Tigercats - Full Moon Reggae Party [Digital]

Artist: Tigercats
Title: Full Moon Reggae Party
Format: digital single
Cat#: Fika014
Release date: 2nd April 2012
Spotify | Bandcamp

Excited for the release of Tigercats' album Isle Of Dogs on April 9th? Looking forward to their appearance at London Popfest this weekend and their tour with Allo Darlin' next week? Need a sneak preview of the lead single from the album to keep you going? Yeah? Well you're in luck.

We're letting you download Full Moon Reggae Party totally for free! It will be coming out properly on April the 2nd as a 3 track digital single (available from all the usual digital outlets to stream and to buy) with two brand new b-sides: one a Tigercats original featuring Owl & Mouse, the other a cover of their favourite Fleetwood Mac song. We'll be unveiling the animated video for Full Moon Reggae Party shortly too... "Full Moon Reggae Party" was written in one day after an enforced absence from the studio, and recorded just a couple of days later. It's about going on the run ("I heard you stole a van, we've got some fake Gaugin's, let's go and get the cash, dance to Two Sevens Clash") but it's also the most direct love song they've ever done. A lot of Tigercats' lyrics are constructed out of fleeting, disconnected imagery, but "Full Moon Reggae Party" speaks straight to it's subject. Unlike earlier songs, it was written by Duncan with Laura's voice in mind: the exuberant verses that he sings solo contrast with the richness of the chorus. To download Full Moon Reggae Party go here.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES

25 Feb London Popfest, 100 Club w/ Allo Darlin', Comet Gain and others
26 Feb Leeds, Brudenell Social Club w/ Allo Darlin'
27 Feb Leicester, The Musician w/ Allo Darlin'
29 Feb Cardiff, Buffalo Bar w/ Allo Darlin'
02 Mar Norwich, Norwich Arts Centre w/ Allo Darlin'
16 Mar Ramsgate, Caboose Cafe (headline show)
21 Mar Manchester, The Castle Hotel w/ Shrag
22 Mar London, Kibo Kift at Somerset House (headline show)
29 Mar Brighton, Horse & Groom (headline show)
30 Mar London, Power Lunches - Isle of Dogs album launch, supported by Omi Palone, Fever Dream & Robert Rotifer w/ Allo Darlin' and Moustache of Insanity DJ's

Tigercats - Isle Of Dogs out 9th April 2012 12" vinyl on Fika Recordings (fikarecordings.com) CD on Acuarela Discos (acuareladiscos.com)

Moustache Of Insanity [RIP]

Sad news people - Moustache Of Insanity are calling it a day. Moustache Of Insanity were one of the bands that made me want to start this label and I was overwhelming excited when Bill and Nik said yes to putting out a cassette on Fika this time last year. They've been an utter pleasure to have on the label and their Album Of Death was one of my favourite albums of last year, released here on sexy blood red vinyl and with our friends at Pull Yourself Together on CD.

All afternoon I've been thinking back over the gigs I've seen them play. Some have been truly shambolic; some have sounded rather professional; all been fantastically fun: they've never failed to make me grin, dance and giggle like an overexcited toddler. From the sticky, sweaty, bloody full band show in Brixton for the album launch, to the acoustic set in the workshop tent at last year's Indietracks festival, playing a blinding set earlier this month at The Lexington, to a truly chaotic set in a basement in Hackney with The Wave Pictures.... I've loved every single minute. Nik, Bill, thank you both!

So before Bill gets time to get back to being a full time Dad and bass player with Allo Darlin, and Nik launches his solo gameboy project, there are a few chances to see them play live together. 26 Jan - The Book Club, London 3 Feb - The Others, London 4 Feb - The Victora, Birmingham 10 Feb - Silver Bullet, London 1 Mar - The Cellar, Oxford 16 Mar - Singapora Lounge, Rochester

You can still buy their LP from us here - every copy comes its own photograph of them fooling around somewhere, a personalised message, a tea bag of death and a cake recipe, all on a delicious smelling slab of blood red vinyl. Go buy it before they're gone forever x

Red Shoe Diaries - Ice & Snow

This time last year Fika Recordings HQ was a flurry of cutting and folding, getting our first four cassettes ready for our launch in the middle of February. A year on and 12 releases later, we're still a buzz of frantic and somewhat chaotic activity. All in order to bring you a bunch of fantastic releases this year, the first of which comes from Red Shoe Diaries.

Ice & Snow is the lead single from their EP on Fika Recordings, "When I Find My Heart...". It'll be available to download from the Fika Recordings website on a pay what you like basis (and we're happy for you to download it for free). You can still buy their 5 track 10" EP from us here.

Artwork for the single comes courtesy of Amy Blackwell.

Red Shoe Diaries A1 Ice & Snow B1 Driving Blind B2 Saturday Love Rocket Available to download from February 27th

Tigercats - Isle Of Dogs LP due April 9th

We hope you've been enjoying the advent calendar we've been hosting with Darren Hayman. So far we've had 42 songs available to download for free - including appearances from The Wave Pictures, the song writing debut of comedian Josie Long, a track featuring Bedders from Madness and plenty of Fika Recordings favourites. Today's offering includes two songs from Bill Botting (of Allo Darlin', The Secondary Modern and Moustache Of Insanity) and from Fika Recording's latest artist, Tigercats. All of which means we can announce... ... on April 9th, we'll be releasing Isle Of Dogs, the debut album from Tigercats. Yeah! It'll be coming out on Fika Recordings on 12" vinyl, and there'll be the usual Fika related treats included. More details once I figure them out. In the meantime, head over and download their Christmas song! Woo!

