BLOW UP BLOG

Alfa 9's second album 'Gone To Ground' is released today! The band have signed the first 100 copies, but they'll only by available from the official Blow Up / Alfa 9 shop - click here to order yours! The album is available from all good stockists including Amazon.co.uk and to download from stores including iTunes ... More stockists here...

Plus you can buy their other releases, including other limited goodies. There are even a few copies of their first album 'Then We Begin' on vinyl signed by the first line-up.

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...

FAY HALLAM & THE BONGOLIAN '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... Head over to FayHallamAndTheBongolian.com to get your free download.

BALTIC FLEET '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. Head over to BalticFleetMusic.com to get your free download.

'Bongos For Beatniks' The Bongolian

THE BONGOLIAN releases his long-awaited 4th album 'Bongos For Beatniks' this May. The album continues the musical journey where 2007's Outer Bongolia left off, bringing us back down to Earth possibly via France circa 1967 via 2011, in a wildly eclectic rare groove fusion of Funk Soul Hammond Beat Jazz and a Sci-Fi Boogaloo.
PRE-ORDER on CD: or on lovely Vinyl LP:

The first single from the album 'The Riviera Affair' was recently featured on BBC 6music Nemone's Lunchtime Loves (alongside plays from Gideon Coe and Craig Charles) and was also Sky Sports Soccer AM's track of the week.

"A bakers dozen of gems. Bongo powered grooves at their very best. Preston Epps eat your heart out" Scootering 'Recommended Listening'

CONNECT:

The Bongolian 'Bongos For Beatniks'

The sleeve for the Bongolian's 4th album is finally revealed! 'Bongos For Beatniks' will be released on Monday 9th May, but if you can't wait that long you can download the first single 'The Riviera Affair' which was recently featured on Nemone's Lunchtime Loves on BBC 6music (she also interviewed Nasser before his BlowUp/HMV show in February), alongside support plays by Gideon Coe and Craig Charles. The track is also Sky Sports Soccer AM's track of the week.

The album is also featured in Scootering Magazine's 'Recommended Listening' this month alongside an early review of the album, an interview with The Bongolian and a live review of February's Blow Up/HMV show.

Stay tuned as from next week the album will be available to pre-order, with some limited edition bundles.

DOWNLOAD THE RIVIERA AFFAIR:   CONNECT:

Silvery 'Railway Architecture' (Blow Up) - Out Now

Silvery release the follow up to their 2008 debut Thunderer & Excelsior with their 2nd album Railway Architecture - out today and available from Rough Trade, Fopp, Norman, Piccadilly, Townsend, Juno, Amazon, Play.com, iTunes, eMusic, Napster, Amazon Digital and more

Railway Architecture sees Silvery to continue their creative brainstorming, and Railway Architecture which sees bands singer/songwriter James Orman continuing his journey into the very English and eccentric world of the mad, bizarre and absurd. With a doff of a stove-pipe hat to Blur, Bowie, XTC and Sparks, their sound is an eclectic but commercial proposition. The album expertly blends post-punk, Britpop (for want of a better word), music hall and 60′s pop into this year's most exciting release yet, and recently described as:

"Exhilarating art-pop from band bordering on greatness" 4 STARS - UNCUT

"Hunt down this album" 4 STARS - Artrocker

"Delicious and daringly at odds with almost everything else out there" 4 STARS - Clash

"Genius twisted pop" 4 STARS - Big Cheese

SILVERYTHEBAND.COM  

Neon Plastix 'Awesome Moves' (Blow Up)

Neon Plastix release their long awaited debut LP 'Awesome Moves' on May 10th 2010 (UK)  + album will be preceded by single Gentlemen's Gold.

The band have achieved a cult following both in the UK, Europe and USA, despite having only released 2 singles to date (Neon Invasion/Prick Tease, On Fire/Dream), and secured deals along the way with E.A Games 'Need For Speed' and Sony Eriksson for use of their music. Neon Plastix have played multitudes of dates across Europe, even including a spot at Glastonbury, as well as touring with Late Of The Pier amongst others (who they also remixed). After they declared an inevitable hiatus whilst some members finished college courses and such, the band have woke up and rubbed their eyes, dusted themselves down and are ready to release their debut album 'Awesome Moves'

Big Boss Man 'Full English Beat Breakfast' (Blow Up)

Blow Up is pleased to announce that the long awaited third album from Big Boss Man - 'Full English Beat Breakfast' is soon to be released. Shipping from September 2009, the album will be available on CD, LP and as a download from all good retailers.

Go to Blow Up Records Myspace or www.blowuprecords.com to listen to a preview of the album!

As usual the band have made good use of their extensive collection of vintage (and temperamental) gear for Full English. Head honcho Nasser Bouzida (a.k.a the Bongolian) plays mini-VIP, Farfisa and Hammond organs, Wurlitzer piano, Moog synths and drums and percussion. Driving fuzz guitar and bass beat is provided by bassman Scott Milsom "the Hawk" and guitarist Trev Harding. The band have once again created a superb spaced-out selection of prime 60?s inspired dancefloor tracks: Northern Soul vibes with "?Black Eye", Garage sounds with "The Bloater", Boogaloo with "Pies and Pastiche" and even Samba with "Full Brazilian"

Mockingbird, Wish Me Luck 'Moves On The Screen'

Available now from all good download stores and taken from their acclaimed debut album 'Days And Go' is the second single 'Moves On The Screen' from Swedish indie-posters Mockingbird, Wish Me Luck

DAYS COME AND GO quotes…

"Think The Concretes with strings and a folky/indie edge. Grand songs, delivered well" Stool Pigeon

"Lovely, gentle folk inspired indie pop that invokes the idea of Jens Lekman fronting Belle & Sebastian. Simple as that" indieMP3

"Wry but sincere hometown poetry" NME

"An album to pay attention to" AllMusic

Silvery - the 'The Nishikado EP' (Blow Up) featuring brand new tracks - out now from all fine purveyors of digital sounds…

"Silvery have produced a tribute to the one and only Toshihiro Nishikado to whom we give gratitude for the remarkable invention that it is Space Invaders - those little critters everyone knows and loves. With wild synth riffs and vocals resembling David Bowie, Silvery suck you in to the unrestrained indie madness. Identity and Murder Holes continue the fairground theme, with unruly synth sections distinguishing Silvery from current and past indie bands." KRUGER

"Wow. Take a deep breath before you enter the crazy world of Silvery. The grandiose circus music of The Nishikado takes you on a whirlwind with its relentless and spiralling organs. The cacophony of different sounds can all get a bit confusing, until the chorus when the glorious mess seems to find it's way. The furious pace of the EP will have you bouncing off the walls and collapsed in an exhausted heap in the corner by the end. In the words of me Dad, "What a bloody racket." But an utterly exhilarating racket, it has to be said." ARTROCKER RECOMMENDS