Scots Way-Hay - The Artists Albums of the Year 2011 (Part 4)

With the New Year fast approaches, here's the last in my series of Artists Albums of the Year for 2011. To finish off the year we have some pretty fine choices from the likes of Aerials Up, Inspector Tapehead, Miaoux Miaoux, Woodenbox, The Seventeenth Century, Edinburgh School for the Deaf, Ghost Pants and Sojourner.

Villagers by Becoming a Jackel chosen by Debbie Kate (Aerials Up)

On a bored cold winters night I was on the hunt from some good auld irish music to soothe my soul... and that I found. Villagers, just one Conor O Brien's latest album 'Becoming a Jackal' is a masterpiece in itself.

Bored of a similar sound that seemed to be seeping out of every radio station I found comfort in this unique gem. Playful lyrics, haunting piano, random sporadic sparseness (Track 5: HOME) and a strange comforting eerieness puts this album into its own mini genre. Conors fragile vocals make you belive you really are apart of his ghost like adventure from start to finish, similar to that of 'Bright eyes' or 'Elliot Smith'. A truely unique piece of music.


Thurston Moore by Demolished Thoughts chosen by Chris (Inspector Tapehead)

There have been quite a few albums that have captured my imagination released this year, but none more so than the latest release from Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, which still blows me away each time I hear it. As an album it hangs together beautifully, with the same sparse arrangement of guitar (6-string and 12-string), double bass, violin and harp used throughout. A drum kit is heard only once, with subtlety and to great effect towards the end of album opener ‘Benediction’, which is about as perfect a ‘Side One Track One’ (to use High Fidelity parlance) as you’ll ever hear. Those familiar with Sonic Youth who haven’t heard any of his solo material to date may wonder how this stripped-backed instrumentation will suit Moore’s noisy avant-garde sensibilities. Most of the album is in fact quite serene if a little brooding, but at times he’s managed to channel that same intensity into these full-on folk-ish songs without ever having to reach for the distortion pedal(s), making it reminiscent of Sonic Youth without ever sounding much like Sonic Youth. The instrumental second half to ‘Circulation’ is a perfect example of how you can grind out that tension through writing alone – it’s a persistent cycle of well-worked discords built up on guitar and violin which occasionally but briefly resolve onto a major chord, providing some very sweet moments in the midst of a disorientating sequence. It’s a really breathtaking passage of music. Many songwriters will tell you that what they’re trying to achieve with their work is a balance of being simultaneously listenable and original, familiar and unfamiliar. It’s a tricky thing to pull off, but with ‘Demolished Thoughts’ Thurston Moore has given us nine songs that are often catchy but most assuredly far-out. It left me with the feeling that it could only be made by someone of his vast experience.

Interestingly he is helped along the way by producer Beck ‘Beck’ Hansen, who gives the album a lush, detailed and spacious sound which fits the tracks. Along with his other production job this year (‘Mirror Traffic’ by Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks), Beck is proving himself to be quite a distinguished producer. Both albums sound quite glossy but still have a lot of character, which is some feat.

My other favourites from this year include the releases from the aforementioned Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Vetiver, Jonny, Jonnie Common, City Center, Ry Cooder, Mist, Julian Lynch, Los Campesinos! and Gruff Rhys.

Build a Harbour Immediately by Adam Stafford chosen by Julian (Miaoux Miaoux)

This record really knocked me out. It distills everything that was great about Adam's work in Y'all Is Fantasy Island, and splices it with his live-looping prowess to amazing effect. It's like a pop record that slowly melts and disintegrates - kicking off with awesomely catchy 'Fire and Theft', but by the time you get to 'A Vast Crystal Skull', you're seriously questioning your perceptions of reality and space-time. A huge progression for Adam, and as an album and artistic statement, it's unbeatable this year.

Florida by the Felice Brothers chosen by Ali (Woodenbox)

I was excited for this one coming since yonder is the clock is a mainstay on our stereo. Celebration Florida is a beautiful unpredictable record which keeps throwing new things at you with every listen. It has a real attitude. The standouts for me are ponzi and honda civic which mix up amazing horn parts with modern beats and amazing piano parts. This record will still be a highlight of 2012.


Ashes & Fire by Ryan Adams chosen by Ryan (The Seventeenth Century)

It is no secret among my friends just how much I love Ryan Adams, but it is also well know that records a lot of what comes in to his head, puts it on an album, and releases it. Therefore it's no surprise that since his first release with Whiskeytown, "Faithless Street" in 1996, he has released another 15 albums, along with a selection of EPs and books. So as you can imagine, with that much going on, a lot of the stuff somewhere in the middle gets a bit hazy, especially when only a couple of years ago he had started up some heavy metal project that never seemed to take off.

But to get the point, amongst a lot of crap and some fillers, Ryan Adams always delivers for me, because there's always those 4 or 5 gems per record, at least! But there have been just generally good albums like "Heartbreaker", "Gold", "Love is Hell" and so on, and I will gladly add "Ashes & Fire" to that list...

"Ashes & Fire" is already for me a classic Ryan Adams album as it reminds me of listening to "Heartbreaker" for the first time, with country songs and folk songs, stripped back arrangements for a more intimate feel, I just love it. After thinking in 2009 he had completely packed it in due to a hearing problem, he brought it on home nicely with this record.


The Other Half of Everything by Martin John Henry chosen by Mike (The Seventeenth Century)

I was always a big fan of De Rosa and was sad to see them split having put out 2 really good, strong albums. So when I heard Martin John Henry was releasing a solo record I was looking forward to hearing where he could progress his sound too without the help of his former band mates. On hearing the finished product I was both impressed and surprised. The album contains a wide range of styles from electronic to acoustic based songs. All of these are married together perfectly by Martin's familiar Scots-tinged vocal. What is apparent on this album is that Martin Henry still has an incredible ability to write catchy and interesting melodies. Songs like 'Ribbon on a Bough' and 'Span' are toe-tapping and energetic whilst 'I Love Map' and 'Seventh Song' are both atmospheric and thought-provoking. The haunting 'There's a Phantom Hiding in My Loft' is a perfect album closer that leaves the listener longing to hear more from this extremely talented and prolific songwriter.


