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

THE VEILS Stir With Melodramatic Beauty On Their 6th LP ‘ASPHODELS’

25 January 2025

New Zealand band THE VEILS centred around singer/songwriter Finn Andrews
bagged their 6th LP, named it Asphodels and will release it on January 24th.

The album 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.

Andrews: “I feel as though this album is the end result of a now disconcertingly long career in music. I think after your 7th album, much like turning 40, you should really just stop counting. I’ve learned a lot along the way, which I suppose is the whole point, and I’ve really distilled it all into these 9 songs. As always, I really just write about love and death – it’s a compulsion – and that is once again the case here. But I feel as though I’ve never been able to express this stuff rattling about in my brain quite as directly until now. I have rarely felt proud of anything I’ve made for very long, but this one feels different. It’s built on a strong foundation I think.”

It’s a beautiful thing to watch this album finally seeing the light of day. It is an album obsessed with matters of love, life and death – I hope these songs help people to process these rather hefty matters in the same way they’ve helped me.”

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, affectional 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 feats for laid-back evenings, away from
all outside noise. A memorable 2025 accomplishment.


SINGLES
: The Ladder / O Fortune Teller / Mortal Wound

– The Ladder –

– O Fortune Teller –

ALBUM


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TOUR DATES

Jan 25
Antwerp, Belgium
Jan 26
Paris, France
Jan 27
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Jan 29
Nijmegen, Netherlands
Jan 30
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Jan 31
Groningen, Netherlands
Feb 1
Cologne, Germany
Feb 3
Copenhagen, Denmark
Feb 4
Hamburg, Germany
Feb 5
Berlin, Germany
Feb 8
Ravenna, Italy
Feb 9
Rome, Italy
Feb 10
Milan, Italy
Feb 13
Zürich, Switzerland
Feb 14
Turin, Italy
Feb 16
Manchester, UK
Feb 17
Bristol, UK
Feb 18
London, UK
Mar 21
Auckland, New Zealand
March 22
Wellington, New Zealand
March 23
Christchurch, New Zealand
April 4
Dunedin, New Zealand

Instagram – Linktree

20 BEST BALLADS OF 2024

ALL TOGETHER

TRACK BY TRACK

Band: THE MYSTERINES
Who: Impassioned powerhouse pop indies from
Liverpool fronted by ravishing voice Lia Metcalfe.

Track: SO LONG
From their 2nd LP
Afraid Of Tomorrows.

Haunting femme fatale tragedy.

Linktree
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Artist: BILL RYDER-JONES
Who: Singer-songwriter who was co-founder
of Merseyside heroes The Coral.

Track: THIS CAN’T GO ON
Piece from his 6th solo LP
Lechyd Da.

Choral magnificence.

Instagram – Spotify
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Artist: NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS

Track: WILD GOD
Title song from their
18th full length.

Orchestral grandeur.

Linktree
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Artist: T BONE BURNETT
Who: Legendary American songsmith and lauded producer who worked
with many greats (Elvis Costello, Robert Plant, John Mellencamp and many
more) and scored movie soundtracks all through his long career.

Track: WAITING FOR YOU
From his intimate and warm
longplayer The Other Side.

Goosebumps beauty.

Linktree
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Band: FAT WHITE FAMILY
Who: Notorious UK squad, led by the charismatic
voice/songwriter/author Lias Saoudi.

Track: RELIGION FOR ONE
From their 4th and best LP
Forgiveness Is Yours.

Enigmatic tearjerker.

Instagram – Spotify
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Peter Murphy – photo by Jolene Siana / Boy George – photo by Dean Stockings

Artists: PETER MURPHY and BOY GEORGE
Bauhaus maestro and Culture Club voice/face.

LET THE FLOWERS GROW
The song was originally written by Boy George with its initial message being
“one of
personal acceptance about being gay. As the song developed, it took on a more expansive and universal scope with its lyrics extending beyond sexuality and embracing race, gender, creed and religion.”

Epic.

Boy George – Peter Murphy
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Artist: PETER PERRETT
Who: Former frontman of legendary British new
wavers The Only Ones (1976–1982, 2007–2017)

Track: FOUNTAIN OF YOU
Song from his 3rd solo album
The Cleansing.

