On Stage: Tamino @ Paradiso

Only two years ago I saw Belgian musician Tamino play as a support act at the small venue Willem Twee. I was really impressed by his amazing voice and beautiful music. I expected him to rise to fame but I couldn't predict that he would sell out Paradiso two years later. But here he is playing a full house at the Amsterdam pop temple.

Tamino at Paradiso Amsterdam, December 14 2018

He tells us how he used to come here a lot when he was living in this city. It has to be unbelievable for him to stand here on that stage himself. The young man deserves it though, since he has worked hard to get here, playing everywhere he could. From small stages to large festivals, always with a lot of heart. In the several times I watched him now I have seen him grow, getting more confident, letting his music grow with him.

His debut album Amir proves this, where he combines his incredible talent with a great band sound, that mix between Jeff Buckley and Radiohead. Tonight he takes these songs to great heights, never rushing but with great feeling and timing. And of course that amazing voice that is able to move so many people. I see people listening with their eyes closed, totally submerged into the music. Whenever Tamino finishes a song, a huge roar breaks loose, a big discharge of an eager crowd.

Tamino is taking it all in with a shy smile, almost in disbelieve what is going on here. He still needs to get used to this new role of pop star. His band, with no one less than Radiohead bass player Colin Greenwood, is backing him up very effectively, but leave the spot light to the young artist. Once and a while Tamino is on stage by himself, like he was in the beginning. That combination with and without band works very well, making his sound palette bigger.

I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times when he was signing records and he comes across as a modest but very friendly and gentle young man. He took plenty of time with everyone and seems to have a wonderful personality. The last time he noticed my Soundgarden t-shirt that I was wearing and tonight he mentions Chris Cornell is one of his heroes. He honours the Soundgarden singer with an intense and beautiful version of 'Seasons' from the Singles soundtrack.

I think tonight we didn't only witness a great show from an incredible artist, but we witnessed a superstar in the making. The sky is the limit for Tamino and it's going to be very interesting to see what the future will bring for him and how his sound will develop. I think he is going to surprise us with his music, especially when you think about that this is only the beginning.

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Setlist:
01. Persephone
02. Sun May Shine
03. Cigar
04. Each Time
05. Reverse
06. So it goes
07. Verses
08. Tummy
09. Chambers
10. Indigo Night
11. Will Of This Heart
12. Habibi
Encore
13. Seasons
14. Smile


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Spinning: The New House - Moves

Spring has shown that it means business and all of a sudden everyone is in a Summer mood. This calls for fitting music that will accompany the many warm nights that are hopefully ahead of us. The EP Moves of the new Amsterdam collective The New House is perfect for these nights. The band around trumpet player, music craftsman and producer Mark Nieuwenhuis is mixing many styles that results in catchy music with many summery and exotic elements.

Nieuwenhuis recruited a nice set of musicians to shape his compositions. His creations that combine jazz, hiphop, funk and world music aren't always simple, so it asks a lot of them. But the band is playing the often cheerful songs convincingly and with feeling. The record opens with the sometimes raw 'Light Blue' around a refined trumpet theme where you can also hear a solid guitar solo. 'Sharktank' lives up to its name where the guitar is going wild again, driven by grooving drums. The song has some Balkan elements that make it very danceable.

Because The New House wants people to dance, judging from the playful 'Chitka'. The staccato 'Square' could easily be on a movie soundtrack, like the rest of the completely instrumental record is bringing movie images to mind. 'Vlugtlaan' is the melancholic ending, with main parts played by saxophone and trumpet. This way all musicians get plenty of room to excel and show themselves at their best.

Despite the high musical level, Moves is not a record that sounds overcomplicated, but that is all about atmosphere and feeling. The lively compositions create a summery vibe that turns into a festive mood. It is perfect for the the lush time that lies ahead of us and the band would be great for any summer festival looking for a band that can spark a nice dancing party. Or simply enjoy them in your living room with your favourite cold drink.





This album discussion has also been published in Dutch on FestivalInfo.nl over here.

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On Stage: Gorillaz at Ziggo Dome

Everything surrounding Gorillaz is a spectacle. The cartoon band created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett has become a big name, one that is associated with diverse and exciting music, dazzling use of multimedia and spectacular shows. Maybe the latest Humanz album was a bit of a disappointment, although I think it is still one that is very enjoyable. This summer I watched the band on a live stream of the Gorillaz festival Demon Dayz and know that tonight's show simply cannot disappoint.

