4 February 2026
Press photo
Tim Booth was born in Braddford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
on 4 February 1960. Happy 65!
Classic JAMES. Always make me feel happy when I see this.
2 July 2025
Band: JAMES (UK)
Who: Veteran indie pop luminaries fronted by Tim Booth.
So far they released 18 albums with Yummy as their most
recent one (2024).
Track: Laid
Released: 1993
I played/watched this euphoric live version – Isle Of Wight Festival
in 2015 – for years now and every single time it felt/feels like a
carefree summer.
“This bed is on fire with passionate love, the neighbours complain
about the noises above, but she only comes when she’s on top”
ALL TOGETHER
.
TRACK BY TRACK
1. ‘Light In A Quiet Room’ by RIDE (UK)
Superb track from Ride‘s new superb album Interplay
It starts with Mark Gardner‘s starry-eyed vocals glistering over a poppy mid-tempo soundscape. At the 3-minute mark, the song fades out with subtle piano touches but restarts for a psychedelic, multi-layered wall-of-orgastic sound finale.
Wowzers.
.
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2. ‘Big Time Nothing’ by ST. VINCENT (New York)
Absolute top-tier track from her new LP All Born Screaming.
It’s an irristible 24 Carat old skool disco stomper to fill dance
floors with.
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3. ‘Sink Ya Teeth’ by THE MYSTERINES (UK)
New high-powered rockin’ banger from the British post-punks’
second LP, titled Afraid Of Tomorrows, that’ll see the day of light
on June 7.
Cool as fuck!
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4. ‘Enrage Engage’ by SELF HELP (UK)
These British indie upstarts take you on a bouncy ride with
this jagged juggernaut from their upcoming debut LP.
Enrage Engage is a roaring roller coaster ride, going forth and back, left and right,
circling around a pulsating Yard Act like groove that gets under your skin without
asking, while the song derails in different surprising, up and down directions, now
and then.
Don’t miss these young bloodthirsty dogs, they’re going places.
Buy
.
.
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5. ’99’ by METZ (Canada)
Cooking highlight from the Canadian noizz trio’s
new mind-blowing longplayer ‘Up On Gravity Hill’.
99,99 score.
.
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6. ‘Body Of Mine’ by LAMBRINI GIRLS (Brighton, UK)
Lille, France 2024 – Photo by Turn Up The Volume
Another supersonic gender sucker-punch from Brighton‘s riotous feminist punk duo fury.
They slash, trash, and smash with unbridled vigour and biting zing. Not your typical girls.
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7. ‘Something To Fight For’ by TYPHOID ROSIE (Brooklyn, NY)
Photo: Janier De Jesus, via Typhoid Rosie
It’s the first single off their, forthcoming 5th LP, called
Last Words. It lands on June 21. More info here.
As we experienced before Typhoid Rosie always storm full steam ahead from
the kick-off until the very last rollicking riff. This punked-up, harmonious chant
with its sickly sticky refrain triggers your best zigzagging moves.
Expect 122 seconds of afire party fuel peppered with Rosie Rebel‘s
combative rawk’ n roll vocality and vociferous pizzaz.
Fight here.
.
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8. ‘Reckless Heart‘ by ARROWS OF ATHENA (Boston, MA)
Single from the duo’s swirling debut LP The Ghost Archives
.
I’m quite sure that AOA 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.
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9. ‘Life’s A Fucking Miracle’ by JAMES (Manchester, UK)
Standout, life-celebrating, pop bliss from Manchester‘s
imperishable, power pop veterans’ brand new LP Yummy.
Ecstatic.
.
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10. ‘Just Like Everybody Else’ by SPIELMANN (Leeds, UK)
Photo credit: Thandiwe Zivengwa
This song will feature on his debut EP, titled
‘Fifteen Minutes With Spielmann’, and landing
on 31 May.
