Band: ILA Who: Vigorous Belgian rock quartet led by formidable singer-songwriter/guitarist,
with Turkish roots, Ilayda Cicek who’s blessed with a unique voice and shares
unadulterated emotions, sonically and lyrically.
TUTV: The imperishable cliché is totally accurate here. No fillers, all killers. Heartfelt ardency in motion. 12 heart-and-soul stirring pieces of poignant music that put you in
a feverish trance. Cicek‘s devout voice is the seductive heroine in the middle, surrounded
by a rock-solid band that got better and better over the past couple of years. You can hear/feel her genuine vocal/lyrical passion throughout this highly emotionally striking record.
Prominent artist, high-quality songwriting,
astonishing debut, very bright future.
SINGLE
ALBUM
. Instagram – Apple Music
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Band: FAT DOG Who: Five London disco-punk cowboys
who found each other during the awful
2020 lockdown year.
NME said: “Unserious, unhinged and sensational London’s must-see
live band justify the hype with a reckless and raucous debut album
pumped full of adrenaline.”
TUTV: Expect a punk disco drone machine with a, yes, Eastern music-inspired sultriness
on the orgasmic choruses. This turbulent ride will create maddening moshpits around
our messed-up planet with people who desperately want to escape their straight jackets and the exhausting rat race as we know it, at least on the weekends.
They build up their songs, then zigzag their way to a mind-blowing refrain, smack them
down afterward, and start all over again. This barking gang is chaotically awesome,
on record and on a podium.
SINGLE
ALBUM
. Instagram – Apple Music
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Pitchfork wrote: “Sprints channel rage into communal uplift Letter to Self
is a bracing, frantic record designed for both thrashing mosh pits and solo
meltdowns, best heard with the volume turned up loud.”
TUTV:‘Letter To Self’ landed on the first official album release day of 2024
and is still spinning regularly, out loud, on my headphones. These Irish
indies burst with astounding vehemence and sharp-teethed gusto. Their
high-voltage riff-rippers trash and slash along their build-up/break-down
course.
Schizo guitars, unrestrained bass/drum forcefulness, and Karla Chubb‘s
borderline vocality combine for exorcistic flare-ups. Sprints hit the scene
with a big bang on record and on stage. They’re here to stay. Fact!
Pitchfork said: “The Iceage frontman experiments with a newfound sincerity and
an Americana-inspired sound, searching for beauty in the small and insular.”
TUTV: We already knew from his work with Iceage that Elias Rønnenfelt is a genuine
singer-songwriter-performer and he confirms that status on his debut with engrossing
pop songs, slow and fast, intimate and upbeat.
He’s a romantic at heart and wraps his personal daily-life impressions, desires, demons, going-ons and anything that impacts his existence in through-and-through heart-melting stories and melodramatic melodies.
Artist: KIM DEAL Who: For those who lived on another planet the past years, Kim is best known as the utterly cool bass player of indie
icons Pixies and from her own band The Breeders, featuring
her twin sister Kelley.
MOJO (British music monthly) said: “Nobody Loves You More is a singularly
uplifting, life-affirming listen, where joy and despair, love and loss, are irrevocably
entwined, and kept afloat by Deal’s unfailing lightness of touch.”
TUTV: In the past Deal wrote/shared some of her self-made songs without any real attention from the outside. Now, finally she expresses her mixed emotions about past
and present personal experiences on a full debut LP with several meditative, moony,
and subtly orchestrated reveries. All charming songs for a quiet winter night inside.
Deal‘s slightly hoarse voice is instrumental. Its tender-hearted aura creates a relaxing ambiance, interrupted now and then by more uptempo, upbeat tracks like stand-out
vibe Crystal Breath, the vigorous guitar-frisky Disobediece and the buzzing Big Ben Beat
jam. Forget those past bands, Kim, come back solo. Nobody loves you more than TUTV.
