Brighton‘s indie stars SQUID hit the bullseye immediately with their debut LP Bright Green Field that came out in 2021 and went Top-5 in the UK and with
their sophomore album O Monolith they doubled their fanbase.
And here’s longplayer number three, named COWARDS.
New album artwork – Design by Ben Sifel / Photography by Tonje Tielsen.
Press info: “Cowards is about evil. Nine stories whose protagonists reckon with cults, charisma and apathy. Real and imagined characters wading into the dark ocean between right and wrong. It’s Squid’s most courageous album: simultaneously growing in scope
and returning to basics.”
Stereogum says: “Cowards marks Squid’s third album in just under four years and,
ike many of their contemporaries awkwardly lumped together under the “post-punk
revival,” they continue to restlessly mutate far beyond the signifiers of their original breakthrough sound.
The songwriting and lyricism alike sharpen to get to the guts of things, capturing an illness at the heart of the world that only seems to have metastasized during the years the band has been chronicling it. On Cowards, the band’s world and sound alike open up. It feels as if their story is just getting started.”
TUTV: Squid resonate like a volcano in motion with boiling lava streaming
in every direction. Always pressure, tension and danger in the air, but no
explosions. Always eldritch, sinister and wicked, but never soul-destroying.
They easily could be family of The Murder Capital. In the end I’m left behind
with mixed emotions about Cowards.
Singles: Crispy Skin / Building 650 / Cro-Magnon Man
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.
FULL JUKEBOX (so far)
.
The 10 new ones added this week
TRACK-BY-TRACK
Band: GETDOWN SERVICES Who: Two flamboyant
weirdos from Bristol, UK.
Dog Dribble operates somewhere between Yard Act and Sleaford Mods.
Its limbs-activating groove is simply irresistible. Get up, stand up, and fight
for your right to move in mysterious ways.
Band: PALES Who: Indie combo from Strasbourg, France.
Track: PIECE OF MEAT
Reminiscent of the best of the ’90s (Sonic Youth, The Breeders, Fugazi) while aligning with the new wave of post-punk and noise rock, Pales immerses us in a frenetic and visceral universe, sketching out the contours of their upcoming EP set for release in early 2025.
Following a long, sensuous spoken word foreplay, Piece Of Meat erupts brutally
midway and starts repeating this breathtaking process for a second time heading
to an abrupt finish. Hypnotic and bone-chilling. Awesome delivery.
First shared piece from upcoming album #3
baptized Cowards. It’ll come our way on
7 February 2025.
A bouncy and sprightly affair with its frisky piano touches, bass dynamics, but it’s the anxious vocals that set the tone. Drummer/vocalist Ollie Judge says the song is about cannibalism. Sure, why not? This is tasty stuff
Band: INFADER Who: 4-piece from Antwerp, Belgium. They skillfully combine influences from
the early 2000s with principles from classical music in a powerful, modern rock
sound. Think Muse, Dead Poet Society en Triggerfinger.
Track: HIGH & LOW
First cut from the upcoming new EP named
‘Desperately Average‘, out 21 February 2025.
High & Low is a robust slice of sharp-cutting guitar rock, embedded
in a both melodious and revved-up wall-of-sound. Splendid effort.
Play it loud. Turn it up.
Artist: BRANSON ANDERSON Who: Salt Lake City-based singer-songwriter whose music takes on major
influences from Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and the White Stripes to bring the
public something pleasantly unique.
Band: The Jesus Lizard
Who: Notorious noise rock
oldtimers from Austin, Texas.
Track: COST OF LIVING
An outtake of their recent
released comeback LP Rack.
Yow (songwriter/vocalist): “Simply because I wrote the words to ‘Cost Of Living’ doesn’t mean that I know exactly what it’s about. I think it has to do with the dread and self-loathing that addicts experience on a very regular basis. You can pick whichever type of addict you choose.”
Barded wire guitar hullabaloo.
Old skool racket, but efficient.
Following new incendiary album Darker White the trio fabricated this steaming shocker for an ‘adult animated steampunk action-adventure television series’ namedArcane: League of Legends.
Rabbit Hole is an invitation to explore life’s hidden corners, where desire and despair
often collide. The accompanying video clip immerses fans in distorted shadows and dramatic visuals, that perfectly mirrors the raw and introspective.
Expect a motorized riff-ripper
with a titanic fists in the air chorus.
Blazing blast.
Artist: SAM FENDER Who: British mega pop/rock star.
Track: PEOPLE WATCHING
It’s the first piece and title song of his upcoming,
3rd longplayer. It’ll land on 25 February 2025.
“A song about somebody that was like a surrogate mother to me and passed away last November. It’s kind of ironic because she was the one that gave me the confidence to go
on stage… now an entire song (and album) connects to her.”
The head-over-heels vocal vehemence at work here goes through the roof.
Band: NOVANOISE Who: Italy’s rising alternative
punk rock outfit.
Track: LEVELS
It’s a fresh blend of punchy punk rock riffs, bold synth lines, and the undeniable
energy of frontwoman Luna Esmeralda Rizzi. Known for their high-voltage performances and cyberpunk flair, Novanoise delivers a track that’s both defiant and uplifting.
A shout-out to staying connected in a chaotic world.
Levels is a high-voltage burst,
with biting vocals and a Herculean
powerhouse intensity.