Gorillaz at Ziggo Dome Amsterdam, November 21 2017

Right before the sold out show there's a happy vibe among the people and everyone is eager to see this long awaited concert. The crowd is just as colourful as Gorillaz' music, with people of different age, colour, countries and background. It is clear that this music unifies people which is a nice thing to notice. The lights go out and we hear the intro of 'M1 A1' and its familiar "hello".

Of course the big screen will show stunning visuals and parts of the music videos. It's funny to see how older videos have a lower resolution and look more grainy. In a few songs it will show the guest singers like D.R.A.M. in 'Andromeda' and Jehnny Beth in 'We Got The Power'. Fortunately there are a many guests live on stage as well like Little Simz in 'Garage Palace' and De La Soul who are firing everyone up in 'Feel Good Inc.' Peven Everett is impressive in 'Strobelite', Jamie Principle and Zebra Katz give a wonderful performance in 'Sex Murder Party'. There's so much going on that you hardly know where to look. The band is amazing with a 6 person choir giving some of the songs a gospel feel, where all musicians are working so hard and show a lot of heart.

Damon Albarn himself is looking very pleased too with the people surrounding him. He must be in heaven with so many great musicians around him, even though he's the biggest star on this stage. With his melodica he joins in on the fun as well, playing beautiful versions of 'Melancholy Hill' and 'El Mañana' back to back. What an amazing musician he is, who never fails to impress. There's a special homage to his dear friend Bobby Womack who passed away a few years back, as his face is shown in the disc shaped screen all the way up. Gorillaz are leaving no one out and let everyone join in on the fun. After twenty songs it's not over by far and we get a six song encore.

'Demon Days' closes the night with everyone going at it one more time and the screen shows the stained glass window of a church. It was a high mass today, a big celebration and a feast for the senses. Gorillaz explores the entire world of popular music and still knows how to make it sound as a whole. When we leave the venue we can only see happy faces around us. It's the magical touch of Gorillaz.



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Setlist:
01. M1 A1
02. Last Living Souls
03. Rhinestone Eyes
04. Tomorrow Comes Today
05. Every Planet We Reach Is Dead
06. Saturnz Barz
07. 19-2000
08. Superfast Jellyfish (with De La Soul)
09. On Melancholy Hill
10. El Mañana
11. Dirty Harry (with Bootie Brown)
12. Strobelite (with Peven Everett)
13. Andromeda
14. Sex Murder Party (with Jamie Principle and Zebra Katz)
15. Out of Body (with Zebra Katz)
16. Garage Palace (with Little Simz)
17. Punk
18. Stylo (with Peven Everett and Bootie Brown)
19. Feel Good Inc. (with De La Soul)
20. We Got the Power (with Little Simz)
Encore
21. Cloud of Unknowing
22. Hong Kong
23. Kids With Guns
24. Clint Eastwood
25. Don't Get Lost in Heaven
26. Demon Days


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On Stage: St. Vincent @ TivoliVredenburg

Every album or show Annie Clark comes up with is an event by itself. As St. Vincent she has thought everything through, her music, all the design and publicity around it. This time she even did interviews in a environment she fully orchestrated herself, in a pink room, all in line with the new album. Clark always seems to be in control and it makes you wonder about her new tour around the new album MASSEDUCTION.

St. Vincent at TivoliVredenburg Utrecht, October 27 2017

First the stage curtains open for a short film 'The Birthday Party' on a big screen at the back, her director's debut, an awkward story about a kid's birthday party that doesn't exactly go as planned. After a short break the curtains are drawn again for a short stretch and we see Clark all the way to the left of the stage, while another set of curtains hide the big screen. While she's playing some of her biggest hits she slowly moves to the right side of the stage as one of her roadies moves the microphone into the right spot. No band this time, only Annie Clark, her collection of guitars and a backing track. Her voice is clear and strong and she shows her amazing guitar skills. When she makes it to right side of the stage the curtains are closed again.

When Clark returns she has changed her outfit and is now standing on a low and small round stage, with the big screen again showing behind her. We get to hear the whole new album from start to finish while arty visuals are showing behind her, or the screen will just simply slowly change colour. It looks and sounds great and the album with songs like 'Pills' and 'Happy Birthday, Johnny' is incredible. It's been out for a few weeks now and together with a couple of music videos that have been released, some of it already sounds familiar to the fans.

