Mother – Stagecoach are on the radio…

… And taking over the Smalltown America blog, as well as being played on podcasts and all! It’s been a good week for the boys in handsome, so bear with me whilst I relay. There’s plenty to listen to, so you’d be forgiven for not taking it all in – but do have a butchers if any appeal.

Firstly, and I quote – “Surrey’s smart jangle-popsters Stagecoach present a blogcast that will please the song-hungry listeners among you, with not minimal but rather optimal chat and importantly loads of quality tunes” as they take over the STA blog… And play some My First Tooth, Kevin Devine, Pavement, Dinosaur Pile Up to boot…. Them boys know how to pick em’.

Secondly they were played (Hot Doggin’ was anyway) on the handsome Tom Robinson’s BBC Radio 6 show (he knows talent) – and finally on the super Shifter Sounds podcast, featured alongside Cloud Cult, Zoos of Berlin and The Medders. You should probably have a listen over here, and apparently you can win some stuff too.

Great!

Literally, the very last of the Stagecoach megadeals….

Are available today… As after that they will be gone, capiche – vanito! And I believe I have the last few bags ever in existence (well available to buy anyway), so if you want one do get involved. Otherwise you’ll look like this b**tard, and we wouldn’t want that. Oh no, not at all!

The Alcopop Christmas show @Social in visual form

AH – just wanted to show you the poster for the upcoming Christmas show which is just super… Thanks be to the lovely @rollerdiscos who made it for us, and do make sure you get your tickets if you fancy popping out with us in London come December 14th. I’m awaiting on confirmation on the capacity of the old Social, but it’s fair to say tickets are fair flying out of the door (no surprise with a line up like this really) – and they’re gonna be a touch cheaper in advance too.

Presents for the first 20 through the door too, and although they may not contain dinosaurs this year, they’re still gonna be pretty damn ace! Lets just say some retro turtle cards from 1989 might be making an appearance along with a whole lot more….

Alcopop get into managment – big sheepskin coats an all!

So it’s a big day for Alcopop…  Well it was yesterday really, but unfortunately a hangover registered after a 7am boozy finish in a club with swimming pool (surely a mistake for smashed revelers) and the pains of British rail transport rendered it not at all so. I digress – but today is the day, the good ship Alcopop takes its first tentative steps into music management.

It’s been something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, sure the music industry is all about being able to diversify at the moment, and it is with no little delight that, together with the charming Joe from Idle Hands Management (Talons/ Aspen Sails), we have decided to take on the mighty Stagecoach.

You no doubt know all about them already, but just in case you don’t, Joe has lavishly summed up – They’ve played with the likes of The Wombats, Phoenix and Frightened Rabbit. Radio play has been strong so far from Radio 1, 6Music, XFM and NME radio. They’ve had tracks used on Skins and on the forthcoming series of Gavin and Stacey. And last but not least, they have a celebrity fan in Radio 2 presenter and X Factor host Dermot O’Leary.

Things are in place, plans are being planned – and you will be seeing a lot of these chaps in 2010. The year, so I have heard, of the Alcopop!

Any managment or label enquiries.. Do get in touch!

New Stagecoach release is a comin’….

How exciting. Yep, it’s not just one new release this December – but two, and as My First Tooth are just putting the finishing touches to the very limited edition, hand-made and let’s be honest… Delicious ‘Margaret Yen’ sleeves, Stagecoach are just about ready to launch their similarly scarce Christmas acoustic single.

Artwork will be following sometime in the next couple of days, and full details revealed – but I’ll tell you this much, it aint no standard release oh no! You see, this one ladies and gentleman is going to be ideal in the run up to the festive season. I suss I may as well wait until is ready to be revealed, but in the mean time… This may just give you a little clue as to what’s-a-coming.

Yup, it’s Coach drummer Matt in suitably dubious xmas sweater… Awww, lovely!

Crowdsourcing best songs of the decade: I choose Saves the Day!

I’ve always liked crowd-sourcing… Individuals outsourcing a whole lot of work to other individuals who can get together in a collaborative manner to create something ace between them (although that’s probably not the official definition of course). So I was more than delighted to be invited by the marvelous music blog ‘Sweeping the Nation’ to get involved with their most recent project ‘Noughties by Nature’, where a whole load of folk from across the blogosphere suggest their song of the last decade, and write a paragraph or two on well, exactly why.

Gamely I got into the flow of it, and was rewarded with being number #85 of the #150 they want to put up (presumably before the New Year). It was a tough call, and a worrying amount of my favourite songs ever it turns out are over 10 years old, but after much soul searching I pinned it down to this little peach. As my Ghost Takes Flight by Saves the Day.

It may seem an odd choice, and perhaps it’s not balls out, my favourite song ever. But for what it represents, where it came from, and its place in my heart all these years later… I think I can justify the choice… Pop over to see why, or watch it below.

Poppin all over the world! Jack DJ’s the planet

Or London anyway… Just a quick heads up to tell you about a couple of really awesome events I’m spinning a few hits at next week. So if you’re free on Tuesday and Thursday and about town – do pop down!

Firstly, Tuesday sees the excellent magazine ‘Ballad Of’ putting on a cute little show at BARDENS BOUDOIR!! They have set out to create Ballad Of… a community of emerging and exciting artists with the shared goal of collaborating to produce outstanding work for publication and portfolios.

This is awesome, and it features Nadine Shah and The Duloks – if you fancy it, give us a yell and I’ll snare some cheap tickets for you. Oh yes I will xxx

Secondly, it’s my old pal Galbo – a soldier of a gent, who is launching his epic multi-media creation ‘Operation Concrete’ at Vibe Bar next Thursday. I shall be a-spinning once more as well as reading an excerpt… Nerves…

Most excitingly though, Ross from My First Tooth (you know him, handsome lad) is playing a bit of a solo spot as he is one of the many collaborators for the book. There are more details over at the facebook group – and the poster resides hungrily below. Somehow, he’s managed to keep the party free entry, which is rather impressive. So do pop on down and get involved…

It’s like an art exhibition, gig and literary party all in one – and I guarantee your senses will be lit up with every moment you spend nearby. True story.

My First Tooth ‘Margaret Yen’ EP – out December 7th!

We’ve hinted at it – well in truth we’ve downright told you… But the good news for everyone who enjoys a good bit of Northampton folk-indie that lavishes your ears whilst at the same time tenderly pulling your heart strings – is that My First Tooth are back with their first release since the wonderful My First Tooth and the Rubies EP which was out on PoP early 2009.

And they really have saved us a cracker!

Absolute live favourite, and no doubt already a favourite of anyone who’s a regular at the front when Tooth hit the town, we’re proud to announce that the next single will be Margaret Yen… Yup – the sweet lady herself! Brilliant.

Backed by two gorgeous demos Silent Spring and Railway (Ross hasn’t confirmed either way whether they’ll be on the album or not just yet but I do hope so) and perennial favourite Judge and Jury, the EP will be available on Deceber 7^th – via digital mediums, and very, very limited CD – all hand spray painted and lovely!

It will be available to pre-order in the next week or two, so do keep an eye out… Meanwhile, feast your eyes on the artwork drawn by the delicious Ross himself. We had long conversations about the bear and the amount of fire round his ass. I think it looks pretty perfect now!

See what you think….

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!