New Teenage Fanclub album ‘Shadows’
Great to hear today that ‘The Fannies’ are returning with a new record ‘Shadows’ which will be available from 31st May, there will be a handful of live shows to support the release & the first track from the album ‘Baby Lee’ sounds superb.
1. Sometimes I Don’t Need To Believe In Anything
2. Baby Lee
3. The Fall
4. Into The City
5. Dark Clouds
6. The Past
7. Shock And Awe
8. When I Still Have Thee
9. Live With The Seasons
10. Sweet Days Waiting
11. The Back Of My Mind
12. Today Never Ends
Download a taster track from the album ‘Baby Lee’ from RCRD LBL, click here *
May 1st — Koko , London
May 27th — The Academy 2, Manchester
May 28th — The Leadmill, Sheffield
May 30th — The Academy, Dublin
June 1st — The Warehouse , Aberdeen
June 2nd — Glasgow O2 ABC, Glasgow
June 3rd — The Picture House, Edinburgh
June 4th — The Cockpit, Leeds
June 6th — Bristol O2 Academy, Bristol
June 7th — Birmingham O2 Academy 2, Birmingham
The Runaway // New album details and summer tour
HVNLP73
The Magic Numbers
The Runaway
available on CD, Deluxe CD, Double vinyl & download.
07/06/10
We are delighted to announce details of The Magic Numbers new album “The Runaway” which will be released on Monday June 7th along with a full UK tour starting on June 3rd.
It was produced by Romeo with Valgeir Sigurosson, who has worked with the likes of Bjork, Bonnie Prince Billy, Múm and many others, and was mixed together with Ben Hillier (Doves, Elbow, Blur) Several of the songs feature string arrangements by the bands late great friend Robert Kirby, renowned for his work with Nick Drake. It was the last ever project Robert worked on before he sadly passed away in October of last year and they have dedicated this record to him. This album also features Angela and Michele taking over lead vocals on ‘Throwing My Heart Away’ & ‘Why Did You Call?’.
We are really proud of this record and so are the band, album no. 3 and their finest recordings yet. It’s lush, soulful, string laden pop & nobody does this better.
You have probably already got the free download of one of the album tracks ‘Hurts So Good’ but you won’t have yet heard the first single from the album ‘The Pulse’ which the band will be sending out to you on the 12th April as a thank you for being part of our mailing list and supporting them.
There will be a limited-edition of the album which comes with an exclusive 4-track live EP which was recorded at the beautiful Wiltons Music Hall in London in January. You can pre-order that along with tickets for the bands tour via HMV & clicking here.
Here’s the tracklisting for the CD & Vinyl, full details of the bonus tracks to follow as this is hot off the press;
1. The Pulse
2. Hurt So Good
3. Why Did You Call?
4. Once I Had
5. A Start With No Ending
6. Throwing My Heart Away
7. Restless River
8. Only Seventeen
9. Sound Of Something
10. The Song That No One Knows
11. Dreams Of A Revelation
12. I’m Sorry
plus with the first copies of the double gatefold vinyl edition there’s a hidden track, except it wont be hidden it will be on very limited 1 sided 7″!
HVNLP737
bonus 7″
& you can see the band on tour in June with their friends, the wonderful Ed Harcourt who will also have a new record out & the beautifulLangley Sister’s who will also be providing string accompaniment as ‘The Dirty Pretty Strings’ for the band.
JUNE
3rd Leeds — Irish Centre
4th Newcastle — University
5th Glasgow — ABC
7th Manchester — Academy
8th Liverpool — Academy
9th Sheffield — Leadmill
11th Bristol — Anson Rooms
12th Wolverhampton — Wulfrun Hall
13th Cambridge — Junction
15th Brighton — Komedia
16th Norwich — Waterfront
17th London — Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Saint Etienne // Deluxe re-issues of Tiger Bay and Finisterre
Saint Etienne have announced details of the release of expanded and re-mastered versions of their albums Tiger Bay and Finisterre on Heavenly through Universal Music Catalogue on May 4th 2010.
Both albums will be re-released as Deluxe Editions featuring the original album, an extra disc of session tracks and B-sides and extensive sleeve-notes. A limited-edition version of Finisterre featuring a DVD of the film of the same name will also be available.
