2007: Best 10 albums

Since compromise is sooo 2007 (we're already way into 2008) we'll just post the different posters top 10's seperately:

Choquolage:

1. Feist - The Reminder
2. BSS Presents Kevin Drew - Spirit If…
3. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
4. The Besnard Lakes - Are the Dark Horse
5. The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
6. Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War
7. Low - Drums & Guns
8. Apparat - Walls
9. St. Vincent - Marry me
10. Radiohead - In Rainbows

Konditorei:

1. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
2. Low - Drums and Guns
3. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd’s Dog
4. Radiohead - In Rainbows
5. Tunng - Good Arrows
6. Laura Veirs - Saltbreakers
7. Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
8. Mice Parade - Mice Parade
9. Neonbelle - In A Cabin With...Neonbelle
10. The Kissaway Trail - The Kissaway Trail

Melvinbloodyhand:

1. The National - Boxer
2. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
3. The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
4. Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover
5. Phosphorescent - Pride
6. Radiohead - In Rainbows
7. Sleeping States - There The Open Spaces
8. Akron/Family - Love Is Simple
9. Kemialiiset Ystävät - Untitled
10. Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall, 1971

Ruben:

1. Radiohead - In Rainbows
2. The Mary Onettes - The Mary Onettes
3. Film School - Hideout
4. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
5. The National - Boxer
6. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
7. A Place To Bury Strangers - A Place To Bury Strangers
8. Maps - We Can Create
9. Band of Horses - Cease To Begin
10. Low - Drums & Guns

WorthyNonsense:

1. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
2. Maxïmo Park - Our Earthly Pleasures
3. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
4. Säkert! - Säkert!
5. Pop Levi - The Return To Form Black Magick Party
6. The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
7. Babyshambles - Shotter's Nation
8. Feist - The Reminder
9. The Enemy - We'll Live And Die In These Towns
10. The Rumble Strips - Girls And Weather

Jetzt hat Abfahrt im Gleis 3...

As the year is nearly over, I thought it would be nice to pay attention to a country which is not Canada or Sweden. As the nicest Kulturell-thematierten Abenden I've had (the Canadian was a bit of a let down) was a German one, and for various personal reasons :-), the country of choice is Germany. I'll keep it slightly on topic and will not talk about the second world war.

Let's start with an artist who kind of needs the attention: Bodo Boson - I think he's also in a grindcore band and a "normal" band but I like this style best so far. I've got it straight from the horse's mouth that there will be an album this spring!

After the World Cup in 2006 there was not a single person in the Netherlands who could not, at the least, hum along to 'Wenn es Passiert' (video). But I like Denkmal a lot better, as it involves smashing things with hammers.

One of my favourite concerts letztens Jahres gab's in Paradiso - Mediengruppe Telekommander! It was at the end of a German-themed evening (see above); I'd seen them before but this knocked my socks off! After a change-over-Pausen the German Beastie Boys (they don't like the title, but they are) came back in komplette Daft-Punk outfitts to play Bis Zum Erbrechen Schreien (video/audio).

Daft Punk brings me nicely to the last German band I want to mention - the Knark Relloem Trinity. Here's hoping 2008 brings a lot of good stuff to you all, and a cover of Knarf Rellom Trinity ist playing at my house by Daft Punk!

One last: Element of Crime - you don't know this band but it's as good as Jacques Brel; nur auf Deutsch...

11 best shows of 2007

Yes puny humans, cheer for us!
I would like to use this 100th post (!) to congratulate ourselves. And to continue the listing. If it wasn't for the surprise act of the year the number one of this list would be the act I posted about first.

I've seen quite a lot of shows in 2007. My goal was to see all the artists that ended up in my top 15. But a good record does not necesarily mean a good show of course, and there were some surprises this year.
The best supporting act of 2007 was Patrick Watson...thrice! First he opened for Loney, Dear which kinda made me lose interest in the main act. Right after that we were treated to him supporting Interpol (again more interesting than the main act) and he had a double-headline gig with The Besnard Lakes.
The Biggest let-down was The Field. As much as I love his album the 'live act' was anything but live. He just stood there behind his laptop and flicked some switches. Boring! Lo-Fi Fnk at Pukkelpop also were a bit...sad and someone needs to tell Justice that a glowing cross is not an act, it's just a glowing cross.

But what were the 10 shows that made me dance, scream, cry or pee (not really!)?

10: Bjork at Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek (july 8)
I was and still am a bit disappointed by her last album. It features some good songs but it's just not that special somehow. The concert was however. She played the crowd like a Japanese flute. She danced like a little elf-troll on speed accompanied by brass-girls, lasers and flags. She ju-jitsu'd to the beat of Hunter and finally destroyed everything with the anthemic 'Declare Independance' (I still hear her shrill voice scream "raise your flag!" sometimes).

