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
Artist: JODIE LANGFORD Who: Ripping wordsmith from
the Hull/East Yorkshire area.
TUTV: Exuberant and outspoken EBM-rap-punkette screams through
your phone in your face. Direct and without a screen. Outspoken as ever,
she rattles without breaks, without brakes, and has a very loud and very
clear message: put it down!
Artist: VLIMMER Who: The moniker of German
dark-Goth-wave artist based
in Berlin.
Track: FIRMAMENT
Piece from his new, notable 6-track EP Diskomfort. You can stream/buy it here.
TUTV: No writer’s block for Vlimmer. His creative production the past few years is quite impressive. And with his excellent new-dark-wavish EP he expands his catalog once again.
Opener Firmament is my favorite. It’s a shoegazy musing causing instant daydreaming. Shiny synths, a non-stop solid drum beat, and hazy vocals combine for an illusory,
melodic trip.
Artist: NIGHTBEATS Who: The moniker of American musician Danny Lee Blackwell.
He has spent the last fifteen years exploring a nexus of vintage
rhythm & blues, after-midnight soul, and sun-scorched psychedelia.
TUTV: This new piece resonates like a bizarre hallucination, somewhere between reality and surreality. I have no idea what’s behind the green door, but the way to get there is a far-out psychedelic experience.
Band: FRONT PAGE NEWS Who: Group formed in Leeds (UK) by three schoolmates and a ‘drummer wanted’ poster on a lamppost. They turn rough-and-tumble, high-energy sound–injecting indie rhythms into punk sensibilities and subjects.
TUTV: Imagine The Fall fronted by Iggy Stooge. These cocky hound-dogs know all you need to know about indie (post)punk history to get up, stand up and form a band with an eager mission to kick ass. Great news, music junkies. Don’t stop listening.
This was the first single of their best album to date Islands In The Sky. A terrifically juiced-up power-pop chant triggering your limbs to get up and move. And when the under the spell of joy choir joins Bonnie Bloomgarden on the elated chorus you just know that this stunning tune is a winner.
We are living in a simulated world
And we are simulated girls!
The sassy spirit of fiery Riot grrls, the primal screams of X-Ray Spex‘s late genial vox Poly Styrene, the unbridled DIY mentality of The Slits. It’s all here to get in the macho faces of all macho males. Lads Lads Lads is a loud and clear clamorous uppercut. Trash and slash punk turmoil. Holy fucking smoke!
(Photo by Turn Up The Volume – Brugge, Belgium 2023)
“The lyrics were related to whatever we were talking shit about that day.
Dirt-cheap ’baccy and annoying, invasive TikToks. It’s hard to recall.”
Riverstone is an excessive electro-industrial sledgehammer doing your head,
your ears and your mind in. Bang-bang-bang-bang. Deafening drones, psychotic
guitars, and schizophrenic vocals, it’s all here to have an electric brain-frying
chair experience.
All-round Canadian singer/songwriter nailed it with this efferscent swirling knockout.
This is the kind of 24-Carat gold banger that makes your day, that boosts your worried state of mind, that puts a big smile on your face, that works faster than any stimulant and most of all, that gets you on your feet, triggers your best rotating dance moves and make you embrace life. Reality is not all doom and gloom, as many (mostly politicians) want us to believe to push their own power-greedy agenda. To hell with them.
These vigorous Brits hit big time with this flamboyant ripsnorter.
It’s full tilt ahead from the get-go. No brakes, no breaks, and
creeping under your skin faster than you can say this is super-duper.
A whirlwind of scorching guitars, pounding drumming, a revolving bass line
somewhere in the middle, go-getting vocals and a dynamite chorus combine
for a badass belter. 2023 was the year for 32 Tens.
This contagious cracker celebrates forer Italian football star Roberto Baggio
Kane:“I was eight years old when I first saw Baggio on TV, it was during the
1994 World Cup. I was taken back by his presence, his look and his talent. It was
the first time I’d seen a man look so different and unique. Seeing Baggio led me to
e obsessed with that Italian football team for many years later.
Baggio is one of those typical Kane tunes. Immediately recognisable with its
uplifting 60s/70s beat and blissful melody. But it’s a glorious guitar fragment
and accompanying harmonious, backing vocals that lift the song to a five-star
pop level.
This new supergroup features Shaun Ryder & Bez (Happy Mondays/Black Grape),
Andy Bell (Ride/Oasis) and drummer Zak Starkey, yes Ringo’s son, who actually came up with this project’s idea and describes it as “a fantastic psychedelic groove from a band of misfits, outsiders and innovators.”
First single Gorilla Guerilla is a mind-boggling techno-rock stomper
to start and end all (il)legal raves with and fill dancefloors around the
globe with. This seasoned collective is a mean groove machine.
The duo launched their 12th LP, called UK Grim last March.
This rattling piece is my absolute favorite.
It’s Sleaford Mods by – very good – numbers. The mods still spit and sneer
against Tories‘ merciless pressure and devastating regime. And they still do
it with rappin’ vibrations.
The waterfall wordsmith from Hull (UK) released her tip-top debut EP Chaos Of Time
and followed it with this booming corker. Glittery, glammy and trashy (like the video).
Sing happy birthday to 6-year-old princess Jodie midway. Don’t worry afterward you
can continue to pogo around the table.
10. ‘Dicks In Tanks’ by MORLOCKS (Gothenborg, Sweden)
2023 photo by Krichan Wihlbor
This Swedish turbo founded by mastermind J.Strauss had
a new flabbergasting album out, named Praise The Iconoclast,
this year.
Single Dicks In Tanks features vocal efforts from Sascha Konietzko of KMFDM,
dark ambient electro queen Karin My and black metal maestro Heljarmadr
of Grá/Dark Funeral.
Morlocks‘ cynical take on war is sharp-cutting like a first-class Swiss knife
“Salute every hard on, a call to arms / this is my klaxon / sound the alarms”.
It all starts with warning war sirens and marching soldiers chants.
90 seconds later, it’s all hens on deck when this industrial rock missile
erupts with a blitzkrieg fierceness.
Think Rammstein and NIN having a fight with riot guns.
