On their second album, ‘Almanac’, the duo explores denser arrangements and new sonic territory, from Saharan rhythms to Appalachian-inspired melodies, all delivered with stoic, wistful restraint. Named after those annual tomes which provide agricultural advice, chart weather patterns and astronomical phenomena, ‘Almanac’ likewise tracks the life and death of seasons, youth, love, and the cyclical nature of all things.

The album was recorded by Kevin McMahon (Swans, Real Estate) in a hundred year old barn in the Hudson River Valley of New York State during the transition from summer to fall. Producing with McMahon, Thomas expanded on the band’s demos, crafting layers of guitar, Rhodes piano, organ and harmonium.

‘Almanac’ was released January 22, 2013 on Captured Tracks.

HOOPLA BLUE

Playing to a pop aesthetic through an amalgam of noise, pop and hip-hop elements, Hoopla Blue exude their sound in violent yet dreamlike fashion. Inspired a little by Modest Mouse, David Attenborough, Nick Cave, Todd Solondz, My Bloody Valentine, Kurt Vonnegut, Kate Bush and a lot by the very peculiar cacophony of life on Earth, Hoopla Blue combine their unique song craft with affecting soundscapes to bring something new to the Birmingham music scene, and already have support slots with Wolf Alice, Stealing Sheep and Temples under their belt.

Debut track ‘Holy Ghost’ has already made an impressive mark having featured as Neu’s ‘Track of the Day’ and having been pumped out to thousands at Villa Park during a Premier League match.

“Thrilling enough to send chills down your spine” – Born Music Online

Following on from a spectacular year that saw the release of her critically acclaimed debut album Like I Used To and a string of sold out headline dates – including at London’s Heaven and Brixton Electric, Lucy Rose has announced a mammoth UK and Ireland tour for 2013.

First setting off in April to support the Counting Crows for their tour, Lucy will go on to play 24 headline dates in total, including her biggest headline gig so far at the Shepherds Bush Empire on Tuesday 14^th May.

Lucy’s next single, ‘Shiver’, the final to be taken from Like I Used To will be released on Monday 8^th April.

The announcement follows the recent release of the star’s second album Hotel California, a searing slab of 15 tracks of potent Cali hip-hop that nods towards the glory days of Dr.Dre and Snoop Dogg’s rule of the West Coast. His 2012 debut album Careless World: Rise Of The Kind debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 selling 61,000 copies in it’s first week and Tyga went on to completely sell out every date on his last UK tour and eventually land the #1 position on the US Billboard Hip-Hop and Rap charts, as well as busting his way onto the UK album chart.

His debut tour supporting Gym Class Heroes (featuring cousin Travie McCoy) in 2008 was the first time this Compton native had visited anywhere outside of Los Angeles, but upon entering the studio to record Hotel California he found himself returning as an international hip-hop star – food for thought and something which provided enough material and inspiration for Tyga to write the complete album in less than a month.

The album features a multitude of collaborations from iconic hip-hop stars including Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa and many more, with production coming from an A-list roster which features DJ Mustard [2 Chainz. Meek Mill], Cool & Dre, Jess Jackson [Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj], David D.A. Doman [Kids in the Hall, Ghostface Killah], The Olympicks [Birdman, Lil Wayne] and more, each bringing their own unique take and energy to every track on the record.

Not just content with a glittering hip-hop career Tyga has also turned his hand to fashion and, with his own line of high-street wear entitled Last Kings, plus a collaboration with Reebok on his own line of T-Raww Sneakers that sold out almost immediately on release, there are no signs that this King is ready to stop ruling any time soon – expect tickets for these dates to fly off the shelves at a similar rate.

Cole gained worldwide acclaim when her 2005 debut album, ‘The Way It Is’, and her subsequent two albums ‘Just Like You’ (2007) and ‘A Different Me’ (2008) all went platinum.  The star has also become a household name through the astronomical success of her 2 reality/documentary series ‘The Way It Is’ (BET 2006 – 2008) and ‘Family first’ (2012) just prior to the relelase of her fifth album ‘Woman to Woman’.

The single is taken from his forthcoming debut solo album, Love Undercover, which will be released on June 3rd.

The 11-track self-produced album was recorded in the autumn of 2012 at Parr St studios in Liverpool and the first taster from the record, Do It Again, was made available as a free download via his website, in late March.

