Every day of this summer we go back to the same summer day somewhere in history
31 July 2026
On 31 July 1969, eternal rock icon ELVIS PRESLEY played his first live show since
1961 when he appeared on stage before 2000 people in the showroom of the newly
built Las Vegas International Hotel. His month-long stint in Sin City reportedly
earned him $1.5m and played a crucial role in reviving his career.
The tunes that impressed Turn Up The Volume’s ears the most this past month
ALL TOGETHER
.
TRACK BY TRACK
– 1 –
Band: CHALK
Who: Electro junks
from Belfast, Ireland.
Last March they released their
earthshaking debut LP Crystalpunk.
Track: GET FUCKED
A song they finished just after
the album’s recording sessions.
TUTV: Get Fucked sounds like a crushing hammer drill.
A supersonic stroke. A banging bomb. A fucked-up
fireball. Eh… sorry I’m getting out of breath.
WATCH
Go to YT
– 2 –
Photo by Josh Deangelis
Band: GARBAGEBARBIE
Who: 4-piece that has carved a space for themselves in Los Angeles’ DIY scene, gaining a reputation for hosting rowdy and oftentimes free, themed shows. Combining elements of Britpop, glam, punk, French disco, and garage rock, garbagebarbie’s confrontational racket refuses to be confined by genre.
Track: PUNK
Single from their
upcoming debut LP.
Dan Karasev (drummer): “The song holds up a mirror to ourselves. It pokes fun at the LA bar scene which even though we can make fun of, it doesn’t change the fact that we are still in that scene. “
Single artwork
TUTV: Prepare your eardrums for a punked-up motherrocker, a savage haymaker,
a sped-up barnstormer. The unyielding harshness increases with every second and
every time the clamorous chorus kicks in, it’s all hands on deck.
WTF! Zoinks! Mental!
– 3 –
Band: TRÄŠHBAG
Who: Hefty Irish duo from Dublin (where everyone seems to in a band lately).
They spent time playing in numerous bands together or standing in for each
other in various bands. They produce a volatile blend of visceral punk rock
and post-punk.
Track: MY WHITE VAN
Debut single.
TUTV: OMG! These two nice-looking guys aren’t that nice on record.
They smash, clash and trash with their white van. All hell breaks loose from the outset.
This noxious sledgehammer does your poor head in with non-stop industrial-punk slams.
Wham bloody wham bam! Throw some agitated vocals in the mix and
the volcanic eruption is complete. By far, best debut single of June.
“The white van is all powered by diesel, baby!”
– 4 –
Band: THE FLESHTONES
Who: Garage rock veterans from Queens, NY.
They released a huge number of LPs, studio
and live ones.
Track: FLOAT YOUR SHOWBOAT
Peter Zaremba (frontman): “It’s about ‘wet-blankets’ in situations
where people should be enjoying life. Basically a positive message
behind the snarky tone. Have some fun. And Goa was great.”
TUTV: Expect a sassy slice of heavy-duty knock-out rock ‘n’ garage roll.
These vivid vets still know all the revved-up tricks to set your speakers
on fire.
Absobloodylutely!
– 5 –
Press photo
Band: SUEDE
Who: London‘s glamorous pop/rock prodigies who
released their 10th LP, named Antidepressants,
last year, in September.
Track: SHARPENING KNIFES
One of the 5 bonus songs on
the LP’s deluxe edition.
TUTV: Best of the 5. Exhilarative Suede fuel.
.
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– 6 –
Band: TV PINS
Who: Indie five-piece based across London and the West Midlands.
They blend prog-pop, new wave, and Americana influences with a
distinctly British alt-rock songwriting sensibility – pairing 70s-inspired
vocal harmonies with a sharp, 90s-influenced energy.
They released their debut album Aircutter in 2024.
Track: VERSION OF LOVE
Cut from their forthcoming
self-released EP.
Grace Hinks (LGBTQ+ vocalist): “To me, it’s about accepting and standing up to
those who don’t embrace all forms of love – romantic, aromantic, and especially
queer joy. It’s about celebrating that openly.”