11. ‘An Individual Soul’ by PRINCESS UGLY (Portland, US)
This blitz duo – J. Christopher-Rome (lyrics/vocals) and Christopher Moncrieffe (music/instruments) mix post-punk, early 80’s goth, shoegaze, and new wave
into their own brand of sound.
An Individual Soul is a multi-layered serpent of a track.
After a short shock intro, psychobilly guitars take over and riff
and roll all the way through, surrounded by glowing synths waves.
Add Christopher-Rome’s creepy whispering and you’ll feel transported
somewhere into a twilight zone where Goths party. Princess Ugly’s ominous
mind mystifies and the enigmatic she-devil in the video is a misleading
magnet.
These Dutch-American misfits have their roots firmly planted in both the regional
and international counterculture. They produce a raw, dirty groove influenced by
punk, provo and punk icons. Their poetry is packed with social criticism.
Huevos Rancheros, from their new longplayer Good Busy is a song about
seeing life clearly through all the haze and confidently strolling through the
daze.
It’s a tremendously sticky and melodic tune that mesmerises from the kick-off.
Stimulated by a sparkling and melancholic guitar riff à la Kurt Vile, a footstompin’
beat and word-smith Joshua Baumgarten‘s expressive storytelling it becomes an
electrifying humdinger, after a couple of spins.
The singular psych-folk-pop-rock wanderers released, this year,
one of their best albums ever withSea Of Mirrors
Wild Bird is The Coral at its relaxing best. A characteristic psych-pop gem
that pleased my ears on repeat since it came out. Breezy and heartwarming,
causing an I-feel-so-much-better-now thrill in the end.
Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr worked in 1979 on the demo
of this previously unreleased John Lennon beauty, but didn’t finish it at the time.
Now, using advanced technology and a curatorial touch, McCartney
and Starr have completed what they started with George, and turned
it into a fully orchestrated nugget of a love song
This young outfit from Newport, Wales drew TUTV’s
attention in an eye/earblink with Nice To Say Hello.
It’s only their 3rd single, but this young team sounds as if they’ve been
around for years. Nice To Say Hello is a top-pop thrill. Irresistibly catchy
and captivatingly melodic. Layers of glimmering guitars with an endearing
resonance, that brings, yes, Noel Gallagher’s strumming play of his solo
work to mind.
The charming vocals and the infectious chorus
make the sonic picture complete. Fabulous feat.
Chic Choc are three musically seasoned Amazons from NYC using drum machines,
synthesizers, guitars, voice and a variety of sound filters and pedals to make
their point.
Freedom is their crystal clear debut single that criticizes, 200% rightly so, the fact that women still have to fight for so many fundamental rights. It’s bloody 2023 and so much female injustice is still a reality.
Sonically it’s a striking EBM earworm to fill dance floors with. Brisk beats, cool chorus, sensuous vocals and a protesting choir, combine for a spirited piece. Bang-on.
18. ‘You’re So Cool’ by KAT KOAN (Berlin, Germany)
This Berlin-based songstress released her arresting debut full-length LUSTPRINZIP last year. This year, she recorded/shared three rad singles.
You’re So Cool (me?) is one of them. A sexy dance stomper with an instant impact on your hip movements. And, as usual, Koan‘s sultry voice tickles your imagination and makes you light some candlelights, and seduces you to do some shadow-dancing.
The Vanity Project is a London-based queer freak pop duo featuring Flora Jackson and Rob Paterson. The project is a multi-instrumented, multi-genre fever dream fusing new-wave, modern art-pop and PC Music influences with dashes of jangle pop, Latin alternative and drum and bass, dazzling hooks, and wryly humoured dystopian lyrics. All accompanied by eccentric visuals.
‘Eureka!’ was one of the standout singles on their debut album, named We Never Should Have Come Here, that landed last September.
Combine the madcap vibrancy of Sparks‘ early days and some glamourous Queen bombast and you’ll scream out loud Eureka!. These misfits produce
eccentric pop pleasure, sonically and lyrically, without mainstream
restrictions.
They sound kooky and look kooky, but make no mistake, this tantalizing
tandem know perfectly well how to fabricate and construct entertaining
music.
One of my all-time fav bands, on record and on stage, returned, finally,
this year with their acclaimed LP God Games and this arousing bluesy piece
is one of the highlights.
21. ‘Dead Moon Rising’ by CACTUS FLOWERS (Houston, Texas)
Cactus Flowers is a psych-rock outfit from Houston, Texas fronted by Jessica A.M., whose mother photographed bands for Rolling Stone during the magazine’s counter-culture heyday.
With Dead Moon Rising we get a mid-tempo garage blues-rock corker fuelled
by echoing, rollicking riffs, steady drum hits and arresting Jessica A.M. vocals.
This raw cracker resonates like glorious legends The Cramps in slo-mo with a
mean machine vibe, rock-and-psycho-billy swagger and hefty dynamics. From bad moon rising to dead moon rising.
(Photo by Turn Up the Volume – Lokerse Feesten, Belgium – 2022)
The British guitar pop idols will make their fans happy with their new, sixth
full-length, baptized Pick-Up Full Of Pink Carnations out on 12 January 2024.
This is one of the 4 singles they dropped so far. It’s The Vaccines alright.
Sickly sticky guitar euphoria. Totally crazy.
With this year’s three-part rock operaAtum chief
pumpkin Billy Corgan released one of his sonic dreams.
And with Spellbinding the band delivered a robust rocker infused with radiant synths, exploding now and then into a feverish haymaker on the flaming chorus and ending
with a dreamy fade out.
2LIBRAS is a Seattle-based Cyberpunk duo that create dark, synthy beats infused with melodic guitars and vocal harmony since 2018. Their music infuses genres of industrial, dark electro, synthwave/synthpop and rock.
Heart On was one of the singles of their notable debut album World’s End.
It just was the best 2023 Valentine tune. An intoxicating mid-tempo groover. Both spicy and funky, lustful and provocative with hypnotizing vocals. Its slow-mo synth-bass beat crawls under your skin, and progresses steadily towards your restlessly pounding motor while your mind tries to figure out what is going on. Amorous communication isn’t easy, let your heart do the talking. It’s made for it.
JODIE LANGFORD is an up-and-coming young artist from Hull, UK. Not just
the umpteenth one. She’s a kick-ass hip-rap-hop poet that thrilled Turn Up
The Volume‘s ears for the first time with her arousing debut single I Miss It
back in 2021.
