Dave House - See That No One Else Escapes

See That No One Else Escapes was the first Dave House album I bought. Six months later I bought his debut solo album, Kingston's Current, on my first ever trip to Kingston. I'm still yet to pick up a copy of his third and final solo album, although I really should. I suspect I'll enjoy it.

I bought this album after seeing Dave support Lemuria in Bar Sigma in Swansea the summer before I left South Wales for London. The Arteries played too. I've got a feeling the poster for that show was great, and a few people I know had copies of it up on their walls. Possibly involving a swan? I enjoyed Dave's set and asked him which album I should pick up after the show. He suggested this one and sold it to me for £5, a bargain by any measure.

My first impression was that it was more mellow than I remember his set being, but I wonder if the songs took a more punk edge given the setting and the bands on the bill. All D's No Future is the first song on the album that has anything punk to it, but Trafalgar Square to Anywhere shows that his songs could be great without being heavy - the chorus there is perfect. For an Afternoon could easily fit on the first Frank Turner record (I remember Frank blocking my view for a lot of the time at the Dave House vs Dave Hause show in The Fighting Cocks in 2011; that guy is tall) and Old Girl Back made me think about The Klaxons for the first time in at least a decade.

Over the years, it's had far fewer plays than Kingston's Current, but that's mostly because I have mp3s of that album but not this one, and it has the title-track, which is a really incredible song that I still can't get enough of. I should give this one more time though. It's generally a bit softer, but the violins (which feature in a lot of the songs) really add to those songs, and actually some of the highlights of Kingston's Current are the softer songs too.

Format: 12"
Tracks: 11
Cost: £5 new
Bought: Gig, Swansea
When: 10/06/09
Colour: Grey marble swirl
Etching: none
mp3s: none

The Arteries - Beers

The final release show for Beers was a bitch to get to; a Sunday night, rail replacement buses, losing people on the way, rain, and not quite knowing where in Swansea Monkey bar was. Still we made it and had a great time again.

In my mind, this is the heaviest of the three. Somehow everything just seems turned up. The songs are still catchy as fuck, as all Arteries songs have been before and after this record. Three Cats is my favourite here. There was some sort of mess up with the order so they ended up with all the records the night before the show without any outer sleeves. A full night of folding brown paper results in the sleeve in the pictures. I like it personally. I can see its a shame they don't all match, but what's more DIY than sitting up all night folding sleeves? They went to town on the packages: Jamie's artwork, lyric sheets and coloured vinyl. The records were all coloured to match the titles, although I'm not sure I've ever seen beer this colour (but what do I know with my colour-blind eyes).

In the end, the three EPs were put together to make their debut album Blood, Sweat and Beers (minus one song from each, with a new one added in). It's a cracking album, but having seen the EPs come out it felt like we were more involved in the process somehow, seeing the album take shape. I like a good project and this one was a fantastic one. I'm excited to see them again tonight because I have such fond memories. But also because they're ace.


Format: 10", brown paper sleeve, insert, release show ticket, numbered
Tracks: 5
Cost: free (with the ticket), new
Bought: release show
When: 26/10/08
Colour: yellow?
Etching: none
mp3s: no

The Arteries - Sweat

I will cautiously say that Sweat is my favourite of the EPs. Divergence is certainly my favourite of the songs and Shortcuts is pretty awesome too. I made it to the release show for this one (pretty sure The Slowdance and The Cut Ups were supporting, but I could be mistaken). Cardiff to Swansea always felt like more of a trek than it actually was, but it was certainly worth it. I'm also reasonably sure that they played a cover of Turbonegro's All My Friends Are Dead (it seems covers at the release shows were a thing, and I might be right in remembering that they played Bon Jovi at the Beers show).

The sleeve has "Sweat Party" printed on it, which couldn't be more true: it was sweaty and it was a party. They're a party band and there was a great atmosphere at the shows. I think everyone in South Wales was so fond of them it was great to see them releasing these awesome records (DIY through and through) and doing so well for themselves. (In the pictures for Sweat and Beers I still have the nice screenprinted tickets for the shows telling you which number record was yours. I have numbers 31, 187 and 61, respectively. I think some people managed to get all three the same, which is pretty cool.)


Format: 10", die cut sleeve, insert, release show ticket, numbered
Tracks: 5
Cost: free (with the ticket), new
Bought: release show
When: 20/07/08
Colour: clear
Etching: none
mp3s: no