The Whole Love by Wilco chosen by Andy (The Seventeenth Century)

Wilco are a strange band, you either don't really get them or are totally obsessed. I'm obsessed. I think they're a band where you don't know what to expect from each record they release. The new Wilco album has a bit of everything: Standout tracks include 'I Might' which is a great rock tune and uses a sample of The Stooges' song 'T.V Eye', the grass root/country tinged 'Capitol City' which echoes back to the bands original roots, the catchy ' Born Alone' and the beautiful finale 'One Sunday Morning' which is a simple, yet inspiring folk lament telling the story of a strained relationship between a father and son that clocks in at around 12 minutes. The melody is so strong though that it could easily go on for longer, a superb ending to one of Wilco's better albums. I don't think they'll ever hit the high points of albums such as Being There or Yankee Hotel Foxtrot but it's up there. It's not a perfect album, but it showcases that the bands creativity and willingness to experiment are still strong, 17 years into their career. I also saw them live at the Royal Concert Hall in October and they were incredible, probably one of the best bands I've seen live. Jeff Tweedy has that ability to draw the audiences attention and Glenn Kotche is an unbelievable drummer – very creative but doesn't overplay.

I also really enjoyed the Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat record 'Everything's Getting Older'. It's a really daring record – there's truly beautiful and thought provoking songs such as 'The Copper Top' as well as filthy, Arab Strap-esque tracks like 'Glasgow Jubilee'. Superb.

Youth Lagoon's record 'The Year of Hibernation' was also a little gem that was released this year. Only 8 tracks long, but every song is a beautifully structured lo-fi pop cracker. Beautiful, simple melodies with Trevor Powers' dream like, soft vocal makes for one hell of a record. He's only 22 years old as well. Bastard.


Constant Pageant by Trembling Bells chosen by Mark (The Seventeenth Century)

I have chosen Trembling Bells - Constant Pageant as my album of the year, I have been following them since i saw them support vetiver in stereo in February of 2009 where they out shone the main act with no space for rebuttal, from then on i have bought all there albums each one a contrast to the next. there latest LP is quite far removed from there earlier material preferring a popier sound but still being true to there alternative roots. the track "otley rock oracle" has the band delving in to a kraut rock style repetitive and extremely interesting song that melts quite naturally to goathland which has the feel of a stately waltz. the closing track on the album is called "new years eve is the loneliest night of the year" is a rousing yet melancholy look at the lonely side of the festive period which was also released on 7" single with one of my greatest influence's bonnie prince billy singing it in December of last year further more it is a great album and i would recommend it to anyone who has lost there faith in Glasgow music.


Days by Real Estate chosen by Nicholas (The Seventeenth Century)

It is easy for fresh faced bands to suffer from the dreaded 'Second Album Syndrome', symptoms include chain smoking, Ren and Stimpy blood shot eye balls, severe sweating (that turns my curly locks into a Sly Stone afro) and a stressful sprawl of lyrical flimflam that I pass off as music. However, the boys from the New Jersey band, Real Estate, are an exception from this unfortunate standard.

They released 'Days' in October this year through Domino Records, and compared to their self-titled debut album, they've flourished from the lo-fi 80s pop band feel (Felt, The Go-Betweens, The Chills and the like) into their own form of stoner surf rock, but still maintaining the roots of their influences.

Martin Courtney's chilling vocal takes a more prominent place as a distinct melody maker for the band, with a soothing Kelvin Shields touch but with a ghostly Mark Kozelek twist to muster feelings of nostalgia that makes you sit-down-and-sigh rather than get-up-and-go. The opening track 'Easy' does just that, a great opening hit, fitting for any day regardless of the weather, which is what the whole album seems to incline. The instrumental track 'Kinder Bluemen' stands out as a more wintery dream , perfect for your typical December Scottish weather or an emotional O2 advert.

My favourite track has to be the hazy 'Green Aisles', which I think should have been placed neatly in the middle of the album, because it expresses the reminiscence at its best, like the 'days' when your BMX was your best friend and being covered in muck and dog shit. It's what you want to smile and look back on. But coming from Wishaw, my fondest memory was being chased by 2 grown men called Razz and Purp, but Real Estate capture their fond memories from their hometown better than how I ever could.

Wild Flag chosen by Grant (Edinburgh School for the Deaf)

I like the Wild Flag record because you never really get enough chances to hear women of a certain age having fun in music. Women usually drop or are dropped by the wayside or are bent into a paraody of some benignly, demented witch or else sexually aggressive and more cod-sophisticated facsimile of their younger imagined self. You never seem to hear a gang of women, as apposed to girls, cracking opening some cans, having fun and making a deadly and life affirming noise. They also remind me of Slumber party and a bit of the Organ, two great touchstones.

The Eno record with the poet guy was great when it was great and when it was bad it plunged the utter depths of middle England smoking a spliff while cleaning away the dinner party dishes. How can you close your eyes and see Angels on one track and Jamie fucking Oliver on the other? However `pour it out` was my song of the year.

936 by Peaking Lights chosen by Jamie (Edinburgh School for the Deaf)

I thought long and hard about this, as there has been so much good this year - Balam Acab, Police Acadmey6, L.W.H, The Soft Moon, Lorelle meets the Obsolete, ICEAGE. Nothing very mainstream, that's not to discount it, but there's been nothing of note, it seems to be moving at glacial pace into the realm of the bland.

My album is 936 by peaking lights.

It's not an immediate album, rather one that eventually ends up worming it's way in after a lot of plays. What was an early evening listen bled through to the morning,to the afternoon, until it was almost ubiquitous.