Still a romantic at heart.

Instagram

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Band: HEARSING
Who: Long-time American
musical friends.

Track: SILICON PRAIRIE
Opener of the tandem’s 5-track
debut EP Pastoral.

“The song incorporates themes of longing and desperation I felt in my own
life at the time that found a home in anecdotes of the desert and its characters
experiencing these feelings for reasons far removed from my reality.”

Americana tristesse in motion.

Linktree


Press photo by 📸: Dean Chalkley

Artist: RICHARD HAWLEY
Who: British master of melancholia.

Track: HEAR THAT LONESOME WHISTLE BLOW
Reverie from his 10th LP In This City They Call You Love.

Fanciful idealisation.

Instagram
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Artists: THE GLASS HOURS
Who: American songwriters Brad Armstrong and Megan Barbera.
Their music blurs between Sunday afternoon country-folk and
the golden age of the 1970s.

Track: SAME OLD YOU
From their heartfelt
self-titled debut LP.

Bittersweet country magic.

Website – Instagram
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Artist: KAT KOAN
Who: Entrancing songstress
from Berlin.

Track: DREAM GIRL

Whispering nightclub sensuality.


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Linktree

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Artist: KIM DEAL

Track: ARE YOU MINE?
Song from her solo debut album
Nobody Loves You More.

Captivating love song for her mother.


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Linktree
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Band: THE BLACK KEYS

Track: ON THE GAME
Song from their 12th, bluesy dream pop,
longplayer Ohio Players. Stellar record.

Spellbinding.

Instagram
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Artist: OLIVER HOHLBRUGGER
Who: Norwegian songwriter.

Track: BLACK CANVAS.

“It’s about that someone you’ll never be with and that you allow to remain
inside you as a perfect unspoiled thing, yet still you measure and hold your
real relationship up against it. It’s a dream, an illusion, an unfair fantasy.
Nothing and therefore able to be perfect.”

Yearning amorousness.

Linktree
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Band: THE SMILE
Who: Two radioheads – Thom Yorke and
Jonny Greenwood and drummer Tom Skinner.

Track: Instant Psalm
Highlight from their 3rd and
best full-length Cutouts.

Vintage Thom York blues.

Instagram
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Band: MGMT
Who: Psych-pop star duo
from Connecticut, US.

Track: PHRADIE’S SONG
Composition from their 5th LP
Loss Of Life.

Candlelight sensibility.


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Instagram
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Band: MONOSCOPES
Who: Italian psych-pop act.

Track: HEY ATLAS
Cut from their notable 2nd full
length Endcyclopedia.

Starry-eyed nostalgia.


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Instagram – Spotify
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Artist: JOHNNY CASH
The immortal country icon.

Track: HELLO OUT THERE
One of the 11 self-penned songs from 1993 that weren’t
released until now, on the new longplayer Songwriter.

Affecting as ever.

Instagram
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Artist: RINGO STARR
No pension for 85-year beatle.

Track: TIME ON MY HANDS
Starr goes country again. New LP
Look Up out early next year.

Little drummer boy.

Instagram
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Band: THE VEILS
Who: New Zealand‘s guitar-pop veterans
centered around singer/songwriter Finn Andrews .

Track: THE LADDER
From new, upcoming 6th LP Asphodels
that will arrive on January 24th.

Endearing moments.

Linktree – Spotify

THE VEILS – New Zealand Band Share Heartfelt Ballad ‘THE LADDER’ Form New Upcoming Album

Reveries for the laziest day of the week

13 October 2024

New Zealand band THE VEILS centred around singer/songwriter Finn Andrews
bagged their 6th LP, named it Asphodels and will release it on January 24th.

The album 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.

Andrews: “As always, I really just write about love and death – it’s a compulsion – and that is once again the case here. But I feel as though I’ve never been able to express this stuff rattling about in my brain quite as directly until now. I have rarely felt proud of anything I’ve made for very long, but this one feels different. It’s built on a strong foundation I think.”

Here’s the first preview with heartfelt ballad THE LADDER.

Tour EU/UK 2025

Linktree – Spotify