Posts filed under ‘elephants’
Top 10 stereo hits
So in the midst of polishing the oh-so-fine edges of the compilation that is Alcopop050 and getting everything for the sunshiney month of August (so much happening we’re all excited) – I was approached by some handsome folk from mp3HD who have asked me to pick a top ten tracks for ‘saving’. Saving from what I’m not entirely sure, but they make, like, the best ever MP3s apparently so I thought I’d see how good they are. Obviously we’re ALL about physical formats at Alcopop!, but that doesn’t mean digital doesn’t have its place… Whatsmore they were very nice, and are sending me a free flipcam so I could hardly say no.
So – I’ve undertaken that impossible task of picking a Top Ten which would almost certainly be different if selected tomorrow 
But – here goes! I would have of course packed it with Alcopop! acts given the push, but I thought I ought to make it a bit more diplomatic…
So here goes… In no particular order (and missing anything from Hundred Reasons’ Ideas Above Our Station and Cable’s When Animals Attack I’ve just realised – eek! My bad)
Symposium – Fizzy
Fight Like Apes – Something Global
Johnny Foreigner – Salt, Pepper and Spinderella
Andrew WK – The Song
Elephants – Strong Arms
Gene – Fighting Fit
Pavement – Stereo
Rocket From The Crypt – On A Rope
The Xcerts – Aberdeen 1987
Elephants farewell EP to listen too hard…
So this is it. The final hurrah from Elephants… We’ve told you all about it, and no doubt you know the score. Elephants of Folkestone have split, and as a last goodbye they’ve recorded this magnificent 5 trk CD EP ‘I Won’t Forget You, You Won’t Forget Me’. It’s limited to just 100 (of which we have just 50)… And just to make them extra special, each copy comes with a demo bonus disc and extremely rare blue Alexander 7″ (the band’s debut single).
I thought we only had 25 vinyl, but luckily Owen found another box – so massively, each one goes out with a 7″… But they’re pretty close to sold out right now so be quick if you want physical copies. Plllluuus the whole EP, and awesome Ivory Coast World Cup anthem is available to listen to just there, below… Have yourselves a butchers!
Boys – we’ll miss you!
I Won’t Forget You, You Won’t Forget Me…
Is a pretty relevant title for how we’re feeling at Alcopop right now… And as the sun comes down on a truly unforgettable band, it’s time to announce that the final Elephant’s EP is out with us on Monday, to signal the end of it all for them. And it’s bloody brilliant… Oh – and available from the shop just about now yo!
Limited to just 100 copies (like, ever) and bound to sell out pretty damn quickly – the five track EP is nice enough on it’s own – Owen has also been quite the doll and knocked up 50 real special bonus discs with demos, rare recordings and the like – including the frankly wonderful Ivory Coast World Cup 2010 track ‘(Ivory) Coast To Victory’. We’re also chucking in a splendid download of Strong Arms, covered by Pop faves Ute. All for just 5 of your English sheets. Oh – and if that’s not enough the first 25 come with a nice slab of Elephants vinyl – the Alexander single!
I Won’t Forget You, You Won’t Forget Me is also available on all the hippest digital sites too (packaged up with the Ivory Coast bonus track) if you prefer your music like that.
Tracklisting for the main disc goes a little something like that, and I’ll leave you the bonus tracks as a little surprise for you.
Another Song for Laika
Little Thoughts
Since You’ve Been Gone (My Heart Swells)
Girls
I Still Remember
And just know, that though this Elephants chapter may be over.. With strong arms they will hold you tight, and make everything alright!
We’re at it again! PoP sign Oxford’s finest: Ute
Two signings in two weeks! We’re on it alright, and although this one may not be as surprising as last weeks (anyone who knows me or has ever chatted about the Oxford music scene will have long heard of my admiration for Ute) – it’s every inch as exciting!
As an Oxford label, it seems like an age since we last dipped our toe into the local pond signing The Family Machine back in 2007 for our (and there) first ever full length – and now we’ve finally followed up. Sounding like a mesmeric mix of everything that’s good about edgy indie pop, these boys really do have it all. Lyrics that evoke wonderful imagery, powerfully musical tunes that jerk from tender to terrifying unexpectedly and – they’re pretty strong of face as well.
