Newcastle labels Cabin Boy Cooperative and Distraction Records release Moira Stewart's debut album on Monday 14th April 2008. Moira Stewart formed late last year after inventing hair, the black colour used on bin bags, the feeling of resentment and the opposite of stamps. In a short space of time, their interactive live shows have became the stuff of legend, packing in audiences to witness live Twister, silly string, custard pies, glitter by the skipload, Batman costumes, more balloons than a Thanksgiving parade and the most innovative crowdsurfing that you'll ever witness. Its like if David Bowie starred in Bugsy Malone, re-written by Roger Hargraves.

But let's not forget the music: upbeat, fun, shambolic electro/guitar pop is the order of the day; think Hot Chip if they listened to The Orchids and The Field Mice instead of New Order, warm synths awash with indie guitar riffs and samples that Cassetteboy would be proud of. If 'Rave Binchy' was a musical genre, Moira Stewart would be pioneers. The songs have had NME staff writers wanting to join the band, A&R reps declaring their live shows as "the most fun I've had in years", Radio 1's Huw Stephens enthusiastically giving them repeated plays, and aspirational E4 yoof drama Skins will feature the band heavily in the new series airing in the Spring. Quirky, jerky, bonkers and brilliant, Moira Stewart's star is ascending, and it's shiny.


TRACK LISTING:

1 The Mr. Men Groove
2 Top Ten Drinks
3 We Still Live With Our Parents
4 Sprinkle Glitter On My Heart
5 Love Drops
6 Long Long Lost Wife Wife
7 In the Kitchen
8 You Are the Kids
9 Stars Are Shiny
10 Give a Little Love


LAUNCH PARTY:

MOIRA STEWART
An ideal chirpy soundtrack for the upcoming recession - Sunday Sun

THE BUBBLE PROJECT
Science pop sounds for today, tomorrow and the future - High Voltage

EMERGENCY LIBRARIAN
Computer Music samples played through a Dalek Modulator - Jon Pertwee would be proud

PLUS GUEST COMPERE:
MR DAVE HARPER
A cross between Dane Bowers and Ghandi

SUNDAY 13 APRIL 2008
THE HEAD OF STEAM, NEWCASTLE
8PM - £2/7 WITH ALBUM

	CBC003: Moira Stewart Album Launch Party!
	w/ The Bubble Project, Emergency Librarian
	Sunday 13 April 2008
	The Head of Steam, Newcastle

VIDEO:

Moira Stewart Album Launch Party: 13 April 2008


DavidW47

PRESS:

ALBUM OF THE MONTH
Debut album from the Newcastle-based band and it's a joyous carousel of fun and glad tidings. Skipping around the electro/pop minefield with giddy abandon, the album sounds something like The Lightening Seeds' Ian Broudie and Erasure's Vince Clark penning songs for Hot Chip whilst filtering it through the spirit of Technique era New Order. Yes, that great. There's a launch party on April 13 at The Head of Steam in Newcastle if you fancy it. You should.
--The Crack

Here's an album to put a smile on your face. Sweetness, Yes! the new release from Wallsend electro-poppers Moira Stewart is a joyful mix of 80's synths, indie guitars and quirky sampling. At times they sound a lot like New Order's younger, happier brothers - a bit less uptight, a bit less po-faced.

There's hints of Depeche Mode, and maybe even Carter USM in the mix too. Simple, infectious, happy tunes come thick and fast - all linked together with weird and often very funny sampling and chat. Something of that very English desire to have fun and dance without over-complicating things. Like your best mates coming round and playing guitar all over your Lemon Jelly records while they bounce up and down on your new sofa - in the end you'd have to give in and join in the fun.
--Buzzin' Music

One new Distraction record in our gaff is enough to have us scrambling for the bunting box but to receive two is tantamount to giving us a joy overload. After what seems like an age off radar North East's finest imprint is back on track with a new website overhaul and two killer releases gagging for deserved attention - the long promised and much anticipated third full length from the excellent though criminally under acclaimed d_rradio simply titled 'the album' (and a corker it is to) and this rather dinky debut from North Shields based trio Moira Stewart.

