Stagecoach EP up for presale!

Dear Lord – with young Kevin away sunning himself in Cyprus, and release after release to plan it’s proving a pretty damn busy week at Alcopop… But here we are, fresh with news so ace that one can barely contain it within the walls of this blog.

You know Stagecoach right – handsome lads, strong of face… Well, their brand new and bloody ace EP is now up for pre-order from the shop. This is cool for many reasons, not least that we have a limited number of mega deal packs (T-Shirt, Tote bag, stickers – you got em!) – but also…. We know you poppers are friendly types, so we’ve furnished the first 100 copies with a bonus disc copy of the EP in dual case, so you can pick a pal with sublime taste and spread Coach Love by passing the extra copy on. Ace!

Not only that, but the boys are also we’re also gonna be off on their first UK tour in October, “partly to promote the record, but mainly to have some good times and get drunk in Crewe.” Tour poster is below, and I promise you will be made to feel most welcome… There’s one or two particularly special shows on their, but I’ll post about those in the next few days.

goFASTER>> soundtrack Hollyoak’s The Morning After the Night Before

Mentioned last week that goFASTER>> are now darlings of screen as well as stage, but I didn’t realise that they’re basically running the new Hollyoaks spin-off ‘The Morning After the Night Before’ (below)… and as Rich put it, ‘basically they’ve used the whole modern education EP to soundtrack the series!!’

Goodtimes is the theme tune, which is particularly ace – and the band themselves feature really heavily in a couple of the episodes… Their handsome faces shimmering on student union stages from beginning to end.

Apart from the fact they failed to get anyone from Alcopop a cameo (poor form boys) it’s all good – Josh (aka Sonny Flood) from the show says in an interview with lastbroadcast.co.uk “There’s lots of live gigs, Josh has a bit of a run in with a roadie. There are actual bands – Go Faster are very good, they’re a local Liverpool band, I think they have an EP, they’re definitely worth checking out.”

I concur Josh… I concur. Indeed it’s available in the Alcopop shop, or on iTunes next time you’re browsing. The only question now remains as to which member of goFASTER>> will be stripping off for the 2010 ‘Hollyoaks Hunks’ calendar. My money’s on Murphy!

My First Tooth 8/10 with Noize Makes Enemies

Ow what a weekend. Glorious it has been, and with karaoke booth highlights last night, some magnificent Alcopop saleswork in Videosyncratic, it is with delight I can tell you that we have a swathe of Twitter reviewers up for delivering their compilation opinions, and Noize Makes Enemies have been good enough to review My First Tooth and The Rubies EP – giving it 8/10.

Referencing Sleet and Snow as a track befitting discussion about the “interplay of Witt’s and Galpin’s vocals, which go together like milk and honey” reviewer Mattias Scherer goes on… “Add some handclaps and a lovely little mandolin riff, and you’re as close to a folk “hit” as you will get.”

And it’s not just the opener receiving great praise, “On ‘Honesty, Honestly’ Witt sings “If I could be more like him/Would it change a thing?” and, honestly, (sorry) if that song doesn’t make you swallow that little bit harder, then a doctor’s appointment might be in order – your heartlessness will have reached potentially lethal levels.” Agreed.

Incidentally, I just thought – in case you haven’t heard My First Tooth before – do pop over to our pals at Cougar Microbes and you can download said track from the EP for free. Capiche? Let me know if you need a quack?

My First Tooth and the Rubies – Out and officially on sale…

So it’s out – kids across the country have delighted smiles upon their faces, postmen are groaning in anticipation of the extra packages to be delivered – and My First Tooth continue to do what they do very best… Touring relentlessly across the country (York tonight) promoting their new EP – ‘My First Tooth and the Rubies’. Woop!

Six tracks of indie-folk infused harmonious loveliness (well – 8 tracks actually if you manage to pick up one of the last few copies with a free spray-painted bonus CD limited to just 100 copies) and all yours for just 6 sheets from the Alcopop shop. Whatsmore, who can argue with artwork that features 3 handsome bald eagles sitting atop a gramophone. No one – that’s who!

Tracklisting is as follows, and you can hear a number of the songs on My First Tooth’s MySpace. Have a listen, buy – and boom! Your world will be a lush, much prettier, place.

1.Sleet & Snow
2. Judge & Jury
3. Honesty Honestly
4. Typewriters
5. Red Carpet Rides
6. Take the Airship

Super stuff! Here’s a picture of Ross from My First Tooth

goFASTER>> EP making the summer start early…!

