Category: Album

New Bouquet of Dead Crows

We are pleased to share “Standing At The Precipice” which is taken from the forthcoming album ‘Hemispheres’.

The bands 3rd album released through German Shepherd Records, is the first album with Karen Gadd on bass duties.

The album is released in two parts – Celestial and Cerebral with the second part coming on October 22nd. Physical copies are available for pre-order HERE

Part One was released in May 2020

The album has an overall theme of mental health, which is a topic the band are very passionate about. With each song, they’ve written about issues that effect them individually and personally. There’s been a lot of stigma about depression and anxiety over the years, and as the mood slowly shifts this album captures the zeitgeist of our current unpredictable day-to-day life, the fears we are all experiencing right now. Although written before the current pandemic that the world is currently experiencing, a lot of the lyrics do seem strangely prescient and also very relevant. Such as the chorus of the title track ‘It’s not the end of the world…this time, it feels like the end of the world…every time’. This chaotic realisation that what feels like the end of the world, may not be. That there is a community, a beauty in all the destruction and repair that every one of us faces. Every heavy riff is wrought from the exact moment a human sees their own mortality and hopes for healing.

Long Lost 80s Indie Pop and More Shed Punk

August 27th sees the release of two new additions to our catalogue.

Michael James Pollard & Sioux Goddard’s “Revolution” is a previously unreleased collection of tunes from the mid-1980s.

Originally from Derby, Michael moved to Manchester in his late teens to be amongst some of his favourite groups. After recording a Radio 1 session for John Peel he began writing and recording with Sioux Goddard and they came into contact with Lindsay Reade at Factory Records who helped get them an album deal with Fundação Atlântica. Over a two week period they recorded eight tracks at Revolution studios in Cheadle. The album, however, was never released as the label hit financial difficulties and closed soon after. We are pleased to be able to release this album.

Purchasers of the album and German Shepherd Kennel Club members receive two additional and exclusive bonus tracks. CD versions are also available.

Haverhill’s finest return with the second installment of their King of Fruit Series – three energetic slices of Shed Punk!

Recording Revolution at Revolution
Umbrella Assassins

13 Up for 2 Lost Souls

2 Lost Souls aka Ian Fourcandles and Paul Rosenfeld hit their 13th release with the new album “Yarn Bombs” – they are ably assisted with the bass skills of Paul O’Sullivan. Their third album this year is packed with loads of great new tunes.

Ian says “Bombs away! Yarn Bombs that is , here is another chapter in the ongoing 2 Lost Souls saga, Paul in London has served up more guitar based composition over which Ian at the base of the Pennines spins his yarns , Paul in South Manchester has added his exemplary bass guitar patterns to complete the process and we have pleasure in presenting for your edification this collection of shaggy dog stories, ladies and gentlemen we give you Yarn Bombs”

Releases for 9th July – Cosmic Panthers and Lizard Brain

Two new releases for today….

Several years back the band Kill Pretty went into a recording studio in Liverpool to lay down their third album tentatively titled “Bubblegum Now” . A double albums worth of material was recorded and progress was being made for a release, however with the departure of firstly the bands manager and then the lead singer the momentum was lost and that material was shelved never to see the light of day. It has long been an ambition for at least the lyrical content of that album to be used in some form, it was that strong.

German Shepherd co-owner Ian Moss was that lead singer. His partnership with Ben Mancell of the New York based Fuzzy Warbles label to release Hamsters material and subsequently new material with Cosmic Panthers lead to the flowering of the germ of an idea. Enter stage left legendary Mekons and Three Johns member Jon Langford, an old friend and associate of Ian Moss, and the trio of Ian Moss , Ben and Jon with months of work has created the vehicle/vessel for those songs in a new set of clothes.

Ian Moss, Jon Langford, Ben Mancell, Josh Mancell

The new material is light years away from the original versions, structurally and melodically different with only the words and vocal delivery being retained. This is an altogether more impulsive, aggressive and relentless collection. The core anger at the heart of the songs is amplified and honed into a more directive attack. No mercy is allowed with a series of targets which are genuinely deserving of the venom applied to them. There are also personal reflections on teenage angst, and, an homage to the City of Manchester which evokes and explains the inherent dichotomy of the place. Legendary Fall guitarist Craig Scanlon also contributed the song Something Better.

With a number of the original songs not included on this release including the sprawling experimental piece Propshaft the collection now fits perfectly into a single album.

A joint release with Fuzzy Warbles the album was recorded July 2020 – May 2021 in Brooklyn NY, Chicago IL, Los Angeles CA, and Manchester UK. Special guests include Josh Mancell on drums and Julia Nelson on Vocals. Ian’s vocals recorded by Simon “Ding” Archer at 6dB studios in Salford.

The release is available in cassette and digital download format from the Fuzzy Warbles Bandcamp Page and also can be streamed from all major platforms.

The exceptional album “Confection” by Lizard Brain yields a further single “If Our Eyes Were Blue” featuring Tony Jenkins. “If Our Eyes Were Blue” was inspired by the work of US-based educationalist, Jane Elliott. Since shortly after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, Jane has used role play to teach her pupils about racism, by asking them to segregate their class, and to discriminate, based solely on eye colour. This results in everyone in the class experiencing discrimination from both sides – becoming aware of what it feels like to be discriminated against.

Cambridge Calling Volume Five

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.

Raildogs!

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.

Life in Orbit

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”

Reissues for Moff and Loop

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.’

