OFFICIAL 50th Anniversary Recording of “LOUIE LOUIE” released for FREE

Few songs have impacted the generations of rockers like the “Louie Louie.” The song has sold millions of copies, been covered by nearly every bar band and released by dozens of major recording artists. No version, however, has been quite as popular and time-tested as The Kingsmen’s classic 1963 rendition.

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of The Kingsmen releasing their classic version of this American rock standard. On Sunday September 29th, Original Kingsmen lead guitarist MIKE MITCHELL went back into the studio to re-record his famous lead guitar solo with one of todays most energetic and talented young bands, “The CRY!” The results are EPIC!

Of course, like the original, the track was recorded in Portland, Oregon (this time at Fetish Pop Studios) and features Mike’s epic lead solo. Joining Mike on Guitar is The CRY!’s Brian Crace. The two pickers immediately found chemistry and (true to the garage genre) only took three takes to get the final leads tracked. The CRY! front man Ray Nelsen’s punky lead vocal style fits perfectly (and we can actually understand the lyrics!) Bassist Dave Berkham and drummer Kurt Lavon deliver the goods filling out the rhythm section and backing vocals.

In celebration of this song (and a half century of togas, beer and frat parties) Mike is joining The CRY! in releasing this OFICIAL 50th ANNIVERSARY VERSION for FREE DOWNLOAD. .

The Thanes brilliant new single on State Records

The Thanes have long been ambassadors of ’60s folk-punk and garage pop jangle, so it's not really surprising that their new single should reflect these distinct qualities. In fact they were making records like this before the new breed of mid-6os loving kids were even born. But that’s not to say they’re old hat. Singer and guitarist Lenny Helsing has led a plethora of line-up changes – now settled on Angus McPake (12-string guitar / organ / vocals), Mark Hunter (bass / vocals) and Mike Goodwin (dums) – that reaches back to the mid-80s; but unlike some of their more visual and visceral ’80s contemporaries the group never succumbed to an over use of fuzztone and onstage bombast, keeping their approach and style far more oblique and honest. The Thanes’ distinct sound has changed little over the years too. Whilst bands have come and gone and moved onto new pastures they have continued to focus on a format of perfecting the mid-60s jangle of LA bands that “Love-d” The Byrds (ie The Dovers), the weirdly mixed-up beat of Dutch bands like The Outsiders and Q65 and the minor-key moodiness of Scottish ancestors The Poets. Their music has never dated or aged. It remains undiminished.

‘She's Coming Back To Me’ is a perfectly encapsulated melodic slice of jangly garage furnished with short jabs of fuzz across the chorus. Unexpectedly, it then veers off into a whirligig of jazz-spiked 12-string … and back again, as authentic in spirit and sound and as tightly constructed as any of ye olde garage nuggets that so often gain spins on 6 Music and beyond.

The flip-side houses the group’s reading of ‘Love Is Fading Away’, originally recorded by The Poets back in the autumn of 1965, but not released commercially until 30 years later. Although The Thanes’ version was recorded before the death – in August 2012 – of Poets’ founder, lead singer and songwriter George Gallacher, it now serves as the group's poignant tribute to the memory of their great friend, musical compatriot and truly dynamic voice! Between 2010-2012 The Thanes led an interesting double-life, playing as The Poets, featuring George Gallacher and guitarist Fraser Watson, breathing new life into and giving a distinct edge to the group’s much-loved Decca and Immediate material. If much of Scotland are fretting over independence The Thanes are single handedly keeping the music of the nation’s finest beat group alive. Frankly, it is that important!

These latest waxings are fruits born out of sessions undertaken in group member Angus McPake’s self-built Ravencraig studio complex deep in the heart of Edinburgh. As with both State and Toe Rag recordings the analogue recordings leap out of the speakers.

