Regular readers will have read about York’s Drop Dead McPhee on these pages before. I reviewed their support slot for Asylum last month, check that out here. They have just released their first single, “Hand In Hand”. When I saw them last month I likened them to Brinsley Schwarz and I think the new track also reflects that with and added abundance of American west coast rock, particularly in the guitar sounds which are majestic and the harmonies are delightfully Byrdsian. The B-Side/ 2nd track “Ignorance And Bliss” took me back to the early days of Aztec Camera. It is a wonderful slice of bright, tasteful acoustic rock. This is a great release from a band with great potential. I expect them to appear on these pages a lot in the future!
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Chloe Munt a.k.a. Pick The Flowers has just released another single, “Wednesday”. This is around a year since her last release and oh boy has it been worth the wait. This dark, haunting, mesmeric, chilled, trance-like, cinematic anthem is her best yet. The soft electro sounds wash over you and just when you think you are drowning the beat kicks in and Chloe’s gorgeous emotional vocal drags you back to the surface. This track has huge depth and ambition and it scores a perfect ten on every count. “Wednesday” would make a great addition to the soundtrack of a 21st century British folk horror film soundtrack. One of my favourite tunes of the year so far!
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David Judson Clemmons has been an incredibly inventive musical artist for many years he is not afraid to try new things musically. He currently lives in a small town just north of Berlin, Germany, where he works as a full-time guitar teacher, an experience he describes as his greatest source of inspiration to date. He released his first solo album, ‘Life In The Kingdom Of Agreement’ back in 2004. Later this month on 28th March he releases his new album ‘Everything A War’. In advance of that he has just issued the second single from the album “Songs In The Key Of You”.
The track is anthemic and cinematic and heavy with emotion. I love the way it slowly builds from a soft start to a monumental crescendo. Clemmons vocals hold enough power to light a small city and the guitar solo is a stunning piece of work. The song made me think of Biffy Clyro and Pink Floyd among others. Lyrically it is mega powerful. I love the refrain “For those who live to break the hope of others. This song’s in the key of you“. Is this a message to so many of the vile leaders in the world today? I hope so. Based on just this song the album will be something special.
The tune is accompanied by a gorgeous music video directed by Stefano Mastronicola. The landscapes alone are stunning and surprisingly the monochrome seems to add depth and colour. Yes I know that sounds weird, but that is how it made me feel. You need to listen to this beautiful song and watch the video NOW! That is an order!
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Liliths Army are Sylvie Studente on vocals and guitar, Tommy Mayo on bass and Sam Sherwood on drums. They are based in the UK in Northamptonshire. Their new single, “Eat My TV” is the finest slice of lo-fi British punk that I have heard for a long while. The song bemoans the fact that, in the bands opinion, music on TV is pretty shit right now. That is why they have suggested that they might eat their TV rather than watch shit music videos on it. I feel the need to make this a core part of a playlist aligned with Bowie’s “TVC 15” and Springsteen’s “57 Channels” for starters. The song is a taster for their album ‘Doll’ which will be out on Criminal Records later this month. The song was written by vocalist Sylvie and contains some rather ace lyrics, such as “I’d rather chew on a sweaty flip-flop, Than listen to fucking hip hop“. I understand the sentiment, particularly for some hip hop, but I also believe that there is still some good hip hop in the world. I am also sure that only a British band could include flip flops in a lyric! I love this song and I am really looking forward to the album! You can catch them on tour this year too. See the list below. I hope to be at the York gig in September!
28th March – Album Launch Party @ The Water Rats LONDON 22nd April – The Horn ST ALBANS 26th April – The Bear BEDFORD 31st May – Alice’s Wicked Tea Party Alternative Festival DORSET 6th June – The Victoria BIRMINGHAM 27th June – The Pipeline BRIGHTON 28th June – The Hope & Anchor LONDON 4th July – The Soundbar SKIPTON 25th July – Northants Rocks WELLINGBOROUGH 26th July – The Brunswick BRIGHTON 31st July – Moseley Punk Festival BIRMINGHAM 8th August – The Queen DONCASTER 9th August – Crank Studios LEEDS 12th September – Burton Lane Social YORK 13th September – Network 2 SHEFFIELD 4th October – The Shire Horse KETTERING 9th October – The Subside Bar BIRMINGHAM 15th November – Scruffy Murphys BIRMINGHAM 22nd November – The Puzzle Hall SOWERBY BRIDGE 30th November – Dan Fest @ The International LEICESTER 19th December – Percy’s SHROPSHIRE
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Austin, TX via Bolgatanga in Ghana uber talented hip-hop artist Dr. Pushkin has just released a new single featuring Isolirium and Ataman Nikita. The release precedes his SXSW performance on March 12th. The track includes a great blend of Ghanian Kologo guitar with some great Hip-Hop and R & B beats. The lyrics seek hope but also highlight the tough journey that finding peace will take. It is an inspirational tune and I love it, especially the vocal interplay between Dr. Pushkin and Ataman Nikita! Pushkin cites 2Pac and Nas as key influences and I can hear that throughout this wonderful song. the lyrics take some perfect and well primed shots at those in power. Get “Peace” in your ears and your life now!
