Turn Up The Volume’s 20 KNOCKOUT TRACKS Of The Month – MARCH 2022

A stream of rattling rippers, jagged jams, and romantic reveries

All 20 together on Spotify

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Knockout by Knockout…

1. ‘Twitchen’ In The Kitchen’ by WARMDUSCHER (UK)

Disco-freak stomper of the month, hands down. This new punky-funky corker follows
the previous 2 shared crackers Wild Flowers and Fatso. They will all be on their upcoming album At the Hot Spot, out tomorrow, 1 April (no joke).

It’s a bangin’ beast with a screamin’ chorus. A perfect pick-me-up tune for all the weirdos
who are always in the kitchen at parties waiting for Warmduscher to kick their lazy asses.

Shake your booty…

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2. ‘I Am Not Maternal’ by OTOBOKE BEAVER (Japan)

Compared to this Japanese red-hot-bloody fury the Ramones sound like choirboys.
Otobeke Beaver‘s race and rush in an overwhelming overdrive. No brakes, no breaks.

Their rabidity rolls like a tsunami through your ears. These perky punkettes produce
moshpit madness on the spot. The average song length is 2 minutes, 120 seconds
of clamorous pandemonium.

New album SUPER CHAMPON out on 6 May 2022

These frenetic champ(i)ons rule…

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3. ‘Territorial Call Of The Female’ by BODEGA (Brooklyn, NY)

The New Yorkers still operate on Parquet Courts’ playground with their new,
2nd full-length Broken Equipment. But they supersized their jangly beats
and they turned up the temperature.

Territorial Call Of The Female is my favorite cut. It activates
every muscle and every nerve in my itching body.

What about you?…


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4. ‘Post Punk’ by THE CRYSTAL METHOD feat. IGGY POP

Scott Kirkland (the remaining member of Las Vegas dance act The Crystal Method)
invited icon Iggy Pop (you can hear him almost any day on a new collaboration, the
past few years) and his British buddy, composer/DJ Hyper in his studio.

The raving result is a techno boom boost, bursting all the way, with Pop‘s voice
strangled by a blender. Sounds spooky, sounds wicked, sounds like lust for life.

Breaking news: Iggy says he’s not a punk anymore!

“I don’t want to be a punk
I don’t want to belong to any of it
I just want to be”

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5. ‘Hi-De-Ho’ by JACK WHITE feat. Q-TIP (UK)

Busy blues-rock bee Jack White canned two new longplayers for this year, titled
Fear Of The Dawn (out 8 April 2022) and Entering Heaven Alive (out 22 July 2022)

The hottest cut I heard so far is Hi-De-Ho (from ‘Fear Of The Dawn’ LP) featuring Q.Tip.

A smoking rock-rap ripper.

Yessssss…

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6. ‘I’ll Make You See God’ by THE AFGHAN WHIGS (USA)

The by now legendary passion rockers from Cincinnati, Ohio with mastermind
Greg Dulli
in control are back from being away for 5 years. Their last album
In Spades came out in 2017.

I’ll Make You See God a striking steamroller, a red-hot-heated stunner, an unstoppable
cannonball going everywhere fast. It will feature in the upcoming PlayStation game
Gran Turismo 7.

See/hear God here…

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7. ‘Nothing Comes Good Easy’ by DEAD LEVEE (Canada)

Wowzer! This sickly uplifting belter (from upcoming EP Rise-Up) elevates your state of mind with fired-up dynamism from the get-go. Rapid-fire rawk and roll riffs switch on a fervent feel of euphoria. It did it in the past, it does it in the present and it will do it in
the future.

Despite all the BS we have to endure (pandemic, Ukraine, natural disasters,
and other threats) it’s never too late to get back on track and why not start
with 4 and a half minutes of heart-warming guitar-fueled boogie-woogie
that breathes hope and assurance.

1-2-3….

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8. ‘Digging’ by NOTHINGHEADS (UK)

Once I learned that this startling uppercut is about the horrible
exploitation of human beings by ferocious money sharks this
jagged jackhammer blew my mind even harder than I heard it
the first time before knowing about the band’s inspiration
for this standout.

