New Art Brut Track, "Just Desserts", Available as a Free Download

DOWNLOAD: Art Brut - "Just Desserts" (MP3)

RCRD LBL is exclusively hosting a non-LP track from Art Brut, "Just Desserts", which was recorded at the Frank Black produced sessions for Art Brut vs. Satan.

From anyone who needs more Art brut - here is the video for "Alcoholics Unanimous", which is the first single from the forthcoming disc.


Links:
Art Brut's Website

Win a Copy of the New Art Brut CD Along With an Autographed Poster

You know you want this...

Win a copy of the newest CD from Art But, It's A Bit Complicated, along with an autographed poster.

Click on the CD cover to enter and send along your name and mailing address.

Winner will be drawn at random from all submitted entries.

Contest open to US residents only (Sorry!)

Link:
Art Brut's MySpace page

Art Brut Returns to NYC for a Show at Terminal 5

Art Brut is back in the States and will be doing an East Coast tour with The Hold Steady in Oct/Nov. The band has only one show in the area - Wednesday, Nov 21 @ Terminal 5, New York, NY. For anyone who hasn't been keep up with the new clubs that have been opening; Terminal 5 is the old Club Exit and it is located at 56th Street and 11th Avenue. According to this week's TimeOut, Terminal 5 has a capacity of 3,000. (I am sure there are going to be those who reminisce for last year's small club shows at Southpaw and the Knit)

Art Brut also did a live podcast for AOL's The Interface which is available as a free download on both video and mp3. Eddie is really something to watch -- I didn't hear the comparisons to The Fall when I first listened to the pre-release of It's a Bit Complicated but I can really see the comparison now. If you listen to the interview, there is talk that the University of Berlin is having a course on Eddie's lyrics.

Here is the track listing for the podcast:
'Pump Up the Volume'
'Post Soothing Out'
'Direct Hit'
'Good Weekend'

I have yet to catch The Hold Steady but this video from the band's show at Prospect Park looks pretty cool. It sounds like Craig Finn's spoken word delivery is a perfect match to accompany Eddie and Art Brut.

Before going off with Art Brut, The Hold Steady is play a show on 9.17.07 @ World Trade Center.

Links:
The Hold Steady
Art Brut
Art Brut's MySpace Page

White Rabbits - Fort Nightly CD Review

This is an amazing debut CD and the band has set the bar pretty high for other local bands.

While White Rabbits reside in Brooklyn, their sound dates back to the late-70's British mod revival. The closest points of comparison are Adam & the Ants, Madness, The Specials and (early) Squeeze. It is amazing the energy that the band plays with. The band plays with an intensity that so few bands capture while recording (think anything by The Jam or Adam Ant's Prince Charming CD). You can quickly tell that this band is likely to be a fabulous live act.

The band has a unique musical style that is tough to pin down. They use two drummers (like the early Ants) and heavy keys (like The Specials) but the White Rabbits only use elements from these bands and clearly are not derivatives of either act. Simply put -- this is great indie dance music. The CD production is also stellar as the vocals are clear and distinct and complement the music without overpowering it. As you can hear the lyrics, they are a bit dark but the melodies are insanely catchy.

The band is playing the David Letterman show next Thursday (July 19th) and are playing the main stage at the Siren Festival in Coney Island on July 21st. For the Siren Fest, the band is scheduled to take the stage at 1:30PM. The band is touring in August with The Cribs and here are the upcoming tour dates:

7-21 BROOKLYN SIREN FEST
7-31 MADISON, WI HIGH NOON SALOON
8-1 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 7TH STREET ENTRY W/ THE CRIBS
8-2 MILWAUKEE, WI PABST THEATER W/ THE CRIBS
8-4 CHICAGO, IL EMPTY BOTTLE W/ THE CRIBS
8-6 DETROIT, MI THE MAGIC STICK W/ THE CRIBS
8-9 NYC BOWERY W/ THE CRIBS
8-10 PHILADELPHIA, PA JOHNNY BRENDA'S W/ THE CRIBS
8-11 WASHINGTON DC BLACK CAT W/ THE CRIBS
8-18 AUSTIN, TX EMO'S

I ran across a White Rabbits video on YouTube that VBS.TV filmed at the band's practice/living space in Bushwick that is pretty cool. It also includes a killer rehearsal version of Fort Nightly. I was also looking at some of the band's live footage on YouTube and it really looks like this band is a "must see" act.



