Record Store Day

17-seconds-records-2009

Tomorrow is Record Store Day. This now seems to be a fairly worldwide thing (OK, North America and the UK) which is now starting to be a victim of its’ own success. To whit: There are now a huge amount of special releases, which is great that bands are encouraging fans to buy physical releases; but not so good if a bunch of ebay Pirates get therte early, snap them all up and flog them online before true fans (i.e. the ones who might want to, y’know, actually listen to them) get a chance. NME have listed fifty essential purchases. Great if you are rich enough and don’t have to go out to work, I guess.

However; rather like libraries (I’ve worked in both Record Shops and for the Library Service over the last ten years), Record Stores have their place. They are worth fighting for. As a punter, I still get more of a thrill browsing new and second-hand racks than gazing on eMusic or iTunes. I do use these services, but this is back-up, not as a replacement. It was far more thrilling to hold the physical releases that we have put out as 17 Seconds Records than to see them on digital services. There’s still something that is tangible, collectible. I remember the thrill of buying my early records – the first 7″ was ‘Caravan Of Love’ by the Housemartins back in late ’86, from WH Smiths.

Yes, there have been a lot of record stores that have gone, because they made mistakes. It is bizarre that HMV now seems to hardly sell any music (though we did get the Aberfeldy 7″ in the Edinburgh one!). However what the Megastores tended to do was to focus purely on a quick turnover. I don’t really mourn the loss of these, but I get sad when the small stores suffer. Small stores run by staff who are knowledgeable, who take an interest in being able to point out stuff you might like. Sorry, but there’s something more personal about this than ‘74% of people who bought this item also bought this.’

Avalanche in Edinburgh has continued to survive whilst others failed by focusing on supporting local acts, and I have seen many customers come in from abroad who will then buy stacks of CDs that they have been recommended. I never saw that in Woolworths. It also does a lot of second hand stuff, which is brilliant. Oh, and when I’m buying second hand vinyl I like to be able to check it. I’m not into sniffing vinyl (except to put the wind up people), but I do want to be able to chat with people about what I am buying.

Can you do so much of this stuff over the internet? Well, yes, you can. But then again, I’d rather go out for a coffee than sit in a chatroom online. Like David Byrne points out in his excellent book on Cycling, Bicycle Diaries, there’s something far more organic that comes together when people collide and come together naturally, rather than just gravitating to people or things they think they’ll like. I’ve bought stuff I have liked because I heard it playing by chance in a record shop. I tend to do less with links on digital record shops.

There’s excellent articles on RSD on Song, By Toad, some interesting points from the NME here, and The Scotsman’s Radar has contributions from both Bruce Findlay and Kevin Buckle.

We have done a limited CD-R as 17 Seconds Records, which is being given away in Avalanche.

This is the tracklisting:

Fiction Faction ‘Apparitions’
X-Lion Tamer ‘Neon Hearts’
Factory Kids ‘They Used To Call Me Baby’
Chris Bradley ‘Beggar to fall’ ‘
Wildhouse ‘Palatine’
X-Lion Tamer ‘Hope’
Wildhouse ‘More Stars’
Factory Kids ‘One’
Chris Bradley ‘Hand Me Down’
Last Battle ‘Any Ocean’

The Last Battle are playing there tomorrow at 3, right next door in Red Dog Music. Remember, a record shop is for life, not just Record Store Day…

The Last Battle – Ruins by Last Year’s Girl

17 Seconds Records update

17-seconds-records-2009

Hello all.

Just a quick update on things.

Forst of all, next week it is Record Store Day on April 16. As part of this, we [17 Seconds Records]will be giving away a free CD sampler at Avalanche Records in Edinburgh. More details to come nearer the time – BUT -artists confirmed to appear on it so far include Fiction Faction, The Last Battle, the Wildhouse, Chris Bradley and X-Lion Tamer.

The Last Battle will be playingas part of Record Store day in Edinburgh at Avalanche, they join Frightened Rabbit, Penguins Kill Polar and Gordon MacIntyre from Ballboy, all from 1pm… they have also announced that they will be playing with Jesus H. Foxx and The Travelling Band at the Electric Circus on May 31 in Edinburgh. Not only that but they will be playing at both the Insider Festivals and Homegame in Scotland. And they are working on a NEW EP.

The Wildhouse are headlining a noise-pop all-dayer in Glasgow at the 13th Note on April 30th -read more about the line-up here.

In other news…Fiction Faction are working with Saraseto Records for their next release. As with when they worked with us, this is a single deal, and we are really chuffed for them. ‘Apparitions’ is still available on download from us, mind you… 😉

Just for fun, here are a number of 17 Seconds-related videos from the two and a half plus years we have been going:

17 Seconds Records update!

wildhouse-good-morning-captain

First up, on March 21, we will release a new EP by The Wildhouse, entitled Good Morning, Captain.

It’s a four track release featuring four new songs:

Palatine
Go
Palace Of Swords
Calvinball

At over fifteen minutes long, ‘Calvinball’ is the longest track we have released as a label. It is also the most extreme thing we have released, so very proud of that. This will be release 17SEC26.