This is glorious, full-orchestrated pop, that transfers you in an eye/ear blink to a sonic dreamland with its affecting melodiousness, riveting chorus and warm-hearted vocals. Three minutes and twenty seconds with Spielmann sounding not like everybody else.
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11. ‘Body Bags’ by OWLS (Ireland)
“The song and video have been largely informed by the unfolding events in Gaza. Body Bags looks at humanity turning in on itself. For all the beauty & harmony in the world, we are chaotic by nature – violent and cruel to our own. It explores the human condition and our ability to inflict pain and suffering upon the most vulnerable.”
Producer Owls shares his thoughts about the dramatic Gaza fiasco with
a disturbing techno twister that sounds like an ultimate alarm alert.
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12. ‘Going Out’ by JENNIFER TEFFT AND THE STRANGE (Boston, US)
Get up, stand up, and fight for your right to go out, and do it with
these Boston beatniks. They make your pelvis shake and swing with
some riff-infused rock ‘n’ roll while Avril Lavigne‘s chick alter ego,
named Jennifer Tefft, as your vocal guide.
Badass stroke.
.
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13. ‘Mercy’ by ALAN VEGA (US)
A previously unreleased album, named Insurrection by the late
Brooklyn born master of minimalism ALAN VEGA (1938-2016), half
of proto-punk duo Suicide, comes out on May 31st.
Ahead of the release comes this taster, called Mercy.
Uncanny percussion, ghostly vocals, and other-worldly
vibes.
.
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14. ‘Stuck In Place’ by LONELY LITTLE KITSH (Canada)
Expect a captivating bluesy and moony slice of music that grows slowly but
surely in ardency and fervency along its Springsteen-esque strumming way. Wistful
and impassioned alternating/duet vocals flow upfront and lead us, beat by beat,
into a glowing and electrical finale.
Lonely Little Kitsch do it their own Fleetwood grunge way.
Start spreading rumours about this enthralling duo and
this new notable score.
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15. ‘Burning In Our Name’ by MAX BLANSJAAR
Following last month’s frolicsome song Anna Madonna,
Blansjaar entertains our ears again with this topnotch tune.
It’s a folky, sickly sticking, jangly earworm with Blansjaar
laid-back vocals rollin’ all over it.
“My face looks like I spent the night with Freddie Krueger”.
.
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16. ‘Missing’ by pMAD (Galway, Ireland)
Standout bass riff-driven, frenzied guitar-fueled, drum-beating,
darkwavish, melodic piece from pMad‘s new full-length I In Power.
‘Missing’ is about not valuing people enough when they
are with us and only realising the loss to us when they
are gone.
Don’t miss this.
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17. ‘Unlucky Love’ by JENNY DON’T AND THE SPURS (Portland, Oregon)
From the band’s new forthcoming longplayer, titled
Broken Hearted Blue, out on June 14. Pre-order info here.
Country Americana at its romantic and heavy-hearted best. Heart-and-soul vocals and easy-going, lovey-dovey vibes for the midnight hours. Wurlitzer jukeboxes were invited
to play this kind of lullaby in bars where the lonely gather for some companion.
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18. ‘Close Enough’ by STRESS DOLLS (Buffalo, NY)
📸 Peter Heuer Photography
The moniker of songstress Chelsea O’Donnell.
Another captivating guitar-pop song from Chelsea O’Donnell aka Stress Dolls.
Tantalizing tunefulness, glistening guitar sparks, and gratifying vocals.
.
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19. ‘Forget’ by MOONPOOLS (Switzerland)
Photo credit: Mischa Nüesc
The opening piece from this Swiss poppy shoegazers
brand new 5-track EP, titled Hide And Seek.
Crystalline vocals, soothing resonance with warm synths and glimmering guitar play.
A sWeet little, soft-hearted ballad. Think The Sundays fronted by the wonderful Harriet Wheeler
.
