Vote ASIWYFA For Kerrang Awards

Hey all!

We could really do with your help over the next little while! Basically you can vote for us in the Kerrang Awards 2010 and well, we'd love to win something!!! Hooray!!!

SO all you need to do is click here and vote for ASIWYFA in every category you can!

Let us know when you have voted so we can say thanks and we might find something nice to send to a few of you, or put you in a competition for something nice, I don't know, we'll do something as an extra thank you though!

Cheers for taking the time out of your busy bank holiday!

ASIWYFA Team

LaFaro Confirmed for Guilfest 2010!

The summer festival season gets off to a smashin' start for LaFaro as they have just been confirmed for The Rocksound Rock Cave at this years Guilfest

For more information on tickets/line-up please click here

Fighting With Wire to headline Glasgowbury

Fresh from the confirmation that Fighting With Wire will take to the stage to headline this years Glasgowbury Festival, Cahir takes a few moments to talk to NI's resident photographer Matthew Patton >>>> Click here to read the full interview

To purchase your tickets for this years Glasgowbury Festival Click Here

(purchasing in advance is advisable due to last years sellout!!)

Frank Turner tomorrow night - Mandela Hall, Belfast

Frank Turner has been a long term friend of STA and has had to put up with everything we have thrown at him, including a one month stint with Fighting With Wire during the March 2004 Million Dead UK tour! Ahh those where the days!

I was lucky enough to be in town last time the Frank Turner show rolled in. I can honestly say it was one of the most inspiring, honest and heartfelt shows I have ever been lucky enough to see.

This time Turner vs STA comes packaged with one Mr Jonny Black. He flies home from his only day off on the UK LaFaro tour to take stage in support of Frank in Belfast's Mandela Hall tomorrow night.

This show is going to be brilliant so if you haven't already make that necessary purchase and team STA will see you down the front for beers et craic!

For tickets, click here

4 Or 5 Magicians: New Line-up Announced

All change in the 4 or 5 Magicians ranks. It was a pretty mutual feeling between the entire band at the end of last year that the current era of 4 or 5 Magicians was coming to an end. Even though we had just (finally!) released our debut album, I'd been playing some of the songs since October 2005, and I needed a fresh start. Sam and Alex also decided they needed to focus on other commitments in life and said goodbye. Ivan wanted to stay on, and I was more than happy to have him, but alas now, he too has been forced to back out after a full year of active service due to a crazy work schedule involving working behind the scenes on T4, Something For The Weekend, and various popular music videos, reviewing girls netball matches for a local radio station, opening supermarkets in Port Talbot - that kind of thing. He may even be in Hollyoaks, seriously. So this all added up to a big lack of rehearsal and recording time and the distinct possibility he'd be forced to cancel shows left right and centre in the future. So he decided that it would be best for both parties if he retired gracefully. I'm sorry to see the guy go, and he is sorry to be leaving. A shame indeed.

However, we have a ready made replacement to plug into someone elses bass amp in the form of Brighton indie legend Ben Gregory whose rockkk band Everyone To The Anderson have been consistently one of the very best bands in Brighton since I moved there over six years ago. He also plays girly acoustic guitar in Curly Hair and apparently I am joining them on the drums, so look out for me doing that with them. Hopefully both bands will make it to the big time!

Also we have finally found a new guitarist after what seems like months and months. Actually it has been almost six months. Ridiculous. Anyway, he is Aslam Ghauri, a stalwart of the Kingston scene, and after our first rehearsal the other day, this kid has some dance moves! Looking forward to grooving with him on stage in the near future.

And we've already introduced you to James Thomas on drums, who is sounding excellent in rehearsals, and after two shows is already being talked about among loyal fans as "the best drummer yet!", which is saying something as we have had some pretty badass drummers in the past.

"Yet" is not a concept I'm thinking of right now though - this lineup looks set to stay in place for a long time. Which is a good thing.

Only problem is we will need a few shows to get properly rocking, so if you come see us in the next couple of months and it isn't quite there yet, then don't despair, as I can tell this is gonna work, and work very well, even after just one rehearsal.

I can't wait to get the new songs out there on the world. I think that they could well be very, very good. I currently have nine pretty much finished in my head, two of which we will be playing at our grand unveiling on June 4th in Brighton, and by the time our London debut comes around on July 9th, we will hopefully have, ahem, four or five ready. We will be demoing these songs over the coming couple of months as and when they become ready, and the aim is to record the album by late summer, and get it out there to everyone at the beginning of next year. Will be a couple of UK wide tours before then hopefully!

Think that's all for now. Quite excited to see how it all pans out!

