It’s Karma It’s Cool

10 BEST ALBUMS OF THE MONTH – OCTOBER 2025

Posted on by JL

– 1 –

Band: THE LEMONHEADS
Who: The notorious singer-songwriter
Evan Dando‘s band for almost four
decades now.

Album: LOVE CHANT

Their 11th one. The first with new music since 2006. In between
the band released a couple of albums with covers of Dando‘s
favorite songs.

Press info: “It’s a record that sounds both fresh and familiar: rooted in the hallmarks
of The Lemonheads’ best work, yet expanded by years of lived experience
and new surroundings.”

Mojo Magazine says: “Love Chant might be described as scrappy, vulnerable and
heartfelt, but it is also loose, exuberant and animated in a manner that seems faithful
to who Dando is today.”

TUTV: Clean Dando has obviously refound his 90s appetite for creating
enthralling pop music and he eagerly wants it to share with us from the
get-go.

Dando has resurrected himself and his band gloriously. Now and then he touches turbulent memories from the past and does some soul-searching again, but you
can feel he’s truly happy, healthy and excited to be here in great artistic shape.

Not one dull moment. Mind you, it’s not a masterpiece, rather
a welcome reaffirmation of The Lemonheads‘ riveting pop
mastery.

KEY SINGLE

ALBUM

Instagram – Facebook – All Albums

– 2 –

Band: SPAMMERHEADS
Who: Techno tandem
from Valencia, Spain.

Press Info: “The latest album by Spammerheads, was born from the difficult
experience of the floods that hit Valencia on October 29, 2024. During this time,
the duo lost part of their studio and actively participated in the cleanup efforts
in their city.

This was an experience filled with a mix of emotions—shock, helplessness, fury, resistance, solidarity, and resilience, among others that shaped what may be their
best work to date. Written as a chronicle, the album explores the personal and
collective states of people affected by tragedies or catastrophes.

TUTV: It sounds like if the Spanish electroclash duo decided to process last
year’s devastating floods drama in their hometown Valencia with new music.
Their intentions resulted in this new notable LP stuffed with eight titanic
techno thrills.

Eight 90s inspired trance tunes. Think Chem Bros, The Orb and The Prodigy.
Yes, EDM has become a timeless musical outlet genre that puts you in a
mind-bending trance, far away from the shambolic reality.

The pair’s Mire Chronicles have a hammering impact on their post-drama demons.
To hell with them. At the end of the traumatic tunnel there’s a Spammerheads light
that illuminates a healing future.

SINGLE

ALBUM

Instagram – Spotify

– 3 –

Artist: PREWN
Who: The moniker of Massachusetts-born, LA-based chilling
singer-songwriter Izzy Hagerup. She released her debut album
Through The Window in 2023.

New Album: SYSTEM
Her 2nd one.

Stereogum said:”System begins by oscillating between numbing ease of the modern
world and the fight-or-flight response that each new day in a world of crumbling institutions brings. But by the album’s end, Hagerup finds resolve in humanity.”

Hagerup: “I need to tap into my grief and sadness and stuff because it’s there. And when
you don’t live in it then you’re just numb. You can’t see the beauty and you are running from
the pain. It’s this Groundhog Day feeling. I feel that’s the antithesis to art, love, and connection, and giving a shit about the world.”

TUTV: Most songs are written from “twisted and sociopathic perspectives” during late-night bedroom sessions, says Hagerup. And you can feel what that did to System. Freaky at times, off-centre now and then, psychotic here and there.

The combination of creepy violins, ominous cello shadow play, and last but not least Hagerup‘s wailing voice dominate this record causing bone-chilling sensations. Her
laments evoke moments of uncomfortableness, but her grip is so overwhelming that
you just can’t get away of her sonic exorcism. Like watching a bloodcurdling thriller you can’t escape from without knowing the end of the story.

SINGLE
One of the best
of 2025 to my ears.
Masterly stroke.

ALBUM

Instagram – Album On Spotify

– 4 –

Band: IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL
Who: Psych pop rock outfit from Lincoln (UK),
led by singer-songwriter Jim Styring.

Album: ONE MILLION SUBURBAN SUNSETS
Their 4th, insipred by living in this modern world,
and what it means to be alive in the 21st century.

Louder Than War says: “From Lincoln, fourth album from a band who burst
the confines of the genre they are best known for. It’s Karma It’s Cool are now
a proper contemporary rock band in search of an audience who want big anthemic
tunes, stadium-sized angst that somehow lifts you out of a generational mid-life
crisis.” 

Jim Styring (singer-songwriter) said to Louder Than War: “I always leave lyrics open to interpretation. It’s more important what the listener believes than what I had in mind when
I wrote them.

These so called ‘experts’ telling us that rock and roll is dead and buried. As long as we, as humans, have emotions, songwriters will continue to write, bands will continue to form, our music will continue to thrive. Basically, if you believe in something , don’t let anyone put you down.”

TUTV: The Brits have enriched their already psychedelic sound with early R.E.M.’s sinewy
jangliness and Michael Stipe‘s poignant vocality. It’s without a shadow of a doubt their most arresting opus so far. Frontman Jim Styring reflections on this turbulent and grim century are sign’s of the times.

It’s the end of the world, as we know it, but IKIC, and many of us, do not feel fine. But as long as impassioned and unequivocal records like this one are made there will always be a hopeful light shining at the end of the dark tunnel. It’s called cool karma.

