Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun - Brand new single ‘A Song About Death’

Tipped by the NME as one of the 100 bands to check out in 2012, Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun are to release their new single ‘A Song About Death’ rather fittingly on St. Valentine’s Day – 14th February 2012 – through Xtra Mile Recordings.

A passionate and frenetic track it highlights their incredible blend of country-folk and indie-punk that makes them one of the most poetic and engaging new bands in British music.
The single is accompanied by a short run of dates – with a full UK headline tour currently being booked for the whole of May. Details to come.

FEBRUARY
9 Dublin Castle, London
17 The Maze, Nottingham
23 The Furnace, Swindon
MARCH
13 93ft East, London
17 Shatterfest, York

‘A Song About Death’ is taken from their forthcoming album, ‘Death’, due out in April 2012. Produced by Peter Miles (King Blues, Crazy Arm, Futures) ‘Death’ encapsulates the band’s vast sound into 11 tracks, as the young quartet draw from a plethora of influences including alt. country folk and hardcore punk. Coupled with a strong political ethic and a “play-till-you’re-dead” attitude ‘Death’ is an innovative and arresting record, crammed with hook-filled soaring harmonies, innovative rhythms and passionately honest lyrics.

It also features the track ‘Warriors’ which the band made available for free late last year.

In two short years these anarcho-anglo storytellers have incessantly toured the country, including as main support on Frank Turner’s February 2011 UK Tour plus shows alongside the likes of Mumford & Sons, Dry the River, Johnny Flynn, Alessi’s Ark and Pete Doherty. In the summer they also performed at numerous festivals such as the Big Chill, Beautiful Days, Wychwood and Y-Not, including a packed performance as headliners on the second stage at 2000trees.

With tours and festivals being confirmed and an ever growing fanbase eagerly awaiting the album, 2012 is going to be a fantastic year for this up and coming band.
Watch this space!

PRESS
• "Never has music been so relevant" - BBC Introducing
• “...one of, if not the best, singer-songwriters I've met... they're gonna smash it in 2012." - Frank Turner
• "Lockey & Co... definitely ones to watch" - The Fly
• "Jim Lockey & the Solemn Sun could be the British Bright Eyes" - is this music?

www.facebook.com/jimlockeyandthesolemnsun & @jlandtss

Beans On Toast - All Art Is For Sale

English folk singer Beans on Toast stumbles into the art world with a mouthful of questions about what art means, what makes someone an artist and how much art should cost.

In his first real exhibition Beans has created 100 pieces of contemporary art, all individual numbered and individually priced.

The exhibition will be held in the underground cult gallery Flaxon Ptootch on Kentish Town High Street, known for its love of the moon, great pieces of art, expensive rum cocktails and forward thinking haircuts.

The exhibition will run for one month kicking of with a launch party on Thursday 9th February. Where Beans on Toast will play a full live set followed by his main man and tour DJ Mr Paul Sethi who will keep the party rolling for as long as the art world will let him. Everyone is welcome, its free entry but bring some money because all art is for sale.

THURSDAY 9TH FEBRUARY
FLAXON PTOOTCH
237 Kentish Town Road
London
NW5 2JT
7pm - Late
www.flaxtonptootch.com
02072675323

www.beansontoastmusic.com

Go & see Crazy Arm in March 2012

CRAZY ARM MARCH MINI-TOUR 2012

Devonian roots-punk ensemble, Crazy Arm, embark on a short UK stint ‘The Leap Of Faith tour’ in March alongside good friends, Apologies I Have None and Great Cynics. They also hook up with Indiana US country singer, Austin Lucas, for a couple of shows, with Crazy Arm appearing as Austin's backing band on a number of songs.

The band’s second album, 'Union City Breath', was released in October last year. Much like its predecessor, 'Born To Ruin', it has been very well received nationwide and throughout mainland Europe by fans and critics alike. Produced and engineered by Peter Miles (The King Blues, The Computers, Sonic Boom Six), the album is a triumph of punk rock energy, alt. country vitality and rabble-rousing honesty.

