Phosphorescent to re-release ‘Here’s To Taking It Easy’, tour UK and more!

Phosphorescent are set to re-release this years’ critically acclaimed album ‘Here’s To Taking It Easy’ in the UK on the 6th September through Dead Oceans. This coincides with the Brooklyn band’s UK live dates in September, full details of the tour are below, with support by Canada’s Timber Timbre.

Download free track ‘The Mermaid Parade’: 

  Phosphorescent 'The Mermaid Parade' by createspark

The new tour follows on from the Brooklyn based-act making an incredible impression with their UK tour earlier in June, including an awe-inspiring performance at London’s ICA (“a sublime, joyous gig” 5/5 The Independent).

For a taster of the excellent new live set up, be sure to watch these clips filmed by Rolling Stone from River Rocks NYC festival earlier this summer

‘It’s Hard To Be Humble (When You’re From Alabama)’: 

‘Nothing Was Stolen (Love Me Foolishly)’: 

Following on from reports of Phosphorescent’s tour van being stolen in July with $40,000 worth of equipment inside, the van was miraculously found by police with everything intact on the on the 13th July.  Read about the whole story on Phosphorescent’s Myspace blog.

UK Dates:

Mon 6 Sept Manchester Night & Day £10 www.livenation.co.uk 

Tue 7 Sept Bristol Thekla £10 www.livenation.co.uk        

Wed 8 Sept London Scala £12.50 www.livenation.co.uk

Fri 10 Sept Bestival Isle of Wight SOLD OUT

Sat 11 Sept End of the Road www.endoftheroadfestival.com 

Sun 12 Sept Brighton Komedia £10 www.livenation.co.uk

Mirrors announce new single, OMD tour, host stream + short film

  Mirrors 'Ways To An End' by skintrecords

Here We Go Magic release new single ‘Casual’ 13th September + announce new shows

Acclaimed Brooklyn five-piece Here We Go Magic have announced details of a new single, plus confirmed more UK shows for late summer. ‘Casual’ will be released on 13th September through Secretly Canadian and will be available on CD and download.

Watch this acoustic performance of ‘Casual’ filmed exclusively for Pitchfork: 

Here We Go Magic continue to enjoy a great year filled with critical applause since the release of latest album ‘Pigeons’ on Secretly Canadian. They’ve been much lauded on their side of the Atlantic, with the likes of Pitchfork giving them their seal of approval and ‘Collector’ securing the band a Top Ten College Radio hit. The band, led by enigmatic songwriter Luke Temple, have been making positive headway in Europe too with support slots with Broken Social Scene, main stage billing at Latitude and shows in Hyde Park with Grizzly Bear. Not to forget their Glastonbury appearances, which reportedly enthralled Thom Yorke, leading him to proclaim Here We Go Magic were the best band of the festival.

‘Casual’ is prime psychedelic pop underpinned with an almost metronomic effect that - as with the album as a whole  - draws the listener in to be charmed and pressing replay. The single is the second release from ‘Pigeons’, a wonderful album that simply gets richer and more rewarding with every listen…

Here We Go Magic return to the UK and Europe with shows as follows:

September

3rd Ireland Portlaoise Electric Picnic – Crawdaddy stage

4th Jersey Royal Showground Jersey Festival

7th London Hoxton  Bar & Grill (headline show)

9th France Tourcoing Le Grand Mix ‘Radar Festival’

10th Salisbury Larmer Tree Gardens End of the Road Festival

11th Isle of Wight Bestival Rock n Roll stage

14th Glasgow Captain’s Rest

16th London The Troxy Campfire Trails (w/ Wild Beasts )

18th Manchester Deaf Institute Pull Yourself Together

Watch: of Montreal + Solange perform ‘Sex Karma’ on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Athens, Georgia’s finest psychedelic pop band also performed the lead track from current EP ‘Coquet Coquette’ exclusively for Jimmy Fallon’s site: 

You can also watch an album trailer for ‘False Priest’ at the following link: 

‘False Priest’, of Montreal’s tenth album, will be available September 13th in UK/Europe and 14th in North America through Polyvinyl Records on CD, LP (2xLP / 180 gram vinyl with exclusive 180-gram red vinyl edition limited to 2,000 copies) and digital formats. All album and single artwork was created by Apollinaire Rave's David Barnes and Gemini Tactics.

The new album features 13 tracks and was co-produced by of Montreal front man Kevin Barnes and Grammy-nominated producer Jon Brion (Kanye West, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright). As previously reported, the new LP features guest appearances from critically acclaimed artists Janelle Monáe and Solange Knowles.  The album was initially recorded at Barnes' Apollinaire Rave studios in Athens, GA, with Brion handling additional re-recording, mixing and engineering at Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles, CA.

Full Time Hobby announces ‘Hobbyism’: label compilation released 16th August

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Announce October UK Shows + new free mp3

Following on from the news of their latest album, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin have announced some UK shows in October plus a new free download.  ‘Let It Sway’ will be their third album for Polyvinyl Records and is set for release on the 16th August in the UK.  Full details of the UK shows are below, including a show at London’s Hoxton Bar and Kitchen on the 11th October. The new album is produced by Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie fame, following on from the tender pop songs on 2008’s ‘Pershing’ and their 2005 debut ‘Broom’.

Download another new track from ‘Let It Sway’, ‘Banned (By The Man)’ as premiered over on Stereogum: http://stereogum.com/439761/someone-still-loves-you-boris-yeltsin-banned-by-the-man-stereogum-premiere/mp3s/

Watch the ‘making of Let It Sway’ made by the band: 

‘Let It Sway’ isn't just the title of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin's third full length -- it's a philosophy that ultimately helped save the band.

After enduring numerous tension-filled sessions while self-recording 2008's ‘Pershing’, the band members decided it would be best to relinquish control over production and pursue new options when it came time to record their next album.

"With ‘Pershing’ we tried to micromanage our sound and it wasn't a fun process," recalls drummer/vocalist Phil Dickey. "So for the new record it seemed like a good idea to try something we've never tried before."

Plus, as guitarist/vocalist John Cardwell adds, “It just seems lazy to not want to make the best-sounding record possible.”

Not knowing which producer to contact, they began their search by reaching out to Death Cab For Cutie guitarist and respected engineer Chris Walla -- a fan and friend of SSLYBY since the release of 2005's ‘Broom’ -- to see if he had any recommendations. Unexpectedly, Walla quickly replied he had the perfect person in mind -- himself.

And so, at his suggestion, SSLYBY made the trek from their hometown of Springfield, Missouri to Madison, Wisconsin -- home of the famed Smart Studios (Nirvana's ‘Nevermind’, Smashing Pumpkins’ ‘Gish’). Working with Walla (Tegan and Sara, The Decemberists) and resident producer Beau Sorenson (Death Cab For Cutie, Sparklehorse), the band members crafted the final list of 12 songs that appear on ‘Let It Sway’.

"When we got to the studio the songs were about 75 percent completed, which ended up being perfect," says guitarist Will Knauer. "It allowed them to grow naturally -- with Chris and Beau guiding the songs with sounds we wouldn’t have had access to and ideas we wouldn't have thought up ourselves."

The influence the producers had on shaping the finished album is especially evident on “Sink/Let it Sway,” a song that Walla and Sorenson helped sculpt from ideas, fragments, and four different demo versions into a complete whole, as well as “In Pairs,” a short, infectious track the band had never played together until Walla heard the opening riff while setting up mics and exclaimed “We have to record it!” "For the first time, the goal was to write good songs and not worry about how they were going to be produced," says Dickey. “We trusted Chris and Beau 100 percent."

That faith was certainly not misplaced, as ‘Let It Sway’ takes cues from the band’s quiet ‘Broom’-era bedroom recordings and couples them with the polished sound of ‘Pershing’ to create a whole new aesthetic most evident on songs like album opener “Back in the Saddle” and the slow burner “Stuart Gets Lost Dans Le Metro.” Ironically, despite its high-profile studio origin, the record has a more authentic and "live-sounding" feel than if the group had recorded at home. "We generally tracked one song a day and just used the best performances -- even if there were little flubs," reveals Dickey. "Chris and Beau decided to do it that way, which is good because we're perfectionists and would probably still be recording the album today."

In the end, the circumstances surrounding the making of the record - in which the band rode bikes to the studio each morning and slept on the floor of Sorenson's home (while Walla inhabited a tent in the backyard) -- was exactly the kind of environment SSLYBY needed to recapture the essence of what it is to be a band. "Recording the album reminded me of how everything was when we first started playing together," says Dickey. "Everything about making music with your friends seemed fun and perfect all over again."

As Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin learned firsthand, when pressure is mounting, sometimes you just gotta Let It Sway.

UK live dates:

October

9th TBA, Oxford,

10th The Forum, Tunbridge Wells

11th Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London

Pre-order ‘Let It Sway’ here: http://iheartvinyl.polyvinylrecords.com/em/SSLYBY/

Tunng: UK tour, new single info + reveal headline London Forum show in November

Following from their latest album, Tunng have a busy summer of happenings ahead of them, not only embarking on a headline tour from tonight (see dates below), but one that culminates in an extra special event on the 6th November at London’s The Forum entitled ‘Embers: An Evening With Tunng And Friends’. Plus details have emerged of a new single, ‘Don’t Look Down Or Back’, scheduled for release on the 26th July through Full Time Hobby.

The first Tunng album to take more than a year to write and produce, ‘…And Then We Saw Land’ is also the band’s most collaborative effort to date, with each member contributing fully to the project throughout. The effect on the sound is pronounced - it's an album packed with joy and optimism.

UK live dates:

July 16th - Nottingham Rescue Rooms

July 17th - Dorset Larmer Tree Festival

July 18th - Liverpool Stanley Theatre

July 22nd - Glasgow Stereo

July 23rd - Stirling Tollbooth

July 24th - Fife Big Tent Festival

July 25th - Leeds Cockpit 

Aug 13th - Birmingham Mac Arts

Aug 14th - Leicester Summer Sundae

Sept 12th - Isle of Wight Bestival 

Oct 1st - Windsor Theatre Royal

Nov 6th - London HMV Forum

Bowie Tribute Album: Artists unite for War Child, album out 11th October

A whole host of musical luminaries from Duran Duran to Warpaint and Devendra Banhart have united to contribute Bowie covers for a tribute album. ‘We Were So Turned On: A Tribute To David Bowie’ is set for release via LA independent Manimal on the 11th October. All proceeds from the two-disc, 34-track album will go towards the benefit of War Child.

The project was launched in 2008, and also includes contributions from Carla Bruni, A Place To Bury Strangers, Lights, Vivian Girls, Rainbow Arabia and many more. 

The next single to be released from the album will be War Paint’s version of ‘Ashes To Ashes’ in August. You can download the most recent single 'Memory of a Free Festival' by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros from My Old Kentucky.

What began as a vague idea of fresh and seasoned artists paying homage to the man who invented the art of reinvention, David Bowie.

War Child is a charity that helps children affected by war across the globe no matter what border they inhabit.  A charity that Bowie makes no secret about supporting.

Within a few months, Devendra Banhart (Megapuss), Vivian Girls, Carla Bruni, A Place To Bury Strangers all came on board to contribute tracks. 

By the summer of 2009, the record had began to take shape when the addition of pop legends Duran Duran, ex-Slits Viv Albertine and legendary avant-garde bassist/musician Mick Karn were added to the roster.

Manimal friends and alumni's, Warpaint, Chairlift and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros came on board by that autumn.

With a final track listing that is as diverse as it is chameleon-like, just like the thin-white duke himself, ‘We Were So Turned On’ has something for every Bowie lover.

Disc One:

Exitmusic "Space Oddity"
Duran Duran "Boys Keep Swinging"
Megapuss "Sound + Vision"
Warpaint "Ashes To Ashes"
Corridor "Be My Wife"
Chairlift "Always Crashing In The Same Car"
Vivian Girls "John, I'm Only Dancing"
All Leather "Fame"
We Are The World "Afraid Of Americans"
A Place To Bury Strangers "Suffragette City"
Tearist "Repetition"
Halloween Swim Team "Look Back In Anger"
Afghan Raiders "Fashion"
Polyamorous Affair "Theme From Cat People"
Swahili Blonde "Red Money"
Jessica 6 "I'm Deranged"
Aska & Bobby Evans (Feat. Moon & Moon) "African Night Flight"
Xu Xu Fang "China Girl"

Disc Two:

VoicesVoices "Heroes"
Carla Bruni "Absolute Beginners"
Papercranes "Blue Jean"
Keren Ann "Life On Mars?"
Lewis & Clarke "Changes"
Zaza "It Aint Easy"
Genuflex "Soul Love"
Sister Crayon "Bewlay Brothers"
Marco Benevento "Art Decade"
Mick Karn "Ashes To Ashes"
Lights (NYC) "World Falls Down"
Aquaserge "The Supermen"
Caroline Weeks "Starman"
Rainbow Arabia "Quicksand"
Mechanical Bride "Sound + Vision"
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros "Memory Of A Free Festival"

Introducing Timber Timbre: new Full Time Hobby signing, album news and more

Meet Canadian folk, country and blues genre defying Timber Timbre, the latest signing to Full Time Hobby.   Timber Timbre, led by guitarist/vocalist Taylor Kirk, are set to release their eponymously-titled debut album on the 20th September. This is preceded on 16th August by the release of a limited edition single, ‘Demon Host’ which, lifted off the album, will be the band’s first ever recorded output in the UK.

