Last year Spanish power pop señoritas HINDS released
their jaunty 4th longplayer, called Viva Hinds.
It featured Turn Up The Volume‘s number 1 track
of 2024, the fab-tastic pop diamond SUPERSTAR.
Last Friday, the girls were in Belgium again (pictures below).
They played Lokerse Feesten – Belgium. And I had to
see them again. Always party time with the Madrid chicas.
PICTURE THIS Lokerse Feesten, Belgium
August 8 – photos by TUTV.
Pithy Spanish power pop Amazons HINDS unleashed their 4th LP,
baptized Viva Hinds last September. Critics and fans went euphoric.
Uncut Magazine said: “The fourth album is a masterclass
in simple but devastatingly effective melodies.”
During Covid-19 two members left the band, and reduced it to
just 2, guitarists/vocalists Carlotta Cosials and Ana García Perrote.
Album artwork
Last Friday, the Spanish fury, with a new drummer and bassist, organized an elated FIESTA in Brussels. They dropped infectious tune after infectious tune. A red-hot mix of old and new songs, including Superstar of course, TUTV’s best single of 2024, all causing a state of extreme jubilation among the audience (with many Spanish fans).
Carlotta Cosials andAna García Perrote.
It was a enraptured sauna event from the very start to the last single note of music.
Every single person got involved. Singing, shouting, dancing and clapping uninterruptedly for 75 minutes.
Carlotta Cosials and Ana García Perrote led the sonic spectacle with their vivacious
vocality, cool dance moves, and happy (lots of sex) and sad stories (during Covid-19
the band almost felt completely apart). Hinds, at first named Deers, is one of those kind
of ardent acts that make you jump for joy non-stop and catapult you upon cloud nine.
The party came to and end with their huge crowd pleaser Davey Crocket,
a cover of the 1991 song by English garage pop outfit Thee Headcoatees.
Gracias chicas!
ALBUM
. SETLIST
1. Hi, How Are You 2. The Club 3. New for You 4. Boom Boom Back 5. Coffee 6. Burn 7. Just Like Kids (Miau) 8. Riding Solo 9. Stranger 10. The Bed, The Room, The Rain and You 11. Girl, so confusing
(Charli xcx cover) 12. Good Bad Times 13. Bon Voyage 14. Superstar 15. Castigadas en el granero 16. Spanish Bombs
(The Clash cover) 17. En Forma 18. Davey Crockett
(Thee Headcoats cover) 19. Hello (outro)
Unquestionable standout from the Irish indie
stars’ much applauded 4th LP Romance.
TUTV: Intense jam, rollin’ on with a bone-chilling flow and
frontman Grian Chatten raps all over it with his characteristic
uptight parlando and grasping for his breath every time the
refrain comes on.
Part of their upcoming 5-track EP
that’ll land early next year.
“Progress is a song about changing places, people and times.”
TUTV: Epic. Grandiose. Staggering. Amplified guitar-pop at its mind-blowing best.
One of those not-everyday puissant killer tracks overwhelms your emotions
from the first spin.
Piece from their forthcoming second longplayer, baptized Never Exhale. It’ll hit the streets on 25 January 2025.
TUTV: Taximan does your head in the way we, brainbangers, like it.
Bam Bang Boom. No mercy for the wicked. Manic mayhem as usual.
You’d better check out if Robert ‘Travis’ De Niro is behind the wheel
before taking a cab.
The song is about rediscovering old lovers after a night out from disco(theque) to disco(theque), with references to The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan and his excessive
drinking, and a legendary Belgian crooner.
TUTV: Full steam ahead from the get-go. All engines on. Decibels up, amps up.
The breakneck speed and the relentless synth/percussion riff make your head
spin 360°. I dare you to catch up with this missile all the way.
Band: LAMBRINI GIRLS Who: A two-motor punk bulldozer from Brighton, UK who have built
a notorious reputation over the past 2 years, on record and on stage.
Cut from the duo’s upcoming debut LP Who Let The Dogs Out. Out next year, on
January 10.
