NEWSFLASH: We Are Scientists Announce New Single + Album

Keith Austin Murray (‘Keith’) and Christopher Ian Cain (‘Christopher I. Cain’) are back. Armed with a new single, and a record that sees them return to the stripped-down production sensibilities of W.A.S.’s gold-selling debut, With Love & Squalor, whilst continuing to hone the melodic knack that has made them popular with fans and men who work for months at sea.
The duo have also announced a show at Hoxton Bar & Grill on February 23, which sold out in record time (3 minutes and 25 seconds to be precise). The bands first show in London since December 2008, will see them recruit Andy Burrows (former hitter-guy to Razorlight) to drum.
The album, ‘Barbara’ was recorded in NYC, London and Los Angeles, and will be released in June. With the first single “Rules” hitting the streets on April 5.

More about Chris and Keith
Keith plays guitar and sings, but Chris plays bass guitar and handles vocals. Chris grew up in Utah, yet to this day is not Mormon. Keith grew up in Miami, the setting for Scarface, TV’s Dexter, and one book. Keith lives in Brooklyn. Chris has two cats that he doesn’t really give a shit about, at the end of the day.

www.wearescientists.com

NEWSFLASH: Laura Marling Releases Details Of Second Album.

Laura Marling will release her Ethan Johns-produced second album ‘I Speak Because I Can’ on March 22nd, the follow-up to her Mercury-nominated debut ‘Alas I Cannot Swim’. The album will be preceded by new single ‘Devil’s Spoke’ on March 15th.
Laura is to release a second album this year with recording starting this March, again with Johns at the helm, scheduled for release in September 2010.

TRACK LISTING:
01 – Devil’s Spoke     
02 – Made By Maid    
03 – Rambling Man    
04 – Blackberry Stone
05 – Alpha Shallows  
06 – Goodbye England        
07 – Hope In The Air           
08 – What He Wrote  
09 – Darkness Descends    
10 – I Speak Because I Can
UK & IRELAND APRIL TOUR:
09 – Belfast – Limelight
10 – Dublin – The Academy
12 – Manchester – Lowry
13 – Glasgow – Fruitmarket
14 – Edinburgh – Queen’s Hall
16 – Birmingham – Alexandra Theatre
17 – Cambridge – Corn Exchange
19 – Newcastle – Tyne Theatre
20 – York – Opera House
21 – Bristol – Colston Hall
23 – Southampton – Guildhall
25 – London – Palladium
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I SPEAK BECAUSE I CAN:
‘I Speak Because I Can’ is Laura Marling’s coming of age album, its 10 songs imbued with a new richness, ripeness and sophistication. It is also an album marked by its quintessential Englishness. For all its American instrumentation, its shades of Crosby Stills and Nash, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, its American producer, these songs are no pale Americana interpretation; rather they are tales deeply rooted in England.
Marling chose Ethan Johns to produce as she credits many of his earlier records (among them Ray LaMontagne, Kings of Leon, Emmylou Harris, Sarabeth Tucek) with kindling her interest in music, had long admired his way of working, his use of reels, his quiet, traditional methods of production.  He gave her the space to find her own identity; the record reveals in a new maturity, and at points Marling’s voice sounds a little harder, a little world-wearied.
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www.lauramarling.com

NEWSFLASH: Delphic Announce Remix Competition

REMIX COMPETITION:

Delphic are offering fans the opportunity to remix their next single ‘Doubt’ by giving away all the stems to the song as free downloads!

By going to www.delphic.cc/doubt  you can download the stems or mix straight onto the page with a new remix tool designed by SoundCloud.com and Aviary.com.

The most popular remix will win SoundCloud Pro Plus account (worth €500/year) and an exclusive personalised set of all vinyl the band have produced so far:

- Counterpoint 12″ (R&S)
- This Momentary 12″ (Kitsune)
- Alterstate 10″ (White)
- Doubt 7″ / 12″ (Chimeric)
- Acolyte 12″ (Chimeric)

Five runners up will receive a SoundCloud Lite account (worth €29/year) and a signed CD copy of the band’s debut album “Acolyte”.

The deadline for submissions is January 31st.

http://www.delphic.cc/doubt/

NEWSFLASH: Delphic announce details of new album/tour dates

Manchester trio Delphic have chosen ‘Doubt’ as the first single to be taken from their debut album ‘Acolyte’ which will be released 11th January 2010.

It will be available digitally on 3rd January and physically from 4th January.

