this week I have mostly been listening to....

'These city lights, they shine as silver and gold /  Dug from the night, your eyes as black as coal....'

Preview clips

The Unforgettable Fire

The Unforgettable Fire (Remastered 2009)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPJXdUClyWU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Official Remix video directed by Mike Skinner</a>&#13;
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Cool Like Me (Mike Skinner Remix)

'The seam is split / The coal-face cracked / The lines are long / There's no going back....'

The Joshua Tree

Red Hill Mining Town (Remastered 2007)

The D.O.T - Left At The Lights (mike's 8 Bar Thing)

Let Me

Taken from the forthcoming album 'Youth Culture Forever', to be released 2nd June 2014.

Pre-order the album now! Available on CD, MP3 and Limited Edition Green Vinyl - http://fatcat.sandbaghq.com/paws-youth-culture-forever-pre-order.html

PAWS - Tongues

Our cover of Devil Inside by INXS.

Our debut album 'If You Wait' is out now!

Vinyl: po.st/IfYouWaitLP
iTunes: po.st/IfYouWait
CD: po.st/IfYouWaitCD

londongrammar.com
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Devil Inside

"Big Homie" by Puff Daddy featuring Rick Ross & French Montana.

Puff Daddy | "Big Homie" ft. Rick Ross & French Montana

Taken from the forthcoming album 'Youth Culture Forever', to be released 
May 6th US,  June 2nd UK 2014.

Pre-order the album now! 
US: http://fatcat.hasawebstore.com/paws
UK: fatcat.sandbaghq.com/paws-youth-cul…pre-order.html

See them on tour in the US with We Are Scientists

Apr 23 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop #
Apr 24 - Columbus, OH - The Basement #
Apr 25 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall #
Apr 26 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry #
Apr 28 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge #
Apr 29 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court #
May 01 - Portland, OR - Douglas Fir Theatre #
May 02 - Vancouver, BC - Electric Owl #
May 03 - Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe #
May 06 - Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst Atrium #
May 07 - San Francisco, CA - Independent #
May 08 - Santa Ana, CA - Constellation Room #
May 09 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour #
May 10 - San Diego, CA - Casbah #
May 11 - Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room #
May 14 - Dallas, TX - Dada #
May 15 - Austin, TX - Red 7 #
May 16  - Houston, TX - Fitzgeralds #
May 17 – Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon #
May 18 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl #
May 19 - Raleigh, NC - Kings Barcade
May 20 - Greensboro, NC - The Blind Tiger 
May 21 – Richmond, VA – Strange Matter
May 24 - Brooklyn, NY - Shea Stadium

 # with We Are Scientists




PAWS - Owls Talons Clenching My Heart

Allo Darlin’ are set to release their eagerly awaited new album "We Come From the Same Place" this October. The third full-length recording from the much loved Anglo-Australian four-piece is made up of smart, beautiful pop music, with lyrics that resonate with experience and melodies that chime, echo and soar.

The album combines the eagerness, urgency and immediacy of their 2010 self-titled debut with the contemplation, sophistication and ambition of their 2012 follow-up "Europe," and yet it goes beyond either both sonically and in the songs. It was written at a time of considerable change for songwriter Elizabeth Morris, a time during which she fell in love, moved to Italy and got married - not that that seems to have hindered the songwriting process, as Elizabeth explains, "So many things have happened since I first wrote the songs that make up this album, it's difficult to remember back to where it all began. The songs were written very quickly, during a period when I found writing songs very easy, whereas I often find songwriting very difficult. Some of the songs were written so fast I can't even really remember writing them. The songs were a joy to write, and writing them made me feel better about lots of things."

If the songs came quickly the recording of the album was a more considered process, with the band first testing out the new material at a series of small shows – christened the Compass Shows – in North, South, East and West London. They then returned to their spiritual home of Soup Studios, where they recorded their first album, to work with their long-term collaborator, producer Simon Trought. The intention was to capture a more instinctive and fluid live studio sound and to play as well as possible while the red button was on, a different approach to the more piecemeal recording of their previous two albums. Or as Paul Rains put it, "We've used three years of touring to try and get some of that sweat and grime and togetherness and sweetness and anxiety onto a record."

One of the themes of the new record is new beginnings and things drawing to a close. "Nothing feels the way it did before and I am grateful for that", sings Elizabeth on "Crickets in the Rain", a song written after her move to Italy and which she describes as "anti-nostalgia". Built along the same lines is the gorgeous "History Lessons", of which Elizabeth says, "I guess at some point I became a bit tired of everything seeming better in the past, from music to relationships to buildings to societies. We're a bit obsessed with it and it can become overwhelming. We don't live in the present. This song is trying to express that frustration."

