Remember the days of the old schoolyard? Remember when Myspace was a thing? Remember those time-wasting, laborious quizzes that everyone used to love so much? Birthday Cake For Breakfast is bringing them back!
Every couple of weeks, an unsuspecting band will be subject to the same old questions about dead bodies, Hitler, crying and crushes.
This Week: Off the back of releasing their latest single ‘Baby I’m Your Man‘, from their forthcoming debut album ‘Feedback’ (out February via Rocket Recordings), Jess Beechey of southern lot Thee Alcoholics answers a series of inane questions!
How did you meet the people in your band? Friends of friends and friends of friends of friends.
What’s the first record you bought? Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works 85-92. I was late to the record buying game.
What was your favourite VHS growing up? Called my dad to ask – Lion King and Pingu were on par.
When was the last time you cried? On Wednesday whilst watching Godzilla Minus One.
Have you ever kissed someone & regretted it? No regrets.
Best Physical Feature? Hands.
Worst physical feature? Back (bad posture).
Reasonably ok/not bad feature that you’re not fussed about? The rest of my body.
Do you have any pets? A dog at home in Cornwall.
Ever picked up any injuries on tour? No.
What did you do for your last birthday? Took a bunch of people to Cornwall, it rained the whole time.
Name something you CANNOT wait for? Thee Alcoholics tour & album release in February (plug plug plug).
Do you have a crush on someone? A tonne of people – biggest crush on my boyfriend and JustinHawkins.
What’s the shittest experience you’ve had as a musician? No money, ever.
If you could go back in time, how far would you go? Back to prehistoric times – I imagine there were less dickheads.
How do you want to die? When I choose, in Switzerland.
What’s your favourite thing about pizza? Everything about pizza, it’s the greatest food there is.
What are you craving right now? A job.
Have you ever been on a horse? Regrettably.
What did you dream about last night? I don’t dream.
If you could go back in time and kill the baby Hitler, would you? Yes, no doubt.
Do you like Chinese food? When I can eat it (vegetarian).
Have you ever been on TV? I don’t think so.
Ever meet someone famous? Dawn French told me she loved my hair.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Content.
‘Feedback’ is out February 23rd 2024 via Rocket Recordings – grab a pre-order of the record here!
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It’s been 20 years since the formation of London based alt-rock outfit Hey Colossus and to commemorate the occasion, the sextet have just released their fourteenth (!) album and are playing a bunch of celebratory shows. Tonight we are at The White Hotel in foggy Salford to see the band play a co-headline show with fellow Rocket Recordings alumni Teeth Of the Sea.
As I race through a chock-a-block Manchester into the second city, I walk through the doors of one of Salford’s finest music venues to hear the sound of Hey Colossus tuning up. It’s perfect timing as I enter into the dark, doomy bunker that is The White Hotel’s live room to see six dudes head banging in unison to the sludge rock riff of ‘Memory Gore’. The thing that strikes me immediately with Hey Colossus live is not knowing where to look, as there are six very individual performers on stage, all weaving in and out of each other, guitar necks going everywhere! Everyone is engrossed in what they’re doing, which makes for an all encompassing set, so it’s hard to not get hypnotised by their stoner grooves and progg-y tendencies
The set tonight is a mix of the band’s 20 year career, but with a focus on their last two records; 2020’s epic ‘Dances / Curses’ and the freshly released ‘In Blood’. The new stuff sounds really strong tonight in all its brooding, goth-rock glory. Recent single ‘I Could Almost Care’ going into slightly earlier cut ‘Donkey Jaw’ works really well back to back, as the rhythm section grumbles over a sea of tight knit guitar melodies, with frontman Paul’s vocals soaring over the top. There’s little in-between chatter as the band let the tunes do the talking tonight, although Paul does thank us for choosing them over the Peter Kay show that is clogging up the city tonight, which is received with titters across the room.
We also get treated to some classic Colossus, with a raging rendition of sub-two minute punk banger ‘I Am The Chiswick Strangler’, which is a brief moment of chaos before we get stuck back into the hypotonic psych of ’ATrembling Rose’; a 16 minute mind-melter which genuinely takes me off to a different realm at one point. It’s an incredible closer to a really killer set and though the older tracks really hold up, the vibrancy of the new material makes me excited for the next 20 years of this lot!
