Knockout Tracks August 2021

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

Posted on by JL

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

All together on Spotify…

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Knockout by knockout…

‘Before You Gotta Go’ by COURTNEY BARNETT (Australia)

An infectious ditty, bouncing in your head before it ends. If this, simply irresistible, tune doesn’t do anything for  you, you gotta go to your shrink. From Barnett’s new, upcoming album Takes Time, Take Time, out 12th November.

Catchy as hell…

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‘Hot Summer’ by PRINCE (US)

Summer is only over when it’s over. Still time to move and groove to this disco
stomper from the recently released lost Prince album Welcome To America.

Make your move here, ladies and gents…

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‘Go Get A Tattoo’ by FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES feat. Lynks

Why don’t we all get a tattoo, suggests Frank. I think he’s right, it’s
the only way to really go nuts to this bangtastic jackhammer. From
the band’s 4th longplayer called Sticky, arriving in October.

Smash your TV…

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‘Security’ by AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS (Australia)

“I’m not looking for trouble, I’m looking for love / Let me in your hard heart Let me in your pub” sings Amyl over and over again with fervency and tons of gusto, while flamed-up guitars go mental. A blast from new album Comfort To Me, out 10th September.

Hit hit hit, Amyl…

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‘Aire & Calder’ by ULTRASOUND (UK)

These passionate British glam-prog rockers unleash a deluxe edition of their
1999 double debut LP Everything Picture on 24 September. More info here.

Here’s a new video clip for one of the album’s highlights ‘Aire And Calder‘…

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‘Soap And Cigarettes‘ by Nun habit (London)

A queer five-piece from London who play fun, fuzzy garage rock. Their songs are a mishmash of influences all pulled together by a love of loud noises, pop tunes, and
having a good time. ‘Soap And Cigarettes‘ is a stand-out knockout from their brand
new album Hedge Fun.

Trust me, you can’t resist this vibrant vibe…


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‘You And Me’ by THE RUDDY RUCKUS (Canada)

This ardent 4-piece flames with force on this new riff-roaring ripper. They operate somewhere between Green Day and Weezer, with peppery panache, gusty guitars,
vivid vocals, and a cracking chorus.

Scream along…

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‘What’s Wrong With People?’ by PESCH (Belgium)

Darkwave electricity from Belgium. Haunting and ominous. You can smell Doomsday waiting around the corner. It’s 2021, folks, we need to fix our problems now. This sickly sticky roller coaster is a call to arms.


What’s wrong with all of us..

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‘Highway To Hell’ by TOM MORELLO feat. Eddie Vedder and Bruce Springsteen

Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello launches his new album titled
The Atlas Underground Fire on 15 October. He invited several friends, like
Springsteen and Vedder for a bombastic version of AC/DC’s classic headbanger.

Yessssss…

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‘Queen Of Swords’ by TYPHOID ROSIE (Brooklyn, US)

The speedy and steamy title track is one of the fired-up highlights of the new album of this punked-up Brooklyn squad. A zigzagging collection of amplified belters to start and end post-lockdown parties with. More info here.


Rock your ass off here…

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‘Money Song’ by ROYAL CASTLES (Canada)

Wham bam, bloody bam! From the kick-off Money Song booms, bangs and batters. Hefty guitars blare in between and raise your blood pressure on the spot. And when the blissful chorus pops up it’s time to leave your cocoon and let your body do its thing. Don’t wait to boost your stream of adrenalin.

Act now, dance now, party now.

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‘And Tomorrow’ by LORE CITY (Portland, US)

A stunning and shadowy top piece from this duo’s equally stunning
album Participation Mystique. And Tomorrow sounds cinematic,
atmospheric and spacey. Join Lore City on their journey.


Listen today and tomorrow too…


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‘No Regrets’ by SHE/BEAST (Sweden)

Wurlitzer jukeboxes were invented for these 60s inspired humdingers, so they could be played in dark bars downtown were broken hearts gather at midnight. One more thing:
do not mess with SHE/BEAST, she’s not in the mood for fucking assholes and psychos.
And she’s absofuckinglutly right.

Press play…


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‘Popstar’s Daughters’ by SHAUN RYDER (Manchester, UK)

The Happy Mondays frontman’s brand new solo album
Visits From Future Technology is hip-shaking proof
that he still can fill dance floors.

Here’s the trippy and poppy single…

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‘All Nations’ by NADINE GAGNE and The Star Nation Collective (British Columbia)

This resonates as a bright sonic light at the end of our troubled world tunnel. Only with togetherness, friendship, mutual respect, equality, harmony and tolerance, humankind can have hope for the future. This tremendously catching chant reflects all that. It’s a joyful, anthem that should be played on radios all over the planet.

“We are all stars, all stars come on now. Rise, rise and shine, gotta stay proud!”

