DIY: “As an exercise, a flexing of musical muscles, ‘The Singing Winds pt. 3’
is interesting enough so long as you’re only seeking bops as a bonus.”
TUTV: On his solo work Kele sounds like a Bloc Party Light. His trippy cocktail of ambient, trip-hop and guitar pop is entertaining with several bouncy tracks but misses some peppy punches and stand-out tunes. The three best pieces are the singles (listen/watch below). On the other hand, Kele‘s guitar play is (again) sterling, elaborate, and sparkly and his light-toned vocals are as euphonious as ever.
Singles: Hometown Edge / It Wasn’t Meant To Be / Kintsugi
Band: DITZ Who: Unbridled post-punks from Brighton, UK (where everybody is
in a band).
Track: TAXIMAN
Piece from their forthcoming second longplayer, baptized Never Exhale. It’ll hit the streets on 25 January 2025. Pre-order
info here.
TUTV: Taximan does your head in the way we, brainbangers, like it. Bam Bang Boom.
No mercy for the wicked. Maddening mayhem as usual. You better check out if Robert ‘Travis’ De Niro is behind the wheel before taking a cab.
Last August former white stripe JACK WHITE (aged 49 now) released
one of the best LPs of the year with powerhouse record NO NAME,
his 6th solo one. A crazed punk blues LP with a total of 13 thunderous
outbursts.
TUTV: I’m quite sure that this song was recorded during the No Name
sessions. Anyway, it’s as if Jimi Hendrix woke up from the dead for a day
to play firework guitar on this blistering blow.
TUTV: Dog Dribble operates somewhere between Yard Act and Sleaford Mods.
Its limbs-activating groove is simply irresistible. Get up, stand up, and fight
for your right to move in mysterious ways.
Band: LAMBRINI GIRLS Who: A two-motor punk bulldozer from Brighton, UK who have built
a notorious reputation over the past 2 years, on record and on stage.
Track: LOVE
Piece from the duo’s upcoming debut LP Who Let The Dogs Out. Out next year, on
January 10.
TUTV: Don’t be mistaken, it’s not because the new single is titled ‘Love’
that LB wrote their first-ever song about the birds and the bees. According
to the lambrinis tandem, ‘true love is nothing more than the wrong hill to die on”.
It’s one of their best knockouts so far.
An amazeballs wall-of-flaming-guitar racket
and a manic drummer with 4 arms. Hell yeah.
Band: BILLY ZACH Who: German act described by singer/guitarist Max Zacherl as “the sandpaper of pop music”. So
far, they canned/released two albums.
Track: PAINTED NAILS
Single from their notable brand new 5-track EP, called Interferer (you can stream/buy it below via Bandcamp).
TUTV:Painted Nails is a flabbergasting post-punk tour de force, a jawdropping
psychedelic trip burning its way through a turbulent trip, fired-up by schizophrenic
guitars and bone-chilling vocals. Petrifying thrill.
The rap-punk poets teamed up with the famous synth-pop band to collect money for help organization WARCHILD. An organization that works with parents, caregivers, community members, NGOs, governments, corporations, and other partners worldwide to ensure that children have access to protection, education, and psychosocial support.
It’s an unlikely collaboration, but it’s pretty cool that they do it together
for charity. They recorded 2 tracks in London’s famed Abbey Road studios.
You can buy both here, viaBandcamp.
One of them is a frisky punk-disco stomper; called CAT BURGLAR
Band: CAMLANN Who: Intruiging Indonesian
dark disco duo.
Track: RONNY (BURN IN HELL)
The song is deeply rooted in the personal experiences of lead singer Ony Godfrey,
who candidly addresses the sexual harassment she faced as a teenager at the hands
of a middle-aged man named Ronny. Through this powerful narrative, Camlann channels
a raw and unfiltered expression of female rage that resonates with many women who
have endured similar traumas.
TUTV: Expect a knockout headbutt, an in-your-face sucker disco-punk punch.
Hells bells. A blazing blast that goes after all sexual abusers out there. Bullseye.
The message is loud and clear. To hell with all harassing predators. NOW!
“You have played with fire
And the fire’s now burning you alive
So have fun suffering
‘Cause God knows that you will be
Burn in hell forever”
TUTV: The band say they have written this energizer, they want to compete
with at the Eurovision Song Contest of 2035. Say what?. The big question, of
course, is ‘will the world still turn in 2035?‘ as devastating wars destroy lives
every single day on half of our planet and the future doesn’t look bright
whatsoever. We can only hope for peace.
Artist: SOMEBODY’S CHILD Who: Musical project led
by Irish songsmith Cian Godfrey.
Track: TIME OF MY LIFE
First taster from his upcoming 2nd album
When Youth Fades Away, out 28 March 2025.
New album artwork
TUTV: If you can resist this epic guitar/drums/piano-driven earworm
you need to change your meds and/or consult your shrink and you’ll
have the time of your life.
Band: CANYONS AND LOCUSTS Who: Two-piece garage rock act, Justin Keane (vocals, guitar) and Amy Young (drums, backing vocals), from Boston, MA. Fueled by the current chaos of the world and an urgent need to be part of the conversation, the two took the indie rock foundation they built in previous bands and upped the ante by adding new levels of noise via pervasive, edgy guitar sounds, low and thundery drumbeats, and emotional vocals.
Rowdy piece the tandem’s forthcoming
2025 concept album, The Goal Gigolo.
TUTV: Another manic motherrocker from this duo who sound as a 4-motor hit-and-run band. As usual, amps way up, and the volume to the max. Riff-o-rama all the way while bashing drums do your head in. Garage punk ‘n’ roll at its turbulent best. Call your own Anna and challenge the anti-decibels police. Sounds like far-out fun, right? You betcha.