Highlights: Crashability / 21st Century Meds / Serotonin /
Sidewalk Flowers / Paper Tigers / Swans

KEY SINGLE

ALBUM

Instagram – Spotify

– 5 –

Band: OF MONSTERS AND MEN
Who: Icelandic indie folk/rock outfit
formed in Garðabær in 2010.

Album: ALL IS LOVE AND PAIN IN THE MOUSE PARADE

Press info: “The title and beating heart of Icelandic collective Of Monsters
And Men’s fourth album hits a lot closer to home than you’d expect. A tapestry
of stories, moments, and conversations, the album explores how love and pain
intertwine.”

AllMusic says: “Hitting on the highs and lows of life, the Icelandic quintet stick close to
their established sound: touching and tender indie folk anthems that play on earnestness
and innocence.”

TUTV: This is what melancholic, folk-inspired splendour is about. Galvanically
crafted songs that touch heart and soul. Rainbow-colored reveries about daily
life put to bewitching music with a leading role for beatific piano play amidst
enticing orchestrations and idyllically alternating and duet vocals.

Think Scottish romantics Belle & Sebastian. This is the kind of
gratifying records to cherish and embrace when your mind
wants/needs a break from the outside world.

Mesmerizing, just mesmerizing.

SINGLE

ALBUM


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6. Lovin’ You by RICHARD ASHCROFT

TUTV: As an ardent Richard Ashcroft/The Verve fan a new RA full-length feels
like a conveted present a 10-year-old was waiting for. But (there’s always
a but) this one leaves me with mixed emotions.

Mind you, 5 tracks (Lover / Heavy News / I’m A Rebel / Crimson Fire ) out of the 10
are arresting tunes, but the other 5 miss the needed divertissement to make it a full commandable record. Lovin You‘ misses Ashcroft‘s epic touch and magical resonance.
No classics such as The Drugs Don’t Work, This Is How It Feels, Sonnet, Lucky Man or (of course) Bittersweet Symphony here.

Considering his illustrious work from the past, it’s hard to come up with first-class
material time and time again that achieves a similar heart-and-soul stirring glamourness. On the other hand, many singer-songwriters would have Lovin’ You on their résumé. And that says a lot about Ashcroft‘s unmistakable strength as a singer-songwriter.

ALBUM


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7. Liminal by BRIAN ENO and songstress BEATIE WOLFE

Who: The ambient sound wizard and songstress.

TUTV: I always loved and embraced Eno‘s sonic ambient paintings, his chimerical and fanciful synth symphonies with its calming impact and starry-eyed radiance. Liminal is another opus I have added to my headphone music playlist for physical relaxation.

Again songstress Beautie Wolfe‘s angelic voice is so complementary with Eno‘s euphonic wanderings. Third collaboration in 5 months. Third invitation to ease your mind and ears in their phantasmagorial universe. A record to cherish in the coming months.

ALBUM


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8. All Systems Are Lying by SOULWAX

Who: the Belgian brothers David and Stephen Dewaele‘s band for 30 years now,
is only one of the siblings’ diverse projects. They DJed the world around as 2manydjs,
had their own Radio Soulwax, and produced/remixed countless other artists.

TUTV: Soulwax excel here with a kaleidoscopic sonic amalgam that connects Kraftwerk‘s otherworldly euphoniousness and The Orb‘s ambient dynamics and at times Cabaret Voltaire‘s experimental capriciousness

The record’s arresting strength, to my ears, is it’s underlying poppiness. Half of
the album is stuffed with pop tunes, enwrapped in the bros’ electronic universe.

It’s not pure techno, not pure dance, not really EBM, rather a versatile, chameleon-like
kind of synth-layered album that sparkles and effervesces non-stop and they aren’t afraid
of tackling the powers that be, the systems that are after your soul.

The siblings got it right: “It’s a rock record without guitars”.

STREAM


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9. I’m Nice Now by UPCHUCK


Album artwork

Who: High-voltage punks
from Atlanta, Georgia.

TUTV: When young punks play old skool punk you get bands like Upchuck. Their sharp-teethed tenacity, perseverance and hardihood bring 80s angry dogs Dead Kennedys and Black Flag to mind. The message is more important than the racket they all produce. As millions of Americans do, Upchuck also feel trapped by the tyrannical regime in the White House.

Their cathartic music helps them to ventilate all the shit they’re confronted with every single day. Ty Segall‘s production is spot on. I’m sure he took them to a filthy basement somewhere and created an out-of-tune sound that resonates exactly like these Atlanta bohos want to express themselves. Raw, rough, and real. The Upchuck revolution starts here.


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10. Worldwide by SNÕÕPER

Who: Nashville‘s kamikaze pop punk combo

TUTV: Suppose the mailman has delivered you
the LP this morning, and you ride a car to go to work.

PLAY IT during breakfast, but check your
pulse before you get in your car.

DON’T PLAY IT in the car, ’cause you’ll surpass the speed limit within
30 seconds, which is not a good thing when the lights are turning red.

PLAY IT during your lunch break, and challenge your
co-workers to a roller skate race through the office.

STOP PLAYING IT when your boss catches you, doing a
series of somersaults, forth and back, over your desk.

Yes, track #9 is a Beatles cover.

PLAY IT when you’re in the bathroom, it can
be useful for your activity in there.

DON’T PLAY IT on the way home, you have
already wrecked your car in the morning.

