Lick Online - Demo Reviews

No Kilter

2007-10-16T16:15:00.001+01:00

Galore Nation (Lockjaw Records)

Glasgow’s No Kilter stride out with a debut ep ‘Galore Nation’, a disc so much smarter than the average that it’d probably steal you pic-a-nic basket if you’re not paying attention.

Combining catchy punk-riff rhythms with deeply complex geek-rock time signatures and harmonies sounds like a pretty horrific idea, but it comes off pretty damn well here. The enthusiasm brings to mind At the Drive-In and Hundred Reasons, coupled with the mathematical styling of Sikth, Cave In and 311. But don’t get bogged down with comparisons… No Kilter have a signature sound going on that is almost totally unique in today’s NME-a-like musical climate.

‘Congratulations On Your Decision To Become A Criminal’ is an epic opening track with a breakdown section and riff change that is up there with the best. In fact, on first listen, I thought we were into track two! The ep rolls on in a similarly horizon smashing style, with ‘Rec-Error’ bringing to mind aspects of Oceansize (a band I consider genius).

A new band willing to so confidently showcase ideas on this scale deserves respect… not to mention repeat listens.

Tour details to be confirmed.

www.nokilter.tk
www.myspace.com/nokiltermusic

Russell Moore

Silversun Pickups

2007-10-16T16:14:00.003+01:00

Lazy Eye

Silversun Pickups is a terrible name for a band. It really is. Just think about it.

Bad.

But let’s not judge the content by the stuff in which it is wrapped – unless it’s Silversun Pickups.

With a polished ‘edgy’ guitar sound and slightly warped vocal treatment, Silversun Pickups’ Lazy Eye is probably the most cynical thing I’ve listened to in quite a while. Fundamentally there is nothing going on in this song – the riff is a plodding bore, the lyrics mean nothing, the quiet/loud dynamic is executed in the most pedestrian way possible and it finishes as if it was embarrassed to be there to begin with.

Quite where this band has come from is a mystery to me. Why they would choose to release music of such crushingly bad quality is a quandary in which to wrap that mystery. And why they would release a ‘Radio Edit’ makes me wonder what horrors await us on the album.

If I never hear this again it will be far, far too soon. Lazy? Aye.

www.silversunpickups.com
www.myspace.com/silversunpickups

Russell Moore

Milburn

2007-10-16T16:14:00.001+01:00

These Are the Facts (Mercury Records)

Sheffield bandits Milburn are the Arctic Monkeys it’s still ok to like. Why is that? Well, it’s because they’ve not sold as many records or gone ‘dark’. It’s that easy Monkeys!

Combining the charm of The Coral with the colloquial shenanigans of those Arctic boys allows Milburn to sound both immediately recognisable yet suitably different enough to warrant your attention. ‘What Will You Do (When the Money Goes)’ is probably the biggest rip off track on the album but it stills has enough going on to keep you listening. ‘Summertime’ is a brilliantly broody, anti-summer irony anthem dressed up in loose guitars with thrumming bass and drums. And any band with the sense of humour required for ‘Cowboys and Indians’ is fine by me.

To be honest, I like Milburn much more than I should. That’s because there’s plenty of invention, a healthy dose of humour, enough experimentation to keep even the Flaming Lips happy and a distinct lack of ego saturating the whole record.

Anyone looking to overcome feelings of 2007’s missing summer should give Milburn a spin. It’ll put a smile on yer face.

www.milburnmusic.com
www.myspace.com/milburnmusic

Russell Moore

The Holloways

2007-10-16T16:13:00.003+01:00

Two Left Feet ‘07

This is a remix (and according to the press release a ‘re-working’) of Two Left Feet “for 2007”. Frankly whatever has changed in 2007 to warrant a remix release from The Holloways is beyond me.

Sounding like a mix between Dodgy and The Levellers, but without the discernable ‘talents’ of either of these bands, is about as close as I can get to describing this song. It has a summery feel, albeit several weeks too late, but that’s about it. It leaves you with something of a pop music hangover; you’re not too sure if you had a good time or not but you regret it now anyway. I’d imagine that’s how people feel when they spend money on Spice Girls tickets: you’ll certainly think your having a good time but be damned if you ever wear that tour t-shirt in public afterwards.

So there we have it, The Holloways. A bit like a Spice Girls reunion tour t-shirt. Quids in.

www.the-holloways.com
www.myspace.com/theholloways

Russell Moore

Athlete

2007-10-16T16:13:00.001+01:00

Beyond the Neighbourhood

Disliking Athlete is like punching a kitten in the kidneys. Man, it feels good at the time but you harbour nothing but remorse and guilt for the rest of the day.

Beyond the Neighbourhood sounds like Athlete’s version of the latter part of Stereophonic’s dismal career – all those terrible songs about being knackered on the road, bored by hotels, exhausted with fame, blah, blah and blah. But what Athlete has done seems to be more interesting and unique.

Taking something of a cue from stalwart minimalist genius Brian Eno’s ‘Music for Airports’, Athlete has concentrated more on the mood and atmosphere of travel than the mundane details of their tour diary (Kelly, take note). The trademark electronic sounds have a slick pop production but remain steeped in a more experimental origin. The song titles lack this subtlety; I mean how much more obvious can ‘In Between 2 States’, ‘Airport Disco’, ‘The Outsiders’ and ‘Flying Over Bus Stops’ be? All this is rescued and forgiven by the lack of pretension in the tunes. Indeed, Airport Disco is a haunting and quite epic sounding track with several, heavily reverberating layers that will transcend the drab surroundings you’ll probably listen to it in. Not only that, on closer inspection the lyrics themselves are more than the sum of their parts – commenting on topics as wide-ranging as 9/11 tragedies and the biting hypocrisy of stereotypical English tourists.

To be honest there is no ‘Wires’ or ‘Half Light’ on this album but there’s sure to be a sleeper in there that will emerge in time. First single ‘Hurricane’ stomps along but I reckon this is a release where the album tracks will be appreciated much more than previous Athlete efforts.

Beyond the Neighbourhood occasionally reminded me of my days travelling by train while listening to Kid A; and what better way to describe an album clearly focused on those fidgety feelings of being in-between the two places you’d rather be? Buy this for someone who has to commute from work when the nights draw in – they’ll appreciate the gesture.

Tour under way.

www.athlete.mu

Russell Moore

Babyshambles

2007-10-16T16:11:00.000+01:00

Delivery

Hello everyone! I hate the Libertines, Pete Doherty, every band that’s ever been inspired by either of the afore-mentioned and, not forgetting, I hate Babyshambles! Great start; let’s see where it goes…

Well my o’ my! Apparently capable of not popping sacks full of scag directly into his eye sockets for the duration of recording a single, Pete Doherty and his Babyshambles have actually crafted something that can be listened to and (gulp) enjoyed… I’m going to pay for this (not in cash mind you – karma!)

I should take back my comment about the scag too – there’s every chance that Pete did manage his daily dose of the stuff while recording this single and I wouldn’t want to de-mystify the main reason why so many of his fans seem to find him enthralling.

‘Delivery’ has a concise, direct sound that makes for an ideal single. Jangling guitar peaks with a hop-along riff and some clearly audible pop melodies. And to top it off there’s a fairly inventive solo and some bonus melodic guitar to boot. The band as a whole seems to be invigorated by something; a distinct air of showing what it could well be made of.

Who knows, after years of sub-par guff and ripping the piss out of fans who seem to remain more than happy to pay money to see the band, Babyshambles might have pulled up its socks and started to care. I honestly thought I’d never see the day.

This is definitely not going to change my mind about Pete and his merry band of cohorts, but at least it’ll make hating him easier on the old ears.

Babyshambles might appear at Glasgow SECC on 1st December. Supported by The View (Christ…)

www.babyshambles.net
www.myspace.com/babyshamblesofficial

Russell Moore

Crowded House

2007-10-08T15:59:00.000+01:00

She Called Up (Parlophone)

As a Fan, it’s a thrill to see Crowded house back together again. And they've brought with them a super comeback album and a world tour that includes a brief stint at Glasgow’s SECC in November . There are many songs on the album which make
it a true gem, but the one that stands out the most is “She Called Up,” a song which amalgamates the incredible genius of Neil Finn’s songwrting with the instantly recognisable guitar sound of the band as a whole. The influence of Paul McCartney creeps in here and there, but "She Called Up" nevertheless remains a quintessential testament to Finn's skill with a hit. It has a discernible likeness to many of the other songs that the band have
produced over the years, and there's definite echo “Something So Strong” in
there. To me it sounds like it was written about the tragic death of the drummer Paul Hester a few years ago. In terms of narrative, the song adopts themes of loss and helplessness, coupled with an almost tangible pain in the vocal. Well worth a listen, and definitely my favourite album of the year.

David Mathers

Crowded house play the SECC on Friday 30th November 2007

Right Hand Left – Johnny Ray

2007-09-02T17:20:00.000+01:00

Right Hand Left play that kind of vaguely alternative, indie rock that’s filling hundreds of festival line-ups at the moment. Johnny Ray’s melodic guitar rock and isn’t a bad single, it’s just not unique in any way. It’s not surprising to learn that Right Hand Left have supported the Automatic, The Young Knives, The Mystery Jets and so on; they’re the kind of band who would provide a decent enough support but they have yet to shape their sound into something individual. Still, as I say, these bands are filling festivals and charts alike. Recommended if you like that current trend for one vocalist singing and another one shouting in the background.

Lorraine Douglas

Foals – Mathletics

2007-09-02T17:18:00.001+01:00

When a band’s press release claims that they “don’t sound like anyone else”, it’s impossible to resist trying to disprove that. On first listen to this single from Foals, they sound very much like Bloc Party, and singer Yannis Philippakis’ vocal style is virtually indistinguishable to these ears from Bloc Party’s Kele. Foals are even due to support Bloc Party in December, so it hasn’t gone unnoticed that the bands are kindred spirits. In saying that, it’s impossible not to like Foals’ infectious, energetic sound, and their debut album should be well worth a listen as it is being recorded with David Sitek of TV on the Radio.

Lorraine Douglas

Crowded House – Don’t Stop Now (Parlophone), The Electric Soft Parade – Misunderstanding (Truck Records)

2007-08-08T15:22:00.000+01:00

I’m reviewing these two together, not only because that’s how they were sent out to me by The Lick, but because I couldn’t help noticing how surprisingly similar they are. Crowded House’s “Don’t Stop Now” is exactly the kind of quality, breezy pop you know you’re going to get. It’s never going to set my musical world alight, but there’s nothing I can dislike about it either; it’s the kind of well-crafted stuff you wouldn’t mind hearing on the car radio on a sunny day. Maybe it’s my age.

More surprising is the fact that The Electric Soft Parade’s “Misunderstanding” could almost be another Crowded House song, only the slightly harder guitars separating the two. Much more impressive is the second song here, “Blue It Is”. On first listen to this haunting song, I wasn’t paying attention and found myself thinking, “Now why would a band who can write such stylish melancholy as this hide it away as track 2? It’s almost as good as “Breakfast” by The Associates.” Then I bothered to look at the sleeve and, of course, it is indeed a cover of a Billy MacKenzie song. Now that’s the sort of music that is going to set my musical world alight.

Lorraine Douglas

PAUL WELLER AND GRAHAM COXON - "This Old Town/Each New Morning/Black River".

2007-07-29T12:03:00.001+01:00

How to approach a release from such luminaries; after all, it's illegal to criticise the Modfather? I shouldn't have worried. Given that Paul Weller has been in the business since the heady agit punk days of The Jam in the Seventies, through the Style Council and never ending success story of his solo career it was hardly likely he would participate in the release of a turkey. Graham Coxon may not be as high profile as he was in the heady days of Blur but his driving riffs propel this moody joint collaboration, "This Old Town", ably aided and abetted by some fine drumming from Zak Starkey. Coxon claimed, "As a long time admirer of Paul I never dared imagine getting a chance to work with him so I was bricking it when we first met but he is an absolute gent and a shockingly great musician and singer". Embarrassing gushing over, Weller returned the compliment when he said, "I've always been a big fan of Grahams and love his work so it was exciting for me to work on something new with him". Weller mightn't be the angry young man he was back then but this song crashes and rampages the way The Jam once did, albeit with a modern bent, and, just as, "This old town won't let you go", neither will the insistent nature of this song, remaining burnt into your mind for some considerable time afterwards. Unfortunately only the title track was available for review; "Each New Morning" is a Graham Coxon composition and "Black River" was written by Paul Weller. If they are as good as the title track then I want more.

Available as a download on July 2nd and as an AA sided limited edition, (5, 000copies) single on July 30th.
Colin Dunn.

MR HUDSON AND THE LIBRARY - ""Picture Of You"

2007-07-27T14:47:00.000+01:00

On first listen I found this a bit twee, but patience brought it's own reward as this is a definite, "grower". Birmingham born but London based Ben Hudson is in the classic songwriter view, mixing literate lyrics with reggae and a touch of hip-hop.

"Picture of You" is a bitter sweet juxtaposition of the vagaries of fame and the harshness of separation. The rueful lyrics, offset with a ska beat and some majestic tinkling on the piano deal with the problem of how to strike a balance, with the album version being the standout on this August 27th release. "It's always the sunny days that bring me down, when I'm reminded that you're not around. Friends try and fail to make me smile, but I had the answer with me all the while. I've got a picture of you wherever I go, a sweet reminder from you to me that I'm never alone. If time should bring me fame or a touch of bling, (Imagine that, getting paid to sing). You can keep your cars, cigars and frosted rings, without you here they just won't mean a thing", sings Ben as he laments the time spent apart.

Is it good enough to bring him chart success? Probably, but that depends on all important airplay, but in a time when so many lyrics are saccharin coated doggerel he at least writes fluently and deserves to be heard. The instrumental was somewhat extraneous but that is to be overly harsh; there is a lot to commend this.

