New single "Tell A Stranger"

My new single "Tell A Stranger" is out now on Bandcamp and all the regular streaming platforms. There is a B-Side that is exclusive to Bandcamp. It's the first song from my new album which will be coming out in the Spring of 2026. I also have a couple of other music projects on the go.

New album The Fire and the Flame now available on Spotify

 

New album The Fire and the Flame

My new album The Fire and the Flame is arriving on all streaming services on June 22. In advance, you can stream the album on Bandcamp and I have a live listening party tomorrow (Saturday 14 June at 2pm Central).

https://mineforlife.bandcamp.com/merch/the-fire-and-the-flame-listening-party

The album took about 9 months to put together and offers 12 very diverse tracks influenced by artists like New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, Chris Rea, Suzanne Vega and many others.

Secret Sounds - An Epitaph

I've been meaning to blog about Dutch new wave band Secret Sounds for a while, and recently I found out that Wilmer Wolf, lead singer and songwriter, passed away almost a year ago in May 2024. I first discovered the band in a very roundabout way which is par for the course if you are passionate about music that is outside the mainstream. 

I was in Jersey, Channel Islands, for a weekend in 2022 and got to spend about an hour in a record shop in St Helier. At that time I was very interested in collecting local music so I picked a few albums, and also found they had a decent selection of more unusual 80's singles so I also bought a handful of those.

One of the singles was called "Love And I" by the curiously named Jeanny's Wild Obsession. Without looking too closely it looked like a stereotypical single from maybe 1987 or 1988. However, when I researched the single back at home and got ready to make a digital archive recording, I found that it was actually from 1993 and had Dutch origins. Not a big deal maybe but when you collect singles from certain countries and years little things can matter, more than they should. Moreover I didn't really like the song on first hearing so I left it alone and did not think about it too much.

But then, because I did not label my recording, it kept popping up on my thumb drive and I would have to play it to remember what it was. After the second or third time I found more to like and got interested. I found out that the singer was Angeline Bonette and when I googled her I found a YouTube video from 2014. After a bit of confusion I understood that this was a one-off reunion gig by a Dutch band called Secret Sounds, and the song in the video was the curiously named "Johnny and The Rites of Sin". Angeline did not sing on their early records but both her and drummer Jean Monsou had been in a later incarnation around 1987 or 1988. So now we were back in my musical wheelhouse, and boy, did I like that song. I played it a lot. 

I then found the band on Bandcamp. The aforementioned song is a key cut on their 1984 album Wasteland and was also a B-Side on a single with the shorter title of "Johnny". I noticed immediately that, considering the band only released a few singles and one album (on their own independent label), they recorded a lot of material between 1981 and 1988 and that their lead contributor Wilmer Wolf was a very gifted songwriter and producer. In 2014 he remastered all their material and released it as a limited edition box set of 11 CD's. The quality was very high throughout. I began by buying the albums digitally on Bandcamp one at a time, and then eventually, after I was back in the USA in 2023, found a copy of the box set and had it sent from the Netherlands.

There is so much to dig into with this band, I can only recommend that you take a listen and explore. I knew that Wilmer by his own admission had some health issues and some personal demons. In interviews he is candid and thoughtful. He released a solo album a few years ago before his health declined. I had hoped that by buying the albums on Bandcamp he would know that someone was interested in his music, but it's a shame I did not have the chance to tell him more personally how much I enjoyed his work. That's life I guess.

New album on the way - help needed!

I've spent the last couple of months working on my first album. Tentatively called "Et Tu?" it is a deliberate attempt to write and produce songs that could have appeared in the 1989-1990 period, very much influenced by Black (Colin Vearncombe) and his 1988 album Comedy. There's also (I think) hints of Pet Shop Boys ("Here Comes The Future"), New Order ("Loudmouth") and maybe a bit of Echo and the Bunnymen. All the tracks are quite different.

I have posted 12 tracks on YouTube, and it would be great if you would take a listen and 'like' your favorites. I may rewrite a couple and a couple of tracks may be held over for my next project. Any feedback would be amazing. I've put a lot of work into these songs, now I'm ready to see what other music lovers think! If you have specific suggestions or any negative comments, I welcome those also if you care to email those to me. Thanks everyone!

The first Mine For Life release is now available

After a long period of silence, I can confirm that I am finally releasing my own music. I've spent almost seventeen years focused on collecting and celebrating other artists, but now it's my turn!

I've been writing lyrics for nearly 30 years without much context, this year I resolved to complete enough songs for an album and to share this music with a wider audience.

My first release, All Aboard (Good Vibes) is now up on Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes, etc. I'm planning my second release for next month.

All Aboard (Good Vibes)

Bandcamp Friday

 Hey everyone

It's Bandcamp Friday so I just wanted to mention a couple of links. There are some great deals today with all profits going direct to the artists.

