Congratulations to our own David Woodcock - with 52% of the vote - winner of this week's BBC Radio 6 Music Rebel Playlist with his next single 'Relatively Single Man' from his self-titled debut album - thanks to everyone who voted!
This year saw the Blow Up Clublaunch a brand new residency at The Bussey Building in Peckham, London and in October the club reached it's 20th Anniversary (read more) - we'll be celebrating officially on Saturday 15th February 2014.
Over at Blow Up Records, 2013 saw Baltic Fleetwin this year's Liverpool GIT Award, be nominated for Liverpool Music Awards Album of The Year (along side Miles Kane and Ian Skelly) and perform at Yoko Ono's Meltdown. more / listen...
After a long haitus Alfa 9 returned with the stripped back West-Coast influenced second album Gone To Ground and swung back into live action. more / listen...
2013 also saw two debut releases for new signings Daiquiri Fantomas and David Woodcock. Sicilian experimental duo Daiquiri Fantomas released their debut album 'MHz Invasion' this August, including the fantastic 'Moogchile' described as 'Air meets John Barry'. more / listen... Essex-based singer-songwriter David Woodcock released his debut single 'Same Things', and the ltd. 7" 'Tease' more / listen...
Whilst Fay Hallam continued her UK & European tour dates in support of last year's 'Lost In Sound' more / listen... Meanwhile both Big Boss Man and The Bongolian have been touring around Europe, whilst The Bongolian returned for two storming sets at Blow Up this October and December.
Following on from the critical success of the second album 'Towers', this April Baltic Fleet won Liverpool's GIT Award (other nominees included Clinic, Dan Croll, Stealing Sheep and Wave Machines), and was invited to play the opening night of Yoko Ono's Meltdown this June at London's Southbank Centre:
"The judges believe that Towers captured the sprawling vitality of contemporary music and married this to a sonic landscape which is indicative of its birth. Flawless electronic melodies, breezeblock beats and an effortless futuristic edge"
Although Baltic Fleet is essentially the solo recording project of Paul Fleming, his live band have since played around the UK and Europe, shows including Liverpool International Festival Of Psychedelia, Soundcity, Sheffield Sensoria, Norwich S&V. This year they've played with Public Service Broadcasting (caught in action performing 'The Wilds' and 'Toire De'), Hookworms andThe Portico Quartetmore ...
This August Daiquiri Fantomas released 'MHz Invasion', the debut album from the Sicilian experimental Avant-Pop duo Marco Barrano and Dario Sanguedolce. A mainly instrumental cocktail of ideas with a Retro-Futuristic flavour, encompassing Prog, Sci-Fi movie soundtracks & Kosmische (youtube album sampler).
Single 'Moogchile' described as 'Air meets John Barry' receiving spot plays on BBC 6 Music from Don Letts, Gideon Coe, Radcliffe and Maconie and Chris Hawkins and Huey Morgan on BBC Radio 2. more ...
After a long haitus Alfa 9 followed their highly acclaimed debut with ‘Gone To Ground’ a much more stripped back affair, the most recent single from which 'El Morocco' was playlisted for 4 weeks on BBC 6 Music (1.9 million listeners UK & Worldwide) (other singles receiving numerous spot plays). They now haveBBC Radio sessions under their belt for 6 Music, BBC Stoke andBBC Liverpool.
The band have swung back into live action with dates up and down the UK including the Annual Liverpool Psych Fest and a support for Poltergeist in December more ...
Fay Hallam and Nasser Bouzida AKA 'The Bongolian' met when both playing a live show at Blow Up, and they soon discovered that they both shared a serious passion for 60's Hammond Beat and Soul. On 'Lost In Sound', their first collaboration, they immersed themselves in the music they both love, from Bossa Nova, heavier 70's grooves, Latin and Northern Soul, with a choice of classic instruments including old Rhodes, Wurlitzer and Hammond C3 keyboards and other vintage equipment, mixing in some analogue synths. The album was released to critcal acclaim and Fay Hallam continues to tour the album in both the UK and Europe with more dates lined up for 2014 more ...
"A great little pop record" STEVE LAMACQ, BBC 6MUSIC
"Essex has a bit of form when it comes to delivering maverick pop geniuses with a gift for mixing a smidgeon of music hall with a dash of 60s pop and creating inspired, but intelligent tunes"BRANDISH.TV
David Woodcock is a singer song writer based in his hometown of Southend-on Sea, who recently signed to Blow Up in 2012 and he has just finished recording his debut album, due for release early 2014
A pianist and prolific writer, with a strong local following around the pubs and clubs of Southend, he has been building up a solid songbook of sharp lyrics and great melodies that are have been distilled into his debut more ...
