The Cinematics Return

Sometimes I complain that no one ever sends me stuff, other times people do send me stuff and it lurks in my inbox for a week before I get round to doing anything with it. This one falls into the latter category, so time to get to it now.

The Cinematics, a Glasgow based, Dingwall spawned four piece, put out their debut album A Strange Education a couple of years ago before heading off on a stream of tours as support acts. Now they are getting set to release their second album Love and Terror at the end of September.

The new album is preceeded by a single, available now through the usual download sites, the title track Love and Terror, which I've been asked to share with you.

It's a pretty decent song.

If you want to read the whole PR blurb you can do so here.

Download Love and Terror

The Cinematics Myspace

The SPL but with bands

So, the new season of the Scottish Premier League kicks off tomorrow. That seems like something I can make into a post.

Plan A was to find a band that supported each team. That plan went right out the window as soon as I realised that I have no idea what bands support anyone but three or four clubs, so instead you are getting a band from the relevant town or city, or as close as I can get at least.

I still ended up struggling a bit, if you support any of the teams in the SPL and have a better suggestion let me know.

Aberdeen: Sorry Dons, right now the best I can offer you is Lily Allen, and I doubt her credentials.

Celtic: Loads to choose from for this one and one of the few Scottish clubs that seem to have musicians happy to admit to supporting. I won't risk pissing off a chunk of my visitors by suggesting that this is because Celtic are brilliant. Oops...
Anyway, our band of choice for Celtic are Mogwai, since they seem to especially enjoy annoying Rangers supporters on their website. In the interest of fairness - see the Rangers entry - we've got some rubbish fans too, Martine McCutcheon for example.

Dundee United: About half of Deacon Blue are Dundee United fans, so that's who you are stuck with.

Falkirk: You've got Arab Strap in the "I don't know who supports you, here's a band from the town" draw.

Hamilton Academical: Right about now I'm thinking this was a terrible idea. You have been randomly selected Teenage Fanclub since Bellshill is near Hamilton, even though at least some of them are Celts.

Hearts: You've got Cicero, you lucky people.

Hibernian: Easy, The Proclaimers.

Kilmarnock: Oooh not a clue. The closest I can get you is Biffy Clyro, since they are Ayrshire

Motherwell: The Delgados. Yay, an easy one. The Delgados even had Dougie Arnott on the cover of their The Weaker Argument Defeats The Stronger single.

Rangers: Sorry Rangers supporters, most of the folk I can think of that support the Gers are rubbish. Wet Wet Wet, Leon Jackson, some of Travis, David Sneddon, Lulu, Amy McDonald... You can have AC/DC.

St. Johnstone: Stuart Cosgrove used to write for the NME, that's as good as I can think of, sorry!

St. Mirren: Struggling again. Well, there's Paulo Nutini, who supports Celtic. Dougie Vipond? I'll just put a band from Paisley for this one I reckon, so St Mirren fans, you get Marvel Heights.

Well, that was a lot less successful than I'd hoped, yet I'm still posting it. Now lets see how many people yell at me (I suspect none, since that would involve people reading me...)

Trapped in Kansas Gig Update

As I mentioned the other day, the Twisted Wheel in Glasgow has shut down, meaning any upcoming gigs in there are having to be rescheduled. As promised, here's another update.

Trapped in Kansas who were meant to be playing on August 22nd with The Whisky Works and Shapes have moved their gig to Blackfriars.

Yet ANOTHER Free Song

I'll stop just posting stuff people have stuck on the internet for free and get back to something more intresting at some point I'm sure, but in the meantime if people keeping letting me know about free downloads, I'll keep spreading the word.

This time round it's Aidan Moffat & the Best-Ofs who treat us to a freebie. This is a live version of Lover's Song from the How To Get To Heaven From Scotland album, recorded earlier this year at Stereo in Glasgow. You can download it here.

In other Aidan news Lullaby For Unborn Child from the album has been overhauled and renamed Knock On The Wall Of Your Womb for an upcoming single release, the B-side of which will feature The Lavender Blue Dress, a children's story written by and narrated by Aidan.

Here's the video:

The Gothenburg Address update

If you are planning on going to see The Gothenburg Address, Airship and I See Shapes at the Twisted Wheel in Glasgow on Friday then update your plans a wee bit. The show has been moved to Capitol, as the Twisted Wheel has seemingly closed down.

There's a few other Twisted Wheel gigs coming up that need to find a new home, I'll try and keep you posted on those.

