Tag: Albums

Days Come and Go is the debut album from Mockingbird, Wish Me Luck an 8-piece indie-pop orchestra from Angelholm, Sweden (preceded by the limited single ‘Pictures (Too Big To Fit In A Sight)‘). Written by brothers in the band Daniel and Niklas Wennergren, everything has done without any outside help and in the true DIY indie spirit – drums were recorded in their rehearsal room and almost everything else in their parents’ apartment. Despite their admittance that “nobody really knew which buttons to push”, by the time Blow Up Records made contact, they had recorded quite a compilation of songs. These songs, along with some newly recorded tracks, form their debut album Days Come And Go. When the album was complete, Daniel and Niklas flew to London to mix the album at The Premises in Hackney with Nick Terry.

The debut went on to make the top five list of albums of the year for Sweden’s national newspaper Sydsvenskan and this year they release ‘Leaving For A Day‘ a brand new track, which will be taken from a new edition of the album which will be expanded to include additional tracks.

Whilst on a World Tour playing keyboards for Echo and the Bunnymen Paul Fleming began to write what would come to be his self-titled debut album. With a laptop and any instruments that were to hand he would capture, in music, what inspired him in each city around the world; from Texas to Barcelona to Berlin to Copenhagen to Reykjavik and back to the UK in Brighton. In hotel rooms, tour buses, planes, at the end of radio sessions and sound-checks, every opportunity was taken to record.

The album was picked for inclusion in the monthly Rough Trade Record Club, and Rough Trade placed it at No.29 in their Top 50 Albums of 2008 (Rough Trade East store manager Spencer made it his 2nd favourite album of 2008). Baltic Fleet was also invited to play at Rough Trade East’s 1st Birthday Celebrations, following on from his in-store performance in April for ‘Record Store Day’. He was also invited to Amsterdam’s annual ‘London Calling’ Festival at the Paradiso Club, sharing the bill with Ipso Facto, Chrome Hoof, Mystery Jets and The Ting Tings.

Released in 2005, Blueprint is the second album from The Bongolian. Recorded by Nasser Bouzida AKA The Bongolian at his own studio Ramshackle Studios and mixed by Mike Pelanconi (Prince Fatty) at his Brighton Studio – Mike had previously worked with Nasser as producer for the debut Big Boss Man album ‘Humanize‘.

Blueprint built on the success and sound of the debut album with a solid set of new songs that underpinned The Bongolian as it began to establish itself as a live act. Containing the Bongolian live favourite Del Ray and a sleeve designed by sometime live drummer for The Bongolian and Medway garage scene legend Bruce Brand.

Big Boss Man released their debut album ‘Humanize‘ in 2001. Creating  a clear definition of the Big Boss Man sound –  a hip Hammond hybrid of 60’s R’N’B, Latin, Soul, Bongo-Fuzz and Funk. The album was last recut on vinyl LP around the release of their third album ‘Full English Beat Breakfast’.

The album contains and was preceded by the dancefloor killer that is ‘Sea Groove‘, the bands first single and now much sort after on vinyl 45. The track has remained highly popular for the band over the years, with it currently amassing over 5 million Spotify streams. It was used by the International Red Cross for a nationwide campaign in the USA. ‘Party 7‘ was also picked up in 2006 for Nike’s Worldwide World Cup ‘JOGA TV’ campaign featuring Thierry Henry and Eric Cantona and was subsequently reissued backed by ‘Kelvin Stardust’ the lead cut from BBM’s second album Winner as a limited 45.

 A selection of tracks from the album were used as the soundtrack to the BAFTA nominated short film “Sweet” which featured Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt of The Mighty Boosh. The bands music from the album has continued to prove popular with TV, film and advertising placements, most recently with The Grand Tour (Amazon).

This London based trio hailing from Japan and UK create ‘Digital-Hard-Core-Cinematica’, a combination of symphonic arrangements, sultry vocals, merged with heavy dance beats. Influenced by such artists by Debussy, Serge Gainsbourg, Madonna, and KLF, Lucky 15 incorporate pseudo-classical ideas with authenticity without parody. The result is an exhilarating, eclectic mix of lusciously designed pop music.

Recorded in 1995 and released in early 1996, this was the debut album of Add N to X featuring original members Barry Smith, Anne Shenton and Andrew Averling. Add N to X signed to Blow Up for this one-off release in the Summer of 1995. The band split from Andrew Averling a few months after this release, recruiting new member Steve Clayton and going on to record for Satellite and then two albums for Mute. Vero Electronics is a must for collectors of the band, showing them in their full uncompromising glory, and serves as a great introduction to the band’s early sound.  On seven-track CD and six-track vinyl, and the first pressing of the LP sold out in the first week of release.  Tracks from this album have been used in underground films, soundtracks and on TV.

Add N to X described themselves as Moog situationists, pioneers of avant-garde electronica: “this album hopes to resurrect a long lost genre in electronic music by mixing the classic cinematic sound with a live drummer, seventies drum machines and looped synths descending into the inferno of the avant-garde.” Increasingly prolific since 1996, the band have featured in magazines such as The Wire, N.M.E, The Face and Sleaze Nation.

This mini album was compiled to enable access to The Weekenders’ deleted back catalogue of singles. The band always believed in singles in their own right, and these tracks were never meant to be leaders to an LP. Tracks have been drawn from BU001 ‘All Grown Up’, BU002 ‘Man of Leisure’, BU003 ‘Inelegantly Wasted’ and the Fierce Panda EP ‘Return To Splendour’.

The Weekenders were one of the early Britpop bands on the Camden scene in 1993, and by the time of the release of this compilation had built up quite a fan base. Their third single ‘Inelegantly Wasted’ was Melody Maker Single of the Week (peaking at No.3 in the indie chart). At the time, the band received a fair amount of press, including an NME ‘On’ Feature, and one of the ‘Tips of the Year’ in Melody Maker and several full page features. In 1995 the band sold out London’s 500 capacity The Garage and went on to co-headline The Carling Stage at Reading the same year. Unfortunately due to other commitments, the album proper was never recorded. However, this compilation remains a great record of the early Britpop sound, and despite being originally released as export only with no UK press, it reached No.18 in the Independent Charts. It continues to sell well both here and abroad, especially in Japan, where the band have achieved a cult status.