Skunk Anansie

25 BEST TRACKS OF 2025… So Far

Posted on by JL

ALL TOGETHER


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TRACK BY TRACK

– 1 –

Band: THE SLOW READERS CLUB
Who: Alt-pop rockers
from Manchester, UK.

Track: BOY SO BLUE
Single from their notable 7th album,
Out Of A Dream released last March.

“‘Although it’s a big, joyous dance track, it’s about hiding deep emotional pain and trauma and how hedonistic coping mechanisms, like drugs, alcohol, and womanizing, are just temporary distractions. They ultimately fuel a self-destructive cycle. There’s a deliberate contrast between the euphoria of the music and the melancholy of the lyrics, capturing the subject’s duality of light and darkness.”

TUTV: This is what great pop-ular music is all about. Big tune, big emotions, big orchestration. Euphorically cacthy despite its dramatic ‘real life‘ story. Aftermath
soul-searching can work cathartically, and here it sounds pretty boosting.

24 Carat pearl.
Hands down.

Linktree – Spotify
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– 2 –

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
Single from their forthcoming self-titled
debut LP, out this Friday, on July 18th.

TUTV: These utterly cool Welsh punkettes drive you bonkers with
this bass-insane punk ‘n’ roll uppercut. Kick-ass band, kick-ass attitude,
kick-ass blast.

Party! Party! Party!

Instagram – Linktree
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– 3 –

Band: PUNCHBAG
Who: A new brother-sister party duo, from South London colliding the raw unfiltered energy of punk, with the overflowing ecstasy of pop. With fierce tempos and ferocious energy, their music is an explosively cathartic release of raw intensity and unapologetic fun.

Track: I’M NOT YOUR PUNCHBAG
From their same titled debut EP,
released last May.

TUTV: Ecstasy. Elation. Exhilaration. This flamboyant electro-slam makes
you bounce and jump like mad. Punchbag kick you in the teeth without
asking while having uppercut fun. And they’ve only just started.

Amazeballs.

Instagram – Linktree
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– 4 –

Artist: FANCLUBWALLET
Who: Canadian outfit led by
songstress Hannah Judge from
Ottawa.

Track: COTTON MOUTH

“I wrote this one when I was feeling stuck and stagnant, but when I finally
brought it to the band they really breathed new life into it and made it feel
magic again!!”

TUTV: This sickly sticky steam-riff-roller drives me crazy. Head-twisting stonker.

Instagram – Spotify
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– 5 –

Band: BOB VYLAN
Who: Controversial hip-punk-hop
duo from London.

Track: DREAM BIGGER.
A re-worked, re-named jackhammer single from
their 3rd album, Humble As The Sun released
last April.

TUTV: It features roasting vocals by the fantastic Australian punk
daredevil Amyl Taylor from Amyl And The Sniffers. She’s the perfect
sharp-mouthed match for this fierce flametrohwer.


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Instagram – Linktree
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– 6 –

Band: KNEECAP
Who: Belfast‘s sharp-mouthed, notorious rap team KNEECAP – Mo Chara,
Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí – hip & hop around with a knife between their
teeth since 2017.

So far they released 2 albums.

Lately, they make headlines with their loud and clear, ongoing support for Palestine.
They got heavily critiqued for it when they played Coachella Festival in Indo, California
last April.

Then the UK’s right wing politicians jumped into it, and prosecuted Mo Chara after allegedly displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah last November (no verdict yet), and tried to get them banned from playing Glastonbury Festival next week. It gained them, rightly so, countless support from musical colleagues and fans.

To emphasize the whole political charade, the band just released a new single, named
THE RECAP, going after Tory politician, business and trade minister Kemi Badenoch who started to hunt them back in 2023 when he withdrew an arts grant awarded to the band.

The trio brought a discrimination case against the U.K. government
and won, donating the proceeds to Belfast community groups. Yes!

Free Palestine.
SHOUT! SHOUT! SHOUT!

Instagram – Linktree
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– 7 –

Artist: JEHNNY BETH
Who: France-born, former frontwoman of
female post-punk band Savages (2011-2017)

Track: OBSESSION
Single from her upcoming, 2nd solo LP,
baptized You Heartbreaker You. It’ll
land on August 29th.

Beth: “We’re living in a dark time, full of drama and barbarous tragedy.
It became clear to me that, in these times, we either learn how to scream
really well, or we learn how to whisper.”

TUTV: With this savage industrial shocker it’s crystal clear what Beth meant
when she talked about her amadant intention to make an agressive sound
on her new record. Obsession is a nine inch nails bombshell. Volcanic
2025 gloom and doom eruption.

Helter skelter.

Instagram – Linktree
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– 8 –


Press photo by Damien Sayell

Band: MCLUSKY
Who: Notorious Welsh noiseniks feat. angry man
Andrew Falkous, also the mastermind of Future
Of The Left.

Track: CHEKHOV’S GUNS
Piece from their 4th full length, called
The World Is Still Here And So Are We.

TUTV: Post-punk aggression at its Mclusky‘s sharp-biting best,
gas-powered by a cast iron bass/drum tandem, schizo guitars
and Falkous‘s intimidating sneering.

Chop, chop, chop.


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Instagram – Linktree
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– 9 –


Photo by his wife Daryl Hannah

Band: NEIL YOUNG & THE CHROME HEARTS
Who: You know who.

Track: LETS ROLL AGAIN

Single from the brand new excellent
LP, named Talkin’ To The Trees.

