Sad news at Alcopop HQ – Cut the Blue Wire split

As if December’s music news couldn’t get much worse, what with Pinnacle dying a sad death, and labels across the UK bombing out of business – the last couple of days has bought super-sad news for all at Alcopop, everyone in Portsmouth and well – all over really, with the devestating word that Cut the Blue Wire are to split up after their final show – in but a week or two’s time…

Here is the official statement from their MySpace: “It is with great sadness to tell you all that our last gig will be on the 30th December at the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth.

We have decided not to continue as a band for no other reason than musical differences and felt it was best to head our separate ways. Everyone remains good friends and be sure to keep your eyes out for new projects involving us!

Thank you so much to everyone that has put us on, come to a show, bought a CD or T-shirt or generally taken the time to listen to us.

DD xxx“

Now we’re absolutely gutted – we loved these guys, and it was but a few days ago that we were watching them play in Southampton, and discussing what they were upto in the coming year. So thanks for a great EP lads, and to DD, Andy, Rhys, Hoey and Mike – cheers for making Alcopop a better place to be over the last 6 months or so.

However, in this ocean of sad news, there is a drop of happiness, as the boys have decided to temporarily reduce the price of the Revert.Restart.Reset EP to just 3 quid (you can pick up a copy here), so that whatever paths they take, you can own a piece of Cut the Blue Wire. Trust Punktastic when they say that “CTBW are like trifle; so many layers every one of them is seven shades of awesome.”

Fare thee well CTBW – it’s been fun!

Cut the Blue Wire – RAW AS F**K – No Song of Mine video

There’s occasions in life when a band you bloody love dip into the annals of their history and pluck out a video that displays all the raw talent and emotion in a demo that tells you why their well-produced debut EP (in this case released on Alcopop Records and available here) led to Punktastic gushing “CTBW are like trifle; so many layers every one of them is seven shades of awesome”‘. Too true chaps….

So have a butchers at this demo track video from a year or so ago, or visit the band MySpace here – and feel all energized. Even if it is gone midnight and you’re working all day tomorrow. Yeeeeas!

Roll up, roll up – CTBW are still great, and my KFC smells of vomit (slightly)

Can’t lie to you dear blog… It’s been a great couple of days! Ever since catching the majestic Stars and Sons with Okkervil River on Tuesday at London Shepherds Bush Empire, and all the glamour, hateful quiz machines and slightly off-vomit smelling KFC that came along with it, it’s been drunken meetings, lots of rum, exciting plans, Guitar Hero 4 and seeing truly inspiring photos. (Coxy you are a genius)

Most importantly though, it’s all good news in the CTBW camp – with a couple of great new reviews about them appearing throughout the land. Rock-metal-mysic-reviews.com have been waxing lyrical about CTBW live in Portsmouth: “The bass and keys seem to fuse together, thickening out the sound while the guitar riffs become sharper and more aggressive, and singer DD Ball sings and wails as if his audience were festival-sized and this was his last day on earth”, while ‘A Short Fanzine about Rocking’ talk of Revert.Restar.Reset as “an absolute belter that leaves me feeling distinctly happy with the world in general.”

Oh – just a quick other point for Oxford based residents, that as well as being stocked in all the nation’s finest indies/HMVs/other big ol’ commercial stores (yada yada yada)… As of next week you’ll be able to buy Alcopop stuff from the city’s finest indie video store – Videosyncratic. Which I thought I’d mention, cos the place is ace – and who can argue with picking up a Sam Isaac release whilst renting Rocky III? No one, that’s who!

Cut the Blue Wire, Blakfish and The Outcry Collective tour = Happy you!

You say you like rock music… Yeah, yeah, yeah! Well good news is that like a whirlwind to a small Pacific Island, something pretty damn rocking is hitting the pubs and clubs of the UK with some savage severity right now, and accompanying  colosally massive rockers Blakfish and hardcore ravers Outcry Collective, handsome Alcopop heros Cut the Blue Wire (who recently released their debut EP Revert, Restart, Reset with us) are ON TOUR!

Taking in towns from as far apart as Leeds and Portsmouth, these 3 scene-stealing bands are winging their way to a town not impossibly far away from you about now, and it would be absolutely criminal for you to miss them.