Clark obviously is a unique artist, sometimes even compared to David Bowie, with a thought through concept and it is clear she's a great musician. However the lack of a live band makes the whole performance quite static after a while. The tight production of the show doesn't leave room for any improvisation making the performance quite static. The visuals are quite stunning and artistic so you get the feeling you're playing a part in one of her music videos instead of watching a live show. She only addresses the crowd a few times and doesn't really make a connection. In the end though that is what a live performance makes special.

Although the show is really clever and you have to admire her creativity, it leaves you behind feeling a bit unsatisfied after it's over. Maybe that is even the idea and is that what MASSEDUCTION is all about besides sex, drugs and rock and roll: a person in today's society who is surrounded by all these temptations driven by non stop commercials, the powerful media and cheap entertainment. They are hard to resist and in the end force a label on everyone, which in the end it just is not really satisfactory. Maybe this time Annie Clark made us part of that concept instead of just being spectators.

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Setlist:
01. Marry Me
02. Now, Now
03. The Strangers
04. Actor Out of Work
05. Cruel
06. Cheerleader
07. Strange Mercy
08. Digital Witness
09. Rattlesnake
10. Birth in Reverse

MASSEDUCTION
11. Hang on Me
12. Pills
13. Masseduction
14. Sugarboy
15. Los Ageless
16. Happy Birthday, Johnny
17. Savior
18. New York
19. Fear the Future
20. Young Lover
21. Dancing With a Ghost
22. Slow Disco
23. Smoking Section


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On Stage: Alex Cameron @ Cinetol

One of the nice things about the Indiestad pass is that you will go see bands that you otherwise would probably let go by. Just one song or a description will be enough to decide to go see a show. And so I decided to go see Alex Cameron, because I saw his video for 'Taking Care Of Business' and the description mentioned the dark atmosphere of David Lynch movies.

Alex Cameron at Cinetol Amsterdam, May 22 2017

So on this Sunday night I find myself in the small Cinetol venue. The Australian musician Cameron brought three friends with him that form a curious band. A sax player, a bass player and a drum player with a Rototom addiction. Especially that last part should have given it away, that tonight we were going back to the eighties, and not the finest moments of that decade.

Because Cameron's music is far away from a dark David Lynch style, but closer to cheesy eighties B-movies. The sweet sax melodies don't really help. Cameron himself is crooning his ass off around stage, running his hands through his hair every other second or so, staring into the distance with a fake dreamy look in his eyes. It is clear it is an act he's playing with a lot of tongue in cheek, but it doesn't make his music any better, or I'm simply not getting it. In between the songs he is chatting away, mocking himself, joking about his music, telling that even his manager advised him not to release his album Jumping The Shark.

I can see why, but it's a well chosen title for his music, because he definitely put too much cheese on it. The light pop songs aren't really killers, sound a lot like each other and seem to go nowhere. Except when the band plays 'Taking Care Of Business', where dark synths sound with baritone vocals, drawing inspiration from fellow Aussie Nick Cave and this time actually bringing that David Lynch vibe. But it's the only highlight of an otherwise pale show, where his act of a failed entertainer can not win it from the mediocre music. He should simply write better songs that are at least as good as that one highlight.



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Spinning: Mark Ronson - Uptown Special

As producer of the successful Amy Winehouse record Back In Black, British producer and composer Mark Ronson became an established name. After that he worked with Lily Allen, Adele and even Paul McCartney. As performing artist he had not been able to match this success yet, but now with Uptown Special he finally did it. All over the world the record is at the top of the charts, driven by the single 'Uptown Funk' with Bruno Mars, that has been dominating the charts and radio stations for weeks, while the year had barely started. The steaming funk song funk song is probably already one of the biggest hits in 2015 early in the year.

Mark Ronson - Uptown Special

Ronson realized that he couldn't achieve this by himself so his idol, Pullitzer price winner Michael Chabon, and Jeff Bhasker, who worked with Kanye West ans Alicia Keys, helped him write the songs. He also managed to gather a group of diverse artists to lay down the vocals. Besides the aforementioned Bruno Mars, you can hear Tame Impala's Kevin Parker, rapper Mystikal and no one less than Stevie Wonder on the album.