TUTV: Version Of Love is a perky pop pearl that promptly activates your dance-hungry
body. A sparkling guitar riff, summery vibes, warm-hearted melodiousness, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed vocals, and an infectious tunefulness come together to soundtrack an
all-inclusive love gathering.
John Lennon was right all along ‘All You Need Is Love’.
This way for cloud-nine, people, next to that vibrant
rainbow.
– 7 –
Band: BRICKHOUSE
Who: Fresh hit team from Manchester that evokes the uncompromising static
of The Jesus and Mary Chain and the measured rebellion of The Velvet Underground.
Track: ANGEL EYES
Sharp (vocalist/guitarist/songwriter): “Angel Eyes is, at its core, about being haunted.
Not in the supernatural sense, but rather the persistent melancholy. The lingering of
memories after losing a lover and being unsure as to how to help yourself let go and
be released from the curse of seeing someone in everybody else you meet.”
TUTV: Welcome to Brickhouse‘s remarkable debut belter. Angel Eyes is a psych-infused steamroller, going back-and-forth, motorized by alarming guitars, a pounding beat, jittery vocals, and a trenchant chorus that keeps coming back to haunt you with force – think
The Velvet Underground ripper ‘Run Run Run‘, but slower.
Intoxicating.
– 8 –
Photo by Bjarki Guðmundsson
Band: PAPER TIGERS
Who: Noisy indie alt-rock trio
from Boston & Iceland.
Track: GO OUT
Their first music in 3 years.
“‘Go Out’ is essentially from the perspective of an anti-social individual in
a relationship with a social butterfly. Basically, the older we get the more we
enjoy staying home and we’re tired of apologizing for it.”
TUTV: Full of vim and vigour guitar pop at its riveting best. Big intro, big sound, big melody, very big chorus. Got up this morning with the wrong leg? Put this enlivening tune on your headphones (on repeat), go out and embrace the day.
Now. Here.
– 9 –
Photo by Luke Bovill
Artists: ARAB STRAP
Who: Trippy Scottish electro-pop vets, Aidan Moffat and
Malcolm Middleton (1995–2006, 2011, 2016–present).
Track: GLAMOUR MAGICK
Newest single from their new full-length
Half-Told Tales, their 9th, out Sept 4th.
TUTV: Age doesn’t matter for these Scottish vets.
They still kick ass with uplifting flair and verve.
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– 10 –
Photo: @waltereneuman
Band: HAIR CONTROL
Who: Canadian art-pop duo.
Track: SEEING IN THE DARK
2nd single from their debut album, named
Electric Pleasure, out October 30.
“Originally inspired by a dream melody that arrived complete with the phrase “We The Ugly People,” recalling the classic Leonard Cohen line, “we are ugly but we have the music” as well as Pulp’s “Common People,” the chorus lyric drew from this sly sense of solidarity.
Drawing influence from the spiritual yearning and melodic immediacy of classic mid-’70s power pop, particularly Dwight Twilley Band’s “Looking for the Magic,” “Seeing In The Dark” emerged as a celebration of collective connection and shared resilience.”
TUTV: From the kick-off, with its thudding drum/bass beat intro, your eager ears know that Seeing In The Dark is a vivacious and vigorous guitar pop feat. Brisk duet vocals intensify the kicky vibe. A sonic trill for common people like you and me.
Let’s roll.
– 11 –
Band: DOGHOUSE ROSE
Who: 5 hepped-up rockers
based in Toronto.
Track: IT GETS WORSE
New piece from their forthcoming 3rd album, called
Born To Break Even. Out July 31. Tracklist and order
info here.
TUTV: Full blast forward from square one. It Gets Worse fires on all riff-charging cylinders. Vivid vocals lead the compulsive troops who’re bucked up by about a hundred guitars and a choleric drummer.
Think Blink-182 fronted by supercool rock chick Avril Lavigne. And when the
terrifically catchy chorus comes on like a comet without brakes, it’s all getting
better.
Blimey!
– 12 –
Photo credit: Arann McCormack
Band: GUSH
Who: Frantic Belfast 4-piece who released their cooking
5-track debut EP Exposure Therapy in 2024.
Track: CONSTANCE
New single.