TUTV: No pension whatsoever for the incomparable 79-year-old rocker in
the free world. Middle-finger straight up, in the face of billionaire monkeys.

“If you’re a fascist, then get a Tesla”

Instagram – Linktree
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– 10 –

Band: WHOLES
Who: A fresh, rowdy hit team led by Belgian
 musical chameleon Wolf Vanwymeersch.

Track: MODERN DAY DRAMA
Single from their upcoming debut LP
‘A Mass In The Water, which lands
on 14 November.


Single artwork by Maxime Rouquart

TUTV: This hellraiser’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.


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Instagram – Facebook – Bandcamp
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– 11 –


Press photo by Danny Clinch

Band: ARCADE FIRE
Who: The famous pop-rock
collective from Canada.

Track: YEAR OF THE SNAKE
First single from their forthcoming 7th album, named
Pink Elephant ready for release on May 9th. 2025 is
the ‘year of the snake‘ in the Chinese Zodiac.

TUTV: It’s a sublime, crystalline pop nugget, with its hypnotizing guitar riff,
the non-stop banging drum beat and the intertwined, spellbinding vocals of
Win Butler and his spouse Régine Chassagne.

Sterling stroke.

Instagram – Shop
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– 12 –


New album artwork

Band: PULP
Who: Sheffield‘s guitar-pop heroes
fronted by the charismatic songsmith
Jarvis Cocker.

Track: SPIKE ISLAND
single from their first LP in 24 years.
More came out on June 6th.

TUTV: A vintage, mid-tempo, pop thrill with a grandiose
chorus. Wake up common people, here’s some more pulp.

Instagram – Linktree
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– 13 –

Band: THE LATHUMS
Who: British folk rockers with a massive following,
countless Mumford & Sons fans included.

Track: HEARTBREAKER
From their 3rd LP, titled
Matter Does Not Define,
released last March.

TUTV: Expect an adrenalizing, hurly-burly track that drags you into
its head-over-heels flow, from the very start. Ridicously infectious.

Top-drawer earworm.

Instagram – Facebook
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– 14 –

Artist: BAXTER DURY
Who: The playboy son of his
late playboy father Ian.

Track: ALLBARONE
Title track of his 8th full-length,
available from September 12thn.

TUTV: Baxter invites us all to the dancefloor with
this ultra-contagious disco stomper. Jump in
Dury‘s gondola below.

Instagram – All Albums
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– 15 –


Credit: The Irrational Library

Band: THE IRRATIONAL LIBRARY
Who: The Irrational Library is a Dutch-American rock band with its roots
firmly planted in both the regional and international counterculture. The
Dutch-American band produces a raw, dirty groove influenced by punk,
provo and punk icons. Their poetry is packed with social criticism.

Track: TRUTH SERUM
First single from the quartet’s new, upcoming
5th LP ‘The Saying Of It All’. More details TBA.


Artwork by political cartoonist TRIK

TUTV: TIL is back in town. And they move and groove again with brio and gusto
motorized by a striking drum/bass tandem, while a 60s psychedelic flute flutters
like a butterfly throughout the song. Frontman Joshua Baumgarten draws your
aural attention (as usual) with his near-rapping phrasing of the clear-cut lyrics.

Gutsy groover.


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Instagram – Facebook
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– 16 –

Band: SKUNK ANANSIE
Who: Famous British noizz rockers,
fronted by the charismatic Skin.

Track: AN ARTIST IS AN ARTIST
Single from their 7th LP The Painfull Truth
which came out last May.

TUTV: An Artist Is An Artist is a sizzling sledgehammer
pushed by a mind-boggling speedy velocity, Skin‘s
hyperactive vocals, a paranoid sax and a flabbergasting chorus.

Skintastic flare-up.

Instagram – Linktree
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– 17 –

Artist: LAURA JANE GRACE
Who: Chicago‘s notorious singer-songwriter who’s around since the 90s.
She makes a lot of noise with her punk group Against Me! (7 albums so far)
and solo (2 albums so far).

Track: YOUR GOD (GOD’S DICK)

Grace: “Does God have a dick? Is that what those of the faith believe when they refer to their Lord as “he” & “him” & “father”? Well, imagine that! Oops, I think I may have imagined a little too hard and gone and written a song about it. He lord’s heavenly hammer must swing mighty! And away we go!”

TUTV: This is both a hilarious and punktastic choir chant reminiscent
of scream and shout Celtics Dropkick Murphys with a blustering storm
of surf riffs chainsawing your stereo into pieces.

Wowzers.

Instagram – Linktree
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– 18 –

Band: THE NEW EVES
Who: Must hear/see indies from Brighton (where everybody is in a band).
They cruise from folk to punk, using, besides traditional instruments (guitar,
bass and drums) also cello, flute, violin, and other classical gear.


Photo by Turn Up The Volume

Track: HIGHWAY MAN
Piece from their upcoming debut longplayer
The New Eve Is Rising , out on August 1.

It’s a darkly-energised, female-first retelling of
writer/poet Alfred Noyes classic 1906 romantic
poem.

TUTV: These four musical mavericks don’t care about rock ‘n’ roll rules. They do what they want, the way they want to do it, annex unseen visual presence on stage and in video clips. On Highwayman they rattle and brattle full speed ahead motorized by restless drum/bass teamwork.

Here and there the tune, goes, eh, out of tune, and it sounds totally perfect for this emotional belter. No arty farty production for TNE. Winder-Lind‘s awesomely agitated vocals put a spell on you. My, oh my.

