Goodbye 2023! 20 Top Tunes From 20 Top Albums Of The Past 12 Months

30 December 2023

Well, another year has come to an end. A year stuffed with a tsunami of striking tunes
and stunning albums, as TUTV already displayed on its 2023 best-tracks and best-albums lists.

But that was just a fraction of this past year’s superb music extravaganza. Let’s go out with
a big bang. 20 Top Tunes from 20 Top Albums that made our ears go bonkers in 2023.

ALL TOGETHER


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TRACK BY TRACK

Artist: PJ HARVEY (UK)

Track: The Nether-edge
Album: I Inside The Old Year Dying

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Band: THE MURDER CAPITAL (Dublin, Ireland)

Track: Return My Head
Album: Gigi’s Recovery

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(Photo by Turn Up The Volume – The Netherlands , 2023)

Band: DREAM WIFE (UK)

Track: Leech
Album: Social Lubrication

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Band: COACH PARTY (Isle Of Wight, UK)

Track: What’s The Point In Life
Album: Killjoy

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Band: FUCKED UP (Toronto, CA)

Track: Nothing’s Immortal
Album: One Day


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Band: SWIMWEAR DEPARTMENT (Houston, Texas)

Track: We Need A Place
Album: The Poolest Of The Mall


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Band: S O R O R (Belgium)

Track: Shadow Of A Doubt
Album: New Born


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(Photo by Turn Up The Volume, Brussels, 2023)

Band: THE PSYCHOTIC MONKS (France)

Track: Crash
Album: Pink Colour Surgery

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Band: VIOLET NOX (Boston)

Track: Senzor
Album: Vortex And Voices

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(Photo by Turn Up The Volume, Belgium)

Band: PROTOMARTYR (Detroit, MI)

Track: Fulfillment Center
Album: Formal Growth In The Desert


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Band: EATING RAINBOWS (Belgium)

Track: Smile
Album: Yep Yep Yep


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Band: PHUTURE MEMORIEZ (Vancouver, British Columbia)

Track: Mouth Yellow
Album: Play Cobra


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Band: CAMLANN (Indonesia)

Track: Your Death Is My Glory
Album: Dismantle!

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Band: 100 GECS (St. Louis, US)

Track: Hollywood Baby
Album: 10,000 gecs

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Band: WARGASM (UK)

Track: Do It So Good
Album: Venom

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Band: FILIBUSTER (Belgium)

Track: A Problem (In A)
Album: Quiet Part Out Loud


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Band: MILK TV (Belgium)

Track: Paint Boy
Album: Neo Geo


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Band: FERAL FIVE

Track: Truth Is The New Gold
Album: Truth Is The New Gold

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Band: MELODY FIELDS (Sweden)

Track: Rave On
Album: 1901


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Artist: JOHN CALE (Wales)

Track: Story Of Blood
Album: Mercy

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TURN UP THE VOLUME’s JUKEBOX 2023 – 10 New Tracks Added Every Week

In order to not miss a beat Turn Up The Volume scans the musical
horizon daily (doing it for years now, actually) to stay in touch with
all new things sonically great and shares the results on a weekly
basis.

Check the 10 new rad cuts just
added to this rad 2023 playlist.

TRACK-BY-TRACK

1. ‘Man Of The Hour’ by FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES (UK)


Press photo

Frank Carter and his Rattlesnakes are warming up for their new album,
their fifth, baptized Dark Rainbow (out January 2024) with this stunning
lead-single.

Man Of The Hour is a gorgeous surprise. Sonically and vocally, we meet
the softer side of post-hardcore punk and tattoo artist Carter with this
pure power ballad. Superb. Sing it loud.

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2. ‘Heart In The Hole’ by THE MURDER CAPITAL (UK)


(Photo by TUTV – Pukkelpop fest Belgium 2022)

Following their 2nd, masterly album Gigi’s Recovery which
came out last January The Murder Capital just dropped this
brand new single.

A melodramatic piece that confirms the Irishmen’s huge arresting potential again,
and again we get an absorbing vocal performance by frontman James McGovern.

Press play.