You can download ‘Demon Host’ for a limited time only from the Full Time Hobby site: www.fulltimehobby.co.uk

Between the single and album release, Timber Timbre come to the UK for a string of dates, which, as well as seeing them play End of The Road and Electric Picnic festivals, will also see them support Phosphorescent at dates in Manchester, Bristol, London and Brighton as below:

September 2010

Sun 5 Stradbally Co Laois, Eire, Electric Picnic

Mon 6 Manchester, Night and Day (w/ Phosphorescent)

Tue 7 Bristol, Thekla (w/ Phosphorescent)

Wed 8 London, Scala (w/ Phosphorescent)

Sat 11 Larmer Tree End of the Road

Sun 12 Brighton, Komedia (w/ Phosphorescent)

Timber Timbre stops you. The elements are deceptively simple: a confident, but hushed voice, understated guitar, strings and keyboard flourishes, and a subtle percussive beat. Timber Timbre is haunted by the history of pop music. 

of Montreal announce October European tour, ‘Coquet Coquette’ digital EP out now

of Montreal have just announced a European tour schedule in support of their highly anticipated 10th album, ‘False Priest’. Starting in mid-October in Dublin, the tour will call at London’s Koko, Manchester and Glasgow (full details are below) before heading off to France and beyond.

Following on from the free download of lead track ‘Coquet Coquette’ online last week, the band are releasing a digital EP including this track and remixes today (7th July), available from all good DSPs and the Polyvinyl shop now: http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/coquetcoquetteEP

The new EP includes remixes of ‘Coquet Coquette’ by Starf*cker and Yip Deceiver.  There will also be a video for the song later this summer. 

‘False Priest’ will be available September 13th in UK/Europe and 14th in North America through Polyvinyl Records on CD, LP (2xLP / 180 gram vinyl with exclusive 180-gram red vinyl edition limited to 2,000 copies) and digital formats. All album and single artwork was created by Apollinaire Rave's David Barnes and Gemini Tactics.

‘False Priest’ features 13 tracks and was co-produced by of Montreal front man Kevin Barnes and Grammy-nominated producer Jon Brion (Kanye West, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright). As previously reported, the new LP features guest appearances from critically acclaimed artists Janelle Monáe and Solange Knowles.  The album was initially recorded at Barnes' Apollinaire Rave studios in Athens, GA, with Brion handling additional re-recording, mixing and engineering at Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles, CA. 

Mirrors announce summer UK tour dates, plus host Au Revoir Simone remix

Brighton-based electronic pop band Mirrors have announced a slew of summer UK tour dates plus details of their recent remix for Au Revoir Simone. The live dates start at the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen on the 7th July, with a full nationwide tour happening at the beginning of August. The full list of dates is below.

Mirrors have also been busy remixing the likes of Au Revoir Simone, which will be released as part of the ‘Night Light’ remix album on the 5th July through Moshi Moshi. Hear Mirrors cerebral synth rework here: http://soundcloud.com/createspark/tell-me-un-autre-monde-fin-by-mirrors

Following on from their support tour with Delphic in January, Mirrors have been locked away in a secret location in rural Sussex recording their first album of arch electronic anthems. The as-yet-untitled debut is currently being remixed by DFA’s Jonathan Kreinik in New York.

UK live dates:

July

7th Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London  

13th Madame JOJOS, London  

14th New Hero, Brighton

16th Ku Bar, Cleveland

17th Unit, Southampton

23rd The Watershed, London

31st Proud, London

August

2nd King Tut's, Glasgow

3rd Oporto, Leeds

4th The Forum, Sheffield

5th The Musician, Leicester

7th Little London Fields Festival, London

13th Sound Bar, Birmingham

18th The Lexington, London

20th Start The Bus, Bristol

21st Basement, York

28th Audio, Brighton

September

10th The Monarch, Camden

Mirrors are: James (synthesizer / voices), Ally (synthesizer / voices), Tate (synthesizer) & Josef (electronic drums).

School Of Seven Bells stream ‘Disconnect From Desire’ in full + watch interview

On the eve of the release of new album ‘Disconnect From Desire’, School Of Seven Bells are streaming the album in full over on their website.  Head to www.sviib.com to hear their latest electronic dream pop masterpiece in its entirety, ‘Disconnect From Desire’ is out on the 12th July in the UK through Full Time Hobby.

To accompany the album stream, you can also watch this interview with Benjamin, Alejandra and Claudia from the band

School Of Seven Bells arrive in the UK this week to play a series of shows from this Wednesday, culminating in a headline show at London’s Scala on the 20th July. Full details of their UK tour are below.

The Brooklyn trio are also are set to release their new single ‘Windstorm’ on the 19th July. This is the first single from ‘Disconnect From Desire’, and on the B-side is a blinding remix of ‘Windstorm’ by noisy New Yorkers A Place Bury To Strangers. The drum heavy version transforms the track into a fuzzy mass of guitar, battling against a propulsive bassline.

Hear the A Place To Bury Strangers’ rework here: 

  School of Seven Bells - Windstorm (A Place To Bury Strangers remix) by fulltimehobby

‘Disconnect from Desire’ follows on from their majestic debut ‘Alpinisms’, which was released to huge acclaim last year, with Mojo naming them one of their top nine new bands for 2009 (as well as a Mojo Honours nomination for ‘Breakthrough Act’). ‘Alpinisms’ also hit many albums of the year lists, including the NME who called it “pop music of the future”. The band have toured extensively since, supporting the likes of Bat for Lashes and White Lies as well as appearances at ATP including the My Bloody Valentine curated event last December.

UK Dates:

Wed 7th July Brighton Resident Records in-store

Thu 8th July London Pure Groove at The Drop, Stoke Newington

Sat 17th July Latitude Festival £65-£165 www.latitudefestival.co.uk
Sun 18th July Bristol Thekla £9.50 www.seetickets.com
Mon 19th July Manchester Ruby Lounge £9.50 www.seetickets.com
Tues 20th July London Scala £12.50 www.seetickets.com

of Montreal Announce UK Album Release Date + free mp3

of Montreal has announced the UK release date of their highly anticipated 10th album. ‘False Priest’ will be available 13th September in the UK/Europe and 14th in North America on CD, LP and digital formats through Polyvinyl Records.  The LP once again features artwork from Apollinaire Rave's David Barnes and Gemini Tactics (as mentioned on Pitchfork).

The album features the lead single, ‘Coquet Coquette’ which is available now as a free MP3 here: http://iheartvinyl.polyvinylrecords.com/em/coquette/

‘False Priest’ features 13 tracks and was co-produced by of Montreal front man Kevin Barnes and Grammy-nominated producer Jon Brion (Kanye West, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright). As previously reported, the new LP features guest appearances from critically acclaimed artists Janelle Monáe and Solange Knowles.  The album was initially recorded at Barnes' Apollinaire Rave studios in Athens, GA, with Brion handling additional re-recording, mixing and engineering at Ocean Way Recording in Los Angeles, CA.

Full tracklisting for ‘False Priest’:

‘I Feel Ya' Strutter’
‘Our Riotous Defects’ (feat. Janelle Monáe)

‘Coquet Coquette’

‘Godly Intersex’

‘Enemy Gene’ (feat. Janelle Monáe)

‘Hydra Fancies’

‘Like A Tourist’

‘Sex Karma’ (feat. Solange Knowles)

‘Girl Named Hello’

‘Famine Affair’

‘Casualty of You’

‘Around the Way’

‘You Do Mutilate?’

Of Montreal are currently on tour in the States, more details to follow on UK shows

Pre-order ‘False Priest’ here from Polyvinyl

Japandroids: Announce 2nd single in 7" series 'Younger Us' + giveaway a-side mp3

"This is terminally catchy music played with punk's enthusiasm and velocity, and maybe it's the fact that there's only two dudes in this band that makes you feel like joining in to bash along."  – Pitchfork

“A brutal force of joyous abandon” NME

“the music is an ever-swirling pool of raw power, the words shaping that power into something disquieting. Sure there’s humour here, but there’s unselfpitying, unpoetic, unvarnished honesty too, the modern Western malaise of personal and social detachment not etched in Radiohead acid or Talking Heads doodles, but drilled with jackhammer force.” Drowned in Sound

"A million years ago, a label called SST briefly held a monopoly on everything awesome in indie rock-the Minutemen, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Black Flag, Hüsker Dü. And if the young Vancouver band called Japandroids had been around then, SST would have put them out, too." – New York Magazine

Phosphorescent announces new September UK dates

Phosphorescent and the band have announced new UK live dates in September. This follows on from the Brooklyn based-act making an incredible impression with their UK tour earlier in June, including an awe-inspiring performance at London’s ICA (“a sublime, joyous gig” 5/5 The Independent).

For a taster of the excellent new live set up, check out this recent performance of the track ‘At Death, A Proclamation’ from 2007’s ‘Pride’ album: 

The critically acclaimed new album ‘Here’s To Taking It Easy’ is out now on Dead Oceans

Praise for ‘Here’s To Taking It Easy’:

‘Album of the Month’ Mojo

‘CD of the Week’ Sunday Times

‘Album of the Week’ The Independent

“'Here’s To Taking It Easy' is a thing of rare, luminous beauty” 4.5/5 The Sun

“A bold record, steeped in the golden, rich sounds of classic rock and country” 4/5 Uncut

“A mouthwatering harvest of Gene Clark and Neil Young’s fantasy offspring” 4/5 Q

“Phosphorescent has too much ethereal otherness to be dismissed as mere alt. Country” 8/10 NME

“Uniformly excellent” Independent on Sunday

“An album that constantly mixes tragedy with beauty” 4/5 The Guardian

“Enigmatic” Word

UK Dates:

Mon 6 Sept Manchester Night & Day £10 www.livenation.co.uk

Tue 7 Sept Bristol Thekla £10 www.livenation.co.uk      

Wed 8 Sept London Scala £12.50 www.livenation.co.uk

Fri 10 Sept Bestival Isle of Wight SOLD OUT

Sat 11 Sept End of the Road www.endoftheroadfestival.com

Sun 12 Sept Brighton Komedia £10 www.livenation.co.uk

Of Montreal reveal new album + ‘The Past Is A Grotesque Animal’ limited 12"

Kevin Barnes, leader of US psychedelic pop band of Montreal, has revealed several details about their forthcoming new album in an exclusive interview with Pitchfork.  Speaking to the site yesterday, Barnes confirmed that ‘False Priest’ will be released in autumn on Polyvinyl Records and after initially being recorded at his home studio in Athens, Georgia was reworked in LA with producer Jon Brion (Kanye West). So-called as the record explores Barnes’ twin notions of “suspicion of the Catholic Church” from his upbringing and “a sense of a false policing of yourself, or your psyche”, ‘False Priest’ will also feature previously reported guest appearances from RnB stars Solange Knowles and Janelle Monae

In light of these recent collaborations, Barnes expands on the funkier direction of the record:

“There's a thick R&B influence, so it's cool that we have a lot of deep low end. Basically, every song has a lot more low-end information than I've ever used before. We're trying to make a record that has similar low end to records like ‘The Low End Theory’ by A Tribe Called Quest and even, to some degree, stuff like Dr. Dre. That was the goal: To make something that had that low end but also was my thing, an of Montreal record. So it's different. Most indie-pop records don't have that low end.”

For more about ‘False Priest’ including of Montreal’s plans to take ‘False Priest’ on the road with Janelle Monae, read the full interview here: http://pitchfork.com/news/39181-of-montreals-kevin-barnes-talks-new-album-tour-with-janelle-monae/

In other of Montreal news, Kevin Barnes has re-envisioned their epic 12 minute freakout ‘The Past Is A Grotesque Animal’ with Nick Zinner on guitar and members of The Moonrats on a limited edition 12”. The track from was originally reworked for Spike Jonze latest short film "I'm Here", in which a fake robot band called The Lost Trees perform the song. The A-side features the album version of the track from 2007's ‘Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?’  as re-mastered by John Golden (Nirvana, Sonic Youth) and the re-imagined version appears on the b-side.

Polyvinyl have pressed 500 copies of the track on 180-gram light blue vinyl with a hand silk-screened jacket designed by Gemini Tactics aka Nina Barnes.

All pre-orders will be shipped from the 16th July and receive an instant MP3 download of both songs at checkout, pre-order it here: http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/store/index.php?id=1184

More details on ‘False Priest’ are to follow.