Basically it’s a delight to invite them to Team PoP – and we do hope you all get on famously. Check them out on MySpace if you’re so inclined about here….
Amongst recent achievements they played at BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend, been voted Oxford band of the year 2010 by BBC Oxford, rocked a number of strong summer festivals – and actually will be opening up the PoP/BSM stage at Southsea tomorrow if you’re about.
We’ve got an EP penned in for early December which will literally blow your mind – and roll out the best dancing pumps, because there’s a tour with Alcopop perennial faves Elephants as well to support the release. Dear Ute – welcome to the family… Let’s go Oxford!
Polaroids are the new glitter… Owen and I speak
I just noticed my last 3 posts have all been videos, and while the visual media is all very fine and good – it struck me that you might want something to read on these occasions… And thus may I present this handsome article, as penned by the lovely Heather at Snapshots and Snippets – interviewing myself and Elephants about the recent Strong Arms polaroid single (you know, the one that sold out within a week or pre-order) and making some rather insightful comment on the relevance of flair packaging and the need to own physical music.
To quote Owen Elephant – “It’s so easy to have your music readily available to download and stream on the internet that anyone can do it. But I think artists need to push themselves to make their music more friendly and make the product people are buying something they can hold and care about and something that people will get excited about. I don’t think it is even about standing out from other bands, I think it is more about giving fans something special and individual to them.”
Elephants unofficial Ivory Coast anthem download – for free!
In tribute to Didier Drogba’s soldiers – our good ol’ football loving lads Elephants have penned what is a magnificent anthem to tournament heroes – ‘(Ivory) Coast to Victory’ by Elephants, and being the gentlemen they are – they’ve decided to give it to you for free.
Inspired by Dindane, Gervinho and of course Sven, the boys have penned this footballing song, and in light of England’s rather lacklustre performances – we thought the nation should be picking someone else to get behind should the unthinkable happen. And we’re nailing Green, white and Orange firmly to the Alcopop mast!
So have yourself a click on this link – and you can download the track for free, and do let your pals know. It’s going to be available free for as long as Cote d Ivorie continue to grace this majestic tournament – so get in there quick! Or can you take a look at my quickly hacked together compilation video below – and dream of Eboue!
A week’s a long time in popotics…
Jesus its been busy of late! And with two releases (hard work releases at that – but they do look so lovely), the Alcopop Hometown Heroes tour, an Old Blue Last showcase, the BSM 5-a-side tournament AND the NBA Jam Off at Pure Groove tomorrow… I’m surprised I’m still standing. But standing I am – and thanks so much for everyone’s support of late buying releases, sending nice emails and tweets and coming to shows et al.
It’s so nice that people are digging what we’re doing – you simply own!
This is basically just a quick one to report a few of the shenanigans that took place over the weekend (leaving out, of course, the bit where I fell asleep on a Northampton pavement) but elucidating on an incredible team performance in the 5 a side football (we beat Front Magazine 7-0, yup) and incredible Hometown Heroes performances.
It was delicious having almost the whole roster hang out in an obscure beer garden in Northampton, and amongst George Elephant’s role as Alcopop manager (including full, sweltering suit in the hot, hot sun), Luka Coach’s frankly hilarious impression of John Coach’s footballing abilities, and the insistence of a garage man to sell My First Tooth condoms when all they really wanted was Amber Leaf (I guess they are a hot band) – much fun was had. “I might go and have a posh wank” was G-Unit’s measured take on the situation…
The bands meanwhile were awesome, a proper stage invasion at the end of the Stagecoach Dorking set saw various Maldinites, Gammers, Owen and I finishing the set as the Coach back up band, and street/pub garden/outside toilet karaoke sessions of classic Saves The Day songs became the norm. We’ll probably be doing it again soon enough; maybe hitting up some proper party cities this time (no offence Dorking).