Teeth of the Sea are up next and take the stage holding neon light bars which illuminate the room. I have to say the band’s moody brand of electronica really suits the surroundings of The White Hotel tonight, and at times I feel like I’m in some basement club in Berlin! As a fan of their ace new record ‘Hive’, I was excited to hear the Nine Inch Nails inspired ‘Get With The Program’, which sounds huge tonight as the band punch the air in unison to the track’s pulsating techno beat, their ethereal dual vocals keeping the track glowing with an enthralling intensity.
It’s from this point that the set really builds into a thumping dance set; synth basses throbbing, 808 beats pounding, guitar thrashing and a nice dollop of treated brass. The band have this really cool blend of sounds that they build up throughout the set and a lot like Hey Colossus, it’s hard to not let it engulf you. I found myself gently swaying away at the start of the set but by the end, I was cutting shapes and hip shaking along with the rest of the room. Two different sounding bands but, in a way, both offering a similar experience in providing transcendent performances that lift my spirits and soul into the weekend. A wonderful Friday night out with some hidden treasures of the UK’s underground scene.
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Once upon a time, you had to venture to venues and look in the back of magazines (remember them?) for gig listings. Maybe Teletext had listings too? Not sure, I was too busy playing ‘Bamboozle!‘… With the recent invention of the internet however, finding out what’s on at a music venue near you can be done with the click of a mouse (remember them?) – but there’s a bit too much choice, eh?
As ever, we at Birthday Cake For Breakfast are at your service and we’ve whittled it down and picked a handful of choice shows (located entirely in Greater Manchester) that we highly recommend you attend.
We’ve been hooked on LA Priest ever since the release of his second album ‘GENE’ (named after a modular drum machine he built himself) in deepest, darkest Covid-19 times. The solo outfit of Sam Eastgate, formerly of Late of the Pier, this year saw the arrival of a new record from LA Priest – ‘Fase Luna’ – a continuation of the mind-expanding, wonky pop we’ve come to love. Kicking off the month with woozy pop delights in the Pink Room at YES – we’re chuffed up!
It’s fair to say that southern lot Squid have been smashing it these past few years. One of the first shows we caught post restrictions was this lot at the beautiful Albert Halljust up the road from New Century, where they’ll be playing this month to what’s set to be a packed out room of mad for it punters. Having squeezed ourselves into much smaller rooms to catch a glimpse of them, we can’t wait to see Squid smash it in the big room, particularly off the back of releasing their new album ‘O Monolith’ earlier this year.
Heavy-heads Hey Colossus have got a lot of celebrating to do in 2023! Having undergone a number of lineup changes over the years (revolving around founding members Joe Thompson and Robert Davis), the band officially hit 20 years in the game this year, going one further with the release of ‘In Blood‘ last month, their 14th album (!) Notorious for ear-wrecking, mega-loud live shows, their forthcoming appearance at hipster hotspot The White Hotel is certainly one to put in your diary.
I recall hearing ‘Hunger for a Way Out‘ for the first time and being hooked from note one. The title track from the debut Sweeping Promises album (released in August 2020), it sounded like an unearthed 80s post-punk gem, catchy as all hell. The album too was all killer, no filler, filled with so much infectiousness and such great songwriting. Its follow up, ‘Good Living Is Coming For You‘, arrived this year and we are tickled pink to catch both records IRL at the end of the month.
Praise be – Protomartyr in Manchester! I’ve never caught this lot in the city I live, having always had to venture out to other Northern cities to catch them in the flesh. Head and shoulders above their contemporaries, they’re even better live performers, going above and beyond the post-punk tag they’re so often stuck with. Expect a number of blistering hits from their latest album ‘Formal Growth In The Desert‘.
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Off the back of releasing the critically acclaimed (and very bloody good) ‘Dances / Curses‘ during the thick fog of the UK lockdown, you’d think heavy-heads Hey Colossus might struggle with a follow up. After all, it’s not as if anything has slowed down since then. But this lot have priors, it being their 13th album in just shy of 20 years at the time.
In an attempt to re-energise and reassemble the band (Hey Colossus having undergone several line-up changes over the years, revolving around founding members Joe Thompson and Robert Davis), the approach to a new album is said to have taken on a Somerset version of The Desert Sessions, with members new and old (plus guests) contributing when restrictions allowed. The “open door” policy of the sessions resulted in an entirely new Hey Colossus line-up, said by the band to have brought with it “fresh enthusiasm and enough initial material for a double album“, ultimately trimmed right down into a strong eight song set.
