Richard Ashcroft
20 BEST TRACKS OF THE MONTH – OCTOBER 2025
ALL TOGETHER
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TRACK BY TRACK
– 1 –
Band: OPUS KINK (Brighton, UK)
Who: Razor-edged, punked-up, sax-and-trumpet infused
noizzz collective team fronted by charismatic frontman
Angus Rodgers.
Track: I’M A PRETTY SHOWBOY
Angus Rogers: “Here is our song, 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 adrenalizing tunes I wait impatiently for every single day.
Tunes that put a big smile on my face, tunes that make all of my limbs go nuts,
tunes that go straight to my best-tracks-of-the-year list. Funky buzz, vocal fuzz.
Catchy as hell, cool as fuck.
Instagram – Linktree – Tour Dates
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– 2 –
Promo photo
Band: MY FIRST TIME
Who: Fast-rising indie
rebels from Bristol, UK.
Since their 2023 debut single Wind Up Merchant
MFT went on to become the newest British hype.
New single: SIPPY CUP
Isaac Stroud-Allen (frontman): “It’s about power, corruption and how people
are happy to watch the world burn if they’re the ones sitting on a rooftop bar sipping
on a Sex On The Beach.”
TUTV: Believe the hype. 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. If this is your first time that you
hear these rabble-rousers, you’ll be gobsmacked. Bring it on, rascals.
WATCH
STREAM
Instagram – Linktree
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– 3 –
📷 Mats Verschueren
Band: WIJF. (WIFE. in English)
Who: Hungry hit team from Belgium
ready to take on the world.
Track: LOVE MACHINE
TUTV: One of the 5 astronomical sledgehammers of their brand-new
debut EP Alter Ego. Love Machine takes you on a hair-rising rollercoaster.
Awesome vocalist, awesome band, asewome tune.
Helter-skelter!
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Instagram – Linktree
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– 4 –
Photo by Isabella Martinez
Band: PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS
Who: The dumbfounding psych-prog rockers from
down under, who started their odyssey in 2014.
Last May they launched their volcanic 7th full-length, titled
Carpe Diem, Moonman and only 2 days ago they dropped
album #8, named Pogo Rodeo.
There’s definitely something in the Australian air that makes bands over there very productive. Yes, as you may or may not know, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are
also from down under.
Track: THE REAL CONTRA BAND
Single from that brand-new LP.
TUTV: Blimey. As usual, the cooking
Aussies turn your mind and your body
upside down. Killer stunner.
Hallelujah!
Instagram – All Albums
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– 5 –
New album artwork
Artist: PEACHES
Who: The fabulous performer/producer and feminist/gay
activist born Merrill Nisker 58 years ago in Toronto, Canada.
Track: NOT IN YOUR MOUTH NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS
Brand-new single from her upcoming 7th LP, her first in 10 years.
It’s baptized No Lube So Rude and will come out next year.
Details TBA.
Peaches: “When the world is friction, lube isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.
It’s how you turn that friction into pleasure, into power, into pride.”
Peaches goes nuclear on this
booming disco-punk eruption.
Bang! Boom! Bang! Boom!
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– 6 –
Band: SLEAFORD MODS
Who: Rap-punk poetry duo featuring
voice Jason Williamson and instrumentalist
Andrew Fearn.
Track: THE GOOD LIFE
Single from their forthcoming, 13th LP, baptized
The Demise Of Planet X. It’ll land on Mother Earth
on 16 Jan 2016.
Actress Gwendoline Christie and agog duo The Big Special join the tandem on this one.
TUTV: We know for a long time that the sharp-mouthed mods are an unstoppable
groove engine, and this one is another pulsating one. Wowza. Fucking-A. Let’s see
if you can catch up with this speedy hip-shaking trigger.
Rush and race here.
Live your good life fast.
Instagram – All Albums – Bandcamp
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– 7
Band: FIRE BLANKET
Who: Noise rock/post-hardcore outfit from Manchester, UK.
FFO: Jon Spencer, The Jesus Lizard and Tropical Fuck Storm.
Track: DOCUMENT
TUTV: Picture this. Aggressive guitars rage like chainsaws around a nasty mid-tempo groove, juiced-up by sinewy drum hits and when the clamorous chorus kicks in the
vocalist bellows as if he can’t get out of his straitjacket. Oh yeah, you’ll love this horrific slice of hellraising post-punk mayhem.
They look and they operate like your new favorite Halloween band. Amps up, decibels
up, heat up. I wonder if this track isn’t a hidden one on one of Fugazi‘s detonating exploits.
An in-your-face debut. Bang-on.
STREAM
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Instagram – Linktree
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– 8 –
Photo by Connor Reilly
Band: TEST PLAN
Who: Indie noizz trio from London looking for the sweet spot between
dancing and moshing. They cultivate a ferocious blend of noise-rock,
dance-punk, and post-hardcore.