Langford is notable for her open-mindedness, her critical, head-on outspokenness,
her faster-than-a-riot-gun ranting, and her detailed daily life observations. And she embeds her razzle-dazzle rhymes in head-spinning and hyperkinetic tunes. All of
which you can experience on her 2023 debut EP Chaos Of Time EP and brand new
ripper Foefetti. I’m sure The Streets’ Mike Skinner would love it all.
From here on, Jodie will do the talking and tell us about
herself, her music, her mum, and this past year
Hello Jodie,
Welcome,
What/who inspired you to start your musical
journey, Jodie, and why did you go for rap music?
“At the age of 16, I developed an interest for having thought-provoking conversations with people (if you can call that an interest?). This started out as just ranting and discussing with people about the government or state of society, later it turned into introducing live acts and bands on stage at local music events and festivals, and then shortly after that I found a passion for spoken word.
I always loved music but could never play an instrument or sing very well so I think that’s why I loved the rhythm and lyricism of spoken word. As a young teen, I had the lyrics from all my favourite songs printed out and stuck on my bedroom wall, so words have always been important to me and are at the heart of what I do.”
Which track would you play to people who never heard of you?
“I would recommend that they listen to Foefetti. I think this track will bring people up to my speed on my current musical direction and has a nice blend of punk vibes, spoken word elements and foolishness! It may not be a lyrical masterpiece, but it is one of my faves.”
Your rad 2021 debut single ‘I MISS IT’ reflected perfectly how so many young people felt during lockdown. How do you look back now on that song and that somber period?
“Thanks for calling it rad! I Miss It is a song that I still have a lot of love for. It was the song that kickstarted my musical journey. As the world was entering the unknown so was I, but the unknown for me was this musical path that I hadn’t really explored yet.
What is nice to see is that the song is still relevant for many people in different ways. It can be for people that remember the tough time of restrictions and lack of social interaction or for people that want to relive their memories and messy night out shenanigans without getting involved in the real thing.”
You named your debut EP ‘CHAOS OF TIME’.
Why? What did you want to express with it?
“The words ‘CHAOS OF TIME’ encapsulate how I feel when I’m trapped in a state of overthinking. At around the time that was written, I felt as though endless stream of thoughts wouldn’t stop biting at me and I found it hard to shut off from that.
With the song, we wanted to replicate that feeling and so it has an unrestrained vibe where you feel like you’re falling down a rabbit hole of uncertainty. I decided to name the EP after the song as the EP explores a range of emotions and experiences I felt throughout that period.”
How’s life post-Brexit?
“It’s weird man. There is so much fear, anger and division in this country. I do think that some people are finally starting to realise how they were manipulated and lied to which inevitably led them to vote leave in the first place. People are struggling and don’t feel supported and don’t know who to trust. We’re even more anxious and fearful than when discussions were first opening about leaving the EU and the future is so uncertain.
I suppose it’s also hard balancing being passionate about change, being there for others and calling out the powers that be, whilst also making sure you’re not burning yourself out to the point where you make yourself sick.
You just gotta look out for people in times like these.
The world is in bits and we’re a part of that.
Maybe this is a daft question, but I still wonder and always did how
long it takes for rap artists to memorize their word-waterfall stories?
“I can’t put a timeframe on how long it takes to memorise my lyrics, sometimes I can memorise a whole song in a very short space of time. With others, I have to listen to my own recordings and demos repeatedly until I’m sick of my own voice so that it truly sticks with me. Oddly, I find the longer the verses the easier it is for me to. I tend to have no problems with songs like Take Your Money or TV Or Not TV.”
Never had a writer’s block, Jodie?
“I’ve struggled a lot with writer’s block, but I think that ‘block’ mainly comes down
to being preoccupied with other things and when I sit down and dedicate a time
and space to writing I can overcome that.
I was watching a Ted Talk recently by Pages Matam where he explained that a good
friend once told him “Writer’s block is not the absence of imagination and inspiration, but
it is a surplus of judgement,” and I think that’s a really interesting point.”
Your work is also musically very rich in orchestration.
Do you write the music yourself?
“All the lyrics to my music are written by me, however I am fortunate enough to work
with an incredibly talented producer and DJ called Endoflevelbaddie. He produces all the beats and creates all the music to bring my words to life. As I’ve never pursued music in educational settings, I don’t know much about the production side of things.
He has the magic and skill to turn all my visions into a reality. And often he creates something wayyyy better than what I had in mind in the first place. You should check
out his solo stuff too, it’s sick. If you ever get the chance to see a Baddie set live, you’re
in for a right jamboree.”
Do you play instruments, Jodie?
“Over the years I’ve tried to play violin, ukulele, guitar and drums and I’ve always
given up within weeks. I can grasp the basics of most things, but then I give up when
moving on from that.
I hope that one day I will pick up an instrument, I would love to learn how
to drum again. But right now I’m enjoying just playing around with my voice.”
New single FOEFETTI is a blast. Sounds like your
6th birthday was really special. Was it?
“My 6th birthday was bloody ace. Cake, princess dresses & pin the tail on the donkey- what a time to be alive! Any excuse to be a little silly, be around good friends, and act/look like a princess all day sounds sweet to me. I thought that it would be funny to include the clips of my 6th birthday party in Foefetti.
The innocence of the tiny little voices in the clips is so wholesome, then you contrast it with a 24-year old me being radgey as hell yet still holding that princess-esque entitlement. Just a bit of a laugh, innit.”
Your favourite track and album of 2023?
“My favourite album of 2023 is House Party by Keaton Henson, it’s beautiful. I always listen
to him when I need a good cry and his music is there crying with me, creating a space for me to just feel everything. My favourite track of 2023 is ‘ECDYSIS’ by Yard and YINYANG, I would love to see YINYANG live.”
Prick of the year?
“I mean Rishi Sunak (note: British conservative politician) is the obvious choice. But I’m going for the little kid who stole my seat in a busy food market on 2nd December 2023.
I was carrying around my tofu stir fry for ages whilst waiting for a seat in this lovely food court called Trinity Market in Hull, and as I was walking to a chair that had just become available the unthinkable happened- a little gremlin had run in front of me and stole my seat.
