EPs

Wicked Music For Wicked People By Wicked Madcaps FIESTA ALBA

Posted on by JL

6 April 2023

Band: FIESTA ALBA (Rome, Italy)
Who: 4 masked gunslingers describing themselves as “losers on a planet
where nobody really wins. He who has nothing to lose cannot lose anything.”

Debut EP: FIESTA ALBA Order info here.

TUTV: They look like a male, colorful masked version of the Russian political punk grrls Pussy Riot. They mix, cleverly and masterly, math rock, minimalist afrobeat, electronica, post-punk, funk, hip-rap-hop and anything that will trigger you to get your lazy ass out of your lazy couch, move your furniture and make room for some psychoneurotic dance moves.

Opening track ‘Laundry’

This chaotic 5 track cocktail EP, with 4 different vocalists, is a mind-bending tangle of all
things excitingly kooky for nightclubs where misfits, dropouts, eccentrics and other related outsiders have a ball. Yes, wicked music for wicked people by wicked madcaps.

Capiche?

Buy/stream EP here.


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FIESTA ALBA: Facebook

Best EP Of March 2023 – Rap Poet JODIE LANGFORD With ‘CHAOS OF TIME’

Posted on by JL

1 April 2023

Artist: JODIE LANGFORD
Who: Swirling wordsmith from
the Hull / East Yorkshire (UK) area.

EP: CHAOS OF TIME

Turn Up The Volume has his eyes and ears on this kick-ass hip-rap-hop poet for a while. Actually, since her stupendous debut single I Miss It. Why? Her human openmindedness, her critical, head-on outspokenness, her faster-than-a-riot-gun ranting, and her sharp daily life observations. And last but not least the fact she embedded all I just mentioned in head-spinning and hyperkinetic tunes.

Now that you know all that let’s get to the EP. Thematically Langford explores the complexities of her own mental health and deals with feelings like obsession, heartbreak, anger and despair. Unfortunately many young people – worldwide – can connect with these emotionally debilitating issues.

Let’s have a track-by-track breakdown
with the author herself.

– CHAOS OF TIME –

Jodie: “Its incessant nature is inspired by Underworld’s Born Slippy,
I wanted it to feel like a stream of consciousness with an unsettling
undertone to it”.

TUTV: It resonates as if the Chem Bros are taking
care of the breakbeats… in fast-forward modus.


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– HEARTBROKEN –

Jodie: “We’d sit in the darkness looking out at sea, slagging off boys, listen to
cringe-worthy sad songs & bawl our eyes out. Before heading back, we’d look
each other in the eye, laugh & then snap out of it. It’s about owning your emotions,
feeling OK with vulnerability & how that in turn makes you stronger”.

TUTV: Aphex Twin having fun? Sounds like.


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– CATCHING X’S –

Jodie: “The song tackles the subject of growing up with a warped sense of what a relationship really entails. I’ve had a difficult, almost non-existent relationship with my father leaving me feeling unwanted. After years of heartache & reflection, I now know that he does love me & this is a cry for him to prove that”.

TUTV: A slo-mo moment of reflection with subtle
piano touches. Gripping and heavy-hearted.


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– TAKE YOUR MONEY –

Initially inspired by M.I.A.’s Paper Planes about Sri Lanka’s government oppression of the Tamils, Take Your Money challenges the UK’s big decision makers & how they oppress the less fortunate for their own gain through a lyric about defunding of the NHS & how those who can’t afford private healthcare are left to suffer.


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– NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH –

Jodie: “It captures how I discovered mankind’s blossoming imperfections & why
I shouldn’t punish myself for not having the same qualities as others, like intelligence, appearance or social skills etc. I can often be my own bully which really messes with
the judgment behind some of my life decisions”.

TUTV: Be who you are.


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– I (STILL) MISS IT –

A Jodie remix of her debut single, about the time
when trying to get back on her feet after the lockdown.

TUTV: Don’t miss Jodie Langford. She’s special


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FULL EP on Spotify.

