08/12/2006
On this very successful year for the Glaswegian band, their hit record "Let’s get out of this country" has been released in many places: one of them was Singapore, where it’s been released by young indie label Fruit Records. To celebrate the event, the nice Fruit Records people organized a big party at BarbaaBlackChic, a two-storey building at the Little India district (Singapore) with a dancefloor downstairs and a cafeteria on the first floor.
There the new songs by CAMERA OBSCURA were played and danced in an allnight party where they also showed videoclips from Elefant Records bands and they played music by other bands on the label, as well as classic indiepop, northern soul, 60’s bubblegum or Scandinavian pop from fellow labels like Labrador. Even so far away from our country we can find great pop parties! [ Read more ]
19/10/2006
Since we released "Let’s get out of this country", third album by CAMERA OBSCURA, the Scottish band hasn’t stopped touring the world performing their songs live onstage: shows all over Britain, the States from coast to coast, Canada, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands… So many concerts have made the band’s live act a solid one, which gives the perfect backing to the beauty of the songs on their repertoire. The next two months will see the band touring Spain, and the Spanish fans will be able to check this out for themselves. These are the dates:
Thursday November 16th – MADRID (El Sol) Friday November 17th – MADRID (El Sol) Saturday November 18th – ALBACETE (Divino) Sunday November 19th – VALENCIA (Loco Club)
Tuesday November 21st – LOS CONCIERTOS DE RADIO 3 (Radio session)
Thursday November 23rd – GRANADA (Planta Baja)Friday November 24th – MALAGA (Teatro Cervantes / Sala Gades) Saturday November 25th – SANTA POLA (ALICANTE) (Camelot) Sunday November 26th – LERIDA (Cafè-Teatre Escorxador)Friday December 15th – MALLORCA (Teatre de Lloseta)Saturday December 16th – BARCELONA (Laboratori Musical de Les Basses)
The Barcelona show is part of the eighth edition of a festival called "Los Reyes son Rockeros" ("The three Kings are Rockers"), a festival where the crowd doesn’t pay a ticket to get in; their contribution is a new toy, with the aim to devel [ Read more ]
17/10/2006
The new season of "Grey’s Anatomy" is already showing in the States, whilst many other territories still have to wait some time to know who will Meredith choose, or what will Izzie do with her life from now on. We’re not telling you what will happen, but we can already tell you that the fourth episode out of this new third season of the series (the one that was aired in the States on october 12th) starts its two first minutes with the song "If looks could kill" by CAMERA OBSCURA, taken from the increasingly successful album "Let’s get out of this country".
A new prove of the place of privilege achieved by this Scottish band all over the world from their homebase at Elefant Records, and in a TV series that takes pride on an excellent musical selection. CAMERA OBSCURA have already appeared in other series like "The Gilmore Girls" or "The O.C.", and now it’s been the moment for "Grey’s Anatomy". Watch out for it, very soon on your homescreens! [ Read more ]
08/09/2006
Since the release of "Let’s get out of this country", the Scottish band fantastic third album, the band hasn’t stopped touring the world presenting their new songs. During this past summer they have done 45 shows in tours and festivals that took them around the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Sweden and Germany. The end of the summer and the release of the second single from the album (sharing the same title with it as well) finds them equally busy and playing the Lemon Pop festival in Murcia, Spain on September 16th, followed by a new array of shows in the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and yet a new UK tour.And of course this isn’t stopping here: in november and december CAMERA OBSCURA will tour Spain extensively and, in the beginning of 2007, they will go back to USA before leaving for a tour of Australia and Asia.
