Before we fire in to the freebies, there's more self promotion to get through. Tomorrow night (Saturday, just in case you don't know what day it is) we've got the second Scottish Fiction Presents: Aye Tunes Vs Peenko gig, or as I like to call it, the second Glasgow blogger circle jerk gig. It's at The Flying Duck from about half seven, and joining us this time are Gav Prentice giving his debuit solo album an overdue launching, Campfire in Winter and Behold, the Old Bear. Well worth six of your pounds, I reckon. Last week's Aye Tunes [...]
After a night in my own bed (I can promise there's no greater feeling than leaving a muddy campsite knowing there's a hot shower waiting on you twenty minutes away) it was back to the Carron Valley. On arrival, we heard some rather interesting noises emanating from the Baino Stage. It turned out this was the cheery pop of Teen Canteen , who are beyond twee but are also fantastic – of all the bands I've heard who are named after Showaddywaddy songs, they're definitely the best. Sadly we only heard a couple of songs [...]
Near the start of this self indulgent ramblefest that has been 33 I wrote about the Aye Tunes Vs Pennko gigs. Returning to that self indulgent theme, today I'm going to write a wee bit about the gigs I've put on by myself, which have imaginatively been titled Aye Tunes Presents. I'd have shortened that to ATP, but I'm pretty sure there'd be objections to that. #1 - 21st January 2011, Stereo Goodness, that feels so long again. I suppose it is quite a while ago, nearly a year and a [...]
Near the start of this self indulgent ramblefest that has been 33 I wrote about the Aye Tunes Vs Pennko gigs. Returning to that self indulgent theme, today I'm going to write a wee bit about the gigs I've put on by myself, which have imaginatively been titled Aye Tunes Presents. I'd have shortened that to ATP, but I'm pretty sure there'd be objections to that. #1 - 21st January 2011, Stereo Goodness, that feels so long again. I suppose it is quite a while ago, nearly a year and a [...]
I'd like to start off this weeks post by letting you all know that there won't be a Friday Freebies post next week as I am heading up to Inverness on Wednesday morning for this years goNorth Festival. Instead of sitting in front of my laptop next Thursday night, I will be at the Bloggers Showcase that myself, The Pop Cop and Song, By Toad are putting on. If you're up in Inverness make sure you come along to Blackfriars on Academy St to catch Make Sparks, Sebastian Dangerfield, CD/EX and Yusuf Azak. Right [...]
Holy fuck my brain is still resisting any and all attempts to get it working again. I lived on a boat down in London, and I remember when I first bought the thing it was semi-submerged, and I had to pump out the engine compartment just to get the old Lister engine above water for the first time in about two years. Even after two years under the fucking Thames, all I had to do was crank it manually a couple of times to flush the water out, replace the battery, press start and boom, the ancient bastard [...]
Most live scenes tend to peter out a little from late June/early July onwards as the Festival season starts to cannibalise what remains of the audience after the students have gone home, and people tend to take what little chance they get to be outside in the sun, if it ever appears, rather than in a sweaty basement listening to pale young men complaining about their feelings. The Edinburgh live scene, on the other hand, tends not to be as dependent on students, not to have to fear too much from oft promised but never delivered good weather, [...]
"There's…too many of them!!" ―Lieutenant Telsij, Y-wing pilot from Return of the Jedi I should have featured this lot bloody ages ago, I have mentioned them on here often enough. For those of you who haven't heard of the Second Hand Marching Band they're an unconventional folk band comprising of multiple band members, in the same vein as say bands like the Polyphonic Spree or I'm From Barcelona. They don't necessarily sound like the aforementioned artists, you could say they're more [...]
You could be forgiven for thinking this is Sufjan and the general festive vibes don't help in any way to shake that impression. The song was recorded during a snowy spell in coldest Scotland and the collective probably felt inspired to reach for a sound that reminded them most of Christmas. Entirely odd that a song such as this should arrive in late May but then our isle has been so drenched in precipitation and howling air recently it feels all the world like the end of another year. And with half of the world's leader bedding down in the [...]
Bon Iver So the big question in indie circles at the start of the year was whether or not Justin Vernon, aka Bon Iver could live up to the high standards he set up with his debut album 'For Emma, Forever Ago'. With his new self titled album due out soon, you can get a taster of what to expect by downloading new song Calgary , in exchange for your email address. Discopolis I briefly mentioned Edinburgh electro outfit, Discopolis in a post yesterday. If you read The Pop [...]
