The Crimea - ‘Tragedy Rocks’

The Crimea present their debut album 'Tragedy Rocks', a lush and lacerating collection of edgy and melodic cocktails sweetened by sonic ambition and spiked with frontman Davey MacManus' debauched, bitter-funny tales of mean streets, meaner romance, good gin and not-so-good times. The intoxicatingly inventive album is set for release on October 17th on Warner Bros. Records.

Highlights of the album include the carnival-ride lope of 'Lottery Winners On Acid', the hypnotic 'Baby Boom' and the woozy jangle of 'Bad Vibrations'. Throughout, The Crimea succeed in creating a sound instantly identifiable yet utterly unique. In the States, The Crimea have already won favourable comparisons with artists as diverse as the Flaming Lips, Low, Elliott Smith and Leonard Cohen.

'Baby Boom', an early independent single, was named by John Peel in the Top Ten of his final Festive Fifty (2003) ahead of 'Maps' by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and 'Seven Nation Army' by the White Stripes.

One of The Crimea's earliest breaks came when Davey spotted Fran Healy of Travis and took his chance to pass him a demo. A week later The Crimea opened for Travis at Brixton Academy. Kings Of Leon were also suitably impressed with The Crimea's demo and again offered them a support slot.

In the US, The Crimea have won a successive of great support tours following a sensational performance at SXSW. As well as a recent tour with Billy Corgan, The Crimea have also hit the road with Ash, The Bravery, Keane and Dashboard Confessional.

Davey is also a published author. His debut collection of short stories and poems was entitled 'Unamazing Disgraces' and released through Shiny Beast Publishing under the pseudonym Kernel Krock. His friend JT Leroy asked him to read poetry at his latest book launch alongside Marianne Faithful and impressed the literati present.

The album cover for 'Tragedy Rocks' was designed by Tom Petty's daughter Adria.