The Thanes - She's Coming Back To Me

THE THANES

She's Coming Back To Me / Love Is Fading Away

THS-012

70g vinyl single

Release Date: 22nd October 2013

Beaulieu Porch's debut vinyl single 'The View From Gainsborough'

Beaulieu Porch is the work of one man, Simon Berry. He writes, plays and records his orchestrated, baroque psychedelic pop songs on his home studio in a secluded spot in the south of England. He creates all the artwork, and releases his records through his own burgeoning label, Tillsammans Records. The debut, self-titled album was released at the tail end of last year to a clamour of praise and critical appreciation, appearing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Tame Impala and Brian Jonestown Massacre in several end of year “best of” charts. The follow up album, We Are Beautiful, released this year, has already appeared in several best of 2013 lists, alongside Jacco Gardner, Temples, Foxygen et al, picking up some marvellous reviews on the way..." A sublime work" (The Sound Of Confusion Blog)..."absolutely stunning" (Sound Injections Blog)..."effortless hooks spilling out and intimate pop mastery virtually bubbling up at every turn" (Sunrise Ocean Bender Blog) and "very much an essential purchase" (Shindig!​ Magazine).

The View From Gainsborough’ is a galvanic slice of pure modern psychedelic pop; swathes of backwards guitar chords over crashing drums and tambourines introduce a floating, harpsichord led verse, and the catchy, sing-a-long "Let me be you guide, to the other side" chorus will be lodged firmly in your open mind. If you listen carefully towards the end, you may hear, among the strings and guitars, something that sounds like a latin mass sung backward at the wrong speed in a high pitch.

Beaulieu Porch - The View From Gainsborough

http://beaulieuporch.com

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Tillsammans Reords

The Electric Stars's new single

Although Manchester is home to The Electric Stars they’re not just another Northern act trying to rekindle the past indie glories of The Smiths and Stone Roses. Renowned Manc diva Denise Johnson (she of those great Primal Scream records ‘Movin’ On Up’ etc) showed up on last year’s critically acclaimed Sonic Candy Soul album singing some gutsy gospel backing vocals on the Gram/Stones/Scream vibed ‘Stoned Again’. There’s a similar edge too on ‘Every Now And Then’ (this single’s exclusive track) that packs a country-honk swagger to rival Exile…

If the majority of the Stars’ music is certainly more inspired by those halcyon days of the mid-60s through mid-70s (touching on wide eyed psychedelic pop, raunchy rhythm and blooze and glamish pop/rock) it’s all faultlessly topped off with a polished contemporary pop edge that is crying out for daytime radio play and a tabloid newspaper fan base. Working class pop music, honed on good times.

Jason Edge predominantly sings in a gently effete manner, more Blunstone than anyone, but he can easily slip into that louche Jagger white man sings the blues after a Jack and coke mode, heard here on ‘Every Now And Then’. The two accompanying tracks from the Sonic Candy Soul album take in ‘Between The Streets And The Stars’’ 1966 styled mod/pop style and the far darker hued drama of ‘Bedtime Stories’, which could have been made by an early ’80s act informed by Bowie’s Berlin period.

These three songs air The Electric Stars various strands. Although immensely different they slot together like Ikea furniture. It all clicks!

The Electric Stars - Between The Sheets And The Stars


http://www.theelectricstars.com/
The Electric Stars Facebook

Paisley Archive

Cat. No: PA028

Formats: CD Single / Download

Johnny Casino is one of the most admired and respected musicians of the Rock&Roll scene of Australia. He was guitarist and leader of Asteroid B-612, having a good success in the middle of the 90’s. He also lead other great bands, such as the superband The Egos, or the American Johnny Casino’s Easy Action. In the last years, he decided to concentrate on Johnny Casino & the Secrets in addition to collaborating with other great Australian musicians. This double LP is a compilation of the best songs of this wonderful guitarist, singer and songwriter, till now only released on cd.

A little time off to think...

