Sextile - 'One Of These' Video

Following the announcement of their second album. ‘Albeit Living’, to be released on July 14th via felte, LA-based trio SEXTILE have shared a new video for ‘One of These’. The clip features camera work & projections by Cloaking and brings together the band’s infamous visceral live show with imagery capturing the vast industrial sound that underpins this striking new record. ‘One of These’, a tirade on the feelings frontman Brady Keehn experienced during his personal struggle with addiction and escapism, is empowered by these suitably impassioned & urgent visuals.

As a stable fixture in the Los Angeles underground over recent years, Sextile have been gaining a devout following since their inception in 2015. The band boldly throw convention out of the window to create and genre-bending imprint that combines the raw energy of 70’s punk with the intricate and sophisticated structural elements of 80’s post-punk and synth-wave.

Sextile’s first release, A Thousand Hands, marked a signature sound - a dark and primitive form of angry rock ‘n’ roll, blending surf-punk, early industrial, and post-punk against a backdrop of violent energy. The album caught steam with each flailing, chaotic, electrifying performance, including a standout run with The Soft Moon. Brady Keehn’s intense vocals and piercing guitar sounds bounce effortlessly off Eddie Wuebben’s hypnotic synth-lines and Melissa Scaduto’s commanding stand-up drumming style.

After hunkering down in a basement in Echo Park to record for a couple of weeks, Sextile is back with their sophomore LP, Albeit Living. The album title, inspired by a Circle X song, means in-spite of living and sets the tone for a politically charged, introspective album of impassioned observations on our world today. Musically, Albeit Living is a testament to the band’s growth in the songwriting department and effort spent fine-tuning their burgeoning compositional skills: the synth is in the forefront on this album, allowing it to shine through more powerfully than we saw on A ThousandHands. Despite its more sophisticated sound, the album manages to match and even intensify the seductive energy of their live shows and debut album.

SLØTFACE - New Single 'Nancy Drew'

Following the recent announcement of their much anticipated debut album Try Not To Freak Out — Norway's Sløtface recently shared new track ‘Nancy Drew’, which continues in their fiery footsteps, with vocalist Haley Shea reimagining the track’s teen detective namesake as the noble vanquisher of indie rock’s boys’ club. “My girl is wiping slates clear / And I long for the look / And a soundtrack of women who all know what’s up / I keep hearing their cherry bombs through the walls,” she seethes amid sneaky, plundering guitars.

Led by vocalist Haley Shea with guitarist Tor-Arne Vikingstad, bassist Lasse Lokøy and Halvard Skeie Wiencke on drums, with every move they make, Sløtface look to spin conventions on their head - with debut album Try Not To Freak Out (out September 15th on Propeller Recordings) set to follow suit. Haley’s forceful, firework-spitting punk slices through you with an immediacy and confidence of someone several records in. 

Speaking on how 'Nancy Drew' originally came about, the band said: "We wrote the big rock chords and electronica inspired bass hook first. Then for the lyrics - Haley wanted to take some of that power and make it about something really cool and slick. Nancy Drew in the song is basically a super hero version of the original teenage sleuth, who fights the patriarchy and indie music's boys' club."

"The song is about this super hero I tried to create that's based on Nancy Drew", Haley muses. “The album is full of things we're worrying about, so I wanted to put some positivity and strength in as well. For this song I wanted to create a kind of super hero saviour, so I drew inspiration from Nancy Drew and tried to imagine a bad-ass super hero who crushes the music industry's boys' club and the patriarchy with one punch."

"Ida came up with the idea to make the lyric video for Nancy Drew about all of the tinder cliches you come across online" the band explain, -- "guys petting an exotic animal, guys mountain climbing, and illustrating them all in cool clever ways. We loved the idea and just let her run with it, and are super pleased with the final product."

Theme band are set to play a whole host of European festivals over the summer. The band have also announced a full UK tour to coincide with album release kicking off in September, running throughout October. 

