Pretty Green's Manchester Store Hosts Britpop Exhibition

An Exhibition Of Classic British Record Covers From The 1990s Is To Open At Oasis Star Liam Gallagher's Clothes Store.

The collection of work by photographer Brian Cannon, encompassing the era dubbed 'Britpop', will go on display at a branch of Pretty Green in Manchester, England from Friday (16Oct15).

It will feature the iconic covers that adorned the first two Oasis albums, as well as other well-known rock artwork from the era, including Suede single So Young and the band's album Dog Man Star, Super Furry Animals' first album Fuzzy Logic, and 1977, the debut disc from Ash.

Other Oasis covers in the exhibition include those for their singles All Around the World, Stand By Me, Cigarettes & Alcohol, and Some Might Say, which featured Cannon's parents in the image.

Speaking at the launch, Cannon recalled working with Oasis as they were on the cusp of superstardom, telling the Manchester Evening News, "Nobody knew who they were back then but I think they genuinely did believe that they were something else, that they would be stratospherically big.

"Quality doesn't always guarantee success but they were just brilliant. They really were something else. I just felt it and I thought it would be a travesty if they didn't make it big...

"Don't believe everything you read about them. They were very enthusiastic and totally into it - not just the music but the artwork itself as well. I would have creative meetings with (guitarist) Noel (Gallagher), I'd give him some pointers and he'd come back with some ideas. I got him and he got me. Nothing ever got rejected or re-shot."

The exhibition, which will also feature other rarities including unseen photographs and several handwritten notes from The Verve rocker Richard Ashcroft, runs until the end of October (15).

Source: www.contactmusic.com

Check out the current collection and offers from Pretty Green here.

Noel Gallagher Blames Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian And Bastille For The State Of English Music

Noel Gallagher has spoken about the lack of working-class voices in contemporary music, suggesting the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian have made no impact in terms of encouraging any new “noise coming from the council estates”.

During an interview for the BBC Master Tapes show, via NME, a member of the audience questioned the Oasis founder about the health of the current British music scene. “You only have to look at the charts, what happened at the end of the 90s, all those bands used to be in the top 10, like us, Manics, Pulp, the Verve, Suede and Blur, and I think bands like that have been marginalised and sidelined,” he said. “There’s X Factor and all that kind of thing, but you name me the last great band that came out of this country? There’s not really been any great bands in the last 10 years.”

Specifically lamenting the lack of exciting bands (adding that One Direction were “not a band” but a group), Gallagher said that Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian had done little in the last decade to expand the variety of musicians operating in an increasingly middle-class music industry: "Shame on those two bands for a start because they didn’t inspire anybody else. The working classes have not got a voice any more. There doesn’t seem to be a noise coming from the council estates, you know what I mean?

I’d have eaten Bastille alive in an afternoon in the 90s, one interview, destroyed, gone, never to be heard of again. Easy, had ’em for breakfast. My bass player summed it up – we’re constantly saying: ‘Where is the next band coming from?’ and he rightly says: ‘Never mind the band, where are the people?’”

Gallagher added: “When I first started I wanted to get in the charts and wreck it, like stamp Phil Collins out and Wet Wet Wet, they’ve got to go, and all that 80s gear, we don’t need that any more. I don’t see anything from the working class, I just don’t see it.”

The musician’s recent statements echo his comments from a 2013 interview in weekly men’s magazine Shortlist, claiming that it was only the “middle-class” bands that refused to play at Teenage Cancer Trust gigs taking place at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

The new album from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Chasing Yesterday, is released in March.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Check out the current collection and offers from Pretty Green here.

Record Store Day Unveils 2014 Releases: Oasis, Paul Weller, Nirvana, Jake Bugg, And More

Nirvana, Paul Weller and Oasis are among the artists who have contributed releases to Record Store Day 2014.

Paul Weller will release new material on a seven-inch, with the single limited to just 2,500 copies. Meanwhile, Nirvana's 'Pennyroyal Tea' will be released on the same format and Oasis' debut single 'Supersonic' will be re-released on 12-inch. A full list of all of this year's releases can be found on the official Record Store Day website.

David Bowie has outlined plans to release a seven-inch picture disc of 'Rock'N'Roll Suicide' in the UK. First released as a single in 1974, the new version is backed with 'Farewell Speech', recorded at the final Ziggy Stardust concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon in July, 1973.

Sex Pistols will release a limited-edition numbered seven-inch vinyl boxset which features alternate takes of 'Never Mind The Bollocks' tracks, plus two 1977 studio mixes of 'Belsen Was A Gas', including a previously unreleased demo version of the song.

'Live At Silver Platters, Seattle' is a four-track EP recorded by Jake Bugg at the singer-songwriter's January 20, 2014 instore show in the US city. It sees Bugg performing acoustic versions of tracks from his debut album and 2013 follow-up 'Shangri La', including breakthrough hit 'Lightning Bolt'.

Meanwhile, LCD Soundsystem's farewell concert, 'The Long Goodbye: LCD Soundsystem Live At Madison Square Garden', will come out as a five-LP set for Record Store Day, with a wider vinyl and digital release set for May 19. The recording will be an unabridged version of the band's final gig, coming in at almost four hours long.

Suede will put out their single 'Let Go' on vinyl for the first time. The track was originally released as a limited-run CD single in Sweden in 1999. The seven-inch will feature 'Heroin' as a B-side.

Green Day have announced plans to release 18 demos, including a previously unreleased track from recording sessions from the 2012 '¡Uno!', '¡Dos!' and '¡Tré!' trilogy. The release will be available on coloured vinyl, CD and cassette.

