Thursday 4 August 2016

GANG OF FOUR Announce Live Album and Fall US Tour



When GANG OF FOUR returned to the spotlight last year with the release of their critically-acclaimed album What Happens Next in 2015 on Metropolis Records, their longtime fans returned en masse to their new music and their live shows. While Gang of Four in the studio is pure mastery, Gang of Four live is whole other experience. Edgy and unpredictable, the legendary godfathers of postpunk always threaten to dissolve into chaos while never losing the tightness and angularity that is the hallmark of their sound. On September 9, 2016, Metropolis Records will release Live… In the Moment, recorded live from their sold-out show at London’s Islington Assembly Hall (a companion live DVD features their sold-out concert at NYC’s famed Irving Plaza).

Featuring Andy Gill’s blazing guitarwork with John "Gaoler" Sterry on vocals, Thomas McNiece on bass, and Jonny Finnigan on drums, Live… In The Moment is a perfect snapshot of what makes Gang of Four's live performances so exciting. With a setlist that spans their 30-year career from Entertainment’s “Damaged Goods” right on up to “Where The Nightingale Sings” from their latest album What Happens Next, it’s an awesome aural experience to behold (full tracklisting below).

With the release of this live record comes the announcement of the second leg of their North American tour with The Faint. Kicking off in Minneapolis on Sept. 29 at First Avenue and circling the US, this tour gives fans another opportunity to experience the transcendent moments in person that are captured on the upcoming live album (tour dates below).

Live... In The Moment will be released on September 9, 2016 via Metropolis Records.



Track listing:

1. Where The Nightingale Sings 2. History's Not Made By Great Men 3. I Parade Myself 4. Paralysed 5. What We All Want 6. Love Like Anthrax 7. Do As I Say 8. Stranded 9. Damaged Goods 10. Isle Of Dogs 11. At Home He's A Tourist 12. To Hell With Poverty 13. Why Theory 14. I Found That Essence Rare

GANG OF FOUR on tour with The Faint: Sep 29 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN Sep 30 Metro Chicago, IL Oct 01 Danforth Music Hall Toronto, ON Oct 02 Newport Music Hall Columbus, OH Oct 05 Paradise Rock Club Eastham, MA Oct 06 Webster Hall New York, NY Oct 07 Trocadero Philadelphia, PA Oct 08 9:30 Club Washington, DC Oct 10 Mercy Lounge Nashville, TN Oct 11 Center Stage Atlanta, GA Oct 13 House of Blues Houston, TX Oct 14 South Side Music Hall Dallas, TX Oct 17 Emo’s Austin, TX Oct 18 Observatory North Park San Diego, CA Oct 20 Mayan Theater Los Angeles, CA Oct 21 Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas, NV Oct 23 Regency Ballroom San Francisco, CA Oct 25 The Showbox Seattle, WA Oct 26 McMenamins Crystal Ballroom Portland, OR Oct 28 In The Venue Salt Lake City, UT Oct 29 Gothic Theatre Englewood, CO Oct 31 Sokol Auditorium Omaha, NE

Mercury Prize nominee C DUNCAN To Release "The Midnight Sun" on October 14 via FatCat Records



“I have always had a bit of an obsession with The Twilight Zone [the original 1960s series] - the strange stories, the often brooding atmosphere, and the stylized aesthetic,” says Glasgow’s prodigious talent C DUNCAN, about his inspiration for his new album The Midnight Sun (FatCat Records; release date October 14, 2016). Named after a particularly ‘dark’ episode of the show, this follow-up to his Mercury Prize-nominated 2015 debut Architect carries a loose thematic thread, much like the psychologically warping TV series. “I knew I wanted the album to have more of a theme/thread throughout it which Architect didn’t have,” he continues. “I wanted to capture the atmosphere and create something that is almost an anthology series styled album, in which all the tracks tie together stylistically without being one big conceptual record.”

Conceptually sound and musically cohesive, The Midnight Sun sees the DIY producer return with a more expansive and experimental second offering, blending electronic elements and sweeping synth sounds with his signature layered vocals and dreamy instrumentation. “No matter how different the stories in each episode are, there's a strong atmosphere and look to each episode which ties the all the episodes together,” he explains. From the pastoral opening track “Of Nothing More” with C Duncan’s layered vocals leading the listener through a rhythmic pop beat, to the snare shuffle of “The Other Side” to the spacy vastness of “Jupiter”, The Midnight Sun is an expansive tapestry of textures and tones, expertly crafted around his unique and ear-turning songwriting.