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20. ‘Tied To A Mast’ by SEADOG (Brigton, UK)
📷 Tom Chadd
Shoegazy dream pop musing from Seadog‘s upcoming LP Internal Noise, out 15 May.
Harmonious vocals, fanciful sonority, bedazzling guitar solo, and a head-in-the-clouds chorus combine for a top effort.
Every week 10 new rad tracks added
In order to not miss a beat Turn Up The Volume scans the musical
horizon daily (doing it for years now, actually) to stay in touch with
all new things sonically great and shares the results on a weekly
basis.
Check the 10 new rad cuts just
added to this rad 2024 playlist.
ALL TOGETHER
.
TRACK BY TRACK
Band: GUIDED BY VOICES (Dayton, Ohio)
Probably the most productive band ever in
rock history (40 albums in 41 years!)
Track: SERENE KING
It’s the first single from GBV’s new, upcoming, 40th (!!) album (since 1983), named
Strut Of Kings and slated for release on June 28. Firm familiar indie rock, as we know it.
.
Instagram
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Photo credit: Thandiwe Zivengwa
Artist: SPIELMANN (Leeds, UK)
Ben Lewis aka Spielmann has been around the block, as a songwriter, producer, band member, DJ, promoter and now, after a good decade and varying degrees of success,
as a front person and songwriter in his own right.
Track: JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE
“In this one we follow our narrator through breakdowns at parties, potential book deals, writing letters to his MP and anxiety attacks. It’s an anthem for the modern person who wants to have it all, but is probably realising something has to give.”
It’ll feature on his debut EP, titled ‘Fifteen Minutes With Spielmann’, and landing on 31 May.
This is glorious, full-orchestrated pop, that transfers you in an eye/ear blink to a sonic dreamland with its affecting melodiousness, riveting chorus and warm-hearted vocals. Three minutes and twenty seconds with Spielmann sounding not like everybody else.
Instagram
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Band: JAMES
Manchester‘s indie pop veterans
Track: LIFE’S A FUCKING MIRACLE
Standout, life-celebrating, pop bliss from their brand new LP Yummy.
.
Instagram
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Band: THE WESLEYS (Montreal, CA)
Up-and-coming DIY pop/rock quartet
Track: A LOT TO LOSE
From the band’s brand-new self-titled 9-song strong debut album.
Drawing inspiration from iconic bands like The Clean, Teenage Fanclub, The Pixies,
and The Replacements, this band deliver a captivating musical experience that will resonate with fans of diverse tastes. Continuing their DIY approach, this remarkable debut album effortlessly introduces new sonic dimensions and emotional depth to their ever-expanding musical repertoire, showcasing the band’s innate ability to craft mesmerizing melodies.
Stream/buy it here.
A Lot To Lose is probably the poppiest piece on the LP.
Jangly vibes, glistering guitars, 60s The Byrds-like harmonies.
Instagram
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📸 Peter Heuer Photography
Artist: STRESS DOLLS (Buffalo, NY)
The moniker of songstress Chelsea O’Donnell
Track: CLOSE ENOUGH
“I wrote “Close Enough” in the midst of the pandemic, a period where I didn’t see some of
the people who mattered most to me for weeks at a time. On a subconscious level I think that inspired the lyrics in the chorus about being “close enough” to someone, but the other half was me thinking about the process of falling in love, and how you can be so wrapped up in another person that, no matter how physically and emotionally close you are to them (“even if you were a part of me/ even if you were alive in me”), it doesn’t feel like enough to express how you feel.”
Another top guitar pop piece from the Buffalo singer-songwriter.
Tantalizing tunefulness, glistening guitar sparks, and gratifying vocals.
.
Instagram
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Promo photo
Band: THE FOLK IMPLOSION (US)
The musical project of Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr, Sebodah) and John Davis.
The duo are gearing up for their first longplayer in 25 years.
Walk Thru Me lands on June 28. More info here
Barlow: “A big part of what I consider to be the Folk Implosion
is taking disparate things and turning them into pop.”
