01/98 nightshift

A&R GO APE FOR ANIMAL HOUSE

Animal House (pictured), the new band formed by ex-Ride stars Mark Gardener and Laurence Colbert and Mystics frontman Sam Williams, made their first live appearance at Londonâs Garage venue last month as part of Shifty Discoâs ÎBig Show Offâ which celebrated the labelâs first year of releases and showcased all but one of the twelve acts to have released singles throughout 1997. Only Cody were unable to appear. The Big Show Off was sponsored by XFM, the London-based alternative music station, and attracted a full house, including a large record industry contingent, there to catch Animal House, as well as check out the likes of Dustball, Beaker and Nought.

1998 sees Shifty Disco expanding its operations in more ways than one. The label has signed two local artists, Dustball and Nought, for album releases in early Spring. Both bands are currently in the studio mixing their albums. Meanwhile Shifty Disco is continuing its monthly single release schedule, with Januaryâs offering the first by a band from outside of Oxford. Bathâs Howlite so impressed label A&R scout Angela Sammon when they supported Nought at the Point last year that she offered them a single there and then: ÎHaloâ is released on Monday 12th of January. The band are described as a complex but melodic mix of Fugazi, Radiohead and early Nirvana, or alternatively, the new wave of Britgrunge. Subscriptions for the next twelve Shifty Disco single releases are now available.

Photo by Pat Loughane

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