Album Reviews

English Reviews

UK magazine Uncut (June 2007):
The Bent Moustache – Forst (Transformed Dreams)
4/5 stars
Aglo-Dutch trio re-emerge after 12 years, with new name.
Even a fervent Euro-enthusiast would probably be pushed to add to Bettie Serveert and Solex on a list of creditable alternative bands that have emerged from The Netherlands. Those with long memories, however, might also dig up Amsterdam's Donkey, who evolved into The Bent Moustache and recently toured America with Sebadoh. Their debut is a socio-politically sharp and extremely well articulated mix of post punk, art rock and dub that engages both brain and booty. "On Leaving The World Tonight" – which embeds breathy female vocals and fizzing electronica into Dr Alimantado-style skank – is especially noteworthy. (Shannon O'Connell)

Scottish e-/magazine IsthisMusic/ (05/11/07):
From our favourite Dutch label (home to Persil and Zea) this is a rather odd twist, as it’s something of a Scottish supergroup (with former members of Dawson and Dog Faced Hermans) in exile in Amsterdam who have produced this debut album. And they are, yes, pretty super too - taking those previous stints in what were some pretty ragged lofi punk acts and putting a noughtiees sheen on it, opener ‘Bubblebath’ displaying all the angsty jangle of the Yummy Fur (and the other bands they left behind in Glasgow) contrasted with a vocal delivery not far removed from Long Fin Killie. Elsewhere it’s a ramble through some decidedy varied influences - some decided Fall-ishs on ‘Cash’n’Curry’, while the ghost of King Tubby oversees the very authentic-sounding ‘Killa Dub’. A bit of a dip on the meat’n’potatoes rock plod of ‘Texas’, but overall, nice to see the Saltire flying over the Milkweg.
//Stuart McHugh

Unpeeled (May 2007):
"One day, all Mark E Smiths will be Dutch"
They can say what they like, and thanks to our unique 'right to reply' facility, they actually can, but this is, essentially, a Fall album. Oh, it's a very, very good one and should be bought, played and cherished, a lot. It is a Fall album though. Bendy, beguiling and European touches included, this is a Fall record, mind you, "Killa Dub" echoes (sic) The Specials and these touchstones alone should excite the blip of your radar to a frenzy, just try the fuzz-clanked (are they actually strumming a bass?) shoulder-slouching, cool misery of "Blowback Job in Detroit" first. 

Indie-mp3.co.uk weblog (18/02/08):
I caught The Bent Moustache live at The Windmill in Brixton last week. I was suitably impressed by their noise pop tunes to pick up their CD - 'Forst'. The LP came out last year on Transformed Dreams.
I've finally given the LP a bit of attention and it's a very fine piece of noisepop - recalling the poppier end of bands like Sonic Youth, Swervedriver and The Fall. The LP has it's shoegaze moments - on songs like 'The Deadroom' but overall the LP offers a curious take on the past 30 years of musical heritage with some more idiosyncratic pop moments - with 'Organ Fascination' being a prime example that has a very Mark E. Smith feel.
The band also throw in the odd curve ball and the odd dub rhythm does the job on a few occasions - most notably on 'Killa Dub'. All in all this is a varied and pleasing listen - a worthwhile investigation for anyone who likes their guitars a little frazzled but, importantly still keen on killer tunes. The Bent Moustache deliver both without ever sounding ponderous.

UK mag Rocksound:
A decade ago, The Bent Moustache would have been perfectly timed. With oddly poppy, choppy post-punk and a line in lyricism best described as kooky, the Anglo-Dutch three-piece could have joined dEUS as a strange britpop antidote. Indeed, previous incarnation, the John Peel-endorsed Donkey, were knocking around then. Dragged into the 21st century, however, lightly dub-kissed explorations and art student vocals sit slightly uncomfortably; it’s like trying to jam a scuffed limited-edition 7-inch into an iPod. Recent touring partners Sebadoh are as good a reference point as any, even if Ajay Saggar’s open letter to Gandhi, George W Bush, Tony Blair and – inexplicably – Michael Jordan on ‘Bubblebath’ is more self-conscious than anything Lou Barlow ever penned. Full marks for effort, anyhow. (6)
ADAM F KENNEDY

US Outsideleft magazine/e-zine about "Forst" (April 2007):
POSTMODERN DUTCH RUB, OR, IS THAT ANYTHING LIKE A RUSTY TROMBONE?
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Postmodernism will counter, but you humans don’t seem to be all that interested in answers.
The Bent Moustache
Forst
(Transformed Dreams)
Lamont and I were talking recently over the casual magic of Gmail Chat about our mutual like of the new Bright Eyes album and how glossy and rich it sounds and how it is easy to make a great sounding record now, that we have to look elsewhere for criteria of greatness. I always address this by saying I am into the Art, not the craft, but I must admit recently, my affinity for grainy hissy recordings is not as strong as it once was, and that I catch myself thinking things sound to thin rather than looking past that for what I considered the true qualities of art. Similarly, I used to be wrapped up in the authenticity of things, even though I was well aware of the head trip that line of thinking will buy you. Were I a casual listener, these concerns would be moot…I’d lumber along to further renditions of the music I loved in high school, or worse, the exact same music I loved in high school and go on enjoying the rich panoply of life: pursuits like golf, or following the market perhaps. But no, my loins perpetually orient me toward the New Releases rack hoping something will scratch the itch, whether it is something completely new or some patchwork monstrosity out of the old doing the scratching.

