The Broken Vinyl Club
Encyclopedia
The Broken Vinyl Club are a 60s
-influenced indie rock
band
based in Aberdare
in South Wales
. They are signed to Acid Jazz Records
.
The band are known for their close harmonies and jangly guitar sound and have been compared to bands such as The Beatles
, The Byrds
, The La's
and The Kinks
. They are often referred to as one of the UK's new breed of mod bands.
The Broken Vinyl Club's line-up is Scott Howells (vocals, guitar
), Justin Beynon (guitar
, vocals), Jamie Taylor (bass guitar
, vocals), Meirion Townsend (drums, vocals).
. They had originally intended to write and record songs while getting drunk on Friday nights but soon realised that that they could have the basis of a decent band and so recruited Justin Beynon, who had been in the relatively successful local band Cripplecreek on lead guitar and Jamie Taylor, who had played with Scott in Black Hand Laser Band on bass .
After a couple of months of solid rehearsals, the band played their first gig at Buffalo in Cardiff
in May 2009. They then set about playing as many gigs as possible across South Wales while using Meirion's studio to start recording a debut album. While playing a gig at Ten Feet Tall in Cardiff, the band were spotted by local label See Monkey Do Monkey
(home to one of the bands heroes The Keys
) who asked to sign them on the spot. The band released their debut double A-side single I Want You Girl/ In My Mind on the label in October 2010 .
.
The band were then asked to play at the launch night for Liam Gallagher
's Pretty Green club in Islington
, London . The night was attended by Gallagher, as well as his Beady Eye
bandmates Gem Archer and Andy Bell, actor Martin Freeman
and Acid Jazz Records
boss Eddie Piller
.
boss Alan McGee
announcing, after seeing the band, that they could be massive . Acid Jazz then got in touch with the band to ask to use their song I Want You Girl as part of a compilation of new mod-inspired bands they were putting together called Hipsters 2. Soon after this the label asked to hear all of the songs they had recorded to date and eventually signed the band on a 3 album deal .
The band release their debut single on Acid Jazz One Way Street (b/w Day Too Long) in August 2011. Their debut album The Broken Vinyl Club will be released in October.
1960s in music
For music from a year in the 1960s, go to 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 1960s....
-influenced indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
based in Aberdare
Aberdare
Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. They are signed to Acid Jazz Records
Acid Jazz Records
Acid Jazz is a record label based in east London. It takes its name from acid jazz, a genre of jazz music. Alternative version states that the genre itself was named after the record label...
.
The band are known for their close harmonies and jangly guitar sound and have been compared to bands such as The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, The La's
The La's
The La's were an English rock band from Liverpool, originally active from the mid-1980s to early 1990s. Fronted by singer, songwriter and guitarist Lee Mavers, the group is most famous for their hit single "There She Goes". The band was formed by Mike Badger in 1984 and Mavers joined soon after...
and The Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
. They are often referred to as one of the UK's new breed of mod bands.
The Broken Vinyl Club's line-up is Scott Howells (vocals, guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
), Justin Beynon (guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, vocals), Jamie Taylor (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals), Meirion Townsend (drums, vocals).
Formation and See Monkey Do Monkey
Multi instrumentalists Scott Howells and Meirion Townsend got together at the end of 2008 as a means of using the new studio that Meirion had just finished building in the basement of a tattoo shop in AberdareAberdare
Aberdare is an industrial town in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Dare and Cynon. The population at the census was 31,705...
. They had originally intended to write and record songs while getting drunk on Friday nights but soon realised that that they could have the basis of a decent band and so recruited Justin Beynon, who had been in the relatively successful local band Cripplecreek on lead guitar and Jamie Taylor, who had played with Scott in Black Hand Laser Band on bass .
After a couple of months of solid rehearsals, the band played their first gig at Buffalo in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
in May 2009. They then set about playing as many gigs as possible across South Wales while using Meirion's studio to start recording a debut album. While playing a gig at Ten Feet Tall in Cardiff, the band were spotted by local label See Monkey Do Monkey
See Monkey Do Monkey
See Monkey Do Monkey is a record label based in Cardiff, Wales.See Monkey Do Monkey was set up in 2009 by Aimee Jade Hayes from Bangor, North Wales to release music by her Irish husband Richard Hayes’ band, The Method...