Dan xx

Skibunny Confirmed for Rockness!

Skibunny DJ'd at Rockness in 2008, at Rob Da Bank's 'Nestival' stage, this will be the bands first time playing live...be sure to catch them! Here are the vitals

Sat 12th June
ROCKNESS
Go North Stage
Time TBC
http://www.rockness.co.uk/

LaFaro Album Launch - KKKK

Check out this weeks Kerrang! - they sent one of the team along to check out the LaFaro album launch show >>>>

Rocksound TV - Band of the week is ?

Why its LaFaro of course - nice little mid week suprise eh?

Rocksound we salute you, one and all

Click here and then >>> scroll scroll scroll

Cutaways Play London, Liverpool Next Week

Friends of STA Cutaways will be deploying their two boys, one girl, two synths, one guitar, a drum kit and bags full of hooks and melodies on London and Liverpool next week. Since self-releasing their jagged and boisterous pop gem of a debut album ‘Earth and Earthly Things’ last summer they have taken their vibrant live show all across Ireland, playing with the likes of Wild Beasts and Emmy the Great while also touring the UK and Canada. They come armed with new 2nd album material next week:

Club Fandango @ The Buffalo Bar (18/5-Onstage @10.30)
The Good Ship, Kilburn (19/5)
The Metropolitan @ Liverpool Sound City w/ Cashier No. 9, Kowalski, Axis Of (20/5)
Eurocultured Festival, Manchester (30/5)

LaFaro - Debut Album On Sale Today!

Today is a proud day in STA towers - we on this the 10th May 2010 release our 70th title on Smalltown America Records!

We couldn't be happier to mark this milestone with the self titled rawk behemoth from our favourite rock 'n' roll wrecking crew LaFaro >>>

KKKK - "...a thing of rampant power and joy. With a devotion to dirty groves and clobbering, belligerent riffs that boast more bite than Pac-Man on a dot gobbling binge..."

8|10 RockSound - "...rocks with a ferocious, frenetic spirit few bands could rival, and the lyrics are ace throughout."

Irish News - "...a short sharp shock of heavy, abrasive grunge rock carved from big dumb riffs, savage caveman drumming and the rantings of an evil old pervert."

Available now from all your local record stores as part of the May Cargo Collective.

Buy Online Now from >>>> Smalltown America

Cargo Collective May 2010

LaFaro's S/T debut is included in this month's Cargo Collective which means that anyone in the locality of a good indie store should trek along there and pick it up at a bargain price as well as investigating the other 11 excellent titles this month

Ice, Sea, Dead People To Support Future Of The Left

New Fighting With Wire Interview

Cahir weighs in on the new Ash single, LaFaro and recording in the US on the Randomville blog.

Smalltown America - May 2010 - Newsletter

So, the volcano meant that I couldn't fly to Manchester today and now it's chucking it down in Derry. Typical Britain, huh? Nevermind, here's the latest, guaranteed 100% volcanic dust/water-proof, release and live news from STA Towers.

[0] MPFree: Skibunny

We're pleased to announce that Skibunny have joined the STA family! Already prolific remixers (including a number of mixes for STA artists), the Belfast/Edinburgh-sourced duo are gearing up for the release of their debut album later in the year. We're delighted to present you with a free MP3 of 'Baby Get Into It', which is taken from aforementioned album. 

The band are showcasing at the XFM/City Showcase night on May 8th @ The Borderline, London. We have two tickets to give away for the show - first two people to email Ash get em!

[1] LaFaro - 'LaFaro' - 10/05/2010

It's here! Fresh off their dates with And So I Watch You From Afar and their three night, sold out album launch in Belfast, LaFaro's self-titled debut album is released on CD/DD on May 10th. You can pre-order it now from our super-whizzy new store, all pre-orders are despatched with an exclusive bonus CDR. AlanLaFaro put on some lipstick kisses on the last batch - that's how much he loves his pre-orderers! If you've got the album already please tell us what you think of it on Twitter @STA_Records or @LaFaro.

We're also selling an exclusive t-shirt, to coincide with the release of 'Tuppenny Nudger', the first single from the album. The shirt is strictly limited to just 50 units, and features a design sketched byLaFaro's Jonny Black. You can order the shirt right now from from this mailout's exclusive, secret link

. 

We're also looking for some help in choosing the next LaFaro single. Maybe you can help and take our survey?