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3. ‘Illuminated’ by SIZ (France)


Crédit: eddiefzone

These French noisemakers unleashed their 2d LP, titled Blind
two days ago. An overall smoking-hot top album. Stream it here

For stupendous mid-tempo towering single Illuminated – think Ty Segall
turning up the decibels – they have this zombie-themed video out now.
Halloween is just around the corner.

Get scared.

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4. ‘Violence’ by EMPTY HEAD (Belgium)

Two years after the release of their charged self-titled debut EP Empty Head are back with
a brand new follow-up EP named Tales Of A Modern Man. A 5-track one anchored by the overarching theme of the Modern Man and bristling with a wiry tension.

Opener Violence sets the tone with its hammering beats, its inflammable guitar
galavanism and frontman Simon Galloy‘s sky-scraping vocals.

Top stroke.

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5. ‘Peace’ by AUTOMAN (London, UK)


Photo by Lily Doidge

These 4 young gunslingers release their debut EP,
titled ‘Vegetables’, on October 20.

But first this Peace taster.

Freddie Brown (songwriter): “‘Peace’ channels that feeling of when your brain is so loud
that you can’t sleep; in the middle of the night, your thoughts are at their worst, and that acute sense of paranoia can quickly spiral out of control. I wrote it in the middle of the night, thinking I was copying Morning Bell by Radiohead. I got hooked on this two chord sequence, addicted to the way they don’t quite solve each other – just the right amount of uncomfortable.”

Peace funks and punks forth and back driven by a foot-stompin’
groove and creeps under your skin without asking permission.

Check in.

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6. ‘A Tsar Is Torn’ by LOOKING GLASS WAR (Boston, MA)

This Boston team just launched their new, cracking 4-track EP,
named Where Neon Meets The Rain. Stream it here.

Feverish highlight ‘A Tsar Is Torn’, is about the type of leaders who rise
to power in our present day. It’s acerbic and nervous edge, vocally and
sonically, holds your attention throughout. High-voltage stuff.

Fuck Trump.


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7. ‘From This Distance’ by GUEST DIRECTORS (Seattle, WA)

These impassioned Seattle rockers released their notable psychedelia infused
debut album Interference Patterns only a week ago. Stream it here.

One of the clear-cut highlights is opener From The Distance.
Multi-guitar-layered shoegaze nirvana.

Bang-on.


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8. ‘Hold Me Tight’ by WALL OF FIRE (Brussels, Belgium)

This ambitious Brussels trio dropped their noteworthy multi-faceted
debut album, called Defying Heights, last month. Stream it here.

The album’s fervid single Hold Me Tight is an amplified,
soulful and bluesy cry-out driven by profound emotions.

Enjoy.

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9. ‘Embarrassing’ by BRITTA RACI (Los Angeles)


Photo by Jarius Fabian

Songtress Raci about the song: “I really just want ‘embarrassing’ to come across as
a raw-emotion break up song—nobody talks about how embarrassing it is to have to
tell your friend group that your significant other and you broke up.

Crystal clear voice.
Mixed emotions.
Effervescent tunefulness.

Tune in.


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10. ‘Sweet Sounds Of Heaven’ by THE ROLLING STONES (UK)

Sweet Sounds Of Heaven is the 2nd single from their new upcoming LP, is an instant classic mixing the Stones‘ characteristic way of writing impassioned blues-rock ballads and mixing it with sky-scraping gospel delirium (think ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’).

Next to Mick Jagger‘s astonishing vocal effort comes
Lady Gaga with a wonderstruck vocal tour de force.

Listen up.

ALL TOGETHER

Steam to Spotify and stream.

TUTV: Facebook – Instagram – Twitter

THE MURDER CAPITAL At Coachella Festival With Avid Version Of ‘TURN MY HEAD’ From Their New Album

Following their grand 2019 debut full-length When I Have Fears passionate British post-punk-rock act THE MURDER CAPITAL confirmed their huge potential with their 2nd opus GIGI’S RECOVERY released last January. It’s in TUTV’s notebook of best-albums-of-2023.

The band are on a massive tour and performed last weekend at Coachella Festival
in Indio, California. One of the set’s highlights was their avid version of the new album’s
first single RETURN MY HEAD.