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JODIE LANGFORD: Twitter – Instagram

Energizing Canadian Rocker GRANT BOYER Arouses With His New Five-Star EP ‘ALARM BELLS’

Posted on by JL

Standout extended plays

28 March 2023

Artist: GRANT BOYER
Who: Ardent Canadian singer-songwriter and founding member of Canadian rock group Golden Gate Graves, operating here with Troy Ranville (bass player/recording engineer), Braeden Kozy (producer).

New EP: ALARM BELLS

Boyer: “The original plan was to go into the studio and record just one song: “De-Evolution.” After hearing a rough mix, the floodgates opened and I started writing. I had a great time making Alarm Bells, including the lead single “Alarm Bells (Never Drinking Again)” which charted on Canada’s Active Rock Radio. It was a lot of late nights and hard work, but it was a ton of fun. It also inspired a barrage of songs still to come. I hope you enjoy it all.”

TUTV: This 6-track EP is a mood-changing and hellacious work of music. It starts with
two heavy riff-riveting rockers (Alarm Bells / De-Evolution) with volcanic grooves and aflame guitars. Afterward the decibels go down a bit and the mood turns reflective with the mighty belter As We Wait, the affectional ballad Charlie with beautiful piano play, and
the two firm mixed-emotions musings Enough and In The Meantime.

First-rate songwriting with the monumental vox of Boyer as the loud
and proud star in the middle. A five-star achievement. Don’t miss it.

Watch the videos for Alarm Bells (Never Drinking Again) and De-Evolution.

Full EP streaming on Spotify.

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GRANT BOYER: Facebook – Instagram

Infectious Post-Darkwave-Punk Melodiousness With New EP By Brussels Act THE ULTIMATE DREAMERS

Posted on by JL

20 March2023


(Photo by Xavier Marquis)

Band: THE ULTIMATE DREAMERS
Who: Darkwave act from Brussels

Active in the mid-80’s and heavily influenced by the British post-punk dissonant
style and the Belgian cold-wave melancholic atmosphere, the band resurrected
during the COVID lockdown, releasing a selection of old demos. A dynamic impulse
that brought The Ultimate Dreamers not only back on stage but also into the studio
with their new line-up.

NEW EP: ECHO REVERIE
6 tracks on Vinyl (15 May). The CD and digital format (out now)
comes with 2 bonus cuts: I Loved You and Implant Love You.

The EP is a characteristically post-darkwave-punk affair with
infectious twilight melodies embedded in a whirlpool of booming
beats, scintillating synths, gloomy stories, cinematic orchestrations
and tenebrous vocals. And if you’re a fan of Aussie hard rock giants
AC/DC you’ll be really surprised by The UD’s haunting cover.

Watch the B/W video clips for footstomper Polarized
and amplified reverie Piano Ghost.

– PIANO CHAOS –

– POLARIZED –

Stream/buy EP
via Bandcamp.


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THE ULIMATE DREAMERS: Facebook – Instagram – ‘Echoing Reverie’ on Spotify

Belgian Dark-EMB-Wave Duo ULTRA SUNN On Top Of Their Game With New 6-Track EP ‘KILL YOUR IDOLS’

Posted on by JL

Standout extended plays

10 March 2023

Brussels dark-EBM-wave duo ULTRA SUNN, Sam and Gaelle,
have their new 6-track EP KILL YOUR IDOLS out. Buy here.

It’s an assemblage of their last 5 stellar singles, plus a remix of
Can You Believe It. As if they had to prove it again, it’s unmistakably
clear that US are here to stay and will set you and more dance floors
on fire than they already did. They’re on the top of their musical game
with this no-fillers-all-killers EP for 24/7 nightclubs. Europe is calling.

Let’s check again, piece by piece
with one-line impressions by TUTV.

– CAN YOU BELIEVE IT –
“The tantalizing combination of boosting beats, shadowplay sound
textures, reverberant vocals, and a pumping chorus is simply ace.”


