ALL TOGETHER

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TRACK-BY-TRACK

1. ‘Mustang’ by KINGS OF LEON (Nashville, US)

The Nashville family band return to the scene with their 9th LP.
It’s named CAN WE PLEASE HAVE FUN and will see the day
of light on May 10.

Lead-single Mustang is a roasting steamroller
that turns up the fervent fever when the cooking
chorus kicks in.

Holy smoke

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2. ‘Oh Shit’ by THE LIBERTINES (UK)

Promo pic

British infamous mavericks come up with their 4th full-length,
called All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade, on April 5.

One of the singles called Oh Shit is an inflamed crackerjack sung by
Carl Barât and joined on the chirpy chorus by his buddy Doherty.

Great shit

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3. ‘Wave Out Sunkiss’ by CANYONS AND LOCUSTS (Boston, US)

Boston‘s hefty garage blues-rock act released their new EP The Red Angel.
Six barbed wire bursts is what you get. To give you a loud and clear idea
here’s the closing crusher Wave Out Sunkiss.

Filthy stuff

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4. ‘S o f t e r’ by VIRGINS (Belfast, Ireland)

📸 @ebony_alexander_media

S o f t e r is a psychedelic shoegaze stunner, a multi-layered symphony propelled
by about a thousand guitars, a mind-boggling bass riff, and combative drums, while Rebecca Dow‘s ghostly vocals scrape the sky. What a titanic thrill.

Top

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5. ‘High Value Male’ by PAPA JUPE’S T.C. (Cardiff, Wales)

This disco-punk sucker-punch is just perfect to start and end all (il)legal
club nights with. High Value Man is a jiving bass-insane jackhammer that
doubles your adrenaline production on the spot and triggers your hottest
body contortions.

The orgastic ‘dance with me’ chorus revs up the sultry temperature and invites you to go mental, like a kangaroo on E. London‘s boiling dancefloor wackadoos Warmduscher should take these Welshmen/woman on the road with them. Frisky fun guaranteed. Machos not allowed.

Go nuts

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6. ‘Running’ by PEARL JAM (Seattle, US)

Press photo

Seattle‘s rock giants led by towering voice Eddie Vedder are back in business.
They canned their 12th longplayer, called it Dark Matter and they will share
it with the world on April 19.

Single Running sounds like if Vedder & Co
found their young razor-blade rock legs again.

Alive again

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7. ‘Lights Down Low’ by DIE SEXUAL (Los Angeles)

This dazzling electronic duo conjure their influences of EBM, techno and electropop,
their sound is an intoxicating mix of analog synthetics and seductive vocals, touching
on themes of desire and despair, domination and submission.

They have a new 3-track, titled Inservio out, with opener Lights Down Low
as my favorite. An electro booster with a tantalizing techno beat à la The Prodigy
that rotates irresistibly, non-stop.

Bang-on

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8. ‘Broken Man’ by ST. VINCENT (NYC)

Album artwork

The entrancing Oklahoma songstress (real name: Anne Erin Clark) launches
her 7th album, titled All Born Screaming, with the world on April 26.

Lead single Broken Man is a superb Prince-like stomper.

Sexy, sassy and badass.

Score

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9. ‘Stage Fright’ by ROYAL CASTLES (Ontario, CA)

Spring is in the air, titillating tunes are in the air, like this frisky one
that circles around a disco beat in overdrive, and has an instantaneous,
activating impact on your eager limbs.

Lively vocals and a jumpy synth chorus augment the briskness at play here.
Get up, stand up, take your blue suede shoes out of the closet and show us
your best hip moves. Shake your dancefloor fright off with this rad
head-over-heels twister.

Press play

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10. ‘The Book’ by NIXER (Dublin/London)

The Book is a pithy piece from their upcoming EP, called
‘I Hit The Town And The Town Hit Me Back’ out on May 17.

The song’s theme was inspired by 1999 fictional love novel
Sputnik Sweatheart by Japanese writer Haruki Murakami.

Expect a synth-adrenalizing thrill, a head-spinning belter,
infused with whirlwind vocals and UK garage dynamics. Imagine
The Streets on acid or Yard Act pressing the accelerator.

Listen up

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11. ‘Diana’ by AUTOGRAMM (Seattle/Chicago/Vancouver)

Photo by Dave Paterson

Diana comes out of the gates like a speed train and never looks back.
Dynamizing synths start the rapid trip, the powerhouse drum/bass
engine pushes the rotating rhythm with vivid vigour, and zippy vocals
complete the accelerating sonic picture.

