Tom Tom Club will release 'Genius Of Live' through Because Music on 7th February. The two-disc package will feature select tracks from their 'Live at The Clubhouse' album and new remixes of their timeless single, 'Genius Of Love'.
'Live at The Clubhouse' documented the iconic group performing in front of close friends at their home studio. The band can be heard playing their hit singles 'Genius Of Love' and 'Wordy Rappinghood' as well as signature covers of Al Green's 'Take Me To The River' And Hot Chocolate's 'You Sexy Thing'. The performance was recorded shortly after the September 11th tragedy, converting the stress and paranoia of the times into positive energy.
"We had a really exciting band and wanted to record the band for posterity while we were all together," band co-founder/drummer Chris Frantz says.
"Who knew if we would all still be together in the future? This was in October immediately following the harrowing events of September 11 and we wanted to do something positive and fun to counteract the sad and confused feeling people were experiencing at the time."
Tom Tom Club was formed by Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth in 1981. Graduates from the Rhode Island School of Design, they moved to New York City where they founded the Talking Heads as a trio with David Byrne in 1975. In early 1981, the Talking Heads took a hiatus after five years of touring internationally and four studio albums. Chris and Tina began the Tom Tom Club and signed with Chris Blackwell and Island Records.
"Genius Of Love" has been sampled since the early days of Hip Hop by a wide variety of artists including, Grandmaster Flash, Mariah Carey, Tupac Shakur and T.I. The second disc on this release features prominent Latin alternative artists like Ozomatli, Money Mark, Senor Coconut and The Pinker Tonestackling the track.
Here they are performing Genius of Love at Summer Sonic festival in Japan:
'Compelling… a band with a lot of charm' MAIL ON SUNDAY
'The Jolly Boys are enjoying a remarkable 'Buena Vista Social Club' revival' OBSERVER
'Utterly engaging' THE TELEGRAPH
The Jolly Boys are undoubtedly the most recognisable mento band in the world. Being given their name by the legendary Errol Flynn the band are steeped in history, defining the genre of mento before Jamaica was known for it's ska or reggae.
Even though the Jolly Boys have been around since the early 1940s, they released their latest offering only this summer - an album packed with stunning interpretations of contemporary songs given a mento makeover. The album was received to critical success, with the first release being a version of Amy Winehouse's 'Rehab'. Their next single from this album will be the Lou Reed classic 'A Perfect Day', and it will be released on December 20th.
After hitting the festivals this summer, including appearances mainstage at Bestival and at the Electric Picnic, the Jolly Boys return to UK shores this December to embark on a nation wide headline tour, concluding with a supporting slot with ska veterans Madness at London's Earls Court.
Album 'Great Expectation' is Out Now on Wall Of Sound.
From new album, 'The Deep Field' released Jan 24th
UK Tour - February 2011
The Magic is the first single to be taken from the new JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN album, The Deep Field.
Joan Wasser "The Magic is about how crazy your head can get when you begin worrying about the future, about the past, about not getting what you want or not getting enough of it.. and once that worry starts it can turn into some serious psychic bad trip! "
The new JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN album, The Deep Field begins with the words "I want you to fall in love with me," and continues to unfurl an unashamed lust for life. It's unquestionably her best, most significant album yet - in Joan's own words, "my most open, joyous record." A rocking, soulful journey, The Deep Field is Joan's most personal, and her most universal album to date.
