Celebrating three decades of influential, thought provoking and groundbreaking punk rock, Bad Religion will release their fifteenth studio album, ‘The Dissent Of Man’, on September 27.  The album’s first single ‘The Devil In Stitches’ made its debut on the world famous KROQ 106.7 in Los Angeles last month and can be heard now at www.myspace.com/badreligion.  Fans can preorder ‘The Dissent of Man’ now at www.BadReligionStore.com.

Produced by Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Tool), ‘The Dissent Of Man’ finds Bad Religion pushing the boundaries of their music as much today as they did in their formative years as a genre defining punk band.  Over the course of making the album, primary songwriters Greg Graffin and Brett Gurewitz’s songwriting was informed by life changing events, with Graffin writing his forthcoming book ‘Anarchy Evolution’ (out Sept 28) and Gurewitz embarking on parenthood again.

“These are some of my favorite songs I’ve ever written,” says Gurewitz.  “A few of them took me way outside my comfort zone as a writer to a place I haven’t gone since ‘Recipe’ or ‘Stranger Than Fiction’.”

The result is one of the band’s most forward thinking and musically varied albums ever.  The Dissent of Man is not only a snapshot of the band’s personal experiences of the past years but also of their continued maturity in songwriting, capturing an array of styles ranging from blazing punk rock songs like the opener ‘The Day That The Earth Stalled’ and ‘Meeting Of The Minds’ and classic rock-tinged cuts like ‘Cyanide’ and ‘Turn Your Back On Me’ to radio rock ready hits like the first single ‘The Devil In Stiches.’

“I feel like the last couple of records have been amongst our most conservative, never straying too far from a Bad Religion sound,” adds Gurewitz.  “Whereas on this one we’re taking the songs to a lot of different places, exploring our influences and trying out some new things in a way we haven’t done in years.”

‘The Dissent of Man‘ is a testament to why Bad Religion has remained relevant for the better part of three decades.  Already having cemented their place in history as a groundbreaking band who helped create a movement in Los Angeles with classic releases like ‘How Could Hell Be Any Worse?‘, ‘Suffer‘, ‘Recipe For Hate‘, ‘Stranger Than Fiction’ and ‘Process Of Belief’, Bad Religion continue to inspire and create with a unique style that continues to cross boundaries and transcends genres.

As Bad Religion wraps up their 30^th anniversary, they open the next chapter of their storied career with ‘The Dissent of Man’.

Stay tuned to www.badreligion.com and www.epitaph.com to hear new music from The Dissent of Man and for news about Bad Religion!

The Dissent of Man Track Listing:

1. The Day That the Earth Stalled - 1:23
2. Only Rain - 2:43
3. The Resist Stance - 2:32
4. Won’t Somebody - 2:42
5. The Devil in Stitches - 3:28
6. Pride and the Pallor - 2:56
7. Wrong Way Kids - 2:43
8. Meeting of the Minds - 2:06
9. Someone to Believe - 2:38
10. Avalon - 3:28
11. Cyanide - 3:55
12. Turn Your Back On Me - 2:24
13. Ad Hominem - 3:27
14. Where The Fun Is - 3:04
15. I Won’t Say Anything - 3:22

The Barclaycard Mercury Prize Awards Show is being held next Tuesday, 7 September in London. The event will feature performances from this year’s shortlisted artists and will culminate in the announcement of the overall winner of the 2010 Barclaycard Mercury Prize for Album of the Year.

The Awards Show will be covered by BBC Two, Radio 1 and 6 Music throughout next week. BBC Two will be broadcasting live from the event between 10pm and 10.30pm on the night of the Awards Show. There will be a further programme later that same evening on BBC Two starting at 11.20pm. Both shows will be hosted by Lauren Laverne and Jools Holland.

Music fans will also be able to access all the news from the Awards Show through the Prize’s digital platforms, with behind-the-scenes updates and videos being posted regularly from the venue in the run-up to the event itself.

