Tindersticks – The Something Rain

LABEL: Lucky Dog

FORMAT: LP

GENRE: Alternative

DATE: 20/02/2012

Today sees the release of longstanding indie band Tinderstick’s ninth studio album. Hailing from Nottingham, UK, the avant-pop band debuted 20 years ago in 2002 with single “Patchwork”. Following a five-year hiatus they reformed in 2007 with three members of the original line-up along with some new additions, and since then they have been ever progressing, nurturing and evolving their sound into something unique.

Already hailed “A mind-blowing poetic masterpiece” by the Rolling Stone, this album is one to watch out for! You can also catch the band playing a four night residency at the Soho Theatre from 22^nd-25^th February, several European dates throughout March and at the End of the Road Festival later this year.

Necessary Mayhem – Future Cuts

LABEL: Necessary Mayhem

FORMAT: EP

GENRE: Reggae – Roots

DATE: 20/02/2012

“Future Cuts” is the third compilation from UK based reggae/dancehall/Drum & Bass label Necessary Mayhem. Featuring all the different sub genres in reggae such as Lovers Rock, Roots & Dubstep and Dancehall, this marks their first release of this year, led by one of Britain’s most successful reggae producers, Curtis Lynch. The compilation features a mixture of new mixes of old classics and a taster of new material from forthcoming riddim releases, one track from each project, by familiar DJs and singers from Europe and Jamaica.

“The strength here is that, for all their diversity, every track remains true to a signature sound: a sound with one ear in the past and the other in the present, proudly wearing its influences yet remaining instantly-recognizable on its own terms.” – Angus Taylor, BBC Music Review

Gregory Porter – Be Good

LABEL: Motéma

FORMAT: LP

GENRE: Jazz – Smooth Jazz

DATE: 15/02/2012

“Be Good” is Greg Porter’s second album following his award-winning and Grammy-nominated debut, “Water” which garnered a number 1 chart position in both iTunes and Amazon charts in the UK. Following this incredible success for a debut album in less than a year and a half, he has performed on Later With Jools Holland and Carole King‘s 2011 BBC Holiday Television Special, as well as appearing at the London Jazz Festival as a featured guest.

The highly-anticipated follow-up by the jazz maestro features twelve stunning tracks showcasing Porter’s soulful, warm vocals, improvisation and flawless delivery. Porter is accompanied by his band of three years, who also performed on “Water”, and the arrangements are further enriched by emotive horn parts, performed by Kamau Kenyetta who produced the debut album.

“Porter has made the best vocal (jazz) album for an age” – The Independent

“This follow-up comes with high expectations, but fans of authentically soulful vocals and luxuriant horn-heavy arrangements need not worry, Porter has, in a word, nailed it.” – Daniel Spicer, BBC Music Review

Finn Bonel – Love’s the Only Thing

LABEL: Fat Controller Management Limited

FORMAT: Single

GENRE: Rock – Singer/Songwriter

DATE: 19/02/2012

“Love’s The Only Thing” is the debut single from South London based singer songwriter, Finn Bonel. Bonel grew up listening to the likes of Springsteen, Dylan and Waits and draws influence from “poeticness of those American songs”. His sound is described as being “uplifting Anglo-Americana” with the main focus in his own music being his raw emotive lyrics and heartfelt melodies, to wrench the hearts of his listeners.

Already receiving support from Radio 2 DJs such as Dermot O’Leary as well as Q Radio, and with live dates and further releases in the pipelines, Finn Bonel is one to watch out for.

The Skints – Live, Breath, Build, Believe

LABEL: Bomber Music Ltd

FORMAT: LP

GENRE: Alternative – Ska

DATE: 17/02/2012

“Live, Breath, Build, Believe” is the first album by the UK based four-piece ska rockers,  becoming one of the top selling reggae album on Amazon at the end of 2011 with over 7,500 sales. Its digital rerelease is available now.

Expect big things for this band this year, with their first single Ratatat (release date 27^th February) receiving repeated national airplay, and their follow up album “Part & Parcel” due for release on 12^th March (available for pre-order now).

