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CORPORATION POP and OPM MUSIC PROUDLY PRESENTS:
The long-awaited (twenty years in the making) debut album from Huddersfield based band The Scaremongers. Never ones to be rushed, non poet laureate vocalist/lyricist Simon Armitage and multi-tasking guitarist Craig Smith crafted the songs over the past two decades, letter by letter, quaver by quaver, and now feel that the galaxy is ready for their unique brand of “kitchen-sink snow-shaker pop-rock” as they casually refer to it.
Songs range from the swirling, up-for-it-indie-dancefloor-hum-it-in-the-bathroom-classic You Can Do Nothing Wrong (In My Eyes) to the soul hugging, shoe-gazing, hair-shirt wearing, seven-and-a-half minute From The Shorelines Of Venus, to the heartfelt and cryptic (even to the band themselves) Grouse Beaters Boys’ Club, to the stomping Derailleur, the only song ever dedicated to the sprocket-activated, variable-ratio transmission system frequently deployed on the modern bicycle.
“Caesar came from Rome,
picnicked here then pushed off home.
The dashboard music soared
from a Russian car,
I could have sworn… in the chrome,
your face, and next to it my own.”
Derailleur
Full track listing:
You Can Do Nothing Wrong (In My Eyes)
Grouse Beaters Boys’ Club
Tea Leaves
Cardigan Girl
Legendary
Less Is More
Nodding Dog
Long Ride Home
Derailleur
From The Shorelines Of Venus
Porch
Official Release Date: Friday 7th May 2009
Picture CD, including lyric booklet and artwork by Lyndon Hayes, £8.99 available from Vinyltap Records: http://www.vinyltap.co.uk/shop/item/951171950968.aspx
Downloads available from Cherry Red Records Download Shop.
Further information:
https://www.thescaremongers.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thescaremongers
Seeing (and Hearing) Is Believing: catch The Scaremongers on their Small But Perfectly Formed 2009 mini tour:
Hebden Bridge Trades and Friendly - 27 June
Latitude Festival - 16 July
Nantwich Festival - 10 October.
Contact Details - OPM:
Trevor Jenkins/David Carroll
OPM LLP
Aquarium Studios
122 Wardour Street
London
W1F OTX
t. 020 7 734 7224
m. 07793 671813
Smith was straight on the blower to Armitage on Friday night after Marc Riley played You Can Do Nothing Wrong (In My Eyes) for the second time on his magnificent Brain Surgery show. Neither Armitage nor Smith had caught the show as it went out on Wednesday, so they didn't get the chance to witness their first radio appearance as a band as it was happening, (and all hail the Listen Again feature, otherwise they would never have heard it at all). So on Friday night, they were positively giddy to hear it live:
"Did you hear it?"
"Aye. What did you reckon?"
"It sounded alright!"
"Did you hear the email request?"
"Eh? No. When was that?"
"At the top of the show."
"I only got home about twenty minutes into it."
"Then you missed it."
"So it seems. What did they say?"
"They asked for it again."
"Who was it? Anyone we know?"
"Someone called Petra."
"Petra? She left a comment on the site."
"She's a bit of an early adopter, eh!"
"Smart girl, that!"
"Aye. Smart girl!"
In honour of the outstanding Superfan Petra, we grabbed the audio of Marc reading out her request as well as The Scaremongers bit from later on. Thanks again to Marc and his team, and once again I hope it's OK to borrow a few minutes of Friday's show.
Wanting to get a copy of The Scaremongers brief but (for me!) thrilling inaugural radio appearance on Marc Riley's Brain Surgery on Wednesday night and without all the connectors that would have made the job easier and that would have ensured a pristine recording, in true 1970's fashion I propped a microphone against the front of the computer speaker and pressed play. It took me back to Top of the Pops during the heyday of the Glitter Band and Mud: the two things missing from the experience was my Big Sister pushing me to the side, pressing the off button and saying 'The Scaremongers are rubbish, and you'd best not be taping over my David Cassidy' and my mum ruining the fidelity of the recording by opening the Room door and calling me through to the Living Room for my tea. (Calling the two downstairs reception areas The Room and the Living Room - was that normal or was it yet another of those inexplicable quirks unique to the sub-genus of our family, like calling dessert 'finish off'?)
Anyway, I hope Marc and his team don't mind me half-inching four and a bit minutes of their show, which I only caught on Listen Again. It's what is known in the trade as a 'ropey copy', so I don't think it's going to put anyone out of business. I just wanted to record it for posterity! It's my first time on the radio, don't you know!
