We Could Be Astronauts is the project born from out of the ashes of three of York, UK’s most popular bands from the last decade, Idle Jack & The Big Sleep, The Seahorses and Hijack Oscar.

This group includes Dave Hartley of Hijack Oscar (drums), Stuart Fletcher of The Seahorses (bass) as well as Rob Hughes (lead vocals) and Simon Himsworth (guitar and backing vocals) of Idle Jack, alongside former Blackwater Trio member Paul Heaney on lead guitar. Together they create delightful and organised chaos - a diverse fusion of jazz, blues, indie and rock music that work well together and will surely appeal to the ever-picky alternative music masses.

The band have done pretty well for themselves since forming in 2010. Most recently, they’ve been backed by Hugh Bayley (York’s MP – Member Of Parliament) in the 2012 Rock The House competition which boasts patrons the likes of Alice Cooper and Mark Hoppus of Blink-182). Oh yeah, and they just played a BBC Introducing slot at T In The Park! Mega!

If you like Soundgarden, Rage Against The Machine or good ol’ Led Zeppelin, then you will find something to enjoy within this pure and classic UK sound – mega metallic riffs, loud-quiet indie vox and progressive rock drums make standout tunes like ‘Lost At Sea’ and ‘The Catastrophist’ well worth a good few repeat listens.

For more information visit the official We Could Be Astronauts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wecouldbeastronauts 

Givers are back this summer with a new single “Ceiling of Plankton” hoping to repeat the success of their first single, “Up Up Up” off the same album. This Afro-pop quintet‘s music is so much fun that you just can’t help to bounce along. 

A chance encounter in 2005 coupled with a natural disaster set the creation of Givers into motion. Taylor Guarisco (singer & guitarist) and Tiffany Lamson (singer, ukulele & percussionist), met at the University of New Orleans and were the catalyst in the formation with Kirby Campbell (drums, programming & vocals), Nick Stephan (keyboards & flute) and Josh LeBlanc (bass guitar) joining shortly after. There are two elements that are distinctly unique to Givers: their sound and their positivity. 

They are often sonically compared to Vampire Weekend, but Givers are uniquely their own. The background of Givers is present in their music, from smart lyrics to musical elements that hint to zydeco sounds of past bands. Focuses on percussion as well as chant-like lyrics drive their songs. With each song, they have captured any eclectic sound that makes you want to dance or at the very least bob your head. 

The one visceral takeaway from every single, the entire album (In Light), and the live performances is the undeniable positivity of Givers. They sound like they are a band of warm, kind people, who just want to make you happy and they accomplish it. Givers want to share the same pleasure that they have playing and creating these songs with the audience. 

To accompany the new single of “Ceiling of Plankton”, Givers have released a music video as well. After a stint of playing music festivals, Givers are going to be playing a few festivals in the UK this summer (tour dates are below). There might be nothing more perfect on a summer day than a Givers set. 

Check out more on Givers: 
Website: http://giversband.com

Babel will be released on 24th September, and will be available for pre-order on mumfordandsons.com come 23rd July. 

 From the band:

“We are more than excited to release ‘Babel’ into the world. We had started writing new songs well before we got into the studio to record. At first, we peeled ourselves off the road quite reluctantly. We love playing live, obviously, but it had also become an important part of our creative process, we had been writing and rehearsing in soundchecks, and sort of ‘road-testing’ new songs on our very gracious audiences. But then we fell in love with recording again. The album started to come together, and with the help of Markus Dravs once more (and engineer Robin Baynton), we started to relish the challenge of making this album.  As a band, we’ve never been closer or more collaborative, all working to our strengths. And so we feel that this record is a natural progression that we’re proud of, and we cannot wait to take it out on the road.” - Mumford & Sons   

The tracklisting for Babel:

1.     Babel 
2.     Whispers In The Dark 
3.     I Will Wait 
4.     Holland Road 
5.     Ghosts That We Knew 
6.     Lover Of The Light 
7.     Lovers’ Eyes 
8.     Reminder 
9.     Hopeless Wanderer 
10.   Broken Crown 
11.   Below My Feet 
12.   Not With Haste   

Mumford & Sons 2012 Tour Dates:   

1st August – Hoboken, New Jersey SOLD OUT 

4th August – Portland, Maine (Gentlemen of the Road Stopover Show with Mumford & Sons + St. Vincent, Dawes, The Maccabees, Apache Relay, Simone Felice, Haim) SOLD OUT 

6th August – Providence Performing Arts Centre, Providence, Rhode Island SOLD OUT 

7th August – Marvin Sands Performing Arts, Canandaigua, New York 

9th August – nTelos Wireless Pavilion, Portsmouth, Virginia 

11th August – Bristol, Tennessee (Gentlemen of the Road Stopover Show with Mumford & Sons + Dawes, JEFF The Brotherhood, The Very Best, Apache Relay, Simone Felice, Justin Townes Earl, Haim) SOLD OUT 

