Tomination.org

King of Cards out now!

2007-05-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

Ah, I feel badly that we've been neglecting the site, but rest assured that we are still committed to Tomination and the cause!

If for whatever reason you didn't know, Tom's new album, King of Cards, is out now in the UK. (purchase Amazon.co.uk)

So, go! Go forth and acquire it! Not only are the songs fantastic, the artwork is really quite lovely.

There will hopefully be some new things here at Tomination soon, but in the meantime, please visit Tom's site, which has many more interesting things than we do.

New Album: King of Cards

2007-01-27T06:47:00.000-08:00

From tommcrae.com:

Tom McRae will play two intimate London shows (Feb 19th & 26th) at Cargo to celebrate the imminent release of his fourth album "King of Cards". The venue is small and tickets will go on sale to registered website fans for a short period of time before being made available to the public. The tickets are expected to go very quickly so get your orders in now. The new album will be released on V2 on April 23rd. "King of Cards" is an album about identity, escape, and disappearance. It's Tom's most eclectic and accessible work to date, but still featuring his evocative voice and lyrics. Come and hear the new songs at this tiny venue before Tom heads out on tour across Europe in May.

You can purchase tickets by clicking on the link below and following the instructions. The link will go live at 9.00am UK time on Friday 26th February. Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 9.00am on Monday morning Feb 29th.

www.gigsandtours.com/?link=tom+mcrae&site=tommcrae

Happy Holidays!

2006-12-24T08:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to everyone in Tomination land!

As a treat, we now have live Tomination radio -- streaming versions of live performances. Our very first posting is a Hotel Cafe show from March 2004.

Okay, I admit, it is cheating a little bit as we already have it up for download, but we're just testing out the radio.blog, so please leave us comments with what you think of it.

Have a great holiday and a Happy New Year!

More information on the 10/18 cancellation

2006-10-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

This information was passed along by Oz:

New York Show Cancelled
Due to Visa problems Tom's show on Wednesday 18th October at the Living Room, New York, has been cancelled. Tom apologises and will find a way to make the original tickets valid for another show. Check his myspace page or website for future details.

Ehh... if I had a MySpace account, I suppose I would have known sooner.

Living Room Show

2006-10-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

Heads up!

I don't know the how or why, but Tom's 10/18 show at the Living Room (that'd be tomorrow) is listed as cancelled. Tom will be there next Wednesday, though. Sorry, guys!

The Hotel Cafe Tour 2006

2006-09-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

September's almost over, but the fall gig scene is in full swing.

I'm sorry, did I actually just write, 'the fall gig scene'?

ANYWAY:

The Hotel Cafe Tour 2006 is happening, and our favorite singer-songwriter Tom is along for the ride, along with some familiar names and other favorite acts.

For the Southern California fans: Tom will be appearing at the Hotel Cafe on a Friday, November 17th. He's on the bill with Joe Purdy, Jim Bianco, Steve Reynolds, Buddy, and Brian Wright.

Tell your friends, bring your friends, and as always spread the Tomination love.

See you soon,

saFf!

livejournal icons

2006-09-11T20:08:00.000-07:00

A lovely set of 43 icons by maplest using Tom's lyrics has just been posted here.

If you use them, please credit and do not hotlink.

shameless Oli promotion

2006-09-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

Everyone's favorite classically trained cellist has a CD out! Yes, you can now go to CDbaby.com (awesome online source for independent music) and purchase your very own copy of Sound Bites by Oliver Kraus.

If you purchase more than one, it's 20% off. I sense Christmas/Birthday/Every day is a holiday shopping in your future.

And if you're in the US in November, Oli's supporting Sia on tour.

Other news as we get it...

I would also like to take this opportunity to wish my co-conspirator, webmaster, and all around fantastic design maven a very happy birthday month. September is where it's at, yo.

X-0

Saff

Tom on YouTube

2006-08-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Sorry about the terribly long pause between updates. If you haven't already heard, Tom is currently in the studio mixing his fourth album. We'll post more info when we get it.

In the meantime, enjoy these bits of Tom I've found on YouTube:

+ Karaoke Soul video
+ Interview with Lydverket
+ Tom McRae playing "Streetlight" at Samfundet
+ "Mermaid Blues" at the same show... a cappella?
+ "The Boy With the Bubblegun" live at Le Splendid, Oct 18, 2005.
+ "Mermaid Blues" Live at The New Morning, Paris 2002-12-09
+ Tom and Ed Harcourt hamming it up at the Tsunami Benefit concert at Bush Hall on 2005-07-22.

