Album Of The Week

ANTON NEWCOMBE And THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE Hit The Bullseye Again With New Magnum Psych Opus

Posted on by JL

Standout longplayers

25 February 2023

Band: THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE
New album: THE FUTURE IS YOUR PAST
Released: 10 February 2023 – order info here

Anton Newcombe: “My son Wolfgang is very different to me, thank god, but we have so many things in common; dancing, making up songs, and vocalizing strange combinations of words and ideas that make us laugh, or make sense to us in some meaningful way,” frontman Anton Newcombe said in a press release. “At a certain point, I started writing down these words and random ideas to use as titles. I felt like everything was so sad and hopeless, but I am not helpless. I decided to sing anthems to empower me, to remember to remember, to fight the beast until it dies, to give it everything you got because that’s all there is to give… these were not songs for COVID times, for these times of war and crisis after crisis, these are songs for all time.”


(Photo by Turn Up The Volume)

Louder Than War said:“Aside from plundering the darkest corners of psychedelic rock,
Brian Jonestown Massacre have ventured into all corners of the sonic spectrum from rock’n’roll, blues, folk, country and pop through to blazing swirls of distortion and mesmerising fuzzed up soundscapes. Also do not forget the sonic textures which have been influenced by musical traditions across the globe, especially the middle east. Much of all of this is on this album
albeit in different shades and shapes than before.”

TUTV: Last year’s Fire Doesn’t Grow On Trees was unquestionably one of the best BJTM’s longplayers of the 21st Century. An intoxicating piece of work still playing regularly on my stereo.

Guess what? Only eight months later and 24/7 musician Anton Newcombe hits bulseye again with this fantastic new LP. Fans (including me, of course) know his all-time favorite sonic sphere he operates in for years now.

The 60s psychedelic fuzz and buzz, the famed BJTM feedback, the jingle jangle virtuosity, the affecting, feverish vocals are all around again with an (even) richer and coherent reverberation than in the old(er) days, but most of all the record’s 10 songs, are without any exception, TOPNOTCH TUNES. Every single track has its own magnetizing attraction and its own spellbinding aura. No arty-farty redundancy, only pure spot-on crafted melodies. An art in itself, missing with so many artists/bands.

I know and you know the cliché, but it’s the most effective way to describe this magnum psych opus: no fillers, all killers. File between the Stones’ Their Satanic Majesties Request and Love’s Forever Changes.

SINGLES: Fudge / The Future Is Your Past

– THE FUTURE IS YOUR PAST –

– FUDGE –

ALBUM

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UK Tour 2023
Say no more.

TBJTM: Facebook – Instagram – Discography

The Ideal Post-Holidays Companion – New Album By DAVID JACOBSON AND THE SPACE WIZARDS

Posted on by JL

2 January 2023

Band: DAVID JACOBSON AND THE SPACE WIZARDS
Who: The project of David Jacobson, who lives on
Roosevelt Island, in the middle of the East River in NYC.
He’s a session musician for various artists around town.

Influences include David Bowie, Scott Walker, Flaming Lips,
Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the Band, Elvis,
John Scofield, Miles Davis, and ‘80s Grateful Dead.

Album: JACOBSON AND THE SPACE WIZARDS II
Released: 1 January 2023

The album was recorded in Jacobson’s apartment, where he wrote and performed
all the songs in his home studio. “This was my process for reconnecting with myself,”
he says, noting themes that focus on loss, heartache and self-healing, moving on, attempting to reconnect, letting go, and depression.

Turn Up The Volume: The fervor of John Mellencamp, Springsteen-esque Americana
ardor, and the affection of the late Tom Petty. I know, big names, but that is what my ears, and my music encyclopaedia tell me. This is first-rate traditional songwriting that makes you feel moody and moony at the same time. The album was released/shared, yesterday on New Year’s Day and works like a calming companion, bringing you back to the real world after the busy festive – let’s all get happy for two weeks – Holidays.

Stream/buy here…

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DAVID JACOBSON: Facebook

Shake Your Hips With Irish Mean Groove Machine pMAD In Your Bomb Shelter

Posted on by JL

Standout longplayers

12 December 2022

Artist: pMAD
Who: The moniker of Irish post-punk, gothic rock artist Paul Dillon
from Portumna, Co. Galway in Ireland. He has been described as;
“If The Cult and The Mission had a child this is what it would sound like”.

Facebook – Instagram

New album: WHO WHY WHERE WHAT

An introspective look at the artist himself and acknowledges his failings
along with a broader look at how we are destroying our planet and ourselves.
This debut full-length features the five critically acclaimed singles pMAD
released this year, some new pieces and remixes.