TUTV: No pop tunes, no songs about the bees and the trees. This album is stuffed with manicial mind-fuckers and badass brain-breakers that trash and slash your poor stereo relentlessly and mercilessly. The maddening man in the middle, mental vocalist Jasper, screams and howls, and spits and sneers, with bone-chilling and psychotic horsepower.
Think Kurt Cobain with 4 lungs, fronting a hellish hardcore gang featuring 3 other ruthless punks on an ear-splitting mission. No brakes, no breaks. No rest for the wicked. Ronker is
a barbaric force, their singer is an out-of-this-normal-world performer, their debut is a flabbergasting monster. AARRGGHH!
Band: BAD RITUAL Who: Polish trio formed at the beginning of 2020 by three architects.
They play songs immersed in a dark and unsettling atmosphere. Their
music is a blend of indie-folk, swampy blues, and rock ‘n’ roll. It often
evokes associations with David Lynch‘s films, spaghetti westerns, and
film noir.
TUTV: As mentioned in their bio this trio’s music has a shadowy cinematic film noir resonance. They offer songs for the midnight hours, songs for nightclubs where misfits, loners, marginalized characters and dropouts seek some human warmth and a free drink. The tone is melancholic, the timbre is heavyhearted. Think glam legend Chris Isaak, famous crooners The National, and moody Bad Seeds moments. Splendid debut.
TUTV:Virgins take you on a flight at supersonic speed way up into the sky above the clouds, where reality becomes surreality, where layers of seventh heaven shoegaze symphonies blast from the space shuttle’s speakers. For 40 phantasy-stimulating minutes, you’ll forget all about what happens down there, on our dramatically disturbed planet.
Layers of glowing guitars, hallucinatory vocals, and an overall lyrical sonority will trigger your fantasies and will make you feel floating high(er) forgetting all about our daily, mind-boggling rat race.
NME:“The fantastic and the everyday collide on this landmark debut – an adventure in
sound and words. What you have in ‘This Could Be Texas’ is everything you want from a
debut; a truly original effort from start to finish, an adventure in sound and words, and
a landmark statement.
TUTV:English Teacher are special, their debut LP is special. It sounds indie,
but certainly not in a familiar way when it comes to the stunning creativity
and striking architecture of the songs.
Expect a mix of prog-rock dynamics, bits and pieces for a reality musical, wayward euphony and sudden, yet accessible changes of pace and flow, rhythms and moods.
You really need several spins to get into This Could Be Texas but once the mist is gone
you’ll be dazzled by its sheer ingeniousness and the impact of frontwoman Lily Fontaine, vocally and emotionally.
WHO: Seasoned American songwriters Brad Armstrong and Megan Barbera.
Their music blurs between Sunday afternoon country folk and the golden age
of the 1970s. Combining influences from Megan’s mountain roots and Brad’s
southern roots, The Glass Hours is currently based in New York’s Hudson Valley.
TUTV: This is the kind of music I love to play at the end of a busy day and after
listening to (too much) noisy stuff. The soothing mix of melancholic country, musing
folk, sepia-colored blues, some bluegrass, roots, and pop/rock influences can work magically to slow down your stressed mind, as it happens here.
The heroes of the sensitive songs here are the duo’s wholehearted voices, solo or harmonizing together. Armstrong and Barbera are both blessed with a characteristically warm, tender and yearning Americana voice.
References? Young and old(er) artists such as Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten, Lana Del Rey, Willie Nelson, Crystal Gayle, Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. Impressive, right? Definitely.
Add romanticized stories about all things good and sad, bright and
dark in life, and you have a sonic companion for relaxing moments.
NME:“The fantastic and the everyday collide on this landmark debut – an adventure in
sound and words. What you have in ‘This Could Be Texas’ is everything you want from a
debut; a truly original effort from start to finish, an adventure in sound and words, and
a landmark statement.
Poised for big things? Who knows if this industry even allows that anymore. Here are
a band already dealing in brilliance, though – who dare to dream and have it pay off.
