And video too!
Some twit couldn't tell the difference between "draft" and "scheduled" today so the Christmas posts are late, sorry...
Written by a human, for humans. Scottish (sometimes) music news, reviews and features.
Saturday, 11 December 2010
Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Eleven - Macabre Scene
The second Saturday day is also a repeat from last year, but it is another one I liked a lot, so shoosh.
Readers' Poll Reminder
Just a reminder that if you want to take part in the 2010 Aye Tunes Readers' Poll you have a little over a week to get your entries in.
Voting closes on Sunday, December 19th, you can find all the details and voting form here.
So far the best band and album categories are particularly close, so get your votes made or you can't complain about the results!
If all goes well the results will be announced on either Christmas Day or Boxing Day, depending on how much counting I have to do.
Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Eleven - The Morgue Party Candidate
Today's song is a home demo that Ross from The Morgue Party Candidate sent over last year.
It makes a change from the downbeat songs we've had recently, so it is getting a repeat this year!
Some twit couldn't tell the difference between "draft" and "scheduled" today so the Christmas posts are late, sorry...
Friday, 10 December 2010
Free Music Friday
I normally leave this kind of thing to my friend/occasional promoting partner/arch nemesis Peenko for his Friday Freebies series, but he occasionally misses stuff I think is worthy of a plug.
I could tell him of course, but hey, why let him have all the traffic from the freeloaders? He gets enough from me tweeting stuff I've found on Bandcamp anyway ;)
Anyway, here's a few things I like that are available as free downloads, or in some cases name your price with no minimum, so you can decide for yourself if you want to pay for it.
There can never be enough side projects from members of Dananananaykroyd, can there? This one comes from Duncan Robertson, with a little added drums from Paul Carlin. The description on Bandcamp reads "I was trying to teach myself to use a new bit of software, but the only lesson learnt was how bad I can be at letting songs just go. Listen quick, before I change my mind and gather them all back up."
Do be sure to get in there quick then, because the songs are pretty good.
Peenko did cover this one, but as it follows nicely from Duncan and the Ex-Teens I'm including it too. In case you don't know, the reason it follows nicely is that Ghost Pants is, mainly, Dananananaykroyd's Paul Carlin. This single is described as a thank you to everyone who has paid attention to Ghost Pants over the last seven months. If you haven't paid attention so far now would be a good time to start. The single is available for free, along side the three already released Ghost Pants EPs which are on a name your price basis.
Laeto mostly grabbed attention this week by surprising everyone with the release of their third album, which you can find here. To celebrate the release of that Too Many Fireworks have made the second Laeto album, Zwoa, available on a name your price basis for a limited time.
We love The Japanese War Effort round these parts. This is, as the name suggests, a protest song touching on a regular Japanese War Effort theme of football, and why giving the World Cup to Qatar isn't great. Really, really good.
An extra free track from The Japanese War Effort, this time remixed by dems. When I eventually get round to a post with my favourite songs both The Japanese War Effort and dems will both be making appearances. You can find the original version of Ribbit on the new Gerry Loves Records Split 12", which is well worth a purchase.
Posted a bit about this yesterday, but if I'm rounding up free downloads I may as well include it again. Short version - this is a 16 track compilation released by Electropapknit Records, featuring loads of good music.
As mentioned in the gig guide this week Gargleblast Records have a Christmas party happening tomorrow night. Nice timing then that they've put this release up for free download. Two songs each from Foxface, Pan and De Rosa, originally given away as a free CD-R at the 2007 Gargleblast Christmas party. Someone once tried to sell me one of the CDs for £25, I'm glad I resisted and waited two years instead. Incidentally, whatever happened to Foxface? They seemed to quietly vanish a year or so ago and I miss them a bit.
Released before I'd even had a chance to plug Batch 1, so go grab both free from Soundcloud.
Fence Collective members Viva Stereo are preparing to release their fourth album early next year and have released this teaser for it. Since I first looked at the Bandcamp page they've also added a second track to the download, a little Christmas song. That's either sneaky of them, or punishment for me spending too much time lurking around Bandcamp and downloading things too early. The single is only up for a limited time, so get in quick. You can find out more about Viva Stereo at their website. Oh, fun fact, Viva Stereo share a member the The Vitamin Sees, who I interviewed here a wee while back.
