Artist: MAVIS STAPLES Who: Legendary soul/blues/rock voice who, along with family, had a long and
greatly accomplished career under the name ofThe Staple Singers (1948-1994).
She’s 86 now, singing and swinging like a 36-year-old.
Band: CHARM SCHOOL Who: The latest project from singer-songwriter Andrew Sellers
who, originally from Louisville, has paid his dues in both the
NYC and LA DIY music scenes.
Angus Rogers (frontman): “Rock and roll music for the empty and stunning.
A song about contempt, appetite, impotence and self-preservation through
gyration. Enjoy superficially with your body and send the reeling mind on
to hell.”
TUTV: Wham Bam! Yeah Yeah! Go Go! Oh my Oh My! Razzle Dazzle!
This is the kind of adrenaline-pumping thrills I wait impatiently for
every single day.
Get up, stand up, and fight
for your right to show off.
“‘Although it’s a big, joyous dance track, it’s about hiding deep emotional pain and trauma and how hedonistic coping mechanisms, like drugs, alcohol, and womanizing, are just temporary distractions.”
TUTV: This is what amazing pop-ular music is all about. Big melody, big emotions, big orchestration. Euphorically sticky as first-class glue despite its dramatic ‘real life‘ story. Aftermath soul-searching can work cathartically.
Who: Irish post-punk whirlwind, led by charismatic
voice/songwriter/guitarist Karla Chubb.
Track: BETTER
Along with Something’s Gonna Happen, my top fav track
on their brand new, second LP, called All That Is Over.
TUTV: Every time I play this pure punk-rock gem, I feel way better.
It’s striking swagger, superb groove, passionate duet vocals, and
high-strung guitar play mesmerize.
Who: The moniker of Massachusetts‘ chilling singer-songwriter Izzy Hagerup. She released her debut album Through The Window
in 2023.
Track: SYSTEM
First new piece and title track from her
2nd LP, coming our way on October 3rd.
Hagerup: “When I wrote ‘System’ I was supposed to be present and alive
and gracious and happy. But somehow I couldn’t escape my own internal
fears and depression that can follow me wherever I go.”
TUTV: What a brilliant torch song. Weeping guitars come and go while Hagerup‘s heart-stopping vocals cause goosebumps. And what a fuming
finale.
TUTV: Its ominous mid-tempo dynamics, its distorted vocals, and its riff-psychotic razzmatazz resonate as if you are listening to the scary theme song of a horror movie.
At the 2.30 minute mark, all hell breaks loose.
From a whisper to a scream. From planet Earth
to Dante‘s Inferno.
Track: FOUR
One of the highlights from their
brill 2nd LP Never Exhale
TUTV: Ditz operate in a very dark place. Sonically, as well as lyrically.
In the middle Cal Francis barks at the moon, while dense drones
infiltrate your shocked ears. Inhale, exhale.
TUTV: This 4-piece grab you by the throat from the kick-off and never lose their firm grip, while vociferous vocalist Marie De Graeve‘s has a crushing impact on your petrified stereo. Liar is a titanic motherrocker that pulverizes the Richter scale in just 250 seconds. Queens Of The Stone Age, Deftones and Black Sabbath come to mind.
TUTV: OMG! What a riot-gun banger. These Irishmen create suffocating havoc with
a maddening mix of nasty racket that brings illegal-decibels-producing bands such as
NIN and Metz to my cooking mind.
TUTV: Ecstasy. Elation. Euphoria. Exhilaration. This electro smack makes
you bounce and jump on your pogo-stick. They punch you in the teeth
without asking, while having fervent fun.
Who: Belgian noise rock trio whose sound draws influences from bands such
as Black Midi, Tool, Battles, and Swans, blending dissonance with a strong sense
of identity.
Track: NANDOR
Piece from their ace
3rd album Trois.
TUTV: What the fuck! From the very kick-off, chainsaw guitars do your
brain in. Electric chair electricity throughout. No way to escape. Neurotic
vocals complete this blitzkrieg assault.
Band: DOWN THE LEES Who: The post-rock noise project of seasoned Canadian
singer/songwriter/guitarist Laura Lee Schultz. DTL released
3 notable albums, so far.
Track: MIDI DORIC
First single. A song that deals with the
isolation and depression of the pandemic.
TUTV: A characteristic DTL thunderstorm, cranked up by blustery bass lines,
monstrous guitar riffs, Herculean drumming, Schultz‘s sky-scraping vocals and
a volcanic finale. One of the best noizz rock bands around.
TUTV: It’s a sublime, crystalline pop nugget, with its hypnotizing guitar riff,
the non-stop drum beat and the intertwined, spellbinding vocals of Win Butler
and his spouse, Régine Chassagne.
Band: KASABIAN Who: British star rockers from Leicester. One of the best bands
of the past 25 years on record and on stage, in my book.
Track:HIPPIE SUNSHINE.
Lead single from their forthcoming
9th LP. Details TBA.
TUTV: Expect a mega vitalizing, disco-charged haymaker.
Since co-founder/songwriter/frontman Serge Pizzorno pulls
all the band’s strings, he provides dynamite tunes you can
throw 24-hour parties with.
Who: One of the most adventurous/inventive/original post-punk & dub artists/performers
ever. He was a founding member of genre-bending new wave group The Pop Group and released lots of solo and collaborative records. Unfortunately, he passed away 2 years ago,
only 62.
Track: MEMORY OF YOU
Single from Stewart‘s solo album The Fateful Symmetry,
which was completed early 2023, not long before his passing.
TUTV: Haunting, synth-symphonic and bang-tastic,
with Mark‘s characteristically energetic voice on top.
First single from their forthcoming 4th full-length, their
first in 4 years, slated for release in September 2026.
TUTV: Holy Coves are back, and they don’t waste time. It’s full steam ahead from
the get-go. Eager guitars and sinewy drumming inject this sweltering steamroller with
a flaming briskness that causes a kinetic reverberation, while Marsden emotive vocals accentuate the song’s sad sentiments.
