News
‘Love Songs’ from Roberta Flack out on Jan 31st 2011
Roberta Flack
‘Love Songs’
January 31st 2011 on Rhino Records
Rhino records are proud to announce the release of ‘Love Songs’ – an 18 track collection from the incomparable Roberta Flack on Monday January 31st 2011.
“I like songs that tell stories and I like songs that express universal emotions: for example, everybody falls in love and so I think my songs communicate what that feels like.”
Those are the wise words of Roberta Flack, a supremely gifted singer and pianist who knows all about songs that have stood the test of time. That’s because her Atlantic Records’ back catalogue is packed with sparkling romantic gems, many of which are featured on this stellar collection of love songs – they range from her haunting 1969 recording of folk singer Ewan MacColl’s ‘ The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ to the plaintive ballad ‘Killing Me Softly’. The collection includes many of her legendary duets with soul legends Donny Hathaway and Peabo Bryson.
Charles Waring 2010
Tracklisting
1. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
2. You’ve Got A Friend – Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
3. Killing Me Softly With His Song
4. Where Is The Love – Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
5. Feel Like Makin’ Love
6. After You
7. The Closer I Get To You – Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
8. Back Together Again – Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
9. More Than Everything (live) – Roberta Flack & Peabo Bryson
10. Just When I Needed You
11. Maybe – Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack
12. Tonight, I Celebrate My Love – Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack
13. And So It Goes
14. When Someone Tears Your Heart In Two
15. Only Heaven Can Wait (For Love) / You Are My Heaven (live) – Roberta Flack & Peabo Bryson
16. Can We Find Love Again – Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack
17. All Caught Up In Love
18. Let’s Stay Together
Alistair Griffin releases ‘Just Drive’ on June 20th
Alistair Griffin to release new single ‘Just Drive’ on June 20th
‘Just Drive’ is the anthemic new single from singer/songwriter Alistair Griffin, released June 20th.
This track was first heard soundtracking the closing montage of the 2010 season for the BBC’s Formula 1 coverage. Off the back of this sync alone and with no other promotion, ‘Just Drive’ broke into the top 40 the following weekend. Alistair looks set to build on this success with the official release of ‘Just Drive’ and his forthcoming album ‘Albion Sky’, August 2011.
The track is particularly significant for Alistair, who says: “Just Drive represents a brand new start for me. It’s about the freedom of the road, pushing yourself to the limit and personally, it was a revelation of what I could do”
It is no coincidence that the response to ‘Just Drive’ to date has been phenomenal; Alistair’s impassioned approach to songwriting, has seen him capture so many people time and time again. Having honed his skills writing tracks for artists across the globe following the success of his top 20 album in 2004, Alistair has crafted a truly engaging release in the form of his forthcoming album ‘Albion Sky’, which showcases his talent for penning tracks that are consistently rousing and relatable.
The forthcoming album ‘Albion Sky’ is a brutally honest and revealing musical document which clearly conveys an artist in his songwriting prime; an artist ready to take risks, with renewed self confidence and focus.
‘Just Drive’ is available from iTunes and all good digital retailers from June 20th.
You can watch the Formula 1 montage here :
Announcing NExEA – Charity Compilation CD Out Now
NExEA raises money for the DEC’s East Africa Crisis Appeal
Featuring The Futureheads, Field Music, Willy Mason, Paul Smith and many more
NExEA is charity compilation featuring exclusive tracks from the cream of the North East’s music community; proceeds of which will be given to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s East Africa Crisis Appeal. Available now from Big Cartel (physical: www.nexea.bigcartel.com) and Bandcamp (download: www.nexea.bandcamp.com), NExEA features new and exclusive tracks from some of the North East’s biggest acts, alongside an array of up and coming talent.
The full tracklist includes songs from Field Music, Maxïmo Park’s Paul Smith, the hotly- tipped Let’s Buy Happiness and recent Bella Union signing Lanterns on The Lake. The Futureheads have also donated an exclusive acapella version of the track ‘Robot’, taken from their debut self titled album. NExEA also features a brand new song from troubadour Willy Mason, featuring Ninja Tune’s Spokes. The track was recorded in Newcastle, where Spokes are based.
The North East’s vibrant scene of diverse, new talent is represented by acts including Age of Consent (featuring former members of SHITDISCO), The Lake Poets, Waskerley Way and Young Liar.
Some of the world’s most respected producers have worked on tracks present on NExEA, including Adrian Bushby (Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, Muse) on alternative pop act Shields‘ track ‘Spires’ and Steve Albini (Nirvana, Mogwai, Pixies) on We Are Knuckle Draggers offering ‘Get The Horizon Yourself’.
