The fifth in our series of compilations celebrating the music and musicians of the Cambridge area, compiled as always by DJ Dave Hammond, will be released on Bandcamp on July 23rd and available for wider digital streaming soon thereafter
All proceeds from the sales of this release will be donated to Cambridge Aid which is a registered charity and a point of last resort for those in desperate financial need within Cambridge and its surrounding villages. They offer financial help to individuals and families in need, whilst the referring organisation may be dealing with the underlying causes of distress. The grants give comfort, provide basic essential needs and help to maintain dignity. Cambridge Aid seeks donations from various local organisations, trusts, charities and individuals. The funds are administered by voluntary Trustees who meet fortnightly to consider applications for support which are submitted on behalf of individuals or families. They are recognised as offering a rapid and flexible response with minimal overhead costs. We are happy to support this organisation with this release.
Artists to be featured on the latest release are:
BansheeVa
Death To Slow Music
People Look Like Dogs
Jaymotts
Collars
Creepy Neighbour
Naomi Randall
Dom Howard
Lady Birdface
Sunday Driver
Percy Black
Tom Bainbridge
Keith Somerville
Helefonix
The Routine
Star Pixel
Shambertans
The Mardlers
Once again Dave has selected an eclectic genre hopping list of some of the best music in the Cambridge area. We are also indebted once again to Stewart Harris for his stunning album cover design.
More details on the album will be forthcoming as we get closer to the release date.
L’Obtuce return with a punky power pop/punk tune with a quirky middle eight! Bandcamp purchasers of the single get an extra special bonus track.
m.t. scott is also back with a new EP which explores post-rock stylings mixed with wordless communication – this is the third in scott’s recent run of more experimental material.
From the forthcoming Cosmic Panthers album “Life and Death at the Red Wall” a Ben Mancell video of a new version of the song Manchester. A long distance collaboration with Ben and Ian Fourcandles in Manchester England, Jon Langford (Mekons, Three Johns, Waco Brothers) in Chicago, IL and his brother Josh Mancell in Los Angeles, CA. Photographs are from Ian’s “Album Covers” Project…
A brand new release this week which is 18 years old!.
For the first time we are making available for the wider world the fourth ever release by Moff Skellington which was originally released in a limited pressing in 2003. The album is called “The Main Road Threatening Invasion” and is one of those rare releases where there are other musicians playing with Moff – notably the guitarist uniquely known as Umbrella Span Jez. It’s also attributed to Moff Skellington & The Rail Dogs rather than just Moff Skellington.
With newly commissioned artwork from Moff this is a little slice of Eddodi history which adds to the remarkable body of work already released.
Haverhill Shed Punk maestros Umbrella Assassins have announced a handful of dates and further volumes in their King of Fruit series.
The boys have the following gigs in the diary:
4th July – The Haverhill Show, The Recreation Ground, Haverhill
23rd October – The Ark, Newmarket (Charity Gig)
13th November – The Smokehose, Ipswich
11th December – The Smokehouse, Ipswich – Bouquet of Dead Crows are playing at this gig also
A planned second volume in the groups King of Fruit series is nearing completion with an August release planned. In addition an unexpected third volume has agreed following the completion of some tunes.
Drummer Garry McKervill said “It looks like things are finally happening at last. We are looking forward to getting out of the waiting room.”
On April 2nd The Screaming Love Collective return with a brand new album “Life In Orbit”.
Of the new release Bryn Thorburn says “It’s about people’s love of repetition and finding comfort in the familiar. How people move about the space they live in, cities made of loops, ring roads, subways etc and how we use them….people are creatures of habit and repetition, we like to walk the same route, park in the same spot, even sit at home in the same place and it feels less comfortable if we have to change. The album was written using a small selection of loops and samples featuring in each song which although different will begin to have a feeling of familiarity as you go through the album. When writing this album I imagined it being played on an old Walkman and going for a walk letting muscle memory dictate where I went.”
Album purchasers on Bandcamp will also be getting an additional bonus track which is not on streaming version!
In addition we are re-releasing last years album “We Breathe Like This Now”
March 26th 2021 sees us re-release a couple of great items from our catalogue.
Loop-aznavours sixth release with us originally came out in 2020 but got lost on the Interweb when our distributor went belly up – we have added him to another distributor and now it’s back again. A collection of alt pop punkery filled to the gills with Loop’s sideways look at the world.
Two of Moffs back catalogue released as part of our reissue programme. Originally released in 2014 and 2015. Under The Cobweb Sea is described by Moff as ‘an Eddodi mini-opera’. This is a continuous piece which might be described as “Eddodiprog”. It is a format Moff hopes to explore more as it gives him ‘the chance to be more diffuse in (my) writing style.’
Identity – an issue that has plagued scholars for centuries. Never more so than in the world of rock and roll where the persona of the star can be markedly different from the person behind the image. Tom Waits, a case in point, how did a smooth voiced singer-songwriter morph into a lounge bar lothario fueled on bad bourbon, and then a gravel voiced outsider artist…..2 Lost Souls examine this transition……will the real Tom Waits please stand up?
We released the second single from Elastikbande last year but the wider digital distribution was lost so we have relaunched it. With stunning cover art and three great tracks this release finds the trio on their best form with songs about work, politics, and vampires!
We continue our programme of relaunching Moff Skellington’s back catalogue with the reissue of the 2015 album The Corkscrew Tongue. This album was the third in our Moff Skellington catalogue and his 27th release overall. The subject matters vary between Secret Jelly, strange projects, Clown Threat, Keith with his random hormones, Clog dancing, and other strange and elusive matters.
To celebrate the release of the new 2 Lost Souls single “Tom Waits” here is a chance to win one of ten exclusive 2 Lost Souls branded masks. The masks are designed to reflect the last three 2 Lost Souls albums!
It’s a free entry and everyone who enters gets a free download code for the recent 2 Lost Souls album “,,,the very last City”.
Prizes will be drawn on 1st April 2021 so get your entry in before then!!
To get a chance to own one of these rareities enter your details below with a short message telling us why you would like a mask!!
Previously released albums from Jed Stephens and Moff Skellington get new distribution today (12th March 2021). With Bandcamp releases already in place the two albums are now more widely available via Spotify, Google Play, Amazon, and, many more digital streaming and download services.
Jed’s “Black Gold Texas Tea” is packed with electronic goodness blending ambient cinematic sounds with up tempo techno workouts. It was his debut album with the label and originally released in 2020.
Moff’s “Marine Sugars (Locally Glimpsed)” was his first release with the label back in 2014 and we are pleased to give it a new lick of paint with wider distribution. Occupying the space between reality and dreams Moff provides and presents an alternative listening world where rules, regulations and expected norms are abandoned and barriers removed to offer a new variety of sensual entrapment. Profoundly unique, unclassifiable, and utterly marvellous be prepared for something that will change your perceptions of reality.
A limited edition CD format of Boz Hayward’s latest album “V Years” is now available from our Bandcamp Page. It comes in an attractive full colour gatefold sleeve.
There are only 50 copies available so don’t miss out.
March 4th sees two new releases and one reissue…..in addition Michael Scott who is behind the two new releases will be featured in this months edition of Eighth Day Magazine
STAGGS – in Western musical theory, a cadence is a melodic or harmonic configuration that creates a sense of resolution or finality. An unfinished or imperfect cadence is therefore one which has no “end” and thus leaves the listener longing for the final chord, which never comes…apparently it drove Mozart mad, whereas STAGGS quite like it…….music about the current state of play both medically and politically finds the mighty STAGGS at their acerbic best. The 18th release from the duo.
m.t. scott – m.t. scott has been exploring some dark corners of late. This latest release is based on a found, historical, recording of a psychiatrist interviewing a schizophrenic patient in a secure hospital. It does not make for easy listening but it is relevant to the state of things in early 2021 and perhaps gives us pause for thought. The 9th release from m.t. scott.
Moff Skellington – Originally released by Moff via Uterus Cottage in 2011 in CD form only this has never before seen the digital light of day. 14 portions of pure Eddodi with worms, stomach gas, marrows, druids (and their ancestors), and, dreams, amongst other things being delivered in Moff’s unique style
We are pleased to be working with Anchor FM to promote our releases. The Different Noises podcasts will include music and musings from artists on our label.
We have started with the podcast Moff Skellington produced for his album A Slapstick Life – LINK
12th February sees the new album and third in the recent trilogy “Another’s Insomniac Dreams” from 2 Lost Souls released plus the reissue of the “Liquorice Flavour” single from 2020
We are also reissuing Pearl Divers EP “The Past Ain’t Made To Last”
And we continue the release of Moff Skellington’s back catalogue with “Sherbert Is The Culture of the Void”.
We have three releases planned for 19th February 2021
The first release from brothers Chris and Phil Lukes otherwise known as The Wonders of Undo is called Ctrl Z. Phil is a member of Dislocation Dance. Song craft is full effect here with a selection of moreish electronically oriented pop songs with a left-field twist. Check out “Past Lives” first and then prepare to get hooked by the rest. There is more to come from these two. Guest appearances from Ian Runacres and Chris Gravestock from Dislocation Dance.
The debut single from a band which already has 800+ followers on Facebook and positive press comments:
Si Wolstencroft (The Fall/ Ian Brown’s band) “Absolutely love Longsight. They sound like a cross between The Buzzcocks and New Order”.
The Big issue: “Beg, borrow or steal the entrance fee. Longsight are about to go stellar”.
Cassie Delta KBYD radio California: “The songs have a hurting, haunting, heart-breaking echo to them.”
Manchester Evening News, “No wonder current music sounds banal, Longsight have taken all the best songs”.
Chester Chronicle: “Top new band. Every track sounds like a hit single.”
Glasgow Herald. “Beautifully crafted songs delivered in an unnerving style”.
This first single starts with a melodic ear-worm and builds from there. The group also featured on our recent Charity Compilation Please note the band is not named after the suburb of Manchester but after the optometric term for hypermetropia!
We continue our programme of re-issuing Moff’s back catalogue.Moff’s 31st album, originally released in 2016, finds him in familiar territory exploring the gaps in reality that lead us to Abstercot and the wonderful world of Eddodi.
All German Shepherd Releases are available from Bandcamp and via AWAL or DITTO distribution to 100 digital partners in nearly 200 territories including all of the leading platforms like Spotify, Amazon, ITunes, You Tube, Google Play and Apple.
The third and final podcast in a short series introducing Ian Moss’s new book “Krovvy Goober” is now available so we have collected all three together in one place to make it easy to have a listen. Episode Three features the world premiere of the brand new track from The Parasite with Moff Skellington
To access Ian’s book from Amazon follow the link below
The music featured on the podcasts is as follows:
PODCAST ONE
Theme from A Clockwork Orange
Unseasonal Beasts – Don Cosmic
Don Drummond – Don Cosmic
2 Lost Souls – The Faith
Tobi Legend – Time Will Pass You By
The Parasite – Social Validation Feedback Loop
Pere Ubu – The Fabulous Sequel
The Parasite – Roll Over
Karlheinz Stockhausen – Opus 57 Hymnen (Extract)
Four Candles – Napa State
The Cramps – Call of the Wighat
Four Candles – C33
Gang of Four – Love Like Anthrax
Ian Moss and Factory Acts – Psychic Battlefield
Factory Acts – Leave the World to Us
PODCAST TWO
Theme from A Clockwork Orange
Moss Skellington – Boomerangs
Moff Skellington – Madmens Toes in Madmens Boots
Ion Morph & Modal – Silly Moo
Modal Roberts – Derbyshire 2000
KP2 & Space Museum – The Wilsons
The Fall – Spectre vs Rector
Luana’s Black Reptiles – Albert Ayler Lives On
Albert Ayler – Ghosts
Kill Pretty – Sylvia Fading
John Coltrane – Naima
PODCAST THREE
Sicknurse – As Good As It Gets
The Stooges – Gimme Some Skin
Sicknurse – My Life Is Rated X
Kill Pretty – Andrews World
Four Candles – Angels Not Angels
Stepbrothers – Plague
The Creepers – Make Joe
The Bears from Belle Vue Zoo – Welcome to the Monkey House
David Bowie – We Are The Dead
Hamsters – Freudian Ships
The Mekons – Where Were You
The Parasite with Moff Skellington – Transcendental Holiday Camp
Dominic Carlton Jones kicks off 2021 with a new single
Salford’s award winning singer-songwriter returns with a double A side – of the new release Dominic says “The Red String of Fate was originally a commissioned piece of work for a work colleague-James Steeles-who asked me to write a song about finding his love. I got several phrases from James and a little of the genre he wanted for the track before proceeding with it. James disappeared But I liked what I was doing and thought it had “single” written all over it so decided to release it as that. The Dance of the Night came about via lockdown drink/meet with Cat Jerome and Danny Needham where I preview new ideas and get feedback. In this case Cat provided some initial phrases for the track which I then pieced together.”
