Knockout Tracks

Turn Up The Volume’s 20 KNOCKOUT TRACKS Of The Month – MAY 2022

Posted on by JL

A stream of rattling rippers, jagged jams, and romantic reveries

All 20 knockouts together on Spotify…

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Knockout by Knockout…

1. ‘Shaman’ by THE CHRONICLES OF MANIMAL AND SAMARA (London)

Shaman progresses like a vicious viper working its way to a grandiose climax. Determined, but always wary of sudden danger. Shaman dumbfounds and flummoxes while the song’s tension intensifies and has a spine-chilling effect. From the duo’s upcoming album Trust No Leaders, out 1st of July.

Watch the grandiose video clip…

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2. ‘Welcome To Hell’ by BLACK MIDI (UK)

The band’s third LP, baptized Hellfire is ready for release on 15th July.

The first single is a screwy zig-zagging masterstroke doing your head in.

Hell yeah…

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3. ‘It’s The Truth’ by DION LUNADON (New Zealand)

Echoes like a neurotic chainsaw flare-up.

A roaring riff slashes and thrashes throughout this psych-o-tic hellraiser. Add Lunadon‘s freakish vocals and you know that this brainbreaker will test the resilience of your stereo. Fucktastic! From new album Beyond Everything

Probably your favorite nightmare…

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4. ‘Zick Zack’ by RAMMSTEIN (Germany)

The bombastic German metal machine have
a new, their 8th, longplayer out, called Zeit.

Their same old recipe still works.

My fav sledgehammer on the LP is Zick Zack.

Ridiscouly infectious
Great Scheiße shit!

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5. ‘Troglodyte’ by VIAGRA BOYS (Sweden)

The Swedish mavericks have their 3rd full length Cave World out on 8 July.

But first this hot-blooded straightforward snorter. Gabba Gabba Viagra!

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6. ‘Nice Guy’ by FAB THE DUO (Los Angeles)

“Be You. Be Proud. And Be Loud!” is the duo’s motto.
So, I guess you know what to expect.

Sounds like a punked-up Weezer juggernaut.
This bang-on master blaster is bitch of a slam dunk.

Get up, stand up and fight for your right to be a nice guy…

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7. ‘Striking Like Thunder’ by LOWERY MILLS (Canada)

This thunder and lighting corker strikes big time from the first chord on, to the final one. Classic riffage rock with an anthemic plangency, a flaming drive, and a mammoth chorus. Add aroused vocals and the overall result is an ear-popping champion you’ll have on repeat for a while.

Titanic score.

Rock out…

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8.’Digging’ by NOTHINGHEADS (London)

These DIY misfits have a new 5-track EP out, titled DIGGING.
You can buy it on Bandcamp.

My numero uno cracker is the title track.

The band’s frontman sounds like his own meanest demon.
Threatening and ready to kick badasses. This uppercut goes
mental on schizophrenic guitars and merciless drums.

Get electrified here…

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9. ‘Not For You’ by JANIS (Berlin, Germany)

To hell with all ruthless power abusers. That’s the central sharp-cutting message
of this new Janis jackhammer that causes a racing rush of blood through your veins.

This cocksure swipe is stoked up by jagged guitars,
by a steadfast drums/bass force, and by biting vocals.

Fuck Putin!

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10. ‘Contagious’ by MIMOSA (Sheffield, UK)

What do you think of this? Topliners Arctic Monkeys turning up their amps or Liverpool legends The La’s if they would have been a rapid-fire punk turbo. Sounds insane, right?
You bet.

Spiky guitars zigzagging madly all over the place, John Bonham-like
drum brutality hits hard, and Alex Turner‘s younger brother is singing.

Be ready to move like a nutter on
a pogo stick. Contagious pyrotechnics.

Blitz-tastic…

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11. ‘The Frequency’ by RICHES

Dream pop splendor in motion, with shiny synths, bouncy basslines,
laid-back drums, sensual vocals, and majestic orchestration. This winsome
humdinger will find its way to your yearning heart and your restless soul.

Right here…

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12. Up The Mountain’ by REGINA SPEKTOR (Russia/America)

Spektor will make her fans happy with Home, Before And After.
Her 7h longplayer landing on 24 June.

Ahead of it this sublime pop pearl. Frisky and catchy.

Enjoy…

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13. ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ by SAM CASEY (Toronto)

This timeless Etta James gem is 55 years old. It was written
by Ellington Jordan and co-credited to Billy Foster and James.

Songstress Sam Casey‘s heart-and-soul touching rendition
sends shivers down your spine, with her goosebumps voice.

Casey about the video: It feels so vulnerable to see the results of my raw emotion and struggle that this is almost difficult to watch. As soon as we started filming, the lyrics (and most likely, the fact that I was crying between takes) took everyone to this dark yet loving place where tears were being shed, but there were hugs and kisses floating around all night.”

Magnific…

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14. ‘Desert Storm’ by HOLY COVES (Wales)

Desert Storm is a psychedelic thrill with the hypnotizing and repetitive dynamism
of Krautrock. Its vibrant vigor and steadfast swagger roll all the way.

Pounding drums push the track continuously, guitars glimmer,
and febrile vocals add a shadowy timbre. Bingo.

What you hear
is what you get…

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15. ‘The Order’ by MEAR (Toronto)

This synth dream-pop duo has their
debut album Soft Chaines out now.

A gripping work inspired by physical pain leading to psychological pain feeding doubt, despair, and anguish. Often musicians use their work to process adversity. That’s what happens on this album. The layered synth orchestrations add melancholic warmth and here and their guitars gently weep while Miller‘s voice is the wandering star in the middle. An enticing debut with a harrowing, human touch.

My favorite piece of the record is the opener The Order.

A shadowy musing with sparkling synths…

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16. ‘Boltfor’ by MOGWAI (Scotland)

Last year the Scottish veterans excited critics and
fans with their 10th LP As The Love Continues.

One song, from the same sessions, didn’t make the album as it wasn’t finished yet at the time. But it’s now ready to meet the world. It’s classic Mogwai euphony with swelling layers of synths, sheeny guitars, and slow-paced drums. The finale is just Homeric.

And a great video too…

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17. ‘Sunbleached’ by TIDAL WAVE (Canada)

Twinkling guitars draw you into this touchy-feely daydream from the get-go. The color is blue, the melody is melancholic, the voice is wondering. This is a shoegazy gem for heavyhearted hearts and vulnerable souls, a soothing score for all romantics among us. The vibe is idyllic, the tone is hazy, the end result is just wondrous.

Listen/watch and feel better…

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18. ‘Special Satellite’ by SUBATOMIC SATELLITE (Belgium)

I’m sure you know that feeling of awakening in the morning and your first thought is ‘I don’t want to get up and face the cruel world, out there, today‘. But some smart cells in your brains tell you that you have no choice as you can’t escape reality. Not today, not tomorrow, never.

That very moment smooth and soft shanties like this one help you to ease your
moody state of mind. By mingling shimmery guitar sparks, shooting synths, spirited melodiousness, and comforting vocals in a happy-go-lucky way you can imagine you’re
on a special satellite where life colors pink again.

Lou Reed called it the satellite of love.

Press play here…

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19. ‘The Getaway’ by THE AFGHAN WHIGS (Ohio)

The passionate rockers announced their 9th LP, named
HOW DO YOU BURN? I’ll land on 9/11.

After the lead firework single I’ll Make You See God
Greg Dulli and Co
slow down for this evocative lullaby…

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20. ‘Anything’ by SHARON VAN ETTEN (New Jersey)

The wonderful songstress released her new longplayer
We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong earlier this month.

One of the highlights is this longing love song…

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See/hear you next month, music junkies

Turn Up The Volume’s 20 KNOCKOUT TRACKS Of The Month – APRIL 2022

Posted on by JL

A stream of rattling rippers, jagged jams, and romantic reveries

All 20 together on Spotify…

.
Knockout by Knockout…

1. ‘TV Or Not TV’ by JODIE LANGFORD (UK)

Langford rages with barbed wire temper towards the
supersonic chorus that resonates like hardcore rap.

This aggressive cry out  is a rushing rollercoaster, swinging
forth and back with grim impetus until the gloomy piano
climax.

TV or not TV, that’s the question?

Start the tsunami of words…

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2. ‘The Chefs Song’ by THE CHRONICLES OF MANIMAL AND SAMARA (Singapore/Italy)

Another new cut from the upcoming full length, another astounding
hellraiser swinging your mind from left to right and back, from Samara‘s
sort of vocal broadcasting performance to Manimal‘s death metal
snarls and back.

130 seconds of intimidating thunder-and-lighting brouhaha.

A merciless brainbreaker. From their
2nd, upcoming LP Trust No Leaders.

Let’s cook…

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3. ‘Ain’t No Thief’ by VIAGRA BOYS (Sweden)

Viagra Boys are buzzing and fuzzing, once again,
on this new beast of a speed-up juggernaut.