I have also loved pretty much everything the Captured Tracks label has released this year too


$o$ by Die Antwoord chosen by Alex (Edinburgh School for the Deaf)

Album of year - real estate - days or ducktails - arcade dynamics, blood orange - coastal grooves.
MikoJohn Maus - We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
Ashley - Vivian Girls - Share The Joy. Really though, I have been listening all year to the Die Antwoord album even if it is from 2010.

Diaper Island by Chad Vangaalen chosen by Paul Carlin (Ghost Pants)

All the best things come from Canada. I swear it's true. Chad VanGaalen is one of those things. Diaper Island arrived as spring was, well, springing and completely knocked my socks off from the first listen. It's the most cohesive-sounding album CVG has ever made and owes a fair bit to 'Public Strain' by Women (which CVG produced) in that it's stark, awkward and clanging. The songs, however, are some of the sweetest this man has ever written. CVG has such an ear for melody and an incredible sense of space. It's a wonderful record and, in Peace On The Rise, he wrote what is probably one of my favourite ever songs. All of Chad VanGaalen's records are sprawling, delightful and diverse. What he brought to the table with Diaper Island, however, was an ability to control the dark and light in his music and it's barely left my stereo all year.


Snowglobe EP by Jesca Hoop chosen by Grant (Sojourner)

Much like the e.p i’ll keep this short and sweet. When i went to see the Eels earlier in the year i found myself listening to a woman who had lovely hair and a lovely voice. This woman was Jesca Hoop. Subsquently i listened to her Snowglobe release and i througholly enjoyed it. I won’t go into too much detail about every song and the like but the whole thing has been recorded very well and sounds fantastic .The first track ‘City Bird’ is a great opening track to the e.p and the rest plays through with ease and no unnecessary production. I should have been listening to her years ago. Hopefully it will be your cup of tea as well.

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!

Scots Way-Hay - The Artists Albums of the Year 2011 (Part 2)

If you're already getting sick of all of this talk about albums of the year, then you might want to stay well away from this site for the next two weeks. Continuing on from last week, here's the second out of four scheduled Artists Albums of the Year. This is the bit where I get folk who've done interviews for me over the past two years to tell me a bit about what's been tickling their fancy in 2012, we even have one of our artists choosing an album by someone else who's writing about their favourite album - I hope to fuck that makes sense to you. This week we have the choices of Sebastian Dangerfield, Bronto Skylift, Sugar Crisis, Song of Return, Mike Nisbet, Neil Milton, Washington Irving, United Fruit, French Wives and The Scottish Enlightenment...

Bon Iver - Bon Iver chosen by Stuart (Sebastian Dangerfield)

The first thing that came to mind was “Bon iver’s, Bon Iver”. Then I thought, “Is that too obvious?” Then I thought; that’s probably the reason why it should be my favourite album this year.
I was nervous to hear that Justin Vernon was bringing a band in to do his second album and to record it in a purpose built studio, just incase he lost that intimate and unique sound he had on "For Emma...". But it’s a huge step away from the first album and is arguably an improvement that seems more confident.
The sound and the production are bigger, the songs are more detailed, and there are a few controversial synth noises just to keep you on your toes. It also helps that he has a cracking voice and a great sense of melody.... and the show at Usher Hall this year was the tits.


Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will chosen by Niall (Bronto Skylift)

I find it difficult when talking about anything as the best of the year because my moods vary wildly throughout the year and something I was maybe digging a few weeks ago (say, Mastadon) might not be massaging my eardrums as I write this so I guess i have to think about the piece of work that has drawn me back time and time again like some kind of magical Pony Magnet...
Honourable mentions have to go to the cassette based rumblings of PAWS even though they did not make an album but released enough to constitute an album and to the BREW RECORDS BRW015 Split 10" with Kong/That Fucking Tank/Castrovalva/Shield Your Eyes which has been melting my head and making we want to live in Leeds.

So, after studying flow diagrams, pie charts and polishing all metal objects on site I can safely say my album of the year has been - Mogwai: Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will.
I remember when they released Rano Pano as a free download. I instantly thought "these guys have made a ripper of an album and are so confident of it's rippage that they have given this for nothing" And how true a thought that was.The flow of the album is beautiful.
The sound so mighty and immersive that you could almost believe that anyone could learn a foreign language using Linguaphone.In two weeks.
At times when i listen to it and I'm drawing pictures I find myself ;sketching the legendary nature pundit David Attenburgh (White Noise) employing sharp lettering and slogans (Mexican Grand Prix) and feeling like I could take on the whole empire myself (How to Be A Werewolf)
Oh yeah and the title alone makes me want to tear the clouds from the sky and use them as loofers when in the shower.


Veronica Falls - Veronica Falls chosen by Neil and Lorna (Sugar Crisis)

They're such a beautiful sounding band and the songs are rocky and dreamy and a delight. Loved them from the first chord.

Radiohead - The King Of Limbs chosen by Graig Grant (Song of Return)

There was a time, I know there still is for other people, where I'd always create a lot of pomp and ceremony about my first listen to a new record by one of my "favourite" bands (in fact, my first listen to sigur ros' "takk" on the day of it's release whilst hanging the free embossed poster I made sure i got in early for made me 15 minutes late for work and almost got me fired). But in spite of how I still feel after all this time, I am not sixteen anymore. By a long shot. And yes I did pick up "King of Limbs" on the day it was released, but what I am getting at is that it was much more of a slow-release drug affair, like all music and the changing way people use and listen to it these days.

Now I've followed radiohead since my teens, but what I think I appreciate most about their current 'embodiment', really from "In Rainbows" to present, is the distinct lack of pomp and ceremony. These guys have toured the world extensively. they have been the biggest band on earth at some points. But they are have not become the Rolling Stones, the don't live on separate islands that they own. they are just a bunch of regular guys living in rural Oxfordshire and using their time on earth to absorb beautiful and far out music, and transforming that education in to beautiful and far ourt music of their own. but yet, in spite of this new, accessible, down to earth persona, they have still managed to make something which is altogether elusive, mysterious, entrancing even. This combination makes a band magical, still makes one feel like the teenage fanboy.