More Second Hand Songs

The Second Hand Marching Band are spoiling us these days. After putting their debut EP up on their website for free download last week, today they've put up the BBC session they did for Vic Galloway. You can grab it at their website over here. They covered One Armed Scissor by At The Drive-In, go get it!

Saturday marked my first time seeing the band incidentally. They were very good. Berrjacket was brilliant. That's as close as you'll get to a live review from me though, I'm even worse at reviewing gigs than I am at records.

The Second Hand Marching Band play the 13th Note in Glasgow on Saturday.

Saturday Newsround

Beerjacket plays King Tut's tonight, with support from The Second Hand Marching Band and The Seventeenth Century. Due to a fecking useless friend I've got some spare tickets, holler if you need one, otherwise say hello if you go to the gig.

The new Glasgow PodcART podcast is available, this week entitled "Pumped In Venice". Stream it here, get it through iTunes or Right Click & Save As.

Kochka have had to cancel their single launch at the Classic Grand tonight due to ill health. Get well soon!

Speaking of King Tut's, There Will Be Fireworks are playing there on the 20th of August. That reminds me, I never did finish that album review.

More Free Music - The Second Hand Marching Band

The Second Hand Marching Band are a band from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Ayr, Kincardine, Cumbernauld, Neilston, Canada, Airdrie and elsewhere. They have about a million members.

Their first EP - A Dance To Half Death - was released as a limited edition of 150. It has now sold out, so they've made it available through their website, the terribly kind people.

Go here to download the EP and visit them at MySpace for more information.

The Second Hand Marching Band are one of the support acts for the Aye Tunes attending Berrjacket gig on Saturday at King Tut's. As usual if you are going along you'll win the cheapest beverage of your choice if you can find me and say hello. Or in other words, say hi and I'll buy you a pint.

Little Rock Records give away a ton of music

Everyone likes free music, right?
If you are everyone you might be interested in this then.
Glasgow based label Little Rock Records are celebrating their second birthday birthday by giving away a ton of music.

In a giveaway aptly titled TOO MUCH MUSIC they've put up 14 free singles for download. Each single comes with two tracks and artwork from some of the best up and coming artists in the Scottish alternative elecronica scene. It's pretty eclectic, covering disco, ambient, breakcore, jazz, techno, wonky hip-hop and more.

Frankly, that's a scene that is way out of my area of expertise, so I won't even attempt to advise what to download from what's available. At the lost cost price of FREE I'll be diving in and checking out what's on offer though!

You can get more details and the download links over at the label's MySpace and they should be going up on Last.fm as well.

Here's the PR blurb about Little Rock Records, just for good measure

Inspired by Leipzig's Jahtari netlabel, Little Rock Records was officially launched on 07/07/07 with 7 digital 7 inch releases, with an aim to represent the best in Glasgow (and Scotland's) alternative electronica scene. Since then the label has released music by Tayside Mental Health, Eyes, The Niallist, Copyleft and The Evil Eye - not to mention putting out the "quasi-notorious" (Plan B), "dance-music-you-can't-dance-to" compilation/confrontation that is NORAVE.

The label now hosts a weekly radio show on Radio Magnetic with guest slots form the likes of local heroes Jackmaster, Killer Kitsch, Voltergeist,. Frogpocket, Animal Farm and more. There's also occasional Little Rock parties in the Glasgow area, including the annual Halloween Rock'n'Shock bash, this year celebrating its sixth birthday with very special guests The Phantom Band.

Mitchell Museum - Gig Non-Review

In no way, shape or form is this a review of Mitchell Museum's King Tut's gig. Instead, it's a one iner summing up how much fun I had at it.

How good were Mitchell Museum? So good I missed my last train home and had to get the night bus to Paisley, that's how good.

Expect me to continue to cheerlead for the band in future.

Mitchell Museum - New Single & Launch Gig

Mitchell Museum are preparing to release another single, in a somewhat unusual format.
Here's the press release:

Following on from the success of Mitchell Museums debut single “Warning Bells” released on Vinyl and CD earlier this year, the second single features “Tiger Heartbeat” (a track from the forthcoming debut album), with a B-Side specially recorded for tape “In the Bloodwind.”

Released on the musical arm of essential boutique clothing label Electra French, the cassette is available in four colours. For those left confused and looking for the USB port, no need to worry, as each case contains a code to download the tracks as mp3 direct from the Mitchell Museum website.