Who: 2-piece from Birmingham (UK) – Euan Woodman (drums/vocals) and Tom Rhodes (bass/vocals) – born in late 2023 over a shared love of noise, literature and late night shebeens. They write music about love and hate. They’re good for your soul.
TUTV: Warning. This insanely groovy punk blast will bulldoze all over your shocked speakers. Expect a superheated funky firestorm that attacks the Richter scale with a shattering impact. A manically jagged jackhammer it is. Trust me, you’ll think you like them, VERY MUCH, while you bang your head into your fridge’s door.
Who: A collective with members scattered across the UK and the Netherlands.
This group, now comprising seven members, has its roots in a trio that expanded
over the past four years.
New track: WET LEATHER
Piece from their sophomore
LP Total Technik.
TUTV: Kraut-rock and roll with an intoxicating force. A wall-of-guitar-pyrotechnics rollercoaster. An overpowering tempest of rambunctious riffs. Voltaic psychedelia
at its spine-chilling best, bombarding your ears the way you like it.
Who: The musical project of singer-songwriter-poet Jamie Cameron. Hailing from
the Scottish Borders, the music blends lo-fi beats, synths and guitars with spoken word lyrics in which he discusses subjects ranging from politics and premonitions to self help culture, and a modern society obsessed with economic thinking.
TUTV: This rattling rap ‘n’ punk roll crackerjack swings forth and back, left
and right and Jamie Cameron’s full of vim and vigour word-flow activates all
of your insatiable limbs before he relaxes towards the synthy end. Kinetic throb.
Hands up for the coach.
TUTV: A nasty bass riff motorizes this rollicking psych jam that seems to go on
like forever, and when the powerhouse chorus kicks in, your ears are instantly
overwhelmed. Life Is Joy is one of those riff-crazy haymakers that stick after just
Who: Mysterious trio with an inimitable take on
humanity’s downward spiral into a dysfunctional
entropic existence. They unleashed their punk-groovy
debut EP Like You last year.
TUTV: This arresting, melancholic song is heart-rending. Its bluesy guitar
radiance, its bass-beat-heavy cadence, and despondent vocals get under
your skin. Its melodic catchiness has irresistible written all over it.
TUTV: A razzle-dazzle steamroller that gets under your skin faster
than you can say “this is bloody superb”. Its insane, mind-bending
course doubles your serotonin production on the spot.
Who: Must hear/see indies from Brighton (where everybody is in a band).
They cruise from folk to punk, using, besides traditional instruments (guitar,
bass and drums) also cello, flute, violin and other classical gear.
TUTV: These young wolves bulldoze their way through the daily
bullshit we have to endure with a knife between their teeth. Sippy Cup
is a bruising, full of vim and vigor, uppercut hitting where it hurts.
Artist: MARK STEWART Who: One of the most adventurous/inventive/original
post-punk & dub artists/performers ever, who passed away 2 years,
aged 62. He was a founding member of genre-bending new wave
group THE POP GROUP back in 1977. They recorded/released
a total of 4 albums.
As a prolific solo artist, he scored 7 LPs, collaborated with countless
other artists, and caused poignant waves with his Mafia outfit.
New Album:THE FATEFUL SYMMETRY
Released posthumously by Mute Records,
3 weeks ago.
Mute Records: “Mute is extremely honoured to announce Mark Stewart’s new solo
album ‘The Fateful Symmetry’, a vital masterwork completed early 2023. Testifying to
his prolific, unrelenting ingenuity, and signifying one of his most intimate, empowering statements, The Fateful Symmetry is a fierce and beautiful manifesto for a better world. “
TUTV: Posthumous releases of favorite artists have two sides. One, you’re reminded
of the passing of a beloved musician, and two, you get excited as new material is released. In this case, very good new material. No archives dump, or out-takes, weird rarities, and other low-quality stuff. The Faithfull Symmetry is a splendid, final opus by a unique musical mind.
Stewart‘s expresses again his mixed emotions about humanity and its messy planet. Both pessimistic and optimistic reflections, but always with sparks of hope. Musically, it’s a very accessible pop record with several crooning musings, This Is The Rain, Twilight Child, Crypto Religion, and the wonderful, goosebumps closer A Long Road (made me instantly think of his good friend and fan Nick Cave).
His characteristic, captivating voice, both heartrending and heartwarming at the same time, feels so real, so close, and as always, engaged and genuine. Mark Stewart was one
of a kind and will always be in my book. Thank you, MuteRecords, for this posthumous treasure, one to cherish
Band: WET LEG Who: Isle Of Wight (UK) pop sensation, Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers, who
attracted tons of attention with their prizewinning self-titled debut LP from 2022.
The Independent (English newspaper): “Far from being burned out, or being
bullied into selling out, by the sudden wave of global fame, they’ve doubled down
on their own weird energy. Moisturizer’s uncanny electricity is off the voltmeter.”
TUTV: The girls and band fabricated the album in an isolated, remote house
in the countryside, written in a creative frenzy, diving into themes of obsession
and all-consuming love. A record mostly inspired by Teasdale falling in love, in
her first queer relationship, in 2021. Again, her lyrics are witty, sarcastic/cynical,
double-edged and at times quite absurd. There’s a lot of love and lust involved.
“I can make you sticky / Make you hot screaming for after sun.
I can make you beg / Can make you wet like an aquarium”
“Would you still love me if I was a worm?”
“You’re the rock to my roll / You’re the sand between my toes /
Sweet baby girl, we go like salsa and Doritos”.
Teasdale‘s new look: dyed hair, dyed eyebrows, and sexy lingerie outfit fit
her sultry mindset. Sonically, they sound somewhat heavier here and there,
but overall their effective formula – sticky, edgy, upbeat tunes – colors
also this 2nd effort.
Artist: GINA BURCH Who: Co-founder/bassist of British post-punk outfit The Raincoats (1977-1984).
One of the top indie bands in the UK back then. They released 3 LPs, then called
it a day.
In 1993, they reunited, fabricated another album (1996),
launched reissues and rarities, and gigged now and then.
Birch was/is very active as a film/videomaker, working
for big names such as The Libertines and New Order.