Cleverly enough, Ronson knows how to get the best out of these artists, even when singing different kinds of songs. On the somewhat psychedelic and very danceable 'Daffodils' Parker is singing with lots of reverb, but his falsetto is also fitting the Steely Dan-like 'Summer Breaking', and again in the great disco song 'In Case Of Fire'. Not just the wonderful soul voice of Stevie Wonder is used in opening track 'Uptown's First Finale' but also his unique harmonica playing.

Apparently Ronson has a perfect nose for what a song needs to sound optimal. Inspired by the funk and disco from the seventies and eighties, and what he played himself in the New York clubs end of the nineties, Uptown Special turned into a fine dance record. Like he mentions himself, he is so full of ideas that he needs to make clear choices. That's something he didn't quite succeed on with this very versatile album, that indeed shows so many different sides, that he could have made three records out of it. With more focus it could have turned into an instant classic although he does showcase all of his talents now. Of course 'Uptown Funk' is such a great song and mega hit, that it could have carried the whole album by itself, although in the end that is not necessary. Because Uptown Special is primarily a wonderful and smart set of songs, that offers a lot to enjoy.



This review has been published on Festivalinfo in Dutch over here.

Listen to 'Uptown Special' on Spotify.



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An Adventurous Journey With Gruff Rhys

With his band Super Furry Animals, Welsh musician Gruff Rhys already proved to be a versatile and unique musician. This is also showing in his other bands and solo career, where he's exploring different aspects of the musical spectrum. And besides musician and composer he's also an author and film maker. Tonight these things come together in his American Interior show, in support of his latest solo album and book by the same name.

Gruff Rhys at Bitterzoet Amsterdam, October 7 2014



The concept album American Interior has an incredible story as a base. It's the story about Welsh explorer John Evans who in the 18th century travelled to Northern America to track down an Indian tribe that was believed to be of Welsh descendant. There was a story in that time that America was discovered long before Columbus did by a Welsh prince Madog in the 12th century. Evans eventually tracks down the tribe after a perilous journey, but finds out they are not Welsh descendants at all. By then he's backed by the Spanish, annexates a large part of Northern America by accident in the Spanish king's name and has drawn a map of the Missouri river. Tragically on his way back he dies in New Orleans.



Rhys will backtrack the story and journey of Evans tonight with us. Wearing a wolf's head (super furry indeed) he introduces us to the legend of the Welsh indians by showing a short movie. Then, supported by slides starring a puppet representation of John Evans, we see Rhys following in Evans' foot steps. It's a hilarious journey where Rhys proves to be an entertaining story teller, sounding almost a bit confusing, but with a lot of tongue in cheek. I'm sure it has many believing he made the whole story up, but if you google the internet, you'll find it all really happened.



Every time Rhys tells part of the story and follows it up by a song of the record. The songs match that part of the story or at least have a connection to it. Rhys plays an old out of tune guitar while singing and has all kinds of inventive tricks to back him up. He uses a loop station to create harmonies, playing records that he recorded himself with some beats and soundscapes, and sometimes uses an old fashioned metronome for rhythm. He's really skilled at it and you don't miss a band for one minute. On top of that he has a wonderful voice that sounds warm and pleasant. Rhys proves tonight that he's a one of kind artist, a proud Welsh man with many talents and a true entertainer.



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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.



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Three HAIM Sisters Is A Treat

The three Haim sisters from Los Angels managed to cause quite a stir before even releasing an album. In their live shows they already revealed some of the songs that would make it onto their debut. A few catchy singles had many people looking forward to it with high anticipation. Last week Days Are Gone finally dropped and we're able to hear if it lives up to the hype.

HAIM - Days Are Gone (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)

Although the ladies seem to be coming out of nowhere they are not exactly beginners and play multiple instruments. They started out really young and already played in family band Rockinhaim with their parents. Guitar player Danielle and bassist Este were part of the all girl band Valli Girls that had some moderate success. Danielle also played with Jenny Lewis, singer Julian Casablancas (of The Strokes) on his solo tour and in Cee-Lo Green's backing band. According to critics the group sounds like a modern Fleetwood Mac with R&B influences. After listening to their record a few times this isn't such a bad comparison. Danielle has plenty of blues and classic rock licks on her sleeves. Este is adding playful bass grooves to the mix and youngest sister Alana spices up the mix with key parts. The only bloke of the group and none-family member, Dash Hutton, is the one to keep the ladies in control.

