Hello everyone,
First off, some very sad news. A few weeks ago, Marcel Brand, singer and songwriter of Holland's best kept secret Club Diana, passed away. He was an enormous talent and just a really nice guy. I will always remember the Wellerlo-fi BBQ parties at Diana-Land, an annual gathering of underground musicians and other kindred spirits. The last time I saw him was at a concert of his favourite band, Low. He was really enthusiastic about a record he made as The Nephew Brothers and sounded full of life. I will miss him.  

A few posts ago I predicted that the new Walker Diver album might be finished by the end of 2008. Needless to say, it's taking a little longer. Late 2009 is probably a realistic indication. But don't hold your breath. I know what I'm like. Also, it's said to be a real health hazard to hold your breath for that long. Then again, we've recorded enough material to fill an album with, so who knows... It's just that I want it to be something really special, and we're not quite there yet.
So... as long as there isn't really any news to report, Walker Diver-wise, I thought I'd let you know what music I've been listening to lately.

Vanessa Peters & Ice Cream On Mondays - Sweetheart, keep your chin up (2009). A gifted Texan singer songwriter fronting an Italian band. This is their third album, as far as I know, and it's just really, really good. Think Patti Griffin meets Aimee Mann. My favourite song is Drowning in Amsterdam, which has been in her live set for a while now. By the by, her acoustic trio includes Alex Akela on bass / mandolin / violin, who also plays on the new Walker Diver album.
M.Ward - Hold Time (2009). This is just a stunning piece of work. Imaginative, unpredictable songs that venture into a stylistic no man's land but never wander too far from their roots. But what really kills me is the sound on this record. It's lo-fi, it's hi-fi, it's clunky and crackly, it's orchestral and sparse. Inspiring stuff!
De Kift - Hoofdkaas (2008). Easily the best Dutch release of last year. I saw them live late last year and I was overwhelmed by the experience. I won't try to explain it. Just go and see them if you can. Their music is best described as theatrical, poetic punk-folk with some eastern european influences thrown in. But their sound is so unique, and has been for 20 years, that every attempt at describing it is bound to fail.
Bob Dylan - Tell Tale Signs (2008). A collection of outtakes from the latter part of his career (1989 - 2005) that blew me away. My Dylan collection solely consists of records he made between 1965 and 1978. His eighties stuff was, well, kinda crap really, so I never really bothered with his newer stuff, except for Modern Times. Apparently, I missed out on a lot. If these songs are the ones that didn't make the final cut, the ones that did must be phenomenal! Red River Shore and Born In Time are two of the best Dylan songs I have ever heard. So if you, like me, gave up on old Bob...check this out. Prepare to be amazed.

Honourable mentions:
Alela Diane - To Be Still (2009). Not as delicate and sparse as its predecessor, The Pirate's Gospel, but still very good.  
Ry Cooder - I, Flathead (2008). Although his biggest talent remains interpreting other people's songs in a truly unique way, he is capable of writing some mighty fine tunes, like Waitin' For Some Girl.
Randy Newman - Harps & Angels (2008). "The rich are getting richer, I should know / While we're going up you're going down / And no one gives a fuck but Jackson Browne." Funny as hell, but also beautiful and, at times, very moving. 
That's all for now...
Stefan
  

Helllo all,

Exciting news! On July 5th my former band Mitch will do a one-off reunion show at Studio 195 in Wernhout. It's a private party, but I thought I'd share it with you anyway..

A little history lesson...

Mitch were around from 1997 to 2002. We had three songwriters in the band (Gerton, guitar & vox, Mitch, bass & vox and me, guitar & vox) and our very own producer (Patrick, drums & vox). Studio 195 was our HQ and the place we first met while working on separate projects. Gerton & I had been in BPA together before that, so we already knew each other.

We shared a love for other, ehm, dysfunctional bands such as The Replacements and Hüsker Dü and ended up combining our strengths (and weaknesses!) in Mitch. It was a great little rock 'n roll band... We released two albums (The Sound of Music and Razzle Dazzle) and one vinyl 7" (Seven of Nine). We recorded a third album that never saw the light of day because we broke up. After Patrick left, we stumbled on with a replacement drummer for a few more months but we called it quits in the Spring of 2002. 