Instagram – Linktree – All Singles – Tour Dates
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– 19 –


Photo by Graham Noble

Band: DECLAN WELSH AND THE DECADENT WEST
Who: Post-rock-punk combo from Scotland. So far
they recorded/released two albums.

Track: CAREFREE

TUTV: A razzle-dazzle steamroller that gets under your skin faster
than you can say “this is bloody superb”. Its insane, mind-bending
course doubles your serotonin production on the spot.

Blimey.

Instagram – Linktree
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– 20 –

Artist: MARK STEWART
Who: One of the most adventurous/inventive/original post-punk & dub artists/performers
ever. He was a founding member of genre-bending new wave group The Pop Group and released lots of solo and collaborative records. Unfortunately, he passed away 2 years ago,
only 62.

Track: MEMORY OF YOU
Single from Stewart‘s solo album The Fateful Symmetry,
that was completed early 2023, not long before his passing.

TUTV: Haunting, synth-symphonic and boom-tastic,
with Mark‘s characteristically energetic voice on top.

Mark Stewart Facebook – Mute Records
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– 21 –


Photo by Shelly Reese

Band: THE LIVING PINS
Who: Indie outfit featuring, Carrie Clark and Pam Peltz, who found each other on
the edge of the delicately ramshackle playground of the 1990s Austin (Texas)
music scene. They released their 4-track debut EP Let It Be So in 2023.

New single: GOLD

TUTV: Gold is a bluesy, foot-tapping garage ripper that has an instant impact on your greedy ears with its solid swagger, its gloriously cracking guitars, with a feverish solo somewhere in the middle, and its cool duet vocals.

Shake your booty.

Instagram – Facebook – Bandcamp
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– 22 –

Artist: LIFE COACH
Who: The musical project of singer-songwriter-poet Jamie Cameron. Hailing from
the Scottish Borders, the music blends lo-fi beats, synths and guitars with spoken word lyrics in which he discusses subjects ranging from politics and premonitions to self help culture, and a modern society obsessed with economic thinking.


Jamie Cameron

Track: SQUADDIES IN HAIR NETS
Highlight from his 2nd full length
A Love Letter To Your Yearning Heart,
released last May.

TUTV: Life Coach are on fire, again. This new rattling rap ‘n’ punk roll crackerjack
swings forth and back, left and right and Jamie Cameron’s full of vim and vigour
word-flow activates all of your insatiable limbs before he relaxes towards the
synthy end. Kinetic kick. Hands up for the coach.

Let the siren blare.


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Instagram – Facebook
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– 23 –


Image Credit: Euripides Altintzoglou

Band: LIONS OF DISSIDENT
Who: Electrifying outfit from the Midlands (UK).
They released their debut album Ghost Behind You
in 2022.

Track: SIRENS AT THE SEA

Tim Baker (founder and creative director): “The best of what we do in one song,
it’s a tune that really carries the soul of everything good we have stood for over the
last ten years”.

TUTV: Expect electrifying energy from the kick-off. Delirious guitars set
the haywire tone and hyperventilating vocals augment the buzzing fuzz.
A modern-day post-punk roller coaster.

Rapturous ride.


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Instagram – Linktree
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– 24 –

Berlin-based artist KAT KOAN offers her first music of
the year with a new, jaunty little gem, called COCOON.

Koan: “It’s a little circus themed escape world. I wanted to create a bit of a dreamy
break from daily worries. It’s pretty crafty and full of cool instruments. It also features
my daughter for a brief moment. It’s my favourite song I’ve made so far.”

TUTV: Leave your own cocoon and move to Koan‘s one where she will treat
you with this lighthearted tune that swings in mid-tempo from left to right
and back.

It relaxes your mind, triggers you to set your busy plans on a hold, and invites
your body to have a waltz-y dance that transfers you to a utopian circus
place for a while, far away from our daily, suffocating rat race.

Don’t worry, be happy.


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Linktree

– 25 –


So, who’s Yorke and who is Prichard?

Artists: THOM YORKE and MARK PRITCHARD.
Who: Radiohead & The Smile orchestrator and
the pioneering electronic musician/producer.

They had their first collaboration on a track called
Beautiful People which appeared on Pritchard‘s
2016 solo LP Under The Sun.

Track: BACK IN THE GAME
From their longplayer Tall Tales,
released last May.

TUTV: Spooky and trance-like electronic jam.
Mesmerizing and hypnotizing. Emotive vocals
by Yorke.

Instagram

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TURN UP THE VOLUME

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5 BEST ALBUMS – MAY 2025

Posted on by JL

31 May 2025

Band: MCLUSKY
Who: Welsh notorious post-punk noiseniks featuring future of the left iconoclast
Andrew Falkous, who made a loud and clear mark on the indie list of max decibels
producing acts between 1993 and 2004 with three ear-piercing and politically loaded albums. The it was time for other projects.

In 2015 Mclusky suddenly returned for a benefit gig in London and played
some more here and there. In 2023, they released a new 4-track EP, called
Unpopular Parts Of A Pig / The Digger You Deep to fund a delayed US tour.

And now they’re back with LP #4, titled THE WORLD IS STILL HERE AND SO ARE WE.


