Tuesday, 18 May 2010

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/

Friday, 14 May 2010

LaFaro Album Launch - KKKK

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

Wednesday, 12 May 2010

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)

Monday, 10 May 2010

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



Thursday, 6 May 2010

Tuesday, 4 May 2010

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

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 BelfastLaFaro'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.

LaFaroT

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

GreenTeaEP


'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...

Rory ASIWYFA by Rory ASIWYFA


"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!"

pavementistrad

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 5Eelectricity And LustJohnny 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

Illness


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

Posted via email from Smalltown America Records

Sunday, 2 May 2010

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

Thursday, 29 April 2010

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...!


Saturday, 24 April 2010

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.

Tuesday, 20 April 2010

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
Herb Magee
aw shucks...........
Yesterday at 1:43pm
Aaron Connolly
Aaron Connolly
can't wait for it to drop on my doorstep!
Yesterday at 2:14pm
Mik O'Connell
Mik O'Connell
Apparently it's so loud you can hear it thru the packaging.
Yesterday at 8:17pm
Mark McAllister
Mark McAllister
Apparently its so loud it comes with earplugs
Yesterday at 8:18pm
Francis McEldowney
Francis McEldowney
I heard it was so loud, it cause that Volcano in Iceland to erupt!
Yesterday at 8:19pm
Mik O'Connell
Mik O'Connell
Apparently it's so heavy you need a reinforced CD player.
Yesterday at 8:23pm
Francis McEldowney
Francis McEldowney
you need Manowars Full P.A just to handle herbs bass!
Yesterday at 8:24pm
Mark McAllister
Mark McAllister
Apparently its so heavy it has to be delivered by freight
Yesterday at 8:25pm
Mik O'Connell
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: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

Sunday, 18 April 2010

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.

Friday, 16 April 2010

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

Thursday, 15 April 2010

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

Tuesday, 13 April 2010

Carrie Davenport Exhibition - Launch Night - 19/04/2010

Friend of STA Carrie Davenport opens a photography exhibition showing the best of her recent work on April 19th at Alternative Ink Tattoo Studio Holywood.

Carrie Davenport Official

Posted via email from Smalltown America Records

LaFaro Album Launch - Night Three Now Onsale

Tickets are now on sale for a third night at The Menagerie - the first two nights are now completely sold out.

LaFaro
Wed 28th April 2010
Belfast - The Menagerie
Doors: 9PM
Price: £5.00

Posted via email from Smalltown America Records

Tick... Tick... Boom!

No it's not The Fresh Prince - it's LaFaro on the Big Boi Hype Night with Zane Lowe: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00ry9dn

Listen to it all brothers and sisters - but our boys kick it at the thirty five minute mark.

Alright then - here it is:

Posted via email from Smalltown America Records

Monday, 12 April 2010

If you buy...

...one record this week - make it, 'Lifeguard' by Friendship. It's out on the class Too Pure Singles Club next Monday (19th April) but you can pre-order it now.

This is a properly great single: ambitious, catchy and a what a class groove. I heard it on 6music the other day and it made me stop what I was doing, which is always lovely.

The band are on a short tour in May and play with career survivalists The Futureheads in Kingston with our own Ice, Sea, Dead People too later this week - which sounds like it will be an awesome gig.

Upload Courtesy of SuperAce:
Lifeguard - Friendship by superaceblog

Myspace | Buy It | Follow Friendship