“This is big, bold pop music of the highest order.” – Evening Standard

“One of the most startling makeovers in the history of pop music… you just can’t get these songs out of your head.” – Sunday Times

“Almost every one of the ten tracks is catchy and distinctive enough to become a hit.” – The Telegraph

“Huge choruses sang by women with something real to say makes for a powerful mix. Sure to get your heart beating faster.” – Daily Star

“It packs a real punch… hooky, histrionic choruses come on like narcotic rushes.” – The Observer

Tuesday 26^th February - Following a succession of glowing reviews and their highest Billboard chart position to date for their recently released sixth album ‘Heartthrob’, Tegan and Sara can now confirm details of their summer UK tour. The dates – listed as below – follow last year’s tour which included arena dates with The Killers as well as select headline shows. Tegan & Sara tickets go on-sale 9am on Friday 1^st March and are available from www.livenation.co.uk, www.ticketmaster.co.uk or www.gigsinscotland.com.

Featuring production from Greg Kurstin and Justin Meldal-Johnsen, ‘Heartthrob’ saw Tegan and Sara deliver a new exuberant and polished sound, and also represents the first album on which the duo co-wrote much of the material together (in the past, each twin would usually write songs independently of the other).

“No one will confuse this with any of our other records,” says Sara. “It’s got a bigger, bolder, happier sound.” Tegan is explicit about the supersized ambitions motivating the record: “I kept asking myself: Can I hear this in an arena? Can I hear this on a teenager’s iPod as they’re riding the bus to school?”

For all the superficial differences, though, ‘Heartthrob’ bears the true hallmarks of a Tegan and Sara record. The songs are terrific, full of lust and longing and regret, bouncing between the familiar poles of erotic rapture (‘Closer’) and post-breakup despondency (‘How Come You Don’t Want Me’). But the lyrics seem less confessional than usual, a little more universal and philosophical, as if Tegan and Sara are reflecting on the experience of passion rather than undergoing its ecstasies and torments in real time. For every urgent outburst, there’s a moment of calm reflection about past relationships – says Tom Perrotta, author (‘Little Children’, ‘Election’) and Tegan and Sara fan.

Tegan and Sara caught the attention of Neil Young’s manager Elliot Roberts after independently releasing their debut album ‘Under Feet Like Ours’ in 1999. Subsequently signed to Roberts’ Vapor Records label, the duo’s major breakthrough came with the 2004 album ‘So Jealous’. Subsequent releases have seen the pair backed by members of Death Cab For Cutie, Weezer, AFI, while they have toured with the likes of Neil Young, Paramore, The Black Keys and The Shins. They have also collaborated with superstar DJs including David Guetta and Tiesto.

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The Art Of Doing Nothing by Mark Owen will be released by Polydor on 10^th June. It is the singer/songwriter’s fourth solo album and most collaborative to date, and his first since Take That reunited in 2006. It is, says Owen, an album about each everyone’s “massively significant, tiny little speck life”.

The record fills the gap where Owen was supposed to be putting his feet up. When Take That finished their record-breaking Progress tour in 2011, they agreed to take a break for a year. Except, contrary to his new record’s title, Mark Owen isn’t very good at doing nothing. He had to be doing something. So he sat in his garden and did some sketches for an animation, then some painting. When Ben Mark and Jamie Norton, his long-time songwriting partners turned up, what he’s done for most of his life naturally became the focus. “I’ve been making songs for 20 years now and I don’t really know what else to do,” he says, “it’s my hobby and my day job all in one.” Gradually, the trio’s chats developed into a concept: The Art of Doing Nothing. It was a notion of creating by not forcing things, by just letting the moment take over.  “We didn’t think too hard about the songs,” says Mark. For the obsessive Owen, this was a new approach.

The result is Owen’s most free-spirited record yet, imbued with his own vulnerable, charismatic blueprint. It was recorded at The Rabbit Hutch, the studio located at the bottom of his garden. That sense of freedom is best captured in the expansive, swaggering pop swirls of first single ‘Stars’. It’s that rare thing; an intimate anthem, the sort, perhaps, that only someone who has spent most of his adult life playing stadiums could come up with. Others get to leave their mark too: the delicate orchestral swirl of S.A.D. features a mesmeric vocal from Salford chanteuse Ren Harvieu (“she had a beautiful energy, she was amazing,” remembers Mark), whilst Heaven’s Falling’s stomping synth-pop is bolstered by a frenetic appearance from London rapper Jake Emlyn. “It just pours out of him, he’s amazing, full of charisma and life,” says Owen. Extra production input from Charlie Russell and Brad Spence and Katie Halil’s illustration only add to the sense of The Art Of Doing Nothing’s collaborative ethic.

