Friday Freebies

GoldFlakePaint
One of my favourite non-Scottish blogs, GoldFlakePaint celebrated their second birthday last week. To mark the occasion they have compiled a cracking wee compilation album featuring some of their favourite artists. Released on limited edition CD and as a free download, the compilation features tracks from some cracking artists, including a few Scottish acts such as PAWS, Sparrow & The Workshop and Loch Awe. You can download the album for free via Bandcamp, also while you're at it check out GoldFlakePaint's site as it comes highly recommended.



Part-Time Waitress
That Jill from Sparrow & The Workshop certainly has knack of cropping on exciting new musical projects. Not only does she front one of the best bands in Scotland, she also appears on the excellent forthcoming from the Grand Gestures. As if that wasn't enough she's recorded a song with mysterious outfit by the name of Part Time Waitress. I'm pretty confident that some of the boys from John Knox Sex Club are involved in the project, but so far I haven't been able to find anything on the web to confirm my suspicions. All you need to know is that there is a whole host of free tunes up for grabs in exchange for tweet here.

  Part-Time Waitress - 3 (MP3 FREE DOWNLOAD) by Part-Time Waitress

FatCat
If you head on over to the FatCat homepage you will find yourself a whole heap of free MP3 goodness, including tracks from U.S. Girls, Milk Maid, PAWS, Hauschka and Odonis Odonis. Thanks to The Beautiful Lies for the tip off - much appreciated gents!

Cleavers
Elgin's noisiest sons, Cleavers, are giving away 3 songs as a free download on their Bandcamp page. If you're going to be at this years goNorth, then you catch the boys at Detour's Offical Showcase gig on the Thursday alongside Olympic Swimmers, Lady North and DARC.



The Last Battle
Ahead of the release of their new single, Hope Is Gold, Edinburgh outfit The Last Battle have posted up a free download of a home recorded demo version of their song 'Viv Nicholson', which featured on last years The Springwell E.P. You can catch them playing live at Pilrig St Paul's Church in Edinburgh on the 22nd of June with support from the 'mysterious' William Henry Miller, Star Wheel Press and Where We Lay Our Heads.

  Viv Nicholson (Acoustic Demo) by thelastbattlemusic

Gaz Coombes
This is the first that I have heard of former Supergrass frontman, Gaz Coombes solo material and I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. Whether I'll ever find the time to listen to his album, Here Come The Bombs, I don't know, the one thing I do know is that Sub Divider which is taken from it, is a cracking wee tune and it's also free to download via Amazon.

Wolves Of Winter
I have to admit that Wolves Of Winter debut single, The Art of Temptation, didn't do all that much for me, but their new single The Thaw might just make me change my mind about them. The only downside is that they've just released a dark wintery song in the middle of the week that is our summer. You can download The Thaw for free from Bandcamp.





The Little Mill of Happiness
Up and coming Invernesian outfit, The Little Mill of Happiness, are giving away an exclusive unreleased track to anyone who signs up to their mailing list. With a promise not to spam you unless it's to let you know about gigs and other free downloads that they have to offer you can hardly say no. Fans of Tom Waits, Joy Division and Dinosaur Jnr might want to take note.

Saint Max
I don't half post some downbeat tunes at times, I'm not such a misery guts in real life, honest. I do like a good up beat tune that makes me want to dance (who doesn't). If you're looking for a great wee pop tune to soundtrack this sunny weather we're enjoying, then look no further than Saint Max. There's everything from 60's pop to a bit of ska going on in their track A Life Worth Living, which is free to download on SoundCloud.

  A Life Worth Living (Band) by Saint Max

Thank You So Nice
In case you missed Boab's 62 Word Review yesterday, you should check out his review of the new EP from Edinburgh outift, Thank You So Nice. If you want to know what they sound like then you can either read his review, or you can just stream the EP on their Bandcamp page, or you could do both. Yes, that would make the most sense. Shit. I am rambling again, that's what being woken up at half five does to me...



Poor Things
Perth indie-popsters Poor Things have another free demo up for grabs on their SoundCloud page, it's full of lo-fi goodness so get downloading if you know what's good for you.

  Schoolhouse song DEMO by POOR THINGS

Betatone Distraction
Fresh from being hand picked to support Graham Coxon at his recent Glasgow show, Betatone Distraction have decided to make their Process Replaces Content EP free to download. If you like what you hear then you can catch them live tomorrow night at Pivo Pivo in Glasgow.