Watch/listen

Gigi’s Recovery

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THE MURDER CAPITAL: Facebook – Instagram

Ardent Post-Punk Team THE MURDER CAPITAL Confirm Huge Potential With 2nd LP ‘GIGI’S RECOVERY’

Standout longplayers

20 January 2023

Band: THE MURDER CAPITAL
Who: Irish, Dublin-based post-punk team

The Murder Capital made an instant impact with their 2019 debut
full-length When I Have Fears. They promise to do the same with
the follow-up LP GIGI’S RECOVERY will turn up on 20th January 2023.

James McGovern (frontman/lyricist) said to NME: “We’ve only got one record,
so there’s a lot left to write about. I feel like the sky’s the limit, really. When I strip
it all away though, my writing is just an endeavour to empathise, whether that’s
with myself or with others. To me, being vulnerable is at the forefront of what I do,
to allow other people to actually relate to or project upon whatever it is I’m expressing.
Love is a face at the party that you can’t really ignore.”


(James McGovern – photo by Turn Up The Volume – Pukkelpop Fest 2022)

NME: The Dublin band soar with an uncompromising second album loaded with heart and ideas. The Murder Capital may have arrived with a shout and a fist but they’re soaring now with nuance, ideas, a whole lot of heart and the first great guitar album of 2023. Anger is an energy, but love is strength. Score: 4/5.

TUTV: Piercing, deep-cutting emotions drenched in a capricious post-punk bath,
with hope and a future emerging in the end. Their star will rise way up with this
arousing opus.

Singles/clips: Ethel / ReturnMy Head / Only Good Things

– ETHEL –

– RETURN MY HEAD –

– ONLY GOOD THINGS –

Full album

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Tour 2023

THE MURDER CAPITAL: Facebook – Instagram

British Post-Punks THE MURDER CAPITAL Detail New Album And Share Third Single ‘ETHEL’

New striking strokes

19 November 2022

Band: THE MURDER CAPITAL
Who: Irish, Dublin-based post-punk squad

New single: ETHEL

The Murder Capital made an instant impact with their 2019 debut
full length When I Have Fears. They promise to do the same with
the follow-up LP GIGI’S RECOVERY will turn up on 20th January 2023.

James McGovern (frontman/lyricist) said to NME: “We’ve only got one record,
so there’s a lot left to write about. I feel like the sky’s the limit, really. When I strip
it all away though, my writing is just an endeavour to empathise, whether that’s
with myself or with others. “To me, being vulnerable is at the forefront of what I do,
to allow other people to actually relate to or project upon whatever it is I’m expressing.
Love is a face at the party that you can’t really ignore.”

Listen to the third single – a moony musing – here…

All 3 singles

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Tour 2023

THE MURDER CAPITAL: Facebook – Instagram

PUKKELPOP FESTIVAL Belgium 2022 – Here Comes TURN UP THE VOLUME’S Top 5

27 August 2022

Last Saturday at the 4-day Pukkelpop Festival (Belgium) was
the one that made me forget the tiredness and the smelliness
on a hot summer day.

Here’s TUTV’s top 5

Band: THE MURDER CAPITAL
Who: Irish brats from Dublin, looking/moving like brats, but my oh my,
these brats were brilliant. Oh I forget, those porno mustaches have to go.
Album: WHEN I HAVE FEARS

More! More! More!

THE MURDER CAPITAL: Facebook – Instagram
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Band: WET LEG
Who: Two utterly cool songstresses.
This year’s sensation.
Album: WET LEG (2022)

Believe the hype. What? Believe the hype!

WET LEG: Facebook – Instagram
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Band: KILLS BIRDS
Who: Hefty post-punk-grunge trio from
California with an amazing bird in the middle.
Foo fighter Dave Grohl is a big fan.
Albums: KILLS BIRDS (2019) and MARRIED

Yes! Great find!

KILLS BIRDS: Facebook – Instagram
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Band: SHAME
Who: Post-punk fury from London
Albums: Drunk Tank Pink (2021)
and debut Songs Of Praise (2018)

Concrete frenzy!

