Posted: 01/05
Artist The Notwist
Title ‘Where In This World’ single
Label City Slang
Release Date 26 May 2008
Format 7” & Digital
Website notwist.com | cityslang.com

“Drenched in harmonies, strings and nocturnal computer bleeps, it’s been worth
the wait” NME

After a six years hiatus Bavaria’s finest, The Notwist, return with a single, ‘Where In This World’, taken from the forthcoming full length The Devil, You + Me, the long-awaited follow up to the 2001 classic, Neon Golden.

With otherworldly orchestral sounds performed by the suitably stellar Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra, ‘Where In This World’ is a perfect evocation of a state of claustrophobic tension, driven by uneasy strings, a heart-beat drum pattern and distorted buzzing, with The Notwist’s unmistakeable tweakery building to crescendo an atmosphere of nervous tension. Think Morton Feldman as filtered through an array of carefully underplayed electronic treatments.

“There’s no escape from this circling place”, Markus Archer repeats, in his gentle deadpan vocal, evoking all too well the vortex that is the restless inner workings of a tired mind.

The video, directed by Markus Wambsganss, presents another interpretation of Archer's lyric, showing a man and a woman struggling to build a flying machine to take them away from their modest home, stranded in a barren landscape cut off from the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksMkENKMlyk

The band will be touring Europe in May and June, stopping off for a one off UK headline show at the ICA on 6 June and playing London’s Field Day festival in August, along with a host of European festivals.

The Notwist Tour Dates:
Thu May 29 Barcelona Spain - Primavera Sound
Fri May 30 Neustrelitz Germany - Immergut Festival
Fri June 06 London England ICA, £10 www.seetickets.com 08712 200 260
Sat June 07 Dublin Ireland - Button Factory
Sun June 08 Galway Ireland - Roisin Dubh
Sat June 21 Neuhausen Ob Eck Germany - Southside Festival
Sun June 22 Scheesel Germany - Hurricane Festival
Thu July 03 Roskilde Denmark - Roskilde Festival
Sat 9 August London Field Day Festival £26.50 www.seetickets.com 0870 264 3333

Posted: 01/05
Thao will be in London next week with her band The Get Down Stay Down for a show at the Luminaire on Friday 9 May. She will be doing an acoustic set at Rough Trade on Talbot Road on the 22 May, please get in touch for more details about either of these shows.

The single ‘Swimming Pools’ is released on 19 May.

“A beautifully, unassumingly uplifting album” 4/5 Mojo
“Like Sufjan Stevens’ cute little sister… beguiling and occasionally unsettling” 4/5 Uncut
“11 perfectly realised folk-pop confections… We Brave Bee Stings And All introduces an early contender for the first deserving success story of 2008” Word
“Thao’s band is endlessly upbeat and while deadpan is her default mode, she also has buckets of charm” Q
“Thao isn’t just another songstress with a guitar, she’s heading for the limelight”
Independent On Sunday


Artist: Thao
Title: ‘Swimming Pools’ single
Release Date: 19 May 2008
Label: Kill Rock Stars
Format: CD, Download
Cat Number: KRS481CD
Distributor: PIAS/Vital
Website: www.thaomusic.com
www.myspace.com/thaomusic

After receiving almost universal praise for her debut album on Kill Rock Stars We Brave Bee Stings And All, Thao has been busy in the US touring with Xiu Xiu and Rilo Kiley while getting heaps of radio play, not only reaching the top 20 in the US on the Triple A charts but also will be appearing on the influential Morning Becomes Eclectic show on KCRW. She’s just been confirmed to play the legendary Sasquatch Festival with the likes of Modest Mouse, The Cure and M.I.A and will release her single ‘Swimming Pools’ on 19 May, following a UK tour with the full band as well as dropping into Rough Trade for an in-store at Talbot Road on 22 May.

‘Swimming Pools’ whose chorus provides the album title We Brave Bee Stings And All is a beautiful skiffle-influenced, banjo-heavy, galloping romp where Nguyen shows off her ability to put childlike joy into the grind of everyday life. The song is an ode to women’s resilience towards every day hardships that they must absorb so their daughters don’t have to; “We splash our eyes full of chemicals/ just so there's none left for little girls”.

