Alcopop aint no One Trick Pony… Baggs-inspired tee

Oh Poppers – we’re 7 bottles of champagne down in the PoP household (I say champagne which makes us sound rich, it’s the Jacob’s Creek stuff which is in fairness, bloody lovely!) having a great day – and delighted to say our new T-Shirt is selling hard. Strictly limited edition, and just beautiful for those Apprentice fans amongst you (inspired by, of course not official)- check this out, and purchase (if you fancy) for just 8 sheets from the shop! And if you need any inspiration, here’s that magic moment all over again… Oh yeah!

CHRISTMAS IS AWESOME!!

But then 2010 has been a pretty cracking year here at Team PoP, and taking a day or two to rest weary minds, glue ravaged fingers and dangerously sodden livers – I thought it might be nice to have a brief look back at our 2010. Partly because you may care, but also to help me take stock on what has been, undeniably, by far the biggest year in this little label’s history. We’ve signed one of my perennially favourite bands of the last few years, enjoyed debut albums from two behemoths of the PoP scene, been represented at pretty much every festival this year, been on the front page of iTunes and a whole host of other stuff that I can barely remember right now….

It all feels like so long ago….

2010 all started pretty positively with brand new signings Screaming Maldini unleashing their die-cut cardboard debut EP to much online love from all over, before successive singles followed from the sadly (and dearly) departed acoustic duo Aspen Sails and Folkestone Indie-noize pop punkstars Elephants – the latter which was all covered in different Polaroid photographs – and sold out in a week. Meanwhile, The Hometown Heroes tour took Stagecoach, MFT, Elephants and Maldini lurching from town to town to play some shows amid street-sleeping, shot downing, amp-blowing madness – whilst ALcopop bowed out in the second round of their fourth outing in the BSM 5-a-side (to eventual finalists Red Bull) – wearing strong, glittering kits.

Elsewhere, the finishing touches were being put to Alcopop 4, the nation’s only compilation available in a burger case with personalised menu, we rocked up The Great Escape via a particularly awesome showcase. Huw Stephens was in attendance, I ripped my jeans hungover stone skimming much to Kev BSM’s delight and Stagecoach established themselves as perennially Radio 1 favourites from their on in – Joe Idle Hands establishing himself equally as a tight-fisted bastard ☺

Brighton done and done (anyone who experienced that power-pop TGE Thursday will know what I mean – one friend, Andy Fryar, delighting his “out of his league” – Kev BSM girlfriend by vomiting hard and loud well into the night across many locations), we moved north – ripping the shit out of The Brixton Windmill at Alcopopalooza. BBQ’s, great bands, none of it really mattered as excessive Jagerbombs saw me comatosed at 7ish, despite the fact we had a new Attika State new T-Shirt single to sell. It sold out without me. Meanwhile, Stagecoach released their brand new EP Crash My Ride – it was played approx 10,000 times on late night Radio 1, while MFT recorded an XFM session alongside their new ‘pass it on’ Orchards single (which again, sold out).

Tours continued across the board, Elephants recorded the unofficial Ivory Coast anthem which proved to be the best thing about the tournament and Kev and I allowed ourselves a day off to go and see Stagecoach kill Reading Festival – got really drunk [standard] and left just in time (separately) to miss the Axel Rose shambles. Attika State and My First Tooth then conspired to release two of the best debut albums seen in many a long year and, no doubt impressed, Johnny Foreigner came-a-calling. “hello” we said… “Alcopop and JoFo have fancied each other for a while, but we’ve only just hooked up – and the sex is awesome” they said to Rock Sound… Awwww, we thought.

Ute, perhaps the finest band from Oxford, then impressed us with late night talk of virtually criminally negligent day job incompetence and their handsome faces – so we snapped them up too – and they set about vying with My First Tooth as the hardest drinkers on the Alcopop roster. Southsea saw the former triumph with incredibly boozey behaviour (thanks in no small part to Sailor Jerry), but EOTR festival saw MFT fight back quite literally, with a drunken Ross (hereafter known only as Swanny) shattering shy and retiring Kev BSM’s arm (almost) with a wing-like stroke.

November bought with it the resurgence of Alcopop vinyl, with a Stagecoach/JoFo 7” split single, JoFo EP with personalised Ghost cut-outs – not to mention more tours from pretty much everyone on the label! Elephants split much to the mourning of Folkestone and beyond – orders reached an all-time high, and a Mr Scargill took the record of ordering £96 worth of stuff from the PoP Shop in one sitting. Well done him.

December you’ll probably remember – the BSM/PoP sampler hit the front page of iTunes, Screaming Maldini followed up with a last-minute festive smash EP hit – and amidst all the chaos, the Christmas Party swung with the kind of swagger normally reserved for a particularly voracious kid on a springy swing! And now it’s all over bar the shouting… Well sort of. We’ve got a new T-Shirt to be released at 3pm on Christmas Day (a must for any Apprentice fans – I’ll say no more), a farewell Elephants EP on its way (sob) – and a bunch of new hipsters to unveil as our new signing come early January.

Till then (er.. tomorrow) thanks so much for coming along for the ride guys. To the bands, management, industry lot but most importantly you! For being bloody awesome all year, keeping us going – and literally moving me to tears at times with some of your lovely comments. I could write a 10-page list of thank yous (really, you’re all so wonderful in making Alcopop what it is)… So I shall simply finish by saying… Thanks so much Team PoP! I <3 you… See you for an even bigger one in 2011 yo!

 

Johnny Foreigner do you good things!

