Spinning: Preoccupations - Preoccupations

Canadian band Viet Cong left quite an impression with their dark music on the first record. By spending many hours on stage they are able to play their music live convincingly as well. Until their controversial name was causing a lot of resistance and they were forced to re-brand to Preoccupations. Maybe it was quite naive to choose that initial name in the first place, but it feels like starting over again.

Fortunately that's not the case on the first album with the new name, that comes without a title like their debut, and where all song titles are only one word. It is clear right from opening track 'Anxiety' that the band is still mostly dark and their music a mix of new wave and post-rock with the thundering voice of Matt Flegel, who is chanting his lyrics monotonously. He can rely on a very strong rhythm section who are putting down repeating riffs and grooves in an impressive way, that give the music a threatening and sometimes industrial face. For example 'Zodiac' starts off stormy with drums that like a pile driver hammer the foundation in place.

But this time there are also lighter moments, like on 'Degraded', a new wave song with a nice intro and bass line. Two very short songs go back to back, 'Sense' and 'Forbidden', that are paving the way for the anxious 'Stimulation', a haunting song that keeps repeating the sombre line "there’s nothing you can do ‘cause we’re all dead inside, all gonna die". The amazing 'Fever' closes the album, where you can hear heavy Kraftwerk-like synthesizers and that could easily be used as a soundtrack. The band knows how to use these synthesizer layers in a very effective way in their music.

The more than eleven minutes long 'Memory' summarizes the record at best. After an ominous intro and a dark first half the vibe changes halfway, where the higher vocals of Wolf Parade's Dan Broeckner bring alleviation. Here you can hear the recurring elements again, that demonstrate the power of repetition very well. After two thirds of the song the feedback of guitars are used for a long and oppressive outro. It is typical for Preoccupations and it only asks for more.



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Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 1

Many people know about the Best Kept Secret festival by now, that was going into its fourth edition this year. I guess it's not so well kept any more especially since the festival grew bigger too. We rented one of those comfy bungalows again and headed to the safari park to see if the festival could handle this many people and could hold on to its relaxed character of the past editions.

Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 1, June 17 2016

The organisation did cook up another interesting line-up with some all time favourites and some exciting new bands waiting to be discovered.

Kid Wave
One of those new bands is Kid Wave whose shoegaze music sounds interesting enough to make sure we get to the festival site on time. It is actually a nice introduction but it does miss a bit of an edge. The band does look focused and do a good job at playing their jangly and melodic music, but don't exactly radiate a lot of energy. I guess they need to grow some more before being able to fully convince.

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Beach Slang
The punk rock of Beach Slang is convincing enough and their energetic songs with Hüsker Dü-like sounding guitars go down well with the hungry crowd. It's the first moment of the festival where people are going crazy. Singer James Alex may look like a cheesy rock 'n roll act but he is full of character and puts a lot of heart in it like everyone else in the band. This group makes for an early highlight of the day.

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DIIV
Singer Zachary Cole Smith of DIIV isn't the most stable person and their shows can be just as fitful as his personality. I really like their last album Is The Is Are though and am looking forward to hear those new songs live. The sound of the album does come across well and the band is putting in plenty of effort. This results in moments where things come together but at the same time there are moments where I find the show a bit weary. Maybe it's the spot on the main stage in broad daylight early this evening, but again, like the previous time, I'm not fully convinced.

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Wolf Parade
I don't know Wolf Parade's music very well. Somehow the Canadians never caught my attention before they disbanded in 2011. In January they reformed and now I'm lucky enough to catch them live and get to know them. Lucky indeed, because the band play an inspired show and their music sounds interesting with some post-punk and new wave elements. It is both catchy and edgy and the band suck you right in. It's a good introduction into this band's world and I'll definitely will dig into them some more.



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Moon Duo
It started out as a side project for Wooden Shjips guitarist Ripley Johnson, but by now Moon Duo is more than just that. Together with Sanae Yamada they cook up lovely psychedelic rock built around drones that combine into a wonderful spacey trip. The dark stage is the perfect environment to digest the endless repeating grooves and fuzzy guitar.