TUTV: Without a shadow of a loud doubt, one of the grrrlz’s best stormers so far.
An amazeballs wall-of-nasty-guitar/bass hullabaloo, a ruthless octopus drummer
and Phoebe‘s best vocals. Hell-tastic.
‘True love is nothing more than the wrong hill to die on”.
TUTV: The jaw-dropping vitality these volcanic Irish beatniks develop here is off the charts. They build a near-unbearable tension and explode insanely, time after time, along the rough ride. Vocalist/songwriter Karla Chubb knows terrifically well how to double your adrenalin production.
TUTV: Dog Dribble operates somewhere between Yard Act and Sleaford Mods.
Its limbs-activating groove is simply irresistible. Get up, stand up, and fight
for your right to bounce up and down like mad.
Band: FAT DOG Who:South London-based gang that made thousands
and ‘true love is nothing more than the wrong hill to die on”.
thousands of ears go bonkers with their first-rate debut
longplayer Woof.
TUTV: A ballistic disco-punk whopper to end and start all (il)legal
raves with. When the huge orchestral injections blast out of your
vibrating speakers you know that these misfits are your new
favorite dogs. Hallelujah!
One of the stellar singles from their
new, third, album Insight.
TUTV: Drums and bass team up for an incessantly beat that carries
this instantaneously infectiuos trip, along with a magnetizing Cure-esque guitar riff that gets you in a trance.
Truly hypnotizing from start to finish with velvety vocals
and darkwavish synths in the back adding a twilight tone.
TUTV: No, this is not a New Order song but it could easily be one, actually a stellar one. Summer Breeze sparkles from the very start to finish with scintillating guitar riffs, zealous percussion, shiny synths and Gibbard‘s eager vocals. It’s a pure pop pearl for all seasons.
Artists: ARROWS OF ATHENA (Boston, MA) Who: A pandemic project that found its two main players – multi-instrumentalist and producer Scott Lerner and vocalist and lyricist Jac-Lyn Gibson – reuniting after the latter spent some time away from music, Arrows of Athena are crafting a distinct sound on
their own terms, bridging usually disparate ends of the pop and rock spectrum for an illuminated sound of big dance beats, heavy riffs, and melodic intensity.
On this song the duo explores the mental and emotional work required
for a successful marriage, and how we’re often careless with love.
TUTV: I’m quite sure that Arrows Of Athena are huge fans of former Swedish glam and glitter pop duo Roxette. The bliss and blitz at play on Reckless Heart is sonically similar. Sizzling guitars, battering drums/bass grooves, sensuous vocals and a peppy chorus combine here for a power pop pearl that flames lustrously. Orchestral melodiousness, fiery 90s spirit, and musical. An invigorating joyride.
TUTV: This is a psychedelic shoegaze stunner, a multi-layered symphony
propelled by about a thousand guitars, a mindboggling bass riff, and combative
drums, while Rebecca Dow‘s ghostly vocals come from another galaxy.
TUTV: What’s in store for humankind. Nuclear war or peace and free love?
Or will we be just another brick in the wall? Whatever happens, never stop
pirouetting yourself dizzy to Leg Puppy.
We don’t need your education
We don’t need no your thought control
TUTV: The most energetic, exciting, pizzazy band around. Cooking on record and on stage. Sultry garage rock for party animals. This is my absolute favorite of this years Boomerang LP. Chipper tune.
TUTV: Think Cypress Hill fronted by Zack de la Rocha, rattling like
a rapid-fire riot-gun. An avid anthem that celebrates freedom and
invites you to shout along while pumping your fists in the air.
TUTV:Hallelujah rages against the anti-LGBTQ
haters with knives between their teeth and an
unstoppable drive.
“To express oneself, now expressly forbidden/ That’s a spiritual hell, that’s
a new prohibition/ And they’ll boil you down to reproductive function/ When
they see you as a vessel and not as a person!”
