Photographs From The LaFaro Album Launch Show

Courtesy of AU & Carrie Davenport

ASIWYFA Voted Best Record Of The Decade: Alternative Ulster

Belfast-based AU Magazine polled thier readership for the best Irish albums of the decade and the results are out in the new issue. Thanks to everyone who voted ASIWYFA the best Irish record of the 2000s - the full list which includes 3 STA releases in the Top 10 and another 3 bringing the total to 6 is below.

It's also good to see friends of the label such as Bats, Adebisi Shank and the Jane Bradfords place high in the rundown. All told, NI music is in rude health!

AU Top 50 Irish albums of the Decade

1. And So I Watch You From Afar – And So I Watch You From Afar (2009)
2. Jape – Ritual (2008)
3. David Holmes – The Holy Pictures (2008)
4. Oppenheimer – Oppenheimer (2006)
5. Fight Like Apes – Fight Like Apes and the Mystery Of The Golden Medallion (2009)
6. Damien Rice – O (2002)
7. The Frames – For The Birds (2001)
8. Fighting With Wire – Man Vs. Monster (2008)
9. Snow Patrol – Final Straw (2003)
10. Jane Bradfords – Jane Bradfords (2008)
11. Adebisi Shank – This Is The Album Of A Band Called Adebisi Shank (2008)
12. The Immediate – In Towers and Clouds (2006)
13. Ash – Free All Angels (2001)
14. Snow Patrol – When It’s All Over We Still Have To Clear Up (2001)
15. David Holmes – Bow Down To The Exit Sign (2000)
16. BATS – Red In Tooth & Claw (2009)
17. Duke Special – Songs From The Deep Forest (2006)
18. Mumblin’ Deaf Ro – The Herring And The Brine (2007)
19. Simple Kid – 1 (2003)
20. David Kitt – The Big Romance (2001)
21. Clone Quartet – Well-Oiled Machine (2007)
22. The Redneck Manifesto – thirtysixstrings (2001)
23. The Redneck Manifesto – I Am Brazil (2004)
24. Desert Hearts – Hotsy Totsy Nagasaki (2006)
25. The Thrills – So Much For The City (2003)
26. Republic of Loose – Aaagh! (2006)
27. Fionn Regan – The End Of History (2006)
28. The Divine Comedy – Regeneration (2001)
29. Cathy Davey – Tales Of Silversleeve (2007)
30. Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew (2008)
31. Jetplane Landing – Once Like A Spark (2003)
32. Bell XI – Music In Mouth (2003)
33. Delorentos – In Love With Detail (2007)
34. Oppenheimer – Take the Whole Midrange and Boost It (2008)
35. The Chalets – Check In (2005)
36. Three Tales – Three Tales (2008)
37. Bell X1 – Flock (2005)
38. The Divine Comedy – Absent Friends (2004)
39. JJ72 – JJ72 (2000)
40. Desert Hearts – Let’s Get Worse (2004)
41. Jetplane Landing – Zero For Conduct (2001)
42. Gemma Hayes – Night On My Side (2002)
43. Boxcutter – Glyphic (2007)
44. So Cow – These Truly Are End Times (2007)
45. Si Schroeder – Coping Mechanisms (2006)
46. Robyn G. Shiels – A Lifetime Of Midnights (2006)
47. Patrick Kelleher – You Look Cold (2009)
48. Alloy Mental – We Have Control (2007)
49. Damien Dempsey – Seize the Day (2003)
50. Boxcutter – Oneiric (2006)

Public Service Blogcast Episode 50

The musical event of the Bank Holiday weekend is of course This Ain't No Picnic Derry - 10 acts including The Dangerfields, Panama Kings, LaFaro, Black Bear Saloon and - with offers of suitcases of Mean Fiddler money falling on deaf ears - now headlined by what I'm going to call Fighting With Ferris as Andrew Ferris takes to the stage with Fighting With Wire for a full live set of Jetplane Landing classics and over-ambitious covers for just £8 at St Columb's Hall. Andrew and Fighting With Wire's Cahir O'Doherty took time out from the TANP'D propaganda whirlwind of interviews and PR to showcase some of the bands playing on Saturday and also rocking the STA office with 2 exclusive acoustic Backlash Cop favourites.

