16-01-2014: EP The River Has Many Voices - Division
This is a great folk song by The River Has Many Voices that ends with a beautiful harmonica solo. I just love the basic man-with guitar style that The River Has Many Voices plays so well on this 6-track record, released in June of last year.
This is music made for midnight. Late at night, with the world asleep and the last candles slowly fading out. You finish your drink and sit in the cold darkness enjoying these perfect songs breaking the calm silence. As the kitty sleeping on your legs yawns again & goes back to sleep, perfection takes over for just a few minutes. Heaven can be as close as you allow it to be.
This album easily takes me there. I hope it does the same for you.
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15-01-2014: Track Angel Haze - Same Love
Hiphop talent Angel Haze does a 30 Gold-thing covering other hiphop tracks. The original of this song by Macklemore is pretty awesome, but this cover is so much better. Angel Haze puts her heart and soul in this performance.
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11-01-2014: Track Camilla Sparksss - Europe
Play this as loud as you can and go nuts for a few minutes. Welcome to the weekend!
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08-01-2014: Track Curxes - Avant-Guarded
This was labelled "Blitz-Pop" somewhere and I couldn't have named it better. Addictive and noisy electronic pop tunes by a really cool British duo; meet Curxes.
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06-01-2014: Must-Have of the Month The Box Tiger - Set Fire
New year, old music. It's funny how I'm (well, me and every other blogger out there) so desperately trying to close off 2013 by writing my own little end-of-year list & wish you all a grand 2014 (twice) and continue to write about 2013-releases for at least two more weeks into the new year. In my defense, I've always been terrible at saying goodbye. Anyways, new Month, new Must-Have: The Box Tiger's Set Fire is a straight-up rock album that stays on top every second and keeps you dancing and singing along all the time.
When you listen to the full album on Bandcamp this is the 1st track being played, on the album it's actually track three and there's a pretty good reason for it: It Fucking Rocks! Tracks 1 and 2 are okay, but this is a real album opener. I can also totally relate to the title, but that's a whole different story..
The album slows down a bit with "Hospital Choir", but quickly regains the high pace with "Knives" and "Taller Than Trees", making this a great work-out record for you fatties out there trying to get rid of those Christmas-pounds. Perfect for interval-training, trust me.
Like any decent rockband a ballad-type song is required. I make that sound bad, which it usually is, but it works really well here. Leadsinger Sonia Sturino has a great powerfull voice for the tough rocksongs, but with the guitars a little louder and the pace a little lower her voice has more depth and emotion in it.
With so much great songs on it, I call this album a Must-Have. There's just a tiny little thing I don't like about it, and that's the closing track. For some reason it fails on me. It's not a bad song, but there's much better songs on the album and I was expecting some sort of an epic closing track for an album this great. Despite that minor setback, I love this record!
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05-01-2014: Track Mark Martyre - Goodbye
Mark Martyre released his new album London in November and although it's still growing on me, I've been completely addicted to this song "Goodbye" since the very beginning. His raw voice and the easy-going guitar tunes are great, but the song is just epic by the way it builts up and ends with a beautiful fading solo. I Love This Song!
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31-12-2013: sch I.HEART.2013
From where I'm sitting the year is over in 5 hours and 17 minutes. I'm off to a party in a little over an hour, nothing fancy. Just a few good friends, fine wines and terrible music. But the night is young and so ain't I, so I'm just sitting here, staring at the wall. My thoughts are forcing me to consider the year, looking back at the mistakes I've made, doubting the few good decisions I may have made. I turn up the stereo and focus on the music. Despite my hate for yearlists I did surround myself with the finest of the finest of the year these last few weeks. I worked myself through 22 pages of items, some even better than they were back then, some are a total mystery, most of the music sounds like I've remembered it. The greatest albums still give me the chills, in a good way. I know every note, every word, every sigh, I know the silence between 2 songs. The albums have no secrets left for me to discover, still I hear a little something new every week.