UK tour dates:

July 8th | 2000 Trees Festival, Cheltenham, UKJuly 14th | Latitude Festival, Suffolk

July 23rd | Truck Festival, Oxfordshire

Aug 25th | Leeds Festival, UK / Aug 27th | Reading Festival

Sep 28th | 60 Million Postcards, Bournemouth

Sep 29th | Actress & Bishop, Birmingham

Sep 30th | Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Oct 1st | Soup Kitchen, Manchester

Oct 3rd | The Basement, York

Oct 4th | The New Adelphi, Hull

Oct 5th | The Venue, Derby

Oct 6th | The Picture House Social, Sheffield

Oct 7th | Think Tank, Newcastle

Oct 9th | Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh

Oct 10th | The Broadcast, Glasgow

Oct 12th | The Magnet, Liverpool

Oct 13th | KU, Stockton

Oct 16th | The Bodega Social Club, Nottingham

Oct 17th | The Cookie, Leicester

Oct 18th | The Joiners, Southampton

Oct 19th | Plymouth, The Underground

Oct 20th | The Louisiana, Bristol

Oct 21st | The Purple Turtle, Reading

Oct 24th | The Hope & Ruin, Brighton

Oct 25th | Camden Assembly, London

Oct 26th | The Cellar, Oxford
 

Placebo - Life's What You Make It video / Tour Announcement

For a band with such a strong and unmistakable catalogue of original material, Placebo have always had an impeccable way with a cover version. Starting with a take on Syd Barrett’s Dark Globe, way back in 1996, they have freely interpreted the songs of others to complement the originals. Their choice of covers – from Nick Drake to Boney M; Serge Gainsbourg to Depeche Mode – demonstrates Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal’s musical influences and heritage. Rather than keep their musical passions locked in an ivory tower, they approach each interpretation with an excitement to share what they love.

With its sledgehammer beat and Molko’s keening vocal, ‘Life’s What You Make It’ – the lead track from last year’s EP of the same name – instantly reminds you of all the reasons you fell in love with Placebo. There is a great deal in common with the work of Talk Talk (who sang the original in 1986) and Placebo: both remained true to their artistic vision, even if that has sometimes meant not taking the easy route. The song’s message of making the best of circumstances strikes a particular chord in the challenging era in which we live. “We covered Talk Talk's Life's What You Make It because it is a song from the 80s that we still liked, and wondered if we could replicate Gwen Stefani's global smash hit with her band's cover of 'It's My Life'. That remains to be seen…” Brian Molko says.

Molko wanted something different for the film to accompany their song. He had a concept in mind that was loosely based around the original 1986 Talk Talk video that was shot at night on London’s Wimbledon Common. It featured the band surrounded by nature, complete with, as Molko puts it, “little beasties crawling over leaves”. Brian felt that there could be an updated version, where “the band would be robots playing instruments and that e-waste would replace nature, as it appears to be doing only a few decades after the song’s original release”. The brief that the band put out to prospective directors was short, simple and open to interpretation: “e-waste, please!”

It’s not that Placebo were inundated with appropriate responses. Brian continues, “The only director who actually came back to us with a treatment about e-waste was Sasha Rainbow. I called her up to sound her out and discovered that I was speaking to a very brave and passionate woman.” Rainbow’s accompanying film for ‘Life’s What You Make It’ was shot in Agbogbloshie, a former wetland in the heart of Accra, in Ghana, which is home to one of the world's largest electronic waste dumps. It sets an apocalyptic backdrop of first-world waste against the daily lives of those who inhabit this thoroughly otherworldly space.

“I told her that she had balls of steel for actually daring to go film on location in Ghana and that, no, we would not be coming, since we were timid little souls,” Molko says. “The two boys in the film live in this extraordinary place,” Rainbow says. “Which for me, highlights a human’s ability to adapt with incredible strength, resilience, and humanity.” It is a compelling look into a world that few know exists: “I hoped to capture the environment in a dreamily meditative way that would at once juxtapose and yet synergise with the theme of the song, and glimpse at part of the repercussions of our current technological revolution. On the one hand, technology is enabling us to create things beyond our wildest imagination, and yet little discussion has been had about what to do with all our discarded e-waste.”“I think that it is important to stress that the video is not anti-technology,” Molko adds. “That would be ridiculous, considering how much it enriches our daily lives. To me, it is about the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity that has not been chosen. We do, however, hope that it will make the viewer think about the repercussions of just throwing away tech that doesn't work anymore. There are several new and ingenious ways to recycle tech these days. Some companies will even give you money for it. All it takes is a little more effort.”