The latest balm to my psoriatic art-lust is a little band from Holland called The Bent Moustache. I saw them recently when they opened for a resurrected Sebadoh, who I hoped would open the crypt on some enlightenment lying dormant since the early 90s. Before anyone took the stage, I asked my neighbor, “What hapless band has drawn the short straw opening for Sebadoh. Everyone here is intrinsically focused on the main act, more so than normal…” When they replied, “Dunno… but I heard they are Dutch…” my heart sank even further. I figured they would be awkward Euros that were caught in a place 10 years ahead/behind depending how you looked at it. Turns out I was right, but in the best way possible. The Bent Moustache bear more than a passing resemblance to the 80s/90s variant of The Fall – insouciant garage beats that went on forever, an odd dude barking absurdities at us, and an insistence that realigned my nervous system to work in step with them. I had a new Favorite New Band.

So much a favorite that I even bought the record so I can review it, which if you are privy to the beggar nature of Critics; this is high praise in and of itself. Forst has so far repaid me in full. Ajay Saggart, the singer/fuzz bassist comes off a little less unhinged on record but it works to the betterment of the material. The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall hasn’t sounded so current until it was processed through Ajay and the band’s filter. The opening track “Bubblebath” starts mid-stride, where they go through a list of celebrities asking the same set of interview questions: “Milton Freidman, Can we talk about democracy? Can we talk your diet? Can we talk about your affairs?” without waiting for answers. All this is over a tight lock punk/funk/garage groove that I’m shocked that Craig Scanlon, the Fall’s guitarist during their golden years, had no hand in. It answers the ultimate question posed to Postmodernism – why bother? Because we must bother. We have to keep questioning. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Postmodernism will counter, but you humans don’t seem to be all that interested in answers.

“Killa Dub” with its Scratch attack effects and whispering whine through it lets you know that they are on the same trail that The Fall follow, but its not until we arrive to “Cash ‘n’ Carry” where the similarities really come to a head, especially when he blurts out “…the three karaoke stooges..” at the turn. The ‘Stache is a bit more musically dense than the Fall has been in recent years, but then so have most cell phones and braying dogs. The thing about this tune, and the spectacular “League of Mature Jazz Friends” that follows it that the similarities are not dull tribute fare, but a band working through its influences. Do we hate The Black Crowes because of the rehashed Led Zep in their salad? No, there are much more obvious reasons to hate them. So that conversely leaves me on the hunt for things to love about this band than sounding like The Fall.

Dutch Reviews

Fileunder.nl (12/05/07):
Bandjes, Nederlandse bandjes: ik doe mijn best om de ontwikkelingen goed bij te houden. Zo had ik al vernomen dat The Bent Moustache, waar ik het nu dus over ga hebben, indruk maakte op het podium. Naast een single begin 2006 verscheen er op de eerder door mij besproken Subbacultcha-verzamelaar reeds “On Leaving The World Tonight” van ze. Nu is dit nummer op het debuutalbum Forst van de Krommeniese band terug te vinden alsmede de single als bonus. Dit stukje begon ik echter met de suggestie dat het een Nederlandse band is. Dit klopt niet helemaal, want naast Pim Heyne (van De Kift) zijn de twee andere muzikanten, Ajay Saggar en Wilf Plum (beide ex-Donkey) geboren in respectievelijk Manchester en Edinburgh. Het trio opereert echter vanuit Nederland waarbij gezegd moet worden dat Heyne live vervangen wordt door een andere Schot. Het album Forst is echter in de studio (dus met Heyne) opgenomen. The Bent Moustache heeft duidelijk iets met de tachtiger jaren, want de opgefokte Britse invloeden van The Fall, The Smiths, en The Clash zijn vanaf de opener duidelijk aanwezig. Er is echter ook rust in de vorm van dub, zoals The Good, The Bad and The Queen die onlangs ook gebruikte. The Bent Moustache klinkt echter niet als een make-over, maar is origineel in het resultaat. De energie hoef je als luisteraar trouwens niet op te sparen, want die kan prima zijn weg vinden in een dansje. De prachtige foto’s op de inlay konden wel eens in Canada en Amerika genomen zijn waar de band begin 2007 als voorprogramma van Sebadoh toerde. Saggar was geluidsman bij Dinosaur Jr. waar Lou Barlow deel van uit maakt. Ik denk niet dat ik teveel zeg dat wij met Frost een nieuwe club in de eredivisie van de Nederlandse alternatieve muziek hebben, al zou het mij niet verbazen dat er meer landen azen op deze nieuwkomer. Amerika had bijvoorbeeld voorrang bij deze release.
File Under: Ontdekking van het jaar