I had a great time with Mitch. We did a lot of shows, tours with The Cords and The Travoltas, as well as great support slots for Grandaddy, Centro-Matic, Soulwax, Racoon, Supersub and our piece de resistance: Noorderslag '99. That was supposed to be our big breakthrough. But we fucked it up. Well, I did, anyway.

If you're interested in hearing some Mitch stuff, check the sales bin in your local record store (I regularly come across discount copies of Razzle Dazzle), or drop me a line. I'm sure I can whip up a neat Mitch compilation for ya.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to playing with these guys again. It'll be a blast.

Stefan

 

Hello all,

It's been a pretty good year for me. Highlights include releasing the second Walker Diver album "Junior Blues" and getting great reviews, which was just as well: the damn thing took nearly three years to make so it would've been a bummer if nobody liked it. Recruiting a few fine musicians was a big stimulation to keep doing the band thing. I know, we haven't exactly played a lot of shows, but I intend to make up for it in 2008. Anyway, thank you Jelmer, Mathijs, Ferry and Rinse for helping me out and for inspiring me to write songs worthy of your talents.

I've just recorded two new songs at Studio 195: Johnny King and Waiting For You, both of which will appear on the next album which is scheduled for release just before hell freezes over. Just kidding. The way things are going, I actually think there's a good chance I will finish it before the end of 2008.

A couple of weeks ago I played at Borra in Amersfoort. The show itself seemed an unintended tribute to Murphy's Law, what with strings breaking, cables malfunctioning and me forgetting the words a lot, but fellow singer-songwriter Alex Akela was at the show and managed to capture a few decent moments on his video camera, which he posted on YouTube. The videos are right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2edeX232_Bw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MsNLEYfaKc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyG9r5fH3e0

Finally, as usual, I would like to share what I've been digging in 2007….

Top 10 Albums of 2007

1.       Chris Knight – The Trailer Tapes. This is just a stunningly beautiful collection of songs. Just vocals, guitar and songs that will blow your mind. His style is reminiscent of both Steve Earle and Fred Eaglesmith, but neither of them have made records as good as this for a long time.

2.       Nick Lowe – At My Age. The last couple of Nick Lowe records have been absolute career milestones, and this one is no exception. Anyone who can write a song like Love's Got A Lot To Answer For is a hero in my book. When he played this at the Paradiso earlier this year (easily the best solo performance I've ever seen), I cried. It's that good.

3.       Betty Lavette – The Scene of the Crime. A soul veteran backed by alt.country heavyweights Drive By Truckers. An unlikely combination? Not when you hear this record. It sounds totally natural and, more importantly, it has some killer songs on it.

4.       Lucinda Williams – West. For some strange reason, I never really "got" Lucinda Williams. I was at a record store, killing time (I was waiting for the book store to open). And I can't just be in a record store and not buy anything. It's just not in my nature. Anyway, not knowing what to buy, I was browsing around and I can't for the life of me remember why, but somehow I walked out with this record in my hands. And it's fantastic. How could I not have fallen in love with this beautifully ragged voice before? It's just one of life's little mysteries, I guess.

5.       Mavis Staples – We'll Never Turn Back. Ever since I saw them in The Last Waltz, I've been a big fan of the Staples Singers. Their unique take on gospel was so refreshing, so raw and soulful, it kills me every time I hear it. Lead singer Mavis never stopped making records and this latest album is one of the highlights of her long career. Social commentary that is still as relevant as ever, set to a mix of old-time gospel and modern sounds, beautifully produced by Ry Cooder.   

6.       The Horse Company – S.T. This Dutch band features ex-members of 16 Down and Prodigal Sons. Their impressive debut album has traces of Whiskeytown, The Replacements and The Drive By Truckers. After the demise of The Yearlings, we needed a new band like this and here they are. Go see them live if you can – they rock!   

7.       Steve Earle – Washington Square Serenade. I had sort of given up hope that Steve Earle would ever make an album as strong as I Feel Alright or El Corazon again. I thought his last few albums were a bit disappointing, but this new one shows him in excellent form. Don't be alarmed by the hip hop influences mentioned in various reviews –  I don't really hear it. What I do hear is a couple of new masterpieces in Earle's oeuvre, like Tennessee Blues and City of Immigrants.