SHAME: Facebook – Instagram
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Band: DE STAAT
Who: Dutch wham bam droners
Albums: 6 – discography here

Here comes the witch doctor!

DE STAAT: Facebook – Instagram

Irish Post-Punk Indies THE MURDER CAPITAL Back With ‘ONLY GOOD THINGS’

New striking strokes

28 July 2022


(Press photo by Grayce Leonard)

Band: THE MURDER CAPITAL
Who: Irish post-punk squad from Dublin, Ireland

FFO: Black Midi, Fontaines D.C., Black Country New Road, Crows

It’s already 3 years since the Irishmen made a profound
impression with their debut LP When I Have Fears.

The good thing is they’re back now with a new single (new albums not confirmed yet).

James McGovern (frontman): “This track for us has been an exciting evolution for the band. It’s so bright. It’s so colorful. This is a part of the narrative of the overall record that we feel reaches a real place of inner calm, inner peace but at its core, it’s a love song. You get a song like this where, the protagonist in this song is quite simply asking – not pleading – just willing to ask their counterpart to rid them of their intrusive thoughts, the devils on their shoulders and to be truly vulnerable. We’re so excited to go to a place like this because perhaps it’s not what is expected of us. It stood out to me during the creation of this record that it is more about the friends that are still here and celebrating those connections, those relationships and being unafraid of life and it’s many seasons. Where ‘Only Good Things’ stands within the record is
at a moment where the sonic and the lyrical narrative especially, are of newfound joy.”

Tune in

THE MURDER CAPITAL: Facebook

TURN UP THE VOLUME’s 15 Knockout Tracks Of 2019…

The following 15 Knockout Tracks activated my limbs, impressed
my greedy ears and made me move in mysterious ways in 2019.

1. ‘Better’ by RICH GIRLS ((New York, NY, US)
A punchy and mesmeric shot of electrifying guitar pop adrenalin…


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2. ‘Feet’ by FAT WHITE FAMILY (London, UK)
A chant-like odyssey with a ghostly and hypnotic vibe and – yes – a Gregorian choir…

3. ‘Air BnB’ by KIM GORDON (US)
A battering jackhammer with a vehement drift and a gloomy impact…

4. ‘Hurricane Laughter’ by FONTAINES D.C. (Dublin, Ireland)
Stormy steamroller with an irresistible punk drive by one of the best new bands in town…

5. ‘White Male Carnivore’ by YAK (London, UK)
This is a really nasty sledgehammer. A thunderous rocker with a droning force…

6. ‘Going Norway’ by GIRL BAND (Dublin, Ireland)
Bone-crushing chainsaw electricity and exorcistic howling. Demonic stuff…

7. ‘More Is Less’ by THE MURDER CAPITAL (Dublin, Ireland)
A dazzling post punk uppercut fueled with stormy guitars and angry vocals all over it…

8. ‘Cave Person’ by PEUK (Belgium)
A sickly catchy, grungy outburst with the scariest primal screams I heard in years…

9. ‘Destiny’ by PRYSM (England)
A multi-layered tumultuous stunner that grabs you by the throat from the get-go…

10. ‘Time Bomb Sounds’ by THE LOCALS (Chicago, US)
An emotional corker resonating gloriously rapturous and exultantly epic…

11. ‘Motor City Steel’ by THE DANDY WARHOLS
An utterly addictive earworm that keeps buzzing in your head after one spin…

12. ‘Disco Peanuts’ by WARMDUSCHER (London, UK)
Funky disco fuel for all misfits, outsiders, and desperadoes out there…


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13. ‘Ar.Mour’ by UNKLE Feat. Miink & Elliot Power (UK)
Trip-hop at its trippy best. Tantalizing beats, dancey vibrations, and an addictive rhythm…


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14. ‘Ego’ by FERAL FIVE (London/Kent, UK)
A vibrating and flamboyant European disco cracker to dance yourself dizzy to…

15. ‘The Desert’ by WHERE WE SLEEP (London, UK)
Intoxicating swagger, sensuous vocals, hellish guitars, cutting atmosphere…


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All 15 Knockout Tracks
together on Spotify

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