Lost ALAN VEGA Album ‘MUTATOR’ Out In April

25 February 2021


Artwork ‘Mutator’ album

In 1995/1996 ALAN VEGA, half of synth-punk pioneers Suicide
and his wife Liz Lamere, recorded an album called MUTATOR.

In 2019 Lamere and close Vega friend Jared Artaud discovered
the original tapes and decided to mix the songs into a proper LP.

“The moment Liz and I discovered the original ADAT tapes of Mutator, we
knew we had found something special and felt strongly that it needed to be
shared out in the world. It’s something we feel he would have been really
proud of, seeing this lost album released today”
said Artaud.

Sacred Bones Records releases the LP on 23 April. More info here

Along with the news comes a first track from
the record. NIKE SOLDIER is a vintage Vega jam.

Here’s the accompanying clip directed by Jacqueline Caste

ALAN VEGA: Facebook

A Joy Division Nightmare In Slow Motion – ‘FIST’ From ALAN VEGA’s Lost Album

New sonic impulses…

24 March 2021

In 1995/1996 ALAN VEGA, half of synth-punk pioneers Suicide
and his wife Liz Lamere, recorded an album called MUTATOR.
But it never saw the day of light. Then, back in 2019 Lamere and
close Vega friend Jared Artaud discovered the original tapes and
decided to mix the songs into a proper LP.

The lost album will be released
by Sacred Bones Records
on 23 April. Order info here.

We already got a vintage Vega jam from Mutator called
Nike Soldier
(see clip below). And here’s another cut.
FIST echoes like a Joy Division nightmare in slow motion.

His widow Lamere: “Fist’s relentless forward movement of the music coupled with
Vega’s battle cry lyrics makes it a powerful call for action to the people to muster their
power, come together and Make One Nation. The message is timely, the impact timeless.”

Tune in

Nike Soldier

ALAN VEGA: Facebook

Lost ALAN VEGA Album ‘MUTATOR’ Is A Thrill-ing Soundtrack For A David Lynch Nightmare

23 April 2021

Artist: ALAN VEGA
Born Alan Bermowitz on June 23, 1938.
Passed away on July 16, 2016 (78 years old)
Active: 1970–2016 (with Suicide,
solo and multiple collaborations )

Album: MUTATOR
Info: In 1995/1996 Vega and his wife Liz Lamere, recorded
an album called Mutator. But it never saw the day of light. Then,
back in 2019 Lamere and close Vega friend Jared Artaud discovered
the original tapes and decided to mix the songs into a proper LP.
Release: 23th April 2021 by Sacred Bones Records.

Order info: here.

NME says: “The late Suicide pioneer’s wife and collaborator Liz Lamere has unlocked
the Vega Vault, spewing forth more NYC gutter rock and apocalyptic proclamations. Vega’s visions have come of age again in the post-indie deconstructions of 2021, and ‘Mutator’ might well find favour with fans of his distant descendants like Squid, Perfume Genius, Sleaford Mods and Black Midi. A quarter of a century on, this lost rumble from post-punk vaults finds new context, as a lesson in uncompromising art from an old master.”

Full review here. Score: 3/5.

Liz Lamere (Vega’s widow) remembers: “Our primary purpose for going into the studio
was to experiment with sound, not to ‘make records. I was playing the machines with Alan manipulating sounds. I played riffs while Alan morphed the sounds being channeled through the machines.’

Sacred Bones (label) says: “Vega was constantly creating. That process naturally led to a wealth of material that didn’t see the light of day immediately when it was recorded, which came to be known as the Vega Vault. ‘Mutator’ is the first in a series of archival releases from the Vault that will come out on Sacred Bones Records.”

Turn Up The Volume: Most of the lost albums that eventually came/come to the
surface one day should have stayed lost forever. If they were good enough to be
released the moment they were recorded they would have never ended up in a
smelly cellar or, worst case, in a trash can.

So what about Alan Vega’s lost one? One: it feels special to have the legend back. Two:
the album seems to come from a very dark place, from the deepest corners of Vega‘s soul, creating a nightmarish and Kafkaesque chill-out atmosphere for a 30-minute David Lynch film-noir. Yes, it’s not a lost album, it’s a lost soundtrack, a thrill-ing one where reality is disguised as surreality. A most welcome find.