The albums are the latest in an on-going Saint Etienne re-issue series that has so far seen the release of Foxbase Alpha, Continental, So Tough and The Sound Of Water. They also recently released Foxbase Beta, a re-working of their debut album by renowned producer Richard X.
Tiger Bay was Saint Etienne’s second Top 10 album, and took the group into a new place by mixing traditional folk melodies with modern electronica. They worked with Underworld, Shara Nelson, Stephen Duffy, arranger David Whitaker, and Birmingham neo-dubsters Original Rockers to create a windblown but lush record, echoing its oil painting cover. Previously unheard bonus tracks on Disc Two include an abandoned sequel to Mario’s Cafe called Black Horse Latitudes (set in the evening, in a Tufnell Park pub), and the perky Wedding Of Stacy Dorning which looked forward to the sunshine pop of 1998’s Good Humor.
Finisterre was a love/hate letter to London, with its iconic image of the collapsed Ronan Point on the cover, recorded at a time of mass demonstrations against the government and just after folk hero Ken Livingstone had been elected Mayor. Alternately harsh and gentle, electronic and thrumming, it included the nu-disco call-to-arms single Action. Unreleased tracks on the second disc of the deluxe edition include the near-mythical Dr Who-sampling There There My Brigadier, and a tribute to the mysterious Aqualad who resides under the Thames, waiting for his moment to take the city back from the financiers and to open up the Post Office Tower’s revolving restaurant once again.
Made up of vocalist Sarah Cracknell, Pete Wiggs and Bob Stanley, Saint Etienne (named after the green shirted French football side who enjoyed a run of European success in the 1970’s) formed in 1990.
They released their debut album, Foxbase Alpha, in 1991, and have since gone on to record seven studio albums. The group continue to record and play live and last year performed their debut album, Foxbase Alpha, in its entirety over 3 sold-out nights at both London’s Bloomsbury Ballroom and the Shepherds Bush Empire.
TIGER BAY
CD 1 (original album)
1. Urban Clearway
2. Former Lover
3. Hug My Soul
4. Like A Motorway
5. On The Shore
6. Marble Lions
7. Pale Movie
8. Cool Kids Of Death
9. Western Wind / Tankerville
10. The Boy Scouts Of America
CD2
1. Urban Clearway (demo) *
2. Black Horse Latitude *
3. I Buy American Records
4. Hate Your Drug
5. You Know I’ll Miss You When I’m Gone
6. Sushi Rider
7. Hug My Soul (demo) *
8. The Wedding Of Stacy Dorning *
9. Deborah’s French Feast *
10. Western Wind (demo) *
11. Pale Movie (demo) *
12. La Poupee Qui Fait Non (no no no)
13. Highgate Road Incident
14. My Christmas Prayer
15. I Was Born On Christmas Day
* previously un-released. The non-demo tracks are brand new recordings.
FINISTERRE
CD1 (original album)
1. Action
2. Amateur
3. Language Lab
4. Soft Like Me
5. Summer Isle
6. Stop And Think It Over
7. Shower Scene
8. The Way We Live Now
9. New Thing
10. B92
11. The More You Know
12. Finisterre
CD2
1. Primrose Hill
2. Anderson Unbound
3. Seven Summers
4. Gimp Crisis
5. Abby, I Hardly Know You
6. So Mystified *
7. White Dress *
8. Time And Tide
9. Shock Corridor
10. Stop And Think It Over (Kid Loco mix) *
11. Mountain Rain
12. Queen Of Polythene
13. Ballade De Saint Etienne
14. Stevie
15. Get It Together Again
16. Fascination
17. There There My Brigadier *
* previously un-released. All tracks, except the Kid Loco mix, are brand new recordings.
www.saintetienne.com
Saint Etienne ‘Tiger Bay’ (Deluxe Edition)
HVNLP8 DE
Saint Etienne
Tiger Bay
Deluxe Edition
Saint Etienne have announced details of the release of expanded and re-mastered versions of their album Tiger Bay on Heavenly. The album will be re-released as Deluxe Edition featuring the original album, an extra disc of session tracks and B-sides and extensive sleeve-notes.
The albums are the latest in an on-going Saint Etienne re-issue series that has so far seen the release of Foxbase Alpha, Continental, So Tough and The Sound Of Water. They also recently released Foxbase Beta, a re-working of their debut album by renowned producer Richard X.