Colin Dunn

ASSEMBLY NOW - Graphs, Maps & Trees/Calculate"

2007-07-23T16:09:00.001+01:00

This two track CD from unsigned London based four piece, Assembly Now, will be released on 6th August and they describe themselves as, the sound of "Roy Orbison, Brian Wilson and Girls Aloud, while David Bowie has a nonchalant cigarette in the corner". Mmmmm, not quite, but I see where they're coming from. They have been in existence for eighteen months and opening song, "Graphs, Maps & Trees", is a jaunty Mockney voiced social pastiche reminiscent of early Blur as they tell how, "Down at the zoo the animals are getting restless" in finest Damon Albarn style. Clocking in at 3 minutes and 21 seconds this is a delicious slice of hook laden indie pop while second track, "Calculate" is an absorbing mesh of guitars and moodiness; much less a pop song and more a dense brooding piece of miserablism, but deliciously enjoyable nonetheless. The two songs are vastly different and, being the perverse sod that I am, I much prefer the darkness of, "Calculate", although the title track is much more commercially viable.

Colin Dunn

Blind Pew - Hungry Young Fighter (single)

2007-07-21T14:23:00.000+01:00

There’s no denying that we all feel a bit cheated by those cheeky meteorologists. You know, those ones who promised us another scorcher of a summer? I myself have been wholly disappointed with the murky grey presence that’s recently been hanging about in Glasgow’s midsummer skies like a wayward teenager. I turn instead to my trusty old computer, in the hope that a good dose of new music will suffice as a metaphorical heat wave. As ever, MySpace doesn’t let me down, and I come across a band whose songs call to mind the smell of melting tarmac on a sizzling July day.

Blind Pew’s new single, “Hungry Young Fighter” (released on 16th July) stands out as a bona fide reggae-funk-pop masterpiece that makes no hard job of banishing my weather related blues. Positively bursting with a groovy and infectious brand of energy that only Scotland seems worthy of producing lately, I find the constant Razorlight comparisons rather insulting. Combining bass lines that wander more readily than a Big Issue seller, and glorious call and response vocals that nearly peep out of David Byrne’s monolithic shadow, it appears as if Largs may have just produced its first super group.

www.blindpew.com

www.myspace.com/blindpew

> Vicki Cole

Shoot to Kill - The Front

2007-07-04T15:10:00.000+01:00

Ayrshire four-piece The Front released their EP back in May,after spending time recording it with Thomas McNeice from the band El President. After being compared to such acts as Franz Ferdinand, Kings of Leon and Primal Scream, these guys have quite a reputation to live up to.
The EP begins with a mildly memorable bass riff and a Jet style 'Woah!' before announcing itself as the title track 'Shoot to Kill'. After a few verses of pill-popping and beer-drinking, a very nice guitar solo makes its way to the forefront of the song. Just as I reach for the skip button a fast-paced refrain kicks in and wakes me up to the point where I almost want to listen to the song from the start again, just to hear this glorious little happy ending.
The second track 'Turn Me Off' didn't do much to keep me entertained however, and a second attempt to reach for the skip button led me to 'Time Goes By'. This jumpy little Libertines sounding number uses twanging guitars, distorted vocals and sing-a-long choruses with encouraging results.
The final track 'Me and My God' goes along the same lines with little to find fault with, but little to praise either. With a little more excitment and some originality, in time The Front could have something good on their hands.

Captain Face - Small Joy

2007-06-27T15:16:00.001+01:00

With a sackful of hot reviews for previous single 'Awesome! No Way!' under their belts, Captain Face are all fired up and ready to go with their new single 'Small Joy'.
Set for release on July 2nd via Fat Hippy Records, the song demonstrates Captain Face's ability to pull off a really original sound whilst retaining that much needed sell ability.
'Small Joy' boasts the quirkiness of Hot Hot Heat and the catchy choruses any boyband would kill for, whilst retaining that authentic indie sound through roaring vocals and hard-hitting drums.
Definitely one for the summer.

Against Me! - White People For Peace

2007-06-26T11:14:00.000+01:00

Florida based punk outfit Against Me! have been on the scene for some time now, having already released three successful albums on indie labels and touring worldwide following their release.
This year the band face their biggest achievement yet, the release of their fourth album on major label Sire Records.
'New Wave' is set for release this summer, and judging by this snippet of rage-ridden punk, it is set to be equally as intense.
'White People For Peace' is an instantly catchy grunge tinged punk tune, displaying the dark vocals of Tom Gabel which are reminiscent of a young Alkaline Trio.
The band's political tendancies are unavoidable, and one must wonder of the music world needs another band singing in protest to the war on terror.
If Against Me! can demonstrate their intelligence amongst the good melodies and thrashing guitars, 'New Wave' is set to be a pretty awesome album.

Fiona Reid

Drive By Argument – Sex Lines Are Expensive Comedy

2007-06-19T11:19:00.000+01:00

A saucy song title will always garner a certain amount of interest, as well as providing an excuse to slap a picture of someone’s crotch on your CD cover. However, novelty rock fans seduced by Drive By Argument’s shameless use of such underhand tactics will be sorely disappointed.

Dispensing with the cheeky charade, the second single from the electronic influenced rockers showcases a darker side to indie disco, with angst ridden vocals hurtling along on the back of pounding drums, driving bass and sweeping synth riffs. All without a single reference to the adult oriented telecommunications industry.

B-side ‘Dennistoun’s That Way’ switches tempo, its plaintive lyrics, electronic beats and synth recalling the 80s ballads of Ultravox and the like. Once again ignoring the hopes and expectations raised by its name, the track provides no real clue as to the geographical location of the great Glasgow borough of Dennistoun. Not one. What happened to the days when song titles used to mean something? Eh?

‘Sex Lines Are Expensive Comedy’ is released on June 25th via Lizard King Records.

Annie McLaughlin

Strike the Colours – The Face That Sunk a Thousand Ships

2007-06-19T00:46:00.000+01:00

Strike the Colours consists of Jenny Reeve (collaborator with Malcolm Middleton, Idlewild and Arab Strap, to name but a few) and a fairly fluid line-up of Scottish musicians. Reeve’s hushed, honeyed vocals are reminiscent of a more reflective Tanya Donelly, whilst the subtly understated sound initially gives the impression of a gentle, delicately folky collection of songs. However, with a few listens the quality of the songs really emerges and the deceptive hooks do their work. At times it’s like listening to a more subtle, dreamy Sons and Daughters or hearing Throwing Muses play gentle folk-country.
There’s a feeling that these six songs have been gradually etched out over time and allowed to breathe. A quiet talent more often seen working away in support of other bands, Jenny Reeve clearly has the ability to craft beguiling music deserving of its own space on the Scottish music scene.

www.strikethecolours.com

Lorraine Douglas

This Familiar Smile - What Kind Of Monster Am I?’

2007-05-24T23:45:00.001+01:00

The Scottish Alternative rock scene is most definitely on the rise, but dont just take my word for it, This Familiar Smile’s 2nd EP really does back up that fact! With their debut release for Lockjaw, the Glasgow based quartet give enough reasons for us all to stop looking across the pond for the next band to cherish as we have one right under our noses, and I can safely say that the Carling Academy is sold out in advance with lesser acts.
Opening up with the stunning ‘An Ode To The Bomb’ which twists and turns and until a softer side is shown in the closing moments, the band do really give a statement of intent and this is continued throughout all four remaining tracks. ‘Love Is An Anchor That Drowns a Man’ and ‘For Me Paris Was Always A Spectator Sport’ show technical brilliance that will hopefully go on to influence many others to do the same. This Familiar Smile will obviously draw comparisons from such acts as At The Drive In and a more accessible Glassjaw, but a carbon copy they are not, adding their own unique blend of complex but melodic musicianship.
There is also no dead weight amongst the ranks with all four members combining equally to make a beautiful noise. With last years EP ‘The Days We Turn On Ourselves’ This Familiar Smile showed real promise of becoming a great band, and this time around they have well and truly kept that promise.

Andrew Mitchell

Captain Face – ‘Awesome! No Way!’

2007-05-02T18:33:00.001+01:00

Sprouting forth from the wilds of Kinmundy, Aberdeenshire, jocular five piece Captain Face unleash their assault on an unsuspecting world with debut single ‘Awesome! No Way!’

The high octane, high pitched A side, borrowing though it does from everyone from Queens of the Stone Age to the B52’s, via The Darkness, certainly makes an impression, a particularly catchy bass hook and shout-a-long vocals wedging their way into the subconscious after the first listen.

Unfortunately, the supporting songs don’t quite match up. Jazz/rock crossover ‘Big Hands, Small Pocket’ doesn’t quite get its conflicting musical and vocal styles to either blend or create a satisfying clash.

Acoustic number ‘Horace’s Tea Party’, a lament about an irritating girlfriend, also fails to convince. Lines such as “lose that woman – strap on a pair” smack of mildly disgruntled teenage boys sitting in their bedroom trying to jam the blues.

Nonetheless, if your music collection is crying out for some Kinmundy based artistry (and whose isn’t?) ‘Awesome! No Way’ is out now from Fat Hippy records, with a mini album due for release in the summer.

Annie McLaughlin

Dumb Instrument - Songs Ya Bass Vol. 1

2007-04-29T14:26:00.001+01:00

With the release of debut EP Songs Ya Bass Vol. 1, Dumb Instrument are being touted as champion surfers on a ‘new, and welcome, wave of Scottish music’.

As the CD title suggests, the band are certainly identifiably, idiosyncratically Scottish, right down to the heavily accented vocals and self deprecating, gallows humour inspired lyrics.

Piano sounds, bass and horn combine nicely to create a jaunty, music hall themed melody on ‘Oor Wullie’s Baldy’, juxtaposed with a nightmare vision of our nation’s favourite scamp all grown up into a drunken, suicidal old bore.

‘What if Cliff?’ and ‘Reverse the Hearse’ stick with the tactic of mixing morose musings with a wry, tongue in cheek delivery, respectively questioning Cliff Richard’s fervent Christianity and raging against death and a life not lived to the full.

The lyrics might be transparent, there’s no obscure existential ramblings here, but band founder Tom Murray and co are much more on the ball than their name suggests, offering a new twist on life’s small tragedies by combining caustic lyrics with genteel arrangements and fragile vocals.

They might not bludgeon us over the head with it, but this lot certainly know how to wield their instrument.

(Songs Ya Bass is out now, album due for release summer 2007)

Annie McLaughlin

Emma Pollock

2007-04-28T20:04:00.000+01:00

Single: Adrenaline (4AD)

The idea of the often notorious 'solo project' was forced upon Emma Pollock in 2005 following the end of her critically acclaimed and much-loved band, The Delgados. After much deliberation Emma realised she couldn't simply"bugger off out of the music industry altogether". With that decision swiftly made, she signed to 4AD with the aim to take her well-known songwriting talents to a more personal level. Whilst recording her forthcoming album Emma said she had "some of the most fun and stressful I've every known".
The first single from the album, Adrenaline, kicks off with a quirky piano hook which twists and turns between major and minor, whilst Emma sings with the spirit one might expect from an artist's first bash at the industry.
More than a step beyond your average singer-songwriter, this girl leaps from Coldplay-esque choruses to kooky melodies similar to that of Belle and Sebastian. For want of a better example, Emma also displays the genuine passion of fellow Scot KT Tunstall.
Thanks to years of experience and an untainted love for music, Emma Pollock looks set to offer us a well rounded solo album due out later this year...........not so notorious after all.

Fiona Reid

Adrenaline is released on May 21

Also, see Emma Pollock play Barfly in Glasgow on May 15th

Explosions in the Sky

2007-04-11T20:52:00.000+01:00

All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone (Album, Bella Union)

The key to any good album is starting strong…and that’s exactly what 'All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone' does.

The drums arrive like Tchaikovsky’s canons 30 seconds into opening track 'The Birth and Death of the Day'. It instantly blows the guitars skywards in a million tiny little shards that twinkle their way back to the earth for the next 43 minutes.

This is an intricate and tender record. The euphoric thrust of the aforementioned opening number is counterbalanced by long passages of elegiac melancholy. Though the album does meander in places, it generally recovers in majestic fashion.

Just as on their previous opus, 'The Earth is not a Cold Dead Place', the crescendos are rousing and the lulls are as equally seductive.

Indeed there is a more than a passing similarity to such previous works. Whereas the likes of Mogwai seek to constantly evolve their take on a genre cryptically referred to as “Post-Rock” - to varying degrees of success - Explosions… appear to have settled on one easily identifiable sound. As with Japanese contemporaries Mono, they perhaps play things a little too safe and hence ultimately fail to reach the ethereal heights previously scaled by the likes of Canada’s Godspeed You Black Emperor!

All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone is an accomplished record and what Explosions in the Sky seems to have found is a niche. Certainly it’s currently far too artistically rewarding to be referred to as a rut, but if they keep pacing back and forth it will get gradually deeper.

Explosions in the Sky play Glasgow ABC on Tuesday 17th April

www.bellaunion.com

www.explosionsinthesky.com

> Chris Cusack

Filtro

2007-04-11T14:10:00.000+01:00

Songs To Set Your Helmet On Fire EP

Four songs of inoffensive pop competence from indie emigrant Philip MacConnell.
Obvious mod influences abound, such as Paul Weller and the Small Faces, but more recently Filtro has clearly absorbed some of what Cast and Teenage Fanclub had to offer.

The song structures are simple and the lyrics gently quirky. They get the job done. Most of the bass-lines betray an appreciation of the Cure and 90s New Order and help the tracks stay afloat.

Nothing is particularly risky here, but to be fair, that’s really not the point of such jangling. A lengthy guitar-led ending to Good Conversation is one of the few moments that might provoke the listener to pick up the sleeve and investigate further.

