News & Bits

Since the regular Sunday gig guide was written and posted much earlier than normal, and since I have an inbox full of press releases and things that likely won't get dealt with elsewhere, here's a wee round of up some news and new releases. I also spend too much time each week trawling Bandcamp for new things, so I might as well report back on what I've came across this week. Exciting, no? Don't answer that.

The other day Debutant surprised a few of us by suddenly releasing his long promised album We Stand Alone Together. Even better, the album has been made available for free. You can download it over at Bandcamp. Less surprisingly, the album is really good.

Spaghetti Anywhere slipped out a free EP at the start of the week, which I forgot to mention. You can get hold of Arrochar here. You should too, we really like them.

Arran Arctic has a new album out too. In My Hands is a DIY effort put together entirely by Arran, available on CD from his website, or a name your price download from Bandcamp.

Black International release their debut album, In Debt, in a few weeks, and will be heading off on tour to launch it. Tour dates are:

4th March 2011- Other Rooms, Newcastle w/ Waiting for Winter & the Prison Library

5th March 2011- Doghouse, Dundee w/ the Heebie Jeebies

11th March 2011- Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh w/ Verse Metrics & Little Yellow Ukuleles

12th March 2011- Admiral Bar, Glasgow w/ Male Pattern Band, Ex-Men & Rollor

16th March 2011- West St. Live, Sheffield w/ Death Rays of Ardilla & the JC Albyn Complex

17th March 2011- Ram & Shackle, Manchester

19th March 2011- Market Bar, Inverness

25th March 2011- Vintner's Parrot, Worthing w/ Vacant Empire & Matron

15th April 2011- Labour Club, Northampton w/ the Sailplanes & Blood Visions

16th April 2011- Upstairs at the Garage, London w/ Verse Metrics, Lightguides & the Sailplanes

The albumis available to pre-order from the band's Bandcamp page, and I'll have a review of it this week.

Le Reno Amps are gearing up to release a new album too. Appetite is released on April 18th, with a limited number of copies coming with a digital EP of six songs that didn't quite make the album. Le Reno Amps will be playing a few pre-release gigs at the following times and places:

10th March - Drummonds, Aberdeen w/ The Scottish Enlightenment & Steven Milne.

11th March - Thunderton, Elgin (An Audience With Le Reno Amps)

12th March - Hootanannys, Inverness (An Audience with Le Reno Amps)

Appetite is available to pre-order now on Bandcamp, and you'll get a download of it right now if you buy. We bought our copy just before writing up this blog post, cause we are eager.

In other album pre-order news, You Already Know unleash their second album, Petrol Money, on the same day as Le Reno Amps, April 18th. There's a number of pre-order options available on Bandcamp, all of which will get you an immediate download of the (brilliant) album.

Not long after one half of Bottle of Evil released a new, free download album (Evil Hand's Huldra, available here) they've now released an instrumental version of their self titled debut album, also for free. You can get that here. The original version made it on to the Aye Tunes favourites of last year, and is still available from Bandcamp and all the usual online places.

The next release from the Eli and Oz label comes from Open Swimmer. Sugar Bowl is released tomorrow, but you can buy it from Bandcamp now. You can also get your hands on a free download of a remix of the title trick by Miaoux Miaoux here.

In the "records I really need to review" column, Real Capital by The Great I Am came out last week. The album is excellent, and available for a minimum price of £1. You can find it here.

Not ones for resting, apparently, How Garbo Died have released their third set of new tracks. A Collection of Things Better Left Unsaid is probably the best stuff I've heard from them yet, and available for free here.

Dananananakroyd have released a teaser of their upcoming second album. E Numbers is available free here. They've also announced their first Glasgow gig in a while, at The Ivy on June 3rd. Tickets are available here, and going fast.

Sonny Marvello are looking to get together some money for their next release, and to do so have put together the 100 Club. Here's the details - membership to the Sonny Marvello 100 Club will entail:

A free download of "Who Needs Somebody".

An exclusive, strictly limited edition acoustic mini-album. This will never be made available online, there will only ever be 100 copies made. The album will be sent out in April.
Access to a special secret show later in the year – only 100 club members will be invited.
An exclusive limited edition Sonny Marvello 100 club pin badge
A permanent mention of gratitude and thanks on the Sonny Marvello website.

You can sign up for the 100 Club here.

Birdhead will be releasing their first EP on March 16th. Available digitally and as a limited run of only 50 CDs, the EP is released with a gig Edinburgh's Electric Circus on that date. Don't worry, I'll remind you in the relevant gig guide too.

There are probably a million other things happening that I've forgotten about, but I think that's enough reading for you for one Sunday afternoon.