Important Announcement

For those of you who didn’t get the memo yet: this year’s official summer anthem will be supplied by Jack Peñate. I repeat: Jack Peñate. On his résumé you will find every single dark, smelly London club you can imagine, fitting the image of any bloke-with-guitar-and-thick-local-accent.
The memo was sent by someone who is jointly responsible for this year’s Lowlands line-up and apparently immediately booked the guy, most likely for a half-an-our gig in the Lima tent. This guy I’m talking about is almost genius, if it wasn’t for the fact that by the time Lowlands kicks off, Jack Peñate will already be majorly hyped. For those of you who were there last year, remember The Kooks performing in the India tent? Those guys should have swapped places with (and this will be the first and the last time this band is mentioned on Ulkedoof) Panic! At The Disco, who bored the audience at the main stage to death for over 40 minutes.
Anyways, Jack Peñate, Jack Peñate, Jack Peñate. He released an EP called Spit At Stars (kudos), containing ‘something for everyone’. The title track is obviously a big hit, but the song which will drive you mad in a way you will find yourself violently expelling it from your brain by the beginning of October, will be Second, Minute or Hour, which is not on the EP, but will obviously be re-released at least two or three times. Just so you know.

Band of Horses, the new Coldplay?

Last night Band of Horses played in Utrecht. Pitchfork aren't known to be extremely generous but gave their debut album Everything All The Time an 8.8! It's filled with a sharp guitar sound which is completed by the singer's emotional voice. He sounds like he is singing and shouting out his frustrations. The second album will be recorded shortly and now they are on tour in Europe.

My first thought evoked by the sight of the singer was that of a fearful young man, with a Taliban beard and a baseball cap almost covering his eyes. When he opened his mouth and sang, those thoughts were gone however. His voice is at least as good as it is on record and the band played dynamically and punchy, never failing to hit the right notes. With three guitars and keys, they sound full, but somehow it's never 'too much'. On some songs the singer plays pedal steel, which looks cool and sounds beautiful. Besides songs from their debut they played some new songs which sound in line with their present album. The one downside of the show was their encore which were two unknown songs, one of which was a ballad that sounded like Billy Joel and not really like BoH. One song was noticeably absent, namely the great St. Augustine (maybe they didn't want to bring Spanish guitars on the road?). The singer gives the band a unique voice which may make it sound too distinguished to be picked up by a bigger audience (like Coldplay for instance), despite being uncharacteristically radio friendly. As I said their second album will be recorded shortly, so they might just hit a stadium near you next year...

The song Our Swords is very special, it has no guitars in it, just drum’n bass. Two basses to be exactly, one played by the singer. Check this movie:

Their best song is Funeral (live version), which is about the cancer and death of the singers father.

Besnard Lakes are the dark horse

Yesterday Montreal six-piece The Besnard Lakes played in Amsterdam and enough sound walls were built to put up an entire city block. Their spun out space rock epics works even better live than on record. Almost everything from their acclaimed album Are The Dark Horse was played with And You Lied To Me as the astounding climax.

Are The Dark Horse may not be an easy album but if you give it a chance (it took me three plays) you will be rewarded for it, trust me.

Disaster is a perfect opener for the album

And You Lied To Me is their masterpiece and makes the guitar-solo cool again

So it goes, the ordinary people they do not know

The lovely Sally Seltmann first caught my ear with the aptly titled song I've Got You And You've Got Me (Song Of Contentment). She calls herself New Buffalo, quite un-aptly I might add. Her music does not evoke images of rampaging buffalo’s at all (like Queens of the Stone Age sometimes does), instead it’s all subtle with mostly just piano and vocals and sometimes a little bit of violin, horn or handclaps.

The song of contentment managed to convey the exact atmosphere I assume it meant to (contentment of course) and she proved that was no accident with Cheer Me Up, Thank You, a song that sounds so sweet and honest it almost makes you feel ashamed.

