Download 2018 - Preview

With Download Festival less than a week away it's definitely time to take a look at the line-up, get your camping essentials together and start planning for a great weekend 🤘

There's loads on Wednesday and Thursday as well as the weekend, check out the Cinema and Comedy schedules: 

Friday our picks on the Zippo Encore Stage are Culture Abuse, CKY and Andrew WK. Marmozets play the Main Stage and Employed To Serve and The Bronx are on the Avalanche Stage.

Marmozets

andrew wk

Culture Abuse  

Saturday on the Main Stage we are looking forward to checking out The Pink Slips and Guns N' Roses headline set. Over on the Zippo Encore Stage are Bury Tomorrow, Babymetal, L7 and Parkway Drive.

Check out our L7 and Pink Slips interviews from 2015's Download here:

L7

The Pink Slips 

Babymetal 

There is no let up on Sunday with some really great bands closing the final day of the festival. On the Avalanche Stage there's A, Milk Teeth, Jamie Lenman and The Hives. On the Zippo Encore Stage there's Bodycount featuring Ice T while on the Main Stage Marilyn Manson and Ozzy Osbourne round off the weekend.

Jamie Lenman  

Bodycount

Milk Teeth

Download 2018 - The Pink Slips

The Pink Slips have just released their new EP 'Trigger check out the video for the title track below. 

The LA-based quintet's debut EP is out now and they've just announced shows with Guns N' Roses and L7 as well as on the Main Stage at Download next weekend.

Led by vocalist Grave, aka Grace McKagan, The Pink Slips (with by keyboardist Trent Peltz, drummer Keenan Bevans, guitarist Desi Scaglione and bassist Charlie Anastasis) cut their teeth in legendary Hollywood venues like The Troubadour and the Viper Room well before they could legally drink at the bar.

They’re raising the bar in 2018 with performances at the Download Festival and Bumbershoot, a show in Glasgow with L7 and a gaggle of international dates opening for Guns N’ Roses.

Their sound has been lauded for invoking the pinup appeal of ‘50s American rock, the sleek shimmer of ‘60s French pop, the unrelenting energy of ‘70s punk, and the dark romanticism of ‘80s new wave.

They’ve created something uniquely modern, shining a timeless creative light through a prism of youthful immediacy and potency and will definitely be one to check out at Download next weekend.

“There’s a saying that you should make music you want to hear,” says McKagan. “So we’ve been writing with that in mind. The songs on this EP are songs we want to hear. Hopefully, you’ll want to hear them, too.”

Check out our interview from Download 2015 here:

Catch The Pink Slips on Tour – dates are as follows:

Fri 8 Jun - UK, London, Black Heart [Headline Show]

Sat 9 Jun - UK, Donnington, Download Festival 

Sun 10 Jun - Glasgow at Garage w/ L7 

Tue 12 Jun - Germany, Gelsenkirchen, Veltins-Arena w/ Guns N' Roses

Fri 15 Jun- Italy, Firenze, Firenze Rocks 

Mon 18 Jun - France, Paris, Download Festival 

Wed 20 Jun - Belgium, Antwerp, Kavka [Headline Show]

Thu 21 Jun - Belgium, Dessel, Graspop Festival 

Sat 23 Jun - Germany, Köln, Blue Shell [Headline Show]

Sun 24 Jun - Germany Mannheim  Maimarktgelände   w/ Guns N' Roses

Tue 26 Jun - France, Bordeaux, Matmut Stadium  w/ Guns N' Roses

Thu 28 Jun - Spain, Madrid, Wurlitzer Ballroom [Headline Show]

Fri 29 Jun - Spain, Madrid, Download Festival 

IDLES - 'Colossus'

IDLES have shared a new song and video this week, 'Colossus' is the first new material since their glorious self-released debut album 'Brutalism'. Check it out the video below.

Excited to see what their new material had to offer we eagerly gave it a listen. First off the track pounds out a bassline like an alarm and the overall pace seems more subdued than expected, in a great way with layers of sound grabbing you and pulling you along for the ride. The track builds in its intricacies with a full sound rising into a crescendo of angst. 

That beautiful bass is isolated and kicks back in as if the event the alarm was signalling has finally arrived. While listening along without looking at the time counter the only thought that crosses your mind is please let this be a breakdown and not the end of the track.

But it's okay "it's coming", the next part submerges you into the full on fury of their sound with a full on assault on your eardrums.

Bring on the album guys, in short, still magnificent.

Actually Colossal.

Check out our article from their performance at Record Store Day last year here:

#JOYASANACTOFRESISTANCE

Reef, The Wildhearts & Terrorvision UK Tour - May 2018

"In a glorious collision of anthemic British rock, three of the most entertaining, feel-good and party-hard bands the UK has produced are coming together to wage war on boredom, mediocrity and probably each other" this month.

Following huge demand, Reef, The Wildhearts & Terrorvision, added 3 extra nights to their tour in Leeds, Bristol and Portsmouth. 