Tasters/tracks: Nike Soldier / Fist

– NIKE SOLDIER –

– FIST –

Stream/buy full album here…


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ALAN VEGA: Facebook

ALAN VEGA’s Lost Album ‘MUTATOR’ Out In Two Weeks – Here’s Another Freaky Taster ‘FILTHY

In 1995/1996 ALAN VEGA, half of synth-punk pioneers Suicide
and his wife Liz Lamere, recorded an album called MUTATOR.
But it never saw the day of light. Then, back in 2019 Lamere and
close Vega friend Jared Artaud discovered the original tapes and
decided to mix the songs into a proper LP.

The lost album will be released
by Sacred Bones Records
on 23 April. Order info here.

After Fist and Nike Soldier
we get a third taster called FILTHY.

His widow Lamere about the track: “The anthemic zombie
atmosphere challenges the listener to find the underlying message
of hope that is always within Vega’s words and sound.”

Press play here for the freaky slo-mo groove…

ALAN VEGA: Facebook

Five Firecrackers To STAY ON TRACK IN THE WEEKEND!

5 new firecrackers to boost your favorite 48 hours…

Band: MODEL CHILD (Los Angeles)
Who: Outspoken lone ranger from Los Angeles, California
Track: PILOT
TUTV says 2 minutes of schizophrenic rage, furious anger and endless
humanitarian struggle. Fuck the greedy rich! Fuck the military industry!
FUCK WAR!

“Blood is raining gold across the room /
Million dollar chains tied to your tomb.”

Band: METZ
Who: Premier shock rock trio from Toronto, Canada
Newest album: ATLAS VENDING – 4th LP
Track: SUGAR PILLL – new video clip

TUTV says: One of those vintage brain-breaking Metz
hammer blows sounding like a fucked-up hot rod on the run.

Press play

Band: PINKSHIFT (Baltimore, US)
Who: Fired-up grunge punks driven by tons of energy and grit
New EP: SACCHARINE – out today – buy here
Lead-single: MARS

TUTV says: This is a high-powered and barbed-wire punch-punk cannonball
celebrating hope and the band itself. The combination of rip-roaring-riff mania,
frenetic drum whacks, vocal Courtney Love swagger and a hectic chorus is what
you need to fight your panic lockdown attacks.


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Artist: ALAN VEGA
Who: The late vocalist of legendary
noise-exploring duo Suicide
New album: Mutator – out 23 April
Track: NIKE SOLDIER

TUTV says: Creepy groove. Haunting vibe. Scary story.

Let’s roll

Band: THE BODY (Portland, Orgeon)
Who: American experimental metal duo
formed in 1999 in Providence, Rhode Island.
New Album: I’VE SEEN ALL I NEED TO SEE
Track: A PAIN OF KNOWING

TUTV says: Expect a pitch-dark nightmare. You’re trapped in the sick mind
of a psycho. You want to get out, but you don’t know how. Frightening!

See/hear you next week, music junkies…

Turn Up The Volume’s KNOCKOUT TEAM OF THE MONTH – April 2021

The best of the past month…

Turn Up The Volume‘s 15 Knockout Tracks for April 2021!
A fervid fusion of rhapsodic rippers and clashing crackerjacks.

‘Nike Soldier’ by ALAN VEGA (US)
Alan Vega is dead! Long live! This spine-chilling slo-mo groove
comes from his lost album Mutator released last week.

‘End Of The Night’ by A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS (US)
Sounding like Nine Inch Nails going punk, Spacemen 3 returning from the dead
and The Brian Jonestown Massacre freaking out on acid, all at the same time. This
is what happens when lockdown blues leads to schizophrenia.

‘Boilermaker’ by ROYAL BLOOD (UK)
The blues-rock tandem is back with this motherfucker of a slam dunk
from their brand new album Typhoons . Wham bloody hell bam!

‘Deeper Than Holy’ by PASTEL (UK)
Imagine the bittersweet symphony swagger of Richard Ashcroft and The Verve
and the natural-born coolness of Liam ‘tonight I’m a rock ‘n’ roll star’ Gallagher.
Supersonic, right? You better you bet.

‘Wake Up’ by LOBSTERBOMB (Berlin, Germany)
A screaming triumph. This up-and-coming Berlin trio on the stereo this hit and run trio combines Bikini Kill‘s rough outcries, L7‘s detonating gusto, and B-52‘s peppery liveliness. Bingo!