This approach also stretches out to a competition that Mark is launching with Talenthouse. Entrants will be able to submit a painting, illustration, photo, piece of writing or another form of their choosing to show what The Art Of Doing Nothing represents for them. “It feels better somewhere in my psyche to call it a project rather than a solo album, because so many people have contributed,” says Owen. The focus, though, is bound to be on him. And rightly so. At ease, and on a break, he’s made his best record yet.

After a year of universal critical acclaim – from Spin naming XXX Rap Album Of The Year to Danny covering the Metro Times and Real Detroit in the same week as their Artist Of The Year – Danny divided his time recording his debut full length LP, OLD, and appearing on tracks by the likes of A$AP Rocky, Ab-Soul, A-Trak & Purity Ring. 2013 will see the release of OLD as well as Danny’s headlining tour of the States and Europe. Make sure to catch him along the way…

Eskman
Guv
Evil B
Annix
Turno
Total Recall & Dialogue
Alpha
Magika
Darka & EXA
Marga
Toddlah
Gumsta
Sparttanz

Featuring live on stage:

• Charlie Sloth
• K-Koke & USG
• Rodney P & Skitz
• Blade Brown
• Black The Ripper
• Ja Ja Soze
• Mad Flow & Psykhomantus
• DJ Miss C Brown
• DJ Mega Stress
• Underworld featuring: Big V, Precha, Meeks, Mike GLC
• Compere: Mykal Million

Support from KLiQ and Esco Williams

‘Theatre Is Evil feels like sitting on the bed of your tattooed, far cooler cousin 30 years ago, while she tells you “all you need to know” about music’  – Guardian ****

‘A bombastic offering of forthright glam-pop and poignant piano-pushed desire’ – NME 7/10

‘A vivid splurge of new wave, glam-rock and showtunes, armed with lyrics as punchy and memorable as their melodies’  – Q ****

‘An extraordinary talent’ – Telegraph *****

Hot off the heels of delivering an epic TEDtalk that quickly rose to internet fame as the fastest viewed talk in TED history, and a string of events at SXSW 2013 that saw Amanda Palmer duet with longtime hero, Billy Bragg– Amanda and her raucous crew, The Grand Theft Orchestra, are thrilled to announce re-scheduled European tour dates for 2013 to make up for the previously cancelled bolt across the continent in March. As part of the European tour, Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra will play the following UK dates:

July 2013

Thursday 11^th Manchester The Ritz

Friday 12^th London Roundhouse

Saturday 13^th Brighton Concorde 2

Monday 15^th O2 Academy Bristol

Tuesday 16^th Birmingham The Institute

Tickets go on general sale on Friday 5^th April priced £17.50 (regionally) / £19.50 (London) (subject to booking fee) from www.ticketmaster.co.uk. All tickets purchased for the original March tour dates will remain valid for the rescheduled dates in each city.

With a handful of summer festivals thrown into the mix- all headlining dates find singer, songwriter, piano-slayer and super-blogger Amanda Palmer, and her band, continuing to promote her arguably most pop-influenced album yet, Theatre Is Evil. Tour-mates The Simple Pleasure and Jherek Bischoff are on board as main support acts in all markets.

The band released their first full-length album, ‘This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About’, on the Up label in 1996. With the release of their second album, The Lonesome Crowded West in 1997, the band’s status reached new heights with a legion of fans and critical acclaim. In 2000, Modest Mouse was signed to Epic Records and released their third album, The Moon & Antarctica. In 2004 came the release of their breakthrough album, Good News For People Who Love Bad News, which included the hit “Float On” and has sold over 1.5 million copies and earned the band two Grammy nominations

Modest Mouse released We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank, on March 20, 2007 and immediately entered the Billboard Top 200 chart at #1.  Most recently the band released the EP No One’s First, And You’re Next and also reissued Moon & Antartica on vinyl.

