One of Manchester’s brightest talents, Doves have announced a string of UK shows for April and May this year to co-incide with the release of their greatest hits, “The Places Between: The Best Of Doves” which is out on 5th April.

Tickets go on sale on Friday (19th March 2010)

Wednesday 28th April 2010 – Hull City Hall
Thursday 29th April 2010 – Leicester De Montfort Hall
Sunday 2nd May 2010 – Blackburn King Georges Hall
Tuesday 4th May 2010 – Folkestone Lea Cliffs Hall
Wednesday 5th May 2010 – Wolverhampton Civic Hall
Thursday 6th May 2010 – London Troxy
Saturday 8th May 2010 – Liverpool University
Sunday 9th May 2010 – Bradford St George’s Hall

Many, many years ago I had a young girl’s dream of becoming a singer. Long story short: for a multitude of reasons, it never happened, but as a result, I’m very critical of female singing voices upon hearing them for the first time. Most of the time, I am displeased (that’s putting it mildly) by what frivolous and unimpassioned warblings some girl is passing off as quote music unquote. I’m happy to report that last week I was pleasantly surprised and even a bit stunned upon hearing the band I am about to describe to you.

The anti-folk foursome Erin K and Tash is fronted by, yep, you guessed it, two angelic, incredible-sounding singers named Erin Kleh and Tash ter Braak. The two met in August 2009 after ter Braak, a talented pianist, answered Kleh’s ad for a backing vocalist for her burgeoning amateur band. The two hit it off right away and have been writing and performing together ever since with Paul Durbin (percussion) and Nicolas Cornu (guitar).

Check out the funny and evocative ‘Sorry I’m Not Black’ (mentioning American basketball star Dennis Rodman and English party girl singer Amy Winehouse) for an example of their lyrics: witty, humourous, and a breath of fresh air. The songs are delivered with such sweetness than the first thing that came into mind upon listening to a gorgeously spare version of ‘Oh Well (without noise version)’ on their MySpace, I thought of Emmy the Great.

The sultry ‘Jiggy Miggy’ reminds me of the great Mama Cass of the Mamas and the Papas. It’s a great example that even though female voices can be angelic, these women are real women; they feel emotions like love and lust like the rest of us and aren’t afraid to sing about them in a thoughtful way that we normal people can relate to, not at all in the distasteful way that seems pretty much par for the course for female, mass-marketed pop singers these days. So I say to Erin K and Tash, hip hip hooray!

This unsigned band is based in London and plays in venues around town. Here are some upcoming dates taken from their MySpace.

Sunday 21st March 2010 – London Islington Old Queens Head
Thursday 15th April 2010 – London Gladstone (free gig)
Thursday 22nd April 2010 – London Earl’s Court Troubadour
Monday 10th May 2010 – London 12 Bar (Blang! night)
Saturday 22nd May 2010 – London Leytonstone Library Hall

London electronic rock band Three Trapped Tigers are hitting the road this April in support of their newest effort ‘EP3′. Check out the video for ‘6′ below and go see them in a town near you!

Friday 23rd April 2010 – Cardiff, Arts Institute
Saturday 24th April 2010 – Bristol, Start The Bus (Tickets)
Sunday 25th April 2010 – Manchester, DEAF Institute (Tickets)
Monday 26th April 2010 – Edinburgh, Electric Circus (Tickets)
Tuesday 27th April 2010 – Birmingham, Hare & Hounds (Tickets)
Wednesday 28th Apr 2010 – Brighton, Freebutt (Tickets)
Thursday 29th Apr 2010 – London, Institute of Contemporary Arts (Tickets)

Talons is the support act for this tour.

North Wales band the Joy Formidable will be logging many miles travelled as they trek across the UK in March and April on tour. Note that four dates in Scotland originally slated for the start of the tour have been rescheduled for early April. Catch the band on the dates below.

Their new single ‘Popinjay’ is now available as a digital download, with a limited run of 500 7″ vinyl singles planned for 5 April.

Sunday 14th March 2010 – Manchester, Ruby Lounge
Monday 15th March 2010 – Liverpool, Korova
Tuesday 16th March 2010 – Nottingham, Bodega
Wednesday 17th March 2010 – Leeds, Cockpit
Friday 19th March 2010 – Cambridge, Portland
Saturday 20th March 2010 – Birmingham, O2 Academy 2
Sunday 21st March 2010 – Oxford, O2 Academy 2
Monday 22nd March 2010 – Brighton, Audio
Wednesday 24th March 2010 – London, Electric Ballroom
Thursday 25th March 2010 – Southampton, Joiners
Friday 26th March 2010 – Bristol, Start the Bus
Saturday 27th March 2010 – Cardiff, Barfly
Monday 29th March 2010 – Northampton, Roadmenders
Tuesday 30th March 2010 – Sheffield, O2 Academy 2
Wednesday 31st March 2010 – Newcastle, O2 Academy 2
Thursday 1st April 2010 – Wrexham, Central Station
Saturday 3rd April 2010 – Glasgow, King Tuts
Sunday 4th April 2010 – Inverness, Madhatters
Monday 5th April 2010 – Aberdeen, Snafu
Tuesday 6th April 2010 - Dundee, Fat Sams

MP3: The Joy Formidable – The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade
MP3: The Joy Formidable – Cradle
MP3: The Joy Formidable – Austere
MP3: The Joy Formidable – While the Flies

A slight break from the normal TGTF stuff here, as Beardyman has announced details of his debut solo UK tour.

