I’d say no… but don’t tell that to the UK press! Reason #1 would be that he’s opening up for Lady Gaga… nothing against her, but the love-child comparison and Lady Gaga doesn’t seem to synch up. Decide for yourself:
With his geek-chic style and earnest, heartfelt ballads, Gary Go is quickly becoming the newest hero of the UK pop scene with rave reviews and a fiercely devoted following. His self-produced first album and the lead single “Wonderful”, which the BBC calls a “shimmering slice of sing-along song craft”, are climbing the charts and have earned him the opening spot on Lady Gaga’s upcoming European tour.
June 2, 2009 – (New York, NY) – Bespectacled, London-born Gary Go, who is fast becoming a major new vocalist and rising star, is the toast of England right now and bringing his self-titled debut album to America for release on September 15th on Decca. Teaming a striking voice with a sharp sense of storytelling, Gary’s guitar and piano-led, hook-driven sounds balance a unique edginess with universal appeal.
Go, the son of a producer for Jim Henson’s Muppets, is a gifted narrator who is equally influenced by writers Paul Auster and Arthur Miller as by David Bowie and Trent Reznor. Highlights from Go’s album include the endearingly reflective, “So-So” and “Open Arms,” an ode to self-acceptance that blends beautiful production and a soaring chorus. Musicians joining Go include Living Colour’s Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbush (who was also in the legendary Sugar Hill Gang), and eclectic songstress Carina Round.
This self-taught multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter has generated an explosion of press acclaim in the UK. Q Magazine declares the album is a “gigantic pop debut” while Red Magazine raves that Go’s self-titled debut is a “Must-Hear Album… If you like Coldplay, you’ll like this!” The Sun describes Go as “the musical love child of Chris Martin and David Gary, with an added dash of bespectacled charm.”
Go’s uphill climb to success has included jobs at numerous studios as well as a life-altering rejection from Peter Gabriel for a job at Real World studio in Bath. Told by Gabriel to “concentrate on songwriting,” Go took that advice and immersed himself in his music, leading him to record his debut album and make the line-up for Wembley Stadium this July where he’ll hit the stage with just one instrument in tow: his iPhone.
For more information, visit www.whoisgarygo.com
Check it out:
Be sure to tune into to Keane TV performances next week on the Ellen Degeneres show on December 2 and Jimmy Kimmel Live on December 3. Also catch Keane perform live in LA next week in support of the recent CD release Perfect Symmetry. The band will be performing at the Echo on December 4 and the Roxy on December 5.
Keane Official Site:
and MySpace page:
ATTACK! ATTACK! UK - “This Is A Test”
Formed in January 2007 in a rundown industrial estate on the outskirts
of Cardiff, Wales, Attack! Attack! UK have already made an big impact
on the UK music scene in just a few short months. The band features ex
members of Welsh bands Dopamine, Adequate Seven, Midasuno and Pete’s
Sake. These bands have toured countries all around the world and had
releases worldwide too.
Says guitarist Ryan Day: “Neil and I were in a previous band together
called Dopamine and we decided to start going through some ideas we
both had. We wrote in Neil’s house — in his kitchen — and I remember
the first songs we wrote were ‘Lights Out’ and ‘Home Again.’” They
added bassist Will Davies to the mix next, an acquaintance from the
live music circuit. Mike Griffiths came on board as drummer after
another friend didn’t work out in that slot. Says Day: “I knew Mike
as we had played in bands together for years. In fact, Mike and I were
in our first ever band together called Pete’s Sake.”
Taking influences from 80’s punk, 90’s grunge, pop rock and new wave
(everything from Stereophonics to AC/DC, The Police, The Ramones, and
the Sex Pistols), and powering a sound that Day calls “no frills or
bullshit… just honest, melodic and rocking,” Attack! Attack! UK have
been building a loyal fan base, playing shows across the UK with the
likes of The Ghost of A Thousand, Kids In Glass Houses, Tonight is
Goodbye, Flood of Red as well as main support slots with Lostprophets
and Aiden. The band flew out to Los Angeles in November 2007 to record
their eponymous debut album with Lostprophets bassist Stuart Richardson.
“Working with Stu was really cool as he had so many different ideas and
views on things,” says Ryan. “We knew he was really trying to get the
best out of us and we really respected that fact as it was pushing us
to get better results. It was one of the coolest times I’ve ever had.
He’s just a top guy and he really knows how to make things sound
great!”
The album is due out in the fall of 2008, with Rock Ridge Music
releasing the album in the U.S. on October 7th and in the UK on October
6th. Although Day is thrilled with the entire record, he cites “Say
It To Me” as his favorite song. “I really love this song just because
it sounds so evil but it’s really melodic at the same time. It’s one
of the heavier tracks on the album but also has some really good hooks
in there too. I just really like the contrast of the song. This song
was one that came straight out to — it just felt right from the start.
