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Introducing… The Murder Barn
The Murder Barn are a London based six piece, ready to unleash their own earthy brand of alternative rock this summer with their debut double A-side single America / Harvest, out 11th June 2012.
With this double A-side offering, the band showcase both their brilliant songwriting talent and their ability to weave a wonderful story around the melodies as well. “America” channels influences such as The Bad Seeds and David Lynch, and wouldn’t be amiss on the soundtrack for 70s folk horror cult classics like The Wicker Man. Chesca Dolecka’s soaring vocals, and sardonic lyrics, juxtapose the simple keys and epic strings to convey this hymn about the religious right and the end of an empire. “Harvest” takes a slightly different direction, with the music and vocals taking on a heavier mantle much more akin to PJ Harvey and Anna Calvi. This is dirty, honest, straight up rock n roll with The Murder Barn’s signature introverted, whimsical twist in this dark tale about love and rituals.
The Murder Barn's double-a side single is available to stream on the A Badge of Friendship Soundcloud page now.
The Murder Barn - America / Harvest single by abadgeoffriendship
The six musicians spend most of their time together in East London hanging out in the real Murder Barn. A Warhol-ian workspace -
the creative nerve centre of the band.
Sisters Chesca Dolecka (vocals / guitar / accordion / piano / ukelele) and Becca Grover Jones (Guitar / vocals) have been playing music together since they were kids along with childhood friend Ryan Wilson (guitars / sax / vocals) and Serbian drummer Velibor Krstic. They had known Matt Jones (previously of Ultrasound, Minuteman, Beady Eye) for years and had worked together before on various projects. Bassist Kev Feazey (The Fierce and The Dead) had produced The Murder Barn’s early material before joining the band and completing the current line-up.
America / Harvest is just the first in a series of many releases planned this year with more singles, EPs and a debut album planned. This beautifully peculiar alt rock sextet will bewitch and enchant you, enticing you into their dark and dreamy world.
America / Harvest is available to pre-order from the band's Bandcamp page now.
If you would like more information about The Murder Barn or our PR services, please email info@abadgeoffriendship.com
Knifeworld to release “Clairvoyant Fortnight” EP!
"...an ambitious, psychadelic wash of melodies..." - Prog Magazine
Knifeworld return with their strongest release to date - Clairvoyant Fortnight, out on Believers Roast, 11th June 2012. The EP follows 2011’s critically acclaimed EP Dear Lord, No Deal and their 2009 debut album Buried Alone: Tales of Crushing Defeat.
With their trademark uncompromising psychedelia in full effect, Knifeworld still sound like no-one else. Intense and kaleidoscopic, this release offers another piece of the curious jigsaw.
Clairvoyant Fortnight (Radio Edit), the free single and title track of the EP is available to download via our Soundcloud page. The full version of the track will be available on the EP.
Opener “Clairvoyant Fortnight” sees Knifeworld unwittingly create “Bubblegum Prog”. In fact, the EP is the sound of three pop songs forced at gunpoint into one, establishing the energetic, playful nature of what’s to come. “In A ForeignWay” showcases Kavus Torabi's knack for well constructed inventive composition, with melodic sensibilities not unlike XTC and Frank Zappa. The EP closes with the epic “The Prime Of Our Decline”, displaying a sound closer to avant-garde Zeuhl artists such as France’s Magma and Japan’s Koenji Hyakkei. It may well be Knifeworld's most musically dense piece yet. Goose-bump inducing key changes accompany the soaring vocals while the brief interlude of staccato guitars and brass melodies reveals the band's more experimental tendencies. The result of this boundary pushing EP, is a success on every level from musicianship, catchy tunes and experimental psychedelia.
With Clairvoyant Fortnight, former Cardiacs guitarist Kavus Torabi (vox, guitar) has managed to create an eclectic combination musicians with Ben Woollaccott (drums), Charlie Cawood (bass), Chrome Hoof members Emmett Elvin and Chloe Herrington (keyboards and sax, bassoon respectively) and former Cardiacs vocalist Melanie Woods (vox) joining him on his “bubblegum prog” journey.
Heavy support has already come from Prog Magazine (formerly Classic Rock Prog), Rock Sound, The Quietus and Rock A Rolla to name a few. Knifeworld already have the alt rock world covered but with this latest offering, they hope to bring some attention to a wider audience with fans ranging far and wide from snooker champion Steve Davis to BBC 6Music’s Marc Riley and XFM’s John Kennedy.
With this release, Knifeworld prove that “prog” is not just a genre, but a concept, always changing and adapting. They have have applied this ethos to Clairvoyant Fortnight and have created a vast, intelligent, fun and ever evolving sound with few barriers or limitations.
Clairvoyant Fortnight is out on June 11th 2012 via Believers Roast.
Visit Knifeworld's official website, like them on Facebook or follow Kavus' musings on Twitter.
If you would like more information about Knifeworld or our PR services, please email info@abadgeoffriendship.com
Vigo Thieves release video and stream of “She’s On Fire”
“Their brand of big upbeat rock is Simple Minds with an edge of Glasvegas.” - The Daily Record
Vigo Thieves have released a free stream of "She's On Fire" from the first part of their ambitious two-part EP Heart & Soul, which is out now!
