Super excited to see the new album from Spanner ( self-confessed militant ska punks ) finally out and about. We should have physical copies in hand at the end of February / beginning of March.
The new album is an insightful/inciteful mix of upbeat/offbeat simply outstanding not-just ska-punk. 12 up-in-arms oppositional anthems that feature horn, fiddle, a little french and the dulcet tones/vocal stylings of Ben, Eve and Richy. Feisty, fiery (and at times a little folksy) We Won’t Be Stopped stands as Spanner’s latest and finest “small contribution” to the building of a resistance culture/resistance movement.
We’ve long had a love affair with Spanner and have been honored to have had a hand ( along with a host of other like-minded labels ) in getting their music to the masses.
Both the Crisis album and the History Lessons split EP ( two tracks each from Spanner and Action Sedition ) are available as free/pay-what-you-can downloads from our bandcamp page.
In April / May 2013 we brought the band over to Canada for a few shows, with, in more ways than one, spectacular results. Their canadian tour diary remains required reading …
Simply amazing people, amazing politics and amazing music. A band that works hard and plays hard. As they say in the song “All Over The Place” :
We pile into the van and we’re off on tour
Em’s at the wheel with her foot to the floor
We got places to go and people to see
For a while at least we’re breaking free
We may get lost but we can’t go wrong
With so many good people laughs and songs
And collective living where everything’s shared
Remind us that we are everywhere
Sound system’s full blast and we’re doing alright
Dancing all the way through another top night
Tomorrow our legs and heads will hurt
But tomorrow we don’t have to go to work
We got a feeling that we’re in the right place
And the dance floor’s full of friendly faces
We’re so proud to support and play
In all the free spaces where we wish we could stay
CH:
For all the trouble makers and the rebels we know
For the squats and the raves and the punk rock shows
Woah hoah!!!!
GO GO GO!!!!
Buzzin from the music, the people we’ve met
The places and the stories we’ll never forget
All the people who understand
All the organisers and wicked bands
There’s lots of places we have been
That show what we got is more than just a scene
And we can do more than just survive
Resistance culture keeps us alive
Up the punks, anarchists and squatter crews
Opening spaces and showing new views
They know what they’re doing and show what can be done
Mixing freedom and autonomy with lots of fun
None of this lot could you call workshy
They’re not afraid of living it DIY
They’ve built so much from fuck all
Flying the flags and standing tall
When the cops come it’s less talk more rocks
On the streets and barricades defend the squats
Never mind the laws, whatever they say
They may get us out but we’ll never go away
Spanner won’t be stopped, and you won’t be stopped from hearing this record. Or, for that matter, any other Spanner, as the band now have all their releases up on their bandcamp page … We Won ‘t Be Stopped (2019), Crisis (2011), Intruder Alert! (2007) & Gate Crashers (2003).
In keeping with the “music for social change, not for profit” philosophy, all releases are ‘name your price.’
The album is up on the Rebel Time Records bandcamp page as well … again, a ‘name your price’ download …
As the band writes “so this has been a while in the works and it’s been a little bit of a metaphor for the struggle at times. But hey, we won’t be stopped! Our new album, entitled We Won’t Be Stopped, is out now on vinyl, to be followed shortly on CD.”
“Proper album launch is March 30th at the Red Lion in Easton, a benefit for Bristol Antifascists and a chance for us to get all the lovely people who made a guest appearance on the album to play it.”
“In Bristol you can get it from BASE infoshop: baseinfoshop@riseup.net.
Blind Destruction records have helped with the release and are also stocking it in the UK.
In Canada, Rebel Time Records are our accomplices.
In France and Europe the guilty parties are Mass Prod, Maloka and La France Pue, all of whom have helped put it out and will be helping to get it about!
We’ll put up a hopefully growing list of other shops and distros selling the album as we distro it ourselves. If you run a distro or radical infoshop and would like to stock the album, please get in touch.
Huge thanks to all the above record labels and everyone who helped make the album. ”