PLAY IT on repeat when you get home and pretend you’re
a kamikaze pilot or, that’s big fun too, a pit bull on acid.

ALBUM


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Instagram – Website

IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL – British Psych Rockers Drop ‘GOLIATH’ Another Piece Of Their Upcoming Album

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

16 September 2025

Band: IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL
Who: Psych pop rock
outfit from Lincoln, UK led by Jim Styring.

Track: GOLIATH

Third single, following 21st Century Meds and Crashability from
their upcoming 3rd album, titled ‘One Million Suburban Sunsets‘.

Jim Styring (bandleader): “Goliath” is about finding and believing in yourself,
in a world of constant doubt and struggle. It’s about digging deep for the courage
to move forward, staying focused, and overcoming whatever mental or physical
giant is holding you back.”

TUTV: Stripped to the bone, Goliath would resonate like a bewitching lullaby.
Melancholic and enticing. But even revved up with galvanizing guitars Styring‘s
uplifting sentiments and roborant emotions are the song’s heart and soul.
Stirring. David wins again.

WATCH

STREAM/BUY


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Facebook – Linktree

JUKEBOX 2025 – Week 33 Five New Rad Tracks Added Twice A Week

Posted on by JL

In order to not miss a beat TURN UP THE VOLUME scans the musical
horizon daily, for 10 years now, to pick ace tracks and add 5 new ones
twice per week, to the one and only JUKEBOX playlist that matters.

ALL TOGETHER

The 5 fresh ones
TRACK BY TRACK

Band: THE LIVING PINS
Who: Flaring indie duo – Carrie Clark and Pam Peltz who found each other on
the edge of the delicately ramshackle playground of the 1990s Austin (Texas)
music scene. They released their 4-track debut EP Let It Be So in 2023,
followed by some ace singles.

Track: 108
Their newest single.

Pam: “108” is like 1980s Austin, downtown around 6th St. and Lamar, when there were abandoned car dealerships and weeds growing everywhere and driveways to nowhere.
I would be walking around in the extreme heat, almost so hot I couldn’t see. But loving it,
cuz I kind of love the Texas heat, which I know is wrong.”

Carrie: ” One of the things that I love about the Texas heat is that it feels purifying.
It burns your soul clean. It’s almost like you’re going through this baptism of heat to
really feel like you’re at home in Austin. You get the baptism of cold in Barton Springs,
but the rest of the time, walking down the street, it’s a baptism of heat.”

TUTV: Expect another foot-tapping living pins cherry bomb, powered by gloriously
creaking guitars and a sing-along/hum-along chorus. Funky and groovy kick, all
day long.


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Instagram – Website
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Band: LOS PALMS
Who: rock trio Adelaide, Australia who deliver a soundtrack soaked in vintage fuzz.
Their signature “desert jangle” sound, has 60s garage, spaghetti western and modern
psych influences.

Track: WAY TOO COLD
Newest single from their upcoming debut LP,
entitled Sorrows. It’s out on August 29th.

“Way Too Cold is four minutes of sunburnt ‘60s jangle, stomping choruses, and a dark psych detour before slamming back for the kill. The video rips through Los Palms’ South Australian stomping grounds, A tribute to the country towns and rugged coastlines carved into the band’s DNA.”

TUTV: Jingly jangly guitars, a galvanizing groove, vivid vocals, back-up harmonies
and a peppy chorus combine for an electrifying psychedelic thrill. The 60s were
and still are an uplifting and exciting force.

Linktree
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Band: IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL
Who: Psych pop rock
outfit from Lincoln, UK

Track: 21st CENTURY MEDS
Newest single from their upcoming new,
3rd album, titled ‘One Million Suburban Sunsets‘.

Jim Styring (frontman/songwriter): “The song is about living in this modern world, doing what it takes to get by and basically survive. We all need something to get us through these troubled times, so we all self medicate. Be that with drugs (legal or otherwise), alcohol, or any addictive behavior, whatever it may be, we’re all looking for that magic ‘something’.

But the song’s not judgemental, I’m just saying ‘look, this is how society has got us all, we’re all hooked on one thing or another, numbing ourselves behind a wall of 21st century medication. Perhaps it’s time to take a step back and look at ourselves”

TUTV: 21st Medicine Meds races and rushes like today’s merciless rat race, propelled
by layers of aggressive guitars, full-energetic percussion and feverish vocals. Listen to
it 3 times in a row per day, and 6 times on Sunday. It can help you to tranquillise your insecurity about these confusing times’ insanity.

Facebook – Linktree
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Band: ESCAPE GOATS
Who: 3 indie noiseniks from Glasgow, Scotland who
are among us only since the early days of 2024.

Track: ROMPECABEZAS
2nd single of the year.

I had no clue what that title means. So I googled it. It’s Spanish for
thinking very hard about a problem to try to find the solution to that
thing, not always successfully, but the expression is about trying. Well,
I guess this is what the band had in mind.

“A three-minute blast, capturing the feeling of being pulled in conflicting directions,
playing on double meanings and pseudowords, paired with angular guitars and
powerful drums.”

TUTV: No songs about the birds and the bees for these fortissimo Scots.
They have an unyielding appetite for boisterous guitar rampage and capricious,
yet sticky melodiousness, sturdy drum/bass firepower and full-throated vocals.
Crackajack stroke.

!


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Linktree

Band: MAGNETIC SKIES (London, UK)
Who: Synth-pop trio formed in 2019 with a
shared love of 80s synth-driven post-punk.

