New music review with singles from Alien Chicks and Heavy Lungs
- Julia Mason aka The Decibel Decoder
- Apr 2
- 4 min read
Our weekly fix of the best new music as Julia Mason (aka The Decibel Decoder) brings us her new music review with singles from Alien Chicks Mr Muscle and Heavy Lungs Mr Famous
Artist: Alien Chicks
Track: Mr Muscle
London post-punks Alien Chicks share new single Mr Muscle, the third from their second EP Forbidden Fruit set for release 9 May via Hideous Mink Records (Opus Kink) & SO Recordings (Enter Shikari, Deadletter, Big Special).
Mr Muscle mixes the biting vocals and sharp guitar work of Josef Lindsay, the pulsating basslines of Stefan Parker-Steele, and the explosive drumming of Martha Daniels. It heads hither and thither, crashing around in unexpected directions, raucous and unpredictable, raw and thrilling. The vocal delivery is bursting with unleashed expression. Mr Muscle is perhaps impossible to dance too and that's a compliment! It's a 2-minute shot of adrenalin, and how Alien Chicks replicate this live I have no idea.
The main inspiration is frankly hilarious but there are more serious themes and Alien Chicks further explain: "Mr Muscle is a high energy crowd favourite characteristic of our sound in that it is uncategorisable, uncountable, unplaylistable and erratic. The slapstick chorus is about our favourite cleaning products that we would use if we ever cleaned, but there are some more serious themes in the verses such as the mundanity of life and capitalism-induced boredom and nihilism. We are especially proud of the time signature changes in the chorus, and the lyrics in the outro 'A dog leads his old man back down to the saloon; Craving simple lives that need more purpose is the catch 22; Stress or depress? The inexorable T-junction' are some of Josef’s favourites he’s ever written. But you'll never hear them because he screams so quickly."
Having kicked 2025 off in style with Independent Venue Week appearances and a support tour with Pom Poko, they are about to support Lambrini Girls on their UK tour and play their own European shows, before their biggest London headliner yet at Oslo, Hackney on 7 May. Festival appearances follow, including a certain Glastonbury in June.
Alien Chicks Live Dates
April
1 - The Fleece, Bristol*
2 - Papillon, Southampton*
3 - Birmingham, Castle and Falcon*
4 - Future Yard, Birkenhead*
9 - Kult 41, Bonn, GER
10 - Volksbad, Flensburg, GER
11 - Southcentral, Gledeberg, GER
12 - Supamolly, Berlin, GER
14 - Paard, The Hague, NL
15 - Utrecht, ACU, Utrecht, NL
19 - Stockton Calling, Stockton
20 - Esquires, Bedford+
May
7 - Oslo, Hackney, London
10 - Are U Listening? Festival, Reading
June
25th-30th June - Glastonbury Festival, Somerset
July
10 - La Bellevilloise, Paris, FR^
25-27 - Festival de la Mer, FR
August
2 – Klangtherapie Festival, DE
*supporting Lambrini Girls
+supporting Big Special
^supporting Cosse
* * *
Artist: Heavy Lungs
Track: Mr Famous
Bristol punk outfit Heavy Lungs release new single Mr. Famous ahead of second album Caviar out 18 April via FatCat Records. The album release is supported by a mammoth UK/EU tour for April and May (full dates below). Mr. Famous holds back on the usual frenetic pace the 4-piece produce. Here there is more of a swagger, and the lyrical content and vocal delivery are bursting with cheeky characterisation.
There is of course an underlying theme but Heavy Lungs show a slightly different side on this track. Inevitably there is a burst of wild abandon but in the context of Mr Famous it feels like a release of pent up frustration. The background vocals add to the overall vibe of the absurdity at times of contemporary society. And this lyric says everything - pure class:
"I just want to be famous already,
This is boring."
On the lyrical inspiration, vocalist Danny Nedelko says: “Mr Famous is a satirisation of my desire for grandeur. A collection of exaggerated proclamations and God honest truths. Which one is which you ask? I’m Mr Famous, stop bothering me.”
And following on with the sonic influences, guitarist Oli Southgate offers: “A real lo-fi inspired / garage rock riff like The White Stripes if they smoked ganja.”
It is utterly intriguing to learn more about the topics that inspired the forthcoming album Caviar. The notion of failure, and trying to navigate that, the feeling of being burnt out and drained, and earning to escape all of these burdens are always close to the surface. A desire for something better than the reality at hand is a major cornerstone of the album.
Referencing the title, lead vocalist Danny Nedelko explains: “One of the main themes of the record is a longing for a better life that currently seems beyond my grasp. The word caviar always possessed connotations of riches, status and excess. So after one late night conversation we realised it’s the perfect title to summarise this desire for elevated existence and success in one simple yet striking word.”
Bring it on.
Heavy Lungs Live Dates
April
10 - Glasgow, Audio (UK)
11 - Manchester, Night and Day (UK)
12 - Birmingham, Sunflower Lounge (UK)
17 - Paris, L'International (FR)
18 - Bristol, Thekla (UK)
25 - Bologna, Covo Club (ITA)
26 - Milan, Bloom, Mezzago (ITA)
May
3 - London, The Lexington (UK)
6 - Munich, Import/Export (DE)
7 - Berlin, Urban Spree (DE)
8 - Cologne, Bumann and Sohn (DE)
9 - Groningen, Vera (NED)
10 - Rotterdam, Rotown (NED)
11 - Brussels, AB Club (BEL)
14-17 - Brighton, Great Escape Festival (UK)
22 - Luzern, Schuur (CHE)
23 - Nyon, Usine a Gaz (CHE)
24 - Amsterdam, Pretty Pissed Fest /w Soft Play (NED)
26 - Bordeaux, Iboat (FR)27 - Marseille, Molotov (FR)
28 - Barcelona, Razzmatazz (ESP)
29 - San Sebastian, Dabadaba (ESP)
30 - Madrid, El Sotano (ESP)
31 - Valencia, 16 Toneladas (ESP)
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