Underrated British post-punk band THE CHAMELEONS (1981–198, 2000–2003,
2021–present) fronted by founder Mark Burgess released their 3rd LP named STRANGE TIMES on New Year’s Day of 1986.
AllMusic wrote: “If there was a should-have-been year in the Chameleons’ history, 1986
would clearly be it, and Strange Times demonstrates that on every track, practically in every note. Signed to a huge label, with production help from the Dave Allen/Mark Saunders team who worked on the Cure’s brilliant series of late-’80s records, The Chameleons delivered an album that should have been the step to a more above-board existence on radio and beyond.” Score: 4.5/5 – Full reviewhere.
TUTV says: I still can’t understand why The Chameleons/Mark Burgess‘ highly gripping, captivating and stirring songwriting didn’t touch much more troubled souls around the globe. ‘Strange Times‘ was/is their foremost achievement. A heavy-hearted masterwork.
In order to not miss a beat Turn Up The Volume scans the musical
horizon daily (doing it for years now, actually) to stay in touch with
all new things sonically great and shares the results on a weekly
basis.
Check the 10 new rad cuts just
added to this rad 2023 playlist.
British band formed in Nottingham in 2016, based upon
a childhood dream and driving ambition to write music
from four school mates
These British gunslingers’ new single is a track inspired by how it feels to be
young and in a constant losing battle to survive in such a competitive world.
Frontman Josh Price roars all over this striking stroke. Shame is a wham bloody wham bam punk fireball. His voice resembles Artcic Monkey’s Alex Turner voice a bit, not his present crooner’s one, but rather his young angry man’s one. LNC is another post-Brexshit band (think Bar Italia, Deadletter, Lmabrini Girls, Ditz, Silverbacks, and several more) that produces turbulent turmoil in these tumultuos times, that reflects their worried state of mind caused by today’s merciless rat race.
Welsh veteran rockers FEEDER – Grant Nicholas and Taka Hirose as key
members – drop a new LP, their 12th, a double one, titled Black/Red
on 5 April 2024.
One of the new share track, THE KNOCK is a straightforward,
hefty post-grunge rocker with a huge chorus.
Safari Room is the indie rock outfit and brainchild of
Alec Koukol. Omaha-native, now a Nashville-local.
A new album is canned and named ‘Time Devours All Things’.
It lands next year, on February 23rd.
Album artwork
Newest single The King is an ongoing-charged groover driven by a mindbending non-stop bass riff that clashes now and then with a frantic guitar but never backs down. Koukol‘s storytelling vocals complete the stellar sonic picture.
Formed in 2022, in Burton-Upon-Trent, England The 76 Club are a 5 -piece alternative rock outfit. Combining ethereal guitar tones with punchy, bass ridden choruses, the group are certainly not afraid to demonstrate their various individual influences.
‘Beside Myself’ is all about the uncertainty that comes with breaking up with someone
and the rollercoaster of emotions, wondering if it was the right decision. The lyrics capture
the vulnerability and the longing for closure. It’s a relatable and heartfelt song that
many people can connect with.
Beside Myself is only their second piece. It’s a fiery cry out whit the guitar and bass
amps turned up and the band’s front Amazon adds vocal fervency, especially
on the flustered chorus. Bingo! Btw, is that Debbie Harry on the single’s artwork?
5. ‘West End Girls’ by SLEAFORD MODS (Nottingham, UK)
The mods will have a new limited-edition 7″ single out next month – pre-order infohere – with all profits going to Shelter, an organization that helps people with housing issues and homelessness.
For the occasion they covered Pet Shop Boys‘s
gigantic hit West End Girls (more than 245 million
streams on Spotify).
Frank Carter about this second new shared track: “Brambles is a melancholic bop born
from the bramble thorns of love we let grow around us until we are tangled with no method
of escaping unscathed.”
Again we hear the romantic side of Carter, delivered
with avid heart-and-soul passion. Impressive.
This London-based songstress wrote, in her short musical journey so far, already
250+ songs. Wow, The Beatles fabricated only 1988 tunes in their 10-year career.
Globe is a standout track from her versatile new 6-track EP Blue Forever. Her third. The song is a haunting tale of a lost soul navigating the ups and downs of life. It’s a heartfelt mood swing piece, going forth and back with Imme‘s emotive voice shining in the middle.
Viens: “I can’t say that we have closure yet; as it has only been six months since we lost Justine, but I would say that the way the song seems to embody our heartache, and at the same time confirm that our relationship is still a living them, whether you believe that or not, does bring some comfort.”
Music, as we know, has a healing power. Hopefully, the electrifying guitar energy at work here and Viens‘ poignant vocals can have that healing impact on everybody involved, family and friends, in this tragedy.
This fresh French band cites shoegaze and neo-psychedelica and
related bands such as BJM, My Bloody Valenne, Mogwai and Spacemen 3
as influences.
Lovers is one of the two cuts on their debut EP, titled Castle Rock.