Like Architect, The Midnight Sun was recorded and produced entirely by C Duncan in his Glasgow flat, using his bedroom studio set-up and gradually adding each layer and each instrument one at a time. Though time-consuming, the process allowed him to lovingly assemble an intricate and subtle collection of songs that have gone on to receive huge support from the likes of Under the Radar who likened it to “shades of Fleet Foxes and Grizzly Bear in its multi-layered harmonies" and The Quietus who called it “elegant and thought-provoking,” thereby gaining a loyal and dedicated fan base - of fans and critics alike.

Like the disturbing episode it’s named after (in which the Earth shifts orbit and falls slowly towards the sun, casting 24-hour darkness on half of the planet), the album is “claustrophobic, mysterious and unnerving,” he elaborates. “’The Midnight Sun’ is also a real natural phenomenon, occurring in the Arctic Circle during summer, preventing the nights from ever being fully dark. Although not as extreme in Glasgow, during summer we often only get three or four hours between dusk and dawn. This has always had a profound effect on me mentally during these months, being more of a night owl myself, as it completely messes with my internal clock and confuses me year after year.”

Born and bred in Glasgow, C Duncan has been surrounded by music his whole life. With a childhood foundation in piano and viola and later discovering the more rock standards of guitar, bass and drums, he studied music composition at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland where he produced work that has been performed by various musical ensembles across the UK. Opting for the more contemporary rock lifestyle, he fast-tracked from playing basement venues alone to selling out 900 cap venues within a year, his live show growing by leaps and bounds. Now joined by a three-piece band, they provide the perfect backdrop for his hushed vocals and help execute the plentiful harmonies with mesmerizing precision. US dates will follow a UK / European tour and festivals.

The Midnight Sun was performed, record and produced by C Duncan and will be released by FatCat Records on October 14, 2016.

Death Koolaid - "Vol. 2" - Out August 25th



Death Koolaid were dug up from the dark depths of society. Each member was found through their blood thirsty passion to make hard hitting music. The four-piece, female-fronted hardcore punk-rock band, based in London, UK, began their quest to inject noise into the hearts of the masses in 2013.

In March 2014 they released their first EP Death Koolaid Vol. 1. The band began to gig around London immediately - the months that followed were filled with blood, sweat, and beers. With more shows under their belts and an ever-growing fan base, the band’s monster creation of musical torture was spreading; they stun audiences with their aggressive, action-packed live shows that make ears bleed and eyes spin.

In the summer of 2014 they were the first punk band to ever play a the Brighton and Hove Pride festival and then in October 2014, they were nominated for a UK MVA award for the video to their song "The Second Rule". Further to this they have released a video for another track from Vol. 1, "The Horrors", with a third video in the offing.

In June 2015 Death Koolaid won the UK Emergenza Battle of the Bands competition.

In 2016 they were nominated for "Best New Band" at the Pure Rawk awards' and are now about to release their second album due for release in mid 2016. There is only room for progression with the band, this unstoppable force of visceral mayhem will continue to wake up the dead and put music back into the veins of the living.

STREAM THE MAYFAIR'S DEBUT ALBUM "GLASS HOUSE," PRODUCED BY AARON GILLESPIE



Coral Springs, FL | August 3rd, 2016, South Florida's rising star Sebastian Quintero offers his first full album under the moniker The Mayfair. A culmination of countless sources, The Mayfair cites The 1975 and Aaron Gillespie as some of his biggest influences. Quintero went to Salt Lake City, Utah in August 2015 to work closely with Aaron Gillespie on producing his debut album, fine tuning his musicianship simultaneously. Glass House pays attention to the finest details in songwriting and reaches for the stars with its raw, emotive style. Writing the album with his idol Mr. Gillespie was an experience in itself, Quintero explains:

"I just brought ideas to the studio. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to sound like, and I didn't know exactly what I wanted to sing about. I sat on a couch with a guitar and Aaron sat in front of me with a pen and paper. I played and sang everything I had, and we shaped my ideas into fleshed out, cohesive songs. It was very special that he took the time to work with me on this record and I am incredibly proud to be able to put this out there for the world to hear."

The Mayfair is the brain child of Sebastian Quintero. He incorporates Post Rock, Indie, Pop and many other styles into his unique brand of music, including driving beats, raw guitars and a mixture of refined vocal approaches and raspy breakups to move the listener through his album Glass House.

The Mayfair has provided support to many national touring bands including; Further Seems Forever and MEWITHOUTYOU, and is taking over the local music circuit in the sunshine state while working towards a Re-release of Glass House with 3 alternate tracks on September 16th, a national tour, as well as several other session-styled performances.

