40 Festive Tunes For Y'all

Normally on a Saturday I like to post a cover version or two, but seeing as it's fast approaching Christmas Eve and I am sure most of you are starting to get into the festive spirit I thought it might be a fun idea to post up a few festive tunes. A couple of songs ended up turning into many many hours of searching through my music collection to bring you a whopping forty Christmas songs from an array of Scottish artists. I guess this is as good as a time as any to wish all of the folk that frequent this site a very Merry Christmas, it genuinely means a lot to me that you choose to put up with me and my ramblings. I hope Santa's good to you all, Lloyd x

1. Monoganon - Torso In The Snow

2. Sugar Crisis - Unwrap Your Heart

3. The Second Hand Marching Band - My Gift Is Waiting

4. A Band Called Quinn - Snowblind

5. Ambulances - The True Meaning Of Christmas

6. Drunk Mule - Feels Like Christmas

7. The Stormy Seas - The Christmas Before Last

8. Neil Milton - Last Christmas

9. Snow Patrol - When I Get Home For Christmas

10. Washington Irving - Silent Night

11. De Rosa - Under The Stairs (Christmas Reverie)

12. Mitchell Museum - Stop the Cavalry

13. Camera Obscura - Little Donkey

14. Frightened Rabbit - It's Xmas So We'll Stop

15. The Last Battle - Once Upon A Boxing Day

16. Julia and the Doogans - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

17. Woodenbox - The Christmas Song

18. The Recovery Club - Silent Night

19. Frightened Rabbit - Cheap Gold

20. Arab Strap - Xmas Baby Please Come Home

21. Frightened Rabbit-Walking In The Air

22. Belle & Sebastian - O Come, All Ye Faithful

23. Campfires in Winter - Christmas Song

24. Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Christmas

25. How to Swim - Sleighbells (Christmas Makes Me Blue)

26. Teenage Fanclub - Christmas Eve

27. Mogwai - Christmas Song

28. The Plimptons - Christmas All Over This Town

29. El Dog - Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

30. Esperi - Snowman

31. Miaoux Miaoux - Snow

32. Mike Nisbet - Snow Me In

33. Withered Hand - Its A Wonderful Lie

34. The Belle Hops - A Belle Hops Christmas Song

35. The Phantom Band - Silent Howling Night

36. Abagail Grey - Winter

37. Idlewild - Mistletoe and Wine

38. Malcolm Middleton - We're All Going To Die (Live at Homegame)

39. Rachel Sermanni - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

40. The Scottish Enlightenment - God Rest You Merry Gentlemen

Festive Freebies,

Id like to apologise in advance for the rushed nature of this weeks Freebies, too many Christmas nights out mean that I haven't had the chance to listen to everything this week. Still though there are some wee corkers in there, you'll just have to find them for yourself.

Gargleblast Records
In the spirit of all things Christmassy, Gargleblast Records have their very own advent calendar of free tunes to give away every day. So far they've posted up free tunes from the likes of De Rosa, to find out what todays freebie is just head here.

The Savings and Loan
If you head on over to The Savings and Loan Bandcamp page you'll find yourself a lovely wee treat as they have released a free 7 track EP which eventually became the debut album Today I Need Light.

The Machine Room
Edinburgh outfit, The Machine Room, have posted up their very own festive tune 'Cherry Pie' for free download on their SoundCloud page.

Drunk Mule
It really is starting to feel like I get to post about a free Drunk Mule track every week these days, no bad thing in my eyes. This week we have new tune Light Speed to share with you all.

Red Deer Club
Head on over to Red Deer Club's website where you can find yourself a free download of their lastest compilation ‘Red Deer Club / Volume 4' which features tracks from the likes of Jonnie Common and Sex Hands.

Kid Karate
Irish duo, Kid Karate have made their new Heart EP free to download on their Bandcamp page.

Neil Milton
Not only did I ask bands to write about their albums of the year, I also cheekily asked if they had a Christmas tune up their sleeve that they might let me share with you all. Neil Milton took things a bit further and went as far as actually penning this wee cover of the Wham classic 'Last Christmas', which I am going to post up again, but I thought this was too good not to share with you all.

A Band Called Quinn
Download yourself , Snowblind, a new Christmas song from A Band Called Quinn for free here.

A Fight You Can't Win
Edinburgh four-piece, A Fight You Can't Win ave just released their new single, 'Shout First / Last Words', which you can download for the free on their Bandcamp page. The band who play a mixture of grunge, rock and pop have played with bands like And So I Watch You From Afar, La Faro and T.A.W.F.A.W.W, which should give you a vague idea of their sound.

Make Sparks
As a wee Christmas treat, Make Sparks are giving away a free download of their track 'Floored' here.