Not everyone gets to go to space, but at least English Teacher make it a damn site
more interesting being stuck down here.” Score: 5/5.
Belgium, 13 February 2024 – Photo by Turn Up The Volume
TUTV:English Teacher are special, their debut LP is special. It sounds indie,
but certainly not in a familiar way when it comes to the stunning creativity
and striking architecture of the songs.
Expect a mix of prog-rock dynamics, bits and pieces for a reality musical, wayward euphony and sudden, yet accessible changes of pace and flow, rhythms and moods.
You really need several spins to get into This Could Be Texas but once the mist is gone
you’ll be dazzled by its sheer ingeniousness and the impact of frontwoman Lily Fontaine, vocally and emotionally. This could easily be one of the best longplayers of the year including one of the best singles of the year with ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab‘.
Kasabian‘s general Serge Pizzorno is a master in writing sing/scream-along stadium/festival belters. And the lead single of new, upcoming longplayer Happiness Bastards, is another ecstatic call to arms.
2. ‘Welcome To Your New Future’ by LEG PUPPY 2.0 (UK)
If you’re a party animal and you don’t know the self-proclaimed best Techno/EBM act in
the world LEG PUPPY, it’s about time you will because a new LP is coming up, baptized ‘Humanity 2.0’, and will signify a totally new beginning for you and them.
Welcome to your new future, all you survivors out there.
These fast up-and-coming indies from Leeds (UK) fronted by wonderful
voice Lily Fontaine prove their huge talent once more with this new pearl.
R&B is another wayward slice of ET pop intensity. It starts a bit like a Dry Cleaning
song with a rigid bass riff and Fontaine‘s spoken word vocals, but turns quickly into
a strenuous stunner fueled by schizo guitar frenzy and jittery percussion.
Lily Fontaine, Brugge, Belgium, 13 February – photo by TUTV)
4. ‘I Don’t Understand What Any Of You Are Doing’ by DEAD ANYWAY (UK)
This British duo combine the dark lyricism of vocalist Kate Arnold
with music and soundscapes of Marc Symonds.
Their new album, Partially Eaten By Animals is the best indie one of the month
in TUTV’s book, with trip-hop thrills all the way. Think Massive Attack, Arab Strap
and Portishead. I know big names, but my trained ears told me what they heard.
‘I Don’t Understand What Any Of You Are Doing’ will draw your aural attention on the spot.
Yokophono is a Finnish duo that hit the scene in 2020. Their music consists of energetic
dance-punk/indie rock songs. Their sound has been compared to the likes of Royal Blood, Arctic Monkeys and even Queens Of The Stone Age. Consisting of just drums and guitar they also rely on their catchy melodies.
Their new single Red a is wham bloody wham bam disco-punk juggernaut.
This Finnish tandem make you jump around like a kangaroo on acid. Distorted guitars
and banging percussion work close together to create a filthy disco-punk juggernaut.
Red triggers your limbs’ actions from the kick-off until the final beat. Inbetween you
can go berserk every single time the clamorous chorus hits your greedy speakers.
After 3 albums the Canadian post-rock-noise project of seasoned Canadian singer-songwritter-guitarist Laura Lee Schultz, backed by a tremendous bass/drum tandem return with this scorching Herculean shocker from their new, upcoming EP, titled Dirt,
out on May 3.
The heaviest parts of this quiet/Loud/quiet/Loud uppercut resonate like if British blues rock turbo Royal Blood having a fierce sonic fight with post-industrial-punk legends Killing Joke.
These 4 young Irish bullpits take you on a tempestuous ride with this new blazing blast.
Just like their countrymen Gilla Band, they look like 4 regular guys from around the block. But when they open the gates for Dead Sound they become 4 not-regular guys storming fast forward. A bumpy bass riff takes the haymaker on its back throughout the full course of its speedy rush.
