By Sofia Ciechowska Illustration bi Basje Boer
Unruly Music Magazine May 2012
What’s Cooking
Food The Guilty Pleasures Issue
U.S. Girls, Hunx & His Punx, LA Vampires Page 1
just add color the chuck taylor all star spring color collection
The Guilty Pleasures Issue
This is Seth Bogart, aka Hunx. Hunx likes hair. In fact he likes it so much that he does all kinds of weird and dirty little things with it. And especially for this Guilty Pleasures Issue he comes clean (or dirty if you will). You can read his self-written confessions on page 18. The photo was taken by Bobby Doherty in Brooklyn, NY right before Mr Hunx - together with his Punx - went on stage to do his thing... his crazy hairy thing.
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Content
The Guilty Pleasures Issue
Hunx’s Hair
LA Vampires
Page 18
Page 24
U.S. Girls
Agenda
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Page 55
Top 5 New Music We Saw You Hunx & his punx guilty pleasures 1 la vampires guilty pleasures 2 u.s. girls lower dens featured artist reviews
10 12 16 18 22 24 30 32 36 38 42
Fashion Film Food Books horoscope Agenda subbacultcha! shows other shows Free Stuff after midnight overview
46 47 48 50 52 55 57 65 76 77 78
Guilty pleasures... haven’t we all got them? Besides all the serious and ‘real’ things in life which require your utmost and utter resposibility, guilty pleasures are actually the things that really make your life worthwhile: Miami Vice, that one song by Clouseau, Elton John, midnight snacking, peeing in the shower, not brushing your teeth before going to bed, Hello Magazine, James Taylor, watching golf on TV, sleeping until four in the afternoon, not answering the door, Barry White, Gordon Ramsey, extra sauce on everything, etc. etc. etc. Yes! time to come clean and indulge. Enjoy! Page 6
in mei o.a.
Jacques Tati - films
o.a. Playtime (1956) 70mm
Martin Scorsese - retrospectief
o.a. The Last Waltz (1978) – nieuwe digitale restauratie
Feels Like Going Home (2003)
Martin Scorsese’s eerbetoon aan de Delta Blues
Dark Shadows (2012) - Tim Burton Première. Met o.a. Johnny Depp
Cinema Egzotik: Special Walter Hill The Getaway (1972) + Streets of Fire (1984)
Info & tickets: www.eyefilm.nl
Colophon
Who we are and what we do
Subbacultcha! Magazine is made at our office in Amsterdam Da Costakade 150, 1053 XC Amsterdam, the Netherlands www.subbacultcha.nl. magazine@subbacultcha.nl We are Editors: Leon Caren and Bas Morsch Editorial Assistant: Megan Roberts Design: Bas Morsch and Marina Henao Intern: Freek van Heerikhuize and Eden van den Bogaard Good Girl: Loes Verputten Good Guys: Christopher Schreck and Bauke Karel Printing: Drukkerij Slinger, Alkmaar Contributors: Carly Blair, Basje Boer, Seth Bogart, Brenda Bosma, Leon Caren, Zofia Ciechowska, Bobby Doherty, Viktor Hachmang, Nicholas Haggard, Marc van der Holst, Dimitri Karakostas, Geoff Kim, Kathrin Klingner, Steven McCarron, Bas Morsch, Johanna Valdés, Gert Verbeek, Karin Wolters and Isolde Woudstra. Distribution: Amsterdam: Tessel Dekker, Bauke Karel, Sandrine Mary, Ana Milheiro, Fedor Oduber, Ansuya Spreksel, Stefan Stasko, Patrick van der Klugt, Elizabeth Prins, Dineke Tuinhof, Agata Bar Utrecht: Freyja van den Boom, Janna Smeets Groningen: Wout Merbis, Hedwig Plomp Den Haag: Leroy Verbeet Rotterdam: Nahry Dougarem, Lukas Dikker, Ilse van der Spoel Leeuwarden: Jan Pier Brands Leiden: Milou Laan Haarlem: Yannick Tinbergen, Bert Zaremba Nijmegen Arno de Vreng Tilburg/Eindhoven: Kevin Jansen Deventer: Marjolein de Vliegher Delft: Daniel Enciso Breda: Christopher Freudberg Belgium: Kasper-Jan Raeman Pick up Subbacultcha! Magazine here (among 500 other places): Amsterdam: Kriterion, Canvas, American Apparel, Episode, EYE, CREA, De Balie, Melkweg, Paradiso, OT301, De Nieuwe Anita, Restored, Zipper, Concerto Utrecht: Ekko, ’t Hoogt, Tivoli, The Village, Revenge, Plato, dB’s Rotterdam: Worm, Rotown, Lantaren Venster, De Witte Aap, Willem de Kooning Academie If you want your bar, venue, store or business to be on the distribution list, please send us an email. Advertising To advertise in Subbacultcha! Magazine send an email to magazine@subbacultcha.nl. Memberships Become a member of Subbacultcha!. For only €7 a month you get free access to all Subbacultcha! shows and the monthly magazine sent to your house. Plus, you get a fresh Subbacultcha! bag. Check the website to sign up. Cover: Photo by Isolde Woudstra Page 8
MuziekgebouwEindhoven.nl THE MUSIC OF JONNY GREENWOOD
&
BRYCE DESSNER
Amsterdam Sinfonietta feat.
Bryce Aaron Dessner
Dessner - New work for string orchestra Greenwood - There Will Be Blood Suite Greenwood - Popcorn Superhet Receiver Dessner - Raphael Dessner - St. Carolyn by the Sea
zo 17 jun
Top 5
1
Last month at our office
Song: Chromatics - ‘Into the Black’
It sure takes guts to start your record with a Neil Young cover, ’cause who carries the tunes better than the old master, right? Well, Chromatics pull it off in style. Their subdued version of ‘Into the Black’ sends shivers down our spines every time we play it.
2
Concert: Odonis Odonis @ OT301
A Subbacultcha! show the way it’s supposed to be: loads of people coming out to see a band they’ve never heard of and being overwhelmed by a furiously entertaining live set. Great band, great night. More of that, please.
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Music: Doldrums
Doldrums is the real deal. No run-of-the-mill one-trick pony blog hype but a soulful, adventurous musician who released one of the most challenging EPs of 2011. Don’t miss his show in Amsterdam on May 20.
4
New Hotspot: Schenk Studio We spent a week over at the Schenk Studio, recording some music and enjoying the weather on the supposedly dangerous wharf just oustside the studio. We had a great view of het IJ while eating courgette pasta with lots of garlic, lemon and chilli pepper. Living the life.
5
Guilty Pleasure: Elton John - ‘Tiny Dancer’
Okay okay, it’s time to admit it. We got drunk one night in a hotel room in Brighton. We started downloading. First Neil Young... then down to John Denver... on to James Taylor... and the last thing we remember is ‘Elton John - “Tiny Dancer”: download complete.’
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6 & 7 JULI 2012 CULTUURPARK WESTERGASFABRIEK AMSTERDAM
THE WEEKND DIE ANTWOORD GUI BORATTO (LIVE) SBTRKT MODESELEKTOR AZARI & III LE LE THE GASLAMP KILLER MAYA JANE COLES JESSIE WARE and many more
PITCHFESTIVAL.NL
New Music
This month’s recommendations
By Zofia Ciechowska
Pseudo Nippon pseudonippon.com
If this band doesn’t make you ROFL, I don’t really know what will. Okay, maybe a YouTube lolcat might edge marginally ahead of these guys, but it would have to be one of those lolcat classics... Sorry, I digress. Pseudo Nippon hail from their London Temple of Shed bringing forth a kaleidoscope of neon bento-inspired weirdness projected through drums, guitars, pianos, clarinets and dancing in space kimonos. They also like ham and eggs (organic, don’t sweat), so you could probably have them over for omelettes, egg sandwiches, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, hard-boiled eggs, soft-boiled eggs or just ham, and then have a dance-off on your dinner table.
Zebra Baby
zebrababymusic.tumblr.com Artists’ collective/foul-mouthed all-girl hip hop trio Zebra Baby are galloping across the Internet savannah waving their middle fingers (hooves?) at the cheetah music media that has unsuccessfully tried to eat them for breakfast. Happy rapping in Bushwick, these ladies produce pretty awesome tracks about badass shit like not paying rent on time, doing stuff to their vaginas or being better at rapping about Gucci than that shit other female rapper with that shit misspelled name. These girls could easily hijack the hell out of M.I.A.’s rusty old BMW from that new video of hers, just you wait. Page 12
New Music
Dive
facebook.com/divebk Zachary Cole Smith has some kind of link with Beach Fossils, and obviously when you put a big recognisable name in a new music column, it’ll attract attention. So there, I did it. You can stone me later. So, Smith got a bunch of his mates together from a few different bands of differing degrees of fame and they formed Dive. Their music is of that shimmery dreamy hazy genre that always pops up before the summer, perfect for lounging about on rooftops at dusk and casually spilling beer on strangers’ new trainers. Their debut LP Oshin is coming out on 26 June on Captured Tracks, so start saving your pennies.