The lack of other input in such solo enterprises can be a mixed blessing. In this case, whilst I’m sure Filtro has avoided the need to compromise his own musical vision, the colour added by other musicians with different tastes might have helped these songs attain some identity of their own.

As it stands, they happen without much cause for alarm.

> Chris Cusack

www.myspace.com/filtrosound

Adriana

2007-02-21T15:17:00.000Z

Nowadays the term ‘singer-songwriter’ can roll off the music journalist’s tongue a tad too easily, a fate which I’m trying desperately not to meet when describing this acoustic-tinged single released by Adriana last year. The dark and poignant ‘Fire in Me’ deserves nothing less than a respectful round of applause and certainly not the connotations surrounded by the easy-listening genre previously mentioned.
Although this single was released in 2006, the Glasgow artist has earned herself an unsolicited plug thanks to a mere 30-minute set which she played in the Ayr branch of popular coffee and music house Beanscene. Adriana easily held the attention of the caffeine injected mob by kindly introducing each thoughtfully written song with a genuine charm often uncommon for someone so experienced in the industry.
The classically trained vocalist claims influence from Ani DiFranco to Joni Mitchell to Tori Amos…. all of whom seemed to taught her the importance of beautifully structured melodies along with pure honesty within her lyrics.

Fire In Me is available for download at iTunes and other download sites.

The Grim Northern Social

2007-02-19T14:28:00.000Z

Connected [single]

The Grim Northern Social have an impressive live reputation, including T in the Park slots and gigs with big names such as Elvis Costello and Simple Minds. They now return with the follow up to their 2003 self- titled album, the brand new single ‘Connected.’

Their brand of catchy, punchy pop is inoffensive and fun. Undoubtedly, this is an entertaining song, and perhaps an exciting live show, with a great deal of swagger and stomp. However, does this result in substance being put on the back burner? Dubbed as Glasgow’s ‘next big thing’ they are yet to make this desired impact. The first album bodes well for the band, but they have not quite realised their potential with the new single.

‘Connected’ begins with some feedback, and a few power chords to get you in the mood. Full to the brim with power, the song, however, lacks meaning. In the current Indie scene, the need for bands to do something different is ever increasing. This is where the Grim Northern Social fall down.

The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the B- Side ‘Strange Advice For Babies’ is, unfortunately, The Fratellis. Or perhaps the Stereophonics. Or maybe more recent Primal Scream efforts. Basically, this seems to be a case of a great deal of bluster and fun, but little else.

The Grim Northern Social present a fun and catchy new single, but it is ultimately forgettable. Perhaps the best way to approach it is to take it at face value; this is not a song that will change your life, but you may enjoy dancing to it one night.

> Karen Schlegel

Switches

2007-02-04T13:38:00.000Z

Drama Queen [single]

Okay, the obvious immediate reference point here is The Vines. The music is shameless pop, but with a slightly grittier texture previously best represented by the aforementioned Australian power-trio. The fact that “Drama Queen” revels in the same kind of posturing simplicity initially attributed to T-Rex and later adopted by The Dandy Warhols means it’s a definite “feel-good” number for those looking for angst-free, radio-friendly soundbites.

The vocals carry sniffs of Queen in their multi-layering. The relatively simple drums competently stomp their way through 3 minutes, making the tune a likely candidate for Student Union dance-floors across the UK.

Mind you, despite its favourable comparisons, “Drama Queen” lacks both the hum-able longevity of The Dandy Warhols’ and the vague sense of recklessness that surrounded The Vines. Equally, Switches fall well short of the brilliantly crafted, intelligent catchiness of The Strokes, opting for a more ham-fisted, power-chord approach.

Being frank, it’s nothing new. The melodies are predictable, the harmonies textbook and the backing vocals functionally inane. Yet it seems that is what it often takes to write potentially successful pop music these days so - assuming this was their intention - well done.

Mission accomplished

> Chris Cusack

Fall Out Boy

2007-02-04T13:04:00.000Z

This Ain't A Scene It's An Arms Race [Single]

Nutritionally speaking, this is junk food. It’s a luke-warm, processed Macdonalds’ burger designed to immediately disintegrate after swallowing, leaving you feeling unfulfilled and craving more. Coincidentally it also contains more than its fair share of ground up faecal matter.

“This Ain’t a Scene…” is 3:32 your life will never forgive you for wasting. It’s the illusion of music. A cut-n-shut of composite parts, cynically slung together in the wallets of a hundred Mercury Records mortgage-paying executives.

Is the title vaguely political? Who cares!? Relying on Fall Out Boy for your political subversion is like relying on the Daily Sport for your current affairs. It’s the sanitised tip of a childish, sloganeering, rebellion-lite, protruding above the horrendous vending-machine-fresh backing track of the music.

“This Aint a Scene…” sounds like The Backstreet Boys in places. It sounds like Britney Spears in places. The vocals are so heavily auto-tuned you wonder if he’d even heard the song when he sang it. The guitars are so tokenistic as to force Les Paul himself to question exactly what he has achieved in his life.

This is not rock music. This is barely music.

Leave it alone.

>Chris Cusack

Dananananaykroyd

2007-01-19T14:45:00.001Z

Some Dresses/Genuine lbs 7”

The buzz surrounding Dananananaykroyd is deafening. A mere year in and they’re doing what Glasgow bands do best – kicking the living shit out of their instruments, their studio, their live show and themselves in order to create the best sound around.

There’s little to no point in trying to describe Dananananaykroyd so let’s just say that they sound like Dananananaykroyd. Can’t say fairer than that, and what self-respecting music fan wouldn’t want to hear something they’ve rarely (if ever) heard before?

First track ‘Some Dresses’ is a stormer. Starting with a chant of ‘Yeah! Can you smell it in the air?’ you feel the instant need to jump out of your chair and punch the sky. It’s life-affirming stuff and the song keeps on building from there – to the point that your average indie kid’s mind might well implode. The urgency, however, is levelled by an almost superhuman production job. Nothing is out of place, it is never boggy and the sound, although sharp enough to prick you, is rounded enough to leave space for you to dance. There really isn’t another song like it out there at the moment.

Backed with the jaunty Genuine lbs, the single is given a marvellously-judged sense of balance. With a skipping riff and off-kilter rhythm it maintains the joyous rebellion of Some Dresses but with a stylish sense of refrain.

The single has been out since November and, by now, should be twisting merrily on your turntable: the grooves showing signs of wear.

www.myspace.com/dananananaykroyd
www.jealousrecords.com

Russell Moore

The Alpacinos

2007-01-19T14:45:00.000Z

This Bag is Not a Toy

This bag is not a toy... a severe message of warning to children. Perhaps also a message about getting involved with underground punk music – just don’t! Ha ha!

But contained in most of these poorly produced and similar sounding releases are some great pop songs. Borrowing from Oi, Ska, Punk, LA Hardcore and any number of underground music styles provides a superb template for song writing. Add in the usually strong political slant and you have a genre that is more than the sum of its parts. It could really be any punk band on record here but the lineage, at least, makes it palatable.

‘Sick of Being Nothing’ fairly fires along and challenges typical social power structures. ‘Filthy show – filthy town’ is your typical “I can’t wait to leave” song but also questions the value of making it on a major label (‘If the shit sticks wear it, try it on for size’). Even if there’s no obvious musical hook there’s a message in there.

Overall this single is good at what it does and it’ll appeal to the people it needs to. There is little evidence of it invading the general conscious but then that is probably the exact point. Roll on late night radio and Barfly tours. Have a ball boys!

www.thealpacinos.com

Russell Moore

Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly

2007-01-19T14:42:00.000Z

War of the Worlds (Atlantic)

Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly (aka Sam Duckworth) returns with anthemic single War if the Worlds. Featuring his trademark acoustic riffff (!) style, thumpy rhythm section, trumpet honks and synthy breaks it cements his reputation as an exciting new British artist. Described by the man himself as “…the idea of relationships. It’s about breaking down that barrier and saying ‘What’s changed? And Why has it changed?’”
To the passing listener it’s a catchy song that sounds a bit weird sometimes. To the dedicated fan it probably explains why they’re alive in a way no one else could. To me it’s a mighty fine three-minute pop song that I’ll listen to again and again.

www.getcapewearcapefly.com
www.myspace.com/getcapewearcapefly
www.atlanticrecords.co.uk

Russell Moore

The Amphetameanies

2006-12-01T12:51:00.000Z

Now that’s what I call…The Amphetameanies

In its heyday, Ska was a genre that personified multiculturalism and youth rebellion. Bands like the Selector and the Specials were the voice of a disenfranchised youth - calling for an end to racism - promoters of non-violence and acceptance, of dancing instead of fighting. Unfortunately, Scottish Ska survivalists the Amphetameanies’ most recent offering “Now that’s what I call…The Amphetameanies” only serves to reinforce how sadly lacking this energy and heart is lacking in modern bands of this ilk.

Its not that anything about this album is particularly terrible, it’s just so unashamedly formulaic and predictable that even as a devoted Ska fan I could find little to get excited about. Musically, from opener“Dutch Courage” to the intelligently titled closing track “Backbeat Fucker”, all the songs just seem to merge into a generic mass of recycled horn riffs, jangly three chord guitar and Hammond chops, and after a while it becomes difficult to discern one track from another.
Lyrically, songs about drinking, dumping your boyfriend, or liking the Specials do little to hold the listener’s attention and in a band where the average member is well into their 30’s, it all feels a little contrived for my liking.

For a band whose line up over the years has boasted members from such iconic Scottish acts as Franz Ferdinand, Bis and Belle and Sebastian, I would have expected a whole lot more. Unfortunately the Amphetameanies possess none of the flair and individuality of the bands whose members have contributed to their sound, and this new album only serves to reiterate this.

> Iain Taylor

Damien Rice

2006-11-20T23:34:00.000Z

>> 9
>> Hefa / 14th Floor

Can you remember what you were doing on the day Damien Rice’s album ‘O’ was released? No? Well you wouldn’t be alone; such was the slow-burning success of the aforementioned cd. With a word-of-mouth, wildfire style of popularity there seemed one minute to be no need for introspective singer songwriters then, like a tidal wave of corduroy, there couldn’t possible be enough of them. And at the forefront was O’s feckless charm and irresistible hooks.

One of the original and best of the modern genre, Damien Rice hasn’t faltered in his view of restrained and melodic folk nor has he gone down the pop-tinted route of Messers Blunt and Nutini (an easy way to go if you’ve got the right haircut and colloquial drawl). Indeed, it seems that the committed miserable-ist has gone into an even darker place on this set of songs. Three startling tracks in and there looks like little respite from the melancholic mood. ‘Rootless Tree’ is the first and only track to hint at being a possible chart botherer – then a hearty chorus of ‘Fuck you and all you’ve been through’ leaves no room for mistake in Rice’s intentions.

Once again, with minimal pomp or bluster, Damien Rice has released an album that features some of the land’s finest acoustic folk. You’d be forgiven for not knowing it was out, but it’s refreshing to know that there are people out there for whom music is all you need – the bitter icing of an ‘irony charged’ E4 interview has no place here.

Another wonder of ‘9’ is that it opens with Lisa Hannigan’s haunting vocals. A sign of Rice’s maturing ego perhaps? A response to the last few year’s ‘It’s my ball and you can’t play’ attitude at gigs? Who knows, but it works brilliantly.

If you need to be convinced listen to ‘9 Crimes’, ‘Rootless Tree’ and ‘Me, My Yoke and I’. If you room in your heart for songs that make the dark nights seem darker then step out and pick up ‘O’ – it’s an amazingly good set of songs for a night in alone with some red wine.

>> Russell Moore

www.damienrice.com

Kasabian - Empire

2006-11-20T15:32:00.000Z

On principle alone I hate Kasabian. They’re ballsy, they have silly opinions and they’re “right into their music”. And plus, they hate Franz Ferdinand. I assumed I’d be able to return the favour by hating their album in equal measure, but as luck would have it I’m slowly beginning to realise that Kasabian are more than just the lowly jesters of the Lad Rock Court.

From the grandiose cherub inscription on the cover to track names like “Empire” and “British Legion”, everything about Kasabian’s second effort is done on a royally grand scale. It’s comes as no surprise, then, to find that the music falls in line as well. Singles “Shoot the Runner” and “Empire” are pretty typical rock tunes, featuring loud guitar and an intense groove. They basically encapsulate everything that Mr. Gillespie has already shoved down our throats. It’s a shame that people like me only get to hear the one dimensional Kasabian, because the most interesting thing about this album is that it improves as it progresses.

“Sun/Rise/Light/Flies” represents a whimsical foray into Arabian acid rock (if such a thing exists), incorporating big strings, exotic scales and plenty of fuzzed up vocal reverb, with just the faintest whiff of “Let Forever Be” thrown in for good measure. Likewise, the strong synth bass line on “Seek and Destroy” wins me over, calling to mind the more vociferous ramblings of The Music. As it turns out, Kasabian can handle synthesisers rather competently too.

Contrary to the norm, I find myself enjoying the second half of the album vastly more than the first. On “British Legion”, Tom Meighan sounds eerily like a young Bob Dylan. “We’re gonna make it through…” he warbles gently to his listener.

“Apnoea” also caught my eye because I just had to find out what the word meant. It refers to a condition found in new born children in which their breathing is temporarily suspended. I admit that I picked up the album with a feeling of dread, but have come out the other end hating Kasabian a little less. They’ll never take my breath away, but I can learn to live with that.

> Vicki Cole

Paolo Nutini

2006-11-13T13:56:00.000Z

I thought that being a student at the University of Paisley would make a slightly biased critic of me, what with young Paolo originating from Paisley itself.
But Paolo surprised me, in that I genuinely liked his singer songwriter pop debut, without my Scottish loyalty kicking in to help me along.
The baby-faced 19-year-old claims to take inspiration from classical, R & B, and folk music, but to me this record is just bare faced lovable pop.
The album includes the singles ‘Last Request’, ‘Rewind’ and ‘These Streets’, three well written songs with more depth than your average number one.
He may not be the new Bob Dylan but he certainly can write a good sing-along, and he’s someone us Scots can finally be proud of.

