The Alps – ‘Not So Laughable Now‘ Single Release Date – 28/07/08
The Alps consist of four men whose tunes are as finely chiselled as their striking good looks. Similar to less fussy post-punkers, The Police, The Smiths and Elvis Costello, the Greenwich quartet don't muck about when it comes to knocking together the kind of thorny three-minute gems that look set to barge their way into mainstream consciousness.
2006 saw The Alps release their debut single 'World at War', which became GIGWISE, Music News, Reviews, Gigs, Tickets, Bands, Forum, Classifieds's 'Single of the week' - "A tale of yearning for that elusive loved one, it's surprisingly optimistic and stylish stuff." The track was also supported by XFM, who invited the band to record two live sessions, as well as Radio One's Steve Lamacq and Zane Lowe. The band were invited to play backstage at the Reading Festival Tiscali Showcase along with the likes of The Subways, Graham Coxon, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Futureheads.
The second single 'Last Dance', the triumphant Italian Tour, the prestigious Mighty Boosh Aftershow Party and the attendance of David ‘The Hoff’ Hasselhoff at a headline Koko show have seen The Alps continue to win a host of new fans along the way, so many in fact that they have secured £21,000 of backing directly from the most dedicated through Welcome to Slicethepie, a new music website phenomenon dedicated to developing new music and giving musicians the chance to raise money and ultimately self fund their own releases. The Alps were the first band to release an album through slicethepie on 10/03/08.
The album's long-awaited release was made all the more remarkable by the way it was funded… not by a record label advance on future earnings, but by donations from the band's own loyal fanbase. The Alps were the first ever band to release an album via Slicethepie: the revolutionary website which gives unsigned artists the chance to professionally record and release albums, while retaining 100% copyright on their material. As with all albums on Slicethepie, recording and release of 'Something I Might Regret' has been completely fan-funded through the sale of 'backstage passes'. In return for their investment, fans are rewarded not only with a copy of the album but also with access to exclusive artist-fan forums, in which the band can canvass for opinion on anything from tracklisting to artwork. This, along with Slicethepie's complete detachment from the creative process, has provided the band with an unprecedented level of artistic freedom, as well as a deeper, more fulfilling relationship with their fans. Over the last couple of years The Alps have etched themselves into the consciousness of gig-goers and the media alike – with the album picking up coverage from The Sunday Times, XFM, The Guardian, NME, Clash Artrocker, Rocksound, Disorder, Gigwise, The Fly, South London Press + Drowned in Sound to name but a few. The new single ‘ Not So Laughable Now’ is released on 28/07/08.
"Nice to listen to, just as nice to look at." ARTROCKER
"Bringing a confident new sound back to London." XFM
"One day bands will cite The Alps as an influence on their work"DISORDER MySpace.com - The Alps - Greenwich, UK - Indie / Alternative - www.myspace.com/alpsalpsalps Welcome to Slicethepie | |
The Alps - Not so Laughable Now... 
