Bettie Serveert

小簡介
樂團的成立可追溯回1986年﹐貝斯手Herman Bunskoeke和吉他手Peter Visser是當(dāng)時另一支樂團De Artsen的團員﹐主唱Carol van Dijk當(dāng)時是De Artsen的錄音師﹐鼓手Berend Dubbe則處理樂團的巡回演唱事務(wù)。1991年﹐De Artsen在發(fā)表專輯"Conny Waves With A Shell"后解散。沒多久樂團重組為Bettie Serveert﹐1992一月年他們首次錄制完成七首歌曲的demo﹐其中一卷流傳到Matador唱片公司兩大老板Chris和Gerrard的桌上﹐兩人不但對他們的音樂大感興趣﹐還立刻飛到荷蘭和樂團談簽約的事宜。
Matador簽下 Bettie Serveert第一張專輯"Palomine"的美﹑加的發(fā)行權(quán)﹐英國與其它國家則是4AD下屬的Guernica唱片公司。Carol van Dijk高昂甜美的聲音﹑樂團流暢與噪音兼混的吉他風(fēng)格﹐以及造型突出的封面設(shè)計讓"Palomine"成為一張好評不斷的專輯﹐例如當(dāng)時Spin雜志便曾贊譽"Palomine"是一張「獨立搖滾樂史上聽起來最成熟的一張專輯」﹐在英國﹐雖然4AD的老板Ivo非常鐘愛Bettie Serveert的音樂﹐甚至表明將不計任何代價留下樂團﹐但是在Bettie Serveert不滿意4AD并未對樂團付出足夠的宣傳之后﹐結(jié)束了與4AD的賓主關(guān)系轉(zhuǎn)投Beggars Banquet旗下。
1995年1月﹐Bettie Serveert發(fā)表了他們的第二張專輯"Lamprey"﹐雖然旋律上沒有"Palomine"來的甜美動聽﹐但整體仍然明顯的表現(xiàn)出樂團在演奏上的進步﹐英國Melody Maker周報曾形容" Lamprey"是當(dāng)年「最糾纏﹑荒涼﹑真實的吉他之聲」。接下來在和Belly﹑ Dinosaur Jr.﹑Buffalo Tom﹑Superchunk﹑Come﹑和Jeff Buckley等樂團緊密的合作巡回演出造勢下﹐Bettie Serveert此時的聲勢已攀上頂點﹐成為非主流樂界中一支重要的美聲吉他樂團。
1997年初﹐Bettie Serveert蘊釀許久的第三張專輯"Dust Bunnies"終于問世﹐吉他聲響再度纏綿于的旋律美丑的兩極端間﹐在Lemonheads般的流暢和鏗鏘有力錯綜復(fù)雜的編制間游走﹐搭配的是主唱Carol van Dijk更具多樣情感的美聲表現(xiàn)﹐兩年的等待也許是久了點﹐但是等到一張讓人沉醉傾聽的專輯時又有何遺憾呢?
by Steve Huey
Although they didnt cross over into the mainstream the way some of their peers did, Hollands Bettie Serveert became significant college-radio stars during the 90s with their jangly, sweetly melodic, at times surprisingly muscular guitar pop. Their sound was familiar, even archetypal, yet with its own distinct flavor that suggested any number of reference points and made exact comparisons elusive. Much of the bands reputation rested on its 1992 debut, Palomine, and even though critical opinion of their subsequent work was divided, they continued to maintain a cult audience through the decade.
Bettie Serveert were formed in Amsterdam and existed briefly in 1986 when De Artsen members Peter Visser (guitar) and Herman Bunskoeke (bass) quit their band to join up with Canadian-born vocalist Carol van Dijk, whose family moved to the Netherlands when she was a child. However, with the release of their debut album, Conny Waves With a Shell, De Artsen gained a wider audience around Holland, and with plentiful demand for their live act, Visser and Bunskoeke rejoined; meanwhile, van Dijk was hired as De Artsens new sound engineer. When De Artsen broke up again in 1990, Bettie Serveert reconvened with new drummer Berend Dubbe, a childhood friend of van Dijks and a roadie for De Artsen. Dubbe suggested the bands name, after an instruction manual by Dutch tennis star Bettie Stoeve.
Bettie Serveert recorded a seven-song demo in early 1992 that found its way to the American indie Matador, thanks to a friend of the band who worked in a specialty record shop. Matador signed them immediately and released their debut album, Palomine, later that year. Palomine received enthusiastic reviews, and the singles Tom Boy and Kids Allright landed substantial airplay on college radio, making Bettie Serveert extremely popular on the campus circuit. They launched an extensive supporting tour of America, and became genuine stars in their home country; they also helped establish Matador as Americas emerging indie label of choice, along with seminal artists like Pavement and Liz Phair.
In the wake of Palomine, Bettie Serveert spent around three years on the road, playing with artists like Belly, Dinosaur Jr., Superchunk, Buffalo Tom. When it finally came time to record the follow-up to Palomine, the band was still scrambling to craft more material; although Lamprey was generally well-reviewed upon its release in 1995 and sold decently among the groups college fan base, it proved a more erratic collection than its predecessor. Despite greater focus and a high-profile tour with Counting Crows, the same was true of 1997s Dust Bunnies, and with its faith in the group diminished, Matador dropped them from its roster. Bettie Serveert regrouped with 1998s live, all-covers venture Bettie Serveert Plays Venus in Furs and Other Velvet Underground Songs, released on the small Dutch label Brinkman. After its completion, drummer Dubbe left the band and was replaced by one-time De Artsen skinsman Reinier Veldman. The band regrouped in 2000 for Private Suit, which was acclaimed in some quarters as its strongest effort since Palomine. After its release and attendant touring, Bettie Serveert went on a hiatus that saw van Dyk forming the ragged country act Chitlin Fooks. But the band returned in March 2003 with Log 22, and again the following year with the ambitious Attagirl. [Attagirl received its US release via Minty Fresh in January 2005.]