Impure Thoughts- ‘Lights Ahead’

2006-11-04T21:10:00.000Z

This is “garage rock from Scotland” according to the website of the now Berlin-based Impure Thoughts, although their regular performances at various country music festivals around the globe might suggest otherwise.

To my ear, The Thoughts play it very safe with traditional ‘verse-lead-chorus lead-verse-big self indulgent lead to finish’ song structures. Song number one on this album sampler, ‘Take on the World’, is reminiscent of a more lacklustre Teenage Fanclub with its jangly guitars and obscured half Scots, half Americanised vocals.

‘Please Kill Me’ kicks off like Status Quo and doesn’t get much better. It’s hard to make out whether this lot are striving for deadpan or are just genuinely devoid of emotion, but either way it makes for an instantly forgettable listening experience.

Closer ‘Before You Go’ shows up some pretty weak lead vocals and run of the mill harmonies and lead guitar which, while technically spot on, does little to lift the melody.

Maybe I’m missing something vital, so if you fancy making up your own mind ‘Take on the World’ is released as a single on 6th November, closely followed by the album ‘Lights Ahead’ on the 13th. Or if you happen to be at a (very) loose end in Edinburgh or Aberdeen, you can catch them live at Subway or Café Drummond on Friday and Saturday respectively.

By Annie McLaughlin

John Alexander

2006-10-26T12:56:00.000+01:00

>> 24/7 EP

It often goes down well when a musician puts their heart into a song. Honesty is something that cannot easily be faked – many bands slip up in the eager chase to ape their heroes – so it is always a pleasure to hear a cd in which every note is meant and every lyric resonates with truth.

John Alexander’s 24/7 ep is a true gem. Not only is the man a gifted musician he is also a superb singer and songwriter. (The last time I heard such an amazing study of country-tinted folk was on Gary Ryan’s ‘Scenes from the Wild West’ movement from the ‘World’s Apart’ album – Google it!)

‘When the Wind Blows’ is a fantastic first track. Anyone familiar with the late 70s and the emergent works of the early ‘Americana’ artists should fall in love with this. It has both a Parson’s-esque edginess and a Cash-like smoothness. The production is minimalism at its best leaving acres of space for the song to breathe. Magical. The same can be said for the rest of the four tracks here but ‘Don’t Give it Up’ also deserves special mention. Doing what this music does best, it lifts the soul despite the often bleak, minor key writing.

For fans of Gram Parsons, Townes Van Zandt, the Byrds (and so on) this modern, Scottish take will hypnotise you. In fact, if you’re a fan of music, in the true sense of the word, you’ll love this cd.

>> Russell Moore

www.johnalexander.info
www.myspace.com/hotlemonmusic

Keith Robinson

2006-10-26T12:51:00.000+01:00

>> Potent Resonance

I put off listening to this cd for a while. The jagged head of the Jackson guitar on the cover just gave me the heebie-jeebies. For, you see, I am a Jazzmaster man and no longer one for the sustain-loaded scream of the ‘heavy metal’ section of yer average guitar catalogue.

But listen I did, and it’s not all that bad. Mr Robinson is a guitarist of quite virtuosic abilities and the three tracks here show his talent for a) rockin’ riffs, b) gentle acoustic Led Zep-spiked folk and c) ladling generous layers of ripping solos upon all and sundry.

The problem is that this is where it ends. There are no vocals (thus no lyrics) and this leads the listener to work a little harder when looking for a song structure. Within the chords and the solos there are, no doubt, melodies a-plenty – it’s a shame he doesn’t work with a co-writer to generate lyrics and add some vocals. It’s not epic instrumentals in the vein of the Mogwai or Oceansize mould we’re dealing with here; the emotion of the song isn’t being fully translated by the music.

Given the right voice and the right lyrics this is a cd that would certainly tempt people back for multiple listens; sadly, as it stands, it’s a one-off novelty.

>> Russell Moore

www.myspace.com/robinsonkeith

Recliner

2006-10-19T14:24:00.000+01:00

>> Shotgun
>> JAB Records

Single number 2 from this solid Glasgow 5-piece as they try and catch a break in this funny ol' music business. Having previous single Walkaway out through Circus Recordings - Recliner have moved to Glasgow based Label JAB records for a second bite at the cherry.

It's hard to describe this track as anything other than indie rock n roll as it doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. There's the trademark mid-90's guitar sound from the off and a catchy wee chorus, but the band seem to still be playing within their influences and havn't quite put their own stamp on things yet.

Still, a solid tune none-the-less with a tight backline, nice harmonies and excellent production, and hat's off to the band as they continue their relentless assault on the Scottish scene with gigs here, there and everywhere.

Hard gets you everywhere. Let's just see where Recliner end up.

>> Joe Sach

www.myspace.com/reclinerglasgow

Table 57

2006-10-04T13:19:00.000+01:00

>> Not Alone Ep

It’s a mixed bag of nuts on offer from Table 57. From the spiked guitar angles of ‘Not Alone’ through the Offspring 90s punk sound of ‘Hidden Agenda’ and on to the Be Here Now-alike ‘Think Twice’ it appears that Table 57 are out to please as many people as possible. As a single disc it sounds like three different bands.

This, at least, points to many influences and a willingness to experiment – good qualities. But what this ep lacks is a comprehensive unity: a direction for the band to follow. With a solid identity this band could build on the audience they already have and make bigger splashes than they already have. At present there are still too many reminders of the covers band they used to be.

‘Not Alone’ seems to be their truest song and the one they should be rightfully backing. These boys need to get over being fans of other bands and concentrate on what could make people fans of their band.

Playing October 28th at ABC2 and December 23rd at The Cavern (Liverpool).

>> Russell Moore

www.table57.co.uk
www.myspace.com/table57

The Ideal Panic

2006-10-04T13:11:00.000+01:00

>> I See Too Much of Myself in You

The first single from Glasgow’s The Ideal Panic is a solid three-track effort. Title track ‘I See…’ starts with a throbbing disco beat and quickly breaks into a staccato indie riff. Obviously keen to show a range of abilities there are several harmonies and hooks crammed into its two and a half minutes. With several catchy vocal and musical breaks it should bring a nice splash of sunshine into the autumn.

The b-sides strongly resemble The Killers and U2 respectively. No bad thing but for the fact they are practically identical to these other bands: but with influences of this calibre perhaps it’s no bad thing to wear them on your sleeve. It helps that the band has personality and ideas enough to transcend sloppy imitation – a slick reggae break pushes ‘Say!’ along and, despite its U2-by-numbers intro, ‘The Blame Game’ is actually the strongest track on the single. A slow builder based around an incredibly strong melody and guitar line that becomes a truly memorable tune.

The Ideal Panic should storm Scotland this October on the strength of this evidence.

Playing 13th Note on October 5th, the tour also hits Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen

>> Russell Moore

www.myspace.com/theidealpanic

4th Parallel

2006-09-20T23:54:00.000+01:00

>> Ultra Extra Promo

‘..And their unique signature sound..’ claims the press release with this promo of the Glasgow 4-piece, and yet the 4th Parallel do what every unsigned band does best – fail to be unique. HOWEVER! This is not necessarily a bad thing, as every genre, every style, every influence and every stage dive has been done and done again. So why claim to be something they are not? The 4th Parallel at first glance seem to heavily rooted in their influences, but are good at what they do.

Taking an ingredient or two from the 90’s indie movement in opening track Ultra-Extra, especially in the Gallagher/Brown vocals the band start slowly with an ear-friendly track that doesn’t quite set the world on fire. There are some nice ideas here, with a quirky bass line and keys adding a slightly killers-esq aftertaste – however as a whole the track fails to deliver and the four minutes seem to drag on slightly.

Unfortunately the rest of the promo is very similar. However, the future may be bright for this band, as there is a willingness to be creative here with percussion and other instruments added in the final track Pure Coincidence. But first, the band needs to find some strong melodies and crunching tunes to be able to experiment with.

Easier said than done.

>> Joe Sach

www.the4thparallel.co.uk

Hazey Janes

2006-09-17T22:49:00.000+01:00

>> Fire In the Sky
>> Measured Records

Bloody hell, the Hazey Janes has had a shit-kicker of a year. Playing the world over; supporting the all-conquering, stadium-straddling Snow Patrol; releasing a critically acclaimed album in the form of ‘Hotel Radio’ – sometimes everything just falls into place.

The release of ‘Fire in the Sky’ sees the third and final single lifted from Hotel Radio, and if you have to round of a perfect year then why not do it with the perfect single? Fire in the Sky has the kind of loveably lairy personality last seen in Dr Emmett Brown’s wild-eyed raving. The verse sounds like a chorus (which is always good) and the sun-kissed harmonies remind you about all the good stuff you got up to while the summer sun was out. With a rhythm section sounding like The Fratellis set to 33rpm it gives the impression of an older sibling showing the upstarts how it’s done.

The b-sides are notable for the hugely impressive ‘Meet on the Ledge’. Song writing of this quality on a secondary track hasn’t been heard since the days of early Oasis – as Acquiesce is to Some might Say, so Meet on the Ledge is to Fire in the Sky. In fact, everything about this single should put a smile on yer face. It’s pure song writing brilliance from people who clearly care about putting out quality records.

The Hazey Janes play ABC2 on October 25th as part of their Autumn UK tour.

>> Russell Moore

INTERVIEW:

Hello Hazey Janes, how are you?
Andrew - Just been recording some demos at home all day, so a little slow at the moment. Apart from that, fine thanks.
Matthew - Yep, a good day's work. I'm okay.

Last time I saw you was up at Belladrum. You enjoy the festival? Any other bands you manage to see that impressed?
A.- I had a great time; Belladrum seems to have the perfect consistency for a festival of its size. It was amazing to finally see the legendary Lee 'Scratch' Perry. Our Small Capital and Camera Obscura were also excellent.
M.- Yes, it was a lot of fun. The Martial Arts from Glasgow were also great. And it was cool to see The View at last.

You’re touring the UK with your third single ‘Fire in the Sky’, looking forward to it?
A.- Oh yeah, hopefully we'll see some new and old faces. I don't mean the elderly. Though, if an elderly person wanted to come to one of the shows that'd be fine. Guest list.
M.- Yeah, I love going on tour. It's sort of like going on holiday for me.

You seem to be a bit of a household name in Scotland now – how do you find crowd reactions when you play down south?
A.- I'm not sure if you could call us a household name. Maybe just one room, the bedroom?
M.- The Southern crowds have all been very nice so far. They're a bit happier because they can smoke while they're watching us.

Scotland’s better though isn’t it?!
A.- Probably, although London's a close second.
M.- I love London. And Manchester.

What are the plans after that? More recording?
A.- Hopefully, yeah. Like I mentioned, we've started demoing things at home in preparation for the next record.

Are you still writing songs whilst gigging this batch of songs? And will you be throwing in any new-ones when you tour in October?
A.- We're always writing new stuff, whilst tampering with older ideas.
M.- We'll be playing some new stuff on the tour. It's good to play it out a bit before going into the studio.

Who are the influences when you write songs?
A.- Everything really - the late greats, new music, strolling whilst hungover etc.
M.- Daria.

I’ve never been to Dundee unfortunately – can you give me some good reasons to go there?
A.- Alamos, Steve Miller, Uncle Fritz, Spyamp, Laeto, Mercury Tilt Switch, Perineum, The A Forest, Otterley, to name just a few bands. Also, the people.
M.- ...peh on a roll?!

Here’s your Lick Quick fire questions:

Up or Down? A.- Up (DFC, please). M.- Up, up and away.

Electric or Acoustic? A.- Very tough....both. Sorry. M.- Electric.

Black or White? A.- Black. M.- Black.

Glasgow or Edinburgh? A.- At the moment, Edinburgh. M.- Glasgow.

On top or on bottom? A.- On top. M.- Either way's good.

Boxers or Y-fronts? A.- Boxers. M.- Boxers.

Beatles or the Stones? A. THE BEATLES! M.- I shouldn't even answer that. Beatles, OBVIOUSLY.

Kylie or Danni? A.- Kylie. M.- Kylie.

Football or Rugby? A.- Football. Easy. M.- Aye, fitba.

>> www.thehazeyjanes.co.uk
>> www.myspace.com/thehazeyjanes

We Are The Physics

2006-08-31T13:16:00.000+01:00

>> Less Than Three
>> Single
>> One Records

I hated Science at School - ESPECIALLY PHYSICS, but the glorious experiment that is We Are The Physics' debut single Less Than Three - may just have lazy school kids like I was jumping around the classroom.

The Glasgow 4-piece give new meaning to the word alternative with this offering, with the recording capturing the energy that oozes from the band both the live shows and in the video. We Are the Physics are definitely something a little different from Glasgow at the moment, and with this track the Physics seem to be adding quality songs to their already fantastic live reputation.

So get along to a Physics show if you fancy seeing four music-mad performers not taking themselves too seriously - with mind-blowing effects.

Michael, Micheal, Chris GO BUY IT!!

>> Joe Sach

www.wearethephysics.com
www.myspace.com/wearethephysics

The Revivals

2006-08-21T18:13:00.002+01:00

>> The Revivals
>> High in Friends Places

They’re honest at least. The Revivals are showing a complete disregard for any modern ideas about rock music and have made an album of nads-out old school rock and roll. They’ve been generously compared to the Stones and Creedence but it’s probably fairer to compare them to people like Reef, or Rooster.

