Glasgow’s TWIN ATLANTIC release “Free”, the hotly anticipated follow-up to 2009′s critically lauded mini-album Vivarium, this week in the U.S. via Red Bull Records.

Free was recorded at Red Bull Studios in Santa Monica, CA with legendary producer Gil Norton (Foo Fighters, Pixies, Jimmy Eat World). The Album continues to expand upon the band’s signature sound, melding angular riffs with energetic choruses. Explosive and hard charging, yet melodic and thoughtful, the tracks cut deep and ring true to the listener, leaving a lasting impression.

In describing the new batch of songs, frontman Sam McTrusty explains, “We wanted there to be a brutal honesty in the lyrics. There are love songs and relationship songs, there are some with a party vibe, and there are some that are weird, heavy and grungy pop songs.” Guitarist Barry McKenna adds, “Personally the only thing I wanted to achieve from this whole process is an album the four of us could stand by and invest ourselves in. We have done that.”

The title track and current single “Free” has already been garnering impressive spins on BBC Radio 1, and its companion video clip, directed by Howard Greenhalgh (Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun”) is airing on MTV, Kerrang! TV, and Scuzz TV and can be viewed below

The album is the featured “Album of the Month” in Rock Sound’s May issue, in which they give it a “9 out of 10″ and hail it as, “.an ambitious and truly spectacular debut.”

AOL Music is currently streaming Free in its entirety here.

Fresh off several highly buzzed about performances at SXSW last month, Twin Atlantic are currently on a UK/European headline tour (see dates below). Summer festival dates throughout the UK and Europe are lining up now, and the band is expected to be back in the U.S. for a tour this fall.

Upcoming Twin Atlantic Tour Dates

5/3 Newcastle, UK Academy 2

5/5 Manchester, UK Academy 3

5/6 Glasgow, UK Barrowlands

5/7 Leeds, UK Cockpit

5/8 Nottingham, UK Rock City

5/10 Birmingham, UK Academy 3

5/11 Bristol, UK Fleece

5/12 Southampton, UK Joiners

5/13 London, UK Kings College

5/16 Tilburg, NL 013

5/17 Cologne, DE Blue Shell

5/18 Hamburg, DE Molotow

5/21 Stuttgart, DE Zwoelfzehn

5/22 Berlin, DE Comet Club

5/23 Munich, DE 59:1

5/24 Prateeln, SUI Gallery Music Club

5/26 Vienna, Austria Vienna Arena

5/31 Frankfurt, DE Das Bett

6/3 Copenhagen, DK KB18

6/4 Hasselholm, SE Siesta Festival

6/5 Oslo, NO John Dee

Twin Atlantic issue their newest, Free, today, after the single “Edit Me” blew up the charts; Fleet Foxes are all the rage with Helplessness Blues; JLo is still around; Beastie Boys give you more of their awesome Sauce; and Fleetwood’s Stevie Nicks is back yet again. Kind of a scarce release week; the A-listers on board make up for it. Next week the emphasis is on the old school, with new cuts from Urge Overkill, The Cars, and others…

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Cat’s Eyes - Cat’s Eyes

Giant Pianoramx - Smooth Danger

Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo

Jennifer Lopez – Love?

Twin Atlantic – Free

Architecture in Helsinki - Moment Bends

Dredg – Chuckles And Mr. Squeezy

Stevie Nicks – In Your Dreams

Colbie Ailat – All Of You

Jennifer Lopez - Love?

Musiq Soulchild - MUSIQINTHEMAGIQ

Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part 2

Have Nots - Proud

Fresh from their European tour with Angels & Airwaves just a month prior, Twin Atlantic’s Sam McTrusty and the band delivered the perfect blend of sonic sweetness and gritty angst. In other words: loud guitars that sound awesome!

The band’s new album FREE is out May 2nd on Red Bull Records.

Enjoy the following visual record of their concert in photos.

And if that isn’t enough, here’s the video for their track Edit Me.

Twin Atlantic begin a two month tour of the UK, Ireland and Germany kicking off April 27 at the Speakeasy Bar in Belfast, Ireland.

Check out the band’s website for updates and follow on Facebook and Twitter

Words and photos by Lisa Johnson

The Twin Atlantic boys are gearing up for world domination. Check out there latest song, Edit Me. I have to say, after a long quiet Winter…this is wildly refreshing.

This is just a little mid-day treat. Pop a Red Bull Shot and turn it up! Its obscene how cute Sam, the lead singer is, even if he is dissing America. Cheers!

Ross McNae’s Solid Bass lines glued together the thundering drums and crunching guitars while front man Sam McTrusty’s Scottish accent kept the crowd on their toes.  Formed in 2007, this Red Bull Records act recently opened for Scottish rock trio Biffy Cliro and supported Billy Corgan and the Smashing Pumpkins at Glasgow’s SECC in February of 2009.  To hear the Quartet’s new single “Light Speed,” Click Here http://www.myspace.com/twinatlantic.