He didn’t even buy any food, so he didn’t deserve that spot. It’s frowned
upon to argue with a child, so I just had to move on with my life… GRRR!!!”
Hero(ine) of the year?
“My mum. Sorry if that sounds a bit wet (Note TUTV: It doesn’t) but she’s conquered a lot this year and she’s powered through despite all the difficulties life has thrown at her. Her strength inspires me every day and her efforts/time spent helping those around her hasn’t gone unnoticed.
She deserves so much peace and love and I hope that one day she’ll have a nice house
in some place gentle and calm where she can cuddle up with Kiko, our dog, on the sofa, sipping rose wine and have plenty of space to work on all her vibrant paintings. 2024 better treat her well- OR ELSE!”
What track will/would you play at midnight on 31st December?
“I’m spending New Year at a club in Amsterdam this year, so I unfortunately
don’t get to dictate what song will play. However, I would probably go with Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson. I just love it, no matter the occasion.”
What musical and or personal plans do you have for 2024, Jodie?
“I don’t have many plans for 2024 as of yet, I totally overbooked myself this year with various occasions so I’m fearful of doing that again. I want to go on a sunny holiday somewhere as I’ve not had many of those, that would be nice.
I hope to do plenty more gigs this year and it would be ace if a few festival slots were chucked my way too. Aside from that, I’ll keep writing and making tunes in the studio
with Baddie!”
Thank you very much for this interview, Jodie.
Have a splendid Xmas and an amazing 2024.
Brighton‘s amazeballs LAMBRINI GIRLS are punk’s new sensation of the year
to Turn Up The Volume‘s ears and eyes, and not only to my ears/eyes, check out
the renowned critics below who are raving about them too. The three cast iron
battle-axes released their 6-track EP, titled YOU’RE WELCOME last July.
Expect 6 Apocalpyse-punk-now cannonballs, 6 in-your-male-macho-face
firecrackers, 6 full-speed- garage rock Lamborghinis. They race faster than
a Ferrari. Holy burning shit!
Turn Up The Volume has his eyes and ears on this kick-ass hip-rap-hop poet from Hull/East Yorkshire, UK for a while now. Actually, since her stupendous debut single I Miss It.
Why? Her human open-mindedness, her critical, head-on outspokenness, her faster-than-a-riot-gun ranting, and her sharp daily life observations. And last but not least the fact she embedded all I just mentioned in head-spinning and hyperkinetic tunes on her
CHAOS OF TIME EP. A 6-track triumph!
3. ‘DEPRESSION BREAKFAST’ by Band: JAPANESE JESUS (Ireland)
These two Irish noiseniks produce an illegal amount of decibels with 5 merciless sledgehammers , 5 brutal bulldozing bangers. Industrial havoc causing paranoia.
Chainsaw guitars, psychotic drumming, sonic clash and crash chaos and mental
vocals combine for a sassy shocker of an EP.
This Hungarian noise duo hit bullseye with their ‘Art Brut‘ EP.
Naqoy: “This is the imprint of the processing of our last years, which has been
emotionally and physically highly turbulent and grueling with a lot of self-doubt, discouragements, depression, burnout and forgiveness. It is also a meditation about
art and self-expression and an attempt to signal consolation to some of those (not just
artists), who feel they are somehow stuck outside of an establishment.
TUTV: Art Brut is a mind-boggling piece of instrumental work dominated by razor-blade guitars, repetitive Krautrock-like percussion, tons of feedback/distortion and terrifying plangency. No, it’s not just noise. It’s a fascinating, spine-chilling and well-structured trip into an inky universe that triggers your darkest imagination. No arty-farty bullshit or special effects production for Naqoy.
Fiesta Alba are 4 masked weirdos describing themselves as “losers on a planet
where nobody really wins. He who has nothing to lose cannot lose anything.”
Last April they released their self-titled debut EP.
They look like a male, colorful masked version of the Russian political punk Grrls Pussy Riot. They mix, cleverly and masterly, math rock, minimalist afrobeat, electronica, post-punk, funk, hip-rap-hop and anything that will trigger you to get your lazy ass out of your lazy couch, move your furniture and make room for some psychoneurotic dance moves.
This chaotic 5 track cocktail EP, with 4 different vocalists, is a mind-bending tangle of all
things excitingly kooky for nightclubs where misfits, dropouts, eccentrics and other related outsiders have a ball. Yes, wicked music for wicked people by wicked madcaps. Capiche?
After launching her super-duper 6-track EP Chaos Of Time last March, Langford
closes the year with this rock-and-rap-punk banger. Whang, whang, whang.
Foefetti has somehow a fuller resonance than her previous pieces. And it works spot on. Glittery, glammy and trash-y (like the video). Be ready to sing happy birthday to 6-year-old princess Jodie midway. Don’t worry afterward you can continue to pogo around the table. Treat yourself, buy this present here.
Helter skelter. What a riff-deranged head-over-heels speedball.
AWESOME. Think Australian barbed wire rock generator Amyl And The
Sniffers getting even louder and nastier than they already are. Irked
produce no-nonsense punk pandemonium with a dashing fanaticism
and crazed ruckus.
The vocalist screams her lungs out with intimidating force. MENTAL.
Don’t mess with her, don’t look for trouble with her. She’s a ragging
rapping reactor. Sharp-teethed stuff, shattering debut.
These 4 motherrockers learned their craft by making noisy waves in different
bands before. They just released their cooking 4-track EP named ROBOT.
Robot artwork
The title track is a bass/guitar-riff steamroller going everywhere fast.
A fanatical flare-up that speeds towards a monstrous climax. Who needs
humans when robots kick ass this knife-edged way.
London’s inflammable grime-rap-punk turbine Bob Vylan have canned their third
album. It’s named Humble As The Sun and will see the day of light on 5 April 2024.
These British mavericks rattle and rumble from the get-go on this crackerjack
blast. They don’t like a boring normal life. Who can blame them? The frustration
is accentuated by freakish guitar/bass frenzy, merciless drumming and flustered vocals.
Solid sucker-punch. Never lose faith in this band.
Crows On Wires is the dark-dream-wave project of German artist Antje Davids-Weis.