Track: GONE
The beginning of a brand-new chapter, according to the band.
It’s the first of a few singles from an EP out sometime next year.
TUTV: Hells bells. Test Plan grab you by the throat from the blaring intro and never
lose their suffocating grip. They come at you, full speed, with schizophrenic guitars,
an indefatigable drummer and a psychotic vocalist who screams his four lungs out
and tries to excommunicate his eerie demons.
No rest for the wicked. No emergency exit. We’re trapped, so let’s join these
maniacal mindfuckers in their attempt to make the Richter scale go ballistic.
Linktree
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– 9 –
Band: CAST
Who: Britpop vets who were one of the
support acts for Oasis’ reunion shows in the UK.
Track: CALLING OUT YOUR NAME
Newest single from their upcoming 8th full-length,
baptized Yeah Yeah Yeah, out 30 January 2026
Ebullient retro Britpop bliss.
Makes you want to open your
windows and sing along.
Anthemic knockout!
Instagram – All Albums
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– 10 –
Band: KREIN’S LOW-BUDGET DEATH EXTRAVAGANZA
What a name!!
Who: Polish punk dropouts.
Track: I THINK I’M IN LOVE
Single from their upcoming album
called ‘Evil Love‘.
TUTV: So these four Polish dropouts think they’re in love.
In love or not, I guess any reason is good for these riff-shooting
punk cowboys to run amok.
Their new cacophonous sucker-punch is a piercing piece of rambunctious racket motorized by raucous guitars, a brutal drummer and a weird frontman who looks
mental and sounds mental. Hell, bloody hell, yeah.
Get on your pogo-stick and pretend
you are a kangaroo on dope.
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Instagram – Facebook
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– 11 –
Artist: RICHARD ASHCROFT
Who: Former legendary frontman of The Verve ,
and still a bona fide legend today.
Track: HEAVY NEWS
Stand-out gem from his
7th full-lenght Lovin’ You
TUTV: Ashcroft does what he does best for years now, making your hair in the back of your neck stand up. This is another stadium anthem for thousands and thousands vocal cords to sing a long out loud.
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Instagram – Website
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– 12 –
Band: THE LEMONHEADS
Who: Notorious songsmith Evan Dando‘s
band, for almost 4 decades now.
Track: WILD THING
One of the highlights of their first
album in 24 years, baptized Love Chant.
TUTV: Dando sounds brisk,
jaunty, hungry and energetic.
Welcome back.
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Instagram – Facebook – All Albums
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– 13 –
Band: ARYEL MOON
Who: Fresh Irish indie outfit, fronted by Italy-born musician
Donatella Camedda, who have been building a reputation on
Dublin’s live circuit.
Track: LITTLE BIT CLOSER
Camedda: “It carries that mix of desire, anticipation, and adrenaline you feel
in the very first stage of falling for someone. That in-between space where you’re
caught between genuine connection and the rush of limerence.”
TUTV: Expect flamboyant indie power-pop, invigorated with reverberating guitars,
pummeling drumming and penetrating vocals, intense and intrepid, and a passional
chorus. One spin and you know we have a winner. In a normal world this should be
an indie hit. Trust me, you’ll fall in love with Aryel Moon.
Get your ears a little bit closer.
Instagram – Facebook
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– 14 –
Credit: Reuben
Band: THE CHELSEA CURVE
Who: Mod-pop-rock trio
from Boston, MA.
Track: RALLY’ ROUND
Brand new single.
Linda Pardee (vocalist/songwriter): “This song has morphed into a different meaning
than what was originally intended when written. The lyrics were initially about friendships, acquaintances, people coming into your life. Being part of a community. Finding your
people. Despite differences, we can or should be able to at least co-exist.
TUTV: TCC are no strangers to Turn Up The Volume. And their back again with
this new flashy rocker. Those jangly guitars, that vital, that feverish drive. Resonates
like R.E.M. are back and teamed up with Evan Dando‘s Lemonheads. No I don’t have a
hangover whatsoever. Listen closely and your ears will experience what I experience(d).
All you shiny people out there, come on feel the Dando vibe.
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Instagram – Spotify
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– 15 –
Photo by Kirk Lisaj
Artist: JANE INC.
Who: Toronto-based
songstress.
Track: WHAT IF
Piece from her upcoming 3rd full-length, called
A Rupture A Canyon A Birth, out October 17th.
The song is inspired by the moment that a semi truck plowed into her broken-down tour van. Nobody in the Jane Inc. touring party was hurt in that accident, and they even played their scheduled show later that night. But everyone could’ve easily been killed, and that kind of near-death experience will do something to you. That’s the key to what if.