Why she isn’t a huge star is beyond me, considering some of her friends. She married Darren Saltmann of The Avalanches, toured with Ed Harcourt, sung a duet with Jens Lekman, got remixed by none other than Broken Social Scene, did a remix for Architecture in Helsinki and wrote a song for Feist (the new single 1-2-3-4 which can be found on The Reminder, and listened on her myspace).

I've Got You And You've Got Me (Song Of Contentment) Broken Social Scene Remix is from her debut called The Last Beautiful Day. I guess the remix from her labelmates was a welcoming gift.

Cheer Me Up Thank You is from her new album Somehwere, Anywhere, released on Arts & Crafts (home of BSS, Stars, Feist and The Dears amongst others)

Emotional Champ is another gem from her new album

Stuck on repeat

There is a song that has been on repeat on my iPod this week. The Kissaway Trail are a Danish band and are –like a lot of other bands- being compared to Arcade Fire. Of course it helps that the artist who did the art for AF’s first album also did the Kissaway’s album. But…they are the first band to actually sound a bit like AF, and that’s not a bad thing. Not at all! They bring the same enthousiasm and passion to their music and also have a knack for writing anthem-ish songs.

Smother+Evil=Hurt is the current single, it’s accompanied by a video that can be seen here

But the song that really impressed the hell out of me is Sometimes I’m Always Black

Timbaworld

I guess Timbaland has become the new Pharell. Everything he touches seems to turn to gold. Although I don’t really care for his work with more hip-hop oriented artists like Aaliyah or Missy Elliot [‘Sock It To Me’ and ‘Work It’ being the exceptions]. His collaborations with pop-princes and princesses mostly work. Timberlake’s 'Sexyback' and Nelly Furtado’s 'Maneater' ruled the dance floors last summer. But he really surprised me with the two tracks he did with Björk (the infectious single 'Earth Intruders' and the aggressive 'Innocence'). I guess it’s because the songs are still Björks’ at the core.

Now he’s managed to do it again. Timbaland recently released his new solo-album Presents: Shock Value and granted, the next single ‘Throw It On Me’ with The Hives is nice but nowhere near as good as ‘Time’. I first heard it playing in a clothes store and didn’t know what it was, but as soon as I heard that typically dark voice I knew it had to be She Wants Revenge. Although it is officially a Timbaland featuring SWR song it sounds more like a SWR song.

Timbaland featuring She Wants Revenge - Time

And the infectious Bjork single Earth Intruders.

No 80’s revival without the Commodore64!

As unmistakable part of our cultural history, the commodore64 cannot be overlooked. The unit was made between 1982 and 1993 and about 30 million were sold!

There was a Special Sound Interface (SID) chip inside for music syntheses. Music accompanied games, but music programming was also possible. There were three voices and 4 waveforms, so creativity was needed to make complex sounding music. In those days musicians needed to be programmers and vice versa to make music with the C64. Two of those allrounders were Jeroen Tel and Rob Hubbard. They had composed and programmed the themes of many games and their music was incorporated in the minds of the players. The C64 did groundbreaking and pioneering work to prepare us for nintendo, playstation and the X-box, but still has it’s charm. It is sought after by vintage collectors to play games and by electro musicians for the special sound of it.

Nowadays, retro-games community Micromusic and productiehuis Oost-Nederland combined forces with the Dutch Ricciotti ensemble . They approached Jeroen Tel and Rob Hubbard to arrange the tunes for performance with an orchestra. They were enthousiastic to show how good the music still is. Since the autumn of 2006 The C64 Orchestra has performed the songs a few times, and audiences are delirious. If it is for sentimental reasons and confrontation with your childhood, or for a new encounter, the show is a blast to be present at! Last wednesday I witnessed a show they played in Vredenburg in Utrecht. It took about an hour, but the limited time was the only downer of the night. I was overwhelmed, not even knowing the games nor the songs (I had an atari). There was no dull moment during the performance. The songs were beautifully arranged, with trumpet solo’s, beautiful violin arpeggio’s and sometimes combined with the original SID-chip sounds. During the show, there were projections of he C-men, who showed cool clips of the original C64 games. The combination of the visuals and the sound make the show an experience to watch with your mouth open wide. The songs that were played, came a.o. from these darksounding games: Commando, Monty on the run, One man and his droid, International karate and Delta.

