Think Different, but please, within what we deem acceptable

Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Pink Floyd, B.B. King, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, The Beatles, Sex Pistols, James Brown, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Nirvana, The Who, Public Enemy, and Frank Zappa.

Yes. Fine musicians. Plus they make up a list called “Klink Anders”, which quite literally translates to “Sound Different”. It is a list put together by a popular talk show in The Netherlands (De Wereld Draait Door) with as goal to celebrate those musicians who have changed music by thinking out of the box.

Great idea (honestly). One caveat: it’s an amazingly hetero, masculine, normative list.

The Weekly Froth #19 (With Sleazy McQueen, Junior Boys, and more!)

The weekly froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week: ‘We Need to Reconnect’ by Sleazy McQueen feat. Anne Montone

I just love the name, Sleazy McQueen. Not only that, I love the edits and the songs he puts out. Really old school sounds that, and they just flow nicely. Here it’s set up old school with one instrument being introduced at a time. None of that business you get in other songs, but clear sounds, clear lines, and with them coming in one after another you get enough time to acquaint yourself with them. Naturally, the song really gets going at 1:20 with the piano coming in, then you know it is time to get on the dancefloor. I would’ve liked the vocals to do a bit more than they do, especially for variety’s sake because at one point it does feel like the merry went round one too many a time, but still, one I would happily go on the dancefloor for.

(To listen to this track, and to listen and read write-ups about five more, click here)

Crazy Zany Radio Sunday - 'Patricia's Thirst' by Choir of Young Believers

Every week our contributors will voice their opinion concerning one song, it’s a simple as that! The more the merrier, so people are always welcome to join in, just leave a note, eh.

Track: ‘Patricia’s Thirst’ by Choir of Young Believers (listen here)

Average grade: 5.5

Ilse: I think the play button on this track secretly activates a timemachine, because as soon as this track starts you're in the 80s. Though there have been dozens of 80s influenced songs lately, this song shows that that isn't necessarily a means for mediocrity.
7.0

Anna: Somewhere somehow, Human League are smiling... or smirking, depending on how much new wave and electropop you've listened to in your life. I'll have a smirk and eat it too....

Grade: 4

Linda: I remember this bunch! They opened for Mew in London, just over two years ago, and I attempted to make a mental note to look them up afterwards, but Mew were so mind blowing that I completely forgot about them till just now. They were pretty amazing back then, and sound even more convincing now. They've got a bit of The Shins going on in this track, which is always a good thing. If it wasn't for my general incompetence in remembering stuff I wouldn't have missed out on this band for two years, so this rediscovery might have been the best thing that's happened to me this week.

8.5/10

Craig: Meh.
2/10

Stef: This voice really couldn’t sound more 80s even if it tried. But I kind of have a soft spot for that, so there you go. It might be a bit, well, perhaps what I find it lacking is a sort of complexity in the instrumentals. But a nice tune to listen to it is.

6/10

The Weekly Froth #18 (Leo Zero, Joakim, CANT, and more)

The weekly froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the Week: ‘Down the Drain’ by Leo Zero

Leo Zero is back with a new track, and I love those boogie-woogie drums at the start there. Some talky vocals that I for some reason find to fit the track pretty well. Done bad, this kind of thing will sound like a bad rap song, but this kind of takes me into a 90s hip-hop/house vibe. Not the music itself though, that is a bit more spacey and reverby before it gets a bit cleaner again and the drums come back in. Don’t expect a corker of a track, it is rather subdued, but I like that in this case. It’s a bit mid-to-slow paced. He really gets a vibe going on this one. It is just a good combination of that kind of grainy sound, those drums, and those vocals, and it really meshes well. In the mean time Leo Zero makes sure it doesn’t get boring, despite it never going all out, by just constantly changing it up a bit and introducing new elements that just fit the flow of the music. Really nicely crafted this one, major kudos to Leo Zero for that

(To listen to this and five other tracks, and to read write-ups on them, click here)

Air to launch silent film inspired album

On the 7th of February the band Air will release a new album. It will be called Le Voyage Dans La Lune, after the movie of the same name. This short film, directed by George Melies in 1902, is one of the best known films from that time. It was shot in black and white (obviously) and it features a scene in which a spaceship lands in the eye of the man in the moon. If you are a Queen fan, I do believe it also makes an appearance in one of their clips. Both Beach House and Au Revoir Simone contributed to this project.

