Introducing Xtra Mile Recording’s Newest Signings... Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun

Brand new signings Jim Lockey and the Solemn Sun give a tantalising glimpse to their highly anticipated second album with a free download track ‘Warriors’ being given away on the 12th December here: http://bit.ly/t1po8n

‘Warriors’ – a fast paced and energetic musical gem, highlights their incredible blend of country-folk and indie-punk that makes them one of the most, poetic and engaging new bands in British music.

In two short years these anarcho-anglo storytellers have incessantly toured the country, including as main support on Frank Turner’s February 2011 UK Tour plus shows alongside the likes of Mumford & Sons, Dry the River, Johnny Flynn, Alessi’s Ark and Pete Doherty. In the summer they also performed at numerous festivals such as the Big Chill, Beautiful Days, Wychwood and Y-Not, including a packed performance as headliners on the second stage at 2000trees.

Their second album, titled ‘Death’, due out in April 2012, encapsulates the bands vast sound into 11 tracks, produced by Peter Miles (King Blues, Crazy Arm, Futures) the young quartet draw from a plethora of influences including alt. country folk and hardcore punk. Coupled with a strong political ethic and a “play-till-you’re-dead” attitude ‘Death’ is an innovative and arresting record, crammed with hook-filled soaring harmonies, innovative rhythms and passionately honest lyrics.

You can hear these new tracks live when the band hit the road for a short run of dates:
DECEMBER
11 Swindon 12 Bar
12 London Dublin Castle
13 Oxford Wheatsheaf
14 Weymouth Lazy Lizard
15 Birmingham Asylum 2
17 Cheltenham Frog

Their 2010 debut “Atlases” (produced by MPG Engineer of the year and double Grammy nominated producer James Towler) received critical acclaim and airplay from Steve Lamacq on Radio 2, Kerrang Radio and BBC Introducing and has since sold out of its limited original pressing of 500 copies (Lockey’s 2008 solo debut “I’ll Be Neon” also sold out in its first year).


PRESS
• "Never has music been so relevant" - BBC Introducing

• “...one of, if not the best, singer-songwriter I've met... Deserves to be massive" - Frank Turner

• "Lockey & Co... definitely ones to watch" - The Fly

• "Jim Lockey & the Solemn Sun could be the British Bright Eyes" - is this music?

CRAZY ARM DECEMBER UK TOUR

Devonian roots-punk ensemble, Crazy Arm, embark on a short UK stint in December, fresh off the back of their hugely successful tour with Against Me! which saw them play sold out shows in France, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and England. The band will be appearing alongside Great Cynics and Smokey Bastard at most of the shows (dates below).

Crazy Arm's second album 'Union City Breath' was released in October of this year. Much like its predecessor, 'Born To Ruin', it has been brilliantly received nationwide and throughout mainland Europe by fans and critics alike. Produced and engineered by Peter Miles (The King Blues, The Computers, Sonic Boom Six), the album is a triumph of punk rock energy, alt. country vitalism and rabble-rousing honesty.

Crazy Arm, properly set up camp in mid-2006. Not easy to categorise, and all the better for it, their sound is an accumulation of decades of influence and inspiration: rooted in hardcore/punk, ‘60s protest folk/country and Springsteen-esque rock’n’roll, combined with a grass-roots political overview that embraces anti-war, anti-fascist and pro-community activism.

December tour dates:
14th – Joiners, Southampton (with Great Cynics + Smokey Bastard)
15th – Star & Garter, Manchester (with Above Them + Great Cynics + Smokey Bastard)
16th – 1 in 12 Club, Bradford (with Random Hand + Great Cynics + Smokey Bastard)
17th – Frog & Fiddle, Cheltenham (with Tall Ships + Jim Lockey + Talons)
18th – Windmill, London (with Above Them + Great Cynics + Smokey Bastard)
20th – The Maze, Nottingham (with Great Cynics + Smokey Bastard)