In 2023, she released her critically acclaimed solo debut
LP I Play My Bass. It was released through Jack White’s
Third Man Records.
New Album: TROUBLE
Her 2nd one, again released via the
former white stripe’s record label.
Birch: “It’s a bit out there, a bit off the tracks, and I always like to go there. I unofficially subtitled the album ‘Trouble I’ve Caused and Trouble I’m In’, so the songs are based around
that feeling—that dangerous place to be.”
“These songs came to me like a radio tuning, the airwaves going along, and I just plucked them out of the air. Something just clicks in the atmosphere, and I just take it. I’m not writing an opus about one thing. I’m writing an opus about being me.”
TUTV: Hey, all you people in trouble out there (the whole planet, I guess, each one in his/her own way) close your eyes and let your ears get massaged by this introspective, soul-searching record. You’ll feel like being in the middle of a gratifying dream with no intention whatsoever to wake up soon. Well, that’s what my troubled inner ego experienced.
Birch moves and grooves in dub bass motion juiced with swollen, resounded orchestrations here and there, while reggae echoes add a party feel. Most of all Trouble entertains your confused 2025 state of mind. Its slow/fast trippy swagger
has a hip-shaking impact, and her expressive vocals match the full picture like a
glove. Stay yourself, stay in trouble, doom monger. I’m sure the late great dub
wizard Lee “Scratch” Perry would have digged this kind of sonic trouble too.
Press info: “Across the album, the lyrics are conversational, often stemming from
in-jokes, while the subject matter spans the full range of the feminine experience.
Irresistible because of their simplicity and charming because of their familiarity,
The sonic equivalent to a coming-of-age film unfolding over a single night, Panic
Shack takes the shape of a bender, beginning by approaching a bar and ending
with an impassioned speech at sunrise about how much you love your friends.
Swerving the expected topics of sex and romance, the entire
album revolves around the ionic bond between the four girls.”
The Guardian (British newspaper): “Panic Shack’s music the same effect as
popping a bottle of Prosecco – explosive, intoxicating, and delightfully chaotic.”
Album artwork
TUTV: Panic Shack are Bikini Kill 2025. Less political but straight in your face anyway, with
a similar screamy riotousness and an afire appetite for perky parties in pubs and booze bars. Their power-pop-punk blitz causes effervescent waves of lust for life, full of joy and ahoy. The loud and clear opposite of The Stooges ‘No Fun’.
Artist: YUNGBLUD Who: English singer-songwriter celeb born, named Dominic Richard Harrison 27 years ago.
He released his debut EP in 2018. From there on it he headed to stardom in a straight line.
With #1 albums in seven countries and a reputation for defying
convention, Yungblud describes Idols as “a project with no limitations.”
Kerrang says: “It’s a go-getter of a record that pays homage to the greats whilst
still feeling brand new. Yungblud’s outlandishness makes him a hard pill to swallow
for some, but his guts, drive, and devotion to his craft cannot be denied.”
TUTV: His best. Whether he unleashes uptempo, slow tempo or mid-tempo tunes
on your speakers, Yungblud scores. Half the album contains singles and worthy tracks. Wowzers.
His passionate, dynamic and vitalized performances, juiced with some drama, bombast and lost of rhapsody lift this new record to hit status. Ladies and gents, we have a pop-ular winner.
TUTV: Jangly indie Britrock at its arousing best. No way to not go
bonkers when this rip-roaring The Strokes-like anthem infiltrates
your ears. Trust me, one spin and you’re hooked. You know
where to find the repeat button.
Band: SOULWAX, Who: Belgian brothers David and Stephen Dewaele‘ working together
for 30 years now, with diverse projects. They DJed the world around
as 2manydjs, had their own Radio Soulwax, and produced/remixed
countless other artists.
Track: RUN FREE
One of two new shared pieces from their 6th LP,
titled All Systems Are Lying and on your stereo
on October 17th.
Album artwork
“We wanted to capture the feeling of a band playing electronic instruments,
live, loud and loose. This record is the result of that experiment. It’s a rock
album made without any electric guitars.”
TUTV: Anderson stars, once again, in the middle with an overwhelming vocal performance, peaking on the epic chorus, and he’s backed by a full of vim and vigour drums/bass tandem and glimmering guitars.
Oberst: “It’s an homage to ska in all its waves. From Desmond Dekker
to Tim Armstrong, we’re just happy to add our track to the bin. The video
is inspired by NYC 90s hip hop, which like ska, has a long tradition of unifying
people & using celebratory music to convey subversive political themes. To be
played loud. Windows down. Summertime.”
TUTV: Sounds and feels like you are
ska-ing on a shaky merry-go-round.
Big fun. Big tune.
Isbell has reissued his 10-year-old album Something More Than Free
digitally. It will be available on physical media on October 3. It includes
this previously unreleased track, a B-side for one of the LP’s singles.
TUTV: Fortunately, this psychedelic, slide-guitar ripper didn’t go missing.
It resonates like a swamp blues burner spiced with good old organ play
and Isbell‘s firm voice. Totally cool.
Band: MELT MOTIF Who: An experimental band based in Bergen, Norway, and São Paulo, Brazil.
Known for their unique fusion of genres, they blend elements of metal, dark
electronic, darkwave, industrial, and more.
So far, they have released two albums and their respective remixes.
A new full-length is waiting in the pipeline to be released in September.
TUTV: It’s a nasty industrial brainfucker motorized by fierce percussion
and ominous vocals. Its haunting and bloodcurdling progression has an
instant impact on your psyche. This is sick shit. I love it.
Band: NRVS Who: Mysterious trio with an inimitable take on
humanity’s downward spiral into a dysfunctional
entropic existence. They unleashed their punk-groovy
debut EP Like You last year.
“Just another dumb song about love found & lost within
the wreckage! It happens… what are you gonna do?”
TUTV: This arresting, melancholic song sticks after just one spin. Its bluesy guitar
radiance, its bass-beat-heavy cadence and despondent vocals get under your skin.
Its melodic catchiness has irresistible written all over it. In a normal world this should
be a bloody big hit.
