Regular visitors to this site will more than likely already know all about the BAMS, but for any newbies out there I'll you a quick intro. For the past 4 years I have been running an annual poll entitled the Scottish Bloggers and Music Sites Award or Scottish BAMS for short, in which I ask an array of bloggers, DJs and folk who run music web sites to vote for their albums of the year. I then take all these votes and tally them up to see what the most popular of the last 12 months has been. Past winners of the BAMS have included The Phantom Band, The National and Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat, who later went on to win the inaugural SAY Awards.
I managed to catch up with Neil from Meursault at Kid Canaveral's Baubles III event yesterday, where I also got to present him with the much coveted BAMS Buckie!
Congratulations Neil, you are this years' winners of the Scottish BAMS award, how do you feel?
I feel like the chubby lad at school after being picked first for the football team. I fear that any minute now I'm going to be told it's all a joke and you're going to burn my shoes and flush my head down the toilet.
It seems to have been a pretty exciting year for the band, what with European tours supporting Clap Your Hands Say Yeah to headlining the Queen's Hall back in July, aside from winning this years BAMS, what's been your personal highlight of 2012?
My highlight is probably the QH gig. I've wanted to play that venue since I was 18. Feels nice to have ticked that one off.
Last years the BAMS was won by Aidan Moffat and Bill Wells, who later went on to win the SAY Awards. Have you allowed yourself the thought that you might potentially be in with a shout at next years SAY Awards?
What? I thought this was the SAY awards? You ARE still giving me £10000 though right? (whip round anyone? - Peenko)
I noted that once again you've decided not to head over to Austin for next years SXSW, is not something that interests you or are you just keeping our friends on the other side of the pond waiting?
It's not something that appeals to me to be honest. I get really tired of the competitive aspect of playing music and do my best to avoid it. I've no interest in travelling halfway round the world (at great expense) to peddle my music to pissed up strangers in laminates . Playing in the states is something that I'm keen to pursue but not that way.
How important do you feel that the support of music blogs has been to the band?
It's been hugely important for us. After all it was a blogger (song, by toad) who put out our first 3 records.
Seeing as we are on the subject of albums of the year, what have been your personal favourites of the last 12 months?
I've not sure if all of these came out this year but I'm going with them anyway...
Thanks to all of the music sites, blogs and DJs who took part in this years BAMS, I don't know about you guys but I am already pretty damn excited about what 2013 has in store for us.
It's that time of the year when blog's are pretty dominated by end of year lists, this blog is no different. I love a good end of year list so I do, more often than not it acts as a guide to albums that I might have overlooked. In past years I have discovered amazing albums by the likes of St. Vincent, Beach House and more recently Beth Jeans Houghton. As well as having my own selection of albums, I also run the Scottish BAMS, in which I ask all of Scotland's top music sites and DJ's what's been taking their fancy over the past 12 months. The results of which will all be revealed very shortly, I am just waiting to hear back from our winners.
I should hopefully have my favourite albums of 2012 up in the next few days, for now here's the choices from the Peenko team, Mike, Boab and Steve. There's some right corkers in here...
Mike's Top Five
5. French Wives - Dream of the Inbetween
Its pretty fantastic to see a band you’ve championed, watched from the touchlines, laughed with and cried with, finally getting a debut album out. While some of the re-recorded versions of earlier songs here lack the edge and punch of their rougher cousins, this record is testament to the dizzying songwriting ability which French Wives have at their disposal. Its a proper pop album, in a year of improper pop.
4. State Broadcasters - Ghosts We Must Carry
There are few records which have moved me more this year than this one. A wide-angle, beautifully written, luxuriously orchestrated sweep through the cold, autumn months in the company of this saw record saw me shifting uncomfortably in my bus seat to pretend there weren’t any stray tears. Some genuinely challenging lyrical themes to test the ducts here.
3. Chris Devotion & The Expectations - Amalgamation & Capital
Sometimes a record really doesn’t sound great when you first hear it. “Hmm, this sounds like a pastiche of early 80s Stiff Records releases” I thought when I first slipped this on. A week or two later I’d decided that was far from a bad thing, and this haunted me for weeks during the summer. Imagine Elvis Costello never met Jools Holland and didn’t calm down.
2. Meursault - Something for the Weakened
It was evident as far back as Homegame in 2011 that Meursault were going to be getting louder and angrier on record sometime soon. This collection of sometimes mournful, sometimes angst-ridden, always strident tunes matches Neil Pennycook’s howl of despair with some snarling guitar lines, amid the more familiar folk overtones.
1. Randolph’s Leap - As Fast As A Man
The rate at which Adam Ross generates miniature epics is matched only by the speed with which the size of the band multiplies. But here, its mostly just Adam and some songs which grew and changed during live outings during the year. I listened to this a lot, and I get the sense that even if big, brassy polished versions of these tracks appeared tomorrow, this simple, heartfelt songwriting would still be getting a spin.