The grammatically erratic ‘High in Friends Places’ rolls along at a merry old pace but lacks the song writing to propel The Revs into the major limelight. That said, it does have generational appeal and will no doubt please aging rockers and whatever the ‘00s equivalent of the ‘lad’ is in equal measure. ‘Jimi Biscuits’ is particularly good fun but I don’t reckon I’ll listen to it more than twice. The rest is fairly generic.

The Revivals are currently enjoying an almost baffling level of recognition at the moment – touring with the Zutons and having appeared at SXSW – I can only imagine that they have an absolutely tremendous live show going on. Sadly, for me, this sounds like music I actively started avoiding in the mid-nineties. But, this being a Glasgow band doing it their own way, I wish The Revivals the very best of luck and hope they can continue to build on the following they have at the moment.

>> Russell Moore

Porch Song Anthology

2006-08-21T18:13:00.001+01:00

>> Spell of the Trembling Earth

Now I’m not going to linger on this but back in the days before Myspace and iPods and such like you had to actually leave your house to find out about new bands and new music. In the mid-nineties, on one of my many music-finding missions, I came across Telstar Ponies: a Glasgow band of considerable talent and rare ability. They weren’t around for long but they made a welcome impact on my musical outlook at the time. Well, with even the reformed Ponies on an open sabbatical at the moment it is a treat to introduce Porch Song Anthology.

How do you describe a side project that’s not really on the side of anything? Let’s say it’s a side progression. Taking the folk tendencies of Telstar and developing a sound reminiscent of Richard Thompson, Gillian Welch and countless blue-grass pluckers Porch Song Anthology has created an album of almost mythic quality. ‘Spell of the Trembling Earth’ looks and sounds like a long lost slice of American musical history. But it’s more than that – in blue-grass there is open reference to the Celtic musical tradition it was born of, this album sounds like the Celts reclaiming the sound but happily paying dues to those in the American South that have taken care of it for so long.

‘I belong to Jesus’ is a potent railroad sound that relives the borderline paranoia that seeps through lyrics of this type. Talk of judgement and mercy in the light of Jesus’ coming through the full-blown majesty of banjo and harmonica – it has the hallmark of authenticity all over it. ‘Carnival Hill’ relives some of the avant-garde guitar sounds that marked out Telstar Ponies back in the day – an aching sound that reflects the strung out lyrics perfectly. The high point of the album comes with ‘Rest and Be Thankful’ – it is described in the linear notes with the words “go far enough and you’ll find something worthwhile at the end”. A song of moving on and leaving behind your regrets is captured by a hypnotic combination of instruments and vocals. It’s a stark contrast to the cloudy ‘Ask the Dust’ which closes the album but that just makes the impact of both songs all the stronger. It’s unusual to find the last two songs on an album equally as strong as the openers but it makes for a very rewarding listening experience.

Spell of the Trebling Earth is probably the most honest and soulful album we’ll get the chance to hear this year – miss it at your peril.

>> Russell Moore

Fratellis

2006-08-21T18:13:00.000+01:00

>> Costello Music
>> Fallout Recordings / Island

It’s finally here! Woohoo! The most lovable band in Scotland finally produce the long-awaited debut album through Drop The Gun Recordings / Island Records.

If you are still not aware of this band (first featured in the Lick Mag back in November 2005 I might add…) then you’re either dead or dead boring. The Fratellis are everywhere – and deservedly so.

Costello music is a tale of honest-man Jon Fratelli & 2 chums and their wacky real-life adventures in the wonderful city of Glasgow, be it getting his ‘nuts’ in the back of a hippy’s van or simply stumbling in from another drunken night out – God I feel so patriotic as write this! Couple these tales of mischief with some of the best lyrics and catchiest melodies I’ve heard all year and you’ll end up with Costello Music, a fabulous record made with the loveable attitude of three Glaswegian slackers.

Right from the word go the toes are tapping and you’re throwing a pint over the guy next to you, with the radio breakthrough track Henrietta grabbing you by the balls and making you dance like a complete arse. There are plenty of ‘la la la’ moments and whistle-a-long tracks in there just to get everyone going.

Lyrically I can only see Mr Turner of Arctic Monkeys competing with this record this year in terms of local, honest raw-ness, and it may be the Scottish-ness of it all that puts it ahead of the Monkeys for me. The way Jon sings although I may be on a downer I’m still ready e’ dream in Whistle For the Choir really hits a spot.

There are singles galore all through this album, and I’m sure Creeping Up the Backstairs will be released again having featured on the Fratellis Ep released through Nomadic records back in April. Chelsea Dagger and Henrietta may have already been imbedded in your soundtrack to 2006, but wait for Whistle for the Choir to back them both up and show the true raw talent of this band – a fabulous tale of a lost Glaswegian on another night out.

The Fratellis live show may usually turn into a riot-fest but the lads have taken time over these carefully and thoughtfully written pop songs, having absolutely nailed the art of writing simple, catchy songs which people can relate too – which is the hardest thing to do well. It’s six in the morning and I’m walking along, beside the ghost of every drinker who's ever done wrong – how many of us have been there?

So it's top-hat’s off time now as we salute this band who have produced one of the best records of the year. Even if I am Scottish and proud!

>> Joe Sach

www.thefratellis.com

Fivefifteen

2006-08-17T15:42:00.000+01:00

>> No Spitting Involved
>> Ltd Ed Single

The first time I heard the riff from ‘No Spitting Involved’ I thought of the Big Lebowski. I have absolutely no idea why. But when the first line ‘I’ve been looking for a brand new carpet’ erupted from my speakers it all became a bit clearer – the song has the critical ingredients required to make a Coen Brothers plot! Talk of a ‘crazy blonde haired Dutch guy’, calling for help in finding the ubiquitous carpet and unearthing unsavoury backstreet bars make for a frankly bizarre lyrical canvas. It’s not for me to say, but I highly doubt that the protagonist’s tale is actually true but then stranger things have happened at sea. And in Aberdeen.

The rest of the single lacks the punch of the first track. ‘We’re Rock ‘n’ Roll Make Believe’ comes close with some trippy organ work and some tight riffs but it ultimately comes off as a not-quite-as-good Primal Scream (and I’m no fan of Primal Scream – to put it gently).

I reckon that this is a band that could do well. They have some good ideas and have tied everything neatly into a block-rocking everyman format. The right night in the right venue and they’d have the audience in the palms of their hands.

>> Russell Moore

Attic Lights

2006-08-17T15:38:00.000+01:00

>> Shiver The Trees

The Lick likes Attic Lights. Way back in the depths of autumnal 2005 we were ‘big upping’ the debut ep and fawning over the beautiful slices of summer country pop the band is so adept at making. And perfectly correct we were too!

Shiver the Trees is an ep of fantastic quality. Each song sounds like a mashed-up Ouiji-board midnight jam between Gram Parsons and Carl Wilson. First track ‘Martin’ is tuned to the sound of the soul with spellbound harmonies countered by the gentle lilt of slide guitar. This is the sound the Thrills so often get wrong. ‘Wendy’ has more of a Ryan Adams swagger to it - the potential soundtrack to a post-brawl dive bar somewhere in the deepest south; you can picture the crowd hollering ‘Wendy, Wendy it’s over!’ as they nurse their cuts.

Alongside the ep is a preview of some new songs. Despite the ‘demo’ nature of some recordings there is a sense of some broader song writing in the offing. Some Crazy Horse dynamics are creeping in with heavier drum sounds and stark rhythms on ‘Bring You Down’. There is also some punch-drunk psychedelic charm and sparse desert arrangement evident in ‘Lock Me Out’.

In short, Attic Lights has taken the high water mark set by the first ep and eclipsed it. The new ep (and sneak previews of new tracks) is proof that this is a band steeped in quality influences. This is a band that has the talent and foresight to make unmistakeably relevant music while paying heartfelt tribute to the patrons of this magical sound.

>> Russell Moore

De Rosa

2006-07-25T19:44:00.000+01:00

>> Mend
>> Chemikal Underground

Since playing an absolutely brilliant show for the Lick launch night a few months back it has been this writer’s main aim to get a hold of De Rosa’s album – and having received a copy it has become clear that it was worth the wait.

It’s no secret that De Rosa spent a great deal of time on this album. Releasing ‘Camera’ back in 2004 to pacify their steadily growing fan base it has been time very well spent completing their debut ‘Mend’. The album has not only a ferociously good set of songs, it has the spirit of a piece of work that has been cared for and carefully structured. Mend opens with ‘Father’s Eyes’: it is a fantastic song. Simple guitar and bass lines allow the full affect of Matthew Henry’s urgent vocals to drive us along before the noise builds to a climatic end. Next up is one of the best songs in recent memory ‘Camera’. This is the sound of Interpol set to eleven – it’s a scratchy and static-charged monster of a tune. Any band would kill to get hold of a song of this standard, especially when it can be put to such devastating use in the live setting.

Mend is an album of varying moods and textures. For every blistering modern rock rough diamond there is an opening for a soothing yet skewed quiet number. ‘New Lanark’ and ‘Hopes & Little Jokes’ give the album the perfect calm-before-the-storm that the natural world demands.

The overall feeling when listening to this tightly packed 35 minute wonder is one of triumph. De Rosa has been able to live up to the hype of playing Manchester’s In the City (as well as justifying their support of rock goliath Mogwai) and has delivered an album of ballsy song writing confidence coupled with a sense of modest understatement. For a band to release an album that encompass song writing of this quality and yet to bide its time in releasing it (rather than rushing a sub-par recording) proves De Rosa to be a very rare proposition indeed.

>> Russell Moore

www.wearederosa.com

Sucioperro

2006-06-15T16:15:00.000+01:00

>> Random acts of intimacy
>> Captains of Industry

Those with a bit more than basic conversational Spanish may stop and furrow their brow when picking up this album. Apparently, Sucioperro is dago for ‘dirty bitch’. The things you learn! But what do we know of this Ayrshire quartet already? We know that they are from Ayrshire and are made up of four individuals (without going too far out on a limb you’ll notice). And that “Random Acts of Intimacy” is their debut album. What else is there to know? That eleven very excellent songs can indeed be crammed into a mere 36 minutes? That 36 minutes is a frustratingly short amount of time for an excellent album? That an album such as “Random Acts” is the reason that Hi-fi manufacturers created the ‘repeat all’ function on CD players? These are all valid points.

Put simply, it’s a fucking brilliant offering from Sucioperro, especially the singles ‘Dialogue On The 2’ and ‘The Drop’. Many listeners may draw hasty comparisons with fellow Ayrshire noisemakers Biffy Clyro, and it would be impossible to dispute this comparison; much of sucioperro’s sound is similar to that of the Biff (see tracks such as ‘Wolf Carnival’ and ‘Tem V Com’). But thrown in are sweet mixtures of melodies and harmonies akin to Jimmy Eat World; riffs with huge bollocks taken straight from the Rage against the machine school of testicular fortitude; even some shades of Silverchair and Idlewild influence creep in here and there. Sucioperro wear their influences on their collective sleeves whilst retaining a unique sound, combined with skillful songwriting which sees flawless shifts of musical gears, from the urgent and thumping explosion-in-your-face opening of ‘I Don’t Hate It, I Accept It’, to sweet and soulful acoustic nice-fest of ‘Apathy = Inaction’.

I don’t see any good reason for anyone not owning this album. Sucioperro have made themselves one of the most impressive yet understated jewels in the much-admired Scottish music crown.

>> A.J Hazely

www.sucioperro.com
www.myspace.com/sucioperro

Bricolage

2006-06-05T12:19:00.001+01:00

>> EP

This is proper music. Not proper indie music, or pop music, or rock music; it’s pure and perfectly formed MUSIC: something you don’t often get the chance to listen to these days!

Bricolage has kept things short and sharp on this two-track ep. Opener ‘Footsteps’ - now in the running for my single of the year – is a sharp and perplexingly angular little blighter, it bursts out of the speakers with a sophisticated jollity. The guitars are tripping over themselves with ideas; the lyrics are rye and the rhythm trips along at a merry old rate. Likened to Orange Juice (and in my opinion sharing the sensibilities of Gang of Four and Talking Heads), Bricolage has melody and ingenuity in abundance.

Second track ‘Flowers of Deceit’ maintains the incredibly high standard set by ‘Footsteps’ and there’s no need to say any more than that. When this band inevitably takes the festival scene by storm over the summer it’s the riff from ‘…Deceit’ the punters will be whistling on the way back to the tent.

When this record is released in late June it should be labelled ‘Double A-side’ rather than ‘EP’; it is THAT GOOD.

Bricolage EP is released on June 26th 2006.

>> Russell Moore

www.myspace.com/bricolagetheband

Quinn

2006-06-01T17:59:00.000+01:00

>> Luss
>> Tromolo Records

June sees the release duo Quinn's second studio album. Released on their own Tromolo Records( if any of you are familiar with kooky club night Tromolo, Quinn are the brains behind it!), Luss is a beautiful escape into the imagination, with elements of pop, blues, jazz and electronica all fusing together to create something unique and refreshing.

Singer Louise's voice is enchanting and captivating and draws you into a place where you can forget about the world around you. Produced by French DJ supremo Kid Loco, and co-produced by Quinn themselves, Luss is a mighty follow-up to first album In-between Worlds, which featured the likes of Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos on guitar.

Quinn produce a style that oozes longevity and class. They are one of these bands that will appear, and have appeared on indie film scores and are so effortlessly cool that legends like Bill Wells want to work with them.

First track Astronauts, the current single, is a powerful opening to the CD and is build around blissful vocal harmonies and programmed drum loops whilst Slow-motion Smile is an uplifting acoustic ballad. A beautiful arrangement of flutes, violins and guitar makes it a perfect anthem for the summer.

What The Thunder Said… is packed with jangling tambourines and echoing vocals, complimenting funky guitar riffs and the occasional burst of sax and trombone thrown on for good measure.

The whole album has a breezy, summery feel to it and has a feel-good factor that would lift your mood on the harshest of days.