TUTV: Full steam ahead from the get-go, motorized by bedazzling guitars,
a relentless drum beat, and peppy vocals culminating in a pungent chorus. Lobsterbomb‘s appetite for blistering pop punk is insatiable. Don’t stop.
Band: IDLEWILD Who: Veteran Scottish
indie pop team.
Track: IT’S NOT THE FIRST TIME
Newest single from their upcoming 10th, self-titled
album, their first one in 6 years. It’ll hit the streets
on 3 October.
TUTV: Vintage Idlewild. Nostalgia and romanticism
wrapped in a sticky guitar pop melody. Welcome back.
TUTV: Your World is a glammy, full-riff-blooded, rollicking burner.
All amps up, all decibels up, while afire guitars have an ongoing
sonic fight with a badass bass and a chorus that goes airborne
every time it pops up, powered by frisky vocals.
Band: EDITRIX Who: Disorderly noise trio from Easthampton, Massachusetts.
Track: FLESH DEBT
New piece from their upcoming 3rd LP,
titled The Big E. It’ll show up on July 25.
TUTV: Bass and guitar have a metallic riff contest while vocalist Wendy Eisenberg
tells us a story. A knock-down-and-drag-out finale will blow you off your socks.
Schizophrenic electricity!
Band: THE IRRATIONAL LIBRARY Who:The Irrational Library is a Dutch-American rock band with its roots
firmly planted in both the regional and international counterculture.
Track: NOTES FROM THE PLAYGROUND Newest single from their
forthcoming, 5th full-length ‘The Saying Of It All‘. More details TBA.
TUTV: Wham bam. Here comes the rumbling blues train once again. Rollin’ and steamin’, always thundering to the pounding heartbeat of its fat groove, while hungry guitars and Joshua Baumgarten‘s stirring vocals inflame this rough ripper with extra fuel.
Band: NEWMOON Who: Popular Belgian
melodic shoegazers.
Track: SAME DISTANCE
Piece that should have been on their excellent 2024 album Temporary Light ,
but it didn’t due to vinyl constraints. It was never intended as a single or B-side.
TUTV: Yes, it would have been an unquestionable highlight on the album. But on or off it, it’s great to have this phantasmagoric pearl right now. A dream-in-motion beauty for the ears, mind, and soul. Made me immediately think of Brian Eno‘s ambient atmospherics. Wonderful. Truly wonderful.
Afterward, everybody went their own way, but they reunited in the 21st Century
for 2 more longplayers, Citizen Zombie (2015) and Honeymoon On Mars (2016).
As a prolific solo artist, he scored 7 LPs, collaborated with countless
other artists, and caused poignant waves with his Mafia outfit.
Here’s his new solo one, named THE FATEFUL SYMMETRY
released posthumously by Mute Records.
Album artwork
English indie labelMute Records issued this statement.
“Mute is extremely honoured to announce Mark Stewart’s new solo album ‘The Fateful Symmetry’, a vital masterwork completed early 2023. Testifying to his prolific, unrelenting ingenuity, and signifying one of his most intimate, empowering statements, The Fateful Symmetry is a fierce and beautiful manifesto for a better world. “
TUTV: Posthumous releases of favorite artists have two sides. One, you get reminded about the passing of a beloved musician, and two, you get excited as new material is offered. In this case, very good new material. No archives dump, or out-takes, weird rarities and other low-quality stuff. The Faithfull Symmetry is a splendid, final opus by a unique musical mind.
Stewart‘s expresses again his mixed emotions about humanity and its messy planet. Both pessimistic and optimistic reflections, but always with sparks of hope. Musically, it’s a very accessible pop record with several crooning musings, This Is The Rain, Twilight Child, Crypto Religion, and the wonderful, goosebumps closer A Long Road (made me instantly think of his good friend and fan Nick Cave).
His characteristic, captivating voice, both heartrending and heartwarming at the same time, feels so real, so close, and as always, engaged and genuine. Mark Stewart was one of a kind and will always be in my book. Thank you, MuteRecords, for this posthumous treasure, one to cherish
“‘Although it’s a big, joyous dance track, it’s about hiding deep emotional pain and trauma and how hedonistic coping mechanisms, like drugs, alcohol, and womanizing, are just temporary distractions. They ultimately fuel a self-destructive cycle. There’s a deliberate contrast between the euphoria of the music and the melancholy of the lyrics, capturing the subject’s duality of light and darkness.”
TUTV: This is what great pop-ular music is all about. Big tune, big emotions, big orchestration. Euphorically cacthy despite its dramatic ‘real life‘ story. Aftermath
soul-searching can work cathartically, and here it sounds pretty boosting.
TUTV: These utterly cool Welsh punkettes drive you bonkers with
this bass-insane punk ‘n’ roll uppercut. Kick-ass band, kick-ass attitude,
kick-ass blast.
Band: PUNCHBAG Who: A new brother-sister party duo, from South London colliding the raw unfiltered energy of punk, with the overflowing ecstasy of pop. With fierce tempos and ferocious energy, their music is an explosively cathartic release of raw intensity and unapologetic fun.
TUTV: Ecstasy. Elation. Exhilaration. This flamboyant electro-slam makes
you bounce and jump like mad. Punchbag kick you in the teeth without
asking while having uppercut fun. And they’ve only just started.
“I wrote this one when I was feeling stuck and stagnant, but when I finally
brought it to the band they really breathed new life into it and made it feel
magic again!!”
TUTV: This sickly sticky steam-riff-roller drives me crazy. Head-twisting stonker.
Band: BOB VYLAN Who: Controversial hip-punk-hop
duo from London.
Track: DREAM BIGGER.
A re-worked, re-named jackhammer single from
their 3rd album, Humble As The Sun released
last April.
TUTV: It features roasting vocals by the fantastic Australian punk
daredevil Amyl Taylor from Amyl And The Sniffers. She’s the perfect
sharp-mouthed match for this fierce flametrohwer.
Band: KNEECAP Who: Belfast‘s sharp-mouthed, notorious rap team KNEECAP – Mo Chara,
Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí – hip & hop around with a knife between their
teeth since 2017.
