Velcro Hooks explode with schizophrenic guitar jangles and audacious hooks. ‘Picasso Face’ has the ability to hit the mainstream hard and still maintain an underground appeal. With a propulsive intensity that is enough to blow down your bedroom wall this song does well to bring punk rock back to the forefront.

Let Velcro Hooks assault your ears.

Halina Rifai

The Shortlist is as follows:

The winning album will be announced at a prestigious ceremony in Glasgow Film City on Tuesday 19^th June, earning a grand prize of £20,000. The nine runners-up will each receive £1,000. All ten shortlisted finalists will receive an artwork from the winner of a unique SAY Award art commission which celebrates the enduring links that exist between music and art. The commission, valued at £20,000, will be offered to graduates from Scotland’s four principal art schools with the winning graduate (selected, in this pilot year, from Glasgow’s School of Art) producing ten artworks to be donated as prizes for the shortlisted finalists.

The fact that bands such as Happy Particles, Conquering Animal Sound and Remember Remember are included in this list goes to show how important the support of new music is. Furthermore, it shows what a unique award this is. The planning of this really has looked into how essential the musical merit is. There will no doubt be negative comments as there are with EVERYTHING, however this is an incredible list that represents Scottish music fantastically.

The next stage is that the judging panel will be asked to reconvene for the award ceremony on June 19^th, when they will decide upon and announce the winner of the inaugural Scottish Album of the Year Award.

The Judging Panel is:

Chair: John Williamson (academic/journalist); Keith Cameron (MOJO); Keith McIvor (Optimo) Fiona Shepherd (Scotsman); Susan Philipsz (Turner Prize Winner 2010); Keith Bruce (Arts Editor Herald); Malcolm Lindsay (Composer); Muslim Alim (Producer BBC); Mary Ann Kennedy (BBC Radio Scotland; BBC Radio nan Gaidheal; BBC Radio 3); Francine Gorman (The Line of Best Fit); Francis Bickmore (Editorial Director – Canongate Books).

In the meantime it is now your chance to go and investigate these albums, purchase, download whatever! Just get listening.

For full information on the SAY Award please visit: www.sayaward.com

Halina Rifai

The chosen track is ‘Bloodsport’ and the band are in our opinion are an excellent choice for this year’s T in the Park. Despite the usual controversy that surrounds opinions of the T Break stage, bands like this will do their best to disprove negative theory and plainly make you dance till you collapse.

‘Bloodsport’ is a bombastic track that will be sure to have you fist pumping in no time. Aggressive beats and filthy overdriven synth sounds will toss you back into the state you were in at the weekend. Welcome to one of the best uppers you are likely to experience this week.

Halina Rifai

The line-up is as follows:

• THU 12TH JULY – PRONTO MAMA + Brazil Exists + The Little Kicks + Lost City Soul
• FRI 13TH JULY – HECTOR BIZERK + Madhat McGore + Bigg Taj feat Spee SixNine + Becci Wallace & BilL Breaks
• SAT 14TH JULY – JOHN WEAN + The NK Jays + Seed + Minor Delilah
• SUN 15TH JULY – XAVIA + Lost in Audio + Atlas : Empire + Seams ** Over 14s. Doors. 8pm
• MON 16TH JULY – DANIEL DOCHERTY + Craig Fagan + Chloe Latimer + Anna Shields **Over 14s. Doors. 8pm
• TUE 17TH JULY – BEERJAKET & FRIENDS PLAY ‘THE WHITE FEATHER TRAIL’ & SOME FAVOURITES + Quickbeam + Mike Nisbet
• WED 18TH JULY – BROWN BEAR AND THE BANDITS + The Sea Kings + Aaron Wright + Lovers Turn To Monsters
• THU 19TH JULY – MIDNIGHT LION + Galleries + Aames
• FIR 20TH JULY – HOLY ESQUE + Queen Jane + The Mirror Trap + The 10:04s
• SAT 21ST JULY – JACK BUTLER + Selective Service + Mickey 9′s + Kobi
• SUN 22 JULY – THE RECOVERY! + Hunt / Gather + Fat Janitor + No Island
• MON 23RD JULY – THE UNWINDING HOURS + Olympic Swimmers + Dead Electric
• TUE 24th JULY – FIRES ATTRACT + Scarlet Shift + The Darien Venture + Crusades
• WED 25TH JULY – RANDOLPH’S LEAP + Jonny Jack + Blue Sky Archives + Bronagh Monahan
• THU 26TH JULY – DARC + The Mouse That Ate The Cat + Johnny And The Giros + TeKlo

For more info visit: www.kingtuts.co.uk

Our Artist of the Week is Vasquez, a band we have talked about till we are blue in the face, but one we have never really previously focussed on in this capacity.

Their latest EP which is imaginatively titled ‘EP2’ is one of my releases of the year so far and this 3-piece I pray really get their music pushed to as many listeners as possible.

Ciaran Mckenna (Guitar/Effects), Sean Quinn (Bass) and Jon Adam (Drums) are Edinburgh based and with slightly differing line-up changes they seem to have come into their own now and are creating a sound that never quits popping with cyclonic drums and riff explosions.

I said on a recent podcast that I would love to get these guys on a bill with And So I Watch You From Afar and Vessels. Both phenomenal instrumental bands that are individually drastically different. Vasquez are the perfect 3^rd point to this triangle in that whilst being instrumental their styling is completely different. ‘EP2’ helps show that each instrument is essential in their playing and with songs like ‘Noodle Bar’ which contains one of the most exquisite bass riffs I have had the pleasure of hearing EVER , it just shows how accomplished these guys are already.

Tracks such as ‘Dad Rock’ are the perfect embodiment of excitement, anxiety and sheer genius. With its African influenced opening which diversifies itself into punk enthusiasm and added velocity it is no wonder I describe this as tornado-force riot.

Over the past few years in Podcart land it is endlessly said that there are bands that are a cut above the rest. With Vasquez it is not just the fact that they can play instruments, it is knowing what works. They are a deceptive band that display supreme confidence in their playing without being smug bastards. We add them to the list of our favourite bands we have discovered.

Halina Rifai

Thankfully they are concentrating on towns out with the central belt! After their recent performance at Coachella Festival in the US it has become very apparent that Jetpacks have taken the notable transition in becoming a superb live band.

WWPJ Scottish Tour Dates:

May 23rd – Doghouse, Dundee
May 24th – Lemontree, Aberdeen
May 25th – Ironworks, Inverness
May 26th – PJ Molloy’s, Dunfermline
May 31st – Tolbooth, Stirling
2nd June – Tweedlove Festival, Peebles
3rd June – The Dirty Weekender, Kilmarnock

Tickets available through: www.wewerepromisedjetpacks.com

The show in Peebles is one to watch out for as it the show is paired with an event called TweedLove. TweedLove is ten days of bike-riding and good times in the cycle-friendly Tweed Valley — an area with hundreds of miles of the country’s best trails, tracks and roads.
For more information please visit: www.tweedlove.com or info@tweedlove.com

Their brothers in arms Frightened Rabbit will be joining for a DJ set and there also promises to be special guests. Christ, it is like Willy Wonka’s factory all over again. Golden ticket information is below:

Date: Saturday 2nd June
We Were Promised Jetpacks + Special Guests and DJ Set from Frightened Rabbit
Venue: Peebles Burgh Hall
Time: 7:30pm
For ages 16+
Tickets: £15 in advance and available from: www.crankituplove.eventbrite.co.uk

Halina Rifai

Having recently toured Japan, played well known festival stages and shared bills with the likes of Two Door Cinema Club they are no stranger to building success.

‘Fall Far’ will appeal to the Daft Punk fans out there; it is a track full of copious catchy moments and packs pop, funk and new romanticism all into one song.

Halina Rifai

For those of you that don’t know about the award it is the first year and the first of its kind in Scotland. 100 judges chose 5 albums and ranked them in order of preference. They were then shortlisted to 20 based on a points system and now there are 20. There will be a public vote and once completed this will reduce the list further to 10 albums.

A panel will then decide on the winner. The winner received a prize of £20,000 and each runner up gets £1000 each.

This podcast explains the reasons why we think this award is vital, overall it is the music that is important so please listen!

The Tracklisting is:

King Creosote & Jon Hopkins – First Watch

Bill Well & Aidan Moffat – The Copper Top

Found – Johnny I Can’t Walk the Line

Mungo’s Hi Fi – Everyman Different (Feat Rasta Pacey)

Twin Atlantic – Edit Me

Bwani Junction – My Body My Mind

Steve Mason & Dennis Bovell – Yesterday Dub

Rustie – After Light

Mogwai – Mexican Gran Prix

We Were Promised Jetpacks – Act on Impulse

For full information on the artists and the awards please visit: www.sayaward.com

Part 2 will be out on Sunday 13^th May.

Podcast can be streamed/downloaded at the following places:
Our site: www.glasgowpodcart.com (see player below or on front page)

iTunes: itunes.apple.com/glasgow-podcart

SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/glasgowpodcart

My wee heart flutters when I hear a track for the first time by a new group and it immediately goes on repeat after the first play. Churches are a new group featuring members Iain Cook, Lauren Mayberry and Martin Doherty. Some of you are going to know immediately who all the members are. Firstly we have Iain Cook of Aereogramme/The Unwinding Hours, Lauren Mayberry who is a freelance journalist and is also known for her vocals with Blue Sky Archives and last, but not least is Martin Doherty of The Twilight Sad fame.

On paper you may expect an emotive post-rock production, however instead we have stellar, electro female fronted glory! Therefore it is quite right that our Song of the Day is ‘Lies’. Some may say this is pop music for adults, but I just say it is immediate gratification. With sweeping synths, juggernaut beats and honeyed vocals this has it all.

Grab those cans and turn it up loud.

Halina Rifai

Their latest single release ‘All These Years’ is in my opinion the best thing released by the band thus far and sets my excitement for a hopeful album release in the future. Ultimately though if they just keep making music then I will be thankful.

The first thing that will strike you about ‘All These Years’ is the production. It is almost flawless and just sets the scene for summer. It is a track that has extensively broadened the horizons of the band, but has in no way sacrificed quality. It is ethereal without being too over the top and has enough pop without being some over-manufactured nonsense.

Bands like Capitals are an essential Scottish export as they show the vast amount of underrated talent we have. By fuck I hope great things happen for them.

Halina Rifai

The single is out June 4th.

The Go North stage, a long, beamed barn lit by strings of coloured lights, was home our first stop, Aberdeen’s The Little Kicks. A surprisingly enveloping performance marked out a clear evolution since I saw the band five years ago; confidently performed, catchy material given an edge by Steven Milne’s outstanding vocal. Next door in The Bothy – a pub like place where vintage accordions line the walls – the magnificent Cafe Disco got things underway. I’d frequently heard the Glasgow four piece’s name bandied about: live I get what the hype’s about. They pulled out a belter of a show, well crafted retro guitar melodies, banging drums and upbeat rhythms forming upbeat alt-rock. Discovery of the day goes to the North Carolina based Woody Pines, a ragtime ensemble who stamped their bluesy Americana vocals on the crowd in a rare sun soaked moment.

Also purveying a country influence with roughly strummed acoustic guitar and husky vocals, was Little Fire, aka Ayr singer/songwriter Jamie Mcgeehan. His concise, stripped back set showcased a raw musical talent, delivered with endearing humility.  Highlights included a beauty of a song, ‘Ten Ways to Fall in Love’, ‘On That Road’ and the emotive ‘High Hopes’.  Back on the main stage capacity crowd gathered for Kilmarnock three piece Fatherson, who have impressive momentum live. Packing a punch with anthemic tracks highlights included the sublime ‘First Born’ and ‘Gone Fission’.
Elsewhere Comet and Cartwheel’s recent signing Quickbeam brought an intricate and tranquil tone to proceedings: circus box of percussion and strings generating superbly rich, nuanced material you can’t help but fall in love with. An enveloping rendition of single ‘Seven Hundred Birds’ warmed the crowd, their melancholic, delicate and orchestral music thought through to the last note and delivered with enviable synergy.

Having reviewed his debut album, The White Feather Trail, for PodcArt I was also keen to see Peter Kelly’s Beerjacket material live for the first time. Around halfway through his set others seemed to get the same idea, the crowd swelling full for faultless acoustic renditions of ‘ Eggshells’, ‘Poor Captain of the Soul’ and the thundering ‘Cave’ were played amongst some older and equally impressive material.

Outside the festival’s first semi mosh pit was got into full swing for gloriously executed set from Glasgow’s Endor. Their hugely enthusiastic keyboard player should get a special mention as the band belted out infectious tunes harmonica, accordion, tambourine and maracas.  In between bantering about their van getting stuck in the mud, standout tracks included a shimmering version of ‘Chapel Doors’ and sing-along friendly closer ‘Seek Cover’.

Due to an unfortunate timing clash I had to duck out of a promising set from the ethereal Laki Mera to see a band I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time, Three Blind Wolves. The Glaswegian rockers buoyant performance was the day’s standout moment: a dynamic blend of rock and roots. One of the most exciting live bands around at the moment I’d catch them while you can.

So the line up was great, the weather will surely be better next year and did I mention they had bunting? As pocket sized music festivals go Brew at the Bog might be on to a winner.

Jo Bell

The EP feels like a natural successor to the laid back, atmospheric and harmonic self-titled album. There’s a great sense of relaxation listening to this band in action and things get off to a very good start with ‘Roaring Round the House’. The vocal is exceptional and creates a nice warmth, while the addition of the music and backing vocals adds more texture to the overall sound and the whole things just sits together really well. ‘If I Hear You Talk Apostrophes Again…’ ticks the punctuation box the band so love and also happens to be a great track in the process. The sound is fuller, with a great thumping rhythm section driving the song forward. The main vocal is a little deeper this time around, but the fantastic harmonies from the backing vocals are here again. They also act as something of a counterpoint to the rhythm section, while the guitar gives the overall sound some really bright flashes. This one is infectious from the word go and a hugely enjoyable song.

‘Cocksure Boys’ slows things down a little. The tempo is a lot more relaxed than the previous track. A few more instruments are thrown into the mix with a piano sitting underneath the guitar and (possibly) a glockenspiel or some other percussion instrument adding another facet to the sound. On the surface it seems a fairly simple, slow number but have a closer listen and there are a lot of intricate goings on. Another slight shift in tempo and a fuller sound signal ‘Half Lived’. The bass sounds excellent, while the lovely guitar part literally teases out notes that hang in the air. There’s a depth to this track that, like ‘Cocksure Boys’, isn’t immediately apparent but the excellent production throws up more and more on further listens.

Penultimate track, ‘Shot Out a Cannon’ takes the tempo down a notch. There’s an almost jazzy feel to the song thanks to the drums but this is fleeting. The music is ambling along very nicely when the vocal appears like sunshine on a cloudy day. There’s an instant sensation of warmth and well-being. The final track arrives all too soon and opens with a really great guitar solo. The rich, resonant vocal comes in and once more the backing vocals are fantastic. The bass is a little more reserved this time, but does manage to keep things moving along nicely, before the song surprises you by stopping suddenly, signalling the end of a hugely enjoyable EP. The laid back sound of the debut album is still prevalent, but below the surface there’s a lot of different things happening. Vocally this is excellent, while musically it’s complex. Both elements together are simply wonderful and the production is fantastic allowing each song to breathe and grow naturally. Highly recommended.

Steve McGillivray

You can also view the latest video here:

This is the first in a number of previews for the festival.

The tracklisting for this episode is:

Hey Enemy – ‘Pink Steam’

The Machine Room – ‘Your Head On The Floor Next Door’

Chris Devotion and the Expectations – ‘I Need Your Touch’

Vasquez – ‘Noodle Bar’

Fridge Magnets – ‘Death of Rock and Roll’

Hector Bizerk – ‘Man Up’

Holy Mountain – ‘Great Monkey’

Martin John Henry – ‘Breathing Space (Mogwai Remix)

The Birthday Suit – ‘Hope Me Home’

There Will Be Fireworks – ‘Harmonium Song’

For more information on Wickerman Festival please visit: http://www.thewickermanfestival.co.uk

Our site: www.glasgowpodcart.com (see player below or on front page)

iTunes: itunes.apple.com/glasgow-podcart

SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/glasgowpodcart

Radio Magnetic: www.radiomagnetic.com

‘Thirteen Lost & Found’ by RM Hubbert is one of the most important albums to be released in recent years. A bold statement, but one I can back up with a host of evidence and personal opinion. For artists like RM Hubbert to almost get a second chance in their musical career is a rare yet wonderful thing. His debut album ‘First & Last’ received critical praise and introduced Glasgow Podcart not only to a humble man, but also a style of music that challenged the way we listened and perceived a number of things.

His follow up ‘Thirteen Lost & Found’ has seen Hubbert collaborate with a posse of friends to create an album of friendship, dedication and sentiment. Why is this album so important? Well, the aforementioned second chance rarely happens in this fickle and difficult music industry and for Hubbert to be signed by the esteemed Chemikal Underground Records after one of the most turbulent times in his life was instrumental. More importantly, the ethos and creation of the album was something that was bread through passion and a genuine need for reconnection with friends from his past. Instead of the conventional chat over a pint in the corner of your local, Hubbert suggested the meeting of minds through something that both parties lived and breathed; music.

And so the creative process started primarily between Chem 19 and the home studio of Alex Kapranos.  Having experienced some of the recording as it was happening; it was indeed one of the most organic approaches to an album I have witnessed.

‘Thirteen Lost & Found’ as a whole can be played from start to finish without realising how quickly the time has passed; this is indeed one of the beauties of a great album. But, like every LP everyone has songs that they identify with and favour.

‘Sandwalks’ with Stevie Jones accompanying on piano first struck me as a track that had a back-to-basics approach. It is a richly textured song that manages to translate fear and sadness through its esteemed musicality. When songs like this are crafted with such invigoration and attention to feeling, then all negativity is null and void.

When Hubbert said that one of his collaborators was Aidan Moffat, I had a slight flutter in the tummy it has to be said. Moffat is a man whose words pinpoint the exact emotion you were feeling at a certain time effortlessly so the addition of Hubbert on guitar was something that was sure to be perfect. ‘Car Song’ is an adventure, there is one particular point when Moffat talks of selling belongings and the signature Hubbert acoustic sound bathes it in such emotion that you cannot stop the lump rise to the top of your throat. The beauty of this song is that is ventures into new emotional territories, this song is as big as that first star your eye catches on a clear night.

Overall this album eliminates all pretense and each song responds to the other with honesty and reflectivity. From the noticeable breaths of Hubbert as he commands his guitar to the falsetto exquisiteness of Hanna Tuulikki, ‘Thirteen Lost & Found’ is an album not only to be adored, but also to be admired.

Halina Rifai

Car Song is released Monday April 30th on Chemikal Underground Records.

Having seen the name Nick Packer and it ringing a bell, it was then realised that this is the bass player of the incredible Sparrow and the Workshop. Well, you are all in for one hell of a treat!

The track in question is ‘Dream’; it is a smorgasbord of eclecticism and will appeal to the electro fan in you, the hip hop fan, the folk and so on. It is like being able to tune into every radio station at the same time and it mixed up together in one cohesive statement.

This is music with distinctive personality and along with Django Django and Errors, Part-Time Waitress have reinterpreted music for a new generation in a way that makes you feel they have created a whole new style.

Halina Rifai

The album opens with a pretty soulful track in ‘Golden Ratio‘. There’s a nice bass thud and a slow and steady tempo, with Profisee delivering a laid back flow. It’s a good, head nodding start, showing an appreciation for the beats and track underneath the vocal. That’s a feeling that pervades throughout the album, and what sets it apart from a lot of new hip-hop for me.

The music is really excellent and varied, without ever feeling stereotypical for the genre. Coupled with the vocal delivery, which varies as much as the backing music, this is a refreshing sounding debut which avoids genre clichés. Tracks like ‘Where O’Where‘ use genre spanning music. This track in particular could easily be mistaken for a dream pop song, before the rap comes in and the beat kicks, adding a hint of drum and bass.

‘Take My Hand‘ samples Prince, before some rumbling bass beats come in. Again, the delivery of the rhymes is excellent. ‘Magikal‘ changes things up again, sampling what sounds to me like a harp, lending the track a dream-like quality. Stuttering beats come in, while the rap flow also bucks conventions, giving the track an interesting feel, though I must confess I prefer a more traditional beat.

‘Ten Thousand‘ is such a beast. The song title is repeated over and over, while some doom laden beats build and the vocal kicks in. This is a more traditional tempo and beat. There’s a vaguely distorted feel to the beats, giving the track a nice edge. I also get the feeling this track is very auto-biographical, detailing the struggle to reach this point in Profisee’s life.

There’s a question for everyone on ‘What Would You Do?‘, more specifically, if you were given a week to live, how would you spend it? The beat it initially reminiscent of Michael Jackson, before a synth note plays out the tempo. The tempo is very much in the head nodding category and the vocals pull you along. The backing music reminded me a little of Mantronix but that may just be me. ‘Grimey‘ does what it says on the tin, and delivers a dirty, grimey track that grinds along at a steady tempo, before the album reaches the standout track, ‘Movin‘.

I challenge anyone not to move one part of their body to this track. It gets in your ears and takes over your body like you’re the dead guy in Weekend at Bernies. It’s catchy from the word go but then at exactly 39 seconds the song takes off and the beat really kicks in. This is the kind of track with mass appeal like Jason Nevins/Run DMC or Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Bonkers‘. It’s fantastic. Best of all, the rhymes just flow in perfect harmony with the beat. Phenomenal stuff. As Profisee says “Move to the beat/it’s a simple instruction”. Sir! Yes, Sir!

If this is the peak of the album, then the down slope is certainly not steep. ‘Shake‘ is all about big drums and scratchy electronics. Again production is really interesting and fresh, while ‘Be True‘ samples strings, and features a soulful female vocal. The addition of the main vocal ups the tempo and the beat skips along. ‘Insight‘ features more sampled strings and a little piano, with some Space Invaders like effects. This is the LL Cool J track of the album. It has a good, heartfelt feel to it and even features some nu-soul style singing on the chorus, which I should really dislike, but don’t.

Closer, ‘You Keep Me Up‘ has a relentless, repeating thrum in the background, with a female vocal over the top and has that nu-soul/R ‘n B feel to it again. The flow is slower, and almost spoken, but thanks to the superior production, it all comes together and works. There’s even a hint of uplifting dance in there that reminded me of 808 State.

I really enjoyed this album a lot. While I do consider myself a fan of hip-hop, a lot of modern hip-hop leaves me indifferent. What Profisee manages to do here is make an album about life, family, the beauty of our planet and positivity, but to do it in a fresh and interesting way, and not sound like it’s preaching to you. There are lots of tracks here with very different structures and tempo, as well as sampled music and backing tracks that all feel unique, sitting comfortably together in a great record.

Hip-hop in Scotland and the UK as a whole has generally struggled, but this is proof positive that we have some great rappers and MC’s that produce some phenominal music. This feels old school in spirit, and modern in delivery, and nobody got shot, did drugs or slapped a woman in the process. A gem of an album.

Steve Mcgillivray

I put these negative thoughts behind me though. It’s Thursday, times are tight, and hip-hop isn’t a huge genre in Scotland, so perhaps it’s not as shocking as I think. I’ll leave that to others to judge…I just want to hear some music.

Some people do eventually turn up and around 20 minutes or so behind schedule, Silver Tongue takes to the stage. I recognise him from playing T in the Park in 2011 with Madhat McGore who are also on tonight’s bill. Madhat McGore’s DJ is also on stage with Silver Tongue and another MC who’s name I unfortunately don’t catch. The flow is pretty impressive from Silver Tongue, who more than backs up his monicker, and his rhymes are sharp and intelligent, but also full of humour. A favourite that I caught was “I have big issues, but I don’t sell magazines”.

During a song about weed, his fellow MC had a solo rap but messed it up. Rather than the song fall part, Silver Tongue effortlessly blended the forgotten verse into the song, saving the lad’s blushes but also playing down the error. As good as he was on stage, when he stepped down from the stage he was spectacular. Known as having a penchant for a freestyle, he delivered big time. Walking amongst the crowd, he included almost everyone in his rhymes and it sounded fantastic but above all it flowed naturally. It was quite possibly the best thing I’ve seen in Electric Circus.

Madhat McGore was in the unenviable position of having to follow. First though, he needed an audience. What people had arrived were all now outside and judging form the waft of smoke that followed them all back in they were ready for a good time. Having seen Madhat before I was fairly certain they’ not be disappointed and like everyone, I love being right. The beats from the DJ were great and Madhat shuffled across the stage delivered great rhymes in his Edinburgh twang. Aided by a Glaswegian MC Nity Gritz, the pair commanded the stage and got the crowd into it. There was one track that managed to make my hair vibrate, such was the awesome bass heavy track the DJ was spinning. Another was acapella and delivered with real heart and sincerity, but the real gem was the call and response Madhat engineered with the crowd. When he said “helfi chat, with a helfi hat’ the crowd were to respond with a loud “HELFI”. To his credit, everyone got in on it and it a highlight of a great set.

After a brief interlude, main act of the evening Profisee is taking to the stage with his DJ. Straight away he grabs your attention. He’s an imposing figure but most of all his flow is so good, you hang on his words. The beats are channelling old-school, but melodic, while the rhymes feel fresh and tight. It’s hard to pick a highlight from his set, such was it’s quality, but ‘Movin‘ is definitely one of them. It was a bass heavy, thumping beast of a song that had the whole crowd (pardon the pun) moving. It felt like it was born of the same parents as Dizzee’s ‘Bonkers’ and the controversial Jason Nevins mash up/remix of hip-hop royalty Run DMC’s ‘It’s Like That‘.

Another great moment was when Profisee invited any MC that wanted the mic up onto stage. He opened the song himself before handing off the mic for freestylers. The other acts on the bill duly obliged, as did several of the audience and I was genuinely surprised that they were all great. It was a nice touch from the main man and rounded off an thoroughly excellent night of criminally under attended hip-hop.

Electric Circus (specifically John-Paul Mason) and Uncle Vic have done it again. Genre is no barrier to the excellent music these guys put on in Edinburgh every month. If only people would get out and see it.

Steve Mcgillivray

The WIKI Project is a 3 part project which centres around the ideas of Parody, Pastiche and Appropriation.  Two of the three events have been done already, but the final event is on exhibition now at The Art Club (Bath Street).  The exhibition goes like this:

Each artist created an entirely new work, which they presented at the first exhibition in February, all the while keeping their work shielded from each other.

Still following?  Good.

The artists then drew straws to determine who they would share their piece with.  So for instance, Shelton created a piece and only showed it to Marlena who then made a piece of art influenced by Shelton’s work.

In the meantime, Shelton was shown Carla’s work, and then was off to create a piece based on that, while Carla was shown Marlena’s work.

So, the second piece (again kept shielded from the others) was a remix of the original.

The final part involved more Musical Chairs, where each artist was then shown only the remixed piece and then created something from that remix.

The result is a triptych:  one original, a remix of the original, and then a remix of the remix.

Here’s how it looks in a chart (I’m bad at charts so bear with me):

Original Shelton                       Carla                           Marlena

Remixed Marlena                      Shelton                       Carla

Remix of remix Carla                           Marlena                      Shelton

So, I had the benefit of sitting down with Shelton and discussing the project which, I have to admit, is absolutely fascinating to me.  The ideas of copyright and inspiration are the underlying themes to the exhibition, and recently with the threat of stricter copyrighting laws, Shelton, Carla and Marlena are challenging the idea of true originality.

If you think back through history, this ‘ideas-influencing-ideas’ has been around since creation.  Artists were always influencing each other; musicians took what others had done and built on it.  Just like classical music gave way to the Romantic Era which gave way to Modern, then down the line it was folk, then jazz, then bebop, rock and roll…you see where I’m going with this.  While the first influenced the next, society in each turn was both the influencer and the influenced.  It’s progressive.

‘I think it will offer people something different than what you get at most exhibitions,’ explains Shelton.  ‘It’s artists that are both simultaneously conforming to predetermined structure, but also subverting that.’

‘It makes plain to the audience what artists are doing all the time anyway, which is borrowing, ripping off, stealing and referencing other works by other artists, but that maybe aren’t always necessarily revealed to you as the audience.  This is that part of the process exposed.’

So, I just gotta ask:  Is it a compliment if someone rips off your work?

There is no hesitation:  ‘Definitely. I think it’s one of the biggest compliments you can have.’   She goes on to explain that it can be simultaneously infuriating, but that the process is important.  ‘To limit those possibilities would really, I feel, be the death of one of the things that the art world relies on most; that artists rely on most.  I never want to see that compromised or jeopardized.’

The idea is brilliance; showing the process of artists borrowing and allowing themselves to be influenced by each other right before our very eyes.  It happens all the time in art, but we may not realize that it’s happened.  Shelton, Carla and Marlena have drawn back the curtain to let us see how art moves and transforms and progresses just through inspiration and parody.

Check out The Wiki Project down at The Art Club on Bath Street.  The triptychs will be on exhibition until May 1.

http://www.wikiexhibition.com/

(Lis Murray)

You could quite easily put the German duo on a line-up with these artists and it would be perfect. Their debut UK single ‘You’re a Runner’ is pop perfection. It is a culmination of breathtaking melody, restricted yet imaginative percussion and compelling expression.

They are yet another of the recently stellar artists to emerge that are able to take electronic programming and combine it with raw talent to make something that will stop people in their tracks.

My door is always open for Me and My Drummer.

Halina Rifai

The single is out May 14th. For more info please visit: http://www.abadgeoffriendship.com/artists/me-and-my-drummer

If that doesn’t get you excited then nothing will. Bronto Skylift, for those that don’t know, are a two piece based in Glasgow but hailing from Northern Scotland (Niall is from Inverness, while Iain is from Orkney). A folk band they are not. These guys channel the likes of Nirvana then mash it all up and increase the volume tenfold, before blasting your face off with the resultant noise. It’s really quite exhilarating. Drummer Iain even manages to find time to play in The Phantom Band.

So, to the new release on Cath Records. ‘Perfect Gentleman’ was written and recorded on the same day. Apparently, finished at 4am on April 20th, the release was then put together in time for Record Store Day 2012. In true DIY fashion, it was also recorded by PAWS bassist Matthew Scott. It’s typical Bronto Skylift in that the song immediately goes for the jugular. It’s a full on assault with the drums pounding you into submission, while the guitar tries to take off your head. The vocals are delivered in a demonic snarl and it’s just great! The duo must be going soft in their old age though, as there’s a change of pace when the drums settle into a more conventional rhythm and the guitar takes on a very grunge like melody, but just when you think it’s safe they’re off again and your mind is pummelled into mush by the feedback, distorted guitar, screamed vocal and pounding drums. There’s no let up until the song finally fades to the sound of relentlessly thumping drums. It’s a breathtaking, non-stop battering of your psyche, but above all it’s bloody great.

The flip side of the tape is ‘Negative Creep’. It’s a pretty faithful reproduction of the Nirvana song, with a few Bronto Skylift tweaks here and there. There’s big drums and a great guitar as the song opens up, before the distorted, screamed vocal comes in, lending the song even more urgency and adrenalin that the original. There’s a really nice bass feel to the song that drives it along and while it is still recognisably similar to the original Nirvana song, there’s definitely a new edge to the music and vocals thanks to the people involved. While maybe a bit obvious to some, I found it really exciting to hear these guys cover a great Nirvana song. I wonder if they’d be up for a whole album of them? Joking aside though, it’s a great accompaniment to the new track ‘Perfect Gentleman’ on Side A. If you have a tape deck lurking around somewhere, you know what to do.

Steve McGillivray

For more information on Cath Records please visit: http://cathrecords.tumblr.com

Penny Anderson tells us a little about the background of the exhibition.

“We all met at Glasgow School of Art but had never been in the position where we had all sat round a table together to discuss the project or indeed anything. We’d never really met, the only thing that everyone had in common was me in a way.

Upon finishing the course at the Glasgow School of Art, you watch people take their work down, pack it up or discard it. Vans arrive to take people and their work away and you realise you’ll never see each other again and its heart breaking. You’ve spent this time together and you wonder if you’ll ever see them again or whether they’ll still be artists.

So we all met up together just a couple of weeks ago and that was really interesting because we had all been travelling and moving away from Glasgow and all of us not wanting to leave Glasgow and really wanting to come back. We were all trying to find ways to stay or ways not to have to leave. Whether it be due to Visa problems (especially with all the Visa changes) or the fact that it is sometimes difficult to find work in Glasgow but all realising that it is an amazing place to work and be an artist.

Packing And Mourning

Throughout last summer Young was involved in a residency in Bilbao, Eija had gone back to Finland and didn’t want to be there, I was just randomly travelling around and Shelton was in Glasgow and trying to stay in Glasgow and not sure whether she would or not. I was the first to come back to Glasgow, then Young came back and Eija had been coming back intermittently and we had all been communication via our blog.

We were all scattered over all these different places and the blog is documenting our journey. We also use the blog to communicate and discuss ideas. We use it as a way of asking each other questions about the project. Its so people can see what we’re doing which part of The Mutuals brief. They wanted something that was like a kind of conversation, like a document of the process. I think when you see the work you’ll realise why everyone’s made the work that they have because it kind of emerges, you can see the journey. The excitement of making work, the exhilaration of travel.

So I just noticed that we were all in this situation last summer and we asked The Mutual ‘Would you be interested in this project’ and amazingly I thought they would say ‘get tae’ as I am quite new to making visual art but no, they agreed. They totally got the project. Likewise with St Judes Hotel where the exhibition will be held – they totally got the project.

Anyway, it’s really hard to explain the idea without it sounding sad and wistful and it’s not, it’s about the fact that we are always moving on. We are always looking for the next space. Be it moving back to where we live or back where we could find work. So we called it Packing and Mourning.

We called it Packing and Mourning because when we finished our course I knew Eija didn’t want to leave Glasgow so I sent her a text you know “How’s it going? How you getting on?” And she replied, “I’m fine… I’m packing and mourning.”
We’ve all been in that position where something is ending and we don’t want it to end and we don’t know how to stop it. So I thought ‘Packing and Mourning’, that’s perfect.

I’m working with two other people who have English as a second language and an American who has a very different view of the English language and the word ‘packing’ has got so many different meanings and connotations. Packing and unpacking, packing in the metaphorical sense of following a discussion and having ideas. And at one point the packing of weapons, quite memorably on the streets of Glasgow I was followed by someone who was kind of threatening me I thought ‘Oh their packing’ have they got a knife or whatever? Am I gonna get chibbed? That’s actually what one of the blog posts was about.

Also the practical side of packing as in, we were all obsessed with boxes. And you realise that finding a good box is one of the most important things you’ll do. Banana boxes are the best for travelling. If you are a travelling artist what materials do you take with you, what do you bring back? Is it just information or actual work? Do you work while your travelling? It’s such a massive idea and I don’t think I will ever stop using the idea because a lot of what I do is about travel. I actually made something while I was travelling that will be in the show. We are all producing very different pieces of work but it all looks absolutely amazing.

It’s the departure, the destination, the journey, the arrival, the travel, the packing and mourning.”

Opens Monday chaps at St Judes Hotel Glasgow… get it gone to.

http://packingandmourning.wordpress.com/
http://www.themutual.org.uk/
http://www.glasgowinternational.org/

Sophie Stubbs

Last night at midnight the artist playing the Solus Tent 2012 were announced. We now look at a more in depth view of them all!

HUMAN DON’T BE ANGRY (MALCOLM MIDDLETON)

I have real respect for Malcolm Middleton. He continues to reinvent himself, but still hold onto the roots that he has previously established. I have previously said that he has the ability to tap right into your emotional core. As one of the headliners of the Solus Tent, Human Don’t Be Angry is a worthy choice and promises to end the weekend on a complete high.

http://soundcloud.com/chemikal-underground/hdba_theme

http://overlookrecords.com/artists/salo

The tracklisting for this week is:

Casual Sex – National Unity Mast

Vasa – Cynthia

Craig _FS – Helmet Wars

Skies Fell – You Are A Wave

Profisee – You Keep Me Up

Siiga – Michelle (Seashell)

Robin Adams – Catapult

Errors – Tusk

Satellite Dub – Plans of Smoke and Mirrors

Julia & the Doogans – Down the Line

Where you can listen/download the podcast:

Our site: www.glasgowpodcart.com (see player below or on front page)

iTunes: itunes.apple.com/glasgow-podcart

SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/glasgowpodcart

Radio Magnetic: www.radiomagnetic.com

See you next week!!!!

Team Podcart x

goNORTH 2012 Showcase List

Anderson, McGinty, Webster, Ward and Fisher

Aaron Wright

Blindfolds

Blue Sky Archives

Brown Bear and the Bandits

Cafe Disco

Campfires in Winter

Cancel The Astronauts

Cherri Fosphate

Chris Devotion and The Expectations

CLEAVERS

DARC

Dead Boy Robotics

Esperi

Fat Goth

French Wives

Galleries

Grace Weber

Graham Brown

Honningbarna

Iain Mclaughlin & The Outsiders

Ilona

John Wean

Jonathan Sebastian Knight

Lady North

Letters

Make Sparks

Mass Consensus

Matt Norris & The Moon

Maydays

Michael Cassidy

Miniature Dinosaurs

Miss Irenie Rose

Nelson Can

Olympic Swimmers

Open Swimmer

Oskar Empire

Pioneers of Love

Plum

Polaroid Fiction

Pronto Mama

Quickbeam

Red Kites

Sebastian Dangerfield

Selective Service

Smoothiesforme

Stanley Odd

Star Wheel Press

Team Kapowski

The Little Kicks

The Machine Room

The Mirror Trap

The Mixups

The Stagger Rats

The Whisky River Band

The Winter Tradition

Them & Us

This Silent Forest

Vigo Thieves

Washington Irving

We Came From Wolves

Where We Lay Our Heads

Xavia

Yusaf Azak

We are particularly happy to see artists such as Yusaf Azak, Campfires in Winter, Make Sparks, Fat goth, Plum and Lady North on the list.

For full information please visit: WWW.GONORTH.BIZ

Halina Rifai

The album opens with the title track (well, almost. It’s called ‘Eagle to Saturn‘). The song grabs you by the lapels and batters you about the head. Initially coming off a big, meaty beat, and possibly a recorder, or some kind of wind instrument, it maintains a good tempo from the outset. The bass and guitar are great, while the lyrics are snarling in your face. If I thought the vocals there were snarling, then I had no idea what waited on me.

‘Twitching Stick‘ keeps the tempo high and is a crazy, schizophrenic roller-coaster ride. The lyric “I don’t know what a twitching stick is” is repeated over and over and you feel like you’re seeing into the mind of madness, thanks in part to some strings that would sit well in Dario Argento’s “Suspiria”. It’s disconcerting and really good fun.

The banjo intro on ‘Bake Yourself Silly‘ is the first glint of sanity amongst the madness, but it doesn’t last long. A bass heavy beat rumbles away alongside the banjo, while the vocals are of the odd variety, that leave you feeling a little unsure of what’s going on. You might even thing you’re Bruno the Baker of the song by the end, it’s so mental.

There’s little let up in the first half of the album. ‘Witch on the Speaker‘ is another manic, high tempo song. Again strings are used to great effect, creating the Lynchian landscape that the band seem to roam around in. The minute a midget talks backwards on this record I’m off. The first let up in the full on assault on your sanity is during the intro to ‘Sad as Dead Monkeys‘. This lasts all of 30 seconds before a kung-fu movie special effect interrupts the serenity and from there a distorted, strained and desperate sounding vocal takes over. The strings sit underneath some spooky effects, before rising to the top about two minutes in. Throughout though, they are darkly beautiful and at odds with the unsettling vocal, creating a nice contrast.

‘The Birds are Falling‘ again makes great use of the strings. Here they are accompanied by a simple tambourine to set the tempo. Vocals are again distorted, though almost spoken this time. Bass and drums join in, giving the song a fuller sound, before the whole enterprise goes mad towards the end, threatening to literally explode.

‘Freda Bolt‘ goes for full on assault and no subtlety. Big thumping beats and distorted slashing guitars fight over the snarled vocals. Various additional pieces of percussion and some strings compete with the more conventional sounds to create a heady mix of madness which sounds really good. ‘God Don’t Like It‘ is a contender for the standout track on first listen. Banjo and vocals open the song and it feels like someone in Louisiana should be singing this before growling guitars come in alongside a drumbeat at odds with the rest of the song. It’s an unusual mix of warring sounds but works really well. The vocal never lets up, dragging the song along.

The most upbeat and hopeful sounding song, at least from it’s light and airy intro, is ‘Jungle Bells in the Summertime‘. Multiple vocals create an interesting sound, with minimal music backing them. A steady handclap seems to be the only percussion and who doesn’t like a handclap? About 80 seconds from the end the drums, bass and guitar all kick in in a joyous, liberating end to the song. The final track of the album is simply called ‘?‘ and opens at a high tempo, sounding very celtic and folky. Call and response vocals and the speedy strings and percussion add to the feeling. The banjo is dusted off again and similar to it’s appearances elsewhere on the album it sounds really good. ‘?‘ never lets up and is a good snapshot of the album as a whole in that respect.

An Eagle to Saturn is an album that gets right in your face and challenges you. It’s not punk in the sense of that genre’s sound, but it’s a little punk in spirit as The Leg basically do what they want and to hell with you. The problem is they’re rather good at what they do. Everything is thrown at you – banjo, strings, wind instruments, guitar, bass, drums, handclaps, while each band member sings. I say sing in the Shaun Ryder sense of the word. They don’t so much as sing, as snarl and growl loudly into your ear, but it fits so perfectly to the music it really doesn’t matter.

Some people will not like this, but if you accept the challenge there are rewards to be had. While this is possibly the most un-Song, by Toad Records record I’ve heard to date, I still liked it. It’s an uneasy relationship, but with every passing moment I warm to this album more and more.

Steve Mcgillivray

The Illinois duo consist of singer and instrumentalist Nick Aister and producer Michael Wharfield, their self-titled debut album out under newly established Scottish micro label Kirkcudbright Tape Club. It’s a fitting home for a dreamy-pop record where fade outs feature as a lovingly worn trademark.

Falling into The Shins/Beach House territory Aloha Tigers’ set of shoegaze melodies prove an often understated affair, glimmering with brilliance in places. Chilled-out opener ‘Grit Your Teeth’ subtly weaves a psychedelic soundscape as the backdrop for softly rendered, repetitive lyrics, before the instantly more summery ‘Young Ghosts’ throws down a retro rhythm, reminiscent of a pared-down The Beach Boys. The earnest ‘The Kind of Girl You Like’ showcases the duo’s talent for creating tuneful songcraft, a catchy beat combining with beaten-up crackling vocal, at times featuring a lovely choral reinforcement.

Rasping ‘Josh’s Song’ is more of a slow burner – background music friendly – while emotive ‘Croaky’ sneaks up subtly, opening with the sound of waves and advancing in strings and playful beats. With fleeting instrumental ‘Giallo’ comes the introduction of a darker tone, the dramatic tune rounded off with a creepy vocal echo. Gripping notes usher in standout track ‘Darkest Dreams’, a nuanced number combining rat-ta-tat drumming with delicate piano keys and harmonica. Elsewhere ‘Oh, The Glory of it All’ feels like sunshine, it could easily feature on the soundtrack of a feel good indie flick, and ‘New Love’ follows suit.

The swift ‘Hikikomori’, which (I know thanks to Zola Jesus’ track of the same name) means ‘home’ in Japanese is a gratifying taster of a cleverly built tinkling melody. The album’s close includes a shake your shoulders worthy ‘Cloud in the Water’, almost begging a brilliant dance remix, and the album’s last track, meandering ‘The Letter’, lives in eager loops, feeling like an eighties love song.

Aloha Tigers’ name is indicative, in a way, of the album as a whole: it has a slightly offbeat randomness that’s intriguing enough to pull you in.

Jo Bell

A limited edition cassette on May 14^th titled ‘Misled Youth’. There will be only 250 hand numbered copies and we suggest that you get in quick. The boys recorded it themselves in one day and we have a review coming shortly. It blows my mind how far these boys have come in such a short period of time.

The tour dates are as follows:

11May//Brighton//Great Escape Festival
12May//Brighton//Great Escape Festival
17May// Birmingham//The Rainbow w/ Bleached
18May//Leeds//Brudenell Social Club w/ Bleached
20May//Glasgow//Nice & Sleazy w/ Bleached
21May//Newcastle//The Cluny w/ Bleached
22May//London// Upset The Rhythm @ Birthdays! w/ Bleached

We are only into April of 2012 and already it is proving very successful for a number of Scottish artists.

Halina Rifai

www.wehavepaws.com

May 2012 sees the band venture back to France and for the first time Belgium. The Summer boasts rumours of a couple of festival slots that are under wraps and they have also begun writing for their follow up release to Fault Lines.

The tour dates for May 2012 are as follows:

13th – Adlephi, Hull

14th – Chameleon, Nottingham

15th – The Croft, Bristol

16th – Brighton Electric, Brighton

17th – Old Blue Last, London

18th – Undertone, Cardiff

19th – Paris, France

20th – Brussels, Belgium

22nd - Bordeaux, France

23rd - La Rochelle, France

24th - Périgueux, France

25th - Royan, France

26th - Poitiers, France

28th – Stereo, Glasgow

Podcart and Detour will be presenting the Glasgow show at Stereo and it promises to be loud, tit shaking joy.

United Fruit are yet another band that are working their bollocks off to spread their sound outside of the country and we know they will have a spectacular year.

Kirstin Lynn

Photo By Euan Robertson

www.facebook.com/unitedfruit

www.twitter.com/unitedfruit

www.soundcloud.com/unitedfruit

Claire Lim and Paul McCallum, formerly from Glasgow started PR company A Badge of Friendship in the grand old city from London. Having steadily built an honest reputation and worked with a roster of brilliant artists they are now recognised as one of the notable PR companies. Why so? Well they care about the artists they work with, obviously a business element must take place, but essentially they love the people they work with.

So Claire and Paul approached Podcart to start this series and the idea was to try and bridge the gap a bit more between north and south. It is an ideal situation!

In the first episode they introduce a selection of their roster and also chat about their other activities involving Last FM, the Empire Awards and more!

So without further ado here is the first tracklisting:

Tango in the Attic – Paw Prints

Access Royale – Hide

The Unkindness of Ravens – Last Call For The River

Vigo Thieves – Heartbeats

Turnpike Glow – 1986

French Wives – Younger

June of 44 – Escape of the Levitational Trapeze Artist

Red House Painters – Between Days

Where you can listen/download the podcast:

Our site: www.glasgowpodcart.com (see player below or on front page)

iTunes: itunes.apple.com/glasgow-podcart

SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/glasgowpodcart

Stay tuned for forthcoming podcasts and check out the ABOF roster!

Website: www.abadgeoffriendship.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/abadgeoffriendship

Twitter: www.twitter.com/abof

In the meantime listen to our Song of the Day, ‘Soft Coda’ is taken from the album and has been produced by the infamous Tony Doogan.

‘Soft Coda’ is a winning blend of harmonised warmth and spontaneous sonancy.  North Atlantic Oscillation continue to seek innovation and this is a definite progression in depth that may have been lacking previously. There is no doubt though that ‘Soft Coda’ is taking NAO on an upward trajectory.

Halina Rifai

We shall cut to the chase, here is the list:

Notable mentions from us must go to Conquering Animal Sound, Happy Particles and Remember Remember. They were 3 albums that really shone for us in 2011. We are going to be honest and admit that Conquering Animal Sound were placed as our number 1 in the list we were allocated. It also must be said that for a band like Happy Particles to self-release digitally only on a platform like Bandcamp and receive such recognition is entirely heartwarming and encouraging.

The next stage of the award goes over to you the public. You will be able to vote for your favourite album from the list on May 14^th on the SAY Award website: www.sayaward.com

What we must stress is do not just pick your favourite album that you have already from the list. Go and listen to ALL the albums picked as you may find something that you fall in love with. This gives you an opportunity to vote as you see fit. There will be an APP released to enable you to check out the artists as well.

May 17^th will see the list reduce further to only 10 albums and then a judging panel of ten people will select the Scottish Album of the Year.

We will keep you up to date as things happen. This really is a truly exciting time for Scottish music.

Halina Rifai

Today we pay tribute to his heart tugging track ‘Dark’. Luke has taken the simplest notion, inserted a gorgeous piano passage and hits a falsetto every so often that gives you goosebumps.

The undercurrent of tenderness in ‘Dark’ is one of the most poignant things about this track; however it is the overwhelming sadness that creates the most satisfaction. Sometimes the minor key is the most beautiful thing in the world and ‘Dark’ proves this.

Luke Sital-Singh is fast becoming one of my favourite new discoveries. This man writes such effortless songs that may not be deemed radically different yet tap into that part of your brain that wants to click play and repeat continuously and for me that is enough.

Heartbreak never sounded so good.

Halina Rifai

This was an idea that was put into fruition by Stewart Henderson of Chemikal Underground Records. He is also part of the brilliant Scottish Music Industry Association and they have additionally played an incredibly pivotal part of the organisation of the award. Furthermore, Creative Scotland are the main associated body.

So what is the purpose of the award? Well essentially it is about the music, as it should be. The main prize is an incredible £20,000 and also a further £1000 going to EACH of the nine runners up. Nothing like this has ever been done in Scotland and whilst with every new exciting venture involving a prize of money may be tainted with scepticism, I am 100% behind this.

The reason I am so committed in the belief of this project is that it really has taken into account the welfare of the musician. The album list that was compiled is made up of literally hundreds of albums released in 2011! (You can find eligibility requirements here: http://www.smia.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/SAY-Award-Full-Press-Release.pdf) The focus is on the merit of the artist, it is not about how many albums sold, what style of music or even if the band has a label.

100 nominators were selected and we are happy to be one of them. We were issued an extensive list of albums that included self-released albums, label released albums and artists ranged from ones that have enjoyed differing mediums of success. We were then asked to pick 5 albums and rank them in order of preference; I must say at this point that this was like picking your favourite child. The nominators (which can be found here: http://www.sayaward.com/#the-judges) cover all parts of the industry, right through to us bloggers! They are from all over Scotland and have lived and breathed many of the artists selected.

One of the best things for me was seeing artists like Beerjacket, Jonnie Common and Adam Stafford in a list along with the likes of King Creosote & Jon Hopkins who were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. It is artists like Kelly, Common and Stafford that I feel are so ridiculously underrated and to see them included is very satisfying. When you write a blog or a music site that is on our level you immerse yourself in the community. You end up socialising, meeting and getting to know the artists. You then follow them and it can be more intense than say sites like Pitchfork or Stereogum who churn out reviews and features with no personal knowledge of the artist. Whilst it is about the beatific music that these artists make, there is a personal part of this in that you pray for these artist to succeed as you see the work that they put in first hand.

The SAY Award is one of the most important things to happen in Scottish music in years. It has the potential to give artists a significant platform without all the glorified bullshit and really help put Scotland on the map. It has the ability to translate outside of the UK and build into something that is recognised as being an honest and essential part of our calendar.

The long list is announced in 2 days and this alone will help encourage people to check out artists they may have never listened to. This ideally will encourage sales of albums and create a terrific buzz in its build up. All the people that have worked behind the scenes to get this on its feet really understand what needs to be done. Ultimately, they have grabbed things by the bollocks and actually put words into action instead of speaking loudly and hoping for a change. Scotland needs this now, I cannot stress this enough.

I must mention Song, By Toad’s brilliant blog covering the negative aspects of what people will come out with. Please go and read it here: http://songbytoad.com/2012/04/shit-scottish-bands-given-nine-days-to-prepare-their-very-best-conspiracy-theories, it is what it says on the tin and does indeed cover all conspiracy theories that will no doubt arise.

So please visit the website: http://sayaward.com, keep up to date with developments and above all check out the musicians nominated and promoted. You may just find your next favourite album.

Halina Rifai

You can also find SAY on –

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sayaward

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAYaward

I bring you Casual Sex. I could fill this piece with a barrage of innuendoes, but I will stick to the music.

Our Song of the Day is ‘The Sound of Casual Sex’ by Casual Sex. You could be mistaken that this was a punk outfit then you get these sudden bursts of melody. I don’t think a band of this style has excited me as much since Jonathan Fire*eater. With probing bass lines, jagged chords and a simply exciting sound this is and I am sorry to put this so plainly….FUCKING EXCELLENT. Whilst his song was uploaded 9 month ago, they are a band that are slowly, but surely starting to gig quite a bit and have new material.

I expect this band to be referenced to other artists a lot, but please do not be fooled by that. Casual Sex have built a foundation that certainly borrows from its predecessors, but they are in no way a miming band.  This is top class.

Halina Rifai

Our Song of the Day is ‘Feeling Sick’ which is part of their newest release following a lengthy and well deserved sabbatical.

The track itself is stunning, to put simply. Previous releases have been dreamy, ethereal and full of psychedelic persuasion. They have taken their love of all things psychedelic and pushed it full throttle into the 21st century.

‘Feeling Sick’ is a heady mix of reggae and pop. With ingenious samples that polish off the track it really has the potential to translate right through to the mainstream.

Ambulances have never been so easy to embrace and with their clear, sharp and intensely rhythmic sound it would come as no surprise to me if they sparked enough interest to cause a riot.

This is magical.

Halina Rifai

You can purchase here: http://ambulances.bandcamp.com/track/feeling-sick

The thought, care and love that come with each release is enough to make you want to dedicate a corner of your music library to him.

Today’s Song of the Day is ‘Michelle (Seashell)’ and a song that I describe as under the skin beauty. With sparse and atmospheric melodies Siiga creates swirls of emotion and has completely proved the theory ‘less is more’.

All I ask is that you actively listen to this to fully appreciate. The steady layering of vocals, percussion and dynamic guitar places this in its own unique world that is remote yet beautifully intimate.

The video that accompanies this song is notable. It contains footage taken from ‘Cruise to St Kilda and The Western Isles’, filmed by Ronald J. Lay in 1929 and adds an almost unexplainable breath of emotion when watching. The song fits the view perfectly and is entirely affecting.

I really hope people take note of this artist. His ethos and talent are both fascinating.

Halina Rifai

Michelle (Seashell) from Siiga on Vimeo.

For more information on Siiga including single download info please visit: http://www.siiga.co.uk

Musically, the latter part of this track shows exactly how far Joyce has come as a guitarist and the acoustic passage that finishes this piece is exquisite. Regardless of the circumstances that surround the creation of this track, it is IBCM’s best work to date.

Halina Rifai

‘Smile’ is the chosen track and appeals to everything I love. It combines extravagant electronic beats which contrasts so exceptionally well with her elegant vocals.

The production on this track is exceptional and I think that is one of the most appealing things about Plum. It is really refreshing to hear a Scottish female using such harsh dub step beats on a track as of late it is being brought so much to the table by the male sector. Before I am called a feminist, I will move on…..

There is an eccentricity about this track, it strikes the perfect balance between vibrancy and the quieter elements on the album. It contains a unity and vision whilst producing a sensuality that is extremely attractive.

Plum’s album is launched in 2 days at Edinburgh’s Electric Circus. I really have to see this live.

Halina Rifai

Now let me if you will. As most people know by now Take a Worm for a Walk Week have decided to call things a day. Whilst this came as a blow to many (and not the good kind) there was also the announcement of a final show at Glasgow’s Stereo.

Knowing this lot it will not be your peaceful state of affairs and they will probably rip your head off and shit down your neck, in a good way of course. All joking aside, TAWFAWW have produced an impressive catalogue of material and their most recent self-titled album was full of ferocious hooks, deafening riffs and had enough power to give you a free sex change.

Supporting on the night will be Podcart favourite Adam Stafford, I will keep this brief: do not miss him; it will make your life better. Other support includes GRNR, a new one for us and someone we are looking forward to. It costs about £6 and this show is highly recommended.

The thing is it doesn’t stop there because sandwiched into your Thursday night is the almighty Fat Goth. They are also playing the same night up at Bloc and it is free! The band is on at 11.15pm so we are told, so essentially you could fit both gigs in like a Man V Food effort.

Fat Goth are pure entertainment, frontman Fritz would scare the hair off children’s heads. Their EP Dolphins!!!!!!!!!!!! was a hit with team Podcart and they are starting to spark interest south of the border. Having seen them a couple of times live they are brilliant musicians and have newly joined bass-impresario Kevin Black of Laeto fame.

Rumour also has it that the TAWFAWW aftershow is at Bloc. What are the fucking chances????

This night I shall proclaim thee…. ‘EAT A FAT WORM’!

Halina Rifai

Upon first listen it was an immediate hit, I Am Blip can do no wrong and he really has created a deeply dark and ethereal electronic landscape. It is always a special thing when an artist adds a textual futurism to a song and takes it to a completely different microcosm.

The sampled female vocals are frighteningly good and his addition of a heady bass beat and a grandiose belly flipping synth have enabled it to meet both the 90’s and music’s current electronica flavour all at the same time.

All the females in particular at Podcart have had this track on repeat and I just wish that I could make my headphones play louder.

Halina Rifai

The boys will be playing the town’s Queens Hall. A venue that I know very well (I am from there) and somewhere I have seen bands like Blur play!

Now if you are worried about travel and accommodation then there are loads of options which are as follows:

Train – you can get the train from Glasgow Central to Gourock as a return (you can buy on the day if you wish) timetables and prices here: http://www.scotrail.co.uk/content/timetables-connections

Ferry – there are 2 ferries that travel to Dunoon:

- Argyll Ferries, this is passenger only and you can get on this straight after getting off the train! Timetables and fares here: http://www.argyllferries.co.uk/timetables-and-fares.htm

- Western Ferries, this is car and passenger, but you will need to go a bit further after the train to get this ferry and it does not berth in the town centre so taxi travel or walking may be needed! Timetable and fares here: http://www.western-ferries.co.uk/genfares.shtml

All in bus – McGill’s run a service that takes you all the way from Buchanan Bus Station directly to Dunoon and includes the ferry! They use the Western Ferry to cross and the bonus with this is you don’t have to change modes of transport. Information here: http://www.mcgillsbuses.co.uk/mcgills-bus-timetables/907-dunoon-to-glasgow-.aspx

If you wish to stay in Dunoon then there are a number of hotels and guest houses/bed & breakfast. Dunoon is not the biggest of places so most things are in walking distance. You can find a list of places here: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotels-g190750-Dunoon_Argyll_and_Bute_Scotland-Hotels.html

So the important bit, how do you get tickets? All you need to do is email info@glasgowpodcart.com with a response to the following:

Q. If you could romance a rabbit, how would you do it?

Competition closes April 15th

If you are not lucky enough to win then fear not there are still tickets available and here is the full info:

Frightened Rabbit

Queen’s Hall, Dunoon

Sunday 22^nd April

Support band: The King Hats

Tickets from www.gigsinscotland.com

Good luck!

Today’s Song of the Day is their track ‘Rewind’, a track that immediately grabbed Podcart by the bollocks (including the females) a while back.