Moff, Moet and Loop

New single from 2 Lost Souls and reissues for Elastikbande and Moff Skellington

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.

New distribution for Jed and Moff

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.

Jed – live at Urban Arts

Scott, Staggs and Moff

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

New 2 Lost Souls, reissues of Moff and Pearl Divers

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”.

New Year – New Albums

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

From The Kennel

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!

The Last Moff of 2020

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.

New Night Operations album and Dislocation Dance EP

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.

Get Techno with The Junta!

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!!

A Slapstick Life

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.

Exclusive Ticket and Album Offer for Adventures of Salvador Album Launch Gig!

The Masters of Urban-Punk-Surf-Rock are back with their second album “Welcome To Our Village” …… Adventures of Salvador will be launching the album on June 28th at The Castle Hotel, Oldham Street, Manchester, with special guests Electric Cheese and Umbrella Assassins. As a special offer we are offering tickets with exclusive early access to two tracks from the digital version of the album and the complete album on its release on 21st June.

Demand for tickets is bound to be high so get in early via this link

You will be sent an e-ticket and two exclusive download codes for two great numbers from the album. On June 21st you will be sent an exclusive download code for the whole album.

With three of the most powerful and punky bands on our label we reckon it’s going to be a hell of a night. Here’s a taster of what to expect at the gig :

Lizard Brain release third album “Stray” with German Shepherd Records

Cambridge based band Lizard Brain join German Shepherd Records for their third album “Stray” . Released digitally on 18th January, 2019 the 12 track collection finds the band delivering a heady cocktail of beautifully crafted and diverse songs

album art final jpg 3000 pixels

Lizard Brain are:

Richard Jones: songs, keys, bass, vox, arrangements, production
Mark Fleet: songs, keys, arrangements, production
David Carter: songs, guitars, vox, bass, flute, sax, arrangements, production
Tony Jenkins: songs, vox, guitars, arrangements

“Stray” was recorded in the purpose-built Lizard Lounge studio in Lode, Cambridge from late 2016 to late 2018. Album production was led by Richard and supported by Mark and David. Following on from their earlier self-released albums Hold The Mind (2012) and That Has A Nice Ring To It (2016), the songs on the new collection emerged from a series of writing sessions using different combinations of band members whose wide musical influences resulted an album rich with variety.

The album kicks off with the Moroder drenched alt-disco groove of “Lost In Sound”, switches to the impassioned rock of “Gannets” and then swerves into Jamaican grooves with “Am I Just A Name Now”. In these three opening tracks the group evidence their skill and competence in delivering lyrically strong, well produced, quality material. What follows is a varied menu of twangy psych pop, driving rock, Northern Soul, elegiac balladry, and an epic anthemic closer “Freedom”. Throughout there are strong melodies and hooks that will leave you going back for repeated listens.

Here as a taster is an early pre-release version of the albums’s opening track “Lost In Sound”

 

Lost In Sound achieved the maximum possible 20 weeks in East Anglia’s New Music Generator listener chart in 2018, against stiff opposition from the best bands in the Eastern region. It became the second Lizard Brain track in the NMG Hall Of Fame, alongside Sweet Blessed Miracle. This was a real tribute to the depth of Lizard Brain’s support as people voted consistently for both tracks over all 20 weeks.

The album will be available in digital format on Bandcamp, Spotify, I Tunes, Amazon, Google, Apple Music and loads more download sites.

ABOUT LIZARD BRAIN

Mark and Richard started working together as Lizard Brain in 2008. Richard had already been in various successful musical projects, including as founder member of Transoceanic, regularly topping charts and for some years the most successful UK-based artist on MP3.COM, at the time the most important global music web platform. You can find three Transoceanic albums on all major current music platforms – ambient electronica at its very best.

Mark was a fan of Transoceanic before realising Richard was the founder member. Mark hadn’t been in any bands before, but he was a passionate and knowledgeable consumer of a wide variety of musical styles, and quickly mastered powerful DAW and synth software and began to create highly original soundscapes. They began to consider releasing an album, later to be called Hold The Mind, in 2010. Tony joined midway through this period as a vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, and helped bring the first album to completion during 2012.

David, a talented multi-instrumentalist who spans classical and most pop styles, and teaches guitar, joined midway through the second album, That Has A Nice Ring To It. Richard and Dave had written and performed a live theatre soundtrack of alt-rock songs several years previously.

It was only on releasing this second album in 2016 that Lizard Brain began actively to promote their music, reaching out initially to Dave Hammond at Cambridge 105FM, who introduced them to other DJs and became an active supporter and champion of the band. The hugely positive reaction Lizard Brain received from that point on, led to their investment in the Lizard Lounge studio late in 2016.

OF THE NEW ALBUM THE BAND SAY……

Richard: “Several times we thought that we were ready to master the album, but ‘Good Enough’ doesn’t cut it round here. So, nuances were changed, possibilities tried out and reference tracks compared to our mixes. It’s been so painstakingly mixed and mastered that we could give you a dozen different mixes of all the songs. But now I can really hear the difference. There’s nothing that I hear and think: “Ah – we missed that detail”. It’s as close to perfect as we could make it, and I love that. Worth every moment spent in the studio. It’s a very exciting achievement for us, no doubt about it.”

