The Relay Rips - Clementine Valentine NEW ALBUM

I'm very excited to announce that The Relay Rips (my husband Phil's band) are about to release their new album 'Clementine Valentine' which follows their debut album 'Oh Touche' from 2010.

The title track is one of my favourites, a story of young love, which reminds me of a low-fi  Graham Coxon style record with it's sweet story telling vocals and melodic guitars. I love the tongue in cheek story of the upbeat 'Two women on my Mind', 'Chevrons' is fantastic with inspired lyrics making it no ordinary love song and is, frankly, just asking to be part of a film soundtrack! My favourite record from the album is 'I don't wanna be your boy' a classic bit of skiffle-punk, a little bit rockabilly a little bit Bow Wow Wow - I want candy! There's even a bit of a burlesque/ Gypsy Rose Lee inspired horns at the beginning adding some retro provocateur. I love it! There is, of course, a more grown up side to the album as all of The Rips are great musicians and know exactly what they want from their records but for me I love the way the songs on this album seem punk inspired, a little naive at times, as if a kid was singing them to you. It takes you back to being a teenager and young love without the skin problems, nagging parents, curfews and angst fuelled hormones.

 

Clementine Valentine shall be released on Club Bang Records on 14th September. Available on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Fear Of Fiction and in store at Rise Records, Bristol.

Clementine Valentine mostly recorded and mixed at Toybox Studios, Bristol http://www.toyboxstudios.co.uk/

Clementine Valentine album cover art by Magda Osinska http://vimeo.com/magdaosinska

Poster for the launch party for Clementine Valentine. Designed by Igloo (AKA Peskimo) http://www.peskimo.com/

Photograph by Rebecca Faith Photography http://www.rebeccafaithphoto.com/

 

 

 Watch some album preview videos on www.TheRelayRips.com

 

 The Relay Rips perform upbeat & horn fuelled- folk rock,skiffle-punk, country-soul & rock n roll.

 

 

 The Relay Rips are having a launch party to celebrate the release of Clementine Valentine. Friday 14th September at The Grain Barge, Bristol, UK

http://www.facebook.com/events/338354269584778/

 

Be There or Be Square Daddio. ND xx

The Relay Rips - Oh Touche video

Oh my gosh! I haven't posted on my blog for a week! I could blame lack of sleep or lack of  time with the kids being off for the Easter holidays but I reckon it's the sunshine, in an unusually, very hot March, that has kept me away. All we Brits do is stay outside when the sunshines, as a British summertime is rare phenomenon these days. When else would we have the chance to top up on vitamin D and to wear our summer clothes?

As promised here is the first music video from The Relay Rips performing Oh Touche from their debut album of the same name filmed by Gavin Strange in the Shake King milkshake bar in Bristol, UK in 2011. As I said before The Relay Rips are about to release their second album also recorded at Toybox Studios, you can get their first album Oh Touche on  iTunes or Spotify.

I love this video! Check out my husband Phil on trumpet, my brother Mike on vocals / guitar, Steve on drums/ vocals and Jake on Sax! I love the jerky movements, it's a little spooky, in a good way. The Relay Rips used to rehearse in this milkshake bar every week (before it sadly shut down - damn recession!) and passers-by would watch them through the shutters as you will see on the film. More videos to come soon. ND xx

The Kids Are Alright - A Day Out At Toybox Studios

I have realised that I haven't mentioned my son's Lucian and Mika for a while and since we have recently been out on a family trip to Toybox Studios in Bristol, I thought it would be interesting to show you how they've grown and what they have been up to. We were lucky enough to go along and hang out at the recording studios for the afternoon, whilst the Toybox guys were off at ATP (All Tomorrows Parties) - a mini festival for musos and indie kids held at Butlins holiday camp in Minehead, UK. I was, of course, highly jealous that I wasn't at ATP this year too, but if I will go and have another baby......The Toybox guys were actually working but that's not the point, they were there!! 

How did we get to go to Toybox Studios then? Well, Steve, who is the drummer in The Relay Rips, a great band (the best in the world I have heard) my husband Phil plays trumpet, my brother Mike is lead vocals/ guitar and Jake, not related to me in anyway, on saxamaphone(sorry I cannot call it anything else since The Simpsons). Steve has a guitar repair unit at Toybox and also does many other things at Toybox....I imagine...he let us explore the cavernous studios and the boys (Lucian and Mika) got to play along, as percussionists, with The Relay Rips, as they rehearsed. Lucian played Phil's trumpet for a whole song too, which was amazing (his dad has given him cornet lessons since he was big enough to pick the cornet up) both boys had a go on the drums, they were really, very good for beginners, it was pretty impressive! I'd like to thank me for this as I took them both to my club Bang in my belly and used to practise the drums too. Ahem... I think they probably got their musical talent from their Daddy but I like to be more than just the baby growing machine! 

Here are a few photos of the day, taken by the lovely Stevie, thanks for letting us visit!!

Lucian and Mika at Toybox Studios, Bristol, March 2012  -Rock'n'Roll! If it's good enough for PJ Harvey and The Kills, it's good enough for the Ellicott Boys.

The Relay Rips Juniors - This is a more serious band pose, look at the attitude on Lucian! He looks older than 7 years old here and check out Mika's sunglasses on his t-shirt.....Can I just mention, I am not allowed to dress them anymore....what's that all about?? At least I get to buy their clothes....You still need me....

The Relay Rips (with Lucian and Naomi  - Mike's lovely girlfriend,). I had to hang out in another room as the music was too loud for little Sylvie's ears, damn it, I knew I should have got her some of those cute baby headphones you see at festivals.

The Relay Rips are about to release their second album recorded at Toybox Studios, you can also get their first album Oh Touche on  iTunes or Spotify, they are currently making music videos too, I will deffo post about these when I get them. ND xx