Double A-Side single, released 25th May on The Stereo Tree

"I can totally see why they went with 'Sending Cards' as it’s got huge commercial potential." - The 4O5
"Choppy guitar led [pop] with a real... uplifting 'summer's coming' feel to the sound". – Music News.com

Taken from the forthcoming album, A Candid History of Faith, Love, Hope, currently scheduled for national release in May. The band have just completed a hugely successful national club tour and their debut single, ‘Sending Cards’ has been well received by the press.

The A Side, Something you can’t regret, is a much harder track the debut single, Sending Cards, and puts a spotlight on the band as songwriters with their ability to write a fists-in-the-air mosh pit anthem just as well as a summer-tinged, punchy, pop-rock gem.

Lyrically, Something you can’t regret is a dark track with themes of lost love, hurt, murder and solitude running through the verses. Each chorus builds to the powerful, ‘Don’t push me, ‘cos the plan in my head is to let go’, which truly echoes the lyrical themes present in the preceding verses.

The interlude builds through a climactic crescendo into the powerful, cathartic outro, while still retaining the darkness of the song’s message thanks to the striking discordant piano, swirling guitars and crashing drums.

The second track, I’m Not Leaving, explores a lyrical theme of unconditional and unrequited love via chugging bass and a synth-led chorus full of skilful vocal harmonies. The angular verses effectively use the stop-start dynamic present in debut single Sending Cards, to build perfectly into the smooth vocal-led choruses, instantly changing the dynamic and bringing about an anthemic dance-floor filler.

For further information on The Gentlemen, please contact Jay Taylor at Quite Great Publicity on 01223 410000 or email jay@quitegreat.co.uk

Listen to the Gentlemen at www.myspace.com/gentlemusic

Concept album inspired by veterans' stories examines the consequences of war from the soldiers' perspective

Album Available March 31 From Atco/ Rhino

LOS ANGELES — Queensrÿche envisions war through the eyes of a soldier with the band’s twelfth studio release, the epic concept album AMERICAN SOLDIER. The ambitious album encompasses a dozen songs inspired by numerous interviews with veterans conducted by Geoff Tate, the group’s singer and chief songwriter, who was intent on telling their story using their words. After speaking with soldiers who served in various conflicts—from World War II to Iraq—Tate turned their firsthand experiences from the frontlines into an unflinching musical examination of the life of a solider and the consequences of war. AMERICAN SOLDIER will be available from Atco/Rhino on March 31.

Tate, Michael Wilton (guitar), Ed Jackson (bass) and Scott Rockenfield (drums) recorded the album in 2008 over the course of nine months. The idea for AMERICAN SOLDIER, Tate says, came from hearing stories from fans that are veterans, as well as his own father, who served in both Korea and Vietnam. “My father was a career military man, but until very recently he never spoke about what he went through. I think that reticence is true of a lot of veterans, which means most people never truly understand what it means to be a soldier at war. Hearing what he and some of our fans have endured made me want to share their stories with the world. This is an album about the soldiers, for the soldiers, as told by the soldiers themselves.”

Those stories resonate at the heart of AMERICAN SOLDIER, imbuing each song with vivid details about both the emotional and physical impacts of war, evoking war zone battles (“Middle Of Hell”), sacrifice (“The Killer”), loss (“If I Were King”), the longing for home (“Remember Me”), and adjusting to society after returning from war (“Man Down!”).

Tate recorded many of his interviews with the soldiers, and some dialogue from these discussions is mixed into several of tracks, allowing the soldiers’ own words to help tell their compelling stories. The band also brought a few of the soldiers into the studio with them to record vocals. The verses of the track “Unafraid” feature the voices of Chris Devine, a Vietnam veteran, and Sean Lenahan, a veteran of Somalia, recalling their war experiences while Tate provides the anthemic chorus.

