Scottish-British legends PRIMAL SCREAM, fronted by voice/songwriter Bobby Gillespie released their notorious, acid-house-inspired 3rd album SCREAMADELICA on 23 September 1991, today 35 years ago.
It peaked at #8 in the UK.
The man who actually turned the LP in a seminal
masterpiece was DJ Andrew Weatherall.
Gillespie about Weatherall: “It was just this natural talent to make this music
and structure and arrange music in a way that we’d never heard before. He took
our songwriting, instrumentals, melodies and the gospel singers, the strings, the
slate guitars, the synthesisers as well, selected the parts he liked, rearranged it
and make it into this fantastic music”.
The album cover was painted by Creation Records‘ in-house artist Paul Cannell.
He was inspired by a damp water spot he had seen on the Creation Records offices
ceiling after taking LSD.
Pitchfork said: “The meeting of unashamed, celebratory club music and rock
star fandom is what gives Primal Scream’s 1991 album Screamadelica its particular
mood, half strutting with confidence, half yearning for transcendence. It’s a full-length
manifesto not just for the brotherhood of clubbing but for the syncretic approach to
rock Primal Scream were exploring.”
TUTV: This was the soundbreaking soundtrack for
drug-fueled parties, 24-hour raves, and E-tastic ecstasy.
The New York Times opined that “this is the first Newman album
with a full complement of musical witticisms to match the verbal ones.”
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23 September 1977
Band: STEELY DAN
Renowned jazzy pop rock duo fro NYC featuring Donald Fagen
and Walter Becker who passed away in 2017. Fagen still operates
under the band’s name.
1971–1981, 1993–present
Album: AJA
Their 6th one. #5 in the UK, #3 in the US.
Rolling Stone Magazine said: “Rock has always excelled at embodying adolescent
ache. But it’s rare when rock captures the complications of adult sorrows almost purely
with its sound.”
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Album: PARALLEL LINES
Their 3rd and by far their best one.
No. 1 in the UK, No. 6 in the US.
Q Magazine (longtime running British music monthly) said: “A crossover
smash with sparkling guitar sounds, terrific hooks and middle-eights more
memorable than some groups’ choruses.”
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Album: SCREAMADELICA
Their 3rd one. Probably the best LP of the psychedelic ‘E’ era.
No. 8 in the UK, No. 36 in the US.
Pitchfork praised the album saying: “Screamadelica’s atmospheric and
imaginative hybrid of past, present and future captures its moment in vivid
color and splendor.”
AllMusic: “XTRMNTR is a nasty, fierce realization of an entire
world that has also lost the plot. It’s simply a protest, sonically
as well as lyrically, and maybe this would be a fine time to once
again rally behind something worthwhile.”
NME: “Ashcroft’s newly discovered stability has done nothing
to blunt his powers of communication or reduce his belief in
the apocalyptic potential of music.”
AllMusic: “True to Shellac form, the record is a sound purchase.
Within the domain of atonal, anti-commercial rock & roll, very
few are on their level.”
Album: Rated R
Second one. #16 in the US,
#54 in the UK.
AllMusic: “R is mellower, trippier, and more arranged than its predecessor, making
its point through warm fuzz-guitar tones, ethereal harmonies, vibraphones, horns,
and even the odd steel drum.”
Band: DITZ Who: Unbridled post-punks from Brighton, UK (where everybody is
in a band).
Track: TAXIMAN
Piece from their forthcoming second longplayer, baptized Never Exhale. It’ll hit the streets on 25 January 2025. Pre-order
info here.
TUTV: Taximan does your head in the way we, brainbangers, like it. Bam Bang Boom.
No mercy for the wicked. Maddening mayhem as usual. You better check out if Robert ‘Travis’ De Niro is behind the wheel before taking a cab.
Last August former white stripe JACK WHITE (aged 49 now) released
one of the best LPs of the year with powerhouse record NO NAME,
his 6th solo one. A crazed punk blues LP with a total of 13 thunderous
outbursts.
TUTV: I’m quite sure that this song was recorded during the No Name
sessions. Anyway, it’s as if Jimi Hendrix woke up from the dead for a day
to play firework guitar on this blistering blow.
TUTV: Dog Dribble operates somewhere between Yard Act and Sleaford Mods.
Its limbs-activating groove is simply irresistible. Get up, stand up, and fight
for your right to move in mysterious ways.
Band: LAMBRINI GIRLS Who: A two-motor punk bulldozer from Brighton, UK who have built
a notorious reputation over the past 2 years, on record and on stage.
Track: LOVE
Piece from the duo’s upcoming debut LP Who Let The Dogs Out. Out next year, on
January 10.
