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. 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.
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”.
Like most people, I hate Manchester United. They make it really easy to hate them. So it came as a complete shock to me how much I love a song about the former United player, Paul Tierney. I want to hate that song as much as I do the team he formally played for, but its impossible. If a track can make me renege on my very firm belief system, then it’s got to be something bloody special. and it is.
You may have noticed that I usually have a long rambling intro describing how I stumbled across a new band while climbing a tree in a rainforest, narrowly escaping the wrath of a pack of baboons when the band in question appeared like magic - as a hologram - at the top of the tallest tree around ; or perhaps I discovered a band while sinking to bottom of well and a found a small door and while crawling through, I find the skeleton of an ancestor, holding a mixtape with the most perfect band ever as track 1… None of these events happened with TREASURESEASON. I found them on Soundcloud and it was more exciting and magical than 1000 of my convoluted stories ever could be.
You may remember when POST/POP released a Double A side single for PEPA KNIGHT a few months ago. You may have even bought it. If so, you will be one of the many people who have been positively frothing at the ear (is that a thing?) for more PEPA, and it’s about time we wiped that froth from your… ear. Luckily PEPA KNIGHT is better at producing incredible music, than I am with analogies, so here he is with the winter-busting HYPNOTIZED VOL. 1!
HERE IS A PREVIEW OF 3 SONGS FROM HYPNOTIZED VOL. 1
This year, more than most, I have become obsessed with certain songs. Obsessed to the point where I listen to a song on repeat for half a day until the lyrics become meaningless and the music is less music and more the sound of my heartbeat wowing and fluttering until sleep brings me sweet relief. This happened, quite suddenly with the M&O song “Jimi Savannah”. I first heard it while scouring the depths of the internet for new music to populate my radio show (I no longer do my radio show btw, in case you’ve been tuning in on Sundays!) and often tried to find excuses to play it twice on the same show. I then found out that M&O had an album with this song on it called “The Joy” and it fast became one of my standard go-to albums for when I needed guaranteed audio quality. But lo, what’s this? They have another album that preceded, called “Almost Us” and it features multiple guest appearances including Chance The Rapper? Amazing! Let’s stop here for just one second.
CHARITY MIXTAPE FOR THE MICHAEL J. FOX FOUNDATION
POST/POP X SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE
Back in 2006 I started a record label called Pop Will Prevail. The first 3 releases were split 7″ singles with Science Fiction Theatre, run by friend and professional northerner Michael Coates. Fast Forward 8 years and that’s the blueprint for this compilation album. Coincidentally, 2 of the aforementioned releases feature bands on this particular tape, just with slightly different names! (Apple eyes / Dutch Uncles)