New album Cave World is out in July.

Steal the track here…

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4. ‘Cheer-Up’ by MEMES (Glasgow, Scotland)

This garage-post-punk-riff turbo took Belgium by storm,
a couple of weeks ago. and left some room on the stage
for my little dance.

I propose to all rawk ‘n roll junks out there to find yourself
a podium to jump on. Trust me, it’ll cheer you up in these
bloody messy times.

Bring a pogo stick along…

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5. ‘The Dripping’ by KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD (Australia)

This 18-minute psych-o-delic marathon alone counts for 1 LP.
Holy smoke, these tireless Aussies confirm again that they are
razor-edged riff fanatics.

From the band’s 22nd album in 10 years!
Omnium Gatherum is out now.

Head-spinning and hair-splitting insanity…


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6. ‘Do You Pray?’ by TESS PARKS (Toronto/London)

This rollicksome ripsnorter is from Parks’ new LP
‘And Those Who Were Seen Dancing’.

Pushed by a one-note, boogie-woogie piano touch (played by Parks‘ father on her grandfather’s piano – wow, that’s cool) that I couldn’t get out of my head anymore after
a couple of spins. I can’t get her husky, sensual voice out of my mind either, but that’s already been for several years now.

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7. ‘Work It Out’ by CHEROKEE DEATH CATS (Sweden)

Combine the filthy psychobilly swagger of The Cramps, the black-leather
rockabilly of The Raveonettes and the blues-rock coolness of The Kills, and
I am sure you can work out for yourself what will blast out of your
stereo in a minute.

Yes, a sick riff stunner with a speedy version of The Stones’ unforgettable
‘woo woo, woo woo‘ chant on Sympathy For The Devil when the chorus
comes on strong.

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8. ‘Eris’ by VIOLET NOX (Boston)

My favorite track from this experimental electro
duo’s new, excellent album Eris Awakes.

They compose their spaced-out symphonies in an electronic universe of
their own where ambient music shines in all its different reverberations.

Like with this one…


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9. ‘Baby’ by MONOKINO (The Netherlands)

A splendid corker going full steam from the kick-off.
No brakes, no breaks for this blistering bolide.

Hair in the wind, foot on the pedal, going nowhere fast.

Hungry guitars, Billy Idol-esque vocals, magnetic melody.
Don’t feel sad if you’re alone at home, you can dance with
yourself to this pick-me-up thrill.

The video is created by van Wetering, made entirely of ASCII characters
and has a stylistic kind of retro-futurism perfectly befitting of his sound.

The video is created by van Wetering, made entirely of ASCII characters and
has a stylistic kind of retro-futurism perfectly befitting of his sound.

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10. ‘The Hog’ by WOLF VAN WYMEERSCH (Belgium)

Van Wymeersch masters the art of writing smooth, instantly
appealing songs you can play any time of the day.

His crooner voice, the easy-listing construction of his compositions and the gracious orchestrations transfer you to a place where reality fades away and makes room for
sepia-colored memories. As I said before Wolf is a romantic at heart.

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11. ‘Little High Little Low’ by THE ROYAL FOUNDRY (Canada)

I love this adrenalizing booster. Makes me smile from left to right and back.

The little low verses are alternated with a little high chorus, actually a euphoric
resonating high. Feels terrific, for hungry ears and restless minds. This caring
tandem knows what pop-ular music is about. Upper tunes, upper emotions
and upper choruses.

Here we go, high and low…

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12. ‘Mascara’ by IT IT ANITA (Liege, Belgium)

After last year’s clashing and crashing album Sauvé
IIAA came back a few weeks ago, with a new (double)
single with missile Mascare as the first one.

They are racing like a blustery bulldozer on speed, riffing and
screaming their lungs out like madmen is what IIAA is. I’m a
longtime fan of these manic motherrockers on record and
on stage. So should you be(come).

Turn up the heat, guys…


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13. ‘We Are Ukrainian’ by OSCAR MIC (London)

London’s rapper OSCAR MIC decided to write and release a song
for Ukraine after witnessing on the news the horrific violence and
criminal civilian targeting of Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion.

All proceeds of the song go to Save The Children’s Ukraine Appeal.

The rad result is WE ARE UKRAINIAN. A tremendously catchy hip-rap-pop
jam featuring steel drums and timpani balancing somewhere between Roots
Manuva and Mr. Scruff. Top tune.

To hell with Putin…


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14. ‘Ain’t No Grave’ by ANNA CALVI (London)

My, oh my! Calvi rocks out with punchy potency on this whisking wallop.
With feverish vocals, she rolls over that good old, irresistible Batman theme.

And when she lets her guitar go berserk
I decided to have this pumped-up stonker
on repeat for multiple times.

Here’s why…

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15. ‘Porcelain’ by PRINCIPE VALIENTE (Sweden)

If you combine Interpol‘s hypnotic guitar romanticism, and their frontman Paul Banks‘ mesmeric vocal timbre and you add your own heart and soul as a band, you have all
my attention. That’s what happens on Porcelain, a standout track from the group’s tremendous new album Barricades.

Time to turn up the bright lights.
Principe Valiente know exactly how to switch them on.

Enjoy…

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16. ‘Worthless Souls’ by MELTED WINGS (Toronto, Ontario)

An addictive synth stomper inviting you to throw your furniture out of the window
to make some room, to hang a disco ball on the ceiling, and rotate yourself dizzy.

Here, now…

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17. ‘Always Together With You’ by SPIRITUALIZED (UK)

Jason Pierce and his orchestra released e new longplayer, named
Everything Was Beautiful a vintage Spiritualized symphonic
achievment.

One of the highlights is this one…

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18. ‘Here Nor There’ by SEADOG (Brighton, UK)

Seadog create a little head-in-the-clouds world of their own.

One you can hide in, and doze for a couple of minutes, to forget about
the worrying times we live in. Titillating melodiousness, sparkling synth-pop
catchiness and feather-light vocals are the fitting ingredients that evoke
that pleasurable dream-away feel.

Press play and close your eyes…

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19. ‘Still Life’ by OLI SPLEEN (Brighton, UK)

A personal story about suffering and surviving. Both somber and hopeful.
Arresting voice, open-hearted reverie, a touching thing of beauty.

The title track from Spleen‘s new, equally impressive album.


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20. ‘All The Good Times’ by ANGEL OLSEN (US)

It’s an epic ballad with a country feel. If this melancholic gem was written
in the 60s it would have been sung by Linda Rondstadt, Tammy Waynette
or Dolly Parton, anyway, by an angelic voice like Olsen‘s magnific one.

A genuine tearjerker…

See/hear you next month, music junkies…

Turn Up The Volume’s 20 KNOCKOUT TRACKS Of The Month – MARCH 2022

Posted on by JL

A stream of rattling rippers, jagged jams, and romantic reveries

All 20 together on Spotify…

.
Knockout by Knockout…

1. ‘Twitchen’ In The Kitchen’ by WARMDUSCHER (UK)

Disco-freak stomper of the month, hands down. This new punky-funky corker follows
the previous 2 shared crackers Wild Flowers and Fatso. They will all be on their upcoming album At the Hot Spot, out tomorrow, 1 April (no joke).

It’s a bangin’ beast with a screamin’ chorus. A perfect pick-me-up tune for all the weirdos
who are always in the kitchen at parties waiting for Warmduscher to kick their lazy asses.

Shake your booty…

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2. ‘I Am Not Maternal’ by OTOBOKE BEAVER (Japan)

Compared to this Japanese red-hot-bloody fury the Ramones sound like choirboys.
Otobeke Beaver‘s race and rush in an overwhelming overdrive. No brakes, no breaks.

Their rabidity rolls like a tsunami through your ears. These perky punkettes produce
moshpit madness on the spot. The average song length is 2 minutes, 120 seconds
of clamorous pandemonium.

New album SUPER CHAMPON out on 6 May 2022

These frenetic champ(i)ons rule…

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3. ‘Territorial Call Of The Female’ by BODEGA (Brooklyn, NY)

The New Yorkers still operate on Parquet Courts’ playground with their new,
2nd full-length Broken Equipment. But they supersized their jangly beats
and they turned up the temperature.

Territorial Call Of The Female is my favorite cut. It activates
every muscle and every nerve in my itching body.

What about you?…


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4. ‘Post Punk’ by THE CRYSTAL METHOD feat. IGGY POP

Scott Kirkland (the remaining member of Las Vegas dance act The Crystal Method)
invited icon Iggy Pop (you can hear him almost any day on a new collaboration, the
past few years) and his British buddy, composer/DJ Hyper in his studio.

The raving result is a techno boom boost, bursting all the way, with Pop‘s voice
strangled by a blender. Sounds spooky, sounds wicked, sounds like lust for life.

Breaking news: Iggy says he’s not a punk anymore!