And it's this mystery which draws me back listen after listen. It's a code. I remember from a great piece in Rolling Stone not long after it's release that "nothing at Radiohead HQ is an accident", meaning of course that the form and structure of the record, not to mention it's length, seem at first jarring. But it's all in there, waiting to be figured out. The content is there. It requires listening with intent to acquire it's hidden meanings. And that is what makes a great record. Mystery.

Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest chosen by Mike Nisbet

I fell in love with Gillian Welch on a cold dark night, out on the west coast mid winter, and I was a little drunk, the conditions were just right. Reading an online magazine and caught a picture of her, she look like she was from another time, and I had to know what this 'time' sounded like. Being a late comer to Gillian I didn't have to wait the 8 years everyone else did for this new record but god it was worth it! It's a world that I frequently sink into, a place I find painfully beautiful at times, a place that reminds me what a song can really do to you.

Highlight have got to be Down Along The Dixie Line & Hard Times, Gillian singing her cut throat lyrics 'I've never been so disabused, I've never been so mad, I've never been served anything that tasted so bad' underpinned by Dave Rawling on lead guitar (my favourite guitarist of all time, hands down by the way) with harmonies that at points can bring you to your knees.

If you've not ventured through the music of Gillian Welch yet, wait till it's dark, pour your self a stiff drink and welcome home.

Jóhann Jóhannsson - The Miners' Hymns chosen by Neil Milton

I first heard Icelandic composer, Jóhann Jóhannsson around 2006 when he released what has become one of my all time favourite albums, IBM 1401 - A User's Manual. Since then he has become a great inspiration to me so I was excited to hear he would release the soundtrack he had written to accompany the Bill Morrison film, The Miners' Hymns. Like everything that Jóhann does it seems to balance delicately between glorious, sweeping celebration and poignantly sorrowful nostalgia. Its use of brass, a group of instruments commonly associated with colliery life, perfectly identifies with the social history of the northern English miners that the film sets out to depict. The Miners' Hymns is a beautiful modern-classical requiem and one I can't recommend highly enough.

Mike Nisbet by Vagrant chosen by Joe (Washington Irving)

This album takes the prize for me. There’s no-one like Mike in Scotland at the moment. Taking influences from Nick Cave and Tom Waits, he’s produced something really unique with a lot of guts, dirt and soul. The song ‘El Frida’ shows a real step up in his song writing and guitar playing, and tracks like ‘Snow Me In’ and the title track ‘Vagrant’ show him at his most mournful and melodic. The record has consistent sense of morbidity, loss and desire set in Mike’s own desolate, wintry world. I think the reason I rate it so highly is because the listener is invited into this place, or at least catches a glimpse of it and sees Mike, guitar in hand, wandering down his long, lonesome road.

Empros by Russian Circles chosen by Marco (United Fruit)

Basically it is the best thing to happen to instrumental music since Godspeed.

A Different Kind of Fix by Bombay Bicycle Club chosen by Jonny (French Wives)

We were lucky enough to support this band at the tail end of last year, however, regrettably, I'd never paid much attention to them; previous offerings have never stood out and grabbed me in the way that this third record has.

Arguably a combination of genres from the first and second record, 'A Different Kind of Fix' marks a huge step up for BBC. A beautifully restrained effort, the album flows with such a consistent groove yet never threatens to lose it's dark, lo-fi appeal. Tracks like 'Lights Out, Words Gone' and the initial single 'Shuffle' demonstrates intelligent vocal layers and some truly remarkable rhythms. Heavier tracks such as 'Your Eyes' and 'Take the Right One,' although bold in exterior, Jack Steadman's haunting tone keeps them perfectly in line with the understated feel of this record.

A genuinely great album and I think I've given it as birthday presents to about 4 people which can't be a bad sign!


Happy as a Windless Flagchosen by Douglas Firs' chosen by David (The Scottish Enlightenment)

My album of 2011 is Douglas Firs' Happy as a Windless Flag, and this has got nothing to do with them being on the same label as us. The record is totally fascinating. I keep finding new things in it to wonder at. I cant imagine how some of the ideas came into being and It probably wasn't the intention, but it's like Edinburgh cast in musical form. Neil's delicately warbling murmur and the fragility of the performances really draw you into the dark, quiet closes within the music that separate great slabs of blackened grandeur. This bipolarity of intimacy and bombast, and the diversity of rhythm that carries the songs on dancing feet, makes it a totally satisfying listen, and a case study in why albums are a really good musical format. They also happen to be the best live band in Scotland as far as my experience goes. Long live The Douglas Firs!

Scots Way-Hay - The Artists Albums of the Year 2011 (Part 1)

And so it begins... I did warn you at the end of last week I did warn you that I would be starting on my numerous end of year polls. Following on from the success of last years series of posts I have decided to run my Artists Albums of the Year, which basically meant that I went back to any of the bands and artists that have featured in my Scots Way-Hay posts over the past couple of years. To kick us off here are the choices of Happy Particles, Discopolis, John Knox Sex Club, Come on Gang! , Trapped in Kansas and Miss The Occupier.

Belong - Common Era chosen by Steven Kane (Happy Particles/Remember Remember)

I had been a fan of Belong for a while before Common Era came out, their previous efforts sitting somewhere between Stars of the Lid and Tim Hecker at his most rusty. I was pretty surprised by the departure i heard on first listen, it's still engulfed in the usual 'tumble dryer' ambience but there is a really strong melodic heart to this record along with some almost subliminal rhythms. One of the reasons i like it so much is that it can be hard to tell where the source of a lot of the cacophony is coming from, although it all sits prettily in harmony. Your brain connects melodies and perhaps makes up some new ghost melodies too. I get that nice nostalgic cozy feeling from it that you do from some Boards of Canada records where melody and memory seem to bind in a beautiful wonkiness. It certainly owes something to some bands from the Shoegaze era but i think they have achieved something distinctly fuzzy and their own. Not just my favorite of 2011 but one of my all time favorite records.