Maxïmo Park frontman Paul Smith, who has donated the track ‘A Perfect Foil’, said: “I saw the shocking footage from Eastern Africa on the news like many others will have done and I felt pretty helpless. I’m glad I was approached to contribute something because it’s an amazing cause. I hope my slightly dodgy demo might have enough charm to sit alongside the strong line-up of other North Eastern musicians and encourage people to buy a copy.”
One of the worst droughts in 60 years has seen more than 10 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and the Republic of South Sudan left in need of food, water and essential emergency healthcare. Proceeds from the sales of the NExEA compilation will go directly to the DEC’s East Africa Crisis Appeal.
Tom Bagnall, one of the curators of NExEA, said “We wanted to use the talents of one of the country’s most vibrant scenes to help this extremely worthy cause.”
The NExEA compilation is available to buy on CD with artwork from illustrator and Newcastle University graduate Kerry Hyndman for £8. The digital version is also available for a minimum price of £6, though further donations can be made to the DEC’s East Africa Crisis Appeal with this purchase. At least £6 from the physical CD and at least £5 from the digital download will go to the DEC’s appeal fund.
Full tracklisting:
1. The Futureheads – Robot (acapella)
2. Field Music – Repetition
3. Shields – Spires (Adrian Bushby Mix)
4. Age of Consent – Columns
5. Let’s Buy Happiness – Woodrings
6. Willy Mason & Spokes – Bossman
7. O’Messy Life – Cancellation Of The Constellation Programme 11.10.10
8. Mammal Club – Put Your Fears In Order (Alternative Version)
9. Here Comes Good Sailing – Johnathon The Obscure
10. The Lake Poets – Edinburgh
11. Lanterns on The Lake – You’re Almost There
12. Young Liar – Rosé Banter Bruise
13. Waskerley Way – Hark, ’tis th’ Beaste Coaste
14. Warm Digits – Weapons Destruction
15. We Are Knuckle Dragger – Get The Horizon Yourself
16. Vinyl Jacket – Got The Badge
17. Paul Smith – A Perfect Foil
18. Symphonic Pictures – We All Come From Fire
Purchase NExEA on CD here: www.nexea.bigcartel.com
Purchase a digital download of NExEA here: www.nexea.bandcamp.com
www.dec.org.uk | http://www.nexea.tumblr.com | www.facebook.com/NExEA | www.twitter.com/nexea
Beau and the Arrows release new single ’0.7’9.3′ on June 13th
Beau and The Arrows release new 7” single
‘0.7.9.3’ 13th June
Following up their haunting debut single ‘Fix’, Beau and The Arrows are set to release ‘0.7.9.3.’ on limited edition 7” and download through Happy Release Records on 13th June.
Displaying a different shade to that of their debut, ‘0.7.9.3.’ is a bass driven anthem which retains the dual vocals and echoing guitar sounds of their first release but contorts and alters them to an equally transfixing result. ¬This explosive and compelling track is fast becoming a live favourite and can be heard when the band play Brighton’s Great Escape on 12th May.
Of ‘0.7.9.3.’, singer and songwriter Beau Carter says: “It’s an anthem. An in your face, gut wrenching song that showcases the bare bones of what Beau and the Arrows are all about.”
‘0.7.9.3’ is accompanied by the euphoric b-side ‘One Last Summer’. Lifting the band’s sound to yet new territories, both Beau and Jasmine’s vocals shine with an intense vulnerability, providing a distorted alternative to the traditional summer soundtrack.
Already heralded by BBC 6Music’s Steve Lamacq on his blog and interviewed as his ‘Favourite New Band’ on his show, Beau and The Arrows have received some incredible attention for their debut single ‘Fix’ and live performances. ‘Fix’ became Single of the Week at Manchester’s Piccadilly Records and was chosen as one of Rough Trade’s top ten releases. The Independent also chose the track as one of their favourites for the week.
Live Dates
Thursday 12th May – The Great Escape Festival, The Latest Music Bar, Brighton
Tuesday 17th May – 93 Feet East, Shoreditch – w/ Winter Gloves
Friday 27th May – Dirty South, Lewisham – w/ Two Wounded BIrds
Wednesday 15th June – The Bull and Gate, Kentish Town
Tuesday 28th June – The Old Blue Last, Shoreditch
Thursday 7th July – The Silver Bullet, Finsbury Park
Wednesday 3rd August – The Old Queen’s Head, Islington
Billy Vincent Release New EP
‘Once On The Grand Union’
October 17th on Something Nothing Records
Billy Vincent are set to release their new EP, ‘Once On The Grand Union’ through Something Nothing Records on October 17th – another set of zealous tracks that showcase a seamless progression from the rousing compositions of previous EP, ‘King Island Coyote’.
Fronted by long time compatriots and best friends, Billy Barratt and David Vincent, the band have crafted a collection of songs that are as lyrically stimulating as they are musically.
