What’s happening in Sonar World?
Welcome to the Sonar Group. We are a family run independent record and publishing company based in Coventry, UK. We have been established here for over 30 years and have several labels – Sonar Records, Frantic Records, Psalm Reader Records, and Dodgy Ticket Records and have a catalogue of local artists on vinyl and CD. We have a webshop on bandcamp.
You can see us at The Coventry Music Museum
Hear us on spotify – search for Sonar Group Playlist or Mysterious Monks Music.
Cary L – New ALBUM DROPPING SHORTLY
The new album is now mixed and Cary is deciding on album artwork and track listings.
Due to the Covid delays the new album is still in the mixing stages as of April 2020, but Cary has recorded this video of her new song ‘Kiss Goodbye – Cary L new song as a taster of things to come….
New shop
We have been using Groovy cart for our vinyl retailer but unfortunately they closed this year so I’ve moved the shop to Band camp. New products for 2020 are the Sonar Records Vinyl Clocks in 2 sizes – 7″ and 12″ – Find them here.
CARY L – BACK IN THE STUDIO AGAIN for 2020
Cary has been back into Big Sky Studio to start work on her third album with the working title ‘Songs from the Dairy’. This is her first all country album with 14 original songs in ‘the can’ awaiting mixing. Cary is recruiting extra help from various musicians across the globe on this one – Steve Giddings plays lap steel on a few of the tracks and Nashville based McMillan brothers contribute banjo, harmonica and fiddle.
MYSTERIOUS MONKS – LATEST NEWS
The Monks have been working on a new album of original songs and this has now been released. Arcanum Monachis is the latest work from the monks, 11 original tunes in the monks usual style.
JULY 2019
Cary L has her track ‘Single Bed’ on the latest ‘ALTERNATIVE SOUNDS VOL III’ available from Bandcamp or Head Records in Leamington spa.
aPRIL 2019
Sonar Artists Crokodile Tears and Cary L are now in the official local charts with Paul Sanders at 24 and 26 respectively!!!!
Here is Week 57 Of The Official Local Charts
01. Abz Winter Alright Now
02. Matty Rock N Coles I Wanna Be High!
03. MC Curtis Liburd Ends Man
04. RG The Baron Overcome
05. Luna & The MoonHounds Don’t Follow Me
06. Wayne Stacey Puppet On A Shoe String
07. Andy Beglin The Beast & The Temptress
08. DABB4 Fire In Her Eyes
09. AutoPilot Brain Cell
10. Cathy Beech Hello ‘ Cruel World
11. David Duquemin What Used To Be
12. Ian Hough ‘Huffy’ Airwaves
13. Taylor-Louise Thomas Blessed With A Curse
14. CVBE Wild Soul
15. Bobbie Lord Be You
16. Long Good Fridays Amplified
17.Shannon Stevenson Take You Back Kylus Kdubz Ezekiel
18. Izzie Derry & Band Life Is A Gift (Live)
19. Jim Thomason Famous Engineer
20. Man Made Moon Tourist/Not So Haunted
21. Shanghai Hostage Step To Far
22. APE (Adam Collins) Hey Heather
23. Joe Deverell-Smith Toothbrush Song
24. CroKodile Tears Kidz/ Norwegian Wood
25. Bill Bates The Brexit Song
26. Cary Lord Single Bed
27. Chalk Drawings Rag & Bone
28. Perfect Storm Keeping Hope Alive (Charity)
29. Rosetta Fire Shakedown
30. Louie Forde Maisie’s Song
march 2019
The Mysterious Monks are working on a new album for release in 2019. We are looking forward to RECORD STORE DAY on Saturday 13th April. Be sure to check out our vinyl products in Head records in leamington Spa!
October
JANUARY 2019
Happy birthday to Croks main man Christopher Sidwell who celebrates this month!!
October
Hello October, with Christmas within our sights, you might want to get down to HEAD RECORDS in Leamington Priors and pick up some Sonar stocking fillers!
AUGUST 2018
Great news that HEAD records in Leamington Priors are now stocking Sonar Artist products!!! Pop in to browse Crokodile Tears, Courtiers Of Fashion, Furious apples, Cary L, 20 Days, The Sweethearts and Mysterious Monks. Treat yourself to a limited edition 12″ from Laughing House, Decipher the mystery of the Monks with their CD’s, discover what was ‘Maid In Meriden’, and do a spot of ‘Engineering’ all at leisure under the cover of the Priors shopping centre, Leamington Spa!!
Dodgy Ticket artists Crokodile Tears release their new album ‘Old Skool’ this month. Catch them at the Magic Lantern in Leamington spa on August 10th
Get the ‘Alternative Sounds – volume Two’ from here – support Coventry artists!