TUTV: Courtney Love is back with her band Hole. Well, not really, but
there’s definitely a sonic and attitude connection with this roasting Irish
engine. Constance rocks you off your socks in just under 3 minutes.
They race with high-voltage speed from the blitz start on, gas-powered by furious
guitars, a raving mad drummer and Chelsea Andrews‘s spiteful vocals. WTF! Fasten
your seatbelts. Gush turns you upside down with this torrid turbocharger.
Spot-on.
– 13 –
Band: THE GOODS
Who: Power pop outfit
from Oakland, California.
Track: SUMMER’S ALMOST GONE
Single from their forthcoming album, titled Goodbye Summertime.
Out September 16th. More info here.
“Now is all we have. The present is slipping away, the
future isn’t guaranteed, so what are we waiting for?”
TUTV: Expect a brisklt paced and jangly earworm electrified by a flood of jangly riffs, with melancholic vocals floating all over it. Think The Drums and Tame Impala teaming up in the studio together. No brakes, no breaks. We all know we live in chaotic, bodeful times, so
I propose we play this bracing gem on repeat and extend the careless, summer feel.
– 14 –
Photo Andreas Neumann
Band: QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
Who: Stoner rock bigshots fronted
by architect Josh Homme
Track: EASY STREET.
Homme: “It’s kind of a funny song. It’s like hitting your funny bone, where it’s funny because
it hurts and it hurts because it’s funny. You’re serious, but it’s funny. We made it the way you’d make a demo. No click track, mistakes left in. It speeds up, it slows down, the claps aren’t great, but they’re not bad, and a bad clap adds this human thing you can’t fake.”
TUTV: Certainly another kind of feel-good summer hit than the one from 2000. No bragging about taking a ton of drugs here. No macho riffs. No astronomic power speed. Easy Street is an acoustic pop nugget. Infectiously melodic, spiced with duet vocals here and there. Let the freaks and the birds sing.
Beautiful.
-15 –
Band: ELEPHANT STONE
Who: Acclaimed psych outfit fronted by Rishi Dhir, a songwriter and sitarist who
has spent twenty years blurring the lines between Western psych-pop and Indian
classical.
Track: I GOT A PILL
Single from the band’s new upcoming LP, baptized Asha.
It’ll come our way on August 26th.
Album cover
TUTV: Weird intro, weird end. But in between we get an organ-flavoured and lively guitar psych-pop gem. An energizing and hopped-up foot stomper. Elephant Stone know, for a long time, how to groove and move exhaustively, how to please your aural appetite for galvanizing gems. Take this pill three times per day and shake your booty.
– 16 –
Artist: RELUCTANT BOB & THE LONELY LOVERS
Who: The musical moniker of singer-songwriter Robert Baker.
Track: CARRY ON WITHOUT ME
“The song introduces us to a possibly unreliable narrator who is nearing the end of the road and is saying goodbye. The song was recorded live at Black Mountain Studios in Co. Louth and captures the energy of the band’s live performances.”
TUTV: Eels have a new album out soon. This is one of the instantly recognisable tracks. Well, it easily could be. Carry On Without Me‘s funky flow, lazy vocals, relaxing ambiance, breezy sparkling guitar glow and perky duet vocals on the contagious chorus lift this song
to E’s magnetic level.
Press play.
Enjoy.
– 17 –
Track: I’M YOURS
Single from his new 15th full-length
Different When It’s Silent.
TUTV: Chilling masterstroke. Spine-tingling, enigmatic,
and bursting on the prodigious chorus. Mind-blowing.
It’s all yours.
.
Album on Spotify
Instagram
Linktree
– 18 –
Band: THE DURUTTI COLUMN
Who: Post-punk project of Manchester-born, experimental singer-songwriter-guitarist Vincent Gerard “Vini” Reilly (now 72). The band’s name refers to the Durruti Column,
an anarchist military unit in the Spanish Civil War, named after Buenaventura Durruti.
Track: SCAMMER
New piece from their upcoming 28th full-length,
called Renascent, out on July 31st. Order info here.
TUTV: Reilly‘s vulnerable voice carries this both melancholic and spellbinding musing designed with warm background synths and shiny guitar sparks. Just beautiful, really beautiful. Can’t wait to hear the comeback album.