From the sinister tale of ‘St. Catherine’s Oratory’ and its relentless chant of “looking for the monsters from under my bed”, through to the sprightly feel good message of ‘Through Stations For Trains’, Billy Vincent demonstrate a flair for creating diverse numbers, yet still keeping their own inimitable style and sound.
The latter half of ‘Once On The Grand Union’ sees the band unveil their softer side with a yarn of torturous love with ‘Young Hearts’, a side that stands out against the infectiously jaunty ‘Truly’ and its rousing sing-along chorus.
For the band, this latest EP is one that is close to their hearts, with frontmen Billy and David stating, “We knew that ‘Once on the Grand Union’ would be an opportunity to suggest where we’re heading with the debut album; both sonically and structurally it’s a development from earlier recordings. Each song offers something different but is still tied in; there are lots of twists and turns but the curtain falls on a happy note. The Grand Union Canal is an important thing to us, particularly the London stretch, these songs took a lot of inspiration from time spent there.”
Produced by Billy Barratt and Junk Scientist, the band also made use of an array of instruments with extremely accomplished musicians at the helm throughout the EP. B.J. Cole famed for working alongside Elton John, Bjork, Elvis Costello, Graham Coxon to name a few, adds his distinctive pedal steel to ‘Young Hearts’ and ‘Truly’, and Martin Rossiter formerly of Gene, plays Hammond on the EPs opening two tracks and electric piano on ‘Young Hearts’.
To coincide with the release of ‘Once On The Grand Union’, Billy Vincent will play an EP launch gig at The Wheelbarrow on Thursday 29th September, along with some very special guests. A full-length album from the London- based five piece will follow in the new year.
Billy Vincent are: Billy Barratt & David Vincent – vocals, guitars; Joseph Kinsey – bass, harmonica, vocals; Matt Woodward – fiddle, vocals; Jack Blenkinsop – drums, vocals.
www.billyvincent.co.uk / www.myspace.com/billyvincent
For more information and guestlist enquiries please contact Rhianon Davies or Joe Parry
Rhianon@9pr.co.uk / Joe@9pr.co.uk
0207 833 9303
Dave Brubeck’s 90th birthday to be celebrated by special programming from the BBC
To mark the 90th birthday of Dave Brubeck…
BBC Radio 2 presents
Jamie Cullum 2-part special interview with Brubeck and his sons (Tuesday 30 November and Tuesday 7 December)
BBC Two presents
Arena: Dave Brubeck – In His Own Sweet Way, a documentary co-produced by Clint Eastwood and Arena
- BBC Radio 2: The Jamie Cullum Show – Dave Brubeck Special (Part 1)
Tuesday 30 November, 7-8pm
Jamie Cullum showcases his love for all types of jazz, and music rooted in jazz, from its heritage to the future. Tonight’s show is the first of a two-part special featuring an interview with legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, who turns 90 in December, and recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival.
In a unique interview between two musicians, Jamie asks his hero all the questions he has always wanted answered including how he first became a musician, what was the first piece of music he ever wrote, and how his long-time musical partner, alto-saxophonist Paul Desmond came to join his band.
Brubeck speaks openly and reflectively on how music saved his life during the war and how his wife of 67 years has played an active role getting his music out there as well as inspiring some of his favourite tunes.
From a legendary musician to one greatly influenced by him, this is a chance for both to share their experiences, tell their anecdotes and swap musical advice.
- BBC Radio 2: The Jamie Cullum Show – Dave Brubeck Special (Part 2)
Tuesday 7 December, 7-8pm
This is the final part of Jamie Cullum’s interview with legendary jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, who turns 90 in December, recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival. Brubeck relates the story of the making of his seminal recording Time Out and tells of the surprising reactions it first received. And they discuss the single from that album – Take Five – which, as Jamie says, became one of the most popular tunes in the jazz world.
Describing the reaction of his record company when they heard the album, Brubeck recounts: “They tried to kill the album [they said] “You can’t dance to any of these things… the public will not accept it.” The president of Columbia said “Give me ‘Blue Rondo’ and ’Take Five’. I’m going to the West Coast and I’ll play it for them out there, maybe they’ll put it out.” When he came back I said “How’d it go?” he said “Dave, they hated it!”
Jamie also asks him about African music and how Brubeck tried to apply African rhythms to jazz time signatures. Meanwhile, three of his musician sons – Chris, Darius and Danny – perform for Jamie in session at the BBC Maida Vale studios as part of their current tour celebrating their father’s 90th birthday.
- BBC TWO – Arena: Dave Brubeck – In His Own Sweet Way
Transmission date Friday 3 December, BBC Four TBC
Three young men who emerged in the 1950s, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Dave Brubeck, not only captured the public’s imagination, but in their own unique way determined the evolution of jazz as we know it today. Of this triumvirate of American musical icons only Dave Brubeck remains. In this month’s edition of jazz bible DownBeat, Brubeck’s band has been voted best jazz group in its annual readers’ poll. A week in advance of his 90th birthday on December 6th, he’ll be playing New York’s legendary jazz club the Blue Note.