The champion beatboxer is hitting the road, with a novel idea – the crowd chooses what is played.

But how is this going to work? All you have to do is send your suggestions to him on Twitter under the hash-tag #beardytour he will include them in his set, as long as you’re there to claim responsibility for how great (or shocking) they turn out to be. Marmite-hip-hop-ragga-step, renegade-banana-disco-dub, or Michael Jackson and Arnold Schwarzenegger in a techno rave-up… the never-ending choices are yours.

Sound good to you? Yeah, it does to me too. Catch him at:

Tuesday 27th April 2010 – Manchester, The Factory
Wednesday 28th April 2010 – Birmingham, Hare & Hounds
Thursday 29th April 2010 – Glasgow, The Arches
Saturday 1st May 2010 – London, Islington Academy
Sunday 2nd May 2010 – Bristol, Metropolis
Friday 7th May 2010 – Dublin, The Button Factory

Kyp Malone from soulful art rockers TV On The Radio is coming to the UK with his solo project, Rain Machine in May.

Explaining the motives behind his new project, Kyp commented:

“I’ve been writing and recording songs alone since I moved to NYC in 2000, at first alone because I didn’t know anyone, then through the years by choice because of a particular freedom that going it alone afforded. I’ve played regularly since then, at first under the name Black Lights until some kids in Texas told me they were already using that name. Then under my own name but I didn’t like how “Kyp Malone” looked on mock ups of t-shirts and fliers, thus Rain Machine.”

Tickets are on sale for all these dates now. Catch Kyp’s Rain Machine at:

Monday 12th April 2010 – London, Shoreditch Village Underground
Tuesday 13th April 2010 – Manchester, The Deaf Institute
Wednesday 14th April 2010 – Belfast Speakeasy
Thursday 15th April 2010 – Belfast the Academy

Guillemots frontman gone solo, Fyfe Dangerfield, has announced a one off London gig in April. Tickets are on general sale this Friday, 26th February at 9:00am, and can be purchased from See Tickets.

Tuesday 27th April 2010 – London, Bloomsbury Ballroom

Championed last summer by Steve Lamacq, Austin rockers the Strange Boys will be touring the UK in April.

You can buy tickets for this tour from Gigs and Tours.

Thursday 15th April 2010 – Leeds, Nation of Shopkeepers
Friday 16th April 2010 – Glasgow, Nice ‘n’ Sleazys
Saturday 17th April 2010 – Manchester, Deaf Institute
Sunday 18th April 2010 – Birmingham, Academy 3
Wednesday 21st April 2010 – London, ICA
Thursday 22nd April 2010 – Brighton, Freebutt
Friday 23rd April 2010 – Bristol, Louisiana
Saturday 24th April 2010 – Southampton, Lennon’s

Sunderland pop quintet Frankie and the Heartstrings are preparing for a short UK tour in April. Tickets range in price from £5 to £7 and available now.

Saturday 3rd April 2010 – Sheffield Leadmill
Monday 5th April 2010 – Newcastle Cluny
Tuesday 6th April 2010 – Liverpool Mojo
Wednesday 7th April 2010 – Glasgow King Tut’s
Friday 16th April 2010 – Bristol Louisiana
Saturday 17th April 2010 – Manchester Ruby Lounge

Jess introduced Chapel Club the other week, and now the fast rising stars are off on a sizeable UK tour throughout April.

Catch them at:

Wednesday 7th April 2010 – Portsmouth Cellars
Thursday 8th April 2010 – Guildford Boileroom
Friday 9th April 2010 – Oxford Jericho Tavern
Saturday 10th April 2010 – Bath Moles
Monday 12th April 2010 – Cardiff Barfly
Tuesday 13th April 2010 – Wolverhampton Slade Rooms
Thursday 15th April 2010 – Sheffield Bungalow & Bears
Friday 16th April 2010 – Liverpool Korova
Saturday 17th April 2010 – Leeds A Nation Of Shopkeepers
Monday 19th April 2010 – York Stereo
Tuesday 20th April 2010 – Newcastle The Other Room
Wednesday 21st April 2010 – Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire
Saturday 24th April 2010 – Southampton Joiners
Sunday 25th April 2010 – Cambridge Haymakers
Wednesday 27th April 2010 – London Village Underground