208 Records

News.

5th April 2018

The Sitting Tenants new CD Adventures in Lo-Fi' Recorded over four days worth of sessions in 2017; the songs are catchy, yet raw, powerful but retaining the feeling of the records we loved by The Kinks, John Lee Hooker, The Downliners Sect, & early those singles by The Who. OUT NOW!

https://thesittingtenants.bandcamp.com/album/adventures-in-lo-fi

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14th March 2017

208 RECORDS has licensed a track to Rolling Stone Magazine which will be given away as part of the 50th anniversary of the Sgt Pepper Beatles album this spring. The track will be a groovy Hammond instrumental of the title track as performed by northants based 208 act THE STRIDES, which we issued back in 2010. We are now also repromoting the album from which this is taken; they were a great band. Out now!

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5th Feb 2017

AVAILABLE ON CD FRIDAY 17th FEBRUARY 2017. The third album by The Sitting Tenants. British R&B psych-garage-rock, original material. Two guitars, throbbing bass, steamhammer drums & wailing blues harp. Noisy feedback, harmonies. Inspired sometimes by The Pretty Things The Kinks or The Downliners Sect. ''A breath of fresh air'' SIMON WELLS - Mojo Magazine. ''A great band'' MATTHEW PRIEST - Dodgy

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28th June 2016

Out this autumn on 208. A compilation of the 208 Records releases by Sussex based author/singer-songwriter Simon Wells. "Some notes I made earlier" covers the years 2010-2015 & features a selection of tracks from the three albums we released. Expect highlights from "Sometimes in the morning", "The shopkeepers Son", & "The idle poet" as well as a new track especially recorded for this collection, the superb "Montrose".

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19th September 2016

A great new work in progress is the 3rd album by Wilts based power pop-garage rock band The Sitting Tenants. This work features a return to their early Pretty Things roots, with clanging guitars & wailing harmonica, following their well-received semi-acoustic album from 2015 entitled "Spring, autumn & next Tuesday". A January 2017 release is expected.

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19th November 2015

Out now on 208. 'Spring, autumn & next Tuesday' by psych/power-pop band The Sitting Tenants. This collective of musicians write & perform their own material, both electrically & acoustically, as part of the 208 RECORDS collective. This, their second album was recorded on acoustic instruments, with an early Pink Floyd Brit-psych feel, in contrast to the garage rock roots of the début 'From The Ground up' released in 2012.

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10th July 2015

Author, musician & Shindig! favourite SIMON WELLS has a new album entitled THE IDLE POET. To be released on Friday 31st July on 208 Records. This is the final part of of his 208 Records trilogy & is the follow up to the acclaimed 'The Shopkeeper's Son' from 2014. This set of songs is once again designed to evoke & entertain. No flash technology was used in the recording of this work, just good songwriting, & simple, crafted arrangements. Influences and comparisons are made to Nick Drake, Ronnie Lane, McCartney & Ray Davies. Simon Wells is both an author, with 'Quadrophenia – a way of life' & 'Butterfly on a Wheel' among many titles. As a musician, his soulful, quirky & pastoral work is an instant addition to the canon of classic British singer songwriters.

Beautifully recorded at Bentham Studio, Wiltshire, by Dug Wolfsohn.

''Really, really good. Time will judge this music to be even better still''

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21st April 2015

A new album, by The Sitting Tenants entitled 'Spring, Autumn & Next Tuesday'. Out August 2015 on 208 Records. Not as electric, or lively as the 2012 debut, but a jaunty, English, psychedelic whimsy surrounds this work.

Presented by 208 Records,available on download & CD soon.

17th November 2014

A new artist adding to our acoustic music rosta is Sid Bloomfield, who's album 'Ganderflanking' is now out on 208 Records. Sid sings & accompanies himself on ukulele, sometimes solo, sometimes with a full band. Sid sings numerous songs regarding rural Wiltshire life, & also delivers two monologues in his own inimitable manner.

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16th February 2015

Out soon on 208. The new album by power-poppers The Sitting Tenants. This is a new departure for the band, with a set of semi-acoustic songs not normally performed live, given a quirly 'psychedelic treatment. The album entitled, 'Spring, Autumn, & Next Tuesday' is out in April.

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7th October 2014

Out now on 208. Homeless Romantic by Chris Jeffries. This concept album is a tribute to the poverty-stricken; a tale for today rooted in American music from the hungry 1930's. Acoustic guitars, a stand up bass, guitars & violins tell the tale.

If Lou Reed had lived in the '30s and had an affinity for moonshine instead of heroin, he would sound dangerously close to the delicate rootsiness of what Chris Jeffries is creating. Combining the swagger of Mr. Reed with the bad-luck living and roaring fingerpicking of folk stalwarts like Lead Belly, Jeffries creates a sound that could be plucked straight out of the great American songbook.

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26th August 2014

Out on October 2014 on 208. A new album by US psych-pop band Beyond From Within. Their debut album is full of catchy pop with suitably psychedelic trappings, from swirling, backwards guitars to free-flowing keyboard flourishes, & is a must for the neophyte psychedelian.

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25th July 2014

A new album out soon from Wiltshire musician, monologue artist & raconteur Sid Bloomfield. The album recorded here at 208 featured 12 semi-acoustic rural songs together with Sid's monologues recorded in his own inimitable manner! A fixture on the festival circuit for years, this is the 1st collection of Sid's songs under his own name. Out in October on CD & download.

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7th June 2014

208 Records is proud to promote the Holt Village Music Festival. Once again, this small Wiltshire village promotes the cream of original music talent, with headline act The High Town Crows, providing original rockabilly sounds.

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27th January 2014.

Out now 'The Shopkeepers' Son' from author turned performer Simon Wells. Echoes of Nick Drake, Ronnie Lane & McCartney abound. We are delighted with this album, & great things are expected from Simon this year.