The single is available digitally via Bandcamp and can be streamed/downloaded from all of the major sites.
Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond our control we had to discontinue our Subscriber Service on Bandcamp. All existing subscribers have been notified and we have introduced a new temporary process for them so that they can continue to receive our releases.
We are now launching a replacement for that service called The Kennel Club
As befits the way we work we have decided to do it ourselves from now on. Here’s how it will work.
Kennel Club membership will be £40 for 12 months. This is payable via Paypal direct from this website.
During that 12 month period club members will receive a weekly download link for every thing we release. Given we release at least 40 items a years this means on average each release will only cost £1.
As well as regular releases members get a weekly e-mail from us with details of what we are up to and giving advance access to our music before it is officially released.
Members will also get bonus releases throughout the year which are not going to be released anywhere else.
When gigs are up and running again there will also be discounted tickets for gigs for all Kennel Club Members. There will also be discounts on merchandise and physical copies of releases.
You can join the Kennel Club by clicking on the “pay with paypal” link on the right hand side of our web-page.
Former Bandcamp subscribers will receive this service for free until October 2021 when they will be asked to re-subscribe.
For a limited period any new subscriber will get additional download links to a selection of our releases from 2020.
As a not for profit label we rely on the support of our fans and by becoming a subscriber to The Kennel Club you are supporting grass-roots music.
German Shepherd Records return on January 8th with two new albums……
BOZ HAYWARD – V YEARS
Flea and Filed Fangs guitarist Boz Hayward returns with a new album – the follow up to 2017’s highly acclaimed “Tennessee Ten” album
Hayward, a mainstay of the Manchester Music scene since the late 1980s has been working on his new release for some time.
Of the new album he says: “The roots of this project stem from the wake of John Lennon’s death on December 8th 1980. I was 15. Suddenly, the world turned upside down.
I was just starting to write songs on guitar and had just discovered minor chords. I mourned Lennon through a melancholic 3-chord sequence that came into my head and transported me back to the days of the early Beatles. It never found a home until 35 years later in the days following David Bowie’s death in January 2016. A death which, for both myself and millions of others, was equally devastating. ‘Blackstar’ had just been released. There were many hidden messages and unanswered questions sowed by the enigmatic genius Bowie, not just in this album, but throughout his career. People were trying to figure it all out, trying to join the dots of his life. So ‘Dot to Dot’ was written and happened to be perfect for a certain lonely chord sequence 35 years on.
‘Alert’ was written a few days later. In it, I am imagining what David Bowie might have felt like in the last few months of his life. It was like he planned to go out with a bang and be as alive as ever, even in death.
Every song has its story. In these uncertain times, we reflect on humankind and continue the journey of trying to understand ourselves. If we are to continue living by ‘binary absolutes’ instead of the oneness of both sides (light/dark, good/evil, right/wrong, etc.) we will never be able to move on.”
CD Versions of the album will also be available in early January.
CREDITS FOR THE ALBUM
Bert Weill Productions in association with German Shepherd Records presents V Years
Drums recorded at Airtight Studios, Chorlton, Manchester by Seadna McPhail. Music mainly recorded in our homes and gardens in lockdown Manchester 2020 excluding ‘Alert’ at Phil’s from Jan 2019: trumpet in Sale; sax in Knutsford. Mixed by Boz Hayward (Vile Villa) and Seadna McPhail (Airtight) Mastered by Karl Sveinsson, Queens Ark Audio, Levenshulme, Manchester Artwork by Boz/Bert Weill Productions.
Musicians:
Ed Bottomley – saxophone Rick Burrows – trumpet and flugelhorn Pat Clarke – harmonica Mark Greer – garden slide guitar Rob Haynes – drums and percussion Boz Hayward – vocals, guitars, glockenspiel, keys, programming Clive Mellor – harmonica Phil Robinson – electric and guitarron bass; bass keys (III), tremolo guitar Mike Seal – piano
Boz Haywards V Years
DAN ECCLESTONE – HIDDEN MUSIC
Ember Rev frontman Dan Ecclestone releases his debut solo album on January 8thEmber Rev came together early 2016 to play the nervous & neurotic accordion-driven tunes of Cambridge singer-songwriter Dan Ecclestone. Initially ploughing a folk-rock furrow, debut album …it was all fields around here was all ukuleles and autoharps. 2018’s critically acclaimed Premonition & Ruin shifted the sound up several gears and the complex asymmetrical rhythms heard in their current set are pushing the band in a darker direction. The band joined German Shepherd in June 2019 for a wider distribution of Premonition and Ruin and the aim to release future material with the band. Reworking and repurposing familiar forms that recall the percussive Africana of Talking Heads and the accordion-led romance of Arcade Fire; alternately rattling and stuttering then piledriving at breakneck speed, it’s a sound that demands you keep coming back.
For the solo debut Ecclestone strips back the sound to just piano and vocals with additional musicians providing colour and context to six achingly beautiful songs. Raw and emotional this stunning debut is a work of exceptional quality.
Musicians on the album are Trumpet: Jake Hatter Violin: Julia Black Viola: Katharine Parsons Cello: Abby Wollston Piano & Vocal: Dan Ecclestone Double Bass: Richard Partridge Drums: David Youngs
In a nigh on 7 minute funk driven slab of Mancunian repetition Four Candles once again demonstrate that they are the most important band in the Manchester Conurbation. Moss’s ironic rant about the “troubles” of the wealthy is a fitting testament to a year where nepotism and greed have ruled our lives whilst the poor and vulnerable have suffered.
Regular listeners and watchers will know that we put together a charity album around Christmas time. 2020 is no exception with a new 30 (+6) track album being released on Christmas Day.
Our wonderful bands and artists have submitted some excellent tunes to make up an eclectic mix of material which more than adequately describe what the label is about – variety and innovation.
The release is on Bandcamp and features 30 streamable tracks however those who purchase the album will get 6 bonus tracks as part of their download.
Our charity this year is Shelter. We are committed to reduction of the scourge of homelessness which is even more acute this year with an uncaring government and raging pandemic. Local Authorities are struggling to meet the needs of vulnerable people and raising some much needed money will hopefully assist in meeting this ongoing challenge.
The album kicks off with a blistering slice of electro-punk from The Parasite with label owners Ian and Bob getting the party started. The first of many tracks featuring Ian’s vocals he also appears with new tracks from 2 Lost Souls, Four Candles, and in partnership with Mark Corrin.
Our “pop” bands are also well represented with new tunes from Dislocation Dance, Positronik, and a christmas offering from Boz Hayward (video below) plus a remix from Lizard Brain.
Our electronic contingent are in fine form with new tunes from Captain Black, Jed, Night Operations, Inferior Complex and The Junta, plus a remix from Toska Wilde.
Our indie and punk bands also provide a rich mix with new music from Longsight (their debut release for the label), Loop-aznavour, Mark Corrin, La Capsula, The Screaming Love Collective, The Mind Sweepers, Umbrella Assassins, and The Get. A great new track from The Harveys also comes with a great video from Paul Forshaw.
The more experimental corner of our roster is ably covered by m.t. scott, michael and robert, Moff Skellington, Filed Fangs, Passage of Time, and Dominic Carlton Jones all of who have created some cutting edge new sounds.
The album concludes with a chance to hear a track from the excellent new solo album from Ember Rev’s Dan Ecclestone.
The release is priced at £5 (or pay more if you want) which is bargain for 36 tracks!
German Shepherd co-owner, Ian Moss, has been a mainstay of the Manchester music scene for over 40 years, ever since fronting punk upstarts ‘The Hamsters’ who turned their back on the stardom which could have been theirs having shared stages with the likes of The Fall and Joy Division.
In contrast to most punks, who were quick to sell out the moment a recording contract was proffered, Ian has maintained his anarchic, anti-establishment stance throughout and his cynical world-view takes aim at everyone from world leaders to friends trapped in bad relationships.
In Ian’s own words his new collection of lyrics, “Kroovy Goober” is described as follows “some of it is autobiographical, some of it is not, some of it is pained soul-baring, some of it is not. I hope you find some pieces to enjoy as I have enjoyed the journey”.
The title Krovvy Goober is derived from the book “A Clockwork Orange” and the argot used by the teenage gang members in Anthony Burgess’s dystopian novel – it translates as “Blood Lip”.
As a companion to the new book Ian has compiled 17 of his lyrics into a new album. It includes songs featuring some of the lyrics in the book There is new material and a selection of music from Ian’s back catalogue on German Shepherd Records.
Guests on the album include Space Museum, Simon “Ding” Archer, Neil and Gaynor Moss, Johann Kloos, Loop-Aznavour and Moff Skellington. Moff also created the stunning artwork which adorns the book and the album.
Matthew Hopkins releases are always something we look forward to and the third single “Girl” is no exception. The trademark harmony/melody drenched tune is driven by the trios ever-present percussive drive. Each single reveals a new facet of the bands wide array of talents and Girl is another vital step forward in the Matthew Hopkins story
Haverhill’s finest band return with a brand new release.
Named as ‘The King of Fruit Vol 1’ this three song e.p. from the Umbrella Assassins, is the first of two halves, divided into six fruity segments with a distinctive size, strong sound and thorny rind, and finds the trio blasting through the event horizon and into hell.
The seeds were sown a few months back and a sound that evokes overpowering reactions of deep intensity has been grown. Vol. 2 will follow in 2021
Luisa from Elastikbande and La Capsula, together with friend Louise, presents just over an hour of new music from Italy and the UK. The emphasis is on punk and ethereal pop and our own Rose and the Diamond Hand is featured. The podcast is available in both English and Italian,
The playlist is
WideHips69 – Live fat die drunk Lame – Ice cold judah Lame – Disappear Hallelujah! – Wanna dance Hallelujah! – Mini Pony Healthy Junkies – On way to portland Healthy Junkies – Streets of olympia Healthy Junkies – Something in the way Wow – Occhi di Serpente Wow – Morire per amore Pat Pend – Non ho sonno Pat Pend – Sempre piu giu’ Alex De Large – I love Tekken Alex De Large – Into your grave Lolita Terrorist Sounds – Curse Augustine – Augustine Augustine – In the mountains Augustine – Speak Motherese Rose and the Diamond Hand – Icicle Denise Johnson – Nothing you can do
Celtic/Symphonic Electro Folk group Keltrix return with a brand new single.
The new release is also the title track of their next album which is released on April 17th 2021.
Keltrix core members Keri Kel (singer/songwriter/guitarist) and Sharon Sullivan (producer/violinist) are back, this time they are joined by Jason Williams (electric guitar).
