|
Earlier records that were reviewed : (***
are my "top picks")
- Flavour'dish "Skin-Tight"
A fivesome from Bornem who have laid their second egg on the world with this Skin-tight
(which was a LP-title for The Scabs before). The egg in question turns out to
be one that contains psychedelic wrinkling pop & sixties rock.
- Miam Monster Miam "Hey Tank!"
Miam Monster Miam is an almost solo-project of Benjamin Schoos, who released 19
of the dreams that haunted him on a surrealistic and psychedelic CD + a series
of collages. Syd Barret meets Magritte.
- Star Club West "This is Howie"
Debut-cd of this band from Antwerp around singer/guitarist/songwriter Nico Jacobs,
with 8 guitarsongs that hesitate between intimistic and fuzz, between melody &
energy.
- Melon Galia "Les embarras du quotidien"
2 girls & 3 guys from Brussels, playing English pop on French lyrics, those
are the elements of this nice debut cd of Melon Galia. Fresh, sweet and juicy
like a ripe melon.
- Bert de Coninck "Pomme d'Amour"
After two (in)famous CD in the seventies as "crapule de luxe" Bert de
Coninck returns from his voluntary seclusion on Portugal. Less rock'n'roll than
he was then, he can still be counted among the better in the Dutch-lyriced section
of Belgian pop.
- Ghinzu "Electronic Jacuzzi" ***
A very strong candidate for the title "debut of the year", this first
album of the brussels-based band Ghinzu. Write it down, pass it on, tell it to
the neighbours and don't keep it for yourself : Ghinzu has delivered a great CD.
- Riguelle & Hautekiet "Red Harmony"
For their second CD together, Jan Hautekiet & Patrick Riguelle enlarged themselves
to a quartet, and went looking in their record collection again, coming up with
gems from Tom Waits to John Cale and from Townes van Zandt to Nick Lowe.
- Wawadadakwa "Voor Mama" With
a sleeve, Cd-title, songtitles and lyrics like these, it can't be denied that
the gentlemen of Wawadadakwa are a tad wacky. But their debut-cd is cheerful,
diverse, making their madness at times rather contagious.
- Vanilla Coke "Supermarket"
To promote the release of their "Supermarket" the gentlemen of Vanilla
Coke (winners concourt-circuit in 1998) displayed themselves for a day in a shop-window
in Brussels. Selling out?
- Kloot Per W "Moon - A Cassette Anthology
1979-1986" Kloot per W browsed through 7 years of cassette-output,
cut & pasted onto 3CD's and documented with a detailed booklet and a painting.
He fitted all this in a carboard box, and hopes it'll fit in your cd-cupboard.
- Laïs "Dorothea" ***
The signing folktrio had to prove a lot with their second CD, after the stormign
and charming success of their first CD. On Dorothea, they head in few new directions,
but affirm the good that has been said about them
- The Grandpiano "Turn" ***
Debut from this fresh band from Brussels (with a past in Juniper Boots), on the
Dutch label Baron Samedi Records. And a very intersting one, too. Check this out
...
- Axelle Red "Alive" In 2000,
Axelle Red toured France on the (AR) tour, and this CD (also availble with an
extra DVD) is a faithfull representation of the music (and public) during these
concerts. And the setlist is a "Best of". That the good news, the sad
news is in my review ...
- Stonedigger "A collection of Headphone
Songs" Second CD from this sympathetic lot from Limburg, after a
few major changes in the line-up, and a few minor changes in the musical direction.
Nice guitar-rock with multiple vocals, and a miserable cover on top.
- Sarah "Starlite Diner" For her second
Cd, EMI teamed up Sarah Decoster to the producer of Anouk, to a number of former
heavy-metal musicians, and to a few uninspired songwriters. There's better company
than that, and the result is what you might expect.
- Airlock "Drystar" Band that came
together when Scottisch/Turkish singer Esra Tasasiz teamed up with a trio of advertising
musicians in Brussels. The result can be labelled as triphop with influences from
Massive Attack, Hooverphonic, Air ...
- Venus "The man who was already dead"
Registration of a one-time performance in Brussels by the band Venus which had
their songs reworked by Renaud Lhoest and performed by the Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles.
- Kamino "Universal Love Music" Debut
by a band from Antwerp (with a history in the band *nAnCY), with 10 sweet &
simple songs, amidst which a few excellent singles such as "Tuduptup girls"
& "I have got to love me".
- The Whodads "Bongo Festeris" Large
gang of musicians who have clearly amused themselves (and us) by playing all kinds
of classics from the surf-, mambo- or film-repertoire, from Tito Puente to Bert
Kaempfert.
- Tom Helsen "Tom is doing great"
*** One of the better albums that were produced
in Belgium last year, with the emotional pop/rock of Tom Helsen in the style of
Counting Crows, Buffalo Tom & Novastar.
- Sharko "Meeuws" David Bartholomé,
aka Sharko, teamed up with Thomas van Cottem & Teuk Henri for his 2nd full
cd. The result is less extreme than the first one and could be described as personal
rock with an eye for detail.
