OXYGEN THIEF NEW ALBUM 'THE HALF-LIFE OF FACTS' OUT 16 JUNE 2014

Oxygen Thief has announced the release of his debut long play chunk of ferocity entitled The Half-Life of Facts out 16th June 2014 through Xtra Mile Recordings. You can pre-order it on CD or download here or via iTunes here.

Following last year's mini-album Accidents Don't Happen, They Are Caused and March's five-track acoustic EP One Day This Will All Be Fields – three tracks of which get the gargantuan rock makeover here - Barry Dolan's first full-length full band, full throttle album is tight, unplugged songwriting as interpreted by demolition machinery. And new track 'Co(extra)ordinates' more then demonstrates this.

The Half-Life of Facts is twelve tracks of full-band flamethrower wit and wry cacophony, blanched in Barry Dolan's melodic suss and staccato delivery. Wordplay parries aggression and searing distortion fences with on-the-dime fits and starts, and the pace is one of hot pursuit. Barry's solo songs are fully realised with volume that competes with his vocal delivery and a studio polish that still refuses to sandpaper any rough edges.

From the maudlin acoustic tease of 'The Incredible Sulk', which combusts with complexity and anthemic glide, to the churning bombast of 'Lock Ness Monster Truck', The Half-Life of Facts douses the word 'potential' in petrol and sets it alight.

Tracklisting for The Half-Life of Facts:

1. The Incredible Sulk
2. Trial & Improvement
3. Too Many Trees
4. Hubristolian
5. Crowbars Up!
6. Vectors
7. Co(extra)ordinates
8. Self-Righting Mechanism
9.Con.script.shun
10. It's Life Jim, But Not As We Know It
11. Loch Ness Monster Truck
12. Bench Press Your I.Q.

Catch Oxygen Thief live supporting InMe in May 2014. Dates are below:

MAY
09 Southampton @ Talking Heads
10 Plymouth @ White Rabbit
11 Bristol @ The Fleece
12 Birmingham @ The Flapper
13 Nottingham @ Rock City
14 Glasgow @ Audio
15 Sheffield @ Corporation
16 Manchester @ Sound Control
17 London @ Islington Academy

@oxygenthiefyeah / www.facebook.com/oxygenthief666 / www.oxygenthiefmusic.com

www.xtramilerecordings.com / www.facebook.com/xtramilerecordings / @xtra_mile

ALGIERS RELEASE NEW SINGLE 'MILES AND MILES' OUT 9 JUNE 2014 // VIDEO GETS VEVO PREMIERE

Algiers are releasing 'Miles and Miles', their second single from debut album You're The Captain, on 9 June 2014. Released digitally, the single is backed with the brand new track ‘Dirty Monsters’.

Plucked from a record full of indelible melodic crescendos, 'Miles and Miles' represents the apex of their guitar-drums-vocals simplicity. Guitarist William K J Anderson and drummer John W Goodwin's voices soar over the glorious chiming racket, almost an uplifting herald for the summer with a tinge of regret for the end of spring.

A video accompanies the single -  nostalgic slow-motion training action in tasteful black and white – which is premièred on VEVO here.

Music video by Algiers performing Algiers - Miles & Miles of Rosary Beads.

Algiers are also embarking on a short but sturdy Scottish tour. Go see them:

MAY
28 Dundee @ Non Zeros
29 Glasgow @ 13th Note
30 Aberdeen @ Cellar 35
31 Arbroath @ TBA

Algiers started following a chance meeting in a bar. After realising who one another was, and big fans of the others' previous band - The Maple State (Goodwin) and Dartz! (Anderson) - one rehearsal together turned into four months of collaboration. A musical bond and partnership was born.

Not knowing any bass players who would fit, they settled on being a two-piece and with a common ground in their fondness for indie-rock bands such as Death Cab for Cutie, American Football, The Weakerthans and The Walkmen, they set about writing songs, focusing on standard pop-song formulas; relying more on melody and simpler structures than their previous bands. The result is a sound that’s both heady and visceral. A sound that feels weightless and timeless with wandering guitars and heart-on-sleeve vocals.

“‘Four Priests’…an indie-pop gem if there ever was one. Algiers are definitely one to watch.” Punktastic

facebook.com/wearealgiers / @wearealgiers

BEANS ON TOAST - 'THE NEXT ALBUM TOUR 2014' WINTER UK DATES

Drunk folk singer, barefoot troubadour and cult legend Beans on Toast has been around the block more times than he cares to remember. Thankfully though, with his unique blend of simple songs and no holds barred quick wit, he is an act that is anything but tired.

Photo by Hill and Aubrey.

With a fresh spring in his step after an incredible start to the year, which saw him conquer his first American headline tour, play a series of shows with Flogging Molly in the US and perform to over 40,000 people in just one week whilst opening Frank Turner’s UK Arena tour in February, Beans On Toast will be heading back onto the UK live circuit for 16 dates across the country ending with his biggest headline show to date at Electric Ballroom, Camden. 