Not easy to categorise, and all the better for it, Crazy Arm's sound is an accumulation of decades of influence and inspiration: rooted in hardcore/punk, ‘60s protest folk/country and Springsteen-esque classic rock’n’roll. They combine this with a grass-roots political overview that embraces anti-war, anti-fascist and pro-community activism.

FEBRUARY 2012

29th – White Rabbit, Plymouth (with Austin Lucas + Apologies I Have None + Great Cynics)

MARCH 2012
1st – Croft, Bristol (with Austin Lucas + Apologies I Have None + Great Cynics)
2nd – The Hydrant, Brighton (with Apologies I Have None + Great Cynics)
3rd – Firebug, Leicester (with Apologies I Have None + Great Cynics)
4th – Fighting Cocks, Kingston (with Apologies I Have None + Great Cynics)
5th – Norwich (with Apologies I Have None + Great Cynics)

Reviews for 'Union City Breath':
'Blisters with energy' – KKKK Kerrang!
'You need Crazy Arm' – 5/5 Big Cheese
'A triumph from start to finish' – 9/10 Punktastic
'Delivered with a fired-up passion' – Rock Sound
'Never faltering from the pinnacle it attains from the off' – Punk News '
A patchwork blanket of musical bliss' – Room Thirteen
'This is the band to watch at the moment' – Rhythm Circus
'Supremely confident' – Sputnik Music
'Album of choice to represent Britain on the punk scene' – Alter The Press

www.facebook.com/thecrazyarm

Euro Headline tour w/ The Xcerts & dates w/ Brand New

I AM THE AVALANCHE

Following the release of their incredible album ‘AVALANCHE UNITED’ in October 2011 and a successful run of headline shows in December, the Brooklyn quintet return to the UK in 2012 to tour with their friends and peers, Brand New and label-mates The Xcerts.

Rapidly selling out, this highly anticipated tour will be one to remember. Preceded by a small run of headline European dates with The Xcerts in support, full details are as follows:

FEBRUARY – European headline shows w/ The Xcerts
1 Vienna Arena, Austria
2 59 to 1, Munich Germany
3 Kofmehl, Solothurn, Switzerland
4 Ex Haus, Trier, Germany
5 Logo, Hamburg, Germany
FEBRUARY – SUPPORTING BRAND NEW
8 O2 Academy Bristol
9 Manchester Academy SOLD OUT
10 Southampton Guildhall
11 London Roundhouse SOLD OUT
12 London Roundhouse
14 O2 Academy Glasgow
15 O2 Academy Birmingham
16 O2 Academy Newcastle
17 University Great Hall, Cardiff

The release of ‘AVALANCHE UNITED’ through new home Xtra Mile Recordings, was met with universal acclaim. Addictively melodic and blisteringly raw to its very core, the album was produced by the band, and executive produced and engineered by Avalanche’s prolific drummer Brett “The Ratt” Romnes, and mixed by Machine (Fall Out Boy, Every Time I Die, Four Year Strong). Featuring 12 anthemic songs, including ‘Brooklyn Dodgers’, the bold ‘Holy Fuck’, the epic and somber ‘Dead Friends’ and ‘The Gravedigger’s Argument’ featuring Anthony Raneri from Bayside. Throughout, Caruana’s distinctive voice drips with defiance, humor and proud vulnerability as he sings about hope, heartbreak, death, defying adversity and the bonds between family, lovers and friends.

Coinciding with the Brand New tour dates the release of the life affirming, feel-good single ‘Brooklyn Dodgers.

ROCK SOUND 8/10: “…the result is a fiery, honest and raw state of affairs as he confronts his demons. Diving straight into the abyss with album opener and single ‘Holy Fuck’, sharp, melodic hooks prevail through the gloom, ramping up energy levels and providing an anthemic sky-puncher for another generation.”

BIG CHEESE 4/5: “This collection of uplifting, honest and energetic pop punk songs is I Am The Avalanche’s first in six years and follows years of writing and recording…AVALANCHE UNITED has been worth the wait.”