Links:
White Rabbits MySpace page (link)
White Rabbits Website (link)

Art Brut's Eddie Argos on the Cover of NME in a Hilarious Pose

I hope I am not the only one who gets the joke...I fell down laughing when I saw this. For anyone in doubt, check out the Beth Ditto "Kiss My A*s" cover of NME. (link)

Art Brut is in town on July 9th to celebrate the release of the new CD "It's a Bit Complicated" with opening act White Rabbits.
Show Info
July 9 @ Highline Ballroom
8pm doors / 9pm showtime
$18 / General Admission Standing Room Only / 16+
Tickets: (link)

Art Brut Stream More Songs from New CD and Play Highline Ballroom on July 9th

The new CD, It's A Bit Complicated, has been out for about two weeks now and Art Brut is back in town next Monday night for a show at the Highline Ballroom. I haven't yet caught the band in concert but I have heard great things about their live performances. The opener at the Highline Ballroom show is Brooklyn's White Rabbits (who also have a great new CD Fort Nightly).

Tickets are still available and are only $18.

The band is continuing to stream tracks from the new CD and just released a new video for Direct Hit. If you haven't picked up the new CD yet, give these tracks a listen and check out Eddie in a toga in the Direct Hit video.

Post Smoothing Out
Late Sunday

Art Brut - Direct Hit Video


Links:
Art Brut's Main Website (link)
Art Brut's MySpace page (link)
Tickets for Highline Ballroom show (link)

Art Brut's Second CD Its A Bit Complicated to be Released on June 26th

Art Brut played a short US tour last month in advance of their new CD "Its a Bit Complicated" which will be released June 26th on Downtime Records. The band released an advance of 4 new songs along with an unmastered version of Nag Nag Nag Nag.

I haven't heard the first Art Brut CD so I don't have a point of reference to compare these new tracks to but I really like them and am looking forward to hearing the whole CD. I've seen pictures on BrooklynVegan's site of the mass crowd singalongs at the band's show last year at the Siren Festival and these tracks will likely go over just as well. I have seen reviewers compare Art Brut musically to The Fall but I really don't hear a basis for this comparison. Singer Eddie Argos has a similar "spoken word" delivery like Mark E. Smith but there the comparison ends. If anyone has seen Smith on a rampage (think back to the Brownies gig in 1998), Argos seem to have none of Smith's bile. Musically, the band is probably closer to Franz Ferdinand and Argos' vocals may be better compared to a British version of Lou Reed.

While the first single from the upcoming release is Nag Nag Nag Nag, the track that stood out for me was Direct Hit. This track is up for Steve Lamaq's Rebel Playlist this week on BBC6 Music. So...click this link to vote for this song.

The band is touring Europe for most of the summer and here are the upcoming tour dates:

May 18 2007 8:00P The Great Escape Festival Brighton
May 25 2007 6:00P Art Rock 2007 Saint Brieuc / France
May 30 2007 8:00P Transilvania Milan / Italy
Jun 2 2007 6:00P Skabazac Festival Rodez / France
Jun 3 2007 8:00P Mascotte Zurich / Switzerland
Jun 4 2007 9:00P Atomic Cafe - SOLD OUT Munich / Germany, Bayern
Jun 5 2007 8:00P Gebaeude 9 Cologne / Germany, Nordrhein-Westfalen
Jun 6 2007 8:00P Lido Berlin / Germany, Berlin
Jun 8 2007 8:00P Lille Vega Copenhagen / Denmark
Jun 10 2007 8:00P Melkweg Amsterdam / Netherlands
Jun 11 2007 8:00P Botanique Brussels / Belgium
Jun 13 2007 8:00P Astoria London
Jun 14 2007 8:00P Academy 2 Birmingham
Jun 15 2007 8:00P Academy 3 Manchester
Jun 16 2007 8:00P Oran Mor Glasgow
Jun 18 2007 8:00P Cockpit Leeds
Jun 20 2007 8:00P Trabeno Paris / France
Jun 23 2007 8:00P Southside Festival Neuhausen / Germany
Jun 24 2007 8:00P Rock A Fie Festival Luxembourg
Jun 30 2007 7:00P Microcosm Festival La Roche Sur Yon / France
Jul 15 2007 8:00P Soundlabs Festival Roseto degli Abruzzi / Italy
Jul 20 2007 8:00P Vielles Charrues Caraix / France
Jul 21 2007 8:00P Garden Nef Party Angoulème / France
Jul 27 2007 6:00P Hrachkova Festival Valasske Mezirici / Czech Republic
Jul 28 2007 8:00P Les Transcevenoles Sumene / France
Jul 31 2007 8:00P Sedieres Festival Sedieres / France

Links:
Art Brut's MySpace page (link)

Art Brut Afterparty @ R Bar Tonight, April 17th (12AM - 4AM)

After tonight's show at the Bowery Ballroom, check out the afterparty at R Bar. The party starts at 12AM and you can hang out with the band and hear the new CD It's A Bit Complicated in its entirety. Bar R is at 218 Bowery (btwn. Spring & Broome).




The band has a show at Club B in Brooklyn tomorrow night (Wednesday, April 18th) and the new CD will be released on June 26th.