Now the four-piece are back with their much-anticipated sophomore album, Selfhood, due for release on 30th April 2013 via Rise Records. The new release expands on the explosive punk meets Brit pop anthems on No Gods, and showcases a more mature and solid live band.

The songs on Selfhood spotlight the band’s effortless knack for crafting raw punk rock anthems, sharp guitar-fueled melodies, and emotionally charged heart-felt lyrics – channeling their foremost influencer The Smiths more confidently than ever before. Clocking it an under 30 minutes and with just 10 tracks, Selfhood bleeds honesty, passion, and an insistent spirit of youthful wanderlust.

Links: Facebook | Twitter

BLEACH BLOOD

Born out of a bunch of songs written a bedroom somewhere in the vibrant warehousing district of London’s Manor House comes Bleach Blood. This is Jamie’s complied love of 70′s (post) punk, dance, electronica and pop music.

Along with the thundering beats of Invisible Frank, Charlie Elliot synthed up bass lines and touring guitarist Paul Mullen’s math psych guitars, expect honest songs about love, loss, escapism, friendship and whatever else falls out of their collective heads.

This is Bleach Blood… Pleased to meet you.

Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter

This event will feature some of the world’s most prominent and renowned DJ’s including German master and Space resident Martin Buttrich. A specially constructed outdoor terrace will host Space residents Camilo Farnco and Jonathan Ulysses, with UK House luminaries Danny Rampling, Jeremy Healy and Brandon Block residing in the stunning main amphitheatre.

The Ibiza carnival will recreate the special atmosphere of Ibiza. Each room will be extravagantly decorated to provide an authentic Ibizan experience.

Space visit Birmingham for the first time in a decade and Ibiza’s legendary brand will be showcasing world class DJ talents and genuine Ibiza production principles. Martin Buttritch of Desolate will be performing one of his show stopping live and Visionquests Dinky Playing a DJ Set with Live vocals. The Sun Terrace will see Ibiza Masters Jonathan Ulysses and Camilo Fanco.

Cream are renowned for global festivals, incredible Ibizan events as well a series of spectacular parties in Birmingham. This night will be focussed on Ibiza classics and headlined by Danny Rampling, Jeremy Healy And Brandon Block.

Mambo will be providing chilled sounds of the sunset as well as celebrating 18 years of impressive parties on the white isle. The room will be fully transformed to harmonize with the relaxed, grooves from DJ’s Andy Baxter and Danny Whitehead.

Last, but certainly not least, the UK’s wildest party Brothel returns with a feast of production, dancers, gimps and the very best house music.

The Ibiza Carnival will undoubtedly be the biggest summer clubbing event of 2013. Space, Cream, Mambo and Brothel will all be providing world class entertainment in one venue. Join the carnival spirit – tickets are available now!

Room One – The Institute
Cream Ibiza Classics

Danny Rampling
https://www.facebook.com/pages/DANNY-RAMPLING/59137992850
Jeremy Healy
https://www.facebook.com/JeremyHealy.DJ
Brandon Block
https://www.facebook.com/BloxboxTunes
Rue Jay
George Kafetis
Mike Catherall

Room Two – The Library
Space Ibiza On Tour

Martin Buttrich [Live]
Desolat Germany
https://www.facebook.com/martinbuttrich
Dinky [DJ + Live Vocals]

Visionquest

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dinky/34742128681
Smak Pony
Hess

[More To Be Added]

Room Three – The Sunset Teraza
Space Terrace

Camilo Franco
https://www.facebook.com/camilofrancomusic
Jonathan Ulysses
https://www.facebook.com/jonathanulysses
I Am Kojack
Ben Mackey
Tim Owen

Room Four – The Temple
Cafe Mambo

Andy Baxter
https://www.facebook.com/andybaxteribiza
Danny Whitehead
Andre Enzo
Steve Young
Matt Langson
Simon EK

Room Five – The Congregation
Brothel – Circus Maximus

Rue Jay
Alex Parkin
Pete Graham
Harry White
Rossco
Antonio Vendon

“A special band” Nylon

 “Their songs are ridiculously catchy…they’ll be heard everywhere this year.” The Guardian

“A Manchester band with a beautiful, sensitive swagger” Huw Stephens

Manchester art-pop quartet The 1975 have announced they will release their debut album on September 9th, through Dirty Hit/Polydor. Co-produced by Arctic Monkeys collaborator Mike Crossey, the album is set to cement their status as the breakthrough band of the year. Details of their self-titled album come with the announcement that the acclaimed four-piece have added more dates to their September UK tour and will headline O2 Academy Brixton and Manchester Academy in January 2014.