One of songwriter Mark Hollis’ key phrases in ‘Life’s What You Make It’, “yesterday’s favourite”, is sung powerfully by Molko, and underlines the e-waste message strongly in the film; yet it is far from being downbeat – the boys are seen dancing and laughing, making the most of their circumstances.

Placebo have also announced today that they will be returning to the UK to play a run of dates in October.

Sat 7 | Edinburgh Usher Hall
Sun 8 | Dundee Caird Hall
Tue 10 | Doncaster Dome
Wed 11 | Blackpool Empress Ballroom
Fri 13 | Reading Rivermead
Sat 14 | Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
Mon 16 | Portsmouth Guildhall
Tue 17 | Swindon Oasis
Fri 20 | Plymouth Pavilions
Sat 21 | Wolverhampton Civic Hall
Mon 23 | London O2 Brixton Academy

Moon Duo - 'Killing Time' Expanded Edition

Following the release of Moon Duo’s two-volume Occult Architecture suite, the Portland-based band are reissuing their 2009 'Killing Time' EP as a deluxe expanded edition with three extra bonus tracks. Those bonus tracks, 'Bopper’s Hat', 'Run Around,'and'Dead West Pt. II,' have never been widely available on vinyl before, the newly expanded release is also available digitally. Check out the video for Killing Time here:

'Killing Time' EP Expanded Edition Tracklisting:

1. Killing Time
2. Speed
3. Dead West
4. Ripples
5. Bopper’s Hat*
6. Run Around*
7. Dead West Pt. II*
* = bonus track

Chastity Belt - 'I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone' Out Today

Seattle band Chastity Belt’s highly-anticipated new album 'I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone' is out today on Hardly Art - their third full length album on LP, CD, digital, and cassette (including three previously-unheard bonus tracks).

To celebrate, the band has shared a new music video for quasi-title track 'Used to Spend'– an intimate, gorgeously-shot journey from their respective homes to a day at the races and back. 

They are heading out on an extensive world tour including the following UK dates:

Mon, Sep 4 - The Dugout, Margate

Tue, Sep 5 - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Wed, Sep 6 - Star and Garter, Manchester

Thu, Sep 7 - Cluny, Newcastle

Fri, Sep 8 - Broadcast, Glasgow

Sun, Sep 10 - Bestival, Isle of Wight

Mon, Sep 11 - Exchange (UK), Bristol

Tue, Sep 12 - Bodega, Nottingham

Wed, Sep 13 - Green Door Store, Brighton

Thu, Sep 14 - Garage, London

New Beat Fund - New Single 'Brix'

LA's New Beat Fund are best friends and brothers as well (half of them by blood) their 2015 album Sponge Fingerz was an eclectic mix from across the musical spectrum culminating in their self-styled 'G-Punk' genre.

They defy genre definition with vibes that jump between surf rock, funky dub breakdowns, catchy indie pop, hip hop beats and punk. “It’s not just punk rock, or indie, or weird ass psychedelic art. We were all exposed to different things growing up, so we didn’t choose to only go in one direction,” says Shelby.

“We don’t claim any certain scene,” adds Michael, “and that’s kind of what we represent as a band, especially for kids who are figuring out who they are and where they fit in this weird ass world. We can hang with all of it and show people that’s OK to do. Let’s play how we play as individual musicians, and let’s write about our lives and go in that direction and not think about it too much. And this is what came out.”

Jeff sums it up like this; “We want everyone to be into our music. The word ‘pretentious’ is the worst fucking word I have ever heard. We want people to feel at home when they come to our shows, like they can do whatever they want at a New Beat Fund show. We want to be an unpretentious band that makes people feel honest emotions. Come to our show and join an experience and let you just be you. Have a good time and relate to our music.”

The band have just issued an official challenge on Facebook saying: "We have met a lot of rad ass people along the way. Consider yourself to be directly called out. NBF challenges you to film a video to “BRiX” and share your HEAD BANG. This shit is supposed to be fun so don’t take yourself too serious and make it funny, sexy, badass, or whatever is you. Just be you."

Check out the track 'Brix' here; "if I trip don't break my fall, I make my bed in alcohol". Genius.
 