House of John Player houseofjohnplayer.bandcamp.com
Dean Spencer is from a little place in England called Bletchley. Sources say that he apparently has a bedroom in the aforementioned Bletchley?! And as a musician, he obviously makes music in this bedroom and nowhere else because who would be silly enough to make music in their kitchen, living room or garage, right? So, Dean Spencer makes his own music somewhere in his house and it is a delicious concoction of guitar loops, drum beats, muffled vocals, pops and claps that float around and make your eardrums squeal with glee. This dude is totally feeling the stride. Check out his Bandcamp for some treats. Page 13
New Music
continued
Mutual Benefit
mutualbenefit.bandcamp.com Jordan Lee of Mutual Benefit is a well-travelled tinker who stumbles upon forgotten sounds and polishes them into shiny melodies that rock you like a hammock on a hot summer day. And without sounding too nauseatingly saccharine, I really have to hand it to this dude: his music is subtle and graceful, perhaps even sublime. Mutual Benefit also revealed that he wants to release a hologram album within the next few years or perhaps start a new dance craze where song lyrics correspond to particular dance moves. We totally buy that. Check out his latest post-lunar Buddha turds on his Bandcamp site.
Female Band
soundcloud.com/femaleband
Is it a band if it’s just you? Do you need more than one person to be in a band? I once put an elastic band around my body. I was in a band back then, so I guess not. Although your circulation might get cut off if you stay in that kind of band for longer than five minutes. Female Band is a one-girl band that makes music of that shy, heavy, noisy, haunted genre that takes it time to roll on to its back, rub its sleepy eyes and drag its body out of its bed, but it (thankfully) will not cut off your circulation. For now you’ll have to make do with the two tracks this excellently named project has released and rub your hands in anticipation for more. Page 14
ST THE FINESINGER R E SONGWRIT FEST
MUZIEKGEBOUW EINDHOVEN
HOWE GELB (GIANT SAND) ABIGAIL WASHBURN MARCUS FOSTER THE HACKENSAW BOYS * BERTOLF MORGAN O’KANE * DOUG MACLEOD MELANIE HORSNELL MAN FROM THE SOUTH AND MORE TO COME...
KAARTVERKOOP VIA MUZIEKGEBOUWEINDHOVEN.NL & EFFENAAR.NL EN TICKETSERVICE NEDERLAND MEER INFORMATIE OP WWW.NAKEDSONG.NL
We Saw You
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Spotted at Subbacultcha!
Photo by Dineke Cornelissen
What’s your guilty pleasure? I really like to dance to (bad) 80’s and 90’s music. And every now and then - when I’m with a specific group of friends - we play Sean Paul, Sisqo, Nelly…, all really dirty music. It’s a lot of fun!
Rosalie Nooter, spotted at the Xiu Xiu show at OT301 in Amsterdam on 16 April 2012
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Features
The Guilty Pleasures Issue
Hunx & His... Hair
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Features
Hunx and his Punx is the surfy trashy sunny and thoroughly poppy outlet of Seth Bogart, aka Hunx. The extravagant San Francisco (where else?) resident takes the stage with great presence, great moves and even greater outfits. Mr Hunx took some time to write about his newest guilty pleasure: hair. Words written in a tour van by Seth Bogart (Mr Hunx himself ). Photos shot by Bobby Doherty in Brooklyn, NY.
Hair has taken over my life and I 4. Constantly pulling out nose hairs, desperately trying to find those don’t know what to do about it. Nothrare really THICK ones so I can ing really makes me feel guilty but I set them free in my mouth for exwill say that even though it grosses tended periods of time. most people out, I get deep satisfaction from the following: 5. Judging everyone who I’ve ever met in my entire life’s hair choice and… 1. Occasionally pulling out a friend’s body hair and sticking it between 6. Adorning my pubic region with a my teeth. tasteful pair of sunglasses so that it looks like my ‘thing’ is a big nose. 2. Gathering a huge clump of wet Again, I should feel guilty about processed hair out of the sink drain this but I don’t believe in feeling at the salon and caressing it like a guilt about anything that brings little pet. you pleasure. Why else would you continue to live? 3. Letting my wigs get so smelly that people won’t come within several feet of them. Page 19
Features
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The Guilty Pleasures Issue
Hunx & His Punx
Features
Hunx & his Punx play on 11 May at Tivoli Spiegelbar in Utrecht. The show is free for Subbacultcha! members. Page 21
Features
A random selection of guilty pleasures
‘Love.’
‘First off, Jews feel guilty about everything. It’s fair to say I feel guilty for having pleasure at all. That being said: U2.’
‘Playing beach volleyball with handsome black men.’
Max Henry, SUUNS
Alex Zhang Hungtai, Dirty Beaches
Laraaji
‘Watching Gordon Ramsey, Instagram, eating a pack of tofurky sausage.’ Randy Randall, No Age
‘Getting stoned and eating a whole pizza while watching TV, drinking an ice-cold beer while taking a long hot shower with the lights off (it’s like a vacation!), Red Bull and peanut butter Twix.’
‘I’m not sure if it’s something I feel guilty about, but I’ve been reading the obituaries every day in the local paper and trying to find more information about people’s deaths.’
Jeans Wilder
Chris Laufman, Wise Blood
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Illustration by Geoff Kim
Features
Julia Holter’s Guilty Pleasure
‘Margaritas’ Julia Holter will be playing during the Le Guess Who? May Day Festival in Utrecht on 26 May. Also on the bill are Cloud Nothings, Sleepy Sun, Bear in Heaven, Young Magic and many more. Julia Holter also plays at Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ in Amsterdam on 27 May. Page 23
Features
The Guilty Pleasures Issue
Besides playing hazy night club dance music with her musical alter ego LA Vampires, Amanda Brown also writes books and runs no less then two record labels. One of those labels happens to be prolific dance imprint 100% Silk, home of artists Chat interview by Basje Boer.
LA
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The Guilty Pleasures Issue
Features
such as Ital and Maria Minerva. In May she’s taking both the label and her live act on tour across Europe, so we decided to give her a call and talk about her new book, feminism, guilty pleasures and online shopping. Photos shot by Nicholas Haggard in Los Angeles.
Vampires
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Features
LA Vampires
First off, do you have any guilty pleasures? I don’t feel guilty about anything I take pleasure in. I hate it when people say: ‘Oh, Britney Spears is my guilty pleasure.’ I say, own it. It’s stupid, but own it. Do you ever experience shame? Whoa, that’s heavy. I feel ashamed when I think about when I was a teenager. I didn’t start loving myself until my mid-twenties, for sure. I wish I’d pushed myself harder to do anything other than watch movies and read books. I never went outside or played an instrument. I was a dork. When did you start making music, then? Britt [husband and co-label owner of Not Not Fun] sort of forced me. He still forces me actually, because he knows I’ll give up. Maybe I’m guilty of quitting. Ha ha, maybe quitting is a guilty pleasure.What would be the pleasure in quitting? I could focus more on my writing. I like to do what I’m best at. I like to be the best. And music is not me at my best, it’s me trying insanely hard, ha ha. What are you writing? I just signed a two-book deal. The first one’s coming out in July. Whoa, I didn’t know that. Page 26
No one does. It’s a good little secret. If music is something you have to try hard at, then is writing something that comes naturally? Writing is hard in a different way. If it’s a cliché to say something is ‘what you were born to do’, then I’m that cliché when it comes to writing. Music is a non-stop struggle; writing has more highs. And it’s a solo sport. Do you enjoy working by yourself ? I don’t! That’s why I’ll never be a true solo artist. I don’t know why people navel gaze so intensely. It’s the rise of the solo artist now, bands are a thing of the past. It’s ego-striking mania. What do you write about? Being a teenager. Ah, that era of shame. Yeah, I’m working through that shame. The novel is about young feminism. About embracing being a girl and turning your back on the idea of what girls say and do. I didn’t care what anyone said when I was fifteen. Do you think that’s different for young girls nowadays? I think everything’s different for everyone these days. Thank God I grew up in the ’80s. Literally I thank God every day I didn’t grow up with the Internet.