Terrorvision's Tony Wright said; "It’s going to be great to find out what was going on in the 90s and what it sounded like. I’ve seen the pics and so I know we were there – but to experience it first-hand will be ace!"

Reef’s Gary Stringeron the tour; "Really amped to be hitting the road this May and joining up with the guys from Terrorvision and The Wildhearts, it’s gonna be a blast! See you there, happy  days."

Ginger  of  The  Wildhearts throws down the challenge; "We are honoured to be a part of this legendary tour. Mainly because it means that we’re still alive, but also because it gives us a chance to prove that we were always the best band of this whole bunch."

Tour Dates:

SATURDAY  MAY  19TH–  O2  ACADEMY,  GLASGOW  

SUNDAY  MAY  20TH–  O2  ACADEMY,  NEWCASTLE

THURSDAY  MAY  24TH–  O2  ACADEMY,  LEEDS  

FRIDAY  MAY  25TH–  MOTION,  BRISTOL  

SATURDAY  MAY  26TH–  GUILDHALL,  PORTSMOUTH    

Tickets  are  available  NOW  via  this  link  britrock.seetickets.com. Place  Your  Hands  high,  drink  Tequila,  neck  a  Caffeine  Bomb  and  find  out  which  heavyweight  champion  will  crush  the  opposition.  Pick  sides  as  Britrock  Must  Be  Destroyed!!

Reef

The Plainviews - Debut EP 'A Million Different Ways of Saying Nothing At All'

The Plainviews have announced that their debut EP 'A Million Different Ways of Saying Nothing At All' is due out on May 11th via Bristol DIY label Invisible Llama Music. The Plainviews feature members of IDLES (Adam 'Dev' Devonshire +Jon Beavis) and The St Pierre Snake Invasion (Damien Sayell) and were formed through friendship, some form of functional alcoholism, and a proclivity for the inane.

The Plainviews have gained recognition in Bristol for their acerbic and visceral ‘alt-rock’ songs about nothing. To celebrate the upcoming EP, the band have released an accompanying videofor lead single ‘Bladerunner’, illustrated and directed by the wonderfully talented Tommy Norm.

The band say: "Here's the video for our first single, Bladerunner, all because we thought it would be funny to make an animated video for a song with one line."

Live Dates:

May 11th
Exchange, Bristol w Heavy Lungs, Twisted Ankle + Sugar Horse

June 20th
The Shacklewell Arms, London w Heavy Lungs + TBA

The Maple State - EP & ‘The Motorbike and The Closest of Calls’ Single

THE MAPLE STATE Release Surprise EP & ‘The Motorbike and The Closest of Calls’ Single

In Spring 2014, The Maple State front man Greg Counsell was walking to work when he was run over by a motorbike. When the police visited him in hospital they told him that the only thing that stopped him from breaking his neck was the rucksack that cushioned his head when he hit the road.

“It was all pretty gruesome and I ended up needing some serious surgery on my leg,” says Counsell of the story behind the track. “I spent the next few weeks in hospital and most of the summer trying to walk again. As with any brush with death it made me reflect on things a little. Soon after, I quit my job and started working towards a career in wildlife conservation, I also started writing songs again; sowing the seeds of what would become The Things I Heard At The Party.

“This song started out as a poem, I had pages and pages of verses that I just added to each day. I might release a director’s cut at some point with all the cut lines put back in. Richard and I worked on the song for weeks, we were conscious of trying to capture that feeling of the later The Streets albums, where Mike found that perfect balance between poignancy  and hope. He always had a clear message, that’s what I was going for here in the chorus, a simple clean line that speaks so much more. I believe this to be the best song we’ve ever written.”

The B-sides that make up the rest of the new EP were all written and recorded by Counsell over the years between their Say, Scientist EP and the new album. ‘Bones’ is a recording from the session with producer Al Groves that would have been the band’s debut album back in 2008, ‘Anne-Sophie’ was a song Counsell wrote and demoed in 2010 when he stepped out of his comfort zone and hit the road, and ‘Little Swede’ was a labour of love, recorded in 2012 with David Coyle at The Royal Northern College of Music, with the band going all out on the production, bringing in brass and strings to build the ending.

You can stream the full EP here:
https://soundcloud.com/faroutrecordings/sets/motorbike

Download Festival 2018 - New Acts Added!

Download Festival, the champion of rock events, has today announced the grand return of WWE NXT LIVE! to the hallowed grounds of Donington Park. Fans will be electrified with incredible displays of skill and athleticism, as the hugest names in sports entertainment deliver the fully-fledged NXT show to a full-scale ring in the festival arena. Not only that, but 21 more exciting names have been added to the bill including Andrew W.K, Hell Is For Heroes, Avatar, Bad Religion, and more. Download Festival is the only place in the world where fans can experience the exhilarating world of WWE NXT alongside the world’s biggest rock stars, across June 8 – 10. Tickets are available now from downloadfestival.co.uk/tickets.