TRICOT - ‘Tokyo Vampire Hotel’

Japanese alternative-rock band Tricot have revealed a performance video for their track ‘Tokyo Vampire Hotel’.

The song is the official soundtrack for the brand new Amazon Prime series of the same name which is released on June 16th 2017, and the latest to be taken from their new album 3 out now on Big Scary Monsters (UK), Topshelf Records (US) and Bakuretsu Records (JP).

The new video was directed by Mani Kato, who also directed ‘Melon Soda’, and was a deliberate step in a new direction, as the band explain: “We made a rhythmic, CGI-style video for ‘DeDeDe’ and a video shot in reverse for ‘Melon Soda’, but we wanted to focus on our live performance this time, so we eliminated all of the gimmicks and just played.” Created by Sion Sono, the provocative Japanese auteur responsible for such controversial, must-see films as “Love Exposure” and “Tokyo Tribe”, the show will consist of nine episodes, all of which will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Japan with a worldwide release to be confirmed.

Telling the tried-and-tested story of humanity fighting for its very survival against the mythical bloodsuckers, Sono commented on the news in an official statement: “I had wanted to make an original vampire movie for a long time,” he said. “I approached it as if making a movie. I am proud to say we’ve produced something that has never been done before either as TV drama or feature film.”

The band have announced a run of UK tour dates as part of a full European tour later this year.

Tricot 2017 UK live dates:

18.08.17 Dublin, Ireland - Whelans

19.08.17 Bristol, UK - ArcTangent Festival

21.08.17 Glasgow, UK - Broadcast

22.08.17 Leicester, UK - Firebug

25.08.17 London, UK - Bush Hall

27.08.17 Brighton, UK - The Hope & Ruin

29.08.17 Cardiff, UK - Clwb Ifor Bach

30.08.17 Leeds, UK - Headrow House

01.09.17 Southampton, UK - Joiners

PEELING - 'Wandering Womb'

Peeling's latest EP, 7 Years of Blood, was released on Friday on Buzz Records, and today have released a video for the EP's track 'Wandering Womb'. The EP is the second release from the band, which is led by singer/guitarist Annabelle Lee and features members of Dilly Dally and TOPS, following on the heels of the band's 2016 Buzz Records debut EP, Rats In Paradise.

The 'Wandering Womb' video, which was directed by Lee, and shot by Preoccupations' drummer Mike Wallace in Joshua Tree National Park, sees Lee and guitarist Alana DeVito, clad in menstrual blood smeared bridal gowns, walking together through the desert with rifles in what Noisey describes as "a subversion...as they are aggressively pursuing this barren landscape, away from thoughts derived by men who don't understand their bodies."

The EP builds on the sound of the band's earlier release, further exploring the layered guitar textures and Lee's bruising and often confrontational songwriting style, focusing thematically on the struggle to assert your individual agency and power, "If you add up the average time a woman spends on her period during her life, it's like 7 straight years," Lee says of the EP's title "That's an annoying thought, but also pretty powerful. Which is what this EP is about, taking control and harnessing your individual power."

TOUTS - Debut EP ‘Sickening and Deplorable’

TOUTS have just released their debut EP ‘Sickening and Deplorable’, along with their next single ‘Political People’, through Hometown Records.

‘Political People’ is a two minute sub culture anthem looking at how politics, the parties and the manifestos are so far removed from today’s youth. This disaffected vitriol speeds in with piss and vinegar summing up the collective conscience of teenage Britain in 2017.

The three members of Touts are just about to sit their GCSEs while simultaneously shooting videos and performing for their fast growing fan base. The video for ‘Political People’ was shot in front of a 400 strong crowd at their last hometown show in Derry and this summer will see the band play across the UK and Ireland including with Blossoms at the Castlefield Bowl in Manchester and with Kasabian at Custom House Square in Belfast. 

Live Dates

July 8th - Manchester, UK - Castlefield Bowl w/ Blossoms

Augusts 22nd - Belfast, Ireland - Custom House Square w/ Kasabian

September 1st - 3rd - Stradbally, Co. Laois, Ireland - Electric Picnic Festival

American Lips Announce 'Kiss the Void' Album

Montreal / LA’s American Lips have released the single 'Beyond The 7-11' and announce their debut album 'Kiss The Void', due for release June 16th on Ancient Fashion Records. 

