Here are 5 things you should know about the
all-female-fury band, named THE DARTS.
1. They’re based in Seattle, Washington, and are fronted by the ever-charismatic
singer-songwriter Nicole Laurenne, also operating solo as crooning diva Black
Viiolet
3. With the new record included, bat in chief Laurenne has now written/released
6 longplayers in 10 years with her women-in-black turbo, with looong tours in
between (catch them live if you have the opportunity. They’re red-hot on stage,
as I experienced multiple times, so far). A Laurenne day lasts for 48 hours and
she has thrilling music running through her veins 24/7. There you go.
4. It’s the perfect soundtrack for ebullient parties at your local graveyard. It’s an eery garage pop/rock record for your favorite nightmares, stuffed mostly with high-tempered, catchy tunes motorized by freakish guitars, bass/drum frenzy, glowing organ heat, and Laurenne‘s tempting, and arousing vocals.
5. With Halloween Love Songs,The Darts have turned Halloween into a daily
in your-masked-face event. From now on, all you need is All Hallows’ Eve love.
Get together in the midnight hours, celebrate our spine-chilling life, admire each
others psycho outfits, send the war-greedy Bogeymen (you know who they are) to
hell, be a sweet creep, trick and treat everybody with spooky jokes, and never ever
forget to go out-of-your-mind, all you manic motherrockers out there, with the help
of these 13 new smashing Darts pumpkins.
TUTV: Wham Boom Wham Boom Bam! From the first chord on, you can stamp your feet, spin your head around, and punch your hands in the air. Lip Critic bop to the beastly beat, so does your itching body.
But as the track progresses, the funky ambiance gets ominous, aggressive, and brutal. Vocalist Bret Kaser goes nuts, the band goes bonkers, your stereo goes berserk, and
your ears go bananas. Hallelujah.
Band: TEMPLES Who: The glitzy British glam
rockers from London.
Track: JET STREAM HEART
Lead single from their forthcoming 5th full-length, the first
in 3 years, named Bliss. They will share it with the world
on June 26th.
TUTV: Frontman says James Bagshaw, the track sounds like Kylie Minogue
meets Daft Punk, meets Temples! My ears hear something a bit different,
more like good old T.Rex hanging out with Hot Chip at the disco. Most
important thing: T is back.
TUTV: Jumpy. Bouncy. Zippy. Cacophonic overtones, frolic organ blitz, sinewy vocals,
and psychobilly guitars drenched in an Eastern frenzy, blast out of your stereo. If this is what the Apocalypse will sound like, I wanna be there. Trust me, so will you.
“An energetic, confrontational track about power and the everyday things we tend
to take for granted. No preaching, but something we could all be a bit more aware of. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
TUTV: These Belgian motherrockers trigger your maddest pogo-stick moves and
your insatiable appetite for sweaty moshpits with this fervent flamethrower, fueled
by a bulldozing drum/bass artillery, schizophrenic guitars, and crackbrained vocals.
Consider it a privilege to be able to go out-of-your-mind to this punk dunk.
All together now, loud and proud, La-La-La-La-La-La-La-La-La.
TUTV: Fast forward from the kick-off with squeaky guitars, a cranky rhythm section,
and hurry-scurry vocals. Speedy punk Gonzales for all you sonic sprinters out there.
Band: VILLANELLE Who: Fresh Brit-rock trio led
by Liam Gallagher‘s son Gene.
New track: PLACEBO
Their 3rd one. It’ll feature on their
debut EP, which will land on May 6th.
TUTV: Placebo is a haywire riff wallop. Gene Gallagher doesn’t follow in
his father’s band footsteps. His motto is more like ‘tonight I’m a grunge star‘.
Yep, his band don’t look back in anger at the Nirvana days. They’re
definitely, maybe fans of Kurt Cobain‘s unpolished and unbridled
exuberance.
Band: JENNIFER TEFFT & THE STRANGE Who: A fired-up, energizing outfit who create earthy music
from its roots and breathes fresh, rock and roll life into them.
Tefft: “This song was written during a point in my relationship where I felt like it was
too one-way. Where I really wanted ‘A Little More’ from my significant other, communication, time, emotion, etc. – but I was afraid to say it out loud. I think it is a pretty common theme in relationships.”
Art by Stephen ‘Sharky’ Beccia; design by Jennifer Tefft
TUTV: If I tell you that riff-riveting blues rock duo The Kills are one of my all-time fav
bands, you’ll absolutely understand why I love this amazeballs crackerjack. Jennifer
Tefft voice matches Alison Mosshart‘s warm-blooded one. Both passional and sensual.
A Little More is a magnetic mid-tempo turn-on, energized by
a striking drum/bass artillery and sparked by anxious guitars.
Artist: PEACHES Who: The fabulous/controversial/notorious performer/producer and
feminist/gay activist born Merrill Nisker, 58 years ago in Toronto, Canada.
Artist: LEG PUPPY 2.0 Who: Seasoned techno freak from London who has released a ton
of longplayers (so far). Take a day off and move over to Spotify to
check out as many as possible.
TUTV: As my therapist once said: rich company owners are psychos. No morals,
no respect, no tolerance. Workers are tools abused to help them make even richer. Leg Puppy 2.0 translates this ongoing criminality into a brain-breaking midtempo techno club-hammer. It easily could be the theme song for George Orwell‘s yet-to-be-made
‘1984‘ movie.
Jacob Peck (frontman/lyricist): “ The song expresses our frustrations with
middle-class comforts, over-analysis without action, nimbyism, intellectual
cowardice as a stand-in for material change and all too easy deference to
business and power.
TUTV: These Manchester punk dropouts hit hard. All greedy sharks in
our collapsing society better run and hide. Hungry go on a roasting rampage,
powered by a propulsive bass/drum tandem, neurotic guitars, and cranked-up
vocals.
