Vitalizing tunes that work faster than a stream of caffeine
17 February 2026
Band: WESTSIDE COWBOY Who: Fast up-and-coming indies
from Manchester, UK.
Paste Magazinesays: “They are the kind of band whose buzz still feels like an accident they keep tripping over. Four Manchester music-school friends, barely out of uni, playing as if the point is to stay in motion long enough that nobody can sand them into a product.
They call what they do “Britainicana”, not quite a genre so much as a self-defense mechanism,
a way of admitting they’re raised on American mythologies while still stuck in Northern England. Sonically, that mindset comes through as American roots shapes shoved through a British DIY garage-rock body: folk harmony and country phrasing jostling up against slacker guitars and punk velocity, like someone trying to sing a lullaby while sprinting.”
TUTV: This high-voltage crackerjack resonates like a slow pop song by The Beatles, sped up and overdubbed with about 100 guitars. And the result is a spiky slice of infectious music.
Keep your eyes and your ears
peeled. More fireworks to come.
Another batch of 5 new, stellar tracks are
added to Turn Up The Volume’s Jukebox.
All for your aural pleasure.
ALL TOGETHER
TRACK BY TRACK
Artist: LEG PUPPY 2.0 Who: Seasoned techno freak from London who has released a ton
of longplayers (so far). Take a day off and move over to Spotify to
check out as many as possible.
Press info: “It’s is a raw, heartfelt tale of ageism and fear. Set against a modern landscape of automation, algorithms & A.I., the story follows the quiet devastation of a loyal employee cast aside after 30 years of service. His decades of dedication are reduced to a final, hollow reward: A commemorative 30-year lanyard, symbolic of a system that no longer values human lives beyond their utility.”
TUTV: As my therapist once said: rich company owners are psychos. No morals,
no respect, no tolerance. Workers are tools abused to help them make even more rich. Leg Puppy 2.0 translates this ongoing criminality into a brain-breaking midtempo techno club-hammer. It easily could be the theme song for George Orwell‘s yet-to-be-made
‘1984‘ movie.
“Thirty years,
then told goodbye,
replaced by code,
he wants to die”
Band: STEREOLAB Who: Angelo-French electro-pop vets (1990–2009, 2019–present).
So far, they have released 11 LPs, with 2025’sInstant Holograms
On Film as the most recent one.
TUTV: On their last tour, they sold exclusively a 7″ vinyl single featuring two new
songs. They have put them online now so everyone can enjoy. Cloud Land is my
favorite. It’s a pretty swirling dance-oriented tune spiced with layers of synths.
Artist: FRED AGAIN… Who: Acclaimed English record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist,
and DJ, born Frederick John Philip Gibson. He has recorded/released 4 albums so far.
Over the past few months, he has presented two songs/music videos under the banner “Brandon’s night out” featuring the nightlife adventures of actor Brandon Bendell.
Track: LIGHT BURN DIMMER.
The 3rd and final song of his ‘Brandon’s
Nights Out’ trilogy with Jamie T on vocals.
TUTV: Holy Moses! Fred and Jamie are on
a bubbling techno roll. Great pairing for
a big banger.
Band: WATERPISTOL Who: South Welsh indie squad who got together in late 2022. Combining the guitar textures of ‘90s shoegaze with golden age rock ‘n’ roll, they have been firmly set on embodying their influences in The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The La’s, and Liverpool
cult favourites Shack.
Track: FELIN
The song touches on the highs and lows of the creative process. The first
glimpse of a wider collection of material already taking shape behind the
scenes.
TUTV: Expect a jumpy indie guitar flurry, bouncing left and right, forth and
back. Felin is a full of vim-and-vigour pop tune invigorated by jangly guitars,
a tight drum/bass tandem, and reaching a climax every time the multi-voiced
chorus pops up.
Press info: “The song pushes deeper into Hillig’s emotional terrain, pairing alternative-country and indie rock with a writer’s instinct for metaphor, restraint, and uncomfortable honesty.”
KAH: “I drew a man on his family farm wading across a river toward the final living pig, knowing he had to slaughter it. You can tell he doesn’t want to do this, but sometimes the
hard thing is exactly what must be done.”
TUTV: Arresting from the start. KAH’s puissant Americana voice and the song’s rock-solid Mellencamp flow merge seamlessly together, resulting in a stem-winding gem. Both electric and absorbing.
Memorable actorROBERT DUVALL was
born in San Diego, California 95 years ago.
Two of his most famous performances were in the mafia trilogy of The Godfather playing the lawyer of the Corleone family and in the
spectacular Vietnam War movie Apocalypse Now as the deranged Lieutenant Colonel William Kilgore.
Duvall passed away yesterday at home surrounded by his family. R.I.P.
Band: STRANGE PLANTS Who: A Canadian outfit rooted in vintage psychedelia. Their self-titled debut LP,
released last year draws influences from artists like MGMT and Jack White, while
remaining faithful to classic icons such as Pink Floyd and Supertramp. You can
stream it here.
Track: LAY YOUR MIND
The first release in a forthcoming collection
of songs arriving throughout 2026.
Press info: “At its core, the song serves as a love letter to the steady figures in our lives, the people who absorb chaos with patience and understanding. The title reflects that sense of emotional grounding, celebrating those who remain present when everything else feels uncertain.”
TUTV: Brannon‘s stirring, delirious, and superb vocals are going through the roof
and lift this powerful pop thrill to an outstanding and overwhelming level. He’s backed
by an unshakeable rhythm section and startling guitars that start to flip out midway. Imposing tune. Towering execution. Striking stroke.
The late explosive soul man James Brown (1933-2006) released one
of his biggest and best know hits with IT’S A MAN’S MAN WORLD
today 60 years ago, on 16 February 1961.
It was written by Brown and Betty Jean Newsome.
The single whent to No 8 in the US, and to No 13
in the UK.
Rolling Stone Magazine characterized the lyrics as “biblically chauvinistic“; attributing all the works of modern civilization — the car, the train, the boat, and the electric light — to the efforts of men, but claim that it all would “mean nothing without a woman or a girl”
North Carolina collective THE NUDE PARTY, active since 2012, are a well-oiled 7-piece machine of choogling rock‘n roll who have launched their 4th album, baptized LOOK WHO’S BACK.
Press info: “Look Who’s Back took shape in a homegrown, late-night party atmosphere, playfully debaucherous sessions ran late into the night, the cozy room as crowded with mics, cables, and recording equipment as it was with friends, pizza boxes, and beer cans.
The joy on the record is palpable – ripe with beachside boogie and slick 70’s groovers
that reflect its storied Joshua Tree surroundings, kicking up the dust in the land of cowboys
and UFOs, and landing on the sunny side for their happiest sounding record to date. Where others might dry out, The Nude Party’s wellspring continues to run over.”
TUTV: Look Who’s Back? Well, well, it’s The Beatles, somewhere between Rubber Soul
and Revolver. Why do I say that? As a Beatles maniac, I hear their merry melodiousness, their euphonious harmonies, and their tremendous knack for writing top-drawer tunes that stick on the spot on this new longplayer.
Mind you, The Nude Party don’t copy/paste the eternal Liverpool legends,
but I’m sure they have their whole record collection available for inspiration.
Keep it simple, but irresistibly attractive is the doctor Robert key here. Trust me,
the cliché, no fillers all killers, is 100% accurate here. Guitar pop/rock at its riveting
best. I will spin Look Who’s Back for a long time. As I said above, I’m a Fab Four
maniac.