Now as they enter their 20th year together, Hey Colossus look towards the release of their 14th album, ‘In Blood‘ – out September 1st via the band’s own Wrong Speed Records (the label started by Thompson during the pandemic). Rather uniquely, the new record arrives the day Hey Colossus play Supersonic Festivalin Birmingham (suggested to be their 500th gig!) – one of a number of 20th Anniversary shows, the others available here.
In the run up to its release, we’re pleased as punch to have an exclusive first look at new video ‘Curved In The Air‘. Filmed over the Wrong Speed Weekender at the King Arthur Public House in Glastonbury, it tells the tale of an 11th Century Knight travelling through time to the present day and realising 2023 UK isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. To coincide with the video below, we’ve got some in depth coverage from both the star of the piece (Stan Thompson) and its director (Chris Spalton)!
Speaking of Chris Spalton, he has his own release on Wrong Speed, out today in fact. The debut Breedling album ‘Irukandji‘ is available on very limited cassette and streaming in all the usual spots. More on that record below from Chris.
Birthday Cake For Breakfast:Important question right off the bat: How did your character pay for that pint?
Stan Thompson: “Well the official explanation which I am currently making up is, sheer force of will, intimidation, and residual time transportation magic. I imagine that’s how they overcame the language barrier as well.“
BCFB: In the video for ‘Curved In the Air‘, you play the part of an 11th Century Knight. We’ve been told that you’re a bit obsessed with re-enactment, so can you tell us a bit about your clobber for this particular piece?
ST: “Yea sure. The 11th century knights primary defence is a coat of mail known as a hauberk. It covers him from head to knee with the sleeves ends around the elbow. Over the hauberk he’s wearing a conical nasal helmet which would have been the trendy new technology at the time. Under the armour he’s wearing a wool tunic, braies which are basically linen shorts and wool hosen with leg wraps tied over them.“
BCFB: Given your interest in re-enactment, is there a shared feeling between your thoughts on contemporary living with that of our friend the 11th Century Knight?
ST: “Not really I’m just really interested in the history and culture of that time. The 11th century was one of the most horrifically violent periods in history. The Normans pillaged half of Europe and the near east. It would have been a horrifying time to be alive. I imagine the people that did all that would have had a wildly different world view to us modern people. You can see that in not just their actions but their literature, it’s all about god and fighting.“
BCFB: With your family home no doubt being a band HQ for the majority of your life, was it only a matter of time before you appeared in a Hey Colossus work in some form?
ST: “Oh absolutely, this isn’t the first Hey Colossus video I’ve ended up in though. Somewhere on YouTube there is a track featuring me and my brother, Freddie, as kids.“
(Photo Credit: Wrong Speed Records)
BCFB: This is one of a number of videos you’ve produced for Wrong Speed. Outside of charging the drone, what’s your process when the call comes in to direct?
Chris Spalton: “My process – as with many things in life – is to fuck around and find out. I don’t plan much (of anything) in advance, but listen to the tune over and over a few times whilst thinking about what mood it evokes, or maybe using the title or lyrics as a starting point. Then it’s a case of understanding if I’ve got any existing footage that might work and identifying how I can leverage that and working out what else I might need and what/where that might be. Then capturing as much of that kind of stuff as I can.
From there I essentially ‘sketch’ directly in video, trying different combos of footage, and about building a rough timeline of clips. I prefer to have too much stuff and whittle it down to the best clips than set out and capture an exact image – it allows for serendipity and cool shots to emerge organically – I’m thinking of shots like me as the cowboy silhouetted against the sky in the ‘U Cowboy‘ vid for example. I’m really proud of that shot and think it looks awesome, but I didn’t set out to get it ‘on purpose’ – I was in a certain place, at a certain time, and the conditions and inspiration struck to try it. I mean, it did help I happened to be dressed as a cowboy but y’know.
From there I iterate, communicate and tweak and refine until it works. I really like to share with the band early and often, and get their feedback, it’s their video, not mine and needs to work for them so for the most part their input is more important than mine, it is also nice when people just say go for it, or who only have broad direction such as the recent All Structures Align vid, where Tim essentially said “we like waves, go for it” but then it’s also really cool to collaborate more closely like we did on the ‘Curved In The Air; vid where my job to realise the bands idea. Either/or is cool, as long as they’re happy with it at the end.“
BCFB: Did you find work dipped over lockdown or (from appearances) did it blossom (thanks to artists starting their own labels and such)?