Press photo by Damien Sayell

Kerrang says: “The highlights are plentiful, from the misanthropic maelstrom of ‘People Person‘, to the lolloping ‘The Digger You Deep’ and the Pixies-esque ‘Hate The Polis’, but you don’t need to pan for gold when there’s so much of it. When The World Is Still Here And So Are We was announced last year, it came as a surprise to many; that the resulting opus is such a remarkably consistent collection after 21 years probably should be too, but somehow isn’t, as mclusky always offered a safe – and strange – pair of hands.”


Andrew Falkous, Mclusky in Brussels – May 18, 2025 – Photo by Turn Up The Volume

TUTV: The world is still spinning and Mclusky decided to come back after 21 years
to see what’s going on and let us know what they experienced/experience in their
own tumultuous way. To be honest, it’s Mclusky by numbers, but their numbers still
slice and slash as a first class Swiss knife. And that is what matters.

Primal screamers, guitarist Andrew Falkous and bassist Damien Sayell spit and sneer
their 4 lungs out while they rip puppet politicians to shreds with razor-sharp axes. Chainsaw guitars everywhere, backed by a hellacious drum/bass duo. They’re maniacal
masters when it comes to search and destroy punk havoc.

And they still come up with daft song titles like ‘unpopular parts of a pig’, ‘kafka-esque novelist franz kafka’, ‘the competent horse thief‘ and ‘autofocus on the prime directive‘. Welcome back, noizz freakz.

KEY SINGLE

ALBUM


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Instagram – Linktree
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New album artwork

Artist: EZRA FURMAN
Who: Flaring singer-songwriter from Chicago. She started
her career with a band called The Harpoons who released
3 albums.

New album: Goodbye Small Head.
Her 7th one.

Furman: “Twelve songs, twelve variations on the experience of completely losing control, whether by weakness, illness, mysticism, BDSM, drugs, heartbreak or just living in a sick society with one’s eyes open. These songs are vivid with overwhelm. They’re not about someone going off the rails, they are inside that person’s heart.

The songwriting here is a revision to William Wordsworth’s famous proclamation that “Poetry
is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility.” I can agree with that, except for the tranquility part. This poetry, my poetry, arrived in the midst of the storm. It was written as I teetered toward the edge.”

DIY Magazine says: “It’s a textured tapestry of overwhelm that’s as desperate as it is defiant. She employs a string section across much of the record, and yet also dabbles in sampling for the first time; with its skittish drums, eulogic cello, and haunting vocals, ‘You Mustn’t Show Weakness’ is the potent pinnacle of this new frontier. Lyrically, too, ‘Goodbye Small Head’ is some of her finest work.”

TUTV: Furman‘s records are all soaked in emotional tenseness and troubled sensitiveness, lyrically and sonically. Her all-consuming voice is the perfect instrument to emphasize all her ardent eagerness.

And it works thoroughly on expressive highlights Jump Out, Power Of The Moon, You Hurt
Me I Hate You, A World Of Love And Care and closer I Need The Angel. Ezra Furman puts all of her heart and soul in her mesmerizing music. It makes Goodbye Small Head a formidable accomplishment.

KEY SINGLE

ALBUM


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Instagram – All Albums

Band: SKUNK ANANSIE
Who: The British robust rock veterans,
fronted by the fantabulous Skin.

Album: THE PAINFUL TRUTH
Their 7th one.

Kerrang‘s verdict: “The Painful Truth sounds eye-openingly fresh for a band with such
history. Everything about this is new, except its heart-on-sleeve honesty. They’ve never
released an album that embraces creativity this openly. My Greatest Moment, for example,
is full of ear-catchingly extracurricular sounds – the sort of thing artists in the NIN-to-Starset bracket specialise in, but without sounding like either. Life’s truth might be painful sometimes, but it’s rarely sounded better.”

TUTV: SA return less raw, rough and heavy as usual, even poppy at times. Mind you,
there’s still enough sonic vehemence and inflamed volume to challenge the decibels police, especially when Skin‘s voice reaches for the sky. As always she put all of her heart and soul into her performances. Overall, there’s more emphasis on melody and harmony than before, resulting in a top drawer record.

KEY SINGLE

ALBUM


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Instagram – Linktree
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Artist: PETER MURPHY
Who: Former Bauhaus‘ goth
icon, now aged 67.

Album: SILVER SHADE.
It’s produced by renowned producer Youth (Pink Floyd, The Verve, Crowded
House, member of Killing Joke, The Orb, The Firemen w/Paul McCartney).

SPIN Magazine: “Artists age differently, it comes through in their work. Some turn contemplative, some opt for acceptance, some even refuse to admit they’re getting older (looking at you, Rolling Stones). On Silver Shade, famed Bauhaus vocalist and post-punk
pioneer Peter Murphy reveals how he chooses to face his golden years: with an album of
grand, baroque defiance you can dance to.

TUTV: Murphy solo is as relevant as Bauhaus was. He’s still as rhapsodic, motivated and
ambitious as he ever was. Silver Shade is stuffed with big, bombastic and melodramatic tunes to draw goth fans to gloomy discos with. Banger after banger, stompers after stomper. Gloriously orchestrated, anthemically constructed. His phenomenal vocal performance lifts this remarkable record to an astonishing level. Class!

KEY SINGLE

ALBUM


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Instagram – Linktree – All Solo Albums
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Artist: CHUCK D
Who: Public Enemy‘s riot-rap-gun frontman.

Album: CHUCK D PRESENTS ENEMY RADIO: RADIO ARMAGEDDON
His 5th solo trip.

AllMusic: “Radio Armageddon is intended for an audience who has been listening to Public Enemy for most of its life, but the album continues in the group’s tradition of delivering timely, empowering messages with dense, confrontational barrages of revolutionary noise.”

