Save The Pop Cop - A Call To Arms

I'm slightly later to the game than others on this one since I didn't want to do a post last night since I didn't have all the details yet.

Last night Scottish music blog The Pop Cop was unceremoniously deleted by Blogger. The Pop Cop has been around for about three years, and was one of the main inspirations for me leaving behind the blogs I was doing at the time and moving on to start up Aye Tunes, so to say I'm a bit unhappy at its closure for "code violations" is a bit of an understatement. I may frequently disagree with the choice of bands featured and the opinions expressed, but I always enjoy reading them.

Head over here for all the details on what happened, and why.

Earlier this year a bunch of blogs were shut down around the same time, do a search for "blogocide" to find out more on that story. The good news is that on some of them at least Blogger did a U-turn, and reinstated the blogs. It's my hope that the same will happen for The Pop Cop.

How can you help? Well, the best thing to do is email support@blogger.com to ask that The Pop Cop be put back online. My email was quite heated, but try to remain polite and reasonable, it's easier to ignore us if we send expletive filled rants.

Since nothing is a campaign without a Facebook page these days there's one of those too here. By all means join up to show your support, but please, get emailing too.

Conquering Animal Sound, Cheer & Yahweh - Important Announcement

We interrupt your Friday night to tell you that Sunday's Cheer, Yahweh and Conquering Animal Sound gig has moved from the Captain's Rest, to The Halt Bar.

Ok, now you can go back to whatever you were doing.

Got One More Vote In You?

We'll gently gloss over what happened the last time the Nation voted for now, and instead move on to something else.

If you aren't too jaded to vote after last week, then may I politely enlist a little help with something?

Mitchell Museum, as you can't have failed to notice, are pretty well loved round Aye Tunes way, and they are gearing up for the launch of their new single. Warning Bells is released on June 14th (hey, just in time for my birthday!), backed with a brand new remix by We Were Promised Jetpacks.

Before that though, the song is currently up for inclusion on Steve Lamacq's Rebel Playlist.

Competition for the spot comes from She & Him and recent Geffen Records signings Everything Everything. Both of them are good, but I dare say they don't need the assistance quite so much as a small operation in Glasgow does, do they?

So, basically this has been a rather long winded way of saying please go here and vote for Mitchell Museum.

All it takes is a quick email and you'd be helping out a bunch of smashing musicians and lovely men.

Stag & Dagger 2010 Running Times

Going to Stag & Dagger in Glasgow next Saturday? Want to know what venue and what time the bands you want to see are at?

Well, we've got you covered.

ABC1
The Antlers 19:15-19:50
Wild Beasts 20:15-21:15
We Were Promised Jetpacks 21:30-22:15

ABC2
Wilder 18:00-18:30
Erland and the Carnival 18:45-19:15
Jaguar Love 19:45-20:15
The Unwinding Hours 20:45-21:15
A Place To Bury Strangers 21:30-22:00

Glasgow School of Art
Gold Panda 19:00-19:30
Javelin 19:45-20:15
Egyptian Hip Hop 20:45-21:15
Titus Andronicus 21:45-22:15
Sleigh Bells 22:45-23:30
Dam Mantle 23:30-00:15
Synth Eastwood 00:15-00:45
Taz Buckfaster 00:45-01:30
Joker 01:30-03:00

The Vic Bar
Wilson Tan 19:00-19:30
Samuel Chase 19:45-20:15
Django Django 20:45-21:15
Fun 21:45-22:15
White Hinterland 22:45-23:15
Esban & The Witch 23:45-00:15
Schnapps 00:45-01:15
Silver Columns 01:45-02:15

Stereo
Milk 17:15-17:45
Three Blind Wolves 18:00-18:30
Yuck 18:45-19:15
Jesca Hoop 19:45-20:15
Chapel Club 20:45-21:15
My Latest Novel 21:45-22:30
Men and Machines with guest: Serge Santiago from 11pm

Nice n' Sleazy
Aerials Up 17:15-17:45
Bridezilla 18:00-18:30
North Atlantic Oscillation 18:45-19:15
Sky Larkin 19:30-20:00
Male Bonding 20:30-21:00
Divorce 21:30-22:00
Kong 22:30-23:00
Hot Club from 11pm

The Captain's Rest
Olympic Swimmers 14:00-14:30
Sparrow & The Workshop 14:45-15:15
Islet 15:45-16:15
Tripwires 16:45-17:15
Wax Fang 17:45-18:15
Copy Haho 18:45-19:15
Turbo Fruits 19:45-20:15
Crocodiles 20:45-21:15
Kid Adrift 21:45-22:15
Blood Red Shoes 22:45-23:30

These times are correct at the time of going to press and subject to change
For more info and tickets visit http://www.staganddagger.com/

French Wives - Me Vs. Me Single Review

A week or so after I reviewed Halloween/Dogfight, the first single by French Wives, I commented that "those French Wives songs are still wedged in my head". Roughly seven months on, they still are. Seriously, at times it's been a little embarrassing, as I've been sitting on a bus or train, idly staring out a window, then realised I'm humming, whistling, or worst of all having a wee sing to myself of Halloween in particular. Still, that does a good job of keeping the nutters away, since the assume you are one too.
It's nice then to have some more songs by the band to try out, although from its appearances in live sets Me Vs. Me is already familiar enough to me that it makes the occasional appearance on my mental shuffle list too.