The smooth first single Moonlit Kid is a tribute to, yes, owls.
.
Instagram
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Album artwork
Artist: RICHARD THOMPSON
London‘s 75-year-old legendary folk songsmith’s
career exceeds more than 5 decades.
New track: FREEZE
Another arresting new cut from his upcoming, 20th full-length,
named Ship To Shore and will arrive on 31 May.
.
Instagram
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Artist: MOSS
Singer-songwriter from Hull, UK
New track: BLACK DAHLIA
Moss: “Black Dahlia, for me symbolises an evolution from being a bedroom musician, estranged to the music world, to now playing on stage & finding my place & family in Hull’s vibrant music scene over a six-year period. The record’s almost a diary entry into my life, as I got fed up with people taking me for granted & so I kept telling myself I need to ‘do it for YOU’”.
The feverish, mood swings vocality and mixed emotionalism
of Jeff Buckley came to mind almost instantly. Say no more.
.
Instagram
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Band: JENNY DON’T AND THE SPURS (Portland, Oregon)
Outfit known for their high energy Country Western style and captivating stage
presence, they’ve garnered a global following with their infectious enthusiasm,
and extensive discography, featuring three albums, an EP, and nine singles.
Track: UNLUCKY LOVE
From the band’s new forthcoming LP, titled Broken Hearted Blue ,
out on June 14. Pre-order info here.
Photo by Jen Noel
Jenny: “I was listening to a lot of Lee Hazlewood while writing this song. I have always been captivated by his songwriting and how he weaves feelings of nostalgia, despair and hope into his songs. His blend of self-deprecation and romanticism strikes a chord, particularly the universal experience of loving someone who loves another. Despite this reality, we still find ourselves lost in daydreams about them. If these were transformed into a song, this is how I would envision it.”
Country Americana at its romantic and heavy-hearted best. Heart-and-soul vocals and easy-going, lovey-dovey vibes for the midnight hours. Wurlitzer jukeboxes were invited
to play this kind of lullabies in bars where the lonely gather for some companion.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: PEARL JAM
The iconic veteran grungers
from Seattle
Track: WRECKAGE
Song from their 12th longplayer, titled
DARK MATTER and out on April 19.
A pure PJ power rock ballad.
Every week 10 new rad tracks added
In order to not miss a beat Turn Up The Volume scans the musical
horizon daily (doing it for years now, actually) to stay in touch with
all new things sonically great and shares the results on a weekly
basis.
Check the 10 new rad cuts just
added to this rad 2024 playlist.
ALL TOGETHER
.
TRACK BY TRACK
1. ‘Our World’ by JAMES (Manchester, UK)
Manchester‘s veteran pop celebs have canned album number 18.
It’s titled YUMMY and planned to be released on April 12.
Ahead of it comes this glorious gem Our World.
Wonderful.
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2. ‘Lights Down Low’ by DIE SEXUAL (Los Angeles)
Die Sexual is a Los Angeles-based dark electronic duo, that conjure their influences
of EBM, techno and electropop, their sound is an intoxicating mix of analog synthetics and seductive vocals, touching on themes of desire and despair, domination and submission.
They just released their brand new 3-track EP Inservio, with opener Lights Down Low
as my favorite. An electro booster with a tantalizing techno beat à la The Prodigy rotating non-stop.
Bang-on.
.
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3. ‘Horrors Of Your Hometown‘ by KISS BANG (Los Angeles)
It’s this Los Angeles duo’s – Kaya Stewart and Max Mercier – very first
track and is part of their upcoming debut EP, out on March 15.
Stewart: “From the minute we met we knew that we were musically kindred spirits. I think
we both have qualities in our own music that make us so individual and unique, and working together created a sound that neither of us had ever heard before, but felt so true to who we were.”