Scots Way-Hay - The Artists Albums of the Year 2011 (Part 3)

What with all of the excitement of yesterdays BAMS post, I forgot I hadn't scheuled this post to go up. Better late than never eh?! This weeks chosen albums of the year come from Adam Stafford, A Band Called Quinn, St. Deluxe, Mondegreen, The Son(s), Bear Bones and Sparrow & The Workshop...

Micachu & The Shapes - Chopped & Skrewed chosen by Adam Stafford

Most of the albums that I've admired in 2011 have come from female perspectives - PJ Harvey, Tune-Yards, Sleigh Bells, St Vincent - but Micachu & The Shape's Chopped & Skrewed really comes out on top because it sounds like nothing else anyone released during the year. Virtually ignored by the public and lukewarmly reviewed by the critics (isn't all great music!) on its release, the LP is a live album, of sorts, performed only once and recorded at the time with the London Sinfonietta - a very bold way of recording an album. The musical content can be described as "Wonk-Step", a hybrid of avant-garde Classical, Dub-step and Pop with most of the music played on odd home-made musical instruments such as clanging percussion which sounds like pots and pan lids being smacked off of pipes and a Cello made out of an old CD rack. If that sounds like shite, it's anything but; the innovative Harry Partch-esque approach is offset by lead-singer (and composer) Micachu's sudden burst of gravely Pop choruses which leap out unexpectedly through the woozy milieu of discordant string screeches and trippy-as-fuck hip-hop beats. Then we'll descend into bonkers free-jazz which sounds like it's improvised but is actually scored to the letter, before blooming gorgeously into some sort of backwards melody that plays like a segue from a lost Technicolor Musical. At once nightmarish and beautiful, the LP ends with the worrying refrain "We've swam too far/We've lost our way" before the music fades and the audience are heard rapturously applauding, only for them to be chopped half way through the thunderous reception suddenly, without warning. A strange end to totally bizarre record. If, like me, you prefer your music to sound like a nauseating haunted house lost at sea then please give Chopped & Skrewed a spin.


Mazes by Moon Duo chosen by Brian McEwan (St Deluxe)

My favourite album of the year is Mazes by Moon Duo, who are the other project from Ripley Johnson (the guitarist in Wooden Shjips) along with his partner Sanae Yamada on synth/keyboards. It keeps a lot of the elements of that band - drones, repeated riffs, meandering guitar solos, lots of phase and delay. The songs are a bit more hooky and accessible though - some of it is relatively ‘pop’ if Wooden Shjips is ‘rock‘ - and it’s more stripped back in terns of instrumentation: drum machine, synth, fuzz guitar and vocals mainly.
You can hear lots of influences in there - Suicide, Neu!, Spacemen3 etc are some of the obvious ones - but it has a character of its own I think - great drone/psych/space-rock in its own right. The new Wooden Shjips record is really good too, but this edges it for me.


PJ Harvey - Let England Shake chosen by Matthew Gilliland (Mondegreen)

My surprise album of the year by a mile. I don't really like or dislike anything PJ released before this, so I was caught off-guard when I saw her playing The Words That Maketh Murder on Jools Holland. The songwriting here is on another level to anything else I heard this year - the lyrics read well on their own, all Olde English hindsight, angelic and reflective, but the instrument choices and the echoey church sound give this record an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere, and I like how that sound haunts from start to finish.



Tamer Animals by Other Lives chosen by The Son(s)

The album of 2011 is Tamer Animals by Other Lives. They were the best act at EOTR too. However I'd punch you in the face if you told me that I can't also have Aiden Moffat/Bill Wells - Everything's Getting Older. That's a beautiful set of songs, one I suspect I will continue to listen to longer than anything else this year. Oh and I'm going to kick you square in the balls if you won't let me mention that anyone who professes to like music should buy The Ship's Piano by Darren Hayman, The Party's Over by KPK and Office Doodles by The Weary Band. Oh and the single of the year was Snakes in the Grass by Sparrow & the Workshop. Don't you dare cut this before I say how good factorycraft is.... still here? You'd better not have cut this.... Or else when I meet you I'm going to...

