The Merry Muses Of Caledonia

About to flatline

2007-01-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

The blog is gasping for breath; there's a gurgling in the throat; the eyes are rolling back in the head.

I've been quite busy, writing about music and such elsewhere on the Interweb, and as a result, this blog has suffered. I fully expect any one of these posts over the next few weeks to be my last. Such is life and the swirling shitstorm that is blogging.

In the meantime, here's some Spirea X: "A vehicle for the '60s pop-art visions of ex-Primal Scream member Jim Beattie, who was accompanied by Judith Boyle and Andrew Kerr. Two EPs appeared in early 1991: Chlorine Dream, which updated the sound of The Byrds for the shoegazing era, and Speed Reaction, a fiendishly catchy melding of harmonies and The Who. The trio's sole album, Fireblade Skies, followed in the autumn. Jim left 4AD shortly after, going on to make records as Adventures In Stereo."

Since I'm a upstanding man of letters, one who abides by all its many varied creeds, I will tell you this information was procured from the 4AD web site. Hear it for yourself. Download: "Chlorine Dream" by Spirea X. Get in on this good Scottish pop now. Before this entire dump flatlines and you're left with jack, hands fumbling as you navigate your mouse to the latest Hype Machine-like site for your daily mp3 fix.

A stream of Saxon gore

2007-01-02T15:25:00.000-05:00

The Battle of Glenmalure took place in Ireland in 1580 during the Desmond Rebellions -- rebellions of the Earl of Desmond dynasty and their allies against the efforts of the Elizabethan English government to extend their control over the province of Munster. During the battle, an Irish Catholic force made up of the Gaelic clans from the Wicklow Mountains, led by Fiach MacHugh O'Byrne and James Eustace, defeated an English army under Arthur Grey, 14th Baron Grey de Wilton, at the O'Byrne's mountain stronghold of Glenmalure.

Around 800 English soldiers were killed, including Peter Carew, cousin of his namesake colonist who had made claims to, and won, large tracts of land in southern Ireland. The remainder of the English force retreated to lowland Wicklow and from there, to Dublin. However, the following year, when offered terms, most of the Irish rebels, including O'Byrne, came in and surrendered. The exception was Baltinglass, who fled for France.

"Follow Me Up To Carlow" is an Irish folk song celebrating the Irish victory. It's rather notable, as it's one of the most graphically violent of all Irish folk songs, containing lines such as, "From Tassagart to Clonmore/There flows a steam of Saxon gore," and, "Now for Black FitzWilliam's head/We'll send it over dripping red/To Queen Liza and her ladies."

Download: Follow Me Up To Carlow."

Supercuts

2006-12-27T16:35:00.000-05:00

This is clearly a case where one of them "family trees" is need. You know, you frequently see them on ESPN.com when folks are discussing the plethora of coaches who toiled under the tutelage of 49ers legend Bill Walsh.

Because in the case of these 80s Scottish pop groups, it's rather difficult to keep track of who played with whom. Let's try and wade through it all, shall we? The BMX Bandits were formed around Duglas T. Stewart, a Bellshill native and onetime member of the Pretty Flowers. The rest of the band consisted of Sean Dickson, Jim McCulloch, Willie McArdle, and Billy Wood. Eventually, both McArdle and Dickson left the lineup, and were replaced by ex-Boy Hairdressers bassist Joe McAlinden and drummer Francis McDonald.

Dickson soon founded his own band, the Soup Dragons, and was later joined by McCulloch. Another Boy Hairdressers alum, Norman Blake, then joined the fray. But Blake's stay wasn't long either, as both he and McDonald hit the road to form Teenage Fanclub. Later exits included Gordon Keen and Eugene Kelly (on board for a short time following the dissolution of The Vaselines) leaving to create Captain America, and McAlinden bidding adieu to form Superstar.

Got all that? Didn't think so.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Tidal Wave by The Boy Hairdressers.

Crap Rap 2

2006-12-21T21:44:00.000-05:00

I have to wrap presents. Lots of them. Pretty paper, pretty ribbons, etc. Here is a song to get you into that fucking festive spirit, as you get all ticked off, tape stuck to your sausage-like fingers, cruddy scissors in need of a good sharpening, "hospital corners" not quite working out for you: "Holiday Hymn."

Quocunque Jeceris Stabit

2006-12-19T16:33:00.000-05:00

Where is Speranza? No one knows for certain. Last scene bobbing like a cork in the Irish Sea, tossed from a Belfast ferry bound for Liverpool; he was a big man, checked in at 6-foot-5, and had fists like ham steaks. He didn't become chum, we know that much, because he would have fought the sea devils off.

Those who saw him last swore he wasn't in distress. They said he was doing the backstroke, a big smile on his ruddy face, his eyes pointed upwards. He was believed to be headed towards the Isle of Man. His wife said Speranza's long been fond of the Triskelion, for reasons unknown to her. He would laugh and point on the rare times he saw the blood-red flag, and quickly make a crude "third leg" joke.

At any rate, I can assure you our Harp pal would not be uploading any Irish-themed Christmas music today, which is why I plan on doing just that. Hopefully, he will be back in time to resume his rightful spot as the Interweb's most avowed and sober Irish music chronicler. Listen to: The Clancy Brothers' "Curoo Curoo," Bing Crosby's "Christmas In Killarney," and The Chieftains' "The Wexford Carol."

Go QPR, go Peter!

2006-12-18T11:23:00.000-05:00

What's your favorite Pete Doherty story? Mine is the time he got busted for possessing heaping amounts of some illegal substance in huge burlap sacks, and then got tossed in a Petey Wagon by the fuzz and hauled unceremoniously off to jail. Wait a second . . . .

Honestly, though, my favorite Pete Doherty story involved our Queens Park Rangers zealot recently walking through the London suburb of Brentford, strumming his six-string and singing a sweet song he penned on the tube ride over, luring dozens of unsuspecting, glassy-eyed children from their homes. Then, while belting out some Brentford FC-related claptrap, Doherty led all the little ones off the Brentford Dock and into the river to drown like stinking rats. That evil bastard!

When Peter is not killing fledgling footie fans, he's recording music, like Babyshambles' new EP, titled The Blinding. "Exposed to this EP," the NME drools, "even those of us who despise Pete Doherty beyond all mortal sense will have to concede the lanky one some sliver of genius." That nice review should make Pete feel better about himself (some good drugs would, too, of course). After all, those damn Hoops are currently in 20th place.

Be a good doobie and listen to "Sedative."

Commercial suicide LP

2006-12-14T22:31:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of The Creation Records Story: My Magpie Eyes Are Hungry For The Prize:

"I had a funny conversation with Dick when we were recording our album Cult Of The Basement," Pat Fish recalls. He phones up -- and they'd just started having the first hits at the beginning of 1990 -- and Dick's on the blower saying: 'Pat, how's the album going?' 'Oh, we're having a rare old time.' He goes: 'Any hit records on it.' I said to him: 'Dick, this is our commercial suicide LP. It's going to sell eight copies.' He put the phone down on me."

The Jazz Butcher had numerous releases during his tenure with Alan McGee and Creation Records, including 1988's Fishoteque, Big Planet Scarey Planet a year later, and the aforementioned Cult Of The Basement in '90, which fared much better than Fish predicted. Have a listen to: "Roadrunner," "Real Men," and "Girlfriend."

Play at your shindig

2006-12-12T11:43:00.000-05:00

I've long considered "Tommy Bhetty's Waltz" to be a brilliant "end of things" song. You know, one of those tunes that would fit nicely at the end of a terrific film, or at the conclusion of a moving wedding. It's a haunting number, one that stays with you long after the final note, which is why it's such a perfect song of "finality."

I guess it's apt such a number is being discussed now, as yet another year draws to a close. In my cell of sobriety, I make another hash mark on the wall. There are six there now, scratched out in long, straight lines. I can't complain, really. I'm locked away from the saucy drunkards, but I do get the occasional conjugal visit. Though she is searched beforehand to ensure she's not sneaking in any bitter. Bah.

Here's Altan with the aforementioned "Tommy Bhetty's Waltz." It's a lovely version of the song that showcases Altan's exceptional talents. Play it this your New Year's Eve shindig, as the seconds slowly tick away on this year, and you relive all its significant and trivial moments in your head. And of course, raise a glass to the temperates, who are certainly with you in spirit. Yes, indeed: pun intended. Have a listen.

Yeah, what they said

2006-12-08T15:27:00.000-05:00

They've been dubbed a slighty poorer version of Dog Faced Hermans, but I'm willing to let that slide, since I have a soft spot for any modern pop act trying to emulate that No Wave aesthetic. Besides, you have to show some iota of affection for a group that pens a song named, "Jesus Sends Hate Mail."