Boab's Top Five
5. PAWS - Cokefloat
Noisy bastards PAWS demonstrated with Cokefloat that they are so much more than just noisy bastards. Emotive, heartfelt lyrics combined with catchy, memorable riffs make this a thrilling, although not always easy, listen.
4. RM Hubbert - Thirteen Lost and Found
I wondered where R.M Hubbert was going to take his music following his debut album. His brand of flamenco is all very lovely but I genuinely had no idea how he could develop on it. I needn't have worried. Thirteen Lost and Found took all those lovely elements and expanded a little, with some more instrumentation and collaboration with many other Scottish artists. Car Song, with Aidan Moffat and Alex Kapranos is one highlight among many. My favourite track however is one of only three entirely solo songs on the album, For Joe, which was written following the death of one of Hubbert's good friends. An album for headphones.
3. Killer Mike - R.A.P Music
Killer Mike is one of the smartest rappers around just now. One track, Reagan, is a devastating and damning analysis of the long term societal effects of neo-liberal economics. I wouldn't necessarily agree with every word he says but he certainly puts his thoughts across rather adeptly. It's a classy album. Even when it looks for a second like he might be veering into 'money and hoes' territory on Southern Fried, he says - and I paraphrase - you can take all your strippers and easy sex but his wife comes first for him. Aww. As Mike says himself at the beginning of Untitled, 'you are witnessing elegance'. He's correct.
2. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! By the time I'd got into Godspeed they were on their long hiatus period (I'm only a wee young thing, see). So when I eventually did see them live, the albums I'd been listening to throughout that dormant period were suddenly brought to life, a stunning explosion of sound that physically as well as emotionally moves the listener. But Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! sort of turns things round the other way, as the bulk of the album is made up of two tracks which have featured regularly in live sets since the early 2000s. I was a little sceptical of how they'd do it, but all I can say is that they captured the intensity of the live versions superbly.
1. Twilight Sad – No One Can Ever Know
I remember interviewing The Twilight Sad over two years ago and discussing with them the direction they were heading in following their second album, Forget The Night Ahead. Thankfully the answer they gave me on that occasion ("it's sounding a bit...Jason Derulo") was not how things actually turned out. In fact, things turned out bleak as fuck, with tons of menacing keyboards and industrial drum beats - a bit like how the offspring of the Holy Bible-era Manics would sound when you mated them with the Pet Shop Boys. I'm glad this is how it turned out.
Steve's Top Five
5. The Twilight Sad – No One Can Ever Know.
Embracing a change in direction can sometimes kill a band and alienate their audience. When The Twilight Sad decided to bring on board Andrew Weatherall and go down the industrial, synth-led path, it was a bold move. It also paid off handsomely with No One Can Ever Know. A driving urgency lent James Graham’s vocals are more menacing edge. The essence of what makes them a great band is still there, it just has a new facet that takes them onto the next level.
4. Easter – Innocence Man.
Short at six tracks, but lengthy with only two under six minutes. These songs bucked the trend of indie guitar bands and were epic, guitar led treks along dark paths. It’s intense at times and as much about instrumental passages as meaningful lyrics. It also has a nice feel on the production, letting the listener feel as though they are right there as this is being recorded.
3. Jonas Carping – All the Time in the World.
Another album that was filled with hidden depths and a darkly beautiful quality. Carping’s voice manages to convey a lifetime of experience in a few short seconds. The arrangement if subtle and complex and the accompanying vocals of Sigrid Nilsson could melt the hardest heart. It seems a fairly straightforward singer-songwriter’s album at first glance, but peek beneath the surface and you’ll get a pleasant surprise.
2. Linden – Bleached Highlights.
Like a warm summer’s breeze, no matter the weather. The return of Joe McAlinden to the musical landscape was very welcome. Vocals that lift your heart to the heavens. Melodies gently caress your soul. An album of beauty from start to finish, this is one to reach for during those dark winter months when you just need some warmth and light. Joe McAlinden’s voice can deliver that in spades.
1. PAWS – Cokefloat!
Energetic, fresh, inventive and downright great fun. From the moment it starts you’re hooked by the great riffs, thumping bass guitar and driving drums. Lyrically complex and heart-breaking, it was easily one of the highlights of 2012. It manages to capture the energy of the lives shows, but polish it slightly and deliver it in a tighter package.
Hopefully you'll find something new and exciting in these lists, tune back in a few days time and I'll let you know what's been floating my boat in 2012.
It was four years ago today that the first ever Peenko blog post went up, now that might not mean a lot to you, but for me it's pretty massive. When you hit so called milestones like this, it makes think back on how much has happened over the past four years. I am not going to sit here and blow my own trumpet too much, but prior to starting this site, doing this such as running a record label, putting on gigs, managing bands, etc, etc, were just pipe dreams. Seeing as I have no musical talent to speak of whatsoever, this blog has allowed me to fulfil a much longed desire to be involved in the music industry in my own little way.