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– KILL YOUR IDOLS –
“This slam dunk wouldn’t be out of place on
one of the dark 90s Depeche Mode albums.”


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– SET YOURSELF ON FIRE –
“The rapturous chorus hits you from the first spin and with its adrenalized
vocals and entranced synths your head spins uncontrollably.”


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– THE GREAT ESCAPE –
“Sam and Gaelle know perfectly well how to seduce your ears
and activate all of your limbs with banging master blasters.”


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– THE SPEED –
“US invite us to get off our lazy couch, to dress black
and head to the nightclub where they are waiting to make
our booty shake.”


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EP in full on Spotify too.


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ULTRA SUNN: Facebook – Instagram

Let DRY CLEANING Do The Talking Again – New EP ‘SWAMPY’ Out Now

Posted on by JL

3 March 2023

London‘s celebrated post-punk band DRY CLEANING hit the bullseye,
last October, with their highly praised second album Stumpwork.

Today they shared a new EP, named SWAMPY. It features two previously
unreleased tracks from the Stumpwork sessions, remixes, and a demo.

DC about the two new songs: “They were recorded in the Stumpwork sessions and they feel like good companions to us. They share a dusty, desolate, and spacey atmosphere. On the eve of this release we have been touring through the southwest US, where these songs feel at home in the arid, Mars-like landscape of the Arizona desert.”

Let whispering voice Florence Shaw do the talking. again.

SWAWPY EP in FULL

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DRY CLEANING: Instagram

(Live photos by Turn Up The Volume – Sonic City Fest, Belgium – 2022)

Hardcore Freaks MIKAU And MATTACHINE Split New Monstrous EP

Posted on by JL

27 February 2023


The EP’s stunning artwork

Hardcore gangs MATTACHINE (Fredericksburg, Virginia) and MIKAU (Washington D.C.)
share members of fellow demonic screamo-punk band Infant Island.

Now both bands share space on a new 5-track EP titled EJECT MODERNITY,
ERASE TRADITION. It’s a monstrous, diabolic and Mephistophelian piece of
extended Apocalyptic-bluster play. Test your lungs’ capacity, bang your head
against the wall, exorcise yourself, but alert your neighborhood first before
you press play.

Stream/buy here.


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Also st(r)eaming on Spotify

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MIKAU: Facebook

MATTACHINE: Facebook

Best EP Of 2022 – ‘LIGHTERS’ by Sparkling Guitar/Synth Pop Act THE BANKROBBER

Posted on by JL

19 December 2022

It has been 4 years since Italian guitar/synth pop act THE BANKROBBER
centered around siblings Giacomo and Maddalena Oberti. released their brisk
debut album Missing,. But it’s not like they took an extensive vacation.

Over the past 2 years, they dropped 6 new striking songs, which
they bundled together last month in an EP baptized LIGHTERS

Giacomo: “We define this new work as something between dark and
romantic, there are often both elements. introspective, abstract and
dark lyrics that somehow speak of love.”

TUTV: Lighters is an exemplary accomplishment of skillful pop songwriting. Sparkling, breezy, and varied. The first three tracks (Kill My Name / White Skin / Hate Me) are sheer nightclub stompers you can pirouette yourself giddy too.

With the three other pieces (Burry Me Softly / Carry Me On / Leash Died (Shouldn’t Cry))
the mood and atmosphere change, sonically, vocally and lyrically, to shadowy reflections and enigmatic musings, which makes the full extended play a versatile aural experience.

The seamless production let the songs breathe. No over-dubbing, no disturbing arty
farty tricks. Lighters is about crystal clear pop richness. Best EP of 2023. But the family
isn’t done yet.

Giacomo: “Next year we are going to release another EP called “Lovers” and both EPs
will become a full album, titled “Lighters and Lovers“. We chose this name from one of
the songs we were producing for the record but then we decided to save it for a future
release.”

TUTV: Keep your eyes peeled for an end-of-the-Bankrobber-year
interview coming very soon so you can read it around the Xmas tree.

