ELEVEN KNOCKOUTS on repeat in APRIL!
A red-hot cocktail of stupendous rippers
and vivid grooves energizing body & soul!
Go berserk with TURN UP THE VOLUME‘s
smoking April knockout team! Hell yeah!
.
1/ ‘Broken Algorithms’ by MANIC STREET PREACHERS (Wales)
A vintage Manics rocker / “Remember the mission to own your dreams”… Album: ‘Resistance Is Futile’ – listen here
2/ ‘Odessey’ by MIEN(Texas, US)
Killer track from this experienced, mind-expanding supergroup’s debut LP… Album: self-titled debut out now – stream here
3/ ‘Biker Song’ by ALCABEAN (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Amplified Danish firework thundering mercilessly from start to finish….
From New EP ‘Head Down‘ – stream here
4/ ‘Better With Age’ by NIGHT OWLS (Leeds, UK)
Razor-sharp electro uppercut pushed by manic drums and jigsaw guitars…
5/ ‘3AM Lullaby’ by HOTEL MIRA ((Vancouver, Canada)
This passionate cracker resonates like an intense Dinosaur JR roller coaster…
6/ ‘Under The Moon’ by REBECCA LOU (Danmark)
A dazzling guitar firecracker that will make your blood stream faster – titanic score…
7/ ‘Spree’ by ALTAR FLOWERS (Manchester, UK)
Irresistible electro groove with a goth twist and tempting male/female vocals… EP: stream 5-track ‘Performance’ EP right here
8/ ‘Pink Harlot’ by Skiska Skooper (Belgium)
When Black Sabbath jam with Sonic Youth you get schizophrenic racket… Album: debut ‘Universal Space Shifter’ out now – stream/buy right here
9/ ‘Waxmage’ by SCHOOL DISCO (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Psych-o-delic and insane jam with a paranoid Suicide touch… EP: new 4-track titled ‘Look To The Sky‘ out now – stream/buy on Bandcamp
10/ ‘In The Street’ by RICH GIRLS (New York, NY, US)
Gripping mixed emotions pop with a darksome twist… Album: debut ‘Black City‘ out now – stream/purchase on Bandcamp
11/ ‘Lost In The Light’ by NIGHT HAZE (Athens, Greece)
Haunting, obscure, mysterious and catchy as bloody hell…
ALTAR FLOWERS are heartfelt guitar popsmiths based in that legendary sonic city of Manchester. They write heartfelt, lifelike songs about love, death and all mixed emotions
in between. Amplified musings about real emotions and human experiences, colored with a glamorous touch caused by poetic guitar lines and tempting male/female vocals here and there. Musically they bring The Human League‘s catchy electro romanticism and Pulp‘s high-quality pop songwriting to mind. After their excellent 2016 debut album i.d.s.t the band just returned with magnificent 4-track EP Performance. Time to talk. Before doing
so, with frontman (guitar/vocals) Jay Gibb, let’s get in the right mood. Here’s ‘Dead Leaves‘, the compelling opener off that fresh extended play…
Welcome Jay Gibb at Turn Up The Volume!…
1 / What’s the story behind the band’s name?
“Have you seen Batman Forever with Val Kilmer? The scene where Edward E Nigma is
coming up with his name for The Riddler… like that! We got it from a heavy metal band-name generator. We liked it in a very tongue-in-cheek way but I liked the idea that the exact same decorative flowers on an altar would oversee loads of different occasions
and celebrations like ‘love’ in marriage, baptisms, morning mass repenting, and
of course, death!”
2/ “Love.Death.Pop.” Does these three words on your Facebook-page
indicate what ALTAR FLOWERS is all about?
“In 3 words, yeah. We’re very much one extreme or the other but at the same
time working within our boundaries which is the pop element, and most bands
seem to say the opposite. Which is probably why we’re better than most.”
3/ I’m always intrigued by records’ artwork. What’s the story
behind the image on the new ‘Performance’ EP’s sleeve?
“It was very last-minute to be honest but I dig it. We spent a lot of time on another
cover that got over-complicated and smart-arsey, so in the end I just thought, fuck it,
it just needs a visual to look how it sounds. I’m very lazy like that. But no underlining meaning, no.”
4/ The band released excellent debut LP “i.s.d.t.” about two years ago.
What does the title stand for and which track is the group’s favorite?
” ‘i.D.S.t’ was written all over every wall, park bench, even carved into trees round our way in the 90’s when I was a growing up. It stands for ‘If Destroyed Still True’, haha. Like a kind of a ‘statement’ of everlasting eternal forever, ever and ever and ever love between young teens whose relationships lasted a whole 3 weeks. My favourite track is ‘So Happy‘. We played it live in a church once, it was truly, truly beautiful. One of ‘them’ moments, ha.”
