Good Shoes have announced a string of tour dates in late April/early May. Tickets are on sale on Monday (11th January) at 9am. Catch them at:

Monday 19th April 2010 – Norwich, Arts centre (14+)
Tuesday 20th April 2010 – Southend, Chinnerys (14+)
Wednesday 21st April 2010 – London, Dingwalls (14+)
Thursday 22nd April 2010 – Brighton, Audio (16+)
Friday 23rd April 2010 – Gloucester, Guildhall (14+)
Saturday 24th April 2010 – Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms (14+)
Monday 26th April 2010 – Exeter, Cavern (16+)
Tuesday 27th April 2010 – Wolverhampton, Little Civic (14+)
Wednesday 28th April 2010 – Manchester, Deaf Institute (18+)
Thursday 29th April 2010 – Leeds, Silver hips at hifi club (18+)
Friday 30th April 2010 – Hull, Lamp (14+)
Saturday 1st May 2010 – Derby, The Royal (14+)

A few weeks ago, you may have caught my review of London band Good Shoes’s single ‘Under Control’. When I listened to that infectious single I couldn’t wait for the album. Now that I have it, I have to confess I’m a bit disappointed. It’s not that the album isn’t good, not at all — I just can’t help feeling like it could have been so much more.

The album starts out well with the frenetically paced, high-energy ‘The Way My Heart Beats,’ but the momentum created by it is lost by their strange choice to put their slowest song, ‘Everything You Do’ right after it. This is probably my least favorite song on the album, mostly because it doesn’t showcase the things Good Shoes is best at: energy and rhythm. Luckily, they seem to realize this and they pick things up again with ‘I Know,’ one of the highlights of the album. It combines a great guitar riff with a steady drumbeat and some of their most political lyrics: “You should learn to protest and learn to question everything you’re told / I think if there’s a day of judgement then our leaders will be first against the wall.”

Next up is stellar single ‘Under Control,’ which they follow with two of their best songs, ‘Do You Remember’ and ‘Our Loving Mother in a Pink Diamond.’ This part of the album is where they really get into the groove: the songs are intricate and fun. The next few songs are perfectly fine, but don’t have that extra spark. They’re all variations on the same theme: how things used to be so much better, and now there’s ‘No Hope, No Future’.

They save my personal favorite for last. ‘City by the Sea’ is a slower, more melodic song. It’s like the cool-down track after the workout they give you with the rest of the album. Where this track really stands out for me is in its lyrics. While the strength of most Good Shoes songs is in the music and not the lyrics, this track verges on the poetic: “All I want is a little more time to feel your heartbeat next to mine”.

In all, ‘No Hope, No Future’ doesn’t quite live up to the band’s potential. The album has its moments of genius, but these mainly come when they don’t try so hard. They really shine when they let themselves stray from their formula of disillusioned lyrics over a driving beat and intricate guitars. That said, if you’re just looking for a fun, energetic album to listen to, but don’t need anything game-changing, then this is the album for you.

‘No Hope, No Future’ will be released on 25th January on Brille Records.

Morden, London based Good Shoes have done it again with their new single, out 11 January on Brille Records. The foursome, consisting of Rhys Jones (vocals/guitar), Thomas Jones (drums), Stephen Leach (lead guitar) and William Church (bass), have been gaining momentum ever since Steve Lamacq and Zane Lowe played the band’s demos on their radio programmes ahead of the release of their debut album, ‘Think Before You Speak’ (2007).

‘Under Control’ will be the first single from the band’s forthcoming album, ‘No Hope, No Future,’ due out early next year. The track is an upbeat, guitar-driven pop track vaguely reminiscent of Foals (think ‘Cassius’), although the music isn’t quite as intricate. With its driving beat and simple, repetitive lyrics, it will have you moving your hips and singing along in no time! Sample lyrics include “your lips on lips / that taste salty skin / and her muscles tense / as I tighten my grip“, perhaps explaining the charmingly strange video featuring female bodybuilders.

Good Shoes will be on tour throughout Europe in January and February 2010. The single ‘Under Control’ will be released on 11th January 2010 and will be the first single from their new album, ‘No Hope, No Future’, due out 25 January. Click here for TGTF’s previous post with information about the band’s album release parties in late January to take place in London.