Obviously then there's a scary amount of love for French Wives round my way (hm, should maybe rephrase that actually, or I'll get some very disappointed visitors coming in off a dodgy google search...) so you if you suspect that this review will pretty much be me telling you to buy the single you wouldn't be far wrong.

So, we've established that I a) like the band and b) like the single, but why? Well, Me Vs. Me does loads of things I like in a song. Pace changes, some nice guitar jangles, cheeky bit of violin, sing along lyrics, and does all the sweepy building to a crescendo stuff that makes me go "oooh". Plus, Stuart Dougan has a cracking voice.
Not only that, but listening to Me vs. Me a handful of times on repeat has brightened up an otherwise pretty dreadful day, which is just grand.
Hyndland Weather Bear on the b-side (read a wee bit further down for more on this song) is a more quiet, fragile affair. Simple, understated, but no less gorgeous than the A-side.

Love the band, love the single, and make no apologies for my very fanboyish approach, sorry!

You can still listen to B-side Hyndland Weather Bear, and watch a wee video, in the post here, but hurry, I'll be taking down the stream when the single comes out.

French Wives: MySpace - Facebook

Me vs. Me is available from May 17th on CD and download. You can preorder it here.
French Wives play a launch gig at Glasgow School of Art on May 14th, and an instore gig at LOVEmusic (the shop formerly known as Avalanche) in Glasgow on May 17th.

This Week's Records

Not all that much out this week, but what's available is very good.

The Lamplighter album that I reviewed last week, All Is Vanity, is released today. You can buy it direct from the Antimatter shop. It's a really good album, you should own a copy.

The Scottish Enlightenment have an EP out. I've been waiting weeks for a chance to get my hands on this and buying it was just about the first thing I did today. It is brilliant, get it. You can download it from all the usual places, or buy a CD from Bandcamp.

I know nothing at all about Ghost Pants, other than the fact that there's a free EP on the go over at Bandcamp, and it's pretty good.

Non-Scots with new releases include Nina Nastasia who has a single Cry, Cry, Baby out. It's a gorgeous, delicate wee thing, and bodes well for her new album Outlaster which is out in June.

LaFaro have their self titled debut album out too.

This Week's Gigs: 10-16th May

This was supposed to go up on Sunday, but I went to the pub instead. Sorry...
Quite a lot on this week, and some really good bands playing too.

Edit: Missed a couple, so there's a few more added.

Monday:

Shonen Knife are at King Tuts, for possibly their first Scottish date ever. I could be wrong on that though.

Tuesday:

Krautrock legends Faust bring chainsaws, cement mixers and more to The Arches for what promises to be quite a memorable gig.

Banana Sessions are playing at Sloans Ballroom, along with Tragic O'Hara and Mummy Short Arms.

Wednesday:

The last of this week's featured out of towners CocoRosie play The Classic Grand.

It's also Detour Live time again. As usual the Detour crew will be at Bloc, and on the bill this month are Midnight Lion, Iain Morrison and Carnivores.

Thursday:

Blue Sky Archives, who I was quite taken with the other day, are playing along with Pishy Tissue at Brel on The Concrete Campfire evening. (Update: Pishy Tissue aren't playing anymore)

Over at Maggie May's, its Catapult's first birthday. To celebrate Acrylic Iqon, Lousie Against the Elements, Julia and the Doogans and Upbeat Beatdown are all playing.

Dave Hughes and the Renegade Folk Punk Band, Jim Lockey & The Solemn Sun, Oxygen Thief and Judith Harron are all playing at The 13th Note.

Missed this one earlier, but Emma Pollock will be doing an instore gig at the Apple Store in Glasgow at 6pm on Thursday.

Friday:

There's another Ten Tracks gig taking place at Stereo. On the bill are Make Sparks, Cairnhill Trading Estate and Panda Trap, all for the super cheap price of £1.

There's a Chaffinch Records night taking place at The Captain's Rest. Playing at that one are Anthony Reynolds and Charlotte Greig, The Second Hand Marching Band and Burnt Island. Tickets are available here.

French Wives are launching their new single, Me Vs Me, at The Glasgow School of Art, with support from Endor and Blue Sky. You can listen to the b-side, and watch a nice wee promo video for the single here.

Machar Granite are playing the O2 Academy on Friday night, along with Perduramo.

Saturday:

The Side, Foxgang, Sebastian Dangerfield and Casino Brag are all at The Captain's Rest.

Nuts, forgot about this one. Was almost certain it was next week, but got my dates horrible wrong. Anyway, Sleazy's on Saturday night has a cracking wee line-up of Midas Fall, Galleries and Heart Beats, supporting A Sunny Day in Glasgow. It'll no doubt be raining.

Sunday:

Edinburgh folk could do much worse than get down to the Roxy Art House to see Lamplighter who is playing a gig with Hauschka, Nancy Elizabeth and James Blackshaw. Get tickets and more info here. Lamplighter's All Is Vanity album is out today, and a very good album it is too. I made a few changes to my plans last week to get to the Glasgow album launch and left very impressed, both with Lamplighter and the supports, NOMA and Cheer.

Which takes us on nicely to a rather fine Glasgow gig on Sunday, as the aforementioned Cheer and the rather fine Yahweh are supporting the frankly awesome Conquering Animal Sound at The Captain's Rest. Gig of the week? I'd have said so. CAS have a clutch of other gigs this week, all over the UK, skip on over to their MySpace page for details.

Fuzzbox are playing nice N Sleazy on Sunday, with support from Miss The Occupier. That should be awesome, actually.