Tuesday 29 November 2011

Rough Trade in PARIS!!!



Rough Trade Shops On Tour is back in Paris with its' winter collection this December and we're now pleased to announce our in-store events that will be taking place from when we officially open the doors on Friday 9th December at 7pm.

Rough Trade on Tour - Winter Collection will focus on the best albums of 2011, Rough Trade's Album of The Year and a typical Rough Trade edit of only the very best new music on vinyl and CD plus an eclectic selection of Christmas gifts and stocking fillers.

Just as Rough Trade Shops in London are much more than simply places to buy music, but also where you get to see and hear live bands up close, Rough Trade On Tour will feature live performances and signing sessions. A taste for Parisians of just what a great record store experience adds to a city’s cultural richness.

INSTORE LISTINGS FOR THE WEEK IN ROUGH TRADE CHEZ AGNÈS B, 6 RUE DU JOUR, 75001 PARIS, FRANCE...

FRIDAY 9th DECEMBER (PRESS LAUNCH)




7.30pm LEILA (DJ SET)
Anglo-Iranian electronica princess, returns with her second album on Warp and the fourth album of her career. Awaited Blood, Looms and Blooms in 2008, the U & I album released January 16, 2012.
With the Berlin Mt.Sims (Gigolo Records) accompanying her on several tracks creating spectral mysterious sounds. Leila will be honoring us with her presence for a dj set in the ephemeral Rough Trade Shop on tour.



8.30pm SCRATCH MASSIVE (DJ SET)
Celebrating the launch of new album "Nuit de Reve" released earlier this year, this soundtrack from the future features Jimmy Somerville (from Bronski Beat and The Communards), Koudlam, Daniel Agust from Gus Gus, and Chloé. Deep cinematic moods tainted with 80's sensations.

For the opening of the Rough Trade Shop on Tour at agnès b., Scratch Massive will perform an exclusive set as DJ.
For this occasion and to celebrate the partnership between agnès b. and Scratch Massive, a tee shirt will also be on sale soon.

SATURDAY 10th DECEMBER



3pm PHILIPPE COHEN SOLAL FROM GOTAN PROJECT (DJ SET)

Philippe's DJ-Sets are a strong, organic fusion and combination of the electronic Tango music, cumbia digital, tropical bass, and moombahton, also including several unreleased Gotan remixes as well as excellent Latin sounding orientated dance music.

MONDAY 12th DECEMBER



7.30pm ROUGH TRADE ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2011 “JOSH T PEARSON “

Rough Trade's Number One Album Of The Year 2011, Josh T Pearson will be making an appearance in store on Monday 12th December at 7.30pm performing songs from the Rough Trade Christmas Bonus Disc and signing records and merchandise.


TUESDAY 13th DECEMBER



7.30pm WE HAVE BAND (LIVE)

We Have Band are three friends. Darren Bancroft plus husband and wife duo Thomas and Dede Wegg-Prosser met whilst working at a record label, left to form a band, play Glastonbury, release an album that was critically acclaimed by everyone from NME to Dazed & Confused and tour the world. So far, so good!

A stylistic leap on from their debut album, the second entitled ‘Ternion” due for release in January is an intensely personal album that manages to be both uplifting and melancholic.

We Have Band have announced their upcoming 2012 tour, but will give a special French premiere of their new songs in the Rough Trade Shop on the 13th of December.


WEDNESDAY 14th DECEMBER




7pm JARVIS COCKER presents his book “Mother, Brother, Lover”

To celebrate the launch of his new book Jarvis Cocker will be talking about and reading from 'Mother, Brother, Lover', at Rough Trade On Tour chez agnès b.

Widely regarded as one of the most gifted lyricists of his age, and a funny, wry, tender and insightful observer of the human condition in all its minute and arch glory. Jarvis Cocker's first collection of selected lyrics will be presented by the man himself using PowerPoint and followed by a signing session.

THURSDAY 15th DECEMBER




7pm SBTRKT (DJ SET)
SBTRKT is no stranger to writing, recording and releasing music. To date he's had multiple releases on Brainmath, Numbers, Ramp, Monkeytown and now home label Young Turks. Add to that reworkings of Radiohead and Goldie, and remixes of Modeselektor... However, this is his first full-length album. "This release is the culmination of a longer period of constant writing and collaboration, tracks on previous EPs were written as singular pieces. This record is much more of a whole project, more representative of my thoughts and ideas as an artist and each track was completed with the aim to be coherent together."

