by Sedera Ranaivoarinosy

Tom Vek Announces His Return!

Listening to Tom Vek’s first album We Have Sound was one of the first instances in my life when I thought, “I want to write about this. This is so good.” For some reason, I never did get to write my awesome review, but now that after five long years, Tom Vek is returning with a new album, if it’s as good (or better) than his first, I might get the opportunity. Leisure Seizure will be released on June 7th on Downtown/Coop USA/Island Records. It was put together during a 3 year set-up period that was followed by a 2 year stretch of musical output. To record it, Vek found a suitable studio space in east London, and set up PALLET Recording Studios.

All this effort seems to have paid off. I don’t want to get ahead of myself here but the first excerpt we have from the new album, a song called “A Chore,” sounds pretty good to me. The video for it, directed by Ollie Evans, is also fun: its retro feel recalls Glenn O’Brien’s show TV Party and BBC’s Desert Island Discs and shows Vek in great form. Figure out what you think about it by watching below!

03.28.11

by aitorzabalegui

Art Brut Announce New Album, Residency Dates. Yes, Residency Means Touring.

Art Brut have recently made some plans, as bands do when they finish recording their 4th album. Brilliant! Tragic!, another Black Fancis-produced effort, will be released on May 24 with the single, “Lost Weekend” arriving May 16. The big news here is that frontman Eddie Argos claims that on this one he has finally learned to sing, which you can preview HERE. That’s the cover art above, and the track listing is below.

01 Clever Clever Jazz
02 Lost Weekend
03 Bad Comedian
04 Sexy Sometimes
05 Is Dog Eared
06 Martin Kemp Welch Five A-Side Football Rules!
07 Axel Rose
08 I Am The Psychic
09 Ice Hockey
10 Sealand

Art Brut also plan to do a brief tour, or residency — a 5-night stay at Lexington in London from May 30 – June 3rd.

02.03.11

by wesleyambrecht

Art Vs. Science Vs. London

After conquering their native Australia, Art Vs. Science are hopping on a plane and heading for jolly old England. The band has announced a string of dates in the UK beginning on February 8th and running until February 15th. Peep a full list of dates and the band’s new single down below.
Art Vs. Science – Magic Fountain by Sainted PR

Tour Dates

Tue 8 February Cargo, London, UK with Gold Future Joy Machine + Proxies

Wed 9 February Breakout @ Proud with The Heartbreaks, Morning Parade, Young the Giant, Sad Day for Puppets

Fri 11 February CLUB NME, Koko, London, UK with Hesta Prynn

Tue 15 February Borderline, London, UK With Talking Pictures

11.29.10

by nmcollins

The Duke Spirit Announce New Album Details

London’s The Duke Spirit, return this coming Spring with a new album, entitled Bruiser. Bursting on the scene back in 2003 with the release of a single (“Darling You’re Mean”) and mini album (“Roll, Spirit, Roll”), The Duke Spirit have showcased their scuffed, soulful guitar aesthetic across a handful of albums, relentless touring and TV appearances on all the late night talk shows. With two LP’s and a handful of EP’s under their belt, The Duke Spirit have harnessed their sound as “completely enveloped in a shroud of huge emotion – a mix of warm swirling dissonance, minor chords and a pounding minimal ‘60’s rock rhythm section.” FILTER Magazine. With Bruiser, The Duke Spirit make a conscious effort to strip down the fuzz and create space in which the drums, guitar and bass have their own sonic place.

Tracklist:

1. Cherry Tree
2. Everybody’s Under Your Spell
3. Villain
4. Don’t Wait
5. Surrender
6. Running Fire
7. De Lux
8. Procession
9. Northbound
10. Glorious
11. Victory
12. Homecoming

11.19.10

by tunmer

The Cordelier Club Reveals Debut Song on December 6th

The Cordelier Club’s December slated single, “Don’t Let It Go By” from the London based ensemble is fused with bouncy guitar, dance-synth keyboards and percussion that you can clap your hands to. The music has a similar effect as many of their contemporaries today but with a style almost evoking disco and vocals influenced by 70’s rock singers, merging that current sound with an older generation’s. The Cordelier Club has created a refreshing new take on what’s popular right now.

