Last August Paris-born, London-based singer/songwriter MADAME SO spoiled
our ears with striking single You Say, a towering tune by a towering voice.
And here’s another, brand new tune called WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE?. A moody, melancholic and wondering reflection “on young hedonism“. This time her mightful
soul voice sounds moony and meditative, giving this catchy, shoe-gazy, guitar-riveting jingle a heartfelt think-about it feel.
Two things are crystal clear now, Madame So
explores different sonic directions with flair and
determination AND she’s here to stay.
Paris-born, London-based singer/songwriter MADAME SO (great name) is blessed with
a sky-scraping soul voice to blow every doomsayer away. Which she actually does on her new ablaze single ‘YOU SAY‘.
‘It’s a song about stonewalling negativity and seeing the bright side of things in life. It is aimed at all the killjoys, naysayers, narcissists as well as all the ambitious, optimists, and resilient.” says the artist.
You Say is a spunky standout. A middle finger to all hostile killjoys out there. Kicking off with a powered guitar riff, soon followed by Madamme So‘s vox hitting the roof with the titanic You Say chorus. You psychically feel her conviction, confidence, and determination to shut up all scaremongers trying to destroy hope, love, and lust for life. One thing’s for sure, don’t mess with MADAME SO or she’ll sing and stare you down. Towering voice, towering tune, towering swagger. Bingo!
1. ‘You Say’ by Madame So (Paris-born, London-based)
A middle finger to all hostile killjoys out there. Kicking off with a powered guitar riff,
soon followed by Madame So‘s vox hitting the roof with the titanic You Say chorus.
2. ‘Violent Sun’ by EVERYTHING EVERYTHING (Manchester/London)
A terrifically swirling stomper with a last chance message, so don’t
hesitate to get up and dance like Doomsday is just around the corner.
3. ‘Spanish Bombs’ by HINDS (Madrid, Spain) “As Spaniards, we don’t usually get shout-outs in songs, like New York or London,
so the Clash writing a song about our civil war made us feel honored.”
4. ‘Something More’ by ROISIN MURPHY (London, UK)
Sensual dance diva returns with “a swan-song to how we once lived. There’s plenty of
bravado in the lyrics and the character is a kind of antihero but the indefinable yearning
and the feeling of arriving at a point of emptiness is universal right now!”.
5. ‘Club Zero‘ by GO GO’S (Los Angeles)
Out of the blue, the legendary power-pop punkettes, led by Belinda Carlisle, formed in L.A. in 1978, surprise us with their first new song in nearly 20 years. The new cut’s copacetic catchiness and vitalizing joyfulness put a big smile on your face. Welcome back, ladies.
Fifteen Knockout Tracks on repeat this past month!
A fervent fusion of robust rippers and striking strokes.
Here’s Turn Up The Volume‘s Knockout August Team.
‘Vote That Fucker Out‘ by WRECKLESS ERIC and AMY RIGBY (UK/US)
An anger-fueled uppercut, the whole wide world should scream along. A firm middle-finger knockout. Let’s get together and shout at the top of our lungs until the elections
in November. Exit Trump is the world-saving goal, ladies and gents! Let’s act! Let’s sing…
‘A Hero’s Death’ by FONTAINES D.C. (Ireland)
Rollicking title track from the Irish post-punk misfits’ second album.
An unquestionable contender for longplayer of this science-fiction-like 2020.
‘Hail Taxi’ by METZ (Canada)
These Canadians deafening noiseniks have slash and trash chromosomes in their DNA. Don’t even try to resist this wall-balls-breaker, just surrender. New LP Atlas Vending arrives 9th October.
‘Fixer Upper’ by YARD ACT (Leeds, UK)
A mind-twisting crackerjack that’ll do your head in the way you like it. This funky as bloody hell banger sounds as if Mike Skinner and Sleaford Mods joined forces to experiment with intoxicating guitar riffs and turn up the decibels on for once. Cuts like a Swiss knife…
‘Hold My Hand’ by DEATH VALLEY GIRLS (Los Angeles)
Gloriously catchy, peppery and poppy with a cool vintage organ, shake and swing beats, 60s garage glow and Bonnie Bloomberg‘s peek-a-boo vocals. “Love is just like the ocean.”
‘You Say’ by MADAME SO (Paris/London)
A spunky standout. A warning message for all hostile killjoys out there. Kicking off
with a powered guitar riff, soon followed by Madame So‘s vox hitting the roof with
the titanic You Say chorus. Smoking stuff, ladies and gents…
‘The Soul Singer’ by THE WATERBOYS (Scotland)
High-energy stroke! A horns fueled belter from amplified folk troubadour Mike Scott and his band’s new – fourteenth – solid album Good Luck, Seeker.