Download ‘Palatine’:

Wildhouse -‘Palatine.’ mp3

The Wildhouse play Drouthys, Dundee, on March 3.

In other news…

The Last Battle join Kid Canaveral for their SXSW fund-raiser, this Saturday night, February 26 at the Wee Red Bar at Edinburgh College of Art. Support also comes from Blue Sky Archives.

In addition, The Last Battle will play The Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore on March 19 and MUSA, Aberdeen on March 20.

Fiction Faction have a couple of gigs lined up for March in Glasgow. They join the bill at the 13th Note on the 2nd March with The Heebie Jeebies, Bwani Junction, and Johnny Reb. Additionally, they are supporting Scanners at the Captain’s Rest on March 29.

Kid Canaveral’s awesome new video -and forthcoming live dates

kid-canaveral

The continually excellent Kid Canaveral (who had two entries in my annual Festive Fifty at the end of last year and were no.5 in my end of year album chart) are shortly heading off to the US for SXSW (South by South West, do keep up).

They are playing two fundraiser gigs in Scotland before heading off; these are:

24th February at Stereo, Glasgow with support from Randolph’s Leap and Martin John Henry

26th February at The Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh with The Last Battle and Blue Sky Archives.

So far six dates have been announced in the US, these are:

12th March at Bruar Falls, NYC w/Rachel Sermanni
13th March at Fontana’s, NYC
14th March at The Cake Shop, NYC
16th March at Maggie Mae’s, Austin, TX (Official SXSW showcase)
18th March at Red House Pizzeria, Austin, TX (Music For Listeners daytime party)
19th March at Waterloo Cycles, Austin, TX (SXSWaterloo daytime party)

It’s actually genuinely exciting to see people that you know and have supported through your own blog heading off to the US.
It’s also great that they have asked 17 Seconds Records’ Last Battle to support them again. i saw The Last Battle live in Edinburgh last night, playing a lot of new stuff, so get along and see the edinburgh gig! Act quickly, tickets are selling fast…

Meanwhile, this is the video that kid Canaveral have made for their ‘You Only Went Out To Get Drunk Last Night’ single. It is awesome…

17 Seconds Records update…and more so!

17-seconds-records-2009

Yup, one of those posts where I blow not so much my own trumpet (ahem!) as those of the artists we are privileged to work with…and some of those artists that they’re playing with.

First up, if you’re thinking of heading to the Dylan Uncovered Night at the Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh, this Thursday (February 10) the very first act on will be our Chris Bradley, whose album At The Outpost was the first physical album release on 17 Seconds Records last year. The night will also feature Song, By Toad Records’ Yusuf Azak as well as Esperi, Norman Lamont, Hookers for Jesus, The Sundancer, Shock and Awe, Edinburgh School for the Deaf, Issac Brutal and the Trailer Trash Express, and Tribute to Venus Carmichael. Chris will be on at 7:50.

Fiction Faction released the first release of the year on the label last week with ‘Apparitions’ playing in Glasgow twice and London (their support act for the first Glasgow gig, who they then supported at their single launch the following week was Armellodie’s CD/EX (AKA Chris Devotion and the Expectations), whose debut single ‘I Need Your Touch’ is very good indeed. Fiction Faction are next playing live on March 29th at the Captain’s Rest, Glasgow when they support Scanners. Scanners are shortly to release their new single ‘Salvation.’

The Last Battle, meanwhile are extremely busy (as ever). Tomorrow they are playing at Bloc in Glasgow and it’s free. Nada. So go. They will also be supporting Kid Canaveral at EDinburgh Royal Collge of Art on February 26, and two more dates further afield in March: the Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore (March 19) and Musa Art & Music Cafe, Aberdeen (March 20).

They will also be playing with the rather excellent Letters at Henry’s Cellar Bar on February 16.

Letters are about to launch a free single of which this is the rather ace ‘Double A-side’:

LETTERS- PIPE DREAMS by Soundandvisionpr

…and a Happy New Year from The Last Battle

last-battle-365-days

As you will doubtless have realised by now (assuming you are a regular visitor to this site), The Last Battle are not a band to let the grass grow below their feet.

Not only did they offer up a fantastic free song for Boxing Day, but they have released a free song for New Year’s Day too.

And you can download it here:

[NB this was available to stream from December 31, and the download should be available from today. If it’s not yet -they’re struggling with hangovers. Probably…]

You can download the Nature’s Glorious Rage EP for free here and their A Wee Red tale Live EP for free here.

Hopefully this will inspire you (if you haven’t already) to go and buy their debut LP Heart Of The Land Soul Of The Sea. If you’ve yet to hear it (tut tut) stream it here

Happy Boxing Day

the-last-battle-lineup

Hello folks

hope you all had nice Christmasses/Solstices/Chanukah or whatever takes your fancy at this time of year.

Much fun had here – a nice quiet day, which with the planned arrival, may be the last quiet Christmas Day we have for many years.

