| Alcopop! Records | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Founder | Jack Clothier (AKA Jack pOp) [1] Kevin Douch |
| Genre | Indie pop |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Location | Oxford, England |
| Official website | ilovealcopop |
Alcopop! Records is a British independent record label, run by Jack Clothier and Kevin Douch formed in East Oxford, 2006. The label works with DITZ, DZ Deathrays, Johnny Foreigner, Fight Like Apes, Anamanaguchi, Peaness, TIGERCUB, Gaffa Tape Sandy, The Spook School, Nelson Can, and QI.
Alcopop! Records was formally created after a small loan was gambled on the Charlton vs Portsmouth match of 16 September 2006, with money for the first release and show generated from a successful bet on the match. This money was invested in a band from Yeovil called Encyclopedia, [2] with the first single "Emily" (Alcopop001) kicking off the 2006/7 singles club (which also included the likes of Midget, data.select.party and 4 or 5 Magicians). Founder Jack pOp, in a recent interview with the Complete Music Update website, said "Alcopop! was born back in 2006 with a three figure loan from my Dad and a fuzzy idea to mix up some classic 90s indie and some awesome new stuff and – via a series of handmade, special three-inch CDs – do our bit to prove that physical music wasn’t dead. We got drunk, bet a large chunk of the money on a football match, and Congolese striker Lomana LuaLua ensured that we had enough cash to get going!" [3]
In 2015, Alcopop! stepped in after a hacker cancelled the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) website contract and temporarily purchased the UKIP website. Claiming they’d fill the website with multi-coloured unicorns or donate the website to a pro-immigration agency, [4] the website nevertheless was soon forcibly recovered and returned to the political party by provider GoDaddy. UKIP later blamed 'gremlins in the system'. [5] Alcopop! then proceeded to collaborate with Shikari Sound System to release 7" record "The Wit and Wisdom of Nigel Farage" [6] which was, of course, completely silent. The release profits went to Migrants Rights Network and was in homage to a similar stunt by Stiff Records against Ronald Reagan.
As well as operating more standard album and EP releases on CD and vinyl, Alcopop! Records prides itself on releasing through a host of different formats, and has put out singles and EPs on the likes of frisbees (Johnny Foreigner Certain Songs are Cursed EP), scarves (My First Tooth Sleet and Snow EP), bespoke watches (Gunning for Tamar Time Trophies EP) and a Minidisc (Stagecoach – Say Hi to the Band). When asked about motivation for producing these different formats in a recent interview, Jack pOp stated "For me the it’s more than what is on that record… It’s about the experience from the moment you get it, how the artwork makes you feel, being able to show it to friends – the anticipation of dropping the needle/ pressing the play button… I genuinely love it." [7]
In 2014, Alcopop! re-released the hit song "Steal My Sunshine" on cassette with co-founders Jack and Kev drawn into the re-imagined sleeve alongside some of the original cast. [8]
In 2023, Alcopop! released Zep Step, a single from the album Our Guest Can't Be Named by The Wytches. [9] A limited edition 7" pressing of the single was printed on X-ray films in the style of Ribs, a historically black market method of smuggling and distributing music banned from the public. [10]
Alcopop! were the first label in the UK to release a podcast on vinyl, collaborating with the QI Elves to put out a special edition of their 'No Such Thing As A Fish' podcast on vinyl – which came with 52 episodes of the podcast on the download card. The record included a bonus track from Corey Taylor of Slipknot fame on the B-side. [11]
Working with Brighton grunge band TIGERCUB in 2017, Alcopop! put out the world's first Pay What You Want 12" vinyl. Preceded by a physical mailout campaign to all existing fans of the band, the original pressing sold out within 24 hours and was considered a success by singer Jamie Hall, who stated "We were worried people wouldn’t give a shit, but it quickly turned into fucking Wikileaks. It escalated fast. We fucking sold out of 'em all pretty much before we went public, so we had to put up a second pressing pre-sale for people who missed out, which is now about to sell out too. [12]
To try to capitalise on the spirit of indie and rally against over-priced reissues at Record Store Day, Alcopop! put out Sensible Record Labels vol 1. and 2 on RSD in 2015 and 2016. RRP’d at £10, featuring 11 songs from independent labels with hundreds of songs on the download card, each release sold out on the day. Tim Dellow, founder of Transgressive Records, said of Volume 1 "We’re thrilled to be involved in something that genuinely captures the true spirit of Record Store Day, and what this community of great independent artists and labels represent. A great value way for fans to get into new bands across all the labels, and support their local indie store. Good on Alcopop!” [13]
Alcopop! gained a reputation for their 'Alcopopular' compilation series. The series has even been branded 'The coolest compilation ever' by NME. [14] Alcopopular has been released as a bike, a 3" CD, a cassette tape, a message in a bottle, a restaurant menu and fold out 'Hithikers Guide to the UK'. Loud and Quiet suggested "We need labels like Alcopop to offer us something a little out of the ordinary. There’s no character in a bunch of mega bites but there’s a hell of a lot in a bottle containing a modern day pirate treasure map that leads you to some audio booty." [15]
Alcopop! Records were named as the best small label at the AIM Awards 2013, after being nominated in 2012. [16] [17]
Alcopop! were also voted as the best record label in the UK at the Punktastic Reader Awards in 2012. [18]
Out of Step is the third EP by American hardcore punk band Minor Threat. It was released on vinyl in April 1983 through Dischord Records. Although Out of Step has only been released on CD in limited quantities, it has been repressed on vinyl as recently as 2010. All tracks from the album are available on Minor Threat's 1989 compilation album Complete Discography.