Also making a guest vocal appearance is Tate’s 10-year-old daughter Emily on the gripping duet “Home Again,” which examines the emotional toll of war from two perspectives, with Geoff singing from the soldier’s point of view and his daughter singing from the viewpoint of the child left behind.

Making the album, Tate says, was an enlightening process. “I was surprised to learn how little has changed through the generations. I spoke with a Vietnam vet whose experience wasn’t all that different from a soldier who fought in Somalia almost 30 years later. But what surprised me the most was how antiwar most soldiers are. To me, that makes their sacrifices even more moving.”

Soon after the release of AMERICAN SOLDIER, Queensrÿche will launch an extensive spring tour of the U.S., with international dates to follow later in 2009. The shows will be presented in three suites, with the band performing sets from AMERICAN SOLDIER, Rage For Order, and Empire. The first date of the tour will be April 16 at Snoqualmie Casino in the band’s hometown of Seattle.

 

AMERICAN SOLDIER

Track Listing

•1. “Sliver”

•2. “Unafraid”

•3. “Hundred Mile Stare”

•4. “At 30,000 ft.”

•5. “A Dead Man’s Words”

•6. “The Killer”

•7. “Middle Of Hell”

•8. “If I Were King”

•9. “Man Down!”

•10. “Remember Me”

•11. “Home Again”

•12. “The Voice”

For all press enquiries please contact Jay Taylor on jay@quitegreat.co.uk or 01223 410000

Available from Rhino March 30^th 2009

Rhino Presents Career-Spanning Collection that Spotlights 14 of the Band’s Finest Including Studio Recordings, Rare Radio Edits and Soundtrack Contributions

LOS ANGELES — A rare mix of power and finesse, Filter hangs its hard rock angst, electronic sheen and industrial grit on memorable hooks, rendering finely sculpted sonic broadsides that have distinguished the band over the course of four studio albums. Rhino takes aim at the band’s career—so far—with its first retrospective, THE VERY BEST THINGS (1995-2008). The single-disc collection will be available from Rhino Records March 30th.

The compilation’s 14 songs encompass studio recordings, rare radio edits and a scattering of soundtrack contributions. It begins with “Hey Man Nice Shot,” the Top 10 hit that put the band on the musical map in 1995 and pushed Short Bus—Filter’s debut—to platinum status. From there, the retrospective touches on songs that reflect the evolution of the band’s music, including “Soldiers Of Misfortune,” from their 2008 album Anthems For The Damned.

THE VERY BEST THINGS features 5 tracks from 1998’s Title Of Record, the certified-platinum follow-up to the band’s debut, including “The Best Things,” “I’m Not The Only One,” and the radio edits for the singles “Welcome To The Fold” and the smash hit “Take A Picture.” Taken from 2002’s The Amalgamut, the collection also features “The Only Way (Is The Wrong Way)” and the single edit version of “Where Do We Go From Here.”

In addition to its studio albums, Filter was also known for writing songs that appeared on a number of popular soundtracks. THE VERY BEST THINGS gathers several, including the savage intensity of “Jurrasitol” from The Crow – City Of Angels; “(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do” the band’s collaboration with The Crystal Method for Spawn: The Album; as well as “One (Is The Loneliest Number)” and “Thanks Bro,” two songs recorded for different X-Files albums.

After a six-year hiatus, Richard Patrick brought Filter back to active duty last spring with the release of the politically charged and critically acclaimed album Anthems For The Damned. The band followed up with the November digital only release Remixes For The Damned, which features brand-new remixes of various tracks from Anthems. Filter is planning a string of U.K. tour dates in the spring, with full details to be announced shortly.