The vocalist spits and sneers like Mark E Smith did his whole jarring career. The clamourus chorus is one that’ll start mospiths and when a psychotic guitar works its way to the front we get pandemonium. It’s also a loud and clear harbinger of an out-of-your-fucking head finale. Bingo master’s breakout.
Molly Horses left their basements only a year ago.
They produce elements of post-punk, krautrock, and Albini-esque noise rock.
With King Dundalk they take you on a dazzling rollercoaster.
All burners, all cylinders on. No rest for the bad man. Hefty.
You really need to check out these maddening motherrockers.
This fresh 4-piece outfit from the North Wales nail
it right away with their first cut Mourning Sickness.
What a superb debut. It’s a slow-progressing psych guitar jam rotating around an intoxicating riff that creeps under your skin without asking. Think of early Radiohead
days. Engrossing and riveting.
There’s an eerie vocal and electrifying tension in the air that makes you wonder when
the song’s intensity will explode. But it moves on like a serpent on a mission until the last second.
The reincarnated Ramones are back among us as 4 Ramonas fronted led by Australian songwriter (now living in Los Angeles) and musician Romy Hoffman. They make schizo, synthy, paranoid, post-punk with a dash of dysmorphic desire.
An absolute standout piece from the L.A.’s psych-pop gem from their brand new
full-length Loss Of Live. It features Christine and the Queens and turns out to be
a match in heaven.
Portland‘s dark-dance-wave trio say about their new single Impetus: “While creating this track, we all pushed our creative boundaries to write a song that reflects our desire to grow
as artists and people. This song encourages the listener to reflect inward. We hope to inspire ourselves and others to stop hiding. Stop waiting. Take one small step toward your goals, then another, and another. The time is NOW. Stop hiding your gifts. The world needs your passion.”
Impetus is a sensual mid-tempo electro-pop tease. Seductive,
flirtatious and tempting. Dim the light and move in mysterious
ways.
Sukie Smith is a songstress from London who has collaborated widely with artists, musicians and writers creating cross-disciplinary sonic work, exhibiting and performing internationally. She has released three critically acclaimed albums with her band Madam and toured throughout the UK and Europe.
Into The Light is a new compostion from her upcoming 4th album, named ‘The Glass Dress
and a Ringing Bell’ and will land on 8 March via Smith’s own label Shillingboy Records.
A song about leaving a turbulent relationship Smith found herself trapped in during lockdown, as Smith succinctly says, “I wrote this, then escaped,” with its focus a celebration of the jubilation felt in newfound freedom and the liberation found in the enlightening processes of recovery.
Into The Light grooves and moves pushed by dynamic eurythmics from the get-go, and keeps on cruising throughout its ablaze 3.07-minute duration. Glowing jingle-jangle guitar play, rock-solid drumming and Smith‘s impassioned vocals combine for a striking stroke.
The iconic Jamaican pioneer of dub reggae passed away in 2021, aged 85.
His final album, titled King Perry is now posthumously released. It features
vocal guest performances from Greentea Peng, Shaun Ryder, Tricky, Marta, Rose Waite
and Fifi Rong.
The musical project of Bo Barringer and Reuben Bettsak, have since their project’s inception in 2020, surfacing through the haze of a global pandemic and illuminated by the city’s darkest corners, produced steady and prolific beats across underground dance floors.
Their 3rd album, called A Kiss of the Mind,
is waiting in the pipeline for its imminent release.
First new shared piece Spiral Down is vintage synth-pop pulsation. Utterly infectious. There’s a shadowy side to it, but its bootylicious vibes, its subtle guitar riff, its shiny electronic waves and moony vocals combine for a spot-on EBM thrill.
Common Culture is a rousing, fiddle-driven alternative folk band from Barnsley, England.
They fuse traditional and contemporary elements into an upbeat and energetic
sound, their songs are full of catchy hooks, infectious rhythms and a party spirit.