These are the closest dates in time for the moment:
Saturday, September 16thLemon Pop FestivalLa Casa Azul + Camera Obscura + The Frank and Walters+ Dj Polarfree entranceParque FofoMurcia
Saturday, September 30thRotterdam FestivalRotterdam [Netherlands]
Tuesday, October 3rdOslo [Norway]Café Mono
Wednesday, October 4thGothenburg [Sweden]Sticky Fingers
Thursday, October 5thLinköping [Sweden]Herrgar’n
Friday, October 6thStockholm [Sweden]Debaser Medis
Saturday, October 7thMalmö [Sweden]KB KB
Thursday, October 12thDundee [UK]Reading Rooms
Monday, October 16thEdinburgh [UK]Cabaret Voltaire
Tuesday, October 17thManch [ Read more ]
04/09/2006
The second single taken from CAMERA OBSCURA’s most recent album is about to come out, and we already have a new fantastic videoclip to offer you. The song on the video is the same we’ve chosen as the title track on the single, which gave the album its title: "Let’s get out of this country". A precious melody dressed with violins and melancholy, where Blair Young (on his best work yet – and that’s a lot to say when we’re talking about the director of the videos by CAMERA OBSCURA, plus many other Scottish acts like TEENAGE FANCLUB, SONS AND DAUGHTERS o BELLE AND SEBASTIAN) shows the band lazily going through their repertoire in a living room rehearsal, matching perfectly the feelings of boredom and need to escape from routine that we find in the song’s lyrics. An evocative video with a deliciously mellow atmosphere, giving even more charm and emotional impact to an already outstanding song.
Camera Obscura [Let’s get out of this country videoclip]picture: Blair Young
18/08/2006
Having just finished the UK tour, and ready to tour the USA during all the month of July, CAMERA OBSCURA are more active than ever after the release of "Let’s get out of this country", their third album. And out of their country they will go, because this summer they’re booked in some festivals, like Emmaboda in Sweden or Belladrum and Summer Sundae in the UK, as well as a short German tour and one show in Spain in September (in the Lemon Pop festival in Murcia).
Besides all this, we are glad to announce the forthcoming release (in September) of a new single taken from the album after that glorious "Lloyd, I’m ready to be heartbroken": this time, the chosen track from the album is the title track, "Let’s get out of this country".
As usual, the B-sides in both formats of the single (CD-single and limited edition 7") will be previously unreleased songs: except for the song on the B-side of the 7", which is the cover version of Sheena Easton‘s "Modern girl" the band recorded for the 80’s covers album that went along with the latest issue of Q Magazine. The CD-single, then, will feature apart from the title track other two previously unreleased pop gems: "Lemon juice and paper cuts", and "Return to send her". [ Read more ]
17/08/2006
Lemon Pop festival, a classic date in Murcia (southeast Spain), arrives this year to its eleventh edition with an excellent line-up featuring some artists we dearly love, like THE REZILLOS, TENDER FOREVER, SCARLET’s WELL or THE FRANK AND WALTERS. Next Saturday Sept 16th is the festival’s closing night, and the live broadcasting of it via Spanish National Radio (Radio 3) will coincide with the live performances of the two bands from our roster on the night’s line-up: next Saturday, between midnight and two o’clock in the morning (from 00:00 to 02:00) you can listen live on air through Radio 3 the concerts by CAMERA OBSCURA and LA CASA AZUL. You can also listen to it online, by clicking on Radio 3’s website: http://www.rtve.es/rne/r3.
Saturday, 16 SeptemberLemon Pop FestivalCamera Obscura [23:50] + La Casa Azul [00:55] + The Frank and Walters [01:50]+ Dj Polar [Sala Garaje]Murciaprice: Entrada gratuitaParque Fofohttp://www.rtve.es/rne/r3 [ Read more ]
21/06/2006
We are excited to announce Camera Obscura tour dates in the USA and Canada for this summer! Camera Obscura’s wonderful new album, “Let’s get out of this country”, will hit stores on June 5th. The first single off the new album, “Lloyd, I’m Ready To be Heartbroken”, is available in stores now.Camera Obscura’s summer tour in North America will kick off on July 4th in Toronto and then wind cross-country before ending up just outside of Cincinnati, OH on July 30th. Don’t miss out if they make their way to a town near you.