Reviews for 'Union City Breath':
'Blisters with energy' – KKKK Kerrang!
'You need Crazy Arm' – 5/5 Big Cheese
'A triumph from start to finish' – 9/10 Punktastic
'Delivered with a fired-up passion' – Rock Sound
'Never faltering from the pinnacle it attains from the off' – Punk News
'A patchwork blanket of musical bliss' – Room Thirteen
'This is the band to watch at the moment' – Rhythm Circus
'Supremely confident' – Sputnik Music
'Album of choice to represent Britain on the punk scene' – Alter The Press

Contacts:
website: www.facebook.com/thecrazyarm
bookings: aisha [at]oneinchbadge[dot]com
band email: johnsycash[at] yahoo[dot]co[dot]uk
PR: anthea[at]presscounselpr[dot]com
record label: www.xtramilerecordings.com

The Xcerts - Announce European tour with I Am The Avalanche, UK tour with Brand New & the re-release of ‘Scatterbrain'

Having just returned from triumphant tours with Young Guns, Taking Back Sunday and Manchester Orchestra and the release of the ‘Slackerpop’ EP; THE XCERTS can now reveal their European tour with label mates I Am The Avalanche, UK support tour with Brand New, the re-release of their album 'Scatterbrain' with bonus tracks and the addition of a show at London's Borderline as part of their UK headline tour.

The Xcerts single ‘Slackerpop’ has recently enjoyed great support from television (Kerrang TV, Scuzz…) and radio (Radio 1, XFM…), securing daytime Radio 1 support thanks to Fearne Cotton. A special re-release of the band’s ‘Scatterbrain’ album is now available in the UK and Europe with the addition of 4 bonus tracks ('Let's Run', 'Tear Me Down', 'Gum - Alternative Version', 'Young (Belane) - Alternative Version'). Before The Xcerts head out on their dates with I Am The Avalanche, Brand New and their headline tour they are currently on the road in Europe with Frank Turner. Dates are as follows:

DECEMBER WITH FRANK TURNER

01 Backstage Halle, Munich
02 Postbahnhof, Berlin
04 Fabrik, Hamburg
05 Mau Club, Rostock
07 Divan Du Monde, Paris
08 Schuur, Luzern
09 Ringlokschuppen, Bielefeld
10 Messepark, Trier
11 Alter Schlachthof, Dresden
13 Meskalina, Poznan
14 Powiekszenie, Warsaw
16 Bronson, Ravenna
17 Abart, Zurich
18 Wuk, Vienna
19 PPC, Graz
20 Karlstorbahnhof, Heidelberg

HEADLINE TOUR - JANUARY 2012
17 Haunt, Brighton
18 Borderline, London
19 Moles, Bath
20 53 Degrees, Preston
21 – Drummonds, Aberdeen
22 - King Tuts, Glasgow

FEBRUARY 2012 WITH I AM THE AVALANCHE
01 Arena-Small Hall, Vienna
02 59 to 1, Munich
03 Kofmehl, Solothurn
04 Ex Haus, Trier
05 Logo, Hamburg

FEBRUARY 2012 SUPPORTING BRAND NEW
8 O2 Academy, Bristol
9 Academy, Manchester
10 Guildhall, Southampton
11 Roundhouse, London
12 Roundhouse, London
14 O2 Academy, Glasgow
15 O2 Academy, Birmingham
16 O2 Academy, Newcastle
17 University Great Hall, Cardiff

www.thexcertsband.com
www.xtramilerecordings.com

‘Slackerpop’ is taken from the The Xcerts second full length album ‘Scatterbrain’ which is out now through Xtra Mile Recordings. Here’s what the press had to say about ‘Scatterbrain’:

"Scottish trio become contenders on brilliant second album" - 4/5 Kerrang!
displays "...songwriting chops that are matures beyond their relatively young years. All that early promise they showed? Welcome to Deliveryville, population them. - 8/10 Rock Sound
The Xcerts have outdone themselves. This is a record that bands strive their whole careers to write and they’ve gone and done it on the second attempt. Marvellous. - 5/5 Punktastic
"...comeback of the year?" - 5/5 Big Cheese

For more information please contact info@presscounselpr.com – 020 7792 9400