American Lips is the first project featuring Death From Above 1979 drummer Sebastien Grainger and producer Adrian Popovich, yet their collaboration dates back over a decade. The pair first met when Popovich played in riff-wielding rockers Tricky Woo, a fixture of the Montreal garage-punk scene of the late 1990s. As a fan and supporter, Grainger aided in Tricky Woo’s signing to Last Gang Records, while Popovich helped record Grainger’s solo albums in return.

Drawing on the minimalism of Wire’s Pink Flag, the manic garage-punk of Jay Reatard, and the synth-driven attack of Total Control, Popovich and his wife Jessica Bruzzese (singer / bassist) co-wrote Kiss The Void. They named their band American Lips in tribute to a song by New York psych-punks Alice Donut. Trading demos with Sebastien Grainger as he sent them the latest DFA1979 songs, the drummer says he got jealous before Popovich asked him to join the band.

With a video written, directed, and edited by Grainger, 'Beyond The 7-11' channels the desperation at the heart of American Lips. Sparing no time, it synthesizes the band’s off-kilter influences while seeking something more than the monotonous offerings of an endless pop culture churn, check out the video below:

Kamikaze Girls - New Single 'Deathcap'

Straight off the back of a run of dates supporting Gnarwolves and a ferocious set at The Great Escape Festival, Leeds duo Kamikaze Girls reveal the video for 'Deathcap'.

The news comes ahead of a further run of co-headline tour dates with Nervus and UK festival appearances over the summer, and the track is the latest to be taken from their upcoming debut full-length, Seafoam, released 9th June via Big Scary Monsters (UK) and Wiretap Records (US).

The clip was shot by Katie McMillan, and edited by vocalist/guitarist Lucinda Livingstone. 

Commenting on the track, Livingstone explains: "The song's about how often the media attacks the entire millennial generation, and I guess we were mocking how much they seem to want to pin such a broad label on a really diverse set of people that are just doing their best to get along, for the most part."

Referencing fellow Leeds band Then Thickens' debut album Death Cap At Anglezarke, it's another cuttingly honestly missive from the pen of Livingstone, who continues to highlight the anxiety and inequality of the modern world with startling insight.

Seafoam is the follow-up to Kamikaze Girls' acclaimed debut EP, SAD. Exploring wider musical influences from shoegaze, fuzz-pop and the heavier side of the genre-spectrum they call home, it's a record that feels like a weight being lifted and a focused, sharpened quill being shifted to new targets.

Kamikaze Girls 2017 Tour Dates:

3rd June - Grimsby - The Gig Lebowski (w/ Ghouls)
9th June - Leeds - Headrow House (w/ Mannequin Pussy)
10th June - Manchester - Gullivers (w/ Apologies I Have None + Hot Mass)
20th June - Dundee - Conroy’s Basement*
21st June - Edinburgh - Bannermans *
22nd June - Leeds - Wharf Chambers*
23rd June - Ipswich - The Smokehouse*
24th June - London - Sebright Arms*
25th June - Watford - White Lion*
26th June - Southampton - The Alex*
27th June - Brighton - The Hope & Ruin*
28th June - Portsmouth - Edge of the Wedge*
29th June - Cardiff - Buffalo*
8th July - 2000 Trees Festival
22nd July - Truck Festival
27th July - Hull - The Adelphi
2nd September - Kent - Moosefest
30th September - Manchester - Deadbolt

* w/ Nervus

Mogwai - New Single 'Coolverine'

Since forming in Glasgow in 1995, Mogwai's output already numbers eight studio albums, 13 EPs, two remix albums, two live stream albums and four compilation albums including 2015’s collection Central Belters. They’ve also contributed soundtracks to an impressive spectrum of cinematic releases and TV series. The band have announced a major world tour, including dates in Europe. North America and 2 UK dates. Friday 15th Dec at the O2 Academy Brixton and Saturday 16th December at Glasgow's SSE Hydro. The new album 'Every Country's Sun' will be released on 1 Sept 2017, in the meantime check out the haunting 'Coolverine' here:

Victorious Festival Adds Another 150 Acts!