Now currently landing on digital music platforms galore, on the shiny shelves of your favourite indie store – and of course fresh from the Alcopop shop (with a free 4 track EP if you’re very quick… Literally we’re down to the last 10 or so of these) – goFASTER>>’s magnificent debut EP ‘A Modern Education’ is out today, and already making it feel a lot like summer in Alcopop HQ.

The tracklisting for the EP is:
1. A Modern Education
2. Magazine Addiction
3. Good Times
4. You Better Watch Out
5. When the Last Note Sounds

And I guarantee you will love it! Not Ed described the musical treat thusly as “A delectable indie pop four piece from Liverpool who make music in the same lunch-box as Good Shoes and Look See Proof. The EP also has a Hot Club De Paris aura to it, in how the songs all entwine together like they have a big shoelace tied around them” – and I think he’s just about on the nail…. Take a listen to the scouse champs here, and get yourself a piece….

Oh – and don’t forget this EP is available as part of a ‘binge’ style mega-deal package with the My First Tooth EP and one of our rapidly dwindling red white crocodile on skateboard tees too… Ace! Get yourself truly alcopopped

Alcopop announce new signing and EP – 30th March

A new Monday, a new announcement, and it is with pleasure most unreserved that we can finally announce that pen has been put to paper (at least figuratively anyway) – and My First Tooth will be releasing their debut EP ‘My First Tooth and the Rubies’ on Alcopop Records – out on the 30th March.

Ideal for (lets pigeonhole in terms of Alcopop for a moment) fans of Sam Isaac, Nathaniel Green and Hush the Many – My First Tooth’s distinctive brand of ethereal indie pop will leave one tingling with its subtle heartbroken soul and unwittingly touching melody…

You should probably heed advice from Rock Sound who called them “enjoyable alt-country” and XFM who raved “Killer pretty stuff” and pop over to My First Tooth’s MySpace now, where you can hear the first track of the EP ‘Sleet and Snow’ in all its glory. In other fine news, MFT tour intensively, and whether full band, duo or a Ross solo show – they are bound to be heading close to your town soon.

A very special sexy extra limited edition of the EP will be available at the Alcopop shop and on tour (we’re talking 100 of them tops) – so expect details about that soon. Meanwhile, poppers meet My First Tooth… You’ll definitely get along famously!

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 – 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….

New Family Machine single out today – and its free!

They aint half good to you… And those handsome chaps from Alcopop album releasees, the Family Machine, have safely signed, sealed and delivered their new EP to the blog. And it’s free, Free, FREE. Available to download by simply clicking the shiny button below – why not take a moment to grab the 2 track single and slap them on your iTunes. Feel free to send them to pals the length and breadth of the country, nay globe – and make the Family Machine your new pals.

If you’re an Alcopop regular, chances are yo’ve heard the guys before – but if not, then take a look at what gigwise.com had to say – “An album that promotes the dreamer in all and is folk-acoustic pop gold ready to be sieved into the collection of the daring and broad-minded… The acoustic influences are appropriately attached in wide-eyed childlike naivety and create a blend of powerfully emotive songs that walk the side of raucous masculinity and poignant delicacy.”

You see? Alex Zane digs it too!

SIde A: Flowers by the Roadside – Side B: Let yourself know better….

Alcopop to release next Sam Isaac EP in August

You might remember his awesome ‘Sideways’ single from last December? You know the one, that had 30 Radio One plays and Jo Whiley basically wet herself over. Well, the good news is that Sam has reaffirmed his love for every Alcopopper across this great nation/world, and has agreed to put out his brand new EP on Alcopop!

Sticker Star and Tape, the 5 track CDEP from the brilliant singer-songwriter, who will be seen at pretty much every festival this summer, is to be released on the 4th August, and can be preordered now in our online shop. You’ll be able to catch him live on one of his many momentous tours, and if you haven’t yet been introduced to the lovely Mr. Isaac, pop over to his MySpace page about now!

This is going to be such a very exciting release, not least because we love Sam so much – and we think it will sit in rather nicely (if eclectically) with the rest of Alcopop’s summer plans which thus far include the powerful pop-punk perfection of Cut the Blue Wire, opulent oral output of Pavilion, and wonderful wistful wailings of This City… See what I did – alliteration (kinda’) spelling out POW, which should help you remember to furnish your summer with red hot hits all the way through from Alcopop .

Back to Sam – and he’s currently on the road with Luke Leighfield, and favorites’ of Alcopop My First Tooth – go catch a show…! And pre-order the EP…