Ólafur Arnalds: plays one-off event with Jonny Greenwood + album guide + video

'Tiny yet detailed scenes in music boxes, charming and sad… hint at a formidable future for Arnalds' - Pitchfork

'Timeless and sublime!!!!'  –  UNCUT

'More accomplished than ever before' (8/10) – Drowned In Sound 

'Composer Ólafur Arnalds provides an emotional score to this astonishing piece, mixing classical symphonies with avant-garde electronic recordings' – Dazed & Confused

Icelandic neo-classical electronic composer Ólafur Arnalds is set to play a one-off show at Manchester Bridgewater Hall with Jonny Greenwood.  This event on the 1st July promoted by Eat Your Own Ears will mark the world premiere of Ólafur’s new album '...and they have escaped the weight of darkness'. Ólafur Arnalds will perform the album in full with the RNCM Symphony Orchestra conducted by André de Ridder, who has previously worked with Nico Muhly and Damon Albarn. The RNCM will also perform Jonny Greenwood's ‘Popcorn Superhet Receiver’ alongside Igor Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’. 

'...and they have escaped the weight of darkness' was released to much critical applause through up and coming London-based label Erased Tapes last month

Watch the full video for lead track 'Hægt, kemur ljósið', directed by Esteban Diácono of Buenos Aires, Argentina:

Ólafur Arnalds – Hægt, kemur ljósið (Official Music Video) from Erased Tapes on Vimeo.

This is their second collaboration after last year’s great success of the video for ‘Ljósið’, which received over half a million views online within only a month.

To further explore Ólafur’s neo-classical masterpiece, here is a track by track guide written by Mr Arnalds himself about ‘…and they have escaped the weight of darkness’ 

1. 'Þú ert sólin'
"One of the newer songs on the album, probably my personal favorite. The strings melody was originally the piano, but I thought it was better on strings so I made a new piano line. This was the perfect opener for me, something that tells a lot about what's about to happen... kind of like the opening theme in a movie. [claim a free download of this track over on www.olafurarnalds.com]

2. 'Þú ert jörðin'
"I wrote this song actually after I started recording. I felt the album was missing something, some more of a build up before the crescendo in the next song. I decided this in the middle of the piano recordings actually, and I knew I couldn't go back into the piano studio (it's in Germany), so I had to just record something there, and hope it would be a good base for a song. So I just hit record, played that piano motif a bunch of times and made a few different beginnings and endings to it - so I could choose afterwards, depending on what the rest of the song would be like.

"The end of that Rhodes piano line is one of the geekiest moments of the album... I spent over 2 hours getting the echo just right there (I was using a very old Roland RE-301 Space Echo, which quite randomly changes speed... so it's hard to get things exactly like you want them)

3. 'Tunglið'
"Conceptually, this is where things shake up a bit. Hence the crescendo here and things exploding a bit. And the really sad ending.. leading into the middle part of the album, the dark part.

4. 'Loftið verður skyndilega kalt'
“I actually almost deleted this song off the album, as I wasn't happy with the recording of it... Didn't think that it portrayed the real feeling of the song well enough. But I was convinced to keep it on, and am happy I did... I had just been working on it too much. It's one of the oldest songs on the album, written in early 2008.

5. 'Kjurrt'
"Another song I think works better live than on recording, but an important part of the 'story' the album is telling. I love writing simple stuff like this and trying to take it as far as I can go. Here I was exploring how the same 3 notes can mean something completely different in the beginning and the ending of the song - just because their surroundings are different.

6. 'Gleypa Okkur'
"Another personal favorite. Barði (co-producer) had a huge effect on this song. When I brought it to him it had really heavy, distorted drums and screaming synths but it turned into light brushed drums, e-bow guitars and a choir. I think this was over 160 tracks in the studio... Each time you listen you should be able to find new elements.. there are harpsichords, timpanis, rhodes, synths, shakers and a bunch of electronics. I never get tired of hearing that huge sub-bass drum when listening in a good stereo. 

7. ‘Hægt, kemur ljósið’
"This is where things turn around again, where the light starts coming back from the shadows and the little 'story' starts closing in to a happy ending.

8. 'Undan Hulu'
"...probably better known as The Cello Song. It's the oldest song on the album, and I performed it on a German TV show in late 2007 - that went on you tube and has since then become quite known... so it's great to finally have a proper recording of it out. As the working title may have suggested - it's a cello solo, accompanied by piano.

9. 'Þau hafa sloppið undan þunga myrkursins'
"The album's title track (translated into Icelandic) and the story’s finale. I wanted an happy ending to the album, to end with something positive... to put emphasis on the point that the light always comes back..."

School Of Seven Bells: ‘Windstorm’ single out 19th July + APTBS Remix stream

There is an exceptional clarity to ‘Disconnect From Desire’… it positively shines” Music Week

“Great harmonies, nice guitar lines a few electronic touches and some My Bloody Valentine-like vocal cooing” The Independent

“School of Seven Bells have sharpened up their floaty electronic sound for ‘Disconnect From Desire’… with drums that hit a satisfying crunch” Evening Standard

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Announce album UK Release Date + free mp3

Much loved US indie band Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin have announced the UK release date for their latest album.  ‘Let It Sway’ will be their third album for Polyvinyl Records and is set for release on the 16th August.  The new album is produced by Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie fame, following on from the tender pop songs on 2008’s ‘Pershing’ and their 2005 debut ‘Broom’. 

Download a taster from the new album in form of free track ‘Sink/’Let It Sway’ http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/letitsway

Watch this album trailer made by the band: 

‘Let It Sway’ isn't just the title of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yelstin's third full length -- it's a philosophy that ultimately helped save the band.

After enduring numerous tension-filled sessions while self-recording 2008's ‘Pershing’, the band members decided it would be best to relinquish control over production and pursue new options when it came time to record their next album.

"With Pershing we tried to micromanage our sound and it wasn't a fun process," recalls drummer/vocalist Phil Dickey. "So for the new record it seemed like a good idea to try something we've never tried before."

At producer, friend and long-term SSLYBY supporter Chris Walla’s suggestion, the band made the trek from their hometown of Springfield, Missouri to Madison, Wisconsin, home of the famed Smart Studios (Nirvana's ‘Nevermind’, Smashing Pumpkins’ ‘Gish’). Working with Walla (Tegan and Sara, The Decemberists) and resident producer Beau Sorenson (Death Cab For Cutie, Sparklehorse), the band members crafted the final list of 12 songs that appear on ‘Let It Sway’.

That faith was certainly not misplaced, as ‘Let It Sway’ takes cues from the band’s quiet Broom-era bedroom recordings and couples them with the polished sound of ‘Pershing’ to create a whole new aesthetic. Ironically, despite its high-profile studio origin, the record has a more authentic and "live-sounding" feel than if the group had recorded at home.

 UK live dates are to follow for Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

Here We Go Magic Announce Broken Social Scene Support Shows, ‘Pigeons’ out now

"By the time the song blooms outward in its final two minutes, all wordless chants and joyous crash cymbals, I want to buy a car just to hear how it sounds driving through farmland under a blue sky." Pitchfork

Brooklyn’s Here We Go Magic celebrate the release of new album ‘Pigeons’  with news of further UK shows, this time supporting Broken Social Scene. The up and coming psychedelic pop quintet are playing a run of dates with Broken Social Scene in the UK and Europe straight after their appearances at Glastonbury, plus shows have been added supporting Grizzly Bear in Australia. Full details of these are below, all international dates including a slot at Pitchfork Festival in July are on the Myspace page.

Here We Go Magic have several festival appearances line-up throughout summer, now including Hard Rock Calling, Electric Picnic, Latitude and Bestival.

The band’s first single from the new album, ‘Collector’, is also available from Secretly Canadian. Watch the enigmatic video directed by Nat Livingston Johnson for ‘Collector’ here: 

A five piece emerging from the environs of New York City sometime early 2009, the first material from Here We Go Magic arrived in the form of a unique collection of 4 track recordings created by lead singer Luke Temple.   The band themselves had convened through a series of chance encounters, overheard conversations and supernatural occurrences. Whilst hailing from disparate musical backgrounds, they all found a common axis in the recordings then released as the self-titled ‘Here We Go Magic’ (Western Vinyl).

Since then, the band has ridden an unwavering wave of creative momentum which resulted recently with appearances at this year’s SXSW garnering armfuls of plaudits, reducing the US media to superlative –laden acclaim. Along the way they have developed a broad array of musical material and honed what has become explosive live sound all of their own.

Here We Go Magic live dates: 

June
26th Somerset Glastonbury Festival – Park stage 11.50am
26th Somerset Glastonbury Festival – Q Queens Head stage 5pm
27th London Hyde Park - Hard Rock Calling - Bella Union Stage
28th London Hyde Park  - Serpentine Sessions - Acoustic Stage
29th  Nottingham Rescue Rooms w/Broken Social Scene
30th London The Forum w/Broken Social Scene SOLD OUT

July
4th Rotterdam, NL Zuiderpark Metropolis
5th Frankfurt, GE Mousonturm w/Broken Social Scene
6th Hamburg, GE Uebel & Gefahrlich w/Broken Social Scene
8th Liege, BE Les Ardentes Festival
13th Bristol Thekla
15th Leeds Brudenell Social Club
16th Southwold Latitude Festival – main stage

Sept
3rd Ireland Electric Picnic – Crawdaddy stage
4th Jersey Jersey Live
10th Salisbury End of the Road Festival
11th Isle of Wight Bestival – Rock ‘n’ Roll stage

Love Is All Announce New UK Dates, Album ‘Two Thousand And Ten Injuries’ Out now

"With 'Two Thousand and Ten Injuries' Love Is All have created another master class in yearning, defiant, confused and lovelorn indie-pop" Drowned in Sound

"Disco beats, post-punk sax honking, twee-pop boy/girl harmonies, and lyrics that rip your heart out. Yep, Love Is All is back." Pitchfork

Beloved indie pop Swedes Love Is All have announced details of a run of UK live shows in June and July.  The dates follow on from the recent release of their fourth album ‘Two Thousand And Ten Injuries’ through Polyvinyl Records in the UK.

Love Is All bring their exuberant live show to the following UK venues:

11th June London CAMP

12th June London Be @ Proud

 24th July Indietracks Festival

When the members of Love Is All returned home to Gothenburg, Sweden after their spring 2009 tour, the quintet found itself in familiar surroundings but under strange circumstances.

After releasing two critically acclaimed full lengths (‘Nine Times That Same Song’, ‘A Hundred Things Keep Me Up at Night’) and several EPs on New York- based What's Your Rupture?, Love Is All now had no record deal in place -- and accordingly, no demands to produce a new album.

"For the first time in a few years, we were in a situation where nobody expected us to do anything," recalls drummer Markus Görsch. Bassist Johan Lindwall adds: "We didn't have a record contract, and we didn't even look for one. Therefore, the record developed completely on our premises and conditions and only because it was fun."

Not knowing whether their next musical output would ever make it out of their iTunes libraries and onto record stores shelves, Love Is All decided to take their time writing and recording and -- gasp! – actually have a good time collaborating on the songs that would eventually comprise the band's third album: ‘Two Thousand And Ten Injuries’.

And so, what began as trading song ideas back and forth through e-mail, eventually expanded into optional practices (where members would drop by only if they felt like it), and finally culminated in recording sessions at their new home-built studio. 

The result is ‘Two Thousand And Ten Injuries’ -- an eclectic collection of pop melodies, anchored by New Wave and punk rock rhythms that are as refined as they are unpredictable. Highlights of the 12 track set include the art punk urgency of ‘Bigger, Bolder’, the lilting pop of ‘Never Now’, the Slits-esque reggae of ‘False Pretense’ and the classic punk rallying cry found in ’Dust’. All told, ‘Two Thousand..’ successfully manages to be Love Is All's most adventurous, and dare we say, accessible, album yet.

Accompanied by soundman and co-producer Wyatt Cusick (ex-member of The Aislers Set and Trackstar), Love Is All recorded the album using only an old 24-track analog tape machine -- a method with limitations the band soon learned to view as a virtue. 

Instead of relying on a few computer keystrokes to move a drum beat or add another layer to the mix, the group was forced to be more creative in its approach. No longer could the musicians spend hours in the studio arguing over every little detail before making the final edit; now each song had to be envisioned as a whole from the beginning. 

"Recording and mixing this album on tape was a new and really inspiring experience," says Josephine Olausson, the group's vocalist and lyricist. "Having to limit the amount of stuff you can add to each song felt really important -- everything is now there for a reason." Görsch agrees, remarking that "computers can be great tools, but they can also make you lose sight of the original, simple, fun song!"

This less is more mentality is evident throughout ‘Two Thousand and Ten Injuries’, especially on ‘Kungen’ where infectious, Zombies-esque vocal harmonies buoy the track more than any number of instruments ever could. 