Hailing from Aberdeen but now based in Paris - which is a far more sensible move than going to Aberdeen from Motherwell - Mark McCabe will be making an appearance in the advent calendar in the coming days. Before then though he has an EP available on name your price which is worth a listen. He ploughs the same folky acoustic pop furrow that so many do, but does it well. There's even a little Xcerts cover version in there.
Quite simply one of my favourite songs released this year. Originally on the Blooms EP Miaoux Miaoux has now released Snow as a free download single, backed with a remix featuring real, actual snow. Just a beautiful song, basically.
There's also a variety of Christmas themed freebies kicking around, but I'm saving those for the advent calendar!
Now to sit back and wait to get sued/battered.
Ten Tracks Presents: A Website is For Life, Not Just For Christmas + Special Offer
To celebrate the season, as well as the launch of their brand new website, Ten Tracks are hosting a marathon 8 hour party at Glasgow's Stereo Cafe Bar next week.The party takes place on December 17th, with tickets available here.
However there's a special offer for Aye Tunes readers, simply email info(at) tentracks.co.uk with "ayetunes" in the subject line and you can snag yourself two tickets for the price of one.
However there's a special offer for Aye Tunes readers, simply email info(at) tentracks.co.uk with "ayetunes" in the subject line and you can snag yourself two tickets for the price of one.
Tickets cost £10 and include a FREE year long subscription to the Ten Tracks download site which itself is worth £10.
The party features:
The Blessings
Frog Pocket
GRNR
Not Squares
Tokamak
Logik Party
Enfant Bastard
Foxgang
Fur Hood
Blood Blood
The party features:
The Blessings
Frog Pocket
GRNR
Not Squares
Tokamak
Logik Party
Enfant Bastard
Foxgang
Fur Hood
Blood Blood
You can find more details on the event and those appearing over on Facebook.
Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Ten - Now Wakes the Sea
Hey, guess what? That's right, today's song isn't an upbeat romp either!
I probably should have planned this better, but I've already burned through my pre-written posts and am now in the "making this up as I go along" phase.
Anyway, today's Christmas song comes from Now Wakes the Sea who offers up a cover of a classic in the shape of Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).
As I'm the kind of person who gives such matters too much though I've decided there are two ways you can go with covering this song. You can either really go for it and belt it out, which works best if you are a female singer - dig up Slow Club's version for an idea, although Rebecca always sounds a bit too tentative on their version for my liking - or slow it down and make it moody. Last year I posted a version by Arab Strap which did the latter to great effect. If you don't go down one of those two roads you are doing it wrong.
Now Wakes the Sea takes a similar approach. In their (well, his, we at Aye Tunes get confused about these things) own words "There aren't any saxophones and exploding drums, but subdued horns and drum machine instead, mixed with mellotron flutes and distorted bass", the results are pretty swell. You can stream the song below and it is available to download on a name your price basis at Bandcamp. I won't spoil the surprise but if you download you'll get a little something extra too.
Now Wakes The Sea has an EP set for release through Wiseblood Industries at the start of next year, keep an eye out for it. In the meantime there's a few more songs available on Bandcamp.
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Electopapknit Vol. 1
Wee bit later than planned with this, since the launch night kicks off in just a few short hours. I did mention it in the gig guide though...
Today sees Electropapknit Records put out their second release. They are following up the debut EP by Deathpodal earlier in the year (which I liked a lot) with a compilation and a splendid compilation it is too.
Featuring music by Eagleowl, Douglas Firs, Deathpodal, PVH, Noma, Wounded Knee, Detail, Eternal Fags, Citizens, Iliop, Vom, Conquering Animal Sound, Public Spaces, Battery Face, Foundling Wheel and Jesus H Foxx - a very impressive selection - the compilation is available as a free download from Soundcloud and should be on Bandcamp soon too. At a price poit of zero you'd be daft not to check it out.
