EPs

DOWN THE LEES – Canadian High-Voltage Trio Return With Their New Hectic 7-Track Roller Coaster EP ‘DIRT’

Posted on by JL

13 May 2024

Band: DOWN THE LEES
Who: The post-rock noise project of seasoned Canadian singer/songwriter/guitarist
Laura Lee Schultz. DTL released 3 albums, so far. Their towering 2019 debut titled Bury
The Sun still is my aural favourite. It was recorded with Chicago‘s legendary noise expert Steve Albini who passed away last week, only 61. Sad, really sad loss.

New EP: DIRT

“Bewitching tracks in their respective rights, the songs showcase the band’s
broad sonic strengths and highlight their range and versatility. Recorded and
mixed by Jesse Gander “


EP artwork by Mirabelle Van de Put

TUTV: Backed by a merciless bass/drums tandem LL Schultz does again what
she and her band do best. Building up a sonic fever, slowly but surely, up and
down, forth and back, left and right, until the accumulation of volcanic emotions
erupts with a colossal amount of deafening decibels sending shivers down your
spine. A hectic roller coaster that turns your ears’ perception upside down

Schultz‘s voice stars throughout the 28 minutes of thunderous mood swings.
Her compassionate timbre and high-octane tone causes goosebumps, and all
around this commanding trio has a hair-raising impact. Sometimes I wonder if
DTL wants to scrape the sky above, or challenge hell down below.


Laura Lee Schultz – Photo by Turn Up The Volume

‘Douse’ and ‘Dead Over’ were the singles for a obvious reasons. Two standout
tour-de-force accomplishments. Both deserve a gold medal (yep, the Olympic
Games are nearing).

Another remarkable feat is closer ‘Since La Vie En Rose’. I would never expect a tribute
to the iconic French chansonier Edith Piaf (1915-1963). Thanks to my parents I discovered the flamboyant, turbulent, emotional and artistic coeur-et-âme honesty of Piaf. And why do I love DTL? For their own way of flamboyant, turbulent, emotional and artistic heart-and-soul honesty. So this tribute isn’t a real surprise after all, it’s only about a difference in musical approach.

STREAM

BUY


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DTL: Instagram

ROBOTIC HAWKS – New Hampshire’s 3-Motor Engine Throw 4 Dynamite Rock Punches On New EP

Posted on by JL

4 April 2024


Photo Credit: Kelly Davidson Studio

Band: ROBOTIC HAWKS
Who: Seasoned 3-motor engine from Hudson New Hampshire,
featuring Tyler Pollard (vocals/bass), Shawn Doherty (guitar) and
Brian Sturk (drums).

Pollard: “If you had told me at 27 that I would get to do it again at 51, I’d have called
you crazy. It easily means just as much to me now as it did then. This band met as strangers
five years ago and now we get to hammer out our distinct brand of powerhouse pop rock
at the 2024 Rock and Roll Rumble. Simply amazing! We’re ready to get at it!”

TUTV: When Keef Richard and Mick Jagger met in 1961 and started, a year later,
that pretty famous band we all know, they thought their group would last for
mere six months (fact!). They’re both 80 now and still alive and kicking on record
and on stage. There you go.

New EP: ALL BUSINESS

Press info: All Business is a very pointed push forward, a four-track record that
continues to fine-tune the band’s pitch-perfect dose of power-pop. In addition to
the stunning “High Maintenance,” augmented by Shawn Doherty’s razor-sharp guitar
work and thunderous drummer of Brian Sturk, and the “Wishing Well” cover, the
record is rounded out by a new pub rock rager called “Further“.

Tyler Pollard (vocals/bass): “The song themes on All Business center around the need
for self-awareness. Sometimes you have to ask yourself the hard questions, whether you
want to or not. Trust yourself before you can trust others. Gotta have faith, right?”

TUTV: Four tracks, four sucker-punches, four uppercuts, mixing rock, punk, pop
and all things dynamite. ‘High Maintenance‘ and ‘Further‘ and ‘Cabe Ride’ are three Herculean haymakers.

