Tuesday 24 August 2010

Crazy Arm @ Reading & Leeds & Against Me tour!

dangriffiths.com - crazy arm 1

www.myspace.com/crazyarm
PLAY READING/LEEDS FESTIVALS TOUR WITH AGAINST ME! IN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER


Plymouth roots-punk quartet, Crazy Arm, continue a busy year of touring with appearances at Reading festival on Friday 27th and Leeds festival on Sunday 29th August.

In October 2010, Crazy Arm head out on a month-long, European-wide tour with legendary Floridian politico-punks, Against Me! (plus Canada’s Fu*ked Up on all UK dates). The Euro dates take in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland and France and Italy.

The band has had a hectic 2010 that shows no signs of letting up. They toured for three weeks as support to Frank Turner (and Chuck Ragan) throughout the UK and mainland Europe; completed a label showcase tour with The Xcerts; embarked on two further weeklong jaunts to the continent including festival appearances in Belgium and Germany; and made appearances at 2000 Trees, NASS and Leopallooza festivals. They play Reading Festival on Friday 27th August, at 12.45pm on the Lock-Up Stage; and Leeds Festival on Sunday, same time, same stage. Crazy Arm will finish the year with a headline UK tour in December supported by London post-punks, The Dissociates.

Debut album, ‘Born To Ruin’, is out now on Xtra Mile Recordings (Gunner Records in Europe). The band are working on their second, as yet untitled album, in between their demanding touring schedule.

All four members are atheist, internationalist, vegetarian/vegan and support human/animal rights struggles world-wide. They consider these things important to mention even if you don’t.

You must see them live:
August
25 Reading Fest warm-up show, White Rabbit, Plymouth
27 Reading Festival, Lock Up Stage, Reading
29 Leeds Festival, Lock Up Stage, Leeds
September
5 WTFest, Unit Club, Southampton
10 Ivylive Festival, Ivybridge, Plymouth
18 Wine Vaults, Southsea Fest, Portsmouth
24 BrisFest, Bristol
October
10 Prince Albert, Brighton (with Attack! Vipers!)
22 Mo’ Live, Southampton (with Against Me!)
24 Solus, Cardiff University, Cardiff (with Against Me!)
25 O2 Academy, Bristol (with Against Me!)
26 Kasbah, Coventry (with Against Me!)
27 QMU, Glasgow (with Against Me!)
28 Rock City, Nottingham (with Against Me!)
29 Met University, Leeds (with Against Me!)
31 University Main Hall, Plymouth, Devon (with Against Me!)
November
1 Junction, Cambridge (with Against Me!)
2 O2 Academy, Oxford (with Against Me!)
3 Electric Ballroom, London (with Against Me!)


What they said about ‘Born To Ruin’:
‘Stunning’ KKKK – Kerrang!
‘Quite brilliant’ – Rock Sound
‘One of the most instantly addictive albums you’ll ever hear’ – Last Hours
‘Storming roots-punk debut’ – Big Cheese [Best British Newcomers 2009]
‘Sure-fire contender for best debut album of 2009’ – Rock Midgets
‘An explosive blast of glorious creativity, power and honesty’ – Go2
‘Easily up there as album of the decade’ – Allgigs.co.uk
‘They deserve to be huge’ – Mass Movement
‘Born To Ruin erupts into the room’ – The Music Fix
‘A dramatic, intelligent and impressive debut’ – Sputnik Music
‘Undeniably authentic and fiercely intense’ – God Is In The TV

add them on Facebook!

Record label: www.xtramilerecordings.com & www.myspace.com/xtramilerecordings

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Friday 20 August 2010

The Xcerts unveil the new video for ‘Young (Belane)’ featuring Jamie Campbell Bower of Twilight, Sweeny Todd and Harry Potter

THE XCERTS return with their second album and follow up to 2009’s ‘In The Cold Wind We Smile’; Scatterbrain’ will be released on the 4th October through Xtra Mile Recordings (Frank Turner, Reuben, Far, Straight Lines…) preceded by new single ‘Young (Belane)’ a week earlier. The video for the single which is directed by Joseph Rodrigues Marsh was recently filmed by the band in a remote part of the Welsh countryside. Not wanting to be added to the list of bands creating standard performance videos the band called upon the help of friend, actor and fan of the band Jamie Campbell Bower.

