NEWS : TUE, AUG 6, 2024 at 6:00 AM
The Bug Club Returns With the Suave, Action-Packed New Track “A Bit Like James Bond”
Today, The Bug Club is sharing “A Bit Like James Bond,” an exciting, debonair new song about everyone’s favorite British spy. The song is from On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System, their forthcoming album.
Last week, The Bug Club also announced the addition of US shows to their 2024 tour schedule in support of On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System. These new dates will begin Tuesday, October 15th in Brooklyn, NY at Baby’s All Right and run through Thursday, October 24th in Seattle, WA at The Black Lodge. Their previously announced UK tour dates, which bookend the US dates, continue on Thursday, August 29, with an instore at Brighton, UK’s Resident Records. Please see a current list of tour dates below.
Thu. Aug. 29 - Brighton, Resident Records (instore)
Fri. Aug. 30 - Brighton, UK - Brighton Psych Fest
Sat. Aug 31 - Hull, UK - The Adelphi
Sun. Sep. 01 - Edinburgh, UK - Edinburgh Psych Fest
Mon. Sep. 02 - Riley & Coe Session, BBC Radio 6 Music
Tue. Sep. 03 - Liverpool, UK - Rough Trade (instore)
Wed. Sep. 04 - Nottingham, UK - Rough Trade (instore)
Thu. Sep. 05 - London, UK - Rough Trade East (instore)
Tue. Oct. 15 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby’s All Right
Sat. Oct. 19 - San Diego, CA - Whistle Stop (5pm show)
Sun. Oct. 20 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
Mon. Oct. 21 - San Francisco, CA - Kilowatt
Wed. Oct. 23 - Portland, OR - Showbar
Thu. Oct. 24 - Seattle, WA - Black Lodge
Thu. Nov. 07 - Bournemouth, UK - Bear Cave
Fri. Nov. 08 - Margate, UK - Lido
Sat. Nov. 09 - Bedford, UK - Esquires
Wed. Nov. 13 - Newcastle, UK - The Cluny
Thu. Nov. 14 - Hebden Bridge, UK - The Trades Club
Fri. Nov. 15 - Leicester, UK - The SoundHouse
Sat. Nov. 16 - Norwich, UK - Norwich Arts Centre
Last month, The Bug Club announced release details for On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System, which will be released worldwide on Friday, August 30th, 2024. The album features the aforementioned “A Bit Like James Bond,” and previously released highlights “Quality Pints,” and “Lonsdale Slipons,” along with other feel-good ditties like “War Movies,” and “We Don’t Care About That.”
On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System sees the band serve up a beefy slab of their signature Modern-Lovers-meets-Nuggets garage rock, featuring B-52’s call-and-response fun mixed with AC/DC power chord grunt (read more at Sub Pop).
The Bug Club’s On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System is available to preorder on CD/LP/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from megamart.subpop.com (North America), Mega Mart 2 (UK/EU), and independent retailers worldwide will receive the limited Loser edition vinyl on Transparent Grey Smoke (US) and Orange/Red Marble (UK/EU) (whilst stock lasts!). On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System’s album cover artwork is from UK illustrator and comic book artist Willem Hampson.
What people are saying about The Bug Club:
“On The Intricate Inner Workings Of The System… is lean and mean. Recorded with Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard’s Tom Rees at his Rat Trap studio in Cardiff, its 11 songs crackle with incisive melodies and funny pop culture-addled lyrics – they reference The Great Escape’s Virgil Hilts one minute, and move on to the horror of Lonsdale slip on daps the next – but they’re in and out in under 26 minutes. Zero fat.” - NME
“The full title of scrappy Welsh duo The Bug Club’s first album for Sub Pop is On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System By Means of Popular Music Or the Contemplation Of Pretty Faces, Tinned Bubbles and Strife which, as they note, is ‘long as fuck’ even it it doesn’t quite approach Fiona Apple length. It’s definitely the longest thing about the album which, like previous records, delivers two-minute DIY-punk blasts about mundane subjects (this time topics include beer and ‘the worst shoes in the UK.’).” 64 Albums We’re Anticipating For Summer 2024 - BROOKLYN VEGAN
“Throw back a few (and then a few more) to this great record of Modern Lovers meets Nuggets-garage rock…” [On The Intricate Inner Workings Of The System] Bandcamp
“‘Quality Pints’ is a wild two-minute rager that reminds me of the Buzzcocks and the Vaselines. It’s all about something the band has surely experienced during all that touring: the search for a decent beer in various cities around the world. In addition to the explosive punk-rock energy, the song has a hip-shaking rock ‘n’ roll element, manifested in a rattling tambourine and occasional outbursts of electric-shock lead guitar” STEREOGUM
“The amped-up punk track is a blast of shout-along energy, and vicious guitar solos following the pair’s journey to secure a solid pint of beer… It’s as ridiculous as it is fun, and Harris and Willmett are bringing their particular flavor of absurdity to Sub Pop’s legendary roster. Cheers, indeed.” [“Quality Pints”] “Best New Songs” - PASTE