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!"

A Band Called Quinn - Radio Scotland Session (23/10/10)

Track Listing
1. We Are The Scum
2. Wolf Cries Boy

Download

Scots Way-Hay #30 - A Band Called Quinn

Photo by Jane Rolland

I've featured a lot of indie folk-pop bands recently, so I thought it was about time that I branched out a little. A Band Called Quinn are most certainly pop, but there's no folk to be had here, this is electro-pop done at it's finest. It was their last album, 'Sun Moon Stars' that first brought the band to my attention, at the time I remember thinking that I liked what I heard but that they reminded me a bit of Goldfrapp. Which was especially odd as the 'frapp don't really do much for me, but this did. The stand out track for me from was 'Glimmer Song', it was their lead singer Louise Quinn's shimmering voice that struck the right chord with me. This is unashamed pop, if there's any justice in the world then you'll be hearing a lot more from this band.


Would you care to introduce yourself?

I am Louise Quinn singer/songwriter with A Band Called Quinn.

Where are you based?

Glasgow.

How would you describe the music you make?

It's like sticking your head in a tumble drier at a psychedelic launderette.

How did you come together as a band?

We were dressed as aliens wandering the streets of Glasgow around Christmas time and decided we should make music. We all love sci-fi, lo-fi, hi-fi & wi-fi and decided to unleash our sound on the world.

How did you start out making music?

I wrote my first song Halloween Midnight when I was seven. My brother Shug was older, cooler, had a great collection of punk seven inch singles and played guitar. I wanted to be him.

What process goes into the way you write songs?

Anything can influence a song; a word; a film; a sweetie wrapper. I have melodies in my head and a probable undiagnosed personality disorder but sometimes you need silence to let it all breathe.
Who are your big musical influences?

All the big hitters Lou; Iggy; Debbie; Patti; Ella; Billie but also films.

You were recently involved in the ‘Storm the Charts’ campaign, for those who don’t already know what that is would you mind explaining it a little? Do you think it worked for you as a band?

Storm The Charts was Wes White's attempt to populate the entire top 40 with independent artists on the same week. 40 bands were selected out of 600 applicants to have their track put forward by public vote and panel members such as Huw Stephens & Emily Eavis. STC didn't achieve it's initial aim but our track DIY got to no.4 in The Amazon Indie Charts & 6Music got behind the campaign so a lot more people are aware we exist.

On previous albums you seem to have roped in some pretty big names to play on your records, who’s been lucky enough to play with you and can we expect to see any unexpected ‘names’ featuring on your forthcoming album?

We have been lucky enough to record with Alex Kapranos; Kid Loco & The Pastels. Our next album features sleeve-notes penned by Britain's best selling crime writer & Rebus creator Ian Rankin!

What are your plans for the rest of the year and beyond? Do you have any new releases planned for any time soon?

At the moment we are working towards the release of our next album The Beggar's Opera which is a collection of songs written for award winning Scottish theatre company Vanishing Point's futuristic update of John Gay's 18th Century play. We toured in the show last year and it was an amazing experience for the band; the set, the costumes, the visuals... it was a real spectacle. The show 'caused a lot of controversy in the theatre world - some critics giving it one star; some five. A lot of people really loved it and kept asking if they could get hold of the songs so we decided to record them. The first single is Here's To Us out on the 4th of October. I am absolutely delighted with it - I think it's the best single we've ever recorded & there's some really exciting remixes by Celebrity Murder Party; Colin Waterson & Ban This Sick Filth. We're going to be shooting a video for it with Iman4D (Willie Richardson) & playing a few dates to launch the album (out on the 25th of October).

A Band Called Quinn - Here's To Us (Ban This Sick Filth mix)

A Band Called Quinn play King Tuts tonight (25th) alongside MAY68 and Epic26, you might still be able to get cheap tickets directly from the band here.

The band release the soundtrack to the acclaimed Vanishing Point's Beggar's Opera on the 25th of October with lead single Here's To Us out on the 11th of October.


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Peenko's Albums of 2009 #31 to 40

40. Hockey - Mind Chaos


39. 1990's - Kicks


38. That's The Spirit - Staying Places


37. A Band Called Quinn - Sun, Moon & Stars


36. Flight of the Conchords - I Told You I Was Freaky


35. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix


34. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight


33. Alela Diane - To Be Still


32. Broken Records - Until The Earth Begins to Part


31. Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years

A Band Called Quinn - Vic Galloway Session (30/03/09)

Track Listing
1. The Glimmer Song
2. Unsung Feeling
3. Exactly Like You
(Dorothy Fields & Jimmy McHug cover)

Download
A Band Called Quinn
Vic Galloway