With a nod to the likes of Simple Minds and U2, "She’s On Fire" encapsulates the grand, summery, festival sound that Vigo Thieves have honed to perfection over the last few years. With big beats, big soulful backing vocals and an even bigger chorus, "She’s On Fire" is a track that will have you tapping your feet and bobbing your head.
The release of "She’s On Fire" completes the end of this first EP's, Heart & Soul Pt. 2, is set for release in July.
The video for "She's on Fire" is available to watch now on YouTube.
Having embarked on a successful UK tour including sell-out shows in Scotland plus their first trip to London, the Vigo Thieves are aiming to make more waves with another set of shows that will be sure to excite.
They've already played alongside bands like The Phantom Band, Django Django, White Denim and Reverend and the Makers and now the band look set to continue making great strides as the festival season approaches.
- Friday 4th May - Oran Mor, Glasgow (with Reverend and The Makers)
- Saturday 5th May - The Big Stooshie Festival (feat. James, Glasvegas, Ocean Colour Scene)
- Wednesday 16th May - Milk, Flat01, Glasgow
- Saturday 19th May - The Stag And Dagger Festival, ABC, Glasgow
- Friday 25th May - The Attic, Bathgate
- Saturday 26th May - The Art School, Glasgow
- Wednesday 6th & Thursday 7th June - Go North Showcase, Inverness
Formed in Wishaw in 2008, Stevie Jukes (vox/guitar), Barry Cowan (guitar/vox), Gordon Phipps (bass) and Al Jukes (drums) have been writing furiously since the release of their Love Is Dead EP last year. Now, with new material ready to go, Vigo Thieves are setting up for an assault on the year ahead. Having already sold out the King Tutʼs Wah Wah Hut New Yearʼs Revolution show in January, and with backing from the likes of BBC Radio 1 Scotlandʼs Vic Galloway and the voice of new music in Scotland, Jim Gellatly, the band are determined to make 2012 their breakthrough year.
Heart & Soul Pt. 2 is due for release in July, via Hijacked Records.
If you would like more information about Vigo Thieves or our PR services please contact info@abadgeoffriendship.com.
Last.fm presents… The Crookes + Hey Sholay
Last.fm continue to bring the online experience to the live setting with a trio of Last.fm Presents gigs in the north of England. Up-and-coming artists from the Last.fm Hype Chart will keep their momentum going in 2012 by performing small, intimate free entry shows.
The first gig of the series featured Folks and The Sundowners in Leeds, followed by Welsh punk rockers Straight Lines and Manchester locals Sonic Boom Six in Manchester. The last show planned in the live series will be in Sheffield at The Harley on Tuesday May 1st, with locals The Crookes and support from Hey Sholay. Although this show is free, it's are first come, first served so make sure you get down early!
Having dispatched their debut album Chasing After Ghosts offering last year with aplomb The Crookes have spent the intervening period writing, recording and touring – collating lists of cheap hotels and motorway services
whilst satisfying their urge to experience Europe at close hand albeit in a van accompanied only by equipment and a propensity to entertain. The Crookes will be releasing their second – as-yet-untitled album in the summer and this free show hosted by Last.fm will be the perfect chance to catch their new material live before the summer.
Encouraged by the successes of 2011's partnership, which featured a series of London based live music events showcasing emerging talent such as Slow Club, The Boxer Rebellion, Ghostpoet, DELS, The Leisure Society and We Are Augustines, HP and Last.fm's early 2012 strategy will be to branch out of the capital, and hit the road with the Everybody On global campaign.
Supporting the Turn On The Sound Inside live series activations, HP will be giving its Facebook community access to exclusive video content captured by Last.fm at the curated gigs, continuing the celebration of Beats audio technology that comes with HP's premium range of PC's and laptops.
Access Royal release free track “Aim High”
US indie rock band, Access Royale, return with a stream of the album track Aim High.
The track showcases their ability to write simple, uplifting, music whilst still tackling the guitar-heavy end of indie. With sublime harmonies, charming lyrics and an incredibly catchy chorus, Aim High is a marvellously feel good single, a departure from their first free MP3 offering Hide.
Aim High is available to stream from the A Badge of Friendship Soundcloud page.
Hailing from Washington DC, Access Royale formed from a mutual love of Muse, Radiohead, Vampire Weekend and MGMT. The band discovered each other via Craigslist in early 2011, and soon found themselves flying west to LA to shoot their first music video, for their single Hide.
The band's debut album, City Of Paradigm, is slated for a 17th May 2012 release in the U.K and is bursting with uplifting messages of self-discovery and freedom.
Access Royale's debut marks the start of what is sure to be a very promising musical career, with an accessible sound that's as well suited to their native soil as it is to the UK.
Hide is still available to download from the A Badge of Friendship Soundcloud page.
You can watch the full video for hide on Access Royale's YouTube channel.
City of Paradigm will be released on 17th May 2012, via ARU Records.
If you would like more information about Access Royale or our PR services please contact info@abadgeoffriendship.com.