The sisters help him out with percussive elements throughout the album. It gives the songs a great drive especially in the up-tempo ones. Opener 'Forever' is a good example. With its staccato vocals it sounds even more rhythmic. Many songs are using percussion and repeating elements in a similar way. The start of the album is quite a strong one with three of their four singles in a row: 'Falling', 'Forever' and current single 'The Wire'. Their second single 'Don't Save Me', which gave them plenty of air-play, is halfway the record. Especially when listening to the beginning of 'If I Could Change Your Mind' Fleetwood Mac does come to mind. This is mostly because of Danielle's vocals. The electronic beats in 'My Song 5' are closer to R&B and hip hop.

You may think that a record company would rush out a full album as soon as possible and the rest of the songs are mostly fillers. That certainly is not the case. Most songs are just as strong as their singles and don't sound rushed at all. Plenty of effort has gone into making the album. Days Are Gone is a creative and sparkling sounding pop record with lots of variation. The girls are showcasing their talent and prove they are able to write good songs. In their live shows they add a bit of a rough edge to their music which is quite enjoyable. They will be touring for a while so there should be plenty of opportunities to catch them on stage.



Listen to Days Are Gone on Spotify.



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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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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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Avant La Lettre Try To Regain Momentum

The first album Belief seemed to give Avant La Lettre some publicity. Single 'Magic' was doing fine and got them air-play and awareness. Unfortunately two out of five members left the band and they couldn't make use of the momentum that had been created. Better make a new album fast and try again with that one, they must have thought. And so now there's already the successor In My Time, which they presented in Paradiso recently.

Avant La Lettre - In My Time (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)

It sounds like the band from Amsterdam got rid of the label "exciting guitar band" they got stuck on a few years ago. This is probably the result of the departure of their fellow band members and the resulting change in line-up. Or maybe the reason for their departure? Anyway, In My Time sounds like a true pop record. Gone are the rougher sound and need to experiment, but there are true pop songs with head and tail instead. Clearly they have put in time to write good songs and arrangements.

Those songs are all fine. Extensive use of electronics raise the feeling of the eighties. This is combined a lot with playful guitar riffs like in 'Postmodernity'. Halfway the mood is getting more heavy and darker with 'Hold On', 'Heart Beat' and 'Before/After'. Because of the slower tempo the album dozes off there. Fortunately they pick it up again in the cheerful 'Peace Sign' which has a nice hook. The jazzy title track 'In My Time' might just well be the most exciting track of the record. It is very welcome since excitement is what most songs lack a bit. And that's a shame since Avant La Lettre used to come up with a few surprises in the past.

Bottom line is that the threesome produced a fine pop album with songs that are pleasant to hear. Despite the fact that the lads stay on the safe side, in the end there's plenty to enjoy. Hopefully in the future we can expect some more unconventional work again. Maybe In My Time turns out to be a transitional album.



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

Listen to In My Time on Spotify.



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Less Is Not Enough For Zornik

In 2000 Belgian band Zornik participated in music magazine Humo's band contest Humo's Rock Rally. It didn't take long for them to release their first album. They were all over the hit parades in their own country since then. Their bombastic and emotional rock music, which reminds of Muse now and then, never really made it outside Belgium. But on their home ground they kept scoring. More successful albums followed and shows at any stage in the neighbourhood. In 2008 they decided to take a sabbatical.

Zornik - Less > More (Ronald Says 6 out of 10)

With Less > More that break has ended. But they don't continue down the same road. Apparently the break has led to a moment of reflection. Like on their acoustic album Alien Sweetheart from 2005, we mostly hear the modest side of Zornik and singer Koen Buyse. This may not be easy for anyone who likes the more rough music of the band, which made them stick out in the first place. But this more quiet side sounds good as well. Often the songs are kind of Beatlesque.

You can hear this in the reeling and summery 'Smiling In The Sun'. A song that is reminding of Dutch band Johan. Besides more of these kind of songs, the records also holds a few slow melancholic tracks. Those sound a lot alike though. 'I Wonder Why' is breaking out of this somewhat, by taking it up a few notches at the end. But the band is mostly taking it slow. They are showing to be full of musicality and every song is a skilful composition. Still you kind of hope that it will go wild now and then like in the old days. This doesn't happen and the record closes with the sad 'Anybody Else'.

