33.24 - Hip

Next couple of these posts are quite hastily put together. Celebrate the lack of rambling while it lasts, because next week things are going to get very long winded.

My first impression of Hipster Death Squad "was that's an excellent name, will the songs be any good?", a few clicks later and I discovered yes, the songs were good. I'm not in love with everything they've done, and if you take a quick look at their Bandcamp page you'll see they are pretty prolific, but I've yet to hear anything bad from them, and there's a lot that I really, really like.

This one is a particular favourite.

Hipster Death Squad - Something Good Happening

Find LOADS more songs from Hipster Death Squad on Bandcamp, and like them on Facebook.

33.23 - Down, Down Down

This post is inspired by watching Pointless on Thursday evening while getting ready to go out. American stae capitals was the round, with Lincoln being one of the possible answers. I'd barely finished shouting "Nebraska!" at the telly before this song was playing in my head. Yet another reason why Pointless is just about the only thing I watch on telly.

I'm not complaining, I love this song.

Number One Cup - Divebomb

I also knew Sacramento was California because, y'know, bands come from there.

33.22 - 666

Not only is there something quite nice about 33.22, and it falling on 07/06 (unless you are American), but this is also the 666th published post on Aye Tunes. That doesn't count quite a lot of crap ones that have been published in the past that I've pulled for one reason or another - main reason being they were crap - but as of now there's 666 bits of nonsense by me* on here. That's probably quite a poor return for four years work, but whatever.

So, yes, songs. I resisted temptation to make it all metal all the time today, mainly because I'd have posted at least one Metallica song and would have ended up with Lars on my doorstep trying to sue me. There's still some metal though.

For best results turn up the volume, hit play on the player and don't look at what's coming next.

Slipknot - The Heretic Anthem
Beck - Devil Got My Woman
Orbital - Satan
Robert Johnson - Me and the Devil Blues
Steve Earle - The Devil's Right Hand
Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven
Curtis Mayfield - (Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going To Go
Midfield General - Devil In Sports Casual
The King - Sympathy For the Devil
The Misfits - Devil's Whorehouse
Doctors & Dealers - Deal With the Devil
Gill Scott-Heron - Me and the Devil
Mötley Crüe - Shout At the Devil

*I say by me, but there's a couple of guest posts in the archives.

33.21 - Plugs

GS-33 Plug Adapters. Don't you dare say I don't put any effort into these.

Having a wee change of pace today, and killing two birds with one stone.
There's quite a lot of good things going on over the next few weeks, and good music out. Rather than revive news & bits, I'll shove a load of it in to this 33 post instead. Stop glaring at me like that.

First of all there's GoNorth, taking place in Inverness over the next few days. I'm not going to that though, so rather than make myself miserable by listing all the cool things happening and bands playing I'll just direct you to the website.

Olympic Swimmers released their debut album at the start of this week, and it is very good. A bit dreamy, a bit shoegazey, with the occasional loud bit, and pretty much ticking lots of "things I like" boxes. Buy it here.
Olympic Swimmers - Father Said (One EP Version)

Miaoux Miaoux releases his brilliant new album Light of the North next week, but you can get hold of a copy early at the launch gig in Mono in Glasgow on Thursday night. Support comes from Conquering Animal Sound and - playing their first Glasgow gig in blooming ages - the new look Mitchell Museum. It's almost certain to be an excellent gig.
Miaoux Miaoux - Autopilot (Vic Galloway Session)

Touch Sensitive launch their compilation album 2x6 with a gig at The Old Hairdressers on Friday. You can hear the compilation here, it features six Scottish bands, along with six from Spain. The gig features sets from If You Lived Here You'd Be Home By Now, Plastic Animals, and Randolph's Leap's Adam Ross, playing all of the recent The Curse of the Haunted Headphones album. Entry to the gig is £6, and that gets you a copy of the CD too.
Randolph's Leap - Cassie O'Tone

Speaking of Plastic Animals, they've got a rather fab new EP out now too. I do intend to get back to talking about this EP properly, but we all know how often my plans fail. You can get Automatom for whatever price you fancy here
Plastic Animals - Ghosts.

Nelson Can seem to have turned a few Scottish heads, mine included, when they told us they'd be playing their first gigs over here ever this week. You can catch the Danish three piece at GoNorth on Thursday, and at the 13th Note on Friday.
Nelson Can - People's Republic of China

Next week Song, by Toad Records gear up for the release of a split 12" from PAWS, Dolfinz, Sex Hands and Waiters by hitting the road. Here's the dates and places:
Wednesday 13th June: London, Power Lunches.
Thursday 14th June: Manchester, The Bay Horse.
Friday 15th June: Edinburgh, The Wee Red Bar.
Saturday 16th June: Aberdeen: Snafu.
Dolfinz - Teenage Bloom

A week on Sunday, June 17th, the day before my birthday, sees Scottish Fiction take the plunge into putting on gigs. The fools.
Taking place at The Captains, the Scottish Fiction gig has Saint Death. Queen Jane, Michael Cassidy, and long time Aye Tunes favourites The Spook School. I'll be along, feel free to buy me a birthday pint.
The Spook School - Hallam

33.20 - Fire!

I don't see how six erect firemen help in case of emergency.

Less than two weeks of this rambling nonsense to go, you'll be pleased to here.

One of the plans was to use these posts to stick stuff on the blog that would normally be ludicrously out of place, hand waving it away by going "it's my birthday soon, sod off" and I think that I've achieved that goal pretty well. Very few of the songs have been new, and only a couple of the days have covered Scottish bands, but no one has complained yet.

Today's post carries on that trend of being completely irrelevant to anything to do with being a new music blog, a Scottish music blog, or anywhere in between the two.

Three of this band went on to form The Walkmen. I like The Walkmen, but I'll always prefer Jonathan Fire*Eater. The first album, Wolf Songs For Lambs and the Tremble Under Boom Lights mini album are both still cracking slices of music. The self titled second album wasn't quite as good, then they punted out the singer and turned into The Walkmen. It's those first two releases today's songs come from.

Jonathan Fire*Eater - The Search For Cherry Red
Jonathan Fire*Eater - Give Me Daughters
Jonathan Fire*Eater - When the Curtain Calls For You

Hey, The Walkmen released a new album recently. Can we call that a tenuous link between this post and new music?
Oh, and guess what year these songs come from? Yeah, again.

33.19 - What's My Name?

My name is Jim. Well, James, but I only ever get called that in something official, or when I'm in trouble. Never call me Jimmy.

There, now that we've answered that burning question, let's get to the songs. They all have my name in the title. And I warned you there'd be Menswe@r at some point.

Beastie Boys - Jimmy James
Mackenzies - Big Jim (There's No Pubs In Heaven)
Cuddly Shark - Cuddly Jim
Gay Dad - Oh Jim
Jungle Brothers - Jimbrowski
Menswear - Gentleman Jim
Jim's Super Stereoworld - Dear Jim
Rilo Kiley - A Man/Me/Then Jim
L. Pierre - Jim Dodges Dines at the Penguin Café
Symposium - Jim

33.18 - Fighty & Feministy

I'm short on time and brain power today, and I've ran out of pre-written blog posts.

As a result, here's something completely thrown together in ten minutes. Apologies if the blog title made you think it would be more interesting than it is.

I quite like cover versions, and I cannot think of a more unusual musical pairing than Ani DiFranco and Jackie Chan. But here they are, together at last.

Ani DiFranco and Jackie Chan - Unforgettable