Of the new single and the forthcoming album the group say:
“Herstory is the first concept album we have ever attempted, for Keri as a songwriter and Sharon as a producer . Herstory targets the harm patriarchy, toxic masculinity, and capitalism has on ‘we the people’ and our home Earth, from the perspective of survivors of rape, domestic/child abuse and multiple sexual assaults. Herstory is for survivors by survivors and encourages those who have not, to be brave seek help and speak out. Silence protects abusers, the more we say the less power they have.”
Jay, who appeared on one track on the Bobby Says album which was subsequently released as a single, was a member of one of John Peel’s favourites “The Broken Family Band”.
The band have also launched a crowdfunder to help pay one of Bjork’s producers – Mandy Parnell to master the new album
Cambridge based band Lizard Brain release two new singles on October 16th.
Othering which features David and Richard is a timely tune with the American Presidential Elections so close. Othering is the division of people into “us” and “them”. Othering increasingly seems to be a political strategy used to create fear and distract from the most pressing issues facing humanity. We need to unite to create a mandate to deal with the huge issues of inequality and the climate crisis.
Round and Round is one of Mark’s and features former Lizard Brain Member Tony Jenkins.
Kids often dance to music by just spinning around and losing their inhibitions. Mark really wanted to see a whole room full of people doing that – arms out, head back, laughing and spinning. So that’s the vision that started the music. Tony’s dark lyric hints at a dysfunctional relationship, perhaps with our political representatives….?
New disco, soul and funk flavoured 7 track EP from cult Manchester indie band – Dislocation Dance.
Ian Runacres has been releasing music under the name Dislocation Dance since 1980, when signed to the legendary Buzzcocks label, New Hormones. Moving to Rough Trade in 1982, (along with the Smiths), the band released an acclaimed album, Midnight Shift.
After various line-up changes and writing and producing for other artists, Ian launched Manchester’s BOP label. The ethos was to promote minority music from the North West, along with emerging dance and indie bands. The notable release being Manchester North of England compilation, featuring James and Freak Beats featuring 808 State. After a hiatus of several years, Ian reformed the band to tour Japan and released further albums – Cromer (Vinyl Japan), The Ruins of Manchester, and, Are We There Yet?, (LTM).
Dislocation Dance 2020
The new EP – Discombobulation marks the 40th anniversary of Dislocation Dance releases.
More importantly all income from this release will contribute towards crowdfunding for the treatment of Ian’s teenage son Joel, who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in September 2019.
German Shepherd Records are pleased to be helping Ian and the band with this release. The EP will be pre-released via Bandcamp on 25th September 2020 with two tracks being available immediately. The full EP will be released on 30th October 2020 and will be available via all the major download and streaming platforms.
Message from Ian Runacres
In September 2019 my 19 year old son Joel, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma. This is the most aggressive and lethal of all brain cancers. To help prolong his life, the best option for Joel is to receive a pioneering new treatment, as quickly as possible. The treatment is in the form of a personalised vaccine manufactured from Joel’s own tumour tissue, but it is very expensive. All income from the sale of this EP will contribute towards crowdfunding for Joel’s treatment.
The aim is to help Joel live longer.
Joel settling in at University
Information about Joel’s story and the fundraising campaign can be found at:
The second of the new semi-regular podcasts from Moff Skellington examines the mysteries of the Universal Compost Bin. As usual Moff’s perorations on life and all its complexities is excellent and should leave you scratching your head and laughing at the same time . Wild Farting Doughnuts are clearly the thing to follow this year and listeners will no doubt be wanting to steer clear of clicking ball point pens. Lose yourself in the magical world of Abstercot.
Unfortunately one of the companies we use to distribute our releases to streaming sites has decided with no notice, other than two weeks, to withdraw their services. This means that some of our releases will no longer be available on Spotify, Amazon, Google Play etc in around two weeks time. Also some releases that were planned for the next few weeks will unfortunately be delayed.
The good news is that the Bandcamp versions of all of the affected releases will still be available and you will still be able to access all of those releases direct from there. In fact we strongly recommend that you use Bandcamp instead of the major streaming sites.
With Bandcamp after a one off payment to purchase a release you have unlimited streaming via their App and also you can download the music in your favourite format – MP3, WAV, FLAC etc. The bonus for us is that we get immediate income from sales as opposed to the streaming sites where we get pitifully small amounts per stream three months later.
The following releases have been affected – we aim to get these back up on the streaming sites as soon as we can but it will take time as it is a very labour intensive process.
Loop-Aznavour – Les Idiots D’Electronique – in addition Loops new EP “In The Kitchen With Loop-Aznavour will be delayed
2 Lost Souls – Liquorice Flavour
Mark Corrin – Washed Up
The Junta – Network and the Tech Noir (Single) – you can get Tech Noir the new album “J3” which is available via streaming sites
Crab Dance GIs – Stage Fright
The Parasite – Social Validation Feedback Loop
West Coast Sick Line – Colour Climax
Cosmic Panthers – Ball The Wall
Four Candles – Alternative Golf
Space Museum – I Have Seen Your Dreams
Elastikbande – Very Busy
The Screaming Love Collective – We Breathe Like This Now
Moss Skellington – The Lump
Matthew Hopkins – Love Don’t Do Logic
Space Museum – Histamine/Excruciate
The Right Side of Reason – Blue Sky – this was due next Friday but will be delayed unfortunately
October is always an important month in the mythos of Abstercot and Eddodi. It is entirely appropriate therefore that the sixth and final release from Moff Skellington in 2020 comes on October 2nd.
Y E A S T is another collection from the bard of Abstercot once again exploring unique and abstract music and verbal places. Moff continues to astound us with his fecundity and invention. This new set of tunes perhaps explores even more hitherto unheard angles in the complexities of Abstercot (the Brigadoon of Dream Sleep). The fractured dub of “A Tribute to Throbbling Gristle” for example takes us in an industrial direction. There is spoken word, klezmer squeeze boxing, and repetition. Imagine if you would 1979 Cabaret Voltaire mixed with a heady cocktail of jazz, mutant blues, Afrobeat, Comus, Hattie Jacques, Arthur Lowe, and Mrs Slocum from “Are You Being Served?” and you get some way towards what this collection sounds like. Alien sounds and mutterings pervade Moff’s interlocutory perorations. There is an almost Beefheartian feel to this latest collection in that it is so unique and refreshing.
We appreciate that this music may be somewhat different to the majority of listeners but we strive to share and hopefully educate the general public about the magic and breadth of the Abstercot experience.
Moff in repose
Moff’s new podcast series is being released almost fortnightly and is available from our Mixcloud page.
Night Operations is the project of Mike Powell which began in 2011 with the release of the long-deleted Colour & Number EP on Prescribed Records. Mike was the keyboard player for KIT B, and has in the past performed and released music with several other bands including Exchange (2012-2014), The Shelltones (2007-2011) and Five Days Of Static (2003-04) as well as releasing 2 singles under his own name, Behind The Wheel (2010) and Dancefloor (2011). After the release of the first EP, Night Operations releases have been few and far between; aside from the track Driving Rain which was released as an EP in 2014 and featured on the German Shepherd charity album Salford Streets. Night Operations has also released remixes, for artists and bands such as KIT B, Exchange and The Junta.
Work began on the Mantra album, the first full release with German Shepherd, as early as mid 2014, but most of the material was recorded in late 2015 / early 2016. The album was released in October 2016, preceded by a promo single, Remember, released in September 2016. A second album Advantage was released in February 2018. An EP featuring tracks Area 51 and Forbidden Fruit via three remixes was released in October 2018.
A new single “Pull The Trigger” was released in May 2020. This is now followed by the third album Protocol which releases on 25th September.
Protocol finds the Night Operations sound developing further with a more experimental approach and a broader mix of material. The finest work to date by Mike Powell shows him developing as a writer and artist. The album was recorded at The Zone, Runcorn and The Zone, Ellesmere Port and engineered & produced by Leon Schneider. Mike plays guitar and synthesizers and sings.
Dislocation Dance – we are pleased to support Dislocation Dance frontman Ian Runacres with a fundraising project to help raise funds for much needed medical support for his son Joel. We will be releasing a charity EP in October all income from which will be used to support the current fundraising project “Help Joel Live Longer”. Details of the appeal are available here – in summary we are seeking donations towards a pioneering treatment for brain cancer that will help Joel and also contribute to developing breakthrough treatment for brain tumours to help others in the future. Our release forms part of series of charity events aiming to hit the challenging target.
Ian Runacres
Originally formed in 1978 and active again since 2009 Dislocation Dance emerged in the midst of the first Manchester Post-Punk wave with a fresh sound. Perhaps they were a band out of time – their quirky jazz-pop too eclectic to make charts dominated by glossy sugary pop, and, not grim enough to fit in with the same scene as Joy Division or The Fall. We are pleased to add to their impressive back catalogue with a new EP which features new material and is called “Discombobulation”. More details on the release and the fundraising will follow over the next few weeks.
Moff Skellington shares his unique perspective on the world in a new semi-regular series of podcasts. The opener in the series looks at the Magic of Obesity with a peroration on the impact of the Comic Rotund on the world of Abstercot. With a unique take on the impact of Demis Roussos, Mr Kiplings Cakes, the lead singer of Pere Ubu, David Thomas, and other notables, Moff uses his combination of words and music to create a unique listening experience.
September 18th sees the release of the debut EP from The Right Side of Reason
The Right Side of Reason is the solo project of Andrew Missons from Inferior Complex. The four track EP celebrates minimal electronica with motorik drum beats laying a steady backbone to layers of rich synths – orchestral chords and powerful bass notes combining to create an epic sound.
In addition Andrew has worked with Paul Morley of Filed Fangs on a remix of the track Ensemble from the EP and this will be released as a single at the same time as the EP – for the purposes of the release the duo are calling themselves Fang Complex.
After a week off we are back with the announcement of a new release for September 11th from Space Museum. It’s a two track double A single called “Histamine/Excruciate”.
Histamine is a rhythmically challenging piece in the ridiculous time signature of 35/8 with sonic nods towards Jason Miles synth sounds for Miles Davis’ Tutu album and barking mad arpeggiators fighting to get out of their restrictions. It’s inspired by the ongoing battle against pollen during the summer months.
Excruciate is a little more conventional rhythmically but hops between genres with little regard for adopted norms. There’s a hint of dub in there somewhere. I suppose you can actually dance to this one. It’s a digital only release which was recorded at Half Edge Studios in Salford
What’s Coming Next in September?
A new solo project from Andy Missions of Inferior Complex called The Right Side of Reason
A collaboration between Paul of Filed Fangs and Andy of Inferior Complex with a remake of a track from The Right Side of Reason Project
A new album from Night Operations called Protocol
Another new album from Moff Skellington called Yeast
A new EP from Loop-Aznavour
September’s subscriber special will be a live recording made of The Junta in 2014 at the Crescent in Salford. This excellent recording was only his second gig and includes music from his debut album Art of Glass and a stunning interpretation of an EDM classic
Salford’s very own master of Techno returns on August 28th with a new EP and on September 4th with a full album.
The Junta is the alter-ego of Salford musician John “Monty” Montague.
Monty, aside from delivering electronica via The Junta also plays bass in Kit B and Positronik and is a DJ on Salford City Radio and can be seen DJing around Eccles on a regular basis.
We released a radio edit of the single from the new album, “Tech Noir” on May 9th. A remix EP featuring new versions of the song precedes the new album. Of this Monty says:
“Recorded during the wilderness year. Inspired by my favourite 80’s/90’s artists, I decided again to release another remix e.p.TECH NOIR this time, remixed by some very good friends of mine. SPACE MUSEUM, NIGHT OPERATIONS, and POSITRONIK. “FILM NOIR” is a fabulous mash of TECH NOIR and Positronik’s “SUPERHEAVY”, featuring the wonderful production of JEFF BLACK and the vocals of NATHALIE HALEY. And a little reunion for Positronik! Oh and I couldn’t resist a Junta Remix of my own in the form of the T-800 Mix as a homage to The Terminator.”
