Tim Wheeler - Ash

Following the success of the 2011 edition, the following bands have been confirmed for this years festival.

Saturday 2nd June:

Ash
The Pigeon Detectives
Reverend & The Makers
The Big Pink
Tellison
The Tripwires
Solko

Headliners for Sunday 3rd June to be confirmed soon.

Playfest is held at The New Eccles Hall School, between Attleborough and Thetford.
Tickets are now available from http://www.playfest.co.uk/tickets/

The title track from zebrahead’s forthcoming album ‘Get Nice!’ is now available to buy digitally and the accompanying video has also been unveiled. The band will be playing a one-off headline date at London’s Garage on Monday 8th August. Tickets available at www.ticketweb.co.uk. This will follow a performance at Hevy Festival in Kent the day before with the likes of Four Year Strong and Funeral or A Friend.

Matty from the band says of the forthcoming trip to this part of the world – “I can’t wait to get back to Europe! The fans are incredible! I wish I could take them all home with me and adopt them!”

The La Habra, CA-based punk inspired rock outfit Zebrahead was formed in the mist of the Orange County punk explosion and since their incarnation they have had highs and lows, sold over 1.5 million albums to date, survived label changes, garnered a Grammy nomination and toured nonstop. Fueled by pure determination and a lot of beer the band is still going strong.

The album is released on 29th August.

‘There Are Rules’ has marked a new chapter for The Get Up Kids, as they have returned to their independent roots, forming their own label – Quality Hill Records – and reigniting the DIY spirit that originally launched the band onto the worldwide stage. Check out the new music video for album track ‘Shatter Your Lungs’ here – http://youtu.be/vBmEToFGsBc.

4-Oct-11: LEEDS COCKPIT

5-Oct-11: LONDON KOKO

You can also help fund the new Matt Pryor solo album by visiting: http://kck.st/lpcVID.

Following from the unhinged, pop-laced, twelve-legged joy of their debut album ‘Hey Everyone’, the band have honed their song writing and are now preparing to release a truly remarkable follow-up that more than delivers on the promise sown by their first outing.

The first taster from their sessions with Ross Robinson gets its first spin on Radio 1 this Monday evening, but the band are allowing fans to hear ‘E Numbers’ exclusively from their Facebook page today as they head out on their first tour of the year, taking Kid Adrift with them.

Dananananaykroyd – E Numbers by WorkItMedia

Thursday - Devolución_artwork

New Jersey’s passionate rock band Thursday returns on April 11 with their most dynamic album to date, No Devolución. On their sixth studio album, Thursday explores elements of post-rock, indie, art and experimental styles, blending it all with their post-hardcore roots for a beautifully cathartic experience unlike anything they’ve done before.

Emotionally charged atmospheric guitars, rhythm and keyboards swirl in unison with Geoff Rickly’s inimitably intense vocals, painting a powerful cinematic-like soundscape and grabbing hold of listeners with each twisting turn. No longer merely the “screamo” band of yore, Thursday has transcended the genre they helped to spark with No Devolución, which translates to “No Returns,” an appropriate title for a band consistently moving forward.

No Devolución wastes no time with the frantic urgency of “Fast to the End,” which strikes a perfect balance between new and old styles. Tom Keeley and Steve Pedulla’s elaborate guitar work, Tucker Rule’s driving percussion, Tim Payne’s rhythmic bass and Andrew Everding’s powerful keyboards fuel the narrative for Rickly’s deeply personal tales of undying devotion, a theme found throughout the album. “Records are always written about new love or break-ups but no one ever writes records about long term devotion,” says Rickly. “After 13 years as a band, this theme seemed self-evident.”

No Devolución’s theme of devotion can be felt as the dramatic arc of the album unfolds. Segueing seamlessly from one to another, “No Answers” and “A Darker Forest” find Thursday at their most vulnerable place ever. Rickly’s haunting vocals float through fields of atmospheric guitars and keyboards, building to the album’s first single “Magnets Caught in a Metal Heart,” a stunning and memorable song of love’s bittersweet attraction.

Thursday continues the intensity with “Past & Future Ruins,” a surging blast of post-rock, slowing only momentarily for the somber “Empty Glass,” an emotionally raw song set to an organ that tears at the heart with every word of Rickly’s vocals. “Open Quotes” races back cutting sharp turns with intricate guitars under Rickly’s echoing vocals, right into the searing indie rock anthem “Millimeter.” Rule’s rhythm provides the backbone to Keeley, Pedulla, Everding and Payne’s sonic landscape on “A Gun in the First Act” and “Sparks Against The Sun” while Keeley and Pedulla lead the rhythmic assault on “Turnpike Divides,” which is sure to be a fan favorite.

Thursday’s parting salvo on No Devolución is “Stay True,” a stunning post-rock track that evokes the epic sweep of Explosions in the Sky and the powerful intensity of Mogwai all the while maintaining a sound which is distinctly Thursday. Rickly sings “We’ve all got a lot to lose. Whatever else you do, Stay True.” And that is exactly what the band has done here. Moving forward yet staying true to themselves along the way.

Upon completing the album, Rickly says he searched for the perfect artwork to capture the record’s evolving sound and eventually stumbled on artist Mia Pearlman. “I saw an image of Mia Pearlman’s “Eye” which is a giant white paper installation and kept thinking about it,” says Rickly. “Eventually, I realized she lived near me and approached her about making a cut paper piece as our album artwork. We’re thrilled. The record sounds like her work looks.”

Funeral For A Friend

Here is the video for Sixteen by Funeral For A Friend which will be released on 21st March.

It’s taken from their forthcoming album ‘Welcome Home Armageddon’ which is set for release on 14th March