Public Service Blogcast Episode 50
26 minutes 9 seconds
Recorded 27/08/09
Tracklisting
00.26 Spectator - On Deaf Ears
04.31 LaFaro - Tuppeny Nudger (from self-titled EP - Field Records)
09.25 Black Bear Saloon - First Against The Wall (from forthcoming debut album)
14.54 Stereo War Favourites - Sleeping Rooms
20.58 Andrew Ferris/Cahir O'Doherty - Sam Cooke (live acoustic version)
23.17 Andrew Ferris/Cahir O'Doherty - Song For Sonia Sanchez (live acoustic version)

If you have any suggestions for future takeovers or want to submit your demo for our forthcoming podcast series, get in touch - email blogcast@smalltownamerica.co.uk

SMALLTOWN AMERICA ALL DAYER 'THIS AINT NO PICNIC' - SATURDAY 29TH AUGUST 2009

Future Of The Left have had to cancel their Irish tour because of a late selection for Reading/Leeds Festival. We heard about this yesterday - and our apologies to those who have purchased tickets in advance. No problem with refunds at the point of purchase or at the door on production of your WGT confirmation number. As I'M IN CHARGE of the label I've promoted our set to the HEADLINERS... 10 acts £8... looking forward to seeing you all at St. Columb's its going to be an awesome night. Thanks to all the bands for helping to make this happen!

SMALLTOWN AMERICA ALL DAYER 'THIS AINT NO PICNIC'

DATE: SATURDAY 29TH AUGUST 2009

VENUE: ST COLUMBS HALL DERRY

ADDRESS: ORCHARD STREET BT48 6EG

LINEUP: ANDREW FERRIS (JETPLANE LANDING) / LAFARO / THE PANAMA KINGS / BLACK BEAR SALOON / THE DANGERFIELDS / SPECTATOR / STEREO WAR FAVOURITES / A.E.R / EVE's IPOD DISCO

DOORS: 3PM

MATINEE SHOW: 3:00 – 7:00 (+14)

EVENING SHOW: 7:00 – 01:30 (18+)

IPOD DJ SET - EVE – 3:15 – 3:55
Local sensation Eve kicks off the matinee party with her interactive, thumping indie, electro, hardcore and pop -

A.E.R 4:00 – 4:30
Gorgeous melodies and front-man star-in-the-making, A.E.R. have consistently impressed throughout 2009 - this is their biggest local show so far and deservedly so.

STEREO WAR FAVOURITES 4:45 – 5:15
See below

THE DANGERFIELDS 5:30 – 6:00
The Dangerfields play two types of music: rock AND roll. DIY heroes and touring junkies The Dangerfields' brand of no-bullshit, Ramones-pop is as infectious as it is legendary. This is their first live performance after extended hiatus.

LAFARO 6:15 – 7:00

DOORS CLOSE 7:00

DOORS RE-OPEN 7:15 (18+)

STEREO WAR FAVOURITES 7:45 – 8:15
Co. Derry contenders, SWF have impressed NI's taste-makers with their brand of ATD-I tinged emo-pop. Youthful swagger and scissor-kicking stage antics kick off our evening showcase.

SPECTATOR 8:30– 9:00
Fugazi-inspired, progressive math-rock trio - and possessors of the most insanely complex drummer in NI; Spectator are a Derry three-piece that have just completed work on their debut album.

BLACK BEAR SALOON – 9:15 – 9:45
Leading the NI Hardcore revivial ex-members of Throat and Element combine to produce accessible Bronx-esque muscle-core. Straight up, 4/4 and no fucking about with riffs to burn. Bring it!

PANAMA KINGS 10:00 – 10:30
Fresh from the UK festival circuit and darlings of the mainstream radiowaves, The Panama Kings are Les Savy Fav if they decided to be pop stars for a year. Taut, wriggly, slinky and sexy - with riffs as tight as their jeans.

LAFARO 10:45 – 11:30
Officially, the most exciting band in Ireland right now. Jesus Lizard, Pixies-infused Garage-Core. LaFaro have just completed their debut album - set for release on STA in 2010, we've heard it and it slays - come and see them live.

