BUY HOWLER'S DEBUT ALBUM 'AMERICA GIVE UP' FROM MONDAY 16TH JANUARY AT ROUGH TRADE EAST AND COLLECT YOUR WRISTBAND AT THE SAME TIME, ANY REMAINING WRISTBANDS WILL BE GIVEN OUT 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE STAGE TIME...ONE PER PERSON

Pre-Order 'America Give Up' here

BBC: "Bright new stars"
The Guardian: "Set to make a sizeable splash"
NME: "America's next big guitar hopes"

Howler is the brain child of Jordan Gatesmith. The 19 year old picked up the guitar only 5 years ago, and learned quickly. After being the guitarist for several regionally successful projects, Jordan felt like it was time for his voice to be heard, and wanted to write and sing his own songs. He has always had a natural affinity towards early 60's American rock and pop songs, as well as 80's punk, he makes these influences his own.

Jordan claims to be terribly A.D.D. and needs to be working all the time. Fortunately for music fans he is not medicated for it, so he is constantly creating. After starting a new band each week for about 2 months straight Howler became the clear standout, and he now offers up the This One's Different E.P. Jordan decribes Howler as "an 80's punk band cleaned up just enough so you could stick a corsage on it and take it to prom." His vocals sound like a slightly twee Lux Interior, while his guitar skills remind one of Lou Reed on Transformer. Howler's overall sound can be described as a cross between the Cramps and the Replacements, with a dash of VU.

NO WRISTBAND NEEDED, JUST COME DOWN ON THE NIGHT

Pre-Order 'The Hangman Tree' here

THIS IS A ROUGH TRADE WEST IN-STORE

On 23 January 2012 Laura J Martin is to release her eagerly anticipated debut album 'The Hangman Tree' on Static Caravan. Armed with a flute ready for wrangling, mandolin and a loop station, she sings over her loops and beats; songs inspired by subject matter as disparate as Japanese folklore to real life sentiments and characters. The album, which features the vocals of Euros Childs, shows her wonderfully eccentric folk-driven wonkiness in all it's glory.

With a vocal style reminiscent of Bjork, Bonnie Dobson and Kate Bush, Laura hails from the suburbs of Liverpool with influences that ricochet between Serge Gainsbourg, Wu Tang Clan, David Bowie and Herbie Mann. Mining the strange, darker underbelly of folk with untold layers of intrigue, she flits effortlessly between flute, mandolin and xylophone, as well as using looped vocals and instruments to great effect. There's an otherworldliness to the off-kilter, psychedelic feel of her music, which made her an ideal choice to support the likes of Misty's Big Adventure, Scout Niblett, Buck 65, Hannah Peel, Bonobo, Little Dragon, Singing Adams and Jonny (Euros from Gorkys and Norman from Teenage Fanclub's band), with whom she appeared as both guest and support.

She has had a string of releases including the single 'Spy' and 'Inside Your Bones' - a single made in collaboration with 'The Simonsound' (with whom she also performs on their live set), as well as having cut a record with Richard James (Gorky's Zygotic Mynci). Laura has also just finished an improvised album with Euros Childs and Sweet Baboo under the moniker 'Short and Curlies'.

As well as performing live on Rob da Bank's Campfire Special (Radio 1), Laura has also been championed by Marc Riley (Radio 6), who, wowed by her performance in the live session with 'Jonny' snapped her up for a further solo session in March this year, and is currently planning a UK Tour in support of the album's release.

BUY PORTICO QUARTET'S SELF TITLED ALBUM FROM 30TH JANUARY AT ROUGH TRADE EAST AND COLLECT YOUR WRISTBAND AT THE SAME TIME, ANY REMAINING WRISTBANDS WILL BE GIVEN OUT 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE STAGE TIME...ONE PER PERSON

Pre Order 'Portico Quartet' here

Portico Quartet still sound like nothing you ever heard before. The Mercury nominated East London based outfit's unique music has expanded to embrace new sonic territories. Drawing on the inspiration of electronica, ambient, classical and dance music as they take their strange, beautiful, cinematic, future music to exciting new vistas where the inspiration of Burial, Mount Kimbie and Flying Lotus rubs shoulders with the textures of Arve Henriksen and Bon Iver and echoes of Steve Reich and Max Richter. But all underpinned by a shared joy in collective music making as the band push their inimitable music into the future.