TUTV: If you want to take a fitting record into your bomb shelter while hiding for
the fatal day caused by humankind itself take this debut album by mean groove
machine pMAD with you. When we go down, let’s do it with a firework Doomsday
party and let’s reflect, at last, on what and who we fucked up in the past. Maybe redemption can put a last smile on our sad faces.

Once upon a time, Faithless revealed that Jesus is a DJ.
I propose to let pMAD do the djing for this special occasion.

Key tracks: Sisters / Broken / Medicine

– SISTERS –
Hypnotic psych jam

– BROKEN –
Bass banger

– MEDICINE –
Nightmarish lullaby

– WHO AM I –
Haunting sledgehammer

Stream/buy the album here…


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Also streaming on Spotify

Say Hello To ‘JO-JO & THE TEETH’ And Goodbye To 2022 With Their Big Glam & Blues Rock Bangs

Posted on by JL

8 December 2022


(📸 by Kamila Jarczak)

Band: JO-JO & THE TEETH (London, UK)
Who: A glam art-rock squad with a dark & moody,
driving sound rooted in old fashion guitar Rock’N’Roll.

About JO-JO: The Big Bad Bitch with The Microphone. The Conjurer. The Loudest Witch In The East & The West. Hailing from Lacombe Alberta, Canada. Eventually, she found herself on an Island in the south of England, where she collected some English boys & convinced them to join her band.

“ I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t humming or singing under my breath. I’m still the obnoxious asshole behind you at the supermarket singing along to Celine Dion on the radio (and nailing it).

Debut LP: NO MORE GOOD NEWS
Released: 2 December 2022

Turn Up The Volume: JO-JO is the flamboyant Amazon in the middle. She sings the
blues with the vigorous vitality of eternal legend Janis Joplin (We’re Just Animals / Moon Child), she rocks her multi-colored tail off with the gusto of Grace Slick on a roll (My Babe / No More Good News / Don’t Get Too Heavy), she has the groovy guts and the glamorous looks of eccentric punkette Nina Hagen and to close the show she affects with a gripping candlelight reverie for the midnight hours (Oh Brother).

Mind you, she’s not alone. Her bang-on band The Teeth know all the 60s/80s/80s
rock ‘n’ blues ‘n’ glam ‘n’ punk ‘n’ roll classics. They back Jo-Jo with a mood-and-cadence fitting firework of Jimmy Page riffs, John Lee Hooker hooks and Slash licks. Retro injected electricity with a varied pallette of tremendous retro songwriting. Timeless stuff.

Singles/video: No More Good News / Don’t Get Too Heavy / My Babe

– NO MORE GOOD NEWS –

– DON’T GET TOO HEAVY –

– MY BABE –

Goodbye 2022, hello 2023.
Stream all news via Spotify

JO-JO & THE TEETH: Facebook – Instagram

A Loud And Shout Call To Arms – STICK TO YOUR GUNS Unleashed Their 7th Album ‘SPECTRE’

Posted on by JL

Standout longplayers

3 August 2022

Band: STICK TO YOUR GUNS
Who: The famous Californian hardcore tormentors
Active: Since 2003 / 7 studio LPs (new one incl.)

New album: SPECTRE
Released: 29 July 2022 – order info here

Kerrang! says: “Life in 2022’s a bit shit, isn’t it? The planet is burning to death, the cost of living crisis has taken a bite out of everyone’s finances, and governments worldwide are sliding further and further to the right. As grim as this is, however, it means that hardcore heroes Stick To Your Guns are emerging from the woodwork at a time where they are needed most with their first album in five years. As with any record the Californians put their name to, Spectre is more than just a riff-fueled cathartic blast – it’s both astute in its commentary and revitalizing in its mood, brimming with the energy that could lift even the most desperate soul off their knees.” Score: 4/5.


(Credit: Press – FB band)

Turn Up The Volume: Their filthy-nasty-vicious blend of punk, metal, hardcore,
and hard rock the L.A. gunslingers will again ignite countless moshpits.

Expect crushing cacophonies, barb-wire scream-along headbutts and railroading escapades. At times – yes – monumentally catchy and terrifically melodious and
– yes – a melancholic ballad to close one of the best albums I heard all year long.

Spectre is a a loud and shout call to arms with a message of hope.
An outcry to join forces and turn the threatening tide of a world that
lost its marbles.

Let’s just do it! And, by the way,I wouldn’t mind if Spectre is played to
the max for a full 24 hours on earphones (with sharp pins) on Putin’s
ugly head. Fuck him!

