On the latest podcast, which aired 31st October 2012, features new music from Jo Mango, Collar Up, Gav Prentice, Flutes and much more. There's gig chat and some general banter from me, plus all our usual features.
This week's Featured Artist are Errors, our Classic Scottish Album is De Rosa's 'Prevention' and our Re-Mixing It Up track is a brilliant Miaoux Miaoux remix of 'Where It Snows' by Olympic Swimmers. As always we have some free music in the form of the Aye Tunes Friday Freebie track, which is a brilliant number from The Yawns. Enjoy!
Despite the mysterious looking tree up above, there's no mystery behind the music on this week's podcast. Featuring plenty of new Scottish music, including five tracks from artists nominated for The SAY Award. Listen back and enjoy!
Before giving the low down on the tracks which hit my inbox this week, it's time for a gratuitous plug!
With a teensy bit over two months to go before the very first, and quite possibly the very last, Scottish Fiction Presents Gig we don't want you to forget to clear your diary, cancel all appointments, wash your hair the night before and just generally be free on Sunday 17th June from 8pm for a night of musical exploits from Michael Cassidy, The Spook School, Queen Jane and Saint Death. Hope to see you there!
This actually dropped in last week, but I rather strangely forgot about it. We played the track 'Creature' on Monday's show, which is a fantastic acoustic jam which conjures up images of the Radiohead video for 'There There'. The album itself is a wonderful tapestry of folk, acoustic, ambient and experimental music, which upon repeat listens reveals more and more. Check out our favourite track, 'The Pigeon In The Murder' and follow the link to get the full album.
Another one which has nestled in the inbox longer than it should have. Glasgow band Mickey 9's have followed up on the success of their last EP 'A Thing To Try And Dance To' by releasing this single entitled 'Mickey 999'. It's funky, got a beat and coaxes a hip sway or two. Check out the alarmingly true but funny video below.
Another late one (last one I promise) but the reason for this is that it took me a while to get my head round. I'm glad I stuck with it though, because Glasgow four-piece Thula Borah have put together a solid EP in the shape of 'Live Secretly'. With three songs over the 8 minute mark, it's almost too obvious to point to the post-rock Mogwai influence, yet that's not all that defines the sound with grunge and shoe-gaze influences present in equal measures. 'Murder' is my personal highlight, a woozy slow burning gem of a track.
Elephant Gun are a three piece from Edinburgh, who I hope don't condone the shooting of gentle giants with big ears, however they have got a nifty sound about them. Acoustic folk with a Eastern European twist, some of their earlier demo's have the ring of a Romanian woman playing the accordion, but recent demo 'Home' is extremely catchy. Fans of ukuleles will enjoy.
Father Sculptor are a little bit of an enigma. Other than their location, Glasgow, I don't know much about them, other than they absolutely astound me with the solemn beauty that is 'Ember'. If Morrisey was dead, then they'd be channelling his spirit in amongst the mature distorted sound created with jangly guitars and soaring keys. Second track 'Blue' reminds me a lot of The Twilight Sad, in turn marinated in Joy Division's squeezed juices, there's the exciting and imminent promise of something really special brewing here. Get on board now with the single released via the above links on Monday 16th April.
Edinburgh dream-pop trio Collar Up return with their new single out on 23rd April called 'The Fear Of Love'. It's more upbeat that previous outing 'Short Term Memories', yet all the ingredients that tickled us last time are there, the warmth in the vocals, the power behind the piano and complimentary ambient guitar. A song about, "the constant and exhausting chase for a euphoria which turns out to be temporary".
Lets end with an album eh? 'Animals With Amazing Disguises' is the debut album from Aberdeen based five-piece Stanley. There's a whole heap of creativity on this record as previous singles 'Sandwiches & Tea' and 'Monkeys & Friends' illustrated. Here's a sneak peek at track one from the LP out on Monday 16th April.
September has came and gone, but leaving behind in it's Autumny wake another Scottish Fiction EP.
This month's EP is an absolute belter, which some of my favourite Scottish artists about at the moment. All of them have been kind enough to feature on the blog's Q&A 'We're Only Here For The Banter' over the past four week's. As well as sharing their words, they are also sharing their music, and you can download the full EP for FREE below. Also check out the links to each artists Q&A.
'Short term memories fade to black, it's funny how a three chord song can bring them all back', sings Collar Up's chief protagonist Stephen McLaren on the Edinburgh-based trio's new single 'Short Term Memories'. The song, an uptempo reflection on 21st century relationships, is a potent slice of melodic pop, informed by the dreamy, well-crafted tangents of Beach House, Mercury Rev, The Divine Comedy and Kate Bush.
Collar Up has been playing together in this incarnation since 2010. McLaren's vertiginous vocal and arresting piano motifs are supported by Stephen Dennis' warm guitar atmospherics and the graceful, percussive pulse of drummer Nora Noonan to create a sound unique on the current Scottish musical landscape.
According to frontman and writer McLaren, ''Short term Memories' is about society's expectations and contradictions concerning the ideal of lasting romantic love...It's a sad song, but tinged with naive hope'.
When I recieved a promotional e-mail from Night Noise Team's Sean Ormsby asking me to have a listen to their label PermWhale's latest release, I'll be honest in saying I wasn't expecting much. However, I am happy to admit that I was both wrong and humbled. Their maiden release 'Short Term Memories' is a stormer of a track. And the band have been kind enough to answer some questions for the blog. Check it out below:
Hello, how are you?
We're very well.
Tell us a little bit about your music and influences.
We'd probably class ourselves as dream-pop, ranging from melancholy hypnotic piano to more up-beat dancy numbers. We've lots of different influences, but, to name a few, Mercury Rev, Cocteau Twins, and The Divine Comedy rate highly.
Scotland has a thriving music scene. How do you find being a part of that?
It's great to be a part of a thriving music scene, though the sheer volume of music sometimes make it difficult to be heard. We'd like to think that we're worth listening to though...
Which Scottish artists would you recommend to the Scottish Fiction readers?
Hmm. You've put us on the spot! There are a few: we'd recommend giving Night Noise Team a listen, as well as Fiction Faction, Bwani Junction, Wrongnote, and, maybe more well-known, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Found, Meursault, and The Twilight Sad. Dancing With Mice as well, just because they're the most unique band I've seen live and they have amazing song titles.
What is your songwriting process like?
We are not prolific. We'll only come out with a song if the chord progression, first of all, interests us, and then we're satisfied with the lyrical content. Short Term Memories is more a song about love and modern life, but some of our songs are fairly political, so the lyrics often reflect this.
What could we expect to see/hear from your live shows?
A male lead singer wearing lipstick. We'd like to think that you would see/hear a band that stuck out as being a band, from the many, as worth going to see again. We have a very loyal fanbase in that, if people are "into" us, they tend to be "really" into us. We're confident that enough people will like us that it'll be worth gigging, maybe until we all die.
What does the rest of 2011 hold for you?
We'll be promoting the single. We've plans for a Christmas party....but, first of all, we're playing Hair of the Dog Sundays at Red Dog Music on Sunday 25th September - which is the eve of the launch date.
Thanks for speaking with us, would you care to share a joke with us?
What d'you call a spider with no legs? A raisin. Old school.
Thanks very much for taking the time to talk to us.
You can (and should) download their debut release 'Short Term Memories' on the band's Soundcloud. Also check out their Facebook page. Have a listen to 'Short Term Memories' below.
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