Last August we dabbled with an all vinyl podcast which went down pretty well. So naturally I thought it was time to dust off some records and do it again; but this time live in the studio for two hours! Which given that our wee radio studio is not set up to play vinyl at all was a fun challenge! So if you'll forgive the odd RPM mishap and some crackles, then dig into music from Errors, Jonnie Common, Withered Hand, Le Thug, Frightened Rabbit and more!
With the news that this year's T in the Park would be the last to grace the hallowed Balado turf, the festival is set for a bittersweet party from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th July, before it moves to Strathallan Castle for 2015's festival. It's perhaps fitting that this year's festival marks the 21st year of T in the Park, with 21 traditionally being the age at which young adults go out and seek their place in the world. The festival, for my tastes, has lost its way a little over the last few years, and one wonders if a new site can let it find its feet a little bit.
That all being said, those heading up this weekend will not be thinking
of the future, but of the three days of great music that lay ahead of
them. So if you're will be one of the 100,000 joining in the last
Balado cries of "T IN THE PARK", here are Scottish Fiction's tips for
the weekend.
The
Sad at Balado. Oooh baby! The Twilight Sad are undoubtedly one of
Scotland's best live bands, as proven by their 10th anniversary shows
last year. Unknown to some, cult following to others, and
post-punk/indie Gods to others, The Twilight Sad play early doors on
Sunday in the King Tut's Tent, right after Earl Sweatshirt (so head
along early to catch him as well). Prepare for ear-grinding,
face-dissolving, heart stopping noise, with some of the best penned
lyrics this side of Frabbit.
If you like your electro chilled out and spacious, a la Jon Hopkins,
then Atom Tree is tip for you. Producer/musician Shaun Canning, has
padded out his project with the addition of Julie Knox on vocals and
Michael Robertson providing the drums, lifting the band from Canning's
bedroom to the clubs and venues of Scotland and beyond. Recent release See The Light, turned heads and made many do just that. Join the following and catch the band playing Saturday evening on T-Break Stage.
What
do the Highlands sound like? You'll not get a better answer to that
question than Call To Mind, who play T on the BBC Introducing Stage.
Atmospheric, rich and poignant, the four piece swell and swoop in live
shows, their instrumental moments engulfing the crowd in one big hug.
Be warned, if you are looking for guitars and quiffs look elsewhere. If
however you're open to music from the most beautiful album this year so
far, then Call To Mind are a must see.
Last year's T saw Lauren Mayberry and co. played to a
heavy crowd on the Transmission Stage. With the festival taking place
before their album, The Bones Of What You Believe dropped on 20
September, their ample crowd was based on buzz and hype. Now the goods
are out there, and their top 10 and 20 placings in the UK and US album
charts respectively means the masses will be out in force this time.
Personally I don't think CHVRCHES are as good a live band as they could be, but there's no doubting the crowd love them, and their set this year could prove a real highlight.
We've blogged about Deathcats extensively for the last few months, and with good cause too. They've spread faster than ebola, and are a lot more fun too, rapidly gaining a reputation across the country as an incredible prospect live. Grungy, garage rock guitars, layers of fuzz and reverb, youthful lyrics and ultimately not giving one iota of a fuck, Deathcats' set at the T-Break Stage on Friday is the let loose rock out you need to complete your weekend.
Headliners Biffy know all about plugging away and building success, and fellow Ayrshire boys Fatherson have paid attention and taken notes. Fatherson have been around the Glasgow/Scottish music scene for years, gigging relentlessly, and taking their time with releases in a build up to their album I Am An Island, another nod, intentional or not, in Biffy's direction. Fatherson are their own band however, and they switch with ease from ear bursting guitar rock, to stripped back melancholic indie anthems. Catch them playing in the King Tut's Tent on Saturday.
Previous
session guests on Scottish Fiction, Blood Relatives have an ear for a
catchy melody and witty lyrics. Unashamedly pop, they splice in
influence from the likes of Camera Obsura, Phoenix and elements of Belle
And Sebastian, to present a more intelligent package, which knows how
to dance. With tracks like Dead Hip, Duck, and Deerheart, all
taken from their 2013 debut album, you'll be leaving the T-Break Stage on Sunday evening
with sore cheeks from smiling and sore ankles from dancing.