The Guilty Pleasures Issue
Is your novel set in the ’80s as well? It’s loosely set in the ’90s. Is there any music in it? Some grunge maybe? Yeah, grunge for sure. And heyday rap. ’94 had the best rap. When I hear ‘Motownphilly’, that’s got to be like when my mother hears Carole King or some shit. My mother only likes the early Beatles. I think it’s so tasteless and weird, but it reminds her of her childhood, so who cares? I was just thinking, here in Holland feminism has turned into something to feel guilty about. I should hope Dutch women claim feminism, they’re wonderful. I lived near Nijmegen for half a year, back in 2000. All I could say was ‘dankuwel’. I sounded like an ass, but a polite ass. Is the way you look and dress part of being a feminist? For sure. 100 per cent. I believe in sexiness. I have to project what I think is sexy and that is something a bit androgynous, something that is stern and modern. What is feminism going to be like in the future? It’ll be more about an inner strength than a movement, which is wonderful and sad. So once again, it’s about going solo.
Features
Solo is the future, I’m afraid. We’re all separating. But isn’t the Internet bringing us together? No no no no. Should we all get rid of our computers? No! How else will we do our online shopping? What are your earliest memories of guilt and pleasure? I was always talking back to my mother, always getting in snips and last words. My father is dead, and she meant the world to me. So when I was cruel to her, it would feel awful. I know every once in a while my mother thinks: I gave birth to an asshole. Does your mother have any guilty pleasures? Salty foods, gossip, conservative news programmes, shoe shopping. Sounds like a very normal woman. Yes, that’s feminism at work. Embrace your inner shoe shopper. I just wish women were more unapologetic about it. Thank you for your time. Of course, thanks for yours. Dankuwel!
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Features
LA Vampires
LA Vampires play during the 100% Silk Label night at OT301 in Amsterdam on 31 May. The show is free for Subbacultcha! members. Page 28
The Guilty Pleasures Issue
Features
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Features
A random selection of guilty pleasures
‘I love to spend an amazing amount of time in the apothecary, soap, oils and deodorant section at the local grocery store. Is that creepy seeing some dude just smelling oils and soaps for twenty minutes in the store? But my ultimate guilty pleasure would have to be the purchase of Teva sandals. They are so ugly and I only wear them in the middle of the woods on a trail away from people.’ Ted Shumaker, DJ Viva Radio
‘Our van is my guilty pleasure. I never saw myself owning a car and living in Montreal, where it’s so easy to walk and bike, and trucks are so terrible for the world. But I have one. Its name is Henry and I love it.’ Jessie Stein, The Luyas
‘I have a soft spot for college basketball that leaves me without most of my March, because I’m glued to a TV or constantly checking the Internet for scores all month (that’s tournament time!)... And then sometimes I’ll eat an XL pizza, all by myself, after coming home from the bar, late at night. Late-night snack fest.’ Sam T. Herring, Future Islands Page 30
Illustration by Geoff Kim
Features
Fenster’s Guilty Pleasure
‘Zombie Movies’ Fenster play on 12 May at Roodkapje in Rotterdam and on 15 May at the Goethe-Institut in Amsterdam. Both shows are free for Subbacultcha! members. Page 31
Features
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The Guilty Pleasures Issue
Features
U.S. Girls
Toronto resident Megan Remy is the sole member of U.S. Girls. The self-proclaimed Bruce Springsteen mega-fan makes gritty and haunted pop songs that make you want to go dancing in the dark. As she puts it: ‘The radio got thrown into the bathtub while I was in it.’ If you want to find out what her guilty pleasures are (covering Brandy & Monica’s ‘The Boy Is Mine’ is not one of them), go catch her live and stumble over a bottle of beer right in front of her. You’ll see why. Multiple choice questions sent by Brenda Bosma. Artwork photographed and xeroxed by Dimitri Karakostas in Toronto, Canada.
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Features
U.S. Girls
1) Can you give us the definition of U.S. Girls according to your dictionary? a. If there’s a hint of an American Dream in my music then it’s rather dark and haunted, like a ghost of Jessica Simpson hovering over it. b. We run this world. c. Other, namely: The radio got thrown into the bathtub while I was in it. 2) What’s so great about Philly? a. Apart from bumping into the Boss every now and then in the narrow aisles of Duane Reade, nothing much. b. The Phluphian Dialect! The way the Philadelphians say, ‘Coming right up hun, ya wan’ yer sawff pressie wi’ or wi’aw musserd?’ is sooo adorable. c. Other, namely: Tom Lax (label boss Siltbreeze Records).
c. Other, namely: A and B both. 4) How do you fight loneliness on tour? a. I just imagine I’m plural. b. I don’t; it has its positive qualities as well, like peace and quiet. c. Other, namely: By sending postcards to my loved ones. 5) Are you the kind of person to feel guilty? a. Yes, like the Catholic version of it. b. No, not even when there are angels greeting me on the corner every morning and I don’t greet them back. c. Other, namely: Answer A!
6) If you were, could you name one or two guilty pleasures? a. Yes, see answer C. b. No, because I don’t have any. c. Other, namely: I feel guilty that I sometimes find pleasure in the mis3) You’ve covered a lot of songs, from the steps and mistakes of others. Boss’s ‘Prove It All Night’ to Brandy & Monica’s ‘The Boy Is Mine’. What’s the attraction of these particular songs? U.S. Girls play on 2 May at dB’s in Utrecht a. I can’t help falling for these songs. and on 13 May at OCCII in Amsterdam. Both Plus, I just had to prove that the shows are free for Subbacultcha! members. boy IS mine. b. Covers are almost always better than the original. I’m looking forward to the day when this little girl (or boy) will cover my songs.
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The Guilty Pleasures Issue
Features
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Features
The Guilty Pleasures Issue
Lower Dens
Drony and dizzying dream-pop outfit Lower Dens just released their sophomore album Nootropics on Ribbon Music. Jana Hunter and her men delivered a minimal masterpiece that addresses our relationship with technology. We Skype-called Geoff Graham, who’s responsible for the throbbing bass sounds on the album, and we got to know a bit about the concept behind the record - though pretty soon we were talking about guns, HP Lovecraft and ‘sex, broccoli and rock ’n’ roll’. The guilty pleasures of life... A single extract is printed here. Read the full interview online. Words by Brenda Bosma. Photo by Shawn Brackbill.
Any innocent or guilty pleasures? We have this thing we like to do when we’re on tour and we stay at a hotel where breakfast is included. We’ll wake up at 06.00 to eat breakfast and then go to bed again. Then at 09.00 when they’re almost cleaning up we’ll go for a second round. Page 36
Less innocent, perhaps, is that some of us like to shoot guns at the shooting range. I don’t like guns, but I fall into that thing where it’s fun to shoot some rounds. Also I really enjoy reading HP Lovecraft. I can feel really guilty about that, because he’s a total racist sometimes.
Features
Lower Dens play at Paard van Troje in Den Haag on 11 May and in WORM in Rotterdam on 17 May. The show in Paard van Troje is part of the Walk the Line Festival, that takes place on 11 and 12 May in various locations across Den Haag. Other highlights include Com Truise, Exit Music, Alt-J and many others. More info at www.walkthelinefestival.nl Page 37
Art
Featured Artist
Isolde Woudstra
With the upcoming Subbacultcha! photo exhibition during Music&Foam, we thought it was time to shine a light on Subbacultcha! resident photographer Isolde Woudstra. Isolde’s music, fashion and portrait photography is strong, very well composed, sensible and never boring. She captures life with a strong eye for the beauty of normality, creating images that reveal the effortless oddness of in-between moments. Her images cut out all unnecessary ‘noise’, leaving us with clean, yet very natural and unpolished self-referential freeze frames. Some of Isolde’s work will be on display at the Subbacultcha! photo exhibition in &Foam in Amsterdam. The exhibition is part of the Music&Foam project, that focusses on the relation between music and photography. Subbacultcha!’s expo will show a selection of photos that were published in the magazine over the past year. The opening is on 24 May.
isoldewoudstra.com Page 38
Art
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Art
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Featured Artist
Isolde Woudstra
Art
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Music Reviews
New releases worth your while
Lower Dens Nootropics (Ribbon Music)
By Carly Blair
Ty Segall and White Fence Hair (Drag City)
Jana Hunter and her band of dark nerds often remind me of fellow Baltimore outfit Beach House, but whereas their pop evokes the kind of sweet dreams your mother bid you, Lower Dens’ somnambulant explorations are more ambiguous, and therefore more fascinating. Nootropics is the second of a four-album cycle the band has planned since its inception. Pronounced no-eh-tro-pics, the title refers to a type of drug intended to enhance cognitive functions such as memory, intelligence, motivation, attention and concentration. Indulging in a few may assist in appreciating the music here, which is thematically complex, but more to the point, extremely subtly delivered. Play it loud and listen closely, lest it slip past you, its many nuances underappreciated. Page 42
Ty Segall is like the rock ’n’ roll equivalent of the goose that laid the golden egg, putting out a steady stream of consistently solid neo-psychedelia. White Fence is the similarly psychedelic solo project of Tim Presley. The pair are joined by Tim’s brother Sean and garage-rock hot shot Mikal Cronin, making this album’s personnel one fearsome foursome. Tim’s penchant for meandering guitar solos gives Hair more of a noodly vibe than Segall’s solo work, but raw power and catchy melodies lend these songs enough dynamism to whisk you away to a psychotropical island. If you’ve got a craving for meat and potatoes rock ’n’ roll, there’s plenty here to stick to your ribs.
