NME says: “A record that never sits still, an album of considerable polish and scope
and by far the boldest thing the Danes have ever made, but also an album that still feels distinctly theirs. The fierce 90-second punk songs of their early days might now have
morphed into vast stadium-rock anthems, but Iceage remain as razor-sharp as ever.”
Full review here. Score: 4/5.
Turn Up The Volume: Finally, Iceage do what they were expected to do for a long
time. Creating a standout album that makes the hair in the back of your neck stand
up. Melodramatic with balls, impassioned with vigour, romantic with grimness. Charismatic frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt leads the troops as never before.
Their fifth, their best.
Rønnenfelt: “We by no means wanted a producer to go in and tell us what to do
or lead the way as to what kind of record we were trying to make. We just wanted
a partner in crime.”
Singles/clips: Vendetta / Shelter Song / The Holding Hand
Turn Up The Volume‘s 15 Knockout Tracks for May 2021!
A sassy stream of rambling rippers and jagged jackhammers.
‘Racist, Sexist Boy’ by THE LINDA LINDAS (Half Asian / Half Latinx)
Young kids standing up and making a sharp-cutting, alarming statement
about racism and sexism with a spot-on, in-your-face, loudmouthed punk
anthem à la Bikini Kill. I love it, so should you.
Plug in here…
‘Weather Strike’ by TOM MORELLO and PUSSY RIOT (US/RUSSIA)
Riot, bloody riot, yeah! Morello and Pussy Riot rage against the machine
together with a quiet/Loud/quiet/Loud crossover outburst. I repeat:
riot, bloody riot, yeah.
Press pussy play…
. ‘Finger Pies’ by ANIKA (Berlin)
Electro earworm that moves and grooves from the get-go driven by a rolling
bass riff. Strangely catchy, mysteriously designed with a hypnotic effect. Top!
Catch the vibe…
‘Heat’ by WHISPERING SONS (Belgium)
This is the best Whispering Sons song my ears ever heard. Heat takes you by the throat from the kick-ass kickoff. A haunting and sickly sticky stomper. A 24-carat rocker!
Press play here…
‘Le Jour Du Cobra’ by LA JUNGLE (Belgium)
A bulldozer-feedback intro, repetitive synth-thrills, glowing guitars, freakish voices and a thunderous pace all rolled into one mad-as-a-hatter Kraut-noise escapade making your mind go dizzy, your heart beating faster and your potency going sky-high. Fuck Viagra,
long live La Jungle!
‘Vendetta’ by ICEAGE (Denmark)
An intoxicating jam with a threatening flow. A first-rate power blow.
From their new, brilliant longplayer Seek, Shelter.
Tune in…
‘Slice Of Pain’ by BLACK INK STAIN (France)
All hell breaks loose from the very start. An obstreperous post-punk sledgehammer with a deafening dose of illegal decibels. Opening missile from their excellent Incidents album.
Here comes the blast…
. ‘Shallow’ by BIG TIME KILL (Boston, MA)
In a normal world, Big Time Kill should be know wide and far. Their massive
wall-of-electro-rock-shock is titanic, overwhelming at times, and served with a
gigantic gusto to blow roofs off dance floors. Shallow is my favorite piece of their staggering new 4-tarck EP Recovery.
Dance around and around…
. ‘Cosmic Fingers’ byPAUL WELLER (UK)
No rest for the Modfather. The last few years his production is impressive and
a couple of weeks ago another LP,Fat Pop hit the streets. Lead-single Cosmic Fingers proves once again that Weller still can rock out like the best. That’s entertainment!
Fire it up, Weller…
‘This Is Not’ by CROWS ON WIRES (Germany)
Sultry synths, punchy percussion, glimmering guitar lines, and vibratory vocals.
Sounds like Sisters of Mercy are back, produced by Bauhaus who listened to Soft
Cell on repeat. A stunner, indeed!
Get magnetised here…
‘Party’ by LOVE ITOYA (Greek Nigerian)
This feels so good. Upbeat, happy and totally summer. Only Love Itoya‘s second
single but definitely one to start and stop all coming sunlit beach jamborees with.
Yes, the sun shines again. Finally! Post-pandemic hope for the future, right here!
Party time indeed…
‘Joker’ by THE HACIENDAS (Manchester, UK)
The Haciendas rattle their butts off on this new fervent firecracker. They turn up the temperature with electric-powered riffs-hooks-and-licks and a clear-cut chorus. One message for all doubters out there: guitar rock is not dead.
Here‘s why…
‘I Said That You Looked Fine’ by ALEX JAMES (North East England)
This banging belter has an instant effect on your body movements. Expect a steamy stonker that rattles and rolls with swagger and energy. Big guitars, big chorus, big tune. What do you want more? Okay, we agree.
Tune in and start the beat…
‘Carry Me On’ by THE BANKROBBER (Italy)
This new musing feels like a nightly gloaming. Acoustic soul-searching and intimate tenderness. The darksome sorrowfulness of the late great Buckley legends floats
all over this gloomy ballad.