They released their debut
album Empire Falling in 2023.

Track: BACK TO LIFE
2nd shared single from their forthcoming album,
named Fragments. It’s out in November.

“‘Back To Life’ explores the tension between our deep, universal connection and the fragmentation we face in the modern world, It’s about sensing that chaos, feeling the
void, the noise, and still holding on to the hope that we can come back from the edge.
It’s a call to reconnect, to bring something broken back into wholeness.”

TUTV: Shiny synth-pop delight from start to finish. Again, the trio wrap an elevating
tune in a sphere of electronic bliss juiced with alternating, heartening harmonies.
Exhilarating piece.

“We are made of stars / we are meteor showers /
losing all control / empty out the soul.”

Instagram – Linktree

IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL – British Psych Rockers Take You On A Enhanced Power Pop Ride With Their New Single ‘CRASHABILITY’

Posted on by JL

Daily electricity to load your batteries

29 May 2025

Band: IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL
Who: Psych pop rock
outfit from Lincoln, UK

Track: CRASHABILITY
The first single from their upcoming, 3rd album,
titled ‘One Million Suburban Sunsets‘.

TUTV: After a short, sparkling guitar intro the invigorating, cool karma band and
frontman Jim Styring join in, and together they take you on a groovy, enhanced, power
pop ride. Crashability is driven by a feel-good swagger, yet stays, lyrically, in touch with
the vulnerable times we live in. If you were waiting for something today, here it is. Stimulating melody gravity.

WATCH

BUY


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Facebook – Linktree

INTERVIEW – British Psych Rockers IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL About Their New Album ‘THRIFT STORE TROUBADOURS’

Posted on by JL

9 June 2023

British psych rockers IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL released their third longplayer titled,
THRIFT STORE TROUBADOURS last week. Following their 2020 debut Woke Up In Hollywood and Homesick For Our Future Destinations (2021) they come up with another colourful and varied psych pop opus.

They know how to construct, what many artists/bands can’t or just ignore, sticky
tunes and infectious melodies. Always welcome on my ears’ stereo. Their combination
of electric-powered jingly jangly guitars, lively vocals/harmonies, inspiring stories and their greatly layered and orchestrated musicality makes this new LP a must-hear one. I’m sure you’ll join The Karma Army afterward.

Enough said. I’ll let frontman Jim Styring do the talking now. But as usual,
we start an interview with a slice of music. Here’s one of the album’s
highlights Old Bones.

Hello Jim
Welcome

Did you have a game plan for the writing/recording
of THRIFT STORE TROUBADOURS, Jim?

“Not really, we just wanted to write a bunch of strong songs and put them out.
We always try not to repeat ourselves, so as our previous album ‘Homesick For
Our Future Destinations’ was kind of a concept album, we wanted these songs to
be able to stand on their own.

I guess if there is any recurring theme with ‘Thrift Store Troubadours’ it’s believing
in yourself and knowing you’re going to get through whatever life throws at you.
Sometimes themes jump out at me once the songs are finished, I don’t always
see it at the time.”

Was the whole band involved in the writing/production?

“The whole band is always involved in the writing process. Martyn or Mikey
will send over guitar ideas, I’ll write my words and melodies to the ones that
grab me. We take them into the rehearsal room and work on the arrangements
together.

Martyn produces all our records, so he always has
a clear vision of how he wants the songs to sound.

What’s the story behind the album’s title?

“It’s a comment on how everyone seems to be struggling at the moment, either
with money, or should I say without it, or just life in general. Every time you turn
the TV on or read the news, things seem to be getting worse.

But we’re all in it together, and we’ll all get through it together.
We always have and we always will. People Power. As long as we
have each other, we’ll be ok.”

Are all songs connected in some way, or
are they each standing on their own?

“Like I mentioned, we wanted the 12 songs to be able to stand on their own,
each a potential single, each telling its own story. People don’t listen to albums
as they used to, a beginning, middle and end, songs are listened to at random,
out of context, so they have to be self-contained and able to survive on their own.”

Who designed the LP’s artwork. Does it express
something specific related to the record?

“A talented designer I know, Sophie Adams, did the artwork for us, I think she did
a great job. We wanted something that looked like you’d found it in the thrift store,
or a charity shop.

An old, dog-eared album that you’d just discovered on the shelf. The coffee cup stain on the cover is a deliberate reference to our song ‘Coffee Cup Circles’ from our ‘Homesick For Our Future Destinations‘ album, for those who spotted it.”

60s psych pop harmonies are a big part of the band’s sound.
Any influences from giants such as The Beatles and Beach Boys
or other bands?

“I can’t deny there’s probably some Beatles influence in there, but a lot of it is just experimenting in the studio. We just bounce ideas around and try different things,
until the song sounds as we want it. Quite often it’s knowing when to stop layering
them up, you could literally go on forever.

But yes, there’s some 60’s psych pop influences in there, for sure.”

The cool and catchy lead-single A GENTLE REMINDER
already came out last summer. What‘s the song about?

“It’s a IKIC ten-point plan to live a happier and more contented life. It’s a list of instructions to follow if you want to find your own personal salvation. It also mentions an XTC track, ‘Making Plans For Nigel‘ so perhaps it’s not too serious and just a catchy pop song after all.

It features Peter Holsapple on keyboards, adding a real alternative/punk rock vibe.

Which one/ones are your favourite track(s), Jim?