Medals is the side project/part time hobby/alternative band of JP Reid, him of Sucioperro and Marmaduke Duke fame. Whatever the aim is, Medals has proved a worthy outlet, with album Disguises gaining plaudits last year for it's rock/pop uplifting sound. Medals play on the BBC Introducing Stage, and which hopefully will see them play to a plentiful crowd.
Perth four piece wecamefromwolves have pop punk vibe, with elements of
Biffy whizzed in there too, able to craft rock songs with teeth and pop
sensibilities. Fresh from releasing their Paradise Place EP in
April this year, the band have been edging down into the central belt
with a handful of gigs now clocked up. I've not yet seen them live, but
on the strength of the tracks on their EP, you can bet their set on the
T-Break Stage will be one to catch. Set your alarms for early doors on Saturday morning.
Hail
the conquering heroes! Biffy Clyro and T in the Park are like Frodo
and Sam; always together, and relying on each other. In the past Biffy
have used T to build their profile, fanbase, and live shows but you get
the feeling this year T are using Biffy as their trump card to sell
tickets. Arguments will rage whether 'old school' Biffy were better,
but bearing in mind that latest album Opposites topped the
charts and was short listed for the Scottish Album of the Year Awards,
they ain't doing to bad these days either. Fans from back in the day
will also have the pleasure of rocking out to back catalogue favourites,
as the band don't shy away from dropping their early work into festival
sets. Headliners on Friday night, you can't say they won't put on a
great show.
All girl harmonies and dreamy pop hooks? Check. It must be TeenCanteen, who pretty much capture that summer feeling with their sound. Another band who have previously appeared as Scottish Fiction session guests, their whimsical everyday dreams, and tales of love lost and found, all backed up by cheery melodies will perk up any festival goer who is in need of it. Check them out in the T-Break Stage on Friday night.
Dundee
trio Fat Goth cannot be explained. They cannot be described, nor can
you prepare yourself for them. Fat Goth can only be experienced, in
pure visceral, unadulterated, unfiltered and uncensored glory. T-Break
Stage, Saturday night. Be there.
Other selected highlights, including non-Scottish artists, across the weekend would include; Pixies, Slaves, Earl Sweatshirt, We Are Scientists, Tame Impala, The Amazing Snakeheads, Eilidh Hadden, Tuff Love, Birdhead, Kill The Waves, Secret Motorbikes and The LaFontaines.
For full line up, and more information about T in the Park, check out the official T in the Park website.
So we've already heard from you, the Scottish Fiction readers, who you think will win The SAY Award (check that out over here if you haven't seen the results already), and now it's time to investigate further.
As you'll know the long list of twenty albums that was announced on 24th April was drawn from the nominations of 100 independent music industry figures including promoters, musicians, DJ's, bloggers, journalists, record shops and many more (you can find the full list of nominators on The SAY Award website). As an interesting aside, because each nominator was asked to choose their favourite five albums over 120 albums produced in Scotland received at least one vote during the nomination process.
Once the long list is decided the nominators jobs are done. The judging process is carried out by a separate group of industry experts, known ominously as the judges, who ultimately pick the winner (you can find the full list of judges on The SAY Award website). Worth pointing out, given what's coming next, is that the judges are not involved in the nomination process, and vice-versa., and the tips and comments below from the nominators bear no influence to the final judging process whatsoever.
So we wondered, now that the short list has been decided, and the award ceremony is so close, who do the 100 nominators, given their different backgrounds, opinions, tastes, etc, think will win? So we asked. Of the 100 nominators, including yours truly, we got answers from 42, and those answers look like this:
Young Fathers, Tape Two - 2.38%
The Pastels, Slow Summits - 0%
Steve Mason, Monkey's Mind In The Devil's Time - 4.76%
RM Hubbert, Breaks & Bone - 0%
Mogwai, Les Revenants - 16.67%
Hector Bizerk, Nobody Seen Nothing - 4.76%
Edwyn Collins, Understated - 9.52%
CHVRCHES, The Bones Of What You Believe - 52.38%
Boards of Canada, Tomorrow's Harvest - 4.76%
Biffy Clyro, Opposites - 4.76%
Quite a resounding backing, I'm sure you'll agree, for CHVRCHES, polling over 50% of the vote, and if you adjust the number of votes to include those nominators who didn't respond, that's still nearly 25% of the vote to CHVRCHES. Mogwai, perhaps unsurprisingly given their standing in Scottish music, are the nominators second choice, with Edywn Collins coming in third.