John Talabot readying February debut

On Permanent Vacation John Talabot will release his debut next February. The album will be called ƒ in and it will contain eleven tracks. He has gotten a little help from some friends in making the album, namely Pional and Ekhi. The album will feature all new tracks, including ones called Destiny, Missing You, and Last Land.

(News) Stories Archive: November

Here you can find all the (news) stories that were written in the month of November. So lots of music news, and lots of stuff you shouldn't take too seriously (or actually might make you think. Some. A few. One, perhaps).

24 nov:
Air to launch silent film inspired album
John Talabot readies debut

19 Nov:
Big Pink gearing up new album
Floating Points to come with limited release EP

16 Nov:
Sharon van Etten album coming
Lindstrom to release new LP

07 Nov:
Chromatics to come with new album
James Blake to release new songs

03 Nov:
Mr. Oizo to release album next week
Prinzhorn Dance School to come with new LP

Azari & III live @ Trouw, Amsterdam (When Saints Go Machine supporting)

The woodwork squeaks and out come the freaks. With freaks, naturally being used as a term of endearment in this case. Wearing a t-shirt might just mean you are terribly underdressed when Azari & III come to town. Boys on heels, girls with half-shaven heads, and suddenly a small group in new wave black hits the scene. When the boys come on and hit the crowd with ‘Manic’, ‘Reckless With Your Love’, or some of the other album hits people are using the sparse room they have in the sold-out Amsterdam venue Trouw to strut their stuff. So plenty of people working it, and the two singers of Azari & III lead by example.
(to read the full report, click here)

Crazy Zany Radio Sunday - 'Misery Loves Company' by New Build

Every week our contributors will voice their opinion concerning one song, it’s a simple as that! The more the merrier, so people are always welcome to join in, just leave a note, eh.

Track: ‘Misery Loves Company’ by New Build (Listen here)

Average grade: 5.8

Ilse: At least I'm digging this more than most music by/related to Hot Chip. Also appreciating the fact that the drums on this song are almost instantly recognizable as Pat Mahoney's!
7.0

Craig: This is a rather average song: poppy beat, upfront & blasé lyrics. It is a familiar sound that doesn't really differentiate itself from any of the electro-80s sounding projects these days. The synth sounds in the background, and the dance-break drum ending save this one from being merely tossed into the pile with the rest of the slew. But only kind of.
4/10

Anna: Bit taken aback by this one - listening to new disco music in 2011 feels a bit off to begin with, let alone disco music when you're knee-deep in winter. I do enjoy the way it builds up to a sparkly place. Would I listen to it again? Probably not. Would I dance to it on a dancefloor? Probably yes.

Grade: 6

Linda: As much as I like the song, I'm still wondering why this had to be released (and promoted) as another Hot Chip side project. What makes this one so different that another franchise had to be created? Seriously, if someone has the answer to that question: please enlighten me. After seeing Chris Taylor (AKA the world's most sexy flautist/clarinetist) and his amazing Grizzly Bear side-project CANT live this week [subliminal messaging] go see them [/subliminal messaging] you have to earn the right to start another side-project with me - with the possible exception of Spencer Krug as he is King of side-projects.

6/10

Stef: I like how it starts with the catchy guitar, but it soon kind of morphs into this rather average pop song (and a rather lengthy one at that) with only a few elements that might propel people to the dancefloor. Also, I must say that I find both the title and the band name just a bit, well, tacky, I guess.