Alongside headliners Avenged Sevenfold, Guns N’ Roses and Ozzy Osbourne, massive NXT names Aleister Black, Adam Cole, Velveteen Dream, Ricochet, Nikki Cross, Shayna Baszler, Kairi Sane, The Undisputed ERA and many more will descend upon Download for a weekend of high flying manoeuvres, action-packed matches and unexpected surprises along the way. NXT has made a massive impact at the festival in previous years, performing to capacity crowds throughout the weekend, featuring impressive debuts, shocking returns and the exciting action even spilling over into band's performances, this year is set to be even bigger and better.

Andrew W.K.

Andy Copping Said: “I am incredibly fired-up to welcome WWE NXT back to Download Festival. This festival exclusive marriage of rock and wrestling is totally unique and the only place where you can see the world’s most legendary rock stars and the brightest WWE prospects together. If previous years are anything to go by this is going to be the biggest most fun weekend ever.”

WWE NXT Superstar Aleister Black Said: “I've been a music guy all my life.  Getting to combine the two things that I love the most, metal and sports entertainment, on one of the most exciting stages in the world and to perform for a fanbase that understands me and is responsible for my success will make this an unforgettable experience."

Be prepared to run away with the metal circus as Avatar make an unmissable Main Stage appearance. On the Zippo Encore stage, the undisputed King Of Partying Andrew W.K is making his way back to Donington, whilst Hell Is For Heroes set the blueprint for post noughties British alt-rock and make their overdue Download debut. Cross over nu-metal skate punks CKY also join the stage for a serving of sludgy riffs, as well as three-time Grammy nominated Nothing More who have ridden wave of success bolstered by the electrifying frontman Johnny Hawkins.

Culture Abuse

The Avalanche Stage presented by Kerrang! Radio’s Fresh Blood gets even bigger as pivotal punk outfit Bad Religion have been confirmed as the final headliners with nearly four decades under their belt. Also added are UK up and comers Black Foxxes who have catapulted themselves through the British rock scene with a raw edge that have made them undeniable ones to watch, seminal Suffolk band A who are fresh from supporting Hell Is For Heroes, plus harmonious punk foursome Bad Cop / Bad Cop and more.

Other names announced today include Culture Abuse, Lawnmower Deth, Starcrawler, Ded, Being As An Ocean, Ecca Vandal, Igorrr, Loathe, Kaiser Franz Josef, Helpless, Cellar Darling, Anchor Lane.

Full line up:

Avenged Sevenfold / Guns N’ Roses / Ozzy Osbourne

A / Alexisonfire / All Them Witches / Anchor Lane /  Andrew W.K / Asking Alexandria / Avatar / BABYMETAL / Bad Cop/Bad Cop / Bad Religion / Baroness / Being As An Ocean / Black Foxxes /  Black Stone Cherry / Black Veil Brides / Blessthefall / Body Count Ft. Ice T / Boston Manor / Bullet For My Valentine / Bury Tomorrow / Cancer Bats / Cellar Darling /  CKY/  Corrosion Of Conformity / Cradle Of Filth / Culture Abuse / Dead Cross / DED / Blooms / DragonForce / Dream State / Emmure / Employed To Serve / Gold Key / Greta Van Fleet / Hatebreed / Helpless / Higher Power / Igorrr /  In This Moment / Inglorious / Jamie Lenman / Jonathan Davis / Kaiser Franz / Knocked Loose / Koyo / Kreator / L7 / Lawnmower Deth / Less Than Jake / Loath / Malevolence / Marilyn Manson / Marmozets / Mayday Parade / Meshuggah / Milk Teeth / Miss May I / Monster Truck / Myke Gray / Myrkur / Neck Deep / No Hot Ashes / Parkway Drive / Plini / Powerflo / Puppy / Rise Against / Rolo Tomassi / Savage Messiah / Shinedown / SHVPES / Sleep Token / Starcrawler / Stick To Your Guns / Stray From The Path / Sun Arcana / TesseracT / The Bottom Line / The Bronx / The Faim / The Hives / The Hyena Kill / The Maine / The Pink Slips / The Struts / The Temperance Movement / Thrice / Thunder / Thy Art Is Murder / Tigress / Turbonegro / Volbeat / Von Hertzen Brothers / Wayward Sons / Whiskey Myers / Woes / WSTR / You Me At Six / Zeal & Ardor

ASH - New Album 'Islands' & First Single 'Buzzkill'

Ash will release new album 'Islands' on May 18, via Infectious Music (a return to the label home through which they previously released #1 albums '1977' and 'Free All Angels'), ahead of an appearance on home turf as part of the Belfast Biggest Weekend line-up on May 26.

Check out new single 'Buzzkill' here which features The Undertones' Damien O'Neill and Mickey Bradley on backing vocals.