The band are on tour for the rest of this month:
6 May  - Strange Brew @ Roisin Dubh - Galway, Galway, IE     
7 May  - Electric Avenue - Waterford, Waterford, IE     
9 May  - Cyprus Avenue - Cork, Cork, IE     
11 May  - RTE 2FM *Radio Session* - Dublin, IE     
13 May  - Spirit Store - Dundalk, Louth, IE     
14 May  - Academy - Dublin , IE     
15 May  - INF - Warrenpoint, Northern I, GB     
17 May  - Moles - Bath, UK     
18 May  - Portland Arms - Cambridge, UK     
19 May  - Ink @ The Masque, Sound City Festival - Liverpool, GB 
20 May  - Captains Rest - Glasgow, Scotland, GB     
21 May  - Devitos - Arbroath, Scotland , GB     
22 May  - Hustlers - Dundee, Scotland, UK     
23 May - Bannerman’s - Edinburgh, Scotland, UK     
24 May - Duchess - York - South, GB     
25 May - The Well - Leeds, Midlands, GB     
26 May - The Flapper - Birmingham, Midlands, GB     
27 May - Unit - Southampton, Southwest, GB     
29 May - The Forum (All-Dayer) - Tunbridge Wells, GB     
30 May - Cowley Club - Brighton, South , GB     
31 May - Louisiana - Bristol, UK     

[2] Alan MX - 'Green Tea' 12 Track EP - 17/05/10

'Green Tea', the second single from Alan MX's interstellar debut album 'Warpsichord' will be released on May 17th. It is available in two packages - a six-track digital download EP, and a handmade 2 x CDR set containing the six track EP and a bonus remix EP. The physical release is limited to just fifty copies and can be pre-ordered right now for £5. There is a lot of love in this record, thank you to everyone that helped pull it together.

 

 

[3] ASIWYFA European Tour Continues...

"So I'm sitting in the venue in Warsaw home of tonights rock event it's been five weeks so far I believe and in a mere two we'll be back from our first ever European headline tour! Everyone is tired but in good spirits. 

We celebrated Johnny's Birthday in Oberhausen a couple of days back, which resulted in a day of inevitable hang-over on which we also had to injure a 15-hour drive to Poznan, glad that's over. So far it's been our best tour to date I think. 

The first ten days with LaFaro was predictably awesome, LaFarobeing awesome and all that. Then into Europe which has kind of hit us for six really, we had hoped it would be great but i dont think we thought it would as good as it has been. Almost every show has been rammed and the enthusiasm of the fans is incredible, to everyone making this happen we salute you. 

So anyways, we're home soon to get onto some writing before festival season, keep an eye online for the announcents, it's gonna be a good summer yes sir! Chris, Johnny and Tony send their love. See you on the other side guys." - Rory ASIWYFA

We've got the first round of summer festival confirmations that see the band heading out across the UK and mainland Europe:
2 May - Lodz Kaliska KRAKOW, PL
3 May - Pod Minoga POZNAN, GB
4 May - Exit Chmelnice Prague, cz
6 May - Mappa Club BUDAPEST, HU
9 May - Club Zukunft ZURICH, CH
10 May - Chelsea Vienna, AT
11 May - Magnolia MILAN, IT
12 May - Traffic ROME, IT
13 May - Locomotiv Bologna, IT
15 May - The Great Escape Festival, Brighton, UK

[4] 4 or 5 Magicians Present: Pavement Ist Rad! - 08/05/10

From the nostalgic individuals that brought you the 'There's Nothing Wrong With Covers' shows and the 'Our Band Could BBQ Your Life'weekender comes 'Pavement Ist Rad!', a tribute to the legends that are Stephen Malkmus, Mark Ibold, Scott Kannberg, Bob Nastanovich and Steve West. the beings otherwise known as Pavement - who are back in the country for a reunion and a final week of greatest hits shows in the UK.

"Their shows are £30, and feature just two bands on each night! The cheek! Ours is just £7 advance (tickets on sale soon!) and features 12 bands - what a bargain! There's a minimum tariff of three covers for each band, so you're guaranteed at least 36 Pavement songs you'll get in your afternoon / evening, as well as the very best of each band's own material!"

This is the current plan of action :

Popular Workshop
4 or 5 Magicians
Sir Yes Sir
Muscle Club
Kannberg 1664 (one-off supergroup, members of 4 or 5, Eelectricity And Lust, Johnny Foreigner and Internet Forever)
Monster Island
Men Called Him Mister
Ace Bushy Striptease
Amy Blue
Eelectricity And Lust
It's Fiction
No Plato

Doors @ 2:30pm
Bands 2:45pm to 11:30pm
Free BBQ @ 5:00pm
DJs until 2:00am
Advance Tickets Available Now

This is also your first chance to see 4 or 5's latest lineup and hear some of the new songs the band has been working on. Woowoo!