TUTV: Chuck D is at his razor blade sharp best when he fulminates against the rotten powers that be. And with that egomaniacal idiot Trump back in the White House there’s
a lot to get furious about. America wasn’t as divided as it is right now because of that deranged hate-preacher who normalizes sexism, racism, and overall intolerance.

Chuck D hips and hops, raps and claps, with knife-edged rhymes and riot-gun tirades, forth and back, left and right. He turns 65 in August, but he will never shut up and mouth off when it comes to expose all sorts of injustices. With or without Public Enemy he will always speak out against the oppressors in charge.

SINGLE

ALBUM


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Instagram – Linktree

SKUNK ANASIE Sound Refreshed On Their 7th Album ‘THE PAINFULL TRUTH’

Posted on by JL

24 May 2025

British robust veteran rockers SKUNK ANANSIE, fronted by the
fantabulous Skin have their new, 7th LPTHE PAINFUL TRUTH.

Press info : “Celebrated for their fearless approach to addressing political and social issues, Skunk Anansie has broken significant racial and gender barriers in rock, using their platform to advocate for identity, equality, and activism. Their influence extends beyond music, making them icons of both sound and social change.

Now, the legendary British rock band returns with their seventh studio album, The Painful Truth. Recorded in LA with renowned producer Dave Sitek (known for his work with Foals, Weezer, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs), this latest release sees the four-piece once again pushing creative boundaries and solidifying their place as modern pioneers in the music world.”


New album artwork

Kerrang‘s verdict: “The Painful Truth sounds eye-openingly fresh for a band with such
history. Everything about this is new, except its heart-on-sleeve honesty. They’ve never
released an album that embraces creativity this openly. My Greatest Moment, for example,
is full of ear-catchingly extracurricular sounds – the sort of thing artists in the NIN-to-Starset bracket specialise in, but without sounding like either. Life’s truth might be painful sometimes, but it’s rarely sounded better.”

TUTV: SA return less raw, rough and heavy as usual, even poppy at times. Mind you,
there’s still enough decibels to challenge your ears, especially when Skin’s voice reaches for the sky. As always she put all of her heart and soul in her performances. But overall they sound somehow polished, in an entertaining way that is, with more emphasis on melodiousness. Top tracks: An Artist Is An Artist, Lost And Found, Cheers and Meltdown.

SINGLES.

– AN ARTIST IS AN ARTIST –

– LOST AND FOUND –

ALBUM

20 BEST TRACKS OF THE MONTH – JANUARY 2025

Posted on by JL

The best of the best of the past month

ALL TOGETHER

TRACK BY TRACK

– 1 –

Band: BOB VYLAN
Who: London‘s hip-punk-pop duo.

Track: DREAM BIGGER
One of the singles of last year’s 3rd
album Humble As The Sun.

The jackhammer returned now re-named Dream Bigger.


Amyl Taylor (and The Sniffers) – photo by TUTV – Antwerp, 2023

It features riot-gun rappin’ vocals from Australian
punk daredevil Amyl Taylor from Amyl & The Sniffers.

Bigger dream. Bigger havoc. Bigger Amyl.


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Instagram – Linktree
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– 2 –


Photo by Graham Noble

Band: DECLAN WELSH AND THE DECADENT WEST
Who: Post-rock-punk combo from Scotland. So far
they recorded/released two albums.

New single: CAREFREE

A stunning steamroller that gets under your skin faster than
you can say “this is bloody bonkers “. Its red-hot-blooded rush
doubles your adrenalin production on the spot. Blimey. Ecstasy.

Instagram – Linktree
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– 3 –


Promo photo

Band: FRANZ FERDINAND
Who: The Scottish power-pop
veterans.

Track: HOOKED

Best piece of their new 6th album The Human Fear.
Far better than the two average singles they dropped.

Addictive electricity.
Yep, you’ll get hooked.
Can’t escape the buzz.

Instagram – Facebook
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– 4 –

Band: THE LATHUMS
Who: British folk rockers with a massive following,
countless Mumford & Sons fans included.

Track: HEARTBREAKER
From their upcoming, 3rd LP, titled
Matter Does Not Define, out March 7.

A blazing hot crackerjack
driving your ears and your
legs crazy.

Instagram – Facebook
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– 5 –

Band: CHEST.
Who: Post-punk
combo from Paris.

Track: ACETA
From their debut EP,
that’ll land in February.

Aceta speaks to someone overwhelmed by anxiety. Someone feeling stuck, unable to
move forward, and uncertain about why. The song aims to bring comfort, offering a
reminder that doubt is a natural part of life and that it’s important to embrace these
turbulent phases, as they always pass with time.

Imagine Idles, Yard Act and Kneecap
throwing punches at each other.
Mind-blowing uppercut. Wowzers.


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Linktree
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– 6 –


Credit: Anya Forrest

Band: MARSEILLE
Who: Juvenile rock wolves
from Derbyshire, UK.

New single: HISTORY
The song is a love letter to the
dreams we all had as children.

TUTV: These young British gunslingers echo the early hopped-up days of global rock champs Oasis. They have the Gallaghers‘ sassy swagger, cocksure verve and champagne supernova groove. And the vocalist is Liam‘s son, well he could be.

They look cool, they act cool and they sound supersonic cool. They don’t look
back in anger, they want to conquer the future. D’ you know what I mean?


