OK - so Alcopopular Vol 2 is out in less than 12 hours, buy it here, we’ve alerted you as to the muy exciting tracklisting, and competition to win an accompanying walkman… But what do the hand spray-painted tapes actually look like? And how can we prove we did ‘em all DIY and not via those faceless corporate tape sprayers out there? Well, in answer to the first question, here’s just a badly lit rendition of the tape covers that you will be receiving…..
and remember that each one is in its own way unique, blessed with a little sparkle of Alcopop! love, whilet here’s a couple of images showing myself and ke hard at work, and this time particularly high from the quite intense paint fumes generated in his very poorly ventilated kitchen (honestly, i dont normally look that mental ;-))….
It may have come to your attention as you entered the website, that as Big Ben hollers out the final strike of New Year’s Eve and 2007 beomes nothing but a year consigned to the history books, that precisely 1 minute into the 1st January, Alcopop Records will be officially releasing the first must-have of 2008! Yup, that’s Alcopopular vol 2.
A brilliant compilation tape (that’s right, tape!) featuring Dartz, Johnny Foreigner, Sky Larkin, The Honey Brothers (feat. Adrian Grenier AKA Vincent Chase from Entourage), Jeremy Warmsley, Sam Isaac and loads more - Alcopopular vol. 2 is not only very limited, but each case has been hand paintd by Jack and Kev (each one different from lthe last)…. For full tracklisting see here. To order see here.
What’smore - we’ve decided that the dedicated individual who manages to preorder their copy closest to the release minute, will win a Alcopopular #2 limited edition walkman (1 of 1) to play their lovely tape. Said item has not been crafted yet, but an artists impression of the walkman is pictured below… Imagine owning this piece of musical history - the re-emergence of the casette revolution!!
Good luck, and just make sure as the first drink of 2008 slips down - you have a dedicated aunt, grandfather, minion or wi-fi connection ready to win that walkman!
No doubt, you will have all seen the video accompaniment to new Sam Isaace single ‘Sideways’ - somehow moulded together on the budget of a handful of fivers and a late night smash n’ grab at Tesco cake counter, but just to lavish a little more praise on it’s wonderful sweet-fingered creators - Blue Cat blog has just informed the world that one of their other projects (yes the Skoda advert where they make a whole car solely out of cake) has been nominated as one of the best ads of the year!
Indeed, as Clare Baker (ironic name) of Devizes claims over on the Beeb “Every time this advert appears on our television the whole family seems to stop what they are doing,” Samantha from Exeter added. “My children always say ‘mummy please can we have one of those’, of course meaning the cake car. My husband has a look upon his face of pure ecstasy, cravings to sink his sweet tooth into the car. I myself often think about taking a bite of the jelly brake-lights.”
I wonder if said husband has such a look of ecstasy when gazing wistfully at Mr. Isaac? Hmmm….
Well, just in case you have missed it - here’s that video again - all together now “We’ll get bicycles……”
It is with a sad face, and many tears, that we must announce the imminent departure of ‘!’ from the Alcopop label, due to irreconcilable musical and spiritual differences. Once a proud feature of all that Alcopop (formerly Alcopop!) stood for, the recent climate of change in the music industry, coupled with confusion about where to put apostrophes – has left this split inevitable.
Jack and Kev Alcopop (formerly Jack and Kev Alcopop!) announced in a brief official statement to the press that “the parting has been on good terms, and was nothing to do with the recent spate of late night cavortigs ‘!’ has allegedly been involved in around Camden, with a certain coke-fuelled model and up-and-coming rap star.”
Ah what a great time Christmas is… Friends and family getting merrily battered all around, and only I – fuelled by weeks of previous bingeing to get myself verily into the spirit of it all, sober enough to listen to the barking dogs, rambling (yet admittedly insightful) commentaries on life, the universe and everything – and what better way to end it all than with an update to the blog – to say what – I don’t know? Other than to wish you all a merry f’in Christmas, and to thank you all for sticking with us in our inaugural year…. If I had a cap I’d doff it.
Like her majesty – I’m likely to be screening net year’s message live on YouTube (what’s wrong with old mother beeb) but unlike her majesty – we’re going to be releasing next years hottest indie talent between now and then, so keep an eye on the blog and stay Alcopopular!
Now I’m off to sink some more booze, write a Christmas song that will chart at no. 2 next year, earning me an incredible amount of riches, and plan some overenthusiastic new years resolutions… Bonus!
Oh – and look out for the first release of 2008 – which is going to be a compilation of fine, fine bands – and there’s a tasty prize for the person that pre-orders their copy nearest to the release moment of 00:01 on January 1st, 2008.. More details to follow xx
So - Kev’s banging on about booking up December next year to go and see Oasish, and as the malty-tasting Tesco 4% lager slops down my throat, tasting like shit, we discuss rubbish tribute bands we’ve seen through the years (Yes Coldplace - that means you!) It’s a perfect night in Alcopop! towers…
We’ve just got back from seeing the legendary Sam Isaac in Camden Barfly with Elle S’apelle and Sky larkin, and what a gig - criminally under-attended but great nonetheless, akin to watching Cool Runnings whilst blissfully hungover and surrounded by Lucozade and KFC - ie… Perfect.
