A DIY INDIEPOP VINYL & CASSETTE LABEL

Stanley Brinks and The Wave Pictures - Parking Lots

Parking Lots is taken from Gin, the new album from Stanley Brinks and The Wave Pictures.

Gin is available now on gin-coloured vinyl with printed inner sleeve containing full lyrics and download code, digipack CD with lyrics booklet and digital download.

Stanley Brinks and The Wave Pictures - Gin [12"/CD]

Artist: Stanley Brinks and The Wave Pictures
Title: Gin
Format: 12” LP on gin coloured vinyl / digipack CD with lyrics booklet
Cat#: Fika036LP/CD
Release date: 3rd March 2014
Bandcamp | Spotify

Stanley Brinks is joined by The Wave Pictures for their third album together; their first since 2010’s ‘Another One Just Like That’.

Recorded entirely live in the studio, without headphones or overdubs, and with a good deal of improvisation, ‘Gin’ is a modern-sounding, in a way avant-garde, old school recording of text-driven songs. The Wave Pictures didn't get a chance to learn the songs before the session, Stan having forgotten to put a stamp on the demo tape he'd sent them from Berlin.

To anyone familiar with Stanley Brinks' huge discography - more than 100 albums - ‘Gin’ might sound considerably more raw and less sophisticated than some of his previous recordings. However this body of work remains rich in jazzy sounds and original structures, the songs looser and full of playfulness, the lyrics encapsulating their essence.

It goes without saying that Gin - the drink - was the inspiration for the album; while writing, and while recording.

Press for Gin

"a set that's as wistful and charming as it is playful and self-concious" Uncut [8/10]

"The Wave Pictures' classy post-punkish bite is a great foil to Brinks' whimsy on these unhinged, loose-limbed story songs. Sometimes gin makes you win as much as sin." NME [6/10]

"typically rich in a variety of sounds and structures; the songs are looser, more playful and all the more endearing because of it" Loud and Quiet

"This is nerve-jangling, hard-surfaced, soft-centred funny, shot through with sadness. The new Lost Boys, the Unlikliest Lads." Rock n Reel [4/5]

"a joyous and celebratory record which crackles and sparkles with a joie de vivre which is sadly lacking from all too many of Stanley Brinks and The Wave Pictures’ contemporaries" Folk Radio

"Gin rises above the swiftness of its creation, thanks to these few detours that Brinks and The Wave Pictures take around their usual territory. The fact that the catchiest track from this session – the single ‘Orange Juice’ – is not included just underlines that these guys seem to seamlessly slot together when they hit the studio" Drowned In Sound

"The album is deceptively simple but has real depth and quality and the artists spark off each other; the Wave Pictures are skilled at what they do (David Tattersall fires off all sorts of fast and sharp solos) while Stanley Brinks, first with Herman Dune and now on his own, shows that he can twist a melody until it squeals with anguish. When the two parts come together as ‘Gin’, it’s a refreshing pick-me-up; a tonic in fact…" SoundsXP

"there are lead guitar breaks which are loud and clean, like a messy second-grunge-era approximation of the great early electric guitarists from the '50s like Les Paul and Jimmy Bryant, real nimble but a bit anarchic too" Norman Records [8/10]

"‘Parking Lots”’has a classic Wave Pictures groove, but ‘No Goodbyes’ has a brooding intensity I don't automatically associate with them. Instead of the dizzying guitars, a single chord is thrashed over and over. Brinks' vocal sound winsome, but with a knowing creepiness, as he spits out “I know better than to think too much”. Johnny Helm's furious drumming steals the show as the song draws to its end. 'Gin' reaches a delightful conclusion with the sweet ballad, “Not to Kiss You”, where Brinks writes sadly of a non-quite love affair, around a melody that could have fallen off Dylan's 'Blonde On Blonde'. It's a delightful end to an invigorating record." Penny Black Music

"human, imperfect and with mistakes that aren't ironed out but laid bare to be accepted rather than ridiculed. It's shambolic – yes, but still full of energy and lyrical idiosyncrasies that shine through" Americana UK

