Saturday, 6th of March 2010 at 19:00

SOLD OUT

Hailing from Portland, Oregon in the US, Richmond Fontaine released their third album, We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River, back in September 2009. It is their eighth album in a string that also includes the highly-acclaimed Thirteen Cities (2007), the sparse, stripped down The Fitzgerald (2005), and the alt.country classic Post To Wire”(2004), which was named fourth best album of the year by Uncut, just behind Brian Wilson, Wilco and Loretta Lynn.

The new album, seen as the band’s most accessible yet, was produced once again by JD Foster (Calexico, Richard Buckner, Laura Cantrell), who was at the helm for the last three albums. Multi-instrumentalist Paul Brainard steps in with pedal steel, trumpet and piano and the core line up of Willy Vlautin (guitars, vocals), Sean Oldham (drums, vocals), Dave Harding (Bass) and Dan Eccles (guitars) remains.

Along the way, Willy Vlautin’s literate lyrical style has landed him a publishing deal. His first novel, The Motel Life, is already on its second print run and currently being made into a major motion picture, while his second novel, Northlne, also picked up fantastic reviews. Both novels are published by Faber and Faber.

Also performing will be Alana Levandoski, a roots music singer from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Alana's acclaimed second album, Lions & Werewolves, was recorded in a 100-year-old church in rural Kelwood, Manitoba, and at the upscale Parr Street Studios in Liverpool. The album was produced by British producer Ken Nelson, renowned for his work with Gomez and Coldplay. He has also worked with Badly Drawn Boy, Snow Patrol, Polly Paulusma and Paolo Nutini.

Reviews of “Unsettled Down” were plentiful and enthusiastic. “Levandoski created waves with her debut, “Unsettled Down,” and her second album, partly recorded in a church in rural Manitoba has some stunning songs,” said Robin Eggar in The Sunday Times.

BBC Radio 2 presenter Bob Harris said: “I really believe in Alana. She is part of an emerging generation of new artists who are reflecting the range of influences that make Canadian music so exciting, from the brilliant free-form collective Broken Social Scene, to the authentic Country twang of Corb Lund. Her songs are intelligent, warm and strong. She’s a fine artist, and a trouper.”