“I don’t want to be a punk
I don’t want to belong to any of it
I just want to be”

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5. ‘Hi-De-Ho’ by JACK WHITE feat. Q-TIP (UK)

Busy blues-rock bee Jack White canned two new longplayers for this year, titled
Fear Of The Dawn (out 8 April 2022) and Entering Heaven Alive (out 22 July 2022)

The hottest cut I heard so far is Hi-De-Ho (from ‘Fear Of The Dawn’ LP) featuring Q.Tip.

A smoking rock-rap ripper.

Yessssss…

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6. ‘I’ll Make You See God’ by THE AFGHAN WHIGS (USA)

The by now legendary passion rockers from Cincinnati, Ohio with mastermind
Greg Dulli in control are back from being away for 5 years. Their last album
In Spades came out in 2017.

I’ll Make You See God a striking steamroller, a red-hot-heated stunner, an unstoppable
cannonball going everywhere fast. It will feature in the upcoming PlayStation game
Gran Turismo 7.

See/hear God here…

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7. ‘Nothing Comes Good Easy’ by DEAD LEVEE (Canada)

Wowzer! This sickly uplifting belter (from upcoming EP Rise-Up) elevates your state of mind with fired-up dynamism from the get-go. Rapid-fire rawk and roll riffs switch on a fervent feel of euphoria. It did it in the past, it does it in the present and it will do it in
the future.

Despite all the BS we have to endure (pandemic, Ukraine, natural disasters,
and other threats) it’s never too late to get back on track and why not start
with 4 and a half minutes of heart-warming guitar-fueled boogie-woogie
that breathes hope and assurance.

1-2-3….

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8. ‘Digging’ by NOTHINGHEADS (UK)

Once I learned that this startling uppercut is about the horrible
exploitation of human beings by ferocious money sharks this
jagged jackhammer blew my mind even harder than I heard it
the first time before knowing about the band’s inspiration
for this standout.

Expect rabid guitars, doom and gloom vocals, and frantic twists and turns
until the chaotic finale. Post-punk at its razorblade best. Think fierce Canadian
turbine Metz and London‘s up-and-coming gunslingers Crows.

Dynamite!


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9. ‘Breaking Grounds‘ by SALEM WOLVES (Salem, MA)

This fiery crackerjack goes forth and back with
turbulent velocity. Imagine the full of vim and vigor
intenseness and puissant vocality of The Afghan Whigs.
Anxious, unyielding, and ablaze.

Breaking Grounds races like a rush of blood to the head with
screaming guitars and propelling drum muscularity.

Turn it up, guys…


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10. ‘The Girls Of LA’ by WEIMAR (Manchester, UK)

The first taster from the upcoming debut full-length Dancing On A Volcano.

Imagine the fervid fuzz of punchy guitar pop legends Buzzcocks, with
The Stranglers’ Jean-Jacques Burnel on bass, combined with the cutting
verbality of today’s post-Brexit-punk rebirth and you know a frisky doozy
is coming your way.

Add some American-dream girls of the City of Angles on your imaginary
mind-screen and you’re about to start a champagne party in your head.

Drool here…


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11. ‘The Slump’ by SKINNER (Dublin, Ireland)

The combination of a nasty Gang Of Four bass riff,
frenzied Keith Levene guitars here and there and Skinner
hip-hop-rapping like Beck used to do, works like an ecstatic
upper.

This funk-punk stonker has an immediate intensifying impact on all of your
limbs and your bloodstream’s flow. Add some sexy sax thrills to the mix and
you’ll have all you need to jump out of your slump. Capice?

Make your move here…

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12. ‘Sight Unseen’ by EX-HYENA (Boston, US)

Cut from their sophomore album
‘Moon Reflections’, out on June 24

A rotating synth riff echoes British electro legends New Order and
is the beating heart of this new piece, yet the mood is meditative
and musing, strengthened by the near-whispering and eager vocals.
This darksome and soul-searching reverie gets under your skin after
a couple of spins.


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13. ‘The Hurt Within’ by HOLY COVES (Wales)

This impassioned hard-luck story grows slowly but surely into a soul-stirring and mesmerising heartbreaker with an epic finale. Glowing guitars, a steady drumbeat,
and mixed emotions vocals all come together for a poignant performance.

‘Love Is Cruel / The Hurt Within’. You can feel it.

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14. ‘White Skin’ by THE BANKROBBER (Italy)

You’ll hear titillating electro-echoes of early Depeche Mode before
they became the darkwave Goth-esque rockers we all know. But
in an eye-blink White Skin becomes an infectious nightclub earworm
with an ecstatic chorus.

In a normal world (does that actually exists?) this adrenaline-infused
and hip-swinging spark should top the dance charts around the globe.

Another solid gold hit for the Italian siblings.

Press play and move your feet…

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15. ‘Nice Guy’ by BURN THE LOUVRE (Canada)

The musical project of singer/songwriter Jordan Speare
assisted by guitarist/bassist and friend Andrew Billone.

After a couple of EPs the pair’s canned their first longplayer
called Silhouettes. Release at the end of the year.

I don’t know if it’s the world-famous and historic museum in Paris
they want to burn, that wouldn’t be so nice. What I do know is that their
brisk and spirited sound is infectious and captivating with an immediate
impact on your body’s movements. Expect guitar pop electricity, extra
pushed by lively vocals.

Now that’s nice…


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16. ‘Life And Lies’ by LEE ROGERS (Northern Ireland)

The Americana voice of Northern Ireland releases
his new album Gameblood on 13 May.

Ahead of it came this mixed emotions single with
Rogers‘ sky-reaching voice as the star, once again.

It’s a bluesy goosebumps reflection. Wurlitzer jukeboxes should be reinvented
for these heartbreakers so moody minds can cry their eyes out (or cry in their beer)
at night in a downtown bar where lonely ones gather and chat about life and lies.

This one is for all barflies out there…

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17. ‘Set It Aside’ by SUPERCHUNK (US)

The veteran rockers from North Carolina released
their 11th LP Wild Loneliness
a couple of weeks ago.

One of the highlights is this sweet little ditty.

Start dreaming here…


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18. ‘Blood’ by AGATH CRIST (Canada)

A poppy synth trip with a floating flow and near-whispering vocals. Both eerie and affecting, both dizzy and hypnotic with a frenetic guitar attack coming out of nowhere around the 3-minute mark.

Top stroke…

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19. ‘Do It Over’ by THE DISTRICTS (Philly, US)

The Philly rockers are favorites of mine. Early this month they launched
their 5th LP Great American Painting with this little touching jewel on…


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20. ‘All The Good Times’ by ANGEL OLSEN (USA)

It’s an epic ballad with a country feel. If this melancholic gem was written
in the 60s it would have been sung by Linda Rondstadt, Tammy Waynette
or Dolly Parton, anyway, by an angelic voice like Olsen‘s magnific one.

Classic tearjerker…

See/hear you next month, music junkies

Turn Up The Volume’s 20 KNOCKOUT TRACKS Of The Month – FEBRUARY 2022

Posted on by JL

A stream of rattling rippers, jagged jams, and romantic reveries

All 20 together on Spotify…

.
Knockout by knockout…

1. ‘Demolition Row’ by METZ (Canada)

The hard-hitting Canadian bolide is on a supersonic roll here, rockin’
their tails off. Full blast ahead, no brakes, no looking back. Holy smoke!

The track comes as a vinyl 7″ split with British
band Adulkt Life. Out 4 March, buy here.

Holy guacamole…


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2. ‘I Am Kate Moss’ by DITZ (Brighton, UK)

“The best band in the world” according to Joe Talbot (frontman of Idles).

I Am Kate Moss will be on this ace indie mavericks’ upcoming
debut LP The Great Regression, out at the end of this week.

Order info here.

If your ears are looking for some badass fireworks you really should
play Kate Moss out loud. She’ll turn the heat up the way you like it.

C’mon, Kate…

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3. ‘Room 165’ by CROWS (London, UK)

James Cox (frontman): ““I used to be quite obsessed with true crime, and this song was
kind of born out of researching H.H Holmes and the World Trades Hotel in the 1860’s where
he would murder people staying at his hotel informally called ‘The Murder Castle’. I also got quite obsessed with a faith healer from the early 1900’s called Reverend Major Jealous Divine and reading transcripts of his old sermons, so this is basically just a weird amalgamation of mad shit I read about.”

Post-punk at its psych-o-tic best…

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4. ‘Digging’ by NOTHINGHEADS (London, UK)

A wham-bloody-bam drum intro, scorching guitars, filthy grooves, angry vocals,
all in just 50 seconds. Sounds like Nick Cave and his freakish gang The Birthday Party
are back with a filthy blues-injected blast. If you like creepy doom and gloom hullabaloo from a smelly basement you’ll love this to death.

