Death Valley Girls

Turn Up The Volume’s 25 BEST TRACKS OF 2023

Posted on by JL

ALL TOGETHER


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TRACK-BY-TRACK

1. ‘What Are The Odds’ by DEATH VALLEY GIRLS (California)


Photo by Little Ghost/Kelsey Hart

This was the first single of their best album to date Islands In The Sky. A terrifically juiced-up power-pop chant triggering your limbs to get up and move. And when the under the spell of joy choir joins Bonnie Bloomgarden on the elated chorus you just know that this stunning tune is a winner.

We are living in a simulated world
And we are simulated girls!

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2. ‘Lads Lads Lads’ by LAMBRINI GIRLS (Brighton, UK)


(Press photo © Bridie Florence)

The unquestionable sensation of the year.

The sassy spirit of fiery Riot grrls, the primal screams of X-Ray Spex‘s late genial vox Poly Styrene, the unbridled DIY mentality of The Slits. It’s all here to get in the macho faces of all macho males. Lads Lads Lads is a loud and clear clamorous uppercut. Trash and slash punk turmoil. Holy fucking smoke!

Feel the fury.

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3. ‘Riverstone’ by DITZ (Brighton, UK)


(Photo by Turn Up The Volume – Brugge, Belgium 2023)

“The lyrics were related to whatever we were talking shit about that day.
Dirt-cheap ’baccy and annoying, invasive TikToks. It’s hard to recall.”

Riverstone is an excessive electro-industrial sledgehammer doing your head,
your ears and your mind in. Bang-bang-bang-bang. Deafening drones, psychotic
guitars, and schizophrenic vocals, it’s all here to have an electric brain-frying
chair experience.

Right here.

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4. ‘Just Shadows’ by JEEN (Canada)

All-round Canadian singer/songwriter nailed it with this efferscent swirling knockout.

This is the kind of 24-Carat gold banger that makes your day, that boosts your worried state of mind, that puts a big smile on your face, that works faster than any stimulant and most of all, that gets you on your feet, triggers your best rotating dance moves and make you embrace life. Reality is not all doom and gloom, as many (mostly politicians) want us to believe to push their own power-greedy agenda. To hell with them.

Listen/watch.

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5. ‘This Just Ain’t My Year’ by 32 TENS (UK)


(Promo photo)

These vigorous Brits hit big time with this flamboyant ripsnorter.
It’s full tilt ahead from the get-go. No brakes, no breaks, and
creeping under your skin faster than you can say this is super-duper.

A whirlwind of scorching guitars, pounding drumming, a revolving bass line
somewhere in the middle, go-getting vocals and a dynamite chorus combine
for a badass belter. 2023 was the year for 32 Tens.

Touchdown.

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6. ‘Baggio’ by MILES KANE (UK)

This contagious cracker celebrates forer Italian football star Roberto Baggio

Kane: “I was eight years old when I first saw Baggio on TV, it was during the
1994 World Cup. I was taken back by his presence, his look and his talent. It was
the first time I’d seen a man look so different and unique. Seeing Baggio led me to
e obsessed with that Italian football team for many years later.

Baggio is one of those typical Kane tunes. Immediately recognisable with its
uplifting 60s/70s beat and blissful melody. But it’s a glorious guitar fragment
and accompanying harmonious, backing vocals that lift the song to a five-star
pop level.

Goal!

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7. ‘Gorilla Guerilla’ by MANTRA OF THE COSMOS (UK)

This new supergroup features Shaun Ryder & Bez (Happy Mondays/Black Grape),
Andy Bell (Ride/Oasis) and drummer Zak Starkey, yes Ringo’s son, who actually came up with this project’s idea and describes it as “a fantastic psychedelic groove from a band of misfits, outsiders and innovators.”

First single Gorilla Guerilla is a mind-boggling techno-rock stomper
to start and end all (il)legal raves with and fill dancefloors around the
globe with. This seasoned collective is a mean groove machine.

E-tastic!

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8. ‘Right Wing Beasts’ by SLEAFORD MODS (UK)

The duo launched their 12th LP, called UK Grim last March.

This rattling piece is my absolute favorite.

It’s Sleaford Mods by – very good – numbers. The mods still spit and sneer
against Tories‘ merciless pressure and devastating regime. And they still do
it with rappin’ vibrations.


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9. ‘Foefetti’ by JODIE LANGFORD (Hull, UK)

The waterfall wordsmith from Hull (UK) released her tip-top debut EP Chaos Of Time
and followed it with this booming corker. Glittery, glammy and trashy (like the video).
Sing happy birthday to 6-year-old princess Jodie midway. Don’t worry afterward you
can continue to pogo around the table.

Whang, whang, whang.

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10. ‘Dicks In Tanks’ by MORLOCKS (Gothenborg, Sweden)


2023 photo by Krichan Wihlbor

This Swedish turbo founded by mastermind J.Strauss had
a new flabbergasting album out, named Praise The Iconoclast,
this year.

Single Dicks In Tanks features vocal efforts from Sascha Konietzko of KMFDM,
dark ambient electro queen Karin My and black metal maestro Heljarmadr
of Grá/Dark Funeral.

Morlocks‘ cynical take on war is sharp-cutting like a first-class Swiss knife

“Salute every hard on, a call to arms / this is my klaxon / sound the alarms”.

It all starts with warning war sirens and marching soldiers chants.
90 seconds later, it’s all hens on deck when this industrial rock missile
erupts with a blitzkrieg fierceness.

Think Rammstein and NIN having a fight with riot guns.

Shoot.

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11. ‘An Individual Soul’ by PRINCESS UGLY (Portland, US)

This blitz duo – J. Christopher-Rome (lyrics/vocals) and Christopher Moncrieffe (music/instruments) mix post-punk, early 80’s goth, shoegaze, and new wave
into their own brand of sound.

An Individual Soul is a multi-layered serpent of a track.

After a short shock intro, psychobilly guitars take over and riff
and roll all the way through, surrounded by glowing synths waves.

Add Christopher-Rome’s creepy whispering and you’ll feel transported
somewhere into a twilight zone where Goths party. Princess Ugly’s ominous
mind mystifies and the enigmatic she-devil in the video is a misleading
magnet.

Check in.

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12. ‘How To Replace It’ by dEUS (Belgium)

The veterans – the best Belgian band ever – dropped their 8th LP,
baptized How To Replace It last February, their first in 11 years.

The title track, also the LP’s opener is a vintage dEUS grower.
An ongoing spellbinding trip that works its way to an
explosive climax.

Watch/listen.