A week later a brand new album “J3” follows – we think it’s his best yet. Plans for vocal versions of a couple of the tracks featuring some special guests had to be abandoned due to the lockdown but we hope will emerge when things get back to normal. Of the new album Monty says:
“Recorded mostly between Feb and June 2020…idle hands and all that! Wanted to avoid doing a bunch of lockdown songs, because I thought there’d be a wealth of them. Though couldn’t resist throwing in MAN AS AN ISLAND. Can’t wait to actually take these tunes on the road…when Boris green-lights the venues again.”
All instruments and recording on these releases are the work of The Junta with mastering being done by Space Museum at his Half Edge Studios. 100% produced in sunny Salford!!
Australian duo Peter and Daniel from sycloner are back with a new EP “Running Interference” and to mark the event they have curated a podcast which includes three of the four tracks from the EP as well as a selection of music by their favourite artists. Music from The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Mr Bungle, Cornelius, Massive Attack and The Necks makes an appearance.
A Slapstick Life is Moff Skellington’s 45th release and is a collection of tunes based around an early recording of his called “Remembering a Slapstick Life”. It is released digitally via German Shepherd Records on August 21st 2020.
The music on the new release is rooted in old jazz and ragtime recordings, described by Moff as a Hal Roach fever dream.
The track entitled ” Remembering a Slapstick Life ” is a montage of recordings from the original project from 1985-90. Moff took the Picasso/ Matisse path and used only what was irreducible, so it could be termed “Atomic”. The track has echoes of Viv Stanshall and the construction of the varying layers and elements is very good indeed – we were reminded of John Zorn’s “cut-up” music as evidenced on “The Big Gundown” and “Spillane” albums.
The recordings are full of jazz ghosts and narration is delivered by Babe Handy i.e. W C Handy meets Oliver ‘ Babe ‘ Hardy, thereby consummating the marriage between jazz and slapstick. Handy’s voice might be perceived as belonging to an overweight and seedy northern comic from the early seventies.
The listener is transported to Weimar Republic Berlin where Brecht and Weill might be constructing an entertainment for the theatre. And there’s a piece of synchronicity in that Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush” had a significant impact on Brecht. Slapstick is omnipresent.
The track “Fragile Comfort Seeker” is a particular favourite with a “wandering” sound underneath the narrative.
Moff has captured the music of the slapstick era wonderfully although it is heard through the prism of Eddodi – if indeed you can hear things through a prism.
In the latest of an ongoing series of podcasts Moff Skellington introduces his forthcoming album “A Comet Full of Pigeons” with a unique and compelling narrative about the purchase of tobacco and Rizla Papers and the attendant tales associated with that commercial endeavour. A surreal dream like journey around the nooks and crannies of Abstercot with echoes of Lewis Carroll, Flann O’Brien and Spike Milligan.
Our very busy August continues with two releases on the 14th
STAGGS – THE DEATH OF STAGGS
Staggs refresh the parts other brands cannot hope or dare to reach.
Mortality is at the forefront of minds at this time and Staggs, never ones to opt out of considering the vagaries and ultimate consequences of life, focus on the transition between this world and the next (if you believe in that sort of thing).
Staggs are pioneers, so it’s apt, if not deliberate, that a 1969 track by The Pioneers is raided for the closing electro punk work out about meeting the chap at the Pearly Gates. A well known and somewhat apposite refrain underpins m.t. scotts world weary travelogue on the death of Staggs which links the third and first tracks. Familiar arpeggiating strings link travels in europa and self-referential nods back to earlier works and a suggestion that this is the last work. If this is indeed the end then it is a suitable way to end the Staggs journey.
No one does funk quite like Staggs do it….opener Curtains raids bass riffs and other things to remind us that it is OK to dance your way out of your constrictions. As with all Staggs productions the language is rich, and the tune construction innovates and provokes a knowing smile.
The end of Staggs, who can tell? Staggs always keep you guessing….
Les Staggs est mort, viva Les Staggs
MATTHEW HOPKINS
The second single from Matthew Hopkins finds Anne, Julia and Max in fine form with a strident song about relationships which is equally as full of pop smarts as it is imbued with anger and frustration. With a catchy vocal opening and great interplay between the group members we hope this is the one that gets them the attention they deserve. An article on the group will be appearing in the August edition of the excellent Eighth Day Magazine to coincide with this release. A further single will follow in September. Here’s the great video which accompanies the song.
MORE VIDEOS
We have been adding more videos to our Bandcamp Page check them out…
Don’t forget it’s easy to subscribe to German Shepherd Records by going to our Bandcamp Page and signing up.
With our subscription, you can get all of our new releases for just £40 a year (less than a pound a week!), while supporting our label and our roster of great artists directly. Given we release over 40 items a year this is a great value for money choice.
If you would like to pay more for you subscription you can. The more generous you are the more we can do!
German Shepherd is owned, operated and funded by us, on a not for profit basis We pride ourselves on being grass-roots, DIY and artist-focused. We started in 2014 and have been slowly growing a fan base and getting the support of a selection of friendly DJs and bloggers who feature what we do. However changes in the music industry, and price increases, have made it harder than ever for small labels like ours to stay in business in today’s climate. Your subscription directly helps us to continue releasing great music and in turn support some of the best underground artists out there.
When you subscribe you’ll get a load of great music and special offers
– All new releases automatically added to your Bandcamp account and available to download
– Over 300 items from our back catalogue completely free when you first sign up
– A 10% discount on merch items including CDs, T-Shirts and Gig Tickets
– Special releases which are only available to subscribers – they will not be sold anywhere else – we aim to release one of these a month
– Regular blog updates from us on what we are up to
All income, after admin fees from Bandcamp, goes direct to the bands, or to the nominated charity we are supporting on specific releases.
We hope you are all well and safe in these strange times
Fortunately, due to the magic of technology and forward planning we are able to continue to share new music with you.
We are extremely grateful for recent support via airplay and features of our releases and for the new subscribers who have joined us, and, everyone who has purchased music from the label. We were very pleased to see The Peer Hat reaching its fundraising target and we encourage everyone to check out the first compilation album from the venue. We have some exciting news about a further compilation from Nick, Dom and co which we are keeping close to our chests at the moment. With the closure of The Deaf Institute and Gorilla, Greater Manchester has lost two key music venues so it is vitally important we continue to support grass roots music.
We have two new releases and a reissue to share …..all digital only and available from August 7th. They can be found on Bandcamp and all of the major download and streaming platforms.
So, here we go again…….
sycloner – Running Interference EP
From Brisbane on the gold Gold Coast, of Australia – sycloner band members have performed with everyone from Debbie Harry to The Sugarcubes and with good reason. Their spin on alt-pop gives way to energetic blasts throughout not only their career but also their latest EP.
Running Interference contains four tracks that set the record straight on alt-pop soundscapes. Fans will also appreciate that they have something to say on songs like “Awful” and “Worry Well”. Running Interference is reminiscent of existential anxieties found in earlier releases and buzzes with themes of loss, love, and self awareness. For fans of Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand, and Stereophonics, sycloner brings wry humour and melancholy to the material, producing thoughtful soundscapes which reflect on the hard work of living well.
This fourth release is the follow up to 2019’s In And Of Itself but it’s far from their last. Currently, they are working on new material to be released in due time.
Filed Fangs – (I Am A) Utopian
With debut release “Calcify” getting the thumbs up from John Robb in Louder Than War and tin tin tin the emboldened Filed Fangs, Boz Hayward and Paul Morley, are back with a brand new track.
Searing synths kick things into a mesmeric melange of layered sounds and powerful beats – like Saturday night in the post punk grunge disco with pulsing strobing sounds revolving around your head-space as guitar riffs worm their way into your subconscious mimicking and adding to the penetrating lead sounds as chanting half-heard vocals float at the edge of things.
This second track confirms our expectations of this talented pair and we are excited about receiving future material from them.
Moss Skellington – The Lump (Expanded)
Just under four years ago we released singles and an album by Ian Moss and Moff Skellington under the collective name of Moss Skellington. Wider digital distribution of these releases was lost when we changed our distributor so we have taken the opportunity to reissue them as one package with a new distributor – an expanded version of The Lump album.
The combination of Eddodi and Manchester’s post-punk legend makes for a unique and compelling sound – the singles Boomerangs/Body Bad and The Wickedest Man In The World/Boys from the Bible Stories together with the original album gives you a complete set of the collaborations.
Moss (Hamsters, Four Candles. Cosmic Panthers, The Parasite, 2 Lost Souls) and Moff’s fecundity is legendary with both separately releasing many items in 2020 alone – this new package of sounds adds to an already immense body of work.
What’s next……
August is looking busy with the following new releases planned
Staggs return with their last release (or is it?) – The Death of Staggs
Matthew Hopkins release a new single – Love Don’t Do Logic – with another new one to follow in September
Our subscribers will receive a unique collection of Adventures of Salvador’s Early Singles and EPs
Yes….. another new album from Moff Skellington – A Slapstick Life
In anticipation of a new album in September The Junta releases the Tech Noir Remixes featuring contributions from Night Operations, Positronik and Space Museum
In anticipation of new single “Featureless Zone” the band have put together an eclectic mix …..
THE DEAD KENNEDYS – We’ve Got A Bigger Problem Now
MARVIN GAYE – What’s Going On?
RICHARD THOMPSON – Bank Vault In Heaven
LIZARD BRAIN – Put Some Love In Your Heart
GONJASUFI – Sheep
ROBYN + KLEERUP – With Every Heartbeat
SUPERTRAMP – Just A Normal Day
LIZARD BRAIN – Featureless Zone
FOUR CANDLES – Basketcase
A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS – It Is Nothing
THE SPECIALS – Ghost Town
ELVIS COSTELLO – So Like Candy
LIZARD BRAIN – Bring The Curtain Down
Our next new release is on July 17th and is from the highly prolific Mark Corrin who has delivered another solo album. This one is called Fabled Shore.
Featuring a selection of songs written over a number of years Mark brings us another exciting and eclectic mix of music. Following the recent Elastikbande EP and his other solo album “Washed Up” and the La Capsula EP it has certainly been a busy year for Mark – he has also been profiled in the Eighth Day magazine.
German Shepherd Records Bandcamp subscribers will also receive an exclusive special release from Mark.
Further news…..
Cambridge band Lizard Brain are guests on Dave Hammond’s Smelly Flowerpot Show on Monday 29th June. In addition the band have prepared another podcast – their fifth – which will be released on our Mixcloud page on July 1st. Their new single “Featureless Zone” is already receiving a lot of radio airplay and is released on July 3rd
Julia from Matthew Hopkins is also a talented actress and appeared on Coronation Street last week. The band will be featured in the August edition of Eighth Day magazine and two new singles are due in the next couple of months.
We have received the new single from Black Limousine which will be released at the end of July. It is the first release with new drummer Neil Mykowski (The Ascension, The Sombre Watcher, Neural Dance).
New singles from Filed Fangs, and Inferior Complex, a new EP from sycloner, and a remix EP and album from The Junta are on the way also!
If you would like to subscribe to our label visit our Bandcamp page – for £40 a year you get everything we release plus 100s of back catalogue items, 10% off merch, and monthly subscriber exclusives.
Pending a new full length offering from The Parasite Mr Moss and Mr Osborne have put together a couple of new songs which reflect the state of the world at the moment.
Pimple comments on the Donald’s seeming wish to be Jim Jones a couple of weeks back, he has of course got worse since then and gone even more full on bonkers
My Culture is about cultural appropriation and an ironic statement, at least musically, about the Twitterati’s holier than thou attitude over certain things……
It’s a free download thing but anyone who wants to pay anything we’ll send the money over to the Peer Hat Manchester, our favourite gigging spot, to help them survive the current thing.