I have been struggling about what to do with PPO  and it's future. I am going to take a little time off and mull it over. No Secret Saturdays, no posts, no music, no nothing for a while. Sorry!

Look through the archives while I am away, I bet there is something you missed. Also feel free to leave comments suggestions or what ever comes to mind.

Feel free to email me but I may be slow to respond  so please have patience.

As always, thanks to everyone out there. Without all of you, I wouldn't still be here.

See ya!

SAM VICARI SET TO RELEASE SOPHOMORE ALT-POP LP HEART EXPLOSION THIS SUMMER

Sam Vicari keeps it simple. The Chicago-based Vicari's songs have an electric pulse, but bear the imprint of a singer / songwriter, with themes touching on heartbreak, alienation and Midwestern ennui. That's not to say that the record is a sad-sack, cry in your beer lament. Vicari harnesses the power pop hooks and sunny on the outside exterior of classic 90s alternative acts, recalling Pinkerton-era Weezer, Bob Mould's poppier Sugar moments, and the smart, biting lyricism that has given Superdrag such longevity. "My favorite bands and musicians have always been the ones who are very simple, sincere, and honest in their delivery," says Vicari. "I guess I strive for the same thing. I don’t really like to premeditate; I just let things come out the way they do."

In keeping with his humble vibe, Vicari was raised in a small Indiana town before moving to Chicago. After a series of demos and EPs, his proper debut LP Keep Careful was released independently while Vicari was attending college to become an elementary school teacher. Garnering marked press and a cult audience, the album went on to be named one of Chicagoist's favorite local releases. Fast forward to 2012, and we have Vicari's followup Heart Explosion, fully funded through profits of tutoring math to 5th and 6th graders, and through a part-time Starbucks barista gig.

It's this humble sincerity, and workingman integrity that informs every track onHeart Explosion, along with twenty-something heartbreak and healing. "It was my first year out of college, and I didn’t really have any idea what I was going to do next," says Vicari. "I had put a lot of hope and energy into jobs and relationships just to have them fall through, which was really discouraging. I was working all the time, so I was pretty tired. It was definitely the right environment to write a record like this one.

Utilizing guitar overdubs and recorded on tape, Heart Explosion comes alive with a verve and rawness absent from so much overproduced, alt-pop these days. "We bought 3 reels of 2 inch tape for $25 dollars per reel," recalls Vicari. That’s absurdly cheap. Since our tape was old and used, it made the record sound a little rough and washed out, but it still has the power of tape. I’m really proud of the way everything came out."


Sam Vicari - Heart Explosion

www.samvicari.com/
www.facebook.com/samvicari
www.twitter.com/samvicari

Dw Dunphy - The Radial Night

This is Dw Dunphy's first vocal album since 2010, The Radial Night, is a concept album with interlocking ideas concerning the perils of modernity, communication, relationships, and self-revelation.

A one-man band operation, Dw Dunphy wrote and recorded The Radial Night on his laptop computer while, at the same time, shooting for a full-band sound experience.

With a mind for 60s-70s pop/rock, Dw Dunphy's The Radial Night is lo-fi indie rock with high-production aspirations and universally recognized thematic concepts.

Big Dwarf - Towards Abstraction due July 28th

Big Dwarf are not text book cool and they’re not destined for the front cover of the NME, but if Bowie circa Station To Station, Pink Floyd’s mid-70s Harvest period (Dark Side Of The Moon / Wish You Were Here), the kraut stylings of Neu, Gong and indeed Steve Hillage’s solo work (that gliss guitar, in particular) alongside a smattering of free festival Orb-like electronica, ’80s artistic pop, Talk Talk and the darker elements of the opiated drones and vocals of Spacemen 3, The Darkside and Spectrum topped off with a slightly E-cstatic driven ’90s feel akin to Happy Mondays, Terry Bicker’s Levitation and Primal Scream circa Screamadelica appeal you’ll find a lot to enjoy. These are only merely reference points as this is an act that don’t benefit from musical era shoe horning. Instead of wearing influences on sleeves Big Dwarf delicately combine sustained acid guitar breaks, funky movements and a space-rock atmosphere into a field of their own.