After recently supporting Gym Class Heroes at their Koko gig, you can catch The Skints opening for You Me At Six on their UK tour.

Smokey Bastard – Tales from the Wasteland

LABEL: Bomber Music

DATE: 17/02/2012

GENRE: Alternative-Punk

Smokey Bastard are a six-piece folk punk band hailing from Reading. Forming in 2007, they drew influences from bands such as Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys, but they have infused their energetic and raucous live shows together with their own sound to create their unique “wall of instrumental mayhem” in which they incorporate banjo, mandolin and accordion into their instrumentation. “Tales from the Wasteland” is their second album.

“Smokey Bastard surpass all expectations with their small-town English charm… ‘Tales from the Wasteland’ gives a modern, British lease of life to a tired-out genre.” —  Giles Bidder, Rock Sound Magazine

The band are currently on a European tour, and have a string of UK dates lined up on their return starting in March.

Take a listen here:

High Contrast – The Agony & The Ecstasy

LABEL: Hospital Records

FORMAT: EP

GENRE: Dance – Breakbeat / Drum & Bass

DATE: 13/02/2012

“The Agony & The Ecstasy” is the second single off High Contrast’s forthcoming and highly anticipated fourth artist album with the same title. The eponymous single follows “The First Note Is Silent”, his massive collaboration with Tiësto and Underworld which marked the first single released from the new album.

Recording his debut album “True Colours” when he was only 22 and starting off as a virtual unknown, High Contrast has quickly become one of the most iconic and respected Drum & Bass producers around. His album “High Society” was voted by Knowledge Magazine as one of the top 3 jungle albums of the last 10 years, and he has received continuous support from Radio One, winning the radio show’s Essential Mix of the Year in 2007.

The title track of the EP features the beautiful vocals of upcoming star Selah Corbin, soaring over an energetic drum beat, organ and uplifting strings. The four-track release also includes the original mix and remix by CRST, as well as a deeper, haunting track, “Father, Can’t You See I’m Burning”. Watch out for the album, which is due to be released at the end of February through Hospital Records.

Beverley Knight – Round and Around

LABEL: Hurricane Records

FORMAT: EP

GENRE: R&B

DATE: 12/2/2012

5AM’s stunning remixes of UK soul sensation Beverley Knight’s “Round and Around”, which gave Beverley her 5^th consecutive Urban Chart Top 10, have been released on a new EP.

The release includes a Radio Edit, Full Version and Extended Mix of 5AM’s reworks, as well as a remix by DJ Munro, as well as a new bonus remix of “Southern Freeez” which earned Beverley a slot in the Urban Top 5.

You can catch Beverley Knight in an interview with Loose Women on Valentine’s Day, to celebrate the launch of her Love Soul EP – tune in from 12:30pm!

YolanDa Brown – April Showers, May Flowers  

LABEL: Black Grape Records

FORMAT: LP

GENRE: Jazz

DATE: 12/2/2012

Double MOBO Award winner for ‘Best Jazz’, saxophonist YolanDa Brown’s debut album is released today, as well as an announcement of a string of tour dates across the UK.

“April Showers, May Flowers” touches on jazz, soul and R&B, with the tracks influenced by love and life. The album by the premier saxophonist includes 8 saxophone tracks and 2 tracks showcasing her beautiful vocals for the first time (namely “Bitter Sweet” and “Without You”). Having sold out the Jazz Cafe London in December 2011, YolanDa’s long-awaited follow-up is already gaining lots of attention in all the right places.

Previously, YolanDa has toured with artists such as Errol Brown and Diana Krall, collaborated with artists including Mica Paris and Soweto Kinch and performed as a part of Jools Holland’s Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.

