TUTV: The rat race is on, folks. This debut is, without a shadow of a doubt, a longplayer that will last for a long time. For its sharp-teethed punkiness (British Racing Green / Won’t Stand For It / Muck And Bullets and the flabbergasting The Wrong Day), for its bloodcurdling execution, and for its overall KO horsepower in 8 rounds.
The Rats, led by vim and vigour by motormouth Emile Dekeyser, offer barbed-wire songs with body and balls, with heart and soul, with vivacity and a jagged joie de vivre. Every uppercut stands loud and proud on its own feet. Striking debut. Hands down.
TUTV: HF do not fuck around. They serve a fusillade of badass EBM jams.
Sonic fuel for the 24-hour party people among us. They alternate pulsating sledgehammers with galvanizing grooves and trancy vibes. Here and there,
they add some vocals, but the boisterous beats are king.
They know all the electro-techno party tricks in the book by now.
No dull moments with these Canadian disco-punk connoisseurs.
Artists: JAH WOBBLE and JON KLEIN Who: The dub bass expert who was co-founder of John Lydon‘s P.i.L.
a zillion years ago, and the former Siouxsie and The Banshees guitarist (1987-1994).
Klein: “Working with Jah Wobble is always an inspiring experience. When I started working
with him in recording sessions, he often quoted the words of Holger Czukay, the bass player of German band Can: “First we play, then afterwards we talk! We like to make things happen in the moment. Often we complete a working draft to a piece of music from scratch in a few hours.”
Wobble: “The music comes from that silent place. It’s pre-existing. You just allow it to flow. Proper post punk. Angry and humorous. Okay, it’s the end of civilisation. But nothing lasts forever right? We shouldn’t take it to heart.”
TUTV: The duo has puzzled an ominous, dark-groovin’ 8-jams record together.
Klein‘s aggressively articulated, Cockney-punk vocals accentuate his
take on our messed-up planet, crowded with bloodsucking politicians.
Wobble‘s dub bass play is still spot-on, and accompanied here
by brutish guitar ruckus, while the tone swells grimmer track by
track.
Overall, Automated Paradise sounds as if Doomsday
is just around the corner. No fiction, reality.
TUTV: It’s the perfect soundtrack for ebullient parties at your local graveyard. It’s an eery garage pop/rock record for your favorite nightmares, stuffed mostly with high-tempered, catchy tunes motorized by freakish guitars, bass/drum frenzy, glowing organ heat, and Laurenne‘s tempting and arousing vocals.
Let’s all get together in the midnight hours, celebrate our spine-chilling life, admire
each other’s psycho outfits, send the war-greedy Bogeymen (you know who they are)
to hell, be sweet creeps, trick and treat everybody with spooky jokes, and never ever
forget to go nuts, all you manic motherrockers out there, with the help of these 13 new smashing Darts pumpkins.
Press info: “It’s a record born from necessity rather than momentum, written during
a period when Hillig had nearly walked away from music altogether, and found himself worse for it. What emerged instead is his most vital and clear-eyed work to date, an
album shaped by collapse, community, and the unglamorous work of staying alive.”
TUTV: KAH’s warm, enthralling Americana voice infuses his mixed-emotions songs with a puissant Tom Petty swagger, a rock-solid John Mellencamp zip, and, at times, a Billy Bragg tenacity. From rock to country to balladry. 12 enchanting tunes.
Hillig‘s versatile songwriting skills shine throughout this highly appealing
and enrapturing record. I’ll have it on my earphones for a long time.
KEY TRACKS: The Horrible Truth / Divorce Of Course Of Course / Jules Can You See Me? / Something Is Different / Our Remaining Pig / We Were Right (‘Til We Were Wrong)
Press info: While the first releases focused on mechanical grooves, their debut
album, Boxing Days, has become a distinct guitar album. The nonconformist approach
to songwriting, however, remained: in eight tracks clocking in at just over half an hour,
it ranges from raw, back-to-the-roots punk to the closest they’ve ever come to a ballad.
There are echoes of Wire and Gang Of Four, alongside contemporary references like IDLES, Shame, and Viagra Boys, but The Rats never resort to imitation. What prevails is a radically unique identity: that of a band that never chooses the easy way out and doesn’t follow trends.”