It seems Zornik has transformed from young dog into a thoughtful adult the past decade. That's not a problem and it regularly results in beautiful compositions. Still you keep thinking about those early days, when the band impressed with their characteristic rock sound. Maybe in the future those quiet songs can alternate with a few solid rockers, so we can get the best of both worlds. In this case "less" just isn't enough. It's time for Zornik to get a midlife crisis.

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

Listen to Less > More on Spotify.



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Saybia's Music Still Works Magic After Twenty Years

More than twenty years ago Danish band Saybia impressed with their debut album The Second You Sleep. They played every club and festival and released two more albums. Just after releasing the last one in 2007 tragedy struck. Singer Søren Huss' wife died in a car crash and he sank into a depression. It looked like Saybia was over. But suddenly they started playing again and announced a few shows to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their first album. Including even two nights in Amsterdam.



Saybia at Paradiso Amsterdam, January 8 2012

Even though they have been away for a few years, both nights have sold out. Loud cheers greet the band on stage who start off the first song of the album. Combined with the light bulbs on stage, what follows is a magical night. Huss may have gotten a little bigger but his vocals are still clear. Although age has made his voice a bit more rough around the edges, it still is a delight to hear him sing. It's great to hear all those songs again. Some of them they haven't played for over eight years explains Huss. Songs like 'The Day After Tomorrow', 'The Second You Sleep' and 'The One For You' have stood the test of time and still sound as powerful as always.



Although mostly known for their slow pop songs, Sabia know how to rock as well. Guitar player Sebastian Sandstrøm is allowed to go loose quite a few times and drummer Palle Sørensen is proving that he can hit hard when needed. The band is clearly enjoying it and look pleasantly surprised by the great reaction of the crowd. At the end of each song they receive a big applause. Especially keyboard player Jess Jensen is looking very pleased all night long, many times. He's looking at the people with a twinkle in his eyes and is thanking them several times. It's a classic example how a band and their fans are exchanging energy and make each other better.



Two encores follow the songs of the album including their biggest hit, the beautiful 'I Surrender'. And so after one and half hour the band thank the crowd for the last time. Huss mentioned earlier on, that they are not working on a new album, but will start on it when the time is right. Let's hope that time will come soon.



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Setlist
7 Demons
Fools Corner
The Second You Sleep
Snake Tongued Beast
Joy
Still Falling
The Day After Tomorrow
In Spite Of
Empty Stairs
The Miracle in July
The One for You
Encore:
A Way Out
Brilliant Sky
I Surrender
Encore 2:
Bend the Rules


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Joe Jackson Pays Tribute To The Duke

Joe Jackson is one of those artists who don't have to prove themselves any more. During his long career he has shown to be a versatile artist. The many albums he released emphasize this. He wasn't afraid to experiment either and showed to feel comfortable in jazz too. A fine example for this is Jumpin' Jive. Now he's trying a jazz record once more and not an easy one. Jackson is honouring jazz legend Duke Ellington this time.

Joe Jackson - The Duke (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)

Versatility definitely is true for Ellington too. The great master was a gifted piano player, brilliant composer and successful band leader of his own big-band. He worked together with all the stars of his generation. This is where Jackson is making a good choice. On his arrangements he's also working together with famous and diverse artists like Steve Vai, Sharon Jones and Iggy Pop. Putting big names together isn't always a guarantee for success, but in this case it's working very well.

Jackson himself mostly remains on the background. Only once and a while he's playing the piano or you can hear his vocals. It's clear that he wants Ellington and his compositions to be the center of attention. No one but the jazz genius himself is allowed to steal the show. And that's giving the album that extra sparkle. Jackson did give many songs a different twist. 'Perdido/Satin Doll' turns into a swinging Latin party and 'Caravan' into a solid pop song. Other songs, like the famous 'Mood Indigo' are diverging less and are breathing the atmosphere of smoky dark jazz clubs from the time "The Duke" himself was active. This beautiful song is also showing how much work went into the arrangements.

But especially the fun in playing the sparkling songs is obvious. All guest artists, like Jackson, made themselves subordinate to the song. The compositions only got stronger because of this and are revealing the unique talent and incredible quality of Ellington. 'It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing' is the striking closer of the record. And Joe Jackson's swing is more than fine.