For quite a while now I have been thinking about doing something special to celebrate my blogs 4th birthday, for the blogs 1st anniversary I gave away Peenko badges, in year 2 I released an EP with I Build Collapsible Mountains and last year I launched my ill fated podcast (finding the time to record it put paid to that). This year though I am extremely proud to say that I have come with something pretty damn awesome.
What with the recent trend of artists releasing their music on formats which were deemed to be defunct, such as cassettes, VHS tapes, etc. I had been looking to find something that was even more unique and you know what, I only went and found it. So here's the back story about what I came up with...
...to ask them if they'd be up for recording a song for me that had to be no longer than two minutes long, which I would then release exclusively on a vinyl postcard. That would be a postcard that you can play on a turntable, just like a record!
Anyway, surprisingly enough to me they were all up to challenge and now after many many months of planning and organising I am very pleased to be able to share with you my first ever releases on vinyl postcards!
Each postcard is limited to just 20 copies. The tracks will not be made available anywhere else and there will be no re-press, hopefully making them a bit of a collectors item (or at least that's the plan).
Just to prove that they actually work, here's a wee video of The Son(s) postcard doing it's stuff (wait until about 20 seconds in for the song to start).
In case you were wondering the songs are all under two minutes long so
that they fit on the postcards. I could have paid extra to have more
space, but I liked the idea of giving the artists a bit of a challenge. The postcards are priced at £10 per card or £36 for all four, now that might seem pretty steep, but even at that price I won't be breaking even. I like to think of this as being the Scottish equivalent of Blue Monday, so if you feel like moaning about the cards being too expensive please don't!
Here's a bit more info on the cards:
C403 by Behold The Old Bear was recorded by Raindeer in the comfort of his own bedroom.
The postcards were designed by Kris Ferguson (Mitchell Museum/Miaoux Miaoux)
For those of you who are interested in finding a bit more about where I got the postcards printed, I used a company in Austria called Vinyl Postcards. They're quick, friendly and I can't recommend them highly enough! BUY THE POSTCARDS
So you wait for one rambling news post, then along come two in one week. If you're not a fan of my tired inane ramblings then you may want to look away now...
First up, the list of acts invited to showcase at this years goNORTH were announced earlier this week. The event which sees some of the most exciting up and coming bands playing across Inverness city centre takes place on the 6th and 7th of June, in case you haven't seen the line up already it looks something like this:
Anderson, McGinty, Webster, Ward and Fisher, Aaron Wright, Blindfolds, Blue Sky Archives, Brown Bear and the Bandits, Cafe Disco, Campfires in Winter, Cancel The Astronauts, Cherri Fosphate, Chris Devotion and The Expectations, CLEAVERS, DARC, Dead Boy Robotics, Esperi, Fat Goth, French Wives, Galleries, Grace Weber, Graham Brown, Honningbarna, Iain Mclaughlin & The Outsiders, Ilona, John Wean, Jonathan Sebastian Knight, Lady North, Letters, Make Sparks, Mass Consensus, Matt Norris & The Moon, Maydays, Michael Cassidy, Miniature Dinosaurs, Miss Irenie Rose, Nelson Can, Olympic Swimmers, Open Swimmer, Oskar Empire, Pioneers of Love, Plum, Polaroid Fiction, Pronto Mama, Quickbeam, Red Kites, Sebastian Dangerfield, Selective Service, Smoothiesforme, Stanley Odd, Star Wheel Press, Team Kapowski, The Little Kicks, The Machine Room, The Mirror Trap, The Mixups, The Stagger Rats, The Whisky River Band, The Winter Tradition, Them & Us, This Silent Forest, Vigo Thieves, Washington Irving, We Came From Wolves, Where We Lay Our Heads, Xavia and Yusaf Azak.
Having been asked to sit on the panel of judges again, I am pretty pleased to see that quite a few of my choices made it on there. Sadly there were a few that didn't make it on there, but hey you can't win them all. The next big debate will be about the four bands that we myself, Song, by Toad and The Pop Cop will want to play at our showcase night. I know who I want, but I can't quite see the other two agreeing with me. The one thing I do know for certain is that is that it's going to take a hell of a lot to top last years showcase line up of Kid Canaveral, PAWS, LightGuides and IndianRedLopez.
If you've never been to goNorth before I'd highly recommended it, although if my experiences are anything to go by, then your liver might not thank you for it.
I couldn't be arsed staying up until midnight for the announcement of the bands playing at this years Wickerman, because quite frankly all you really to know is who is going to be playing The Solus Tent this year. Having a bit of a history of unearthing some of the most exciting new bands this wee country of ours has to offer. Headlining the tent this year will be none other than other than United Fruit and Malcolm Middleton's new project, Human Don’t Be Angry, ooft! The rest of the line up looks something like this Anderson McGinty Webster Ward and Fisher, Beerjacket, Bigg Taj & Spee SixNine, Chris Devotion and The Expectations, The Cosmic Dead, Fridge Magnets, Grant Me Revenge, Hector Bizerk, Hey Enemy, Holy Mountain, Julia & The Doogans (with guests The Hidden Lane Choir), The Lafontaines, The Machine Room, Martin John Henry, The Birthday Suit, Salo, There Will Be Fireworks and Vasquez.
