What a year it’s been! We released our first record on 27th July 2009 – Krakatoa’s debut single ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Revolution’ on limited edition 7” single and digital download. This was quickly followed by The Supernovas’ debut single, ‘Ace Face’, once more as a 7” single and download. Roses Kings Castles, the side project of Babyshambles drummer Adam Ficek, was next with the ‘Apples And Engines’ EP, issued on CD and download. Liverpool’s merry pranksters, The Know delivered their debut single The Jackal as a download shortly after.

The second Krakatoa single, ‘Fat Cats’ was released in November, as the lads headed out on an eighteen date tour supporting Alabama 3, which was a roaring success, with the boys winning fans everywhere they went. The Supernovas have just been added to the bill for three Babyshambles gigs next week, and the following week Gaoler’s Daughter take up two slots. In the past few weeks we have released singles and EP’s by London’s raggle taggle popsters Gaoler’s Daughter; ten piece indie pop soul groovers White Collar Weapons; Swedish psych shoegazers Mono Stereo, and hotly tipped Dubliners Reader’s Wives.

A 25 track compilation album of the work of Liverpudlian legend Dean Johnson was released last week, and his entire catalogue of sixteen albums will be released by 360 in 2010. Next year also sees the release of the second Roses Kings Castles album; the debut album by the magnificent Ben Sommers; the second singles by The Supernovas, Reader’s Wives and Mono Stereo; debut releases from The Savants and Inwits; An EP of five new songs by Sunderland song writing sensation Paul Liddell, and a whole host more!

We here at 360 love music, so it’s not just about what we do, it’s about the amazing array of worldwide talent who defy the naysayers by producing great artistic work in times of supposed darkness. So here’s a big shout out to all the artists who made great albums in 2009:

A Camp, Air, Alberta Cross, Alessi’s Ark, Amazing Baby, Animal Collective, Asobi Seksu, Blitzen Trapper, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Sarah Blasko, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Brakes, The Cave Singers, Coconut Records, Marshall Crenshaw, Crocodiles, Crystal Antlers, Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse, Dead Man’s Bones, The Decemberists, Alela Diane, The Drums, The Duke & The King, Thomas Dybdahl, Eels, Empire Of The Sun, Forest Fire, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Ghoststory, Girls, Great Lake Swimmers, Grizzly Bear, The Handsome Family, Hatcham Social, Imogen Heap, Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey, Ida Maria, The Leisure Society, Local Natives, Madness, Metric, Miike Snow, Rhett Miller, Okkervil River, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Papercuts, Phoenix, Pink Mountaintops, Jay Reatard, Reverend & The Makers, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Hope Sandoval, 7 Worlds Collide, The Shivers, Soap & Skin, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Mindy Smith, St. Vincent, Jamie T, Theoretical Girl, Tim Ten Yen, Tinariwen, The Trinity, Vetiver, Vivian Girls, M. Ward, Wavves, White Denim, Wilco, Wooden Shjips, The XX, Yves Klein Blue and PROBABLY A LOAD MORE WE HAVEN’T DISCOVERED YET.

‘360′

It was a lovely Friday morning when we jumped in the cab to Gatwick, with a snare drum full of clothes, a cymbal bag lined full of socks, our guitars and our bum bags (Americans call them fanny packs, ya know that?) full of euros. We were taking our first flight together, ready to play our first overseas shows.
At the airport, we found our plane had been delayed by 2 hours, so we spent about half our money in the bar, simply waiting patiently for the flight to be announced. The smokers went on a “mission” to find somewhere past customs where you could smoke, a failed mission it was.

Read more of Josh’s blog here…

… and probably should.

• Lil Louis – French Kiss
• Led Zeppelin – Dazed and Confused
• Muse – Stockholm Syndrome
• Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Stagger Lee
• Readers Wives – Advertising Heroin
• AC/DC – Problem Child
• Arctic Monkeys – Brianstorm
• No Picasso – She’s Alive
• Nirvana – Breed
• Sex Pistols – Bodies
• Cage The Elephant – Tiny Little Robots
• Rum Shebeen – Hate
• Plastic Passion – It’s Been Done
• Dr. Dre – Let Me Ride
• Lo-Fi-Fnk – Change Channel
• Operator Please – Just A Song About Ping Pong
• Sailor – A Glass of Champagne
• The Supernovas – Ace Face
• B-legit – So International
• Bleeding Heart Narrative – Nothing Is Out In The Yard

Make mine a large one and no, I Don’t want any F***ing pastries!

Xavier Presso