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It seems that guitar music isn’t going away any time soon.
Words: Ali Shutler.
Photos: Ben Houdijk, Ronnie Zeemering, SE7EN, Siese Veenstra, Stefvan Oosterhout.
Taking over the Dutch city of Groningen for four days of buzzy new artists and conference discussions about the state of the industry, Eurosonic Nooderslaag typically sets the tone for the year ahead. And it seems that guitar music isn’t going away any time soon.
A number of artists vibrate against genre, offering a refreshed take on something familiar. Both Baitbait and Izzy And The Black Trees find space within the menacing confines of post-punk to create something vibrant and urgent. Viji blends glittering bedroom pop with scuzzy shoegaze, and Brockhoff twists fuzzy 90s alternative music into something far more lofty.
At the more chaotic end of things, Meltheads channel the same wide-eyed recklessness that turned Green Day into global superstars with ‘Dookie’ and Master Peace singlehandedly brings about a nu-rave renaissance with giddy, freewheeling tracks like ‘I Might Be Fake’. Then there’s Get Jealous, whose twitching skater emo deals with rebellion, community and escapism with a wicked smirk. Twinkling but still packing a punch, it’s little surprise when the crowded room at MAAS erupts into the friendliest mosh pit you’ve ever seen.
There are whispers of latter-day Arctic Monkeys in Picture Parlour’s cinematic, swaggering rock’n’roll, but the Manchester four-piece are more up for a good time. Moments of quiet quickly shift into bleeping, sci-fi breakdowns, and there’s a wonderful strangeness that flows through their set as the band get playful without veering into self-indulgence. The live debut of a festival-ready banger sees vocalist Katherine Parlour ask the crowd to “be kind, be gentle”, yet the track is anything but.
Fat Dog have built their reputation on chaotic live shows, but today, they’re playing in a record shop. One person down the front tries to inject the usual energy into their brief, 20-minute performance, but the rest of the crowd look a bit confused. And with tracks like the gloriously odd seven-minute epic of ‘King Of The Slugs’, it’s easy to see why. Fat Dog are sure to win over countless fans this summer, but today is not their day.
There are plenty of artists using guitar music as a launch pad to explore something more. Pip Blom have evolved from indie rockers to masters of the rave with the art-punk of third album ‘Bobbie’, and their live show is just as euphoric, while Berry Galazka proudly declares they have no reverence for genre. It shows as well, as they dive between hip-hop, pop, and metal with a smirking industrial bite behind every foray. Meanwhile, Güner Künier bounces between guitar and synth to create a dark, electronic playground.
It’s English Teacher who really steal the show, though. Celebrating the announcement of debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’, the band flirt with post-punk, math-rock, grunge and folk without ever sounding uncertain during their 40-minute set. The lush ‘Mastermind Specialism’ is so gorgeous it forces the chatty crowd into silence; unreleased new track ‘You Blister My Paint’ is inspired by ‘A Clockwork Orange’ and sees a dark, electronic undertone stalk the otherwise dreamy cut while the optimistic ‘Daffodils’ has evolved into a hulking, glitching masterpiece. They close with new single ‘Albert Road’. The track starts quiet but soon evolves into a powerful moment of catharsis that feels intimate but massive at the same time. Released less than a day ago, it’s played instead of breakout track ‘R&B’ at the insistence of the crowd, which should tell you something about how exciting the future of English Teacher clearly is.
It’s not all rock’n’roll at Eurosonic 2024, though, with the world of dance-inspired pop continuing to blossom. Jaolin feels like a pop superstar in waiting as she blends Latin vibes with Nordic sadness; Yunè Pinku twists hyperpop around garage to create something colourful and vibrant while C’est Karma puts on perhaps the most ambitious performance of the weekend. Taking over punk hotspot Vera, C’est Karma delivers heartfelt, intimate storytelling through absolutely massive pop songs. Aided by production and a theatrical performance, it’s the sort of show that could happily exist on festival main stages and still feel as powerful.
Also ready to take on the world is Might Delete Later. The premise is simple enough: fans leave voicemails for the dance artist to turn into songs or delete later, but more than a gimmick, this communal approach to music gives every track a sense of empathy and warmth, similar to Fred Again…. And the results are absolutely massive. It’s impossible not to get caught up in Might Delete Later’s glitching wonderland, and there’s an undeniable sense of euphoria and freedom in the music. It feels like it’s going to be one hell of a year.
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