Sadly there will be no Wickerman adventures for me this year as I am off to AwayGame that weekend. Still though if you're thinking about heading down again it comes highly recommended. And once again your liver won't thank you for it - fuck, I am starting to see a bit of a theme to my time away from Mrs Peenko now!
The Solus Crew - They're Even Sexier In Real Life
Looking a bit closer to home, there are a fair few decent gigs coming your way in the next few months. One of which will take place next Thursday at the Captain's Rest, where Randolph's Leap will be headlining the next Communion Glasgow show. Support for the night comes from Saul Ashby, This Silent Forest, Sam Airey and Bronagh Monahan. Tickets for the gig are available to pre-order now (£6 + £1 BF).
Randolph's Leap will also be playing alongside King Creosote and The Pictish Trail at Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket on Monday the 18th of June. The concert is being put on by the Scottish Refugee Council and British Red Cross to launch Refugee Week Scotland 2012. Tickets are available here.
It seems like every man and his dog are playing this Saturday, on top of this years Record Store Day celebrations, you have FOUND, Aidan Moffat and Miaoux Miaoux at SWG3 and Holy Mountain,What The Blood Revealed and Adam Stafford at Sleazy's. Personally I can't make it to any gigs that night as Mrs Peenko is away on a girly weekend, which means that I am on daddy duties. If I was able to make it out though, I know where I'd be headed and that'd be to the Arches to catch RM Hubbert and Martin John Henry. Sadly though I will have to console myself with my purchases from the mornings Record Store Day shopping spree.
If you already follow me on Twitter you will have seen me getting a little over excited about a gig that some of my friends at from a stolen sea have organised as part of the closing party for this years West End Festival. Check this for a line up: We Were Promised Jetpacks, Aidan Moffat & Bill Wells, R.M. Hubbert, Remember Remember, Withered Hand, Monoganon, Wounded Knee and theapplesofenergy. Now that's what I call a beast of a line up and it's not finished there as there are still some more acts to be announced in the coming days, there should be around 20 in total. The event which takes place in Oran Mor in Glasgow takes place on Sunday the 24th of June, with gigs being held in the auditorium, the venue and the bar. Early bird tickets are available now for the bargain sum of £12 then £15 thereafter. As if that wasn't enough for you, the organisers will be installing their bespoke 5.1 Surround Sound system. Further information on the event and tickets can be found here.
Right I think I have rambled enough for one post, so I'll round this post up with the new video from Admiral Fallow for their song 'The Paper Trench' taken from their sophomore album, 'Tree Bursts In Snow' which is due out on the 21st of May. The band will also be releasing their debut album, Boots Met My Face on vinyl, which comes out on Record Store Day. You can catch the band playing live this Saturday at LoveMusic in Glasgow at 5pm.
One thing that I have learned about myself since starting this blog, is that I really should avoid writing reviews, as I don't think that they're really my forte. I don't really see the point in wasting your time and mine by rambling on and trying to find five ways to say that I think something's good. If it appears on here then you can take it for granted that I like it. Which in the rambling manner that I was trying to avoid, brings me to the new RM Hubbert album, 'Thirsteen Lost & Found'. As I am sure you're already aware, it's a collaborative album that sees Hubby team up with an array of equally talented folk, including Aidan Moffat and Emma Pollock to name just a few. The album was also recorded and produced by Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos and Chemikal Underground's Paul Savage. Man, that's some heavy name dropping, but hey when you bring so many talented folk together to create something this good, a little bragging shouldn't really go a miss. Anyway, seeing as I feel that I don't really have the vocabulary to express just how much I have been enjoying this record, I decided to rope Hubby in to tell you all about the album...
I've been struggling to write this track by track description of
Thirteen Lost & Found for about a month now. Don't get me wrong,
it's not that I don't enjoy talking about myself or the music I make
(every musician is a narcissist, don't believe otherwise for a second).
The problem lies in both the purpose and the way we went about making
this particular record.
The original idea
behind Thirteen Lost & Found was pretty simple. I thought that it
would be both easier and more fun to reconnect with some of my old
friends by writing some music with them. That's basically what the album
is about; Relationships, how they change over time and what it's like
to rediscover them.
We approached the writing
in a very collaborative way. We didn't prepare anything in advance of
our first meetings. I wanted to try and capture those moments of getting
to know each other again in the music. Fuck, that sounds wanky. It's
true though. Anyway, because of this, it would be true to say that I
don't really know what each of the collaborative pieces mean to the
others. I'll try and give my thoughts on them though.