The cover artwork features Albert Laperre, the great-grandfather of the album’s
graphic designer Stan Tijtgat, an amateur boxer who went down often but always
came back fighting.
Emile Dekeyser (frontman) adds: “It’s a fitting image for an album that, despite its title,
isn’t about fighting or winning. Boxing Days is about survival, about learning how to remain standing, even when you can’t quite keep up with the punches.”
TUTV: The rat race is on, folks. Time to get up, stand up, and fight for your right to start
a moshpit whenever and wherever you are, the moment Boxing Days torpedoes your ears. This debut is, without a shadow of a doubt, a longplayer that will last for a long time. For its sharp-teethed punkiness (British Racing Green / Won’t Stand For It / Muck And Bullets and the flabbergasting The Wrong Day), for its bloodcurdling execution, and for its overall KO horsepower in 8 rounds.
But it’s not only about the stupefying noizzz
and the turbulent spit-and-sneer excorcism.
The Rats, led by vim and vigour by motormouth Emile Dekeyser, offer barbed-wire songs with body and balls, with heart and soul, with vivacity and a jagged joie de vivre. Every uppercut stands loud and proud on its own feet.
A striking example is Boxing Day. A burning torch that moves like a snake chases
her helpless prey, slowly and viciously, until the fatal attack. Goosebumps.
Another standout, according to my enthusiastic ears, is the bone-chilling closer, called Stomper. A sort of aftermath meditation on what the fuck happened here, what
did we do, where will we go. Its ominous pace and out-of-your-Emile-mind finale is no
less than startling.
The Rats are a well-oiled rock machine wasting no time on arty-farty superfluity
and/or bombastic overproduction. 32 minutes of brutal honesty is what we get.
Great debut albums are the ones everybody remembers long after their release,
no matter how many followed, because of their uncalculated directness, their
primal, innocent discharge, and their everlasting tunes. Boxing Days undeniably
belongs to this coveted category
The Rats‘ message is crystal clear.
They’re here to stay. Join them.
Press info: While the first releases focused on mechanical grooves, their debut
album, Boxing Days, has become a distinct guitar album. The nonconformist approach
to songwriting, however, remained: in eight tracks clocking in at just over half an hour, it ranges from raw, back-to-the-roots punk to the closest they’ve ever come to a ballad.
There are echoes of Wire and Gang Of Four, alongside contemporary references like IDLES, Shame, and Viagra Boys, but The Rats never resort to imitation. What prevails is a radically unique identity: that of a band that never chooses the easy way out and doesn’t follow trends.”
Album artwork
Emile Dekeyser (frontman): “Despite the title, Boxing Days isn’t about
fighting or winning. No, the record is about survival, about learning to stay
upright, even when you can barely keep up with the punches.”
Frontman Emile – Photo by Turn Up The Volume
TUTV’s ears already had the opportunity to dive into the album.
It’s gonna be a riff-roasting rat race. You’d better check your
brave stereo for the upcoming KO punches.
These 3 tasters will get you in the moshpit mood.
– MUCK & BULLETS –
Mean machine missile
motorized by manic drums.
. – ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES –
Schizo guitars, frenetic percussion
and an angry young man in the middle.
. – BOXING DAY –
A sonically softer Rats jam.
Well, until the fuming finale.
Band: THE RATS Who: Hungry punks from Ghent, Belgium who have
released their smashing debut EP Disco To Disco
last year.
New Track:
The first single of their upcoming
debut album, baptized Boxing Days.
Press info: “Boxing Days” is their first release with new guitarist Eno Meulenbergs.
This line-up change opened up a renewed sense of creative freedom. You can hear it immediately on single Boxing Day, which begins in an unusually melancholic tone carried by sweeping guitars and drums, spoken word vocals and delicate strings. Once the track explodes, it’s clear the band hasn’t lost an ounce of intensity.
Lyrically, the single sits comfortably in the Fairytale of New York tradition: Christmas as a backdrop for regret, self-reflection and resolutions that start
crumbling the moment they’re spoken aloud.
The repeated closing line “I promise next year it will get better / I promise next
year I will be better” sounds more like an attempt to convince oneself than
a reassurance for someone else.
Emile (frontman) “If Christmas is for the
family, then Boxing Day is for your mates.”
