Los Angeles’ finest, Local Natives release the latest track from their critically acclaimed album Gorilla Manor this week. Airplanes is already a much loved and firm concert favourite, an unforgettable swirling, soaring song and is released on Infectious Records this week.
The single will further enhance the Local Natives growing reputation for quality song writing that has earned them glowing tributes in recent months following the release of the debut album Gorilla Manor.
Local Natives are coming towards the end of a string of dates in the UK and can be caught at the following venues over the next few days:
March 4th Manchester, Club Academy
March 5th Glasgow, King Tuts
March 6th Newcastle, Academy O2
Local Natives have just announced a further UK gig at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, which will take place on June 15th, promising London a taste of their unique blend of hazy Southern Californian melodies and tightly formed harmonies.
The Best Live Band of 2009 according to a readers poll in Rock Sounds, Enter Shikari have released their latest single Thumper, taken from the album Tribalism which was released last week.
Tribalism includes two brand new tracks, Thumper and the titular Tribalism, along with a smattering of B sides, remixes and live tracks serving as companion to the bands last studio release in 2009, Common Dreads.
As well as the standard release there will be a very limited special edition box set which includes the Tribalism CD, Live at Rock City CD, t-shirt, poster, sticker and two button badges. This box set will be available from the bands own webstore only at www.entersikari.com.
The full track listing for the album Tribalism is as follows:
1; Tribalism
2; Thumper
3; All Eyes On The Saint
4; We Can Breathe In Space
5; Insomnia (Live @ Brixton ‘07)
6; Juggernauts – Nero remix
7; No Sleep Tonight – Qemists remix
8; Wall – High Contrast remix
9; No Sleep Tonight – Mistabishi remix
10; Juggernauts – Blue Bear remix
11; No Sleep Tonight – Rout remix
12; No Sleep Tonight – Lights Go Blue remix
13; Havoc A (Live ‘09)
14; Labyrinth (Live ‘09)
15; Hectic (Live ‘09)
Dreadzone have announced thy will be releasing their new album Eye On The Horizon on 26th April 26th 2010.
The new album sees Dreadzone continue to create great dub dance pop music, a style that has helped them to become celebrated as one of the UK’s original dance music pioneers , with a style that has since spawned many sub genres.
MCing and reggae vocals partner the mix of live guitars, electronic beats and dub bass to perfection. The album features iconic samples (notably, the legendary theme from Long Good Friday on Gangster, a spoken word piece from Woody Guthrie and Dennis Brown’s Greensleeves classic Whip Them Jah on American Dread) all of which compliment the bass and beat heavy Dreadzone style perfectly.
The Dreadzone story began with Alan McGee‘s Creation Records and their first groundbreaking album 360, continuing with major waves their seminal 1995 album Second Light picking up support from John Peel (who included the album in his top ten favourite albums of all time).
The top 20 hit from that album Little Britain has since gone on to acquire classic status. Five critically acclaimed albums later they are set to remind people why the Dreadzone sound is still very much a part of the musical landscape of this country.
The core members Greg Dread, original bassmaster Leo Williams, the unmistakable MC Spee, legendary Studio One vocalist Earl 16 alongside Chris Compton on guitar and Chris Oldfield on technology make up the new line up.
Dreadzone’s influence extends not only out into the current scene as one of the pioneers of dub based music in this country, but rewinding to back in the day as the rhythm section of Big Audio Dynamite in the 1980’s. Their roots are embedded in the history of West London sound clash and with a drum and bass partnership of 25 years this year Leo and Greg are still rolling strong and rocking the nation with their distinctive rhythms.
“A welcome return from the defenders of bass! Dreadzone are back with their new album ‘Eye on the Horizon’ and as usual they draw fast and shoot straight to the heart of the matter: music to move your mind and your feet” Don Letts
Dreadzone – Eye On The Horizon track listing
1.TOMORROW NEVER COMES
2.FOR A REASON
3.CHANGES
4.AMERICAN DREAD
5.BEYOND A ROCK
6. GANGSTER
7. YEAH MAN
8.MY FACE
9. WALK TALL
10. JUST LET GO
Dreadzone UK Tour Dates
To promote the new album, Dreadzone will be playing a short UK Tour.
High Places vs. Mankind – High Places – album review
High Places vs. Mankind
Following on from a successful debut album (self-titled) and working off the back of a lovely single (‘I Was Born’), High Places are most likely hoping to churn back up some of the cult acclaim they receive from time to time and turn into alternative mainstays. With the style they had on their self-titled debut – a sort of tropical mish-mash of metallic clangs, trebly vocals and looped drums – they would be rightful possessors of such a tag, so there’s a lot riding on this second main release.