David: “Yeah, well the album really hangs together in a way I kind of expected, but was still surprised by, if that makes any sense. Four different writers, but all coming back to that central theme. What are we doing here? How are we supposed to be? With each other? With ourselves? Songs of hope, failure, reflection… escape even. Should I stay or should I go? How can I be happy? And what does it mean to be a human being? How do I work this thing? How did I get here? What do I do now? I had a joke, you know, that it was only musical differences keeping us together. You can pretty much hear that on the album, there’s a whole range of different styles. But it turns out deep down we are all pretty much the same. Who would have thought it? “

Mark: “Stray is what happens when you take a rocker, a hippy, an ambient geek and a mod, and you shake – vigorously.”

Respected Cambridge 105 DJ Dave Hammond who has featured the band from the outset on his Smelly Flowerpot show had this to say about the new album:

Sometimes when you listen to an album, you can’t help but come up with reference points, whether they are bands, genres or a general feel. But what happens when you reach sensory overload on the references? You can only come to the conclusion that said album is its own beast, better than the sum of its parts and a perfect summary in 40 odd minutes of all that has been great in pop music the last 50 or so years.

Let’s get those references out of the way- Giorgio Moroder, Kraftwerk, Python Lee Jackson, Moody Blues, The Police, Gary Numan, Talking Heads, Duane Eddy, Nile Rodgers, Gil Scott Heron, 10cc, Dexys Midnight Runners, Led Zeppelin, Leonard Cohen etc- and celebrate the third album by Lizard Brain. Similarly to the great Teenage Fanclub, these four Cambridgeshire based guys share song writing and singing duties which may partially explain the dizzying array of styles, not to mention instrumentation (Japanese flute, crows crowing anyone?), on show.

Aside from the music there’s plenty to intrigue lyrically, from the unsettling to the upbeat with many stops in between, and plenty open to interpretation. It’s a rare delight in today’s polished, soundbite world to hear words and music unafraid to run the gamut from hedonistic, toe tapping delight to gut wrenching emotion. The album, which is meticulously and beautifully self-produced, has undoubtedly been worth its lengthy gestation period.

I’ve just recently sorted and broadcast my top 20 albums for 2018 , but I already have a contender for 2019 following a private preview listen to Stray 

Other comments about the band…..

“I heard it for the first time this morning. Catchy and well produced. You guys never fail to impress.”  Neil Whiteside, Cambridge 105 DJ of lead track “Lost In Sound”

“I’m reminded of 10cc at their best, a truly impressive collection of songs” Aural Delights Blog

“Great songs.” Phil Crowder, The End of the Week Show Sheppey FM

Stray is available on Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp and all major global outlets.

CONTACT LINKS

band photo

Mind Games

March 2nd sees the release of the debut album by The Mind Sweepers.

Based in Dumfries the four piece band has undergone a number of line-up changes over the last few years built around the core of singer/songwriter Paul Winter and drummer Bryn Thorburn. The current band also comprises John Mcinally- Guitar and Backing Vocals and Mark Jardine – Bass and Backing Vocals.

As well as the core members of the band other musicians appear – Win Liv Shak provides vocals and keyboards, Owen Fielding provides keyboards and harmonium and Al Price plays harmonica. The allbum was recorded and produced at Unit 7 studio Bladnoch , Wigtown , Dumfries and Galloway.

“States of Mind” offers a broad palette of styles moving from psychedelic grooves, via folk-rock into blues rock and should gain the band more followers.

We asked the band a few questions in preparation for the release of the album although bassist Jardine was extraordinarily reticent….

What bands were you in previously?

Bryn : The Garden Shed (mid 80s) ……..Dumfries based post-punk…Roger and Caz went on to form AC Acoustics in Glasgow. Lung….Manchester late 80s with Vicky MIddles on bass. Spacehopper….. 1991- 1998 Glasgow based Art Noise Terrorists( self proclaimed)…Signed to the Newly Formed Creeping Bent Records. Gram Solo……2002- 2005 Edinburgh psychedelic groovers. Currently also the main man behind The Screaming Love Collective…..A Psychedelic Post-Punk Dark Disco Groove Sensation.

Paul :  I got a band together in the mid-90s, The Comedown, we rehearsed for 6 months, played one gig, then disbanded. I then sang blues with a loose collective for a while, before moving into the singer/songwriter role for about a decade.

John : No past bands only jamming with some lads playing indie/madchester covers in 1990/91.

Influences?

Bryn : My biggest influence as a drummer is John Densmore of The Doors.
Musically…..PIL, The Fall, Joy Division, Crass, Northern Soul, Neu, Can, Krautrock in general, KLF, Scars, Josef K, NomeansNo, US Hardcore, Long Fin Killie.  (Glasgow early 90s). I could go on and on.

Paul : My influences are right across the board. Anywhere from early Elton John, to John Martyn, Pink Floyd to Bob Dylan. I’ve never had the money to buy a digital radio, so I’ve kinda missed the Radio 6 vibe. I’ve always found listening to other music kind of dilutes originality, and rarely hear anything ‘new’ that blows me away, with the exception of Doves, I love Doves.

John : The Byrds.. Hendrix.. Stone Roses.. 60’s psychedelia and soul.. The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

Current album listening?

Bryn : Snapped Ankles – Come Play The Trees.

Paul : Well I just moved into a new flat and got my turntable in operation for the first time in over 10 years, so i’m currently reliving old vinyl. ‘Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy’ by Elton.

John : The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour

MD Dumfries 2
Photograph – Brad Cain

The mix of styles on the album?

