Band: THROWING MUSES Who: Legendary indie group from Rhode Island founded in 1981, in by two musically marvelous stepsisters, Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donelly who later co-formedThe Breeders with Kim Deal but soon afterward she started her own group Belly.
Albums: 11, new one included. Check ’em all outhere
SPIN Magazine said: “It’s a record of dense textures, guitar splatter and belljar lyrics. The fragmented sound of Throwing Muses, a college girl’s dining hall conversation set to antagonistic electric screeching, was painful, self-loathing, man-love-hating. “
The Guardian (English newspaper): “For their 11th album in a nearly 40-year career, the alt-rockers switch focus to acoustic guitars and cello – but their tumultuous tales are still charged with elemental power. Hersh remains a force of nature: ungovernable, volcanic, drawing on her own near-death experiences, trauma and inextinguishable survival instinct.”
TUTV: No automatic pilot for Kristin Hersh. It’s a spellbinding acoustic
record that generates emotive electricity, transferring you into a trance.
In order to not miss a beat TURN UP THE VOLUME scans the musical
horizon daily, for 10 years now, to pick ace tracks and add 5 new
ones twice per week, to the one and only JUKEBOX that matters.
For a couple of years now TUTV added 10 new tracks every 7 days.
This year we will put 5 new ones in the Jukebox twice a week.
Band: HEISA Who: Belgian LOUD rock trio whose sound draws influences from bands such as Black Midi, Tool, Battles and Swans, blending dissonance with a strong sense of identity. Their music balances chaos and control, mixing unsettling atmospheres with hypnotic rhythms and sharp distortion.
Track: FLOWERS
2nd single from the band’s third LP
‘TROIS’, landing on March 208th.
Heisa hit hard again. Flowers is a slow
progressing outburst of earsplitting noizz turmoil.
Schizophrenic guitars, bashing drums, and spooky
vocals conspire to mess up your head.
Band: SUNDAY JUNKIE Who: Alt pop duo from Worchester, MA
who came together last year.
Track: HOLY, HOLY
Piece from their debut album,
due out sometime later this year.
Tom Martin (vocalist) : “I had issues with drinking in the past, and the lyrics on ‘Holy, Holy’ pretty heavily revolve around using alcohol as a means of self-medicating and ignoring a larger, underlying issue,” Martin adds. “It can be pretty insidious when it seems to provide relief, but the toll it’s taking is more evident to those around you and they just hope you can eventually see it too. The line ‘Honey on our tongues / Sucking on the rind’ is more of a reference to having everything at your fingertips, not realizing it, and choosing to throw it away instead.”
Fiery vocals.
Ablaze emotions.
Expressive electricity.
Amplified pop tune.
“Its pure shoegaze, molten guitars drenched in dreamy chorus and reverb, all whirring over impossibly dense fuzz, vocals buried in the mix serve as an additional instrument more than the message. Mimicking the minimal lyrics to the song, the sound of Silk
exists in the purgatory state of half awake-half dreaming.”
Lose yourself in this ocean of accumulating
guitars and its hallucinatory resonance.
A stunning steamroller that gets under your skin faster than
you can say “this is bloody bonkers “. Its red-hot-blooded rush
doubles your adrenalin production on the spot. Blimey. Ecstasy.
Track: ACETA
From their debut EP,
that’ll land in February.
Aceta speaks to someone overwhelmed by anxiety. Someone feeling stuck, unable to
move forward, and uncertain about why. The song aims to bring comfort, offering a
reminder that doubt is a natural part of life and that it’s important to embrace these
turbulent phases, as they always pass with time.
Imagine Idles, Yard Act and Kneecap
throwing punches at each other.
Mind-blowing uppercut. Wowzers.
Band: MARSEILLE Who: Juvenile rock wolves
from Derbyshire, UK.
New single: HISTORY
The song is a love letter to the
dreams we all had as children.
TUTV: These young British gunslingers echo the early hopped-up days of global rock champs Oasis. They have the Gallaghers‘ sassy swagger, cocksure verve and champagne supernova groove. And the vocalist is Liam‘s son, well he could be.
They look cool, they act cool and they sound supersonic cool. They don’t look
back in anger, they want to conquer the future. D’ you know what I mean?
. Instagram – Echo Bass Records
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Track: AN ARTIST IS AN ARTIST
Their first single in 3 years and according to
a press message “the surprising first taste of
what’s to come from the band in 2025”.
An Artist Is An Artist is an instant striking stroke pushed by a mind-boggling
speedy velocity, Skin‘s hyperactive rapping, a paranoid saxophone and a
flabbergasting chorus. Not the titanic bombast we’re used to. Mind you,
still loud enough to wake your neighbours. Fucktastic flare-up.
Band: CHARM SCHOOL Who: The latest project from Andrew Sellers who, originally from Louisville (KY),
has paid his dues in both the NYC and LA DIY music scenes, and his various bands
have played with seminal acts like Joan of Arc, Grizzly Bear & At The Drive-In.
Track: WITHOUT A DOUBT
Cut from their upcoming LP, titled ‘Debt Forever‘,
out on January 24th. More info here.