TUTV: After a moody guitar/drum intro, all hell breaks loose. No silent night with The Rats. Boxing Day is a fierce, snail-paced torch that slowly but surely heads towards a volcanic eruption. You can feel the ominous tension in the air.
Emile is joined by Lewis Duffin of British indie band Hotel Lux and Jasper De Petter of Belgian noiseninks Ronker for a louder than war finale. Your Xmas will never be the same again, folks. Watch your back for these unhinged punk grinchs.
Belgian hit-and-run punks THE RATS came our way faster than a comet
out of control this past year. On record with their far-out 4-track debut EP Disco To Disco. On stage with their unbridled gusto and sassy swagger.
Pumped-up frontman Emile is the maddening man in shorts in the middle,
backed by a bulldozing rats artillery. They produce fireworks, throw left/right
punches, and headbutt you on repeat.
If you never heard of them, it’s about time you do so. Dr Jekyll and Mr Emile Hyde will guide you with this
end-of-the-year chat.
Hello Emile,
welcome.
When and how did the band came alive?
“The earliest Rats demos date from the summer of 2019, after deciding to go on a hiatus with London Bullet, our old band with which we mainly operated in the underground punk scene. We had done London Bullet for nearly 10 years and decided it was time for tabula rasa.
However, after those first rehearsals, the whole covid thing happened and we only started rehearsing again late 2021. We then started playing our first gigs throughout 2022 and immediately got some attention, mainly from Democrazy, the largest concert organisation in Ghent, Belgium. Thanks to them, we could support the UK art-punk band The Lounge Society in the Charlatan club.
That was only our fourth ever gig and it was already ‘bigger’ (or more ‘mainstream’)
than anything we had done with London Bullet. From there on, it all went pretty fast.
When recording those first demos in 2019, I don’t think we’d ever expected to end up
at Belgian venues such as De Vooruit, Het Depot and Trix, and festivals like Left of The Dial, Crammerock, and Boomtown. It’s been quite the journey!”
Why the name THE RATS?
“We’ve always been big fans of the UK hardcore band Gallows. They occasionally played surprise shows in small venues under the name The Rats. When London Bullet ended, we kinda wanted to keep it a secret that we were working on something new, so for that reason we jokingly used The Rats as our temporary band name.
When we were selected for Humo’s Rock Rally 2022 and our performance was well received, we figured it would be foolish to not ‘capitalise’ on that, so we stuck with
the name.
We do realise there are hundreds of bands that are called The Rats. But we don’t
really care about that! Let’s just say we want to be the best band called The Rats
ever.”
Last September you released your debut EP ‘DISCO TO DISCO’.
What’s the story behind the title, Emile?
“Well, it’s ‘disco’ in the sense of a ‘club’ – most of the songs are about going out in the city and all kinds of experiences I’ve encountered or lessons I’ve learned about myself and others while doing that. About friendship groups changing while you grow up, about relationships not working out, about getting spiked (fucking cunts!).
And then there’s obviously the reference to the disco genre. The title was decided very early on in the process, even before most of the songs had been written. The initial idea for the band was to be a bit more ‘electronic’ due to the addition of a synthesizer, so we thought the title would indicate that new direction.”
What did you want to express with the EP’s artwork?
“I love when you come across a record in a shop (or see a thumbnail from a review online) and can instantly tell that the music is going to be right up your street. I’ve always thought of it as a gut feeling, so I had never really given much thought to the exact elements that make a good cover. In an attempt to pinpoint that,
I made a list of record covers I really like to see if there’s any connection.
I learned a thing or two about making that list, and talked it through with
my bandmates.
We then presented the ideas, as well as the songs, to our good friend Charlotte Hennion, who is a graphic designer, and she made the cover. We were immediately convinced, we’re really happy with how it turned out! Now hopefully people will come across the record cover and experience that same gut instinct that the music inside is something they’ll love.”
Which is your favorite track?
“My personal favorite on the
EP is ‘Last Chance Saloon’.
.
The mixing, done by our guitarist Sander, is on point for this one. I’m very pleased
with my vocal delivery, as well as with my lyrics. The repetitive hook makes the whole
track both catchy and addictive. The other guitar parts are super interesting.
And I love how after the first chorus, the bass and drum introduce the second
part. Bloody hell, I’m starting to believe it’s the best song ever written!