Let’s get together…

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‘Heart Like Chernobyl’ by SOFT CELL (UK)

The song’s title is the gloom and doom harbinger for
a scary, realistic vision of how we live on the edge.

Tainted love…

Lead-single from new album *Happiness Not Included,
out in the Spring of 2022.

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‘See The Light’ by SHAUNA SEETEENAK (Iqaluit, Canada)

We need songs like these in the restless times we live in. Songs of hope, songs of consolation, songs of inspiration. Shauna wants humankind to fight to see the light
(at the end of the tunnel) again. Her thoughts are embedded in a starry-eyed and
instantly enthralling groove that hops from dreamy pop to hip-swaying rap and back.

See the light here…

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‘Nowhere’ by THE BLACK FEVER (Toronto)

Nowhere sounds like a desperation song, but one that has a deeply felt effect on your psyche, on your state-of-2021-mind. This spellbound jam is driven by melancholic guitar lines, reminding me of Interpol‘s electrically-charged drive. Affecting and soul-stirring fever.

Check it out…


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‘Skin’ by BASEMENT REVOLVER (Hamilton, Canada)

An inspiring reverie for the countless girls/women and boys/men worldwide, struggling with the looks of their body when it doesn’t correspond with society’s everlasting sexist perception of how a body should look like, as we all know. Skin is an instantly heartfelt
slo-mo musing, turning after a distorted guitar intro, into a vocal and musical pearl, with touching piano play. I’m sure The Sundays‘s Harriet Wheeler would love it.

Open your ears and eyes here…

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‘You Are A Runner And I Am My Father’s Son’ by PORRIDGE RADIO (Brighton, UK)

Porridge Radio‘s leading Amazon Dana Margolin is a fan of Canadian rockers Wolf Parade. Here’s her  terrifically gripping rendition of the band’s 2005 composition.

Just beautiful…

See/hear you next month, music junkies…

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

Posted on by JL

Turn Up The Volume‘s 15 Knockout Tracks for May 2021!
A storming stream of rattling rippers and jagged jams…

All together on Spotify…

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One by one…

‘AMERICAN COCKROACH’ by DEAP VALLY (Los Angeles)
Deap Vally is back at their rock-blues meanest. Steaming,
intimidating, and totally fired-up. Touchdown!

The title track from their second EP of the year.

Drop the bomb on me
Drop the bomb on me
I got armor on me Feed me anarchy
I am perfect, Evolutionary
You can’t kill me,
The world belongs to me…


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‘GUIDED BY ANGELS’ by AMYL & THE SNIFFERS (Australia)
Amyl rants again like a riot-gun rap punkette on an all-conquering mission.
From the gunslingers’ new, second album Comfort To Me, out in September.

Make way, folks, here she comes…

‘HEAT’ by WHISPERING SONS (Belgium)
This is the best Whispering Sons crackerjack my ears ever heard. Haunting, chilling,
and catchy as hell. This is a mad motherrocker with frontwoman Fenne sounding like
a female Scott Walker. A speedy stomper. Bingo!

From their 2nd album Several Others.

Turn up the heat here…

‘ZOOM ZOOM’ by TOYAH (Birlingham, UK)
With beloved husband Robert Fripp, Toyah puts up a hilarious cover show every Sunday
for months now, but now she’s back in her own special way. Zoom Zoom rattles and rolls with funky flair, hip-shaking hooks, and glamorous gusto. This sticks all the way. Score!

From her upcoming album Posh Pop, out 27th August.

Start a revolution, talk like Andy Warhol and become a millionaire here…

‘OH!’ by THE LINDA LINDAS (Los Angeles)
After going viral with previous single Racist, Sexist Boy the young Riot grrls hit again with
a pithy pop-punk roller that thunders ahead from the flashy get-go and rushes to its hurrah finale.

Pretty cool, pretty wild, pretty Lindas…

‘I, MORON’ by LOVELY EGGS feat. Stooges icon Iggy Pop
The menacing way immortal icon Iggy Pop pronounces moron several times, makes
you desperately hope you’re not one, all the more so that a jackhammer is drilling
along Pop‘s intimidating tone. Bang-on stunner!

Moron, moron, moron…

‘COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN’ by REAL SICKIES (Edmonton, Canada)
No brakes. No special effects. Only red-hot-blooded hullabaloo. Louder than
the Ramones. Sickies don’t talk, they roar. Sickies don’t pretend, they are 4 real.
Real Sickies are for rockers, for punks, and for noisemakers. Hallelujah!

From their smoking new album Love Is For Lovers.

Play this loud, very loud…

‘BLAME IT’ by MARLOW (East Sussex, UK)
I have had this instant knockout on repeat since I discovered it last week.
A solid gold stormer “about the lack of communication in relationships and
how people try to avoid responsibility for their issues by shifting the blame onto
others and coming up with excuses.”