TUTV: Bumping EBM thrumming, shimmering synths, trippy piano touches,
and vocal outpouring. Donna Summer would like this stomper. Dress up
and hurry to the discotheque.
Instagram – Linktree
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– 16 –
Band: BLURT
Who: Experimental post-punk combo founded in 1979 in Stroud,
Gloucestershire (UK) by poet, saxophonist and puppeteer Ted Milton,
aged 82 now.
Milton grew up in Africa, Canada and Great Britain. He started his artistic career
with poetry publications. In the mid-1960s, he began performing as a puppeteer, participating in numerous international festivals and TV performances
With Blurt he recorded/released a dozen of albums
with Beneath Discordant Skies from 2015 as their
most recent one.
They’re back in town now with a brand
new track, titled THE MECCANO GIRAFFE.
TUTV: It grooves and moves along to a non-stop drum beat, a rollin’ bass
riff, trippy guitar lines, some saxy moments and Milton’s shivering voice.
Funky shit!
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Instagram – Linktree
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– 17 –
Debut single: MURPHY’S MEDICINE
Amy (vocalist): “The Brighton Scene is buzzing at the moment and it is thrilling to be playing alongside so many other great bands. Our single launch at the venue Alphabet in Brighton is part of a great new grassroots series of gigs from Spagetti promotions that showcases emerging bands from across the city”.
TUTV: Way to start! These Brits hit bullseye
right away with their chirpy debut single.
Its lazy indie pop vibes stick on the spot. Feathers is a tremendously catchy
feel-good lullaby, juiced with sparkling guitar solos, a bouncy drum/bass
tandem, and happy-go-lucky duet vocals upfront.
Bingo.
Instagram
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– 18 –
Photo by Corey Poluk
Band: THE GOODS
Who: American power pop band blending big guitars, huge hooks,
and sweet British Invasion-style harmonies into a fresh, distinctive
sound. Formed by singer-songwriter Rob Good, a veteran of
the Oakland underground.
Track: SUNDAY MORNING OUT OF THE BLUE
Single from their riff-filled debut album
Don’t Spoil The Fun. You can stream it here.
TUTV: Imagine nightingale legends The Byrds eight miles high, causing a jingle jangle
spectacle at an adrenalized speed, flavored with vivid vocals. Trust me, one spin and
you’ll be hooked.
Instagram – Spotify
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– 19 –
Band: DIRT ROAD SOULS
Who: Roots rock band who have a story tell, not per se their own,
and not entirely yours, either. It’s universal in its truth, but specific
in its intent.
Track: HOLD ON SOUL
Single from their upcoming album named ‘(The Life and Times of) Johnny Moonshine’, an ambitious 12-track concept album and roots rock opera set for release in early 2026.
Davis Black (vocalist/guitarist) “‘Hold On Soul’ was first written many years ago when
I had left my small town and gone off to start a life in Boston. After high school and college years I’d often return to my small town to recharge – and get drunk with my friends who didn’t leave town. These lyrics come from the culture shock between the two places. The stress of the city vs. the simplicity of the small town was very real for a little while.”
TUTV: Americana at its entertaining best. Groovy and cacthy melodiousness, heart-ans-soul stirring vocals/harmonies and glowing guitar electricity combine for a galvanic chant.
Enjoy the vibrant vibe right here.
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Instagram – Linktree
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– 20 –
Band: PRESENT NATURE
Who: Alt-indie songwriting
newcomers from Leeds, UK.
Track: COLUMBA
Jonny Woolnough (songwriter): “It’s a character appropriation offering a lens
into a couple’s day-to-day existence. A protagonist veering off the track is reminded
of his immaterial fortune. It celebrates life, existence, and endless possibility.”
TUTV: De-stressing fuel for daydreamers.
Columba feels like an Indian summer
sun ray.
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TURN UP THE VOLUME
10 BEST ALBUMS OF THE MONTH – OCTOBER 2025
– 1 –
Band: THE LEMONHEADS
Who: The notorious singer-songwriter
Evan Dando‘s band for almost four
decades now.
Album: LOVE CHANT
Their 11th one. The first with new music since 2006. In between
the band released a couple of albums with covers of Dando‘s
favorite songs.
Press info: “It’s a record that sounds both fresh and familiar: rooted in the hallmarks
of The Lemonheads’ best work, yet expanded by years of lived experience
and new surroundings.”
Mojo Magazine says: “Love Chant might be described as scrappy, vulnerable and
heartfelt, but it is also loose, exuberant and animated in a manner that seems faithful
to who Dando is today.”
TUTV: Clean Dando has obviously refound his 90s appetite for creating
enthralling pop music and he eagerly wants it to share with us from the
get-go.
Dando has resurrected himself and his band gloriously. Now and then he touches turbulent memories from the past and does some soul-searching again, but you
can feel he’s truly happy, healthy and excited to be here in great artistic shape.