Stream "Glass House" now HERE

Single Review: Hunter & The Bear - "Renegade", Released 5th August 2016 via Dog Monday Records




Hunter & The Bear - "Renegade"
Release date: 5th August 2016 via Dog Monday Records

I had just pressed start of the single... and it was just as well that I had clicked my seat belt beforehand... as the driver of the music bolide that is. Hunter & The Bear had definitely the pedal to the metal!!!

I love the only track on this single. It is right: there is only one title as you may need a bit of rest and a breather. So imagine Jon Kilzer on steroids and the best version of Bryan Adams or what he could have been if he had added fast pace to his repertoire. This song is Pump Rock. The voice is instantly agreeable. And what surprise when I found out that the quartet is from the UK. There is an Australian flavour to their music, a raw authenticity that only Kings Of The Sun and Jimmy Barnes have managed to produce.

Beautiful melody on this track, backing vocals well laid out etc... More modern and sleek than their illustrious predecessors from the previous century such as the Choirboys (Australia). They retain the ability to make a song a story and trigger images - making your mind travelling thru space and time. This is Rock but intelligently crafted to a point that you really want more than just one song. The good news is that you can play it again.

Oh yeah I forgot to tell you the title of the song :)

RENEGADE

Review by Pascal Derrien



Overall: Watch out, this is more than a revival of a genre called Rock'n'Roll
What I Loved: The guitar, the voice and the melody.
Live Test: If Clapton thought they were good...

Wednesday 3 August 2016

THE COLOR MORALE ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM & PREMIERES NEW SONG "WALLS"



Rockford, IL rock band THE COLOR MORALE is excited to announce the details for new album Desolate Divine, and to premiere their new song "Walls." Set to release on August 19th, Physical and digital pre-orders for Desolate Divine are available at TheColorMorale.net, which includes an instant download of "Walls" with each pre-order.

The band teamed up with Loudwire to premiere "Walls," which lead singer Garret Rapp explains, "’Walls’ is a song about keeping yourself in isolation to avoid vulnerability.” VIDEO HERE.

For the Rockford, IL quintet, treading new territory has uncovered their most poetic, potent, and powerful body of work to date in their fifth studio album, Desolate Divine. The new album captures the band's palpable aggression through expansive production, yielding to a bigger sonic backdrop, while preserving the sense of emotional vulnerability they're known for. Whether you're a first-time listener or a long-time diehard, you've likely never heard The Color Morale like this before, as the band remains unflinchingly real and unashamedly ambitious in Desolate Divine.

The Color Morale - Desolate Divine
Release Date: August 19, 2016


1. Lonesome Soul 2. Clip Paper Wings 3. Walls 4. Trail Of Blood 5. Version of Me 6. Home Bittersweet Home 7. Misery Hates Company 8. Perfect Strangers 9. Broken Vessel 10. Fauxtographic Memory 11. Keep Me In My Body

SKILLET - “The Unleashed Tour” Europe and Russia includes LONDON on December 9th



Grammy-nominated rockers Skillet have expanded “The Unleashed Tour” with additional stops throughout Europe and Russia this Fall. The new string of dates will kick off on November 6th in Paris, France and take the band through Europe and Russia before ending on December 9th at the KOKO in London. Red Sun Rising will be joining the band on the international tour. The tour is in support of Skillet’s first album in three years, Unleashed, which will be released on August 5th. Unleashed is the follow up to the band’s critically acclaimed, gold-certified 2013 release, Rise. Those who have pre-ordered the album have already received ‘Feel Invincible,’ ‘Back From The Dead’ and ‘Stars’ from the upcoming release. Another track, ‘I Want To Live,; has just been made available as an instant download.

Akron, OH’s Red Sun Rising will provide support for dates in Europe and Russia. Skillet has cemented its place as one of the 21st century’s most successful rock bands. Selling more than 11 million units worldwide, the Wisconsin quartet have received two GRAMMY® Award nominations and won a Billboard Music Award for the platinum-certified Awake. Their double-platinum single “Monster” is “the eighth most-streamed rock song of 2015” with a total of 57 million plays (and counting) on Spotify and would earn the distinction of becoming “the best-selling digital single in the history of Christian Music.” 2013’s Rise bowed at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 upon release, received resounding and eclectic acclaim from the likes of USA Today, New York Times, Revolver Loudwire, etc. and was recently certified gold by the RIAA.

