Festive Freebies

Apologies for the lack of a Friday Freebies last week, I'm afraid that I got struck down by a dose of the dreaded man flu and was pretty useless to man nor beast. On the plus side I now have a double dose of free shit to share with you all, bet your chuffed to bits with that news. Either that or you don't give two fucks and are too excited about the prospect of getting hammered tonight and eating the face of random strangers. Either here's this weeks freebies........

Mitchell Museum
Those luverly Mitchell Museum kids recorded an EP especially to give to you all for Christmas, what a nice bunch they are. The tunes aren't too shabby neither, in fact I'd go as far as saying they're pretty fecking awesome. Stop what you're doing and go and download 'The Closer We Got The Harder We Fell' for free on their Bandcamp.

King Post Kitsch
I must admit that I am pretty excited about the forthcoming KPK album which is due in March on Song By Toad Records, as a wee pre-cursor of what to expect he's very kindly giving away a download of a new track called 'Movies & Magazines'. After listening to the track a couple of times it just made me want to hear the album even more, you can hear what' getting me all excited by following this link where you can download the track for free.

FOUND
Not content with already having one of the greatest album you're likely to hear in 2011, those amazing FOUND boys gave away a whole albums worth of remixes last Friday. If you're quick off the mark then you might still be able to download yourself a copy. While we're on this wee FOUND-trip, I also wanted to point you in the direction of this EP that Tommy from the band recorded using car sounds, it might sound pretentious as fuck, but it's actually pretty good. It's also free (unsurprisingly) and you can find it here.

Call To Mind
For me personally, Call To Mind's debut EP was one of the most beautiful releases of this year, now they're giving it away as a free download there are no excuses for you not to check it out. With their debut album due to arrive at some point in 2011 it should be one hell of a year for these guys.

Adam Stafford
The YIFI frontman has a new solo album, 'Build a Harbour Immediately', due out early next year. As wee taster of what to expect, you can download new track 'A Temple of The Holy Ghost' for free on his Bandcamp.

King Tuts
As they did during the summer, King Tuts are running a few nights of local talent at the start of January, under the banner of New Year's Revolution. As they're getting into the festive spirit of giving stuff away fore free, they've compiled a wee compilation of some the artists they have lined up, down it in exchange for your details here.

The Darien Venture
Those lovely Darien boys are giving away their cover of the Christmas classic, 'Feed the World' as their festive gift to you all. Just right click, save and it's all yours.

How to Swim
I wouldn't even know where to start if I was to try and pigeon hole How To Swim under some kind of genre, let's just say it's not dull. If you fancy delving into the unknown then you their free festive EP, 'Santa Has All The Best Tunes' is a good starting point. It's available to download for free on their Bandcamp.

A Band Called Quinn
Louis Quinn's pop starlets have a free download of their tune 'I Wish You Love' up for grabs as part of their A Band Called Quinn Advent Calendar. Nice.

How Garbo Died
There are a whole load of goodies up for grabs for nowt on their Bandcamp page, including a festive tune which is interesting to say the least

Mariachi Eli Bronx
For one week onlry, Mariachi El Bronx are giving away a free download of their Christmas song, 'Lady Rosales', all you need to do is sign up to their mailing list and it's all yours.

Pete and the Pirates
They have posted up a new track called 'Winter 1' which you can find here.

St Etienne
Head over to RCRD LBL where you will find a free download of St. Etienne's festive song 'No Cure For The Common Christmas'

Bright Eyes
Conor Oberst is giving away a taster of what to expect from his forthcoming album The People’s Key, in the form of new track ‘Shell Games.’

Iron & Wine
Just follow this link to download “Tree By the River” from Iron & Wine’s forthcoming album Kiss Each Other Clean.

Curators
Get yourself a free download of State Of Grace by Curators here for free.

Stanley Odd
As a wee festive treat the Scottish hi-hop outfit are giving away their track 'Ten to One (Solareye Demo)' away for free on their Bandcamp.

Owen Pallett
The artist formerly known as Final Fantasy, or the guy that does the strings in Arcade Fire or the man who Poo's Clouds, however you want to know him, is giving away an EP worth of material for free here.

Gorillaz
I am guessing most of you already know about this one, but just to be on the safe side here it is. The Gorillaz gave away a whole album's worth of material on Christmas Day, recorded over the past few months on Damon Albarn's iPad, you can download 'The Fall' here.

The Decemberists
I am pretty sure I have already posted this, but in case you missed or my mind is just playing tricks on me you can download The Decemberists new single 'Down By The Water' for free on iTunes.

Verbicide Magazine
Have a wee compilation up for grabs featuring songs from Deer Tick, Slow Club and The Hush Now, you can find it here.

Yeasayer
Fancy a wee Yeasayer live album, then look no further as they've posted up a free download of one of their live shows. Recorded at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels on October 28th, 2010, you can download it here.

Pixies
Another band giving away free live recording are the Pixies, who have posted up four from London in 2004, and one from Athens in 1989, which you can find here.