So far they released 2 albums.
Lately, they make headlines with their loud and clear, ongoing support for Palestine.
They got heavily critiqued for it when they played Coachella Festival in Indo, California
last April.
Then the UK’s right wing politicians jumped into it, and prosecuted Mo Chara after allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah last November (no verdict yet), and tried to get them banned from playing Glastonbury Festival next week. It gained them, rightly so, countless support from musical colleagues and fans.
To emphasize the whole political charade, the band just released a new single, named THE RECAP, going after Tory politician, business and trade minister Kemi Badenoch who started to hunt them back in 2023 when he withdrew an arts grant awarded to the band.
The trio brought a discrimination case against the U.K. government
and won, donating the proceeds to Belfast community groups. Yes!
Beth: “We’re living in a dark time, full of drama and barbarous tragedy.
It became clear to me that, in these times, we either learn how to scream
really well, or we learn how to whisper.”
TUTV: With this savage industrial shocker it’s crystal clear what Beth meant
when she talked about her amadant intention to make an agressive sound
on her new record. Obsession is a nine inch nails bombshell. Volcanic
2025 gloom and doom eruption.
TUTV: Post-punk aggression at its Mclusky‘s sharp-biting best,
gas-powered by a cast iron bass/drum tandem, schizo guitars
and Falkous‘s intimidating sneering.
Band: WHOLES Who: A fresh, rowdy hit team led by Belgian musical chameleon Wolf Vanwymeersch.
Track: MODERN DAY DRAMA
Single from their upcoming debut LP ‘A Mass In The Water, which lands
on 14 November.
Single artwork by Maxime Rouquart
TUTV: This hellraiser’s ominous mid-tempo dynamics, distorted vocals, and
riff-roasting razzmatazz resonate like if you are listening to the goosebumps
theme song of a horror movie.
Creepy tension in the air, melodrama about to happen. Yes, at the 2.30 minute
mark all hell breaks loose. Decibels up, amps up, temperature up. From a whisper
to a scream. From planet Earth to Dante‘s inferno.
Band: ARCADE FIRE Who: The famous pop-rock
collective from Canada.
Track:YEAR OF THE SNAKE
First single from their forthcoming 7th album, named Pink Elephant ready for release on May 9th. 2025 is
the ‘year of the snake‘ in the Chinese Zodiac.
TUTV: It’s a sublime, crystalline pop nugget, with its hypnotizing guitar riff,
the non-stop banging drum beat and the intertwined, spellbinding vocals of Win Butler and his spouse Régine Chassagne.
Band: THE IRRATIONAL LIBRARY Who:The Irrational Library is a Dutch-American rock band with its roots
firmly planted in both the regional and international counterculture. The Dutch-American band produces a raw, dirty groove influenced by punk,
provo and punk icons. Their poetry is packed with social criticism.
Track: TRUTH SERUM
First single from the quartet’s new, upcoming
5th LP ‘The Saying Of It All’. More details TBA.
Artwork by political cartoonistTRIK
TUTV: TIL is back in town. And they move and groove again with brio and gusto
motorized by a striking drum/bass tandem, while a 60s psychedelic flute flutters
like a butterfly throughout the song. Frontman Joshua Baumgarten draws your
aural attention (as usual) with his near-rapping phrasing of the clear-cut lyrics.
TUTV: An Artist Is An Artist is a sizzling sledgehammer
pushed by a mind-boggling speedy velocity, Skin‘s
hyperactive vocals, a paranoid sax and a flabbergasting chorus.
Artist:LAURA JANE GRACE Who: Chicago‘s notorious singer-songwriter who’s around since the 90s.
She makes a lot of noise with her punk group Against Me! (7 albums so far)
and solo (2 albums so far).
Grace: “Does God have a dick? Is that what those of the faith believe when they refer to their Lord as “he” & “him” & “father”? Well, imagine that! Oops, I think I may have imagined a little too hard and gone and written a song about it. He lord’s heavenly hammer must swing mighty! And away we go!”
TUTV: This is both a hilarious and punktastic choir chant reminiscent
of scream and shout Celtics Dropkick Murphys with a blustering storm
of surf riffs chainsawing your stereo into pieces.
Band: THE NEW EVES Who: Must hear/see indies from Brighton (where everybody is in a band).
They cruise from folk to punk, using, besides traditional instruments (guitar,
bass and drums) also cello, flute, violin, and other classical gear.
It’s a darkly-energised, female-first retelling of
writer/poet Alfred Noyes classic 1906 romantic
poem.
TUTV: These four musical mavericks don’t care about rock ‘n’ roll rules. They do what they want, the way they want to do it, annex unseen visual presence on stage and in video clips. On Highwayman they rattle and brattle full speed ahead motorized by restless drum/bass teamwork.
Here and there the tune, goes, eh, out of tune, and it sounds totally perfect for this emotional belter. No arty farty production for TNE. Winder-Lind‘s awesomely agitated vocals put a spell on you. My, oh my.
TUTV: A razzle-dazzle steamroller that gets under your skin faster
than you can say “this is bloody superb”. Its insane, mind-bending
course doubles your serotonin production on the spot.
Artist: MARK STEWART Who: One of the most adventurous/inventive/original post-punk & dub artists/performers
ever. He was a founding member of genre-bending new wave group The Pop Group and released lots of solo and collaborative records. Unfortunately, he passed away 2 years ago,
only 62.
Track: MEMORY OF YOU
Single from Stewart‘s solo album The Fateful Symmetry,
that was completed early 2023, not long before his passing.
TUTV: Haunting, synth-symphonic and boom-tastic,
with Mark‘s characteristically energetic voice on top.
Band: THE LIVING PINS Who: Indie outfit featuring, Carrie Clark and Pam Peltz, who found each other on
the edge of the delicately ramshackle playground of the 1990s Austin (Texas)
music scene. They released their 4-track debut EP Let It Be So in 2023.
TUTV: Gold is a bluesy, foot-tapping garage ripper that has an instant impact on your greedy ears with its solid swagger, its gloriously cracking guitars, with a feverish solo somewhere in the middle, and its cool duet vocals.
