The Buzz
Jack Savoretti is currently busking his way around UK coffee shops.
Also In The News
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A & M Records, out Monday March 3rd 2008. |  |
Monday, 25, Feb 2008 04:00
Who's playing where and when? Who's in the recording studio at the moment? Which new band is worth checking out? The Buzz has the answers including Caimbo, Tarja and Pushbike Army.
Having controversially jettisoned frontwoman Tarja, Finnish outfit Nightwish embark on their mission to conquer the UK with a number of dates in March and April.
The opera rockers' tour opens with three dates at the London Astoria on March 25th, 26th and 27th.
Then it's up to the Midlands for a night at the Birmingham Academy on the 29th before flitting to the north-east to play Newcastle Academy on the 30th.
Nightwish go north of the border on March 31st to the Glasgow ABC. The tour then hits Belfast Mandela Hall on April 2nd and wraps at Manchester Apollo on the 4th.
Not content with gigs, Nightwish have re-issued their five album back catalogue under the banner of Reloaded.
The LPs are available as individual CD packages with expanded artwork, liner notes and bonus material.
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Meanwhile, ex-Nightwish frontwoman Tarja forges ahead with her solo career in the form of highly-praised debut album My Winter Storm.
The LP features her current single Die Alive and notable tracks such as I Walk Alone and Lost Northern Star.
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European epic rockers Apocalyptica descend upon the capital next month.
The flamboyantly hirsute four-piece play the London Forum on March 7th.
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Take a trip back to the era of big hair and bigger riffs as two legendary rock outfits team up for a UK tour in June.
Def Leppard and Whitesnake will be unleashed on Glasgow SECC on June 17th; Birmingham NEC (18th); Manchester MEN Arena (20th); Sheffield Arena (23rd); Newcastle Arena (24th) and Wembley Arena (26th).
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Thunderous Norwegian rockers Ungdomskulen release their new single Unleash The Modern Drummer on March 31st.
And the band have a number of UK dates starting on February 26th at the London Astoria supporting the Young Knives.
The Ungdomskulen/Young Knives double-header continues at Manchester Academy 2 on the 27th; Fu Bar Stirling (March 15th); Moshulu Aberdeen (March 16th); Fat Sam's Dundee (March 18th); Venue Derby (March 20th) and Palace Tamworth (21st).
The tour continues on the 22nd at Sin City Swansea; Spring & Airbrakes Belfast (24th); North Central Station Wrexham (26th); Colosseum Coventry (27th); Lincoln University (28th) and Tap & Tin Chatham (29th).
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New four-piece rock band Caimbo release their latest single Something In The Way in April.
The single is taken from their debut album which is tentatively titled Electric Soup.
The album has been co-produced by Ben Mason, whose CV includes Razorlight and the Arctic Monkeys. It's been mixed by Tim Palmer, who has performed similar duties for U2 and Pearl Jam.
Caimbo, from Cambridge, are influenced by U2, the Police and the Strokes, with the band citing Free's Fire And Water album as one of their favourite LPs. Their name is a slang term for Cambridge.
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Two bands from the north-west worth keeping an eye on are Pushbike Army and THE Labels.
Led by Barrow singer-songwriter John Rennie, Pushbike Army formed while at university two years ago.
Their Arctic Monkeys-influenced sound resulted in BBC DJ Steve Lamacq naming their debut Sleeping In The Ditch as 'demo of the week'.
The Labels formed in November 2003 and have gone on to play with the Cribs and the Arctic Monkeys. The band recorded their debut EP Because Of You in 2007.
Looking for that lucrative record deal are Redhouse from Kilmarnock in Scotland.
Regulars on the UK gig circuit, the five-piece have been together for two years.
Redhouse are bassist Stevie Smith, Stuart Dudgeon (guitar), Brian Gardner (drums), lead vocalist Paul Montgomery and guitarist John Scott.
The band's name was lifted from a Jimi Hendrix song and they number the Rolling Stones among their heroes.
Redhouse have recently signed with an agent and they aim to make a record as soon as possible. However, until that happens the lads are combining gigging with holding down day jobs.
Drummer Brian Gardner works in Dixons at Glasgow Airport and bass player Stevie Smith works in a factory packing shoes.
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She was born in Paris but grew up in Nigeria listening to Bob Marley and Marvin Gaye, now Asa is coming to the UK.
Asa, whose name means hawk sings in English and Yoruba, will perform at the Islington Academy in London on May 12th.
She describes her superb music as being about hope and positive revolution.
For the inthenews.co.uk review of Fire On The Mountain and the latest singles reviews, click here
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American punk quartet Time Again unleash their second album Darker Days at the end of February, and if you like music that is relentless and terse then you'll love tracks such as You're Goin' Down and Outcast.
Time Again formed in 2004 and have echoes of Motorhead and the Clash in their sound.
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Australian brother and sister duo Angus and Julia Stone fetch up in Cornwall in May.
The talented siblings play Falmouth's Princess Pavilion on May 5th.
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Described by Uncut magazine "like they've been playing huge concerts and not bars", the Electric City are one of the UK's most talked-about unsigned bands.
Their euphoric mix of rock and dance can be sampled when they play the Princess Pavilion in Falmouth on March 2nd.
The band was formed by Andy Taylor and James Cantone, later joined by bassist Jonny Bullit and drummer Dan Laithwaite.
Excellent live, the outfit were spotted by Roger Daltrey when they provided support at a Futureheads gig.
Daltrey asked the band to support the Who at a Teenage Cancer Trust charity event.
On March 2nd Electric City will support rising stars Elliott Minor.
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Mancunian rock trio Twisted Wheel will hit Sunderland on March 1st.
The group, who have supported Paul Weller, play the Independent in Holmeside along with Billy The Kid.
Twisted Wheel are inspired by legends like The Who and Bob Dylan yet they can inject a thoroughly modern edge into classic sounds.
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London-based singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti is currently busking his way around Britain's coffee shops.
The Nick Drake/Damien Rice soundalike is playing the Caffe Nero chain with the company's full support.
Savoretti's tour features the artist armed with his harmonica and guitar, and fits in perfectly with the title of his new single One Man Band.
The coffee shop tour is just the start of a busy year for Savoretti. He is off to America to perform at the prestigious SXSW festival in the spring and then the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
And a deluxe edition of his Between The Minds album has been released to tie in with his UK tour. The new edition features the original LP and a bonus unplugged CD with four new songs including One Man Band. The package is released on March 17th.
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Heavy rock veterans Saxon will be flying the flag on April 23rd with their St George's Day Show at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire.
Veterans they may be but don't say Saxon are out of touch because they want their fans to pick the set list for the April 23rd show via email.
Once the song suggestions are in Saxon will decide which ones to build their set around.
The band, who have often used classic English lyrics and imagery, played the London Astoria on St George's Day last year, and were amazed by the atmosphere as the audience arrived with flags and banners.
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