“Great question, but it changes every time I listen to the record. We put as much time and effort into each song, so it would be unfair to pick out just one. At the time of writing this, I’m really enjoying ‘How Be You Be Blue?‘ but it’ll be something different tomorrow. ‘Jenni, We’re All Fighting Wars‘ is another favourite.”


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Was there any particular music/artists you were listening
to for inspiration during the creative process?

“Not consciously, we always try and do our own thing, but I guess a band is the sum
of its influences. We all listen to different things, and bring all that to the IKIC sound, whatever that is. We kind of like the fact that we’re hard to label, we don’t fall easy into
any particular category. But you always know it’s us when you hear it.”

Which movie would be ideal to have the new album as its soundtrack?

“Another great question! I don’t know a movie as such, but the closing track,
‘City Kids’ is pretty cinematic, so maybe they could write a movie around that?
Having said that, if Spielberg wants to use the album for any upcoming projects,
please give us a call.”


[Xinhua/Reuters]

Peter Holsapple, the main-songwriter of 70s jangly guitar pop legends The dB’s plays on three tracks. How did you get in touch and what made the collaboration happen?

“I’ve been a fan of Peter‘s for a long time, it really was just a case of asking him.
I sent him some of our songs and he said he’d like to be involved. It was as
simple as that, really. He brought the three songs to life, ‘A Gentle Reminder,’
‘Winter Coats’ and ‘City Kids’.

To have someone on our record who played on REM’s huge album ‘Out Of Time‘ is
a dream for me. And the doors are always open to work with him again in the future.”

Are you touring the album? If so, which big name would
you go on the road with, if you had the chance to pick one?

“We’re currently working out some live dates, we’re mixing it up, some full electric,
some stripped down acoustic. We like to keep things interesting for our followers,
recently christened ‘The Karma Army’ and ourselves.

Most of the songs lend themselves to the acoustic treatment, and it’s always fun to do something a little different. Regarding a big name to go on the road with….we’re open to offers and can be packed, ready to roll as soon as the invite comes in!”

One more for the road…

Thank you very much, Jim, for this interview.
May the road rise with ‘It’s Karma It’s Cool’.

STREAM/BUY
‘Thrift Store Troubadours’


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Band
Jim – Vocals / Backing Vocals
Martyn – Guitar / Backing Vocals / Additional Instrumentation
Mikey – Bass
Danny – Drums

Special Guests:
Peter Holsapple – Mandolin on ‘ Winter Coats’
– Keyboards on ‘ A Gentle Reminder’ and ‘City Kids’
Gabby Porter – Additional Backing Vocals on ‘Winter Coats’

Recorded, Produced, Mixed & Mastered by Martyn
@ Playing Aloud Studios, Lincoln UK.

IT’S KARMA IT’COOL: Facebook – Linktree

IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL Remind You How Good They Are With Their New Single

Posted on by JL

Daily electricity to load your batteries

17 August 2022


The single’s striking artwork

Band: IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL
Who: Psych pop rock outfit from Lincoln, UK

New single: A GENTLE REMINDER
The first of 6 digital singles in 3 months with Peter Holsapple of
American indie rock legends The DB’s as honorary 5th member
of the band.

Turn Up The Volume: I follow these 4 psychedelic compadres since
their cool karma debut longplayer Woke Up In Hollywood (2020) and
got excited again when their second album Homesick For Our Future
Destinations entertained my itchy ears on repeat.

And with this new single – the first in a series of 6 – they remind me gently
that they have a lot of super-duper stuff to come. It’s an instant buzzy pop
thrill with a foot-stomping, hand-clapping, head-rotating impact triggered by
a sprightly lets-work-together team of punchy guitars, a bang-on bass, spot-on
drums, 60s Hammond organ-like keyboards, and spirited vocals.

This is what a POP HIT is all about.
Already on my list of this month’s
best tracks.

Here’s a gentle
Here’s a general
Reminder for you
Don’t you look up with vertigo
If so, the sky comes fallin’

Start snapping your fingers here…

You can buy the single (digitally)
below here via Bandcamp.


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IT’S KARMA IT’COOL: Facebook – Linktree

It’s An Interview It’s A Rule – Meet IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL

Posted on by JL

Let’s talk

11 June 2022

Turn Up The Volume champions this British quartet for some time now. Why?
Because their karma is cool and most of all because their music exploits so far
(1 EP and 2 albums) are pretty cool too.

My ears tell me that their sound is inspired by the vocal and harmonious psychedelia
of the 60s/70s (The Byrds, Crosby Stills and Nash, Eagles) and present (Band Of Horses, Teenage Fanclub, and Dinosour Jr‘s melancholic resonance). They rock both with electric panache and entertain gloriously with jingly jangly tunes and sticky pop earworms.

Enough reasons for an interview. Driving force Jim Styring will introduce us to his band
and their past and future works. But first, as usual, a piece of music to set the tone…

Hello Jim, pleased to have you for this Q & A

Where and when did IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL came
alive and what or who inspired the band’s name?

“I’d known our bass player, Mikey Barraclough, from a previous band. We got together in our home city of Lincoln, UK, early 2019, to write a bunch of new songs, with no real plans, just that we might get them recorded in the studio at some point. Martyn Bewick (guitars) and Danny Krash (drums) came on board for the studio sessions, but things worked out so well between us, we became a full-time band soon after.