.
Instagram – Echo Bass Records
________________________________________________________________________________________________

– 7 –

Band: SKUNK ANANSIE
Who: Famous British noizz rockers SKUNK ANANSIE,
fronted by the awesome Skin.

Track: AN ARTIST IS AN ARTIST
Their first single in 3 years and according to
a press message “the surprising first taste of
what’s to come from the band in 2025”.

An Artist Is An Artist is an instant striking stroke pushed by a mind-boggling
speedy velocity, Skin‘s hyperactive rapping, a paranoid saxophone and a
flabbergasting chorus. Not the titanic bombast we’re used to. Mind you,
still loud enough to wake your neighbours. Fucktastic flare-up.

Instagram – Linktree
________________________________________________________________________________________________

– 8-


Press photo by Destiny Robb

Band: CHARM SCHOOL
Who: The latest project from Andrew Sellers who, originally from Louisville (KY),
has paid his dues in both the NYC and LA DIY music scenes, and his various bands
have played with seminal acts like Joan of Arc, Grizzly Bear & At The Drive-In.

Track: WITHOUT A DOUBT 
Cut from their upcoming LP, titled ‘Debt Forever‘,
out on January 24th. More info here.


Album artwork

Sellers about the track: “It’s by far the most pensive, melancholic song on the record, and it seems fitting that it’s coming out right now, amidst all the turbulence in the world. The main theme of this new record is financial uncertainty (or just uncertainty in general), so the main thing I remember about this song is the refrain “Please don’t let me run out of money” coming out randomly during practice one day.”

Interpol guitar echoes are the backbone of
this glorious mid-tempo gem. Close your eyes
and lose yourself in this riveting masterstroke.


.
Instagram – Facebook
________________________________________________________________________________________________

– 9 –

Band: THROWING MUSES
Who: Legendary indies fronted by
mesmeric voice Kristin Hersh.

Track: SUMMER OF LOVE
Single from the Muses‘ upcoming, 11th longplayer,
baptized Moonlight Concessions. Comes our way
on March 14.

The song was inspired by a bet Hersh had with a guy for
a dollar that revolved around the idea that the seasons
don’t change us.

Kristin Hersh strums her acoustic guitar
as she did/does her wayward way for years
now, on this sonic hypnotizer. It gets under
your skin without asking permission.

Instagram – All Albums
________________________________________________________________________________________________

– 10 –

Band: CMON CMON
Who: Brussels/London-based indie rock trio,
who started to realize their childhood dream
in their 40s.

New track: TURN OFF THE LIGHTS

It’s the second shared song from their upcoming, new EP, titled Headwind.
It follows CC’s excellent 2023 debut album The Crack And The Light.


Striking artwork by Belgian designer Lisa Van de Vyver with
cover images by Swedish photographer Moa Karlberg.

Turn Off The Lights is exhilarating guitar pop that sticks
on the spot. It has all the entertaining ingredients to be
added to your on repeat list.

An effervescent flow, a dominant and steadfast drum beat, an awesome guitar solo, romantic vocals, blithesome harmonies and a resonant chorus. Sonic warmth in winter.
CC hit the bullseye again!

Linktree – Facebook
________________________________________________________________________________________________

– 12 –

Band: MUMFORD & SONS
Who: London’s famed folk-rockers.

Track: RUSHMERE

I had no clue these guys were still around.
But with this contagious TUNE they triggered
my ears right away.

Instagram – Website
________________________________________________________________________________________________

– 13 –

Band: SNAPPED ANKLES
Who: London-based synth mavericks, incorporating
elements of performance art and art rock. Masked
and dressed up as threes on stage.

Track: SMART WORLD
Third single from their new upcoming album Hard Times Furious Dancing. Out on
28 March.

Snapped Ankles never let you down
when you love to sway yourself gaga
to electro dancefloor uplifters like
this acid house one.

Instagram – Linktree
________________________________________________________________________________________________

– 14 –


Credit: Julie R. Kane

Band: RATTLE
Who: Musicians Katharine Eira Brown and Theresa Wrigley formed in
2011 after meeting on the live circuit whilst both playing in other bands.

Track: RITUAL

It is inspired by Boleskin House in Scotland, once
inhabited by occultist/writer Aleister Crowley.

Drums thud non-stop and put
you in a trance. ghostly vocals
augment the eerie mystique.
Intriguing and spellbinding.

Instagram – Bandcamp
________________________________________________________________________________________________

– 15 –

Artist: ERIC SCHROEDER
Who: Very productive San Diego-born songwriter
and multi-instrumentalist who released no less than
5 albums in just 4 years and a new one is waiting
in the pipeline.

Track: EMILY
Piece from his new, forthcoming LP
named Cat’s Game out on April 11.

The lyrics speak to a lost love, as he sings, “I long to be where the colors tease, and her love concedes” with wounded swagger benefitting the paradoxical paradise of psychic devotion. There’s a unique form of bittersweet American poetry in Schroeder’s ability to make you feel the weight of longing with every lancing line.

A guitar-infused reviver from start to finish.
Catchy as hell. Emily will bounce around in
your head for quite a while.


.
Instagram
________________________________________________________________________________________________

– 16 –

Band: HOT HAIL!
Who: Seattle-based darkwave
act. Brainchild of songwriter Billy Sigil.

Track: HORRIFIC
It follows the 3-track debut EP
Dance Your Body Broken.