"Brinks’ adds an earnest and romantic edge as compared to The Wave Pictures’ slightly more irreverent stance, with drunken recollection seeming to inform his storytelling." Drunken Werewolf

"Gin exercises its creator’s idiosyncrasies more successfully, and, as on their previous two secondments, The Wave Pictures prove nicely suited to the record’s loose, improvisational style." The Skinny [3/5]

"There is a wonderful naïve feel to the album, more impressionistic than precise. It has an intensity like Gauguin, bright and colourful but still with that all is not right in paradise feel." Fatea Magazine

"punctuated by ripping guitar solos that sound like they’ve been recorded though a rusty tin can. In a good way" Is This Music [9/10]

"The result is as it should be: an honest, raw album that perfectly illustrates the journey musicians make while creating it. A staggeringly good album that’s definitely worth a place on your shelf." Outline Online [9/10]

"Gin [is] a fitting title for an album brimming with snickered lyrics and tipsy melodies" The Big Takeover

"the gentle bounce of ‘Max In The Elevator’ is infectiously pretty, the call and response vocals of ‘Parking Lots’ inherently hummable, and closing track ‘Not To Kiss You’ is all elegant romance." Subba Culture [6/10]

"Brinks relies on good old-fashioned narrative to get his message across, in songs reminiscent of Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers, or the post-punk of David Thomas and Pere Ubu." Tasty Fanzine

"an album of riotous joy-bringing." York Press

"gentle and evocative rock" Peterborough Telegraph

Stanley Brinks and The Wave Pictures - Spinola Bay [Digital]

Here's a free track to download! Recorded at the same time as Gin and Orange Juice, this track is an alternate version of Spinola Bay to the one that appears on Gin; here, Andre takes lead vocals alone. Enjoy!

Stanley Brinks and The Wave Pictures are heading out on tour in March, supported by Freschard. Catch them here: 1 March Ramsgate - Ramsgate Music Hall [Tickets] 2 March Brighton - The Prince Albert [Tickets] 3 March London - The Old Queens Head [Tickets] 4 March Nottingham - The Maze [Tickets] 5 March Cardiff - The Moon Club [Tickets] 6 March Manchester - Chorlton Irish Club [Tickets] 7 March Hull - The Adelphi 8 March Wakefield - The Hop [Tickets] 9 March Newcastle - The Head Of Steam [Tickets] 10 March Edinburgh - Henry’s Cellar Bar 11 March Glasgow - CCA 12 March Belfast - [TBC] 13 March Galway - Roisin Dubh 14 March Cork - Triskel Arts Centre 15 March Dublin - Whelan’s 16 March Bangor - COB 17 March Bristol - Start The Bus

Making Marks - A Thousand Half-Truths [12"/CD]

We're finally releasing the debut LP from Norway's Making Marks! It comes on beautiful heavyweight 180g vinyl with a printed inner sleeve of lyrics and pictures and download code, and on a 6 panel CD digipack with full lyrics booklet too. Or you can simply download it from our webshop, iTunes etc.

“There’s a trace of Saint Etienne’s suburban romance to be heard in the superior pop of Making Marks, a Norwegian four-piece whose debut album puts a winning finish of wit and longing on the belts-and-braces indiepop undercoat.” Uncut

“It’s an effective blend, especially with the sad but beautiful vocals of singers Ola Innset and Nina Bø as well as the country twang of Innset’s picking style of electric guitar playing.” Neon Filler

“classic heartwarming indiepop” SoundsXP

“a strong contender for indie-pop album of the year” Inforty

“a summery album to brighten up the current wintery outlook” Scottish Express

“The consistently excellent male/female vocals on show make A Thousand Half-Truths less a smack in the face than a warming, gentle arm around the shoulder. Perfect for these cold winter nights.” Shout4Music

Buy heavyweight LP / digipack CD / download

We've also got all three of their earlier 7" singles available for you to buy alongside the album: Ticket Machine [their debut 7", includes Suburban Kids With Biblical Names remix] Barcodes [their follow up, includes Erik Skantze remix] Uten En Tråd [their Norwegian single, includes a b-side recorded and produced by Darren Hayman]

Making Marks "Bruises" free download

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We're revealing another track from the upcoming Making Marks album "A Thousand Half-Truths". And, for one week only, you'll be able to download Bruises for free.