Another interesting aside, and you'll see this point illustrated by some of the nominators comments below, is that a lot of the nominators WANTED one album to win, but PREDICTED that another would. Using the comments that I was given, if I adjust the votes to show who the nominators wanted to win, rather than who they think will win, CHVRCHES share of the spoils drops to a still pretty impressive 40.48%. The albums that see an increase in the vote, when we are playing by heart over head rules, are Hector Bizerk, Young Fathers and Boards of Canada. Take from that what you will, but the DIY ethos of Hector Bizerk, the cutting edge Zeitgeist of Young Fathers, and the sheer influence of Boards of Canada, perhaps leave some of the nominators wishing to see those artists rewarded accordingly.
Of course, as we've said through the series of articles about The SAY Awards, the final decision will fall to the eleven judges tomorrow night (Thursday 19th June), who are all as passionate about music as anyone of us, and will no doubt come to a decision based on the merits of each album and the music contained therein. Let's wish all of the short listed albums good luck, and be sure to check them out regardless of the overall winner.
Giving some context to the above figures, here's what some of the nominators had to say:
"In the absence of There Will Be Fireworks from the
long list and Frightened Rabbit from the short list my choice would be for
Mogwai to win, which from a man who likes his lyrics is praise indeed." - Kevin Buckle, Avalanche Records "I am going with CHVRCHES as my prediction. It maybe an obvious choice
but they have managed to move quite brilliantly from an underground act
to one receiving global praise and success and they have possibly opened
the door for more emerging synth driven acts. They have been hailed as
one of the UK's success stories of the past 12/18 months and that
definitely makes them one of Scotland's" - Jamie MacDonald, Netsounds Unsigned
"I predict that CHVRCHES will win. Having been through the mill in other
bands, they have made an album of great electro tinged pop that is cool,
yet sounds great on daytime radio. Edwyn Coliins might be an outsider bet, after what he has been through to make an album." - DJ Mash, DJ/Producer/Broadcaster "Hopefully Mogwai can win this year. Their music remains a real
inspiration for the Clash team. But I fear Chvrches may pip them with
their pop sheen and emergent hype. I'd equally love to see Young Fathers
steal the show after they stole my heart at SXSW
a couple of years ago. It's a strong final shortlist though, I'm really
proud to be even consulted on such a vivid field of Scottish music." - Matt Bennett, Deputy Editor Clash Music Group "The decision will, of course, come down to the collective make-up of
the individual minds within the judging panel. But, after back-to-back
years where The SAY Award winner was introspective, bearded and male, I
think there might be a bit of subconscious
pressure on them to come up with a choice that stretches out into
different genres. The Bones Of What You Believe by CHVRCHES, with its
Top 10 UK/Top 20 US chart placings, was very much the Scottish success
story of 2013, but that might be seen as an album
that has already had its commercial rewards. In that case, I could see
an on-the-night underdog victory for the likes of Young Fathers or
Hector Bizerk." -Alan Morrison, Group Arts Editor, Herald and Evening Times
"Great list to choose from. Love all of them. Steve
Mason brings back happy memories of collaborating on my album, Filmtales. Boards of Canada are just damn amazing, but Mogwai, Les Revenants just edges it
for me. Beautiful melodies and haunting backing. Awesome." - Paul Leonard-Morgan, Composer "I'm going to say Young Fathers, mostly because it's the only record left
in the competition from my original nominations, but also because it's
far and away the most exciting record on the short-list. I should add
that this is me stating who I want to win, rather than who I think will
win. The answer to the latter would probably be Chvrches because I think
it strikes the best balance between quality and impact. In short;
anyone but Biffy please" - Tom Johnson, Gold Flake Paint
"It might seem like last year's big record but that tends to be the
nature of the pop lens - a sugar high followed by a crash. Then, years
later, reappraisal is possible due to a total lack of ongoing