The group's name is Archbishop Kebab and of course, being as sonically anarchist as they were, information regarding them is scarce. What little we can tell you is that in-the-loop folks at Harvard are at least name-dropping them, all part of a cleverly titled "Universal Listening Assignment." Right . . . .

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Jesus Sends Hate Mail" by Archbishop Kebab. The band was once described as "a riotous punk post-raggle-taggle band of the just-post-punk and no-wave era." Yeah, what they said. Anyway, as always, when it comes to acts of the mighty obscure variety (and when the Interweb has so disappointingly let us down; bastards), any futher information is appreciated.

From the scrummage

2006-12-07T11:12:00.000-05:00

The town of Rugby gave us the sport that bears the same name, and Jason Pierce.

According to the tall tales: Back in 1823, William Webb Ellis invented rugby in the town -- a boy "who with a fine disregard for the rules as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it." That's a load of hooey, though; about as accurate as the stories I heard regarding a chap named Abner Doubleday who invented the sport of baseball one fine afternoon in Elihu Phinney's cow pasture.

What we can say, however, is that Jason Pierce is most certainly a man with a "fine disregard for the rules as played in his time." He formed the band Spaceman 3 with fellow Rugbeian Pete Kember in 1982. Between 1986 and 1991, while the listening public was ga ga over C86 and baggy, the group released five albums worth of dreamy, layered, guitar-driven psychedelia. Take that listening public!

And yes, I know this doesn't exactly qualify as the typical guitar pop fare I usually deliver unto you. Let's make exceptions, okay?

Crank it up for: "Ecstasy Symphony/Transparent Radiation (Flashback)" and "Take Me To The Other Side."

Let the music do the talkin'

2006-12-05T21:01:00.000-05:00

Here's Natalie MacMaster with a lovely rendition of "Balmoral Highlanders." This track appeared on 1998's cleverly titled My Roots Are Showing. MacMaster, born and bred in breathtaking Nova Scotia, is one of the most famous musicians in the tradition of Cape Breton fiddle music. She's quite the looker, as well! And for just this once, I'll rightfully supress my Irish gift (curse?) for the gab and let the music do the talking.

Get outta that holiday spirit

2006-12-04T11:58:00.000-05:00

The strands of colored lights are blinking and dangling, the Scotch tape barely holding them up (you have to simply adore these stark, concrete walls). There's one of them smelly cinammon candles burning and I swear, I just saw a few snowflakes. It's kinda . . . romantic. Even the cynical bah-humbugs would think so.

But you know, we're still hitting the books and wiping sand from our eyes for early-morning classes, so I'm not ready to celebrate the season just yet. Not till the blue ink is dry on that last final examination. So I put on some non-Christmas music to completely kill the mood. I even blow out the candle.

The below tracks are hardly new (the album was released way back in May), but after giving the album a once-over back in the spring, I'm on a joyous voyage of re-discovery. One reviewer of the album wrote,"The dreary, sparkling world of Espers is as sharp and haunting a trip as a drop of blood falling from a blade of grass." But please, don't let that stop you from giving it a listen.

Listen to "Cruel Storm" and "Moon Occults The Sun."

Hot for 'Hotrod Hotel'

2006-11-30T21:16:00.000-05:00

I simply adore everything about Hotrod Hotel -- from its dark and delicious cover art right down to its sunny day, Byrds-like sound. My copy of the album is never far from reach.

The band was founded on the bedrock of the Kelly brothers: Martin and Paul. Two guys wanting to delve into guitar pop when just about everyone in Britain was sky high on E and Madchester. The Second Summer of Love, you know? "At that time, the underground became mainstream, but we had kind of missed the boat, or were in the wrong one," said Paul. "We were trying to create our own sound, other people always seemed to want to be just like some other band or whatever but we wanted to be unique. Why anyone would want to hear this stuff again is beyond me."

"Cubans In The Bluefields" was East Village's first single. "Her Father's Son" was a track on the "Back Between Places" 12-inch. Both were released on Sub Aqua Records in 1988 and later featured on the compilation Hotrod Hotel, which was issued in '94.

Here is: "Her Father's Son" and "Cubans In The Bluefields."

Heaven's Reflex indeed

2006-11-28T11:02:00.000-05:00

The shops on Main Street are closed up tight with iron shutters. The entranceways are waiting anxiously to be swept out. There are no sales racks with postcards and half-priced books and sun-faded clothing. The merchants have no coin.

I walk to Kenmare Place and sit on the stone wall, and study the old jarveys with their tattered sweaters and their pants worn in the bottoms. They are feeding and brushing their horses, preparing for a day of riding their jaunting cars down the bumpy paths of Killarney National Park.

Nearby, the statue of Christ the King studies me. He is looking quite dapper among the smell of horse manure and man sweat. Beyond Christ, lies the Killarney House Gardens: the beech, lime, and walnut trees standing tall and thick; the fading rhododendrons, roses and azaleas, which are bushed after blooming so heavily in the spring; the arched cherry drive where the ugly lovers walk together.

Killarney is quite the gorgeous girl. Take in all her charms -- the cramped lanes where you can smuggle a colleen and steal a kiss; the misty, afternoon rains washing away all sadness; MacGillycuddy's Reeks, masking their peril with beauty; the ancient buildings hunched over with palsy, struggling to breathe; the wet, surrounding woodlands and their gentle alder, willow, and birch -- peace is always there and you never mind the insects; the light winds that warn you of an impending, cold night; the Arbutus trees, with their saw-like leaves and red fruit, which you can plunk and toss; the feeling of having this good girl to lean on -- one that will certainly outlast me.

Here's Lunasa with "Killarney Boys Of Pleasure."

Erectile exclamations

2006-11-27T15:23:00.000-05:00

Sister, at the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day: Work the term "raging hard-on" into your next blog entry.

Me: Egads, no.

Sister: Will Blogger censor you or something?

Me: Nope.

Sister: Then what's the problem?

Me: That's so crass. I'm above crass. Crass was so last year and as you know, I'm so not into last year.

Sister: Asshole.

Let's talk about ¡Forward, Russia!, who have everyone buzzing on account of their clever use of punctuation, as well as their penchant for also spelling out their moniker like this: ¡FФЯWДЯD, RUSSIД! Quite nifty, now isn't it? I love me some wacky fonts.

Anyway, the band came together in Leeds back in 2004. They did their first gig in April of that year; soon after, several demos made the light of the day, which led to the NME developing a raging hard-on (happy?) over the band. One write-up called ¡Forward, Russia!'s (does the apostrophe and "s" go after the exclamation point?) music: "Convulsing punk-funk brilliance from Leeds."

The band's debut album, Give Me A Wall, was released earlier this year and in a cheeky attempt to be clever, features 11 songs with numerical titles: "Eighteen," "Sixteen," "Seven," etc. This is "Thirteen."

No ankle busters here

2006-11-22T21:42:00.000-05:00

We headed to the Mull of Galloway on a big North Channel Swell to find a few cars with boards strapped on top, folk smiling like monkeys and half a foot of slop. Bonkers. But the legend lives on and I have heard it can be good. I swear I saw barrels at Balantrae.
Tom, Coylton

I'm a surfer who grew up in Lewis and have surfed there for 6 years now. I had to move away for work but miss the surf in Lewis. I've had some awsome surfs and seen some very heavy ones too. Once I saw a west coast reef break which was jacking up at 25-30 feet, looked magic, stuff Hawaii, Lewis rules!
Ronnie, Stornoway

St. Andrew's doesn't get much swell due to the wierd, tucked away location of both beaches. Also the swells that do come in are, more often than not, torn apart by the baltic onshores. West sands is an almost exclusively long board wave due to the super mellow (read: weak) way the wave breaks. East sands, though more finnicky, is the best bet on a short board. As for the balls out, suicide reef in between the two: I've never heard of it being ridden, probably because you have to thread a line between dry reef. It's possible though, so next time it's big and you find yourself in Fife, drop by east sands and we'll tempt our fates.
Ted, St. Andrews

Good break. You can park at the west end or the east end near the lifeguard hut. Seemed to pick up a similar amount of swell to Thurso East but in westerly swells is probably a bit bigger. Clean water!
Adam, Yarm

Nice looking beach, but fickle. Been there many times, yet to see it bigger than knee high. There is a rivermouth break 10 mins walk around the headland (south end of beach) but never surfed it. Does pick up way more swell than the beach though. Faces N/NW, so S/SE wind is offshore.
Iain, Balchrick

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Surf's Up" by The Beat Poets.

Garrett and Willie

2006-11-21T09:57:00.000-05:00

So Garrett Barry . . . . What an amazing life this gentleman led. He was born in Inagh, County Clare, during Black 47. The famine robbed the lad of his sight (malnutrition and famine sickness), but it never robbed him of his spirit; as a child he took up the uilleann pipes and that's how he made his livelihood.