Release the bats…

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5. ‘Cream’ by BOTCHED TOE (UK)

A razorblade uppercut as intimidating as a bulldozer and
cutting as a Swiss knife. No rest for the wicked. One of the
clamorous highlights of these hardcore junks’ debut album
A False Glimmer Of Hope.

Go bonkers, folks…


.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

6. ‘Junk Man’ by JON SPENCER & THE HITMAKERS (US)

Garage blues-rock junk Jon Spencer is back in town.
This time with his HITmakers. This razzle-dazzle cracker
is pushed by a bouncy synth touch and, schizophrenic
guitars and, of course, Spencer‘s freaky vocals.

Turn it up…

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

7. ‘Staring Into The Sun’ by 50 FOOT WAVE (USA)

The wonderful Kristin Hersh has an impressive résume.
10 albums with Throwing Muses, 10 solo albums and one
full LP and several EPs with 50 Foot Wave (trio with
Throwing Muses‘ bassist Bernard Georges).

And Hersh doesn’t think about retiring yet, she never will.
A new 7-track 50 Foot Wave album, entitled Black Pearl
comes our way on 15 April. Order info here.

Taster Staring Into The Sun is, a boisterous and metallic
slo-mo groove with a hammering beat, pumped-up guitars,
and Hersh’s manic vocals augmenting the shadowy tone of
this belter.

So what’s next for 50 Foot Wave? Playing at
metalfest Aftershock in Sacramento in October?


.
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8. ‘Clowns For President’ by BAD SKIN (Montreal, CA)

Think legendary gritty grrrls Bikini Kill having a ball with
Pussy Riot while kicking Russian president Putin up the ass.
These 4 steamy sisters in punchy punk crime buzz and fuzz
like a hot rod on the run.

Bad Skin storm full steam ahead with front Amazon Dope sneering
like a raging riot grrrl. Yep, Dope is dope. And this stunning stonker
is dope too!

To hell with Putin…

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

9. ‘Alone Again’ by AVA VOX (Dublin, Ireland)

Sounds like Patti Smith‘s Because The Night ends in a painful break-up
for the lovers. Ava Vox‘s heartache vocality and hurt timbre emphasise
the confused state of mind of the abused one and the melodramatic
sonic boom of this emotional eruption expresses sorrow, distress,
and angst. Another gripping Vox piece.

Affecting performance…


.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

10. ‘This Cost Of Life’ by TIDAL WAVE (Toronto, CA)

Oh my, oh my. This sky-reaching gem left me out of breath after just one spin.

A tower of a song with an imposing impact. A masterstroke that explodes after the foreplay-intro and moves up and down like a roller coaster. Stellar tune, stellar sound, stellar guitars, stellar emotions, and a stellar chorus. Anthemically orchestrated with goosebumps arrangments. I’m quite sure their awesome fellowmen Arcade Fire would
like this grand exploit.

Here‘s why…

.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

11. ‘Fear Of The Dawn’ by JACK WHITE (Detroit, US)

The former white stripe plans the release of two
albums this year. Fear Of Of The Dawn, out 8 April
and Entering Heaven Alive, out 22 July.

Here comes the title track of the first LP.
Expect 120 seconds of flaming guitar
hysteria with White going totally blue…

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

12. ‘Back To The Radio’ by PORRIDGE RADIO (Brighton, UK)

The lead-single of new, upcoming full-length album
Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky out
in May.

This is one of those songs that hypnotise from the get-go
to the eager finale. A feverish chant, one long chorus with
Marglin‘s delirious voice causing goosebumps.

Stupendous stroke…

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

13. ‘Alone’ by STALKER (Sweden)

This is classic heavy metal. Huge sound, huge vocals, huge tune
with a huge chorus. If you’re a metal addict you will not mind if this
Swedish hit team stalks you. After an ominous violin intro, all burners
are on and frontman Michael Storck’s overwhelming pipes take over.

Self-titled debut longplayer comes on
11th February 2022 via WormHoleDeath.

Holy shit!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

14. ‘Colorful White Lies’ by ELECTRIC HIGH (Bergen, Norway)

After a dancey handclap intro, it’s all burners on with
a headbanging impact. Heavy boogie drones to play air
guitar to, in front of the mirror.

Echoes of muscular American motherrockers – like Van Halen,
Sammy Hagar and Aerosmith – are all over the heated place.

Add firm Lynryd Skynyrd harmonies and you know you’ll
have this blaring beast on your speakers for quite some time.

Press the start button here…


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15. ‘Hostile Music’ by SALEM WOLVES (Boston, MA)

This boiling-hot-cooking stroke hit me and my ears from
the moment the first chord blasted out of my shaking stereo.

Ardent anxiety and edgy excitability dominate this fanatical
outburst. And when the hair-rising chorus erupts you’ll
go mental just as these wolves do.

Right here, right now…

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

16. ‘Love Burns’ by ODAWIN (Italy)

A twist and turn prog-pop-rock composition bringing legends
Genesis (early years with Peter Gabriel) and YES (with voice Jon Anderson)
to mind. My favorite cut from Odawin‘s triumphant debut EP ‘Untitled.

.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

17. ‘Golden Apple’ by HVIRESS (Brighton, UK)

Sensual, puzzling, tempting, synth-matic,
imaginative, seductive, esoteric, and relaxing.

HVIRESS are here to stay.

The ladies have once again teamed up with Scott Chalmers
to create an unsettling music video that leaves the viewer
pondering what they’ve just seen, a perfect partner to
the song’s opening lines…

“What is it that you see? It almost seems unreal
What is responsible for all the things you feel”

______________________________________________________________________________________________

18. ‘Impossible’ by RÖYSKOPP and ALISON GOLDFRAPP (Norway / UK)

Norway’s synth heroes teamed up with the gorgeous
Alison Goldfrapp for this trippy and sultry dance thrill.

Shake your booty, ladies and gents…

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

19. ‘Shallow Graves’ by THE MINIMUM WAGE (Ontario, CA)

This riff-rowdy ripper flames with fervid fervency and resonates
as if Bob Mould was invited to play guitar. Ace tune, towering
sound, impassioned vocals, and a sickly sticky chorus.

Just what you need to activate your serotonin production.
Maximum result for a minimum wage.

Be yourself, stay yourself…

.
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20. ‘Hello Dreamer Baby’ by THE ROYAL FOUNDRY (Canada)

This is what ecstatic pop grandeur is all about. Music that elevates
your state of mind to a titillating level. This new majestic single
generates a spellbinding buzz we all can use in these difficult
pandemic times.

When the multi-layered vocals/harmonies kick in, a gospel-like choir delight
creates an atmosphere of utter joy comparable with the euphoric drive of
The Polyphonic Spree. Vitalizing vibe, refreshing rapture.

Enjoy here…

See/hear you next month, music junkies

Turn Up The Volume’s 20 KNOCKOUT TRACKS Of The Month – JANUARY 2021

Posted on by JL

Turn Up The Volume‘s 20 Knockout Tracks for January 2022!

A stream of rattling rippers, jagged jams, and romantic reveries.

All 20 together on Spotify…

.
Here, knockout by knockout…

1. ‘Slowly Separate’ by CROWS (London)

Kamikaze guitars, boiling bluster, insane vocals. The London’s post-punks
are back with a holy smoke hammer as a warm-up for their second LP,
titled Beware Believers, out 1st of April.

I know it’s only January, but this is//will
be one of the best singles of 2022.

Bonkers time…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ‘Piggy’ by SKUNK ANANSIE  (UK)

After 28 years, Skunk Anansie still is a massively popular band with Skin
screaming her lungs on this new killer single as if she’s still 28 years herself.
‘Piggy’ is an enraged eruption calling out all incompetent governments,
specifically UK’s short-sighted Brexit statesmen.

This red-hot-blistering shock wave explodes like
a metallic bomb with a volcanic Skin chorus.

Yeahhhhhh…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ‘Battery Not Included‘ by Ho99o9 (Los Angeles)

The industrial crossover punks scream that they
hate techno shit before going totally berserk
on this new slam dunk.

Ever had an electric chair experience?
Me neither, but I’m sure it sounds
like this…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. ‘Pour Another’ by YARD ACT (Leeds, UK)

These politically charged indie gunslingers from Leeds are the talk-of-the-town
lately. Every music website/zine is raving about, them. Their dazzling debut longplayer entered the British charts on #2 last weekend. One of the highlights is this bass-driven jackhammer. Infectious from the kick-off.

Topnotch…

.

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5. ‘Mañana’ by JAMES DOMESTIC (Essex/Suffolk, UK)

A sirens intro, David Bowie‘s saxophone, and steel drums straight from Trinidad. Sounds like an exotic swing and shake ditty is coming up. No folks, it’s a lazy rap-sody you can play the morning after a drinking marathon. A slow start to get out of bed and sober up. Soul voice Clare Gillet takes care of the chirpy chorus and finally Domestic gets up for a couple of Mañana shouts.