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Beck
It's always a true delight to watch Beck play songs from his impressive and very varied catalogue. He's the closing act of the day and brought a big screen as a backdrop to show wonderful visuals that support his music. Of course his band is great and he is playing a rocking set with all his hits. It's a good show but it does lack a bit of an edge. It's hard for an artist like him to play a festival set that is both pleasing to the people who don't know his music that well and his loyal fans. I miss the moments where he slows down for some melancholic songs and works his magic. A song like the wonderful 'Blue Moon' sounds less powerful tonight. Nevertheless it's always great to see this wonderful artist play funky tunes like 'Sexx Laws' and the relative new one 'Dreams'. Some covers pass by as well as some references to Bowie and Prince when he introduces the band. No matter what, he simply is a one of a kind artist.



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Preoccupations
The band formerly known as Viet Cong had to change their name but fortunately that is the only change. There's a new album coming up and by now the band is peaking. Their intense songs score full effect tonight and sound violent and aggressive, exactly like they should. I've seen them play before when they were still called Viet Cong but tonight finally the band shows what makes their album so good and what makes them so good. I'm looking forward to that new album a lot.

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A great end on this first day and that calls for a celebration! Beers anyone?

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Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 2
Best Kept Secret 2016 Day 3

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Primavera Sound 2015 Day 1

We heard many good things about the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona and decided to check it out for ourselves. Buying a plane ticket and reserving a hotel on top of festival tickets doesn't exactly make it a cheap experience but for that you get one of Europe's finest cities thrown in as well. And the line-up didn't look bad either so we hopped onto that plane and found ourselves eating tapas a few hours later on Wednesday night.

Primavera Sound 2015 Day 1 May 28 2015

Fortunately the weather forecast couldn't be better and after renting bikes we are cycling through the lovely Spanish city bathing in sun light. We got tickets to the free Interpol show at the Sala Apolo club as well so after picking up our wristbands at the festival site at Parc del Fòrum, eating paella at the beach (oh yes we did) we're on our way to the club in the city center.



Interpol @ Sala Apolo
The Apolo club is a medium sized club that can hold around 1200 visitors. After we head into the dark club and let our eyes get used to the dark we notice it doesn't really fill up. This is great since we can get a beer within seconds and find a great spot on the floor to watch the dark band from New York. After seeing them live last year just before the release of their latest album El Pintor I was anticipating a good show. They found their form again and the album is prove of that. Live they are in great shape as well as they prove today. In their usual somewhat detached manner they play many new songs with some fan favourites scattered through their set.

The somewhat gloomy lighting fits the music well with abstract visuals adding to the mysterious atmosphere. The band is playing focused and you can see they are used to playing larger stages, making large gestures. Guitar player Daniel Kessler is moving around a lot, sometimes turning around to see his band mates in the back who are now only a few meters away. Singer Paul Banks is lit up by bright spot lights occasionally where you can see him staring into the distance. It may be the intimate surroundings and the unique opportunity of seeing this band on a small stage up close, but it's probably one of the best Interpol shows I've scene. Great start of this festival.

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Cheatahs
When we arrive at the festival ground with its alienating concrete and futuristic look, we find our friends at the Cheetahs show who are halfway their set at the small but cosy Adidas stage. Their fuzzy shoegaze music sounds pretty good and they have some nice songs. But the band needs to work on their stage presence that looks quite uninspired and doesn't exactly get the crowd wild.

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Viet Cong
Things seem to go well for Viet Cong that besides some controversy on their name are gaining more and more fans with their music. Quite a big crowd has gathered to watch them play in the sun on the Pitchfork stage. Playing many shows is paying off since they sound more together and the show has more tempo keeping the momentum. And of course they end with another vicious version of that great song 'Death'.



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The Replacements
To be honest I don't know The Replacements too well, except I have heard of their "indie veterans" status. When bands like this come back together for a reunion I tend to be a bit sceptical but there's no need to. The band is playing their rock songs well and with a lot of enthusiasm, making them sound solid and convincing. Their energetic and lively stage presence results in a very entertaining show and quite a big crowd which is well deserved.