Here’s the full tour routing:
07.04.2006 * Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern07.05.2006 * Montreal, QC @ La Sale Rossa07.06.2006 * Boston, MA @ Great Scott07.07.2006 * New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom07.08.2006 * Philadelphia, PA @ Northstar Bar07.09.2006 * Washington, DC @ Black Cat07.11.2006 * Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle07.12.2006 * Atlanta, GA @ The Earl07.13.2006 * Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone07.14.2006 * Dallas, TX @ Gypsy Tea Room07.15.2006 * Austin, TX @ Emo’s (Outside)07.17.2006 * Tucson, AZ @ Plush07.18.2006 * San Diego, CA @ The Casbah07.19.2006 * Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour07.20.2006 * San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall07.22.2006 * Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge07.23.2006 * Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s07.24.2006 * Vancouver, BC @ Plaza Club07.27.2006 * Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre07.28.2006 * Chicago, IL @ Logan Square07.29.2006 * Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop07.30.2006 * Newport, [ Read more ]
13/06/2006
The Myspace.com phenomenon is growing fast, especially among independent bands, who see it as an ideal way to avoid obstacles between them and their fans. CAMERA OBSCURA’s Myspace website is one of the most successful lately: in less than six months they have got over 75.000 visits to the site, and there have been more than 300.000 plays of the songs they have uploaded on the website. Special mention here to their latest single, "Lloyd, I’m ready to be heartbroken", which in a few weeks has got more than 124.000 plays.
Prove of this success among the internet crowd is that CAMERA OBSCURA were selected to appear as the recommended artist in the Myspace.com homepage (a big honour, if we consider there’s a few million artists pages on Myspace).
Meanwhile, the band is currently on tour in the UK, playing the songs on their third album, "Let’s get out of this country", which has been received to critical acclaim worldwide. Next move will be the imminent tour around the USA during the month of July.
CAMERA OBSCURA – MyspaceElefant – Myspace [ Read more ]
03/06/2006
English music mag Q Magazine will reach in their August issue the mag’s 20th anniversary, and as part of its ongoing celebrations it will release a cover-mount CD compilation paying homage to the decade the magazine was launched: the 80’s. The decade that gave rise to everyone from THE SMITHS to THE PIXIES, and not the one preserved in those rubbish I Love The 80’s TV horrors.
The CD, which comes out on sale with the magazine on June 30th, features fifteen cover versions of classic eighties tracks by some of the most interesting current artists: PLACEBO covering Kate Bush, THE FUTUREHEADS tackling David Bowie, Katie Melua taking on THE CURE, ORSON covering HALL&OATES…
Among all these names, and showing the place of privilege the band is achieving on top of the international pop community, CAMERA OBSCURA have included their own, newly recorded cover version of Sheena Easton‘s "Modern girl". [ Read more ]
31/05/2006
CAMERA OBSCURA have grown to become an important name in the pop scene. All the eyes are set on the release of "Let’s get out of this country", their new album, recorded in Sweden with Jari Haapalainen (Ed Harcourt, THE CONCRETES): ten great songs, with varied influences that go from Jimmy Webb to Lloyd Cole, from Connie Francis to Skeeter Davis, from THE SUPREMES to David Lynch. More than 50.000 copies have been sold of their previous albums, and they have recently played sold out shows in New York and Austin’s SXSW festival, with such attendants as Mike Myers or Conor Oberst (BRIGHT EYES).In July they will be back in the States, and we will soon confirm other dates in Europe, but in the meantime we can already tell you the dates of their British tour in May and June:Sat 13 May- Liverpool Korova BarSun 14 May – London LuminaireThu 8 Jun – Leeds FavershamFri 9 Jun – Manchester Dry BarSat 10 Jun – Hull AdelphiSun 11 Jun – London CargoMon 12 Jun – Norwich Arts CentreTue 13 Jun – Colchester Arts CentreThu 15 Jun – Cardiff Clwb Ifor BachFri 16 Jun – Sheffield LeadmillSat 17 Jun – Glasgow QMU tbc Mon 19 Jun – Aberdeen Tunnels [ Read more ]
08/05/2006
The new single by CAMERA OBSCURA has its own videoclip. "Lloyd, I’m ready to be heartbroken" is the first song taken from "Let’s get out of this country", third album by the Scottish band, and the subsequent videoclip is a colourful delight, full of fantasy, dynamism and pop frenzy.
The video has been directed by Domingo González, the director behind the videos by Elefant Records’ act LA CASA AZUL, as well as director of the celebrated short film "Las Superamigas contra el Profesor Vinilo" (you can know more about it on its website www.lassuperamigas.com). Apart from this, Domingo has filmed one of the downloading sensations this year in Spain, the clip for a fake band called LOS HAPPINESS and their instant hit "Amo a Laura": thousands of people downloaded the video from the website www.nomiresmtv.com, and due to this huge success the images were shown on all the prime time TV programs and newscasts (the video, the song and the group were in fact part of a marketing campaign for the Spanish MTV!).
