Scottish Fiction Radio Show - 25th June 2015

What a wonderful world we live in sometimes... 

Musically speaking this week's Scottish Fiction show is pretty lovely too.  I added one half of the new AA single from Kathryn Joseph to the Scottish Fiction Playlist, and there's also new music from The Van T's, Wozniak, Reverieme, TeenCanteen, Bdy_Prts and more!  

The Van T's - Growler
The New Fabian Society - Melt Inside
Machines In Heaven - Taxpayers Compass
Bdy_Prts - Cold Shoulder
Deadly Rides - The Ride
AROUND THE WORLD - Death From Above 1979 - Virgins
Baby Strange - California Sun
Min Diesel - Trail of T-Shirts
Sean Armstrong - Floating With You
Dec '91 - I Don't Want To Hurt You
Lovers Turn To Monsters - Scottish Weekend
PLAYLIST - Catholic Action - The Real World
PLAYLIST - Machines In Heaven - Displacer
PLAYLIST - Kathryn Joseph - the worm
Brendan Dalton - Medium
Sorren Maclean - Way Back Home
Esperi - Sonshine
Exit-Omni - Since We Last Met
Wozniak - Snow Effect
Seconds - Rest
in:tides - Yours Is The Earth
Reverieme - Plankton
Stanley Odd - Monsoon Season
TeenCanteen - Sister

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Scottish Fiction - 25th June 2015 by Scottish Fiction on Mixcloud

Album Review - Esperi - Seasons

As I was listening to Esperi’s Seasons for the first time, something struck me like a tonne of bricks as my foot was tapping along to Four Arms.  This sounds a lot like Stapleton, to which I will expect you to say, “Uh… who are Stapleton?” and I’ll throw my arms up in the air and storm off muttering, “Who? Who is Stapleton?! Why I oughta…”.

To be honest, it’s not surprising if you don't know who Stapleton are - they never quite broke into the mainstream despite their wonderful shimmery guitar pop songs.  They were the first support band my friend and I fell in love with - that band you go to see headliners for just to catch a glimpse of their support slot.  It is high praise from me indeed to say that Esperi sound like Stapleton who sadly stopped making music in 2008.

Esperi’s Seasons has a DIY sound that doesn’t encroach on being too rag tag, instead it has a lived-in sound.  There are little bits and pieces of found-sounds peppered throughout the album, like the table top spun ring that opens It’s A Wonderful Life before a stereo-rolling guitar line spins around the melody.  The dynamic between the vocals that sit high in the mix, the skimming guitar, and the backdrop of clicks and whirrs that feature intrigue and showcase a true inventive nature that is fully realised on the album.

The album is one of those Scottish albums that exudes the charm and emotion of an album made to be loved, and the style of the album’s instrumentation lends itself to that feeling well, with a cohesive nostalgic thread running through each track.  Every melody resolves wonderfully and the experimentation with reversed notes, like the opening of Hide, a middle album highlight, is a standout example of the albums power.  "How do I... how do I escape from here?" is a dark lyric buried in a driving beat and electronic inflected track.

I can say I was very impressed with the album's sound and the craft on display in Seasons and the album burrowed its way into my heart with regular rotation.  You'll be rewarded should you let it do the same to you. Highly recommended.

- Mark Shields

Esperi - Seasons is out now and is available on CD and download via Bandcamp.

Scottish Fiction Podcast - 20th October 2014

This week's session guest on Scottish Fiction was Chrissy Barnacle who mixes folk and punk, with narrative lyrics which explore love, loss, life, relationships and everything in between.  During the course of the show you can enjoy three beautiful live tracks, as well as an alarming amount of chat about cannibal rats.

Included also in this week's show is new music from The Son(s), Felix Champion, IndianRedLopez, an excellent '90's dance cover from Vladimir as our 'Cover Lover' track, a 'Vinyl Play' from Conquering Animal Sound and a truly classic Mogwai track.  It's all good baby baby!

Felix Champion - These Four Walls
The Sea Kings - Woke In The Devil's Arms
The Insomniac Project - Parallels
Chrissy Barnacle - Hazelnuts - Live in Pulse 98.4 Studio
We Were Promised Jetpacks - Safety In Numbers
COVER LOVER - Vladimir - Born Slippy
The Amazing Snakeheads - Can't Let You Go
Chrissy Barnacle - Charmed - Live in Pulse 98.4 Studio
Laura Stevenson - Barnacles
The Son(s) - Death, With Castanets
Esperi - Seasons
VINYL PLAY - Conquering Animal Sound - Giant
Book Group - Here Is Too Near
Behold, The Old Bear - Seven Maybe Eight
Shambles Miller - Deadpool
Chrissy Barnacle - Bag Of Bones - Live in Pulse 98.4 Studio
CLASSIC TRACK - Mogwai - Mogwai Fear Satan
Aquafaux - See The Rain
IndianRedLopez - Commit


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Connect with us and submit any submissions via:
Facebook - www.facebook.com/thisisscottishfiction
Twitter - twitter.com/scotfiction984
E-mail - scottishfiction@mail.com

Scottish Fiction - 20th October 2014 by Scottish Fiction on Mixcloud

Scottish Fiction Podcast - 18th June 2014

I found a bird's nest in my garden this week whilst chopping trees.  And as you can see there were four little eggs hidden inside.  This week's episode is in no way related to birds, eggs or nests, but let's roll with the analogy anyway.  Tucked away inside are twelve great tracks including one off the new Algernon Doll album, the latest single from Tijuana Bibles, and a brand new angular rock track from White.  As always, it's Scottish Fiction, your one stop shop for the best new Scottish music.

