The Skull Defekts - EU Tour Dates October 2011‏

Great news! Skull Defekts, producers of what is undoubtedly going to be one of E&D's albums of the year, are hauling ass over to these shores in October.

They will be playing these dates:
Thu Oct 20 London, UK Borderline
Fri Oct 21 Cardiff, UK SWN Festival
Sat Oct 22 Birmingham, UK Supersonic Festival
Sun Oct 23 Boulogne-Billancourt, France Le Carré Bellefeuille
Fri Oct 28 Nantes, France D.F.A.

And you'd be crazy to miss them.

WOODEN SHJIPS free MP3, album + tour reminder!‏

Wooden Shjips are releasing their new album West on Thrill Jockey Records on 15 August, to be followed by and extensive EU tour in September. We're delighted to offer you a free MP3 from the album to download and share around for the track "Lazy Bones". Please let me know if you need any further information, downloads for the album, photos etc and if you're able to review or cover in some way.

FREE MP3!! Wooden Shjips "Lazy Bones"

EU TOUR
Sat Sep 3 Larmer Tree Gardens, UK End Of The Road Festival
Sun Sep 4 London, UK Scala
Mon Sep 5 Leeds, UK The Brudenell
Tue Sep 6 Liverpool, UK The Kazimier
Thu Sep 8 Tallin, Estonia Rock Cafe
Fri Sep 9 Helsinki, Finland Korjaamo
Sat Sep 10 Copenhagen, Denmark Loppen
Sun Sep 11 Gronigen, Netherlands Vera Club
Wed Sep 14 Krefeld, Germany Sudbanhof
Thu Sep 15 Paris, France Cafe de la danse
Fri Sep 16 Rouen, France Le 106
Sat Sep 17 Tilburg, Netherlands Incubate
Tue Sep 20 Vienna, Austria B72

Pontiak - Free mp3 and video from 'Comecrudos'

Pontiak's 'Comecrudos', which is due for release on Thrill Jockey in June 2011, was created as a soundtrack to the bold landscape the band encountered on a drive from Phoenix to the Big Bend area of Texas. The brothers; Van, Lain, and Jennings, were captivated by the sprawling landscape, the immensity and complexity of the geology and the beauty. They camped in an old volcano crater under a full moon and hiked ridges alongside the Rio Grande. Comecrudos is a soundtrack for the drive on Route 385 southbound from Marathon, Texas.

The band recommends listening to the album whilst driving, windows rolled down, music at full volume, the dust hanging in the air. Or on the subway - imagining you are in a car driving with the widows rolled down, music at full volume, the dust hanging in the air.

You can grab a sneak preview in the form of a free mp3 here.

Or watch this short documentary on the boys:

Pontiak doc from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

White Hills - new video from forthcoming album 'H-P1‏'

E&D faves White Hills have a new album, 'H-p1' out on 20 June through Thrill Jockey.

Musically, H-p1, White Hills' second full-length for Thrill Jockey, expands on the explorations of previous albums in ambience, noise, and space rock all led by guitarist Dave W.'s blistering guitar solos. This is the most fully realized White Hills album to date and the one that takes them furthest from their pure space rock roots. It is also their most angry record. It is a reaction to what White Hills sees as government co-opted and controlled by corporations.

Get a taster of what to expect here:

White Hills - The Condition of Nothing from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

Zomes - May tour + free mp3‏

Distorted keyboard melodies tumble one over the other held together by simple tape-looped drum beats. 'Earth Grid', Zomes' second solo album, is the culmination of Lungfish alumni Asa Osborne's years of exploring meditative modal models. Written, played, and recorded entirely at home on cassette tape, 'Earth Grid', is an intimate and intentionally primitive recording.

If you want to know what that all sounds like, download the taster 'Openings' here.

