Matt Cardle to meet fans and sign copies of debut album

Matt Cardle celebrates the release of his debut album, 'Letters', with a signing session at hmv's Meadowhall store in Sheffield on Thursday 3rd November 2011.

Matt will be at the store from 4.00 pm to meet fans and sign copies of his new album which was officially released on Monday 17th October 2011 through Columbia Records. Following the signing, Matt will then be headlining the Meadowhall Christmas light Switch On Charity Concert that evening.

'Letters' hit number two on the album chart on release and includes the huge hit 'Run For Your Lif'e and Matt's X Factor winners single 'When We Collide' -UK Christmas number one and the second biggest selling single of 2010. It also includes his forthcoming single 'Starlight'.

Due to anticipated demand, access to the hmv signing event in the store will be wristbanded. Fans can pick up free wristbands at hmv which allow them access to the signing. 350 wristbands will be available from the store on the day of the event, from 8.30am onwards. One wristband per customer maximum, in person only, while stocks last, subject to availability, at participating store only.

Field Music announce new album

Field Music (a.k.a. Sunderland siblings Peter and David Brewis) release their fourth album, 'Plumb', through Memphis Industries in February 2012 (13 Feb UK/14 Feb US).

The album, recorded over the course of 2011 at their new studio on the banks of the river Wear in Sunderland, comprises 15 songs in a succinct 35 minutes. It largely abandons the classic songwriting conventions embraced on their 2010 double album 'Field Music (Measure)' and instead remodels the modular, fragmented style of the first two Field Music albums; only now shot through with the surreal abstractions of 20th century film music from Bernstein to Willy Wonka and with the off-beam funk and pristine synth-rock developed on the brothers' School of Language and The Week That Was albums.

A highlight of the album, '(I Keep Thinking About) A New Thing', can now be streamed and downloaded from their website at www.field-music.co.uk along with pre-orders for the album and tickets for the following forthcoming live shows:

Nov 26, Middlesbrough, Westgarth Social Club
Nov 30, London, Koko (Memphis Industries 13th Birthday Party) 
Feb 18, Glasgow, Stereo Feb 19, Manchester, Deaf Institute 
Feb 20, Leeds, Brudenell Social Club 
Feb 22, Nottingham, Bodega
Feb 23, Bristol, The Fleece

Album track listing:

Start The Day Right
It's Okay To Change
Sorry Again, Mate
A New Town
Choosing Sides
A Prelude To Pilgrim Street
Guillotine
Who'll Pay The Bills?
So Long Then 
Is This The Picture?
From Hide And Seek To Heartache
How Many More Times?
Ce Soir
Just Like Everyone Else
(I Keep Thinking About) A New Thing

*new pic and album artwork attached for your news stories, please send me any links if you do post*

Also. . . 

KOMPAKTS 'DREAM' TEAM: Walls and The Field tour together this winter..

Walls and The Field (both signed to Kompakt) have released two of the most praised electronic crossover records of the year (see a heavy amount of praise below). Both straddle that psychedelic electronic pop genre with both using synths and guitars with amazing dreamlike results. They're both touring together in November and a London show/ATP in Dec:

17 Nov Cork, Cypress Avenue IRELAND
18 Nov Galway, Roisin Dubh IRELAND
19 Nov Dublin, Twisted Pepper IRELAND
20 Nov Liverpool, Kazimer UK 
21 Nov Manchester, Deaf Institute UK
08 Dec London, EYOE @ XOYO UK
10 Dec Minehead, ATP UK

First Aid Kit unveil official video for new single 'The Lion's Roar'

First Aid Kit have unveiled the stunning video for their brand new single 'The Lion's Roar'. 

Set for release on 5th December via Wichita Records, 'The Lion's Roar' is the title track from their forthcoming album which was produced by Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes & Monsters of Folk).

First Aid Kit, aka sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg, are currently supporting fellow Swede Lykke Li on her UK tour. They play a sold out Camden Roundhouse tonight and will return to the UK in December for their own headline show at Bush Hall on Tues 6th Dec. Guest list for this gig is now available if you would like to come along and review this one.

U2 Achtung Baby 20th Anniversary re-issue

Achtung Baby was originally released on 19th November 1991, and was the follow up to the successfully, but critically slated, Rattle and Hum. 20 years on it has been polished (not remastered) and is available to whole new generation of music fans.

As a band constantly re-inventing themselves, U2 choose to explore both European dance and industrial styles of music to interlink with the Edge's guitar. This is really apparent on tracks like Even Better Than the Real Thing, Mysterious Ways and The Fly. The former track was elevated further when Paul Oakenfold gave the track an even more dance orientated overhaul.

But the biggest single moment on the album is the inclusion of One; possibly U2s finest moment, ever. This track still sounds so current now, and even though my 20 year old original CD single is showing plenty of signs of wear, it is still a treasured part of my collection. It is a magnificently written and performed track, partially influenced by the re-unification of Germany which happened just before Achtung Baby was recorded.

This 20th Anniversary collection is available in a multitude of versions; in addition to a single disc release of the album, a deluxe edition includes a bonus disc of remixes and B-sides from the album's five singles, and a vinyl edition includes the album on two LPs with two additional LPs of remixes. The 10-disc "Super Deluxe" and "ber Deluxe" editions include: the Zooropa album; three additional CDs with remixes, B-sides, and outtakes from Achtung Baby and Zooropa; a "kindergarten" disc with nascent versions of the album's 12 songs; and four DVDs, including From the Sky Down, Zoo TV: Live from Sydney, music videos, and documentaries. The "ber Deluxe" also includes the original album on double vinyl, five 7-inch vinyl singles and additional memorabilia. 

For real fans or lovers of the album, Q Magazine this month also has a free version of the album re-recorded by artists of today including Glasvegas, Snow Patrol and Depeche Mode. Well worth getting along with the U2 re-issue.