Amsterdam Calling

Genre: Compilation. Usually I do not buy compilations. I am not sure why I bought this one except it has a band I already liked on it. It is a compilation of Dutch rock bands put together by the Dutch Rock and Pop Institute.

Where would I have heard of it? The DR&PI was apparently handing them out as a promotional item at the 2004 CMJ festival in New York. In terms of the bands on the album, do you like Dutch rock music? I think that’s about it.

Anything of note: I had entirely forgotten about this album. So finding it ripped on my iPod was like finding lost treasure. The bands on the comp are the best of the Dutch rock scene, circa 2004. The music is intensely indie in flavor. It wanders between neo new wave and indie folk, but with a strong indie punk lean throughout.

Usually I avoid comps. Most comps that you find in stores are promotional materials put together by record labels. I will let you in on a secret: marketing materials tend not to make me super excited. Also, most labels stock a variety of artists to suit a variety of tastes. Since most people who do not share my opinion are at least blithering idiots and at worst rabid animals, it stands to reason the majority of a given comp will feel, to me, the way showering regularly or not giving my child a cigarette would feel  to the quivering flesh piles considered the core audience of the average record label.

This album was created as promotional materials for a government agency that sponsors and promotes rock music in Holland. Americans may not think government sponsored art programs would be exciting, but thats where we got Jackson Pollack and that guy was a hoot. Anyway it works really well here because the bands are fucking awesome. 

Voict was the band that convinced me to buy it, And their tracks here are awesome even if I already owned them. It turned out that the lead singer of About E, a band I reviewed and enjoyed early in the blog, was on the album with 2 of his new bands. Apparently the guy changes bands like a man with a serious VD sheds dick skin. Both tracks are spectacular and new for me, so this was a really pleasant surprise. The song “We Buried Indie Rock Years Ago” is particularly awesome. One of the bands is still around, so check out Zea, they are fucking awesome. There are also several tracks by Betty Seveert who is also really really good.

Is it good: This album is amazing. You can get it on Amazon, but I might as well just tell you to buy albums by these artists:

Seedling

zZz

 Zea

Caesar

Voicst

Bettie Serveert