New single: SOUR KISS
About a toxic relationship, deception, emotional pain,
and the transient nature of happiness.
TUTV: These up-and-coming Irish indies had their promising 6-track debut EP
out in 2021. And now they stir again with this new sharp-edged eruption.
Soar Kiss dashes with emotive grimness, propelled by a drum/bass tandem,
febrile guitars, and vitriolic vocals while the chorus makes the hair in your neck
stand up. Like Muse on speed. It’s not a love song, rather a reproachfully outburst
caused by a depressing relationship. Strike!
Through the Garden of Eden you walk in shame
As the devil and I discuss your pain
A face of beauty is all you had
I’ll take my share and give you back
Turn Up The Volume‘s 15 Knockout Tracks for February 2021!
A fervid fusion of rhapsodic rippers and clashing crackerjacks.
‘One + One’ – DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 (Canada)
New album Is 4 Lovers comes our way on 26 March and One + One
is the trash & slash lead-slam. Welcome back noiseniks. Hallelujah!
‘Coma-Inducing Gibberish‘ – PIZZA CRUNCH (Scotland)
The young gunslingers hit the bullseye again with this new stunner. A fab-tastic masterstroke to shut up all narcissists. Beware of getting too excited. It can lead
to a rock ‘n’ roll coma. Whatever! Go for it!
. ‘Middle-Finger’ – DROPKICK MURPHYS (Boston, US)
A booze-filled party cracker from upcoming LP Turn Up That Dial. A familiar Pogues-like chant that unleashes the beer devil in all of us. Bottoms up!
‘Vendetta’ – ICEAGE (Denmark)
An intoxicating jam with a threatening pace. A glam power
punch from their new album Seek Shelter arriving in May.
. ‘Night Is Mine’ – ULTRA SUNN (Brussels, Belgium)
Combine D.A.F.‘s industrial vibes, Sisters Of Mercy‘s gloom and doom hallucinations and Depeche Mode‘s pop-noir thrills and you know it’s time for a dazzling party. It’s the title-track from their standout debut EP. Learn much more about this cool black leather duo from their interview with Turn Up The Volume!
‘Toxic’ – PUSSY RIOT (Russia)
The glorious Russian rebels hit again with a new cut from their upcoming EP. It’s an industrial-synth-whack going forth and back, bringing techno icons The Prodigy to mind.
‘Darkest Hour’ – N.O.A.H (Dublin, Ireland)
An instant killer with a harmonious, mood-boosting sing-along chorus and special guest the Booka Brass – Ireland’s first New Orleans style Brass Band – turning up the heat even more. Even in your darkest hour this vivid earworm causes an uplifting kick.
. ‘LOUT’ – THE HORRORS (UK)
A mind-slashing, industrial drone that keeps on pounding and pounding until
the wall comes down. Hefty stuff, folks! Just the way I like it, any day, any time!
‘Ace Of Base‘ – THE FLAVIANS (Berlin)
Your feet and head’s movements get activated from the get-go. Unremitting piano bliss, glorious rhythm, pushed by a funky beat and colored with frisky vocals and cool sixties backing vocals. Synth-pop legends Eurythmics would say Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This.
‘Opaque Crater’ – RITUAL CLOAK (Cardiff, UK)
The power of resounding repetition here is just mind-boggling. In the end, you want the buzzing vibration of this adrenaline-charged tune on repeat in your head. And when this trip slows down for a brief moment it’s only to come back with even more dynamism. Top!
. ‘Apply The Pressure’ –MISLED CONVOY and KAT FIVE (UK)
The missing link between two vibrating hallucinations, Massive Attack‘s Teardrop and Leftfield‘s Original. Spacey, outlandish and far-out. Michael Hodgson AKA Misled Convoy creates a flying saucer vibe and Kat Five‘s futuristic thoughts and prophetic words of change reinforce the puzzling and obscure experience.
‘Soho Bedroom Party’ – THE HIDEAWAYS feat. TINY DYNO (UK)
Blissful synth melodiousness. Tremendously sticky flow. Glorious duet chorus. Sparkling orchestration. Play this boosting cock-a-hoop stunner out loud in your bedroom so your neighbors can enjoy these spiffing pop sparks too. Sonic magic!