8.       Malcolm Middleton – A Brighter Beat. I'd be lying if I said I was a big Arab Strap fan – I'm not. But Middleton's solo work is so far removed from that (or maybe I don't know Arab Strap that well…but I saw them on their farewell tour and almost fell asleep). This album is not your typical singer-songwriter stuff, it has influences of folk, punk and indie pop. The title track alone is worth getting the album for. What a great song. And I just love his thick Scottish accent!  

9.       Wilco – Sky Blue Sky. I had almost forgotten about this… I thought it came out in 2006. But it is really good. This time around It's folky pop songs rather than the experimental, droney stuff of the last two albums (which I loved, by the way) but in a way that's irrelevant. Jeff Tweedy's songwriting can take on many forms, but it's always fascinating stuff. I saw Wilco three times in the last eight years and each of these shows belongs in my top 10 of best shows I've ever seen.

10.   Robert Wyatt – Comicopera. Probably the least accessible album of the bunch, but nevertheless a joy to listen to. Wyatt's fragile voice and jazzy, atmospheric, somewhat nostalgic songs are perhaps an acquired taste, but I love it. I'm not sure I like it as much as Cuckooland, but that took me a couple of months to really get into, so who knows.

So, all there's left for me to say is: have a great 2008!!!!

Hello all,

First of all I wanted to thank everyone who showed up at the release party and bought the album. We had great fun and hope you did too. Thanx!

The album has been getting some great reviews. They're all in Dutch, but if you want to read them, check the website (www.walkerdiver.com) for updates. They're bound to pop up there sooner or later.

Now for some great news: On June 11, we are support act for Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 at Tivoli De Helling in Utrecht. Robyn is one of my songwriting heroes, so I am particularly pleased with this gig. The Venus 3 are one hell of a backing band, by the way, with the likes of Peter Buck (R.E.M) and Scott McCaughey (Minus 5, R.E.M) on board.

Check out Robyn's stuff at www.robynhitchcock.com or www.yeproc.com

For more info on the gig check www.tivoli.nl for details.

Ok, it's less than 24 hours before we present our new album at the SJU club.

Am I nervous? Let's put it this way, if I'm not going out for a few beers tonight, I am going to break stuff or hurt people. Argh.

It's weird, really, 'cause I have nothing to worry about. We've worked really hard these last couple of weeks and everything sounds great. Now all we have to do is pray like hell for a decent turnout. The weather's been far to good to hang out in a stuffy poorly lit underground venue. Literally underground, I mean, because SJU happens to be one of the most visited venues in town. However, they mostly book jazz...which sort of rules out the chance of regulars attending, as we are as far removed from a jazz band as Paris Hilton from sanity. Also, it's the last day of a school holiday, which means loads of people are returning from faraway places and may not want to drag their jetlagged ass to the SJU club and rather catch up on sleep before they go back to work on Monday.

Damn. I got plenty to worry about.

Oh well. The record has been received well. Reviews are pouring in on a daily basis and, well, they ain't shabby! Knock, knock (there's a few more to come).

All we can do is just rock that place with everything we've got.

That's all for now. I've got some serious drinking to do.

 

Howdy, folks

We are rehearsing our collective ass off to prepare ourselves for the cd launch party on May 6th at SJU, Utrecht, The Netherlands. We are really looking forward to it and boy am I happy with this new (electric) line up. While I'm at it, I might as well introduce us:

Stefan 't Hooft - lead vocals, electric & acoustic guitars

Mathijs Peeters - lead guitar & backing vocals

Rinse Visser - bass

Jelmer de Haas - drums

Ferry Lagendijk - keyboards & backing vocals

In the meantime, there are a lot of boxes of cd's crammed into my spare bedroom, waiting to be sold. If you can't make it to the launch party and want to buy Junior Blues, the cheapest way is to order directly from me. If you are interested, please send an email to info@walkerdiver.com . The price is 15 euros (including postage).

 

Hey there,

It's been a while...but I actually have something new to report! Our new album, entitled JUNIOR BLUES, will be released on May 1st. The launch party will be held at SJU (www.sjujazz.nl) in UTRECHT , The Netherlands on Sunday May 6th. We are going to play the new album in its entirety. It will also be the debut performance of the new Walker Diver line up, featuring some familiar faces and some new recruits. 

We will be sharing the bill with David Childers & The Modern Don Juans (US)

check him out at www.davidchilders.com

The show is organised by the Backroads Music Club (www.backroads.nl)

We look forward to seeing you there! 