My favorite track to play live is ‘Old Flames’. At our gigs, people have started to sing along to the main guitar riff as if it were a football song. Very surreal. My dream is to have actual football fans in stadiums picking up the chant. Preferably the fans of AA Gent, my favorite team.”
Recently I called you Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Nice off-stage, insane on-stage.
What happens when you turn into a manic persona on the podium, Emile?
“Haha, I can see why you’d say that. It just comes naturally. From the very first guitar chord onwards, I’m very much into the performance. It’s a massive outlet for me. As mentioned before, we come from a punk background, a genre where many singers deliver intense performances.
I guess that very much influenced me. If I could change one thing, though,
it would be to sweat a lot less on stage! But you can’t have it all, can you?”
Social media? A blessing or a pain in the ass?
“A blessing, largely thanks to two very talented photographers who are also friends. Ward Van Hooreweghe (@dailylifethroughfilm) and Gert-Jan Van Damme (@gee__jee). Their black and white pictures of our gigs are really important for our whole visual aesthetic on Instagram. We can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done for us and other bands in our scene.
Beyond that, it’s also a great way to connect with other bands and see what they’re up to. You can learn a lot by observing other accounts – like finding places to play or seeing how they handle their album promotion campaigns.”
Which big name band would you really want to tour with and why?
“If we’re talking real big names then let’s go forIDLES. I think their fanbase would appreciate us, especially if they’d know I wrote my dissertation on their main online
fan group the AF Gang, haha.
IDLES have brought the post-punk revival to the mainstream but have seemingly stayed honest and grounded. Their on-stage energy is really inspiring and I feel like we could learn a lot from them. And maybe Joe Talbot could let me in on how to uphold that ferocious intensity for two and a half hours (and sweat a lot less).”
Next time JL/TUTV is on stage with Joe/Idles, I’ll tell him about The Rats
Suppose DISCO TO DISCO was the soundtrack of a movie.
Which one would it be?
“I’m not too good with movies! Maybe ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’?
Chaotic, surreal, full of highs and lows. It could work, no? Also, the film
is more or less name-checked in ‘Old Flames’ with a line about
experiencing ‘fear and self-loathing everywhere I go’.”
1998
Best track and album you heard this year?
“There’s too many. My favorite track was probably
‘Like Lovers Do’ by Iceage frontman Elias Rønnenfelt.
“I also really, really enjoyed English Teacher, The Chisel,
High Vis, Bad Breeding, RONKER, and Fat White Family.”
Do you have a favorite Xmas carol, Emile?
“It has to be ‘Fairytale of New York’ by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl.
The melancholy, the vivid scene-setting, the desire to make things right
in this period of forgiveness, the unfolding argument, the grand finale,…
Simply amazing.
Did you see the rendition of that song at Shane MacGowan’s funeral?
People stood up and started dancing to it. At a funeral! That says enough,
I think.”
R.I.P. Shane MacGowan (1957-2023)
Which track do you play when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve?
“Also The Pogues! The perfect drunkard’s anthem Dirty Old Town. Hugging your friends while singing along to both the words and the melody of that song, a new year can’t start much better than that.
What’s in store for THE RATS in 2025?
“We’ve got a few super cool gigs lined up. The standout one is WE ARE OPEN,
the showcase festival in Antwerp, organised by Trix in February. It’s a massive
honour to be on that line-up.
I’m also really looking forward to a triple bill with Maria Iskariot and WIJF in our old hometown, Deinze. Then there’s Dirty Dender Fest on January 25, with our best pals RONKER, Doolhof in Kortrijk with our friends from Barno Koevoet, and a few things that haven’t been announced yet. Exciting stuff!
Thanks a bunch for this interview, Emile.
May the road rise with The Rats in 2025.
Unquestionable standout from the Irish indie
stars’ much applauded 4th LP Romance.
TUTV: Intense jam, rollin’ on with a bone-chilling flow and
frontman Grian Chatten raps all over it with his characteristic
uptight parlando and grasping for his breath every time the
refrain comes on.
Part of their upcoming 5-track EP
that’ll land early next year.
“Progress is a song about changing places, people and times.”
TUTV: Epic. Grandiose. Staggering. Amplified guitar-pop at its mind-blowing best.
One of those not-everyday puissant killer tracks overwhelms your emotions
from the first spin.
