Best Kept Secret 2014 Day 2: The Party Is On

We wake up to the sound of chirping birds in a real bed. After a refreshing warm shower without waiting in line, the smell of fried eggs and fresh coffee fills the little house. We can even have breakfast outside at a real table with real chairs. This is such luxury at a festival and pure joy. I feel really great and am totally ready for day two.

Best Kept Secret Festival Day 2, June 21 2014

But it's so relaxed sitting outside sipping our coffee that we take it a bit too slow and by the time we make it to the main stage, The Bots are saying their goodbyes. So we walk back to stage Three for our first band of the day.



Pins
The four ladies from Manchester are like a younger and lighter version of Savages in a good way. They do bring that dark eighties sound, but add just enough punk and colour to it. And they also add plenty of smiles especially guitarist Lois McDonald who looks like she's having a blast on stage. This band could come a long way.

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Moss
Dutch band Moss released another good album earlier this year. They fully understand the concept of "less is more" and showcase that this afternoon. This doesn't mean they only play slow minimal songs, sometimes the band plays one of their more uptempo rock songs. The slower songs are a bit hard to chew for the crowd as the sun is getting brighter and warmer and the beers colder. But they are definitely one of the more interesting acts on the bill.

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Radkey
On stage Three we stumble on a full on rock party. Three young men, made up of the three Radke brothers, are completely killing it here, playing super energetic rock songs and totally look cool doing. Bass player Isaiah seems to have walked out of an eighties video while singer Dee is shaking his dreads. You wouldn't expect such a powerful voice from this little man. But they are growing big on stage and are one of the nicest surprises on this festival.

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School Is Cool
The second album by Belgian band School Is Cool is a lot darker and complex than their catchy debut. The band is clearly growing up and so is singer Johannes Genard who seems to be quite fond of his new hairstyle. The band had a few line up changes but sound pretty tight together. Not all of their new songs are very easy and they like to make it hard on their audience. But Gennard is clearly planning on getting every single one us on his side. It's definitely a band that is still growing and has a lot to offer. Their hard work is paying off and that is showing today.

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Wild Beasts
Another band that doesn't like to make things easy are Wild Beasts. But they also aren´t really appealing to me, mostly because of the falsetto vocals by Tom Flemming. Together with the slow and dramatic compositions it is getting on my nerves. They did bring nice lighting with them and I understand that it can turn magical when you're into their music. The foursome is playing a convincing and focused set but this is just not for me.

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Miles Kane
Another cup of tea and definitely mine is Miles Kane. More and more he is growing into a wanted festival act and for a good reason. He's playing his in-your-face rock music with so much energy and enthusiasm it's too hard to resist. Today is no exception. Kane is working hard as always and is enjoying every minute of his show in the sun. For some people it may not be refined enough or too simple, but they must admit that Miles Kane is able to throw a good party wherever he is showing up. And I think most people on this spot today are agreeing to that.



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Afterpartees
A band that also knows how to throw a party, before, during or after, are Dutch rockers Afterpartees. This young band have moulded their punk and garage rock songs into super catchy party anthems and have just the right front man to perform them. Niek Nellen looks like he was born to perform, with a natural feeling for rock poses and the right amount of cheekiness. The band knows exactly what the people want today and give it to them in large amounts and lots of energy. The security guy is getting more and more desperate by the minute to keep an eye out for illegal crowd surfers. He never stood a chance.



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The War On Drugs
One of the most anticipated acts this weekend is probably The War On Drugs. The band is getting bigger every day and their latest album is bound to end up high in the end of the year lists. Today they prove this is all justified. Their music, a mix of Bob Dylan and Springsteen with a pinch of Dire Straits, may not be really appealing on paper but it definitely is. The warm and dreamy songs are also spot on in the nice evening sun. Many people subdue themselves to this band and let themselves slowly carry away.

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Franz Ferdinand
If you want a headliner that is guaranteed to throw a party, who do you call? Franz Ferdinand! Maybe not the most original festival act or music, but can we ever get enough of them? Not when it is performed with so much energy and aimed at people having a good time. Charismatic front man Alex Kapranos is looking totally relaxed again, while they fire away one hit after another. Resistance is futile so we keep the beer flowing and the jumping going. "This fire is out of control" you bet ya.



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And so we feel right at home at this festival that is turning into one of our favourites. Everything is in balance, everything is relaxed and musical wise there's something to everyone's taste. And having a few more beers in your jungalow before you climb into a real bed is just icing on the cake. Yes, I like the word "jungalow" a lot.

More Pictures

Best Kept Secret Day 1
Best Kept Secret Day 3

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Album Reviews: The Short Versions

Writing posts for your blog is pretty time consuming and writing album reviews can cost even more time if you want to do it properly. So I listen to a lot of music but it's impossible to write lengthy reviews for all the new albums coming out that I listen to. Since many are worth reviewing I decided to do a short version of album reviews to be able to give you my 50 cents. Don't forget to let me know what you think of it.

Brendan Benson - My Old Familiar Friend (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
I like his song writing and hopefully his part in the Raconteurs can help him break through to a bigger audience. The album has some nice songs but could use a bit more spicing.


The Black Crowes...Before the Frost...Until the Freeze (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
Nothing new from the Crowes here but a solid southern rock album as we're used of them.


Moke (Ronald Says 6 out of 10)
Their sound is a lot bigger and so they seem to aim for the highest here. Sounds all very much overproduced with strings, horns, the works causing the music unable to breath. Besides that it's all too obvious and planned and every song has a "heard this before" side to it.


Wild Beasts - Two Dancers(Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
A dreamy album with nicely arranged mellow songs. Ringing guitars with falsetto lead vocals that wrap around you like a warm summer breeze. Aah, don't you just wish the summer could last forever?


The XX - The XX (Ronald Says 7 out of 10)
A highly acclaimed album that gets great reviews but I guess I'm missing the boat here. It's a nice album but nothing to go all crazy about. It's a sober album with thin, quiet, delicate songs that somehow isn't all that appealing to me. Maybe it needs to grow on me.


Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs(Ronald Says 8 out of 10)
Although this is a band that has been around for quite a while and made over a dozen albums I'm not that familiar with their music. It's a diverse record with rock songs combined with more mellow pop tunes and beautiful ballads.
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