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Speaking of how this came about frontman Murray McLeod says “We were on tour a few month’s back and got a message on Twitter from Jamie (Campbell Bower) that said he was coming to one of our shows. Our Drummer Tom is a massive film buff and we were delighted that he was coming to see us so we added him to the guestlist. We spoke to him after the show, and he was a really humble, down to earth guy. When we were pitched the idea for the video, we instantly thought of Jamie who is an incredible actor."

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Jamie Campbell Bower is best know for his role of Caius in ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’ and has recently completed the filming of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsPart I and II. His filmography also features films directed by Tim Burton and Guy Ritchie and he is rumoured to be cast as King Arthur in a 10-part American TV series called ‘Camelot’ alongside Tamsin Egerton as his queen Guinevere.

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In the video for ‘Young (Belane)’ Bower is cast as a creepy-obsessed fan that kidnaps the band and drags their unconscious bodies back to a secluded barn to add to his ultimate shrine of memorabilia. When not force feeding them Macaroni Cheese or cutting off trinkets of their hair Bower’s character gets distracted and while he’s dancing to one of the The Xcerts’ early releases the band make for an escape! But will they be successful?

The only way to find out is to head to The Xcerts official website (http://www.thexcertsband.com) at 5pm on 25th August when the video will be revealed!


The Xcerts debut album ‘In The Cold Wind We Smile’ is out now on Xtra Mile Recordings! Here’s what the press had to say:
“Charged with youthful hope and exuberance, every riff and anthemic chorus points to a bright future for these talented lads." - Kerrang! 4/5
“...this debut is inch-perfect, merging heartstring-tugging delicacy with buoyant distortion... If you're searching for pop with balls but no bullshit, look no further.” - Rock Sound 8/10
"'In The Cold Wind We Smile' is a triumphant, life-affirming classic" - Big Cheese 5/5

For more information please contact info@presscounselpr.com – 020 7792 9400

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Friday 13 August 2010

The Xcerts - Release new single 'Young (Belane)' on 27th September and second album 'Scatterbrain' on 4th October through Xtra Mile Recordings

The Xcerts - Scatterbrain

THE XCERTS return with their second album and follow up to 2009's 'In The Cold Wind We Smile'; 'Scatterbrain' will be release on the 4th October through Xtra Mile Recordings (Frank Turner, Reuben, Far, Straight Lines...) preceeded by new single 'Young (Belane)' a week earlier.

'Scatterbrain' is the first album by a UK act to be overseen by US producer Mike Sapone (Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, Crime in Stereo...) who began work on the record with the band at his home studio in Bethpage, New York earlier this year. Mastered by Emily Lazar (Anti-Flag, Vampire Weekend, David Bowie...), the album shows an angrier side to the band's music which harks back to the early days of 90's Grunge. It has a brilliantly sinister, dirty and earthy quality without turning its back on the pop-sensibilities and catchy melodies that the band captured so well with their debut.

Speaking of the record frontman Murray Macleod says "If we didn't sound different, I'd be worried". The first album was - as for most new bands - something of a 'greatest hits' from the band's early years, when they were still finding their feet. This time, the album was almost entirely written in a six-week break between tours and as a result paints a much more vibrant picture; a single body of work that makes sense; a proper album that it would seem blasphemous to shuffle.

The influences have changed too. "There are certain records that we're all really into that have a similar sound - a balance of raw emotion and good production. 'In Utero' by Nirvana, 'Pinkerton' by Weezer, 'Either/Or' by Elliot Smith, 'The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me' by Brand New, 'Nebraska' by Bruce Springsteen and 'For Emma Forever Ago' by Bon Iver. That's pretty much exactly how we wanted this record to sound."

"There's a lot of experimentation on this album," says Macleod, who credits Sapone for encouraging and cultivating the creative process. "He came up with crazy ideas, and watching him come out with them, I didn't feel worried about throwing an idea into the hat. It was almost like Mike was the fourth member of the band - there's parts that would never happened, had we not worked with Mike."

