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!
You have to take your hat off to those wonderful people at Tenement TV, the concept of the Tenement Trail isn’t new by any means – 5 venues providing a day of great music and all within walking distance of each other in Glasgow – it’s been done before for sure. So what is the difference? The difference is the sheer quality of Scottish talent on show, and all for only £14 entry fee. The key difficulty becomes immediately obvious when you look at the line-up. Who can you bear to miss out on?
My day started early with The Rockalls. And what a way to kick off the day. With the darkness of the basement at Nice 'N' Sleazy’s contrasting the sunshine outside on this Saturday afternoon, as did the mood, you would be forgiven for thinking that midnight had arrived as The Rockalls – grown by one from a standard five to a six piece for the gig – burst the Tenement Trail into life. With an explosion of accomplished garage/punk noise, one could be forgiven for feeling that The Cramps and The Damned were having a set-to on the stage. Encouraging the crowd to squat down and to explode onto their feet at their very command, signalling a refreshing arrogance and command for the first band of the day, they romped through their set with No Comin' Back a particular standout. The band also included a cover of Kraftwerk's A Model which had both a familiarity and new edge at the same time.
Next up were Acrylic who painted a more familiar sound, drawn from the Glasgow indie/pop pedigree, but none the less captivating for it. Having recently received justified praise from Hector Bizerk, the five piece ensemble delivered their very own brand of sailing close to the edge indie pop, in the well-trodden footsteps on Franz Ferdinand and Dogs Die in Hot Cars.
With the shortest journey of the day between Broadcast and Sleazy’s, once Acrylic finished I found myself next door in no time, watching Vladimir
storm the space with their Dundonian brand of near anthemic punk
thumping rock. With an already impressive list of support slots
including the magnificent Fall, and a sound reminiscent of Deerhunter
and Radiohead, and an eerie cover version of Born Slippy, the
foreboding and sinister sound hung well in our small collective cell.
The set ended with a reverberating chant of "We are Vladimir" as the
band left the stage, and even as the crowd filtered out, we were left in
no doubt who we had just seen. Headline slots are in the wings and
deservedly so.
Back to Sleazy’s for the last in the venue's hat-trick of openers. Deathcats
suffered slightly due to a crossover of start times, however the venue
soon filled and the band had the crowd dancing with their own brand of
pulsing pop and latchkey lad lyrics. The form and sound is both
convincing and compelling and all that was missing was a few 'Gabba
Gabba Hey's' and their cover would have been blown.
Back across in Broadcast, and next band TeenCanteen are just too lovely for words. A set of simple soaring soft centred pop perfections see the girls enter even the toughest heart in the room. Beautiful melodies and kissing harmonies delivered in a pleading local lilt make TeenCanteen one of the gems in the Scottish-pop jewellery box. Each time they take to the stage, they seem to add shine that little bit brighter, and from an array of tracks, the pick of this set was Vagabond. Having recently performed at Wickerman, T in the Park and on our very own Scottish Fiction Sessions, they are now commanding the attention of a larger fan base and the wider media.
Advertised as 'The Birth of Roxy Agogo' on their Facebook page, it was
with baited breath and stellar recommendations that I dropped by to
catch the band's first ever gig. I was not to be disappointed. Such freshness
from such obvious musical references and a star quality which shines
like a beacon, Roxy Agogo delivered a mesmerising short set of 5 songs:
Crocodiles, Saturday is Dead, Pink Performer, Fake Forever and When You
Dress Up, and in doing so both reignited the flame of
Bowie/Pop/Murphy/Numan in a new age, and touched down effortlessly on the
stage which has been lit and waiting for some time. Rozy Agogo are the real
deal and it was a delight to watch them take first breath.