Not one dull moment. Mind you, it’s not a masterpiece, rather
a welcome reaffirmation of The Lemonheads‘ riveting pop
mastery.
KEY SINGLE
ALBUM
Instagram – Facebook – All Albums
– 2 –
Band: SPAMMERHEADS
Who: Techno tandem
from Valencia, Spain.
Press Info: “The latest album by Spammerheads, was born from the difficult
experience of the floods that hit Valencia on October 29, 2024. During this time,
the duo lost part of their studio and actively participated in the cleanup efforts
in their city.
This was an experience filled with a mix of emotions—shock, helplessness, fury, resistance, solidarity, and resilience, among others that shaped what may be their
best work to date. Written as a chronicle, the album explores the personal and
collective states of people affected by tragedies or catastrophes.
TUTV: It sounds like if the Spanish electroclash duo decided to process last
year’s devastating floods drama in their hometown Valencia with new music.
Their intentions resulted in this new notable LP stuffed with eight titanic
techno thrills.
Eight 90s inspired trance tunes. Think Chem Bros, The Orb and The Prodigy.
Yes, EDM has become a timeless musical outlet genre that puts you in a
mind-bending trance, far away from the shambolic reality.
The pair’s Mire Chronicles have a hammering impact on their post-drama demons.
To hell with them. At the end of the traumatic tunnel there’s a Spammerheads light
that illuminates a healing future.
SINGLE
ALBUM
– 3 –
Artist: PREWN
Who: The moniker of Massachusetts-born, LA-based chilling
singer-songwriter Izzy Hagerup. She released her debut album
Through The Window in 2023.
New Album: SYSTEM
Her 2nd one.
Stereogum said:”System begins by oscillating between numbing ease of the modern
world and the fight-or-flight response that each new day in a world of crumbling institutions brings. But by the album’s end, Hagerup finds resolve in humanity.”
Hagerup: “I need to tap into my grief and sadness and stuff because it’s there. And when
you don’t live in it then you’re just numb. You can’t see the beauty and you are running from
the pain. It’s this Groundhog Day feeling. I feel that’s the antithesis to art, love, and connection, and giving a shit about the world.”
TUTV: Most songs are written from “twisted and sociopathic perspectives” during late-night bedroom sessions, says Hagerup. And you can feel what that did to System. Freaky at times, off-centre now and then, psychotic here and there.
The combination of creepy violins, ominous cello shadow play, and last but not least Hagerup‘s wailing voice dominate this record causing bone-chilling sensations. Her
laments evoke moments of uncomfortableness, but her grip is so overwhelming that
you just can’t get away of her sonic exorcism. Like watching a bloodcurdling thriller you can’t escape from without knowing the end of the story.
SINGLE
One of the best
of 2025 to my ears.
Masterly stroke.
ALBUM
– 4 –
Band: IT’S KARMA IT’S COOL
Who: Psych pop rock outfit from Lincoln (UK),
led by singer-songwriter Jim Styring.
Album: ONE MILLION SUBURBAN SUNSETS
Their 4th, insipred by living in this modern world,
and what it means to be alive in the 21st century.
Louder Than War says: “From Lincoln, fourth album from a band who burst
the confines of the genre they are best known for. It’s Karma It’s Cool are now
a proper contemporary rock band in search of an audience who want big anthemic
tunes, stadium-sized angst that somehow lifts you out of a generational mid-life
crisis.”
Jim Styring (singer-songwriter) said to Louder Than War: “I always leave lyrics open to interpretation. It’s more important what the listener believes than what I had in mind when
I wrote them.
These so called ‘experts’ telling us that rock and roll is dead and buried. As long as we, as humans, have emotions, songwriters will continue to write, bands will continue to form, our music will continue to thrive. Basically, if you believe in something , don’t let anyone put you down.”
TUTV: The Brits have enriched their already psychedelic sound with early R.E.M.’s sinewy
jangliness and Michael Stipe‘s poignant vocality. It’s without a shadow of a doubt their most arresting opus so far. Frontman Jim Styring reflections on this turbulent and grim century are sign’s of the times.
It’s the end of the world, as we know it, but IKIC, and many of us, do not feel fine. But as long as impassioned and unequivocal records like this one are made there will always be a hopeful light shining at the end of the dark tunnel. It’s called cool karma.
Highlights: Crashability / 21st Century Meds / Serotonin /
Sidewalk Flowers / Paper Tigers / Swans
KEY SINGLE
ALBUM
– 5 –
Band: OF MONSTERS AND MEN
Who: Icelandic indie folk/rock outfit
formed in Garðabær in 2010.
Album: ALL IS LOVE AND PAIN IN THE MOUSE PARADE
Press info: “The title and beating heart of Icelandic collective Of Monsters
And Men’s fourth album hits a lot closer to home than you’d expect. A tapestry
of stories, moments, and conversations, the album explores how love and pain
intertwine.”