9: Pukkelpop in Hasselt (august 16, 17 and 18)
Although Arcade Fire didn't convince at all (because the sound was crap) Spoon (made me want to dance), Architecture in Helsinki (made me want to dance even more!), Sonic Youth (but not the entire set) and Fujiya & Miyagi (funky!) did. Seeing Low and Besnard Lakes again was also very nice but the true winner of Pukkelpop had to be Patrick Wolf. What a show, what a crowd, what a showman! The first beats of Accident and Emergencies were spectacular.

8: Stars in Paradiso (september 29)
Stars revolve around Amy Millan and Toquil Campbell who proved to be even more charming live than on record. The instant-hit 'Take Me To The Riot' got everyone going, the funky 'Genosha Heights' kept everyone moving and the cathartic duet 'Your Ex-lover is Dead' moved eryone even more. And as if that wasn't enough 'In Our Bedroom After The War' topped it all of (best last song on an album ever?).

7: Soulwax in Club 11 (october 21)
Simian Mobile Disco?...pfff! Justice?...bleh. Soulwax really proved they are the coolest of the cool. They invented cool, threw it away, invented a new cool and reinvented that. They played the remixes they did for other acts...live. To have enough good remixes to be able to do that is one thing, to come up with the bloody genius idea is another, but to make it work so incredibly well is....well....Cool.

6: Spinvis in Theater Kikker (september 23)
Spinvis is really Eric de Jong and played by himself in the small and charming theatre Kikker. I didn't really think it was going to be that special without his band but just him, a guitar, piano and lots of electronic tricks proved to be enough. Escpecially since he posseses a unique talent for uncovering big emotions from 'small' urban situations. I'm not ashamed to say that my eyes filled up a bit.

5: St. Vincent in Theater Kikker (december 8)
Annie Clark was so fragile it looked like whe was made of porcelain. But despite her appearance she really knows what she is doing. And what she's doing is nothing less than brilliant. She plays the piano and the guitar like she was born to it, has such a clear and beautiful voice AND writes incredible songs. An entire album full of them in fact. During the concert I was so close that I had to restrian myself from stepping on stage and hugging her. A savant with looks and charms.
St. Vincent - Marry Me (mp3)

4: Of Montreal in Paradiso (december 11)
Ridiculous costumes, psychedelic (and sometimes downright psychotic) visuals and opening your show with a 15-minute song? A recipy for disaster. But Of Montreal got away with it, and how! Their music features lots of rhytmn changes and breaks but my attention never wandered for a second. I dind't really consider myself a fan before, but now I'm converted. A paradoxically great show. You can watch all of it here.
Of Montreal - The Past is a Grotesque Animal (mp3)

3: The Besnard Lakes in Paradiso (may 28)
Nobody wanted to go with me to see The Besnard Lakes in Paradiso. Understandable if you try to describe their music; "well, it's kinda 70's rock, with male falsetto vocals and a shrill female voice, it's really loud and the songs last about 8 minutes...". They played their entire album and created that magical feeling that you sometimes get when everything just comes together... twice! It happened with 'And Tonight' and with 'And You Lied To Me'.
The Besnard Lakes - And You Lied To Me (live video)

Since I was foolish enough to finish this list before seeing my last show of the year:
2.5: Dan Deacon in Melkweg (20 december)
Just imagine a world where a fat bald-ish sweaty American loops Woody Woodpecker, uses raw techno-beats and sings and screams over it in a helium voice. Then imagine it being the coolest thing ever. COngratulations, you're living in that world! A dance-of, holding hands in a circle and a sing-a-long have never been this cool. The anthemic 'Wham City' was the highlight of the night.
Dan Deacon - Wham City (mp3)

2: Low in Paradiso (may 7)
I've had the pleasure of seeing Low twice this year. The first time was in Paradiso and I have to say that I was not at all prepared for that much subdued beauty. They've learned that less IS more. Highlight of the show was 'Take Your Time', a track that brims with tension and when the harmonic release comes it goes from the gut to the heart. The second time at the pukkelpop festival made me want to see them again a few days later in Utrecht. I really should've gone again.
Low - Take Your Time (live video)

1: The Ark in Waterfront (october 1)
A big fan of The Ark took me to see them. They're huge in Sweden but this was their first time in The Netherlands and they played in quite an unknown venue for some mysterious reason. Not that they seemed to notice because they played as if the crowd consisted of 150.000.000 people instead of 150. We had to endure two lame supporting acts but were treated to THE BEST CONCERT OF THE YEAR! A glam-rock show that spits on the Scissor Sisters from such great heights that it isn't even funny anymore. Cried from enjoyment and peed from exitement. I get all barfy even thinking about how great that show was.
The Ark - It Takes a Fool to Remain Sane (video)

Breaking news

New songs!