In a nutshell, it’s all about falseness, vanity and lies, and someone
I know who always wanted to impress everybody with their bullshit
stories. In the end, it did them no good!”
For a band who likes to make their music and live performances fun and
inviting, their name might sound a bit, well, aggressive. “We
struggled for a while to think of a name,” says Day. “At the time we
were hanging out with some friends who were also starting a new band
and we were discussing names and they said, I think for a joke: ‘We
were thinking of calling ourselves “Attack! Attack!” but we have a
different name now so we are not using that,’ and we were like, ‘WOW!
That’s such a cool name!’ So we stole it from them!”
Attack! Attack! UK was nominated as best newcomer in the Welsh Music
Awards 2007. The band has also already received national airplay on
Radio 1 and Radio 6, recorded a live session for BBC Radio 1 Wales and
a National Radio 1 session in Maida Vale back in March. Many of their
headlining dates are sold-out in the UK and an upcoming UK tour is
planned with Funeral For A Friend.
-Attack! Attack! UK
TRACK LISTING
1. Honesty
2. You And Me
3. This Is A Test
4. Too Bad Son
5. From Now On
6. Say It To Me
7. Lights Out
8. Home Again
9. Lost For Words
10. Time Is Up
From Ultimate-Guitar.com:
After much speculation the track listing for upcoming seventh Oasis album “Dig Out Your Soul” has had it’s track listing released. All four members contribute tracks. The songs include:
01. “Bag It Up” (Noel Gallagher)
02. “The Turning” (Andy Bell)
03. “Waiting for the Rapture” (Noel Gallagher)
04. “The Shock of the Lightning” (Noel Gallagher)
05. “I’m Outta Time” (Liam Gallagher)
06. “(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady” (Gem Archer)
07. “Falling Down” (Noel Gallagher)
08. “To Be Where There’s Life” (Noel Gallagher)
09. “Ain’t Got Nothin” (L. Gallagher)
10. “The Nature of Reality” (Noel Gallagher)
11. “Soldier On” (L. Gallagher)Single “The Shock Of The Lightning” is due to be released on the 29th September 2008. The artwork features an original piece of art by London-based designer Julian House.
The album is rumoured to sound “huge” and is rumoured to have Oasis back on top form.
Get more news at www.Oasisinet.com
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Man its good to have these guys back! The more I hear this new single, the more I like it. The brand spanking new video fits the song well and it seems Richard Ashcroft has been in suspended animation since the band was last in the spotlight. Lets hope this new album called, Fourth, continues where the Verve left off… Enjoy the new video:
The Darkness. Wow. I loved these guys, and it might be because they were so isolated in my music memory, and that’s why I think of them so fondly, but there’s no denying they were entertaining. I don’t think any song in their (2 album) catalog better exemplifies their sound than their first single, “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”… guitar solos piled on top of each other and the most ridiculous falsetto chorus lines you’ve ever heard all sandwiched between hard driving power chords. The video for this song made things even more unbelievable… seeing what the band looked like only made things seem more confusing. Are these guys for real? Is this a parody band? The video had space ships, monsters, lightning shooting out of guitars and everything in between, but somehow it all worked.
The Darkness became insanely popular, mostly because they actually backed themselves up with decent songs, but also because they stuck to their guns and had an image that recalled everything goofy about the 80’s hair metal scene and made it semi-cool again. That’s pretty impressive. Watch the video and remember:
NEW YORK, NY (June 4, 2008) - Amy Macdonald is at the forefront of a new generation of British musicians on her debut ‘This is the Life’ (August 19, Decca), combining “a traditional, acoustic folk-rock sound with a youthful spirit and self-assured lyrics that veer between the observational and the confessional,” as one UK publication put it. The first single “Mr. Rock & Roll,” sung in Amy’s rich, bell-clear, gutsy vocals, tells the story of missed opportunity and broken hearts.
A native Scot and self-taught musician, Macdonald has already achieved double- platinum success in the UK for her keen ability to create simple, yet compelling stories. She has spent the past 18 months touring Europe, opening for Paul Weller, meeting her one-time hero Pete Doherty and headlining her favorite music venue Glasgow Barrowlands.
This Is The Life features Macdonald opining on everything from indulgent and self-destructive pop stars on the dark and venomous track “Poison Prince,” to their so-called celebrity counterparts on the lamenting ballad “Footballer’s Wife.” Emerging from an album laden with hits, “Run” creates a powerful sonic experience that builds from a whisper to a masterful crescendo of vocals, solidifying Macdonald’s standing as a singer experienced far beyond her 20 years of age.