Tiger Bay was Saint Etienne’s second Top 10 album, and took the group into a new place by mixing traditional folk melodies with modern electronica. They worked with Underworld, Shara Nelson, Stephen Duffy, arranger David Whitaker, and Birmingham neo-dubsters Original Rockers to create a windblown but lush record, echoing its oil painting cover. Previously unheard bonus tracks on Disc Two include an abandoned sequel to Mario’s Cafe called Black Horse Latitudes (set in the evening, in a Tufnell Park pub), and the perky Wedding Of Stacy Dorning which looked forward to the sunshine pop of 1998’s Good Humor.
TIGER BAY
CD 1 (original album)
1. Urban Clearway
2. Former Lover
3. Hug My Soul
4. Like A Motorway
5. On The Shore
6. Marble Lions
7. Pale Movie
8. Cool Kids Of Death
9. Western Wind / Tankerville
10. The Boy Scouts Of America
CD2
1. Urban Clearway (demo) *
2. Black Horse Latitude *
3. I Buy American Records
4. Hate Your Drug
5. You Know I’ll Miss You When I’m Gone
6. Sushi Rider
7. Hug My Soul (demo) *
8. The Wedding Of Stacy Dorning *
9. Deborah’s French Feast *
10. Western Wind (demo) *
11. Pale Movie (demo) *
12. La Poupee Qui Fait Non (no no no)
13. Highgate Road Incident
14. My Christmas Prayer
15. I Was Born On Christmas Day
* previously un-released. The non-demo tracks are brand new recordings.
Available from:
Rough Trade
Piccadilly Records
iTunes
Alex Chilton R.I.P.
by Bobby Gillespie
Alex sang on, made, wrote and produced some of my favourite records ever. Records like The Letter by the Box Tops, which he sang. Then the Big Star stuff. Sister Lovers, the third Big Star album, is one of my favourites. September Gurls is an incredible single. It’s as good as The Byrds or The Beatles. It’s that good. “Like Flies On Sherbert” and “Bangkok”, total classics.
When we started Primal Scream, Alex was a huge influence on us. And he still is. Even if he’d only ever produced the first few Cramps singles and the first Cramps album, he’d still be one of my rock ‘n’ roll heroes. But he did a lot more than that. He made so many great records. They were art records, beautiful records, mournful records, sad records, joyous records. Alex Chilton was one of the greats. From the very beginning of our band in the mid-80s right up to his death, he was one of our gurus, one of our heroes. I never knew the man or met the man but he’s been with us all the time in terms of being a constant inspiration.
In 1991 we went to Ardent Studios in Memphis, where Big Star made their second and third albums. It was a great experience and I’ll never forget it. That’s how much we love Alex Chilton — we went to the studio where he made his records. It was like some kind of pilgrimage. When you hear Get Your Rocks Off, that was recorded at Arden.
Guys like Alex Chilton are too far out, they’re too hip, too advanced for most people to recognise. I think he made far out rock ‘n’ roll records — real mad crazy art punk rock ‘n’ roll. I think that insanity’s too much for most people to take in.
As each year goes past, we lose guys like Alex Chilton, Lux Interior from The Cramps, Ron Asheton from The Stooges, Roland S Howard from The Birthday Party. There’s less real rock ‘n’ roll left on the planet. I think we’re witnessing the death of rock ‘n’ roll when these guys pass. What people play these days is a form of rock music but it’s not rock ‘n’ roll. These guys are the real thing. And it’s sad when they die. When you look at the way music is now, it’s truly safe. Indie music is supposed to be outsider art. But what purports to be indie music is actually mainstream, bland music. Alex Chilton made outsider art. The Cramps were outsider art. And I just think it’s too much for most people to take. It’s too wild, it’s too free, it’s unconstrained and uncontrollable.
Thanks to Tom Sheehan for the pic (www.tomsheehan.co.uk)
Doves // The Places Between / Best of Tour
DOVES ANNOUNCE NEW TOUR IN APRIL & MAY TO COINCIDE WITH THE RELEASE OF ‘THE PLACES BETWEEN: THE BEST OF DOVES’
“The Places Between: The Best Of Doves is Released 5th April on Heavenly Recordings”
To celebrate Doves’ forthcoming best of collection ‘The Places Between: The Best Of Doves’ (5th April) and following the band’s biggest ever headline show at Manchester Central in December, a truly memorable performance at the BBC Electric Proms and last year’s storming appearance headlining the John Peel stage at Glastonbury Doves have announced that they will be playing a few very special shows during April and May.