You’re very lucky if you can find a group of musicians that all get
on and are on the same page musically. We’ve been very lucky.

The name IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL? Well, it is, isn’t it? Good or bad, it’s coming
back to bite you on the ass. Better watch what you do, ‘cos it’s watching you.”

Which track would you pick to introduce the band
to music fans who never heard of you?

“I guess we’d all probably choose a different song, but I would have to go with, ‘Back In ’78’ from our album, ‘Woke Up In Hollywood‘ It’s a great example of what we do, and is always a favourite live. It’s just a bit special that one for me. On the other end of the spectrum, you could choose, ‘Coffee Cup Circles‘ from the ‘Homesick For Our Future Destinations’ album. An up-tempo, in-your-face, punky blast of caffeine-fuelled adrenalin!”

I love the retro look/image of the 2019 EP ‘HIPSTERS AND AEROPLANES’.
Who came up with the visual idea and who designed it?

“A guy called Mick Dillingham did the design and artwork for that record.
We gave him some rough idea of what we wanted and he did the rest.”

You can stream ‘Hipsters and Aeroplanes‘ here

The cover of debut album ‘WOKE UP IN HOLLYWOOD’ (2020)
has a similar look. What’s the story here, Jim?

“Again, it was Mick Dillingham. We asked for something that tied-in with the album title and Mick‘s imagination did the rest. He always surprises and never disappoints with his brilliant creativity and vision.”

You can stream ‘Woke Up In Hollywood’ here

For the second longplayer ‘HOMESICK FOR OUR FUTURE DESTINATIONS,’ the artwork’s style changed entirely. Was the band’s image a way to introduce the humans behind the music?

“Yes, that’s exactly it. We just thought it was time to show our faces; we’d hidden behind the music for long enough. A guy over in America, Steve Stanley, did all the artwork and design for that album. We were very happy with how it turned out, and the first time
we’d included a lyric booklet, which people had been asking us for.”

You can stream the album here

2022 will be another KARMA COOL year with no less
than the release of 6 digital singles? Tell us about it?

“Yes, we’re going to be releasing six DIGITAL SINGLES individually, over the coming months. We’ve been locked away in the studio writing and recording and it’s very nearly time to let folks hear what we’ve been up to. We’ve been like mad scientists hidden
away in the laboratory, but with amplifiers and drums and other loud things.”

You worked with a special guest for 3 of the 6 upcoming singles.
Introduce us to him, Jim?

“Yes! We’re incredibly excited to announce, we have the one and only, Peter Holsapple joining us as ‘honorary 5th member‘ of It’s Karma It’s Cool, for three of the new songs!

Peter was a member of legendary, The DB’s, and played with REM on their huge
Green world tour, as well as playing on their multi-platinum Out Of Time album.

He’s also played and recorded with Hootie & the Blowfish for over 25 years, and is
currently a member of Continental Drifters, whose ranks have included Vicki Peterson,
from The Bangles, and Mark Walton, from the Dream Syndicate.”

There’s some big guitar things, some jangly pop things, even some mandolin
in there. To say we’re excited for folks to hear these songs is an understatement!

Name three songs (old or new) of other artists which can
subscribe more or less how the new pieces will resonate.

“That’s a good question! We never try to sound like anyone else, we just do what we do. We all bring our own influences to the band and throw them into the pot. We let the listeners tell us what they hear in our music, we don’t give them any pointers or clues.

Who would you say you can hear in our sound, Jean-Luc? I will say this; people who have followed us this far won’t be disappointed!! And people who are just hearing us for the first time, where have you been?”

I suppose the recordings happened during the pandemic. What was the
making of like? Together in the same room, or individually from home?

“We just had to work the best we could around the pandemic and all the restrictions.
We did a lot of writing at home; once we had the initial ideas between us, we took them away and worked them up into something resembling a song. Martyn or Mikey would send me a guitar idea, I’d add melody and lyrics, then, when we were safely able to meet at the rehearsal room, we’d all work on arrangements and knock the ideas into shape.

We’re still in the studio finishing a couple of the songs as we speak, fine-tuning. They’re some of the strongest we’ve written, without a doubt. As Peter‘s over in America, all his overdubs are done online, he just sends them across. It’s worked out so well, Peter instinctively knows what a song needs and brings it to life.”

How about the visual artwork for the singles project, Jim?

“We have Mick Dillingham back onboard. I’ve already
seen some of the artwork, you’re going to love it!”

Will the band play live to promote the releases?
If so, what is an IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL gig like?

“Yes, we’re very much hoping to get out playing. We write songs to be played live, that’s when they really mean something, the connection with people. An It’s Karma It’s Cool show is exactly that, a connection with the audience; a feeling that we’re all in this together.

I would hope our songs resonate, and folks leave the gig still singing, with a feeling we were all part of something special. I always work hard to make the crowd as important
as the band, we can’t do this without them.”

Would you give free downloads of the 6 tracks
to BORIS JOHNSON if he would ask for it?

“If he were to feed the hungry, and house the homeless,
possibly. No t-shirt, though.”

Thank you for the Q & A, Jim
May the road rise with the Cool Karma.

IT’S KOOL IT’s KARMA: Facebook – Spotify

Turn Up The Volume’s 20 KNOCKOUT TRACKS Of The Month – NOVEMBER 2021

Posted on by JL

Turn Up The Volume‘s 20 Knockout Tracks for November 2021!
A stream of rattling rippers, jagged jams and romantic reveries.

