Night Noise Team - Free Song

Leith's Night Noise Team, fresh from their appearance on the Limbo Live compilation, are giving away a free song for download.

It's called An Innocent Abroad and you can get it here.

For more info on the band head on over to their MySpace.

Single Review - Peter Parker: Swallow The Rockets

Writing a review for the There Will Be Fireworks album is kicking my arse, so here's something else good in the meantime.

Imagine if you will that Elastica came from Glasgow and maybe weren't so obsessed with their Wire and Stranglers records. Now imagine that they've kicked out that annoying singer and hired Clare Grogan instead. The results would be a bit like Peter Parker.

To me, this thought is a wonderful thing. Suitably enough Swallow The Rockets, the debut single by Glasgow quartet Peter Parker - led by Miss the Occupier frontwoman Roz Davies - is also a wonderful thing.

The A-side, Swallow The Rockets, grabs you immediatly with a pounding baseline and scummy guitar riff. It then holds you by the head and doesn't let go for the next 3 minutes. Spikey, snarly and just plain fab.
B-side Temper Temper doesn't do anything the A-side doesn't, it just does in different ways, but we liked the A-side, so that's just fine. Less snarly than Swallow The Rockets, but every bit as catchy and fun.

All in all, great pop music, and a fantastic debut single, it gets Five Stars on the random imaginary star rating system.

The single is out now, you can download it from eMusic and iTunes. If you want a physical copy the 7" is limited to 500, so you should probably move quite quick. Avalance seems like your best bet at getting a copy.

Peter Parker MySpace

And a video of the A-side:

There Will Be Fireworks

Full album review coming around the weekend, when I get to it.

In the meantime, I'm not long home from the launch gig. It was excellent. Really, really excellent.

If you wnt to buy the album you should be able to find details on the MySpace.
If you want a sample, visit Under The Radar, which had a track by track run through with singer Nicholas earlier today.

I've yet to listen to the album, but on the evidence of that gig, there's a good chance it kicks the arse of most things released so far this year.

And this year has been good for Scots...

Someone Died.

No, not the one that's all over the news (although yeah, he died too). There'll be quite enough written about MJ, I don't feel any need to add anything.

No, the death that hit me this week was that of one Steven Wells.

For those that aren't particularly familiar with me, I, like probably most British folk with an interest in any music that's even slightly "alternative", spent years reading the NME. Generally, I hated the fucking rag. Sometimes though a piece would force your attention and more often than not it was written by Swells.

Whether it was giving racists and homophobes in music and in the World a well deserved kicking, on ripping apart bands you liked - NIN and Belle & Sebastian spring to mind right away - his articles were pretty much always worth reading. Frequently you'd disagree with what he wrote, sometimes I'd be furious after reading a Wells piece, but it was always interesting, regularly laugh out loud funny and of course filled with swear words.

Two things to read. Steven Wells's last column for Philadelphia Weekly and The Guardian's tribute.

And one song. Something I certainly never expected to post anywhere, never mind on a blog generally dedicated to Scottish music...
Daphne & Celeste - Ooh Stick You

Upon learning of the cancer that would kill him Steven Wells wrote, as only he could "Anyhoo. I put the phone down and let out a huge, self-pitying “Why me?” The answer, of course, is the same as the answer to Travis’ shit-awful 1999 international breakthrough hit, “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” Because you’re a fucking dick. Now shut the fuck up and grow a pair."
That says it all really, don't you think?

De Rosa Split

There were murmurs all weekend, but now it's official.

De Rosa announced on their Twitter page that they have indeed split up, giving the following statement : "To all who listened. De Rosa has come to an end. If you liked our music or came to see us play we'd like to thank you all. Goodbye, De Rosa."

Chemikal Underground added the following through their mailing list: "We hate these announcements but they have to be made nevertheless: De Rosa have decided to call it a day after several years, a legion of amazing live shows and two truly exceptional albums.

We count 'Mend' and 'Prevention' among some of the very best albums Chemikal Underground has ever released and it's genuinely sad to know there won't be a third. De Rosa were a uniquely gifted bunch of songwriters and musicians with songs that provided an object lesson in how to meld complex structures around irresistible melodies. Bands of De Rosa's quality are few and far between and they will be sorely missed.

We're very proud that their albums form part of our catalogue and wish them every conceivable success in all their future ventures (musical and otherwise)."

Best of luck to all involved for whatever they do in the future.

Here's a parting sample of their music - Swell and Under the Stairs from this year's fantastic second album, Prevention.

It's my birthday...

If you are reading this I've been in the pub instead of writng a proper post.
If that happens, I'll try and change it later when I sober up/stop drinking.

Go say happy birthday to JC over at The Vinyl Villain too.

EP Review: Cancel The Astronauts - I Am the President of Your Fanclub

Further proof, if any was needed, that I'm a lazy forgetful git. This has been sitting waiting for me to review it for ages and the post has been half written, saved in drafts since mid May, with me only now getting round to finishing and posting it. Apologies to the band who were nice enough to send me a copy and ask for the review in the first place for being crap and slow.

Anyway, leaving my unreliability aside, who are Cancel The Astronauts and what am I reviewing? Well, they are a band and I'm reviewing their (no longer very) recently released debut EP - I Am the President of Your Fanclub (And Last Night I Followed You Home).

The band are a five piece indie-pop outfit, hailing from Edinburgh. If you picked up the recent Limbo Live compilation CD you'll have heard them, their song Slow Dance At The Disco was included on it. It isn't on the EP though. Aside from the title track, astonishingly long title and all, there's four other songs.

The title track is the strongest here, though there's nothing bad about the other tracks. That being said, there's nothing exceptional about them either. That sounds harsher than it's meant to, but it's the best way I can think of to descrive the EP. It's got a solid, tight band, some good songwriting and lyrics and generally well crafted indie-pop tunes, but there's nothing that really smacks you around the head and demands your attention.

A decent first effort though and if the band keep at it they could yet find that killer hook or fantastic set of lyrics that forces you to notice them. Catchy though.

The EP is out now, you can buy a CD from the band at one of the links below, or download it from eMusic.

Website
MySpace

Try the title track - I Am the President of Your Fanclub (And Last Night I Followed You Home)