Spit n’ polish-fresh and full of the poppy excitement usually reserved for big-eared puppies, UK indie rock champs Johnny Foreigner return with a brand new 6 track EP – ready to powerfully smash, then tenderly caress your ears. JoFo have teamed up with lovable indie label Alcopop to showcase their ravenous appetite for razor-sharp hooks, luscious melody and succulently raucous/gentle indie pop heroics. Previously splashed across every right-thinking indie magazine (including an Artrocker cover for their last full length) and sharing tours with the likes of Dananananaykroyd, Los Campesinos!, The Futureheads, The Subways and Sky Larkin – Johnny Foreigner probably need no introduction; but this is not just business as usual, with Alexei Berrow, Kelly Southern and Junior Elvis Washington Laidley busy exploring new sounds on some of these tracks whilst still keeping faithful to that signature JoFo ethos.

After recording, releasing and touring their Pitchfork endorsed debut album in a month-long flurry last August – Her Parents, London’s most visceral punk quartet, have shacked up with adoring indie label Alcopop! Records (johnny foreigner, Fight Like Apes, Gunning for Tamar) to release another rad record. The various members of the eminently lovable quartet hail from Scotland, Australia, Iceland and Coventry and feature current/ex-members of Dananananaykroyd, Stairs to Korea and Internet Forever. Her Parents' new record is called Happy Birthday and has songs about a haunted brasserie, hollowing out a horse and the king of the babies. Like their previous album, Physical Release, it was recorded in a single session with no instrumental overdubs. Unlike said former album, this one will be released on 12” vinyl, and was preceded by an awesome, numbered limited edition single Why Don’t You Just Fuck Off (to 50 units) on hand-drawn-spray-painted CD, which cost the princely sum of one pence from www.ilovealcopop.co.uk. It sold out in under an hour. They are too punk for long songs though, so the B-side will contain their last album 'Physical Release' as a present for said anniversary. Yeah - happy fucking birthday to you.

itoldyouiwouldeatyou are that most beautifully human of things: a contradiction. They are a group of young people with the wisdom of older souls; they are angry as hell, and they are loving and kind; at times they are violent, but with a fragility that underpins everything they do; they are deadly serious, and they are seriously irreverent.

The multi-faceted indie-punk/emo/experimental collective will release their debut album Oh Dearism later this year via various formats in a collaboration from Alcopop! Records, Failure By Design Records and Beth Shalom Records. It’s a startling debut that should instantly mark them out as one of the most very special bands that the UK underground DIY scene currently has to offer

FORMAT INFORMATION

LP Info: Eco-mix vinyl made from off-cuts of other jobs. Each vinyl is uniquely coloured - and environmentally friendly!

If a debut LP is an artist’s introduction to the world and their sophomore release is their now-or-never moment, their third is their most cathartic: they’ve made it out, they’re here.

Glasgow, Scotland’s indiepop optimists The Spook School, despite personal and political obstacle, made it out, and their latest full-length Could It Be Different? is here. It’s been a journey of self-discovery and feel-good realism; modern, dance-friendly indiepop fueling the fun. They made a name for themselves for their exultant and empowering pop, and now, they’ve shown real growth in nuance. Even at their most beaten down, The Spook School manage to find hope free of naivety. That’s clear the second the album opens with “Still Alive,” and its ascending chorus (and soon-to- be crowd favorite) of “Fuck You, I’m Still Alive,” written by Nye after surviving an emotionally abusive relationship. The song avoids villainizing the past, instead, it celebrates the present and welcomes the unknown future.

The energy of working through the wicked exists all over Could It Be Different? “Bad Year” makes personal connections with universal ennui, the debilitating feeling of an atrocious political climate and the desire to do better. Could It Be Different? is a human release a record full of the insecurities and anxiety that arrive after self-awareness, in learning something new and potentially frightening about yourself. But at it’s heart is joy there’s no desolation on the LP, because The Spook School manage to find light in moments of darkness. All things glum must pass even if hope comes only in the form of acceptance.