Enticing.
– 19 –
Credit: Eels
Band: EELS
Who: Singer-songwriter
Mark Oliver Everett‘s combo.
Track: I’M ON STANDBY
Newest single from new album, their 16th, named
Cookie Happened. It’ll land on October 16th.
“If you’re lucky you have a friend you’re always there
for and vice versa. Bitch, I’ve always got time for you.”
TUTV: Vintage Eels musing. Simple, but
efficacious straight away and sickly sticky.
Go E!
– 20 –
New album artwork – photo by Travis Shinn
Artists: TWIN TEMPLE
Who: Los Angeles-based spouses who
describe their music as Satanic Doo Wop.
The pair will launch their new, 3rd album, named
Doomed Lovers on October 9th. More info here.
Track: DOOMED LOVERS.
The first single & title track of
the upcoming full-length.
60s teardrop love melancholia.
Think Nancy Sinatra and Brenda Lee.
31 July 2026
Oops.
Dinosaur Jr release their new, 13th LP
called There Near on August 28th.
Check out the new single below.
31 July 2026
Photo: Stephanie Chernikowski
A never before released album by iconic psycho-billy
eccentrics THE CRAMPS will be released on August 21st.
The album, named Gravest Gravy was produced by the late great
Alex Chilton (1950-2010) and mixed by guitarist Poison Ivy (73 now)
and her late husband, freaky frontman Lux Interior (1946-2009).
Photo: David Godlis
Press info: “In the late 1980s, Lux and Ivy endeavored to release more recordings
from October 1977 sessions. It was to be titled Gravest Gravy. It was a record for the
fans, a journey back to Memphis, back to the first Cramps records, that, try as it might,
the world has been unable to heal from.
The couple mixed several tracks between June 14 and 30, 1989, at Present Time Recorders, in North Hollywood. Alex mixed a few tracks in Memphis. The album had a title, a cover by the great Stephanie Chernikowski, who passed away recently, but for reasons lost to time, Gravest Gravy was shelved.
The tracks on Gravest Gravy were contained on seven 1/4 inch reels. Six were generated by Lux and Ivy, one by Alex. Many of the songs had multiple mixes. Eventually, the last mix of each song was the keeper. Not only did the tracks sound to be at their fullest potential, it also made sense.”
MOJO says: “No matter how many Cramps records
you may already own, this one is indispensable.”
UNCUT says: “Essential.”
ORDER INFO: HERE.
One of the LP’s tracks is this one.
30 July 2026
30 July 2026
Band: THE STROKES
Who: NYC’s rock celebs.
Album: REALITY AWAITS
Their 7th one. It’s produced by
renowned sound wizard Rick Rubin.
NME says: “Their first album in six years takes them even further away from where
they started out. That, as this weird and wonderful collection proves, is no bad thing
at all. At its core, ‘Reality Awaits’ is an incredibly playful record, both musically and
in how the frontman Casablancas utilises his voice.
There are falsetto shifts and lines that are rasped, baritone croons and, yes, plenty of his beloved, divisive Auto-Tune. Lyrically, ‘Reality Awaits’ feels split between the personal and
the political. Often, Casablancas’ words feel impenetrable – not helped by those slatherings
of vocal effects – but when the barriers crack even a little, they’re invigorating.”
TUTV: Had a bizarre experience. After a couple of spins I wasn’t into what I heard.
For the most part, the capricious Casablancas vocals (lots of Autotune) didn’t feel
right, yet I felt some strange attraction. So as a Strokes fan I gave Reality Awaits
another 3/4 spins and everything fell into place.
The rock-solid, infectious and ardent TUNES got under my skin and suddenly the vocals fitted too. Again as on their previous LP ‘The New Abnormal’ synths are boss. Hardly jangly guitar thrills, but I don’t miss it (and if I do I’ll play their first three records). From doubtful thoughts to contender for best album of the year. I didn’t see that coming.
KEY SINGLE
ALBUM
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Artist: TRICKY
Who: Trip-hop master (born Nicholas Matthews Thaws
in Bristol, UK, 58 years ago) who started his career with
Massive Attack 3 decades ago.