TeenCanteen - You're Still Mine
So Many Animal Calls - From The Sick Bed
White - Living Fiction
OWLEYE - Body Parts
Esperi - Hide
CHVRCHES - We Sink
Lovely Ladies - Yellow Rotten Wolf Riders
Tijuana Bibles - Crucifixion
Flood of Red - Lashes
Little Anchors - Feed A Cold, Starve A Fever
Shudder - Dusk
Algernon Doll - Relate


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Scottish Fiction - 18th June 2014 by Scottish Fiction on Mixcloud

esperi - Scottish Fiction Session - Videos

A glut of video goodness coming your way.  A few weeks back Chris James Marr, better known to music fans as esperi, was my guest on the Scottish Fiction show.  He played three tracks which we filmed!  Here are the videos from that session.  You can hear the full session and interview here should you wish.

Scottish Fiction - 11th September 2013 by Scottish Fiction on Mixcloud

Below are videos for session tracks, 'Sonshine', 'Little Shirts' and 'Storks'.  Enjoy, and check out YouTube page for all session videos.

Scottish Fiction Podcast - 11th September 2013

In a show that contained brand new tracks from The Spook School, Franz Ferdinand, and Campfires In Winter, I also hosted the wonderful esperi as my live guest.  As usual with our live sessions, we asked esperi to soundtrack the first part of the show, chatted about his music, inspirations, and forthcoming plans, and had the delight of sharing with you three live tracks. 

Mast. - Romance

American Football - Never Meant - As chosen by esperi

esperi - Sonshine - Live in Pulse 98.4 Studio

Sufjan Stevens - Pittsfield - As chosen by esperi

esperi - Little Shirts - Live in Pulse 98.4 Studio
esperi - Storks - Live in Pulse 98.4 Studio

Wheat - Don't I Hold You - As chosen by esperi

Kid Canaveral - A Compromise
Franz Ferdinand - Evil Eye
Young Fathers - Effigy
Baby Strange - Friend

Re-Mixing It Up - Belle & Sebastian - Your Cover's Blown (Miaoux Miaoux Remix)

Angler Ape - When He Starts
Future Glue - Crooked
The Spook School - I'll Be Honest
Campfires In Winter - Stories
Blue Rose Code - Skin & Bones
The Duke, Detroit - Saturday
This Silent Forest - Drowning Man


Subscribe/listen to the podcast via iTunes.

Scottish Fiction - 11th September 2013 by Scottish Fiction on Mixcloud

Scottish Fiction Podcast - 3rd April 2013

(Picture courtesy of Fanny Lambotte / Wolf Teeth Music)

It's a laid back and cultured affair for this week's show as out live guest Siobhan Wilson treats us to some wonderful live music, chat about her time in France and her influences, and selects some tracks for our listening pleasure.  Following our session there's a 'Cover Lover' track from Frightened Rabbit's new EP 'Backyard Skulls', plus brand new music from Plastic Animals, Edwyn Collins, Travis, Black International, and chat about all things from Beers vs. Records, gigs, and babies.  Yes, we cover all bases here.  Enjoy!

Perfume Genius - Normal Song - As chosen by Siobhan Wilson

Siobhan Wilson - All Dressed Up - Live in Pulse 98.4 FM Studio

France Gall - Laisse Tomber Les Filles - As chosen by Siobhan Wilson

Siobhan Wilson - Ta Petite Minette - Live in Pulse 98.4 FM Studio

Adam Stafford feat. Siobhan Wilson - Sound Of Fear Evaporating - As chosen by Siobhan Wilson

Black Balloons - This House
Penfold - Exactly How It Happened
Travis - Another Guy
Esperi - Somersaults
Plastic Animals - Pizarnik
Thirty Pounds Of Bone - Home Faring
Farewell Singapore - Celebrate Your Mother
Edwyn Collins - Too Bad, (That's Sad)

Cover Lover - Frightened Rabbit - Norland Wind

Galleries - Midnight Rush
Colin's Godson - Death Star Ditty
Black International - A Gilded Palace


Subscribe/listen to the podcast via iTunes.

Scottish Fiction - 3rd April 2013 by Scottish Fiction on Mixcloud

Video Killed The Radio Star - Round Up

Been a while since I did one of these posts, that celebrates the efforts of people with video cameras everywhere and rounds them up into one concise post for your eyes to enjoy.  So without further ado, here's some of the most recent Scottish music videos out in internet land.

The rather good Gold Flake Paint blog snaffled front man Jamie Sutherland from Edinburgh 6-piece Broken Records into a lecturer theatre and forced asked him for some new material from their forthcoming third album.  This video, an acoustic version of new song 'Winterless Son' is the result.