Marking the release of his sixth studio album with Xtra Mile Recordings, as is tradition on his 1st December birthday, ‘The Next Album Tour 2014’ will be an unforgettable experience as the singer, storyteller and guitar player’s self-deprecating nature goes a long way to break down the barriers between musician and audience, creating a real sense of equality. 

With digital single ‘Keep You’ added to the XFM Evening Playlist at the start of the year, a ‘Best of Toast Pressed on Vinyl’ flying off the shelves for Record Store Day and his busiest upcoming festival season yet, anything is now possible for this unmissable performer.

Tickets will go on sale Friday 9th May at 9am via www.beansontoastmusic.com. Dates are listed below, or on a lovely poster, if you prefer, just below that.

NOVEMBER
20 Aberdeen @ The Lemon Tree
21 Glasgow @ Nice N Sleazy
22 Edinburgh @ Voodoo Room
24 Newcastle @ The Cluny
25 Hull @ Fruit
26 Leeds @ Brudenell Social Club
27 Manchester @ The Ruby Lounge
28 Liverpool @ The Shipping Forecast
29 Nottingham @ Rescue Rooms

DECEMBER
03 Birmingham @ Hare & Hounds
04 Cambridge @ Junction 2
05 Bristol @ The Fleece
06 Exeter @ The Phoenix
09 Portsmouth @ Wedgewood Rooms
10 Brighton @ The Haunt
11 London @ Electric Ballroom

“One of the most controversial acts in the whole festival. But behind the humour there are serious political messages of equality and general respect for one another.” CLASH 

“His modern take on traditional folk music is clever, heart warming and keeps me coming back for more.” RUCKUS            

“Spontaneity and tongue in cheeky impertinence produce a joyous feel and a wonderful thing called fun!” AMERICANA UK

beansontoastmusic.com / facebook.com/beansontoastmusic / youtube.com/beansontoasttube
@beanstoast

CRAZY ARM MAY 2014 UK AND EUROPEAN TOUR WITH LARRY AND HIS FLASK

Devon roots-punks, Crazy Arm, head out on tour with Oregon punk-grass quintet, Larry & His Flask, this month, taking in UK and mainland Europe dates with a couple of headliners for good measure.

The tour starts at Groezrock festival in Belgium - one of the major punk festivals of the year - comes back to the UK for a week and then heads across to the mainland again for a final fling with the Flask.

The band will be doing combo shows, combining the acoustic-roots songs from their latest album, The Southern Wild, with their trademark Bad-Religion-meets-Baroness-meets-Wovenhand-meets-Jethro-Tull rock onslaught.

All Crazy Arm dates are below.

MAY

03 Meerhout, Belgium @ Groezrock Festival
04 Bamberg, Germany @ Freiraum
07 London, UK @ The Borderline
08 Southampton, UK @ Unit
09 Newport, UK @ Le Pub
10 Harlow, UK @ The Square
11 Newcastle, UK @ Cluny 2
12 Manchester, UK @ Star & Garter
13 Brighton, UK @ Prince Albert
18 Leuven, Belgium @ Sojo (without LAHF)
20 Berlin, Germany @ Auster Club
21  Kiel, Germany @ Schaubude
22 Osnabrück, Germany @ Freiraum Petersburg (without LAHF)
23 Deventer, Netherlands @ Burgerweeshuis
30 Bristol, UK @ The Exchange (w/Joe Tilston + Jake & The Jellyfish)
31  London @ Camden Rocks, Black Heart (w/Apologies I Have None + more

You can also look at the pretty poster below.

Crazy Arm are currently working on songs for their fourth album, tentatively titled Brave Starts Here.

facebook.com/thecrazyarm / Bandcamp

CHRIS T-T ANNOUNCES MORE EUROPEAN SHOWS AND NEW SINGLE 'A BEATEN DRUM' OUT 16 JUNE 2014

Chris T-T extends his tour of Europe this spring with a run of dates with the fantastic Mark McCabe. They will follow on from the tour already announced supporting the wonderful Emily Barker. Expect live solo performances of material from latest opus The Bear as well as a selection from across his vast repertoire. All dates are below.

To coincide with the tours, Chris will release the stunning digital single ‘A Beaten Drum’ on 16 June 2014 featuring a mesmeric piano version and the full album version of the song alongside an improvisational piano version of ‘Tunguska’ as b-sides.

Check out the video here and tour dates are below: 

Chris T-T releases the digital single 'A Beaten Drum' on 16th June 2014 - taken from his acclaimed album 'The Bear' out now on Xtra Mile Recordings. Buy here: smarturl.it/qc8qan or here: http://bit.ly/1iC8pPI Chris heads to Europe in May to tour with Emily Barker and then with Mark McCabe.

