Former Factory artist Biting Tongues have just had their 1981 limited cassette-only lost release 'Live It' reissued by Andy Votel's Finders Keepers Records.

Originally released on New Hormones, Biting Tongues' 2nd album was one of a series of three limited edition releases of just 500 cassettes (others by Ludus and CP Lee) that came with a booklet, badge, stickers and a sweatshirt offer. The 6-track release has now been expanded to 10 with the additional 4 tracks coming from rare cassette magazines released at the time.

The idea of releasing it on tape only appears to have been a financial one by the label despite them being in vogue (the Walkman being relatively new and cassette sales actually being equal to, if not greater than vinyl at the time). In his notes, Graham Massey explains, "New Hormones didn't have enough money to press it up on vinyl and so it became a cassette-only release, which felt like a bit of a disappointment. I always felt it buried some of our best work, compounded by the fact that we actually left off some of the best tracks from the session. These tracks lived on a cassette I've carried around for forty years, the tape slowly getting dull and wearing thin. In recent years I've been digitising Colin Seddon's cassette collection of Biting Tongues material and rediscovered a first-generation recording of the sessions on TDK SA tape."

Prior to listening to this reissue of 'Live It' I'd only previously only heard a handful tracks released on various Factory compilations and only had a very rough idea of the history of the band from their formation to provide a soundtrack to the saxophonist Howard Walmsley's film 'Biting Tongues' through to the initially unreleased 'Recharge' album so it was fascinating listening to this as a something new in 2019 and also trying to imagine how it would have fit in during those heady days of post-punk and New Romantics.

My thoughts on the first couple of listens were that it was very angular and abstract, not very easy listening, and improvised. Through Graham's notes which accompany this release it would appear my final thought especially was wide of the mark, with several mentions of demos being recorded and sent down to London for vocalist Ken Hollings to refine his lyrics before travelling up to Manchester to record them.

So improvised may be the wrong word; with repeated listens there is clearly a depth and structure to the tracks despite it occasionally sounding like band members are going off and playing at tangents with vocals being improvised. As Ken explained in an interview in 2008 there is a difference to how the band would record which gives it a unique sound and one was that odds with how many things would have been produced at the time, "We'd record a whole side of an album in one session with no breaks between the tracks and do a mix afterwards – nothing was ever re-recorded – we'd even leave in any slips of the tongue or mispronounced words I might have struggled with in the session, any stray pieces of sound that the microphone picked up, or we'd simply record straight onto two-channel tape, recording through the studio desk with the producer mixing and adding effects while we were performing in the studio – we wouldn't know what it sounded like until the playback – and because it was two-channel you couldn't correct it: you'd have to do the whole thing again, which we pretty much refused to do'.

I can hear some influences on this release from Talking Heads' 1980 release 'Remain In Light' but, for those listening in 1981, tracks such as 'Libreville' would have easily complemented releases such as 'To Each...' by A Certain Ratio where tracks such as 'Back To The Start' mix a variety of instruments, not always conventional over driving rhythms to create a danceable beat, but very different to the polished chart music at the time which was dominated by the likes of Adam and The Ants, Madness and Soft Cell.

In 2019 each listen brings something new, there is so much going on across the 10 tracks there's a sense of opening Pandora's Box that it begs for repeated listening, and although it maybe a little challenging at, first patience is paid off.

It's not often that something that's nearly 40 years old can sound as contemporary, interesting and challenging as this release does.

Labels: album, Biting_Tongues, Iain_Key, review

Recorded in the mid-'90s and released after a string of celebrated albums, including 'The Guitar and Other Machines', 'Fidelity' [Les Disques du Crepuscule, TWI 976] is something of an underdog when compared to some of The Durutti Column's canon.

Released on CD only in 1996, this forgotten album continues the electronic theme of the outfit's final Factory album 'Obey The Time'. However, whereas the former reflected the acid house era, 'Fidelity' occasionally recalls the likes of Carl Craig, Richie Hawtin's F.U.S.E. project or Ultramarine, particularly on the giddy minimal techno of 'Sanko', the dreamy 'Grace' or sample-driven house sounds of 'Abstract of Expression'.

In truth, there isn't a great deal of Vini Reilly's guitar work on here - again as with 'Obey The Time', there are the merest hints of him riffing on the more upbeat pieces, but thankfully plenty to digest on the chilled out and glorious 'Guitar For Mother', the melancholy 'Storm For Steve' and short and sweet vignette 'G&T'. Taking centre stage across most of the album is Vini and Laurie Lexicon's other machines with beats coming from computers rather than drumming stalwart Bruce Mitchell who was notably absent from these sessions. No matter - it's a consistent album nonetheless.

