Kategorie: Blog

Preview Reeperbahn Festival 2024

Here we go again: the Reeperbahn Festival kicks off September 18th, 2024 with a massive conference, plenty of showcases and all kinds of world-class entertainment.

Four days of listening to live music, surrounded by enthusiasts and industry experts in Hamburg’s most famous district. As usual, the festival is creating a space for up-and-coming as well as established artists, sometimes in niches that go beyond one’s own preferences. So far, it has always been a good opportunity to adjust the antennas and to make new discoveries. To meet old friends or even make new ones.

Unfortunately, it’s no longer a secret how well this event works, the hotel prices are a bit insane this year. Why not crash on my brother’s or sister’s couch? Well, the nights will be long and their family lives start early. And it makes perfect sense to stay close to the Reeperbahn where most of the venues are located. From intimate places like the St. Pauli church to sweaty rock venues like the Molotow with its lovely backyard – everything’s within walking distance. And although it’s never wrong to simply drift through the program without a master plan, I would like to make a couple of recommendations for each day. Take a glimpse to the following acts:

Wednesday, September 18th

Erland Cooper
Scottish composer Erland Cooper creates what can best be described as orchestral landscapes. Author Ian Rankin and Mike Heron of the Icredible String Band are apparently fans of his music. Expect a unique blend of classical, electronica, spoken word and found sounds. It’s music that moves the head and the heart rather than the feet. The seated St. Pauli Church will be a beautiful venue for his special performance.
19:15h – St. Pauli-Kirche

The Shivas
They have been called “the hardest working band in show business”. While that can’t be measured, the Portland, OR-based band looks back on 20 years of intense touring with plenty of sold-out shows. The Shivas will take you right back to the wild ’60s with groovy tunes and duds. Get ready for a stomping sound of classy psychedelia with a female vocalist on drums.
21:30h – Nochtspeicher

Ada Oda
Here we have the colourful collision of indie pop and punk that wants you to dance and to have a good time. Ada Oda are hailing from Brussels and they started with Dutch lyrics. But since Victoria Barracato joined the band, the Italian language has taken center stage. Her vocal style is pretty unique, oscillating between spoken, shouted, and rhythmic contributions. It’s possible that a lot of people will leave the club with a big grin on their faces after this show.
23:10 – Molotow Skybar

gglum
Some introverted artists who once started recording in their bedrooms have become surprisingly successful. And yet it is something special when music made in sweet isolation is played in front of an audience. The 21-year-old singer-songwriter Ella Smoker aka gglum just released her third album The Garden Dream. It is a reflective record that has her flit between woozy soundscapes and quirky moments.
23:40 – Nochtspeicher

Thursday, September 19th

Gwenifer Raymond
The field of solo acoustic guitar known as “American Primitiv” was long reserved for white men. John Fahey is the godfather of the genre, and many artists have since taken up this hypnotic technique with its meditative form and its open tunings. Fortunately, we have Gwenifer Raymond and her incredible guitar work. Born in Wales and living in Brighton, she used to be the drummer in a punk band. Now she presents the spirit of American Primitive with supreme skills. Raymond does not sing and she hides her face behind a curtain of hair – she will communicate with astounding and mesmerizing sounds.
14:30 – Sommersalon / 21:10 – Nochtwache

Bibi Club
Immerse yourself in minimalist synth-pop with honest lyrics – sometimes in French, sometimes in English with Bibi Club from Montreal. Adèle Trottier-Rivard and guitarist Nicolas Basque (from Plants & Animals) are a married couple who have a child together. This perhaps explains the intimacy of their songs, the melancholy breeze and the bittersweet character. Some are like documents of daily life with playful arrangements enhanced by tinny drum machines and layered voices. Some have compared Bibi Club with indie darlings Stereolab – it’s a bit lazy and inaccurate, but it should serve as a motivation not to miss this show.
19:30 – UWE

The Klittens
They describe themselves as “five musicians on a mission, untrained but unbothered.” And they have all the ingredients to become Netherlands next great thing after Lewsberg. The Klittens have a carefree DIY charm and a repertoire that reaches from dark post-punk to danceable songs. So far, they have only released a handful of songs themselves, but it is likely that they will quickly gain a wider fan base. Don’t miss out before the hype starts.
14:00 – Molotow Club / 20:15 – Molotow Backyard

Jane Weaver
By constantly refining experimental ideas between folk, pop and psychedelia, she has sculpted a sound that is uniquely and intriguingly her own. I have seen Jane Weaver on stage a few times and can only admire her constant work. She alternates between playing guitar, keyboard and swirling around the stage instrument-free to focus entirely on the vocal performance, while the four-piece band provides robust riffs and motorik beats. Expect some dazzling space-rock sounds.
23:20 – Nochtspeicher

Friday, September 20th

Amelia Coburn
The ukulele is an annoying instrument. Like the banjo. But if you know how to avoid the clichés and treat the strings with some sensibility, it can be an enjoyable thing. Amelia Coburn sings heartfelt songs on her little uke, reminiscent of the great English folk of yesteryear but with a modern flair. Bill Ryder Jones was very impressed with her work and helped to realize Coburn’s debut album Between The Moon and The Milkman. Not sure if Amelia Coburn is playing solo or with a backing band – we’ll find out.
18:00 – Headcrash

El Perro del Mar
Twenty years ago, Sarah Assbring began her musical journey in Gothenburg with melancholic indie pop as El Perro del Mar. But since then, she has been a relentless shape-shifter. Her uncompromising sound, her daring style and her fierce independence remind me of Björk. She takes the good with the bad and likes to deconstruct things. Expect something different.
20:20 – Mojo Club

The Lemon Twigs
These sublime harmonies will linger in your ears for days after the show – but it’s worth it! Brian and Michael D’Addario have a knack for perfect pop songs and capture the spirit of the “Golden Years” of sunhine- and power-pop with ease. When I saw them live in London in August, they were even more dynamic than on record. In their vintage outfits, they jumped around tirelessly (no wonder they’re so skinny, they burn quite a few calories on stage) and the audience danced and sang along happily.
22:30 – Übel & Gefährlich Ballsaal

The Grogans
If you like raw guitars made in Australia, The Grogans might be right up your alley. Formed back in high school, the trio is one of the hardest working young bands around, presenting an organic chemistry that encompasses blues, surf and garage rock as well as punk and psych maneuvers.
15:30 – Molotow Club / 23:20 – Nochtspeicher

Saturday, September 21st

Friska Viljor
They’ve been around for quite a while and have had a special connection to Hamburg ever since they landed on Wohlwillstraße in St. Pauli and made friends with the record store Back Records. They paid tribute in 2009 with an upbeat song called Wohlwill, and clearly the duo from Sweden are still around, traveling around with their signature sound of catchy hooks and solid songwriting.
19:20 – St. Pauli-Kirche