We hope you are all well and coping in these strange times.
Firstly, many thanks to those DJs, Bloggers and websites who have featured us recently. We really appreciate the support and time you are giving to the label and its artists.
This news is for releases on June 26th plus details of a new signing to the label and progress on some of our fundraising activities….
DOMINIC CARLTON JONES
Eccles based singer, songwriter, and troubadour Dominic Carlton Jones returns with a new double A side – Reach Out To Your Far Horizon/German Bombers
Dominic Carlton Jones won the Salford Star Best Band/Act 2018 Award for his debut album Salford Punk Poetry Sadness Death New Life, which judges hailed as “inspired and original”. and his work has been rightly praised. The new single sees the seven minute plus “Reach Out To Your Far Horizon” exploring ambient soundscapes with an evocative and emotional spoken word delivery from Dominic. The guitar focused “German Bombers” provides another side of Dominic’s work with layers of picking and riffs building to create an atmospheric bed for more spoken word developing an epic soundscape where vocals kick in with a heartfelt song.
2 LOST SOULS
The ever productive 2 Lost Souls duo of Ian Moss and Paul Rosenfeld are back with another charity focused single. The harrowing “Don’t You Call It Love”, which Ian premiered at his virtual Stonehenge festival performance, is a direct attack on child sex abuse and the evil people who perpetrate it. All proceeds from the sale of this single will be donated to Childline.
LONGSIGHT
We are pleased to announce we will be working with Stockport, GreaterManchester band Longsight starting with a single.
Longsight are a new indie guitar band from Stockport, North West England. Started in August 2019 their first few gigs have caught the imagination of their peers and music journalists alike.
Si Wolstencroft (The Fall/ Ian Brown’s band) “Absolutely love Longsight. They sound like a cross between The Buzzcocks and New Order”. The Big issue: “Beg, borrow or steal the entrance fee. Longsight are about to go stellar”. Cassie Delta KBYD radio California: “The songs have a hurting, haunting, heart-breaking echo to them.” Manchester Evening News, “No wonder current music sounds banal, Longsight have taken all the best songs”. Chester Chronicle: “Top new band. Every track sounds like a hit single.” Glasgow Herald. “Beautifully crafted songs delivered in an unnerving style”.
The band comprises of:
Keo (Guitar/vox) formerly in Jez Kerr from A Certain Ratio’s solo band, The Family Bizarre and The Treatment Organisation.
Adam Halford (Drums/vox) formerly in The Trainset.
Johnny Stringer (Bass/vox) Formerly in The Stipe band.
Longsight’s first single ‘These Chains’ is out now on limited edition 7″ vinyl through Discogs. Produced by Jez Kerr from A Certain Ratio. Their first album is due out early next year through German Shepherd Records pending that a new single is coming soon.
Moff Skellington has made available the original artwork for three of his albums plus the poster designed for his gig at The Peer Hat, Manchester. There are four prizes so four chances to win. All punters need to do is purchase one or more tickets for the chance to enter the prize draw. Entrants get a free copy of Moff’s EP Uncle Roy’s Utopian Vision #1
The closing date for the raffle is Monday 22nd June and winners will be notified by e-mail by Friday 26th June when arrangements will be made for Moff to mail the artwork to the winners.
All proceeds will be donate to The Peer Hat Fundraiser. Tickets can be purchased from this link.
….AND MORE FUNDRAISING
Our recent releases from Four Candles, 2 Lost Souls and Crab Dance GIs are all dedicated to raising money to support The Peer Hat, Manchester a much loved place by everyone at the label and where we hold our annual Meltdown events. We have already raised £265 through these releases but more would help if you are able to support us.
Our recent releases by Moongoose also have a charitable aim with homelessness charity Shelter being the recipient on any income from sales of the EPs.
NYC and Manchester have proud and distinct musical heritages, think of the Velvet Underground and the Fall, the Ramones and Buzzcocks, Suicide and Joy Division all different in location and output and yet there is something similar in terms of attitude that links them.
Fuzzy Warbles and German Shepherd as labels existing on separate sides of the Atlantic Ocean still share an ethos of releasing and promoting music of true quality by artists who exist outside the mainstream making music out of love and emotional necessity rather as a career choice, both champion the underdog.
And so what does a musical collision between these two cities, these music capitals sound like? With the world in lockdown they decided, with the aid of smart phones and laptops, to find out.
Ben from Fuzzy Warbles and Ian from German Shepherd swapped ideas and wrote four songs long distance. Happy with what they had created, they were recorded and, we give you rumbling synths, guitars that sting, and acid tongued vocals. We welcome you to the cross pollinated world of Cosmic Panthers and the EP Ball The Wall.
Hi Folks, no doubt you will have been bombarded by messages via Bandcamp today, we know, as we have woken up to an in-box full of them, so we will keep this message short and sweet.
It’s a busy day for German Shepherd Records with lots of new releases most of which are for charity and community causes so, if you are able to do so, we would love your support on the following:
2 Lost Souls – Rules : all income from this release is being used to support the Peer Hat in Manchester. The Peer Hat is a vital part of the the gig/music community in the Greater Manchester conurbation and needs some bridging finance to allow them to survive the lock down. It is the venue we mostly use for German Shepherd events and the team there offer a risk free, value for money space to support grass roots music.
Four Candles – Alternative Golf : also supporting The Peer Hat
Moongoose – The Yellow and Black EPs : all proceeds from the sales of these two great EPs will be directed to homelessness charity Shelter.
and finally,
We are running a raffle with a chance to win exclusive artwork by the very talented Moff Skellington – for a ticket and a free download of a Moff EP please go to our Merchandise page on Bandcamp – again proceeds from this draw will be directed towards The Peer Hat.
The added bonus today is that Bandcamp are waving their usual 10% fees so we can maximise income for these worthy causes.
Thanks to those of you who have already generously supported the above causes – we are blown away by your kindness.
Moff Skellington has made available the original artwork for three of his albums plus the poster designed for his gig at The Peer Hat, Manchester
There are four prizes so four chances to win.
All you need to do is purchase one or more tickets for the chance to enter the prize draw.
When you enter you also get a free copy of Moff’s EP Uncle Roys’s Utopian Vision #1
The closing date for the raffle is Monday 22nd June and winners will be notified by e-mail by Friday 26th June when arrangements will be made for Moff to mail the artwork out to the lucky winners.
Winners will be the proud owners of unique art from Moff!
GERMAN SHEPHERD RECORDS SUBSCRIBERS WILL AUTOMATICALLY GET A FREE TICKET BUT IF THEY WANT TO BUY ANY EXTRA TICKETS TO INCREASE THEIR CHANCES OF WINNING THEY CAN DO.
TICKETS ARE £3
ALL PROCEEDS FROM THIS RAFFLE WILL GO TOWARDS SUPPORTING THE CROWDFUNDER FOR THE PEER HAT.
The Prizes are (Album art also includes the rear CD image) – the poster will be original art with the venue and gig details. All originals are the size of CD covers and are Indian Ink and Watercolour on paper.
To mark the release of two EPs from Moongoose on German Shepherd Records on 5th June we present a podcast curated by David “Yorkie” Palmer. “Yorkie” introduces it as follows:
“Ever since I can remember, I have had a very deep love and appreciation for movie soundtracks. I even used to buy albums for films I was too young to have ever seen. My elder brother thought that I was weird. Early Bond Films, Spaghetti Western themes. Horror soundtracks. I bought them all. The music was so evocative, It didn’t matter that I hadn’t seen the real movie…I just made my own up in my head. This is at the very core of Moongoose. Soundtracks for the imagination. With only a title as a jumping off point. Collected here are some of my very favourite pieces of music from over the years. Join me and take your imagination for a walk.”
The giants of movie soundtracks are all here with memorable sounds…….in between some earlier Moongoose releases….
The playlist is….
1. The Dome/The City – Logan’s Run – Jerry Goldsmith
2. …And From My Window I Look Down On Skyscrapers – Organic
Technology – Moongoose
3. Main Title – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – John Barry
4. Prelude – Psycho – Bernard Herrmann
5. Coming To LA – They Live – John Carpenter
6. Main Title – Suspiria – Goblin
7. The Sound Of Trees – Missives From The Memory Machine – Moongoose
8. Main Title – Taxi Driver- Bernard Herrmann
9. Main Title – Planet Of The Apes – Jerry Goldsmith
10. Hore, Der Du Wagst – Nosferatu – Popol Vuh
11. Deep Blue Day – For All Mankind – Brian Eno
12. End Titles – Blade Runner – Vangelis
13. Mid Beat Theme – Losy – Andrzej Korzynski
14. Main Theme – The Ipcress File – John Barry
15. Prelude & Rooftop – Vertigo – Bernard Herrmann
16. Capsule In Space – You Only Live Twice – John Barry
17. Those Pictures – The Forbidden Pictures Of A Society Lady -Ennio
Morricone
18. Bedroom City – Tokyo Glow – Moongoose
All proceeds from the sales of the Yellow and Black EPs will be donated to Shelter.
July 19th sees a new album from Moff Skellington called “Chummy Warder’s Blackspot Honeymoon”.
It’s a busy time for Moff with a further three albums on the way over the next three months. The latest offering returns to Moff’s more experimental side with a host of characters and places which would not be out of place the worlds of Lewis Carroll, Flann O’Brien or Spike Milligan.
With exploding bicycles, gaslit moonjelly, wishing eggs and other alternative aural gifts this is Moff at his most Eddodi.
THIS WEEK
We have an incredibly busy Friday coming up with releases from
Crab Dance GIs – single
Four Candles – EP
Cosmic Panthers – EP with cassette version available from the Fuzzy Warbles Bandcamp Page
and
Moongoose – two EPs
The Moongoose releases will be supported by a podcast from Yorkie which will be released on Thursday on Mixcloud – videos supporting this release will be available from Wednesday on You Tube. All proceeds from the sale of these EPs go towards supporting the work of Shelter.
This months Eighth Day magazine which is out soon features an article about Mark Corrin – please check it out.
We live in strange and interesting times which means that our usual plans can often be changed at the last minute to accommodate the circumstances.
We had planned on telling you about just one release this week but events and their impact and consequences has lead us to a slightly different state of affairs.
So, we have four announcements in total this week.
Lets start with the one we were planning to announce……
WEST COAST SICK LINE
Dusty Moonan returns with West Coast Sick Line after a more than two year wait – the last release was 2018’s album “Flat of Engels” – with a brand new five track EP called “Colour Climax”.
Trademark Sick Line biting wit and slightly dangerous humour are in play for a great set of new tunes. The best description is alternative rock with a pop edge, Pounding beats, great guitars and riffs, and catchy melodies are to the fore for this set. Perhaps the overall sound is a little heavier and a touch more in your face than previous releases.
It’s mostly Dusty on his own this time with the main man providing vocals, guitars, bass & keyboards. Main support is from Dragan Rolivic who adds Mandolin on track 3, Backing vocals on track 5 and drums throughout, as well as mixing the release. Further support comes from Mark Shrieves who plays Bass on track 4.
The whole affair was recorded at recorded at Tucky Park Studios,in Colwyn Bay, North Wales.
It will be released to the world as a download only on June 12th.
FOUR CANDLES
One of the great things about owning your own record label is that you can make fairly quick decisions about when and what you can release.
A new four track from Four Candles was recorded with Simon “Ding” Archer at 6dB Studios in Salford just before lockdown.
With the ongoing impact of the lockdown materially affecting some of the important players in the live music business in Manchester the band took the view that their latest recordings ought to try and assist the financial impact on the venue that has been both the label and our musicians main provider of somewhere to play and present what we do. That venue is The Peer Hat, in Manchester City Centre, and all the proceeds from the Bandcamp sales of the new release “Alternative Golf” will be dedicated to that wonderful place with the hope that when the current situation has been resolved we can see Nick, Dom and co. up and running again as soon as possible.