With the exception of the misplaced 'Remember Me', Fidelity makes for pleasing listening on this re-ordered coloured double vinyl update, completed with the addition of two bonus tracks and a much improved new sleeve courtesy of Crépuscule's in-house artist and designer Benoît Hennebert. Somewhat surprisingly there's little in the way of sleevenotes but then there's little in the way of a back story to an album that dipped under the radar 20-plus years ago. Well worth your time.

- review by Paul Pledger (originally published at Flipside Reviews) with thanks

Labels: album, PKRP, review, The_Durutti_Column, vinyl

Imagine the Pacific North-West of Twin Peaks country transposed to the North-West of England and a new soundtrack added on top and you'll get the premise for 'Tim Burgess & Bob Stanley Present Tim Peaks - Songs For A Late-Night Diner'. Throw in the bonus of three tracks from your favourite Factory Records artists The Durutti Column, The Royal Family and The Poor and Stockholm Monsters and then you've really got something going. 'Lips That Would Kiss (Form Prayers to Broken Stone), 'I Love You (Restrained In A Moment) and Fairy Tales are alongside others from the likes of Young Marble Giants, Isan and Echo & the Bunnymen.

The album is released via Ace Records [->] on 29 November 2019.

Tracklisting

Choci Loni - Young Marble Giants
House With A Hundred Rooms - The Chills
Lips That Would Kiss (Form Prayers To Broken Stone) - Durutti Column
Yanks - The Gist
Hunros (A Dream) - Gwenno
I Had To Say This - The Clientele
I Love You (Restrained In A Moment) - The Royal Family &The Poor
Betty's Lament - Isan
Slow Motion - Jane Weaver
Fuel - Echo & The Bunnymen
Flowers - Galaxie 500
The Broken Fall - Gnac
Blue Dress - Birdie
Dog - El Perro Del Mar
Fairy Tales - Stockholm Monsters
Different Now - Chastity Belt
A Year With No Head - Blue Orchids
Ten Years - Bracken
Sheila - She Beats In My Heart - The Fates
Sky Burial - Dean McPhee

Labels: album, Bob_Stanley, compilation, Stockholm_Monsters, The_Durutti_Column, The_Royal_Family_And_The_Poor, Tim_Burgess

'Satellite', the second single from the upcoming album 'Um Dada' by Stephen Mallinder (Cabaret Voltaire, Wrangler), his first solo album in over 35 years, is out 11 October 2019 via Dais Records.

The video (see above) was created and directed by Joe Shearsby, who shares: "I used our old family 50's Grundig for the tape parts (inspired by the inner sleeve of the album). By keeping the visuals very tightly in sync with the music I wanted to convey a sort of conversation between the character and the machines and the textures, orbiting around each other playfully, initiating different imagery as the song develops."

Pre-order signed copies of the 'Um Dada' album via Stephen Mallinder @ tm.stores [->]

Labels: album, Cabaret_Voltaire, Dais_Records, single, Stephen_Mallinder

Fidelity by The Durutti Column gets a long overdue re-release on 10 January 2020 via Les Disques du Crépuscule and, for the first time ever, it's coming out on vinyl. In fact it's a special double LP clear and blue vinyl limited edition of 1000 copies (with digital download - email Crépuscule for more details).

Originally released by Crépuscule on CD only in April 1996, Fidelity featured 10 tracks written and performed by Vini Reilly, with occasional guest vocals by Eley Rudge. In addition to Vini's trademark guitar stylings, the album showcased sleek electronic textures and programmed beats.

This 2019 vinyl re-master features two bonus tracks: My Only Love was originally released in 1995 on a covermount CD with a specialist guitar magazine, while experimental piece The New Fidelity was issued on a Portuguese compilation album from 1992 called Hare, Hunter, Field.

This edition features brand new cover artwork by Crépuscule design director Benoit Hennebert, based on a portrait by Vini Reilly of filmmaker Carol Morley.

