Five Years Volume Two Track 2 - Block 45

Block 45 - Wires (Dandelion Radio Session)

An Australian based in Japan, Block 45 is named after a Tokyo ghetto snack bar and his eponymous album appeared on Sean Hocking's Metal Postcard label at the beginning of 2010.

Block 45 appeared in session on Andy Morrison's show in July 2009 and the extraordinary 'Wires', which features here, appeared in their second session for the show exactly a year later.

Block 45's second album is due for release on Metal Postcard later this year.

http://block45.net
http://metalpostcard.com

Five Years Volume Two, Track 1 - Beatnik Filmstars

Beatnik Filmstars - Rats (Dandelion Radio Session)

Formed in 1991, Beatnik Filmstars released a string of great albums and recorded five sessions for the John Peel show between 1995 and 1998.

The band split up in 1998, but re-formed in 2005 and became regulars in the Dandelion Radio festive fifty, placing three tracks in the top eight of the 2007 chart, the first band to achieve this since Pulp in 1995. Sadly, they called it a day again in 2010.

'Rats' is a version of a track that appeared on their excellent 2008 album 'The Purple Fez 72 Club Social'. This version was recorded in session for Rocker's show and broadcast in 2009.

www.beatnikfilmstars.co.uk

Five Years Volume One, Track 17 - Dalmatian Rex and the Eigentones

Dalmatian Rex and the Eigentones - Hairy Monsters (Dandelion Radio Session)

Dalmatian Rex and the Eigentones parade a body of work rooted in the idiosyncratic and sometimes surreal humorous tradition of Viv Stanshall and Ivor Cutler in a series of fascinating releases going back to 1999.

In early 2008 Mark Whitby began playing them and featured the band in session in April of that year. A Jeff Grainger session followed in November.

Their unique humour continues to delight in their recent 'Gnulabradoodle du' album. 'Hairy Monsters', one of their less surreal efforts, is the Mark Whitby session version of a track from their 'Psychedelic Monsters.

http://www.dalmatianrex.co.uk/

Five Years Volume One, Track 16 - Extradition Order

Extradition Order - A Shot

The excellent I Blame The Parents was formed when founder Martin Brimicombe saw Extradition Order in Shoreditch and realised he had to set up a label in order to release something by them.

On that occasion, the singer played a guitar made from a castol can and the bassist wore a gas mask. Naturalised Londers hailing originally from Warrington, Extradition Order use guitars, drums and keyboards to serve up grim post-industrial philosophy, wit and the occasional murder ballad.

IBTP released their debut album 'Since The Bomb Dropped' in 2009 and their follow-up is due later this year. 'A Shot' was recorded specially for this compilation.

http://extraditionorder.co.uk/

http://www.iblametheparentsrecords.com/

Five Years Volume One Track 15 - 2 Hot 2 Sweat

2 Hot 2 Sweat - Rude Dog

This duo of Norwich origin, consisting of Matt Leuw and Mia Lane, took their unique brand of spiky indie pop to the John Peel night of the BBC Electric Proms in October 2008, having made their Dandelion Radio session debut in Mark Whitby's show exactly a year earlier.

Mark also selected the duo as number one in his annual 'Listen To Me' top ten of new bands that year. 2 Hot 2 Sweat went on to release a string of excellent singles with the NR One imprint.

They continue to make faultlessly quirky and tuneful vignettes and the self-released 'Rude Dog', a fine example of what they do so well, came out earlier this year.

www.myspace.com/2hot2sweat

http://twitter.com/2hot2sweat

Five Years Volume One Track 14 - Wolfram Wire with Broadcast

Wolfram Wire with Broadcast - Verstehen 1,8; 3.296.2.1

The always astute Jeff Grainger introduced the rest of us to the amazing Wolfram Wire, aka Dan Werner, from Germany, in 2008 and Dandelion listeners responded by placing his 'Armitage Shanks' in that year's festive fifty.

Dan then made Dandelion history by featuring in the first ever 'joint' session across Jeff and Mark Whitby's shows in March 2009.

In turns both angular and tuneful, this previously unreleased track finds Wolfram Wire in collaboration with one of the great Peel bands of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the melodically atmospheric Broadcast, who recorded three Peel sessions and featured in five festive fifties.

www.myspace.com/wolframwire
http://futurecrayon.blogspot.com

Volume One Track 13 - The Truth About Frank

The Truth About Frank - In Harm's Way (Dandelion Radio Session)

Leeds duo The Truth About Frank are one of four acts on this compilation who also appeared on the Odd Box CD release 'Broadcast One', featuring tracks specially selected by Dandelion DJs.

Their ascent to 'much loved' status at Dandelion has been swift, following their February 2010 session for Jeff Grainger's show, and they secured a top ten place in the festive fifty at the end of that year.

'Harm's Sweet Way' is from their second session for Jeff's show, broadcast in April this year.

www.reverbnation.com/thetruthaboutfrank

www.myspace.com/thetruthaboutfrank