ANDREW FERRIS (FULL BAND SET) 12:00 – 01:00
Andrew is joined onstage by his good friends Fighting With Wire for a set covering eight years of Jetplane Landing tunes and favorite cover versions - worth the ticket price alone to watch Cahir attempt the guitar solo from 'Know Your Enemy' and fuck it up - again...

Ferris @ Love Music, Hate Racism festival - 5th July, 2009

Love Music, Hate Racism, in conjunction with SEEDS anti-racism network, have organised a two day music festival at the One World Centre in Derry to promote opposition to racism, following the attacks on Roma families in Belfast. I'll be playing among many others (including Johnny Black from LaFaro) - Johnny is lethal, and not to be missed. I better start practising.

David McAuley, from LMHR, said “We wanted to get this festival together at short notice to send a message that people are opposed to the sort of racist attacks we saw against the Roma people in Belfast in recent weeks. There is an undercurrent of racism in this town as well, and attacks on people and their homes are on the increase, as they are across Northern Ireland."

“We have been taken aback at the enthusiasm of all the musicians we contacted who agreed to play at short notice and there is a fantastic line-up for both the electric sessions on Saturday and the acoustic sessions on Sunday.”

Admission to the festival is free, and it is an alcohol free event. The Love Music Hate Racism Festival is also supported by Derry City Council and Homely Planet.

Saturday 4th July 1-5pm
Our Krypton Son
Future Chaser
Chipzel
Inexistence
Connor Kelly
The Free Radicals
Under Stars and Gutters
Sullem Voe
DJ Stephen McCauley & Dee Dee McAuley
DJ Singh Bangla and DJ Elly

Sunday 5th July 1-5pm
Andrew Ferris
Jonny Black (LaFaro)
Skruff
Junior Johnson
Tim Pot Operation
Jonny Nixon
Paddy Nash
Christopher Norby
plus poets and spoken word

Public Service Blogcast Episode 35

This episode: a unique takeover from the eloquent JP Reid AKA The Dragon (shown above on the right) who takes us on an unpredictable journey through his musical influences.











The Dragon is part of the enigmatic supergroup Marmaduke Duke who's middle chapter of a music trilogy, Duke Pandemonium, is out on May 11th while the week before sees the release of the excellent Pain Agency from Sucioperro in which JP Reid appears as JP Reid. Listen now before Billy Joel's people find out and shut the blogcast down!



Public Service Blogcast Episode 35
44 minutes 49 seconds
Recorded 10/04/09
Tracklisting
00.46 Billy Joel - Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway) (from Songs In The Attic album - Sony Budget)
06.44 Shawn Colvin - Looking For (The Heart Of Saturday Night) (from Cover Girl album - Sony Budget)
11.49 King Crimson - Frame By Frame (from The Collectable King Crimson, Vol. 3: Live in London, Pts. 1-2 1996)
14.12 Oceansize - One Out Of None (from Music For Nurses EP - Beggars Banquet)
18.22 Reuben - Blood Bunny Larkhall (from In Nothing We Trust album - Hideous)
21.30 Sucioperro - Conception Territory (from forthcoming Pain Agency album released 4th May 2009 - Maybe Records)
26.26 Jetplane Landing - Brave Gravity (from Once Like A Spark album - Smalltown America)
29.33 Marmaduke Duke - Skin The Mofo (from forthcoming Duke Pandemonium album released 11th May 2009 - 14th Floor Records)
31.52 Missy Elliott - Get Ur Freak On (from Miss-E...So Addictive album - Elektra)
36.07 Frank Zappa - Keep It Greasey (from Joe's Garage: Acts I,II and III album - Rykodisc)
41.28 Jackson Browne - Somebody's Baby (from The Very Best Of Jackson Browne album - Elektra)

If you have any suggestions for future takeovers or want to get a track played on a regular show, get in touch - email blogcast@smalltownamerica.co.uk.

Currently watching: Lost

Do You Remember The First Time? Review

As a precursor to Andrew's feature on Public Service Blogcast Episode 34 which will be online over the Easter weekend, here's Alternative Ulster's morning after the night before on last month's celebration of Northern Irish music.

