Music
Press
Friday 06/10/06
The Stranglers, Taxi To The Ocean @ Shepherd's Bush Empire, London
by Emily Warner on 10/11/2006
Tonight is the night that a legendary band returns to London. Not The Rolling Stones, not Iron Maiden and certainly not Ozzy Ozbourne and his motley crew. Tonight one of the most influential 70’s punk bands are gracing the Shepherds Bush Empire; Ladies and Gentlemen it is the turn of The Stranglers to grace the stage.
But before the headliners appear Taxi To The Ocean; a five piece from Old Amsterdam are opening the night. Opening with a blast of sound into a indie style number which comes across far stronger live than recorded, gets a few heads nodding, but it’s their second number- a very ska based song with jarry bass lines and very sharp drum beats that makes them a sure fire winner in the eyes of the (slightly older) crowd gathered at the very front of the stage as they rupture into applause at the end of the song. Packing the show in with the more rock sounding numbers from their most recent self titled UK album really shows off the best of the bands very loud talent.
From one song to the next they keep up the pace and energy they started out with and whilst most of the band is looking very cool it’s their bassist who is rocking out like only the Dutch can do. Taxi To The Ocean’s best number though is closer ‘This Is What Is’; a full on in-yer-face loud and proud song that just packs the heavier rock influences in and by the end of it the now packed out venue burst into rounds of applause, shouts and whistles. Taxi To The Ocean have a sound that blends several different genres punk, to little shot of bluesy rock, to grunge- and there’s just something in the steady drum beats and bass lines that just clicks with the sound of The Stranglers and their crowd.
http://www.gigwise.com/news.asp?contentid=23415
- Gigwise.com
Bristol Carling Academy-1st October 2006
When I saw that Taxi to the Ocean were supporting the mighty
Stranglers on their Suite XVI tour, I have to admit I wasn’t all that
excited to see the support act. Like the majority of the audience, I had
never heard of this group ever before. Yet, The Stranglers wouldn’t
associate themselves with just any band, surely?
Music I am unfamiliar with generally goes straight over my head…but this
was something else. Just thirty-odd minutes of break-neck, hyperactive
indie-rock later, everyone knew who Taxi to the Ocean were. These five
fun-loving lads came all the way from Amsterdam and rocked the Academy
to its very foundations.
Citing Smashing Pumpkins, Wilco and Pearl Jam as influences, Taxi to the
Ocean did their heroes proud. Usually, the “warm-up” act performs to a
sea of stationary bodies and vacant expressions, but the charisma and
rousing vocals of frontman, Just Posthumus ensured that everybody was
rocking. This coupled with the immaculate playing of his band-mates
guarantees that Taxi to the Ocean will be a name to be remembered. This
is not an opportunity to be missed…Catch them on their UK tour now!!!
Neil Collins, 20.
Westworld, University of West England Student paper
13th October 2006
- Westworld
Leeds Met University
The Stranglers + Taxi To the Ocean
Wednesday, 11th October 2006
Words by Danielle Millea
Taxi To the Ocean hail from the Netherlands, although it would be mighty expensive to get one there. There is a definite influence of Pearl Jam in there, especially with singer Just Posthumus' long locks and head swaying. I would not have chosen them as support for the legendary Stranglers, as a distinctive lack of punk frolicking is displayed, but they are brilliant none the less. Imagine pop songs heavily laced with indie rock guitars and tight melodies. I wish 'em luck and hope they get that taxi.
www.leedsmusicscene.net
- Leedsmusicscene.net
Taxi To The Ocean - Taxi To The Ocean
by Chip Midnight
Mixing poppy grunge with atmospheric rock, Taxi To The Ocean deliver a winner
" If the band is smart, it'll drop any reference to the Smashing Pumpkins and Jeff Buckley in future press material as Taxi To The Ocean is an altogether different – and wonderful – beast."
If Taxi To The Ocean really sounded like their influences – Smashing Pumpkins, Jeff Buckley, Deus, and Queens Of The Stone Age – they'd be an enormous sounding, unstoppable rock machine plowing over everything that crossed their path. But, really, do we need another band that mixes the loud rock with falsetto vocals? Fortunately, Taxi Taxi To The Ocean forge an identity all their own that really sounds nothing like their influences.
The band's third album, this one self-titled, opens with the poppy grunge number (think Foo Fighters-meets-Gomez) 'Playground' and Just Posthumus's vocals, which bare some resemblance to former Catherine Wheel singer Rob Dickinson. Not content to be just another run-of-the-mill alt.rock band, Taxi To The Ocean switches gears on the second track, channeling the reggae-influenced sound of mid-period Police on 'Are We Not Men'.
Though Posthumus often sounds like Dickinson, Taxi To The Ocean shies away from the shoegazing sound that Catherine Wheel was famous for except maybe on the track 'Bombshell' with its spacey, echoey guitars. The slow, plodding song also features digital sampling courtesy of drummer Remmert Velthuis.
While most of the jams are rock solid on the record and fit into the radio single 3-to-4 minute format, the band flies off into the atmosphere on 7-minute opus 'I Live At Home' which once again features the spacey guitar work of Robin van Saaze and Sander Oskamp.