Album artwork
Sellers about the track: “It’s by far the most pensive, melancholic song on the record, and it seems fitting that it’s coming out right now, amidst all the turbulence in the world. The main theme of this new record is financial uncertainty (or just uncertainty in general), so the main thing I remember about this song is the refrain “Please don’t let me run out of money” coming out randomly during practice one day.”
Interpol guitar echoes are the backbone of
this glorious mid-tempo gem. Close your eyes
and lose yourself in this riveting masterstroke.
The song was inspired by a bet Hersh had with a guy for
a dollar that revolved around the idea that the seasons
don’t change us.
Kristin Hersh strums her acoustic guitar
as she did/does her wayward way for years
now, on this sonic hypnotizer. It gets under
your skin without asking permission.
Instagram – All Albums
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Band: CMON CMON Who: Brussels/London-based indie rock trio,
who started to realize their childhood dream
in their 40s.
It’s the second shared song from their upcoming, new EP, titled Headwind.
It follows CC’s excellent 2023 debut album The Crack And The Light.
Striking artwork by Belgiandesigner Lisa Van de Vyverwith
cover images by Swedish photographer Moa Karlberg.
Turn Off The Lights is exhilarating guitar pop that sticks
on the spot. It has all the entertaining ingredients to be
added to your on repeat list.
An effervescent flow, a dominant and steadfast drum beat, an awesome guitar solo, romantic vocals, blithesome harmonies and a resonant chorus. Sonic warmth in winter.
CC hit the bullseye again!
Band: SNAPPED ANKLES Who:London-based synth mavericks, incorporating
elements of performance art and art rock. Masked
and dressed up as threes on stage.
Track: SMART WORLD
Third single from their new upcoming album Hard Times Furious Dancing. Out on
28 March.
Snapped Ankles never let you down
when you love to sway yourself gaga
to electro dancefloor uplifters like
this acid house one.
Band: RATTLE Who: Musicians Katharine Eira Brown and Theresa Wrigley formed in
2011 after meeting on the live circuit whilst both playing in other bands.
Artist: ERIC SCHROEDER Who: Very productive San Diego-born songwriter
and multi-instrumentalist who released no less than
5 albums in just 4 years and a new one is waiting
in the pipeline.
Track: EMILY
Piece from his new, forthcoming LP
named Cat’s Game out on April 11.
The lyrics speak to a lost love, as he sings, “I long to be where the colors tease, and her love concedes” with wounded swagger benefitting the paradoxical paradise of psychic devotion. There’s a unique form of bittersweet American poetry in Schroeder’s ability to make you feel the weight of longing with every lancing line.
A guitar-infused reviver from start to finish.
Catchy as hell. Emily will bounce around in
your head for quite a while.
Depeche Mode vibes, a touch of New Order and Bauhaus echoes.
Apocalyptic danger in the dark. The world is in a really bad place.
Have a last doom and gloom dance before it’s all over.
Artist: TRISTAN ARMSTRONG Who: Skilled composer and lyricist finding beauty in the quotidian struggles of urban life. His music combines a sense of earnest romanticism and poignant introspection, with a guitar-centric aesthetic.
Track: THE LONELY AVENUE
A cathartic release of rock-and-roll energy inspired by the dualities
of urban life and a longing for home. Written during his early days
in Toronto after moving from Vancouver Island.
Expect a tsunami of riffs and a pulsating
bass engine juiced with avid vocals.
Artist: MR BILLY FRITZGERALD Who: Dublin-based solo artist writing lush indie-pop songs
that simultaneously bathe in the faded light of heartbreak
while pulling you on to the dancefloor.
Track: LET US BE (SINGLE)
Song from his upcoming debut album,
titled ‘A Grand Romantic Gesture’, out on
Feb 20th.
Lyrically the track explores the theme of being with someone when everyone else thinks it’s a bad idea. Billy draws on his own experience, while growing up and learning how to be in a relationship and developing those tools, inevitably and regrettably, people get hurt along the way. Here he delves into this, as he declares love and devotion while facing down the barrage of words against the union. A true Romeo and Juliet story.
Tremendous intro. Infectious upper
juiced with sparkling guitar play,
a puissant, foot-tapping drum beat
and intensive vocals.
Track: HERE WE GO CRAZY
Title song of his upcoming,
15th longplayer.
Mould about the album: “On the surface, this is a group of straightforward guitar pop songs. I’m refining my primary sound and style through simplicity, brevity, and clarity. Under the hood, there’s a number of contrasting themes: Control and chaos, hypervigilance and helplessness, uncertainly and unconditional love.”
In order to not miss a beat TURN UP THE VOLUME scans the musical horizon
daily, for 10 years now in 2025, to pick ace tracks and add 10 new rad ones, every
week, to the one and only JUKEBOX that matters.
Mould about the album: “On the surface, this is a group of straightforward guitar pop songs. I’m refining my primary sound and style through simplicity, brevity, and clarity. Under the hood, there’s a number of contrasting themes: Control and chaos, hypervigilance and helplessness, uncertainly and unconditional love.”