Fireworks light up the room and I'm glad my easily scared cat seems not to care for the lights and sounds outside. The stereo bangs even louder as the next great record starts playing. Instead of turning it down, I turn it up. The world can stay outside a liitle longer for now. I'm embracing the year that is almost gone a little longer. Although everything will be exactly as it is now, when we wake up tomorrow, it'll be a whole new era nonetheless. We enter the new year with renewed hopes and dreams. With big plans and new intentions. We're gonna do so much things differently in 2014. I'm no stranger to basic emotions and I have some plans of my own. Most are not worthy mentioning for the careless music lover, but one involves this blog. I'm not sure what it is that'll be different next year, but I'm working on new things. Maybe more words, less items. Maybe I'll take January off. With less than 5 hours to go, I have no idea. So we'll just see where 2014 takes us, won't we?!
I remember sitting here last year, wondering if 2013 would bring beautiful music like 2012 did. After years of listening, but not really loving, I fell in love again with music and a small range of specific artists in 2012. Now that this year is coming to an end, I'm very happy I've experienced the same sensation in 2013 and I'm confident it'll happen again in the new year. No love is the same, the range of emotions is endless and each record strikes a different chord. But I feel love for music, like I hardly feel for anything or anyone at all. No matter how harsh that may sound. And I feel love for a few specific artists and albums, that I will describe briefly to you. Just a few words and one song. We might call it a 2013-yearlist, but that would cover the intensity of these albums for me personally and it would mean that all the fine artists that have brightened my days this year but are not mentioned here, would be less great. And that is just not true. Anyway, Let's play some tunes!
I've never been a big fan of Dutch music, but Jeroen Kant is my new Dutch musical hero. I'm checking his calender every week and as soon as he's playing a show nearby, I'll be there. The songs are dark and haunting, the lyrics unlike anything I've ever heard (by a Dutch singer). This will be a record I'll take with me for the rest of my life, I'm not even slightly kidding.
Andy is the kind of singer-songwriter I could definately fall in love with, I'm pretty sure I did for a little while this Summer. She's cool, she's funny, she's down to earth, but the most special thing about her is that beautiful voice and the power to write amazing songs. My soundtrack for the Summer of 2013 will always be Andy's Release - The Oslo Recordings. And the liveshow of the year, despite all the great rock and jazz shows I've seen, was that Sunday afternoon sitting on the grass, with just a few dozen people, Andy being her relaxed self, singing her beautiful songs. Life couldn't get much better than that.
December 2012 I wrote a little something on Said The Whale's previous record Little Mountain. I loved that record, played it for ages and I was thrilled when they spoke of a new record. First single "I Love You" is among the best songs of the year, but the rest of the album didn't really speak to me. But when I heard "Helpless Son" everything changed. Another beautiful song and I had ordered myself a vinyl copy of the record. Now that I've been getting more familair with it, I'm confident Hawaiii is an even better album than Little Mountain, an impressive work of art, best enjoyed loud. Don't forget to sing and dance, it'll add to the fun!
The first ever record that had my name printed in the booklet, I showed it around like I recorded the album, but in all honesty I only contributed to the album by cash. Despite being mentioned in the 'thank you'-lines, I do love the album for what it is. Rural Ghosts made a killer rock album with a twist. The cello on the album and on this song make this an outstandingly epic rock record, impossible to be compared to anything else, only the truly great albums get to be unique. Need I say more?!
That's just 4 albums that have touched my heart and soul over the last 12 months. There's so much more to share with you. I've fallen in love with the beautiful sweet tunes by singer-songwriters like Björn Kleinhenz, Justin Paul Lewis, Paul Federici and Filardo.
I've been completely blown away by the intense epic tunes of the new Kanye West album (hated it at first, I'm loving the shit out of it now), the Roaring jazz-vibes of BADBADNOTGOOD (they played a fucking brilliant show at North Sea Jazz Festival), the highly appraised Son Lux, The dark melodies of the most surprising act of the year: Les Monstres Terribles and the incredible fusion between jazz and folk that was created by Little Tybee on their must-hear record For Distant Viewing.
Cantoo's self-titled debut record was another work of art in the highest degree. I still feel this is the 60s record my dad would've loved the most if it was released 50 years ago. Nowadays it is the 60s record I love the most, although it was released this year.
This Is Where We Are by Seryn was released January 2011, but I didn't find it untill December 2012 and I became fully aware of it's beauty in 2013. So this is ongoing story about a great record coming a long way to find me, but it did and I'm still in love with it. Best enjoyed with candles lit, a smooth red wine and a pretty lady that prefers listening over talking (a rare kind, I know..). Love it.