He remained a piper until his death in 1899 and although he passed away in the Ennistymon Poor House, he richened the lives of countless folk in West Clare with his music. In addition to the famous jig that bears his name, Barry is remembered in other tunes such as "Garrett Barry's Mazurka" and "Garrett Barry's Reel." He is also associated with the "I Buried My Wife And Danced On Top Of Her" (name a better song title than that one; I dares ya) and "The Humours of Glen."

Barry's legacy perpetuated thanks largely to a chap named Willie Clancy. He was a man of many talents -- whistle and flute player, singer, storyteller -- but his speciality was the uilleann Pipes. Barry's piping style was passed on to Clancy from his father, Gilbert. According to many, Barry is known and cherished today because of Clancy's determination to pass on his music.

Let's raise a pint to both Garrett and Willie. Here's Kevin Burke with "Garrett Barry's."

Smoke up, Johnny!

2006-11-20T19:36:00.000-05:00

Claire Standish: You know why guys like you knock everything?

John Bender: Oh, this should be stunning.

Claire Standish: It's because you're afraid.

John Bender: Oh God, you richies are so smart, that's exactly why I'm not heavy into activities.

Claire Standish: You're a big coward.

Brian Johnson: I'm in the math club.

Claire Standish: See, you're afraid that they won't take you, you don't belong, so you have to just dump all over it.

John Bender: Well, it wouldn't have anything to do with you activities people being assholes, now would it?

Claire Standish: Well, you wouldn't know, you don't even know any of us.

John Bender: Well, I don't know any lepers, but I'm not going to run out and join one of their fucking clubs.

Andrew Clark: Hey. Let's watch the mouth, huh?

Brian Johnson: I'm in the physics club too.

John Bender: Excuse me a sec. What are you babbling about?

Brian Johnson: Well, what I had said was I'm in the math club, uh, the latin, and the physics club... physics club.

John Bender: Hey, Cherry. Do you belong to the physics club?

Claire Standish: That's an academic club.

John Bender: So?

Claire Standish: So academic clubs aren't the same as other kinds of clubs.

John Bender: Ah... but to dorks like him, they are. What do you guys do in your club?

Brian Johnson: Well, in physics we... we talk about physics, properties of physics.

John Bender: So it's sorta social, demented and sad, but social. Right?

Have a listen, okay? It's Math And Physics Club with "Holidays And Saturdays" and "You'll Miss Me."

My elbow from my ass

2006-11-17T16:45:00.000-05:00

I like sweet songs. Sweet songs like me back. Sometimes.

Rather tipsy on my recent flight to Ireland, this song came on while I had the ole iPod on shuffle. And it had me crying saccharine tears right there in seat 17G. Even with naughty words in the lyrics, the song manages to be sweeter than four cutesy girls with pink, frilly ribbons in their hair playing Candyland surrounded by Strawberry Shortcake paraphernalia. (Yes, I'm rather tipsy once again.)

I covered Camera Obscura not too long ago, but figured, what the hey, another look is certainly worth it. Especially since it's Friday and I'm certainly not up for a long-ass entry.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Suspended From Class" by Camera Obscura. Not to be confused with them posers from California.

Fish fry

2006-11-16T10:52:00.000-05:00

A quick update regarding my last post on Distant Cousins. Ian Halliday was kind enough to write us, saying:

"I too have been searching for information about Distant Cousins, and as you say: it's not easy. There is pretty much no information. So I went digging further, as I found out that Neil and Simon from The Smirks were members of Distant Cousins for a while. This is of interest to me as for years I have been webmaster of TheSmirks.com - the world's leading website for The Smirks. What little information I have unearthed is here - you can see that I have found the same sound and vision that you have, but I also have an excerpt from "You Used To." I'm hoping that I can find more. In the meantime, you're stuck with The Smirks and the Oscar Bernhardt Ensemble..."

Thanks for the email, Ian.

Onto other matters . . . . Such as Grab Grab The Haddock, a band I re-visited just recently. I only wish the rediscovery had taken place sooner. From what I can recall, GGTH (to be known as thus from this point on) rose from the ashes of The Marine Girls, another terrific pop band I will tackle on another morn. When Tracey Thorn departed (and later linked up with Ben Watt to form Everything But The Girl), the remaining Fox sisters (Jane and Alice) buddied up with two lads to form GGTH. Sheer pop brilliance then ensued.

Take a listen to: "Last Fond Goodbye" and "For All We Know."

Down The Kingdom!

2006-11-14T10:50:00.000-05:00

A Waterford girl once told me, "The only accents I can't understand are those of a Kerryman." That's probably a good thing, lass, because all the Kerryman would likely be talking about is his fecking football squad. Seventy-one Munster titles, 52 appearences in the All-Ireland final, 34 senior championships. Enough already!

Anyway, back in 2005, when the GAA released its best moments of Gaelic football and hurling in the television era, I was a tad upset to see Seamus Darby's goal was only at No. 3. For those who lack football acumen, Darby tallied a last-minute goal in the 1982 All-Ireland final, giving Offaly the victory and preventing hated Kerry from securing the much coveted five-in-a-row.

The top moment on the GAA's list? Well, that would be Michael Donnellan's solo run against Kildare in the '98 final. Donnellan's sprint down the Croke Park pitch set up a Sean Og de Paor point and helped lead Galway to its first football title in over three decades.

Getting back to that Waterford lass: Maybe it's best she doesn't participate in a discussion involving football. The Deise have never won shite!

Download: "The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba (In Galway Bay)" and "Barney From Killarney" by De Dannan.

Old buddy, don't let me down

2006-11-02T16:13:00.000-05:00

When even the Internet lets us down, who can we count on then? Looking up information on a pair of English 80s bands has appeared to bear little to no fruit. They are: Distant Cousins and The New Colours.

On the former, I've found the occasional reference. One page reads, "The Head brothers soon re-emerged as Shack, signing to the Ghetto Recording Company, home of producer Ian Broudie's solo project, The Lightning Seeds and British soul band Distant Cousins." A second mentions how the band was unfairly lumped in with the Madchester scene, and then goes on to list the members: Doreen Edwards (vocals), Neil Fitzpatrick (guitars) and Snuff (drums and percussion). That's it, pop fans.

Meanwhile, information on The New Colours is non-existant -- at least to this indie pop child of the 80s. My busy typing fingers couldn't track down a single sentence regarding them.

But I know these acts existed. I remember the songs quite vividly and how much pop delight they brought me when listening to them. Here they are for you to upload: The New Colours' "Do You Want To Pray?" and Distant Cousins' "Concrete Boxes."

All aboard the Paddy wagon

2006-10-31T16:56:00.000-05:00

When I've been away for awhile, both physically and in spirit, I dust off a Paddy Reilly record and spin the old beauty on the victrola. There's just something about Paddy's voice that's so warm and reassuring, even when he's singinig about topics of the cheerless variety.

One of my favorite tunes by Mr. Reilly is his version of Johnny McEvoy's "Long Before Your Time." McEvoy once jokingly said, "It could have been different. I could have been an advertising man with button-down collar, sports coat, permanently creased terylene trousers, and a secure job. But I threw it all away to become a ballad singer with button-down collar, sports coat, permanently creased terylene trousers, and no job." Rather neat a man with such a sense of humor could produce a song so heart-wrenching.

Paddy's cover of it is just lovely, as he portrays the narrator to be both melancholy and composed; you can picture him telling his story, keeping himself together for his lovely daughter's sake, only to fall apart once his tale ends and his daughter has up and left the room.

Here is "Long Before Your Time."

Somerville, 02144

2006-10-30T16:22:00.000-05:00

My old boss was from Somerville, Mass., and whenever he would wax poetically (and unapologetically) about his boyhood exploits there, he'd open things by saying, "Somerville . . . . Seven squares in search of a city."

Let's see if I can make my boss proud and recall all seven: Davis Square, once named one of the 15 hippest places to live in the US, which of course, makes it decidedly unhip; Union Square, where it's alleged the first U.S. flag was raised on Jan. 1, 1776; Teele Square, which I can't, for the life of me, recall a trivial factoid about; Ball Square, one-time site of the famous jazz club known as Willow; Magoun Square, named after a shipbuilding magnet . . . . And . . . .

Ah, five ain't bad. That's passing, right? Anyway, all this came to mind when I was listening to the new Pernice Brothers' album, Live A Little, which features a track named "Somerville." "I’m gonna take a lover," go the words, "Gonna take her back to Somerville/Don’t care if she’s pretty/As we leave Suck City." That last line is a reference to Nick Flynn's autobiography Another Bullshit Night In Suck City, which I'm told, is a favorite of fellow Masshole Joe Pernice.