Towards Abstraction, which includes an ongoing collaboration with the beautiful Alison O’Donnell of ‘70s acid-folk legends Mellow Candle and mixing, electronics and engineering from Stephen Mallinder of ’80s synth protagonists Cabaret Voltaire furthers the druggy imagination displayed on their fast becoming rare debut EP.

Pre-order BIG DWARF’s towards abstraction… album on CD and receive it hot off the press for low price of £5 (plus P&P and taxes where applicable)!

* Limited to pre-orders only! * The band will show their appreciation with signed dedications to the purchaser on the inside sleeve! If you would like the dedications to a name other than that on the invoice please notify us in the comments section of your order.

BIG DWARF

Towards Abstraction

AJAR

CD / Download

Release Date: July 28th 2013

THE BARON FOUR - 5 TO 4 / SHE SAID - 7" W/ POSTER

Formed following the tragic circumstances that led to the end of awesome garage band Thee Vicars, the remaining members hooked up with players from MFC Chicken for this new band. Now Groovie Records have the pleasure to present you here 2 authentic beat-garage songs to put you dancing all night long. More than ever do they try and replicate the thrill of those primal garage recordings right from the beginning ushered in by bands like The Wailers or The Stones.

Sell Music online at ReverbNation.com

LIMITED TO 100 COPIES ONLY!!!!

PRE-ORDERS HERE

The Higher State New 45 on State Records

Like the proverbial prodigal son, The Higher State return to State Records after an absence of almost six years (the group gave the label its inaugural release – the now long-out-of-print ‘And In Time’ 7”) and they're back with a vengeance!! These two new sides burn with an intensity that’s so often absent from today's spineless rehashes, offering a cavalcade of cluster and stomp straight outta the West Coast, circa ’66.

The Higher State’s purist ’60s punk obsessed lineage reaches right back to the early ’90s when as members of The Mystreated Marty and Mole toured all over the world, released five albums and recorded sessions for BBC Radio 1. Eight years into their latter day career as The Higher State alongside a relatively steady roster of players – including garage teen legend Paul Messis on bass and the superb guitarist and harmony vocalist Dan Shaw – the band continue to impress with their dynamic songwriting and edge. Call it garage-punk, call it folk-rock, call it psychedelic, call it what you want; stuff it into the nearest and most convenient pigeonhole you can find; box it, label it, file it away, but first… LISTEN.

Whilst fads come and go The Higher State stick with their key inspiration of mid-60s West Coast folk-rock, garage-punk and the golden greats Love, The Byrds and The 13th Floor Elevators. If they weren’t so bloody good you could call it a pastiche or homage to a bygone era, but their songs are their own, their musical quirks distinct to themselves. Anyway, all high-falluting indie bands and artists today reference something. Nothing’s new. It’s just that so much that gets regurgitated in the face of fashion just ain’t that good.

Although ‘Potentially (Everyone Is Your Enemy)’s’ title may sound more like a Crass song, it’s actually reminiscent of the California sound circa Surrealistic Pillow where fuzz, jangle and melody live in perfect harmony. ‘All Ties That Bind’ opens with a ringing guitar line right from the Stones’ ‘Last Time’ before the song moves into a spiritual cautionary tale of not playing it by the rules whilst the musical passages throw in both post-surf guitar parts and jangly folk-rock joy… and it’s all over in little more than a minute and a half.

As psychedelia looks set to be the biggest thing this summer let The Higher State wash over you. These ain’t no new young white hopes or pretenders, it’s the real deal. As the minions move onto something new I assure you the State will continue to develop and further their take on the genre. If a fan of old, you know them. If getting “turned on” for the first time you need them.