It’s a dreamy and smoothly progressing jam that grows slowly but surely in
intensity and anxiety along its exhilarative path caused by inflamed guitars
going while singer Nathalie Valion‘s vocals float all over it.
10. ‘Roadrunner Vs. Your Mother by THE MAGIC CITY (Boston, MA)
The Magic City is a new Boston-based rock band.
Roadrunner Vs. Your Mother is a provocative debut offering,
with roots that stretch from Britpop to post-punk to glam to
classic alternative.
It’s an amplified, melancholic-sounding reverie that triggers your daydreaming moments.
Its astounding guitar-infused and vivid vocals/harmonies coloured chorus takes the song to a zippy level. Splendid debut!
Trailblazing guitar virtuoso Johnny Allen Hendrix, known by generations of
rock fans as JIMI HENDRIX would have celebrated his 81st birthday today.
He was born on 27 November 1942 in Seattle, Washington, US.
His unique, inflammable style of playing guitar astonished the rock world
back in the mid-60s. He recorded/released 3 albums with his Experience band.
Hendrix‘s fame caused a 24/7 party life which ended way too soon on 18 September
1970, he was only 27. He aspirated his own vomit and died of abnormal breathing
while intoxicated with barbiturates. R.I.P.
London‘s jangly post-punk trio BAR ITALIA didn’t take any time off
since they appeared on the scene 3 years ago. Brand new album THE TWITS is their 2nd of the year and their 4th overall. Nice work,
guys.
If you never heard of the band, start with this capricious and arousing single,
named WORLDS GREATEST EMOTER, off the newest LP. Indie at its minatory
best.
Band: THE CASE Who: Firm 4-piece from Romania who started their journey in 2012, always
refining their rock & grunge sound. On their creative process, the band reckons
they “tried to create a space where originality prevails, to detach themselves from
the current musical cliches while glorifying their lord and savior David Bowie.”
They released their debut album Own The Night back in 2017.
In essence, ‘Mountain of Pain‘ represents that kind of mental block that prevents people from communicating and sharing the needs they experience during this struggle, which ultimately causes depression. Even the band members experienced this blockage during the creative process. In their statement, they note that they attempted to convey this “feeling that nothing is good enough, which brings with it a generous dose of depression that breaks out even during the creative process.”
TUTV: These post-punk/grunge rockers’ songs are imbued with passion. And this new stunning single follows that path with its blazing and burning ardency. Mountain Of Pain grabs your aural attention from the get-go and never loses its grip. It’s an epic slow-mo cry-out with a febrile metallic forth-and-back progression and a titanic chorus with vocalist Fred singing his heart and soul out. A fabulous and powerful orchestrated belter.
They’re on an extensive tour right now, but made time to perform on American TV
on The Late Show, last week. They played SPACE INVADER from Laugh Track.
Supreme songsmith JOE JACKSON (aged 69) released his 21st studio album,
titled WHAT A RACKET! A surprising one as the record celebrates Music Hall
legend Max Champion who is credited for writing all the songs.
Music Hall is a musical genre that started in the pubs and streets of London
in the mid-19th century and grew into the first form of mass entertainment to
be created by the working classes. By 1900 it regularly drew huge audiences from
across the whole spectrum of society, from prostitutes to princes, all singing along
with superstar performers in gorgeous theatres (some of which still survive). Like
its American cousin Vaudeville, Music Hall featured magicians, acrobats, and
ventriloquists – elements that we still see today in musical theatre and cabaret
shows.
One of the most fascinating of the Music Hall performers was Max Champion.
Little is known about him, except that he was born in London in 1882. He was
almost completely forgotten until the sheet music of his songs was found in Valletta, Malta, in 2014.
What A Racket! presents eleven of Max Champion’s songs for the first time
in more than a century with Jackson directing a 12-piece orchestra and singing
like a genuine Music Hall artist.
Title track with a great old footage video
Joe Jackson:: ‘These were wonderful songs in their time, but they’re
surprisingly modern, too. Sometimes it’s almost as if Max is speaking,
from his London of the early 20th century, directly to us in the early 21st’.
“Bad Boy” is the first single from the forthcoming self-titled EP. This song gets straight
to the point and gives a good taste of what it’s all about. So the name of the game is dirty punkroll, combining old and new sounds with a personal touch. The backbone of the song
is a combination of a strong bass pattern and a rolling drum beat. It combines with guitar
and saxophone to create a sparse soundscape, finished off with a personal and playful
vocal interpretation.”
TUTV: Bad Boy is a vicious punk uppercut, a nasty mid-tempo wallop that
circles around a mean, intimidating and utterly ace bass riff. Psychotic vocals,
muscular drum hits, a frenzied guitar and a freaked-out sax, collaborate scarily
on this sharp-cutting shocker while that magnetic bass riff keeps on rumbling
throughout. Sheer frenzy, as if Captain Beefheart woke up from the dead and
went mental again. Freaky debut.