. ‘Fade’ – VIOLET (Midlands, UK)
Imagine The Verve of the early days with madman Richard Ashcroft in the middle with their huge anthemic wall-of-psych-sound going sky-high. Add that cocksure Britpop swagger and you know that your stereo will shake, rattle and roll when this bittersweet amplified symphony bursts out of the speakers. A winner!
. ‘Oxygen’ – SEASIDE HEIGHTS (Sweden)
A shot of pop adrenaline. Oxygen causes rhapsodic titillations. You can sing along, hum along, whistle along while pirouetting yourself dizzy to the vibrant vibrations. Fresh air to forget your lockdown blues for a while.
. ‘There Be Monsters’ by FAR LANDS (USA)
A magnific sepia-colored musing. A tranquilizing stroll triggering your daily dream moments. McFarlane‘s warm voice takes you on a pacifying trip while a guitar gently weeps throughout the journey. This bluesy beauty invites you to forget the troubling reality we all experience for a while.
. ‘Shouts Of The Coal Mine’ – JONAS AND I (Finland)
This beauty resonates as if it comes straight from a Tom Petty album. Its country-pop-
rock feel glows, scintillates and glisters and when the enlivening chorus sets in, with
those Beirut-like warmth of ardent trumpets a satisfying smile will emerge on your face. Topnotch tune!
Band: N.O.A.H (Dublin, Ireland) Who: Three lifelong friends who formed a band only one year ago. They have taken inspiration in its naming, from the biblical story of ‘Noah and the Ark’, which is centralized around the theme of new beginnings. This idea is fundamental to the band’s vision and core values.
“Once you emerge from this mind spinning rock tune, its meaning is left starring you in
the face. Broadly speaking it is about mental health, and how a sane mind quickly begins
to deteriorate, we experience a person’s descent into their “darkest hour”.
Score: Last year Turn Up The Volume was totally impressed with their towering debut
single Shine. With new stroke Darkest Hour the trio evokes the same inflammatory sentiments of sonic sensation. It’s an instant knockout with a harmonious, mood-
boosting sing-along chorus and special guest the Booka Brass – Ireland’s first New Orleans style Brass Band – turning up the heat even more. Even in your darkest hour
this vivid ear-catcher will cause an uplifting kick.
Turn Up The Volume‘s 15 Knockout Tracks for October!
Right here, right now…
‘Rock ‘N Roll Refugee’ byPIG (London)
A dark glam wave banger with a titanic chorus to wake up the neighborhood. A glitter haymaker fueled by layers of intimidating guitars and Pig’s voice resonating like Sisters Of Mercy‘s figurehead Andrew Eldritch. From his new album ‘Pain Is God‘ out 20th November.
‘Intercontinental Radio Waves’ by TRAAMS (UK)
Back after 5 years with a trademark Traams jam. Rattling drums, propulsive bass, turbulent guitars, and an overall infectious groove. Hallelujah! New LP coming soon.
‘Maggot Line’ by THE BATTERY FARM (Manchester)
Scorching guitars, a merciless drum beat, and red-hot fulminating spits and sneers.
Like the 1-2-3-4 Ramones‘ blitzkrieg craziness, but nastier and with twice as many
decibels. “We’re all gonna die, it’s all our fault!” An alarming 2020 warning! Lobotomy!
. ‘Shot In The Dark’ by AC/DC (Australia)
A new riff loaded sucker-punch by the veteran Aussie rockers. Old school boy Angus revealed: “The title is a little bit cheeky because we all like a little nip of alcohol in the night
or a few shots in the dark.”
‘Hesitating Nation’ by CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH (USA)
About the ugly signs of these times, and sonically a hauntingly guitar-driven
ripsnorter with Ounsworth‘s otherworldly voice all over it. Spectacular return!
‘Shine’ by N.O.A.H (Ireland)
Move over Bono! These Irish indie rockers have that powerful grandeur, that euphonic richness, and that monumental magnitude of U2’s stadium rock sound. This is a 24-Carat gold debut. Bingo!
‘Normal People’ by THE NEW POLLUTION (Worchester, New York)
Funky punky injections with clashing guitars, manic bass lines, organ-ic electronics
and critical vocals. An edged tune for basement parties and illegal ramshackle discos.