- music from the motion picture Team Spirit
Jan Leyers excelled with "Only Your Love Will Do" and assembled a cd
with Paul Michiels, Yum, K's Choice, Sunny Side Up, Coco Jr., My velma and others,
to the honour of Jan Verheyen's motion picture "Team Spirit".
- Jan de Wilde "Oude Maan" ***
"old moon", the first CD by this modest man after a silence of over
10 years, with 11 short songs and truthful observations. He hopes it won't be
a success, we do.
- Das Pop "I Love" ***
The eagerly awaited debut album by this bunch of young turks from Ghent, reinventing
pop music in Britpop-style, assembling a catchy bunch of songs with elements from
60's, 70's, 80's ànd 90's.
- Daan "Verboden te zuchten" OST.
Soundtrack by Daan Stuyven (Dead Man Ray etc.) to an introspective film of Alex
Stockman. Don't expect too many songs, but all the more atmosphere. And in the
"composer's cut" even ...
- Urban Trad "One O Four" ***
Urban feel & traditional tunes, those are the two things Yves Barbieux tried
to reconcile by inviting some 20 musicians (from Ialma to Kadril and everything
in between) to his compositions. With the help of some poppy singles, this is
thé folk-album of 2000.
- Nieuwe Snaar "De Vierde Maat"
Musical clowns, funny melomaniacs and sharp observators "De Nieuwe Snaar"
have yet another show on the road, so again also a cd that is a testimony to the
wit and musical variety they keep displaying.
- AngeliCo "No rest for the Wicked"
Debut-cd of a number of non-debutants (with a past in bands such as Sin Alley
and Ashbury Faith), and with an number of great songs à la Garbage.
- K's Choice "Almost Happy" ***
Already the fourth album of brother & sister Bettens, on which they don't
try desperately to score hits, but just bring us simple, honest and warm songs.
More folk than rock, more fall than summer. And more beautiful than ever.
- Tongue "[a]venture" Debut cd of
this band from Brussels, that make rather introspective and mesmerizing pop, with
outbursts of fuzz and other activity in the choruses.
- Bruno "Down The Road" ***
Second solo-cd of this ex-Pink Flowers frontman Bruno Deneckere. It
has become a very pure country-album, which I compare to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska
or the sobre side of Green on Red. The bio names Townes van Zandt, Steve Earle,
and that is also not far from the truth.
- Derek & Vis "Makin' Water"
The duo from Ghent returns to songs in the English language, and does so in style.
On "Makin' Water" Derek sounds raw and old and poetic, naming Tom Waits
& Bob Dylan as inspirations and references.
- The Blues-O-Matics "Rockillero"
Second CD of this pleasant company that mixes all kinds of roots music and rockabilly
with firm injections of cajun, tex-mex and other spicy stuff.
- Tony "Love Like Porn" Debut-CD of
this Derek&Vis-friend, who seems to suffer from a mild case of Smiths-fixation
and has found in Pim de Wolf of the band Thou his local Johnny Marr.
- Hooverphonic "The Magnificent Tree"
*** Third cd of the band that has become a
trio by now and cannot be confined by the triphop label anymore. Instead they
sell us strong pop songs, richly orchestrated and dominated by the vocal capacities
of Geike Arnaert.
- de Bossen "Feel the Beating ..."
Second CD of this mostly female band from Antwerp, that is - as the cover suggests
- a lot less merry and sex-obsessed than their "The Girl Collection"
of two years ago.
- Ambrozijn "Naradie" Second CD
by this quartet of young, highly talanted, and ever-searching folk-musicians,
who take further steps in their attempt at renewing the way to play traditional
folktunes.
- Think of One presents Naft Antwerpse
fanfare op reis naar die plaatsen op de wereld waar er ambiance heerst. "En
vinde gij ons lieke schoôn, geeft, wa ge wilt geven, En hedde niks mor zing
de wel, gaat dan meee-ee-ee-ee-ee".
- Aiming Dishes "Vertical Divine"
Duo with a background in the Candy Dates, making an exercise in pure pop with
crystal clear vocals and fine arrangements, style courtesy of Squeeze, Crowded
House ...
- Geschmacksverstärker "Blow
Your Cover" Electro-noise duo from Limburg who found their name on
a packet of german crisps, and chose the cd-title because they want to "blow
up everything, so nobody can hide behind anything anymore".
- Betty Goes Green "Dreamers & Lovers"
6th cd of this band led by the Luc Crabbe (a blend of Iggy Pop & Bowie, as
far as his voice goes), and yet another fine example of songwriting of sound &
solid rock songs.
- Praga Khan "Mutant Funk" 4th
cd of this internationally renound techno outfit (best known for their "horny"
exploits with Lords of Acid). Psychedelic pop tunes mixed with techno ingredients
shift into a state of mutated funk.
- ABN "Seriewoordenaar" Second cd of
these inventors of the term "Frithop" (hiphop in Flemish), who have
outgrown that label since. With nice guest-appearances of Luc Devos, Ya Kid K
and Janez Detd.
- El Fish "Wisteria" Wisteria, blue
rain, is the fourth album of the outfit from Leuven, previously labeled as a bluesband.