This new single echoes previous pieces. Rotating synth beats, shadowy dynamics, darksome vocals work together and turn Stop The Clock into a terrifically catching
stomper.
9. ‘Say It Like You Mean It’ by SLEATER-KINNEY (Seattle, WA)
Washington‘s longtime rollin’ indie-pop-punk stars SLEATER-KINNEY
who started their journey (with 3 members) back in 1994, went on a
break in 2006, reloaded their engines in 2014, became a duo – Carrie
Brownstein and Corin Tucker – have their new, 10th LP, baptized Little
Rope out on 19 January 2024.
2nd single Say It Like You Mean It is
edged guitar pop at its racy best.
10. ‘The Sadness In You, The Sadness In Me‘ by SUEDE (UK)
Last year the glam veterans Suede released their 9th,
back to top form, albumAutofiction.
An expanded edition shows up on December 8. It
includes a live LP. More info and order detailshere.
Along with the LP’s release came a 4-track EP that was available for
only one week. The songs will appear now on the expanded box.
The Sadness In You, The Sadness In Me will be one of them.
A vintage Suede sparkler with Anderson‘s emotional vocals going sky-high
on the chorus. Can’t understand why this stellar song wasn’t on the original
album. Anyway, it’s here now.
It’s been 5 years since this Belgian garage guitar indies released
their debut album Common Specimen/Indoor Mold.
But they’re back now, and they didn’t lose their electrical mojo nor their sassy swagger. Crazed drums, afire guitars and tense vocals are what you get. Don’t miss their return.
This weird Canadian trio nails it with their new single Wish It Back, a heartfelt tribute to times gone by.
It’s a spry rocker that swings forth and back. From harmonious tenderness to zippy discharge, from shiny guitar sparks to electrifying commotion, while poignant vocals add extra emotive energy to this splendid nugget. It’s about looking back nostalgia we all are familiar with, wrapped here in a forceful piece of music.
I Feel Nothing is the first new piece of music in over 2 years from this British indie trio.
One spin and I knew we had a winner here. I Feel Nothing is a funky pop
groove, richly orchestrated with footstompin’ drums, glistening synths, wah-wah
guitar here and there, pumping bass and spacey vocals. It swings back and forth,
with a hip-shaking impact when the delirious chorus comes up. Think Tears For
Fears, Depeche Mode and Tame Impala all rolled into one.
Wolf:“This song delves into the complex theme of loyalty conflicts, the inner divide
between descendants and parents (us and them) and the broader social division into
‘us’ and ‘them’, (fueled by social media and war).”
Capricorn is a spellbinding slow-mo musing with an ominous sonority produced
by electric bass, sober drums and eerie acoustic guitar play. It creates a trance-like atmosphere with its subtle and low-key orchestration and Van Wymeersch gloomy
vocals. Fascinating score.
So much is happening on this crazy cut. First in, hungry guitars and footstompin’ drumming immediately joined by frolicsome synth touches that easily could be experienced as the theme of a creepy movie, depending on your (in)stable
state of mind.
Next, eerie vocals, backed by some spooky howling, check in adding a what’s going on
vibe, and zigzagging through all the sonic razzmatazz. Head-spinning stuff, folks.
16. ‘Can You See Me?’ by CATHOLIC GUILT (Melbourne, Australia)
The song is a tale of lost identity and feeling at odds with yourself.
It’s feverishly rushing ripper propelled by an army of guitars, hefty drumming and
psyched vocals. This manic missile reflects frontman/songwriter’s Brenton Harris
identity issues spot-on.
Sonically as well as lyrically, Can You See Me resonates like a much-needed escape from
a troubled and confused state of mind. I guess this sounds familiar to so many of us out there. If you’re a Fall Out Boy fan you’ll definitely add this fiery emo piece to your favourite playlist.
The band’s name is a testament to their stature and nature – alter kaker is a Yiddish term for an old person, or as the band likes to call it, “an old fart.” That level of self-awareness helps when creating a song like “When You’re Gone.”
The band’s Steve Bronstein wrote this track one year ago near the close of a relationship. But unlike the more common musical theme in breakup songs, the singer isn’t sad about the conclusion – he relishes it.
Looking for an infectious jump-for-joy post-breakup tune? Here it is.
After playing with some bands, Belgian musician Mirabelle van de Put decided
in 2021 to go solo under the moniker of HAZE. Her excellent self-titled debut LP appeared the same year.
She’ll have her sophomore one, titled Out of Sight, out in January.
Hiding is the first single. A glinstering dream pop musing featuring sparkling guitar
and smooth bass play, and van dePut‘s enticing voice takes you on a relaxing trip that flares up now and then.
The eye-catching video is created by Naomi Kerkhove.
Lauren Anderson is a Chicago born and Nashville-based singer-songwriter.
She has, so far, 3 albums on her résumé. And has now new single Love Again
out.
Expect a towering voice. Zestful, vivacious and highly gripping. Classic country-blues splendor. The kind of song that send shivers down your spine with its full-hearted
passion and its overwhelming sonority.
Wurlitzer jukeboxes were invented back then to play affecting tunes like this one
in smoky bars to comfort lonely souls and melancholic hearts. This sort of music
will never lose its healing impact.
Jodie: “It’s focused on simple lyricism with an up-beat and slightly aggressive vibe. It’s
different to other tracks I’ve written that contain more long-winded wordplay. This is a new way of experimenting with my storytelling and adding elements of other genres into my music. I strongly believe this track will ease us both into exploring new musical paths which will give listeners a taste of something different and add more life to our live performance. Also, check out the video where you see me upset and angry that no-one’s turned up, so I destroy the cakes”.
TUTV: After launching her super-duper 6-track EP Chaos Of Time last March (without
a shadow of a doubt, one of the best EPs of 2023 in my book) word-waterfall Langford closes the year with this rock-and-rap-punk banger. Whang, whang, whang.
Foefetti has somehow a fuller resonance than her previous pieces. And it works spot on. Glittery, glammy and trash-y (like the video). Be ready to sing happy birthday to 6-year-old princess Jodie midway. Don’t worry afterward you can continue to pogo around the table. Treat yourself, buy this present here.
A stream of rattling rippers, jagged jams, and magnific musings
All 20 on Spotify.