CS: “It all blossomed from lockdown, that’s how all this started really. I had time freed up from not having a long ass commute and at the time wanted to use my government sanctioned exercise allowance productively to head out into the countryside away from everyone and track down locations of local folklore stories for my book ‘Apparitions of East Anglia‘. I’d recently got the drone so was venturing out to these places, taking photos, flying the drone around etc and then compiling short video clips to share on social, whilst drawing the images and writing the stories for the book.
Chris Summerlin saw a kinda trippy shot of clouds reflected in a river I took and the Colossus dudes were all obviously working on ‘Dances / Curses‘ at the time so something must have clicked, he joined the dots and asked if I’d be up for doing a music video using some landscape drone shots… I’d never made a music video before but you can’t turn down the chance to do something cool with one of your favourite bands, so said yes and hoped I could work it out from there… Next thing you know I’m dressed as a cowboy walking up mountains in a heatwave and scaring hikers stripping down to my pants as the whole thing was so uncomfortable, but I reckon it turned out alright. From there we just did a few more I guess and here we are.“
BCFB: You’ve been on the periphery of the music scene for some time via your work in art, design, and producing videos for a number of notable artists (including Hey Colossus and Part Chimp). What made you decide to make the move into producing music yourself?
CS: “It sounds a bit cliché, but music has been the most important thing/interest in my life forever, and I’ve dabbled here and there really sporadically over the years, but never really done anything with it. I have a whole bunch of interests and hobbies and I guess so far they’ve just taken priority at any given time – my visual stuff has always connected me to the music scene whilst not actually being a musician. I’ve always been heavily influenced by the gigposter scene and community and people like Frank Kozik (RIP), Drew Millward etc and essentially that’s scratched my itch to be involved so far as a ‘contributing fan’ I guess. Also I have a reputation for being pretty blunt and honest about what I think is good/shit music, so maybe I’ve had some nervousness about whether or not any music I created would reach the standards I set for other music? Hard to tell, but I’m sure it played at least a factor in this.
This Breedling album really came about from a perfect trifecta of chance, curiosity and perfect procrastination… My (loosely) held plan was to start on my third book, but was grappling with how I’m going to tackle it, and whether my style is ‘heavy’ enough to do the job I want to do on it. As I was scrolling around procrastinating I stumbled across a free pack of Dungeon synth samples by Erang. In the last few years I’ve rediscovered my love of RPGs and board games, and it peaked my interest so I delved in and much like everything else started putting things together iterating and adapting and seeing what came out. The cool thing is, it’s ended up being a kinda aural version of the book I have in my head so it’s reenergised my thoughts in exploring that again. We’ll see.
I don’t know how it works for other musicians and whether or not they like what they make after the fact, but I actually do, I’m pleased with how it’s turned out, and I reckon it passes my own tests hahaha. I hope other people dig it too. Overall it’s a new skill to learn, a new thing to create, a new thing to put out into the world – my only real criteria for success of anything I make is “is the world a slightly more interesting place with this in it?” And I definitely think it is in this case.“
BCFB: The music of Breedling seems to perfectly gel with the style of video you create – how much of that was considered when first deciding to producing these songs?
CS: “I don’t really have to consciously consider it to be honest, it’s built into me. My drawings, my videos, my books and my music are all just different delivery methods of the same thoughts and feelings really. Whatever format it’s in, it’s the articulation of (I think) the connection of landscape, history and people – via myth, legends and folklore, through the medium of lowbrow, punk rock, DIY sensibilities.
Essentially I have an alternate history of the fens in my head where mad cults roamed around worshipping eel demons and whatever else, I like imagining and following threads like that and doing some world building or whatever, and I suppose every church ruin and spooky forest I film or photo, or every weird monster I draw or every droney noise I make all comes ultimately from that same spot, it’s all different but it’s all the same.
The Breedling filled with horrible droney noises and spooky sounds is the only album I could ever make, the only cover it could ever have is an eel wrapped through a cyclops skull as some form of occult ancient fen totem. I can’t imagine what else I’d make, it was always this that was going to come out.“
(Photo Credit: Wrong Speed Records)
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Nothing says making the most of what’s left of the year like putting out a new release with one minute to spare before the big ball drops. Cutting the red wire with one second to go are Wrong Speed Records! As celebrations shift into another gear on the 31st, punters can get one final Wrong Speed release in 2022 if they move quick!