A timeless classic, you could listen to this for years to come and never grow tired of it. Definitely one of the best, if not the best releases I have heard this year.

>> Alana Cooper

Interview:

Lick: Hello! Very good to meet you. Can you tell me a bit more about you’re new album? Out very soon I believe?
Louise Quinn: Yeah very soon.
Bal Cooke: Yeah, the 5th of June it’s out although it was pushed back a little bit. Originally it was supposed to be out in May but it was actually recorded about 2 years ago. It was maybe going to be released through a few other Scottish indie labels but things kinda fell through and that knocked things back a little. Also the mixing was done in France and that took longer than anticipated so it almost feels quite old to us now.

Lick: Worth the wait though?
BC: Oh yeah definitely. We’re really pleased it’s finally coming out. In the mean time we’ve recorded another record which we’ll probably release next year sometime.

Lick: And are going to tour on this album?
BC: Yeah we’ll probably just do Scotland and London – I don’t really know if we’ll be able to fit in the kinda in-between places.
LQ: Notting Hill Arts centre and Cargo and places like that as well and we might do some in-store stuff too.

Lick: I understand that it’s just the two of you in the ‘band’ as such, but there are loads of people playing on the record! How did you meet so many folk?!
BC: When we made this record it was just the two of us and we hadn’t played live in quite a long time so when we were making the record and playing live we just kind of pulled people in as we needed then you know and sort of built up the album from the basics. Since then, we’ve got a full band now of 4 sometimes 5 people. We also started doing our own club night called club Tromolo and that’s how we met a lot of people.

Lick: Where was the club night held?
BC: It used to be the Buff Club but it’s now in the Oran Mor.

Lick: That’s a great venue to have a regular night!
BC: Yeah it’s great venue.
LQ: The sound’s amazing and it’s really good for club Tromolo because we have quite a theatrical element to it. Cabaret and performers and stuff.

Lick: It doesn’t sound like your average club night!
BC: No not at all is very different from that.
LQ: Yeah it’s very surreal.
BC: Because we were doing that and we had a band with us, we were kind of making music for drunken people to dance too so the next record will definitely have a more up-tempo feel to it.

Lick: I’m really looking forward to hearing the stuff done live. Especially if you can get all these instruments!
BC: Well yeah we have had to adapt a lot of the songs for playing them live but it’s been really interesting and quite a challenge to do that. Our guitarist had to pull out of some London shows because he was getting married and had a few other things going on so we had to strip the stuff down even further.
LQ: Our guitarist met a Serbian girl last year when we were touring Serbia after we had a surprise top 10 hit there

Lick: Excuse me?!!!
LQ: Yeah it was just totally mad because the Serbian charts are compiled from Airplay rather than sales and this Dj had downloaded the World Is Upside Down and started playing it and we got this email in October 2004 saying that we’d reached number 18! At first we were like ‘Ok – which one of friends is taking the piss here’ but it turned out to be genuine and it eventually got to number 8. Then they asked us to tour over there and that’s how Charlie [the guitarist] met Sandra. They’re actually getting married today.

Lick: Today? That’s fantastic. A Lick exclusive then! What was the tour like over in Serbia then?
LQ: Totally Crazy. I mean Belgrade is really sophisticated capital city you know…
BC: Yeah it was a great gig.
LQ: There were people coming from Poland and stuff.
BC: News crews and film crews – it was really weird! Because the Refract festival is like an Arts festival that’s just getting off the ground over there and in a way it’s like small Edinburgh festival.
LQ: They had people like John Spencer Blues Explosion playing and Mathew Herbert as well, but for some reason I think it caught the people imagination that this track had been downloaded and we even got interviewed by the Serbian Carol Smiley! But when got down to the south of the country that was really wild – absolutely beautiful but it was strange because no band had played there for like 7 years and no band from outside of Serbia had played there ever. About 400 people turned up but the guy said that it should have been more but nobody believed him that a Scottish band was coming over. They love Scottish music as well too like Camera Obscura and Aberfeldy and all these other Scottish bands.

Lick: What was the reason that no bands had played there if they are totally in to Scottish music?
BC: It’s basically just very, very remote and quite close to Kosovo and stuff which has been pretty much a no-go zone for a while and maybe a lot of bands still have that image of a kind of war zone. They were dead keen to have us though and couldn’t afford to pay us or anything but put us up in a wooden almost Alpine chalet which was amazing and they really looked after us.

Lick: You’ve worked with some other folk as well; Alex Kapranos is one who featured on the first album. Was that a one-off or do you still keep in touch?
BC: Well it’s funny because we hadn’t actually seen him for like 3 years and then there was an article in the paper saying stuff like...
LQ: Yeah it was a bit of a stitch up – saying stuff like ‘You kicked Alex out for you band’ and stuff because he played with us for 2 years but it just didn’t happen like that at all we got a text message from him saying that he saw the article and loved it and thought we came across really well and he even came out on the guitarists stag do last Saturday which was really good of him.
BC: It was a nice up-shot of that after seeing this tabloid article and then coming out for a drink. He’s still really good friends with Charlie and hadn’t seen him in ages. I think he’s only had like 2 weeks off in the last 3 years so it was good to se him again. He’s exactly the same person but its funny seeing how other people react to him now because he wasn’t famous when we last saw him.

Lick: So what are the plans for the next few months then with the album out?
BC: Hopefully we’ll get some more dates over the summer but we’re going to do T on the Fringe and Wickerman and stuff. The stage we’re playing at Wickerman is really cool because there’s loads of Scottish bands playing so it’s definitely they place to hang out.

Lick: Thanks for you’re time and here’s you’re LickMag.com quick-fire questions:

Scotland or England?
LQ: Scotland
Kylie or Danni?
Kylie
Big or Small?
Big
Acoustic or Electric?
Acoustic
Ghostbusters 1 or Ghostbusters 2?
Ghostbusters 1
T in the Park or Glastonbury?
Glastonbury
Cats or Dogs?
Cats
Smoke or Drink?
Drink
Simpsons or Family Guy?
Family Guy
7 inch or 12 inch?
7 inch
Vinyl or mp3?
Mp3
Beard or moustache?
Beard
Watching a Ben Affleck film or killing yourself?
Ha! Killing yourself!
The Office or Phoenix Nights?
LQ: Phoenix Nights I would say, although you [BC] would pick the office wouldn’t you?
BC: Well no these are you’re questions! Just put me down for the other option every time!

Eoghan Colgan

2006-05-30T14:24:00.000+01:00

>> That First Time

This is like some freaky déjà vu situation; I have unwittingly seen this band live! In fact, back in March I described Eoghan Colgan as the Robbie Williams of the pipe-smoke folk circuit – and lo! here be the man’s ep lolling from my speakers. So, do first impressions really last; or can I bring myself to change my stubborn mind?

Well it’s a bit of both to be honest. The man still sounds like Mr Williams’ slightly less convincing little brother, but in terms of neatly crafted songs he’s made a bit of headway. This was never going to be my favourite cd, but, in an oddly charming David Gray kinda way EC has done alright. ‘All I Need’ is quite good and ‘Sunny Days’ has a nice nursery rhyme tint to it but in general the songs just lack the edge that could propel them into my memory: with the exception of the truly terrible ‘Planetary Woman’ that is. The thick layer of cheese that coats this song will probably stick in my mind for years to come. And the chorus is just aching to get its arse kicked.

‘I can’t do this anymore’ is just ‘Knocking On Heaven’s Door’ with Eoghan shouting over the top. Not fun. But when it comes down to it there should be more to song writing than the craft – and shouting doesn’t make up for passion. If you’re looking for a dinner party comedown album then this will probably do the job; if you’re looking for something that is in any way interesting or challenging then I’d give it a miss.

>> Russell Moore

Sixx

2006-05-30T14:22:00.000+01:00

>> Demo

Sixx are one-louder than name-o-likes 5ive, but yet there are only 3 of them. Confused? Well don’t be.

Sixx’s opening 4-track demo sits in that 'middle-of-the-road rock' category, with un-inventive guitar riffs and instantly forgettable songs with lyrics that you’ve heard from a million and one other bands. The lyrics at some points even make for uncomfortable listening, especially on track 3; Sexloft - ‘Oh my baby will you look at my gun, just pull my trigger and I’ll have my fun’ is just one example.

However, the production is smart and the playing is tight. Guitar player Jim Cleneghan is obviously a very strong technical player in particular, but there’s no real end product from the songs that’s likely to catch the imagination.

Still Under The Weather seems to the best of the bunch, and maybe a sign that the songs may improve with time. But for now it seems these guys should forget the fancy CD artwork, take a foot down from the monitor and concentrate on the songwriting.

>> Joe Sach

www.sixxmusic.com

Strike The Colours

2006-05-25T16:57:00.000+01:00

>> Scattered Recordings

Once again thinking back to that night in March I am pleased to report that ‘Strike the Colours’ (Jo Mango’s second support act) are, simply put, magic! As I said before, these are heartfelt songs delivered with modesty and skill.

The extra dimension of being backed with a band heightens the majesty of the songs and StC have managed the rare trick of sounding EXACTLY like Scotland. Only ‘Sons and Daughters’ and ‘Emer’ can also claim this. The Proclaimers too, but that goes without saying!

‘Bare Legs in a Storm’ is a haunting tune, it sounds like an elderly ghost visiting a child in a fairytale. ‘Strangernight’ is a slightly more straightforward affair but it makes full use of Jenny Reeve’s powerful vocals and the floating production helps it transcend other bands’ recordings. Standout track is ‘Safety in Numbers’, ironically the only song recorded without the band. The chorus melody is just beautiful: it pulls forward, raises the song to a new height and let’s you look back on the countryside – the Stealth Bomber of song writing!

>> Russell Moore

www.strikethecolours.com
www.myspace.com/strikethecolours

Friends Outreach Programme

2006-05-25T15:56:00.000+01:00

>> Join the Programme E.P

This 5-track EP starts with the delightfully named “Chuff”, in which jangling, softly sung verses are interspersed with shouted chorus of “chuff, chuff”. Mixing indie sounds with comedy, FOP remind me of the Stretchheads or Sultans of Ping F.C., not so much in sound but for sheer “How are we meant to react to this?” factor.

Thankfully, their own website refers to comedy as well as to music, and has a healthy dose of self-deprecation too. They do have some decent indie tunes, as evidenced on “Disappointed”, one of two relatively straightforward songs on here, which the band themselves refer to as “girly”. The reflective mood doesn’t last long, though, and we hurtle into the metal insanity of “Domination”. FOP’s appeal is, I suspect, largely going to be confined to student unions in which the alcohol flows freely but let’s face it, there are plenty of those.

>> Lorraine Douglas

www.friendsoutreachprogramme.org

The Science

2006-05-25T15:47:00.000+01:00

>> Oikofugic
>> Wickerman Records

The Science seem to have had a somewhat on/off history as a band, currently on hiatus pursuing no fewer than five different side projects. On this, their debut E.P, The Science play rock of the dark, brooding, atmospheric variety with hints that they could expand into more experimental areas.

The opening two songs, “Breezeblock Nightmare” and “Falling Asleep at the Wheel” have a melodic post-punk sound, with understated vocals sung in Scottish accents. Third song “Fading Out/Fading In” is the longest track here and the loosest in structure, suggesting that The Science could move into hypnotic, instrumental territory if they wanted. Oikofugic apparently means “excessive wandering”; hopefully this will refer to the band pushing back the boundaries and continuing to develop their sound, rather than wandering off never to return!

>> Lorraine Douglas

www.myspace.com/thesciencerock
www.thescience.co.uk

Kieran Docherty

2006-05-24T18:00:00.000+01:00

>> Expectations

The grassroots scene in Glasgow is blossoming at the moment. It seems that anywhere you turn there’s an earnest singer/songwriter letting you know the ins and outs of human relationships, trying their hardest not the let the heart on their sleeve break due to the weight of emotion they experience every day.

The songs on ‘Expectations’ ring with these similar themes; being on the right/wrong side of the tracks, singing out for love, did I miss my chance, etc. etc. Considering that the ultimate love song (God Only Knows, of course) was recorded forty years ago these are things we’ve heard since, time and again.

Opener ‘Expectations’ is firmly bracketed by the output of the Finn brothers. Rousing pre-chorus melodies countered by a minor fall before the verse kicks in again. It is in no way unsuccessful but even a cursory glance at a Crowded House single will overshadow it. ‘The Difference’ is more interesting proposition. With a skipping guitar line and a gentle honky piano sound the song soon reveals a very rewarding chorus with some magic harmonies. In terms of expectations (arf!) this song was a pleasant surprise. ‘Pleasing You’ shows the roots music this album is grounded in and is perhaps the most convincing song here. Subtle and understated with some cello-esque guitar work (or is it harmonium?) and a touch of banjo – it stands out by sitting back. The best track on the album is ‘Fall from Grace’. It’s a well-rounded and fully accomplished tune and it could be single material. Harking to late-period REM it has an epic feel but with close-to-home lyrics.

With a big gig at the ABC2 on the horizon and with having enjoyed some high-ranking support slots already, things could well be looking up for Kieran Docherty.

Kieran Docherty plays ABC2 on June 17th.

>> Russell Moore

www.kierandocherty.com
www.myspace.com/kierandocherty

Allergo

2006-05-23T17:35:00.000+01:00

>> Summer '05 Ep

This is an interesting move. Allergo have included a lyric sheet with their ep… surely this means they have something to say and they’re making damn sure everyone knows what it is! Turns out, the reason is because they play extremely (EXTREMELY) heavy metal and the vocals are used as a weapon of mass destruction rather than for harmonic beauty. But to give it its due, this rocks like a boulder in a quarry.