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29th November 2013

sees the release of the new Simon Wells EP 'Little Dave'. The title track is a preview from the new album 'The Shopkeepers son', out in January.

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29th September 2013

sees the release of a new project recorded at Bentham Studios, Wiltshire. The Twisted Lanes features songs by Rob Dady & John Denman. The songs are melodic & wistful, with influences ranging from Skip Spence, Bill Fay, The Pentangle & Davy Graham. More gigs to follow next year.

13th August 2013

We are extremely proud to present this, our latest blues roots release on 208. Pignose featuring Pete Cousins is an album recorded here using little in technology, & loads of blues gospel & soul grit. Hailing from Swindon, Wiltshire, Pete has has a 50 year career delivery Blues, Gospel & Soul in bands which have seen him tour stadiums with The Kinks to delivering a perfect evening in small pubs with his soul combo. Here the true voice of the blues, on this, his latest album

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7th June 2013

This summer on 208: Following our promotion day at Holt Festival, we can now announce new albums from Simon Wells, The Sitting Tenants & new signings The Twisted Lanes."

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8th February 2013

Out on CD and download, our latest signing James Wing And The Roves. With an average age of 22 and influences from The Beatles and The Kinks to The La's and The Walker Brothers. Their debut album puts them in the forefront of the British songwriting roots movement as spearheaded by Jake Bugg and The Vaccines.

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7th December 2012

A new EP from author & musician Simon Wells. 'The Saturday Girl EP' features the title track, plus bonus tracks live from The Troubadour club in West London. Simons' new album is being recorded ready for release in spring next year. In the meantime, check out his new book 'The Tripping Horse' available now from the usual outlets.

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30th November 2012

Out now, 'The Sound of 208 Records'. A compilation of our first 3 years. 18 tracks from the likes of Connett, The Master Colony, Simon Wells, The Anydays, & Mr. Bridger among others. Otherwise unavailable tracks also featured including Speakeasy, with Purple Heart Simon Stebbing.

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9-9-2012

The Sitting Tenants are a power-pop psych band from Wiltshire. Here is their first album, entitled 'From The Ground Up'. All the tunes are short & to the point & are influenced by the Kinks, The Misunderstood, The Buzzcocks, & The Prisoners.  If you like good tunes, recorded nosily, with bits of 12 String Rickenbacker, lots of harmonica & quite a bit of feedback, then this is the album for you.

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8-6-2012

208 band The Unsung Heroes support no1 album band The View at KU in Stockton on Tees on Sunday 10th June.

The Unsung Heroes debut single Thats Reality available here on 208 on both CD & download.

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29-4-2012

Here at 208 Records, we are chuffed to announce the release of our new signings BLAKE. Lead by Birmingham born musician Julian Pugsley,  his band have recorded their new work, entiles 'Stay Human'. These full time Beatles obsessives have delivered a conceptual album over 10 tracks.

COMING SOON ON 208:

 THE DEBUT SINGLE BY YOUNG MODDISH STOCKTON ON TEES BAND'THE UNSUNG HEROES' 

A LIVE EP BY SIMON WELLS, 'FROM THE TROUBADOUR'

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30-3-2012

Cult ska sensation Erin Bardwell has his single for release on 208. Moody Man is available on CD, download and 7" single.

Available April 4th.

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30-11-2011

As a way of marking 2 years of great bands & great records, we are pleased to announce that our first compilation, "The sound of 208 Records" will be available to buy in spring 2012. Featuring not only Connett, The Anydays, The Master Colony & Mr. Bridger, but new tracks by new signings The Sitting Tenants, & a track from the new album by Spesakeasy!

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7-9-2011

208 Records singer-songwriter & author Simon Wells is on the promotion trail not only with his new album entitled 'Sometimes in the morning' but also with his new book 'Butterfly on The Wheel:The Great Rolling Stones Drugs Bust'  about a News of the World set up in early 1967. (topical stuff this, what with the Murdoch inquisition!!).

Simons' music is influenced by great English songwriters such as Nick Drake, Ray Davies & Steve Winwood, a very rustic English sound. The album features sleeve notes from Oasis/Weller/Small Faces biographer Poalo Hewitt.

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4-6-2011

The new Simon Wells LP - Sometimes In The Morning.

Out Now!

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16-5-2011

The new single by The Master Colony is out now! The double A side - Let Us Have Our Way / Take Me Away. Both taken from the LP Time For Change. Also includes the previously unreleased B side Fools Paradise.

Available now from the 208 Shop.

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2-5-2011.

The Anydays - Move!

Out now in the 208 shop.

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15-4-2011.

Phil James - The Saturday Night Blues EP.

Out now in the 208 shop.

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9-4-2011.

Simon Wells - Celia Moon.

The new single. Available now in the 208 shop.

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8-4-2011.

Connett - Love and Curses.

The new LP. Available now in the 208 shop.

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12-3-2011.

THE SOUND, FACE & MIND OF 2011

from today, on i-tunes, the debut album from the most talented young band in Britain, The Master Colony.The album 'Time for Change' is already available by mail order or download direct from 208. Checkout the sharpest sounds today!

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3-3-2011.

208 Records is pleased to announce the sponsorship of the 2011 London mod-fest 'A little bit mixed up' at The Fiddlers Elbow, Camden on 18th June 2011. Further info from doublebreasted@hotmail.com

Coming soon, new albums from Connett, Mr.Bridger, Simon Wells & The Anydays.

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12-2-2011.

The Master Colony LP "Time For Change" Is out today!

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28-11-2010.

The Band Of Dragons EP - Pub Rockers is out now!

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9-10-2010.

The Strides EP is out now! Funky Hammond Boogaloo R&B!

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17-9-2010.