Who the f$!* are Stan & the 2Fish? Take three malcontent, cynical, social-misfits and mix thoroughly with one charming, popliar (sic), funny young man with a penchant for orange hair and scouse ‘taches. Steep for several years in a marinade made up of equal parts Joy Division, New Order, Wire, The Undertones and the Velvet Underground. Add a dash of ’60s psychedelia. Meanwhile prepare a dressing of long macs, Doc Martins, two-tone shirts, original 60’s skinny ties and Geordie Jeans canvas pants (various colours, to taste). Whip together the complete works of Albert Camus, Andre Gide, George Orwell, Raymond Chandler and Franz Kafka. Combine the above and gently fold in several bottles of vintage Coronation Street. Add cheap guitars, keyboards and drum machines. Finally top off with the complete works of Billy Wilder. Serve this hot and tasty dish to all your friends and/or enemies.

It was all a bit ramshackle in the 2Fish world back in the early 1980s when most of these tracks were recorded to cassette in shed, kitchen, hall and bedroom. Tracks include good old fashioned tape hiss, artful (or should that be awful?) mistakes and the odd drone - hang on that's me 'singing'. None of this bothered us that much - after all we listened to the Velvet Underground, the Fall, the Nightingales et al who made great art based around these very concepts. It seems to me that there is too much emphasis on the pristine in music these days, so loosen up and try to enjoy some genuine DIY from the post-punk days. 

Followers of Stan 2Fish