ART IS HARD is a small independent record label in Bristol (UK) run by two friends influenced by the attitude and ethics of labels such as Factory, Wichita, Anticon and Dischord. They have a strange habit: release things – mainly postcards – with music, but they published a scarf with download code too.

To celebrate their seventh birthday they asked seven label artists  Samuel Stacpoole from Black Tambourines, KEEL HER, /please/, The Death of Pop, Shunkan, Gorgeous Bully, Oro Swimming Hour to record a 50 second song. Each track is an infectious burst of garage balladry, lo-fi bliss or trademark jangle:

300 copies black 7″ flexidisc with gold foil artwork with a postcard containing a download code. And if you would like to get postcards with music regularly then join the club.

This South-London honky-tonk band was able disturbed me
with messages through various channels within a very short time
about their first single, called Entitled to Nothing

For example they wrote that „a blend of South-London scuzz incorporating elements country, electronic, post-punk and lo-fi. File next to bands such as Goat Girl, Meatraffle, Warmduscher, peeping Drexels and the Rebel”, but also Country Teasers. „Using vintage drum machines, synthesizers, guitars, bass and male/female vocals.” And thye are really just „like a drunken boat.” With Keel Her in the title song. She nowadays also appeared in other bands as Bin Bags, Administrators and maybe more.

But now I ask Jim from Honkies

– Hey! What is your temper?

– My temper is dependent on two things: bullishly high crypto-currency share prices and Hank Williams cover requests.

– Anyway what things annoy you in the weekdays?

– Lesser Honkies gigs, lesser Honkies activity.

Next gig on 20 July at the Bible Club in London

Anyway the 4th commandment of crypto currency trading: Don’t Panic.

Keel Her / Claire Cottrill split cassette

Keel Her aka Rose Jayne Keeler-Schäffeler is a London based alien-obsessed hyperactive girl from Brighton. Makes high standard lo-fi sometimes noisy bedroom pop. And managed by Satan. In 2012 the godfather of lo-fi, and World Champion of DIY home recordings, R. Steevie Moore invited her to play together at his studio in Memphis. And she is in The Bin Bags where playing violin, keys and vocals. Just released their first EP on Permanent Slump Records. (The third song in this playlist is from them.) She said in an interview: Being a female musician: it’s really fun, but sometimes lonely. I’m an outsider, but I always have been, regardless.

Claire Cottrill is a very young girl from Boston (Massachusetts, US). With her guitar she makes music under the influence of sixties soul and r’n’b and Korn.

Split cassette on Third Floor Tapes (Ardmore – formerly Athensville -, Pennsylvania, US)

High standard lo-fi noisy bedroom pop from Brighton by an alien-obsessed hyperactive girl, Rose Jayne Keeler-Schäffeler aka Keel Her. Demos of 2014 with Da, Da, Da (Trio) cover

In 2012 the godfather of lo-fi, and World Champion of DIY home recordings, R. Steevie Moore invited her to play together at his studio in Memphis. Her debut album was released in March on Critical Heights.

Fire Records is a British independent record label. In his roster: Blank Realm, Guided By Voices, Half Japanese, Las Kellies, Mission of Burma, Pere Ubu, Bardo Pond, Jad Fair. And some name from the past: Pulp, Chuck Prophet, Television Personalities, Lemonheads, Spaceman 3, Gun Club, Urge Overkill, Neutral Milk Hotel, Teenage Fanclub, Adverts. Fire throws a birthday party with his best new artists this evening. It will be streamed live. The gig starts at 8pm GMT (UK), 9pm CEST (Europe), 4am JST (Japan), 5am AEST (Australia), 3pm EDT (US East Coast), 12 noon PDT (US West Coast). Timing in GMT:

8:10PM – SCRAPS (AUS) > Weird minimal synth pop under influence of style of the 80s.
8:50PM – FAWN SPOTS (UK) > Punk rock trio. Devotees of early Joy Divison/Warsaw, Hüsker Dü and Rites of Spring. Razor edged, lightning fast short blasts of hyperactive noise with bittersweet melodies.
9:30PM – KEEL HER (UK) > High standard lo-fi experimental bedroom pop.
10:10PM – SCOTT & CHARLENE’S WEDDING (AUS) > “I’m a fucking furniture removalist from Adelaide. I write down-and-out pop songs. I write songs about every job that I do.”

STREAM HERE