Rabbit Hole is an invitation to explore life’s hidden corners, where desire and despair
often collide. The accompanying video clip immerses fans in distorted shadows and dramatic visuals, that perfectly mirrors the raw and introspective.
TUTV: Expect a motorized riff-ripper
with a titanic fists in the air chorus.
Steaming stuff. Punktastic!
Band: NOVANOISE Who: Italy’s rising alternative
punk rock outfit.
Track: LEVELS
It’s a fresh blend of punchy punk rock riffs, bold synth lines, and the undeniable
energy of frontwoman Luna Esmeralda Rizzi. Known for their high-voltage performances and cyberpunk flair, Novanoise delivers a track that’s both defiant and uplifting.
A shout-out to staying connected in a chaotic world.
TUTV: Levels is a high-voltage blowout,
with biting vocals, Herculean powerhouse
intensity and full-on electricity.
TUTV: It’s a heartfelt, sepia-colored musing where sparkling guitar lines
and Perrett‘s unique voice come together to shine. Moony melancholia in
motion.
Band: CMON CMON Who: Brussels/London based indie rock trio from Belgium,
who started to realize their childhood dream 5 years ago,
in their 40s.
.
New track: ALL THE OTHER KIDS
It’s the first taster from their upcoming, new EP, titled Headwind that’ll land
next year and recorded in renowked producer’s James Brown‘s studio in the
world-famous Portobello Road in London. It’ll follow CC’s 2023 debut album The Crack And The Light.
Single artwork by Belgian designer Lisa Van de Vyver
with cover images by Swedish photographer Moarlberg.
TUTV: All The Other Kids is a breezy, zippy and riff-juiced
tune that brings notorious songsmith Evan Dando and his Lemonheads to mind.
Its easy-going melody and feel-good vibe make you want to whistle,
hum, or sing na-na-na along. That’s what pop-ular music is about.
Band: NEVERLESS.AM Who: Prolific Boston trio who pulls threads from their hard
rock, psych, and funk influences to create a distinctive sound
that blurs a line between shoegaze and dream-punk.
Track: WILL I EVER?
Preview from their forthcoming
debut album, out in February.
It details a horrific personal experience vocalist and guitarist CA Newcomb endured
two years ago, as she relays the story and emotion of being hit as a pedestrian by a
drunk driver, sending her to the hospital and placing her on a long path to recovery.
TUTV: Woozy layers of fuzzy guitars and Alice-in-Wonderland vocals take you on a shoegazing trip to a place where reality and surreality meet. Btw, don’t get petrified
when you hear some freaky growling for a moment.
Artist: BLAIR GILMOUR Who: An 18-year-old multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter from Irvine, Scotland. Immersing himself in music at a young age, he quickly realised that performing helped suppress his Tourette’s tics. Diving into music on a sensory level, the young artist explores the secrets of songwriting, producing and performing, inviting listeners along for the journey.
The tune was written at a songwriting camp in Spain. Initially inspired by the heat of their environment, the song eventually transformed into a love song, with Blair exploring the question: “How can you love something or someone so much that you know it is bad for you and your mental health, but you’re still in it for the chase?”
TUTV: Swirling pop bliss is what you get, adrenalized amorousness is
what you feel, euphoric elation is what you hear. Touch play and enjoy.
Band: WYLDERNESS Who: Welsh shoegazers from Cardiff
with 2 full-lengths under their belt.
Track: BIG IDEA
First taster from their forthcoming new EP
entitled ‘Safe Mode‘ which will be released
in 2025.
TUTV: Glistening guitar sparks set the glistening tone
for this sonically colored rainbow, all the way through.
Woolgathering vocals and arresting melodiousness.
Peter Murphy – photo by Jolene Siana / Boy George – photo by Dean Stockings
Former Bauhaus voice/face PETER MURPHY (67) and Culture Club‘s voice/face BOY GEORGE (63) team up for a beauty of an epic reflection. A romantic ballad
titled LET THE FLOWERS GROW with another legend, Killing Joke’s Youth taking
care of the track’s production.
The song was originally written by the Boy George with its initial message being
“one of personal acceptance about being gay. As the song developed, it took on a more expansive and universal scope with its lyrics extending beyond sexuality and embracing
race, gender, creed and religion.”
TUTV: It’s a surprising, but terrificallyt gripping heart-and-soul
collaboration. Starry-eyed magic spreading gold dust.
“I’ve been changing / and mama don’t know /
let her tears fall / and make the flowers grow,”
Bloc Party‘s orchestrator KELE OKEREKE jumps from left
to right, from recording with his band to working on solo
projects.
Last year he released with BC a 4-track EP named The High Life
followed last June by a stand-alone single, called Flirting Again.
Last month he dropped a new funky solo single, titled Hometown Edge and here’s another fresh one. IT WASN’T MEANT TO BE is a bouncy, repetitive electro loop with Kele articulating all over it. Listen below.
Kele: “Once the dust has settled, there might be the intention to be a grown up and achieve closure with the other party. But sometimes, even with the best will in the world, you can’t get past the fact that this person, who you once loved, has hurt you. It’s a song about anger concealed in pleasantries.”
He also confirmed that both songs will be on his new, 7th solo longplayer,
baptized The Singing Winds Pt. 3. It comes out next year, on January 17th.
“I realise London has been a constant source of inspiration for me as a songwriter. In my writing it’s always been there on the periphery, but it felt right doing something where my love for the city was front and centre. Over the years, life in the capital has shaped who I am and what I am, so it was nice to pay homage to that.”