‘Relocations‘ is a new release from Herbert / Summerlin, a collaboration between Chris Herbert and Chris Summerlin. Both have quite the Curriculum Vitae between them – Herbert deals in ambient and experimental music, with a number of releases for the Kranky, Room40 and Low Point labels, whilst Summerlin is an electric guitarist, currently playing with Hey Colossus, Haress and Kogumaza.
The project came together when Summerlin, unsure on what to do with a series of sprawling guitar improvisations, enlisted the help of long-time friend Herbert, who sought to re-contextualise the pieces to form something new. With the task in hand, Herbert is said to have approached it with no desire for order, each track said to have come out largely fully formed on the first take.
Lead single ‘Myr‘ can be heard below, with the eye-bending, I’m-seeing-double-here-four-Krusty’s video coming from Chris Spalton, whose previous work includes videos for the likes of Reigns and Hey Colossus, as well as background visuals for The Endless Hum.
Due for release December 31st at the sprightly time of 23:59, it concludes a year of Wrong Speed releases and opens the door for 2023 and what we’re told by label man Joe Thompson is “Gonna be hectic as hell“. You can of course find all of the 2022 releases here – including choice records from All Structures Align, Enablers and The Web of Lies.
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Here at Birthday Cake For Breakfast, we like to get to the heart of what an artist is all about. We feel the music they listen to is just as important as the music they make.
With the year coming to a close, we’ve decided to once again turn it on its head a bit and ask some of our favourite artists what releases they’ve been raving about this year. Turning it on its head even further, we’re chuffed to have the team behind the label Wrong Speed Records (artists in their own right, mind you) talk us through some of their favourite releases from the past 12 months.
Chris Summerlin: “Album of the year for me, no question. A loose ensemble of players create a sense of space and time over a series of meditative, beautiful and (above all) patient compositions. It feels like it belongs on the Impulse label, recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in the 60s rather than by a gang of forward-thinking punks in Liverpool in the 21st century.
Players are given space to shine but never use that opportunity to show off. Sounds are deployed because they’re right rather than because they evoke something else and in that sense it feels modern and forward-thinking. For example – David McLean’s tenor sax could easily become a sort of sonic garnish, recalling other things and acting as a signifier for the listener but it never does. Instead, you become fascinated by the detail of the sound and locked in deeper and deeper to the way it works with the tones around it. In that way it recalls The Necks and their sleight of hand trick of building aural worlds around you without you noticing, but at the same time it feels like this music is entirely their own.“
Chris Summerlin: “This one came to me via Sohrab and Mikey from the band SAVAK (who released it on their own label). Pays P are a French 3-piece of vocals, drums and guitar. As a guitarist I’m more than aware that guitars are the most boring things on earth in 99% of people’s hands, but Pays P manage to breathe spectacular life into the form somehow via smart use of texture and the sheer thrill of volume.
The group remind me of Enablers in the way they build songs from components that are awkward or mathematical but combine them to an end result that hits you on a primal level rather than being something that only other musicians might appreciate. This is thanks in no small part to the vocals that cut across the tricksy music and give the impression of bringing a human order to the chaos around them.“
Chris Summerlin: “Chicago’s FACS are one of those groups that feel – to the listener – like they’re making a body of work intended to be viewed as a whole. I hear familiar things in the sounds that draw me in but the end result is something new and compelling rather than just being an opportunity to show off how diverse members’ record collections are.
Like guitarist/vocalist Brian Case’s previous band Disappears (and 90 Day Men before that) there is a willingness to embrace ambiguity and make songs that don’t rush to resolve, or even really reveal themselves at all. They often build whole songs around sonic quirks deployed as hooks and are happy to strip away their music to such a degree that chord progressions and structures become hidden or masked, leaving what sometimes feel like impressionistic sketches behind. However, rather than feeling insubstantial or turning the listener away, it just creates a sense of mystery that inspires repeated listens.“
Chris Summerlin: “Like FACS, Thomas House of Sweet Williams seems to be playing the long game and creating a catalogue best experienced as one huge album. In this sense, House’s music feels a little like that of Lungfish: to the outsider, initial listens might not reveal much variation between one record and another, but for those of us paying close attention even the slightest change in sound feels like a revelation.
