Video Villain Video

Video Villain are Marie France and Lucy Catherwood and this is their debut single ‘Fearless’, to be released for download on February 21.

Self-made, self-released… they even made the video. Summarised by the band themselves, the track is “about coming through a difficult time in your life and realizing you are better for it, basically embracing change.”

Charged with electricity and taking influences far and wide, from Nine Inch Nails and Aphex Twin to Beethoven and Wendy Carlos, ‘Fearless’ is 5 minutes and 31 seconds of intense, bass driven, electronic rock hedonism. The almost occult-like video has already been rumbling in the depths of the web for a few weeks and can be seen here:

Vid for Johnny Foreigner's 'Harriet, By Proxy' released to the wide world

Everyone's favourite Birmingham indie-rock trio, Johnny Foreigner, uploaded their new video as a fan exclusive last week but have now released it to the rest of us:



12" and CD versions of the release are available from their website and from Alcopop! directly.

The Good Suns new single - video

The Good Suns excel at producing beautifully crafted, old time pop gems reminiscent of the back to basics hook laden pop that drives the likes of Girls and Surfer Blood, combined with the infectious melodies of Burt Bacharach and early Beatles.

February 14 sees their début release in the shape of double A-side single 'Shadow'/'At Last I’m Bored'. Both tracks epitomise much of the above. 'Shadow', their roof raising set closer, is an ode to departed and dear friends, whilst 'At Last I’m Bored' is an ideal showcase for their trademark infectious harmonies. It delivers more with each listen.

Check the video for 'Shadow' here:

The Good Suns - Shadow from unthank on Vimeo.

Disappears return with a new video

To mark the release of their second album 'Guider' Chicago's Disappears, makers of one of our fave albums of 2010, have released a video for the leading track 'Superstition':

Japanese Voyeurs hit the road with headline tour

After touring with Young Guns and playing various shows with the likes of Rolo Tomassi and The Ghost Of a Thousand over Christmas, our favourite grunge revivalists Japanese Voyeurs kick off 2011 with a headline tour, leading into the Rock Sound Exposure tour with Dinosaur Pile-Up and The Xcerts:

FEBRUARY
3rd Middlesborough, The Crown
4th Hull, Adelphi
5th Dundee, Hustlers
6th Aberdeen, Tunnels
7th Inverness, Mad Hatters
9th Liverpool, Shipping Forecast
10th Stoke, Sugarmill
11th Wakefield, Escobar
12th Exeter, Freakscene @ Pheonix
14th Bath, Moles
17th Bedford, Esquires +
18th Bournemouth, Champions +
19th Brighton, Audio +
20th Tunbridge, Forum +
22nd Cambridge, Haymakers +
23rd Birmingham, O2 Academy 3 +
24th London, Relentless Garage +
25th Bristol, O2 +
27th Glasgow, King Tuts +
28th Newcastle, O2 Academy 2 +

MARCH
2nd Leeds, Cockpit 2 +
3rd Manchester, Roadhouse +
4th York, Duchess +
5th Southampton, Joiners +

*on tour with Young Guns. Tickets available from here
+Rock Sound Exposure tour w/Dinosaur Pile Up and The Xcerts. Tickets available from here.

The Get Up Kids album teasers

Influential Kansas City five piece, The Get Up Kids, return in February 2011 with a new studio album, ‘There Are Rules’ – the band’s fifth full-length collection, and the first on their own Quality Hill Records imprint.

Seven years after what looked to be their final album ‘Guilt Show’, with the group disbanding a year later in 2005 after 10 years of constant touring, The Get Up Kids returned to the studio in 2009, sparked by a spur-of-the-moment decision to start writing songs together again, made while they were rehearsing to promote the tenth anniversary edition of their breakout album ‘Something to Write Home About’.

The first fruits of these new recordings was ‘Simple Science’, released in April 2010 and now comes an eagerly anticipated new album.

Check out these two tracks to get a hint of what to expect:

AUTOMATIC (PROMO)-THE GET UP KIDS from PAT VAMOS on Vimeo.

Untitled from PAT VAMOS 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.

Cut Copy return with new album, UK shows & free download

Melbourne’s finest electro popsters Cut Copy are set to return with new album ‘Zonoscope’, released via Modular Recordings on the February 07 in the UK. As part of an extensive world tour, Cut Copy have also announced some UK shows in March:

Thurs 3 March – Glasgow - Death Disco Special @ The Arches
Fri 4 March – Galway – Raddison (free outdoor festival)
Sat 5 March – Manchester – Now Wave @ Gorilla
Sun 6 March – London - The Forum

As a taster of what is to come on the new album Cut Copy are giving away the track ‘Where I’m Going’, click to download here.

'Crush' by Pendulum...

...sounds like a terrible way to die but is actually the new single from everybody's favourite dance / rock crossover bunnies, which was out on Monday (January 17) through Earstorm / Warner Bros. Records.

Taken from their #1 album ‘Immersion’, ‘Crush’ explodes with a rush of visceral pounding beats, a grinding metallic riff and a soaring hook provided by Rob Swire’s atmospheric vocals.

Check the rather splendid video here:

The Unlikely Return Of Liam Dullaghan

The story behind the gestation of Liam Dullaghan's first solo album is truly amazing, tinged with tragedy but ultimately redemptive.

After scoring a minor classic with his former band The Havenots' second album, 'Never Say Good Night', back in 2005 an ill-fated trip to Chicago to record the follow up ultimately left Dullaghan homeless. Returning to the UK out of love with the whole business of making music, he sold all of his guitars, moved into his parents’ garage and didn’t pen a song for years. Work was fixing radios at a local hospital.

A chance encounter with producer / multi-instrumentalist Lee Russell to re-awaken Dullaghan's creative urges. Recorded over 3 years in an old converted Wesleyan chapel that Russell uses as a studio, 'Making History' builds on the promise hinted at in his earlier work whilst broadening his sonic palette. Amid the buzzing mellotrons of the album's opener 'Radio Verona' comes a warning for star crossed lovers ("hey Romeo, don't say i never told you so"). The lead single, the brilliantly titled 'I’m Just Fucked Without You', kicks up a country-rock-dust-storm while 'Choirs Of Angels' is a shuffling whisper of a pop song about falling in love with a girl from Desborough.

With a back story like that, you've just got to check out what this record sounds like, haven't you? The album is out on Signal/Noise on April 03, check back here for further details closer to the time.