News
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros Go Viral! 28 July 2010 in Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Two men, Blake and Mike, recently walked across America from New York to San Francisco, they compiled this inspiring video using photos that they took along the way and the song Home by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros as the soundtrack:
Check out this google map of the route they took.
Win tickets to Field Day & Underage Festivals 26 July 2010 in news
Rough Trade have teamed up with Field Day and Underage to offer one lucky winner a chance to see Pantha Du Prince, Micachu and Rox play this year’s festivals! We are giving away a pair of tickets to Field Day and Underage so you can be in with a chance to be part of the best outdoor fun in London this summer including the unique Village Green Area bringing the spirit of the country to the city and the musical delights that these artists have to offer!!
Field Day:
In order to enter the competition all you need to do is email
We will be choosing a winner on the 23rd July, GOOD LUCK!!!
Field Day, Victoria Park, London, 1st July
For more info and to see the full line-up visit www.fielddayfestivals.com
Underage Festival:
In order to enter the competition all you need to do is email
We will be choosing a winner on the 23rd July, GOOD LUCK!!!
Field Day, Victoria Park, London, 1st July
For more info and to see the full line-up visit www.underagefestivals.com/
WILDER release Girls Vs Boys 26 July 2010 in Wilder
This week sees the release of Girls Vs Boys, the debut single from Bristol indie upstarts WILDER.
The demo version of Girls Vs Boys was previously given away to fans on CD-R’s whilst the band were on the road with the likes of Julian Casablancas, The Maccabees and I Blame Coco.
Girls Vs Boys is available as a limited 7” from Rough Trade Shops.
WILDER are playing at the launch of Steve Lamacq’s new club night ‘Going Deaf For A Living‘ at The Bull and Gate in London this Thursday.
Additionally The band have just been confirmed to...
Read an excerpt of 'Document and Eyewitness: An Intimate History Of Rough Trade' in The Times 23 July 2010 in news
To celebrate the release of ‘Document and Eyewitness: An Intimate History Of Rough Trade Records’ The Times have included an except of the book, in which Johnny Marr talks about his relationship with Morrissey and the forming of The Smiths.
You can read the excerpt here.
Don’t forget that there is a launch party for the book at Rough Trade East in London tonight!
Win: Tickets to the launch of 'Document & Eyewitness: An Intimate History Of Rough Trade' featuring a performance from British Sea Power 22 July 2010 in news
This Friday (23rd) will see the launch of a new book written about the history of Rough Trade entitled ‘Document & Eyewitness: An Intimate History Of Rough Trade’ written by former NME journalist Neil Taylor. To celebrate the release of the book and the third anniversary of the opening of Rough Trade East we’re going to be having a launch party which will feature a performance from British Sea Power.
Document & Eyewitness: An Intimate History of Rough Trade traces the history of the Rough Trade organization from its humble beginnings in 1976 at 202 Kensington Park Road through to the present day. All of the seismic milestones in its evolution are covered including the birth of the company, the setting up of the record label, the early financial crises and the resultant transmogrification of the Rough Trade shop into its current manifestation, the successful assault on the charts of the mid-1980s, the collapse of the original company in 1991 and its subsequent rebirth. Over 75 people have contributed to the telling of the tale, many speaking of their experiences for the first time and all interviewed fresh for the book.
Each purchase of the book at tomorrow’s launch party includes a sampler of forthcoming releases featuring music from The Strange Boys, Joe Worricker, Dylan LeBlanc, The Morning Benders and WILDER.
We have a few copies of the book and a couple of pairs of tickets to give away for the launch party. For your chance to win then please email us!
Belle and Sebastian announce UK Tour Dates 21 July 2010 in Belle and Sebastian
In the immediate aftermath of their headlining slot at the Latitude Festival last weekend, Belle and Sebastian have now announced details of their first tour of the British Isles since 2006.
The shows include 3 shows with a forty-piece orchestra; the B&S curated Bowlie 2 festival at Butlins in Minehead and conclude with a hometown pre-Christmas show at the Barrowland in Glasgow.
The full itinerary for the month is:
DECEMBER 2010
1st BELFAST, Ulster Hall – tickets available here on Friday.