Two new tracks from Pernice Brothers:

"Somerville"

"Microscopic View"

A band that drives me hazy

2006-10-27T13:48:00.000-04:00

Two tradeshows in two months, vacation looming, persuing other writing projects, The Hype Machine being an unruly bitch -- all of this has made the last few weeks a bit hectic and frustrating 'round these parts.

I'm cutting out of here shortly, so a long update is out of the question. And while you diehard Jock popsters (all five of you) curse me up and down for falling on the side of lazy this afternoon, take a listen to The Hazey Janes (the name comes from a Nick Drake song; and no, they sound nothing like him), for it will certainly brighten your dark moods. This Dundee outfit already has one well-received U.K. tour under its belt, not to mention an appearence at the annual SXSW festival.

The Hazey Janes' debut album, Hotel Radio, was recorded in Spain with producer Paco Loco, and features three-part harmonies, plenty of glossy pop hooks, and a unique blend of trad and country rock. Not to mention a rather deft brother-sister team of Matthew and Alice Marra.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Don't Look Away" and "Moanin' Face" by The Hazey Janes.

Some arresting Johns

2006-10-26T16:34:00.000-04:00

They were Jon Langford, John Hyatt, and Phillip "John" Brennan. On stage and on LPs, they were known as The Three Johns. (Of course, we can't forget Hugo; he was the band's drum machine and named thus because the trio was often striving for that Gang of Four drum sound. Clever, these Johns.)

I took these excerpts from Harp Magazine. A good read, that rag is:

The Three Johns commenced in '82 in Leeds when Langford-weathering a Mekons hiatus and nursing an urge to play, as he puts it, "flat-out rock."

The 3Js also incorporated metallic dissonance and psychedelic drones into their sound, shifting easily between dance-floor punk-funk, jagged Beefheartian skronk and T.Rex-styled riff-rock. (One highlight of Live in Chicago is "20th Century Boy," with Hyatt uncannily channeling Marc Bolan's trebly warble.) In the Margaret Thatcher era the Johns were defiantly political, too, as evidenced by song titles such as "English White Boy Engineer," about apartheid, and "Death of the European," which skewered American imperialism.

"But we didn't want to be dogmatic," Langford says. "I think our thing was more humorous, and Hyatt's lyrics were almost dadaist-surrealist in approach, too."

A pair of tracks by The Three Johns:

"King Car"

"Death Of The European"

How many Moore times

2006-10-24T17:25:00.000-04:00

I wasn't all that prosperous back then. Lolling head and flickering tongue, sitting on my hands, freeing them only to grasp at pint glasses. When I finally started clawing my way back to everyday clarity, I found myself -- like anyone else partaking in a similar endeavor, I suppose -- looking for signs that my destination was indeed viable.

And that brings us to Prosperous in Prosperous: Christy Moore's first album and the town in County Kildare. Moore named his LP thus, on account of it being recorded in this tiny hamlet by producer Bill Leader. Years back, battling with the amber liquids, I spent a weekend of torment in a dirty hotel room in Prosperous, my only salve the album Prosperous. I was angry with Ireland at the time -- I may have even pissed in An Chanail Mhor -- but Moore's brilliance kept me in check.

So yes, I found a sign that weekend. I can be prosperous again. Sappy? Of course. But I can deal with being sappy now; I can deal with being a lot of things now.

I also just came to the realization that this post has been one big tease; I do indeed have Moore tracks to share, but they are not from Prosperous. Don't be cross with me. These are from Ride On: "Back Home In Derry" and "Among The Wicklow Hills."

Braff: new Shins subpar

2006-10-23T18:42:00.000-04:00

We won't get into any talk of career suicide (it has been three years, though); we'll just talk about the new release, which is due to hit record shops (finally) Jan. 23. I was going to mention its unfortunate title, but then learned Wincing The Night Away is a sly reference to singer/songwriter's James Mercer's battles with insomnia. Okay, that makes it tolerable.

Anyway, I'm sure mp3s blogs everywhere are ripe with Shins' tracks. Folks will pluck them, taste their sweetness, and quickly declare them to be second-rate compared to Oh, Inverted World. "Why can't they do more songs like 'New Slang?' I love that trippy, moody nostalgic stuff. And yeah, I loved when it was used in Garden State! This song will change your life indeed."

Shut up. I didn't even bother listening to any of the new album; I just picked two songs at random. Because we all know none of the material from this LP even compares to that landmark first record. Shit, I bet even Zach friggin' Braff doesn't like it.

(Quick side note: I can't get over how fat the drummer from The Shins is. I thought indie dudes were supposed to be scrawny skinny. Do more coke or something. Jeez.)

"Australia"

"Black Wave"

(Editor's note: Ah look, the copyright police have made a mess of things. No Shins tracks for you! In due time, kids, in due time.)

Argh! He's talking C86 again

2006-10-19T10:50:00.000-04:00

The C86 anniversary celebrations continue. Huzzah, huzzah! Just learned that two more gigs related to the genre are slated for next week. And, unlike the L.A. and San Fran shows I mentioned in my last entry, I will be attending these with bells on.

On Oct. 27 and 28, the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London will be holding back-to-back events celebrating 80s indie pop. From the ICA's web site: "Through the endeavours of the three of the most influential independent record labels of the last decade -- Heavenly, Rough Trade (Shops), and Domino –- we celebrate the legacy of C86 with live concerts, film screenings, and an exhibition of paraphernalia at its original birthplace, London's Institute of Contemporary Arts."

The Friday show will feature The Magic Numbers, Gokart Mozart, and Vic Godard & the Subway Sect. Can't say enough good things about the latter act; I will be there nodding my head, fizzy drink in hand, hoping against hope for ole Vic to belt out a particularly rousing version of "Parallel Lines." All the information for that night can be found here.

The next night will be twice as nice: Roddy Frame, The Wolfhounds, and (gasp!) Phil Wilson. Legends all of them. I can only hope Mr. Wilson plays a healthy amount of June Brides' tunes; of course, his solo stuff is ravishing, too. The information for that particular night is here. The price for each show is £22.50, but it will be money well spent.

"Skyscrapers" by The Wolfhounds

"Better Days" by Phil Wilson

"Pillar To Post" by Aztec Camera

Lloyd's of England

2006-10-18T12:22:00.000-04:00

I've long been amused by the number of Scottish pop aficionados who bestow Jock status upon Lloyd Cole, all because the Buxton-born and Chapel-en-le-Frith-reared songwriter attended the University of Glasgow for a few semesters in the early 80s. Shit, Cole didn't even graduate from that institution.

If this cursed blog has taught us anything, it's that Scotland certainly does not suffer from a dearth of pop virtuosi -- yes, tin ear, there is life beyond Shirley Manson and Big Country! There's no need to claim an individual of clear English stock as one of the country's own. The whole thing slightly reeks of desperation; it even reminds me of when a certain professional sports franchise retired this star's number.

Anyway, this little endeavor does grant me the opportunity to post a track from Cole's (and The Commotions', too, of course; can't forget about them) landmark album, Rattlesnakes, which easily ranks among my all-time top 10. On that LP's closing tracks, Cole sang, "Are you ready to be?/Are you ready to bleed?/Are you ready to be heartbroken?"

Twenty-two years later, he finally got his response.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Patience" by Lloyd Cole & The Commotions and "Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken by Camera Obscura.

Lots of maudlin mush

2006-10-17T15:40:00.000-04:00

She was craving romance. Flickering candles, a poem read to her in Irish, a few dainty roses, a table tucked away in the corner of the restaurant, where we would push our seats really close together. My goodness, the kind of maudlin mush woman pine for and men frequently bumble up when trying to deliver.

I tried my damndest at delivering the goods, so much so that when the end of the evening rolled around, she was satisfied -- or at least, gave the appearence of being satisfied. And after 25 years of marital bliss (!), I've learned that definitely suffices. (Twenty years ago, of course, I thought differently.)

We retired to a small pub on the ocean, so she could have her nightcap. There was a small group of musicians heartily belting out song; she said I should request one. "Why not ask for 'Galway Bay?'" she suggested. "Since we are here and all." My, what a glorious idea! (I'm quite skilled in the art of flattery, I should let you know.) So up I went, my suggestion at the ready. The ole boys agreed and a few sips of her red wine later, "Galway Bay" commenced.

Only it wasn't the version she was expecting. I'm quite the devil. "Just to watch the suds roll down by Galway Bay!" Here's The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem doing their own version of "Galway Bay."

Bejar! Bejar! Bejar!

2006-10-16T11:12:00.000-04:00

There's a girl down the hall from me who has a shrine to Dan Bejar in her room. Shrines are all well and good -- I mean, shit, I had one in my room to Robbie Williams when I was 11 -- but shrines to Dan Bejar are a whole 'nother animal. Let's not beat around Dan Bejar's big head "bush": Shrines to Dan Bejar are rather strange. (Though I do enjoy saying Dan Bejar's name out loud. Bejar, Bejar, Bejar!)