Mine is Yours by Cold War Kids chosen by Ben (Bear Bones)

I first heard this album shortly after its release in late January. I didn't love it at first at first and only listened to it two or three times. A couple of months later I was in a hip, independent boutique when the bongo and bass intro of Royal Blue started plodding over the speakers with all the warmth and familiarity of a Mr. Matey bubble bath. Frustratingly, I couldn't remember what it was and I was far too proud to get on my tiptoes to Shazam the Topman (the illusion is shattered) speakers. I rushed home to trawl the whole of Spotify and soon realised my new favourite song was one that I'd discarded months before. I hated myself. Mine is Yours is far and away the best thing Cold War Kids have ever done and with the possible exception of Cold Toes on the Cold Floor, it is one of my favourite records ever. It is melodytastic from beginning to end and if you are patient and forgiving of it from the outset, I promise you will love it forever.


Within & Without by Washed Out chosen by Louise (A Band Called Quinn)

My album of the year is Within & Without by Washed Out. I'm sad I missed him live when they played Edinburgh but this is an absolutely gorgeous record with amazing synth sounds & production. It sounds so effortless & the lyrics are great too, although you can't really make them out (look them up!). Amor Fati is probably the stand out track for me & around half a million other people but it's just such an uplifting, euphoric sunny sounding record but still manages to be melancholic & tap into all the right dark places too. I did greatly admire PJ Harvey's Let England Shake too but from a sheer sensory enjoyment perspective Within & Without gets my vote. On the home front great music from Remember Remember, Star Wheel Press, Hektor Berzerk & a lot of the acts playing the Hear Glasgow Thursday nights at George Square (plug plug). Emile Sandee too - she is the real deal.



Miracle Fortress by Was I the Wave chosen by Gregor (Sparrow and the Workshop)

Have to say that most of the new music I am exposed to these days, certainly in album format, comes from meeting and playing with different bands on the road and trading albums with them. In Munich we shared a bill with a Canadian band called Miracle Fortess. Their new album 'Was I the Wave' was my stand out favourite of all the records we stacked up in the front of the van this year. It's a fantastic mix of dreamy melancholic electronica, well-crafted vocal melodies and intricate drum patterns. I love the way it's been put together, the layers are superbly mixed and listening to it in a different way (like headphones as opposed to a noisy van) revealed another side of complexity that made me smile as I'd enjoyed it so much already I was glad they'd gone to that effort with the detail but not let it distract from the core of the music. First class!

Peenko's Albums of 2011

It's the moment you've really not been waiting for, yes folks, it's time for me to share with you all my favourite albums of the past twelve months. I fully appreciate that what I say doesn't really matter all that much and nor should it, but hey indulge me a little. This is now the fourth year that I have found myself compiling these lists. Back in 2008 and 2009 I came up with a Top 50 for each year which just seems insane to me these days. This year I have stuck with a top ten, mainly because I didn't want to bore you all to death. This of course means that I have missed out a lot of stuff, including King Creosote & John Hopkins, Come on Gang!, Metronomy, Indian Red Lopez and The Black Keys (which came in that bit too late). Also, I didn't really think it would be fair to include any Olive Grove releases in my choices, I wouldn't want any of them to think that they're not my favourite baby. Anyway without further a do, here's my top ten albums of 2011...

10. The Shivers - More

When it comes to releases from the Fence stable, it's usually a straight bet that you're going to be getting something fairly folky. However, with this release from New York duo, The Shivers, we got something quite different from the norm. What with the majority of Fence's back catalogue being made up of folk based music, The Shivers sixth album, but first for Fence, is a no holds barred rock n roll record. One minute you feel that you're listening to The Strokes, then The Velvet Underground and then Tom Waits. Every time I listen to this album it grows on me more and more. Full of vitality and raw emotion, I can see why Fence were so keen to add them to their ranks.

The Shivers - Love Is In The Air

9. John Knox Sex Club - Raise Ravens

Being a man who loves his catchy tunes, The John Knox Sex Club wouldn't usually be the kind of band that I would find myself listening to much, but listen I did. Raise Ravens is a dark unsettling album full of raw Scottish emotion, at no point does it ever let you settle into any kind of comfort zone. It's a record that will continue to challenge your emotions and I fucking love it.