Suuns
This experimental rock band from Montreal likes to move between the poles of minimalism and maximalism. Expect a transcendental experience with abrasive noise, eerie Krautrock and looping. The vocals are barely recognizable, chopped up and fragmented. And although the light show is colourful, it is of unsettling beauty. The aim is absolute sonic and visual obliteration. Not your average pop song.
19:30 – Übel & Gefährlich Ballsaal

Tapir!
Tapir! is a formidable six-piece band from South London known for their clever genre-bending amalgam of folk, post-punk and art-pop. The beautifully picked guitar and distinctive vocals alone convey a vulnerability and adoration for good storytelling. It is idiosyncratic and complex, but still an accessible world in which Tapir! operate. They released their debut album on Heavenly Recordings this year. And I’m curious to see if the band will bring out the red papier-mâché masks from the promotional pictures when they enter the stage at the Reeperbahn Festival.
20:55 – Molotow Club

Kate Nash
British artist Kate Nash released her latest album on Kill Rock Stars. Quite a surprise as she had huge commercial success in 2007 with her debut Made of Bricks, which included the hit single Foundations. Nash later starred in HBO‘s hit wrestling drama GLOW. And now the songwriter, actor and activist is back with DIY spirit and a couple of songs inspired by old Hollywood, vintage musicals and Riot Grrrl resilience. A creative journey that will be interesting to follow when she takes to the stage in Hamburg.
23:55 – Grosse Freiheit 36

And last but not least:

There are still tickets available here for Europe’s biggest showcase festival. But don’t wait too long, they might sell out at some point.

For those who only want to buy a day pass, I would recommend choosing Thursday, September 19th – it has the best line-up, in my opinion.

There are also a handful of showcases that are free and accessible without a Reeperbahn Festival ticket here in the Festival Village.

Also, the ever-reliable Canadian label We Are Busy Bodies is hosting a day party at Cruise Records feat. Limblifter, Rich Aucoin & the fabulous Christo Graham on Thursday, 14:00-16:00, get your free ticket here.

On Friday, 12:00 – 15:00  there’s a Garage Sale at Knust. Entrance is free for everyone. Step into the weird & wonderful world of indie labels based in Hamburg and expect vinyl, CDs and tapes for a small price.

I look forward to seeing you somewhere along the Reeperbahn!

Zurück ins Tal

Gegenwart und Zukunft im Indierock der 90er

Lange Zeit habe ich gern die Geschichte erzählt, wie froh wir eines schönen Tages waren, mit dem Tourbus unserer Band «Die Fünf Freunde» über die Kasseler Berge gelangt zu sein. Das Ding war so alt, dass wir stets drohten, ins Tal zurückzurollen. Die Achse hing auf halb acht und die Sitzbänke standen ungesichert im Laderaum. Gebannt blickten wir auf das Tachometer, wie es bei voll durchgedrücktem Gaspedal ganz langsam zurückging. Es muss um 1993 gewesen sein, und uns wäre seinerzeit nicht in den Sinn gekommen, über die Abgaswerte dieser Dieseldreckschleuder zu sinnieren. Wenn ich heute daran zurückdenke, stellt sich die Frage unmittelbar. Aber so ist es halt mit dem Denken und der Wahrnehmung: Sie haben ihre Zeit und ihren Ort.

Die Ausgangsthese dieser Phase 2-Ausgabe ist interessant: Früher verspielten wir eine Zukunft, die doch eh egal war, zugunsten der reinen Gegenwart. Heute denken wir viel an eine Katastrophen-Kaskade, die schon begonnen hat und versuchen durch radikalen Wandel unseres Verhaltens das Schlimmste zu verhindern. Aber der Reihe nach: War das damals wirklich so, war uns die Zukunft gleichgültig?

Wenn ich an die 1990er Jahre zurückdenke, an die sogenannte Hamburger Schule, an Diskursrock und Riot Grrl, dann kommt mir die Angelegenheit doch nicht so zukunftsvergessen vor. Schon die smarteren Post-Punk-Entwürfe waren über das politische Zeitgeschehen gut informiert gewesen, denken wir nur an Gang of Four oder Scritti Politti, die durchaus in der Lage dazu waren, unter Verwendung von französischer Theorie zu beschreiben, warum der Neoliberalismus unser alsbaldiges Verderben bedeuten werde. Mit solchen Bands sind wir aufgewachsen (natürlich nicht NUR mit solchen).

In Hamburg trat bereits Ende der 80er Jahre die Kolossale Jugend auf den Plan. Was Sänger Kristof Schreuf hier – wie auch später mit der Band Brüllen – auf der Bühne betrieb, war eigentlich die Förderung politischer Bewusstwerdung, permanente Diskussion, endlose Aushandlung und völlige Verweigerung rockistischer Dienstleistung. Das hat geprägt. Wenn ich mich recht erinnere, wurde in Hamburgs Kneipen dieser Jahre sehr viel geredet, auch über Politik, eigentlich ununterbrochen. Natürlich war die Atmosphäre nicht frei von Platzhirschen und Besserwisser:innen. Aber waren wir hedonistisch und uninteressiert an dem, was kommen sollte? Nicht, dass ich wüsste. Nur, dass unsere Bezugsgröße vielleicht weniger die Welt im Ganzen, sondern eher die Bundesrepublik war. Mit den Fünf Freunden hätten wir gern das Stück «Liebling, lass uns Waffen klauen (und dann den Staat zu Schrott zerhauen)» als Single veröffentlicht, doch das war unserer damaligen Plattenfirma zu heikel.

Als mit Bikini Kill und Team Dresch die Riot Grrl-Bewegung über den großen Teich schwappte, konnten wir gut daran anschließen, weil alle Voraussetzungen aktivistischer Kollektive bereits vorhanden waren. Aber es war auch kein blindes Abfeiern. Ich habe um die Jahrtausendwende tatsächlich meine Abschlussthesis an der Uni über Riot Grrl geschrieben, und mich sehr daran abgearbeitet, dass es zwar für viele gute Impulse, aber meines Erachtens eben doch nicht für eine nachhaltige Bewegung reichte. 180 schmerzhafte Seiten lang.

