Johan Hedberg (Suburban Kids With Biblical Names) remix

So the 'debut' 7" single from Making Marks is out on Monday the 15th, and not content with two wonderful tracks on the vinyl, we've added a bonus remix track to the download. It comes courtesy of Johan Hedberg, ed half of Sweden's Suburban Kids With Biblical Names [Labrador Records]. Johan describes it as "sample based laid-back"; it makes us think of Ace of Base! With such a great remix, it only seemed fitting that we made a video for it too! http://vimeo.com/fikarecordings/ticketmachineremix

You can buy the Ticket Machine 7" now from http://shop.fikarecordings.com/album/ticket-machine and get an immediate download of Ticket Machine, Like Spinning and Johan's remix.

Making Marks - Ticket Machine

Making Marks start their UK tour tomorrow and we've released the video for their 7" single Ticket Machine to celebrate! It was filmed in Oslo and features archive footage from the 1946 short film, The Bus Driver. http://vimeo.com/fikarecordings/ticketmachine

Making Marks UK Tour Sep 2012 Thursday 13th: Undertone, Cardiff Friday 14th: Zanzibar, Liverpool Saturday 15th: The Victoria, Birmingham (w/ Tigercats) Sunday 16th: The Lexington (free afternoon show as part of The Hangover Lounge, w/ White Town) Wednesday 19th: Underbelly, Hoxton, London (w/ The Rosie Taylor Project and Owl & Mouse) Thursday 20th: Caboose Cafe, Ramsgate

The 7" is now available to pre-order. It'll be available in the shops on the 15th October, as well as on iTunes, Spotify etc. Buy from us and there'll be a very special bonus track remix of Ticket Machine from another Scandinavian Fika Recordings favourite...

BBC Radio 1: Huw Stephens' Label Of Love

This week we were delighted to be asked to join Huw Stephens on his BBC Radio 1 show to talk about Fika Recordings and play some tunes from the catalogue. You can listen again here:

Here's what we played: Tigercats - Harper Lee Lisa Bouvier - Andreas Red Shoe Diaries - Ice & Snow Moustache Of Insanity - We Need More Awesome Darren Hayman - Photos Like Postcards The Smittens - First Bus Making Marks - Hard To Be Good

The Smittens - Believe Me [12"]

Artist: The Smittens
Title: Believe Me
Format: 12" album on transparent vinyl
Cat#: Fika020
Release date: 23rd July 2012
Bandcamp | Spotify 

Formed on a whim at a party in 2002 the Smittens have emerged as one of America's best- loved underground indiepop quintets, releasing 3 full-length albums, a remix ep, and a handful of singles and compilation appearances. Their fourth studio album, Believe Me, is due out on London's Fika Recordings in summer, 2012. 

As a fixture on the international indiepop festival circuit, with appearances at the Indietracks festival, Athens Popfest, NYC Popfest, Popfest New England, San Francisco Popfest, London Popfest, and the Cosy Den Festival in Stockholm, the Smittens have been bringing their lively, melodic sound to new fans every chance they get. In summer 2012 the Smittens are heading back to Europe for their most ambitious adventure yet, this time with the fabulous help of backup singer/soapmaker Missy Bly. 

To date the Smittens have toured across the US and in Canada, the UK, France, Sweden, Germany, and Denmark and have shared the stage with many bands they admire including Allo Darlin’, Math & Physics Club, Tullycraft, The Mountain Goats, The Undertones, Ballboy, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Mates of State, We Are Scientists, Mirah, The Butchies, Kimya Dawson, Dub Narcotic Sound System, Tender Trap, Bishop Allen, The Essex Green, Comet Gain, Standard Fare, Bunnygrunt, The Manhattan Love Suicides, Cats On Fire, Dear Nora, James Kochalka Superstar, and even Richie Havens! 

Press for Believe Me

"each and every song they write is a rampant musical pleasure - they could force a smile on the sourest face. 'Believe Me' is a delightful album, perfectly timed for the sunshine and full of that summertime innocence" Bearded Magazine

"They craft bittersweet indie pop" Neon Filler

"Sounding like a Belle & Sebastian brought up solely on Tullycraft instead of all that Bob Dylan and ‘60s soul stuff" Norman Records

"‘Believe Me’ is twee pop in the best possible way – jolly, carefree and full of character" Shout 4 Music

"Burlington, Vermont's most lively bubblegum group have gone all Magnetic Fields - synthesised 80s pop references, baritone vocals, lyrical gay playfulness" Sweeping The Nation

"The Smittens have carved out a unique underdog niche built around happy tunes peppered with surprisingly melancholy, socio-political-influenced lyrics" Burlington Free Press

""Believe Me" is sometimes tongue in cheek amusing, and always entertaining." Examiner "an indiepop disco floor-filler" Adequacy

Making Marks

Making Marks

The newest addition to Fika Recordings is Making Marks from Oslo, Norway. After 5 years as My Little Pony, they've slimmed down to a 4 piece to become Making Marks. They've gigged with the likes of Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, Asobi Seksu and Marit Larsen, toured extensively around Europe and the USA, including appearances at SXSW.

The debut single from Making Marks, Ticket Machine, will be released by Fika Recordings in October 2012 on 7" vinyl. They'll be in the UK playing some shows in September - full details to come.