Riffs fly around while the tandem turbo of drum and bass take care of the blistering
beats relentlessly. All cylinders and all burners on. No brakes, no breaks, always steaming fast-forward sonically and vocally. Noise legends Hüsker Dü are listening just around the corner.

The closing track is a punked-up cover of
Terence Trent D’Arby‘s 1987 soul-pop hit
Wishing Well.

All in all, we get 12 minutes of kick-ass hawks
havoc to test the resilience of our stereo.

STREAM


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BUY


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RH: Linktree

MEGA INFINITY – Experimental New York Duo Released Their New Sonic Chameleon Of An EP ‘CHAOS MAGICK’

Posted on by JL

New extended plays

11 October 2023

Band: MEGA INFINITY
Who: Michi (Turk) DiGiulio and Mike DiGiulio from Long Island, NY. The two
met while working in a grocery store. Michi’s store transferred them far from
their home to Massapequa. They weren’t excited to go so far for a minimum
wage job, but had a good gut feeling that it would be the right move for them
as a musician.

The coronavirus pandemic happened so they were stuck in their house and started
writing a lot of songs. Their debut album Rainbow Heartache came out in December 2021.

FFO: Sonic Boom Six, Rage Against the Machine, Just Friends,
Don Broco, 100 Gecs, Flying Raccoon Suit, Nova Twins

The tantalizing tandem just released their brand-new 4-track EP, named CHAOS MAGICK. A sonic chameleon, jumping from left to right and back. Check out the 4 tracks one-by-one.

– CHAOS MAGICK –
Featuring Simple Minded Symphony

A dazzling rollercoaster mixing post-punk zip, tense spoken-word
fragments, ska vibrations and classic guitar-rock. Fireworks.

– DUDE POISONING –

Don’t call Mich a bitch, or you’re gonna pay for this.

This twisted belter features a tsunami-rap
cameo by Common Sense kid.


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– LOOK ALIVE –

Pithy reggae/ska pop tune injected
with crazed guitars and muscular drums
and enriched with spunky duet vocals.


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– YOU OUGHTA NOW –

Alanis Morissette‘s big hit’s chorus
intertwined with hip-shaking Ska
hooks and Mich‘s crystal clear
vocals shining in the middle.


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IN FULL on Spotify


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MEGA INFINITY: Twitter – Instagram – Linktree
TUTV: Blog – Facebook – Instagram

British Starry-Eyed Voice PEARL Shines On Debut EP ‘WHERE I GO’

Posted on by JL

23 July 2023

British singer-songwriter/producer PEARL who grew up in the English countryside,
much of her childhood centred around building dens in the forest, has released her delightful 4-track, titled WHERE I GO

“PEARL is my birthstone and holds a lot of symbolism
for me. I finally feel grounded and sure of myself.”

The EP showcases four tracks which touch on the theme of acceptance. Each song
was written as a way of processing emotions and events and moving on from them
in a positive way.

PEARL explains: “Writing these songs was a really reflective process, I would look back at a memory, make sense of it, and plot a path through. It was really cathartic. Music is very visual for me, and I love to create little worlds around it. This EP is verdant, a secret spot in the garden with round velvet chairs, cocooned and warm, with soft edges and lots of plants. I look at the music as biophilic, the synths, drums and production are the architecture, and my voice, the organic sounds, and the lyrics are the green and natural elements that run through…I’ve
always had an overactive imagination!”

TUTV: PEARL’s voice is the star in the middle, operating in a universe where you also can listen to Cocteau Twin‘s shiny vocalist Liz Fraser and Kate Bush‘s moonstruck moments. An instrumental instrument for four melodic ruminations, four sonic rainbows in the air and yours to take and to embrace. Where I Go is indie synth pop for dreamers who love to look at the bright side of life but fully know that reality can be a drag. Four-star debut. Another proof of how music can have a healing and soothing power.

VIDEOS for Years and Go!