Watch Joan Wasser talk about the recording of her new album:
The Deep Field - the title refers to a tiny and far distant part of space - follows the critical and commercial success of her previous albums, Real Life and To Survive and it confirms, if confirmation were needed, that Joan Wasser is a truly original talent; utterly captivating both on record and on stage, Joan returns to the UK in February for an eleven-date tour:
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S 'THE PROMISE: THE DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN STORY' 15th NOVEMBER
BOX SET INCLUDES 3CD/3DVD PACKAGE OF REMASTERED ALBUM, NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN STUDIO & LIVE FOOTAGE, 80-PAGE NOTEBOOK, 21 PREVIOUSLY-UNRELEASED SONGS AND AN EXTRAORDINARY DOCUMENTARY FILM THAT WILL DEBUT AT THE TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL ON 14th SEPT
PACKAGE FEATURES NEARLY SIX HOURS OF FOOTAGE, INCLUDING CLASSIC 1978 HOUSTON PERFORMANCE AND MORE THAN TWO HOURS OF AUDIO
COLUMBIA TO SIMULTANEOUSLY RELEASE 'THE PROMISE' DOUBLE CD COMPLETE SONGS FROM DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN'S LOST SESSIONS
Columbia Records will release Bruce Springsteen's 'The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story' on 15th November. The Deluxe Package comprises over six hours of film and more than two hours of audio across 3 CDs and 3 DVDs. The media contents are packaged within an 80-page notebook containing facsimiles from Springsteen's original notebooks from the recording sessions, which include alternate lyrics, song ideas, recording details, and personal notes in addition to a new essay by Springsteen and never-before-seen photographs.
An excerpt from the documentary can be watched here:
Containing a wealth of previously unreleased material, 'The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story' offers an unprecedented look into Springsteen's creative process during a defining moment in his career. 'The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story' will additionally be released as a 3CD/3 Blu Ray disc set.
The set will be available as 'The Promise,' an edition, which consists of only the unheard complete songs on two CDs or four LPs, along with lyrics and the new essay by Springsteen.
A preview of previously unheard song "Save My Love" is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=Dr6WG67ZWfM
The Deluxe Package includes 'Darkness on the Edge of Town,' digitally remastered for the first time.
CD 1: REMASTERED 'DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN'
1. Badlands
2. Adam Raised A Cain
3. Something In The Night
4. Candy's Room
5. Racing In The Street
6. The Promised Land
7. Factory
8. Streets Of Fire
9. Prove It All Night
10. Darkness On The Edge Of Town
"'Darkness' was my 'samurai' record," Springsteen writes, "stripped to the frame and ready to rumble. But the music that got left behind was substantial." For the first time, fans will have access to two discs containing a total of 21 previously-unreleased songs from the 'Darkness' recording sessions, songs that, as Springsteen writes, "perhaps could have/should have been released after 'Born To Run' and before the collection of songs that 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' became."
Highlights include the extraordinary rock version of "Racing in the Street," the never-before-released original recordings of "Because the Night," "Fire," and "Rendezvous," the supreme pop opus "Someday (We'll Be Together)," the hilarious "Ain't Good Enough for You," the superb soul-based vocal performance on "The Brokenhearted," the utterly haunting "Breakaway," and the fully orchestrated masterpiece and title song "The Promise." All 21 songs have been mixed by Springsteen's long-time collaborator Bob Clearmountain. According to long-time manager/producer Jon Landau, "There isn't a weak card in this deck. 'The Promise' is simply a great listening experience."
CD 2: THE PROMISE (DISC 1)
1. Racing In The Street ('78)
2. Gotta Get That Feeling
3. Outside Looking In
4. Someday (We'll Be Together)
5. One Way Street
6. Because The Night
7. Wrong Side Of The Street
8. The Brokenhearted
9. Rendezvous
10. Candy's Boy
CD 3: THE PROMISE (DISC 2)
1. Save My Love
2. Ain't Good Enough For You
3. Fire
4. Spanish Eyes
5. It's A Shame
6. Come On (Let's Go Tonight)
7. Talk To Me
8. The Little Things (My Baby Does)
9. Breakaway
10. The Promise
11. City Of Night
The Deluxe Package also features "The Promise: The Making of 'Darkness on the Edge of Town,'" a documentary directed by Grammy- and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Thom Zimny. The ninety-minute film combines never-before-seen footage of Springsteen and the E Street Band shot between 1976 and 1978'including home rehearsals and studio sessions'with new interviews with Springsteen, E Street Band members, manager Jon Landau, former-manager Mike Appel, and others closely involved in the making of the record. Advanced word on the documentary is so strong that it was invited to debut at the prestigious Toronto Film Festival on September 14 and will make its television debut on HBO on 7th October.