A small number of physical copies are also available. 50 hand screen-printed CD-Rs, along with cakes and other goodies, will be on sale at the launch gig. That gig takes place tonight at The Winchester Club in Glasgow where your £4 entry fee will let you see Galoshins, Min Diesel, Battery Face (who may be sporting actual battered faces after being jumped a few nights ago) and Public Spaces.
Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Nine - We See Lights
Today's song is another downbeat one. Anyone would think I secretly hate Christmas and am out to make it miserable for all while torturing myself by posting something daily. I'm not, it just happens that there's a wee run of more mellow songs. There'll be more happy, bouncy and downright weird songs before advent is over.
We See Lights provide today's song. They are a multi member musical collective, based in Edinburgh who have been kicking around for a while and released their debut album, Ghosts & Monsters, earlier this year. As has become a trend in the second half of this year the album never quite made it from my "to be reviewed" pile to my "actually reviewed" one because I'm, y'know, rubbish. The album is good though, you can find it in the usual download shops (like Amazon
and iTunes as well as streaming it on Spotify and Bandcamp.
and iTunes as well as streaming it on Spotify and Bandcamp.I actually know very little about this song, I ripped it from a session We See Lights did for Vic Galloway back in 2008. Digging around suggests it was released under the name We See Christmas Lights but beyond that MySpace page I can't find any more details. If anyone knows where I can get my hands on Cold Noses and the other songs recorded let me know!
The song is, as mentioned, quite a downbeat one but also quite a lovely one.
The only other thing I could find on the song was a video of it being performed live at one of The Mill gigs, so you can have that too.
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Eight - Trapped Mice
Behind door number eight on the calendar are Trapped Mice, with what I think is an Aye Tunes exclusive.
Oh, and we are back to the not so cheery songs again with this one!
If you missed it on Monday Trapped Mice are one of the bands playing at the first Aye Tunes Presents gig, so you can be fairly sure you'll hear a good bit more about them on here between now and that gig in January.
Until then enjoy God is Here, their Christmas song, and visit the link to Bandcamp down to below to hear more from Trapped Mice.
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Seven - The Belle Hops
Oh look, one week down already. Everyone enjoying their musical treats?
Today's Christmas song comes from The Belle Hops. Titled A Belle Hops Christmas Song it fulfils everything it promises in the name.
They do a sort of 50s-60s girl group thing, with Scottish accents. Something nice and poppy for your Tuesday morning.
Now, let's see if I'm still snowed in, or if I need to go to work today...
Monday, 6 December 2010
Aye Tunes Presents...
Hello again! I'm still snowed in, so you are getting a variety of unplanned blog posts this afternoon.
This is one I've been desperate to make for a few weeks, but tinkering with a few details held it off a bit.
After the fun of putting on the AvsP trilogy with Peenko I've gotten a bit of a taste for putting on gigs. The Aye Tunes Vs Peenko gigs are on hiatus for now, so... I'm doing the next one, at least, by myself.
Some kind of weird OCD type affliction made me decide that for the first Aye Tunes Presents gig I wanted a theme. After a bit of humming and hawing I picked one - animals! This worked out well for me, since there are TONS of bands named after or related to animals around that I like.
It is with great pleasure then that I can now announce the line-up, especially since details have already popped up on Stereo's website, and in an interview on of all places Peenko Blog.
Joining me for an evening of animal themed fun and frolics are Boygirlanimalcolour, Kochka and Trapped Mice.
The gig takes place on the 21st of January next year in Stereo in Glasgow, so you have plenty of time to save up some pennies to come along.
If you are into that kind of thing here's a Facebook event page for the gig.
Please come x
Frightened Rabbit's Snow Show
I'm snowed in, apparently. I tried to get to work this morning but after waiting for a while on a bus I was told they've been cancelled for the day, so back off home I trotted. How awful.
Chances are some of you are in the same boat. Even worse, some of you may have seen your plans to go to tonight's, or the one that was on on Friday for that matter, Frightened Rabbit gig in Glasgow vanish into heaps of white fluffy stuff.
If so, worry not. The Skinny reported on Twitter that the band will be streaming a special live acoustic "snow show" at 6:30pm to go some way to cheering up the folks that can't make it.
