Month: June 2022

THE WHITE STRIPES Released Their Final Album ‘ICKY THUMP’ 15 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

Back in time

25 June 2022

Band: THE WHITE STRIPES
The duo responsible for starting
about a thousand two-piece bands
Active: 1997-2011 / 6 LPs

Anniversary album: ICKY THUMP
Released: 15 June 2007 – 15 years ago
The longplayer was certified gold in the United States.
It also won a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music.

AllMusic wrote: “While ‘Get Behind Me Satan’ was heavy on pianos, ‘Icky Thump’ is just plain heavy, dominated by primal, stomping rock that feels like it’s been caged for a very long time and is just now being released. Jack White’s guitars are back in a big way… With its fuller sound and relaxed flights of fancy, Icky Thump is a mature, but far from stodgy, album — and, as is usually the case, it’s just great fun to hear the band play.” Full review here. Score: 4/5.

Turn Up The Volume: Any White Stripes album is better than any of Jack White‘s solo  ones.

Top Tracks/Clips: Icky Thump / Rag And Bone /
You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Do Just As You’re Told)

– ICKY THUMP –
Smoking blues banger…

– RAG AND BONE –
Filthy drones…

– YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS (YOU DO JUST AS YOU’RE TOLD) –
Biting love…

ALBUM in full…

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THE WHITE STRIPES: All Albums

Eldritch Sledgehammer – Graveyard Goths VAZUM With New Sucker Punch ‘ANGEL’

Posted on by JL

Daily electricity to load your batteries

24 June 2022

Band: VAZUM (Detroit, Michigan)

Who: Zach Pliska and Emily Sturm. The project started in 2017.
They describe their sound as deathgaze, combining the raw energy
of deathrock with the depth of shoegaze. So far the duo released
four albums and a handful of singles and EPs.

New single: ANGEL

“Angel is a fast-paced punk / deathrock / shoegaze hybrid composed by Zach Pliska (vocals/guitar/drums) and Emily Sturm (vocals/bass) and recorded in their own Light
Echo Studios. Angel is the second release from VAZUM in 2022, following the Thief
double single from March. VAZUM is working on an album for release later this year.”

Turn Up The Volume: I need to say this first. Goths are no freaks nor poseurs or
anything that Goth-haters stigmatize them with. It’s about who they are, about what
their hearts and souls want to be, it’s a way of life just like Goth-haters have their
own way of life, being utter idiots, that is.

Am I a Goth expert? Not at all. But I have several Goth friends and, as I love Goth music,
I’m a regular visitor of the yearly massive W-FEST in Belgium where Goth-related artists perform. Yes, they’re humans just like you and me, with emotions, desires, aspirations
and with feelings of love/pain/joy/sadness/hope/dreams etc., just like you and me.

Having said that, let’s go the music, to Angel. A pitch-black NIN echoing sledgehammer steaming from the get-go with shocking pace and propelled by layers of schizophrenic guitar feedback. Pliska‘s wicked voice spooks all over it and gets company by Sturm‘s wailing on the infectious chorus, augmenting the G-factor.

Another eldritch sucker punch. Another graveyard party anthem.

Quick to point your finger
At anyone you don’t like
When opportunity strikes
In the end you’ll be ashamed
When all your lies and mistakes
Attach to your name

Angel, what’s your problem
You always know what’s right
Angel, it’s what you like

Buy/stream ‘Angel’ here…


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Upcoming graveyard parties…

VAZUM: Facebook – Instagram

Symphonic Pop Opera – REGINA SPEKTOR Enthralls With New Album ‘HOME, BEFORE AND AFTER’

Posted on by JL

24 June 2022

Artist: REGINA SPEKTOR
Born Regina Iljinitsjna Spektor (Регина Ильинична Спектор)
Who: Russian-American singer-songwriter, and pianist
Active: Since 1997 / 7 LPs (new one incl.)

New album: HOME, BEFORE AND AFTER – her 1st in 6 years
Out: 24 June 2022 – order info here

Spektor on her FB page: “What a crazy world it has been. And still is.
I’m just so glad it IS… cause knowing us humans, that’s not always a given.
I’m full of extra gratitude and love for the world these days. Just glad to
be here.”

NME says: “As emotional as ‘Home, before and after’ is, there’s a playful, punk attitude to every experimental flourish. This is a colourful, energised collection of work from an artist who could comfortably stay in her own lane, but chooses not to. With twee, indie sleaze and ‘00s alt-rock all finding new footholds in 2022, Spektor finds joy in creating a world all of her own.”
 Score: 4/5.

Turn Up The Volume: Topnotch record. A pop opera backed by a symphonic orchestra. Every song enthralls. Every song is a Spektor fantasy about love, pain, about her heart and soul. She’s back in supreme style. Welcome.