DVD 1: "THE PROMISE: THE MAKING OF 'DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN'"
In addition, the set features more than four hours of live concert film from the Thrill Hill Vault, including the bootleg house cut (the footage that appeared on-screen at the concert) from a 1978 Houston show, and a 2009 performance of 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' in its entirety from Asbury Park. The special performance in Asbury Park was shot in HD without an audience and successfully recreates the stark atmosphere of the original album.
DVD 2: DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (PARAMOUNT THEATER, ASBURY PARK, NJ, 2009)
Parisian five-piece Syd Matters have confirmed their first UK shows. The band, who release their album 'Brotherocean' through Because Music in February, will support Yann Tiersen in London and Cambridge as well as headlining their own London show. Winners of Les Inrockuptibles' Best Newcomers Award, the band will release single 'Hi Life' on November 29th.
IS TROPICAL are releasing 'South Pacific' on November 22nd. The single comes backed with 'Tan Man' and will be released on seven inch single and available to download with remixes by Peaces, Database, Yojimbo and Get People.
South Pacific can now be DOWNLOADED FOR FREE HERE: http://official.fm/track/167149
Harper Simon will be playing his first London show with a full band at Bush Hall on Thursday, November 18th.
Tickets can be bought on http://www.gigsandtours.com/
Harper Simon has been touring throughout Europe and North America since the release of his critically acclaimed self-titled debut in Spring 2010 (PIAS). Receiving widespread praise and support, Harper has been championed by everyone from BBC Radio 2 to Mojo. Having played his own headline UK shows, Brighton's Great Escape Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival, and Leicester's Summer Sundae Weekender, not to mention having opened for Kris Kristofferson, Tori Amos and Marianne Faithfull and played at the Aarhus Festival in Denmark, he now returns to the UK with his full band.
The Duke & The King have announced a UK + Ireland tour in October, here are full dates:
Sunday 17th October - CAMBRIDGE HAYMAKERS Monday 18th October - NOTTINGHAM GLEE CLUB Tuesday 19th October - DUBLIN ACADEMY 2 (IRE) Thursday 21st October - KILKENNY THE SET THEATRE (IRE) Friday 22nd October - SLIGO SLIGO LIVE (IRE) Saturday 23rd October - ROSCREA GRANTS DAMER CRT HOTEL (IRE) Sunday 24th October - BELFAST EMPIRE (IRE) Monday 25th October - GLASGOW ORAN MOR Wednesday 27th October - LONDON ELECTRIC BALLROOM Thu 28th October - LEEDS WARDROBE Fri 29th October - BRISTOL FLEECE & FIRKIN Sunday 31st October - MANCHESTER DEAF INSTITUTE
The Duke & The Kings debut album Nothing Gold Can Stay was one of 2009s most acclaimed albums, with its heady mix of rootsy folk-rock and vintage soul earning comparisons with artists ranging from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young to Sly & The Family Stone. Little over a year later, the band lead by Simone Felice and Bobbie Bird Burke prepare for the September 27th release of their second album, the extraordinary Long Live The Duke & The King on Loose Music/ Silva Oak.
DOWNLOAD album track "Shine on You" for FREE here:
NEW SINGLE "THE HAIR SONG" - 11 OCTOBER 2010 - JAGJAGUWAR
Black Mountain release the second single from their much anticipated forthcoming album Wilderness Heart on 11th October. Its west-coast groove and soaring harmonies showing off an altogether more accessible side to the band; 'The Hair Song' brings the band's songwriting skills into sharp focus. A joyous and uplifting track, ('Let your laws come undone, Don't suffer your crimes, Let the love in your heart take control") - this is the embodiment of what NME described as 'pumping fresh blood into vintage sounds'.