Track: Anna Save A Life
. TUTV: A manic motherrocker from a duo who sound as a 4-motor hit-and-run team. Riff-o-rama all the way while bashing drums do your head in. Garage punk ‘n’ roll at its filthy best. Call your own Anna and challenge the anti-decibels police.
TUTV: Wham bloody wham bam. Expect a sharp-splitting punk rock juggernaut. Amps up and full steam ahead. No rest for the wicked with this razor-blade cutting, head over heels bombshell spiced with sneering vocals. Wham bloody wah-wah guitars bam. Scrunched Up Fist hits your face really hard. Hurry-scurry stroke.
Band: SOFT SKIES INC Who: Philadelphia-based identical-twin duo and longtime musical confidants Ryan and Martin Rex, their shared sonic compass draws a straight line from the
classic alternative of their youth to the modern alternative and dream-pop of
today.
A song of hope, riding those tender waves of nostalgia, understanding that a loss of innocence comes with age but that we emerge from the other side with newfound perspective and awareness.
Melodic guitar pop at its Sebadoh best. Uptempo shoe-slacker-gaze
spiced with scintalling synths and ethereal vocals. Start dreaming in
overdrive.
TUTV: Just Like Everybody Else is a glorious, full-orchestrated pop gem, that transfers you in an eye/ear blink to a sonic dreamland with its affecting melodiousness, riveting chorus and warm-hearted vocals. Three highly-entertaining minutes and twenty seconds with Spielmann
Frisky Spanish guitar-pop Amazons HINDS unleashed their 4th LP, baptized Viva Hinds a couple of weeks ago. One of the coolest party albums of 2024.
They just dropped a new track, actually a bonus
track added to the digital edition of the album.
Hinds: “‘BATS’ is accepting everything is blurry and confusing.
In Spanish and in English. It’s a dance with your darkest thoughts.
A dance with your ugliest demons.”
Band: XIU XIU
The Californian art noise duo XIU XIU aren’t the lazy kind of artists.
In their 22-year-old career, they recorded/released 14 LPs including
the new one.
The Quietus writes: “13”… is a superlative pop record, but still an endless cycle of extremes.
A shining, distorted, expertly constructed, open-ended record, that might be Xiu Xiu’s best.”
TUTV: This is their most intense, most emotional, and most accessible album to date.
Well, not that it will sell millions of copies and be No. 1 on the charts all over the world.
It’s still XX, always exploring different soundscapes, but here they come up with
less complex song structures, actually more (sort of) conventional alt ones. And?
Outstanding record dominated by layers of industrial synths and chilling melodies.
I hear Cure-esque echoes (Common Loon / Veneficum), eerie and ghostly vocality
à la the late great Scott Walker (Arp Omni / Sleep Bvld.) and trippy Cabaret Voltaire
dynamics. All together, these sonic ingredients lead to a fascinating XX opus.
The more spins, the more your ears
get around this new Xiu Xiu exploit.
MOJO (monthly UK magazine): “A yin-yang parity asserts itself with the wistful, jazzy,
Rose-sung Simple Days, electro-pop You Saw and epic, wicca-ish Druantia. Elsewhere,
there’s arty chamber pop, demented swing-jazz and the epic Surf’s Up-echoing closer
Sunrise: middle-aged bliss has rarely sounded so weirdly magical.”
TUTV: Partners in love, partners in parenthood, partners in music. With this 2nd LP Coxon and Dougall offer an even more varied one than their notable debut. They rock out (City Lights, You Saw, Moth To The Flame, Broken Boys, Simple Days) and slow down (I Belong To, lullaby for their little daughter Song For Eliza May, Girl Of The Endless Night) with three constants.
Arrestive tunes, rich instrumental orchestrations and emotional, alternating and duet vocals. You hear a happy and dynamic couple delivering a high-songwriting-quality record. Embrace it with your ears, heart and soul, it’ll feel good.
Uncut (British music monthly): “The fourth album is a
masterclass in simple but devastatingly effective melodies.”
Press photo by Dario Vazquez
TUTV: Infectious tune after infectious tune make you reach for Piña Colada after
Piña Colada. Hinds resurrect here from a difficult period with 2 members leaving.
