The astoundingly talented and utterly addictive Frank Turner has just announced a UK headline tour to begin this October. The folk-punk pioneer will be touring to promote his new album ‘Poetry Of The Deed’, out on September 7th through Xtra Mile Recordings / Epitaph.

The first single from the new album, ‘The Road’, can be heard through a very sketchy YouTube video, viewable here.

The tour kicks of in October at the following venues/dates:

13 Dublin, Academy 2
14 Belfast Stiff Kitten Club
15 Glasgow QMU
16 Manchester Academy 2 SOLD OUT
17 Newcastle Uni
18 Nottingham Rock City
19 Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall
20 Oxford Academy
22 Leeds Met University
23 Cambridge Junction
24 Plymouth University
25 Exeter Lemon Grove
26 Bristol Anson Rooms
27 Cardiff University
28 Winchester Guildhall
29 London Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Tickets are £10, £13 in London. Doors open 7pm.

Keep an eye on The Blue Walrus if you’re a Frank Turner fan – we’ll be reviewing the new album, reviewing a date from the tour and interviewing the man himself later on in the year!

My how many bands are there with Wolf in their name at the moment? Nevermind the naming competition though, because the best one of the lot has turned up in the form of Wolf Gang a.k.a Max McElligot, the part German, part Irish song craftsman. I have to thank Angus over at State Management for the heads up about him a good few months ago, but shamefully that was during my law exam writing hiatus so I never got a chance to write him up at the time, with his only feature on here in my summer mixtape. Now is the time to put that right as he has a record out on Neon Gold and some fantastic new remixes turning up.

Wolf Gang just seems to effortlessly create catchy pop songs either with a great indie pop riff along the lines of Night Flying, or in the slightly electropop and almost wistful style in Lions in Cages and has quickly become a name to watch. Each song holds its own and yet demonstrates his ability to craft songs in a variety of genres. The hype has been escalating over Wolf Gang since he announced himself to the world and some of the earlier blogs and record label peeps picked him up, and with his songwriting style suiting the sun shining festival scene this isn’t going to subside anytime soon.

Wolf Gang – Night Flying
Wolf Gang – Pieces of You [BUY]

And then come the remixes. They are coming from all kinds but generally pretty damn awesome.

Yes Giantess (MySpace) throw their electropop goodness behind Pieces of You to turn it into a synth pop gem.
Wolf Gang – Pieces of You (Yes Giantess Remix)

Disco Bloodbath then throw in a laid back bassline to take the track in the direction of your nearest disco
Wolf Gang – Pieces of You (Disco Bloodbath Remix)

Baby Monster then focus on the chorus and transform the track into a foot-tapping danceable classic that wuldn’t be out of place in your favourite club
Wolf Gang – Pieces of You (Baby Monster Remix)

Firm favourites Meursault have released their most recent EP on Song, by Toad Records. This has been available at shows for a good few months now (and I’ve been lazily sitting on it for a while – shame on me), but it finally got released last week making now a good time to finally review it.

Meursault’s debut album was a great if slightly chaotic at times mixture of electronic folk, whilst this EP falls back to a more traditional and acoustic folk sound. It is an stunningly beautiful 5 track collection of fokl based tracks ranging from the to the cheery, clappy, live favourite and almost Shins-esque William Henry Miller Pt. 1, to the haunting Pt. 2. How they are two parts of the same song/story I’m not quite sure.

The opening two tracks, however, are my favourites. Red Candle Bulb, although written more as a Bear Scotland track, fits in here perfectly as a more traditional folk track all played with just a simple guitar, whilst title track Nothing Broke leans more towards the wider and more epic hopeful soundscapes that would not have sounded out of place on the new Noah and the Whale album if you took out the Scottish accent.

Nothing Broke EP (BUY) demonstrates the depth of Meursault’s song-writing abilities, as when you strip down the electronic side of things, you are left with a beautiful if at times slightly morose folk wonders.

Meursault – Nothing Broke

…and lastly here’s the Bandstand session of Meursault’s William Henry Miller pt.1

Meursault – William Henry Miller Pt.1 (Bandstand Session) from Song, by Toad on Vimeo.