My year in music so far

Almost a quarter of a year has passed already, so what has this year brought so far and which new promises did it bring? Here's some of my personal high (and low) lights of the year in music so far. 2011 is still looking fingerlicking good!

Wild Flag
Last year I knew the band existed and who was in. Now I've heard a studio recording and have watched them live per live stream at SXSW. I've heard and seen the women in action now. Verdict? This is what rock music needs. This is what punk needs. This is what women need. This is what I need. Wild Flag is a great rock band who enjoy what they're doing. Something that's actually refreshing. The album will be out this Autumn on Merge Records. This one is candidate for Record of the Year, based on the songs live so far. High expectations can easily lead to high disappointments but this time I don't think that will happen.

Radiohead
So.... Radiohead suddenly released an album and had the entire population of music geeks in extacy. For me it's been a load of shit that's been released. Seriously, how many obscure bleeps, whacky piano loops and annoying vocals can you squeeze into one song? And this 8 times! I congratulate Radiohead with the surprise the release was but I officially won't call myself a fan of the band anymore. Yeah, I'm a stuck-up bitch who claims that they used to be better in their early days. Fuck that, it's true!

The Splinters
Didn't know them last year but these Brooklyn women have stole my music heart by storm. They also have a tambourine player. Yes, a sole tambourine player. I think that's class. And the songs are great too. They're one to watch.

The Cribs
Played their last show at the end of August at Leeds festival last year. Announced a two year break. Fast forward 7 months and they're back together in Wakefield recording songs in the drummer's garage. The return of lo-fi they're calling it themselves. Sounds promising. Johnny Marr is on his way to Moscow for one thing or another. Fine. Not sure if he'll return to the band but as great as it's been, I wouldn't really miss him. The punk male counter part to Wild Flag? This is a huge compliment I'm making to the Cribs who I rate extremely high and to Wild Flag. This is no offence. This means that I'm really happy with the Cribs' quick return. Bring it on!

The Boxer Rebellion
Following that band since (roughly) 2004 thanks to my sister. 2011 seems to be the year the rest of the world wakes up and seems to embrace them. They fully deserve that. But it's still weird. Why now? Why not three years ago? These guys had to work in shoe stores to keep their dream alive. They're really independent, releasing everything on their own label, everything independent for real. It's hard work. It's paying of. It's almost surreal to witness. But fully deserving.

Images from:
www.facebook.com/wildflag
www.twitter.com/thecribs

Interesting quote by Carrie Brownstein

"Janet hates slow songs. She hates listening to them and hates playing them, so if Mary or I bring in something too slow or sensitive, Janet will just bang the shit out of the drums until our sensitivity is obliterated."
—
Carrie Brownstein on Janet Weiss

Knowing this, bring on that Jicks album!

My own bootleg revolution

Bootlegs. They used to be valuable. Kids would record shows, copy them on tapes and pass them on. Some more advanced kids would even press them on vinyl and sell them in shabby record stores. Later on they got copied on CD and spread/sold amng fans and sometimes you'd find them in second hand record stores. Pearl Jam would release every show they did on CD and sell them all over the world in record stores. If you were lucky the sound would have been good, filtered so you wouldn't only get the 'yeah yeah woohoo yeah' from the person who stood next to the person who recorded the show. Along came the internet and the MP3, file sharing sites and youtube. No longer we'd pass on cassettes of a show. We go on youtube, ask in forums if people had recorded the show and mock if no one wants to upload it. We're spoiled aren't we?

I'm not really a big fan of listening to live recordings, it's met with a lot of misunderstanding but it doesn't really appeal to me. I rather be at the show myself or listen to the studio recording. I don't mind the recordings itself, but I don't really like listening to it, that's more like it. I get iritated when the radio isn't tuned properly and you'll hear a minor rustle or other disturbances. This might seem like I'm overreacting but it makes me turn off the radio and rather sit in silence. Knowing this you might understand why I'm not the biggest fan of listening to live recordings, whether you agree or not.

I own live recordings. I have a few Kent bootlegs at home, but I never listened to them. I have the Kaizers Orchestra live album. Listened to it once. I have a live CD of the Cribs that came with the Roses Edition of their latest album. Never listened to it. I own the live CD that came with a special edition of the New Fellas. No, never. I'm a record collecting nerd though. So these are albums that have a place in my collection. I wouldn't necessarily download them from the internet if that would have been the only place I could get these. Unless I was at that show. In that case I'd consider.

