Rolo Tomassi have announced plans to tour the UK.
They will be showcasing tracks from their upcoming album, produced by Diplo, and the dates are:
January
17th – Nottingham The Chamleon
18th – Manchester The Deaf Institute
19th – Glasgow Nice ‘n’ Sleazy
20th – Birmingham The Flapper
27th – London Camden Barfly
Felt have released their video for Felt Chewed Up.
The track, taken from Felt 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez, features Slug and Murs on raps and Aesop Rock on the boards. The kid in this video is awesome!
Those London geezers known as Audio Bullys are back with fresh material ahead of their new album scheduled for 2010. This new track Kiss The Sky will be available for 2 weeks only as a free download from www.audiobullys.com this coming Monday 30th November. Hear it here from this live footage at Koko filmed at last Friday’s Club NME.
OK, on paper, to the uninitiated listener, the idea a 30 track (1 hours and 40 minutes long!) double disc Live Recording by the Fifty-something former singer of one hit wonder ’77 punks The Adverts, playing solo to a crowd in Germany… just him and his battered six string… might not instantaneously sound like it’s going to do set your world on fire…
But, seriously, leave your prejudices and preconceptions at the door, open your ears, and you’ll be treated to a splendid collection of raw, momentous heartfelt and passionate music, loaded with a hefty shot of bang-on social and political messages. I’ve seen TV Smith on many an occasion, enjoyed his latter day studio recordings… but this live material is in a league of its own, as the road worn troubadour belts out old and new hits to a greatly appreciative audience who hang on to every chord and up the ante with raucous sing-a-longs, especially for timeless classics like “No Time to Be 21” “Bored Teenagers” and the legendary “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes”.
And get this, TV might be a Great British Punk from the West Country, but he’s also fluent in German and seamlessly converses with the home crowd in their native tongue, and even throws in a couple of numbers sung in German from his back catalogue. How’s that for breaking down barriers!
This album way (way) exceeded my expectations and is a total keeper.
The good times are back!
Pete Craven
Hailing from Orléans, France the Burning Heads notched up their 20th Anniversary in 2009 and wrap the year up by releasing their 10th studio album “Spread the Fire”. It’s an impressive run for a band that has done so much to carve out and support the punk underground in their home country.
I first came across Burning Heads in the mid-Nineties when they toured the UK with Down By Law, but it was the 1998 album on Epitaph “Be One with The Flames” that grabbed my attention, and woke me up to what a great band they were. I really connect with the music and the message of these French veterans. And with this new collection of songs they are still on top of their game, blazing thru 15 hot tracks that draw inspiration from the likes of Bad Religion, SNFU, Snuff, Dag Nasty, Hard-Ons, Adolescents and D.I. for some top draw driving melodic hardcore, packed with punchy riffs and powerful choruses…. and those with a keen ear will note some familiarity in the ringing guitar line of “One in a Billion” to God’s epic “My Pal”, beauty! And the Antipodean connection doesn’t end there… they close the album with an energised reprise of The Easybeats classic “Friday on My Mind” – sacré bleu!
All this musical goodness is coupled with a straight talking humanitarian communiqué, raising a voice for minorities, the displaced and dispossessed, the shallowness of market driven consumerism, and in turn the hypocrisy of government propaganda and warmongering. Clearly the Carla Bruni effect has not rubbed off on these guys!
It would be fair to say that I approach albums by bands I respect, not so much wanting to be impressed as not being disappointed. And this album did not let me down, one bit.
Pete Craven
The Clash are re-issuing a 30th anniversary edition of London Calling.
The album will hit stores on December 14th and will feature a different tracklisting to the release of five years ago. It will also feature videos, footage shot by the band themselves and a Documentary entitled The Last Testament: The Making of London Calling. The tracklisting is:
‘London Calling’
‘Brand New Cadillac’
‘Jimmy Jazz’
‘Hateful’
‘Rudie Can’t Fail’
‘Spanish Bombs’
‘The Right Profile’
‘Lost In The Supermarket’
‘Clampdown’
‘The Guns Of Brixton’
‘Wrong ‘Em Boyo’
‘Death Or Glory’
‘Koka Kola’
‘The Card Cheat’
‘Lover’s Rock’
‘Four Horsemen’
‘I’m Not Down’
‘Revolution Rock’
‘Train In Vain’
DVD
The Last Testament: The Making of London Calling
‘London Calling’ music video
‘Train In Vain’ music video
‘Clampdown’ music video
Home video footage of The Clash recording in Wessex Studios
Check them out live in Paris in 1980:
Bolt Thrower are hitting the UK in May.
The band said of the dates:
“We, for one, are really looking forward to these shows, we’ll be playing some of our favourite old haunts, also revisiting places we’ve haven’t played in years. And we hope that by playing such a variety of shows, from intimate clubs to larger open air festivals there will be something for everyone. We’ll be trying to make every show memorable, so watch this space for further details. Tickets for the club shows will go on sale as soon the support bands and door prices are confirmed.”
Tour dates in May:
1st – London – ULU
2nd – Dublin – Button Factory
3rd – Belfast – Limelight
4th – Leeds – Rio’s
5th – Wrexham – Central Station
6th – Birmingham – Asylum
Manchester Orchestra have been hiking around the globe this past year in support of latest album ‘Mean Everything To Nothing’ and their latest podcast shows some antics from behind the scenes. Check it out –
Quasi will release their new album, American Gong next year.
February 23rd will see their eighth album drop on Kill Rock Stars and the tracklisting is:
01. Repulsion
02. Little White Horse
03. Everything and Nothing At All
04. Bye Bye Blackbird
05. The Jig is Up
06. Black Dogs and Bubbles
07. Death Is Not the End
08. Rockabilly Party
09. Now What
10. Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler
The Thermals are heading into the studio to record their new album.
The band are heading to Portland to work with Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie fame, and look to release the finished record in September next year. The band’s fifth album will see them record as a full band for the first time since 2004’s Fuckin’ A, so make sure you stay excited!