We Radioed (with Luke Sutherland)
This
song was mostly improvised whilst recording. We had some spare time
after recording the piece that we had originally written for the album,
Elliot. Luke is an incredibly giving person and musician. I love the way
the guitars rise and fall, intertwining until you can't make out who is
doing what.
Car Song (with Aidan Moffat & Alex Kapranos)
This
one came about in a slightly different way as our schedules didn't
allow myself and Aidan to meet up so I sent him some very rough bits of
guitar and he wrote the lyrics over the course of a year or so. The
first time we played it together was whilst recording! This added a
certain amount of pressure to the process but it worked for us. Alex
added the melodica at the end of the song just as we were mixing it.
For Joe
This
was the only solo piece I wrote last year. It's for my late, ex father
in law Joe Murney. Joe was one of the kindest, most giving men I've ever
known. He had a knack for being both incredibly supportive and non
obtrusive at the same time. I don't know what I would have done without
him and his family after my parents died.
I
don't want people to get the impression that this is a sad song though.
It was never meant to be. Its main purpose is to serve as an excuse for
telling people about him. It's good to share those memories.
Gus Am Bris An Latha (with John Ferguson)
John
and I were relatively new friends when we wrote this. I was a big fan
of his previous band, Foxface. We met properly at a Will Play For Food
show I was doing and hit it off. It's fair to say that this song has
ties to the memories of our fathers. Not in a sad way though.
Sunbeam Melts The Hour (with Marion Kenny & Hanna Tuulikki)
As
with the previous song, Marion and Hanna were relatively new friends. I
met Marion at an improvised dance event we were both playing at. I was
totally stunned by her playing of the Chinese harp. We got chatting
afterwards and found that we had a lot of mutual friends.
Hanna
and I met through Alasdair Roberts, I think. When I saw her play with
her band Two Wings, I immediately though that her voice would compliment
what Marion and I had been writing. It also gave me an excuse to get to
know her better. Not many people I know enjoy both Fleetwood Mac and
experimental noise!
V
I met
Verena at a show of mine in Berlin during my first solo European tour.
She told me to call her V because I couldn't pronounce her name
properly! I had a couple of more shows to do in the city over the next
couple of days so she kindly showed me around the city. Although nothing
happened romantically during those three days, it was the first time I
had felt that something might since my ex wife and I had separated.
Sandwalks (with Stevie Jones & Paul Savage)
Stevie
is the only collaborator apart from Alex that I had written with
previously. We were in a band called El Hombre Trajeado together for a
long time. Stevie joined Arab Strap after El Hombre split up so between
that and my illness at the time, we didn't see much of each other for a
long time. I had always loved Stevie's piano playing so thought it would
be interesting to try a piano / guitar duet. Writing together was as
much fun as I remembered.
Paul was mixing the album so Alex and I bullied him into adding the slightly abstract percussion parts. Worked great.
Half Light (with Emma Pollock & Rafe Fitzpatrick)
I've
known Emma since the early days of The Delgados and Chemikal
Underground. They were always incredibly supportive of El Hombre; Taking
us out on tour, putting us on at Chenikal events. I don't think she
realised how nervous I was about writing with her. She's been one of my
favourite female singers for a long time and I really didn't want to be
the one that made her sound shite!
Rafe and I
met through his brilliant band, Tattie Toes. He's an incredibly
inventive musician and one of the most genuine people I know. We all
really gelled in the studio. I'll remember recording that song for a
long time.
Hungarian Notation (with Shane Connolly, Alex Kapranos & Michael John McCarthy)
Shane
and I first met in the early nineties when our respective bands used to
play shows together. We lost touch for a long time and when I next saw
him play, I couldn't believe it. He was always a great drummer but he
had developed this beautifully organic, loose style in the intervening
years that astounded me. We went out to his cottage in central Scotland
to start writing. I remember that time so fondly, freezing cold but
every minute of it brought a new playing experience for me.
Alex
added the vibraphone part after Shane and I had initially recorded our
parts. I love watching Alex play about on instruments like this. He's
always had an incredible talent for understanding new instruments
insanely quickly. It drove me crazy when we were younger!
MJ
added his part just prior to mixing. It's a beautifully understated
performance were the air flowing through the accordion is as important
as the notes themselves.
Switches Part 2
I
wrote this piece when my ex wife Maria and I were trying to figure out
how to maintain some kind of relationship after splitting up. It
incorporates a similar rhythm as Hey There Mr Bone from First &
Last. I used this as at that point, our dog D Bone was pretty much the
only thing that kept us in regular communication. It's horrible when a
marriage ends but it was inconceivable to me that I would lose my best
friend too.
The False Bride (with Alasdair Roberts)
Alasdair
and I were on nodding acquaintance for a long time but became good
friends just before both of our long term relationships ended. I
actually ended up staying at his house for a few months after Maria and I
split up. He looked after me well. Tried to teach me more than I could
ever remember about folk music as a way to take my mind off things.