Sadly not the nations favourite newsreader although we must admit to being slightly smitten by Sian Williams, this particular brand of Moira Stewart concoct delightfully corrupting buzz sawing electro candy pop that's perkily primed with a ridiculously infectious effervescent euphoria that at various points manages to shoehorn an array of reference points that include Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, Helen Love, Fosca, Lightning Seeds - (pre 'Three Lions' that is) and New Musik. Live shows have allegedly been the things of kids parties and include a copious amount of balloons and smiley faces while the band themselves appear to have an unhealthy obsession with the Mr Men.

Co-released in conjunction with Cabin Boy Co-Operative - the self styled vinyl boutique arm of the near perfect Fake Indie Label (home of Shin Jin Rui whose debut full length 'Zutiqua' has been causing a fair amount of disruption in our gaff; Minotaurs, New Clay, Dressed in Wires, Blackflower et al...) - these cherry tripped gems hark back to a simpler time, hand holding bedroom anthems for shy eyed indie kids dinkily decorated by Sarah heart-throbs Blueboy (just check out the shy eyed touches on the whirling honeycombed bliss pop of the irresistible 'You Are The Kids') and late 80's lovelies Hovercraft trading with cutting room tape reels belonging to 'Run 2' era New Order and Vince Clarke era Depeche Mode as on the opening salvo 'The Mr Men Groove' - see we warned you about the worrying Mr Men obsessions. All this translates to sumptuously mainline into a candy coated headspace occupied and devised by a mutant Fosca meets Carter USM incarnation. Across 10 tracks clocking in at a (by today's standards) relatively brief 37 minutes, Moira Stewart (the band not the news reader - but hey she might do) rally to the clarion call of a nation of lovelorn bedsits, indelibly twee in statue these effervescent lo-fi treats tingle with nuzzling fuzzy glee.

Incurably cute and frisky, once the lids lifted off 'Sweetness, Yes!' its like a summer holiday schools out parade, from the impishly kooky 'Top 10 Drinks' to the tear jerking 'Love Drops' Moira Stewart apply hooks aplenty to their delicately vibrant tenacious treats, 'Long Long Lost Wife Wife' sounds like a rascally Human League with the love baggage while the delectable 'In The Kitchen' is blessed with the kind of knowing porcelain pop sensibility that you keep double taking the credit sheet to make sure members of Dubstar or Blancmange aren't in the writing house which leaves the quietly arresting budget anthem 'Give A Little Love' to sprinkle its magic dust and neatly wrap up the set in rousing fashion. Bonkers but superb with it.
--Losing Today

Nice smooth upbeat pop that is often reminiscent of electronic-based pop bands from the 1980s. The press release that accompanied this disc was interesting... stating that the band formed "late last year after inventing hair, the black colour used on bin bags, the feeling of resentment and the opposite of stamps." Funny stuff: hardly the generic dribble we're used to reading! Sweetness, Yes! is a pure feelgood album. The rhythms are danceable and upbeat, the instrumentation simple and appropriate, and the vocals are subdued and hit the target. The best comparison we can come up with here is that Moira Stewart sounds something like a cross between Depeche Mode and Joy Electric. Nice, smart, hummable tunes include "The Mr. Men Groove," "Top Ten Drinks," "Long Long Lost Wife Wife," and "Give A Little Love." Instantly likable simple pop played with passion and integrity. Happy music.
--Sunday Sun

My first encounter with Moira Stewart, for their debut album, is a straight shot of joy. But it would also lead to a small confession. Well, maybe I've coughed this up before: I like New Order. And straight from the opening lines of their first track, synths, drum machines, ah-ha choir, thin lead vocals and guitars, I feel at home. Except that I really am at home instead of listening to my favorite New Order on an iPod on the train. It has great hooks, rock-dance inspired songs, funny samples, multi-vocals. In all great pop tunes, and this time I mean pop tunes. I am no record industry mogul, nor will I ever see big cash rolling in but if Moira Stewart won't be big with their uptempo, quirky electro-rock pop tunes who will? For the ten tracks, thirty-four minutes (how more classic pop-length do you want it), this has put one big smile on my face.
--Vital Weekly (613)

Labels: CD, download