taking part - Rio 2016

.... and we're BACK!

hope you enjoyed last night's opening ceremony - here are a few photos and stuff:

 
throughout the games the marvellous It's The Taking Part That Counts album will be available to pay-what-you-want - here's the link!

the Infinite Curve in Rio #1

here are the first photos from our man on site in Rio - John Stanley (The Infinite Curve)

it's another Olympic year!

not long to go til Rio 2016

Rio 2016 Summer OlympicsCountdown

so you should probably get It's The Taking Part That Counts:

buy now!

a Paralympic discount

well, we gave away songs during the Olympics, so we're offering a discount during the Paralympics

yes, you heard right... in a combined bid to celebrate the games AND to save you from two weeks of Coldplay YOU can have 30% off the double CD (silver) edition of It's The Taking Part That Counts - A Global POP Sportsday

simply go to the bandcamp link below, and enter the discount code paralympic when you get to the check out, and the 26 exclusive olympic tunes will be YOURS!...

I took part... it COUNTED!

yup, yesterday evening i went to the Olympic Park to see Team GB play Basketball against France...  i won't tell you what happened...

the album visits the stadium

a Silver for Michael Jamieson

and a FREE download of Parenthesis...'s Synthesized Swimming for YOU today!

a silver for Fox-Pitt, King, Nicola Wilson, Zara Phillips and Tina Cook

and a FREE download of Band A Part's Cascabel for YOU today!

free downloads for WINNERS

quite an opening!


we will be giving away the sporting theme for every medal team GB wins during the games, so if Alison Williamson, Amy Oliver, Naomi Folkard, Larry Godfrey, Simon Terry or Alan Wills win an archery medal, DJ Downfall's Shoot It Shoot It (Hit Me Again) will be a FREE DOWNLOAD until the next medals are won!

and to start things off DARREN HAYMAN's wrestling ROMP! - Bundle! - is ALREADY available as a FREE DOWNLOAD SINGLE 

a review in the TIMES

review on Neon Filler

and it's a 9/10... marvellous:

"As a compilation this ticks all the right boxes, offering something new with 26 exclusive tracks, and introducing us to some exciting new artists, such as the dirty rock and roll of One Fathom Down and fine songwriting of Jeff Mellin, who features here with one of the album’s stand out tracks Hit Me!"

Town Bike - Tour De Force (cycling) VIDEO

 

White Town - Theme For Olympic Weightlifting

oh, yes... chart topper and all round good egg Jyoti Mishra has the honour of being the last track from It's The Taking Part That Counts to be previewed on the blog...

a Metro review for It's The Taking Part That Counts

we have a review in the Metro:

There will doubtless be other musical tributes to the Olympics, be they blandly triumphalist orchestral anthems or bombastic power ballads, but none will be as charming as this two-CD collection, in which each of the 26 sports at the London Games are represented by a single track.

The Sunny Street - Steffi (Tennis)

the Sunny Street love Steffi Graf, and their Tennis song sits perfectly between house music and indiepop... it's all Fred Perrys, summers, lawns, strawberries, and very short shorts...

next week: White Town

Hannah Peel - The Bully (Hockey)

Hannah Peel has been extremely busy of late, what with her Hockey track for "it's the taking part that counts" and the Magnetic North album, both of which are, of course, UNMISSABLE:

Hannah Peel on the sport of Hockey:

"I had a bully for a teacher. 

..I cowered and shivered in my gym skirt and t-shirt at the corner of the pitch. 

With the wind and snow on my back and bare legs, she laughed at my agony"

Credits:

Written by Hannah Peel

Performed by Hannah Peel (piano / vocals / percussion / samples) and Simon Tong (Guitars / Bass / Drums)

Additional text: 'Know the Game, Women's Hockey' 3rd Edition 1954

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hannah-Peel/142563139124021

https://twitter.com/#!/hanpeel

https://www.myspace.com/hanpeel

Darren Hayman - BUNDLE! (Wrestling)

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

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