AllMusic says: “Hitting on the highs and lows of life, the Icelandic quintet stick close to
their established sound: touching and tender indie folk anthems that play on earnestness
and innocence.”
TUTV: This is what melancholic, folk-inspired splendour is about. Galvanically
crafted songs that touch heart and soul. Rainbow-colored reveries about daily
life put to bewitching music with a leading role for beatific piano play amidst
enticing orchestrations and idyllically alternating and duet vocals.
Think Scottish romantics Belle & Sebastian. This is the kind of
gratifying records to cherish and embrace when your mind
wants/needs a break from the outside world.
Mesmerizing, just mesmerizing.
SINGLE
ALBUM
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6. Lovin’ You by RICHARD ASHCROFT
TUTV: As an ardent Richard Ashcroft/The Verve fan a new RA full-length feels
like a conveted present a 10-year-old was waiting for. But (there’s always
a but) this one leaves me with mixed emotions.
Mind you, 5 tracks (Lover / Heavy News / I’m A Rebel / Crimson Fire ) out of the 10
are arresting tunes, but the other 5 miss the needed divertissement to make it a full commandable record. Lovin You‘ misses Ashcroft‘s epic touch and magical resonance.
No classics such as The Drugs Don’t Work, This Is How It Feels, Sonnet, Lucky Man or (of course) Bittersweet Symphony here.
Considering his illustrious work from the past, it’s hard to come up with first-class
material time and time again that achieves a similar heart-and-soul stirring glamourness. On the other hand, many singer-songwriters would have Lovin’ You on their résumé. And that says a lot about Ashcroft‘s unmistakable strength as a singer-songwriter.
ALBUM
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7. Liminal by BRIAN ENO and songstress BEATIE WOLFE
Who: The ambient sound wizard and songstress.
TUTV: I always loved and embraced Eno‘s sonic ambient paintings, his chimerical and fanciful synth symphonies with its calming impact and starry-eyed radiance. Liminal is another opus I have added to my headphone music playlist for physical relaxation.
Again songstress Beautie Wolfe‘s angelic voice is so complementary with Eno‘s euphonic wanderings. Third collaboration in 5 months. Third invitation to ease your mind and ears in their phantasmagorial universe. A record to cherish in the coming months.
ALBUM
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8. All Systems Are Lying by SOULWAX
Who: the Belgian brothers David and Stephen Dewaele‘s band for 30 years now,
is only one of the siblings’ diverse projects. They DJed the world around as 2manydjs,
had their own Radio Soulwax, and produced/remixed countless other artists.
TUTV: Soulwax excel here with a kaleidoscopic sonic amalgam that connects Kraftwerk‘s otherworldly euphoniousness and The Orb‘s ambient dynamics and at times Cabaret Voltaire‘s experimental capriciousness
The record’s arresting strength, to my ears, is it’s underlying poppiness. Half of
the album is stuffed with pop tunes, enwrapped in the bros’ electronic universe.
It’s not pure techno, not pure dance, not really EBM, rather a versatile, chameleon-like
kind of synth-layered album that sparkles and effervesces non-stop and they aren’t afraid
of tackling the powers that be, the systems that are after your soul.
The siblings got it right: “It’s a rock record without guitars”.
STREAM
.
9. I’m Nice Now by UPCHUCK
Album artwork
Who: High-voltage punks
from Atlanta, Georgia.
TUTV: When young punks play old skool punk you get bands like Upchuck. Their sharp-teethed tenacity, perseverance and hardihood bring 80s angry dogs Dead Kennedys and Black Flag to mind. The message is more important than the racket they all produce. As millions of Americans do, Upchuck also feel trapped by the tyrannical regime in the White House.
Their cathartic music helps them to ventilate all the shit they’re confronted with every single day. Ty Segall‘s production is spot on. I’m sure he took them to a filthy basement somewhere and created an out-of-tune sound that resonates exactly like these Atlanta bohos want to express themselves. Raw, rough, and real. The Upchuck revolution starts here.
Who: Nashville‘s kamikaze pop punk combo
TUTV: Suppose the mailman has delivered you
the LP this morning, and you ride a car to go to work.
PLAY IT during breakfast, but check your
pulse before you get in your car.
DON’T PLAY IT in the car, ’cause you’ll surpass the speed limit within
30 seconds, which is not a good thing when the lights are turning red.
PLAY IT during your lunch break, and challenge your
co-workers to a roller skate race through the office.
STOP PLAYING IT when your boss catches you, doing a
series of somersaults, forth and back, over your desk.
Yes, track #9 is a Beatles cover.
PLAY IT when you’re in the bathroom, it can
be useful for your activity in there.