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Kety Fusco is an unbridled and immensely talented musician. She has been dubbed the Queen of the Electric Harp. She was born in Pisa, Italy in 1995 and is Swiss by adoption. She has a Master of Arts in Music Performance at the Swiss Italian Conservatory. She first discovered the electric harp at just six years old. Her second album ‘BOHČME’ is released later this year and now she has unleashed “BLOW” the first single from that sophomore collection. I love music that is a bit different and properly “out there” and “BLOW” ticks both of those boxes strongly. It is a riveting instrumental track that contains more emotion than many songs with vocals. It took me to another place, it made me want to dance, it made me smile and it made me want to be who I am. It is injected with elements of classical, electronic and even dance music. This is most definitely a sound from and for the 21st century. Kety says this of the track “I sought to transform it into something wild and untamed, capable of expressing emotions that transcend tradition, projecting it toward a bolder, unknown future”. We live in a strange and frightening world and music helps me weave my way through it. If you love great music then take a listen to “BLOW”.
The video is dark and wonderful. It feels like an update on classic British folk horror films with a bit of archetypal slasher movie tropes thrown in for good measure. Kety wrote the script and also stars in the film which was directed supremely well by Studio Asparagus. This one song and its accompanying video has turned me into a great fan of Kety Fusco!
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Seattle band Museum Of Light have just released their third single of 2025, “Born All Wrong” on Spartan Records. The track follows hot on the heels of “Blunt Force Drama” and “Undone”. All three tracks will form a part of their sophomore album, ‘Diviner’, produced by Scott Evans, which will be released on March 14th. The song is full of earth shattering dark riffs that pound the song forward in a slow march forward. The vocals reminded me of Ozzy Osbourne at his peak. The music is dusted with some gorgeous prog moments, particularly in the final part of the track. There is a vast sparseness to the sound as the song reaches its conclusion. It gave me a feel of wide open wilderness. Is that the influence of being recorded at Ocean Sound Studios in Giske, Norway? The band made the most of their time there by taking a plunge into the icy Norwegian Sea each morning before starting to record.
The band’s drummer Rob Smith said, “As with much of Diviner, “Born All Wrong” is a continuation of all the things that interested us on our first record, just taken further.” he added “The song dives into some of the expanded sonic palette that sets this record apart from ‘Horizon’. The big riff that anchors the first half of the song was written several years ago when we were between bassists. So, we were leaning more on huge, monolithic ideas that sounded good with the guitar running through both guitar and bass amps at the same time. As one of the older songs on the album, we weren’t sure if if was going to make the cut, but as soon as we heard playbacks in the studio, we all had the same thought: ‘well, that’s definitely making the record.” This is a great song and makes me feel rather excited to hear the album!
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Pink Turns Blue are a classy European band who took their name from a Hüsker Dü song. They have been around a long while and they have just released the third single, “Dancing With Ghosts”, from their forthcoming album ‘Black Swan’. The album is slated for release on 28th February. The song has dark overtones reminiscent of Joy Division and a real goth feel in the chorus. The chorus seeps into your head like an unseen gas, then it stays there as you become one with the song. It is a song that is as close to perfect as it is possible to get. I love it. The lyrics deal with toxic relationships and the ‘ghosts’ that remain, in some cases long after the relationship is over.