Tracklisting

A1. Fidelity
A2. For Suzanne
A3. G+T

B1. Future Perfect
B2. Abstract of Expression
B3. Remember Me

C1. Sanko
C2. Grace
C3. Storm for Steve

D1. Guitar for Mother
D2. My Only Love
D3. The New Fidelity

More info: Les Disques du Crépuscule Mailorder

Labels: album, Benoit_Hennebert, Les_Disques_du_Crepuscule, The_Durutti_Column, vinyl

'New Wave of Hype' is a compilation of 5 Indonesian bands covering classic songs by The Wake's classics in their own unique style. This album is out now digitally via Dismantledjkt on bandcamp and, physically, as a limited edition of 50 copies 5-inch CDR, via heavenpunks [->].

Tracklisting

1. Turks & Caicos - Provincial Disco
2. Ultraviolence - Solo Project
3. Les Mains Immaculees - Carbrain
4. The Sensitive - On Our Honeymoon
5. Sharesprings - Talk About The Past

Labels: album, Bandcamp, compilation, cover_version, DismantledJkt, HeavenPunks, Indonesia, The_Wake

The new Space Monkeys album 'Modern Actions' will be released on 1 January 2020 on the band's own independent label Supercool distributed through Townsend Music.

This follows a lengthy saga during which the band crowdfunded the album's production via Pledge Music only to see that company fold and eventually go bankrupt sadly leaver many backers' money in limbo. Space Monkeys' message is anybody who ordered through Pledge Music will receive a signed CD copy and a Digital Download in advance of the release date as a thank you and at no extra cost. They will try to fulfil all other orders as soon as possible. If you can get a refund from your credit card company or bank now that Pledge Music has gone bankrupt please try to do so and re-order through TM Stores. Otherwise the band has to cover the full cost as Pledge Music did not pay us the money that you paid them.

As a thank you to anybody who pre-orders 'Modern Actions' through TM Stores you will instantly receive a free download of an exclusive new track 'Give Me Some Space' which will not be available anywhere else.

Merchandise is also available through the Space Monkeys TM Store which will be delivered straight away.

"Big love and thank you to everyone who has supported us so far on this journey. We Are Together."

Tracklisting

1. Modern Actions
2. We Are Together
3. Black Mirror
4. Soft Machine
5. Born To Ride
6. Yesterday's Rain
7. Wishing On A Daydream
8. Summer Thyme
9. Sunshine Blues
10. Red Flag
11. Remedy
12. Submarine
13. The Outsiders
14. Shadows Of The Sun

The album title 'Modern Actions' was inspired by a quote from Tony Wilson when asked about music and culture in Manchester.

"The industrial shapes, the angular lines, the steel, is and can be beautiful. It's beautiful outside and it's beautiful inside and I think Manchester has a sense of feeling, the great large vocabulary of modern dress and modern actions and the music is the music of the moment. And it exists here." - Anthony H Wilson

Album cover designed by Richard McNevin-Duff

Labels: album, Pledge_Music, Space_Monkeys

Cabaret Voltaire will make their soundtrack, 'Chance Versus Causality', available officially for the first time since the film's release in 1979. The album is out via Mute [->] on limited edition transparent green vinyl, CD and digitally on 30 August 2019 via Mute.

'Chance Versus Causality' was recorded in 1979 as the soundtrack for director Babeth Mondini's film of the same name. The band originally met Mondini at a Brussels Plan K show which featured Joy Division, Cabaret Voltaire and William S Burroughs, following which she asked them to create the soundtrack for her film. Chance Versus Causality was improvised and recorded live by the original Cabs line-up of Richard H. Kirk, Stephen Mallinder and Chris Watson.

On the same day '1974-76', a selection of early years material recorded in Chris Watson's attic, will get its first vinyl release. The album, originally released on cassette via Industrial Records in 1980, was reissued on CD by Mute's The Grey Area in 1992 and will be re-released on limited edition transparent orange 2LP and on digital download.

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External links: YouTube preview | Pre-order | Cabaret Voltaire Official Facebook

Labels: album, Cabaret_Voltaire, Chris_Watson, Joy_Division, Mute, Richard_H_Kirk, Stephen_Mallinder, William_S_Burroughs

Factory Benelux presents a limited edition vinyl album by Tunnelvision, the youthful Blackpool band who released cult single Fac 39 Watching the Hydroplanes on Factory Records in 1981. Just 500 copies have been pressed on clear vinyl, matching the original Factory release.