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13. ‘Huevos Rancheros’ by THE IRRATIONAL LIBRARY (The Netherlands)

These Dutch-American misfits have their roots firmly planted in both the regional
and international counterculture. They produce a raw, dirty groove influenced by
punk, provo and punk icons. Their poetry is packed with social criticism.

Huevos Rancheros, from their new longplayer Good Busy is a song about
seeing life clearly through all the haze and confidently strolling through the
daze.

It’s a tremendously sticky and melodic tune that mesmerises from the kick-off.
Stimulated by a sparkling and melancholic guitar riff à la Kurt Vile, a footstompin’
beat and word-smith Joshua Baumgarten‘s expressive storytelling it becomes an
electrifying humdinger, after a couple of spins.

Play.


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14. ‘Wild Bird’ by THE CORAL (Liverpool, UK)


(Press photo via Maintain Perspective PR)

The singular psych-folk-pop-rock wanderers released, this year,
one of their best albums ever with Sea Of Mirrors

Wild Bird is The Coral at its relaxing best. A characteristic psych-pop gem
that pleased my ears on repeat since it came out. Breezy and heartwarming,
causing an I-feel-so-much-better-now thrill in the end.

Watch/listen.

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15. ‘Now And Then’ by THE BEATLES (Liverpool, UK)

Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr worked in 1979 on the demo
of this previously unreleased John Lennon beauty, but didn’t finish it at the time.

Now, using advanced technology and a curatorial touch, McCartney
and Starr have completed what they started with George, and turned
it into a fully orchestrated nugget of a love song

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16. ‘Nice To Say Hello’ by THE ROGUES (Wales)

This young outfit from Newport, Wales drew TUTV’s
attention in an eye/earblink with Nice To Say Hello.

It’s only their 3rd single, but this young team sounds as if they’ve been
around for years. Nice To Say Hello is a top-pop thrill. Irresistibly catchy
and captivatingly melodic. Layers of glimmering guitars with an endearing
resonance, that brings, yes, Noel Gallagher’s strumming play of his solo
work to mind.

The charming vocals and the infectious chorus
make the sonic picture complete. Fabulous feat.

Say hello to The Rogues.


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17. ‘Freedom’ by CHIC CHOC (NYC)

Chic Choc are three musically seasoned Amazons from NYC using drum machines,
synthesizers, guitars, voice and a variety of sound filters and pedals to make
their point.

Freedom is their crystal clear debut single that criticizes, 200% rightly so, the fact that women still have to fight for so many fundamental rights. It’s bloody 2023 and so much female injustice is still a reality.

Sonically it’s a striking EBM earworm to fill dance floors with. Brisk beats, cool chorus, sensuous vocals and a protesting choir, combine for a spirited piece. Bang-on.

Le freak, c’est chique choc.


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18. ‘You’re So Cool’ by KAT KOAN (Berlin, Germany)

This Berlin-based songstress released her arresting debut full-length
LUSTPRINZIP last year. This year, she recorded/shared three rad singles.

You’re So Cool (me?) is one of them. A sexy dance stomper with an instant impact on your hip movements. And, as usual, Koan‘s sultry voice tickles your imagination and makes you light some candlelights, and seduces you to do some shadow-dancing.

Tune in.


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19. ‘Eureka!’ by Band: THE VANITY PROJECT (London, UK)


Photo by Jamie Chapman

The Vanity Project is a London-based queer freak pop duo featuring Flora Jackson and Rob Paterson. The project is a multi-instrumented, multi-genre fever dream fusing new-wave, modern art-pop and PC Music influences with dashes of jangle pop, Latin alternative and drum and bass, dazzling hooks, and wryly humoured dystopian lyrics. All accompanied by eccentric visuals.

‘Eureka!’ was one of the standout singles on their debut album, named
We Never Should Have Come Here, that landed last September.

Combine the madcap vibrancy of Sparks‘ early days and some glamourous
Queen bombast and you’ll scream out loud Eureka!. These misfits produce
eccentric pop pleasure, sonically and lyrically, without mainstream
restrictions.

They sound kooky and look kooky, but make no mistake, this tantalizing
tandem know perfectly well how to fabricate and construct entertaining
music.

Listen/Watch.

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20. ‘103’ by THE KILLS (US/UK)

One of my all-time fav bands, on record and on stage, returned, finally,
this year with their acclaimed LP God Games and this arousing bluesy piece
is one of the highlights.

Watch/listen.

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21. ‘Dead Moon Rising’ by CACTUS FLOWERS (Houston, Texas)

Cactus Flowers is a psych-rock outfit from Houston, Texas fronted by Jessica A.M., whose mother photographed bands for Rolling Stone during the magazine’s counter-culture heyday.

With Dead Moon Rising we get a mid-tempo garage blues-rock corker fuelled
by echoing, rollicking riffs, steady drum hits and arresting Jessica A.M. vocals.
This raw cracker resonates like glorious legends The Cramps in slo-mo with a
mean machine vibe, rock-and-psycho-billy swagger and hefty dynamics. From
bad moon rising to dead moon rising.

Let’s roll.


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22. ‘Lunar Eclipse by THE VACCINES (UK)


(Photo by Turn Up the Volume – Lokerse Feesten, Belgium – 2022)

The British guitar pop idols will make their fans happy with their new, sixth
full-length, baptized Pick-Up Full Of Pink Carnations out on 12 January 2024.

This is one of the 4 singles they dropped so far. It’s The Vaccines alright.
Sickly sticky guitar euphoria. Totally crazy.

Yes.

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23. ‘Spellbinding’ by THE SMASHING PUMPKINS (US)

With this year’s three-part rock opera Atum chief
pumpkin Billy Corgan released one of his sonic dreams.

And with Spellbinding the band delivered a robust rocker infused with radiant synths, exploding now and then into a feverish haymaker on the flaming chorus and ending
with a dreamy fade out.

C’mon, Billy.


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24. ‘Heart On’ by 2LIBRAS (Seattle, WA)

2LIBRAS is a Seattle-based Cyberpunk duo that create dark, synthy beats infused with melodic guitars and vocal harmony since 2018. Their music infuses genres of industrial, dark electro, synthwave/synthpop and rock.

Heart On was one of the singles of their notable debut album World’s End.

It just was the best 2023 Valentine tune. An intoxicating mid-tempo groover. Both spicy and funky, lustful and provocative with hypnotizing vocals. Its slow-mo synth-bass beat crawls under your skin, and progresses steadily towards your restlessly pounding motor while your mind tries to figure out what is going on. Amorous communication isn’t easy, let your heart do the talking. It’s made for it.

Roll the tape.