Speaking about the track, Ash's singer/guitarist Tim Wheeler says; "The day I wrote Buzzkill, it took me a while to stop laughing cos it’s so fun, dumb and full of unnecessary swearing. We used to know a band called Buzzkill in Belfast in the 90s and I think their name has been in my mind for all that time wanting to get into a song. Having seen The Undertones playing a couple of times recently I was guiltily thinking how much the backing vocals I’d written for Buzzkill were mimicking their style. So I thought it would only be right to ask Damien and Mickey to sing on it and we were honoured when that they said yes, despite all the filthy cussing. It’s a fun song and will hopefully ignite a few mosh-pits for us this year.”

This is their first album since 2015’s Kablammo! And 25 years on from their emergence as teenagers on Belfast’s DIY scene.

Produced by Tim Wheeler, Islands is the band’s seventh studio album with additional production from Mark Hamilton, Rick McMurray and Claudius Mittendorfer – who also mixed the album at the band’s studio in New York, the full track-listing is:

True Story
Annabel
Buzzkill
Confessions In The Pool
All That I Have Left
Don’t Need Your Love
Somersault
Did Your Love Burn Out?
Silver Suit
It’s A Trap
Is It True?
Incoming Waves

Islands is released on May 18th via Infectious Music  on CD, LP, Ltd LP (silver vinyl), cassette and digitally.

The band will be confirming a run of lives dates imminently, meanwhile they will be appearing as follows:

05.05.18   LEEDS   Live At Leeds festival purchase tkts here
26. 05.18  BELFAST     BBC Biggest Weekend festival
 

Flobots

Denver, CO – Alternative hip-hop band Flobots release a new track, “Handle Your Bars,” in response to YouTuber Logan Paul’s song, “No Handebars,” which lifts its hook -- but not its message -- from Flobots’ platinum hit song “Handlebars.”

Lyrically, Logan Paul’s version of the song drastically diverges from a core value of Flobots’ - empowerment. With this in mind, Flobots felt compelled to respond – in song. “Handle Your Bars” is a searing track – smart and quick and bringing the conversation back to what matters. Jonny5 states, “To see our song used this way, especially against the backdrop of a national conversation about respect for women, we felt a duty to speak up.”

Flobots, who recently returned from the West Coast leg of their RISE + SHINE Tour, will play a special hometown New Year’s Eve show at Denver’s Marquis Theater on December 31st.  Tickets are on sale now at www.flobots.com.
 
in support of their recently released fourth album, NOENEMIES. The RISE + SHINE Tour is Flobots’ call to action, set to remind us that the division and negativity that currently dominate the national conversation is not in the spirit of human nature – that our true potential is much more positive and welcoming. Flobots’ RISE + SHINE Tour offers the opportunity to elevate above the rhetoric and come together for a night of music and connection. Flobots state, “The music on our album NOENEMIES is about our power to see each other more fully. We find that there’s nothing better for the soul than meeting people face to face. We cannot wait to hit the road.”
 
Flobots’ second leg of the RISE + SHINE Tour kicks off on January 9th, 2018 in Omaha, NE and brings the band’s politically charged live show to major cities such as Chicago, New York and Philadelphia before wrapping up on January 28th in Kansas City, MO. Special guests Tropidelic and McLovins support Flobots for select 2018 dates. The complete list of shows is included below, with tickets on sale now at www.flobots.com

Flobots’ recent album NOENEMIES (released May 2017) is, without question, Flobots’ most ambitious and sophisticated statement to date -  both lyrically and musically. Funded entirely by a Kickstarter campaign that garnered $31,000 over its goal, the music on NOENEMIES is undeniably Flobots music, but it’s also assuredly music made by artists who have matured and expanded their horizons. The release was highly-anticipated by fans and critics alike -- NOENEMIES shot up the Billboard Independent Album chart, where it debuted at #12.

Influenced by stories shared by the late Dr. Vincent Harding, a Southern Freedom Movement historian and professor and longtime band friend and mentor, and inspired by the band’s recent grassroots community work hosting workshops, classes and keynote speeches about using collective song to build social movements, NOENEMIES is a body of songs that speak to the urgency of the current moment.
 
Each of the tracks on NOENEMIES serves as a powerful, poignant new anthem, many packed with surprises both subtle and grand. Taken as a whole, the album is enormous in breadth, enveloping and electrically charged, befitting of the finely crafted, carefully chosen words. NOENEMIES virtually begs the listener to delve and to contemplate, to share and revel.
 
From the beginning, Flobots’ sound defied categorization. Weaving conscious hip-hop lyrics and classical viola solos over live instrumentation, their anthems captured attention from all directions. When Flobots first catapulted onto the global scene in 2008 with their platinum single ‘Handlebars’ from their first album release Fight With Tools, it was the fastest charting song debut by a new artist in 10 years. Released during the frenzy of that year’s election, the band’s call to envision “another America” resonated with a generation experiencing a sense of profound political and social awakening. In a span of months, Flobots went from playing at local clubs to selling out tours internationally, performing on late-night television, signing a major label record deal, and receiving constant rotation on alternative radio.
 