Music Reviews
Light Asylum Light Asylum
Here We Go Magic A Different Ship
This Brooklyn duo of Shannon Funchess and Bruno Coviello worked separately for years on other projects (Funchess has contributed vocals to acts like Telepathe, TV on the Radio, and !!!) before bonding over a shared love of the obscure dark-wave band Clan of Xymox. Funchess is without question the focal point here, an androgynous and imposing contralto who sounds like Sisters of Mercy’s Andrew Eldritch inhabiting the body of a punk rock Grace Jones. Their long-awaited debut full length is heavy on the dark ’80s influences, and though it occasionally strays into gothic melodrama, Funchess’ s singular and undeniably powerful delivery consistently captivates.
This Brooklyn band has come a long way since its narcotic, dazzling self-titled debut. Back then Luke Temple worked solo, but for HWGM’s sophomore release he brought a full band on board. Though it had high points, growing pains were in evidence all over the resulting Pigeons. Fortunately, the new band clicked on stage well enough to draw the attention of Nigel Godrich, who offered to help them translate their hypnotic live vibe to tape. Godrich’s guidance lends a heretofore unprecedented restraint and spaciousness to A Different Ship. The new approach serves their sound well, capitalising on both Temple’s mastery of somnolent atmospherics and the liveliness the band added to the mix. Afloat on an ocean of Pacific vibes, this ship is their most seaworthy yet.
(Mexican Summer)
(Secretly Canadian)
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Music Reviews
continued
Moonface with Siinai Heartbreaking Bravery
Ed Schrader’s Music Beat Jazz Mind
Moonface is Spencer Krug (also of Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown), while Siinai is a Finnish kraut rock band featuring members of now-on-hiatus Joensuu 1685. They met when Joensuu toured with Wolf Parade, and Krug invited Siinai to collaborate after hearing their triumphant 2011 debut, Olympic Games. Excellent call on his part, as Siinai’s affinity for repetition and gradual evolution helps create a spellbinding backdrop that throws Krug’s unique gifts into sharp relief, whether he’s indulging his love of pop melodies, delivering heartbreaking tales with his characteristic expressive delivery, or joining Siinai on a detour down a psych rabbit hole. The result is a multifaceted and moving addition to the oeuvres of all involved.
A ‘paranoid pop’ duo hailing from that new promised land of interesting and idiosyncratic pop music, Baltimore, is tough to not get excited about. Vocalist/drummer Ed Schrader recorded for a while on his own before joining forces with his roommate, Devlin Rice, who also plays bass in the awesomely named Nuclear Power Pants. They’ve toured with fellow Baltimore stalwarts Dan Deacon and Future Islands, but what they have on offer is totally distinct. Schrader alternately croons, barks and chants shaman-esque proclamations like some kind of manic street preacher atop punk taken to a minimalist extreme, and the sonic shrapnel they fire at listeners tears holes in the air, cool oozing across the silence between explosions.
( Jagjaguwar)
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(Upset the Rhythm)
Music Reviews
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Fashion
Worn Out
By Karin Wolters
As the final installment to the Worn Out series, Karin Wolters has drawn a selection of her own clothes which she wore out to a number of Subbacultcha! shows this past year. Thanks Karin. Viva fashion! Next month a new fashion column will appear on these pages. Page 46
By Gert Verbeek and Basje Boer
Film
New Films and DVDs
Oslo, August 31st
Zift
Joachim Trier, 2011
Javor Gardev, 2008
For his second feature, the talented Joachim Trier - a cousin of Lars von - took his inspiration from the 1931 novel Le feu follet, written by French fascist Pierre Drieu La Rochelle. In modern-day Oslo young writer and recovering drug addict Anders leaves rehab for the weekend. But his rendezvous with old friends is not as joyful as you’d think, Anders’ past mistakes being the proverbial elephant in the room. Before Trier, French film veteran Louis Malle made an adaptation of Le feu follet in the ’60s. Oslo, August 31st replaces Malle’s philosophical undertone with social drama, but the soundtrack is just as cool as it was in 1963. Back then, Erik Satie accompanied the protagonist’s thoughts on life and death; in 2012 it’s Daft Punk, Sébastien Tellier and ’80s heartthrobs A-ha. (BB) In theatres May 17
Moth (Zahary Baharov) is a classic example of a doomed antihero. On the day of his release from prison he’s poisoned by his former partner in crime, who will not give him the antidote until Moth reveals the location of a stolen black diamond. Our bald hero escapes and goes in search of his lost wife Ada (Tanya Ilieva). This comic Bulgarian neo-noir is shot in stylish black and white Cinemascope, with a brooding voice-over, slightly distorting lenses, a plot device from D.O.A. (1950) and Rita Hayworth’s black dress from Gilda (1946). More than once, eccentric supporting actors distract from the story by telling outrageous anecdotes. Nowhere does the movie go deeper than its surface, but what a fine-looking surface it is. (GV) Out now on DVD Page 47
Food
Cooking with...
Basketball
What’s that hanging from your mouth on your profile picture? Is that a huge pizza? Tome: I’m eating a Bosnian dish, zeljanica. It’s a kind of burek, a Balkan specialty. It’s absolutely the best, full of spinach or Swiss chard and a light creamy feta cheese. I can’t make it like my mom though. So apart from zeljanica, do you have any other fond mom food memories? T: Pickling cabbage in the garage and the effervescent stench. It was intolerable, but it meant good things were coming – deep snow and heavy winter meals. The cabbage was the bare bones survival food for us. David: Billowing clouds of smoked salmon for hours on end. Also the smell of fermenting blackberries that my bloody prickled hands were forced to pick during the summer heat Page 48
By Zofia Ciechowska
for wine. My dad would make the wine and force the berry-picking excursions. That sounds pretty intense! But who am I to judge? I come from Poland where they pickle pig’s trotters and make headcheese. When I was four years old I had a pet rabbit. One day I was told the rabbit had been stolen. I just accepted it and moved on. Twenty years later I found out the truth... T: Ha ha, I think 99 per cent of kids who grew up on farms or out of big cities experienced this. We used to keep pigeons and feed them food left over from dinner – spaghetti, pork, salads, egg shells. My parents used to keep pigs in Bosnia and figured all animals were garbage disposals. The scent of all that food began to attract animals in our backyard. We had a living hierarchical ecosystem for a week until raccoons had diminished the last of our
Food
Photo by David Zilber
pigeon population. After that we had shitloads of rats. There’s another interesting story of how my dad used to throw acid on them. He was an alchemist... Is there a particular food you crave the morning after a party? T: Crni rižot – Bosnian squid ink
risotto, and a shot of Loza, fruit brandy. Read the full interview online. Basketball play at De Nieuwe Anita in Amsterdam on May 05. The show in free for Subbacultcha! members. Other live dates: 03/05 - Vera, Groningen
Basketball’s
Squid Ink Rabbit Pho 1 rabbit (preferably your son’s or daughter’s) rice noodles 1 beef stock cube 1 bunch of green onions ginger coriander daikon 10 whole star anise 4 cloves garlic
¼ cup squid ink (as replacement for fish sauce) salt pepper lime kaffir lime leaves bean sprouts Thai basil Sriracha hot sauce hoisin sauce
• Sneak into your son’s/daughter’s room while they are at school. Kill the rabbit.* Gut and clean the rabbit. Boil the rabbit bones (save meat for later) in a pot for 4 hours. Skim the fat from the top of the pot periodically. • Drain the water through a strainer into another pot. In a tea bag, put the garlic, star anise, ginger, and kaffir lime leaves and steep in simmering water for 30 minutes or longer. Remove tea bag.
• Continue simmering and add coriander, daikon, basil, beef stock, green onions, salt, pepper, rice noodles (soaked in cold water for 10 minutes) and squid ink to the simmering water and cook until noodles are tender. • Remove from heat, add rabbit meat (thin slices will cook immediately) and basil, lime, hoisin sauce, Sriracha and bean sprouts at your leisure. * The rabbit ‘ran away’. Page 49
Books
Page 50
Illustration by Viktor Hachmang
By Marc van der Holst
How to read...