Domino Records
The influential label have a wee compilation up for grabs, including tracks from Four Tet, Steve Mason and Orange Juice. You can find it here here.

6DayRiot
The London based folk outfit (fronted by a Scot) have posted a free download of their cover of the Pretenders classic '2000 Miles'. Download it here.

Tracey Thorn
Download yourself a free cover version of Tracey Thorn's take on the Sufjan Stevens' seasonal classic, 'Sister Winter'.

The Klaxons
If I am honest I've never seen the appeal of the Klaxons, but I am sure that some of you out there must like/have liked them at some point. In which case you might be interested in their new EP 'Landmarks of Lunacy' which they're giving away for free.

You Animals
They've put together an EP of alternate version of some of the tracks from their forthcoming debut album and they’re giving it away absolutely free.

Gizeh Records
Home to folk like Conquering Animal Sound, worriedaboutsatan and Sleepingdog, the Leeds based indie label have a free sampler up for grabs. It includes tracks from the aforementioned bands, plus a whole load of other goodies. Download it here.

The Scottish Enlightenment - Tom Ravenscroft, 6Music Session

Track Listing
1. Pascal
2. Little Sleep
3. The First Will Be Last
4. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Download

Scots Way-Hay - The Artists Album of the Year (Part 3)

When I sent emails out to all of this years Scots Way-Hay artists I honestly only expected to get a handful of replies back. How wrong I was, it turned out that most bands were pretty keen to let you all know what's been tickling their fancy in 2010. So in the last of my series of posts I give you the favourite albums of 2010 for Ardentjohn, Endor, French Wives, Lorraine McCauley and Over the Wall.....

Blud Rins Cauld by John Knox Sex Club

chosen by Gav, Over the Wall

"My album of the year is Blud Rins Cauld by John Knox Sex Club. Parts of this album sounds like a group of guys starting a riot, which is very much the sense you get when you see them play live, but the best thing for me is that there's a lyrical depth here absent from most Scottish bands about. No actually, absent from the vast majority of contemporary music. You get the sense of really big classic themes running through an album that also has time to talk about juvenile delinquency in a particularly Scottish way. There's also a burgeoning violence to the music, even when they're in the middle of one of their very tender moments, that's really compelling. I've been playing it constantly since I got it at Insider Festival (where they played the set of the weekend in my opinion) and I think when I look back on the last year later in life this will be a big part of the soundtrack"

Boots Met My Face by Admiral Fallow

chosen by all of French Wives

"Our album of the year is unequivocally Admiral Fallow's debut 'Boots Met My Face.' It is an album which has garnered near universal praise, and such praise is completely deserved. It is extremely rare in pop (to use a slightly catch all term) bands for each and every member to have quite such a high degree of general musicianship. Indeed, in many of the rare instances where this is the case such musicianship is often thrust in the face, or ears, of the listener. However, this is not apparent on this record. The bands musical skill is perfectly apparent throughout, however despite the vast instrumentation at no point do any of the parts feel self indulgent or unnecessary. Melodically and structurally the songs are so meticulously constructed that the arrangements sound like the best possible version of the original song. Add to this the interesting lyrical content and it makes it extremely difficult to watch or listen to this band without being completely in awe"

Hunting My Dress by Jesca Hoop

chosen by Lorraine McCauley

"I watched Jesca perform at a music festival last year and just loved her quirky song style and beautiful lyrics. She has an amazing imagination and creates new places and ideas to explore in each song. Favorite track, though its hard to choose, is The Kingdom and the video for it is great too.......check it out"

High Violet by The National

chosen by David McGinty, Endor

"The most commercially successful album to date by a band who spent years in the relative wilderness is often seen as one of two things: a crossover or a breakthrough, The National’s High Violet is certainly the latter. Whilst the band’s crossover potential is evident on this release, and comparisons could be drawn to the early albums of stadium fillers like R.E.M, this record is evolutionary not revolutionary. Its breakthrough into the mainstream charts follows the critical acclaim surrounding four previous records and years of slugging it out on the road, yet in 2010 it seemed The National proved they could no longer be ignored. Over the course of their last few releases the band have been honing a sound, primarily based around true craftsmanship in terms of their songwriting. Sure, since Boxer there’s less shouting, and knee-jerk purists have been arguing whether or not that record is better than it’s predecessor, Alligator, since 2007; the fact of the matter is that High Violet is the latest instalment in the evolution of a band which has be lauded by critics, and rightly so, since their debut almost a decade ago. Not only is High Violet the most evolved National record, and debatably the finest example of their ability as songwriters and musicians, it’s got to be one of the best albums of 2010"

The Courage of Others, by Midlake

chosen by Seth, Ardentjohn

"It is a beautiful album and, after Trials of Van Occupanther, it was always going to be hard to top it.

The band chose a different genre for the album (which in itself is difficult) and this gave it, instantly, a different vibe from their previous but their harmonies are always to die for and the old english feel of the album is wonderful.. They seem to put their mark over anything they try.

