Rolling Stone wrote: “Sinéad O’Connor’s first album comes on like a banshee wail across the bogs. Blending the uncompromising force of folk music, the sonic adventurousness of the Eighties and lyrics that draw on classical history, ghost tales and the Bible. With The Lion and the Cobra, Sinéad O’Connor joins the ranks of Kate Bush, Laurie Anderson, and Jane Siberry — all women who are shattering the boundaries of pop music.”
Turn Up The Volume! says: Sinead O’Connor was quite unique in sound, vision and looks when she entered the music world with this stunning debut longplayer. The start of a career with up and downs due to a turbulent life and psychical problems, nonetheless a remarkable artist blessed with a towering voice & flamboyant guts to be honest and outspoken. RESPECT! Three Top Tracks:Mandika / Jerusalem / Troy…
Band: HELTA SKELTA (Perth, Australia) Who: “After a few full-length records, a few EPs, and a US tour in 2016, ‘Helta Skelta’ are now back with a new 7″. Here, Helta Skelta change things up yet again, never one to let things dull. This 7” sees the band head into a sparser territory, favouring the British and US over the Australian sounds. A much more art rock and post-punk outing this time round whilst still holding on to those aspects of 70s garage punk from previous efforts.” Track: NIGHTCLUBBIN’ – Lead track of a brand new 3-song 7″… Score: the track’s repetitive and hypnotizing bass/drums drive, electrified with cracking guitar licks and snippets of an organ in the back, will infiltrate your bloodstream instantly. On top of it comes a kind of punky spoken word rap that reminds me of British actor Phil Daniels ‘s verbal part in Blur‘s 1994 hit ‘Parklife’ and it works here perfectly too. This is a snappy stroke you’ll play on repeat after one spin. Here’s the sticky cut…
Here’s my last month’s interview with noiseniks IT IT ANITA – it was first published on American website 50THIRDAND3RD(my fellow music junkies over the ocean)
I never thought I would ever say that several of the most fascinating noise bands on this troubled planet, right now, are from Belgium, my homeland. Just to name a few: La Jungle, Cocaine Piss, Mind Rays and Crowd Of Chairs. And the great thing is that they all differ in sound and vision. No copycats, they all have their own approach of clamorous havoc! Another gang that really stands out is IT IT ANITA. A three-headed riff monster backed
by a barbarous drummer. They’re one of the hottest live bands around. A scorching steamroller that messes up your mind and activates all your limbs. A psychedelic guitar bolide reinforced with a big bang hitman who always ends up somewhere in the middle of the crowd WITH his gear for a hammering finale. A mean machine producing a hypnotic wall-of-psych-o-delic racket. Intense noise rock at its very best. Let’s meet this 4-piece powerhouse and start the acquaintance with this short, but utterly cool Festival clip…
I guess we’re all in the ideal mood now for a chat…
What’s the story behind the band’s name? IIAA: “It’s a long story. But this is basically a hallucination that Damien (note JL: one of the guitarists/screamers) had while watching a drums performance: he saw ‘it it anita‘ written
on a bass drum… of course ‘it it anita‘ was not written on it, but he liked the name!”
How would you describe your mind-blowing psych sound yourselves? IIAA: “We like it loud and noisy. We don’t care about technique, we always focus on intensity.”
Intensity and insanity…
Share an unforgettable anecdote with us about the first rehearsals… IIAA: “Someone knocked on our rehearsal room’s door. He said “I’ve heard you guys
have a new band, I’m looking for a support act, do you want to open for me next week in Liege (Belgium)?” We said “yes, of course, that’s great man, thanks!” But… at that time we were only a 2-piece band, still looking for a drummer and a bass player! So we’ve asked two friends to join us for that show and that was our first line-up! We rehearsed a lot during
one week and that first show was not so bad.”
How easy/difficult is it to work with four noisemakers in one band? Is there any competition to be the loudest? IIAA: “Not really. There’s no competition, the loudest is Bryan, our drummer!”
Super-Hammer-Man…
Any rituals before going on stage? IIAA: “High five!”