Books
The Stand Reading Stephen King’s The Stand is good, dirty, post-pandemic fun. You’re gonna have to bring out your scissors and tape again, Infinite Jest-style (see Subbacultcha! magazine October 2011), because the complete and unabridged edition (which you need) is over 1,000 pages, for Mother Abigail’s sake. So separate Books I and II, tape up the spines, and you’re ready to go.
which is well worth your summertime (it’s good to read this one with the sun burning the hair off your skull for extra apocalyptic effect).
Of course, it’s completely forgettable. I read it last summer and I already hardly remember anything about it. I remember The Trashcan Man, of course. And Randall Flag, aka The Walkin’ Dude. Fran, Stu, Harold, and First of all, though, since you’ve Nadine... it’s quite the cast, and all been reading Barthelme, Lar- they’re all great characters. I rekin, Chinese and contemporary member it feeling very much like American poetry these last few a rock ’n’ roll novel. I remember months (some of you might still it being fun, fun, fun. What’s the be reading Infinite Jest, and some matter with you? Don’t you like of you might be reading it for fun? the third time by now; I know I am), you’re gonna have to get (PS: for those of you who don’t used to King’s style a little, be- like to read books, I hate you, but cause, well, let’s just say it’s not there’s also a TV miniseries and for everyone. Or let’s say it is for a Marvel Comics adaptation. everyone, which is kind of the They’re all right, but of course problem. But you’ll get over it, the book is way, way better. Just ‘one word at a time’ (as Stephen sayin’.) King says of his writing process), and soon you’ll be sucked into this great tale of good versus evil, Page 51
Horoscope GEMINI
22 May – 21 June
Two desperate souls can never be together. Even though you’re sitting next to one in a café with free Wi-Fi. Even if your netbook chords are intertwined together. And even if you both reach for the contact box at the same time to unplug the adapter.
CANCER
22 June – 22 July
Sometimes you just want to smoke and drink and feel enlightened without a care in the world. Without getting upset about this guy’s shirt or that girl’s skirt. Or Nickelback coming from the speakers. It’s all good. You’re a dude.
LEO
23 July – 22 Aug
By Brenda Bosma
skin off the roof of your mouth. Yes, where are your principles now?
LIBRA
23 Sept – 22 Oct
You’re not really into external beauty, you’re searching for something within, something more absolute. You’re still figuring out if it lies in the realm of breasts or bottom.
SCORPIO
23 Oct – 21 Nov
You’re preoccupied with a jigsaw puzzle of about 250 pieces. There’s a lot of sky, but isn’t there a lot of sky anyhow? You may never finish, but everyone keeps hammering on about the journey being the destination. Yes, that counts way more.
Sagittarius
22 Nov – 21 Dec
Even if worst comes to worst, you still won’t be needing a toupée. You won’t ever have to wonder about the pitiful concept of toupées. You are gifted with toupée-free genes. But that doesn’t mean you can act like a person wearing one. It’s time to visit a hairdresser. Pronto.
You see Mrs Doubtfire in the urine puddle while taking a leak. Immediately you start thinking of your father and his quirky ways. Who is that man really? As you flush you notice you peed all over the seat.
VIRGO
Your long-dormant impulsiveness has finally awoken. We knew you had it in you. Prance and goof around. After all, spring is in the air. You are God’s little lamb this month.
23 Aug – 22 Sept
A friend heats a Snickers bar in the microwave. You watch in disgust, but can’t resist taking a bite. The nougat will take a layer of Page 52
CAPRICORN
22 Dec – 20 Jan
Illustrations by Kathrin Klingner
Aquarius
21 Jan-19 Feb
‘Life’s like Sanskrit read to a pony.’ Lou Reed’s lyrics are beyond meaning. Like-life, perhaps. You wish you could be this profound in your remarks. You start leaving meaningful pauses between every word that leaves your mouth.
Horoscope
Taurus
21 April - 21 May
pisces
20 Feb-20 March
We don’t think they are really ready for Pisces around here. Get the fuck out of that joint before they grill your ass. Go home where your laptop awaits you, your special friend that is happy to convert your files for you, its hardware contently rattling.
Aries
21 March - 20 April
You’re staring at your phone waiting for it to shine, but you know it only shines when the battery is dying. Who will call you when your inner radiance is nothing but a weak moth-like grey? Throw that pitch-black devil out of the window along with your Facebook account. Go get a tan in the Dolomites.
For some funny reason you start thinking very deeply about the definition of ‘Hipsterism’. You come up with young kids who collectively ride malfunctioning bikes, use overpriced computers, listen to music that’s been done before and wear way too expensive clothes that have been worn before. Everything has been done before and will be done again. Over and over and over again. And you will end up an old person with wrinkles everywhere. Yes, everywhere. Wrinkles have been done before. Your thoughts have been thought before. Your brain feels saggy this month. Page 53
Mojo Concerts by arrangement with 13 Artist presents
the stOne rOses Dinsdag 12 juni 2012
heineken music hall - amsterDam KaartverKoop via www.livenation.nl entree: e 55 (excl. serviceKosten). aanvang: 20.00 uur. thestoneroses.org
facebook.com/thestoneroses
twitter.com/thestoneroses
Agenda On the following pages:
Subbacultcha! concerts and films totally free for members Page 57
Other shows Page 64 Free tickets Page 76
This is Stefan Burnett of Death Grips, jumping from a rooftop. Death Grips is playing three shows in Holland in May (of which one is a Subbacultcha! show). See page 75 for details.
Kronos Quartet Friday 18 May, 20.30, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ Having performed thousands of concerts around the world, and nearing their 40th Anniversary as an ensemble, the Kronos Quartet is one of the most celebrated and influential groups of our time. Tonight they will play the eighth and last concert in Muziekgebouw’s Listen to This series. They will be performing music by composer Steve Reich which was especially written for the Kronos Quartet in comemoration of 9/11. The setlist also contains music from the film Requiem for a Dream, work by Laurie Anderson and more. It is sure to be a stunning night full of emotion and tragic beauty. Apart from the Kronos Quartet concert, The Listen to This concept includes a free experimental side programme which explores the boundaries of modern classical music with DJs, bands, talks and movies. Tonight this part of the programme is hosted by Viral Radio. The side programme starts around 18.30.
Nicole Martens voor Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ — 17.08.2011
Call Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ or buy tickets at the register. 020-788 20 00 | www.muziekgebouw.nl
NM
See all these shows for free. Sign up at www.subbacultcha.nl.
Sic Alps + U.S. Girls
02 May - dB’s, Utrecht 21.00 | €8 | Free for Subbacultcha! members
This San Francisco band’s lo-fi garage pop immediately calls to mind the music of kindred spirit and occasional guest player Ty Segall, although they take a more understated approach than Segall (at least on record). Dutch foursome Space Siren kick off the night followed by an unsettling and (probably) loud set by U.S. Girls.
Dustin Wong + Basketball
05 May - De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam 20.00 | €7 | Free for Subbacultcha! members
Ponytail guitarist Dustin Wong uses only guitar and various effects pedals to weave together altered, looped and layered guitar sounds into an intricate and hypnotic sonic tapestry. After the show, stick around for some exotic tribal dance beats courtesy of Vancouver based four-piece Basketball.
Hunx and His Punx
11 May - Tivoli, Utrecht (Spiegelbar) 21.00 | €7 | Free for Subbacultcha! members
Oakland’s Seth Bogart, aka Hunx, is a hairdresser by day and the flamboyantly gay frontman of a girl group specialising in ’50s-inspired bubblegum pop punk by night. His homoerotic and hilariously bratty persona gives the girl-group sound a fun and campy twist. Page 57
See all these shows for free. Sign up at www.subbacultcha.nl.
Simon Scott (Ex-Slowdive)
11 May - Extrapool, Nijmegen 20.30 | €5 | Free for Subbacultcha! members Simon Scott got a lucky break at 18 when he was invited to join Slowdive, subsequently playing drums on Just For A Day and Souvlaki, but he’s been active ever since, playing in various bands, running his own electronic experimental record label, Keshhhhhh Recordings, and working as a musician and sound artist from his Cambridge recording studio.
Keep Shelly In Athens
12 May - De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam 20.00 | €8 | Free for Subbacultcha! members
This mysterious Greek duo is lending North American chill-wave an enjoyably Balearic twist, yielding seductive and often breathtaking results. Their Campus Martius EP came out late 2011 on the venerable Planet Mu imprint.