Fret (juni 2007):
Hè hè, eindelijk weer eens een plaat die zowel muzikaal als tekstueel wat dieper gaat dan de doorsnee cd, die andere mogelijkheden laat horen, zonder al te moeilijk te doen. Ajay Saggar, Pim Heijne en Wilf Plum speelden allen eerder in de band Donkey, en los van elkaar in onder andere De Kift, Dog Faced Hermans en Revenge of the Carrots. Groepen die op een eigenzinnige en vernieuwende manier stevige muziek maken of maakten. De uit Manchester, Edinburgh en Wormerveer afkomstige muzikanten zijn specialisten in een vol, druk, psychedelisch geluid, pop met new wave-invloeden, ergens tussen Beatles, Beefheart en B52’s in. De bas loeit met een groots geluid veelal krachtige loops uit de speakers, de gitaar hakt er fel in of waaiert juist breed uit, en de drums timmeren alles licht en los in punkjazz-stijl aan elkaar. Sferisch, meeslepend, opwindend, gevarieerd, goed in elkaar gezet, en zeker verrassend.
 

Live Reviews

English Reviews

Baton Rouge's The Record Crate blog (April 18, 2007):
The opening band, however, really took me back to how I felt about music back then. The Bent Moustache is a Dutch band that, tellingly, lists my all-time favorite 1980s-1990s band The Fall as their top friend on their MySpace page. They throbbed with marked indifference, not the kind of shoulder shrug that Sebadoh has mastered, but with full-body recoil. They sounded like a mix of bathtub-speed garage rock with a surrealist news broadcast bleeding through; in other words, a lot like The Fall but with a fire that my venerable favorite hasn’t exhibited in a decade. They were good enough that I half-wished that Sebadoh had been opening for them. It was a joyous, convulsive kind of rebellion that is not just against the current regime, but is against the dull complacency of It All. For me, it is life-affirming stuff, an update of the defiant music Sebadoh spearheaded. It’s the kind of art that keeps me going.

The Big Takeover USA webzine about The Bent Moustache show at Noise Pop Festival (February 28, 2007):
After a short break, The Bent Mustache hit the stage at 9:45. An all-male trio hailing from the Netherlands, the line-up consists, in part, of ex-members of THE DOG FACED HERMANS and an early member of CORNERSHOP. That alone got my attention. And in listening to the bass-driven rhythmic din, it makes sense. At times I hear THE EX (one of the Netherlands’ greatest exports) as well, although with a more traditional song structure. Before the set, I had heard from a friend of the band that the touring line-up is slightly different than that on the just-released CD Forst. I can’t say that I would’ve noticed, as from the first note the band is very tight and sound/look like they’ve been together for years. The crowd finally comes alive, as the band’s energy and enthusiasm are nothing if not infectious. The offer to come onstage and dance was taken by no one, but that didn’t deter the band dancing about on their own. For one song of the nine-song set, the bass player, AJAY, puts down his bass and steps behind the keyboard that had been sitting on stage looking lonely. The change does nothing to diminish the energy, though Ajay clearly thinks he looks silly behind the keyboard, asking the crowd, “Do you remember HOWARD JONES?” and then offering that he doesn’t look quite as cool. Too true. The just-shy of 40 minutes set kept the crowd’s attention the whole way through. All in all a great set and definitely the best band so far—but the legendary Sebadoh was up next.

Orlando Weekly/This Little Underground column (April 19, 2007):
"Sebadoh left me yawning. Openers the Bent Moustache, from the Netherlands, however, really brought the heat, taking the Fall’s rough, headlong muss and swathing it in more feedback."

Paperteen USA blog (march 2007):
The Bent Moustache, an endlessly entertaining live band from the Netherlands (they sound sorta like Art Brut with more energy but less direction) opened for Sebadoh.

US-blog NonAlignment Pack:
Bonus was that, unbeknownst to us, The Bent Mustache was the opening act. If you love bands like the Ex and Dog Faced Hermans these guys are right up you alley. The one difference between TBM and their mates from Holland is that the bassist Ajay is so goddamn joyful. I don't think I've ever seen someone with a more childlike "Lookee! I'm on stage! Isn't this fun?" vibe than this guy. The highlight was him involving some poor 9 year old kind named Ian to play tambourine with the band. Ian obliged and stood shoulders slumped, head down, in front of the drummer, with his back to the audience. It was a sweet gesture by the band and Ian instantly became the coolest person that night. By the way the drummer was another one of those rail thin bastards who would beat the shit out of his kit while the guitarist played that percussive angular style we've come to love over on this side of the pond. Solid performance but I didn't get the vibe that the audience was really too open for any band beyond Sebadoh. Is it me or is there a different crowd for big national touring shows?

