5 BEST ALBUMS OF THE MONTH – JANUARY 2025

31 January 2025

Band: DITZ
Who: Unbridled post-punks
from Brighton, UK.

Album: NEVER EXHALE
Follow-up to their astonishing debut
The Great Regression from 2022.

TUTV: Without a shadow of a doubt, the perfect soundtrack for Doomsday.
Sledgehammer after sledgehammer, drone after drone, brainfucker after
brainfucker. Always danger in the air.

Cal Francis‘s spoken word performances are bone-chilling. His primal screams
send shivers down the spine. Lyrically, he operates in a space where reality and
surreality meet. No room for birds and bees.

Sonically, they fabricate a volcanic and bombastic wall-of-helter-skelter havoc.
Blood-curdling emo-punk exorcism. Chainsaw chaos. Flabbergasting and
jaw-dropping are the keywords.

Never Exhale is an other-worldly Götterdämmerung experience.
It smells like something is alive and kicking here. A spectacular and
lasting tour de force. No regression whatsoever, only progression.


Photo by TUTV – Belgium, 2024

Canadian noizz bulldozers Metz are on a long hiatus.
Ditz will fill the gap. 2025 is theirs. Inhale them.

SINGLE

ALBUM


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Instagram – Linktree
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Band: LAMBRINI GIRLS
Who: Two razorblade riot girrrrlzz – vox/guitarist Phoebe Lunny
and bassist Lilly Macieira – from Brighton (UK) with an insatiable
appetite for mass moshpits.

Album: WHO LET THE DOGS OUT
Their debut longplayer.

Faster than a Formula One Ferrari.
Louder than a supersonic jet.
Punkier than any punks around.

Trashing. Crashing. Slashing.
Hellish. Demonic. Manicial.

Deeper-cutting than a Swiss knife.
More lethal than a rattling riot-gun.


Photo by Turn Up The Volume – Lille, France – 24 February 2024

11 knockouts. 11 killers. 11 hits.
11 Molotov cocktails. 11 bulls-eyes.

Massive bass buzz.
Schizo guitar riffs.
Octopus drumming.
Exorcistic screams.
Cuntological rages.

100 sneers. 100 spits.
100 rants. 100 bursts.
100 shits. 100 fuck-offs.

Middle-finger to all LGBTQ-haters.
To hell with all greedy capitalists.
Kick Brex-shit in the nationalistic ass.

SINGLE

ALBUM


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Instagram – Website
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Album artwork

Artist: BENJAMIN BOOKER
Who: Absorbing singer-songwriter
from Virginia.

Album: LOWER
His first one in 7 years,
3rd overall.

Pitchfork says: “The New Orleans-based singer-songwriter constructs a corroded
beat-centric grunge that soundtracks stories of violence and perseverance… He pays
sneering homage to the U.S. government’s history of covertly undermining
African American liberation.

The message: This game wasn’t winnable then, and it certainly isn’t winnable now. Booker has seemingly spent the seven years since his last record swallowing down all the hopelessness and dread he could hold. Now he’s spitting it back up like bile. Booker offers pockets of solace amid the outrage.


(Photo by Turn Up The Volume – Brussels 2014)

TUTV: 11 years ago BB released his garage blues/soul rock debut LP. Raw and rough.
I saw him perform an emotional gig in Brussels before about 100 people. His 2nd more laid-back album ‘Witness‘ followed in 2017 and he went away after it and now 7 years he’s back with Lower.

A totally different piece of work. A mostly guitar-distorted, yet quite melodic sound
fits his near-whispering, at times haunting and ominous vocals à la trip-hop legend
Tricky. The tone is inky accentuating his downhearted sentiments, his pain caused by
that disease called racism. It’s still present in America’s society an under Trump all white supremacists are crawling back from their caves without any fear. That orange criminal gave them a voice again. Poor, poor America.

This significant, awe-inspiring and cathartic opus reflects the still alarming and
oppressing situation black people have to suffer from. Not only in the USA.

SINGLE

ALBUM


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Instagram – Linktree
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Band: THE VEILS
Who: Reknowed New Zealand band THE VEILS
centred around songsmith Finn Andrews.

Album: ASPHODELS
7th one.

It takes its name from the Ancient Greek flower of the Underworld, and lyrically, Andrews draws more from the great poets than he does from the well of more traditional rock and roll songwriters.

TUTV: Andrews‘ enthrals one again with songs of love and death, songs of hope
and loss. He evokes Nick Cave and Father John Mysty atmospherics where introspection, melancholia and contemplations stir heart and soul. The tone is almost acoustic throughout. The timbre is mellow, affectionate, and melodramatic.

Andrews‘s vulnerable vocals are heartbreaking at times and draw your aural attention uninterruptedly. He’s blessed with a spellbound voice that fits his romantic music perfectly. 9 ruminative ballads, 9 soft-hearted musing for laid-back evenings, away
from all outside noise. A memorable 2025 accomplishment.

SINGLE

ALBUM


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Instagram – Linktree
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Artist: BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY
Who: Alter ego of singer-songwriter Will Oldham. He started his busy journey back in 1993. He released a lot of solo work so far, collaborated with other songsmiths (and still does), and, was also a member of a couple of bands.