Produced by the band themselves and brilliantly engineered by Greg Freeman at the Fish Market studios and Real World, Portico Quartet's eponymous third album is the sound of a band that refuses to stand still. But there are no shortcuts here, the music is played live, not pre-recorded, and the hard won collective empathy that is at the heart of their sound remains their primary touchstone. Full of mystery and drama Portico Quartet still take the listener on an unparalleled journey but where their previous album Isla was the sound of a band looking inwards, Portico Quartet find the band looking defiantly into the future.

BUY DJANGO DJANGO'S SELF TITLED DEBUT ALBUM ON THE DAY OF THE IN-STORE AT ROUGH TRADE EAST AND COLLECT YOUR WRISTBAND AT THE SAME TIME, ANY REMAINING WRISTBANDS WILL BE GIVEN OUT 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE STAGE TIME...ONE PER PERSON

Pre Order 'Django Django' here

It's not for anyone else to decide what other young men and women should get up to in the sanctity of their own bedrooms. That said, it's heartening to know that not everyone using the term "bedroom band" is a lazy person making bad excuses for a tossed off record.

For four, long years, Django Django have been busy doing great things in the East London bedroom slept in by their drummer, producer and de facto leader David Maclean. The result of those great things is a great self-titled debut record.

NO WRISTBAND NEEDED, JUST COME DOWN ON THE NIGHT

Pre Order 'Ester' here

When we speak of technique, in the world of pop music in particular, experimentalism has long been a discredited and outdated template. There was a time - maybe 30, 40 years ago, maybe longer - when one spoke of bands continually redefining the boundaries of popular culture, whether it was the Beach Boys absorbing ideas from traditional classical music and using reverse tape recording for example, or bands making their own instruments and finding new ways to play them. There was a concept of a sense of recklessness in music which gloriously persisted.
But this is not the world that Trailer Trash Tracys are emerging from. Over the years the musical goalposts have been shifting irrevocably and inevitably, with the result being that the foursome now stand out effortlessly in an endless landscape of recycled guitar acts and drab stadium rock. "Ester" is their response: a daring, boldly singular record that somehow pulls off the neat trick of pushing the parameters of pop music while also being brilliantly accessible, a gorgeous, haunting, and distinctive statement of intent which also happens to be filled with some of the most exquisite songs you're likely to hear in a while, with the sorts of melodies which will lodge firmly in your head for days.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT ROUGH TRADE EAST OR ONLINE HERE

TICKETS HAVE NOW SOLD OUT FOR THIS EVENT

Pre-Order 'Felt - The Book LTD EDITION' here

For the first time since their split Lawrence and other members of seminal indie group Felt will be on stage talking about their 10 year career, a career which saw them make 10 albums in 10 years, making some of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful pop music of the decade. This event is to celebrate the release of 'Felt - The Book' - a stunning hardback, limited edition book documenting the band's career using exclusive photography from the archives and Lawrence's text. Before the Q&A Paul Kelly will be screening relevant portions of his Lawrence Of Belgravia documentary and then this event will see the band field questions from both the organisers of the book, director of 'Lawrence Of Belgravia' Paul Kelly and members of the audience. After the event the band will be djing their favourite records and signing copies of the book.

BUY OF MONTREAL'S NEW ALBUM 'PARALYTIC STALKS ON CD AND LP BEFORE IT'S RELEASED AT ROUGH TRADE WEST. BEFORE YOU CHECKOUT, SAY 'HI' TO OF MONTREAL'S FRONTMAN KEVIN BARNES ON OUR IN-STORE COMPUTER.

Pre-Order 'Paralytic Stalks' here

THIS IS A ROUGH TRADE WEST IN-STORE

We'll have Kevin google chatting LIVE with customers and fans from 6pm to 6:30pm on 4th Feb. He'll be online and ready to answer your questions about the new album, tour and other of Montreal news. So come in, hear the new album and have a quick live chat with Kevin Barnes. You'll finally have a chance to tell him how great the Paralytic Stalks colored vinyl looks!