Last week my "other band" (technically speaking my only band right now) played their first ever gig in Roosendaal, where 3 of us grew up. We had a blast!

Read all about it at www.myspace.com/blackletterdaynl

Next Tuesday I will play a solo gig in Tilburg, the first in a long time (3 months, I think?). I'll be sharing the bill with my good friend & esteemed colleague Harold K (www.haroldk.nl). 

More info at www.myspace.com/sixstringstories

Hope to see you there!    

Also, I am thoroughly enjoying Amy Winehouse's album Back to Black, as well as the new Candi Staton album. Just so you know.

 

I hope everyone will have a great year. For me, it'll be a busy one: the new Walker Diver album's coming out, and my other band Black Letter Day will finish recording a debut album sometime this year. Obviously, I'm hoping to play a lot of shows with both bands. And, oh yeah, I have a dayjob, too.

On a totally unrelated note; I read on www.paulwesterberg.com that poor Paul drove a screwdriver into his hand recently - accidentally, I might add - and won't be able to play guitar for a year. Ouch. See, that's why I refrain from doing any type of chore that involves sharp tools. DIY my ass. Anyway, I wish him a speedy recovery.  

In case anyone cares, I managed to squeeze out a top 10 of favourite albums of 2006. It wasn't easy. Not a great year for music.

Here goes:

1. Solomon Burke - Nashville. Countrified soul composed for the big man with the big voice by the likes of Gillian Welch, Buddy Miller, Patti Griffin etc... Add a wonderfully sparse production, excellent musicians, some great duets and you have recipe for a great, great album.

2. The Long Winters - Putting The Days To Bed. I have to admit, up until recently, I was not a huge fan of this band. I liked some of their stuff, but couldn't really get into it. However, earlier this year I saw John Roderick do some solo shows and he blew me away. It was like I suddenly "got it". The Captain Thinks Aloud, from the Ultimatum e.p. (included as bonus tracks), is my favourite song of the year.  Intelligent, well-crafted, beautiful pop music.

3. Centro-Matic - Fort Recovery. Will Johnson is undoubtedly one of my favourite contemporary songwriters. Whether he performs his work solo, with Centro-Matic or with South San Gabriel - it always sends shivers down my spine. Fort Recovery has a few gems of rare quality and beauty: Triggers & Trash Heaps, Calling Thermatico and especially I See Through You. As a whole, the album may not be as impressive as SSG's Carlton Chronicles, but then again, what is?

4. Sarah Harmer - I Am A Mountain. Very different from her first two records, but equally good, if not better. This one is a mix of bluesgrass, pop and folk. A very traditional album by Harmer's standards, but it suits her. Her songwriting is amazing as always, but this time around, with the stripped down approach, this is even more apparent.

5. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country. I only discovered this a few weeks ago, but I've been playing it to death lately. How can I describe this band? I guess Belle & Sebastian come to mind.. Ít's upbeat, summery pop music with plenty of sixties influences. Lots of rather corny organ sounds that work really well in some weird way.

6. The Hold Steady - Boys & Girls In America. Another recent discovery. Can you imagine The Who with Bob Dylan on vocals? Neither can I, but that's the best description I could come up with. I dunno, it's weird, this. But I like it! In a way, this is classic power pop, but the vocals are not melodic, like you'd expect. It's talking rather than singing, with a vague sense of melody - like Bob Dylan on Blonde on Blonde. Oh, I don't know. There's just something really addictive about this.

7. Bob Dylan - Modern Times. Speaking of which... here's the man himself. A very interesting album, probably his best since Time Out Of Mind. But is it The Album Of The Year, like Uncut and Mojo and Whatnot would have us believe? A little too much credit, methinks. But still, it's always great to hear from old Bob again, certainly when he is in form.

8. The Gasoline Brothers - Hm! Great Dutch band from my hometown U... oops. Limburg, Texas, I mean. They're like a mix of early Wilco and Guided By Voices. Country-power-pop, sort of. Highlights include Sleeping Pills & Asteroids (best hook I've heard in ages) and the pretty Brian Wilco.

9. The Gourds - Heavy Ornamentals. Not a particularly dramatic change of course here, but the songs are better than ever.

10. Wolfmother - Wolfmother. RAWK!