Scottish Fiction Podcast - 8th September 2014

It may be into September, but the Indian summer sunshine and great music continues.  Our latest episode contains the first EVER plays of two tracks from our Cassette Store Day releases giving you a chance to hear Boygirlanimalcolour's new single and a track from Behold, The Old Bear.  There's also music from Skinny Dipper, Stanley Odd, and AmatrArt, to sate your musical appetites.

Algernon Doll - Candy Striped
Lenin Death Mask - Drowned
Sink Alaska - The Path of Least Resistance
Boygirlanimalcolour - JUPITER FIST
Behold, The Old Bear - Restless Day
The Deadline Shakes - Slipping From Your Heart
Prehistoric Friends - Bermuda Triangle
AmatrArt - Delirium Tremens
Skinny Dipper - Landing
Chrissy Barnacle - Hazelnuts
Stanley Odd - Son I Voted Yes
Fatherson - James

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Scottish Fiction - 8th September 2014 by Scottish Fiction on Mixcloud

Single Review - The Deadline Shakes - Bright Spot In A Bad Year

The ‘Bad Year’ mentioned in the song title doesn’t seem to have got too much of a hold on this lot, to be honest. This is one of the most relentlessly optimistic songs I’ve heard in a long time. Check this chorus:

"I wake up mornings with my limbs intact/I don’t have money so I don’t get taxed/you are my little bright spot, bright spot, woo!"

I’ve got my own legs, and no money means no tax!  How lucky is THAT?  These guys really have taken the message about being thankful for small mercies to heart.   I guess it might ring a bit hollow if they weren’t putting absolutely everything they had into it.  Put it this way, they sound a whole lot more convincing than The Killers claim to be 'Mr Brightside' in that song about your partner can shacking with someone else.

The optimism is genuine and the joy in the song contagious.  You get the impression that if you nicked this band’s car a hundred miles from home, in half an hour they’d be saying, ‘this walk back to our home town is going to get us really in shape!’  Now, I’m not saying that’s going to happen if you play Edinburgh, Deadline Shakes.  For one thing I can’t drive so the theft would be pointless.  All I’m saying is, it’s ok to get the train.

I don’t want to be curmudgeonly- the whole thing is undeniably a charming, summery acoustic pop song.  Violins, accomplished backing harmonies and piano looping around in the background like swallows in the sky, and for three and a half minutes they do their best to make all right with the world.  Personally I like a bit more light and shade in my music, and I would actually have preferred a bit more about this bad year for contrast’s sake, but it’d be churlish not to admit that this song makes me smile.

- Tom Everett

The Deadline Shakes - Bright Spot In A Bad Year is out on Flowers In The Dustbin Records on 9th December.  You can pre-order the single now here.

Scottish Fiction Podcast - 29th August 2012

On the last Scottish Fiction radio show we welcomed Graeme and Gill from The State Broadcasters into the studio for a live session.  And what a delight that was!  The duo were happy to chat about the band and their music, choose some tracks to play and also played some live songs.  As well as this I also looked back at Doune The Rabbit Hole, and played some new music from Kill The Waves, The Pictish Trail and The Deadline Shakes.  Enjoy!

Human Don't Be Angry - Monologue: River
Aidan John Moffat - Wall Song
The Deadline Shakes - Sweeten The Deal
The Pictish Trail - Not To Be
The Machine Room - Dreaming Of Mario

Clem Snide - African Friend - As chosen by The State Broadcasters

The State Broadcasters - Trespassers (Live in Pulse 98.4 studio)

Rachel Unthank & The Winterset - Sea Song - As chosen by The State Broadcasters

The State Broadcasters - Takeshi (Live in Pulse 98.4 studio)

Vic Chesnutt - When I Ran Off And Left Her - As chosen by The State Broadcasters

The State Broadcasters - Where I Belong (Live in Pulse 98.4 studio)

Django Django - Hail Bop
PAWS - Clementine
Homeward James - Seedy Circus
Louie - Stoichkov
Sacred Paws - Just Kids
The Phantom Band - Mr. Natural

Scottish Fiction - 29th August 2012 by Scottish Fiction on Mixcloud