Artist: LIFE COACH Who: The musical project of singer-songwriter-poet Jamie Cameron. Hailing from
the Scottish Borders, the music blends lo-fi beats, synths and guitars with spoken word lyrics in which he discusses subjects ranging from politics and premonitions to self help culture, and a modern society obsessed with economic thinking.
TUTV: Life Coach are on fire, again. This new rattling rap ‘n’ punk roll crackerjack
swings forth and back, left and right and Jamie Cameron’s full of vim and vigour
word-flow activates all of your insatiable limbs before he relaxes towards the
synthy end. Kinetic kick. Hands up for the coach.
Tim Baker (founder and creative director): “The best of what we do in one song,
it’s a tune that really carries the soul of everything good we have stood for over the
last ten years”.
TUTV: Expect electrifying energy from the kick-off. Delirious guitars set
the haywire tone and hyperventilating vocals augment the buzzing fuzz.
A modern-day post-punk roller coaster.
Berlin-based artist KAT KOAN offers her first music of
the year with a new, jaunty little gem, called COCOON.
Koan: “It’s a little circus themed escape world. I wanted to create a bit of a dreamy
break from daily worries. It’s pretty crafty and full of cool instruments. It also features
my daughter for a brief moment. It’s my favourite song I’ve made so far.”
TUTV: Leave your own cocoon and move to Koan‘s one where she will treat
you with this lighthearted tune that swings in mid-tempo from left to right
and back.
It relaxes your mind, triggers you to set your busy plans on a hold, and invites
your body to have a waltz-y dance that transfers you to a utopian circus
place for a while, far away from our daily, suffocating rat race.
Afterward everybody went his own way, but they reunited in the 21st Century for
2 more longplayers, Citizen Zombie (2015) and Honeymoon On Mars (2016).
As a prolific solo artist he scored 9 LPs, collaborated with countless
other artists, and caused poignant waves with his Mafia outfit.
As announced before, a new Stewart album, named The Faithful Symmetry, will be released on July 11th.
Album artwork
English indie labelMute Records issued this statement.
“Mute is extremely honoured to announce Mark Stewart’s new solo album THE FATEFUL SYMMETRY, a vital masterwork completed early 2023. Testifying to his prolific, unrelenting ingenuity, and signifying one of his most intimate, empowering statements, The Fateful Symmetry is a fierce and beautiful manifesto for a better world. “
Following the two top-tier tracks Memory Of You and Neon Girl we get preview number three with a cover of British pop duo The Korgis hit Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime. Stewart turned the sugary tune into a mid-tempo, hip-shaking, and smooth dub reggae tune.
Single from the upcoming album, baptized Talkin’ To The Trees. It comes our way on
June 12th.
TUTV: No pension whatsoever for the incomparable rocker in the free world.
Middle-finger straight up, in the face of the ‘Me, myself and I‘ POTUS and his
arse-licking billionaire monkeys.
The lead single from their upcoming album #10,
named Antidepressants. It’ll arrive on Sept 5th.
New album artwork
TUTV: Disintegrate is a badass barnstormer revved up by radioactive guitar riffs,
a colossal drum beat, and, of course, Anderson‘s feverish vocals. Suede sound like
young dogmanstars once again. Take notes, all you ambitious rock snotnoses out
there.
2nd shared single from their forthcoming self-titled debut LP, out on July 18th.
TUTV: Party! Party! Party! These Welsh punkettes drive you bonkers with this
bass-insane punk ‘n’ roll uppercut. Kick-ass band, kick-ass attitude, kick-ass blast.
A cover of Mickey Lee Lane‘s 1965 firecracker, which, along with a remix of their 2022
song Jamie C’mon went digital last weekend and will be out on 7″ vinyl this summer.
TUTV: This is the kind of instant-affecting tunes that get all of your lazy limbs excited.
165 swirling seconds of punchy punk ‘n’ roll. An irresistibly uplifting upper. Bass and drum produce a battering beat, guitar riffs fly around and Linda Pardee‘s vivid vocals trigger you to get up, stand up and scream your lungs out when the ridiculously catchy chorus pops up.
Artist:JEHNNY BETH, Who:France-born, former frontwoman of female post-punk band Savages (2011-2017), who released her solo debut LP Love Is To Live
back in 2020.
Second shared piece from their upcoming debut LP ‘A Mass In The Water, which lands on 14 November.
Single artwork by Maxime Rouquart
TUTV: This new slam dunk’s ominous mid-tempo dynamics, distorted vocals,
and riff-roasting razzmatazz resonate like if you are listening to the goosebumps
theme song of a horror movie.
Creepy tension in the air, melodrama about to happen. Yes, at the 2.30 minute
mark all hell breaks loose. Decibels up, amps up, temperature up. From a whisper
to a scream. From planet Earth to Dante‘s inferno. Helter skelter.
TUTV: Lover is a vintage big Ashcroft tune. Sirenic
power pop, with Ashcroft repeating the track’s title
non-stop.
The song samples English singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading’s
1976 hit Love And Affection. When RA let Armatrading hear ‘Lover‘
she gave her blessing to release it.
Artist:MARK STEWART (Bristol, UK) Who: One of the most adventurous/inventive/original post-punk & dub artists/performers
ever, who passed away, unfortunately, 2 years ago, aged 62. He was a founding member of genre-bending new wave group The Pop Group
2nd shared piece from the upcoming album The Fateful Symmetry,
which Stewart completed in early 2023. It’ll arrive on 11th July.
. Mute Records
——————————————————————————————————————————-
– 11 –
Act: DICE MACHINE Who: Tandem Michael Daks & Drew Five. Their music is shaped by a wide range of
influences, from punk to electronic, making them sound both familiar & refreshingly unpredictable. Combining Daks‘ narrative artistry with electro-pop act Feral Five‘s Drew’s innovative production, they craft songs that resonate on multiple levels.”
TUTV: DM take you on an adrenalized punk ‘n’ roll ride from the kick-off.
