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!

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!

Ah lusty Saturday – what surprises in store today? goFASTER>> on Hollyoaks

So with Coventry 1-0 down at Palace already *sigh*, it seems that Saturday afternoon is already taking a turn for the worse. I fear not though, because elsewhere in the Alcopop garden things are rosy.

Cut the Blue Wire report a fine response to their recent tour with Blakfish and Outcry Collective. Although a touch unattended at one or two of the shows, those initiated folk who made the trek –by all accounts- had a cracker.

Meanwhile, goFASTER>> are returning from their self-imposed summer slumber with aplomb, and after a cracking gig with the two (count ‘em) new members at the Liverpool Music Week recently, I’ve just been chatting with our Rich from the band, and no doubt they have some very exciting plans in the offing. Plus – if you’re a Hollyoaks fan (and I seem to be the only person in the world who isn’t) watch out on Mondays show on Channel 4 for the last scene, and listen for the scouse pop musical accompaniment.

I’ll give you a clue – it’s not the Wombats!

Finally – make sure to keep December 15th clear in your diary London (and surrounding) types, because the Alcopop Christmas party will be-a-happening, and in all honesty, it’s liable to be a cracker! More details as we confirm them.

Now off to prepare for an afternoon/evening in brisk Autumn Oxfordshire with fireworks, boozery and probable leaft fights. Meanwhile, buy a very limited edition Alcopop T-shirt from our shop (more info about them here) and get open-mouthed reactions like this from giraffes worldwide. Guaranteed…

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

More Cowbell DJ – More Cut the Blue Wire!

Oh my goodness! Some sites are good, some are magnificent (like this one for example) and some are so superb that there is no doubt they will revolutionise the internet for the good of all mankind…  MoreCowbell.dj is one of them.

A regular criticism of Alcopop’s releases in the press (and lets be fair, it is a regular criticism of an awful lot of music) is that they don’t have enough cowbell in. After all, what’s better than a rollicking good thrashing of such a humble instrument all the way through a track. Cut the blue Wire? Sam Isaac? This City? Come on lads take note… Hehe

Therefore, in the interests of science, the web and everything that’s good about the world – I’ve taken the liberty of ramping up the FREE downloadable CTBW track ‘Forced Enjoyment’ by about ooh… 65% cowbell and 77%  Christopher Walken (yes, another option!) and here it is, in all its digital delight below. If you like the song, head to the shop and buy the EP – then you can add as much bloody cowbell as you like!

Listen and love…

Cut the Blue Wire – Revert.Restart.Reset released for pre-order

The Fly have described them as ‘Sentiments of At The Drive-In, the soul of Enter Shikari and the twister ambience of Bloc Party’ – and by far the best thing to come out of Portsmouth since the HMS Victory, Cut the Blue Wire have their new EP up for pre-sale in our shop, and I really can’t recommend it enough!

It’s out on the 29th September, and although I may not be the most un-biased reviewer in the world, I bloody love it – evoking as it does memories of Symposiums ‘One Day at a Time’, Uresei Yatsura’s ‘All Hail’ – and indeed Midget’s ‘Alcopop’. You see, I always loved the punch of 6 tracks, all belting at 600mph – which smacked you in the face and demanded to be listened to – time and time again.

The track-listing goes a little something like this:

1. Everest

2. Get Out Of the Road

3. All of This Was Buildings

4. Rockets Ready To Fire

5. Race to The King

6. No Song of Mine

You can preorder it, by clicking on this link (inland p&p a flat rate of 50p no matter how many CDs/7s you order), check out the band here – or have a gander at the lovely artwork below….

Go, go, go, go, go! For CTBW must be your new favourite band…

The Poster’s super-sweet and I think it is an image of me, drawn all hulked up… (Maybe) For any of you non Guildford, Yeovil, London, Windsor, Bournemouth, Hereford or Leeds folk out there fear not – simply buy a travel card!

For more info, click the poster…

News and views and Pavilion and booze

This week’s been a bit of a blur – and opened my eyes to what is definitely the worst part of being involved with Alcopop Records. No f**king expense accounts. At last night’s fun-filled industry fest of a Pavilion show, how I baulked on my cheap rum as the rest of my pals quaffed back handsome amounts of booze, all the time charging it back to their record label/ booking agent sugar-daddies. (anyone fancy investing in Alcopop? *smiles*)

Still – the night was tremendous, mostly down the libidinous bunch of chums out, Pavilions great (if technically troubled) Barfly show and Kev’s birthday which saw us traverse venues (at least one of whom offered us a free box of Indian sweets), until – with no place left to go – we popped by a chums in Camden. Emerging several hours later, we were shouted at by police for unwittingly entering a crime scene and finished up rolling home at gone 5am on the Oxford Tube – rock n’ roll.