The brother-sister vocal effort from the core of the band – Richard and Alice Smith – comes through with charming harmonies and an echo throughout the chorus from Richard after Alice implores “is any body out tonight?” Alice’s vocals are more prominent and powerful and are the melody to Richard’s cool rhythm.

It’s a great dance song and a perfect debut for a band on the verge of breaking out. If they don’t manage to blow up the scene, well then it’s one perfectly pleasant song to be proud of. The latter seems to be less likely especially with the help of the likes of Mike McCarthy, the man responsible for the production of Spoon and …Trail of Dead.

Look for “Don’t Let It Go By” on December 6^th.

07.08.09

by Jane Lambert

Laying It Down With The Honors

A combination of Jim Beam and a desire to change the world produces indie rock band The Honors. The Boston four-piece creates intricate yet accessible rock songs thickly layered with gritty, compelling instrumentation, sophisticated guitar licks, and raspy sincerity. Lead singer Brandon’s passionate vocals are particularly distinguished in “Passing on Blue”; the captivating melody provides the ideal vehicle for an unrestrained, heartfelt lyrical delivery that is one of The Honors’ trademark musical elements.

Jason and Brandon of the band answered questions via email at a coffee shop on tour in Niagara Falls, NY.

Liv: What inspired you to make music together? How did you all meet?

Brandon: Someone once told us that people form bands to either change the world or get laid. I suppose you could say that we are inspired by a good mix of both.

Jason: Brandon and I met while studying English at Regents College in London, England. What began as late night, post-club jam sessions grew into a lasting musical relationship. We reunited several years later in Boston and decided to form The Honors sometime in the winter of 2008. Jason was playing in a successful New England area hip-hop band called The Press Project, and after performing their final show at the 2008 Bonnaroo Music and Arts festival, Jason recruited the hip-hop band’s bassist, Roland, to join the new band. Andrew came to Boston to study jazz at the Berklee College of Music, and knew of Brandon through mutual friends, as both Brandon and Andrew hail from the Ohio Valley.

Liv: What inspires your music on a non-musical level? Like, a book or piece of artwork…

Jason: ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’ by Jules Verne. Anything involving the ocean, really.

Liv: What was your very first show like?

Brandon: We had so much fun we can’t really remember.

thepill

Liv: What has been your biggest conflict to over come as a band or as individual musicians?

Brandon: Who gets to sit shotgun on tour.

Liv: How has the relationship within the band changed over time?

Brandon: We used to shake hands. Now we give hugs.

Liv: What does the near future hold for The Honors? Ten years from now?

Jason: Lots and lots of touring, meeting new people (preferably lovely ladies), empty bottles of whiskey, shoe polish, Walmart parking lots, Mark Jacobs, releasing a debut album, legendary fame in Japan.

Brandon: Ten years from now doing all the same things but in a world we helped to change.

Liv: What’s your pre show/post show routine? Describe your rock show experience…

Jason: Preshow-

750ml of Jim Beam

5 cigarettes

1 to 3 windsor knots

Engaging as many lovely ladies as possible. Spice to taste.

Brandon: Postshow- 30 Pack of Miller High Life, so every lady gets a drink at the afterparty.

Jason: If you’re a female, like to dance, party, have fun, and forget the day to day bull shit that inundates all our lives, then this is the show for you. If you’re a male, and like to look at females dancing, partying, having fun, and forgetting the day to day bull shit that inundates all our lives, then this is the show for you. Party on!

Liv: What’s your favorite/least favorite things about being on tour and/or being in the studio?

Jason: Favorite studio experience: the initial play back of a new song.

Brandon: Least favorite: waiting around for the engineers to set everything set up.

Liv: What song do you wish you had written?

‘Love Game’ by Lady Gaga.

Liv: What are your favorite swear words?

Jason: The Jonas Brothers. PressShot