Dies soll keine Verteidigungsrede sein. Das wäre unangemessen und auch pathetisch. Vor allem hilft es uns nicht weiter. Mich interessiert eher, wie die Geschichte weitergegangen ist und womit wir es heute zu tun haben. Mein eigener Blickwinkel ist insofern besonders, als ich vor 15 Jahren in die Schweiz gezogen bin und der Indie-Begriff hier völlig anders belegt ist. Das prägt zwar mein unmittelbares Umfeld, spielt aber für den Arbeitsalltag keine große Rolle, weil ich just seit meinem Umzug eine Radiosendung namens «Golden Glades» produziere, die alle zwei Wochen auf dem Hamburger Sender ByteFM zu hören ist. Mein Bezugsfeld ist also international (ohne dass ich einen Fuß vor die Tür setzen müsste). Ich habe mir für diese Sendung zweierlei vorgenommen: Einerseits gute Neuveröffentlichungen vorzustellen, die anderswo nicht gespielt werden und andererseits vergessene Schätze der Musikgeschichte zu heben.

Ich habe es also permanent zu tun mit dem Vergleich alter und neuer Produktionstechniken. Das ist – abgesehen von meinen ästhetischen Vorlieben – eine recht interessante Sache: Sind die Produktionen aus den 60er und 70er Jahren häufig verschwenderisch instrumentiert, regelrechte Materialschlachten, haben wir es heute oft mit Positionen zu tun, die kaum etwas benötigen. Kurioserweise liegen die Unterschiede klanglich nicht immer auf der Hand: Ob im Studio ein Streichorchester gespielt hat oder jemand sehr geschickt mit digitalen Verfahren umzugehen weiß, ist selbst für Expert:innen manchmal schwer herauszuhören.

Womit hat diese Beschränkung der Mittel zu tun? Natürlich mit den neuen technischen Möglichkeiten, auch mit der Pandemie, mit der Vereinzelung – aber vielleicht eben doch auch mit einem Bewusstsein dafür, musikalische Visionen mit sparsamen Mitteln umsetzen zu können. Das ist mit Sicherheit ein Phänomen der Gegenwart. Und doch glaube ich, dass der Do-it-yourself-Ansatz solcher Produktionen seine Wurzeln im Post-Punk-Spirit hat. Damit sind keine Versäumnisse der Vergangenheit entschuldigt, aber es ist doch – an einem vielleicht nebensächlichen, aber für mich nicht unwichtigen Beispiel – der allzu dichotomische Gedanke relativiert, dass es einen kategorischen Spalt gebe zwischen unserer Generation und den Nachgeborenen. Ich glaube, dem ist nicht so, so empfinde ich es jedenfalls nicht. Wir sind seinerzeit mit sehr wenig ausgekommen, und zwar aus Überzeugung, auch wenn der politische Überbau damals ein anderer gewesen sein mag. Unsere second-hand Klamotten trugen wir nicht der Nachhaltigkeit wegen, sondern weil’s cool aussah – und weil wir uns nichts anderes hätten leisten können.

Es bringt nichts, sich auf einmal – vor langer Zeit – getroffene Positionen zurückzuziehen. Auch sollten wir uns jene Heldengeschichten, die Menschen im mittleren Alter so häufig ungefragt von sich geben, sparen und stattdessen schauen, was wir in der Gegenwart anbieten können: Wir haben eine gewisse Übung im katastrophischen Denken, das ja seit jeher linker Imagination zu eigen ist. Und die weniger Selbstgerechten unter uns sind sogar in der Lage dazu, umzudenken, etwa zu begreifen, dass der eigene Blick nie neutral ist – und sei es, dass die eigenen Kinder es einem beibringen.

Die Zukunft im Indierock also, wir wollten sie nie verspielen. Und die zahllosen Musikeschaffenden der Gegenwart, die sich in diesem kaleidoskopischen Genre mit seinen dutzenden Unterkategorien noch immer herumtreiben, auch wenn das keine signifikante Konsumentengruppe bemerkt, sie ticken natürlich anders als wir in den 90ern. Haben andere Modelle, leben in anderen Produktionsverhältnissen, drücken sich anders aus, ziehen sich anders an – aber am Kern dieser Musik und der Haltung, die sich in ihr Ausdruck verleiht, hat sich nicht so viel getan: Es geht nach wie vor darum, Wege abseits der Gleise zu finden und Gesten abseits der offensichtlichen. Vielleicht bin ich blind, kann aber nur sagen: Die Binarität zwischen einer Vergangenheit ohne Zukunft und einem Heute in neuerwachter Apokalyptik: Ich kann sie nicht erkennen, ich glaube sogar, es gibt sie nicht.

Dieser Text von Sandra Zettpunkt erschien zuerst im April 2024 in Phase 2 − Zeitschrift gegen die Realität.

The Reeperbahn Fest strikes again

The Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg has grown up fast and just celebrated its 18th anniversary at the end of September. Around 49.000 attendees took over my old neighborhood St. Pauli in search for networking events and to celebrate fresh talents. Once again, the festival presented an ambitious program and tried to explore important topics like sustainability and diversity, AI and parenthood in music. And yes, it’s true: navigating the sheer number of events and showcases can be a little overwhelming. But there’s never anything wrong with just going with the flow.

During the four days and nights of the festival, I mingled with international colleagues and had many interesting talks to old and new friends. And of course, I saw all sorts of showcases. Here’s a handy round-up of the best of them:

Zaho de Sagazan @ Nochtspeicher

The first pleasant surprise was the French shooting star Zaho de Sagazan. Her music is a hybrid of soulful nouvelle chanson and dark electronic pop. As I already heard her debut album „La symphonie des Éclairs“, I was curious to see how the young artist would translate this on stage. It was simple, but effective: while in the back two guys each enthusiastically turned the knobs of cabinet-like modular synthesizers, the 23-year-old artist swept across the plain stage in normal everyday clothes. Her announcements in English were absolutely charming and within no time the club was fidgeting and sweating. A great performance by Zaho de Sagazan, even for people like me who don’t particularly like dirty techno beats.

Noth @ Hamburg Haus / Grüner Jäger

Clever and witty German lyrics, a foot-tapping rhythm and jazzy arrangements is the package I received from Noth playing a tiny place upstairs of Grüner Jäger. The stage was way too small for the six-piece ensemble, well equipped with saxophones and flute. There’s something special about this band, not only because of the great musicianship. Although Linus Kleinlosen and Luis Schwamm are from different cities, they collaborate on all songs and lyrics. They filled the room with a wide musical range, rooted in jazz, avant pop and in crisp indie rock – and every nuance sounded great. I would like to see Noth get a bit more recognition (at least in the German-speaking world) abecause they have already released two fabulous records. Well, my old colleague Carol v. Rautenkranz of L’Age D’Or fame stood next to me during the whole live set. And I can tell you: he was sceptical at first, but quite impressed in the end. No doubt, Carol still knows what is good.