The b-side is a cover of Smokey Robinson’s classic ‘You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me’, where Thao brings an extra dimension of want and despair to the already woefully sad tune. Backed by a lingering guitar, mournfully sweeping up behind Thao’s emotionally charged voice, this tale of unrequited love really pulls on the heart strings.

The Get Down Stay Down are: Frank Stewart (Guitar), Adam ‘The O.K. Bird’ Thompson (Bass), Willis Thompson (Drums)

Thao with The Get Down Stay Down UK Dates:
Tue 6 May Liverpool £5 www.barflyclub.com
Wed 7 May Glasgow Nice n Sleazy £7 www.pclpresents.com
Thu 8 May Cardiff Barfly £5 www.barflyclub.com
Fri 9 May London Luminaire £7 www.seetickets.com 08700 600100
Sat 10 May Brighton Barfly £5 www.barflyclub.com
Thu 22 May London Rough Trade in-store, Talbot Road (acoustic set)
Thu 22 May London Monto Water Rats £6 www.ticketweb.co.uk

Praise for We Brave Bee Stings And All :

“Something about Thao’s way of making heartbreak a pretty, infectious thing says we might be less reliant on Cat Power’s unpredictable nature from now on” Time Out
“A quirky gem” Guardian Guide
“Thao’s album is a charming thing of profound playfulness and sighing melodic glee, a treat for the ears” The Panel, Music Week
“Sweet, swaying folky pop” 7/10 NME
“Luscious, country-tinged pop whose melodies are a perky contrast to the poignant lyrics” The Guardian
“Utterly charming, whimsical, lo-fi sunshine pop” Flux
“Exuberant, country-tinged pop songs” 4/5 London Paper
“Thao’s chirpy but minimalistic indie in the vein of a Feist-fronted Modest Mouse is music for putting smiles on faces” 8/10 Rocksound
“An album packed with an eccentric, life-embracing sense of wonder” Clash Magazine

Posted: 01/05
The masterful debut album from Bon Iver will be released on 19 May. Please get in touch if you would like a copy or need info on all forthcoming UK shows.

Bon Iver has also been invited to perform on Jools Holland’s Later. This will be Justin Vernon’s UK television debut and will air on 16 May.

A further headline date has been confirmed for Wednesday 4 June in London at St Giles In The Field.


“A classic debut album” Uncut Album of the Month 5/5
“This is a truly astonishing album” The Guardian

Artist: Bon Iver
Title: For Emma, Forever Ago album
Label: 4AD
Cat Number: CAD2809
Formats: CD/Vinyl & Download
Release Date: 19 May 2008
Website: www.virb.com/boniver


UK tour dates:
Sat 10 May Camber Sands Pitchfork Vs ATP £140 www.seetickets.com 08712 200 260
Mon 12 May Glasgow ABC £14 www.abcglasgow.com 08700 600100 with Iron & Wine
Wed 14 May Sheffield Leadmill £13.50 www.leadmill.co.uk 0870 0104555 Iron & Wine
Thu 15 May Brighton The Great Escape festival £35 www.escapegreat.com
Fri 16 May London Forum £15 www.kentishtownforum.com 0844 8472405 Iron & Wine
Sat 17 May Brighton The Great Escape festival £35 www.escapegreat.com
Mon 19 May London The Social £6 www.wegottickets.com headline show
Tue 20 May London Scala www.scala-london.co.uk with Jens Lekman
Wed 4 June London St Giles In The Field £8.50 www.seetickets.com 08712 200 260

Posted: 24/04
Artist Merz
Title ‘Call Me’ single
Label Gronland
Release Date 26 May 2008
Formats CD & Download
Distributor PIAS
Website gronland.co.uk | merz.co.uk | myspace.com/merz


“A likely candidate for album of the year. It’s that special.”
5/5 Sunday Times Pop CD Of The Week

Merz returns with a second single, the gently epic ‘Call Me’ from the highly acclaimed album Moi et Mon Camion. After a flurry of activity and live sessions for Radio 2 with Dermot O’Leary and BBC 6 Music, Conrad is currently touring Europe with his new band and will be stopping off in the UK for a handful of dates in June. Having played solo for over 6 years, the new line up with Greg Cordez on bass and the inimitable drummer Frank Benbini, really brings the album to life.

