On Stage: Jacco Gardner @ Paradiso

After releasing a couple of lush dreamy psych pop albums, Jacco Gardner dropped his latest album Somnium last year. Named after the Johannes Kepler novel from the 1600s it is a somewhat dark instrumental journey that indeed feels like a dream. Not just any dream but one that you need to give in to. He played the entire album in Artis' planetarium a while ago, which proved the be the perfect place for his adventurous music. I wasn't able to attend that night, but fortunately he is now bringing his project to a few clubs around the country.

Jacco Gardner's Somnium at Paradiso Amsterdam, May 10 2019

In Paradiso's main hall pillows and chairs are circling a couple of synths, keyboards and other electronics. Smoke machines are fogging up the venue before the show starts. Gardner sits down in the middle and is joined by María Pandiello, who is sitting down opposite him. They start playing the music from Somnium and will play the whole album tonight.

Slowly the electronic soundscapes start to build their wondrous and somewhat dark dreamworld. Colourful spotlights are pointed at the centre and the smoke spreads out the light. It creates a hazy atmosphere where it is hard to see the other spectators in here tonight. Music and lighting complement each other in this strange atmosphere. You really need to surrender yourself to this spectacle to fully appreciate this performance and the ambient electronic music.

This was a pretty special night and I can only imagine what this must have looked like in Artis' planetarium, although I believe they are currently releasing footage from that show. It was very nice to see Gardner recreate that world here tonight. He's one of those creative artists that we should treasure.



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Amsterdam Woods Festival 2015 Sunday

After a successful first day we head back into the woods while the sun is up and warm. Another nice day awaits at the Amsterdam Woods Festival so we hop back on our bikes and before we know it are back at the festival site.

Amsterdam Woods Festival Sunday August 30 2015

It is still pretty quiet when we arrive so we drink a nice espresso from an espresso machine that is a small steam engine which tastes great. Then we head into the tent for the first performance of the day.



Intergalactic Lovers
It's been a few years since I got to know Belgian band Intergalactic Lovers and they have come a long way since. Their second album Little Heavy Burdens was released last year and is full of nice melodic pop songs. Singer Lara Chedraoui is a delight to watch, she's cracking small jokes with the crowd and her band members who manage to keep a serious face. It sounds like her voice got even better over the years and the band got more tight. The tent hasn't really filled up much but it doesn't get the group down. In their own country they are already drawing much bigger crowds and let's hope more people will get to know them over here. Chedraoui definitely wins best choreography with her killer moves.

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Jacco Gardner
After releasing his first album Jacco Gardner toured around the world a lot. Now his second album Hypnophobia is out and with a partly new band is on tour again. The new album focuses on an obscure sixties movie soundtrack sound. The dreamy melodies are still there but now they have gained more body. You can also hear this in his live set that is now more convincing as is his own stage performance. His music sounds more balanced with more heavy grooves in some of the songs. You still need to be in this kind of music though and appreciate the dreamy atmosphere of the songs.

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Afterpartees
About now it's time to stir things up a bit and one of the most fun bands of our country, Afterpartees, are exactly the right band to do that. When they start only a handful of people have gathered in front of the stage, but it doesn't matter to the young lads who never disappoint. They fire off their catchy garage rock songs at high speed and singer Niek Nellen as always is one big ball of energy. When he finds the crowd's reaction a bit too mellow he jumps off the stage to make them dance which a few people can't resist. In the end this band seem to be able to please every crowd and once again step off the stage as winners.

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The Brahms
We turn to the tiny stage where The Brahms have started their set with catchy danceable rock tunes in the style of Vampire Weekend. The same playful ringing African style guitar melodies can be heard and the band is looking pretty convincing. With their energy, enthusiasm and cheerful music it is hard to stand still and it turns the place into a happy party. This band definitely has plenty going on to get bigger.

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The Veils
By now the sun has set and it's already time for the last performance of the festival. The Veils are the ones to close the day and are the right band to do so. I don't always like their kind of dramatic 16 Horesepower style of songs but tonight they are more on the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds side of things with a darker sound. Singer Finn Andrews also stays on the right side of his dramatic performance and looks impressive enough when he sings his lyrics with a tormented face. It makes you curious for their new record that should come out next year. It definitely was a worthy finale of this new festival.