HoustonMusicReview.com (April 13, 2007):
Opening the show was The Bent Moustache from the Netherlands. Upon walking in and securing a spot at the front of the stage, we were approached by a friendly Indian man who spoke to us for a bit and got to know Ian, my son. As the show began, Ajay (bassist/vocalist/dude we were talking to) introduced the band and thanked his "Good friend Ian for making it out to the show."
Needless to say, the boy was happy to be acknowledged and even happier to get a tambourine handed to him and spend the night playing along with the band.
More important than their interaction with the child at the front of the stage was the band's music. They had oddball moments, but kept enough control to make a dynamic, solid "indie rock" set.
Their energy was high, the sounds was great and the audience was pulled in. Every song had "Texas" included in it since they were here in Houston, TX. For the last song, they pulled the boy up on stage and had him play tambourine along with the drummer. It was a fun end to an awesome set. Everyone enjoyed The Bent Moustache and as proof I'm not just saying these things since they let the boy on stage to play with them, many a person bought a CD or T-shirt before the night was through.

Daily Collegian (May 30, 2007):
Netherland-based band, The Bent Moustache, warmed up the crowd with their mixture of punk rock and dance punk. Ajay Saggar, lead singer, started the night off on keyboard, thrashing around on the instrument almost causing it to crash to the floor. The music was comparable to the Talking Heads or Devo, herky-jerky and danceable. Saggar picked up a bass guitar that he used for the remainder of the nearly hour-long set. Pim Heyne was on lead guitar with Wilf Plum on drums.
The rest of The Bent Moustache's allotted time was spent performing songs from their release, "Forst," recently made available in the United States. While overall not an original or outstanding performance, the trio managed to provide the crowd with an exciting way to wait for the main attraction of the night. The Sex Pistols-inspired punk songs sometimes sounded too similar, but repetition was avoided with the band's ability to build songs to intense climaxes.
Saggar at one point called Western Mass. a retirement home for indie rockers, something not too far from the truth. The average age between both bands had to be around 40. The mixture of college students and middle aged hipsters could've caused a generation gap, but luckily both bands were able to corral each group.
 

Dutch Reviews

8weekly over Paradiso optreden 19/12/06:
Een van de grootste ontdekkingen van de avond is The Bent Moustache. Deze band uit Krommenie had gemakkelijk rechtstreeks uit Londen kunnen komen. Met de looks en de attitude van Noel Gallagher brengen ze een stoer ondergronds geluid a la The Fall, The Ex, Campeg Velocet en Oasis. De ingewikkelde ritmes van de drummer en het snelle spel van de bassist geven een vol geluid aan de band. Het is jammer dat we in nederland zo weinig van ze horen in deze tijden waarin al die Britse bandjes zo makkelijk populair worden. The Bent Moustache heeft de potentie om veel jong publiek aan te spreken.

NRC over Paradiso optreden 19/12/06:
Nog een drummer trok de aandacht: die van The Bent Moustache is als een holenmens die met twee knuppels de maat slaat bij een oerritueel. Dat bestond hier uit een stampend bluesoptreden, waarbij de gitaren knarsen en zanger Ajay het jachtige leven bezingt.
 

Other Reviews

Nextclues.com (April 4, 2007) about the North Star Philadelphia gig:
The Bent Moustache, c’est trois mec glabres qui viennent d’Amsterdam et à ma plus grande surprise, leur batteur est le vieux Wilf qui tapait des rythmes à la The Ex dans Dog Faced Hermans (j’ai rapidement pris des nouvelles de Marion, la chanteuse, elle est artiste à Londres, si ça peut intéresser quelqu'un). Ca débute par un morceau au clavier d’un garage soul digne de The Make Up et ça continue par un punk rock gentil qui annonce assez justement "Fuck Art, let’s dance!" tout en rappellant un groupe différent à chaque morceau. Les noms droppent comme des flies : Minutemen, No Means No, Giddy Motors, The Fall, Badgewearer, McLusky, Headcleaner et donc Dog Faced Hermans et The Ex. J’aimerais bien rajouter Shub mais je me demande s’ils connaissent... Seule la voix de Ajay, l’indien bassite sympaT, ne m'a pas convaincu – loin de là, mais tout le reste est excellent. Ils sautent partout, ont de l’humour et le guitariste a un jeu tendu et décalé qui le fait mieux que bien. Pas mal du tout pour un lundi.
 

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