Piece from their forthcoming second longplayer, baptized Never Exhale. It’ll hit the streets on 25 January 2025.
TUTV: Taximan does your head in the way we, brainbangers, like it.
Bam Bang Boom. No mercy for the wicked. Manic mayhem as usual.
You’d better check out if Robert ‘Travis’ De Niro is behind the wheel
before taking a cab.
The song is about rediscovering old lovers after a night out from disco(theque) to disco(theque), with references to The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan and his excessive
drinking, and a legendary Belgian crooner.
TUTV: Full steam ahead from the get-go. All engines on. Decibels up, amps up.
The breakneck speed and the relentless synth/percussion riff make your head
spin 360°. I dare you to catch up with this missile all the way.
Band: LAMBRINI GIRLS Who: A two-motor punk bulldozer from Brighton, UK who have built
a notorious reputation over the past 2 years, on record and on stage.
Cut from the duo’s upcoming debut LP Who Let The Dogs Out. Out next year, on
January 10.
TUTV: Without a shadow of a loud doubt, one of the grrrlz’s best stormers so far.
An amazeballs wall-of-nasty-guitar/bass hullabaloo, a ruthless octopus drummer
and Phoebe‘s best vocals. Hell-tastic.
‘True love is nothing more than the wrong hill to die on”.
TUTV: The jaw-dropping vitality these volcanic Irish beatniks develop here is off the charts. They build a near-unbearable tension and explode insanely, time after time, along the rough ride. Vocalist/songwriter Karla Chubb knows terrifically well how to double your adrenalin production.
TUTV: Dog Dribble operates somewhere between Yard Act and Sleaford Mods.
Its limbs-activating groove is simply irresistible. Get up, stand up, and fight
for your right to bounce up and down like mad.
Band: FAT DOG Who:South London-based gang that made thousands
and ‘true love is nothing more than the wrong hill to die on”.
thousands of ears go bonkers with their first-rate debut
longplayer Woof.
TUTV: A ballistic disco-punk whopper to end and start all (il)legal
raves with. When the huge orchestral injections blast out of your
vibrating speakers you know that these misfits are your new
favorite dogs. Hallelujah!
One of the stellar singles from their
new, third, album Insight.
TUTV: Drums and bass team up for an incessantly beat that carries
this instantaneously infectiuos trip, along with a magnetizing Cure-esque guitar riff that gets you in a trance.
Truly hypnotizing from start to finish with velvety vocals
and darkwavish synths in the back adding a twilight tone.
TUTV: No, this is not a New Order song but it could easily be one, actually a stellar one. Summer Breeze sparkles from the very start to finish with scintillating guitar riffs, zealous percussion, shiny synths and Gibbard‘s eager vocals. It’s a pure pop pearl for all seasons.
Artists: ARROWS OF ATHENA (Boston, MA) Who: A pandemic project that found its two main players – multi-instrumentalist and producer Scott Lerner and vocalist and lyricist Jac-Lyn Gibson – reuniting after the latter spent some time away from music, Arrows of Athena are crafting a distinct sound on
their own terms, bridging usually disparate ends of the pop and rock spectrum for an illuminated sound of big dance beats, heavy riffs, and melodic intensity.
On this song the duo explores the mental and emotional work required
for a successful marriage, and how we’re often careless with love.
TUTV: I’m quite sure that Arrows Of Athena are huge fans of former Swedish glam and glitter pop duo Roxette. The bliss and blitz at play on Reckless Heart is sonically similar. Sizzling guitars, battering drums/bass grooves, sensuous vocals and a peppy chorus combine here for a power pop pearl that flames lustrously. Orchestral melodiousness, fiery 90s spirit, and musical. An invigorating joyride.
TUTV: This is a psychedelic shoegaze stunner, a multi-layered symphony
propelled by about a thousand guitars, a mindboggling bass riff, and combative
drums, while Rebecca Dow‘s ghostly vocals come from another galaxy.
TUTV: What’s in store for humankind. Nuclear war or peace and free love?
Or will we be just another brick in the wall? Whatever happens, never stop
pirouetting yourself dizzy to Leg Puppy.
We don’t need your education
We don’t need no your thought control
TUTV: The most energetic, exciting, pizzazy band around. Cooking on record and on stage. Sultry garage rock for party animals. This is my absolute favorite of this years Boomerang LP. Chipper tune.