Mrs. Toad's Lettuce The above picture shows how our veggie patch is doing, for those of you who give a flying fuck, which admittedly might not be many of you. Sunday was spent lying about in the garden reading books, which was nice and relaxing after getting pished late into the night with Monster Island, These Single Spies and Kid Canaveral after the Henry's gig on Saturday night. This Saturday we will be collecting for the RNLI in Stockbridge, so if you want to help out please do get in touch as we will [...]
Anyone managed to avoid my relentless plugging of this weekend's Ides of Toad gig? No, thought not, there's nowhere to hide when I start riding the spam train down the middle of the information superhighway. Or er... something like that, anyway. Anyhow, the Ides of Toad gigs are now booked up all the way through to the Summer, at which point they will take a break over the Edinburgh Festival as I get a bit more involved in Lach's Antihoot , which will be returning to the Teviot (I think they call it the Gilded Balloon over [...]
Monday - Amy Duncan kicked the week off with some Fresh Meat action Tuesday - Steve Mason and A Band Called Quinn sessions Wednesday - Inverness post-rockers, Shutter took on some Scots Way-Hay action and I also let you know about a couple of exciting new projects which I am involved in. Thursday - I had quite a few sessions up for download, Cancel the Astronauts , Isobel Campbell and the Twilight Sad all did [...]
Ghost Pants Paul Carlin (aka the dude from Dananananaykroyd) is back with the third in his series of lo-fi EP's, and you know what, I reckon this might just be his best yet. Sticking with the 'heart's theme, this one is called 'Active Hearts' and although it's down as being free, I asked the man himself if it would be okay to say to folk that they can download it for free, he said 'yes'. What a nice man he is. You can get yourself a copy here . Ghost Pants make their live debut at the [...]
If you never come across the Second Hand Marching Band before, even if you have and you haven't heard this song before then you might be in for a shock. The SHMB are a large collection of musicians who play uplifting folky big band pop. At some point there can be upwards of around 20 of them playing at once. It really has to be seen live to be fully appreciated as to how to impressive it all is. When they recorded this cover as part of a Vic Galloway session last year it came as quite a surprise to [...]
'They Shoot Music Don't They' regularly film the world's best new bands on the streets of their hometown Vienna. Recently they visited Scotland to capture some of our finest musicians in unusual places. This week, The Second Hand Marching Band in Royal Exchange Square. They Shoot Music Don't They Goes to Scotland #8 -- The Second Hand [...]
Normally I would have stuck this in the Weekly Roundup, but seeing as I only found about it last night I thought I would give it a wee plug today. Plus I am afraid that I don't have any sessions to post today as last night Radio Scotland band aren't really my cup of tea. Anyway, if you are free on Thursday night and you're not going to Tuts for French Wives, Seventeenth Century, Washington Iriving and Rachel Sermanni (what a fucking line up that is) or The Captains Rest for theapplesofenergy and Toro Y Moi - I am going [...]
Son(s) They come from Aberdeenshire, they now reside in Edinburgh, they sound cracking. That's about all you need to know for now, don't believe me, then go and check out their Bandcamp where you will find a couple of free downloads. Mates of State The husband-and-wife indie pop duo have posted a free download of their cover of Daniel Johnston's "True Love Will Find You in the End", which features on their forthcoming album 'Covers' album. Also, in case you missed it last time round, their cover of Girls [...]
The Second Han d Marchi ng Band are a downright flurry of people as well as instruments. According to their official website they are "a mix of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Ayr, Kincardine, Cumbernauld, Neilston, Canada, Airdrie and elsewhere", and play "guitars, ukuleles, mandolins, triangles, accordions, trumpets, tenor horns, saxophones, trombones, glockenspiel, castanets, marching drums, melodicas, woodblocks, tambourines, bells, violins, flutes, clarinets and other stuff." So as you might have guessed, their music is richly layered in both talent and sound. Their brand of folk-rock reminds me of [...]
Aye Tunes
Peenko
Aye Tunes
Song, by Toad
mp3hugger
Dear Scotland
I Am The Crime
Peter Hook and the Light – Everything’s Gone Green
[new]: Kanye West – New Slaves
Weekly Mix Vol. I
Kanye West will premiere new single and video across the globe tonight