Cary L track ‘Single Bed’ from her new album ‘Only The Night Knows’ is the featured song for August on HILLZFM. The album ‘Only The Night Knows’ is on heavy rotation on the Keith Fabrique show!!
JULY 2018
Cary L album featured on Keith Fabrique’s rock show the recently released ‘Only the Night Knows’ whose Blush track “Seven Years” is on “Volume Two” of the alternative sounds anthology. Keith played four tracks from the album: “Love On Ice”, “Single Bed” “Only the Night Knows” & “Get A Grip” Both “Single Bed” and “Get a Grip” have also been recorded by Cary’s 1990s band Viktoria’s Sekrets and of course “Get A Grip” is on the 1980 ‘Boys & Girls Come Out to Play’ EP performed by her first band the legendary L’Homme de Terre. Those of you who came to our event on Friday will have heard Cary perform both the latter songs, “Single Bed” as a duet with co-writer Christopher Sidwelll
Find us at the Alternative Sounds party at the Golden Cross pub in Coventry on Friday 20th July at 7.00pm. See you there!
Several video clips available on Cary’s page
The new album by Cary L – Only The Night Knows – is now available in the Sonar shop.
JUNE 2018
We now have the fantastic ‘Alternative sounds Volume 2’ CD in our mitts! What an amazing job these guys have done – So much history here – we are proud to be associated with this and look forward to more of the same !! Available for digital download or as a physical CD
MAY 2018
02/05 Just listened to HILLZFM and Keith Fabrique’s interview – a mega 7 parter – Keith played a selection of tracks from ‘Mysterious Monks’, ‘The Sweethearts’, ‘Blush’ and ‘Cary L’ in-between stories from Jon and Cary reminiscing over the years and talking about the up and coming release of The Alternative Sounds Compilation CD Volume 2.
The Mysterious Monks have been working hard and have a couple of albums in the can. Working on a release date soon.
Cary L has nearly finished her album and is trying to decide on an album title and artwork for iminent release.
APRIL 2018
Finished our ‘father and daughter’ interview with the fabulous Keith Fabrique at Tinkle studio. We talked about the Mysterious Monks, Blush, Cary L, L’Homme De Terre, Cabin Studio and the general Coventry scene back in the eighties. Lots of memories and we have two tracks on the new Alternative Sounds – VOLUME 2 – Looking forward to hearing it on Hillz fm due to be broadcast on 2nd May 2018.
Cary contributing to a book being written by Keith Hancock (Mosquitoes, DT’s) about the Leamington and Warwick music scene
3 months of the year gone already and April sees ‘ALTERNATIVE SOUNDS VOL 2’ line up completed. Sonar artists Courtiers of Fashion, Mysterious Monks and Blush appear on this volume and it is down to the hard work of Martin Bowes and Andy Holdcroft that this project has come together. These compilation albums are a historical voice for Coventry bands reflecting the scene back in the day – it wasn’t just all about the ska you know! Alternative Sounds – VOLUME 2
MARCH 2018
Snow resulted in the alternative sounds launch date for Vol 1 being delayed;
FEBRUARY 2018
More studio sessions at Big Sky;
Tracks from the Monks and Blush accepted onto the Alternative Sounds Vol 2 – Exciting stuff!!
January 2018
Happy New Year from the Sonar Records Group!! A new year for new music.
Cary is in Big Sky studios again working on some bass and vocal tracks. She hopes to be finished by early Feburary and mixing….
Volume One of the long awaited Alternative Sounds CD has been released and features Sonar artists as well as many of the bands who recorded at Cabin Studio – The Primitives, Crokodile Tears, Giraffes and Furious Apples. Further info here Alternative Sounds
The Mysterious Monks are also working on new material for the new year
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SEPTEMBER 2017
Find your Sonar Artists on Apple Music
Cary is in the studio this week with a Ukulele player to nail down her latest track
AUGUST
- Don’t forget to stream the Sonar playlist in Spotify
- Blush track ‘Groundhog Day’ was played on Radio 1;
- Cary working on new tracks at Big Sky Studio with Josh producing and Jake drumming;
- Find us on Facebook
- Video of the month – Mysterious Monks – Money Lender
July
- Our new website has been launched!;
- Cary L is in the studio recording some new tracks for the Summer!
- Mysterious Monks release new album ‘Viva Voce’ available through our vinyl and CD store;
- Crokodile Tears play the Godiva Festival;
- Martin Bowes from Coventry Band Attrition is compiling a special album to celebrate the Coventry Music Museum
Updated 20/04/2020