You'll be able to watch the show here or if the embed thing works, down below.
Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Six - The Last Battle
the Last Battle have a new single out today. The A-side is Nature's Glorious Rage, taken from their debut album Heart of the Land Soul of the Sea. You can download the single here.
Since one of the b-sides is a Christmas song that gives me an excuse to plug the single and some upcoming tour dates. Listen to and download Once Upon a Boxing Day below, visit Bandcamp for the rest.
The Last Battle head off on a wee tour this week, kicking off with a free gig at Bloc in Glasgow on Tuesday night. Here's all the dates:
7 Dec 2010 Bloc Glasgow
9 Dec 20101 Old Bridge Inn Aviemore
10 Dec 2010 Musa Aberdeen
12 Dec 2010 The Adelphi w/The Book Club Hull
13 Dec 2010 The Well w/The Book Club Leeds
15 Dec 2010 The Garage w/The Book Club London
Sunday, 5 December 2010
This Week's Gigs: 6th - 12th December
Is everyone enjoying the Christmas songs so far?
Last week's gig guide was a bit of a nightmare, let's see if I can get through it in one go this time.
Monday:
The second of Frightened Rabbit's sold out Barrowlands gigs, this time with added John Knox Sex Club.
Tuesday:
The Last Battle. Bloc, free entry.
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Electopapknit Compilation Launch. The Winchester.
Bit more on this coming during the week, but the basis are Electropapknit are releasing an excellent, and free, compilation on Thursday, which this is a launch gig for. Playing on the night will be Galoshins, Min Diesel, Battery Face and Public Spaces.
The Last Battle. Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore.
David Lowery and Johnny Hickman do the songs of Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven
Alasdair Roberts, RM Hubbert. Mono.
Friday:
Launch gig for the new Six Storeys High single, My Last Favour.
Saturday:
Christmas Picante. The Flying Duck.
Christmas party from the club night side of El Rancho Records. Playing live are Schnapps, PAWS, recent Spotlight stars/victims Male Pattern Band, Blood of the Bull, North American War and Organs of Love.
Gargleblast Records Christmas Party. Gargleblast Studio, Hamilton.
Bring your own booze, £4 in. The Clyde and Escape Act playing live, with special guest DJs.
Pretty Ugly Christmas Party. The Hold (The Admiral), Glasgow.
Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Five - Sonorous Breaks
Sunday afternoon bonus song!
Since Campfires In Winter earlier today was a repeat, here's something new for you.
Also since Campfires In Winter was much different from how they normally sound it seems apt to pick another band doing likewise with their Christmas song.
I don't know an awful lot about Sonorous Breaks really, but the little bit I have heard tends to be much on the heavier side than their Christmas offering.
For Christmas they've recorded Santa Baby and gone all bluesy and sexy. Which is pretty much what you should do if you are covering Santa Baby if you ask me. Lovely.
Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Five - Campfires In Winter
Day five of the Christmas songs, and I'm digging up another repeat from last year.
I was sent this by Campfires In Winter last year and almost burst something laughing. It wasn't up for long and I've had a couple of emails over the last year asking about it, so I'm happy to represent Campfires In Winter's Christmas Song this year.
I'll quote repeat Boab from CiW's description of the song and, down below, the disclaimer I promised to post along with it - "it's about 2 guys getting pished, one of them decides to burn down the tree and pretends to be a bear and asks the other one to join him. It's a lot of shite."
Campfires in Winter - Christmas Song
It doesn't represent the music Campfires in Winter make in the slightest though, it was something they put together as a pisstake, for a laugh. It does that job nicely and Christmas is all about having fun. To hear what Campfires In Winter normally sound like hop over to their Bandcamp page and download this year's Cardboard Ships EP.
Campfires in Winter - Christmas Song
It doesn't represent the music Campfires in Winter make in the slightest though, it was something they put together as a pisstake, for a laugh. It does that job nicely and Christmas is all about having fun. To hear what Campfires In Winter normally sound like hop over to their Bandcamp page and download this year's Cardboard Ships EP.
There's another bonus Christmas song at lunchtime, so come back later.
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