No brakes, no breaks. Full steam ahead, pushed by a rip-roaring salvo of
guitar riffs and infused with intoxicating vocals. High-voltage magnetism
all the way through. Second single, second bullseye!
Band: MODEL/ACTRIZ Who: Electro act from Brooklyn.
Track: VERSPERS
Opener from their brand-new
2nd album, named Pirouette.
TUTV: A hyperkinetic electro/guitar-riff beat ticks on your head non-stop. It drives you crazy, and pushes your poor mind into a chilling daze. Sounds challenging, right? You bet.
Single from his brand-new 8th
solo longplayer Strawberries.
TUTV: Forster‘s motto is keep it simple, shake and swing your hips to the swirling rhythm, ignore the outside world, love your loved ones, and have fun, it always helps you to get you through the day.
TUTV: Lots of dance-fueled tunes this month. Even daydreamers Elbow have one to jump and down to in your bedroom/bathroom/kitchen/wherever, while you stay sober.
Lyrically, Donatella delves into her past to help vanquish demons that circle from previous trauma of manipulation and abuse. Through this primal scream of emotion, she is able to find liberation and rebirth.
TUTV: Spellbinding, riveting and fetching. This melodramatic discharge holds
your aural attention all the way. Moon‘s engrossing vocality works like a magnet.
Very promosing stuff.
A collaboration with Spanish
EBM producer Nightcrawler.
A track that exposes the puppeteering forces behind the system and
the disappearance of authenticity in a world shaped by fabricated
idols. It’s both a protest and a purge.
TUTV: Think techno experts The Chemicals Brothers with eerie vocals by a demon.
A maddening 90s master blaster for 24-hour parties where stroboscopes spin you
into a trance. To hell with all authoritarian politicians and meaningless celebs. Living
our lives the tolerant way we want is what we all should do, while going mental to bombastic beats and blustery bangs. It’s hammertime, folks.
The lyrics paint a picture blending imagery of horror and cannibalism. The song
portrays a character adrift in a world without moral boundaries, a being driven by
thirst and pleasure. The themes explore unrestrained hedonism, the loss of control,
and the banality of evil.
TUTV: Be ready for a sonic Stephen King -esque nightmare. Diabolic, bone-chilling and bloodcurdling. Perfect to play to your zombie friends. Play this tormenting serpent of
a track loud, and scare your neighbours.
Artist: TROUSER DRESS Who: East Yorkshire’s Carden Mucklin. A young genderqueer writing songs about random thoughts and feelings, pouring their lived experiences of being queer & trans, as well as their journey through the mental health jungle, into songwriting and photography.
“This was my first time creating a track that I didn’t have a plan for, or a set sound in my head. I wrote the four lines & guitar part but then shelved the song as everything I added didn’t feel right. When I brought it to producer Adam, we decided to keep the lyrics simple and to build it up with other sounds and layers. I wanted the song to feel almost like ruminations that spiral around but start from just a few sentences. I think we created the perfect sound!”
TUTV: Old Soul is an intriguing, trancey, and multi-instrumental chant.
Think folktronica siblings CocoRosie. Wayward and fascinating. Top piece.
TUTV: Post-punk aggression at its Mclusky‘s sharp-biting best,
gas-powered by a cast iron bass/drum tandem, schizo guitars
and Falkous‘s intimidating sneering.
“‘Politics on the Internet’ is about caring for yourself enough not to engage in the beast battle
all the time. You can talk to your brothers, parents, and friends. Prioritize your family and fight locally. Flinging verbal excrement at a screen isn’t the way. Love yourself, love others. Love, sex, being strong through kindness, the weight of political turmoil and technology on what is human in humanity.”
TUTV: Blimey. This pyrotechnics juggernaut has a knockout vehemence
that floors you in 150 seconds. To hell with shitty politics on the Internet,
these motherrockers are the real riff-raging deal.
Artist: MARK STEWART Who: One of the most adventurous/inventive/original post-punk & dub artists/performers
ever. He was a founding member of genre-bending new wave group The Pop Group and released lots of solo and collaborative records. Unfortunately, he passed away 2 years ago,
only 62.
Track: MEMORY OF YOU
First shared taster from Stewart‘s solo album The Fateful Symmetry,
that was completed early 2023, not long before his passing.
TUTV: Haunting, synth-symphonic and boom-tastic
with Mark‘s characteristically energetic voice on top.
Band: THE NEW EVES Who: Must hear/see indies from Brighton (where everybody is in a band).
They cruise from folk to punk, using, besides traditional instruments (guitar,
bass and drums) also cello, flute, violin, and other classical gear.
It’s a darkly-energised, female-first retelling of
writer/poet Alfred Noyes classic 1906 romantic
poem.
TUTV: These four musical mavericks don’t care about rock ‘n’ roll rules. Only 4 singles in, and it’s clear they do what they want, the way they want, annex unseen visual presence on stage and in video clips. On Highwayman they rattle and brattle full speed ahead motorized by restless drum/bass teamwork.
Here and there the tune, goes, eh, out of tune, and it sounds totally perfect for this emotional belter. No arty farty production for TNE. Winder-Lind‘s awesomely agitated vocals put a spell on you. Pure present-day punk. I want more.
The accompanying, eye-catching video is quite special too.
Band: WHOLES Who: A fresh, rowdy hit team led by Belgian, musical chameleon Wolf Vanwymeersch,
who played with several bands (pop, rock, sludge metal) and released a pure singer-songwriter pearl with solo debut album The Early Years back in 2022. Wholes are what remains after a soul has been detonated, what struck those around it, what could no longer be contained.
TUTV: Stoner rock dynamics and spiky garage blues disturbance work together to inject your eager ears with doom and gloom disturbance. Like dark clouds predicting a storm, like demons challenging each other, eye to eye, face to face. Wolf’s near-whispering, Josh Homme-esque vocals complete the ominous sonic picture.
Band: ARCADE FIRE Who: The famous pop-rock
collective from Canada.
Track:YEAR OF THE SNAKE
First single from their forthcoming 7th album, named Pink Elephant ready for release on May 9th. 2025 is
the ‘year of the snake‘ in the Chinese Zodiac.