A beautiful album which gets better with every listen: a bit like their last one, but not the same at all. Wonderful"

Vic Galloway's last ever Radio One Show - The Session (23/12/10)

Track Listing
1. Alex Kapranos - Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie (Belle & Sebastian cover)
2. The Phantom Band - Silent Howling Night
3. Scott Hutchison - The Modern Leper
4. Alex Kapranos - Stefania Salomone’s Letter
5. Scott Hutchison - Be Less Rude

Download

Belle and Sebastian - Live at the Glasgow Barrowlands (21/12/10)

Track Listing

1. Christmas Time Is Here
2. I Didn't See It Coming
3. I'm A Cuckoo
4. Step Into My Office, Baby
5. Expectations
6. I'm Not Living In The Real World
7. Piazza, New York Catcher
8. I Want The World To Stop
9. Lord Anthony
10. Sukie In The Graveyard
11. Santa Claus
12. The Fox In The Snow
13. My Wandering Days Are Over
14. The Wrong Girl
15. There's Too Much Love
16. The Boy With The Arab Strap
17. If You Find Yourself Caught In Love
18. Judy And The Dream Of Horses
19. Sleep The Clock Around
Encore
20. Lazy Line Painter Jane (feat. Monica Queen)
21. Me And The Major

Download

A special Thank You goes out to David for recording this for me and letting me share it with you all. I really appreciate your help mate!

Idlewild - Live at the Glasgow Barfly (28/05/02)

Track Listing

1. You Held The World In Your Arms
2. Little Discourage
3. A Modern Way Of Letting Go
4. I Am A Message
5. Everything Flows
6. These Wooden Ideas (Interrupted)
7. These Wooden Ideas
8. (I Am) What I Am Not
9. I Don't Have The Map
10.Stay The Same
11.I Found That Essence Rare
12.Roseability
13.Captain

Download

Once again, thanks to Tom for the link

Fresh Meat Monday - Agnieszka Stachowiak

Would you care to introduce yourself?

My name is Agnieszka aka Almighty Sound. I originally come from Poznan in Poland. I’ve decided to move to Edinburgh because I had this idea of trying to hook up with the local musicians and making something cross-cultural.


How would you describe the music you make?

I always go for the melody first, I believe it needs to be, well, beautiful. I guess such melody-oriented approach could suggest that my music is pop music. But I guess the structure of the songs is too twisted for pop and there is also a bit of nu folk feeling to it, too. And on top of that, the vocals are very high-pitched because I’m deeply influenced by the opera music, musicals and by the Indian music (Bollywood soundtracks).


How did you start out making music?

The breakthrough moment came when I was about 13 and I borrowed a portable voice recorder from my parents. From that point on, I would carry it around with me all the time, interviewing people. And at some point I just started singing to it the tunes that came to my head.


What process goes into the way you write songs?

When an idea for a tune comes to my mind then I sing it to the voice recorder. That’s the starting point. Then come the lyrics. Afterwards I play it on the keyboard and write down the score. However, I use help of other musicians to add the chords or organize the measure, when needed.


What can people expect from your live shows?

I love the way that Rufus Wainwright does the shows so I will try to add a bit of glamour to it. Expect to see a Scottish-Polish mix of musicians onstage and some fancy instruments, like cello.


What are you all listening to at the moment?

Fleet Foxes, Rufus Wainwright, Florence and the Machine, the Klaxons, Prince, Major Lazer, Bollywood songs. I am always hungry to discover new music, so if you ask me this questions in 2-months time you are very likely to get a completely different list.


What can we expect to see/hear from you in the near future?

I am working on an LP now so you can expect more and more songs in the next few months. Also, look out for the shows in Edinburgh, hopefully first of them are going to happen this Winter.

Agnieszka Stachowiak - Maybe You Just Misunderstood

Rachel Sermanni - Radio Scotland Session (22/12/10)

Track Listing
1. Eggshells
2. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
3. Breathe Easy

Download

Idlewild - Box Set, STV Studio Recording

Track Listing
1. Listen to what you've got
2. Interview
3. A film for the future
4. I am a message
5. Little discourage
6. These wooden ideas
7. Captain
8. Satan Polaroid
9. Interview
10. I don't have the heart
11. Actually its darkness
12. Everyone says you're so fragile
13. Roseability
14. When i argue i see shapes
15. Mistake pageant
16. Interview
17. Safe and sound
18. You just have to be who you are
19. 4 people do good

Download

Scots Way-Hay - The Artists Album of the Year (Part 3)

When I sent emails out to all of the bands that I have featured this year as part of my Scots Way-Hay posts I honestly didn't expect to get much of a response. Turns out that I was completely wrong, as I have been inundated by bands wanting to share what's been floating their boat this year. This week we have an array of choices from Bronto Skylift, Admiral Fallow, Kid Canaveral and the Lava Experiments, there are some cracking choices in there, plus a lot of stuff that passed me by. I'll defo being making sure that I check them all out though. Right, let's get on with the show, here's this weeks picks....