Potentially (Everyone Is Your Enemy)

THE HIGHER STATE

Potentially (Everyone Is Your Enemy) / All Ties That Bind

State Records / Sandgate Sound Acetate

THS-010

70g vinyl single

Release Date: 22nd July 2013

Attic Lights' second album, produced by Teenage Fanclub's Francis Macdonald due June 2013

Attic Lights were one of the biggest surprise hits of 2008 after debut album Friday Night Lights appeared on Island Records to rapturous applause. The Guardian described it as “Chiming 12-string perfection”, the NME claimed how Attic Lights “comes on like The Eagles lassoing Fountains Of Wayne to The Beach Boys” and Artrocker classified Friday Night Lights as “one of the finest guitar pop albums this year.” The Fly called it “spellbinding” whilst Uncut noted how it was “truly infectious”. Q could barely contain themselves when mentioning the “sumptuous harmonies”. Tastemakers Mojo exclaimed, “These lads really knock together a perfect tune.” Further high praise followed. The future looked bright until Attic Lights received a similarly sunny into rainy forecast as Montrose Avenue had a number of years before – that is: being highly touted and then dropped.

If the major label success was not to continue a slightly modified Attic Lights signed with Elefant records in 2012 and released the Say You Love Me EP. The four songs lovingly melded indie pop with everyone from Big Star to sunshine pop ’60s legends Harper’s Bizzare and The Cyrkle. “Since our previous single in 2009 we've changed labels, lost one guitarist, gained another, written countless new songs and recorded our second album,” states vocalist and guitarist Kev Sherry matter-of-factly. “I guess, if anything else has changed, as songwriters we feel we've got better at our craft and that we have come in to our own a little bit more and shaken off our early influences to develop a more unique sound.”

On Super De Luxe (produced by Teenage Fanclub’s Francis Macdonald) the band take the cleanest pop to even higher levels whilst adding new flavours along the way. Named after the very same jukebox brand that guitarist Tim Davidson has at home, the album itself serves up short, sharp doses of pop nirvana akin to a dream 45 collection. “We were all massive fans of Weezer and The Lemonheads growing up so that has really driven our desire for catchy melodies mixed with loud guitars,” says Kevin of things that have inspired this new outing. “The Beach Boys and Beatles/Paul McCartney are of course key but we have also recently been listening to a lot of classic soul, Motown and disco, which you can hear in tracks like ‘Future Bound’ and ‘Stay Before You Leave’ while there's also a touch of anthemic rock thanks to some Bruce Springsteen and Death Cab For Cutie.” ‘Say You Love Me’ (the album’s opening track) really is solid proof of the band’s perfect pop sensibilities; reminiscent of Camera Obscura yet more wide-eyed and innocent with a ’50s bobbysox feel about it, ‘Mona Lisa’ has an unforgettable chorus in the same school as The Cars and Red Kross and ‘Don’t You’ has something of an early ’90s buzzsaw guitar stylistic and the kind of soaring to-die-for harmonies that may well draw Teenage Fanclub and Fountains Of Wayne comparisons. “Orbison” , the aptly named tribute to Roy Orbison, has a classy foot to the floor mid-70s powerpop vibe, somewhere between a burning Elvis Costello and a red hot Raspberries, pushing the euphoria up to unknown levels. Album closer ‘Gabrielle’ is majestic, proving the Scottish band’s ability to sound tremendously contemporary and also show their love for circa 1970 Paul McCartney. It’s as if Elliott Smith is still with us.

It’s been four years since Attic Lights breakthrough yet they still maintain that very same timeless Scottish pop sensibility in an era of One Dimension, synth pop and so on. “The musical landscape is such a vast canvas these days and in general people seem to be listening to ever wider types of music,” says Kevin. “I don't think it's the same as 10 years ago when you would find exclusive little musical tribes. Nowadays the kinda thing we do sits alongside everything else...” But clearly chiming guitars will always have a place whatever the weather, won’t they? Even in cloudy Glasgow. “It’s a strange thing that coming from such a grey, rainy country so many bands are drawn towards sunshine harmony indie rock. I don't really know why it's so popular in Scotland,” laughs Kevin, “other than maybe it's the best escape from the appalling weather. And obviously we all are influenced by our local heroes so bands like Teenage Fanclub and Belle & Sebastian showed that there is an area of music there worth exploring.”