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25. ‘‘A Feather Of A Pigeon In The Cave Of The Wisdom Of God’ by LIGHT BY THE SEA (The Netherlands)

The Dutch duo offered an intriguing pop symphony with this weirdly titled composition.

Scintillating electronic bliss, beautifully orchestrated.
And the accompanying video is a classy and subtly
sexy visualization. Top achievement.

Listen/watch.

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TUTV: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter

DEATH VALLEY GIRLS Invite You To Become Part Of Their Flow With Psych Jam ‘I AM A WAVE’

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

4 August 2023


Photo by Little Ghost/Kelsey Hart

Last February Los Angeles’ psychedelic garage pop/rock darlings
DEATH VALLEY GIRLS released their 5th longplayer Islands In The Sky.
Their best ever to Turn Up The Volume‘s greedy ears.

And driving-force, voice, face and songwriter Bonnie Bloomgarden
and her DV girls are back with a brand new track, named I AM A WAVE.

Bloomgarden: “This song is for anyone that has had a hard time making decisions or following their gut! I linger in indecision and get stuck in the muck of options, weighing every single dynamic except “how does this make me feel.” Sometimes it’s from fear of imperfection, but always it’s from self-doubt, not trusting my instinct, or letting my intuition be my guide. I’ve learned a lot from spiritual people lately. Pagans and witches, calling in the elements. I imagine it’s similar to asking Jesus, a saint, an ancestor, to help for guidance. For me, this song is like a meditation or a prayer. To become a wave. To not want to turn in, quit, and become small or unseen, but to flow and grow. Become part of the flow!!”

TUTV: I Am A Wave is a haunting mid-tempo psych jam, a sonic torch in the dark. The combination of the characteristically high-pitched Bloomgarden vocals, her 60s-sounding Hammond organ, the weeping guitars, the howling backing vocals, the steady drum beat and the glowing finale is just riveting and engrossing.

This is not a Mexican wave, it’s Bonnie‘s wave.
Follow her flow, she’s really kind of amazing.

STREAM


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BUY


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Euro Tour Dates (damn, Belgium is not included)

10/8 – PT – Porto – SONIC BLAST
13/8 – SW – Martigny – PALP festival
15/8 – NL – Nijmegen – Merleyn Nijmegen
16/8 – DE – Berlin – Kantine Am Berghain
17/8 – DE – Hamburg – Molotow
20/8 – FR – Charleville-Mézières, Cabaret Vert
22/8 – FR – Bordeaux – Square Dom Bedos 💀
23/8 – FR – Biarritz – Atabal 💀
25/8 – FR – Dijon – Lalalib

DVG: Facebook – Instagram

Turn Up The Volume’s 10 BEST ALBUMS OF 2023… So Far

Posted on by JL

1. ‘Heavy Heavy’ by YOUNG FATHERS

This sizzling Scottish trio nailed it with their 3rd LP. Heavy Heavy is one of those remarkable records (one every 3 months or so) that arouses from start to finish, with the cliché no fillers, all killers all over it. You hear its sonic brilliance, you feel its dauntless vocality, you realise quickly that this LP is special, very special.


(Photo by Turn Up The Volume – Antwerp 2023)

An undisputable first-class work where vitalizing soul, ecstatic pop melodiousness
and self-willed hip-hop come together in an organic way. A spiritual happening.

Funk-punk drunk virtuosity with astonishing vocal teamwork.

STREAM


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2. ‘First Tow Pages Of Frankenstein’ by THE NATIONAL

I second the multiple raving reviews for this brilliant album. It’s not the first time that troubled and depressed artists (Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Nick Cave and others made a living out of it) come up with healing music.

Despite a temporary writer’s block and severe depression, Matt Berninger (aged 52)
found his way in his chaotic mind and came back to express the psychic fights with all of his demons in a most affecting manner. And his crooning voice, once more, is instrumental for The National‘s sound.

STREAM


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3. ‘Ignore Grief’ by XIU XIU

This Californian experimental act, founded in 2002 by singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart surprise every time they come up with new music. Also with Ignore Grief, already their
13th full length, XX impress mightily.


(Press photo)

Ignore Grief is not happy music, it’s grim reality music, it’s mind-absorbing music.
Inventive, capricious and ideal as the soundtrack for one of David Lynch‘s hallucinatory films. Although after a couple of spins, you’ll find out that Xiu Xiu‘s bone-chilling sonic exorcism is more accessible than you thought at first. Their orchestral manoeuvres in
the dark are flabbergasting.

STREAM


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4. ‘Shook’ by ALGIERS

With Shook this American/English outfit drew tons of critical praise. Rightly so.
It’s a tremendously varied work. They jump from zestful hip-rap-hop to forceful
post-punk-rock, to soulful lullabies, to arresting spoken-word protest, to sparkling
gospel. 54 minutes long, but you get sucked in every second. Wowzers!


(Press – FB Algiers)

A solid gold triumph.

STREAM


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5. ‘A Headlong Fall Into The Vast Ocean Of Anxiety’ by EYEMOUTH

Expect atmospheric synth-scapes for soundtracks of sci-fi movies, mellow Pink Floyd echoes, dark-electro-wave surrealism, and an overall synth-symphonic sonority.

All mesmerizingly orchestrated with both classical and venturesome music structures. Now and then composer Marcus Lilja‘s ghostly voice adds an extra mysterious touch to the instrumental grandeur at play. The power of nature in sonic motion.

STREAM/BUY


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5. ‘Secret Life’ by FRED AGAIN… and BRIAN ENO

Weird collaboration? No, certainly not. The very popular EBM/house/hip-hop/DJ Fred and the legendary ambient wizard Brian Eno complete each other here perfectly. They create a sonic labyrinth where Eno‘s hallucinatory ambient waves progress in slow motion, causing a trance trip in a foggy environment while Fred‘s phantasmal vocals seem to come from an unknown universe.

Secret Life is a hushed, soothing companion for late-night mind entertainment after
another busy day and too much noisy music. Relaxing, calming and triggering lazy dreaming.

STREAM


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6. ‘Islands In The Sky’ by DEATH VALLEY GIRLS

The L.A. garage rock fury led by vocalist/guitarist/organist and natural-born
charismatic front-Amazon Bonnie Bloomgarden hit bullseye with their 5th LP.


(Photo by Turn Up The Volume – Brussels, 2023)

Islands In The Sky is, without a shadow of a doubt, according to my trained ears, their best achievement (so far). When you combine pop/rock songwriting quality, richly layered orchestrations, Bloomgarden‘s full-hearted vocal dynamism and tons of tunes (if anything else tunes are key) wrapped up in party-igniting vibes, you have a winner. FACT!