‘The Gimp’s Gimp‘ by BODY HORROR (UK)
A chainsaw intro followed by manic drum thwacks and a frenetic bass force, and a
bit later a nightmarish voice joining the freaked-out get-together. All this brain-breaking
stuff happens in under a minute. Hallelujah!…


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‘Nobody Everyone’ by WEEKEND DEBT (Scotland)
Highly energetic and sharp-riffing indie rock at its youthful best. Smells like teen spirit. Big guitars, big drums/bass, big tune, and big post-breakup vocals. What do you need more to boost your bloodstream?

‘Pilot‘ by MODEL CHILD (Los Angeles)
2 minutes of rage, anger and endless humanitarian struggle.
Fuck the greedy rich! Fuck the military industry! FUCK WAR!

‘The Men Who Rule The World’ by GARBAGE (US/Scotland)
A surprisingly funky disco banger that triggers your head’s up-and-down movement the very moment the money drops into the corrupt politicians’ pockets. I still love you, Shirley!

‘Your Fandango’ by TODD RUNDGEN & SPARKS (US)
Old friends Sparks and Todd Rundgen team up again, after so many years, for a mini pop opera. The legends still deliver and it seems this town is big enough for the both of them.

‘Moshi Moshi’ by COMMON FLAWS (Italy)
Mostly instrumental, except for a hazy voice in the distance, this electro earworm
gets under your skin from the clap along intro and goes on like forever. Imagine
Aphex Twin going synth-pop for a change. The power of repetition!

‘Be There’ by MIHI NIHIL (Los Angeles, US)
Shadowy, starry-eyed and emotive pearl. Twinkling guitars, gripping vocals and
captivating melodiousness. Magnificent beauty from their new self-titled LP.

‘Streetlights’ by LOSSLINE (Manchester, UK)
Genuine, heart & soul lockdown blues. Melodramatic musing for twilight moments and nightly wanderings. From the duo’s excellent, midnight hours album Fading Affect Bias. Don’t miss this.

‘Amsterdam’ by MOONLIGHT PARADE (UK)
Magical and red-colored ballad, combining the melodic melancholia of Teenage Fanclub and The Coral. A sweet little gem about a wonderful city I’m in love with for a long time now. Press play and let your thoughts drift away on a cloud.

‘Trust’ by MASHMELLOW (Moscow, Russia)
Dream pop for lonely nights with echoes from The Sundays and Mazzy Star. Yes, that bewitchingly good. One of the highlights from their new 6-tack EP titled Pole Pole.


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All 15 together on Spotify

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See/hear you next month, music junkies…

TURN UP THE VOLUME’s 20 Best Knockouts Of 2021

Simply the best

Turn Up The Volume‘s 20 best
of all the best knockouts of 2021.

All together on Spotify…

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Knockout by knockout right here…

1. ‘Stay’ by ONISM E (San Antonio, Texas)

This impassioned stunner kept growing on me the past few months. Why?

Because frontwoman Angeline Chavez‘s voice balances somewhere between
the ones of a young Tina Turner and a flaming Aretha Franklin, because the
guitar play is overwhelming and because Stay is a superb tune.

The glorious 2021 No 1 hit in my book.

The opener of this year’s excellent debut album Survivors. Wanna learn more
about this Texan 4-piece? Read the interview with Turn Up The Volume here.

Don’t go away, stay …


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2.’Lout’ by THE HORRORS (Southend-On-Sea, UK)

A stand-alone single from the (lazy) synths driven post-punks that
shocks and rocks with bulldozing force. An industrial slam dunk all
the way.

Play this lout, folks…

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3. ‘Miami Lounge’ by PEEPING DREXELS (London, UK)

I saw this amazeballs post-punk turbo in action for the first
time at an indoor festival in Amsterdam, last November.

Holy smoke!

These motherrockers slash and trash with a burning vehemence and
a flabbergasting fervency. Miami Lounge (from their Bad Time EP) is
a perfect example of their mind-blowing mania.

Go for it, ladies and gents…


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4. ‘Ded Würst’ by DITZ (Brighton, UK)

Early last month I discovered this dynamite hit team from Brighton
when they blew all punters away with their blistering performance
in my hometown Ghent (Belgium).