Album: DIFFERENT WHEN IT’S SILENT
His 15th.
Clash Magazine says: “Dark, melodic and naturally quite sexy, ‘Different When It’s Silent’ finds Tricky at his most light-footed while still excelling at bringing the doom when needed. Central to the album is Bristol singer Mitch Sanders, who adds a little sugar to the gritty tone. As ever, he’s made an album that feels both fresh yet nostalgic. A quickshot reminder of his unique talent.”
TUTV: The longtime trip-hop master didn’t/doesn’t change his sonic palette for the past
few years/albums. Not necessary whatsoever to my satisfied ears. His tense and tenebrific trademark synth-grooves, mostly mid-tempo, still have a transfixing and chilling effect.
And as ever, a vocal partner (in the early years Martina Topley-Bird, then Marta Zlakowska and Francesca Belmonte as the most notable) is an instrumental part
of Tricky‘s overall bewildering sound.
This time it’s young, riveting Bristol voice Mitch Sanders who co-stars for the greater
part with Tricky‘s whispering vocals in the back, engendering the familiar, spookish twilight atmosphere. Again Tricky makes you feel comfortable in his cliffhanging cosmic space.
KEY SINGLE
ALBUM
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Credit: Xander Lewis
Band: MARY IN THE JUNKYARD
Who: Post-rock-punk indie
trio from London.
Album: ROLE MODEL MERMIT
Their debut.
Press info: A record bursting with creativity and experimentation.
A blend of dark fables, intricate melodies and moments of revelation.
Album artwork
NME: “On their long-awaited first record, the London trio continue weaving fantastical tales with their surreal sound. The record’s sinewy assurance and structure across its first half also forms a trap, at times more constraint than conduit for the trio’s natural charisma. Across the latter half, the music again feels like a shared pact for dreaming, structures that build and wind. Sometimes magic is all in the details, grand or granular.”
TUTV: MITJ create capricious, entrancing, voltaic indie music with tortoise-like,
torch-burning songs. As inventive and adventurous as their countrymen Black Country,
New Road and English Teacher. They don’t rock, they don’t punk, they don’t pop, they
don’t scream and shout.
They embed illusory and poetic meditations into cloudy compositions with a
mesmerising intimacy and creaking violin moments. Guitarist Freeman-Taylor‘s
vocals are whimsically charming and instrumental for this engrossing debut
triumph. Wrap yourself in their imaginative spheres. It’s a fascinating place
to visit.
SINGLE
ALBUM
Band: CYPRESS HILL
Who: Legendary hip-rap-hop dopheads
formed in South Gate, California in 1988.
Album: DIOS BENDIGA
Spanish for ‘God Bless‘.
Their 11th.
An album performed entirely in Spanish that aims to highlight their
Latin roots and reconnect directly with their cultural heritage.
B-Real told Billboard: “Dios Bendiga is more than just a collection of songs; it’s a prayer
or the culture. This album serves as a powerful reminder that our heritage isn’t a trend, but
a divine legacy and a global future. We’re living through a historic era for Latin rap, and with this project we wanted to bring a sound that honors our history and resilience,”
DJ Magazine says: “Some groups left an indelible mark on hip-hop history,
and Cypress Hill is without a doubt one of them, blending innovative sounds
with a Latino identity that has always been central to what they do.
“Dios Bendiga doesn’t come across as a mere curiosity within the group’s discography,
but as a new statement of purpose. It’s an album that connects the past with the present
and finds Cypress Hill embracing, more than ever, the language and culture that have
always been part of its story.”
TUTV: Prepare your ears, your hips, and by extension your whole body for a hip-rap-hop summer fiesta. With Cypress Hill, cocktail-flavored fun is guaranteed. Their word-waterfall dynamism and insane-in-the-brain eurhythmics are key (once again).
MAGA idiots will probably whine again that American artists sing in Spanish (remember their Bad Bunny hate?). Que se jodan! Music doesn’t have (language) boundaries.
Once upon a time Bob Dylan sang “I would not feel so all alone / Everybody must get stoned.”