Happy Christmas Kittens

Just a quick thank you to everyone that came to our party/gig last night at The Betsey Trotwood to see Darren Hayman, Enderby's Room, Owl & Mouse and Rob Hillfield play. It was a free gig but we tried to guilt you in to donating some money to the Haworth Cat Rescue - and you did. We raised £150.05, which will feed a lot of kittens this Christmas. Thanks also to Julia for making the sublime vegan Christmas cake and decorating it for Fika Recordings.  

Christmas In Haworth launch show

On the 7th of December we're hosting a launch party for the release of Darren Hayman's Christmas In Haworth EP. Julia, who provided the vegan Christmas cake recipe, will be bringing a cake and I'll be baking some mince pies for the night. Entry is free but we are asking for a donation - everyone involved is doing this for free so all proceeds will go directly to the Haworth Cat Rescue.

Darren will be supported by Enderby's Room, Owl & Mouse and Rob Hillfield. They'll all be playing acoustically and unamplified. Hopefully see you at The Betsey Trotwood on Wednesday!

Darren Hayman, Fika Recordings & Friends - Advent Calendar [Digital]

Artist: Darren Hayman
Title: Christmas Advent Calendar
Format: Digital Compilation
Cat#: Fika012
Release date: 1st December 2011
Bandcamp

In December 2011, Darren Hayman and Fika Recordings joined forces to compile a Christmas compilation. We both asked friends and bands we loved, and released the tracks for free download every day through December until Christmas day. 

Buying the Christmas In Haworth EP

Just a quick post to let you know you can pop into your local record shop and pick up a copy of Darren Hayman's new EP, as well as buying it online from us here or from Darren here. Norman Records [online] Pebble Records [online] Rough Trade [London] Spillers Records [Cardiff] Piccadilly Records [Manchester] Resident Music [Brighton] Avalanche Records [Edinburgh] Violet & Claire [Japan]

Darren Hayman - Christmas in Haworth [10"]

Artist: Darren Hayman
Title: Christmas in Haworth
Format: 10”
Cat#: Fika011
Release date: 14th November 2011
Bandcamp | Spotify

'Let's go away for Christmas', we said. We never go away for Christmas and Christmas never looks like Christmas. Christmas did look like Christmas in Haworth in 2010: a blanket of snow, tinsel, all that stuff. It made me nostalgic for for cheap, flimsy cards that hung on string on my parents' wall. When I think of Christmas, I don't think of snow, I think of my Uncle pushing a shaving foam pie into my face until I choked. I think of my Mum crying over Monopoly. I think of cold fatty meats and a broken James Bond Lotus Espirit. 

Christmas gets in the way, so we got out of the way of Christmas. We went to Haworth in Yorkshire. We walked out into the countryside and got lost in the snow. 

Four of these songs were written and recorded in Haworth, West Yorkshire, during Christmas 2010 and later overdubbed in London and Newcastle. 'Branwell' was written and recorded in London July 2011 and 'Ruby's House' was written and recorded in Ruby's house in Lancashire in June. David Watkins played the banjo and Rebecca Evans played the bass clarinet. The band on Branwell is Jonny Helm (drums, vocals), David Tattersall (banjo, vocals), Franic Rozycki (mandolin, vocals), Robert Rotifer (guitar, vocals), Bill Botting (bass, vocals) and me (piano, vocals). 

Recorded by Ian Evans and myself. 
Darren Hayman - August 2011 

Hangover Lounge playlist

So I baked, baked some more, got the slow train to north London, drank lots of Brooklyn lager and played a few tunes. Thanks to everyone that came down and helped eat the cinnamon rolls and the chocolate cookies! Azure Ray - Displaced St. Thomas - Heroes Making Dinner The Caravelles - Tonight You Belong To Me Lost Summer Kitten - Lovesong No. 1 The Broken Family Band - Nights In The Tractor Beam Micah P Hinson - When We Embraced Darren Hayman - Photos Like Postcards Laura Cantrell - Khaki & Corduroy Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Maundering Seafood - Broken Promises Jellybean - 99 Problems Nina Gordon - Straight Outta Compton Laurel Music - Dreams & Lies Devon Sproule - Let's Go Out Mississippi John Hurt - Nobody's Dirty Business William Elliot Whitmore - First Of A Thousand Beasts Camera Obscura - I Don't Want To See You The Bobby McGee's - No Friends Jam On Bread - When I'm Entering Data Allo, Darlin' - Tallulah

*break*

The Robot Ate Me - The Genocide Ball Sweet Baboo - I'd Kill For You Even If You Didn't Want Me To Smog - Dress Sexy At My Funeral Owl & Mouse - Heavy Heart Bishop Allen - Butterfly Nets Red Shoe Diaries - Ice And Snow Let's Go Sailing - This Rope Is Long My Little Pony - A Miracle Säkert! - Någon Gång Måste Du Bli Själv The Ladybug Transistor - 3=Wild The Owls - Peppermint Patty Lambchop - The Man Who Loved Beer Au Revoir Simone - Stars CocoRosie - Tekno Love Song Old Man Luedecke - Joy Of Cooking Ed Greene - Love (She Tells Me There's A God Above) We Show Up On Radar - An Animal Sports Day