Furthermore, as this tour coinciding with the release of their generation defining Best of collection ‘The Places Between’, fans can expect to hear Jimi, Jez and Andy’s choice of tracks from their twelve-year career. From the number 3 hit ‘There Goes The Fear’ to the Motown thump of ‘Black and White Town’, the kraut-rock inspired ‘Jetstream’ and the anthemic morning after glow of ‘The Cedar Room’ to name but 1 track each from epochal debut ‘Lost Souls’, the Mercury Music Prize nominated ‘The Last Broadcast’, widescreen masterpiece ‘Some Cities’, and not least, last years critically acclaimed gem, ‘Kingdom Of Rust’ — Doves truly have the most extraordinary and compelling live sets of any touring British band today.
‘The Places Between: The Best of Doves’ is released 5th April on Heavenly Recordings / Virgin Records and is available as a single disc or 3 disc deluxe edition with a DVD of all the bands videos. The album comes in a single disc and multi disc versions.
TOUR DATES
28th April – Hull City Hall, Hull — 01482 226 655
29th April – De Montfort Hall , Leciester — 0116 233 3111
1st May – O2 Academy, Glasgow
2nd May – King George’s Hall, Blackburn — 01254 582 582
4th May – Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone
5th May – Civic Hall, Wolverhampton — 0870 320 7000
6th May – Troxy, London
8th May – Liverpool University, Liverpool –0151 256 5555
9th May – St Georges Hall, Bradford — 01274 432 000
24hr cc hotline 0871 2200 260 / www.gigsandtours.com
On sale Friday 19th @ 9am
www.doves.net
www.myspace.com/dovesmyspace
www.dovesmusicblog.com
King Biscuit Time – Martyn’s biscuit diary part 2.
Following the revelations of past tea time treats, dizzy heights were once again scaled last week. From the unassuming customer to the veteran biscuit apostle, there are times when foil wrappers and cheapo art work cry out to be bought amongst other mundane supermarket wares. With a tag line of ‘An assortment of whole biscuits, biscuit mis-shapes and part biscuits ideal for dunking in your favourite beverage’, we knew gold had possibly been struck as we embarked on an afternoon tea voyage of discovery. After money cleverly spared on packaging (look how they’ve used the ‘D’ as the handle on the tea cup!), I initially thought these were bootleg but once opened they appeared to be the real McCoy.
Having not made the final cut, instead of condemning these flawed biscuits to the rejects bin, bourbon and party rings are thrown together and sold off as Dunkables. We didn’t hesitate in embracing them collectively and individually, chipped corners and all, with a handful only having survived half intact after some conveyor belt tragedy. If aesthetically they were not fit to be sold alongside their fellow brethren, we savoured this mixed band of outsiders. Although being fairly standard on the taste front, did they actually survive intense dunking conditions? Indeed they did, all were great tea time companions, barring the custard cream which became a little soggy. Rather than sublime flavours and textures, these biscuit Raggy Dolls win through because of the motley bunch that they are, heaped together in this old school pack with it’s no nonsense motto and tawdry design.
Danny would like to add that his selection was awarded a first prize rosette with top marks awarded for variety, tradition, unpredictability & that they came from the Poundland biscuit isle & have never been seen again.
Alex Chilton 1950 — 2010 R.I.P.
I’ve just woken up to a text from Jimmy Endeacott. Alex Chilton has died of a heart attack. A love of this guy has been something that I’ve had in common with every single friend that I have made since 1983. It’s gonna be a sad day.
Once folk start getting out of bed I’ll pull in some tributes, until then, this is how it happened for me;
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
When I moved to london in the summer of 1986 I got introduced to Big Star…they changed my life…
September Gurls was the anthem of Head Records, the phil kaufman club and all that followed…it was OUR music…
My birthday will never be the same again…
James xx
Competition Winners …
Congratulations to the winners of the ‘Falling & Laughing’ & ‘Loops’ competitions.
Tuija Hartikainen & Steve Genge, there are copies of Grace Maxwell’s book ‘Falling & Laughing the restoration of Edwyn Collins’ signed by both Grace & Edwyn on their way to you,
& Graham Clark & Joe Clark have won copies of the latest edition of LOOPS, the biannual journal dedicated to music writing from Faber and Domino Records.