The 2010 Albums of the Year are:

Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions
Corinne Bailey Rae – The Sea
Dizzee Rascal – Tongue N’ Cheek
Foals – Total Life Forever
I Am Kloot - Sky At Night
Kit Downes Trio – Golden
Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More (Shout4Music’s Pick)
Paul Weller – Wake Up the Nation
The xx – xx
Villagers – Becoming a Jackal
Wild Beasts – Two Dancers

With rave reviews landing in the monthlies for the irresistible hybrid of cold-wave, post-punk, disco and (new) romance that is their new album ‘Crush’, Abe Vigoda have just announced an extensive regional UK tour in November to follow their London, Oxford and Brighton dates in October… Upcoming UK live info below…

Saturday 9 October – OXFORD – OX4 Festival (£15)

Tuesday 12 October – LONDON – Cargo (£8)

Wednesday 13 October – BRIGHTON – Audio (£8)

Thursday 14 October – LONDON – XOYO (with No Age)

Tuesday 9 November – GLASGOW – Captain’s Rest (£7)

Wednesday 10 November – YORK – The Duchess (£7)

Thursday 11 November – SHEFFIELD – Harley (£6)

Friday 12 November – MANCHESTER – Islington Mill (£7)

Saturday 13 November – LEEDS – Brudenell Social Club (£10)

Sunday 14 November – NOTTINGHAM – Spex Fest @ Bodega (£10)

Monday 15 November – LIVERPOOL – The Shipping Forecast (£5)

Tuesday 16 November – BIRMINGHAM – Hare and Hounds (£6)

Thursday 18 November – CARDIFF – Buffalo Bar (£6)

Paul Smith of Maximo Park will release ‘Our Lady Of Lourdes‘ on 1st November, the first single from his debut solo album ‘Margins‘. The single will be released on 7” vinyl (with b-side ‘Loop For Becca‘) and download (with a version of ‘A Little Lost‘ by Arthur Russell).

Written and recorded in less than 24 hours, Our Lady of Lourdes has a propulsive beat, lush echoing guitars and dream-like melodies. “The song is like a short story describing a sign language conversation. It also touches on how religion provides comfort to those who need it”, explains Smith of the mysterious lyrics. It’s one of the more electric songs on a record that also finds Smith exploring his love of acoustic and experimental sounds.

Margins is released on 11th October on Billingham Records, run by Smith, the label on which Maximo Park’s first ever red vinyl was released. The album is a collection of personal and intimate self-penned songs recorded with friend and co-producer Andy Hodson (The Matinee Orchestra/Warm Digits) at Hodson’s home in Newcastle over the past four years. Field Music’s David Brewis plays bass on the record. Maximo Park, together with Smith, are currently writing new material.

Smith, accompanied by a band, will take to the road in November. He says “I’ve been waiting to play these songs live for a while now so that should ensure an excitable performance although the songs will require a different execution to those of Maximo Park; less frenetic movement but no less emotion or commitment.”

UK TOUR DATES

26/11 – Bodega – Nottingham
27/11 – Brudenell Social Club – Leeds
28/11 – Glee Club – Birmingham
29/11 – Thekla – Bristol
01/12 – Bush Hall – London
02/12 – Deaf Institute – Manchester
03/12 – Classic Grand – Glasgow
04/12 – Sage 2 – Gateshead

The tour will follow the release of the perky duo’s forthcoming EP, ‘The Happiness Blues’ which is released on the 13^th September, through Carnival Town Records. Fronted by the Casio-led pop squiggle of the deliciously oddball ‘Sunshine Song’, ‘The Happiness Blues EP’ continues where ‘Sunshine & Other Misfortunes’ left off, with more endearing and evocative leftfield indie-pop.

Since their introduction at the turn of the year, The Candle Thieves have spent the majority of their time taking their colourful toytown instrumentation to the kitchens, back gardens and local pubs of the UK, and playing high-profile U.S support slots with The Scissor Sisters and David Gray. They are currently holed up in their Peterborough bedroom studio developing the song ideas written on the road.

