FST 110 Newsflash – Real Horror Show

As i wrote earlier this year, we will release the retrospective album by Isle of Sheppey-based NEWSFLASH the next month. This release means a lot to me, for some reasons it will be my favourite retrospective release on Firestation so far. We finally did the master for the album a couple of weeks ago. It took me soome weeks to compile the tracklist for “Real Horror Show“. It was hard work as it was difficult for me to choose the right songs for the album, there were more than 30 tracks in total plus liveversions on various songs. At the end i had to let out some songs from the album as there were no more room to include any further tracks beside the 21 songs which made it onto the compilation eventually. Newsflash were around between the late 80's – early 90's. Their sole 12“ single will always be my favourite indiepop 12“ release beside the ones from Metrotrinity and Episode Four. I still love this record and i remember the day when i first found a copy of it at the bargain floor of Record and Tape Exchange at Shepherds Bush in the summer of 1992. back in those days i spent most of my life at those places. Newsflash were unknown to me when i bought their EP but i was nearly sure that i found something special. The copy i bought came with lot's of promo-sheets and a couple of bandphotos. One of the sheets announced the band's 7“ single which was released soon after the 12“ came out. It took me more than 10 years to locate a copy of it. The untitled 12“ single has three songs on. Both sides of the record are playing the same tracks. “Touch Me“ is a great opener but what really kicked me were both other songs. “Finding Out The Hard Way“ is classic blue eyed soul at it's best. it's one of those rare moments when indiepop meets soul in perfection. I only remember a handful of tracks which worked as great as this. “Al Green“ by Bob Hope or “Northern Soul“ by New Street Adventure came to my mind while thinking about it. The last song on the EP is “White Beats“, a tune which always let me think on East Village, maybe because of the drums and the guitars. Those two tracks still leave me speechless after all those years. Now, more than 24 years after the band released their first record, we are more than happy to put out their retrospective album. Some of the songs are already known among indiepop-collectors, most of all “Englishman“ which was one of the killertracks on The Sound Of Leamington Spa 2. Some other songs are up on youtube, but most of the tracks are still unheard until today! Half of them were taken directly from the original demotapes. Ullrich did a fantastic job again when he was doing the master. “Real Horror Show“ is classic indiepop in perfection! Fans of C86 will love songs as “Tale Of Nothing In Particular“ or the titletrack while those who are into Neo-acoustic will adore tunes as “You Could Be Right“, or “Times Are Tight“, a fab cover on the 70's soul classic by Jimmy Young.
Members of Newsflash are still recording under the name JEL. So far they released a couple of albums and an EP, which you can't afford to miss if you are into classic Indiepop.

 A short note on future retrospective releases. Unfortunately it will not be possible for us any longer to announce any of these before it's pressing status. There are some people out there which are looking out for making money with other people's ideas.


 Tracklist:

 Mundane Me And You
 Times Are Tight
 Finding Out The Hard Way
 Tale Of Nothing In Particular
 You Could Be Right
 White Beat
 Englishman
 Touch Me
 No Clouds Allowed
 Help
 Wherever I Go
 The Hand That Strangles
 Nobodies Home
 First Class To Ruin
 Real Horror Show
 Brought To Light
 She Don't Tell Lies
 That Girl
 Losing
 Wherever I Go (demo version)
 Finding Out The Hard Way (acoustic version)