Pink Turns Blue on stage – picture by Daniela Vorndran
The band consists of Mic Jogwer (vocals, guitar), Paul Richter (drums) and Luca Sammuri (bass). The band began in a still separated Germany towards the end of the Cold War and say they have been inspired by the likes of the Chameleons, Joy Division and goth music. Singer Mic Jogwer said this of the new single. “An exclamation to escape a complicated relationship, “Dancing With Ghosts” is a song about our difficulty of breaking out of an unhealthy bond. Some last a lifetime – and are not good for us at all. They suck all our energy, never give, always take. And whatever we do, it’s never right and never good enough. And since it’s often our best friend, mother, or sister, it feels like we owe them something, but every time we try to do something good for them, we just feel miserable and used. There is no easy way out, because whatever we do, we lose. These spirits will haunt us forever unless we challenge them and eventually manage to leave them behind. We’re Dancing With Ghosts.” I have no idea how I have not come across this great band before. But I will definitely be checking out their back catalogue in the coming weeks!
They have an extensive run of dates in 2025 in Germany, Belgium, the USA and the UK. If you can get to one of them, I reckon you should!
Apr 04 Hamburg, Germany @ Fabrik Apr 05 Münster, Germany @ Gleis 22 Apr 11 Leipzig, Germany @ Moritzbastei Apr 12 Cologne, Germany @ GEBÄUDE 9 Apr 25 Stuttgart, Germany @ clubCANN Apr 26 Hannover, Germany @ Musikzentrum Hannover May 09 Rüsselsheim, Germany @ Das Rind May 10 Bochum, Germany @ Bahnhof Langendreer May 16 Bremen, Germany @ Tower Musikclub May 17 Berlin, Germany @ Lido May 23 Nuremberg, Germany @ Club Stereo May 24 Munich, Germany @ Hansa 39, Feirwerk Jun 28 Izegem, Belgium @ Cultuurhuis De Leest Aug 28 – Philadelphia PA @ Milkboy Aug 29 – Brooklyn NY @ AMOC – Brooklyn Made Aug 30 – Boston MA @ Sonia Aug 31 – Montreal QC @ Casa Del Popolo Sept 4 – Toronto ON @ Baby G Sept 5 – Detroit MI @ Smalls Sept 6 – Chicago IL @ Bottom Lounge Sept 7 – Columbus OH @ Rumba Sept 10 – Nashville TN @ East Room Sept 11 – Atlanta GA @ The Masquerade Sept 12 – Charlotte NC @ Snug Harbor Sept 13 – Orlando FL @ Conduit Sept 14 – Miami FL @ Gramps Oct 31 Whitby, UK – Whitby Pavilion Theatre
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Push Puppets have one of the best names in music today and they have just released a classy new single “All Together On 3”. The band are based in the Palatine community near Chicago, Illinois in the USA. The track is a taster for their fourth album ‘Tethered Together’, slated for release later this year. The song is full of gorgeous harmonies with a reflective, elegantly fragile melancholic tone. It evoked memories of Mercury Rev and peak period Crowded House. The orchestration supplements the great rock sound on a cinematic scale. Lead vocalist and guitarist Erich Specht had this to say about the song, “I think “‘All Together On 3″‘ paints a pretty vivid picture of someone needing help out of a tough situation. This one was very satisfying to see fully realized. It has some math rock moments like phrases and patterns of different lengths keeping things interesting“. I believe the song is about seeking help, even if you don’t know how. It conjures a feeling of hope that can exist when we all pull together. The lyrics are hopeful and inspire coming together and kindness, two things that this world needs more than ever right now! This song is a first class earworm and on this evidence the album will be damned good!
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Archy & The Astronauts have a cracking new single out. It is called “Sea Of People” and it rocks like an absolute demon. It draws from deep in classic rock’s motherlode. The song flys in on an undercurrent of mean riffs and I can imagine this song being a mosh magnet. There are elements of the Foo Fighters in their sound, but they are very much an original unit. This young band has already garnered a lot of interest. They reached the last round of the Glastonbury ‘Bread and Roses’ stage final and they were finalists in the Kerrang! Radio/Marshall Records final 10 Competition.
Archy & The Astronauts are Tomás Phipps (the titular Archy) lead singer and guitarist, Nathan Snook on bass and Travis Coyne on drums. Archy had this to say about the song, “This track encapsulates the aspirations we hold as a band—to create a community of fans who can all immerse themselves in the extraordinary world of live music. The song delves into the challenges of feeling like an outsider in life, urging listeners to resist settling for the ordinary and embrace a life of fulfillment and passion“. Get Archy & The Astronauts into your life now, otherwise you might miss them donning spacesuits and hitting the stratosphere in a huge riff powered rocket!
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