The members of Bettie Serveert are alt-rock survivors. They have been performing in various incarnations since 1986, and they released critically acclaimed debut album Palomine in 1992. Joining the core lineup of vocalist/guitarist Carol van Dyk, guitarist Peter Visser and bassist Herman Bunskoeke on new album Pharmacy Of Love (Second Motion) is drummer Joppe Molenaar (of fellow Dutch band Voicst). The group recorded the LP in relative isolation in Waimes, Belgium, in order to better concentrate on honing its sound, and the result is a mix of the classic Bettie Serveert vibe with new modern-rock flourishes. Van Dyk, Visser and Bunskoeke will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with van Dyk.
Peter: Television Personalities are a British cult band that started in the late ’70s and was formed around singer/songwriter Dan Treacy. First album …And Don’t The Kids Just Love It from 1981 is still a classic, with timeless pop songs, delivered with an almost naïve freshness. Every song on it is a standard sing-along; “I Know Where Syd Barrett Lives” even became a small hit in the Netherlands. 1982 follow-up Mummy Your Not Watching Me showed a more reverb-drenched psychedelic approach but still with catchy songs. With 1984’s The Painted Word came political awareness; Treacy was sickened by the Thatcher regime and the Falkland war. He kept on making records with changing band members, and every now and then there is a pearl of a song to be discovered. I don’t want to go into the personal problems of Treacy with jail, drink and drugs, but I just want to remember and enjoy the great songs of a great songwriter.
Video after the jump.
