Band: CHEW MAGNA Who: Up-and-coming indies
from Manchester.
New single/video: SECRETS
Their ode to compulsive lying,
bull-shitting and hyperbole. Oops.
Laurie (singer/songwriter): “Secrets originally started life as an acoustic song
I wrote for my folk group, but we jammed it a few times, channeling bands like
Sebadoh and Superchunk and it transformed pretty quickly. Clocking in at just
over two minutes, what ‘Secrets’ lacks in duration it makes up for in volume!
Simon: We wanted it to be noisy to juxtapose the poppy melodies. Laurie
and I don’t play a single note in the verse, we just leave the guitars to start
squealing”.
TUTV: It’s one of those (not so frequent) tunes that you know you’ll love after
15 seconds. Secrets is a straightforward, solid rocker that leaves the gate with
greedy drum hits and screeching guitars in the back, but in an eye/ear blink the
engine starts up and races towards the jubilant chorus. A bit of Weezer and, yes, Lou Barlow (Sebadoh / Dinosaur Jr) here and there.
Anyway, it’s an instant rock earworm. One little remark: it’s pretty short.
On the other hand, lets not forget that the Ramones made a living out of
2-minute songs and secondly, there’s always the repeat button. Click.
In order to not miss a beat Turn Up The Volume scans the musical
horizon daily (doing it for years now, actually) to stay in touch with
all new things sonically great and shares the results on a weekly
basis.
Check the 10 new rad cuts just
added to this rad 2023 playlist.
The Los Angeles based project of musician and songwriter Sarsten Noice and producer Claire Morison.
The track narrates facing the consequences of your own actions and the desire
to change the reality of a situation but ultimately having the resignation that you
can’t.
Poison The Well has a magnetic synth vibe that sticks
on the spot and actives your limbs. Strike!
Former chief of Manchester’s heroes Oasis still knows how to write an instantly appealing song. There She Blows is grooving and amusing. From NG’s new longplayer Council Skies.
A cover of a Nick Drake (1948-1974) song from his 1969 LP Five Leaves Left.
A mesmeric rendition by PJ Harvey’s longtime collaborator/producer and the sparkling voice of songstress Aldous Harding. It features a brand new tribute album named The Endless Coloured Ways – The Songs Of Nick Drake.
Songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist
from Los Angeles whose music transcends genre.
Asha:“Hard Shit is about dating and how awful it is, especially due to the inventions of dating apps and how the culture has changed. There are just too many options for everyone now, so no one wants to stick around long enough to have something real. I think this song is super relatable and fun!”
I love Asha‘ no-nonsense and direct approach of this topic
and the song’s avid EBM pop resonance. Top shit!
These Manchester’s cacophonous indie craftsmen score with their new high-energetic corker that resounds like a pop melody backed up by layers of guitar furor, eager bass play, bang-on drum hits and lively vocals. Tremendously catchy stroke!
These British gunslingers kick-start your adrenalin production from the first chord on with this peppery pop-punk cryout fed by schizo guitars and distressed vocals. A thrill, although the song is about the wake of a breakup, an anthem of self-loathing, regret, and ultimately, forgiveness. I said it a million times before, heartache can lead to explosive catharsis in music.
This shoegazy dream pop titillation gets under your skin slowly but surely driven by its melodic brightness. And kudos to these Canadian indies to comment on the crushing amount of daily promo for artists/records.
“There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with doing some self promo, but sometimes there’s the temptation to lie and hide one’s true self to maintain their public persona. It’s disappointing to see, but the true pitfall of this kind of dishonesty is that it affects one’s own personal growth and self-discovery.”
Who: Zach Pliska and Emily Sturm. The project started in 2017.
They describe their sound as deathgaze, combining the raw energy
of deathrock with the depth of shoegaze. So far the duo released
four albums and a handful of singles and EPs.
Info: Vazum rebell against the stranglehold a precious few have over the music
industry, they forge ahead with The Precious Ones s is influenced by punk, alt and deathrock. Their next album, V Sessions, is due out next Spring.
TUTV: Vazum ventilate their anger versus the money-greedy corporate music industry
with this brutal straightforward shocker generating a wall-of-fuck-the-elite-labels sound that bulldozes its way on repeat with schizo guitars, a non-stop spiteful rant and Emily Sturm‘s freakish backing vocals. Bang-on!