Tiujana Bibles are the complete rock band in every sense of the word. Touring hard and performances at both Wickerman and Belladrum were the foundations on which this gig at the O2 ABC 2 would prove to be a showcase for just how accomplished they are, and with a set list of infectious tunes, this environment was bound to be a triumphant arena for them. From back to front they nailed every track, each individual member commanding their space as an individual and collective force alike. The crammed playlist began with the single Crucifixion, and the momentum continued through Toledo, Last of the Go Getters, 6 2 Midnight, Runnin' Red Fruit and finishing on Wild River. When it comes to live music, they are a 'must see'
So, with the end of the night approaching came the real difficult decision of the day, how to end it? With Hector Bizerk, Friends in America, Randolph’s Leap and Campfires In Winter all justifiably demanding attention, it was a given that someone would miss out.
In the end I opted for Randolph’s Leap at King Tut's, or as Adam indicated during a brief interlude “It’s only old folk that call it King Tuts Wah Wah Hut isn’t it?” Aye that’ll be me then.
Randolph’s Leap are a delight to behold. Lyrically endearing and musically sweet, their previous album/EP releases The Curse of the Haunted Headphones, As Fast As A Man, Real Anymore and Introducing… were all beautiful collections of angst ridden humour. Earlier this year the band released Clumsy Knot on Lost Map Records and they have delivered one of the albums of the year. Three songs in, and having delivered Goodbye, Foolishness of Youth and Nature to an enthralled crowd, a broken bass guitar proved a potential stumbling block until, as if by magic, a replacement was offered and after some tuning, we were back on course again, partying with Microcosm, as if you could do anything else to such a tune! Following older singles News and Hermit, the now iconic and trademark I Can’t Dance To This Music Anymore had the swelling crowd in sympathetic voice as we swayed and gazed into our emptying plastic glasses and contemplating journey home. Light of the Moon finished the set as each member took it in turns to reduce the stage presence by an eighth and downed instruments and walked off to a building applause.
And so we all followed suit, a wonderful end to a wonderful day of the best of Scottish talent. Tenement Trail is the best thing to happen to the Glasgow music live scene in many years, and I should know, I’ve seen many years.
- Words by Bobby Motherwell, pictures by Hannah McMillan
TeenCanteen are a very unique four piece group, forming a perfect mash up of folk music with their flawless all girl harmonies, and blending this with a '70’s vibe both in sound and appearance. Paired with a knack for writing insanely catchy songs, TeenCanteen are a truly enjoyable affair.
Having played various festivals across the country this summer, tonight's headline gig is aimed at giving their fans one last performance before they disappear into the studio to record their debut album. As such, it is perhaps unsurprising that the venue was jam-packed with people digging the TeenCanteen vibe.
Support came from fellow capital dwellers Birdhead, a wonky pop duo with Krautrock tendancies who offered a different musical style to our headliners, drawing material from their much acclaimed album Pleasure Centre. With Birdhead having thoroughly warmed the crowd up, TeenCanteen took over, continuing in a equally strong fashion. Perhaps it was Saturday night, perhaps it was TeenCanteen's pop sensibilities, or more likely a combination of both. What ever the cause the crowd lapped it up, with one jovial man encouraging the rest of the crowd to join his dancing.
Whilst being well versed in providing marching beats, and swaying pop melodies, TeenCanteen also know how to pen a great song, with lead songwriter Carla Easton displaying a knack for clever word-play and intelligent story-telling. Paticular highlights include You're Still Mine , the band's second single released in June earlier this year, and the sugar-sweet How We Met (Cherry Pie). The latter simply so infectious it is guaranteed to nestle in your head all night.
On the basis of tonight's showing and with the girls now retreating to work on that aforementioned debut album, the next time TeenCanteen are gigging will mark a must-see. All we ask is that they don't keep us waiting too long!
- Words by Martina Salveta, pictures by Hannah McMillan
T in the Park bid #byebyebalado last weekend, as the festival
moves to it's new home of Strathallan Castle in 2015. To help us at
Scottish Fiction document the last ever T at Balado, and to capture the
experience of playing, we asked a number of bands to keep a T diary.
TeenCanteen played the T Break Stage on a sun basked Friday. Lead singer Carla had time to commit her thoughts to paper. Have a read before she notices!
Friday 11th July 2014
The day starts off early. I get up at 6am .
