FAILURE DEBUT VIDEO FOR 'COUNTERFEIT SKY' ON PITCHFORK // US TOUR ON 9 OCTOBER 2015 // EUROPEAN TOUR WITH REFUSED 1–5 DECEMBER 2015

Failure have premiered the video for 'Counterfeit Sky' from their new album The Heart Is A Monster, which you can buy from the Xtra Mile digital shop now. The clip was an exclusive for Pitchfork yesterday. You can watch it below.

Ken Andrews explains the origin of the eye-catching, sci-fi clip: “The video was created by visual effects specialist Kevin Margo with footage from his award-winning short film, ‘Grounded.’” Margo’s film featured an original score by Andrews.

Failure’s upcoming tour, which will include guitar player Troy Van Leeuwen, a first since the band reunited, launches tomorrow in Jacksonville, Fla. “After 18 years it’s a real joy to rejoin one of my favorite bands,” said Van Leeuwen. “When I originally joined Failure in 1996, I had no idea of the musical journey that was ahead of me. The chemistry we have in a live setting is a special experience and I can’t wait to share it with fans old and new."

Van Leeuwen was a touring member during shows for their third album Fantastic Planet before joining Queens of the Stone Age. He makes a guest appearance on The Heart Is A Monster.

Failure join Refused for a brief, early-December European outing. All upcoming tour dates below and on our full label gigs calendar.

Tour dates:

October

09   Jacksonville, FL @ Freebird Live *
10   Ft. Lauderdale, FL  @ Revolution *
11 Orlando, FL @ House of Blues *
13   Norfolk, VA @ Norva **
14   New York, NY @ FLOODfest (CMJ) @ Brooklyn Bowl
15   Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre **
17   St. Louis, MO @ The Firebird ***
19   Albuquerque, NM @ The Launchpad ***
20   Tucson, AZ @ The Rock ***
21   Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom ***
22   Las Vegas, NV @ Fremont Country Club ***
24   Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst ***
25   Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival
27 Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent ****
28 Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues ****
29 San Diego, CA @ The Music Box ****

December

01   Paris, France @ Trianon #
03   Antwerp, Belgium @ Trix #
04   Wiesbaden, Germany @ Schlachtof #
05   Hamburg, Germany @ Docks #

January

23 Brisbane, QLD @ Soundwave
24   Sydney, NSW, Australia @ Soundwave
26   Melbourne, VIC, Australia @ Soundwave

* - w/Hum and Torche
** - w/Torche
*** - w/Local H
**** - w/Trail of the Dead and Local H
# - w/Refused

With this new round of tour dates, the band is offering a Technical VIP package (in addition to their regular VIP fan experience) designed for the professional musician, engineer or technician interested in knowing the tech behind the show. As part of the VIP upgrade, Ken Andrews gives a limited number of fans a personal tour of the Failure live set up, the specific equipment used onstage, a live demonstration of the guitar / bass rigs, monitoring system, as well as a tour of the front of house equipment, and a Q&A session with Ken. VIP packages are available via www.failureband.com.

Rolling Stone said The Heart Is A Monster “brilliantly picks up where Fantastic Planet left off”, Alternative Press said “by reviving its past, Failure has taken a most decisive step into the present", and Entertainment Weekly described the album as “a jaw-dropping slab of throbbing, fuzzy, visceral space rock”.

www.facebook.com/failureband / Twitter @Failure / www.failureband.com

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH - NEW VIDEO FOR 'AS ALWAYS' // 'ONLY RUN' OUT 2 JUNE

Pitchfork has premiered Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's video for 'As Always' from their fourth album, Only Run which is released on 2 June worldwide through Xtra Mile Recordings and self-released by the band on 3 June in North America. Watch the video and read up on tour dates here.

Following the success of Alec’s sold out UK/EU 'Living Room Tour' in May, which saw Alec perform solo at intimate and informal gigs in fans’ living rooms, plans are afoot to return to UK and Europe in October with the full band for a headline tour. More details to be announced.

Like the band's fateful first album, Only Run is an artist's singular vision. Once again, Alec Ounsworth crafted the songs himself before bringing them to the studio for completion and the album is further proof that CYHSY thrives because of a strong sense of identity.  

Fans can pre-order Only Run on iTunes now and receive the instant gratification track, 'Coming Down' or through Xtra Mile's shop for vinyl, CD or download.

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH 'ONLY RUN' OUT 2 JUNE // FIRST TRACK 'COMING DOWN' FEATURING MATT BERNINGER OF THE NATIONAL

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have announced the release of their new record, Only Run, on 2 June. Earlier today, Pitchfork revealed the premier of first track, 'Coming Down'. You can also listen to the track on Soundcloud.

Only Run, like the band’s first three records, will be marketed and distributed directly and independently by them in North America and Japan, whilst the band have teamed up with Xtra Mile Recordings for the release worldwide.

You can preorder the album here: http://smarturl.it/Only-Run

Only Run artwork

While this ethos initially struck a chord with fans when the band started, it was always truly an extension of lead singer/songwriter Alec Ounsworth’s core belief: “The general rule is to be appreciative of your audience,” he recently told Fast Company magazine.” So now, 10 years after the starting the band, while much has changed for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, many things aren’t so different. For instance, Ounsworth has spent all of 2014 thus far crisscrossing the United States playing living room shows. He still needs that direct connection with fans; it validates his vision of how art should work and confirms his belief in the music. He will be bring the Living Room Shows over to London and other major cities throughout the UK and Europe in May. Full details to be announced.

Photo by Matt Barrick

Before taking to the road, Ounsworth poured himself into the making of 'Only Run'. Like the band’s fateful first album, it’s an artist’s singular vision. Once again, Ounsworth crafted the songs himself before bringing them to the studio for completion and the album is further proof that CYHSY thrives because of a strong sense of identity. Fostered from his love of uncompromising songwriters (e.g. John Cale, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Tom Waits), Ounsworth believes in an artist’s creative control. Only Run aims to loosely document Ounsworth’s observations of his life in music over the last 10 years.  “Lately, I’ve been assaulted by news, both distant and near, that suggests a certain sense of frustration,” he says. “But Clap Your Hands Say Yeah—the entire concept of the band, the name itself—is about balancing optimism in the face of overwhelming odds.  I’m coming around to this myself -- finding that renewed sense of optimism.”

cyhsy.com / @cyhsyband / facebook.com/clapyourhandssayyeah