New album from Graham Coxon.

Graham Coxon

A+E

www.grahamcoxon.co.uk

www.facebook.com/grahamcoxonofficial

Eighth solo album from one of Britain’s most gifted musicians.

Accompanying tour features locally nominated bands chosen by Coxon.

Graham Coxon returns to Parlophone for his new album titled A+E, which will be released on 2^nd April. A+E is Coxon’s first release since the acclaimed, acoustic-driven The Spinning Top.

Aptly named not only for the sense of scratchy, frantic urgency that suffuses its 10 songs, A+E finds Graham continuing with his singular vision as a truly eclectic artist.  Playing all the instruments and improvising in the studio, Coxon found himself preoccupied with lyrical themes around the effects of weekend hedonism in modern Britain, on which A+E shines an outsider’s light, albeit with a mordant, sharp wit.

Produced by Ben Hillier, A+E features Coxon’s distinctive, visceral garage-punk-pop and is inspired by the experimental genres of Krautrock and the black & white, post-punk era – bringing to mind artists such as Neu! (‘City Hall’), Can and Kraftwerk (‘What’ll It Take’), as well as Peter Hamill, Joy Division (‘Knife In The Cast’) and Monochrome Set - with hypnotic, driving grooves (‘The Truth’). This may be the closet Graham has ever come to making, in a skewed sense of the word, ‘dance’ music.

Coxon describes the album as, “Improvisations, experiments in beats, rhythms. A chance to uninhibitedly make some sort of perversely sad, danceable and funny and despondent songs.” Adding  “I didn’t want to get caught up in my usual struggle with trying to make things sound really posh. I didn’t want lovely 60s-sounding drums and valves.”

In keeping with the album’s themes, Graham will curate the bill on a special tour around the UK in April, where he’ll invite his fans to nominate local bands to support him – he will then select his favourite for each venue (please go to www.nme.com / www.grahamcoxon.co.uk for further information).

The full A+E track list is:

1.       Advice

2.       City Hall

3.       What’ll It Take

4.       Meet+Drink+Pollinate

5.       The Truth

6.       Seven Naked Valleys

7.       Running For Your Life

8.       Bah Singer

9.       Knife In The Cast

10.    Ohh, Yeh, Yeh

A+E Tour dates, April 2012:

13^th         O2 Oxford Academy. 0844 477 2000

http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=gb_south&query=detail&event=485364&interface=

15^th         Gateshead Sage. Box office: 0845 413 44444 /
http://www.alt-tickets.co.uk/alttickets/home_graham_coxon.html

16^th         Edinburgh Liquid Rooms. 08444 999 990 /

www.gigsinscotland.com 

17^th         Glasgow Garage (same as above)

19^th         Manchester Sound Control. 0845 413 44444 /
http://www.alt-tickets.co.uk/alttickets/home_graham_coxon.html

20^th         Sheffield Leadmill.  0114 2212 828 /

www.leadmill.co.uk

21^st         Nottingham Rescue Rooms. 0845 413 44444 /
http://www.alt-tickets.co.uk/alttickets/home_graham_coxon.html

23^rd         Brighton Concorde. 01273 673311 /

http://www.seetickets.com/Event/GRAHAM-COXON/Concorde-2/611386/

24^th         Cambridge Junction. 01223 511511 /

www.junction.co.uk

25^th         London Forum. 0844 811 0051 /    

http://www.gigsandtours.com/?a=graham+coxon&site=grahamcoxon

27^th         Gloucester Guildhall. 01452 503050 /

http://www.seetickets.com/Event/GRAHAM-COXON/Gloucester-Guildhall/611169

28^th         Bristol Trinity. 0117 9299008 /

http://www.seetickets.com/Event/GRAHAM-COXON/Bristol-Trinity/611133

29^th         Exeter Phoenix. 01392 667080 /

http://www.seetickets.com/Event/GRAHAM-COXON/Exeter-Phoenix/611161

30^th         Falmouth Princess Pavilions. 01326 211222 /

http://www.seetickets.com/Event/GRAHAM-COXON/Princess-Pavilion/611165

Enter Shikari - A Flash Flood of Colour

We're only just into January and the first album that drops in front of me immediately becomes a contender for one of the best of 2012.  A stunning collection from Enter Shikari, with their third outing "A Flash Flood of Colour.  Full review via Mudkiss at the link below.

http://www.mudkiss.com/entershikarialbumreview.htm

Shearwater - Breaking the Yearling

Shearwater release their 8th album "Animal Joy" on February 14th with lead track "Breaking the Yearling" available as a free downlaod from Soundcloud.  A darkly atmospheric, rhythm heavy piece complimenting Jonathan Meiburg's vocal, a sound akin to being haunted by a ghostly apparition of Peter Gabriel.

Brilliant image for the album too.

http://soundcloud.com/subpop/shearwater-breaking-the

Huntress - Eight of Swords

Brilliant track from Huntress "Eight of Swords," first track from their forthcoming debut album. Amazing vocals from Jill Janus with a great, very much in the vein of the genre, video to enjoy as well.

http://www.facebook.com/HuntressKills?sk=info

Mudkiss interview with Enter Shikari

Great little interview here with Enter Shikari by Mudkiss's own, Callum Barnes. Timing nicely with the release of the new album on January 16th.

http://www.mudkiss.com/entershikariinterview.htm

Michael Kiwanuka

Announced today, the winner of the BBC's Sound of 2012 is Michael Kiwanuka.

There is a comment on YouTube suggesting he's the second coming of Jimi Hendrix??  Must be missing something, sounds more like the second coming of Jack Johnson to me.

 http://michaelkiwanuka.com/

Perhaps Contraption

Perhaps Contraption are an astonishing 8 piece, twisted brass, art pop marching band. 
  
You can see what they do & how they look in this wonderful video for their single, Cousin/Grandma: 

 There’s a Chameleon, a mutant-pram-kit, and a giant millipede scuttling across a pretty girl’s face (amongst other curious sights and sounds).

Completely DIY & independent, Perhaps Contraption had an incredible summer establishing themselves on the UK Festival scene - Glastonbury, Bestival, The Secret Garden Party, Lovebox, Wilderness, Playgroup, and more.......and you can certainly understand why.

 
http://listen.perhapscontraption.co.uk/album/listening-bones-excerpts