Releases

Tiny Ruins & a Singer of Songs – Little Notes (extended player) – USED005

a Singer of Songs lives in Barcelona while Tiny Ruins is from New Zealand.

The two knew each other through their music, but had not met. This all changed in 2010, when they embarked on a small and noble tour of northern Spain.

One hospital visit, one birthday cake, several piggy-back rides, a couple of tequilas and thousands of wrong turns later, and they’d recorded six songs during one week, in the room of a charming old apartment in Barcelona. Release 6 december 2010

Track listing:

1) Little Notes
2) Feathers
3) Running Through The Night
4) Lost Son
5) Down South
6) Please Don’t Forget Me

Reviews:

Slowcoustic – ” All the songs move gracefully over willing ears and find both voices intertwined seamlessly. There is something about duets, when done right they can really elevate a song and it has done so here.”
EarDrumsMusic – “6 stunningly beautiful songs, most of them with Hollie’s vocals in front, surrounded by acoustic guitars, subtle strings and an atmosphere worth the price of the EP and more on its own.”
Vue Weekly – “Guided by a calculated minimalism underneath quiet engulfing voices, a Singer of Songs’ liquid baritone cuddles the haunting velour of Tiny Ruins femme fatale vocals for a solid six songs.”
Folk Radio UK – “The vocals unravel and wrap around you tugging on your thoughts; it’s one that will refuse to let go until properly digested. After all misery and loneliness do love company so make sure you lend an ear to listen.”
Is This Music? – “[...]the album is stunning at times, especially in its ability to create beautiful acoustic soundscapes, accentuated by whimsical lyrics and dreamy vocals – a package that’s quite rare to find in artists these days.”

The Hillfields – Come Outside (extended player) – USED004

The Hillfield’s follow up their debut album with six tracks reflecting back on teenages dreams and frustrations. Recorded again with Simon Trought at Soup Studios. Release 7 june 2010

Track listing:

1) Colour It In
2) Talk Too Much
3) Not On Holiday
4) Mix Tape
5) Canvey Island Queen
6) What Did You Mean?

Reviews:

Sounds XP – “It’s an altogether refreshing relief from identikit indiepop.”
EarDrumsMusic – “The new ep sounds darker and rougher than the album, with a sound full of references to bands from the early and mid 80s.. In spite of all the influences, they have a sound of their own, they sound like The Hillfields.”
IndieMP3 – “Whether you like indiepop in general or music inspired by the likes of Flying Nun or Liverpool in the early 1980′s then this should be an essential purchase.”
360 Degrees of Seperation – “All the songs on Come Outside EP deserve our attention, for one reason or another.”

a Singer of Songs – old happiness (long player) – USED003

the second outing from the Belgian bard of Barcelona. 13 songs to see you through the night til the sun comes up. including collabations with Tiny Ruins, Ana Franco, Becca Gordon, and Craven Canary. Joint release with HiFive4Lofi Records. Release 5 january 2010

Track listing:

1) Old happiness
2) Slow river
3) Road to nowhere
4) The bunker
5) Little time
6) Rabbit hole
7) I shall break that horse
8) Stray bullets
9) Cavalry walks
10) Wrath
11) Lonely one
12) Them & you
13) Pretty lies

Reviews:

The Metro – “…it’s also pretty lovely: lo-fi lullaby folk that falls on the ears as gently as snowflakes.”
oddbox – “I think Johnny Cash would have been proud to hear this singer sing these songs.”
slowcoustic – “Songs like “Calvary Walks”, “Slow River” and “Lonely One” drift by you and almost melt into the walls around you – you have to listen”
Ondarock – “nostalgic atmosphere of…memories that unexpectedly took the form of a song.”

The Hillfields – it’ll never be the same again (long player) – USED001

recorded over many months, underground at cult East London recording dungeon, Soup Studios, with Simon Trought, this album brings together old favourites with a bunch of new songs, noisy to bittersweet and most points in between… Release 5 october 2009

Track listing:

1) down on you
2) lolife
3) afterburn
4) no more no more
5) (this might be) antifolk
6) spoon
7) haul
8) winsome/lostit
9) medicated
10) 1953
11) postcard from home

Reviews:

EarDrumsMusic – “These are perfect pop songs with verses and choruses that make you want to listen again and again.”

OddBox – “The band have managed to combine the delicate guitars with some fine sonic moments…The Hillfields have made a fine record.”

A Layer of Chips – “It certainly doesn’t sound like a debut album at all.”

SoundsXP -”39 minutes of indie pop gold”

The Sheffield Phonographic Society – “Comparisions to Close Lobsters, McCarthy, House Of Love and 14 Iced Bear immediately spring to mind. Very highly recommended.”

Dans Le Mur du Son – “…a member of the long line of craftsmen of classy British pop.”

360 degrees of Seperation – “If this is a first work, then the future is more than promising.”

Afterburn (single) – USED002

Lead track from The Hillfields debut album, and our first release on Underused Records. Digital only.

Track listing:

1) Afterburn

Reviews:

In Love With These Times – “Warm, brooding, with prowling bass and only faintly jingle-jangling guitar before post-thirlwall vocals swoop to decorate the cake with enigmatic slivers of verse”
IndieMP3 – “Aiming for a double top!”

A Visit (extended player)

originally released on Cloudberry Records as a limited edition 3″ CD (sold out), the digital edition includes Spoon, which the 2008 Dandelion Radio / John Peel Festive 50 poll ranked all the way up at number 9.

Track listing:

1) A Visit
2) Winsome / Lostit
3) The Front Room
4) Spoon

Reviews:

Heaven Is Above Your Head – “Any fan of Flying Nun outfits like The Chills and The Verlaines will dig the songs on A Visit”

In Love With These Times – “A mature, rewarding debut.”

Boyd – Side Ways EP

A collection of songs recorded with Ian Catt (Saint Etienne, The Field Mice) in 2006.

Track listing:

1) Oh Fern
2) Side Ways
3) Safe and Sound
4) Viva Left Handers
5) She’s down again.