Every Chinese New Year since 2006, F**ked Up have released a 12″ single inspired by the beasts of the Chinese Zodiac, the latest of these singles being Year Of The Tiger, out on February 6th. Ahead of next weeks release we’re sharing the four existing Zodiac singles via a widget on the Matablog, and will be adding Year Of The Tiger upon its release.

Clocking in between 10 and 20 minutes apiece, Fucked Up‘s Zodiac singles contain some of their most ambitious work, along with numerous and surprising guest musicians, ranging from Zola Jesus and a Toronto string quartet on Year Of The Ox to Jim Jarmusch and Austra’s Katie Stelmanis on Year of the Tiger.

With his Leicester Square Theatre show having sold-out in less than 24 hours, there’s plenty of excitement building around the release of M Ward’s new album, ‘A Wasteland Companion’, in early April on Bella Union records. Ahead of the release M Ward has just unveiled the video to ‘The First Time I Ran Away‘, one of the album’s many stunning tracks. Directed by Joel Trussell this haunting animated work brilliantly captures the beauty of the song. Click on the link below to check it out, and feel free to share or repost.

Upcoming UK live dates below:

March: 20th – London – Leicester Square Theatre (Sold out!), 25th – London – Royal Albert Hall (with Feist), 26th – Manchester – Apollo (with Feist), 27th – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (with Feist).

David’s Lyre have announced the release of their debut album ‘Picture Of Our Youth’ on a pay-what you-want basis exclusively from Bandcamp. The album will be available from February 20th and will be the only offering from singer/writer/producer Paul Dixon’s latest project. Working with the critically acclaimed ‘In Arms’ EP producer, Luke Smith (Foals, Slow Club), as well as calling upon the up and coming Tom Fuller (Patrick Wolf), Dixon co-produced throughout. Mixed by Gareth Jones (Grizzly Bear, These New Puritans), ‘Picture Of Our Youth’ was recorded over a 12 month period in London.

In a statement to fans posted on Friday, Paul wrote: “David’s Lyre began a little over 2 years ago. I signed a record deal with a Major label 6 months after starting the project, and this relationship ended just before Christmas 2011. When we first signed we had hoped that the album would be out Summer 2011 but for various reasons, as you know, this didn’t happen.”

Back in November Alpines revealed the first in a series of collaborative tracks, along with Maya Jane Coles the band took on Carly Simon’s classic ‘Why‘. We now have the second track available, an original production working  alongside Dark Sky for the track ‘Tremors‘.

Listen to Alpines + Dark Sky – ‘Tremors’:

After a chart topping year in 2011 where Oliver $’s – Doin’ Ya Thang track on Jesse Rose’s Play It Down label was No.1 charted track on Beatport 2011 plus was No.1 charted track of all time on Resident Advisor, we were over the moon when Gene & Oliver chose loungin’ recordings as the home for the Chubby Dubz album project.

Chubby Dubz background and origins combine all manors of influences, as Oliver is native to Germany and Gene to the US. With this chemistry comes a fusion of minds that produces great house music with enough musical soul to have real longevity whilst still keeping the dance floors moving in the best clubs throughout the world. With releases on labels such as Om Records, Appeal Music and Undertones their unique style of house is enjoying great success throughout the world as all the major heads in house music are revelling in deep house currently. The result of this is that the music of Chubby Dubz is being widely championed by everyone from Ricardo Vilalobos, Baby Ford, DJ Rolando and Doc Martin to name a few.

The Album Sampler #1 is as the name suggests the first release of 4 from the self titled Chubby Dubz album due out on loungin’ later this year. All the 12”s will feature full length versions of the album tracks crafted especially for the dancefloor plus remixes by key players from the loungin’ fold plus some very special guests! Keep your ears to the ground for more info…

Following on from the success of ‘Inside Out’ in 2011, Shake Aletti have been busying themselves over the winter months creating their much anticipated debut album for release later in 2012.

To show everyone what the guys are up too, here’s their new single ‘Lights & Sparks’ that they’re giving away completely free from their Facebook page!

The song conjures images of nights out, the hustle and bustle of the metropolis and the quest for fun. It’s an analogue sound-journey through bars and clubs, dancing to the beat of the city.

San Franciscoʼs Still Flyinʼ spent 2011 hard at work writing their sophomore album and here’s the first of the results courtesy of a free download ‘Cleat Talking’. The song evokes great nights spent with great friends and is a perfect introduction to Still Flyin’s forthcoming second album. ‘On A Bedroom Wall’ is set for release on on 21st May in the UK through new label Highline Records.

With a catchy blend of minimal percussion, sing-along choruses and a heavy dose of feelgood that youʼve come to expect from Still Flyinʼ, ‘Cleat Talking’ proclaims that you donʼt have to be the smartest guy in the world to have a good time.

German legends, and pioneers of the Digital Hardcore sound, Atari Teenage Riot will be playing their first UK show of 2012 at a special Energy Sessions hosted by Artrocker, at The Garage, sponsored by Relentless Energy Drink on February 29^th 2012.

The band’s ferocious mix of hardcore punk, pounding techno and hip-hop made them alternative legends in the nineties and since their reunion in 2009 they have continued to rage against the machine. 2011 saw the release of ‘Is This Hyperreal?’ the band’s first full album of new material in twelve years, and a true return to form as the band laid waste to the world on an acclaimed international tour. Expect a night of righteous noise and some of the most passionate music around. The band plough through their 20 year back catalogue to create an intense audio experience that is not to be missed.

To celebrate the release of their debut album ‘Illuminated People’ last week, Islet are delighted to announce their first live tour for 2012, bringing their incredible live show across the UK throughout May and June

Live they already have a burgeoning reputation. Spending the summer of 2011 playing festivals including Primavera, Leeds & Reading and Bestival, they beguiled onlookers with ritualistic chants, sometimes delivered away from the song being played on stage; at other times they were seen meandering off into the crowd. In person as in music, they seek to break down walls.

Tour dates:

May: 25 // Liverpool, Kazimier, 26 // Glasgow, Captains Rest, 27 // Newcastle, Cluny 2, 28 // Leeds, Brudenell Social Club, 29 // Sheffield, The Harley, 30 // London, Cargo, 31 // Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach.

JUNE //

1 // BIRMINGHAM, Rainbow

Oxford’s Fixers return with ‘Iron Deer Dream’, their first release of 2012, the year their musical visions will cement their reputation.

‘Iron Deer Dream’ features chiming guitars, soaring melodies, five part harmonies and lush production that sees the track fly. Fixers are a band with their gaze firmly on the stars, looking beyond the usual musical confines, searching for something much bigger. They aim to make music in their own musical world, where creativity rules. 

Live dates w/ Kaiser Chiefs
February: 2nd Derby Assembly Rooms, 14th Newcastle Academy , 15th Grimsby Auditorium, 18th Manchester Academy, 19th Folkstone Leas Cliff Hall, 21st Portsmouth Guildhall, 22nd Bristol Colston Halls, 23rd London Hammersmith Apollo.

Headline tour:
May: 11th Joiners, Southampton, 12th Cavern, Exeter, 14th Buffalo Bar, Cardiff, 15th Thekla, Bristol, 17th 02 Academy 2, Oxford, 18th Institute, Birmingham, 21st King Tuts, Glasgow, 22nd Cluny, Newcastle, 23rd Brundell Social Club, Leeds, 25th Aunt Annies,Belfast, 26th Whelans, Dublin, 27th Deaf Institute, Manchester, 28th Bodega, Nottingham, 30th Scala, London, 31st Arts Centre, Norwich, 1st Leadmill, Sheffield.