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The age of information technology not only breeds Microsoft Windows and global culture; it also gives room for bands without a record deal to release their own CDs. Sinking prices not only make it possible for teenagers to copy the latest U2 album, but also give wanna-be-pro-musicians-but-still- amateurs the possibility of copying their own material and putting it on the market. And - thanks to us here at KindaMuzik - those CDs get reviewed as well. What else do you want? Did I hear somebody say "good music"? Well, here is some of it. Meringue, Wealthy Beggar, and Oxol are three Dutch bands, somewhat different in style, but almost with similarities. All bands are - to some extent - eclectic, and all three albums feature great songs accompanied with potential B-sides. Wealthy Beggar's 'Cursing at Biology' features the best songs of the three. And that is simply because the song material is WB's strongest feature. Some songs are filled with twists, hooks, and edges, but they never deteriorate the inner strengths of the songs. This is one of the many characteristics WB shares with Belgian powerpop heroes Soulwax. The musicians come from different backgrounds, one of them actually played in the "Dutch mid-nineties hardcore promise" Brotherhood Foundation. I wouldn't expect WB touring with a hardcore band, but they were opening act for Gorki and Keith Caputo. Best song: 'Backseat'. The only bad song is forebodingly called 'Only'. Oxol is - just like WB - influenced by Belgian avantgarde and powerpop. Again, Soulwax seems to be a reference, but Flowers for Breakfast pop up here and there as well. This is not to say Oxol's 'Otherworld' is the Dutch copy of a Belgian music scene. Oxol's songs are too original and sometimes multi-layered to put them off as just-another-clone. Besides, Oxol is also influenced by David Bowie, the Beatles, U2, and Britpop. The most serious criticism would be that a couple of songs start well, but unleash the listener's interest after some minutes. Strangely enough, the short songs bear this problem more than the longer ones. But, forget about these minor problems: Songs like 'Play' and 'Consumer Paradise' stand out among other Dutch and non-Dutch releases. And 'Underworld' even comes close to Tijn Berkelmans (Oxol's songwriter) ideal: "The ultimate song has to be new, but sound like it has always been there." Meringue's 'Sex & Hair' is the most eclectic of these three releases, but also the least interesting. This Dutch band is not so much influenced by the Belgian music scene (though they quote the Evil Superstars), but by Frank Zappa and Mr. Bungle. Monty Python, Sister Goddamn, and Captain Beefheart also come by, but Meringue never seems to be able to really persuade the listener. Their wannabe hip and avantgardistic songs, lyrics, and lay-out just make the gap between Meringue and their heroes look bigger and bigger. But I guess I'm being a little too harsh on Meringue now: 'Sex & Hair' features some of the best hooks I've heard lately, but the downside is that there are just too many of them in a single minute. This is a very exhausting record, but if you listen to one song at a time (instead of the whole CD at once), 'Sex & Hair' covers some great songs, like 'The pills Go Up and Down'. But the (funny?) macho language on some of the songs becomes so boring. Until they grow up, I prefer the baker's meringue.
http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/wealthy-beggar/cursing-at-biology/254/
Meer Wealthy Beggar op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/wealthy-beggar
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