Animal Kingdom announce London show at Sebright Arms

Animal Kingdom will be opening their live shows for 2014 with a very intimate show at the hipsters favourite - The Sebright Arms in Hackney.

It's hosted by Disorder and will have The Death of Pop, Paper Boats and Disorder DJs as support.

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Tickets / Animal Kingdom @ Sebright Arms, 17th Jan 2014

Album Review... Animal Kingdom - The Looking Away

Animal Kingdom are in a strange situation as far as I'm concerned. They're signed, but not in their home-land. A few years ago they released their début album "Signs and Wonders" and everyone who listened to it seemed to be a massive fan, but since then the decline of one of London's hottest bands started. Being dropped by their label and effectively becoming an un-signed band. I'm really pleased to have a review of their 2nd album.

The follow up to their first album which NME described as "achingly beautiful celestial indie…Will have Sigur Ros quivering with envy." And so we begin, the first track on the album welcomes you right back into the world of Animal Kingdom, the song is bold, has big beats and is a great way to start off an album I've been waiting for! "Get Away With It" is next up and with it being on the latest Fifa computer game soundtrack this song and "Strange Attractor" both hold up the band to the world to say yes, that's what we're all about! Dynamic and intricate yet delicate at times, both of these tracks for the "Pop" fans but are real crowd pleasers!

A real highlight for me is the album ballad "Straw Man", and with its lovely piano laden melodies.  unique vocals of Richard Sauberlich its a nice change of pace from the fast tracks before it. "Skipping Disc" is also a laid-back track that really reminds me of the first album,  with it's acoustic-pop stylings this one is set out to be a winner for the more laid back Animal Kingdom fan

"Glass House" is more of an electric affair that's got loads of techy noises going on with "The Art Of Tuning Out" is a moody rocker, while "Get Away With It" mixes sylish synth-pop with their rock, with an infectious chorus! First single "Strange Attractor" is another standout, again mixing electronics with melodic pop and a memorable, soaring chorus. It's no surprise the song made a mark in the alternative charts earlier this year and deservedly so.

"White Sparks" is a slow song off the album, and features some of the interesting instrumental sounds, but the simplistic track really has won me over since first listening to it, one of my highlights! "Everything At Once" pulls out a strong guitar emphasis which is then remains on album closer "Alone Together".

These days there are too many bands trying to ride the mainstream Indie-Pop wave (we name no-one). But Animal Kingdom proves that you don't have to sell out massive venues in your home town to produce one of the finest albums of the year. Although they're not signed that's still not stopped them carrying on and making an album that I adore!

You can check out a demo of a song that didn't make the album just below!

Animal Kingdom - The Looking Away
Out of 10: 9/10

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Animal Kingdom to release "The Looking Away" in the UK this year

Animal Kingdom have announced that the UK release of their second album will be sometime this year. The album has been out in America for nearly a full year now, but without a label in the UK the trio have only just been able to get it out in their home-land.

The London band will also be giving the UK fans an extra song for the wait, the song will be "The Blood That Runs Under Your Skin".

An official release date is still being waited upon, but this is good news for AK fans in Britain!

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Animal Kingdom share unreleased demos

Animal Kingdom have shared four album demos from the 'The Looking Away' sessions, they're giving them away as a part of their Christmas countdown.

You can listen to all of them here and download some too!

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Daily Download... Animal Kingdom - Broken Sentences

Today we have a very special song for you. This is a demo from their 'Looking Away' sessions, this song sadly didn't make the cut for the album and you can hear it in it's rawness right here!

A very slow and calming track from the wonderful Animal Kingdom! Thanks guys, it's stunning!

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Daily Download... Animal Kingdom - Strange Attractor (Nick Crofts aka Kidaswitch Remix)

Nick Crofts aka 'Kidaswitch' Remix of Animal Kingdom's 'Strange Attractor' from the album 'The Looking Away' which is out now on iTunes. You can download the song for free! It's a great Indie party anthem to stick on for whatever the mood!



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Introducing... Animal Kingdom

Ok, I rarely do an 'Introducing' post on a band who have over 8,000 likes on facebook or are signed to a major record label. This band have both of the above, now we met the lead singer back when we caught up with El Rio in March. I chatted to the singer and he told me it's hard for them being a UK based band and being signed in North America. The music doesn't get that much play here in the UK, which is a shame.



Now I would say that there sound is one that the citizens of the UK deserve, Richards vocals are one of those that you could fall in love with! And with their latest single "Strange Attractor", you can clearly see why, that track sounds like it'll be on every major cinema directors lips, the whole structure of the song is fabulous and the soft vocals combined with the delicate guitars and drumming can easily give a love scene that extra sparkle.

For fans of // Bloc Party, Mew, Morning Parade



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Friday's Finest

This week we are going back to our roots with Bloc Party and Maximo Park, also we've got 3 amazing up-and-coming bands to fill in the gaps. So here it is, 5 tracks that you MUST listen to over the weekend. Have fun! With love from us and Slate The Disco



Slate the Disco: Ty Segall Band – Wave Goodbye
The Ty Segall band are Ty Segall Mikal Cronin, Charlie Moothart, and Emily Rose Epstein, and on June 25th they release début album, 'Slaughterhouse' and if 'Wave Goodbye' is anything to go by it's going to be epic.




It's All Indie: Animal Kingdom - Strange Attractor
This song isn't out in the UK yet that hasn't stopped them building a big fan-base over in their native country. 'Strange Attractor' is the first single off the new Animal Kingdom album, I can see this song being used in loads of movies for years to come!




Slate The Disco: Violet - I Come Undone
Violet release their début single on Luv Luv Luv Records on May 7th, 'Y.O.U.' from the double A-side single has been the perfect introduction and now we have 'I Come Undone’ to follow on the universal tales of heartbreak and falling in love; of painful lows and intoxicating highs threaded throughout Violet's tracks. Violet will play Cambridge on May 13th, when they support Spector at the Cambridge Union.




It's All Indie: Bloc Party - She's Hearing Voices
Record Store Day was and always will be a big part of my year, this year Bloc Party decided to re-release their début single. I've been playing the 7" continuously ever since I got my hands on it (again). You can listen to the very first recording of it below, in all of it's UN-edited glory!




Unanimous: Maximo Park - Hips And Lips




...and until next week!