Wilderness Heart is released on September 13th and the band will be undertaking a full European tour around this with their biggest London show to date - (with special guests The Black Angels on the bill) at Shepherds Bush Empire on October 7th.
Dates are:
4th Sept | Oxford | Academy* 5th Sept | Birmingham | Hare & Hounds* 8th Sept | Brighton | Concorde* 10th Sept | Isle of Wight | Bestival 11th Sept | Dorset | End Of The Road Festival 12th Sept | Leeds | TJs Woodhouse Club * 14th Sept | Glasgow | Oran Mor * 15th Sept | Manchester | Academy 3 * 16th Sept | Nottingham | Rescue Rooms * 7th Oct | London | Shepherds Bush Empire+
* w/Wolf People
+ w/ Black Angels
"Art-house rock'n'roll unafraid to stroll the unlit side of the street.... spellbinding beauty" Classic Rock (album review - 9/10)
"It's the sound of a Middle Earth baptism by fire" NME
Release new single 'Shaky' on September 20th on Loose Music / Silva Oak; album 'Long Live The Duke & The King' follows a week later
The Duke & The King follow the tremendous critical acclaim that greeted the release of their 2009 debut album 'Nothing Gold Can Stay' with theSeptember20th release of the new single 'Shaky' on Loose Music / Silva Oak. 'Shaky' previews the band's second album 'Long Live The Duke & The King' that follows on September 27th.
An uplifting moment of countrified soul resplendent with the band's sweet four-part vocal harmonies, 'Shaky' will be released on 7" and download formats. As with the rest of 'Long Live The Duke & The King', 'Shaky' was self-produced in the band's own studio/shack deep in their home woods of Bearsville, New York and was mastered by the renowned Bob Ludwig (Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Band).
Watch Shaky video here:
Release new single 'Shaky' on September 20th on Loose Music / Silva Oak; album 'Long Live The Duke & The King' follows a week later
The Duke & The King follow the tremendous critical acclaim that greeted the release of their 2009 debut album 'Nothing Gold Can Stay' with theSeptember20th release of the new single 'Shaky' on Loose Music / Silva Oak. 'Shaky' previews the band's second album 'Long Live The Duke & The King' that follows on September 27th.
An uplifting moment of countrified soul resplendent with the band's sweet four-part vocal harmonies, 'Shaky' will be released on 7" and download formats. As with the rest of 'Long Live The Duke & The King', 'Shaky' was self-produced in the band's own studio/shack deep in their home woods of Bearsville, New York and was mastered by the renowned Bob Ludwig (Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Band).
Watch Shaky video here:
Long Live The Duke & The King' captures the band's essence, a ramshackle travelling circus in which different voices tell different stories. Simone Feliceand Bonnie 'Bird' Burke remain the central architects, but it's a more collaborative project than its predecessor. Nowell 'The Deacon' Haskins' gospel-tinged lead vocal on 'Hudson River' recalls the greats of classic R&B, while 'No Easy Way Out' combines The Sensational Simi Stone's vintage soulful tones with a pop-orientated country rock sound that matches Felice's light-hearted description of the band's new sound as "Fleetwood Black."
Simone Felice returns to the UK in August for a full solo tour as well as festival appearances at GreenMan and Edinburgh. The Duke & The King are set to return to these shores for their biggest gig to date at London's Electric Ballroom on October 27th.
Single released 13 September 2010 on [PIAS] Recordings
"these are 10 cleverly written, elegantly played and beautifully sung pieces of pop craftsmanship" Uncut **** 'Debut Album of the Month'
"adopting the various styles of American folk-rock cheerfully and unselfconsciously... it's a treat" The Guardian 4 stars
"sweet sounding, impossible-to-dislike" Q
"his self-titled debut is a touching, often beautiful collection of lilting chamber-pop and country-tinged songs" The Sunday Times
"it could be Elliott Smith's younger brother" The Sunday Independent
In support of his recent critically-acclaimed debut album, singer-songwriterHarper Simon is set to release the beautiful Berkeley Girl as a single. An old-fashioned love song (though this time written to an old friend) of the sweetest variety, Berkeley Girl puts Simon's gift as a lyricist to the fore. "She is juniper and roses/She is amethyst and pearl/And though she makes her home in Hollywood/She's really just a Berkeley girl," it says.
