BILLY THE KID ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM 'HORSESHOES & HAND GRENADES' OUT SEPTEMBER 2014 // SUMMER EUROPEAN TOUR WITH CHUCK RAGAN

Horseshoes and Hand Grenades artwork

Canadian songwriter and recent Xtra Mile addition Billy the Kid will release her fourth album Horseshoes & Hand Grenades in September 2014 through Xtra Mile Recordings on a worldwide release. It was produced by Frank Turner, who also plays on the record alongside The Sleeping Souls drummer Nigel Powell. Tracklisting is below and it can be pre-ordered here.

For more on the recording of the album, this exclusive video has interviews with Billy and Frank, and snippets of studio performances – check it out.

Billy is also set to tour UK and Europe in May and June with distinctive voice of the working man, and Hot Water Music frontman, Chuck Ragan. They will be joined by Northcote. All dates are listed below.

SUPPORTING CHUCK RAGAN IN UK AND EUROPE:

MAY
27 Nottingham, UK @ Rock City Basement
28 Bristol, UK @ Thekla
29 London, UK @ Garage
31 Erfurt, GER @ Centrum

JUN
01 Nürnberg, GER @ Hirsch
03 Aschaffenburg, GER @ Colos-saal
04 Munich, GER @ Theaterfabrik
05 Wien, AST @ Arena
06 Leipzig, GER @ Conne Island
07 Berlin, GER @ SO 36
09 TBC
10 Köln, GER @ Live Music Hall
12 Milan, ITA @ Live Forum Club
15 TBC
17 Osnabrück, GER @ Rosenhof
18 Dresden, GER @ Dresden @ Scheune w/Dave Hause & Northcote
19 Wiesbaden, GER @ Schlachthof w/ Dave Hause & Northcote
24 Brighton, UK @ The Haunt
25 Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
26 Leeds, UK @ Brudenell

Horseshoes & Hand Grenades showcases Billy's tender laments, tied up in beyond-her-years experience and the ever-present signature of hope. Recorded in London with bare bones arrangements, it allows Billy's natural storytelling and lithe voice to guide the listener through her world and her life.

Horseshoes & Hand Grenades tracklisting:

Photo by Dave Stewart

1. Phone Bills

2. Riverbank

3. The Satellites + 1

4. Science

5. The Quarry

6. This Sure As Hell Ain’t My Life

7. Chelsea Rose

8. Back To You

9. Virginia

10. Lord Let Me

11. Thoroughfare

12. Walkin’ Around Hotel Blues

13. Young + On Fire

Billy the Kid is a regular face on the North American underground touring circuit and a prolific writer with her band Billy & the Lost Boys and as a solo artist. In true DIY spirit, 2010 saw work begin on her début solo full-length album Ours. In addition to pre-orders and specialized bundles, Billy helped pay for the record by travelling across the continent to play fundraisers, anniversaries, birthday parties and private concerts as well as going camping, white water rafting and rock climbing with fans.

After three crowd-sourced albums and a failed business partnership in a recording studio, Billy was set on finishing the Van's Warped Acoustic Basement Tour 2013, and walking away from music altogether. But a chance day-off in Toronto resulted in meeting Frank Turner who was in town headlining Lee’s Palace venue. They got on, Frank invited her on stage for a Neil Young cover and a friendship was born. In the audience was Xtra Mile’s managing director Charlie Caplowe who instantly saw the promise in this home-grown star.

billythekidonline.com / Billy the Kid Facebook / @billypettinger

LARRY AND HIS FLASK TO PLAY LOWLANDS FESTIVAL + MAY EUROPEAN TOUR

Not content with trampling gleefully across Europe for almost the entire month of May, Larry And His Flask are now confirmed to tear up Lowlands Festival in The Netherlands with their bluegrass-pumped and riotous punk rock.

On 16 August, the Oregon five join The National, Queens of the Stone Age, Portishead, Skrillex, and many more for the three-day live music bonanza set in beautiful Biddinghuizen.

Photo by Karen Seifert

In what is looking to be their busiest year yet, they will be joined by label-mates Crazy Arm for a heap of European shows in May. Further summer dates are expected to be announced soon.