Victorious Festival has just added over another 150 acts to this year's line-up. The recent additions are packed full of up and coming, unsigned, self-releasing artists to add to your radar for the weekend ...

Jerry Williams 

The indie-pop singer's self-released, insightful, catchy songs like latest single ‘I’m Not In Love With You’ and her award winning EP ‘Let’s Just forget it’ which won best produced release of 2016 at the Unsigned Music Awards (photo by Gareth Gatrell).

Rhythm of the 90’s

Since their forming in 2012, they have become the band known to get any party started and a perfect addition to the line-up to get you in the festival spirit.

Kassassin Street

The popular Southsea-based band are also added to the bill today bringing their catchy psych-rock sounds to the festival.

Other artists just announced include Emptifish, Blackfoot Circle, Crown of Thieves, Cut Capers, Me & The Moon, Paddy Taylor, The Novatones, Tom Bertram and famously unsigned Mancunian rockers Slow Readers Club who are known for their dynamic live performances. 

Early bird tickets are still available at an unbeatable £30 for Friday and £37 Saturday / Sunday, for tickets and details go to www.victoriousfestival.co.uk

The Silhouettes

Foxer

Paddy Taylor

Me & The Moon

Sophie & The Darlings

Jimi & The Jaffa Cakes

Rockaway Beach - First Wave Of Acts Announced

The first wave of artists for Rockaway Beach which is set for 12-15th January 2018 have just been announced today. In it's third year, the festival is a great value boutique festival with all the comforts of home, as well as an eclectic line-up - with something for a whole spectrum of alternative tastes. 

LNM favourites Helen Love will bring their realistic love songs and pure pop genius delivered with an alternative attitude to the festival, we caught up with them last year when they released 'Smash Hits' you can check the full interview on the link below.

Also announced today are Wild Beasts, The Orb, Alabama 3, Honeyblood, Peter Hook & The Light, She Drew The Gun, Desperate Journalist, Moderate Rebels, Sweaty Palms and DJ sets from Tim Burgess and Steve Lamacq.

There will also be a special screening of the music documentary 'Lost In France' which charts the rise of Scotland's independent music scene in the 1990's. We had a chat to Festival Curator Ian Crowther about the new announcement:

"I'm really excited about the third Rockaway Beach festival - it promises to be the best yet. The team is happy to be delivering what our audience wants ... which is indie legends, awesome live bands, and the best emerging artists.

Wild Beasts are an exceptional band at the top of their game and I know they will deliver an awesome set, Alabama 3 are simply one of the best festival acts you could wish for, and The Orb will bring a really unique show to Rockaway Beach. Of course we love putting on breakthrough artists, and these are often the ones people remember most; for me, Moderate Rebels and Desperate Journalist are two of the most exciting young bands around. And anyone who's experienced a Tim Burgess DJ set will tell you it's not to be missed.

Butlin's Bognor Regis is such a fantastic place for a live music festival.  The sound and atmosphere in each venue is pretty special, the accommodation is top-rate, and the staff are fantastic. Ticket sales have been really strong in the last few weeks, before we announced a single name.  It will be great to see so many familiar faces in January as well as plenty of first-time Beachgoers."

The festival is already shaping up nicely and it's only the first wave of acts announced, you can find the ticket link below along with a link to our review of last year's festival to whet your appetite!

butlins bognor regis

Honeyblood

Blood Red Shoes - New Single

Currently working on their 5th album after being away for a while, Blood Red Shoes have released another new track this weekend. 'Bangsar' sees them moving in a more electro direction whilst still retaining the essence of BRS. Previous new track 'Eye To Eye' also has a dark and menacing air as you would expect from the Brighton duo, but with a new synthy edge. Check out the tracks here!

Skating Polly set to support Kate Nash on tour

kate nash

skating polly

With their EP, ‘New Trick’ out now on El Camino Media, Tacoma, Washington-based Skating Polly have announced extensive European tour dates for this summer. The shows take in slots opening for Kate Nash, as well as their own headline dates – details below.