SBTRKT's debut album pulls off a series of impressive feats: it's bursting with fresh ideas, and yet it sounds immediately familiar. It's sound-patterns and rhythms can easily soundtrack the ecstatic hands in the air dance floor moments as well as reliving the monotony of the morning commute. Its influences are incorporated with subtlety and sophistication: dense enough to interpret, light enough to dance to.

FRIDAY 16th DECEMBER



4pm – 5.30pm ED BANGER AFTERNOON TEA & MUSIC
Featuring BUSY P, and FEADZ before their party at Showcase. Feadz plus the label's head, Busy Pedro are inviting you to Rough Trade On Tour chez agnès b to share some tea, cupcakes and music.

Time to celebrate the newest releases from Ed Banger. Signed copies, bonus CDs, Cool Cats merchandising and tickets to giveaway.

SATURDAY 17th DECEMBER



3pm CUBENX (DJ SET)
New architect of contemporary Techno. Mexican born Cubenx pays homage to the late 80's British scene with the launch of his debut album "On Your Own Again".

To stay updated on exclusive in-store events taking place at Rough Trade On Tour chez agnès b please follow us on Twitter @roughtradepopup

Christmas At Rough Trade East



On THURSDAY 8th DECEMBER from 6pm until 10pm, Rough Trade East is hugely excited to invite you to our inaugural Christmas Market. As Christmas is a time for seeing old friends, we’ve invited a VERY select guestllst of boutique vendors to come down for the night, help the party go off with a bang, and give you a unique opportunity to chat to the people behind your favourite products.

The first one hundred customers through the door on the night will be given a Rough Trade goodie tote bag containing a small gift from each of our vendors. Designer Ella Doran will be offering a very special, vinyl inspired, gift wrapping service for all customers' purchases on the night too.

In the Rough Trade Café, Leila McAlister, founder of the esteemed Leila's Cafe, will be helping serve the very best seasonal food treats, alongside Raef Hodgson, founder of natural wine emporium Gergovie Wines, who'll also be on hand to explain the delicious natural wine offer, available by the glass and bottle-to-go.

Our Album Of The Month for December is by Jeb Loy Nichols. Jeb will be joining us for the evening playing songs from his new album “The Jeb Loy Nichols Special”, followed by a DJ set of country soul classics by Ross Allen.

More details about each of the vendors included in the night can be seen below…

ACS HEADPHONES
Representatives from ACS will be on hand during the evening to talk about their quality headphones. Every ACS custom-fit product is hand made from medical-grade silicone. Crafting exclusively in silicone gives incredible levels of comfort and allows your earpiece to flex with the movement of your jaw to maintain a seal and keep perfect isolation. Using silicone means that the earpieces quickly warm to body temperature so you can enjoy your sound without even noticing that you have anything in your ears.

BOOTHNATION
Boothnation are the people behind Rough Trade’s fabulous photobooth. Created by award winning photographer Seamus Ryan each booth is carefully designed with his unique beauty lighting in mind. These booths have become an essential part of celebrity parties, music festivals and awards nights. Recent events include the BAFTAS, the MTV Awards, Tinie Tempah’s after party and Glastonbury.

For Rough Trade’s Christmas night, Boothnation will be converting the instore booth into a snow booth, a magical winter wonderland in a box. Festive props will be available to get everyone into the spirit and instant colour prints will be provided. The Snow Booth will run throughout the Christmas period.
Rough Trade’s special ‘Photobooth Certificates’ offers customers a unique gift idea for friends and family; 10 prepaid sessions in the booth for £25, a £5 discount on the normal great value price.

CAUGHT BY THE RIVER
The Caught By The River folk will be on hand selling their choice of books of the year alongside a lovely selection of great stocking fillers from Matt 'Bird of the Week' Sewell including Christmas cards, brooches, badges and colouring books. Also available on the night will be prints by Kavel Rafferty, postcards by Tom Gauld, DVDs from the BFI and CBTR’s collectable fanzines – An Antidote to Indifference Issues 1 & 2. Providing you with advice and affordable Christmas present options for all those difficult people to buy for on your list.

COLOUR ME GOOD
Get out your berols as I LOVE MEL grown-up colouring books go large-scale for a COLOUR ME GOOD fest in Rough Trade East. Music themed line drawings from 'Colour Me Good Record Sleeves' and 'Hip Hop Mix Tape' will adorn the walls, crying out for a bit of felt tip action. The perfect opportunity to embrace your inner child... just don't go over the lines!