The band’s year so far has been as memorable as their ambition is high. They recently embarked on a support slot across Europe with Two Door Cinema Club, played a clutch of triumphant shows at SXSW and had a Top 20 hit with “Chocolate”. Their headline May tour is sold out, as are two shows at London’s O2 Shepherds Bush Empire and Manchester’s Ritz in September.

The 1975 have released three acclaimed EPs so far, “Facedown”, “Sex” and “Music For Cars” and their songs have had over 1.5 million plays on Soundcloud. Whilst “Chocolate” has been the crossover hit of the year so far (it was on the Radio 1 playlist for 8 consecutive weeks, reached the top slot on Hypemachine and its video has had over a million views on YouTube), new single “The City” – to be released on May 20^th – will take the group to even more searing heights. Introduced to the world as Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record, it’s a perfect snapshot of the band’s shape-shifting appeal.

Though they formed as a punk band whilst still at school, there’s no straitjacket to their current sound, which veers between brooding art rock, crisp electronica, dancefloor R&B, helium hip-hop, shimmering balladry and 80s gloss pop. “Our record will be everything that we are. It is the sum of our combined experiences,” says Healy. The band of the year are only just getting started.

http://the1975.com/

http://www.facebook.com/the1975

http://www.youtube.com/user/The1975music

“One of the most nuanced, soothing and adventurous albums of 2013” -NME 8/10

“Blake is a master of emotional speculation” -Pitchfork 8/10 

With a universally acclaimed sophomore album and sold-out UK tour already under his belt, April is proving to be a stellar month for James Blake. Now he bolsters this even further with the announcement of a new string of UK live dates for September, which will ensure the rest of 2013 continues to shine as brightly.

The follow-up to his Mercury-nominated eponymous debut, ‘Overgrown’ has drawn glowing reviews from across the board, already placing it as one of the best-received records of 2013. While the recent string of British shows sold out rapidly, the announcement of a further set of dates this Autumn will give fans another chance to witness the spine-tingling power of James’ live realisation of the album’s tracks when he performs at six cities across the country.

Mike Dignam, singer/songwriter from Preston wrote and recorded his debut album in 2008. Over the past four year he has been on an incredible journey; perfecting his craft and seeking inspiration. The journey has taken him from busking on the streets of London through to collaborations with international songwriters.

Often compared to successful artists such as James Morrison and Jason Mraz, Mike Dignam has built up a massive fan base and a huge online following.  He already has numerous releases to his name, each receiving critical acclaim.

2012 highlights include working with top industry songwriters Invisible Men and Steelworks, collaborating with The Mend and Janet Devlin and being honoured among the elite Hofner artists. Plans for 2013 include touring with Lawson, Lewis Watson, Gabrielle Aplin and Future Proof. He is also planning his own headline tour on the back of a new EP, being released in the middle of February.

VIP Tickets includes:

VIP Includes
Meet and Greet with Mike
Let in for sound check – exclusive performance from Mike and band.
Signed poster
Signed Polaroid picture of you and Mike
Follow on twitter from Mike
Group picture with all the other VIP’s that will be posted on Mike’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and website blog.

MADINA LAKE ANNOUNCES FINAL EP & FAREWELL TOUR

Madina Lake has officially announced plans for a final EP and a “Farewell UK Tour”.  Tentatively titled “Buena Fortuna”, the band is expecting a Fall release to coincide with the tour which kicks off in September.  Front man Nathan Leone says “It’s been a majestic run and we couldn’t be happier or more grateful for everything we’ve been able to accomplish as Madina Lake”.  He want on to add “that as sad as it is to be closing this chapter,  we’re much more excited to open the next one”.

“Buena Fortuna: marks the bands 5th release in almost 10 years together.  Debut LP, “From Them Through Us to You” introduced an ambitious trilogy concept which continued with 2009′s “Attics to Eden” and concluded with 2011′s  ”World War III”.  In 2012 Madina Lake released a book that spelled out the underlying storyline binding each record called “Lila the Divine Game”. After almost 5 years on the road, the Chicago based band was forced on haitus in 2010 when bassist Matthew Leone was nearly beaten to death intervening in a domestic dispute.  ”We’d toured relentlessly before Matthew’s incident and ever since, we decided to cut back dramatically to ensure his full recovery.”