6/10

Big Pink announce details upcoming album

Future This will be the name of the new Big Pink album. It will be released on the 16th of January by 4AD and it will contain ten tracks. One of those tracks is ‘Stay Gold’, which I believe has been floating around the internet for a while now. Another track is called ‘Hit the Ground (Superman)’, which is a new track of theirs which is currently being touted as single.

New Floating Points EP Coming Out

Next week Floating Points will come with a limited release. It is called Shadows and it contains five lengthy tracks. One of those songs is called ‘Sais’ and was released as part of Record Store Day earlier this year. It will close out the limited release EP.

New Sharon van Etten album coming

On the seventh of February Sharon van Etten will release her new album. It will be called Tramp and it will be released by Jagjaguwar. The LP was recorded with Aaron Dessner in his studio, Dessner being in the band The National with whom she has a history of collaboration. Dessner is not the only one contributing however, with Zach Condon, Julianna Barwick, and Matt Barrick amongst the people lending their talents to the album. The album will consist of twelve tracks, including songs called ‘Serpents’, ‘Joke or a Lie’, and ‘Magic Chords’.

No, you cannot enter this cave, only one can, namely he who can play the magic chords! Blasted, Gert Dubossy thought, why is it always so hard to get a magic lamp? He had already tried one cave that was tiger shaped, and for that he needed a commoner, who naturally stole the lamp from him as soon as he got out of the cave. No one can be trusted. But okay, Magic Chords then, what would a cave want to hear? Regardless of that, I cannot play anyway. And so Dubossy started his quest for the best  sitar player in Arabia. Which wasn’t easy, for Arabia was renowned then for a lack of skillful teachers, plus it is hard to sound like Clapton without an electric guitar and the right amps. But lo, the lady from the flowershop told Dubossy about a talented sitar player on the corner of 42nd and Denden Plaza. So Dubossy went there, and from far away he could hear beautiful sitar music. Dubossy was filled with joy, but as soon as he opened the door he saw that, playing the sitar, was a young boy with old, ripped trousers and nothing over his toned upper body. Oh no, not another commoner unable to buy clothing, Dubossy thought, the last one stole my lamp! And so, to be on the safe side, he found other uses for the young man non-lamp related.

Lindstrom to release album in February

Next year Lindstrom will release his next album. This album will be called Six Cups of Rebel and it will be in stores on the 6th of February. The album will be released by Smalltown Supersound. It will consist of seven tracks and it will feature Lindstrom himself doing vocals. One of the tracks is entitled ‘Quiet Place to Live’, whilst the song ‘De Javu’ is already streaming.

And now I want a quiet place to live!, Rigobertus Derdatz yelled out when, at the age of sixty, he was tired of children kicking balls against his wiindow, teenagers sitting on the stairs to his door just “hanging” or “chillin’”, and he was especially tired of people screaming in the middle of the night when argueing about the costs of doing some unmentionable things to the unmentionables of low lives. When he opened the newspaper he saw a lovely cottage for sale in a rural area in Pennsylvania. Two months later he was living there, and three months later he had moved back to the city.

For there were his roots, and people aren’t much different in rural areas anyway. Children are tipping over cows (the noble Rigobertus always was inclined to help them up, but he really had no idea how. The very first time he tried to puts his back against the cow and dig in his heels to get the cow up. The second time he couldn’t do that anymore for the first time the cow had fallen down on Rigobertus, and he was recommended to not lift heavy objects for the next five months), teenagers are stealing his apples from his apple tree, and at night and very early in the morning animals simply do not stop making noises (at least the hookers in the city would stop when you called the cops, but when Rigobertus called the cops for the animals the reply was, Well, they’re animals, whaddayagonnado?). City life ain’t so bad after all.

The Weekly Froth #17 (with Casino Times, Lou Teti, Bostro Pesopeo, and more!)