So, last night was Do You Remember The First Time?, the huge gig at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, organised by trans and BBC Across The Line. And it was something special. The old hall looks magnificent following its refurbishment, all buffed-up, modernised and showing off every inch of its Victorian splendour, and it says something for music fans here that the place was utterly packed out from 7.30 until the whole thing drew to a close four hours later. 14 acts played, all from Northern Ireland and including five unsigned acts - Lowly Knights, Kowalski, Cashier No.9, Panama Kings and LaFaro - next to Ash, the Divine Comedy, headliners Therapy? and a guest appearance by Gary Lightbody and Nathan Connelly from Snow Patrol.

Each band got a chance to play one of their own songs and a cover of a band they saw play the Hall, which threw up some treats. As much as it was great to hear the newer bands play their stuff to over a thousand people in a packed hall (Cashier No.9 gave a storming version of ‘When Jackie Shone’, looking like they were born to play to big crowds, while a brand new Foy Vance song stunned the hall into awed silence), the fun was in the cover versions. Some played it pretty straight - Duke Special, whose band includes a member of The Waterboys, played a great version of their ‘Fisherman’s Blues’, LaFaro tore through The Strokes‘ ‘Juicebox’ and Fighting With Wire did the same for ‘You Really Got Me’ by the Kinks (apparently bassist Jamie saw a reformed version in 1994) - while a notable few put their own spin on things. Panama Kings turned Ash’s ‘A Life Less Ordinary’ into a fantastic cosmic disco track, Neil Hannon rattled through ‘Gigantic’ by the Pixies, just him and his piano, and The Lowly Knights paid tribute to the Divine Comedy with a gloriously huge arrangement of ‘Something For The Weekend’.

And there were surprises. Ash’s decision to play acoustic and without drums was disappointing, while we could probably have done without ‘Chasing Cars’, but it seems churlish to complain when the whole thing was done in such good spirits. Fighting With Wire were joined by Jetplane Landing’s Andrew Ferris for storming versions of Jetplane’s ‘Calculate The Risk’ and ‘Know Your Enemy’ by Rage Against The Machine, which seemed to bemuse as many people as it thrilled.

Finally, Therapy? came on and gave the people what they wanted. Andy Cairns looked like he was having the time of his life on stage as they rattled through a 100mph version of ‘Screamager’ (bless them for wheeling out their biggest hit), followed by (yes!) Stiff Little Fingers’ ‘Alternative Ulster’, then being joined by every band on the bill (and some that weren’t) for a mass ‘Teenage Kicks’. No bullshit, just dozens of artists and hundreds of people together in a glorious venue, paying tribute to the music and memories that have shaped their lives. A total celebration of Northern Irish music that must rank alongside the recent A Little Solidarity event.

After the party, the afterparty, as we adjourned upstairs to see Andy Henry from Clone Quartet play a solo laptop set before Not Squares embarked on a delirious assault on our ears with their schizoid punk-funk. And all this on a school night. Incredible.

Andrew Ferris Acoustic Set @ Truck 12

Andrew Ferris (Jetplane Landing) will be breaking out the acoustic guitar / knitwear* combo to play a Sunday afternoon set of Jetplane classics and ill-advised covers at Truck festival in Steventon near Oxford over the weekend of 25th & 26th July. ASIWYFA and Calories will also be playing so it's going to be a bit of an STA farm-based love-in. Tickets?

*Likley to be draped over the shoulders if the weather is nice

Whatever Happened To... Part 1

I'm often asked whatever happened to Jetplane Landing - what are the original members up to these days? In this three part series we'll be finding out.

Part 1
Raife Burchell (Drums) - as part of a lucrative sponsorsed parenting deal, congratulations are in order to the former powerhouse sticksman of one of the most cherished post hardcore outfits of the early noughties; Raife and "wife" Sarah have had a beautiful baby girl called Skype Video Calls. Aw, bless.

New Baby Presentatio..
Watch the ad...

The Grand Slam

Tomorrow is a big day for Ireland. If Ireland's rugby team beat Wales tomorrow, it will secure the Six nations Championship and in the process Ireland's first Grand Slam (clean sweep of victories) since 1948.

It's one of those rare occasions when everyone on the Island, North and South, can unite behind a team without any religious or political nonsense getting in the way.

For those of us not at SXSW, we're having a massive party to watch the game tomorrow, and we have an incentive for you all to get involved and root for the Boys in Green as well.