Mercier: “Kiss Bang is the biggest blessing for me as it allows me to create outside of the strict mental confines I set for myself when making music. Kaya’s music taste spans all genres and eras just like mine and she has an incredible ability to extract different sounds out of me. It’s super inspiring.”
‘Horrors Of Your Hometown’ is a revved-up electro-pop stomper peppered with sensuous power vocals and a sultry, catching chorus. Enough fuel to energize your limbs on the spot and get you going for the rest of the day.
Play.
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4. ‘Balu’ by ELBOW (UK)
Promo photo
British veteran pop-rockers ELBOW have canned their 10th LP.
It’s named Audio Vertigo and sees the day of light on 22 March.
Following the whimsical lead-single Lover’s Leap we get a 2nd new track.
BALU is a high-energetic and orchestral, symphonic composition.
Striking stroke.
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5. ‘Phase’ by KERRIGAN BARRY (Cleveland, Ohio)
Raw, real, and unapologetically reckless, Kerrigan Barry was born with a fire in her heart, stoked by rock ‘n’ roll in her bones. This Cleveland, Ohio native (now living in Nashville) found catharsis and truth in writing lyrics and melodies after watching Bruce Springsteen
& The E Street Band live as a 5-year-old kid. She began her lifelong love affair with music earlier than most. It has since proven to be the most beautifully intoxicating relationship she ever imagined experiencing.
New single Phase takes us back to the sounds of early 2000s teenage
nostalgia, giving us the modern Avril Lavinge fantasy we’ve always wanted.
It’s a bouncy, lively, rhapsodic and temperamental
forth-and-back rollin’ ripper. Inflammable stuff.
Here we go.
.
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6. ‘Two For His Heels’ by RICHARD HAWLEY (UK)
Press photo by 📸: Dean Chalkley
British gloomy songsmith delivers his 10th full-length,
named In This City They Call You Love on May 31st.
The album’s title is taken from the song ‘People’, which might well be the greatest song Hawley has written about his beloved Sheffield, the city’s proud industrial past and the enduring determination of its citizens.
Hawley: “I’ve made three albums where I had the title before I’d even begun to record,
where I had an agenda. One was Truelove’s Gutter. Another was Standing At The Sky’s Edge when I wanted to turn everything up and make the music a lot more aggressive, and then this one. I wanted it to be multi-coloured in a way focusing on the voice and what voices can do together… I deliberately only played a handful of guitar solos to keep it focused on voices,
the song and space.”
Here’s the top-notch movin’ and groovin’ taster, called Two For His Heels.
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7. ‘Just Sayin’ by GAME CHANGER (Canada)
This mysterious duo release music under the anonymity of their video game avatars, Jumpin’ Johnny’ and Flyin’ Ryan. They call it “8-bit pop music”. Check out below, the funky opener ‘Just Sayin’ from their brand new debut EP Sidescroller to discover what that
8-bit pop sounds like.
“The song is about overcoming the curveballs that life can throw at you; that there are many new and different things that can weigh you down, and it’s up to you to cut the cord and go with it.”
Whistle, hum and/or sing along right here.
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8. ‘Excuses Excuses’ by THE TRAMPOLINE DAY (Ontario, CA)
Hailing from the depths of the alternative rock scene of Toronto, musician Pete Marino, performs under the enigmatic alias The Trampoline Delay. He blends contemporary melodic, infectious, guitar-driven indie rock with the raw power and spirit of 90’s power pop/rock creating a sound that’s uniquely captivating. He released his debut album
In Your Head in 2022.
And here’s brand new single Excuses Excuses. A wayward pysch
jam with some The Jesus And Mary Chain and Sonic Boom echoes.
Top.
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9. ‘Waiting For You’ by T BONE BURNETT (US)
T Bone Burnett is a seasoned, always highly praised Grammy-award winning, veteran
who as a solo artist recorded several LPs and worked as a producer with Los Lobos, Elvis Costello, Brandi Carlile, and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss and so many more. He also toured with Bob Dylan and other famous friends.