The weekly froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week: ‘That’s the Truth’ by Casino Times

On a Scucci Manucci EP this is a track called ‘That’s the Truth’ by Casino Times. Now, I don’t know what the original is (And usually I’m pretty apt at finding that out one way or the other), so if you know drop a comment in the comment box. It’s got me hooked as soon as the first, deep “Oh-hoo” vocal lines come in. That in addition to some of the other sounds, which all have a bit of a deeper shade to them, really make for a very nice vibe. It’s really got this amazing atmosphere going on, a real 3AM track this is I reckon. Can’t picture myself anywhere but in a club at night getting absorbed by the music. After four minutes (on the dot) the vocals actually start singing, and that voice just fits the rest of the song so well. Definitely check this one out.

(To listen to this track and five others, and to read write-ups on those tunes, click here)

Owen Pallett and the Noord Nederlands Orkest live @ Catharinakerk, Eindhoven

Live report of Owen Pallett live at the Catharinakerk in Eindhoven with the Noord Nederlands Orkest

Eindhoven is radiant due to all the city lights that have been placed for the Glow festival. Massive amounts of people are ant-like finding their way through the city center, which is bending if not breaking. In the midst of it a huge church is crowded by a throng of people, who see light coming from the House of the Lord and think, Well, maybe there is something in the church that has to do with Glow. So people hoard around the entrance, most of them being told that, in fact, this is a ticketed event. A gig, no less. It is, namely, the end of Owen Pallett’s two-and-a-half year world tour, which he concludes with orchestra.
(to read the entire report, check here)

Crazy Zany Radio Sunday - 'No Real Reason' by White Denim

Every week our contributors will voice their opinion concerning one song, it’s a simple as that! The more the merrier, so people are always welcome to join in, just leave a note, eh.

Track: ‘No Real Reason’ by White Denim (listen here)

Average grade: 5.3

Craig: Love the phasers.  Super Pink Floyd-y, or maybe even a little T. Rex-y.  Pretty good slow stoner jam.  They play shows in Brooklyn all the time, and this song makes me interested in checking them out one rainy night in a dark venue.
6/10

Anna: Liking the trembling soundscape but on the whole the song seems to be meandering. White Denim are definitely better at being upbeat.

Grade: 5.5

Ilse: Rather calm and easy-paced for a White Denim song, isn't it? Not that surprising though, as White Denim always seems to be expanding their horizon, and blending different styles and genres. I love how this track starts off downtempo and slowly builds up to the part where everything ends up in a mess of distorted guitars and drums. Perhaps not the most inventive of songs, but certainly enjoyable, especially because we get to see another musical side of White Denim.
7.2

Linda: Huh. I seem to remember White Denim quite differently. Not that I remember them that well - I can only vaguely remember wishing I had brought my ear plugs which probably means they weren't that memorable in the first place. But then again, that description goes pretty well with this track (the not being memorable bit, I'm definitely okay without ear plugs for this one) - I couldn't even remember whether I'd actually listened to the track when I started writing this. I guess 'white' bands have outlived their time. 

2/10

Stef: Like Linda, I do remember them differently. Then again, we shouldn’t be holding bands hostage in previously tried genres. I like how the voice fits the rest of the music, and it is a nice early-in-the-morning-looking-out track when you just got home with the sun coming up. With that said, it is not terribly accomplished. It is a nice song, but I don’t think I’ll be remembering it for too long. If you like your outro’s though…

6/10

House of Beni by Beni – Album Review

 Album review - House of Beni by Beni

Naturally, the title of this album is a not so subtle pun. Beni named his debut House of Beni, obviously to signal that you are in Beni’s place where his rules go. Also, it is Beni’s house (music) that you will be hearing. Arguably this pun is not the greatest linguistic accomplishment ever, but in all its simplicity it does bring across the necessary information. Namely, this is an album by Beni and his friends, and what you’ll be hearing is music aligned to the sort of stuff you might hear at a house club. And the tunes on this album do evoke a place where it is getting down, where it is getting dirty, and where the hormones are raging. In other words it’s saying, welcome to my house, let’s jack it up.

(to read the whole review, click here)