For this new video of CAMERA OBSCURA, Domingo González has paid a tribute to the choreographies we can find in the best classic cinema, and he has joined it with a constant bombing of retrofuturistic pop images: from the neons in Shibuya to the fabrics, dresses and furniture that reflect the glossy universe that all pop music lovers dream about, the same universe we endorse at Elefant Records.
The video will soo [ Read more ]
10/04/2006
After that delicious appetizer that was the single "I love my Jean", where they showed once more how easy it is for them to write unfogettable melodies, the moment has arrived when we can at least announce the comeback of CAMERA OBSCURA with a good few new songs forming what will undoubtedly become for all of you their best record to date. It already is for us.
"Let’s get out of this country" -title of the third album by the band from Glasgow- was recorded and mixed in several studios in Sweden (studios that have been previously used for recordings by THE MAGIC NUMBERS, Neneh Cherry or even Per Gessle from ROXETTE), and produced by Jari Haapalainen, producer behind such gems as THE CONCRETES or Ed Harcourt. On this album, which will finally come out in June, CAMERA OBSCURA will teach us all a lesson on classic, timeless pop with drops of country and soul here and there, featuring ten instant classics where Tracyanne Campbell‘s beautiful voice is wrapped in majestic and exquisitely arranged string arrangements (for which they had string musicians that have been in recent tours with Brian Wilson or Arthur Lee & LOVE).
The first single, coming out in May, will be "Lloyd, I’m ready to be heartbroken": a country soul stomper with an unstoppable beat and a perfect ending, where Tracyanne manages to sing the chorus up to six times! And in fact, you don’t want her to stop singing it, but you’d rather make her keep on si [ Read more ]
21/02/2006
It won’t be long until we can enjoy the new songs by CAMERA OBSCURA, recorded in Sweden with the producer Jari Hapaalainen, of THE CONCRETES and Ed Harcourt fame. The album sounds great, and we’re sure it will let the band achieve an even greater success that their previous efforts, which have already surpassed the big figure of fifty thousand copies sold. But before we release "Let’s get out of this country", the band leaded by Tracyanne Campbell will pay a new visit to the USA for three live shows in March.The most important being undoubtedly their slot at the South By Southwest (SXSW) media and industry meeting in Austin, Texas. But they will also play NYC’s Knitting Factory, as well as Chapel Hill, North Carolina; the city where their American label Merge Records is based. On both these shows they will be supported by Maria Taylor.
March 20thLocal 506 506 W. Franklin Street Chapel Hill, NC. (919-969-7578/919-942-5506)w/ Maria Taylor
March 22nd Knitting FactoryNY, NY (tickets from www.ticketweb.com [ Read more ]
31/01/2006
"Suspended from class", a song by Scottish band CAMERA OBSCURA, has been included in the original soundtrack of "Imagine me & you", a refreshingly unconventional and witty comedy presented by Ealing Studios and BBC Films. The movie, starred by actress Piper Perabo in a lively departure as a quintessentially modern British woman, is about love’s myriad forms and constant surprises: on her wedding day, the bride discovers love at first sight …and falls in love with the wedding’s florist.
Perabo’s male counterpart is played by Matthew Goode, well known for having played Gerald Brennan in cult movie "South", directed by Fernando Colomo, but much better known internationally for his part in "Match Point", the latest movie by Woody Allen, along with Scarlet Johansson and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers.
CAMERA OBSCURA being a part of this movie is even more interesting for us if we note the background of the movie’s Music Supervisor: Liz Gallacher won a Brit Award for her job in "The Full Monty", and was shortlisted for Film Music in 2003’s NME Awards for her job in "24 Hour Party People", as well as having worked with such directors as Atom Egoyan, Michael Winterbottom or Istvan Szabo.The movie’s good taste in music (noticeable from its very title, which takes the first line from "Happy together", the beautiful song by THE TURTLES which was also used by Wong Kar-Wai), is confir [ Read more ]