“A theatrical indie pop band that embrace’s life’s misinterpretations and messiness...their noise-pop jams remain as joyful as ever” - Pitchfork “The Spook School are that rare and beautiful thing: a band with something to say.” - The Guardian

“Societal norms and gender stereotypes are in the crosshairs of these threadbare tunes...trans love songs that hit home no matter your orientation.” - NPR

“Dance music for introverts, love songs for people who are too shy to be in love” - Stereogum

Tigercub, a band sonically known for capturing an organic sound within a room, have taken strides forward to push the walls of their comfort zone. Abstract Figures In The Dark sees the band experimenting with drum loops, the addition of synths and even a full choir.

Recorded with Grammy-nominated producer Alex Newport (At The Drive In, Death Cab for Cutie, Melvins, Pissed Jeans) at Brighton Electric Studios and mastered by John Greenham (Death Grips, Weaves), the highly anticipated debut album follows Tigercub’s widely acclaimed EP, Repressed Semantics. The much loved EP was released via VENN Records last year (2015), and lead track, ‘Pictures Of You,’ saw praise from the likes of Annie Mac and Daniel P. Carter on their respective BBC Radio 1 shows, as well as Radio X, Amazing Radio, The Guardian, NME, Crack, DIY and more.

Johnny Foreigner are back with their long awaited 5th album sounding more visceral and vital than ever before – it's unmistakably Johnny Foreigner, but there's a deep subtlety imbued within that twin barrel vocal barrage and something defiantly delicate within those churning riffs… This is tragic pop.

But tragic pop that zips and fizzes as if everything depends upon it. Who knows? It probably does.

"a powerful message put to a signature style that's beginning to seem defiantly timeless" – The Line of Best Fit

"How they top this is beyond me." – Drowned In Sound

"You Can Do Better is a perfect execution of a well thought out plan." – DIY

"Johnny Foreigner are, thankfully, still showing no desire to slow down." - Clash

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2015 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

11 track compilation of rare and exclusive tracks from the cream of the UK indie labels, curated by Alcopop! – complete with 100s of extra tracks, videos and extras on the 1.5GB download card.

Stagecoach is a pop rock band from the south of England, with a smashing debut album and UK tour coming in May. Huw Stephens span their single 'Map To The Freezer' exhaustively on both his Radio 1 shows. He then invited the band to play the BBC Introducing stage at Reading & Leeds 2010, before naming Stagecoach one of his BBC Introducing acts of the year. In February 2011 the band recorded a live Radio One session at Maida Vale. You may have heard Stagecoach on BBC One's ‘Gavin and Stacey’ Christmas & New Year specials. Channel 4 also used them on season 2 of ‘Skins’. Two of the band’s tracks feature on the international trailer for this year’s breakout British comedy ‘Killing Bono’. The band recently toured with friends Johnny Foreigner, Glaswegian rockers Twin Atlantic and opened for Jimmy Eat World. With a handful of singles and ep's released through indie labels Alcopop! and This Is Fake DIY the first full length album (produced by Rory Attwell) is due early 2013.

For fans of: Johnny Foreigner, Pavement, Fight Like Apes, Wilco, Los Campesinos, Prefab Sprout Big melodic gutsy slacker pop!

FORMAT INFORMATION

LP Info: 180 gram vinyl.

"Spoils Of War" is the debut release from West Yorkshire quartet Pavilion. And rather good it is too! It sets a heady pace from the start with a galloping drum beat, adds in plenty of Arcade Fire-ish 'aah aah aah's', strings, and a vocals melody that reminds me of someone from the 80s that I can't quite place (Wah! maybe?). There is the spirit of Orange Juice and the like in there too, maybe down to the fact that Edwyn Collins assisted Ryan Jarman of The Cribs with production. A cracking pop song!