. TRACK BY TRACK
Band: GILLA BAND Who: Raw Irish post-punk projectile New album: Most Normal,
their third, out on out 7th October.
Dara Kiely (frontman man): “The lyrics are from a stream of consciousness rant, weird imagery and all that. The track is about attraction – fancying someone and not knowing what to say exactly. It’s an indirect love song, knowing you like someone but can’t quite articulate it.”
It follows the character of Billy as he loses his job, his house, his wife and kids, and ultimately maybe his life. After pursuing everything at all costs, we follow Lehman brother’s banker Billy as he chronologically loses everything throughout the worst day of his life, after the bank collapses and everything just keeps going wrong.
Be ready to jump up and down, left and right. This not-so-happy song sounds terrifically happy. A riveting pop tune that could come straight from a Yungblud album. If this devil-may-care earworm doesn’t make you go gaga I don’t know what will.
Turned-on guitars and Oberti‘s quick-fire vocals – on the cracking
chorus he goes as fast as a rapper – inflame this straightforward
standout. From bankrobber to bankrocker.
Fantastico!
THE BANKROBBER: Twitter – Instagram
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(photo by Sandra Ebert)
Band: MODERN WOMAN Who: London-based act that began as the songwriting project of Sophie Harris.
The band’s music, still based around Harris’ songwriting, explores a diverse range
of sounds drawing from their melting pot of influences.
Following their splendid 2021 debut EP Dogs Fight In My Dream these up-and-coming gunslingers score again with their new sassy bass/drums motorized and guitar-spiced stunner, extra energized with Sophie Harris‘s clear-cut vocals and a schizo finish. They should get the same attention as Liverpool‘s sensation The Mysterines. NOW!
MODERN WOMAN: Facebook
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Band: THE KILLERS (Los Angeles) Active: Since 2001 / 7 studio albums
Brando Flowers (frontman): With ‘boy’, I want to reach out and tell
myself, and my sons, to not overthink it. And to look for the ‘white arrows’
in their lives. For me now, white arrows are my wife, children, my songs
and the stage.”
The tunesmiths experts do what do best, writing
lyrical anthems for huge stadiums.
Boy, oh boy.
THE KILLERS: Facebook – Instagram
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This slow-mo reflection on personal turmoil is driven by an ongoing bass-riff that got under my skin and kept on rotating in my head after just one spin. And when Rettig adds psychedelic guitar pizazz and flashy fingertip touches, the bone-chilling progression gets even more poignant. Her shadowy vocality seduces once again. To hypnotise, magnetise and mesmesize are familiar Where We Sleep characteristics I never get tired of.
With The Speed this Belgian darkwave duo invites you once more to get off your
lazy couch, to dress black and head to the nightclub where they are waiting
to make your booty shake to their ghostly bass synth riffs. Nirvana guaranteed.
Jodie: “How It Is, the recurring tale of getting messy with your mates to escape from the standard 9 to 5 working life. This track celebrates the poor life choices made after deciding to go for a drink with your friends/colleagues and the chaos and amusement experienced along the way. “
It’s only Langford‘s third single.
This new one is a brisk clap-along groover with an instantaneous swaying
impact on your hips. Could be the ideal remedy when trying to get out of bed after
a 48-hour weekend revelry and shake your hangover off. Sheeny synths, hip-hopper Marx‘s jaunty contribution, and the zestful chorus, it all comes together seamlessly.
Band: TUHAF (Copenhagen, Denmark) Who: The fusion of different types of musicians and all kinds of genres
– Anatolian folk, indie rock, free jazz, Danish traditional songs and US
roots rock – wondrously merges into the sound of TUHAF. The band is
fronted by Turkish-born singer Berrin Bas.
New single: HAFLA
From their debut album ‘Mere Guld’,
out this Friday.
Berrin: “‘Hafla’ is about celebrating oneself. It is dedicated to Bicop (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and everybody
can join the party.”
Hafla is a sensual groove with an exotic Eastern vibe. Its ongoing vibe
gets you, slowly but surely, into an elevating trance, while Berrin Bas‘s
vocals add a mesmerizing touch that works as a magnet.
Everybody is invited to Tuhaf‘s politically progressive party to celebrate
diversity with them. Music has the power to unite people. We all should
use that power to get together and respect each other as humans without
any kind of discrimination. Tolerance of diversity is the one and only key
to live together, side by side.
The marvelous black & white video will help
you to get in the right mood to dance…
Jordan Speare: I wrote “Hey Stacey” for a friend of mine named Stacey, who also just
so happens to be one of the best people I’ve ever met. I remember when we first met, she
had mentioned how she hated whenever she’d meet new people, they would always make
a reference to that Fountains Of Wayne song “Stacy’s Mom” – she would joke: “it’s not funny
and my name isn’t even spelled that way!” I thought that was hilarious, so I wrote this song especially for her, with her name spelled correctly, of course.
Jingle jangle pop at its exciting best. Hey Stacey is a steamy swinger with all
cylinders rollin’ all the way. It’s sticky as first-class glue and you can sing
the chorus to your lover.
Check the vibe.
. BURN THE LOUVRE: Facebook
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Band: THE ZINVANDELS Who: 4 uproarious rockers from Wales
New single: BLACKHOLES
Their sixth one. A statement of intent
ahead of their debut LP release.
Oh my, oh my. Expect riff schizophrenia bucking up this flipped-out
corker for its whole 4 minutes. Blackholes is a rollicking post-punk
juggernaut that scurries full tilt without looking back.
Add a steamed-up drums/bass tandem and poignant vocals and you
know this head-over-heels thunderstorm will attack your speakers
mercilessly.
These Welshmen are a burning engine.
THE ZINVANDELS: Facebook – Instagram
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Band: STICK TO YOUR GUNS Who: The famous Californian hardcore tormentors Active: Since 2003 / 7 studio LPs (new one incl.)
The slowest and moodiest piece on the LP. But as intense
and fanatical as their hard-screeching-core missiles.
STICK TO YOUR GUNS: Facebook – Instagram
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Photo Credit: August Wolfe
Band: REIGN MAKER Who: Australian prog rock band formed in Melbourne, Victoria in 2020.
Reign Maker is the collaborative project of passionate, activists who weave
politically charged, social commentary throughout their songs to raise
awareness and give voice to a wide range of current issues faced
in the world today.