Stay tuned & signed up for our upcoming Doves best of competition, where we will have some signed deluxe editions of ‘The Places Between’ to give away. If you would like to pre order the 2 disc set you can do so here;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Places-Between-Best-Doves-2CD/dp/B0036VSDCM
Fionn Regan to play in Dylan Thomas house at Laugharne Weekend
Ahead of his Electric Ballroom date in May, FIONN REGAN will be performing at the LAUGHARNE WEEKEND, the Welsh literary festival, where he has been invited to be one of their musical guests Fionn will going back to his roots for the festival, performing acoustic sets in both the Congregational Church on the Saturday night and The Boathouse, the last residence of Dylan Thomas, on the Sunday afternoon The Laugharne Weekend began in 2007 and has established itself as one of the UK’s most distinctive festivals with previous acts including the likes of Patti Smith, Simon Armitage, Ray Davies, Will Self, Roger McGough, Alexei Sayle, Rhys Ifans and Jon Ronson. Amongst the many luminaries appearing this year are Roddy Doyle, Bill Drummond, Stuart Maconie, Nicky Wire, Martin Carthy, Nick Kent, Howard Marks and Alasdair Roberts
You can get tickets from here;
www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_wales&query=detail&event=371623
Saturday 10 April – LAUGHARNE – Laugharne Weekend (Congregational Church)
Sunday 11 April — LAUGHARNE – Laugharne Weekend (The Boathouse)
www.thelaugharneweekend.com
Critical acclaim for “The Shadow Of An Empire”
“As a singer, lyricist and musician Fionn Regan fizzes with bravado and wit”
MOJO – 4 Stars ****
“Regan’s second album sees the young dubliner plug in to a similar ragged, rockabily vein to Dylan’s mid-60’s classics”
Q – 4 Stars ****
“Regan’s USP is still a gorgeous, sighing, tenor voice”
Uncut – 4 Stars ****
“This second album keys into the rollicking energy of vintage rock n’ roll, while also forging a unique, observational and genuinely beat-poetic lyrical vocabulary Terrific Stuff.”
The Telegraph – 4 Stars ****
“Words and images tumble out, and by the end, you’re thoroughly dazzled”
The Guardian – 4 Stars ****
“Angry, funny, relevant and summed up in one line: “You curse the darkness / And I’ll Strike a match”
The Independent on Sunday – 4 Stars ****
“The Shadow Of An Empire has an ebullient quality, and sets lashings of rockabilly glam against good-time rhythm guitar and pounding drums Later tracks recall the warmth of his earlier work but mostly this signifies a great talent shedding labels, spreading wings and moving on”
Metro – 4 Stars ****
“effortlessly combines rich melodies and lyrics excellently produced and wonderfully delivered”
The Sun – 4 Stars ****
“a rich, confident record”
Mail On Sunday – 4 Stars ****
“Regan follows up his Mercury prize nominated debut with the assured ‘The Shadow Of An Empire’
Financial Times – 4 Stars ****
“Regan’s songs have always been more engagingly askew than his sing-and-strum contemporaries, and they benefit hugely from a massive surge of electricity every song tears in a tumble of hooks and luminous wordplay Regan’s masterly progress is best exemplified by the title track, a stately anthem to decay that rings with the righteousness of a pre-Judas Dylan”
WORD
“Regan sports new, roistering togs assuredly, his vocals as forthright as his lyrics are murky”
The Independent
“Proving his diversity, the first four tracks clatter by in a rowdy race of pulsing snare, cymbals and guitar jangle, before the album relaxes into gentle ballad territory”
The Observer
“The Shadow Of An Empire is a fighting comeback from Fionn Regan It’s a fully realised, sprightly rocking album an uplifting, flawless follow-up.”
Clash
“ country tinged whiskey-sipping rock and introspective upbeat American folk this record gives Fionn Regan many more reasons to stand proudly in the spotlight.”
Loud & Quiet — 8/10
Fionn releases his new single, the deliriously catchy “Catacombs”, next month The songs comes complete with a very stylish b/w video directed by DOUGLAS HART on 8mm film Click on the link or stills below to check it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWALclRLiEY
