That aside, do Carnivores deliver? “Scottish Football” is as good as its title and bristles with authentic danger, like a Paisley Rage Against The Machine. “If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It” is a howl of rage from a cuckolded man promising his ex-partner he’ll turn their daughter against her in an act of vengeance, and the emotional punch makes it a lot more terrifying than the more wilfully gory and atmospheric “Harrison Fjord”. “Acid Attack, Blood Bath, Diamonds Are Forever” is, fetchingly, about a mundane relationship fizzling out (why aren’t there more songs like this? Surely it reflects more people’s experiences than tales of grand, all-consuming romance). “Lion Tamer” is unremarkable until a salsa rhythm and Irn Bru clinks come in out of nowhere to accentuate its funky beat and make it utterly brilliant. “Totally Radical Extreme Positive Vibe-Energy!” is one of those unrelenting headbangers that tend to be fun live but exhausting when you’re sober, alone in your house and listening to your iPod, but it does have a great riff towards the end which sounds like the (totally metal) first bit of the Derrick theme tune. Then just as the album threatens to lose your interest along comes “Horses of the Galaxy” which is just like one of those uplifting songs they play in reality documentaries except, well, good. It’s got a fantastic galloping bit and lyrics which stay on the right side of soppily inspirational. At the right time of night this is the kind of song that fills your heart. Then there’s “The River”, a grinding, fuzzy anthem and a canny closer as it’s so utterly good you’re left wanting more, which you’ll only get by starting the record over.

Overall, You Disgust Me is a solid album with flashes of brilliance that ends on a remarkable high. Carnivores are a creative band with enough ideas to turn your perception of them around in the course of a single song, but at their best when they commit to one and take it to its glorious conclusion. If they stick to paths as mental and winding as “Horses of the Galaxy” and “The River” then it is definitely worth keeping an eye out for where they end up.

Elin Cath

You can purchase the album here: http://carnivores1.bandcamp.com/album/you-disgust-me

Thus the announcement that day of the long list for the Scottish Album of the Year Award (SAY) 2013 may not have hit headlines, but those of you who witnessed the flurry of online activity in its wake might well be very aware of it. Flashing across Facebook and Twitter, the 20-strong list of relatively native artists and albums punched well above its apparent news weight and became quite the topic of conversation in Scottish musical corners.

The respectably varied list of nominees included household names like Emile Sande and Calvin Harris alongside the eclectic and substantial talents of lesser known artists such as RM Hubbert and Miaoux Miaoux. With a tantalising first prize of £20,000 and nine runner-up awards of a grand each, healthy discussions thus ensued over the various merits and failings of the lucky score of musicians. Some deemed too commercial and benign, others dismissed as esoteric: the product of inverse artistic snobbery and close-minded elitism. Many a witty retort, glowing endorsement or acerbic observation followed. The debate that didn’t really seem to register on the Richter scale of pop-culture outrage was, quite simply, why?

Why do we need an SAY award? More to the point, why do we need an SAY award which is funded entirely from a public purse? What exactly is SAY and what about it merited almost £100,000 of government funding last year alone?

Its organiser, the Scottish Music Industry Association, was, in its own words, established to promote and support the best interests and endeavours of Scotland’s music industry… and to champion the extraordinary output of our artists and businesses both at home and overseas According to the website of Creative Scotland – effectively the central bank of arts funding in this here land – SMIA received a total of £180,500 over the course of 2012 from the national arts funds, a sizeable £93,500 of which was ear-marked specifically to organise the SAY.

This year’s event also involves the support of other organisations, including the likes of whisky outfit Dewar’s, who are unlikely to be getting a free ride. This all considered, we as tax-payers (and lottery players) might well question the financial effectiveness of our fiscal support. Creative Scotland, who hands out money as it sees fit, is, after all, a distributor of National Lottery funds: public money. It defines its own remit as “to help Scotland’s creativity shine at home and abroad” but is a private awards party in Glasgow and a few subjectively allocated cash prizes really the best way of achieving that?

Started last year by the aforementioned SMIA, the SAY awards were ostensibly intended to “promote new music in Scotland” and designed “to increase engagement and sales”. With the green light already long since given for the second round of the SAY, have those goals ever been met? To date, it’s not even clear if anyone has really asked.

Certainly, for those lucky enough to receive one of the limited number of tickets to the event, this must seem like a terribly exciting coming together of Scotland’s domestic musical elite: a Who’s Who of A to D list celebrities and industry bods marvelling at just what a fertile land we live in. But what about the other 5.5 million people financing that party? Can we turn up at the door with a passport or utility bill and get wired into the buffet? There is no trifling amount of money involved and there seems to be a real danger of this slipping into the realm of one big industry jolly. Many might see it as the suits from Creative Scotland getting to stamp a few forms, counter-sign a cheque and then lurch out from the depths of their bureaucratic fortress to have their photos taken with Ricky Ross, Billy Sloan or the members of Travis (if indeed the latter still matter enough to get invited to such things).

Then there are the issues of cash prizes based on a closed vote, surely a dubious subject any time charity money is concerned. To address this the SAY have certainly developed an elaborate process and striven for as much transparency as they deemed practical, deriving a long list from suggestions by one hundred specially selected nominators, holding a brief public vote to shorten that list to ten and then leaving the final decision on how to divvy up the loot to a panel of 12 judges, hand-picked for their knowledge of music (which includes inspirational icons like Tjinder Singh, front-man on twee indie hit Brimful of Asha).

When it comes time for the Arty Dozen to consider those ten finalists, it would be interesting to learn whether circumstances out-with the music itself are taken into account. Emile Sande and Calvin Harris are both multi-millionaires for example (the former estimated at around five million

and the latter closer to seven), on huge deals with major international labels. Sande has only recently done the unthinkable in breaking a record set by The Beatles for longest tenure in the top 10 album chart. That is no small feat. Likewise, Harris set a record of his own, with 8 top 5 singles being

lifted from nominated album 8 Months These are world famous artists, with massive album sales who – whether we like it or not – for many across the globe, represent their only point of reference for Scottish contemporary music. Certainly they are flying some sort of flag on our behalf. But will either of them blink at a £20,000 prize? Will either of them even have time to come to the ceremony? Most importantly, is it even ethical to give such a massive sum of public money to already-rich individuals surfing the good favour of the biggest media corporations on the planet when we could be directly investing in the fortunes of those who have not enjoyed the same breaks or who pursue avenues less conducive to Nike endorsements and Hollyoaks play-listing?

This issue of musical context also leads to the possibility that, if the judges do indeed take personal fortunes, corporate backing and an uneven level of exposure into account, then surely they themselves are loading the dice. Deliberately interfering with the process. If either of the two aforementioned affluent acts were to be voted into the final ten by the public are they then to be disqualified from that short list on the basis that it’s probably not even worth their while walking to the bank to cash a cheque for £1000? A cheque that could make a major difference to any younger or less affluent act is pocket change for these international stars. There emerge so many points of contention and glaring cracks in the veneer of democratic process that the entire exercise begins to look utterly redundant.

But spare a thought for SMIA here. Clearly they are never going to please everyone in this scenario but, if the objective truly is to encourage and reward great Scottish talent abroad, why are we not prioritising the acts already taking the time to go abroad off their own back? One glaring omission from this year’s list would be Divorce, a Glasgow-based quartet who’s eponymous debut album was one of the great underground success stories of the last 12 months, released with meagre means yet met by critical acclaim. The band also tirelessly propelled themselves around the UK and Europe on hard-fought DIY tours, to equally rapturous responses. Exactly the kind of behaviour and reputation one would expect the SMIA to encourage. Yet, despite the record’s clear artistic merit, Divorce’s

less-than-mainstream (see abrasive) sound might well have played a large role in their exclusion. Partly due to the fewer channels of exposure it can thus be afforded by mainstream media and partly due to the very specific palette it’s particular flavour demands.

We face a situation where, in theory, a Scottish act could effectively dominate a niche genre like ambient drone, power metal or progressive jazz, producing an album of such enduring quality that it sets new standards for fans of said sounds, yet they then fail to even make the long list, finding themselves usurped by any number of substantially more widely heard mainstream albums, regardless of how those albums compare in their relative fields. That scenario in turn then raises the age-old contentious issue of whether or not to implement some kind of eclectic affirmative action based on the subjective opinions of critics and peers. Another minefield and another nail in the

coffin of fair play, regardless of what side of that argument you land on.

All these things considered, are there alternative ways to pursue the goals SMIA has laid out and benefit our musical communities?

Some countries in Europe offer subsidies to domestic acts (fuel costs, benefits) that enable their exports to tour sustainably. France in particular runs the scheme “Intermittence du Spectacle” which allows serious gigging musicians to qualify for income support throughout the year and properly commit to their art. Other regions make facilities available to musicians at reduced cost, including practice spaces, recording studios and custom transport. Meanwhile we continue to channel our resources into a short-sighted popularity contest that, thus far, primarily rewards those already enjoying relatively successful careers (see Aidan Moffat and Bill Wells who were awarded £10,000 of your money last year).

Could we not take, for example, a leaf from the book of the local authorities in Beziers, France, who bought and totally renovated an abandoned farm village on a nearby hillside, transforming it into an artistic hub, including a 2000 capacity venue, workshop space and a custom-built recording studio equipped with some of the finest analogue equipment on the planet? This venture in particular has not only benefited the local community, who take advantage of the facilities on the cheap, but aroused the curiosity of international acts looking for places to record (a certain Mr Thom Yorke’s management dropped them a line mere weeks into the project).

In the same vein, Creative Scotland and its curative predecessor The Scottish Arts Council have been responsible for the financial support of numerous great domestic talents in the form of smaller individual grants, assisting acts in their developmental stages. The benefits of these targeted cash injections can be invaluable (as a former recipient I speak first-hand) and even a brief scan of those who have utilised this resource throws up some great success stories and enduring works, including Jo Mango, Olympic Swimmers, Adam Stafford, Found, Mitchell Museum, The Xcerts, Frightened Rabbit, Twin Atlantic and Zoey Van Goey. This more considered and focussed approach to re- investing our lottery funds seems far more likely to produce positive results, whether for that specific project or for the artists’ development as a whole, especially as opposed to ambiguous notions of “boosting record sales” in a dwindling market-place.

It should be said that this year’s SAY nominee list is certainly comprised of many very good albums and the proclaimed goals of SMIA are commendable. They seek to further the reach of Scottish music and that could only be beneficial. At their core, this organisation is almost certainly comprised of enterprising, intelligent individuals looking to oust the dinosaurs of our native establishment and replace trite images of The Proclaimers with fresh, exciting and world-class contemporary acts in the minds of the average foreigner. But by adopting the closed-door policy of private parties and rewarding the select few at public expense, they are surely just emulating the arcane, self-serving attitudes of the establishment they seek to supplant.

As an unfortunate but significant bi-product, our ability to publicly engage with this issue also comes into question. There has been little written about the specifics of it and even less of a critical nature. With almost every sizeable public forum in the country on-board it’s easy to see why. The list of nominators, detailed on the SAY website, includes representative of all the major magazines, newspaper media departments, radio DJs, bloggers and record label management. Clearly, due to their involvement, this minimises the ability of any such individuals to be entirely objective when discussing the process or outcome and, likewise, dissenting voices find their avenues of discourse

cut to virtually nil, bar angry late-night tirades on social networking sites. The pursuit of a mandate is thus sewn up from the start and, in a situation where public money is changing hands, that same public is only afforded one perspective on the matter. A perspective that inevitably proclaims the merits of this bold new enterprise and asks no serious questions.

Whilst it would be rash and quite probably unfair to presume it was the original intention, we are, in effect, witnessing the creation of a new musical cartel. A seemingly unaccountable hierarchy that represents its own perceived notion of what constitutes the best of the current Scottish musical landscape and props up that definition at our wider expense whilst consulting us on the matter in only the most fleeting capacity. Dissent is marginalised and those operating on the periphery of the country’s music scene suffer whilst the inner circle prosper.

If the intention of SMIA and Creative Scotland is indeed to benefit the country’s musical community, can we not look to the examples of other countries and actually return that money to the wider community, helping people help themselves? Or are the greater population to be left, pressing their noses against the outside of steamed windows, watching as the party they paid for rages on behind closed doors?

Chris Cusack

For more information on The SAY Award visit: http://www.sayaward.com

There are very few things more worthwhile than proudly supporting the things that you love and I believe that the SAY award is good for Scottish music.

I would argue that serious consideration right here at home is the most important battle. The stark reality is that local bands are still considered niche, hearing someone sing in their own accent an oddity, even writing your own songs is considered “different” to vast swathes of us. Add to this that every year there is the sheer, blinding absurdity of Scottish bands, regularly playing not ten minutes walk from my front door, having to travel to Austin, Texas in search of raising their profile 4640 miles back home.

So will the SAY award fix this? No. Not on its own and not without growing. But it’s a start, and a good one at that.

It’s too easy to get lost in the details. I’ve seen much chatter since the long list was announced about Sandé and Harris’ nominations. I’ve seen it branded a failed, desperate attempt at publicity by some; a betrayal of the goals of the award to others. I disagree.

The SAY award has done an awful lot to be transparent, no doubt more than aware that competitions such as these are a magnet for accusations of great stitch ups by some incestuous Scottish music Sith, a cabal of industry furniture, sneering elitists, boot licking bloggers and self-serving hacks. There are lists of the nominators (all one hundred of them), every album that received even one nomination and helpful graphics on how the winner is determined, designed to award quality over relative success (unfortunately these are very different parameters.)  These are two record breaking albums by Scottish artists and, regardless of your personal taste, their exclusion would have been odd, indicating a bias that would have done nothing to dispel the insular, special interest image that Scottish music struggles with regardless of whatever excluded acts you personally feel are superior. For my own part there are many, not least Olympic Swimmers- No Flags Will Fly.

What is important here is the bigger picture. The SAY award may be an elaborate, retrospective way to award funding or promote the artists involved in the short term but what is the long term goal? Preaching to the converted is an excellent way to piss away resources. Enticing more people into their local venues and record shops, capitalising on a growing disillusionment with the bilge that dribbles out of the charts for months on end, these are the grander objectives. The SAY award, with its big cash prizes and opulent award ceremony, is a seductive siren, drawing in lost souls to crash on these magnificent rocks. It is a great burning torch, screaming “LOOK! LOOK AT ALL THIS BEAUTIFUL STUFF THAT EXISTS!” Like it or not, money and familiar faces lend legitimacy and attract attention.

An interest in local music is, in my own experience, a slippery slope. It can take as little as one good band, a thread to unravel, and suddenly you find yourself immersed in a community that you didn’t even know existed, starting a vinyl collection, never paying more than £15 for a gig, happily spending your free time writing about it for precisely hee-haw…

More fans mean more money, more albums sold, and more bodies at gigs. More interest is more investment, both public and private. This is good for artists providing a stronger base at home from which to strike out abroad, and good for the industry.

These goals are far from wholly realised. However this is only the second year of the SAY award. There is much chance for it to develop and I believe it will attract much more attention with time. That is a matter of faith though; the future is by definition uncertain. Grants and crowd funding are excellent for carefully directed investment however in their subtlety they would struggle to achieve the kind of coup that, in the longer term, the SAY award just might pull off.

So what about the fans? What does the SAY award do for us who are already interested? I can only speak personally here. Last year’s SAY award was the last push I needed to commit to buying Under Sleeping Waves from Happy Particles after seeing them perform with Meursault (nominated this year for Something for the Weakened [stunning]) as part of detour’s Stellar Sounds. Kammerspiel, a work of genius, from Conquering Animal Sound, had entirely passed me by were it not for the SAY award. This year the nomination of Karine Polwart and Lau has put me back in touch with a love of honest, earthy Scottish folk that I had all but forgotten, sometimes it is all too easy to get lost in all the central belt has to offer.  On the other side of the coin there are strange new things outside of my comfort zone on the list, such as Auntie Flo, encouraging me to broaden my own tastes. Aside from personal discovery or rediscovery, just to see some of these acts, all too often underappreciated, receive some sort of tangible recognition makes me just a little more than happy.

I hope that we continue to discuss and scrutinise this endeavour, because after all, people who do not ask questions are responsible for every terrible decision that has hurtled its way down past endless quivers of spineless sycophants to land squarely on your head, the reason you’re sitting in some bullshit meeting about something called “blue energy” or some other meaningless, ineffective nothingness. Those people are the very worst of us.

But most of all I hope it succeeds. I hope that the SAY award will continue long into the future. That from this other innovative and ambitious projects will follow, putting music produced in Scotland exactly where it should be at the centre of our collective conscience.

Jamie Orr
For more information on The SAY Award visit: http://www.sayaward.com

It is also nice to tie in with the fact that they have been announced as one of the bands on this year’s T Break line-up list. To be honest, they should be on a lot of line-ups as once seen live, never forgotten.

One of my favourite things about Machines in Heaven is the diverse fanbase they have. Their followers are not only your token electronica revellers. You have post-punk fanatics, indie enthusiasts and even acoustic lovers. Why is it then that they are so appealing to the masses?

For me it comes down to several things. I hate to bring image into things, but I am sure you will forgive me in this instance. As a band, Machines in Heaven are not your typical hipster ‘wankery’. They don’t dress like they have to prove anything; it is all about the music.

Graham Crossan, Davey Gwynne, Greg Hurst and Connor Reid make up the immediate band, whilst Brian Docherty and Gareth Bury lend an excellent hand in the production aspect. This leads me onto my next point as to why they are so captivating. My first live experience began with a bit of dubiety as it seemed there was a wall of synths on stage; however their propulsive and uplifting live performance soon smacked the stupidity out of me.

Live is where Machines in Heaven hit gold. Their relationship with one another is commendable, their meticulous production and command of their instruments make them almost like a faux-orchestra. Tracks such as ‘bordersbreakdown’ are a discovery of brilliance. Sparse syncopations provide a perfect canvas for the band to open things up as widely as they can. They tier and erase waveforms in a way that arouses your senses so much; you are left almost out of breath. As synths exhale over a percussive bed, you are left wondering where the crescendo is going to hit. Well, let me tell you – that crest just keeps on going and you never want it to stop.

It may seem to many that I have just described something close to an orgasm, but I think once you see this track performed live you will hopefully feel the same.

Machines in Heaven help prove that music is the best fucking high in the world.

Halina Rifai

More importantly, do not let it dictate whether to listen to his music or not. I know for a fact people do it (especially in London) and it is fucking stupid.

Our Song of the Day comes from the man himself. Jacqueline is a ballad, an anthem, a rock song. Its production is also exquisite.

Let me take you back to that scene in Jerry Maguire when Tom Cruise switches the radio station and Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty comes on. Cruise proceeds to almost pull the steering wheel off his shit heap of a car as he belts out the hit. Jacqueline will make you want to do that! It is a smorgasbord of delight. There is disco, electronica, rock and pop – at this point I know you are wondering how the hell this is going to work, but trust me it is seamless.

With the current disco climate in full swing, this has the ability to re-write revival thoughts with its effective arrangements that even include some old-school guitar wielding riffage.

Some may say this is genre-bending. I call it encyclopaedic.

Halina Rifai

Murderopolis starts as it means to go on with The Valley of Death: lyrically thoughtful; sharply punctuated; and carefully paced. This much is to be expected from the trio. However Sparrow and the Workshop have chosen to retire much of the folk that surged through their first two albums, adopting a slightly more ferocious heart with tracks like Darkness, a snarling occult psalm, opening ominously before breaching into a howling chorus. Odessa follows like dawn to dusk, O’Sullivan’s voice cutting through hushed tones in the aperture, sweet and clear as songbirds calling 5AM.

Shock Shock along with The Faster You Spin provide the stamping, acerbic bite of the LP. Whereas The Glue That Binds Us flows through, the lyrics falling easily off each other in the verses.

Autumn to Winter provides a pensive, rock-waltz to the close, a rather neat end to what is a stunning record.

Jamie Orr

As well as playing host to some well respected UK based artists, a few purveyors of 8-bit sound travelled from as far afield as the Netherlands & France to entertain the gathered enthusiasts.

For the uninitiated, chiptune or chip music is that which is composed and executed using the sound chips of vintage computers or games consoles. One of the most popular forms of which is the Nintendo Gameboy loaded with tracker software called LSDJ. “What the Hell?”, I hear you say. Ok, let’s not get bogged down too much by definitions. All you really need to know is that there are some very creative people out there making extremely good music with all the stuff that you used to play games on when you were a kid.

Ironically, the limitations of the hardware being used does not seem to hinder the creativity of chip artists, it merely spurs them on to push the boundaries of what is possible. A lot of what is on show over the weekend is predominantly Gameboy/LSDJ driven dance music which is really the beating heart of the scene, but each artist has their own distinct flavour. Bit Face, Astral Cat, Comptroller, Galaxy Wolf, King Keytan and Men Of Mega all have their own way of breathing life into bleeps. If you like up-tempo swathes of sound, hard bass driven bangers or even sweeping epics, it’s all here. Nothing is left unexplored.

Putting a slightly different slant on the weekend were 100HandSlap, Arcadecoma and The Laohu, all of whom play live instruments along with chiptune. In my book it’s never a bad idea to throw some guitar fuzz and shouty vocals into the mix!

Friday night’s headliner, Ultrasyd, played some electro beats which were predominantly composed on an old Atari STE computer and had to be loaded via floppy disks! But he still delivered some exceptionally tasty tunes which had everyone moving.

On Saturday night, Matt Nida, a London based artist who uses tracker software in a Sony PSP gave us a taste of yet another way to create wonderful sound. His melodic and smoothe house flavoured tunes were beautiful creations.

All in all, every artist contributed in some way to make the weekend a special one, even those who kicked off each night with a 7 minute open mic spot. A special mention should also go to VJ Chromatouch and Euan McKenzie who provided the visuals, an art in itself. The fact that this year’s event took place over two nights also helped people to loosen up a bit and chat with each other when the Saturday night came around. I met some very decent people.

All of the artists mentioned can be found on SoundCloud.com, but I promise you, hearing chip music straight from the hardware in a live environment is the best way to discover and appreciate it’s raw energy. My advice would be to keep an eye on what’s happening at Glasgow’s regular chip music night via 8bitnights.com. You will not be disappointed.

John C. Harrison

@Phatcap

I don’t necessary mean that in numbers, this is the second time they’ve more or less sold out King Tut’s which is about their level, but in producing quality music. There are plenty of other bands who do this style just as well, if not better, like Basement or Joyce Manor or Balance and Composure, but none of them quite have the ear for writing such a well constructed pop song as Title Fight. Essentially the Kingston, Pennsylvania band work so well because they acknowledge the importance of the “pop” in “punk pop”, something they displayed all the way back on their first single “Symmetry” from début record The Last Thing You Forget.

This was confirmed on their first full-length Shed, diverging slightly with it’s brilliant singles “Shed” and “27″ but also perfecting the genre on tracks like “Coxton Yard” and “Flood of ‘72″. But last year’s Floral Green put them on a whole new astral-plane. It pushed some of Shed’s more progressive moments and produced a pop-punk album which is established, mature and diverse.

So it’s no surprise that there is much anticipation for the band’s return tonight on the strength of their most recent record. Things don’t get off to a great start, when the guitars on the brilliant set and album opener “Numb, But I Still Feel It” are virtually non-existent, something that also marginally effects the bass-riff led “Secret Society”. But after this initial blip, the guitars are restored to their glory (though they probably could have gone up slightly more, if I’m being picky) and the band set to prove themselves as the much hyped band they deserve to be.

Surprisingly, the set doesn’t focus too much on the excellent new record, and when it does, they choose it’s less exciting moments in the slightly hammy “Calloused” the record’s only really misstep. Wonderful examples such as “Sympathy” and “Frown” are sadly no where to be seen despite being really terrific examples of the band’s new found maturity.

But when they do get it right, it comes off in spades. “Leaf” and “Head in a Ceiling Fan” showcase the record brilliantly, as the band rip through with fantastic energy and flawless vocals from dual-frontmen Jamie Rhoden and Shane Moran. Though the band favour older, more generic material through periods of this set, they still play them no less expertly even if the songs themselves aren’t the best examples of the band’s talent. But when they do go for the jugular in their biggest songs “Symmetry”, “Shed” & “27″ (the latter two finish the set) there really is no denying the quality of these songs.

So despite some minor hiccups, the band really are a force to be reckoned with who as things stand are merely going from strength to strength. Though there are questionable elements to the fairly short set – there are no encores either – one cannot question the band’s brilliant passion and tension for their own excellent music. It seems these guys still have much ahead of them in the future, and it will be exciting to see where they go next musically.

Adam Turner-Heffer
@Severed799

His previously released track ‘Desire’ has been remixed, and whilst the original was sublime in its own right – Father has taken this to a whole other level.

I am a huge fan of rough electro. When I say rough, I mean ferocious, dirty, sexy beats. The kind of beats and sounds that cause flutters in the corners of your brain and your eyelids to tremor. This achieves exactly that.

The accompanying video is perfect. Its sexualisation, graphics and beautiful confusion make it all the more special.

This has kicked my weekend off in the most gratifying style.

DEMS – Desire (FATHER Remix) from turk lees on Vimeo.

Halina Rifai

So I got the communication that they have started yet another project. I admire them deeply as they just don’t give up and see what other possibilities are out there to help show what a thriving live scene Glasgow has with a purely DIY ethic.

CASK follows the theme of bold, one syllable words that the girls choose to name their live events and I think this one gives more than a hint as to the direction that they are going in.

They have described it as “the all new ale-tastin’, beer-talkin’, toe-tappin’ Sunday Session at DRAM!”

Dram is located in Glasgow’s West End and is a thoroughly inviting venue. Its décor and feel is perfect for what the girls have up their sleeves.

Fine Ales will be provided courtesy of Arran Brewery and entertaining ‘hoe- down’ band The Dirty Beggars will be providing the entertainment.

Well brewed beer is big business now and the recent explosion of fine ale/music events has come as no surprise. You will be able to mingle with the ale-experts who will talk you through the secrets of the brewery and you can sample some damn fine ale.

This may be 2013, but by the power of Calamity Jane, CASK are going to take you to a time that will be a thigh-slapping, hand-clapping, arse-clenching extravaganza.

Oh AND……you’ll also be in with the chance to win a fantastic tour of the Arran Brewery – HELL YES!

Date: Sunday 12th May

Time: 4pm

Price: £5 entry (includes ale-tasting and nibbles)

Venue: Dram, 232-246 Woodlands Road, G3 6ND

Halina is on her own this week with 8 tracks to keep her company.She also talks about Pop Cop’s latest article looking at Scottish Independence.

Tracklisting for this week is:

Cuddly Shark - ‘Looking For Trouble’

Adam Stafford – ‘Please’

Law Holt - ‘Hustle’

Small Black - ‘No Stranger’

Finn Lemarinel – ‘Garden’

Indidginus – ‘3D’

Jetplane Landing - ‘Summer Ends’

The Milliband – ‘jERRY lEE lEWIS’

The podcast is also available on SoundCloud:

AND iTunes:

We are also on iTunes

Working with engineers and geologists by day, by night I’m hoping I can take my writing experience and my enthusiasm for live and recorded music to a new level, channelling it for a global audience. Whilst having familial ties to Scotland, I’ve lived in Michigan for most of my adult life, attending university here and subsequently being exposed to the music that has been conceived, nurtured and released here in what often is construed as an artistic wasteland.

Fushion Shows

Detroit is a force unto itself, the home of Motown, The White Stripes and a thriving techno scene. But Michigan has a lot more to offer away from Woodward Avenue. Five years ago, Fusion Shows based in Howell and East Lansing fired up, focusing on booking local and regional talent into bars, performance houses and ballrooms all over Michigan.

While my own tastes run in the veins of indie and synth based music, folk, rap and hip hop, psychobilly, hardcore and jam bands find eager audiences here. There are a couple of bands, though, that have really caught my ear in recent months.

In late 2010, one of my favourite bands, The Boxer Rebellion, played in Pontiac. Depressingly, the audience was incredibly small and mostly disinterested but supporting them were local boys Crashing Cairo. Cosying my way up to the bar for a drink whilst I listened, I was in for a slightly unpolished but very power pop driven set that with any other audience would have been perfect to warm up for TBR. With a resume of opening up for local 90’s legends The Verve Pipe and having a song featured in a Drew Barrymore film (something they share with TBR), they’ve attracted a fair bit of attention over the last few years and continue to offer comfortable rock music for the working class.

Another local gem is the atmospheric pop quartet Elliot Street Lunatic. Crafting tight melodies around shimmery guitars, they continue to improve as their touring radius expands. In 2012, they released their record Ghost Town Lullabies with help from Casey Crescenzo of The Dear Hunter and in a genre that can easily be considered oversaturated, their Britpop influences with a strong dedication to The Beatles comes through without sounding like everything else.

Finally, a band that I’ve enjoyed watching mature and grow into developing their own identity over the last several years is the more straight ahead rock/punk pop outfit The Swellers, based out of

The Swellers by Jonathan Weiner

There is so much more bubbling under the surface here. Whilst I can’t get out to the venues with the frequency I did as a student, I still find supporting homegrown artists with a drive to just get their music out there to be incredibly rewarding. I hope I can shine a little light into a region of the world so hard hit by the economic troubles of the last few years – and music that really needs to be heard further afield than the local bar.

Raine Usiak

@writerraine

The idea is to help expose a talented new video maker or artist using the band’s interpretation of the song.

If you feel that you have what it takes to bring something unique to the table then please contact us at: info@glasgowpodcart.com

It is a fantastic opportunity to network with some great talent.

http://www.songofreturn.com/

Chris picks some of his favourite tracks and talks about his loves and loathes. He also explains about a very special tour happening in September which is going to be dedicated to raising money for Marie Curie Cancer Care and the reasons why.

Tracklisting is:

Dead Rider – ‘Mother’s Meat’

Vasquez – ‘Noodle Bar’

Vcheka – ‘Dynamo 54’

Shannon Wright –  ‘Sympathy on Challen Avenue’

Laeto – ‘Human is not Alone’

Sam Cooke – ‘A Change is Gonna Come’

Electric Electric – ‘Bamako’

For more information on Marie Curie Cancer Care please visit: http://www.mariecurie.org.uk

Donations are always welcome.
September’s tour is inspired by Robbie Cooper of Laeto and many other fucking incredible bands. http://www.gofundme.com/RobbieCooperAwesome

The bands that will be taking part in the tour are Hey Enemy, Vasquez, Fat Goth and United Fruit. Venues and dates will be announced soon. The bands will wave all fees as will the venues. All monies will go to Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Due to its success they are running the course again this year and are opening applications from today.

Full details of what the course covers and how to apply can be: downloaded here

The Basement is an unlicensed venue, therefore tonight’s event is ‘bring your own booze’, which is very convenient for this tight-arsed writer! I enter the building with my poke of lager just as Voltergeist is setting up his equipment on an ironing board. I later discover that this is an actual part of his rig, and not just a handy platform that he found in the coffee house cupboard! When he eventually kicks the PA into life, it is with slow trip hop style beats, gradually notching up the tempo to guide the onlookers’ head-nods into foot-taps as they get into the groove. Then disaster strikes. A technical hitch interrupts the set

Plum

 and the momentum is lost. After a few minutes of twiddling the right knobs and yanking at the guilty cables Voltergeist is back in business, he finally stretches and layers his sound into a chunky dub vibe which leaves everyone satisfied . Success.

There has been a last minute change in running order, presumably due to the logistics of having a full band on site, so Plum (Shona Maguire) is up next. She opens with the sublime ‘Meadow Of Weeds’, a lush atmospheric  tune which immediately draws everyone in, such is the nature of its mature and accomplished sound. As Plum works through her set we get to see her diversity, picking up an acoustic guitar for ‘The Truth And The Knife’ and a bass guitar for the dirty licks on ‘The Seed’. The set finishes on a high note as she blows us away with ‘Rainbow’ and ‘Smile’- the crescendo of which is a super choppy dubstep explosion. A noticeable thing about Plum is her attention to detail. A visit to Plumtunes.com shows artwork and links to videos which are just as impressive as the music itself.

The final act, Twin Planets, take to their task in an assured manner. They impress their guitar and synth lead sound on us with a well constructed set list, ‘Empires’ being a highlight. Their sound is very much bigger than this small room and I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of them in the future.

The real winner of the night is the venue itself. Having opened in September of last year, it has been supporting local art in all of its forms ever since. I consider The Basement Coffee House to be Ayr’s cultural hub and long may it keep up the good work.

John C. Harrison

Well, sort of. Palomides is to be released in two volumes, each roughly the length of an EP. Not that this is much cause for complaint, as judging by this first offering Volume II should be well worth the wait.

 Opening to chaotic, clattering percussion, the frantic rhythm of Wandering Wits provides a heart-racing start to the album, before leading the listener breathlessly into recent single Holy Company; equal parts Pogues and Ennio Morricone, underpinned by the kind of driving bassline that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Grinderman record. But the high point of the record (this first half, anyway) is She Moved Through The Fair, a slow-burning folk adventure that builds up layer upon glorious layer of mandolin, strings and percussion until cascading into waves of crunching guitars and the kind soaring vocal refrains that Washington Irving do only too well.

The strength of Palomides, Volume I lies in a keen sense of balance; it shows a band effortlessly walking the line between intricate, carefully placed instrumentation and unabashed, chest-beating indie loudness. Washington Irving’s innate ability to embrace both the introspective and the anthemic proves a winning strategy. The result is a record that knocks you to the floor then lifts you up again. Repeatedly. The only problem? It’s all over far too quickly. Here’s hoping Volume II is soon on the horizon.

Michael Gormley

Not over, in the best possible sense, is uncomfortable. It’s like you’ve stumbled right into the headspace of an exasperated soul trying desperately to make sense out of heartache. The repeated demand “say something to me” is matched with a steady, forceful, thud in the gaps to create an exquisite sense of tension.

It’s So Funny stands out somewhat, swapping street sweeper pace for lightly bobbing guitar, both the pull in the punch and the salt in the wound for the line “it’s so funny, how we don’t fuck anymore”

There is, however, a soft glow to the LP’s languid sadness and bite, which is brought by richly ebbing strings and harmonies. In some places there is even a sense of resolve. Slow Process matches piquant strings like running footfall with slow and steady chords, not happy but almost hopeful. Still, in the distance there is shuddering distortion, no moment in This Silent Year is allowed to be wholly neat.

Too Late in the Day brings the album to its gloriously untidy close, patiently building to a crashing, beating and distorted climax before degrading to a steady whimper. Laughter follows like post script, the last look back through a closing door.

The complexity and honesty of This Silent Year displays a maturity well developed over eagleowl’s eight years of existence. The result is nothing short of beautiful.

 Jamie Orr

This Silent Year is released on the 13^th of May via Fence Records.

Today sees their latest release Falling (Committed To Sparkle Motion) (Axwell Radio Edit) publish with a plush new video to accompany. The single is not out till 5^th May, but this gives you a chance to bathe in all its synth glory.

Aviemore never looked so good!

It got me thinking as to why I don’t do this more. There’s a few negative inevitabilities about living in Glasgow, living in Scotland, but a constant source of comfort is the number of incredible artists currently plying their trade. Many of whom are behind my back, like hieroglyphics in some sort of alt-rock cave, yet to be discovered. My New Year resolution was to go to more gigs, and I’m glad of that, because Plastic Animals are one of the finest bands currently traversing my sonic consciousness. I found those hieroglyphics, translated them, and fucking loved it.

Rather modestly, the band declares on their Facebook: “Plastic Animals make noise”, but I didn’t write their songs, so I can be as complimentary as I choose – here goes:

Plastic Animals make luscious lo-fi guitar pop that sounds like all my favourite bands at once, as well as sounding very much like my new favourite band”. ‘Yellowcraig’, is reminiscent of the moody urgency of Turn on the Bright Lights era Interpol. ‘Ghosts’ has the stamp of Bradford Cox’s more accessible creative output, and the first time I heard ‘Sundowning‘ I was all over the twittersphere saying that I was watching a band that reminded me of Grandaddy. A glorious triumvirate no doubt, but it would do a disservice purely to lazily compare Plastic Animals to these acts.

I spoke to Dave Wark from the band who shed some light on life as a Plastic Animal: “Mario, James and I started playing together as Plastic Animals in 2006 but it took about 5 years for us to find a sound we were happy with and start actually promoting ourselves. Guitar maestro Ben and SFX*-specialist Jean Michel joined last year to massively enhance the sound and give us more options for songwriting and performing. It’s been about a year with this line-up and it’s definitely been the most successful and fun year so far. High-fives all round!” A successful year indeed – one which has seen the band play a fair few high-profile shows. They were outstanding when they opened for Father Sculptor at Stereo and alongside PAWS and Secret Motorbikes at the aforementioned Wee Red Bar gig. On Tuesday they were deservedly announced for the GoNORTH festival in June – and are definitely a band you should be checking out if you’re heading up for that extravaganza.

Certainly as a 5 piece, Plastic Animals make a racket – a filled out sound that over the course of a set detours through punk, prog and pop. Like all great bands they seem difficult to pigeonhole and tie down – listing influences like The Pixies, Beach House, Yo La Tengo and – curiously – Argentine Poetry (‘Pizarnik’ references Latin-American wordsmith Alejandra Pizarnik). The end product is positively brimming with identity – that time ‘finding a sound’ seems to have been a well spent sojourn.

You may ask, where to start then? Well, get hold of Automaton, a brilliant high-five of an introduction to Plastic Animals, full of impeccable songwriting and the character that often shines through in home recordings. “The DIY ethic is important to us, but so are decent sounding recordings”, says Ward – refreshingly – “… so we tried to strike a balance. We record the drums; bass and rhythm guitar live at Green Door Studio in Glasgow and then layered on the rest of the guitars and synth at home. It gave us a chance to experiment and fine tune things, without worrying about running out of time or money. It was also the first time we recorded with Ben, so there was opportunity for lots more guitar interplay which I think sets Automaton apart from our previous recordings.”

The band also have split 12″ released on Song, by Toad Records, which also features (Le Thug, Magic Eye and Zed Penguin), and included on the release is ‘Pizarnik’, perhaps the finest Plastic Animals effort yet – Wark amusingly describes it as a ‘flirtation with pretension’ - in truth it’s an understated triumph that grows on you more and more with every listen, leaving you wanting more from this band.

Craig J Angus

The band have finally announced forthcoming plans and I for one am ecstatic. As an avid follower on SoundCloud it is nice to see something that does not have the word ‘demo’ next to it.

‘Morgan’ impresses with its humble elegance and dynamic construction. This is sumptuous pop with a lush lo-fi edge.

Halina Rifai

Released as part of a limited run on split 12” vinyl for Record Store Day, ‘No One Else’ is what some would describe as a TUNE.

Thanks to Dems (who is the other side of the split), this was highlighted and was subsequently pumping so loudly through my speakers that it could have acted as galvanism.

The bass and synth lines in this are gargantuan. BURNS has done an incredible job on the production and this is sure to be spun by many.

Halina Rifai

Thanks to the foresight of Lauren Mayberry, not to mention the continued hard work of the contributors it really has shown the amount of creative women we have in Scotland and beyond.

Record Store Day just happens to be on the same day and TYCI have organised a mammoth day in Glasgow’s Oxfam. Music comes from a trio of respected ladies:

Kitty The Lion

Siobhan Wilson

Jo Mango

There will also be spoken word from someone I personally hold tremendous respect for – Kirstin Innes. Kirstin’s CV is so impressive that it is ironically difficult to put her achievements into words.

Kirstin Innes - Journalist/Writer

Celebrations do not end there. Bloc will play host to the evening’s entertainment and Electro/MC Patricia Panther will be playing live, there will also be the infamous DJ trio Pretty Ugly!

Personally speaking, it has been a real pleasure to meet so many women and work as part of the TYCI collective. I am genuinely staggered by the passion and drive that so many of these people have and they in turn make this often tough industry a lot easier. TYCI is a reminder that enjoyment is the ultimate goal.

Halina Rifai

TYCI’S RECORD STORE DAY SPECIAL with KITTY THE LION, JO MANGO, KIRSTIN INNES and SIOBHAN WILSON
Oxfam Music, Byres Road, Glasgow
4-6pm
Free
https://www.facebook.com/events/287418058054923

TYCI’S SIX MONTH BIRTHDAY with PATRICIA PANTHER and PRETTY UGLY DJs
Bloc, Bath Street, Glasgow
11pm-3am
Free before midnight; £2 after (free all night if you write ‘TYCI’ on your knuckles)
There will be cake, a raffle to raise funds for Forward UK and the new issue of the zine
https://www.facebook.com/events/132032246979232

Mono will be hosting a great line-up and therefore it was only apt to name World Peace’s ‘Supermarket’ as Song of the Day.

I only know they are Scottish trio and to be honest I am more interested in the music. ‘Supermarket’ is unhinged, discombobulated punk. Switching from syncopated rhythms to full on dirty walls of guitar, ‘Supermarket’ is as delightful as DIY comes.

Catch the band live at 5.30pm tomorrow in Glasgow’s Mono.

Halina Rifai

Craig Johnston who many may know as one of the bookers at DF Concerts joins Halina to discuss his highlights of SxSW and also some other artists we should be keeping an eye on.

There is also valuable chat about what he feels that you should be doing as a band to get yourself out there!

The Tracklisting is:

Luke Sital-Singh – Bottled Up Tight

The Eastern Sea – The Match

On An On – Ghosts

Ambassadors – Unconsolable

High Highs – Open Season

Gold Fields – Dark Again

Single Mothers – Christian Girls

The Orwells – In My Bed

You can follow Craig Johnston on Twitter at: @craigjohnston

You can stream & download the Podcast from SoundCloud

We are also on iTunes

Having worked with many bands including Conquering Animal Sound and Rick Redbeard who have now both gone onto Chemikal Underground Records, this is testament that they are acting as a wonderful platform to help promote artists that deserve more recognition.

Record Store Day would not be the same without them and they have some really special things happening.

They are releasing a super-limited edition cassette by Adam Stafford for Record Store Day. It’s called the Millions Must Work Forever EP. It is a 4-song green cassette with free download, limited to 60 copies and it is ONLY available in these fine record shops, starting on Record Store Day, 20th April:

• VoxBox Music – 21 St Stephen Street, Edinburgh
• Underground Solu’shn – 9 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh
• Elvis Shakespeare – Leith Walk, Edinburgh
• Avalanche Records – 5 Grassmarket, Edinburgh
• Monorail Music – 12 Kings Court King Street, Glasgow
• Love Music – 34 Dundas Street, Glasgow
• Rubadub – 35 Howard Street, Glasgow
• Apollo Music – 48 Causeyside Street, Paisley
• Imperial Music – Unit 11, Market Hall, Academy Street, Inverness
• Concorde – 15 Scott Street, Perth
• Europa Music – 10 Friars Street, Stirling

Please make sure you try and get a copy. This is top of my list for Saturday’s purchases.

Voxbox Record Store Day event

Gerry Loves are helping out amplify the party proceedings with VoxBox in Edinburgh on the day. Adam Stafford and Wounded Knee are playing, alongside some other great bands from Edinburgh and Glasgow. VoxBox will have a lot of the exclusive new releases too. The shop will be open 9.30am-6pm and the live music is 12-6pm. You would be mad to miss it if you are in Edinburgh! The line-up is:

12.00-12.30 Wounded Knee
13.00-13.30 Magic Eye
14.00-14.30 eagleowl vs Kid Canaveral
15.00-15.50 Mike Heron Band (feat members of the Incredible String Band and Trembling Bells)
16.00-16.30 Rob St. John
16.50-17.20 Adam Stafford
17.30-18.00 Honeyblood

Song of Return have become one of my most listened to bands since Podcart began. Their songs are uplifting and they have personally helped me through some ridiculously tough times, but bullshit clichés out of the way – they are one of a cluster of bands that deserve international recognition and fame.

Why? OK – let’s take today’s Song of the Day, ‘Torn Between the Tides’ as an example. Craig Grant has always managed to compose songs that tap into the most vulnerable parts of my personality. Not only that, but it is that unique ability to create music that simply makes everything better.

Grant and his band are able to pen soaring melodies and added textural electronics layer with pristine percussion to amplify every emotion you may be feeling at that particular time. I am not going to sit here and say that this is something out of the ordinary. Neither am I going to sit here and say it is revolutionary songwriting, but for me it is righteous.

A & R, industry people, booking agents and hit seekers may argue that this is not quirky enough, it is not the next such and such or it is not bringing anything new to the table. To them I contest every criticism and simply say that this is tangible, sincere and rapturous. Passion goes a fucking long way.

Song of Return – Torn Between The Tides from Black Ash Media on Vimeo.

Halina Rifai

Saturday May 4^th sees Bogbain Farm in Inverness host the one day festival. Northern Roots Events and Brew Dog (yes, the epic beer people) are the organisers and have hopefully started to create a long standing festival.

I thought it would be quite nice to name some of the bands that I am looking forward to:

Olympic Swimmers

A band I have seen numerous times now and their live performances are faultless. Uplifting in every sense of the word, Olympic Swimmers are at the top of their game.

Homework

Their latest album is stunning. They are able to mix dance and indie in the same way that LCD Soundsystem did. I.e. they will get those shy festival goers throwing some shapes without any doubt.

Poor Things

Heavily influenced by Teenage Fanclub and Pavement and having mainly provided demos, Poor Things are a very promising band. Having kept somewhat under the radar, tracks such as Halcyon Days get me very excited indeed.

Verse Metrics

They produced our 2^nd favourite EP of 2012 with their incredible release ‘Radians’. A very accomplished band and they continue to tap into phenomenal bands like System of a Down, but in their own very unique way.

Michael Cassidy

Michael has one of those voices that lift almost every little hair on your arms and neck up. He has received tremendous praise and support over the last year and is one of the strongest acoustic artists to come out of Scotland in recent years.

Davey Horne

Davey Horne is an interesting one. When I received his press release and saw who he was likened to, I was immediately put off. The lesson learnt here is always listen! He has a very endearing delivery, his music has a deep warmth and songs such as Deep Down have enough soul to wake James Brown from the dead.

The full line-up so far is as follows:

Olympic Swimmers, Three Blind Wolves, Randolph’s Leap, Discopolis, Homework, Found, Miaoux Miaoux, United Fruit, Chris Devotion & The Expectations, The Little Kicks, Cherri Fosphate, The Stagger Rats, Fatherson, Kitty the Lion, Fake Major, Trapped in Kansas, The Whiskys, This Silent Forest, The Winter Tradition, James MacKenzie, JP Jones, Michael Cassidy, Donald MacDonald and the Islands, Adam Holmes and the Embers, Seznec Brothers, Sion Russell Jones, Jonathan Powell, Davey Horne, Tomos Lewis, Sienna, Bronagh & the Boys, Poor Things, Seven Summits, Shambles Millers, Verse Metrics, Ashley & the Cosmonauts, Sharfla.

As you can guess, the beautiful beverages will be supplied primarily by Brew Dog.

TICKETS COST £30 (inc. CAMPING) OR £20 (NO CAMPING)

Buy your tickets online at:

Bogbain Farm (e-tickets via MusicGlue)

BrewDog Shop (Physical tickets)

Skiddle (e-tickets)

Tickets are also available to buy from various outlets including the BrewDog bars!

What are you waiting for?

For full information please visit: www.brewatthebog.com

His latest release ‘Cassini’ is accompanied by a curiously endearing new video. The track itself is a definite look back at his musical influences, yet it paves the way for his own musical consequence.

This is high quality from start to finish. ‘Cassini’ has token guitar riffs that will engage any alternative fan and lines that you find yourself singing in your day’s quiet moments.

Algernon Doll has taken the difficulties of anxiety and melancholy turned it into a triumphant rock lullaby.

Halina Rifai

Now, it is all about the new and breakthrough artists. These artists are the real gems and ones that should be kept an eye on.

As T in the Park hits its 20^th year, festival organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s Lager have announced that there will be a series of breakthrough artists playing. What does breakthrough even mean? They are just bloody good.

So without further ado they are:

Local Natives

The LA group have built up a dedicated fanbase and their music is addictive and ridiculously uplifting.

Lucy Rose

I discovered this songstress through BBC Radio 6 and they have continued to champion her. Her voice is unmistakeable.

Swim Deep

One of the many bands to impress at SxSW this year, their indie pop stylistics will be perfect for the T in the Park crowds.

Theme Park

The word tropical often gets used with these London-based impresarios. Their song ‘Milk’ made quite an impression on Amazing Radio listeners.

Lewis Watson

This lad proved that you don’t need major backing to get listeners and build hype. Let his music do the talking.

Sons and Lovers

Club NME was their home for 4 weeks, but don’t hold that against them. They churn out the hits and people keep flocking to hear them.

T in the Park tickets are available from: www.tinthepark.com or www.ticketmaster.co.uk

For regular T in the Park news, check out www.facebook.com/tinthepark and follow them on Twitter @Tinthepark

Ticket type Price (all subject to booking fee)

Friday day ticket £75

Saturday day ticket SOLD OUT

Sunday day ticket £82.50

Weekend (no camping) £184

Weekend and Camping £194

Thursday Weekend and Camping An additional £11 to the Weekend and Camping price

Depot Arts Singing Group
Voicebeat
Big Hogg
Jon Bishop (accompanied by Cat Calton)
Ceylan Hay
First Tiger
Alistair Ogilvy and Jo Anthony
Fake Major
West of Scotland Ukulele Players
Sybren Renema
Let’s Talk About Space
The Graveyard Band.

Don’t get me wrong, I totally appreciate the eclecticism of Scottish festivals, but ArcTanGent have really taken bands that have a cult following and curated one hell of a line-up.

Bristol has lent itself as home to this ferocious new festival and I wanted to explain why we are going to be travelling all the way down to immerse ourselves.

So let’s start with the headliners! 65 Days of Static and Fuck Buttons are topping the bill, two artists that will undoubtedly get the blood pumping. Fuck Buttons have always been a firm favourite for Podcart having discovered them through Mogwai. Live – they will not disappoint.

Some of our other highlights from the festival line-up are:

Tall Ships

Hailing from Brighton, this trio have made their name from their live performances. Recommended track – ‘Gallop’

And So I Watch You From Afar

A band that we helped put a secret show on in Glasgow’s Bar Blow that resulted in broken bones and a damaged ceiling – no really! Having seen them live numerous times now, they are our favourite live bands of the last 5 years.  Recommended track – ‘Young Brave Minds’

Spectres

From Bristol and championed by the admirable label Howling Owl Records, Spectres have become firm favourites with Artrocker and established themselves as one of Bristol’s best new exports. Introduced to us by Glasgow’s United Fruit, Spectres are a treat live. Recommended track – ‘Sister’

Crusades

I recently wrote ‘Crusades are one of the best new rock bands of my generation.’ I maintain this. The band won a competition via Amazing Radio to play the festival out of a shit load of bands and we cannot wait to see them showing people south of the border that the Scottish may cause them damage. Recommended Track – ‘Harlequin’

The Physics House Band

I am actually going to be able to see these boys on April 17^th in Glasgow which I am very happy about. A band that is being talked consistently in my music circles at the moment and I spent a whole evening watching their videos in awe. Recommended track – ‘Abraxical Solapse’

I think that gives you some kind of idea as to what we are dealing with here. I am definitely going to need some kind of sedative in the week before we depart as I am going to be bouncing off the ceiling like a fat beach ball.

Part 2 will explore more bands that we are looking forward to salivating over.

In the meantime, you really need to buy a ticket and basically go to the festival. Tickets are only £59. YES! ONLY £59!

ArcTanGent takes place on Fernhill Farm, Cheddar Road, Compton Martin, Somerset, BS40 6LD.

The festival takes place 29^th, 30^th and 31^st of August and camping is available.

For full information please visit: http://arctangent.co.uk

Halina Rifai

Having been sent over quite some time ago by Edinburgh’s ingenious Young Fathers, both artists share the same management.

It has been the most listened to song of the last 7 days by a long way and vocalist Lauren Holt has one of the most intriguing and intoxicating vocals I have had the pleasure of hearing.

Its pulsating rhythms and aforementioned symphonious vocals create a flawless song. This is full on euphoria.

Halina Rifai

The band formed in 2009 and having immediately been championed by the usual radio elite, not to mention having played the festival circuit – Homework are now ready to take their invigorating music to a far wider audience.

’13 Towers’ is an album that deserves to be listened to for years to come. ‘Cairo’ is a great example of how well-produced this album is, but also testament to how accomplished Homework are as musicians. It is a song that has the ability to amalgamate the clubbing and alternative music worlds in a unique way.

This unity of rock and dance is a vein that carries throughout the album and with genius electronic hooks and the identifiably sexy vocals’ of O. Kass and R. Baird it is so easy to get caught up in the disco-punk attitude that ’13 Towers’ exudes.

‘Thoughts’ is my stand out track of the album and the sheer vigour of this song helps illustrate its intelligence. Its effortless back-line of percussion and bass-synth do enough to get your head bopping – then guitars detonate to create one of the incredible themes that this album maintains. This is great rock riffage in what most deem an electronic track! My hands have begun to gesticulate wildly and I am screaming ‘I think I thought about thinking bout talking about’ at the top of my lungs as this song has me completely hooked.

Homework have set the bar high with a very stylish album. ’13 Towers’ has enough appeal to provoke static gig goers to hit the dance floor and more importantly, this is not about being cool – it is about being excellent.

Halina Rifai

With the obvious saturated market for female fronted bold electronica that has emerged, this is one of the stronger contenders of late.

Produced by the consummate Lewis Gardiner who many may know from Midnight Lion, ‘Close to Home’ is a lavish track that ensures the delicate vocals of Hadden are not drowned out by the fierce voltaic layering of the track.

Hadden and Gardiner are onto a winning relationship here.

As a massive fan of the band’s work, I then noticed the related links and I just had to write a post on it.

Firstly this is the beautifully addictive video and song by the band:

Hand.Held.Cine.Club may not be a name that immediately grabs you, however the people that have worked with them and indeed the work they have produced is incredible.
Justin and Jamie Lockey are the brothers behind this well respected directive and they have produced videos by loads of people you will know. They also have a very interesting musical background that is packed full of connections.

For example – We Were Promised Jetpacks’ magnificent video for ‘Medicine’ was shot by the pair:

Or perhaps you may know Frightened Rabbit’s latest video for ‘Backyard Skulls‘. Yes! This was also shot by them!

One of my favourites however, is the ferocious and very slick ‘Numbers’ by Young Legionnaire:

You also may have heard of a group named Editors, Justin Lockey recently replaced Chris Urbanowicz, which came as a shock to many, but going on Justin’s track record which includes Yourcodenameis:milo and The British Expeditionary Force – this is going to be brilliant.

So I took it upon myself to construct a very amateur diagram. I must point out that this could have been 10 times the size, but I kept it to the vital.

For full information on Hand.Held.Cine.Club please visit: handheldcineclub.co.uk

Having luckily caught them live at Glasgow’s Bar Bloc it was safe to say that they left a lasting impression on everyone that saw them that night.

Their latest release ‘Spithope’ is magnificently produced and their sabbatical from the music spotlight just shows how much work has gone into this track alone.

‘Spithope’ has awoken from its studio slumber to face an eager audience. With each listen there is an added refinement and its sheer sonic size at certain intervals will appeal to those masses that crave hyperbolic crescendos in their music.

This is dynamic, endearing and above all a damn good song.

Bronto Skylift

Bucking brilliant with enough fervour to expose your bloodied ribcage.

Cleavers

Brian Johnson’s Hat is the reason boys lose their virginity.

No Island

Frontman Chris will invade your imagination with fear and joy.

MILK

Two girls, four breasts, and enough passion to concept immaculately.

Before this however, and back to today’s treasure – ‘Passenger’ is a contrasting song of majestic dimensions. Wells’ vocals are cathartic and marry with a stunning string arrangement, not to mention muscular percussion.

With an almost hip hop underlay, ‘Passenger’ has as much to admire as it has to love. For people missing The Avalanches or Massive Attack – Emily Wells could be the beautiful derivative you are looking for.

Halina Rifai

This slick piece of filming analyses the important aspects of Glasgow including some of the serious issues we face in the city and also some of the high point. David Attenborough would be jealous of the narrative.

Glasgow Podcart – Font News from The LaFontaines on Vimeo.

As the flyer says, you are cordially invited so please feel free to come along. I believe tickets are pretty limited but you can find details at out spiffing website www.thelafontaines.co.uk or buy tickets at www.gigsinscotland.com

We’re also just off tour with a band called Sonic Boom Six who were a rare laugh. This is normally where I’d recall tales of the tour but quite honestly the only thing I can currently remember is our tour manager being walked in on half way through some self love by SB6’s own tour manager. Definitely the sort of image that truly makes you envy Ray Charles. Speaking of images that make you wish you were blind or better yet deceased:

This is why swimming pools never allow flash photography!

I’ve also just noticed that if you look at Jamie’s left leg there it looks like he has a tattoo of a penis on his thigh. Just putting that out there.

The end of 2012 was pretty busy for us, we finished back to back tours with The Blackout and 3oh!3 which were both pretty amazing. Saw a lot of new places, faces and got new amp cases.

The last one doesn’t strictly fit there but as a hip hop band we’re contractually obliged to provide at least one rhyme per blog post so I had to make it work. But enough shite chat, here’s a picture of Jamie giving the finger to the cardboard police.

He doesn’t mind the real police, just cardboard ones he has a massive problem with.

As for the rest of the year, we’re going to be taking time to record a new album which should be out by the end of the summer, which in Scotland could mean literally anything. We’ll also be announcing some festival dates soon……

FONTS x

This is one of the brilliant things they did for us.

Our podcast this week comes care of the band and it is TREMENDOUS.

It is 20 minutes and if I am perfectly honest, it is not long enough.

The Tracklisting is:

Blood Diamonds Feat. Grimes – Phone Sex

Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis – Make The Money

50 Cent Feat. Kendrick Lemar – We Up

Foals – Inhaler

Brandy – Closer

These are all songs of the moment for the band and may even entice you to love this lot even more than you already do.

More importantly, this is happening on Saturday 6th April at Glasgow’s Classic Grand. In terms of live performance…..SATURDAY NEVER LOOKED SO FUCKING GOOD.

You can also listen to the Podcast on iTunes and on SoundCloud.

However, the release is something beautiful, enticing, imaginative and will appeal to a shit load of the public.

Song, By Toad has collaborated with independent microbrewery (yes, I didn’t have a fucking clue what one of those was either) Barney’s Beer and they have created the ultimate release!

On Record Store Day 2013 the collaborators will be releasing eight songs on a limited run of 250 clear red vinyl records, promising to be encased in a beautiful sleeve featuring photos of the recording session taken by local photographer Nic Rue.

Now, it doesn’t stop there. Obviously you all need to know what the hell Barney’s Beer is going to do. SMACK MY THIGHS BLUE – they are releasing another eight songs as download codes on bottles of Barney’s Beer. Two songs per bottle, each one of a limited edition of 250 custom made 4-packs will represent the same amount of music as the record, only delivered on a selection of tasty, tasty beer.

So the idea behind the whole extravaganza is to see who will sell out of their 250 first! Is it about the lasting, sexually arousing vinyl or the sweet nectar (I am actually dribbling now) beer?

You decide!

Now the important part – the bands and the fine print:

THE BANDS:
Le Thug punctuate hypnotic, shoegazey washes of electronics and electric guitar with beautifully impassive, crystal clear female vocals.
Magic Eye make shimmery dream-pop with a distinctive, twinkling guitar style.
Plastic Animals call themselves ‘atmospheric punk sludge rock’ before admitting that they think that’s a terrible description, but the best they can do. It’s the best I can do too.
Zed Penguin are a more ragged indie rock band with a distinct, lazy sense of swagger.

THE BEERS:
Le Thug Lager 4.8% ABV – Light straw coloured, smooth and a light fruity zing. A clean, dry, finish.
Zed Penguin Pale Ale 3.8% ABV – Gold coloured, a good honest full-bodied pale ale with a subtle citrus & spicy hop finish.
Magic Eye Red Rye 4.5% ABV – made with 2 types of rye malt & German melanoidinmalz. Copper/dark amber colour, with a crisp, toffee apple & fruity taste.
Plastic Animals IPA 5% ABV – Light straw coloured, assertive bitterness, erupting with US style hop character.

For full information visit:

http://songbytoadrecords.com

www.barneysbeer.com

Halina Rifai

‘Tantarantana’ easily buries itself in layers of sparse, yet extremely intense electronica.

This generates far more musicality than some may believe and I am so glad that people have recognised what an incredible debut talent Sega Bodega is. Please get this on vinyl immediately.

Halina Rifai

Now I really want to explain to you all exactly why £10 is essentially fuck all when it comes to these musicians.

What would you normally spend £10 in your week? Fair enough you have the much needed utilities, but at the start of the month when you have just been paid, or you just got your bursary and are going to piss it up the wall anyway, £10 is like buying 3 drinks.

O2 ABC 2, The Art School, Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, Broadcast and Flat 0/1 shall be hosting events and hopefully not double booking anything!

I wanted to talk about some of my highlights. There are a number of bands playing that have taken a bit of a live sabbatical, so it is going to be nothing short of arousing to see them play again.

Roman Nose

Having gained quite the reputation for live performances in 2013 alone, I beg you to see these guys live. Their fierce beats and surging synths will have you dancing in no time.

Lady North

One of my favourite bands to ever emerge from Scotland – it came as a beautiful shock that they were playing AQNI Fest. The trio infuse their performances with their personalities and are tighter than my underwear.

Machines in Heaven

Having seen these guys live at The Glad Café they exceeded all expectations. There is a vital niche for these guys in the current music climate and like the aforementioned 2 artists, Machines in Heaven can create a live performance as good as any big bastarding headliner. This is electronic crack.

Crusades

Along with their Overlook Roster buddies and Podcart favourites Vasa, Crusades are set to tear apart your ear drums. Dynamic, fearless and savage – Crusades are one of the best new rock bands of my generation.

More Than Conquerors

Northern Ireland has so much to thank for when it comes to music. More Thank Conquerors are one of their latest exports and have built quite the fanbase in Glasgow. For a vigorous alternative rock band, More Than Conquerors compliment mighty riffs with just as much pop melodies. A band that you have to go and see.

Tickets are available now from: http://www.o2abcglasgow.co.uk/event/51691/a-quiet-night-in-mini-takeover-festival-featuring–tickets

The full line-up is as follows:

O2 ABC2 Glasgow
Doors 18.30

MONO SIX
19.00 – 19.30
BEAR ARMS
19.45 – 20.15
CARNIVORES
20.30 – 21.00
MORE THAN CONQUERORS
21.15 – 21.45

The Art School
Doors 19.45

THE LITTLE KICKS
20.15 – 20.45
CAMPFIRES IN WINTER
21.00 – 21.30
CAPITALS
21.45 – 22.15
SONG OF RETURN
22.30 – 23.00

NICE N SLEAZY
Doors 19.30

MALE PATTERN BAND
20.00 – 20.30
INDIANREDLOPEZ
20.45 – 21.15
LADY NORTH
21.30 – 22.00
PRONTO MAMA
22.15 – 22.45

BROADCAST
Doors 20.00

COCO BRYCE
20.30 – 21.00
MACHINES IN HEAVEN
21.15 – 21.45
VASA
22.00 – 22.30
CRUSADES
22.45 – 23.15

FLAT 0/1
Doors 23.00

ROMAN NOSE
00.00 – 00.30
MILK DJ Set
00.30 – 03.00

GO AND GET YOUR TICKETS!

Halina Rifai

Tracklisting for this week is:

The Twilight Sad – ‘Tell Me When We’re Having Fun’

Battery Face – ‘Sexist Confusion’

Cate Ferris – ‘Trapeze’

Father Sculptor - ‘Sault’

Loch Lomond – ‘Virgin Mountain’

And So I Watch You From Afar – ‘Young Brave Minds’

Ollie Philpott – ‘20 Grand’

Ardentjohn - ‘In the Morning’

You can stream & download the Podcast from SoundCloud

We are also on iTunes

Finally, we are on MixCloud

Sunday May 5th will see the all day event run from 3pm till 3am, it is their first ever in house all day festival and you can get an early bird ticket for the ridiculously cheap price of £10.

Now onto the important bit – the line-up!

Dutch Uncles, have been confirmed as headliner for the event. They have been getting rave reviews from many of the media darlings and their song ‘Flexxin’ is a personal highlight. If you need more proof watch this:

Now, I don’t want to take away from Dutch Uncles, but the real pull for me are the other artists announced so far.

Discopolis, Errors (DJ Set), Dems, The Machine Room, Jonnie Common, Machines In Heaven.

These are some of the best new artists to come our of Scotland, apart from Dems that pissed off down south, but I will forgive them for that as they are almighty.

So what are you waiting for? For a £10 early bird ticket you are paying £1.43 a band so far. There are more artists to be announced so essentially it is probably going to be less that £1 per band – that is magic!

VENUE: ELECTRIC CIRCUS, EDINBURGH

DATE: SUNDAY MAY 5TH

TICKETS: Early Bird Tickets are available HERE and HERE

TIMES: 3PM – 3AM

This dynamic trio celebrated their 7^th birthday back in November and their club nights have become legendary. So, how did it all begin? Aarti Joshi (1/3 of Pretty Ugly) says ‘The inimitable Olaf Furniss invited us to DJ at Edinburgh’s Born To Be Wide one wintery evening and with the three of us assigned to either a deck or mixer duties each (we had to shout “1, 2, 3 go!” back in those days – really was ‘never-mind-the-gaps), Pretty Ugly was born. Amazingly, we survived unscathed and soon after, we started getting bookings for actual events, one of which was at Sloan’s (where Pretty Ugly as a club night began) and the rest, as they say, is tequila fuelled history. We’re better DJ’s now too! ‘

Pamela and Lynne complete this terrific trio and their individual music loves compliment perfectly. When asked about the kudos of Pretty Ugly, Aarti says ‘It’s utterly lovely that other people enjoy what we do so much. In the early days, it was us and our pals having a riot with a bubble machine…we’re lucky that we’ve retained that atmosphere of being at your best friend’s party, just with a load of new friends!’

Past events have seen an extraordinary host of guests join them on the decks. Members of Belle & Sebastian, We Are Scientists, Snow Patrol, Biffy Clyro, Mogwai, The Raveonettes and more have joined the bubbly threesome to entertain the public.

What is it that makes their night so popular though? Well, my theory is that they do what they love. They play the music they love and they attack the whole theory of what is supposed to be ‘cool’. At the age of 33 it is only now that I am realising that I love what I love and I couldn’t give a fuck what people think. This is what Pretty Ugly stand for. They are a strong bunch of women that know what they love. Their personalities filter inexplicably through their club nights and they just have a bloody good time. Passion is the key to everything, plain and simple.

They are women doing it for themselves (sorry I had to get that line in somewhere) and they have helped highlight how many defiant females there are in the music circles of Scotland. Having teamed up with Ladyfest and other lady DJ’s such as Manda Rin and Lou Hickey they are constantly helping recognise strong women.

Aarti, Pam & Lynn

When asked what song Aarti would use to soundtrack Pretty Ugly for her she had one answer and at this point I shall leave you with this song. It sums up things perfectly….just like Pretty Ugly.

Over to Candi Staton…..

NEXT EVENT: Pretty Ugly Presents: Girl Band-a-rama -

Saturday 9th March

£6 or £5 before midnight/students

11pm – 3am

Downstairs at The Admiral Bar, 72a Waterloo Street, Glasgow

www.facebook.com/prettyuglyglasgow

www.twitter.com/prettyuglyclub

prettyuglyclub.co.uk

Halina Rifai

Taking place at Glasgow’s Garage, there will obviously be the handing out of the awards, but there will be also live music from some of the nominees.

One of the live performers will be Roman Nose. Having seen the outfit perform at King Tut’s New Year’s Revolution back in January, it is safe to say that they will blow your bollocks into submission. They are one of the most exciting live electronic artists I have seen in some time and if you are not grinding against the person next to you in time to their ferocious beats then there will be some questions.

The nominees were selected by a judging panel which includes awards founder Richy Muirhead. This Kilmarnock boy’s enthusiasm when it comes to Scottish music is infectious and I have often seen the excited smile on his face at various gigs and festivals. He is one of the true pioneers of new Scottish music for the next generation and I have tremendous respect for him.

The nominees faced a week of voting by the public, and there is nothing fairer than that. There are always so many arguments when it comes to the award selection process. I do feel that there has to be a filter at some stage and the combination of industry and public for me is a winning one.

The nominees are as follows:

Best Rock/Alternative sponsored by EmuBands

Culann
Baby Strange
Duke
Fat Goth
Cleavers
M A D I S O N

Best Hip Hop sponsored by Splitter Scotland
GASP
S-Type
WERD (SOS)
Solareye
Team Kapowski
Young Fathers

Best Live Act sponsored by Bar Bloc
United Fruit
Vigo Thieves
Stanley
Meursault
Roadway
The Ok Social Club

Best Newcomer sponsored by The Academy Of Music & Sound
Honeyblood
The Holy Ghosts
Model Jet Pilot
Ded Rabbit
Miss Irenie Rose
Miss Lucid

Best Electronic sponsored by Red Dog Music
Plum
Roman Nose
Fonik
Discopolis
Them & Us
Chvrches

Best Acoustic sponsored by Jeremiah Weed
Little Fire
Michael Cassidy
Cara Mitchell
William Douglas & The Wheel
Jemma Tweedie
Alex Hynes

Best Metal / Hardcore sponsored by Cathouse Glasgow
What The Blood Revealed
Prelude To The Hunt
Sectioned
Bear Arms
Trial & Error
Lords Of Bastard

We wish them all the very best of luck…..oh and MON THE FAT GOTH! (cough)

Halina Rifai