YolanDa will be touring the UK from tomorrow, starting at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo on 14^th February with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Brontide – Coloured Tongues

LABEL: Holy Roar

FORMAT: Single

GENRE: Alternative

DATE: 13/02/2012

Brontide are a riff-heavy instrumental rock band, comprised of William Bowerman, Nathan Fairweather and Tim Hancock. With their name defined as “the low rumble of distant thunder”, the band have been described by Kerrang to “rumble like their name suggests and provide a droning, melodic, vocal-free counterpoint entirely suited to the occasion”, with their first EP “Sans Souci” hailed as being “hugely accomplished”.

Brontide return with a 2 song EP released through Holy Roar Records – “Coloured Tongues”, the brand new lilting, looped, epic dance track, along with the first ever proper recording of live set-favourite “MFBT”. The band is busy gigging this week, kicking off at Stereo in Glasgow tonight and playing The Lexington on 17^th February.

Various Artists – Chronicle (Josh Trank’s Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

LABEL: Editions Milan Music

FORMAT: EP

GENRE: Miscellaneous – Soundtrack – Movie

DATE: 30/01/2012

For all you Chronicle fans out there – the sci-fi drama movie about three high school friends who acquire mysterious superpowers is rolling out in cinemas across Europe from 1^st February through to May, and the soundtrack for the film is also available for your ears (WW except US/CA/MX).

The soundtrack features music by twelve indie pop rock and electro bands, including M83, Simian Mobile Disco, Capsule, Bikini, Blonde Acid Cult and more.  Click the links below to check it out:

Ralph Good & Futuristic Polar Bears – Dance

LABEL: Tanzanite Records

FORMAT: Single

GENRE: Dance – House

DATE: 13/02/2012

This piano-led house track with Latin influences, featuring vocals by Marshall, has all the ingredients needed to get you moving on the dance floor. The track is a collaboration between Ralph Good of “The Good Guys” (DJ/Producer team in Switzerland) and the Futuristic Polar Bears, a DJ and Production outfit in the UK.

Ralph Good started off DJing Hip Hop and Garage House in the 90s, but quickly moved onto electronic music, launching “The Good Guys” in 2004, although at the end of 2010 the group decided to focus on their solo careers. Under his solo producer alias, Ralph Good can count tracks ‘SOS feat. Polina Griffith’ as well as remixes for Timbaland and Snoop Dog among his credits.

The Futuristic Polar Bears are no strangers to the dance music scene after 20 years of DJing experience, which has seen them individually playing all over the world. Describing themselves as “Energetic, Fun, Sociable, Music Loving House Nerds “, their production sees a unique blend of progressive and techno.

The three-track single includes an Ibiza Dub version of the track, as well as a rework by Tanzanite Records head honcho, Richard Dinsdale.

James Vincent McMorrow – Early In The Morning (Special Edition Album)

Label: Believe Digital

Release date: 2/5/12
James Vincent McMorrow is going from strength to strength. His debut album “Early In the Morning” has earned him an extensive fan-base and significant critical plaudits since its release in March 2010. The record has since gone Gold, been nominated for the Choice Music Prize and the Irish Mercury, and has seen James spend the last two years touring the US and Europe extensively (stopping off at Glastonbury, Latitude and ‘Later…With Jools Holland’ along the way).

Following the success of his new single, a cover of Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love” featured in LOVEFiLM’s TV ad campaign through November, December and January and the single’s top 20 success in the charts, James will release a special edition of his acclaimed debut album on February 5^th through Believe Digital, before embarking on a tour around the UK this month. His 7 date tour will end with a sold out show at London’s Royal Festival Hall on February 15^th.

The physical release of the Special Edition album, featuring 4 bonus tracks including his stunning version of Higher Love, is available here:

Alternatively you can get a digital copy with 3 bonus tracks here:

and with 2 bonus tracks here:

The Twilight Sad – No One Can Ever Know

Label: Fat Cat

Release date: 2/6/12

The Twilight Sad are a three-piece indie rock band from Kilsyth, Scotland, formed in late 2003. Starting off as an experimental outfit and creating half-hour long pieces using unusual ingredients including theremin, thumb pianos and tape loops from films, the band fine-tuned their sound into something more traditional, layering emotive melodies in their studio recordings yet still keeping their experimental element. After sending a demo over to Fat Cat Records in 2005, they grabbed label co-founder Alex Knight’s attention who signed them upon watching the band at their third ever gig. They toured extensively last year, supporting fellow Scottish band Mogwai on their UK tour as well as performing at various UK festivals.

