V-X,MM

THE ROMANS SPLIT
The Good news first : The Romans have compiled the best of their material they have recorded in the period from 1989 until 2000 on an excellent compilation album, called "So Far". There even is the release of a single, "Burn 2000", a new version of the song that appeared on the mini-album "Ball & Chain", got a lot of airplay but never got out on single-format.
In his latest newsletter to the fans, Laurens Leurs said "After 12 years of sweating, labouring, amusing us, rehearsing, manifesting us, we make a round-up of what the Romans have done to this day. This brings to an end an important period of the Romans. What now?! With this, the pages of the nineties' book is definitely turned over. New ambitions need to found, new goals to be set. "You gotta walk and don't look back".
Only a few weeks later, the decision has been made : The Romans split. The reason are no "artistic differences", "ego-clashes" or solo-plans, but a feeling that everything has been done.
Sources : The Romans, Orange Music.

May 8, 2000

PUT THOU IN TUNE
It was a close shave, but Thou has finally found a record company to release the album that they went to record in Bristol with John Parish (PJ Harvey ...) last year. "Put us in Tune" is the name of newborn, and it has become an enigmatic and colourful album, with guest-appearances of musicians of Roni Size or PJ Harvey, and Mauro Pawlowski or Bart Maris & friends. A single is also out, the track "Weak Lady".
"Put us in Tune" is for sale at Frontstage for 669 fr.

CHAT WITH A LONELY BELGIAN IN ENGLAND
Apparently, one poor single guy named David Dewaele on a trip to good ol' England is feeling very homesick and desperately in need of a good chat with some polite young people from Belgium and Holland. The chat session, Sunday May 14 at 21:00 CET is part of the celebration of the 1000nd hour webcasting by BuZz. (Dutch radio). Tune in at www.soulwax.com or www.ncrv.nl/buzz.

ABN = SERIEWOORDENAAR
This is probably already very old news, but as it was new to me, I mention it anyhow : ABN has released a second CD on the Dutch DJAX-label called "Seriewoordenaar". With guest-appearances of Adriaan van Hoof (nog nen tango?), Luc Devos (of Gorki), Sint-Andries MC's, Philibustas (rock-rally final), Ya Kid K (of Technotronic) and Def P (Osdorp Posse), this is the first ABN-release without Pita, who now has his own crew with Nest. These days the ABN-cru consists of Quinte, MC LVA, Popol en DJ Money Pi. Be sure to check out the old-school raging mad single that was taken from the album, the track "'k geef gene fok" (I don't give a fuck).
"Seriewoordenaar" is on sale at Frontstage for 659 fr.

THE EL FISH WISTERIA
Hip Hip Hooray, but only months after the inbetween-album Hooked the Belgian pride of the blues-scene is releasing a new studio-album, their third. "Wisteria" will be the title, and the thing will be presented in the AB in Brussels this Thursday. Check out your speakers the next days, cause this is gonna surprise 'em ...
"Wisteria" is on pre-sale already at Frontstage for 699 fr.

CLEMENT PEERENS ON THE ROAD
Good news for little people : The Clement Peerens Explosition is exploding once again, and more in particular with a new single which has a short title (namely "Moeder" - mother), and a rather longer one (namely "de wraak van moeder fazant op gescheiden vrouwen met een rotsmoel" - the revenge of mother feasant on divorced women with an ugly face. The single will be in the shops as of May 27, and serves as a reminder to all concert-organizers that they are here and willing to play on top of every decent beercrate in this country.
There is already an impressive list of gigs (24) up at the website of Double-T.

FIRST NAMES FOR PUKKELPOP
Politician and festival-organizer Chokri Mahassine released the first names of this year's edition of Pukkelpop : they are Placebo, Eminem, Reprazent, Les Rythmes Digitales, Bentley Rhythm Ace, Spain, Underworld, Limp Bizkit, Boss Hog, Motorpsycho, Ween and Junkie XL.
The plan is to have two full days of music on August 25 and 26, on 6 different stages (Main Stage, Marquee, Club, Skate Stage, Hip Hop Stage en Dance Hall/Boiler Room). The full line-up won't be complete until somewhere in June, but tickets (1500-2400fr) will be available soon through OMusic.

NEW ANN CHRISTY ALBUM
Edwin Ysebaert reports that the travels on the new cd of Ann Christy, with nothing but unreleased material of the Flemish singer (+1984), are well and truly on the way. The releasedate of "Liefde voor het mooie" (love for the beautiful) is now set at September 22. The CD will contain not less than 40 tracks (26 are finished already) which where found by the husband of Ann Christy.
Before the release of the album, there will be two new singles from the cd called "De Nieuwe Roos, een hommage aan Ann Christy", and "Iemand" - a translated cover of "People".

May 4, 2000

THE KATASTROOF-CATASTROPHY
"Well, did you evah" and "that calls for a drink" must be the reaction in the camp of Katastroof, the unlikely folk-fun threesome from Antwerp, as it turns out that no less than two of their songs are at the head of the Flemish top 10 this week. For the first time in their existence (and that is : since 1974) Zjos Smos, Zjuul Krapuul and Rob de Snob have gotten to number one, with a new version of the song "Zuipe" (boozing). The wacky trio (think : Benny Hill on bad glue, Zjef Vanuytsel in a nuthouse, heavy supporters of football club Antwerp) was previously best known the subtle songs "Met de wijven niks as last" (birds are nothing but trouble) and "den homofiele rijkswachter" (the gay policeman). Earlier this year, Katastroof bundled the 25 years of their music and wit (?) on the cd "De Beste Van", which didn't even include "Zuipe" (but does now).
Even more unlikely is the fact that the song that occupies the n°2 spot at the moment is also of Katastroof: the song "Al wie da nie springt (is homofiel)" (that is "everybody who is not jumping now, must be gay") is a cover of an old Katastroof-song which was recorded for the carnaval-festivities in Aalst. After a few appearance in Luc Alloo's show on TV, it was now also confined to disc by T.N.T. (Tom & Tony) and released on CNR. Together with such fine songs as "Een windje maken" of Big & Betsy, "de Kabouterdans" by Kabouter Plop & Sergio's "Allez Allez Allez" in the top 10, this must be another landmark moment for Flemish showbizz.

"Zuipe" or "De Beste Van" are for sale at Frontstage (but who can blame them, they are a shop)

FLEXA LYNDO ON TOUR IN FRANCE
Not that it will have a gigantic impact on the course of history, but Flexa Lyndo have just started a tour in France as an opener for the interesting bands Tahiti 80 from France and Papas Fritas from Texas (papa fried ass??), who are also distributed by the independent label 62TV-records.
A few month ago, their Pixies-like album "45 minutes" (not a debut, because the band had already released some material, then under the name "De Profundis") was released with our Southern neighbours, and received quite a bit of good press at that occasion (les Inrockuptibles, Rocksound ...). The best known song of Flexa Lyndo still is "Girls on the Screen".
Or check out the nice Flexa Lyndo site.