STREAM/BUY


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7. ‘Exotico’ by TEMPLES

The British glam and glitter popsmiths delivered
their best LP since hitting the scene back in 2014.

It’s their 4th one.


(Photo by Turn Up The Volume)

This album grew on me spin after spin. It’s still a mellow, laid-back, and familiar
resonating collection of tunes. But its sunlit spirit, its vivid vibe, and its melodies are so infectious. Let your thoughts ignore reality and drift away in your happy-go-lucky cocoon. Top-tier effort.

STREAM


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8. ‘This Stupid World’ by YO LA TENGO

No pension yet for these veteran indies from New Jersey who started their journey
in 1984 and recorded/released 17 longplayers so far (new one included).


(Press photo)

They’re experts in creating uncomplicated, electrifying melodies and then giving them a psychedelic edge with distorted guitars. Different moods, different sonic tones. We all know that we live in a stupid world where political ‘me, myself, and I’ leaders use the 2000-year-old trick of divide and conquer. YLT know too, of course, and it inspired them (again)
to can another topmost record.

STREAM


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9. ‘Quiet Part Out Loud’ by FILIBUSTER (Belgium)

It’s the second longplayer from these 4 Belgian mavericks.

Both sonically and lyrically, you get a mood-swings record that evokes both eerie and profound emotions. Filibuster fabricate a melting pot of grunge (Nirvana), slacker rock (Dinosaur Jr.) and anything post-punk edged. You can rock out to it, take a breather now and then, and go quiet/loud all the way through. Overall an impassioned job well done.

STREAM/BUY


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10. ‘Back In The Room’ by THE DHARMA VIOLETS (Wales)

THDV embed 60s psychedelia in a blistering mix of flaming garage rock mania,
swaggering mid-tempo grooves, an impressive, amplified slo-mo jam right in the middle and a stunning opener with horns snippets of Primal Scream‘s e-tastic classic Loaded.

Back In The Room is a hell of a must-hear-now record.

STREAM/BUY


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5 BEST ALBUMS OF THE MONTH – MARCH 2023

Posted on by JL

30 March 2023

BAND: DEATH VALLEY GIRLS

WHO: Garage rock fury from Los Angeles, led by
vocalist/guitarist/organist and charismatic voodoo
doll Bonnie Bloomgarden

ALBUM: ISLANDS IN THE SKY – 5th LP


(Photo by Turn Up The Volume – Brussels – 20 Feb 2023)

TUTV: Islands In The Sky feels like the perfect follow-up to Under The Spell Of Joy (2020), sonically as well as lyrically. On the latter Bonnie Bloomgarden wanted to experience the potential and possibility of joy. On the new LP, she’s still under the spell of looking and finding joy but also and most of all spiritual freedom as only then nothing can happen anymore to her as she reveals on the standout track When I’m Free.

Musically it’s simply their best achievement (so far) because of the coherent first-rate songwriting quality, the richly layered orchestrations, Bloomgarden‘s full-hearted vocal
dynamism and the top production. Not one dull moment with Death Valley Girls.

BUY/STREAM


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DVG: Facebook – Instagram
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BAND: SLEAFORD MODS

WHO: English rap-punk poets feat.
loudmouth Jason Williamson and
multi-instrumentalist Andrew Fearn.

ALBUM: UK GRIM – the duo’s 7th LP

Jason Williamson: “Maybe we are proud of the country. Maybe we are proud to be English. Maybe I’m proud of the horrible grey streets and the shit weather and the stupid fashions I find myself investing in. It’s just that the English we’re proud of being is absolutely nothing like the English the authorities want to try and promote.”

TUTV: It’s Sleaford Mods by very good numbers. A familiar sounding record with its
sharp-teethed grim-UK rants (Brexit didn’t benefit the country in many ways and the ongoing right-wing Tories‘ incompetence isn’t a blessing either, never was) and, sonically, with its catchy and irresistible simplicity that still activates your limbs without asking.

The mods never disappoint.

STREAM

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SLEAFORD MODS: Facebook – Instagram
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BAND: THE DARTS

WHO: All female garage rock engine
from Phoenix, Arizona.

ALBUM: SNAKE OIL – 4th LP

Holy smoke! The Darts roll faster and harder than a steamroller on full speed. Snake Oil is without a shadow of a doubt their best longplayer so far. It feels like the record is infused with all their lockdown frustration. Tons of relentless energy, a non-stop appetite for a garage rock tsunami and the decibels turned up.

Centre-stage Nicole Laurenne sings her heart out as never before while her 60s-sounding organ spices things up all the way. Now and then the Phoenix turbo slow down and give us a chance to fill our oxyen tank. The Darts are unquestionably at the top of their blistering game. Hell-bloody-hell-yeah!

BUY/STREAM


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THE DARTS: Facebook – Instagram
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BAND: EYEMOUTH

WHO: This musical project started in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2014 and presents a soundscape based on electronic backgrounds and a more classic rock instrumentation blended with mellotrons, vibraphone, santur, harmonium and other alluring sounding instruments. In short, atmospheric psychedelic darkness with occult undertones.

ALBUM: A HEADLONG FALL INTO THE VAST OCEAN OF ANXIETY

TUTV: Eyemouth is not a band, it’s a sort of spiritual experience, floating from the past
to the present with an eye on the future. This new sonically versatile opus is another explorative voyage into their mythical world. Expect atmospheric synth-scapes for soundtracks of sci-fi movies, mellow Pink Floyd echoes,,dark-electro-wave surrealism
and an overall symphonic sonority.

All greatly orchestrated with both classical and futuristic-sounding structures. At times composer Marcus Lilja‘s ghostly voice comes on, but for the greatest part, this record bathes in instrumental grandeur embracing the power of nature.

STREAM/BUY


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EYEMOUTH: Spotify – Linktree
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BAND: XIU XIU

WHO: American experimental band, formed in 2002 by singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart
in San Jose, California who worked with artists such as. Mitski, Sharon Van Etten, Deerhoof, Chelsea Wolfe, Twin Shadow as well as with avant-garde composers like Charlemagne Palestine.

ALBUM: IGNORE GRIEF – their 13th


(Press photo)

TUTV: This is not happy music, this is grim reality music, this is truly fascinating
music. Cinematic electronics, orchestral maneuvers in the dark. Experimental and
sonic David Lynch exploration. Give it a couple of spins and you’ll find out that Xiu Xiu‘s bone-chilling world is more accessible than you thought at first. Their orchestral maneuvers in the dark are fascinating. Grand accomplishment

STREAM/BUY


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XX: Facebook – Instagram

TURN UP THE VOLUME’s 20 Best Tracks – Februrary 2023

Posted on by JL

ALL TOGETHER on Spotify…

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TRACK BY TRACK

1. ‘Someone Up There’ by THE WAEVE (UK)

British duo THE WAEVE feat. Graham Coxon (Blur‘s guitarist) and songstress
Rose Elinor Dougall – launched their sterling self-titled album early February.