I
remember hearing him sing this song around the house. He had recently
found the hand written lyrics that his late father had left him for it
so it seemed feted in some way that we should record it.
Thirteen Lost & Found is out now on Chemikal Underground Records, on CD, MP3 or very sexy vinyl (guess who just bought himself a new record player this week). If you're looking to treat yourself to something new this month then I can thoroughly recommend you check it out.
It's been a while since I last did a news round up, but as per usual I wait until my inbox is close to bursting until I finally get my finger out and cram everything into one 'handy' post. Seeing as every man and his dog seems to be out playing gigs at the moment, I just wanted to share with you some excititng things that are happening that you might want to check out...
First off next Monday sees the releases of the second album from RM Hubbert's new album Thirteen Lost & Found, which comes out on Chemikal Underground. Featuring collaborations with an array of talented folk including Emma Pollock, Aidan Moffat and Alex Kapranos, it's sure to be an early contender for the end of year album polls. To celebrate the albums release Hubby is heading off on tour, kicking the whole thing off with a show at Stereo in Glasgow next Friday, which is very very close to selling out. So if you fancy heading along you'd be advised to get your tickets asap.
27th Jan - Stereo, Glasgow
1st Feb - Bishop's Castle Town Hall, Bishop's Castle
2nd Feb - Cube, Bristol
3rd Feb - King's Place, London
7th Feb - Butterfly Cabinet, Newcastle
It's not much of a secret that I am a big fan of Adam Stafford's last album, so it should come as no surprise that I am looking forward to catching him when he heads off on tour next month with Radio Trees (aka MJ of Zoey Van Goey/Aidan Moffat's Best Ofs fame). The short tour at the end of February/beginning of March sees the pair taking in an array of Scottish dates and a wee venture just south of the border down into Newcastle. Here are the dates in full:
Feb/March Tour 2012: 25th Feb: Stafford’s 30th Birthday Bash w/Radio Trees & O’ Messy Life (Newcastle) 13th Note Cafe (downstairs), Glasgow 1st March: w/Radio Trees, The Tunnels, Aberdeen 2nd March: w/Radio Trees, new Portsound @Manna Cafe, Dundee (Newport-on-Tay) 3rd March: w/Radio Trees, Head of Steam, Newcastle 4th March: w/Radio Trees, The Third Door, Edinburgh
If you missed out on tickets for Admiral Fallow's gig at the ABC next Friday, then you could always console yourself by picking up some tickets for Louis Abbot's solo shows at Brel on the 25th of January and the 1st of February. The gigs which will see Louis playing with some 'very, very special guests' are only £5 and you can purchase them here.
My friend up in Inverness, Jamie at Netsounds Unsigned has announced his first showcase gig of the year at Mad Hatters next Friday (27th). To kick things off he's lined up none other than Dead Boy Robotics, Team Kapowski and Lady North and is if that wasn't enough the whole thing is free. So if you're up in that neck of the woods get yourself along at 9pm to check out some of Scotland's finest up and coming bands.
In case you haven't already heard, the club/gig promoters Pin Up Nights are going to be calling time it day at the end of March. Having made the The Flying Duck their home for just over three years now, the gang only have 3 more nights left and they have promised to send things off on a high. Their last night night takes place this coming Friday and this time round they've gone for a space/sci-fi-themed event billed as an Intergalactic night. Featuring live music from Den Haan, Nevada Base and Fiction Faction, further information on the night can be found here.
As if a bill featuring Sebastian Dangerfield, Edinburgh School for the Deaf and PAWS wasn't enough, my pal friend Stu over at the Tidal Wave of Indifference has just announced that he's added Broken Records frontman Jamie Sutherland to the line-up for his second gig. Taking place on Saturday the 25th of February at the Wee Red Bar, tickets for the gig are available for £6 (plus booking fee) at Avalanche Records and through Brown Paper Tickets.
Y’all is Fantasy Island Under appreciated, is the phrase that springs to mind when anyone mentions now defunct Falkirk outfit, Y’all is Fantasy Island. I am not going to start kidding myself that I wasn't one of the folk that didn't fully appreciate what we had until they were gone. Thanks to Wiseblood Industries we can all do some much needed catching up as they've re-issued the whole of Y’all is Fantasy Island’s entire back catalogue digitally for free. This includes five LPs, totalling 55 tracks all in. So if you're not Home Game-ing this weekend, then this should pretty much be your weekend sorted.
State Broadcasters It feels like ages ago since we last heard anything from the Glasgow's finest twee-Americana band. In fact it's been that long that I actually thought they'd called it a day, so it was good to hear that not only were they still going, but they've also been busy recording new material. They've just made new song 'Kittiwake', which comes from their forthcoming album due out in the summer, available for free download.