Abner Trio - The Giant Crushes You

chosen by Niall, Bronto Skylift

"It's amazing and subtle and uplifting and feels like an album.And the art rules"

Field Music - Measure

chosen by Sarah Hayes (flute,vocals), Admiral Fallow

"I didn't realise it was a double album when i got it and was concerned it would be a bit self indulgent but needn't have worried. Just lots of great pop songs with some quirky touches."

(also loved 'Ian Stephenson-Line up')

Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

chosen by Joe Rattray (bass), Admiral Fallow

"It's a really dense electronica/hip-hop album with jazz undertones and a great collaboration with Thom Yorke (...And The World Laughs With You)"

(also loved 'The Phantom Band-The Wants')

Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

chosen by Phil Hague (drums), Admiral Fallow

"In Stevens own words "The Age of Adz, is, in some ways, a result of the process of working through health issues and getting much more in touch with my physical self. That's why I think the record's really obsessed with sensation and has a hysterical melodrama to it"

Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can

chosen by Kevin Brolly (clarinet, keys), Admiral Fallow

"Marling's second lp released on 22 March 2010 was produced by the great Ethan Johns and has a more mature sound and lyricism, dealing with "responsibility, particularly the responsibility of womanhood."

(also loved Meursault-All Creatures Will Make Merry)

Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

chosen by Louis Abbott (songs), Admiral Fallow

"A brilliantly catchy guitar record with a lot of interesting harmonies and hooks. The band self funded the record which is pretty admirable these days. It was technically released in the UK at the end of '09 but in the U.S in Feb this year. Sneaky eh."

(also loved Frightened Rabbit-The Winter of Mixed Drinks)

SWANS - My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky

chosen by Fraser, The Lava Experiments

"To those familiar with SWANS ignore the next few sentences. To the uninitiated, SWANS were established in 1982 by Michael Gira in NYC. They released in excess of 20 albums (studio and live) before their demise in 1997. During their career they produced some of the most aggressive, brutal, visceral, yet beautiful music I've ever experienced.

In January this year Gira announced that "SWANS were not dead". 'My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky' was released in September this year and for me it is the best album of the year.

Listening to the album wraps me in a blanket of melancholy; a rather comfortable blanket that has the converse reaction of being remarkably uplifting. Mountainous challenges no longer seem insurmountable. Irritations dissolve into the background noise, where they deserve to stay. This album makes me feel better.

It has the blueprint of the early day SWANS; a grotesque, relentless, pulsating backbone. Early SWANS are definitely an acquired taste and one that the majority would be delighted to by pass completely. But, this album is very accessible. That is probably due to the undeniable nod towards mid era SWANS where the feeling was more avantgarde psychedelic folk. There's a maturity in Gira's work that's inevitable with a musical career spanning almost 30 years. Topped off with some of the best vocals Gira has recorded (in my humble opinion) this is an outstanding piece of work and one I'd urge any reader to have a go at!"

The Noyelle Beat by Standard Fare

chosen by David, Kid Canaveral

"I had heard good things about the band that produced my favourite album of 2010, but like so many other bands that I hear good things about, I just hadn’t had time to check them out. Luckily, this changed when we (Kid Canaveral) were asked by Half My Heart Beats to play with Standard Fare at their night in Glasgow. They were absolutely brilliant, and afterwards I couldn’t buy a copy of The Noyelle Beat off of them quickly enough. We were off on a short UK tour after the Glasgow show and SF’s album was on repeat almost the whole way.


There is something really rather special about this album, Emma Kupa’s vocals in particular. She has a rare talent of not only singing the lyrics, but properly emoting them, sucking the listener into the situation and immersing them entirely in the song. I defy you to listen to ‘Love Doesn’t Just Stop’ (which is the best song I’ve heard all year, and an absolutely devastating opener for an album) and not have the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when Emma hollers that note at the end of the verses. The playful interaction of Emma and Dan’s vocals twisting around each other on ‘Nuit Avec Une Amis’ is a real joy to listen to, detailing the dangers and the subtleties of a possibly (probably) ill-advised liaison with a friend. ‘Philidelphia’ is just the sweetest song, and anyone who has been separated for a time from a loved one, over any distance whatsoever, will be able to relate to it. The three-piece instrumentation of the album could well have been limiting to a band with less imagination, but the wonderful rhythms and changes therein, that are best exemplified by ‘Let’s Get Back Together’ and ‘I Know It’s Hard’, show that that The ‘Fare are not ones for simply knocking out “Four-to-the-Floor” indie by numbers.

