31 Songs - Song 6

Song 6 - The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize??

It may be the 21st century but there is still a fair share of taboos that exist in polite conversation. For instance I dream of the day that two men can discuss the merits of self fellatio without fear or impunity. One other such taboo is death. Music can be a great ice breaker to these taboos. (I'm no longer talking about self fellatio for the record).

It's something which will happen to us all, sure as Madonna's proposed Malawi school will never see the light of day, we all will meet our end at some point or another. Quite a solemn thought really. No wonder we don't talk about it. But does it need to be that way?

Well no, it doesn't. And The Flaming Lips will tell you why in a way that only they know how.

'Do You Realize??' is one of the most affirming tracks ever made. The juxtaposition of lines such as the soppy "do you realise that you have the most beautiful face" and the dismal "do you realise that everyone you know someday will die" is rivals Morrisey. And it is the latter realisation that is our fear, spawned from the unknown, a throw back to times where religion did put the fear of hell and eternal damnation into the faithful flocks.

Let's face it, we're all probably scared of dying on some level. If you listen to the lyrics in this track Wayne Coyne, for me, turns that fear on it's head with the line "you realise the sun don't go down, it's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round". Wow.

Now I'm not wanting to put words in Wayne Coyne's mouth, what I read from that little couplet is that death is only as real as you want it to be. People we love die, much like the sun goes down. Yet the sun doesn't go away and neither do those who have died. Sounds all a bit circle of life doesn't it? But hey, some moments call for it.

And peppered around this taboo buster are other little dots of genius. From the innocent opening refrain of "one, two, three, four" which is so childlike it helps convey the lightness of the subject matter, to the humongous observation that yes we are indeed floating in space. That for me is almost a near perfect one line dismissal of God, religion and heaven.

Hell I even love the quirky double question marks and the fact that Americans can't spell realise.

The key message behind the song is to enjoy the little time we have in this life, summed up in a nutshell with the line "let the know you realise that life goes fast, it's hard to make the good things last". And if you've ever seen The Flaming Lips live you'll know that they make fun there primary objective. Why don't you?

Scottish Fiction's Words With Friends Cup - Update

Drumroll please!  We have our Scottish Fiction Word With Friends finalists.  Here's how things have been going.

Carlo Acosta vs. Brian Pokora

It was a close one, toing and froing with the lead.  But it was Brian from Trapped Mice / Loch Awe who pipped Carlo from The King Hats by 15 points.  Carlo's patented style of 'playing-with-letters-until-something-works' simply wasn't enough to stop Brian in his tracks.  Congratulations to Brian, and hard luck to Carlo.  Here's what our contestants had to say:

Scottish Fiction - Hard luck to Carlo from The King Hats.  Every great match always needs a loser!
Carlo - It's been a great competition.  I can't wait to see who wins.  This was such a good idea. I'm wining it next year! 
Scottish Fiction - The final proved one step too far.  Do you think you could have done anything different?   Who is your tip for the WWF Cup Final?
Carlo - It's tough to take.  Complacency was my enemy after building such a big lead. Brain is my tip, he pulled out some crackers.

Brian - That was so close, extremely well played!
Scottish Fiction - You're through to the WWF Cup Final.  Is this what you've been aiming for since round 1?  How do you plan to prepare for the big game?
Brian - I think I'll stop playing my other games, save all the words for this one.  Also, I'll play as many dirty words as possible.

Boab Canavan vs. Stu Lewis 

In our second Words With Friends semi final Boab from Campfires In Winter took on Stu Lewis of The Tidal Wave Of Indifference blog.  Things were close pretty much up until the final moments.  Boab pulled it out the bag though with an outstanding final play of 'pimento' onto a triple word score, meaning even Stu's 101 pointer couldn't stop Boab running out as the winner. 