Kate Bush – Lyra (preview)

Destroyer – Foam Hands (mp3)

Magnetic Fields – California Girls (mp3)

M83 – Couleurs (stream from Stereogum)

Zoot Woman – We Won’t Break (mp3)

Fischerspooner – The Best Revenge (mp3)

Top 15 remixes of 2007

The season to be jolly? ‘Tis not! ‘Tis the season to be finishing the lists! So get to it!
I’ll start with a relatively easy one; the remixes. The 15 remixes that got me dancing, prancing and romancing (and in some cases even necromancing).

Feist shows that she does not only have a great taste in men (she’s dating Kevin Drew) but also in remixers since she’s in the list twice (and there’s the Chromeo remix that didn’t make the list). Caribou is also in the list twice. D.A.N.C.E. surely has to be the most remixed song this year but it wasn’t the MSTRKRFT, Diplo or Soulwax remix that got to me, it was the impressive epic (11.22 minutes!) remix Jackson and His Computer Band did that was my favorite. Muscles lends his trademarked screams of joy to the Bitch from Sweden and in turn gets the disco treatment from Van She. Xiu Xiu surprised me this year with a surprisingly listenable remix and cover album which features the lovely Eau Claire getting electro-fied. Another Remix album worth mentioning is Soulwax’s collection. I’ll say it one more time: go see them play those remixes live if you get the chance (because your worth it!). Remixers of the year for me are The Teenagers who turned everything they touched into gold (the kind with a really good bass).

Feist – 1 2 3 4 (Van She Technologic Remix)

Lo-Fi Fnk – City (Teenagers Remix)

Grizzly Bear – Knife (Girl Talk Remix)

Interpol - The Heinrich Maneuver (Paul Epworth Phones Remix)

Malle Pietje en de Bimbo’s – Tienerhoer (Seymour Bits Remix)

Xiu Xiu - Hello From Eau Claire (Gold Chains Remix)

Bloc Party - The Prayer (Does It Offend You, Yeah? Remix)

Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (Jackson & His Computer Band Remix)

Cold War Kids - Hang Me Out To Dry (Hostage Remix)

Feist - My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Remix)

Caribou - Melody Day (Four Tet Remix featuring Luke LaLonde, Adem & One Little Plane)

Robyn - Cobrastyle (Muscles Remix)

The Gossip - Standing In The Way Of Control (Soulwax Nite Version)

Caribou - She's The One (Hot Chip Remix)

Muscles - One Inch Badge Pin (Van She Tech City Gym Remix)

The shows just go on

I started to get worried a while back. Something happened to me that never happened before. I was starting to get kind of tired of concerts.

The National was...bleh (and don't get me started on the scroteless supporting act Hayden!). Then there was Caribou who gave a decent show I guess but the sound was horrible and ruined the show. I still had high expectations for Ed Harcourt but those weren't fully met. Í wouldn't even have felt like going to the show I was gonna see after Ed if it wasn't for the surprisingly good supporting act.

Ed brought along singer/songwriter Jonna Lee from Sweden. She apparently gets compared to Feist a lot, not a bad thing of course. Her voice was beautiful and even got to me despite of the largely uninterested crowd. The highlight was an incredible duet she did with Ed Harcourt who produced her debut. After seeing Ed and Jonna in Amsterdam I traveled back to Utrecht to see St. Vincent. And boy am I glad I did!

Annie Clark was as lovely as I imagined she'd be. And what an incredible talent! She knows how to play the piano and especially guitar and has a fantastic voice to boot. A truly captivating performance. for a crowd of about 50 people. Thanks to Annie I actually got exited about seeing Of Montreal. And they definitely put me back on the right track, because they were....profound.
Next up is Dan Deacon who is supposed to rock the hell out of his crowd. I'm up for it.


Jonna Lee - And Your love (with Ed Harcourt) (myspace)

St. Vincent - Marry Me (mp3)

Dan Deacon - Wham City (Lempel Remix) (mp3)

Let's pretend we don't exist

The past is a Grotesque Animal. Not at all grotesque is taking five whole minutes for a completely ridiculous costume change. I guess performing in blue fishnet stockings and tight boxers just takes away the extra tension one must have bringing songs like Gronlandic Edit in what used to be a church (“Oh, the church is filled with losers, psycho or abused”).

I would call this song the soundtrack to my life. To an extent, I would compare Of Montreal’s performance last Tuesday in Paradiso, Amsterdam to the moment you see your life flashing by, with the tunnel and the lights… All your life you’re afraid this moment will turn out to be a great disappointment, though people who have had the experience keep telling you they actually did not want to go back. Well, they were right. Paradiso wasn't all that bad.

Of Montreal has been my religion for about a year now. The performance they gave last Tuesday has strengthened my belief. Their songs sound even more convincing when performed live on stage, though I discovered it’s hard to lose oneself in the music with all its rhythm changes and unpredictable emphases. It takes more than a peppermint to stay focused on the profound greatness of Of Montreal’s three most recent albums, and sometimes it seemed like Minister Kevin Barnes had a hard time acknowledging this.

