Remy van Kesteren: "Threads" try-out show in Amsterdam

photo: Nick Helderman

Dutch harpist Remy van Kesteren will perform a try-out for his new Threads show about Orpheus and resistance @ Splendor in Amsterdam on September 28. Electronics, loops and lights will be part of it.

» remyvankesteren.com

Blake: Ready, Steady, Quo!

English singer-songwriter Blake picked two familiar songs and a deep cut for his Status Quo covers EP Ready, Steady, Quo!, the band that evolved from a psychedelic folkies act into a 12-bar boogie powerhouse. Most people will be familiar with Pictures of Matchstick Men, which was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic and the only song to get some traction in the early days of the Quo. Blake sticks close to the original version (same goes for the included live take).

Things get interesting with his choice for Gerdundula, a track from Dog of Two Head, the first album recorded by what would later be called the Frantic Four - the classic Rossi-Parfitt-Lancaster-Coghlan line-up. Blake obviously loves this song - he loves the whole album in fact - a transitional one that fell through the cracks, but it is a real gem in the band's discography. Finally he tries his hand at the live favourite In My Chair. Trying to play this in the same tempo as the original eluded him, so he chose wisely and went for a slighly slower one that works quite well.

Jo Carley And The Old Dry Skulls: new album "Boneyard Rituals" in October

English old school vaudeville blues trio Jo Carley and The Old Dry Skulls will release their new album Boneyard Rituals on October 14. It is the first one featuring Stephane Spitz on baritone and tenor saxophone extensively. He made his first appearance on lead single Only When The Moon Is Full.

Ismena: Please Don’t Ask Me How I’ve Been

photo: Maaike Ronhaar

Dutch folk singer and multi-instrumentalist Ismena shows strength by being fragile yet sturdy on her new album Please Don’t Ask Me How I’ve Been. Telling people to take a hike without raising your voice is a hard thing to do, but by pointing out her scars one by one, she makes a strong case for reaching closure, but holding out on forgiveness for now.

It is just her voice, guitar and piano mostly, which is the right amount when the focus is on her lyrics. She is her own backing vocalist as well, but she refrains from studio trickery. A bit of echo is in order, but that doesn't sweeten the hurt, but only enhances it even more. No catharsis just yet, but this self-styled of musical therapy will surely have helped her, plus it offers comfort to others who have been damaged as well.

M. Woodroe: The Treatment of Fractures

photo: Arune Daukantaite

Brighton indie band M. Woodroe are not afraid to speak up on their The Treatment of Fractures EP. Whether it is about people keeping mum in the midst of the rise of fascism (Carte Blanche) or the need for the Strut app for women to stay safe while they try to make it home safely (Statue), the quartet's knack for quiet intensity is always in full swing.

It might seem a bit weird to use the short instrumental Intro as the second track, but it sets the tone for the dark songs that follow, after the deceptively upbeat sounding opener Sweetness, Sweetness. Capturing pretty much all of the fears of puberty that keep lingering after reaching adulthood by means of skewed guitars and soft but powerful vocals, proves that politics can be inserted into interesting music, without resorting to tired slogans and simple chord progressions.