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/127184005" params="color=ff6600&auto_play=false&player_type=artwork" width="300" height="300" iframe="false" /]

Pre-order A Thousand Half-Truths on 12" heavyweight vinyl, digipack CD or digital download.

Stanley Brinks and The Wave Pictures - Orange Juice [7"]

Artist: Stanley Brinks and The Wave Pictures
Title: Orange Juice
Format: 7” orange vinyl
Cat#: Fika033
Release date: 20th January 2014
Bandcamp | Spotify

"Brinks comes over all Modern Life Is Rubbish as he laments life’s disappointments, including a 21st-century ‘Panic’ refrain of “the radio sucks balls, I don’t relate to any of the music they’re playing at all”. The antidote, apparently, is a cocktail of “alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, ephedrine and orange juice”. That out of these it is the healthy option that is chosen for the song’s title shows the whole thing is done with a glint in the eye." For Folks Sake

"sounds like Herman Dune when they were charmingly naïve and elegantly simple, a rock’n’roll strum with an easy rhythm, anthemic chorus and some memorable lyrics... a great, singalong single that promises much for forthcoming album Gin" Sounds XP

"This is massively catchy. You’ll never be able to stop singing it. Over a ramshackle Jonathan Richman style lollop they advise us that basically everything is shit but they’ll get by with alcohol, tobacco, caffeine ephedrine and orange juice." Norman Records [8/10]

"In matching life's hangdog vagaries with love's jubilation, Orange Juice lifts gloom into hard-won glory. It's pure musical joy." Did Not Chart

"this fun little number could be my new theme song for surviving SxSW" Austin Town Hall

"It might sound slightly daft to say that you ‘know’ John Peel would have loved a particular band or song, but given that Stanley Brinks did get support from the legendary DJ before his death, I’m not really being that presumptuous about this." 17 Seconds

"Picking the best track out of the two is something of a challenge, so investing in both is recommended" The Sound Of Confusion

BBC 6 Music session with Marc Riley [broadcast 6th March 2014]

Fika Recordings totes

photo We've had some tote bags made up. They come in 5 colours (black, graphite grey, navy blue, classic red and bottle green), are 100% cotton and look amazing! Available from the Fika webshop - buy tote bag.

Stanley Brinks and The Wave Pictures - Maybe I Will See You Again

Stanley Brinks is joined by The Wave Pictures on their first joint release for 4 years with upcoming 7” single Orange Juice. Orange Juice is an anthemic singalong about a recipe for happiness - “a little bit of you, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, ephedrine and orange juice”.

B-side Maybe I Will See You Again is, rather aptly after the concoction of Orange Juice before it, a song about standing at a street corner with a hangover. It has previously appeared on the album ‘Stanley Brinks Hovers’, but this is a new rock'n roll version backed by The Wave Pictures. Orange Juice is out on the 20th January on 7" orange vinyl and is available digitally.

Neither track features on the new Stanley Brinks & The Wave Pictures album ‘Gin’, out in March.

Pre-order Orange Juice on 7" / downloadPre-order Gin on 12" / CD / download

There's also a sneak peak of the A-side for Orange Juice from the test pressings here

Time Is On Our Side video

An absolutely dreamy pop song from Azure Blue with a video to suit, I'm still overwhelmed by this song, and by the album. Having been listening to it for several months now, the palpitations of hearing it for the first time are still there every time the vinyl goes on to my turntable - its a record for lying back on the sofa and dreaming of the thrill of summer road trips, the lush grassy meadows and the brisk late evening swims under the sunset... The album is out now on LP/CD/double gatefold LP.

Fulhäst - But They Don't Even Sell Lo-fi Parasols In Top Shop

Here's a new video from Fulhäst, the second from his debut album Broken, starring members of Tigercats and Fever Dream. Fulhäst plays lo-fi Gameboy pop-punk about movies, heartbreak and stuff.

The album was recorded in the spring by Darren Hayman and Darren has also remixed one of the tracks, Your Skin, available here as a free download.

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