While praying for a new album to come out in 2008, here’s some bible study material:

Of Montreal – Gronlandic Edit (Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?)

Of Montreal – Rapture Rapes The Muses (Satanic Panic In The Attic)

Of Montreal – Forecast Fascist Future (The Sunlandic Twins)

No! Christmas is coming!

But - this year that does not only mean musical horror, according to Sounds Familyre:

"Beginning Monday, Dec. 10, at the Sounds Familyre blog, we will be posting Christmas mp3s from the Sounds Familyre Famile: new interpretations of traditional Christmas carols as well as original songs! A new song every day! The twelve days of Christmas, Sounds Familyre style."

Remember the Sufjan Stevens Christmas albums released last year? The Sound Familyre Famile include Danielson, Soul-Junk, Sufjan Stevens and Woven Hand, among others. Sounds Familyre style is folk, a bit weird, small, creative and personal, among others. This might just be the perfect antidose to the annual wham/dion/etc.-madness - the first song, by Danielson is a perfect start.

All heavy laden, get ye to the Sounds Familyre blog.

Let The Inlets In!

Sometimes you find an album that feels to be made personally for you. The Vestibule EP of Inlets is such a record for me. Inlets is Sebastian Krueger, who also plays guitars, clarinets and bells and sings falsetto in My Brightest Diamond. This time Sebastian is accompanied among others by Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond and Marla Hansen, who are both also playing with Sufjan Stevens. The names of his friends tell something about the music, but it is still rather unique. There is the banjo of Sufjan Stevens, the falsetto of My Brightest Diamond, the loops of Steve Reich, the folk of Marla Hansen, but also a lot of his own. The sphere of the Vestibule EP is intimate and special. I can still listen to it daily, a year after getting to know the music. There are close harmonies on this record, layered upon Fender Rhodes, banjo and guitars. Sparsely drums, bells, violins and clarinets are played. Everything was recorded in the bedroom, but it sounds extremely warm and close. Maybe you should download the EP for free and let yourself be overwhelmed in a positive way. Watch out: when you let it in, it won't go out!
You can also watch cool boat performances on blogotheque!

From 8-Bit To Warm Orchestral

Have you ever seen an album box as cool as this one? It's modelled after the floppy-reader of a Commodore64 computer and there's also a beautiful flyer in style. The Commodore64 Orchestra finally released their album and it’s fantastic. Earlier I wrote a post about their live performance, but the album is worth another post. The orchestra plays tunes of C64 games from the 80’s. Inside the cool box are two cd’s, one with the original computergametunes and another one with the orchestral versions. It is striking how much wonderful melodies were incoporated in these simple games.

As a bonus there’s additional multimedia on the cd. It features an interview with Rob Hubbard and Jeroen Tel, the original composers of the music. You can also find a trailer for the project. The coolest thing supplied with the album is a zip file with three seperate tracks with the flute-, bass-, and stringparts of the track ‘Monty on the run’. These tracks can be used for a remix-competition. The 20 finest remixes will be released! More zip files will be posted on their website, so check that out if you like it. The album can be bought here.

Rob Hubbard - Monty on the run (mp3)

C64 Orchestra - Monty on the run (mp3)

The Remix

The remix has come a long way.

A remix used to mean the track just got doubled in length or a thumping club beat was added, preferably both. In 1982 both Soft Cell and The Human League released an entire album ful of remixes. After that remixes become more popular but only since a couple of years have remixes gotten more creative and are seen as something that could be as cool as (or even cooler than) the original. Now an artist's worth is also judged by the remixes they make and the remix artists they choose for their tracks. Bands like Depeche Mode show they're still 'hip to it' by choosing artists like Tiga, M83, Jacques Lu Cont, Goldfrapp, Richard X and Boys Noize to remix their tracks. And who knows where The Klaxons (remember them?) would be if it hadn't been for the Soulwax, Kavinsky, To My Boy and especially the Van She remix?

Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus (Boys Noize Remix) (mp3)

The Klaxons - Gravity's Rainbow (Soulwax Remix) (mp3)

2006 and 2007 were important years for remixes; acts such as Justice, Digitalism, Boys Noize and Simian Mobile Disco gained a following based almost solely on their remix work before releasing an album.
Several indie bands released remix albums; Architecture in Helsinki, Stars, Xiu Xiu, My Brightest Diamond, and At The Close of Every Day for example.
Soulwax released an album with remixes they did for other artists and started playing them live (!).

Architecture in Helsinki - Do The Whirlwind (Metronomy Remix) (mp3)

Don't be too afraid, it's quite lovely: Xiu Xiu - Hello From Eau Claire (Gold Chains Remix) (mp3)

2008 will bring a new album by Metronomy and two new ‘remix acts’ will release albums that are highly anticipated. Some remixers have original takes on a song, some remixers even improve it but the two remix acts I’m talking about consistently impress the hell out of me with their remixes.