Firestation Records in 2014 – Forthcoming Releases

As it seems 2014 will be another busy year for Firestation Records! Although we haven't put out anything in january i can promise you that we will have new releases out every other month over the whole year. First up there will be the long-awaited retrospective CD by south london-based The City Giants. “Provenance“ will include nearly everything the band has recorded between 1986 – 1988, 18 songs in total including all hits from their sole 7“ single. If you like bands as Hey Paulette, The Love Parade or The Desert Wolves you will love The City Giants! City Giants-guitarist Paul Davies will also have an solo retrospective out on his own label very soon! We are very excited about FST 108 which will be the first longplayer by ultragreat indiedarlings The Understudies. After releases on Cloudberry and Odd Box Records the band signed up to Firestation. And what a great debut-album it is, perfect in every way! “Let Desire Guide Your Hand“ will be out on 12“ vinyl! 12 songs, 12 hits!! Without a doubt one of the first highlights in 2014! Release date will be the 24th of march! On FST 109 we will return to the “200 copies serie“. We started this serie in 2012 with the now legendary Close Lobsters 7“ and continued it with the Electroscopes single in early 2013. Do you remember? Nearly sure you will! This time it will be a split release by two bands which has a lot in common, most important of all, they share most of their bandmembers. I'm talking about The Splang Monkeys and Jack Cryer. Look out for both bands, you will notice that their members played in the mighty Playing For Time, whose retrospective album was released from us three years ago. “Drifting“ by Jack Cryer will let you think on great classic jazzy indiepop from the 1980's. Think on bands as Bluetrain, The Beautiful South or Explained Emma and you will get an idea what i'm talking about. The Splang Monkeys shows their love for bands as Teenage Fanclub, Velvet Crush or Big Star on their great tune “Other People“. Once again this white label 7“ single will come in handmade, handnumbered sleeves!! It's in the plan to have the single out in april. Around the same time we will have some more retrospective releases ready! Yeah, you are looking forward to such releases, right? At this stage we nearly finish the work on the compilation by A Riot Of Colour. It will contain 19 tracks, including the bands lost second single which only reached the testpressing-status back then. I just listen to those four tracks from it and can tell you that they all sound absolute amazing, i promise you that the album will become a classic, no doubt! Longtime followers will remember that there were already plans to release the backcatalogue from Isle Of Sheppey-based outfit Newsflash many years ago. Finally we will have their retrospective album out soon! Around at the end of the 1980's – early 1990's the band released one sole 12“, a flexidisc and a couple of demotapes. Most of you will know “An Englishman“ from The Sound Of Leamington Spa Vol. 2. This song became some kind of classic among the indiepop-collectors. I was always in love with the band's 12“ single. I first bought it from the long gone Record and Tape Exchange at Shepherds Bush in 1991. Those three songs from it let me popdreams come true! During the last two weeks i've been through the band's whole recordings and compiled a tracklist with 21 songs from it! If things will go as planned we can master the album later this month, so finger crossed for it! Also at the final stage is the retrospective-release by Penelope's Web. We received the master CD from Dominic a couple of weeks ago. 19 tracks in total, most of them unheard until today!! Watch out for this great compilation! Of course we had to let out the songs from their second 12“ single, released on Cherry Red, but i promise you that will love every song from the album! The band still works on the artwork but they promised that it will be ready this month! Ah, cataloguenumber will be FST 107. For those of you who still wonder what was planned for cataloguenumber FST 096 will be happy to find out that this release will be also out soon. It took a while but now the artwork and master for it is ready. I'm talking about the long planned retrospective release by The Gits (UK). “Eventually – A Retrospective“ will contain 23 songs, including both tracks from the band's sole 7“ and “JK Rant“, first heard on the seventh part of Sound Of Leamington Spa. It will be the perfect release, full of jangly guitars, hit after hit! You will think on bands as The Close Lobsters, This Poison, The Big Gun or early Wedding Present while listening to all those great tunes from an very special band! There are some more retrospective releases we are working on at the moment, so watch out for further infos on them soon! In May we will release the debut-album by one of the most unique and special bands around these days: Fire Island Pines. I'm in love with this band since the moment i first heard the songs from their second ep, the “Rickie Lee Jones“ 7“ in 2012. From that moment on i wanted to work with them! When they played Berlin Popfest last october a lot of people came over to me and told me how much they enjoyed their show. I can' wait to release their album, i'm pretty sure that this release will be one of the best and most important records in the year 2014! As it seems it will be good year for Firestation! Will you agree? We also busy to create another fab line-up for this years Berlin Popfest which will took place at the end of september. I'm looking forward to it very very much!