The band take a stance here against racial discrimination and
police brutality needlessly taking the lives of innocent people.
This mighty-powered and impassioned ballad blows your mind in sound and vision.
Its metallic sonority and its titanic fervency send shivers down your spine. Astonishing.
And the monumental heart-and-soul cutting vocals are just flabbergasting, making me think of the haunting voice of Tarja Turunen from Finnish metalheads Nightwish. Midway, when the decibels go sky-high, the delirium increases to a jaw-dropping level.
Get the picture? Yes, this is a towering stonker
with an aroused impact. Touchdown.
Don’t be a stranger, press play
and get overwhelmed.
Right here, right now.
. GATHERING OF STRANGERS: Facebook – Instagram
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Band: ERASE ME Who: Sludge pop band from Phoenix, Arizona. Their songs cover the gamut of topics but are often driven deep into what it’s like to be piece a of desert trash blowing through gentrified downtown phoenix landscapes, just tryin’ to survive.
Expect a hugely catchy guitar booster with a head-spinning cadence, an electrical rush, and elated vocals As short as a Ramones song. For some reason, my ears tell me that this could be Pavement if they would write a pop tune as silver-toned as this one. Sounds like kick-ass fun, right? You betcha
Listen/watch.
JOAN OF ARKANSAS: Facebook
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(credit: Bianca Petris)
Band: THE CASE Who: Firm 4-piece from Romania who started their journey in 2012, always
refining their rock & grunge sound. On their creative process, the band reckons
they “tried to create a space where originality prevails, to detach themselves from
the current musical cliches while glorifying their lord and savior David Bowie.”
“‘Fever’ is about the passage of time, about the failed attempts to correlate the quality of
a relationship with its duration and intensity. The song is about happiness, sadness, breakup, and forgiveness. It would be love if we were to associate our new single with just one word.”
This is a mind-magnetic and slow-burning sonic torch. Sounds both riveting and piercing as American alt-rockers The Afghan Whigs did/do so impressively for years. The Case develop a similar sensation of vivacity.
A cast-iron winner.
THE CASE: Facebook – Instagram
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Band: THE TRUSTED (Southend-on-Sea, UK) Who: Formed in 2016, making music with strong melodies and catchy hooks. Being inspired by the new age Brit-rock bands like The 1975 and Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Trusted have made their own unique sound by the fusion of post-punk and punk energy with a little hint of modern rock.
“A song about being abandoned by the good guys.”
It was composed during lockdown. The band couldn’t write together
face to face. The creative collaboration went through computers.
Smooth synths, and gently weeping guitar lines take you immediately
on a dreamy head-in-the-clouds trip that moves slowly, heading to an
epic climax. Stylishly composed, greatly arranged.
A bittersweet symphony.
A romantic beauty.
.
THE TRUSTED: Facebook
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Jodie: “How It Is, the recurring tale of getting messy with your mates to escape from the standard 9 to 5 working life. This track celebrates the poor life choices made after deciding to go for a drink with your friends/colleagues and the chaos and amusement experienced along the way. It actually came off the back of a spoken word piece I was recording, Baddie heard a catchy phrase that he turned into a chorus and encouraged me to write around that theme. and How It Is was born. “
Turn Up The Volume: It’s only Langford‘s third single after the flood-rap
lockdown-reflection on her debut I Miss It, followed by punky steamroller TV Or Not TV.
The new one is a mid-tempo clap-along groover with an instantaneous swaying
impact on your hips. Could be the ideal remedy when trying to get out of bed after
a 48-hour weekend revelry and shake your hangover off. Sheeny synths, hip-hopper Marx‘s jaunty contribution, and the zestful chorus, it all comes together seamlessly.
The by now legendary passion rockers from Cincinnati, Ohio with mastermind Greg Dulli leading the troops have their new longplayer How Do You Burn? out on 9 September.
This lead single is a sturdy steamroller, a red-hot-heated ripsnorter, an unstoppable cannonball going everywhere fast. Manic blitzkrieg guitars, ruthless drum/bass attacks, Greg Dulli‘s rush of blood vocality, and a brutal finish. Flabbergasting.
Dulli: “That’s one of the hardest rock songs we’ve ever done.
It was written and performed on sheer adrenalin.”
This London post-punk team unleashed their 2nd scorching album Beware Believers, last April. One of TUTV’s best full-lengths of 2022 (so far).
Single Slowly Separate is a schizo sonic serpent generating a mind-blowing backwash
while chainsaw guitars turn up the decibels to an illegal peak, and man-in-the-middle James Fox rages and blazes through his teeth.
This frenetic Brit force hit big time with their dazzling debut album The Great Regression last March (more about it in a couple of days).
Let’s focus now on one of its cast-iron brainbreakers. It’s a poignant, biting, and
anxious uppercut. I’m pretty sure Moss would love this hit-and-run drone when
it would hit her ears. She is, after all, the Femme Punk Fatale of fashion.
4. ‘Twitchin’ in The Kitchen’ byWARMDUSCHER (London)
This punky-funky disco corker is the perfect pick-me-up tune for all the wacky weirdos who are always in the kitchen at parties waiting for free drinks and waiting for Warmduscher to come in and kick their lazy asses. Big stroke, big chorus, big fun!
“It’s a warning, an unflinching assessment of the vastness and insignificance of this
life, is precisely counterbalanced by their lesson, which models the resilience that this understanding demands. ‘Demolition Row’ is persistent, concise, and alarmingly physical.”
This blustery belter is vintage Metz. Full blast ahead, no brakes, no breaks.
The track featured on a split 7” with London-based group Adult Life.
From Dylan’s Desolation Row
to Metz’s Demolition Row…
“As a story or metaphor, we are all ‘Frankenstein’s monster’ – made up of other people’s opinions and parts that don’t belong to us. That we were born perfect but people, in their
own conditioning, come along and can make us feel undesirable/inadequate/the monster.
But we can choose to be real instead.”
This is without a shadow of a doubt the best debut single I heard so far this year.
A towering tune going low, high and back. A sickly sticky pop gem wrapped in
a big-boisterous-wall-of-sound. And upfront, Sianna Lafferty ‘s phenomenal voice
causes goosebumps when she goes sky-high on the chorus. The ardency of Porridge Radio comes to mind.
