Undercover poplover, part 24

"Well if you want to say yes, say yes
And if you want to say no, say no
'Cause there's a million ways to go
You know that there are"

Download (Mediafire)
1. Death By Chocolate - If you want to sing out sing out
2. They Might Be Giants - Istanbul (not Constantinople)
3. Rose Melberg - Devoted to you

New blog: The Pop! For Kids Project

How old do you need to be to enjoy good pop music? I would say not very old. How many annoying children's songs does it take to drive a parent crazy? I would say not very many. As a parent, I've been surprised by how very little enjoyable music I can find made for kids. Simple, fun, catchy pop tunes for children seem to be extremely rare and hard to track down.

I think children deserve to have access to pretty music as much as grown-ups do. Since for most of us music is such an important part of our lifes, how amazing would it be to be able to actually enjoy good pop music together with a child? This is why I started The Pop! For Kids Project.

Pop! #1 by Drew Smith from The Bicycles was posted today.

Farewell, Slow Down Tallahassee!

Sadly, Slow Down Tallahassee are now more, but their music is very much alive. Their last album 'Curly Cuh' is available for pre-order at Thee SPC, and a free download single is available on the label as well.

We'll miss you, SDT!

You can read my 2010 Slow Down Tallahassee interview here.

Download the single here

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart to play in Amsterdam

Good news for us Dutch fans of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart! Their upcoming European tour includes an evening at Amsterdam's Bitterzoet, on february 27. See you there!

You can read my interview with the band here.

Oh, and of course a fantastic New Year to all.

New Just Joans EP

The Just Joans are back with a new WeePOP! EP named Your pain is a joke next to mines. Their previous releases sold out quickly, so you may want to grab this one before they're all gone again. There's probably not a lot of music around that suits the rainy weather better. And if it really has to be fall, then why not provide it with a lovely soundtrack?

Download (right click, save as)
The Just Joans - Stuart had a dirty book

Changing trains

The man with the eyepatch passes slowly. As much as I try, it's almost impossible not to stare ("What happened?"), until after a while my attention is drawn to a pretty young girl with a much too short skirt on. I notice where my eyes rest and force them away. The split second where I feel like a dirty old man comes and passes. I look at the clock. Still 18 minutes before the train is supposed to arrive.

I'm leaning against the wall opposite the Moonflower boutique at Amsterdam Centraal Station. I got my headphones on, The Smiths are playing. I watch a group of kids now, laughing, obviously excited about something. An older woman shakes her umbrella dry. Outside I can hear the thunder rolling.

Two friendly looking ladies walk up to me. I turn my music down. "Do you know where the train to Enkhuizen is leaving from?"

All these people live in their own moment, have their own story, their own destination. This is always true of course, but it's extra obvious in a place like a train station. Do you know that thing you sometimes do, where you try to look through other people's eyes? See things from their perspective? Or is that only me? It's quite a sobering excercise, I find.

Those that notice me at all, they see me leaning here. Just an avarage looking guy, unshaved for two, maybe three days. They don't see my financial worries. Messy hair from the wind. They don't see me missing my girlfriend and son. Blue shirt, black shoes. They don't see my migraines or anything else that may bother me. About 1.90m tall. They don't see the project at work that needs to be finished this Tuesday. I'm just a flash in the corner of their eyes. On a bad day this could possibly depress me, but right now it seems to put things in a healthy perspective.

In one of those rare moments of amazing appropriateness, my MP3-player is done with The Smiths, and Withered Hand comes on, singing:

"I try to see the world in your eyes
I’m insignificant
That’s my size
In the greater scheme of things I am nothing"

I sometimes have this tendency to make my own 'problems' almighty, to feel just that little bit too sorry for myself. The man with the eyepatch passes again. My hand moves to my own eye.

I breathe in. I look at the clock. Time to go. I breathe out. If he notices me, the man with the eyepatch sees a guy, walking away towards track 14b, now with a smile on his face and a feeling of acceptance is his eyes.

Nothing really happened in those 25 minutes in between trains. Nothing was solved, nothing achieved. Still I feel a bit like another person.

Life is just often so much better than it seems.

Allo, Darlin' in Amsterdam

Allo, Darlin' will play in the Netherlands for the first time tomorrow, at Winston in Amsterdam. The show starts at 9 PM, also playing is Appie Kim. Afterwards the Future Pop DJs will make you dance.

Don't miss this (although I sadly will)!

Allo, Darlin' myspace
Winston Club
Appie Kim myspace
Future Pop DJs myspace

Undercover poplover, part 23

"All that pressure got you down
Has your head spinning all around
Feel the rhythm, check the ride
Come on along and have a real good time"

Download (Mediafire)
1. Rose McDowall - Don't fear the reaper
2. The Corn Dollies - Le freak
3. Bart & Friends - Blue moon