TUTV: Think Cypress Hill fronted by Zack de la Rocha, rattling like
a rapid-fire riot-gun. An avid anthem that celebrates freedom and
invites you to shout along while pumping your fists in the air.
TUTV:Hallelujah rages against the anti-LGBTQ
haters with knives between their teeth and an
unstoppable drive.
“To express oneself, now expressly forbidden/ That’s a spiritual hell, that’s
a new prohibition/ And they’ll boil you down to reproductive function/ When
they see you as a vessel and not as a person!”
Track: Anna Save A Life
. TUTV: A manic motherrocker from a duo who sound as a 4-motor hit-and-run team. Riff-o-rama all the way while bashing drums do your head in. Garage punk ‘n’ roll at its filthy best. Call your own Anna and challenge the anti-decibels police.
TUTV: Wham bloody wham bam. Expect a sharp-splitting punk rock juggernaut. Amps up and full steam ahead. No rest for the wicked with this razor-blade cutting, head over heels bombshell spiced with sneering vocals. Wham bloody wah-wah guitars bam. Scrunched Up Fist hits your face really hard. Hurry-scurry stroke.
Band: SOFT SKIES INC Who: Philadelphia-based identical-twin duo and longtime musical confidants Ryan and Martin Rex, their shared sonic compass draws a straight line from the
classic alternative of their youth to the modern alternative and dream-pop of
today.
A song of hope, riding those tender waves of nostalgia, understanding that a loss of innocence comes with age but that we emerge from the other side with newfound perspective and awareness.
Melodic guitar pop at its Sebadoh best. Uptempo shoe-slacker-gaze
spiced with scintalling synths and ethereal vocals. Start dreaming in
overdrive.
TUTV: Just Like Everybody Else is a glorious, full-orchestrated pop gem, that transfers you in an eye/ear blink to a sonic dreamland with its affecting melodiousness, riveting chorus and warm-hearted vocals. Three highly-entertaining minutes and twenty seconds with Spielmann
Band: THE RATS Who: 5 ambitious noisemakers
from Ghent, Belgium.
TUTV: These Belgian up-and-coming punk pitbulls released their contender for best EP of the year, named DISCO TO DISCO last month.
Last Wednesday, they threw a raw and rough release party. Wowzers. I guess their unbridled intensity matches an electric chair experience. Furious frontman Emile
is the maddening man in the middle. Off-stage he’s as sweet as Dr. Jekyll, on stage
he turns into a badass Mr. Hyde bastard with shorts on. Backed by a bulldozing rats
artillery, these manic misfits made me think of the infamous Henry Rollins Band.
Fast-forward fireworks, nasty left/right punch after nasty left/right
punch, headbutt after headbutt, and spitting and sneering all over
the sweaty sauna club.
Their smashing debut EP gets lots of adrenaline shots live up there on the podium.
Post-punk at its sharp-teethed best with Old Flames as everybody’s favourite (watch
the clip below). In a normal world (does that even exist?) this roaring riff-ripper should
be on top of the indie charts all over this messed-up planet.
The band’s message was very loud and crystal clear: they are here to stay and
have no intention whatsoever to stop attacking your ears and your speakers and
go nuts at their alive and kicking performances. The rat race has only started.
Hail hail, motherrockers!
Stream/buy DISCO TO DISCO right here
and have yourself a jolly good moshpit.
Brand-new cut from her upcoming solo debut
album ‘Nobody Loves You More‘ out November 22.
Crystal Breath is quite special and pretty different from anything Deal has been done before. EBM bass dynamics, trip-hop quivering
and a spiky guitar riff.
“‘Body Bag’ is a peak behind the curtain at the reality of modern romance and feeling young and old at the same time. I think sonically the song has so many ups and downs, and that’s exactly how this stage of my life has felt. It’s running barefoot on the concrete, chasing something you can’t quite put your finger on, but running towards it nonetheless. That’s
how I would best describe ‘Body Bag.’”
TUTV: This is an astounding piece of multi-layered music. An effervescent mix of pop,
rock and EBM going everywhere fast and Romano‘s sensual voice adds an arousing dynamic. A stream of adrenalin rushes through your body, all the way.
It will be on their debut EP Disco To Disco, out on September 13.