Or catch him live here:
Wednesday May-11 Espace B Paris France
Thursday May-12 Le Novo Locale Bordeaux France
Sunday May-15 Moog Barcelona Spain
Wednesday May-18 Rhiz Vienna Austria
Thursday May-19 A Studio Rubin Prague Czech Republic
Friday May-20 Kafic Leipzig Germany
Sunday May-22 Victoria London UK

Arbouretum - free mp3 'The Highwayman'

With the Arbouretum European tour just around the corner, we're pleased to offer you a download of their utterly stunning version of Jimmy Webb's 'The Highwayman', one of the standout moments from their critically acclaimed album The Gathering.

You can download it from here.

And catch the guys live at:
18/03/11 : Jam - Brighton (UK)
19/03/11 : Miss Peapod's - Penryn/Cornwall (UK)
20/03/11 : The Deaf Institute - Manchester (UK)
21/03/11 : Captains Rest - Glasgow (UK)
22/03/11 : The Cluny - Newcastle (UK)
23/03/11 : Hare & Hounds - Birmingham (UK)
24/03/11 : The Borderline - Club Uncut - London (UK)

We'll be down the front at the Borderline gig, see you there. :)

Arbouretum - European Tour dates & video for 'Destroying To Save'

E&D absolute faves, Arbouretum hit the road next month for an extensive European tour to promote their stunning new album The Gathering which came out on February 14 through Thrill Jockey. Combining fuzzy, psychedelic rock with English folk music, the Baltimore five-piece create a dazzlingly epic and resonant sound.

Check it out here:

Arbouretum - Destroying to Save from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

And if you like it, download it here.

Tour dates:
EU dates so far:
16/03/11 : Botanique - Brussel (B)
17/03/11 : Paradiso - Amsterdam (NL)
18/03/11 : Jam - Brighton (UK)
19/03/11 : Miss Peapod's - Penryn/Cornwall (UK)
20/03/11 : The Deaf Institute - Manchester (UK)
21/03/11 : Captains Rest - Glasgow (UK)
22/03/11 : The Cluny - Newcastle (UK)
23/03/11 : Hare & Hounds - Birmingham (UK)
24/03/11 : The Borderline - Club Uncut - London (UK)
26/03/11 : Rockpalast @ Crossroads club festival - Bonn (D)
27/03/11 : Ekko - Utrecht (NL)
28/03/11 : La Maroquinerie - Paris (F)
29/03/11 : Queen Kong Club - Neuchatel (CH)
30/03/11 : Manufaktur - Schorndorf (D)
31/03/11 : Tap Tab - Schaffhausen (CH)
01/04/11 : Unwound - Padova (I)
02/04/11 : Circolo degli Artisti - Rome (I)
03/04/11 : Monospazio - Pescara (I)
04/04/11 : Arena - Vienna (A)
05/04/11 : Beatpol - Dresden (D)
06/04/11 : White Trash - Berlin (D)
07/04/11 : Hafenklang - Hamburg (D)
08/04/11 : Eureka - Zwolle (NL)
09/04/11 : Cactus - Brugge (B)

Two free mp3s from Thrill Jockey

Those lovely & generous people at Thrill Jockey are offering up not one but two completely free mp3s today.

The first is from Chicago's legendary Eleventh Dream Day and comes from their new album 'Riot Now!' and features singer/guitarist Rick Rizzo, Freakwater's Janet Beveridge Bean, Tortoise's Doug McCombs and Mark Greenberg of The Coctails, this is their first album since 2006.

Eleventh Dream Day - Satellite

The second also features the aforementioned Mr Rizzo, this time along side Tara Key of the New York band Antietam and is taken from their rather gorgeous album 'Double Star'.

Rick Rizzo and Tara Key - Hungry

Enjoy!

Mi Ami - new video and tour announcement

Mi Ami have announced their April European tour, where they will show-off their brand new sound as featured on their forthcoming limited edition EP 'Dolphins' (out on March 14 through Thrill Jockey). Now a duo, Mi Ami dispense with guitars and replace them with samplers and a 707 drum machine, creating an intense, uplifting listening experience with dark synth sounds.

Check it out in this video for the track 'Hard Up':

Mi Ami - Hard Up from Not Not Fun on Vimeo.