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida, formed in 1992. The band consists of Chris DeMakes, Roger Lima, Buddy Schaub (trombone), Peter "JR" Wasilewski (saxophone) and Matt Yonker (drums).
Thousand Yard Stare are an English band from Slough, Berkshire, England, active during the early 1990s, prior to the Britpop explosion. Supporting popular bands on the indie circuit such as James and Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, the band also released several EPs. Reformed in 2015, the band played a sold-out show at London's Borderline on 6 June, at the Nottingham Rock City Wake-Up Indie Alldayer on 17 October 2015, and at the Shiiine On Weekender festival at Butlins Minehead on 6 November 2015. More dates were scheduled for 2016 and they released full-length record in 2020 and 2022.
Art Brut is an English indie rock band. Their debut album, Bang Bang Rock & Roll, was released on 30 May 2005, with its follow up, It's a Bit Complicated, released on 25 June 2007. Named after French painter Jean Dubuffet's definition of outsider art – art by prisoners, loners, the mentally ill, and other marginalized people, and made without thought to imitation or presentation – South London's Art Brut were tagged by NME as part of the "Art Wave" scene that also included bands such as The Rakes, Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party. The band released further albums, Art Brut vs Satan in 2009 and Brilliant! Tragic! in 2011. A fifth album, Wham! Bang! Pow! Let's Rock Out!", was released in 2018.
Too Pure Records was a London-based independent record label formed in 1990 by Richard Roberts and Paul Cox. The label gained prominence after the release of PJ Harvey's debut studio album Dry in 1992, and subsequently found further success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with albums by indie rock artists such as Mclusky and Electrelane. The label closed in 2008.
Dance To The Radio is a British independent record label, based in Leeds, England.
Bogshed were an Indie band formed in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, England, in 1985 by Phil Hartley (vocals), Mark McQuaid (guitar), Mike Bryson (bass) and Tristan King (drums). They released two albums, two EPs and two singles before splitting up in 1987.
Blood Red Shoes are an English alternative rock duo from Brighton consisting of Laura-Mary Carter and Steven Ansell. They have released six full-length albums, Box of Secrets (2008), Fire Like This (2010), In Time to Voices (2012), Blood Red Shoes (2014), Get Tragic (2019) and Ghosts on Tape (2022) as well as several EPs and a number of singles. In 2014, they founded their own label, Jazz Life.
Big Scary Monsters Recording Company is an independent record label based in Oxford, England.
Johnny Foreigner are an indie rock four-piece from Birmingham, UK, consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Alexei Berrow, bassist and vocalist Kelly Parker, drummer Junior Elvis Washington Laidley, and guitarist and visual artist Lewes Herriot.
Anamanaguchi is an American chiptune-based pop and rock band from New York City. The band has four members: lead songwriters and guitarists Peter Berkman and Ary Warnaar, bassist James DeVito, and drummer Luke Silas.
How We Are was the second EP by Bombay Bicycle Club, released in 2007. It was released to download, on CD and as a limited edition 7" vinyl.
Stagecoach was a British five piece alternative rock band from Surrey, England.
Johnny Foreigner vs Everything is the third studio album by British indie rock band Johnny Foreigner. It was released on CD and MP3 on 5 December 2011 through Alcopop! Records, and on Double Vinyl LP in Summer 2012. The record marked their first studio album to be released without the aid of a Grammy-nominated producer ; as well as their first studio album not released on Best Before Records. The album cover, as with their other albums, features drawings by Lewes Herriot.
DZ Deathrays are an Australian dance-punk trio from Brisbane, Queensland. Composed of Shane Parsons (vocals/guitar), Lachlan Ewbank and Simon Ridley (drums), they put out two EPs before releasing their debut album, Bloodstreams, in April 2012. The album won the ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2012. To date they have released six studio albums: Bloodstreams, Black Rat, Bloody Lovely, Positive Rising: Part 1, Positive Rising: Part 2 and R.I.F.F
The Wytches are an English rock band formed in 2011 in Peterborough. Following their formation, the band were based in Brighton. The band currently consists of singer-songwriter Kristian Bell, bassist Daniel Rumsey, keyboardist/guitarist Mark Breed and drummer Bhavin Thaker.
Hooton Tennis Club is a four-piece indie-rock band from the Wirral consisting of Ryan Murphy (vocals/guitar), James Madden (vocals/guitar), Callum McFadden (bass) and Harry Chalmers (drums) formed in 2013. They were signed to Heavenly Recordings and released two albums and a number of singles.. They are now signed to Alcopop! Records.
Gaffa Tape Sandy are an English garage rock band, formed in 2015 in Bury St Edmunds and now based in Brighton, England. The band is composed of singer-guitarist Kim Jarvis, singer-bassist Catherine Neilson and drummer Robin Francis.
Peaness are a band from Chester, England formed in 2013. Their all-female line-up is Balla, Jess and Rach (drums). Their sound has been described as "melodic indie pop", "DIY punk" and "shiny shiny pop with an infectious energy and tunes as sharp as their fringes".
Our Guest Can't Be Named is the fourth studio album by British rock band The Wytches. It was released on 22 September 2023 through Alcopop! Records, making it the band's first album for the label. Recording sessions took place at Tilehouse Studio in London. Production was handled by the Wytches themselves. The album was supported with singles "Maria" and "Unsure". Music videos were shot for "Maria" directed by Mark Breed, "Zep Step" directed by Breed and Wolfgang Dubieniec, and "Unsure" directed by Breed, Kristian Bell and Ellie Dolphin.
