Albums of the 2015

It has been another great year for Scottish music as it continues to export some brilliant albums. Some may say Scotland has punched above it's weight for many years, but maybe now it's just something the country is good at - and we don't get to say that very often!

I've been quiet on the blog this year, but I've decided to make a list of albums I've enjoyed this year. 

1. Admiral Fallow - Tiny Rewards

Album number three from Admiral Fallow grew on me a lot over the year, eventually becoming a favourite.

2. Kathryn Joseph - Bones You Have Thrown Me and Blood I've Spilled

It was a huge year for Kathryn Joseph who seemingly came from nowhere to release one of the most enthralling albums of the year. It's almost hypnotic!

3. Idlewild - Everything Ever Written

A bit of a comeback album for indie rock legends Idlewild brought a matured sound whilst keeping their distinct sound we know and love.

4. Young Fathers - White Men are Black Men Too

Surprise winners of the 2014 Mercury Prize, Young Fathers' second album brings more experimental hip-hop in their own unique fashion. I wasn't a fan of the first album, but this has been one of the most played albums this year.

5. The LaFontaines - Class

More hip-hip, this time from Motherwell. The LaFontaines debut album has gone down as a success as they continue to build a loyal fan base right across the country. I first saw these guys play to about 15 people in 2012; 2015 saw them sell out the Barrowlands in Glasgow, and that speaks volumes.

6. Phantom Band - Fears Trending

The Phantom Band have a habit of releasing albums without really telling anyone, so you may have missed this. Melancholic synth-folk music at it's finest!

7. Cherri Fosphate - We Didn't Come Here to Say Goodbye

Another debut album makes the list. It's raw, it's catchy and it was a long time coming. Worth the wait though. I recently did a full review of the album.

8. Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat - The Most Important Place in the World

Man of many musical talents, Bill Wells teams up with the man who should be Scotland's Poet Laureate, Aidan Moffat for the second time. Within the tales of love, sex and drinking, there is something heartening in there, I think.....

9. Rachel Sermanni - Tied to the Moon

It has been a good few years for Rachel Sermanni as popularity for the folk musician has grown tremendously across the world. Poetic lyrics, with perfectly composed music to go with it.

10. The Winter Tradition - Lumi

The Edinburgh outfit have released an impressive album full of guitar/synth driven tunes with big, singalong choruses. Even after some big support slots, The Winter Tradition are still slightly underground in Scotland. I hope 2016 sees them continue to tour hard and get the big break they deserve. 

Cherri Fosphate

It's been nearly 3 years since I first saw Glasgow based rock outfit Cherri Fosphate, and in that time they have become a firm favourite with their slick riffs and catchy choruses. The release of their EP Burning Youth in 2013 showed us what the band are capable of, and I've been looking forward to hearing more ever since.

We Didn't Come Here to Say Goodbye was officially released just over a week ago on Bloc+ (a great wee label), and provides more of those catchy upbeat tunes, with the unmistakable vocal of Jonny Sharpe. Opener Sea Foam Green is raw and fast paced with heavy riffs while Neighbour and Auf Weidersen are the most memorable tracks with their sing-along choruses.

Through the middle of the record, the album flows nicely through some of the songs from the Burning Youth EP, all of which wouldn't be out of place in the underground NYC music scene (well, minus the Glesga accent!).

My personal favourite, Monster, is a slight change of pace. A slow builder of intricate guitar work before bursting into life while Jonny shouts "I'm not pathetic" repeatedly. You're not pathetic, Jonny.

The album picks up pace again with the fast paced drumming of Sonny Kaith in Kerry Rodgers, before winding down to a close with Didn't See You - a nice wee ballad to bring the heart rate back down after an album full of energy and passion.

This is a record you can play on repeat for days, yet appreciate something new each time.

The Draynes - Single Launch

Friday night saw the launch of The Draynes debut single at the Mash House, with support from some of Edinburgh's top up-and-coming bands.