Expect rabid guitars, doom and gloom vocals, and frantic twists and turns
until the chaotic finale. Post-punk at its razorblade best. Think fierce Canadian
turbine Metz and London‘s up-and-coming gunslingers Crows.

Dynamite!


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9. ‘Breaking Grounds‘ by SALEM WOLVES (Salem, MA)

This fiery crackerjack goes forth and back with
turbulent velocity. Imagine the full of vim and vigor
intenseness and puissant vocality of The Afghan Whigs.
Anxious, unyielding, and ablaze.

Breaking Grounds races like a rush of blood to the head with
screaming guitars and propelling drum muscularity.

Turn it up, guys…


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10. ‘The Girls Of LA’ by WEIMAR (Manchester, UK)

The first taster from the upcoming debut full-length Dancing On A Volcano.

Imagine the fervid fuzz of punchy guitar pop legends Buzzcocks, with
The Stranglers’ Jean-Jacques Burnel on bass, combined with the cutting
verbality of today’s post-Brexit-punk rebirth and you know a frisky doozy
is coming your way.

Add some American-dream girls of the City of Angles on your imaginary
mind-screen and you’re about to start a champagne party in your head.

Drool here…


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11. ‘The Slump’ by SKINNER (Dublin, Ireland)

The combination of a nasty Gang Of Four bass riff,
frenzied Keith Levene guitars here and there and Skinner
hip-hop-rapping like Beck used to do, works like an ecstatic
upper.

This funk-punk stonker has an immediate intensifying impact on all of your
limbs and your bloodstream’s flow. Add some sexy sax thrills to the mix and
you’ll have all you need to jump out of your slump. Capice?

Make your move here…

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12. ‘Sight Unseen’ by EX-HYENA (Boston, US)

Cut from their sophomore album
‘Moon Reflections’, out on June 24

A rotating synth riff echoes British electro legends New Order and
is the beating heart of this new piece, yet the mood is meditative
and musing, strengthened by the near-whispering and eager vocals.
This darksome and soul-searching reverie gets under your skin after
a couple of spins.


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13. ‘The Hurt Within’ by HOLY COVES (Wales)

This impassioned hard-luck story grows slowly but surely into a soul-stirring and mesmerising heartbreaker with an epic finale. Glowing guitars, a steady drumbeat,
and mixed emotions vocals all come together for a poignant performance.

‘Love Is Cruel / The Hurt Within’. You can feel it.

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14. ‘White Skin’ by THE BANKROBBER (Italy)

You’ll hear titillating electro-echoes of early Depeche Mode before
they became the darkwave Goth-esque rockers we all know. But
in an eye-blink White Skin becomes an infectious nightclub earworm
with an ecstatic chorus.

In a normal world (does that actually exists?) this adrenaline-infused
and hip-swinging spark should top the dance charts around the globe.

Another solid gold hit for the Italian siblings.

Press play and move your feet…

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15. ‘Nice Guy’ by BURN THE LOUVRE (Canada)

The musical project of singer/songwriter Jordan Speare
assisted by guitarist/bassist and friend Andrew Billone.

After a couple of EPs the pair’s canned their first longplayer
called Silhouettes. Release at the end of the year.

I don’t know if it’s the world-famous and historic museum in Paris
they want to burn, that wouldn’t be so nice. What I do know is that their
brisk and spirited sound is infectious and captivating with an immediate
impact on your body’s movements. Expect guitar pop electricity, extra
pushed by lively vocals.

Now that’s nice…


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16. ‘Life And Lies’ by LEE ROGERS (Northern Ireland)

The Americana voice of Northern Ireland releases
his new album Gameblood on 13 May.

Ahead of it came this mixed emotions single with
Rogers‘ sky-reaching voice as the star, once again.

It’s a bluesy goosebumps reflection. Wurlitzer jukeboxes should be reinvented
for these heartbreakers so moody minds can cry their eyes out (or cry in their beer)
at night in a downtown bar where lonely ones gather and chat about life and lies.