3rd DUBLIN, Union Canal Theatre – tickets available here on Friday.
5th GATESHEAD, Sage – tickets available
Watch: Micachu and The Shapes collaborate with the London Sinfonietta 20 July 2010 in Micachu
Mica Levi of Micachu and The Shapes has been busy hiding in the studio readying her second album but she took the time out to recently collaborate with the London Sinfionetta for a live concert. The collaboration was documented for Channel 4 and is now showing exclusively on Pitchfork:
British Sea Power's Norway Diary 15 July 2010 in British Sea Power
British Sea Power: We’ve just got back from the Træna Music festival and have had an amazing time.
After almost 2 days of travel, flying over fjords and snowy peaks, and sailing on a boat for 3 hours, we saw the islands and peaks of Traena rising out of the sea like Norse Gods.
Træna is really close to the Arctic Circle, and it remains light for 24 hours this time of year, though the sun sets for an hour or 2.
Throw an Nordlands beer into the equation and it’s very disorientating.
Taxi service to the church was a tiny boat...
Watch: Belle and Sebastian debut new song 'I Didn't See It Coming' 15 July 2010 in Belle and Sebastian
As Pitchfork reported Belle and Sebastian debuted a new song entitled ‘I Didn’t See It Coming’ earlier in the week at a show in Helsinki, Finland.
The band are currently hard at work on their first album in five years.
Watch ‘I Didn’t See It Coming’ below:
The band headline the Saturday of this weekend’s Latitude Festival.
Photos: WILDER Boat Party Takeover 13 July 2010 in Wilder
Last Friday WILDER took over a house boat in their native city of Bristol to play an intimate show to 300 fans and friends.
Here are some photos to give you an idea of what to expect at their forthcoming live shows:
WILDER release their debut single ‘Girls Vs Boys’ on July 26th pre-order it from Rough Trade Shop.
New Rough Trade Book Announcement - Launch party to feature a set from British Sea Power 8 July 2010 in news
July 23rd sees the release of ‘Document and Witness – An Intimate History Of Rough Trade‘ by Neil Taylor, a launch party will be held the same day at Rough Trade East to celebrate the release of the book and to co-incide with the third anniversary of the opening of Rough Trade East. The event will feature a special performance from British Sea Power.
Document & Eyewitness: An Intimate History of Rough Trade traces the history of the Rough Trade organization from its humble beginnings in 1976 at 202 Kensington Park Road through to the present day....
Mystery Jets release their impressive third album Serotonin 6 July 2010 in The Mystery Jets
This week sees the release of Serotonin, the new album from the Mystery Jets.
Serotonin sees the band strip away much of the excess on their lovelorn, warmly-received 2008 album Twenty One, Serotonin sees the Mystery Jets mapping out entirely new musical territories: the synthesizer-fuelled perfect pop of Dreaming Of Another World; It’s Too Late, which begins as an aching soft-rock ballad before unexpectedly heading somewhere infinitely weirder; the dark, hallucinatory grind of Lorna Doone. You can hear echoes of ELO, 10CC, Fleetwood Mac and Supertramp rubbing up against the band’s own idiosyncratic, very British, occasionally rather creepy psychedelic...
Warpaint announce UK & Ireland Tour 6 July 2010 in Warpaint
After two sold-out London shows during their first trip to the UK, LA Psych Girl group Warpaint have now announced a string of dates for October:
October:
21st – Dublin Crawdaddy – Tickets available here.
22nd – Glasgow Stereo – Tickets available here.
23rd – Liverpool The Kazimier – Tickets available here.
24th – Manchester Deaf Institute – Tickets available from here.
26th – Leeds Brudenell – Tickets available from here.
27th – Bristol Cooler – Tickets available from here.
28th – London Scala – Tickets available from here.
29th – Brighton Digital...
Watch Micachu's collaboration with the London Sinfonietta Friday July 2nd 1 July 2010 in Micachu
Tune into Channel 4 at 00:25am Friday July 2nd to catch an exclusive documentary on Micachu’s collaboration with the London Sinfonietta. Keep an eye out for the documentary on this site soon.