Now, a decade later and with three critically acclaimed albums under their belt, Flobots are still dedicated to creating and performing anthems for a better world. And in 2017, amidst a nation taking to the streets, for Flobots that means delivering a unique brand of protest songs. Enter NOENEMIES - bringing the songs back to the people.

Rockaway Beach 2018

The Horrors are the latest addition to the line-up for Rockaway Beach, the Essex five-piece will headline on Friday, hot on the heels from a spell supporting Depeche Mode during their Global Spirit tour. The Horrors’ fifth album, 'V', was released earlier this year.
 
Already confirmed as headlining Rockaway Beach are Wild Beasts (on Saturday) and Alabama 3 (on Sunday), the line-up also includes The Orb, British Sea Power and Peter Hook & The Light.

Speaking on the announcement that Wild Beasts are coming to an end, festival curator Ian Crowther commented, "like all Wild Beasts fans I am devastated to hear that the band is coming to an end  - but I am equally excited to hear what the future holds for them. I'm thrilled that Rockaway Beach will be a central part of the band's farewell celebrations next year. We have a whole host of on-site activities planned in order to make this a fitting sendoff for one of this country's greatest bands, and the ultimate experience for all the fellow Boy Kings looking to hoot & howl one last time, including a late-night Wild Beasts deep cuts party, a Wild Beasts pub quiz and plenty, plenty more. Cheerio Chaps, Cheerio Goodbye."

Rockaway Beach is always a great festival with an great atmosphere and eclectic line-up. Check out our feature from the Festival last year below for a taste of the seaside treats you can expect!

Prices currently start at £75 per person for room-only accommodation for the entire three-night festival!

Andrew W.K.

It’s safe to say, nobody has partied harder, longer or more fervently than the undisputed King of Partying himself, Andrew W.K.. A one-man music machine possessed of a single-minded, monomaniacal focus to spread a singular message: That to party is to exist. And to exist is to party.

Having revealed his new album 'You're Not Alone' is out on the 2nd March 2018, he is also touring the UK in April.

On You're Not Alone, Andrew W.K.’s first studio album of entirely new rock songs in nearly twelve years, the party is reborn, delivering everything one would want and expect of an Andrew W.K. record — high octane, full throttle rock ’n’ roll powered by buoyant, infectious, and triumphant melodies. His music, always a music of extremes, relentlessly upbeat and celebratory, now also explores nuance and contradiction.

These songs are a path to self-actualization. They are permission to admit vulnerabilities, and encouragement to feel empowered. They are reflections on freedom, hedonism and responsibility. It is a confirmation of everything you are, rejection of all you are not, and at times, a blurring of the difference between the two. Doubt becomes certainty, confusion becomes clarity, and the fear of life becomes the courage to live it completely. The album reveals itself through double meanings, mirrored outlooks ringing equally true, even at their most severely discordant.

Andrew W.K. has lived a life explaining that to reach a state of grace and acceptance, one must embrace both the shadow and the light, the pain and the joy, all that is known and unknown, the stability as well as the chaos of life, its speed and torpor. Understanding this, Andrew W.K. suggests, is at the foundation of what partying eventually reveals to us. And by harnessing the power of partying - and celebrating the puzzles and pressures of life - we find the key to change and evolution comes from both inside and out, when we're together and on our own.

That inner voice, the music of our consciousness, becomes our guide. Trust it. Follow it. Through good times and bad, ups and downs, highs and lows. Realize that just being able to hear it conveys something fundamental to your being:

You’re not alone.

UK Tour Dates:

13-Apr-18 Cardiff Great Hall
14-Apr-18 London O2 Kentish Town Forum
15-Apr-18 Birmingham O2 Academy
18-Apr-18 Norwich Waterfront
19-Apr-18 Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
20-Apr-18 Manchester O2 Ritz
21-Apr-18 Glasgow Garage

Pearl Jam - Summer 2018 Tour

Pearl Jam will embark on a fourteen-date European tour in June and July of 2018 including two shows at the O2 Arena June 18th and 19th.

October 22, 2015 officially marked 25 years of Pearl Jam performing live. Ten studio albums, hundreds of unique live performances and official live concert bootleg releases later, the band continues to be critically acclaimed and commercially successful, with over 85 million albums sold worldwide and a 2017 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The band’s summer tour kicks off on June 12th in Amsterdam, NL and wraps up on July 14th in Lisbon, PT.  This tour marks the band’s first performance in Rome since 1996 and first ever concerts in Padova, IT and Kraków, PL.

A special ticket pre-sale begins today for current Pearl Jam Ten Club members. General public tickets for the O2 Arena go on sale Friday, December 8th at 11AM. Check pearljam.com for updates.