(home to one of the bands heroes The Keys
Murry the Hump
Murry the Hump were a Welsh indie rock and "urban folk" band. They were active from 1999 until 2001; Since then they have continued to write music under the name The Keys.- History :...
) who asked to sign them on the spot. The band released their debut double A-side single I Want You Girl/ In My Mind on the label in October 2010 .
Pretty Green
Shortly after releasing 'I Want You Girl', the video for the song was passed on to Welsh actor Jonny Owen who was so impressed by the band that he then passed it on to some of the contacts he has in the music industry as a result of his internet TV show Svengali.
The band were then asked to play at the launch night for Liam Gallagher
Liam Gallagher
William John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician and singer-songwriter, the former frontman of the English rock band Oasis and currently of the band Beady Eye. Gallagher's erratic behaviour, distinctive singing style, and abrasive attitude have been the subject of commentary in the press...
's Pretty Green club in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, London . The night was attended by Gallagher, as well as his Beady Eye
Beady Eye
Beady Eye are an English rock band formed in 2009. The band consists of vocalist Liam Gallagher, guitarist Gem Archer and guitarist Andy Bell, all former members of Oasis, rounded by drummer and percussionist Chris Sharrock who substituted for Oasis during their last tour in 2008/2009, before Oasis...
bandmates Gem Archer and Andy Bell, actor Martin Freeman
Tim Canterbury
Tim Canterbury is a main character in the BBC sitcom The Office, played by Martin Freeman. He is a 30-year-old sales representative for paper merchants Wernham Hogg and lives with his parents. He spent one year at a university before dropping out, and one day hopes to return to get a psychology...
and Acid Jazz Records
Acid Jazz Records
Acid Jazz is a record label based in east London. It takes its name from acid jazz, a genre of jazz music. Alternative version states that the genre itself was named after the record label...
boss Eddie Piller
Eddie Piller
Eddie Piller is an English DJ and record label entrepreneur.Starting his career in the 1980s as a part of the English mod revival, Piller launched the underground fanzine Extraordinary Sensations and operated as a DJ and concert promoter. In 1985, he started the Countdown Records label, through...
.
Acid Jazz
The buzz around the band continued to grow with former Creation RecordsCreation Records
Creation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
boss Alan McGee
Alan McGee
Alan McGee has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for The Guardian.McGee is best-known for co-forming and running the independent Creation Records label from 1983–1999, and then Poptones from 1999-2007...
announcing, after seeing the band, that they could be massive . Acid Jazz then got in touch with the band to ask to use their song I Want You Girl as part of a compilation of new mod-inspired bands they were putting together called Hipsters 2. Soon after this the label asked to hear all of the songs they had recorded to date and eventually signed the band on a 3 album deal .
The band release their debut single on Acid Jazz One Way Street (b/w Day Too Long) in August 2011. Their debut album The Broken Vinyl Club will be released in October.
Singles
From The Broken Vinyl Club- I Want You Girl/ In My Mind (See Monkey Do MonkeySee Monkey Do MonkeySee Monkey Do Monkey is a record label based in Cardiff, Wales.See Monkey Do Monkey was set up in 2009 by Aimee Jade Hayes from Bangor, North Wales to release music by her Irish husband Richard Hayes’ band, The Method...
, 2010) - One Way Street (Acid Jazz RecordsAcid Jazz RecordsAcid Jazz is a record label based in east London. It takes its name from acid jazz, a genre of jazz music. Alternative version states that the genre itself was named after the record label...
, 2011)
Albums
- The Broken Vinyl Club (Acid Jazz RecordsAcid Jazz RecordsAcid Jazz is a record label based in east London. It takes its name from acid jazz, a genre of jazz music. Alternative version states that the genre itself was named after the record label...
, 2011)