[5] Illness - Still Ill

We trust everyone liked the exclusive Illness track we gave away last month? The band's first EP is currently pencilled in for a July release - more details next month - but the band certainly aren't wasting time, as they've been out this week shooting a video for a track from their second EP. Woah. They're planning a bigger tour in July to coincide with the release, but for now they have a couple of shows coming up this month:

22 May - Preston Circus - Brighton, GB     
29 May - Camden Barfly - London, GB
30 May - Cowley Club - Brighton, GB

 

Thanks as always for reading,

Team STA

Official | Store | Twitter | Blog

Posted via email from Smalltown America Records

Photographs From The LaFaro Album Launch Show

Courtesy of AU & Carrie Davenport

Axis Of - 'Port Na Spanaigh' Single Launch 05/05/10

Good friends of STA, Belfast's Axis Of launch their single 'Port Na Spaniagh' on the 5th May in the Limelight Bar, Belfast

Having filled the Auntie Annie's venue to capacity for their previous single launch it's the hottest ticket in town this week. Support acts are Robyn G Shiels, Pocket Billiards and Visceral Attack. Entry is five english pounds and there is a free CD on entry  FREE CD.

Posted via email from Smalltown America Records

4 Or 5 Magicians Curate Pavement Ist Rad! All-Dayer

Help Us Pick LaFaro's Next Single

Hey Team STA,

We need your help at the office - we can't decide what the next LaFaro single should be - so can you help us decide please? We've narrowed it down to five tracks (see the player)... helpful I know, but honestly we've all got our different favourites. Our system is one of proportional representation - so you can pick more than one candidate.

If you could tweet this link please and spread the word on this to your mates - that would be wonderful. Go on, put your Radio DJ Hat on for a couple of minutes and help a brother out. Cheers Ears!

Burnt Clip by Laura Campbell  
Download now or listen on posterous

burnt clip.mp3 (677 KB)

Chopper Clip by Laura Campbell  
Download now or listen on posterous

Chopper Clip.mp3 (755 KB)

Girl Clip by Laura Campbell  
Download now or listen on posterous

Girl Clip.mp3 (458 KB)

Not Clip by Laura Campbell  
Download now or listen on posterous

Not Clip.mp3 (637 KB)

Party Clip by Laura Campbell  
Download now or listen on posterous

party clip.mp3 (864 KB)

Posted via email from Smalltown America Records

Rock Sound's New Band of the Month - LaFaro

Three sold out nights at Belfast's Menagerie Club to launch the debut record, even Mark Lanegan's band came down to rock it out on Wednesday night. LaFaro are certainly kicking in doors at the minute - so it's no surprise that they are Rock Sound's May centrefolds. What's this about naked wrestling back at JB's house after Tuesday night's show with Fighting With Wire... boys...!

Illness Are Source Magazine's New Favourite Band

Read why and find out about their next Brighton show here

New LaFaro Remix by Skibunny

We’ve just finished our second remix for old friends and label mates LAFARO. Our version of Great Conversations Remembered No.36: Jeff Hinton will be featured on the BONUS CD that accompanies pre-orders of Lafaro’s AMAZING debut LP, released 10th May on Smalltown America Records.

More LaFaro Spins From Zane Lowe

Check Out LaFaro on Zane Lowe this week - listen again @ 52 mins...

Posted via email from Smalltown America Records

ASIWYFA Live At Maida Vale

Check out this brand new video of ASIWYFA performing 'S Is For Salamander' at the world famous Maida Vale. Please leave a comment on the video page and support our boys at Radio One!

Posted via email from Smalltown America Records

FWW Announced for LaFaro Album Launch Bill

Yes - you better believe it. Fighting With Wire will be the support act for the second LaFaro album launch show. To celebrate - we've just released thirty additional tickets for those tweet-reading, NI FWW fans - get them now or they're gone!

Posted via email from Smalltown America Records

'LaFaro' - The Album Thread

apparently it's so heavy that:

Stephen McCauley

It's a masterpiece! Album of the year!

Yesterday at 1:26pm

Herb Magee

aw shucks...........

Yesterday at 1:43pm

Aaron Connolly

can't wait for it to drop on my doorstep!

Yesterday at 2:14pm

Mik O'Connell

Apparently it's so loud you can hear it thru the packaging.

Yesterday at 8:17pm

Mark McAllister

Apparently its so loud it comes with earplugs

Yesterday at 8:18pm

Francis McEldowney

I heard it was so loud, it cause that Volcano in Iceland to erupt!