What’s Wrong With You makes use of three quarters of the Spanish group Picore (of which House has been a member since 2008) and there is a noticeable sense of them allowing themselves a little more freedom to enjoy the music as they play it. If you’re already along for the ride with Sweet Williams then this tiny chink of light through the curtains feels like an exciting shift. If you’re new to the band then it may well be inviting enough to encourage you to hop on board.“
Joe Thompson: “By sticking with your own voice you create your own lane.“
It’s been a bumper year for Wrong Speed Records, the label putting out new releases from TENCHPRESS, Part Chimp and Thee Alcoholics (on top of starting a YouTube channel interviewing a wide variety of characters from the music biz)! Further reading – and maybe a purchase or two – can all be achieved here.
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Even with a new music blog and – yes – a big beard, there are still times where I’m unfamiliar with a hip underground band. Hard to believe, I know.
9 times out of 10, getting an email from the team at Wrong Speed Records means we’re on the fast track to discovery, being introduced to another great band or two (or, usually, three).
A forward thinking label no mistake, even with another lonely Christmas looming and uncertainty heading into the new year, they’re marching on, with two new releases ready to go – one from back in the day, the other box fresh.
Due for release mid-late January 2022, direct via Bandcamp or through Cargo Distribution, pre-orders are up NOW and the sweet, limited run vinyl is all ready to go, to save you pressing plant woes. Full details and video exclusives are below!
“No hyperbole, one of the best UK bands from the early 2000s.“
Jonson Family (the label ran by those behind Wrong Speed now) put out the debut release from Charlottefield, whilstBrighton based Fat CatRecords (home at one time or another to Tall Ships, The Twilight Sad and PAWS) handled the second album. Now in the forthcoming year of our lord 2022, things go full circle with Wrong Speed Records putting out their latest release.
A live album from way back when has recently been unearthed and we’re told, having been recorded and mixed by Ian Whitehead and mastered by Wayne Adams at Bear Bites Horse (naturally), it sounds better than either of the albums released. Recorded live at (you guessed it) The Rose Of England in Nottingham, label man Joe tells us that having heard it, he had to get it released.
True enough, ‘Snakes‘ – which you can have an exclusive go on above – sounds better than a lot of studio recordings, Charlottefield clearly tighter than my dogs jaw gets when he’s eaten something he’s not supposed to.
“…How does it fit in with what Wrong Speed is? If you need to ask that you ain’t getting what this is all about.“
That Rhys Llewellyn is a busy lad. When he’s not behind the kit in Hey Colossus or moonlighting as one of Thee Alcoholics, he’s flying solo as DRMCNT with just a humble Roland/Yamaha set up.
Early 2022 sees the release of the first full length DRMCNT album, following a number of 12″ releases on Gangsigns Records. Lead single ‘Negative Response‘ is of the thumping, mind-altering electronic variety. The story goes that Llewellyn sent the tunes on ‘RX-BOUNCES‘ to label man Joe with no clear intention identified, but Thompson couldn’t stop playing them and here we are. Fresh wax on the way.
Peep the eye-melting video above, produced by Chris Spalton, previously seen on these pages for the breath-taking ‘U Cowboy‘ from Hey Colossus.
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When announcing the Wrong Speed Records tape series this month – you know, four releases throughout July with a video to boot every Wednesday – we spied a ‘Summerlin‘ in the listings and set ourselves up for something noisy, given Chris Summerlin‘s time in Grey Hairs, Hey Colossus and Wolves of Greece.
The first offering from CG Summerlin‘s new record ‘Easter‘ leads us to think we’re way off the mark. But then we’re used to being pleasantly surprised with every move made from Wrong Speed Records.
Off the back of new releases this month from Thee Alcoholics (‘Tape II‘), Fupper (‘Burning Up The Night‘) and TENCHPRESS (‘Potemkin Music‘), the fourth and final Wrong Speed Records tape release for July tackles Summerlin at his most stripped back, capturing his guitar work in a solo capacity. It’s available NOW – five squid for a tape, PWYW digital.
The video – filmed by Nancy Gibson and edited by Andy Gibson – is a nuts bit of footage, as hypnotising and captivating as the track laid down by Chris. See for yourself below, but first, some final words from label man Joe:
“I first met Chris way back in the previous century (just), around 1998. In that time footballers have been born and played for their countries. In that time people have been trained to stare at their phones instead of the horizon. In that time Chris and I have musically circled around each other, from one band to another, before finally being in a band together 20 years after meeting.