Free Christmas single for your handsome ears…. And it’s lovely. It’s new song a-go-go for lex, kel and jun at the moment. Ask dear poppers and thee shall receive!

santa fucking claus by johnny foreigner

notice yr still shivering, still wearing his coat. but we were lost there.
how deritend was silent under white.
“seven cigarettes and only six matches light” i said “yr so deep, i’ve drowned”
all the world is static-paused tonight so just come over, we’ll have a slow christmas.
shed our bitter autumn at the door, don’t think it over, we’ll have a slow christmas.
a slow christmas.
wait outside yr new house write my name in the snow and come tomorrow
you know that i’ll be faded out
and all these little victories in letting you go, can we have one night off.
all the world is static-paused tonight so just come over, we’ll have a slow christmas.
shed our bitter autumn at the door, don’t think it over, we’ll have a slow christmas.
a slow christmas.
we’re tinsel tacked and winter drunk on house red
were falling down on towpath slush and then were falling in bed
we’re tinsel tacked and ice picked and these cheap fairy lights always short out by spring
were falling down in summer parks and then were falling out.
are you thawing.
are you thawing tonight?
all the world is static-paused tonight so just come over.
shed our bitter autumn at the door, don’t think it over.
grab his coat and go, i’ll split the taxi, just come over, we’ll have a slow christmas
a slow christmas.

Restless Hearts and Silent Pioneers – Hello Screaming Maldini!

The sextet from Sheffield are a handsome bunch, and we’ve missed them… It’s been a while since their debut EP ‘And the Kookaburra’ graced your fine ears way back in February… But true to deliciously melodic form, they’re releasing Restless Hearts and Silent Pioneers… A seasonally twisted EP masterpiece that features four new tracks, one of which is a cover of ‘As Dew in Aprille’ – a traditional favourite written back when Nick from Stagecoach was still a wee lad (1700s I think).

The latter has already been lauded by the NME who said of it: “The wise man’s tale goes that only a very brave group of musical minstrels take on a historical tune like this and sing it in their own, quirky, indie style. But somehow, it works.” – the opening track can be seen via a delicious video below. You can purchase from the shop from tomorrow for just 4 shimmering English coins which, I mused as I took a £10 cab ride from somewhere to somewhere else not very far away, is not a bad deal… The artwork (as designed by Ralph @ Gulp!) is something to behold as well, all die-cut snowflakes and wintry wonder!

Stagecoach are killing Bono!

I like to think that Alcopop are pretty much one of the happiest labels around. You know, the occasional post-office blunder can leave us rather sad, and an occasional heart-breaking band split ruin a day or two… But on the whole we’re pretty chirpy. That is until it comes to two people, personally speaking, who really do have the ability to annoy me

1.) Is Sepp Blatter – the pudgy, boring dickhead who presides over (alledgedly) one of the most corrupt organisations in football. A smug self-effacing guy who is happy to harness his power and influence to make 22 people rich, whilst costing other hopeful nations millions that could be far better spent. A man who (in the 21st century) happily awards the World Cup to a nation who have never played in said competition, have a dubious human rights record and no footballing history.

2.) That smug singer from U2 (for so many obvious reasons)!

Therefore, it is with some delight that PoP chaps Stagecoach have two tracks – ‘Axe Behind My Back’ and the single ‘Map To The Freezer’, taken from this year’s ‘Crash My Ride’ EP – on the trailer for forthcoming UK comedy (brilliantly titled) ‘Killing Bono‘, distributed by Paramount.

The film has some pretty big British names in it, including Ben Barnes (most recently seen as Caspian in the Narnia films), Peter Serafinowicz (Shaun of the Dead etc.) and Pete Postlethwaite (The Usual Suspects). Oh yeah! Reports that Michael Ute is to make a cameo as a young ‘The Edge’ are yet to be confirmed

So yeah – check out the trailer, for what actually looks like a real strong flick! (ps – click the link, not the pic)

London tomorrow night, right! OBL yes yes

This is a must… Free entry, and first band strictly at 8.00pm. Don’t miss it! I know it’s cold, snow is cascading down and outside seems like a hellish place to be, but fear not yo… Inside the Old Blue there will be fiery hearts to warm even the chilliest soul. See you there.

PS – Thanks to Laura Bell for the poster… Ace innit!

Ute EP released to gamblin’ men (and gals)

Awwwwww shit – it’s arrived. Ute release their new EP ‘The Gambler’ today via Alcopop! Records (aka us). This is beyond strong news, and please believe when I tell you sweet poppers, these boys really are worthy of your attention. It’s very difficult to categorise, I won’t even try… So the good news you can head right over to Alter the Press and have a good listen before you purchase/dismiss.

The tracklist is:

1. Innocent Tailor
2. The Refuser
3. We Used To Be Friends
4. Brother
5. Bunker

In the run up to the release, the band have been getting some online love. Firstly, from mega hot blog My Band Is Better Than Your Band (winner of ‘Best Blog’ at the recent Record of the Day awards). Check out the article here, and grab a download of ‘Innocent Tailor’ as a taster of the EP. Or you could read a good review of it say… Here, there, where? Oh yeah!

The same track is also track of the day on The Whiteboard Project. Check that here.

They play some dates to promote the EP, as follows: Especially check Wednesday in Laaaandon, and Oxford next Thursday. Alcopop shows yo!

4/12 – Portsmouth, Edge of the Wedge
7/12 – Cardiff, Buffalo Bar
8/12 – London, Old Blue Last
9/12 – Oxford, The Cellar
10/12 – Northampton, Labour Club
16/12 – Oxford, G+Ds Cafe (acoustic)