“If you are a musician like Dave, you can play like that at ninety. Depending on your talent, it’s something that you can do forever.” Clint Eastwood
Dave Brubeck’s career in American music, both as a composer and pianist, is now in its seventh decade, and he remains at the height of his creative powers. Clint Eastwood’s career is now in its sixth and he is now simply beyond category. Dave Brubeck – In His Own Sweet Way tells Brubeck’s personal story, tracing his career, from his first musical experiences, to the overwhelming success of the Dave Brubeck Quartet, and, the iconic status he and his varied forms of musical expression have achieved.
Dave Brubeck – In His Own Sweet Way is told with contemporary interviews, vintage performances, previously unseen archive, and additional performances filmed especially for this documentary. More importantly, the story will also be told by Dave and Iola Brubeck, both in their own words and by musical example. Contributors include Bill Cosby, Jamie Cullum, Yo-Yo Ma, George Lucas and Eastwood himself.
In December 2009 Brubeck was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors, with Robert De Niro, Bruce Springsteen, Grace Bumbry and Mel Brooks. Fifty-six years ago he became the first contemporary jazz musician to appear on the cover of Time magazine. It’s an unparalleled career encompassing both popularity and the highest merits of musical achievement. His classic recording of Take Five is as familiar today as in 1959 when it was a Top 10 hit all over the world.
Brubeck has an unlikely origin for a jazz giant, growing up on a ranch in Northern California, he became an expert in roping and riding. His father was a rodeo champion. The California of Brubeck is also the California of John Steinbeck and Clint Eastwood. Eastwood introduced Brubeck and his Cannery Row Suite at the 2006 Monterey Jazz Festival and each were so inspired by the success of the event they agreed to move forward with a full-length documentary together. There are no comparable artists in the world of music or motion pictures. Dave Brubeck – In His Own Sweet Way is an ideal collaboration, as one great artist pays tribute to another in this unique film.
Delta Spirit release new album
Californian indie rockers, Delta Spirit, release their eagerly awaited new album ‘History From Below’ on July 5th, the follow-up to their captivating 2008 debut, ‘Ode To Sunshine’…
Delta Spirit – on the road again, September 2010
Voted One of Q’s Best New Acts in the World – Delta Spirit, the amazingly charismatic US root rockers are on their way to the UK this September…
Grinderman confirmed for Portishead/ATP I’ll Be Your Mirror London July 23rd & 24th
Very Special Guests GRINDERMAN confirmed for
“I’LL BE YOUR MIRROR” Curated by PORTISHEAD & ATP
23rd & 24th July – Alexandra Palace, London
On Sale Now with Early Bird Available
As announced earlier this week, on the weekend of 23rd and 24th July 2011 at the stunning Alexandra Palace, London, All Tomorrow’s Parties will present the first UK I’ll Be Your Mirror event, which will be curated by the mercurial Portishead (who headline both nights) and ATP. Acting as sister events to the world famous ATP Festivals which usually take place in holiday resorts, and named after the b-side to The Velvet Underground’s original All Tomorrow’s Parties 7″ single, I’ll Be Your Mirror will be a new series of artist curated music, film and art events taking place in cities worldwide. Portishead will headline both nights, with a different stunning supporting line-up joining them each day. Tickets will cost £59 per day with weekend tickets priced at £100. These are the only scheduled UK shows Portishead will play in 2011.
We are delighted to confirm that ATP favourites GRINDERMAN will now be performing on Sunday 24th July
At least fifteen acts will perform each day over two stages, and we will bringing a big new soundsystem in so the sound should be the best it’s ever been at the venue. Doors open at 12pm, finishing at 1am Saturday and midnight Sunday. Portishead will finish by 11pm both nights.
Tickets went on sale today at 9am and a limited amount of Early Bird Tickets are available for £50 per day or £90 for the weekend. CLICK HERE TO BUY!
Here is how the line-up is looking:
Saturday 23rd July
PORTISHEAD
DOOM
COMPANY FLOW
(original line-up – first UK show in 10 years)
THE BOOKS
FACTORY FLOOR
BEAK>
& MORE
Sunday 24th July
PORTISHEAD
GRINDERMAN
SWANS
BEACH HOUSE
LIARS
THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC
ANIKA
& MORE
With more artists, DJs and other activities to be confirmed for both days in the coming months! Across the weekend we will be bringing to the venue a cinema, amazing food vendors, adding extra bars (including some cash bars) and toilets and also putting on shuttle buses from public transport locations to the venue and back to ensure the best experience possible for everyone that attends.
