Odd Box Records

The first Odd Box Singles Club is getting closer.   After hearing so many wonderful bands during the past 12 months we decided we wanted to release as many of them as possible on beautiful 7” vinyl.   So the idea for the singles club was born.   It also made sense to make all these 7” singles – split singles so we could cram as many of these wonderful bands onto the Singles Club.  So coming in 2011 are 6 singles with 12 bands cherry picked for your pleasure.  All with exclusive songs, to be found nowhere else apart from these super limited 7″ singles.

We are dead excited that this singles club is coming together.  There are only going to be 400 of these hand numbered copies.   And they will be available to pre-order in September/October.   The first batch of three 7” singles will be ready for shipping in early 2011.   These singles will not be available in the shops.  The only place you can get a guaranteed numbered copy of all 6 singles is by subscribing to The Singles Club.   For all those that order early there will be a discount, too.  So keep your eyes and ears peeled for further announcements.

So who have we got lined up for you?   The first 7” will feature THE BLANCHE HUDSON WEEKEND and HOROWITZ and other releases feature some of the best up and coming bands we have had the pleasure of discovering in 2010:  GOLD-BEARS, THE HAIRS, BRACELETTES, SANTA  MONICA SWIM AND DIVE CLUB,  ONE FATHOM DOWN, RADIANS and THE VIGNETTES. If this wasn’t enough we’ve found room to squeeze in long time Odd Box crushes THE GIVE IT UPS, THE MEDUSA SNARE and THE HUMMS.

Over the next few weeks/months we will be doing a little feature on each of the bands that will be taking part in the singles club so you can get to know the bands and their sounds.

A fair few Odd Box releases are available to buy as downloads these days as this handy little widget type thing shows:

Liars Beware are a rumbling guitar beast with occasional nods to pop-punk. This is their debut release. They cover the Urinals classic ‘Sex’ on this 4 song EP, too (tasteful video, below). They are utterly wonderful.  The band hail from Sheffield in England and they are also that Renee of The Millipedes joined next, too.

Their debut EP was due for release on Odd Box on 16th August (it has been available to pre-order for the past few weeks). The EP is slightly delayed.  But it’s going to be worth the wait and we should have the completed EPs back in about a weeks time.  The EP is limited to just 120 copies, too.  So be quick.   The four songs on ‘The Last 24 Hours EP’ showcase the first steps of a band that know their way around a jack hammer tune whilst keeping the guitars just on the right side of noisy.   The band in their short life have already recorded a radio session for Marc Riley on BBC 6 Music.

Full Track Listing:

01 Sofa Bed
02 Knives
03 Sex (Urinals)
04 Death Crash Driver

The band have a My Space page, too.  Which can be found here.

Liars Beware | MySpace Music Videos

Out now is the superb debut record by The Humms.  Available from the shop on CD now and we will have a few copies of the vinyl edition arriving in the next few days, too.

Following up from their super limited EP ‘Are You Dead?’ (2009, Odd Box Records) which was voted #2 in the Sounds XP writers poll for 2009.  The Humms return with their debut full length LP.  Part-psychobilly, part-garage rock, even a hint of primeval Nashville, The Humms are an Athens, Georgia (US) trio who make loud music about murder, drugs, drunks, ghost, hippies, colours and of course…love. Their lysergic graveyard take on rock’n’roll is equally informed by rockabilly, Big Star and the Nuggets compilations.

Lemonland is 18 songs that are inspired by the great and good from the past whilst managing to sound as fresh as anything released in 2010.   This is timeless rock n roll music that will bring out goosebumps on all those that still thrill at the sheer beauty of near perfect 3 minute blast of power pop.

Odd Box is away at the moment – all orders placed in the next few weeks will be sent out on 3rd August.

Indietracks festival is first up. Then holiday.

Exciting news from Odd Box on Monday 19th July we are releasing an 8 track remix album by The Smittens.  ‘Dancing Shoes’:  The Smittens Remixed is available to pre order now for just £3 (plus P&P) from the shop.  You can listen to the whole EP in this little flash player here:

The Smittens are a hard-working globe-trotting independent American twee pop band from Burlington, Vermont, who like to think of themselves as friends first and open-hearted indiepop revolutionaries after that.

Max Andrucki, Colin Clary, Dana Kaplan, Holly Chagnon, and David Zacharis switch up instruments, song-writing, and singing to create brilliantly lyrical and hyper-catchy pop songs of all shapes and sizes. ‘Dancing Shoes’ sees 8 of their songs lovingly remixed by the likes of Nixon (Roger Gunnarsson), Mark Robinson (Teenbeat Records) and  Steve Williams (North of January Records).