But the one and only artist that'll always be the 1st one on my mind when we start looking back on 2013 in the years to come is Beccy Owen. I wrote 5 items on her music in 8 months and if would've allowed myself it should've been a lot more. I started out with her 11 year old debut album The Sweetest of Tales From The Bitterest Edge and I fell straight into heaven when I 1st heard it. When writing an 'introduction'-item about her I didn't even had a clue what I was in for. But the new album that seemed to be in the works was definately in the works. I ended up sponsuming (is that a word?) her new album and received a review copy before the release-date, which I really needed, because the craving for new music was getting to me. She knows me well.. IMAGO was eventually released this month and I have already named it the finest record of the year. Now that the year is 3 hours and 46 minutes away (times flies when you're having drinks with great music) from being over, I have no other option than repeat that statement: Beccy Owen's IMAGO is the best record 2013 has produced.
I wish you an amazing 2014: With beautiful music, great friends, amazing love & good health.
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31-12-2013: Track Pickering Pick - Remember This
One of the musical highlights of 2013 was Pickering Pick's new album (Tropic). And on the last day of the year there are few songs more suitable than this freshly released song. Make some coffee, open up a cold beer or pop some champagne, relax & take a few moments to consider 2013. The year behind us, the laughs and the tears, the moments you'll always treasure and the moments you'd rather forget. This song will go very well with it, and if you need a little more time than 3 minutes (I know I do), just click on repeat.
I can think of no better song than this to end the year with.
Have a great New Year's Eve! Be safe! See you on the other side.
All the best,
Jeroen
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28-12-2013: mixtape I.HEART.2013: 14x2013
Well.. We might as well look back at the year behind us. See what great music was found, shared and loved. By me. To you. This smells egotistic, but that's writing a blog anyway, so no point in stopping now. I’ll try and make this as enjoyable as I can. I promise not to write a lot of bullshit you are not interested in and just stick to the many, many beautiful tunes that found their way to this blog, and hopefully to your ears and heart. Just let me explain real quick that this is just a selection in random order, based on my personal preferences.
I wrote this item with a new visitor in mind. If this would be the 1st item he or she would read about music in 2013, which songs or albums would I recommend? Here we go:
But the only song I would ever name 'single of the year' if someone would ask me is "April" by The Lake Poets. Breathtaking. Beautiful in a way music rarely is.
There has been so much great music in 2013 and this selection stands for nothing but my own personal taste on a Saturday afternoon, carefully selected and very incomplete when it comes to grasping the year 2013 in music. But I am just one man with one taste, and music doesn't get much better than 'April' by The Lake Poets.
Stay tuned for 13 breathtaking albums of 2013 somewhere in the next few days..
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28-12-2013: Album Eli Mardock - Everything Happens for the First Time
On the break of 2014 here's another great 2013-relase you really shouldn't miss out on. Eli Mardock's new album Everything Happens for the First Time is an addictive spin on todays pop and rock music, giving Muse (among others) a new hero to look up to.
This song reminds me of the first time I heard an Ayreon-record. The bombastic sound, the vocals each telling their own stories, the mid-song switch in tempo and sound. Untill I fell completely in love with Ayreon's "Into the Electric Castle" back in 1998 I had never heard anything like this. And since then it's still a rare thing to hear. Probably because it's also not very easy to make it sound good, but Eli Mardock makes it sound great!
The Muse-link is very obvious in Eli Mardock's music, it is undeniable. That's not a bad thing at all when it sounds this good and I'm really more thrilled with this record than I was with the previous Muse-records (which I love without exception).
Despite the clear musical connection, Eli Mardock has definately made a record that is all his own. And with the overwhelming presence of a band like Muse that has such a specific sound the comparisation is an easy call. Which makes it hard for such a shitty reviewer like myself not to mention that other band a few times. But I'll end it like a true pro and make the final statement all about this album:
Great! Fucking! Record!
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27-12-2013: Track Warm Weather - XMAS 2013
So Christmas is pretty much over by now, but I received these 2 songs in the mail yesterday and they're too beautiful to wait another 363 days before I can post them. Don't throw away your Christmas tree yet, it ain't over till it's over!
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