Eschewing the typical love song clichés, ‘Call Me’ centres on a more universal feeling of love and comfort, friendship and commonality. Combining heartfelt lyrics with simple yet tender melody, it builds to an almost anthemic pop crescendo with piano and guitar rolling in and out.

The track was recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studios in Wiltshire, where Conrad persuaded The Earlies to drop in on their way back from a very muddy Glastonbury. The band provide some truly ethereal backing vocals, adding a southern gospel feel and making it one of the stand outs from the album.

UK tour dates:
Tue 3 June Brighton Komedia http://www.komedia.co.uk
Sat 7 June Manchester Kings Arms http://www.myspace.com/kingsarmssalford
Sun 8 June Birmingham Glee Club http://www.glee.co.uk
Tue 24 June London Roundhouse Studio http://www.roundhouse.org.uk

Praise for Moi et Mon Camion :
"Conrad Lambert displays the kind of talent that pop award judges shouldn't be allowed to ignore" 5/5 Independent Album of the Week
"Lambert is a singular talent... an album of subtle enchantments" The Observer
"Lovely" 4/5, Independent Information
"Moi et Mon Camion is Sunday morning comfort music with an imaginative edge"
Observer Music Monthly
“Had Thom Yorke penned anything as moving as ‘Silver Moon Ladders’ or ‘Presume Too Much’ for his solo effort, the applause would still be ringing” 4/5 Uncut
“Intricate, melodious songs that blend electronica and folk… understated, heartfelt stuff” 4/5 Q
“As English as wet grass, this wholesome record hums with the promise of the coming Spring” Word
“His lacing of guitars and electronica serve up a range that sees him bounce from quasi-Elizabethan balladeer to junk rocker… It is the beautiful ‘First And Last Waltz’ that hints Lambert’s forthcoming album will be something to savour” 4/5 The Guardian
“4/5” Mojo
“Ten striking, thoughtful songs” 4/5 The Times
“A delicate, sweetly sung tour de force” 4/5 The Sun
“Unsettlingly good” 7/10 NME
“Moi et Mon Camion is a mellow melodic marvel” Clash
“Spellbinding” IDJ

Posted: 21/04
Artist: Mechanical Bride
Title: ‘Black Skeleton Sea’ EP
Release Date: 30 June 2008
Label: Transgressive
Formats: 7” vinyl (limited edition, 500)
Cat Number: TRANS073
Website: www.myspace.com/mechanicalbride


Mechanical Bride is 22 year old Lauren Doss, a multi-instrumentalist with an intoxicating voice. Her second EP ‘Black Skeleton Sea’ is released on Transgressive Records on 16 June and merely hints at what is in store from this prodigious talent. Steve Lamacq is already a fan and an interview with Lauren for his ‘In New Music We Trust’ Brighton special will go out on Radio 1 this Monday 21 April.

Having worked with Larrikin Love, she was recommended to Transgressive who immediately signed her and put out her debut EP ‘In The Throes ‘, a collection of songs perhaps best described as sinister nursery rhymes, which is apt considering Lauren shares her name with a dark American science-fiction play by Fritz Lieber Jnr. Released last year on limited edition 7” vinyl, it sold out instantly.

A further single release came out last December, and this time she stripped Rhianna’s ‘Umbrella’ to its bare bones and in doing so received almost universal approval with plays all over the airwaves from Radio 1, 2 and 3 to BBC6 Music and XFM. This version left us with an eerie re-working laced with fragile piano and hushed breath.

‘Black Skeleton Sea’ is a three track EP that sounds wistful yet determined, filled with melancholy piano parts and lingering vocals. Employing a multitude of different instruments from a mandolin, accordion and glockenspiel to tuba and theramin, the result is an unassuming delight.

But what captivates on these tracks is Lauren’s voice, at once modest yet gracefully timeless. Evoking singers jazz singers of a bygone age from one moment, to contemporary folk the next, her warm vocals turn feelings of loss and detachment into something deeply heartfelt.

Mechanical Bride will be playing with full band next month, opening for Bill Callahan (AKA Smog) at St James’ Church on 14 May and will also appear at this year’s Field Day festival on 9 August. Lauren is currently working on an album collecting her work to date, due out in August.

UK dates:
Wed 14 May London St James Church, with Bill Callahan £16 www.seetickets.com
Sat 9 Aug London Field Day festival, Victoria Park £26.50 www.seetickets.com