Anyway – here’s a photo that’s pretty rad… Albeit Jo MFT has a pint for a head, and Luka Coach is probably smoking. See you soon y’all:
ALCOPOPULAR 4 IS OUT!!! IT’S A F**KING MENU :-) first personalised compilation ever… Yup
(Of the Alcopopular series) “The coolest compilation ever” – The NME
I know there’s a few of you who dig the previous Alcopopular compilations… (3” CD/ Tape/ Message in a bottle) and it’s finally time for number 4. And this one’s a right little peach! The world’s fully personalised compilation…
First it was a 3”CD, then a tape – followed up with a treasure map in a bottle… Now it’s dinner time.. Yup! Featuring delicious tracks from the likes of Liam Frost, Stagecoach, Freelance Whales, The Xcerts, Jose Vanders and many more.. This physical menu (all prettily Alcopop made) will be sent out with your personalised CD compilation
Or you can have all you can eat and have every track! Yummy…
Full tracklisting here…
STARTERS (Pick 2)
1. Liam Frost – Skylark Avenue
2. Klaus – Under The Sheets (Ellie Goulding cover)
3. Jose Vanders – These Times
4. Lucy Day - A Fire in the Sea
MAIN COURSE – Pick 5
5. Kevin Devine – All of Everything, Erased
6. Tom Williams & The Boat – My Will
7. Perms – Give Me All Your Lovin’
8. Person L – Pleasure Is All Mine
9. SuperFantastics – As the Lights Go Down
10. Spring Offensive – A Let Down
11. Heathers - Remember When
12. Freelance Whales – Generator Second Floor
13. Ute – Brother
14. Spectres – Spider and Fly
15. The Xcerts – Home vs Home (Blueskies Remix)
DESSERTS – Pick 3
16. Muchuu – Their World
17. Talons – Manatee
18. Mimas – Mac, Get your Gear
19. Hiawata! – Lightning of the Sun
HOUSE WINE – Pick 4
20. The Candle Thieves – The Sunshine Song (live acoustic at G&Ds ice cream parlour)
21. My First Tooth – June July
22. Aspen Sails – Comfort
23. Stagecoach - Headbangers Ball
24. Elephants – Alexander
25. Screaming Maldini – Monkey See Badger Do
26. A Mystery Beverage… Alcopop’s new signing! (as yet unveiled)
Strong Arms by Elephants is out today!
And by gum it’s a cracker… Limited to just 100 hand made polaroid fronted sleeves of friends, family and lovers (each one different of course), it’s an edgy, raw emotion-fuelled romp through delicious indie-pop and well, you can see what The 405 think of it right about here! The digital artwork features little Matty Stagecoach, but you can take a look at every photo which will feature on the front of each of the CDs below…
Who will you get? Well, it’s a veritable mix of heroes, but you’ll just have to wait and see… Luck out with a member of Stagecoach and they’ll give you a tee if you drop em a line. Get an Elephants member and you win their last single on vinyl. Get the photo of Alcokitten on the front of your sleeve though and know that she chose you as her favourite popper of all (and that’s a prize that can’t be beat!)
Observe… And pick up your copy before it sells out x
Stream tazers, read German and hey baby… Come Pick Me Up!
Like a bit of AlcoPoP in your face right? Speak German… Rad! This one’s for you. Our pals at Allez Affen blog have posted a big old interview with me up on their site, accompanied with plenty of lovely photos – all done in a kind of black and white sheen, just to give it that classy edge. Thanks chaps! Oh, and whatever language you speak, you’ll be pleased to note that there’s a free Stagecoach download up too… Ice Age in face! If you haven’t heard that you really should.
Speaking of such charming band from the wistful Surrey hills – have you heard Stagecoach’s debut EP ‘We Got Tazers’? Because those lovely gents at Punktastic have got it up to stream for free on the site – and if you should ever require a reason to visit Punktastic, which you shouldn’t as it’s about the finest forum in the land, now is certainly the time…
Oh – and to round off the honourable mentions of this weeks heroes who deserve a Lemon Hooch or two, let me head for a moment to one of my favourite blogs in the land. Come Pick Me Up… She’s digging the mighty Elephants – and who can blame her?
Recent Comments