On early doors, rock-pop band Miasma took to the stage. The band have been together since 2009 and their experience was obvious as they played a tight set of about half an hour. Miasma have another gig in Edinburgh on 15 May at Sneaky Pete's.

Weirdest band name of the night went to Geek Maggot Bingo, who brought a completely different sound to the stage. They got the crowd moving with some good old fashioned punk infused rock 'n' roll.

The room filled up for bluesy-rock quarter, The Cracklin' Void. I've now seen the band twice and they are definite crowd pleasers, a good shout to put them as main support. Their catchy tunes and enthusiasm had the crowd dancing and nicely warmed up for the headline act.

The night however, really did belong to The Draynes. A steady run of gigs over the past year has seen support for their garage punk/blues sound grow, and the duo get more confident with every show. This set the band up nicely for the launch of their debut single, 'Give Me Sympathy' which they saved for the last song of the night.
There will be no encore.

Photos courtesy of Jenn Leyden.

ULTRAS - The Path to Getting Paid

An appropriate song for today. ULTRAS, fronted by Gav Prentice, formally of Over the Wall, have released the video to their song The Path to Getting Paid, pretty much about Gav's hatred of the Conservatives and all that they stand for.


Be sure to catch ULTRAS at any of their upcoming dates:

Nottingham - Saturday 9th May 2015
19.30 - 23.00
The Galleries of Justice

London - Monday 18th May 2015

20.00 - 23.00

Old Queen's Head, Essex Road

Edinburgh - Friday 29th May

19.00 - 22.00
Limbo for Hidden Door Festival at The Bongo Club

Glasgow - Saturday 30th May

17.00 - 22.45
The Glad Cafe, Pollokshaws Road (GoldFlakePaint's Sucker Punch Festival)

Glasgow- Sunday 21st June 2015

15.00 - 11.00
West End Festival All-Dayer at Oran Mor, Byres Road

Hope you all made it to the polls.

GoodCopGreatCop

Perth pop rockers GoodCopGreatCop are beginning to make a bit of name for themselves, and with new single Future Habits already being picked up and played by the likes of Jim Gellatly, it's a sign that the band are heading in the right direction.

With only a few songs recorded, it seems that GCGC have a knack for a catchy chorus, and Future Habits doesn't disappoint, with a mix of riffs, jangling guitars and an easy sing-along chorus. Lyrics wise, song writer Andy is protesting against part of the music industry that makes it difficult for new bands to get off the ground. Future Habits available on iTunes, Amazon and Spotify.

The band have been together since 2012 and have gigged across much of Scotland - most recently with The Winter Tradition where I saw half the band perform an acoustic set. They have a couple of dates coming up:

15th May - Perth Concert Hall with support from FOREIGNFOX and Made As Mannequins(FREE 18+)

26th May - King Tut's- Glasgow supporting The Winter Tradition

Further into the future, GoodCopGreatCop will be releasing an EP - watch this space.

What was your album of 2014?

2014 was a great year for music, with record sales in vinyl and a lot less Justin Bieber. Over the past few weeks, you've probably seen all the papers, websites and blogs posting their top 10, 30 or 50 albums of the past year, but how about whittling it down to just one?

It's like asking to pick a favourite child, I know, but I'd like to know what you think the best album of the year was.

Personally, top of my list is The Twilight Sad's third album, Nobody Wants to be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave. It was mature, heartfelt, deep and dark - the only way this band know how to play. They've come a long way over the past few years and this came to a head when they showed up fellow Scots Twin Atlantic at the Edinburgh Hogmanay street party, who have progressively gotten worse since their brilliant debut mini album Vivarium.

Anyway, who is number 1 on your list? And who do we have to look forward to in 2015?

Leave your comments below and join in the debate!

The Winter Tradition - secret show

Secret shows seem to be becoming more of a thing these days. Edinburgh band The Winter Tradition chose this as a way of playing some new material that they have been working on after confirming a second album is in the works.