TUTV: Don’t be mistaken, it’s not because the new single is titled ‘Love’
that LB wrote their first-ever song about the birds and the bees. According
to the lambrinis tandem, ‘true love is nothing more than the wrong hill to die on”.
It’s one of their best knockouts so far.
An amazeballs wall-of-flaming-guitar racket
and a manic drummer with 4 arms. Hell yeah.
Band: BILLY ZACH Who: German act described by singer/guitarist Max Zacherl as “the sandpaper of pop music”. So
far, they canned/released two albums.
Track: PAINTED NAILS
Single from their notable brand new 5-track EP, called Interferer (you can stream/buy it below via Bandcamp).
TUTV:Painted Nails is a flabbergasting post-punk tour de force, a jawdropping
psychedelic trip burning its way through a turbulent trip, fired-up by schizophrenic
guitars and bone-chilling vocals. Petrifying thrill.
The rap-punk poets teamed up with the famous synth-pop band to collect money for help organization WARCHILD. An organization that works with parents, caregivers, community members, NGOs, governments, corporations, and other partners worldwide to ensure that children have access to protection, education, and psychosocial support.
It’s an unlikely collaboration, but it’s pretty cool that they do it together
for charity. They recorded 2 tracks in London’s famed Abbey Road studios.
You can buy both here, viaBandcamp.
One of them is a frisky punk-disco stomper; called CAT BURGLAR
Band: CAMLANN Who: Intruiging Indonesian
dark disco duo.
Track: RONNY (BURN IN HELL)
The song is deeply rooted in the personal experiences of lead singer Ony Godfrey,
who candidly addresses the sexual harassment she faced as a teenager at the hands
of a middle-aged man named Ronny. Through this powerful narrative, Camlann channels
a raw and unfiltered expression of female rage that resonates with many women who
have endured similar traumas.
TUTV: Expect a knockout headbutt, an in-your-face sucker disco-punk punch.
Hells bells. A blazing blast that goes after all sexual abusers out there. Bullseye.
The message is loud and clear. To hell with all harassing predators. NOW!
“You have played with fire
And the fire’s now burning you alive
So have fun suffering
‘Cause God knows that you will be
Burn in hell forever”
TUTV: The band say they have written this energizer, they want to compete
with at the Eurovision Song Contest of 2035. Say what?. The big question, of
course, is ‘will the world still turn in 2035?‘ as devastating wars destroy lives
every single day on half of our planet and the future doesn’t look bright
whatsoever. We can only hope for peace.
Artist: SOMEBODY’S CHILD Who: Musical project led
by Irish songsmith Cian Godfrey.
Track: TIME OF MY LIFE
First taster from his upcoming 2nd album
When Youth Fades Away, out 28 March 2025.
New album artwork
TUTV: If you can resist this epic guitar/drums/piano-driven earworm
you need to change your meds and/or consult your shrink and you’ll
have the time of your life.
Band: CANYONS AND LOCUSTS Who: Two-piece garage rock act, Justin Keane (vocals, guitar) and Amy Young (drums, backing vocals), from Boston, MA. Fueled by the current chaos of the world and an urgent need to be part of the conversation, the two took the indie rock foundation they built in previous bands and upped the ante by adding new levels of noise via pervasive, edgy guitar sounds, low and thundery drumbeats, and emotional vocals.
Rowdy piece the tandem’s forthcoming
2025 concept album, The Goal Gigolo.
TUTV: Another manic motherrocker from this duo who sound as a 4-motor hit-and-run band. As usual, amps way up, and the volume to the max. Riff-o-rama all the way while bashing drums do your head in. Garage punk ‘n’ roll at its turbulent best. Call your own Anna and challenge the anti-decibels police. Sounds like far-out fun, right? You betcha.
Rabbit Hole is an invitation to explore life’s hidden corners, where desire and despair
often collide. The accompanying video clip immerses fans in distorted shadows and dramatic visuals, that perfectly mirrors the raw and introspective.
TUTV: Expect a motorized riff-ripper
with a titanic fists in the air chorus.
Steaming stuff. Punktastic!
Band: NOVANOISE Who: Italy’s rising alternative
punk rock outfit.
Track: LEVELS
It’s a fresh blend of punchy punk rock riffs, bold synth lines, and the undeniable
energy of frontwoman Luna Esmeralda Rizzi. Known for their high-voltage performances and cyberpunk flair, Novanoise delivers a track that’s both defiant and uplifting.
A shout-out to staying connected in a chaotic world.
TUTV: Levels is a high-voltage blowout,
with biting vocals, Herculean powerhouse
intensity and full-on electricity.