LIVE DATES:

December
08 – Academy, Manchester
11 – Koko, London
12 – The Royal, Derby
13 – Optimo, Glasgow
18 – Central, Manchester
19 – The Plug, Sheffield
31 – Warehouse Project, Manchester (DJ Set)

January
14 – Norwich – Arts Centre
15 – Oxford – Zodiac
16 – Sheffield – Leadmill
17 – Bristol – Thekla
19 – Brighton – Audio
20 – Wolverhampton – Little Civic
21 – Liverpool – Kazimier
22 – Glasgow – King Tuts
23 – Leeds – Cockpit 2
26 – New To Q @ The Tabernacle, London

ACOLYTE:

Produced with the Berlin-based techno émigré Ewan Pearson, it was recorded mostly in Pearson’s Berlin studio, the city’s flourishing techno scene bleeding into the crisp grooves but never to the detriment of the band’s emotive songwriting. Whether on the explosively percussive ‘Clarion Call’, the lost longing of ‘Submission’, the sheer contagiousness of ‘Halcyon’ or the epic scope of the title track, Delphic consistently demonstrate their ability to write massive songs is equal to their ability to build bangin’ beats. “With a lot of dance albums, you search out the singles but the rest is all a bit samey and boring,” says Matt, “We wrote the album as a whole and weren’t afraid to lower the tempos and concentrate on the songs.”

Obsessive fans of the highly metaphysical films of 70s Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky as much as they are the punishing techno of Surgeon and the emotionally experimental spirit of Radiohead, Delphic’s combination of high art aspiration and party spirit is very Manchester and Delphic are well marinated in the Factory city’s classic collision of ordinary bloke-ness with highend ideals. It’s a heritage they’re happy to acknowledge. “Even though it’s had a cosmetic facelift, there’s a certain vibe to Manchester,” says Rick. “There’s a challenge set down by Manchester’s heritage” Matt puts in, “and we want to look at how that applies to us, where to take that legacy, even surpass it.”

NEWSFLASH: Marina and the Diamonds announce debut album details.

Marina and the Diamonds, AKA Greek/Welsh 24 year old Marina Diamandis, is proud to announce the release of her debut album ‘The Family Jewels’ on February 15th through 679/Atlantic Records. The album will be preceded by the release of her new single ‘Hollywood’, out 1st February.

What a whirlwind 2009 has been for Ms. Diamond! Having spent the year building experience & raising her profile through a succession of brilliant singles & EPs (‘Obsessions’, ‘The Crown Jewels EP’ and ‘Mowgli’s Road’), creating one-of-a-kind music videos, not to mention playing practically every festival date this summer, Marina is now perfectly poised to step into the limelight with the release of her beautifully crafted debut LP.

Produced by Liam Howe (Ex-Sneaker Pimps), Biff Stannard (Kylie) and Pascal Gabriel (Ladyhawke), ‘The Family Jewels’ is unlike any other recent debut. Marina is a true original who has poured her heart and soul into the writing of this gem. 12 tracks and 42 minutes in length, ‘The Family Jewels’ is part autobiography/part fairytale with the sound ranging from the uber-shiny pop of ‘Shampain’ to the fragile elegance of ‘Obsessions’ and ‘Numb’, the pop-punk of ‘Girls’ and the joyful quirkiness of ‘Mowgli’s Road’ and ‘Hermit the Frog’.

Not content to conform to the on-trend sound of the moment, Marina is determined to succeed on her own terms. This steely determination really fed into the production of the album with Marina making producer Liam Howe record 482 vocal takes for one song.

The end result is an album that functions as a fully formed piece of art. Heartbreaking and emotional at times as exemplified on ‘I Am Not A Robot’ Marina lays herself open and vulnerable for her fans, ‘The Diamonds’.

Marina comments: “I am really proud to finally release my debut album, ‘The Family Jewels’. It is a body of work largely inspired by the seduction of commercialism, modern social values, family and female sexuality. Each song was intricately produced and written by myself and my only hope is for it to be enjoyed and consumed as a story and theory that encourages people to question themselves.“

NEWSFLASH: First Aid Kit Announce Debut Album

Prodigious Swedish teenagers Klara (16) and Johanna Söderberg (19), AKA First Aid Kit, have been gathering fans apace throughout 2009 since the release of their ‘Drunken Trees’ EP in February. Originally released on The Knife’s Rabid label, the duo was swiftly picked up in the UK by Wichita Recordings, who are proud to now unveil the glorious debut full length, ‘The Big Black and The Blue’.

Tracklisting:
01. In The Morning
02. Hard Believer
03. Sailor Song
04. Waltz For Richard
05. Heavy Storm
06. Ghost Town
07. Josefin
08. A Window Opens
09. Winter is All Over You
10. I Met Up With The King
11. Wills Of The River

Intimate London show on Monday 7th December, The Old Queen’s Head 
There will be tour dates surrounding the album to be announced soon, but in the mean time you are invited to a one-off London show on Monday 7th December at The Old Queen’s Head, where Johanna and Klara will be playing their debut album in it’s entirety to an intimate audience – details below – let me know if you’d like to attend asap.
Monday 7th December 2009
The Old Queen’s Head
44 Essex Rd Islington N1 8LN
www.myspace.com/thisisfirstaidkit
www.thisisfirstaidkit.com