The relative weirdness of this shrine to Dan Bejar is not on account of what the shrine consists of (for example: an empty beer bottle Dan Bejar drank from during a gig; gross) or the fact that its curator is 18 (slightly past the age when shrine-building is still deemed acceptable). It's all because a shrine to Dan Bejar is a shrine to Dan Bejar.

I can say, with utmost certainty, that this shrine to Dan Bejar is indeed the only shrine to Dan Bejar in the entire Northeast corridor, maybe all of the East Coast. And of course, this is not a knock on Dan Bejar; Dan Bejar is a fine songwriter, and I have enjoyed some of his work with both Destroyer and The New Pornographers. It's just that Dan Bejar is clearly not a pop star that typically moves folks to display their zealous fandom via the art of shrine-making.

Anyway, here are some tracks from Dan Bejar's latest band, Swan Lake: "Are You Swimming In Her Pools?" and "All Fires."

No mobile phones, no BK

2006-10-13T11:50:00.000-04:00

I've long been drawn to the character that is King Creosote (nee Kenny Anderson).

He has a rather unique approach to his craft (songs more important than style; performance over recording quality), and is wildly ambitious (he's at over two dozen albums now and counting). He extends a big middle finger to fame: "I don’t want to be cool," he said in this interview. "I hate that winning thing -– people that enjoy winning, that’s just a total farce, isn’t it?" He enjoys the relative isolation that comes with living in Fife: "Mobile phones don’t work there," he said, "and there are no chain shops, no Burger King or Costa Coffee -- it’s great!" And, possibly most important of all, he hates the idiot box.

Anderson is known for his involvement with the Fence Collective, a group of folk artists affiliated with Fife's Fence Records and headquartered in the seacoast town of Anstruther. That collective included The Beta Band, though more typically, features those artists of the obscure variety such as James Yorkston and Lone Pigeon.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "So Forlorn" and "My Favourite Girl In All The World" by King Creosote. Both songs beautifully capture Anderson's knack for poetic, lo-fi, quirky folk music.

An unexpected reunion

2006-10-12T13:01:00.000-04:00

Word is trickling down that next month there will be a pair of must-be-there gigs for us C86-ophiles. The shows will take place in The States; oh my, if only I had the wherewithal to attend such events.

According to the Keeping C86 Alive! web site, the gigs will feature Wolverhampton's own The Mighty Lemon Drops. Original vocalist Paul Marsh is not on board for the reunion, however, and will be replaced by Pop Will Eat Itself singer Clint Mansell. A neat choice, to say the least! I gleefully attended The Mighty Lemon Drops' show at the ICA in London during C86 week some two decades years ago and I still have their lovely set ringing in my ears.

More good news (for this old sod, mostly): The supporting act will be BMX Bandits, who, as legend has it, submitted a song to be included on the NME compilation and were . . . . Yeah, yeah, yeah, I apologize: You've heard that story one million times already. Anyway, good to hear these Glaswegians are on board.

The dates are: Nov. 17 at Cafe Du Nord in San Fran and Nov. 19 at The Echo in L.A. I demand a full report from any who attend!

"Wise Up! Sucker" by Pop Will Eat Itself

"E102" by BMX Bandits

"Inside Out" by The Mighty Lemon Drops

Let good pop smother you

2006-10-11T13:30:00.000-04:00

If it feels like I keep coming back to Egg Records, it's because, well, I do. The tiny, Glasgow record label has given pop fans quite a few glittering gems -- both during its short, three-year run from 1988 to 1991 and today, as part of its restoration program.

The Hardy Boys, who hail from Greenock, are one of a handful of acts getting the re-issue treatment. According to the band's rather terse biography on Egg's web site, the mainstays of The Hardy Boys' lineup were two lads named Johnny White and Mike. The group did some gigs around the UK and once recorded at Shabby Road Studios in Kilmarnock, the former recording haunt -- and living quarters -- for Trashcan Sinatras.

The Hardy Boys had just four official releases: 1987's "Wonderful Lie," a four-song EP on Stella Five Records; the track "15" on a cassette compilation known as Red Roses For Me (a comp I've unearthed nothing about, though I have managed to track down the song itself); a 2004 "Wonderful Lie" re-release on Japan's Excellent Records; and 2005's "Let The World Smother You," which was initially set to be an EP on Egg in '91, but the label going belly-up prevented this from happening.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Let The World Smother You" by The Hardy Boys.

Black mood . . . lifted

2006-10-10T12:38:00.000-04:00

Ah, so that was lovely, now wasn't it?

We won't get into further details -- you need only know the loveliness I speak of can be found here. And Wednesday? The outcome of that battle indeed looks grim; The Boys In Green will likely be without the services of 14 lads. Here's all one needs to hear about our starting XI: The goalie last saw action against the likes of Crewe, Yeovil, and Chesterfield!

I decided I shall avoid Landsdowne Road entirely and passed off my ticket to a relative. And yes, he's a masochist. (Of course he is; he's related to the wife.)

Anyway, I returned home Sunday in absolute tatters. My black mood was lifted, however, after a nicely prepared sup from the little woman, post-meal tea in front of a comfy turf fire, and a smidge of Altan. This group has long occupied a special place in my heart, both for their lovely music and their inner strength, as they endured the terrible illness and death of one of their own: the genius Frankie Kennedy (I taped the funeral services which were broadcast on Radio Na Gaeltachta; will have to track that cassette down). They are survivors, and survivors are folks I ardently admire.

And getting back to the trivial matter of football: We'll soon see if Staunton is of the same make-up.

Two songs from Altan: "Slainte Theilinn (A Health To Teelin)" and "The Pretty Young Girl."

Power of glam compels you

2006-10-09T08:52:00.000-04:00

One of my older brothers popped by this weekend. You know, one of them I'm-here-to-hang-with-you-but-really-here-to-check-up-on-you type visits. That's cool; I understand he's got sibling duties to perform and all.

At my insistence, we drove everywhere in his car. I haven't been in an automobile since Moving Day back in early September and it was nice to travel somewhere butt planted on cushiony cushion, rather than the adamantine seats in our lovely local transit. Plus, the smell of pine tree car freshner, no matter how pungent, is better than the acrid stench of hobo pee-pee.

Anyway, rides all over Manhattan in my brother's '89 Civic meant I was subjected to his heinous mix tapes. More Eighties hair rawk than you can shake a stick at. Most of it I could endure, but when Britny Fox came on, I had to implore him to shut it off. My sincere hope is, one day my brother will be riding to Damascus when a blinding light will flash around him, knocking him to the ground. He will then be converted, his evil music ways behind him.

Speaking of Sauls and Pauls, Mr. Stanley here (left) is one frightening looking individual. I pointed this out to my brother, but he wanted nothing of it. He defended Starman's right to look like he belongs as a display in a wax museum.

Two of my brother's favorite artists are coming out with new albums: Winger and Paul Stanley. Listen and . . . er, enjoy.

"On A Day Like Today" and "Four Leaf Clover" by Winger.

"Bulletproof" and "Lift" by Paul Stanley.

Flakey? Just a tad

2006-10-06T10:18:00.000-04:00

The drummer, Alan Tilston, wore a Native American headdress on "Top Of The Pops." Keyboardist Ken McAlpine, he of the peroxide blonde hair, allegedly got in trouble with the fuzz for stealing a drump truck from a building site. The group also released a pair of EPs on their own label, cleverly dubbed OFL (yes, as in offal).

The Supernaturals were a tad flakey, sure, but the Glasgow quintet certainly did take its recording career seriously, churning out three albums and four EPs of bouncy guitar pop during its short lifespan.

Instead, the group's noted penchant for silliness spilled over into its lyrics, which were frequently of the whimsical and witty kind. A prime example is "Lazy Lover," a single off the band's album debut on Food, 1997's It Doesn't Matter Anymore.

In this track, singer James McColl details his utter indolence, confessing that his loafer lifestyle has even affected his (gasp!) performances in the bedroom: "I'm her lover/Her lazy, lazy lover/I can't be bothered getting into bed/I'm her lover/Her lazy, lazy lover/I'd much rather do it in my head." Rock sex-god posturing this is not.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Smile" and "Lazy Lover" by The Supernaturals.

Until the razor cuts

2006-10-05T14:04:00.000-04:00

I've been to Luton only once -- more like through, actually, since one doesn't typically spend time in Luton (unless you were squeezed out there); you just zip right through it, blinking out the bleakness. It's a London overspill town, a post-industrial town that once topped a Sam Jordison and Dan Kieran "crap" list. (Fun reads these always are.)

