Already being hailed throughout Europe, Japan, and much of the rest of the world for their incendiary rock 'n' roll, English trio Little Barrie are poised to make a huge splash in the United States with the release of their latest album King Of The Waves on February 28, 2012 via Tummy Touch Records.
Since their last release in 2007, the band has dedicated themselves to honing their musical reputations, doing everything from appearing live with Primal Scream to collaborations with the likes of Morrissey and Mark Ronson.
It's been nearly five years since Little Barrie has released new material, but King of the Waves definitively proves that it's been absolutely worth the wait.
Guitarist/frontman Barrie Cadogan and bassist/vocalist Lewis Wharton are joined on the album by the new addition of drummer/vocalist Virgil Howe, son of renowned Yes guitarist Steve Howe. The resulting sound produced by the band is as intensely electrifying as one might expect from such a dynamic and in-demand group of individuals.
It calls to mind an old school Detroit rock 'n' roll showdown between Link Wray and The Creation, with the MC5 and Motown's best in attendance to cheer both sides, and the omnipresent threat of a killer wave lurking just overhead.
Longtime friend and collaborator Edwyn Collins co-produced the album with Little Barrie, just as he did their first, 2005's We Are Little Barrie, and even sings backing vocals on the track "Money In Paper".
Engineer Sebastian Lewsley also returns on King of the Waves, recorded at Collins' West Heath Studios in North London. Although the band members pursued their own projects following their 2007 release Stand Your Ground, eventually they found that all roads led them happily back to Collins to create their triumphant third release.
Little Barrie is already a massive success in Japan and elsewhere abroad, with a prestigious eight-page spread in Japanese Rolling Stone, and #1 and #2 positions on Japan's iTunes and Amazon charts respectively. They are currently playing select dates across Europe while preparing to take the United States by storm with the release of King of the Waves on February 28, 2012 and a spring tour with dates soon to be announced.
Little Barrie - Surf Hell video:
About Tummy Touch Records:
From its roots as a cult dance music label and club night in East London to its current homes in Brooklyn, New York, and at the UK's legendary Rak Studios, Tummy Touch Records has been defying convention, resisting categorisation and championing the unique musical vision of label founder Tim "Love" Lee. Since the first release back in 1994, if it's doped up, blissed out or living on the margins of the acceptable, it's found a loving home at the label. Having launched the careers of artists like Groove Armada, Tom Vek and The Phenomenal Handclap Band, Tummy Touch now has, according to the BBC, "an influence far in excess of its tiny size".
"King of the Waves rekindles the band's effervescent spirit but injects a fiery determination into Barrie's blueprint. The likes of 'Surf Hell' and 'Tip It Over' twitch with machine gun urgency, while 'Money In Paper' soars with a sawdust swagger and the producer's backing vocals. Gritty, wiry, it's good to have the little 'uns back." - Paul Stokes, NME
"Collaborators of choice to the A-list, Primal Scream, Weller, Spiritualized, Chemical Bros" - Word Magazine, June 2011
"King of the Waves rattles through stomping glam ("Surf Hell"), Roses-like dance shuffles ("Tip It Over") and a soupcon of acoustic voodoo motifs" - Terry Staunton, Uncut, 4-star review
Photo credit: Lee Vincent Grubb
Sit back and let Tummy Touch's brand of Bohemian disco rock, sci-fi electro soul, unruly Latin mash ups and oddball urban exotica bring aural pleasures to the soundtrack of your musical world.
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