Bon Iver - Bon Iver chosen by Laurie Corlett-Donald (Discopolis)

An incredible follow up that I think captures the simplicity and beauty of his debut ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ butmanages to chart new territory with epic 80’s sounding ballads to fully instrumented rock songs. I cannot wait to spend the winter months listening to this record on repeat in my room while enjoying large glasses of mulled wine.

Sparrow & The Workshop - Spitting Daggers chosen by Rory Anderson (John Knox Sex Club)

Sparrows first album was cracking, this is ten times better. Nick is a complete geek with equipment so all the guitars are a step ahead of the previous album, plus the harmonies perfect. Jills vocals are incredible, she has a delicate quality but also wails (not like zep, I mean in a good way) like fuck which can kick the arse of most singers. As I said, the harmonies are great, Gregor has an amazing voice as well, and the two match so well, never been able to explain why.... I guess everyone talks about the vocals when Sparrows come up in conversation, but the lyrics are lovely too. Jill is a really sincere writer, we played with them up in Aberdeen, and they soundchecked 'Old Habits', everyones jaws dropped in John Knox, we all were really taken by that song, the performance was great, but the lyrics were really beautiful. Anyway, that was pretty much 5 sentences of rambling. The record is really well put together, it's hard just to put on one song from it, but my favourite is 'Against The Grain". If I could drive and put a driving tape together, that song wid be on it.

P.S. The intro of Soft Sound Of Your Voice sounds like Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson, which is bawzoot.

FOUND - factorycraft chosen by Michael Morrison (Come on Gang!)

My album of 2011 is factorycraft by FOUND. Since it was released in March, nothing else has got much of a look-in on the annual roundup stakes, and I’ve subsequently played it dozens and dozens of times.

As perennial overachievers, it was great to finally see FOUND get snapped up by Chemikal for this record and, thankfully for both parties, everyone seems in agreeance that factorycraft is a solid step-up from their first two albums proper. Anyway…

It’s dark, funny, very very smart and instantly arresting. It also plays as a record – with two distinct sides – which is a rare treat these days. Though it’s experimental in approach, factorycraft is a solid pop record which is never ‘out there’ for the sake of artiness, and instead just occasionally trips the listener up a little along the way. I always think it’s pretty easy to create something unique, but to make something unique and good is nigh on impossible, and that’s what FOUND seem to do on an almost bi-annual basis these days.

Each song is killer, with Blendbetter’s epic drop being a stand out for me, but it’s the obvious range of influence on offer that keeps the record leap years ahead of the crowd. Part The Cure and part Arab Strap, but with really weird bits thrown in, factorycraft is impossible to date – if I was an idiot, I would absolutely believe that this record was a vintage relic sent back through time from the future. If I lived in Hoxton I would call it 'small-town- industrial-hawick-soul-pop'.

Colin Stetson- New history of warfare volume 2-judges chosen by Sean (John Knox Sex Club)

A record that I struggle to compare to anything else I have ever heard. In fact to go on about it and attempt to 'review' it would be pointless so I won't other than to say it is beautiful, apocalyptic, baffling, furious and desperate.



The Cosmic Birth & Jounrey of Shinju TNT by Akron/Family chosen by Chris Ward (Trapped in Kansas)

I stumbled across Akron/Family one late night trawling the recommended artists on iTunes and since I heard the first minute of opening track 'Silly Bears', I was hooked. This album opens up a world of epic and cosmic proportions, every song invites you into a radiant phantasmagorical soundscape. For me it's like listening to the best elements of Grizzly Bear, Maps & Atlases, Animal Collective and Beach Boys all rolled into one!

Like most albums you've never heard before the first port of call was the incredible artwork on the cover, which is a volcano spewing out lava into the night sky. It's a beautiful wash of deep colours and it defiantly added a peacock moment which lured me in and I'm glad to say I was not disappointed. Wanting to know a bit more about the band I read a few articles which led me to find out the album was written in a cabin built into the side of an active volcano in Japan and then recorded in an abandoned train station in Detroit and that they lost one of their founding members when he went off to become a Buddhist monk!

These guys are special, their music is special and I think more people should be listening to Akron/Family and the cosmic birth & journey of Shinju TNT.



Simon Werner a Disparu by Sonic Youth chosen by Magnus (Miss The Occupier)

Simon Werner a Disparu is a film soundtrack released this January on Sonic Youth's SYR label, an outlet for occassional albums and EPs highlighting the band's more experimental extremes. These haven't exactly been radio friendly unit shifters (1999's double disc Goodbye 20th Century is hard going by most people's standards) but this new release is probably the most accessible of the SYRs, more reminiscent of, say, Tortoise or the Dirty Three. Simon Werner a Disparu is entirely instrumental and is heavy on atmospherics and white noise, but there are plenty of Providence-esque pianos and jangly guitar melodies. The closing track Theme d'Alice is ace and politely rocks out in a similar way to Pink Steam from Rather Ripped.

The recent speculation about Sonic Youth's future has given the band headlines in 2011 for all the wrong reasons. Certainly more focus will be on Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore's respective solo projects in the near future, so it's only right to give credit to the actual music Sonic Youth have put out this year rather than the very un-Sonic Youth celebrity gossip that's been doing the rounds.

Scots Way-Hay #78 - The Little Kicks

I had fully intended to make last weeks Scots Way-Hay post my last of the year, that was until The Little Kicks new album popped through my letter box at the tail end of last week. Having spent the weekend with their album on repeat I decided that I didn't want to wait until the new year to feature them, so I cheekily asked them if they might be up for answering a few questions for me, thankfully they said yes. So to sign us off on a high for 2011 we have the last Scots Way-Hay interview of the year from Aberdeen's finest, The Little Kicks...

Would you care to introduce yourself to the Peenko readers?

My name is Steven Milne and I am part of the band The Little Kicks. I sing and play guitar and keyboards.

It’s that question that all bands seem to hate answering, but how would you describe the music you make?

