Lets lay this down The 405! Lets lay it down…

So, a lot of clever basketball analogy and insults later, the 405 have posted their official response to Alcopop’s call to DJ arms – and though the bball analogies come thick and fast… It seems clear to me that those couple of boys may be upto no good, but they can’t make no trouble in this neighbourhood!

That’s why I propose an end to these shenanigans once and for all – appointing an official adjudicator to officially decide who’s set was more boss… the 405 or Alcopop. Once decided, I also suggest that a representative of team loser should don a sticker of the winner’s website/label, and wear it prominently on their faces for the rest of the night after The Social has shut and after parties (no doubt at Metro) begin!

Question is will the 405 accept such terms, and who should the adjudicator be? Please send all CVs with SAE ready for cash bribes to Jack PoP c/o Alcopopville, Hoochtonshire, PWN 405.

Our artist has mocked up an impression of what team 405 might look like post event shenanigans *

*ps this is all in fun as we do love the 405 like Kev loves orange soda – and kev really loves orange soda!

This is an open message to The 405!

It’s come to our attention that certain young rapscallions at a website called The 405 have rather been trash talking about the good boys at Alcopop.

You see, after cordially inviting them to a DJ battle at our Xmas party (featuring Tellison, Stagecoach, My First Tooth and Aspen Sails), we thought we’d let them showcase their rather pitiful disc-spinning skills as we drop bomb after bomb, ensuring Team PoP take the victory with good grace and panache… But they’ve been getting a little bit ballsy!

“Not only that but The 405 will be going head to head with Alcopop on the decks. We love Alcopop but enough is enough. We’ve heard all the ‘oooo we’re better than you at arcade basketball’ trash talk we can take. It’s on!” they said in a recent post.. And good god chaps, let me tell you… You’re in for a whopping!!!

Yes Kev and I have been dusting down our Scorpions vinyl, pulling the Coolio singles from the loft – and you aint gonna’ believe your ears!

So, it is with fists clenched, and knotted brow that I would like to issue this open ‘come and get me’ picture which adequately sums it all up….

See you at the battlefield boys!

Tickets available over here!

Fancy guestlist to see Arrows of Love and the King Blues?

Nima from Arrows of Love ex Hush the Many (Heed the Few) has always been a kindly soul – with a face that glitters like diamonds and a face that pours forth with kindly words (as well as beautiful songs) – and he hit me up yesterday offering all at the good ship pop a fair old deal…

“If you want to give tickets to this blaster of a show away on Alcopop then go fer your life, just send my names midweek ” he said! Here’s the show and it’s sick!

F.A.K.E. - The Fridge – Nov 13th

9pm-6am

Room 1: The King Blues, Arrows of Love, Gaggle, Laurel Collective, The Homosexuals, Pocket Lips, HoneyWeazel, Qdos…

Room 2: The Art of In The Year 2525 Exhibition, The Eraserheads, The Savants, The Supernovas, Wasp Display,

Free! Yes really – but I imagine it’s rather a limited supply. Door price is a tenner, or more on the day I think, so if you do want a freebie or two, hit me up tonight (email info@ilovealcopop.co.uk) and we’ll get you on the list (if you’re quick).

Just tell em Jack PoP sent you

Alcopopping Xmas party @The Social, W1: Tellison, Stagecoach, My First Tooth and Aspen Sails!

MONDAY 14th DECEMBER in London town!!!

Christmas time again – what joy! So we thought that it was probably our duty to throw a nice festive bash in London town – and make it as damn sweaty as we can! So we invited 4 of the finest bands this good nation has to offer, grabbed a piece of intimate venue (The Social, W1) and prepared some pretty tasty goodie bags for the first 20 people through the door.

Expect snow, Christmas decorations and general loveliness too – as well as a lush 7 track Alcopop sampler free for every person who comes through the door. 

Where else do you get all this for a fiver?



(Father) Tellison – need no introduction! And this is their only London show of what remains of 2009…. Indie pop deliciousness from utter legends! 



(Rudolph the red nosed) Stagecoach – Seminal popstars from deep within the Surrey hills, and even deeper in the Alcopop heart. Imagine Americana pop lavished in melody, harmony and rock n roll sensibilities.

(We wish you a merry) My First Tooth – Prettier than a whole barrel of peaches and dearest siblings of Team PoP, My First Tooth will treat your heart to its biggest workout since Bambi. Folk-kissed indie pop you will literally die for. 



(Frosty the) Aspen Sails – Newest kids on the block, Aspen Sails are a lush duo who pedal lovingly crafted folk pop, ideally enjoyed with a sherry or two. 



Plus Alcopop DJs will be battling excellent online music boys The 405… Expect bombs dropped from all sides!

Would be delicious to see you… You can pre-order tickets (that will be a smidgen cheaper than on the door) here! It’s gonna be a cracker! Tellison have rocked up already see!

Stagecoach and Alcopop to part company?!?

Ah – who says good things can last forever! It is with great sadness that I must announce the departure of Alcopop Records and Stagecoach, due to a significant change of direction. You see, in love as we are with these charming Americana indie gents from the rolling hills of surrey, we just couldn’t commit to releasing their new single – which their drummer, Matt, dropped on our doorstep today (video can be seen by clicking here, still below), before flexing a sinewy bicep and thrusting himself powerfully away.

