Darren Hayman - BUNDLE! (Wrestling)

for the weekend, why not treat yourself to a FREE download of Darren Hayman's Wrestling HIT! -
BUNDLE!

the booklet...

oh, yes... the GOLD (deluxe) version of the album comes with a fully illustrated booklet, which is also available on its own, both digitally and physically... have a flick through and let me know what you think...

it's the taking part that counts | Make Your Own Book

Saint Etienne - Steeplechase (Athletics)

my word, you have no idea how thrilled i was when Bob Stanley handed over a CD of a new, exclusive Saint Etienne track one Sunday at the Hangover Lounge... so here you go, this week's track from the It's The Taking Part That Counts album is Steeplechase by Saint Etienne... why not get yourself a copy in either bronze (download), silver (double CD), or gold (deluxe booklet with double CD) edition...

oh, and yes, the sleeve is a Saint Etienne board game...

Hong Kong In the 60s - Let's Play Table Tennis (Table Tennis)

this week we have the very lovely Hong Kong In The 60s bleeping, wooshing and chanting... if you don't already have a copy of their debut album, My Fantoms you shouldn't wait another minute...

next week: Saint Etienne

Linda Guilala - Morir Ahogada (Sailing)

the 20th track comes from Spanish indiepop darlings Linda Guilala, fans of fuzz, zombies, creation records in the 80's and, erm, sailing:

"La primera vez que recuerdo que España ganara una medalla de oro fue en los Juegos Olimpicos de Barcelona ´92 con Luis Doreste. Nosotros vivimos en Vigo, una ciudad costera, y la vela es tambien un deporte importante en nuestro pais. En varias ocasiones el equipo español ha sido numero uno en el ranking de la Federacion Internacional de Vela (ISAF). Por eso hemos disfrutado escribiendo y grabando esta cancion"

"The first time I remember that Spain won a gold medal was in the olimpic games of Barcelona ´92 with Luis Doreste. We are living in Vigo, a coastal city and sailing is also an important sport in our country. On several occasions the spanish team has been world number one on the ranking of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). That´s why we enjoy writing and recording this song." (Ivan Juniper)

Linda Guilala on Bandcamp

next week - Hong Kong In The 60's

Ellis Island Sound: Ergo Squad Box

you know i've been listening to Pete Astor's records for about three quarters of my life... here's a new one, thrilled to bits of course, it's magnificent...

Ellis Island Sound - Ergo Squad Box

Ellis Island Sound is the duo of Pete Astor and David Sheppard; they celebrate their fifteenth birthday this year, having made instrumental records together, at a gentlemanly pace, since 1997. They have recorded albums and EPs for Heavenly, Peacefrog, Static Caravan and Thrill Jockey and in 2008 they took a fifteen-piece, kraut-folk incarnation of EiS around the UK festival circuit, memorably gracing the main stages at Green Man and the Big Chill.

Not entirely strangers to matters sporting, EiS once provided the background music for Channel 4's horse-racing coverage (fact!) and an early single was titled 'Olympic 2020' - a retro-futurist punt at the theme to a distant event. But the call came early and EiS have now provided Wiaiwya with an Olympic rowing theme.

'Ergo Squad Box' celebrates one of the few Olympic sports you can do sitting down.

Parenthesis...: Synthesized Swimming (Aquatic)

for the first track in May we have Parenthesis... - euphoric synthpop, like an infinite line of statuesque russian swimmers waiting to dive into an infinitely long pool, a little bit Busby Berkeley, a little bit Soviet propaganda poster, in a POP way:

The idea behind the track "Synthesized Swimming" came from a time when it became necessary, for some reason or other,  for me to simulate the sound of cola bubbles on a synthesizer, with St Etienne's button savvy producer Ian Catt. I was foolishly sceptical about our chances, but the stately synth betrayed it's formal exterior and complied with a perfect cool analogue fizz. It was from these irresistible synth bubbles that I started to dream of recreating the sounds of a swimming pool, one that was so realistic that I'd have to keep adjusting the oscillators and envelopes to keep myself afloat. This track takes the whole idea up to an Olympic size, then throws in all the aquatic sports, a ripple of Telstar, and a splash of J-pop. Is this how it feels when you swim?