TUTV: It’s a heartfelt, sepia-colored musing where sparkling guitar lines
and Perrett‘s unique voice come together to shine. Moony melancholia in
motion.
Band: CMON CMON Who: Brussels/London based indie rock trio from Belgium,
who started to realize their childhood dream 5 years ago,
in their 40s.
.
New track: ALL THE OTHER KIDS
It’s the first taster from their upcoming, new EP, titled Headwind that’ll land
next year and recorded in renowked producer’s James Brown‘s studio in the
world-famous Portobello Road in London. It’ll follow CC’s 2023 debut album The Crack And The Light.
Single artwork by Belgian designer Lisa Van de Vyver
with cover images by Swedish photographer Moarlberg.
TUTV: All The Other Kids is a breezy, zippy and riff-juiced
tune that brings notorious songsmith Evan Dando and his Lemonheads to mind.
Its easy-going melody and feel-good vibe make you want to whistle,
hum, or sing na-na-na along. That’s what pop-ular music is about.
Band: NEVERLESS.AM Who: Prolific Boston trio who pulls threads from their hard
rock, psych, and funk influences to create a distinctive sound
that blurs a line between shoegaze and dream-punk.
Track: WILL I EVER?
Preview from their forthcoming
debut album, out in February.
It details a horrific personal experience vocalist and guitarist CA Newcomb endured
two years ago, as she relays the story and emotion of being hit as a pedestrian by a
drunk driver, sending her to the hospital and placing her on a long path to recovery.
TUTV: Woozy layers of fuzzy guitars and Alice-in-Wonderland vocals take you on a shoegazing trip to a place where reality and surreality meet. Btw, don’t get petrified
when you hear some freaky growling for a moment.
Artist: BLAIR GILMOUR Who: An 18-year-old multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter from Irvine, Scotland. Immersing himself in music at a young age, he quickly realised that performing helped suppress his Tourette’s tics. Diving into music on a sensory level, the young artist explores the secrets of songwriting, producing and performing, inviting listeners along for the journey.
The tune was written at a songwriting camp in Spain. Initially inspired by the heat of their environment, the song eventually transformed into a love song, with Blair exploring the question: “How can you love something or someone so much that you know it is bad for you and your mental health, but you’re still in it for the chase?”
TUTV: Swirling pop bliss is what you get, adrenalized amorousness is
what you feel, euphoric elation is what you hear. Touch play and enjoy.
Band: WYLDERNESS Who: Welsh shoegazers from Cardiff
with 2 full-lengths under their belt.
Track: BIG IDEA
First taster from their forthcoming new EP
entitled ‘Safe Mode‘ which will be released
in 2025.
TUTV: Glistening guitar sparks set the glistening tone
for this sonically colored rainbow, all the way through.
Woolgathering vocals and arresting melodiousness.
Peter Murphy – photo by Jolene Siana / Boy George – photo by Dean Stockings
Former Bauhaus voice/face PETER MURPHY (67) and Culture Club‘s voice/face BOY GEORGE (63) team up for a beauty of an epic reflection. A romantic ballad
titled LET THE FLOWERS GROW with another legend, Killing Joke’s Youth taking
care of the track’s production.
The song was originally written by the Boy George with its initial message being
“one of personal acceptance about being gay. As the song developed, it took on a more expansive and universal scope with its lyrics extending beyond sexuality and embracing
race, gender, creed and religion.”
TUTV: It’s a surprising, but terrificallyt gripping heart-and-soul
collaboration. Starry-eyed magic spreading gold dust.
“I’ve been changing / and mama don’t know /
let her tears fall / and make the flowers grow,”
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.
Artist: MISSING PET Who: The musical project of Toronto-based singer-songwriter
and multi-instrumentalist Adam Marek Platek that germinated
out of the sludge of the pandemic.
“During the pandemic, I felt like a house pet trapped in an unnatural habitat
of my own making. I realized then that something felt off, and was uncomfortably
missing in the life I had spent more than a decade creating.”
Artist: RONNY TIBBS Who: Singer-songwriter from Detroit, whose music provides an effervescent
escapism, an effortlessly propulsive and richly evocative road trip in your mind
into a realm where genres blur, nostalgia surges, and eclecticism abounds.
Track: WHAT YOU DO
Cut from upcoming EP Shorthand,
out on October 29.
Tibbs will make your day and your ears with this electrically charged rocker.
Foot on the gas pedal from the kick-off and never looking back. Puisant piece.
Striking stroke.
Band: BARBARISM Who: 5-piece This Manchester five-piece have been wallowing in the glittery
sludge of late-stage capitalism. They have considered that maybe, just maybe,
we shouldn’t poison the earth and condemn half the population to misery in
order to meet the gurgling whims of several man-babies with yachts.