Bryn : Yeah a very mixed bunch of styles……as you can see from the answers above we are all into different styles of music and don’t want to tied down to a particular type, but we like to think that we can put our own sound on whatever style we are playing , so you’d know it was The Mind Sweepers.

Paul : Variance? Why not? I’ve found throughout my years of listening to albums that some bands end-up sounding ‘samey’, and you’re hard-pressed to even know the difference between certain tracks. In my view the vocals, and lead guitar, are what put the stamp on a band’s sound, obviously the rhythm section add to this, but to me it doesn’t matter what ‘type’ of song we’ve written, if it’s us playing it then it’s the Sweeper’s sound. I don’t think an album should be staid and stuck in a groove that repeats for an hour, with only tempo and lyrics changing. The Mind Sweepers are a sum total of all our parts. We can all play, and we’re all capable of original input, so why not go with that and see where it takes us. ‘States of Mind’ is the result of that ethos, and we’re quite proud of it.

John : The changes in line-up have definitely evoked a more psychedelic sound to the band

On the face of it, just the looking at some of the song titles there appears to be a nautical theme across the album?

Paul : My auld man was a sailor in the Royal Navy, and ended-up being a diver on cruisers. As a wee boy it was always my intention to join up and follow in his footsteps, but these hopes were dashed when I found out I was colourblind. Fast forward 20-odd years and it’s a motif that’s stuck with me. ‘Any Port in a Storm’ isn’t really about the sea, it’s about the beer-goggle ‘honey’ ye pull at midnight. ‘Taken by the Tide’ was an address to a female in my life as to whether I was actually any good to be around in the long run. (I wasn’t!) ‘Cast Away’ is a play on words , and not really nautical in all honesty. Had it been spelled as one word it would have taken on another meaning, and that’s why I named it as two separate words, to avoid that. ‘Nose Deep in the Sand’? ‘Sand’, in this instance, is what I thought a friend of mine called cocaine when he was on the phone, and it summed-up the getting ‘on it’ even when you were broke on the dole. Turns out I was completely wrong however, ‘sand’ was his toe-rag code for ‘cash’, but it’s interchangeable with regard to the rest of the lyrics, so it stayed, and it’s a good title too!

Ambitions? What’s next for the band? The making of the album?

Bryn : As a band we’d like to be able to make a living out of this….when me and Paul got together the plan was that it was self funding , and so far we have been able to keep to that, we have been able to fund the album through gigs . Of course we’d like to be a successful recording band touring the world but we are realists and will enjoy it while it lasts.

The album has taken 3 years and several line up changes to get to a position of recording our debut. This album is mostly a collection of songs written by Paul over the years that we’ve taken from being acoustic open mic songs that he would perform on his own , to them being full band multi-layered songs with honest lyrics about our everyday lives….I think that’s a very big part of the songs , that they are honest and raw, emotions laid bare for all to see….songs about one night stands , drinking too much, nights out on the town, broken dreams and life being unemployed.

Paul : All the lads in the Sweepers do ‘normal’ work, and I know for one that I’d be lying if I said I was happy at my age grafting my bollocks off emptying bins! It would be paradise to actually be able to jack the day job and be able to sit in my flat writing new material, but I’m a realist, and getting picked-up by a major record label isn’t something that generally happens to middle-aged men from market towns in south west Scotland. Nah, we just wanna build on our first album, keep getting gigs, and write the follow-up for ‘States of Mind’. Not too tall an order in all honesty, we’re just taking it one step at a time and keeping it realistic.

MS Dumfries
Photograph – Brad Cain

‘States of Mind’ is basically a collection of older material, all songs written by myself, except ‘Threesome’, which was written in 20 minutes at rehearsals by myself, John, and Bryn, hence why it’s called ‘Threesome’. Obviously we’re hoping it’s well-received, because that would give us the impetus to do another, but we’re all fully aware that ‘making it’ in the music business is as much about luck as it is artistic ability. We’ll see how it goes, and hope for the best. We’ve got a good producer, we’ve got a good band, we’ve got a cracking wee label to put it out on, and we’re all good mates. It’s a good mix, and there’s no reason we can’t keep at it.

John :  To write new material and record it. Keep on having fun and enjoy it.

Recording the album was a fantastic experience. Great fun working and recording with Hughie in a very chilled out relaxed environment

Mind Sweepers SOM Cover

The Mind Sweepers to release debut album “States of Mind”

We are pleased to announce the release of the debut album from The Mind Sweepers. Entitled “States of Mind” it will be released on March 2nd.  Recorded and produced at Unit 7 studio Bladnoch , Wigtown , Dumfries and Galloway, the album features ten tracks including a revised version of the groups debut single “The Mating Game”.

The line-up of the band for this release is…

Paul Winter – Vocals and Acoustic Guitar
John Mcinally- Guitar and Backing Vocals
Mark Jardine – Bass and Backing Vocals.
Bryn Thorburn – Drums.

…and there are guest appearances from Owen Fielding on keyboards, Win Liv Shak on keyboards and backing vocals, and Al Price on harmonica.

Here is the lead track from the album “Threesome”

Watch this space for more news

Mind Sweepers SOM Cover

 

This Is What Happens When A Fly Lands On Your Food

Our good friend Tony Thornborough (The Be Reet Radio Show) contacted us a while back with news of an album that Oldham band Drink and Drive had completed their album. Tony, a big fan of the band, who was one of the first DJs to share them with the outside world, suggested that the band had lots in common with the German Shepherd brand. The sample track that Tony sent through (see below) was more than enough to convince us that this was a band that would fit perfectly in the German Shepherd kennel. Contacts were made and ideas were swapped, Ian went to see them in Oldham, and Bob started on the background work to lead us to releasing the bands debut album “This Is What Happens When A Fly Lands On Your Food” on December 1st.

