Born and bred in the Manchester scene, and being firm fans of the venue, Spring King front man Tarek Musa said of their slot:

“The Islington Mill is a very important artistic and musical hub for Salford and Manchester. I have a few friends who are based in the Islington Mill, including Dr. Me who designed our EP artwork for “They’re Coming After You” as well as the single artwork for “Who Are You?”.

He added: “I remember being around 19 or so and seeing Lightning Bolt play one of my favourite ever shows there too. I think it’s important to raise the necessary funds so that the building can expand, so that the community can grow and so that the Mill can continue to be a force of creativity.”

For the ‘What’s New?’ (a section that celebrates new and upcoming music) part of the night, first up will be Leeds-based Team Picture who released three outstanding tracks in 2016. This will be the first time that the band have played on this side of the Pennines and all at TMB are delighted that they have chosen to visit Manchester for their first event. – Here is some of what they do.

Also from Yorkshire, Leeds three-piece Caro. Too Many Blogs have been vocal about the band over the last twelve months and are delighted to be able to showcase their brilliance. Described by DIY as having “enough going on here to set pulses racing at dangerous levels” they are a band who really come to life in a live setting. Catch them now and then brag to your mates that you saw them before everyone else. Check out the live session video for Smorgasbord.

Travelling from Brighton and completing the lineup for the first ‘What’s New?’ event will be Our Girl. People may recognise the band’s front-woman, Soph Nathan, thanks to her work as ace guitarist with The Big Moon, but don’t let that fool you into thinking you know what they’re about. Our Girl are, as NME put it, “A thundering yet intimate delight”. They released their debut EP, Normally, in November of last year with ‘No Big Deal’ being our pick of a very strong bunch.

To bring the fundraiser to a close, Everything Everything’s Jeremy Pritchard will be followed by Spring King’s James Green on the decks to spin some of their favourite top tunes and get the party started.

About the event, founder of Too Many Blogs, James Hughes, said:

“Islington Mill is one of our favourite local venues and because of the situation they find themselves in, it felt like a no-brainer for the debut of our night. With 3 brilliant upcoming acts as the main attraction, we wanted to make the night really special by bringing in a guest headliner to round it all off”.

‘What’s New?’ creator, Elli Brazzill, added:

“Promoting and sharing new music is something we care about possibly too much at TMB, so to be showing off some of the best new acts we love at the Mill is a really exciting prospect”.

Tickets are available now for just £10 (Advance Discount tickets are sold out).

http://fatout.skiddletickets.com/event.php?id=12889570

The new release will feature ‘Sweet Misery’ which premiered on Mark Radcliffe’s 6Music show in the UK and on Henry Rollins’ KCRW show in the US.

Listen to the track here:

LOVE SICK DICK has the superb combination of the classic Adamson we’ve all come to revel in plus some fresh new twists, as he takes us on a journey and probes the inner workings of one lovelorn guy in all of his downhearted, paranoiac, grieving, hapless and helpless self! From the pulsating futuristic blues of ‘Sweet Misery’ where Adamson circles his condition, knowing there isn’t any other place to go, to the vampiric, prowling roam of ‘They Walk Among Us’, where parasites joylessly feed off each other and dance macabre.

Throughout the recording, Adamson says it all with a vocal that is on point and as strong as it has ever been. The other tracks offer no less than sheer forensic testimony to the central theme and condition he is examining. ‘One Hot Mess’ unashamedly dances forcefully into an intended’s ego to tear it apart and claim it, with a confessional punchy bass and thematic disco swagger. ‘I Got Clothes’ is a manic poem that begs mentor Nina Simone for guidance as it rips and spits out the opening; bluesy and dark and fat at the low end, running and chasing down the object of the character’s desire. ‘People Like Us’ acts as a contemporary pit stop, like Adamson has turned on a nineties radio station while he fills up on fuel and considers the situation at hand before driving off into the distance. ‘On Golden Square’ is where Adamson digs into his soul to find nothing but a dull, pathetic ache, laid bare by a promise that he can never deliver, his endless optimism (and oddly, his mother’s!) convincing us and himself that what is ‘all right’ is also ‘so right’ as synths swirl around and tease an old school fifties style riff.

Just like the singular central character in Adamson’s new record, Barry recorded the whole project solo, living up to his multi-instrumentalist hallmark by programming, playing live and sampling and stealing every note you hear on each track, exploring some really interesting techniques in doing so and using modern technology to make an old wail.

To quote Adamson: ‘The blues is the blues and if the heart aches then that’s the sound that will come out whether you are playing guitar, a synth, a piano or playing futuristic guitar solos on your iphone!’

Barry Adamson embarks on a solo tour in April, full details below

Barry Adamson 2017 Tour Dates

22 April – Manchester, Ruby Lounge
24 April – Glasgow, King Tuts
26 April – Bristol, Thekla
27 April – London, M.O.T.H Club

Tickets are on sale from http://listings.ticketweb.co.uk/barryadamson

Love Sick Dick pre-order available from: www.barryadamson.com

When Happyness first burst into the public conscience with 2013’s debut single ‘It’s On You’, their spirited take on US college rock was as big a surprise as it was an instant hit. The resulting full length, Weird Little Birthday, went on to feature in many of 2014’s End of Year album lists. Worldwide tours, an NME Award, a re-issue on the much-loved labels Moshi Moshi Recordings (Bar/None in US), and millions of Spotify plays later, it is with some anticipation now that the band finally set about releasing the follow-up into the world.

‘Write In’ was self-produced in the same space (their own affectionately named “Jelly Boy Studios” above a now-abandoned bookshop) with the same gear and the same mixer, and is a confident and ambitious move forward. Later mixed with Adam Lasus at his LA home studio, ‘Write In’ sets its stall out as an outward looking, inventive, and thoughtful progression from their debut. Laced with their deeply English sense of awkwardness and self-effacement is integral to the process (says guitarist / vocalist Jon EE, “if we weren’t self-deprecating we’d get a lot worse very quickly”), this is clearly a band no longer afraid of big songs and the crucial moment of connection with a wider audience.

Where ‘Weird Little Birthday’ took its cues from the likes of Sparklehorse, Wilco, Yo La Tengo, and Pavement, artists including Roxy Music, The Beach Boys, Randy Newman, Sonic Youth, Big Star and Pierre Cavalli are cited as influences here. Existing fans will no doubt pick up the remnants of Teenage Fanclub and Velvet Underground lurking in there too.

Live dates

Tuesday 18 April The Hope & Ruin, Brighton
Wednesday 19 April Lousiana, Bristol
Thursday 20 April Buyers Club, Liverpool
Friday 21 April Upstairs at Whelan’s, Dublin, Ireland
Saturday 22 April The Hug and Pint, Glasgow
Monday 24 April Think Tank?, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Tuesday 25 April Gullivers, Manchester
Wednesday 26 April Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
Friday 28 April The Dome, Tufnell Park, London
Saturday 29 April Happyness with Twin Atlantic Leicester
Saturday 29 April 2017 – Sunday 30 April Handmade Festival 2017, O2 Academy Leicester