Formed in 1980, the sombre post-punk quartet were mentored by Section 25 before impressing Rob Gretton and Tony Wilson at an early New Order gig in Blackpool in September 1980. Two songs from their first demo were mixed by Martin Hannett at Britannia Row and released as a 7-inch single (Fac 39) in June 1981, sleeved by Martyn Atkins in an opulent sleeve referencing dictionaries and leather-bound books. After several more gigs with New Order and other Factory artists Tunnelvision taped a second strong demo, mixed for release by Peter Hook. However, the turbulent teenage band disintegrated before a second single emerged.

Newly remastered from the original analogue reels, Watching the Hydroplanes features includes all 8 tracks from their two Cargo demos, including the Hannett mixes of the title track and Morbid Fear. The set also features Emotionless, recorded live at Bristol Trinity Hall in March 1981.

The outer sleeve is printed using silver PMS with a matt varnish. The printed inner bag features new liner notes and an attractive facsimile flyer for a gig with New Order at the Forum, London, in May 1981.

Tracklisting

A1. Watching the Hydroplanes
A2. Morbid Fear
A3. Old Comrades
A4. Glenn Miller
A5. Emotionless

B1. The Man Who Would Be King
B2. 100 Men
B3. Guessing the Way
B4. Whitened Sepulchre

Labels: album, Factory_Benelux, Martin_Hannett, Martyn_Atkins, New_Order, Peter_Hook, Section_25, Tunnelvision, vinyl

Rhino/WMG presents, for the first time on long-playing record, an 8LP silver vinyl box set reissue of the 'FACTORY: Communications 1978-1992' compilation album which surveys the label's entire 15-year history, with a grand total 63 tracks spread over 16 sides of newly remastered vinyl albums. As well as classic cuts from New Order, Joy Division, The Durutti Column, Happy Mondays, Electronic, A Certain Ratio and Section 25, this definitive overview delves deep into Factory's rich and occasionally wayward recorded catalogue, with X-O-Dus, Marcel King, 52nd Street, Quando Quango, Northside, James, The Railway Children, Crawling Chaos and not forgetting Minny Pops all included.

Originally issued as a 4CD box set in 2009, Communications 1978-92 is curated by Jon Savage, with booklet notes by Paul Morley and James Nice.

Everything comes in a lift lid box with 8 x 180gram silver heavyweight vinyl and 40 -age booklet. This is released on 8 November 2019 in a limited edition of 500 units.

More info available including how to pre-order: rhino.co.uk

Tracklisting

Side 1 (1978-79)
Joy Division - Digital
Cabaret Voltaire - Baader Meinhof
A Certain Ratio - All Night Party
OMD - Electricity
Joy Division - She's Lost Control
The Distractions - Time Goes By So Slow

Side 2 (1979-80)
Joy Division - Transmission
The Durutti Column - Sketch For Summer
X-O-Dus - English Black Boys
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
A Certain Ratio - Shack Up

Side 3 (1980-81)
Section 25 - Girls Don't Count
Crawling Chaos - Sex Machine
A Certain Ratio - Flight
The Names – Nightshift

Side 4 (1981)
New Order - Ceremony (original version)
Minny Pops - Dolphin's Spurt
John Dowie - It's Hard To Be An Egg
Crispy Ambulance - Deaf
Section 25 - Dirty Disco

Side 5 (1981)
New Order - Everything's Gone Green
Tunnelvision - Watching The Hydroplanes
The Durutti Column - Messidor
A Certain Ratio - Knife Slits Water (LP version)

Side 6 (1982)
Royal Family and the Poor - Art on 45
Swamp Children - Taste What's Rhythm
New Order – Temptation

Side 7 (1982-83)
52nd Street - Cool As Ice
New Order - Blue Monday

Side 8 (1982-84)
Cabaret Voltaire - Yashar (John Robie remix)
Quando Quango - Love Tempo
The Wake - Talk About the Past

Side 9 (1983-84)
New Order - Confusion
Marcel King - Reach For Love
Section 25 - Looking From A Hilltop (Megamix)

Side 10 (1984-85)
Stockholm Monsters - All At Once
Life - Tell Me
The Durutti Column - Without Mercy (Duet)
James - Hymn From A Village
Kalima – Trickery

Side 11 (1985-87)
A Certain Ratio - Sounds Like Something Dirty
Quando Quango - Genius
Happy Mondays - Freaky Dancin'
Miaow - When It All Comes Down

Side 12 (1987)
The Railway Children - Brighter
Biting Tongues - Compressor
New Order - True Faith
Happy Mondays - 24 Hour Party People