“’Quality Pints’ vigorously extols the anticipatory pleasures of searching for good alcohol, but even a teetotaler like your blogger can get inebriated on its speed-demon rock. This is faster, punkier, and more immediately catchy than anything else in the Bug Club’s discography, with manic guitar solos that’ll make you spit out your lager in admiration. One senses that, if he were alive, another BBC DJ, John Peel, would love the Bug Club as much as he did the Fall. Let’s hope an album’s in the works.” The Stranger
“Lonsdale Slipons” is a post-punk supernova with an infectious bassline, satisfying dual vocals, and a great climax as Sam Willmett declares: “These drugs are tasty as hell! I think I’ll have another!” Listen below and slip on your Lonsdale slip ons and sway.” STEREOGUM
“This song is a ridiculous amount of fun and blends art rock and fun in a way that they rarely are. Personally, I hear a little more Strokes style guitar than AC/DC, but regardless ‘Lonsdale Slipons’ is going to insert itself into your brain and singing along to “These drugs are tasty as hell / I think I’ll have another” for days to come.” If It’s Too Loud
“’Lonsdale Slipons’” is a throbbing container of mechanical riffs ready to erupt into chaos. “These drugs are tasty as hell!” Sam Willmett cries out. “I think I’ll have another!” Tilly Harris flicks a bassline that leaps out of the speakers after trading punches with Willmett’s guitar. It’s call-and-response soul music reconfigured into crooked-mouthed English post-punk.” “Best New Songs” - PASTE
“The full title of scrappy Welsh duo The Bug Club’s first album for Sub Pop is On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System By Means of Popular Music Or the Contemplation Of Pretty Faces, Tinned Bubbles and Strife which, as they note, is ‘long as fuck’ even it it doesn’t quite approach Fiona Apple length. It’s definitely the longest thing about the album which, like previous records, delivers two-minute DIY-punk blasts about mundane subjects (this time topics include beer and ‘the worst shoes in the UK.’).” 64 Albums We’re Anticipating For Summer 2024 - BROOKLYN VEGAN
“Throw back a few (and then a few more) to this great record of Modern Lovers meets Nuggets-garage rock…” [On The Intricate Inner Workings Of The System] Bandcamp
“‘Quality Pints’ is a wild two-minute rager that reminds me of the Buzzcocks and the Vaselines. It’s all about something the band has surely experienced during all that touring: the search for a decent beer in various cities around the world. In addition to the explosive punk-rock energy, the song has a hip-shaking rock ‘n’ roll element, manifested in a rattling tambourine and occasional outbursts of electric-shock lead guitar” STEREOGUM
“The amped-up punk track is a blast of shout-along energy, and vicious guitar solos following the pair’s journey to secure a solid pint of beer… It’s as ridiculous as it is fun, and Harris and Willmett are bringing their particular flavor of absurdity to Sub Pop’s legendary roster. Cheers, indeed.” [“Quality Pints”] “Best New Songs” - PASTE
“’Quality Pints’ vigorously extols the anticipatory pleasures of searching for good alcohol, but even a teetotaler like your blogger can get inebriated on its speed-demon rock. This is faster, punkier, and more immediately catchy than anything else in the Bug Club’s discography, with manic guitar solos that’ll make you spit out your lager in admiration. One senses that, if he were alive, another BBC DJ, John Peel, would love the Bug Club as much as he did the Fall. Let’s hope an album’s in the works.” The Stranger
“Lonsdale Slipons” is a post-punk supernova with an infectious bassline, satisfying dual vocals, and a great climax as Sam Willmett declares: “These drugs are tasty as hell! I think I’ll have another!” Listen below and slip on your Lonsdale slip ons and sway.” STEREOGUM
“This song is a ridiculous amount of fun and blends art rock and fun in a way that they rarely are. Personally, I hear a little more Strokes style guitar than AC/DC, but regardless ‘Lonsdale Slipons’ is going to insert itself into your brain and singing along to “These drugs are tasty as hell / I think I’ll have another” for days to come.” If It’s Too Loud
“’Lonsdale Slipons’” is a throbbing container of mechanical riffs ready to erupt into chaos. “These drugs are tasty as hell!” Sam Willmett cries out. “I think I’ll have another!” Tilly Harris flicks a bassline that leaps out of the speakers after trading punches with Willmett’s guitar. It’s call-and-response soul music reconfigured into crooked-mouthed English post-punk.” “Best New Songs” - PASTE
The Bug Club
On The Intricate Inner Workings of the System
Tracklisting:
1. War Movies
2. Quality Pints
3. Pop Single
4. Best Looking Strangers in the Cemetery
5. A Bit Like James Bond
6. We Don’t Care About That
7. Lonsdale Slipons
8. Better Than Good
9. Actual Pain
10. Cold. Hard. Love.
11. The Intricate Inner Workings of the System
On The Intricate Inner Workings of the System
Tracklisting:
1. War Movies
2. Quality Pints
3. Pop Single
4. Best Looking Strangers in the Cemetery
5. A Bit Like James Bond
6. We Don’t Care About That
7. Lonsdale Slipons
8. Better Than Good
9. Actual Pain
10. Cold. Hard. Love.
11. The Intricate Inner Workings of the System