The Bug Club @ Molotow Backyard

It was a huge disappointment that the Canadian songwriter Julie Doiron had to cancel her shows on the Reeperbahn Festival due to personal matters. But her slot was taken over by a fabulous three-piece from Wales: The Bug Club play catchy songs with so much verve and fun that it’s hard not to fall for their infectious harmonies from the start. Two-minute pop hits like „Little Coy Space Boy“ set the bar, new songs from the upcoming double LP were also included in the setlist, all in the not too busy backyard of the famous Molotow club. Dressed in 80s jeans and white T-shirts, the power trio played on with irrepressible energy, driving and dizzying. Drummer Dan Matthew wiggled his head like Ringo Starr while bassist Tilly Harris pulled some moves as if she was playing with AC/DC. And guitarist Sam Willmett showed some incredible work on the fretboard. Like fast and crazy country licks that I can’t quite put my finger on. Definitely something you don’t hear very often in modern day indie rock.

Vanity Mirror  @ Nochtwache

In the 19th century, the unique red bricks housed a schnapps distillery. Today, the vaulted cellar called Nochtwache is a popular venue and served as the stage for the festivals best-kept secret: Vanity Mirror have released the fantastic debut album “Puff” and they wear their influences on their sleeves. The band consists of singer and songwriter Brent Randall hailing from Toronto and drummer Johnny Toomey, who lives in LA. In tow they had two guest musicians who stepped in with style on bass and analog keys. And immediately I felt transported back into the late 60’s. Not only because Vanity Mirror create perfect pop in the vain of the Kinks or Emitt Rhodes. From using vintage equipment to wearing original outfits from the 60’s, every detail seemed authentic. The venue was dark and slightly too warm, and it could have been a brilliant show, if only the sound would have been less muddy. But no matter, Johnny kept twirling his drum sticks and Brent casually chewed his gum, while Vanity Mirror delivered an impeccable performance. Another hit from their other group Electric Looking Glass rounded off the set – and I was more than satisfied.

Although the Reeperbahn Festival is a great spot for discovering the next big thing, there’s also space for a couple of well-known names: Chrissy Hynde was in town and performed with The Pretenders. Arab Strap played a stripped down, but solid showcase as a two-piece with material from the old “Philiphobia” days. And then there was Billy Bragg.

Billy Bragg @ Große Freiheit

I’ve never considered myself a fan of Billy Bragg and would probably have missed this wonderful show full of inspiration, solidarity, laughter and great songs if my dear colleague Alice hadn’t been so keen to go. (By the way: Alice is well known for her hand-picked radio shows “Off Beat” on Novum.fm and “Kaleidoskop” on ByteFM and I can only recommend her detailed recap of the festival here). We both agreed, that Billy Bragg has aged well. It’s hard to believe he’s 65, as he has the energy and enthusiasm of a young person. His career is built on the foundation of being a protest singer for the working class – and he still has a lot to say. He is absolutely on top of his game, talking about trans rights and the Nazis in suits (referring to the German right-wing Party AfD). And yes, it sounded like a sermon when he spoke about his activism and the power of music: “Maybe it can’t change the world, but it has the power to make you think that change is possible.”.

Braggs setlist was mostly focused on welcome classics and the night was closed with one of his biggest hits “A New England”, which got the enthusiastic festival audience singing along.

This Is The Kit @ St. Michaelis

One of the best things about this club festival is that alternative spaces open their doors to host different showcases. For me, the grand finale of the four-day festival was This Is The Kit in Hamburg’s St. Michaelis Church on Saturday evening. The building is considered one of the most beautiful Hanseatic Protestant baroque churches and has 2500 seats. Not all of them were occupied when This Is The Kit played their set with a full band. What is immediately noticeable is the enormous delay in the sound. Even normal speech is difficult to manage in such a space. Paris-based bandleader Kate Stables was keen to play it safe and chose some quieter songs for the setlist. And although the intimacy suffered and was lost in the large building, the magic of Stables‘ swirling vocal melodies won the hearts of everyone present. At the latest shortly before midnight, when the audience sang along a mantra-like „be okay“ to the song „Dibs“, the warm feeling of good company and community came up. What a perfect ending for the second post-pandemic year of the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg.

Best Of 2022

Although the new year is already in full swing, it’s always worth taking a look back. Here are some of my favourite albums released in 2022:

Michael Rault: Michael Rault

A warm and sonic depth runs through this self-titled album by Michael Rault. The songwriting of Harry Nilsson springs to mind, Emitt Rhodes or even Stevie Wonder. Amidst the lush harmonies and spacious analogue sound, you could almost get the idea that this is a lost work from the 70s that only recently has been rediscovered. But no: Michael Rault releases music since 2008. His present work is the second for Wick Records, which in turn are associated with Daptone. And shows a very mature and passionate songwriting. The sensitive quality is surely also related to the fact that many things changed in Michael Rault’s life: he left his partner, his manager and his backing band, moved from Montreal to Los Angeles and recorded some of the songs in his bedroom. But for the big production, for the smooth string and wind arrangements, there was plenty of help from his circle of friends and rounds off this historically well-inspired piece of classic pop just perfectly.

Apollo Ghosts: Pink Tiger

In their native Canada, Apollo Ghosts are already known and appreciated. The band was formed in 2009 around songwriter Adrian Teacher and drummer Amanda Panda. Most recently, they released an album with ambient tracks as well as a collection of local cover songs, whereby only artists from Vancouver were re-scored by Apollo Ghosts. And now, titled Pink Tiger, there is a regular studio work that deserves special attention: Pink Tiger by Apollo Ghosts was created over the last three years: 22 songs, divided into two chapters: Pink features the acoustic version of the band. It shows a smooth and clever songwriting, in which Teacher undergoes a self-analysis. During the recordings he had the feeling that everything was falling apart: his father was dying and he also lost part of his hearing. The second chapter – Tiger – was recorded a year later and celebrates the endurance of friendship, music and hope. Garnished with strumming guitars, the three piece presents some good old energetic indie rock. So this double-album shows two different sides of one and the same band. And the good thing is: both are absolutely entertaining from beginning to end.

Papercuts: Past Life Regression

Music that refers to the baroque pop of the 60s is still occasionally produced today. For example, by Jason Quever and his project Papercuts. Past Life Regression, his eighth album, sounds very organic and you can hear that the man behind Papercuts not only writes songs but also works as a producer for others: Sugar Candy Mountain, Cass MacCombs or Beach House –  they all have placed themselves in his trusting hands. When Quever himself plays music as Papercuts, his songs often have a melancholic touch and the vintage-heavy sound palette plays well into his hands.