FULL EP


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PEARL: Facebook – Instagram

Addictive Rock And Blues Grooves With Canadian Team THE MANDEVILLES And Their New EP ‘JUNKIE’

Posted on by JL

19 November 2022

Band: THE MANDEVILLES
Who: Indie rock team from Niagara, Canada
Albums: Goodnight Golden Sun (2012) and
Windows And Stones

New EP: JUNKIE

TUTV: The Mandevilles fuse classic rock, impassioned and amplified blues,
and punky/grungy juice here and there, on this 5-track extended play.

Result: 3 inflammable grooves and 2 high-energetic mid-tempo strokes with
vocalist Serena Pryne ‘s ardent vox in the middle, backed by a rousing 4-piece.
Warning: this is addictive stuff.

References: Janis Joplin, Juliana Hatfield, The Go-Go’s and Sleater-Kinney

Track-by-Track

– JUNKIE –


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It starts with a cool slicey guitar that grabs your attention. It feels like it’s steeped in some blues, but is still rock ‘n’ roll. There’s a solid 90s vibe, paired with a modern guitar sound.

– WASN’T ALWAYS –


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The idea that you can be changed into something you no longer recognize as
yourself. By a person or circumstance. It’s an introspective soliloquy – a plea
to yourself. The rhythmic drum pattern hypnotizes.

– MOON CRY WATER –


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It’s been in the vault for a really long time, as it was written with Charlton Pettus (of Tears for Fears) way back when we were in Oliver Black. The song has always had a special place in our heart, but never felt like it belonged on any of our albums. Until now.

– SAD TALK –


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It features our friend, Tara Stanclik who sings harmonies with Serena. But listen carefully… you’ll hear the warm click of castanets in the background. Nick is especially proud of learning how to play these wonderful percussion instruments, and it adds a southern warmth to the whole song. Neil also introduced us to the haunting Farfisa Organ – an incredible Italian organ – which brings in even more depth.

– BLEED ME OUT –


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Serena: “I remember we were gushing about Big Wreck the day we wrote this. We basically
had a verse/chorus idea mapped out fairly quickly… and we knew we wanted a lengthy jam to take it home. So we started building those parts pretty intensely, as we wanted them to feel like different sections. I think the end result culminates sonically and still feels a little unsettled with the unanswered “Is it over / Are we over?”.

Stream/buy JUNKIE here…


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THE MANDEVILLES: Instagram – Facebook – Website – Spotify

Artwork and photo: Lauren Garbutt

Ghostly Dark-Wave-Ambient Artist NOX ARCANA With His Shadowy Symphonic 5-Track EP ‘DARKFALL’

Posted on by JL

30 October 2022

Artist: NOX ARCANA
Who: The neoclassical dark wave/dark ambient
music project of Ohio artist Joseph Vargo

EP: DARKFALL Volume 1
Five new tracks to quench your dark desires during eerie autumn nights
when sinister things prowl the shadows and ghostly chills fill the air.
Released: 13 October 2022

This is where darkness and brightness clash. Expect five ghostly, instrumental
symphonies with ominous synth shadowplays and chilling orchestral architecture.

Video for top track Dark Matter

Dim the lights, sit down, relax and let the goosebumps overwhelm you.

Buy/stream DARKFALL Volume 1 here…


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Puzzling, Ominous And Chaotic – Five Previously Unheard SONIC YOUTH Jams From 2000-2010 Sessions

Posted on by JL

22 March 2022

Band: SONIC YOUTH
Who: Guitar noise legends with
Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore,
Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley
Active: 1981-2011 / 15 LPs

New EP: IN/OUT/IN
Release: 11 March 2022 – order info here

Three Lobed Recordings (the label) says: In mulling over their career, it’s staggering
to realize that Sonic Youth not only delivered a healthy slab of releases as a unit but also
have a myriad of shelved material still waiting for broader ears. “In/Out/In” ably delivers
a new slab of mostly-unheard Sonic righteousness, with a scope on the post 2000-era
band in specially zoned/exploratory regions.

Rolling Stone says: “In/Out/In feels less like a random collection of toss-offs and
more like a lost Sonic Youth album before everyone figured out who would sing
each track.” 4/5.