Here is a taster, the massive six minute opener “The Itch-Scratch Cycle” (the aforementioned sample track that grabbed our attention)

Forthcoming gigs for the band……

December 23rd – The Bank Top Tavern, Oldham 
December 30th – The Witchwood, Ashton 
January 24th – The Peer Hat, Manchester

The album was recorded at 6dB Studios (where a lot of releases are laid down) with the ever excellent Simon “Ding” Archer.

We will also be distributing the bands first EP in the new year which has only had a Bandcamp release so far.

Being lazy sods and far too busy watching Stranger Things 2 and Gotham we insisted the band to write their own interview and did far better job than we could ever hoped to have done…….. and this is what they came up with via Ben the vocalist…..

Brief history please…..

We formed in Oldham in 2008 because there was nothing else to do. They cut off our escape routes and we had to write songs to keep warm. The band was born out of pure spite and an utter disinterest in anything musical that was coming from our town. This makes us sound snobbish but we’re just being honest. We were bored and we wanted to make a racket for ourselves, we didn’t care if anyone liked us. Some people did, so we carried on.

What are the bands influences?

The horror of the mundane. I never wanted to write songs about girls or cars, leave that to the experts. I’m too emotionally retarded to write love songs. I write about the things I find on the street, found lyrics play a big part. Recurring themes are TV & Media, deviants, people I don’t like, bands I don’t like, awkward social situations and a complete bewilderment at modern life in general.

How would you describe the sound?

It’s basically the internal monologue of an alcoholic smartarse set to music. Heavy bass riffs, repetitive. Irritating.

What’s with the album title?

The title is taken from a health information poster of the early 80s. It was designed by Charles Saatchi and was in hospitals, doctors and clinics the length and breadth of the country. It had a profound and terrifying effect on me as a child.

What is the band’s ethos?

We just want to do our own thing, make outsider art and be left the fuck alone. We have no desire to be included in any kind of “scene” and as such distance ourselves from Manchester, we are from Oldham – it’s a different kettle of fish. We’ve always done everything ourselves, artwork, videos, promotion and all that. We’re not a political band but we are political people, when it was the Jubilee a few years back, Oldham had just been named in the top ten most deprived towns. So we put a gig on and distributed every last penny we made round the town, in little plastic wallets for people to find. Although as a gesture it’s akin to pissing in the wind, I were dead proud of that bit of positive anarchy.

Are you Spinal Tap? How many drummers have you had?

Dunno. About six? All of them apart from Jonny are under my patio. We have an initiation ceremony where each new drummer has to dig their own plot before we’ll allow them in to rehearsal.

Who is FP Moonbridge?

He’s like our fifth member. He’s a Milk Lab Technician we contacted psychically. He didn’t really like it at first because we kept sending him dead cats in his dreams but he’s now like our unofficial biographer. He drinks mild in halves.

Why did your original drummer leave?

He was sacked. I won a bottle of bourbon on the football card and the little bastard drank it all.

What is the point of “False Lib”?

What do you mean? That it’s not about anything? Doesn’t bother me that it’s throwaway. The guitar riff is the bass riff from “Hate Song” by Fudge Tunnel but don’t tell em.

How many versions of “Stars Without Make-Up” did you write before this one that you still can’t play?

Several. But that’s not really on me, I wrote the guitar part so I can play it. It’s our guitarist who can’t play it the same way twice, which again is fine by me. You never saw Bob Holness wear the same tie twice on Blockbusters did you?

Which Fall album are you planning on pillaging next?

This is just getting lazy now. We sound fuck all like the Fall really.

D and D 1
Photo  – Craig Gill

 

Words and Music

German Shepherd co-owner Ian Moss is set to release two volumes of new material. The first “Words and Music” will be released on 22nd September, the second “Music and Words” a fortnight later.

Of this new body of work Moss says

“For a period during 2017 I had been unable to sing due to the pneumonia. Whilst I was recovering from I instigated a series of collaborations with a cast of musician friends with the starting point being a spoken word piece I provided them. What they have done has far exceeded my expectations and the fruits of their labours are provided via two albums of material.

All proceeds from the sales of these album will be donated to UNICEF.

I know what each of us regards as good or bad music is purely subjective but I think this is very good indeed and hope a lot of people will agree.

I need to thank everyone who has helped not least Bob Osborne and doff my cap towards JD Meatyard, CP Lee and Mike Kerins who have all encouraged me to proceed in this direction.”

From the first volume please find below Ian’s collaboration with Mark Corrin (Salford City Radio DJ and musician with Rose & The Diamond Hand, and his own solo projects). It’s called “Ali Baba” and is an indication of the strength of the material across the 39 song project.

The Bandcamp version of the album will also include a PDF booklet with background notes and images to view alongside listening to the tracks. The album will be released digitally only via all the usual platforms.