The first I’ll Be Your Mirror headlined by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, will take place at Studio Coast, Tokyo, Japan in February 2011, and is on sale now with tickets going very fast.
www.illbeyourmirror.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/news/20101126_portishead.shtml
www.twitter.com/atpibym
www.illbeyourmirror.com
Introducing Billy Vincent – New EP ‘King Island Coyote’ out April 11th
NEW EP ‘KING ISLAND COYOTE’ RELEASED APRIL 11TH 2011 ON SOMETHING NOTHING RECORDS
Passion for their craft is a trait that many artists claim, but with new EP, ‘King Island Coyote’, Billy Vincent prove that for them it is at the core of the music.
“For us it’s all about passion. If you don’t put your heart and soul into it, it’s pointless. And we give it everything we’ve got” affirms co-singer and songwriter David Vincent.
Together with long-time cohort and best mate Bill Barratt, with whom he began playing music from their time at infant’s school, Billy Vincent create visceral melodies that veer from the heart wrenching to the raucous.
‘King Island Coyote’ perfectly showcases Billy Vincent’s musicianship and lyricism in its four captivating tracks. From the poignant ‘Prairie Wolves’ to the tenacious ‘They Break Bones’ contrasting with the mournful ‘Trouble Never Comes Alone’ and the deceptively sprightly ‘Tubes/Wires’, their latest EP is the ideal introduction to the band’s distinctive sound, dubbed by the band themselves as ‘dirty folk’.
Despite the extensive partnership of Bill and Dave, the current guise of the London based five-piece has been in place for a mere 12 months. Yet, when the band take to the stage and you witness the camaraderie of frontmen Bill and David it is easy to understand why they have captured the hearts of audiences from the Scottish highlands down to the furthest reaches of Cornwall.
With a second (currently untitled) EP to follow ‘King Island Coyote’ in June and their full-length debut album scheduled for a September release, all written and recorded whilst the band continue to enthral crowds with exuberant live sets, there is no arguing that 2011 is set to be a big year for Billy Vincent.
Live dates:
March 17th – Communion @ Ginglik, Shepherds Bush (with The Agitator, Three Blind Wolves & Islander)
April 6th – The Wheelbarrow, Camden – EP Launch
April 21st – Electrowerks (supporting Antlered Man)
May 29th – The Old Queen’s Head
July 15th – 2000 Trees Festival
Introducing Talking Pictures – debut single ‘Mirrors’ out June 13th
Introducing Talking Pictures
Debut single ‘Mirrors’ released June 13th (Split Records)
‘Mirrors’ is the new single from Talking Pictures, released June 13th through Split Records. Balancing gratifying pop hooks with intelligent, creative melodies, Talking Pictures weave rough-edged synth sounds with their cutting, angular guitars to create a shimmering slice of glacial indie-pop. ‘Mirrors’ will be available on 7”, featuring remixes from Is Tropical, Voluntary Butler Scheme and Joe and Will Ask.
Mixed by Britt Myers (Yeasayer), ‘Mirrors’ is a shining example of Talking Pictures’ staple sound, which was born through the ambitious vision of singer and guitarist Nicholas Harrision. Through meeting keyboard player and self-confessed electronics geek Andy Hall-Hall, the band’s sound became realised: “I remember the first thing Nicholas said to me was that he wanted it to be like Motown, but with electronics – like Ray Charles meets Justice,” says Andy.
Talking Pictures soon took this original blueprint and warped it to create spikey, synth-laden indie, injected with huge, euphoric choruses. Like many great pop songwriters, Talking Pictures use their instantly accessible melodies to push darker themes. Of ‘Mirrors’, Nicholas says: “It’s sort of a cautionary tale. It’s about going out and getting a bit too messed up, and realising you have to take a look at yourself.”
The band have shared stages with the likes of The Naked and Famous and Monarchy and can be seen touring venues and festivals across this summer, including a date at Brighton’s Great Escape on 12th May.
‘Mirrors’ is released on 7” through Split Records on June 13th and available now through all good digital retailers.
Live dates:
28th May – 93 Feet East, London
10th June – Old Queens Head, London
5th July – Fieldview Festival, Wiltshire
12th July – Firefly Festival, Shropshire
John Mellencamp Announces First UK Tour Dates in 19 Years
American heartland rocker John Mellencamp is set to play a series of live dates in Europe in July, including his first UK shows in almost two decades. Taking in 14 dates, including three in the UK, Mellencamp will perform his greatest hits and tracks taken from last year’s full-length No Better Than This, released through Rounder Records. The album was recorded at various historic locations including Sun Studio in Memphis, the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia and in the same San Antonio, Texas hotel room where Robert Johnson recorded in 1936.
Performing in Manchester, London and Glasgow, Mellencamp will bring his staple heartland rock back to UK shores. Intent on giving his fans an unforgettable night given his lengthy absence from UK live scene, Mellencamp will be searching deep into his back catalogue to bring unique performances, detailing his musical journey over the past 35 years.