We are predominantly described as an "indie rock pop" band but as much as thats true we also like to get people dancing so we often throw the word "disco" in there whenever possible. NME described us as having "a nice line in brittle funk" as well as having "pocket epics to be proud of" - I can live with that.

How did the band come together then?

We came together some time ago as a group of guys who had vaguely similar tastes in music and liked hanging out together in the same places and groups of people. Somehow were still a pretty tight gang and even on a recent 12 day tour together nobody killed each other - which is maybe a rarity in band circles.

So where does the band name come from then?

We needed to come up with a name as we had songs ready to record and maybe even had a gig booked. We had literally no ideas between us and I can barely even name songs despite writing them so I had nothing in mind. Our very first drummer (way way back) was a big fan of Seinfeld so he found a font he liked and pasted all the episode names into a word document. The Little Kicks stood out as it looked good written down and the rest of the band liked it. It was the only episode of Seinfeld I had seen at the time so I (initially reluctantly) agreed but then it stuck and I grew to like it. In recent times I have been grimacing when bands like Rizzle Kicks and Little Mix are announced on Radio 1.

Is there a certain process that goes into the way you write songs?

I guess firstly I write and bring it to the band to work on. Sometimes songs and lyrics come quickly out of nowhere and sometimes I have to really work on them for up to 3 months or more. I try not to force it as it then comes out wrong. I write mainly at home or in the practice room on my own ill maybe make a demo for the others. The demos used to be quite detailed but I have found its more fun now for us to work it out together so ill maybe write notes down but not direct in a particular way. The new album has been a big step for us as it is a lot more collectively written than anything previously. Sometimes that means a bit of creative tension but usually more than often that makes us work harder and we turn it into a positive thing. Im lucky that I have such a good group of guys to bring things to as I feel they always make my ideas better or turn in a more interesting way.

What artists would you say have had the biggest influence on the band?

We all collectively like very different bands but there is the list of things which we all collectively like include Fleetwood Mac, Talking Heads, Foals, LCD Soundsystem, The National, The Strokes, Frightened Rabbit, Radiohead, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Phoenix and more recently Bon Iver and Bombay Bicycle Club were added to the tour bus playlist. When we were making the album or if were in the tour van thats who would be on the stereo.

What would you like someone who’s listening to your music for the first time to take away from your music?

Thats a tough question but a good question. I have always found that music goes hand in hand with a feeling of emotion so one thing I've never understood is when people say "they like everything" or that they just treat music as a background thing. If music is on I find myself listening in to it and bending my ear to it to the point that im being rude to present company so with the new album I guess it would be nice if someone heard it and it made them take a moment to listen properly. I think people are really used to the I-pod attention span now where after a couple of minutes they switch off and losing yourself in an album is a rarity but that is ultimately how I would love people to listen to our new album. Hopefully people will grab a set of headphones and switch off their worries for 35/40 minutes and just enjoy it and get something of an upbeat feeling from it.

Do you feel that where you come from has had much of an impact on the music that you create?

I think we would write the same music and write in the same way no matter where we were based but on the other hand deep down it probably does influence other aspects. Being based in Aberdeen we probably feel very slightly out of the inner music loop in Scotland and certainly a long way from the hub of London's industry. But all in all we do pretty well up here (otherwise I wouldn't be speaking to yourself!) and we still recently managed to get in the NME and play Death Disco in London so I'm not complaining. Logistically it can be a pain and shapes what gigs are more do-able than others but were more than happy to do the drive back and forth as its our choice to live here. You speak to bands from Canada who do 12 hour journeys as standard so when you hear that you count yourself lucky.

What has been your most memorable gig to date, (be it good or bad)?

We have played better gigs and played better as a band but most memorable gig to date is probably T in the Park T Break tent. It was during our first real year together and we were still finding our feet as a band (we don't even play any of the same songs) but the buzz playing to a full tent is something you cant really forget. We were on onthe Sunday night and up against Kasabian, Interpol and Kings of Leon but flyered the hell out of the festival over the weekend and when it came to our slot we had filled the tent. That certainly gave us a taste for it and a big encouragement to carry on.

Aside from world domination, what are your plans for the rest of the year and beyond?

In the near future we will be picking and filming a single from the new album for release asap. In December we are doing some dates as tour support to Broken Records which we are really looking forward to. Following those we will be playing the AECC in Aberdeen at Hogmanay with The View, White Lies and Twin Atlantic which will be a big show to end the year! In the new year we will be releasing a remix EP and touring in the spring across the UK and hopefully keeping ourselves on the radar enough to get booked for the summer festivals. We've also set January and February aside to work on some new songs but the main aim is to spread the word of the new album as we are really proud of it and its great to finally let people hear it!

The Litttle Kicks - Call Of Youth

The Little Kicks new self-titled album is available on CD Format from One Up Records, HMV (Aberdeen), plus it's also available to buy on CD along with other stuff directly from the bands Big Cartel page. It's also available to download from Bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon and all other major online retailers.

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Scots Way-Hay #77 - The Birthday Suit

They say you should never meet your heroes, thankfully for Idlewild's Rod Jones, he was spared the joy of having to speak to me in person. What with the band that he made his name with, going on an indefinite hiatus (damn you At The Drive In for ever coining that phrase), Rod has been keeping himself busy a new project by the name of The Birthday Suit. What with his partner in crime Roddy Woomble having morphed into a folk singer, Rod has gone in the opposite direction and gone back to his rock roots. The one thing that strikes me about The Birthday Suit is that they sound more of a unit than a group of musicians indulging one mans self indulgent project - that's meant to be a compliment. Anyway, that's enough of my ramblings here's Rod to tell you a bit more about his new band...


Hello, would you care to intoduce yourself to the Peenko readers?

Hello there. I'm Rod Jones of The Birthday Suit.


How did you all get to know each other, and come to be in a band together?

Most of us have been friends for a while and have worked together on various projects so when I was looking to put together the band it was an easy decision to involve them.


What would you say are the biggest musical infleunces on the band?