Collaborators on this first volume are

m.t. scott
Johann Kloos
Neil Moss
Guy Nolan
Space Museum
Andy T
Aidan Cross
The Screaming Love Collective
Steve of the North
Toska Wilde
Dave Thompson
Moff Skellington
Carl Lingard
Keltrix
Dominic Carlton Jones
The Scissors
The Junta
Steve Strode
and the aforementioned Mark Corrin

Ian can be found on Faceboook at : : https://www.facebook.com/ian.moss.146

WAM first atttempt

Our 200th release

After two and a half years of operation Greater Manchester based not for profit label German Shepherd Records has reached the milestone of a 200th release.

To celebrate this auspicious occasion label owners Ian and Bob asked the artists on the roster to contribute material for a compilation album. As with previous milestone releases from the label all proceeds will be directed towards a charity, in this case the Salford based homelessness charity Coffee4Craig which is based in Weaste which is close to the German Shepherd kennel in Eccles.

The compilation contains seventeen tracks and consists of a wide variety of musical genres reflecting the eclectic release policy of the label. From the proto punk of The Get through the psychedelic disco punk grooves of the Screaming Collective, a massive piece of post-rock ambience from Issac Navaro, the alt folk of Keltrix, and the rock styliings of Berllin’s PrunX, amongst many others there is fascinating musical variety from all over the UK, and all the way from Berlin. We are very grateful to JD Meatyard for contributing a track from his new album “Collectivise”. There are brand new tracks, new versions of previously released tracks, and remixes!

The artists contributing to the release are

The Get
JD Meatyard
The Screaming Love Collective
m.t. scott
Issac Navaro
Moff Skellingon
The Junta
Space Mueum
House Mouse
Toska Wilde
Keltrix
Pearl Divers
Night Operations
The Electric Cheese
Bouquet of Dead Crows
PrunX
Dominic Carlton Jones

The stunning artwork for the release was contributed by Andy Quayle (Moff Skellington).

Sample track “Come On” from The Screaming Love Collective :

The compilation is released on August 11th and people are asked to pay £3 or more via Bandcamp. There will be wider distribution via Amazon, I Tunes, Spotify and many other digital platforms but the album will be priced higher through those platforms.
All profits net of distribution costs will be directed towards Coffee4Craig.
Cover for 200

Pre-order Tennessee Ten Now

Boz Hayward’s brand new album Tennessee Ten is now available for pre-order in advance of the official release date of July 7th.

In addition videos are available for the two preview tracks “Night of the Fireflies” and “The People Are Good”

Boz launches the album at South West Manchester Cricket Club  on July 6th. It’s five minutes from the Chorlton Metrolink Stop.  Musicians performing with Boz on the night will be Phil Robinson (guitarron bass), Virginia Harvey (backing vocals/keyboards), Mark Greer (slide guitar/keyboards), Rick Burrows (trumpet/melodica/keyboards), Clive Mellor (harmonica), Pat Clarke (harmonica) and Eddie Wastnidge (percussion) and the show starts at 9pm sharp. Facebook Event.

 

July 7th releases from Boz Hayward and Issac Navaro

We are pleased to announce two releases for July 7th, 2017

Firstly we have a new EP from Issac Navaro called “Terminals”. This five track release follows from the highly successful “Paths to the Shore” album from earlier in the year.

Melding state of the art electronica with a post-rock vibe Issac has created an ambient and reflective soundscape which reflects the geography of his native Scotland.

Comparable with the ground breaking mid 70s Tangerine Dream releases on Virgin Records but also incorporating the epic elements of Mogwai or Sigur Ros this delightful collection is a worthy successor to the debut album.

18741755_292423761169960_930330932_n

Secondly we have the brand new album from Manchester musician Boz Hayward. We have previously worked with Boz on distribution of his material but this time he has taken the plunge and given us the honour of releasing his music.

Boz returns with a deeply personal album which combines his particular take on modern folk, and adds a a vibrant slice of country music, together with his trademark whimsical pop elements. Entitled “Tennessee Ten” it consists of, naturally, ten new songs which were written during and around two visits with his mother in 2014 and 2015 to care for his aunt in Tennessee. whose health was failing, and, who passed away during the second visit. There is a narrative that runs through the album creating a delightful and sometimes poignant atmosphere

Exceptional musicianship is a key component of the success of the album. Boz’s self deprecating comment that he writes “simple songs” with a “limited style” doesn’t quite fit with the quality of the album. It is beautifully arranged with well known musical elements being evident but not obvious.

Haywards work generally splits into three broad areas – his more strident punky work, the cinematic soundtrack vignettes, and this more song based approach. One can find excellence in all three strands of his output but this perhaps the place where hopefully he will get the attention and recognition he deserves.

Both releases will be available on Bandcamp and the usual digital outlets. We aim to have a CD version of the Boz Hayward album available on our Merch page in due course.

TT artwork 3000x3000 with title

Limited number of Paths to the Shore CD now available for purchase

In anticipation of the release of the new EP “Terminals” we have made available the remaining 20 copies of the limited edition CD of  Issac Navaro‘s debut album “Paths to the Shore” on our Bandcamp page. Issac’s unique mix of ambient post-rock, dance  and electronica has proved highly popular and is one of our best selling releases to date.

19244387_301032143642455_1506493020_n

The album has received widespread critical acclaim and significant airplay from a range of radio stations and podcasters. Competitively priced at £6 with free p&p for UK purchasers you can secure a copy from our Bandcamp Page linked below.

Any and all money accrued through sales of this album go towards the First Base food bank in Dumfries.

 

Hydra Expanded

The Junta’s dance floor thumping classic EP “Hydra” goes to wider digital distribution on March 31st when we combine the original EP with   a selection of remixes of the track Agent Coulson to create a mini-album of classic techno tuneage.

