By Jan 
Mr. E is back, and we certainly knew it—and heard it—throughout June! “Cap in Hand” (#1) is the first advance single from the upcoming album Cookie Happened. We’ll still have to wait another four months or so before it’s released. Patience has always paid off when it comes to Mark Oliver Everett, better known as E.
One thing stood out this month: despite the unusually large number of new releases (especially compared to previous Junes), the overall quality didn’t quite keep pace. Strange, because this month’s longlist still ended up at around 55 songs. In alphabetical order, the following gems narrowly missed out on the final 40: America (yes, that ’70s band), Chris Stamey, Fruit Bats, Joy Wellboy, Luka Bloom, Muse, Opus Kink, Paul Heaton, Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel, Sean Rowe, Semisonic, Shearwater and Soft Cell featuring Nona Hendryx.
Even with this extra-large selection, the Top 10 isn’t exactly overflowing with world-class material. Still, several of my all-time favourite artists made a welcome appearance this month: Paul Roland with a reworked version of his classic “Gabrielle” (#8); Rowche Rumbler Mark E. Smith of The Fall, appearing posthumously with “30 Degrees” (#9); a surprisingly convincing take on “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (#10) by The Waterboys; and the powerful punch of Suede’s “Emotionally Unavailable” (#11)—this is exactly how we like Brett Anderson and company.
At #28 we find “Huilend in een Taxi” by Het Algoritme featuring Klangstof & Freez. Let’s hope they also remembered to credit Robert Smith as a composer, because the resemblance is impossible to miss. Still, it works.
A trio from Flanders rounds things off nicely: The Haunted Youth with “In My Head” (#26), an eight-minute-and-six-second haunting dream; Black Box Revelation’s “Stronger” (#35); and Triggerfinger’s “Through the Beam” (#38). Both songs immediately surprise from the very first notes with sounds that are quite unusual and atypical for these bands. Then again, when it comes to Triggerfinger, we’re used to being surprised…
(Jan VH)
Playlist
1 – Eels – Cap in Hand
2 – D12 ft Xzibit & Ice-T – Nightmare Walking
3 – DMA’S – Hurracane
4 – Johnny Marr – Spin
5 – Midge Ure – The Man Who Stole Your Soul
6 – Widowspeak – No Driver
7 – Lenny Kaye – The Things You Leave Behind
8 – Paul Roland, Andy Ellison & Boz Boorer – Gabrielle
9 – The Fall – 30 Degrees
10 – Waterboys – Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
11 – Suede – Emotionally Unavailable
12 – Dropkick Murphys ft Shane MacGowan – The Body of an American
13 – Neil Diamond – You’re Getting to Me
14 – Jesse Welles – Masks Off
15 – Everlast – Losing Man’s Game
16 – Kevin Morby – Javelin
17 – Death Cab for Cutie – Stone Over Water
18 – Jack White – Dollar Bill
19 – Uni Boys – You’ll Curse His Name Again
20 – Kristin Hersh – Dark Eyed Junco
21 – Greta Van Fleet – Play Your Games
22 – Belle & Sebastian – It Only Takes One Lion
23 – Smashing Pumpkins – Excelsior
24 – Westside Cowboy – Kick Stones (The Boys)
25 – U2 – Song for Hal
26 – The Haunted Youth – In My Head
27 – Kurt Vile – Rock ‘O Stone
28 – Het Algoritme ft Klangstof & Freez – Huilend in een Taxi
29 – Arab Strap – Fighting for You
30 – The Bug Club – Make It Count
31 – Ladytron – Sing
32 – Tramhaus – Plovdiv
33 – Heather Nova – The Orchard
34 – Joan As Police Woman ft Iggy Pop – Save Me
35 – Black Box Revelation – Stronger
36 – Luke Haines – Izzy Wizzy Let’s Get Buzy
37 – Thee Oh Sees – The Brute on His Knees
38 – Triggerfinger – Through the Beam
39 – The Veils – My Foolish Heart
40 – Rolling Stones – Rough and Twisted