Written by: Mary Beth Howard

Morden, London quartet Good Shoes have announced a series of dates in London to celebrate the UK release of their second album, ‘No Hope, No Future’, on 25 January 2010.

According to their Facebook page, “the event is gonna be like a mini-festival happening over 4 days in January! Lots of bands that are friends or that we like are going to be involved and it’s gonna be very cheap (£3 for the matinee, £5 for the evening show), there will be a matinee show for under 18s in the day and an over 18s evening show“.

Catch them at the Stag’s Head, 55 Orsman Road, London, on the following dates. Please note that the line-up for the dates are current as of this posting but keep checking back on the Facebook event page for most current listings.

Wednesday 20th January 2010 – with Hatcham Social, Fiction, Silver Hips (DJ Set), Daniel Shepherd (Gang of One DJ Set)

Thursday 21st January 2010 – with Disappearers, Gold Sounds, Loud and Quiet Mag (DJ Set), Pipes and Flutes (Tom Young Knives and Nicola Bonsu-Dartnall DJ set)

Friday 22nd January 2010 – with Wild Palms, Othello Wolf, Brille Records (DJ set), Blood Red Shoes (DJ Set), Amp and Deck (Kev Kev and Blaine Mystery Jets DJ Set)

Saturday 23rd January 2010 – with La Shark, Is Tropical, Brute Chorus, Stormy Seas, Silver Hips (DJ Set), Rhys Good Shoes (DJ Set), Maximo Park (DJ Set), Rory Philips (DJ Set), Free BBQ (top of the bill)

The venue is a small pub and tickets will be very limited, so get them while you still can. Tickets can be purchased here.

Good Shoes have announced a sizeable UK tour for November and December around the UK, playing some of perhaps the tiniest venues known to mankind.

Tickets are on sale now, priced around the £8 mark.

Thursday 5th November 2009 – Bath Moles
Friday 6th November 2009 – Southampton Joiners
Saturday 7th November 2009 – Tunbridge Wells Forum
Monday 9th November 2009 – Guildford Boileroom
Tuesday 10th November 2009 – Oxford Jericho
Wednesday 11th November 2009 – Cambridge Soul Tree
Friday 13th November 2009 – Hitchin Club 85
Saturday 14th November 2009 – Harlow Square
Sunday 15th November 2009 – Nottingham Bodega
Monday 16th November 2009 – Stoke Sugarmill
Wednesday 18th November 2009 – Wrexham Central Station
Thursday 19th November 2009 – Leeds Cockpit 2
Friday 20th November 2009 – Darlington Club Strut
Saturday 21st November 2009 – Doncaster Priory
Monday 23rd November 2009 – York Fibbers
Tuesday 24th November 2009 – Glasgow King Tuts
Wednesday 25th November 2009 – Dundee Dexters
Thursday 26th November 2009 – Edinburgh Electric Circus
Friday 27th November 2009 – Newcastle Digital
Saturday 28th November 2009 – Liverpool Korova
Monday 30th November 2009 – Sheffield Leadmill
Tuesday 1st December 2009 – Leicester Musician
Wednesday 2nd December 2009 – Birmingham Hare And Hounds
Thursday 3rd December 2009 – Cardiff Club Ifor Bach
Friday 4th December 2009 – Manchester Ruby Lounge
Saturday 5th December 2009 – Bristol Cooler

Good Shoes have announced two “secret” dates on their myspace blog.

Catch them at the below dates, with a third being announced in the coming days.

Friday 14th March – Amersham Arms (on around 11pm)
Wednesday 17th March – Punk (Oxford Street – on around 10pm)

Photo from felixmolter’s flickr stream

Good Shoes have announced that they’re off on the road again in November. They play the usual range of venues, including:

Sunday 11th November – Birmingham Carling Academy 2
Tuesday 13th November – Manchester Academy 2
Wednesday 14th November – Leeds Met University
Thursday 15th November – Glasgow ABC2
Saturday 17th November – Middlesbrough Empire
Sunday 18th November – Cambridge Junction
Monday 19th November – Norwich Waterfront
Tuesday 20th November – Brighton Concorde
Wednesday 21st November – London Astoria

Tickets are available from Ticketmaster or seetickets and other vendors.

Photo from felixmolter’s flickr stream