De Eerste Liefde: Crashes, Bangs, and Flashing Lights

Dutch indie trio De Eerste Liefde, led by songwriter Chris Kok, mixes psychedelic and baroque pop on their Crashes, Bangs, and Flashing Lights EP. Add Radiohead, early Pink Floyd and Badfinger to the equation and presto: a recipe for deceptive melodicism with plenty blink-and-you'll-miss-it sidesteps that give the tracks an edge that isn't that obvious at first.

The dynamics are spot on and taking plenty of time to set up the mikes properly to capture the full extent of each instrument has paid off in spades. Imagine having a front row seat as the band is busy building their multi-layered orchestral songs. Too bad they won't be able to replicate this on stage as a threesome. They would need a far bigger line-up to achieve such a feat.

Opus Kink: Low Roader

Brighton based eclectic sextet Opus Kink are in Irish folk mood by way of Black Country imagery on their new single Low Roader, an invitation to choose the alternate and more adventurous road to cope with life.

Trumpets galore plus a catchy rumbling backbeat lead the way into darkness where it is warm and welcoming, despite it having a bad reputation. The video was made by Kyle McCarthy & Reuben Davies Lindley.

Simon Karolis: Where To Find Back The Flow

Simon Karolis, nom-de-plume of Dutch musician Arend Jan van der Scheer, had to find time between his job as a teacher and being a father to write and record the songs for his Where To Find Back The Flow album. Being boxed in with his everyday chores and professional responsibilities only enhanced his urge to break free and focus on his dreams of becoming an artist. With telling song titles as Grounded and Oh How I Long For Something New it is abundantly clets that reality has the nasty habit of getting in the way of his ambitions.

Switching between acoustic folk and restrained electric indie rock Van der Scheer searches for answers. He is fully aware that solutions for his predicaments will keep eluding him. When he wakes up from his daydreams, he will be confronted with yet another to-do list, targets and other stuff that will pop up unexpectedly. This is not a good time to try to be vulnerable and creative in an uncaring world obsessed with technology and political turmoil.

Steven Wilson: "Now Departing" (The Village Hall Sessions) video

Steven Wilson has shared a video for Now Departing, played live (sort of) in the studio with Randy McStine (guitars, keyboards, backing vocals) and Russell Holzman (drums, percussion). It is a vintage sounding t progressive rock rack from his new album Requiem for a Village. Inspired by folk horror he spins a tale about an obsessive collector of sounds, missing twins and a butcher sudddenly offering more meat. Contemplating to board a train to get the Hell out is a futile exercise: "You might get on train but you'll never escape // 'Cause all destinations end here // It's absurd to believe that when you mean to leave // The train will just bring you back here"

» stevenwilsonhq.com
» requiemforavillage.com

Jeff Tweedy: "Twilight in Paris" Black Friday release

Jeff Tweedy's show in Paris at the Alhambra Theatre Music Hall in Paris on February 14, 2026 will be released as a 2LP for Black Friday (November 27): 4400 copies of Twilight in Paris on pink vinyl via Wilco's own label dBpm Records.