They razzled and dazzled with ebullient exertion,
bewildered British bluster, and a fuck Brexit fierceness.

Their newest cut Ded Würst is nothing less than
a nasty and filthy sledgehammer. Hallelujah!

Release the bats…


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5. ‘And This Next Song’ by THE IRRATIONAL LIBRARY (The Netherlands)

A sharp-cutting stonker from this Dutch collective’s
ace debut longplayer We… Are Doomed .

It rattles like crazy around a rip-roaring-riff while frontman
Joshua Baumgarten raps and rips and tells us who the song
is for.

Find out here if you’re in the song too…

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6. ‘The Prophet’ by THE CHRONICLES OF MANIMAL AND SAMARA (UK)

Samara and Manimal already scored Turn Up The Volume’s
best debut LP of 2021 with Full Spectrum.

This raw rollercoaster single came afterward. A slow-burning torch with
hellish flare-ups of Rammstein‘s Götterdämmerung hysterics and manic Manimal
riffage combined with Samara‘s spoken-word ode to the legendary American
confessional poet/writer Sylvia Plath hypnotizes and magnetizes.

Welcome to the terrordome…

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7. ‘Hertz’ by AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS (Australia)

A beserk blast from the Aussies second smoking LP Comfort To Me with
peppy punked-up punkette Amyl, as we know her, on an adrenalin rush.

Mamma mia!

Join Amyl’s wild ride…

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8. ‘Night Is Mine’ by ULTRA SUNN (Bruxelles, Belgium)

This Belgian body-activating rave duo causes an instant flush of excitement with
booming beats, nightmarish resonance, murky dynamics, and ominous vocals.

When you mix D.A.F.‘s industrial vibes, Sisters Of Mercy‘s gloom and doom and
Depeche Mode‘s pop-noir thrills, the final result is a dancefloor hit.

Turn it up…

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9. ‘Soap And Cigarettes’ by NUN HABIT

This queer five-piece from London dropped a notable full-length this year with
their brisk Hedge Fun LP where pop, rock and garage meet for a vitalizing feast.

My absolute favorite track is this energising earworm with phenomenal vocals
that make the hair in the back of my neck stand up. Just irresistible!

Go bananas here…


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10. ‘La Novia’ by RICH GIRLS (New York City)

What can I say? Sad or happy song, Rich Girls make me always feel good
when they come on. Luisa Black‘s mesmerizing midnight vox is totally
glamorous and sensual and the band’s pop-noir melancholia is soul-stirring.

All New York City’s night bars without a Rich Girls track
on their Wurlitzer Jukebox should be closed. Immediately.

Get seduced here…


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11. ‘New Fragility’ by CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH (Brooklyn, NY)

Mastermind Alec Ounsworth released CYHSY’s
best album since their self-titled debut in 2005.

And the title track accentuates Ounsworth’s outlandish voice again.
Add sparkling guitar lines and you sense a touch of magic.

Magnificent


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12. ‘Wherever It Takes Us’ by JAMES (Manchester, UK)

Remember them? Remember their massive hit ‘Sit Down’? James has never been really away since they hit the scene 40 years ago. And with this year’s All the Colours Of You album they prove why they still deserve attention. It’s an all ecstatic-pop killers, no silly fillers longplayer.

This is one of the highlights

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13. ‘Nike Soldier’ by ALAN VEGA (USA)

From the late great Suicide hero’s Mutator lost album that comes from a very dark place, from the deepest corners of Vega‘s soul, creating a pitch black and Kafkaesque chill-out atmosphere.

Enter the darkness here…


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14. ‘Magic Medicine’ by DEAP VALLY (Los Angeles)

From these utterly cool L.A. Amazons’ third album, called
Marriage celebrating the duo’s 10-year blues-rock
journey.

Single Magic Medicine is a full-on-sound mid-tempo jackhammer
with an intense impact. Always love you, ladies.

Oh yeah

Marriage album.

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15. Not Alone But Not With You’ by ARXX (Brighton, UK)

A rollicking rocker from start to finish. These two frisky Brighton popsters know
how to make your head spin 360°. Fire your shrink, listen to this crackerjack two
times in the morning, twice in the evening, and on repeat in between and you’ll
feel euphoric. So much cheaper than therapy.

Touchdown.