One of the highlights is this turbulent, riff-rotating and capricious groover
named Someone Up There that works as a mesmerizing magnet.

Touchdown!

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2. ‘Casting No Light’ by NOBLE ROT (Canada)

Clamorous frontman Alex Edkins of Canadian noise engine Metz and Graham Walsh, keyboardist of dance punks Holy Fuck, got together for a project of their own, named, Noble Rot. They have their debut ‘Heavenly Bodies, Repetition, Control.‘ out next month.

They just dropped first single Casting No Light. A motorik Krautrock-like mindfucker that circles around like forever, pushed by a pumping synth/drum/guitar riff-boom-beat that grows in hypnotic intensity along the way. Fucktastic!

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3. ‘Drum’ by YOUNG FATHERS (Scotland)

This Scottish dance-funk-punk trio is on an unstoppable roll. Their new, 3rd LP Heavy Heavy is a total triumph (Turn Up The Volume‘s Album of the Month) and their swirling concert in Antwerp (Belgium) blew the roof off the building.

One of the standout tracks on the album is Drum.
A flamboyant, head-over-heels stormer.

Vibe!

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4. ‘How To Replace It’ by dEUS (Belgium)


(Photo by Turn Up The Volume)

The Belgian Gods released their new longplayer How To Replace It?,
their first in 10 years, a couple of weeks ago.

The title song is a phenomenal piece. A mid-tempo stunner, driven by big
drums and frontman Tom Barman‘s bewitching vocality. It advances with
swelling orchestration toward the grand symphonic climax.

Top!

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_________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. ‘Islands In The Sky’ by DEATH VALLEY GIRLS (Los Angeles, CA)


(Photo by Turn Up The Volume)

The amazing Los Angeles Amazons delivered their
best album (so far) Islands In The Sky only last Friday.

The title track is a blissful guitar-pop earworm that sticks from the get-go
with Bonnie Bloomgarden‘s spell-binding vocals inviting you to her island of joy.
I’m on my way. Join me.

You’re in charge of your perception of your life
You can choose what you keep
And what you leave behind

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_________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. ‘Heart On’ by 2LIBRAS (Seattle)

This Seattle-based Cyberpunk duo – Wesley and Jewels Foster – nailed it with this arousing mid-tempo, electro-drum-beat-driven knockout from their upcoming full length World’s End. It’s sexy, catchy, trippy, and makes your blood pumping through your heart.

Je T’Aime Moi Non Plus for the dancefloor.

Sonic sex.

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7. ‘Samo’ by A CERTAIN RATIO (Manchester, UK)


(Press credit)

Manchester’s vibrant dance legends A Certain Ratio
canned their 11th LP, named 1982. It lands at the end
of March.

Single SAMO is as funky as hell. Consult your doctor
if your limbs refuse to move to this nightclub corker.

Tune in.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. ‘Sinatra Drive Breakdown’ by YO LA TENGO (New Jersey)


(Press photo)

The imperishable indie veterans keep on doing what they do best,
releasing notable LPs, this time with fresh one titled This Stupid World.

Riveting psych-riff jam Sinatra Drive Breakdown
is the track I always go back to.

Here’s why.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. ‘Scatterbrain’ by FILIBUSTER (Belgium)

This Belgian 4-piece outfit is gearing up for their 2nd longplayer, baptized
Quiet Part Out Loud, out next month, on 15 March, via Fons Records and
Gazer Tapes.

Newest single Scatterbrain is a riff-roaring rocker that grows on your ears
with every spin. It has a moody, shoegazy resonance annex reflective vocals.
Striking stroke. Bring on the album.

Press play here.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. ‘What If?’ by QUIZ SHOW (US)


(Photo by Phil Silverberg)

This fresh high-energetic trio features members from
Shudder To Think, Guided By Voices and The Dambuilders.

Their self-titled debut LP will see the day of light on 17 March.

What If? is a freaked-out, riff-drunk sucker punch that could
easily come from a Hüsker Dü LP. Herky-jerky electricity with
a steamrollin’ sticky chorus. Wowzers.

Lit up here.


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_________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. ‘I Expire‘ by MALE TEARS (L.A.)

This dark-Goth-wave duo from the City of Angels look like vampires,
they sound like vampires and they fabricate vampirish stuff.

The torrid tandem unleash their
new album KRYPT on 28 April.

Ahead of the release, to get us in the right make-up mood, they hit us
with first single I Expire. A punked-up electro uppercut to set batcaves
on fire with. One listen and the brisk beats will haunt you all day long.

In the accompanying video, Male Tears get straight in
your scared face and suck you into their wicked world.

Roll the tape.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. ‘The Court’ by PETER GABRIEL (UK)


Press photo GB – FB

No retirement yet for the once-upon-a-time face/voice
of art-prog-rock titans Genesis. His 9th, solo album,
named i/o lands next month.

Newest single The Court is Gabriel trippin’ in synth-pop land.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. ‘Tiger Girl’ by TEROUZ (France)

Canadian pop noir artist Terouz, as I said before, has a midnight-hour voice, that resembles the tone and timbre of Tindersticks frontman Stuart Staples and The National‘s maestro Matt Berninger’s.

His new song is a groovy love-drunk gem featuring the sensuous voice
of his ex-partner. It gets under your skin from the kick-off. Two spins and
you’re hooked.

Beware, tiger girl is a femme fatale.


.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. ‘Death Beats’ by NECRØ (Lisboa, Portugal)

NECRØ is the latest project of Portuguese musician João Vairinhos
featuring idiosyncratic singer and keyboard player Sara Inglês,.

The title track of their 6-track EP Death Beats
is Turn Up The Volume‘s favorite.

A dark-techno-wave rumbling that stomps and whomps with intense
impetus doing your head in from the get-go. Doomed beats for twilight parties.
The tenebrous vibe at play here sends shivers down your spine, while Sara Inglês‘s
ghostly wailing is reminiscent of shadowy Siouxsie Sioux moments.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

15. ‘What A Day’ by THE MYSTERY PLAN (Charlotte, US)


(photo: Daniel Coston)

This Charlotte-based collective seduced my sensitive ears with the title track of
their 3-track EP What A Day. The harbinger for upcoming 7th LP ‘Haunted Organic Machines’.