Singles/clips: Up The Mountain / Coming All Alone / Loveology

– UP THE MOUNTAIN –
(Sublime pop earworm)

– BECOMING ALL ALONE –
(Symphonic mid-tempo lullaby)

– LOVEOLOGY –
(Piano colored grandeur)

Stream full album on Spotidy

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REGINA SPEKTOR: Spotify – Instagram

One Live Shot A Day Turns Summer Into A Holiday – Today: THE PRODIGY

Posted on by JL

Band: THE PRODIGY
Track: FIRESTARTER – 1997

Where: Reading/Leeds festival
When: 2009

R.I.P. Keith Flint…

For the first time since Keith Flint took his own life 3 years ago,
the band will play live again (in the UK) this summer. All concerts
already sold out.

THE PRODIGY: Facebook

For Your Eyes – AFTER LONDON Drop Action Movie Inspired Video Clip For Rad Single ‘HURRICANE’

Posted on by JL

Eye-catching clips

24 June 2022

Band: AFTER LONDON
Who: London quartet producing a striking sound with
infectious hooks, truly unique delivery, and effortless swagger.

At the start of this month After London launched their new rad single HURRICANE.

The band about the song: “Hurricane” is about coming up for air after a long time in deep water. It’s a commentary on anxiety as our new age common plague – ‘pit in my stomach, learnt to serve it’, the dark undercurrent of technology – ‘white screen with a blue tick mural, your fix is somebody’s flaw though’ and genuine need for human contact ‘hard embrace,
saves the intervention’. Best listened to on a late-night drive.”


Artwork single

Turn Up The Volume named it Pick Of The Day and wrote: The combination
of a funky and foot-tapping groove, a bouncy rhythmic, spry and soulful vocals
by the band’s charismatic Amazon, and a sprightly and sticky as A-1 glue chorus
help you to breathe again in these alarming times. Play it everywhere, any time.
It’ll enliven your worrying state of mind. Don’t miss this hopeful injection.

And here’s the brand new video clip for the cracker.

Anything can happen at night, just like anything
happened in the action movie Heist…

AFTER LONDON: Instagram

JANIZ – A Rush Of Caring Power Pop With Their New EP ‘CANDY COLORED RAIN’

Posted on by JL

24 June 2022

Band: JANIZ
Who: Emo/pop-punk band from Chemnitz,Germany.

New EP: CANDY COLORED RAIN
The songs deal with serious topics like depression or social
exclusion and packs them into colorful sound constructs.


(artwork EP)

Turn Up The Volume: Imagine this. Early No Doubt fronted by German
riot grrl legend Nena or Fall Out Boy with a girl singing her heart out. Well,
Janiz rushes and races in the same field as those turbulent bands.

Cool, right? You betcha.

With spunky stormers titled We All Fall Down, Erase! Erase! Erase! and Bombshell
(a break-up telephone conversation) the band make it loud and clear that they
care about daily life problems, about our messed-up realty, about (in)human
issues. No songs about the birds and bees, yet. That’s up to the future.

But there’s no law against incorporating serious themes in fuzz and buzz steamrollers (Lovebirds / Boys In Suits / We All Fall Down). That’s what Janiz do with punch and panache and when they slow down on Hate To Love You the fervor stays intact. Ja, Beeindruckend.

Lots of candy available via Apple Music.

Video clip for Black Spot

Check it all out and fall in love…

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JANIZ: Facebook – Instagram

Waking Up… MY WAY (Comme D’Habitude)

Posted on by JL

Works faster than caffeine

Yoohoo. I’m having holidays in the sun in the South
of France, so let’s have some French music.

Do you know the origin of FRANK SINATRA‘s blockbuster
hit MY WAY (288 million streams on Spotify)?

It’s his cover of a French song called COMME D’HABITUDE (“As Usual”).
A song about routine in a relationship falling out of love composed by
French songwriter Jacques Revaux, with lyrics by French pop star
CLAUDE FRANCOIS who made it a big hit in 1967.

A year later the song was played to Canadian crooner Paul Anka who loved
it on the spot. He wrote new lyrics for it, passed it on to The Golden Voice who
cemented it for eternity. His most famous and iconic performance ever.

THE ORIGINAL

THE COVER

CLAUDE FRANCOIS: Story

Sly & The Family Stone Of The 21st Century Indie Rock – FOALS Have New Album ‘LIFE IS YOURS’ Out

Posted on by JL

23 June 2022

Band: FOALS
Who: British top star quartet from Oxford led by
Greece born singer-songwriter Yannis Philippakis
Active: Since 2005 / 7 studio LPs (new one included)

New album: LIFE IS YOURS
Released: 17 June 2022
Order info: here

NME says: “An album to be filed alongside Primal Scream‘s ‘Screamadelica’,
New Order’s ‘Technique’ and LCD’s ‘Sound Of Silver’ as one of those records
that makes you move, but with no cheap thrills.” Score: 4/5.

TUTV: This new one made see the light, finally, after their other hit LPs.
Foals are Sly & The Family Stone 21st Century British indie band. Again
they come back with a non-stop jukebox of funky soul earworms driven by
bouncy guitar sparks, beats after beats after beats, and Yannis Philippakis
ardent vocals. They will set (once again) several green fields on fire this
summer.

Singles/clips: 2001 / 2AM / Looking High / Crest Of The  Wave

– 2001 –

– 2AM –

– LOOKING HIGH –

– CREST OF THE WAVE –

Stream and dance on Spotify

FOALS: Instagram – Tour Dates