The Mash House on the Cowgate was sold out on the night but didn't really fill up for opening act (half of) GoodCopGreatCop - an indie/alt rock band from Perth. They played an acoustic set full of catchy chorus, definitely a band I'd want to see again at full strength.

The people at the bar then made their way downstairs and packed out the venue as The Winter Tradition played a long set, making their way through new tracks and old favourites like Nightscape and Gradients.

There is clearly a lot of love for the local band who started their set behind what looked like a bed sheet. The effect of the white light behind the band made for a cool silhouette on our side before it dropped at the start if the second track to cheers from the crowd.

They played for around an hour before finishing with Nightscape as part of the much appreciated encore.

Now just to wait for news on the new album - the bands debut Gradients is still available in the meantime and it comes highly recommended (from me)!

Neutral Milk Hotel and Belle and Sebastian - Edinburgh Corn Exchange

So I had a bit of a hipster weekend at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange:

On Thursday, indie rock legends Neutral Milk Hotel followed up their recent Glasgow gig with a night in Edinburgh, playing songs (among others) from one of the most influential albums of the last 20 years. The album which gained the band so much fame, yet the same on that almost tore them apart - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. NMH were one of those bands I never thought I would get to see. Due to me being 2 when the album was released, I missed their initial success, but years later after falling in love with ITAOTS many times over, I was as excited as anyone about this show. Anyone except maybe Scott Hutchison (Owl John) who got to support one of his all time favourite bands along with his brother - both had to cover up their aeroplane-phonograph tattoo's...

Also, on Saturday night, I went to the first screening of God Help the Girl, a musical, written and directed by Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian. It was beamed to 80 cinemas across the UK from an uncomfortably packed Corn Exchange as we sat on the floor for all 111 minutes. To be honest, the film wasn't to my own liking but I have seen a lot of positive feedback on Twitter. However, I think the main draw of the night was the gig B&S put on afterwards, mixing their own songs with tracks from God Help the Girl, a random bit of Motown and an even more random David Bowie cover sang by Stevie Jackson at the request of Murdoch! Another brilliant performance from the band, who had people up dancing on-stage with them to Boy With the Arab Strap.

New Music

There has been a good few new releases over the Summer, and I've been doing my best to keep up to date with them. Here are some of my picks:

Owl John

It's probably no surprise to hear that Frightened Rabbit are one of my favourite bands, and when we heard last year that front man Scott Hutchison was off to live an LA and release a solo album, I wasn't quite sure what to think. However, under the pseudonym Owl John, he release the self titled debut last week and it is safe to say that it is some of his very best work. Many of the songs are about moving State-side and starting life again, while others are about music itself - both his own and others. I caught Owl John in Edinburgh a few weeks back where he played a mix of his solo and FR songs; I think Red Hand could be a contender for his best song, even though the video is disturbing!

Flood of Red

The second full length release from Airdrie band Flood of Red has definitely built on their impressive debut 'Leave Everything Behind'. If the artwork itself isn't enough for you to want to listen, songs like 'Lashes', 'Whispers and Choirs' and 'Cutting Limes' stand out of the 9 tracks. The band have put their post-hardcore days well behind them, their music has evolved and matured and they are now one of the most impressive and original Scottish bands at this time. 

Slow Club

The progress of Slow Club from their 2009 debut 'Yeah, So' is actually quite amazing. 'Paradise' saw a change in the music from happy indie pop to an upbeat, atmospheric and slightly more serious record, and 'Complete Surrender' has gone even further to, dare I say, soul music!? Whatever it is, I like it a lot. The production level is huge in the new songs and they've really made an effort with videos as well. Definitely a band who get better with every record. 

PAWS

Elsewhere, PAWS released their second album Youth Culture Forever to massive support from big names like Blink 182 and, of course, Simon Pegg... Strengthening live performances will see the band go back to America for a second time. The band even brought friends We are Scientists to Glasgow for a very sweaty, very mental secret show in the tiny venue of Bloc. A night to remember!