All confirmed dates are below:

MAY
01 Hamburg (DE) @ Pirate Satellite Festival 20
02 Meerhout (BE) @ Groezrock
03 Stuttgart (DE) @ Pirate Satellite Festival
04 Bamberg (DE) @ Freiraum *
07 London (UK) @ Borderline *
08 Southampton (UK) @ UNIT Club *
09 Newport (UK) @ Le Pub *
10 Harlow (UK) @ The Square *
11 Newcastle (UK) @ The Cluny 2 *
12 Manchester (UK) @ The Star & Garter *
13 Brighton (UK) @ Prince Albert *
16 Freiburg (DE) @ The Great Raeng Teng Teng
17 Timelkam (AT) @ GEI Musikclub
18 Vienna (AT) @ Teenage Riot Festival
20 Berlin (DE) @ Auster Club *
21 Kiel (DE) @ Schaubude *
22 Amsterdam (NL) @ Paradiso
23 Deventer (NL) @ Burgerweeshuis *
24 Leeuwarden (NL) @ Fries Straatfestival

AUGUST
16  Biddinghuizen (NL) @ A Campingflight To Lowlands Paradise

www.larryandhisflask.com

CHEAP GIRLS DEBUT NEW TRACK 'MAN IN QUESTION' // TOUR WITH THE HOLD STEADY

Michigan power pop trio Cheap Girls have shared a new track, ‘Man In Question’, off their upcoming fourth full-length Famous Graves.  Coinciding perfectly with the start of Cheap Girls' tour with The Hold Steady, 'Man In Question' also features guest vocals from Craig Finn.

Listen to 'Man In Question' which is getting its premier at Paste.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/av/2014/04/song-premiere-cheap-girls---man-in-question.html

Famous Graves is slated for a 12 May 2014 release via Xtra Mile Recordings, and will be the label's first worldwide release. Digital pre-order for Famous Graves is now available.

BrooklynVegan recently shared exclusive photos from the album's recording sessions and spoke with singer/bassist Ian Graham about the new record, label and what 2014 has in-store for Cheap Girls. Read the interview and check out the photos.
 
If you haven't heard Cheap Girls yet, there's an excellent chance they're your favourite band's favourite band. Tapped to tour with everyone from The Gaslight Anthem to their recently completed run of dates with Against Me! and their tour with The Hold Steady that begins today, it's apparent that Cheap Girls fans carry some serious clout.

Tour Dates with The Hold Steady:

APRIL
07 Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
08 Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom 
09 Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre 
11 Albany, NY @ Hollow
12 Pawtucket, RI @ Met Cafe

http://cheapgirls.net

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH 'ONLY RUN' OUT 2 JUNE // FIRST TRACK 'COMING DOWN' FEATURING MATT BERNINGER OF THE NATIONAL

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have announced the release of their new record, Only Run, on 2 June. Earlier today, Pitchfork revealed the premier of first track, 'Coming Down'. You can also listen to the track on Soundcloud.

Only Run, like the band’s first three records, will be marketed and distributed directly and independently by them in North America and Japan, whilst the band have teamed up with Xtra Mile Recordings for the release worldwide.

You can preorder the album here: http://smarturl.it/Only-Run

Only Run artwork

While this ethos initially struck a chord with fans when the band started, it was always truly an extension of lead singer/songwriter Alec Ounsworth’s core belief: “The general rule is to be appreciative of your audience,” he recently told Fast Company magazine.” So now, 10 years after the starting the band, while much has changed for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, many things aren’t so different. For instance, Ounsworth has spent all of 2014 thus far crisscrossing the United States playing living room shows. He still needs that direct connection with fans; it validates his vision of how art should work and confirms his belief in the music. He will be bring the Living Room Shows over to London and other major cities throughout the UK and Europe in May. Full details to be announced.

Photo by Matt Barrick

Before taking to the road, Ounsworth poured himself into the making of 'Only Run'. Like the band’s fateful first album, it’s an artist’s singular vision. Once again, Ounsworth crafted the songs himself before bringing them to the studio for completion and the album is further proof that CYHSY thrives because of a strong sense of identity. Fostered from his love of uncompromising songwriters (e.g. John Cale, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Tom Waits), Ounsworth believes in an artist’s creative control. Only Run aims to loosely document Ounsworth’s observations of his life in music over the last 10 years.  “Lately, I’ve been assaulted by news, both distant and near, that suggests a certain sense of frustration,” he says. “But Clap Your Hands Say Yeah—the entire concept of the band, the name itself—is about balancing optimism in the face of overwhelming odds.  I’m coming around to this myself -- finding that renewed sense of optimism.”

cyhsy.com / @cyhsyband / facebook.com/clapyourhandssayyeah

NORTHCOTE ANNOUNCE EUROPEAN TOUR WITH CHUCK RAGAN // FIRST CLIP OF 'THE LOWVILLE SESSIONS'

Northcote – AKA Canadian songwriter Matt Goud – has announced extensive European touring plans with Chuck Ragan.