1. Because I am looking after a cat called Angel who wants fed.
2. I'm starting to get a bit nervous - is it nerves? I can't decide.
3. Phone starts going - little did I realise that it wouldn't stop all day.
Get up and feed Angel who immediately goes back to sleep but I can't.
We had a practice on the Wednesday night in Glasgow
and since then I've had over 24 hours to ruminate over what everyone
keeps telling me will be 'our biggest gig to date'. We've had a lot of
congratulations and a lot of well wishes. We've only just released our
second single so not sure what sort of crowd to expect as we're still
relatively unknown. I think that's why I was surprised when we got
selected to play. Nevertheless we've practiced hard and tried to put
together what we think will be a strong set - potentially this could be
the first time a lot of people hear us. So no pressure at all(!).
Decide I'll go for a walk as it's sunny.
Walk around Edinburgh - I'm the only one who lives here, the rest are all based in Glasgow.
Head back home for some late breakfast and start to pack up my synth.
My friends Hannah and Jenna are coming along. We're
being picked up at 3.15pm sharp from my flat. Hannah and Jenna get here
at 2. Hannah practically falls in the door clutching wellies,
cardigans, wet wipes,sun screen, plastic glasses and a box of wine.
"Can I whack this in your freezer?"
Jenna shakes her head. Hannah goes to T in The Park
pretty much every year. She is the girl who goes into the Slam Tent on
the Friday night and doesn't appear again till Monday morning.
"If you lose me don't worry. I'll probably be in the Slam Tent and I'll have made a friend"
Me and Jenna shake our heads.
Decide we might as well have a glass of wine to
celebrate and calm nerves - one of the TeenCanteen rules is 'one drink
before the show' (that pretty much went out the window). The other rule
is 'don't screw the crew'.
The rest of TeenCanteen pull up outside.
We all pile in the van. Sita has brought her little
brother and sister in tow. It's stereo Pieracinni the whole journey
there - they ALL love to sing and Kenny, our Tour Manager, has made CD
for the journey.
Just as we pull into view of the peaks of the King Tut's Tent and the sight of the Ferris wheel Buster Poindextor's Feeling Hot Hot Hot
blasts out. The Pieracinni's burst into perfectly timed harmonies. By
this point Hannah is pissed and ready to dance. The sun is almost
bursting out of the sky. Stupidly I have decided to wear a vintage
polyester seventies black jumpsuit. I feel like I'm about to pass out
from sunstroke.
WE MADE IT!
Sita has brought along all her face paints and body glitter from clown
and performance theatre workshops she does. Naturally we all get
involved.
Head along to T Break Stage to meet our rep Craig and drop off
our belongings. We're not on till 10.10pm and so have the whole day (we
got there just after 5pm) to relax and catch some music. We're all
gutted we missed Haim.
We all split up and go separate ways - some to catch music, some
to catch some sun and Hannah goes to the Slam Tent. Everyone bumps
into each other to see CHVRCHES play live. The tent was packed, the
synths sounded massive and Lauren's voice was note perfect. We were all
feeling good.
It was getting time for us to get ready for a sound check.
Hannah reappeared wearing a trilby hat that she did not have before.
"I made a friend. He's called George."
I
don't know whether she is talking about the man who gave her the hat or
she thinks the hat is called George. Either could be plausible.
Head backstage to do a quick interview with Tenement TV.
Realise the first time I came to T in The Park was with Debs. She would
have been 15 and I would have been 16. That was 13 years ago.
Tenement TV and the T Break crew wish us luck. We quickly form a
circle and ask Mama Cass to watch over us and then head on stage.
It's a big tent. We've got a fairly decent sized crowd. Start off with Honey and notice a few people singing along to every word. Finally start to relax.
It's over so quickly! Something that has been built up for a
few months that everyone tells you about and then BOOM! Done and
dusted. It's like when the TV cuts out and goes to a tiny white dot in
one deft pop.
POP.
Everyone sort of crashed after that - the anticipation of
playing, the sun, having friends and family there, and the more than one
drink before show rule being essentially abolished (quickly reminded
the girls that that rule will firmly be back in place for next gigs -
but no harm had been done, we all drink a lot of water.