There are four tracks on the EP, one of which, Loose Lips, was previously released as a live recording from the Yerrrr bar in Manchester.
Opener Doughnuts, with a video already up on You Tube, saw it’s live debut at The Eagle in Salford around a year ago with a memorable impromptu set of backing vocals from Julia and Anne from Matthew Hopkins performed from the audience. Basket Case is a typical punk infused rant and closer Requiem is a stunning attack on failings in the Care system for vulnerable people. All in all a great set of tunes.
Release date: June 5th – download only.
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS ANOTHER FREE FEE DAY ON BANDCAMP SO PURCHASE ON THIS DATE MAXIMISES OUR INCOME TO SUPPORT THE PEER HAT.
2 LOST SOULS
If the decision on the Four Candles release was quick then we approached warp speed on the new release from 2 Lost Souls.
The behaviour of a certain individual and his boss sparked a flurry of activity on Sunday May 24th. The two Paul’s laid down guitars and bass and Ian added his trademark vocals to a pointed attack on the self-styled elite that “run” the country at the moment. Within two hours the finished track was sent to Bandcamp for release and sharing with the world. A few hours later Ged Babey had penned a review for Louder Than War.
The release is offered for free on Bandcamp with a pay what you want option. Any money raised will as with the Four Candles release be dedicated to supporting The Peer Hat.
OUT NOW!!
and finally…..
COSMIC PANTHERS
NYC and Manchester have proud and distinct musical heritages , think of The Velvet Underground and the Fall , The Ramones and Buzzcocks , Suicide and Joy Division all different in location and output and yet there is something similar in terms of attitude that links them.
Fuzzy Warbles and German Shepherd as labels existing on separate sides of the Atlantic Ocean still share an ethos of releasing and promoting music of true quality by artists who exist outside the mainstream making music out of love and emotional necessity rather as a career choice , both champion the underdog.
And so what does a musical collision between these two cities , these music capitals sound like ? With the world in lockdown they decided , with the aid of smart phones and laptops, to find out.
Ben from Fuzzy Warbles and Ian from German Shepherd swapped ideas and wrote four songs long distance. Happy with what they had created, they were recorded and, for our fourth release this week, we give you rumbling synths, guitars that sting, and acid tongued vocals. We welcome you to the cross pollinated world of Cosmic Panthers and the EP Ball The Wall.
Fuzzy Warbles will release the EP in Cassette Format and provide digital download via Bandcamp. German Shepherd will facilitate wider distribution via A1 Music to all the major digital download and streaming sites. Release date is June 5th.
Four Candles have announced the release of a new EP “Alternative Golf” which will be released on June 5th. A preview of the EP comes in the form of a brand new video of the track “Doughnuts”.
The group have agreed that any income from the sales of the EP on Bandcamp will be used to support Manchester City Centre venue The Peer Hat which is at risk of closure due to the current lockdown.
More details about the release to follow next week.
Hello, here are the details of our releases for June 5th plus some video news.
MOONGOOSE
We are very pleased to be working with Moongoose for the release of two EPs.
Any income generated from the sales of these releases will be donated to the homelessness charity Shelter.
The two EPs entitled “Yellow” and Black” are respectful homages to cinema and its soundtracks.
The YELLOW EP is a tribute to all of the magnificent directors and composers of the Italian Giallo films from the 1970’s. Films such as SUSPIRIA, LIZARD IN A WOMANS SKIN, YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM AND ONLY I HAVE THE KEY, THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, ETC. Directors such as Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Mario Bava, Sergio Martini, ETC. Composers such as Ennio Morricone, GOBLIN, Claudio Simonetti, ETC.
The Giallo films were mysteries/thrillers/horror films that usually placed an innocent in danger from a knife-wielding assailant. Full of terror and suspense, they usually had groundbreaking visuals and stunning soundtracks.
The BLACK EP is a tribute the wonderfully atmospheric and very bleak American Film Noir Movies of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Films such as DOUBLE INDEMNITY, IN A LONELY PLACE, KISS OF DEATH, THE BRIDE WORE BLACK, SUNSET BOULEVARD, ETC. Directors such as ALFRED HITCHCOCK, ROBERT SIODMAK, FRITZ LANG, ORSON WELLES, ETC. Composers such as BERNARD HERRMANN, MIKLOS ROSZA, MAX STEINER, ETC.
The American Film Noir movies were mysteries/thrillers/spy films that usually dealt with corruption, double-dealing and murder. The movies main features are the striking lighting design and weird camera angles
Each EP comprises four tracks. To tie in with the release German Shepherd Records Subscribers will receive an additional pair of tracks from the Yellow and Black sessions – ‘Raven Circles’ and ‘Bitter Consequences .
A series of ten videos will be released to tie in with the two EPs. Watch this space for details!
Some limited edition CDs of both EPs will be available from the Moongoose website.
David “Yorkie” Palmer has also put together a podcast to promote the two releases which includes tracks from older Moongoose releases plus a selection of his favourite film scores. This will be available from the German Shepherd Mixcloud page from June 3rd.
Established in 1999 by YORKIE, former bassist and producer for platinum selling indie giants SPACE, and producer of Liverpool legends SHACK’s last album ‘…the corner of Miles & Gil’ (for Noel Gallagher’s SOURMASH label). He has also produced many other bands, most notably SEVEN SEALS, IVAN CAMPO and WINDMILL.
MOONGOOSE have released five singles, three ep’s and four albums to date.
The main core of MOONGOOSE is:
YORKIE (THE DANCE PARTY, EGYPT FOR NOW, THE BALCONY, SPACE, WINDMILL)
PAUL CAVANAGH (THE BALCONY, THE ROOM, GLOSS, CABIN IN THE WOODS, THE ROOM IN THE WOOD)
MARK JORDAN (VIDEOS: DEREK JARMAN, THE ROOM IN THE WOOD, ATV)
CRAB DANCE GIs
Manchester’s pop subversives Crab Dance GIs, featuring Danny Cusick (Kit B), Craig Bodell (The Hidden Gem) and Paul Smith (The Hidden Gem) are back with a brand new single called “Stage Fright” their fourth release with German Shepherd. Pizzicato strings and a moving synth bass create a bed for a special pop song.A sultry summer vibe runs through this hook packed tune which sees the Crabbies taking a more soulful route. If this one doesn’t grab your ears and give them a good shaking then nothing will.
DEAD CROWS LAUNCH VIDEOS
To tie in with the release of “Hemispheres Part One :Celestial” Bouquet of Dead Crows have been hard at work producing videos to support the albums tracks. Here’s the video for Left To Rot.
A You Tube playlist of the videos featuring the whole album will be available soon.
May 22nd sees the release of a new single from Southampton’s finest Inferior Complex.
Entitled “Epic” the single was recorded, engineered and produced by: Alex Bradley at Millside, Realworld studios, Box, in 2018, with post production at Temporary Hoarding, Bristol, in March 2020.
The single, a stunning instrumental, features the regular line-up of Raymond Missons on Bass, Andrew Missons on Keyboard/Guitar and Paul Jenman on Drums.
The band are currently working on new material including new music with fellow German Shepherd artist Dominic Carlton Jones.
In the final episode of this series Neil, Toni, Andy and Karen discuss the tracks “Kaiju Hijinks” and “Hemispheres” and also have a lengthy chat with album cover designer, graphic illustrator and musician about town Stewart Harris (The Scissors, Goddammit Jeremiah).
The album is available for pre-order is released on May 22nd.
The Scissors latest studio album can be purchased here:
We are pleased to announce the release of the latest album from Moff Skellington – his 42nd. It’s called “Wading With The Help Donkeys”. To mark the occasion Moff has recorded a special podcast where he introduces the album and plays a short clip of each track. It’s a fascinating half hour with lots of humour in the inimitable Moff style.
This week we have news of three releases for you, all digital, all coming out on May 29th.
THE JUNTA – TECH NOIR
Salford’s master of techno is back with a brand new tune which is from his forthcoming album “J3”.
Guaranteed to make you want to do the boogaloo this one is a guaranteed dancefloor (or living room carpet) fave!
MESMER DISCIPLES
Leeds finest proponents of alternative guitar rock are back with a fascinating new single “Chosen Child”.
Sadly the band are still without a singer so have chosen to use found sounds to compliment their intricate and emotive compositions. We love the music this band make and we hope you will to!
THE PARASITE
Brewed in Mossley and Eccles over several months the new album from The Parasite is called “Social Validation Feedback Loop”
Politics , sexuality, fame and it’s attendant problems, extinction and identity, are all subjects in this collection of new pieces.
Non genre specific it weaves it’s way across several styles and influences to create a unique listening experience.
OTHER NEWS
Bouquet of Dead Crows third podcast is released this Friday and includes an interview with Stewart Harris all round ace designer and bass man with The Scissors and Goddamit Jeremiah. The band are also on the next episode of Dave Hammond Smelly Flowerpot on Cambridge 105.
Moff Skellington to putting together a users guide to his new album “Wading With The Help Donkeys” which will be available in podcast format soon.
…and we will be back next week with details on releases from Moongoose and Crab Dance GIs
Released today the video for “Caged” another track from the new album Hemispheres, the first part of which is released on May 22nd and you can pre-order now from Bandcamp. The Bandcamp version of the release has a bonus live track recorded in Manchester.
We are aware that many DJs/media types are now doing shows/stories from home and having to mail in pre-records/articles a lot earlier than usual. With that in mind we are moving to a position where we are announcing our new releases 20 days before release rather than the usual 10 days. Because of that we have more releases than usual to announce this week.
MOFF SKELLINGTON
May 15th will see the release of a brand new album from Moff Skellington called “Wading With The Help Donkeys” – this is the first in a new series from Moff for 2020 with four more to follow over the next few months. As usual Moff brings his unique style of music and performance to the fore with a collection of songs concerning weird and wonderful ideas and concepts including “Show Biz Potatoes” “Birds of Prey” “Slapstick” (a theme he will return in one of the forthcoming albums) “Pet Shops” and the clothing habits of people from ancient times. Moff’s prolific output continues unabated with this new release which demonstrates the more playful and joyous aspects of his work.
INFERIOR COMPLEX
On May 22nd Southampton’s masters of post-punk are back with a brand new instrumental single called Epic. With dance floor friendly pulsing beats and Ray Missons trademark bass sound this is truly a song whose name describes the music accurately. The trio are hard at work on new recordings including a partnership with label mate Dominic Carlton Jones with further releases coming later in the year.
BOUQUET OF DEAD CROWS
Bouquet of Dead Crows return with the first half of their new album “Hemispheres” on May 22nd. Entitled “Celestial” the collection brings together six tracks from the new album – with Bandcamp purchasers getting an additional live track.
The third full length from Bouquet of Dead Crows welcomes new bassist Karen Gadd, which balances out the ying and yang within the quartet, and, which also brings a fresh and revitalised feel to the bands sound. The complete collection is called Hemispheres – the title of which describes an album of two parts. “Celestial” is released now as a prelude to what is to follow., the second part “Cerebral” follows later in the year.
This latest chapter in the Bouquet of Dead Crows story finds the quartet adopting a more progressive sound with their trademark riffs with big melodies approach being enhanced to incorporate more layered and nuanced elements, different time signatures, and more reflective and sometimes ambient sections. The duality of the album title is carried through to the music. Intense hard rocking sections contrast with quieter moments
The group are also releasing a weekly series of podcasts introducing the album and talking to other musical guVests from the Cambridge Area – the first one can be found below with two more to follow
The album is pre-released on our Bandcamp Page and can be ordered now
EIGHTH DAY MAGAZINE
We are continuing to feature in the excellent Eighth Day magazine – the May edition includes part 2 of our article on bands from Cambridge on the label as well as the Cambridge Calling charity compilations. The June edition will include a detailed article on Mark Corrin who has a number of releases with us this year.