Among the highlights of the album is "Bright Eyes", a duet with guitarist Paul Rains. Elizabeth again, "I wanted to write another duet, but the only problem with doing that is that when you play live it's very rare that the person you recorded it with can be there. So I thought it would be great to write a song with Paul singing the other part. I love Paul's singing and I wanted to hear him do it more, so it's quite selfish really!" Another standout is the Twin Peaks-referencing "Half-Heart Necklace", based on a true story from Elizabeth’s hometown. "There had been some murders, and this girl who was my age was missing and presumed killed. It turned out she had been hiding for years in her boyfriend's cupboard, and she was charged for wasting police time". 
 
Other notable tracks include the rollicking "Kings and Queens", inspired by a show they played in the USA with their friends and kindred spirits The Wave Pictures, and "Romance and Adventure", originally earmarked for a film soundtrack and written in response to a challenge from Paul to write a pop song in a minor key. Bass player Bill Botting sums up Elizabeth’s remarkable songwriting ability by saying, "The key to Elizabeth’s songwriting appeal is that she’s so adept at pinpointing certain ideas and moods; leaving one city and finding a new one and realising that beginnings and endings have a lot in common."

Allo Darlin’ were formed after Australian Elizabeth Morris arrived in London and bought a ukulele from the Duke of Uke shop in Shoreditch. She began writing music and was soon joined by fellow Australian Bill Botting (bass), Paul Rains (guitar), and Michael Collins (drums).  Their debut album attracted many plaudits including being named No. 2 record of the year by online retailer eMusic, and a glowing 1,200 word essay by Robert Forster of The Go-Betweens in the Australian critical magazine, The Monthly. Their second album "Europe" scored 8.1 on Pitchfork, was made USA Today’s Album Of The Week, and garnered praise from Uncut, Q, NME, The Quietus and The Guardian. It was also named Rough Trade Shop’s Album Of The Month, where it went on to become the biggest selling album of the year. The band have been playlisted at BBC 6Music and have recorded sessions for Lauren Laverne, Marc Riley and John Kennedy (XFM), as well being Steve Lamacq’s personal pick for BBC Introducing. Their releases to date, along with their joyous and effervescent live shows, have seen them build an intensely loyal and ever-increasing fanbase.

The truism is that third albums are difficult beasts, but by remaining true to themselves Allo Darlin’ have side-stepped the pitfalls to produce a wonderful record - thoughtful and exciting and exquisitely played – that will please their existing army of fans and newcomers alike. On first reading the album’s title may seem enigmatic, but from the very personal nature of Elizabeth Morris’ finely drawn vignettes to the more universal connections between the band and their audience, its meaning will be obvious to all who fall under the spell of this magical band.

"Breezy rom-pop brilliance." 8/10, NME

"Classic indie pop... doesn't rewrite the formula for wistful bedsit charm as much as show that it can still be carried out masterfully." Pitchfork

"A masterclass of modern cult pop." The Guardian

"Terrific, witty and heartfelt, like a less moody Belle & Sebastian." The New York Times


Allo Darlin' - Romance And Adventure

Soulsavers - Revival

FatCat Records are proud to present the debut album Cokefloat! by Scottish 3-piece PAWS. The official release date is 1st October 2012. A full UK headline tour will be announced soon. 

Friends since school, PAWS are made up of Phillip, Joshua and Matthew, and are based in Glasgow, Scotland. The band play (in their own words) ‘infectious, lo-fi, garage pop-rock’ and have already made a name for themselves in Glasgow as one of the best Scottish live bands currently on the scene. A full biography on the band is available here: http://fat-cat.co.uk/site/artists/paws 


LIVE DATES: (Full UK headline tour announced soon)
August

8th – Electric Circus, Edinburgh, UK
18th – Beacons Festival, Skipton, UK
31st – Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, UK W/Eagulls

Album cover image and band photos available here: www.fat-cat.co.uk/press 
PAWS website: http://www.wehavepaws.com/ 
 


Catherine 1956

Winners Don't Bleed

As featured in the forthcoming feature film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1.

O Children appears on the Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, released in September 2004 on Mute. 

The live version appears on the Abattoir Blues Tour album, released by Mute in January 2007.

More info: http://www.nickcaveandthebadseeds.com

Buy Now From iTunes.


Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - O Children

Our 'Hey Now' EP is out now: http://po.st/HeyNow

Our debut album 'If You Wait' is out now!

Vinyl: http://po.st/IfYouWaitLP
iTunes: http://po.st/IfYouWait
CD: http://po.st/IfYouWaitCD

http://londongrammar.com
https://twitter.com/londongrammar
https://facebook.com/londongrammar

this week I have mostly been listening to....

Stuart Leach