Inspired by The Junta’s love of all things sci-fi and specifically classic show Agents of Shield this is electronica at its best….

The album will be available on Spotify, I-Tunes and Amazon and other digital outlets

a1947042884_10

Keltrix renew Salford Connection

Cambridge based alt.folk electronica band Keltrix renew their Salford connection by releasing their new album Bobby Says… on German Shepherd on 17th March 2017. Sharon and Rose from the band both have links to the city.

The opening track from the new album also features on the Cambridge Calling Compilation which will be released on the same day.

The band have a unique sound so they are completely at home on German Shepherd. Blending haunting vocals and soaring strings with electronic beats, bass and synth lines, the trio bridge the gap between alt/folk and electro creating a compelling and hypnotic sound.

The group launch the album on March 10th at the Portland Arms in Cambridge.

To hear Sharon from the band talking about the new album, and with some featured tracks then listen to the recent edition of Dave Hammond Smelly Flowerpot show where she guested.

bobby-says-front-cover-for-gsr

 

A Whole Lotta Screaming Love coming your way

We are extremely pleased announced that we will be releasing a serious amount of music from The Screaming Love Collective in the next few months.

24th March will see an album teaser EP called “Orbital” featuring three new tracks. This will be followed by the debut album “Spirit Radio” which features singles to date, the EP and other new tracks. Later in the year the sophomore album “Thought it would have been better by now” will emerge.

The music is a powerful mix of hypnotic dance rhythms and psychedelic interventions, we think it’s rather special and cannot wait to share it with you.

Bryn has recently completed both albums and feels they are linked with the first taking an optimistic look at the world whereas the latter looks at modern times from a “where the hell is my jetpack”. The basic message is where is all the cool stuff we were promised as kids?.

Here’s teaser with the lead track from the EP.

 

orbital cover.jpg

spirit-radio

Observations from LS9

What was supposed to be our final release of 2016 – has been somewhat downgraded to pre-penultimate – the penultimate and ultimate will be revealed in the week before Christmas. Pending that we offer you “Owed To Spectral Mummy” by Moff Skellington.

Moff’s 32nd release is an EP and is a more personal collection of Eddodi observations than usual. Memory and dreams dominate like a Harold Wilson era fried egg, that special tin of peaches on the sideboard, Camp coffee with its chicory essence, meat and potato pie with a thick crust and unctuous gravy. The dust of time settling on fractured thoughts

Moff does not want it to be seen as an afterthought though.

The project is very important.

The opening and closing poems are dream portraits of his parents, comprised of conjoined and distorted memories. The passage of time and all the associated ramifications of catabasis.

Family Heirloom is an invented memory. If you can imagine the river of time has many ox bow lakes. This is one belonging to the Skellington family.

A smuggled postcard home is an evocation of what it’s like i.e. Weapon’s grade Edoddi.

Viaduct is about a very realistic book Moff once read. The Viaduct by David Wheldon. A kind of Pilgrims Progress taking place on an endless railway. Pertinent given Moff’s earlier career worrying metal with a hammer.

LS9 is where the Skellingtons abide. It is a scrupulously accurate piece of reportage, particularly the huttyphone seizure at the end.

The Golden Trump is self proclaiming.

In anticipation of 2017 and a concerted effort to get Moff and chums music to a wider audience at the next Smoked Ears Grow Back event this collection ties up a very busy Eddodi year with an apposite selection.

releases December 16, 2016

Moff Skellington – vocals, accordion, melodica, harmonicas, whistles, ukulele, guitar, huttyphone, stylophone, bodhran, jaw harp, kalimba, dulcimer, metronome, tenor horn, baritone euphonium, various percussion and elastic bands.

otsm-cover

The ascension release debut, but final, album

Salford based architects of gritty urban rock, The ascension ,release their long awaited album “Hierarchy” today. Boasting ten tracks which bring together re-recorded older material and brand new tunes the duo’s swansong is a fitting tribute and end to their eight year career.

All proceeds from the sale of the album will be donated to the homelessness charity Coffee4Craig. Purchasers are asked to pay a minimum of £3 for the album.

For a review of the album and an interview with Doug from the band visit the Aural Delights Blog.

a1098681489_10

Mantra is released

We are pleased to announce the release of Night Operations first album “Mantra”.

Mike Powell has produced a stunning album of modern electronic rock music which demands repeated listening and has already received extensive local radio play in the Greater Manchester area..

The album is available on digital download from our Bandcamp site and a limited edition run of CDs with high quality artwork will be available soon.

The digital download version includes full colour artwork in digital form complete with lyrics.

mantra_finalcover

 

Introducing bozchestra

German Shepherd Records and Bert Weill Productions are pleased to announce a new partnership to promote the music of Boz Hayward.

Boz Hayward is a Manchester based musician who, with his unique bozchestra, creates stunning cinematic music and, as a singer-songwriter, catchy, quirky, acoustic pop.  

 German Shepherd Records will promote Boz’s work and he will release the music himself.  

IMG_3793

 Soon after punk happened, Boz formed his first band in November 1978. As with all musicians his music developed in the intervening years to a body of work which translates his observations on life and people gathered from his travels around the country and the world.  The music contains many soundtracks to accompany that journey.  It is a visual music that maps his life.