The song serves as a poignant lament for the Earth’s dwindling natural beauty and a stirring call to action in the face of greed and injustice destroying the planet. It’s five to twelve, indeed. The majority of political leaders look the other way when these world-crushing issues come up. Some even don’t believe that our climate is changing drastically. More red-alert songs like this one are always welcome.
Bad Ritual is a Polish trio formed at the beginning of 2020 by three architects.
They play songs immersed in a dark and unsettling atmosphere. Their music is
a blend of indie-folk, swampy blues, and rock ‘n’ roll. It often evokes associations
with David Lynch‘s films, spaghetti westerns, and film noir.
They have their arresting self-titled debut album out now. Stream it here.
Standout track On The Road gets you in Bad Ritual‘s sonic/cinematic world. Its melancholic timbre and shiny guitar sparks, make me think of romantic glam legend Chris Isaak. Bad Ritual‘s idol David Lynch directed Isaak‘s Wicked Game video that featured flashes from
his 1990 Wild At Heart movie).
Leonardo: “I wrote this song after reading Nick Cave‘s reply (note: read below) to some of
his fans, who had asked him why he was about to attend the coronation of the UK’s king as
part of the Australian delegation. I love most of Nick Cave’s records and I consider him one
of the greatest songwriters ever.
I’m also a long-time Nick Cave fan. A truly remarkable artist. But attending King Charles‘ coronation? Disgusting. That guy nor his late mother never ever had something done to earn their status, they were born that way, they didn’t pay taxes for many years etc… It’s just as disgusting as Johnny ‘Rotten’ Lydon (the Sex Pistols‘ album the best punk one ever, in my book) voting for natural-born charlatan Trump. What is wrong with those millionaire artists?
That said Nicholas Palace is an infectious groove, a jagged jam, driven by an addictive riff with Leonardo‘s augmenting the funeral vibe of the song, think The Velvet Underground on a rainy day. Around the 1.30 min mark aggressive guitar play accentuates the ultimate end of Cave‘s birthday party.
Band:ENGLISH TEACHER Who: Fast up-and-coming indies
from Leeds, UK
NME said: “A vital voice from the heart of UK guitar music. The band have
swiftly become one of the most promising new British prospects of the last few
years, with songs that find humour and relief in the strange world around us.”
The band dropped another piece, single #5, named R&B.
Lily Fontaine“Decision paralysis is an ache that has murmured in me through sitting
on smaller fences, through to questioning my theology, my sexuality, my career and so on. Watching Jaco Van Dormael’s incredible sci-fi/fantasy Mr Nobody put the cause and effect of this issue into perspective; my life has been consistent in its inconsistency. 12 different houses across the country and mixed-race I’ve always been a bit in-between and I think that’s where this song, and a lot of the songs we’re due to release, come from.”
R&B is another wayward slice of ET pop intensity. It starts a bit like a Dry Cleaning track with a rigid bass riff and Fontaine‘s spoken word vocals, but turns quickly into a strenuous stormer fueled with schizo guitar frenzy, jittery drumming and Fontaine‘s feverish impact.
Wake-up people,
there’s a lot to
learn here.
All 5 singles
.
Last week ET played in Brugge, Belgium supporting Dublin‘s stellar Sprints. After a couple
of songs you just knew/heard/felt that English Teacher is gonna be huge just like Sprints‘ frontwoman Karla Chubb told the crowd afterward.
Band:ENGLISH TEACHER Who: Fast up-and-coming indies
from Leeds, UK
NME said: “A vital voice from the heart of UK guitar music. The band have
swiftly become one of the most promising new British prospects of the last few
years, with songs that find humour and relief in the strange world around us.”
Lily Fontaine (vocalist) said: “I want this album to feel like you’ve
gone to space and it turns out it’s almost identical to Doncaster. It’s
about inbetweens, it’s about home, and it’s about Desire Paths.”
Singles/clips: The World’s Biggest Slap / Mastermind Specialism /
Nearly Daffodils / Albert Road
– ALBERT ROAD – Heart-rending power pop ballad
with a goosebumps finale