In the year of 2006, I started and stopped a lathe cut label: Lone Hand Records. I released two 10″s, both cut by Peter King down there in New Zealand (Google him for stories of wildness). One was by Fupper and the other was by Chris – under his Last Of The Real Hardmen moniker.
Now in the year 2021, to release a Fupper tape and then follow it up, three weeks later, with Chris‘ new solo album is so god damn beautiful. Both Simon (Fupper) and Chris (CG Summerlin) are amongst a group of people I hold so dear. They are the musical underground this world needs. They are prime examples of playing music because they have to, they want to, they need to.
The CG Summerlin album, recorded over the Easter weekend of 2018, is silky. It’s late-night warmth and early morning pre-hot day mist. It’s other worldly. It looks killer, the art is by Dave Hand (Haress/Lancashire And Somerset Records/art for Supersonic Festival/and way more). I’m so pleased to be involved in releasing these albums. I hope you dig them. These people mean a lot to me.“
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Off the back of last weeks announcement for the Wrong Speed Records cassette tape spectacular running through July, we’re chuffed up to announce tape #2 via an exclusive look at a new video from Thee Alcoholics!
Following ‘Burning Up The Night‘ from Fupper (available for five of your english), ‘Tape II‘ from Thee Alcoholics is available now – £5 or pay what you want digital!
More on Thee Alcoholics from label man Joe:
“The first Alcoholics tape sold out in 24 hours. They went from no one knowing them to sold out instantly. Chuffed to be doing the second. I would have thought another label would have leapt at them, their loss. Tape II kills like the self-titled debut did. Fall / Chrome / Silver Apples style repetition meets Am-Rep-distorto-vocal noise rock. Bonus points for the horns on this, in places, from Colin Webster (Sex Swing), bringing that Stooges / Nation Of Ulysses squall that always announces the ruckus.
Rhys Llewellyn, drums from Hey Colossus, is the mastermind, you can hear that rhythmic swing. Makes you want to be at a basement show, 50 people, dark as hell, hot as hell, loud as hell. Makes you want to dance. Can you imagine No Fun, 1am, sweat pouring down the walls, that Godflesh-ian riff. God damn I should have made more than 50 of these. Don’t hesitate.“
First IRL show is pencilled in for September 18th at The Windmill for The Smash It Out All Dayer – tickets here!
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When he’s not playing bass in Hey Colossus, Joe Thompson is writing books (or at leastone book, but he should write more). When he’s not writing book(s), he’s interviewing people about records. When he’s not interviewing people about records (stick with me), he’s releasing records.
No stranger to putting out new releases, in 2020 he returned to the label game with new venture Wrong Speed Records (which we were chuffed to announce). The label is now a year into its life, having put out releases from his own band, as well as the likes of Sweet Williams and Part Chimp. To celebrate a year in the game, Thompson informed us he’s “doing what labels should be doing – releasing new music, as much as possible“.
As chuffed as we were to announce the labels first releases, we’re now beaming to announce that through the month of July, Wrong Speed are putting out six releases – Two LPs (Bass Clef and The Rebel) and four cassettes (Fupper, Thee Alcoholics, Tenchpress and CG Summerlin), the latter series being released one at a time each Wednesday throughout the month.
Every Wednesday in July, Birthday Cake For Breakfast will be your go-to for the news about each tape release, with visual stimulants on show via promotional videos and a bit of chat from label man Joe. How cool is that? Sink your teeth into the first announcement below – ‘Burning Up The Night‘ from Fupper, available to buy now – and let Joe guide you in.
“I’ve known Fupper since the early 90s, we met at college. We bonded over lo-fi cassettes, K Records, Daniel Johnson, Galaxie 500, and Uncle Wiggly. We formed a band, Stanton. We started a label, Jonson Family.
Through all the years I’ve know Fupper he’s been recording four track, tape loop, outsider jams. He’s been releasing tape upon tape upon tape, with the occasional 12″ and CD chucked into the mix. He has a shed where he records everything. His dedication to the art is unparalleled. He’s the Jandek of repeato-lo-fi-tapeloop-dusty-atmospheric beautiful sounds. He records albums when everyone else is watching Netflix. He does not stop. And now Wrong Speed is a growing concern I had absolutely no doubts about getting him to start recording for the label.