‘Two Thousand And Ten Injuries’ showcases a band creating music on its own terms for no one but themselves. Luckily for the rest of us, what satisfies Love Is All sounds pretty great to our ears as well.

School Of Seven Bells announce new album, free mp3 + UK live dates

School of Seven Bells return with their second album, 'Disconnect from Desire' on 12th July through Full Time Hobby.

Download free album track ‘Babelonia’ here

July sees a run of UK lives dates, including a headline show at London’s Scala and an appearance at Latitude festival.  Full details are below.

UK Dates:

The Wave Pictures: new ‘Sweetheart EP’ out 7th June + new European live shows

The Wave Pictures return with the ‘Sweetheart EP’, out 7th June on Moshi Moshi Records. New European live dates have been confirmed too, including a headlining show at Bush Hall on 16th June. Full details are below, plus details of festival appearances at  Primavera, Green Man and Bestival

After the richly observed and amusingly confessional lyrics of ‘If You Leave It Alone’, the ‘Sweetheart EP’ renews their focus on storytelling with six songs of simple compositions and quirky, ramshackle charm.

Intriguingly off-kilter yet instantly familiar, the title track blends hazy, lo-fi sounds that welcomingly contrasts the rich guitar tones and the earthy bliss of its lyrics.

Dave Tattersall’s trademark vocals are wrapped up in The Wave Pictures’ signature cosy crackle. The result is an EP that is wistful, bittersweet and catchy in all the right places.

The Wave Pictures are currently on tour in Germany, here are there forthcoming European shows and festival appearances 

May
Thu 27th Barcelona, Spain, Primavera Festival

June 
Tues 1st Nottingham, Spanky van Dykes - tickets
Thurs 3rd Cardiff, Buffalo  - tickets
Fri 4th Canterbury, The Farmhouse  - tickets
Sun 6th Edinburgh, Sneaky Pete's   - tickets
Mon 7th Aberdeen, Snafu - tickets 
Wed 9th Newcastle, Head of Steam - tickets 

Thu 10th York, Stereo - tickets

Sat 12th Tarragona, Italy, Gea Festival
Wed 16th London, Bush Hall - tickets
Thurs 17th Brighton, Freebutt
                                                                     

July                 
Sat 10th Canterbury, Lounge On The Farm
Fri 30th Asturias, Spain, Salina Longboard Festival        

August                                                                                                         
Fri 13th Leicester, Summer Sundae
Sat 14th Brussels, Belgium, Summer Festival
Fri 20th Brecon, Green Man Festival

September                                       
Fri 10th Dorset, Bestival

The Miserable Rich announce album: 'Of Flight And Fury' out 31st May + UK tour

'So heartbreakingly beautiful, it reduces anyone who hears it to a weeping mess' - NME 

The Miserable Rich have announced details of the release of their new album. 'Of Flight & Fury' is released through Humble Soul on Monday May 31st 2010. To coincide, the Brighton-based chamber pop band will be touring the UK, including a prestigious headline show at London's St Giles In The Fields  on the 3rd June with support from fellow Brightonians Robot Heart. Full details of these dates are below. 

The sonically luxurious 'Of Flight and Fury', self-produced and mixed by Al Scott (Eliza Carthy, Asian Dub Foundation), is The Miserable Rich's second long-player following the release of Twelve Ways To Count in November 2008.

The album was recorded at various band members' houses in Brighton over the course of a few months in 2009 – the recording intermittently interrupted by disgruntled neighbours, band members' night-shifts and floods. 

Watch the video for recent single 'Somerhill': 

Formed in 2007 by cellist / pianist William Calderbank and singer / percussionist James de Malplaquet and taking their name from an experience the band members had playing at an aristocratic wedding in Rome, they began with the intention of making ‘unusual acoustic modern music’. The group was completed by the addition of violinist Mike Siddell (ex Hope of the States), guitarist Jim Briffett (ex Clearlake) and Rhys Lovell on double bass. 

The band have previously toured extensively, including support on the last Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan tour, and have enjoyed a coveted iTunes Single of the Week and a 6Music Album of the Day. Currently spinning their musical magic on a month-long tour in Europe, be sure to catch The Miserable Rich in the UK in June on the following dates: 

Of Flight & Fury Tour dates 

Thu 3rd June - St Giles-in-the-Fields, London with support from Robot Heart (tickets)

Sun 6th June - The Haymakers, Cambridge (tickets)

Mon 7th June - Puppet Theatre, Norwich (tickets)

Tue 8th June - Band On The Wall, Manchester (tickets)

Wed 9th June - The Library, Leeds (tickets)

Thu 10th June - Glee Club, Birmingham (tickets)

Fri 11th June - Buffalo Bar, Cardiff (tickets)

Download full album pr

Download James de Malplaquet's track by track guide to 'Of Flight And Fury'

Tunng new ‘Sashimi’ single out 7th June + new live dates including Glastonbury

"wistful and charming... melodies from the English folk tradition but with real oomph and purpose" THE GUARDIAN ****

“eccentric, but charmingly so" MOJO****

"an addictive hybrid of traditional melody and 21st century studio craft that sits between the dance stage and the healing fields.. " Q****

Twisted folk stars Tunng are set to release a new single ‘Sashimi’ on the 7th June through Full Time Hobby.  The band has also announced a new run of UK dates in July and festival appearances at Glastonbury, The Great Escape and Bestival. Full details are below.

Taken from their fittingly nautically themed album ‘…And Then We Saw Land’, ‘Sashimi’ tells the story of a troubled relationship. “It’s kind of about a strange, adventurous Paris romance, but I guess you wouldn’t really get that from the words,” says frontman Mike Lindsay.

Built on acoustic guitars but sent awry by wayward synths, it’s a fine example of the new direction Tunng have been taking with their latest LP, ‘…And Then We Saw Land’. For a band perceived as being the epitome of English eccentricity, the pop-friendly latest album is Tunng in Widescreen. “We wanted to make a record that would be a great live set so I think we naturally started writing more powerful music,” says Mike. “My friend described it as ‘Epic Folk Disco Brass Magnificent,’ and I’m not sure you could call any other Tunng record that.”

On the B-side is a remix of former single ‘Hustle’ by the winner of a special competition. In association with SoundCloud and Drowned In Sound, Tunng threw the track open to amateur remixers, challenging them to come up with the best remix, the winner receiving a host of Tunng goodies and a SoundCloud Pro Plus account.

The first Tunng album to take more than a year to write and produce, ‘…And Then We Saw Land’ is also the band’s most collaborative effort to date, with each member contributing fully to the project throughout. The effect on the sound is pronounced – it’s an album packed with joy and optimism. More than ever before, Mike has shared vocals with Becky Jacobs, whose otherworldly vocals are full of colour and character.  

In other Tunng news, ‘Bullets’ from previous album ‘Good Arrows’ has been sampled by French dance act Crookers for the track ‘Cooler Couleur’, which also has vocals by Gallic pop star Yelle. Set for release on Fatboy Slim’s Southern Fried label, it looks set to be a major Euro hit.

Tunng also appeared on ‘Taratata’ last month, French TV’s equivalent of Jonathon Ross, where they performed a cover of ‘Close To Me’ with Lightspeed Champion.  You can watch this here: http://video.mytaratata.com/video/iLyROoafvWSJ.html

In more news from across the channel, as Mike has recently written and recorded the soundtrack for forthcoming feature film ’Ensemble C'est Trop’, which features Eric Cantona, while the Good Arrows track ‘Cans’ is set to feature in new movie ‘Happy Few’.

The band are soon to set sail on their latest set of adventures, including a European tour, a handful of summer festivals and a trip to Brazil. “I’m hoping we’ll find some new collaborators to bring back here,” says Mike. As with the album, it’s all about the spirit of exploration. 

Live dates:

MAY
15th Brighton Full Time Hobby/Mojo showcase @ The Great Escape, Upstairs at Komedia
22nd Oxford, UK – Wood Festival
23rd Istanbul, Turkey – Chill Out Festival
 
JUNE
19th Bollinlough, Ireland - Solstice Festival
27th Glastonbury, UK – West Holts Stage, Glastonbury Festival
 
JULY
9th Canterbury, UK – Lounge on the Farm
10th Liege, Belgium – Les Ardentes
15th Bexhill, UK – De la Warr Pavilion
16th Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms
17th Dorset, UK – Larmer Tree Festival
18th Liverpool, UK – Stanley Theatre
22nd Glasgow, UK – Stereo
23rd Stirling, UK – Tollbooth
24th Leeds UK - Cockpit


AUGUST
7th Katowice, Poland – Off Festival
13th Birmingham, UK – Mac Arts
14th Leicester, UK – Summer Sundae Festival
 
SEPTEMBER
12th Isle of Wight, UK – Bestival

New Still Flyin' EP and their guide to Pavement ATP + free mp3

“Giddy Californian sunshine indie-pop…Lovely” – NME

 “Brian Wilson-fronted Specials. It’s party time in America”– The Fly

Still Flyin have been airing brand new material from the infectious afrobeat and krautrock sounds of their forthcoming  ‘A Party In Motion EP’.  Whilst we’ll have to wait to hear that in full, you can hear a taster in form of ‘Stay Wild, Tokelau’, which forms part of the latest Amnesty International compilation ‘Peace’ alongside tracks from Jeffrey Lewis, A Place To Bury Strangers, Micah P Hinson, Dan Deacon and Marc Almond amongst many others.

Following their double appearance at Brighton’s The Great Escape, San Franciscan collective Still Flyin played at Pavement ATP later that weekend.  The band were handpicked by Pavement to play at the festival, a great honour for Sean Rawls and his band of proto-punk revelers, who cite Pavement as a big influence on Still Flyin’s music. 

To mark the occasion, here’s a free download of new track ‘Higher Than Five’ taken from Still Flyin’s forthcoming EP ‘A Party In Motion’:

  Still Flyin' 'Higher Than Five' by createspark

And to pay further tribute to Pavement ATP, frontman Sean expands on his obsession with Stockton CA’s angular college rockers, in the form of his top ten favourite tracks:

10 FAVE PAVEMENT JAMS by Sean Rawls

"Pavement were one of my favorite bands in high school.  I don't think any of my music has ever sounded very much like them, but their aesthetic and attitude and worldview have probably had a bigger musical influence on me than any other band.  The high school version of myself would never have imagined I'd later be in a band picked by Pavement to play their festival. 

1. Gold Soundz

Probably my favorite Pavement song.  Just love it when it comes to the chorus now.  One of the best vids of all time too.  Probably the reason for a lot of annoying videos I've been involved with, like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-HaBuOaNl0

2. Frontwards
3. Shoot The Singer
Two highlights from my favorite ep (and favorite Pavement release) of all time.  Four sick songs that are of the highest jam percentage.  I remember playing Frontwards over and over again in high school with Bren (Still Flyin percussion and vocals) and Phil (Still Flyin hype man).  Our band was called SIDE PROJECT.

4. Kennel District
5. Two States
These two are dear to my heart because I got to sing these with Spiral Stairs several times at festivals in Canada and Australia. 

6. Range Life
Another song we played in high school.  Great lyrics - man I hated Smashing Pumpkins at the time, but now the Corg is kinda fascinating.  1979 is a pretty good song and now he's in professional wrestling commercials (!?!?!).

7. I Love Perth
I love Perth too.  The most isolated city in the world.

8. Debris Slide
What a rollicking hoot.  Take a ride on the Debris Slide.

9. So Stark (You're A Skyscraper)
Pavement are one of the best b-side bands ever.  Fans couldn't skip over the single versions because the b-sides often turned out to be some of their best songs.

...And Carrot Rope
Poor Carrot Rope.  It didn't even get a track number on the album - just "...And Carrot Rope".

Micah P Hinson announces new album out 21st June, free mp3 + European live dates

“Have the elder races halted? Do they droop and end their lesson, wearied, over there beyond the seas? We take up the task eternal, and the burden, and the lesson, Pioneers! O pioneers!” Walt Whitman, ‘Pioneers! O Pioneers!’ (extract)

Texan alt country singer-songwriter Micah P Hinson has announced the first details of a new album, plus a free download and a run of European dates.  ‘Micah and the Pioneer Saboteurs’ is the fourth full album and is set for release on the 21st June through Full Time Hobby. Drenched in strings and desolation and inspired by the political changes in his native America, it’s Hinson’s most ambitious, fullest, grandest and most punishing recording yet, with instrumental beauty and words of brutal wisdom and bewilderment.

To hear a taster of ‘Micah P Hinson and the Pioneer Saboteurs’, please head to the following link to download album track ‘2s and 3s’
http://www.fulltimehobby.co.uk

Details of the European live dates are below, the album is available to pre-order with an exclusive set of playing cards only from the Full Time Hobby shop.