Van She improved The Klaxons ‘Gravity's Rainbow’ by about 300%, had something new to say about Tiga’s ‘I’m Gonna Want You’ and clubbed Feist’s ‘1 2 3 4’ to the next level. Their EP featured ‘Kelly’, one of the most cathy popsongs of 2006. They’ll release their as of yet untitled debut in 2008.

The Teenagers did a kick-ass Lo FI-Fnk remix for 'City' (try to sit still to this one!), cut up Au Revoir Simone’s ‘Fallen Snow’ and added some bass to Simian Mobile Disco’s ‘The Beat’. Their current single 'Starlett Johansson' is a sure-fire hit and will most likely be featured on their debut album that’ll be released in 2008.

Feist - 1 2 3 4 (Van She Technologic Remix) (mp3)

This one's for you Wiegertje: Muscles – One Inch Badge Pin (Van She Tech City Gym Remix) (mp3)

Van She - Kelly (mp3)

One of my favorite remixes ever: Lo Fi-Fnk - City (The Teenagers Remix) (mp3)

The Teenagers - Starlett Johansson (mp3)

Busy

It's been a busy week.

Last thursday Loney, Dear played in Utrecht. His performance suffered from the same thing as the the last one I saw; the supporting act was better. First time Patrick Watson opened for him and left me pretty breathless (I hadn't heard of him then), this time Neonbelle opened for them and again they proved to be quite talented.

Then it was time for STRP on friday. STRP is a festival where technology and art meet. Which meant there were different installations (a lot of interactive videogames and light installations) and some music shows in the evening and DJ-sets all through the night. Unfortunately I was only able to see Apparat & Band and Roisin Murphy play (had to miss Soulwax, Modeselektor and Goose among others).
I wasn't all that impressed with Apparat who started a bit...lackluster in my opinion. Apparently it was a subtly built set and it got a lot better, however by that time I was gone to see Roisin Murphy. Roisin presented herself as a more intelligent version of Kylie or Madonna even. Highlights were of course 'Movie Star' but there also was a song from her previous record (I assume) that was very trance-inducing and 'Dear Miami' and 'Primitive' worked rather well live.

Sunday iLiKETRAiNS ended my busy weekend. I was surprised to see they were a lot younger than I had imagined since the singer has a very low voice I associate with people like Nick Cave or Lou Reed. They played their set well but played only two songs from their EP Progress/Reform which is a lot better than their current cd which features two many bleh songs and isn't produced very well. The visuals were nice though; a projected chessmatch to the drum of 'a Rook House For Bobby' and a very psychedelic everchanging rorscharchtest.

Next up: The National


Entire EP! Neonbelle - In a Cabin With... (free download)

Roisin Murphy - Primitive (mp3)

iLiKETRAiNS - A Rook House For Bobby (myspace)

Apparat

One of my favorite electronic records of last year was 'Orchestra of Bubbles' by Ellen Allien & Apparat. I knew Ellen Allien, Berlin Techno-diva and founder of BPitch Control music label but hadn't heard Apparat's music before (although he worked on Ellen's 2003 'Berlinette') and was very curious about it. Apparat is Sascha Ring, electronic musician and one of the owners of Shitkatapult records who released 'Walls' in may this year.
Walls is a surprisingly eclectic record. It features pure dance-pop (Hailing from the Edge and especially Holdon), darker Junior Boys-y songs (Limelight) and M83-like synth-shoegaze (Headup). but my favorite is the two-part Fractales. Part 1 has beats that would make Timbaland go fetal in a corner with jealousy but at the same time are much more subte and delicate than his. Part 2 is a fragile melancholic dreamy synth-scape with lots of strings.

This friday I will have to face a difficult descision; at STRP festival Apparat and Roisin Murphy will partly play at the same time. What should I do?


Best dance song from 2006: Ellen Allien & Apparat - Do Not Break (myspace)

A beatmaster at work: Apparat - Fractales part 1 (myspace)

A remix from BPitch control's hipsters and one of Thom Yorke's favorite band's: Apparat - Holdon (Modeselektor Remix) (mp3)

Beer's gone. So now what?

Some personal information probably no one will care about: I'm from a small town in the middle east. Of the Netherlands that is. It's where they speak the dialect the name of our blog is taken from.

To add some trivial knowledge certainly no one will ever care about: just a couple of years ago our local pride Grolsch Beer moved its fabric to a nearby region, which left some hardcore locals with a severe identical crisis. This week it became public Grolsch is about to be sold to a South African brewery. [sentimental mode] Serves them right, those bastards who stole our pride away. [/sentimantal mode]

But we don't need Grolsch anyway. We've got Junkie XL. He's from our part of the country and proud of it! To kill the pain of losing a major brewery, he comes up with the perfect solution: Fuck more! I say we act in accordance with his suggestion.