‘Late At A Festival’ by BLUE STRAGGLERS (Sussex, UK)
Razorblade melodiousness drenched in a pool of kamikaze guitars, going forth and black like a roller coaster on the run. Blur‘s Britpop flair pumped up with tons of illegal decibels. Don’t come late at a festival with Blue Stragglers on the bill or they will find you and make you beg for mercy. You have been warned!…
.
‘Trump’s Still In Washington’ byBROKEN SOCIAL CONTRACT (Washington, US)
A razor-sharp rant about that 24/7 idiot in the White House. One-man-band Justin Donnelly delivers the fitting belter to ventilate our own fury. Play it loud,
play it on repeat, play it until a new real POTUS arrives in Washington.
‘Everybody Will Be Forgotten’ by FAST FRIENDS (Bay Area/Boston/Denmark)
This paranoia punk punch sounds like Weezer on dope, like Green Day kicking that American Idiot in the face, like the mental result of a lockdown psychosis, like if there
is no tomorrow. Jump and yell along before it’s too late. Right now, right here…
. ‘Forever’ by FOLK DEVILS (London)
Once a devoted indie rocker always a devoted indie rocker. Even are all these years you can hear and feel this band’s beating heart and feverish soul burning with strong-willed bravado and hungry desire. Dynamite sound, dynamite tune. Seems like Folk Devils are back forever despite the taste of life going wrong…
. ‘My Faith Is Larger’ by SAVING JACKIE (San Antonio, US)
A hot-tempered sucker-slam triggering every single nerve, every single muscle, and every single vein in your shuddering body. If you’re still mourning the loss of Rage Against The Machine, dry your eyes, rise from your bed, and go mental to Saving Jackie. Now!…
‘Burn’ by TEROUZ (Montreal)
This stunner wouldn’t be out if place on a Sisters Of Mercy album, while Terouz’s voice balances between Interpol‘s maestro Paul Banks and Editors‘ frontman Tom Smith.
Get up, stand up, and pirouette yourself dizzy…
. ‘Dirty Little Sinner’ by REGENT (Southampton)
This cracker blends Oasis‘ northern flair and Blur‘s power-pop catchiness. A steaming kinetic stomper to play to the max on your stereo so the neighbours can jump around
like doped monkeys too when the boiling chorus kicks in. Pump your fists in the air…
‘It’s OK To Bleed’ by HEAVY SALAD (Manchester, UK)
A trippy, mantra-like chant that will set your free. Light a joint, steal your grandparents’ hippie outfits and join Heavy Salad up there, eight miles high and dream of better times…
Artist: TESS PARKS Who: Toronto born, London based singer-songwriter Active: Since 2013. One solo album and two collaborative
ones with Anton Newcombe, the mastermind of psych squad The Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Parks: “I really felt discouraged to complete this album. I stopped listening to music for honestly about a year altogether and turned to painting instead. I really had to convince myself again that it’s important to just share whatever good we can – having faith in ourselves to know that our lights can shine on and on through other people and for other people. The thought of anyone not sharing their art or being shy of anything they create seems like a real tragedy to me. Even if it’s not perfect, you’re capturing a moment.”
(photo by Brent Goldsmith)
Uncut Magazine says: “An album that feels charged by forward momentum
while also embracing the comforting pulse of a locked groove.” Score: 4/5.
Turn Up The Volume: Parks embedds her mood-swings in sedate-moving, symphonious musings (Suzy & Sally’s eternal Return / We Are The Music Makers / Brexit At Tiffany’s / I See Angels) with Parks‘ voice echoing like the twin one of Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses), in both gloomy and sultry psych grooves (WOW / Happy Birthday Forever / Brexit At Tiffany’s) and in one rollicking piano-boogie ripper.
Even after a couple of spins and checking out the songs’ lyrics Parks‘ world still is an enigmatic one (for me) but also teasing and defiant. I just love her mysterious side, far more challenging than an open book. In the end, on Saint Michel, it feels like she’s grateful she can share new music after 9 years. So are we.
Et madames, et monsieurs
Merci, merci, merci beaucoup
Et madames, et monsieurs
Merci, merci, merci beaucoup
Singles/clips: Do You Pray / Brexit At Tiffany’s / Happy Birthday Forever