The Razorcuts hail from Luton and my, that's amazing when you think about it. Luton is an ugly, little burg, and yet The Razorcuts were so beautiful and romantic in both word and sound.

I can remember getting my fingers inky with an NME story about the blokes and Tim Vass saying, "I don't think that pop music is about creating perfect records -- it's about creating perfect moments."

Ah, so bloody true! The Razorcuts crafted perfect moments both in their tunes and in the lives of their zealous fans. I hear "A Contract With God" and think of the summer of '88, Sundays (my only day off from bricklaying), nursing myself back to health from a hangover and spent "muskles." I would crawl like a crab outside my flat for a cigarette, the song's Byrds-like guitars still ringing in me brain, the churchgoers across the street sneering at my grotesqueness.

"A Contract With God" by The Razorcuts

"Try" by The Razorcuts

Choose or lose

2006-10-04T11:35:00.000-04:00

Was recently alerted to a site that's begun a project similar to one we recently finished up: the top Scottish singles of all time. The site is dubbed The Great Jock 'n' Roll Single, and is run by a pair of lads named Dave (a self-described failed indie guitarist who has opened for at least four different acts eligible for this little contest) and The Cat (an individual who manages to trump even my Orange Juice fanboyism; he named his daughter after the single "Felicity").

Participants vote via email, listing their top 10 choices. (An added twist: Dave and The Cat have asked folks to list a selection for "worst Scottish single of all-time." Choose wisely.) One can only vote for U.K.-released singles -- no B-sides, extra tracks, songs featured on LPs, flexis, compilation tracks, or download-only releases. Folks can vote up to 10 times, but only one vote is allowed per artist.

At the moment, Associates' "Party Fears Two" is leading the voting with Orange Juice's "Rip It Up" and The Jesus And Mary Chain's "Never Understand" right behind it. It's hard to carp about the results thus far when acts like Strawberry Switchblade are among the chosen, but there are a few noted omissions (hello) and hopefully that will change as results continue to pour in.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Since Yesterday" by Strawberry Switchblade, "Don't Talk To Me About Love" by Altered Images, and "Party Fears Two" by Associates.

Impatient for the coming fight

2006-10-02T11:01:00.000-04:00

This is a special Monday edition of Gather 'Round Me Men Of Ireland. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I'll be departing for Cyprus. My destination: Neo GSP Stadium in Nicosia.

The Boys In Green will be battling Cyprus. Lots of no-shows expected, so we're all a tad apprehensive, to say the least. No Staunton, no Given, no Steven Reid. Cyprus once beat mighty Spain during the 2000 Euro qualifiers -- anything is possible on the pitch!

We're riding a wave of good karma, however. This weekend, the Irish team entered in the Homeless World Cup in South Africa won the City of Edinburgh Cup; the Sean Kavanagh's boys thumped Finland, 4-1. Also, the amateur side defeated England down at Cooke Park on a goal by John O'Neill.

A few songs by Solas to keep the mind occupied as we count down the days to Saturday's match: "Aililiu Na Gamhna" and "Primrose Lass/Molly from Longford/The Four Kisses."

Budge doctors of the Stoic fur

2006-10-02T09:40:00.001-04:00

Dad is a surgeon. A few years back I approached him with a copy of Clinic's Internal Wrangler. I told him how the band is known for donning surgical masks during performances or for promotional photos. My dad seemed interested (though I could tell it was feigned a tad).

He's always looking for new and exciting things to groove to while cutting folks up, so he said he'd give the album a go. Well, after a few spins of Internal Wrangler during a run-of-the-mill splenectomy, dear ole dad was hooked. Of course, he's Internet skills are poor at best, so I have keep him abreast of the latest news regarding Clinic (or The Surgeons, as he affectionately refers to them as).

"When is their new record coming out?"

"October 16."

"And where can I purchase a copy?"

"Don't worry about it, Pops. I'll hook you up."

Here are a few tracks from the new Clinic album, Visitations: "If You Could Read Your Mind" and "Visitations."

Also, here's a pair of songs from Chicago's Chin Up Chin Up. A fitting name for the band, I suppose, since the guys have endured their share of tragedy, yet are soldiering on: In early 2004, just after completing a four-song-demo, bassist Chris Saathoff was killed in a hit-and-run accident. Here are: "Water Planes In Snow" and "Blankets Like Beavers."

And no, dad is not a fan.

20,000 hockey bugs . . . .

2006-09-29T11:12:00.000-04:00

. . . . And each a Drive By Argument fan!

When you're in a band that's achieved even a modicum of success, you come to expect them plaudits of the unusual variety. The kooky fan, the kooky fan letter, the kooky fan letter with the pictures. But even Drive By Argument would have to admit they never saw this one coming.

Last year, the five-piece Ayr outfit learned its debut single, "Sex Lines Are Expensive Comedy," had become quite popular with members of a certain professional sports club. And no, it wasn't a footie squad -- it was the National Hockey League's New York Rangers. The team took to playing the song as its skate-out music and rather quickly it became a fan favorite at the Rangers' home arena, Madison Square Garden.

Not too shabby, especially when one considers Drive By Argument's origins: They initially formed as part of first-year course work at University Of Paisley; the five members were involved with the school's Media, Language And Music program, before taking a year-long sabbatical to focus on the band.

Druve By Argument were locked up by American label Lizard King Records back in May. Both an EP (November) and LP (early spring of 2007) are forthcoming.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Lower Your Pieces" by Drive By Argument.

Right-wing nutjobs!

2006-09-29T09:23:00.000-04:00

No one really got the joke. McCarthy? They were Marxists! Members of England's Revolutionary Communist Party! Left-wing nutjobs!

Lost on many wankers was the fact that much of McCarthy's writing was infused with bits of sardonic irony and playful humor. Very rarely was a McCarthy song a true representation of what the band's thoughts and opinions were regarding a particular social issue. "We'll let no cash soil our hands." Not quite. These lads were mainstream pop Gawds and broke the bank. (Okay, that's a lie.)

Anyway, I'm about to cheat here, which if you know anything about me, is not a gigantic surprise. Every since I picked up McCarthy's 7-inch single "Red Sleeping Beauty" in '86, I've been a devout fan of the nutters variety. And that's why I felt no remorse over bending the rules already (only '80s guitar pop, you gaffer!) and uploading tracks from Banking Violence And The Inner Life Today, which was released in August of 1990.

I hope the higher-ups don't get too peeved. I believe one listen to "The Well-Fed Point Of View," however, will make them come around.

"The Drinking Song Of The Merchant Bankers" by McCarthy

"Use A Bank I'd Rather Die" by McCarthy

"The Well-Fed Point Of View" by McCarthy

Novel indeed

2006-09-27T09:57:00.000-04:00

Billed as the world's premier new music convention, In The City has been chugging along for close to 14 years now. Founded in 1992 by Yvette Livesey and Factory Records honcho Tony Wilson, the event serves two purposes: during the day, music industry bigwigs gather to talk shop -- and twist their moustaches and hatch schemes to further destroy pop music; at night, the shindig becomes a music festival (allegedly the biggest city-based music festival in Europe), as unsigned artists are showcased at various venues throughout the host city (which is typically held in Manchester; one-time sites have included Glasgow in 1997).

In The City has helped launch the careers of countless acts, including Oasis, Doves, Suede, and The Stereophonics. More recently, the festival played a hand in kickstarting the career of Glasgow's My Latest Novel. Since performing at In The City back in October of '05, this five-piece outfit has performed at the 2006 T In The Park, done a support slot for The Pixies, and inked a deal with Bella Union Records. But not in that order.

I discussed My Latest Novel rather briefly back in July, but felt the need to revisit them after finally landing their debut album, Wolves (thanks Joel!).

"There is without doubt, a character to Scottish music because we tend to still be very much a Scottish race and don't have a large immigrant population," Graham Weir, a lecturer in popular music at Napier University, said in this article. "So Scotland tends to have its own kind of music -- usually guitar-based."

My Latest Novel, however, aren't bridled by their six-strings; they build upon that ancient guitar template, garnishing their sound with violins, xylophones, peculiar percussion instruments. The result is a work fraught with anxiety and absolution -- an album that fills the listener with a heightened tension, rewards with a much-ached-for release, then starts the cycle anew before one's had time to bask in the afterglow. Scotland hasn't heard a release this labyrinthine in years.

Hear it for yourself. Download: Wrongfully, I Rested" and "Learning Lego" by My Latest Novel.

To a sweetheart, a bodhran

2006-09-26T08:20:00.000-04:00

So the teetotalers were assigned to one particular table: right smack-dab in the middle of the reception hall, the furthest point from either bar. The alcohol was flowing like the Liffey, but we didn't care. We made exotic animals out of our cloth napkins, oogled the bridesmaids, and conquered the dance floor.

