Hannah Cohen’s debut album Child Bride is available on vinyl today, ahead of the full release next week. You can find the album in our store now.

Listen to Crying Game (which appears on the album) and the Active Child remix (not on the album!) below:

Hannah Cohen – The Crying Game by Bella Union

Hannah Cohen – The Crying Game (Active Child remix) by Bella Union

With their new album Heaven due for release 4th June, The Walkmen have just announced news of an intimate London headline show at the Village Underground the following week to celebrate the occasion. The band will then be return in August as one of the headline acts at this year’s Green Man Festival in Wales.

Tuesday 12 June – London – Village Underground (£20)
Sunday 19 August – Powys – Green Man Festival

Ticket for the Village Underground show will go on-sale at 9am tomorrow morning (Friday 13th April).

Robin Pecknold and Daniel Rossen to join Van Dyke Parks as guest vocalists at the Barbican in June

Bella Union are excited to announce that Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes) and Daniel Rossen (Grizzly Bear) will be joining Van Dyke Parks as guest vocalists at his June Barbican show in celebration of the reissue of his classic early albums. Robin and Daniel will bring their vast vocal talents to the occasion alongside the orchestral accompaniment of Britten Sinfonia at what promises to be a truly memorable night!

Saturday 23 June – LONDON – Barbican (£15 – £25) [tickets]

“Nancy From Now On” is now available for download -

Father John Misty – Nancy From Now On by Bella Union

The song appears on Josh Tillman’s forthcoming record under his Father John Misty moniker, titled ‘Fear Fun‘.

The album will be available April 30th on Bella Union.

The new album from M. Ward is released next Monday April 9th on Bella Union, you can have an advance listen on Deezer.

Matt also performed some songs for Daytrotter which can be heard over here.

The Walkmen discuss and play the title track from the new album “Heaven” for Pitchfork TV – check it out below:

The Walkmen – ‘Heaven’
June 4th on Bella Union

Bella Union is excited to announce that the celebrated New York quintet The Walkmen will release their new album, Heaven, on 4th June 2012.  The record is the band’s seventh and was produced by Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, The Shins, Band of Horses) whilst Robin Pecknold sings harmonies on two songs on the record.

“We felt like it was time to make a bigger, more generous statement…” When describing The Walkmen’s new album, lead singer Hamilton Leithauser portrays a band hitting maturity, comfortable in its mastery after a decade together.

It’s been ten years since The Walkmen made their debut album, Everybody Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone. Ten years since critics attached them to a New York scene they never wanted to be part of. This spring the band played a series of 10th anniversary shows in the US that demonstrated how far they have outstripped their peers: two sets over two hours, no filler, rapturously received.

The Walkmen are the great New York band of their generation, making the best music of their career and filling their largest venues yet. Their spot at the top of the bill at May’s Crossing Brooklyn Ferry festival, curated by The National, demonstrates the respect in which they are held by the current wave of bands making music in the city.

When renowned producer Phil Ek approached the guys last year asking if they’d like to make a record with him, they travelled to the studio he uses in the woods outside Seattle for the most intense recording sessions they had ever experienced. “There can be something brittle about our sound,” Maroon says. “He made it just a little bit warmer, a little bit stronger. When I play it in my car, it sounds strong, which I love.”

All five members of the band have kids now and if the impact of parenthood is hard to pin down in a single lyric, there is definitely a new openness and emotional honesty to the songs. Most importantly, the old gang mentality has deepened, becoming something worthwhile and lasting. “I’m very proud of what we’ve done. We’ve stayed friends and those friendships have grown,” says Bauer. “We have survival experience and real love that children generate in your life.”

Heaven is a definitive statement of purpose and commitment, from a band at the peak of its powers that is finally winning the recognition it deserves.

Watch the trailer below:

From Rolling Stone:

Singer-songwriter Andrew Bird stopped by the Rolling Stone studio to perform a few numbers from his latest album, Break It Yourself, accompanied only by his violin. After the set, Bird chatted about building a studio in an old barn and recording the new album as casually as possible.