Antony and The Johnsons premiere new artwork from 'Swanlights' book and announces guest collaborator 30 June 2010 in Antony and the Johnsons
Antony and the Johnsons will release their new album, “Swanlights”, on October 11th through Rough Trade Records. Abrams Image will simultaneously release a special edition of “Swanlights” which will include the CD inside a 144-page hard cover book containing Antony’s paintings, collages, photography and writing. The album only version of “Swanlights” on Rough Trade Records will also include the song “Flétta”, a duet with Björk. The album and book are a continuation of Antony’s work exploring his connection to the natural world.
While “I Am a Bird Now” is compelling in its vulnerability and “The Crying Light” is a masterpiece of austerity, “Swanlights” may be Antony’s most wide-rangingly emotional work to date. It is a record that is at moments heartbreakingly tender, and at other times has a joyful gleam to its teeth. Unlike previous work, which was often quite sparsely voiced, on “Swanlights” the vines in the garden are overgrown and the sound palette has become more exotic; strange percussive elements, John Cale-esque string drones, heavily distorted guitars and symphonic winds and strings thread the song cycle together.
“Everything is New” opens the album with a newborn piano melody that quickly gathers in momentum and excitement. Strings and bursts of percussion carry the song forward in a feral cacophony of sound. Later on the album, the title track “Swanlights” finds us navigating a primordial and hallucinatory world of hazy guitar tones. The enigmatic layered melody of “Swanlights” emerges from a glistening soundscape. A central image on the album, Antony explains what he means by the word “Swanlights”: ”It’s the reflection of light on the surface of the water at night. It’s the moment when a spirit jumps out of a body and turns into a violet ghost.” On “Thank You For Your Love”, Antony expresses a soul-infused sentiment of gratitude, but the song progresses into urgency, leaving behind the 4/4 rhythmic structure and breaking into an emotional gallop that reveals an underlying pathos.
The “Swanlights” book is a collection of thought-provoking paintings, drawings, collages, photography, and writings. Dreamlike and often bleakly environmental, Antony depicts a natural and spiritual world under siege. Much of the work aches with a forlorn romanticism. In some pieces, the artist draws together fragments of the past, the present and the future to create a ghostly sense of omniscience. One image features a portrait of the artist with his great grandmother’s face projected upon his own, creating a ricochet through time and genealogy. Found images of natural landscapes are stained with scrawls of ink, indicating invisible presence and movement. Some pieces are more conceptual; in “Cut Away The Bad”, the artist removes corrupted elements in an attempt to restore balance. In pieces like “I Want To Help” Antony sews a torn landscape back together with a magical intent.
Here are two piece of artwork from the ‘Swanlights’ book entitled ‘The Creek’ and ‘Christina’s Garden’:
Music and visual art intersect in these two presentations of “Swanlights” to create an arresting vision of the world through the artist’s eyes.
“Swanlights” is the fourth Antony and the Johnsons album and the follow up to the critically acclaimed “The Crying Light” which entered the European Chart at #1 was included in year-end best of lists across the globe in 2009. Antony burst into the international spotlight with his second album, “I am a Bird Now”, which won the UK’s prestigious Mercury Music Prize.
The Morning Benders Release Big Echo 28 June 2010 in The Morning Benders
The morning benders’ new album, Big Echo, opens with the warm crackle and pop of a needle hitting vinyl, before the swooning orchestration sweeps in and carries you away to a time when life was more carefree and natural. A lush, big-hearted collection of songs rooted in the greatest traditions of American songwriting, Big Echo incorporates symphonic pop, a Wall of Sound production aesthetic, and sunny harmonies as told from the point of view of 4 kids in their early 20’s from Berkeley, California.
“The title Big Echo sums up what we’re doing sonically and textually,” singer, lyricist, song-writer, Christopher Chu, reveals. “The idea was to take sounds from all different eras and all different kinds of music, throw them together, and see how they sound bouncing off each other. Throw it all into an echo chamber. Thematically, there’s a lot of pondering about time, the span of your life and how your perspective fits into everyone else’s. It’s explores the idea of your memories as echoes that are always inside you, creating these frequencies that become your soul.”