Harper Simon is a singer-songwriter based between Los Angeles and New York. Released in April, Simon's eponymous debut won plaudits across the board for its taut songcraft. It was recorded in Nashville, New York and Los Angeles with the help of an impressive and decidedly eclectic, multigenerational group of musical collaborators - famed producer Bob Johnston (the man behind classic recordings from Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Leonard Cohen), an all-star group of veteran first-call Nashville session players, an impressive group of contemporary young singer-songwriters and musicians, friends, and yes even Harper's own father, the legendary Paul Simon.
But for all the crucial musical support he received from so many great artists, Simon himself is everywhere on this debut album. He sings most of the gorgeous and evocative harmonies and plays the lion's share of the stunning guitar parts, as well as co-arranging both the string and horn arrangements, which bring unforgettable musical shading to the album. He has taken time and care to make an album built to last. And this is only the beginning.
Digital Download plus very limited Circuit Board Physical
bretonlabs002
Breton = musicians/filmmakers/remixers/
Breton began life in a warehouse somewhere in South East London. Born from the creative force of musicians and filmmakers Roman Rappak and Adam Ainger and expanded recently into a multi-instrumental and visual collective with the inclusion of Ian Patterson, Daniel McIlvenny and Alex Wadey. This year, the very limited and quickly snapped-up EP Practical floated between "eerie and carnival-esque. Combining elements of math-rock, post-rock, straight-up Electro and even tropical" - Abeano.com.
The second E.P. in the trilogy, entitled Sharing Notes, follows on Monday 5th July.
The physical copy of this E.P. will come mounted on a hand-made circuit board with a list of components and directions which, when followed, creates a fully working synth. See how it's done (and listen to EP track 15X) here:
Under the guise BretonLABS, Breton run a slick operation of audio/visual experimentation. Remixes have been created for the likes of Is Tropical, Hatcham Social and Penguin Prison. Their short films have screened at both the London Short Film Festival and the East London Film Festival, with Breton performing a live soundtrack. Their celebrated music videos - Penguin Prison, NewIsland, 80's Matchbox B-Line Disaster - adorn all in-the-know blogs.
Fresh from performing at the official FIFA World Cup Concert in Johannesburg on 10th June, Amadou & Mariam return with new single 'Africa', taken from their album 'Welcome To Mali', which will be available as a download only on 12th July.
Watch Amadou & Mariam performing Africa at the Worl Cup Kick-Off Concert:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCA7PTgjLtY
Amadou & Mariam's songs have proved fertile territory for remixing and have seen the likes of Theophilus London, Rob Da Bank and Bullion ply their craft. Most recently, Nas and Damian Marley sampled 'Sabali' to great effect on their new album track 'Patience'. Radioclit and Bob Sinclar jumped at the chance to work their magic on new single 'Africa.
Radioclit are more commonly known for quirky, uber-fashionable, new world music and afropop production, previously remixing tracks by M.I.A, Metronomy, Shit Disco and even Justin Timberlake and Lily Allen. While still sticking to their roots with plenty of afro-pop influences, this mix sees them moving into a new realm of production for the second time (a remix for Kidjo being the first). The result is a big room, 4/4 monster that is sure to be an Ibiza anthem this summer.
Grammy Award-nominated and legendary French producer/DJ, Bob Sinclar's devotion to black culture is no secret. His 'Africanism' project in the late 90s/early noughties saw a string of releases that were embraced by the underground and mainstream alike. His work since has often drawn on those early influences, being clearly motivated by his passion and love of the music. Describing his 'Africa' remix as 'a hymn to joy', he has kept the authenticity of the track, and added his own club touch, enhancing the original colour in a way only he knows how.