Touchdown

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12. ‘Oceanos Sangrientos’ by EL KINTANO Y LA VENEREA (Spain)

Great rock music has no boundaries.

No, I don’t speak/understand Spanish, but hey, there are a lot of English/American hardcore/punk bands that scream and shout in such a cacophonous way, that I have no clue whatsoever what they’re on about. Who of you understand, except the people from Iceland, what world-famous orchestral pop outfit Sigur Rós, are singing about? It’s always about the music first.

Oceans Sangrientos is a titanic psychedelic blast. Be ready for a wall-of-fuzzing-and-buzzing guitar attack. Think The Brian Jonestown Massacre turning up their amps to the max and coming up with layers of mind-blowing electricity. Blimey.

Sube el volumen

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13. ‘Op-Operator’ by THE SHANG HI-LOS (Boston, US)

Photo Credit: Joan Hathaway

These Boston rockers let the good times roll. Op-Operator is a dynamite
power pop tune that gets you out of your bed, after a night on the town
and triggers your limbs to start partying all over again.

Op-op-op-op-op-operator

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14. ‘Trying’ by YOKOPHONO (Finland)

Promo picture by Jan Trygg

This is how British blues rock titans Royal Blood would sound if their producer
is a fanatic post-punk fan. Trying is a riff-rough roller coaster going forth and back.

The crude combination of hammering drums, stoner rock electricity, and yearning vocals create a shocking effect that bangs on and on. Yokophono not only try, they succeed with bold brio.

Check-in

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15. ‘Ist Ist’ by EINSTÜRZNEDE NEUBATEN (Germany)

The German capricious bohemians, fronted by bad seed Blixa Bargeld unleash their album number 13, a double one, baptized Rampen ( Amp: Alien Pop Music) on April 5.

First single Ist Ist is a jittery piece of intoxicating
music, motorized by a Sturm und Drang bass riff.

Faszinierend.

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16. ‘Wild God’ by NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS (Australia)

Press photo

Nick Cave and his iconic bad seeds band have bagged album #18.
It’s called Wild God and will hit the streets on August 30.

The title track is a sublime composition. The first part is crooner Cave as we know
him, but quickly the vocal passion and goosebumps intensity goes up and from halfway on, the song turns into an orchestral masterpiece, with a zealous hallelujah choir and an opera-like majesty. Best piece they wrote in years.

Breathtaking

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17. ‘Anna Madonna’ by MAX BLANSJAAR

Blansjaar is an up-and-coming 21-year-old singer-songwriter
born in Amsterdam, raised in Oxford, now based in Brooklyn.

Anna Madonna echoes Ezra Koenig and Vampire Weekend. It’s a frolicsome tune that flutterers around in your head like a happy-go-lucky butterfly. A sweet little pop gem.

Play

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18. ‘Back To The Beginning’ by WORLDCLUB (Wales)

Worldcub are a group from North Wales piloted by brothers Cynyr (guitar & vocals) and Dion Hamer (drums & vocals). They produce material from their home studio on the hills of Eryri, splicing together elements of surf guitar music, kraut-rock grooves and hypnotic psych tinged Cymru vocal harmonies.

They have their new album ‘Back to the Beginning’ out 17th of May.

The title track gets under your skin from the kick-off with its
bass-pulsating groove, its breezy guitar sparks, and its layered,
affecting harmonies.

Bingo

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19. ‘This Is Nowhere’ by THE BLACK KEYS

The blues-rock tandem have their 12th LP,
titled Ohio Players ready for release on April 5th.

Single This Is Nowhere is a surprising, mid-tempo, power
pop ballad, far away from their rough trademark sound.

Catchy
Captivating

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20. ‘Waiting Forn You’ by T BONE BURNETT (US)

The 76-year-old singer-songwriter/producer has recorded his 15th solo
full-length, his first in 18 (!) years. The Other Side comes out on April 19.

First single ‘Waiting For You’ is a vintage romantic, longing, bittersweet, sentimental and good old ballad. I’m a sucker for lullabies like this (certainly after a day with lots of noisy music) that calm me down and touch my heart and soul. Burnett‘s warm voice and crystal guitar play turn this song into a wonderful, timeless, and charming musing. A universal love song.

Wonderful