Lyrically, Paralytic Stalks contains confessions of an infinitely more personal nature than anything Kevin Barnes has written since 2007's Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? Never before has an of Montreal record moved so fluidly from one song to the next -- each track feeding off the last in what seems a singular album-long movement that never allows you to rip your ears away. As a result, Paralytic Stalks at times resembles modern classical with its intricate compositions, while at others echoes of neo-prog, pseudo-country, and 60s pop can be heard. Conceived on the fringe of a contemporary pop music landscape that seldom encourages listeners to dig beyond the surface level to receive satisfaction, Paralytic Stalks is the rare album with the audacity to demand such a response.

NO WRISTBAND NEEDED, JUST COME DOWN ON THE NIGHT

Order 'Celestial Electric' here

CELESTIAL ELECTRIC by AM & SHAWN LEE, marks the launch of a timely transatlantic musical partnership from London to Los Angeles. Celestial Electric sounds now, blurring funk, pop, and 'world music' genres beyond their established capabilities, yet remaining so true to a classic aesthetic that the album could be dug out of a crate without a label and confound listeners to pinpoint its origin. Initially hooking up after AM heard Lee on the radio, the duo "bonded over our mutual love of vintage French and Italian library and film music and nuggets from the Finders Keepers record label" says Lee, and the idea to make an album together took shape.

They worked on Celestial Electric from their respective hometowns, trading ideas and tracks via email. Lee, armed with an early-'80s four-track deck and other vintage tape machines in his London studio, began by laying down full drums in a song structure (no loops on this album) and sending them to AM, who wrote songs and lyrics over Lee's grooves, added vocals, guitars, bass and synths, and emailed the tracks back to Lee, who then added keyboards, percussion and a variety of instruments and mixed the tracks.

Celestial Electric's sleek, boundary-pushing approach is reflected on the generational anthem "Dark Into Light," the bitter-sweetly soulful "City Boy" and the intimate "Can't Figure It Out,". Elsewhere, "The Signal" demonstrates the duo's penchant for exotic, eclectic arrangements, while the funky instrumental "Callahan" (named in honour of Clint Eastwood's '70s cop anti-hero Dirty Harry) conjures up an atmospheric vibe a la Lalo Schifrin. There's an unusual choice of cover too - the Ozark Mountain Daredevils' 1974 hit "Jackie Blue". This is an album to immerse yourself in...enjoy.

To celebrate the release of Black Sands Remixed, Ninja Tune and Bonobo art directors Oscar & Ewan have put together a collection of prints exhibiting artwork from the Black Sands campaign.

The three Black Sands photographs form a triptych around Derwentwater in the Lake District in Northern England. The photographs were taken at each point on the displayed map. Each view captures the place of the next photograph - the first of the second, the second of the third and the third of the first.

As if taken simultaneously, the subject of each being the distant site of the (practically) invisible camera taking a shot of the third site, and so each picture is bound in sequence to the next and thence back to itself.

On display until 27th February.

Pre-Order 'Black Sands Remixed' here

WRISTBANDS CAN BE COLLECTED FROM 6PM ON THE DAY OF THE INSTORE... ONE WRISTBAND PER PERSON

Order 'Wander/Wonder' here

Last year, Tri Angle introduced the world to BALAM ACAB (aka Alec Koone), and his otherworldly, secretive sound of submerged bass and phantom vocal harmonies, with the release of his debut album, WANDER / WONDER.

WANDER / WONDER is a mysterious and genuinely haunting record that seems to exist in a world all of it's own making, balanced between the ecstatic 'wonder' referenced in the title and something altogether more indefinable and uncertain of itself, like shards of light flickering through a blanket of fog, and even though 'WANDER / WONDER' is undeniably an electronic album, it feels strangely organic, rooted in nature, synthetic textures and distorted voices harmonizing with an ever present oceanic shimmer. Balam takes experimentation to a new level on this release an opens up his creative process even further with this album offering his insight and recording process to the public.
For Alec Koone, the 20 year old, Pennsylvania resident, who was 19 and based in New York at the time of his first release, WANDER / WONDER is a coming of age album that see's him expand upon the unique sound that attracted him so much attention to begin with.

