Label Feature: Filthy Little Angels

I was introduced to the Filthy Little Angels independent label, based in Nelson, UK and which has recently celebrated its 5th anniversary, through the fabulous Captain Polaroid who is part of it (check out the Point and Click EP for free download; previously featured here in Issue #20: "It's easy to hear a true enjoyment of the creation of music itself here, from the seamless flow through musical styles to the quirky, lo-fi sound overall."), yet another fortuitous meeting via the Manic Street Preachers-fanworld I've been enveloped in for the past few months; the Captain was kind enough to send some lovely records along to me (Captain Polaroid w/ Beacons - Split 7", Various Artists - Just a Minute 7", Project A-ko w/ Horowitz Split 7").

Filthy Little Angels happens to be The Devil Has the Best Tuna's favorite indie label, who noted their "Five years of independence, five years of eclecticism, an average of twenty releases each year, five years of brilliance." The common thread these bands have is a DIY-aesthetic, which carries throughout all that's represented here, from the punky to the more mellow. To celebrate, their anniversary, Filthy Little Angels is giving away nearly every 7" as a free download for a limited time here: http://www.filthylittleangels.com/

I've grabbed it all, and the more that I've gone through and listened to everything, the more impressive the FLA catalog sounds! I'm going to highlight a few of my favorites from the label, with free downloads for you:

The Lovely Eggs Alternative / Experimental / Garage - Lancaster, UK
"Mainly influenced by the ecstasy of the modern mind and all its trappings" with The Fall and Beat Happening amongst their influences? Count me in! The Lovely Eggs are a duo, David Blackwell and Holly Ross, that play a cute, quirky brand of music (you can tell from titles like "Have You Ever Heard a Digital Accordion" and "Tyrannosaurus Rex for Christmas") that is immediately fun and likeable. Check out "I Like Birds (But I Like Other Animals Too)" for an example of what I mean!

Horowitz - Indie / Pop / Alternative - Stoke-on-Tent, UK
Other bands calling themselves "indie pop" ought to prepare to get schooled when listening to Horowitz. "Sweetness I Could Die in Your Arms" is but one indicator of the land of Horowitz, where all is sweet and jangy, campfire-tune catchiness. They appear on a split with Project A-ko (Alternative / Indie / Post-Punk - Glasgow, Scotland, UK), a band with a similar vibe (take a listen to "Nothing Works Twice"), with an occasional added sarcasm and introspective life-observation.

Captain Polaroid - Alternative/ Indie / Pop, Midlands, UK
Here's the man of the hour! Taking on all the instruments and vocals on his own, the landscape of Captain Polaroid is awash in the the time-honored independent spirit of lo-fi fuzz-rock goodnes, which you can hear in "A Dream is a Dream is a Dream is a Lie".

The Leatherettes - Garage / Punk / Rockabilly - Dundee, UK
Now this is what I'm talking about! I'm a sucker for a Suicide-reminiscent electronic drumbeat to begin with, but with the extra dash of rockabilly and garage flavoring. Listen to the attitude-packed
"Shoot to Thrill", rounding out this special selection Filthy Little Angels tracks with a heavy dose of cool.
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Filthy Little Angels - Official Site | on MySpace Music | at Big Cartel