SensibleCanteen).
And that was that!
Back on the bus. Amongst the Pieracinni's and Hannah and her new hat and back home to Edinburgh to feed the cat.
Pull up outside my flat. Sita's wee brother pops in and throws
up all over my bathroom. Amanda goes back on the Saturday to reappear
early on Sunday morning in Edinburgh.
"Can I crash?"
Later that day we go and meet up with the person who will be producing... A TeenCanteen album!
But that's another diary entry for later in the year.
Happy and proud of all of us. Next weekend we're off to play
Indietracks and Wickerman Festival back to back. Jenna is coming too.
We've named this weekend the 'Girls on Tour Tour', the only exception
being Kenny. Our Tour Manager.
Many thanks to those who came to watch us play and have supported us and listened to us over the last few months.
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.
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.
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.
If you are a lover of sweet female harmonies, sunshine coated pop, and sugar sweet melodies then TeenCanteen are right up your street. Joining me in the Pulse 98.4 studio just before Christmas, the band performed some wonderful session tracks and shared their love of all things pop.
Happy New Year to y'all. 2013 was another feather in the cap of fantastic music emanating from Scottish shores. The rise of CHVRCHES shows we do electro-pop with the best of them. The return of Boards of Canada demonstrates we've not lost that shoe-gazey EDM touch either. In between there's been hoards of fantastic folk, positive pop, humongous hip-hop and incredible indie to treat ears of all frequencies.
On Christmas day we aired a special episode of Scottish Fiction which was a look back on some of our favourite singles and EP's for 2013. You can listen to that in full here or via the embed at the bottom of the page. Here's the majority of those tracks, plus a few more, making this post my favourite 25 singles or EP's from 2013.
In no particular order, and with no other judging criteria than my own personal tastes here's Scottish Fiction's Top 25 Singles / EP's of 2013
Prides - Out Of The Blue
Name changes have never sounded so good. Previously Midnight Lion, now Prides, the Glasgow three piece re-invented themselves to fist pumping effect. Dancing like a maniac to this tune at Wickerman was a highlight of 2013.
Campfires In Winter - Picture of Health EP
Following single White Lights released early in 2013, September's release of Picture of Health EP cements Campfires In Winter's status as one of the finest emerging bands in Scotland. Album next surely?
Book Group - Victory Lap / A Lowdown of a LOUD Sound
Début single from Book Group released via the influential Gerry Loves Records. Insprining, uplifting and gloriously inflectious. Book Group, don't you ever change.
Young Fathers - I Heard
Edinburgh hip-hop trio Young Fathers hooked many people with this smooth, emotional and soulful cut from their second EP Tape Two. Released on the legendary Anticon label, lead single I Heard has the power to worm inside your brain for weeks.
Atom Tree - Tide of Thorns EP
There is a wave of artists who are continuing to push electronica music in new and exciting directions. Glasgow producer and musician Atom Tree is but one of them. Debut EP Tide of Thorns leads the pack and this track Die For Your Love evokes fluorescent memories of euphoria on a blissful come down.
Nevada Base - Foresight
Having never been a Nevada Base fan before this track I feel almost sheepish in the realisation that they are indeed Scotland's answer to LCD Soundsystem. Foresight is an accessible jump on point for those in search of jerky rhythms and groovy basslines.
Naked - Lie Follows Lie
Spooky, eerie and haunting. Check, check and check. Not the most googleable names in music, but once you've found Naked, and this July release from the Edinburgh based three piece, you won't want to let go.
Giant Fang - Aqualung
When I reviewed this track back upon it's 23rd June release I said it had a 'freedom-of-the-summer' vibe and flavoured by the influence of M83. In the midst of winter Giant Fang'sAqualung transports you back to the warmth of a carefree summer.
Lovers Turn To Monsters - Skeletor EP
Ok so I know I said this was in no particular order, but I'm putting it out there Lovers Turn To Monsters Skeletor EP is my favourite EP of 2013. Intelligent and brutally honest lyrics with simplistic and heart tugging guitar playing, it's on a comparable scale with the indie lo-fi artists that young Kyle Wood calls his heroes.