Tour dates below:

OCTOBER

13th Stockton Arc

15th Nottingham Albert Hall

16th Scarborough Spa Theatre

17th Holmfirth Picturedrome

18th Birmingham Town Hall

20th Glasgow Old Fruitmarket

21st Manchester Royal Northern

25th Bristol St Georges

26th Brighton Duke of Yorks

27th London Bloomsbury Theatre

28th London Bloomsbury Theatre

When ‘Constellations‘ was given a limited, UK only release, in December of last year, Darwin Deez was just starting to make a name for himself as a purveyor of sweetly cracked, heartfelt, perfect pop songs.  His performances at New York’s CMJ Festival had created a buzz, he was hotly tipped by the NME, and there were promising signs that here was a truly unique artist in the making.

Fast forward just 9 months and he is not only fulfilling his early supporter’s expectations, he is far exceeding them. From packing out each and every venue he has played across the country with his refreshingly unique live show; to becoming a must-see highlight of nearly all of this year’s summer festivals; to the singles ‘Radar Detector‘ and ‘Up In The Clouds‘ achieving playlist additions on Radio One,  6Music and XFM; to the ardent and continued press support from the NME, it is now clear that Darwin Deez is becoming that rare thing in this day and age – a bona fide, larger than life pop star.

‘Constellations‘ is a nigh-on untouchable mini-pop classic that cribs the opening lines from ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ and comes equipped with handclaps and effortlessly infectious melodies that belie a darker, more poignant undertow; as epitomised when Deez wonders “if freckles don’t mean anything, does anything mean anything?” Consider it part of the power of Darwin Deez – just as he reels you in with his offbeat insouciance and killer tunes, he also delivers an affecting, emotional blow.

TRACKLISTING

1. Constellations
2. The Coma Song

OCTOBER UK TOUR

Oct 12: Academy 3, Manchester  (Age 14+)

Oct 13: Other Rooms, Newcastle (Age 16+)

Oct 14: King Tut’s, Glasgow  (Age 14+)

Oct 15: Cockpit, Leeds (14+)

Oct 16: Bodega, Nottingham  (Age 14+)

Oct 19: Thekla, Bristol (Age 14+)

Oct 20: Cavern, Exeter (Age 16+)

Oct 21: Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth (Age 14+)

Oct 22: Digital, Brighton (Age 16+)

Oct 23: Jericho, Oxford (Age 18+)

Oct 24: Arts Centre, Norwich (Age 14+)

Oct 26: Scala, London (Age 16+)

Oct 27: Hare & Hounds, Birmingham (Age 18+)

Oct 28: Kasbah, Coventry (Age 14+)

Oct 30: Plug, Sheffield (Age 14+)

After the success of ‘Thirst For Romance’ back in 2007, Cherry Ghost have a special place in many-a-heart but more importantly on this occasion my own. Now their new album ‘Beneath This Burning Shoreline’ has been greeted with similar adulation. And after years of wanting to get Simon Aldred & co on the Shout4Music sofa albeit for a quick yak, we finally have.

Cherry Ghost, how are you? It’s about time you guys reared your heads again?

We are very well thankyou.
Since the dust settled after the release of the sublime ‘Thirst For Romance’ what have you all being doing musically?

Working on the follow up. We spent most of the time writing, rehearsing, and recording in a Barn on a working dairy farm. Simon went on a few writing trips across Europe. It took a while but we feel it was time worth spent.

Are you happy with how the new album ‘Beneath This Burning Shoreline’ has
been received?

Reviews have been good and seem to have understood what we are about this time. It might not be the buzz sound of 2010, but it’s clearly a very well crafted and well recorded album, almost all critics seem to have recognised that.

You’re supporting The Coral on a few dates, is this just about breaking the
ice again with you guys? Getting back in your stride?

Yes, pretty much. It was a good opportuity for us to road test the new material before doing our own shows later in the year. And The Coral are a great band - it was a real pleasure to watch them each night.

When can we expect a full length tour from Cherry Ghost?

A full UK tour starts in September running through until the middle of October. We’re very pleased with the set and our live sound at the moment, the shows should be really good.