October 16th this year marked exactly 20 years to the day when doors opened to the Blow Up club for the first time. Since then it has become a bona-fide legendary club night, being at the centre of the early to mid Nineties Brit Pop explosion, cited as the catalyst and birth place of the Brit Pop scene and influencing the style and sound of a generation. Blow Up was voted as No.4 in Time Out's Top Ten Clubs of the 90s, one of '5 Classic Clubs of Out Time' by Vox Magazine (alongside The Blitz Club and Shoom) and as 'The club that changed the world' by Melody Maker. More recently Blow Up appeared in Time Out's London Calling which described the club as "the breeding gournd of the Brit Pop sound" and in NME's Original's Top Ten Britpop Moments. From its origins at The Laurel Tree, Camden Town (1993-1996), to Soho venues the Wag Club (1996-2001) the Metro Club (2002-2009), and through various London venues since (2009-2013), Blow Up is one of London's longest running club nights. We've hosted events in Europe, and further afield, with events in USA, Russia and Japan, whilst the Blow Up club compilations ('Blow Up A-Go-Go!' and 'Blow Up presents Exclusive Blend') have proved popular worldwide.
There is nowhere else quite like Blow Up, and in many ways it’s still unique. ‘Blow Up may be inspired by the ’60s,’ wrote Time Out years ago, ‘but their night could run and run.’ It looks set to do just that. Time Out London, January 2009
"Year after year, Blow Up just seems to get better"The Evening Standard No.4: Time Out's Top Ten Club's of The 90s
"The club that changed the world"Melody Maker
"This is the night which spawned a thousand bands, inspiring fashion designers and stylists to recreate the look for the mainstream"The Guest List
"Legendary"Time Out, Evening Standard, NME
The Roxy, Blitz Club, Shoom, Syndrome & Blow Up: Vox Magazine's 5 Classic Clubs of our Time
"The London clubland institution"The Guardian Guide
'Same Things' is the debut single from David Woodcock, released on Monday 29th July. This is the first fruits from the forthcoming and currently being completed debut album from Mr Woodcock, due for release this Autumn.
Blow Up Records is excited to be part of Oxjam this year, with 3 artists Baltic Fleet, The Bongolian & David Woodcock all appearing live as part of the Leicester Music Takeover on October 20th:
Blow Up feat. DC Fontana + Electric Stars + David-Woodcock
Blow Up's monthly West London residency at Ginglik in Shepherd's Bush with live guests this month DC Fontana and The Electric Stars. Plus Blow Up DJs Paul Tunkin & Ian Jackson spinning their trademark mix of Pop Stylism, 60's Soul, Beat, Garage, Funk, Ska, Soundtracks, Electronica, Library Music colliding with British Pop, Glam, Indie-Pop and New-Wave.
Turned-on music to shake your hips & pluck your heartstrings… DC Fontanaare on a mission.The 2012 edition of the band is fronted by Louise Turner while founding member Mark Mortimer plays bass & is one of the two main song-writers along with Scott Riley who used to play with Spectrum, the psychedelic off-shoot of the Spacemen 3.With producer Donald Ross Skinner (Julian Cope, Prolapse, Salad, Cud etc) at the helm the DCs delivered the kitchen-sink drama Six Against Eight after camping inside the famous Parr Street Studios in Liverpool where they had been invited to record by legendary Echo & The Bunnymen guitarist Will Sergeant, a fan of the band.
Electric Stars at Blow Up
THE ELECTRIC STARS Infectious melodies, lyrics that become part of your life & songs that you NEED to own! If there was a modern mash up of Stones/Who/Kinks/Beatles...This is what it would sound like!
David Woodcock live at Blow Up
DAVID WOODCOCK New Blow Up Records' signing David Woodcock returns to Blow Up as part of his monthly residency. Expect great songs delivered in Dave's own inimitable Essex style. Best described as the closest thing to a knees-up with Chas'N'Dave and The Kinks' Ray Davies!
Blow Up presents the album launch for Fay Hallam & The Bongolian's new album 'Lost In Sound' (Blow Up Records) with a rare live London show by the Mod Queen herself, with a brand new band line-up, and featuring special guest appearances by ex-Prisoners/ Prime Movers/ Phaze/ Solar Flares, bass-legend, Allan Crockford.
Blow Up's monthly West London residency at Ginglik in Shepherd's Bush with Blow Up DJs Paul Tunkin & Ian Jackson spinning their trademark mix of Pop Stylism, 60′s Soul, Beat, Garage, Funk, Ska, Soundtracks, Electronica, Library Music colliding with British Pop, Glam, Indie-Pop and New-Wave.
The Blow Up playlist includes classic tracks from both its past and present, from its Brit Pop era favourites, (the scene of which the club helped kick-start way back in 1993 in Camden Town) to the current new things tickling our fancy - the new Pop stylists putting the art back into pop alongside essential New Wave, Glam and indie classic cuts. All this alongside Blow Up's trademark mix of 60's killer dance floor tracks in the following genre's - 60's Swinging Soundtracks, TV Themes, 60s Exotica & Electronica, 60s Club Soul, Northern Soul, Beat, Mod Jazz, French Pop, Library Music and Ska. Bloody marvellous!