In Koone's own words: "It's an open ended album, and I think individuals should make their own meaning of it so that it is something actually real to them. It's not classical music, but in the tradition of a classical work like a Bach Cello Suite, I see it as more of a whole musical piece with themes/motifs/ideas reoccurring throughout, connecting the tracks together as opposed to simply being a collection of songs that sit next to each other in isolation. It's also an album that should be listened to loudly."

BUY WE HAVE BAND'S NEW ALBUM 'TERNION' NOW AT ROUGH TRADE EAST AND COLLECT YOUR WRISTBAND AT THE SAME TIME, ANY REMAINING WRISTBANDS WILL BE GIVEN OUT 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE STAGE TIME...ONE PER PERSON

Order 'Ternion' here

We Have Band, 3 friends, Darren Bancroft and husband and wife duo Thomas and Dede Wegg-Prosser, who met whilst working at a record label, left to form a band, play Glastonbury, release an album that was critically acclaimed by everyone from NME to Dazed & Confused and tour the world. So far so simple.

Yet despite the plaudits the band were not satisfied. When they had originally formed the band, their goal had been little more than to have some fun with little thought of anyone ever hearing their songs, but following the release of WHB things were different this time.

A stylistic leap on from their debut album, 'Ternion' is an intensely personal album that manages to be both uplifting and melancholic with The Word praising the band for their "impressive command of musical atmospherics, sustaining a dark industrial heaviness over the whole record."

Those expecting WHB 2 will be in for a surprise. Whilst much of what made the first album so special is still there, especially the sublime interplay between the 3 band members' vocals, this is a very different record. When WHB was released, much was made of how the band "wore their influences like a flak jacket". With 'Ternion', they have found a truly unique sound of their own.

NO WRISTBAND NEEDED, JUST COME DOWN ON THE NIGHT



Iron Triangle label launch featuring:

LOVELY JON
GODSY
CHURCHILL'S LEOPARDS

To launch 'From the Vaults Vol 1' his first DVD release on new imprint Iron Triangle, old school veteran of the East London Free Party scene and Jigoku master Lovely Jon will be performing a unique DJ set for this Instore show. Those who are familiar with his intense, out of control mixes such as GRINDHOUSE 2: TALES OF SLEAZE AND SIN and GODDAMN MOTHER FUCKERS BURN IN HELL will know that a reinforced bullet proof aluminum crash helmet will be required... you have been warned!.



From The Vaults is a bewildering compilation of old school video madness from Lovely Jon's extensive collection of VHS tapes. An avid collector of world wide exploitation videos for over three decades (traveling the globe to unearth unseen gems of analogue insanity) - Lovely Jon is finally opening the gates and is presenting this limited release from his personal vaults of the wildest, most jaw dropping video tape trash in existence. From the backstreets of Bangkok and Thesalonika, to the off track suburbs of Dubai, New York and East London - this crazed selection encompasses Jon's obsessive quest in excavating those AWOL nuggets that remain hidden and undisturbed in dusty warehouses, ex rental stores, double glazing shop backrooms and flea ridden boot markets.

Saturday 11th February 10am - 1pm

DIY SPEAKERS WORKSHOP

Do you love sound? Have you ever wanted to know more about it? Come learn how to solder an amplifier as well as design and construct your own set of speakers out of any material.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW




There are 20 tickets for this workshop, price includes all materials.

More information at Technology Will Save Us

THIS IS A ROUGH TRADE WEST IN-STORE

Pre-Order 'Young Man In America' here

Young Man in America is the follow-up to Anas Mitchell's critically beloved folk opera "Hadestown" which received sensational reviews and landed Mitchell on numerous 'Best of 2010' lists in both the national and international press.
Switching gears, Mitchell returns here to a more traditional solo record, but those familiar with Hadestown will hear its overtones in Young Man. It's an epic, sprawling tale with characters leaping from the verses as they would from the pages of a novel. As a songwriter, Mitchell takes on the voices of different characters, men as well as women. Sometimes these voices speak in ornate, old-fashioned tongues - the language of British Isles balladry and the Old Testament.