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With this line-up, atmosphere and the nice performances, the Amsterdam Woods festival proves to be a worthy addition to the over saturated festival market. It wasn't really crowded but fortunately they had the weather on their side, since otherwise it could have been a disappointing turn up. However the main stage tent never was more than half full and sometimes it was pretty quiet at the other stages, which can be hard on the bands. But hopefully more people will learn about this festival and next year's edition can draw a bigger crowd. This festival deserves it and is more than worth a visit, so count me in again for 2016's edition.

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Amsterdam Woods Festival 2015 Saturday

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Top 10 Albums 2013

What a great music year 2013 turned out to be. This year we saw wonderful albums coming out and the level was very high. Still the top of my list was crystal clear and I didn't have to go through a lot of trouble to be coming up with the top half.

1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away
Nick Cave and his The Bad Seeds simply made a gem of a record. Push The Sky Away is a highlight in his catalogue. Does he ever make a bad record?
Play in Spotify

2. Arctic Monkeys - AM
Arctic Monkeys announced their new record would be a mix of Dr. Dre and Black Sabbath. That sounds pretty bad, but turns out to be a brilliant combination.
Play in Spotify

3. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
There was no way around Arcade Fire this year, so much is clear. With a thought-through pr-campaign they drew everyone's attention. And then that record. Pretentious? For sure. Bombastic? Absolutely. But also very good and surprising.
Play in Spotify

4. The National - Trouble Will Find Me
Of absolute beauty is The National's album. It is full of gems, that make you listen breathlessly.
Play in Spotify

5. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II
UMO made an impression with their second record, simply titled II. It is a nice combination of psychedelics and nice guitar playing.
Play in Spotify

6. White Denim - Corsicana Lemonade
White Denim show what they're made of again on Corsicana Lemonade. It's full of virtuous rock songs played by great musicians.
Play in Spotify

7. Jacco Gardner - Cabinet of Curiosities
There were also many nice Dutch productions again this year. Our own Jacco Gardner even drew attention across the border. His psychedelic baroque pop record Cabinet of Curiosities is an atmospheric album filled with beautiful songs and sounds.
Play in Spotify

8. Queens Of The Stone Age - ...Like Clockwork
Josh Homme looked death into the eyes and this eventually resulted in ...Like Clockwork. A nice and varied record that not only has pounding rock songs but also leaves room for reflection.
Play in Spotify

9. Mikal Cronin - MCII
Mikal Cronin no longer stands in Ty Segall's shadow after releasing MCII, that has nice fuzzy pop songs on it.
Play in Spotify

10. Automatic Sam - Sonic Whip
Dutch rock band Automatic Sam shows with Sonic Whip why they are one of the most interesting rock bands in this country. And also one of the most underrated ones if you ask me.
Play in Spotify


The bottom half of this list was a lot more difficult. That's why I also want to mention De Staat's I_CON, Floating Coffin by Thee Oh Sees and Parquet Courts' Light Up Gold. They missed this list only by an inch. Looking forward to a new year of releases. Happy New Year!

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ITGWO 2013 Day 1: Back In Paradise

After two years it feels like coming home when we get off the ferry. We arrive at the wonderful island Vlieland for another edition of that one of a kind festival Into The Great Wide Open. As soon as you get on the boat the fun is starting. Only happy faces and good vibes. The sunny and warm weather don't hurt either.

Into The Great Wide Open 2013 Day 0, September 5 2013

We get to the island a day before the actual festival is starting. There's already a short program with some bands playing the night before. I didn't realize, it even started earlier tonight than last year. The boat we booked simply doesn't arrive on time so we have to miss DAAU. I hope to see them again soon.



Bed Rugs
Instead we kick off with Belgian band Bed Rugs who treat us to some great psychedelic rock music and long jams. Their inspiring performance is lively with all members looking active and focused. The enthusiastic percussionist sure is having a good time. The band even knows to impress a few young kids who are sitting down on the floor, marvelled by what's happening on stage.