Songwriting wise anything from Sonic Youth to Bruce Springsteen to Crosby Stills and Nash. Although we don't sound like alot of the influences I think we take elements from everything we listen to, sometimes without knowing it.


In comparison to your earlier solo material which was a lot more mellow, The Birthday Suit is much more rock orientated, was this something you consciously set out to do with this band?

To an extent yes. I had started to write another record and it was sounding like a natural progression of the first but I just felt I needed a change. I missed playing rock music and wanted to see if I could make a record in that genre, outside of Idlewild.


Having been part of the music industry for over 16 years, does it feel harder to motivate yourself to be creative and challenge yourself or is this something that has never really left you?

Not at all. I make music because I enjoy it and playing with different people and writing new songs is motivation enough. I can't wait to get out and play this record live.


With your parnter in crime Roddy (Woomble) pursuing a much more folk orientated sound, are you enjoying being able to get back to playing heavier tunes?

I am. Although I do enjoy playing acoustic and trying different styles, I had missed the energy and frenetic nature of playing rock music. There is also something exciting about the uncertainty of a new band.


In recent years you've been involved in a number of projects, including the Scottish Mental Health Foundation's “Music Like A Vitamin” and more recently with The Fruit Tree Foundation. How did you end up getting involved with these projects? And how important to you is it to be able to do things like this?

I was approached by the Foundation a few years ago to help curate some shows to raise awareness and I jumped at the chance. It's something that is close to my heart and that I have really enjoyed being part of. The Fruit Tree was born due to a feeling I had that we were raising alot of awareness, but only around the festival dates. I really wanted to do something that had more longevity and would be around after the festival. Making records is what I know best and so it seemed the obvious choice. We now are "branching out" a little and have started a mentor program, putting together established musicians with new unsigned acts to give them a head start in the industry. I'm fortunate that I am afforded the time to do these projects which are in many ways the most fulfilling things I do.


What are your plans for the rest of the year and beyond? Have you started thinking about working on any new material yet?

For the next few months we will be playing live and trying to build our fan base but I have started writing a second record and plan to record around Easter time. I feel we are just starting out and have a good way to go as a band yet and I'm really looking forward to seeing where it goes.

The Birthday Suit - Do You Ever?

The Birthday Suit's debut album, 'The Eleventh Hour' is available to buy now for £7.99 directly from the band on their official website. The band play live at Beat Generator in Dundee on the 25thg of this month, followed by appearances at the Tollbooth in Stirling on the 26th and the 9th of December at the Greenside Hotel in Glenrothes. Then in the New Year they're hitting up King Tuts in Glasgow on Sun day the 19th of February. For further dates keep checking the bands website.

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Scots Way-Hay #76 - Drunk Mule

Giving your music away for free seems to be a bit of contentious issue these days, personally I think that in a few years time that we will be seeing a lot more bands going down that route. Drunk Mule are one of these artists that are willing to let folk hear their music for no financial reward, a bold move in my eyes. Having caught my attention with their album 'Crash Test Y'self' which reminds me a bit of the Beta Band/Aliens, I liked their music so much that I decided to ask the band to answer a few questions for me, which also turned out to be the bands first ever interview. Here are the results...

Would you care to introduce yourself to the Peenko readers?

Hello, we’re Drunk Mule! We’re Steve Simpson (Geetar, Vox, occasional Les Dawson piano) and Richie Morris (Everything Else!)


It’s that question that all bands seem to hate answering, but how would you describe the music you make?

Mainly it’s just tunes we like listening to, probably heavily influenced by the bands we grew up with. Oh, an ma kids have got to like jumpin about to it.


How did the band come together then?

We virtually met on myspace about 18 months ago. We were under the separate guises of Splinterman (Richie) and Slacker73(me) We thought we’d try a wee collaboration and Drunk Mule was the result.


So where does the band name come from then?

Not too sure really. Drunk Mule Walkin’ just popped into my head one day and when I suggested it to Richie he said we should shorten it to just Drunk Mule. I think it fits the pair of us quite well.


Is there a certain process that goes into the way you write songs?

Aye, Richie puts together the bones of a tune and sends it over, I usually put some vocals on it then we knock it back and forward til we’ve got a finished tune. Then when we’re happy, Richie does his production thing and makes me sound much better than I am.


What artists would you say have had the biggest influence on the band?

We both grew up with the Manchester era so Stone Roses are a big favourite but also The Stones, The Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream, Howlin Wolf.


What would you like someone who’s listening to your music for the first time to take away from your music?

We’d hope at least one of the tunes sticks in your head enough to have ye hummin it for the rest of the day, to the point where you say, what the hell is this tune in ma head.


Do you feel that where you come from has had much of an impact on the music that you create?

I’m not sure, I suppose it’s bound to have. We’ve both been in various bands all our lives and growing up making tunes with your mates wherever you come from I suppose you pick up on whats going on around you.


What has been your most memorable gig to date, (be it good or bad)?

We’ve not actually done a gig as Drunk Mule yet!


Aside from world domination, what are your plans for the rest of the year and beyond?

We’re just well chuffed some people are liking our tunes and we’ve also had some radio airplay (a first for both of us)! We’ve started on some new tunes fir a new album and hopefully we can work on getting a live set on the go fir the new year. We’re havin a great time though!


Drunk Mule - Ma Method Man

Drunk Mule's album 'Crash Test Y'self' is free to download on their Bandcamp page, it comes highly recommended!

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Scots Way-Hay #75 - Sugar Crisis

This week we're going with something a bit different to the norm in electro-popsters, Sugar Crisis, a Scottish duo who have already been making waves in Japan. Having just released their catchy debut album, Sunshine Kids' on Japanese label, This Time Records, I thought it would be a good time to try and introduce them to a few folk in their own backyard, so I caught up with Neil and Lorna to tell me a bit more about their music and what it's like to be big in Japan...


Would you care to introduce yourself?

We're Sugar Crisis. We play pop music.

How would you describe the music you make?