“The Pioneer Saboteurs are a set of individuals with their hearts set to rabid,” says Hinson. “We watch the world change, and we don't like what we see. The change only helps the ones on top. We stand up for the ones on bottom. The pioneer saboteurs ain't just a name for band. It's a fuckin' revolution, man. Who is willing to pick up their axes? Who is willing to draw their arms? Without folks doing this in the past, I ain't sure it would be a world I would recognize. Hell, sometimes I don't even recognize the one I live in now.”

Walt Whitman’s poem ‘Pioneers! O Pioneers!’ provided the inspiration, but America provided the context. Says Micah: “I tried to make sense of everything that’s happening over here…the death of the American dream on the coat-tails of the modern US of A. A citizen cannot be unaffected by the things that are happening around him. If he does not, he is not a citizen. So it’s that, mixed in with all the things I always sing of: love, relationships, and death. But I guess the point I try to get to all my songs and records is the fact that I want people to know they ain't alone in all this here mess we have. The world is on pins and needles, homes are burning to the ground, kids can't find their parents, tidal waves are blocking out the sun, tornadoes are hitting Los Angeles, and all the while The Great Magnet in the Sky is looking down, wonderin' what we are doing to ourselves."

Live dates

26th May - Full Time Hobby / LES INROCK night @ La Fleche D’Or, Paris
27th May – Ekko, Utrecht
28th May – Vooruit, Ghent
30th May - Beatlemania @ Reeperbahn, Hamburg
31st May – Trix, Antwerp
2nd June – Union Chapel, London

Tickets: http://www.unionchapel.org.uk/events.php/314/micah_p._hinson
3rd June – Ruby Lounge, Manchester
4th June – Stereo, Glasgow

10th Seville, Spain – Malander
11th Santander, Spain – Cafe de las Artes
12th Vigo, Spain – Sala Mondo
JULY
16th Verona, Italy – Verona Folk Festival
17th Pistoia, Italy – Pistoia Blues Festival
18th Ferrara, Italy – Ferrara Sotto le Stelle
19th Turin, Italy – Spaziale Festival

Ólafur Arnalds: new album out 10th May + free mp3

‘Tiny yet detailed scenes in music boxes, charming and sad… hint at a formidable future for Arnalds’ – Pitchfork 

'Precocious Nordic composer’s sumptuous second LP. Timeless and sublime!!!!’  –  UNCUT

‘More accomplished than ever before' (8/10) – Drowned In Sound 
 
'Composer Ólafur Arnalds provides an emotional score to this astonishing piece, 
mixing classical symphonies with avant-garde electronic recordings' – Dazed & Confused

Icelandic neo-classical artist Ólafur Arnalds is set to release his second full-length album '...and they have escaped the weight of darkness', in the UK on the 10th May through up and coming London-based label Erased Tapes.

To further celebrate the forthcoming album, Ólafuf has offered up the opening track ‘Þú ert sólin' as a free download. To claim this, please head to www.olafurarnalds.com where you can also hear excerpts of all nine album tracks.

July 1, 2010 will see a world premiere of Ólafur Arnalds performing his new album with the RNCM Symphony Orchestra conducted by André de Ridder, who previously worked with Nico Muhly and Damon Albarn, at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall – alongside a performance of Jonny Greenwood’s ‘Popcorn Superhet Receiver’ and Igor Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’. 

'...and they have escaped the weight of darkness' will herald another intense year for Ólafur Arnalds, with the album being accompanied by a world tour, starting in China in March 2010. Born in the suburban Icelandic town of Mosfellsbær, a few kilometres outside of Reykjavík, the 23-year old composer has always enjoyed pushing boundaries with both his studio work and his live-shows. His new opus is set to again challenge his fan base, which is still growing rapidly. Over the past eighteen months Arnalds has advanced from a former support-act for Sigur Rós to an internationally respected artists in his own right. He was privileged to be invited to write the ‘Dyad 1909’ score for award-winning choreographer Wayne McGregor, aired on BBC Four and on ITV1’s South Bank Show. 'Found Songs', a collection of pieces each written, recorded and released in a single day via the Erased Tapes label website, as well as the video for ‘Ljósið’ have since managed to generate half a million downloads and video views.

Watch the recent UNICEF campaign featuring music by Ólafur Arnalds here:

On ‘…and they have escaped the weight of darkness’, Ólafur continues his mission to lure an indie-generation of pop and rock fans into an emotive world of beguiling electronic chamber music and delicate classical arrangements. The sense of an organic crossover recording is reinforced by the involvement of co-producer Barði Jóhannsson of eccentric pop/rock/electronica formation Bang Gang. Barði has successfully coloured the brittle minimalism of previous releases through the addition of an array of new instruments. Those expecting a mere continuation of the minimal melancholia of his previous albums are therefore in for a surprise, as the record may be the most uplifting and richly orchestrated work of his career: “The album has a very clear theme”, Arnalds relates, “which is that there is always light after darkness. To me, it has a more positive note than my previous works.” When Ólafur saw how the opening scene of a Hungarian indie film metaphorically described a solar eclipse, he instantly connected it to the concept, naming the album after a key line of the film's introductory monologue.
 
Click to download full PR + more info about Erased Tapes

The Leisure Society receives 2nd consecutive Ivor Novello nomination

Nick Hemming, one of the chief songwriters in The Leisure Society, has received a 2nd consecutive Ivor Novello nomination.

Nick has been nominated in the ‘Best Song Musically & Lyrically’ category for the track ‘Save It For Someone Who Cares’, which is taken from the band’s debut album ‘The Sleeper’. The award ceremony takes place on Thursday 20th May 2010 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.

He was nominated in the same category at last year’s awards for ‘The Last Of The Melting Snow’.

The band has also announced details of a number of festival dates during the summer including The Great Escape, Meltdown and Glastonbury. The full list of appearances are as follows:

MAY
15th    Brighton    Great Escape – Mojo / Full Time Hobby showcase The Komedia
www.greatescape.com

JUNE
6th    Cheltenham    Wychwood Festival www.whychwoodfestival.com
17th    London    Richard Thompson’s Meltdown – QEH www.meltdown.southbankcentre.co.uk
26th    Pilton        Glastonbury Festival – Acoustic stage
www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

JULY
25th    St Germans    Port Eliot Festival - Caught By The River tent
www.porteliotfestival.com

AUGUST
5th    Ledbury    The Big Chill Festival www.bigchill.net
13th    Goodwood    The Vintage Festival www.vintageatgoodwood.com
14th    Leicester    Summer Sundae Festival www.summersundae.com

The Leisure Society are currently recording their second LP in a hired Tudor house in rural Kent. This is apparently sounding bigger, darker and spookier than their debut, and will be released through Full Time Hobby later this year.

Here We Go Magic announce album ‘Pigeons’ out 7th June, free mp3 of ‘Collector’

"By the time the song blooms outward in its final two minutes, all wordless chants and joyous crash cymbals, I want to buy a car just to hear how it sounds driving through farmland under a blue sky." Pitchfork

“If Here We Go Magic’s self-titled debut was known to be one of last year’s most welcomed releases, Pigeons has just confirmed the band’s new found cult status alongside Grizzly Bear and Vampire Weekend.” Filter

Brooklyn’s Here We Go Magic have announced the UK release date for their brand new album ‘Pigeons’, alongside details of their UK live dates and festival appearances from May onwards.  ‘Pigeons’ is set for release on the 7th June through Secretly Canadian, with the first single ‘Collector’ also landing on the same day. Full details of the band’s shows are below including sets at The Great Escape, Glastonbury and Bestival.

Click here to host ‘Collector’, a wonderful burst of psychedelic pop, ahead of the release date:
http://soundcloud.com/createspark/here-we-go-magic-collector

A five piece emerging from the environs of New York City sometime early 2009, the first material from Here We Go Magic arrived in the form of a unique collection of 4 track recordings created by lead singer Luke Temple.   The band themselves had convened through a series of chance encounters, overheard conversations and supernatural occurrences. Whilst hailing from disparate musical backgrounds, they all found a common axis in the recordings then released as the self-titled ‘Here We Go Magic’ (Western Vinyl).

Since then, the band has ridden an unwavering wave of creative momentum which resulted recently with appearances at this year’s SXSW garnering armfuls of plaudits, reducing the US media to superlative –laden acclaim. Along the way they have developed a broad array of musical material and honed what has become explosive live sound all of their own, this has to be witnessed first-hand when the band arrive to these shores for the following live shows:

May 13th    Brighton    The Great Escape @ The Loft – 12am
May 15th    Brighton    The Great Escape @ Digital
May 16th    Bristol        Start The Bus
May 18th    London    The Lexington (headline show)
May 19th    London    Electric Ballroom w/The New Pornographers
June 26th    Somerset    Glastonbury Festival – Q Queens Head stage
June 27th    Somerset    Glastonbury Festival – Park stage
July 16th    Southwold    Latitude Festival – main stage
Sept  4th    Jersey         Jersey Live
Sept 11th    Isle Of Wight    Bestival – Rock n Roll stage

Here We Go Magic are also confirmed Stateside at both Bonneroo and Pitchfork festivals and a couple of hometown shows at

June 7th    New York    Bowery Ballroom
June 8th    New York    Williamsburg Hall of Music

Slow Club announce May UK tour dates + support details of June KOKO show

Slow Club have announced a brand new tour in May.  The run of dates with support from Summer Camp are set to coincide with the release of their new single ‘Giving Up On Love’, which is now scheduled for release on the 24th May through Moshi Moshi Records.
 
Slow Club follow this up with their biggest headline London show to date at KOKO on 1st June, with support from Summer Camp, Spectrals and Veronica Falls!
 
Full details of their UK tour is here:
 

May
15th The Great Escape @ The Unitarian Church, Brighton
25th Academy 2, Oxford
26th Swansea University, Swansea
27th Academy 2, Liverpool
28th The Factory, Manchester
29th Cockpit, Leeds
31st Evolution Festival, Newcastle
 
June
1st KOKO, London Get tickets HERE

Just before Christmas, Slow Club - aka Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor - played a sold out show at the Union Chapel capping off a spectacular year for the dynamic pop duo.  Their debut album ‘Yeah So’ - recorded almost entirely within the bosom of their hometown Sheffield - garnered outstanding reviews on its release last summer, becoming one of Moshi Moshi’s most successful releases to date.

‘Yeah So’ is released in the US this week (29th March), through Moshi Moshi’s new American distribution deal with !K7.
 
Press acclaim for the album ‘Yeah, So’:

"Opens with a gospel Goliath of a track and just gets better…. Slow Club are a revelation” - NME 8/10

“Gorgeously melodic debut”  Q****

"A sing-along that's both swoonsome and sinister” THE SUNDAY TIMES

“Utterly captivating” UNCUT
 
“A totally unique sense of riotous melancholy… hugely impressive.” – THE FLY ****

Signals debut single ‘Silverfish’/ ‘What Dreams’ out now, video + free mixtape

LA’s Signals have just released their debut single this week (29th March) through Moshi Moshi Singles Club. The energetic punk pop of ‘Silverfish’/‘What Dreams’ is available now on 7” and download.

You can now watch the video for ‘What Dreams’, as premiered exclusively on Pitchfork.  The clip was directed by up and coming talent Vice Cooler (Hawnay Troof/XBXRX), featuring cameos from Hole’s Patty Schemel, her dogs, various members of Abe Vigoda and a slew of Signals’ friends:

To further mark the occasion, Signals have produced a free mixtape, click to host it here: http://signalsla.blogspot.com/2010/03/free-signalssupple-youth-mixtape.html

Jon Gray, Bill Gray and Jacob Cooper have played together since 2005, but are better known for being formerly active members of much-loved synth pop collective The Mae Shi.  The energy and excitement that was abundant as TMS, is now rather brilliantly, being channeled into the noise of Signals.

After conquering SXSW 2010, Signals are set to go on tour again in the States as support to Los Campesinos in May. Petitioning to drag Signals kicking and screaming to these shores as a matter of urgency has already begun.

Love Is All: new album ‘Two Thousand And Ten Injuries’ out 5th April + ‘Kungen’

Love Is All are set to release their new album ‘Two Thousand And Ten Injuries’ on the 5th April through Polyvinyl Records in the UK.

Watch the lively video for album track ‘Kungen’ here:

When the members of Love Is All returned home to Gothenburg, Sweden after their spring 2009 tour, the quintet found itself in familiar surroundings but under strange circumstances.

After releasing two critically acclaimed full lengths (‘Nine Times That Same Song’, ‘A Hundred Things Keep Me Up at Night’) and several EPs on New York- based What's Your Rupture?, Love Is All now had no record deal in place -- and accordingly, no demands to produce a new album.

"For the first time in a few years, we were in a situation where nobody expected us to do anything," recalls drummer Markus Görsch. Bassist Johan Lindwall adds: "We didn't have a record contract, and we didn't even look for one. Therefore, the record developed completely on our premises and conditions and only because it was fun."

Not knowing whether their next musical output would ever make it out of their iTunes libraries and onto record stores shelves, Love Is All decided to take their time writing and recording and -- gasp! – actually have a good time collaborating on the songs that would eventually comprise the band's third album: ‘Two Thousand And Ten Injuries’.