DON’T PLAY IT on the way home, you have
already wrecked your car in the morning.
PLAY IT on repeat when you get home and pretend you’re
a kamikaze pilot or, that’s big fun too, a pit bull on acid.
ALBUM
RICHARD ASHCROFT Released His 6th Full-Length ‘LOVIN’ YOU’ Today
11 October2025
RICHARD ASHCROFT and THE VERVE (1990–1995, 1997–1999, 2007–2009)
scored their biggest triumph, commercially and critically, in 1997 with their
3rd LP Urban
Hymns that topped the UK Charts. So did its timeless single
Bittersweet Symphony (more than 1,2 billion streams on Spotify).
The band split twice, came back and, finally, called it a day in 2009.
Between and after, Ashcroft delivered great solo work. Today, his
6th solo longplayer, titled LOVIN’ YOU landed.
It follows his performances as support act for Oasis on their reunion shows
in the UK this summer. I was at one of them, on August 3rd in Wembley Stadion
in London. 70,000 singing his greatest hits set along, word by word, caused
goosebumps
Wembley Stadium, August 3rd – photo by Turn Up The Volume.
Louder Than War says: “What’s most striking is how cohesive the album feels despite its stylistic range. Whether he’s leaning into stripped-back balladry or experimenting with soulful grooves, the songs are united by a warmth and clarity that speak to both craft and conviction. It’s the sound of an artist who no longer needs to prove anything — he’s simply doing what he does best.
Lovin’ You may not rewrite Ashcroft’s legacy, but it reinforces it beautifully. It’s a record of reflection and renewal, full of light and grace, and a reminder that — decades on — few songwriters can translate vulnerability into strength quite like him.”
Full review here.
TUTV: As an ardent Richard Ashcroft/The Verve fan a new RA full-length feels
like a conveted present a 10-year-old was waiting for. But (there’s always
a but) this one leaves me with mixed emotions.
Mind you, 5 tracks (Lover / Heavy News / I’m A Rebel / Crimson Fire ) out of the 10
are arresting tunes, but the other 5 miss the needed divertissement to make it a full commandable record. Lovin You‘ misses Ashcroft‘s epic touch and magical resonance.
No classics such as The Drugs Don’t Work, This Is How It Feels, Sonnet, Lucky Man or (of course) Bittersweet Symphony here.
Considering his illustrious work from the past, it’s hard to come up with first-class
material time and time again that achieves a similar heart-and-soul stirring glamourness. On the other hand, many singer-songwriters would have Lovin’ You on their résumé. And that says a lot about Ashcroft‘s unmistakable strength as a singer-songwriter.
SINGLE
ALBUM
RICHARD ASHCROFT About What Makes Him Feel Better
29 July 2025
Photo by Turn Up The Volume, Belgium 2024
I don’t have a guitar, Richard, and if I had one, I can’t play it anyway.
New album ‘Lovin You’ out on October 3rd.
One Sonic Summer Booster A Day Keeps Insanity Away – Today: New RICHARD ASHCROFT Single
17 July 2025
Photo by Dean Chalkley
Artist: RICHARD ASHCROFT
Who: The former charismatic frontman of The Verve (1990–1995, 1997–1999,
2007–2009) who had their biggest triumph, commercially and critically, with their
3rd album Urban Hymns, which topped the UK Charts. So did its timeless single Bittersweet Symphony (more than 1,2 billion streams on Spotify).
Ashcroft, who is one of the support acts for his buddies Oasis on their reunion tour,
recently announced details of his upcoming 7th solo full-length. It’s titled Lovin’ You
and gets its premiere on October 3. More info here.
With the news came the first single LOVER.
An uplifting earworm for all romantic souls.
Below, you can enjoy a riveting live version,
performed for BBC Radio 2. Ashcroft still is
a lucky man.
20 BEST TRACKS OF THE MONTH – MAY 2025
ALL TOGETHER
.
TRACK BY TRACK
– 1 –
Photo by his wife Daryl Hannah
Band: NEIL YOUNG And The Chrome Hearts
Who: The imperishable 79-year-old legend with
his new band, on record and on tour.
Track: LETS ROLL AGAIN
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.
“If yer a fascist, then get a Tesla”
Instagram – Linktree
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– 2 –
Press photo
Band: SUEDE
Who: London‘s unwearying glam rockers
who entered the Britpop scene back in 1992.
Track: DISINTEGRATE
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.
Instagram – Linktree – All Albums
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– 3 –
Band: PANIC SHACK
Who: 4 pop punkettes from Wales. In 2022 they
released their 6-track debut EP Baby Shack.
Track: GIRL BAND STARTER PACK
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.
Instagram – Linktree
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– 4 –
Band: THE CHELSEA CURVE
Who: Swinging mod-pop trio
from Boston, MA.