Feel-good tunes like these are always welcome on my headphones. What A Day is
a breezy synth-scintillating vibration that triggers sensual body moves. Its featherlight tonality causes a dreamy state of mind with trancy tinglings. And when that sweet flute came on, I swear, I saw a Spring bird flutter in the blue sky.

Enjoy!

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

16. ‘Lonely Town’ by GALEN & PAUL (UK)

Multi-instrumentalist and songstress GALEN AYERS and former The Clash
bassist PAUL SIMONON have a collaborative album, named Can We Do
Tomorrow Another Day? out on 19 May.

I’ll be a pretty special one as the pair wrote a collection of bilingual duets, with both of them singing in English and Spanish and explore a variety of European music cultures. First single Lonely Town is a sweet, little pop ditty. You can sing/hum/whistle along.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

17. ‘I Remember What You Said’ by Artist: DYAN VALDÉS (Cuban-American)


(Photo credit: Petra Valdimardottir)

This Cuban-American singer-songwriter, living in Berlin, played/plays
in several bands and works as a solo artist too and has now a new single
out, named I Remember What You Said.

It follows her last year’s excellent debut album Stand.

The pretty poppy song is about a nightmarish memory of a poisonous
relationship. With its agitated words-flowing drive it feels like Valdés
wants to wash away all the BS and move on. Mission accomplished.

Check it out.


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18. ‘Dust’ by SUMMIT OF THE BIG LOW (UK)

Summit Of The Big Low is the moniker of British musician Toby Uffindell-Phillips,
who was a member of the early 00s folktronica group Sound Sanctuary.

This new piece, from his self-titled album out on 19 May, is an affecting folk-pop reverie that streams as a brisk brook. Sparkling, crystal clear, and glimmering in the sun. Its wistful tone, smooth vocals, and frisky finger-picking guitar play combine for a sweet little pearl.

Stream/buy.


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_________________________________________________________________________________________________

19. ‘Prisoner’ by 7DESCENT (Nashville, TN)

This 4-piece from Nashville produces a mix of metal, opera & 80’s rock.

Their new single Prisoner is about being captured and trapped by someone’s love.
It’s a mid-tempo power ballad that slowly but surely infiltrates your ears with its
anthemic dynamics, impassioned vocals, and weeping guitars.

Play here.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. ‘Tongue Of Kalina’ EYEMOUTH (Sweden)

This musical project started in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2014 and presents a soundscape based on electronic backgrounds and a more classic rock instrumentation blended with mellotrons, vibraphone, santur, harmonium and other alluring sounding instruments. In short, atmospheric psychedelic darkness with occult undertones.

Eyemouth‘s new longplayer, titled A Headlong Fall Into The Vast Ocean Of Anxiety reverberates a cinematic synth soundtrack to an atmospheric, hallucinatory dream
movie yet to be made.

Closing track Tongue Of Kalina gives you a perfect idea of it.

.

Under The Spell Of BONNIE BLOOMGARDEN And DEATH VALLEY GIRLS In Brussels

Posted on by JL

DEATH VALLEY GIRLS – Botanique Club, Brussels – 20 February 2023

DEATH VALLEY GIRLS, the garage-punk rock fury from Los Angeles, led by vocalist/guitarist/organist and charismatic voodoo doll Bonnie Bloomgarden,
release their new – 5th – album, baptized ISLANDS IN THE SKY this Friday,
on 24 February. Order info here.

The three shared singles predict another triumph (and thanks to his secret sources
Turn Up The Volume‘s ears can confirm that for a fact) for the girls that glow in the dark.

Check them out and get hooked.

– WHAT ARE THE ODDS –

– MAGIC POWERS –

– SUNDAY –

And last night we heard these three stunners for the first time live as DVG landed
in Brussels for a 60-minute fuzz and buzz concert that started with the ominous psych snake Abre Camino (from 2018 album Darkness Rains), followed by rattling renditions of Street Justice and More Dead (from the same LP). By then everybody, young and old, was already under the spell of Bonnie Bloomgarden‘s genuine joy radiation, her big rock ‘n’ roll heart and the band’s dashing drive.

Their flaming gloom and doom gems Disco, DVG Boogie and Disaster turned up the heat of the sonic seance even more and increased the sweat factor in the packed club instantly. And these seasoned musicians know all the right tricks and push all the right buttons to keep the steamy sauna show going. Hail hail. Rawk and roll.

The three new singles were received as euphorically as the older firecrackers were. Yes, only devoted fans in the house, so Bonnie decided to meet them up close for a finale of selfies, smiles, and hugs while she kept on singing her lungs out to the Jimi Hendrix‘s infused jam Electric High (bonus track on the Deluxe Edition of 2014 debut album Street Venom). Magic powers in motion.

We all screamed for an encore and got one to close a gig where LOVE was in the air throughout. I only saw ecstatic faces and ecstatic fans thanks to an ecstatic band.

Everybody was under the spell of DVG joy and it felt really, really, really good.


The riff man in the shadow


Former dart Rikki Styxx hitting hard

DVG: Facebook – Instagram

(Concert photos by Turn Up The Volume)

New Albums In 2023 – DEATH VALLEY GIRLS With Their 5th ‘ISLANDS IN THE SKY’ In February

Posted on by JL

Coming Up

11 January 2023

DEATH VALLEY GIRLS, the garage rock fury from Los Angeles, led by vocalist/guitarist/organist and charismatic voodoo doll Bonnie Bloomgarden,
who love to doom boogie while glowing in the dark, have their new – 5th – album,
baptized ISLANDS IN THE SKY out on 24 February 2023. Pre-order info here.


The first single, titled WHAT ARE THE ODDS is a ridiculously sticky juiced-up power-pop chant triggering your limbs to get up and move. And when the under the spell of joy choir joins Bonnie Bloomgarden on the elated chorus you just know that the odds are huge for the Californian über alles girls having another top album are huge.

We are living in a simulated world
And we are simulated girls!

.
Also st(r)eaming on Spotify

.
UK/EURO Tour 2023

DVG: Facebook – Instagram

(Concert photos by Turn Up The Volume)

20 BEST TRACKS For NOVEMBER 2022 Picked By TURN UP THE VOLUME

Posted on by JL

A stream of rattling rippers, jagged jams, and magnific musings

All 20 on Spotify

.
Track by Track

Stoogefather IGGY POP still wants to be your dog.
Next January he launches a new album, named Every Loser.

First lead single FRENZY is a motherfucker of a punk bomb
featuring an all-star band including Watt, Guns N’ Roses‘ Duff
McKagan and Red Hot Chili Peppers‘ Chad Smith.

I’m in a frenzy
Fucking prick
I’m in a frenzy
Goddamn dick

Turn it up!