Following the 2016 release of their highly acclaimed album ‘The Big Fit’, the step-sister duo of Peyton Bighorse and Kelli Mayo found themselves on the receiving end of glowing admiration from Veruca Salt’s co-frontwomen Louise Post and Nina Gordon, who had reached out looking to collaborate.  A dream come true, the band soon joined Post and Gordon in Los Angeles for a writing session, where the four musicians hit it off instantly and soon entered the studio with Brad Wood (Liz Phair, Sunny Day Real Estate, Smashing Pumpkins) to record the three new tracks that make up New Trick. The EP’s artwork is appropriately provided by famous 1970’s punk-era photographer and co-founder of Slash magazine Melanie Nissen, with the vinyl including a B-side etching hand-drawn by the band.

Originally from Oklahoma, Mayo and Bighorse are self-taught multi-instrumentalists, driven by the idea that they could create full songs with just the two of them in a shared bedroom. This new EP and tour sees them welcome their brother Kurtis Mayo to the band. Playing mostly on drums, the new expanded line up frees the band to fully realize their live potential, whilst continuing to trade instruments. Skating Polly’s song-first mentality, attention to melody, and incredible understanding of dynamics has been brought to the forefront this time around, matching their intense and engaging live shows.

Skating Polly live dates:
25 Jul Dublin (IRL) @ The Academy *
26 Jul Belfast (N-IRE) @ The Limelight 2 *
27 Jul Cardiff (UK) @ The Moon Club #
28 Jul Exeter (UK) @ Cavern Club #
29 Jul Leicester (UK) @ Cookie
31 Jul Glasgow (UK) @ Broadcast # 
01 Aug Edinburgh (UK) @ Queen's Hall *
02 Aug Bristol (UK) @ Thunderbolt #
03 Aug Leeds (UK) @ Church *
04 Aug Manchester (UK) @ O2 Ritz *
05 Aug Nottingham (UK) @ Rock City *
06 Aug Bristol (UK) @ O2 Academy *
08 Aug Brighton (UK) @ Concorde 2 * SOLD OUT
09 Aug London (UK) @ O2 Sheperd`s Bush Empire *
10 Aug London (UK) @ O2 Sheperd`s Bush Empire * SOLD OUT
11 Aug London (UK) @ Sebright Arms
12 Aug Stroud (UK) @ The Prince Albert
* with Kate Nash # with Hands off Gretel

Muse - New Single 'Dig Down' Out Now

Muse have released their new single ‘Dig Down’ which is available to stream and download now. The track focuses on the themes of unity and survival – fighting for what’s right when your back’s against the wall. The song is accompanied by an action packed video, which was directed by Lance Drake and features Lauren Wasser. 

Matt Bellamy said; “When I was writing this song I was looking to counteract the current negativity in the world and give inspiration, optimism and hope to people to fight for the causes they believe in; that as individuals we can choose to change the world if we want to.”

On the video, Lance Drake said; “The song is about survival and fighting the odds – when I heard this song I knew I wanted to do an action packed narrative. I’d heard about Lauren a year or so ago, I read her story and she gave me personal inspiration so I’d always kept her in mind to shoot with one day. The power of the song made me think of her … so I wrote the video narrative based on Lauren’s story and how she overcame the odds.”

Muse will be on tour in North America this Summer with Thirty Seconds To Mars and PVRIS in support. The band’s only UK appearances are Reading & Leeds Festival, which they headline for the third time, and Belfast Vital Festival.

IDestroy - New Single '98%'

IDestroy have released the video for ‘98%', the second half of their double A-side single ‘Annie’. Big bass lines and catchy choruses to match are the soundtrack to the lo-fi journey through the gritty scenes of the band's Bristol hometown. Fearless and more determined than ever, IDestroy have been unleashing new material to fans and have been touring the UK throughout April before heading off to Germany for a ten date tour, check out the video below:

The Franklys - On Tour / Album 'Are You Listening?'

The Franklys debut album ‘Are You Listening?’ is due to be released on June 23rd on Hälta Hälta Records. The album finds Swedish Jennifer Ahlkvist and Fanny Broberg, along with East Anglian bassist Zoë Biggs and drummer Lexi Clark at their full creative tilt.

They describe how the album encapsulates their live energy; “we made a conscious decision to try and make as versatile record as possible with a mixture of energetic pop rock songs together with garage, punk, indie, hard rock and funk. Listening to it from start to finish really is a journey through all stages of our live show ... “we have finally managed to transfer the energy and how we sound live on to a record.”