We loved a bit of dub-step, acoustic was awesome with us, and pop is of course much loved in the Alco quarters… But the ‘sexy fun’ direction they had taken just didn’t quite lay entirely in tune with our current roster.

In better news however, The Coach have signed up with former early 90’s dance star, and one-time muso Ray Slijngaard, formerly of 2 Unlimited, and failed record label owner Kevin Campbell, and are working on a disco/ R&B album of anthems. A change in direction perhaps, but expect it to be topping the charts pretty soon….

ps: Hehe Back in real life, look for a new release from Stagecoach a-coming (albeit with less biceps and more guitars) muy, muy soon… You’re seriously going to love it!

Spam dunk with the Red Cross??

I try not to write about spam, partly because Kev does it so well – but obviously sick of offering me cuts of obscene fortunes if I simply email them my red hot Alcopoppin’ deets, I’ve had this glorious new piece of junkmail today – inexplicably inviting me to a Red Cross conference on the Global Economy and Human Welfare…. It’s OK though, because they found me on “The Google website.”

Brilliant.

I wonder what they searched to pick Alcopop as prime entrants for this one. ‘Essential Reggae’, ‘race horse alcopop videos’ and ‘tom selleck mustache‘ (sic) have generated their own hits today – so who can deny the fact that I’ll be kicking it with “prominent speakers of the humanitarian industry”.

Fear not the down-trodden and victimized masses of the World – Alcopop is here to help! Ole…

In all seriousness though, it’s all sorts of unimpressive that spammers have taken to piggy-backing the name of one of the world’s genuinely worth organizations in order to try to thieve a little bit more money from the ignorant pocket. Weak…

Go get ‘em G. Amwel Jones!

Pop in the City

Ah music industry biased events – how I doth love you… The booze always seems to continuously flow, I never see enough bands, and proud ideals of going to all sorts of fascinating in-depth discussions from fascinating types often seem to go by the wayside. That’s not to say we don’t usually have a super time though. Just the other week Kev and I visted Manchester’s In The City. It was fun; Stagecoach and My First Tooth partied like animals and we joined in, although the event itself didn’t really seem that vibrant.

But I blather on – if you fancy reading a full account, and my poorly educated take on the event, pop over to the ever-delicious Rock Midgets where my third column has just gone up.

Meanwhile, I won’t go too much into it yet, but keep your eyes peeled over the next week or two for some announcements. We’ve got T-Shirts on the way, 3 new CDs to be released before Christmas and a few must-go-to gigs a coming (specifically in December time). Shit, actually, looking at the schedule, December is going to be insane.

Ah well, at least an Alcopop themed Christmas is well on the cards…. Rudolph was clearly always on the Hooch Lemon, and he came off all sorts of good. Prime, prime. Meanwhile, here’s a picture that somehow surfaced off the back of the great Coach/Tooth/Pop takeover of Manchester just the other week.  Props to anyone who knows who the blonde girl is, though it looks like we were all getting on famously…

Hope you’ve had a good weekend!

Today, Kev is dead to me…

Anyone who knows co-owner of Alcopop Kev, will rightly be aware he’s currently sunning himself (well, shivering) in the big apple – following The Gat Up Kids on tour, hanging with Morgan Freeman and shimmying down cocktails at 10am. This is rightly making me very jealous – although I can bring myself to revel in his joy.

However, those who know Kev even better will know he’s also a big Reading fan, and being of the Sky Blue persuasion (Coventry City indeed) myself, today’s match which pits the two sides together is bloody massive. Despite mis-firing all season, resembling half cut, crippled mules trotting around a football pitch whilst sporting extremely thick blindfolds – Reading are still a threat, and if they beat Coventry today, it will be a disaster. A disaster unparalleled.

So today I call upon all poppers who are pure of heart and fresh of soul, to pray to the gods of football that today doesn’t end in disaster. Because despite the fact that my estememed business partner, and all round charming pal is thousands of miles away – just won’t stop the mock if we lose….

This is a massive game! Feel for me Team PoP!!!

Get yourself some Alcopop on Spotify

At the turn of 2008 I, with a million others no doubt, found Spotify, and since then we’ve all been tear-stained on our grass stained knees, wringing our hands in humble awe – thanking them for bringing x billion songs to our unworthy ears via the joy of streaming. Songs that we can then discard as over-hyped balls, or trot off to our nearest online e-tailer to purchase (maybe anyway)…

Well now, it is with great delight that I can announce that Alcopop related tracks are a-headed up thick and fast. No that’s not to say that the whole back catlogue is up there, far from it (although that’s not to say it won’t happen in the future) – but what I can tell you is that I’ve created a nice, none-to- imposing Alcopop playlist ‘Alcopop Tarts’ featuring some of the magnificent bands of the last year or so who have done us the service of releasing with us…

And you and your pals can now stream it, simply by clicking this link  – if you have Spotify of course (if not, get it, it’s great!)

Andrew WK does the weather…

Every now and then, you’re sitting in a little music venue, and between bands the conversation will turn to Andrew WK. “Have you seen that ‘destroy, build, destroy’ trailer” someone will say – which will be replied immediately with something like “no, but how about that piano battle set up via video in the interview”, or maybe “did you see him vomit at that Queens College show the other day”.

Well here’s another BRILLIANT Andrew WK moment – this time, settling once and for all the age old, ‘who would win in a weather off – WK or Michael Fish’ debate… Move over Mickey, Andrew’s got it down!