Now 18 years after his last solo LP Burnett decided to come back with his
15th full-length. It’s baptized The Other Side and shows up on April 19.
The first single Waiting For You features backing vocals by female duo Lucius.
It’s a vintage romantic, yearning, bittersweet, sentimental and good old love
ballad.
Magnificent.
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10. ‘Time‘ by EELS (Los Angeles)
EELS launch their 15th LP, named EELS TIME! on June 7.
As always, all songs are fabricated/sung by Mark Oliver Everett.
First single TIME is a familiar-sounding Eels lullaby.
Ghostly and luring.
TUTV: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter
Daily noise that works faster than any stimulant
3 March 2024
Manchester‘s vibrant pop veterans JAMES have canned
album number eighteen. It’s titled YUMMY and planned
to be released on April 12.
The artwork for the album, as well as for the singles, is designed by Stephen Kennedy (Studio Fury) who is responsible for a number of iconic works over the years including
the Rolling Stones’ latest album Hackney Diamonds.
Album artwork
Following the lead single Is This Love we get a second taster.
OUR WORLD is another instant mid-tempo pop earworm with, as usual, Tim Booth‘s silvery voice upfront, that delves into themes of environmentalism, historical exploitation, greed, and the interconnectedness of humanity. Wake up, people, we need to save our messed-up world.
“Why obsess with nationality
We’re all mutts, we are family
We have a dream, we have a dream
Share, don’t spoil”
“Our world
Isn’t your world
We don’t own the world
She came for free”
WATCH/LISTEN
STREAM
.
James: Instagram – Website
21 July 2023
Turn up the heat and feel your heart beat.
It’s PART 5 of Turn Up The Volume‘s yearly hot summer playlists.
A mix of new and old tunes. A mix of adrenalin-infused punk/rock
anthems, dance fireworks, and some moony musings to end the
party when the sun comes up.
TRACK BY TRACK
1. ‘Look Like A Man’ by DECIUS (2022)
.
2. ‘Paradox’ 52018 by SEXTILE (2018)
.
3. ‘Video Babe’ by ALAN VEGA (1983)
.
4. ‘Rage Of Angels’ by MARK STEWART and FRONT 242 (2022)
.
5. ‘Murder Weapon’ by TRICKY (2010)
.
6. ‘Twitchin’ In The Kitchen’ by WARMDUSCHER
.
7. ‘Basta’ by GHOST CAR 52023°
Remixed by Dreamwife
8. ‘Wherever It Takes Us’ by JAMES (2021)
.
9. ‘Magic Medicine’ by DEAP VALLY (2021)
.
10. ‘Up The Mountain’ by REGINA SPEKTOR (2022)
.
11. ‘Therapy Couch’ by FLIGHT ATTENDANT (2023)
.
12. ‘bleed’ by ferna (2023)
.
13. ‘Vampire Empire’ by BIG THIEF
(2023)
.
14. Goodbye Tonight by SOCIAL STATION
.
15. ‘Witness’ by BENJAMIN BOOKER (2017)
.
ALL TOGETHER
.
See you next week
TUTV: Blog – Facebook – Instagram
ISLE OF WIGHT
South Coast of England
16-19 June, 2022
7 years ago – pop ecstasty with JAMES
ISLE OF WIGHT: Website
WIDE SKIES & BUTTERFLIES
Norfolk, East Anglia, UK
5/7 August 2022
My favorite on this bill… the awesome Manchester band James
What Turn Up The Volume is watching/playing between two coffees
For some incomprehensible reasons Manchester pop/rock band JAMES led by exhilarating voice TIM BOOTH was/is only a really big band in their home country. With the countless pop pearls, these guys came up with in their career since 1982 they should have been a global sensation.
Here’s just only one reason why…
JAMES: Discography – Facebook