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)