Great Scottish-set films

Finally saw Hallam Foe yesterday, an excellent film set in Edinburgh.

It's quite fun, sitting down watching films and recognising your (adopted) home town in places recognising many of the sights. And as usual, a story that is very different from your own life. Dark in places, but very funny in others. Very much worth checking out. And if you didn't want to see it, just because the last time you saw Jamie Bell he was in Billy Elliott, then shame on you!

An excellent soundtrack, not all scottish indie, but three fantastic tracks that I think everyone should hear:

Orange Juice - 'Blue Boy.' mp3

Franz Ferdinand -'Hallam Foe Dandelion Blow.' mp3

Sons & Daughters -'Broken Bones.' mp3

Other great scottish set films would include: Restless Natives, Sweet Sixteen, Local Hero, Gregory's Girl, Shallow Grave, Trainspotting...oh and I've never seen Brigadoon or Greyfriar's Bobby.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend...

Gig review: Sons and Daughters/Black Kids/Broken Records

Gig review: Sons and Daughters/Black Kids/Broken Records

Edinburgh Queens' Hall, February 16, 2008

My first gig of the year. Headlined by my favourite scottish act of the last few years, supported by one of my favourite bands to emerge on the web and opened by one of the best local bands. So good in theory as to be only possible to be let down in practice?

Well, fortunately for me, it was a fantastic night out with three great bands that I cannot wait to see again. Broken Records -soon to do a session for Radio 1's Huw Stephens -opened. this was the third time I had seen them, and was yet again blown away. I am mystified as to how they are not signed, as I spent most of January saying on here. They simply go from strength to strength and songs like 'if the news makes you sad, don;t watch it' just grab you more evry time you hear them. Sooner or later, they will headline this place.

Florida's Black Kids are due to release their first physical single 'I'm Not going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You' in April, (it made my Festive Fifty of 2007) and having been supporting Sons & Daughters are now off on tour supporting Kate Nash. How do they measure up to the hype? Pretty damn well, actually. I had heard much of their stuff on mp3s, but live they move to a whole new level. It's clear they've been listening to prime period prince and then run with the ideas they've had. They look cool as anything whihc helps too. Songs like 'Listen To Your Body Tonight' and 'IUnderestimated My Charm Again' are just even better live. Believe the hype, because they get even the traditionally staid edinburgh audience moving, and make me wonder how Sons & Daughters can top it.

This was the eighth time I had seen Sons and Daughters. Whilst my top performance of theirs had to be when they opened for Morrissey in Aberdeen in 2006, they still have it, and have just grown so much in confidence and stature since I saw them as third on the bill four and a half years ago. New album This Gift has seen them work with Bernard Butler and without compromising their sound or distinctiveness has helped take them to newer ground. As recent single 'Darling' illustrates, there is a 'glam' hint coming through previously only hinted at. Yet the crowd still call for old songs like Johnny Cash as well, but it's clear that the band are moving and progressing onward. Three bands I would pay a tenner for to see on their own, never mind altogether!

Sons and Daughters - 'Johnny Cash.' mp3

Sons and Daughters -'Dance Me In.' mp3

Sons and Daughters' MySpace is here

Black Kids' MySpace is here

Broken Records' Myspace is here

Some Covers For Friday Part VI

Well, it feels like ages since I've done a 'proper' covers only post. Let's get going...

Sons & Daughters -'Killer (Adamski/Seal cover).' mp3

Pet Shop Boys -'Always On My Mind (Elvis Presley cover).' mp3

Yo La Tengo -'Dreams (Fleetwood mac cover).' mp3

Tralala -'Never Understand (Jesus and Mary Chain cover).' mp3

Slowdive -Some Velvet Morning (Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra cover).' mp3

The Shins -'We Will Become Silhouettes (Postal Service cover).' mp3

BTW, two bits of info that may be of interest to you:

1) This afternoon I did a 'phone interview with James Allan of Glasvegas fame (see below) and will write that up a.s.a.p.

2) This afternoon I received an email from Colin at And Before The First Kiss, asking if I would like to be involved with another mp3 blog he is assembling called Fun and Heartbreak. Well, obviously, yes! I haven;t yet posted over there, but I will.

Watch this space...

Getting excited for 2008 Part 2

Amongst new stuff due for 2008 are the new albums from Sons & Daughters and British Sea Power

Sons and Daughters have a new album on the way called This Gift, which is promising to be very good indeed, if these two tracks are anything to go by. I keep reading different dates for the release of This Gift, but no doubt will have a review of this on here as soon as we can...

