One of the main reasons of owning a record label is to release the music you absolutely love. The music that makes you feel like you can take on the world and win. The music that when you listen, the universe stops and waits patiently until you say its okay to move again. For many of us, that is ASH in a nutshell. The quintessential UK band that does that rare thing of simultaneously lifting you out of the dolldrums, and at the same time being the soundtrack to your heart breaking into a million tiny pieces. It’s all good though. ASH are the one constant in my musical collection over the years, and I hope for many to come.
You don’t need me to tell you about The Subways, they are one of the most consistent British bands in a decade, producing album after album of sincere rock, while remembering the all important mantra that Choruses Are Important, an object of music booking agents fight. I love them and incredibly happy to be releasing the cassette version of their self-titled album. You can buy this digitally and on CD & vinyl through the bloody great record label Cooking Vinyl.
I have always been a fan of the Independent Label Market and this year I get to be there with POST/POP! It’s the place where the best labels around present exclusive records to the music appreciating demographic in celebration of just how bloody brilliant music is! So it hit me… what can POST/POP bring to this already amazing event? What do we do best? No, not name every actor in Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: Dream Warriors, as that’s not needed right now… YES! TAPES!
So at this year’s Independent Label Market @ Spitalfields on March 28th, POST/POP will be showcasing exclusive cassette tapes from two of my favourite bands.
This time last year I was on a private Bahamian beach with Sky Ferreira next to me, watching Weezer playing Pinkerton. Right now, I am currently writing this at RAK studios, waiting for ASH to reveal new songs from the album they announced today (ASH WEDNESDAY!). So what I have come to understand is that February is the best. The last throes of winter, trying it’s damn best to make scarves a “thing” and the final days of being able to breath mist onto a bus window and draw a treasure map for passengers to follow. I like it. And when I hear a track that insta-recalls my ears back to Weezer, I tend to hang onto it for dear life. That’s where RECORD/START comes in.
“Rock From Afar” is a love song to the music you forgot you adored. There’s more than a little of Rivers Cuomo’s in this tape, but Record/Start adds unique UK sensibility that sets it apart from the American college college set. If I was going to pinpoint a direct influence, it would definitely be The Blue Album, with it’s effortlessly catchy nuances and an undying love for a chorus.
Recently I made a mental note to make an effort to release more music from UK bands. It wasn’t that I was neglecting the UK, I just thought I could do more to promote bands locally. “You can’t start a scene if you spread yourself too thin, Jed” I said to myself in the mirror. I had the best damn intentions, but then I heard JUDE and though they had American affectations to their accents I crossed my fingers that they weren’t from New York. I wanted this band to be from Scunthorpe. “Florida” I noted to myself, nodding slowly. “Close enough”.