This one is for all barflies out there…

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17. ‘Set It Aside’ by SUPERCHUNK (US)

The veteran rockers from North Carolina released
their 11th LP Wild Loneliness
a couple of weeks ago.

One of the highlights is this sweet little ditty.

Start dreaming here…


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18. ‘Blood’ by AGATH CRIST (Canada)

A poppy synth trip with a floating flow and near-whispering vocals. Both eerie and affecting, both dizzy and hypnotic with a frenetic guitar attack coming out of nowhere around the 3-minute mark.

Top stroke…

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19. ‘Do It Over’ by THE DISTRICTS (Philly, US)

The Philly rockers are favorites of mine. Early this month they launched
their 5th LP Great American Painting with this little touching jewel on…


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20. ‘All The Good Times’ by ANGEL OLSEN (USA)

It’s an epic ballad with a country feel. If this melancholic gem was written
in the 60s it would have been sung by Linda Rondstadt, Tammy Waynette
or Dolly Parton, anyway, by an angelic voice like Olsen‘s magnific one.

Classic tearjerker…

See/hear you next month, music junkies

Boston Rockers SALEM WOLVES Break Sonic Grounds On Brand New Single

Daily electricity to load your batteries

14 March 2022


(Photo Credit: Erin Patton)

Band: SALEM WOLVES
Who: Hefty psychotronic
heathens from Boston, MA

New single: BREAKING GROUNDS

Gray Bouchard (frontman) “It’s that feeling that you’re the last person
alive in a dangerous land, and that land is inside your own head. inspired
by Peter Murphy and the societal chaos around us, as well as the unnerving
feeling that no one is getting out of this mess.

Turn Up The Volume: This jagged jackhammer goes forth and back with
turbulent velocity. Imagine the full of vim and vigor intenseness and puissant
vocality of The Afghan Whigs. Anxious, unyielding and on fire.

Breaking Grounds races like a rush of blood to the head with screaming guitars
and propelling drum muscularity. On hearing this outburst images of the inhuman
war in Ukraine came to my mind. Fuck Putin.

Buy/stream Breaking Grounds here…


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Also on Spotify

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SALEM WOLVES: Facebook

Turn Up The Volume’s 20 KNOCKOUT TRACKS Of The Month – FEBRUARY 2022

A stream of rattling rippers, jagged jams, and romantic reveries

All 20 together on Spotify

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Knockout by knockout…

1. ‘Demolition Row’ by METZ (Canada)

The hard-hitting Canadian bolide is on a supersonic roll here, rockin’
their tails off. Full blast ahead, no brakes, no looking back. Holy smoke!

The track comes as a vinyl 7″ split with British
band Adulkt Life. Out 4 March, buy here.

Holy guacamole…


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2. ‘I Am Kate Moss’ by DITZ (Brighton, UK)

“The best band in the world” according to Joe Talbot (frontman of Idles).

I Am Kate Moss will be on this ace indie mavericks’ upcoming
debut LP The Great Regression, out at the end of this week.

Order info here.

If your ears are looking for some badass fireworks you really should
play Kate Moss out loud. She’ll turn the heat up the way you like it.

C’mon, Kate…

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3. ‘Room 165’ by CROWS (London, UK)

James Cox (frontman): ““I used to be quite obsessed with true crime, and this song was
kind of born out of researching H.H Holmes and the World Trades Hotel in the 1860’s where
he would murder people staying at his hotel informally called ‘The Murder Castle’. I also got quite obsessed with a faith healer from the early 1900’s called Reverend Major Jealous Divine and reading transcripts of his old sermons, so this is basically just a weird amalgamation of mad shit I read about.”

Post-punk at its psych-o-tic best…

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4. ‘Digging’ by NOTHINGHEADS (London, UK)

A wham-bloody-bam drum intro, scorching guitars, filthy grooves, angry vocals,
all in just 50 seconds. Sounds like Nick Cave and his freakish gang The Birthday Party
are back with a filthy blues-injected blast. If you like creepy doom and gloom hullabaloo from a smelly basement you’ll love this to death.