‘Til Zero is a track about the endurance of the human spirit. Born out of years of pain watching as humanity staggers into the 21st century, these words celebrate the tenacity of the joy of life, and try to find some optimism in the face of despair and destitution. The track concludes by embracing the fact that even if the struggle for a better world is utterly fruitless, there is meaning in the attempt.
Amps up, guitars up, energy up. Til Zero is a jacked jackhammer, solid as
a rock, with out-of-control guitars, frenetic vocals, and an insane bass riff.
Bingo!
Band: DEREK SMITH & THE COSMIC VULTURES Who: Captivating pop/rock outfit from Boston with
5 LPs under their belt. Check them out on Spotify
right here.
“Songbird,” with its rolling propulsion and timeless charm, is a compass for compassion; it’s a way forward, through the highs and lows of life, softening the twists and turns and highlighting the good while snuffing out the bad. Its sound rings out as timeless as echoes of ‘70s AM radio gold canvas a yearning spectrum that soars through the songs that shaped us before touching down in the modern day.”
An Americana power ballad that bewitches, captivates, and triggers instant daydreaming.
Back in the days, lighters would turn on en masse when this kind of emotions-absorbing gem came out of the giant speakers at a concert.
Rob Sanderson (vocals/bass) said: “From the moment we wrote the music, images of a getaway scene in a post-apocalyptic world came to mind, like in the films ‘The Book of Eli’ and ‘Mad Max’. With that, the song evolved into a futuristic Robin Hood story. The classic tale of stealing from the rich to give to the poor. It made me think how better off we could all be if we helped each other, and even if things are looking extremely bleak, there’s probably someone out there trying to make a difference in one way or another.”
Interpol-like guitars, non-stop vocal passion, forth and back progression.
Jump on this rough roller coaster and enjoy a high-powered ride.
Track: Watercolour
This track also signals her forthcoming
full-length Things I Forgot to Tell You.
Aakre: “‘watercolour’ is an ode to friendship. Sometimes you need someone to remind
you of the beauty around you. With the help of friendship, even in difficult moments, you
can find something you want to cherish.”
Dream-pop at its seducing and entertaining best. watercolour moves swiftly and sensually, circling around magnetic guitar lines and propelled by foot-stomping drum drive, while Aarke‘s arresting vocals roll all over it. Top-drawer tune.
British veteran singer-songwriter Matt Johnson and his TT moniker is back
with his 1st album in 24 years. It’s named Ensoulment and Life Is life is
one of the highlights of the new moody TT opus.
From new 5-track EP Happy Girls Sessions featuring
a Billie Eilish cover and non-electric versions of 4 songs
from last year’s album God Games.
How can you not love Mosshart‘s heartfelt voice?
Rock-pop legends PRIMAL SCREAM announced
the birth of their 12th LP, their first in 8 years.
They named it COME AHEAD and will share it with the world on November 8.
It’ll contain 11 new tracks, and is set to see songwriter, vocalist and frontman Bobby Gillespie deliver some of his most personal and emotionally-open work
of his career. Pre-order info here.
Rock-pop legendsPRIMAL SCREAM have great news for their fans (like
me, for years). They canned their 12 full length, their first in 8 years.
They named it COME AHEAD and will share it with the world on November 8.
It’ll contain 11 new tracks, and is set to see songwriter, vocalist and frontman Bobby Gillespie deliver some of his most personal and emotionally-open work
of his career. Pre-order info here.
(photo by Turn Up The Volume)
Gillespie: “I’m very excited about this album in a way that you would be making your first record. If there was an overall theme to ‘Come Ahead’ it might be one of conflict, whether
inner or outer.There is also a thread of compassion running through the album. The title
is a Glaswegian term. If someone threatens to fight you, you say, ‘Come Ahead!’
It’s redolent of the indomitable spirit of the Glaswegian, and the album itself shares that aggressive attitude and confidence. They have a word for this up there, gallus. ‘Come Ahead’
is quite a cheeky title too. There is a message of hope in the record. But it’s tempered with
an acceptance of the worst side of human nature.”
The artwork to the album was created using a photograph of the frontman’s late father, Robert Gillespie Senior, taken by Turner Prize-nominated artist Jim Lambie. It was chosen as he remains deeply respected for his lifelong commitment to campaigning for social justice, and themes of class run through ‘Come Ahead’
The first single LOVE INSURRECTION is a funky affair, with Freak Le Chic
guitars, lots of Shaft Theme strings and flute, and a groovy chorus.