Another real strength to this album are the vivid pictures it paints, not merely through the words, but the way the are delivered. Add the vocal performance and musical accompaniment to “my favourite thing/Saturday, Sunday morning/Dancing with you/In the living room” on ‘Let’s get back together’ and it changes from something that could be awfully twee written down, to something beautiful, a passage in the song that takes you right to the feeling of an after hours moment with a loved one, the ordinary living room and the inebriated dancing becoming something amusing, touching, daft, intimate: just one of those wonderful moments. Similarly, ‘Wrong Kind of Trouble’ has a very simple set up, the music adding a slightly hazy quality to the situation described, and the pay-off of the last line, again, is all about the resigned, heart-broken sigh of the delivery. Just brilliant. Singles ‘Fifteen’ and ‘Dancing’, are joyous pieces of dancefloor-filling indiepop, with the latter being a close-to-perfect single (well, perfect actually) and providing Scott and I with a song to sing (terribly) whilst shambling out of a post-show club in Leicester. And many times since. It also contains one of the wisest couplets of recent times with “There’s always gonna come a time when we don’t know the answers/Always gonna come a time when we should just go dancing”. The wonderful opening drawl of the first few lines of ‘Wow’ is what I have been bothering my neighbours with by belting them out in the shower for the past couple of months. It's a brilliantly judged closing track for the album.


Yes, the lyrical content is something that many bands have done over and over (well, most bands): love and loss, desire, longing, libido, friendships, mistakes, dancing and drinking, but very, very few manage to add that little bit of magic that Standard Fare do, the bit that a listener can really connect to. I have read and heard many people comparing Standard Fare to the Popguns, and while The Popguns are responsible for one of my favourite singles ever, I think that Standard Fare have surpassed The Popguns back catalogue with ‘The Noyelle Beat’. I don’t think that The Popguns ever bettered their third single “Waiting for the Winter”, which is a perfect pop song (one of the b-sides ‘Because he wanted to” was wonderful too, mind), whereas I would rate at least a couple of the songs Standard Fare’s debut as equals to this, and I would say ‘Love Doesn’t Just Stop’ and ‘Dancing’ actually top it.

There is wit, sincerity and real joy in so much of the album. None of it is laboured or tortured with emotion. It is unpretentious, genuine, heartfelt and moving, without ever being earnest or sickeningly twee. I absolutely love it, and that doesn’t happen to me often at all. I haven’t listened to album this much since ‘The Midnight Organ Fight’ came out, and there isn’t much higher praise than that".

Yahweh - Fresh Air Session

Track Listing
1. Here I Am
2. Humans and Other Animals
3. It's Cold
4. Take Me To Thornhill
4. The Wee Ending

Download

The Scottish Enlightenment - Vic Galloway Session (20/12/10)

Track Listing
1. There’s Something Not Right About Christmas This Year
2. The Soft Place
3. My Bible Is
4. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

Download

Fresh Meat Monday - Aaron Wright

Would you care to introduce yourself?

Hello, I'm Aaron Wright


How would you describe the music you make?

I like to make up catchy melodies - like those of The Beatles or The Byrds - and try to make the lyric as genuine or seem as genuine as it can be


How did you start out making music?

I left high school and started writing songs for fun. I enjoyed passing time by writing, then started the open mic circuit.


What process goes into the way you write songs?

When I write a song the melody nearly always comes first. Then a lyric will come to me, then I work round ideas involving that lyric and there's a song!


What can people expect from your live shows?

You can expect a good tight show everytime. My band are great at what they do...other than that, just some good tunes.


What are you all listening to at the moment?

At the moment I'm listening to some Taj Mahal, quite bluesy stuff. I like the old blues guys at the moment. Other than that some stuff my friend made on his computer - quite dancy stuff which is a surprise to find myself liking.





Aaron Wright - Go On Yerself by partisanpr

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Weekly Round Up (19/12/10)

Monday - Alongside this weeks Fresh Meat starlets, Rose Parade, there was the big announcement that the National had been voted as this years winners of the second ever Scottish BAMS award.
Tuesday - our good friend Brian shared with us a session that Loch Awe recorded for his show on Fresh Air
Wednesday - Part 2 of my artists albums of the year, including selections from A Band Called Quinn, Burnt Island, Come on Gang!, RM Hubbert and the Last Battle
Thursday - there were sessions from Yusuf Azak, Sparrow and the Workshop and Erland & the Carnival. There was also a wee mention of my five minutes of fame...
Friday - Belle and Sebastian in session for Marc Riley, plus an epic Friday Freebies with tunes from Call To Mind, Zoey Van Goey and Seafieldroad all up for grabs
Saturday - continuing on with my festive covers, I had Arab Strap's take on Xmas (Baby Please Come Home) in We've Got It Covered


News, gigs and any other gubbins......

Tonight at Sleazys Electra French are having their very own Christmas Party, with Mitchell Musuem, The Seventeenth Century and Fur Hood. It all kicks off at 8pm tonight, through until 3am, it's only £4 and you get a free Mitchell Museum chucked in there too. If you're quick off the mark then you might still be able to pre-order tickets through Electra French's Bandcamp page.



If you're free in Glasgow on Wednesday night and looking for something awesome to do, then get yourself down to the 13th Note. As a wee thanks to everyone who has shown us so much support in the last few months, myself and Halina are going to be hosting our very own Olive Grove Christmas Party. After the success that we've had with the Randolph's Leap EP and more recently with Esperi's 'Snowman' single, we felt that it would be pretty fitting to have our very own wee shindig. So on Wednesday, Randolph's Leap and Esperi will be joined by the 61st Hottest person in Scotland, the wonderful RM Hubbert.
We'll also have a selection of backed goods on sale, plus the lovely 'I Heart...' will have her own wee stall set up for you to do some last minute Christmas shopping.