The song is about rediscovering old lovers after a night out from disco(theque) to disco(theque), with references to The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan and his excessive drinking, and a legendary Belgian crooner. Bringing these two completely different iconic figures together makes you wonder if they don’t have more in common than you might think.
TUTV: Full steam ahead from the get-go. All engines on. Decibels up, amps up.
The breakneck speed and the relentless synth/percussion riff make your head
spin 360°. I dare you to catch up with this steamroller.
If you don’t know they’re from Belgium you would think they are one of those
post-Brexshit-punk misfits such as Deathletter, Ditz, shame, English Teacher, and
more of those exciting indie wolves. Cool, right? You betcha.
One of the two new shared pieces from their upcoming 3rd LP, named Catouts, out October 14. It’s a hypnotizing Krautrock-like jam rushing through your bloodstream.
Great saxophones too.
The Smile: Instagram
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Photo credit: Ebru Yildiz
Band: A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS Who: The rapid-fire Brooklyn turbine,
led by Oliver Ackermann, pump up the
decibels since 2003.
Track: YOU GOT ME
A foretaste of their upcoming LP,
titled ‘Synthesizer‘, out on October 4.
TUTV: Expect a spine-chilling guitar/bass riff rocket with Ackermann‘s
vocals echoing all over it. Another hellraiser for your graveyard parties.
“It’s a shout out to all the unusual characters that you may find in any High Street who, for whatever reason, are considered outsiders. They need championing as they are just like everyone else and want the best for themselves, but have been dealt a difficult hand.”
TUTV: The Veras storm out of the gates with tons of high-voltage force, powered by
an army of ablaze guitars and mighty drum/bass beats. The spanking chorus fueled by peppy vocals completes this rattling burst. Now go out in the streets and start a riot.
Band: THE CHRONICLES OF MANIMAL AND SAMARA Who: London-based DIY duo – Daphne Ang (Singapore) and Andrea Papi (Italy)
that fills a gap in music by bringing literature, art, and history together into a
space where rock and metal meet electronica.
TUTV: This surprising, blistering collaboration sees TCOMAS exploring another
musical place where they’ve never been before. Teaming up with sharp-cutting
Italian rapper Mr Meuri and make it work, combined with their by-now trademark
metallic wall of sound and monstrous growls is flabbergasting.
Band: LONELY LITTLE KITSCH Who: Two-piece alt-rock band from Niagara, Canada featuring
vocalist Kristen Goetz and drummer Nolan Jodes. What started as
a way to pass the time during the pandemic, soon became a more
serious project as fully formed songs took shape.
TUTV: A grungy headbanger propelled by hammering vigorousness, some
edged Grohl riffs and exploding when the crashing chorus crushes in. Right
in the middle of the song and the video, vocalist Kristen Goetz, draws your
attention with her Shirley Manson-like vocal tone and her subtle moves.
Band: THE MERINGUES Who: A Kingston, Ontario-based
post-punk powerhouse.
Track: ROYALTY
This track is a cut from their 2nd album, Pavlova’s Dog,
which will be available on September 16th.
“It’s that feeling of having idealized someone, only to discover they didn’t deserve it.
Or when you thought you knew someone, but they revealed a different side. This song
explores the disorienting feeling of realizing you were wrong about someone or something.”
TUTV: This punk ‘n’ roar torpedo guarantees you a vitalizing kick. Royalty explodes
from the get-go. The smashing chorus, with its screamy duet vocals, causes ecstatic
elation.
Band: RAZORLIGHT Who:British power guitar-pop indies RAZORLIGHT (2002–2014, 2017–present),
led by guitarist/singer Johnny Borrell, who have their first LP in 16 years finished.
They baptized it Planet Nowhere.
It’ll land on October 24.
It’s the first taster off of the forthcoming full-length. A simple, but oh so
effective tune. Jaunty and terrifically infectious. Welcome back to the party,
guys.
Band: STRAWBERRY SLEEPOVER Who: A psych, garage rock act from Baltimore, MD which makes waves in
the local music scene with their unique sound and captivating performance.
Track: FILTH
From their upcoming new
album, out September 6.
TUTV: If you’re depressed because summer is almost over, comfort yourself with this bonkers cowboy-punk jackhammer. Big, really big fun. ‘Filth‘ gets filthier and filthier along
its rowdy course. Think Dropkick Murphys riding wild horses while consuming a stream
of cold beers. Get the picture? As I said, big fun.
