On Repeat

Melancholia At Its Magical Best – ‘ODE TO THE METS’ By THE STROKES

Posted on by JL

13 March 2021

ODE TO THE METS is the closing beauty on the brilliant 2020 longplayer
THE NEW ABNORMAL by New York City darlings THE STROKES. A truly
stupendous ballad that makes the hair in the back of my neck stand up
every single time I heard/hear this phenomenal pearl with a breathtaking
vocal exploit by JULIAN CASABLANCAS.

He started writing the lyrics after the 2016 National League Wild Card Game (baseball)
lost by his favorite team New York Mets. Over the years the title remained unchanged
but is not actually about the baseball team. It’s a reverie you can relate to the way you want yourself.

It’s melancholia at its magical best. I heard Ode To The Mets about a million times
so far and will listen to it about a million times more. It’s one of those rare genial
songs you just can’t get tired of.

The lines of the final part…

“Gone now are the old times
Forgotten, time to hold on the railing
The Rubik’s Cube isn’t solving for us
Old friends, long forgotten
They all wait at the bottom of
The ocean now has swallowed
The only thing that’s left is us
So pardon the silence that you’re hearing
Is turnin’ into a deafening
Painful, shameful roar”

The diamond…

THE STROKES: Facebook

The New Abnormal
in full…

ON REPEAT – Solo Debut ‘SERPENTINE PRISON’ By MATT BERNINGER

Posted on by JL

18 October 2020

Artist: MATT BERNINGER (Cincinnati) – frontman of The National
Album: SERPENTINE PRISON – his first solo LP
Released: 16 October 2020

NME: “The singer takes in rich influences for a deep, intimate listen to be filed next to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ ‘Boatman’s Call’ and Leonard Cohen’s ‘You Want It Darker’… The result is an open and timeless collection that finds the singer kneeling at the altar of classic songwriting… Sure, it rests in a lot of the sonic territory of The National, and this isn’t the departure that his peppy indie-pop side-project EL VY represents, but what we do have is an intimate and generous offering from one of 21st Century rock’s most prominent voices.” Score: 4/5.

Berninger: “Between the pandemic and the fires and raging facism and everything, it’s grim.
It’s sometimes tough to process.”

TUTV: “A shiny diamond!”

On repeat…

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MATT BERNIGER: Facebook

ON REPEAT! Sky-High Soul Powerstroke ‘I FOUND OUT’ By OFFWORLD

Posted on by JL

9 October 2020

Band: OFFWORLD featuring frontman Richard Archer from
British band Hard-Fi and titanic voice Krysten Cummings
Track: I Found Out
Released: June 2020

Read here why Turn Up The Volume has played this sky-high
soul powerstroke about a hundred times, so far…

“The overwhelming Odyssey starts with an ominous groove, Ray Manzarek organ snippets,
and haunting duet vocals. Slowly but surely ‘I Found Out’ grows in spine-chilling tension and rage-filled fervency moving towards a sky-high wall-of-sound finale with a crushing Jimi Hendrix-like guitar solo and a reflective end evoking a ‘why oh why’ tristesse. Krysten Cummings‘s jaw-dropping performance causes goosebumps and leaves you behind, out of breath.”

Get my drift?

Here we go…

OFFWORLD: Facebook

(press promo photo on top via offWorld)

ON REPEAT! The Blasting Motherrocker ‘ULTRA PLUS ULTRA’ By ELEFANT

Posted on by JL

Belgian sound-exploring gunslingers ELEFANT scored big time with their
second album Bejahung. One of the best longplayers of this infected year.

ULTRA PLUS ULTRA is without a shadow of a doubt my favorite motherrocker
on the album. I lost track of how many times this top haymaker tried to crush
my poor speakers. It’s an ongoing motorik-like stomper, a steamy sledgehammer
with a wall-of-bloodthirsty-guitars-and-scary-synths sound. Capice?

Let’s roll…

While you’re here check out their intoxicating live force…

ELEFANT: Facebook


Photo on top: press promo via Elenfant / Live photo by Turn Up The Volume! February 2020)

ON REPEAT! Dancing Manchester Queens PINS With Third LP ‘HOT SLICK’

Posted on by JL

21 September 2020

Finally, after five years the utterly cool feminist Manchester ladies PINS released a new LP called HOT SLICK, last May. Their third full length following the punchy power-pop albums Girls Like Us (2013) and Wild Nights  (2015).

It’s a sizzling party record. A boosting happy-go-funky feast. A no brakes get-together shebang fueled by Saturday Night Fever beats and sensual vibes. A buzzing night-on-the-town soundtrack. An unquestionable contender for Turn Up The Volume‘s album-of-2020.