SKILLET Tour Dates

November

6th Paris, France - Elysee Montmatre 7th Cologne, Germany - Live Hall 8th Antwerp, Belgium - Trix 10th Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli 12th Hamburg, Germany - Docks 13th Copenhagen, Denmark - Amager Bio 14th Aarhus, Denmark - Voxhall 16th Gothenburg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers KB* 18th Stockholm, Sweden - Fryshuset Klubben* 20th Tampere, Finland – Tullikamari* 22nd St. Petersburg, Russia - A2 Green Concert 23rd Moscow, Russia - Park of Legends 27th Warsaw, Poland - Stodola 28th Krakow, Poland - Kwadrat 30th Brno, Czech Republic - Semilasso

December

2nd Vienna, Austria - Arena 3rd Budapest, Hungary - The Akvarium 4th Prague, Czech Republic - Mala Sportovni Hala 6th Stuttgart, Germany - LKA 7th Zurich, Switzerland - X-Tra 8th Luxembourg – Rockhal* 9th London, UK - KOKO

*Red Sun Rising will not be performing in these markets

Tuesday 2 August 2016

Winterfylleth detail their upcoming album



Two years after the release of their seminal album The Divination of Antiquity (2014), pioneers of contemporary UK Black Metal, Winterfylleth return with their highly anticipated new release, The Dark Hereafter on Spinefarm/Candlelight Records. Musically we find the band progressing their ideas and moving into uncharted territories; exploring longer, more expansive songs and building on their signature sound with style & intent. Thematically The Dark Hereafter casts a light on how we are now seeing the negative, long term effects of bad policy making and global oligarchy playing out in our societies, how we have learnt all of these lessons before and yet ignore the wisdom of the ages.

Featuring 5 brand new tracks, The Dark Hereafter finds Winterfylleth at their most musically focused and lyrical best. The band once again used the amazing production talents of Chris Fielding at Skyhammer Studio and Tim Turan and Turan Audio to make the record a reality. Speaking about the new record, guitarist Chris Naughton said;

“After two years away we are really pleased to share this new record with you all. We thought a lot about making it, what it has to say lyrically, what that means and how we progress along with that as a band approaching our 10th year of existence. In recent years it feels like we have been living in an uncertain and unsettling world, and on ‘The Dark Hereafter’ we wanted to bring the issues surrounding that uncertainty to life, within these new songs. They carry a lot of meaning and sentiment for us and we hope they will also have that meaning for you too. We look forward to seeing you all along the way in 2016/17!”

Luxley’s "Spirit EP" is your dog days of summer antidote



UK COUNTRY SUPERSTARS, THE SHIRES, RELEASE 'BEATS TO YOUR RHYTHM'



UK country superstars, The Shires, have released the first single from their hotly anticipated second album 'My Universe', out on 7 October 2016 and available to pre-order today. The new track, entitled 'Beats To Your Rhythm', is a heartfelt but infectious summer smash which will have fans across the UK singing along in seconds with its handclaps, catchy chorus, stomping drums and rousing backing vocal hook. The tune showcases The Shires' trademark beautiful harmonies, which come naturally to Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes who share lead vocals and blend their voices together to perfection.

With the release of their debut album ‘Brave’ in 2015, The Shires became the biggest-selling country act in the UK last year (including US artists), and one of the biggest-selling breakthrough UK acts of any genre along with James Bay, Years & Years & Jess Glynn. Ben & Crissie continued to build a huge following, in fans and critics alike, landing 5 A list singles at BBC Radio 2 and appearing on a string of high profile TV shows including Graham Norton, BBC Music Awards, Children in Need Rocks and many more. The band were then given their first headline slot at Glastonbury this summer, topping the bill on the Acoustic Stage on Saturday night.

The new album will appeal to both pop and country fans, with high profile co-writes involving top country music writers, including Kip Moore, and with the album recorded at Sound Stage Studios (one of the most prestigious recording studios in Nashville, which has cut records for other country superstars such as Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum) the US country audience will no doubt be fans of ‘My Universe’ too. The band have already made significant steps to launching in the USA having graced the stage at the famous Grand Ole Opry, adding their names alongside Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, Garth Brooks and a veritable who’s who of country music who have all played at the famous Nashville landmark venue. On recording the new album in Nashville, The Shires said, ‎“It was great to go back to Nashville – we practically lived there. We have friends there now and for some reason when you write and record there you just feel more inspired. It definitely comes through in the new music.”

Last year, The Shires made music history by becoming the first UK country act ever to have a Top 10 album. The duo have clearly been at the forefront of the British country music movement which has seen a sea change in the opinion of the British public, who have embraced the genre and UK bands making music inspired by US country artists. According to a recent CMA report, country fans are also getting younger with 47% of 18-24 year olds now identifying themselves as country music fans. Talking to Music Week, label boss Rebecca Allen attributes much of this success to The Shires: "Country really is finding a new, young audience in the UK... The Shires’ success is opening doors for lots of other artists. They were one of the breakthrough acts of last year, along with Years & Years, James Bay and Meghan Trainor. And that wasn't from a country audience. It was an audience of young people that really enjoyed great pop music."