Depeche Mode vibes, a touch of New Order and Bauhaus echoes.
Apocalyptic danger in the dark. The world is in a really bad place.
Have a last doom and gloom dance before it’s all over.


.
Instagram – Linktree
________________________________________________________________________________________________

– 17 –


Single Artwork Photo by Max Power Photography

Artist: TRISTAN ARMSTRONG
Who: Skilled composer and lyricist finding beauty in the quotidian struggles of urban life. His music combines a sense of earnest romanticism and poignant introspection, with a guitar-centric aesthetic.

Track: THE LONELY AVENUE
A cathartic release of rock-and-roll energy inspired by the dualities
of urban life and a longing for home. Written during his early days
in Toronto after moving from Vancouver Island.

Expect a tsunami of riffs and a pulsating
bass engine juiced with avid vocals.

Instagram – Spotify
________________________________________________________________________________________________

– 18 –

Artist: MR BILLY FRITZGERALD
Who: Dublin-based solo artist writing lush indie-pop songs
that simultaneously bathe in the faded light of heartbreak
while pulling you on to the dancefloor.

Track: LET US BE (SINGLE)
Song from his upcoming debut album,
titled ‘A Grand Romantic Gesture’, out on
Feb 20th.

Lyrically the track explores the theme of being with someone when everyone else thinks it’s a bad idea. Billy draws on his own experience, while growing up and learning how to be in a relationship and developing those tools, inevitably and regrettably, people get hurt along the way. Here he delves into this, as he declares love and devotion while facing down the barrage of words against the union. A true Romeo and Juliet story.

Tremendous intro. Infectious upper
juiced with sparkling guitar play,
a puissant, foot-tapping drum beat
and intensive vocals.


.
Linktree
________________________________________________________________________________________________

– 18 –

Artist: BOB MOULD
Who: Former Hüsker Dü frontman.

Track: HERE WE GO CRAZY
Title song of his upcoming,
15th longplayer.

Mould about the album: “On the surface, this is a group of straightforward guitar pop songs. I’m refining my primary sound and style through simplicity, brevity, and clarity. Under the hood, there’s a number of contrasting themes: Control and chaos, hypervigilance and helplessness, uncertainly and unconditional love.”

Vintage Mould passion.
Affective. Sticks immediately.

Instagram – Spotify
________________________________________________________________________________________________

– 19 –

Artist: STEPH SWEET
Who: Arresting British
songstress.

Track: TUESDAY LOVE

The shadowy aura of Mazzy Star,
the mysterious karma of Tess Parks.
Dim the lights and let this torch song
capture your soul.


.
Instagram – Website
________________________________________________________________________________________________

– 20 –


New album artwork

Artist: SHARON VAN ETTEN
Who: Renowned Brooklyn-based
singer-songwriter.

Track: TROUBLE
Song from her 7th LP, titled
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory,
out on 7 February 2025.

Her first album which credits her band, named
for the occasion, The Attachment Theory.

One of the finest and most sensuous voices
of the past years. Van Etten charms even
when she’s in trouble.

TURN UP THE VOLUME

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BlueSky

JUKEBOX 2025 – Week 3 – 10 New Rad Tracks Every Week

Posted on by JL

In order to not miss a beat TURN UP THE VOLUME scans the musical horizon
daily, for 10 years now in 2025, to pick ace tracks and add 10 new rad ones, every
week, to the one and only JUKEBOX that matters.

ALL TOGETHER


.
This week’s 10 fresh ones.
TRACK BY TRACK


Press photo by Destiny Robb

Band: CHARM SCHOOL
Who: The latest project from Andrew Sellers who, originally from Louisville (KY),
has paid his dues in both the NYC and LA DIY music scenes, and his various bands
have played with seminal acts like Joan of Arc, Grizzly Bear & At The Drive-In.

Track: WITHOUT A DOUBT 
Cut from their upcoming LP, titled ‘Debt Forever‘,
out on January 24th. More info here


Album artwork

Sellers about the track: “It’s by far the most pensive, melancholic song on the record, and it seems fitting that it’s coming out right now, amidst all the turbulence in the world. The main theme of this new record is financial uncertainty (or just uncertainty in general), so the main thing I remember about this song is the refrain “Please don’t let me run out of money” coming out randomly during practice one day.”

Interpol guitar echoes are the backbone of
this glorious mid-tempo gem. Close your eyes
and lose yourself in this riveting masterstroke.


.
Instagram – Facebook
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Artist: ERIC SCHROEDER
Who: Very productive San Diego-born songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
who released no less than 5 albums in just 4 years and a new one is waiting
in the pipeline.

Track: EMILY
Piece from his new, forthcoming LP
named Cat’s Game out on April 11.

The lyrics speak to a lost love, as he sings, “I long to be where the colors tease, and her love concedes” with wounded swagger benefitting the paradoxical paradise of psychic devotion. There’s a unique form of bittersweet American poetry in Schroeder’s ability to make you feel the weight of longing with every lancing line.

A guitar-infused earworm from start to finish.
Catchy as hell. This classy cracker will stay with
you for a long time.


.
Instagram
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Artist: SKUNK ANANSIE
Who: Famous London noizz rockers
fronted by the awesome Skin.

Track: AN ARTIST IS AN ARTIST
Their first single in 3 years.

A fucktastic flare-up, with
a hyperactive rapping Skin.

Bang-on.

Instagram – Linktree
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Artist: MR BILLY FRITZGERALD
Who: Dublin-based solo artist writing lush indie-pop songs
that simultaneously bathe in the faded light of heartbreak
while pulling you on to the dancefloor.