The Twilight Sad list Phil Spector, Leonard Cohen and Daniel Johnston among their influences. “No One Can Ever Know” is their third album, released through Fat Cat Records. Described by This Is Fake DIY as “a tense and absorbing record that creates its own world for you to live in”, this album is one to check out.

(iTunes exclusive – bonus track)

Kinny – Can’t Kill a Dame With Soul

Label: Tru Thoughts

Release date: 2/6/12

Kinny, aka Caitlin Simpson, was born and raised in Canada but also has a mixture of Jamaican, Native Canadian Indian, French and Swedish in her heritage. Originally trained as an opera singer, Kinny cleverly infuses together her classical mezzo-soprano voice with her love of jazz and reggae, which combine together to create her unique, freestyle improvisatory sound.

She has performed with Third Eye Tribe, improvising over their electronic, dub and hip hop beats, and has guested on tracks by De La Soul, Diesler, TM Juke and Quantic, as well as supporting American hip hop group Ugly Duckling on their tour.

Kinny’s second solo album “Can’t Kill a Dame With Soul”, produced entirely by Nowegian collaborator Souldrop, is released today through Tru Thoughts Records.

The Megaphonic Thrift – The Megaphonic Thrift

Label: Club AC30

Release date: 2/6/12

Hailing from Bergen, Norway, The Megaphonic Thrift are an experimental psychedelic rock band formed of members from Stereo 21, Low Frequency in Stereo and Casiokids. Formed in 2008, the band who have been described as “face-meltingly intense” by NME have enjoyed success performing across the world including the by:Larm Festival in their home country, the Netherland’s Eurosonic, SXSW and The Great Escape and Standon Calling in the UK, as well as a UK support tour with A Place To Bury Strangers.

“…it’s a struggle to recall a band more fragmentary and frazzled since early, melting-before-your-eyes-era Mercury Rev” – The Fly

The Megaphonic Thrift’s self-titled second album is out today.

The 2 Bears – Be Strong

Label: Southern Fried

Release date: 1/29/11

Formed in 2009, this furry electronic band are made up of Joe Goddard (Hot Chip) and Raf Rundell (Greco Roman Soundsystem). As well as making their own blend of 2-step, house, hip-hop and soul, The 2 Bears are busy remixing other artists such as Junior Boys, Metronomy and Death Cab For Cutie and have also been featured by Virtual Festival as Ones To Watch in 2012. They also host their own “Follow the Bears” show on Ministry of Sound Radio – tune in on Wednesdays at 9pm to catch them.

The brilliant track “Bear Hug” shows that they can still make catchy electronic songs without taking their music too seriously, with the duo’s influences including Polar Bear, Grizzly Bear and Bear Grylls.

The 2 Bears’ debut album, “Be Strong” has been described by BBC’s Ian Wade as “a joyous amalgam of disco textures and dancefloor stylings which never fail to bring a big grin to your face”, and “one of the smartest and funniest dance records you’ve heard in a long while” by the NME.

(iTunes exclusive – bonus track)

Hello to all you nice and decent people,
A million thank you’s for every gram of affection you’ve shown us and our music from day one… especially this past week.
We can taste the love in the air… it tastes like the finest woodland truffle. Have a listen to our Album ‘Be Strong’ now, just click on the image below (or HERE)

If you pre-ordered our album ‘Be Strong’ from Our Website, Itunes, Amazon or Recordstore, it should be with you by now (or well on it’s way)
If you haven’t, we’re here to tell you that it’s available from all of the above, you can listen to it in full first HERE

Look out for a free mixtape download later this week on our Facebook, meanwhile If you’re in the London area on Friday come to our Fabric ‘Be Strong’ launch party… details HERE
Bear Hugs to you and yours,

