Your splendidly eloquent indiepoptastic friends and ours THE CROOKES have announced details of a new single, ‘Chorus Of Fools’ / ‘Bright Young Things’ on July 18th and a London headline show at the Lexington that very week, ie Tuesday July 19th. The support bands have been confirmed as East London New Pop joyriders JOYOUS and heroic Essex indierock dreamers I DREAM IN COLOUR. Tickets are available for the gig from *here* and here are more details of everything below in the form of a panda press release…

A coffee-supping fierce panda one sheet

The Band: THE CROOKES

The Release: 'CHORUS OF FOOLS' / 'BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS'

The Formats: LIMITED EDITION 7" / DOWNLOAD

The Label: fierce panda records

The Catalogue Number: NING 236

The Release Date: JULY 18TH 2011

The Truth: it seems like only last week (possibly because it actually was) that the Crookes' LDV Soundsystem quietly spluttered back into the welcoming arms of Sheffield City after a 40+ date tour to launch the quartet’s album, ‘Chasing After Ghosts’. For most of the past two months The Crookes have been chasing the gigging dream, playing 23 dates around the UK – including a terrific cameo at fierce panda’s 17th birthday party at The Scala - followed by their first ever headline tour of Europe. This venture alone starred 60 immaculately pressed button down shirts, 12 pairs of flat front trousers and 8 pairs of brogues and tassled loafers in one van taking 8 ferries to get to 20 gigs in 24 days. At particularly fine one point they found themselves dazzling 1600 Dutch indie dreamers in Amsterdam for London Calling in the company of Wild Beasts.

Such is life on the sartorial road with George Waite (bass/vocals), Alex Saunders (lead guitar), Daniel Hopewell (rhythm guitar) and Russell Bates (drums), for since forming at Sheffield University – where they studied literature – The Crookes have relied on a fierce DIY work ethic and some fearsomely well ironed clothes to infiltrate the underground. Already over the past two years there have been two independent singles, a seven-track EP, the debut album and a host of comparisons to sharp-brained indie classicists like The Smiths, The Housemartins and Orange Juice.

Proving there is no rest for the wickedly smart the very day they returned from the continent The Crookes announced details of a new single and their next London headline show. The latter will take place at the Lexington on Tuesday July 19th, while the day before – the 18th of July, of course - will see the release of a double AA-side 7” consisting of ‘Chorus Of Fools’ / ‘Bright Young Things’. Two of the poppier, upbeat numbers from the ‘Chasing After Ghosts’ longplayer, both epitomise The Crookes’ cunning method of using shiny melodies to disguise a haunting sense of loss and longing. Not for nothing does ‘Chorus Of Fools’ lament “It was clear that you and me were fated to be so damn blue”.

Along the way The Crookes will be dreaming of other days in foreign climes: places like Denmark, where they just recorded a session with toy instruments as part of the P6 Beat programme ‘The Toy Sessions’; or Italy, where they played a live session on Caterpillar, the nation’s most listened to radio show; or indeed all the way back to Amsterdam where, following their stealing of the London Calling thunder, The Crookes were invited to cover Adele’s ‘Rolling In The Deep’ for the national radio breakfast show.

They accepted, of course - as gentlemen always do.

The Crookes play these shows to coincide with the release of ‘Chorus Of Fools’ / ‘Bright Young Things’:
JULY 19TH LONDON Kings Cross Lexington
JULY 24TH SHEFFIELD Tramlines Festival (with Ash)

www.thecrookes.co.uk