IGGY POP: Facebook – Instagram
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Last April grime-rape/punk-rock duo BOB VYLAN caused noisy waves
with their second longplayer Bob Vylan Presents The Price Of Life

But they’re not done yet this year. They teamed up with Laurie Vincent
of London‘s punk duo Slaves for a brand new hammer blow called
THE DELICATE NATURE

It goes like this…

BOB VYLAN: Facebook – Instagram
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Band: DEAD PATRONS
Who: British noise trio

Debut single: LOVER

Both a gloomy and foot-tapping drum/bass are the backbone of this ominous post-punk stroke. Haunting guitar layers inject this jaw-dropper with edgy electricity, grim vocals add a kind of dark tension, while the sickly catchy groove rattles on and on, before a surprising finish with a weeping violin.

The video features the English comedian Sean Walsh in a much darker tone than his usual TV appearances, as he is seen battling his inner demons through the bottom of a whisky bottle.

DEAD PATRONS: Facebook
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Band: ULTRA SUNN
Who: Cold/darkwave duo – Sam Huge
and Gaelle Souflet – from Brussels

New single: CAN YOU BELIEVE IT

Turn Up The Volume: Can you believe this? Even before the music comes
on I’m already moving furniture to make room, because with ULTRA SUNN
it’s always shake your booty time.

The tantalizing combination of boosting beats, shadowplay sound textures,
reverberant vocals, and a pumping chorus at work here, attract you to act the
whole way through. Just irresistible. With ambitious artists like ULTRA SUNN
darkwave music will never age.

Dance into the night here…

ULTRA SUNN: Facebook – Instagram
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Toronto label We Are Bodies releases Remix The Universe on 27 January 2023.
It’s a compilation of new perspectives on The Upsetter’s final collaborative LP, 2021’s acclaimed Lee “Scratch Perry’s Guide To The Universe by NEW AGE DOOM.

First taster LIFE IS AN EXPERIMENT (Cloud Climber Version) is vintage dub electronica honoring Lee “Scratch” Pery wonderfully. The Jamaican dub music pioneer who gave reggae another vibe with his revolutionary studio wizardry and visionary production technics. He passed away last year, aged 85. R.I.P.

Hear the ghost of Perry at work…

NEW AGE DOOM: Website
_________________________________________________________________________________________________


(Keira-Anee Photography)

Band: BUGEYE
Who: Female pop quartet from London blending cherry-liqueur lyrics,
bubblegum-kneecap bass electrics, goth-heavy drum compactions and
hi-rise guitar sculptures.

New single: SIGNS & EXIT

Middle-finger to bullies. Stay home, dress funky, paint yourself up,
turn up Bugeye, pirouette yourself in a trance and let the sweat flow.

The clip is directed by Laura Jean Marsh and inspired by psychological
drama movie We Need to Talk About Kevin from 2011.

Watch it here…

BUGEYE: Facebook – Instagram
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Swedish electro-pop artist FEVER RAY (born Karin Elisabeth Dreijer, 47 years ago)
canned her 3rd album and named it RADICAL ROMANTICS. It comes out on
10 March 2023. More info here.

Spicy taster CARBON DIOXIDE is an edgy
Björk-esque disco-pop stomper. Bingo!

Tune in.

FEVER RAY: Facebook – Instagram
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Band: MEMES
Who: A noisy Glasgow duo (cousins) called John and Paul – not that John and Paul, obviously. And as band name John Paul II would be ridiculous, they called themselves Memes, and hit the scene in 2019, and have been twisting heads ever since

New single: LEADER

After their eponymous bonkers debut EP (2020) followed by some staggering singles,
the high-decibels tandem nail it with another sucker punch. Leader is a funk-punk riff ripsnorter that kicks forth and back before a freakish guitar outbreak slashes and
trashes its way to the end.

Watch out for the pigman,
he looks like a meme in disguise…

MEMES: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter

_________________________________________________________________________________________________


(photo by Turn Up The Volume)

DEATH VALLEY GIRLS, the garage rock fury from Los Angeles, led by vocalist/guitarist/organist and charismatic voodoo doll Bonnie Bloomgarden,
who love to doom boogie while glowing in the dark, have their new – 5th – album,
baptized ISLANDS IN THE SKY out on 24 February 2023. Pre-order info here.

Along with the great news, DVG spoil our ears with the first single WHAT ARE THE ODDS.
It’s a ridiculously sticky juiced-up power-pop chant triggering your limbs to get up and move. And when the under the spell of joy choir joins Bonnie Bloomgarden on the elated chorus you just feel that the odds are huge for the simulated Californian girls having another top album are huge. Fact!

We are living in a simulated world
And we are simulated girls!

Stream/buy
the track here…


.
DVG: Facebook – Instagram
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Band: CROSS WIRES
Who: fervid post-punk 4-piece
from Romford, UK.

Single: MOURNING
The first piece of the band’s
upcoming second longplayer.

TUTV: Great news for all Cross Wires fans, including myself, out there.
Their 2nd album is finished/recorded and ready to leave its vault early
next year through Culture Wars Records. It follows the band’s album
A Life Extinct. One of the most poignant debut records of 2019.

Lead single. Mourning is not a happy story. It’s a post-break-up cry out,
a cathartic shout out. Sixties psychedelic-sounding wah-wah guitar fuzz,
alternated with cutting six-string fervor stoke up the energy of this crackerjack
all the way, along with a steadfast drum/bass tandem, and back up frontman
Jonathan Chapman‘s harrowing confession of lovesickness.

Press play here…


.
CROSS WIRES: Facebook – Instagram
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Band: JUSTINE PAYNE & CO.
Who: Musician, composer and performer, describing himself
as a “natural born underdog.” With over 15 years of experience
in the industry

Track: TOGETHER AS ONE

Payne describes how his life is changing throughout the song, but no amount
of fame or distraction could deviate him from the one he loves. The tender lyrics
contrast in the baddest way possible with Justine‘s gritty delivery.

TUTV: Expect a slow-burning slacker cracker with poignant Dinosaur Jr echoes and
garage rock reverberation stoked up by cranked-up guitars. As the song progresses
Payne spellbinding voice takes over. Breathtaking.

Get puzzled.

JUSTIN PAYNE & CO: Facebook – Instagram
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

NOEL GALLAGHER and his HIGH FLYING BIRDS
return with a new single, titled PRETTY BOY.

A speedy psych roller featuring guitar lines from Johnny Marr.
The song is the first piece The Chief shared from a new album
coming next year. Details follow later.