Announce details of new album, UK tour & free download
Black Mountain have announced details of the release of their much-anticipated third album, Wilderness Heart. The 10-track long-player will be released through Jagjaguwar Records on Monday 13th September 2010.
The full tracklisting of the album is as follows:
1. The Hair Song
2. Old Fangs
3. Radiant Hearts
4. Rollercoaster
5. Let Spirits Ride
6. Buried By The Blues
7. The Way To Gone
8. Wilderness Heart
9. The Space Of Your Mind
10. Sadie
Old Fangs is currently available as a free download via the following link:
http://jagjaguwar.com/blackmountain/
They also have announced a UK tour in September. This follows 2 special (sold-out) shows at the Lexington in London in July and a clutch of festival dates over the summer. The full list of dates are as follows:
JULY
11th | Kinross | T in the Park Festival
13th | London | Lexington - SOLD OUT
14th | London | Lexington - SOLD OUT
16th | Southwold | Latitude Festival
SEPTEMBER
4th | Oxford | Academy
5th | Birmingham | Hare & Hounds
8th | Brighton | Concorde
10th | Isle of Wight | Bestival
11th | Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset | End Of The Road Festival
12th | Leeds | TJs Woodhouse Club *
14th | Glasgow | Oran Mor *
15th | Manchester | Academy 3 *
16th | Nottingham |Rescue Rooms *
OCTOBER
7th | London | Shepherds Bush Empire
* featuring special guests, fellow Vancouver-ites Ladyhawk.
Tickets for their headline shows are priced at £11 (except London where they will be £14) and are available via www.seetickets.com or www.artistticket.com/link/?s=black+mountain
www.blackmountainarmy.com
www.jagjaguwar.com
CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG
'Live at Sunset Sound' EP 14th June
Latitude Festival 18th July
"Please let this new sublime musical pairing go on tour" The Guardian
"Borderline genius" Sunday Telegraph
"Fascinating… an inspired and fruitfully combative pairing" Sunday Times
"IRM marks Charlotte Gainsbourg's musical coming of age" Mojo
"A thing of ramshackle beauty" Uncut
"Her best work and arguably Beck's best in a decade, too" Daily Telegraph
"A consciously arty project that never forgets to be a great record" Metro
"Her best album to date" Dazed & Confused
"The perfect poke in the eye to soulless pop" Esquire
Charlotte Gainsbourg will release her new EP, 'Live at Sunset Sound', through Because Music on 14th June. Produced by Beck Hansen, the session was recorded at Sunset Sound Studios and broadcast live on the respected 'Morning Becomes Eclectic' show on Los Angeles-based radio station, KCRW. Featuring tracks from her critically acclaimed new album 'IRM', the EP will be available digitally only. Charlotte, who is currently on a world tour, has performed her first ever UK show at Shepherd's Bush Empire this week. She will also appear at this year's Latitude Festival on 18th July.
"BALLAD OF JOSEPH MERRICK EP" - 28 JUNE 2010 - SATELLITE OF LOVE
'It is as if Neil Young had played for Spacemen 3 while drinking sangria in a Tapas Bar' Vice Magazine
Watch video for EP track "Valley of Abra" here:
Comprising of three members, the band are Pepo Durantez (lead-vox and rhythm guitar) Pascal Hoerner (lead guitar, backing vox and bass) and Renoi Jacob Mathieu(drums and percussion), and 'Ballad of Joseph Merrick' is their debut EP. Recorded in Barcelona, just two days after the band saw Neil Young, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Deerhunter, and Michael Nyman play at the infamous Primavera Sound Festival, the recordings capture the bands live dynamic. Produced by New York born Dave Bianchi, described in La Vanguardia as an "Unusually brilliant producer" and mastered by Kelly Hibbert, who's work includes mixing for J-Dilla and Guilty Simpson, the EP's sound has already been perfectly summarized by Vice as 'Syd Barrett sound tracking a spaghetti western, i.e. eccentric, reverb-heavy, dreamy pop music.'