NEWSFLASH: Peter, Bjorn & John announce their next single

There are precious few innovators out there – far too few people who could rightly claim the title of “maverick” and really, truly mean it. Too many people willing to play it safe, and, sadly, too few people who don’t so much rip up the rulebook as burn it to smithereens.  But Peter Bjorn and John have gone and done just that. After the earth shaking success of their immortal hit “Young Folks” with that whistling melody, followed by the universally beloved “Writer’s Block” album, it could be entirely understood if all the trio of Peter Moren, Bjorn Yttling and John Eriksson wanted to do was to write more glossy, bankable pop songs in that exact mould and bask in the commercial glory. Instead, the newfound fame and success spurred them on to create some of their most inventive, deliciously adventurous and defiantly perverse music yet, first with the largely instrumental “Seaside Rock” album in 2008, and now with their current album “Living Thing”, a marvelously quirky and densely textured beast of a record, which surprises and bewitches in equal measure.
Their new single, “It Don’t Move Me”, is a prime example of Peter Bjorn and John’s new musical phase. Gorgeous, sweet, lulling and with a killer tune to boot, but also embedded with more sonic innovation and ingenuity than everything else in the top 20 combined. Like we said, there are too few pop innovators around. But thank God we have Peter, Bjorn and John fighting their corner for the rest of us.
Tracklisting:
It Don’t Move Me
It Don’t Move Me (PBJ vs Miike Snow Remix )
It Don’t Move Me (Weird Tapes Remix)
It Don’t Move Me (Jocko For Teddybears Remix)
Upcoming Shows
JUNE
26 – Highbury Garage
27 – Glastonbury Festival

NEWSFLASH: Marina and the Diamonds to release new EP

 Following the release of her debut smash “Obsessions” / “Mowgli’s Road”, Marina and the Diamonds (aka 23 year old Marina Diamond) is pleased to announce the release of her follow up “The Crown Jewels” EP on June 15, 2009. Coming out through the innovative upstart NY indie label Neon Gold Records, the EP will include 3 tunes destined to be pop classics: “I Am Not A Robot”, “Seventeen” and “Simplify”. The digital EP will also include remixes by the like of Starsmith, The Aspirins For My Children and The Shoes.
With supporters as diverse as Huw Stephens, Rob Da Bank, Zane Lowe, Jo Whiley, Dermot O’Leary, Lauren Laverne, Nemone, Jon Hillcock and John Kennedy, Marina is headed towards big things in 2009. If you didn’t get a chance to catch Marina live at the Camden Crawl where she literally had fans swinging from the rafters, check her out at the following dates:
May
10 – Radio 1 Big Weekend, Swindon
16 – The Great Escape
21 – Stag & Dagger (Bar Music Hall), London
25 – Evolution Festival, Newcastle
June
07 – Sellindge Music Festival, Kent
27 – Glastonbury Festival
July
12 – Wakestock Festival
26 – Camp Bestival, Dorset
August
02 – Underage Festival, London
04 – Electric Picnic, Ireland
07 – Big Chill Festival, Eastnor Castle
30 – Get Loaded In The Park, London
September
11 – Bestival, Isle of Wight
Marina and the Diamonds new EP “The Crown Jewels” will be released through Neon Gold Records on June 15, 2009.

NEWSFLASH: Johnny Foreigner UK Tour and free download

JoFo’s UK 16 date tour kicks off tonight, taking in The Great Escape next weekend and a free London show on the 18th at the recently opened Flowerpot in Kentish Town…And they’re due to unleash a brand new song next month after completing their UK tour, in anticipation of their 2nd record slated for release later this year…‘Feels Like Summer’ will be a free download single, available from 22nd June via the band’s official website
www.johnnyforeignerband.com.
The exclusive London show is a Clash partnered showcase at the newly opened Kentish Town venue Flowerpot on 18th May.  To apply for entry, fans need to visit www.johnnyforeignerband.com. The three piece will be playing songs from their forthcoming album as well as all the most-loved material from their stunning debut ‘Waited Up ‘Till It Was Light’.
2009 has already seen the band tour Europe, record their 2nd album with producer extraordinaire Alex Newport in NYC (Death Cab, Rival Schools, At the Drive In, The Mars Volta), and a UK tour with Hundred Reasons. The May tour takes in Brighton’s Great Escape and Liverpool’s Sound City festival…
‘FEELS LIKE SUMMER’ UK TOUR
MAY
07 – Sheffield, Fuzz Club + Tubelord
08 – Derby, Rockhouse + Tubelord
09 – Hull, Club NME @ Welly + Tubelord
11 – Bristol, Cooler + Tubelord + Oxygen Thief
12 – Southampton, Joiners + Calories + Copy Haho
13 – Birmingham, Victoria + Calories + Copy Haho  
14 – Kingston,  New Slang + Supertennis + Youves   
15 – Leicester, Sumo + Tubelord +Copy Haho
16 – Brighton, The Great Escape
17 – Manchester, The Deaf Institute + Calories + Copy Haho
18 – Flowerpot, Kentish Town, London
20 – Sound City @ Barfly, Liverpool w/ Hot Club De Paris + Tubelord + Calories
21 – York, Fibbers + Calories + Copy Haho
22 – Wakefield, Escobar + Copy Haho
23 – Newport, Meze Lounge + Calories + Copy Haho
24 – Northampton, Roadmenders 3 + Calories + Copy Haho
www.myspace.com/johnnyforeigner
www.johnnyforeignerband.com