New music review with singles from GIRLBAND! and Lùlù
Julia Mason aka The Decibel Decoder- Apr 29
- 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 GIRLBAND! Talk Me Down and Lùlù Pugni In Tasca
Artist: GIRLBAND!
Track: Talk Me Down
GIRLBAND! return with new single Talk Me Down, via Soul Kitchen/EMI North. It’s their first new track of the year and comes after the last eighteen months that saw them release their debut EP, support the Sex Pistols and release the Not Like The Rest video which starred childhood friend Bella Ramsey.
Singer and songwriter Georgie talks about Talk Me Down: “This song has become a firm favourite for us to play live. It has all the elements that I think represent us best and all the ingredients of what we love as a three-piece. The lyric is probably the most profound and personal of all the releases yet. As it is indeed a real-life situation that happened for me and I couldn’t really write about it until years after. I guess we hope this song finds anyone who’s struggling mentally and I like to think it makes people know that there’s always someone there. I didn’t want this song to just be the negatives of the situation but stand up with some hope and optimism in such a brutal situation.”
The power and clarity of Georgie's vocal is vital in this open and honest track. "I want to be found" is a lyric that will resonate with anyone who finds themselves in this heartbreaking situation. As Georgie shares Talk Me Down expresses hope which is expressed through the instrumentation as well as the lyrics. It's emotive yes but also anthemic and soaring, a powerful example of getting through the toughest of times and being able to channel it into, in this case, music. Thus it's a statement that the lowest point can be survived, and indeed life is waiting to be lived on the other side.
GIRLBAND! are thrilling live and there are plenty of opportunities to see them during this festival season. I'll see you down the front!
GIRLBAND! Live Dates
May
2 - Loop Festival, Shrewsbury
23 - Bearded Theory Festival, Derbyshire
24 - Dot To Dot, Bristol
25 - Dot To Dot, Nottingham
June
8 - Come Together, Newcastle
July
6 - Unity Fest, Newark
12 - 2000Trees, Withington
18 - Tsunami Festival, Gijon, Spain
20 - Rockand Festival, La Rioja, Spain
26 - Nottinghamshire Pride
August
1 - All Together Now, Ireland
3 - Outcider Festival, Fernhill Farm
9 - Lakefest, Eastnor Castle, Birmingham
16 - Beautiful Days, Devon
29 - 110 Above Festival, Warwickshire
31 - Rock n Roll Circus, Sheffield
September
21 - Garristonbury, Barnsley
October
4 - Commoners Fair, Bristol
16 - Oslo, London w/ Venus Grrls
17 - Wardrobe, Leeds w/ Venus Grrls
* * *
Artist: Lùlù
Track: Pugni In Tasca
French power-pop band Lùlù, based in Lyon and Marseille, release Pugni In Tasca, the third single to be taken from their forthcoming debut album, Lùlù, out via Howlin' Banana Records, Taken by Surprise and Dangerhouse Skylab on 6 June.
Pugni in Tasca arrives like a glam rock ego-trip, channeling the riff-heavy grit of Sheer Mag, the shimmer of the Flamin’ Groovies, and the clenched-jaw urgency of Chubby and the Gang. It’s the sound of summer heatwaves and simmering tempers, unfolding in the backstreets of some sunburnt Italian city. The track, translated as 'Fists in the Pocket' bristles with energy and vitality. Don't worry if you can't speak Italian, although the exaggerated "stupido" speaks for itself! The layers of vocals are an utter joy and the instrumentation is an exuberant combination of ramshackle guitar riffs and pulsating drums.
Lùlù explain further on Pugni In Tasca: "This is the last song I wrote for the album and I only wanted to make a hit, streamline the writing as much as possible, repeat the same verse, a bridge, there you go. I wanted to include a Thin Lizzy bad boy kinda song on the album; what it says in essence is 'if you don’t like my music, come say it to my face'. Funny thing is I’ve never fought once in my life."
The music video, directed by Taylor Stewart, drummer of Welsh outfit The Tubs, was shot during The Tubs’ 2024 Spanish tour while Luc, Lùlù’s frontman, drove them across the country. The video features Luc being chased by a rival gang, played here by members of The Tubs. Filmed across Barcelona, Madrid, San Sebastián, and Bullas, the visuals unfold in a hyperactive, fish-eye frenzy: raw, unfiltered, and buzzing with the same rebellious energy as the track itself.
Lùlù is a power-pop "supergroup" composed of members from well-known bands on the French scene (AVIONS, Irnini Mons, Egdar Suit, Pogy et les Kéfars). Lùlù draws inspiration from the current power-pop scene (Alvilda, Sheer Mag) as well as the '70s sound (The Nerves, The Beat), with forays into Scandinavian punk rock (Masshysteri, Teini-Pää) and hardcore (Chubby and the Gang, OFF!).
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