And so, what began as trading song ideas back and forth through e-mail, eventually expanded into optional practices (where members would drop by only if they felt like it), and finally culminated in recording sessions at their new home-built studio.

The result is ‘Two Thousand And Ten Injuries’ -- an eclectic collection of pop melodies, anchored by New Wave and punk rock rhythms that are as refined as they are unpredictable. Highlights of the 12 track set include the art punk urgency of ‘Bigger, Bolder’, the lilting pop of ‘Never Now’, the Slits-esque reggae of ‘False Pretense’ and the classic punk rallying cry found in ’Dust’. All told, ‘Two Thousand..’ successfully manages to be Love Is All's most adventurous, and dare we say, accessible, album yet.

‘Two Thousand And Ten Injuries’ showcases a band creating music on its own terms for no one but themselves. Luckily for the rest of us, what satisfies Love Is All sounds pretty great to our ears as well.

Download full PR

Download cover art for 'Two Thousand and Ten Injuries'

Sparrow and The Workshop Announce debut album ‘Crystals Fall’ 19th April

‘Ethereal and Electric’ The Guardian

‘One of the best bands to emerge in Britain this year’ The Sunday Times

‘Sparrow And The Workshop might do for folk what The Strokes did for rock ‘n’ roll at the start of the decade’ Drowned in Sound

Glasgow-based dark folk trio Sparrow and The Workshop have announced that their debut album ‘Crystals Fall’ will be released on 19th April through Distiller Records. This will be preceded by the release of new single ‘I Will Break You’ on the 12th April. Currently in the middle of a run of UK support dates with Idlewild, Sparrow and The Workshop are set to head off on tour supporting Brian Jonestown Massacre in Europe in April.

‘Crystal Falls’ will include tracks from their previous EPs plus two brand new songs. All tracks have been reworked and remixed by recent Brit Award winner, producer Paul Savage, except ‘Medal Around Your Neck’, which was produced by Tim Rowkins. The album will be released on CD, gatefold vinyl and download.

The band comprises of Belfast-born, Chicago-raised Jill O’Sullivan (vocals/guitar/violin), Welshman Nick Packer (guitar/bass) and Scotsman Gregor Donaldson (drums/vocals.) Jill's voice has developed into a powerhouse of flexibility, allowing her to soar from keening Sandy Denny-esque tones to sensual peaks you're more likely to expect from PJ Harvey. They have also slowly incorporated subtle elements and moods from metal, grunge, doo-wop and country into their songs – a friend of the band recently described one new song as 'Joanna Newsom backed by Black Sabbath'.

Album highlights include the sea-shanty-esque ‘Devil Song’, which was their debut single, 'Into The Wild', ‘A Horse’s Grin’, ‘You’ve Got It All’, The Gun plus the psychedelic folk epic ‘Crystals’.  Last year they toured the UK with Edinburgh's Broken Records and supported British Sea Power at London’s Regent Park's Open Air Theatre. They also played the BBC introducing tent at Glastonbury Festival and rounded off the year by supporting Idlewild on their Scottish tour, having been so well received, the headliners asked them to be their special guests on their forthcoming English tour.  

April

3rd King Tuts W/ Joy Formidable Glasgow

16th Fibbers supporting Idlewild, York

17th Box supporting Idlewild, Crewe

18th Moho Live Supporting Idlewild, Manchester

20th Clwb Ifor Bach Supporting Idlewild, Cardif

21st Forum Supporting Idlewild, London

22nd The Slade Rooms Supporting Idlewild, Wolverhampton

23rd Roadmender Supporting Idlewild, Northampton

24th The Brickyard Supporting Idlewild, Carlisle

27th Bataclan Supporting Brian Jonestown Massacre, Paris

28th Aeronef Supporting Brian Jonestown Massacre, Lille

29th Abart supporting Brian Jonestown Massacre, Zurich

Download full PR for full Brian Jonestown Massacre dates throughout May

The Miserable Rich new single ‘Somerhill’ out now + new live show details

‘Somerhill’ the latest single by The Miserable Rich is out this week (8th March) on download, plus there’s further news of new live shows.  Following on from a run of successful UK dates, Brighton’s finest chamber pop quintet will grace the stage at The Windmill in Mayfair next Monday (15th March) for a totally acoustic performance without a PA, and a free gig at Kings Cross Social on the 25th March. Then the band elopes to Europe to tour Germany, Switzerland and France in April.

‘Somerhill’ is available to buy from Boomkat and iTunes, limited edition vinyl is available on the 29th March through Manchester independent label Humble Soul.

After the success of their debut outing, ‘Twelve Ways To Count’, and the little bit of fun they had last year with their ‘Covers EP’, the band return with a new album of wholly original material. The sonically luxurious ‘Of Flight And Fury’, is set for release in May.

Somerhill is the name of the local junior school between James, Jim and Rhys’ houses, and is also the band’s rehearsal space. The song is full of Brighton reference points, including arguably its greatest pub – The Basketmakers Arms – and one of the barmen, Eddie. It's about falling for a yummy mummy in a small town where ‘everyone knows who you are’: the sneaking around, the secret smiles, and the stolen kisses.

Live dates

15th March @ The Windmill, Mayfair, London

25th March @ Kings Cross Social, London

10th April @ West Hill Hall, Brighton

of Montreal perform ‘Banana, Rice, Apple Sauce, Toast’ on 'Yo Gabba Gabba'

Not content with their recent live pig spanking incident with Susan Sarandon, the world of pop psychedelic troupe of Montreal took that next step into the surreal this week

The Athens, GA band took part in US kids show ‘Yo Gabba Gabba’, and performed an original composition entitled ‘Banana, Rice, Apple Sauce, Toast’

The show aired on Nickelodeon yesterday (10th March), watch the band’s performance here courtesy of Stereogum



The song appears to be giving advice to help ill children get better, but as Stereogum also points out, it may also double up as a handy hangover cure for adults.

In other of Montreal news, ‘Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse’ has become available on the newly launched Rock Band Network and there should be more details about their next album ‘False Priest’ imminently.

Love Is All announce new album UK release date + free download ‘Repetition’

Beloved indie pop Swedes Love Is All have announced the UK release date for their fourth album, as well as giving away a free download.

‘Two Thousand And Ten Injuries’ is set for release on the 5th April through Polyvinyl Records, you can hear a taster free track 'Repetition' here.

 

Recorded in their native Gothenberg in their home-built studio last year, ‘Two Thousand And Ten Injuries’ is the follow-up to the wildy-popular 2008 album ‘A Hundred Things Keep Me Up at Night’. The new album is an eclectic collection of pop melodies, anchored by New Wave and punk rock rhythms, that are as refined as they are unpredictable. Highlights of the 12 track set include the art punk urgency of "Bigger, Bolder," the lilting pop of "Never Now," the Slits-like reggae of "False Pretense" and the classic punk rallying cry found in "Dust." All told, ‘Two Thousand…’ successfully manages to be Love Is All's most adventurous, and dare we say, accessible, album yet.

More details are to follow about the album, plus news of a European tour in summer.

Introducing Signals: ex-Mae Shi announce debut UK single, free mp3 + SXSW shows

Hailing from LA, Signals are a brand new band comprised of three beautiful boys: Jon Gray, Bill Gray, and Jacob Cooper. The three have played together since 2005, but are better known for being formerly active members of much-loved The Mae Shi.

Signals will release their debut single, ‘Silverfish/What Dreams’ in the UK on the 29th March through Moshi Moshi Records as part of their Singles Club.   Do have a listen to the band’s first fruits here, courtesy of their cover of Sparks ‘Angst In My Pants’:

The band will head out on their first tour as Signals in the States, starting 2nd March in LA all the way through to SXSW in Austin, TX.

The American dates and SXSW show details are below, dates are to follow on a UK tour:

March
2nd LOS ANGELES, CA @ The Smell w/ Juiceboxxx
3rd TUCSON, AZ @ Club Congress w/ Lesley and the Lys
6th LUBBOCK, TX @ Bash Riprocks
7th OKLAHOMA CITY, OK @ Conservatory w/ The Show Is The Rainbow
8th LAWRENCE, KS @ Replay Lounge w/ The Show Is The Rainbow
9th COLUMBIA, MISSOURI @ Mojo's w/ The Show Is The Rainbow
11th KNOXVILLE, TN @ The Pilot Light w/ The Show Is The Rainbow
12th ATHENS, GA @ Farm255 w/ The Show Is The Rainbow
13th ST. AUGUSTINE, FL @ Harvest of Hope Festival
14th NEW ORLEANS, LA @ Blue Nile (Live NOLA Showcase) w/ The Show Is The Rainbow
15th BATON ROUGE, LA @ Spanish Moon w/ The Show Is The Rainbow
16th AUSTIN, TX @ Scoot Inn (Panache SXSW Pre Party) w/ Oh Sees, Golden Triangle
18th AUSTIN, TX @ Domy Books (The Smell Party)
18th AUSTIN, TX @ TBA (Moshi Moshi Party)
19th AUSTIN, TX @ TBA (SXSMess Party)
19th AUSTIN, TX @ Beauty Bar (Panache SXSW Official Showcase)
20th AUSTIN, TX @ Spiderhouse
21st AUSTIN, TX @ Beerland (Panache Hangover Party)
20th EL PASO, TX @ Black Market w/ Dozal Brothers
23rd PHOENIX, AZ @ Manor House w/ Get Down! To Brass Tracks, Gun Outfit, Naïve

Tributes to Bowery in Suburbia: Hidden Cameras guide to ‘Underage’ video

As their UK tour fast approaches, The Hidden Cameras have launched a vibrant and entertaining video into the blogosphere for new single ‘Underage’ / ’Origin:Orphan’. This single will be released on the 22nd March following on from a re-release of their latest album ‘Origin:Orphan’ on the 15th March through Arts and Crafts. Revised UK tour dates from the original announcement are listed in full below.

Watch the ‘Underage’ video

Now it’s over to Scott Cudmore, the director of ‘Underage’, for an insight into the ideas and inspirations behind Hidden Camera’s latest cinematic vignette:

“The 'Underage' video was shot in the spooky little hamlet of Etobicoke, Ontario - so much information on Etobicoke can be found here, in it's Wikipedia entry - but none of that is really at all relevant to our video. And none of it is really all that spooky.

“The most difficult process of this video was probably finding the right street and house - we needed something suburban, but also quaint and cottagey and more visually distinct from the generic sorts of suburbs that you commonly find around the Greater Toronto Area. I think we found this spot just a few days before the shoot. With every video it always seems that there is one thing that becomes the 'desperate element' and in this case it was securing the right location. We had another perfect area before we found this, a bunch of military houses in Scarborough, but that fell through in the end, leaving us with nothing. I was very happy with this spot though - it's kind of the perfectly bizarre little home for these colourful people to have all assembled inside together. 



“The idea behind this video was basically a "cult" or a collective of people gathered together in this house, preparing for a magical event - the golden shower at the end of the video (perhaps a not-so-subtle nod to another Hidden Cameras song...). Perhaps it is the recording of Joel's performance that brings about this event. In the end though, it's mostly just an abstract collection of images held together by this very tangential narrative. I hope people find it fun and enjoy it. 

“Joel's face paint is a reference/homage to Leigh Bowery.”



The Hidden Cameras UK Dates:
 
Wed 17th March Brighton Audio
Thu 18th March London St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch SOLD OUT
Fri 19th March Nottingham Bodega
Sat 20th March Glasgow Stereo
Sun 21st March Manchester Deaf Institute www.thedeafinstitute.co.uk
Mon 22nd March Cardiff The Gate
Tue 23rd March Leeds Brudenell Club
Wed 24th March London Hoxton Bar and Kitchen www.hoxtonsquarebar.com/
 

Tunng announce new single ‘Hustle’ released 22nd Feb, free mp3 + album pre-order

Ahead of Tunng’s exceptional new album, ‘And Then We Saw Land’, London’s twisted pop wonders are set to release opening track ‘Hustle’ as a 7” single on the 22nd February. ‘And Then We Saw Land’ will be released on the 1st March via Full Time Hobby and is now available to pre-order in a range of exclusive bundles including a Tunng with Tinariwen dvd, Tunng t-shirts and tote bags http://fulltimehobby.sandbag.uk.com

To further herald the release of ‘And Then We Saw Land’ Tunng are giving away album track ‘Don’t Look Down Or Back’ HERE

And you there’s an album mix of all 11 tracks to watch compiled by frontman Mike Lindsay:

Representative of the ultra-poppy sounds of the new album as a whole, ‘Hustle’ is as bright and breezy as a summer’s afternoon in the park, but beneath it lies a dark heart.

“It’s actually quite a sad song – a straight up relationship-journey/ anti-commitment/ love song – but by far the most happy sounding ditty we've ever done,” says Mike. “Almost too much! But that’s why we like it...”