One hour left before we were all to be evicted, we extended our campaign to include the band. While the thirsty lads satiated themselves, we hefted their instruments and began to belt out a tune. Behold, The Temperates! Never, in the history of Ireland, has a wedding band sounded so mellifluous. Of course, we were of the sober sort and our crowd was in fine fluthered form -- this helped immensely. Regardless, when all was sung and done, even the band applauded our efforts.

These old hands come alive when playing the bodhran. I pretend its an overgrown bottlecap and I'm lumping up some grotesque demons. Later, the owner told me the instrument was made with kangaroo skin, which is what I learned many of the newer models are being outfitted with. I couldn't contain my smile. "Oh my, next you'll tell me your uilleann pipes are crafted from koala." He was stricken with laughter; he was drunk.

We belted out a handful of spry ditties, all picked on account of the special occasion. Two are listed here, played infinitely better than us by the much acclaimed Boys Of The Lough: "Hillswick Wedding/Robertson's Reel" and "La Grande Chaine/The Newlyweds' Reel."

Besides the autumn poets sing

2006-09-25T11:41:00.000-04:00

They're much prettier elsewhere, I'm told. Like up in Stowe, Vermont. Here, they're just a nuisance. Wet, dirty, and sticky: covering your yard (if you have one; I don't), clinging to your car (if you drive one; I don't), attaching themselves to your shoes, where they are then dragged inside your home.

They're not leaf peepers, they're leaf poopers -- party poopers, if you will -- and I don't agree with them. They're just as pretty here in the city. The sugar maples, the beech, the birch, the oak. The candy apple reds and banana skin yellows on their tops, and the soft, fleshy pink color underneath. The way they congregate in tiny groups, like they're taking solace in one another's company, a support group for those once employed in the industry of photosynthesis -- then the wind gives them a small fright and they scatter in every direction.

I gather up some leaves and paste them to construction paper, like a grade schooler in art class. I crush up the really dry ones, relishing that crinkley sound. I stuff a handful down the back of my friend's sweater. I bury myself in a large pile, up to my chin, taking in that acrid smell.

Brooklyn's Oxford Collapse must be leaf peepers. On their forthcoming album, they implore us to "Please Visit Your National Parks." White Mountain National Forest would be a good destination, I'm told. Not too far from here. They also sing, "For The Khakis And The Sweatshirts," which is the standard uniform of us autumn revelers.

Vancouver's The Be Good Tanyas also have songs that call to mind autumn: "Scattered Leaves" and "Out Of The Wilderness." Melancholic and haunting -- just like the season.

Love that live stuff

2006-09-22T10:20:00.000-04:00

Quick update with some live material I've got on the ole hard drive.

Awhile back, one of our loyal readers emailed me mp3s from an Orange Juice gig that took place at Keele University in Staffordshire. The date was Nov. 24, 1982, the same month the band released its second album, Rip It Up.

I've also uploaded some tracks from a Jesus And Mary Chain show that took place Nov. 5, 1985, at a venue known as The Loft in Berlin -- just eight months after the infamous "riot" gig at North London Polytechnic.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Poor Old Soul" and "Flesh Of My Flesh" by Orange Juice, and "Inside Me" and "In A Hole" by The Jesus And Mary Chain.

(Note: Nabbed the above photo from New Wave Photos. Terrific web site -- check it out.)

Guitar bands on their way out

2006-09-21T09:52:00.000-04:00

So they say, "Why 'Decca Says . . . . ?'" And I say, "Don't you know the story?" It's about The Beatles. You know, The Beatles. The tale been told and retold ad infinitum; you must have heard it somewhere. No? Okay fine, so one more telling won't hurt.

It's New Year's Day, 1962. The Fab Four have zipped down to London for a morning studio audition with Mike Smith, Decca Records' A&R representative. At Decca's West Hampstead Studios in Broadhurst Gardens, the group commits 15 tunes to reel-to-reel tape in less than 60 minutes. A breakneck pace, to say the least! According to the stories, the act that followed The Beatles, Brian Poole & the Tremeloes, were given a contract instead, with part of the reason being their travel expenses would be cheaper (the lads were from nearby Essex). Imagine that rubbish.

Of course, the main reason the Scousers were given a big, fat N-O was on account of A&R head Dick Rowe's opinion of guitar bands. "They are on their way out," he is alleged to have said.

Fast forward 18 years to New Year's Day, 1980. This here tit-head on the keyboard was just two weeks shy of his 16th birthday. My older sis got me a rather nifty present that birthday: The Cure's 7'' single "Boys Don't Cry." I was hooked -- not necessarily on The Cure, but on fetching, chimey, shiny, bouncing, catchy guitar pop. Creation, Cherry Red, Backs, Sarah, Dreamworld, Rough Trade, Pink, el, Egg, Subway Organization, 53rd & 3rd, Fire, Postcard -- I swore by these labels. For the next decade, their tunes provided the soundtrack to my sometimes tumultuous, sometimes tepid life. (Okay, I fib: Mostly tepid.)

So they still say, "Why 'Decca Says . . . . ?'" And I say, "Decca says guitar bands are on their way out. And boy, were those muppets ever wrong."

Here are some '80s tracks that remind me of The Beatles:

"The Queen Of Eyes" by The Soft Boys

"Isn't It A Pity?" by Galaxie 500 ( I cheated a smidge with this one.)

"The Loving" by XTC

Come, take the waters

2006-09-20T11:13:00.000-04:00

In the 1800s, folks from all over England flocked to Leamington, to soothe their various aches and pains in pools filled with salty spa waters. In the 1980s, bands flocked to this quaint town nestled in The Midlands for a different reason: To record.

Leamington was the home of John A. Rivers' Woodbine Street Studios, one of the U.K.'s oldest independent studios. Rivers -- who has worked with everyone from The Specials to Swell Maps to Love And Rockets -- became the producer of choice for many indie bands in the '80s.

To quote Martin Whitehead, from TweeNet: "Most engineers in small local studios had little grasp of what these bands were trying to do at the time and were still trying to produce booming drums, slappy bass, and choppy funk guitars. In the mid 80s, indie bands were very much on the fringe of what was happening and were pretty obscure. A producer who understood them was worth travelling for. Even to Leamington Spa."

Back in the late 90s, TweeNet began compiling tracks from various indie artists that had once recorded at Woodbine Street, as well as other unknown groups with the same infectious guitar pop sound. The result was the The Sound Of Leamington Spa series, which is currently five volumes in length. The series has drawn frequent comparisons to the late 1970s Pebbles compilations, which highlighted hard-to-find Sixties garage rock.

Two Scottish acts featured on the The Sound Of Leamington Spa, Vol. 4 were Glasgow's The Clouds and Paisley's The Church Grims, who I discussed back in early July.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Get Out My Dream" by The Clouds and "Plaster Saint" by The Church Grims.

Music to slosh paint to

2006-09-19T09:44:00.000-04:00

For a country known for such unparalleled beauty, Ireland hasn't produced its share of noteworthy painters. There's the impressionist Walter Osborne, the war artist John Lavery, the great colorist William John Leech, the lauded Paul Henry, the man who did for Irish landscape painting what William Butler Yeats did for the Celtic Revival. I struggle to come up with more names; it seems our all-consuming bursts of creative frenzy are inspired by the blank page, rather than the blank canvas.

All this danced through my head as I painted the shed this weekend. I could be a decent colorist, methinks; I wanted to give the old structure something other than the customary coat of white, but the old hag wouldn't have it. "Fuchsia?" she shouted at me. "Are you mad?" I doubt Leech's aspirations were squashed in such a manner.

The great artists were likely inspired by song, but for me, songs serve another purpose, as they make labor's monotony tolerable. The Bothy Band -- which, like the aforementioned Yeats and Henry, were quite influential within its particular genre -- are terrific to paint to. Lively, ferocious, and vivacious, the music keeps my hands moving and my heart thumping.

And you do know what a bothy is, don't you? They are rather simple cottages where, many generations ago, single lads would dwell together. Oftentimes, the young men would hold musical nights, entertaining folks from all over the surrounding region.

Can't say I've ever painted a bothy.

Enough gabbing . . . . Here are two favorites by The Bothy Band: "Old Hag You Have Killed Me" and "Farewell To Erin."

It tastes like chicken

2006-09-18T12:19:00.000-04:00

Humankind can be divided into two groups: Those who peel off and eat the crispy skin on a cooked chicken, and those who toss it in the rubbish.

The gentlemen came a-calling at the bar Saturday night, looking to buy the lot of us drinks. Since chicken skin is our species' great polarizer, I asked one of the dudes his thoughts on this matter. His answer would give me a peek into his personality, correct? At least, that's what the women's rags would have told me.

"When I cook my chicken, I pound up some garlic and place it between the skin and the flesh. I also put a few kaffir leaves there, too."