Track: HEY SAH-LO-NEY-COVER
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.
– 5 –
Artist: BAXTER DURY
Who: The playboy son of his
late playboy father Ian.
Track: ALLBARONE
The title track of his 8th full-length,
available from September 12th on.
TUTV: Baxter invites us all to the dancefloor with
this ultra-contagious disco thrill. Jump onto Dury‘s
gondola below.
Instagram – All Albums
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– 6 –
Artist: EZRA FURMAN
Who: Flaring singer-songwriter from Chicago. She started
her career with a band called The Harpoons who released
3 albums.
Track: I NEED THE ANGEL
The closing song from her new, tremendous
album Goodbye Small Head. Her 7th one.
TUTV: Furman rocks out with tons of flamboyance, zestfulness and
passionate bravura. No wonder she’s out of breath at the end.
Instagram – All Albums
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– 7 –
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.
Track: BROKEN LIB
First single from her 2nd solo album titled
You Heartbreaker You. Out August 29th.
TUTV: Beth sounds raw, rough and raging. Just like she intended
to do on her new longplayer. Be ready for a savage knockout
shocker, folks.
Instagram – Linktree
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– 8 –
Band: WHOLES
Who: A fresh, rowdy hit team led by Belgian
musical chameleon Wolf Vanwymeersch.
Track: MODERN DAY DRAMA
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.
.
Instagram – Facebook – Bandcamp
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– 9 –
Artist: RICHARD ASHCROFT
Who: The former bittersweet
symphony frontman of The Verve.
Track: LOVER
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.
RA: Instagram – Live Dates
——————————————————————————————————————————-
– 10 –
Via Mute Records
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
Track: NEON GIRL
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.”
Track: TEARS IN THE RAIN
Their 2nd single.
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!
.
Instagram – Website
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– 12 –
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.
——————————————————————————————————————————-
– 13 –
Artist: ROBERT FORSTER
Who: Former frontman of Australian
pop-rock outfit The Go-Betweens.
Track: ALL OF THE TIME
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.
Let the riffs rattle.
.
Instagram – Facebook
——————————————————————————————————————————-
– 14 –
Band: ELBOW
Who: England‘s veteran
pop romantics.
Track: SOBER
Newest cut from a new, upcoming EP,
named Audio Vertigo Echo
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.
Instagram – All Albums
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– 15 –
Artist: ARYEL MOON
Who: Dublin-based, Italian-born artist
Donatella Camedda (vocals/guitar).
Track: EULOGY
Only her 2nd single.
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.
Instagram – Linktree
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– 16 –
Band: SPAMMERHEADS
Who: Electro techno tandem
from Valencia, Spain.
New single: GHOSTLESS
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.
.
Instagram – Bandcamp
——————————————————————————————————————————-
– 17 –
Credit: Big Ed Photography
Band: DAS KOOLIES
Who: 4 former Super Furry Animals,
the longtime Welsh indie stars.
Track: OGOV GÔKH
Piece from their forthcoming 2nd album,
named Pando. It’s out tomorrow, May 9th.
TUTV: Expect effervescent synth-pop juiced with a dance-rock dynamism.
Ogov Gôkh is a twirling twister that drives you insane if you come to close.
Instagram – Facebook
——————————————————————————————————————————-
– 18 –
Band: THE CHIEFS
Who: Bloodthirsty Finnish indies with
two lead vocalists, from Finland.
Track: BABY CRAVES HUMAN FLESH
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.
Instagram – Facebook
——————————————————————————————————————————-
– 19 –
Artist: A. SMITH
Who: Singer/songwriter from Dublin, Ireland who
released his debut album Last Animals in 2021.
Track: I CAN BE YOUR TELEPHONE
TUTV: The kind of guitar pop tunes that stick on first hearing.
Mesmeric euphony, magnetic melodiousness and enticing vocals.
.
Linktree – You Tube
——————————————————————————————————————————-
– 20 –
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.
Track: OLD SOUL
“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.
RICHARD ASHCROFT Presents First New Music In 7 Years – Hear New Power Pop Pearl ‘LOVER’
Daily noise that works faster than a stream of caffeine
24 May 2025
RICHARD ASHCROFT and The Verve (1990–1995, 1997–1999, 2007–2009) scored
their biggest triumph, commercially and critically, in 1997 with their 3rd LP Urban Hymns that topped the UK Charts. So did its timeless single Bittersweet Symphony (more than 1,2 billion streams on Spotify).
The band split twice, came back and, finally, called it a day in 2009. In between and afterward Ashcroft recorded solo. So far he has released 5 albums, with Natural Rebel, which came out in 2018, as his most recent one (if you don’t count Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1 from 2021, featuring reworked versions of some of his best known songs).
The former madman, who kept on performing live now and then, is now
finally back with a new single LOVER is an instantly infectious piece. 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.