Dios Bendiga has the vivid vibes to get high (with/without weed). Shake your booty, folks and bless Cypress Hill.
– KEY SINGLE –
ALBUM
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Band: XIU XIU
Who: Longtime Californian
experimental art-rock duo.
Album: ERASERHEAD XIU XIU
Their second LP honoring the iconic filmmaker David Lynch‘s (1946-2025),
with their musical vision of his first pitch-black, surreal fantasy movie Eraserhead
from 1977.
It tells the story of a bizarre man who tries to survive his industrial environment, his angry girlfriend, and the unbearable screams of his newborn mutant child.
Movie trailer.
Press info: ““The album is a masterpiece in sound collage and experimentation,
shifting from minimal auditory sensations to a clobbering, grotesque cacophony.”
TUTV: XX’s hallucinatory sonic odyssey is as outlandish, Kafkaesque, and
phantasmagorical as the movie. You need to take time, separate yourself from
your surroundings, dim the light, and sit down to immerse yourself, with your
earphones on, in the petrifying, distorted sound disturbance spread across
7 trance-like (long and short) tracks.
Don’t go to sleep immediately after.
30 July 2026
This year marks the 60th birthday (3 December)
of THE BEATLES‘s 1966 masterpiece RUBBER SOUL.
For the occasion a massive special edition will be released
October 2nd. More info and pre-order info HERE.
The 5LP Super Deluxe Box Set includes the new half-speed mastered stereo mix,
the 26-track collection of Sessions recordings that includes early versions of songs
that deepen and expand the story of the album across two half-speed mastered LPs,
the original mono album, the original Capitol US album, and a 7” of the non-album
single.
Each LP is pressed on 180g heavyweight black vinyl, inside poly-lined inner sleeves within individual album sleeves, alongside 88-page hardback book with a John Lennon foreword, introduction by Paul McCartney, photos, in-depth album background and track notes, all housed in a 12” slipcase.
Here’s a preview with the 1st take of Macca ballad Michelle.
1966
Significant longplayers from yesteryear
30 July 2026
NYC’s guitar rock heroes THE STROKES released their sublime
debut album IS THIS IT on 30 July 2001, today 25 years ago.
#2 in the UK, #5 in Australia, #33 in the US.
The album received widespread acclaim upon release, with critics praising it for its charisma and rhythm, which often referenced the works of 1970s garage rock bands.
The release of the album was a watershed moment and crucial in the reinvention of
post-millennium guitar music.
As a result, Is This It is widely considered to be one of the most influential albums of
all time, and has appeared in many publications’ lists of the best albums of the 2000s
and of all time.
Pitchfork wrote: “The Strokes have struck an incredible balance between the two extremes of rock music: sentimentality and listlessness. Any sentimentality in these songs’ lyrics is countered by Casablancas’ self-reliant indifference, and his listless delivery is offset by the band’s fervid attack.”
Turn Up The Volume: Along with The White Stripes, the New York dandies, who became
the champions of jangly guitar rock, dominated the first years of the new Millenium. The Strokes looked cool, acted cool, and made a totally cool debut album. Back then, this was it.
Singles.
– HARD TO EXPLAIN –
– LAST NITE –
– SOMEDAY –
ALBUM
Every day of this summer we go back to the same summer day somewhere in history
29 July 2026
On 29 July 1966, today 60 years ago, the US teen magazine Datebook
published an interview with John Lennon, who controversially said of
The Beatles, “We’re bigger than Jesus now.”
His comment caused a media firestorm in the US, where many Christians were
outraged. Protesters condemned the Fab Four and publicly burnt their records.
The interview, conducted by Maureen Cleave, had first appeared in the English
newspaper the Evening Standard to little fanfare earlier that year.
The controversy grew so intense that by the time the band arrived in Chicago in August 1966, a visibly shaken Lennon was forced to hold a press conference to clarify his stance. He explained that he had been misunderstood and was simply remarking on how people seemed to follow the band more fervently than they followed religion at that time.
“If I had said television was more popular than Jesus, I might have got away with it. I wasn’t saying we’re better or greater, or comparing us with Jesus Christ as a person or God as a thing or whatever it is.”
