Iglu and Hartly have seemingly been touring just about non stop. They’re now releasing their album in the USA, where it was recorded, and have given us a shiny MP3 to give away. If you haven’t got their album, get it, you may like it. It’s a pretty crazy world they live in – a world of hope driven by heavy synth. A world soaked in beer and sweat, borne from heart and soul. Welcome to the movement of kids worldwide who have heard the word, who believe, who live like us. Uncompromising, undeniable, uncontrollable, unstoppable.

MP3: Iglu & Hartly – DayGlo

The sensational Shockwaves NME Awards shows have been announced for next January and February to start off a 2009 in great style. The likes of Franz Ferdinand, The Wombats and Simian Mobile Disco are among this year’s great gigs, with more to be announced shortly.

Franz Ferdinand’s frontman Alex Kapranos said of their opening night honour: “We’re going to play the gig to celebrate ‘Ulysess’ coming out and Heaven is the best place to go and celebrate. The new songs are the type that should be heard in clubs so we liked the idea of playing a show in one. We want people close to us who are dancing and sweating, that’s the vibe that we want. We definitely don’t want polite theatre shows for this record- we want some excitement!”

Tickets are available exclusively at NME from 9am on Wednesday, 26th November and then go on general sale on Monday 1st December.

UPDATE: More gigs added today (2nd December 2008) – full details below.

Catch the full details of the gigs below:

Tuesday 20th January 2009 – Franz Ferdinand @ London Heaven
Sunday 8th February 2009 – The Gaslight Anthems, Frank Turner and The Polar Bear Club @ London Shepherds Bush Empire
Monday 9th February 2009 – Howling Bells @ London Islington Academy
Tuesday 10th February 2009 – The View @ London Koko
Wednesday 11th February 2009 – Ida Maria @ London Koko
Thursday 12th February 2009 – Ida Maria @ Manchester Club Academy
Thursday 12th February 2009 – Simian Mobile Disco and Chrome Hoof @ London Koko
Friday 13th February 2009 – Ida Maria @ Glasgow Garage
Friday 13th February 2009 – Mystery Jets and Little Boots @ London Shepherds Bush Empire
Sunday 15th February 2009 – Black Lips and Vivian Girls @ London Islington Academy
Monday 16th February 2009 – Secret Machines @ London Islington Academy
Tuesday 17th February 2009 – Iglu and Hartley @ London Islington Academy
Wednesday 18th February 2009 – Black Kids, Boy Crisis, Passion Pit @ London Koko
Wednesday 18th February 2009 – Tricky @ Manchester Club Academy
Wednesday 18th February 2009 – Iglu and Hartley @ Manchester Academy 3
Thursday 19th February 2009 – Tricky @ Glasgow Arches
Thursday 19th February 2009 – Iglu and Hartley @ Glasgow QMU
Thursday 19th February 2009 – Roots Manuva @ London Koko
Friday 20th February 2009 – Tricky @ London Shepherds Bush Empire
Monday 23rd February 2009 – Wombats @ London Shepherds Bush Empire
Tuesday 24th February 2009 – Metronomy @ London Koko
Tuesday 24th February 2009 – Wombats @ Manchester Academy
Thursday 26th February 2009 – Wombats @ Glasgow Barrowlands

Iglu & Hartly have announced a string of new UK Tour dates for early December.

The press release says that this is

“most likely the last time you’ll get to see the guys in rooms small enough to kiss the sweat from the ceiling”

Fun.

Catch a free MP3 of their biggest (and probably only) hit below, and then check out the tour dates and decide if they’re really worth going out and getting cold for in December.

MP3: - Iglu & Hartly – In This City

Tickets go on sale on Wednesday (8th October) at 9am for the below dates.

Catch Iglu & Hartly at:

Monday 1st december – Edinburgh Liquid Room
Sunday 7th December – Lincoln Engine Shed
Monday 8th December – Birmingham Academy 2
Tuesday 9th December – Manchester Academy 3
Wednesday 10th December – London ULU

I know things have been a bit slow around here this week, as I seem to have been working pretty much full time and getting ready to go back to uni on the 29th.

On Tuesday night I went to catch Longview at London’s Hoxton Bar and Grill. I’d been excited about this since buying the tickets, but somehow it just didn’t work out – their debut album was amazing, but they pretty much ignored it to play mostly new material. The venue wasn’t the best having been filled mostly with people who are “too cool for school” if you get my drift. Oh well.

One band I’ve particularly been enjoying recently is Melbourne based Skipping Girl Vinegar who have some great summery indie pop that is perfectly Australian – fun, exciting and youthful. Check them out if you get a chance.

Finally, I’ve been loving Iglu & Hartly’s In This City a ridiculous amount this week. I’d never heard of them before hearing them on the radio and whilst they may just be a one-hit wonder (well, it’s too good to be able to match it for a whole album!).

Like your music in small and sweaty venues? Then head on down to London’s Macbeth next week for Levi’s Ones To Watch 5 night revue at the venue. Five nights of music

Foals have also been announced as playing a secret show at a yet-to-be-revealed venue on Tuesday night. Tickets for the show are free and will be available on a first come first serve basis at the Levi’s flagship store at 174-176 Regent Street, London, W1B 5TL, from 5.01pm this Saturday. Only one ticket per person is allowed and there are only 60 tickets to give away so make sure you get down there early to avoid disappointment!

Tickets for the below five dates are £6 a pop and are available from Ticketweb.

Monday 22nd September – Bombay Bicycle Club + Sky Larkin
Tuesday 23rd September – Iglu & Hartley + Micachu
Wednesday 24th September – Broken Records + Story One
Thursday 25th September – Esser + Stricken City
Friday 26th September – Metronomy + Tubelord

MTV’s Gonzo has announced it’s annual round of birthday shows for October as they stop off at a series of Barfly venues over two weekends.

Tickets for the below dates go on sale on Friday (12th September) at 9am.

Friday 10th October – The Automatic and Iglu And Hartly at Liverpool Barfly
Saturday 11th October – Mystery Jets, Noah And The Whale at Birmingham Barfly
Sunday 12th October – Kaiser Chiefs and Late Of The Pier at London ULU
Friday 17th October – Foals, Esser at York Fibbers
Saturday 18th October – Glasvegas, Friendly Fires at Aberdeen Moshulu
Sunday 19th October – Bloc Party, Magistrates at Glasgow Barfly