A distilled one hour episode of Scottish Fiction this week; which for the most part consists of some pretty laid back music. We introduce you to Henry & Fleetwood, the new artist on Olive Grove Records, there's first tastes of the new albums from Admiral Fallow and Garden of Elks, plus Balearic inspired post rock from A Sudden Burst Of Colour. Enjoy!
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.
Consistently offering opportunities for smaller Scottish artists to get on the T In The Park bill, develop their onstage performance, and get festival experience under their belt, the T-Break stage has announced the 16 acts playing at this year's T In The Park.
It's one of the best line up's for a few years on the T-Break stage. Our personal picks include Atom Tree, Birdhead, Blood Relatives, Deathcats, Fat Goth, NAKED, Secret Motorbikes, TeenCanteen, Tuff Love and We Came From Wolves.
Congratualations to all the acts playing, and if you are heading up to Balado on the weekend of 11th, 12th and 13th July, then be sure to check out as many of them as possible. There's also a free track from each artist available via the T-Break website.
This podcast was recorded smack bang in the middle of Shambles Miller's epic takeover of the Scottish Fiction blog, therefore it seemed only right and fair that we allowed him to invade our podcast too. Shambles chooses three tracks in the middle of this week's show. There's also new music from French Wives, Over The Wall, Black Balloons and Dirty Lies. Nestled in amongst all the music delights are our usual features 'Cover Lover', '#tweetatrack' and 'Re-Mixing It Up'. It's all good!
Over The Wall - Cast Your Stone
TeenCanteen - Honey
The Twilight Sad & Royal Scottish National Orchestra - The Wrong Car (Live from Paisley Abbey)
Sonic Templars - Lessons In My Life
Cover Lover Track - Travis - River
Wullie Mammoth - Factory (Part 1)
French Wives - Long Drawn Goodbye
Angus Munro - The Death Of Me
Jack James - Florence
#tweetatrack - Maple Leaves - Golden Ether - As chosen by @alantheclarke
Shambles Miller - Deadpool
Randolph's Leap - Psychic - As chosen by Shambles Miller
This Silent Forest - Root To The Seed - As chosen by Shambles Miller
James Mackenzie - Boat Song - As chosen by Shambles Miller
Dirty Lies - Shallow Grave
Black Balloons - Haunted
DEATHCATS!!! - Cowabunga Surf Jam
Kobi Onyame - Glory
The Boy With The Lion Head - I'll Hide All The Things That Remind Me Of You
Re-Mixing It Up - The Girobabies - What Could Go Wrong (Sicknote Remix)
A Fight You Can't Win - Jerusalem Crickets
Blood Relatives - Fowl Mouth
It feels like it's taken years for this album to be released, and that's because it has. Four years, to be exact. If you've been a fan of the Glasgow folk poppers formally known as Kitty The Lion, you'll know exactly what I mean when I say Deerheart is *long* overdue. But trust me when I say it has definitely been worth the wait as, like a phoenix, they've risen from the ashes of their former selves as Blood Relatives armed with a record that, while possessing all that we loved about them from previous singles and EPs, has a feeling of maturity, showing Anna Meldrum and co to have grown both as musicians and as people over their years together.
One worry that I'm sure many people had was that the début would feature no Kitty The Lion songs at all, the concern that, with a new name, the band had decided to shed their skin and lay to rest all previous material. Luckily that is far from the case here, with not one but four Kitty tracks making a happy appearance, starting with no less than the opener. Now down to just a four piece, the band's signature harmonies are by no means jeopardised, as illustrated clearly by opening track Fowl Mouth where vocals are front and centre all the way through. These harmonies continue throughout the record and sound much more controlled and better executed than ever before, showing the band to have taken time in the studio to get them just right and keep them as a proper stand out aspect of their music.
In saying that, however, when Meldrum's in charge, you definitely know it. Take title track Deerheart, for example, in which her lovely breathy vocals take centre stage, sounding a zillion times more powerful than the girl we heard sing Lion In The Bed all those years ago. With great power comes great responsibility (yeah, I just used the Uncle Ben line, deal with it) and in Bone Idol, Meldrum takes it upon herself to raise awareness of negative and unhealthy body image, pleading with young skinny girls to "get some meat on your bones", whilst creating a neat little pop ditty at the same time.
There's something particularly interesting about Murder of Crows which makes it stand out but it's hard to say exactly what. Like much of Blood Relatives' music, it's got that great driving beat and catchy melodies to boot, but perhaps it's the changing moods, alternate rhythms or more seriously folky aspects of this track which give it its 'je ne sais quoi... Not to mention a cracking little harmonica solo. Dead Hip, on the other hand, is much more the Blood Relatives we know and love, with Meldrum's quirky lyrics, bright shimmering melodies and infectious chorus.