Steven Milne At the tail end of last year I got sent a copy of Aberdeenshire singer songrwiter, Steven Milne's album Chasing Phantoms. Really good it was too, somehow I seem to have misplaced my copy of the album so it slipped out of my mind. Admittedly I do feel kind of guilty about that now, I am going to have to do some much needed hunting to find it. Anyway, what reminded me of all of this was that his label Bedford Records have made a remix of his song Best Of Times available for free download.
The Little Kicks It's funny that I just mentioned Steven Milne, as he crops up twice in this weeks Friday Freebies. This little freebie comes courtesy of his other project, The Little Kicks, who are going to be out touring for a lot of this month. They've made their new single 'Call of Youth' available to download for free on their Bandcamp.
Fucked Up I had forgotten quite how much I liked the last Fucked Up album, I must go and give my copy a a good airing. If you're already a fan then you might be chuffed to hear that Stereogum have a free download of their new song “Queen Of Hearts” for free.
Dropkick One of the reasons I reckon a lot of folk like to search out new music is because it can be quite daunting when you find a band with a back ground as it requires a lot more effort to try and sift through a more established artists back catalogue. Knowing where to start can be pretty off putting when you have so much stuff to listen to. Which in a roundabout way brings me to Dropkick, as East Coast outfit whose music flirts between alt country and power pop. They've recently made 59 of their previously unreleased songs available to download for free on their website. Some of which I am assured are "reasonably good". Having already built up a bit of a cult following in Spain, the band are set to release their new album 'Time Cuts The Ties' on the 14th of May. If that sounds like your cup of tea then you can download a tonne of free songs from their website.
The Spinto Band Mind the Spinto Band, whatever happened to them then? One great album, one stinker, then I never heard of them again until now. They've apparently been away recording a cover of theme music for Arthur. I am sure that makes perfect sense in Spinto-land, if you fancy hearing what it sounds like then you can by downloading the track for free in exchange for your email address.
Smack Wizards The up and coming new Glasgow 3-piece , featuring members of Plaaydoh/Mr Peppermint, have made their debut album available for free download through Winning Sperm Party.
The Son(s) In the midst of everything going on at Olive Grove HQ, it might seem as if we have overlooked some of our artists. I hope that isn't the case, as we love each and every one of our 'children' equally. It's been a while since we talked about the Son(s), so this feels like as good a time as any to be mentioning that they're giving away a free track in exchange for a tweet. So if you were wondering what all the fuss was about then you can find out for yourself here.
Jonathan Sebastian Knight He of My Cousin I Bid You Farewell fame, has made a whole host of tracks available for free download on his Soundcloud page.
RM Hubbert I am afraid that this freebie is only open to folk in the US, so if you're not from across the pond then you might want to look away now. He might well be currently be holed up in a studio with Alex Kapranos recording his new album, but we've not forgotten about wur pal Hubby. If you haven't already checked out his album 'First & Last', then you're missing a trick. Chemikal Underground were smart enough to reissue the album, so if you don't trust me, trust them. Our American friends are also in luck as they can download my personal favourite track 'For Maria' for nowt on Amazon. Everyone else, well you've been told enough times, by now you should've already bought the album.
The Dawn Fanfare This freebie comes courtesy of our radio pal, Pop Goes The Revolution, who are planning on posting a free download every Monday for the next few weeks. So if you fancy a freebie on a Monday get following their Facebook page. This week they came up with The Dawn Fanfare, who are new to me, possibly because they're not Scottish.
Rock The Fort The mini festival held up in Fort William, finishes up tonight with Bronto Skylift, Homework and James MacKenzie & the Aquscene. From what I have heard from folk who have played it at it, it's been a rather successful start to the festival. What does that have to do with free downloads you might be wondering, well there's a free mini album featuring Bronto, Mitchell Museum and Pareto among others. Get it here.
Bear Driver Mind we like this lot, they make me smile. Their new demo Colours Run, works for me, see if it does for you by downloading it for free here.
For any of you that can remember as far back as my best albums of 2010, you might recall that I even surprised myself by choosing RM Hubberts 'First & Last' as one of my top choices. Post-rock flamenco is hardly the kind of music that you'd normally find me listening to, but listen I did, and after a few listens I was hooked. Since the release of his last album 'Hubby' has gone from strength to strength, having already featured as one of the Lists 11 for 2011, supported God Speed! You Black Emperor at the Barras, signing for Chemikal Underground and now he's off touring round Europe with Mogwai. It's safe to say that this past year must rate pretty highly, it's awesome to see someone who I have previously described as being the 'nicest man in rock', finally getting the karma he deserves. Having been holed up at Chem 19 recording his new album with an array of special guests from the Scottish music scene appearing alongside him on the record, as if that wasn't enough, he's also roped in his pal, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand fame, to produce it. If you haven't already come across RM Hubbert then trust me you need to be checking his music out, and what finer way to check him out than by getting yourself down to the Arches on Saturday the 26th for his first live show in Glasgow this year. Special guest for the evening is none other than Finn le Marinel, who I have already tipped as one of my Ones to Watch in 2011. Not only that but he's also going to be joined on stage by some of the collaborators on his new album, including Emma Pollock, Aidan Moffat and possibly some of his former bandmates from El Hombre Trajaedo. It promises to be a very special evening, tickets are on sale now via Ticket Scotland. Hopefully I'll see you a few of your pretty little faces coming along for the evening.