Watch/enjoy the video clips for White Skin,
Leash Died (Shouldn’t Cry) and Carry Me On .

– WHITE SKIN –

– LEASH DIED (SHOULDN’T CRY) –

– CARRY ME ON

LIGHTERS IN FULL

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THE BANKROBBER: Facebook – Instagram

††† (aka CROSSES) = DEFTONES Singer CHINO MORENO And Producer-Multi-Instrumentalist SHAUN LOPEZ

Posted on by JL

15 December 2022


††† aka CROSSES is Deftones singer Chino Moreno and producer,
multi-instrumentalist SHAUN LOPEZ. They work for a long time
together now, on and off, on the Crosses project.

They have a new 6-track EP titled PERMANENT.RADIANT
out. Order info here.


(Credit: Press †††)

Chino Moreno:”The six songs people are hearing are just scratching
the surface of the vast collection we’re sitting on,” the frontman told us.

Kerrang: PERMANENT.RADIANT, the band’s first output in eight years, finds them
with creative juice at full flow. Once again, this is music for solitude, for headphones,
for the night. It’s a sound built on atmosphere and vastness, to the point where the actual
songwriting itself is a secondary feature to the depth of sound in which the pair urge
you to take a bath.

TUTV: Thie EP feels/resonates as if Chino Moreno wants to go soft, romantic
and even poppy & dancey at times for a change, away from deaf-tones. It works
now and then for my ears, but overall it’s not really a memorable offering.

Video clip for single Vivien.

– VIVIEN –

FULL EP

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†††: Facebook – Instagram

Addictive Rock And Blues Grooves With Canadian Team THE MANDEVILLES And Their New EP ‘JUNKIE’

Posted on by JL

19 November 2022

Band: THE MANDEVILLES
Who: Indie rock team from Niagara, Canada
Albums: Goodnight Golden Sun (2012) and
Windows And Stones

New EP: JUNKIE

TUTV: The Mandevilles fuse classic rock, impassioned and amplified blues,
and punky/grungy juice here and there, on this 5-track extended play.

Result: 3 inflammable grooves and 2 high-energetic mid-tempo strokes with
vocalist Serena Pryne ‘s ardent vox in the middle, backed by a rousing 4-piece.
Warning: this is addictive stuff.

References: Janis Joplin, Juliana Hatfield, The Go-Go’s and Sleater-Kinney

Track-by-Track

– JUNKIE –


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It starts with a cool slicey guitar that grabs your attention. It feels like it’s steeped in some blues, but is still rock ‘n’ roll. There’s a solid 90s vibe, paired with a modern guitar sound.

– WASN’T ALWAYS –


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The idea that you can be changed into something you no longer recognize as
yourself. By a person or circumstance. It’s an introspective soliloquy – a plea
to yourself. The rhythmic drum pattern hypnotizes.

– MOON CRY WATER –


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It’s been in the vault for a really long time, as it was written with Charlton Pettus (of Tears for Fears) way back when we were in Oliver Black. The song has always had a special place in our heart, but never felt like it belonged on any of our albums. Until now.

– SAD TALK –


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It features our friend, Tara Stanclik who sings harmonies with Serena. But listen carefully… you’ll hear the warm click of castanets in the background. Nick is especially proud of learning how to play these wonderful percussion instruments, and it adds a southern warmth to the whole song. Neil also introduced us to the haunting Farfisa Organ – an incredible Italian organ – which brings in even more depth.

– BLEED ME OUT –


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Serena: “I remember we were gushing about Big Wreck the day we wrote this. We basically
had a verse/chorus idea mapped out fairly quickly… and we knew we wanted a lengthy jam to take it home. So we started building those parts pretty intensely, as we wanted them to feel like different sections. I think the end result culminates sonically and still feels a little unsettled with the unanswered “Is it over / Are we over?”.

Stream/buy JUNKIE here…


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THE MANDEVILLES: Instagram – Facebook – Website – Spotify

Artwork and photo: Lauren Garbutt