Get up and move, ladies and gents…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. ‘Dead Weight’ by PLEASURE CRAFT (Toronto, CA)

After a ghostly intro, the drone machine starts up hitting like
a massive sledgehammer with an industrial exuberance. Merciless
and puissant. No rest for the wicked. Think The Horrors and NIN.

A master blaster! Absobloodylutely!


.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. ‘Fatso’ by WARMDUSCHER (London, UK)

Following in the soundsteps of legendary mega-funk-groover Sly Stone with
a 21st Century post-punk coolness and a pumped-up synth-tastic puissance
this London combo activates all of your muscles, your bloodstream, and your
appetite for behaving like a midnight rambler.

This mid-tempo disco jam helps you to keep in shape at your hot spot
at home until the nightclubs reopen. It’s a Warmduscher affair, folks.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. ‘Green Goddess’ by SEA POWER (UK)

Socially engaged indie pop-rockers who started their journey back in 2003.
In the very beginning, they operated as British Air Power, but changed it quickly
to British Sea Power. But last summer the band announced another name change,
dropping ‘British‘.

Their new, 7th full-length, titled Everything Was Forever lands on 11 February.
With new single Green Goddess they do what they do best, writing anthemic pop
tunes that stick after one play.

Yeeees…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. ‘La Fusée Du Chagrin’ by ELEPHANT STONE (Canada)

After a 5-4-3-2-1 countdown this rocket blasts into space with supersonic speed.
No looking back, full steam ahead, pushed by a banging drum/bass beat and crazed guitars. Somewhere in the middle, it’s time to reload the batteries and start all over
again fueled by swirling synths et les dernier mots de M. Lonely.

Psychedelia at its mind-boggling best.
Un coup de poing formidable!

________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. ‘The Magic’ by EELS (Los Angeles)

Eels made another Eels album sounding like an Eels album.
But as Mark Oliver Everett moves and grooves, rocks and rolls
like in the good days Extreme Witchcraft feels like he’s having fun,
although you never know for sure with his capricious state of mind.

The Magic is definitely my favorite piece…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. ‘Farewell, OK’ by ELVIS COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS (UK)

Two weeks ago Costello released his 32nd album called
The Boy Named If. And it’s a triumph, praised by the press
and my ears.

Elvis rocks big time again…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. ‘Capture The Stills’ by EX-HYENA (Boston)

This twilight hallucination resonates as the shadowy side of Depeche Mode
and the enigmatic darkwave murk of The Soft Moon. The iterating synth-riff
at work here gets under your skin without asking. The atmosphere is impending,
the tone is obscure, the color is black. All you need for a sonic nightmare.

New cut from the Boston duo’s forthcoming
sophomore album Moon Reflections.

Quite special…


.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. ‘Planningtochange’ by ANIKA and PLANNINGTOROCK

This is a rotating remix of the title track of Anika‘s excellent album
released last year. British electronic musician Planningtorock
turned the song into a trippy and vibrant electro beat-breaker.

Anika‘s distorted voice changes the mood
of the original recording. More mystifying,
more mysterious.

Catch the change…


.
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14. ‘How To Breathe’ by GRAMMONTH (Belgium)

The smooth pop elegance of Kevin Parker (Tame Impala), the mellow
vocality of Adam Granduciel (The War Drugs) and his twinkling guitar
play to end this sweet little pearl. Sonic dreaming at its finest with
a tantalizing pearl that gets under your skin, slowly but surely. Top!

Breathe here…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. ‘Scream Quietly’ by REVOLUTION ABOVE DISORDER (Dublin, Ireland)

This is the moniker of Vancouver-based Dubliner Stephen Nicholas White describes
himself as a post-punk/nugaze/electro artist. This new single circles around a repetitive
guitar riff and shiny synths with Eels echoes. Magnetic, hypnotic, and mesmeric.

Press play here…


.
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16. ‘Delusion Spree’ by EADES (Leeds, UK)

In the past few years, another Britwave of young rousing wolves
has emerged and looks to turn into a sonic tsunami. Black Midi,
Black Country New Road, Black Honey, Fontaines D.C. (I know they’re
Irish), Yard Act, and several more prove that guitar rock is
alive and kicking again.

Now you can add Leeds’ hungry squad Eades. With
6-track EP Abstract Education EP, released last Spring,
they made it loud and clear they’re not a one-trick pony.

Here’s sonic proof…


.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

17. ‘You The People’ by VONAMOR (Italy)

This is a mindboggling knockout. You The People starts as a meditative harbinger
for a mindboggling sonic orgasm midway, inflamed by whamming percussion, an
ear-shattering guitar explosion, and haunting male/female, English/Italian vocals
before an abrupt comedown ends this rad rush of blood to the head. Wow!

Listen here, people

________________________________________________________________________________________________

18. ‘Gallows’ by VAZUM

Gallows progresses like a death march, on its way to the graveyard,
with a somber and macabre reverberation. Its repetitive and raucous
slo-mo dynamics evoke images of confusion, agitation, and transitoriness.

Get lost in the woods…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

19. ‘Happy Birthday Forever’ by TESS PARKS (Toronto, CA)

Toronto-born, London-based femme fatale Tess Parks has a new album,
called And Those Who Were Seen Dancing, out 2 April. Her first longplayer
in 13 years.

Lead single Happy Birthday Forever is a pretty catchy surprise.
It spins around in your head before you’re even aware of it.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. ‘Vercingétorix Face à l’Empire’ by FRAZYL

This is the solo project of Jérôme R. Desrosiers, who played
drums in different Black Metal and Death Metal in the late 90s.
He’s making synth music for about 20 years now, but it’s only
since 2018 that he decided to share his work.

He just issued his new album Mon Odyssée. An imaginative
journey with cinematic synth symphonies, like this one…


.
See/hear you next month, music junkies…

Turn Up The Volume’s 20 KNOCKOUT TRACKS Of The Month – NOVEMBER 2021

Posted on by JL

Turn Up The Volume‘s 20 Knockout Tracks for November 2021!
A stream of rattling rippers, jagged jams and romantic reveries.

All together on Spotify…

.
Knockout by knockout…

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

I discovered this brilliant post-punk turbo last month at an indoor festival in Amsterdam. The whole crowd went bananas. These motherrockers slash and trash with a burning vehemence and a flabbergasting fervency. Miami Lounge is the crackerjack opener of this year’s released 5-track EP Bad Time.

Now it’s your turn to discover this awesome London squad.

Right here, right now…


.
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2. ‘Ded Würst’ by DITZ (Brighton, UK)

Earlier this month this dynamite hit team blew all punters away with their jaw-dropping gig in my hometown Ghent (Belgium). They razzled and dazzled with ebullient exertion, blistering British bluster, and a fuck Brexit fierceness. The roof went off.

Ded Würst, their newest single, is nothing less
than a nasty and filthy sledgehammer. Das super!

Here’s why…


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

Kele Okereke‘s band returns next year – 29 April 2022 – with
new LP Alpha Games, the first in 5 years.

Talking about a comeback! Traps is a stunning stormer, a killer
single, a whopping whirlwind. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. ‘Against The Blade’ by THE HORRORS (Southend-on-Sea, UK)

After dropping one of the best knockout blows of 2021 with Lout
The Horrors followed it up this month with new EP Against The Blade.

The title track is brutal, rough, and rowdy. Like Nine Inch Nails on acid.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. ‘Tsunami’ by DEAP VALLY

The Los Angeles sisters in rock crime just launched
their new LP Marriage, celebrating their 10 years of
rockin’ out together.

Tsunami is one of my favorites. A glam wham-bam
banger with a feverish impact.

Play it loud…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. ‘His Ilk’ by BRONSON ARM (Kalamazoo, Michigan, US)

From Michigan here come 2 Pc Noisey Slacker Psychedelic Sludge Punks.
They joined Canada-based indie label Off White House Records
this year with a big bang.

Their newest outburst is a riffin’ rollercoaster that makes the hair in
your neck stand up with its metallic resonance and relentless bass
frenzy. Add nightmarish vocals and I’m sure Santa Claus will run
away in fear.

Turn up the jingle bells here…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. ‘Never Ready’ by WÏLDERMAN

The alias of British singer-songwriter of Bobby Anderson.

Never Ready is a vicious droning blast. Wïlderman rankles,
rages, and has a bad taste in his mouth. Never ready for
her look and her voice. 133 seconds of sonic sex.

Hot groove, hot intensity, hot slam dunk. Fucktastic!

Get ready here…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. I Don’t’ Love You Anymore’ by CHATEAU CHATEAU (Tucson, Arizona, US)

Glam and glitter riot tattoo grrl Blue attracts all attention,
sonically as well as visually. She swirls and scintillates on this
new kick while cursing idiots who hate the LGBTQ+ community,
who hate tattoos, and who hate anybody who doesn’t live by
their ultra-conservative rules.

