Euan McMeeken (The Kays Lavelle, Mini 50 Records) also records solo piano compositions under the pseudonym Glacis. His latest Glacis release was composed for Jamie Mills' short film Tohu Va Vohu . From Mills' website: Tohu Va Vohu is an animation that explores how the world is made up of chaotic, cyclical patterns and structures and how these are affected through time and human influence. The animation will clock in at under six minutes. McMeeken's nearly 16-minute soundtrack allows for two different films - one scored by "Spring/Summer" and another by "Winter/Autumn" [...]

The first half-minute, indeed the first ten seconds set the terms. This whitewashed chorus is the sound of inner dissonance, nothing really to do with the external world of instruments or processing. This is a place of quiet disorder, of serotonin failure. It is a relief when the mournful cello joins the slight vocals. Rapturous when the sharp cracks of snare drum part the ether and echoes and unbalance. The song is named "Badger" and it opens the ravishing EP Future Nostalgia for sale , from Edinburgh-based three-piece Hiva Oa. "Badger" and [...]
It's hard for friends to understand when I try explaining to them this absolute nausea I feel about New Year's Eve. I go out, I appreciate being around the friends... I'm happy enjoying the moment with them, yet in the back of my mind is a swelling sadness, a wave so huge that by the [...]

Monday - the excellent Night Noise Team brought some fresh meat to the butchers table Tuesday - Rod Jones and his naked band the Birthday Suit were in session for Vic Galloway. Whilst we had a double helping of Frabbit thanks to our American buddy Ryan 'Cut Here', fucking love that guy. Wednesday - I am becoming a bit of a fanboy when it comes to the French Wives, so I was chuffed to bits to have them enter the hall of the fame [...]
Week fourteen and it's time for Edinburgh six piece, The Kays Lavelle. Having initially known lead singer Euan as a fellow blogger, I was a wee bit apprehensive as to what I might make of his music. I needn't have worried as the 'Kays debut album, 'Be Still This Gentle Morning', is an absolute corker. They [...]

Photo by Luke Joyce Week fourteen and it's time for Edinburgh six piece, The Kays Lavelle. For once I am not really sure where to start, having known lead singer Euan initially as a fellow blogger. I was always a wee bit apprehensive as to what I might make of his music, thankfully I needn't have worried as the 'Kays debut album, 'Be Still This Gentle Morning', is an absolute corker of a record. They make atmospheric sounds that could break the hearts of us delicate indie [...]

Ten Times mp3 The Kays Lavelle Be Still This Gentle Morning ..... out May 17 (Europe) on Wiseblood Industries Ten Times (Japanese War Effort Remix) mp3 From Edinburgh, The Kays Lavelle are a band I keep always within my reach... on my phone, on my ipod, in my car. There's a moment in every week when I just need to close my eyes and lose myself in something that spins me a little bit out of control, in [...]

It's Tigerfest and The Kays Lavelle album launch this week, as well as being May, which says to me that our first barbecue of the season can't be much further away, surely. Ach, who knows though, this Spring's been all over the bloody shop so Christ knows. Still, we're firmly into the first stirrings of Festival Season now which is... erm, well certainly not a bad thing I guess. There are some fucking shitty festivals (blogs, bands, etc...) out there, and I am becoming distinctly picky in my taste for festivals, and really quite [...]

The Kays Lavelle The second single ‘Ten Times’ from the Kays forthcoming debut album ‘Be Still This Gentle Morning’ is available for free digital download through the good folk over at Wiseblood Industries . Blur I guess that most of you will already be aware of this, but in case it passed you by Blur's new song 'Fools Day' that was released as part of Record Store Day has been made available for free download in exchange for your email address . Kid Carpet [...]

Okay, there aren't any titans, but there are plenty of clashes in this week's gig calendar. Look at Saturday for instance - The Fall, The Leg or Bear in Heaven? - it depends on the precise length and angle of your fringe I suppose. Well, that and the cut of your jeans. And Wednesday, what do I do? Go and butter up Yusuf Azak and try and get him to join the label, or go and butter up the Foxxes and try and make sure they stay? That's the music industry for you: so many arses to kiss [...]

Suzanne Shaw is one courageous cookie. Whenever the St Andrews musician plays a gig, she morphs into PANDA SU , heart-crushing singer extraordinaire decorated chin to forehead in black and white paint to cover up the tear stains. Naming your music output after a creature of the wild may seem like a very modern trend, but it's nothing new. The biggest band the world has ever seen was named after a garden inset after all. But Panda Su is not like the rest. [...]

[ This week’s Sunday Supplement has been provided by Euan ‘ Steinberg Principle ’ ‘ Kays Lavelle ’ ‘ Trampoline ’ McMeeken, and turns Matthew’s own review of an important local release on its head. Don’t forget if you’d like to see a Sunday Supplement of your own published here, just email us at sunday@songbytoad.com [...]

we're only afraid of NYC This week we have not one but two Scottish bands that I have been really enjoying, first up is the wonderfully named 'we're only afraid of NYC'. They gave their debut EP away for free a couple of months ago, it was good, and now they're doing the same with their second EP. In my opinion this is better, much better in fact. It's not just me that rates them, the lovely Lauren Laverne has been playing them on her 6Music show last week. The EP is available to download now on their [...]

The Hours mp3 The Kays Lavelle Be Still You might recognize the singer/keyboardist of this band; he's commented on this blog from time to time. Euan and I have been email buddies for a long while now and I've heard a few versions of this track and, m'dears, this is absolutely the best and most compelling one yet. I love the orchestration that's been added to this, it just balances out Euan's vocals so perfectly, giving this song a really heavy feel in the right sense of the word. "The [...]

[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] So I might as well us this blog as the place to announce that The Kays Lavelle’s debut album entitled ‘Be Still This Gentle Morning’ will be released through Wiseblood Industries on 17th May this year. Or that is the intended release date. It may get pushed back, but we are definitely hoping to [...]

Launch nights, are they really like buses, na not really but alas we have two which have come up pretty quickly after one another. January is notoriously a pretty shitty month for gigs, everyone's skint and there's generally not much going on apart from Celtic Connections. This year might well buck this trend as there are not one but two cracking wee gigs lined up in the first couple of weeks of January. First up is the launch night for We Sink Ships Radio, at the 13th Note this Friday (08/01/10), which boasts a line up of [...]

There's really no way that I'm actually awake as this post hits the interwebs. We're shooting this post out into the ether just to say hello and wish our readers a healthy and prosperous 2010. One year ago today, we jump started Citizen Dick at midnight as the ball dropped, and it's been an amazingly successful and fun ride through the waves of 2009. Our goals are broad, our plates are full, and we're looking forward to an even brighter 365 day chunk. It's been a busy few weeks around here, and we've just wrapped up all of [...]

It's been a busy week, and the end of the year is looming. Jus tone more mixtape before 2010! Tracklisting: Dutch Uncles - Takeover Eliza Doolittle - Rollerblades Elliott Smith - Cecilia/Amanda Laura Veirs - July Flame Novels - This [...]

Bulan ini Tika & The Dissident didengar di 30 negara lebih sebagai wakil dari Indonesia. Untuk mempromosikan bahasa Indonesia dan menunjukkan bahwa kita mempunyai musik yang berkualitas. INDONESIA : Deathrockstar Tika & The Dissidents - Waltz Muram Known as the diva from the indie scene in Indonesia, Tika has a beautiful voice and smart lyrics with influences ranging from swing and lounge music mashed with eclectic orchestration. I [...]