All together on Spotify…

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Knockout by knockout…

1. ‘Miami Lounge’ by PEEPING DREXELS (London, UK)

I discovered this brilliant post-punk turbo last month at an indoor festival in Amsterdam. The whole crowd went bananas. These motherrockers slash and trash with a burning vehemence and a flabbergasting fervency. Miami Lounge is the crackerjack opener of this year’s released 5-track EP Bad Time.

Now it’s your turn to discover this awesome London squad.

Right here, right now…


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2. ‘Ded Würst’ by DITZ (Brighton, UK)

Earlier this month this dynamite hit team blew all punters away with their jaw-dropping gig in my hometown Ghent (Belgium). They razzled and dazzled with ebullient exertion, blistering British bluster, and a fuck Brexit fierceness. The roof went off.

Ded Würst, their newest single, is nothing less
than a nasty and filthy sledgehammer. Das super!

Here’s why…


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3. ‘Traps’ by BLOC PARTY (London, UK)

Kele Okereke‘s band returns next year – 29 April 2022 – with
new LP Alpha Games, the first in 5 years.

Talking about a comeback! Traps is a stunning stormer, a killer
single, a whopping whirlwind. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

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4. ‘Against The Blade’ by THE HORRORS (Southend-on-Sea, UK)

After dropping one of the best knockout blows of 2021 with Lout
The Horrors followed it up this month with new EP Against The Blade.

The title track is brutal, rough, and rowdy. Like Nine Inch Nails on acid.

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5. ‘Tsunami’ by DEAP VALLY

The Los Angeles sisters in rock crime just launched
their new LP Marriage, celebrating their 10 years of
rockin’ out together.

Tsunami is one of my favorites. A glam wham-bam
banger with a feverish impact.

Play it loud…

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6. ‘His Ilk’ by BRONSON ARM (Kalamazoo, Michigan, US)

From Michigan here come 2 Pc Noisey Slacker Psychedelic Sludge Punks.
They joined Canada-based indie label Off White House Records
this year with a big bang.

Their newest outburst is a riffin’ rollercoaster that makes the hair in
your neck stand up with its metallic resonance and relentless bass
frenzy. Add nightmarish vocals and I’m sure Santa Claus will run
away in fear.

Turn up the jingle bells here…

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7. ‘Never Ready’ by WÏLDERMAN

The alias of British singer-songwriter of Bobby Anderson.

Never Ready is a vicious droning blast. Wïlderman rankles,
rages, and has a bad taste in his mouth. Never ready for
her look and her voice. 133 seconds of sonic sex.

Hot groove, hot intensity, hot slam dunk. Fucktastic!

Get ready here…

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8. I Don’t’ Love You Anymore’ by CHATEAU CHATEAU (Tucson, Arizona, US)

Glam and glitter riot tattoo grrl Blue attracts all attention,
sonically as well as visually. She swirls and scintillates on this
new kick while cursing idiots who hate the LGBTQ+ community,
who hate tattoos, and who hate anybody who doesn’t live by
their ultra-conservative rules.

To hell with all these idiots.

Meanwhile, enjoy this jangly earworm that sticks as
first-class glue and reaches an aural orgasm every
time the chorus pops up.

Get up, stand up and move…

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9. ‘Absent Transient’ by IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL (Lincoln, UK)

One of the highlights from the group’s excellent new album
Homesick for our Future Destinations. Check TUTV’s raving
review here.

With Absent Transient they show their masterly skills of writing ear-and-mind
pleasing pop tunes charged-up with rotating riffs and dreamy vocal harmonies.

Press play here…


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10. ‘Better Than Life’ by GLASS SANDS (London, UK)

Here’s the title track of TUTV’s best album of last month.
Read the review here.

A guitar-driven ripsnorter that gets more intense along its way.
This one-man band slips under your skin without asking and
you’ll love it big time.

Roll along…


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11. ‘Let’s Stick Around’ by DJ RITON and JARVIS COCKER (UK)

When an old skool DJ teams up with Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker you
get a sizzling acid house corker to start and end all upcoming
New Year’s Eve parties with.

Hallelujah! Holy Mary!

C’mon, Jarvis…

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12. ‘The Magic’ by EELS (Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California)

Mark Oliver Everett and his Eels mates plan to release their
new album Extreme Witchcraft on 28th January 2022.

Ahead of it comes this magic groover.
Eels are alive and kick with a dash.

Roll the dice here…

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13. ‘What You Keep Telling Yourself’ by DOWN WITH SPACE (Montreal, Canada)

The motorik and magnetic rhythm of this electronic exploit makes your head
turn 360°. The catching combination of near whispering vocals, scintillating David
Gilmour guitar vibrance and cybernated elegance create an overall ear-ecstatic
vibe culminating in a dynamic finale.

Dive here into space…

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14. ‘Dissonance’ by VEDA RAYS (Brooklyn, NY)

From the Brooklyn duo’s new Crucial Fictions LP. TUTV’s review here.

Expect flashy echoes of the 80s British New Romantics movement with
this instant catching pop spark, fueled with glimmering guitar/play,
impassioned vocals, and a non-stop drum beat.

Touchdown!

Stand up and shake your pelvis…

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15. ‘Still’ by TINY DYNO (Bristol, UK)

This sugary pop bliss feels good at first, better the second time,
and the best with all other spins. Great pop-ular music is about
lifting up the listener’s mood to a euphoric level for about
3/4 minutes. Easier said than done, but not here.