Single/clip: Hush / Open Up My Head

– HUSH –

– OPEN UP MY MIND –

Release the dogs.
Stream/buy full album here…


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STICK TO YOUR GUNS: Website

Psychedelic Prog Rock Pandemonium With Riff Junks GRAMPFATHER

Posted on by JL

14 March 2022

Band: GRAMPFATHER

Who: An eclectic rock band based out of Kingston NY,
whose material traverses a variety of rock genres, such
as indie, garage, punk, psych, chill, and thrash.

New album: GRAMPAPPIES
The group’s 5th longplayer

Grampfather: “Gramppappies, our fifth album, is our most realized album yet in that it encapsulates our range of sounds, wavering between abrasive rockers and indie chillers.
While our last album, Magnum Grampus, was fueled by the anger and frustration conjured
by the countless tragedies of 2020, Gramppappies offers more hope for the future, a weighted, contemplative hope that’s informed by past experiences and events, and not a naive, starry-eyed one. A main theme that’s threaded throughout the album is our appreciation of music, the role it plays in our lives, and how it keeps us going despite the many miseries we’ll endure in this life. It’s too easy to just give up and resolve that it’s all hopeless. The contrary seems like a much better and brighter path. Here’s to hoping for hope.”

Turn Up The Volume: These riff-crazy motherrockers know a thing or two and so
much more about psychedelic prog-rock’s history, from the 60s all the way to today.

At times they go mental the way Aussie gang King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard go
mental (Murder Hornets / The Myspace Continuum / Large Garbage), at times (when
they slow down) they do it the way Canadian legends Rush did it and still do it with
guitar solos packed jams (Weeding / Dead Ends), with Poppies you get a sticky pop
tune to whistle to, on Thad B. Radd they storm like hungry punks, and droning
closer The Grampening brings Black Sabbath to mind.

Get the sonic picture? Yep, this is a flaming-hot top record.

Singles: Poppies / Murder Hornets

– POPPIES –

– MURDER HORNETS –

Stream/buy the album here…


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GRAMPFATHER: Bandcamp – Website – Facebook

Frenetic Brit Force DITZ Flabbergasts With Baffling Debut Album ‘THE GREAT REGRESSION’

Posted on by JL

7 March 2022

Band: DITZ
Who: Post-punk gang from Brighton (UK)
that hit the scene back in 2015
References: Gilla Band, Shame, Metz, Crows, Lice

Debut album: THE GREAT REGRESSION
Released: CD/digital on 4 March 2022, vinyl
on 29th July, all via Alcopop! Records
Order facilities: here

“Themes of insecurity and gender pop up a lot over the course of the album, as well as lots of references to the human body breaking and being harmed in unnatural ways, although there’s no one overarching concept, simply because the songs have come together over such a long period of time. The title is not so much a reference to society going backwards, but more the band’s penchant for childish jokes. “Sitting in a van all day can get silly,” laughs Cal (frontman)”.


More info about this special vinyl edition on Dinked

Louder Than War says: “The Great Regression is about as strong as debut records get. Channelling all of its rage, sarcasm and scorn into a taut, well-honed package it’s both a
brutal assault on the senses and a window into the raw talent and unique worldview that makes Ditz one of the most interesting bands on the current UK punk scene.”
Full review here. Score: 8/10.

Turn Up The Volume: After playing opener Clocks to the max, with its Blitzkrieg grinta, it feels like the band and I are already out of breath as you can hear on the post-explosion outro. I felt wrong, as several KO Killers (Ded Würst / The Warden / I Am Kate Moss and the JAWDROPPING missile closer No Thanks, I’m Full) follow and do your head in. Ditz is a mean manic post-punk machine. The first minutes of the slower pieces (Three / Instinct / Teeth) are misleading, halfway they explode like grenades. No rest for the wicked, no rest for Ditz, no rest for your ears.

Keywords: Frenetic forcefulness, blistering British bluster, fuck Brexit fierceness,
exorcistic vocality, 10 KO killers. One of the best 2022 albums (so far)? You betcha!

Joe Talbot (Idles): “DITZ are the best band in Brighton, if not the world”.

Singles/videos: I Am Kate Moss / Ded Würst / the Warden

– I AM KATE MOSS –

“About the separation between your visual and personal identities,
particularly within the context of masculinity and femininity”.

– DED WÜRST –

“A ferocious mix of Gilla Band, Foals and a lyric bemoaning
the moral quandary of minimum-wage employment.”

– THE WARDEN –

“A song all about being too intense, ironically set to an intense
backing somewhere between Deftones and Mogwai.”

Stream/buy The Great Regression here…


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DITZ: Facebook


(Ghent, Belgium – 2021 – photo by Turn Up the Volume)