Month: June 2023

DAVID BOWIE – His Stunning Single ‘LIFE ON MARS’ Came Out 50 Years Ago Today

Posted on by JL

Top singles from the past

22 June 2023

Eternal music genius DAVID BOWIE released LIFE ON MARS, one
of his many stunning singles 50 years ago today, on 22 June 1973.

Although Bowie was fixated on becoming Ziggy Stardust at the time
of its recording the song has no connection with the planet Mars.
The title is a reference to the intense media coverage of the
contemporaneous US-Soviet Union race to reach the planet.

The track featured on his Hunky Dory LP. Rick Wakeman
from prog rockers YES played piano on the timeless gem.

Life On Mars came out as a single almost two years after
the album and peaked at #3 on the British charts.

Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man, look at those cavemen go
It’s the freakiest show
Take a look at the lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man, wonder if he’ll ever know
He’s in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?

Almost 300 million streams on Spotify.


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DAVID BOWIE: Instagram – Website

THE FAMILY BATTENBERG Batter It’s Way Through Their New Hefty Garage Psych Drone ‘RUNNY HUNNY’

Posted on by JL

Daily noise that works faster than any stimulant

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22 June 2023

Band: THE FAMILY BATTENBERG
Who: Indie squad from Wales,
born out of a band-wide love for garage rock.

New single: RUNNY HUNNY
Only their third release.

“Runny Hunny truly is just about having a whinge. Universities do a fantastic job of convincing you that you’ll walk into your dream jobweeks after graduation. ‘LIGHT THE BEACONS, CALL ABBEY ROAD, A 20-SOMETHING POST GRAD HAS JUST COMPLETED A MUSIC PRODUCTION DEGREE’! Being back at your parents house and catching the train to the job centre on a Wednesday morning is quite sobering after you’ve had your photos in your funny hat.”

TUTV: Runny Hunny is a hefty mid-tempo psych drone, pushed by a resistless guitar/bass riff, that grooves and moves like a snake on a vicious mission. Think The Black Angels and The Nude Party or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in slo-mo. Get the garage rock picture? Prepare your pipes to scream along when the clamorous chorus hits your stereo for
the final time.

Bonkers stuff. If this crackerjack doesn’t give you a boost
you need to fire your shrink and change your meds.

Press play.
Turn it up.


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THE FAMILY BATTENBERG: Facebook – Instagram

PICTURE PARLOUR – British Newcomers Score Big Time With Staggering Debut Single ‘NORWEGIAN WOOD’

Posted on by JL

21 June 2023


(Press)

Band: PICTURE PARLOUR
Who: Up-and-coming British sensation led by Liverpool’s songstress
Katherine Parlour and North Yorkshire-born bassist Ella Risi.

Debut single: NORWEGIAN WOOD
Inspired by Japanese author Haruki Murakami‘s 1987
novel Norwegian Wood and its relationship with the
iconic Beatles track.

TUTV: Wow! Double wow! What a DEBUT. Norwegian Wood is a slow-burning power pop
torch that grabs your ears’ attention all the way with Katherine Parlour’ s vocal tour de force. What a VOICE! She’s backed by a blistering band, sounding like a full rock orchestra when they usher in the monumental finale.

The repeat button was invented for overwhelming and high-energetic anthems like this.
No wonder Hole legend Courtney Love stated that Picture Parlour is her new favorite band. FACT! File next to Bully, Dream Wife and The Big Moon.

VOICE!

Also st(r)eaming on Spotify


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PICTURE PARLOUR: Instagram

THE SWEET – Watch The Glam & Glitter Rock Heroes On TOP OF THE POPS With Their Sole No 1 Hit In The UK ‘BLOCK BUSTER’ 50 Years Ago

Posted on by JL

21 June 2023

Glam and glitter rock heroes THE SWEET topped the UK Singles Chart only once.
It happened in 1973, 50 years ago with BLOCK BUSTER. Written by hit machine
tandem Nicky Chinn & Mike Chapman.

“Does anyone know the way, did we hear someone say
We just haven’t got a clue what to do
Does anyone know the way, there’s got to be a way
To Block Buster”

Here their performance
on the legendary, weekly
BBC music show…
TOP OF THE POPS

THE SWEET: Bio – Discography

Supergroup THE SMILE (Featuring Radioheads Thom Yorke And Jonny Greenwood) Share New 8-Minute Epic Single ‘BENDING HECTIC’

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

21 June 2023


(Press photo)

Supergroup THE SMILE featuring radioheads Thom Yorke & Jonny Greenwood
and Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner released their splendid debut album
A Light For Attracting Attention last year.

Recently, the band spread the news of working
on a new LP, without any further details.

And now they dropped a single. Weirdly enough, a stand
alone one, so not a track from the new full length, which
they debuted on last year’s tour.