Drawing on bands like Sikth, Send More Paramedics and Poison the Well they have ensured that all but the heaviest of hardcore rock fans is gonna understand anything about this music. And as I’m sure you’re aware – this makes it excellent! The lyric sheet is the greatest thing written since Moses’ nagging tablets and (given that the music was apparently recorded in someone’s living room) the tunes are solid.

It would take a braver man than I to venture out to watch this bunch live but I am convinced it would be a night to remember – the tinnitus becoming a gift that keeps on giving!

>> Russell Moore

www.allergonoise.co.uk

Think:Fire

2006-05-23T15:41:00.000+01:00

>> Demo

Think:Fire have been through more band members and band names than I've had hot dinners, with lead singer Bruce McKenzie and drummer Lewis Black the longest lasting members. They serve up a smart and well recorded 3 track demo which I would put in the ‘intelligent emo’ bracket.

In a rock/indie scene that seems to be clinging to bands that have a strong local accent in the vocals, Think:Fire stick to what they believe in and allow the strong influences from across the pond in the US to flow through both the vocals and the songwriting. Singer Bruce gives it his all in all three tracks, almost to a point where you can't make out a word he's saying, but with emo bands like Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy doing rather well for themselves, things may just start happening and Think:Fire’s future looks bright.

The twin guitar work is very strong, clever and full of atmospheric effects – shades of Incubus’ guitarist Mike Einziger, and Lewis on the skins is tight as a nun’s &%^*.

If this type of music is your bag, then you’ll love this band and be appreciative of the originality in the songs. However, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

>> Joe Sach

www.myspace.com/thinkfire

Futuro

2006-05-16T18:01:00.000+01:00

>> Demo

Oooft! Put this in yer Cd player and smoke it.

This three track ‘Demo’ puts all other ‘demos’ to shame as all three tracks could be singles in their own right. The Glasgow 3-piece play hard, fast and melodic rock with a We Are Scientists feel about them. Great pop melodies and smashing lyrics that also has that Scottish-ness about them that seems to be so popular at the moment.

The band have recently been down in Manchester supporting the Rakes and winning an XFM unsigned competition and are starting to put themselves on the map, and with these three songs it’s not hard to see why.

Easy Money – a jagged guitar riffed explosion about local promoters would be my pick of the bunch, and along with Lost In the Mess and Slow Motion it makes this one of the best debut releases I’ve heard this year.

They are the new thing that everybody’s talking about.

>> Joe Sach

www.myspace.com/wearefuturo

Stolen Order

2006-05-16T13:34:00.000+01:00

>> Demo

Inverness hard rawkers Stolen Order claim to ‘bring back rock n roll to you all’ with this three-track demo. Mmm. I’m not sure of the official meaning of the term but if it means using every cliché in the rock and/or roll book then I think they’ve just about nailed it.

One 2-minute Bon Jovi-esq ballad, and two other tracks that seem like excuses to hit their instruments as hard and as fast as possible without any real thought for the songwriting make for an ear-drum threatening first release. Cheesy lyrics, out-of-time drumming and poorly written songs all contribute to this poor show of a Cd.

However, credit where credit is due. I always respect bands who stick to what the believe in and are true to themselves and like those small band of Japanese soldiers found in the Philippines 60 years after the war was over – Stolen Order will battle on. Plus their bass player is called Minge – brilliant!

>> Joe Sach

www.myspace.com/stolenorderband

Endor

2006-05-05T15:46:00.000+01:00

>> Hold On
>> Say Dirty Recordings

Local 4-piece Endor serve up a lovely wee slice of Scottish pop/rock with their debut single Hold On.

Singing in your local accent has worked wonders for bands like the Arctic Monkeys, Oasis and Bloc Party - but for Scottish folk to try it, an image of ginger-haired twins in glasses usually appears in the mind of the listener. But Endor have managed to pull it off. Elements of relaxed Idlewild shine through, and the hand-claps throughout and clever, though provoking lyrics may even force this lot onto Saturday morning TV one day.

B-side Better/Smarter is another tight, toe-tapping cracker. Go buy it on Cd or limited 7 inch single.

>> Joe Sach

www.myspace.com/endor
www.saydirtyrecords.co.uk

How To Swim

2006-04-27T12:14:00.000+01:00

>> The Littlest Orgasm
>> Electric Honey

This is a sneaky one. Just when I thought I’d found a safe distance from which to ponder vocalist Ink Wilson’s idiosyncratic style (most often likened to Tom Waits) on opening track “A Little Orgasm of Disappointment”, up crept several of the remaining ten band members to take me hostage with their rousing collision of sound (featured on this mini album are trumpets, trombones, flute, cellos, glockenspiel and other instruments including, umm, ironing board).

From then on the pace rarely lets up; the sound is unhinged and multi-legged and I can only imagine how much fun the live shows must be. It’s no surprise that How to Swim have played alongside off-kilter kindred spirits Dawn of the Replicants. Final track “Cherry Moon” arrives to show us that How to Swim have a gentler, more plaintive side as well. Genuinely off-its-head and relentlessly entertaining.

>> Lorraine Douglas

www.howtoswim.net
www.myspace.com/howtoswim

Lucerna

2006-04-27T12:09:00.000+01:00

>> Your Favourite Planet
>> Beatroot Records

Previously known as Fred before wisely deciding to slip into something a little more evocative, Lucerna have been tipped as potential stadium-fillers and it’s not difficult to see why. This band has a big, anthemic sound, coupled with an emotional intelligence that uses finesse, rather than bluster, to drive its points home.

Opening song “Far From Home” reminded me immediately of the Icicle Works’ combination of big heartfelt choruses, soaring vocals and delicate songwriting. Lucerna’s sound may well be epic, but not at the expense of texture; there’s enough light and shade here to keep things engaging. Final song “I Am” is something of a departure in sound, with sampled spoken-word verses and a looser feel than the other tracks here, suggesting that Lucerna have more than one kind of album in them.

>> Lorraine Douglas

www.lucernatheband.co.uk
www.myspace.com/lucernatheband

Ampersand

2006-04-24T00:02:00.000+01:00

>> Ampersand

Where Ampersand fail to broaden your musical boundries they more than make up for in proving that Scotland can produce captavating rock bands.

With the music on offer here which is both soulful and anthemic throughout, you get the feeling that Ampersand are a band who are comfortable with themselves musically, giving no false airs just well crafted songs. And tracks such as Believe and the fantastic Dam Time show you that guitar solos can actually be taken seriously and are not some just some sort of pastice for mr Justion Hawkins.

If you havnt seen them live already then do so quickly and start believing!

>> Andrew Mitchell

Sky At Night

2006-03-24T11:21:00.000Z

>> 3 Track Album Promo
>> Hijacked

I used to love the Sky at Night. It was great. Patrick Moore (soon to become The Games Master) calmly and lovingly discussing and describing the latest celestial news with academically respected guests displaying varying low levels of charisma; gently being overshadowed by the be-monocled giant! And all in the deathly hours after midnight when you fancied yourself as a bit of an astrologer with your Argos telescope on its plastic stand, planted on the windowsill pointing at the featureless clouds.

Having nothing to do with all this is The Sky At Night; a sublime new band peddling adventurous wares in the vein of the Arcade Fire and My Latest Novel. In terms of hugely imaginative bands there is an embarrassment of riches out there at the moment and, in my opinion, that’s still not enough! The more love and care that goes into a well-structured and beautiful ep the better – and based on this promo, The Sky At Night has talent and imagination in bundles. The evidence is there in the speakers.

‘Plucky Scot Goes Down Fighting’ has a distinct Flaming Lips-y ache to it, ‘My Reasons’ is the soundtrack to a piece of underground European cinema not yet realised and ‘Goodnight, Sleepyhead’ has the slide guitar sound of the soul itself. Everything here yearns with a seemingly dreamy ease; songs build in tremendous crescendos that twist and bellow with the sound of Mother Nature’s fiery wrath. This is exactly the type of band to dream of in those deathly midnight hours as you stare at the sky looking for stars.

The album ‘Hope for Dummies’ is released in April.

>> Russell Moore

www.theskyatnight.net

Dresden

2006-03-24T11:17:00.000Z

>> Save My Soul
>> Single

Looking at the cover, and going by the band name, I was expecting Dresden to sound like some apocalyptically industrial über-group; dealing with such grand issues as the possibility of a futuristic, neon-lit, scart-controlled society where the only expression of free will comes in the form of the carbon-tinged burn of machine monotony…

But No! These scamps are exponents of some radical Motor City™ RAWK! Aah, the sound of youth and vitality! First track ‘Save my Soul’ has the touches of evangelical preaching that such a release really should be dealing in. My favourite thing about the MC5 / Stooges-esque sound has always been the quasi-religious tones in both the lyrics and the vibe – the feeling that you should be worshipping at the foot of the stage with the sweaty throng of the spiritually awakened. Think David Byrne with some added crazy amp action slaying Once In A Lifetime with Iggy Pop on the mixing desk – like that. And Dresden has kinda nailed it.

‘Crusader’ is a battling tune with a divine, driving surge. Boss lyrics concerning ‘Jesus freaks’ and freedom fighters only lasting a week wrap things up nicely and the urgent delivery means you can’t do much else other than sit up and take notice.

Dresden has the tunes, attitude and panache to pull off this great single. Celebrated by Xfm and with the single launch under its belt, the band can only keep movin’ up. Playing Tut’s this month, and I’m sure with plenty of gigs lined up, it would be well worth your while to get out there and check out this band.

>> Russell Moore

www.dresdenmusic.co.uk

Ally Kerr

2006-03-14T13:37:00.000Z

>> Calling Out To you
>> Neon Tetra
>> Photo: Richard Campbell

I can't tell you how refreshing it was the first time I witnessed Ally Kerr live. After well over two hours of watching a series of turgid emo-metal bands who, funnily enough, sounded exactly like Finch (Finch have captured the sound of unimaginative, pretentious dross perfectly, so who better torip off...) Ally Kerr took to the stage with his own distinctively folkyindie pop songs.

Of course I didn't know any of the songs at the time and the aforementioned pseudo-Finch bands scampered for the exits with a few exaggerated yawns within seconds, but put that down as love at first sight for me. The same innocent charm he exudes live naturally appears on Calling Out to You in abundance, notably on the absurdly catchy "Someone's got acrush on me" and the title track (featuring some simply adorable whistling).

Unfortunately the album does tend to drag a little towards the end and there is one rather notable miss with "The sore feet song" where Kerr falls off the lyrical wagon spectacularly, delivering several clunkers of the kind he manages so successfully to avoid on the rest of the album - the worstculprit being "I robbed a convenience store, because I thought it'd make things easier".

In the end however, for anyone willing to give up their pretentions, Calling Out To You is a hugely charming and enjoyable experience with some obvious comparisons to make for anyone unfamiliar with his sound - Teenage Fanclub, Elliot Smith, Eugene Kelly - but though I hesitate to say none of these would do it justice, Kerr has managed to craft his own laid back folky pop sound and if that's your cup of tea (and itcertainly isn't a lot of people's) then you'll enjoy this.

>> Stuart Brown

www.allykerr.com
www.richardcampbell.co.uk

Mars Patrol

2006-03-08T15:27:00.000Z

>> Demo

Edinburger friends the Mars Patrol don't mess about with this lovely slice of pop/rock. Two tracks. Two hooky chorus. One up-beat foot-tapper, and one slow ballad. Boom. Dinnertime.

Opener Are You With Me? starts with a cracking guitar lick and pounding drums, and lead singer Davina Divine (a name fit for any rock n roller) has a strong voice in a genre when its so easy for a female vocal to get lost among the guitars. Lyrically its nothing groundbreaking, but a smashing tune none-the-less.

The line Crying Your Heart Out must have been used in a thousand songs, but still has a freshness about it in the second track. A strong chorus again is the catchy sing-a-long moment, and even if the verses seem to be waiting for the chorus to kick in, its another strong song that pisses all over Oasis' attempt to be sentimental with the same line.

Catch them live on the 31st of March at King Tuts, or if your really keen you can join one of their Japanese fan sites!

>> Joe Sach

www.themarspatrol.com
www.myspace.com/themarspatrol

Emer

2006-03-02T13:25:00.000Z

>> Emer
>> Gargleblast Records

It's an awesome effort of substance over style on this tragically short compact disc from Emer. Peeling out with a Kings of Leon jangle on opener 'Windows Close' before bludgeoning the listener with one of the riffs of the year is a fair description of the first minute or so. You'd reckon a hefty head scratch and a 'what the...' would be in order, but the best thing is that it never feels dumbed down or out-of-place.

The tourist board should adopt the wonderful Scottish resonance of 'Speed Of Dark', an eerie and atmospheric song that seems to embody the true feeling of our surroundings; theres life in the hills. The harmonious, driving song craft also owes as much to Wilco as it does to Idlewild; there's a feeling of belonging here that would translate in most cultures.

This is a magnificent release that should be on everyones wish list.

>> Russell Moore

www.emernoise.co.uk
www.myspace.com/emernoise
www.gargleblastrecords.com

Colette McKendrick

2006-02-21T15:35:00.000Z

>> Etheria
>> Alicorn Records

Ah myspace *smiles at screen*. Isn't it wonderful. Miss McKendrick seems to agree with me anyway, building her friends list to over a thousand for when she attacks them with her fabulous debut album, Etheria. I don't mean that she physically run after them with a CD, actually a vinyl would probably do more damage - but you know what I mean.

Come with me on this strange journey the young singer/songwriter sings in the intro song, and quite a journey it is as she turns all of the shit that life has thrown at her into a lovely 13 track album. Candytuft and Colour instantly show the talent on display in this record, with some fine individual moments from the various instruments, but the songs fail to grab the listener as much as they should from an opening few tracks of a debut album. Its not until Dark Horse, track 4 on the album, that we begin to see the diversity, emotion and raw talent on offer.