Side 13 (1988-89)
New Order - Fine Time
Happy Mondays - W.F.L. (Think About the Future)
Revenge - Seven Reasons

Side 14 (1989-90)
Happy Mondays - Hallelujah (Club mix)
Electronic - Getting Away With It
Happy Mondays - Step On
Northside - Shall We Take A Trip

Side 15 (1990-91)
England New Order - World In Motion
Happy Mondays - Kinky Afro
The Durutti Column - Home
Electronic - Get The Message (DNA remix)

Side 16 (1991-92)
Northside - Take 5
Cath Carroll - Moves Like You (remix)
The Other Two - Tasty Fish
Happy Mondays - Sunshine and Love (Lionrock remix)

Labels: album, Communications_1978_92, compilation, Factory40, Rhino

A deluxe 5LP vinyl box set edition of Always Now, the debut album by Section 25, produced by legendary producer Martin Hannett and sleeved by Peter Saville is released on 6 September 2019 on Factory Benelux.

Recorded as a trio at Pink Floyd's Britannia Row studio in London in January 1981, Always Now combined austere post-punk rhythm and noise with elements of Can, Krautrock and modern psychedelia. Key tracks include Friendly Fires, Dirty Disco and New Horizon, along with C.P. (a collaboration with Hannett) and Hit (extensively sampled by Kanye West for the track F.M.L. on his 2016 album The Life of Pablo).

The first 1000 copies of this lavish new edition feature vinyl platters pressed in black, clear, yellow, red and silver. The outer case in printed in PMS 123 with spot varnish.

The accompanying 16-page booklet features unseen images by noted photographer Philippe Carly and texts by founder SXXV members Larry and Vin Cassidy. Also included is the first ever interview with guitarist Paul Wiggin, whose sudden departure in late 1981 saw Tony Wilson try (and fail) to recruit pre-Smiths teenager Johnny Marr as replacement.

The album is available to pre-order now via Factory Benelux Mailorder [->].

Tracklisting

LP1 [the original Always Now album - black vinyl]

A1. Friendly Fires
A2. Dirty Disco
A3. C.P.
A4. Loose Talk (Costs Lives)
A5. Inside Out
A6. Melt Close

B1. Hit
B2. Babies in the Bardo
B3. Be Brave
B4. New Horizon

LP2 [non-album singles from the period 1980-81 including 'Je Veux Ton Amour' and 'Girls Don't Count' - clear vinyl]

A1. Knew Noise
A2. Up To You
A3. Girls Don’t Count
A4. After Image
A5. Human Puppets

B1. Charnel Ground
B2. Haunted
B3. Je Veux Ton Amour
B4. One True Path

LP3 [complete live show recorded at Groningen, NL on 26 October 1980 - yellow vinyl]

A1. Loose Talk (Costs Lives) (live)
A2. Human Puppets (live)
A3. Knew Noise (live)
A4. Friendly Fires (live)
A5. Girls Don’t Count (live)

B1. New Horizon (live)
B2. Haunted (live)
B3. You’re On Your Own (live)
B4. One Step Backward (live)

LP4 [second studio album 'The Key of Dreams' - red vinyl]

A1. Always Now
A2. Visitation
A3. Regions
A4. The Wheel
A5. No Abiding Place
A6. Once Before

B1. There Was a Time
B2. Wretch
B3. Sutra

LP5 [further experimental material recorded in 1981 and self-released on 'Illuminus Illumina' cassette plus live encore jam recorded with all four members of New Order at Reading University on 8 May 1981 - silver vinyl]

A1. Fallen Monument
A2. Are You There?
A3. Virtually Everything
A4. Tape Loop
A5. Subferior
A6. In the Garden of Eden
A7. Cry

B1. Red Voice
B2. Floating
B3. Reading Uni Jam with New Order 1981

Labels: album, Factory_Benelux, Section_25

News via thedurutticolumn.com

Factory Benelux presents double vinyl and triple cd editions of classic Factory era album by The Durutti Column - The Guitar and Other Machines - which will be released on 12 January 2018.

The double vinyl features the original album on the first disc plus bonus live tracks (from the same period) recorded at the Bottom Line in NYC and the Womad Festival.

The 3CD edition duplicates (and adds to) the live tracks on CD3 and, on CD2, adds many associated recordings, including the rare Greetings 3 EP, Our Lady of the Angels, LFO Mod, Catos con Guantes, When the World, White Rabbit, and many more.

