Cityscape Records

Sadly, the first act Jon missed was me doing a Merchandise solo set – well you can’t have it all :0(  but here’s a lovely review of the rest of the night :0)

Have a look at the original article (with working links) by clicking the Salford Music Logo. Beth and Alex played really well and I’ve got to say that I loved Pygama Party too – Check them out here: http://www.myspace.com/pyjamapartygo . Another great night organised by Phil and Sam down at the White Horse in Eccles as Acoustic Armageddon – Facebook group here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Acoustic-Armageddon/117484208269709

Brad

Beth has just signed to Cityscape Records and we’re glad to have her. She’s got a great voice and will be making more appearances and recording a lot more music in the near future. Below is a demo we knocked up in a couple of hours last week. Run is an original song by Beth and Alex Hulme lent his guitar playing talents to complete the song with both guitars.

This track shows off her voice well and shows that there’s much more to come – watch this space!

There are a few more tracks she’s recorded previously on her myspace here: http://www.myspace.com/bethwarriner

Beth Warriner – Run by brad-cityscape

I decided that after having spent a long time using this site for all the Cityscape bands and tweeting about others I liked, I’d start writing a bit more about all the other bands and artists I come across and want to spread the word.

I met Ben Heyworth aka This Morning Call at Liverpool Sound City last month and just love his music. He’s got a great voice, just up my street, all understated charm and subtle melody, great tone and no histrionics. The music is excellently produced and reminds me of The Postal Service or some of Erland Oye’s solo stuff from Whitest Boy Alive and Kings of Convenience.

I’ll leave it there and leave it to the music to convince you as I’ve got more enthusiasm to spread the word than I have patience or writing talent so have a listen to this :0)

Brad

This Morning Call

Tides by This Morning Call

Clockworks Bitrocka (Radio Edit) by This Morning Call

Alex Hulme June Radio Sessions by brad-cityscape

Merchandise June Radio Sessions by brad-cityscape

This appeared on the 1st June reviewing a gig from the day before a the Stonewell in Lancaster – the whole review can be found if you click the Lancashire Life image above. Here’s the bit about Alex:

Alex Hulme took to the grassy stage. Letting loose his clear, pleasing voice to swoop from loop to loop, dexteriously operating changes by foot, troubador Alex entertained with endearing charm. Easy on the eye and delightful on the ear, Alex Hulme will launch his debut album “The Wood” at The Stonewell in the near future. Watch this space . . .

This is taken from the Manchester Music Site – the full original review is here: http://www.music-dash.co.uk/live/live.asp?item=1945

ALEX HULME is an example of one of the positive aspects of an event such as this. Welcoming people to the subterranean venue he describes the whirlwind series of events that have occurred to him in the last week – including getting signed to a record label. Well is he any good? He uses the now common technique of looping the initial opening sound back through the amp to build up the layers of sound. Avoiding the trap of demonstrating his technical ability rather than the more critical view of whether is it sounds decent, the overall output is a slowly building multi layered arrangement that stops the crowd from gabbing in order to focus their attention on him, which can’t be a bad thing. Comfortable on the stage he’s a nifty guitar player, veering from finger picking blues to a more traditional solo songwriter style that receives rich applause

22 May 2010 / Heebie Jeebies / Liverpool
By Ged Camera

“Alex Hulme is a fine songwriter with great potential, he has a great sense of
POP and can always churn out a really catchy melody with very emotive lyrics”
Eddie Lundon: China Crisis & Music Lecturer.