Mitchell once again enlisted the skills of Hadestown producer Todd Sickafoose. Taking the reins as producer/arranger of Young Man in America, Sickafoose assembled some of Brooklyn's most sought after rock and experimental jazz players - guitarist Adam Levy, violinist Jenny Scheinman and drummers Kenny Wollesen and Andrew Borger to name but a few. Chris Thile appears on mandolin as well as alongside songwriters Jefferson Hamer and Rachel Ries in a harmonic chorus. Michael Chorney, the man behind Hadestown's remarkable score and the producer of Mitchell's previous albums (2007's The Brightness and 2004's Hymns for the Exiled) makes a guest appearance on guitar. Together they create a sound more reminiscent of a '70s rock record than that of a traditional singer-songwriter.

NO WRISTBAND NEEDED, JUST COME DOWN ON THE NIGHT

Order 'Strange Weekend' here

"Strange Weekend drifts and delights" **** Uncut
"Difficult not to be moved by such expertly-crafted bliss" **** The Fly
"A ravishing series of nebulous swoons." Mojo
"Beautiful melodies emerge through clouds of sound like sunlight" **** The Sun
"his songs have real soul and substance... High Praise, well deserved" **** The Times
"a record that provides nothing but saccharine, hazy highs." 8/10 NME

Secretly Canadian are proud to present the new single by Porcelain Raft, to coincide with his current European tour with M83. The Brooklyn-based, Italian-born dream pop purveyor has now added a performance at Rough Trade East.

Porcelain Raft aka Mauro Remiddi's enigmatic vocals carry a hook so simple that you might think you sang it first, with keys and bass that could make the needle jump off of your turntable, plus that sense of raw sincerity which has come to trademark his songs. With shimmering Cocteau Twins style guitar lines, cleft bass and colourful reverb, Mauro's songs have been described as the gentlest of tornados. One that's sturdy enough to pick you up and take you for a spin but at, the end, sits you back down leaving you feeling like you just had your first summer romance.

BUY TENNIS' NEW ALBUM 'YOUNG AND OLD' FROM THE 13TH OF FEBRUARY IN-STORE AT ROUGH TRADE EAST AND COLLECT YOUR WRISTBAND AT THE SAME TIME, ANY REMAINING WRISTBANDS WILL BE GIVEN OUT 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE STAGE TIME...ONE PER PERSON

Pre Order 'Young And Old' here

Their widely praised debut Cape Dory, which The Wall Street Journal called "a winsome set of breezy pop songs," was released in early 2011 to critical acclaim. For their forthcoming album guitarist Patrick Riley, vocalist Aliana Moore and drummer James Barone headed to Nashville to work with The Black Keys' Patrick Carney.

Tennis was born of Riley and Moore's nearly 7-month sailing trip, which consisted of selling all their possessions, purchasing an old sailboat, repairing it, and cruising up and down the eastern seaboard. Upon returning home, the duo began writing music together as a way to document the history of their shared experience. The result was Cape Dory, an intimate and concise recollection of life on a 30-foot sloop.

After the success of their first album and touring for the better part of a year that included shows as far away as Moscow, Riley and Moore returned home and realized what was initially a bedroom-recording project had quickly evolved into a band. The challenge of a second record was upon them, but songwriting came quickly and in three months the duo had most of the material for their new album. The goal this time was to mature and vary their sound. Riley describes the new direction as "Stevie Nicks going through a Motown phase." By the time they hooked up with Carney, they had fleshed out most of the songs that would comprise Young and Old. With their friend and mentor at the producer helm, the recording progressed naturally and within 3 weeks the album was done. While their debut was written with a third touring member in mind, the new album is written and recorded with the addition of a fourth.

NO WRISTBAND NEEDED, JUST COME DOWN ON THE NIGHT

Order 'Savage Messiah' here

Savage Messiah records drifts through a ruined city, collecting the entire set of Laura Oldfield Ford's acclaimed art fanzine to date. Part graphic novel, part artwork, the book is both an unflinching polemic against the marginalization of the city's officially defeated, and an exploration of the ruptures that open up in everyday life, in urban space and time. An ephemeral, palimpsestic London emerges from the shadow of the looming megalith of 'London 2012.' Savage Messiah takes us on a tour of its landmarks - Kings Cross to Hackney Wick, Elephant and Castle, Westway, North Acton to Canary Wharf - with forays North through memory.

Author Laura Oldfield Ford will be talking about her book Savage Messiah followed by an interview and Q&A session with Ken Worpole.

