Blog: The 405

Angus Stone , one half of the Australian brother-sister duo Angus & Julia Stone, is set to release a new solo record via Desert Harvest. Calling it "his most personal work to date," the record is titled Broken Brights and is due for release on July 16th. Angus has said that each track on the record has its own specific story behind it. For exampe, 'Wooden Chair' - an Angus & Julia Stone track that he felt "needed to be revisited and brought to life in a new way". [...]

Undeniably suave indie popsters Caged Animals are celebrating the upcoming release of their new EP, This Summer , with a free download. 'I Will Take My Own Hand' is an overtly handsome slice of suburban pop from the release, which is due out 11th June via Lucky Number. The rest of the EP promises plenty of sun-and-sea-tinged track with the other four that'll be included therein, and if 'I Will Take My Own Hand' is anything to go by then we might just be in for a hidden summer treat [...]

Get a taste of Belleruche 's new sound at London's Scala on May 31st. The turntable soul group has gone a bit darker on new LP Rollerchain , which is out now on Tru Thoughts Records. Check out our exclusive mix from the band, and grab tickets to the show (which also features Py and KidKanevil ) here . Belleruche - Train Tracks: A tour mixtape by DJ Modest 1. Blue Train, John Coltrane 2. Hobo, You Can't Ride [...]

On 1st and 2nd of June, RICH MIX London will become a platform for many different forms of expression that promote the incredible diversity of Spanish culture. "With the thought-provoking theme Challenges , directions and new narratives in Catalan Culture, the weekend will host a live panel debate with an interactive Q & A session with a focus on the contemporary issues related to Catalan culture and identity. A Catalan Weekend is the first of one of many of planned events, exploring Spanish cultural identity and linguistic diversity, with a focus on Spanish [...]

Booming electro-synth duo, LA's wonderfully named NGUZUNGUZU (pronounced en-goo-zoo-en-goo-zoo) have released details about an upcoming EP on Hippos In Tanks. The EP is the follow-up to last year's 'Timesup' extended player on producer Kingdom's label Fade To Mind, and is described brilliantly in the press release as being watched over by "the unlikely holy trinity of Philip Glass, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and The X-Files." Sounds good to us! You'll be able to grab a copy digitally on 3rd July, and on vinyl and CD a little bit later on 14th August. [...]

As you might recall, The Invisible frontman David Okumu was electrocuted recently whilst performing in Nigeria, and the British Council there seemed to conclude that doctors were under the impression that Okumu was "fine". However, The Stool Pigeon is now reporting that a statement from The Invisible's PR is saying otherwise. "Dave has survived a life threatening electrocution whilst performing in Lagos, and is presently recovering in hospital," the statement says. "The band have cancelled all forthcoming engagements, and would like to thank everyone for their support and kind [...]

In arguably the best news of the day, Pitchfork reports that Bobby Womack has posted news on his Facebook page announcing that he has been given the all clear from doctors regarding the colon cancer he was diagnosed with back in March. The post reads: "We're delighted to announce that Bobby Womack has successfully undergone surgery for suspected colon cancer. A tumour was removed last night which turned out to be cancer free. We wish him all the best in his recovery from the operation. Thank you for [...]

The sister event to the long established All Tomorrow's Parties festival, I'll Be Your Mirror returns to London's famous Alexandra Palace from Friday 25th until Sunday 27th May. Following on from last year's successful event curated by Portishead and ATP, this time around Mogwai have joined with ATP to assemble the music line-up, with a cinema programme curated by Mogwai, London's Prince Charles Cinema, Louis Theroux and ATP. The headliners on each of the three days are festival exclusives – these will be the only UK shows of 2012 for Slayer (Friday) and the specially reformed Afghan Whigs [...]

The fashion industry is one of the most fundamental expressions of human art and culture, and amassing $300 billion in revenue annually, it is also one of the most lucrative. But, what does it take, at the other end of the chain, to make it so successful? Sadly, quite a bit; so much that its environmental foot print is barely sustainable. It takes the resources of healthy ecosystems—fresh water, clean air, thriving biodiversity, productive land—and the stability of socially just societies. As it has now become the third most environmentally damaging industry in the [...]