HERB LESTER MAPS
Herb Lester Associates research, write, print and distribute maps and guides to the world's great cities. We seek out the well used and much loved, and enjoy the extraordinary as well as the everyday. Old bookshops and new coffee shops, park benches and dive bars, hat shops and haberdashers: this is the world according to Herb Lester. Marvel at our magnificent maps and guides to London, New York, Paris, Berlin, Chicago, Glasgow and of course Spitalfields.

Roll up for a prize draw to win one of our limited edition East London screenprints.

IMPOSSIBLE PROJECTS
Rediscover the joy of instant analogue photography with the Impossible Project hot shots who will be joining us to demonstrate the most effective ways to get great photos with vintage Polaroid cameras. Discover how to harness the unique character of the Colour Shade and Silver Shade films and explore the magical palettes offered by experimenting with temperature and shielding techniques.

LUCKY SEVEN
Lucky Seven make the finest embroidered patches and caps in the business. The patches bare the names of the fictional companies found in some of our best-loved cult films and TV shows and are worn on trucker and army caps complete with captain’s crests. All caps are bespoke and are only available from the custom made cap shop online.

For the Rough Trade Christmas Fair, we will be previewing the new ready made line of Rough Trade / Lucky Seven caps and patches which will be available to buy in store on the night.
We will also be demonstrating the bespoke side of our business and custom making caps to order for Rough Trade customers. There will be a limited collection from our online range available, which will be on sale at just £20 per cap.

MASON & TAYLOR
Mason & Taylor is a craft beer and real ale bar and one of the newest additions to East London's bar scene. Located at the junction of Brick Lane and Redchurch Street they serve a wide range of specialist craft beers and real ales on draught and in bottles over 2 floors, along with English small plates food. Their seasonal, curated bottled beer list features a wide range of interesting beers from UK, US, Belgian and Australian microbreweries.

PRICK YOUR FINGER
Prick Your Finger presents 'On Message' your chance to spell it out this Christmas, using the lo-fi wonder that is the 1970's punchcard knitting machine. For one night only we will knit scarves to order. Your wooly thoughts knitted up in scarf form - how cosy!


SONIC EDITIONS

Showcasing the relaunched Rough Trade Collection which includes limited edition hand-made prints of Gram Parsons, Tom Waits, Joe Strummer and Amy Winehouse from only £45, Sonic Editions will be present to talk about their collection of limited edition fine art photographic prints of the greatest music and cultural icons.


SWITCHOPEN POSTERS

Switchopen is the Illustration Company of Artist and Illustrator Nick Rhodes. Established in Manchester in 2004, Switchopen offers a unique service of design, illustration and print; combining an interest in music and printmaking, Switchopen offers a creative and bespoke approach to projects large and small.

Switchopen illustrations will be showcasing limited edition screen-printed gig posters and art prints. Also available on the night will be limited edition set of art prints.

TECHNOLOGY WILL SAVE US
Join Technology Will Save Us experts and tinkers for an evening filled with DIY technology and making!

Take home one of our easy to make DIY Technology kits for a yourself or a special person in your life; Try some of the most innovative products on the market like Sugru hacking putty and the wonderful rechargeable USB Cells; Sign up to one of our regular DIY technology workshops and give someone the gift of learning how to solder their own musical device or learn how to make a set of speakers out of any material.

We will also be joined by our friends from the exciting enterprise Bare Conductive. They will be demonstrating and selling a brand new kit we have developed together using Bare Paint. This amazing new material allows you to paint with conductive ink on any surface and create electronic circuits out of imagery, components and different materials. We are super excited to see what experiments and unique gifts we can develop for the holidays.

Thursday 17 November 2011

Rolling Stones - Some Girls



Roll-up, roll-up and celebrate the re-release of 'Some Girls' at Rough Trade East!

Come down to Rough Trade East, London on Friday 25th November and go old skool with us and our life size retro 'Some Girls' cut-out!

Be brave, stick your head through the stocks and get snapped by photographers to create your own totally unique 'Some Girls' album sleeve.

What's more you can check out first hand our Super Deluxe Collector's Box Set with all the trimmings and win exclusive 'Some Girls' prizes!

Wednesday 16 November 2011

ROUGH TRADE SHOPS ARE BACK IN PARIS



Rough Trade Shops On Tour is back in Paris with its' winter collection this December.

Rough Trade Shops will open a temporary (one week-only from Saturday 10th December – Saturday 17th December) Paris store, located in the woman's agnès b. store, 6 rue du Jour, Paris, 75001.

Rough Trade on Tour - Winter Collection will focus on the best albums of 2011, Rough Trade's Album of The Year and a typical Rough Trade edit of only the very best new music on vinyl and CD plus an eclectic selection of Christmas gifts and stocking fillers.