It leads to songs of love and loss, yep, songs about life.
The overall vitalizing formula of this new longplayer lies in the fact that every single track
is embedded in an on-the-spot galvanizing melodiousness that triggers joyous, gratified and devil-may-care feelings. It’s called pop-ular music. No less, no more. Oh so welcome
in these disordered times. Uplifting entertainment for all seasons. Gracias ciervas.
. KEY SINGLE
(Contender for best one of 2024)
Press info: This new release is a raucous blend of anthemic rock ‘n’ roll, brimming with boogie, rage, forgiveness, and raw energy. The music is loud, fast, and bombastic, infused with lyrics that highlight our ongoing struggle for equality and the collective effort required to bridge the gap.
TUTV: Imagine MC5 have a headbutt fight with The Stooges, while Led Zeppelin are
waiting around the corner, armed with battleaxes, to have their go at the winner.
Gee wizz. Sounds fucking cool, right? You betcha.
Equator unleash uppercut after uppercut at your ears and poor loudspeakers. What you hear is what you get. Filthy garage blues-punk rock. Helter-skelter. A non-stop tsunami of Herculean riffs, primal Wolfmother screams, berserk octopus drumming, and voluminous choruses combine for a badass whopping record. Fasten your seatbelts for these manic hooligans.
Band: MERCURY REV
The day-and-night dreamers from Buffalo, New York MERCURY REV – with key members Jonathan Donahue and Sean “Grasshopper” Mackowiak are around for 35 years now and still float in a universe of their own They now operate with new members Marion Genser (keyboardist) Jesse Chandler (piano).
Mojo (British musical monthly): “Bands, as Donahue famously sang on Holes,
“never work quite right”, but with this late-period beauty, Mercury Rev have hit
the cosmic balance perfectly.”
Press photo by Joe Magistro
TUTV: Reflections about the past, the present, and the future. Frontman Jonathan
Donahue tells stories about life. Real images, illusionary images. His heartwarming
voice and the subtly jazzy, soothing, and tranquillizing orchestrations flow into each
other just beautifully.
Poetry in motion. Born Horses is an ideal companion for meditative nights, for silent
moments of nostalgic pensiveness and widescreen fantasies. After a couple of spins,
I played Laurie Anderson‘ new album Amelia (about the legendary female aviator Amelia). Other stories but a same telling atmosphere and impact, same cinematic sonority. Then back again to Born Horses. A spiritual experience. Dim the light, sit down, relax, and let
your thoughts flow.
Peppy Spanish power pop Amazons HINDS
unleashed their 4th LP, baptized Viva Hinds.
The band is now reduced to two members. So, only
2 hinds left. But it’s definitely their best music ever.
Press info: Spanish indie rockers Hinds are back with their utterly triumphant
fourth album, Viva Hinds. Written by the band’s co-founders, co-vocalists, co-guitarists
and co-songwriters Carlotta Cosials and Ana Perrote, it features their first-ever fully Spanish language songs, as well as first collaborations with the likes of Beck and Fontaines D.C.’s frontman Grian Chatten.
Uncut (British music monthly): “The fourth album is a
masterclass in simple but devastatingly effective melodies.”
New album cover
TUTV: Infectious tune after infectious tune make you reach for Piña Colada after
Piña Colada. Hinds resurrect here from a difficult period with 2 members leaving.
It leads to songs of love and loss, yep, songs about life.
The overall vitalizing formula of this new longplayer lies in the fact that every single track
is embedded in an on-the-spot galvanizing melodiousness that triggers joyous, gratified and devil-may-care feelings. It’s called pop-ular music. No less, no more. Oh so welcome
in these disordered times. Uplifting entertainment for all seasons. Gracias ciervas.
. KEY SINGLE
Contender for best one of 2024
Brand-new cut from her upcoming solo debut
album ‘Nobody Loves You More‘ out November 22.
Crystal Breath is quite special and pretty different from anything Deal has been done before. EBM bass dynamics, trip-hop quivering
and a spiky guitar riff.
