Turbostill. It’s a name I’ve known since about as long as I’ve known that Pop music doesn’t touch me in the cockles of my heart.
Turbostill; a band that’s existed half as long as my entire existence.
A band that for fifteen years has been living the dream of drinking piss and playing Rock n’ Roll.
I’ve been replaying the three songs on the band’s new EP Red River since I got the CD, but it’s difficult to find the right words to give a release you really enjoy the reverence it deserves, especially when it’s a band you have this amount of respect for.
For those that haven’t been to a Turbostill gig, or heard any of their previous releases, you obviously haven’t been to Palmy.
Their sound is a personalised version of late 80s, early 90s Heavy Rock n’ Roll. It’s gritty and raw, yet their releases translate well from live performance to CD. It’s not pretentious or over produced in any way, a simple what-you-see-is-what-you-get approach to music. They know what to do, drink and play, and they do it well.
Like their previous release, Liquid Rock n’ Roll, an appropriately title tribute to beer and rock, Red River is a release that doesn’t make demands, or beg for your attention; these guys are doing what they want for the love of music, not to impress you. Impressing you is just a side-effect of what they do.
Stand out track was the titular Red River, which has a late period HLAH feel to me. It’s something about Murray’s riffs, Markham’s Bonham-ing and Kristov’s vocals on the track.
So when you’re sitting at home thinking you’re too old to go to town and drink, remember Turbostill, living out the Rock n’ Roll dream for longer than the underage girls in town have been alive.
Go pour yourself a beer, put on the Red River EP and quit your wingeing.
You can find Turbostill’s Red River EP on the Turbostill Bandcamp or visit their Facebook for more details. It definitely deserves a listen, and is a good starting point for anyone who hasn’t heard Turbostill before.
Turbostill are a dirty rock 'n' roll band from the ever-prolific Palmerston North scene. Formed in late 2000, the band have been playing locally constantly since. With a sound they describe as "sometimes hard-out mayhem, sometimes an easy groove for those who like to rock".
After playing a final show in 2004 Turbostill disbanded only playing one show a year until properly reforming in 2008 for The Mai Farm Festival in Pohangina.
Since then Turbostill has released their third album 'Liquid Rock n' Roll'. Played a number of shows around New Zealand as well as performing in Melbourne in late 2009.