Just as Rough Trade Shops in London are much more than simply places to buy music, but also where you get to see and hear live bands up close, Rough Trade On Tour will feature live performances and signing sessions. A taste for Parisians of just what a great record store experience adds to a city’s cultural richness.

LIVE: Rough Trade’s Number One Album Of The Year 2011, Josh T Pearson will be making an appearance in store on Monday 12th December at 19h30 performing songs from the Rough Trade Christmas Bonus Disc and signing records and merchandise.



Other artists performances to be announced very soon. Stay updated by following us on Twitter @RoughTradePopUp

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Trunk vs Fuel




A NIGHT OF WEIRD BOOKS, LIVE SCREEN-PRINTING, INTERESTING MUSIC & OTHER THINGS.


To celebrate the release of "Own Label", Jonny Trunk and graphic partnership Fuel will be in store on Tuesday 22nd November. This partnership has produced some interesting books over the years, from the first ever study of Music Library LP art to rubber fetish wear and now an overview of Sainsbury's Own Label packaging designs from the 60s to the 70s.

Fuel are also well known for their Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopedias, and Jonny Trunk runs Trunk Records, possibly the UK's most peculiar record label.

On the night Fuel Publishing books will be available, Jonny will be Djing, signing books and possibly fending off amorous advances from both men and women alike. They have also organised a screen printer for the evening and will be producing and releasing a one off T shirt / poster as an exclusive to Rough Trade for one night only. There will also be special pre-release copies of the next Trunk album available. We can barely contain ourselves!

Check out the nice little video containing packaging seen in the book...

Monday 14 November 2011

ROUGH TRADE'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 2011

It's that time of year when we announce our Top 10 albums of 2011. In reverse order...

10 - WHITE HILLS - H-p1



Featuring exclusive-to-rough trade bonus disc 'Oddity II: Night Scene On Mill Mountain ''H-p1' - a 7 track, 68 minute disc featuring a 27 minute collaboration with Julian Cope. 'H-p1' manages to distill 40 years of guitar terrorism in all its forms into one mammoth work. There are recognisable rock forms present but the way White Hills use them invigorates the listener like no other rock record this year 'H-p1' channels a collective anger, a seething distrust of control into a swirling psychedelic, brutalising record that mainlines the thrill of the renegade straight to the listener's heart.

Order White Hills here.

9 - THE HEAD AND THE HEART - The Head And The Heart



With their gorgeous harmonies and upbeat country and folk tinged songs, this is just the ticket for lifting spirits in the gloomier months of winter, and catchy enough to be singing along in the car, on the bus or train whatever the time.
Exclusive 3 cd set including a super exclusive bonus disc only available from Rough Trade.

Order The Head And The Heart here.

8- JOHN MAUS - We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves



Featuring an exclusive bonus disc of rarities and early cuts from John Maus' career. A pulsing, hypnagogic synthesised pop invested with both Maus' sense of humour and a pensive insight into the human condition. Maus' music boasts a rewarding duality; it is complex melodically but carried out with a directness that stirs the heartstrings.
With exclusive rough trade bonus disc featuring a multitude of unreleased demos and recordings from through out John Maus' career.

Order John Maus here.

John Maus will be performing a live in-store gig this Wednesday 16th November, 1pm at Rough Trade East. More details here.

7 - ZOMBY - Dedication



Featuring the 'Nothing' album on cd, only available through Rough Trade. a perfectly crafted essay in less is more production and composition, this delicate slab of electronica at times employs little more than atmospheric whirrs, one finger synth lines or subtle clicks and samples to create a rich, brooding masterpiece. Think Burial meets Steve Reich.

Order Zomby here.

6 - VERONICA FALLS - Veronica Falls



A gloriously morose blend of melancholia, gothic gloom and a set of tuneful, snarling post punk pop nuggets, all rendered with beautifully structured boy/girl harmonies and a searing, energetic, muscular guitar sound. a melancholy, ghostly lyrical pre-occupation and a taut, distinctly punk aesthetic raise this high above their indie-pop peers.

Order Veronica Falls here.

5 - PJ HARVEY - Let England Shake



A ghostly, misty soundscape that perfectly mirrors the ideological spectres of england, war and history that permeate this album, 'Let England Shake' centred around guitars shrouded in echo and reverb, mutated musical samples and a set of tunes as good as any Harvey has presented to date.

Order P J Harvey here.

4 - GILLIAN WELCH - The Harrow And The Harvest



Although the musical palette is spare and rustic; all expertly arranged harmonies and exquisite acoustic guitar duels, Welch and guitarist David Rawlings manage once more to fashion something entirely modern and original that still resonates with the honesty of the archaic.