If our readers were to pitch their tents somewhere to see Cherry Ghost this
summer where should it be?

In the back garden with the stereo turned up and a bucket to piss in. We’ve done most of our festivals now. Glastonbury was fun, although Port Elliot in Cornwall would have been the connoisseur’s choice.

Explain to us why Mark Linkous was a hero to you and the fundamentals why his music should be heard by a wider audience…

Well I don’t really have too many musical heroes and to describe him as such overstates it slightly. I discovered him during the Britpop era so I’m ever grateful to him for saving me from the omni-present swagger. His music is very sad and delicate and I admire it’s honesty. I also loved the DIY production of the earlier albums.

The song that will always remind you of Linkous?

Sparklehorse – ‘Hundreds Of Sparrows’

When was the last time you ‘Kissed A Stranger?

We kiss strangers all the time, it’s a very healthy european thing to do, purely platonic of course, we are sworn to another.

The YouTube clip that ever Cherry Ghost fan should see of the band…

Hot on the heels of two sensational London shows previewing their new album ‘Surfing the Void’ (currently sitting at number 4 in the midweeks) Klaxons are pleased to announce details of their forthcoming tour in November.

Pre-sale tickets are available from 9am on Wednesday Sept 1 and on general release, Friday September 3.

NOVEMBER
11 Manchester Academy
12 Norwich UEA
13 Bournemouth O2 Academy
14 Nottingham Rock City
16 London HMV Forum
20 Birmingham HMV Institute
21Glasgow Barrowlands
22 Leeds 02 Academy
23  Dublin Tripod

After a sold out adrenaline pumped show at London’s Heaven last night, Klaxons will be headlining the NME/Radio 1 Stage at Leeds (Saturday) & Reading (Sunday) this weekend, onstage at 10:15pm, so make sure you catch them if you’re heading to either festival.

If you haven’t already seen it, check out the video for Echoes here:

Liverpool’s Sound Of Guns are making headway since first causing a noise as part of the BBC’s ‘Introducing’ sessions last year and will now release a new Chris Potter (U2/Verve)-mixed single ‘Elementary of Youth’’ on September 20^th through Distiller Records. The track will be available on 7” single / digital download and includes a new song, ‘Silent Canon’.

Written and produced themselves in their Penny Lane studio, the five-piece perfectly show off their big raucous eclectic styles on this record. The single is taken from their recently released debut album ‘What Came From Fire’ and has lofty ambitions on being the one that breaks them to the mainstream. Their previous single ‘Architects’ was play-listed on daytime Radio One and XFM. The track was also ‘Single of the week’ on Greg James radio One show.

After a summer of festival appearances (including an ‘eventful’ trip to Mallorca Rocks with The Courteeners),  Sound Of Guns are set to prove their rock credentials at this year’s Reading (August 29) and Leeds (August 28) before heading out on a headline tour and a run of dates with Detroit Social Club this Autumn.”

Already tipped for great things frontman Andrew Metcalfe aims to sell their music as being not-your-average Scouse sound. He says: “We didn’t have any boundaries – I love The Coral, and the La’s and bands like that – but in terms of the music we wanted to make, that sound didn’t really appeal to us. We were all into The Walkmen, for example, who make a big noise. They are also big on Led Zeppelin and The Doors, amongst others.  I think people were expecting this typical Liverpool band, and that’s why people became interested so quickly, people seem to connect with the choruses.”

Sound Of Guns are set to tour with Detroit Social Club (gigs marked*) in October and all live dates coming up are:

Leeds Festival, Leeds (August 28^th)
Reading Festival, Reading (August 29^th)
Bingley Music Live, Myrtle Park (September 4^th)
Birmingham Rainbow (October 8^th)*
Newcastle Academy 2 (October 9^th)*
Manchester Ruby Lounge (October 11^th)*
London Dingwalls (October 12^th)*
Sheffield Plug (October 14^th)*
Glasgow King Tuts (October 15^th)*
Leeds Faversham (October 16^th)*
The Big Reunion, Skegness – w/The Courteeners and The Twang (November 20^th and 27^th)