In 2011, guitarist Mateo Camargo  briefly left the band for personal reasons but returned for 2012′s “Lila the Divine” tour in the UK. “Buena Fortuna” which translates to “good luck” in Italian promises to be an “elegant” finale to the band’s tenure and they plan to announce new endeavors shortly.

- TONIGHT ALIVE return to the UK and Ireland this September/October for their biggest UK/Ireland tour yet! 

Having spent the last year promoting their incredible debut album ‘What Are You So Scared Of?’ across the globe, Sydney natives TONIGHT ALIVE return to the UK and Ireland this September/Oct, with support from the incredible SET IT OFF and DECADE

After an eventful 12 months which has seen the band perform across the USA on the legendary Vans Warped Tour and as support to Pierce The Veil and Sleeping With Sirens, to the UK on their own sold-out headline run and as part of the prestigious Kerrang! Magazine Tour, to headline shows from Tokyo to Thailand via France, Germany, Holland, The Philippines, New Zealand and Hong Kong – the band now return to our shores in support of their brand new album (due Sept ’13)

Following their huge headline reunion show at the Indigo2 which sold out almost instantly, So Solid Crew have announced that they’re back for the last time EVER for an October 2013 date at the O2 Arena in London on  5^th October 2013, as well as revealing the new regional dates for their rescheduled April tour, the group’s first in 10 years.

With lead members of So Solid Crew reunited and performing on the tour, support comes from a very special UK all-star underbill to be announced in the near future that looks set to make this an unmissable event for any urban music fan. 

Hailed as the Kings and Queen of UK garage/hip hop and widely credited with paving the way as pioneers for today’s biggest hip hop crossover and breakthrough stars, So Solid’s first album ‘They Don’t Know’ was released in October 2001, going platinum in its first week of sales and making So Solid the only platinum selling urban act in the UK to this date. Combined, So Solid Crew have sold over 1 million units.

The collective from South London, whose hits include the now legendary #1 single ‘21 Seconds’, won ‘Best British Video’ 2002 at the BRIT Awards and went on to demolish every award show they were nominated in, including the MOBOS, Smash Hits and the PRS Awards.

Coming from humble beginnings performing two hour long freestyle sessions on pirate radio stations Supreme and Delight FM, expect a slick, no nonsense performance from these UK veterans. Returning to the live circuit once more the ‘Crew breach the ‘Broken Silence’ to give So Solid fans what they’ve been craving for the last decade.

*Rescheduled dates from cancelled April tour, all original tickets remain valid.

The talented singer/songwriter spent that year a special guest on the sold-out Overtones UK tour, playing at prestigious venues including the London Palladium and performing to some 40,000 people. His album Brighter Day wound its way in the Top 10 singer/songwriter albums on iTunes and his fan base continues to grow each day thanks to radio support from more than 40 stations. He was also the subject of a Channel 4 TV documentary, and topped it off with a mammoth tour of over 70 Caffe Nero outlets nationwide.

In the summer of 2012, Sam has shifted to a more soulful sound. His single, ‘This Girl’ released in August, doffed its cap to classic Motown, blue-eyed soul and general good-time intelligent pop. With over a quarter of a million YouTube views, it seems the general public is loving his slight bend in musical direction. And there’s more to come. Think Otis Redding meets the more ballad-driven strains of Elvis Costello with a dash of the Style Council and you’re getting there.

Born and raised in Hull, Sam grew up playing in bands on Humberside before slowly gravitating across the M62 to Manchester, which remains his base to this day. Whilst in Manchester he was discovered by legendary drummer Steve White (Paul Weller, The Who, Oasis) who became his manager, producer and general overseer. White, along with his team secured Sam a publishing deal with Notting Hill Music and a recording contract with the Transmission Recordings label. He also got Sam in the studio with highly sought after producer, Brendan Lynch (Weller as well as Primal Scream and Ocean Colour Scene).

As well as performing and generally playing a star-in-waiting, Sam is also an accomplished writer having crafted tunes for The Voice and Hollyoaks star Abi Phillips. At the time of writing he is very much a songwriter in demand.

Sam has just finished touring with pop-giant Peter Andre on his ‘Up Close and Personal’ tour which began in mid-November and spanned over 30 dates nationwide.