Order Gillian Welch here.

3 - KURT VILE - Smoke Ring For My Halo



Exclusive bonus disc featuring the full live set from Kurt Vile's instore at Rough Trade East. Meandering through delicately picked glacial ballads to more direct, strummed rockers this is a patchwork of American classics, brilliantly re-interpreted through Vile's signature guitar work, world-weary melancholy, and laconic vocal delivery.

Order Kurt Vile here.

Check out a performance by Kurt Vile earlier this year at Rough Trade East here.

2 - NICOLAS JAAR - Space Is Only Noise



'Space Is Only Noise' is a beautiful combination of classical, electronic and sampledelic sounds, with slow paced, delicate beats, producing a truly wonderful mixture of the digital and analogue worlds colliding in perfect harmony. Includes an exclusive 5 track bonus mix cd.

Order Nicolas Jaar here.

1 - JOSH T PEARSON - Last Of The Country Gentlemen



With an exclusive bonus disc featuring Josh T Pearson's set of Christmas songs recorded specially for Rough Trade. A man who engenders an almost religious fervour in his followers (a band that has grown considerably throughout what has been a remarkable year) this was one of the most eagerly anticipated albums in recent memory, and it was more than worth the wait; a magical, intense and cathartic journey into, and out of, darkness.

Order Josh T Pearson here.

On Thursday 1st December Josh will be taking part in a Q&A session with Stevie Chick followed by a signing session. Alongside this, a new exhibition of photographs by Steve Gullick charting the past decade of Josh's career will be displayed in-store.

Josh will also be performing at our Rough Trade On Tour chez agnès b shop on rue du Jour, Paris 75001 on Monday 12th December at 19h30.

Check out a performance by Josh T Pearson earlier this year at Rough Trade West here...

Tuesday 1 November 2011

The Moon & The Sledgehammer Screening With Philip Trevelyan

Caught By The River's next installment is a screening of the cult movie The Moon And The Sledgehammer including a Q&A with the director of the film Philip Trevelyan
next Wednesday 9th November from 7pm at Rough Trade East.


THE MOON AND THE SLEDGEHAMMER: Philip Trevelyan's unique portrait of the remarkable steam-loving Page Family.


THE MOON AND THE SLEDGEHAMMER is a film about a family of real people: Mr Page; his two sons Jim and Peter; and his two daughters, Kathy and Nancy. Mrs Page died long ago. The Pages live in a ramshackle house situated in six acres of woodland, which they own themselves, in the heart of the commuter-belt, 20 miles south of London. The trees cut the Pages off completely from the outside world, and isolated in their island-clearing, they let the 20th Century slowly pass them by. It is a simple life without running water, electricity or gas. Peter and Jim earn what little money the family needs by doing casual repairs to tractors and farm-machinery in the neighbourhood. Machinery is the permanent obsession of Mr Page and his sons.

Tickets are limited to 120. Buy your £5 ticket at Rough Trade East or online here. If buying online please remember to print your order as a reference and bring it along with you on the evening.

Anyone buying the DVD on the evening of the screening will have the ticket price refunded. Alternatively you can buy the DVD at Rough Trade East and collect a wristband for the screening at the same time.....strictly one per person

This highly acclaimed film is now available on DVD for £16.99. If you're pre-ordering online and would like to attend the screening please mention this in the comments box during the final stages of checkout.........one admission per purchase.

Caught By The River's Many Books Of The Month by Little Toller



This month, the Caught by the River / Rough Trade, Book of the Month, is not just one title but many. In fact, it should really be called 'Independent Publisher of the Month'. This title goes to Little Toller Books, of Dorset, in recognition of their ever consistent skills at digging the crates for the best in British writing about nature and rural life. All titles from their catalogue will be on the shelf, including revived classics such as WNP Barbellion's The Journal of a Disappointed Man (described by our reviewer as, "Sometimes suggesting Sir Peter Scott collaborating with the Manic Street Preachers’ Richey Edwards, The Journal Of A Disappointed Man is one of the most remarkable books in the history of nature-themed non-fiction" ), The Local, a beauty of a book by Edward Ardizzone and Maurice Gorham looking at London pubs on the eve of the Second World War in words and pictures, and the newly reissued Caught by the River favourite, Sweet Thames Run Softly by Robert Gibbings (with a brand new introduction by Luke Jennings).

More reviews on Little Toller titles here.

There's also still a very limited number of Caught By The River's very first printed fanzine 'An Antidote To Indifference' for sale upon their dedicated shelf here in the shop.