The record closes with the biggest rocker of the bunch, 'This Is What it Is', which vaguely brings to mind a more pop-oriented Queens Of The Stone Age (though there is no way you'll confuse the two bands).
'Taxi To The Ocean' is definitely an album that warrants multiple listens as the diversity of the songs may be a bit too disconnect to fully comprehend on the first pass through. If the band is smart, it'll drop any reference to the Smashing Pumpkins and Jeff Buckley in future press material as they are an altogether different – and wonderful – beast.
http://www.new-noise.net/album-reviews/taxi-to-the-ocean/taxi-to-the-ocean/taxi-to-the-ocean---taxi-to-the-ocean_453.html
- new-noise.net
Discography
Love it where I am EP(giant clash 001)
Anthems for life EP(giant clash 002)
Minglemood (album)(giant clash 003)
The Junkfood EP (giant clash 004)
Sunday Longplay (album)(giant clash 005)
Taxi To The Ocean (album) (MRCD 268)
Photos
Bio
Taxi to the Ocean biography
Where did it all begin?
At high school of course. Where else? To be exact: the Lyceum in Baarn, heart of the Netherlands.
Baarn: What is there to do in Baarn?
Sweet FA nothin. So a few friends would get together every Friday and Saturday night, play a bit of music, drink coke and eat chocolate éclairs as you do. Taxi to the ocean was born.
And what has all this got to do with Frank Zappa?
He once said there was no such thing as bass players only a second rate guitarists. The famous words apply here. Guitarist Joost started playing bass because they didnt have a bass-player.
But that Remmert dude, the drummer, wasnt he his bass teacher?
Yeah, OK, on paper I suppose. But what really happened is that they were listening to Gentle Giant stoned every evening and came up with a revelation: Thats where we have to go rich tapestry music!
How did Taxi to the ocean sound in the beginning?
A bit like the Smashing Pumpkins: Loud, soft then loud again. But no covers.
None at all?
Ok, one then. A Dylan cover an obscure b-side.
Dylan?
Yep. But the band was listening to everything: dEUS, Tim & Jeff Buckley, Motorpsycho, MC Miker G, Sebadoh. And guitarist Robin van Saaze was a big AC/DC fan (the line-up with Bon of course). Broad taste? We havent even mentioned Strawinsky or Justin Timberlake yet!
Has there been an album of this stuff yet?
Love it where I am celebrated by a launch gig in the Winston in Amsterdam
Wait a minute! Wasnt that launch somewhere else?
Er...um..yeah. They called every gig they did a CD launch. There were more gigs that way.
How long was that infamous marathon gig they did in that cafe in Hoorn again?
Six hours. They go like a train, they do.
A train? So not that fast really?
Oh yeah, full-speed. But a Taxi to the ocean gig is a different bag of fish than just re-creating the album live. Charged-up would be the right word. Just ask the bass player who got stretchered away from a gig once with a dislocated knee after too much stage gymnastics.
What happened next?
Support spots with Millionaire, The Darkness and Mauro & the Grooms. A self-released album: Minglemood. And last year the Sunday Longplay album which was distributed in the Benelux by the legendary Munich Records.
And how was it received?
OOR (leading Dutch music magazine) on the last album: A more than pleasant surprise
Utrecht s Nieuwsblad (an important Dutch newspaper): A familiar sound that doesnt at all resort to obligatory clichés
Live XS (a famous Dutch alternative music magazine): A luscious, ripe and mature album
But wait a minute thats an album a year isnt it?
Absolutely. Thats what the lads want. To build up a catalogue.
And now?
The new album: Taxi to the ocean Easily the best, rawest, freshest sounding TTTO release so far etc etc etc . Just listen to it yourself and let the music do the convincing.
Theme?
Making choices. Because thats what theyve been doing lately. The choice to make music and do everything around it needed to get that choice happening.
Is it all or nothing this album?
You bet. Almost is nowhere is the bands motto. Anything is better than almost. Theyd rather take risks and end up face first in the dirt than play it safe.
OK guess that explains the album cover then?
Yep. The New York artist Steve Keene did that. He churns out paintings on a production line but it aint production line work. Hundreds of paintings a day. The band begged him to do one for the album Sounds fun! said Steve. Then he sent twelve of them!
But what if he had sent crap paintings?
Listen, thats exactly the point. Thats not how the band thinks. First make it then think about it. Thats how Steve works and thats how Taxi operates as well. You could do it the other way around but not much gets made that way.
What kind of music is it? Give us a label please.
One of the band members put David Bowies Heroes into his iPod recently. The display said Rock. If thats what Rock is then Taxi to the ocean makes Rock as well.
And what do other people think of it?
Gigwis.com: - Packing the show in with the more rock sounding numbers from their most recent self titled UK album really shows off the best of the bands very loud talent. By the end of the show the now packed out venue (Shepherds Bush Empire in London) burst into rounds of applause, shouts and whistles -
Western Eye (UK Student paper): - Support was amply provided by this Amsterdam five-piece, whose brand of indie rock enraptured the audience. -
Where did you tour?
In the central European region in countries like: The Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Belgium and The Netherlands. And in the UK as the support act for The Stranglers (Sept. 23 2006 till Oct. 14 2006).
Links