During the past two years Alex Hulme has been gathering fans by the bucketload all over his native
North West. Still only 19, he has impressed audiences, signed to Cityscape and begun his degree inmusic at Sir Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) beating 6000 applicants to win one of fewer than 40 places.
Originally from Garstang in Lancashire but now living in Liverpool, Alex took up the guitar at the age of seven, started performing live at 13 before really upping the ante in the past two years. The younger of
two brothers, Alex has grown up with music. His grandfather was an opera singer, his older brother
Laurie is in Manchester band Beat the Radar (signed to Akoustik Anarkhy) and his cousin Ed is in fellow
Manchester band Working for a Nuclear Free City (signed to Melodic).
Alex’s first EP, The Wood, showcases his organic, earthy pop characterised by an unusual, intricate
picking style on the guitar with many odd tunings and a powerful vocal. Much of Alex’s music features
multilayered live looping of both his guitar and vocal to create a unique sound rich in harmony.
When asked about the songs on The Wood, Alex described the lead track as, “A song of defiance
against people trying to knock me down, the ups and downs of life and how you never forget the view
from the top.” Keep Chasing is, “About following dreams. The inspiration came from a friend who had
given up on hers because it was too hard but you can only make your dreams a reality if you keep
chasing.” “The third track, Drifting, is about my grandma who passed away last year due to dementia
and about how we watched her forget everything she had known in the years before she died.”
Musical influences abound in Alex’s individual mix of indie-pop and underground acoustic folk with Foy
Vance, Fionn Regan and Nick Drake all cited. Produced by Merchandise/Cityscape’s Brad B Wood, The
Wood features a number of subtle electronic additions and strange percussion accompaniments which
bring out Alex’s vision of modern, earthy pop.
Alex’s prolific live outings have recently seen him perform at Liverpool Sound City, Sound Control in
Manchester and The Octagon Theatre in Bolton with gigs booked at Tommyfest (Blackpool), Silverdale
Concert for Haiti and Garstang Summer Acoustic Festival among an ever growing list which will see Alex
soon stretch his legs outside the North West.
Alex’s journey is just beginning, join him and Cityscape for the ride and let’s see where we get to.

the-wood-press-release – PDF

By Kat Dibbits »

SUPER Furry Animals-influenced Boltonian pop troubadours Merchandise will release their new album, For The Masses, on Monday.

To celebrate they will be playing the Octagon theatre bar the same night, with support from Moore Marriott and Alex Hulme.

Five years in the making, the band promise that For The Masses will “bring a skip to the beat and a smile to the face.”

The 13 songs on the album include the soon-to-be-released single Lies Like These, plus the darker-tinged Prescription and Enemy.

The core of Merchandise’s collective revolves around Brad B. Wood and Conrad Astley, and live shows are performed on acoustic guitar, mandolin, melodica and cajon… though from time to time they will recruit friends and “rock out” a little. In a gentle manner, mind.

Tickets to the launch night cost £5, with a limited number of tickets free to under 26s. To book, ring the Octagon box office on 01204 520661.

The album is released on the band’s own Cityscape records, and distributed through Universal.

Support act Alex Hulme will be showcasing songs from his EP, The Wood. Just 19 years old, Alex has grown up with music. His grandfather was an opera singer, his older brother Laurie is in Manchester band Beat the Radar (signed to Akoustik Anarkhy) and his cousin Ed is in fellow Manchester band Working for a Nuclear Free City (signed to Melodic).

Alex’s prolific live outings have recently seen him perform at Liverpool Sound City and Sound Control in Manchester, with gigs booked at Blackpool’s Tommyfest, Silverdale Concert for Haiti and Garstang Summer Acoustic Festival.

• Cityscape presents For The Masses launch gig at the Octagon, Howell Croft South, Bolton, on Monday. Tickets £5. To book, ring 01204 520661

Original Article: http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/leisure/boltonmusic/8195345./

This isn’t really a music video for the tune, it’s just a video made by friend and cat obsessive Marc Fearns about his cat and uses our track as a soundtrack. It’s just charming, good and we welcome people using our music on their vids!

Enjoy!

Buy The Last Stand of Pucho Vasquez on itunes

Lies Like These – Merchandise from Andrew Dubber on Vimeo.

And the original post: http://newmusicstrategies.com/2009/06/05/lies-like-these/