More details at:

The Guitar and Other Machines [FBN 204 CD]

The Guitar and Other Machines [FBN 204]

How to buy

Available direct from Factory Benelux Mailorder.

Labels: album, Factory_Benelux, The_Durutti_Column

A Certain Ratio and Mute have announced a tasty set of album reissues, starting in November with the second wave in February 2018. The classic original albums will be followed by a compilation in April, plus other stuff including a rarities box set.

The first albums set for release on 24 November 2017 include the band's debut release, The Graveyard And The Ballroom, which originally came out on Factory Records in December 1979. The album will be available here on limited edition vinyl with coloured PVC sleeve, CD and, mirroring its original release, on cassette. In addition, albums To Each (1981), and Force (1986) will be released on coloured vinyl and CD.

Pre-order now via musicglue.

That release schedule in full:

24 November 2017

The Graveyard And The Ballroom – Vinyl LP with limited edition colour PVC sleeve, CD, cassette (Limited to 500 packaged in coloured PVC sleeve, includes digital copy)
To Each – Limited edition red vinyl LP / CD
Force – Limited edition yellow vinyl LP / CD

23 February 2018

I'd Like To See You Again – vinyl LP / CD
Good Together – vinyl LP / CD
acr:mcr – vinyl LP / CD

All vinyl releases include digital copies.

Labels: A_Certain_Ratio, album, Mute, reissue

Justhipper: The Complete Sire & Blanco Y Negro Recordings 1986-1988 is a Cherry Red compilation encompassing all of the recordings by James for the Warners group immediately after they left Factory Records. Stutter and Strip-Mine have both been remastered and plentiful bonus tracks including an audio interview complete the package.

Justhipper is out now.

Disc One

Stutter

1. Skullduggery
2. Scarecrow
3. So Many Ways
4. Just Hip
5. Johnny Yen
6. Summer Song
7. Really Hard
8. Billys Shirts
9. Why So Close
10. Withdrawn
11. Black Hole

Bonus Tracks

12. Chain Mail
13. Uprising
14. Hup-Springs
15. Justhipper

Disc Two

Strip-Mine

1. What For
2. Charlie Dance
3. Fairground
4. Are You Ready
5. Medieval
6. Not There
7. Ya Ho
8. Riders
9. Vulture
10. Stripmining
11. Refrain

Bonus Tracks

12. Yaho (Single Version)
13. Mosquito
14. Left Out Of Her Will
15. New Nature
16. What For (Climax Mix)
17. Island Swing
18. James Who? A Talk With… (Interview)

Labels: album, Cherry_Red, compilation, James

Minny Pops feature on a Cherry Red Records (who have been very busy recently) compilation called Noise Reduction System and which is out on 21 July 2017. Sub-titled 'Formative European Electronica 1974-1984' there are 61 tracks of "excursions in proto-synth pop, diy techno, noise and ambient exploration" across 4 CDs and it all comes with a 52-page booklet of liner notes by Dave Henderson (Sounds/Wild Planet/MOJO) and others.

The Minny Pops track 'Son' was part of the 'Sparks in a Dark Room' album recording sessions and was released on the Plurex label 'Hours' compilation.

Wally van Middendorp told Cerysmatic: "This track is all about being paranoid on a cold winter night and killing the killer who wanted to kill my son. We played a one minute version as the encore no-one asked for when on tour in 2012."

A year in the making, there is great range on display on the album going from electronic figureheads such as Cluster, DAF, Yello, Klaus Schulze, Vangelis, Front 242 to underground outsiders from across Europe.

More details available via cherryred.co.uk

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Title: Noise Reduction System
Label: Cherry Red
Format: 4CD/52pp BOOKPACK
Catalogue number: CRCDBOX35
Release date: 21 July 2017

Labels: album, Cherry_Red, compilation, Minny_Pops

More indie-pop compilation goodness from Cherry Red in the form of C88, a 3-CD box set out 30 June 2017.

This time the Factory Records interest comes from The Wake with a demo version of Crush The Flowers. This song was originally the a-side of a single on Sarah Records in 1989 (SARAH 21)

"C88 is another celebration of the Eighties Indie scene, documenting a golden era when tuneful guitar-based bands made records on shoestring budgets, often issued on small labels with hand-made artwork, with little hope of mainstream exposure."