Chemikal Underground If you haven't already signed up to Chemikal Underground's mailing list, then you clearly haven't paid a blind bit of notice to anything I say. Not that I can blame you for not listening to me, but in all seriousness you really should sign up. So before you start festing on this weeks freebies go and sign up here. Just so you know what freebies you missed, this month they added some free tunes from new signing RM Hubbert and anew tune from Zoey Van Goey. You can download both songs here. Freelance Whales There are now two singles from the amazing Freelance Whales up for free download, their first second single, “Day Off” is available for free download here , while their first single, "Enzymes" is also up for grabs here. As if that wasn't enough, if you head over to their homepage you'll find a free download of 'Generator 2nd Floor'.
Sleeping Bag This freebie came courtesy of a tweet from Paul Carlin, so cheers for the tip mate. I have toyed with the idea of doing a freebie of the week for a while now, but I can never quite make my mind up. This week it would be between the French Wives freebie below, and this download frm Sleeping Bag. I am not going to pretend that I had heard of Sleeping Bag before, I am not hipster enough for that anymore. All I can say for certain is that they've certainly caught my attention with this catchy lo-fi pop tune. Hopefully I have done enough to perk your interest with my ramblings, if you've come this far then you are in for a treat. Fuck it, all you need to know is that you can download their song 'Slime' for free on their Bandcamp. Awesome stuff.
El Hombre Trajeado This previously unreleased collaboration with Mick Cooke, was recorded as part of the much missed Glaswegian post-rock outfits Saccade sessions. They thought it was too happy for their record. You can ownload it here.
30lbs of bone On Wednesday I tipped him as one of my Ones To Watch for this year, now that Friday has come round it's time to share this recent show recorded in Leipzig, Germany available for free on Woodland Recordings (scroll to the very bottom of the page). There are also a whole load of other free recordings up for grabs on there, so tuck in. Mike Watt The punk legend has a free download of his new song, “Arrow-Pierced-Egg-Man” available for free download here.
Kowalskiy His Korner may well be a distant memory, but my blogger mate Kowalskiy is continuing on with his awesome series of EP's from the best of Scottish music. In this his 7th in the series of monthly EP, he's lined Amy Duncan, eagleowl, The Colourful Band, Lonely Tourist and Lovers Turn To Monsters. Now that's quite a line up, you can download it for free on his Bandcamp.
French Wives As I said already, this is my joint favourite freebie of this week (seeing that written down makes me sound really childish doesn't it?), I am not going to deny that I am a massive fan of the French Wives. It was this song that actually got me into the band in the first place, it's a cracking wee pop tune. It's called 'Dogfight' and you can download it for free on their Myspace as part of their series of Homefires posts.
FOUND I've not a clue what this weeks freebie from the FOUND boys is going to be, I can however, tell you that tickets for their album launch went on sail this week. If you haven't already bought yourself one, now's the time to get your skates on as early bird tickets are only at £4. The ticket price will rise to £5 on 1 February, £6 on 14 February and will be available for £7 on the door. So get 'em while you can, also in case you were wondering the album is awesome. On with the freebie, as I said before I've no idea what it is, all I know for sure is that you'll find it on their Bandcamp
DeVotchka I don't think I could name any songs from DeVotchka apart from the one from the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack. I am pretty sure that I would really like them as well. If I needed a starting point, a free download might be a good starting point. So now that their new song, '100 Other Lovers' is available to download on Stereogum, I might well have to do some more swatting up.
Jeniferever 'Waifs & Strays' is available to download for free here.
The Dodos Having just announced a European tour that finishes up in Glasgow, just now would be a good time to get yourself re-acquainted with this duo (actually are they still a duo? I haven't been paying attention recently). You can download new song 'Drone 2' here in exchange for your email address.
Cold War Kids Has anyone heard their new album yet? I am not sure if I am going to bother after the shambles that was their last album. Freebie-wise, RCRD label have posted 'Mine Is Yours (Passion Pit Remix)' download it here.
The Mountain Goats Here's a band I have heard a lot about, but never bothered to listen to. They seem to get a lot of hipster gets knickers in a twist, if you're one of these people then you might be interested to know that you can download new song “Damn These Vampires” via Stereogum.
Waterson Scottish electronica artist Waterson celebrates this year ’s Burns Day festivities with a specially recorded version of ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ which you can download for free on his Facebook page.
Parts & Labor The title track from their new album is available to download for free, it's called, "Constant Future" and you get it here.
Ashley Park Aberdonian singer-song writer has posted a whole load of material for free download on his Facebook.
