When: 7.30pm on Thursday 15 September 2011
Where: The Castle Hotel, 66 Oldham Street, Manchester M4 1LE

We’re excited to be welcoming one of New York’s most exciting acts, Laura Stevenson and the Cans.

Laura Stevenson was schooled in the traditional music of her grandfather and grandmother (composer of The Little Drummer Boy and vocalist for the Benny Goodman Orchestra respectively) from an early age. It wasn’t until she started performing with Bomb The Music Industry in her teens, that she began writing on her own. Privately crafting songs on the softer side of indie rock and traditional folk, Stevenson was soon tapped as the band’s opener and, with the addition of Mike Campbell and Alex Billig in 2007, Laura Stevenson and the Cans solidified. Their live band grew into a quintet, often times swelling to eight members, and the following debut LP, A Record, won them fans far and wide having been downloaded over 25,000 time since its 2008 release.

Sit Resist, an album centered around never sitting stagnant, sees a matured band that has been continuously at work writing, arranging and touring for the past three years. Lyrically, Stevenson’s pen has a sharp, poetic tone, making it impossible not to be taken in by her stories. Where A Record crackled with Stevenson’s intimate voice alongside gentle acoustics, begging the listener nearer, Sit Resist commands the attention of all within earshot with its rich instrumentation and textured melodies.

The overall effect achieved by Laura Stevenson and the Cans is an album that’s as invigorating and life-affirming as it is quietly emotional and delicate. This is an intelligent, literate album crafted of fragments of fleeting memories of time and place, yet it manages to convey volumes. Sit Resist is a true piece of art.

‘Their hooks never pussyfoot around – think Arcade Fire, Foals, Frightened Rabbit – and even churn with a little bit of the sharpened-tooth grin of Don Giovanni labelmates like Screaming Females‘ – Village Voice

Support comes from Joel Nicholson, aka Butcher The Bar. Signed to Morr Music (Múm, Amiina, The Go Find, Telekinesis) Joel makes subtle pop songs that are somewhat reminiscent of label-mates Seabear, but also of indie-pop greats such as The Lucksmiths. His second album, For Each a Future Tethered, was released in June. For the first time Joel will be joined by a full band and the gig will act as a warm up for an upcoming tour of Europe. Opening the show is Helen Chambers.

Tickets are available from the bar, Common (both no booking fee), Piccadilly Records, Vinyl Exchange, Seetickets.com, WeGotTickets.com, Ticketline.co.uk, Ticketweb.co.uk and on 0871 220 0260.

Attend on: Facebook | Last.fm