The thing about Make Sparks is that first and foremost they are stellar musicians. There is an intelligence to their playing that sets them apart from a lot of bands who may be cited as being stylistically similar. They also have the gift to appeal to a broad audience because of their enslaving pop hooks and instant melodies. They produce songs that are musically slick and to top this all off their personalities shine through everything and really lift the band to a whole different level.

One of the best things about music blogging is seeing bands that totally deserve success start to receive it and Make Sparks are well on their way to making a hefty dent in 2012 as one of the bands to keep an eye on. It is long overdue and with ‘Rewind’ as an ambassador, we cannot wait to see what is round the corner.

Halina Rifai

Please watch this video, if you are feeling ill/melancholy/uninspired then this will set your laughter free:

Tonight’s ‘Shook to the Bones’ showcase is a regular gig night which takes place within the Commercial Hotel’s ‘Soul Suite’ venue and at present seems to be one of the main outlets for Lanarkshire music. Main support for tonight’s gig comes from Lanarkshire’s very own Jim Mcanulty AKA Homeward James who in his latest project has managed to blend rootsy west coast Americana with the raw edge of 80s circa grunge, i.e. Mudhoney, Dinosaur Jr.

The gig kicks off with an impromptu electro influenced set from The Lafontaine’s Jamie Keenan who after finding his bearings within the first few beats sounds strangely like a mix of Skrillex loops with the Funky guitar chops of INXS. After the dust settles his set picks up a vibe reminiscent of John Frusciante’s on going solo projects and Jamie’s voice even provides a familiar raspiness similar to the likes of the Black Keys on his more accomplished efforts.

Next up The Dead Sea Souls – spiky guitar flurries with a garage influenced DIY ethic go eagerly hand in hand with the duelling vocal melodies which remind me of early Futureheads and Dogs Die in Hot Cars first singles.

Homeward James then take to the stage individually, Jim on guitar and vocals and Jamie on drums playing back and forth like impressionable young kids stepping into their makeshift garage studio for the first time. After the soft tones of their Teenage Fanclub-esque intro the rest of the band join them on stage and burst into carefully patterned white noise loops that fade in and out with a Fuzzy tenacity that The Jesus and Mary Chain would be proud of. Songs such as ‘The Clock’ and ‘Heartwood’ have memorable sing along choruses which seem to counter the raw territory that the band lean closest towards. A really vibrant set full of melody that fights to be heard amongst the cacophony of feedback which in turn serves to add to their charm and give them a more distinct sound.

Bwani Junction then descend upon the stage just as a last surge of bodies hurriedly shuffle into the venue. Against a backdrop of 70s disco lights and a twilight skyline that peers inwards the guys are in their element within this intimate setting. A solid rhythm section which carefully provides percussive flourishes helps to steer the songs in a more intricate and creative direction whilst the arpeggiated echoes of jangly guitars dance around the heartfelt vocal melodies. Based on the bands recent performances the guys can only go from strength to strength and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them gracing the bill of the likes of T Break this year.

Given the current drought in decent venues and lack of exposure within the Lanarkshire music scene tonight’s gig triumphed in reminding people that the reach of great music in Scotland extends beyond Glasgow, while the summer is in the city and the air is still a baby is always being born elsewhere to the overkill.

Jack Taylor

Our Song of the Day is a new release from him that features Julia Doogan, a lady that is popping up a lot at the moment!

‘Ten Ways’ is the track in question and it has a beautiful smokiness about it. Considering how gentle the song is, it has an incredibly haunting intensity which is helped by the perfect peppering of natural reverb.

There is no denying that Little Fire is an excellent songwriter and this track adds to the catalogue of brilliance he has produced thus far.

The track is free to download:

Julia’s voice is completely effortless, she is one of my favourite female singers of recent years and listening to her is a complete blessing.

‘Diamonds’ comes ahead of her next official EP release of the same name and she has gigs on the cards too. As a track it is an unpretentious, quietly profound delicate gem and manages to extend a thoughtful arm with its sentimental lyrics.

Julia & the Doogans have the ability to litter their tracks with charm and the greatest talent as a lyricist is to let the listener identify their own interpretation no matter what the intended original subject.

Headphones moments like these should be cherished.

Halina Rifai

EP launch below:

The team are hosting their first multi-arts show and it has been designed around the concept of ’space within the city’.

On the 31st of March, performers and the general public alike are invited to interact with and explore The Lighthouse. Podcart knows this arts space very well and we have put on our own exhibition at this venue. It is humble and is a fantastic blank canvas.

Now the team encourage you to BYOI, which stands for Bring Your Own Instrument. No crude jokes about pink oboes if you please, this is serious! So if you partake in an instrument then please bring it along.

The doors open at 5.45pm and it starts at 6pm SHARP so no lateness!

All details are as follows:

The Lighthouse, Mitchell Lane
6pm – 1am
£8 advance ticket @ Ticket Scotland (Argyll St) and www.ticketscotland.co.uk
Over 18s (cash bar)

Now for the exciting stuff, who exactly will be showcasing? Without further ado:

Musical performance by:
The Cosmic Dead, Seventeenth Century, Friends in America, Kettle of Kites, Robin Adams, Los Tentakills, Beldina O, Dead Boy Robotics.

Visual Art by:
Rachael Berman, Katie Johnston, Mitch Miller, Stewart Swan, Anna Gibb, Stefano Pia, Eric McGougan, Nico Miller, Jessica Gunn, Marie-Claire Lacey.

Live Art by:
Rossie Lesso, Spencer Stearns.

Visual Installation by:
Playdead Ltd, Automatic Exposure, Altronix.

Performance Art by:
Rebecca Wade Morris and Adam Scarborough.

It’s things like this that get us very excited. Cross-pollination of art forms is a beautiful thing and this is sure to be a spectacular evening.

Halina Rifai

Oh and visit their website! It is a beaut: http://spacedinthecity.co.uk

Our own arts girl Sophie Stubbs is a graphic designer by day and has been busy behind the scenes building our new site. We have decided to go back to the roots of what people love about Podcart and simplify things a bit. It is what makes things great so we hear.

Additionally we have another thing that will be kicking off. As you have probably seen we have been using the phrase Life Is Like A Box Of Records here and there. So now one of the explanations for it. For a while we have wanted to do something that incorporates not only art and music, but is something a bit more physical.

We will be pairing artists up with musicians and coming up with a limited edition run of merchandise for said musician. Productions costs are covered and then all profits will be split between designer and musicians. We are not talking a national lottery win of money here, but it is more than that.

It is about building relationships, promoting the band further and giving them some kind of output. We host the shop online as an additional source for selling the product and there you have it.

It is a bold move, but without ideas and experimentation it would be a very boring world.

Our first pairing is PurdiePurdieART who will also be designing our online shop. We have paired her up with the incredible Kill The Waves who are one of our bands to watch in 2012 and beyond.

PurdiePurdieART: www.facebook.com/pages/PurdiePurdieART

Kill the Waves: www.soundcloud.com/killthewaves

We hope you will help support our next wee idea.

Team Podcart

Insularis Records will be bringing their pop-up shop to Sleazys, fully stocked with all the official limited edition Record Store Day exclusive products (stay tuned for details for these!)

Running order for performances:

Free entry event from noon, entertainment in the Sleazys upstairs bar.

12noon – Doors / Shop opens

2pm – Acoustic Act #1

3pm – Acoustic Act #2

4pm – Acoustic Act #3

5pm – Withered Hand

Then at 8pm, they will move downstairs for the first in a series of Insularis Records showcase events. Their headline act Holy Mountain are soon releasing their debut via Chemikal Underground, and with any luck there will be vinyl copies of this on sale exclusively for Record Store Day.

The full line-up for Insularis Records presents #1 is:

Holy Mountain (@aholymountain)
What The Blood Revealed (@wtbr)
Adam Stafford (@adamwiseblood)

Tickets for this show will cost £6 and will be available from www.InsularisRecords.com

BRING IT ON!

Halina Rifai

The dates are as follows:

28.04.12 – Newmarket Bar, Thurso (18+, Free Entry)
30.04.12 – Tunnels, Aberdeen (14+, ticket link – http://www.dailydischord.com/tickets/)
01.05.12 – The Market Bar, Inverness (18+, Free Entry)
05.05.12 – Jam Jar, Dunfermline (16+)
05.05.12 – Electric Circus, Edinburgh (14+, ticket link – www.bainbridgemusic.co.uk)

You can find the Facebook Events below:
Aberdeen – http://www.facebook.com/events/282826918460140/
Dunfermline – http://www.facebook.com/events/102186039912245/
Edinburgh – http://www.facebook.com/events/159200357535558/

For more info on The Winter Tradition please visit: www.thewintertradition.com