John Knox Sex Club - Above Us The Waves

8. King Post Kitsch - The Party's Over

So how do you critique the work of someone you now consider to be a friend, well in King Post Kitsch's case I don't feel I have to as I loved his music well before we ever met. Much of his debut album, 'The Party's Over', is made up of older songs that featured in his earlier EPs, which I guess makes me love them even more as they're songs that I have treasured as my own (I am still taking unjustified credit rights for being the one to 'discover' his music). With the possibility of live shows in the new year, plus some other potential projects on the go, keep your eye on King Post Kitsch as he's got plenty more tricks up his sleeve.

King Post Kitsch - Fante's Last Stand

7. Martin John Henry - The Other Half Of Everything

Out of all of the albums that came out this year, this was the one that I had been most looking forward to, and it didn't disappoint. The demise of Martin's old band De Rosa was a real kick in the teeth, their two albums Mend and Prevention rank in my eyes as being some of the finest records to have ever come out of Scotland. So with the release of The Other Half Of Everything, Martin had some pretty massive expectations to live up. Thankfully though he delivers the goods and then some. Scotland may well have lost one their greatest bands, but in turn we have gained one hell of a songwriter.

Martin John Henry - Span

6. Sparrow & The Workshop - Spitting Daggers

I remember reading a review in Uncut of Spitting Daggers shortly after it came out, in which the reviewer pretty much slated the whole album. Having just bought the album that day I knew what a load of old pish they were talking, as this is one hell of an amazing album. Their debut album Crystal Falls was impressive, but this really feels like a massive step up in them progressing as a band. Snakes In The Grass, the lead single from the album is by far and away the greatest song I have heard in 2011. If you don't believe me then check out this video then come back and apologise. Also, for the record I cancelled my Uncut subscription very shortly after that review.

Sparrow & The Workshop - Our Lady Of The Potatoes

5. The Antlers - Burst Apart

I bet you were starting to think that this list would completely taken over by Scottish bands, which kind of makes sense as I so rarely find the time to listen to anything that doesn't have a touch of 'Scot' about it. For The Antlers though I am always willing to make an exception to this rule. Having first gotten into the band through their last album, Hospice, which I liked a lot, I was genuinely surprised by just how good Burst Apart really is. Having heard them being played countless times on Marc Riley's 6Music show, I now have the album etched into my brain and I feel a lot better for it.

The Antlers - Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out

4. Emily Scott - I Write Letters I Never Send

One of the things that really stood out for me as I looked back over my previous albums of the years lists, was the lack of female singers. With Sparrow & The Workshop and Emily Scott featuring highly this year, hopefully this years choices will go some way to rectifying this oversight on my part. I think I have been pretty vocal about the albums that I felt disappointed by this year, Bon Iver being the main one, the other being St. Vincent's album. Thankfully though I had Emily Scott's 'I Write Letters I Never Send' which more than made up for it. It's an album that I happily find myself getting lost in, it's surprising just how enjoyable one woman and a ukulele can really be.

Emily Scott - I'd Hardly Know

3. Beerjacket - The White Feather Trail

I must admit that in comparison to my fellow Scottish bloggers I was a bit behind the game in getting into Beerjacket. In fact until we got him to record a Peenko session back in March, I'd never actually seen him live. Having witnessed the live experience in such intimate surroundings just added to the experience, which I guess in turn made me love The White Feather Trail all the more. Out of everything he's recorded to date,I think this stands way above it all.

Beerjacket - Eggshells

2. Monoganon - Songs To Swim To

The best things in life are free - try telling that to a ten year old kid who's asked for a new XBox for his Christmas. However, in the case of Monoganon's Songs To Swim To, the best things really are free. The album which is out on super sexy vinyl, is also free to download from Winning Sperm Party's website. I fucking love this record, so much so that I went and bought the bloody thing on vinyl and I still don't own a record player (I'm working on that though).

Monoganon- Eternal See You Soon

1. Adam Stafford - Build a Harbour Immediately

There can be only one, or so the bloke in Highlander said. In 2011 there really is no real debate as to what my favourite of this year would be, Adam Stafford's Build A Harbour Immediately won this race back in January. Since then nobody else has really had any sort of a look in. Putting on Adam's album launch alongside my partner in crime Jim 'Ayetunes' at our last AvP gig, was one of the highlights for me of this year, as I was honoured to be in anyway connected with something so good. It's an album that lures you in with promises of indie pop magic, before descending into full on fucking loop pedal craziness and somehow it all fits together perfectly. If you do one thing with your Christmas money this year, invest yer pennies in a copy. I promise you, it won't disappoint.