Get heated here…

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16. ‘Better Than Life’ by GLASS SANDS (London, UK)

The title track of one-man-London-band’s debut longplayer
(one of TUTV’s 2021 favorites) is a guitar-driven riff-hook-and-lick
belter. A swirling bang-on stroke. Absobloodylutely.

Catch the fire here…


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17. ‘Traps’ by BLOC PARTY (London, UK)

Talking about a comeback! Holy Moses! Traps is a steaming
stormer, a whopping whirlwind. New album Alpha Games
out in April 2022.

Sing it, Kele…

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18. ‘I Don’t Love You Anymore’ by CHATEAU CHATEAU (Tucson, Arizona)

Charismatic front queen Bleu sparkles on this jangly jive that sticks as first-class glue and reaches an aural orgasm every time the chorus pops up. Her vox adrenalizes and vitalizes. Her vivaciousness is contagious. This pumped-up pop gem is contagious. You don’t need vaccination against this castle of a song.

Get up, stand up and fight for your right to dance yourself dizzy…


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19. ‘Faze Out’ by JAMES DOMESTIC (UK)

Faze Out is a slash and smash rant. An angry spit and sneer storm, a Sturm und Drang firestarter, 143 seconds of furious frustration is what you get. Retro organs clatter like if Doomsday is just around the corner, but Domestic sizzles like he’s a determined survivor who will not go down just like that.

‘Sucked into the vortex / it’s a Faze out /
you feel just like you’ll fade out …

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20. ‘His Ilk’ by BRONSOM ARM (Kalamazoo, Michigan)

This rumbling steamroller bulldozes its way in slow motion, forth and back, while
a haunting vocal brouhaha causes a creepy noise experience. Whatever the song’s protagonist’s ilk is, it doesn’t sound like you want to be friends.

Hit the start button here…

Have all a pumped-up end of 2021 and a turned-up-volume 2022, music junkies!

These Are TURN UP THE VOLUME’S 20 Knockout Tracks Of 2021 (So Far)

This year’s best tracks (so far)…

Yes, we have already reached the middle of 2021. The world, finally, looks brighter
than last year. Mad summer parties are just around the corner. And here’s the perfect soundtrack… Turn Up The Volume’s 20 best knockout tracks of 2021, so far!

All together on Spotify…

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Track by Track

1. ‘Finger Pies’ by ANIKA (Berlin)
Electro earworm that moves and grooves from the get-go driven by a rolling
bass riff. Strangely catchy, mysteriously designed with a hypnotic effect. Top!

Catch the vibe…

2. ‘Nike Soldier’ by ALAN VEGA (US)
Alan Vega is dead! Long live Alan Vega! This spine-chilling
slo-mo groove comes from his lost album Mutator.

Check in…

3. ‘Night Is Mine’ULTRA SUNN (Brussels, Belgium)
Combine D.A.F.‘s industrial vibes, Sisters Of Mercy‘s gloom and doom hallucinations, and Depeche Mode‘s pop-noir thrills and you know it’s time for a dazzling night. It’s the title track from their standout debut EP.

Put on your leather jacket and dance…

4. ‘One + One’ by DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 (Canada)
With Is 4 Lovers the Canadian champions of drone noise rock made one of their best
full-lengths (so far). And the lead-single ‘One + One’ is a bulldozing, yet catching power blast that comes right at you.

Get slammed…

5. ‘Ten Points On The Damage Meter’ by HOW TO LOOT BRAZIL (Germany)
No rest for all who are addicted to dance their asses off. This is a hip-shaking belter, 145 seconds of steamed-up pop-punk euphoria. Imagine German dark disco legends D.A.F. on speed, fronted by Brit-girls Shampoo who are in trouble again.

Here comes the shot of adrenalin…

6. ‘Coma-Inducing Gibberish‘ by PIZZA CRUNCH (Scotland)
Scottish hit the bullseye with this sturdy stunner. A fab-tastic masterstroke to shut up all narcissists. Beware of getting too excited. It can lead to a rock ‘n’ roll coma. Whatever! Go for it!

Right here, right now…


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7. ‘Stay’ by ONISM E (New York)
A soul-stirring and highly affecting vocal highlight – from one of the best albums of 2021 – by this rad emo-striking NY-based outfit. Stream/buy ‘Survivors’ LP here.

