Summer is here!
Where’s summer gone?
Unpredictable weather and Eurocentricities in both footballing and political terms aside, things are heating up for a very busy summer. We have been very lucky to have hosted a bunch of awesome shows over the last few weeks including the first visits to Dundee from Jaded Eyes and Andrew Cream, the returns of Sink Alaska and Carson Wells plus top quality sets from our friends Boak, Chrissy Barnacle, Skelped, Elk Gang and more in Conroy’s Basement. Things seem to be evolving naturally and we look forward to having some exciting news to share on that front soon.
We have also had the distinct pleasure of being involved in two new releases over the last couple of weeks, both of which have been in the planning for a while, so it is definitely a thrill to finally have them out in the world!
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The “ScreamerSongwriter” LP by Danish folkcore singer/songwriter Stoj Snak was released on Thursday 9th June worldwide through a coalition of labels including ourselves and our comrades at 5FeetUnder Records, TNSrecords, Angry Music Records, Dullest Records, WOOAAARGH, Carlos Palacios & Youlooklikeshit records.
The album is available from MTAT on unique green/yellow splatter vinyl and as a free/pay-what-you-want download from our bandcamp page. We only have a limited number of physical copies of the LP left and this first pressing is strictly limited to 444 hand-numbered copies in a beautiful screenprinted gatefold sleeve, so please act fast if you want to grab one.
Stage invasion at the Lachance EP launch
Friday 3rd June also saw the release of the “Sunrise” EP from Dundee’s own heart-on-sleeve, fist-in-the-air emotional punk rockers Lachance. We celebrated with an engaging and rowdy launch show in a beautiful atmosphere in the basement featuring the aforementioned Carson Wells and Sink Alaska plus hometown pals Please, Believe and Tragical History Tour. Entirely self-produced, the EP has been a cathartic labour of love for the band and we couldn’t be happier with how the record has come out.
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Huge thanks to everyone who came out for the shows and everyone who both pre-ordered and bought/downloaded the EP since release. The EP is available on limited edition CDEP and comes in a printed cardboard sleeve with full lyric sheet, as well as being up for free/pwyw download on our Bandcamp page.
It also seems that we are going to hit 100 releases at some point this year, so we’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the bands that we’ve worked with over the years for entrusting us with your music. It is truly our privilege to be able to help our supremely talented and creative friends bring their ideas into fruition and out into the world. For a label that started out of necessity, to be in a position to help and support others is not a responsibility that we take lightly.
As such, the full current 92 release MTAT back catalogue is available for download for only 32 quid from our Bandcamp page. We’ve recently exceeded ten thousand downloads on that page over the last four years, which is absolutely mindboggling for us. We can’t thank everyone enough for supporting what we do. The most important thing to us is to get the music in peoples’ ears and spread the good word.
Thank you also to everyone who continues to donate for their downloads; every single penny that comes into MTAT goes straight back into other projects. To know that there are people who support us in these endeavours is heartening in the extreme!
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Looking ahead, we’ve got a big week coming up with some of Scotland’s best indie and punk rock bands coming to visit us in Dundee, kicking off with what should be a peach of a sweaty basement punk show in Conroy’s on Saturday 18th June.
WOMPS released their Steve Albini-produced “Our Fertile Forever” LP this Friday. We are very much looking forward to hosting them in Conroy’s Basement this coming Saturday alongside Stonethrower, YUCKS and Holy Snakes (first show!). On a personal note, we’ve been friends with Ewan of WOMPS for over a decade now and are very proud of what they have achieved in the time since we hosted the first Algernon Doll acoustic show in Poppies Cafe, Perth way back in 2009. The LP is also a cracker and I look forward to getting my hands on a copy at the show.
We are very also very much looking forward to our friends Stonethrower returning to action for the action, refreshed and recharged as a three piece. Likewise, we look forward to welcoming Aberdeen scuzz punks Yucks to Conroy’s for the first time at a show that will also bear witness to the debut show from Dundee rock’n’roll troublemakers Holy Snakes.
TINS FOR TUNES will be back in operation at this show in support of Dundee Foodbank. Please feel free to bring toiletries/health/hygiene/personal care products to exchange for music. There will be a box by the MTAT distro for donations. Any support in this endeavour would be very much appreciated. For a list of suggested items, please check this page.
The following day in Dundee is the Tin Roof Closing Party. Sadly, our comrades at Tin Roof are leaving their current premises and will be exploring new ways for their collective. We are honored to host the final show at Tin Roof at as part of the closing ceremonies of Tin Roof Zine Fair running in partnership with Print Festival Scotland.
Tin Roof has been a vital part of the Dundee arts scene since inception and have always been very supportive of MTAT, hosting a number of shows including Pre-BYAF back in 2012. We are very pleased to have been invited back one last time and are delighted to bring together a diverse bill of some of Dundee’s finest with our friends and former “Tin Roof House Band” The Shithawks bringing their rukus dance moves to the warehouse one last time.
The Tin Roof BYOB BBQ will precede events from 4pm with the show kicking off at 7pm.
Wrapping up what should be a great week of music is the kick-off night of the PAWS‘ UK Tour in support of their brand new “No Grace” LP. Produced by Mark Hoppus of Blink 182 and released through FatCat Records, “No Grace” distills Paws to their purest essence hones by endless touring, writing and surviving on the road. It’s an exhilarating 28 minutes and another record I look forward to having in hand.
They will joined on tour in the UK by our pals The Spook School and for one night only in Dundee by Scotland’s premier west central Scotland pop punks The Kimberly Steaks and Captain Chaos, the current project of Ghost Mice / Plan-It-X Records DIY journeyman Chris Clavin. This should be a fairly wild one and will be starting sharp. E-tickets are recommended available for seven quid here and will be eight on the door. There are also a limited number of physical tickets remaining at Groucho’s.
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Finally, we’ve got some awesome shows coming in July plus a SECRET SHOW that will be happening on Saturday 9th July. Full details will emerge very shortly but we are very excited to be welcoming some of our all time favourite human beings back to Dundee for what should be a whole night of fun on Jonny Domino’s birthday.
Exeter’s finest political and socially conscious melodic punk The Cut Ups return to Dundee on Thursday 21st July for the first time since moonlighting as Franz Nicolay’s backing band way back in November of 2013. They’ll be supporting their fourth full-length LP and we are absolutely delighted to have one of the first bands we ever hosted as a collective back in Dundee to help us celebrate ten years of MTAT. One of the best, most engaging punk rock bands in the country, this should be a special treat in the basement. Top quality supports from Get It Together, Robot Doctors and Broken Stories too.
We are stoked to host this peach on Sunday 31st July. Abjects are a raging garage/punk three-piece from London Town and bring their fierce Cramps/riotgrrl influenced dark fiery punk rock to Dundee for the first time as they wrap up their weekend of Scottish dates with kindred spirits Halfrican. Forest Fires from Aberdeen will join The Sparrowhawk Orkestrel for what is a truly unique ass-kicker of a bill that should provide four fine flavours of rock’n’roll goodness for a Sunday night!
Finally, Earlybird Weekend Tickets are available for Book Yer Ane Fest X and there are also still a couple of 2016 MTAT Half Season Tickets left online. You can grab one of these and/or e-tickets for other upcoming shows here.
Phew, that took a little longer than originally expected!
There are some great things to look forward to throughout summer and the rest of the year. We’re working on some pretty cool things that we look forward to sharing with you soon. In the meantime, there’s loads of cheap records/CDs/tapes/shirts to be found here. Thanks a lot for all the support, as ever.
Cheers!
Derrick (MTAT)