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Title: C88
Format: 3CD
Release date: Friday 30 June 2017
Catalogue number: CRCDBOX36

Labels: album, Cherry_Red, The_Wake

Factory Benelux presents a brand new live CD by The Names. German Nights was recorded in 2016/2017 over the course of three concerts in Berlin, Hamburg and Freiburg. Produced by Thomas Neidhardt, the set draws heavily on the albums Swimming and Stranger Than You, as will as classic singles including Nightshift, Calcutta, The Astronaut and Spectators of Life. The set concludes with a cover of Velvet Underground classic What Goes On.

"The new members have injected new life into the band," explains singer and songwriter Michel Sordinia, "and together we've updated the arrangements on some of the older songs. But ultimately we're still the same new wave band who joined Factory Records in 1980."

Covert art by Twilight. CD booklet features tour photography by Peter Staessens.

CD tracklisting

1. Intro/Discovery
2. Life By the Sea
3. Hands Off Love
4. This Is Harmony
5. The Fire
6. Spectators of Life
7. Shanghai Gesture
8. I Wish I Could Speak Your Language
9. Boy With a Gun
10. Nightshift
11. Calcutta
12. The Astronaut
13. My Angel of Death
14. What Goes On

More details and info on how to order at factorybenelux.com.

See also: thenames.be

Labels: album, Factory_Benelux, The_Names

Scissorgun are a two-piece soundscape project from Manchester comprising Alan Hempsall (Crispy Ambulance) on treated guitars, vocals, prose and trumpet, and David Clarkson (ex-Triclops and Illuminati) on synths, keyboards, drum programming, rhythms and percussion.

The duo came together in the summer of 2016 with a view to creating spontaneous music, and by November had laid the foundations of Assault Two, their debut release, so named because it is the second release on Aural Assault Records, whose first outing was the debut single by Crispy Ambulance way back in April 1980.

This special 10" and CD package is released in a limited edition of 500 copies. The extended CD features longer versions of the five tracks on the vinyl disc as well as two bonus cuts. The artwork is by Pascal Blua and the official release date is 8 September 2017.

10" vinyl tracklisting

A1. Bastard Son
A2. Dusting For Zika
B1. Caballero
B2. Sahara Dream
B3. The Searching

CD tracklisting

1. Caballero
2. Bastard Son
3. Dusting For Zika
4. Sahara Dream
5. The Searching
6. Kahutek
7. Sahara Night Flight

Scissorgun go out live in support of Wolfgang Flür (ex-Kraftwerk) at the Lexington in London on Friday 10 November 2017.

Tickets are available now priced 13.00 GBP (plus booking fee) via WeGotTickets.com.

The Lexington
10 November 2017
The Lexington
96-98 Pentonville Road
LONDON N1 9JB

Facebook Event

Labels: album, Crispy_Ambulance, Scissorgun

Black Grape are back with a new album and tour for 2017. Pop Voodoo is in the shops and online from 7 July. It's the first album since 1997's Stupid Stupid Stupid. Ahead the album's release band support Richard Ashcroft at Brixton Academy and then in August it's the Moovin Festival in Stockport (alongside Pickering/Park, Greg Wilson and other factory alumni).

Sat 1 July - O2 Academy, Brixton (with Richard Ashcroft)
27 Aug Moovin Festival, Stockport [Facebook event]

See also: blackgrapeofficial.com

Labels: album, Black_Grape, gigs

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark come back to recorded and live action in 2017 with the Punishment of Luxury album and tour. The album is due in September with a full UK tour in late October and through November. The album is currently available on PledgeMusic in a variety of formats.

October

Sun 29 - Liverpool Empire Theatre, Liverpool
Mon 30 - Colston Hall, Bristol

November

Wed 1 - Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-On-Sea
Thu 2 - Ipswich Regent Theatre, Ipswich
Fri 3 - The Cambridge Corn Exchange, Cambridge
Sun 5 - De Montfort Hall, Leicester
Mon 6 - Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham
Tue 7 - Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield
Thu 9 - The Hexagon, Reading
Fri 10 - O2 Guildhall Southampton, Southampton
Sat 11 - G Live, Guildford
Mon 13 - The Roundhouse, London
Wed 15 - De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea
Fri 17 - Manchester Academy 1, Manchester
Sat 18 - York Barbican, York
Sun 19 - Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow
Tue 21 - Birmingham Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Wed 22 - Sage Gateshead, Gateshead

Ticket go on sale Friday 19 May at 09:00 BST via axs.com and other outlets.

Labels: album, gigs, OMD

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