However. I do own two bootleg recording of the Bangles on cassette. These shows are from 1983 and 1986. I love them, the 1983 show more than the 1986 show, which mostly is becuase the 1983 is more garage than 1986. In 1983 there were no walking Egyptians and manic Mondays. I've played these tapes a lot and I still occasionally do. I love some old school Bangles and these are live recordings I can listen to. The mysteries of life.

So, with my history of letting digital bootlegs pass me by, why am I being so excited about the few Wild Flag bootlegs I found? I haven't been in the position to listen to them yet but I intend to. Heck, I even intend to copy them on a disc! Could it be, considering that the Bangles bootlegs are the only ones I listen to on a relatively frequent basis, that I only like women's bootlegs? That's nonsense. I think with Wild Flag it's a totally different story and it might relate to the tape sharing from the early punk days.



Chances are that you don't understand why I'm so much into Wild Flag in the way that I am. I'm at the wrong side of the ocean for one to really participate in this start of the young punk/garage/nugget band. But there's sincerely a revolution going on. Think Riot Grrrl. Think Nirvana. (think that this was all around the same time and these girls were musically active themselves around that time). Something's going on. And despite living on the wrong side of the ocean, it's possible thanks to the band being relatively active on both twitter and facebook, to be part of it anyway. It's because of Wild Flag I got myself a facebook in the first place, I was highly anti-facebook. Even if you'd think Wild Flag are nothing less than a bunch of middle-aged women who are living a midlife crisis (shame on you!) then so be it. Maybe that's exactly what I am then. I know of course that this is not the case. Wild Flag is a little music revolution. They're loving it. A bunch of other people are loving it. I'm loving it. And if that means consuming bootlegs before the first album hits the stores, it's all part of the game. I love this game.

My first Wild Flag review based on actual sound!

Ever since I know about the band Wild Flag I'm a little obsessed with that band. It started when I only knew who was in the band and they hadn't even recorded a single song, nor had they ever performed. Who's in the band? Janet Weiss. Carrie Brownstein. Mary Timony. Rebecca Cole. Four rock goddesses. This could only end well. This could only kick ass. As soon as they started performing youtube films emerged. I'm not a big fan of other people's recordings because no matter how hard you try, it's wobbly and the sound's rarely good. I watched a few clips because I needed to know if these women were really as good as they should be. It was confirmed, they were. They kicked ass. Pure rock n roll. Dirty, raw and pretty amazing. They rocked. They just rocked. I know my chances to ever see them live are slim but it didn't stop me loving this band more.

The band will release a 7" for Record Store Day. This annoys me. Because considering the band is worshipped by a certain group, that group isn't very big, I don't think the European press even knows this band exist or they don't understand what the Big Deal is. It's American Alternative Rock I suppose and that doesn't do well in Europe. (Kings of Leon is NOT American alternative rock). So the chance that I will ever get my hands on that record are about zero. But since Friday 04-03-2011 at least one song is streamed online. 'Glass Tambourine' is the first studio recording we ever hear from Wild Flag. Are they worth the obsession? The adoration? The anticipation? Well, Hell Yeah!

'Glass Tambourine' starts with nice vocal harmonies, almost sweet (yet raw) guitar, a tambourine and has a bit of a nice 60s pop feel to it. Then after a few minutes the song breaks. There's an a-capela bit (supported by an interesting bass-line) which leads into a mean guitar outburst with killer drums and other great sounds. It gets dark and psychedelic. It roars, it rocks and it kills. Roll over Jimi Hendrix, what a guitar sound! This is how rock was intended to sound. The band did everything except disappoint and with the high expectations, that's quite an accomplishment.

I love Wild Flag. I've played this track over and over again. I also admit to pretty much crappy record it from the internet, the quality of my recording is pretty lousy but at least it's on my walkman now. The album is to be expected in September and the waiting will be long. I will get that album. Wild Flag has managed to become one of my favourite bands and now with actual audio proof. I trust these girls. They absolutely rock. They are an inspiration as well. Thank you for being Wild Flag.

2011, will you do me good?

Hello 2011, how do you do? So far, my first day at work has been a bit of a drag. I'm a down right moody bitch and it's annoying myself even. There's something about a new year, like you should start it jolly and fresh and enthusiastic like 2010 did not happen. I guess that just rubs me the wrong way. There are however a few things to look forward to in 2011 and here's three of them.