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We spend the rest of the time outside, sucking up the atmosphere of the festival while downing a few cold beers.

Into The Great Wide Open 2013 Day 1, September 6 2013

When we wake up it's sizzling hot. It's impossible to stay in our tent any longer. But this island has a solution for that: the sea, one of the many things that makes this festival special. A swim in the cold sea definitely cools me down and I feel revived. We ride around on our bike a bit, have some coffee and then make our way to the Sports Field stage for the first performance of the day.



The Kik
The Kik's front man Dave von Raven is no stranger to this festival. He played here a few times before and also was the MC on a few editions. Now he's here to open up on the main stage. Their light beat music with happy lyrics is a nice way to start the day. Von Raven of course is chatting with the crowd a lot in his usual fasion. He's overdoing it in the first half though. It prevents their performance from gaining tempo. In the second half his chat sessions are shorter which helps. The band is trying to be too funny sometimes, especially when they play two party songs that don't fit in their repertoire. They need to go easy on the jokes otherwise there's a chance of turning into a gimmick.

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Sheep, Dog & Wolf
Totally different is Daniel McBride from New Zealand. He's a young multi-instrumentalist that is using loop stations to build layered songs. His album Egospect is full of freaky and jazzy tracks. Live he's performing with a drummer. He's playing guitar and saxophone by himself, while building his loops. It is hard to get into and that turns out to be too much for a part of the crowd. There's quite a lot of chatting in the back of the beautiful "Naar Buiten" stage in the woods. Now and then it comes together though and you hear and feel the great music that you'll find on his record. Hopefully he can find a way to show that more convincingly on stage.

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Jacco Gardner
The same thing is happening for Jacco Gardner today. His dreamy psychedelic sixties inspired music seems perfect for this festival. But the sunny weather this afternoon is slowing down his songs. It sounds too lazy and proves too much for the crowd who can't keep their focus. Maybe in the dark in the woods this would have been a more inspiring performance. Now it gets lost on the sports field, no matter how cool his drummer is. The dreamy songs just won't stick today in the sunshine.

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Bent van Looy
Das Pop front man Bent van Looy is at the right place on the stage in the woods. There are two electric piano's at his disposal, that he's using to perform the songs that he wrote when he lived in Paris. His charming personality and short tales to explain his lyrics are a successful combination. The convincing performance of the slightly melancholic songs on his fine solo album are keeping the crowd focused. He may not be the world's most gifted singer, but he makes up for that in charisma. The lush surroundings are doing the rest.

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Earth Mk. II
Jacco Gardner produced the album of new band Earth Mk. II. It is a nice album with psychedelic songs influenced by the same era that Gardner is drawing inspiration from. Their songs have more modern and pop influences though and cannot really compete with Gardner's work. Live on stage their performance isn't exactly inspired. The band members look quite static and shy. Master mind of the band is Hugo van de Poes, buddy of Gardner with whom he played in The Skywalkers. Van de Poes is also singing at the same time, which doesn't help for a more lively performance. The vocals aren't really spot on either. His voice is a bit monotonous and their performance is becoming quite weary in the end. It's clear this band needs to go and play many more shows to grow.

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Valerie June
It seems everything The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach touches these days turns into gold. He produced Valerie June's album Pushin' Against A Stone and gave it his unmistakable sound. The blues and country songs themselves however aren't that great and the performance itself a bit boring. June's voice, which is quite shrieky, is even getting on my nerves after a while.

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Claw Boys Claw
We get close to the stage for these old rockers. Enforced with drummer Jeroen Kleijn they look and sound better than ever as they already proved earlier this year and on their latest record Hammer. Like a diesel engine they are slowly warming up. The first couple of songs are lazy songs with heavy riffs. Combined with the baritone voice of Peter Te Bos it is their signature sound of "swamp" rock.

Halfway the engine is running smoothly and full force. Songs of the new album sound just as good as the old ones. There's even a pit forming in front of the stage. Te Bos, although in his sixties, still is a rebellious boy. He jumps into the crowd like he always does and takes off the top part of the wooden festival logo at the side of the stage. It is the word "great" which he puts down at the front of the stage. When he climbs on top of it with a big smile, the only thing missing is the exclamation mark: great!