To hell with all these idiots.

Meanwhile, enjoy this jangly earworm that sticks as
first-class glue and reaches an aural orgasm every
time the chorus pops up.

Get up, stand up and move…

.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. ‘Absent Transient’ by IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL (Lincoln, UK)

One of the highlights from the group’s excellent new album
Homesick for our Future Destinations. Check TUTV’s raving
review here.

With Absent Transient they show their masterly skills of writing ear-and-mind
pleasing pop tunes charged-up with rotating riffs and dreamy vocal harmonies.

Press play here…


.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

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

Here’s the title track of TUTV’s best album of last month.
Read the review here.

A guitar-driven ripsnorter that gets more intense along its way.
This one-man band slips under your skin without asking and
you’ll love it big time.

Roll along…


.
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11. ‘Let’s Stick Around’ by DJ RITON and JARVIS COCKER (UK)

When an old skool DJ teams up with Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker you
get a sizzling acid house corker to start and end all upcoming
New Year’s Eve parties with.

Hallelujah! Holy Mary!

C’mon, Jarvis…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. ‘The Magic’ by EELS (Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California)

Mark Oliver Everett and his Eels mates plan to release their
new album Extreme Witchcraft on 28th January 2022.

Ahead of it comes this magic groover.
Eels are alive and kick with a dash.

Roll the dice here…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. ‘What You Keep Telling Yourself’ by DOWN WITH SPACE (Montreal, Canada)

The motorik and magnetic rhythm of this electronic exploit makes your head
turn 360°. The catching combination of near whispering vocals, scintillating David
Gilmour guitar vibrance and cybernated elegance create an overall ear-ecstatic
vibe culminating in a dynamic finale.

Dive here into space…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. ‘Dissonance’ by VEDA RAYS (Brooklyn, NY)

From the Brooklyn duo’s new Crucial Fictions LP. TUTV’s review here.

Expect flashy echoes of the 80s British New Romantics movement with
this instant catching pop spark, fueled with glimmering guitar/play,
impassioned vocals, and a non-stop drum beat.

Touchdown!

Stand up and shake your pelvis…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. ‘Still’ by TINY DYNO (Bristol, UK)

This sugary pop bliss feels good at first, better the second time,
and the best with all other spins. Great pop-ular music is about
lifting up the listener’s mood to a euphoric level for about
3/4 minutes. Easier said than done, but not here.

Still is a glorious harmonious touchy-feely gem that appeals from
the kick-off with Gardiner‘s tantalising voice and Kuras‘ vitalizing
guitar ravishment. Add a delirious chorus and you have yourself
a 24-Carat top thrill.

Play it here…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

16. ‘Knight Of Cups’ by ODAWIN. (Italy)

This Italian singer-songwriter, born Patrizio Ottavianiiter,
produces a blend of psychedelic rock and Arabic harmonies.

Knight Of Cups is the latest single in a series of monthly releases this year.
Electric dream-pop at its tempting best. Sparkling, spirited, and seductive.

An orchestral triumph. Score!

________________________________________________________________________________________________

17. ‘Monterey’ by OCEANOGRAPHY (US)

Oceanography is the solo project of Oakland-based singer,
songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Brian Kelly.

This sweet little pearl comes from his new album
Thirteen Songs About Driving Nowhere
in Alphabetical Order (awesome title).

“A tribute to my big sister who I lost last year. I hope you enjoy
it and it provides some comfort for any loss you’ve experienced.”

Monterey is a heartfelt ode to a beloved one that passed away,
evoking recognizable, universal feelings of loss, mourning, and
tristesse.

Listen and watch the touching video clip…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

18. ‘The Ship Song’ by NELL SMITH and THE FLAMING LIPS (US)

Nell Smith is a 13-year old fan of Oklahoma’s eccentric stargazers Flaming Lips
(one of my all-time fav bands). Frontman Wayne Coyne spotted her at one point
as she attended several gigs with her father. They got in touch and after Coyne
found out that she’s a singer he proposed her to work with the band on a Nick
Cave tribute album he already had in mind for some time.

They got all in the studio and the result is a 9-song Nick Cave
covers album baptized Where The Viaduct Looms with
the nightingale voice of Nell as the heroine in the middle.
You can stream the brand new record on Spotify

One of the standouts is her version of
the heart and soul ballad The Ship Song.

Special, wonderful, lovey-dovey.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

19. ‘Always Together With You’ by SPIRITUALIZED (Rugby, UK)

Jason Pierce and his orchestra have a new LP,
called Everything Was Beautiful coming on
25 February 2022

With this spellbinding symphony, he does what he does so splendidly for so long. This
first new piece is another soulful spiritual growing slowly into a gospel-like trance. Epic!

________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. ‘We Are Not Alone’ by NICK CAVE and WARREN ELLIS (Australia)

Last June mega-star-crooner Cave and his bad seed friend Warren Ellis
signed for one of the best LPs of 2021 with their astonishing Carnage opus.

And they’re not done yet. The duo releases the soundtrack they wrote for the French nature documentary Panthère Des Neiges (The Snow Leopard) on 17 December.

Here’s the magnificent taster We Are Not Alone.
A characteristic Cave humdinger. Tender and gripping.

Watch the magic, hear the magic…

See/hear you next month with the best 20 knockouts of 2021…

Turn Up The Volume’s 20 KNOCKOUT TRACKS Of The Month – SEPTEMBER 2021

Posted on by JL

Turn Up The Volume‘s 20 Knockout Tracks for September 2021!
A stream of rattling rippers, jagged jams and romantic reveries.

All together on Spotify…

.
Track by Track…

‘Hertz’ by AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS (Australia)

Blustering blast from their second smoking LP Comfort To Me
with punked-up Amyl, as we know her, on an adrenalin rush.

Join her wild ride…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

‘Queen Of Swords’ by TYPHOID ROSIE (Brooklyn, New York)

Rousing Riot grrrl Rosie Rebel and her riff-racing rascals go full steam ahead on
the tense title track of their smoking new album. If you want to know more about this lively gang check the recent interview Rosie Rebel did with Turn Up The Volume right here.

Start your own moshpit…


.
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‘Leave Me Dry’ by ILA (Belgium)

With this new standout, ILA reveals a total turnover in resonance. She rocks, raves, and rolls backed by steamy wall-of-towering turbulence. Mind you, the heartfelt fervency, personal turmoil and vocal vehemence are still intact. Can’t wait to find out if this is actually another page in her magical music book.

Turn it up…

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

‘I Know You Know’ by LORE CITY (Portland, Oregon)

A highlight of Participation Mystique, the fourth longplayer by this most thrilling duo with Laura Mariposa Williams‘ bewitching voice as the heroine. Her psychedelic, gothic,
far-out, and at times wailing timbre magnetizes and hypnotizes while wandering in an orchestral space. Learn more about these intriguing artists in their recent interview
with Turn Up The Volume.

Discover and enjoy…


.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

‘Spirit Power And Soul’ by JOHNNY MARR (Manchester, UK)

“It’s a kind of mission statement. I had an idea about in electro sound
with gospel feeling. In my own words, an electro soul anthem.”

It’s a pithy psych jam, with spirit, power, and soul of course.

Here comes Johnny…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

‘The Aftermath’ by BEECH (Belgium)

This Belgian quartet brings Scottish daydreamers Teenage Fanclub to mind. Combine this with the band’s slacker rock sensibility and jingle-jangle jives and what you get is a tingling tune. It’s called pop-ular music.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

‘My Drug’ by DAILY WORKER (Austin, Texas)

The alter ego of Texan prize-winning poet and guitarist Harold Whit Williams.

This is a sickly sticky dope tune, one that makes me smile from left to right
and back. One shot of this, and you’ll jump around the room like a kangaroo
on speed.

Feel the vibrant vibe…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

‘Sometime’ by THE HIGH LOVES (Toronto, Canada)

This has everything a perky pop pearl needs. Play it in the morning, in the evening and every hour in between and at the end of the day you feel so much better and most of all it’s a truly helpful way to process a breakup. So much cheaper than therapy.

Press play to change your mood…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

‘Regrets’ by TIDAL WAVE (Toronto, Canada)

Regrets floats on layers of shoegaze guitars and fervid vocals while growing to an engrossing level of electrifying epicness when the glowing chorus kicks in. Trust me,
a couple of spins and you’re addicted. Fact!

Here’s why…

.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

‘Medicate + Alleviate’ by LIONS OF DISSENT (Wolverhampton, UK)

The fever of The Verve‘s urban hymns, the sassy swagger of Oasis in slo-mo
with 60s organs and the fervent flair of 90s Britpop. The final result is obvious.
A bittersweet blistering symphony. Touchdown!


.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

‘Young Foxes’ by ULTRA SUNN (Brussels, Belgium)

The darkwave tandem is on depeche modus with this shadow-dancing single from their brand new, second EP Body Electric. Expect booming beats, doomed drones, eerie vocals, and a repetitive bass synth riff that sticks as first-rate glue. A club cracker!