Keyline: “Lookin’ for some hot stuff baby this evenin’, I need some hot stuff baby tonight, Gotta have some hot slick, Gotta have some love tonight.” – Donna Summer

Key Tracks: Hot Slick / Bad Girls Forever / Ponytail / Ghosting

– HOT SLICK –

– BAD GIRLS FOREVER –

– PONYTAIL –

– GHOSTING –

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HOT SLICK on repeat here…


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PINS: Facebook

ON REPEAT – Outstanding Debut Album ‘BEDROOM’ By British Shoegazers BRDMM

Posted on by JL

8 August 2020

BEDROOM is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best debut albums in ages.
A dazzling tour de force by young British shoegazers bdrmm. Since its release on
3 July I played the record countless times. Read what Turn Up The Volume euphorically wrote last month here.

And enjoy the beauty yourself …


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bdrmm: Facebook


(press promo photo by Sam Joyce / received via band)

THE DANDY WARHOLS – New Album ‘WHY YOU SO CRAZY’ Out Today!…

Posted on by JL

25 January 2019

Portland’s famous groovers THE DANDY WARHOLS celebrate their 25th birthday as a band this year with their tenth studio album titled WHY YOU SO CRAZY released today. After a couple of spins it’s crystal clear to Turn Up The Volume‘s ears that this is simply one of their best longplayers ever. An eclectic record covering various genres of music’s history executed The Dandys way. From the nostalgic Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers intro to the classical piano closer and lots of psych grooves, catchy country, rockin’ crackers, darkish musings and electro funky beats in between. Different moods, different vibes. The most varied LP they ever produced. Press the button and join me on a sonic chameleon ride…

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THE DANDY WARHOLS: Website – Facebook –  Twitter – Instagram

DANDY

(pic: Turn Up The Volume!)

RICHARD ASHCROFT – His New Fervent LP ‘NATURAL REBEL’ Shows A Gripping Singer/Songwriter Growing Older… In Grand Style

Posted on by JL

21 October 2018

Yesterday RICHARD ASHCROFT released his fifth solo longplayer entitled NATURAL REBEL . Some intellectual critics expected a sort of rowdy Idles punk record (which
Idles actually made! Big monstrous LP! I love it) by Richard Ashcroft because of ‘Rebel‘
in the title and other related nonsense. I expected glowing songs for heart & soul by
a great singer/songwriter growing older in grand style. Fuck the critics. I got what I
wanted. Here’s a heartfelt collection of gripping songs.on repeat right now..

https://open.spotify.com/album/2qGmBYeysAtucSTTOb4lbQ?si=dz1bIhP0Tbq7adouqpPFlg
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RICHARD ASHCROFT: Facebook – Website

(photo by TUTV!)

GARETH SAGER & THE HUNGRY GHOSTS – New Explosive Party Album ‘JUICY RIVERS’ Out Now…

Posted on by JL

13 October 2018

Edinburgh born artist GARETH SAGER‘s CV is quite impressive: multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, classical music composer, a founding member of funky post-punk
junks The Pop Group, jazzy avant-garde combo Rip Rig + Panic, Bristol rockers Head
and countless collaborations here, there and everywhere. After releasing his gracious classical piano LP 88 Tuned Dreams last year Sager is back with a totally different beast. Assisted by his gang THE HUNGRY GHOSTS he just dropped new album JUICY RIVERS.

It’s party time for all the outcasts, all the misfits and all the bohemians out there. Imagine the genial Mothers Of Invention fronted by the eccentric Captain Beafheart instead of the equally eccentric icon Frank Zappa. That’s my overall exciting feeling after a couple of ‘Juicy Rivers‘ spins. You get all the sonic pandemonium your greedy ears and your fucked up mind need. From elevating glam weirdness (Disco Sofa) to bluesy funkness (Pete Le Beat), from demonic rock (Bar Stool Warrior Chant) to deranged post-punk grimness (Pitbull Watusi) and lots of far-out stuff in between. Throw your straitjacket through the window and shake your lazy hips on repeat right now, right here…


Available here and here

THE CHILLS’ New Album ‘SNOWBOUND’ Is A High-Quality Pop Diamond…

Posted on by JL

onrepeat

16 September 2018

Chills

Not many artists succeed in growing older without losing their touch, their motivation
and their greed to keep on making appealing music. Veteran singer/songwriter Martin Philipps is definitely an exception. After more than 30 years he still delivers the goods.
With his band THE CHILLS he just released ninth studio album, entitled SNOWBOUND.  “An album about  consolidation, re-grouping, acceptance and mortality, Hopefully a kind
of Carole King ‘Tapestry’ for ageing punks…”  says Philipps.

SNOWBOUND is a delightful achievement. A solid gold record of fetching pop songs, enchantingly arranged, spot-on produced and juiced with Philipps’ warm and alluring voice. Turn Up The Volume has this shiny diamond on repeat the last few days. Experience the sonic splendour for yourself right here…

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SNOWBOUND available via Bandcamp and iTunes 

THE CHILLS: Facebook – All Albums