Personally I can’t wait! See you up the front and that yeah

Sam Isaac and CTBW release awesome EPs today! Your soundtrack to the credit crunch…

The 29th of September has always been a special day for me – and now I know why! The climactic explosion to our massively busy summer run of releases see’s the 5 track ‘Sticker Star and Tape EP’ from Sam Isaac and 6 track ‘Revert, Restart, Reset EP’ from Cut the Blue Wire hit the shelves (and our online shop) today. While the former will fill your heart with ‘pounding love pop’ joy and charm – the latter will romp you through 15 minutes of breathtaking catchy aggressive pop that’s undeniably ‘seven shades of awesome’. Both just £5 each from here!

Now I’m no music reviewer (well not with Alcopop stuff anyway as I’d simply be oozing with praise for every disc that i reluctantly let slip from my clammy hands to the good, good people amongst you) but in true Zeitgeist style, I’ve prepared a brief sentence or two on what these EPs will mean to you if (like the rest of the population) you’re worried about the credit crunch, and why the five pounds invested in these shiny discs will probably be the best money you’ve ever spent for your mental health and wellbeing…(hmmm, driving sales with discussion of the disastrous economy – it’s no wonder Natwest enjoy numbering Alcopop as one of their account holders so much – mwahahaha)

Sam Isaac ‘Sticker Star and Tape’: This lustrous EP will make you wonder why you every worried about money in the first place. Sure, so cold-hearted investment bankers may be haemohragging cash all over the place, and returning home to find trophy wives with bags packed and massive alimonies in the offing, but hey… who cares? Take the time to go a wandering, hang out with friends, pick up your old dusty guitar and pen a tune that will make you laugh, cry and remember everything that’s truly good about the world.

Cut the Blue Wire ‘Revert, Restart, Reset.’ – If you’re feeling sorry for yourself, this immense slap in the face of an EP will make you realise that everything you ever lived for, everything you ever wanted is fuckin attainable – if you just keep believing. Honestly, I”ve been listening to this in my car all day, and I’ve just been buzzing. If this CD was an animal it would be a magnificent, yet friendly, rhino – who would rampage you up and down the serengheti all day, only occasionally stopping to chuck you in a big pile of cool mud.

Yes indeed

Makes sense to me anyway….

Punktastic rate CTBW as the best yet… Pavilion hit the charts!

Ah – what a week, and apologies for lack of updates once again. In-between plenty of gigs with my own band, the This City release show and trekking across the country to pick up records, CDs, meet with management et al – and now find myself in the unenviable position of coming by a ticket for tomorrows FA Cup Qualifying Round 2 match to see the mighty Garforth Town take on Guisely AFC. A firecracker in store for sure, and almost certainly worth the 7 hour round trip it’s bound to take to get up to sunny Yorkshire.

And it’s good news on several fronts in the Alcopop stable too, with the good steed Pavilion whinnying particularly proudly after snaring #13^th place in the official indie charts some month after releasing their exceptional record ‘Spoils of War’.

Cut the Blue Wire too have been receiving a fair bit of nice press in the dawn of their new EP ‘Revert Restart Reset’, Punktastic stating “Every time I hear a new BSM/Alcopop band I proclaim them my new favourite on the label. It’s usually lazy journalism, but I’m serious – Kev and co seem to outdo themselves with every release”, while New Noise have asked for “More please. Much, much more.”

In time boys, in time!

And now away with me – for I’m off to enjoy a good night of dancing too ‘Feeling Gloomy at Oxford Zodiac’ – oh and incidentally, anyone in the Oxford locale next week, do pop down to The Regal on Wednesday for a floor-filling night of Alcopop DJs busting out massive tunes, and This City playing live… I can barely bloody wait!

Oh – and finally – it’s good news brought to us by The Rambler, who says… “So the Rudd Government (Kevin07 for the kiddies playing at home), has finally admitted that the alcopop tax introduced in April of this year is a big flop and has been outed was what it was designed for all along – another revenue raiser.”

Yeah – have that taxman…. Surely one of the worlds most evil professions! Need proof? Just look what they did to Superman – bah!