Words by Mike Bucher with photos by Joe Gall

Twin Atlantic, like most bands who travel to Austin for SXSW, played multiple shows. Three to be exact. I caught the first one, the night that Sam, the lead singer, was super ill. International travel (they come from Scotland) and the hyperactive, germ infested, drunk fest that surrounds the festival doesn’t help the ole immune system fight off the inevitable SARS like outbreaks every night. However, without Sam owning up to the fact that his face felt like it was going to explode, the average spectator would have never known anything was amiss.

The band rocked out full force, holding back none of their special charms. From the explosive beginning to the feedback fueled finale, this band continues to take America by storm. They are currently touring throughout the United States. Check them out in a city near you.

3/25 San Luis Obispo, CA – Downtown Brew
3/26 San Fransisco, – CA Slims
3/27 Anaheim, CA – Bamboozle Left
3/30 Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
3/31 Seattle, – WA El Corazon
4/1 Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw
4/3 Salt Lake City, UT – Murray Theatre
4/4 Denver, CO – Marquis Theatre
4/6 Lawrence, KS – Bottleneck
4/7 Des Moines, IA – House of Bricks
4/8 Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock
4/9 Chicago, IL – Subterranean
4/10 Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
4/11 Grand Rapids, MI – Intersection
4/13 Pittsburg, PA – Diesel
4/14 Buffalo, NY – Mohawk
4/15 Toronto, ON – Annex Wreck Room
4/16 Montreal, QC – Underworld
4/17 Syracuse, NY – Lost Horizon
4/18 Albany, NY – Valentines
4/20 Allentown, PA – Crocodile Rock
4/21 Philadelphia, PA – First Church
4/22 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
4/24 New York, NY – Irving
4/25 New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place

Twin Atlantic recently released their video for “What is Light? Where is Laughter?”, another in a line of catchy and melodic rockers that the Scottish quartet’s become quite famous for. With the release of Vivarium, magazines as diverse as Kerrang and Nylon have been praising the group’s ability to write some seriously infectious grooves, and TA will soon be touring all over the United States (especially at SXSW, where we’ll have more on them). Check out the new vid and below for tour dates.

All dates with The Fall Of Troy and Envy On The Coast

Sat/3-6 Rockford, IL @ House Café
Sun/3-7 Indianapolis, IN @ Emerson Theatre
Tue/3-9 Covington, KY @ Mad Hatter
Wed/3-10 Nashville, TN @ Rocketown
Thu/3-11 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
Fri/3-12 St. Petersburg, FL @ Orpheum
Sat/3-13 Orlando, FL @ The Social
Sun/3-14 Mobile, AL @ Mobile Music Box
Mon/3-15 Metairie, LA @ High Ground
Thu/3-18 Austin, TX SXSW
Fri/3-19 Austin, TX SXSW
Sat/3-20 Dallas, TX @ The Door
Sun/3-21 San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
Tue/3-23 Phoenix, AZ @ Martini Ranch
Thu/3-25 San Luis Obispo, CA @ Downtown Brew
Fri/3-26 San Francisco, CA @ Slims
Sat/3-27 Anaheim, CA @ Bamboozle California

Tue/3-30 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
Wed/3-31 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Thu/4-1 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw
Sat/4-3 Salt Lake City, UT @ Murray Theatre
Sun/4-4 Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
Tue/4-6 Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck
Wed/4-7 Des Moines, IA @ House of Bricks
Thu/4-8 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
Fri/4-9 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
Sat/4-10 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
Sun/4-11 Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection
Tue/4-13 Pittsburgh, PA @ Diesel
Wed/4-14 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk
Thu/4-15 Toronto, ON @  Annex Wreck Room
Fri/4-16 Montreal, QC @ Underworld
Sat/4-17 Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon
Sun/4-18 Albany, NY @ Valentines
Tue/4-20 Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock
Wed/4-21 Philadelphia, PA @ First Church
Thu/4-22 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
Sat/4-24 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
Sun/4-25 New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place

See twinatlantic.com for more.

Ross McNae has tattoos. The bass player for Twin Atlantic has at least 4 that I can see on his stark white arms. He paces back and forth at the Tattoo Lounge in Mar Vista California while awaiting his turn in the chair. He’s the third member of the band to get tattooed today. Guitar player Barry has opted out.

But Craig has had some bad experiences being tattooed, including both throwing up and passing out. In his defense he admits to being completely intoxicated and dehydrated for both, neither of which would he or I recommend.

Today he’s the 3rd member of the band to get a reminder of their time in Los Angeles, and this whole crazy trip called rock n roll. Ross is getting an abstract origami looking design on the inside of his upper arm. Clearly its personal, and its kind of sweet how these guys aren’t trying to be anything other than who they are. Their sincerity and humility strike me as what’s lacking in a whole lot of LA. Especially this industry.

Over the past 2 months that Twin Atlantic has been in town recording I’ve had the opportunity to really get to know these guys, and I have to wish them the best of luck. They are hitting the european festival circuit this summer and plan to return to LA this coming October.

Until then…Let’s check in with Ross while he gets inked up American style…

Words by Barbie Brady, photos by Sidney McMullen, video by Moving Images