THE VERY BEST OF FILTER

Track Listing

•1. “Hey Man Nice Shot”

•2. “Welcome To The Fold” – Radio Edit

•3. “Jurrasitol”

•4. “(Can’t You) Trip Like I Do”

•5. “Take A Picture” – Radio Edit

•6. “Soldiers Of Misfortune”

•7. “Where Do We Go From Here” – Single Edit

•8. “Dose”

•9. “I’m Not The Only One”

•10. “Skinny”

•11. “One (Is The Loneliest Number)”

•12. “The Best Things”

•13. “The Only Way (Is The Wrong Way)”

•14. “Thanks Bro”

For all press enquiries please contact Jay Taylor on jay@quitegreat.co.uk or 01223 410000

Released via Clean Feet Records

www.jowebb.com

www.myspace.com/jowebbuk

Sometimes the best records are the ones that tow the line between the positive and the truly deadbeat. Acrobat is one of those records, and it introduces Jo Webb & The Dirty Hands as one of the most legitimate and exciting representatives for British music in 2009. Drawing on influences from the likes of Weezer, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and Jimmy Eat World, Acrobat is power-pop at it’s best. It’s all crunchy guitars, gorgeous harmonies and completely non-ironic guitar solos.

Musically dripping with ecstasy, but lyrically concerned with life’s ever present underbelly, it bounces through 11 self-proclaimed ‘songs about failure.’ A concept album it ain’t, but one that is preoccupied primarily with the downtrodden. It bursts into life with the album’s title track and future single, Acrobat and is dominated by a sound honed in home studios and rehearsal rooms. This is a band familiar with hard work. They don’t frequent the celebrity hangouts and liaise with the tabloid sleaze of the week. They’re too busy working on crafting their infectious and intelligent songs.

The band recently released a free download only EP entitled ‘Greatest Hits’ (although not actually a greatest hits record) which has so far been downloaded over 10,000 times. It included songs like ‘Purple Rain’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘Stairway to Heaven’ – no, not covers, but all Jo Webb originals.

Jo Webb & The Dirty Hands are spearheading a return to form where music stimulates the heart and mind rather than the eyes. One thing’s for sure; no one writes an ode to the underdog quite like Jo Webb.

For more information contact Jay Taylor at Decade PR on 01223 410000 or info@decadepr.com

released on shifty disco

www.myspace.com/raceuk

www.inmyheaditworks.com

www.shiftydisco.com

FEATURING THE SINGLE RUDE BOY – NME RADIO A LIST/ Q TRACK OF THE DAY

‘Sonic Youth dischord... prowling dub-rock... Endearingly awkward’

NME

‘Floor-tom heavy with a rolling bass, the guitars are alternatively choppy then floating on a chameleons-like tide of echoing, chiming, glassy effects’

Q

‘twinkling, mesmerising with enough grunge sensibility to give this band the edge’

Rock Sound

‘Get into them now, before everyone else does’

Clash

When The Race released their debut album Be Your Alibi, the acclaim it met with was positive and across the board. They were quickly invited to appear at a string of NME club nights, toured the UK and Europe with the likes of Cooper Temple Clause and Seafood, then invited to perform live from Maida Vale for Radio 1’s Huw Stephens’ in a show celebrating the 10^th anniversary of the band’s highly distinguished record label Shifty Disco.

Two years on and In My Head It Works is the band’s triumphant return to the fray, produced by Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers, Idlewild). On an album where driving guitars are pitched alongside sonic intricacies, chiming backdrops and sincere lyrics, the highs provided by former singles I Get It Wrong and Rude Boy are even surpassed by the yearning melancholy of Moorwood, the sweeping vocals on Killer, and the sensational climax of album closer Give Me Your Bible.

Interestingly the album was completely funded by a stakeholder fund, put together by their label Shifty Disco and making use of the band’s fan base. Raising £25,000 to record and release the record, the label’s boss Dave Newton was interviewed by NME (13/01/09) about the idea.

Breaking away from the ‘English Indie band’ stereotype, The Race garner deserved comparisons to transatlantic and Scandinavian counterparts The National and Mew, particularly in this new record. The swirling, grandiose and twinkling now all stand side by side – and they’ve never sounded better.

For all press enquiries please contact Jay Taylor on info@decadepr.com or 01223 410000