I first saw 'Cancel the Astronauts' last year in Edinburgh. Worryingly, the venue looked like a shabby school sports hall and there were cupcakes at the bar. Then when the band bounded on stage my only thoughts were: 'The singer is wearing trackie bottoms? Well, this is going to be bollocks'. How wrong I was. [...]
Another Edinburgh group...wow...seems like the north has finally awaken! Cancel The Astronauts (CTA) are from Edinburgh and besides a really catchy name they write great power pop tunes. They've just sent us their second EP titled Funny for a Girl, which you can stream/buy from their bandcamp page (link at the end of the post) or you can hear the whole EP below. It is true that whatever comes from Scotland immediately grabs my attention, but CTA are worth the initial excitement. Powerful melodies, full of fun and energy that will get you going in no time. Enjoy! [...]
Photo by John Cheung Picture it the 3rd of October 2009, the Bowery (now the Roxy) in Edinburgh. It's the launch night for Kid Canaveral's EP 'Left and Right'. I have just arrived in possibly the twee-est (is that a word?) venue I have ever seen, there's cupcakes at the bar and the main room where the gig is being held looks like some kind of school sports hall. Personally I am loving it, then on comes the first band of the evening, cue Cancel the Astronauts bounding on stage. My [...]
From Moscow, Russia comes Upstation , an electro-pop trio. You can check out their Myspace page to download their 4-track EP. No More Promises by Upstation Five-man indie pop band from Edinburgh, Scotland, Cancel The Astronauts are back with EP number two and it's a good one. Funny For A Girl by Cancel The Astronauts from Funny For A Girl EP In other news, I've [...]
Never mind fucking jetpacks, SPRING is what I was fucking well promised. A few weeks ago I awoke to a pleasantly mild morning and strolled into work without ducking the head or turning up the collar and genuinely believed that Spring was on its way. It wasn't, of course, it was just Mother Nature fucking with my head. I remember last year the crocuses and snowdrops were out in January, it was that warm, whereas this year it is pretty much April and they are still not out in the shadier parts of the garden. A [...]
I'm just going to keep throwing stuff at you until I get this inbox under control. It's not for lack of trying, and it's certainly not to disparage any of the fine artists in there. I love all of these. I hope you do too, xoxo Rachel Dadd's Moth in the Motor.... I still love this song so much! And one of my favorite Glaswegian bands, Cancel The Astronauts is giving away their EP I Am The President of Your Fanclub (And Last Night I Followed You Home) [...]
Just for a quick update what's going on... You can stream the full upcoming album, In The Dark , by The Whigs here . The album is due out on March 16th. Cancel the Astronauts are giving away downloads of their EP, I am the President of your Fanclub (and Last Night I Followed you Home), in anticipation of the follow-up EP. You can download it here , here , or there . [...]
I don't get excited about free EPs just because they're free - this one's actually bloody good as well! Scotland's Cancel The Astronaut s have been on my radar for a while now, and they recently made their EP I Am The President Of Your Fanclub available for free download on their bandcamp page. I've uploaded a ton of tunes to my iPod these last couple of days, but these are the ones I keep coming back to. 'I Am The President Of Your Fanclub (And Last Night I Followed [...]
Miaoux Miaoux Electronica artist, Miaoux Miaoux (or Julian Victor Corrie as he's known in real life), has put up a free d ownload of a new track called "Hrvatski". Miaoux Miaoux is playing a launch night for his new EP 'Blooms', at the 13th Note this coming Tuesday (16th). He'll also being answering a few questions for me very soon, so watch this space. Cancel The Astronauts I saw these guys play Kid Canaverals EP launch last year, and I must admit they completely caught [...]
When do the clocks go forward again? It feels like it should be soon, because the bite's gone out of the cold, and you can see green shoots here and there on some of the plants, but I guess it'll be a while yet, unfortunately. Still, it's actually light out when I leave work these days, which is a positive sign. The post-Christmas gig lull seems to be slowly coming to an end as well, which is good news. It's actually a rather busy week this week, with the funs spread pretty evenly, instead of all clumping together [...]
We have a clear few days to get some work done this week, before the weekend's flurry of giggery. There are some devious Austrians sneaking about Scotland this week, partly having a holiday, and partly shooting sessions for They Shoot Music. Apart from Mrs. Toad and I recording our annual anti-Valentine's day festival of hate, we will record a podcast with them while they're here, and then leave them to go off and do some stuff with Jesus H. Foxx, Meursault, Withered Hand, a trip up to Fife to see the Fence Records chaps, and then some time in Glasgow [...]
