Kiss Bang

Discover TURN UP THE VOLUME’s 10 BEST DEBUT SINGLES OF 2024

Posted on by JL

ALL TOGETHER


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TRACK BY TRACK

Artist: LEAH MARTEL

Who: Singer-songwriter from Ontario (Canada) who spent her formative
years hard at work training to be a prolific writer, musician, performer, actor,
dancer, activist and cycling through various superpowers via extensive
maladaptive daydreaming.

Single: EVERYBODY OUT

Martel: “I wrote Everybody Out at a point in my life when my social anxiety was really at its peak. When I sat down to write out all the lyrics I wanted to really emphasize the contradictory nature of this kind of anxiety where it has you running for the hills to get away from everyone but only because you so desperately want to connect with people and care far too much about every minor interaction just hoping it will be good.”

TUTV: Social anxiety in motion, uncontrollable emotion, mind-disturbing commotion.
Martel translates all these turbulent sensitivities in a towering power pop gem energized by a pounding, one-note piano beat, her raging voice and the exploding get out chorus.
Wham bam, bloody wham bam. Wowzers. Top.

Instagram – Spotify
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Artists: KISS BANG

Who: Fresh power pop duo – Kaya Stewart
and Max Mercier – from Los Angeles

Single: HORRORS OF YOUR HOMETOWN

TUTV: Kiss Bang sound and look glamorous. ‘Horrors Of Your Hometown’ is a hopped-up electro-pop stomper peppered with sexy power vocals and a sultry, sticking chorus. Enough fuel to energize your eager limbs and lose yourself in this bedazzling bliss.

Instagram – Spotify
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Band: LONGSTRYDE

Who: An Irish indie trio, the core of two brothers, Tommy and Ricky. The name ‘Longstryde’ again has familial origins, taken from the brother’s grandmother as she yelled in support of Ricky as he competed in sprints. The name took on a wider meaning for the brothers, becoming a mantra of determination and to succeed in spite of whatever obstacle might disrupt their path.


Single artwork

Single: SUPERHUMAN

TUTV: What a voice, what a tune, what a thrill. Longstryde is a glorious pop anthem that touches heart and soul all the way through, revved up with avid riffage. It’s the stimulating sort of ablaze piece that speeds up your adrenalin flow from the first spin on. Epic debut.


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Band: WENCH!

Who: Fresh indie trio from Hull (UK) who fuse Riot Grrrl punk with
alternative rock & pop. This all-female, all-queer outfit are actively
speaking out about misogyny and mistreatment of women, ensuring
their gigs are a safe space.

Single: SHREDS

“Shreds is a song for anyone who feel intimidated by social situations to an extent they don’t say what they mean. We believe in expressing ourselves in a raw & unfiltered way which can sometimes backfire but enables us to speak from the heart.”

TUTV: Fervid emotions flame up all the way through this exuberant cryout. At its core it’s
a powerhouse pop song hijacked by fierce guitars and relentless drum/bass explosiveness. On the overwhelming chorus, the singer scrapes the sky with hearty vocals and the intense climax tears your overheated stereo to shreds.

SHREDS


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Instagram – Facebook
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Photo by Ross Dunlop

Band: ESCAPE GOATS

Who: Three rockers from Glasgow who only
got together at the beginning of this year.

Why the name Escape Goats? 2024 is the Chinese year of…The Dragon.
But, The Dragon and the Goat make up one of the most compatible love
matches in the Chinese zodiac.

Single: MUHAMMED ALI

“Despite the tone of exacerbation, we actually do care about lots of things
and, unsurprisingly, none of us can really fight like Muhammad Ali (who can?).”

TUTV: This debut is a cranked-up razor-blade uppercut. Sinewy drumming,
blaring guitars and annoyed, ranting vocals storm together through a hefty haze of post-punk dissatisfaction. It feels like a helter-skelter punch to the face. I don’t think boxing icon Muhammed Ali was a punk, but his vicious left/right puissance is all over this outburst.