Too Much Of A Good Thing was released on 4 February 2013 and followed by a single ‘One Night Stand’ on 10 February. Like ‘This Girl’, the album has definite echoes of Motown and soul, kicked through with modern textures and a contemporary feel. His recent performance on BBC Breakfast catapulted his album to #12 in the iTunes album chart. With a few exciting announcements to come and his new single ‘Hand me a Ticket’ coming out on the 24 March, 2013 looks to be a fantastic year to be Sam Gray!

Take a musical trip from Memphis to Mumbai with the band that has given lovers of Soul & Bollywood music a brand new groove.

Imagine a legendary ‘60’s Soul band playing Bollywood music… that’s Botown!

After hitting the #1 spot on BBC Asian Network’s chart with their first single, ‘Roop Tera’, Botown return to The Jazz Café with their exhilarating their global mash.

Dubbed as Bollywood’s answer to Sly & The Family Stone – this ultra funky, multi-cultural music revue is one big feel-good musical party where the audience can’t help but groove along with the band.

This innovative and dynamic band brings a fresh and vibrant approach to traditional Indian music, which transcends language and culture. Blending elements of Soul, Blues, Jazz and Reggae they serve up retro-reboots of well-known Bollywood anthems. Expect to hear a blend of music from Ray Charles, James Brown and Aretha Franklin with melodies from Bollywood greats like RD Burman, Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle.

Catch the chart topping, retro-funkin’, roof-raising, dhuck dhuckin, genre creating, Bollywood Soul lovin’,… BOTOWN and discover a whole new world of music.

“If you like ’60′s soul or Bollywood you will LOVE Botown “

THE TIMES

“Soulful…playful fusion”

EVENING STANDARD

“Botown have taken a bunch of Bollywood’s best-loved anthems and given them the ‘Shaft’ treatment”

Laura’s new single, ‘That’s Alright’released on 5th May is taken from her first album,’Sing to the Moon’, which debuted in the top 10 official UK album chart when released in March.

Laura has had an incredible start to the year – having just finished touring with Jessie Ware and making her mark at SXSW, she’s due to start her own sold-out regional tour in April and support Paloma Faith in June – not bad for a former supply teacher from Birmingham.

Since announcing the release of her debut EP, ‘She’ back in November last year, Laura has been picking up critical acclaim and support from some of the biggest tastemakers out there. Laura’s unique sound has wowed critics, helping to make her one of the names on everyone’s lips in 2013 and has led to her being described as “The voice of 2013” by The Evening Standard and her album hailed as “a masterpiece” by The Sunday Times Culture.

The classically trained, singer-songwriter’s music fuses orchestral soul with velvety harmonies and emotional vocals giving nods to Nina Simone, George Gershwin and Björk amongst others. A graduate from the Birmingham Conservatoire with a degree in composition, the 26-year-old is a unique collision of her Caribbean background and classical music.

Laura started writing songs on her laptop while working as a supply teacher in a Birmingham secondary school. Now, with some incredible live performances and a praised album under her belt, 2013 is shaping up to be an incredible year for her.  Laura was nominated for the 2013 BRITs Critics‘ Choice award and ranked highly in fourth place for the BBC Sound of 2013.

As one of the most exciting new musical talents to come out of the UK, this young lady deserves every bit of attention that she gets. As Clash magazine say, “Beautiful in voice and soul, lift your eyes skyward and watch this girl soar”.

The ‘Revue were formed in 2007 by Jim Jones and Rupert Orton on a mission to strip rock’n’roll right back to the bone. They enlisted three other London hoodlums, Elliot Mortimer, Nick Jones and Gavin Jay and together they became The Jim Jones Revue.

The JJR released their debut self titled album in September 2008 to critical acclaim and followed it up with “Here To Save Your Soul” , a collection of the JJR’s singles released in October 2009.

Live The JJR are an astonishing live phenomenon and have relentlessly toured across Europe in the last twelve months alone they have playing shows & festival in the UK, France, Spain, Holland, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Portugal, Slovenia, Ireland, Belgium, Norway & Bulgaria.