Pearl Jam’s full European tour dates are as follows:

June
Tues 12thAMSTERDAM NL, Ziggo Dome

Fri 15thLANDGRAAF NL, Pinkpop Festival

Mon 18thLONDON, O2 Arena

Tues 19thLONDON, O2 Arena

Fri 22ndMILAN IT, I-Days Fetsival

Sun 24thPADOVA IT, Stadio Euganeo

Tues 26thROME IT, Stadio Olimpico

July
Sun 1stPRAGUE CZ, O2 Arena

Tues 3rdKRAKÓW PL, Tauron Arena Kraków

Thurs 5thBERLIN DE, Waldbühne

Sat 7thWERCHTER BE, Rock Werchter Festival

Tues 10thBACELONA ES, Palau St. Jordi

Thurs 12thMADRID ES, Mad Cool Festival

Tues 24thLISBON PT, NOS Alive Festival

In celebration of Pearl Jam's legendary, sold out performances at Wrigley Field during the Chicago Cubs historic World Series championship season, Pearl Jam recently released documentary film Let’s Play Two and accompanying soundtrack album. Full details at www.letsplaytwofilm.com.

Inheaven - UK Tour 2018

Following sold out shows throughout the UK and an epic set at London’s Scala, INHEAVEN have announced further tour dates in 11  venues across the UK set for early 2018.
 
INHEAVEN’s adrenaline-fuelled live experience has proceeded their reputation following consulving sets across sold out venues and pack out festival tents in the UK and Europe, including an epic set at Reading, check out our Saturday coverage here: 

In their short history, INHEAVEN have earned influential admirers such as The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, who released their track ‘Regeneration’ on his Cult Records label, as well as DJs Annie Mac, Huw Stephens, Steve Lamacq, Chris Hawkins, Chris Martin and John Kennedy.
 
The band’s self titled album was released in September to a wave of critical acclaim. Produced by Tom Dalgety (Royal Blood, Pixies, The Maccabees) and recorded at Rockfield Studios, INHEAVEN’sdebut is the sound of a band who are set to change the lives of teenagers the length and breadth of the nation, and beyond. The life-affirming energy of their music combined with their individualistic ethos combine to make a band worth investing in beyond simply adding a few tracks to your Spotify playlist.
 
After playing a sold out UK and European tour this autumn, INHEAVEN are set to embark upon an extended UK tour. Full dates:

Peggy Sue - Single 'Slow Fade'

London-via-Brighton based duo Peggy Sue have been releasing material for the past 11 years and this is the first single in 3 years! Check out the beautiful, jangly, indie-pop sounds here:

"Slow Fade" is the first single from Peggy Sue's upcoming fifth album, due 2018. After a three year break, during which Rosa Slade and Katy Young have been performing with all-female singing group Deep Throat Choir, '"Slow Fade" is an apt comeback; a melancholy celebration of patience. 

The track is a dreamy, melodic breakup song; one that lets you hang around lazily in the days when you aren't ok yet. "Heartbreak takes ages" says Katy Young. "That's kind of the best and the worst thing about it. I was pretty heartbroken and trying all these tactics to make it finish faster; going out, staying in, talking about it, not talking about. But at some point I realised that when I was ok again, it would be because the love was done. And so Slow Fade is about letting it take its time - partly because you don't really have a choice and partly because a bit of me wanted to make that pretty sadness last as long as I could."

The new single - and forthcoming album - borrow in equal parts from the perfectly constructed pop songs of the 1960s and the understated, noisy guitar experiments of 90s indie bands such as The Breeders and Blur. The group's new material sees front-women Slade and Young joined by Dan Blackett (Landshapes) on drums and Benjamin Gregory (GRIP TIGHT) on bass, who bring a fresh energy and clarity to the band's enduringly captivating duel vocals. 

NARCS - Raus! video

Leeds band NARCS, have shared their new video for 'Raus!', a single taken from their sophomore album 'A Thinking Animal', which was released via Clue Records, check it out here: 

Speaking about the single, Joe Angus (guitarist) said, "Raus as a song was a long, drawn out process to make something coherent out of a whole host of churning, grinding grievances we had about the way things were for us, as individuals and as a country. The song was born at a time when I (Joe - Guitar) had stepped away from the band, for the sake of my mental wellbeing more than anything, and the other lads were jamming with Sam and Jack (formerly of leeds band Insatellites). The instant correlation between what goes on in Westminster and the everyday gnawing shittiness of the average working life. It's just a guttural outpouring of that sinking feeling post-General Election, set on top of this incessant industrial rhythm. We were listening to a lot of The Fall and Girl Band at the time, so we made absolutely no effort to make it fun or abide by any sort of received pop structure. It felt at times during recording that we maybe just indulged ourselves in our anger too much for others to really click with it, but as it turns out, it's probably the most popular song on the album. Which goes to show, I guess, just how utterly disenfranchised and aggrieved people are with life in the UK. "
 

‘Raus’ is a passionate yet desolate onslaught focused on voicing the bands tribulations with the increasing unrest across the UK in post-General Election Britain, average working life and the band members personal experiences as individuals. The track is a brooding statement, pushed on by sparse bass while the guitars scream as hard as the impassioned vocals. With verses that exchange caustic guitar feedback for trenchant lyrics and cacophonous instrumental sections that culminate in a volatile rhythmically driven end section, the track perfectly conveys the bands frustration and dejection at current state of the country’s political and social status.