And stay for this pearl…

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8. ‘Fall Of The Big Screen’ by DEADLETTER (South London)
Imagine George Orwell fronting The Fall back in Nineteen Eighty-Four scaring the
world with a grim, futuristic vision of humankind about to collapse in 2021 due to
a deadly virus. Scary!

Turn up the heat here…

9. ‘Wake Up’ by LOBSTERBOMB (Berlin, Germany)
A screaming triumph. This up-and-coming Berlin trio combines Bikini Kill‘s rough
outcries, L7‘s detonating gusto, and B-52‘s peppery liveliness. Touchdown!

Wake up here…

10. ‘Heroin’ by PERMO (Scotland)
A sizzling slice of trash and slash punk. Expect 135 striking seconds of heavy thunder
and creepy lighting. Totally insane drums and bass, deranged guitar frenzy, and cranked-up, psych-o-tic howling. Fucktastic intensity!

Hell yeeeaaahhhh…


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11. ‘We… Are Doomed’ by THE IRRATIONAL LIBRARY (Dutch-American)
A challenging rap and roll rant by an open-minded-plainspoken-ass-kicking-anti-establishement-and-other-scumbags force of doom and gloom. The title track from
this caring collective’s excellent new album.

Apocalypse now…

12. ‘Boilermaker’ by ROYAL BLOOD (UK)
The blues-rock tandem is back with this motherfucker of
a slam dunk from their brand new album Typhoons.

Wham bloody wham bam…

13. ‘The Men Who Rule The World’ by GARBAGE (US/Scotland)
A surprisingly funky disco banger that triggers your head’s up-and-down movement the very moment the money drops into the corrupt politicians’ pockets. I still love you, Shirley!

Let’s roll…

14. ‘This Is Not’ by CROWS ON WIRES (Germany)
Sultry synths, punchy percussion, glimmering guitar lines, and vibratory vocals.
Sounds like Sisters of Mercy are back, produced by Bauhaus who listened to Soft
Cell
on repeat. A stunner, indeed!

Get magnetized here…

15. ‘Vendetta’ICEAGE (Denmark)
An intoxicating jam with a threatening pace. A glam
power punch from their best-ever album Seek Shelter.

Press play and get moved…

16. ‘Not To’ by WOLFVANWYMEERSCH (Belgium)
Melancholia at its starry-eyed, synth-pop best. Here’s a romantic at heart, going
solo, who’s sanely obsessed with creating music, playing music, and enjoying music,
if possible, all at the same time. Damon Albarn‘s moody side comes to mind.

Dim the lights and enjoy…

17. ‘Unspoken’ by ANNIE TAYLOR (Switzerland)
A troubled love reverie with a sorrowful touch. Heartbreaking romanticism at its balladesque best, notable for its vocal splendour and silver-toned resonance.

Enjoy the sweet little pearl…


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18. ‘Carry Me On’ by THE BANKROBBER (Italy)
This new musing feels like a nightly gloaming. Acoustic soul-searching and intimate tenderness. The darksome sorrowfulness of several past and present crooners come
to mind when hearing this gloomy song.

Dream away…

19. ‘Man Alone (Can’t Stop The Fadin’)’ by TINDERSTICKS (Nottingham, UK)
Surprising stonker! An 11-minute psychedelic and epic journey. Trippy and spacey.
From their new, 13th album, Distractions.

Follow the flow…


20
. ‘Amsterdam’ by MOONLIGHT PARADE (UK)
Magical and red-colored ballad, combining the melodic melancholia of Teenage Fanclub and The Coral. A sweet little gem about a wonderful city I’m in love with for a long time now. Press play and let your thoughts drift away on a cloud.

Listen to the beauty here…

See/hear you next time, music junkies…

Turn Up The Volume’s 20 BEST ALBUMS Of 2021

1. ‘New Fragility’ by CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH (Brooklyn, NY)

Released: 12 February 2021

Ounsworth (mastermind): “The songs are politically motivated,
which is unusual for me. It’s about what I think we’re all experiencing
at the moment, certainly here in the United States, anyway, trying
to move forward amidst an almost cruel uncertainty.”