Partner Look: By The Book

When two people wear the same or a very similar outfit, one often speaks of a partner look. I didn’t realise until now that this term is only common in German-speaking countries and tends to cause confusion elsewhere. But that’s exactly why a band from Melbourne has named itself after this pseudoanglizism. The quartet Partner Look consists of the German-born sisters Ambrin and Anila Hasnain and their partners Dainis Lacey and Lachlen Denton. All four musicians are also involved in other music projects: Cool Sounds, The Ocean Party and Studio Magic and also move in related pop terrain. They play through their debut very nonchalantly: By the Book by Partner Look is an album that offers very good entertainment in its casual, charming way.

Dana Gavanski: When It Comes

Dana Gavanski and her music have been on my radar from the very beginning. I’ve watched her songwriting evolve from humble, soulful folk to a more daring art-pop direction. On her second album, When It Comes, the Serbian-Canadian songwriter is coming a step closer to the wondrous sound world of Robert Wyatt. She has a very playful and honest style, and like Wyatt, it’s the fragile voice that really carries you away. Hard to believe, but it wasn’t long ago that Gavanski lost her voice due to illness. Thankfully, she’s back again and in great shape and has delivered this wonderful, timeless yet beautifully idiosyncratic album that sadly far too few people know about. Also check out the live report from last year’s Reeperbahn Festival. It was a very special event!

Way Dynamic: So Familiar

There are always cultural hotspots, places where a lot of talented musicians gather at one time and create something special: an exceptional sound that stands for a certain time and a certain place. One such hotspot at the moment is clearly Melbourne in Australia. Good projects are springing up like mushrooms and everything is somehow connected. Way Dynamic is the name of the project of the Australian Dylan Young. Young, who was just touring as a drummer with Emma Russack & Lachlan Denton as well as Snowy Band. He played two gigs each evening and now presents his ambitious solo project: Way Dynamic. On his stunning debut So Familiar, Young shows a knack for putting together familiar retro sounds in a new way. The sound of the American West Coast and the early 70ties shimmers through, yet it is not simply copied. Once again, I’m amazed at how a single person manages to replace an entire band so effortlessly.

No Frills: Downward Dog

Downward Dog is the fabulous debut of the Canadian band No Frills. In their own words, this is a collection of DIY pop hits with serious themes such as depression, despair, life and death. But most of all, this band wants to have fun! And that is noticeable all along the record: No Frills from Toronto moves quite nonchalantly through the songs. Also the recording process was exceptional. For example, the singer wore a hygiene mask and sang through a toilet paper roll attached to the microphone. Just to capture the right sound for his voice. This pretty much sums up the album – lots of ideas floating around to discover!

Pete Astor: Time On Earth

Pete Astor and his bands The Loft and The Weather Prophets are among the best Creation Records had to offer in the 80s. And British songwriter is still a very good storyteller: Time On Earth is the name of his new album, and as on its predecessor One For The Ghost, the theme of „life after death“ plays a central role. Pete Astor shows himself reflective and personal, and he knows exactly what he is singing about. Dealing with death can be a cheerful and comforting thing when you think of dear friends who have recently passed away and are sorely missed. Life goes on while Pete Astor created one of his most beautiful albums.

Reeperbahn Festival 2022

These are special times we are living in at the moment. Amidst all the crises, are we ready for an exuberant music festival? Is Europe’s biggest club festival, where the global music industry and fans from all over the world meet, still as good as it was before the pandemic and before Brexit? Can one drift through the numerous clubs and events without hesitation? Or is the festival in danger of becoming a super-spreader event like SXSW last spring?

To be honest, I had my doubts. But after a two-year break, it was about time to see all the friends and colleagues again. The Reeperbahn Festival usually is a great get-together. A good opportunity to make new contacts and get fresh input. And of course, to see live shows by artists you already know and appreciate, but also to discover newbies. So far, the festival has always provided pleasant surprises. What about #RBF 2022?

Naima Bock

Luckily, my train wasn’t running late, so I was able to catch London singer-songwriter Naima Bock, who performed at Festival Village in the early evening on Wednesday. Bock’s debut album „Giant Palm“ is not the usual folk-inspired songwriter affair. It contains expansive arrangements, jazzy moments and, of course, her Brazilian background. Over 30 musicians participated in the recording. Now for the live performance at the Reeperbahn Festival, everything is stripped down. High up on the stage above the counter of the local drinks company „Fritz Limo“ we see Naima Bock with her acoustic guitar, accompanied by violinist Oliver Hamilton. This strange setting alone did not work well with her soul-searching music. Furthermore it is disturbed by heavy beats blaring from the rollerblade disco just a stone’s throw away. The clash of sounds was very unfortunate for the conversational intimacy Naima Bock usually creates. Clearly, she deserves better than that.

Dana Gavanski

Fortunately, Dana Gavanski’s performance later in the evening was booked at a more suitable venue: the hallowed walls of the neoclassic St. Pauli church. Of course, the reverby sound can be quite a challenge for an electrified ensemble, but Gavanski and her band sounded excellent. I would even say it was the perfect ambience for her stunning voice and her idiosyncratic songwriting, which comes across as elegant and tender. And it is palpable, how everyone is enjoying it: how the band easily connects with the audience – smiles are all around. My friend Dino, who’s hearing Gavanski’s music for the very first time mentions the innovative British act Broadcast. If this is an influence, it’s one of many. During the set we get to hear two cover versions: The sentimental The Kinks composition “Strangers” plus King Crimson’s “I Talk To The Wind”. Both tracks fit seamlessly into Gavanski’s own work. The cozy gig ends after midnight and is already my highlight of this year’s Reeperbahn Festival. But there are three more days to go!

This 17th edition of the Reeperbahn Festival is a pioneer in diversity and equality: 50% of the conference panels and 55% of the music line-up are female staffed. And it’s good seeing this positive change – even if the majority of the audience is still old and male, because that’s the music business, right? Anyway, there are 400 shows on and it’s impossible to see everything. Though some artists play two or even three shows. A good way to cope with it all is just to browse through the clubs, to go with the flow. The Reeperbahn Festival has very few established names in the line-up, it’s mainly for discovering new talents. But I have to confess: a lot of them don’t resonate with me. Some are simply trying too hard, others are just uninspired. A lot of it sounds and looks very much like coming straight out of the pop academy, made for the industry.

November Ultra

However, I was very relieved to discover at least one great artist on Thursday who I had never heard of before, but who seemed authentic and played a wonderfully intimate show at the plushy Imperial Theatre. She calls herself November Ultra, is hailing from Paris and sings soothing DIY lullabys with a soft voice and sparse instrumentation. Her performance started with a mini keyboard and from the very first second on, the audience was absolutely captivated by the tender melodies and overflowing emotions. In between songs the French artist was up for lovely banter, she made the audience laugh and animated to sing along. Although November Ultra only works with simple chords, her music came very close to the listener. A feeling that she conveys with her voice alone, so vulnerable and easy to relate to – it left a lasting impression on me and my friends.

