January 22, 2025

ISLE: "Equilibrium" previews in Hilversum & Düsseldorf

photo: Stefanie de Beurs

Dutch dream pop duo ISLE have a couple of shows lined up, showcasing the material from their forthcoming new album Equilibrium. They are playing in sync with some pretty nifty visuals.

Live dates:
  • 01/31 @AllArt, Hilversum, Netherlands
  • 02/13 Kultus, Düsseldorf, Germany

» aboutisle.com

Phish: Spring tour dates

Phish have announced a short Spring tour. The jam band veterans will play shows in four cities: Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The latter is a 3-night stand at the Hollywood Bowl:

This April, Phish will return to the west coast for a short run of dates including two-night stands at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena and San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium as well the band’s first show in Portland, OR in over 25 years. The run concludes with three nights at the historic Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

In conjunction with their return to the Hollywood Bowl, Phish will donate $300,000 to support relief and rebuilding efforts for communities affected by the devastating Southern California wildfires through the band’s non-profit The WaterWheel Foundation.

January 21, 2025

Glyn Bailey: "This Man" video

English musician Glyn Bailey has made a stylish B&W video for This Man, a track from his new album Oran's World: "a treat for the ears and a reminder that people can be kind against all odds."

» glynbailey.com

HCTF review of Oran's World

Y: Why

photo: Lou Smith

London quintet Y put all the genres they liked in a blender. The result: Why, a fast as fuck banger that could bring back pogoing as the dance style of choice. The band started more or less as a joke, when Adam Brennan and Sophie Coppin were bored beyond belief during the pandemic and dreamed up this project to be unleashed when things would be back to normal.

With members of Fat White Family, Meatraffle and Pregoblin they know what it takes to get a rise out of people and since the lyrics consist of just one word - yes, that one - everybody can sing along.

January 20, 2025

Eric van Dijsseldonk: Half-Time

Dutch singer and guitarist Eric van Dijsseldonk has a very good ear for melody, which comes in handy for his fluid style of playing. On his Half-Time album the huge influence of the Beatles and Badfinger is fairly obvious, but there are quite a few nods to the sound of late 60s Laurel Canyon crowd and early 70s American singer-songwriters as well.

He is never in a rush, going for mid-tempo most of the time, and when he decides to go a little faster like he does in the rockers Do You Feel and Blackberry he is still very much in control. Van Dijsseldonk is an old school songsmith who gives as much care to his words as his music, fully aware that the sum is greater than its parts when it is done right. Exhibit A: Charlie's Coming Home, an on point tribute to Charlie Watts, "who was always in time" and "let others steal the show".