Still – ‘twas great times, and reinforced to me how absolutely awesome Pavilion are. If you haven’t listened to them yet, take a butchers over at their MySpace page, or download the Alcopodcast to hear an exclusive interview and some acoustic tracks.

In other news, although a number of my big names seem to have pulled from the Alcopop 5-a-side team (no Peter Beardsley it seems – terrible news) the squad is shaping up to resemble a magnificent warhorse on the pitch. Indeed, our goalkeeper Thomas Day (infamous for being banned from all competitive football by the local Oxfordshire FA after punching a chav and flipping the bird to the referee) – has promised not to concede a goal. A proud boast indeed, and who would argue with a man willing to take on all-comers in this aggressive wrestling stance (pictured)…

Last of all, but by no means least, Alcopop shall be attending Truck Festival this weekend, not only in an attempt to find ‘our new favourite band’ (any tips give us a shout), but also to tip a cheery wave to lovable roster eccentrics The Family Machine – who are on Saturday at 5pm at The Village Pub, Pub Rock Stage. For anyone at the festival, go and say hello and they promise they will give you a kiss or blow a raspberry on your tummy. Now that’s value you can’t argue with!!

Put it in your diary – 26th July! Alcopopalooza summer party/gig at the Brixton Windmill

Two stages, mega-boozing and around 8 hours of awesome live music, DJs and to herald the summer in true Alcopop style, this ones going to be big! Alcopop would like to cordially invite you to our big ol’ summer bash – ALCOPOPALOOZA – Just as good as its American namesake (ahem), and a whole shed-load cheaper to put together, just take a look at this magnificently rendered poster (featuring alcocroc), and buy tickets here for just £6!

Just in case you hate pictures, you’ll be pleased to know that it features 12 bands and solo artists – including The Xcerts, The Computers, This City, Secondsmile (with their first EVER acoustic set) Pavilion, Cut the Blue Wire, Attika State, Flash Flash Photography, Decades, House of Brothers, Russell Joslin and Sean Clothier. There’s a free BBQ as doors open at 4, and special guest DJs and Alcopop regulars playing an eclectic mix of retro pop, classic 90s indie, electro beats and modern anthems (not forgetting Kev’s ill-advised Nu-Metal hits machine).

Whatsmore, Alcopop will be taking part in the BSM 6-a-side tournament the next day, so anyone who fancies sticking around and watching one of the best footie tournaments to take place… EVER.. is more than welcome.

Download Alcopop’s new sampler for free – yes FREE!

Download it now…

If you’ve been following the blog over the last few weeks, you’ll have noticed that Alcopop are preparing for summer – not simply by splashing on the sun-tan lotion and lazily thumbing through brochures to the Maldives. Oh no, instead we’ve decided to throw all other summer plans aside and create a lusty release schedule, to blow your ears wide apart – and inject a whole new shot of musical deliciousness deep into your thorax. Sing it now….

For this is ‘AQA does not care much for Alcopop. Pimm’s is delicious’ – named after that handy (if overpriced) text service’s response to our musings on booze, and our label. Heavily endorsed by our newest pals, Alcodog and Alcocroc – anyone thinking that their eyes are deceiving them when they imagine the artwork shows Kev dressed as a beaver and me as a lobster – it is with shamed face I tell you no… You’re entirely correct. That’s actually on iTunes! *weep*

Whether you’re into the frenetic pop punk, soaring vocals and breathtaking melody of Cut the Blue Wire or lush, symphonic tones of the doe-eyed Sam Isaac – we’re convinced we’ve got something for you, and so have put together a rather tasty 6-track sampler to showcase what we have coming up in the next few months. Available on iTunes, or on handmade, limited edition CD (which features a whole heap of bonus tracks and videos from deep within the Alcopop vaults) – you can, if you like, get it free for a week – just by following the ‘sampler’ link on the menu bar above – and clicking the download button.

So follow this link to take a look at exactly what’s on it – or pop to the shop to buy a full copy with all the bonus exclusive content of videos, MP3s and old rarities that have graced many a past release. Enjoy, pass it on to your friends and spread the wealth… It is only available here free for a week though, before we have to take it down and let the corporate giants at apple have their share too.

Here’s the full tracklisting – with love from Alcopop….

1. goFASTER>> – NHS Dentist
2. Cut The Blue Wire – The Race To The King
3. Sam Isaac – A Cinematic Low
4. Pavilion – Clarity
5. This City – With Loaded Guns
6. My First Tooth – North Sea (demo)