The tour dates are as follows:

MI AMI EU DATES
12/04/2011 FR Lille Aeronef
14/04/2011 UK London Corsica Studios (Upset the Rhythm)
15/04/2011 UK Liverpool Mello Mello
16/04/2011 IE Dublin Button Factory
20/04/2011 UK Glasgow Arts School
22/04/2011 NL Den Haag Paard *
23/04/2011 NL Amsterdam OCCI *
24/04/2011 DE Koln Genau *
25/04/2011 DE Trier Exhaus *
26/04/2011 DE Leipzig Conne Island *
27/04/2011 DE Berlin Leevee *

Eternal Tapestry - 'Galactic Derelict' Video

Eternal Tapestry are a Psych rock 5-piece from Portland, Oregon and sound right up our little street. Their new album 'Beyond the 4th Door' is due out on March 14 2011 through Thrill Jockey.

As a taster, here's the video for 'Galactic Direct':

Eternal Tapestry - Galactic Derelict from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

The Skull Defekts give away 'Fragrant Nimbus' mp3

For their new album Swedish riff-mongers The Skull Defekts have been joined by the legend that is Daniel Higgs and, let me tell you, it's a powerful combination. The resultant album, 'Peer Amid', is out on February 21 through Thrill Jockey and to whet your appetite they are giving away the track 'Fragrant Nimbus' absolutely free!

Download the track here.

Free MP3 - Thank You

Baltimore's no-wave, krautrock, post-punk trio Thank You are offering up a free MP3 for the track "1-2-3 Bad" from their forthcoming album 'Golden Worry' produced by Chris Coady (Beach House, Gang Gang Dance). Get it here. The album is out on Thrill Jockey on January 24.

Sam Prekop - 'The Silhouettes' Video

a very cute animated video from Sea and Cake frontman, Sam Prekop's electronic solo album 'Old Punch Card', for the track 'The Silhouettes'. It is directed by Jordan Kim who works for the US TV show Yo Gabba Gabba which is on Nick Jr and it's rather splendid...

Sam Prekop - The Silhouettes from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

May Album Review Roundup

May saw the Echoes And Dust DJs released from their darkened room and out in to the world of gigdom. They mostly behaved themselves and the inaugral Sunkan Dymonds night was widely regarded to have been a rip-roaring success, £500 being raised for Macmillan Cancer Care in the process. The result of all such breathless excitiment has been that we've hardly had a chance to pen to paper this month, so here's a few things we missed but deserve an honourable mention:

Read More...

April Album Review Roundup

April, meant to be a month of spring sunshine, summery showers and cherry blossom. What have we had this year? Volcanoes, hail storms and general elections.

All feels a little end of days if you ask me and adding to that sensation comes this apocalyptic sounding record. ‘We Are A Unit’ (Brew Records, April 12) from Castrovalva is twenty seven minutes of absolute adrenaline charged insanity. In less than half an hour this Leeds three piece crash through twelve tracks of thumpingly heavy but tight as fuck funky craziness. Read More...

Lazer Crystal - 'MCMLXXX' Album Review Posted

I never really got the point of using Roman numerals to denote years (being as we've been using…y'know…numbers, for the past 1,500 of them) but I eventually worked out that MCMLXXX translates to "1980". After the first minute or so of this album (during which you get the impression you might just have embarked on a dance/trance trip), you realise that Lazer Crystal are probably not too fussy about using subtle or obscure titles. This is a Gary Numan/Metal Mickey/Visage/Mighty Boosh/Hot Chip non-stop-retro-kraut-electro-robo-disco party and you’re all invited. Just remember to wear something dayglo. And whatever you do, don’t smile. Read More...

New Tracks From Thrill Jockey

Those lovely people at Thrill Jockey have generously given us two new tracks from label mates and touring buddies TRANS AM and LAZER CRYSTAL from their forthcoming albums.

TRANS AM - "Apparent Horizon" from the album Thing (19 April)


LAZER CRYSTAL - "Love Rhombus" from the album MCMLXXX (10 May)


Both crackers, I think you'll agree.