We're pleased to announce that we now have 3 new additions to Blow Up Records' roster for 2012: Fay Hallam & The Bongolian (a new collaboration), singer-songwriter David Woodcock from Southend-on-Sea and Sicilian duo Daiquiri Fantomas. Plus, 'Towers' the long-awaited follow up to Baltic Fleet's self-titled debut will be released this Summer, followed swiftly by the second album for Alfa 9 'Gone To Ground'.
FREE DOWNLOADS:
The first 2 singles for 2012 will be 'Engage' from Baltic Fleet, and 'Dancing' from Fay Hallam & The Bongolian which we'll be giving away as free downloads for a limited time, links below...
'Dancing' will be the first track to be taken from 'Lost In Sound' the very first collaboration between Fay Hallam (Makin' Time, The Prime Movers, Phaze) and Blow Up Records' The Bongolian. Both share a serious passion for 60's Hammond Beat and Soul. Due for release very shortly, the album covers a variety of styles: Bossa Nova, heavier 70's grooves and a strong Northern Soul influence. Get ready to get Lost In Sound...
'Engage' is the first track to be taken from 'TOWERS' the 2nd album from BALTIC FLEET, released this Summer and which follows his 2008 self-titled debut which was an Album of the Year (No 29) for Rough Trade Shops. Baltic Fleet is the moniker of multi-instrumentalist and DIY producer Paul Fleming. The second record signifies a departure from the travelling and diarising of life on the road (whilst touring as keyboard player for Echo & The Bunnymen), and arrives home to the industrial backdrop of North West England. The album was written and recorded in a room overlooking the industrial landscape a stone's throw from Spike Island, the scene of another Northern band's finest hour.
Blow Up Easter Special: Sulk + Fractures + David Woodcock + Thee Attacks + Powersolo with Blow Up DJs
Blow Up's new monthly West London residency at Ginglik in Shepherd's Bush, continues with the BLOW UP EASTER SPECIAL on THURSDAY 5th APRIL (please note that we're usually the First Friday of the month - moved forward to Thursday for Good Friday). We've FIVE live bands for you this month: SULK, FRACTURES, DAVID WOODCOCK, THEE ATTACKS (dk) and POWERSOLO (DK). Plus of course Blow Up DJs Paul Tunkin & Ian Jackson (and the occasional guest) spinning their trademark mix of Pop Stylism, 60's Soul, Beat, Garage, Funk, Ska, Soundtracks, Electronica, Library Music colliding with British Pop, Glam, Indie-Pop and New-Wave. ....
A celebration from the other side of Pop where the Kinks, Bowie, Blur share the dancefloor with current newcomers Pete & The Pirates, British Sea Power and Metronomy, all alongside Swinging Soundtracks & TV Themes (The Italian Job to Barbarella), 60s Exotica & Electronica (Jean-Jacques Perry), 60s Club Soul (Motown, Stax etc.), Northern Soul, Beat, Mod Jazz, French Pop (Jacques Dutronc, Bridget Bardot) and New Wave (XTC, Wire).
Under the rainy skies of London, the shining sounds of Britpop, Shoegaze and Psychedelia are back in bloom. Locked up in the back room of an east end gallery stirring up 90s inspired sonic harmonies, this five-piece's influences are less worn on their sleeves, than branded on their hearts. Bands such as The Stone Roses, Suede, Ride and The Verve are wholly evident, but this isn't nostalgia for old time's sake. It's a whitewash of powerful prettiness; with sun-drenched vocals, ethereal guitars and pounding drums, rooted in 90s vibes but with its eyes to the future...
"Epic, stadium-indie guitars, baggy beats and trippy lyrics, this Suede-meets-Oasis number sets Sulk far above other 1990s revivalists" The Independent, November 2011
Fractures live at Blow Up
FRACTURES
"Reminiscent of Supergrass circa 'I Should Coco', Britpoppy [and] drenched in London" NME, 2011
"The kind of indie band that has become all but extinct in recent years" NME ones to watch 2012
David Woodcock live at Blow Up
DAVID WOODCOCK
David Woodcock returns to Blow Up after his show at the club's 18th Birthday in November and will be heading up from the town of outstanding talent Southend-On-Sea. Expect great songs delivered in Dave's own inimitable Essex style. Best described as the closest thing to a knees-up with Chas'N'Dave and The Kinks' Ray Davies!
Thee Attacks (dk) live at Blow Up
THEE ATTACKS (DK)
Fresh from their stint at SXSW and signed to hip Danish label Crunchy Frog are Thee Attacks...
Powersolo (dk) live at Blow Up
POWERSOLO (DK)
Also signed to Crunchy Frog and first on tonight are Powersolo...