The Shires tour the UK this winter, culminating in a headline performance at 02 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, but fans don't have to wait long to see them live as they are also making country music the soundtrack to the summer, performing at a series of UK music festivals and events including Bracknell, Lytham, Castle Roc, Cottingham and supporting Sir Tom Jones at Bedford Park.

NEW TOUR DATES: O2 Academy, Oxford – Friday 18 November, 2016 Anvil, Basingstoke – Sunday 20 November, 2016 O2 Guildhall, Southampton – Monday 21 November, 2016 Royal and Derngate, Northampton – Wednesday 23 November, 2016 St. David’s Hall, Cardiff – Thursday 24 November, 2016 Corn Exchange, Bedford – Friday 25 November, 2016 Corn Exchange, Cambridge – Sunday 27 November, 2016 Colston Hall, Bristol – Monday 28 November, 2016 Dome, Brighton – Tuesday 29 November, 2016 Venue Cymru, Llandudno – Friday 2 December, 2016 O2 Institute, Birmingham – Saturday 3 December, 2016 The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester – Sunday 4 December, 2016 The Sage, Gateshead – Monday 5 December, 2016 O2 ABC, Glasgow – Wednesday 7 December, 2016 Barbican, York – Thursday 8 December, 2016 O2 Academy, Liverpool – Friday 9 December, 2016 O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London – Sunday 11 December, 2016 The band will also be performing at the following festivals this summer: Bracknell Festival – Saturday 30th July, 2016 @ 12:00 pm. City: Bracknell. Venue: South Hill Park Grounds Lytham Festival – Tuesday 2nd August, 2016 @ 6:00 pm. City: Lytham. Venue: Lytham Green Supporting Tom Jones - Sunday 7th August, 2016 @ 5:00 pm. City: Bedford. Venue: Bedford Park Falmouth Week – Wednesday 10th August, 2016 @ 7:30 pm. City: Falmouth. Venue: Falmouth Events Square Castle Roc Music Festival – Saturday 20th August, 2016 @ 12:00 pm. City: Chepstow. Venue: Chepstow Castle Cottingham Music Festival - Sunday 28th August, 2016 @ 7:30 pm. City: Cottingham. Venue: Civic Hall

Sunday 31 July 2016

Review: Corbu - 'Crayon Soul', Release 5th August 2016 via 3Beat (EU) & Big Picnic (US)


Corbu - 'Crayon Soul'
Release date: 5th August 2016 via 3Beat (EU) & Big Picnic (US)

It is pretty hard to describe Corbu’s music. It is so much of a melting pot that I would be pretty difficult to box it in one genre or another and that’s actually a good thing. Battles, the fantastic single is probably the most radio friendly track of the album. Jonathan Graves, the main man on this project, is the lead architect. But not only has he designed the overarching principles of Crayon Soul, he is also its ultimate sound builder.

I read an article in the Guardian about Jonathan Graves being a day dreamer and having some difficulty to make a difference between day dreaming and reality. I like that Crayon Soul is poetic in its own way, I like the nonchalance of Neon Hallway. Through Emptiness intro is magical to a point; it gently transports you to dream highland (island) before delicately bringing you back down to an aerial guitar station.

Branches, one of the other titles, reminds me of an episode of Space 1999. I have the same feelings toward Branches - I am fascinated by the track, troubled by its intent but then comes a time where I settle in reflection mode. I love the track but I am also apprehensive about where it can take me. No matter what, I keep coming back to it as I am hooked up on its sheer musicality.

Prism on the other hand seem lighter at first, with some percussions and beautiful vocals. A particular groove is the musical stamp on this track and again it is difficult not to be carried away.

I was thinking that the other tracks: Watchmaker and Marching Orders - actually all the songs - have this particularity that no matter how many times you listen to it, it never sounds the same the following time. And while you keep reiterating the experience trying to capture the emotions of the previous listening attempt... it keeps escaping...

You have to be open and welcoming. This is not a regular album, it’s an experience, inviting you to chase YOUR DREAMS.

Review by Pascal Derrien



Overall: Intriguing, beautiful and unique
If You pick 3 only: A tough task as it is difficult to dissociate one track from another.
However: Battles; Branches and Watchmaker
Live test: Curious to see this on stage