Today's Hotness: Big Deal, Swirlies, 11:59, Cannons

>> Hotly tipped London indie duo Big Deal have disclosed at long last that its debut full-length, Lights Out, will be issued by Mute Oct. 11. The release will be preceded by a single for the song "Chair" Aug. 30. The barely year-old pairing of Kacey Underwood and Alice Costelloe arrived on the scene last fall with the desperately beautiful and delicate acoustic single "Homework," released by Records Records Records. The new, 12-song long-player was co-produced by Mr. Underwood and a fellow named Dean Reid, which is interesting to note because we reported here last October that the band was working with former Strokes producer Gordon Raphael. Perhaps Mr. Raphael engineered? Who knows. A quick search of Soundcloud turns up a Big Deal track we had not yet heard which appears on the track listing for Lights Out (although we can't say for certain this version will be on the album, of course). The tune is called "Talk;" check it out below. Big Deal spends seemingly the rest of the summer playing UK festivals, so if you are inclined to go to a festival, perhaps check the complete list of engagements right here to make sure you get to see what Big Deal is all about.

Talk by Big Deal

>> The Swirlies mini-tour we first mentioned here last month has announced all of the currently confirmed dates. Sadly, as of yet, there is no Boston performance slated, although there is a faint rumble from Allston about pigs being greased or some such, so perhaps all is not yet lost. But for now, here are all of the dates that are fully pig-greased. In case you've forgotten how awesome Swirlies are, check out the awesome video for "Bell." Every time we watch, we are transported to the back bedroom of a bungalow in Central Pennsylvania, Fall 1993. Magic!

07.21 -- Baltimore, MD -- Talking Head
07.22 -- Washington, DC -- Rock & Roll Hotel
07.23 -- Philadelphia, PA -- Johnny Brenda's (2PM)
07.24 -- New York, NY -- Beekman's Beer Garden (3PM)

>> Billing your band as an amalgamation of three styles is a daring proposition, and it is downright fool-hardy, these days anyway, to state one of those styles is ska. So we were very pleasantly surprised when we listened to two new tracks from 11:59. Firstly, because neither of the upstart trio from Sydney, Australia's songs were ska numbers. But mostly because the threesome plays angular guitar pop in the vein of all the youthful UK greats of the last decade. 11:59 has issued a series of singles and EPs during the last four years, and its most recent is a digital single entitled Ou Est Le Tissier. Released in May and comprised of two tunes, it is the latter number, "Girls Girls Girls," that captured our ear, with its vocal harmonies, guitar attack and uptempo rhythm. You can stream the tune via the Soundcloud embed below, and we highly recommend that you do. We were so moved we included it in our New Music Night DJ set last month. It's a spikey guitar-pop anthem, a perfect anthem for summer nights and beer drinking with the mates.

1159 - Girls Girls Girls by oneonefivenine

>> Philly-based post-hardcore concern Cannons have returned with a new EP that expands the quartet's palate to include not only satisfying, brawny punk but now also quirky Stylophone instrumentals. The collection is called Cuddled By Giants, and it's a bit odd, but it fits with Cannons' personality (Cuddled By Giants opens with a track called "You Might Be Scum," for example), first made evident on the band's crackling 2010 debut Friendly Muscles, which we wrote about here. In the interim between the two releases Cannons downsized from four to three members and released the free teaser The Japam Demos to the Interzizzles via Bandcamp [download]. One of the highlights of the new EP is the hooky hard rocker "All The Glue You Can Huff!," which amusingly alternates la-la-la backing vocals with scritchy, Pond-esque guitars. You remember Pond, right (we hope so, as the Internet can barely remember)? Cannons released Cuddled By Giants May 26, and you can grab the whole shebang at Bandcamp right here for three paltry American dollars. You should do that. By way of appetite-whetting, stream "All The Glue You Can Huff!" below.