Mellencamp says: “We’re no longer trying to replicate greatest hits as you heard them on the records. We are looking to rediscover the music that we’ve made in the last 35 years and present a larger repertoire and reimagining the songs that you think you know. We are hoping to strive to discover new ways of presenting the music as such, not as spectacle and we have no desire to be the equivalent of a human juke box. At the very heart of this is the blues and the spirit of rock and roll that we all love.”
Known for his compelling, everyman storytelling, John Mellencamp was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and was recipient of the Woody Guthrie Award in 2003. Consistently hardworking with a hugely impressive repertoire of over 20 studio albums, these UK tour dates see the long awaited return of one of America’s all time great singer songwriters.
UK tour dates
1st July – O2 Manchester Apollo, Manchester
2nd July – HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London
3rd July – Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow
John Mellencamp – new T-Bone Burnett-produced album
Rounder Records will release No Better Than This, an album from John Mellencamp of all new original songs that was recorded at a variety of historically significant locations around the southern US states…
New album and live dates from Sarah Harmer
Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer is set to release her eagerly anticipated album, ‘Oh Little Fire’ on June 28th through Rounder Records, and will be heading out on the road for a short tour of the UK in July…
PJ Harvey & more added to Portishead/ATP I’ll Be Your Mirror London July 23rd & 24th
PJ HARVEY & more added to
“I’LL BE YOUR MIRROR” Curated by PORTISHEAD & ATP
23rd & 24th July – Alexandra Palace, London
Portisheadʼs only scheduled UK shows for 2011
As recently announced, on the weekend of 23rd and 24th July 2011 at the stunning Alexandra Palace, London, All Tomorrow’s Parties will present the first UK I’ll Be Your Mirror event, which will be curated by the mercurial Portishead (who headline both nights) and ATP. Acting as sister events to the world famous ATP Festivals which usually take place in holiday resorts, and named after the b-side to The Velvet Underground’s original All Tomorrow’s Parties 7″ single, I’ll Be Your Mirror will be a new series of artist curated music, film and art events taking place in cities worldwide, and the London event promises to be an incredible 2 days of the best music, art and film in the Capital.
Portishead will headline both nights, with a different stunning supporting line-up joining them each day. Tickets will cost £59 per day with weekend tickets priced at £100. These are the only scheduled UK shows Portishead will play in 2011.
Today we are very pleased to announce the addition of the following to Saturday 23rd July…
Very special guests:
PJ HARVEY
as well as…
DD/MM/YYYY
and for Sunday 24th July we can add…
S.C.U.M.
With much more to be confirmed for both the Saturday and Sunday line-ups.
Here is the current schedule for each day…Saturday 23rd July
PORTISHEAD
PJ HARVEY
DOOM
COMPANY FLOW (original line-up – first UK show in 10 years)
THE BOOKS
FACTORY FLOOR
BEAK>
DD/MM/YYYY
& MORE TBC
Sunday 24th July
PORTISHEAD
GRINDERMAN
SWANS
BEACH HOUSE
LIARS
THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC
ANIKA
S.C.U.M.
& MORE TBC
With more artists, DJs and other activities to be confirmed for both days in the coming months! Across the weekend we will be bringing to the venue a cinema, amazing food vendors, adding extra bars (including some cash bars) and toilets and also putting on shuttle buses from public transport locations to the venue and back to ensure the best experience possible for everyone that attends. Early Bird weekend and day tickets are now sold out.
Tickets on sale now from www.atpfestival.com
Pope Joan is dead. Introducing Black Black Hills
Pope Joan is dead.
Introducing Black Black Hills.
Pope Joan have become Black Black Hills. The band’s line-up will remain the same; the name change reflects the natural progression of their sound.
Singer Samuel Aaron says: “The way we sound has changed a lot and our whole approach to music feels very different compared to when we first started out. The name Black Black Hills suits the tone and atmosphere of the music we’re making now.”
This new approach to their sound and energy is represented superbly by the short film which accompanies their single ‘The Celebration’, made by 2009 UK Music Video Award Nominees Blac Ionica. The dark and unnerving video is a modern re-telling of English folklore and ceremony, which unrelentingly builds tension, drawing on a mysterious and sinister obsession with the unknown.
‘The Celebration’ short film can be seen here
Black Black Hills’ debut single ‘The Celebration’ is available now.
Santana – brand new album
Santana’s brand new album GUITAR HEAVEN: THE GREATEST GUITAR CLASSICS OF ALL TIME arrives September 21st on Arista…
Strangers to release EP2 on 18th July
Dark-pop outfit Strangers are set to release their new EP on 18th July through Stranger Sounds. Produced by stalwart remixer/producer and Strangers band member Glen Nicholls (Depeche Mode, UNKLE, Everything Everything) EP2 features three haunting tracks echoes the ethereal synth sounds of the 1980s, with pounding rhythms and soaring soundscapes.