Alex Lahey

Next up: Friday: The day-tickets were sold out and I feared that this means long queues outside the venues. The legendary Molotow was actually pretty packed when Alex Lahey played her solid indie-rock set at 5pm in the afternoon. This is the kind of event when you completely forget about time and space and just bob along with music. A lot of hair was shaken, a lot of hands in the air and wild applause when Lahey unexpectedly put away her guitar in exchange for a saxophone. She knew exactly what she was doing and where she was. At the end of the show she says, she loves playing music to people who love music. Adding, that everyone here is working. Well, yes: some of us are. But Alex Lahey made the most of it. Her live set was fun for everyone, working or not.

Kiwi Jr.

Later that night at the Molotow backyard, Kiwi Jr. played their very first show in Germany. I had this band from Toronto on my radar since they released their fantastic debut album “Football Money” in 2019. At first, the band seemed a little irritated, as if they didn’t quite know what to expect. Maybe because they had to take over the stage after an act that appealed to a completely different audience. Well, there was no need to worry about that. Kiwi Jr. had a couple of fans in the crowd happily dancing and singing along to the upbeat jangly indie rock tunes. They were just as fun and infectious as on record.

 

On the fourth day of the Reeperbahn Festival, a certain concert fatigue often sets in. I went to see a few gigs, but nothing really captivated me. Even so, it’s absolutely fine. I had my highlights with Dana Gavanski, Kiwi Jr. and November Ultra.

Now I’ve been back home for a few days and haven’t heard of a single case of Covid – phew! Brexit wasn’t an issue either, there were many artists from the UK performing in Hamburg. Almost everything was as good as it used to be. I am already looking forward to the sequel #RBF 2023. Early bird tickets are on sale here.

Teenage Fanclub – Endless Arcade

Cultural history offers countless examples of how great art can be crafted in troubling times. When severe suffering and grief creates an urgency, it’s a benefit for the piece of work. Certainly, the brilliance of Teenage Fanclub’s Endless Arcade is not all due to drama and turmoil. But it’s a part of it.

After three decades in the band’s history, bassist and singer-/songwriter Gerard Love vacated his spot in 2018. Almost simultaneously, Norman Blake found himself in front of the ruins of a long-term relationship. Therefore, the eleventh studio album Endless Arcade deals with a double „farewell to Love“ – and shows a setting of existential emotions.

The Scotsmen decided not to replace the position of Love, but to reassemble the entire framework. Welsh all-rounder Euros Childs (formerly of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci) is now a full-time member of the TFC family. In addition to angelic background vocals, he provides some thoroughly complex layers with all sorts of keys and buttons. Dave McGowan (who also plays with Belle and Sebastian) moved from the keyboards over to the bass and contributes a new vibrant quality to the rhythm section.

This slight shift in sentiments and sound results in a crystal-clear constellation. With Norman Blake and Raymond McGinley, we now have two songwriters who complement each other. While Blake reveals his troubled inner life unveiled, McGinley stands by his side with comforting words: „Don’t be afraid of this life“ he sings in the title track. Both are responsible for six songs each on Endless Arcade, the authorship can always be clearly recognized. Thus, the album unfolds a high narrative and aesthetic coherence, a touching interplay between despair and hope.

The production is subtle and well-crafted. Some of the multi-harmonies create a beautiful texture, like the timeless sounding „Back In The Day“. The band revealed that there are 34 tracks of vocals on this song, the melody virtually seems to float and you never want it to stop. Almost like an a cappella starts the passionate „Come With Me“, the guitar slowly appears out of the background and is based on a special tuning McGinley once saw written on one of Sonic Youth’s guitars at a gig in the mid 80’s – it’s one of those magic goose bumps moments of Teenge Fanclub.

And let’s be frank, most favourite bands from yesterday are sooner or later history. They disappear with the trends, take the wrong drugs, or become a sad parody of themselves. Teenage Fanclub, on the other hand, always was and is still there, always with the right songs at the right time. They are a reliable institution constantly evolving their creative process. A band to grow old with, a soundtrack of a lifetime. From the unpolished noiserock of their debut A Catholic Education (1990) to the glorious powerpop on Bandwagonesque (1991) to the new album, their songs have become more and more mature, graceful – and personal.

Although the lyrics reflect private sensitivities and all songs were completed before the lockdown, many passages can be read as comments on the current pandemic: „I could live in isolation“, „It’s hard to walk into the future“, „Everything is falling apart“ – and the nostalgic opener is titled „Home“. Here the band opens up to a great jam and provides the perfect template for McGinley’s elegant guitar skills. His four-minute loose solo was completely improvised in the moment of recording.

Rendering things unadulterated is one of the core strengths of Endless Arcade. Produced in Hamburg’s Clouds Hill Studio, the album is as modest and honest as it is brilliant. It touches without weighing down. A bittersweet masterpiece.

Endless Arcade is out now on all formats via PeMa and Merge Records.

A shorter version of this article in German was first published via ByteFM.

Best Of 2019

Is it too late for a roundup of my favourite albums of 2019? I’m actually glad I waited so long, because a very good album from last year only recently came on to my radar.

Here’s my selection of records I highly recommend listening to, if you don’t already know them.

Tandem Felix: Rom-Com

While everyone kept raving about the latest Wilco release Ode To Joy, I’d like to make sure, this sort of like-minded band from Dublin gets some attention: Tandem Felix is the project of David Tapley, a subtle singer-/songwriter who is giving insights into his and other people’s life. It’s kind of downhearted but witty, filled with splendid melodies and a quality of mellow comfort. In-between showing moments of a slacker attitude and some psycherock tendency with the song “Oil Money”. Surprisingly, Rom-Com is a debut full-length. You wouldn’t expect that, because it shows a very fine and thought through production. The arrangements are meticulous and the song collection is cohesive. And most of all: I can listen to it every day without getting tired of it. Also, worth mentioning is the well-chosen artwork by French surrealist Guy Billout. It perfectly reflects the oeuvre of Tandem Felix.