If you get the chance to see them, do so!
- july, 14 2007: Forma Nova Festival, Fredericia (Denmark)
- september, 06 2007: Nazomer festival, Middelburg (Netherlands)
- october, 12 2007: 013, Tilburg (optional) (Netherlands)
- november, 17 2007: Metropool, Hengelo (Netherlands)

Here you can find the original Cybernoid II-theme, made by Jeroen Tel. Check the sound of the SID-chip!

This is where you can listen to the same song in the version of the C64 orchestra. Compare and behold!

Just pretending to be Japanese

Just like I’m From Barcelona aren’t from Barcelona (Sweden), Architecture From Helsinki aren’t from Helsinki (Australia) and Of Montreal isn’t from Montreal (US), Fujiya & Myagi aren’t Japanese at all, they’re not even a duo. These three English wannabe’s are at least honest about it as they sing in Photocopier “we were just pretending to be Japanese”.

Their dance/electronica does sound a bit Japanese though. It also sounds a bit like Air and Hot Chip. Their album Transparent Things was released in 2006 but has been re-released. Check out their incredibly cool videos. Collarbone starts sweet but gets a bit disturbing and Ankle Injuries is just amazing (though it does remind us a bit of the White Stripes video).

Ankle Injuries has them softly singing ‘Fujiya Myagi’ like a hypnotizing mantra

Collarbone is basically a funky biology lesson (hipbone to the backbone, backbone to the neckbone etc.)

Gang Ba-… no wait, I meant Gang Ban-... sorry, I meant Ga-…Bang Gang.

In 2003 I got my hands on an Icelandic masterpiece. Bang Gang’s ‘Something Wrong’ is the work of writer/producer/musician Bardi Johannsson and breathes a certain Icelandic atmosphere. Yes, opener ‘Inside’ is an epic song that does remind of Björk’s Homogenic but the album has more to offer. ‘Follow’ offers slow, sad melancholy and ‘Something Wrong’ is driven by a great beat. The rest swerves from indie gituary songs to more soundscape-ish songs to perfectly crafted pop (check out their cover of 'Stop in the Name of Love'). And all this without losing too much coherence. Vocals are from Johannsson, Phoebe Tolmer and Keren Ann (who recently released a new solo-album).

In 2007 the album has been re-released for a good reason. It’s a masterpiece. I hope it gets more recognition this time around.

Something Wrong

It’s Alright

There has been a remix competition for the song Find What You Get so expect the net to be flooding with them very soon. I’m curious to see if the winning remix will be better than the one Shout Out Out Out Out did.

Eins zwei, sieben sieben...TANZEN!

This year’s Euro-vision song festival brought us the usual musical (to use the term loosely) onslaught. A while ago it seemed like there could actually be some quality acts with rumors of Jarvis Cocker and even Morrissey (!) participating. But alas. Although Swedish glam rockers The Ark participated they did not impress since the category camp and glam already had a clear-cut winner.

Serbia won this year proving that Euro-vision isn’t just for gays but also for lesbians. The horrible ballad probably got a lot of votes from neighboring countries and not nescessarily because the song was awesome.
Because the most awesome song won second place.

Ulkedoof’s vote went to Ukrainian drag queen Verka Serduchka whose song was simply the most entertaining (“don’t live to dance, dance to live”). This is the song that could be annoying the hell out of you all summer: Dancing lasha tumbai (on Balkanshare appropriately enough, just press the button). And here is the fabulous video for full effect.