Sons and Daughters -'Gilt Complex.' mp3

Sons and Daughters -'Darling.' mp3

Meanwhile, British Sea Power may have delivered one of the other first classics of the new year in THIS single, taken from their third album Do You Like Rock Music?. With the football World Cup on the way, expect to hear this a LOT. Just as long as BSP don't end up going the way of the Lightning Seeds...

British Sea Power -'Waving Flags.' mp3

Hope you have a good New Year's Eve, if that's your thing...

Scots indie!

When I first started this blog, about fifteen months ago, one of my main aims was making scottish indie as high profile as possible.

Arguably since then, I have diversified a little -folk, death metal, grime and even a little classical have made their way onto these pages.

However, my bandwith is about to be exceeded -again! and so I thought I would do a post the old-fashioned way, and about music I am passionate about, with or without regard to fashion.

Some of these you may know, others you won't. Some are well-known, others less so, some bands are gone, some new, some just beginning. But enjoy...

Arab Strap -'Love Detective.' mp3

Belle And Sebastian -'Funny Little Frog.' mp3

Isobel Campbell -'Amorino.' mp3

Franz Ferdinand -'Darts Of Pleasure.' mp3

Delgados -'American Trilogy.' mp3

Mogwai -'Dial:Revenge.' mp3 (featuring Gruff Rhys from Super Furry Animals, it's a celtic thing, you understand!)

Sons and Daughters -'Johnny Cash.' mp3

Teenage Fanclub -'What You Do To me.' mp3

Twilight Sad -'That Summer, At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy.' mp3

1990s -'You're Supposed To Be My Friend.' mp3

Enjoy.

have a good weekend!

Six of One and a Dozen Of The Other

Well, the Jock'N'Roll albums poll may not have posted any results...yet - but I figured that you can never have too many reminders.

So here are six great Scottish bands, with two mp3s apiece. Enjoy!

Aereogramme - 'Zionist Timing.' mp3

Aereogramme -'Wood.' mp3

Arab Strap - 'Cherubs.' mp3

Arab Strap - 'The Love Detective.' mp3

Ballboy -'Sex Is Boring (John Peel Session 21/3/00).' mp3

Ballboy - 'Sex Is Boring (John Peel Session 21/3/00).' mp3


Delgados -'American Trilogy.' mp3

Delgados -'Sink Or Swim.' mp3

Sons and Daughters - 'Johnny Cash.' mp3

Sons and Daughters - 'Dance me In.' mp3

Teenage Fanclub - 'What You Do To me.' mp3

Teenage Fanclub - 'It's All In My Mind.' mp3

As always, if you like what you hear, go and support the bands by checking out their MySpace sites and becoming their friends, buying the music from iTunes or Amazon or your local independent shop, seeing them in concert, and of course, voting for scottish acts at Jock'n'Roll

Hope you had a good Easter, Ed

Ten Scottish bands for today

(A shot of Aberfeldy live last October. One of the bands you need in your life).

Okay, having done ten tracks last time, this time I thought I would point you in the direction of ten scottish bands you ought to hear.

This is not a definitive list, either of my own making or anyone else's, but it's 10 from a selection on my Myspace page that I would like to point you in the direction of. Some of these bands I have written about here, others I haven't -yet!- so this should serve as an introduction.

Just in case anyone is very highly strung out there, this is not to slag off anyone, but highlight some great bands who are - by and large - active today, and is in no way a slight to The Associates, The Delgados (my favourite ever scottish band), Josef K, Aztec Camera, The Skids, Franz Ferdinand, Arab Strap, Belle and Sebastian...but you need to hear these guys and gals too:

Aberfeldy official site myspace

Ballboy official site myspace

The Cinematics official site myspace

The Fire Engines official site myspace

Mother and the addicts official site myspace

My Latest Novel official site myspace

Odeon Beat Club official site myspace

Sons and Daughters official site myspace

Swimmer One official site myspace

X-Vectors official site myspace

All of these acts have tracks for you to hear on their myspace pages, and many have mp3s for you to download, either on their mypsace page or on their own web pages.

Happy listening, and happy discovering!

Remember: artists cannot survive on goodwill alone. If you like what you hear, please, Please, PLEASE support them. Buy their music, go to the gigs, tell your friends about them. Snobbery and elitism is for losers.

BTW, two more Scottish based blogs you should check out: The Face Of Today and And Before The First Kiss.