Hobbit House Collective - 2 x 7"

 Latest Fruits de Mer double 7” featuring covers of Fleetwood Mac, Led Zep, and a new original track!

 

The latest release from what is surely now a nationally treasured institution. I’m talking of course about the wonderful Fruits de Mer Record label. It’s 14 years since they first pressed music onto vinyl, since when they’ve put out a veritable treasure trove of psychedelia, acid-folk, prog, krautrock and spacerock. Much of it highly collectable, all worth investigating.

The label’s most recent offering is this double vinyl 7” featuring long-time friends of the label, Crystal Jacqueline, Icarus Peel, The Honey Pot and The Locker Room Cowboys. Grouped together as the Hobbit House Collective they’ve put together four tracks that draw from the early ‘70s rock scene. Crystal Jacqueline does a brilliant version of Zep’s ‘Battle Of Evermore’ featuring stellar guest violin from Curved Air’s Darryl Way. Furthering the Zep love-in is The Honey Pot’s take on ‘Ramble On’.

Icarus Peel does a storming version of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’, and to round things off there’s an equally impressive original track, ‘Wolfgang Does the Nurburgring’ by The Locker Room Cowboys. The latter is a four-minute instrumental featuring full-on guitar heroics, heavy organ, and conga drum groove. What’s not to like?! 

 

1. Crystal Jacqueline – The Battle Of Evermore (Led Zeppelin)

2. The Honey Pot – Ramble On (Led Zeppelin)

3. Icarus Peel’s Acid Reign – The Chain (Fleetwood Mac)

4. The Locker Room Cowboys – Wolfgang Does the Nurburgring (Icarus Peel) 

 

Click here for the Fruits de Mer website

 

Office for Personal Development - You Are In Control

New Band, New Direction, New Era. Motivation meets Europop!

 

As we work our way through February’s slow wintry days, January already seems like a distant memory, the early days of the new year feel life a lifetime away. If, like me, you made one or two new year resolutions which have already been broken, there is still a chance of redemption. It’s not too late to re-commit.

Appearing at just the right time to help with any form of self-improvement is a new band (or should that be focus group?) called Office For Personal Development. Their latest track is called ‘You Are In Control’, the video for which is posted below. Mixing synth led Europop with a corporate branded boosterism, they’re a band for these strange, hard times, guaranteed to help you become the best version of yourself.

 Eagle-eyed viewers may spot an old friend of Harmonic Distortion at the helm. OPD vocalist Trevor Deeble released a string of albums as one half of Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou, superb folk-pop harmonists who may at some point, we hope, be back.

As we head deeper into the 21^st century however, it’s time for new directions, new ideas, new music and possibly a new you. With that in mind, please enjoy the latest offering from the Office For Personal Development. 

 

Click here for the OPD website

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Click here for the OPD on Instagram