Release the bats…

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5. ‘Cream’ by BOTCHED TOE (UK)

A razorblade uppercut as intimidating as a bulldozer and
cutting as a Swiss knife. No rest for the wicked. One of the
clamorous highlights of these hardcore junks’ debut album
A False Glimmer Of Hope.

Go bonkers, folks…


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6. ‘Junk Man’ by JON SPENCER & THE HITMAKERS (US)

Garage blues-rock junk Jon Spencer is back in town.
This time with his HITmakers. This razzle-dazzle cracker
is pushed by a bouncy synth touch and, schizophrenic
guitars and, of course, Spencer‘s freaky vocals.

Turn it up…

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7. ‘Staring Into The Sun’ by 50 FOOT WAVE (USA)

The wonderful Kristin Hersh has an impressive résume.
10 albums with Throwing Muses, 10 solo albums and one
full LP and several EPs with 50 Foot Wave (trio with
Throwing Muses‘ bassist Bernard Georges).

And Hersh doesn’t think about retiring yet, she never will.
A new 7-track 50 Foot Wave album, entitled Black Pearl
comes our way on 15 April. Order info here.

Taster Staring Into The Sun is, a boisterous and metallic
slo-mo groove with a hammering beat, pumped-up guitars,
and Hersh’s manic vocals augmenting the shadowy tone of
this belter.

So what’s next for 50 Foot Wave? Playing at
metalfest Aftershock in Sacramento in October?


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8. ‘Clowns For President’ by BAD SKIN (Montreal, CA)

Think legendary gritty grrrls Bikini Kill having a ball with
Pussy Riot while kicking Russian president Putin up the ass.
These 4 steamy sisters in punchy punk crime buzz and fuzz
like a hot rod on the run.

Bad Skin storm full steam ahead with front Amazon Dope sneering
like a raging riot grrrl. Yep, Dope is dope. And this stunning stonker
is dope too!

To hell with Putin…

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9. ‘Alone Again’ by AVA VOX (Dublin, Ireland)

Sounds like Patti Smith‘s Because The Night ends in a painful break-up
for the lovers. Ava Vox‘s heartache vocality and hurt timbre emphasise
the confused state of mind of the abused one and the melodramatic
sonic boom of this emotional eruption expresses sorrow, distress,
and angst. Another gripping Vox piece.

Affecting performance…


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10. ‘This Cost Of Life’ by TIDAL WAVE (Toronto, CA)

Oh my, oh my. This sky-reaching gem left me out of breath after just one spin.

A tower of a song with an imposing impact. A masterstroke that explodes after the foreplay-intro and moves up and down like a roller coaster. Stellar tune, stellar sound, stellar guitars, stellar emotions, and a stellar chorus. Anthemically orchestrated with goosebumps arrangments. I’m quite sure their awesome fellowmen Arcade Fire would
like this grand exploit.

Here‘s why…

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11. ‘Fear Of The Dawn’ by JACK WHITE (Detroit, US)

The former white stripe plans the release of two
albums this year. Fear Of Of The Dawn, out 8 April
and Entering Heaven Alive, out 22 July.

Here comes the title track of the first LP.
Expect 120 seconds of flaming guitar
hysteria with White going totally blue…

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12. ‘Back To The Radio’ by PORRIDGE RADIO (Brighton, UK)

The lead-single of new, upcoming full-length album
Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky out
in May.

This is one of those songs that hypnotise from the get-go
to the eager finale. A feverish chant, one long chorus with
Marglin‘s delirious voice causing goosebumps.

Stupendous stroke…

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13. ‘Alone’ by STALKER (Sweden)

This is classic heavy metal. Huge sound, huge vocals, huge tune
with a huge chorus. If you’re a metal addict you will not mind if this
Swedish hit team stalks you. After an ominous violin intro, all burners
are on and frontman Michael Storck’s overwhelming pipes take over.