Hopefully you’ve heard this by now, but if not, figured it was appropriate for today. The Last Battle’s ‘Once Upon A Boxing Day’, taken from their recent free EP Nature’s Glorious Rage

The entire EP can be downloaded for free here:

We have now sold out of the album Heart of the land soul of the sea, and are awaiting the second pressing. If you still haven’t got it and are wondering what to spend your eMusic or iTunes vouchers on, why not buy it on digital?

New Last Battle release!

last-battle-natures-glorious-rage

‘Nature’s Glorious Rage’ was the song above all others that convinced me we had to sign The Last Battle to 17 Seconds Records. I went around singing the song for days, until my wife begged me to stop. When I played them to other people the line’we will grow majestic with rage’ was picked up on and praised.

And so here it is – a FREE download, coupled with two excellent new songs, ‘Once Upon A Boxing Day’ and ‘243’; the latter may very well be the best song Scott has written. They didn’t want to release two ‘pay for’ songs from Heart of the land, soul of the sea, so here it is!

Not only that, but the band are out on their first ever tour starting tomorrow, which will call at: Glasgow, Aviemore, Aberdeen, Hull, Leeds and London, before they return to play Kid Canaveral’s Xmas Baubles at the Lot in Edinburgh and the 3rd annual Christmas songwriters at Leith Dockers. The dates and places can be found here on their myspace

Two awesome shows!

the-last-battle-lineup

Two awesome shows involving our very own Last Battle which you should know about:

glitter-slug

This Thursday (November 4), they headline at the Wee Red bar at Edinburgh’s College of Art, with support from The Scottish Enlightenment and Very Well.

And on December 18, they join the bill for Kid Canaveral’s Christmas Party at the Lot in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket. The line-up for this is as follows:

“Kid Canaveral’s Christmas Baubles” will not include a Manger, probably no immaculate conceptions, but will include:

ballboy
King Creosote (solo)
Kid Canaveral
Come On Gang!
Cancel The Astronauts
The Last Battle
Gummi Bako

+ Song, By Toad and Straight to Video DJs

very exciting and excited! the Last battle are in the process of finalising their first ever tour, more info when it’s official…

Last Battle -‘Cutlass.’ mp3

Kid Canaveral -‘Good Morning.’ mp3

The Scottish Enlightenment -‘All Homemade Things.’ mp3

Here it is…the Last Battle debut!

the-last-battle-lineup

Some bands spend the first year of their existence barely making it out of the rehearsal room.

The Last Battle are not just any band. Monday will see the release of their long-awaited debut album Heart Of The land, Soul Of The Sea. The significance of October 4 is that it marks a year to the day since they played their debut gig at The Pond, in Leith.

Since then, they’ve played with an impressive list of artists, that many bands trying to break through here in Scotland would give their eye teeth to play on a bill with just one or two. Names that include – but are no means exclusive to – Withered Hand, Burnt Island, eagleowl, Found, Meursault, Unwinding Hours, Yahweh, Kid Canaveral, Endor, Chris Bradley, Dirty Cuts and Esperi. And they’re due to add the Scottish Enlightenment to that list very soon, too.

I first heard them courtesy of Matthew Young of Song, By Toad who featured them on his radio show on Fresh Air (go here to download the session and watch the videos. Within a brief period after this, Dan Willson of Withered Hand passed them my email and Scott Longmuir, the band’s singer, got in touch to ask if there might be a place at May’s Tigerfest for them.

There most definitely was. And seeing as no-one was scheduled to put out the band’s debut album, I asked if I might do so. They said yes.

So…they’ve recorded sessions for Celtic Music Radio and Leith FM twice and for my show during the summer on Fresh Air.

Their debut single ‘Ruins’ came out on July 5, and was picked by Vic Galloway as one of his ‘Future Scottish Anthems.’ The single launch was recorded and the free, three-track EP can be got from here:

The Last Battle -‘A Wee Red Tale’

And now, today, the album has turned up in physical format. We had the album launch on September 18, and it was fab, and it features contributions from both Neil Pennycook of Meursault and Bart Owl of eagleowl.

We’ve had some great reviews in so far…Is this music? awarded it five stars, [sic], magazine commented that the band ‘deserve the fruits of victory’, while Lloyd over at Peenko described it as one of his favourite albums of 2010, Last Year’s Girl commented that she was finding it hard to reveiw to the album because she kept going back to listen to tracks again, and this very day the Tidal Wave of Indifference have mad it their album of the week. Hopefully there’ll be more to add to very, very soon.

Like Matthew over at Song, by Toad who has just published this

You’ll be able to buy it from Monday on download services, and via the band’s website and ours. If you live in Edinburgh, you can now buy it from Avalanche Records on Cockburn St.

I don’t review the records I put out, but I am so very, very proud to have been involved in this release. Thanks to everyone who’s come along to the gigs, bought the music or blogged about them.

The Last Battle -‘Cutlass.’ mp3 taken from the album

The Last Battle -‘Black Waterfall.’ mp3 exclusive track

STOP PRESS: the band will be doing an instore at Avalanche Records, Edinburgh, on Monday October 4 at 5:30 pm