"This is an album lover's album for the fans of the band. It's not about a particular track or single and should be listened too as an entire body of work with an open mind. We hope everyone falls in love with it like we have."

'Scatterbrain' track listing:

1. Tar
2. Scatterbrain
3. Distant Memory
4. Gum
5. Slackerpop
6. I Scare Easy
7. Young (Belane)
8. He Sinks. He Sleeps
9. Carnival Time
10. Hurt With Me
11. Lament

In support of the release of 'Scatterbrain' The Xcerts will be hitting the road in support of Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. and Futures before headlining their own national tour. Dates below:

AUGUST
12th Rock City Basement, Nottingham w/Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly
13th Electric Circus, Edinburgh w/Get Cape.Wear Cape.Fly
SEPTEMBER
18th Southsea festival, Portsmouth
21st Joiners, Southampton w/Futures
22nd Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff w/Futures
23nd Borderline, London w/Futures
25th Roadhouse, Manchester w/Futures
26th Underground Festival, Gloucester w/Futures
27th King Tuts, Glasgow w/Futures
28th Cockpit, Leeds w/Futures
29th Academy 2, Newcastle w/Futures


The Xcerts debut album 'In The Cold Wind We Smile' is out now on Xtra Mile Recordings! Here's what the press had to say:
"Charged with youthful hope and exuberance, every riff and anthemic chorus points to a bright future for these talented lads." - Kerrang! 4/5
"...this debut is inch-perfect, merging heartstring-tugging delicacy with buoyant distortion... If you're searching for pop with balls but no bullshit, look no further." - Rock Sound 8/10
"'In The Cold Wind We Smile' is a triumphant, life-affirming classic" - Big Cheese 5/5

For more information please contact info@presscounselpr.com - 020 7792 9400

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Friday 6 August 2010

StringerBessant - Debut Album 'Yard' Out on Xtra Mile Recordings

StringerBessant’s debut album ‘Yard’ is available through Xtra Mile Recordings. ‘Yard’, which was produced by Bruno Ellingham (KT Tunstall, Merz, Delphic) sees both Gary and Jack sharing and swapping vocal and guitar parts on several tracks to sublime effect. Taking their rich, yet subtle, earthy vocals and folk-rooted acoustic guitars and re-arranging them; then planting them in a fertile classic songwriter's imagination, StringerBessant's symbiosis is complete.

STRINGERBESSANT July 2010 by Rich Bull

As members of nineties Brit-rock band Reef, both men have dealt with both sides of being in a successful band, so the stripped down, genuinely soulful and melancholy musical partnership is a perfect vehicle for these contrasting personal, blues-indebted songs. Free from swagger or rock bombast, the performances breathe life into these gentle yet dynamic songs.

Harmonica and lithe lead lines huddle together upon swaying rhythms while Gary and Jack’s tremulous and expressive vocals swim across the top. Harking back to a bygone era where sheer electric melodies swarmed across simple rhythmic accompaniment – when the song mattered; and evoking an ambience was achieved with emotive words and singing rather than lashings of reverb and endless harmonies – StringerBessant have crafted something great, a world away from anything the two men have previously done.

See them live in October:
1st ORANGE BOX YEOVIL £7adv 0870 264 3333
2nd JOINERS SOUTHAMPTON £7adv 023 8022 5612
8th BAR ELECTRIC WOOLACOOMBE, EXETER
13th COX'S YARD STRATFORD-UPON-AVON £7adv/£10door 01789404600
15th HAYMAKERS CAMBRIDGE £8adv 01223 511511
16th THE WINCHESTER BOURNEMOUTH £5adv 01202555455 (10.30-5pm)
22nd THE ENTERPRISE LONDON £10 020 7485 2659
23rd FORUM TUNBRIDGE WELLS £7 Adv 08712 777101
27th STEREO YORK £8adv/£10door 01904 612237
29th ROOK LANE ARTS FROME, SOMERSET £7adv 01373 455420

www.myspace.com/stringerbessant
www.xtramilerecordings.com
www.myspace.com/xtramilerecordings

For more information please contact info@presscounselpr.com - 020 7792 9400

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