All of this and I haven't even mentioned that this is a free gig, it would be great to see some familiar and some unfamiliar faces down for the evening. It's going to be an amazing night!

We've Got It Covered #31

I haven't dedicated a post to anyone in ages, but seeing as my little sister is getting married today this one is for her. I don't think this is exactly the most appropriate thing to be posting on her big day, but it's still a great wee tune.

Arab Strap -Xmas (Baby Please Come Home) (Darlene Love cover)

Belle and Sebastian - Marc Riley Session (16/12/10)

Track Listing

1. I Didn't See It Coming
2. Piazza, New York Catcher
3. Sukie in the Graveyard
4. Like Dylan in the Movies

Download

Friday Freebies

Call To Mind
Kicking this weeks freebies off, we have a cracking wee festive tune from those fabulous Call To Mind boys. You can download their gorgeous wee tune, 'Learning Alone Again (Merry Christmas)' for nowt on their Soundcloud page. If their debut album which is pencilled in for some time next year is half as good as this then we're in for a right treat.

Zoey Van Goey
I am sure that I am not alone in looking forward to the forthcoming Zoey Van Goey's album 'Propeller Versus Wings'. Well as a wee taster of what you can expect to hear they've posted up new song 'My Aviator' taken from it for free on their Bandcamp.

Beach House
The dream pop outfit recorded a holiday song a few days ago, you can download their holiday gift for free here.

Duncan and the Ex-Teens
It really feels as if a new Dananananaykroyd side project crops every week at the moment. You'd think they'd be busy enough as it is, what with sunning it up in LA recording their new album. But being the creative bunch that they are they continue to produce amazing tunes, the latest side project comes from Duncan who has posted up his EP 'Songs, I Know' on Bandcamp.

French Wives
It's the fifth week in the series of Home Fires posts from those lovely French Wives, this week they're giving away 'Small Time Crooks'. Apparently this is a long lost French Wives song that they don't really play any more for 2 reasons: 1. they don't really like it and 2. it's quite difficult to play. They sound like pretty good reasons to me. You can download the tune here.

Gargleblast Records
"Available digitally for the first time, a one-off Xmas EP featuring exclusive recordings by De Rosa, Foxface and Pan. Originally a CD-R release, one hundred hand made copies were given away at the Gargleblast Christmas party in 2007". Download it here.

Chemikal Underground
Not signed up to the Chemikal Underground mailing list yet, then you are a nugget. As it's fucking ace and every month you get free stuff, cause they're dead nice. This month they're giving away a free download of a wee compilation called 'A Chemikal Xmas Present' - With Thanks And Love'. You'll find that and plenty of other free downloads here.

REM
As a wee Christmas gift REM are giving away a free download of their new track 'Discoverer', to get it all you have to do is give them your email address.

FOUND
It's week 12 of FOUND's Free Friday series in the build up to the release of their third album in March. As always I have no idea what it's going to be, but I am sure it'll be cracking as always.

Seafieldroad
Having release a corer of an album last month, Andrew from Swimmer One has decided to giev away some free tunes from his side project every other week. Kicking it all off you can download one of his old demo's 'Fanbloodytastic' for free on his Bandcamp.

Otherpeople
Ye another band giving away a wee festive tune for free are those lovely Otherpeople, quite possibly the hardest band to google ever. Thankfully though you don't have to go hunting for their tunes as you can get their Christmas song '2 zero double 1 (the festive song)' for free here. Rather good it is too.

My Cousin I Bid You Farewell
There is a free download of My Cousin I Bid You Farewell's song, 'I'm Yours' up for free download on their Bandcamp Be quick mind as it's only going to be up for a wee while longer.

Hectares
I've always been a sucker for things that are a bit ramshackle, Hectares EP 'The Zooey Deschanel Pity Fuck Adventure Dream' certainly falls into that bracket. Plus that's possibly the greatest release title I've seen all year. You can download it for free on their Bandcamp.

The Forest & The Trees
The Swedish duo have posted up a cracking wee festive number, 'Santa Claus is coming' for free on their Bandcamp. I fully guarantee this song will put a huge grin on yer chops.

Toro y Moi
Here's one for all you hipsters, it's a free download of a new track from the forthcoming Toro y Moi album, it's called 'Still Sound' and you can find it here.

Stray Kites
Lo-fi duo, Stray Kits have a cracking wee album called 'One Day, Earth Time' up for free download on their Bandcamp. It kind of reminds me a wee bit of some of Adam Green of Moldy Peaches fame. Which is all good in my book.

Miss the Occupier
You can download the spiky indie pop trio's song 'All Day' for free here.

The Mountain Goats
Stereogum have a free download of new Mountain Goats track, 'Tyler Lambert’s Grave, you can find it here.