Junkie XL - Fuck More (video)

(I'd link the mp3, but then you'd probably skip this awesome video)

Neonbelle

As I mentioned in the Beirut review last week, the supporting act was Neonbelle. It was their second show ever (as Neonbelle that is), but you wouldn't have guessed.
Neonbelle are a Dutch project consisting of Pien Feith (who has her own band) and Jelte Heringa (who worked with Spinvis amongst others). A while ago they dissappeared into a cabin (for the aptly-titled project 'In a cabin with...' from Badmintone records) with no clear idea and came out with a (free!) EP filled with beautiful songs.
Their sound can perhaps best be compared to Portishead or Hooverphonic in a sense that it's mostly slow, electronically based with haunting female vocals. But they do have a sound that is clearly their own; not just the beats but also the vocals are lesss clean and a bit darker. Their live performance was nothing less than stunning; Pien's voice was incredible and showed a controlled rawness that's quite unique (it reminds me a bit of PJ Harvey or Cat Power). Jelte's beats were sparse and extremely pleasant. The combination is pure gold.

The EP is completely free and can be downloaded here. The 22nd of november there's a showcase in Tivoli opening for Loney, Dear.

Not there yet

Poor Zach Condon. He was sick as a dog and drinking a lot of whiskey (or was it cough sirup?) to be able to keep playing yesterday. Zach Condon is of course Beirut, you know, the 21-year old American kid who was only 19 when his first cd (as Beirut) was released. Makes you think what you've done with your life up till now, doesn't it? (I know I haven't done crap with mine). His balkan influenced music spread like a virus over the net and almost every paper I've read had an article about him.
So he's talented and popular. But one thing became clear during the show; he hasn't made his materpiece yet. Yes, his voice was great even wracked by illness, yes, his band was great even though there was little room for improvisation. But the main flaw with Beirut is that he just doesn't have enough great songs. The first song (and title song) on his first record 'Gulag Orkestar' is clearly his best song by far. Armed with the knowledge of the potential shown in that song the other songs seem to be good enough and not as good as they could be. Having said all this I must add that even his weaker songs are better than the great songs of a lot of other artists.

I expect him to evolve (artistically that is) and release his true masterpiece in a couple of years. If he keeps his talented band then he'll realy blow us away with his show then.


First and still best song: Beirut - Gulag orkestar (mp3)

From the second album: Beirut - A Sunday Smile (mp3)


* the supporting act Neonbelle was incredible and as such deserves a seperate post.

The Arcade Fire still burns or the Win Butler did it

Last april Arcade Fire would play in the beautiful Vredenburg theatre. The band and the place gave the show high potential and it was sold out immediately. Unfortunately frontman Win Butler lost his voice and had to skip the rest of the tour, including that show. Last night they had their revenge. They played in the (much bigger and less intimate, as in: not at all) Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. But still I had high hopes. And that was just what I was afraid of.
Because may 2005 I (together with Konditorei) saw them in Amsterdam and that is probably still my favorite concert ever. It was one of those concerts where everything just comes together. The setting was Paradiso, a venue that's not too big and used to be a church (with those beautiful windows) where their theatrical music fits perfectly. The crowd was enthousiastic and ecstatic but respectfull (as in not clapping and not singing when they shouldn't be. Yes I'm talking directly to you, you stupid spastic bitch and monotomous zobie asshole!). The bandmembers were obviously enjoying themselves and the songs and the set were fantastic.
That's why I was a bit scared that yesterdays show would not live up to my expectations. And for a song it didn't. Opener 'Black Mirror' didn't impress that much because the sound was crap and Win seemed a bit agitated (by the crap sound I now assume) but the sound got better. And then they played an incredible version of 'In The Backseat' and I knew that they still had it. Chills. And I haven't even mentioned the fantastic New Order cover or the visuals. The big round screens showing live-footage (made to look old) and real old tv fragments.

I think everyone would agree with me that it was quite a spectacular show. Aside from the sound that started badly the only thing I criticism I can come up with is the fake flat organ...I don't see why there was a need for that.


One of the many highlights: Arcade Fire - No Cars Go (mp3)

What good would that do if there's no place to go, I ask you: Arcade Fire - Keep the Car Running (mp3)

Thanks to Konditorei for starting this post and Ruben for linking the Age of Consent cover.

Fest

glamour in the DJ booth

Saturday Ulkedoof DJ'd at Fest. There was much joy and dancing and someone working some knobs and switches while trying to look like he knew what he was doing. Anyway, the set featured favorites like:

Lo Fi-Fnk - City (The Teenagers Remix) (mp3)
Pop Levi - Pick Me Up Uppercut (myspace)
Malle Pietje en de Bimbo's - Tienerhoer (Seymour Bits Remix)
Feist - 1234 (Van She Technologic Remix)
Junior Boys - In the Morning (mp3)
Cold War Kids - Hang Me Out To Dry (Hostage Remix)
Metric - Monster Hospital (MSTRKRFT Remix) (mp3)
Black Kids - Listen to your Body Tonight (mp3)
CSS - Knife (Grizzy Bear cover) (mp3)
The Field - Everday (myspace)
Isoleé - Face b (myspace)

and of course: The Smiths - Hang the DJ (more appropriate to some then 'Last Night a DJ Saved my Life (Mirage Remix)' by Indeep)