 His first instrumental release ‘Shortscores’ (2013) gained fulsome praise for its cinematic, narrative writing style, coupled with the quaint and idiosyncratic delivery of bozchestra – with Boz often on acoustic guitar, and, depending on the song, backed by slide guitar, guitaron, violin, trumpet, keyboards/piano and percussion. Boz’s musical style is perfect for film scores. ‘Shortscores’ came about through Boz’s work with an experimental film and sound event called Video Jam in 2012. Boz was sent a short film to score. bozchestra perfomed the score live to the screening at the inaugural event and such was its success that Boz was invited back repeatedly. That body of accumulated work became Shortscores. For this, Boz was keen for his music to reflect the particular mood and emotional charge that each film evokes, as opposed to providing a detached musical commentary. 

 The latest collection of bozchestra music is to be released on September 9th and is entitled ‘Films in Music’. 

 This time, a collection of soundtracks to films which exist only in the imagination of the listener, ‘Films in Music’ is a set of stand-alone pieces. In other words, listeners are invited to make up their own imagined films or dreamscapes to the music. The collection facilitates this by delivering a selection of atmospheric, cinematic, instrumental pieces replete with ideas and emotions. There’s a brooding intensity to a lot of the music. It evokes images of a post-war Berlin or Vienna with Harry Lime skulking in some back alleyway, or a spaghetti western with grizzled protagonists in a stand-off outside a cantina, but there’s also a pastoral feel to some of the tracks producing a gentler more introspective atmosphere. Reflecting a gentle Tex-Mex vibe, coupled with 70s spy dramas, and tasteful melodies, Hayward combines instruments in unique and pleasurable ways to deliver perfect vignettes. Bill Frisell, Ennio Morricone, John Barry and Anton Karas are all called to mind but Boz also adds a subtle flavour of Manc post-punk melancholia  to the mix. There’s the occasional sonic surprise which keeps the music interesting and vital. This is quality music which is varied and bears repeated listening.

 The album will be released through Bert Weill Productions and distributed worldwide by AWAL.

  

PREVIOUS RELEASES ARE AVAILABLE FROM: iTunes, Amazon and other popular download sites.

These include the albums ‘Featuring Ruby and Eric Next Door’ (2010), ‘ReCaffeinated’ (2011), ‘Edward Edwardly and the Marquis of Flixton’ (2012), ‘Shortscores’ (2013) and ‘Light and Dark’ (2014). 

 A visual five minute tour of the album please look away if you want to imagine your own scenes, places, wherever the music takes you!

Press enquiries, requests for interview direct to Boz at : bertweillproductions@gmail.com

 FORTHCOMING GIGS:

 A tour to promote the album is being planned for the autumn.

Latest news on bozhayward.com or facebook.com/bozhaywardmusic

Stereopod deliver “Cinematopoeia” via German Shepherd

 

Stereopod  are a Scottish instrumental studio based duo who grew up together,
loathing mediocrity. They are inspired by a love of guitars and synths,
and the focus of melody in music.Influences primarily include
Mogwai,  John Carpenter,  Boards of Canada,  Alessandro Cortini, James
Holden, and Vessels to name a few.  Ideally thier music is aimed at
perhaps capturing the attention of film makers, its sound tracky and
that was our plan when they began, hence the name of the album “Cinematopoeia”.

The album will be released later in 2016. Here’s a taster

DSCF1.jpg

Summer Scissors Sizzlers

“One of the Best Live Bands in Cambridge” says Cambridge Music Reviews and you can catch them at the following over the summer months:

Saturday 4 June – Strawberry Fayre, Cambridge

Saturday 2 July – Bar Hill Festival, Bar Hill, Cambridgeshire

Saturday 20 August – Knackfest – Karma Farm, Isleham Fen, Ely, Cambridgeshire

The Scissors 1
Photo credit : http://www.annielovettphotography.com

Pending that have a listen to their excellent second album

 

Odd Pop

Those of you who follow our releases will recognise the work of Nemo from his collaborations with KP2 and more recently Ion-Morph.  We are pleased to announce the release of a complete album of instrumentals from  Nemo entitled “The Shadow Of A Blue Snail”. Over 22 vignettes Nemo moves through jazzy Zappa licks, brutal post punk guitar pieces, atmospheric ambience and off-kilter mood pieces.

As the liner notes say:

Do you like minimal ?
This album may well be for you
Do you like structures that are feline and unpredictable
This album may well be for you
Do you like pop music that’s a little bit odd?
This album may well be for you
Do you like John Fahey and Brian Eno ?
This album may well be for you
Do you like good music ?
Welcome to the world of Nemo

An established musician, Nemo embraces anonymity for these recordings with German Shepherd and we fully respect him for that, there is no presumption, no second guessing and plenty of aural surprises.

NM1

Ice Cream for Crows

We are very pleased to advise you that we will be working with Cambridge band Bouquet of Dead Crows to release their forthcoming single and album.

The band comprises Toni Cooper – vocals, Neil Bruce – guitar, Graeme Clarke – bass and Andrew Coxall – drums.

They described themselves as “A female fronted Bluesy, Rock/Pop band that likes big riffs, but also likes acoustic finger picking!”

An initial single “Don’t Panic” will be available at the end of August will a debut album to follow.

The band previously self-released an EP “Together We Fall” in 2013.

The next gigs for the band are 28th August at the Cornerhouse, Cambridge and 29th August at The Pig In Falcon, St Neots

Facebook 

11140383_429856510536141_440376493714647641_n