TUTV: It’s a sublime, crystalline pop pearl, with its hypnotizing guitar riff, the non-stop
banging drum beat and the intertwined, spellbinding vocals of Win Butler and his spouse Régine Chassagne.
Artist:ANDY BELL Who: Best known as vocalist of British synth-pop duo Erasure with
former Depeche Mode/Yazoo keyboardist/songwriter Vince Clarke.
Track: HEART’S A LIAR
Newest single from his upcoming 3rd solo album Ten Crows,
which lands this Friday, on May 2nd. It features Blondie icon Debbie Harry.
TUTV: Two glamourous voices, one glamourous disco
tune. It’s a fervid break-up pop gem to fill dance floors
with.
Artist: LIFE COACH Who: The musical project of singer-songwriter-poet Jamie Cameron. Hailing from
the Scottish Borders, the music blends lo-fi beats, synths and guitars with spoken word lyrics in which he discusses subjects ranging from politics and premonitions to self help culture, and a modern society obsessed with economic thinking.
Track: SQUADDIES IN HAIR NETS
Piece taken from the upcoming 2nd album, named ‘A Love Letter To Your Yearning Heart’, which is due for
release on May 30th.
TUTV: Life Coach are on fire, again. This new rattling rap ‘n’ punk roll crackerjack
swings you forth and back, left and right and Jamie Cameron’s adrenalizing word-flow
energizes all of your insatiable limbs before he relaxes towards the synthy end. Another kinetic kick. Hands up for the coach.
Tim Baker (founder and creative director): “The best of what we do in one song,
it’s a tune that really carries the soul of everything good we have stood for over the
last ten years”.
TUTV: Expect electrifying energy from the kick-off. Delirious guitars set the haywire tone and hyperventilating vocals augment the buzzing fuzz. A modern-day post-punk roller coaster.
TUTV: Only two singles in, and it’s already clear that Salvia‘s songwriting skills,
and her impressive vocal performance will bring her musical journey pretty far.
You And Me is an entrancing jam with a rotating guitar riff that gets under your skin
from start to finish. Salvia‘s seductive vocals match the trancy vibe perfectly well.
Today Ghent, next week Belgium, next month the world.
Artists: peach I melba Who: Queer femme indie duo,
half Brighton and half Los Angeles.
Track: WORST TRIMESTER
With blistering lyrics delivered at a rapped pace, the riot grrrl duo
explore the gender politics of pregnancy, in their style of both members
singing every word together over minimalist bass guitar and driving drums.
TUTV: There’s good news and bad news. Bad news first? World peace is an illusion.
From the moment Adam & Eve fucked up, shit started to happen and dirty wars are
still fought, its part of human nature.
The good news? These two DIY Amazons swear to release a new song every six weeks until world peace has been fully achieved. So, we’re ready for a looooong wild and rough ride, starting with this fun, outspoken and catchy 100% indie thrill. Don’t miss their bus, all you music junkies out there.
TUTV: Frontwoman Hannah Vandenbussche‘s voice is the heartbeat of this fresh
act, composed of experienced musicians. With Shadow they released their 4th single.
A spellbinding and haunting piece of captivating music, moving around a bewitching
guitar riff. Tension in the air throughout. Compelling tune. Sugarbunny is going places.
Band: LEDHER BLUE Who: The product of two distinctively different individuals, Zé and Pedro,
that the waves of life comically decided to beach in a northern town of Portugal – Guimarães.
Track: CRAIC
Piece from their brand new, excellent debut
album, titled Fait Divers. Stream it here
TUTV: What starts as a both moody and amplified reflection, explodes
on the let’s all sing together chorus, like if this cracking anthem was recorded
at a Premier League football game. It sticks after one spin. Score!
TUTV: When I just say that my excited ears hear jangly Parquet Courts echoes, you already should get excited too. The sharp-edged riffage, explosive eruptions now and then, and fidgety vocals will drive your mind and stereo mad.
Band: VIRGINS Who: Belfast-based shoegaze band who transcend that reductive tag to deliver a noise which is thrillingly loud and weightily light. Last year they released their notable debut album nothing hurt and everything was beautiful.
TUTV: Heavenly melodiousness, edged layers of shoegazing guitars, forceful
drumming, crystalline vocals, and a non-stop bass riff pushing the pace
throughout combine for a breathtaking score.
TUTV: From the first chord on Donat takes you on a head-twisting and power-driven
trip. No brakes, no breaks. Always pedal to the metal. Raise your voice and absorb
this flat-out ripper. Bingo.
TUTV: Never a dull guitar-pop moment with this seasoned Swedish combo. This lazy tune, for lazy days is one that Scottish melancholic heroes Teenage Fanclub would be proud of. It feels as if Spring invites you to have a feel-good Summer.
In two weeks it’ll be 2 years since MARK STEWART, one of the most adventurous/inventive/original post-punk & dub artists/performers
ever, passed away, aged 62.
Afterward everybody went his own way, but they reunited in the 21st Century for
2 more longplayers, Citizen Zombie (2015) and Honeymoon On Mars (2016).
As a prolific solo artist he scored 9 albums, collaborated with countless
other artists, and caused poigant waves with his Mafia outfit.
With The Pop Group – Belgium 2017 – Photo by Turn Up The Volume
Great news for fans like myself, just came in.
English indie labelMute Records issued this statement.
“Mute is extremely honoured to announce Mark Stewart’s new solo album THE FATEFUL SYMMETRY, a vital masterwork completed early 2023. Testifying to his prolific, unrelenting ingenuity, and signifying one of his most intimate, empowering statements, The Fateful Symmetry is a fierce and beautiful manifesto for a better world. ”
Album artwork
Mark Stewart about the record: “When you look outside the prescribed consumer world, you’re suddenly floating in something you don’t understand. Everything you were taught is wrong. You realise the whole political system is an illusion, it’s a scam. It’s this whole sort of Matrix thing. And suddenly you feel like one of those space walkers, floating in this black universe. But then, you find some rainbow dust.”