Half of the band always ends up in the middle of the crowd when performing. Who influenced you with the idea to meet the fans eye-to-eye at concerts? IIAA: “We were really impressed by the performance of Monotonix (note JL: a mad Israelian garage trio) during a gig at La Zone years ago. They moved their stuff all the time… great!”
Imagine a gig with ‘Monotonix’ and ‘It It Anita’ together on/off the same stage. Hallelujah!..
Newest album ‘Agaaiin’ is a high-voltage cracker with opener ’25 (FROM FLOOR TO CEILING)’ setting the crushing tone. How do you manage to produce that much intensity and decibels in a studio… without an audience? IIAA: “Regarding sound, we trusted our producer John Agnello (note JL: an experienced professional who worked with a whole bunch of big names such as Sonic Youth, Kurt Vile, Dinosaur Jr. and Andrew WK). He knows his stuff and quickly understood what we needed.”
. Did the band chop all those trees we see on the album’s front cover? IIAA: “The thing is this is our 3rd record and, as you can see on the picture, there are
3 wheels under the trailer… so the circle is complete!”
1-2-3…
You already have a loyal following of fans in Europe, but earlier this month
you played your first gig over the ocean, in Canada. Were you nervous? IIAA: “Not nervous but very excited! FME in Rouyn-Noranda is such a cool festival.
And we found a booker!”
What was on the van’s stereo while driving through Neil Young’s country? IIAA: “Metal, hip-hop and country music…”
Who’s your number one artist/band to go on a world tour with? IIAA: “A Place To Bury Strangers. To learn how to play even louder.”
‘A Place To Bury Strangers’ – loud, louder, loudest…
What movie would you choose to visualize your music on a big screen when playing? IIAA: ‘Duel’, Steven Spielberg‘s debut movie”
DUEL – a truly nerve-raising thriller…
Shellac or Pigface? IIAA: “Shellac.”
Nirvana or Pearl Jam? IIAA: “Nirvana”
If you could travel in time what artist would you choose to jam with? IIAA: “Serge Gainsbourg. Because he’s a genius.”
Vinyl, cassette or compact disc? IIAA: “All of these three formats are interesting…”
Social media: a blessing or a pain in the ass? IIAA: ‘Pain in the ass.”
Best album you heard so far this year? IIAA: “A Deeper Understanding by The War On Drugs.”
Any new material in the pipeline? IIAA: “Yep. A new single is coming very soon and the next record will be released in 2018…”
Is playing in a band actually the best job one can imagine? IIAA: “That’s the most exciting job we know, and maybe the only one we’re able to do…”
Thank you for the interview, guys. See you soon agaaiin. May the road rise with It It Anita…
Time flies, 2017 progresses slowly but surely towards its end. So thoughts of ‘best albums of the year’ come to mind. One that will be definitely on my list is the fourth, self-titled LP by Portland dream pop experts SOUVENIR DRIVER, released last April. It’s an enrapturing work of epic splendor. Eight gripping masterstrokes where poetic guitar lines, melodic grandeur and delightful vocals meet and turn at times into moody rainbows, at times
into electrifying jams. Magnificent compositions, beautifully arranged and orchestrated, romanticized with shades of shoegaze melancholy and full of sterling emotions.
Guitarist/singer Nate Weye said earlier in an interview: “It’s an evolution, but also a step toward something more personal, vulnerable, and human. The main themes are inspired by relationships, nature, and strangely enough, turtles. Like the image of a parachuter which we use on our merchandise, the turtle exists between two worlds, is vulnerable yet strong. Most importantly, its movement, a slow, but straight vision — mirrored the length of time it took to write/record/and release this, something that at times tested our patience, but which we never questioned or judged.”
Here’s – to my ears – the shiniest diamond on the album…
One of the most intriguing new bands in ages. One that makes you ecstatic, one that energizes your lazy limbs, one that messes up your mind, one that you’ll remember
when they’re gone. And yes, unfortunately, the following message on their FB-page announces the farewell of THE MOONLANDINGZ‘s first visit on earth, let by outlaw Johnny Rocket. Let’s bloody hope they return again some day. We need weirdos like
them, otherwise, we’re condemned to eternal boredom… “Only one month to go before
we hit the road for one more lap of honour before we take a break from playing live for
a while and start thinking about writing another ‘groundbreaking’ pop record and to allow
your favourite glamorous psychedelic pop hero, Johnny Rocket, to revert back to Lias Saoudi and the next exciting phase of the Fat White Family adventure.”