Recorded in several smaller sessions spread out over 11 days Big Echo was self produced by Chu with the mixing being handled by both Chu and Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor (Dirty Projectors, Department of Eagles).
Tracklisting:
1. Excuses
2. Promises
3. Wet Cement
4. Cold War
5. Pleasure Sighs
6. Hand Me Downs
7. Mason Jar
8. All Day Day Light
9. Stitches
10. Sleeping In
Buy:
Rough Trade Shop
iTunes
Amazon
Listen:
Watch:
Watch the Morning Benders perform Stitches for Yours Truly
Watch The Morning Benders perform Excuses on Carson Daly
Live:
the Morning Benders play the following UK shows:
28th of June – Night & Day, Manchester
29th of June – King Tuts, Glasgow
30th of June – Rough Trade East In-Store, London. Free entry with a purchase of the album
1st of July – Barfly, London (Sold Out)
For more dates in Europe please see www.roughtraderecords.com
Dylan LeBlanc releases debut single 'If Time Was For Wasting' 21 June 2010 in Dylan LeBlanc
Recent signing 21 year old Dylan LeBlanc has released his debut single If Time Was For Wasting.
If Time Was For Wasting, seems to be wrenched from the heart of ever present currents in Deep South life – where the pull of the past is unavoidable.
You can download If Time Was For Wasting for free at www.dylanleblanc.com or buy the single on 7”.
Watch the video for If Time Was For Wasting:
Dylan LeBlanc’s debut album, Paupers Field, is released on August 23rd.
British Sea Power member and friends record World Cup Song 17 June 2010 in British Sea Power
As we previously reported K’Naan has a UK number #1 with his World Cup song ‘Waving Flag‘, the similarity between this title and that of British Sea Power’s ‘Waving Flags‘ has been the subject of much discussion.
As a result British Sea Power guitarist Noble is one of the men behind the last-minute 2010 World Cup tune Football (Kick It In The Goal).
Football (Kick It In The Goal) has been inspired by a stirring calypso tribute to an airport. The recording features Noble alongside Marc and Eamon of The Brakes and Darren and Matt from leading UK Jonathan Richman tribute...
Rough Trade Presents: The Serotonin Sessions 16 June 2010 in The Mystery Jets
As part of a new site feature we filmed the Mystery Jets in a house by the River Thames in Hammersmith, London for a session called The Serotonin Session.
The band played four tracks from their forthcoming album Serotonin including Serotonin, Girl Is Gone, Melt and Too Late To Talk.
The first of these session videos premiered onThe Guardian.co.uk and is now ready to watch below. We’ll be unveiling a new clip every week until the album is released on July 5th.
Mystery Jets – Serotonin:
Pre-order Serotonin on LP and CD now from MysteryJets.com and receive two exclusive 7inch singles
Watch: The Hold Steady play songs from latest album Heaven Is Whenever 16 June 2010 in The Hold Steady
The Hold Steady performed three songs from their latest album Heaven Is Whenever at Brooklyn’s Union Hall for Pitchfork TV. Watch the band perform Hurricane J, The Sweet Part Of The City and Rock Problems:
Hurricane J:
The Sweet Part Of The City:
Rock Problems:
Jeffrey Lewis performs new song for the Brixton Sessions 15 June 2010 in Jeffrey Lewis
Whilst warming up for his Brixton Windmillshow with his band The Junkard, Jeffrey Lewis took a few minutes out to play this untitled new song for the Brixton Sessions:
Brixton Sessions #011 – Jeffrey Lewis ‘Untitled’ from Blindeye | Films on Vimeo.
Rough Trade Festivals Round Up 15 June 2010 in news
Belle and Sebastian:
Latitude Festival: July 16th
Bowlie Weekender – December 10th – 12th
British Sea Power
Wimbledon Calling – July 18th
Stockton Riverside – July 31st
Kendal Calling – August 1st
Standon Calling – August 8th
Beautiful Days – August 21st
Leeds Festival – August 28th
Reading Festival – August 29th
NME Weekender – November 6th
Eddi Reader:
Beverely Folk Festival – June 18th
The Hold Steady:
Glastonbury – 27th June
Julian Casablancas:
Glastonbury Festival – June 27th
T In The...