WITH EMILY BARKER

MAY
03 Germany @ Köln, Stadtgarten Studio
14 Germany @ Stuttgart, Keller Klub
15 Germany @ Frankfurt, Nachtleben
16 Germany @ München, Milla
18 Germany @ Berlin, Grüner Salon *
19 Germany @ Hamburg, Fabrik *
21 The Netherlands @ Deventer, Burgerweeshuis Café

* w/ John Allen

WITH MARK MCCABE (SOLO)

MAY
28 Belgium @ Zele, Juvenes
30 The Netherlands @ Den Bosch, Knoflook

JUNE
01 Germany @ Münster, Spec Ops
02 Germany @ Hamburg, Maria's Ballroom
04 Germany @ Berlin, Schokoladen
06 Germany @ Leipzig, Warmehalle Sud
08 Austria @ Innsbruck, Die Bakerei
09 Austria @ Graz, Sub
10 Austria @ Vienna, Spice

UK FESTIVAL SHOWS (FULL BAND)

JUNE
18 London @ Buffalo Bar (Orgreave 30th Anniversary)

JULY
04 Blissfields, near Winchester
12 Meon Fest, near East Meon near Petersfield
18 Truck, Oxfordshire 

AUGUST
15 Devon, Beautiful Days
22 Northamptonshire, Greenbelt Festival

‘The Bear’ is Chris’s 3rd album for label Xtra Mile Recordings. Recorded with his band The Hoodrats, together they have departed from the paired down introspection of 2010’s 'Love Is Not Rescue' and instead created a full-on psych rock record with hints of Sebadoh, early Hold Steady, early Yo La Tengo, or Blur at their heavier moments and with a nod to grimy garage-y 60s like The Faces and Animals. Channelling these influences, Chris and his band taped the album close to live, completing songs in 3 or 4 takes just as those bands would have done back then. The result is a fascinating and excitingly fresh sounding record and some of his best work to date.

“A great, powerful indie rock record of an ilk that isn’t often heard these days.”

THE RUCKUS

“Superb. Wonderfully open and rough hewn. A real immediacy, even on the album’s quieter moments, that perfectly serves up razor-edged lyrics. File under essential listening.”

BEAT SURRENDER

christt.com / @christt / xtramilerecordings.com

ROB LYNCH SIGNS TO XTRA MILE RECORDINGS // NEW VIDEO FOR 'MY FRIENDS & I' + SUPPORTING CHARLIE SIMPSON

Please join us in welcoming London-based punk rock troubadour, and all round good'un, Rob Lynch to the Xtra Mile family! In celebration of this perfect and timely union, Xtra Mile Recordings will release Rob's debut album All These Nights In Bars Will Somehow Save My Soul later in 2014. 

Rob said: "I'm truly honoured to be joining the ranks at Xtra Mile, a label that I have respected for many years for their support of British talent, as well as releasing great records from acts from shores more distant. I'm excited that they are joining me for the journey on my debut album."

Not content with merely making an excellent record and allowing Xtra Mile to release it for him, Rob has also been announced as support to Charlie Simpson on his May tour, having just finished up the Warped Acoustic Basement Tour in the UK. Not one to shy away from the rigours of the road, he’s also playing various festivals including Slam Dunk and a two month stint on the formidable Vans Warped Tour in the US this summer. So expect to hear a lot more from Rob Lynch in the coming year.

To add to this already monumental announcement, Rob has released the music video for ‘My Friends & I’, a track from the forthcoming album which encourages boisterous sing-alongs and rabble-rousing enthusiasm for friendship but also runs rather deeper. It'll also be ringing through your head for the next month. You can watch the video below:

Taken from the upcoming debut album, "All These Nights In Bars Will Somehow Save My Soul". http://www.facebook.com/roblynchmusic http://www.twitter.com/TheRobLynch

In Rob’s words – “My Friends & I’ on the surface is a pop song about friends, but lyrically covers instances of death and broken relationships. It's an uplifting singalong about life choices." The track was produced by Sam Duckworth (Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly) and features guest vocals from Joe Boynton from Transit, amongst a whole gang of Rob’s nearest and dearest. 

Tour dates are as follows:

CHARLIE SIMPSON TOUR:
MAY
12 Glasgow @ King Tuts
14 Manchester @ Deaf Institute
15 Birmingham @ Academy 2
16 London @ Islington Academy
17 Brighton @ Concorde 2
19 Bristol @ Thekla 

FURTHER LIVE DATES: 
03 MAY Pirate Satellite Festival, Stuttgart
10 MAY Rotterdam Riot, Rotterdam
24 – 26 MAY Slam Dunk Festival (Leeds, Hatfield, Wolverhampton)
13 JUNE – 3 AUG Vans Warped Tour

facebook.com/roblynchmusic / @theroblynch