Hello hello, whatever - stop reading this bit, we have FAR too much news to be getting on with - a new album from The Frightened Prisoners Of The Kraken! Our long-LUSTED after signing of The Chemistry Experiment! PLUS sightings of stuff from Frankie Machine, Johnny Domino and MJ Hibbett & The Validators - come on, LET'S GO!

MAN CAR PLANE - SPLENDID, SPLENDID

Top of the pile is the release of the debut album from Darwen's very own Frightened Prisoners Of The Kraken. Out on September 17h, "MAN CAR PLANE" is forty-five minutes of JOY, a rollicking rollercoaster ride of bonhomie, baroque and bosso profundo cabaret, that only a lobotomised baboon would fail to smile at. None less than Mr Steve Lamacq Off The Radio STEVE LAMACQ awarded them the grand status of XTRA OFFICE FAVE DEMO TRACK on his show and website last year, and now we at AAS BEAM PROUDLY to be releasing it. With Atomic Kitten's ANDY MCCLUSKY on production duties, and chunks of Leveller's 5 playing on it, whilst musings on aging, trainers, underpants and WMC Culture, this is a SLAP UPSIDE and also INSIDE the head of POP.

In all seriousness, this record sums up exactly what AAS was set to do - if you've even MILDLY ENJOYED any of our other records, then GET THIS ONE, it will make you happy.

WE SAID THEY WOULD BE OURS AND NOW THEY ARE

Meanwhile, the BOARD can be seen ROARING TRIUMPHANTLY at the latest AAS signing. After literally YEARS of talking, discussing, plotting and PLANNING, we are finally able to announce that we will be releasing an album by the FANTASTIC Chemistry Experiment! HOORAH!

"The Giraffe Album" not only features their first, INCREDIBLY RARE, album (er... The Giraffe Album), but also ALL their otherwise released STUFF, much of it on CD for the first time - that's right, ALL of it - BOTH of the first two singles (otherwise only available on vinyl) and hard to find (or MP3 only) compilation tracks, all in one easy to enjoy package.

The album should be out in the first week of October, and you can catch them promoting it on tour with The Lucksmiths (except London and Bath) and Essex Green (details at their website).

AGM AHOY!

With all this FUTURISTIC FUN ahead, we also pause to look back, also ACROSS. Yes, it's that time of year again! No, not THAT time of year, THIS one - Artists Against Success Annual General Meeting! As with the past two years, this will take place upstairs in the Blessington Arms in Derby, on October 22nd starting at about eight o'clock. There will be KEYNOTE SPEECHES from The Board, a beer break, a singalong session from all the Bands able to attend, and finally the traditional Singing Of The Company Song. If you're able to please DO come along, we promise it will be JOLLY GOOD FUN.

AND IN OTHER NEWS

Whilst we have no greater JOY than to welcome new people to the FOLD of VALIDITY, there is also a deep and abiding satisfaction in reporting the activities of those we have loved and continue so to do. Come with us now as we glance proudly, tears in eyes, at what everyone's been up to.

JOHNNY DOMINO have just completed their NEXT ALBUM! It's called "The First Hundred Years" and will be available at gigs and from their website in the very near future. They're all DEAD excited about it, apparently it is GRATE, so do pop along to the website won't you? It will be WORTH it.

FRANKIE MACHINE are at the halfway point of mixing their new album "Francis Albert Machine and Friends" - there's still a couple of tracks to finish off before the sequencing can be done, but Francis is HOPEFUL that it will be out early next year.

MJ HIBBETT & THE VALIDATORS meanwhile have just passed halfway for THEIR new album "This Is Not A Library", with eight tracks finished and eight more to go, whilst we hear RUMOURS that a new single, "Easily Impressed" will be out before the New Year - more news here next time.

Those young SALOON types go from Strength To Strength, with a Peel session under their belts now and the new album "(this is) what we call progress" out in January on Track & Field, AND a tour ongoing right now. DETAILS of all these excitments are at www.saloon.co.uk . Finally, STUMBLE are apparently on the verge of a name change - go to www.feeltherock.co.uk to find out what to!

BAND MEMBER FOCUS

This time, it's the turn of Graham, from The Frightened Prisoners of the Kraken:

Favourite drink:	Anything home made especially shelves.
Would you like one?	Only if they're double dowelled.
Favourite crisp flavour:	Mint 'n' Alps.
Chinese, Curry of Pizza?	Again Mint 'n' Alps.
Favourite member of Take That:	Judith Kilshaw.
Favourite Pub:	We don't drink. We're lepers.
Why do you want this position:	Ever since " Jim`ll fix it " was taken off the air we have had the pulsating urge to fill the void left in peoples lives , and it is only now that we feel ready to stitch our belly buttons up, platt our ginger arse pubes, and purchase holidays to Florida , not to go to all those silly theme parks ,but to swim naked with manitees and rub our genitals on them hmmmmmm
What is your message to THE KIDS?	Never try to be profound , you`ll sound like a twat, and remember when you grow up you can only grow old. Oh bollocks.
Favourite bit in Star Wars:	The bit that sticks in my mind the most is the bit where Boon comes clippaty clopping down the hospital corridor with lots of his wort ridden friends in tow , then after some old bint had licked it Mr Boon shows him his face in a mirror. Its all sad like and somtimes I really hate Boon for what he did, but then I remember to live and let live, after all he was an ugly twat anyway, all lumpy like. Apparently he was like that because his mum was raped by an elephant, thats what my mate Cheesy said anyway.