Find Me is the standout, and definitely single material. Colette's personal rollercoaster that she has persuaded us all to take a ride on (no rude jokes please..) is now in full swing and with the clever lyrics, beautiful harmonies and cracking melody line she has us all enjoying the twists and turns of the journey - even the people who were not open minded enough to join in in the first place.

Followed up with tracks like Voyeurism and Peter Pan's Biggest Fan, the happy wee girl in her pictures section of her myspace page is sneaking through and she has toes tapping everywhere. But Colette seems to be at her best when she really spills everything in her soul onto a track, and on High Mountain she does exactly that. Stripped right down to just the piano and voice, she lets the emotion take over, and the high note at 1.30 is one of those spine-tingling moments.

Reading an article about WWE wrestling the other day (don't ask...), some pro-wrestler guy was saying that his rather troubling profession has something for everyone. Well, that's kind of how to sum-up Etheria, with the album definitely set for the rock/pop section there are some classical influences throughout and even some jazz funk on This Girl. Wither or not the rest of the general public will give her a HELL-YEAH! or slam her candy-ass into the canvas, only time will tell.

The production may not be perfect, and sometimes the power and expression of her voice may be lost slightly compared to the live show, but its a marvelous first attempt from the Lick's latest local hero. Keep one eye on this one, or she'll myspace the hell out of ya!

>> Joe Sach

www.colettemckendrick.co.uk
www.myspace.com/colettemckendrick

Household

2006-02-16T15:08:00.000Z

>> Demo

Household are so fresh that, this time six months ago, they didnt even exist as the grinding band that we know today or have just discovered today! Their wonderfully lo-fi demo, which was aptly recorded in their own homes reveals a sound that would not be out of place in the good old evenings of Steve Lamacqs boss tuneage or on a bill with The Pixies, This Girl or Placebo.

Layer upon layer of guitar (sometimes clean, sometimes wailing) are built up and topped off with some lovely loops and spacey keyboard action. Insistent vocals yell and ooh their way around the basslines and general chaotic sweetness. All that and a top-notch drummer gal!

>> Jill Carberry

www.inthehousehold.com

Flying Matchstick Men

2006-02-02T15:18:00.000Z

>> All Yr Secrets (Single)
>> One Records

YAS!! At last a lovely big slice of Scottish disco pop! As well as lead singer Graham 'Fucking' Pell insulting as many people as he can, the live experience of The Flying Matchstick Men will leave you with dancing blisters on your feet. But now, thanks to some fine knob-tweeking by mixer Mark Williams (of Test Icicles and Bloc Party fame) you can now get all of your campest friends round to bake cookies and have a dance to this 3 and a half minute pop gem. Great lyrics, clever guitar work, pounding drums and an infectious riff make this a tune that you won't be able to get out of your head.

As a UK tour starts this month, you should be slapped for not checking this band out live. I'm warning you!!

>> Joe Sach

www.flyingmatchstickmen.com

Capturie

2006-02-02T12:34:00.000Z

>> Mentality

The heavily fly-posted Capturie step up with the audacity to deliver a cd and a dvd!!! The band’s ‘Mentality’ EP has the decency to, at least, rock heavily but the Lick’s postbag seems bursting with bands I’d have been dead set on ten years ago!

‘Dying Inside’ is the kind of morbidly fascinating riff-monkey that the Cathouse crowd would probably get tattoos to commemorate. The bass boosted melodrama of title track ‘Mentality’ is equally up to the job. In terms of planting some melody in a metal jacket the boys deserve to reap the rewards. And the fact they can play the (expletive) out of a riff is testament to their right to a record deal… or at least a Kerrang cover mount. Raaawwwkk!!

>> Russell Moore

Jo Mango

2006-02-02T12:19:00.000Z

>> Paperclips and Sand
>> Lo-Five Records

Contained herein is an unreserved and steadfast apology for the flippant heresy of the last Jo Mango review I posted. The writing was ill advised and misdirected and Karma demands this be rectified. It’s the false sense of importance a laptop screen gives the diminutive writer in the early hours!

The album promo ‘Paperclips and Sand’ by Jo Mango, sent in by the fine fellows at everymatic, is far and away one of the best albums I’ve heard in a long time. There is no flab or filler here and neither should there be in a review of this work. Opener ‘My Lung’ is a heart-breaking lullaby, transmitted from a bygone era of folky wonder. It features instruments I have never heard before and is the closest, in aesthetic, to an acoustic Bjork as you’re likely ever to hear. Truly mesmerising.

The rest of the album follows suit in a similarly quirky and unpredictable manner: reminding you at every turn of the great album tracks in your collection but never once falling into the unkempt laziness of imitation.

This is indeed an album of untold beauty. The songs are those of delicate balance and hope-stained tears; the Damian Rice/Isobel Campbell comparisons Miss Mango has been receiving are just in their encompassing of an untainted talent.

It is now my main ambition to catch a show and become entranced once again.

Find this album (February 27th is a good time to look) and buy it – then tell everyone you know about it. Then keep it a secret.

>> Russell Moore

www.jomango.co.uk

Transaudio

2006-02-02T12:15:00.000Z

>> Frequencies

The worst thing about writing reviews is that the spell checker is never on-board with the fancy wordplay of the band names. Man, it is annoying. Anyway, on to the trés ‘00s sound of Transaudio. Treading the deceptively marshy ground of ‘Big Beat Rock’ is a dangerous and often fatal game. Think about Republica! Yeah, thought not. But in an acceptably Primal Screamy, Charlatany, Kasabiany sort of way, Transaudio pull it off.

Make no mistake, dance rock is a genre I’d quite like to see the back of but if you’re going to do it, do it with conviction. ‘Frequencies’ is a song you can see a bunch of mates leaping about to in the Garage on a Thursday, and for that it’s no bad thing. I’ll be at the bar.

>> Russell Moore

Attica Rage

2006-01-29T23:14:00.000Z

>> In Concert With The Mirror

Firmly rooted in high-octane, belt-driven metal Attica Rage come with a strict ‘No Compromise’ stamped on their foreheads. The riffs are brutal… a bit like being hit with a shovel during a storm, but the effect is gratifying. Touches of humour- like the title ‘In Concert with the Mirror’- and the deft cap-tilting debt they owe to Metallica make them even more likeable, and my metal days are long gone! If yer likin’ old school metal in the vein of Metallica and Machine Head then dive in- and if you don’t then dive in anyway because sometimes you just need to let your hair thrash in the speakers.

>> Russell Moore

Attic Lights

2006-01-29T23:11:00.000Z

Untitled EP

Drinking from the same sweet Californian fountain of four part harmonies and pedal steel guitar as the Beach Boys and Teenage Fanclub, Attic Lights have been around for about five minutes and have been making some mean waves already. They have been played on all the Scottish radio stations that matter and have been on telly a few times, including as the subject of a special, on Scottish TV’s Nochd Gunn Chadal (what do you mean you’ve never heard of it?!).

They sound like The Thrills with balls (which to be fair, wouldn’t be hard), with a strong lead vocal embraced by the harmonies and a lovely Neil Young-esque crunchy guitar. A little less saccharine than the Cosmic Rough Riders but with their same pop sensibilities.

This EP has three cracking little nuggets of sunshine, each one the perfect antidote to the fast approaching winter.

Visit www.atticlights.com to hear lots of their tunes including their lovely soundtrack to recent indie movie ‘Midnight Oil’.

>> Paul Bamford

The Valor

2006-01-29T23:09:00.000Z

Dirty Endings EP

The Valor have been a mainstay of the Glasgow live circuit over the past 5 years, although you would never know it. Various name and line up changes have left the band running in circles for a while. However, with the new line up seeming like the dream team and the release of this, their strongest set of songs to date, things are looking up.

Kinda like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club with better melodies and twiddlier guitars, The Valor know the importance of a hook and even if the genre’s not your thing, the catchy melodies will at least have a foot tapping.

‘Yesterday’s Gone’ is the only one I have a problem with on the EP, it takes too long to get started on the catchy chorus. And then, just when your getting into it, it breaks back down again, leaving one with an itchy fast forward finger.

Despite its shortcomings, ‘Dirt Endings’ is a charming lad-rock record, with all the pigeon chested strutting you would expect from a group who cite Oasis and the Stones as influences. And with some cracking hooky singalong chants, (especially on ‘The Extra’ which out ‘nah-nahs’ Kasabian at their best), should have you whistling the refrains for weeks to come.

www.thevalor.co.uk

>> Paul Bamford

Cinematics

2006-01-29T23:04:00.000Z

Chase (Single)
TVT Records

Supposedly, Cinematics singer Scott Rinning was discovered by the rest of the band two years ago busking on the streets for food, God bless him. Well, its better than selling the Big Issue, I suppose. I can just imagine him belting out Jeff Buckley covers behind the open guitar case full of loose crisps and half sandwiches.

Any beggar Ive ever offered food to usually throws it on the ground in front of me and stands on it before saying something like "That’s no gonnae get us a tenner bag, is it, ya prick?" before stealing my new Nike Air Dub Zeros off my feet.

Anyway, fast forward two years and a presumably well fed Rinning delivers dreamy vocals on this gorgeous slice of indie pop, released via the band’s new home at TVT Records (also, bizarrely, home to King of Crunk, Lil’ Jon). The track was on the soundtrack to the recent Transporter 2 movie and with the video playlisted on MTV2 it is fair to say that great things await this filmic foursome.

>> Paul Bamford

The Traces

2006-01-29T23:02:00.000Z

>> While We Fall

The white casing, the plain white cd… what to expect? The mystery was too much so I headed to the website (www.thetraces.net) where all was revealed. The Traces are continuing this month’s theme of well-crafted eps with a solid Joy Division / Interpol / Verve view of guitar brilliance. The three tracks here are all pretty top notch; ‘Calling All’ grabs you but then you fall for ‘The Other One’ and feel like you’re two timing! A short and snappy cd that, at eleven minutes, leaves you wanting maybe one more track – the sneaky blighters know how to play the game. In any case The Traces do not, as the name implies, leave a wispy outline on an existing template – they have a beating heart and a blueprint of their own.

>> Russell Moore

The Oceanfloor

2006-01-29T23:01:00.000Z

>> Whole Animal

In certain cultures, where there are no supermarkets or chip shops, the people must strive and suffer for their sustenance. Generations pass on the secrets of survival and one of the most important secrets is that if you hunt a creature you owe it the respect of using the whole animal. The oceanfloor have an understanding of this train of thought (I trust) because, going by this ep, there is little-to-no wastage. Songs are brooding yet efficient, they sneak up on you but are sure to tip their cap before they leave. I really enjoy ‘Spill’ with its choral simplicity and aching guitar. ‘The Whole Animal’ is a sniper of a tune; it delivers a great deal and you can barely sense its presence. If this is a sign of things to come then I’m pretty excited and for those of you who still believe in music with a soul then you will not be disappointed by the oceanfloor.

Russell Moore

Hollow Horse

2006-01-29T22:59:00.000Z

>> Beggarstown

With warming Celtic overtones, Hollow Horse don’t exactly gallop out of the stalls (arf!) but there is something about their optimistic, 80s-indie sound that keeps me nipping back to their album for another listen. It’s in no way an outstanding leap forward in terms of musical exploration but its foundations are so solid and it sticks so assuredly to its musical lineage it’s impossible to immediately dismiss.

Locking into a Wedding Present / Deacon Blue / Gin Blossoms vice of catchy hooks and simple harmonies you think that you recognise songs you’ve never heard – how odd. If I were going to be harsh I’d complain that, at times, the lyrics seem to have stemmed from a poetry night-class of some sort. But the care that’s gone into the work is evident and I can imagine certain low-key groove going on in a live setting. Maybe a bit more of an abstract approach would have kept me on my toes but with songs as nifty as ‘Forget the Girl’ and ‘Life Is Fine…’ I reckon the Horse popping up in an mp3 shuffle will be no bad thing.

Russell Moore

Blind Pew

2006-01-29T22:57:00.000Z

>> You’re Claimed EP
>> Smokey Bear Records

Blind Pew’s ‘You’re Claimed’ EP kicks off with ‘The Devil in I’ starts off with a little bit of mock mysterious reggae before kicking into a jaunty little number that one may imagine Inspector Gadget extending a mallet out of his hat to whist chasing one of The Black Claw’s henchmen.

‘Uh-Huh’s titular refrain sounds like a Do Me Bad Things song, a band I never thought anyone would openly admire but its clear that Blind Pew do, either consciously or unconsciously. More worryingly, the single note guitar solo brings to mind Ocean Colour Scene’s ‘Thousand Mile High City’, which can’t be a good thing. The Britpop influence is a constant, both from the good/bad old days of the mid to late 90’s right up to today’s stars. In particular, The Kaiser Chiefs’ gang-like backing vocals and merry funster stylings are imitated on more than a couple of occasions.

‘Experiment’ is an unashamed exercise in 80’s hip swinging, injecting a bit of good honest fun into proceedings, something that is woefully absent from the majority of today’s smart self referential post-post-post-modern irony-savvy music makers. However, Do Me Bad Things appear to be pilfered again as the hook sounds like a direct lift from ‘What’s Hideous’.

‘Memories for Show’ is a pleasing little Belle &Sebastien-esque semi-ballad that sounds much more natural and heartfelt than the rest of the EPs slightly forced glammy jives. The Britpop influence pokes its head up again in the solo, which is appropriated this time from Oasis’ ‘Rocking Chair’.

A cartoony sense of fun pervades the whole EP, which is fine and raises a smile at first, but it starts to wear after a couple of songs, leaving you wondering if there is much else to Blind Pew than superficial japery. They are one of those bands that if you went to a gig and they happened to be supporting the main act, you would enjoy them but probably not do anything about finding out any more about them. The EP is just such an entity. I enjoyed it, but probably wont listen to it again. That’s not to say that others wont, but some may require a little more to grab hold of.

Next time, Gadget!

Paul Bamford