Remy van Kesteren ft. Cape Sleep: Closing Time

Dutch harpist Remy van Kesteren wrote the music for Closing Time in 2019, but he felt that something was missing. Kim Janssen (Cape Sleep) helped him out writing the lyrics and handling the vocals and they performed live in 2022, but now all the dots are connected with the cellos of the Metropole Orchestra and backing vocals by singer Tessa Douwstra. When a track has been on the backburner for so long, overthinking and overproducing are not uncommon, but it sounds like it was recorded in the round in a single take. Melancholy captured flawlessly by producer Wannes Salomé.

Tuff Sunshine: Vanity Matrix

Brooklyn based musician Johnny Leitera released a couple of choice singles after his Yesterday Suit album by his one-man project Tuff Sunshine saw the light of day in 2021. The long wait for a follow-up full-length over and it turns out that the tracks on Vanity Matrix share a common theme: the shallowness of social media, where striking a post can't hide the fact that it is all an act, and there is no escaping from the real world.

Ageing is real (All My Best Laps Are Behind Me), getting a drink in a nice pub is real (I Will Meet You At The Bell, Elevator Eyes), and the threat of street violence is real and scary (No Juice). Leitera uses skewed post-punk as the foundation for his music, but also dips his toes into funk, Tex-Mex and blues-tinged rock. His hoarse vocal delivery is tailor-made for his tales and stories. He is his own protagonist, but he paints the picture of a relatable guy that will appeal to anyone who has found himself in a spot of bother.

Steven Wilson & Tim Bowness: The Album Years 1982 Part #4

English musicians and music geeks extraordinaire Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness have posted a new episode of their podcast The Album Years. They talk about 1982, discussing albums by XTC, Cocteau Twins, The Cure, Joe Jackson, and a whole lot more. This is part #4 about this year. The pair can be watched on YouTube as well.

A Place To Bury Strangers: "Fear Of Transformation" video

NYC noise rockers A Place To Bury Strangers have made unveiled a video for Fear Of Transformation, a song about a kid who tries to come to terms with the fact that he is a werewolf. Lucky for him it is not that obvious when he attends a Furry party. The clip was directed by Chad Crawford Kinkle.

Speedmobile: Demolition Town

Good times rock 'n' roll is good hands with Speedmobile, a loud and fast power trio featuring members of Dutch bands Batmobile and Peter Pan Speedrock. On their second full-length Demolition Town they barrel through 15 tracks, celebrating living in the fast lane and ignoring all the warning signs. These men keep it simple and basic - the sole instrumental is called Instrumental, taking cues from the playbooks used by AC/DC, Motörhead and the Ramones, with a hint of the heavy glamrock of Alice Cooper thrown in for good measure.

This is a band that gets in your face, with your ears ringing. Trying to resist jumping and down, while headbanging, is a lost cause. Speedmobile proves that you only need a couple of choice chords and a supertight rhythm section to get a rise out of an audience. Sure, there is plenty of posturing, but isn't rock 'n' roll supposed to be bigger than life?