. 5/ Many big bands (The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Oasis, Happy Mondays etc…)
came out of Manchester. Is the city still that buzzing place for alternative music today?
“I don’t wanna sound like a dick but I wouldn’t know to be honest. So, probably not.
I don’t get out much, so, for all I know it could be absolutely buzzin ‘n’ ravin it’s fuckin
tits off. Put it this way, a promoter sent an email to us just before a gig saying summut
like “Right you guys, tonight, I want the bands to be talking and buzzing with each other from start to finish to create a party atmosphere” that probably says it all.”
6/ Which movie would you pick to visualize your music
on a big screen when playing a concert?
“ ‘Robocop’. Part man, part machine, innit… or maybe something like Weird Science or a John Carpenter movie. Though to be fair, he did his
own soundtrack music which was fuckin’ boss. He’d laugh at us.”
Special guest at Altar Flowers’ next gigs…
7/ Your number one artist/band to do a world tour with?
“Probably, Poison or Skid Row . One of those fun bands from the 80’s with big massive vodka swimming pools and disposable Lamborghini’s, innit. Or Elton John, I can watch
his tantrums on Youtube for hours. I’d love to wind him up, cut the heads off his flowers
or put a fake shit on his piano or summut.”
Altar Flowers’ world tour ambition…
8/ Manchester City or Manchester United?
“Man U obvs.”
9/ If you could go back in time on which artist’s front door
would you knock and ask to have a selfie together?
“Cher in the 60’s was a proper fit. I’d fancy my chances
aswell, definitely.”
Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPiere…
10/ Future plans for ALTAR FLOWERS?
“I feel like we’ve probably spent too much time in the studio,
so probably just to get out, and do it live a bit more and to just
be wonderful… we’d like a 2nd ep out, before the end of the year,
but we’re taking it all as it comes for now I reckon. It’s all good
in the hood at the minute.”
Thank you for this interview, Jay.
May the road rise with ALTAR FLOWERS!
A brand new SEVEN IN THE MIX for a brand new week!
Seven stirring strokes I played on repeat these past days
Seven top-notch tracks to feed body & soul all week long
Turn up the volume! Music is the dope! Here’s the stuff!
. 1/ ‘We Almost Failed, Brian (Epilogue II) by CUBS REFRAIN (Toronto, Canada)
What a powerful outburst of passion this is. Towering electro dynamics, overwhelming duo vocals and a sky-high melody. An intense reflection on a first love that wasn’t right. Superb new single from the heartfelt Canadian tandem’s upcoming LP, titled ‘Tell Me You Love Me’. CUBS REFRAIN: Website –Facebook –Twitter
2/ ‘Spree’ by ALTAR FLOWERS (Manchester, UK)
Electro firework with a sticky goth twist that activates your body and your eager senses.
A tremendously stimulating groove with a seductive flow and tempting male/female vocals. Top cut from these Mancs new, splendid ‘Performance‘ EP – here on Bandcamp. ALTAR FLOWERS: Facebook –Twitter
3/ ‘Higher’ by LEISURE TANK (London/Berlin)
Here’s a fetching, irresistible and wayward jingle jangle spur without brakes. Going on like forever, propelled by dauntless vocals and electrified with ramshackle guitars. Ace score! LEISURE TANK: Website –Facebook –Instagram
4/ ‘Do You Want It All?’ by NIGHT OWLS (Leeds, UK)
Wall-of-guitars-turbulence, pumping drums and sharp vocals! Here’s a massive banger that will make your adrenalin stream faster and your speakers going bananas. Hail Hail! NIGHT OWLS: Facebook – Twitter
5/ ‘Johnny Disco’ by PURSLANE (Karlstad, Sweden)
You’ll be hooked on Johnny Disco from the first chord on. A highly catchy swagger, flamboyant beats, scintillating synths and wacky vocals turn this ripper into a dazzling stroke. This 4-headed squad will release their debut album on 21 April. Info here. PURSLANE: Reverbnation – Facebook
6/ ‘Cold Heart’ by SAVANNAH (Telford, UK)
This energetic Britpop humdinger makes you glow instantly. Its captivating, sparkling and vocal energy is strongly addictive & radiant. Frozen hearts will be melted after one spin. SAVANNAH: Website –Facebook – Twitter
7/ ‘Pink Thoughts’ by TOPOGRAPHIES (Bay Area, San Francisco, US)
Swirling shoegaze electricity interwoven with blue-sky harmonies that will elevate romantic spirits to dreamy levels. A colorful wall-of-My-Bloody-Valentine-guitars carry this amplified rainbow from start to finish. A splendiferous journey with mind-intoxicating results!… TOPOGRAPHIES: Facebook –Bandcamp –Instagram