THE TEENAGE PROPSHAFTS
After last weeks single “Me, My Dad, and The Fire Engines” the Propshafts are back with their signature tune “I Was A Teenage Propshaft”. It’s available now as Pay What You Want with all monies received going to the charity Mary’s Meals. With one chord, lots of guests and only slightly more lyrical content than Lulu’s “I’m A Tiger” this is the band at their proto-punk best.
WHAT’S NEXT?
We have have a packed calendar of new releases for you over the next few months including releases from the following:
The Junta The Parasite Mesmer Disciples Crab Dance GI’s Moongoose West Coast Sick Line Moff Skellington Dominic Carlton Jones Space Museum Elastikbande The Screaming Love Collective Mark Corrin Inferior Complex Black Limousine sycloner
The legendary cry “I Was A Teenage Propshaft” has been heard at Manchester/Salford gigs for many years now. This release celebrates that rallying call and invites you to join in and express your inner Propshaft.
“I was a teenage what? You guys from Manchester are crazy……….” Patti Smith
“I’m A Propshaft” Kirk Douglas
We are offering this for free but if you do feel generous we will send what you spend to Mary’s Meals charity
Featuring the legendary line up of :
Stevie Propshaft – Lead Vocals
Monty Propshaft – Bass and Shabba
Doo Doo Propshaft – Guitar
Enrico Propshaft Jr – Drums
June 5th 2020 will see the release of two brand new EPs from Moongoose in a new partnership with German Shepherd Records. Distributed via AWAL the EPs will be available on all of the usual streaming and download sites, as well as the German Shepherd Bandcamp Page. German Shepherd Subscribers will also receive an additional two tracks not on the EPs but recorded as part of the same sessions. Limited Edition CDs of these releases will be available from the Moongoose Official Website.
Any monies accrued from downloads or streaming of these releases will be donated to Shelter charity for the homeless.
Entitled “Yellow” and “Black” the EPs each have four tracks of Moongoose’s trademark evocative instrumental music which is reminiscent of movie soundtracks, highly appropriate given the subjects of the releases.
The YELLOW EP is a tribute to all of the magnificent directors and composers of the Italian Giallo films from the 1970’s. Films such as SUSPIRIA, LIZARD IN A WOMANS SKIN, YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM AND ONLY I HAVE THE KEY, THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, ETC. Directors such as Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Mario Bava, Sergio Martini, ETC Composers such as Ennio Morricone, GOBLIN, Claudio Simonetti, ETC. The Giallo films were mysteries/thrillers/horror films that usually placed an innocent in danger from a knife-wielding assailant. Full of terror and suspense, they usually had groundbreaking visuals and stunning soundtracks.
The BLACK EP is a tribute the wonderfully atmospheric and very bleak American Film Noir Movies of the 1940’s and 1950’s Films such as DOUBLE INDEMNITY, IN A LONELY PLACE, KISS OF DEATH, THE BRIDE WORE BLACK, SUNSET BOULEVARD, ETC. Directors such as ALFRED HITCHCOCK, ROBERT SIODMAK, FRITZ LANG, ORSON WELLES, ETC Composers such as BERNARD HERRMANN, MIKLOS ROSZA, MAX STEINER, ETC. The American Film Noir movies were mysteries/thrillers/spy films that usually dealt with corruption, double-dealing and murder. The movies main features are the striking lighting design and weird camera angles.
Established in 1999 by YORKIE, former bassist and producer for platinum selling indie giants SPACE, and producer of Liverpool legends SHACK’s last album ‘…the corner of Miles & Gil’ (for Noel Gallagher’s SOURMASH label).
He has also produced many other bands, most notably SEVEN SEALS, IVAN CAMPO and WINDMILL. MOONGOOSE have released five singles, three ep’s and four albums to date. The main core of MOONGOOSE is:
YORKIE (THE DANCE PARTY, EGYPT FOR NOW, THE BALCONY, SPACE, WINDMILL)
PAUL CAVANAGH (THE BALCONY, THE ROOM, GLOSS, CABIN IN THE WOODS, THE ROOM IN THE WOOD)
MARK JORDAN (VIDEOS: DEREK JARMAN, THE ROOM IN THE WOOD, ATV)
Along their journey they have been joined by various special guests, such as:
ANDY DIAGRAM – THE DIAGRAM BROTHERS, JAMES, DAVID THOMAS & TWO PALE BOYS, SPACEHEADS.
PETE WYLIE – THE MIGHTY WAH!
IAIN TEMPLETON – SHACK
VICKY EDWARDS – THE AEROPLANES, THE JOHN HEAD BAND
CARL HUNTER & STEVE GRIMES – THE FARM
DOMENICO CIRILLO – OTHER VOICES
The band has also had the great fortune of working with a number of artists, photographers and writers to bring their projects to life, including:
FRANCESCO MELLINA – Photography for ‘SILHOUETTES AND SHADOWS’
DAVID Mc CLEISH – Photography for ‘FOOTPRINTS’
DAVE JACKSON (THE ROOM, BENNY PROFANE, THE CATHEDRAL MOUNTAINEERS, THE ROOM IN THE WOOD) – Sleeve notes for ‘ORGANIC TECHNOLOGY’
IAN PYPER – (CODEX OCULARIS) – Artwork for ‘MISSIVES FROM THE MEMORY MACHINE’
JEFF YOUNG (QUADROPHENIA – The theatre production) – Sleeve notes for ‘MISSIVES FROM THE MEMORY MACHINE’
HIRO MONSTERA – Photography for ‘SLEEP TO DISAPPEAR’, ‘BEDROOM CITY’ & ‘TOKYO GLOW’
On their last album, ‘TOKYO GLOW’, MOONGOOSE complete their sci-fi trilogy and ruminations on the encroachment and reliance of technology on modern life, with a look at Japan and its many wonders and pitfalls. As usual, it was totally instrumental and impressionistic, and blended modern recording techniques with traditional instruments and approaches to recording.
In the first of a series of podcasts Bouquet of Dead Crows introduce the first two tracks on their new release Celestial as well as chatting to Sandy Mill, Gavin Chappell-Bates and Dave Hammond. The interviews were recorded before the lockdown so information about gigs and festivals are now incorrect.
May 8th sees the release of a brand new single from Night Operations.
Entitled “Pull The Trigger” it’s a taster from the forthcoming third album.
Night Operations is the project of Mike Powell who has already released the albums Mantra and Advantage with German Shepherd Records as well as a number of singles and EPs.
The new single continues the success of Night Operations with a driving piece of electronic rock.
Released TODAY is the debut single from The Teenage Propshafts.
This mysterious band, which is couched in legend, has only previously released a one off track – the title track of our Salford Streets compilation. They are back with an often recounted tale of a chance encounter in an amusement arcade in Manchester in the early 1980s called “Me, My Dad & The Fire Engines”. The tune/tale has been a staple of The Teenage Propshafts repertoire for many years and is now shared with the world in all its protean glory.
This is offered free/name your price but if listeners wish to donate something we will be giving any monies received to the charity Mary’s Meals.The single is available now on Bandcamp and comes with a dub version as a b-side
Plans for a follow up single are germinating ….watch this space!
To mark the release of the new single “32 Years” Richard and David from Lizard Brain have put together a new podcast packed with an eclectic mix of music, featuring
Everything Everything
Hoosiers
Harold Budd and Brian Eno
Glen Campbell
Ty Dolla $ign & Future
Richard Thompson
Tori Amos
Anthony Phillips
Positronik
Pink Floyd
Bonzo Dog Doodah Band
Jan Garbarek
As well as the above there’s a track from the second Lizard Brain album plus the new single.
Here we are again with details of our latest release – a new album from Mark Corrin called “Washed Up” it releases on May 1st in digital format only via Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple,Google, Amazon etc
Following on from last years critically acclaimed “Pub Bin” it is a short, catchy pop album about bad weather – meteorological, political or social.
It was recorded, solo, in Manchester UK in February 2020, the wettest one on record, in a time of great global uncertainty. Most of the songs here are wet, stormy and anxious but also warm and silly and not without hope. Some random musical influences for this release might include poetic funk (Gil Scott-Heron & Ian Dury especially), Momus, Luke Haines, some classic 80s pop (The Cure, Pet Shop Boys, Teardrop Explodes), There is grime, punk, psychedelia, novelty records and hip hop in the mix
Mark Corrin’s early releases as “Shirokuma” were frequently broadcast on the John Peel Show on BBC Radio 1, and his more recent solo work has featured on BBC Late Junction with Nick Luscombe. He also presents his own weekly music radio show on Salford City Radio and has collaborated and performed with several notable artists from all over the world both live and on record. He has previously also been a member of groups including Una Baines’ (The Fall) band Poppycock, Rose & The Diamond Hand and is currently working with Elastikbande and La Capsula.
Mark released his last album “Pub Bin” with us on 19th April, 2019. It is described as a dark comedy concept album set mostly in the venues, shops, offices, pubs and bins of modern Manchester.
German Shepherd records Subscriberswill also get an additional album on release day called “Mission Inaction” which is a compilation of additional tracks recorded at both the Pub Bin and Washed Up sessions.
Ian & Neil Moss and 2 Lost Souls celebrate the release of their new singles on German Shepherd Records with a podcast.
Featuring the new singles and selections from Ian, Neil and Paul this is an eclectic and enjoyable mix of music old and new. As well as the new singles there is music from:
Bryan Ferry, The Kinks, JJ Cale, Madonna, Moff Skellington, Bob Dylan, Modern Lovers, The Sonics, Hank Williams, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Cliff, Lonnie Liston Smith, Love, Simon & Garfunkel, Traffic and Prince
Bouquet of Dead Crows Neil and Karen get to give a run-down of the first half of the new album on the first episode of new podcast series “Clutching at Crumbs”
Thanks to everyone who took part in our competition to win a 2 Lost Souls T-Shirt
T- Shirts have been mailed out today to the lucky winners. Download links for the single will be e-mailed on Friday after the single has been released apart from subscribers who will get them automatically.
Here are the answers to the questions – please note that there was a typo in the original set of questions and that Question 7 should have said Dr Filth rather than Dr Freaks Padded Cell.
No
QUESTION
ANSWER(S)
1
Which 70s band was Neil Moss a member of? Which group did the singer of that band go on to form?
The Frantic Elevators
Simply Red
2
Eddie Fenn was a member of The Stepbrothers with Ian Moss. Which ex member of The Fall’s band was Eddie a member of and name that band?
Marc Riley
The Creepers
3
Name the two support bands playing at the gig at The Kings Arms when DJ Dave Hammond met Bob & Ian at The Distractions gig.
Factory Star
The June Brides
4
What is the name of the imaginary location that appears in much of Moff Skellington’s work
Abstercot
5
How many ex-members of The Fall have released music with German Shepherd Records?
Four – Una Baines, Simon “Ding” Archer, Mike Leigh, Kate Themen
6
What is the name of the metal covers band that Jon Rowlinson and Mark Taylor of Four Candles play in.
Pierrepoint
7
Which band on German Shepherd includes an ex-member of Dr Filth?
2 Lost Souls
8
German Shepherd release music by a band from Leeds – what are they called?
Mesmer Disciples
9
Who are Michael T. Scott and Paul Ridley better known as?
Staggs
10
Name Aidan Cross’s band before Weimar (his band – not one he was in lead by another person)
The Bacillus
11
Who sang backing vocals on the first German Shepherd release?
Steve and Laura Simms Luddington
12
Who hosts a famous supper club on the Prick Jaggers album?