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



Listen to 'The Duke' on Spotify.

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Wolfendale's Mysterious World

With a mutual background in cinema and animation Sander Strick and Marc van den Boom started making a record. Both are from Eindhoven, the town where big multinational Philips produced its first light bulb. The band Woldendale was formed, named after British astronomer Arnold Wolfendale. In an old Philips building they put down a studio to write and record songs. After they got signed by V2 Benelux the album was finished by no one less that Joe LaPorta, who has worked with Foo Fighters and Vampire Weekend in the past. The result is Foghorn, named after the first line in the mysterious David Lynch TV series 'Twin Peaks' from the nineties: "The lonesome foghorn blows", spoken by Pete Martell, a character played by Jack Nance.

Wolfendale - Foghorn (Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
And so we run into the cinematic background of the duo everywhere. Since not only the album's title, but everything in their music is breathing cinema. And this movie world that they created is mysterious and dark. In a clever way they patiently use their musical landscapes to shape this world. As they put it themselves: "Music that's looking for dusk instead of sunlight". And for that matter the title was chosen effectively. It raises images of misty landscapes and twilight worlds, a mystical fantasy world, with a little surprise behind every tree. Master filmmaker Lynch couldn't have thought it up any better.

The music if full of variation; progrock-like pieces are alternating with more jazzy and folk-like songs. It reminds of Pink Floyd, Radiohead and sometimes Motorpsycho too. But the atmosphere is always the binding factor on the album. The highlights are mostly in the first part of the record. Dreamy guitars in 'Dr. Henry Kazoo', the beautiful 'Red Sparrow' that fluently transforms into title track 'Foghorn'. And then the wonderful 'Ending Up' with its nice harmonies. The sound effects complete and intensify the the atmospere even more.

Like a ship that slowly moves through the fog, passes Foghorn steadily along. With closed eyes you perceive a foghorn in the distance through the splashing water. David Lynch could come up with a movie for it easily. Every spin discloses new discoveries. Wolfendale is a worthy addition to the Dutch music catalogue with international potential. They could even make to the elite league of the Dutch music scene.

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

Listen to 'Keep You Close' on Spotify.

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Geike Can Stand On Her Own Feet

For years she had been the face and voice of Hooverphonic. But three years ago Geike Arnaert left this confident environment to pursue a solo career. Hooverphonic found a new singer in Noémie Wolfs and a year ago released the first album without Arnaert. Striking enough this turned into the most successful album for them so far. And now she's releasing her own debut album For The Beauty Of Confusion, simply as Geike.

Geike - For The Beauty Of Confusion (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
Hooverphonic changed their sound the last few years. The dark, mostly trip-hop songs, similar to Portishead and Massive Attack, were replaced with more pop/rock songs. Maybe that was the reason for the break, since Geike stays closer to the old Hooverphonic sound. It's impossible not to compare the two. She does give it her own twist. The songs are less dark and sometimes have a more "poppy" sound. Her somewhat pinched, strong, in some parts even powerful voice seems to sound lighter now and then. The variation in songs is giving her the opportunity to showcase what's she's capable of.

The impressive album opener 'In Gold' still is a typical trip-hop song, but in the song after that, 'Icy', another Geike already can be heard. It's a pleasant pop song, that reminds of Tori Amos. The beautiful '107 Windows' could easily have been written by Amos. Halfway the record we find 'Smile', a nice lingering song, which is one of the highlights. To the end of the record there are more slower songs, that aren't all great. The album loses energy there and is sagging a bit. The mediocre rocker 'This Page' also isn't the closer that the record deserves.

In general it's a good debut. It's clear Geike took the time for this album. The production is nice and clean and lots of attention went into the arrangements. She's showing what a wonderful singer she is. It may have been a shock when she announced her parting, but this way it results in an additional choice next to her old band. The Hooverphonic fans, that don't like the new direction, may recognize some of their old love in For The Beauty Of Confusion.

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

Listen to 'For The Beauty Of Confusion' on Spotify.

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The Seventh One Of Ladybug Transistor

The Ladybug Transistor are a group around Gary Olson who are making indie pop music. In general they are inconspicuous, easy listening songs and many won't ever have heard of this band. Yet they already have released six albums since 1995, but never managed to break through. In 2007 disaster struck with the death of drummer San Fadyl. Eventually they found a replacement and the band was reinforced with some new members. Now here's album number seven Clutching Stems.

