Blog: Strangeglue

The Guardian recently profiled Yuck as: "Pretty much the sound a band of indie-loving kids who weren't interested in dance music would have made 20 years ago: a cocktail of Dinosaur Jr noise, Lemonheads melody and Teenage Fanclub's wistfulness. " Whilst we wouldn't disagree with that appraisal, we certainly like to see a band blossoming, particularly on film too.

The title says it all on this one. Fresh after last year's reissue of 'Some Friendly', The Charlatans are re-releasing 'Us And Us Only', the first album they released on Island Records, and the first they made without keyboardist Rob Collins, who tragically died in a car crash in 1996.

"Oh, by now, I must have grown", Alessi Laurent-Marke sings, four songs into her brand new sophomore album, Time Travel. It's a fitting lyric for someone who recorded their debut album at the tender age of seventeen. Now 20, Alessi's Ark has compiled another round of her tender folk-pop charms, this time drawing on the experience of the last few years to make an exquisitely mature record.

On April 4th and the following day in North America, electro-synth outfit Cold Cave will release 'Cherish The Light', their sophomore full-length follow up to 2008's 'Love Comes Close'. The first track from the album has been made available for download or stream.

One of the first great albums of 2011 we've had a chance to listen to so far was the self-titled release of Anna Calvi. If you've not had a chance to hear the record then take a listen to 'Blackout', perhaps the standout track, which is embedded below.

James Houke certainly isn't taking things easy from this April. He's lined up a massive tour that will take up most of the spring and summer. After a brief winter hiatus, Phosphorescent will hit the road again this spring. Starting things off in America, he'll travel to Europe in May to play Primavera Sound and a batch of dates across the U.

The best music festival in Europe already boasted a lineup that included the reunited Pulp, Animal Collective, Belle and Sebastian, The Flaming Lips and The National. Now they've gone ahead and got all greedy for for the Barcelona-based festival which comes to the Parc del Fòrum on May 25-29th.

Los Angeles-based Dum Dum Girls are to follow up their fuzzy, girl group-inspired 2010 Sub Pop début with 'He Gets Me High', an EP composed of three originals and a cover of the swooning Smiths' classic "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.

They've been around for nearly six years now but fresh-faced indie popsters Those Dancing Days are on the comeback trail with their second album very very soon. March 7th to be exact. So what better time to unveil a new track and a video for the first single to be taken from it right now.

Canadian avante-pop quintet Mother Mother are set to release new single 'Simply Simple' on 14th March. The single is taken from their forthcoming third studio album 'Eureka' which we're reliably informed is the band's most tenacious and undaunted record to date.

Los Angeles noise-rock duo No Age are heading back to the U. K this Spring with a couple of shows planned for London. The first show will be at the Bussey Building on April 2 and on the following evening they'll perform their live score of The Bear by Jean-Jacques Annaud at the ICA.

It's a sad day. The White Stripes have announced they are to split up after more than a decade and six full-length albums together. Jack and Meg White posted the news on their official website in a statement explaining that there were no spats or artistic differences, but the Detroit duo would no longer be making any new recordings nor be performing live.

Cincinnati electro/folk poppers The Seedy Seeds have a busy spring lined up with the release of their new album Verb Noun, as well as a jam-packed tour of the U. S. The Seedy Seeds formed in 2005 and have spent many years on the road with the likes of Tegan and Sara, The Hold Steady, Man Man, Ted Leo + Pharmacists, and Matt and Kim amongst others.

• TSS VERBNOUN - Verb Noun

Seattle duo Kristian Garrard & Luke Bergman, otherwise known as the rather beautiful acoustic band Thousands are heading over to these shores for their first-ever UK tour in March and April. They'll be using the tour to promote the upcoming release of their début album, 'The Sound Of Everything', on 21st March, released via Bella Union.

If you haven't heard already, Micachu & The Shapes have collaborated with London Sinfonietta, one of the world's leading contemporary orchestras, to make the classical crunk album 'Chopped & Screwed' out March 28th. The first track to be taken from it is 'Everything' which you can stream or download for free below.

The New Pornographers have announced a US Spring Tour, with a rather cracking supporting line up that includes The Walkmen and Menomena. The 13-show tour starts on April 13th in Boulder and criss-crosses the US, with a stop at the sold-out Coachella Festival sandwiched neatly in.

The Wave Pictures have revealed today they will return with a new album, 'Beer In the Breakers', on April 18th to be released through Moshi Moshi Records. The album has been produced by their friend Darren Hayman formerly of indie stalwarts Hefner and was recorded at Hayman's house in Walthamstow "as live" in just one day.

Klaxons are heading over to America next month where they're set to inject some life into the South By Southwest and Coachella Festivals amongst others. They'll be hitting American shores this spring for a national headlining tour, with things officially kicking off March 25 in Orlando with stops scheduled at the Ultra Music Festival and Coachella.

Thrill Jockey's critically acclaimed San Francisco drone duo Barn Owl will be returning to Europe in the Spring. They will be touring as a duo and playing songs from their recent album Ancestral Star as well as songs from their forthcoming mini album.

Following their intimate performance back at Blackwood Miners Institute in Wales for BBC Radio 2 last Thursday, Manic Street Preachers and the BBC have made two embeddable videos from the night available. The first is the band's encore - 'Suicide Is Painless', 'Enola/Alone' and 'Masses Against The Classes'.