From big label money to hip Spanish indie pop mecca Attic Lights are certainly continuing to explore the possibilities of sunshine driven chiming pop and in doing so it almost sounds as if they could appeal to that whole landscape: the 10-year-old girls that follow today’s sanitized pop, daytime Radio 2 listeners and of course the gently beard stroking fans of Big Star. A light shineth!

ATTIC LIGHTS

Super De Luxe

LP (blue vinyl) / CD / Download

ER-1177LP / ER-1177

Release Date: June 2013

DM3 Live!

DM3 are preparing for some dates at the end of May and into June. These will take place in their hometown Perth and also Italy France and Spain. To coincide with these dates they have released a limited edition live CD of their Roskilde Festival (Denmark) 1994 appearance. They will be selling the new CD at shows otherwise you can get a copy via Citadel Mailorder. At $10.00 + p&h a copy it's a bargain.

Tour Dates

Australia:
May 30th: Northbridge (Mustang Bar)
May 31st: Perth (Devilles Pad)
June 1st: Fremantle (Clancy's Fish Pub)
June 2nd: Fremantle (Newport Hotel)

Italy:
June 5th: Torino (Maglio Cocktail Bar)
June 6th: Rivoli (Maison Musique)
June 7th: Cesena (Sidro Live Club)
June 8th: Trento (Ciclamino Beat Festival)
June 9th: Verbania (La Loggia Del Leopardo)
June 10th: Milano (Cantu - 1 e 35 Circa)
June 11th: Condove (Tromp Cafe)

France:
June 13th: Paris (Le Gibus - with Guitar Wolf)

Spain:
June 15th: Andoain (Andoaingo Rock Jaialdia Festival)

Win the new Telstar Sound Drone LP

Here’s your chance to win the new Telstar Sound Drone LP as well as test press, their debut 7” and TSD t-shirts. All you have to do is answer the following question: What year did Telstar Sound Drone play at the Roskilde Festival? Send your answer to badafro (@) badafro.dk to enter the competition. Deadline is June 1st.

1st prize: Telstar Sound Drone LP, LP test press (3 copies made), Mirror Pieces 7” and t-shirt
2nd prize: Telstar Sound Drone LP, Mirror Pieces 7” and t-shirt



The Telstar Sound Drone will release their debut album on Bad Afro June 3rd. The album is called Comedown and will be released as LP (first 500 copies includes a free CD of the entire album) and download. Expect feedback-ridden psychedelic rock as well as slow heavy psych.

The Telstar Sound Drone line-up is: Sean Jardenbæk (Vocals, Guitar), Mads Saaby (Guitar) and Hans Beck (Drums).

Guest musicians on Comedown: Hobbitten (Guitar/Spids Nøgenhat), Christian Norup (Bass/x-Highway Child) and Kåre Joensen (Bass/Baby Woodrose)

Bad Afro Records
Fensmarkgade 36, st th
2200 Copenhagen N
Denmark

http://www.badafro.dk
http://www.facebook.com/badafrorecords

BIG STAR The Story Of Rock's Forgotten Band

Although Big Star were together for less than four years and had little commercial success, the influence of their three original albums – #1 Record, Radio City, and Third – continues to grow. Big Star bucked all the musical trends of the ’70s. In an era of glam and prog rock they wrote catchy, radio-friendly power-pop tunes that remain influential today. Artists as diverse as Primal Scream, R.E.M., The Bangles, The Posies, Teenage Fanclub, Jeff Buckley, and Wilco have spoken about the Big Star legacy.