Band: BLEACH GARDEN Who: Indie 4-piece from Atlanta, GA influenced by robust bands such
as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Melvins, Flipper, Zeppelin,
lack Sabbath, and many more.
They have 3 albums out so far. You
can check them out on Spotify.
New track: BORN TO BE EMPTY
Piece from their new, forthcoming LP.
Details TBA.
Imagine Nirvana were stoner rockers.
Smells like exploding spirit. Score!
Band: ALUMINIUM BOYS Who: American indie rock project born in Silicon Valley,
centered around the songwriting of friends Jared Ottmann
and William “Bill” Pence.
Powers: “This song came from a thought I had of giving the angel of death a hug. We spend our whole lives running from this thing we can’t outrun. This body is temporary, but there is no death. Only transformation. A door opens when you learn to let go of the identity you’ve been building your whole life.”
A magnetic, rotating groove playing
quickly on your hard-drive in your
head.
Band: DARKSIDE Who: Alt electronic musician Nicolás Jaar, multi-instrumentalist Dave Harrington and drummer Tlacael Esparza from Providence,
Rhode Island.
Track: S.N.C.
Song from their 3rd longplayer, named Nothing. It’ll show up on 28 February.
Funky mid-tempo jam creeping
under your skin without asking
permission.
Artist: MOTE Who: Post-punk indie from Berlin who carves a unique path through
modern music influenced by David Bowie, Sharon Van Etten, and Juice WRLD.
The song delves into the turbulent aftermath of a sudden romantic departure. The track captures the visceral immediacy of heartbreak, unraveling emotions with a stark honesty that resonates very deep. Gritty yet vulnerable, the track is a sonic exploration of isolation and connection, wrapped in lush textures and an undercurrent of restless energy.
Mixed emotions in motion.
Hypnotic, fuzzy, captivating
Cathartic vocals.
Artist: BATTLEFLAG Who: The project of Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Jeff Hartwig. A collective of like-minded musicians and visual artists with a sound that blends traditional rock instrumentation with ambient synths, drum loops and samples, Hartwig’s Battleflagg songs seek to straddle the Heartland/Americana/Indie rock divides, leaning into direct, heart-on-sleeve lyrics and arena-size, sing-along choruses.
Band: BUCK GOOTER Who: An electro-rock duo – Terry Turtle and Billy Brett – that started
in 2005 and has continued, at Terry‘s urging, since his passing in 2019.
Track: KING KONG LIVES
Cut from new, upcoming 3rd album King Kong Lives: Thereminsanity.
The record is created with Terry Turtle‘s chiming in from beyond on every
song via never before heard samples of his guitar and voice. Release: April 4.
Spooky synth-drum rant interrupted by ghostly garage blues fragments.
Weirdest track of the week. Listen up, all you freaks out there, that
colossal monkey comes after your stereo.
(Photo by Turn Up The Volume – Brugge, Belgium – 25 April 2024)
KRISTIN HERSH and her legendary indie band THROWING MUSES have recorded
their 11th longplayer. It’s baptized Moonlight Concessionsand slated for release sometime next year. More info coming soon.
First single
The band has already booked gigs in UK/Europe for 2025.
(Photo by Turn Up The Volume – Brugge, Belgium – 25 April 2024)
KRISTIN HERSH‘s musical career started at the age of 14 when she formed, along with her stepsister and wonderful Belly voice Tanya Donelly, indie star band THROWING MUSES.
I wonder when Hersh enjoyed a holiday, longer than a couple of weeks since then. By now (aged 58) she recorded/released 10 Muses albums with Sun Racket as the most recent one (2020).
From 2003 on she also was active, with her other outfit 50ft Wave (one album and some EPs). And with last year’s excellent Clear Pond Road the eminent songstress canned her 11th solo longplayer.
.
Of course, Hersh toured countless times with TM/50FW and solo.
Wait, I’m not done yet. Kristin is also a compelling writer. I recommend
strongly her newest book The Future Of Songwriting. Info and order
details right here.
And last but not least, she’s the proud mother
of 4 sons. That counts for a lifetime job.
Now, let’s talk about the future.
A new Throwing Muses full-length is recorded, baptized Moonlight Concessions, and slated for release sometime
next year. More info coming soon.
While waiting for more info, we can enjoy
the 1st single, named DRUGSTORE DRASTIC.
Hersh:“The bulk of this song comes from a New Orleans sidewalk: an overheard
conversation between a sober and a not sober person, as we all made our way
toward the Cool Tree, an uptown meeting point with a shifting cast of characters,
exotic birds and weird, twisting, tendril-like branches that reach out along the
ground.”
Drugstore Drastic is a powerful acoustic guitar-driven song/story. Pretty magnetic,
with Hersh unique, semi-hoarse voice drawing most of your aural attention (as usual).
At the age of 14 Donnelly started her career when forming Throwing Muses with her stepsister Kristin Hersh in 1981. She left in 1991. Already in 1989 she started to write
songs with Pixies‘ bassist Kim Deal for a new band named The Breeders.