I hereby officialy declare the shoegaze-revival opened

I was actually waiting for one more clear sign before definitely declaring a shoegaze revival. And then it came to me.
I guess you could say it started with then-popular My Vitriol (My Vitri-who? exactly.) in 2001, the same year M83 formed. My Vitriol were very clearly influenced by THE shoegazers My Bloody Valentine and were not afraid to show it (hence the name of the band I guess). Then M83 released their first real shoegaze-ish album in 2003 (Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts), this time it was shoegaze with synths. Then Amusent Parks on Fire formed (well, it's one guy, so I guess he didn't so much 'form' as decided to be APOF) which is described more as stargazing then shoegazing (listen to it, it will become clear). 2006 saw the release of the acclaimed album Pet Grief by The Radio Dept.

Now 2007 sees post-shoegaze acts like Silversun Pickups, Air Formation, Film School, A Place to Bury Strangers, The Maps, Blonde Redhead and there is the highly suspicious recent appreciation for Alcian Blue.
The real revival was soooo close I thought...and then the final sign came to me: My Bloody Valentine are going to release a new album...this year!

quick shoegaze-course:

The original: My Bloody Valentine - Only Shallow (mp3)

With synths: M83 - Teen Angst (mp3)

Stargazer: Amusement Parks on Fire - You Made Me Realise (My Bloody Valentine cover)

Broke up in 2006: Alcian Blue - Frozen Sleep (link to post with mp3)

indie-shoegaze: Film School - Two Kinds (mp3)

hardest shoegaze you'll ever hear: A Place to Bury Strangers - To Fix the Gash in Your Head (mp3)

m83 with guitars: The Maps - Elouise (mp3)

Sonic Youth adepts: Blonde Redhead - 23 (mp3)

Alcian Blue

Precisely a year ago Alcian Blue’s website read that the Washington DC-based band called it a day and quit. Two months ago I read this ‘news’ after discovering their self-titled/produced debut album and couldn’t believe that a wider audience hadn’t noticed them. And the fact that they make shoegaze/ gothrock/ dreampop/ postpunk/ or whatever you want to call it, couldn’t have been a real obstacle since Pitchfork is smurfing A Place To Bury Strangers.

A few months before quitting, Alcian Blue delivered a masterpiece with delicate synthscapes, hushed vocals, lots of pedals (thanks to Death By Audio, again see my last post) and a drum machine. Especially the use of the latter makes their sound distinct from My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, The Cure, Joy Divis…Yawn...

Where was I? Oh yes, this year they released their final EP Years To Late, with four of the five tracks listenable at theirplace. But I have to say that it’s not as great, gloomy, synthy and truly wonderful as their album, due to the fact that their drum machine is replaced by an actual drummer and their songs are too dreamy and stretched out…which is also nice, but makes them less unique…but I already said that. Did I mention that they are great!?

Three of the many favorites of their self-titled album:

Very Cure-esque: Alcian Blue - You Just Disappear (mp3)

Pounding yet slow: Alcian Blue - Frozen Sleep (mp3)

Tambourine jingles: Alcian Blue - See You Shine (mp3)

Let's smurf to Joy Division!

In this era of Joy Division hyping (seriously, when is this going to stop? And will this repeat itself on, let’s say, a five year basis, likewise to the five and a half ABBA revivals we’ve had so far?), let me tell you that eighties joy can be divided differently.

The Wombats already pointed out the silliness of dancing to Joy Division and in this respect I have nothing to add. Let’s all keep celebrating the irony of dancing to sorrow and misery. We have all reason to do so since this night a Dutch Pop Idol contestant responded “Who’s that?”, when she was complimented on her apparently well thought-out theatric eighties Kate Bush-dress. So kudos to The Wombats.

Kudos to Late of the Pier, to To My Boy and to Hadouken! for setting a new standard of new rave, after Klaxons had accidentally mistaken it for anything that combines electro, guitars and some high-pitched oowoowoow’s.

And finally, kudos to Nintendo’s NES, which brought us an enormous source of 8 Bit samples that have been used by an increasing number of electro-/synthpop bands. Fans of The Smurfs on NES must now worship Thermostatic from Sweden for recycling its samples and producing the masterpiece Joy Toy (2005). What’s in a name!

The Wombats – Let’s Dance To Joy Division (video)
Late Of The Pier – Broken (mp3)
To My Boy – The Grid (video)
Hadouken! – That Boy That Girl (mp3)
Thermostatic – Reasons (mp3)

8bitpeoples.com (free 8 bit releases)

Breaking news

This is just too much.