Adam Stafford - A Temple of The Holy Ghost

Sparrow and the Workshop - Ally McCrae Session (19/06/11)

Track Listing

1. Snakes in the Grass
2. You Don’t Trust Anyone
3. Old Habits
4. Faded Glory

Download

Scots Way-Hay #61 - Sparrow and the Workshop

For those of you who visit this blog on a regular basis, you might already be well aware of just how much I like Glasgow three piece, Sparrow and the Workshop. I would probably have asked them to do an interview for me a long long time ago, however, I built them up so much to myself that I got to the stage that I started to think that they were just out of my league. Thanks to my tendency to record the many sessions that they perform on UK radio, I developed a slight rapport with the band, mainly because lead singer Jill thanked me as it gave her dad who lives in Chicago, the opportunity to listen back their performances.
I know I have said this already, but their current single 'Snakes in the Grass' is the finest song I've hear all year. Having listened back to the stream of their album, I think it's safe to say that their new album, 'Spitting Daggers', is equally as good. Filled with a mix of bolshy vocals and beautiful harmonies, they're one of the most exciting bands to have emerged from Scotland in recent years. Here's Jill to tell you a bit more about the band...

Would you care to introduce yourself?

We are Jill Nick and Gregor A.K.A. Sparrow and the Workshop and we stay in Glasgow but Nick is from Wales and I'm from the States but was born in Ireland. Gregor is the stock Scot in the band, even looks a bit like Groundskeeper Willie....

How would you describe the music you make?

Always the simplest and most difficult question, it's like being asked to describe yourself - In many ways, we're just 3 people playing guitar, drums, bass - and I'd say we're always trying to push against this constraint and make as much as we can out of our limited number of arms. We're fans of melodies but also making songs more interesting that just a three chord verse chorus verse chorus thing. And I guess I'd say our music is emotional because the lyrics come from very personal places...And we can get loud too!

How did you come together as a band?

It was by accident, sort of. Nick and I moved into a flat and Gregor was one of the people living there and we all had a lot of instruments and similar tastes in music so we gradually and organically came together musically.

How did you start out making music?

We've all been playing music since we were kids. I started out on classical violin but taught myself guitar later in life and played in a couple of bands in Montreal and Chicago, Gregor started playing brass instruments and drums from a young age and has been in tons of Glasgow bands through the years, and Nick learned cornet as a kid and makes his own beaty stuff on the computer (he's the geeky one in the band).

What process goes into the way you write songs?

I guess I'd say we are a very instinctual band - for my part, i tend to write the base of the song and usually its the result of sort of emotional experience I'm going through. When I bring the song into the guys, and if they like it, they usually come up with their parts by feeling out the mood I've brought to the table. We'll discuss the arrangements together and try to reign in the 'epic' thing, it's always tempting to completely lose control but it's also fun to try and control that urge. We also like to push ourselves within the 3-piece constraint, as I mentioned earlier...I dunno, we also always think we could be better musicians or have made better decisions, I guess that's what keeps us going.

Who are your big musical influences?

We have very diverse musical tastes, there are very few 'genres' that are completely offensive to all of us. I guess some of our all-time faves are Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons, The Pretty Things, the Pixies, Sebadoh, Fleetwood Mac's Rumors album, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Black Sabbath, Violent Femmes, Slayer, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, the Beach Boys, Etta James, Arab Strap, Talking Heads, Horace Andy, Barrington Levy, Dirty Three, Jeff Buckley, the Slits, Crass....egad, very diverse list, eh?

What kind of influence do you feel that where you come from has had on the music you create?

It's a funny one this, as I think it's fair to say that both Nick and Gregor would say they have a lot of American Influences, and I certainly have more European. It's just the things we each were listening to as kids...

I think that the things you don't know always seem more romantic to you than the things you do know. For instance, I LOVED the idea of rain more than I actually like the rain now that I live over here.

What can people expect to see/hear from your live shows?

Well, we're trying to organize some kind of rollerskate dodgeball event as a prequel to the show but the venues seem oddly cold to the idea...We'll have feathers and lights and maybe some cardboard skulls and we'll also have all our amps, pedalboards and a full kit. We might have extra percussion and we'll have Nick doing some singing too, which is new! We'll also be playing a lot of new stuff off our album 'Spitting Daggers'. SO expect a lot of new but also a lot of old too. Oh, we're trying to get a few guests to play violin and horns at some of the gigs since we played them on the album. It would be fun to have some more people on stage occasionally.