Album: THE PURPLE BIRD


LP artwork

Pitchfork says: “A sort of companion to his two previous studio LPs, it’s also his
best and most focused in some time. The Purple Bird is a Bonnie “Prince” Billy country record. Oldham gave himself over fully to the Nashville experience, participating in a series of casual songwriting sessions with various local legends and playing with a wrecking crew of musicians who are deft enough to sound like they’ve been backing him on stages all over creation. There’s a freewheeling spirit to the music they created together, a punchy camaraderie that connects.”

TUTV: BPB doesn’t behave, doesn’t dress, or doesn’t brag like super rock and roll
stars do. He’s a star when it comes to masterly singer-songwriter qualities. For years
he wrote/recorded contemplative records. Both moody and mellow. He’s a unique crooner, a genuine balladeer and a wholehearted vocalist.

And this laid-back collection of country reveries confirms once again what
we know for a long time. Never a dull moment with Bonnie “Prince” Billy.
Dim the lights, relax, listen, feel the warmth, and enjoy the soothing music.

SINGLE

ALBUM


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Instagram – All Albums

BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY Delivers Another Country Tearjerker With Vocal Help From His Friend JOHN ANDERSON

New striking strokes

8 January 2025


Photo by David Ferguson

Crooner/balladeer Will Oldham, also operating under his moniker of BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY started his musical journey back in 1993. He released a lot of solo work so far, collaborated with other songsmiths (and still does) and was also a member of a couple
of bands.

As announced last month the Kentucky crooner went to the iconic country city of
Nashville for his next LP. He recorded it with his befriended producer David “Ferg”
Ferguson
who co-wrote several songs. It’s titled The Purple Bird and will land on
the 31st of January.

More info here.


New album artwork

Today we get taster number 3.

DOWNSTREAM is a country tearjerker featuring veteran voice John Anderson.
This is endearing melancholia for relaxing moments under a shiny sky. Marvellous.

WATCH/LISTEN

STREAM


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Instagram – All Albums

Balladeer BONNIE “PRINCE’ BILLY Has His New LP ‘THE PURPLE BIRD’ Out On 31 January 2025

Coming up

15 December 2025

Balladeer Will Oldham, also operating under his moniker of BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY started his busy journey back in 1993. He released a lot of solo work so far, collaborated with other songsmiths (and still does) and, was also a member of a couple of bands.

The Kentucky crooner went to the iconic country city of Nashville for his next LP.
He recorded it with his befriended producer David “Ferg” Ferguson who co-wrote
several songs. It’s named THE PURPLE BIRD and will see the light of day next year
on 31st January. More info here.


New album artwork

Singles (shared so far): Our Home / London May

Instagram – Spotify

BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY Muses Again On ‘LONDON MAY’ From His Forthcoming Album

New striking strokes

4 December 2024

Balladeer Will Oldham, also operating under his moniker of BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY started his busy journey back in 1993. He released a lot of solo work so far, collaborated with other songsmiths (and still does) and was also a member of a couple of bands.

The Kentucky crooner went to the iconic country city of Nashville for his next LP.
He recorded it with his befriended producer David “Ferg” Ferguson who co-wrote
several songs. It’s named The Purple Bird and will see the light of day next year
on 31st January. More info here.


New album artwork

The 2nd shared preview is a reverie named LONDON MAY.

“When David Ferguson and I were putting songs together for The Purple Bird sessions,
I remembered the song I’d made for London’s film; I was performing it regularly live, and it didn’t feel quite complete… Ferg was game, and we tracked it. I’d long begun to want to hear other voices in the song.  In the end, we roped in the phenomenal Kentucky-born singer Brit Taylor to sing harmonies and other supporting parts.  Her voice is stellar to say the least.”

Vintage BPB. Sonic poetic enchantment

Instagram

BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY Goes Country – Hear First Musing ‘OUR HOME’ From His Upcoming Album Featuring His Producer

nNew striking strokes

22 October 2024

Balladeer Will Oldham, also operating under his moniker of BONNIE “PRINCE” BILLY started his busy journey back in 1993. He released a lot of solo work so far, collaborated with other songsmiths (and still does) and was also a member of a couple of bands.

The Kentucky crooner went to the iconic country city of Nashville for his next LP.
He recorded it with his befriended producer David “Ferg” Ferguson who co-wrote
several songs. It’s named The Purple Bird and will see the light of day next year
on 31st January. More info here.


New album artwork

Oldham: “I’ve made records with friends, collaborative records like The Brave and the Bold with Tortoise; the two Superwolf records with Matt Sweeney; The Wonder Show of the World with Emmett Kelly; Get on Jolly with Mick Turner. These collaborators get top billing because that’s how this business works. This record, The Purple Bird, is similarly a collaborative effort but the collaborator is the producer, David Ferguson. He’s a giant of a man, an epic musical force, a dear friend. Our work together on this record was the result of years of sharing hard times and great joys, songs and stories, of making music together and apart. There’s a lot of trust in this record on Ferg’s part and on mine, and the trust was hard- and well-earned. When I listen to the record, often times I can’t help but laugh in wonder that life allowed me to participate in such a thing.”

Here’s the first taster, titled OUR HOME and it features Grammy-winning mandolinist
Tim O’Brien. BPB’s warm voice matches Nashville musings superfine (as expected).

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