Not only have Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds confirmed that their new record (that's gonna be called 'DIG, LAZARUS, DIG!!!') is planned for a release on march 3rd 2008 but Morrissey (also known as the object of her obsession) plans a Greatest Hits collection and a new record with Jerry Finn who did 'You Are The Quarry' in 2008!



If only I could, Nick's so dreamy...*sigh*: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Into My Arms (mp3)

How appropriate: Morrissey - November Spawned a Monster (mp3)

Beep-boop beep-beep-boop!

What are you saying R2D2? Has Timmy fallen down the well again?

Ah, Blip-blop. I never played much of the original Super Mario, but I had a Commodore 64. Whenever I feel like moving around on the dancefloor like a robot from 1984, there is nothing like this!

My like for the genre started with an impromptu performance by 6955 in Utrecht (my sleeve is even crappier than the one shown there, poke around for fun stuff and MP3s). It was a really great show, just a guy on stage dicking around with a bunch of Nintendos but somehow using them for sequencing real cool music.

Then on to 64revolt (another site with lots of free MP3s, try Alice, Sweet Alice) and Motormark (now sadly defunct, but what a great closing show for Dour 2006! - I remember thinking 'So this is what electro-punk-rock for the 2010s sounds like!' ) and then Dan Deacon (see Choquolage's last post).

The Polish Ambassador also deserves to be snuck inbetween somewhere. Although, strictly, he's not blip-blop, he gave me last year's summer soundtrack. Especially with London Telecommunicating. He has also made one rather silly video featuring my IKEA chair :)

The latest (and greatest - isn't it always?) in this line is Crystal Castles. Not named after the computer game (from 1983!) but after She-ra's Castle! Yeah, from He-man. How nerdy can you get? Well, for me not nerdy enough, because Knights is a really awesome song. Check it out here , but close your eyes - the video does not move at all!)

And then, there's also Megablast (Hip Hop On Precinct 13) by Bomb the Bass and ASCII Disko and The Peoples Republic of Europe (or The Popular European Republic, or whatever they are called) and Add N to (X)... But they don't really count.

Batshit briliant

Opening an album with a song that's basically Woody Woodpecker's laugh looped at two different speeds with some xylophone, crappy keyboard sounds and crazyfying beats? That Dan Deacon surely is a bold musician...or just plain batshit crazy.

Helium voiced scream anthems, nintendo happy hardcore and techno drums, yet integrated in great pop songs. His album 'Spiderman of the Rings' is a bit like the not-quite backwards-dancing dwarf from Twin Peaks; it freaks you the hell out but you just can't stop watching/listening.

Not as unlistenable as you might expect: Dan Deacon - Crystal Cat (mp3)

Again not as unlistenable as you might expect: Dan Deacon - Wham City (mp3)

HEY MUSCLES, I LOVE YOU, I WANNA HAVE YOUR BABIES

The day Muscles decided he would pursue his dreams of being a musician was the best day in the history of pop music since the day Serge Gainsbourg was born. His album ‘Guns Babes Lemonade’ (I know!) has been out now for a while, and it is truly AMAZING. Muscles is just one humble Australian, but every song on the record sounds like a group of sweaty people – who have synthesizers and are superfun and your new best friends - is screaming at you about ice cream, marshmallows and hammocks, and you never want them to stop. Never. Because when they stop, they leave you cold, alone, lost and out of breath. And for some reason, every time, completely naked.

Muscles - Hey Muscles, I Love You [mp3]
Muscles - Marshmallow [mp3, sendspace]

Until the day after tomorrow then?

Ryan Adams' productivity, Tom Waits' sitting-in-a-barr-iness, Sufjan's multi-instrumentalism modesty, Jarvis Cocker's charm and an continous stream of quality. An EP and four albums long (see, I'm not even counting the download only 2-CD b-sides collection) the English troubadour Ed Harcourt has given his fans his own brand of up-beat songs (All Of Your Days Will Be Blessed) and melancholic ballads (This One's For You).

Although he still hasn't had his break-through and probably never will he released a Best Of, ironically titled 'Untill Tomorrow Then'. The best of features favorites like the jazzy title-track 'Untill Tomorrow Then', the near-perfect popsong 'Loneliness' and the melancholic 'Visit From The Dead Dog'. The Best Of doesn't just have two new songs, there's an entire bonus disc with 15 previously unreleased songs! That bonus disc could have very well been an official album, quality-wise. As Always, Ed doesn't disappoint. It's good to be a Harcourt fan, you should try it.


From album 'Here Be Monsters': Ed Harcourt - Beneath The Heart Of Darkness (myspace)

From album 'From Every Sphere': Ed Harcourt - All Of Your Days Will Be Blessed (video)

From album 'Strangers': Ed Harcourt - Loneliness (video)

From album 'The Beautiful Lie': Ed Harcourt - Visit From The Dead Dog (video)

From Best Of 'Untill Tomorrow Then': Ed Harcourt - Untill Tomorrow Then (myspace)