Gorman
Another act getting with a festive tune to share are Glasgow's very own Gorman, who's tune 'Snow' is available to download for free here.

Idiot Glee
Fans of Perfume Genius take note as this will probably be right up your street. There is a free EP called An Idiot Glee Christmas up for grabs here.

Clockwork Radio
The Manchester based band, with members coming from North Wales and Egypt have just released their second, The Soul Harmonic EP and yep you guess it, it's free. Kudos goes out to Oh So Fresh for the tip, nice find.


Kowalskiy's Komplimentary Korner

It feels like ages since I've posted the last Kowalskiy EP, but it's been more than worth the wait. This month he's got exclusive tracks from Dirty Cuts, Johnny Reb, The Parrifins, Mamoeth and Thirty Pounds of Bone. Download them all here for free here.

Yusuf Azak - Vic Galloway Session (16/12/10)

Track Listing

1. Lay Me Down
2. Turn On The Long Wire
3. Gazelle
4. Eastern Sun

Download

Sparrow and the Workshop - Marc Riley Session (15/12/10)

Track Listing
1. Black To Red
2. Crystals
3. Medal Around Your Kneck
4. Last Chance

Download

Hotter than Subo....

and Ewan McGregor apparently.....

Scots Way-Hay - The Artists Albums of the Year (Part 2)

So here we are with the second of my series of posts getting some of the artists that did interviews for me to tell me their albums of 2010. Our artists taking part this week include A Band Called Quinn, Burnt Island, Come on Gang!, RM Hubbert and The Last Battle.
We've got quite an eclectic mix of albums here, a lot of which I haven't heard yet and some albums I love. A big shout out to the Last Battle for having all of the band choosing their album of the year. Top marks, however go out to Mikey from Come on Gang! for his 'novel'-like response....

Sex, Dreams & Denim Jeans by Uffie

chosen by Louise Quinn, A Band Called Quinn

"I found this quite difficult because I've been so busy recording & releasing The Beggar's Opera album this year I've just been hearing tracks here & there & not really taking the time to get into albums. I liked what I've heard from The Arcade Fire, Caribou and Robyn albums. I was gonna say The Sexual Objects album Cucumber 'cause I think that is amazing & it's probably the closest I've came to listening to & getting into a whole album that's been released this year but I think I'll go for Sex, Dreams & Denim Jeans by Uffie. The album is a bit patchy but the title track & Illusion Of Love have been going round my head since I heard them. It's a bit of a hipster album with appearances from Pharrell Williams and Matt Safer from The rapture and producers including Mr Oizo & Mirwais. I really like the production. I like that she sings that she's not an artist & she can't sing and is the least working girl in showbusiness. It's cheeky, honest, wonky & fresh"

The Unwinding Hours by The Unwinding Hours

chosen by RM Hubbert

"Epic but not contrived. Honest and simple without being over sentimental. Beautiful and brutal. REALLY FUCKING LOUD".

The Walkmen - Lisbon

chosen by Rodge Glass, Burnt Island

"There's loads of stuff I've loved this year, especially records by The Phantom Band and The National, but at the moment I'm listening pretty solidly to The Walkmen. I got into them around the time of the first couple of records then lost track until I took a chance on the new album, Lisbon, a few weeks ago, then went backwards to the earlier albums again. I love the singer's raspy, angry voice, the weird tough sound of the guitars and the strange humming keyboards that so many of their songs have, also the way these use haunting brass sections in really simple arrangements that make the tunes sound like dark little lullabies. Songs like 'While I Shovel the Snow' and 'Stranded' are just ideal for winter in Glasgow, walking around, watching your breath in the air and shivering. In these grim old times, The Walkmen suit my mood perfectly".

Kid Canaveral - Shouting At Wildlife

chosen by Michael Morrison (aged 27 ½), Come On Gang!

"I genuinely thought and thought and thought about this one. A lot. I suspected I knew, but it seemed like far too obvious a choice, so I tried to dismiss it and choose one of the others that surprised me in 2010.

After a few days, I could deny it no longer. Shouting At Wildlife by Kid Canaveral is my favourite album of 2010, by a country mile. Here’s why.


As I moaned to Aye Tunes only yesterday, I really only get excited about albums. Sure I buy the odd EP and single (if they’re available in nice hard copies), but these formats have never been able to stand up to the scope and breadth that a good album has. I’ve always loved albums and genuinely miss the days when I would join the queue outside the local record shop to buy that month’s ‘big album’ as soon as it hit the shelves. The sense of occasion and apprehension, promise and anticipation are things which I associate with the release of an album I want and, thanks to having been friends with Kid Canaveral for years now, all of these often absent attributes were in place on the build-up to their release.


Of course David momentarily spoiled all that by sending me a promo copy, but it was just a wee taster of what was to come, so I forgave him. Unlike most releases, I was fortunate enough to have literally waited years for this album, and that made the payload all the sweeter. The first time I saw ‘The Kids’ was when both them and my own band were put together on a Rubix bill at Henry’s (along with Woodenbox if I remember correctly?). We made friends right away. Listening to their range of tunes and never-ending stock pile of potential singles really made me start to focus on what my own band was about at the time. We’d already written some good songs, but the idea of releasing them and having ‘singles’ hadn’t crossed our minds for a second. Then David started talking about working towards their debut album, and I shat it basically.


