Bettie Serveert

Holland doesn't have much history in rock music. Name a popular Dutch artist. Sure, they get their fair share of attention when it comes to electronic and dance musics, but anything that involves guitars, bass, drum kits? Forget about it. And Eddie Van Halen doesn't count, unfortunately.

Why is that?

Well, let me ntroduce you to Bettie Serveert. Bruised indie that has the malice of early Steve Alibini recordings, the wistfulness of 70s Neil Young, and the scruff of 90s college rock in the vein of Belly, the Breeders, Sebadoh. Carol van Dijk, the frontwoman and vocalist, has a style that's sharp-edged yet still subtly twangy, a timbre that reminds me of Aimee Mann's. Hear it?

(The Sebadoh comparison must be one they actively encouraged: the debut album, Palomine, includes a cover of their "Healthy Sick.")