1 week ago
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It could fall to pieces at any moment but the trio comprising of Reni, Lena and Vic maintain the knack to keep a blistering speed on track. The name of the game is lofi, driving, looping guitar over a repeated chant of “I got a microphone, I think it’s on but I forgot how to sing that song,” in pure tongue in cheek fashion. Resembling a sound very close to the noise of a runaway train, TOPSY TURVY have perfected a whirlwind blend of garage-punk, surf and psychedelia.
“Five Guitars” is a frantic slice of what to expect from the trio's upcoming album Fighting the Ginormous Macho Nacho, their second in just 12 months. The single is representative of a trio with such a sense of palpable urgency, they have also burnt bright across tours covering Europe and the UK.
The group have found inspiration for their songs from lived experiences, the album itself a reflection of an interaction with a toxic touring musician. Reni, who shares vocal duties, adds: “We got really angry at the Macho Nacho. He just stands for a ginormous Macho Nacho energy in music, in the things we experience as female musicians.”
Spearheaded by banshee sounding vocals, that draw glowing comparisons to post-punk heroes of yesteryear such as The Slits iconoclast Ari Up, TOPSY TURVY even recall looking to the work of the former group as a manifesto. “Definitely! I remember being 16 and reading A Typical Girl by Viv Albertine,” says vocalist Lena. “On the one hand it really sparked this desire in me to start my own band. It also made me cut myself super short baby bangs straight after my bath. I even glued the cut-off hair into my diary. Then, for Resi’s first birthday we celebrated together since I’ve known her, I gave her the book, which is why The Slits became a pretty frequent topic of conversation for us.”
TOPSY TURVY have a cult appeal, and “Five Guitars” sounds remarkably like somebody has suddenly unearthed a rare single from a number of groups that could take the overdriven guitars of The Shop Assistants and marry it to the oddball approach of The B-52s.
With the album to arrive, and the singles to match, TOPSY TURVY are more than capable of overseeing a return to pounding rhythms and majestic melodies of the girl group era gone by.
English (US) · 