Merchandise – Swallowing Curses by brad-cityscape
Merchandise’s first single from 2001. The CD sold out and it’s not available digitally yet but you can still get the lovingly produced 7″ from the Cityscape Shop here: Swallwing Curses 7″ in the Cityscape Shop
This is . . . Merchandise by brad-cityscape
Merchandise’s first album recorded a good while ago now ;0) is available to listen to online but only to buy on CD which you can get for £5 plus p&p direct from Cityscape here: This is . . . Merchandise in the Cityscape Shop
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!
Lies Like These – Merchandise from Andrew Dubber on Vimeo.
And the original post: http://newmusicstrategies.com/2009/06/05/lies-like-these/
Brad. B. Wood is one half of the band Merchandise. He also runs the Cityscape Record label and Cityscape Presents live events. Click here for free downloads related to their next event.
Morning. Have I caught you at a good time? Yeah, not a bad one – Sunday morning’s always a slow one.
So what’s your usual Sunday routine? Rise when the mood takes me, then shower, coffee, read the bits of the Saturday Guardian that I didn’t get time for on Saturday, watch the F1 if it’s on, see my girlfriend and her son and try to go somewhere interesting, eat well, film, sleep.
Five years ago did you think you’d be where you are now? Probably! Five years ago me and Con (the other half of my band, Merchandise) started For The Masses, our third album. It’s just about finished and ready for release. The previous one took 4 years so I could probably have guessed it would take us a while…
Where will you be in five years? Hmmm, depends where the music takes me. I hope that the tunes will have winged their way around the world and that will have lead to some interesting opportunities. I’d like to have travelled more.
What’s your motto in life? Keep going and you’ll get there.
I have 24 hours in your hometown. What should I do? Bolton has its detractors but there are some great pubs and pie shops, as you might expect. There’s some fine walking on the moors to be done or you could catch the Wanderers or watch a play at the Octagon. The night life can be a bit rum in parts, but if you know where to go you can catch some great bands.
You’ve got thirty minutes in the kitchen. What are you going to knock up? Just 30 mins? I love cooking and can spend hours knocking up a good pile of food, but in that time I reckon I could do fajitas with home made guacamole.
You’ve just won £10 on the lottery. Spend or save? A tenner would definitely be spent – it would give me an excuse to do something fun.
What can’t your friends/family understand about you? Well, I don’t put things in alphabetical order, but I do get comments for putting things in size order – books, records, pans and the like.
What are you currently obsessed with? The finishing touches on For The Masses.
What should we all be doing more of? Buying vinyl, real ale and well bound books. Cooking properly, walking and being friendly to folk!
And finally, when you go to bed tonight, are you looking forward to Monday morning? I’m not great at mornings really, but I’m not working tomorrow so it could be worse!
This video was shot at Unconvention in Salford on Friday night after a conversation (over a few beers and then a pizza) about video costs. Andrew Dubber from New Music Strategies.com decided we should make one then and there in the pizza shop. He got out a small digital camera and I quickly told my “co-star” Tracy Dempsey what the song was about and we synched to my ipod. Afterwards, Dubber ripped the track from the ipod to his mac and in a few minutes we had this vid. It’s had tons of hits really quickly and loads of comments on the newmusicstrategies site. Have a look and let us know what you think of the budgetless (well Dubber got half a kebab pizza out of it) video as Merchandise go viral . . . ;o)
Like the track? Buy the download here.
These are exciting times for Merchandise! The new single Listen Up! has been released and is available here, on itunes, in HMV and pretty much anywhere else you care to order it!
There is loads of news about the new single, the ALL FM radio session, the plays on Radio One and the launch gig at the Aftershow on the Merchandise site. Click the screen shot to be whisked away to the wonderful world of Merchandise
cityscapepresentsmerchandise14-3-09pressrelease
The regular Cityscape Presents night in the Octagon Theatre’s Bill Naughton Studio has quickly established itself as the place in Bolton to see the North’s most promising music talent.
The latest showcase evening on Saturday 14 March offers three more reasons why.
Headlining are Cityscape band Merchandise, previewing material from forthcoming album For The Masses as
well as firm favourites. Their set is sure to include new single Listen Up! – a life-affirming two and a half minutes
which provides the perfect introduction to their pure pop gold. The single, released on February 23, has been
generating a fanzine buzz and was recently championed by Huw Stevens on his Radio One Introducingshow.
Support comes from Leeds-based Albert Ross and The Otters. They cite inspirations ranging from Nick Cave
and T-Rex to Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Belle and Sebastian…and Dexy’s Midnight Runners. As you might expectfrom a band with such eclectic influences, their sound is all their own.