The 2 Bears x

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | SOUNDCLOUD

]]> http://www.blogbelieve.com/2-bears-debut-album-be-strong-out-now/feed/ 0 http://www.blogbelieve.com/james-vincent-mcmorrow-special-edition-of-%e2%80%98early-in-the-morning%e2%80%99/ http://www.blogbelieve.com/james-vincent-mcmorrow-special-edition-of-%e2%80%98early-in-the-morning%e2%80%99/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:26:33 +0000 hannah.donovan http://www.blogbelieve.com/?p=1323 James Vincent McMorrow

Special Edition of ‘Early In The Morning’ released February 5

UK Tour: February 15, Royal Festival Hall (sold out)

“Sounds both fresh and as if they’ve been in your head forever…McMorrow’s debut deserves its success” Q, ****

“The Irish songsmith’s haunting, soulful sound blossoms….he will be unstoppable” Guardian ****

“Vocals, lyrics and arrangements whose restraint and subtlety are totally at odds with the profound impact and resonance of his songs’ Sunday Times Culture

“Dusky vignettes on unseen and wondrous magic…gorgeous” NME

“Captivating…An arresting journey from emotional trials to aural pleasure” Uncut, ****

“His high, hoarse timbre is used to magnificent effect” Mojo, ****

‘Early In the Morning’ has earned James an extensive fan-base and significant critical plaudits since its release in March 2010. The record has since gone Gold, been nominated for the Choice Music Prize – the Irish Mercury – and seen McMorrow spend the last two years touring the US and Europe extensively (stopping off at Glastonbury, Latitude and ‘Later…With Jools Holland’ along the way). This beautiful special edition of the record sees the addition of McMorrow’s most recent hit, ‘Higher Love’, as part of an extra disc of bonus tracks: these include live takes of the album track ‘We Don’t Eat’ and Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’, together with the gorgeous ‘We Are Ghosts’.

The success of ‘Early In The Morning’ is far removed from the slow-but-steady route McMorrow took when making music. Having begun his career drumming in hardcore bands, James dropped out of college and spent his teens laboriously teaching himself how to sing and write songs: four years were dedicated to simply learning his craft, whilst making ends meet pushing trolleys at an airport. McMorrow later accepted the offer of a six-month stint in an isolated house by the Irish Sea, where his songwriting finally flourished. An album quickly emerged inspired by everything from Donny Hathaway to the dark, turn-of-the-century narratives of John Steinbeck and F. Scott Fitzgerald. As his recent success is a testament to, James’ pursuit of perfectionism was worth the wait.

February 8 – Liverpool - Masque

February 9 – Gateshead - Sage

February 10 – Sheffield - Plug

February 11 - Bristol - Fleece

February 12 - Oxford - Academy

February 13 - Norwich - Arts Centre

February 15 - London - Royal Festival Hall *sold out*

Head over to his YouTube channel for more great videos.

Working with coveted Brownswood Music, the group are pushing their ambitions with their first EP Food released, which dropped in the autumn, and quickly return to keep the momentum withsingle  Lost and Found to hammer home a luminous kick-off.

Check out ‘Visual’ from the Food below:

Citing influences ranging from James Blake, Coldplay, Little Dragon and Madlib the records have a distinctive sound by mixing the rawness of live performance into recordings, weaving in left field aesthetics across the hip hop design and smart rhymes.

Check the record out on iTunes right here

And for more 2Morrows Victory – check THIS out

Win a prize bundle of Believe goodies this Christmas!

You could win:

Crookers TShirt

Bwani Junction Signed Poster

Black Books Vinyl

Crookers Vinyl

Bastille CD

Amplifetes CD

Gabby Young CD

Crookers CD

Crookers Beer Holder

To win all of this simply tweet @believedigital bands to look out for in 2012!

We also have selected Crookers prizes for 5 more people, winners will be picked and announced Thursday the 22nd so get tweeting!