Having said that, perhaps watching siad film is the only way to go - so einsch, dweiz, treiz - I’m a bad ass mudder who don’t take no crap off’ve nobody! You heard father…
So the rhinos have been saved and it’s back to the music - and thanks so much to everyone who downloaded/purchased Sam’s BSM/Alcopop Sideways split single, as it is with beaming faces and ruddy cheeks that I can confirm that it debuted in the indie charts at #18 - just 17 places below Shawn the Sheep (ahem) - not to mention #112 in the physical only singles chart. Not too bad for a week packed out with enough ‘Wizzard’ to fill Hogwarts and general chart shit galore that will be poking out of stockings next week, and the bin come January 2nd.
So cheers for that - we (and I imagine Sam) are really stoked. And for all those who missed out, fear not as it’s all still available from the shop/itunes - and although the vinyl (limited to 500) are running out, while the rest of the copies linger on we’re still offering the two formats with badge for a fiver. And with the single personally recommended by radio’s most inspired (and possibly only) Huw, then damn - it’s good news.
Meanwhile - I’ve had a pretty brutal weekend, which saw me indulge my mid-90s indie passions by witnessing the return of Shed 7 at Shepherd’s Bush empire - and what a show! And whether it was the free champagne i’d been throwing down at a wedding buffet earlier, or just the majestic caterwaulings on Rick and his boys that made Chasing Rainbows, Going for Gold and Dolphin, I’ve decided to become a bit of a fanboy and pop along for the show at Oxford Zodiac on Wednesday too - brilliant!
Now off to put up a crap Christmas tree I’ve managed to extract from my parents loft - and realise that it definitely won’t fit my house….
Intense work and heavy drinking have taken their toll, and as i sit looking through dazed and confused eyes at the screen that’s pretty much melting before my eyes, I’ve just remembered an issue I meant to bring up on the Alcopop! blog a while ago, which is the exploitation of rhinos and their kin in this the spirit of Christmas! Yes, there’s another message to Christmas as well as presents, crackers and smashing back barrel loads of booze - and that’s that bunches of bastards are trying to rip you off.
Now - whilst perusing the internet to find a novelty gift or twain for people rapidly getting sick of me farming off the free CDs I end up with here and there on them on Christmas Day (without a hint of guilt I can assure you) I came up with the idea of buying a rhino - sadly not a real one… Imagine that beast tethered outside covered in a delicious sprinkling snow.. but a year adoption pack, and found one for 25 sheets with an animal charity that gives you a photo of the fella, updates on his progress and such…
All sounds great…
But then would you believe I came across this website, thanksdarling.com, offering exactly the same pack for £10 more… Which seemed rather odd. Now, don’t get me wrong I haven’t actually spoken to them about it (I could be absolutely wrong) so I’m only guessing here, and I know all businesses have to make a profit, but if they are, as it seems, profiteering ten quid a go on each rhino pack they send out for adoption - I’m quite frankly appalled. The packs do seem to contain exactly the same stuff - and the cynic in me can’t imagine the CEO of aforementioned website meeting a rhinoceros envoy and handing him a fistful of tenners.
Now I’m not one for regular moral rants, and i promise i won’t fill the Alcopop! blog with them - honestly But what I would say, is that if you’re going to adopt a horn-nosed steed - make sure you and the rhino don’t get jipped.
So it’s been a fine night for representing gigs across the country tonight, with Kev showing his bedraggled face over at CSS at the Oxford Zodiac, and me poppin in on Future of the Left in Bristol - and from a personal point, I must say they were rather good. Fusing the works McClusky and Jarcrew (two particular old favourites of mine) - they got some serious screwball, hard-edged alt rock going… And after a difficult early mix which left ears bleeding and eyes sore, they whipped out a keyboard and sounded like being punched around the head - but in a really nice way (if you know what I mean)…
Ahem.. Movin on - it is with great pleasure that I can announce the winner of the Sam Isaac competition, and may I say (like the stereotypical prizemaster of a particularly intense child’s colouring competition) that I have been delighted at the quality of all our entrants! Of course I may be lying a little - but I’ve picked out a few paticular favourites.
“.sam is a man who likes lamb..” from James and “Sam Isaac is ginger and not ’stawberry blonde” from Coxy may or may not be true, but are refreshingly bold and clear statements, and who can forget the impressive sibilance layered by John Brown… “Sam sings sensual seductive songs superbly”. Zoe’s “Sticker, Star & Tape me to Sam!” was close to being the winner - and Joe from the awesome band Decades effort “SAM LOOKS LIKE A BIG LOVELY TREE” was magnificent.
But there can be only one winner, and in this case Jenni’s simple yet effective snippet of prose won our hearts and minds. I’ve been listening to his super new single Sideways a lot this week, and I don’t think you can say fairer than this about our Sam than the….. “musical equivalent of the best day ever”
Nice work Jenni!
And fear not all of you non Jenni’s out there, because you can win too - (for the cost of 79p admittedly) Download the Sam track b’yere.
Welcome to the online home of Alcopop! Records, a UK based independent label born from - and dedicated to - the finest indie pop the world has to offer!
Have a look around the site, buy some CDs, come to our gigs, send us emails and make friends with us on Myspace.
But what I would say, is that if you’re going to adopt a horn-nosed steed - make sure you and the rhino don’t get jipped.