First, Handful of Snowdrops is offering their whole discography at 90% off which is a great deal. Fantastic music ranging from demos in 1984 to contemporary releases in the last few years such as Noir and Blanc, and also a remastered version of their classic 90's album Land of the Damned.

https://handfulofsnowdrops.bandcamp.com/album/dans-loeil-de-la-temp-te-30th-anniversary

Next is a new find for me, Tenek which has some thumping tracks. I looked them up based on an old 1990 press release for a compilation.

https://tenek.bandcamp.com/album/smoke-mirrors

Brian from Color Theory is always worth a listen and this is a new release.

colortheory.bandcamp.com/album/the-skeletons-closet

And finally today is a great day to support my label, Base Ten Records.

https://basetenrecords.bandcamp.com/

Much love,

Alan

John Wilson - Your Eyes (1987)

 

7" Single, released in 1987

John Wilson - Your Eyes (A-Side)

John Wilson - Bad Guy (B-Side)

New Asia - Central Proposition (1981)

7" Single, released in 1981

New Asia - Central Proposition (A Side)

New Asia - Here And There, Now And Then (B-Side)

Majesty - Girl (1987)

7" Single, released in 1987

Majesty - Girl (A-Side)

Majesty - After You (B-Side)

Majesty was a brief pop project by Debbie Wiseman and Tony Wharmby. Debbie has gone on to become a noted British composer, and her husband Tony has worked as a recording engineer.

This was a request via Discogs!

New Release: The Graphic - People In Glass

Latest release from Base Ten Records is People In Glass by The Graphic, from Greensboro North Carolina. This was originally released by Dolphin Records back in 1984.

Moving Sale

I'm selling a lot of music at clearance prices due to an impending move. Check out my Discogs store if you are interested.

https://www.discogs.com/seller/fiftypercent/profile

New release: Other Bright Colors - Endlessly Rocks The Cradle

I'm excited to announce the next release by Base Ten Records! This time we are making available the superb debut album by Other Bright Colors. Featuring 12 tracks of quality jangle pop with a distinct Reckoning era sound, mixed by the legendary Don Dixon and (lightly) remixed for the digital era by yours truly. Much thanks to Joe Jaworski for making this possible. 

New Release - Just Looking Volume 1

Tracks from ten of my favorite 'lost' albums over the last year or more, available in high quality. Let me know your thoughts!

Any donations received from this release will help fund future label releases. Happy 2021!

New Release: Demarest - Word Gets Around

My latest release on Base Ten Records is one I have featured on the blog previously. However I have now been given permission to make this available in high quality via Bandcamp, so check it out if you haven't already.

A headphone recommendation

As anyone who has visited my site will know, commercial considerations do not factor into my posts. But I did want to tell you about the deal I just got. Earlier this year I lost my cheap $20 headphones while travelling pre COVID. I took a chance on some Studio headphones (PRO 30) from OneOdio and although they ended up taking a while to arrive they have been amazing headphones for the price. I also bought a much more expensive pair for around $90 but even then the OneOdio remains my first choice hands down. 

Great sound, very comfortable, and I like the adapter that can plug either way so I can switch between computer jack or my amps easily. My kids have been all over it so I know its durable.

They are doing a big sale right now. I just ordered two extra sets for around 60% off each, with a free coaster, free stand, and free shipping. I was also able to use an extra coupon code SALE20 to get an extra discount meaning I got two sets for around $26 each all in. 

Here's the link. 

Introducing Base Ten Records

I'm very excited to be able to announce the formation of my new record label, Base Ten Records.

This year, like many other people, I have been looking for ways to actively support the music community. Over the summer I started spending more time on Bandcamp, especially on Bandcamp Fridays, where once a month all the revenues go direct to the artist. I started to think about all the records I had collected, all the wonderful obscure albums I have enjoyed, and enjoyed restoring digitally, and most importantly, the talented artists behind them.

Last month I decided to take the plunge and tracked down a few of the artists and asked them if they would be interested in using my label to promote their music on Bandcamp. The response was very positive, so I was encouraged enough to take the plunge and form the label.

I'm working on releasing 2-3 albums of material a month, all approved by the artists themselves and with their input and, potentially, further previously unreleased goodies. 

I'm really enjoying the challenge of putting together a label design, and creating the artist pages, releasing the music, etc. I've put up our first two releases, and so now is the time to begin promotion  - especially with the next Bandcamp Friday (possibly the last fee free day) coming this Friday.

I will be using the blog more and more to promote our releases and the artists involved. I'm also going to release a compilation series privately to the friends of Mine For Life with the goal of being able to track down some of the more elusive artists on my want list.

Our address is http://basetenrecords.bandcamp.com please stop by and say hello. And watch this space for new developments!

Primary Colors - Wildlife

Art Affairs - Workaholic

 

7" Single, released in 1988

Art Affairs - Workaholic (A Side)

Art Affairs - Even If You Go (B Side)