Boab - That was a nail biter.  Couldn't believe my luck I when I saw the letters appear before me.
Scottish Fiction - Your through to the WWF Cup Final.  Is this what u've been aiming for since round 1?  How do you plan to prepare for the big game?
Boab - I was hopeful but wasn't really expecting to get this far.  In preparation, I'll be eating a dictionary every day

Stu - Well played that Boab, I CANNOT BELIEVE that last word you played!!!
Scottish Fiction - The final proved one step too far.  Do you think you could have done anything different?  Who is your tip for the WWF Cup Final?
Stu - I'm backing Boab.  I've played (and beaten) Brian but Boab feels unstoppable.  I don't think I could have done anything more.  Even after my 101pt word, 'pimento' was sensational!

So that's it folks.  We've been whittled our competitors down from eight to the final two.  Our finalists.  Things will kick off this Friday and Brian will battle Boab for the inaugural Scottish Fiction Words With Friends Cup.

We're Only Here For The Banter - Marvel Heights

Marvel Heights are a five piece from Glasgow with the attitude of punk rockers but influences far wider, including Biffy Clyro and Twin Atlantic.  They are all set to release their second EP 'Make No Waves' next month, and have been kind enough to stop by Scottish Fiction for a wee chin-wag.  Here's what Sarah had to say when we asked our usual set of questions.

It's the question everyone hates, but could you tell us a little bit about your music and your influences?

I’d say we’re alternative rock, but we’re all influenced by different bands – I think it’s what gives us something unique.  These influences go from Sigur Ros to Taking Back Sunday.

What's your song writing process like?

We all contribute our own parts during the process, but a lot of the time it can originate from a guitar riff, a piano piece or even a drum beat can spark the start of a song.

What could we expect to see from a live show?

Lots of energy!  I never want to be shy about the fact that we love gigging, so I think that comes across passionately when we play.

If it were all to end tomorrow, what would you say has been your greatest achievement?

We played some awesome gigs with Paolo Nutini a couple of years ago, and also recently supported Flogging Mollys and Lightguides – those were amazing gigs.  But I think our biggest achievement so far is our debut E.P, which we worked so hard on.  We also got to work with producer Chris Gordon, who was a great match for us.

What have you got planned for 2012?

Gig as much as we physically can, to promote the E.P (Make No Waves).  We also plan on doing a couple more videos, and continue to write new material.

At Scottish Fiction we focus on new Scottish music, how do you as a band view the Scottish music 'scene'?

It’s really thriving, so that’s a really good pigeon hole for us to be in!  It’s also important though to think about what’s coming next, so we try to be ahead of the game with what we write too.

What other Scottish artists would you recommend to the Scottish Fiction readers?

Michael Cassidy!

Thanks for speaking with us, would you care to share a joke with us?

Only heard this one today! It’s terrible.
Working in the elevator business must have its ups and downs…..

Check out more from Marvel Heights

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Saturday Stuff - 10th March 2012

As usual, it's Saturday night, I'm not doing anything, so here's some news and other stuff...

Scottish Fiction Round-Up

Scottish Fiction Podcast - 27th February 2012
Scottish Fiction Words With Friends Update
WWF Cup - Player Profile - Steve McGillivray
WWF Cup - Player Profile - Stewart Allan
We're Only Here For The Banter - Julia And The Doogans
Scottish Fiction Words With Friends Update
Scottish Fiction Podcast - 5th March 2012
WWF Cup - Player Profile - Stu Lewis
Why Blogger? - Kowalskiy

News

Hear Glasgow are holding a Music Industry Panel Event on Wednesday 14th March between 6pm and 8pm at Studio One, The City Halls, Candleriggs.  Hop along if you wish to pose your questions about a career in the music industry.

South By South West kicks off this week.  Read Vic Galloway's preview of this years event.

WWPJ's have announced some Scottish dates.  Dunfermline, Aberdeen, Inverness, Perth and Coatbridge, get ready.

Belladrum have announced their line up for this years festival.  It's a good 'un, with Frightened Rabbit among the highlights.  Take a peek.

Gigs

Sunday 11th March - 7pm - O2 ABC - The Presidents Of The United States Of America - £18.50

Sunday 11th March - 8pm - The Captain's Rest - Skippy Dyes, Wrongnote, Whigs & Rakes, The Mademoiselle - Sold out

Friday 16th March - 11pm - The Arches - 2 Many DJ's - £19.50

Saturday 17th March - 7pm - QMU - Glasgow's Biggest St Paddy's Day Festival feat. Discopolis, Aerials Up, Partwindpartwolf, A Plastic Rose, Kobi Onyame and more tbc - £5/£6

Releases

Two Wings release their single 'Eikon' on Monday 12th.  Fancy a free download?  Get it here in exchange for an email address.