Fake Major - Have Plenty Of Fun
Four armed singer songwriters don't come much better than Richard and Jarv of Fake Major. Released on Comets & Cartwheels back in May of this year, Have Plenty of Fun proves that sometimes song writing partnerships are much more important than bells and whistles. This track Little Researcher is a gem.
Michael Cassidy - Everybody's Scared
Fans of Paisley musician Michael Cassidy will be familiar with this track. Everybody's Scared has been given the full band treatment ahead of the release of début album My Electric Heart, and re-released with a renewed sense of warmth and purpose.
DEATHCATS!!! - The Raddest EP
Bursting with scuzzy feel good vibes, channelling the blitzkreig ethos of The Ramones and the lo-fi touch of Fugazi, DEATHCATS might just change your life. Failing that The Raddest EP is awesome and deserves your attention.
Honeyblood - Bud
Scotland's answer to The Breeders and Throwing Muses, Honeyblood released Bud on continual Scottish music supporters FatCat Records. It's garage rock with a laid back veneer and one of 2013's finest singles.
Poor Things - Hurricane Poor Things
Poor Things are another band who mine '90's American alt-garage rock for influence. And to fantastic effect too. Hurricane Poor Things ambles with intent and purpose. Check it out.
Pinact / Min Diesel - Split 7"
Sneaking two bands in for the price of one here, this split 7" released in September by the Cool Your Jets label showcases Pinact and Min Diesel in all their DIY alt-rock glory.
Gone Wishing - The Gone Wishing Tape
The discovery of 2013 for me was the music of Owen McLaughlin. In it's solo guise Owen plays under the moniker of Gone Wishing and his debut EP is heartfelt, gutsy and tender in just the right amounts.
Lidh - Rockpool Hospital EP
This video harks back to the play cartoon imagery used by The B-52's, but Lidh's music draws from a much wider range of influences combining in a slightly rough around the edges folk pop. Single Rockpool Hospital is the pick of the bunch from her EP of the same name.
Mast - Romance
Former The Darien Adventure man Liam Rutherford struck out on his own in 2013 as Mast. He struck gold with this shimmering delightful track Romance
John Knox Sex Club / Over The Wall - Split 7"
With both bands hiding in the shadows for most of 2013, a combined return via a Gerry Loves Records split 7" was a stroke of genius on everyone's part. Animals packs the usual John Knox Sex Club punch, and Tell Her I Love Her bursts with inventive fun pop.
Garden Of Elks - Extended Play
Shouty fun pop at it's best, Garden of Elks seal the deal with a pinky promise (so they say) and rock raucously with a Pixies induced stupor.
Mad Nurse - The Rip
Not a lot is known about Mad Nurse expect they are a four piece from Edinburgh who specialise in epic, layered post rock tinged creations. The Rip EP is one of 2013's most unrecognised releases.
Shambles Miller - Deadpool
Shambles Miller Does It Again. Is what the headlines would say in a world where the Glaswegian singer-songwriter replaced Beyonce as the world's biggest pop star. Whilst we wait for that, latest single Deadpool cheekily muses on the big questions.
TeenCanteen - Honey
All girl sunshine pop never sounded so good. Taking their lead from the girl bands of the 60's and 70's, Glasgow's TeenCanteen shone brighter than most with this début release Honey.
It was the last live show on 2013, a year that has been synonymous with live music on Scottish Fiction, and what a way to end the year. My guests for this week's show were Carla, Amanda and Debbie of sunshine pop girl band TeenCanteen. Fresh of the back of debut single 'Honey', released via Neu Reekie earlier this year, the band chatted about influences ranging from girl bands of the '60's to certain 2000's boybands (!), and their plans for next year. And speaking of those plans, there's a sneak peak of what may be the girls next single, as they kindly played three live songs for us in the studio. As usual you can also expect the best new Scottish music releases, a festival Cover Lover track, and your choice of music with #tweetatrack.