Kaizers Orchestra
The Norwegian band has completed recording their Violeta Violeta trilogy and will unleash it to the world these two years, its first release is scheduled for this month and in March they'll be playing in Amsterdam which show I will obviously attend, if only it was to meet up with one of my best friends who I met two years ago at the same venue for the same band. As with the first Kaizers Orchestra albums, these albums tell a story. It's a trilogy after all. It tells the story of a family with a small child. The mother gets seriously insane and the father takes the child and runs away, hiding in the world. The mother obviously goes more insane, doesn't leave her house for 7 years, crying buckets filled with tears. During one of her moments of pure insanity, she wears her wedding dress, goes crying through the house and pours gasoline over her dress. She catches fire and gets seriously burned. She survives and her sadness turns into anger and vows to hunt down the father and the child. Expect a grand finale. I can't wait!

Janet Weiss
With Carrie Brownstein, Mary Timony and Rebecca Cole she has formed Wild Flag which will be recording an album and release it as well. If that isn't enough, it's known that the Jicks, as in Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks where she drums as well, have been messing about in some exciting basement in Portland (the one of Jick Joanna Bolme and husband and Crib Gary Jarman) and the band has already recorded and apparently Beck (yes, that Loser guy) is involved as well. Goody! Quasi is also touring in 2011 so Janet Weiss is very busy. Which means good for music. Let's hope she'll find her way to Europe once more.

Photography
I have a Fisheye 2. I have a Diana F+ Edelweiss. Hello??!! When I picked my pictures from the lab (department store HEMA) yesterday, there was one picture that made it all worth while. Do you know these pictures of highways, where you can only see the lights of the cars as a beautiful string of light? That's the kind of picture I made (with the Diana mini) and made me very excited about making more pictures. I want layers! Light effects! Long exposures! No more just snapping the pets (which is a fun thing to do), let's go mess up photos and take pictures of each other in silly settings and poses. 2011, I'll capture you good!

Reflection on 2010, new hobbies, less bands.

Last day of the year, always a good one to look back right? It's the oldest cliché in the book of course, I'm trying to be a little original here but I'll probably fail.

Favourite new hobby:
Lomography. Analogue love if you please. I've always loved taking pictures. With my digital camera I already shot a lot of pictures and since a few months I finally have a mobile phone which takes excellent pictures as well. But Lomography is something else, taking pictures with an analogue camera, plastic cameras, replicas of the cheap models of the 60s which have no limits to your creativity. Where a digital camera will instantly adjust your image, analogue won't. With Lomography you shoot from unusual angels, use multiple exposures if you please, play with light, there are no rules! When my sister bought her Diana F+, which holds a 120mm film and produces breath-taking results, I bought a disposable camera with red flash. A new hobby is born. So far I own a Holga Pinhole camera (35mm), Diana F Mini (35mm), a Fisheye (35mm and my favourite toy at the moment, I must mention it's pink!) and a Diana F+ (120mm, the Edelweiss edition) and I always try to take a disposable camera with me. Bringing away the films and especially picking them up is a little party. Best new thing I took on this year and something I will take into the new year for sure.

Favourite new music discovery:
Of course there was the birth of Wild Flag and knowing that 2011 will produce at least two albums with Janet Weiss is something to be really excited about. But my favourite music discovery is Marina and the Diamonds. Her appearance this year went a little unnoticed by me. I knew she was out and about but that was about it. But it took a live concert to open my eyes, which happened a few years back with Kate Nash as well. The second Marina stepped on stage she got me. She is real, the songs are amazing, Marina is amazing.

Regret of the year:
Listening to new bands. There are thankfully exceptions to this, but do I regret to test-listen to a lot of new bands this year. This is the new shit, this is such a great band, so inventive and creative. Most of the times these descriptions caused my ears to bleed. I rather miss out on a good band than ruin my good mood with awful music. Stop thinking you're better than the 80s. Plug in your microphone. Label your music if you must with something that's actually true. Using drugs is not making your band appear cooler. Play music you actually like. Then we'll talk.

Music hero of the year:
This can't be any other than the person who's music and other work I love since a little girl and having seen for the first time this year. Ernst Jansz. His show was a big ode to Bob Dylan who's songs he had translated for his latest album. I do not like Dylan. But this show was interesting and entertaining just by the way he did it. And not just that, I met him. Meeting your childhood idol is something amazing. And he was amazing. One of the best moments of 2010.