We're celebrating our new signing by giving away a sparkling example of the joyous, sweet pop songs you can expect coming from Making Marks. So go download Hard To Be Good, watch the video, and keep your eyes peeled for more coming soon!

http://vimeo.com/fikarecordings/hardtobegood

Making Marks

"upbeat, lovely soulful indie pop. Think Belle & Sebastian sprinkled with Motown, jazz, and far more instruments, including the banjo, classical strings, brass and the glockenspiel. What keeps [them] an indie pop band as we know it is frontman Ola Innset’s serene, Paul Simon-esque voice" MTV

"Citing Neil Sedaka and Chris Isaak and possesing the gift of tenderness like Belle & Sebastian, Making Marks, [are] rich and varied, with strings, trumpets and electric guitars" Rolling Stone

"Wonderful twee-like qualities makes them sound like one of those legendary Labrador bands that have been perfecting this craft for years and years" Panic Manual

The Smittens - Burning Streets Of Rome [Digital]

The Smittens - Burning Streets Of Rome from Fika Recordings on Vimeo.

Monday the 25th of June sees the release of the lead single from The Smittens' brand new album. Burning Streets Of Rome is accompanied by two brand new tracks, These Days and Almost to form a digital download single.

"a natty little pop tune" Drowned In Sound [Burning Streets Of Rome single]

"a wonderful touch of The Magnetic Fields about [Burning Streets Of Rome]" Lauren Laverne, BBC 6 Music

Video: A Decade of The Smittens by Stuck In Vermont

Free "Burning Streets Of Rome" download from The Smittens

To celebrate the upcoming release of The Smittens' album on Fika Recordings in July, we're giving away a track for free! Burning Streets Of Rome is the lead single (out as a download on June 23rd, flanked by two brand new b-sides) from the album, to provide you a taster of what to expect. There's a video we'll be revealing shortly too. And if all that unveiling wasn't enough, we'll be previewing a track at a time from the album over on the Fika Recordings shop.

So, for now, download and enjoy Burning Streets Of Rome...

Tigercats - Harper Lee video

There's a brand new single from Tigercats, with a brand new video to go with it. http://vimeo.com/43298802

Darren Hayman, fresh from shooting videos for The Wave Pictures and Shrag is the man behind the camera for this one. He says "One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was every time you get a new instrument or toy, record everything you do on it for the first few weeks. I got an HD camera and before reading the manual I made a video for Tigercats. There is nothing quite like the excitement of discovery, stumbling upon ideas. I wanted to make a rock video as though I were someone who'd never seen a rock video before."

Harper Lee / Cats Run Free 7" out 23rd July 2012.

Tigercats - Harper Lee / Cats Run Free [7"]

Artist: Tigercats
Title: Harper Lee / Cats Run Free
Format: 7” single
Cat#: Fika019
Release date: 23rd July 2012
Bandcamp

The second single from Tigercats' debut album (Isle Of Dogs) will be out on a limited edition 7" vinyl and available as a digital download on July 23rd. The double A-side single will consist of tracks Harper Lee and Cats Run Free - a completely new, previously unreleased track from the band which was unveiled on their recent tour of Europe. The artwork for the new single follows in the same vein as the artwork for the last single Full Moon Regge Party, the album Isle of Dogs and the much applauded animated video for Full Moon Regge Party.

Darren Hayman (ex-Hefner) directed the accompanying video for Harper Lee. The video features Duncan and Laura in Epping forrest being filmed using what Darren refers to as 'avaunt guard jazz' filming. It's not quite apparent whether anyone, Darren included, understands what this means.

Tigercats have a new single out in July. This is exciting enough, but it'll also be the first 7" single I've put out on Fika Recordings! The single takes Harper Lee from their debut album Isle Of Dogs, and raises it with the second of the double a-sides, Cats Run Free. See that artwork above? That's the cover; isn't it a beauty? It'll be available from the Fika webshop very shortly and should be on sale for £4 online, at Indietracks and at various indiepop gigs that I turn up to.

Tigercats are about to head out to play Primavera festival in Barcelona this weekend. If you're going, make sure you see them; if you're not (like me), there are plenty of other chances to see them. Sat 2nd June: Barcelona - Red Bull Bus/Parc Del Forum/San Miguel Primavera Sound Mon 4th June: Barcelona - Forum FNAC Triangle, 19:00 hrs + Macondo Bar (w/ The Missing Leech) - 21:30 hrs. Tue 5th June: Bilbao - Forum FNAC Wed 6th June: Gijón - Pabellón Cajastur/Recinto Ferial Luis Adaro Thur 7th June: Madrid - Nasti Sat 9th June: Madrid - Neu! Club (Farewell party with Mate, Wild Honey, Ellos y La Familia del Árbol) Thur 14th June: Oxford - Bullingdon Arms supporting the School Fri 29th June: Rochester - The Deaf Cat Sat 7th July: Derbyshire - Indietracks Thur 12th July: London - Old Queens Head, Tigercats & The Smittens & Fulhast

See that last gig? That's a Fika show. I very rarely put on gigs, so you should probably calm my jittering nerves, buy an advance ticket and ease back, safe in the knowledge that once Indietracks is over, you've only got a couple of days of work before there's something to soothe the pains. It should be a good show, with Tigercats being joined by The Smittens and supported by Fuläst. We'll have records-a-plenty from all three to buy on the night. Advance tickets available here

Tigercats Smittens Fulhast

Fulhäst - Down The Deuce

photob

Nik used to be one half of Moustache of Insanity. Fulhäst makes some sort of electronic, poppy/punky music, using old Casio keyboards, electric guitars, circuit-bent microphones and Game Boys. His debut EP comes out on Fika Recordings on the 18th of June. You can listen and pre-order the cassette here.