Watch: Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros peform a Takeaway Session for La Blogotheque 14 June 2010 in Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros dragged an old piano into the street outside San Francisco’s Filmore venue to perform ‘Home‘ and ‘40 Day Dream‘ for La Blogotheque.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero’s – A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.
Watch: Mystery Jets perform for Pocket TV 11 June 2010 in The Mystery Jets
Mystery Jets performed a special acoustic version of Dreaming Of Another World (complete with Stylophone!) and a cover of forthcoming Gorillaz single On Melancholy Hill for Pocket TV. Watch it here:
Wavin' Flag? No, Waving Flags 11 June 2010 in British Sea Power
With K’naan’s Wavin’ Flag World Cup anthem riding high in the UK charts we wanted to remind you of British Sea Power’s own anthem Waving Flags. In case you thought the world had gone mad (or become right) it is not a cover!
Get reacquainted with Waving Flags:
Watch: Warpaint perform tracks from Exquisite Corpse on Noisevox 7 June 2010 in Warpaint
LA space-quartet Warpaint have filmed a session and an interview for US website Noisevox. Watch the band perform Beetles, Stars, Elephants and Billie Holliday:
Rox's debut album Memoirs is out now! 7 June 2010 in ROX
Buy Memoirs from iTunes or Amazon.
Today sees the release of Rox’s debut album Memoirs!
The release of her debut album caps off a highly successful start to the year for Rox which saw her being hotly tipped by the BBC in their Sound of 2010 poll, MTV’s 10 for 2010 as well as delivering a mesmerising performance on Later With Jools Holland.
Memoirs has already received critical acclaim from the press:
“The debut album from this Iranian/Jamaican chanteuse is a remarkably assured affair, a feast of timeless soul stylings…” – The Evening Standard – 4/5
“Her casual attitude masks the technical accomplishment of her soulful singing” – The Telegraph – 4/5
Album Tracklisting:
1. No Going Back
2. Do As I Say
3. Page Unfolds
4. I Don’t Believe
5. My Baby Left Me
6. Forever Always Wishing
7. Heart Ran Dry
8. Breakfast In Bed
9. Precious Moments
10. Rocksteady
11. Oh My
12. Sad Eyes
Listen to the album on Rox’s Myspace.
British Sea Power to tour with Manic Street Preachers 4 June 2010 in British Sea Power
British Sea Power will be taking a break from recording their new album to join Manic Street Preachers on tour in September and October.
September:
Wednesday 29th – Glasgow Academy
Thursday 30th – Aberdeen Music Hall
October:
2nd – Edinburgh Corn Exchange
3rd – Carlisle Sands Centre
5th – Hull City Hall
6th – Sheffield Academy
8th – Liverpool University
9th – Blackburn King Georges Hall
11th – Leeds Academy
12th – Derby Assembly Rooms
14th – Manchester Apollo
16th – Lincoln Engine Shed
17th – Norwich UEA
19th – Southampton Guildhall
20th – Southend Cliffs Pavilion
22nd – Bournemouth Academy
23rd – Newport Centre
25th – Bristol Colston Hall
26th – Birmingham Academy
28th – London Brixton Academy
31st – Leicester De Montfort Hall
November
1st – Cambridge Corn Exchange
The band’s new album is scheduled for release in 2011.
Watch: Mystery Jets cavort around in a Paris mansion for 'Dreaming Of Another World' 2 June 2010 in The Mystery Jets
The video for the new Mystery Jets single ‘Dreaming Of Another World’ is now available to watch below. The video was shot in a French mansion on the outskirts of Paris and directed by Yoann Lemoine.
Dreaming Of Another World is taken from the band’s new album Serotonin which is released worldwide on July 5th.
Basia Bulat performs 'Hush' and 'The Shore' for Uwolnij Muzyke 21 May 2010 in Basia Bulat
Watch two beautifully shot sessions from Polish website Uwolnij Muzyke featuring Basia Bulat.
The Shore:
Hush: