The Down-Fi – America Now

The Down-Fi, formed by Craig Bell, guitarist with Cleveland proto-punk legends Rocket From The Tombs, whose other members would go on to become Pere Ubu and the Dead Boys. Bell, instead, moved east, and made a less conspicuous music career with the beautifully named Saucers, The Plan and The Bell System. Now settled in Indianapolis, he’s teamed up with some noisy locals, and The Down-Fi is the result. Their sound refers directly back to the alternative, pre-punk early ‘70s, where guitarists like Tom Verlaine, Robert Quine and Jonathan Richman were intent on resurrecting the Velvets’ spiky six-string solos for a generation far more interested in post-hippy prog and soft country rock. Remarkably, it all sounds as fresh as a daisy. Maybe it’s because Bell is close to the source, his influences remain untainted and his intent, pure. Whatever. America Now sounds like the answer to a lot of questions. (Gustav Group)
Andrew

www.myspace.com/thedownfi

Pink Hedgehog News

Happy New Year Everyone!

Haven eaten my own weight in Quality Street over the Christmas holidays, I am now ready to resume activities here at Pink Hedgehog and happy to announce that we are once again open for business! I've been doing my very best to ignore the depressing fact that James Blunt had the biggest selling album of the noughties (!) and concentrate on our own new releases. Yes... we have two new albums out tomorrow (11th January)! One of them has already received attention in the very latest issue of MOJO magazine here in the UK!

The MOJO Playlist - 'Transport of Delight' by Peter Lacey

"Remember way back, when Macca was a one-man band blueprinting ideas for Wing's take-off? Well, Lacey's a bit like that, fashioning harmony vocals into a mystic dreamscape." (MOJO, February 2010)

The track appears on Peter's brand new album called Behind The Scenes. You can preview tracks from the album on Peter's MySpace page and order one of the limited number of CD copies from Pink Hedgehog in the UK or Kool Kat Musik in America:

Peter’s MySpace Page http://www.myspace.com/peterlaceymusic

UK Orders http://www.pinkhedgehog.plus.com/shopbts.htm

USA Orders http://www.koolkatmusik.com/

Our second new release for January is the debut album from The Inexperienced, a groups of friends based in North London, led and produced by Alex Meadows. Their debut album was recorded with three simple rules in mind; 1) No corporate interference, 2) Try not to disappear up one’s own arse, 3) Have as much fun as possible. The results speak for themselves. Alex is currently touring with Sir Tom Jones, playing bass and a bit of guitar. In the past he was a member of Arista recording artist Electrasy as bass player and writer and can also be heard on Jamiroquai’s Dynamite album playing bass. Alex has also survived two world tours with Simon Cowell’s creation Il Divo, playing almost no music at all! Listen to one of the great songs here:
http://www.myspace.com/pinkhedgehogrecords

You can order copies of the album by going to:
http://www.pinkhedgehog.plus.com/shopinexperienced.htm

Both albums will also be available to download from all the usual online music providers. Happy listening everyone and keep warm, Simon.
www.pinkhedgehog.com

PS, Our 15th Anniversary "Staying in Business" sale is still on, giving all of you the opportunity to buy some fantastic music at silly prices:
http://www.pinkhedgehog.plus.com/anniversary.htm

TV Eye

Jools Holland’s Hootenanny.
What a rotten programme this has become. I’ve no argument with his Later shows; live music on the telly is always welcome, though the format is purposely made sterile by the lack of an audience and Holland’s unquenchable desire to play boogie-fucking-woogie piano with everyone who’ll let him, but his annual New Years Eve knees-up has died a death.

This year’s line-up was just plain shit. Boy fucking George – do me a favour. Florence and the cunting Machine. They’re just the fucking Cranberries with added Linger. And let’s not forget the studio audience. A turgid bunch of Holland’s showbiz mates, and a less entertaining bunch of washed up ‘alt’ comics and aged musos couldn’t be found anywhere on Earth (including ITV and Sky). The unfunniest cunt of all was Al Murray (for the second year running), a man so ludicrously inept at his chosen profession that I want to invent an Ebola gun just so I can shoot him in the eyes with it. Seriously, how he manages to walk down the street without getting stabbed up is beyond me, and probably every other poor bastard who’s New Year Eve was ruined by the boring prick.

Things were hardly helped by Holland’s interview question (he only had one) and that he’d somehow forgot to warn any of his smug, self-satisfied idiot friends that he was going to ask it. Seriously, if you’re going to look pissed and vacant at whatever tedious remark your host makes, at least have the decency to be genuinely pissed and vacant. The fact that this sorry excuse for entertainment is filmed over an afternoon in early December, not only adds to the insult, but also the ineptitude.

Next year, put an old film on instead. Or best of the Whistle Test. Or the Eastenders Omnibus. Anything except Holland and his bunch of unmerry cunts!

Joy Division Oven Gloves

First there was the Culture Vulture, then 8 out of 10 Fish and now Joy Division Oven Gloves. Remember, the stupidity of the names reflects only the strength of the medication.

This time we’re here to educate and inform. Our mantra: R3; RANT, RAVE and REVIEW.