Dim the lights and dream away…
. ‘Odes’ by DEAFDEAFDEAF (Manchester, UK)
A slow-paced meditation driven by Hill‘s poignant vox and puzzling guitar waves.
London’s sharp-knifed engineshame should take DEAFDEAFDEAF on tour with
them. They share the same outspoken edginess and sonic resonance. Bingo!
5 new firecrackers to boost your favorite 48 hours…
‘Stick By Stick’ by LITTLE MUSGRAVE (Brussels)
Lighten up, folks. Joey Wright aka Little Musgrave activates your feet, hips, and head with
this ongoing funky groove. Its hypnotic vibe triggers your best body moves. Shake and quake is what you’ll do when this inflammable crackerjack hits your ears. EP ‘Matches’ coming up via Wild Goose Chase Records.
Here‘s the vibe…
‘High & Hurt’ by ICEAGE (Denmark)
One of the best pieces these Danish rockers ever recorded. Amplified passion,
anthemic swagger, and a titanic chorus. From the band’s new, very impressive
fifth LP Sheek Shelter. Actually their best (so far). Hurrah!
Feel the glow…
.
‘Non-Dramatic Break-Up Song’ by LINNEA’S GARDEN (Boston, MA)
The happiest break-up song I heard in ages. All lovers out there, listen and learn. This electrical earworm will make you stay good friends after you called it a day with your partner. Heads up, put Linnea on the stereo and your broken heart will be healed in no time (I hope). From her new 5-track sensual party EP Nowhere Friday’s Night.
Let’s roll…
‘Sketch Of Light’ byTHURSTON MOORE (US)
One of those 24/7 musicians who breathe music, who dream about music, who are obsessed about music and who only make music they want to make. Like this sparkly, instrumental jam you wanna hear when you get up in the morning (well, I do).
A sonic veteran with a youthful heart…
. ‘Save Yourself’ by THE NEVERLUTIONAIRIES (North-Carolina, US)
Wow! This pumping psych knockout grabs you by the throat from the get-go with its Black Sabbathesque drone hammering all the way and its thunder and lighting beat doing your head in. The band’s brainchild Christopher Harold Wells: “I wrote ‘Save Yourself ‘ about a dear friend of mine who had serious substance abuse issues that eventually claimed his life. Though he had a crazier existence than mine, he always tried to give me advice about getting myself together.”
NME says: “A record that never sits still, an album of considerable polish and scope
and by far the boldest thing the Danes have ever made, but also a album that still feels distinctly theirs. The fierce 90-second punk songs of their early days might now have
morphed into vast stadium-rock anthems, but Iceage remain as razor-sharp as ever.”
Full review here. Score: 4/5.
Turn Up The Volume: Finally, Iceage do what they were expected to do for a long
time. Creating a standout album that makes the hair in the back of your neck stand
up. Melodramatic with balls, impassioned with vigour, romantic with grimness. Charismatic frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt leads the troops as never before.
Their fifth, their best.
Singles/clips: Vendetta / Shelter Song / The Holding Hand
Danish indie darlings ICEAGE announced a new LP, called Seek Shelter,
out in May, a couple of weeks ago and shared two cuts so far, Vendetta
and The Holding Hand. Today they revealed another rad piece.
SHELTER SONG is both an intense and fiery
slo-mo melodrama with a profound impact.
Turn Up The Volume‘s 15 Knockout Tracks for February 2021!
A fervid fusion of rhapsodic rippers and clashing crackerjacks.
‘One + One’ – DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 (Canada)
New album Is 4 Lovers comes our way on 26 March and One + One
is the trash & slash lead-slam. Welcome back noiseniks. Hallelujah!
‘Coma-Inducing Gibberish‘ – PIZZA CRUNCH (Scotland)
The young gunslingers hit the bullseye again with this new stunner. A fab-tastic masterstroke to shut up all narcissists. Beware of getting too excited. It can lead
to a rock ‘n’ roll coma. Whatever! Go for it!
. ‘Middle-Finger’ – DROPKICK MURPHYS (Boston, US)
A booze-filled party cracker from upcoming LP Turn Up That Dial. A familiar Pogues-like chant that unleashes the beer devil in all of us. Bottoms up!
‘Vendetta’ – ICEAGE (Denmark)
An intoxicating jam with a threatening pace. A glam power
punch from their new album Seek Shelter arriving in May.
. ‘Night Is Mine’ – ULTRA SUNN (Brussels, Belgium)
Combine D.A.F.‘s industrial vibes, Sisters Of Mercy‘s gloom and doom hallucinations and Depeche Mode‘s pop-noir thrills and you know it’s time for a dazzling party. It’s the title-track from their standout debut EP. Learn much more about this cool black leather duo from their interview with Turn Up The Volume!
‘Toxic’ – PUSSY RIOT (Russia)
The glorious Russian rebels hit again with a new cut from their upcoming EP. It’s an industrial-synth-whack going forth and back, bringing techno icons The Prodigy to mind.
‘Darkest Hour’ – N.O.A.H (Dublin, Ireland)
An instant killer with a harmonious, mood-boosting sing-along chorus and special guest the Booka Brass – Ireland’s first New Orleans style Brass Band – turning up the heat even more. Even in your darkest hour this vivid earworm causes an uplifting kick.
