News: Maximo Park, Bjork, Flying Lotus, Domino

Newcastle angular rockers Maximo Park are celebrating the release of new album “Our Earthly Pleasures” with a special gig on the roof of The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts in their hometown on 28th March. In order to get your mitts on ONE of the very limited number of tickets you best get yourself down to Newcastle’s RPM record shop (25 Highbridge, NE1 1EW) on Tuesday 27th. Tickets go on sale 10am at £5.00 each. There will also be a midnight in-store performance at Newcastle’s HMV on Sunday April 1st. The Gil Norton produced album is released by Warp on April 2nd.

Iceland’s most famous export has announced details of a forthcoming tour to promote new album Volta (released May 7th). In true spectacular Bjork fashion, she will take to the road with album collaborator Chris Corsano, old friend Mark Bell (aka LFO), an all female brass band and an Icelandic Chinese concert pianist with a “huge pipe organ” to perform “virtuoso dramatic performances in-between sets”. Business as usual then… Tour dates and more

Experimental LA hip hop producer (and Alice Coltrane’s nephew) Flying Lotus has signed to Warp Records. Previously signed with electronica/hip hop label Plug Research, his appearance on that label’s excellent “The Sound Of LA” compilation pricked up the ears of the Warp staff and roster (including Mark Pritchard and Prefuse 73) leading to the inked deal. Mr. Lotus’s scuzzy, off-kilter, electronic production is a very welcome addition to their ever more eclectic roster.

An exhibition of Domino cover art will be taking place at The Art Vinyl Gallery in East London (Broadway Market, E8) from 5th-18th of April. The gallery specialises in record cover art allowing artists, labels and bands to curate the space on a fortnightly rotation and now it’s the mighty Domino’s turn. The label (home to Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Fourtet, Pavement et al) will also be providing a night of live entertainment. On April 7th there will be an open door policy with a performance from Lightspeed Champion (ex-Test Icicles member Dev Hynes’s new outfit) and a DJ set from Psapp. More Info