King Creosote

Lastly, a joint project of King Creosote and film-maker Virginia Heath, 'From Scotland With Love' was set to mark the opening of the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, providing the antidote from shortbread, whisky and Nessie. It is a heartfelt documentary of Scotland's past, from Glasgow shipyards to days out to the beach, and King Creosote produced the music which he also used to release a new album of the same name. It is a very sentimental documentary, showing Scotland at its best with no spoken word, just the music to back the old footage. It might be hard to imagine, but you can see from the below video exactly why you need to buy 'From Scotland with Love'. 

Augustines | Liquid Rooms | 15/5/14

So this happened last night...

Augustines took the packed Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh by storm last night as they fired through song after song from their two albums in a two hour set. About 6 songs into the set, the band disappeared for a couple of minutes, appearing on the upper level balcony for a bit of an acoustic session. Billy's distinctly powerful voice echoed throughout the venue for one of those hair standing on end moments. And fair play to the crowd for staying so quiet. 

The Brooklyners played hard, full of love for the crowd and treated everyone to a special encore. The four of them made their way into the middle of the crowd to round off their set with 4 acoustic songs, one of them being a song from Billy's teenage years. The Twittersphere was going crazy with tweets to the band telling them how special a night it was, and I'd have to agree. 

If more bands treated their fans like Augustines, the music industry would be a much better place. 

The Second Hand Marching Band.

Everyone loves a bit of DIY, right? Well The Second Hand Marching Band do. It has taken them 4 years, 20 instruments and 17 people to compile 13 songs, thus creating A Hurricane, a Thunderstorm.

The album opens calmly with the soft trumpets and accordion of Bypass (my favourite song from their previous demos). There aren't many songs about motorway signs, but this is the best out of what I've heard! The album picks up pace with tracks This is the Story, then We Will Convince You. The band want to convince you that you're not sad, and who would be with the quick beat of the drum making this a dance-able song when played live.

Female vocals lead the shortest song on the album Climbing Up the Walls before the band remind you that Love is a Fragile Thing in one of the standout tracks on the album. Signpost is a completely acoustic, minimal and quite lovely a song, while You Will/My Body is a Mess is clearly a song about an ex lover who liked to cause arguments.

The complimenting male and female vocals make Mull a very emotional song as it touches on a  personal loss for the singer. Another fairly short track Spark comes just before title track A Hurricane, A Thunderstorm, the chorus of which tells it how it is, 'Something will interfere with plans that you've made.' Annoying, but true!

You Said You Were a Broken Person is another slow, acoustic song, whilst Wrench of My Hand bursts open with the familiar sound of the accordion that is always at the forefront of the music. The album closes just as gently as it opened with Paper Year, rounding off a brilliant album with excellent melodies and evocative lyrics. You know what they say: If you want something done right, then do it yourself!

Shooting Stansfield

Any band who are likened to Frightened Rabbit and The National must be doing something right, and Shooting Stansfield are definitely worthy of the plaudits. The Edinburgh four-piece are not shy in citing their influences, many of which are well established on the Scottish music scene and the release of their EP We Know Not What We Do to rave reviews back in June, showed mature songwriting skills and the ability of the band as they create lovely layered music alongside passionate, rousing choruses and melodies.

 I must admit I missed their email when it came through so I'm probably not up to date fully with the band, though I'm hoping this short feature will make up for it. However, Shooting Stansfield are set to be working on an album in the coming future, which will be highly anticipated, I'm sure (and I promise to be on the ball when it is released!!)

We Know Not What We Do is available on the usual websites (Amazon, iTunes etc), and would be the perfect addition to your 'Indie' or 'Chilled Out' playlist, as each song effortlessly rolls onto the next, and all six songs pass with ease and, of course, you have to play it again. And for those of us who like picking up on every lyric, there are some gems in these six songs:

"If hollow is not a normal thing then I need filling in / If emptiness comes from within, then we are struggling."