If Ireland get the job done, by DEFEATING Wales and securing the Grand Slam, we're gonna have a half-price sale from Sunday through to Tuesday. Everything in the store from STA001 (Jetplane Landing - Zero For Conduct) up to and including STA50 (We Versus The Shark - Dirty Versions) will be half price.

So starting making your wish lists and sending over good vibes to the Green half of The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

C'mon Ireland!

Ul-STA Hall Reopens: Good Excuse To Get Hands In The Air

STA assisted with the re-launch of the Ulster Hall this week in Belfast, with loads of our acts performing across two stages. Clone Quartet, Fighting With Wire, And So I Watch You From Afar and even me... (pictured) made an appearance.

I got an excited email from one of the concert organisers this morning - "Its worth mentioning that when a venue gets £8.5 million put into it some people in Council might think that the room should be kept for classical music and conferences. The effects of Monday will be felt right across the city whether people realise or not. Some very powerful people sat up and went 'Holy Shit!' (I'm paraphrasing btw), and everyone of you were vital to making that happen."

Listen Again To The Whole Show

Fighting With Wire's Media Training seems to be working.

Full photostream here from the BBC

Thanks to Wally for providing the percussion for JPL and to Tony ASI... for providing the vocals in the middle bit to 'Know Your Enemy'. Gotta end this post with the masters... a finger to the land of the chains!

Attention All Dissertation Writers...

Seeing Andrew Griswold's face reminded me of the great interview he did with Jamie B. JPL regarding touring. It seems to be dissertation season at the moment at Uni (you poor buggers) - so in the spirit of bequeathing information; I'll try to tag any Q&As I complete over the next few weeks with 'Handy For Dissertations' - check back.

We like contributing to your projects at college and Uni, the easiest way for us to do it is in electronic Q&A form. Please check the press archive on the official site to find out more about the label and consult the FAQ when compiling your Qs as they may have been asked before. [By the way I didn't deliberately cut Cahir out of the photograph - Blogger did it, click on the image for the big guns.]

1. Cuckoo were signed to Geffen. Did this inspire you to take a more DIY approach with JPL?
The first Jetplane record was recorded on our own in my parents' garage. Andrew and I had been writing songs together and we wanted to record them. There was no way we could have afforded to get into any proper studio at the time. Also, I think that we felt that no record company would be at all interested in the two of us playing the kind of music that we were trying to make, looking the way that we did. We were pretty realistic about it. Maybe some of the Geffen stuff had wised us up to the real facts of how big record labels work. But I don't remember us ever having the conversation were we said let's do everything DIY.

Events just trickled forwards very slowly over the course of nearly two years from the point of being in my parents' garage to where Smalltown America started.

2. You've played most of the major festivals, had BBC and MTV airplay, been featured in Kerrang! etc. Did you always and do you still consider JPL to be a DIY band?

Jetplane Landing are a DIY band but not from an idealist stand point, more from a very practical position. That is to say: I don't think that we are DIY in the same vein as a band like Fugazi. A band like that chooses to work outside of the industry on a political and personal basis. Once you start appearing at festivals sponsored by huge beer companies, and on MTV, I don't think you are really working from the same stand point. You are now inside the corporate world anyway… only you're mainly there on your own. None of the big labels want you there because you are taking up space that one of their so called "signed" bands could have. Major labels still really run and feed the industry at a certain level; they still control most of the printed press for instance. Taking Jetplane into that world, sometimes, felt like we were completely out of our depth.

3. Do you feel there are any limits on what a DIY band can achieve without compromising its integrity?

As I said before, if you have a very clear personal agenda and you stick to it honestly then I don't think you will feel any loss of integrity at all. I guess the same goes if your only goal is to make loads of money and show off to the people you went to school with that you are now on the cover of the NME: if that happens, and that was what you wanted, how have you compromised any integrity? Ask Johnny Borrell, I bet he sleeps like a baby at night.

The biggest piece of advice I could give to any band starting out on the whole DIY route is that if you really want to make it work you will have to feed some of the money you make into the individual band memebers pockets, from the beginning. Even if the profits are small. For a band to function and stick together everyone has to be happy. And it's unrealistic to believe that your band are going to give up all of the time that is needed for touring etc, while not working, and to never make any money out of it. It puts too much strain on people and eventually they will drift away. So keep it small and share it out.
4. You completed a 60-date tour of the UK in 2003. How did that affect you mentally, physically and as a band unit? Any particularly memorable experiences, good or bad?