. ‘LOUT’ – THE HORRORS (UK)
A mind-slashing, industrial drone that keeps on pounding and pounding until
the wall comes down. Hefty stuff, folks! Just the way I like it, any day, any time!
‘Ace Of Base‘ – THE FLAVIANS (Berlin)
Your feet and head’s movements get activated from the get-go. Unremitting piano bliss, glorious rhythm, pushed by a funky beat and colored with frisky vocals and cool sixties backing vocals. Synth-pop legends Eurythmics would say Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This.
‘Opaque Crater’ – RITUAL CLOAK (Cardiff, UK)
The power of resounding repetition here is just mind-boggling. In the end, you want the buzzing vibration of this adrenaline-charged tune on repeat in your head. And when this trip slows down for a brief moment it’s only to come back with even more dynamism. Top!
. ‘Apply The Pressure’ –MISLED CONVOY and KAT FIVE (UK)
The missing link between two vibrating hallucinations, Massive Attack‘s Teardrop and Leftfield‘s Original. Spacey, outlandish and far-out. Michael Hodgson AKA Misled Convoy creates a flying saucer vibe and Kat Five‘s futuristic thoughts and prophetic words of change reinforce the puzzling and obscure experience.
‘Soho Bedroom Party’ – THE HIDEAWAYS feat. TINY DYNO (UK)
Blissful synth melodiousness. Tremendously sticky flow. Glorious duet chorus. Sparkling orchestration. Play this boosting cock-a-hoop stunner out loud in your bedroom so your neighbors can enjoy these spiffing pop sparks too. Sonic magic!
. ‘Fade’ – VIOLET (Midlands, UK)
Imagine The Verve of the early days with madman Richard Ashcroft in the middle with their huge anthemic wall-of-psych-sound going sky-high. Add that cocksure Britpop swagger and you know that your stereo will shake, rattle and roll when this bittersweet amplified symphony bursts out of the speakers. A winner!
. ‘Oxygen’ – SEASIDE HEIGHTS (Sweden)
A shot of pop adrenaline. Oxygen causes rhapsodic titillations. You can sing along, hum along, whistle along while pirouetting yourself dizzy to the vibrant vibrations. Fresh air to forget your lockdown blues for a while.
. ‘There Be Monsters’ by FAR LANDS (USA)
A magnific sepia-colored musing. A tranquilizing stroll triggering your daily dream moments. McFarlane‘s warm voice takes you on a pacifying trip while a guitar gently weeps throughout the journey. This bluesy beauty invites you to forget the troubling reality we all experience for a while.
. ‘Shouts Of The Coal Mine’ – JONAS AND I (Finland)
This beauty resonates as if it comes straight from a Tom Petty album. Its country-pop-
rock feel glows, scintillates and glisters and when the enlivening chorus sets in, with
those Beirut-like warmth of ardent trumpets a satisfying smile will emerge on your face. Topnotch tune!
Danish boys band ICEAGE confirmed that
a new longplayer, called Seek Shelter is
planned for a May release.
Last month we appreciated slo-mo lead single The Holding Hand and here’s cut number two.
VENDETTA is an intoxicating jam with a
threatening flow. A first-rate power blow.
“Crime is the undercurrent that runs through everything.
If you don’t see it, you’re not looking. In its invincible politics,
it is the glue that binds it all together. ‘Vendetta’ is an impartial
dance along the illicit lines of infraction.” says frontman Bender
Rønnenfelt about the song.
Frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt says: “The song lives in a slurred world, movements
are elastically stretched out and strength is found in weakness while you find it hard to tell
the difference between fume and matter. Gently the swaying intensifies, feel it escalate.
Reach out for the holding hand, it seems almost within scope now.”
The new piece feels and sounds like Rønnenfelt is caught up in his own worried
world. It’s a passionate slo-mo meditation growing more intense along its way.
Danish rockers ICEAGE just shared a brand new song related to these surreal
days we all experience. LOCKDOWN BLUES is a blues injected cracker about
‘domestic quarantine’. You can download the track for 1 pound/dollar/euro
on Bandcamp, right here. All profits go to Médecins Sans Frontières.
I got the
Covid-19 Lockdown Blues
The only way out is through
A wraithlike peril spread across our seven seas
Empty shelves in barren streets
Confined domestic quarantine
How the itching for lost touch is deafening
Covid-19 Lockdown Blues
The band issued a statement about the goal of this new track…
Written in the wake of the lockdown on gatherings, borders, schools and life as we know
it, ‘Lockdown Blues’ is an attempt at addressing this troubled new reality during Covid-19.
We’ve felt the urge to touch base now that the physical touch has been suspended and contribute an effort to raise spirit In the face of adversity. All profits from Bandcamp
will proceed directly to Médecins Sans Frontières who right now are doing their best to
provide aid where it so urgently is needed the most. Our thoughts are with all those in
jeopardy to the many various horrors in relation to the crisis, those situated on the front
lines and those who are direly compromised. Stay safe, take care and keep up the good fight