The Ladybug Transistor - Clutching Stems (Ronald Says 5 out of 10)
And again they are relaxed pop tunes that are easily digested. The instruments and vocals are clear and the production is perfectly fine. Olson's vocals are sometimes vaguely reminding of Morrissey of The Smiths. The music however lacks courage and sharpness. It never gets exciting or are they trying something new. All tracks are complete songs, with a clear head and tail. But they are all written following the same recipe. With so many musicians in a band, you would expect more variation. But the arrangements and compositions are too easy and hardly noteworthy instead.

It does have some nice songs. 'Caught Don't Walk' has a pleasant horns part that makes it a bit different. 'Hey Jack I'm On Fire' has a change in tempo compared to most of the songs. But there are hardly any songs that stick out. And this makes the record quite weary and even boring after a few plays. Maybe nice to play in the supermarket, so no one will get annoyed, but hardly an album to put on at home to enjoy.

The seventh one of The Ladybug Transistor didn't turn into a new start. It's just the one of many volumes in a bouquet series. It's easy listening but with little to enjoy. It looks pretty tasteful on your plate, but in your mouth it turns out to be a tasteless bite. Maybe the band just hasn't anything more to offer. I don't think a break through will happen any time soon.

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

Listen to 'Cluthching Stems' on Spotify

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Magic With Prince

Whenever Prince is playing a concert there's always the possibility for an intimate surprise show in a small club. And so every time he's playing there's a lot of speculation on whether this show will take place and where. When his shows in Oslo got cancelled because of the dramatic events over there, Prince and his band travelled to The Netherlands sooner than planned and decided to throw two surprise gigs.

Prince at Melkweg Amsterdam, 25 July 2011 (Ronald Says 10 out of 10)

The first surprise show on Sunday was announced early in the evening. The second one on Monday was announced by Prince himself during that same gig. I heard about the gigs on Monday morning and the big queue of people on Sunday night. I didn't want to stand in line for a few hours and wait another few hours inside before Prince would start playing so I decided not to go. But I did follow things on Twitter to see how the queue was proceeding. When the Melkweg announced the line had disappeared and there were still plenty of tickets left I hopped on my bike and within 20 minutes I made it inside the venue.



Prince and his band show up on stage only an hour later. They start off with 'What's My Name?' that includes lots of electronics and spacy jams. It doesn't take long for them to pick things up though with a great 'Guitar' and 'Kiss' including lots of solos and jams. Prince leaves plenty of room for his band to show what they got and of course these great musicians have no problems with that. "The Purple One" is all over the stage and they are enjoying it a lot. These musicians are doing what they like doing most: play music. Prince himself is no exception. Again I'm amazed with his charisma and his incredible talent. It all looks so natural to him and it probably is.



The set list which is totally different from the night before is full of covers like we're used of him. Also included are songs that Prince wrote but were performed by others like a great 'Chocolate' (The Time) and an interactive 'Mutiny' (The Family). 'Controversy' starts with the familiar intro but is then slowed down to a very groovy version and again to normal speed later. From my position behind the mix table I can see that the band's set list also includes 'Purple Rain' but apparently Prince decided to change things a bit and so we don't get to hear it. This magical night ends with two encores and a vivid 'Play That Funky Music'. "His Royal Badness" is saying good night after a two and a half hour performance. Magical indeed.

Since Prince requested not to take pictures or video's I didn't take any and all video's on YouTube by others have been removed again. So I added some pictures of the show in Gelredome. You can find all those pictures over here.

Prince on Spotify

Set List:
1. What's My Name?
2. The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker
3. Beautiful Strange
4. Guitar
5. Kiss
6. Chocolate (The Time cover)
7. Mutiny (The Family cover)
8. When We're Dancing Close and Slow
9. I Like It There
10. Bambi
11. Colonized Mind
12. Outstanding (The Gap Band cover)
13. Flash Light (Parliament cover)
14. What's My Name? (reprise)

Encore:
15. Strange Relationship
16. If I Was Your Girlfriend

Encore 2:
17. Controversy
18. Sexy Dancer
19. Le Freak (Chic cover)
20. Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry cover)

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