Fenster
12 May - Roodkapje, Rotterdam 22.00 | €8 | free for Subbacultcha! members
This Berlin-by-way-of-New York trio’s boy-girl dynamic and quietly stunning take on indie folk have people calling them an American version of The xx. Page 58
As a member you will also receive this magazine every month plus a stylish tote bag
U.S. Girls + Mike Koldin
13 May - OCCII, Amsterdam 20.00 | €8 | Free for Subbacultcha! members
U.S. Girls, aka Meghan Remy, has declared her love for pop music, and on her newer material, she’s polished away the excessive distortion of her earlier recordings and ramped up her love of ’60s girl group and ’90s R&B melodies just enough to make the experimentalism that’s at the core of her songs easier to appreciate.
Klub 470 ft. Fenster
15 May - Goethe-Institut, Amsterdam 21.00 | €10 | Free for Subbacultcha! members
It’s rare that you get to see a band play at the wonderful Goethe-Institut. Tonight, Berlin-based pop trio Fenster play some of their wonderful, stripped down folk-pop songs in the baroque setting featuring chandeliers, a grand piano and vintage wallpaper. Small venue, so show up early if you want to get in.
Factory Floor + Non Records guests 17 May - Effenaar, Eindhoven 20.30 | €12.50 | Free for Subbacultcha! members
This London-based trio’s newer material finds them moving from the postindustrial wasteland to a post-apocalyptic disco. Meanwhile NON Records signee Marius puts a slick and sexy sheen on retro electro. Page 59
See all these shows for free. Sign up at www.subbacultcha.nl.
Bass Drum of Death + Räpe Blossoms 19 May - EKKO, Utrecht 20.00 | €8 | Free for Subbacultcha! members
These two young pros mix up a mean, blues-stained batch of garage punk. Apart from their obviously deadly bass drum, the rest of their gear is pretty lethal as well. The constant fuzzed-out sonic assault they deliver will definitely bend your ears – just make sure it doesn’t break ’em!
Helemaal Melkweg ft. Staff Benda Bilili + Rats On Rafts + Victims Family and more 19 May - Melkweg, Amsterdam 19.00 | €10 | Free for Subbacultcha! members
After a successful kick-off back in February, the Melkweg is back with a second edition of this quarterly mini cultural festival. While the debut’s programming sampled from hip hop, literature and world music, this time around a hopefully diverse crowd can witness a definitely diverse programme.
Doldrums
20 May - Club UP, Amsterdam 20.00 | €8 | Free for Subbacultcha! members
Doldrums’ panicky, androgynous vocals and chopped-up samples teeter on the edge of electro-hallucinogenic freak-outs before accessible pop melodies pull them safely back to the real world. Page 60
Shows in September
Agenda
As a member you will also receive this magazine every month plus a stylish tote bag
Young Magic
24 May - Rotown, Rotterdam 21.00 | €9 | Free for Subbacultcha! members This indie psych trio met in Brooklyn back in 2007. After a couple of years travelling the world and making music along the way, 2011 found them reunited and raring to record together. The resulting debut, Melt, sounds like a melting pot of influences from around the world, ranging from shoegaze to trip hop and world music.
Foam Opening Subbacultcha! at &Foam 24 May - &Foam, Amsterdam 17.30 | Free for all
&Foam is a new initiative of Foam Photography Museum in the form of a unique shop on the Vijzelstraat peddling various photography-related wares like new and vintage magazines, books and prints. After ‘Fashion’ in the first three months of 2012 &Foam started a new theme in April: ‘Music’. And Subbacultcha! was invited. On 24 May we open an exhibition with a selection of all the photography published in Subbacultcha! magazine over the past year. Expect a cutting-edge overview of fresh and progressive musicians and ditto photographers. Page 61
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Agenda
Shows in May
See all these shows for free. Sign up at www.subbacultcha.nl.
Death Grips
28 May - occii, Amsterdam 20.30 | €7 | Free for Subbacultcha! members This Sacramento trio quickly built up a pretty huge following with their explosive mix of hardcore and avant-hip hop. Their pungent potential caught the noses of various major labels; eventually they signed with Epic. Cash in on what may be their last performance at a small venue!
Movie: Broken Flowers
29 May - 16CC, Amsterdam 21.30 | €7.50 | Free for Subbacultcha! members
Tonight the wonderful 16CC will be playing the comedy/drama written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, about a man named Don Jonhston (Bill Murray), who one day receives an anonymous letter, informing him of his 19-yearold son whose existence he was completely unaware of. Urged by his nosey neighbor, Don embarks on a cross-country investigation into the location of his mystery son. Along the way he tracks down four former girlfriends in the hopes of finding some answers. The film takes its comedic turns as each meeting is worst than the last.
100% SILK Label Night ft. Ital, Magic Touch, Maria Minerva and LA Vampires 31 May - OT301, Amsterdam 20.30 | €10 | Free for Subbacultcha! members
For everyone who loves curling up in a good set of sheets (and that’s everyone, right?) we highly recommend immersing yourself in 100% silk of a different kind. The prolific new label of hyper-enthusiastic, hyper-articulate Amanda Brown, 100% SILK has risen meteorically since its inception in early 2011. Though Ital and Maria Minerva have already wowed SubbacultPage 62
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Shows in May
Agenda
As a member you will also receive this magazine every month plus a stylish tote bag
cha! audiences with their genre-defying, retro-gazing dance music, tonight makes for the most thorough and thoroughly enjoyable experience this hotbed of creativity has to offer. It’s like sleeping in lotion!
Foam Photography Museum
Open daily 10.00-18.00, Thursday & Friday until 10.00-21.00 €8 | Free for Subbacultcha! members
Subbacultcha! members get free entry to Foam Photography Museum. New York Times photography is still on display and there is some great stuff coming up. Check the Foam website for more info. And be sure to come check out the Subbacultcha! expo in &Foam.
Mediamatic Fabriek
Saturdays and Sundays 13.00-18.00 €5 | Free for Subbacultcha! members
Mediamatic’s New Order project is a series of short installational exhibitions focusing on the concept of energy in a ‘post-carbon’ era. They take place in the huge and amazing Van Gendthallen, Mediamatic’s new playground in the city. In May all the work of all the separate exhibits will be compiled into one final blast of a reprise. Not to be missed. Page 63
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Agenda
Shows in May
VR 4 MEI
LAZER SWORD / MACHINEDRUM
ZA 5 MEI
BIRDY NAM NAM
MA 7 MEI VR 11 MEI VR 11 MEI
DRY THE RIVER ORGEL VRETEN FAIRMONT / RICARDO TOBAR
ZA 12 MEI ZA 19 MEI
BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB | THE DARCYS STAFF BENDA BILILI | RATS ON RAFTS VICTIMS FAMILY | A BALLADEER & SOLO
@ HOAX
@ CTRL+ALT+DANCE
@ CLOSER – BORDER COMMUNITY NIGHT
@ HELEMAAL MELKWEG
MA 21 MEI DO 24 MEI VR 25 MEI ZA 26 MEI DI 29 MEI DI 5 JUN VR 8 JUN
TIM CHRISTENSEN & THE DAMN CRYSTALS THE SOFT MOON | HOLOGRAMS KILL ALL HIPSTERS BEACH HOUSE | PORCELAIN RAFT WHITE DENIM | WHITE ARROWS ATLAS SOUND AWOLNATION
LET OP: DIT IS SLECHTS EEN SELECTIE VAN HET PROGRAMMA. HET VOLLEDIGE PROGRAMMA IS TE VINDEN OP WWW.MELKWEG.NL MELKWEG AMSTERDAM - LIJNBAANSGRACHT 234A
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Agenda
Shows in May
Julia Holter plays on 26 May during Le Guess Who? May Day in Utrecht and on 27 May in Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ in Amsterdam. Photo by Ye Rin Mok.
God Save The Queen Until 10 June - Centraal Museum, Utrecht From the kraakpanden to the museum - oh, how times have changed. This exhibition focuses on the art/squat/punk/DIY movement from 1977-1984, from the burgeoning US graffiti scene to the Dutch Spray Armee, featuring squat tours and a festival on 19 May.
A Place To Bury Strangers 1 May - Tivoli de Helling, Utrecht 2 May - Doornroosje, Nijmegen 3 May - Muziekgieterij, Maastricht 6 May - Paradiso, Amsterdam Though ‘New York’s loudest band’ isn’t necessarily the highest of accolades, being forerunners of the shoegaze revival is something APTBS can be proud of. Their
upcoming and entirely self-produced album, Worship, promises to deliver more of the shoedelicrockgazia they’ve used to shatter ears for years.
U.S. Girls 2 May - dB’s, Utrecht 13 May - OCCII, Amsterdam U.S. Girls’ Meghan Remy counterbalances ’60s girl group and ’90s R&B melodies with experimental noise to moving, visceral effect. Read more on page 33.