Favourite reunion:
Reunions have been plenty this year but my favourite must have been Pavement. Seeing these guys play live was a true treat. It was still early enough in the year for them to at least display the joy they had in playing together again. To see the King of Slackers in action himself was a treat. Malkmus played his guitar with such ease and almost disinterest, just wow. Another happy reunion this year was the one of former Sleater Kinneys Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss. New band but oh wow. Bring it on for 2011! Which is to say as well for Malkmus current band, the Jicks.

Favourite trip abroad to see a band:
It was only one this year but it was of the best. I went to London by myself in July taking the fast train. I had to start the trip a day early because on the actual travel day, the Dutch national football team was being honoured in Amsterdam and there was no way getting OUT of the town. Hmmpppfffff... In London I met up with my sister and we had an amazing time in London, I had forgotten how London is a great city with a lot of hidden secrets. The purpose of our trip were The Cribs who would play without Johnny, but the first two albums in its entirety. What a gig! Old skool to the bone, soaked in sweat, bounced as much as possible, like a Cribs gig should be.

Re-inventing the wheel moment of the year:
That wasn't such a long time ago. While listening to the radio, Top 2000 obviously, I made the most pointless statement of the year. "You know, just like you have cat-people and dog-people, you also have Rolling Stones-people and Beatles-people". At the time I said it I felt like I had just made the most clever comment ever, but of course even I had to admit that everyone knows (me included) that this is the case ever since the 60s, which makes this statement really pointless. I'm a Beatles-person, in case you're interested.

My Play Live Wish List for 2011

Even though the ticket prices in the Netherlands will be considerably higher next year due to complete ignorance and misjudgement of our government, I'm still looking forward to gigs and shows to go to. Even though going to shows will mean I'm paying to pave another highway and other things not needed, I still love music and still want to experience the beauty of raw and pure music enjoyment. But, if I already have to pay more which won't go to the artists or the venues, I have but a few bands I really really want to see in 2011. So, here's my Live Wish List for 2011. The highly unlikely bands of course.

The Cribs
Four months ago the Cribs went on a 2 year break. I didn't believe it at the time but it kinda really looks like they're doing it. Never mind 50% of the band posting Global Words of Wisdom and Other Signs of Boredom on Twitter, 25% being bored in general (or so we could conclude from, again, Twitter) and the remaining 25%? We can only guess (no Twitter), but probably they are enjoying their break. I think it's fairly safe to say that 75% of the band wouldn't mind to cut down the 2-year-break and here's my plan: get yrselves (all 100% of you) to a god-lost barn in Oregon, lock yourself up and TOUR the outcome next year, in 2011. I don't neccesarily need a new album, I just want to see these guys play live again. I'm having bad withdrawels.

Wild Flag
My heart skipped a beat by reading this band plays Birmingham next year, but of course they meant the town in America, not England. But you know what, instead of playing in venues called 'Sticky Fingers Rock 'N' Roll Chicken Shack' (I'm not making this up! It's in Little Rock), can I suggest playing in 'Paradise', 'the Milky Way' or in 'Bittersweet' instead? Oh, and they're all in Amsterdam. The Netherlands - I didn't mean New York.

Quasi
These guys are soooooo good, I really would love seeing them again. No indie kiddos around either, just perfect. Do the funds stretch? Let's hope so.

The Jicks
Apparently there's a new album in the works and halfway done since early 2010, I don't see why this band shouldn't make their way to the Netherlands.


So far I've given Janet Weiss three oppurtunities to go tour, she will love it.

Boston Spaceships
Look, this band hardly ever plays, they don't have the time as they are releasing album after album but I really wouldn't mind seeing them in Paradiso Kleine Zaal, it would be absolutely perfect.

Wild Nothing
Went to see them this year not knowing what they really sounded like and I got to say, I absolutely liked what I heard. I want to see them again. To see and hear if they can surprise me again. And if their record collection still primarely excists of records by The Smiths and The Cure.

Kate Nash & Marina & the Diamonds
Power women! Solo singers with something to say. You can't see enough of them, can you? I love going to a Kate Nash show, there's so much raw power coming from the stage. And Marina, she stole my heart. I need to see if she takes good care of it.