WATCH
STREAM
Lokerse Festival, Belgium – 5 August 2024 – photo by Turn Up The Volume
10 BEST GIGS OF 2024 According To The Ears/Eyes Of TURN UP THE VOLUME
31 December 2024
Band: FAT WHITE FAMILY
Who: British misfits team led by maestro Lias Saoudi.
One of the best live bands of the past 15 years. Hands
down.
They released their 5th and unquestionbly their best
longplayer this year with Forgiveness Is Yours.
Trix Club, Antwerp – 1 June
No rest for the wicked.
Instagram – Spotify
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: Lambrini Girls
Who: Hefty post-punk
turbo from Brighton, UK.
The grrllzz have their debut LP Who Let The Dogs Out
out on January 10th. They will be all over the place.
L’Aeronef, Lille, France – 17 February
Earthquake experience.
Instagram – Spotify
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: ILA
Who: Belgian top rock/pop outfit
fronted by charismatic songwriter
Ilayda Cicek.
They scored one of the best debut
albums of the year with Anya.
Charlatan, Ghent – 14 November
Magnetism in motion.
Instagram
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Artist: LIAM GALLAGHER
Who: Our kid.
O2 Arena in London, 6 June.
We all felt supersonic.
Instagram – Spotify
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: DITZ
Who: Overwhelming post-punk
bulldozer from Brighton, UK.
On 24th January Ditz will launch
their second album, titled Never Exhale
Sonic City Fest, Kortrijk Belgium, 10 November
Illegal amount of decibels.
Helter skelter.
Instagram – Spotify
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES
Who: British tattoo artist and his gang.
Authors of one of the best longplayers
of 2024 with Dark Rainbow.
Ancienne Belgique, Brussels – 26 February
Passion, passion, passion.
Instagram – Spotify
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: THE NEW EVES
Who: Otherwordly all-female
indie act from Brighton, UK.
Botanique, Brussels – 24 May
Bizzare and different.
BRILLIANT!
Instagram – Spotify
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: YARD ACT
Who: Rap-pop-rock indie
celebs from Leeds, UK.
With Where’s My Utopia they
delivered their 2nd triumphant LP.
Botanique Nights Fest, Brussels – 28 April
Party from start to finish.
Linktree – Spotify
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: WARMDUSCHER
Who: Disco punk cowboys from the UK.
This hit team nailed it with this year’s
album Too Cold Too Hold (their 4th).
Botanique, Brussels – 24 May
Imagine James Brown being a punk.
Instagram – Spotify
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Artist: RICARD ASHCROFT
Who: British power pop expert
Lokerse Feesten, Belgium – 6 August
Bittersweet symphonies.
All photos by Turn Up The Volume
BIG BLASTS FROM THE PAST – 10 Classic Albums Turning 25 In 2025
Back in time
30 December 2024
Band: PRIMAL SCREAM
Album: XTRMNTR
6th one, #3 in the UK.
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.”
PLAY
.
Instagram – Linktree
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Artist: PJ HARVEY
Album: Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
Her 5th longplayer. #23 in the UK. Platinum in the US.
NME: “A magnificent, life-affirming opus.”
PLAY
.
Instagram – Linktree
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: THE WHITE STRIPES
Album: De Stijl
The duo’s 2nd one. No. 137
in the UK. No. 38 in the US.
Rolling Stone: “Feisty and clever. Like everything about the White Stripes,
the album proves that you don’t need bombast to make a blues explosion.”
PLAY
.
Instagram – Linktree
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: RADIOHEAD
Album: Kid A
4th LP. No. 1 in the UK, US, Ireland,
Scotland, New Zealand and Canada.
The Guardian: “Even listeners raised on krautrock or
Ornette Coleman will find Kid A a mystifying experience.”
PLAY
.
Instagram
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Artist: RICHARD ASHCROFT
Album: Alone With Everybody
Solo debut.
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.”
PLAY
.
Instagram
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: SHELLAC
Album: 1000 Hurts
3rd full length.
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.”
R.I.P. Steve Albini.
PLAY
.
Instagram
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: THE DELGADOS
Album: The Great Eastern
3rd longplayer. #12 in the UK, #37 in
their home country Scotland.
DIS: The Great Eastern is a majestic
journey of astounding beauty.
PLAY
.
Instagram
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: GRANDADDY
Album: The Sophtware Slump
Second LP.
The New York Times: “A heart-achingly beautiful requiem for
a culture in which progress and technology have led to alienation
and disposability”.
PLAY
.
Linktree
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
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.”
PLAY
.
Instagram
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Band: AT THE DRIVE IN
Album: Relationship Of Command
Their 3rd. #33 in the UK,
#116 in the US.
BBC Music: “Mesmerising. A statement of
grand intent that could never be followed.”
PLAY