13th August – Louisville Waterfront Park, Louisville, Kentucky 

14th August – The LC Pavilion, Columbus, Ohio SOLD OUT 

18th August – Dixon, Illinois (Gentlemen of the Road Stopover Show with Mumford & Sons + Gogol Bordello, Dawes, Abigail Washburn, The Very Best, Apache Relay, Haim) SOLD OUT 

20th August – Pinewood Bowl Theatre, Lincoln, Nebraska SOLD OUT 

21st August – Gryphon Theatre, Laramie, Wyoming SOLD OUT 

22nd August – The Saltair, Magna, Utah 

25th August – Monterey, California (Gentlemen of the Road Stopover Show with Mumford & Sons + Gogol Bordello, The Very Best, Apache Relay, Haim) SOLD OUT 

28th August – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Colorado SOLD OUT 

29th August – Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Colorado SOLD OUT 

1st September – Aspen Jazz Festival, Aspen, Colorado 

13th October – Belvoir Amphitheatre, Perth 

15th October – Entertainment Centre, Adelaide 

17th October – Riverstage, Brisbane 

18th October – Entertainment Centre, Sydney 

23rd October – Derwent Entertainment Centre, Hobart 

25th October – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne 

26th October – Royal Theatre, Canberra 

28th October – Kuranda Amphitheatre, Cairns 

29th October – Convention Centre, Townsville 

31st October – Convention Centre, Gold Coast 

2nd November – Vector Arena, Auckland 

4th November – Town Hall, Wellington 

6th November – CBS Arena, Christchurch

Sometimes life plays out like a kooky sitcom episode, and this can definitely be said about the forming of Deap Vally. This gritty blues-rock duo from the San Fernando Valley met in a needlework class and bonded over their love of blues music. However when you listen to their music, it would make more sense if Lindsey Troy (voice, guitar) and Julie Edwards (drums) met in some dive bar or even a motorcycle gang.

Deap Vally’s music is a return to the simplest form of blues, which is a focus on beat, melody, and meaning. The music is raw and authentic, while hinting at the great acts in rock history, like Led Zeppelin and Janis Joplin.

Deap Valley have released debut single “Gonna Make My Own Money” and it is a great first impression. Troy’s voice howls throughout the single, marking a sense of urgency and authority. The combination of Troy’s guitar and Edward’s drums are reminiscent of early The Black Keys, but meaner.

Deap Vally is returning to the UK this summer, including their debut London show. Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards are everything that you want in a all girl blues-rock band, and their live shows are infamous.

Deap Vally Live:
24th August, READING FESTIVAL 
25th August, LEEDS FESTIVAL 

Get familiar with Deap Vally:
www.facebook.com/deapvally
www.twitter.com/deapvally
http://soundcloud.com/deap-vally

A quick listen to the songs available on York-based Miaow Miaow’s Soundcloud (gotta love it), and you will hear a group of musicians with a whole heap of musical diversity and drive… without any pretension.

To achieve this, they employ (slightly crazy) smiling faces, wit and distinct and vibrant math-rock, progressive-style riffs ala’ Foals or The Rapture, a major love for continental sounds and err, some sweet, sweet genre bending. Nice.

‘Egg (My House)’ is a real standout – it starts off echoing most of the indie bands around today, and then breaks into a progressive rock (almost punk) chorus that shatters the ears in a way that might inspire Klaxons to write better tunes (we really like the Ks as well, so that’s saying something, right?).

What really works here, though is the band’s fearless nature. It seems like they will try anything – a proper good example is ‘Tiger Suit’ where the four-piece dive into a musical cooking pot of euphoric beats and Bloc Party-baiting guitars. They’ve got something. Something real. Real freakin’ good.

Do not ignore this band. They will drug you and possibly rip your ears off if you do.

You’ll still love ‘em after that as well. Crazy sounds for crazy nights; s’all good.

Now, about that Soundcloud link: http://soundcloud.com/miaowmiaowmusic

One can get lost in the dauntingly long list of British singer/songwriters; it takes a lot of talent to stand out and thankfully Nick Mulvey has that talent. After leaving Portico Quartet, a British jazz band, where he played percussion, Mulvey has established himself as a very capable songwriter and African guitar specialist. Mulvey has received degree in ethnomusicology (focusing on African music) at SOAS (The School of Oriental and African Studies), which in itself is pretty spectacular. 

Described as a cross Nick Drake and José Gonzales, Nick Mulvey creates songs that are hauntingly beautiful. But Mulvey describes his music as “Central African and Flamenco guitar influences combine with a love of great songwriting and an enduring interest in the mysterious things that happen to humans when exposed to deeply repetitive sounds.” Deep, right? Each song is unique in itself, and with but in the song “The River Lea”, Mulvey is stepping out his comfort zone to make a musically darker song. 