In case you didn't hear during last week, Endor are no more.  Which is sad.  However, happier news is that some of the band, and former members, have a new project Fake Major on the go.  They will have an EP out on the Comets & Cartwheels label in the spring.  This is the video for lead track 'Little Researcher'.




Fake Major - Little Researcher from Comets And Cartwheels on Vimeo.


Ahead of supporting Frightened Rabbit on their February tour, Washington Irving have put together a video for their latest single 'Holy Company'.  The single was out last Monday, so check out the video and go buy it.

If you like snow, dogs, and walks, then you'll like this next video.  If you also like heartfelt lyrics, dreamy vocals, and gentle guitars then it'll be right up your street too.  It's a video for 'Lone Wolf', a track from Esperi's 'In A Moment, Emotion, Sentiment' album, which was out last year.

Isle of Lewis man, Colin MacLeod, a.k.a. The Boy Who Trapped The Sun returns from his absence since releasing 'Fireplace' in 2010, with a new video and a new song.  This is 'Last Call For The Boat'.

Scottish Fiction Shelter Christmas 2012 EP - Thank You!

At the start of December we unveiled this year's Christmas EP once again in aid of the charity Shelter.  As you may remember for a minimum donation of £3 an EP full of Christmas songs from Scottish artists was all yours.

The contributing artists were Lovers Turn To Monsters, The Orchids, Flutes, Behold, The Old Bear, Esperi, Kevin P. Gilday & The Middle Class Lovers, Siobhan Wilson, and Naming The Saints.  To each of them a massive thanks!

So we are pleased to say that with your generosity we have managed to raise £101, which has been donated to Shelter allowing them to continue their important work. 

If you missed the chance to download the EP then I'm afraid it's too late. But you can still listen to all the songs here and more importantly make a donation to Shelter here.

Thanks again for all your help!

Scottish Fiction Shelter Christmas 2012 EP

Cast your mind back a mere twelve months ago...  {hazy wavy passage of time}  In December 2011 we brought you the Scottish Fiction Shelter Christmas EP featuring seven tracks contributed by seven Scottish artists and together with your help raised over £100 for Shelter.

Such was the response that I'd long ago decided that come Christmas 2012, I'd do it all over again.  And we have.

I love Christmas.  It's a heady mix of nostalgia, family and fun.  Yet, without preaching, I'm sure we all know it can be a tough time of year for many, none more so that the countless people who are homeless at this time of year,  Shelter are a charity who do an incredible amount of work, helping those people, and throughout the other 364 days of the year.  And you can do your bit to help too.  Christmas music has always played a massive part during my festival celebrations, from the Bing Crosby classics, to the glam rock of Slade and Wizzard, to new and imaginative tracks by independent Scottish musicians.

And it's the latter that we have to offer up with the Scottish Fiction Shelter Christmas 2012 EP.  For a minimum of £3, all of which will be donated to Shelter, you can own eight new and exclusive Christmas songs to soundtrack December.  Enjoy new music whilst supporting a worthwhile cause.  (Please note £3 is the minimum donation.  By all means donate more should you wish to.)

You can download the full EP here.  Please also feel free to share this with as many people as possible.

The full tracklisting for the EP is:

The Orchids - Back To Your House
Behold, The Old Bear - Christmas Stalking
Flutes - Matchsticks (Geez A Kiss)
Esperi - Just Like Christmas Bounce
Kevin P. Gilday & The Middle Class Lovers - Crooked Christmas Tree
Lovers Turn To Monsters - It's A Very Roland Emmerich Christmas
Siobhan Wilson - In The Bleak Red Rose
Naming The Saints - Our Love's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas


Coincidently I've made the last Scottish Fiction Shelter Christmas EP available for download again for £2, if you do not already own it.  Click on the link above and any money raised through this will also go to Shelter.

Thanks for all your continued support and a merry Christmas!

Scottish Fiction Podcast - 4th July 2012

Yes that is a picture of pot pourri  I don't know why, I can't explain it, we'll just have to swiftly move on.  Last Wednesday's show was 4th July.  Happy 'Jeff-Goldblum-saved-the-world-with-an-Apple-Mac' Day to all!  It also meant that we are now officially more than halfway into 2012, conveniently allowing me to use the occasion to recap on the best Scottish albums released this year so far.  Which is exactly what we did on this very show.  Enjoy!

Miaoux Miaoux - Autopilot
Olympic Swimmers - Father Said
Jesus H. Foxx - Twins
RM Hubbert feat. Alasdair Robert - The False Bride
Errors - Earthscore
Holy Mountain - Great Monkey
Battery Face - Gomez
Lightships - Two Lines
Django Django - Hail Bop
Two Wings - Feet
Ambulances - Shine On My Shoes
Esperi - Proverb
Plum - Smile
Admiral Fallow - Guest Of The Government
French Wives - Younger
The Leg - Twitching Stick
Hunt / Gather - Denver Shaking
The Twilight Sad - Don't Move
Profisee - Magikal
Human Don't Be Angry - After The Pleasuredome

Scottish Fiction - 4th July 2012 by Scottish Fiction on Mixcloud