TUTV: A moony daydream floating smoothly around and in your ears and
has an on-repeat effect. It’ll appear on their 4th LP, baptized ‘Viva Hinds‘
and lands on September 6.
Martel: “After surviving elementary and high school, working in customer service and an office job, going to college and university I realized I still have not overcome social anxiety. I wrote this song about it so I could finally try to stop caring so much.”
TUTV: Martel strikes again with unbridled punch on this invigorating pop pearl juiced with jumpy bass lines, a vigorous drum beat, an edgy guitar solo and a chirpy chorus. Vocally Martel could be family of Alanis Morissette‘ voice. That same stirring timbre and expressive tone.
TUTV: City Lights is an ardent upper for the midnight hours when you hit town. Coxon lets his greedy guitar and his sultry saxophone have some funky fun, the
relentless bass/drums tandem take care of the groove’s banging beat. Uplifting
duet vocals and a chipper chorus complete the sonic picture.
“This is very different to anything we have released before it’s
very pop and a song of unrequited love and idolising others.”
TUTV: The Trusted deliver again. Miracle Face is a bittersweet power-pop symphony. Vehement orchestrations, layers of guitars, drum/bass puissance, and perfervid vocals combine for an affecting anthem. Think of New York City‘s heroes The Strokes’ mellower moments.
Band: MERCURY REV Who Day-and-night dreamers with key members Jonathan
Donahue and Sean “Grasshopper” Mackowiak
Track: A BIRD OF NO ADDRESS
From their 10th LP, their first in 9 years, named Born Horses, and out on September 6.
TUTV: A Bird Of No Address is a starry-eyed musing, a magnific symphony
with classical piano play, sensitive orchestrations and Donahue‘s romantic
vocals.
Bewitching, just bewitching.
Instagram – Tour
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Artist: BLACK VIIOLET Who: The moniker of the new solo project of Nicole Laurenne, the
flamboyant daredevil/voice/face of American garage rockers The Darts.
Track: KILL ME NOW
The title song of Laurenne‘s debut EP. A totally different
affair from what she has done for a long time with The Darts.
TUTV: Music for jazzy, smoky nightclubs where crooners play love songs,
happy and sad ones on piano, backed by a smooth little orchestra.
Viiolet‘s sexy, near-whispering voice and her sensual
film noir appearance fit the mood just perfectly well.
“I was playing around with this song and the chorus came to me almost immediately. It reminded me of something from Joni Mitchell’s Clouds album and the line “Some things hurt a little more, this one’s you” had such a resigned sentiment the rest of the song was easy to write. It’s a love song, but from an older point of view. Less drama and more realisation that another one had slipped away. The loneliness of an empty house and the need to escape the quiet.”
TUTV: Singer-songwriter splendour. A dynamic reverie, driven by titillating acoustic
six-strings, playful piano fragments, and a heartwarming voice. I’m pretty sure that Jamie Sutherland is a fervent Nick Drake and Tim Buckley fan.
Band: THE RATS Who: 5 ambitious noisemakers
from Ghent, Belgium.
New single: LAST CHANCE SALOON
The first piece from their upcoming EP,
titled ‘Disco To Disco’, that will land
in September.
“Lyricist/singer Emile Dekeyser playfully deals with the pursuit of authenticity,
a lyrical characteristic of the contemporary post-punk revival. Does he, as an
accomplished method actor, deliberately get himself into trouble to create a
story? Or is that view more of an excuse to condone bad (life) choices?”
Artwork by Bart Bling
TUTV: These misfits score a hat-trick with their 3rd single. The galvanic bass/drums tandem dominate this fully charged groover with a staggering sucker-punch beat that makes your feet tap and your head going up and down, unconsciously and uncontrollably.
Lighting guitars jump into the manic mix adding mind-bending electricity, turning ‘Last Chance Saloon’ into a roasting hotbed, while vocalist Dekeyser challenges his
fiends upfront, in the middle. Funk-punk stuff.
The Rats are from Belgium, but they develop a similar sonic hullabaloo and angry young men aggressiveness as the combative post-Brexshit bands such as shame, Deadletter, Squid, Opus Kink, and Gallus. Quite some bulldozing company, if you ask me.