It's sort of electro bubblegum indie pop. We like cheerful melodies and synthesizers.

Where did the name Sugar Crisis come from?

We kind of wanted to steal the name Bubblegum Crisis (from the anime), but decided to warp it instead.

How did you get to know each other and come together as a band?

We met at Paisley Uni and then after we graduated we were talking and realised we both wanted to play in a band, so we started one. It turned out that the songs we wrote together were much better than the ones we wrote separately.

What process goes into the way you create songs?

It's different every time. We usually think of an idea for what the song should be about, then we play some chords and come up with a melody and a structure. Then we pick a random drum loop and keep adding synth parts until dinner time.

Who would you say are your big musical influences?

Tilly and the Wall, Freezepop, CSS, Visage, The Pipettes, The Postal Service, Roxy Music, Depeche Mode, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Au Revoir Simone

You just released your album ‘Sunshine Kids’ in Japan, how the hell did that happen then? You been out there yet?

We've not been out there, alas, but maybe if the album release goes well. The Japanese label called This Time Records messaged us on Myspace (the only thing it's been useful for in the last 3 years) and asked if they could licence our album. So we hastily finished the album and said 'yes please!' We have a Japanese super fan who occasionally sends us delightful Japanese indie pop cd's, so we think he maybe mentioned us to This Time.

Have they made you your own doll yet?

No, but that would be pretty awesome. Lorna's doll could have a special amp kicking power and Neil's could come with a ninja robot sidekick.

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

We try to make them as much like a stadium gig as possible. We bring our own lights and pyrotechnics (sparklers) and animation visuals and things. We sometimes throw in a cover song. Lately it's been the Go-go's. We've also done Altered Images' Happy Birthday for someone's birthday and the Ghostbusters theme for Halloween.

What are your plans for the rest of the year and beyond? Are you working on any new material?

We've always got some new songs in progress. We make videos for every song so we'll be doing that once we record the new stuff. Hopefully we'll release the album here in the near future. Also our friend Iain drew us a comic strip so maybe we can stretch that out into a full story.

Sugar Crisis - Be With You

Sugar Crisis album 'Sunshine Kids' can be ordered from the This Time Records shop, you can also download some older singles on iTunes.

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Scots Way-Hay #74 - Amber Wilson

As is the way of things these days, I am running late. with my posts. So without further a do here's a charming young lady by the name of Amber Wilson from the Granite City. I have been meaning to feature Amber for a while now, having seen her play recently with Endor and The Moth & The Mirror (actually it was more like I heard her as I was upstairs doing the door). Each time she charmed the pants off everyone, well not literally, but you catch my drift. Her latest EP has been soothing me on the way home from work on these dark nights, so I thought it was about time that I mentioned her on here. So here she is to tell you a bit more about her music and how a certain Irish singer-songwriter made her so forgetful...


Would you care to introduce yourself?

Hello, I am Amber Wilson. I am not a traffic light crossed with the rugby ball from castaway, I am a singer songwriter - hailing from the greyest city in the world.


How would you describe the music you make?

It's like cotton wool being blown around your back garden as the sun is setting.


How did you start out making music?

I was given my first guitar as a birthday present at the age of 7 and have been playing (badly) ever since. The first song I ever learned to play was "The Magical Mystery Tour" by the Beatles out of a chord book, and using the exact same chords I wrote my first song at the age of 9 about my pat hamster Harry. At 15, I'd written my first "grown up" song. My Mum was so proud that she phoned up our local radio station and made me sing down the phone to the DJ! This actually led to me doing a live studio session that very next week. Since then, I've been playing gigs up and down the country, found management with the lovely Jagged Roots in Dundee, released an EP and a single, signed an online distribution deal with Believe in France and have had a brief stint of doing session vocals with Morcheeba.


What process goes into the way you write songs?

I've found recently that all of my song ideas come to me when I'm sitting on the bus! If something's making me happy, getting me down or p*ssing me off, I'll tend to sing about it in my head and I come up with songs that way. The music is then arranged around the melody that I have in my head.


What artists would you say have had the biggest influence on you?

I grew up listening to the Beatles so I was very inspired by them, particularly John Lennon, I remember watching "Imagine" at 7 years old and crying my eyes out! His song-writing appealed to me from a young age, I admired his honesty as well as his ability to write about utter garbles. Nowadays I'm also inspired by the song-writing genius of Justin Vernon and Elliott smith as well as the production genius of Massive Attack and Thom Yorke.


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

For a long time my music was very "doom" ha ha and I do think that was partly because of all the granite here. At times where the sky matches the pavement, I would just hide away and write the most depressing songs. As I've matured though I've started to cope with that a lot better and I'm writing lots of happy songs, seeing the beauty in things I never did before.


What would you like someone who’s listening to you for the first time to take away from your music?

Anything they like really, although, I would be honoured if anyone found comfort in one of my songs. I am so grateful to many artists for providing it to me over the years, and I'd like to hope that people can relate to my lyrics, on many levels.


What has been your most memorable gig to date, (be it good or bad)?

My most memorable gig would have to be supporting Fionn Regan at The Tunnels just before he released The End of History. It was a cosy candlelit affair with a lovely respectful audience. I'd never heard him before, and I was just completely blown away. I remember meeting him afterwards, being completely starstruck, and introducing my boyfriend as my friend. I got a free album though!


What are your plans for the rest of the year and beyond?

Well my voice is fecked just now unfortunately, so I'm having to rest it for a while :-( But the plan, all being well, is to release 3 or 4 consecutive singles online starting early next year and then round up with a physical EP and a tour. Meanwhile my latest single Raise the Alarm / An Affirmation is available from iTunes.

Amber Wilson - Sleep (removed by request)

Amber's new single Raise the Alarm / An Affirmation can be downloaded now through iTunes. You can catch Amber and her band live at the Tunnels in Aberdeen on the 13th of November. Also, if you sign up to her mailing address she'll send you a free MP3 of her 'Things Will Be Better' demo.

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