Ordem e Progresso

Brazilians. They fill up stadiums to watch football and drink beer or to hear the pope say they shouldn't. Their administration is saturated with corruption. Robbery is not something that makes you keep an extra eye open, it’s simply giving you the exact same kind of awareness as if you were masturbating in your room, knowing your mother, who never knocks, is at home. So I’ve heard…

Brazilians also have a certain vibe that’s inherent to their identity. I still haven’t quite been able to put my finger on it, but examples are showing cada vez mais.

Of course, being the Ulks we’re supposed to be, we already bit and swallowed Cansei de Ser Sexy (Got Tired of Being Sexy), while some of us might even have bitten some Ivete Sangalo, for different reasons. Personally I’d like to bite some essential parts off Sergio Mendes, but then again, who wouldn’t?

Today we’re biting and definitely swallowing Bonde do Rolê (Tram of Rolê). A while ago they caught my eye with Melo do Tobaco (Diplo Mix), containing a sample of Aphex Twin’s Windowlicker. This time the Bonde wants us to release the young rooster (Solta o Frango) and come with them. Well, if you insist…

I present to you: Bonde do Rolê from Curitiba, Brazil!

Why I'm more trendy than a Cosby Sweater.

Who was the first person wearing skinny jeans last year ? Who recycled the babydoll ? Who invented new rave ? For sure, it wasn't me. On The Scale Of New, Hip And Trendy, I'm probably just above Cosby sweaters and granola bars. So, if you're looking for some upcoming, underground indieband, forget about me.

Last year, I managed to be the first to know a certain band. Scoring indiecredits for sharing the story, I'll tell you about Cold War Kids. I read the musicblog Stereogum. I don't read that much, because I don't know about most of the bands they write about anyway. Or because the bands are pretentious poop. (Latter happens more often.) Mostly I read innocent, timeless posts about the Smiths, which I use for my own pieces. (I'm a fanatic follower of Morrisseyism.)

Once upon a time, for some reason, I was reading the comments to a particular post on Stereogum. Some bloke recommended listening to the band of his mates: Cold War Kids. He linked some songs, I downloaded them. Amongst them Hospital Beds and Saint John.

Then, I went to Antwerp and we wanted to go out. We ended up at Club Petrol, because a spoken word performance by hysterical feminist Lydia Lunch sounded like entertainment. (It was entertaining, but above all hysterical and feminist.) Apparently, the event we were attending that night, was more than just freaky fifty year olds. Two Gallants were touring Europe at that point, and together with their support act Cold War Kids they were playing Club Petrol that night. I was positively surprised. Especially hearing Saint John live was great.

Cold War Kids are fun to watch in real life. When Josh Homme is not touring the globe with Queens of the Stone Age, he goes undercover and pretends to be Nathan Willet, singer of Cold War Kids. (Yeah right, can't fool me Dennis. Josh. Nathan. Whatever.) Bass player Matt Maust is absent minded and looks like he's on drugs, which makes me wonder which drugs he's on and where I can obtain some of those. He also has a terrible taste in head gear. Last time I saw them -opening for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah- he wore a kind of hat belonging in a Breugel painting, depicting a rural wedding. Nathan Willet's voice is rare: high and nasal. Jonnie Russell, the guitarist, happens to have a rare voice too, prefectly complementing Willet with his backing vocals. And drummer Matt Aveiro is beautiful.

November last year in Antwerp, I accidentily saw them play. They had just released their first cd Robbers and Cowards, the world was open for them to conquer, and for me to write about. Harrr.

Take Home Message for you kids at home:
Play their video for Hang Me Up To Dry.
Go see them play at Rock Werchter.
Buy their album.

Cold War Kids are fab.

(Oh and for those who were still wondering: this is a Cosby Sweater.)

Oublié quelque chose, faffie, faffie, oeh ah!