We did not upload these files to youtube, but are just linking for your enjoyment!

new site, new songs

2006-02-22T18:03:00.000-08:00

Tom has been making changes to his site. There's a new layout and new songs in the music section that you can download. Old songs will be removed as new ones go up, so be sure to get them while you can!

New Show Recordings

2005-11-18T19:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Alex Boyd, we now have recordings from Tom's November 11th show at the Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh. Alex writes:

The last show from Tom's tour, this was perhaps one of the more energetic shows that the band have put on, featuring the rare live performance of "The only thing I know" this was a special night in an intimate venue.

You can find the files on our download page here. Don't forget to read the top for details on how to download from our site.

We hope everyone enjoys! And thanks again, Alex, for sharing.

tominationmedia

2005-11-12T07:49:00.000-08:00

We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with tominationmedia.net but they are being worked on as we speak. Hopefully everything will be back soon. Thanks for your patience and sorry for the inconvenience!

12:22pm EST - It's back up now!

Sony BMG DRM

2005-11-07T07:38:00.000-08:00

In a recent article on CNET.com, it was revealed that new releases from Sony BMG contain a piece of software that automatically installs itself when you put the disc in your CD drive. The root-kit that is installed contains a set of tools that are very similar to a trojan virus. Below is an excerpt from the article:

On Monday, October 31, alert users discovered that Sony BMG is using copy-protected CDs to surreptitiously install its digital rights management technology onto PCs. You don't have to be ripping the CD, either--just playing it from your CD-ROM drive triggers the installation. The software installs itself as a root kit, which is a set of tools commonly used to make certain files and processes undetectable, and they're the favored tool of crackers who are, as Wikipedia puts it, attempting to "maintain access to a system for malicious purposes." In fact, root kits are often classified alongside Trojan horses. And Mark Russinovich, who created a root-kit detection utility and was one of the first to blog about the Sony intrusion, discovered another little gem when he tried to remove the DRM drivers. It broke his computer--disabling his CD drive.

You can read the complete article by Molly Woods here at CNet.com

Please note that while All Maps Welcome is being released by Sony BMG, as far as we know, it does not contain this root-kit install. If you experience any problems with the CD, please contact us as we'd like to know if it's an issue.

Southern California Tom Fans

2005-08-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

This Friday, September 2nd at the Hotel Cafe. Go for the ambience, stay for the food. Or something.

Tom McRae Tapped for Inaugural Hotel Cafe Tour

2005-08-27T05:56:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 24, 2005

TOM MCRAE TAPPED FOR INAUGURAL HOTEL CAFÉ TOUR 2005

Mercury Prize nominated UK singer/songwriter, Tom McRae, has been invited to be part of the exciting inaugural tour based around Los Angeles’ premier venue, the Hotel Café, beginning September 7 in Portland, MA. From a close-knit family of talented local songwriters and friends, to national acts, opting for a more intimate setting, the Hotel Café has quickly blossomed from a small Los Angeles coffee shop, has quickly blossomed into one of the premier singer/songwriter venues in the United States.

Tom was eager to accept the first two weeks of the East Coast tour dates, including a show at the Living Room during the CMJ Festival. He will then jet back to the UK to commence his own headlining tour beginning in Dublin, Ireland to support his third album, All Maps Welcome, released earlier this year in the UK/Europe through Sony BMG. Following four sold-out, standing room only record release shows in London, McRae embarked on a 7-week support tour with Tori Amos playing in front of packed auditoriums, stealing away for a few days to play the 250,000+ capacity Werchter Festival in Belgium.

With barely a few days rest, Tom was asked by the prestigious UK national paper, The Observer, to travel to Niger and shed some light on the plight of this countries people in the wake of a massive famine. Armed with inoculations, malaria tablets, a mosquito net and a box of biscuits, Tom embarked upon a journey of a lifetime. “This is not just another act of God - this is ingrained poverty,” starts Tom. You can read more about his journey via the article that appeared in the Sunday Observer on August 7: http://www.guardian.co.uk/famine/story/0,12128,1544128,00.html

Tom’s music can also be heard in the newest Pontiac car commercial featuring “A Day Like Today” from Just Like Blood in their national ad campaign. Previous artists have included Razorlight, Kasabian and Citizen Cope. The ad commences with a tag line that aptly describes the music of Tom McRae (along with the car), "Beauty has its dark side." Further exposure will follow with the commercial featured on the “Virgin Recommends” CD with an initial printing of 50,000. You can view the commercial via this link: http://www.pontiac.com/music/music.jsp?brand=home

Currently seeking a US label for All Maps Welcome, the UK press has bestowed praises: “All Maps Welcome touches a nerve with every play... deliciously painful stuff” Mojo, “Full of rich folds and exquisite textures” Uncut, “All Maps Welcome includes some of his finest work to date... a tour-de-force of passion” Hot Press. And, the praise has filtered across the pond. Esteemed tastemaker and KCRW Music Director Nic Harcourt professes “Tom raises the songwriting bar with every album” and has been supporting the record with generous airplay. All Maps Welcome was recorded in Los Angeles at the stunning Paramour Estate (currently being used to house the Reality TV show, Rock Star:INXS) with the help of co-producer, the legendary Joe Chiccarelli (Ricki Lee Jones, American Music Club, Clem Snide). Also adding to the magic of this recording was a collection of superstar musicians and previously in Beck’s band: drummer Joey Waronker, bassist Justin Meldal-Johnson and guitarist Lyle Workman.