In addition to the digital release of EP2, Strangers will release a limited edition 7inch single, through Killing Moon Records on 4th July, featuring the lead tracks from EP1 and EP2, ‘It Was a Sin’ and ‘If I Found Love’.
A remix of ‘It Was a Sin’ from Forgold (Foe, The Milk, Pete Lawrie) is available to download from the Killing Moon website: www.killingmoonlimited.com/mpfrees.
The band will perform tracks from both EPs on 13th July at The Wheelbarrow, Camden.
The Collectable Few release new single ‘Headstrong’ on January 24th
2011 gets off to a great start for new music with the release of the infectious debut single ‘Headstrong’ from charismatic London quartet The Collectable Few on January 24th through Laissez Faire Club Records.
With its sun-kissed melodies and dance-worthy beats The Collectable Few have crafted the perfect slice of fuzzy guitar pop to shake off the winter blues in ‘Headstrong’. Recorded and produced in London, the single was mixed across the pond in NYC by mixmaster Andrew Maury (Ra Ra Riot, Kisses, Static Jacks), who also gives ‘Headstrong’ the RAC remix treatment to back the original track.
‘Headstrong’ will be released on digital download through iTunes and all other good online retailers and limited edition vinyl (500 copies) on January 24th 2011.
The Keys announce live dates & festival appearances
Welsh psych-rockers The Keys are to hit the road to coincide with the release of their debut full-length album ‘Bitten By Wolves,’ released May 2nd by the cool folk at See Monkey Do Monkey Recordings.
Having risen from the ashes of the much lauded Murry The Hump – once labelled by Alex James of Blur as ‘the best new band in Britain’, counting Damien Hirst and the late Joe Strummer as fans and notching up several John Peel sessions – The Keys are a band whose musical pedigree cannot be argued with. The band has been capturing the imagination of industry and public alike, garnering praise and support from many, including Lauren Laverne on BBC 6Music and BBC Radio Wales tastemakers Bethan Elfyn and Adam Walton.
Drawing on a range of quality influences from Animal Collective, Captain Beefheart, Can, Spirit, The Black Keys, Frank Zappa, Panda Bear and Spiritualized, The Keys adeptly blend together the new and the old, sitting alongside the likes of Super Furry Animals, The Coral, Malachai, Tame Impala and The Bees. ‘Bitten By Wolves’ was recorded and produced by the band themselves, with frontman Matthew Evans at the helm (and a little help from El Goodo’s Pixy Jones on the haunting ‘When You’re Young’).
The band will take to the road with their signature brand of cosmic flavour in support of the release of ‘Bitten By Wolves’.
21st April- Harvest Sun, Liverpool
23rd April- The Welfare, Resolven
24th April- Gwdihw Bijou Festival (Acoustic)
26th April- Dublin Castle, London
27th April- Mother’s Ruin, Bristol
28th April- The Dulcimer, Manchester
29th April- The Llangollen, Bethesda
14th May- The Garage, Swansea
19th/20th/21st May- Liverpool Sound City
11th June- Norwegian Church, Cardiff with Epstein
22nd July- Gwyl Gardd Goll Festival, Vaynol Estate, Nr Bangor
23rd July- Gower Rocks
9th/10th September- Gwul Gwydir Festival
The Wild Mercury Sound are Rebel Playlisted
Prodigious string-snappers The Wild Mercury Sound have found support in the form of BBC 6music listeners across the land, having been shortlisted and then winning this week’s Rebel Playlist poll with debut single ‘Miss Frost’. Beating off stiff competition from Zola Jesus and Sparrow and the Workshop, the London-based four piece will be played on every daytime 6music show this week. Already named Steve Lamacq’s ‘New Favourite Band of the Week’ previously, the band are sure to continue gaining support with more and more airplay.
‘Miss Frost’ will be released in October through Hearts & Minds Records and you can see the band (who are already selling out shows up and down the country) on their current tour:
September 16th Liverpool – The Shipping Forecast
September 18th Hitchin – White Lounge @ the Ivory Bar
September 22nd Croydon – Scream Lounge
September 24th Oxford – Jericho Tavern
September 29th Leeds – Milo
October 6th London – Barfly
Thomas Dolby releases first new studio album in 20 years and announces UK tour for November 2011
‘A MAP OF THE FLOATING CITY’ RELEASED OCTOBER 24th
UK TOUR CONFIRMED FOR NOVEMBER 2011
Release follows conclusion of groundbreaking transmedia game
Thomas Dolby, the ground-breaking ’80s star whose smash hits ‘She Blinded Me With Science’ and ‘Hyperactive!’ helped define the MTV generation/revolution, will break his 20-year silence with a new release later this year titled ‘A Map Of The Floating City’. The album, featuring appearances by special guest artists Mark Knopfler, Regina Spektor, Natalie MacMaster, Bruce Woolley and Imogen Heap, will be available on October 24th, 2011 on Lost Toy People Records as a regular and hi-res download, as a physical CD, and in a special Deluxe Edition featuring a second disc of instrumentals and bonus tracks.