Gallagher: “For this new record it was the first thing I wrote, the first thing I demoed and the first thing I finished, so it’s only right that it’s the first thing people get to hear. Massive shout out to my mainest man Johnny Marr for taking it somewhere special. Oh… and watch out for a cameo from me in the video… first one to spot me wins a bag of Flamin’ Hot Wotsits Giants!!”

Music, maestro, please…

NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS: Facebook – Instagram
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Band: VAZUM (Detroit, Michigan)

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.

New single: THE PRECIOUS ONES

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!

Buy/stream here…


.
VAZUM: Facebook – Instagram
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Band: ONISM E
Who: Committed indie quartet based in New York, fronted
by wholehearted singer/songwriter Eline Chavez

New single: IT’S NOT OVER.

Lyrically and sonically it follows Lin Manuel closely. Lyrical guitar play
stars along Chavez‘s fervid soul/blues voice. She still has hope for the
future. No, it’s not over yet.

Onism E are survivors.
No doubt about that.

Listen.

ONISM E: Facebook – Instagram
_________________________________________________________________________________________________


(Photo credit: Keira Anee)

Artists: FERAL FIVE
Who: Electro-punk dance music duo – Kat and Drew Five – from London
with bite, fusing snarling guitars, sparkling synths, and ferocious beats.

Single: GOLDEN RULE
Fresh piece from their long-awaited debut album, named
The New Truth Is Gold out on 10 February 2023 through
Reckless Yes.

FF: “‘The golden rule is people come together. This is a shimmering
anthem of renewal, and a clarion call for people to come together.”

TUTV: Golden Rule is a desirous pick-me-up pop tune. Airy, breezy, instantly catching and an invitation to get together in these troublous times. Kat Five‘s vocals float all over this romantic reflection and glossy synths sparkle throughout. The most notable component, to my ears, of this new piece, is the distinctive Cure-like guitar sonority. Feverish, shadowy and arresting. Pretty cool. Bring on the album FF.


.

FERAL FIVE: Facebook – Instagram
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Band: VOGUE VILLAINS
Who: A hard-rocking alternative band from Vancouver Island, Canada with a musical foundation planted firmly in catchy melodies and multipart harmonies. Set on making music that feels unique, yet unafraid to wear the boys many influences on their sleeves, this powerhouse of a band has created a sound that is undeniably and unmistakably VV.

New single: WRONG SIDE OF THE MIDNIGHT

TUTV: Hells bells! This nasty motherrocker of a hammer blow speeds up your adrenalin machine from the kick-off. VV mix blues rock, classic rock and hard rock seamlessly into a red-hot-blooded wall-of-riff-sick sound. A boiling mishmash of intimidating guitars, a powerhouse rhythm section, a Herculean chorus, boogie-woogie flashes and vociferous vocals is what your stereo speakers will spit out. Just what you need to bang your head against a wall. Hells bell, indeed.

Here come the bloodthirsty villains…

.
VV: Instagram – Facebook
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Band: TAPE TRASH
Who: This new duo project draw inspiration from the music they listened to when
they first picked up their instruments as enthusiastic teenagers: Indie rock induced with infectious choruses, catchy guitar riffs, and huge drums. After an involuntary break due to the corona epidemic, they have spent the past year working on their debut album.

Single: OLD HIGHS
2nd piece, following lead-single Not Going Home,
from their upcoming debut longplayer

TUTV: Expect a multi-layered, towering and schizophrenic wall-of-guitar-electricity propelled by a pushing rhythm section. When they take the decibels a bit down it’s
only a foreplay moment for a stormy finale. Breathtaking stroke!

Check it out.

TAPE TRASH: Facebook – Instagram
_________________________________________________________________________________________________


(Photo: Josh Cohen and Max Marren)

Band: SUEP
Who: A stubbornly high-spirited combo creating oddball music with
a touch of theatrical storytelling. Fronted by Georgie Stott (Porridge Radio,
Garden Centre, The GN Band) and Brain Wastefield. SUEP is born out of a
near-decade of wearing silly clothes and deconstructing pop together.

News single: IN GOOD HEALTH

TUTV: I love the vivid vibe here. In Good Health resonates like a comforting chant with friends, hand in hand, taking care of each other. It’s a frisky tune that plays instantly on your inner stereo in your head. It’s an all-together ditty that puts a big smile on your face.

More of that is expected when SUEP release their debut album, named Shop,
It lands on 27th January 2023 via Memorials Of Distinction.

Listen/watch and feel in good health…

SUEB: Twitter – Instagram
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Band: THE SHORT CAUSEWAY
Who: Three young indies from
Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, UK

Debut single: TRIPPING DOWN THE STAIRS

TUTV: Both wayward and playful. I hear early Talking Heads guitars, vibes
from Manchester’s legendary Factory Records (A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column,
Section 25) and also from Welsh daydreamers Young Marble Giants (1978-1982).
All indie music that never ages and still is around today.

The Short Causeway are a notable 2022 example. They zig-zag their way through
this debut single with capricious tempo changes, with glimmering guitar sparks,
breezy melodiousness, and moony vocals. Welcome!

Tune in.

.
THE SHORT CAUSEWAY: Facebook – Twitter
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

American nightdreamer GREG GONZALEZ and his combo
CIGARETTES AFTER SEX shared their first piece of new music
in over two years.

PISTOL brings together all of the elements that have made CAS such a celebrated band, while also introducing a subtle yet impactful increase in tempo. Equal parts transportive and romantic, the song’s driving rhythm meets a stark, minimalistic atmosphere that is given dimension by dreamy, washed-out guitars, swelling synths, and intimate, yearning vocals from Greg Gonzalez.

Listen/buy here…
Lit a candlelight
and listen…


.
CAS: Facebook – Instagram

DEATH VALLEY GIRLS Announce 5th Album – The Odds They’ll Score Again Are Huge

Posted on by JL

Daily electricity to load your batteries

17 November 2022

DEATH VALLEY GIRLS, the garage rock fury from Los Angeles, led by vocalist/guitarist/organist and charismatic voodoo doll Bonnie Bloomgarden,
who love to doom boogie while glowing in the dark, have their new – 5th – album,
baptized ISLANDS IN THE SKY out on 24 February 2023. Pre-order info here.

Along with the great news, DVG spoil our ears with the first single WHAT ARE THE ODDS.
It’s a ridiculously sticky juiced-up power-pop chant triggering your limbs to get up and move. And when the under the spell of joy choir joins Bonnie Bloomgarden on the elated chorus you just feel that the odds are huge for the simulated Californian girls having another top album are huge. Fact!

We are living in a simulated world
And we are simulated girls!

Stream/buy
the track here…


.
Also st(r)eaming on Spotify

.
DVG: Facebook – Instagram