Lou Reed
13
Which two musicians link the bands Weimar and Poppycock and what is the name of the band they are in.
John Armstrong, Anne Marie Crowley – The Speed of Sound
14
Who sings guest vocals on EP2 by the Unseasonal Beasts – what is the name of their current bands
Tamsin Middleton – Vice Vera
Susan O’Shea – Factory Acts
15
Which song links The Junta and Adventures of Salvador?
Welcome to My Village
16
Bob Osborne wrote the lyrics to the song “Panic in The Elevator” by Northampton Band Essential Personnel – which more (sort of) famous band did the guitarist from Essential Personnel go on to form? Bonus Points if you can name him.
Where’s Lisse?
Patrick Egan
17
Which 1968 Vincent Price film has a link to a German Shepherd artist?
The Witchfinder General (i.e.Matthew Hopkins)
18
Who are Bert Vile and Rat better known as?
Flea
19
Which German Shepherd band writes and records their music in a shed?
Umbrella Assassins
20
Which German Shepherd artists first music project was called Shirokuma?
We have just one release for April 24th from Cambridge pop-meisters Lizard Brain
Entitled “32 Years” it’s a brand new single recorded in early 2020 and featuring band members Richard Jones on Vocals/Keyboards and David Carter on Guitar /Bass.
A melodic pop song with a rock/electro base this proves to be a joyful but tongue in cheek celebration of a long standing relationship. It’s already received airplay from Cambridge DJ Dave Hammond on his Smelly Flowerpot Show.
This release follows on from previous single the remix of “Put Some Love In Your Heart”
The guys have also done a podcast which will be available from our Mixcloud channel from April 22nd.
If you haven’t already then check out their excellent album from last year “Stray”
Bouquet of Dead Crows have announced that their brand new album ‘Hemispheres’ is now available to pre-order.
With the latest singles ‘Left To Rot’ & ‘Kaiju Hijinks’ included, the bands 3rd album, called “Hemispheres” is released through German Shepherd Records, and, is the first album featuring Karen Gadd on bass duties.
You can pre-order the album on CD today and receive an instant download of one of the tracks, and another five on May 22nd when the Celestial EP is released, the full physical album being released later in the year.
German Shepherd will digitally release the first 6 tracks, collectively known as Celestial on May 22nd via Bandcamp, Spotify and all of the main streaming/download sites.
Bouquet of Dead Crows continue the run up to the release of their next album “Hemispheres” with the release of the title track on video. A somewhat appropriate song in these crazy times as the key line in the chorus is….”It’s not the end of the world”! A big ballad with an epic sound it certainly brings forward another side of a band that continues to develop and grow.
In the run up to the release of the first half of the album – which is called “Celestial” and features the track the band will be releasing a series of podcasts to explain the genesis and the recording of the album. The EP length release will be on May 22nd.
This video follows the release of the two singles from the album “Left To Rot” and “Kaiji Hijinks”
A special show put together by Garry, Steve and Bunge from Umbrella Assassins celebrating the release of their new album “Humanity”. The show follows the story behind the album with interludes and musical choices which reflect the narrative.
“Dodo Freak (Freakum Dodois) the last of his kind. Losing faith in humanity he escapes to a new planet. As years go by he wonders what has become of his old home, so he decides to look. Hurtling through the countryside in his spaceship he meets a girl, falls in love and starts a family. Through new found friends he assembles a band of humans, those lucky few. The pioneers of the twelve by ten. The creators of Shed Punk. Umbrella Assassins bring you an album. Humanity, The next phase of the journey.”
The new album will be available via German Shepherd records from April 10th 2020.
Hope you are all well and coping with this strange state of affairs
We continue unabated to share new music with you – being mostly digital does have its advantages.
On April 17th we have two new releases featuring Ian Moss.
First up he is back with brother Neil with a new single called “Blowing Smoke Up My Hole” – While Neil goes ultra minimal his big brother dissects the shallowness of celebrity and the mutual need of worshippers and the worshipped. Probably their most avant- garde single to date!
The other release involving Ian is through his partnership with Paul Rosenfeld in 2 Lost Souls. Their new single is called “Liquorice Flavour” and comes with a “B” side called “Scrape It Off”. German Shepherd subscribers will also receive a bonus track called “Soho”. As a polar opposite to the Ian and Neil release this is a pure rock song with Ian demanding he hear some proper Rock and Roll from Jerry Lee Lewis rather than being fed the watered down pop of Fabian. Paul provides all the music with the sterling assistance of Paul O’Sullivan on bass.
We’ve just launched a competition with a fiendishly hard quiz to win a limited edition 2 Lost Souls T Shirt or a digital copy of their album “Cords and Digits”. Everyone who enters will get a free copy of the new single – check out the ultra hard quiz here
In addition to the above Ian, Neil and Paul have curated a podcast to support the release of the singles which will be available from Bob’s Mixcloud page on the week of release.
And in other news…..
Leeds based Mesmer Disciples are back with a brand new single – we are currently sorting out a release date – here’s a preview….
For a chance to win a limited edition 2 Lost Souls T Shirt or a free copy of the bands album “Cords and Digits” why not enter the fiendishly hard German Shepherd quiz set by our fiendish quizmaster Mr Osborne.
Some of the answers to the questions will require a bit of studying on the German Shepherd website, on others you will need to do a bit of Google-ing.
If you can’t answer all the questions it doesn’t matter just send in what you can and you will get a free copy of the new 2 Lost Souls single “Liquorice Flavour”!
When you have completed the quiz (or answered as many of the questions as you can) e-mail it them to :
PLEASE LET US KNOW WHICH SIZE YOU WOULD LIKE IF YOU WIN
CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR ENTRIES IS SATURDAY 11th APRIL AT 12 NOON
THE QUESTIONS
1
Which 70s band was Neil Moss a member of? Which group did the singer of that band go on to form?
2
Eddie Fenn was a member of The Stepbrothers with Ian Moss. Which ex member of The Fall’s band was Eddie a member of and name that band?
3
Name the two support bands playing at the gig at The Kings Arms when DJ Dave Hammond met Bob & Ian at The Distractions gig.
4
What is the name of the imaginary location that appears in much of Moff Skellington’s work
5
How many ex-members of The Fall have released music with German Shepherd Records?
6
What is the name of the metal covers band that Jon Rowlinson and Mark Taylor of Four Candles play in.
7
Which band on German Shepherd includes an ex-member of Dr Filth.
8
German Shepherd release music by a band from Leeds – what are they called?
9
Who are Michael T. Scott and Paul Ridley better known as?
10
Name Aidan Cross’s band before Weimar (his band – not one he was in lead by another person)
11
Who sang backing vocals on the first German Shepherd release?
12
Who hosts a famous supper club on the Prick Jaggers album?
13
Which two musicians link the bands Weimar and Poppycock and what is the name of the band they are in.
14
Who sings guest vocals on EP2 by the Unseasonal Beasts – what is the name of their current bands
15
Which song links The Junta and Adventures of Salvador?
16
Bob Osborne wrote the lyrics to the song “Panic in The Elevator” by Northampton Band Essential Personnel – which more (sort of) famous band did the guitarist from Essential Personnel go on to form? Bonus Points if you can name him.
17
Which 1968 Vincent Price film has a link to a German Shepherd artist?
18
Who are Bert Vile and Rat better known as?
19
Which German Shepherd band writes and records their music in a shed?
20
Which German Shepherd artists first music project was called Shirokuma?
Here are the details of our releases on April 10th plus news of some reissues and an additional single release on April 3rd
Loop-aznavour
Adventures of Salvador front man and theremin wizard Loop-aznavour resumes his solo career with a brand new album Les Idiots de L’Electronique.
Loop takes us through ten great new songs involving a wide selection of bizarre and wonderful characters. Applying his unique and dead-pan humour to the everyday idiosyncrasies of life this collection will certainly lighten the mood in these trying times.
Umbrella Assassins
Haverhill’s finest proponents of Shed Punk are back with a full length which includes revisited versions of tracks from the previous EPs and Singles released by German Shepherd.
Entitled Humanity it’s a concept album dealing with the adventures of Dodo Freak (Freakum Dodois) the last of his kind. Losing faith in humanity he escapes to a new planet. As years go by he wonders what has become of his old home, so he decides to look. Hurtling through the countryside in his spaceship he meets a girl, falls in love and starts a family. Through new found friends he assembles a band of humans, those lucky few. The pioneers of the twelve by ten. The creators of Shed Punk.
Mixing raw shed punk with some lighter pop tunes and experimental pieces this is Steve, Garry and Bunge with their best offering yet.
The band have put together an entertaining podcast to support the release of the album which will be available around the time of release from Bob’s Mixcloud Page.
Re-releases
Following a change in our distributors we are pleased to announce that the following are available once more from all the digital streaming and download sites…..
plus a host of reissues of Moff Skellington albums:
Plough Monday, On Flanders Moon, Golfer In Disgrace, Bargains Are A Hollow Syrup, Fetch, Uncle Roy’s Utopian Vision Parts 1 and 2, The Corduroy Bridge, Thorny Conduits
Eighth Day Magazine
We are continuing to write a monthly column for the excellent Eighth Day Magazine. March’s edition included a piece on Moff Skellington and an introduction to The English Disease. April’s edition which is due out at the weekend includes the first of a two part article on our work with Cambridge Bands – check out the magazine here
and finally …..there’s an extra release scheduled for April 3rd from
Lizard Brain
The Lizard Brain team have produced an excellent remix of the track Put Some Love In Your Heart from their That Has A Nice Ring To It album.
Again we felt that this tune offered some hope and love during the current lockdown. This track is a taster for their new single 32 Years which will follow on April 24th.
The third full length album from Cambridge based alternative rock band Bouquet of Dead Crows welcomes new bassist Karen Gadd, which balances out the yin and yang within the quartet, and which also brings a fresh and revitalised feel to the bands sound.
The complete collection is called Hemispheres – the title of which describes an album of two parts – Celestial and Cerebral.
We released a first track from the album “Left to Rot” in October last year.
The second release from the album is a single “Kaiju Hijinks” which will be available via Bandcamp and all the main digital outlets from April 4th.
The recording of the second half of the album has been delayed so on May 22nd we will be releasing the first half of the album – Celestial. More details to follow!
This latest chapter in the Bouquet of Dead Crows story finds the quartet adopting a more progressive sound with their trademark riffs with big melodies approach being enhanced to incorporate more layered and nuanced elements, different time signatures, and more reflective and sometimes ambient sections. The duality of the album title is carried through to the music. Intense hard rocking sections contrast with quieter moments.
Artwork for the single has as usual been created by the highly talented Stewart Harris.
We have recently been re-organising our distribution arrangements and this has given us the opportunity to relaunch several albums in the back catalogue. One of the first of these is the re-issue of The Junta’s Network album from 2018.
Now distributed by A1 Music this excellent album shows the self-proclaimed Techno-Head at his best with guest appearances from Loop-aznavour (Adventures of Salvador), Aidan Cross (Weimar) and legendary Salford City Radio DJ Stephen Doyle. Combining an encyclopaedic knowledge of modern electronica with some post-punk and pop smarts this album finds The Junta at his most inventive.
In addition to the above album we are releasing a subscriber only live album of The Junta playing at Manchester’s AATMA venue.
We are suspending the sale of physical items during the current crisis. This is mainly because we don’t have a warehouse full of items but a series of individual musicians with their own stock.
We will make CDs and Vinyl available again once the lockdown has been lifted.
All current live orders should be in the post in the next few days.
IF YOU HAVE NOT CLAIMED A REFUND FOR YOUR EASTER MELTDOWN/CRAVATS TICKET YET PLEASE DO SO – THERE ARE EIGHT OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT ASKED FOR A REFUND YET – PLEASE CONTACT US prestwichennui@gmail.com TO ORGANISE THIS