Download full PR

Download full album PR for 'And Then We Saw Land'

The Miserable Rich announce single ‘Somerhill’ out 8th March + live show details

The Miserable Rich make their first foray into 2010 by announcing details of a new single and several live shows.

Brighton’s finest chamber pop quintet are releasing single ‘Somerhill’ on the 8th March on limited edition 7” and download, as well playing several shows including HMV’s Next Big Thing, Black Cab Sessions and Willkommen Orchestra events in February.  Full details of all these and a full March tour are below.

‘Somerhill’ is the first single to be taken from the forthcoming second album ‘Of Flight And Fury’. After the success of their debut outing, ‘Twelve Ways To Count’, and the little bit of fun they had last year with their ‘Covers EP’, the band return with a new album of wholly original material.

Live dates

10 Feb - The Borderline, London (HMV Next Big Thing festival with The Wave Pictures)
16 Feb - Black Cab Sessions @ Slaughtered Lamb, London
19 Feb - Brighton (as part of The Willkommen Orchestra)
25 Feb - The Cellar, Oxford
26 Feb - Folk House, Bristol
27 Feb - King's Place, London (as part of The Willkommen Orchestra with members of The Leisure Society)

2 Mar - The Cluny, Newcastle
3 Mar - Yorkshire House, Lancaster
4 Mar - Glee Club, Birmingham
5 Mar - The Black-E, Liverpool
6 Mar - Red Rooms, Glossop
7 Mar - Deaf Institute, Manchester

Download full PR

of Montreal NYC live spectacular: Susan Sarandon spanks pig + Solange duets

of Montreal’s US Winter tour is well underway with their New York show featuring appearances from none other than Susan Sarandon and Solange. The technicolour psychedelic pop five piece headlined at New York’s Highline Ballroom on Tuesday night (26th Jan), where as well as duetting with Beyonce’s little sister Solange on a cover of Jackson 5’s ‘I Want You Back’, Susan Sarandon also made a very surreal guest appearance.

Sarandon took part in one of the band’s performance art pieces, which culminated in throwing one of the pig men over her knee and spanking him on the bottom with a ruler! The Hollywood actress then continued to throw streamers into the audience later in the concert and dance around the stage.

Watch Sarandon’s pig spanking here

Watch Solange and of Montreal singing ‘I Want You Back’

Also in other news previously reported by Pitchfork, of Montreal debuted a new song off of forthcoming new album ‘False Priest’ (working title, to be confirmed).

Listen to an excerpt of ‘Enemy Gene’ here

of Montreal are renowned for having an incredible live show and also being able to pull a weird and wonderful spectacle out of the bag. Perhaps the celebrity porcine punishing trounces the sight of frontman Kevin Barnes singing atop of a white horse last year in New York, or appearing dressed as a satyr in LA. Not to mention the joyous moment when they opened their 2008 London Koko show to a dance routine flanked by golden Buddhas

Still Flyin’ announce Feb UK tour, new single ‘Runaway Train II’ out 8th Feb

“Giddy Californian sunshine indie-pop…Lovely” – NME

“Brian Wilson-fronted Specials.. it’s party time in America”– The Fly

After releasing their debut ‘Never Gonna Touch The Ground’ last year, San Franciscan eight-piece, Still Flyin’ will be returning for a UK tour in February to supply some much needed West Coast sunshine and good times. Their new single, 'Runaway Train II', will be released on 8th February through Moshi Moshi to coincide with the UK tour.

Listen to ‘Runaway Train II’ 

 

Still Flyin’ will also be showcasing new material on the tour with another new EP, scheduled for release later this year in May. The live show is not to be missed, a memorable energetic spectacle that lead both NME and Village Voice to hail Still Flyin as one of their top 5 bands to watch at last years SXSW.  In addition, Okkervil River's Will Sheff recently proclaimed on Pitchfork that Still Flyin' was his new favourite band after watching their live show. "The most fun I've had at a show in quite a while,” he says “It's just about the least pretentious music you could ever imagine...very fun to watch”.

Upcoming UK dates:

3rd February – Canterbury Farmhouse, Canterbury
4th February – Smash & Grab @ Proud Galleries, London
5th February – Cockpit, Leeds
6th February – Captain’s Rest, Glasgow
7th February – Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh
8th February – Adelphi, Hull
9th February – Mad Ferret, Preston
10th February – Hamptons, Southampton

Still Flyin’s debut album ‘Never Gonna Touch The Ground’ is out now on Moshi Moshi. The album was mixed in Melbourne by Haima Marriott, with help from Gus Franklin (Architecture in Helsinki) and Isobel Knowles (ex-Architecture in Helsinki).

Download latest photo of Still Flyin'

The Hidden Cameras confirm March UK tour, new single ‘Underage / Origin: Orphan’

“The Cameras’ fifth is their crowning moment… Virtually every tune bursts with exuberance, invention and inspiration” 5/5 The Guardian

“Buoyed by pop nous and joyfulness… Truly there’s no one else like them” 4/5 Q

“The Hidden Cameras are potentially a global pop phenomenon” GT Magazine

The Hidden Cameras bring their revered live show over from Toronto for a full UK headline tour in March, playing a very special show at St Leonard’s Church in Shoreditch on the 18th of March. To accompany the tour, new single ‘Underage / Origin: Orphan’ will be released on the 22nd March following on from a re-release of their latest album ‘Origin: Orphan’ on the 15th March through Arts and Crafts. Full tour dates are below.

The Hidden Cameras fourth album proper was somewhat of a sleeper hit at the end of 2009, slowly but surely gaining critical acclaim around its original release in November, with The Guardian even giving it a perfect score of 5/5. ‘Origin: Orphan’ is the sound of a band coming of age, displaying sophisticated and intelligent pop songwriting paired with their trademark playfulness and risqué lyrical content. A band who revel in their wonderful contradictions, the new single reflects this unique trait with a double A side single ‘Underage / Origin: Orphan’; two tracks that couldn’t be more different.

‘Underage’ is a joyful synth pop romp that teeters on the controversial with lyrics like “Lets do it like we’re underage… you’ll pretend you’re seven I’ll pretend I’m eight”. In fact, it’s about the rediscovery of innocence, unlike it’s disturbing title suggests. On the flip side, title track ‘Origin: Orphan’ is perhaps the climax of the album, a very dramatic and introspective number backed by grand orchestration and epic chamber pop. Next to ‘Underage’, its magnitude is even more awesome and provides a glimpse into the inner workings of Joel Gibb’s mind.

The Hidden Cameras UK Dates:

Wed 17th March Brighton Audio

Thu 18th March London St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch £15 www.wegottickets.com

Fri 19th March Nottingham Bodega

Sat 20th March Glasgow Stereo

Sun 21st March Manchester Deaf Institute www.thedeafinstitute.co.uk

Mon 22nd March Cardiff The Gate

Tue 23rd March Leeds Brudenell Club

Thu 24th March London ICA www.ica.org.uk

Download full PR

Maps new single ‘Die Happy, Die Smiling’ out 25th January

“Full-on, altered state electronic stomper” – Guardian

“Bordering on genius” – Clash

“A palatial winter wonderland of a song” – The Word

“A delirious mind-melting musical journey” – Daily Mirror

“A record you want to keep coming back to” – Independent on Sunday

Maps have announced details of the release of a new single, ‘Die Happy, Die Smiling’, which will be released on 25th January 2010 on Mute.

The single, taken from his recently released second album, 'Turning The Mind', features mixes from A Place To Bury Strangers, Maxime Dangles and Subscape.

‘Die Happy, Die Smiling’ was recorded during the album sessions with Tim Holmes (Death in Vegas) at the Contino Rooms in London.

"I’m really happy with the remixes,” commented James Chapman, aka Maps.  “Maxime Dangles has done an amazing disco-killer of a mix, and also A Place To Bury Strangers have produced something truly special. Everything about the new record and Die Happy, Die Smiling is much harder, purely electronic, the way things should be.”

Maps, who was short-listed for the 2007 Barclaycard Mercury Prize for his debut album 'We Can Create', also have a remix on the current A Place To Bury Strangers single, ‘Keep Slipping Away’.

The Yummy Fur play reunion shows, release ‘Piggy Wings’ compilation + free mp3

“YF had trebly and angular guitar lines (more Spaghetti Western than post-punk), unabashed accents, pulp and pop references, perverted leanings and most definitely dance hooks…. don't miss the opportunity to see this band.” Carrie Brownstein for NPR

Seminal Glaswegian indie band The Yummy Fur have reunited for the first time in eleven years and are set to play a series of one-off shows in the UK and their first ever tour of the United States.  To further commemorate the anniversary of their demise, the band are releasing ‘Piggy Wings’, a collection of The Yummy Fur highlights assembled by leader John McKeown on What’s Your Rupture. This is the first time these songs have been available in over ten years and the first time ever in America. The UK shows also mark the fifteenth anniversary of their old label Guided Missile.

The compilation release date is still to be confirmed but you can hear a taster of it here in the form of free download ‘Policeman’ http://www.whatsyourrupture.com/audio/Policeman.mp3

The big influence The Yummy Fur would have on music history was unfathomable back in 1999. Little did they know that their skinny post punk hooks would provide the training ground for Franz Ferdinand and the 1990s as well as inspire the likes of The Gossip.

UK and US live dates in January
9th London, Buffalo Bar with support from Veronica Falls SOLD OUT
10th London, The Lexington with support from Shrag SOLD OUT
14th Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Neck Tie
15th Brooklyn, NY - Lombardy
17th Los Angeles, CA - The Echo (Part Time Punks)18th San Francisco, CA - Cafe du Nord
20th Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios plus Gossip DJ set

Click to download full PR including The Yummy Fur biog

Mirrors announce more details of Delphic tour plus remix EP

"if Depeche Mode ever had this many synths in their arsenal, they certainly did not manage, at least this early in their career, to sound as strikingly lush and dense" Pitchfork

"‘Look At Me’ is special in an unassuming, stealthy sort of way, beckoning you into Mirrors’ sun-bleached, but melody-rich world with a knowing nod, and I am glad to follow. Really, really good. "  Drowned in Sound

Mirrors have announced more details of a support slot on the Delphic tour in January and the release of a remix EP in March 2010. The tour starts tonight with an NME Radar show in London, full list of dates is below.

Having released two singles, ‘Look At Me’ through Pure Groove and ‘Into The Heart’ through Moshi Moshi in the second half of 2009, the Brighton based band subsequently signed to Skint Records.

Their first release for the label will be an EP featuring remixes of their tracks ‘Look At Me’, ‘Somewhere Strange’, ‘Into The Heart’ and ‘Lights and Offerings’. So far confirmed is up and coming Detroit prodigy Kyle Hall, often compared to the likes of Carl Craig and Moodyman, who will remix ‘Somewhere Strange’.

The band is also set to begin work on the debut album, which will be out via Skint later on in 2010.

The full list of live dates for the Delphic tour is as follows:

JANUARY
7th London NME Radar show @ Upstairs at The Garage (supporting Delphic) stage time 9pm
9th London Be @ Proud Galleries, Camden (headline show)
14th Norwich Arts Centre (supporting Delphic)
15th Oxford Zodiac
16th Sheffield Leadmill
17th Bristol Thekla
19th Brighton Audio
20th Wolverhampton Little Civic
21st Liverpool Kazimier
22nd Glasgow King Tuts
23rd Leeds Cockpit 2

Tickets for the shows are priced at £7 and available via www.seetickets.com.

Mirrors are: James (synthesizer / voices), Ally (synthesizer / voices), Tate (synthesizer) & Josef (electronic drums).

of Montreal collaborate with Solange, unveil new album details + audio teaser

of Montreal have unveiled details of their forthcoming album, including a collaboration with Solange Knowles.  Glamourous frontman Kevin Barnes revealed several details about the new record in a recent interview with Stereogum; the album will be potentially called either ‘False Priest’ or ‘The Controller Sphere’ and is set for release in late Summer/early Autumn.  R n b star Janelle Monae will also feature on the album, more details of other potential collaborations are yet to be confirmed, as is electronic wiz Jon Brion’s involvement on production duties pending an experimental recording session this Spring.

Read the full interview and hear an audio teaser from the new recording sessions here: http://stereogum.com/archives/progress_report/progress_report_of_montreal_107231.html

The Solange cameo comes as less of a surprise following on from last month's widely-reported news that big sister Beyoncé was keen on exploring a more alternative indie direction a la of Montreal after receiving a tip from Solange: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/nov/29/beyonce-artist-of-the-decade

Commenting on that episode, Barnes says:

"Maybe it will happen. I'd love to do it, it would be a fun experience. It's just something she dropped and hasn't really developed. I wonder about it, too, because I don't know how good I am at writing songs for other people. When I heard that she said that, I thought, 'Oh, I should try to get something going.' I started writing this song, and then next thing I know, it's so weird that she would never in a million years listen to it, let alone record it! It's a challenge for me."