NO WRISTBAND NEEDED, JUST COME DOWN ON THE NIGHT

Order 'Nothing Is Wrong' here

"Dawes' sound is redolent of faded denim, scuffed cowboy boots and hours spent on a tour bus"
ALBUM OF THE WEEK ***** THE INDEPENDENT

"like early Jackson Browne or Jimmy Webb, albeit with a more knowing, rootsy swagger"
AMERICANA ALBUM OF THE MONTH **** UNCUT

"strong songs delivered with serenity and confidence" **** MOJO

Along with critical approbation and an ever-growing fan following, Dawes have earned admiration from many of their greatest heroes. Benmont Tench of The Heartbreakers joined the band on organ on Nothing Is Wrong, while the track 'Fire Away'sees guest vocals from Jackson Browne, who invited the band to both support and back him on a 2011 European tour. In addition, after Taylor Goldsmith contributed vocals to Robbie Robertson's new album How To Become Clairvoyant, the legendary guitarist & songwriter asked Dawes to serve as his backing combo for a number of promotional performances including BBC's Later with Jools Holland.

Wednesday 22nd February 7pm - 9pm

THIRSTY PLANT WORKSHOP

Learn about sensors and electronics to help keep you plants watered and happy. We will make our own sensor, construct a light marker to signal when the plant is dry, and use a solar panel to power the whole system!



TICKETS ON SALE NOW

There are 20 tickets for this workshop, priced includes all materials.

More information at Technology Will Save Us

Saturday 25th February 11am - 1pm

IMPOSSIBLE PROJECT 101 WORKSHOP

This hands on workshop is your chance to dust off your polaroid camera and start taking fantastic artistic pictures with the new films from The Impossible Project. We show you how to get the best out of vintage polaroid cameras (if you don't have one don't worry we can lend you one)
We'll cover topics ranging from shielding techniques and temperature control helping you to harness this film's unique character.

The workshop will take place at Rough Trade East and after an introduction to the film you will have the chance to take to the streets and shoot your brains out.
Impossible Workshop is delighted to present the first of our Color Shade film workshops on Saturday 25th February. A great way to get started with this unique and interesting film.

BOOKING
The workshop is priced at 50pounds with a 5pound discount for booking in advance! This includes film and the loan of a camera if you don't already have one. To avoid disappointment book now, as places are very limited. Click HERE to register.

Six breathtaking drawings of the streets of Spitalfields by Lucinda Rogers, as published in the beautiful new book of stories from the popular East End blog, Spitalfields Life.

Order 'Spitalfields Life' here

More information can be found on Lucinda's website.

On display until 1st April.

BUY BLEEDING KNEES CLUB'S DEBUT ALBUM FROM 27TH FEBRUARY AT ROUGH TRADE EAST AND COLLECT YOUR WRISTBAND AT THE SAME TIME, ANY REMAINING WRISTBANDS WILL BE GIVEN OUT 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE STAGE TIME...ONE PER PERSON

Pre Order 'Nothing To Do' here

Bleeding Knees Club burst out of Australia's Gold Coast in early 2011 and started to build a steady fanbase through their reckless live performances and via their super-catchy demos, which quickly found champions beyond the Aussie board scene. Their debut UK single, Have Fun, was released on the Noir label last summer and quickly struck a chord with UK tastemakers, enjoying radio support from Zane Lowe and Huw Stephens on Radio One, Lauren Laverne on 6Music and Jon Kennedy on Xfm where the song was also added to the evening playlist.

The duo spent much of the summer of 2011 in the UK where they shared stages with Black Lips, Cults, Toro y Moi, Blood Orange and Cerebral Ballzy. They also scored spots on The Great Escape in Brighton and Liverpool Sound City while NME named them as one of the 50 Best New Bands of 2011.

Between UK commitments, Jordan and Alex then high-tailed it to New York City to record their forthcoming debut album with Dev Hynes (Lightspeed Champion and Blood Orange) as producer. The upcoming record, Nothing To Do, encapsulates everything that's making people fall in love with Bleeding Knees Club: it's a raw 'n' urgent set of super-fun songs about girls, getting high, and sticking it to The Man.

