Live4ever’s New Tunes Guide returns this week with highlights from The Notwist and Vikesh Kapoor.
The Notwist present their new single ‘Kong’ with a video directed by Japanese film-maker Yu Sato which is described as telling, ‘The true story of a young boy and his family trapped in their home by a flood, dreaming of being saved by a superhero as the water rose around them’. More scaled back is Vikesh Kapoor, whose debut album ‘The Ballad Of Willy Robbins’ can trace its roots back to a ‘spur-of-the-moment cross-country trip with a pair of fiery European girls’.
These and eight other picks of the week can be found by scrolling through our latest collection, and you can catch up with all our previous editions by clicking on the New Tunes Guide logo below.
To celebrate another week of great music, the Live4ever Ezine is very excited to partner with Manchester’s Ei8htball to offer one lucky reader a new pair of their EX811 in-earphones! Once you’ve been through this week’s tracks, check out all the competition details below.
“The Ballad Of Willy Robbins, a concept album loosely based on a newspaper article, sees Vikesh Kapoor chronicling the story of a working class man who slowly loses everything: ambitions, health, family and shelter. Co-produced by Adam Selzer (M. Ward), it features Nate Query (Decemberists, Black Prairie), Jeff Ratner (Langhorne Slim) and Birger Olsen (Denver) and is released 14th April 2014.”
“Steel Threads are an acoustic band formed in 2011 and comprising Neil Wardleworth on guitar, bass drum and vocals and Laura Wilcockson on violin and vocals. Influenced by the likes of Led Zeppelin, Crowded House, Fleetwood Mac and The Waterboys, Steel Threads’ debut album ‘Timing Is Everything’ was released in June 2012. ‘For Those Who Are Left’ was pledge funded by fans and was released in October 2013 on CD, vinyl and mp3 download.”
“Courtney Barnett released the digital-only, double EP ‘A Sea Of Split Peas’ on London-based label Marathon Artists last year. The debut is re-released through a North American licensing agreement with Marathon Artists on April 15th.”
“The ‘Northern Gate’ EP is the second release from Scott Lloyd. Scott was born in Middlesbrough but now resides in Manchester. His debut release, ‘Long Live You EP’, came out June 2013. The music video for opening track ‘Lock The Door’, was released on YouTube on Monday 24th February, along with the start of the iTunes pre-sale. The EP will be made available for free streaming on Soundcloud from Monday, 3rd March.”
“With their new album ‘Close To The Glass’ released on Feb 24th by City Slang, The Notwist shared a new video for their single ‘Kong’. The animated visual was directed by Japanese film-maker Yu Sato and features illustrations from Tim Divall. The band are also preparing to embark upon their first European tour for some time, with a 4-date UK run next month that finishes at London’s Village Underground on March 18th.”
“Arms Of Tripoli is an instrumental band from Los Angeles consisting of members from various LA based bands. The group, as it stands, officially began in July 2011 and released its debut EP ‘All The Fallen Embers’ on Fluttery Records in the October of 2012. Their new full length album ‘Dream In Tongues’ was released at the end of February 2014.”
“Leon Of Athens‘ debut UK track ‘Global’ is set for release on Mimosa’s Dream on April 7th. The track is a preview to his album out in June this year. A launch party to celebrate the release on 9th April is planned at the Notting Hill Arts Club. The single was produced by Tony Doogan (Mogwai, Belle and Sebastian) at Dave Fridmann’s Tarbox Road Studios.”
“’Concrete’ is the first single from Fred Page. The 23-year-old Londoner has been honing his craft over many years in and around London, playing venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, The 100 Club, The Social and The Troubadour. ‘Concrete’ comes with a video directed by Matt Cocksedge of Delphic and is released on Young & Lost Records.”
“Never Ending Apnea from Torino, Italy release the video for new single ‘Drowning’. The song will take part in the forthcoming album recorded at Fusix Studio (Ready Set Fall, Ms White Upon This Dawning among others) in May. Never Ending Apnea has been active since 2010, and have toured with international bands such as Devil Sold His Soul, Glamour Of The Kill, Hawthorne Heights, The Elijah, Heights, Heart In Hand.”
“Keys have sent over the video for their forthcoming single ‘Bad Girls’. It’s Keys’ first release since 2011’s ‘Bitten By Wolves’ and is also the first single from forthcoming album ‘Ring the Changes’, which will hit the shops in May 2014.”
It’s all about the sound really.
The skitter of a drum machine, the romance of the 808 kicking “Manchester” into life, the howling feedback that links The Who to Jesus And the Mary Chain…to Napalm Death, the jangle that stretches from the Beatles to Arctic Monkeys, the soul groove that pulls back from Alex Turner’s Sheffield lads to Marvin Gaye and rebounds to Robin Thicke.
What you need is something that can handle all of those sounds. Something that will cope with whatever mood you’re in. Something that will be true to what you need to hear.
ei8htball. It’s all in your head.
To enter our giveaway contest, check our twitter feed at @live4ever_ezine AND RETWEET OUR NEW TUNES GUIDE EI8HTBALL CONTEST TWEETS . We will pick one lucky winner by March 6th. Good luck!