To see why, watch her perform the first single “Mr. Rock & Roll” live on The Friday Night Project here:
Two years after making waves with her debut solo album, Real Life, Joan as Police Woman (nee Joan Wasser) is ready for the release of her sophomore effort, To Survive, due June 10th via Cheap Lullaby Records.
After years of performing alongside the likes of Lou Reed, Anthony and the Johnsons and Rufus Wainwright, Joan struck out on a solo path – creating Joan as Police Woman and honing a soulful yet edgy sound that would grab critics’ and audiences’ attention immediately. Real Life was released in the UK in 2006 and US in 2007 to rave reviews, and To Survive follows in the same footsteps as its predecessor with ten new tracks addressing life, love, death, and the current state of American politics.
Joan as Police Woman will be performing at New York City’s Mercury Lounge on Wednesday, May 14th before embarking on an overseas tour throughout the month of June.
Download and Share This MP3:
Joan as Police Woman - “To Be Loved” from To Survive
What the Press said about Joan as Police Woman’s debut album, Real Life (2007 US / 2006 UK):
“Real Life is one of the strongest and most distinctive records released in ages. Buy it now.”
Sunday Times
“Stunning” (4 stars)
Metro
“There might not be a better debut all year.”
The Times
“There is a fire in the sophistication, could be Willie Mitchell producing a more melodic Kim Gordon” (4 stars)
Uncut Magazine
“Joan Wasser is the best champagne in the world. A voice so wondrous and moving that it makes everyone else’s seem ordinary and mundane, the indie generation’s Dusty Springfield. ‘The Ride’ is the most majestic sad song ever and so good it will make you shiver.”
The Guardian (Record of the Week)
“Don’t be misled by her band’s kooky name: there’s no role-playing here, nor the slightest trace of affectation in Wasser’s soulful, sandpaper voice. Just 10 short songs – memorable brushes with love and other obsessions – performed with a sincerity that is both heartfelt and heartbreaking.
Telegraph Review - Included in “The Finest Albums of 2006” feature
“A unique and creative expression with few sonic peers, Real Life is the sound of Wasser perfecting her craft, building emotional arrangements around gorgeous melodies, sometimes stark and often haunting.”
Amplification Magazine
Q Magazine - Voted #60 in the 100 Greatest Albums of 2006; “Eternal Flame” voted #46 in 100 Great Undiscovered Tracks of 2006
“Switches spectacularly combine all that is good about British indy (new wave bounce, three part harmonies, guitars that ‘chug’) with all that is good about US indy (The Pixies, pretty much). We really don’t need to remind you how all-powerful such a record could be.” - (NME)
“Well, the idea was a band, but we’re really a neurotic bunch of obsessive compulsive weirdo’s,” Switches singer Matt Bishop says.
The neurotic obsessive-compulsive weirdo’s, pulled through impressively and way fantastically, and on March 18, 2008 Switches released their debut album, Lay Down The Law, produced by Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith) on Interscope.
Strangely, Switches, who now all live in London, came together naturally and easily. Matt grew up in Southend (a low-rent seaside town, something like the old Asbury Park neighbourhood) and formed the band while at college: he just sent a group email and chose the people whose responses he liked best. Even if they didn’t like the same music.
Video stream of “Drama Queen”
Audio stream to the first single, “Lay Down The Law”
There’s Ollie Thomas, guitar: musical wunderkind aspiring to psychedelic-tinged virtuosity ala Hendrix, but also partial to some tough new wave in the Stranglers and Television. Thom Kirkpatrick, bass: belt and braces, biscuits and tea, Beatles and Ben Folds, he is particularly English, even for someone from Britain. Steve Godfrey, drums, drums and more drums: he personifies his instrument. He likes to drum, drums to live, learned Appetite For Destruction on pencils and saucepans so by the time he got his first kit he could play the record flawlessly.. And Matt: the seventies-leaning songwriter with a love for ELO and 10cc even though he wasn’t born while they reigned, and a fully-fledged Child of Britpop.
The varying influences are a natural for Matt. In his teens he wrote hundreds of songs spanning from pop, disco, piano ballads, Beck-esque hip-hop, glam, punk, hardcore and emo. His stacks of homemade tapes were typhoons of conflicting styles. However styles, genres, bin cards and such hadn’t quite been established in pre-school – when Matt began playing at age three. At four he’s bringing his dad’s electric guitar to school (dad was a former BBC engineer), along with his own little Fisher Price recorder. Already Matt loved to multi-track and over-dub when he shouldn’t have even known the words. Oh did it make for some funny photos of the weird kid – guitar almost bigger than him!
“At that age I only knew, like, two chords so it was mainly Bolan rip-offs,” he says. “I had this kid tape recorder and my mum’s reel-to reel.”
While this didn’t make Matt a child prodigy, the music obsession obviously continued and therefore this story and the band. Originally called Matt Rock and the Others, almost immediately they won a Battle of the Bands contest. First prize was a support slot for The Darkness.
“We didn’t know who they were when we saw them backstage.” Matt says. “Max was asking ‘when are Status Quo on then?’”
The only way to go from a battle of the bands contest is, um, up, and the first up move was changing their name to Switches. The guys quit school and dedicated themselves to music that consumed them. They got compared to Weezer and The Vines a lot (Weezer for the music, The Vines for Matt’s unpredictable behaviour). Switches toured for a year before being signed.
“When my publisher first approached me he was like ‘I’ve heard five tracks – one of them sounds like The Bee Gees, one sounds like T Rex, one sounds like Fugazi…’” Nice!
Rather than head straight into the studio to record a disjointed mish-mash of an album, Switches hit the road again. The band was on a mission to solidify their sound and present a coherent musical front. They returned ready to record their debut ‘Message From Yuz EP’ for Degenerate Music – four tracks of handclappy glamstomparama that crystallizes the last decade of British pop excellence and stood as an introduction into Switches’ world: Starts like Elastica kung fu-kicking and winds up in a three-way rock-opera face-off between ELO, Kraftwerk and Ziggy Stardust.
They then released ‘Lay Down The Law’ which was immediately picked as track of the week by NME. Admired for it’s swagger, stomp and hooks galore – the song teases for the same named album to come.
And the songs just connect…. Bishop’s voice alternately soars and stings, confidently owning you, and you want to be owned. Like swaying to Marc Bolan or snidely getting schooled by Deborah Harry, you are owned. Bishop captivates, corners, connects. Meanwhile the music is busy tricking and tripping with enthusiastic, irresistibly upbeat riffs. But the songs are swamped in the bitter sting of romance. Lyrics betray the music with an emotional deviance often delivering a smartly sour bite.
“The message is going to be of Love, but to be wary,” says Matt. “Love songs that aren’t quite happy endings… I really admire Ray Davies for writing songs that weren’t involving him; he was just watching…”
Matt continues, “Rock music is still alive and kicking…I really hope we can take it into new areas. At best in a genuine connection between band and listener. Creating music shouldn’t be a one-way street – empathy, creativity and passion are crucial to us eventually, hopefully, pushing boundaries.”
Official site:
on Imeem:
and on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/weareswi
NYLON MAGAZINE MUSIC TOUR w/ She Wants Revenge, Be Your Own Pet & The Virgins:
5/8 - Anaheim, CA at House of Blues
5/9 - Las Vegas, NV at House of Blues
5/10 - San Diego, CA at House of Blues
5/12 - Denver, CO at Gothic Theater
5/13 - Kansas City, MO at Beaumont Club
5/15 - Austin, TX at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q
5/16 - Dallas, TX at House of Blues
5/17 - Houston, TX at Meridian
5/18 - New Orleans, LA at House of Blues
5/20 - Saint Petersburg, FL at Jannus Landing
5/21 - Fort Lauderdale, FL at Revolution
5/22 - Orlando, FL at House of Blues Orlando
5/23 - Atlanta, GA at Variety Playhouse
5/24 - Asheville, NC at The Orange Peel
5/25 - North Myrtle Beach, SC at House of Blues
5/27 - Baltimore, MD at Rams Head
5/28 - New York, NY at The Fillmore at Irving Plaza
5/30 - Washington, DC at 9:30 Club
5/31 - Philadelphia, PA at The Fillmore at TLA
6/1 - Boston, MA at Paradise Rock Club
6/2 - Montreal, QC, Canada at Club Soda
6/4 - Toronto, ON, Canada at Phoenix Concert Theatre
6/5 - Detroit, MI at St. Andrews Hall
6/6 - Cleveland, OH at House of Blues
6/7 - Columbus, OH at Newport Music Hall
6/9 - Cincinnati, OH at Bogart’s
6/10 - Indianapolis, IN at The Vogue
6/11 - Saint Louis, MO at The Pageant
6/12 - Chicago, IL at House of Blues
6/14 - Minneapolis, MN at Fine Line Music Cafe
6/17 - Vancouver, BC, Canada at Commodore Ballroom
6/18 - Seattle, WA at Showbox Showroom & Lounge
6/19 - Portland, OR at Crystal Ballroom
6/20 - San Francisco, CA at The Fillmore
6/21 - Los Angeles, CA at The Wiltern LG
These guys are getting an ass-ton of buzz these days… Better get with it and check them out while they’re still semi-new or risk looking like a loser. Just kidding. But do check them out, they’re a cool band:
PLAY
