Hello folks!

Happy Friday to you all. A few bits and pieces for you this week - We're now taking pre-orders for Giuda's new 7" single "Yellow Dash" which is set for release next month. Also we have limited quantities of Helen Love's new album "Day-Glo Dreams" on CD and LP courtesy of our pals at Elefant Records. London garage-soul duo Cowbell are currently putting the finishing touches to their latest recordings which we'll be releasing in late summer. Those of you who like all things photographic can also follow Cowbell on Instagram along with Damaged Goods. We've the Cyanide Pills debut LP back in stock. And finally there's a great interview with Billy Chidish on the Quietus this week. More info on all this below. As always click on the cover art for links to our online shop.

 

Giuda - Yellow Dash (Ltd col. 7"/digital - released 19th May)

 

Helen Love - Day-Glo Dreams CD/LP + Junk Shop Discotheque 7"

Thanks to our good pals at Elefant Records, we have limited copies of Helen Love's new album on CD and (white vinyl) LP, along with copies of their earlier single Junk Shop Discotheque on 7" (pink) vinyl.

Here's some info on the new album -

That advance single “Atomic” already let us in on the secret: HELEN LOVE’s new album, the sixth in their career and their second on Elefant Records, is new proof of their almost insultingly youthful energy, this time with a special focus on synth-pop. The almost six years we’ve had to wait to be able to enjoy a new full-length have been totally worth it to get to “Day-Glo Dreams”. The album makes their personal, unmistakable style more and more their own, mixing punk attitude (Joey Ramone will always be in their hearts), bubblegum melodies, and disco-dance rhythms.

And, actually, the album opens with clear intentions – that life philosophy that is reflected in the accelerated techno-pop of “We Are All The Lo-Fi Kids”. But soon the terrain of Philip Oakey and Giorgio Moroder comes into play: the girls themselves admit that “Together In Electric Dreams” was a huge influence for this album and they show it openly on the album’s title track. The super fun synthesizer lines layered over drum machines in and of themselves pay homage to the electronic-pop that came out of the eighties. “Shy Girl” could be a major hit from BANANARAMA’s repertoire, with that shy girl, looking for her match, getting over of her complexes and insecurities. “My Imagination”, in the spirit of THE BUGGLES, SILICON TEENS, and YAZOO, is a new song in the name of mental and physical freedom, of the need to feel alive at every moment, and let your desires and longings carry you. And, as if it could be anything else, the music is a means to reach that goal. “Spin Those Records” makes that perfectly clear as another pop spectacle arranged with those mid-eighties rhythms that are both broken and yet so danceable; the song is a sly wink toward Michael Jackson, but ultimately a clear ancestor of THE HUMAN LEAGUE.

DOLLY MIXTURE and THE GO-GO’s are two of the names that pop into our heads the most when we listen to “Our Mum And Dad”, an open declaration of admiration of their parents and the years of struggle. “Atomic” was the first sign we had of the album, and since then we haven’t been able to get that synthesizer line or that chorus out of our heads. “Don’t Forget About This Town” takes us back to BANANARAMA again. The song shows, just like “Our Mum And Dad”, HELEN LOVE’s fondness for their roots, in this case through their bitterness over seeing how time can be cruel to those roots. And no, we haven’t forgotten about that imperative ingredient in any reference to the Welsh band: “J.Pop” and its associated references to japanese techno-pop, neon lights, phosphorescent colors, and Tokyo’s nightlife. “You And Stacy” has us moving our hips and tapping our feet again, with its immediacy somewhere between THE B-52’s, THE REVILLOS, and Kim Wilde. “Teenage Soap Opera” is another tribute to the teenage life, with echoes of TRACEY ULLMAN, PET SHOP BOYS, and MEN WITHOUT HATS.

The album radiates excitement and a have-fun, feel-good mood. It’s impossible to resist its electricity, its marvelous melodies, its unbiased attitude, and its unforgettable choruses. We Love You!!!

 

Click on the Elefant Records logo for more great records from their own website.

 

Cowbell in the studio, gigging, and on Instagram

Cowbell have been busy recording their second album "Skeleton Soul". We've heard some early mixes and it sounds amazing! Release date and tracklisting will follow in due course but if you can't wait for more Cowbell action you can catch them live at London's famous What's Cookin this Saturday April 26th. There's also a couple of European dates in the coming weeks with more dates to be announced soon.

26th April- What’s Cookin, Leytonstone Ex-Servicemens Club, London http://www.whatscookin.co.uk

3rd May - Fave Rave, Bi Nuu, Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany https://www.facebook.com/faverave

14th June - Bestialc Festival, Alcora, Spain

 

To keep up with any new dates check the band's website. You can also check out studio pics from their latest recording sessions by following the band on Instagram. Links here -

www.cowbelltheband.co.uk

www.instagram.com/cowbelltheband

 

Billy Childish meets The Quietus

Great interview with Billy, click on the pic to read in full.

Back in Stock - Cyanide Pills S/T debut LP on custard yellow vinyl

The band's classic first album has been out of stock for a while but we've re-pressed it, this time on lovely custard yellow vinyl. Get in!

 

That's it for now! Don't forget to follow us on Instagram for record sleeves and trips to the pub! -

 

Have a great weekend!

Ian & Duncan

www.DAMAGEDGOODS.co.uk