At this moment, Mulvey is currently working on his debut album, but he is already establishing himself on the British scene. With sets at Bushstock and a handful of upcoming festival dates, Nick Mulvey is getting himself out there. He is blowing people away with his skills, such as simultaneously playing three different rhythms on a guitar while singing. I could listen to Nick Mulvey play for hours on end, so give him a listen. 

Check out more on Nick Mulvey:
http://www.facebook.com/nickmulveymusic
http://www.myspace.com/nickmulveymusic

The incredible Sharon Van Etten has announced a ton more US, UK and European tour dates, have a look below and see if you can catch her live!

You can purchase tickets directly from her site: 
http://sharonvanetten.com/tour

Sun. July 15 - Nijmegen, Hollland @ De Alffaire
Tue. July 17 - Kristiansand, Norway @ Kilden Supersonic
Wed. July 25 - Albany, NY @ Swyer Theatre at The Egg (SOLD OUT) $
Sat. July 28 - Newport, RI @ Newport Folk Festival
Sun. July 29 - Hudson, NY @ Helsinki Hudson
Mon. July 30 - Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks
Tue. July 31 - Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix *
Thu. Aug. 2 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Ballroom *
Fri. Aug. 3 - Chicago, IL @ LollapaloozaSat. Aug. 4 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *
Tue. Aug. 7 - Seattle, WA @ Neptune *
Wed. Aug. 8 - Portland, OR @ Aladdin *
Fri. Aug. 10 - San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Festival
Fri. Aug. 10 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop (Outside Lands after show)
Sun. Aug. 12 - Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre #
Tue. Aug. 14 - Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern *
Wed. Aug. 15 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom *
Fri. Aug. 17 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge *
Sat. Aug. 18 - Jackson, WY @ Caldera Festival #
Sun. Aug. 19 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
Mon. Aug. 20 - Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room
Wed. Aug. 22 - Cleveland, OH @ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Wed. Sept. 26 - Lisbon, Portugal @ Lux Club
Thu. Sept. 27 - Madrid, Spain @ Teatro Lara
Fri. Sept. 28 - Valencia, Spain @ El Loco
Sat. Sept. 29 - Barcelona, Spain @ La del Apolo
Mon. Oct. 1 - Paris, France @ Cafe de la Danse
Wed. Oct. 3 - Tourcoin, France @ Grand Mix
Thu. Oct. 4 - Strasbourg, France @ La Laiterie
Fri. Oct. 5 - Rouen, France @ Le 106
Sun. Oct. 7 - Cambridge, UK @ Junction 2
Mon. Oct. 8 - London, UK @ Shepherds Bush Empire
Tue. Oct. 9 - Cardiff, UK @ Glee Club
Wed. Oct. 10 - Sheffield, UK @ Queens Social Club
Thu. Oct. 25 - Washington, DC @ 930 Club %
Fri. Oct. 26 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle %
Sat. Oct. 27 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West ^
Sun. Oct. 28 - Orlando, FL @ The Social %
Tue. Oct. 30 - Tallahassee, FL @ Club Downunder at FSU %
Thu. Nov. 1 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgeralds %
Fri. Nov. 2 - Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Festival
Sat. Nov. 3 - Dallas, TX @ Trees %
Sun. Nov. 4 - Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone %
Mon. Nov. 5 - St. Louis, MO @ Firebird %
Wed. Nov. 7 - Chicago, IL @ Metro %
Thu. Nov. 8 - Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Ballroom %
Fri. Nov. 9 - Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom %
Sat. Nov. 10 - South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground %
Sun. Nov. 11 - Boston, MA @ Paradise %
Thu. Nov. 15 - New York, NY @ Town Hall

$ with Conor Oberst
* with Tennis
# with Andrew Bird
% with Damien Jurado
^ with Damien Jurado, Crooked Fingers, John Vanderslice

 

Blessed with vibrant Sinead (O’Connor)-style and sultry Robyn-esque vocals (albeit KP sounds ten times cooler… what? It’s true?), Swedish-born singer Karin Park is a dark-pop mastermind. Her sound will haunt and enthral you. No doubt.

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Working out of London a lot nowadays, Karin has just announced dates with industrial music legend Gary Numan, and we can see why the godfather of gloom digs this sound. There’s a charming darkness about KP’s sound that will tickle the respective fancies of both indie and electro lovers; this is music to have hard sex to, it is music to dance to, and music to believe in.

It’s nice too, because through all of the success Karin has experienced already on an international level, she has been performing live with her brother David Park since 2004 – it’s a good ‘ol fashioned family affair. As stated, her music is simultaneously gloomyand spine-tinglingley exciting, and most regularly she gains comparisons with the regal likes of Bjork and Fever Ray (who rather appropriately work with the same producer); who can (in their right mind) ignore that type of hype, eh?

For more information visit the official Karin Park Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/karinpark