Art Brut

Art Brut Invade North America with Debut November Tour

Look out for the Debut LP “Bang Bang Rock And Roll” in Early 06
Showcases in New York, Chicago, Toronto, and Los Angeles“In the spirit of sex you’re too drunk for, drugs that don’t work, and rock cliches that should be sharpied to your forehead, these Brits deconstruct bombast via bombastic guitar riffs. Sing speaking like he’s working through a Learn to Read Handbook, frontman Eddie Argos makes fun of star-fuckers and meatheads. Star-fuckers and meatheads will totally headbang along” - B+ SPIN Magazine

UK’s most fierce and fiery rock ensemble, Art Brut, will unleash itself on North America. They will be showcasing their unsigned asses to the US masses in New York, Chicago, Toronto and LA. ‘Bang Bang Rock And Roll’, the debut album from Art Brut was released in the UK on Fierce Panda/Banana Recordings and will soon be available in the US next year.

Art Brut formed some 18 months ago after singer Eddie Argos decided that he wanted to be in a band because he wants everybody to be in a band, and also because he wants to be a superstar. After deciding to form a band, he quickly recruited Ian Catskilkin (Guitar) and Freddy Feedback (Bass). The band was completed when they met drummer Mikey B on the back of a bus and Jasper Future (guitarist from Eddie’s old Band -Art Gobblins) joined a few months later. Five minutes after this happened (actually it may have been slightly longer than that) they had written their debut single ‘Formed A Band’.

‘Formed a band, we formed a band, look at us we formed a band’ they sang/shouted. ‘We’re going to be the band that writes the song that makes Israel and Palestine get along’ they said, and furthermore ‘We’re going to write a song as universal as Happy Birthday’. Rough Trade released it as a single, lots of people thought they were joking or being ironic but lots of people liked it anyway. It didn’t stop there though, they wanted everyone to form a band so that popular culture would mean more to them. They wanted people to set up franchise bands called Art Brut and they wanted those bands to cover their songs. Again, everyone thought they were joking. After that, a lot of people were left thinking “how do you follow a single called ‘Formed A Band’ about forming a band?”.

The answer is that you write a song called ‘Modern Art’ about being thrown out of art galleries and you get your fans to handpaint each individual 7” sleeve. Fierce Panda released it as a single, and it was one of the biggest selling ever. Lots of people liked it. By this time even their crazy dream of having Art Brut franchise bands was becoming a reality. NME saw them play at the single launch party for ‘Modern Art’ they remarked “Art Brut 17 are at the bar, Art Brut 4 are scuttling around the Barfly throwing pink paint about…Art Brut 138 are hiding in the corner”. By the end of 2004 the band’s singles had found their way into many end of year polls including NME, Playlouder, John Peel’s Festive 50, ‘Formed A Band’ was even No 8 in Blender’s Top 100 Tracks of 2004. Eddie Argos had made an unlikely entrant in NME’s Cool List and the band were selling out venues the length and breadth of the country.

After spending the first part of the new year in the studio with John Fortiss recording this album the band now find themselves in a position where Art Brut franchise bands are contributing b-sides to their new single ‘Emily Kane’ (May 2nd). Lots of people think they are still joking, they still might be, but Israel And Palestine are certainly getting on a lot better, though admittedly that might not be down to them.

ART BRUT NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
WED 11/9 HOBOKEN, NJ Maxwell's
THU 11/10 NEW YORK, NY Mercury Lounge
FRI 11/11 BROOKLYN, NY Northsix
SAT 11/12 NEW YORK, NY Fixed @ Tribeca Grand Hotel
SUN 11/13 TORONTO, ON Lee's Palace
Tue 11/15 CHICAGO, IL Schubas Tavern
THU 11/17 LOS ANGELES, CA Spaceland
FRI 11/18 LOS ANGELES, CA The Echo