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Chic ft. Nile Rodgers
Later than planned living legend Nile Rodgers takes the stage during the sound check. He's taking pictures of the crowd and the festival site. The big smile on his face is looking promising. There's plenty for him to laugh nowadays, since he's totally hot again after his collaboration with Daft Punk. When the band takes off he explains that they are not a cover band. All the songs we're about to hear are simply his. It may sound arrogant, but it is not a superfluous pompous statement. Many people may not be aware of it.

Despite the soundcheck the band faces many technical problems in the beginning. They stop for a while to get it fixed. After that the field turns into a full on disco party. All his big hits by David Bowie, Madonna, Sister Sledge, INXS and of course Chic make it into the set. The band is throwing a fully orchestrated disco show, played by great and professional musicians. It's a very tight band with the wonderful grooving bassist Jerry Barnes. Both female singers have a strong voice and take solos by turn. When the band finishes DJ St. Paul drops the one song he agreed never to play live without the original performers: Daft Punk's 'Get Lucky'. Needless to say this keeps the party going for a little longer.

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While sipping a last beer on the camping site at our tent, we see lightning in the distance while the clear sky is showing thousands of stars. Fortunately the thunderstorms are far away and the rain never reaches the island.

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Into The Great Wide Open 2013 Day 2
Into The Great Wide Open 2013 Day 3

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Lowlands 2013 Day 3: Girl Power!

After a sunny day we wake up to grey clouds and rain. But by the time we make it to the festival site the sun is breaking through. Within no time I'm eating an omelet in the sun. Ready to take on this last day.

Lowlands 2013 Day 3, August 18 2013



Jacco Gardner
More and more people are hearing about the boy wonder from the town Hoorn in The Netherlands, who got his inspiration from the psychedelic bands of the sixties. His album Cabinet Of Curiosities is full of beautiful songs in the same style. Live this may seem to lead to a static performance, but fortunately this is not the case. Gardner is chatting to the crowd from time to time in a relaxed way. His presence is kind of innocent and disarmingly. His music is doing the rest and it is creating a magical atmosphere. His band is his reliable support with his friends from Lola Kite and Mr Cool himself, Jos van Tol on drums. Surprisingly the India tent is only half full, but I'm sure next time he will draw bigger crowds.



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Haim
Another hype are the Haim sisters. Just like Jacco Gardner they knew to create something of a buzz, without even releasing an album. Already they are getting bookings for festivals and club performances. According to the MC who's announcing her, they partied hard the day before. The girls do look a bit hung over and their set isn't always really tight. They sound a lot more rough on stage than they do on record. Guitarist Danielle knows how to handle her guitar, but her vocals don't always sound powerful enough. They help out drummer Dash Hutton on percussion a lot as well. Bass player Este Haim sounds pretty groovy despite her funny faces. All put together it is an interesting performance. Although not legendary it does sound promising. I'm looking forward to their album that is coming out in a few weeks. By playing many shows they should be able to grow more tight and sound better. I'm sure they'll be a different band within year.



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Noah and the Whale
We decide to check out Noah and The Whale. The band from London make harmless indie rock songs. The band's performance is like their music: nice, happy and a bit too correct. It does make for an enjoyable performance though. And of course you don't expect to find a "wall of death" at their show. Despite some nice songs you could wish for a bit more bite though.



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Alabama Shakes
Of course Alabama Shakes should already have been programmed last year. This year they are already considered big enough to perform on the big Alpha stage. The band does have Brittany Howard who can fill any stage and I mean that in the most respectful way. Her voice is so strong and her presence is overwhelming. It's a delight to watch her sing. The rest of the band have gotten tighter because of all the shows they played. They sound very laid back and have made peace that they are performing in Howard's shadow. It doesn't take long for the crowd to surrender to the intense soul and blues songs. Although the faster songs are less impressive they are a welcome variation and make for a merry intermezzo.