Savages, Drenge and Summer Camp are among the bands set to appear on a charity album released in conjunction with Record Store Day UK and War Child. War Child will be the official charity for this year's event and, together with XFM, a limited-edition record has been produced featuring the best of DJ John Kennedy’s X-Posure Sessions.

Other big name artists contributing to this year's event include Damon Albarn, The Beach Boys, Chvrches, Edwyn Collins, Disclosure, Fleetwood Mac, Haim, Joy Division, Kings Of Leon, Metronomy, OutKast, Slipknot and The Rolling Stones, while Temples and Jagwar Ma have teamed up for a split seven-inch.

A number of mystery artists have contributed to the Secret 7" project in which seven tracks are pressed onto vinyl 100 times before artists are invited to design one-of-a-kind sleeves for the records. The names of the seven artists and musicians will be revealed this Monday (March 24).

Chuck D has been named as the official ambassador of Record Store Day 2014. Speaking about his appointment, he commented: "In this age where industry has threaded the music sound with virtual sight and story I am honoured to be called upon to be Record Store Day Ambassador of 2014. With the masses, neck bent into their smartphones, let all of us music lovers GPS our way into a reality that is the record store. It's worth a great try, let's do this."

Record Store Day was launched in the US seven years ago, coming to the UK a year later.

Source: www.nme.com

Check out the current collection and offers from Pretty Green here.

Beady Eye, Muse, Foals And More Give Items To Be Sold In Aid Of Typhoon Victims

A host of bands including Beady Eye, Muse and Foals have donated special items to the Help 13 auction to raise money to help the survivors of the typhoon in the Philippines.

Among the list of items up for sale over the coming weeks include signed items by Suede and Pulled Apart By Horses as well as an exclusive collection of original artwork, collectible prints, signed singles and merchandise. The first auction begins today (November 29) and all money raised will go to the Oxfam Philippines Appeal.

Help Auction 13 was set up by Rebecca Vincent, a tattoo artist, who originally wanted to collect pieces from fellow artists and auction them off. Her husband, Pulled Apart By Horses drummer Lee Vincent suggested asking friends in bands to help too, which is when she enlisted the help of film-maker Charlotte Knight, who has worked with numerous bands.

"After the horrific effects of the recent typhoon in the Philippines, we called on friends and colleagues in the world of art and music to donate items and the response has been astounding," Rebecca Vincent said. "More people are getting in touch every day and the list of donations is growing and growing."

Pulled Apart By Horses' singer James Brown said: "Help Auction are helping people in this world that need help fast and now. So, to support something like this is beyond important to us and should also be for you."

Visit Help Auction 13's Facebook page here for more information.

Source: www.nme.com

Check out the current collection from Pretty Green's AW13 collection here.

Oasis Dominate 'Greatest Britpop Anthem Of All Time' Poll

Oasis have dominated a vote by NME readers to establish the Greatest Britpop Anthem Of All Time with the top five spots all being filled by songs from the band.

'Live Forever', the 1994 single taken from the bad's debut album 'Definitely Maybe', topped the poll and was closely followed by 'Don't Look Back In Anger', 'Supersonic' and 'Cigarettes & Alcohol', with 'Wonderwall' finishing in fifth spot. The Manchester band did not get any other songs into the top 20, however, with all of the remaining slots taken by songs from Pulp, Suede, Blur and Supergrass.

Pulp's 'Common People', which came top of the recent list compiled by NME writers and famous fans, finished in sixth spot. The Sheffield band proved popular with voters also selecting their songs 'Disco 2000', 'Sorted For E's & Wizz' and 'This Is Hardcore' in the top 20.

1. Oasis - 'Live Forever'
2. Oasis - 'Don't Look Back In Anger'
3. Oasis - 'Supersonic'
4. Oasis - 'Cigarettes & Alcohol'
5. Oasis - 'Wonderwall'
6. Pulp - 'Common People'
7. Suede - 'Animal Nitrate'
8. Blur - 'Girls & Boys'
9. Suede - 'Trash'
10. Blur - 'The Universal'
11. Blur - 'To The End'
12. Blur - 'Parklife'
13. Suede - 'The Drowners'
14. Blur - 'End Of A Century'
15. Pulp - 'Disco 2000'
16. Pulp - 'Sorted For E's & Wizz'
17. Supergrass - 'Alright'
18. Pulp - 'This Is Hardcore'
19. Blur - 'For Tomorrow'
20. Suede - 'The Wild Ones'

Source: www.nme.com

Noel Gallagher On Why Johnny Marr Can't Be Imitated As A Guitarist

A video paying tribute to Johnny Marr was shown at the NME Awards yesterday in which Stephen Street, Bernard Sumner, Sandie Shaw, Miles Kane, Suede, Edwyn Collins, Bernard Butler and former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke all paid tribute to Marr's talents.

Noel Gallagher also appeared on video to say: "He can't be imitated as a guitarist because he came up with something that was totally unique. He can play those riffs like it's the most natural thing in the world. It is natural to him and that's what separates great people from the rest; Neil Young has got it, Bob Dylan's got it, Keith Richards has got it, Jimmy Page and Paul Weller have got it and Johnny Marr has got it. He doesn't even grimace when he plays guitar, he looks like he's riding a fucking bike."

Picking up the award from NME Editor Mike Williams and Wood, Marr told the applauding crowd that his advice for new bands was to "just keep going, never give up because this is the best job in the world". Marr was then joined by Ronnie Wood and The Vaccines' Justin Young on a six-song set. Young sang on a cover of 'I Fought The Law', a Sonny Curtis song famously covered by The Clash, before Wood helped out on 'How Soon Is Now?'. The set concluded with another Smiths classic, 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out'.