Turn Up The Volume: Riveting tunes, sharp-cutting reflections,
magical sparks, Ounsworth‘s feverish voice, and his glittery guitar
play make this LP the best one since the self-titled 2005 debut.
Bewitching all the way. My 2021 number one

Key single: New Fragility…

Stream/buy album here…


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2. SEEK SHELTER by ICEAGE (Denmark)

Released: 7 May 2021 – 5th LP

Turn Up The Volume: Finally, Iceage do what they were expected to do for a long
time. Creating a standout album that makes the hair in the back of your neck stand
up. Melodramatic with ardency, impassioned with vigour, emotional with grimness. Charismatic frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt leads the troops as never before.

Their fifth, their best.

Key single: Vendetta

Full album…


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3. ‘Calvacade’ by BLACK MIDI (UK)

Released: 26 May 2021 – their second album

Turn Up The Volume: From outlandish sonority – think Scott Walker – to
Zappa-esque adventurousness, from a ‘normal’ song (Marlene Dietrich) to
free jazz weirdness. The sonic search of this impressively inventive band is
both inscrutable and intriguing.

Cavalcade confirms the experimental brilliance of their debut LP.
Miles Davis going post-punk in the 21st Century.

Key single: John L

Full album…

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4. ‘Marriage’ by DEAP VALLY (Los Angeles)

Turn Up The Volume: The drop-dead gorgeous sisters in rock arms Lindsey Troy
and Julie Edwards celebrate their 10th year of producing high-powered turbulence.
Their bond is tighter than ever and their boogie-woogie more varied than ever.

Mind you, don’t expect a jazz record. Deap Vally are still about rocking ‘n rolling
while tackling their demons with vocal bravado and forthright ruminations.

Key single: Magic Medicine

Get married here…


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5. ‘Comfort To Me’ by AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS

Released: 10th September 2021

Turn Up The Volume:

Old skool punk ‘n’ roll? Absolutely. Any good? You betcha!

Amyl and her buddies made another blistering riff-manic-monster of
a hell fucking hell yeah record. Pogo madness is back. Sturm und drang
from start to finish. Holy Moly!

Key single: Hertz

Stream/buy album here…


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6. ‘CARNAGE’ by NICK CAVE & WARREN ELLIS (Australia)

Released: 25 February 2021

Turn Up The Volume: This black and white pearl is the work of
the romantic Cave crooner meeting the haunting Cave crooner. Idyllic
orchestrations, classical arrangements, and bad seed Warren Ellis
showing, once more, his refined grandeur.

A tantalizing tandem made in twilight heaven.

Key track: White Elephant

Stream album here…

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7. Full Spectrum by THE CHRONICLES OF MANIMAL AND SAMARA (UK)

Released: 26 February 2021

Turn Up The Volume: Manimal and Samara are a poetallica sensation.
A new laser light at the end of a mythical and tenebrous tunnel.

Imagine Sylvia Plath fronting a mind-challenging, noise-exploring band.

Their debut album is a multi-faceted opus in sound and vision. Puzzling poetry
exploring life, death, birth, past, present, and future embedded in titanic thunder
and lighting symphonies going from perplexing metal to chill-out ambient.

Surreality becoming reality in a tormented world.

Key single: Psychopath’s Monologue

Stream ‘Full Spectrum’ here…

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8.’Infinity’ by GHOST PATTERNS (UK)

Released: 3 September 2021

Turn Up The Volume: The amplified haziness of Slowdive, the mystifying
soulfulness of Spacemen 3, the multi-layer-constructing skills of My Bloody
Valentine
.

Hallucinating soundscapes, synth shadowplays, and guitars dueling with
each other while tireless drums dauntlessly beat, and wailing voices wander
in an enigmatic fog of reverberation.

This is what the (sur)real world of Ghost Patterns sounds like.

Key track: House Of Lies…

Stream/buy album here…


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9. ‘Pressure Machine’ by THE KILLERS

Released: 13 August 2021

Turn Up The Volume: This time the bombastic rockers take another direction
to express their emotiveness. Moody, nostalgic, melancholically romantic with
frontman Brandon Flowers looking back at his teenage years in his hometown
Utah. Think Bruce Springsteen‘s sentimentality on his masterpiece Nebraska.

Overall an emotive and melodramatic
record without going over the top.

For some critics, it’s too mellow.
For me, its gripping mellowness
that works just fine.