Vanishing Twin: The Age Of Immunology

Well known for their lead single “Magician’s Success” which comes with a space pop vibe à la Stereolab meets Broadcast, Vanishing Twin have way more to offer. Seeing the band live in early December 2019 in Hamburg was mind-blowing. Percussionist Valentina Magaletti impressed with a versatile playing and obviously enjoyed keeping the group together with her jazzy shuffles, shouting commands to her three international colleagues on bass, guitar and vintage keys. Vanishing Twin are a genre bending affair and nothing like the usual indie outfit. They are modern visionaries taking a different approach in every track: old film scores, psychedelic krautrock, melodic art pop and jazzy soundscapes. The Age Of Immunology takes the listener on to an exciting adventure.

Cate Le Bon: Reward

I always liked Cate Le Bon. Her songs sometimes are kind of strange – but in a beautiful, haunting way. And after all these years, the Nico comparison still lingers on. Not only the light and dark tone of Le Bon’s voice and her Welsh accent reminds of the German singer, it’s also embodied in the artistic self-image. With a credo like: show courage and never confine your sound and vision. The music on Reward isn’t trying to please the mainstream, it’s experimental and playful. But there’s also a pop- and folk-feel and there’s always a connection between the composition and the emotion. It’s open-minded and passionate and with this combination, Cate Le Bon creates songs that sound like nothing else. She’s also an awe-inspiring producer and responsible for the slick production of Deerhunter’s latest album Why Hasn’t Everything Already Disappeared? It was a pretty good year for Cate Le Bon and she’s definitely one of the most exciting artists of 2019.

Doug Tuttle: Dream Road

I fell in love with Doug Tuttle’s songwriting a few years back when he started with his psychedelic band project Mmoss. But then he started recording songs alone in his bedroom studio and he got better with every release. On his fourth solo album Dream Road, multi-instrumentalist Tuttle perfected his elegant nostalgia-soaked sound. His vocals are quite hazy, but with full of emotive lyrical content. And although this downer pop moves into delicate grounds, it’s soothing and hopeful. The fragile harmonies are hypnotic, deep and warm. Doug Tuttle’s songwriting recalls all the lost good moments of late 60s and early 70s pop with a haunting touch of psyche and Americana. I have found myself returning to this beautiful record a lot last year and it keeps on spinning on my turntable.

Kiwi jr: Football Money

This fantastic record was released in March 2019 and re-released earlier this year on a label from Leipzig (Germany) called Persona Non Grata – I still remember Persona Non Grata from the 90s, when they started out as a low-key Fanzine, covering all the Indie rock bands I was into at that time. And here’s the thing: Kiwi jr from Canada just as well could have been your favourite act from the 90s. Every track on Football Money sounds familiar: there are jangly guitars and beatific melodies. Catchy hooks and choruses to sing along are combined with a great sense of humour. It’s this kind of nonchalance we fell in love with listening to Orange Juice or Pavement. A ferocious feel-good energy is running through the veins of this debut album. It’s astute and not too calculating in referring to all the familiar sounds. It’s fun! And I hope there’s more to come from Kiwi jr.

Further records I really enjoyed in 2019:

Pernice Brothers: Spread The Feeling

Lens Mozer: Don’t Stop

Max Gowan: Bygones 

Sunbeam Sound Machine: Goodness Gracious 

Froth: Duress

2019 was a pretty decent year for music and it looks like 2020 is going to be a good one too! Stay tuned…

Barczewski

The ground under your feet is always shifting and the world around you is changing faster than ever. Maybe it’s best to welcoming the uncertain and the unknown, just like Barczewski is doing in her latest recordings.

Born in Poland, grown up in Düsseldorf and now working and living in London since 2006, Manuela Barczewski is the kind of artist who’s feeling at home in many places and is yet still interested in discovering new paths. In the past years, she’s been searching for new ventures, exploring the grounds beyond the comfort zone and kept on re-finding herself as a composer.

The current project started as a duo in the summer of 2017 with multi-instrumentalist James McLean. He was a valuable companion on cello for jamming and experimenting with sounds. Without putting pressure on taking the songwriting in any particular direction, the project carried itself naturally and instinctively with improvising ideas coming first and then structure later. “We developed this kind of patchwork method”, Manuela Barczewski explains, “listening back to our improvised sessions, we simply picked out the highlights and tried putting all the pieces back together on a reasonable basis.”

This musical partnership of Barczewski/McLean and their unconventional approach of composing music worked well. But a year into the project, James McLean decided to move to Vietnam. In only two days, they recorded a couple of tracks in Manuela Barczewski’s home, supervised by sound engineer Amir Shoat. Thereafter, Manuela was in charge to work with the recorded material. In March 2019, she went to the recording studio of Guy Sternberg in Berlin with drummer Sebastian Vogel (Kante, Britta), who put down some slick percussion parts. Back home in London she invited a couple of fine voices (Charlotte Law, Sebastian Bürkner and Tom Woolner) to blend a touch of choir into the mix.

The finished recordings are now self-released by Barczewski on Bandcamp. It’s a collection of songs with unexpected turns and vibes and with musical references that aren’t easy to pinpoint – in the best possible way.

The Understory creates a somewhat eerie atmosphere. The sound of the cello ebbs and flows to a subliminal percussive pulse. After three minutes, the track takes a different direction with a steady but sparse guitar theme. This could be classic slow-core tune, but The Understory reaches another level and gently unfolds evocative potential by Manuela’s singing, which is emotionally resonant and augmented by the choir in the background.

Another Day has a similar scheme. It also presents a twisted combination and starts off with a background of flowing layers, this time with a fine accentuated rhythm force. Accompanied by a narrative singing style, this song might refer to old blues or folk tunes. But once again, the track takes an unexpected turn and brings in a solid electric bassline. The arrangement still is minimalistic while Manuela’s voice is flirting with the darker side of sonic borderlands.

Red works with a rather conventional song structure. It’s equipped with a repetitive theme and shifting percussive sounds. The leading part here is clearly the melody of Manuela singing about the quality of certain colours. Red – of course – “is revolution”!

What’s Ahead? shows a return to bands like ​Codeine, where the hypnotic guitar part is slow and heavy. Its contemplative quality is embraced by the warm meandering vocals and shows a moment between intimacy and urgency.

Suspicious is strikingly spartan and slow, but a rather powerful piece of music. The gentle ambient texture leaves a lot of space for a slow-building vocal part. This track is a challenging set of self- observations and leaves the listeners with goosebumps.

Barczewski is a master of subtlety and quietude. She’s delivering the right words, dark sounds and emotions for unsettling times like these.

The Late Pioneers

I don’t remember how I actually came across The Late Pioneers. I downloaded the We All Knew Biscuits E.P (2018) from Bandcamp a while ago. But somehow the songs slipped through my daily business and got lost in my ever-expanding music library. Until I received a notice the other day that there’s a new release from The Late Pioneers. And this time, the band immediately got my full attention.
It’s easy to connect with this new collection of songs released under the title Close Enough: there are plenty of splendid melodies and the way they harmonise sound very familiar. All topped up with chiming guitars and a neat lo-fi approach. Also, there are different singers and songwriters in the band, each bringing in a distinctive style and approach into the band. We all know about the benefits of having three singer/songwriters in a guitar band, right?