Track: LET US BE (SINGLE)
Song from his upcoming debut album,
titled ‘A Grand Romantic Gesture’, out on
Feb 20th.

Lyrically the track explores the theme of being with someone when everyone else thinks it’s a bad idea. Billy draws on his own experience, while growing up and learning how to be in a relationship and developing those tools, inevitably and regrettably, people get hurt along the way. Here he delves into this, as he declares love and devotion while facing down the barrage of words against the union. A true Romeo and Juliet story.

Tremendous intro. Infectious upper
juiced with sparkling guitar play,
a puissant, foot-tapping drum beat
and intensive vocals.


.
Linktree
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Artist: ANDY BELL
Who: Veteran musician best known as a member
of British shoegaze old-timers Ride and temporary
bassist for Oasis.

Track: I’M IN LOVE…
His cover of The Passions’ sweet 1981 tune I’m In Love With A German Filmstar.
It features Dot Allison & Neu!’s Michael Rother. It’ll be on his 5th solo longplayer,
named ‘Pinball Wanderer’, out on Feb 28.

Bell: “I went through a stage of playing
the guitar part for that song at every
Ride soundcheck.”

Trippy and scintillating.

Instagram – Spotify
________________________________________________________________________________________________


Photo by Kharn Roberts

Band: MOREISH IDOLS
Who: Up-and-coming indies
from Falmouth, UK.

Track: DREAM PIXEL

“’Dream Pixel’ is about what we all see in our dreams; the colours, sounds
and occurrences that are often too surreal to put into words and leave you
questioning how the subconscious can paint such a vivid, psychedelic picture.”

Combining 70s inflected, layered vocals with psych-tinged, Gordian instrumentation that darts and weaves around broken beat rhythms, the track throbs with moments of intense saxophone, distorted guitars, mangled electronics, trembling synths, and reversed vocals. It’s another valiant testament to the band’s conscious effort to continually challenge their songwriting, told via Dan Carey’s explorative creative filter.


Album artwork

It’ll be part of the band’s debut album
All In The Game, out 7 March.

Mesmerizing psych-pop jam
going left/right, driven by
a multi-instrumental groove.
The capricious saxophone
finale messes up your mind.

Instagram – Linktree
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Artist: HEARTWORMS
Who: The psych-pop project of swift
up-and-coming British songstress
Jojo Orme.

Track: EXTRAORDINARY WINGS
From her debut LP, titled Glutton
For Punishment. It’ll land on Feb 25.

2025 will be a triumphant year for Heartworms.

Linktree
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Artist: SHINING GLASS
Who: Singer/songwriter/guitarist
Drew Johnson from Tucson, Arizona.

Track: DRAWING FIRES
Top piece from his new 6-track EP
Yellow & Purple. Stream it here.

The slowly haunting, intoxicating and hypnotizing progression
at play here, the psychedelic orchestration and ghostly vocals
combine for an enticing experience.


.
Instagram
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Band: MY MORNING JACKET
Who: Renowned pop-rockers
from Louisville, Kentucky.

Track: TIME WAITED
Piece from their new, 10th LP, named IS.
It arrives on 21st March.

This melancholic ballad
stirs heart and soul.
Magnific return.

Instagram – All Albums
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Artist: PERFUME GENIUS
Who: The musical moniker of acclaimed Iowa
singer-songwriter and visual artist Michael Hadreas

Track: IT’S A MIRROR
Lead single from his new 7th LP, baptized Glory,
and out on March 28th. More info here.

“I wrote ‘It’s A Mirror’ while stuck in one of these isolating loops, seeing
that something different and maybe even beautiful is out there but not quite
knowing how to venture out. I have a lot more practice keeping the
door closed.”

PG’s vulnerable vocals
star once more in this
smooth muse.

Linktree

SKUNK ANASIE Return With Mindblowing Flare-Up ‘AN ARTIST IS AN ARTIST’

Posted on by JL

Daily electricity to load your batteries

14 January 2025

British noizz rockers SKUNK ANANSIE, fronted by the awesome
Skin return for a busy 2025. New music and a Euro/UK tour.

AN ARTIST IS AN ARTIST is their first single in 3 years and according to
a press message “the surprising first taste of what’s to come from the band
in 2025”.

The song was produced by David Sitek, who reportedly helped
Skunk step out of their comfort zone this time around.

Skin: “His name seemed to be on a lot of records that we liked. But none of the records sounded the same. The records all sounded fresh, but mainly the artists all sounded like themselves.”

An Artist Is An Artist is an instant stunner pushed by a mind-blowing speed-groove,
Skin‘s hyperactive rapping, a paranoid saxophone and a flabbergasting chorus. Not
the metallic bombast we’re used to. Mind you, still loud enough to wake your
neighbours. Fucktastic flare-up. Welcome back!

WATCH/LISTEN

STREAM


.
EURO DATES

UK DATES

Instagram – Linktree

SKIN And SKUNK ANANSIE Can’t Take You Anywhere

Posted on by JL

New striking strokes

18 March 2022

The utterly charismatic SKIN (real name: Deborah Anne Dyer)
and her iron band SKUNK ANANSIE can finally celebrate their
25th birthday on the road.

To start the party they unleashed
boiling belter Piggy a few weeks ago.

And here’s another one to light up the festivities.
New single CAN’T TAKE YOU ANYWHERE
is a pop song disguised as a sturdy rocker.

Go for it, Skin…