The new record is set to develop on the funkier, George Clinton-inspired moments on 2008’s critically lauded album ‘Skeletal Lamping’. Barnes also expresses ambitions to expand on the current five-member set up of of Montreal to incorporate up to ten members in their live show. This is an attempt to create a fuller sound and not have to use pre-recorded backing tracks and also further boost the element of spectacle in their vibrant live shows. "We're going to try to do something closer to the kind of bands that Curtis Mayfield or Stevie Wonder had in the '70s," Barnes says.

Broadcast and The Focus Group release new video + a distinctly unseasonal story

“It really is quite fabulous… (Broadcast) crowned themselves dark monarchs of hauntology’s expanding kingdom”  ALBUM OF THE YEAR – Wire

"It’s difficult to shake the impression that you’ve been subjected to some brand of home magic...trust us, ‘…Witch Cults..’ is something special." - The Quietus (top 40 album of the year)

"Like a strange mirage glimpsed in the depths of the English countryside…" BBC Music

Broadcast have released a new video ‘Broadcast And the Focus Group #2: I See, So I See So' as well as a distinctly unseasonal story by Johnny Trunk as an accompaniment to their current release ‘Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of The Radio Age’.

This is the second spectral video in a series of collaborative works between Broadcast and Julian House (aka The Focus Group), soundtracked by ‘I See, So I See So’ from their critically-acclaimed mini album.

To take their multi-media collaborations one step further, Broadcast and The Focus Group also recently commissioned cult soundtrack impresario and Trunk Records founder, Johnny Trunk to write a literary companion to ‘… Witch Cults…’  Do prepare to temporarily abandon all festive thoughts in order to immerse yourself in the foreboding dalliances of…

‘Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of The Radio Age’

Click to download full PR including Johnny Trunk's story

Tunng Announce New Album 'And Then We Saw Land’ 1st March 2010, tour + free mp3

Twisted pop wonders Tunng have announced details of a new album, a tour and free download. The London-based band are set to release their fourth album 'And Then We Saw Land’ on the 1st of March 2010, and it promises to be their best yet.  Full dates for the accompanying tour in March 2010 are listed below.

A sneak peak of the album is available in the form of free download ‘Don’t Look Down Or Back’ HERE

Since last we saw them, the band have been on adventures both personal (Mike went to India, Ashley moved to Somerset) and shared – such as their ten-day voyage of discovery with Malian desert bluesmen Tinariwen, a unique collaboration that aimed to fuse the sounds of the two bands together. 

In the spirit of all that travel and experimentation, they’ve decided to call their new album 'And Then We Saw Land’ – and it is full of adventurous spirit. The first Tunng album to take more than a year to write and produce, it’s packed with big choruses and joyful tunes. “We wanted to make a record that would be a great live set,” says Mike. “My friend described it as ‘Epic Folk Disco Brass Magnificent,’ and I’m not sure you could call any other Tunng record that.”

23rd March, Manchester, Band On The Wall

25th March, London, Relentless Garage

26th March, Bristol, Arnolfini

28th March, Brighton, Concorde 2

Download full PR

School Of Seven Bells Alternate ‘Alpinisms’ out 23rd Nov + ICA show 4th Dec

School Of Seven Bells release an alternate version of the acclaimed album ‘Alpinisms’ on 23rd November and have announced a headline show at London’s ICA on the 4th December.

The reworked ‘Alpinisms’ is available on download only and comprised of early demos, live performances and alternative versions of eight album tracks. It’s an intriguing listen as the process of the band’s songwriting and production is unraveled. This edition also has a bonus track, the mysterious ‘Caldo’ sung in both English and Spanish (Claudia and Alejandra hail from both Central and South America). Previously a b-side to single ‘Half Asleep’, this song places more emphasis on the vocals than usual, revealing a cosmic medieval hymn backed by futuristic yet somehow ancient synths and harpsichord.

The band play a one off London show at the ICA on 4th December, where they will showcase new material from the forthcoming album (due in early Spring 2010) before heading off to appear at the My Bloody Valentine curated ATP.

‘Alpinisms’ Special Edition Track List:

1. Wired For Light (Live Drum Version)                 

2. Half Asleep (Alternate Version)                        

3. White Elephant Coat (Early Demo Version)      

4. Caldo (Live on Stereogum’s Decomposed)

5. Sempiternal (Alternate Version)                       

6. Iamundernodisguise (Vocal Mix I)                    

7. My Cabal (Early Mix 07)                                 

8. Connjur (Alternate Version)                             

9. For Kalaja Mari (Drum Outtake Mix)

UK live dates

Friday 4th December The ICA headline show with support from Esben and The Witch
Tickets £11
www.ica.og.uk

Sunday 6th December MBV ATP Nightmare Before Christmas, Minehead
http://atpfestival.com

Download full PR

Slow Club Christmas single: ‘Christmas, Thanks For Nothing’ EP out 14th Dec

Slow Club have announced details of a Christmas single plus a new London headline date. Dropping down our musical chimneys on 14th December, ‘Christmas, Thanks For Nothing’ is released on Moshi Moshi Records.  A couple of days later, Slow Club will headline the Union Chapel on the 17th December.

Rebecca and Charles take turns recreating two Darlene Love Christmas classics.  Charles delivering a stripped down take on ‘All Alone On Christmas’ – the E Street Band assisted number from Home Alone 2 – while Rebecca unleashes a full throated rendition of the Phil Spector penned ‘Christmas (Please Come Home)’. 

Last year’s free download single ‘Christmas TV’ proved an unlikely live favourite this summer, and is included here as an added stocking filler, alongside brand new tunes ‘Christmas, Thanks For Nothing’ and ‘It’s Christmas and You Are Boring Me’.  All are quintessential Slow Club: bittersweet, humorous and intensely lovable.

Slow Club’s show at the Union Chapel on 17th December, will be the second time the duo have celebrated the festive season in such fashion - having sold out the venue in December last year.  They’ve just returned from a lengthy UK tour during which they packed out London’s Scala and thrilled fans by taking to the floor for un-plugged versions of their opening and closing numbers.   

Tickets for the Union Chapel are priced £11.50, on sale now and available from http://www.livenation.co.uk/event/8106/slow-club-tickets

Their debut album 'Yeah So' was recorded almost entirely within the bosom of their hometown Sheffield and garnered outstanding reviews on it’s release this summer – on its way to becoming one of Moshi Moshi’s most successful releases to date.

Download full PR

Download latest Slow Club photo

Broadcast Announce First UK Tour Since 2005

“The extra-dimensional electronic duo collaborate with Ghost Box spiritualists The Focus Group on a richly disturbing transmission from analogue Albion” Mojo

Following from the release of their new collaborative mini-album ‘Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age’, Broadcast have announced select live headline dates in December, on return from their one month US tour with co-headliner, Atlas Sound.

On this forthcoming UK tour Broadcast are to perform as a duo and the set will include the soundtrack to Ghost Box film Winer Sun Wavelengths, selections from 'Witch Cults...' plus new songs from their forthcoming album.

There will also be a new tour only EP 'Mother is the Milky Way' plus limited copies of ‘Microtronics vol 1& 2’

Live dates as follows:

Dec 5th / Warp20 London/ Coronet/ London
http://bleep.com/index.php?page=stock_details&releaseid=217

Dec 6th /The Cube / Bristol
http://microplex.cubecinema.com/cubewebsite/ Tickets: £9adv / £10 door

Dec 7th / Chapter Arts Centre / Cardiff
Tickets: £9 / £8 concessions / £6 Chapter members. http://www.wegottickets.com

Dec 8th / Deaf Institute / Manchester
http://www.ticketline.co.uk 0161 832 1111 / Tickets - £9

Dec 9th / Stereo / Glasgow
Tickets - £10 [subject to booking fee] http://www.synergyconcerts.com / 08444 771000
Tickets Scotland/ Monorail/ ABC Box office/ Edinburgh – Ripping Records/ Tickets Scotland

Broadcast And The Focus Group Present: ’Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age’ is now available on iTunes & bleep and will be available on CD and vinyl on Oct 26th (available for pre-order on bleep now).

Dowload full PR

Download latest Broadcast press photo

‘Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age'

-  A collaborative mini-album available digitally now (iTunes/Bleep)

-  Available on CD and vinyl on Oct 26th (Vinyl also available on US tour dates with Atlas Sound)

-  CD and LP available to pre-order from Bleep.

Broadcast are back with a new collaborative mini-album 'Broadcast & The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age' and a month long US tour with Atlas Sound... it is with great excitement that we announce this new release is...available now!

Watch a clip of ‘Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age’

Broadcast is made up of Trish Keenan and James Cargill. Originally from Birmingham, they have been active as Broadcast since 1995. Broadcast over the years have consisted of other members including drummers, keyboardists and guitarists (and at one point they were even a six-man outfit) but at the heart of the group Trish and James have always existed. Their aesthetic has remained a combination of their love for film, library music and electronics with psych-pop colour.

Broadcast have always had fans among other musicians, including Flying Lotus, Tim Gane from Stereolab, Grizzly Bear, Atlas Sound and Dangermouse, who used a Broadcast sample taken from "Poem of Dead Song" on the DM & Gemini album "Ghetto Pop Life". Broadcast's music is also a popular choice for film and TV, featuring on the soundtracks of “Ma Femme est une Actrice", "21" and "Morvern Callar", as well as TV shows such as "The L-Word", "Skins" and "CSI". It can be said with confidence that Broadcast's return is greeted with much anticipation.

The Focus Group is Julian House, long time friend of the band and renowned artwork designer. House is co-founder of the Ghost Box label, which in the last few years has birthed a cult of its own with releases reflecting its creators’ obsessions with library music, English folklore and the eerie feel of vintage programmes for schools and colleges. His music as the Focus Group offers some of the most enchanting distillations of all the above, instantly complementing Broadcast’s own long-standing aesthetic.

'Broadcast And The Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults Of The Radio Age' is their first collaborative release, a mini-album available digitally now, and on CD and vinyl from Oct 26th. A limited quantity of vinyl albums will also be available on the band’s US tour dates with Atlas Sound (full details of dates are on the Broadcast Myspace).

Download full PR

Download album artwork

Download photo of Broadcast

The Leisure Society: new UK dates, album ‘The Sleeper’ re-released 5th October

London symphonic pop band The Leisure Society have announced details of new UK live dates and are set to re-release their debut album ‘The Sleeper’ on the 5th October. The re-release on Full Time Hobby comes lovingly packaged with an 8-track bonus EP, ‘A Product Of The Ego Drain’, which features a number of b-sides, demos and an un-released cover of Gary Numan’s ‘Cars’.   Full details of all the UK dates are below, including an appearance at Huw Stephen’s SWN festival and a headline show at St Giles Church in London.

To further celebrate the re-release of ‘The Sleeper’, The Leisure Society are giving away a track from the album.  Please click the following link to download ‘We Were Wasted’
http://www.mediafilesccc.com/FullTimeHobby/WeWereWasted.mp3

‘The Sleeper’ was originally released by the Wilkommen Collective label in March this year to much critical applause and also features includes the Ivor Novello-nominated track ‘The Last Of The Melting Snow’.

New live dates:

5 Oct Resident Records In Store Acoustic Performance, Brighton
24 Oct SWN Festival, Wales
25 Oct Canterbury Festival @ Orange Street Music Club, Canterbury
22 Nov Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
23 Nov The Glee Club, Birmingham 
25 Nov St Giles In The Fields Church, London         

Download full PR including band biog

Download album artwork

Download photo of The Leisure Society

Bibio creates virtual forest to celebrate Warp debut ‘Ambivalence Avenue'

“The music feels both spontaneous and precise, winding in complex syncopation around the one-beat, with subtle filter and tempo tweaks, and careful juxtapositions of texture (see the arid, throttled voices scraping against the sopping-wet chimes of "S'vive")…It's the kind of seamless variety, heady but visceral, that few electronic musicians who aren't Four Tet have achieved.” - Pitchfork, 8.3/10

Warp’s latest luminary Bibio has planted a virtual forest to celebrate the release of his first album for the label, ‘Ambivalence Avenue’.

Bibio aka Stephen Wilkinson uses a combination of analogue and electronic equipment to make his music, incorporating his fascination with nature into his work through the numerous countryside recordings he collects from his surroundings. Bibio’s virtual forest is the perfect way to further explore the marriage of technology and nature found in Bibio’s verdant sonic landscapes, please visit  the following link to design your own tree

http://warp.net/records/bibio/forest

Within the virtual forest, people can design, decorate their own trees and give them a unique soundtrack from Bibio's music and sound recordings, and even control the weather. Once created the trees are planted in the forest to be seen and enjoyed by everyone they can also be sent to friends via Facebook.

‘Ambivalence Avenue’ was released on the 22nd June to great critical acclaim and excerpts are also available to stream whilst you make your tree at Warp.net.

Download full PR