Band: MONT LOSER Who: A deformed creature born from the depths of a late-night Parisian haze, half kamikaze, half blood-drunk bat. ML invite you to dive headfirst into the void of a rock scene that always seems to rise from its ashes, when we sometimes wish it would stay dead.
Track: CONFESSIONAL
The title track from their upcoming
album, out on April 17th.
“It’s only reality tv confessionals — people alone in a booth, crying to
the camera, saying things they probably never meant to say out loud.”
TUTV: Ballistic guitars, chaotic screams, mindbending verve and head-twisting changes of speed combine for a roasting 5-minute rollercoaster. Be ready for a dizzying experience.
Band: GERECKI Who: Art rock ensemble from Serbia, known for blending 60s- and 70s-inspired
rock’n’roll with chamber-pop intimacy, subtle psychedelic hues, and jazz-inflected
textures.
Track: IT GETS DARK
New piece from their upcoming debut album, named Athanasios (Greek word for immortal), out May 7th.
The song draws from a quiet, deeply personal memory: a family visit to the zoo.
Seen through the eyes of a three-year-old daughter — curious, overwhelmed, moved to tears by the crocodile house, then distracted by ducks flying over seemingly empty cages.
TUTV: Gerecki produce a hook-hungry groove, reminiscent of The Beatles‘s classic Get Back jam. No kidding. That’s what my experienced ears (big Beatles fans) told me immediately. A-OK, right? Far and away. It Gets Dark thrives on it and repeats its infectious throb after slowing down here and there.
After the brutal killings, in cold blood, of two American citizens – Rennée Good
and Alex Pretti last month in Minnesota, several musicians called out Trump and
his ruthless Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
So did The Boss.
“I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it
to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of
Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent
immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.”
Band: KULA SHAKER
Who: British psych rock vets, fronted by charismatic
vocalist/songwriter Crispian Mills. Their 1996 debut LP,
titled K made them instant indie stars.
KAH: “I drew a man on his family farm wading across a river toward the final living pig, knowing he had to slaughter it. You can tell he doesn’t want to do this, but sometimes the
hard thing is exactly what must be done.”
TUTV: Arresting from the start. KAH’s puissant Americana voice and the song’s rock-solid Mellencamp flow merge seamlessly together, resulting in a stem-winding gem. Both electric and absorbing.
Verstegen: “As a songwriter, I have a love-hate relationship with the “blank page.”
As long as I don’t put anything on it, anything is still possible. It’s a promise of everything
song could ever be. But I also find that emptiness intimidating. What if I mess it up?
What if I have nothing meaningful to say?
That uncertainty and doubt reminded me of how I feel after a broken relationship.
You suddenly have to turn the page and write a new chapter. A head full of doubts
and a heart full of hope. And before I knew it, I had a page full of sentences about…
a blank page.”
TUTV: Dim the lights, sit down, relax, and let your thoughts run free. Verstegen will soundtrack it all with this new restful reverie. His near-whispering vocals and acoustic, sepia-colored sonority echo Matt Berninger‘s soft, romantic touch. Candelight music for relaxing moments.
Artist: RYAN THOMAS SMELLE Who: Canadian singer/songwriter with an acoustic approach to storytelling, using
hook-laden songs in the areas of folk, alternative, North Americana and pop.
RTS: “Some songs are stories of moments from our life. As a songwriter, this short
and sweet lyrical tale is a snapshot of a love’s farewell and how we can stew in the
feelings.”
TUTV: Vocally Ryan Thomas Smelle reminds me of The National’s Matt Berninger‘s tranquillising hush-hush timbre, which benefits the heartrending emotions and
the saddening nature of NothingLeft Of My Heart downright.
Acoustic and electric guitar sparks, think Mark Knopfler, paint cloudy images.
This is a melancholic reverie for silent pondering and soul-searching reflection.
A touching and moving ballad.
One of the 23 tracks performed by big-name bands/artists on a new album,
named Help, with all benefits going to War Child. An organisation that shapes
systems that protect and support the well-being of children affected by conflict.
TUTV: Jumpy. Bouncy. Zippy. Cacophonic overtones, frolic organ blitz, sinewy vocals and psychobilly guitars drenched in an Eastern frenzy, blast out of your stereo. If this is what the Apocalypse will sound like, I wanna be there. Trust me, so will you.
TUTV: Kasabian turned from dance-infused rockers into disco-popsters under the leadership of singer-songwriter Sergio Pizzorno. Lots of drum/bass action on this
new one. Shaky stuff.
Artist: LEO VINCENT Who: Brussels-based, failed goalkeeper-turned-painter-turned-cameraman-turned-musician. Some say it’s disco for night janitors. Some say it’s glam-rock for ravers.
Others haven’t found the time to listen yet because they have real jobs.
TUTV: Oh yeah, the vibes! Oh yeah, the beats! Oh yeah, the swagger! Shake your pelvis, bend your knees and jump up and down, left and right, forth and back. This is a workout tune for all you lazy bumps out there. Move! Now!
Band: MONT LOSER Who: A deformed creature born from the depths of a late-night Parisian haze, half kamikaze, half blood-drunk bat. ML invite you to dive headfirst into the void of a rock scene that always seems to rise from its ashes, when we sometimes wish it would stay dead.
Track: CONFESSIONAL
The title track from their upcoming
album, out on April 17th.
“It’s only reality tv confessionals — people alone in a booth, crying to
the camera, saying things they probably never meant to say out loud.”
TUTV: Psychotic guitars, chaotic screams, mindbending verve and headtwisting changes of speed combine for a roasting 5-minute rollercoaster. Be ready for a dizzying experience.