Yesterday at 8:19pm

Mik O'Connell

Apparently it's so heavy you need a reinforced CD player.

Yesterday at 8:23pm

Francis McEldowney

you need Manowars Full P.A just to handle herbs bass!

Yesterday at 8:24pm

Mark McAllister

Apparently its so heavy it has to be delivered by freight

Yesterday at 8:25pm

Mik O'Connell

Pah. LaFaro drop icecubes down Joey's loincloth.

Yesterday at 8:25pm

Posted via email from Smalltown America Records

ROAR E-ZINE - Translators Required!

Roar e-zine have reviewed every ASIWYFA show in Holland so far:

Show One
Show Two
Show Three
Show Four

They are all very good I am assured - anyone care to attempt a translation?

Posted via email from Smalltown America Records

'Tupenny Nudger' On Bruce Dickinson 6Music

Give the iPlayer a spin at around 2'50" ish to hear LaFaro rubbing shoulders with Opeth et al. This has officially made Alan LaFaro's life...

Posted via email from Smalltown America Records

ASIWYFA - Festival Appearance Announcements

August 19th - Pukkelpop
Hasselt, Belgium

19th July - Festival de-Affaired
Nijmegen, Netherlands

Illness Support Health - Brighton, Monday

Illness will be supporting the fantastic Health alongside Cold Pumas at Audio on Brighton's seafront tomorrow (Monday 19th) night. Tickets still on sale. Sounds like a good argument for skiving off work and heading to the seaside to me.

Ice, Sea, Dead People Do Van/Status-Representation

Remember that famous Ronnie Barker/John Cleese/Ronnie Corbett comedy sketch from The Frost Report about class? Here's Ice, Sea, Dead People's interpretation from Kingston last Thursday where they opened for Friendship and the Futureheads.

Ice, Sea, Dead People Play Cellar, Oxford - Saturday

And So I Watch You From Afar: Tour & Banter

Me and one of the Glasgow troops

Hi all

ASIWYFA checking in. Hope everyone is fighting fit and not covered in volcanic ash. It woulod seem strange that something that happens so far away could effect what goes on for a group of Irish fellas in Paris, or a group of gig goers in Glasgow, BUT, due to the ash cloud which was making its way to the UK our flights to Glasgow to play our Radio 1 show got cancelled and so we didnt make it. Huge apologies to everyone who had got a ticket for the event, i know we'd been getting a lot of corespondence from all you guys coming to see us, so again massive apologoes but lets face it, a volcano is the best excuse we've ever had.

So suprise suprise we're still touring, it all started on the 9th of March when we flew to Toronto for Canadian Music Week, on that trip we made our way south through NY and finished with a week at SXSW festival in Austin TX which was incredible. Then back to Ireland for our Dublin and Derry EP launches before heading out straight away for our debut Maida Vale session with Radio 1 after which we had a wonderful 11 days in the UK with out support and heroes LaFaro. As always it was a trip filled with bromance, debotchery and a very sad goodbye at the end, we love you boys. It was also the tour which we had our first pre gig sell out! thanks London, and thanks to everyone who came out to see us, its by far and away the most people we've ever seen coming out to support us, we've very grateful.

NY
Brussells

So we're currently on mainland Europe, a little bummed we didnt get over to Glasgow last night but im making the most of it at the mo, im being very continental with coffee and croissants at a cafe while the boys sleep in the van. I think it was a late one for a few of the band and crew last night?? and for the first time ever im up before our tour manager Graham, maybe im sick?? maybe Grahams sick!! maybe im still asleep??

anyway..
Hasselt

its our first headline tour of europe and we're a little speachless really, the audiences in Brussles and Paris blew us away, we couldnt believe how many tshirts were in the crowd and how many people had come out to see us, the energy we got off you guys was incredible, very good times, thank you.

Me at the Arc

we've another 5 weeks to go i think, if the rest of the shows are half as good as the first two we'll be grinning.

in other exciting news, we've been put ASIWYFA tshirts have been spotted on Gok Wans How to Look Good Naked and, probably the most exciting of all, on WWE Raw!!!

Andy
The Lads, Domino Festival

Class Of 2010

I've been teaching this lovely lot (motley crew) for the last twelve weeks at the University Of Ulster (School Of Creative Arts) - as we are drawing near to the course, I thought it would be nice to post a picture up. So here they all are!

It's been decided unanimously that this is one of the greatest songs of the last 25 years:

Posted via email from Smalltown America Records

LaFaro / And So I Watch You From Afar London Borderline Photos

Check out AU's photographic evidence of LaFaro and ASIWYFA's recent attack on the city of London.