Put your black leather jacket on and shake your booty…

________________________________________________________________________________________________

‘Big Boy Games’ by TEROUZ (Montreal, Canada)

This riveting ripper starts with a mid-tempo drum-driven intro, gliding quickly into
a swing and sway your hips chorus, followed by a moment of reflection. The whole
process repeats itself and gets slowly but surely under your skin. You’ll love every
second of this electro roller coaster.

Here‘s why…

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‘I Miss It’ by JODIE LANGFORD (Hull / East Yorkshire, UK)

This young, outspoken, and observative artist – a female Mike Skinner – reflects the dreadful freedom-restricting sentiments of the past lockdown times in her new word rap waterfall jam. An intoxicating and groovetastic house stomper making you euphoric now that you can freak out again in nightclubs.

Hip, hop and pop this way…

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‘It’s Fine’ by BLACKOUT ORCHESTRA (UK)

“It’s Fine” examines themes of jealousy and insecurity in open relationships.”

Not an easy issue to write a song about, but embedded in an ebullient earworm like
this, it’s fine. Impossible to resist this tremendously infectious corker spinning around like forever inviting you to pirouette yourself dizzy while duet vocals push the pace. No pause, no breathing space, no interval, always straight on.

One spin and you’re hooked…

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‘Wytch Lych’ by VAZUM (Detroit, MI)

Sonically this surreal saga wouldn’t be out of place on a Gary Numan album. Lyrically it’s like an ode to the unknown eternity. In my imagination Wytch Lych resonates like a funeral hymn, celebrating the imperishability of the soul. Stunning vocals, striking synth shadows, and an overall spellbinding impressiveness. Top stuff!


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‘Case History’ by LOSSLINE (Manchester, UK)

When I listened to this new little pearl on Spotify for the first time, it was followed
by the title track of the upcoming LP of The War On Drugs. I swear I thought that
it was another Lossline song. It was that melancholic guitar glow that confused
my ears. It wasn’t until Adam Granduciel‘s voice came up that I knew it wasn’t
the Manchester duo.

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‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’ by THE WAR ON DRUGS (Philadelphia)

See track above. The moony title track of the new upcoming album, out 29 October.

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‘Lights In The Expanse Of The Sky’ by DREW FIVE (London)

Close your eyes, relax and imagine you’re floating into space where Spiritualized‘s mastermind Jason Pierce lives while playing this hallucinatory ambient trip on your headphones.

The sky is the limit…


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‘Freedom’ by CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS (France)

French songstress Héloïse Adélaïde Letissier returns with two new songs,
with this one as my favorite. A slow-burning and emotive humdinger with
a gospel-like choir.

Enrapturing…

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‘Sunday Morning’ by MICHAEL STIPE (US)

Last Friday ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror – A Tribute To The Velvet Underground’
came out with a cast of big names honoring the iconic band’s 1967 debut LP.

It’s impossible to top the classic original Sunday Morning (sung by Lou Reed)
but Michael Stipe‘s is pretty impressive.

Have a listen…

See/hear you next month, music junkies…

Turn Up The Volume’s 20 KNOCKOUT TRACKS Of The Month – AUGUST 2021

Posted on by JL

Turn Up The Volume‘s 20 Knockout Tracks for August 2021!
A stream of rattling rippers, jagged jams and romantic reveries.

All together on Spotify…

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Knockout by knockout…

‘Before You Gotta Go’ by COURTNEY BARNETT (Australia)

An infectious ditty, bouncing in your head before it ends. If this, simply irresistible, tune doesn’t do anything for  you, you gotta go to your shrink. From Barnett’s new, upcoming album Takes Time, Take Time, out 12th November.

Catchy as hell…

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‘Hot Summer’ by PRINCE (US)

Summer is only over when it’s over. Still time to move and groove to this disco
stomper from the recently released lost Prince album Welcome To America.

Make your move here, ladies and gents…

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‘Go Get A Tattoo’ by FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES feat. Lynks

Why don’t we all get a tattoo, suggests Frank. I think he’s right, it’s
the only way to really go nuts to this bangtastic jackhammer. From
the band’s 4th longplayer called Sticky, arriving in October.

Smash your TV…

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‘Security’ by AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS (Australia)

“I’m not looking for trouble, I’m looking for love / Let me in your hard heart Let me in your pub” sings Amyl over and over again with fervency and tons of gusto, while flamed-up guitars go mental. A blast from new album Comfort To Me, out 10th September.

Hit hit hit, Amyl…

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‘Aire & Calder’ by ULTRASOUND (UK)

These passionate British glam-prog rockers unleash a deluxe edition of their
1999 double debut LP Everything Picture on 24 September. More info here.

Here’s a new video clip for one of the album’s highlights ‘Aire And Calder‘…

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‘Soap And Cigarettes‘ by Nun habit (London)

A queer five-piece from London who play fun, fuzzy garage rock. Their songs are a mishmash of influences all pulled together by a love of loud noises, pop tunes, and
having a good time. ‘Soap And Cigarettes‘ is a stand-out knockout from their brand
new album Hedge Fun.

Trust me, you can’t resist this vibrant vibe…


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‘You And Me’ by THE RUDDY RUCKUS (Canada)

This ardent 4-piece flames with force on this new riff-roaring ripper. They operate somewhere between Green Day and Weezer, with peppery panache, gusty guitars,
vivid vocals, and a cracking chorus.

Scream along…

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‘What’s Wrong With People?’ by PESCH (Belgium)

Darkwave electricity from Belgium. Haunting and ominous. You can smell Doomsday waiting around the corner. It’s 2021, folks, we need to fix our problems now. This sickly sticky roller coaster is a call to arms.


What’s wrong with all of us..

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‘Highway To Hell’ by TOM MORELLO feat. Eddie Vedder and Bruce Springsteen

Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello launches his new album titled
The Atlas Underground Fire on 15 October. He invited several friends, like
Springsteen and Vedder for a bombastic version of AC/DC’s classic headbanger.

Yessssss…

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‘Queen Of Swords’ by TYPHOID ROSIE (Brooklyn, US)

The speedy and steamy title track is one of the fired-up highlights of the new album of this punked-up Brooklyn squad. A zigzagging collection of amplified belters to start and end post-lockdown parties with. More info here.


Rock your ass off here…

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‘Money Song’ by ROYAL CASTLES (Canada)

Wham bam, bloody bam! From the kick-off Money Song booms, bangs and batters. Hefty guitars blare in between and raise your blood pressure on the spot. And when the blissful chorus pops up it’s time to leave your cocoon and let your body do its thing. Don’t wait to boost your stream of adrenalin.

Act now, dance now, party now.

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‘And Tomorrow’ by LORE CITY (Portland, US)

A stunning and shadowy top piece from this duo’s equally stunning
album Participation Mystique. And Tomorrow sounds cinematic,
atmospheric and spacey. Join Lore City on their journey.


Listen today and tomorrow too…


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‘No Regrets’ by SHE/BEAST (Sweden)

Wurlitzer jukeboxes were invented for these 60s inspired humdingers, so they could be played in dark bars downtown were broken hearts gather at midnight. One more thing:
do not mess with SHE/BEAST, she’s not in the mood for fucking assholes and psychos.
And she’s absofuckinglutly right.

Press play…


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‘Popstar’s Daughters’ by SHAUN RYDER (Manchester, UK)

The Happy Mondays frontman’s brand new solo album
Visits From Future Technology is hip-shaking proof
that he still can fill dance floors.

Here’s the trippy and poppy single…

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‘All Nations’ by NADINE GAGNE and The Star Nation Collective (British Columbia)

This resonates as a bright sonic light at the end of our troubled world tunnel. Only with togetherness, friendship, mutual respect, equality, harmony and tolerance, humankind can have hope for the future. This tremendously catching chant reflects all that. It’s a joyful, anthem that should be played on radios all over the planet.

“We are all stars, all stars come on now. Rise, rise and shine, gotta stay proud!”

Let’s get together…

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‘Heart Like Chernobyl’ by SOFT CELL (UK)

The song’s title is the gloom and doom harbinger for
a scary, realistic vision of how we live on the edge.

Tainted love…

Lead-single from new album *Happiness Not Included,
out in the Spring of 2022.

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‘See The Light’ by SHAUNA SEETEENAK (Iqaluit, Canada)

We need songs like these in the restless times we live in. Songs of hope, songs of consolation, songs of inspiration. Shauna wants humankind to fight to see the light
(at the end of the tunnel) again. Her thoughts are embedded in a starry-eyed and
instantly enthralling groove that hops from dreamy pop to hip-swaying rap and back.