Single released 21st June 2010 on [PIAS] Recordings
"these are 10 cleverly written, elegantly played and beautifully song pieces of pop craftsmanship" Uncut **** 'Debut Album of the Month'
"adopting the various styles of American folk-rock cheerfully and unselfconsciously... it's a treat" The Guardian 4 stars
"sweet sounding, impossible-to-dislike" Q
"his self-titled debut is a touching, often beautiful collection of lilting chamber-pop and country-tinged songs" The Sunday Times
"it could be Elliott Smith's younger brother" The Sunday Independent
In support of his newly released, critically acclaimed debut album, singer songwriter Harper Simon is set to release the breezily beautiful Wishes And Stars as a single. The track is one of two on the album that were co-written by the acclaimed Nigerian author and Booker Price winner Ben Okri, who Simon met at a party and became a friend and fan of.
Harper Simon is a singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles and New York, and a former member of UK band Menlo Park. Released in April (artwork by friend Tracey Emin), Simon's eponymous debut has won plaudits across the board for its taut songcraft. It was recorded in Nashville, New York and Los Angeles with the help of an impressive and decidedly eclectic, multigenerational group of musical collaborators - famed producer Bob Johnston (the man behind classic recordings from Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Leonard Cohen), an all-star group of veteran first-call Nashville session players, an impressive group of contemporary young singer-songwriters, friends, and yes, even Harper's own father, the legendary Paul Simon.
But for all the crucial musical support he received from so many great musicians, Simon himself is everywhere. He sings most of the gorgeous and evocative harmonies on the album, as well as playing the majority of the stunning guitar parts as well as co-arranging both the memorable string and horn arrangements that bring such unforgettable shading of musical colours to the album. He has taken time and care to make an album built to last. And this is only the beginning.
Harper Simon will be returning to the UK and Ireland in teh summer for a string of dates and festivals:
June
Wed 23 Dublin Grand Canal Theatre (supporting Marianne Faithfull)
July
Sun 18 London Apollo Victoria, UK (with Tori Amos)
Sat 24 Port Elliot Festival, UK
August
Sun 1 Cambridge Folk Festival, Cambridge, UK
Fri 6 Belladrum Festival, Inverness, Scotland, UK
Sun 8 Pocklington Arts Centre, Pocklington, UK (Part of Pocklington 10th Anniversary music festival)
Visit www.morcheeba.co.uk/spotify today, for the chance to download your free copy of the Morcheeba single Even Though. This song is taken from their forthcoming new album 'Blood Like Lemonade', which is released on June 7.
The Jar - Remix Third Side Records Digital Release: 24.05.10
Last summer Cocosuma gave us a glimpse of where they were heading: 'Miracle Man', with its fuzzy beat and playful synths was blowing the wind of change. We knew the band loved the 60's of The Kinks just as much as the 80's of New Order but this doesn't make their brand new and impressive single, 'The Jar' any less of a surprise.
Mixed by Alf Briat (of Air and Sebastien Tellier fame), 'The Jar' - a metaphor of modern life? - is a true hymn. It's somewhere between the Chromatic's ethereal italio-disco sound and the glorious synth-pop of OMD's first hits, making Cocosuma something of a modern-day Blondie.
The EP comes with remixes from the most exciting/talked about project from Italy, Clap Rules, the indie London based trio Is Tropical, and Sourya, Alan MacGee's favourite French band.
Multi-million-selling darlings of down-tempo, Morcheeba, will release their seventh and latest album Blood Like Lemonade on June 7th through PIAS records. The album will be preceded by the download single Even Though on May 24th.
Blood Like Lemonade sees Paul & Ross Godfrey united with Skye on vocals for the first time since 2002, restoring the original inimitable laidback charm that made Morcheeba the mainstay of many a chill-out session.