After this CD, a new label will have to be found, because the horizon was once
again broadened to a large extent.
- Jaune Toujours "Brusk" A
fanfare with an accordion, chanson with Southern or Eastern influences ... is
the sort of music Piet Maris and his outfit Jaune Toujours presen on their second
cd "Brusk".
- Thou "Put us in Tune"
*** Second album of this interesting band, produced by John Parish,
recorded at the Portishead studio's and aided by musicians of Roni Size, Pj Harvey
and our very own Mauro. Experiments with melody.
- Buscemi "Our Girl in Havana" ***
Second album of producer Dirk Swartenbroekx, who mixes various kinds of Brazilian
and Latin-American moods & rhythms into a melting pot of house & drum'n'bass
& beats.
- Kamagurka "De Tactloze Top 30"
Hitparade of absurdist songs with raving funny lyrics that point out the deficiencies
of man and his pets. Favourite songtitle : "O Sabrina, what have you done
with my moustache".
- Dead Man Ray "Trap" ***
Second album of Daan, Rudy Trouvé and Co. Multi-layered dazzling soundscapes
that are firmly rooted on true quality pop & rock songs.
- Metal Molly "The Golden Country®"
*** Five years after being an overnight grunge-rock
sensation in the Lowlands and a sudden split, these guys have matured and grown
together again in a Welsh studio, with a new musical horizon and producer Mark
Wallis.
- Janez Detd. "Janez Detd." Punkrockband
with an open mind for music, a very bad taste in humour and the ambition to become
the best punkrockband of Western-Europe...
- Glittering 2000 Belgian Acts revisiting
glam classics - all previously unreleased songs, says the subtitle. From Arid
to Machiavel, from Soulwax to Ozark Henry ... all haven chosen a song from the
British seventies' gliterrock and did their own thing with it ...
- Anton Walgrave "The Hum" ***
Solo-debut of young singer-songwriter from Leuven, recorded in London with producer
Kevin Armstrong and an international backing band, resulting in a exquisite mix
of pop, rock, jazz, funk and folk
- Novastar "Novastar" ***
Two heavenly singles, ten tracks that never are less than very good, an exceptional
songwriter-ship, a vocal talent that tears your soul apart ... in short : this
is popmusic of an outstanding class.
- Neven "Bruxelogic" Despite the blue-ish
look of the cover this CD of cubase- sampler- and mix-manipulator Peter Clasen
& friends contains somthing that can be described as "triptechno":
firm rhythms, funny melodies, wacky samples ...
- Zakformaat XL "No.1" The
joint forces of the talented musicians Wigbert van Lierde, Patrick Riguelle and
Kris de Bruyne. For the fun of it.
- "Plage Tattoo / Circumstances" Music
by Zita Swoon Music that was written for a dance presentation of Les Compagnie
C de la B by one of the best bands that Belgium currently has to offer. Dance,
but not exactly disco ...
- Golden Green "ModBeats" Rock'n'Roll
with punk attitude in the tradition of Buzzcocks & The Jam, known from the
catchy singles "Incomplete" and "Songs of Paul Weller".
- Vive La Fête "Attaque Surprise"
French duet-pop from the sixies meets electronica-pop of the eighties in the persons
of dEUS-bass-player Danny Mommens and his girlfriend Els Pynoo.
- Gorki "Eindelijk Vakantie!" ***
The fifth studio-Cd of Luc de Vos and company - a rock-band with a sort of humour
that will be difficult to understand outside of the dutch-speaking world - and
according to me in the best they have released in the period they write Gorki
with an "i".
- Sharko "Feuded" Almost solo-project
of David Bartholomé (with Rudy Coclet) who does insanely beautiful things
in his quest not to become insane.
- Orange Black "Bright Lights"
Guitar-rocking trio takes on an extra guitarist and produces some fine poprock
on this, their second CD.
- Willem Vermandere "Onderweg"
Ginger-bearded bard looks at life at the age of sixty, and comes to the conclusion
we're all "on the road", to the promised land, from dusk till dawn,
from birth to death ...
- v/a "Rock To The Beat - The Ultimate New Beat
collection" Excellent overview of the dance genre that happened some
ten years ago in the Belgian clubs, when dark underground and acid teamed up to
make the Johnny's & Marina's dance ...
- El Fish "Hooked" Collection of
live-takes, alternative versions and other rarities that blues-band El Fish has
collected during the first five exciting years of it's career. Not just for the
fans though ...
- Decibel "Sightseeing" Rockband
from Vorselaar with a past in hard-rock. Nowadays they have calmed down considerably,
and present their second, self-produced CD.
Do you want to announce your album here?
Send your cd (plus optionally a bio or press-release, photo's, desired timing,
special wishes such as which audio-tracks ...) to
Dirk Houbrechts
Keinkesstraat 51
3600 Genk
Belgium
For questions & other stuff, you can also contact me on this adress, or
via e-mail : Dirk.Houbrechts@pandora.be
telephone : (0)478.88.33.74
fax : (0)70.70.21.45
|