Still is a glorious harmonious touchy-feely gem that appeals from
the kick-off with Gardiner‘s tantalising voice and Kuras‘ vitalizing
guitar ravishment. Add a delirious chorus and you have yourself
a 24-Carat top thrill.

Play it here…

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16. ‘Knight Of Cups’ by ODAWIN. (Italy)

This Italian singer-songwriter, born Patrizio Ottavianiiter,
produces a blend of psychedelic rock and Arabic harmonies.

Knight Of Cups is the latest single in a series of monthly releases this year.
Electric dream-pop at its tempting best. Sparkling, spirited, and seductive.

An orchestral triumph. Score!

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17. ‘Monterey’ by OCEANOGRAPHY (US)

Oceanography is the solo project of Oakland-based singer,
songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Brian Kelly.

This sweet little pearl comes from his new album
Thirteen Songs About Driving Nowhere
in Alphabetical Order (awesome title).

“A tribute to my big sister who I lost last year. I hope you enjoy
it and it provides some comfort for any loss you’ve experienced.”

Monterey is a heartfelt ode to a beloved one that passed away,
evoking recognizable, universal feelings of loss, mourning, and
tristesse.

Listen and watch the touching video clip…

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18. ‘The Ship Song’ by NELL SMITH and THE FLAMING LIPS (US)

Nell Smith is a 13-year old fan of Oklahoma’s eccentric stargazers Flaming Lips
(one of my all-time fav bands). Frontman Wayne Coyne spotted her at one point
as she attended several gigs with her father. They got in touch and after Coyne
found out that she’s a singer he proposed her to work with the band on a Nick
Cave tribute album he already had in mind for some time.

They got all in the studio and the result is a 9-song Nick Cave
covers album baptized Where The Viaduct Looms with
the nightingale voice of Nell as the heroine in the middle.
You can stream the brand new record on Spotify

One of the standouts is her version of
the heart and soul ballad The Ship Song.

Special, wonderful, lovey-dovey.

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19. ‘Always Together With You’ by SPIRITUALIZED (Rugby, UK)

Jason Pierce and his orchestra have a new LP,
called Everything Was Beautiful coming on
25 February 2022

With this spellbinding symphony, he does what he does so splendidly for so long. This
first new piece is another soulful spiritual growing slowly into a gospel-like trance. Epic!

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20. ‘We Are Not Alone’ by NICK CAVE and WARREN ELLIS (Australia)

Last June mega-star-crooner Cave and his bad seed friend Warren Ellis
signed for one of the best LPs of 2021 with their astonishing Carnage opus.

And they’re not done yet. The duo releases the soundtrack they wrote for the French nature documentary Panthère Des Neiges (The Snow Leopard) on 17 December.

Here’s the magnificent taster We Are Not Alone.
A characteristic Cave humdinger. Tender and gripping.

Watch the magic, hear the magic…

See/hear you next month with the best 20 knockouts of 2021…

IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL – Second Album Exploit With ‘HOMESICK FOR OUR FUTURE DESTINATIONS’

Posted on by JL

23 November 2021

Band: IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL
Who: Psych pop rock outfit from Lincoln, UK

New album: HOMESICK FOR OUR FUTURE DESTINATIONS
Released: 5th November 2021

Turn Up The Volume: After their 2020 debut album Woke Up In Hollywood
– a brisk cocktail of jingle-jangle tunes, sticky sing-alongs, and harmonious
melodies – this affecting quartet already return with their equally sparkling
sophomore longplayer. Again they prove they master the songwriting skills
to create twinkling earworms with a pithy feel-good timbre.

Inspired by vocal and harmony psychedelia of the past (The Byrds, Crosby Stills
and Nash, Eagles) and present (Band Of Horses, Teenage Fanclub, and Dinosour Jr‘s melancholic resonance) they spoil your ears from start to finish. They rock with
electric panache (All Branches Break In Time) Absent Transient (my favorite) / Dream
Big, Little Giant / Coffee Cup Circles), they pop with finesse (Wild Fire Flames / Playing
Brave / Guest On A TV) and they slow down for some candle light moments (intro instrumental Homesick / Future Destinations with a flaming finale).

Meditations about the future, sonic echoes from yesterday and today. Holy Toledo!

Singles/clips: Coffe Cup Circles / She Slept With The Radio On

– SHE SLEPT WITH THE RADIO ON –

– COFFEE CUP CIRCLES –

Stream/buy your future
destination here on Bandcamp…


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IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL: Facebook

IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL With A Rush Of Caffeine To The Head

Posted on by JL

Daily electricity to load your batteries

23 September2021

Band: IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL
Who: Psych pop rockers from Lincoln (UK)
who released their convincing debut EP
Woke Up In Hollywood last year.

New album: HOMESICK FOR OUR FUTURE DESTINATIONS
Out: 5th November via Kool Kat Music

New single: COFFEE CUP CIRCLES

Turn Up The Volume: From the kick-off, it’s full steam ahead. No brakes,
no looking back, no calming down until this stormy stonker, abruptly, comes
to an end after only 140 seconds (you know where to find the repeat button).

The near-crashing combination of steamy bass/drums fervency, sparkling guitars
on the run – jumping up front now and then – and a nervous chorus cause a rush
of caffeine to the head. And it feels just great!

Have your cup here…

Coffee Cup Circles is available via Bandcamp