Whilst the same sort of processes are there on High Places vs. Mankind – looped found sounds, reverberating drum loops and lilting vocal– their sound has undoubtedly changed. Gone are the tropical, meandering dreamlike compositions present all throughout the debut, and in its place is a much icier sound, reflected in some of the subject matter – addiction and death, for instance. Elsewhere there are more distinguishable guitar lines than before.
Mary Pearson’s vocals have grown to sound more like Karin Dreijer’s or Beach House’s Victoria Legrand’s, such as on ‘On Giving Up’, with an icy repetition of ‘Tonight is going to be the night’ making something expectant sound like the final words of a murderer planning to take revenge on an ex-lover.
The tracks don’t sound as wonderfully cluttered as they previously did, either. Where, on High Places, they worked like clashing neon patchworks, High Places vs. Mankind works like a sparsely painted canvas, and songs like ‘She’s A Wild Horse’ or ‘Canada’ demonstrate this point
Yet it is precisely this ability to create songs that sound like whole pieces of art – like a collage whereby elements recur and give a theme underpinned by intermittent points of interest –that makes High Places so fantastic. The songs are never rushing to get to an end or a swelling chorus, but just kind of ‘are’, like a minimal or dub release just ‘is’.
They may have relocated from Hawaii to Moscow with regards to their sound, but High Places vs. Mankind is still recognisable as High Places, and for that, we can only be thankful.
High Places vs. Mankind is released on Thrill Jockey on April 6th. Well worth it.
Here are details of the UK tour:
3-May-10 Brighton – Freebutt
4-May-10 London - Cargo
5-May-10 Dublin - Whelans
6-May-10 Glasgow - Nice & Sleazy
7-May-10 Sheffield – The Harley
8-May-10 Leeds - The Brudenell Social Club
This summer, discover the very best in new British music as 2000trees Festival returns to Upcote Farm in Cheltenham on 16th – 17th July for a fourth year running.
Promoting the finest homegrown talent emerging from our very own vibrant music scene, 2000trees is the perfect place to unearth tomorrow’s stars today.
With an eclectic line-up that spans a varied mixture of musical genres, this intimate and friendly festival has become a haven for music fanatics everywhere; some of which have discovered their new favourite bands at the event.
Up and coming bands play alongside more established acts to create an inspiring, chilled out, fun festival of good music and great atmosphere.
In its short history 2000trees has established itself as one of the leading small festivals in the British summer calendar. Created by a group of friends in 2007, 2000trees was born out of frustration with the ever increasing corporate sponsorship and mass advertising nature of the larger traditional British festivals.
Disillusioned by extortionate ticket prices and over priced food and drink, this band of festival veterans vowed to take matters into their own hands and in true punk rock style set about developing the perfect antidote.
Set within the stunning countryside of the environmentally protected grounds of Upcote Farm, with award-winning green and ethical initiatives, means they have achieved just that.
And this year’s event is looking to be bigger and better than ever before.
Unveiling the first names on the bill – 2000trees is excited to announce the return of folk/punk hero Frank Turner who will be playing a headline set on the Friday night. Previously at 2000trees Frank has played memorable performances on the Leaf Lounge and Treehouse stages as well as an impromptu campsite set for a select lucky few – but this year’s headline show will be a monumental, fun-filled and raucous performance from one of the nation’s most electrifying performers.
Saturday’s line-up is also starting to take shape with the news that Sheffield’s finest experimental rock outfit 65daysofstatic will be bringing their mind-bending post-rock to 2000trees in what will no doubt be a mesmerizing performance.
With two full days featuring over 50 acts on three stages still to be confirmed, as well as the addition of comedy running during the day on the third stage, DJs, headphone disco and campfire sing-a-longs to keep the party spirit going till dawn, 2010 is shaping up to be the best year yet – with an extra day of music and fun for the first 500 people who purchase early entry passes for Thursday 15th July.
Over the past three years the festival has witnessed some incredible live performances, from The King Blues, who had practically the entire field dancing and singing in the rain at last year’s sold out event, with Fightstar and British Sea Power delivering crowning headline sets.
The previous years have seen unforgettable performances from Eighties Matchbox B-line Disaster, Art Brut, Slow Club, Future Of The Left, Beans On Toast, The Duke Spirit, The Ghost of a Thousand, Danananaykroyd, These New Puritans, Red Light Company and Wild Beasts to name just a few.
2000trees Music Festival Tickets and Information
Tickets are now on general sale for just £50. And one lucky person will win a ‘golden ticket’ – which will include the chance to meet and announce the band of their choice on the main stage during the event.