Shut your mouth
No one wants to hear more
Same old sounds
We’re all so bored
Turn you down
No one wants to hear more
Plagued by doubt
You’re all Poseurs
Artist: CAMILLA SPARKSSS Who: Darkwave artist from Kenora, Ontario. Her music is an instinctive
mixture of 80’s dark wave and experimental electronic music performed
alongside a lo-fi dancer on stage.
New tracks: GO and DRIFTING featuring Mike Mare ‘DALEK).
TUTV: Edged echoes of electro acts such as Fever Ray, Cherry Glazerr,
and Crystal Castles pop up here, but it’s Sparkesss‘s own imaginative
musical vision, spine-chilling orchestrations and enigmatic vocality
that stand out. Impressive. Two times.
Band: CHEW MAGNA Who: Indies out of Manchester, UK
New single: SPAT OUT
From the upcoming self-titled debut album.
Info: If you’ve ever set your watch 10 minutes ahead to trick yourself into gaining
extra time, ‘Spat Out’ is the moment you 100% relate. Painfully aware of the unease each passing second can bring, Manchester’s most raucous jam-band Chew Magna are serving up a frenzied guitar rush of realisation that whether we like it or not, time waits for no one.
Laurie (singer): “It’s fuelled by the frustration of being up against time,
of the fleetingness of life whilst having this nagging feeling of missed
opportunities.”
TUTV: Pushed by a non-stop driving drum/bass vigor Chew Magna go fast forward from
the very start as if they’re afraid to run out of time. Agitated guitar lines turn paranoid, tense vocals add urgency to this classy cracker, and the sonic temperature rises up now and then causing a feverish effect. Top stuff.
Info:Vampires is a soundscape that’s a new take on familiar sounds – laced with 90s ear worms and textured in nostalgic house piano tones, swirling trippy guitars, pounding bass and a back beat filled with big fills, bongos and tambourines. With its tongue in its cheek and an appraising eye, Vampires is a Britpop stomper about all those people out there happy to bloodsuck their way up the ladder with no care for how it affects their immortal soul.
TUTV: No way to escape the merciless vampires that surround us in daily life. It feels
like these crusaders WAXX! want to crush them with this psycho-delic cry-out that speeds forth and back. Irritated voices make their point, and classic guitar soloing completes the angry energy at work here.
Artists: EVIL TONGUES Who: Canadian duo – Jennifer Di and Mike Allain – have developed a gritty cinematic sound that aims to captivate listeners with soaring anthemic melodies and raw personal lyrics. The pair bonded over their eclectic range of musical tastes and saw an opportunity to take to the stage, collaborating on something new inspired by a shared love of the sounds that defined the 80’s and the UK music scene. Bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode, White Lies, and Chvrches are a major source of inspiration behind the synth-driven sound of Evil Tongues’ music.
Jennifer Di: From a young age, I’ve always been pretty focused on going after my dreams, which I’ve learned also comes with a lot of sacrifices. As much as I don’t regret any of the decisions that I’ve made to get here, every now and then a little voice inside my head questions has this all really been worth it? And if everything falls apart, will anyone be there to catch me? Or have I sacrificed too much? This song was written about one of those conversations that I had with myself, and acknowledging my fears yet blowing past them.
TUTV: Catch Me is an affecting dream-pop tune that floats around like a seagull carried
by the wind. Both breezy and wandering. Di‘s heartfelt voice, a cinematic synth glow, and the fervid chorus unite beautifully.
Band: CHEW MAGNA Who: Rowdy noiseniks
from Manchester
New single: LISTLESS
Cacophonous blast from
upcoming debut LP
Laurie (frontman): “Listless is mostly
about wasting an abundance of potential.”
Score: All cylinders and burners on from the kick-off. No brakes.
No looking back. Expect an extended 70 seconds supersonic instrumental
intro, followed by buzzing vocal electricity before all hell breaks loose with
an adrenalized shot of guitar-crazy hysteria. Wait, it’s not over yet.
The helter-skelter restarts until the abrupt finish. I had to take a break before
I let the whirlwind overwhelm me again and again and again. A red-hot-smoking
shock-wave of maddened energy. Holy moly!
The accompanying Lynchian-meets-Bo Burnham video was created and filmed
by the band in a single day, in a cleared-out spare bedroom on zero budget.
Roll the tape and go nuts…
You can buy (name your price)
Listless here on Bandcamp…