The Album Cover ...

The artist behind the striking artwork on the album is Cal Sino in Australia; “he's just freaking amazing! He usually does some sort of alien erotica animation, but agreed to do something different and unique for us, and we couldn't be happier with the result”

To celebrate the release of 'Are You listening?', The Franklys are embarking on an extensive tour, catch them at the below dates:

24th May Full Moon Cardiff

25th May Cavern Club Exeter

26th May Voodoo Lounge Stamford

27th May The Doghouse Nottingham

28th May The Golden Fleece Chelmsford

31st May Crauford Arms Milton Keynes

1st June Underground Bradford

2nd June Star Inn Guilford

3rd  June Camden Rocks London

7th June Firebug Leicester

8th June Lending Room Leeds

9th  June Fibbers York

10th June Jumpin' Jacks Newcastle

8th July Tannerfest Festival

5th August Verve Bar Leeds

6th August Rebellion Festival

The Coathangers - UK Tour / New Video

With a huge European tour kicking off next week, including 10 UK dates, Atlanta punks THE COATHANGERS have shared a new video for ‘Captain’s Dead’.

Taken from the forthcoming Parasite EP, out June 30th on Suicide Squeeze, the video for ‘Captain’s Dead’ combines the track's sultry verses, triumphant chorus, and bombastic freak-out of noisy guitar with ghoulish visuals.

“The song is about a very interesting and difficult time of personal transition that happened at the end of last year, which coincided with a changing political climate ushered in by the election of Donald Trump as president,” guitarist/vocalist Julia Kugel told Paste. “It was like the Trump ethos of savage ignorance was taking over every aspect of life, and then a realization that all things do circle and come back. The reward for malicious action is often a bag of shit, one way or another.The video was shot by good friend and longtime Coathangers collaborator Matt Odom in and around our house in Long Beach. The badass cheerleaders were a play on the whole captain of the squad thing. We wanted this video to be a bit random and weird to the observer, yet the clip soaked in personal meaning. feels a bit like a feverish nightmare… a hex on assholes.”

Watch the video for ‘Captain’s Dead’ here:

When The Coathangers first stormed on the scene over a decade ago, their power resided in their ability to craft a crooked hook out of a grimy guitar line, a delightfully crass chorus, or an enticingly ham-fisted drum-and-bass groove. With each successive album, the Atlanta garage punk ensemble has increasingly tempered their brash charm with sharp-witted pop. Not that the band ever fully excised the primal howl of The Gories or the sparse strut of ESG, but with the trio’s latest EP, Parasite, The Coathangers explore the space between their initial unbridled expressionism and their recent nuanced song craft. “I'd like to think the EP takes you on a journey through the band’s existence,” says guitarist/vocalist Julia Kugel of the sequencing of the five songs on their latest offering.

Parasite’s cover features an illustration of The Coathangers as sirens of the sea, an image that aptly captures the nautical themes of the EP. But the notion of The Coathangers as both mischievous and enchanting is certainly fitting too, as is evident in the alternately piercing and beguiling tracks on their latest EP.

The Coathangers live dates:
May12 UK Manchester Night & Day
May13UK Brighton The Joker
May15 UK Bristol The Exchange
May16 UK Oxford The Bullingdon
May17 UK London Oslo
May18 UK Hastings The Printworks
May19 UK Leicester The Cookie
May20 UK Leeds Gold Sounds @ Brudenell Social
May21 UK Sheffield The Harley
May23 UK Ramsgate Music Hall
May 24 BE Gent PSYCH OVER 9000
May 25 NL Eindhoven Stroomhuisje
May 26 NL Rotterdam Girls Go Boom Night @ Roodkapje
May 27 NL Amsterdam Pacific Park
May 28 NL Utrecht dB's
May 30 DE Hamburg Molotow
May 31 DE Berlin Cassiopeia
Jun 1 DE Munich Orangehouse
Jun 2 DE Cologne MTC
Jun 3 FR Paris Le Batofar
Jun 4 IT Ravenna Beaches Brew Festival
Jun 8 FR Clermont Ferrand Le Barraka
Jun 9 FR Nimes This is not a Love Song
Jun 10 FI Helsinki Sideways Festival