Among the JJR fan base, more well known converts include Jack White (White Stripes, The Raconteurs & The Dead Weather), Chris Robinson (Black Crowes), Mick Jones (The Clash, Big Audio Dynamite & Carbon Silicon), Steve Lamacq (BBC Radio),Tony James (Generation X, Sigue Sigue Sputnik & Carbon Silicon), March Riley (BBC Radio), Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream),Mark Lamarr (BBC Radio), Noel Gallagher (Oasis), Jim Scalvunos (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds & Grinderman), Jon Spencer (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion & Heavy Trash), Bob Harris (BBC Radio 2) and Gem Archer (Oasis).

“Second album of glorious devil-running-through-their-grooves rock’n’roll”

-4 Stars, Mojo

“This is no-holds-barred rock n roll in its rudest, most thrilling state” 

-8/10 Classic Rock

“Good Lord, do they rock” 

-5 Stars Artrocker

Over the course of a decade, the band has gained an incredible international reputation, and has established themselves as one of Australia’s most unique musical exports.

With an outstanding new record and a live show to match, 2013 is set be another great year for The Cat Empire.  “When we started out,” says The Cat Empire vocalist and trumpeter Harry Angus, “we were jazz musicians, but we wanted to play music that spoke to the whole world. I think with this record we’ve really come full circle, and we’re really embracing that concept again.”

The band’s first single from the new album, “Brighter Than Gold,” is already a crowd favourite, with high rotation on Triple J in Australia, “Mega Hit” status on 3FM in the Netherlands, heat building on it at radio in Germany and Belgium, and dipping into the Dutch iTunes chart in the top #20, peaking at #17 just two weeks after release. 

“Brighter Than Gold” hints at great things to come on the new album, “Steal The Light”, the bands first worldwide independent release. It arrives ten years after they crashed onto the recording scene with a self-titled debut album that was gold in Australia within weeks, platinum two months later, and double platinum a year on from that.  Followed by a No. 1 chart entry for the sophomore album Two Shoes in 2005, and 2 more award winning albums after that, there is every indication that THE CAT EMPIRE have no intention of slowing down.

The Steal the Light World Tour goes on sale April 26.  Dancing shoes essential.

An obsessive student of pop music, Tich’s debut single ‘Dumb’ shows her unmistakeable way with a catchy melody and lyrics that feel like intimate diary entries as much as singalong choruses.

Speaking about her October tour, Tich said: “‘I’ve always dreamt of my own tour. Being able to perform for the TichFam at my own headline tour is going to be the most special thing I’ve ever done!’”

Only 19 now, Tich has toured since she was 13, and had a publishing deal since she was 16. Maintaining an almost constant, two-way dialogue on Twitter, Skype and Facebook with her fans, this is sure to be a long-awaited tour for Tich’s already sizeable fanbase.

The 19-year-old internet sensation will embark on her 7th headline UK tour this November, taking her mesmerising voice across the length and breadth of the country. Gabrielle is no stranger to gigging. Having already played to sold-out audiences on multiple sold-out headline UK tours, she appeared at several festivals across last summer, including Glastonbury and Secret Garden Party, and recently supported Ed Sheeran, Charlie Simpson and Gotye, on their respective Australian, UK and European tours.

Following the release of her previous 4 EPs Acoustic, Never Fade, Home and Please Don’t Say You Love Me – the latter having reached Number 1 in the iTunes Chart – and her aforementioned jaw-dropping Frankie Goes to Hollywood cover, Gabrielle returns with news of her much anticipated debut album, English Rain, set for release on 13th May 2013.

Gabrielle Aplin’s debut album English Rain is available for pre-order now.

“This is as close to perfect as anything you’ll hear … Her voice is more fragile than a china doll and has more soul than Adele”- MTV

The stunning album artwork is by the visionary artist Paul Laffoley. Comissioned by the band, the dense piece encompasses history, architecture, science, philosophy, religion, and transcendent spirituality, all themes explored by Crystal Fighters on this new album.

‘Cave Rave’ was written in the Basque hills, a region that has been integral to Crystal Fighters’ sound and that inspired their first album ‘Star Of Love’. Crystal Fighters then decamped to Los Angeles and recorded the album with Grammy nominated producer Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck/Air/M83/Paramore).

Crystal Fighters have established themselves as one of the UK’s most exciting live acts and they’ll be embarking on a world tour in 2013, including Birmingham’s The Institute on Sat 30th November 2013. Most of their shows in May have already sold out with their London show at Koko selling out a full six months in advance, so we recommend getting your tickets early!