One word: AWESOME.
“I am not what you want me to be
Uncle Sam won’t even point at me
Even the eyes of the Virgin Mary wall
hanging won’t even stare at me.”
Shaman progresses like a vicious viper sliding to its prey. Determined, but always
wary of sudden danger. It dumbfounds and flummoxes while the song’s tension
intensifies and sends shivers down your spine.
No metallic explosions or abrupt pace changes this time, although it feels like a thunderstorm can happen as the mesmeric music swells along its ominous path
towards a demonic climax. Another appealing piece de resistance, another
psychedelic exploit another step closer to the new album.
“A paean to taking your foot off the gas and letting things slide, or a warning of the perils of procrastination, perhaps? It’s hard to tell whether ‘Mañana’ is meant to serve as a confessional regarding Domestic’s own perceived lack of willpower, or a celebration of idleness. It could be either of these things; and that’s one of its many joys.”.
A sirens intro, David Bowie‘s saxophone, and steel drums straight from Trinidad. Sounds like an exotic swing and shake ditty is coming up. No folks, it’s a lazy rap-sody you can play the morning after a booze marathon to get up and sober up, slowly.
Soul voice Clare Gillet takes care of the chirpy chorus.
“Propelled by a motorik rhythm and abrasive guitars, it stomps toward a doom-laden finale. Inspired by Sebastião Salgado’s (note TUTV: Brasilian photographer) anarchic photos of the Gold Mines of Serra Peladain the Amazon in 1985: the track explores the relentless obsession with grasping a glint of glory from the mud. “
Once I learned that this startling belter is about the horrible exploitation of human
beings by ferocious money sharks this jagged jackhammer blew my mind even harder than I heard it the first time before knowing about the band’s inspiration for this stunner.
Expect rabid guitars, doom and gloom vocals, and frantic
twists and turns until the chaotic finale. Post-punk at
its razorblade best.
Geordie Greep (vocalist, guitar): “Almost everything I write is from a true thing, something
I experienced and exaggerated and wrote down. I don’t believe in Hell, but all that old world folly is great for songs, I’ve always loved movies and anything else with a depiction of Hell.”
A screwy zig-zagging haymaker it is. From upcoming, 3rd, LP Hellfire.
My fav track from one of my fav albums of the year (so far), baptized A False Glimmer Of Hope with loudmouth James Domestic (yep, the
guy from above) going bonkers.
This red-hot-blistering hardcore missile punks up your adrenalin and
invites you to open all windows and doors and yell your tits off.
My favored sonic sci-fi symphony from the duo’s excellent Eris Wakes EP.
Trippy, spooky, trancy. With repetitive mind-twisting Krautrock eurhythmics
that take you on an otherwordly voyage. Top-flight!
After the piano intro (sounds like the theme tune of classic horror-thriller Halloween) this young outspoken artist fumes with barbed wire temper towards the supersonic chorus that resonates like hardcore rap.
This rushing rollercoaster swings forth and back with grim impetus until the gloomy
synth climax makes way for that ominous piano fragment again. TV or not TV, that’s
the question? The answer is easy. To hell with the relentless idiocy of reality TV stars and influencers constantly putting pressure on growing minds to behave in ways unattainable to most.
Oscar Mic wrote this song after witnessing the horrific violence of
psycho Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine on the news. All proceeds of
the song go to Save The Children’s Ukraine Appeal.
We Are Ukrainian is a tremendously catchy hip-rap-pop jam featuring steel drums
and timpani balancing somewhere between Roots Manuva and Mr. Scruff.
“Fleeing people running scared, so tell me Where’s the justice? Our leaders say they care,
tell me can you trust this? Urban warfare, your home’s done and dusted, Aiming at the
public, they wouldn’t? They just did,”
The titillating electro- intro echoes early Depeche Mode before they became the darkwave Goth-esque rockers we all know. But in an eye-blink White Skin turns into a swirling synth-pop stomper to fill dancefloors with. It’s an instantly infectious nightclub earworm with an ecstatic chorus.
18. ‘Worthless Souls’ by MELTED WINGS (Toronto, CA)
“A track that calls out how sexism and power corrupt all levels of society.
We all need to recognize this going forward and make sure that it doesn’t
go unchecked.”
The sickly sticky synth beat comes across like an invitation for my feet to kick the butts of vicious sexists and power-horny billionaires ruining people’s lives. Middle finger to them while spinning around mad as a hatter to this bang-on electro buzz. Trust me, you’ll feel much better afterward
This is what ecstatic pop grandeur is all about. Music that elevates
your state of mind to a titillating level. This pearl generates a feel-good
entrancing buzz.
When the multi-layered vocals/harmonies pop up in a gospel-like choir delight
creates an atmosphere of utter joy comparable with the euphoric drive of The Polyphonic Spree. Vitalizing vibe, refreshing rapture.
20. ‘Life And Lies’ by LEE ROGERS (Northern Ireland)
A mixed-emotions lullaby with Rogers‘ sky-reaching voice as the star. It’s an emotional
and bluesy reflection. Wurlitzer jukeboxes should be reinvented for these heartbreakers so moody minds can cry their eyes out (or cry in their beer) at night in a downtown bar where lonely ones gather and muse about life and lies.
JODIE: “It’s a stark contrast to the positive ’coming together’ message that I Miss It championed. I see this release as a powerful attack on the media platforms that negatively portray the youth of today while they struggle to keep things together. For me, I’ve built my craft as a spoken word artist by pointing out injustices in the world, at the hands of powerful governments and the control of the richest 1%. I’m really excited to see how this track is received after the upbeat message of I Miss It”.
Turn Up The Volume: After the piano intro (sounds like the theme tune of classic
horror-thriller Halloween) Langford rages with barbed wire temper towards the
supersonic chorus that resonates like hardcore rap.
This aggressive brainbreaker is a rushing rollercoaster, swinging forth and back
with grim impetus until the gloomy synth climax makes way for that ominous
piano fragment again. TV or not TV, that’s the question?
The answer is easy. To hell with the relentless idiocy of reality TV stars and influencers constantly putting pressure on growing minds to behave in ways unattainable to most.