See the light here…

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‘Nowhere’ by THE BLACK FEVER (Toronto)

Nowhere sounds like a desperation song, but one that has a deeply felt effect on your psyche, on your state-of-2021-mind. This spellbound jam is driven by melancholic guitar lines, reminding me of Interpol‘s electrically-charged drive. Affecting and soul-stirring fever.

Check it out…


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‘Skin’ by BASEMENT REVOLVER (Hamilton, Canada)

An inspiring reverie for the countless girls/women and boys/men worldwide, struggling with the looks of their body when it doesn’t correspond with society’s everlasting sexist perception of how a body should look like, as we all know. Skin is an instantly heartfelt
slo-mo musing, turning after a distorted guitar intro, into a vocal and musical pearl, with touching piano play. I’m sure The Sundays‘s Harriet Wheeler would love it.

Open your ears and eyes here…

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‘You Are A Runner And I Am My Father’s Son’ by PORRIDGE RADIO (Brighton, UK)

Porridge Radio‘s leading Amazon Dana Margolin is a fan of Canadian rockers Wolf Parade. Here’s her  terrifically gripping rendition of the band’s 2005 composition.

Just beautiful…

See/hear you next month, music junkies…

Turn Up The Volume’s 20 KNOCKOUT TRACKS Of The Month – JULY 2021

Posted on by JL

Turn Up The Volume‘s 15 Knockout Tracks for May 2021!
A storming stream of rattling rippers and jagged jams…

All together on Spotify…

.
One by one…

‘AMERICAN COCKROACH’ by DEAP VALLY (Los Angeles)
Deap Vally is back at their rock-blues meanest. Steaming,
intimidating, and totally fired-up. Touchdown!

The title track from their second EP of the year.

Drop the bomb on me
Drop the bomb on me
I got armor on me Feed me anarchy
I am perfect, Evolutionary
You can’t kill me,
The world belongs to me…


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‘GUIDED BY ANGELS’ by AMYL & THE SNIFFERS (Australia)
Amyl rants again like a riot-gun rap punkette on an all-conquering mission.
From the gunslingers’ new, second album Comfort To Me, out in September.

Make way, folks, here she comes…

‘HEAT’ by WHISPERING SONS (Belgium)
This is the best Whispering Sons crackerjack my ears ever heard. Haunting, chilling,
and catchy as hell. This is a mad motherrocker with frontwoman Fenne sounding like
a female Scott Walker. A speedy stomper. Bingo!

From their 2nd album Several Others.

Turn up the heat here…

‘ZOOM ZOOM’ by TOYAH (Birlingham, UK)
With beloved husband Robert Fripp, Toyah puts up a hilarious cover show every Sunday
for months now, but now she’s back in her own special way. Zoom Zoom rattles and rolls with funky flair, hip-shaking hooks, and glamorous gusto. This sticks all the way. Score!

From her upcoming album Posh Pop, out 27th August.

Start a revolution, talk like Andy Warhol and become a millionaire here…

‘OH!’ by THE LINDA LINDAS (Los Angeles)
After going viral with previous single Racist, Sexist Boy the young Riot grrls hit again with
a pithy pop-punk roller that thunders ahead from the flashy get-go and rushes to its hurrah finale.

Pretty cool, pretty wild, pretty Lindas…

‘I, MORON’ by LOVELY EGGS feat. Stooges icon Iggy Pop
The menacing way immortal icon Iggy Pop pronounces moron several times, makes
you desperately hope you’re not one, all the more so that a jackhammer is drilling
along Pop‘s intimidating tone. Bang-on stunner!

Moron, moron, moron…

‘COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN’ by REAL SICKIES (Edmonton, Canada)
No brakes. No special effects. Only red-hot-blooded hullabaloo. Louder than
the Ramones. Sickies don’t talk, they roar. Sickies don’t pretend, they are 4 real.
Real Sickies are for rockers, for punks, and for noisemakers. Hallelujah!

From their smoking new album Love Is For Lovers.

Play this loud, very loud…

‘BLAME IT’ by MARLOW (East Sussex, UK)
I have had this instant knockout on repeat since I discovered it last week.
A solid gold stormer “about the lack of communication in relationships and
how people try to avoid responsibility for their issues by shifting the blame onto
others and coming up with excuses.”

Its sticky pop melodiousness, its hefty panache, its passionate vocals, and
its fiery chorus are simply irresistible. Don’t blame Marlow. They rock big time!
One of the best singles of 2021! Fact!

Here‘s why…

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‘WHEN THE WHIP GOES CRACK’ by THE BATTERY FARM (UK)
This spine-chilling, self-flagellation outcry sizzles like a vicious serpent. Prepare yourself
for a demons-inflicted nervous breakdown, for a jagged jam that makes the hair in your neck stand up. Slowly but surely the intensity goes up and the insanity kicks in. Infuriating powers take over until the out-of-breath end. Goodness, gracious!

Get impressed right here…

‘DEFEND YOUR TEMPLE’ by TYPHOID ROSIE (Brooklyn)
Imagine imperishable rockers Green Day fronted by a rousing female fury.
A loud and clear feminist you better not mess with her. This punk ‘n slam
stonker will get you out of your lazy couch in a blink of an eye.

From the band’s upcoming LP Queen Of Swords.

Wham! Bloody bam…


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‘OLD JOE’ by SEADOG (Brighton, UK)
Old Joe moves and grooves from the kick-off. Its ongoing Krautrock-like hypnotizing spell, its energizing synth mesmerism, its repetitive beat, its echoing vocals, all contribute to the psychedelic impact of this exciting trip. Once you’ve joined the ride, you won’t get off. Clear-cut crackerjack!

Experience the vibrant vibe…

‘MAKE UP YOUR DAMN MIND’ by SINGLE RUIN (Brighton, UK)
Swirling electro-pop with an unwavering ongoing bass beat à la Modest Mouse that gets under your skin before turning and twisting surprisingly towards the end. Fascinating piece! From the new 7-track EP Unique.

Tune in here…

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‘TIME TRAVEL‘ by PARTEFACTS (Berlin, Germany)
Imagine: Hundreds of sweaty bodies dancing hyperkinetically in a shadowy Berlin discotheque on a feverish Saturday night. Everybody minds their own business,
everybody ignores the pandemic reality for a while. Funky shake-your-booty bangers
like these are ravishing and rapturous. Exactly what we need right now.

Get up and go gaga ..

‘THE EAR FAIRY’ by MONSIEUR POMPIER’S TRAVELLING FREAKSHOW (Dublin, Ireland)
Puzzling eccentricity by Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Freaks Club Band. This town ain’t big enough for Sparks and Mister Pompier jumping out-t of-the-normality box with synth-asia pop. Don’t worry, be a weirdo and do the French cancan.

From the new bizarro album Teatime Terrors.

Start the show here…

‘HONEY I BELIEVE’ by TRICKSHOOTER SOCIAL CLUB (Chicago)
This first upbeat single made my fingers snap, my feet tap, and my head twist from the flaming get-go. This rollin’ ripper gets under your skin and in your veins without asking permission, and, trust me, you’ll love it. Clear your room and lose yourself.

Move here to the beat…

‘DIG ME UP’ by HANNAH ROBINSON (England)
The rock swagger of Sheryl Crow, the melodramatic richness of
Florence Welch, and a vivid voice as imposing as St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The combination of those envigorating elements leads to emotional
resurrection. Dig Me Up is Robinson’s sonorous and liberating triumph.

Press play here…


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‘FRIENDLY IS BETTER’ by WOLF VANWYMEERSCH (Belgium)
Wolf could be the singer of Belgian top band Balthazar, Wolf could be the unknown
brother of Bonnie “Prince” Billy, but at the end of the day, Wolf is Wolf. After his wistful debut single Not To he continues his musing journey, on his horse, with this slo-mo meditation. Friendly is better, Wolf is better.

Catch the friendly mood here…

‘ALL THE LOVE YOU GIVE‘ by THE FOREIGN FILMS (Canada)
After a bang bang bang intro, you enter Beatles territory. Melodic splendor polyphonic harmonies and All You Need Is Love trumpets. This is 60s pop splendor at its sunlit finest. Feels like we’ll have new flowers in our hair this summer. The swinging sixties spirit. Lovely!

New album Starlight Serenade out today.

Enjoy the sun here…


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‘THE LIONS DEN‘ by TMCF (UK)
A shadowy dream-tune with a rotating rhythm making you run to the first dance
floor you find around. Pirouette yourself dizzy, folks, and forget these viral lion’s
den times for 339 seconds. Trust me, it helps to activate your body’s movements.

Make your best moves here…

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‘REMEMBER WE WHERE LOVERS’ by Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth
Surprising collaboration between the frontman of Primal Scream and front lady of Savages. They bring those 60s melancholia stars Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood back to life, and it works wonderfully. Dim the light and hit some candles. From the new album Utopian Ashes.

Time to relax…

See/hear you next month, music junkies…

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

Posted on by JL

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…