A list of show dates is available here.

pontiac ad

2005-08-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

"A Day Like Today" is featured in a new ad for the Pontiac G6 Coupe. As we understand it, the commercial is currently being aired in the US. You can see the commercial online at Pontiac.com - look under News & Events for the Commercial section. The tag line they're using with it is, "Beauty has a dark side."

hotel cafe tour dates

2005-08-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

We've just posted the dates Tom will be on the Hotel Cafe tour next month. They're basically all East Coast gigs, so check it out if you're in the area.

Guardian Unlimited Article

2005-08-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

This is not just another act of God - this is ingrained poverty

In this eyewitness account from Niamey, the capital of Niger, acclaimed British singer-songwriter Tom McRae finds nature and economics pursuing a relentless assault on the hungry millions.

read the full article at Guardian Unlimited

New show for download

2005-07-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Mys, we now have the Kongresshaus Zurich show from June, 3 2005 available for download.

More shows coming soon!

Shiny new things over at tommcrae.com

2005-06-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

A new diary entry, and even better, new exclusive downloads. If you've been wondering where those mysterious songs "Moneyshot" and "Spite of Me" came from (originally released as b-sides), they're now available for download off of Tom's site under "Downloads." There's also "Sad Song for the Left Hand alone," Tom's cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," and "The Only thing I know" in mp3 format. There's also a great live acoustic performance of "The Girl Who Falls Down Stairs" in the video section.

Go forth. Download. Tominate.

New Rec: ZOX

2005-05-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

New music recommendation has been posted. Check out ZOX.

The Girl Who Falls Down Stairs

2005-05-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

as per Tom's website, The Girl Who Falls Down Stairs is set to be released as a single on Monday, May 23 (vinyl). What's interesting is the choice of b-side, a cover of the Beatles' Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Last year Tom told me that he had been approached to cover LSD for a company advert (I believe it was Canon or possibly HP, what with their revival of the Kinks and the Cure), and now here it is. I believe Chris Karn of Decca Tree also performs on it, but I could be wrong.

Enjoy the single. Hopefully it will be released as a CD single soon, or as a digital download ala Itunes or other outlets.

cheers,

saff

Tomination PSAs!

2005-05-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

All Maps Welcome is out and we feel it's important people go out and buy it. To that end, we've made two PSAs to amuse you and encourage the purchase. If only to make sure we don't make any more PSAs...

Enjoy!

Cyn

more site updates

2005-05-12T19:27:00.000-07:00

We'd thank everyone for their patience as we continue to enhance Tomination. The reorganization is going well, but you may have noticed a few things disappearing.

Our news section has officially switched over to blogger and our feeds should now be functional. If you are a livejournal user, feel free to add our syndication to your friendlist.

The link for the forum is gone from our menu and will be permanently deleted from our server in the next couple of days. We felt it was a bit redundant to have one when there is already a thriving community at Tom's site and ours was getting so little traffic anyway.

Our lj community is now open and all members are free to post.

Lyrics are sort of misplaced at the moment, but will soon find a home in our extras section, where our recommendations have also been moved.

Upcoming features include PSA clips, a tominated fanlist, and more downloads.

Thanks again for your patience!

Cyn

site upgrades continued

2005-05-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

Did a bit more work on the site. Apologies to people who were visiting and had the site tweak out on them. You'll probably notice that some of the pages are php and some html - the change over is still slow-going - as well as new menu categories.

Finally added the US "Just Like Blood" release information and the "All Maps Welcome" info on the discography page.

We also have a new calendar feature. It shows the shows coming up for the next two months. Events occuring today will be bolded and then crossed out when the day's ended.

Media files are slowly being moved over to tominationmedia.net, which was purchased so we could keep the files we have up and available to visitors. The bandwidth limit on that host should be hefty enough, though the daily cap is 2.5GB, so we'll probably release things slowly. The password system will remain in effect to protect us from hotlinkers.

We hope you will benefit from the changes we are making and find the site a useful source of information.

Ta!

Amezri