Dance till you drop is the key message as Armageddon is just around the corner. From their excellent Shakedown EP.
. ‘Bombshells’ by SANDCASTLE JESUS (Essex, England)
From the very tingling intro chords, you instantly feel that a stupendous tune is coming your way. Oh yeah, game on, definitely. And what actually follows is an alive and kicking guitar pop hit that puts a big smile on your glowing face, activates your adrenalin’s production, triggers your body movements, and makes you just feel ecstatic.
‘Revolution Son’ by SHIVA AND THE HAZARDS (Melbourne, Aus)
The swagger, the vibe, the beat, the Noel Gallagher guitar solo, it’s what made the 90s so exciting and vivacious. Supersonic sing-along anthems made of stone and bittersweet epic symphonies. It was cool to be a rock ‘n’ roll star & now again. D’ You Know What I Mean?
. ‘On And On’ byLOOSE FANG (Vancouver, Canada)
I’m sure you’ll agree that screwed-up times were and still are a fertile resource of inspiration for dazzling rock crackers. Just like this roaring roller going forth and
back with a flaming on and on chorus speeding up your pulse instantly. Get up
and make the right moves for a better get-together future, folks.
‘Nowhere Near An Ocean’ by SUNSTACK JONES (UK)
Imagine you’re in the Californian desert watching a non-stop 24-hour retro psych festival, dreaming on cloud nine. This what this sunset reverie does to you. We can all use such moments in these strange mouth mask times. From their notable new LP Golden Repair.
. ‘Today’ by REGENT (UK) ‘Today’ is a solid gold staggering ballad made to be played in huge arenas with the crowd waving with candles all the way. The passionate blues at play here reminded me instantly of Led Zeppelin‘s timeless timeless score ‘Stairway To Heaven‘. Electrifying emotions going forth and back, going quiet and loud, going from intense to breathtaking and back.
‘It’s Never Easy’ by CLASSIC WATER (The Netherlands)
This is a captivating, meditative gem, centered around a rollin’ guitar riff and sparkling piano touches. The song moves and grooves all the way until the gospel-like handclap finale. Tom Gerritsen‘s Americana voice has that glowing timbre that made Ryan Adams
and the late great Gram Parsons so emotionally special. Lovely!
. ‘Mata Hari’ by THE CHRONICLES OF MANIMAL AND SAMARA (Italy)
A slowdown trip-hop trip with a relaxing repercussion on your worried 2020 thoughts, an ambient soundscape for the midnight hours. British 90s dance act Leftfield came instantly to my mind, especially that tipsy track on their debut LP called Original with the sensual ex-Curve singer Toni Halliday. Another far-out trip!
‘Happy House’ by COMMON FLAWS (Italy)
With an ongoing deep bass beat Common Flaws gives the already vibrant rhythm of Siouxsie and The Banshees‘ 1980 jam ‘Happy House‘ a 90s techno resonance. The sampled, female vocals come from the 1999 romantic comedy Notting Hill with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. Eye-catching video clip this way…
Who: Indie trio formed in January 2020 in Dublin, Ireland after the band decided
to reform a previous musical endeavor. The band has taken inspiration in its naming,
from the biblical story of ‘Noah and the Ark’, which is centralised around the theme of
new beginnings. This idea is fundamental to the band’s vision and core values.
Pick: SHINE – the debut single “The tale of a journey, one which we must all have to make at one point or another in
our lifetime. Sometimes we do not know where we are going, but ultimately, deep down,
we know something greater and more powerful is guiding our way. In a similar vein, the
band is prepared to go the distance and fulfill their hopes and dreams.”
Score: Talking about entering the music scene by the great golden gate! Shine has
that powerful grandeur, that euphonic richness, and that monumental magnitude
of U2’s stadium rock sound, their world-famous countrymen. No, I’m not high and I’m
not drunk. This is a 24-Carat gold debut. A fabulous jim-dandy. If this is a taster of what this fresh starting trio is capable of then Bono should step aside and give the torch to this new generation.
Unos, dos, tres, catorce
Turn it up loud, captain…