SIC ALPS 2 May - dB’s, Utrecht (+ U.S. Girls & Space Siren) 3 May - Paradox, Tilburg This San Francisco lo-fi garage pop band immediately calls to mind the music of kinPage 65
Agenda
Shows in May
dred spirit Ty Segall, in an understated kinda way. Read more on page 57.
Basketball May 03 - Vera, Groningen May 05 - De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam Vancouver based four-piece Basketball serve up an alternative tribal offering that features progressive electronics, spirited vocals and heavy dance beats.
Chelsea Wolfe 3 May - Winston, Amsterdam A hyperbolic YouTube commenter put it best: ‘It’s as if Satan presided over an unholy mass with members of Black Sabbath and Sonic Youth. Zola Jesus served as the naked altar and in the writhing orgy that consecrated the infernal ceremony, Chelsea Wolfe was conceived.’
Indie Indie #2: The Feeling Of Love + Apneu + Nouveau Vélo 4 May - Meneer Malasch Like French garage rock, cheap-ass beer, showing off your fancy earplugs, sweaty basements and seeing scrawny dudes get their shirts ripped off / ripping scrawny dudes’ shirts off on the dancefloor? You should probably show up then.
Dustin Wong 5 May - De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam Ponytail guitarist Dustin Wong stacks up guitar and layer upon layer of effects into hypnotic, intricate piles of joy. Read more on page 57.
The Rapture 5 May - Bevrijdingsfestival, Groningen 6 May - Tivoli Oudegracht, Utrecht These post-punk revivalists successful-
ly fuse dance punk, electronics, disco and acid house to the tune of at least one ‘Best of (year)’ track on every album they put out. While their latest songs have matured somewhat, their ridiculously catchy rhythms and pitch-perfect live delivery get my feet moving every time.
Matana Roberts 6 May - Tivoli Spiegelbar, Utrecht Jazz saxophonist Matana Roberts has come a long way since her days busking in the NYC subway system. She’s worked with Tortoise and Prefuse 73, got tipped by Jeff Mangum for ATP, and her ongoing composition project, Coin Coin, takes an almost frighteningly purgative look at ancestry, slavery and memory.
Royal Baths 7 May - Patronaat, Haarlem 9 May - Winston, Amsterdam 10 May - dB’s, Utrecht 11 May - 330Live, Den Haag To escape the whole litany of lazy comparisons to fellow members of San Francisco’s psych scene, Royal Baths relocated to New York in advance of releasing their new album, Better Luck Next Life, which is filled with appropriately sardonic and sludgy garage blues.
Bowerbirds 9 May - Paradiso, Amsterdam Bowerbirds (the birds) court admirers by building structures and decorating them with sticks and brightly coloured objects. Bowerbirds (the band) court admirers by crafting comforting and romantic indie folk. A near-death experience, running over and subsequently rescuing a stray dog, breaking up and getting back together form the tumultuous backstory for their ambitious new album, The Clearing. Page 67
Agenda
Shows in May
W
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Agenda
Shows in May
Simon Scott (Ex-Slowdive) 11 May - Extrapool, Nijmegen 25 May - Stichting b.a.d., Rotterdam 27 May - (h)ear, Heerlen Musician and sound artist Simon Scott used to be a member of prolific shoegaze band Slowdive. Read more on page 58.
Walk The Line Festival Ft. Lower Dens, Com Truise and more 11-12 May - Paard van Troje, Den Haag Head on down to the Hague for this promising alternative pop festival’s biggest and most diverse line-up yet, blow a kiss to the Queen and pick me up a bag of Haagse hopjes while you’re at it!
Hunx and His Punx 11 May - Tivoli Spiegelbar, Utrecht Hunx is the flamboyantly gay frontman of a girl group specialising in campy, ’50s-inspired bubblegum pop punk. Read more on page 57.
Sotu Festival Ft. U.S. Girls + Lucky Dragons + Dolphins Into The Future 11-13 May - Various Locations, Amsterdam Sound Of The Underground is a new festival which, perhaps not surprisingly, toots the horn of alternative and independent music culture. Some of Amsterdam’s most beloved underground venues will set the stage for acts ranging from noise to improv jazz and underground dance.
Lower Dens 11 May - Walk the Line Festival, Den Haag 17 May - WORM, Rotterdam Jana Hunter’s Baltimore-based band reminds me often of Beach House, but
whereas their pop is dreamlike in an I-justwanna-fall-back-to-sleep sort of way, Lower Dens’ is more the sort that makes you wonder what sort of desires you’re repressing: ambiguous yet urgent and ultimately fascinating.
Keep Shelly In Athens + Stellar OM Source 12 May - De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam This mysterious Greek duo is lending North American chill-wave an enjoyably Balearic twist, yielding seductive results. Read more on page 58.
Fenster 12 May - Roodkapje, Rotterdam 15 May - Goethe-Institut, Amsterdam This Berlin-by-way-of-New York trio’s boygirl dynamic and quietly stunning take on indie folk have people calling them an American version of The xx. Read more on page 58.
Indiestad 14-23 May - Various Locations, Amsterdam Had the ancient Egyptians visited the Indiestad website, they may very well still have arrived at a base-10 numerical system, so extensive and excellent is the line-up, so diverse and delightful is the selection of venues spread over the course of this 10-day festival.
Mirel Wagner 14 May - Paradiso, Amsterdam (Indiestad) 15 May - Merleyn, Nijmegen NB: Sometimes people actually get discovered at open-mic nights. Case in point: Mirel Wagner, an Ethiopian-born, Finlandraised singer-songwriter who makes starkly minimal folk with a touch of Lykke Li or Hope Sandoval to her vocal delivery. Page 69
KLUB 470 THE OHOHOHS ELECTRO DUO UIT FRANKFURT 1JUNI 2012 GOETHE-INSTITUT, HERENGRACHT 470, AMSTERDAM
PARADISO PARADISO
VRIJ 18 & ZAT 19 MEI
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WWW.LONDONCALLING.NL
Agenda
Shows in May
Dutch Electronic Art Festival May 16-20 - various locations, Rotterdam & Amsterdam Exhibition runs 17 May- 3 June DEAF is an international and interdisciplinary biennial focusing on art, technology and society by means of a large exhibition of interactive artworks and installations, concerts, performances, seminars, workshops and an academic symposium. The malleable theme of ‘The Power of Things’ will explore how things relate and connect to each other.
Perfume Genius 17 May - Amstelkerk, Amsterdam (Indiestad) 19 May - Paradijskerk, Rotterdam Seattle singer-songwriter Mike Hadreas is known for his gut-wrenchingly honest tales of misplaced lust and confusion. He has said, ‘Being emotional might not be innovative, but it’s definitely not wimpy.’ This is empowerment for the fragile in musical form.
Factory Floor 17 May - Effenaar, Eindhoven This London-based trio use unremittingly repetitive synths and thundering drums to conjure up a post-apocalyptic disco future. Read more on page 59.
London Calling ft. King Krule, Grimes and more 18-19 May - Paradiso, Amsterdam Paradiso’s semi-annual pop showcase may not be my favourite Dutch festival to abandon its original geography-based concept but not its name (I’m looking at you, LGW), but when the line-up is this good it’s worth getting shoved by hordes of drunk teenagers and corporate lame-os as you dig a tunnel to the front row.
Bass Drum of Death 19 May - EKKO, Utrecht These two young pros from Mississippi mix up a lethal, blues-stained batch of garage punk. Read more on page 60.
Helemaal Melkweg 19 May - Melkweg, Amsterdam Expect a diverse and lively programme from this quarterly mini-cultural festival. Read more on page 60.
Doldrums 20 May - Club UP, Amsterdam Toronto’s Airick Woodhead’s panicky, androgynous vocals and chopped-up samples teeter on the edge of electro-hallucinogenic freak-outs before accessible pop melodies pull them safely back to the real world. Read more on page 60.
EMA 22 May - Rotown, Rotterdam 23 May - OT301, Amsterdam (Indiestad) Erica M Anderson’s solo project rose like a bruised and battered phoenix from the smouldering remains of Gowns, her previous project with her former real-life and onstage partner. It doesn’t appear to have ended amicably, but her tales of descent into the abyss are both terrifying and blissful, and utterly cathartic.
Sleepy Sun 23 May - Vera, Groningen 26 May - Le Guess Who? May Day, Utrecht While Sleepy Sun are a psychedelic rock band from San Francisco, I’d hesitate to lump them in with the area’s other neopsych upstarts (e.g. Thee Oh Sees, Ty Segall) since their sound resides not so much Page 71
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Shows in May
Grimes plays the London Calling Festival (18-19 May, Paradiso). Photo by Isolde Woudstra.
in the garage as in the nexus between black metal and classic rock.
