Shrag, Tunabunny (US) plus Bikini Black Special & Charles of the Ritz listings

SHRAG

Renowned for the energy and vitality of their live shows, Shrag have supported The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Thermals and The Cribs in the UK and here set out on a joint-headline UK tour in February with Tunabunny who share their reputation for compelling live performances.

Shrag's new album Canines was recorded at Gargleblast Studios with producer Andy Miller (Life Without Buildings, Mogwai, Sons and Daughters) and is a visceral pop record bristling with urgency, melody, and danger, and is the sound of a band fully in their stride. Lead singer and wordsmith Helen King from the band described the new album: We wrote Canines between January and August this year in a long series of slightly fevered evenings ensconced in the shed at the bottom of Bob's garden. It's a pop record about bones and skin and cities and compulsions and love and confusion. It's a bit strange, but you can dance to some of it, and it makes a particular kind of sense to us, which feels very exciting.

Canines follows up 2009s self-titled début album, and 2010s Life! Death! Prizes!, both of which were mixed by legendary producer (and Morrissey drummer) Woodie Taylor, fresh from his success with Love Is All and Comet Gain. Shrags first album was met with critical acclaim from, amongst others, Uncut, Pitchfork, the Sunday Times, and Artrocker. Life! Death! Prizes! was equally as acclaimed as its predecessor, garnering wide-spread praise from many including Pitchfork (again), Drowned in Sound, The Quietus, and All Music Guide, who praised "... the kind of songs you want to hear playing loud all day and then quietly at night, a thrillingly romantic, bleedingly emotional album for people who want some bite in their pop."

TUNABUNNY

Tunabunny is, for now, less of a criminal element that it used to be. On 2010s debut album (Happy Happy Birthday To Me Recordings), you had to listen closely to hear the Blondie, to hear the Abba, to hear the pop. Some people just heard noise. Some people thought it was glorious. The album received rave reviews in some unexpected places, including Everett True in Australia (this music makes me deliriously happy) and a top-5 end of year placing on the BBCs website and led to a successful East Coast USA tour in Spring 2012 a prestiged slot at Athens Popfest supporting Throwing Muses. Now comes (Song For My) Solar Sister, the advance single for Minima Moralia, due out in August 2012. This years Tunabunny marks a shift from noise towards melody, from chaos towards structure, from indifference towards rapture, It signals a Tunabunny more pop, yet more intense; more accessible, yet more desperate; more comforting, and yet more uncomfortable.

The greatest band from Athens, Georgia since Pylon; Tunabunny's half-songs are fuller than most songs around for the simple reason that they haven't had the spirit and imagination and inspiration bashed and bullied out of them. (Everett True BBC)

Tunabunny have just released their arrestingly exciting second LP, Minima Moralia. To commemorate this union and the unmissable series of shows, the bands will be releasing a limited edition split 7 on February 20th that will bear the first fruits of Canines.

PLUS: BIKINI BLACK SPECIAL & CHARLES OF THE RITZ

BBS are one of Preston's fave bands while Charles of the Ritz are straight outta the Lake District with big tunes!

All start 8pm on Sunday 26th February

Tickets are £5.50 advance (£7 on the door) and are available from // The Continental Bar 01772 499 425 // Preston Visitor Information at the Guild Hall 01772 253 731 // Action Records 01772 884 772 // Piccadilly Records Manchester // Online from wegottickets and seetickets