Thomas Dolby’s impressive recording & production career now stretches over 30 years. His commercial breakthrough came with the 1982 release of his very first album – ‘The Golden Age Of Wireless’ which featured the hit ‘She Blinded Me With Science’. Go back a year and Dolby’s innovative synthesiser work was already making its mark – he wrote the mesmeric synth intro to Foreigner’s ‘Waiting for A Girl Like You’. In 1983 he appeared on Def Leppard’s ‘Pyromania’ album. In the same year Dolby produced US rap wonders Whodini who released an absolute B Boy classic with ‘Magic’s Wand’. 1984 saw the release of Dolby’s second album, the expansive masterwork ‘The Flat Earth’, which raised the decade’s artistic bar considerably. ‘The Flat Earth’ featured Dolby’s biggest single success – ‘Hyperactive!’ – a fine piece of pop-art funk that was originally written for Michael Jackson. It still sounds like the eccentric English cousin of Herbie Hancock’s ‘Rockit’.
Between 1985-1992, Thomas Dolby released two more albums – collaborating with George Clinton on the bold ‘Aliens Ate My Buick’ – and 1991’s ‘Astronauts And Heretics’, which featured Grateful Dead supremo Jerry Garcia alongside Siouxsie And The Banshees’ Budgie. In addition to his solo output, Dolby produced Prefab Sprout (the classic Prefab albums ‘Steve McQueen’ & ‘Jordan: The Comeback’), Joni Mitchell (‘Dog Eat Dog’ album), appeared with David Bowie at Live Aid, worked with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters at The Wall in Berlin, and performed at the Grammy’s with Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock.
The five-time Grammy®-nominated British artist quit the music business in the early ’90s and spent many years in Silicon Valley, where his tech company Beatnik Inc. created the ringtone synthesizer embedded in more than three billion mobile phones shipped by Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and others. Now retired from Beatnik, Dolby has returned to his native U.K. and recorded an album of brand new songs in a renewable energy-powered studio he built aboard a 1930s lifeboat in the garden of his beach house on England’s North Sea coast.
Of the album, which is divided into three parts, Dolby says, “The new songs are organic and very personal. A Map Of The Floating City is a travelogue across three imaginary continents: In Amerikana I’m reflecting with affection on the years I spent living in the U.S.A., and my fascination with its roots music. Urbanoia is a dark place, a little unsettling . . . I’m not a city person. And in Oceanea I return to my natural home on the windswept coastline.”
“I marvel at the new landscape of the music business — distribution via the Internet and recording technologies I barely dreamed of when I started out,” he continues. “But this album does not sound electronic at all. I have zero desire to add to the myriad of machine-based, synth-driven grooves out there. The Net has made a music career approachable for thousands of bands — but I hear too few single-minded voices among them, so I’m returning to what I do best, which is write songs, tell stories.”
To help tell his stories, Dolby has enlisted an impressive cast of guest musicians. Legendary guitarist Mark Knopfler helps drive the epic ‘17 Hills,’ a song about a pair of hapless lovers and a jailbreak. Natalie MacMaster, the Cape Breton fiddler, adds spice to two songs. Scottish singer Eddi Reader takes a front seat on the ethereal ‘Oceanea’. Bruce Woolley (Camera Club) plays theremin. And Regina Spektor has a cameo as an East European waitress on ‘Evil Twin Brother.’
The innovative transmedia game The Floating City (www.floatingcity.com), co-created by Dolby and based on his song catalog all the way back to the 1980s, is currently in full swing and is proving highly addictive for thousands of regular players. The winning “tribe” will be treated to a private concert performance of the new album in its entirety. Thomas Dolby will shortly announce a string of concert dates in the U.K. and U.S. in support of the album.
THOMAS DOLBY UK TOUR 2011
Sunday 6th November
O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire (£25.00 adv)
Monday 7th November
The Forum, Hertfordshire (£21.50 adv)
Tuesday 8th November
O2 Academy Bournemouth (£21.50 adv)
Wednesday 9th November
The Assembly, Leamington Spa
Friday 11th November
Gaiety Theatre, Isle of Man
Saturday 12th November
Stanley Theatre, Liverpool Guild of Students (£21.50 adv)
Sunday 13th November
O2 Academy2 Birmingham (£21.50 adv)
Monday 14th November
O2 Academy Oxford (£21.50 adv)
Wednesday 16th November
O2 ABC Glasgow (£21.50 adv)
Thursday 17th November
O2 Academy Sheffield (£21.50 adv)
Friday 18th November
Picturedrome, Holmfirth