“‘Body Bag’ is a peak behind the curtain at the reality of modern romance and feeling young and old at the same time. I think sonically the song has so many ups and downs, and that’s exactly how this stage of my life has felt. It’s running barefoot on the concrete, chasing something you can’t quite put your finger on, but running towards it nonetheless. That’s
how I would best describe ‘Body Bag.’”
TUTV: This is an astounding piece of multi-layered music. An effervescent mix of pop,
rock and EBM going everywhere fast and Romano‘s sensual voice adds an arousing dynamic. A stream of adrenalin rushes through your body, all the way.
It will be on their debut EP Disco To Disco, out on September 13.
The song is about rediscovering old lovers after a night out from disco(theque) to disco(theque), with references to The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan and his excessive drinking, and a legendary Belgian crooner. Bringing these two completely different iconic figures together makes you wonder if they don’t have more in common than you might think.
TUTV: Full steam ahead from the get-go. All engines on. Decibels up, amps up.
The breakneck speed and the relentless synth/percussion riff make your head
spin 360°. I dare you to catch up with this steamroller.
If you don’t know they’re from Belgium you would think they are one of those
post-Brexshit-punk misfits such as Deathletter, Ditz, shame, English Teacher, and
more of those exciting indie wolves. Cool, right? You betcha.
One of the two new shared pieces from their upcoming 3rd LP, named Catouts, out October 14. It’s a hypnotizing Krautrock-like jam rushing through your bloodstream.
Great saxophones too.
The Smile: Instagram
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Photo credit: Ebru Yildiz
Band: A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS Who: The rapid-fire Brooklyn turbine,
led by Oliver Ackermann, pump up the
decibels since 2003.
Track: YOU GOT ME
A foretaste of their upcoming LP,
titled ‘Synthesizer‘, out on October 4.
TUTV: Expect a spine-chilling guitar/bass riff rocket with Ackermann‘s
vocals echoing all over it. Another hellraiser for your graveyard parties.
“It’s a shout out to all the unusual characters that you may find in any High Street who, for whatever reason, are considered outsiders. They need championing as they are just like everyone else and want the best for themselves, but have been dealt a difficult hand.”
TUTV: The Veras storm out of the gates with tons of high-voltage force, powered by
an army of ablaze guitars and mighty drum/bass beats. The spanking chorus fueled by peppy vocals completes this rattling burst. Now go out in the streets and start a riot.
Band: THE CHRONICLES OF MANIMAL AND SAMARA Who: London-based DIY duo – Daphne Ang (Singapore) and Andrea Papi (Italy)
that fills a gap in music by bringing literature, art, and history together into a
space where rock and metal meet electronica.
TUTV: This surprising, blistering collaboration sees TCOMAS exploring another
musical place where they’ve never been before. Teaming up with sharp-cutting
Italian rapper Mr Meuri and make it work, combined with their by-now trademark
metallic wall of sound and monstrous growls is flabbergasting.
Band: LONELY LITTLE KITSCH Who: Two-piece alt-rock band from Niagara, Canada featuring
vocalist Kristen Goetz and drummer Nolan Jodes. What started as
a way to pass the time during the pandemic, soon became a more
serious project as fully formed songs took shape.
TUTV: A grungy headbanger propelled by hammering vigorousness, some
edged Grohl riffs and exploding when the crashing chorus crushes in. Right
in the middle of the song and the video, vocalist Kristen Goetz, draws your
attention with her Shirley Manson-like vocal tone and her subtle moves.
Band: THE MERINGUES Who: A Kingston, Ontario-based
post-punk powerhouse.
Track: ROYALTY
This track is a cut from their 2nd album, Pavlova’s Dog,
which will be available on September 16th.
“It’s that feeling of having idealized someone, only to discover they didn’t deserve it.
Or when you thought you knew someone, but they revealed a different side. This song
explores the disorienting feeling of realizing you were wrong about someone or something.”
TUTV: This punk ‘n’ roar torpedo guarantees you a vitalizing kick. Royalty explodes
from the get-go. The smashing chorus, with its screamy duet vocals, causes ecstatic
elation.