In the decade since the original version of this book was published, Big Star have made a belated fourth album, In Space, and released an acclaimed four-disc retrospective, Keep An Eye On The Sky. The band have also lost two original members, an influential producer, and the photographer of their iconic logo. But interest in the group is as high as ever in the 21st century, with new bands such as Yo La Tengo and Hot Chip – and even pop superstar Katy Perry – carrying the flame.

Now fully updated, and drawing on firsthand interviews with the band, family members, friends, and the major players at Ardent Records, this is the definitive history of rock’s forgotten band.

Rob Jovanovic is the author of numerous books on such diverse subjects as Pavement and Kate Bush, Beck and George Michael, R.E.M. and The Kinks. His books have been published in ten countries and in nine different languages. He is also a contributor to magazines including Mojo and Uncut. He lives just outside Nottingham with his wife and two young children.

The Big Star movie Nothing Can Hurt Me is screening this summer and the accompanying soundtrack featuring alternate mixes is available on Omnivore. Jawbone's superb book will arrive at just the right time when the music of Alex, Jody, Andy and Chris will once again ring out.

The Big Star movie Nothing Can Hurt Me is screening this summer and the accompanying soundtrack featuring alternate mixes is available on Omnivore. Jawbone's superb book will arrive at just the right time when the music of Alec, Jody, Andy and Chris will once again ring out. 

BIG STAR

The Story Of Rock's Forgotten Band

JAWBONE

ISBN: 978-1-908279-36-1

Pictures: 20 b&w

US Price: $19.95

UK Price: £14.95

Pub Date: June 20th 2013

The Solicitors: Made To Measure

This June sees the release of the stomping debut ep 'Made To Measure' from Melbourne pop-group 'The Solicitors'.

Made up of laconic guitars, off-kilter arrangements, jumbo hooks and sagacious lyrics, The Solicitors sound is akin to great bastions of the New-Wave scene from yesteryear. Influences ranging from XTC, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads and The Knack.

Their first recording on Popboomerang (the Stiff Records of Australia) 'Made To Measure' pulls no punches, 5 tracks of good old-fashioned rock 'n roll to dance and drink and make out to.

The Cleaners From Venus Volume 2 Due the week of May 13th!

ACCEPTING PRE-ORDERS NOW!!

 The 4CD "Volume 2" collection covers the the three year period between 1983 and 1985 for the Martin Newell-led, Brit Lo-fi combo, who are now being described as "D.I.Y Beatles." While the rest of the 1980's rock world had immersed itself in epic and often empty gestures, the Cleaners concentrated on neat little lo-fi pop songs of a quality and standard which, as one critic later noted: “Pop music elsewhere had pretty much forgotten.” By now, one of the band’s founder members, Lawrence Elliott had left the band. Its chief songwriter, Martin Newell, like the captain of a strange pirate ship took charge, and Cleaners from Venus went sailing… Here within this second fractured pop feast, are three remastered albums by The Cleaners ("In The Golden Autumn", "Under Wartime Conditions", and "Songs For A Fallow Land") – as well as a fourth one, containing not only the usual rarities, but also previously unreleased tracks and a few genuine treasures. The Cleaners had a back story, too. Included here are some of its fragments. Even today the chief question asked about the Cleaners from Venus is why they weren’t huge at the time. The answer to that is that Martin Newell believed that if they involved the music business in their work, the music might be spoiled. They therefore never bothered approaching a record company. For most of their existence, in fact, they didn’t even have a telephone. The Cleaners weren’t so much independent, as genuinely feral.


TO ENSURE SHIPMENT NEXT WEEK,YOU MUST PRE-ORDER BY NO LATER THAN THIS FRIDAY, MAY10.

Simply go to http://www.koolkatmusik.com

PLEASE NOTE THAT, DUE TO THE PACKAGING AND WEIGHT OF THIS ITEM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT PRICES FOR US AND ALL OTHER NON-US CUSTOMERS!

