between, sometimes belting out phrases or even manages to cough up impressive grunts. Together with his passionate stage performance and the monkey like dance moves, Herring is definitely the one everybody is looking at, although the frontman looks the opposite of your regular rock star. He seems to be completely into the music, raising his hand like a musical star to emphasize his lyrics, feeling up himself, licking his arms or simply almost crawling around stage. It's magnificent to watch while his band buddies are playing their parts almost anonymously, somewhat unwitnessed in the back.



It doesn't matter since they are playing a tight set, that consists mostly of songs from their new record, including my personal favourite 'Sun In The Morning', with older songs scattered throughout. Their big hit 'Seasons' is about halfway the set and gets many cheers. But the crowd loves every song and minute of their show, joining in on the dancing. After an hour the band comes back for an encore and plays a few more songs. The energy level in front of the stage has reached a peak by now and during the last song 'Vireo's Eye' a girl jumps on stage to dance. It triggers a complete stage invasion, where the band looks a bit overwhelmed. Herring finishes up quickly and leaves the stage while rest of the band receive well deserved hugs.



More Pictures

Official Website | SoundCloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify

Read more!