We finish a very busy year with four releases …..

Umbrella Assassins Dad’s Song – 6th December Release – Digital Download

Responding to a post from Rebel Arts Radio, asking for radio stings the band knocked up a riff and used lyrics that drummer Garry’s dad gave to them. They liked it so much, they adopted it into a song.

The new single ‘Dad’s Song’ recorded in Tiny Eyes Studios concludes a busy year for the Haverhill Shed-Punk trio. Andy’s words describe a meeting with Carol at a party in Wood Green 1970. A love story that continues fifty years later.

3 years ago Umbrella Assassins were reborn in Steve’s shed. Escaping everyday lifes’ boredoms and unpleasantness, making a haven for creativity and the appreciation of beer at the bottom of the garden. The punk trio would go on to create something special, that would change their lives forever, Shed Punk!!!

Various Artists – Off The Leash (Charity Album) – 13th December Release – Digital Download

We continue our annual routine of compiling rarities, oddities, remixes and new tracks by our artists to deliver an album dedicated to raising money for charity – this year it’s Manchester Mind.

Manchester Mind is an independent local charity dedicated to supporting people in the Manchester area with Mental Health issues. They have been delivering services in the city since 1989 (previously as HARP), initially focusing on people living in Hulme, but over the years they have extended their services to meet the needs of people citywide. In 2011, they became one of 137 Local Mind Associations, as they affiliated to national Mind.

Our artists have generously donated tracks and all profits from sales/streams will go to the charity.

Featured on the album…..

• New Tracks from Space Museum, Two Lost Souls, Positronik, Issac Navaro, Auster Boys, Angry!, The Parasite, La Capsula (Mark and Luisa from Elastikbande), The Mind Sweepers, Jed, Moff Skellington, Dominic Carlton Jones
• A live recording from The Junta featuring Ian Moss
• A sneak preview of next years releases from The Get and The Screaming Love Collective
• A guest remix from Kammahav (featuring Tony Jenkins of Lizard Brain)
• A KIT B  tune remixed by The Junta
• A classic rock track from PrunX
• Remixes from sycloner, Lizard Brain  and Inferior Complex

Ian and Neil Moss  – Pickpockets Fingers – 13th December release – Digital Download

The Moss Brothers have been extremely busy in the second half of 2019 and this latest single, the seventh in the run, returns to their glitchy neo-jazz off kilter sound from Neil, and menacing lyrics from Ian.

Cambridge Calling Volume 4 – – 13th December release – Digital Download

CAMBRIDGE CALLING is a series of compilations of emerging artists from Cambridge which has been curated by Dave Hammond whose fortnightly show on Cambridge 105 Radio, The Smelly Flowerpot, is a mainstay of the cities music scene. The first compilation was released in March 2017 and the second in the summer of 2017. The third compilation was released in August 2018.

This fourth compilation is released on 13th December 2019 in digital format via Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple, Amazon , Deezer, Google, and many other streaming outlets.

What started out as a vague idea to pull a few tracks together soon snowballed into the current series of multi genre epics, fired by the enthusiasm of the artists involved. The more Dave scratched at the surface of the local scene, the more it became apparent how much excellent music was out there.

Aside from putting some superb music out there, the aim is also to raise money for deserving charities. In this case the charity is Emmaus Cambridge – a service which aims to reduce homelessness.

The unique artwork for the series was created by Stewart Harris Designs.

THE SMELLY FLOWERPOT

Dave Hammond’s fortnightly Monday evening show on Cambridge 105 “The Smelly Flowerpot”  brings the best of local music to the airwaves as well as championing grass roots music from the city of his birth, Hull, and other places around the UK and the rest of the world. With regular sessions and interviews with both upcoming and established artists creating a fascinating mix of music Dave is true ambassador. Dave’s shows have directly lead to German Shepherd Records working with artists from the Cambridge area including Bouquet of Dead Crows, The Scissors, Keltrix, Umbrella Assassins and Lizard Brain,  all of who appeared on earlier volumes in this series.

THE CHARITY

Emmaus Cambridge is a homelessness charity providing more than just a bed for the night to people who have experienced homelessness and social exclusion and was the first Emmaus community to be established in the UK.

For many people who have experienced homelessness, losing their self-esteem can be the most damaging part of their experience. Being on your own, with no support around you can be soul destroying, leaving you feeling worthless.

Finding your way out of that situation isn’t easy, particularly when the only options available are temporary fixes, offering a bed for the night but little to occupy your days.

Emmaus is different because it provides a home for as long as someone needs it in an Emmaus community. This gives people the opportunity to take stock of their lives, deal with any issues they might have, and often re-establish relationships with loved ones.

THE ARTISTS

The artists featured on this volume are featured on this page.

We will be back in the New Year with new releases from The Get, The Screaming Love Collective and Issac Navaro.

GIGS

Manchester Meltdown 2019 – featuring Ian Moss and Piledriver, The E-Fits and Matthew Hopkins 30 Nov 2019
The Peer Hat, 14-16 Faraday St, Manchester M1 1BE, UK

Adventures of Salvador and Weimar – 30 Nov 2019
The Globe, 144 High St W, Glossop SK13 8HJ, UK

Elastikbande and Four Candles – 7 Dec 2019
Fuel Cafe Bar, 448 Wilmslow Rd, Manchester M20 3BW, UK

The Get, Angry! – 13 Dec 2019
The Railway Hotel, Clifftown Rd, Southend-on-Sea SS1 1AJ, UK

The Harveys & Matthew Hopkins plus TV Smith -14 Dec 2019
The Peer Hat, 14-16 Faraday St, Manchester M1 1BE, UK

KIT B and Inferior Complex – 15 Dec 2019
West Street Live, 128 West St, Sheffield S1 4ES, UK

Black Limousine and The Ombudsmen plus The Inflated Tear (a “supergroup” featuring Unseasonal Beasts, Factory Acts, and Gentle Jon) – 18 Dec 2019
The Peer Hat, 14-16 Faraday St, Manchester M1 1BE, UK

The Scissors – 20 Dec 2019
The Portland Arms, 129 Chesterton Rd, Cambridge CB4 3BA, UK

Inferior Complex -20 Dec 2019
Clockwork Bar, 323 Shirley Rd, Southampton SO15 3HW, UK

Ember Rev – 20 Dec 2019
The Blue Moon, 2 Norfolk St, Cambridge CB1 2LF, UK

Electric Cheese, Inferior Complex and Dominic Carlton Jones – 28 Dec 2019
The Peer Hat, 14-16 Faraday St, Manchester M1 1BE, UK

 Thank You

That’s all of our news for 2019 now wrapped up. We’ll be back at the end of December with news about next years releases.

Many thanks for all your support during 2019 to our subscribers, followers, gig attenders, bloggers and radio show hosts who have helped us spread the German Shepherd story.