BITCH FALCON

Bitch Falcon - ‘Of Heart’

SOUNDCLOUD / Release Date: 24 Nov

Dublin trio Bitch Falcon are back with new track ‘Of Heart’, sludgey grungey singer Lizzie Fitzpatrick snarls distinctive voice

 check out ‘Of Heart’ here.

Twitter.com/BitchFalcon
Facebook.com/B.tchFalcon
Soundcloud.com/Bitch-Falcon

Frank Turner

Frank Turner's retrospective album ‘Songbook’ is out today, along with a brand new recording of 'Long Live The Queen (Songbook Version)', made specially for the 'Songbook' album. 

The track arrives alongside a live video shot at Frank's 2000th gig at Rock City last December. The live video is the first taster of Frank's 'Show 2000' concert film, which will be available as part of the 'Songbook' boxset release (also featuring his 'Get Better' documentary film & an exclusive photobook), available on December 15, alongside the vinyl release.

'Songbook' draws together Frank's finest moments from his six solo albums to date, alongside 10 new 'Songbook' versions of tracks. 

The full tracklisting for ‘Songbook’ is:
CD1:
Four Simple Words
I Still Believe
The Next Storm
Recovery
The Road
Long Live The Queen
Glorious You
Plain Sailing Weather
I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous
Wessex Boy
The Opening Act Of Spring
Polaroid Picture
Mittens
If Ever I Stray
The Way I Tend To Be
The Ballad Of Me And My Friends
Photosynthesis
Get Better
There She Is
CD2:
Polaroid Picture (Songbook Version)
The Ballad Of Me And My Friends (Songbook Version)
Broken Piano (Songbook Version)
Josephine (Songbook Version)
Love 40 Down (Songbook Version)
The Way I Tend To Be (Songbook Version)
Glorious You (Songbook Version)
I Am Disappeared (Songbook Version)
Long Live The Queen (Songbook Version)
Photosynthesis (Songbook version)

Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday and Sleeping With Sirens Announced For Slam Dunk Festival 2018

Slam Dunk Festival has announced the first six bands that will take to the stage for 2018. The festival is set to return for it’s biggest year to date as the legendary and anthemic Jimmy Eat World will take to the stage in their debut Slam Dunk Festival appearance. They will be joined by emo leaders Taking Back Sunday, party-starters Four Year Strong, post-hardcore heroes Sleeping With Sirens, pop-punk’s hottest property State Champs and fast-rising mob Trash Boat, all of which are poised to deliver the performance of the summer at next year’s unmissable pop-punk party. All six acts will be gracing the Slam Dunk Festival stages as UK festival exclusives.

Responsible for powering an entire cult movement with pioneering songwriting and unfaltering live performances, Jimmy Eat World’s beloved works ‘Bleed American’, ‘Futures’,  all the way to the most recent, ‘Integrity Blues’ are nothing short of expert masterpieces. The stalwarts continue to captivate audiences and inspire pop-punk rock acts of the modern era - influencing sounds across multiple genres and playing to thousands of fans through countless time-zones. Their riotous debut appearance will no doubt be full of euphoria and nostalgia at Slam Dunk Festival.

Joining the Arizona heavyweights, are the New Jersey kings of heartbreak, Taking Back Sunday, who will be bringing their highly-anticipated act to Slam Dunk Festival 2018. Their strike rate on hit records speak for themselves; alongside 2002’s ‘Cute Without The E (Cut From The Team)’, the likes of ‘Make Damn Sure’, ‘A Decade Under The Influence’ and ‘Make Damn Sure’ have not only helped them attain chart success here but also a vehemently loyal fanbase worldwide.

Floridian icons Sleeping With Sirens are set to return to UK shores with a remarkably coveted performance which is set to win the hearts of many next summer. Armed with a catalogue of undeniable rock tracks, packed full of soaring guitars and sublime vocal melodies, the troupe lead by charismatic vocalist Kellin Quinn are at the top of the game. Expect the classics and fan favourites from the first 4 albums, alongside mind blowing singles from recently released ‘Gossip’ album when they stun audiences at Slam Dunk Festival 2018.

Shaun Cooper of Taking Back Sunday said: "We are very excited to announce our return to the United Kingdom in May for Slam Dunk. We have had such a great time in years past we felt very fortunate to receive an offer we couldn't refuse.  We will be sharing a stage with the legendary Jimmy Eat World!  We can't wait to see you at the shows”

Kellin Quinn of Sleeping With Sirens said: "Can’t wait to get back and rock Slam Dunk Festival next year!”

Leading with anthemic singalongs and unrelenting breakdowns alike, Four Year Strong, State Champs and Trash Boat will be making their return to Slam Dunk Festival.