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Mikal Cronin
One of the gigs I'm really looking forward to is Mikal Cronin's. He just released his third album MCIII that is getting mixed reviews but I like it a lot. His fuzzy pop sound has deepened and sounds even better now. Live on stage he has grown even more. He looks more relaxed on stage and his music sounds very convincing today. The new songs blend in perfectly with the older ones. It all sounds very fresh and lively which is creating great vibes among the excited crowd. I'm really looking forward to his show in Amsterdam later this month.



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Spiritualized
We wander off from the Ray Ban stage and find ourselves at the ATP stage where Spiritualized are already playing. What starts out as something almost gospel-like turns into a psychedelic Southern soul, Americana and Krautrock show that sounds pretty nice. There's hardly any interaction with the crowd but singer and guitarist Jason Pierce is calmly playing the songs, backed up by two lovely singers adding the soul. In the end it is coming across like some kind of soulful mix of Lou Reed meets Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

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The Black Keys
Today's headliner The Black Keys no longer take the stage just the two of them, but are now a quartet when playing live. The complementing two members are a bit hidden to the back in the dark though, which I always find a bit unfair. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are putting down a solid show playing many of their hits. They simply have many good songs that are still sounding great although by now everyone knows exactly what they are going to get. So their are no surprises in this set that is running smoothly but also kind of on routine.



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Jungle
The Ray Ban stage is the perfect setting for last year's hype Jungle. They have brought their own lighting plan showing bright lit up letters spelling their name. The music of the seven person band is actually the brain child of Josh Lloyd-Warson and Tom McFarland, or J and T, who are at the front on the stage in the middle. There's a big turn up and everyone is in the mood for dancing, which is exactly what they are going to get. The danceable soul music is perfect for some good times on the dance floor while downing a few cervezas or vinos. It sounds great as well but like the album all songs sound very much alike. It makes you feel you are dancing to the same track all the time. But tonight that is fine and so we keep on shaking it to the tropical and smooth music.



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Since the festival's program starts late in the afternoon it keeps on going until early in the morning. However since we're not too keen on all the DJs and dance acts we decide to call it a day and cycle back home in the cool Spanish sea breeze for a good night's sleep.

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Primavera Sound Day 2
Primavera Sound Day 3


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On Stage: Viet Cong

After the band Women ceased to exist, half of its members, singer/bassist Matt Flegel and drummer Mike Wallace, reincarnated in the new band Viet Cong together with guitarists Scott Munro and Daniel Christiansen. They released their self titled debut album earlier this year, a great album that is hard to put a label on. You can hear post-punk, indie rock, psych rock and so much more on this diverse record. What would it sound like live?

Viet Cong at Paradiso Amsterdam, February 10 2015



And I'm not the only one who likes the record, since it's been getting raving reviews and lots of exposure. This is clear when the small hall of Paradiso has filled up for the sold out show. Needless to say expectations are high tonight and I'm looking forward to hearing those songs live. With only one full album out that has nine songs on it, you can expect most of the record to be played tonight. But the band kicks off with 'Unconscious Melody', a mellow song which is on their Cassette EP. Two more songs of that EP follow and it's clear most people are not familiar with it.



There's not a lot of response from the crowd and people are chatting away in the back. It also doesn't help the breaks in between songs are too long. The band takes a lot of time before playing the next song, which Flegel is filling up with some chitchat that is not easy to understand from my position. The gig never really takes off because of that and lacks tempo. In the end there simply is no real spark, which is a shame since the songs are definitely spot on. The psychedelic 'Oxygen Feed', the exciting 'Silhouettes' with that wonderful catchy groove, the noisy and heavy 'Continental Shelf' that reminds of Interpol as do many songs. These are all great gems and although the band plays tight, the songs somehow never really reach full potential.



Until the end that is, when they play the last song on the album, the over 11 minutes long 'Death', which is also the last song for tonight. It seems the foursome stretch it even more, keeping the middle part with the heavy accents going forever. Finally we see the band grow into its full glory and you can tell this could get really big and probably will. Hopefully next time we can see the band like playing this the entire show and prove they are one of the hottest bands on the block right now.



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Setlist:
01. Unconscious Melody
02. Throw It Away
03. Oxygen Feed
04. March of Progress
05. Silhouettes
06. Continental Shelf
07. Death


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