We were a shithot band but complete zombies by the time it was over. Our minds had turned into the inside of a Travelodge room... our eyes were two fried eggs from a motorway café... our hands were constantly frozen into the grip of a beer bottle - if we were drinking one or not. Every night, for weeks after the tour had finished, around stage time, say 10:30 p.m., our hearts would automatically start racing a little and we would start performing on our own in our front rooms.

5. Do you feel DIY touring is more or less feasible in 2008 than at previous times?

I booked our first tour. It wasn't too hard to do. I used the phone and sent out CDs.

But it worked in more or less the same way really as I imagine it would today: I approached it like a job; I just pestered the hell out of promoters and said we would take any slot, at any money, the first time around. I managed to string together ten or so shows. There you go: you're on tour.

6. Has the internet made it easier for bands to 'book their own lives'? Are there any downsides to this?

I can't see a downside at all. Bands aren't getting any worse because of it. More people are getting their stuff heard. It all seems like a much healthier way for people to find out about new music.

7. What do you remember of the dark days of band life before the internet?

Before the internet the big labels totally dominated. That was nuts because they could, or would, only sign very few new acts. It was like there was a door that swung open and when the room was full they said: "Thanks very much, that's all the good music we need right now." They were acting like there was a finite amount of talent and once they had bought their share of that then those left on the outside must not be deserving of their attention. It's great really how their elitist, close-minded approached has led to them heading to, what seems like, becoming defunct. I mean if you sign for a major these days you'd have to be kidding yourself that it was a good long-term move.

8. Do you feel the DIY 'revolution' has had a negative impact on quality control - i.e. too many bands, too many CDs?

Can you have too many bands? Too many CDs? You can press too many CD's and end up with them stored in a cupboard under the stairs, but I don't think you can have a limit on the number of bands. Everyone should be in one… even The Ting Tings.

9. In JPL's case, is the DIY approach purely out of necessity or a desire to maintain independence - or a combination of the two?

I feel like I am answering these questions with more or less the same answer every time. Sorry for my lack of imagination but when you do something like this people might just scan to one of your answers and judge everything you are saying by that answers… So, Jetplane's approach was more of a necessity. We have never been offered any money. We worked on our own because we wanted to make records and that seemed like the only way we could make them.

10. As JPL became busier and more successful in the early '00s did you find yourselves letting other people take over more responsibilities?
Yes. We eventually took on an agent for live bookings and our booking's became better and better. We paid people to plug our singles and videos and then people played our singles and videos more and more. We had help from a press agent and as a result all of our albums have been given reviews in the national press. The only real DIY element was that we controlled and worked with all of these people directly ourselves.

11. Are there any forerunners or current exponents of the DIY approach who you particularly admire?

Just before we made our second album I read a book about film maker John Cassavetes called, Cassavetes on Cassavetes. It is the clearest and truest explanation of why you can get more satisfaction from working on things yourself – even if they aren't so big-time because of it. I personally believe that DIY is the only real approach that anyone can honestly take right now to making music, films, books, anything artistic. But that is probably why I have never made any money.

12. What's next for JPL? Has FWW's success had a negative or positive impact on the band's functionality?

We hope to record another album. The FWW thing has had a slight negative on Jetplane. Cahir is very, very busy right now. You can't go on tour with two bands at the sametime. But to be honest, Jetplane are very much up in the air all ways round. Still, we haven't split up.

Ouch

Occasionally things happen that bring a little tear to my post-emo eye; sincerely though - it's touching when someone thinks enough of your stuff to ink it on their body. 'Small Differences Combine And Propel' is from Jetplane's Brave Gravity fact checkers.

I heard that someone in Belfast got 'FWW' tattooed on their knuckles in the Foo Fighters font; your writer has no public opinion on that matter.

I can't take credit for this particular couplet - I think this is a Mr. Burchellism. I remember when I first saw the video for Brave Gravity that Raife and Gary made - it was class, I couldn't believe all those people put all that effort into it.

I've never had a tattoo - if I did it would be of my own face printed on my chest. Maybe. Good Night.