BENDING HECTIC is an epic quiet/loud exploit. For 6 minutes
I thought this was a previously unreleased Radiohead ballad
until it explodes into a psycho-tic 2-minute finale. Wowzers.

Tune in.

THE SMILE: Instagram – Website

Young Belgian Gunslingers JERK BEEFY Are A Ticking Timebomb – Beware You Can ‘OVERDOSE’ On Them

Posted on by JL

Daily electricity to load your batteries

21 June 2023

Band: JERK BEEFY
Who: Young indie rock wolves from Belgium.

New single: OVERDOSE

TUTV: Hells bells. After warming up for 40 seconds Overdose erupts like
a volcano. Expect schizophrenic guitars, maniacal drums, a singer who feels
like a ticking timebomb (that’s the way the blasting band resonate like too),
batty voices in the back, and a Herculean chorus to crush Putin‘s criminal
skull with. Think Green Day and Blink 182 turning up the decibels to an
illegal level.

Jerk Beefy are freaked-out gunslingers who give you the change to overdose safely,
unless you feel a sudden urge to bang your poor doped against a wall, on this mad motherrocker. Hells bells.

Alert your neighbours
before you press play.

You can overdose on Spotify too.

JERK BEEFY: Instagram – Facebook – Spotify

Happy 79 To Kinks Legend RAY DAVIES!

Posted on by JL

21 June 2023

Sir Ray Douglas Davies, the former frontman of THE KINKS
one of the most iconic 60s/70s bands ever, was born on
21st June 1944 in London, England.

Happy 79 to a brilliant singer/songwriter, a colorful storyteller
and an engrossing observer. A genuine British pop star who
wrote countless timeless gems and still is alive and kicking
as a bona fide solo performer.

3 great Ray moments.

– A WELL RESPECTED MAN –

– LOLA –

– MESSAGE FROM THE ROAD –
(Goosebumps ballad from his 2017 solo album Americana)

RAY DAVIES: Biography –  Facebook – Instagram

HAREHOUND – Indie Trio Double Your Adrenalin Production With Their New Sky-Scraping Cry Out ‘DEVIL MAY CARE’

Posted on by JL

Daily noise that works faster than any stimulant

21 June 2023

Band: HAREHOUND
Who: Indie trio from Toronto led by Rebecca Raabis who has been writing and performing for over 10 years and has made some major milestones, such as having songs on Netflix (Ben’s at Home), opening for Marianas Trench, and having a song appear on Toronto‘s TV series Rookie Blue.

New single: DEVIL MAY CARE
From their new self-titled EP. A boisterous
effort with 6 vociferous pieces. Stream below.

Raabs: “The song was inspired by my own goals and to do what makes me happy in spite of the scrutiny and opinions of others. The term “devil may care” suggests the willingness to take risks and the lack of concern for what others may think or how things may turn out. It also implies a sense of adventure and daring, as well as a willingness to embrace uncertainty and to live in the moment.”


Credit: Rebecca Raabis

TUTV: My oh my, this jumbo belter doubles your adrenalin production from the
kick-off. Devil May Care is an exuberant cry out brisked up by pummeling drum hits, metallic guitars, and Rebecca Raabis sky-scraping vocals, think Sharon den Adel, the immense vox of Dutch metal pop heroes Within Temptation.

Harehound fuse pop, metal and punk disco in one and the same song. My oh my.
And expect a chorus that will blow your socks off. If that’s not enough to go your own
way and play this outburst on repeat, then I don’t know what will. Super-duper score!

DEVIL MAY CARE


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FULL EP


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HAREHOUND: Instagram – Linktree

Celebrated British Shoegazers SLOWDIVE Bring New Album In September – Today The First Single ‘KISSES’

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

20 June 2023


(photo by Turn Up The Volume)

It’s already 6 years since British much lauded shoegazing dream pop act SLOWDIVE
released their formidable self-titled t album. It was their fourth and the first in
22 years as they went on a break of 19 years between 1995 and 2014.

They have now canned their 5th longlayer, titled EVERYTHING IS ALIVE.
It’ll come our way on 1 September. Pre-order info here .


Album artwork

The album is dedicated to vocalist/guitarist Rachel Goswell’s (vocalist/guitarist)
mother and drummer Simon Scott’s father, who both passed away in 2020.

Neil Halstead (vocals/guitar): “It’s a more minimal electronic record that conception changed as they worked through the songs together. As a band, when we’re all happy with it, that tends to be the stronger material. We’ve always come from slightly different directions, and the best bits are where we all meet in the middle.”

Along with the news lands the first single. KISSES is a tranquilizing
synth pop melody. Pure Slowdive. Welcome back.


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Tour Dates

SLOWDIVE: Website – Instagram