US PRICE: $35
FOREIGN PRICE: $40

The Young Sinclairs - Engineer Man b/w Problems

The sophomore single on 'Market Square' is a wonderful release by Virginia based folk-rockers The Young Sinclairs, this 7" single is strictly limited to 300 copies only and each will be individually hand-numbered.

The Young Sinclairs' newest 7" offering here on Market Square Records (based outta West Sussex UK) is a double-sided jangle fest with layers of vocal harmony, bringing to the listener a strange yet familiar echoing of bands from yesteryear, groups such as The Byrds, The Who, Powder and Big Star, to name but a few. Samuel J Lunsford, creative leader of The Young Sinclairs combines his influences well and creates something solely his own, unique to himself as a songwriter and hopefully to you the listener as well.

The top-side 'Engineer Man' hits first with perfect power-pop precision, pitch-perfect harmonies and a steady driving-beat throughout, the flip hosts the melancholic 'Problems' which sends us into all too familiar terrain when someone we love, gets up and goes... The sentiment endorsed further by fantastic usage of chiming 12 string guitar and melody-lines straight outta the Brian Wilson songbook.


Be sure to grab this great 45 fast, it's a killer.


Engineer Man (Final Stereo Mix)

Check this out on Facebook.
Recorded at Magic Twig Studios - Feb/March 2013. RELEASED 10TH JUNE 2013.

Available at www.marketsquarerecordings.bandcamp.com (on release date)
PLUS... numerous outlets worldwide and of course via the band themselves.

Bronco Bullfrog return with a brilliant single on State Records

Bronco Bullfrog issued a pile of great records across the early part of the century (that’s this one!!!), wowed small crowds in the UK and did amazingly well in Spain. Those who heard and saw ’em fell passionately in love with their “technicolour pop” sound. But it’s all a long time ago now, with their last album seeing the light of day in 2004 and a compilation appearing slightly later on the prestigious Rev-Ola label. So what happened? “Basically, we broke-up,” says bassist Louis Comfort-Wiggett. “Not split-up like Led Zeppelin, but broke-up, like love that went off the boil (only ours was a love triangle from the outset). We didn’t divvy up the books and records, so effectively left our options open for reconciliation. That reconciliation came around two years ago, and since then we’ve been hanging out and writing new material.” What makes Bronco Bullfrog so special and endearing is that both then and now they have never been, or had the slightest inkling to be, fashionable. All obsessive record collectors and pop music fanatics, the trio of Mike Poulson (vocals/guitar), Louis Comfort-Wiggett (bass/vocals) and Andy Morten (drums/vocals) avoid obvious genre mimicking or being a part of any movement. This isn’t Mark E Smith anti-fashion or deconstructionism, but it’s not wear your influences on your sleeve plagiarism either. What the Broncos do so well is to take their inspirations and aspirations and play them hard and with abandon. “ ‘Never Been To California’,” Andy explains, “was conceived in the midst of an obsession with '60s sunshine-pop acts like The Fun & Games and The Gordian Knot but came out sounding like The Jam after a 12-hour yoga marathon. Again.” Not getting it quite right is what has always made Bronco Bullfrog unique. In fact, they’re the only band that can actually sound like The Jam in full broken vowel flight AND The Bee Gees at their balladeering best in the same song.


Clarifoil

BRONCO BULLFROG

Clarifoil / Never Been To California

State Records / Sandgate Sound Acetate

THS-011

70g vinyl single

Release Date:  22nd July 2013

ZERO HOUR RECORDS 5 day PROMO - Ends 25th April

Zero Hour Records has just dug up Beat Tribute CDs that they never knew they had, good news for us!

Buy The Records Tribute and get The Beat Tribute plus a Records Badge too for just  $16.95 PP World-Wide. Just use the Records link and add 'BEAT PROMO' in the message at checkout.  Tell your friends too!