Turn Up The Volume: These five previously unreleased jams sound like… jams,
going everywhere and nowhere but they never leave your mind once you let them
in. These retrieved soundscapes, mostly instrumental, perplex and baffle. Especially
the 11-minute track 4 Social Static, a sort of Lou Reed’s Metal Music Machine escapade
and the 12-minute track 5 Out & In, a riff-Krautrock-roaring rattlesnake.

Ominous, chaotic, and mind-dazzling.

Enter Sonic Youth territory here…


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SONIC YOUTH: Story – All Albums

(Group image: cover of their 1982 debut EP)

Coming Soon… 5 Previously Unreleased Tracks By Legends SONIC YOUTH

Posted on by JL

28 February 2022

Band: SONIC YOUTH
Who: Guitar noise legends with
Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore,
Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley
Active: 1981-2011 / 15 LPs

New EP: IN/OUT/IN
Release: 11 March 2022 – order info here

Three Lobed Recordings label says: In mulling over their career, it’s staggering to realize that Sonic Youth not only delivered a healthy slab of releases as a unit but also have a myriad of shelved material still waiting for broader ears. While the group’s current Bandcamp abode lays out a generous amount of it, a bunch more has yet to surface. And it’s a massive mountain to chip away at in the sense of the group output alone; individual members’ projects are a whole other game, needless to say. “In/Out/In” ably delivers a new slab of mostly-unheard Sonic righteousness, with a scope on the post 2000-era band in specially zoned/exploratory regions.

Here’s taster IN & OUT. A ghostly trance-like jam, stirring and spooky, with Kim Gordon wailing all over it and Thurston Moore letting his guitar do the psychedelic talking. Great find.

Press play…


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SONIC YOUTH: Facebook

Join The Trance Trip Of SOLILIANS On Their New EP ‘AMERICAN KLEZMISCHE’

Posted on by JL

24 January 2022

Band: SOLILIANS
Who: Jewish mystics/drone/space pop explorers from Merrick, US.

EP: American Klezmische

Second installment of the In The Running series by I Heart Noise, the Boston
label that thinks out of the box promoting musicians who think out of the box.

Turn Up The Volume: I guess we can all can use some relaxing and tranquilizing moments, now and then, to get away from all that mind-oppressive pandemic misery.

Let’s start to relax with the first two tracks Old Schmeckled Hen and Noshville. Two magnetizing meditations that cause a trance-like sensation with its repetitive flow
and a hypnotic clawhammer banjo riff sounding like a sitar to my ears.

Tracks 3 and 4 (Stratoshmear and Klezmische) generates a similar effect but have
a different, more upbeat texture with its spirited harmonies and keep up the bracing balance of this extended play.

Someday soon change will come.
Humankind always found a way to survive.

Positive vibes like these are welcome…


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SOLILIANS: Facebook
I HEART NOISE: Bandcamp

COCTEAU TWINS Legend ROBIN GUTHRIE Celebrates His 60th Birthday With New Cinematic EP ‘SPRINGTIME’

Posted on by JL

Great extended plays

5 January 2022

Artist: ROBIN GUTHRIE
Who: Scottish trailblazer best known as a founder and
sonic dreamweaver of legendary trio Cocteau Twins

Recent works: 2 EPs, Mockingbird Love and Riviera, and
one full album called Pearldiving, all released in 2021.

Guthrie was born 60 years ago, on 4 January 1962. Happy B. to the heart and soul
touching musician. To celebrate his birthday, he just released (yesterday) another
EP titled SPRINGTIME, containing 4 instrumental, synths painted pieces with an
instant soothing effect.

Imagine this: an eagle flying, with its wide wings spread, over a high mountain, with
a bright blue sky on top of it. All nature, all beauteousness, all cinematic magnificence.
Get the picture? I’m sure you do.

Dim the lights, sit down, relax, open your mind and
your ears and let yourself float on these moony waves…


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ROBIN GUTHRIE: Facebook

Photo by Violette Guthrie