Has there been a particular gig that has stood out for you so far (good or bad)?

Last year we played a frightening amount of gigs but were luckily enough to go play some incredible places - the two that jump out at me right now are the Bastard Bar in Tromso, Norway - a town within the arctic circle - we totally didn't know what to expect - had anyone even heard of us up there? whether they had or not was irrelevant - the venue was rammed and there was a great vibe, it seemed like people that far north were genuinely happy that bands were touring that far north. We can't recommend it enough to other bands!!! The other would probably be the last night of our tour with the Pogues - playing in front of 5000 people at Brixton Academy was terrifying but exciting too. The Pogues were amazing, the crowd were in pure xmas mode, and we got to conga on stage during fiesta!

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

We have our album 'Spitting Daggers' coming out on May 30th and we're going to tour the UK in support of the Album, then we'll do some festivals like Rockness, Secret Garden Party and Willowman Festival. We'll be heading over to Europe in September/October and if the stars align we might do another UK tour with one of our fave Glasgow bands in October...but we can't say anything more on that yet. Fingers Crossed!

Sparrow and the Workshop - Our Lady Of The Potatoes (Selector Radio Session)

Sparrow and the Workshop release their new album 'Spitting Daggers' on May 30th through Distiller Records. The album will be available on CD and download from all your usual stores.
The band are currently touring around England with support from Meursault, they return to Scotland on the 12th of June to make an appearance at this years Rockness Festival. You can find further details on their live shows on the bands homepage.


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We've Got It Covered #51

Another Saturday, another cover. I swear these post are getting earlier every week. Seeing as me and my wife rotate our weekend lie ins, Saturdays have become my morning to get up with Erin. In this past week she's started deciding that 6am on the dot is a good time to wake up, it's not, it's really not. I spoke to a friend about this the other day as I was bemoaning the fact that I had only had about 5 hours sleep that night. He duly informed me that I best get used to surviving on that amount of sleep from now on, and that soon my body clock will get used to having such little sleep. Being a big fan of my bed this thought scares me a fare bit, mainly cause I can be a bit of a lazy bugger. On the plus side though, waking up so early will give me more time to try and keep on top the blog and the label, whilst Erin causes mayhem around the house.
Talking of blog related stuff, I am going to be putting on my third ever Peenko Live Sessions a week on Thursday. I will be posting about it in the next couple of days, however, if you are interested in coming along then you can find out all of the details on my BigCartel page.
If you do fancy coming along make sure you book your space nice and early, as there were only 20 places available a few of which are already gone.
Which in no way whatsoever links me to this weeks cover version from the awesome Sparrow & the Workshop. Their new album 'Spitting Daggers' comes out this Monday and I must admit I am a wee bit excited about getting my hands on a copy. Sadly I won't be able to make it along to their headline show at King Tuts on Monday night (I have a good excuse), however, that shouldn't stop you from going to check out one of the finest bands that Scotland has recently produced. Plus as if that wasn't enough, Peenko favourites Le Reno Amps and Haight Ashbury are supporting. Anyway, I think that's enough rambling for one morning, here's a wee cover that the Sparra kids did when they were in session for Vic Galloway last year...


Sparrow and the Workshop-Trouble In Paradise (Loretta Lynn cover)

Sparrow and the Workshop - Vic Galloway Session (16/05/11)

Track Listing

1. Snakes in the Grass
2. You Don't Trust Anyone
3. Faded Glory

Download

Sparrow and the Workshop - 6Music Session (11/05/11)

Track Listing
1. Snakes In The Grass
2. Old Habits

Download

Sparrow and the Workshop - Selector Radio Session (04/05/11)

Track Listing
1. Against The Grain
2. Our Lady Of The Potatoes
3. Snakes In The Grass

Download
Stream

Sparrow and the Workshop - Snakes in the Grass (video)

Today has pretty much been a total right off for me, it's nice and sunny outside and I have spent most of my day writing press releases and trying to reply to emails. Having left this weeks Friday Freebies to the last minute, I am now finally finished for the day. Time to get out and enjoy some sunshine, but before I go I just wanted to share this video for the new Sparrow & the Workshop single which has been tickling my fancy a lot this week as Sean Keevney had it as single of the week. If this song is anything to go by then then their forthcoming album Spitting Daggers promises to be an absolute corker.