Fiction Faction release double A-Side 'Nina's Different' and 'Turquoise Noise' today.  Get yourself a download for £2 here.

That cheeky amphibion Matthew at Song, By Toad has released a 18 track free sampler.  Every track's a winner, so grab it and enjoy.

Other Blogs

Edinburgh Man #86
Favourite Son - Videos Of The Week
The Pop Cop - Three little words, one big problem
Not quite a blog, but have a listen to fellow Pulse presenter Jamie Sparks
Peenko - Friday Freebies

Why Blogger? - Kowalskiy

It's time for another delve into the pysche of the blogger, with 'Why Blogger?'.  This time round David from the blog Kowalskiy has been kind enough to answer some questions.  Every week Kowalskiy bring reviews and chats with bands, as well as the famous 'Singles Club', and the original free monthly EP.

Hello, how are you?

I'm great ta. How's you?

Sum up your blog in a 140 character tweet.

Enigmatic, sporadic blogger and "hub for up-and-coming Scottish music". Caters for lonely hearts and free monthly 5-track Scottish EP lovers

There's little (if any) monetary gain in blogging. Why do you do it?

You say that, but I've saved a fortune on buying CDs! I'd always read blogs (well ever since Planet Sound shut down anyway) and was into a lot of local bands at the time, and thought I'd chip in with my tuppenceworth. Kowalskiy will never be a source of income for me. If I went down that route I think it'd suck all enjoyment and passion out of it, and in the end, that's the main reason I'm kept doing it.

Allow yourself some self praise, what's your proudest blog related moment?

I think the response to my free monthly EPs. I've always been a fan of the unfinished demo, the acoustic version and the live performance. Often they tell you more about a band's music than the polished, final product. Back when I came up with the idea, I emailed my five favourite artists and within 5 days, the first EP was on the cybershelves. That these five artists jumped on board and sacrificed one of their tracks for a relatively new blogger they'd never clapped eyes on, is still something I can't get my head 'round. Bands going out of their way to record something specially is also baffling. There are some extremely trusting bands out there! Other than that, thanks to the good lads from Rose Parade, I've been namechecked in the Evening Times, The List see me as some sort of new music "hub" and Neil Buchanan is following me on Twitter!

You're on a plane and the only in-flight movie is Maid In Manhatten. What do you take to, listen to, read and watch?

First of all, what's wrong with Maid in Manhattan?? I happen to believe J'Lo delivers a sterling performance! OK, true story... I went to Italy in the summer with my beloved. All I had on the iPhone was demos and singles by Edinburgh's Letters - perhaps the most exciting new band that surfaced last year. Cocky, belligerent wee shites (well, Mikey at least ;-) ), but they have the music to back it up! Movie-wise, Grown Ups was on there. Not usually a huge fan of Adam Sandler, Kevin James or Chris Rock... still not, but it wasn't bad. Would much rather have watched something along the lines of The Darjeeling Limited mind you. As for reading, if you can find a better book than Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, please let me know.

What Scottish artists would you recommend to the Scottish Fiction readers?

I could be here for a while, but in terms of last year alone, I've loved seeing bands like Letters, Partwindpartwolf, Echo Arcadia, Happy Particles, The Machine Room, PET, Laurence & The Slab Boys start to make some headway. The Little Kicks, Cancel The Astronauts, Over The Wall and French Wives are firm Kowalskiy favourites, and in terms of the soloists, Will Hanson and Wiredrawn have been fantastic, and The Ramisco Maki Maki Rocking Horse continues to amaze me. He deserves some bloody recognition! Also, I have a severe man-crush on King Creosote. One slight disappointment though, and I never thought I'd say it, is the new direction he seems to be going in. All this recent collaboration lark is just not for me, and it pains me to say so. Why Kenny, why!??

Do you write your blog with an audience in mind, or do you blog about what's on your mind?