Renowned for their exhilarating live show, Four Year Strong will be bringing their extensively energetic back catalogue to the festival with acclaimed hit singles such as ‘Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die’ and ‘Wasting Time (Eternal Summer)’ to stir a raucous Slam Dunk crowd.

Joining Four Year Strong in a journey from stateside straight to Slam Dunk Festival will be State Champs. Returning to the festival after their debut appearance in 2014, the band are poised to showcase the hottest tracks from the acclaimed Around The World And Back, as well as delivering energetic show-stopping crowd-pleasers like ‘Elevated’ and ‘Deadly Conversation’ for what promises to be one incredible set.

St Albans natives and Hopeless Records posterboys Trash Boat are also set to deliver a show stopping performance, packed with raw cathartic hooks and bouncing choruses as they return to the coveted Slam Dunk Festival stage.

Four Year Strong said: "We’ve loved the UK ever since our first trip over in 2007, nothing’s changed. Oh yeah, and Slam Dunk is fun too!"

State Champs’ Derek DiScanio said: "Slam Dunk was the first UK Festival we ever played on our first trip overseas in 2014. We've been eager to dunk again, and 2018 is our year. Everyone involved with this festival is top notch and I can't wait to make some new memories with everyone attending this time around. It's gonna be wild."

Trash Boat said: "SLAM DUNK! 2018 will be another year where we can say we are part of this awesome festival. The line-up is already stacked and there’s so much more on the way. Who knows, we may even have some new music coming out by then. See you there. TB x"

As well as announcing four prized pop-punk acts, Slam Dunk Festival is delighted to announce that Slam Dunk South will now take place at Hatfield Park, having outgrown its former home, the University of Hatfield. Over double the size of the previous location, Hatfield Park is located in the grounds of Hatfield House and situated directly opposite Hatfield train station, making it even more accessible and accommodating for festival goers wishing to revel in Slam Dunk Festival’s alternative extravaganza.

Festival Director, Ben Ray commented: ‘Slam Dunk Festival South has been taking place in Hatfield since 2010 so the town has truly become our home. Therefore, I am extremely happy we managed to find a new site still within the town. We are sad to leave the University however the event was selling out months in advance so we knew we had to move it and make it bigger due to demand from the fans.’

Slam Dunk Festival will begin in it’s spiritual home of Leeds, Millennium Square, before travelling to the new location of Hatfield Park, and finishing at the beloved Birmingham NEC.

Show Me The Body - K9

New York City trio Show Me The Body have just announced their new 7", Challenge Coin due for release on their Corpus label in November.

'K-9' is the A-side of Challenge Coin 7" which addresses the difference between community and fraternity. Side A is about the cultivation of community. Side B is about remaining free within the plague of masculinity and capitalism.

After participating in the Illegal Civ Cinema Tour w/ Denzel Curry, they are headed back on the road with King Krule in N. America. 

Check out 'K9' here it's a slow starter, stick with it - it's worth a spin!:

Husky Loops

With their new EP, 'EP2' set for release this Friday (Oct 6th), Husky Loops share new single 'Fading Out'.

The band are also set to tour with Placebo this month, as well as playing shows with Superfood & Tigercub, which will then be followed by a full headline tour across the UK in November. 

Singer Danio explains the thoughts behind the new song: "'Fading Out' is about leaving home. It’s open to interpretation, like most of our lyrics, but the song was inspired by both break ups and Mediterranean migrants. Musically it was really influenced by hip hop, I was listening to a lot of Pusha T and Jeru the Damaja and it’s all about rhythm”

Husky Loops are a band set on breaking the rules, bending genre boundaries and stepping boldly into the unknown. Their new EP strikes a perfect balance between the unhinged nature of their live shows and the meticulous detail that goes into every one of their studio recordings. It's messy but precise, fierce but mellow, it's open but intriguing.  Far-out apocalyptic arrangements collide with oddball pop structures as the group continues to define and accomplish their incredible musical vision. 

See Husky Loops live:
October
10th – Doncaster Dome (Placebo)
11th – Blackpool Empress Ballroom (Placebo)
12th – Nottingham Bodega (with Superfood)
13th – Reading Rivermead (Placebo)
14th – Cardiff Motorpoint Arena (Placebo)
16th – Portsmouth Guildhall (Placebo)
17th – Swindon Oasis (Placebo)
20th – Plymouth Pavilions (Placebo)
21st – Wolverhampton Civic hall (Placebo)
23rd – Brixton Academy (Placebo)
24th – Brixton Academy (Placebo)
26th – Manchester Star & Garter (with Tigercub)
27th – Norwich Waterfront (with Tigercub)
November
8th – Glasgow Garage Bar (attic)
9th – Leeds Brudenell Games Room
10th – Middlesborough Westgarth
11th -  Newcastle Think Tank
12th – Liverpool Studio 2
14th – Birmingham Sunflower Lounge
15th – Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach
16th – Bristol Crofters
17th – Lexington, London
18th – Southampton Joiners
25th - Luton The Edge