Things get a little slower and more subterranean with the ethereal Cold Fish followed by enchanting ballad Bird Flu (given a new lick of paint since its days as a Kitty set-list staple) and then the bright and perky Duck!... Do you see a pattern emerging here at all? Fowl, deer, crows, fish, bird, duck... This record's track-list is absolutely teeming with wildlife but Meldrum's lyrics are so cleverly conceived that the titles are as far as this nature reserve theme goes. She draws comparisons between both wildlife and real life, which is just one of many reasons why this writer believes her to be one of the most underrated Scottish songwriters of recent times.
As the record comes to a close, Cheek By Jowl excellently displays Meldrum's vocal talent, with only softly plucked guitar and cello accompanying her as she sings of embracing the fear of the future and growing old. But, of course, we wouldn't expect anything less from this gang than to end their début on a high and with The Spit, they do just that. Those glorious harmonies make a reappearance as Meldrum puts a rather poetic spin on family life and every girl's fear of becoming her mother, building up to a magnificent fanfare which is one of many moments on the album that makes you realise why it's taken so bloody long! We can only hope we won't have to wait quite as long for album number two but, until then Deerheart is finally here and, quite frankly, we couldn't be happier with the results.
- Nina Glencross
Blood Relatives - Deerheart is out now on Comets & Cartwheels and is available to buy here and in all good independent record shops.
Hot on the heels of début album Deerheart Blood Relatives swung by the Pulse Community Radio studio for chat and tunes. Their bubbly and witty strain of indie-pop boils over making the session a charming interview about influences, summer festivals, and puns. Three excellent live tracks are also dotted throughout so dig in.
The second hour of the show includes regular features 'Tweet-a-track' and a 'Cover Lover' track from perennial Scottish Fiction chum Lovers Turn To Monsters. There's also new music from Miracle Strip, Mungo's Hi-Fi, Book Group, Call To Mind and more!
Beards and smiles. What a guy RM Hubbert is. Despite growing in popularity, despite bagging the Scottish Album of the Year for last album Thirteen Lost & Found and despite being just about to head out on tour in support of his new album Breaks & Bone, Hubby still found time to come down to our wee community radio station and join me on the show.
Talking about his latest album Breaks &Bones Hubby reveals where much of the inspiration came from, as well as the aftermath of his well deserved SAY Award win back in June. Plus we spin three tracks hand picked by the man himself, and there's a sneak preview of some tracks from the album performed live in the studio.
This week's show also features the first of a trio of features about the Oxjam: We're Skint, They're Skinter festival, plus brand new music from Hector Bizerk, Blood Relatives and Honeyblood.
Title tracks always interest me. My thinking goes that for the band to name their album after the track, then it's got to be a strong representation of what their 'sound' is, and what the album will be about. This of course could be complete nonsense on my part, but should the theory be correct then Blood Relatives album Deerheart, out via Comet & Carthwheels on 28th October will be amazing.
How I know this is of course thanks to the brand new single from the quartet, Deerheart, which is out on 9th September. Clinging onto the feel good summer vibe, the rhythm section drives through underneath Anna's gorgeous vocals. Check out the video which is equally smile worthy.
After kicking off the show with the sweet summer vibes of Giant Fang, I welcomed Drew Wright, a.k.a. Wounded Knee into the studio as my session guest for the evening. With a wonderfully obscure selection of tracks under his arm, we chatted, mused about protest songs, and discussed the Whatever Gets You Through The Night project. And there was plenty rummaging in the infamous bawbag to choose the three live songs you'll hear during the show.
There's the usual serving of new Scottish music too, including tracks from the forthcoming Camera Obscura, Boards Of Canada, Quickbeam and Algernon Doll albums, plus a Cover Lover and Re-Mixing It Up track. Huzzah!
Renaming yourself is the in thing right now. Following on the heels of the Midnight Lion transformation into Prides, Kitty The Lion has transmogrified into Blood Relatives. Perhaps there may be some sharing of PR tactics going on, both bands have a Detour lad managing them, and share a member in the form of Callum.
Anyway, to celebrate the relaunch, which reflects the changing sounds that Kitty The Lion have been through over the years, Blood Relatives uncovered the stunning 'Dead Hip'. A pop ditty that swells and soars in all the right places, oozing catchiness and has been marinated in the juices of Kid Canaveral, I challenge you to listen to this once, and NOT be singing it for hours on end.