In 2005 the Dutch were intrigued by a weird song rapped in some near-indecipherable urban slang by a group of Amsterdam slackers called De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig (Today’s Youth). There was a national WTF-sentiment but before they knew it ‘Watskeburt?!’ (‘Whatsahappening?!’) became a gigantic hit and the new Dutch word of the year. The song was even played by BBC 1 radio DJ Pete Tong and was Devendra Banhart’s summer-theme for 2005 (“that weird Dutch song”).

Watskeburt?! had a weird hip-hop/electro-vibe and the dopest flow and streetest slang since Snow (you know; “Informer, you no say Daddy me Snow me I'll go blame, A licky Boom Boom Down”) but they were by many considered one-hit wonders. But music by De Neger Des Heils alias Seymour Bits alias Bas Bron alias Bastian alias Comtron and raps by P. Fabergé (“en een ‘e’ met een moeilijk streepje ‘gé’ ”), Willie Wartaal en Vieze Fur (Dirty Fur) proved to be a undefeatable combination.

Nobody expected their Album ‘Parels voor de Zwijnen’ (Pearls for the Swine) to have more good songs beside their hit-single but it actually did. Still, most Dutch still thought JvT were one-hit wonders before they heard their new single ‘Shenkie’.

Like their previous hit this song has a raw electro-sound and totally bullshit lyrics. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they were to conquer more than just the tiny country of The Netherlands.

Whatskeburt?! is their biggest hit. Understandably so.

Nog Lang Niet is from their album and has a brilliant electro/hip hop beat, you’ll be sold after the first 15 seconds.

The winner of the video-contest made this brilliant (?) video for the new single Shenkie.

Who puts the Low in slowcore?

The coolest mormons in music? Move over Marie and Donny Osmond Brandon Flowers, here are Low! The husband-and-wife duo of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker have been bringing us down (happily so) with their unique sound since 1993, live accompanied by a bass player. Although they hate the term their music is often called (quite appropriately though) slowcore. Their sound is dark, slow and minimalistic and often consists of nothing more than very sparse drums and the haunting voices of Sparhawk and Parker creating harmonies not of this world. Their arrangements don’t need a Toto-like-drummer, nor a Slash-like-guitar player (actually what arrangements do?). These people seem to understand how to pass on emotions straight from the heart.

On may 7th they played in Paradiso in Amsterdam. Not only did they manage to play almost all our favorite songs (okay, except ‘Point of Disgust’…and maybe ‘Like a Forest’) but they were nothing less than perfect. The constant state of suspense they created and the crystal-clear voices coming together just right made sure the crowd had goosebumps the entire show. The seamless unity of the two voices require at least a long and good marriage to reach this level of perfection. The pain inside the songs show great depth and purity. The unnecessary notes are left behind, everything in it’s right place (they did tour with Radiohead). The songs are built up dynamically. A violin added some sweet tones to some songs, like on their ‘hitsingle’ ‘Sunflower’. Sometimes almost touchable textures of noise fill what once was a beautiful church, and is now a temple of music. Elements of post-rock are integrated in the songs, but never unnatural and always with integrity.

Low never rests in one sound, they show development and transgression on every album. Their latest, ‘Drums and Guns’ features elements of minimal electro. The combination of their music with these elements needs some getting used to, but is unearthly. They played a beautiful version of ‘Belarus’, the only electro-influenced song in the set. A lot of older songs were played which fit naturally between the newer songs. The band is even open to requests of their audience, how cool! This leads to an impressive version of 'Amazing Grace'.

Low are the masters of implosion! Maybe this should be the new description of their music: indieplosion

Points Of Disgust is a song from their 2002 album ‘Trust’ and is a typical Low-song.

Sunflower is one of the best songs (if not the best song) they have ever made from their 2001 album ‘Things We Lost In The Fire’

Murderer is a haunting soon-to-be-classic from their latest album called ‘Drums an Guns’.