And I'll leave it at that; Shooting Stansfield.

New Music

After an extended break (I've been busy) I am back to bring you some of the best new music out at the moment. And did someone say Sigur Rós are back? Hell yes. One of my favourite bands return with Kveikur - their new album released on Monday past. As Jonsi said to one of the 'bigger' music websites, it is their most aggressive record to date, and some of the noises they have produced are borderline scary! Think falsetto Mogwai. The word Kveikur translates to 'candlewick' but when spoken sounds like 'quake' in English, and comes after Valtari, which translated to 'Roller' and had the aura of a calm and tranquil sea. So to me, Valtari was the calm before Kveikur brought the storm. Anyway, this, for me, is one of the top albums this year; placing between Pedestrian Verse from Frightened Rabbit and Trouble Will Find Me by The National.

Quickbeam have released their self-titled debut album which got them to number 10 in the Record Store Charts. With songs like 700 Hundred Birds achieving critical acclaim, the future is looking bright for the band. The record itself goes along at a steady and mellow place with the wonderful voice of Monika at the forefront as layer upon layer of orchesterial music is formed, occasionally reaching the crescendo moment. Quickbeam is available to listen below.




Cherri Fosphate have also released their debut EP Burning Youth. These catchy four tracks show all signs of promise from the young Glasgow based band whose live shows are full of confidence and consistency (and were probably one of the best acts at Brew at the Bog a few weeks back). The toe tapping Wool appears to be the lead track from the EP but my favourite song for no real reason is closing track Kerry Rodgers. The whole EP has catchy choruses to sing along to and riffs that will bring out the air-guitar hero in us all!

Other music I have been listening to includes the brand new album Desire Lines from Camera Obscura. I've been waiting in anticipation for a new release from them and at first listen, I am certainly not disappointed. I haven't listened enough to write a full review but I can't wait to listen more.

Boards of Canada have however been of great disappointment after all the hype surrounding Tomorrow's Harvest. Again, another band we have all been waiting on coming back from hiatus, but it doesn't feel like an album that has been 8 years in the making. But even after the ground breaking previous albums, it would be near impossible to replicate this to an audience 8 years older who would still enjoy it as much.

Anyway, hope you will find something you like here to keep you busy (Sigur Rós, Sigur Rós, Sigur Rós, Sigur Rós do it).

Meet the Panto's!

I recently caught up with Margate based The Pantomime Villains after the release of their debut EP Dreamland. Here's what the boys had to say:

Who are the Pantomime Villains?

We are Jake, Josh, Callum and Harry. We don't expand on that any further.

So are you a bit secretive? 

H: Only about Jake's sexuality.
C: I thought everyone new that...

Obviously, you're in this band together, but do you all get on? 

J: We demand separate dressing rooms.
H: We are all best mates...except Josh.
C: Yeah, no one likes a ginger.

How is your music going down on both local and national levels? 

J: The nation is involuntarily deaf to our new born cry, but it is going down very well locally, and we can only grow from there.

If a record label were to offer you fame and fortune, but you must do what they tell you, would you change?

J: No. We will take constructive criticism but will never abort our ideals.

What has the feedback been like for the Dreamland EP? 

C: Furiously positive.

And what about an album/tour in the future? 

J: I think we would need label support for that.
C: Yeah, it's something we would love to do but at this time, it wouldn't be beneficial.

How do you feel about the future of The Pantomime Villains?

C: The future's bright, the future's Orange (especially with Josh involved)?
J: Brilliant.

Flutes - Killburn

Everyone needs that dark, depressing, yet somehow uplifting moment in their life. Today that moment is brought to us by Flutes with their new single Kilburn which comes with a hard-hitting and rather excellent video starring Lorraine Stanley. I'll also add that if you're under, say 15, you probably shouldn't watch the video, but I'm not stopping you!