[Welcome back to the first Sunday Supplement of 2010, with Euan from the Steinberg Principle , amongst other things, returning to his regular slot. Next week will see the return of Campfires and Battlefields] Trampoline this month is going all pop on your asses. The shimmering guitar sounds will be out in full force. Matthew [the Astronaut, not the Toad] has organised this month's show, so I will use his very words to describe what’s happening. Why write something myself when somebody [...]
Two days ago I mentioned that festivals in Edinburgh seem to always have Broken Records on the bill, then just to prove me wrong along comes Haddow Festival to prove me wrong. Taking place on Sunday the 28 th of March, Haddow Fest is a one day event being held in various venues across Edinburgh on Sunday 28 th March 2010, using a Camden Crawl format. The line up looks no bad, the obvious standouts being Idlewild and We Were Promised Jetpacks . Venues being used are The Bongo Club, ,Electric [...]
Nessun Dorma - Antony & the Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra I Am The President Of Your Fan Club (And Last Night I Followed You Home) - Cancel The Astronauts In The Morning Before Work - Owen She Comes To Me - Adam Arcuragi [...]
This week's job is the finishing of the Honeytrap Toad Session, preparing the second Toad House Gig for Friday - brilliant brilliant brilliant! - sort of getting ready for the Toad Autumn Party at the Bowery on the 10th (Pineapple Chunky madness, woo!) and getting the Meursault singles pressed and the artwork sorted. If I am dead by the weekend, do not be surprised. Fortunately, the start of the week is relatively light on gigs. Lightish anyway. Tonight is free, so I should get a chunk done then. I just fear the traditional upload hell which tends to [...]
Cancel the Astronauts ( MySpace ) have put together five tracks of glorious and unashamed indie pop, adding to the resurgence of Edinburgh's music scene. From when the tom-tom-led drums fall into the opening and title track "I am the President of your Fanclub (and last night I followed you home" and are joined by some Strokes-esque tight guitars you know you're in for indie-danceable delight. They aren't reinventing the wheel, but with a sound that fits somewhwere between The Futureheads and We were Promised Jetpacks with a little of first album Franz Ferdinand thrown in for [...]
Round these parts (i.e. me) there is a lot of love for Kid Canaveral, whether it's pop-tastic tunes, or the fact the Davie their singer put up with me rambling pure pish at him at last years Malcolm Middleton Christmas party I'm not sure. I guess a bit of both. Anyway, I digress, fucking love them no matter what my reasoning may well be, for me 'Smash Hits' is one of the best songs I've come across this year ( go on treat yourself ), so having stalked David for several months now I managed to persuade him and the [...]
I feel really weird this morning. Partly I am whizzed off my tits on painkillers, which at least makes the back pain manageable, and partly I took the advice from this thread a little too seriously last night. Ouch. Pills, Caol Ila and Ardbeg: not a winning combination by the time the morning after comes around. So there's no chat this week, you'll be pleased to know. Here are some gigs. Go to them. But good luck picking what to do on Wednesday, because I've no fucking idea myself. Wednesday 23rd September 2009: [...]
Myspace // "Intervention" [Audio] Scottish group Cancel the Astronauts has a firm grasp on playful indie rock, falling somewhere between the style of bands like the Strokes and the irreverence of some of their local counterparts like Come On Gang and We Were Promised Jetpacks, describing their music as "twisted love songs." Their debut EP is out now, and if you want a little sampling before making the purchase, head on over to their Last FM page to [...]
I am so far behind with basically everything that I can almost see myself coming around the other way. I should be finishing up my first lecture of the new semester, but I just can't bear spending much more of my Saturday on a talk that most of my students are going to doze through anyway. So instead, I'm offering you a long overdue edition of A Free Man's new music recommendations. Edinburgh quintet Cancel the Astronauts is hard not to love. They make driving, electronica tinged indie pop that is guaranteed to stick in your [...]
Dear Scotland
Athens66
Peenko
Eldur og Is
Song, by Toad
Love Shack, Baby
It All Started With Carbon Monoxide
The Blue Walrus
Exitfare
A Free Man
Boards of Canada - Reach for the Dead (from Tomorrow's Harvest)
Julia Holter - World (Official Video)
Washed Out - Paracosm (Official Album Trailer)
She & Him- I Could've Been Your Girl
Action Bronson - "Strictly 4 My Jeeps" (Official Video)
HAERTS: “All The Days”
Today I Feel I’ve Sprung A Leak
‘Live With Kelly & Michael’ Talks Daft Punk, Dance With Their Own Helmets