Key track: Quiet Town

Dim the lights…

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10. ‘Mutator by ALAN VEGA (US)

Released: 23 April 2021

Liz Lamere (Vega’s widow) remembers: “Our primary purpose for going into the studio
was to experiment with sound, not to ‘make records. I was playing the machines with Alan manipulating sounds. I played riffs while Alan morphed the sounds being channeled through the machines.’

Turn Up The Volume: Most of the lost albums that eventually came/come to the
surface one day should have stayed lost forever. If they were good enough to be
released the moment they were recorded they would have never ended up in a
smelly cellar or, worst case, in a trash can.

So what about Alan Vega’s lost one? One: it feels special to have the legend back.
Two: the album seems to come from a very dark mind, from the obscure places
of Vega‘s soul, creating a nightmarish and Kafkaesque chill-out atmosphere for
a 30-minute David Lynch film-noir.

Talking about a great find!

Key track: Nike Soldier

Stream/buy full album here…


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11. ‘WE… ARE DOOMED’ by THE IRRATIONAL LIBRARY (The Netherlands)

Released: 15 January 2021

Turn Up The Volume: The rap and roll venom of Rage Against The Machine, the
fuck-you-hypocrites grimness of Black Flag, the punky saxophone of X-Ray-Spex,
the sharp poetic spit and sneer anarchy of Mark. E. Smith, the challenging spirit
of open-minded-and-ass-kicking-anti-establishment doom and gloom crusaders.

Sounds like 2021, like the end of the world as we know it.

Key single: And The Next Song

Stream album here…

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12. ‘For The First Time’ by BLACK ROAD, NEW ROAD (London)

Released: 5 February 2021 – debut LP

Turn Up The Volume says: Like Pavement going prog rock with the sound- exploring
state of mind of Mogwai. Jazzy and classical music textures make sure your curious mind
is focused all the time. And singer Isaac Wood‘s voice resonates freakishly identical to the chilling voice of American songwriter Conor Oberst from indie band Bright Eyes.

It’s not a happy record, but who needs a tsunami of cheesy pop tunes in these science-fiction-like times, anyway. I know it’s their first time, but these hungry noise crusaders
will stun us again in the future.

Believe the hype!

Key track: Science Fair

Full album…

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13. ‘SURVIVORS’ by ONISM E (San Antonio / NYC)

Released: 19th February 2021 – debut album

Turn Up The Volume wrote: Gusto, high-spiritedness, and anxiety are the
keywords here. This warm-blooded record is a heart-rending reflection of the
group’s state of 2021 mind. A galvanizing collection of cohesive poignant emo
songs influenced by the disturbing way our troubled world is handling human
issues, once-in-a-lifetime dramas, and the personal turmoil of frontwoman
Eline Chavez.

Her soul-stirring and powerful (Aretha Franklin / young Tina Turner) vox, the weeping
guitars, and the electrical intensity are at times overwhelming and heartbreaking. Impressive!

Key track: Stay


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Stream/buy album here…


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14. ‘Putain Royale’ by PINK ROOM (Belgium)

Released: 12 Match 2021

Turn Up The Volume: The essential message of this new powerhouse album is loud and clear: noise-challenging turbo Pink Room is here to stay! Their tsunami energy is beyond any decibel regulation. Again, loudmouth Bart Cocquyt leads the rip-roaring trio.

As I said before his vocal range is out-of-this-world. He easily could front a death metal band (Stay Black/Stay White) or a Nirvana reunion (Losing/Skin) or kick Ozzy Osbourne‘s ass (Hail Satan). Expect ear-shattering jackhammers, over-the-top frenzy, and clamorous lockdown paranoia.

Putain, putain, c’est vachement bien, nous sommes quand même tous des bohemiens.

Key track: Losing

Stream/buy here…

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15. ‘G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END!’ by GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR

Released: 2 April 2021

Turn Up The Volume: A exquisite soundtrack for the funeral of the present,
and at the same time for the re-birth of humankind in the future.

Somber, apocalyptic and longing.

The Canadian mavericks are looking
for a way out of all the (pandemic) mess
with a mesmerizing fervor. Remarkable.

Stream/buy album here…


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16. ‘Crawler’ by IDLES
17. ‘Blue Weekend’ by WOLF ALICE
18. ‘Better Than Life’ by GLASS SANDS
19. It’s Critical by SAVING JACKIE
20. ‘Vivre’ by ARNO