The initial limited edition run of 100 cassettes will be individually numbered by hand.

Mitchell Museum will launch the single on Sat 1^st Aug at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow.

It's been about a million years since I bought a cassette single, I think.
I should, so long as I have money, be popping along to the launch gig, so if you are going too give me a shour and say hello.

Here's the video for the Tiger Heartbeat:



You can get more info on Mitchell Museum by visiting their website, or MySpace.

Come back later in the week for a typically half-arsed Aye Tunes review of the single too, why don't you?

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)

Green Man Festival - Green Poll

I'm aware that The Green Man Festival is in Wales, not Scotland, but hey, I was asked to give Green Vote a plug, and there's Scots playing at the festival, so...

Calling all bands and artists – the Green Man needs YOU!

Fancy being the first band to play at Green Man 2009, standing on the main stage on Friday August 21st as the sun beats down over the Black Mountains and opening the festival with one of YOUR songs in front of thousands of people?

How about sharing the bill Animal Collective, Jarvis Cocker, Wilco, Bon Iver and Grizzly Bear, getting airplay on Green Man YouTube for a year, having an opportunity of being included in the festival promotion and press such as giving interviews to Radio 1 and the BBC, or being featured in the esteemed publications and websites such as Mojo, Guardian, NME and Drowned in Sound as well as the many others that follow Green Man?

What if we threw in 6 pairs of free Green Man tickets for your family and friends to witness your big moment live on stage, just for good measure?

Sounds good, right?

Well forget X Factor and all those rubbish TV talent shows - Green Poll 2009 is here and the search is on to find the best new band or act to get the Green Man party started!

How can I enter?

It’s easy! We are asking signed or unsigned acts to register on our special Green Poll microsite and upload a YouTube or MySpace video of your band performing a song. Anyone can enter as long as they do so before June 29 – better get your skates on!

What happens next?

The music-loving Green Man public will choose their favourite bands in two nail-biting rounds of voting. The top 6 acts then go through to a live Battle of the Bands final at The Camden Monarch, in London, on July 23rd where a panel of top music industry boffins will pick one lucky winner to open Green Man 2009!

What’s the catch?

There’s no catch my friends, it’s as easy as one, two, three. To recap:

Round 1 - Voting closes at midnight on June 28 and the top 20 bands with the most votes go through to…

Round 2 - Voting closes at midnight on July 12 and the top 6 bands with the most votes go through to…

Grand Final - A live Battle Of The Bands contest in London on July 23rd to find one lucky winner to open Green Man 2009 judged by a panel of music industry boffins

How can I vote?

The winning band / artist will open the Festival on the main stage on Friday 21st August.

What if I want to cheat?

Cheats never beat so don’t you even bother! Every single vote really counts and the Green poll site will be constantly monitored for irregular or suspicious voting patterns - any underhand activities will lead to automatic disqualification. What do you think this is, the Eurovision Song Contest?

Is there a limit on how often I can vote?

Each user is limited to one vote per day.

Good luck – may the spirit of the Green Man be with you!

Vote Here

There's a choice of many fine bands to vote for. Me? I voted for Mitchell Museum.

Album Review: Beerjacket - Animosity

Beerjacket, aka mild-mannered teacher Peter Kelly, released his sixth album, Animosity on Monday. It's really quite good too, so much so I'm managing to remember to write about it in something approaching timely fashion. Review is pushing it a bit, but let's try anyway shall we?

When you are a singer-songwriter with a guitar there's a whole bunch of people who you'll inevitably be compared to. Most of the time these comparisoms will be lazy and have little to do with your actual music, but sometimes one or two come along that are actually pretty accurate.

To my uneducated ears, there's a lot of Elliott Smith about this album. This is no bad thing, I love Elliot Smith.

Plus points of the album: It's really good. Fab songs. Sounds quite a bit like Eliott Smith. There's maybe some Nick Drake in there too. I mentioned it was good didn't I?

Minus points: It's short, only about half an hour, the songs are in and out in under 3 minutes generally. I'm struggling to say anything about it that doesn't just compare it to Elliott Smith again.

Animosity is out now to download from iTunes, eMusic
, LaLa and Amazon MP3. A physical CD version will be available for the first time at the launch show on 17th June in Oran Mor. A previous album, Great Unhappiness, can be downloaded for free here.

(Do I get to call this a proper review if I stick an arbitrary rating at the end? If so, 4 out of 5 stars.)