Following the huge run of gigs Matt did with Dave Hause across the UK and Europe late last year, Matt joins the shrapnel-throated Hot Water Music vocalist Chuck Ragan for his 'Overseas Till Midnight' tour. They'll take in a string of German and UK dates in May/June, with brief Italian and Austrian stops along the way. Northcote will dip into last year's self-titled album, released by Xtra Mile Recordings, for eloquent blasts of refined yet raw Americana. All dates are below.

To whet the appetite, Northcote has also unveiled the first instalment of 'The Lowville Sessions' live set with this performance of 'Drive Me Home'. Further episodes of this beautifully filmed session will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Northcote - "Drive Me Home" Buy "Northcote" on iTunes: http://itunes.com/northcote The Lowville Sessions is a 6-part performance EPK series featuring songs from Northcote's self-titled album. All audio is live off the floor.

Chuck Ragan - Overseas Till Midnight 2014 with Special Guest Northcote

MAY
27 Nottingham, UK @ Rock City Basement
28 Bristol, UK @ Thekla
29 London, UK @ The Garage
30 Hunxe, Germany @ Ruhrpott Rodeo Festival
31 Erfurt, Germany @ Centrum

JUNE
01  Nurnberg, Germany @ Hirsch
03 Aschaffenburg, Germany @ Colos-saal
04 Munich, Germany @ Theaterfabrik
05 Wien, Austria @ Arena
06 Leipzig, Germany @ Conne Island
07 Berlin, Germany @ SO36
10 Cologne, Germany @ Live Music Hall
12 Milan, Italy @ Live Forum
14 Saarwellingen, Germany @ RockCamp Festival
18 Dresden, Germany @ Scheune *
19 Wiesbaden, Germany @ Schachthof *
24 Brighton, UK @ The Haunt
25 Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
26 Leeds, UK @ Brudenell
* w/Dave Hause

northcotemusic.com / xtramilerecordings.com

AGAINST ME! NEW SINGLE 'UNCONDITIONAL LOVE' OUT 26 MAY // DOWNLOAD ANNOUNCEMENT // FULL ACOUSTIC SET BY LAURA JANE GRACE

Against Me! unleash the incredible new single ‘Unconditional Love’ on 7” picture disc on 26 May and digitally on 9 June. The single will be backed by the beautiful brand new track ‘500 Years’.

This single coincides with the band’s welcome return to the UK at this year’s Download Festival. They join the line-up on the Pepsi Max Stage on Sunday, 15 June. The band have also announced their slot at Hellfest on Saturday, 21 June.

Full European dates are as follows: 

MAY
31   Germany @ Huenxe, Ruhrpott Rodeo

JUNE
1     Belgium @ Aarschot, JH Klinker
3    Czech Republic @ Prague, Lucerna Music Bar
4    Germany @ Hamburg, Knust
5    Germany @ Berlin, Lido
6    Germany @ Dresden, Beatpol
8-9 Germany @ Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park
10   Austria @ Vienna, Arena
11    Austria @ Dornbirn, Conrad Sohm
12   Switzerland @ Bern, Reitschule
13   Luxembourg @ Den Atelier
14   The Netherlands @ Ysselsteyn, Jera On Air Festival
15   UK @ Donington, Download Festival
17    Spain @ Madrid, Sala Riviera (with Bad Religion)
18    Spain @ Barcelona, Sala Razzmatazz (with Bad Religion)
19    Spain @ Vitoria Sala, Jimmy Jazz
21    France @ Clisson, Hellfest Festival

Last month, Laura Jane came over to Europe and stopped by Banquet Records for a packed out and emotional instore and signing. Queues snaked through the streets of Kingston, London and the wonderful folk at Punktastic were on hand to film the event. You can check out LJ's interview with them here, and feast your eyes on the full acoustic set below. Please enjoy.

Transgender Dysphoria Blues is out now!

Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! performed an exclusive set at Banquet Records. Punktastic was there to capture the entire intimate gig. Subscribe to the Punktastic YouTube channel for acoustic sessions, interviews and content from bands across the punk/hardcore/rock spectrum. http://pnkts.tc/13Fqxov Head to punktastic.com for the latest news, reviews and features on everything from AFI to Zebrahead.

againstme.net / @laurajanegrace