Instagram – Spotify
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Band: SOLITARY BEE

Who: A new musical project started
by 3 members of British of psych rock
act It’s Karma It’s Cool

Single: LOVE WAKES UP

TUTV: Love Wakes Up is a sugary sweet psych-pop melody with sparkling guitars
and crystalline vocals. It’s a gratifying song that evokes lovey-dovey feelings,
very welcome in these chaotic times we live in. Hear the brisk bee zooming.

STREAM


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Facebook
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Artists: THA FLICKER

Who: A duo with contrasting yet complementary artistic journeys. Giulia born in Sesto San Giovanni, infuses the project with her vibrant soul, creating intense melodies, profound lyrics, and a captivating voice. Marco born in Monza, brings an instinctive and meticulous approach to crafting their signature electronic sound.

Single: FADED FLOWERS

The song reflects the disillusionment of a generation grappling with
a world in decline, capturing both fragility and quiet resilience through
poetic imagery and layered soundscapes.

TUTV: This debut reflects our disturbing state-of-2024-mind with lots of human dramas going on all over the globe. Faded Flowers echoes confused emotions with an affectional vocality and an overall feverish resonance, reminiscinet of Florence + The Machine. There’s a Tha Flicker light at the end of the tunnel, people.

Linktree
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Artist: AWILD MIND

Who: An Irish songwriter based in Clare, Awild Mind brings a personal and empathetic touch to his music. With a knack for capturing emotions often left unspoken – anxiety, grief, sadness – and balancing them with moments of quirkiness and joy, his music feels both intimate and universal.

Single: BOYS OF THE CHOIR

The song’s narrative delves into the complexities of life – its stress, the weight of nostalgia, and the warmth and authenticity of the lyrics capture emotions that resonate universally.

TUTV: This fully-orchestrated, storytelling pop pearl awakes tender-hearted sentiments and lasting memories. Irish melancholia with an universal appeal in motion. Let the church bells ring, let the choir chorus touch your mellow intimacy.


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Instagram – Spotify
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Band: SPLEEN

Who: 3 young Italian dogs completing their
high school this year. They produce a melting
pot of grunge, punk, and noise.

Single: DYSTOPIC SCHOOL

TUTV: It’s always a thrilling pleasure to see/hear young gunslingers
get up, stand up and do your head in with a smashing debut. And this
is what happens here. Spleen turn up the amps and rattle ‘n’ rumble their
butts off. My ears detect some Green Day echoes and a salvo of fiery riffs
and sharp-cutting hooks. Way to go, raggazi!

Instagram – Spotify
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Band: DAFFODILDOS

Who: Queer indies from Brighton who are here to shout
about challenging socio-political issues and have a lot of
fun while doing it.

Single: NO PRIDE

The song touches on the fact that people mostly use Pride
as an excuse to party when actually the rest of the year, the
LGBTQIA community suffers from dangerous stigma and
abuse.

TUTV: An explicit middle-finger for all LGBTQIA-haters. To hell
with them. Queer-trans-punk trio Daffodildos entered the indie
scene this year with sharp-cutting knifes between their teeth and
are here to stay.’No Pride‘ is a fast-forward projectile that rattles
and battles for 251 barbed wire seconds.

“We’re here, we’re queer
We’re never gonna disappear.”


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Instagram – Spotify
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TUTV
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KISS BANG – Glamorous L.A. Duo Nail It Right Away With Their Revved-Up Debut Single ‘HORRORS OF YOUR HOMETOWN’

Posted on by JL

Daily noise that works faster than any stimulant

12 March 2024

Artists: KISS BANG
Who: Fresh power pop duo – Kaya Stewart
and Max Mercier – from Los Angeles

Debut single: HORRORS OF YOUR HOMETOWN
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.”

TUTV: Kiss Bang looks glamorous, have their glamorous debut single out that sounds glamorous. ‘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 eager limbs and lose yourself in this blistering bliss.

Wake up, people.
Kiss Bang is a fresh sensation.

KISS BANG: Instagram

TURN UP THE VOLUME’s JUKEBOX 2024 – 10 New Tracks Added Every Week

Posted on by JL

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


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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