January / February Album Reviews Roundup

Amazingly, we are already 1/6th of the way in to 2010. The evenings are getting lighter, the snows are finally receding but before we dive headlong in to spring, here’s a quick look back at some of the winter’s last few musical contributions.

Up first we have an extraordinary album accompanied by a tragic back story. ‘Luck In The Valley’ (Thrill Jockey, Feb 15) was Jack Rose’s 10th album as a solo artist, but incredibly sadly he will never see its release as at the devastatingly young age of 38 he died of a heart attack on December 5th  last year. What he has left behind is a record of some of the most unbelievably intricate, emotive and exploratory guitar playing I have ever heard. Taking in styles as diverse as bluegrass, folk, Middle Eastern drone and traditional classical the album covers a huge amount of ground yet manages to hang together as a coherent whole. Rose was a player of almost unparalleled virtuosity and ‘Luck In The Valley’ is a poignant tribute to his talent.

Also out from Thrill Jockey in February but almost literally from another planet was Pontiak’s ‘Sea Voids’. In a bid to claim the title of most prolific band on Thrill Jockey the brothers Carney have put out what they claim to be ‘an album in between albums’. Following on from  ‘Sun On Sun’ in 2008 and ‘Maker’ in 2009 it is meant to fill the gap until a ‘proper’ album gets done later in the year. It was recorded in eight evenings over the course of three weeks and as a result is perhaps somewhat patchy. The opening three tracks, ‘Suzerain’, ‘World Wide Prince’ and ‘One Ton One Kilo’, are truly jaw-dropping, massive, bass heavy and full of brooding menace but after that the standard becomes a little erratic. ‘Life And Coral’ and ‘It’s The Life’ both stand out as slightly poor attempts to do a psyche-ballad type thing, although this is totally redeemed by the megalithic title track that the album closes with. Not their greatest work but more than worth a listen. More importantly, catch their joint tour with White Hills over the next few weeks.

A couple of different takes on a post rock theme next. Flies Are Spies From Hell have been knocking around the gigging scene for a while and also have one of my favourite names from the current crop of bands. They’ve been playing with the likes of E&D faves And So I Watch You From Afar, Russian Circles and MaybeSheWill and definitely share that same penchant for massively epic tunes that descend in to heavy as hell breakdowns, great stuff. ‘Red Eyes Unravelling’ is peppered with beautifully melodic, quiet moments and soaringly uplifting climactic passages.

‘Clown Jazz’ (Gringo Records, Feb 22) is a split album from two bands who have toured together extensively in recent years, and you can see why as they take similar approachesto their music but achieve somewhat different results with them. Nottingham’s Souvaris contribute the first two tracks and their take on post rock is an offbeat math funk (I may have just made that genre up), tightly grooved and interspersed with quirky melodies and a charming exuberancy. The remaining three tunes come courtesy of Bordeaux’s Sincabeza and they come with a more muscular approach indeed. They still focus on the groove but bring a somewhat more serious and raucous noise to bear on preceedings. Individually, both bands make a great listen but I wonder if the juxtaposition of the two on to one record really works.

‘On The Wire’ (Slow Train Records, Jan 25) was recorded by Ardentjohn in a cottage on the shores of Loch Fyne and somehow that clear Scottish country air has seeped in to the very fibre of this record. This record is chock full of effortless sounding, melodic, folk tinged indie tunes, in places sort of bringing to mind a Scottish Doves and in others giving more than a nod towards the west coast of the USA. Harmonies and a gentle pastoral theme are much to the fore in this sweet debut.

Last up is another offering from across the channel. Playing jaunty power indie pop, sitting somewhere between The Primatives and The Cardigans with a dash of Metric to give it a modern twist, come Balbec and their ‘Rise And Fall Of A Decade’ (Feb 17) album which they are releasing themselves. This is a really joyous, tuneful and fresh sounding record and although it covers pretty well trodden ground is does it in a way which is both hugely engaging and invigorating.