All Smiles
Seeing Jim Fairchild with Modest Mouse this year was an absolute treat. Such a joy to see this man play. If All Smiles makes it on tour and across the Atlantic, it would also be a good chance to have a good look at mister Joe Plummer. You can't hide on a small stage.

Kent
I refound my love for this Swedish rock band. I lost it because they forgot to rock. I would be absolutely delighted to see them play again, though they tour rarely now and only in Sweden. It's time El Cheapo takes it from Amsterdam to Gothenburg. Or Stockholm, I would even do that.

Live Recordings and Wild Flag go together like Brownies and Whipped Cream

I hate live recordings. Whether they are official releases or shaky youtube clips, I'm not a fan. There's always someone screaming or whooo-ing through the entire song, whether it's a youtube or an official release. They belong to every live gig and I wouldn't want anything else while being at a gig (though please, not directly into my ear, thank you) - but it should stay inside the venue. I won't deny either that these youtube clips are heaven if you can't see that band yourself. But would I listen to these? No.

Until now.

I'm absorbing anything WILD FLAG. Pictures, youtubes, messages. I bow down in gratitude to the people who filmed these current shows. WILD FLAG has not recorded anything just yet (but I among many with me would blindly and immediately pre-order the CD if Merge Records would make this available right now) but Janet Weiss, Carrie Brownstein, Mary Timony and Rebecca Cole says enough to make the mouth water and for many this band is their New Favourite Band. For me, it's long since I had such an obsession for a band. It might be because I lived on Mars without wifi when riot grrrl was rolling, it might be because My Favourite Band is on a 2-year-break (and we're on month 3). For heaven's sake, I'm almost 35 but when I hear Carrie Brownstein roar "Racehorse" I get giddy. I want to jump up and down and I want to see that band.

This morning three ripped songs past by on my walkman while on my way to work, I got a bright grin on my face and loved it so much. I loved a live recording. I was able to listen to a live recording with my high tech headphones on. The first ever band who managed that was My Favourite Band On A Two Year Break a few years back. Tells you something? Tell me a lot. Favourite Band, there's a new Runner Up!

What is the sound of an avalanche taking out a dolphin?

I've been blogging lately without forcing it down the throats of my twitter followers (meaning me tweeting the link, not sure if my entire twitter following reads it but I don't expect them to). Not sure why really, I had something to say, the good and the bad, just to get it out of the system. Nothing wrong with that.

I'm currently more than just obsessed (I have no other word for that) with the band WILD FLAG. In case you lived under a rock, have no interest in whatever happens in the Portland music scene nor the post-riot-grrrl movement, do not care what pitchfork has to say, etc here's who's in WILD FLAG: Carrie Brownstein, Janet Weiss, Mary Timony, Rebecca Cole. And if that doesn't make you just the slightest excited than you probably don't understand why I am so excited about a band who only formed a few months ago, has not recorded one single note, did not tell anything about what exactly they sound like. They do have a record deal and will be recording their first album (insert fan-girlish squeak here) and are currently on tour at the US West Coast. I am jealous of each person who is attending their shows. All of them. I mean, grrrr, I wanna be there too!!! But I'm here in Amsterdam and chances are that I probably will never see them (which I also thought with Quasi, so who knows) so what's left for me is hoping someone has recorded it and thankfully, there are 3 videos out there and my oh my! I hate live recordings but not these. It's all I got! And these women rock, like you'd expect them too. They all sing, which is fantastic news because Janet Weiss has a fantastic voice too, and they just sound fantastic. Most anticipated album of 2011? Yes! Best album of 2011? I have no idea who else will release albums in 2011 (apart from the Decemberists which first song from that album is amazing as well), but I can already tell they have a good chance! It's been a while since I was so excited about a new band. And you know what, I'm loving it.

It's November and crawling towards December and we all know what that means. Indeed, End Of The Year Lists. Oh yeah. I never agree with these lists by so-called experts and always wonder why they left out them and them and them. But I read them anyway, hoping someone will meet my standards. Will I make them as well? Of course. Will I force them through the throats of my twitter following? You bet I will! I've been thinking about my best albums, songs and live gigs of 2010 already and it's not as easy as one might think. It's not that I don't know what the best album of 2010 is (I know this since February) nor what the best song is (since January) but who else is in the list and in what order? It's time to get serious about this.