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Foals
We rush ourselves to the other side of the festival site to catch the second half of the Foals show. I'm really glad to have made that effort. Their last album won many people over including myself. Their show is a lot more rocking than I expected. It sounds bombastic from time to time but always tasteful. The band is focused and knows what a festival crowd wants: dancing. The tent is more empty at the end of the show than at the point we came in, but that's probably because many people were already making their way to the Alpha tent for Franz Ferdinand. Foals deserved a bigger crowd for their hard work and convincing performance.



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Franz Ferdinand
Indeed many people show up for the glorious return of the Scottish band. They have been away for a while but apparently not forgotten. I haven't seen the Alpha more packed this weekend. We cannot even get in for a good spot and decide to party outside. Since it's a huge party the band is throwing. They have so many songs that get a crowd to go wild. People are dancing and jumping everywhere, even on the slopes at both sides of the tent. New song 'Love Illuminiation' fits in seamlessly and already sounds like it's always been in their set. 'Can't Stop Feeling' is probably a homage to the late Donna Summer containing a similar hook. The band even mix Summer's hit 'I Feel Love' into the song. I don't think anyone expected this big welcome back for the band. But they showed to be totally worth the wait. I can't wait for their new album.



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Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
So after this high, Nick Cave was going to close the festival. How was he going to top the party loaded set of Franz Ferdinand? By doing what he does best: play a dark and intense performance as if the devil himself is on his tail. Cave is all over the place in his usual fashion. Sometimes hanging backwards, his arms raised in front of him, like he's enchanting the crowd. Other times he's hanging over the front row, pouring out his sharp words on the first few rows. Or balancing skilfully on top of the fence, supporting himself by holding the hand of one of the fans. The terrific Bad Seeds know exactly how to back him up. Gently playing along in the slow and intimate songs, but wild and rough in the louder parts, sparing no one to enforce Cave's words.

This doesn't miss its impact. The performance is spot on. A vicious and evil 'Stagger Lee' follows the dramatic 'The Mercy Seat' and brilliant 'Higgs Boson Blues'. Songs of the new album sound just as strong as his best songs. 'Push The Sky Away' is dark, spooky and fills the big tent with silence. I've never heard a big crowd go so quiet. Many people were questioning if Nick Cave was a good headliner to close this last day. With this magnificent performance there's no doubt any more. He closes the set with the always gorgeous 'Into My Arms' which make this performance a perfect one.



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Still stunned from the performance we get ourselves some of the last bitterballen and some beers. So what about finally going to the Titty Twister? Another huge line!? Crap! Grolsch Beugelbar it is then.

Another good edition of Lowlands has come to an end. I really noticed an increasing number of people come here to party and music comes in second. The Lowlands organization seems to targeting that group more and more, which is a real shame. Hopefully music will never come in second for them. Or should I start looking at a different festival?

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Lowlands 2013 Day 1
Lowlands 2013 Day 2


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Going Retro With Jacco Gardner

I write about local Dutch bands now and then because I think they deserve the attention. Some are just really too interesting and good to keep to myself and of international standards. Jacco Gardner however already created a buzz internationally with his first single 'Clear The Air'. NME, The Guardian and Pitchfork all were raving about him. So with much anticipation people were awaiting his debut album Cabinet Of Curiosities.

Jacco Gardner - Cabinet Of Curiosities (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)

He spent a long time working on his 60s inspired music. Even using instruments and effects from that time. It's not hard to hear these influences back. The record breaths the dreamy psychedelic vibes of the 60s, best compared to the Syd Barrett compositions of early Pink Floyd. Quite remarkable for a 24-year old. But his timing is spot on. Many bands and artists are reaching out to the same era and influences. Even some young band who claim to be inspired by Gardner himself.

Twelve tracks are taking you into the dream world Gardner is creating. It is taking you along magical forests ('Cabinet Of Curiosities'), around dark corners ('The Ballad Of Little Jane') and sultry beaches ('Where Will You Go'). The accompanying beautiful artwork is well chosen. It may get a bit weary in the end, but that's just a minor detail. Gardner is playing all over the place now with his band mates of Lola Kite. It will be very interesting to hear what he will come up with when he mixes the experience, stories and songs from those road trips into new songs.



Listen to Cabinet of Curiosities on Spotify.



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