Let’s celebrate this outlandish combo once
more before they return to their lunar crater.
Here’s SWEET SATURN MINE…
Artist: ANNA TOSH Who: “London born and bred, Anna Tosh has been lending her considerable six-string skills
to a varied roster of bands since she was a teenager, but with her own collection of striking self-penned songs demanding attention, and the assistance of a red-hot rhythm section in waiting – Herman Stephens (bass) and Jeremy JayJay (drums) – Anna decided it was high time to make her mark as a solo artist.” Anna quote: “My roots are in punk, rock and blues, but I have been playing and listening to hip-hop, drum and bass, funk, psychedelia, dream pop, experimental electronica…” Track: WEIGHTLESS – from her excellent, versatile 5-track debut EP ‘One Big Fire’… Score: the opening track of this experienced artist’s solo debut EP is a highly alluring cracker. A funky body stimulant that will make your adrenalin stream faster. A seducing groove spiced with a luscious duet chorus. Get up, stand up and fight for your right to move in wicked ways. Here’s the sensual score…
I guess we’re in the ideal mood to continue and discover Anna Tosh‘ debut EP in full.
Songs inspired by a general reappraisal of her life direction following a relationship
break-up. “They come and go from one moment to the next. It’s a never-ending source of inspiration how weird life is.” revealed Anna…
Band: NAMES – Ioan Hazell (vocals / piano) and Joey Robbins (drums) Home: Pembrokeshire, Wales Track: LIMB BY LIMB – the duo’s 2nd single – singer Ioan says the song is “largely inspired by the ignorance of issues within a relationship which slowly bring about its demise. Also the effect of a background anxiety on life and ability to socialise.” Sound: A sensitive and moody beauty with an intimate piano melody sounding like a soft heartbeat. Touching fear that makes you silent. Reflective sadness at its fragile best…
. Sit opposite,
Ignore it,
Stay far away from corners nothing good’s ever behind them in the dark.
Feel it all getting smaller,
Closer to the core,
So much brighter so much hotter.
Don’t be alone,
Don’t be alone.
Stay silent in the face of noise,
Refrain from the human joy
Everyone is bathing in
Day by day.
Washing yourself in the pond,
It ripples for a second,
Dissipates and soon you’re gone:
Wave by wave,
Limb by limb
Release Date: 11/10/17 – Label: Libertino Records– Format: Digital Single
All Music wrote: “Featuring gentle, folk-based guitars and pop melodies, the Sundays’ second album isn’t much of a sonic departure from their first album. While it does have several fine numbers, it doesn’t have as many outstanding songs as ‘Reading, Writing and Arithmetic’ nevertheless, ‘Blind’ will please most fans of the group.”
Turn Up The Volume! says: Yes, we all know that their outstanding debut album was impossible to beat but there are enough dark and bittersweet dream pop musings on ‘Blind‘ to soundtrack the dusk hours of a fall’s night and Harriet Wheeler‘s voice will always be comforting company when the lights are out…
Here are the awesome PRIESTS from Washington D.C. led by charismatic frontwoman Katie Alice Greer. She has the glamorous touch of a teenage Debbie Harry and rages
like a furious Courtney Love used to do 24/7. She’s backed by a tremendous drums/bass turbo and riff machine GL Jaguar . The final result cuts like a Swiss knife. Sharp & caustic. Check here their zealous live rendition of PINK WHITE HOUSE from their debut album ‘Nothing Feels Natural’ as performed KEXP Radio in Seattle…
Yesterday – 17 October – American psych pop daydreamers GRIZZLY BEAR played a captivating version of MOURNING SOUND on BBC’s famous TV show ‘Later… with Jools Holland’. It’s one of the outstanding tracks on new album PAINTED RUINS, released
last August. Here’s the beauty…