Self-titled debut longplayer comes on
11th February 2022 via WormHoleDeath.

Holy shit!

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14. ‘Colorful White Lies’ by ELECTRIC HIGH (Bergen, Norway)

After a dancey handclap intro, it’s all burners on with
a headbanging impact. Heavy boogie drones to play air
guitar to, in front of the mirror.

Echoes of muscular American motherrockers – like Van Halen,
Sammy Hagar
and Aerosmith – are all over the heated place.

Add firm Lynryd Skynyrd harmonies and you know you’ll
have this blaring beast on your speakers for quite some time.

Press the start button here…


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15. ‘Hostile Music’ by SALEM WOLVES (Boston, MA)

This boiling-hot-cooking stroke hit me and my ears from
the moment the first chord blasted out of my shaking stereo.

Ardent anxiety and edgy excitability dominate this fanatical
outburst. And when the hair-rising chorus erupts you’ll
go mental just as these wolves do.

Right here, right now…

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16. ‘Love Burns’ by ODAWIN (Italy)

A twist and turn prog-pop-rock composition bringing legends
Genesis (early years with Peter Gabriel) and YES (with voice Jon Anderson)
to mind. My favorite cut from Odawin‘s triumphant debut EP ‘Untitled.

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17. ‘Golden Apple’ by HVIRESS (Brighton, UK)

Sensual, puzzling, tempting, synth-matic,
imaginative, seductive, esoteric, and relaxing.

HVIRESS are here to stay.

The ladies have once again teamed up with Scott Chalmers
to create an unsettling music video that leaves the viewer
pondering what they’ve just seen, a perfect partner to
the song’s opening lines…

“What is it that you see? It almost seems unreal
What is responsible for all the things you feel”

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18. ‘Impossible’ by RÖYSKOPP and ALISON GOLDFRAPP (Norway / UK)

Norway’s synth heroes teamed up with the gorgeous
Alison Goldfrapp for this trippy and sultry dance thrill.

Shake your booty, ladies and gents…

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19. ‘Shallow Graves’ by THE MINIMUM WAGE (Ontario, CA)

This riff-rowdy ripper flames with fervid fervency and resonates
as if Bob Mould was invited to play guitar. Ace tune, towering
sound, impassioned vocals, and a sickly sticky chorus.

Just what you need to activate your serotonin production.
Maximum result for a minimum wage.

Be yourself, stay yourself…

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20. ‘Hello Dreamer Baby’ by THE ROYAL FOUNDRY (Canada)

This is what ecstatic pop grandeur is all about. Music that elevates
your state of mind to a titillating level. This new majestic single
generates a spellbinding buzz we all can use in these difficult
pandemic times.

When the multi-layered vocals/harmonies kick in, a gospel-like choir delight
creates an atmosphere of utter joy comparable with the euphoric drive of
The Polyphonic Spree. Vitalizing vibe, refreshing rapture.

Enjoy here…

See/hear you next month, music junkies

SALEM WOLVES Go Mental On Red-Hot-Blooded Stroke ‘HOSTILE MUSIC’

Daily electricity to load your batteries

11 February 2022


(Photo Credit: Erin Patton)

Band: SALEM WOLVES
Who: Hefty psychotronic
heathens from Boston, MA

New single: HOSTILE MUSIC

Gray Bouchard: “‘Hostile Music’ is as direct a statement of purpose as you can find.
We make hostile music for a hostile world. The world is as vicious as it’s ever been and
we’re all barely keeping up. So this is us announcing our renewal, our focused aggression.”

Turn Up The Volume: Holy smoke! This hot-blooded stroke hit me and my ears
from the moment the first chord blasted out of my shaking stereo. Ardent anxiety
and edgy excitability dominate this fanatical outburst. And when the clamorous
chorus erupts you’ll go mental just as these wolves do. Holy smoke!
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This mad motherrocker triggers you to
go out and kick some hostile idiots…

Buy here via Bandcamp…


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SALEM WOLVES: Facebook – Spotify