Fixers , that pop band with the swirling harmonies and psychedelic pop sensibilities, have finally dropped a release date for their debut album - and are letting you stream it online right now. Having garnered hoards of critical acclaim already, We'll Be The Moon is finally seeing the light of day in stores on 4th June (vinyl and digital) and 18th June (CD) respectively. You can stream the album in its entirety via the SoundCloud embed below, as well as a video of some newly released studio footage of the band.

Deadline reported today that Shadow Of The Colossus, the game Adam Sandler played to ignore the outside world in Reign Over Me is still going ahead. Or at least it now has a director. Apparently Trank requested the job from Sony but it the film still lacks a writer and a cast and has been in limbo for almost three years. We're not holding much hope but Trank is a step forward...

Exposure is our scrapbook of our favourite new bands. Today's exposure features Auckland, New Zealand-based shoegaze duo She's So Rad. Name : She's So Rad Location : Auckland, New Zealand Genre : Shoegaze For Fans of : My Bloody Valentine, M83 Website : Facebook The name She's So Rad might border on try-hard but their sound is anything but. Combining the best in 90s shoegaze with rich [...]

If you're a 'regular' to our site it will come as no surprise that we have quite the soft spot for Among Brothers (they even played our Birthday party last year). What you might not know though is that we also have quite the soft spot for cassette releases too, which means their forthcoming single 'Keep', which is limited to just 50 cassettes via Kissability , is a 'must buy' in our eyes. If you're not feeling the cassette release vibes, Young & Lost Club [...]

End Of The Road Festival have announced its first names for the comedy amphitheatre in the woods. Taking place in Dorset from 31st August -2nd September, the festival will house Robin Ince and his Book Club, Alex Edelman, Doc Brown and many more. Below is the line-up of comedians due to play: Alex Edelman (NYC) Book Club with Robin Ince & friends Doc Brown James Dowdsedall Joey Lycett John-Luke Roberts and Nadia Kamil (The Behemoth) [...]

The Tallest Man On Earth has confirmed he'll be touring the UK this October in support of his new album, There's No Leaving Now , which is released on June 11th through Dead Oceans. Kristian Matsson is actually set to play a London show in July, but it sold out very quickly, so make sure you get ready for when they go on sale tomorrow (25th May) at 9am. 1st July – Kent, Paddock Wood, UK, Hop Farm 3rd July – London – Hackney Empire [...]

Combining music, comedy, art, cinema and magic - The Apple Cart Festival (June 3rd - Victoria Park) is a pretty diverse event - and is put together by the people behind Field Day and Underage festivals. How would you like to see the likes of Noah & The Whale, Billy Bragg and Beth Jeans Houghton, and top comedians including Phill Jupitus, Charlie Baker and Josie Long? Well to win a pair of tickets, answer the following question: What Was The Name Of Noah & The Whale's Debut Album? [...]

Godspeed You! Black Emperor have confirmed that they'll be playing a show this November. The legendary band will play the Forum in Kentish Town on November 4th, with t tickets available to buy now . They were last over here in 2010 when they played two sold-out nights at London's Troxy. So expect a pretty special show.

Having a career that spans from the early 90s right through to today, Björk has naturally notched up many appearances on BBC's live music show, Later with...Jools Holland , and with that in mind, she is now set to release a new DVD collecting her finest moments from the show, featuring songs from her debut album all the way through to 2011's Biophilia . Due to be released June 8th you can pre-order the DVD through Björk's official website . Tracklisting: 1. Hyperballad [...]

Following on from the release of the stunning video for 'Hold On', SBTRKT has brought us a new track in the form of 'Gamelena'. The track comes with the following note from SBTRKT: "back in the studio. working towards eps/ album/ etc.... something new - no plan for it - just thought id share" So he's back in the studio working on new material, yet the track he's decided to share probably won't feature as part of a future release. Is this SBTRKT testing [...]

Dot To Dot Festival is fast approaching, and now the stage times for each act and venue have been unveiled to help guide you through the weekend. Featuring headline sets from The Drums and Pulled Apart By Horses, as well as must-see appearances from Willy Mason, Wavves and Summer Camp, Dot To Dot Festival is set to be an incredible weekend of music. Click here to check out the stage times, and remember, we're running a competition to win free tickets ! So make sure you enter!