Band: RAZORLIGHT Who:British power guitar-pop indies RAZORLIGHT (2002–2014, 2017–present),
led by guitarist/singer Johnny Borrell, who have their first LP in 16 years finished.
They baptized it Planet Nowhere.
It’ll land on October 24.
It’s the first taster off of the forthcoming full-length. A simple, but oh so
effective tune. Jaunty and terrifically infectious. Welcome back to the party,
guys.
Band: STRAWBERRY SLEEPOVER Who: A psych, garage rock act from Baltimore, MD which makes waves in
the local music scene with their unique sound and captivating performance.
Track: FILTH
From their upcoming new
album, out September 6.
TUTV: If you’re depressed because summer is almost over, comfort yourself with this bonkers cowboy-punk jackhammer. Big, really big fun. ‘Filth‘ gets filthier and filthier along
its rowdy course. Think Dropkick Murphys riding wild horses while consuming a stream
of cold beers. Get the picture? As I said, big fun.
TUTV: A moony daydream floating smoothly around and in your ears and
has an on-repeat effect. It’ll appear on their 4th LP, baptized ‘Viva Hinds‘
and lands on September 6.
Martel: “After surviving elementary and high school, working in customer service and an office job, going to college and university I realized I still have not overcome social anxiety. I wrote this song about it so I could finally try to stop caring so much.”
TUTV: Martel strikes again with unbridled punch on this invigorating pop pearl juiced with jumpy bass lines, a vigorous drum beat, an edgy guitar solo and a chirpy chorus. Vocally Martel could be family of Alanis Morissette‘ voice. That same stirring timbre and expressive tone.
TUTV: City Lights is an ardent upper for the midnight hours when you hit town. Coxon lets his greedy guitar and his sultry saxophone have some funky fun, the
relentless bass/drums tandem take care of the groove’s banging beat. Uplifting
duet vocals and a chipper chorus complete the sonic picture.
“This is very different to anything we have released before it’s
very pop and a song of unrequited love and idolising others.”
TUTV: The Trusted deliver again. Miracle Face is a bittersweet power-pop symphony. Vehement orchestrations, layers of guitars, drum/bass puissance, and perfervid vocals combine for an affecting anthem. Think of New York City‘s heroes The Strokes’ mellower moments.
Band: MERCURY REV Who Day-and-night dreamers with key members Jonathan
Donahue and Sean “Grasshopper” Mackowiak
Track: A BIRD OF NO ADDRESS
From their 10th LP, their first in 9 years, named Born Horses, and out on September 6.
TUTV: A Bird Of No Address is a starry-eyed musing, a magnific symphony
with classical piano play, sensitive orchestrations and Donahue‘s romantic
vocals.
Bewitching, just bewitching.
Instagram – Tour
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Artist: BLACK VIIOLET Who: The moniker of the new solo project of Nicole Laurenne, the
flamboyant daredevil/voice/face of American garage rockers The Darts.
Track: KILL ME NOW
The title song of Laurenne‘s debut EP. A totally different
affair from what she has done for a long time with The Darts.
TUTV: Music for jazzy, smoky nightclubs where crooners play love songs,
happy and sad ones on piano, backed by a smooth little orchestra.
Viiolet‘s sexy, near-whispering voice and her sensual
film noir appearance fit the mood just perfectly well.
“I was playing around with this song and the chorus came to me almost immediately. It reminded me of something from Joni Mitchell’s Clouds album and the line “Some things hurt a little more, this one’s you” had such a resigned sentiment the rest of the song was easy to write. It’s a love song, but from an older point of view. Less drama and more realisation that another one had slipped away. The loneliness of an empty house and the need to escape the quiet.”
TUTV: Singer-songwriter splendour. A dynamic reverie, driven by titillating acoustic
six-strings, playful piano fragments, and a heartwarming voice. I’m pretty sure that Jamie Sutherland is a fervent Nick Drake and Tim Buckley fan.