Its sticky pop melodiousness, its hefty panache, its passionate vocals, and
its fiery chorus are simply irresistible. Don’t blame Marlow. They rock big time!
One of the best singles of 2021! Fact!

Here‘s why…

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‘WHEN THE WHIP GOES CRACK’ by THE BATTERY FARM (UK)
This spine-chilling, self-flagellation outcry sizzles like a vicious serpent. Prepare yourself
for a demons-inflicted nervous breakdown, for a jagged jam that makes the hair in your neck stand up. Slowly but surely the intensity goes up and the insanity kicks in. Infuriating powers take over until the out-of-breath end. Goodness, gracious!

Get impressed right here…

‘DEFEND YOUR TEMPLE’ by TYPHOID ROSIE (Brooklyn)
Imagine imperishable rockers Green Day fronted by a rousing female fury.
A loud and clear feminist you better not mess with her. This punk ‘n slam
stonker will get you out of your lazy couch in a blink of an eye.

From the band’s upcoming LP Queen Of Swords.

Wham! Bloody bam…


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‘OLD JOE’ by SEADOG (Brighton, UK)
Old Joe moves and grooves from the kick-off. Its ongoing Krautrock-like hypnotizing spell, its energizing synth mesmerism, its repetitive beat, its echoing vocals, all contribute to the psychedelic impact of this exciting trip. Once you’ve joined the ride, you won’t get off. Clear-cut crackerjack!

Experience the vibrant vibe…

‘MAKE UP YOUR DAMN MIND’ by SINGLE RUIN (Brighton, UK)
Swirling electro-pop with an unwavering ongoing bass beat à la Modest Mouse that gets under your skin before turning and twisting surprisingly towards the end. Fascinating piece! From the new 7-track EP Unique.

Tune in here…

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‘TIME TRAVEL‘ by PARTEFACTS (Berlin, Germany)
Imagine: Hundreds of sweaty bodies dancing hyperkinetically in a shadowy Berlin discotheque on a feverish Saturday night. Everybody minds their own business,
everybody ignores the pandemic reality for a while. Funky shake-your-booty bangers
like these are ravishing and rapturous. Exactly what we need right now.

Get up and go gaga ..

‘THE EAR FAIRY’ by MONSIEUR POMPIER’S TRAVELLING FREAKSHOW (Dublin, Ireland)
Puzzling eccentricity by Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Freaks Club Band. This town ain’t big enough for Sparks and Mister Pompier jumping out-t of-the-normality box with synth-asia pop. Don’t worry, be a weirdo and do the French cancan.

From the new bizarro album Teatime Terrors.

Start the show here…

‘HONEY I BELIEVE’ by TRICKSHOOTER SOCIAL CLUB (Chicago)
This first upbeat single made my fingers snap, my feet tap, and my head twist from the flaming get-go. This rollin’ ripper gets under your skin and in your veins without asking permission, and, trust me, you’ll love it. Clear your room and lose yourself.

Move here to the beat…

‘DIG ME UP’ by HANNAH ROBINSON (England)
The rock swagger of Sheryl Crow, the melodramatic richness of
Florence Welch, and a vivid voice as imposing as St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The combination of those envigorating elements leads to emotional
resurrection. Dig Me Up is Robinson’s sonorous and liberating triumph.

Press play here…


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‘FRIENDLY IS BETTER’ by WOLF VANWYMEERSCH (Belgium)
Wolf could be the singer of Belgian top band Balthazar, Wolf could be the unknown
brother of Bonnie “Prince” Billy, but at the end of the day, Wolf is Wolf. After his wistful debut single Not To he continues his musing journey, on his horse, with this slo-mo meditation. Friendly is better, Wolf is better.

Catch the friendly mood here…

‘ALL THE LOVE YOU GIVE‘ by THE FOREIGN FILMS (Canada)
After a bang bang bang intro, you enter Beatles territory. Melodic splendor polyphonic harmonies and All You Need Is Love trumpets. This is 60s pop splendor at its sunlit finest. Feels like we’ll have new flowers in our hair this summer. The swinging sixties spirit. Lovely!

New album Starlight Serenade out today.

Enjoy the sun here…


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‘THE LIONS DEN‘ by TMCF (UK)
A shadowy dream-tune with a rotating rhythm making you run to the first dance
floor you find around. Pirouette yourself dizzy, folks, and forget these viral lion’s
den times for 339 seconds. Trust me, it helps to activate your body’s movements.

Make your best moves here…

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‘REMEMBER WE WHERE LOVERS’ by Bobby Gillespie and Jehnny Beth
Surprising collaboration between the frontman of Primal Scream and front lady of Savages. They bring those 60s melancholia stars Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood back to life, and it works wonderfully. Dim the light and hit some candles. From the new album Utopian Ashes.

Time to relax…

See/hear you next month, music junkies…