Anyway, fast forward two and half years and eventually a copy of Shouting At Wildlife drops into my inbox. No artwork on the promo so I make do with scanning the track listing instead. Good Morning? Tick. You Only Went Out To Get Drunk Last Night? Tick. Smash Hits? Tick. Couldn’t Dance? Tick. Fuck me this was going to be great! A few entirely new songs, but it was reassuring to see they hadn’t dismissed some cracking older songs for being, well, old. Sticking the album in and hitting play, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I know David’s a bit of a perfectionist and treats albums with the same kind of sanctitude I do, so I was actually quite nervous. We had been recording our album at roughly the same time too, so part of me was shitting it I’d want to go back to the drawing board after hearing Kid Canaveral’s effort.


To say I was pleasantly surprised is a monumental understatement. The album flows perfectly and is restrained in the all right places. Any fat was stripped off in favour of a confident and actually quite ballsy sound. I hate when albums (usually the 2nd or 3rd in a band’s career) are described as ‘mature’, but that is definitely a word that came to mind. I was dreading that the album would be twee and lightweight, as lazy journos had often used the ‘T’ word to describe our heroes, but what I got was a record with a layered and considered sound, something timeless and crisp. It was so refreshing to hear David and Kate’s superb lyrics get the clarity and backdrop they deserved, and that made them shine for the lovelorn tinged words they are.


Shouting At Wildlife is obviously a debut album, in all the right ways. The collection of songs have earned their place on the record, having been whittled down from dozens, and the lyrics seem to come from a wisdom that too is earned - though through life’s obligatory harsh lessons. Like all good debuts, this is songwriting at its most honest and earnest. The reprise finished and I hit play again. David asked me what I thought of it. Where to start? To me, Shouting at Wildlife sounds like a very particular part of a very particular night out. You know those nights when it’s such a big one that a little bit of drama’s almost inevitable? You maybe have a wee argument with your mates and, to spite them, stumble off in the direction of a house party you heard rumour of. When you get there a text arrives from your mate or girlfriend telling you what a fuck you are, but you don’t care ‘cos you’re hammered and you’ve just met a bunch of new friends. What happens next, when you stay up until the small hours drunkenly regaling complete strangers with the stories of your life - only to leave at 6 a.m. with the promise that you’ll stay best mates forever - that is what this album sounds like to me".

Twin Shadow - 'Forget'

chosen by Arwen, The Last Battle

"Twin Shadow - 'Forget'. Ian from Broken Records introduced me to this recently, and I instantly fell in love with it. It's just pure 80's sounding but in an weird awesome way."

Meursault 'All Creatures Will Make Merry'

chosen by Brian, The Last Battle

"My favourite album of the last year has to be Meursault's 'All Creatures Will Make Merry'. It's enough of a departure from the first record to sound fresh but not so much as to be indistinguishable as Meursault."

Admiral Fallow - 'Boots Met My Face'

chosen by Liam, The Last Battle

"I'm gonna go for Admiral Fallow's 'Boots Met My Face'. The pop harmonies and amazing musicianship blew me away the first time I heard it (and continue to do so). 'Squealing Pigs' in particular has the catchiest chorus I've heard in a long time. Also, if Guy Garvey of Elbow thinks they're good enough to play on his radio show, then they're alright by me."

Yusuf Azak - 'Turn On The Long Wire'

chosen by Flora, The Last Battle

"We played with Yusaf Asak recently and he impressed me so much I cheekily asked to swap our album for a copy of his. It wasn't meant for me but a xmas present for someone else, but I ended up listening to it and really enjoying it. I've still not wrapped it up yet!"

Foals - 'Total Life Forever''

chosen by Ella, The Last Battle

"Album of 2010 has to be Foals 'Total Life Forever'. It's just a great album, a massive step forward from their first and in 'Blue Blood' has one of the most beautiful songs of the year. It was great to see a band come back with an album to silence the naysayers"

Kid Canaveral - 'Shouting At Wildlife'

chosen by Paul and Scott, The Last Battle

Paul - "Kid Canaveral 'Shouting At Wildlife'. I've picked it as my favourite album of the year, why do I need to say anything else?"

Scott - "I'll have to be with Paul on this one and say Kid Canaveral 'Shouting At Wildlife'. Tunes like 'Good Morning', 'You Only Went Out To Get Drunk Last Night', 'Smash Hits', 'And Another Thing!' and the tender 'Her Hair Hangs Down' gave me complete and utter song envy. I nearly boaked. It's also the album that made me fall back in love with indie guitar music again instead of listening to folky stuff all the time. Some of David's lyrics are pretty funny too. I must apologise for the gushing, but that's what this band do to me. Simple, to the point, catchy, memorable chorus's - indie pop at it's best!"