29 januari is al een tijdje uitgeroepen tot gedichtendag en laat nu juist op die dag een elftal schitterende gedachtenkronkels, buikverzinsels en hartenkreten van  zangeres gitariste Inneke 23 en haar Lipstick Painters, verpakt in een prachtig digi- packje, bij ondergetekende in de bus vallen. "Charcoal" is de opvolger van het veel geprezen album "Elephant Crossing" dat oorspronkelijk enkel via vinyl werd aangeboden. 

Gelukkig ontfermde Bert & Evert (@ Corazong Records) zich over dit Antwerps roots combo en kreeg de lp al vlug het gezelschap van het glanzend schijfje. Niet alleen de critici waren in de wolken over het debuut maar ook multi - instrumentalist Chris Eckman, bekend van ondermeer the Walkabouts, Chris & Carla, Willard Grant Conspiracy en Dirt Music liet via een e- mailtje weten dat hij wel brood zag in een eventuele samewerking.

Midden 2008 vertrekken Ingrid Veerman aka Inneke 23 en haar Lipstick Painters ( Koen Vissers - bass, bcv, Niels Leen - drums & percussie, Peter Van Velthoven - accordion, keyboards, bcv, Wim De Beukelaer - electric guitars, bcv) naar Ljubljana / Slovenie om hun creatief muzikale gedachtengoed onder deskundige handen tot ontplooiing te zien komen. Het resultaat is verbluffend .....jammer dat voor de openingstrack "Black"  niemand van de Rootsville redaktie in aanmerking komt ook al doen 'the two partners in crime' Freddy & Michel verwoede pogingen om aan Inneke's  gedroomde liefdesbeeld  te voldoen "...black hair, black jeans, black jacket and black shoes. And in his eyes a bucket full of stars. A punk rock picking cowboy and his silver string guitar .... "

Ongetwijfeld zou 'Grievous Angel' Gram Parsons bij leven en welzijn, driving a "Star Car " en met Peter Van Velthoven  / accordion op de achterbank, wel eens tot de geknipte figuur kunnen uitgroeien ...maar ja "What Happened to the Heroes, the smiling outlaw, the single hobo  ....

Mid - tempo en vriendelijke uitnodiging " My Door's Open" kan net als het looking at the bright side of live -esque meezingertje  " I'd Rather Be a Fair Play Loser than a winner with a cheating heart" met minieme Radio 1 ondersteuning uitgroeien tot een regelrechte hit.  Het zou een meer dan terechte beloning zijn voor "the Sweet Headed Girl", een van die songs die net als "Happy In The End" are distilled from hard lessons and the magic that 23 found on the rocky road from hope to despair and back again.  They reflect sadness, but most sound much happier then they really are. Volgens mijn bescheiden mening de gedroomde soundtrack voor de verfilming van "A Night at the Crossroads" (Antwerpen ?) en ik zie die schitterende beelden van get drunk with you on olives and red wine, your smile en met Tom Waits op de achtergrond al in mijn geest en voor mijn ogen opduiken.

Inneke 23 & the Lipstick Painters have grown to real tightness, going trough a lot ...and surviving en doen daarvoor ondermeer beroep op het sublieme ietwat gospelachtige "You Won't See Me With the Drifter No More". Ondermeer Gillian Welch, Mary Gauthier en  Lucinda Williams, al jarenlang behorend tot die ladies die een plaatsje reserveren "For the Blues In Their Heart" krijgen met Inneke 23 geduchte concurrentie en daar mag Antwerpen, Vlaanderen, Belgie best trots op zijn. Yes we can ! Verplichte aanschaf, a must have cd  vanaf 23 february 2009, de cd voorstelling van 'Charcoal' voor Belgie vindt een dagje eerder plaats in het vertrouwde "Crossroads" cafe. (SWA) 

PS : "Charcoal" available on cd and (vinyl) LP .

March 29th was World Poetry Day. Exactly two months earlier, January the 29th,I I received a package in my mailbox that would have been a perfect gift for World Poetry Day!  Two months too early, but not for me! “Charcoal”, the newest release by Inneke 23 and the Lipstick Painters is the follow up to “Elephant Crossing”. A widely acclaimed album that originally was only available on vinyl! Bert & Evert of Corazong Records added the guys from Antwerp (Belgium) to their rich stall of talented roots artists and within weeks the vinyl version was accompanied by a little silver disc. Critics and musicians alike praised this album, but when Chris Eckman (Walkabouts, Chris & Carla, Willard Grant Conspiracy, Dirt Music) e-mailed them to seek out a possible collaboration, the band knew they were in for something good.

Summer 2008, Ingrid Veerman aka Inneke 23, and her Lipstick Painters ( Koen Vissers - bass, bcv; Niels Leen - drums & percussion; Peter Van Velthoven - accordion, keyboards, bcv; Wim De Beukelaer - electric guitars, bcv) set sail to Ljubljana (in Slovenia) to get the best out of their musical ideas with Chris Eckman at the helm!  Musically a perfect album that destroyed the editors of Belgian e-zine Rootsville.  For years Freddy & Michel have been yearning for the grace of Inneke23, but when they heard the opening track of the new album, they finally knew they had to give in! "...black hair, black jeans, black jacket and black shoes. And in his eyes a bucket full of stars. A punk rock picking cowboy and his silver string guitar.... ." These are distant words, from a time long ago! Seasoned by the years Freddy and Michel quietly recovered from a broken heart and started to listen to the rest of the album only hoping for a change of mood.

“My Door’s Open”, a mid-tempo tune with major sing-along quality could easily become a radio hit, but of course it’s already hard enough for American Americana artists….. So let’s hope for positive response. Which would be much deserved, if you ask me!  “Happy In The End" and “The Sweet Headed Girl” are distilled from hard lessons and the magic that Inneke23 found on the rocky road from hope to despair and back again. A reflection of sadness is found here, although it sounds much happier in musical form then in reality. “A Night At The Crossroads” is without doubt  a perfect soundtrack for an imaginary film”! It projects images of that movie on my eyes while I get drunk on “your smile, olives and red wine”. Tom Waits is never far away, as is that other ‘Grievous Angel’: Gram Parsons. 

Inneke23 & the Lipstick Painters have grown into real tightness, going trough a lot ...and surviving it all. Helped by the gospel of "You Won't See Me With the Drifter No More" Inneke23 becomes a forceful competitor to big names like Gillian Welch, Mary Gauthier and Lucinda Williams. “Yes We Can” is from this moment on a moniker we can also use in Belgium! We can proudly say that this one is a must in every collection of great music. Both on Vinyl and on CD.
Mr Blue Boogie