KERRANG! 4/5: “More upbeat and up-tempo than its self-titled predecessor…it’s (mostly) a barreling, positive message and poppy post-hardcore. It’s also music that makes you want to grab a drink, grab your friends and celebrate life. An excellent comeback.”

www.avalancheunited.com
www.facebook.com/iamtheavalanche
Twitter @iatanyc
www.xtramilerecordings.com

Fighting Fiction - Brand new debut album ‘Fighting Fiction’ and single ‘Turning Rebellion into Money’

Fast-rising Brighton quartet Fighting Fiction release their eponymous self-titled debut album and new single 'Turning Rebellion into Money' through Xtra Mile Recordings on 27th February 2012.

An infectious punk rock record, ‘Fighting Fiction’ is full of politically charged articulate lyrics, powerful driving rhythms and catchy refrains. Featuring the single ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll is Dead and its Corpse is for Sale’ – which received strong support from fan Radio 1’s Mike Davies – all ten tracks pack a powerful punch, hitting you the head as well as the heart. Recorded and produced by friend and highly credited producer Mark Williams, (Oceansize, Million Dead, Yourcodenameis:milo, Biffy Clyro & Enter Shikari) ‘Fighting Fiction’ perfectly captures the band’s honesty, integrity and knack for writing a great pop punk song.

With a DIY approach, their keen touring ethic has seen them play alongside Frank Turner, This Town Needs Guns, The Riot Before, The Xcerts, Laura Marling and Crazy Arm; as well as festival appearances at The Lock Up Stage at Reading and Leeds Festival, The Isle of Man TT, The Isle of Wight and 2000Trees.

With support coming in thick and fast from all corners of the industry the band are set for a fantastic 2012. Ones to watch!

Full UK and Europe tour to be announced soon.

www.fightingfiction.com
www.xtramilerecordings.com

“(with) Fighting Fiction, in whose sharp songwriting there is something identifiably British, like The Clash, and they cling to their songs by their fingernails giving them a careering thrill.” KKKK from Great Escape

“Upbeat yet disheartened political messages are delivered with a rough, raw, Billy Bragg-esque brogue, and suggest that they’re a band who could make a big dent – politically and musically – in the future.” The Fly 4/5

Mull Historical Society 'City Awakenings' OUT TODAY!

The new Mull Historical Society album 'City Awakenings' featuring the single 'The Lights' is out today! Click on the links below to purchase the record and make sure you get to his special show this Wednesday 25th January at the Barfly, London.

iTunes
HMV.com
Amazon
Play
7 Digital
Xtra Mile Recordings

I Am The Avalanche European tour

Make sure you get your hands on some tickets for I Am The Avalanche's European tour. The are selling like hot cakes!

HEADLINE
Wed-Feb-01 - Austria, Vienna, Arena-Small Hall - Tickets
Thu-Feb-02 - Germany, Munich, 59 to 1 - Tickets
Fri-Feb-03 -Switzerland, Solothurn, Kofmehl - Tickets
Sat-Feb-04 - Germany, Trier, Ex Haus - Tickets
Sun-Feb-05 - Germany, Hamburg, Logo - Tickets

SUPPORTING BRAND NEW
Wed-Feb-08 - UK, Bristol, O2 Academy - Tickets
Thu-Feb-09 - UK, Manchester, Academy - Tickets
Fri-Feb-10 - UK, Southampton, Guildhall - Tickets
Sat-Feb-11 - UK, London, Roundhouse - Tickets
Sun-Feb-12 - UK, London, Roundhouse - Tickets
Tue-Feb-14 - Scotland, Glasgow, 02 Academy - Tickets
Wed-Feb-15 - UK, Birmingham, 02 Academy - Tickets
Thu-Feb-16 - UK, Newcastle, 02 Academy - Tickets
Fri-Feb-17 - Wales, Cardiff, University - Tickets

HEADLINE
Sun-Feb-19 - Germany, Koln, Underground - Tickets

FESTIVAL
Sat-Apr-28 - Belgium, Meerhout, Groezrock - Tickets