Opening up the evening will be Cal Roberts, a 19-year-old singer songwriter from North Wales. Cal has
supported Pete Doherty at gigs across the UK and Europe and supported The Courteeners on their recent
sell-out tour. His music is raw and edgy with lyrics he describes as “through the eyes of a teenager stuck in nowhere town.”
Compere for the evening will be comedienne Katie Mulgrew.
Brad B Wood, founder of Cityscape Records and member of Merchandise, said: “Merchandise have had a great year so far and it’ll be great to be back at the Octagon playing in front of a hometown audience.
“Cityscape Presents really seems to be getting a momentum of its own. We’ve had some great feedback and I’m chuffed we will be sharing the stage with two acts of such quality.
“Albert Ross and The Ottters produce infectious pop music which deserves to be heard. Albert sent me a Myspace
link and I knew within two bars that it was right up my street.
“Cal Roberts is also a big talent and definitely one to watch.”
The show starts at 7.30pm. Tickets, priced £9 (£7 students/ concessions), are available from the Octagon box office. Call 01204 520661 or buy online at www.octagonbolton.co.uk
For more information about the acts, and a taste of their songs, visit their My Space sites at, respectively
www.merchandisetheband.co.uk , www.myspace.com/albertrossandtheotters , www.myspace.com/calroberts
The reviews are now coming in for Listen Up! which will be released on 23rd February on 7″ white vinyl, CD and download. We’ve also set up a number of radio sessions surrounding the release, so keep your ears open for those – more news to follow! Click the screen shot to go to the Merchandise site for reviews etc.
Last week Merchandise went down to WFM for another radio session and a corker it was too. And with a story! To read all about it and to hear the whole radio show, click the pic!
The whole WFM interview with Merchandise has been put up on the Merchandise site. Have a listen, click here.
As always, the new Merchandise updates are going up on the Merchandise site including new pics, gig dates etc. Click the picture to go to the site . . .
Three will be the magic number on Saturday 11 October as Bolton-based Cityscape Records hosts three acts for its third showcase of emerging musical talent. The first two Cityscape Presents events at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre provided some captivating performances enjoyed by full houses in the venue’s intimate Bill Naughton Studio Theatre.
Number three, headlined by Cityscape band Merchandise with Ist and Dan Melrose completing the bill, promises to be every bit as much of a treat. Comedian Dale Meakin, a familiar face on the Manchester comedy circuit, is compere for the evening.
Merchandise return to the Octagon fresh from performances at the Sugarhill festival in Wiltshire and Manchester’s Night and Day. A new full band line-up, welcoming new members John A Stewart on bass and Matt Maher on drums, gives added oomph to their acoustic sound.
They will be previewing songs from forthcoming album For The Masses, including feelgood favourite Sometimes and soon-to-be-released single Enemy. Both can be heard on their MySpace site and are available from Itunes, HMV and other outlets.
Leicester band Ist, who cite influences ranging from Cole Porter to the Pixies, will be playing tunes from their new album Toothpick Bridge which features former members of the Beautiful South and Chris Difford’s solo band. Readers of Mojo magazine voted singer Kenton Hall as one of their 20 top ‘songwriters of substance’ in 2006.
Opening the evening is Manchester folkster Dan Melrose, a talented acoustic guitarist whose live band features an array of instruments including double bass, cello, harmonica and violin.
Brad B Wood, Cityscape founder and member of Merchandise, said: “The feeback from our first two events has been excellent and I’m really looking forward to introducing Dan and Ist to the Octagon audience.
“I saw Dan at a Manchester folk night and knew straight away I had to get him on. He’s got a hell of a way with an acoustic guitar and I’m sure anyone who comes along will see why I was so impressed.
“I first met Ist years ago when my former band Mazeppa were playing on the same bill as them at the Cavern Club. We’ve been friends since and I’m a big fan of their music. Their latest album is their best yet.
“As for Merchandise, we’re really happy with the development of our live sound and looking forward to sharing it.”
The show starts at 7.30pm. Tickets, priced £9 for adults (£7 concessions), are available from the Octagon box office. Call 01204 520661 or buy online at www.octagonbolton.co.uk
For more information about the acts, and a taste of their songs, visit their My Space sites at, respectively www.myspace.com/merchandisetheband, www.myspace.com/ist and www.myspace.com/danmelrose
Future Cityscape Presents nights will take place on 12 December, 7th February, 14th March, 18th April, 9th May and 20th June.