Blood Like Lemonade is the album Morcheeba have been searching for all these years, one which takes the essence of earlier classics like Who Can You Trust? and Big Calm, and transports it to exotic new places. At its heart are the band's trademark oozing downtempo trip-hop grooves, embellished with intriguing, idiosyncratic flourishes like the African thumb-piano of Even Though, a song about an abandoned astronaut.
Paul Godfrey explains the lyrics: 'The lines about "the hidden dangers" and being "cast adrift in space" reflect worries about humanity. That was inspired by reading interviews with astronauts - they'd get into space and look back at the world, and couldn't understand why people were still fighting with each other, and why we were destroying our own planet, that was so beautiful from a distance. The heavy breathing sound is an astronaut breathing in his helmet. He doesn't have long to live, and at the end his breathing stops. He's basically just trying to send a message that we should all get along.'
Morcheeba have confirmed the following shows this summer, with more to be announced:
A: Hater B1: Hater (Dance Toto Dace Remix) B2: Hater (Midi Midis Remix) B3: Hater (Tall Zombie Remix)
"Brilliant electro from Manchester's best-kept secret"
XFM top 20 artists to watch in 2010
"RTR's big break may not be far off"
"A curious mix of anti-folk and airy, Postal Service-indebted electronica"
NME
"Stylish yet warm"
The Independent
"Run Toto Run are absolutely wonderful "
The Fly
"A great little record"
Steve Lamacq
"Reminiscent of an electronic Belle & Sebastian or a modern-day St Etienne"
The News of the World
Billed as one of XFM's top 20 artists to watch in 2010, Manchester's Run Toto Run self release their new single 'Hater' via download this April. It comes backed by remixes from Midi Midis and the bands explicit alter-egos Dance Toto Dance.
'Hater' follows on from February's 'Catch My Breath' which was the second release from the band to have XFM's playlist backing, also collecting plays at Radio 1 and 2 as well as 6 Music, Galaxy and Absolute, making Run Toto Run one of the most exciting leftfield acts to make the pop crossover this year.
Run Toto Run begin a UK tour on May 14th at the Future Everything Festival, winding up at the Secret Garden Party in July. Having already played with the likes of Ellie Goulding, The Noisettes and Miike Snow, their live set is celebrated as an elegant, tight electo performance drawing comparisons with Passion Pit. Run Toto Run parade what are, at their heart, very charming and warm pop songs built around vivid melodies.
The UK tour unfolds like this…
9 May - The Big Noise (Big Issue Show) - SoundControl - Manchester
Music Digital Marketing and Online PR
Contact Giovanna Ferin on info@sureshotpr.co.uk or call us on 020 7729 5256
Our ever-expanding and evolving roster includes and has included: A Camp, Adam Freeland, Akira The Don, Amadou and Mariam, Autokratz, Bellowhead, Billy Bragg, The Black Box Revelation, The Bishops, Camden Crawl 2008, Cazals, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Charlotte Hatherley, Concrete and Glass Festival, Crystal Castles, Dinosaur Jr, DJ Hell, Eight Legs, Elektrons, El-P, Evil Nine, Felix Da Housecat, Field Day Festival, Five O'Clock Heroes, Funeral For A Friend, Future of The Left, The Go! Team, Grammatics, Heaven and Hell, Howling Bells, Joan As Police Woman, Kelly Rowland, Kiko, Is Tropical, Laurent Garnier, Lethal Bizzle, Little Barrie, Manu Chao, Mekon, mewithoutYou, Mogwai, Motion Picture Soundtrack, Neon Neon, Officer Kicks, The Pigeon Detectives, The Pipettes, Rough Trade Shops Counter Culture 07, Royksopp, The Shortwave Set, Shy Child, Soulwax, Sound and Fury, South Central, Swanton Bombs, Sway, Tiga, Tokyo Police Club, Turbowolf, Underage Festival, Underworld, Video Nasties, The Von Bondies, Wave Machines, Yeasayer, You Me At Six, The Young Gods, Zico Chain...