Young Magic 23 May - OT301, Amsterdam (Indiestad) 24 May - Rotown, Rotterdam 25 May - 013, Tilburg 26 May - Le Guess Who? May Day, Utrecht This globetrotting indie psych trio melds together influences from around the world, ranging from shoegaze to trip hop and world music. Read more on page 61.
Subbacultcha! at &Foam 24 May - &Foam, Amsterdam Exhibition runs until 15 July This new Foam Photography Museum initiative started a ‘Music’ theme in April, focussing on music and photography. starting 24 May the exhibition will feature a selection of Subbacultcha! Magazine photography. Read more on page 61.
The Soft Moon + Holograms 24 May - Sugar Factory, Amsterdam Luis Vasquez and his fellow soft moonmen create bleak and hypnotic post-apocalyptic post-punk for the Great Recession era. Allied with them are Stockholm’s Holograms,
who arm themselves with decrepit instruments, booze-fooled impudence and foolish hope against the drudgery of dismal existence.
Cloud Nothings 25 May - Vera, Groningen 26 May - Le Guess Who? May Day, Utrecht 27 May - Effenaar, Eindhoven Dylan Baldi’s band attacked your memory of his solo bedroom pop project with a dramatically reinvented sound on their latest album. This rebirth isn’t so much due to Steve Albini’s production as to a conscious effort by Baldi to emphasise musicianship and make a cohesive album rather than a collection of pop songs. Their new grungy stylings pack a bigger emotional and visceral punch than anything they’ve done thus far.
Le Guess Who? May Day ft. Julia Holter, Sleepy Sun, Young Magic and more 26 May - various locations, Utrecht If you’ve ever been to Le Guess Who?, there’s no doubt you agree that taking in so much good music in such a special place once a year just ain’t enough. Someone upstairs was listening: consider the inauguPage 73
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12 MEI 17 MEI 23 MEI 27 MEI 12 JUN 14 JUN Page 74
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SINE: MALA FACTORY FLOOR FIELD MUSIC CLOUD NOTHINGS MIKAL CRONIN MOON DUO
Agenda
Shows in May
ral LGW? May Day the answer to your presummer festival prayers.
rumbling bass and Steve Albini and Bob Weston’s legendarily sarcastic lyrics.
Beach House
White Denim
26 May - Melkweg, Amsterdam Make-out mixtapes abound, and this Baltimore’s duo’s beguiling brand of dream pop is a natural choice. Victoria Legrand’s enchantingly husky vocals invite you up for coffee, then the music takes over, building up to the kind of beautiful climaxes babies should be conceived to.
27 May - Vera, Groningen 28 May - Doornroosje, Nijmegen 29 May - Melkweg, Amsterdam While wearing the titular clothing item is a debatable choice, tuning into this freewheeling Austin quartet is most certainly not. They don’t hit the nail on the head EVERY time, but when they do the fusion of garage rock, psychedelia and jazz that results is often moving and always refreshingly unpredictable.
Urban Explorers Festival May 26 - 27 - Various Locations, Dordrecht The multi-disciplinairy Urban Explorers festival offers concerts, performances and exhibitions. This year’s line-up includes a set by A Winged Victory for the Sullen.
Julia Holter 26 May - Le Guess Who? May Day, Utrecht 27 May - Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ, Amsterdam Though this LA-based sound artist studied classical piano and can cite various brainy influences, she channels the implied thoughtfulness into music that works on many levels: it’s not just experimental and it’s not just pretty, it also has a singular way of sounding simultaneously surprising and utterly organic. If you’ve worshiped at the altar of Julianna Barwick, but find her music bit too angelic (or orthodox), give Holter’s otherworldly wonders a try.
Death Grips 27 May - WORM, Rotterdam 28 May - OCCII, Amsterdam 29 May - Merleyn, Nijmegen (with Liturgy) This Sacramento trio make hardcore / hip hop that’s as scary and thrilling as a rollercoaster ride. Read more on page 62.
Mudhoney 28 May - Tivoli, Utrecht This seminal Seattle alternative rock band was a major source of inspiration for none other than the poster boy of the grunge movement, Kurt Cobain. Though they never came close to the commercial success Nirvana found, they’ve nevertheless crafted their own unique and enduring sound.
Shellac
100% Silk Label Night ft. Ital, Magic Touch. Maria Minerva, LA Vampires
27 May - OT301, Amsterdam This minimalist rock trio prefers to play shows at unconventional locations in places they feel like visiting. Count yourself lucky that OT is up to snuff: show up, and you’ll be rewarded with unusual time signatures,
31 May - OT301, Amsterdam This prolific new label of hyper-enthusiastic, hyper-articulate Amanda Brown specialises in brainy, genre-defying, retro-gazing dance music for people who don’t normally dance. Read more on page 62. Page 75
Free Stuff
Free tickets and goodies
To win, sign up to our mailing list on www.subbacultcha.nl. 2x2 Tickets walk the line festival ft Lower Dens, Com Truise
2x2 tickets Lower Dens @ deaf
3x2 tickets The Soft Moon
11 & 12 May Various locations, Den Haag
17 May Worm, Rotterdam
24 May Melkweg, Amsterdam
3x2 Tickets Le Guess who? may day ft Julia Holter, bear in heaven
3X2 Tickets Naked Song Festival
3 bookS super triest waar gebeurd liefdes verhaal
26 May Various locations, Utrecht
16 June Muziekgebouw, Eindhoven
By Gary Shteyngart
We’re also giving away free tickets to Chelsea Wolfe, Death Grips, Sotu Festival, White Denim, Royal Baths, A Place to Bury Strangers. Kronos Quartet and the Urban Explorers Festival. Page 76
Submitted photos
AFTER MIDNIGHT
Send photos that were taken after midnight to aftermidnight@subbacultcha.nl If your photo gets published, you win a good goodie This month’s photo was submitted by Kiki Post Page 77
Overview of all Subbacultcha! shows in May
02 May
Sic Alps + U.S. Girls
dB’s, Utrecht 21.00 | €8 | Free for members
05 May
Dustin Wong + Basketball
De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam 20.00 | €7 | Free for members
11 May
Hunx and His Punx
Tivoli, Utrecht (Spiegelbar) 21.00 | €7 | Free for members
11 May
Simon Scott
Extrapool, Nijmegen 20.30 | €5 | Free for members
12 May
Keep Shelly in Athens
De Nieuwe Anita, Amsterdam 20.00 | €8 | Free for members
12 May
Fenster
Roodkapje, Rotterdam 22.00 | €8 | Free for members
13 May
U.S. Girls
OCCII, Amsterdam 20.00 | €8 | Free for members
15 May
KLUB 470 ft. Fenster
Goethe-Institut, Amsterdam 21.00 | €10 | Free for members
17 May
Factory Floor
24 May
Subbacultcha! at &Foam &Foam, Amsterdam 17:30 | Free for all
24 May
Young Magic
Rotown, Rotterdam 21:00 | €9 | Free for members
28 May
Death Grips
Effenaar, Eindhoven 20.30 | €12,50 Free for members
OCCII, Amsterdam 20.30 | €7 | Free for members
19 May
Broken Flowers
Bass Drum of Death
EKKO, Utrecht 20.00 | €8 | Free for members
19 May
Helemaal Melkweg
Melkweg, Amsterdam 19.00 | €10 | Free for members
20 May
Doldrums
Club Up, Amsterdam 20.30 | €7 | Free for members
29 May
16CC, Amsterdam 21.30 | €7.50 | Free for members
31 May
100% Silk Label Night
OT301, Amsterdam 20.30 | €10 | Free for members
All Month
Foam
Open daily 10.00-18.00, Thur and Fri 10.00-21.00 €8 | Free for members
Mediamatic
New Order Until 27 May - Mediamatic Fabriek, Amsterdam
See all these shows for free. Join at www.subbacultcha.nl Page 78
“A stAggering work of genius” twitch
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A u g u s t 31 li v e todAy, one minute At A time.
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VA N A F 17 MEI IN dE FIlMthE AtErs
HOLLAND FESTIVAL
INTErNATIONALE pODIumkuNSTEN AmSTErDAm 1 – 28 juNI 2012
THE muSIc OF jONNy grEENWOOD & BrycE DESSNEr AmSTErDAm SINFONIETTA BrycE & AArON DESSNEr
Indie-classical music van de gitaristen van Radiohead en The National. 16 juni, Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ
AccOrDION WrESTLINg
Fysiek muziektheater met live accordeonmuziek en gechoreografeerd worstelen op een elektronisch versterkte mat. 18-19 juni, Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam
© Jussi Virkumaa
kImmO pOHjONEN HELSINkI NELSON
VOLLEDIg prOgrAmmA
www.hollandfestival.nl