Slated for September 22nd, Brothers of Destruction was written and recorded by the D’Addario brothers – Brian (20) and Michael (18) – on their 8-track at home in New York during Spring 2015, not long after recording their debut album, Do Hollywood. The half dozen songs, most of which already feature in The Lemon Twigs’ searing live shows, will be made available digitally and as a 12” vinyl.

“In the beginning of 2015 we had songs left over from the Do Hollywood sessions, so we decided to record them at home in New York on our 8-track. Many of you will recognize some of the songs from our live shows. They’ve changed a lot over the past year, but these are the original versions. We consider the EP the last chapter of the Do Hollywood era of our group. So enjoy!”

Alongside live members Megan Zeankowski (bass) and Danny Ayala (vocals, keyboards), The Lemon Twigs will bring their idiosyncratic live show to the UK later this year. A full list of worldwide dates can be found at thelemontwigs.com.

29 August – RAMSGATE, Ramsgate Music Hall

2 September – SALISBURY, End Of The Road Festival

10 November – MANCHESTER, Ritz

11 November – SHEFFIELD, Leadmill

12 November – GLASGOW, QMU

14 November – BIRMINGHAM, O2 Institute2 

15 November – LONDON, O2 Forum Kentish Town 

Cooking Vinyl is proud to announce a new partnership with the 2017 Grammy-winning artist Fantastic Negrito and his imprint Blackball Universe. The UK label have re-issued Fantastic Negrito’s current and critically acclaimed debut album The Last Days of Oakland (recipient of a Best Contemporary Blues Album Grammy Award) with two new additional tracks, just in time for his imminent European tour.

The new tracks – ‘Push Back’ and ‘The Shadows’ -- are both produced by Xavier Dphrepaulezz (aka Fantastic Negrito). The extra tracks are available now for download and streaming, and have been released worldwide along with the rest of the album on CD and 180g vinyl. Musicians on these new recordings include Masa Kohama and Tomas Salcedo (guitars), Cornelius Mims (bass guitar), Lionel Holoman Jr. (piano and organ), with vocals, additional piano, additional guitar, drum programming and claps by Xavier Dphrepaulezz.

In his teens, Xavier ran the streets of Oakland, before finding music and eventually signing with Prince's management. After a slow recovery from a car crash that left him in a coma, Xavier undertook several different musical alter egos, but in the end, he walked away from music -- only to re-emerge years later as Fantastic Negrito.

A performer with something to say, Fantastic Negrito runs an arts-collective in his hometown of Oakland, and performed at Bernie Sanders' rallies in New Hampshire, Las Vegas and San Francisco during the 2016 US Presidential campaign. Of the new songs, he says, “We must unify -- not divide -- along the lines of our differences. We have a common enemy: distraction and propaganda. Our strength is in our diversity. We push back against our common enemies: fear, hate, bigotry, misogyny, racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, classism... these parasites, these carcinogens that live in the shadows of our society. One world, one love, one race.”

Fantastic Negrito has once again invited UK friends, Miraculous Mule to support him at his London, Manchester and Nottingham dates.

UK Dates:

July 28th                London @ Nell's Jazz and Blues | BUY TICKETS

July 29th                Cambridge @ Cambridge Folk Festival | BUY TICKETS

July 31st                Manchester @ Band On The Wall BUY TICKETS

Aug 3rd                  Nottingham @ The Bodega | BUY TICKETS