We’ve made 50 tapes, the album is called Burning Up The Night, you can pay what you want for the download or pay £5 for the cassette. For me, as the label person, I’m naturally keen on getting the word out about music makers who I think need to be heard by people. Fupper is 100% that sort of person. His music is beautiful. His attitude is righteous. His take on how one goes about one’s business within music is entirely nailed on and correct. You play music because you love it. You record it because it’s in your blood. You don’t worry about anything else.“
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Last year saw Part Chimp turn 20. It’s been a long and winding road for London’s premier noise rock outfit, but two decades on and they are a treasure of the underground scene, consistently mind blowing live with a well loved back catalogue under their belts. In 2017 they broke an eight year silence on the release front with their long awaited fourth album, accurately titled ‘IV‘. Still bursting with the same chunked up riffs that blew our ears in the 00’s, it was great to have them back and subsequently left us eagerly anticipating more.
Though it’s not been quite as long a gap, we’ve still had a further five years to hear more Chimp, and it feels like a perfect time to unleash ‘Drool‘ as we slowly gear up to the return of live shows.
‘Back From The Dead‘ is a fitting opener as we are reintroduced to the forefathers of UK sludge rock with an almighty riff that kind of reminds me of ‘Just‘ by Radiohead, just with a fuck load more fuzz (and some pretty full throttle drumming for that matter). It instantly reminds me of when I first went to see the band in Manchester (a show I often think/talk about) and just how euphoric it felt to be surrounded by this almighty sound. One of the big factors of Part Chimp’s appeal for me is how well they manage to capture the ferocity and general hugeness of their live show on record.
I mean, the guitar sound on ‘One In The Eye‘ sounds so fuzzy it could break your earphones. That in your face mix is so important in bringing the intensity of Part Chimp directly to you, but it also helps that this hardly lets up in terms of tracklisting. I mean, there’s a couple of little interludes, but mostly it’s a proper rip fest, everyone in this band hacking away at their instruments as if their life depends on it, but still bringing some gigantic melodies into play; I’ve had the hypnotic guitar lead of ‘Wallow‘ swirling around my head for days. I’ve also had the terrifying vocal hook in ‘It’s True Man‘ at the front of my mind, with an excellent vocal performance from Tim Farthing (Hey Colossus), sinisterly commanding “bring me the knife, and I’ll be mother”.
There are some bands that know their formula and work on bringing a stronger version of what they do on each new record. This is definitely the case with ‘Drool‘. It’s another total fuzz rock masterclass from Part Chimp, full of exciting songwriting, powerhouse performances and an expertly booming sonic deliverance that comes from decades of blowing the roofs off of everywhere they play. Part Chimp are back to show the new school of noise rock how it’s done.
(Photo Credit: Brian Whar)
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“We have always been on the verge of a sonic calamity.” Suggests Part Chimp guitarist and vocalist Tim Cedar, elsewhere describing the leg-end(ary) outfit as “the stupid amounts of fun you can have with very loud amps, stupid tunings, weird pedals and weird people.“
When we last spoke of Part Chimp, we quite rightly suggested that ‘Back From The Dead‘, lead single from their forthcoming new album, is “a proper face-melter” and makes one long for “the return of sweaty basement shows“. There’s quite a lot of big chat goes on about Part Chimp, but then what can you expect when you can’t hear yourself think?
Having mesmerised us with spooky zombie visuals on the aforementioned ‘Back From The Dead‘, on title track ‘Drool‘ it’s all about double measures (‘I’m seeing double here – four Part Chimp‘s!’) The hypnotic visuals were put together by Chris Spalton, previously seen on these very pages for the brilliant piece that was ‘U Cowboy‘ for Hey Colossus. See for yourself – we’re chuffed to share an exclusive first look on thee UK internet of the latest Part Chimp video below!
A proper crushing effort, this latest knee-buckler is taken from the band’s fifth album of the same name, ‘Drool‘ – rumoured to be their best thus far – due for release via Wrong Speed Records (UK) and Learning Curve (US) on June 11th!
The album was written in a fortnight, with recording taking place near enough over the course of a single day between various studio stints in London, New York and Somerset. Forget double drummers, here you’ll find two bass players. An album of firsts, having released four albums via Rock Action Records, this is their first via Wrong Speed. It’s also the first to feature a guest vocalist (Tim Farthing on ‘It’s True Man‘). Sort yourself out – pre-order a copy today!
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