Neither really. Let''s be honest, no one will read Kowalskiy if they're not prepared to go out and look for new up-and-coming, local music. I don't feature NME and Q-endorsed buzz bands, or whoever the BBC say is one to watch. So in that respect, my audience is gonna have to find me! As for what I blog, it really is just what bands tickle my fancy. I think as soon as you start featuring these 'buzz' bands you don't like, just to get some extra readers, the integrity of the blog is gone. So I guess I'll continue to rely on word of mouth to keep getting visitors to the site...

What do you think blogs bring to the music 'scene'?

I think blogs, along with podcasts and student radio are fast becoming the only way for up-and-coming bands to get their name out there and their music heard. Especially in Scotland! Just look at who the BBC (in all their wisdom) have picked as their so-called Sound of 2012. How's an unsigned pop/indie/folk band from up here meant to get some recognition from the mainstream media when they throw their weight behind that PR-weighty dross?! With that in mind, Andy from TVPE's idea to run a blogger version this year was a great step to rectifying that. Was good to see French Wives getting in the Top 10. Here's hoping that helps them, in some way, get some much-deserved credit.

As a reader, what blog(s) do you frequent?

Before I started blogging, it was only really Peenko and Song, by Toad that I read on a regular basis. So you can probably blame them for me starting my own. Well, them and me wanting something interesting to put in the 'Non-academic activities' sentence on my CV as my Ph.D. was drawing to a close. Now, I've got Aye Tunes, Favourite Son, Radar, The Pop Cop all bookmarked too... as well as your good self! Oh, and Larry "Slab Boy" Reid's procrastinations on his Laurence & the Slab Blog are always a good read.

Thanks very much for talking to us. Would you care to end with a joke?

Gotta be a physics one then. Apologies in advance...

Heisenberg was out for a drive one night when he was stopped by the police. The officer asked, "Sir, do you know how fast you were going?" Heisenberg replied, "No, but I know exactly where I am."

Check out Kowalskiy blog here

WWF Cup - Profile - Stu Lewis

Stu Lewis

Stu Lewis is a 30-something muso, blogger, promoter and feline fanatic who almost certainly has a thousand things more useful he should be doing than playing Words With Friends, among them pouring disdainful scorn over an inbox stuffed full of new tunes.

He describes his first round win over Black International as "up there with my wedding day and the birth of my daughter, but not quite as wonderful as seeing the Flaming Lips live for the first time."

His most ridiculous moment came after shouting numerous expletives at the screen for not accepting an obviously legitimate word.  As it turned out, while it was a legitimate word, it was a legitimate word in French, at which point he returned to being snarky about your taste in music

Check out Stu's blog The Tidal Wave Of Indifference and wish him luck in the semi finals of the Words With Friends Cup where he takes on Boab from Campfires In Winter.

Scottish Fiction Podcast - 5th March 2012

Monday's show brought in a bunch of new features including our 'Classic Album' where we play a track from one of the best album's Scotland has produced, and three tracks from our 'Featured Artists' who was Franz Ferdinand.  Check out the full show again, and click on the individual links for more from each artist.

The Douglas Firs - The Quickening
Chris Devotion & The Expectations - A Modest Refusal
Meow And A Mew - Lasso The Moon
Dolfinz - Teenage Bloom
French Wives - Younger
The Shins - Simple Song
Bronto Skylift - Tiger

Classic Album - Psychocandy - Jesus And The Mary Chain - Just Like Honey

Drunk Mule - Shoot The Fingers, Kill The Hand
Holobeams And Broken Machines - Ground Frost
Die Hard - In The Garden
Le Thug - Down
Miaoux Miaoux - Cloud Computer
King Post Kitsch - Movies And Magazines

Mixing It Up - Django Django - Wor - As chosen by Jamie Sparks

Admiral Fallow - Beetle In The Box
Mitchell Museum - Take The Tongue Out

Featured Artist
Franz Ferdinand - Darts Of Pleasure
Franz Ferdinand - Walk Away
Franz Ferdinand - Lucid Dreams

The Japanese War Effort - Pool Attendant

Scottish Fiction - 5th March 2012 by Scottish Fiction on Mixcloud