reassessment. Like all "proper" pop artists, the speed with which
CHVRCHES rose - not ignoring the significance of such a feat in an
industry on its knees - rendered sustaining fierce interest impossible. On top of that, CHVRCHES winning might help silence those voices
which have accused the awards of being excessively indiecentric. I
somehow doubt the various members' past achievements in The Twilight
Sad, Aereogramme etc, mean much to the many thousands of people in the UK
and beyond who felt the pop mojo that lies within CHVRCHES' songs stir
something in their libido. That's what pop was, is and will always be
about." -Sean Guthrie, Music Writer, Herald and Sunday Herald "Well, from the announcement of the short list I have constantly said
that I think Hector Bizerk
SHOULD win and I think CHVRCHES WILL win. Both
albums are worthy winners, each of which has pushed the boundaries of
what many people understand as what independent Scottish music looks and
sounds like, and I firmly believe that it is these innovative albums
that The SAY Award should be recognising. Hector Bizerk have my vote for
their fantastic album which they have brought to life through their
fantastic DIY shows while never losing their passion for what they do
and their DIY ethic, but CHVRCHES have deservedly captured the hearts
and minds of listeners and critics worldwide and the award would cap a
fantastic year for them." - Lisa-Marie Ferla, Last Year's Girl
"It's a great selection to pick from - comforting in its eclectic
landscape and heralds Scotland as the creative hub that we all know it
to be. It's all subjective, of course, but from my vantage point the
music that stands out and demands my aural attention is Boards of
Canada, Tomorrow's Harvest. This is the result of the emotional and visual intensity that the seventeen tracks deliver. Quite beautiful." - Iona MacDonald, Singer/Songwriter, Doghouse Roses
"My personal choice from the final ten would be CHVRCHES' sparkling LP
The Bones of What You Believe. It's rarely been off my record player at
home, and Lauren Mayberry's vocals have been in my ears on bus journeys
and walks to work since late last year more than anyone else, wrapping
Glasgow in synths. It'll be seen as a classic of its era in time." - Paul English, Daily Record
For the last four days here at Scottish Fiction, we've been canvassing to find out who YOU think will win the third Scottish Album of the Year Award.
The award, as well you know by now, honours the best Scottish album from 2013 drawn from a long list of twenty chosen by independent industry nominators. The public got their say (no pun intended) for 72 hours between 26th and 28th May to choose one album that they thought should be on the short list of ten, a process which threw up Biffy Clyro Opposites as the winner. Now it's all down to the eleven SAY Award judges as to who walks away with the prize of £20,000.
Who'd want to pick from the short list? Award ceremonies always have an edge of argument about them, as fans and critics alike debate why their chosen artists should have won. And that is part of the appeal, and the joy of music, that we all individually love, respect, enjoy and hold to acclaim different music but with equal passion and vigour. So while it is the decision of eleven judges to choose the official winner, here are the results of our Scottish Fiction public vote.
Biffy Clyro, Opposites
- 10.91%
Boards of Canada, Tomorrow's Harvest
-
7.27%
CHVRCHES, The Bones of What You Believe
- 23.64%
Edwyn Collins, Understated
- 7.27%
Hector Bizerk, Nobody Seen Nothing
- 12.73%
Mogwai, Les Revenants
- 3.64%
RM Hubbert, Breaks & Bone
- 3.64%
Steve Mason, Monkeys Mind In The Devil's Time
- 3.64%
The Pastels, Slow Summits
- 14.55%
Young Fathers, Tape Two
- 12.73%
So if the readers of Scottish Fiction and participants of this poll are to be believe then come Thursday 19th June, electro-pop trio CHVRCHES will have another jewel to pop in their crown. Polling slightly under 25% of the vote, they were the clear popular winner.
Hector Bizerk and Young Father both polling a good level of public support, showing that despite being the two least recognised artists, in terms of sales and longevity, they are already resonating with the public and would not, on the basis of this poll at least, be 'unknown' winners.
Whatever the result on Thursday evening, one thing is sure, the argument will continue but the real winner will be the public profile of Scottish music.