The full track list of the EP is:

01 Party Time (The Boston Boys Have the Cutest Butts mix by Mark Robinson)
02 The Garden (Mesclun Mix by Greg Davis)
03 Army of Popkids (Less Army, More Pop Mix by Dana Julie Kaplan)
04 Sapphire (Stock-Aitken-Waterman Mix by Nixon)
05 Baby, Don’t You Know? (Kochalka Quality Mix by James Kochalka)
06 Momus, Where Are You? (Oil and Water Mix by Ryan Power)
07 Pretty Boy (Premix/Remix by Colin Clary)
08 Twitterpated (Twitterpated 2005! Mix by Steve Williams)

I first heard The Smittens in 2005.  The band were a big buzz on the indiepop underground around that time and I fell instantly for their pop charms.  Since then I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the band perform in crowded bars in London, New York and Boston.   I’ve also been wowed by their now regular performances at the Indietracks festival here in the UK.

When the chance arose to release this EP,  I jumped at the opportunity and the resulting ‘Dancing Shoes:  The Smittens Remixed’ is everything I hoped it would be.  The Smittens’ beautiful pop songs have been lovingly tweaked and transformed into a series of infectious remixes that, whilst not detracting from their indiepop hearts, manage to bring a whole new dimension of dance-ability to their pop sound.   The Stock-Aitken-Watermen-inspired remix of ‘Sapphire’ by Nixon is one of those rare ‘wow’ moments when a song you already love is given a makeover you’d never thought possible.  It’s this playful toying with perceptions of what The Smittens are that makes ‘Dancing Shoes’ such a beautiful and unexpected record.

The band is a fixture on the international indiepop festival circuit with multiple appearances at the Indietracks festival, Athens Popfest, NYC Popfest, Popfest New England, San Francisco Popfest, London Popfest, and the Cosy Den Festival in Stockholm. This summer The Smittens are planning their most ambitious adventure yet with 14 shows across the UK and Europe. The band are currently at work on their 4th studio album and they have a few new tracks coming out on compilations in the near future.

I’m off to New York Popfest for a couple of weeks.

All orders placed between now and 30th May will be posted out on my return.

Fab new video for ‘Cave City Sunrise’ – one of the songs on the debut One Happy Island album.

Exciting One Happy Island news.  Their self titled debut LP is back from the pressing plant and is ready to be shipped for 7th June.    For those that haven’t heard One Happy Island before – here’s a short bio:

One Happy Island is an indiepop band from Boston with sloppy DIY tendencies. Chief exports include handclaps, ukulele strings,  harmonicas, bittersweetly jangley ballads, furiously unfocused kazoo solos, and unashamed lo-fi recordings. It is the intention of Shannon, Rebecca, Clint, and Brad to take their songcraft and melodies to new levels of fun, fun, and fun.

Their self titled LP builds on the reputation garnered through a series of EP releases (self released, WeePOP!) and some rather wonderful live performances – including a slot at last years Indietracks festival.   The new LP keeps much of the lo-fi charm of the bands earlier recordings but the record finds the band in ambitious mood and with songs like ‘How To Hurt’ and ‘Nomi, You’re A Star!’ bring a vulnerable edge to the proceedings.  The pop heart beat of the band still shines through on instant classics ‘Elegant Elephant’, ‘Cave City Sunrise’  and ‘Horse Cave, Kentucky’.   The LP is available to pre-order from the shop, now.

If that wasn’t enough we’ve got a free download single available as a sneak preview of the LP.  Featuring ‘Elegant Elephant’ from the LP and one exclusive recording. ‘Elegant Elephant’ a delicious hook laden pop song that will surely bring us sunshine as summer looms on the horizon. The exclusive song is ‘Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor (On the Bedpost Overnight)’ and is a recording made by One Happy Island that features Pete and Ian from Horowitz. This fun cover of the Lonnie Donegan classic shows the playful side of One Happy Island.  This can be download now, from ODDNET.

The first ODDNET release since January is about to be uploaded and should be available for download from Monday 10th May.  As with all ODDNET releases these are free to download and feature 2 songs – much like classic old 7″ singles.  NET005 features Falling and Laughing, a two piece from Birmingham.

‘Lights Out Birmingham’  and ‘Compilations of Sweden’ are two previously unreleased songs by the band. Describing themselves as indiepop, or in an attempt to point out the futility of boxing a band into a genre – they also have created a genre all of their own ‘Chordgazing’.  Nice.   The two songs on the release are fantastic and they’re a little pointer of what is to come on their soon to be released ‘Bunnyhood’ EP – which should be out in the next month or so on Odd Box.  Exciting Stuff.