NO WRISTBAND NEEDED, JUST COME DOWN ON THE NIGHT

"Rooms Filled With Light was a phrase I found in an old notebook," says Fanfarlo's singer and songwriter Simon Balthazar of the title to the band's second album. "To me it summed something up, creation, not creation of the world, but what we do as people. It seems like creating rooms and filling them with light is a very modern, fundamental human activity, creating little worlds. It resonates with the whole experience of making art or music."

Rooms Filled With Light is an album of brilliant contrast, chamber pop with melodies as infectious as the viruses that are the subject of 'Replicate' holding up bold and bright lyrics and ideas. What's the secret to making it hold together? "Something that often happens when we arrange the songs," Simon explains; "they start stark and bedroomy with dark sentiments, but with quite pleasant melodies. When we get together and play them as a band they bloom, and become more uplifting on the surface." The best pop music ought to draw you in, charm with sweet and beguiling melody and then, when you're least expect it, turn on you. As Balthazar says, with a laugh, "it should pull the rug out from under your feet."

BUY SHARON VAN ETTEN'S NEW ALBUM 'TRAMP WITH ROUGH TRADE EXCLUSIVE BONUS DISC' FROM THE 6TH OF FEBRUARY IN-STORE AT ROUGH TRADE EAST AND COLLECT YOUR WRISTBAND AT THE SAME TIME, ANY REMAINING WRISTBANDS WILL BE GIVEN OUT 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE STAGE TIME...ONE PER PERSON

Pre Order 'Tramp' here

The shimmering sound of Sharon Van Etten's Jagjaguwar debut album, Tramp, both defies and illuminates the unsteadiness of a life in flux. Throughout the 14 months of scattered recording sessions, Van Etten was without a home - crashing with friends and storing her possessions between varied locations. The only constant in Van Etten's life during this time was spent in Aaron Dessner's garage studio.

Dessner, a member of The National, heard Van Etten early on, and in collaboration with Justin Vernon, performed a cover of "Love More" at the 2010 MusicNow Festival in Cincinnati. Van Etten heard about this and contacted him. Almost immediately they formed plans to work together, with Dessner offering both a location for Van Etten to record new songs, as well as the opinions of a wise producer.
Now, one year later, Van Etten unveils Tramp, an album showcasing an artist in full control of her powers. Tramp contains as much striking rock (the precise venom of "Serpents," the overwhelming power of "Ask"), as pious, minimal beauty (the earnest solemnity of "All I Can," the breathtaking "Kevins," "Joke or a Lie"); it can be as emotionally combative ("Give Out") as it can sultry ("Magic Chords"). Contributions from Matt Barrick (Walkmen), Thomas Bartlett (Doveman), Zach Condon (Beirut), Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak), Julianna Barwick, and Dessner himself add a glowing sheen to the already substantial offering.

NO WRISTBAND NEEDED, JUST COME DOWN ON THE NIGHT

Jack Colleran doesn't sleep, and it shows. The 18-year-old producer, who goes by the name MMOTHS, has embraced endless nights and bags beneath his eyes in exchange for something more; a uniquely ethereal sound that's entirely his own. Disregarding genre conventions, the Ireland-based artist and producer mesmerizes with sparse synths dripping in reverb, transforming digital soundscapes into organic songs, equally fit for both a night on the town and one spent indoors in the company of candlelight.

Growing up in Newbridge, Kildare, Colleran never had any illusions about what he wanted to be. Armed with his first keyboard at four-years-old, he insisted upon professional piano lessons. In high school, Colleran continued to immerse himself in music by playing in a slew of local bands, while also delving into the burgeoning experimental electronic music that the Internet afforded him access to. The moment he downloaded a demo version of Ableton Live during his final year of high school, he began obsessively creating his own tracks from scratch.

Colleran explains, "I never have a set plan. Music just happens. I'll find a cool sound and write around that. I'm not a singer-songwriter who writes about a certain event, person, or experience. I just try to write music that makes people feel something. If they feel a bit uplifted, I've done my job."
That's exactly how you'll feel after listening to the melodic warmth of "Summer" featuring Los Angeles' Superhumanoids. About the song, he adds, "I wrote that song because the winter was coming and it can get pretty horrible over here. Summer was ending, and I wanted to keep it alive forever. This was my way to do that."