FOPP Flops?

After recording the demise of ‘Is This Music’ earlier in the year, it pains me to have to comment on the apparent loss of another significant music industry player in Scotland. Today’s business pages were awash with rumours of the demise of UK independent chain FOPP and the fact that my local branch was closed seems to confirm this.

The chain started out in an indoor market in Glasgow’s West End in 1981 and I must have been in there at the time. In fact I’m pretty sure that I bought the debut LP of one of today’s featured in the same arcade.

Over the years FOPP seemed to go from strength to strength with stores springing up everywhere particularly in recent years. The combination of low prices and rapid expansion always worries me though even in this age of cheap everything (computers, clothes, food and CDs) and the fairly recent acquisition of the failed Music Zone chain (which acquired many of its shops from the failed MVC chain) seems to have been a step too far.

There has certainly been something corporate about FOPP in recent years, it’s not Avalanche by any means in terms of old fashioned appeal, but its combination of wide availability and pricing will mean it will undoubtedly be missed, particularly on suspects by bloggers. Ironically there was a discussion recently over at Song By Toad on what makes a successful shop in today’s climate and FOPP was held up as a success story.

Now I confess that I could have spent more money in FOPP, particularly recently after my job was relocated when I have been trying to avoid temptation by avoiding going into the shop. I still tend to buy most of my new LPs over the Net. Simply put it’s cheaper and therefore makes your money go further enabling you to buy more records and support more bands.

Recent ventures into in store appearances by artists (I saw Malcolm Middleton in the Dundee FOPP on the day ‘A Brighter Beat’ came out) make this just a bit sadder.

The last purchase I made was the Twilight Sad LP featured yesterday and it looks like it might be my last from FOPP.

The Jesus & Mary Chain – Far Gone and Out (from ‘Honey’s Dead’)

The Comsat Angels – Gone (from ‘Sleep No More’)

Buy records by the above artists in your local record shops – whilst you still can.

Some Random Thoughts

Coming soon, the Kissaway Trail LP reviewed. But in the meantime …

There’s finally a release date for Emma Pollock’s debut solo LP on 4AD, ‘Watch The fireworks’. Well, I think there is. I think I’ve seen 17^th September quoted for the LP preceded by a second single ‘Acid test’ on the 3^rd but I can’t confirm that anywhere. Maybe I dreamt it …

Malcolm Middleton releases the third single from the ‘Brighter Beat’ LP on Monday 2^nd. It seems to be a download only release and is backed by acoustic versions of previous singles ‘A brighter Beat’ and ‘Fuck It I Love You’. Here seems as good a place as any to buy it.

De Rosa have got video clips from their recent show in Amsterdam accessible from their Myspace. The clips include the full version of the wonderful ‘A Love Economy’. Check it out . The full show is up on the Fab Channel now.

Also out on Monday is the remastered deluxe version of Sonic Youth’s ‘Daydream Nation’ – one of the finest albums ever made. It’s available for download though now if you can’t wait.

Finally blog-wise, if you’re interested in the Boo Radleys or, like Falski, gave up on them when they had a hit Ed over at 17seconds has posted on their final LP ‘C’mon Kids’,. Worth checking out.

And the more observant will have noticed an addition to my Blogroll, Jon’s ‘Underneathica’. Go on – have a look.

That’s it – apart from this:

The Delgados – Everybody Come Down (from ‘Universal Audio’)

Buy record by The Delgados, Emma Pollock, Sonic Youth and Malcolm Middleton here.

Putting The Accent On Success

There’s been something of a trend in recent years for Scottish bands to actually sound Scottish when they’re singing . However if you go back 20 years you would find the late Stuart Adamson saying he sang with an American accent because that’s how you sang rock music.

To the best of my recollection the Proclaimers were the first successful rock band from North of the Border to sing with their own accents but at the time they were treated as something of a novelty by the wider British public. Things however have changed and you feel that Adamson’s reply would now be laughed out of court.

Arab Strap may be able to claim some of the credit for changing that perception (without making any great commercial breakthrough) but I can’t help feeling that a greater sense of national self esteem coinciding with the formation of the Scottish Parliament has also been a factor.

Of the LPs that I’ve bought in the last few months there’s no mistaking the nationality of De Rosa, Malcolm Middleton, Idlewild (Roddy eventually converted to the idea) and now the Twilight Sad.

A Scottish accent, it seems, is no longer a barrier to progress as the Twilight Sad LP demonstrates having been lauded all over the place. Pitched somewhere near shoegazing ‘Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters’ is an impressive debut. What helps it stand out from the crowd is a smattering of Arcade Fire instrumentation.

In some ways it’s not an easy album to get a handle on. At times they produce a wall of sound reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine and there aren’t many obvious hooks in the melodies. It also all sounds a little less than polished, but that is, at least IMHO, a good thing.

Their packaging is interesting too, the designs seem to reflect mid 20^th Century informational drawings. The song titles are also a little different from the norm – they’re not short!

Picking a standout from the LP isn’t easy, the songs are consistent throughout, but I’ve plumped for the next single.

The Twilight Sad And She Would Darken The Memory

Buy ‘Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters’ here or in your local record store. You won’t regret it.

When Saturday Comes

 

Back to the books and last week I completed ‘Saturday’ by Ian McEwan. McEwan is one of those authors of whom I was aware without having read but it’s easy to see why his books are not only so highly regarded but also sell well.

TV21 – Citrus Club 22nd June 2007

Maybe it gets counter-productive banging on about the same bands over and over again. Maybe people switch off if I mention De Rosa or Malcolm Middleton. Or TV21. Which would be a pity.

Driving Ambition

I’m set for more live entertainment this weekend and anyone thinking it’s likely to be either De Rosa or TV21 would be right!