The Late Pioneers are four long-time friends, originally from the Manchester area. Because they ended up living in various parts of England, they only get together once or twice a year to record some music at someone’s home. It’s clearly a labour of love. You can hear they are having fun getting together, swapping instruments all the time while recording all sorts of songs. Thankfully, they share this music straight away on Bandcamp (occasionally accompanied by a quick video for YouTube) for everyone to enjoy this creative outcome. Of course The Late Pioneers are no leading innovators in the field of hand-made indie guitar music. They are clearly influenced from a broad range of musical directions. Not in a contrived or copied manner, but with fresh authenticity.

From the past five years, there are numerous releases to check out on Bandcamp. And further more to dig into: several side-projects like Autopia, Combo Ribs and The Separates. I’d recommend to start with The Pinetop Sauna because they also have a knack for three-part harmonies and classic guitars. It’s less lo-fi and sounds more American influenced to me. Yes, there’s loads to discover. Hope you enjoy!

11th November 2019

UPDATE

Less than three months later, and The Late Pioneers are now having a CD compilation out via the wonderful people from Subjangle. The album consists of the Close Enough EP from 2019 (tracks 1-7), the Bin Wang album from 2016 (tracks 8-16) and four tracks (17-20) specifically chosen by Julie Fowler (editor of the Colours Through The Air Blog and also one of the co-founders of Subjangle). It’s well deserved, that this great music finally gets a proper physical release!

31st January 2020

Reeperbahn Festival 2019

It’s that time of the year again: the famous Kiez of St. Pauli buzzing with sounds, words and music fans during the 14th edition of the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg. Four festival days packed with numerous talks, awards and meetings – Same procedure as last year? The answer is both yes and no.



Taking part at the annual RBF almost feels like a very pleasant class reunion: meeting up with dear old friends I only get see once a year like Dino, who works for Redeye Distribution in Berlin or my dear colleague Alice from Aachen. She runs the fabulous blog Offbeat Music and also cares for music in her radio shows for ByteFM and NovumFM. And of course, there’s loads of music to hear and to discover! Sometimes too much at once with 90 venues on board for 600 shows. Not really a bad thing, right?


W.H. Lung


I wasn’t at all familiar with the first band I watched on Wednesday evening and had no idea what to expect. W.H. Lung hail from Manchester, played as a five piece and mix several goods from the 70ties to 90ties: some kind of motorik synthie-pop, combined with a shoegaze guitar sound and a slight dark wave attitude. Imagine Stone Roses married to Neu! while flirting with Joy Division. It was a wild combination, groovy and forceful. The lanky singer of W.H. Lung exposed some versatile skills in body balance while his bare feet showed a daring collection of colourful toenails.


Bobby Oroza


Another flamboyant detail popped up later this evening when the Finnish soul singer Bobby Oroza played his showcase at Angie’s Nightclub. He presented his soul-soaked tunes in a matching wardrobe from head to foot with classy dark suit, pocket square and shiny black shoes. All topped up with magenta-coloured socks! Oroza’s handsome appearance and sentimental sound may feel like being caught in a long-lost time warp, but that’s fine. His heartfelt crooning was perfectly harmonized, relaxed and comforting, sometimes refined with jazzy guitar chops and an up-tempo rhythm section. At one point he apologized: “I only got love songs. I hope that’s alright?”. No doubt about it, Bobby Oroza’s a humble artist with exceptional style and talent.


Sasami


Thursday for me at the Reeperbahn Fest was a bit of a dilemma. Three showcases I wanted to see shared the same time slot. Bummer! In the end I chose Sasami and I think this was a pretty good decision. The classically trained indie-songwriter Sasami Ashworth is anything but ordinary. She’s an artist making her own way and transformed her songs to an inspiring live experience as a trio. Sometimes I worried her long hair might get tangled up between the strings of her guitar. Her performance was raw and powerful with a refreshing and healthy “fuck this!” attitude. Sasami never intended to please the crowd. But she’s on a mission and she cares for female empowerment. Again and again she mentioned the hashtag #empoweringwoman. Right on! Some people in the audience were overwhelmed, if not disturbed by her statements, and she obviously touched a raw nerve.


And here’s the thing: The Reeperbahn Festival signed up to Keychange, an international initiative who cares about gender equality in the music industry. This year’s line-up was indeed progressive, lots of female artists included like Sasami from California and her excellent female rhythm section. But the harsh truth is: the venue for her was only half-filled and the audience mostly male. Sasami definitely deserved better.




The Stroppies Melbourne live in concert @ Molotow Hamburg RBF#19


The Stroppies


My next musical highlight happened on Friday, shortly after midday. Australia was this year’s focus country and thankfully not only big names like Feist were thrown into the festival field, also the less known Indiepop act The Stroppies played two shows.


The stage at Molotow for The Stroppies was tiny and the PA system wasn’t the best. Nevertheless, the four-piece from Melbourne managed to play an enjoyable and charismatic set of old school jangly guitar tunes. I quite liked the enthusiasm of the drummer, who sang along all the time although he had no mike. The bass player was super cool and her deadpan vocals added a light post-punk feel in to the mix while the other singer changed between strumming the guitar or dealing with the vintage keyboard. Sometimes on his knees and with his head on the keys. Above all, it was fun and fresh. The Stroppies finished off with delights and the brooding vibe of Cellophane Car – this alone was already worth doing the festival trip to Hamburg! But hold on, there was more good stuff to follow.


Penelope Isles


When the Brighton quartet Penelope Isles released their debut album on Bella Union this year, I worshipped a few tracks. But live, they were incredibly impactful and impressive. With up to four voices in the mix, Penelope Isles presented a super tight and powerful performance of harmony-laden indie rock galore and beyond. The band acted like a solid unit, easily managed to shift between instruments and genres. Maybe it’s because the two singers and songwriters are brother and sister – it’s a family affair with a deeper understanding for sonic aesthetics and expression. Their song Gnarbone ended up as a ten-minute adventure of captivating heavy psyche-rock dynamics. At some point the track ended, but suddenly they start again and the audience just went crazy. It was one of these special goosebumps’ moments, a rare treat in live music these days.


Thank you Penelope Isles and thank you Reeperbahn Festival 2019. It was a real pleasure again.


 


27th September 2019

	


	



	
		

	



	

		


		
	




                
                

                
                
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