We've Got It Covered #37

By the time this post goes live I should hopefully be in Paris, either that or I will still be sitting at Prestwick Airport cursing and swearing about Ryan Air being shite. Hopefully though I'll be in big gay Paris, myself, Nic and a few friends are flying out to go and see Scotland take on the mighty French at rugby. Having only ever been to one away game, at Twickenham when I was about 12, I am pretty excited about our wee adventure. Not only that, but I am also looking forward to my first proper lie in for months. As much as I love Erin, I could really do with her learning that 7am on a Sunday isn't the best time for her to start her baby singing.
Anyway, that's enough of an incite into my life for one week on with the cover version, which comes from the awesome Sparrow and the Workshop and their cover of the Cars 'Just What I Needed'. The song originally found it's way out on to the web just a few weeks after Erin was born, so seeing as this will be the first night that we won't be with her I thought it was kind of fitting as it reminds me of her when she was just a tiny wee thing. There's also a wee video that you can watch on Youtube, which is nice. Until next week au revoir!


Sparrow and the Workshop - Just What I Needed (Cars cover)

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

Sparrow and the Workshop - BBC Radio 2 Session (07/12/10)

Track Listing

1. Medal Around Your Neck
2. Just What I Needed (The Cars cover)
3. The Gun

Download

Sparrow and the Workshop - Another Country, BBC Radio Scotland Session (02/04/10)

Track Listing
1. Mercenary
2. Swam Like Sharks
3. Broken Heart Broken Home
4. Trouble In Paradise (Loretta Lynn cover)

Download

The Sparrow and the Workshop - Rob Da Bank Session (16/01/10)

Track Listing
1. Into The Wild
2. A Horses Grin
3. Crystals

Download

The Sparrow and the Workshop - Marc Riley Session (03/12/09)

Track Listing
1. A Horses Grin
2. Blame It On Me
3. Into The Wild

Download

Sparrow and the Workshop - Vic Galloway Session (23/11/09)

Track Listing
1. A Horse’s Grin
2. Into The Wild
3. White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane cover)

Download

If you want to catch the band in the flesh, then you might be interested to know that Sparrow & Workshop play the Arches with the Phantom Band and Lord Cut Glass on the 12th of December.

The Mill Celebrates being one with a pant wettingly good lineup

On Thursday the 27th of August, The Mill (Miller's takeover night at Oran Mor) will be celebrating it's first birthday and it's doing it in style. The stellar line up of Scottish acts boasts the following lineup:-

We Were Promised Jetpacks
Some Young Pedro
Broken Records
Sparrow and The Workshop

and even more amazingly all it will cost you is the price of a text!!

To get tickets for the Glasgow show all you need to do is text
MILL27N to 82500 and Bob's your uncle.

Here's the copy n paste part....

Help us celebrate a year of The Mill

How time flies. It’s been a whole year since The Mill first opened its doors, and to celebrate this milestone we’re welcoming back your favourite bands. But that’s not the half of it. We’ve also offered them the chance to bring along the bands that they believe are currently the best in emerging music, for what promises to be a couple of nights to remember. What’s more, we’ll be recording a live CD of the evening so everyone attending the events can relive the magic of the night again and again.

A year of The Mill Glasgow - 27th August’09

First up to kick-start the celebrations is The Mill Glasgow on August 27th. We’re particularly excited to play host to the ridiculously talented We Were Promised Jetpacks, fresh from releasing their critically acclaimed debut album ‘These Four Walls’. They’re recommending the raw rifts of Some Young Pedro - a fine choice we’re sure you’ll agree. Also returning are the great marauders of the festival circuit, Broken Records whose unique debut album ‘Until the earth begins to part’ is out now. They’ll be introducing the eclectic three-piece act the Sparrow and The Workshop to add some softer notes to the feel.

The Mill

Sparrow and the Workshop - Vic Galloway Session (02/07/09)

Track Listing
1. The Devil Song
2. Into The Wild
3. I Will Break You
4. Horse's Grin

Download

Sparrow and the Workshop play the Grand Ole Opry tonight along with
the invisible republic
roy moller
paul malcolm
Doors at 7pm, tickets are a £5

followed by a gig at Tuts next Tuesday (7th), tickets

Sparrow and the Workshop - Glastonbury 2009

Track Listing
1. Devil Song
2. I Will Break You
3. Into the Wild

Download
Link