"So do you eat the skin afterwards? Or not? You're avoiding my question."

"Say, would you like the recipe?"

Now listen up: This is Novus Carmen (see the nifty logo above); every Monday I will be bringing you new music that tickles my fancy. I got the dude's number after our bar encounter and yesterday, he swung by the dump and cooked us some Gay Ning Takia. In return, I made him a mix CD; these were his three favorite tracks.

Magnolia Electric Co
"Lonesome Valley"

The Feeling
"Same Old Stuff"

The Feeling
"Never Be Lonely"

The top 26 Scottish singles of all-time, Part 5

2006-09-15T10:57:00.000-04:00

No. 6: "Sorry For Laughing"
Josef K
The Only Fun In Town, 1981
As the story goes, Josef K had committed its debut album to tape, only to have the whole project nixed by Postcard Records head Alan Horne, who wasn't fond of the record's slick sound. Down in Brussels for a New Year's Eve gig, Josef K decided to re-recorded the album's title track; four months later, the single "Sorry For Laughing" hit shops in April of 1981, released by the Belgian independent label Les Disques Du Crepuscule.

Horne was enthralled with the single -- with its jangly rhythms, bursts of scabrous guitars, and grooving, shake-your-ass beat -- and terrribly incensed as well. A single this good should have been on his label. Eventually (and with Horne's backing) Josef K re-recorded its entire debut over a six-day span at the same Belgian studio. It was released by Postcard in July of 1981.

No. 5: "Adult/ery"
Scars
1979
Scars were just a flyspeck on the U.K. punk and post-punk map. The group released a handful of singles, did the requisite John Peel sessions, and cut one LP. However, the band needed only one single, its debut "Adult/ery," to leave a lasting impression.

For many, the song was an utter revelation, as the band, during live performances, had never sounded so sharp and self-assured. "Adult/ery" kicks, stomps, and grooves, only there's no way it works as a dance number. As I've written before, this wasn't a track to boogie to; it was an anthem for an insurrection.

No. 4: "18 Carat Love Affair"
Associates
Sulk, 1982
Some day, I'll compile my top 10 favorite Billy Mackenzie moments. The list will no doubt feature a number from "18 Carat Love Affair": the way Mackenzie dramatically opens the song on the lyric "I told you not to meet me here"; the double vocals during the line, "It's not the done thing 'round here, baby"; how the urgency in his voice gives way to contentment in the couplet, "I don't know which side I'm on/But my friend John said not to care."

Associates was known for its textured, lush landscapes, but what's always brought me back is Mackenzie's voice. "A voice like that in the same room as you," said Saul Gaspern of Nude Records. "It could melt an iceberg."

No. 3: "Loaded"
Primal Scream
Screamadelica, 1990
Here's what I've previously said about "Loaded":

With E, Andrew Innes realized, your inhibitions melted away, anything was possible as evident by the growing indie-meets-dance esthetic, and so it was his idea to approach new chum Andrew Weatherall -- a former bricklayer, current DJ, and one-time re-mixer for Happy Mondays' ("Hallelujah") -- to rework a track from Primal Scream, "I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have."

Weatherall kept the song's bassline, piano, horn sections, and some of the percussion. The new drum loop was culled from an Italian bootleg mix of Edie Brickell's "What I Am." He also added Gillespie singing a line from Robert Johnson's "Terraplane Blues" before crafting the now-famous opening by dropping in some Peter Fonda dialogue from the biker flick The Wild Angels. (Which was nicked, in a way -- the lines had been used by Richard Norris and Genesis P-Orridge two years earlier on their Jack The Tab LP.)

In December, Weatherall played the recently completed remix, now dubbed "Loaded," at London's Subterania. According to legend, the DJ phoned a bleary Gillespie at 4 o'clock in the morning to elatedly tell him about the crowd's incredible reaction. The landmark dance-rock hybrid was eventually released in February of 1990.

The rest, of course, is history.

No. 2: "Upside Down"
The Jesus And Mary Chain
1984
"Upside Down" is the perfect crystallization of The Jesus And Mary Chain's early sound and sensibilities.

The band's stickling brashness and lurking paranoia -- honed during those alcohol-soaked, feedback-drenched, equipment-smashed gigs (the North London Polytechnic one being the most famous; or infamous) -- is captured brilliantly in the track's seemingly simple lyrics: "You live with so much carelessness/'Cause no one takes you serious/And now you think you're dangerous/You never was but you can't see," and "And if you feel there's no one else/That you're all alone, you're by yourself/Your life is like a broken shell."

And of course, there's the "music" itself, a violent, unrelenting deluge of distortion and feedback (during recording, the Reid brothers filled six tracks with it!) that lingers in your speakers long after the song has been silenced. Upon learning they would be visiting Alaska Studios to record a debut, critics said it was doubtful JAMC would be able to accurately capture its corybantic live sound. But the band did just that -- even if the perfectionist Reids were a tad dissatisfied with the finished product.

Few pop singles have ever been more abrasive and affecting.

No. 1: "Blue Boy"
Orange Juice
1980
Long regarded by many as the tartan version of "Anarchy In The U.K." thanks to the way it inspired and invigorated countless of aspiring Scottish musicians, "Blue Boy" burst onto the post-punk scene like a rush of amphetamine. Bold, breakneck, earnest, urgent -- this soulful punk epic resonates throughout the indie world even today.

The top 26 Scottish singles of all-time, Part 4

2006-09-14T11:30:00.000-04:00

No. 11: "Higher Than The Sun"
Primal Scream
Screamadelica, 1991
Alan McGee (no stranger to hyperbole, right?) said it was the greatest single since "Anarchy In The U.K. Bobby Gilespie said it was all part of Primal Scream's effort to eradicate the traditional ways pop music was crafted. "Instead of having two guitars, bass, vocal, drums, we destroyed that. It was . . . anything goes," he told journalist David Cavanagh.

We say it's fucking brilliant.

With The Orb on board to produce, the song opens with almost two minutes of pendulous ambient hypnosis -- then jostles the listener with an orgasmic lift-off before settling into blissful, horn-driven orbit.

No. 10: "Someone, Somewhere In Summertime"
Simple Minds
New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84), 1982
"Someone, Somewhere In Summertime" absolutely shimmers -- from its glowing guitar lines to its sunny drum beats to its luminescent lyrics: "Moments burn, slow burning golden nights/Once more see city lights, holding candles to the flame."

The track, which was the opener to New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84), showed that Simple Minds -- after a string of subpar releases following the acclaimed Reel to Real Cacophony -- was ready to re-position itself as one of the U.K.'s biggest pop acts.

No. 9: "Get Up And Use Me"
Fire Engines
1980
The first 10 seconds of "Get Up And Use Me" gives listeners an idea of just how little playing ability Fire Engines possessed, as well as how uncompromsing the group could be. Roughly six seconds in, the song comes to a sloppy halt. Rather then begin anew, singer Davey Henderson simply commands, "Just keep going!"

The song's guitars sound like the sirens affixed to the act's namesake. They stab the ears, yet at the same time, are strangely melodic. Henderson yawps and yelps his way through the lyrics, the highlight being the chorus: A hollered "Get up and -- !" leads to a heartbeat of silence before Henderson deadpans, "Use me."

Fire Engines were rank amateurs -- and didn't give a shit about it.

No. 8: "Million Tears"
The Pastels
1984
Released in October of '84, "Million Tears" was Creation Records' 11th single and helped firmly establish the label's burgeoning guitar pop sound.

The track opens with a catchy bassline, followed by strumming guitars and a snare-driven beat. It's classic Stephen Pastel: sonically, it's child's play, but that's designed to hide the song's emotional heaviness.

No. 7: "Lazy Line Painter Jane"
Belle And Sebastian
Lazy Line Painter Jane, 1997
This is where Belle And Sebastian's sound developed a bit of a bite. Coming on the heels of the landmark If You're Feeling Sinister, a sobering voice in the Britpop wilderness, "Lazy Line Painter Jane" expanded upon the group's folk-pop tendencies: adding echoey guitar, garage rock organ, handclaps, the raspy voice of Monica Queen.

Of course, some of the trademark Belle And Sebastian attributes remain, like Stuart Murdoch's adolescence-evoking lyrics: "But you read in a book/That you got free in Boots/There are lotions, there are potions/You can take to hide your shame from all those prying eyes."

The top 26 Scottish singles of all-time, Part 3

2006-09-13T11:38:00.000-04:00

No. 16: "Murderers, The Hope Of Women"
Momus
The Poison Boyfriend, 1987
If I had my way, songs such as this would be banned from all wedding receptions and playing tracks such as "Murderers, The Hope Of Women" would be the norm. The haunting acoustic number is Momus' take on the sacrament of marriage -- and his take is sacrilegious, to say the least.

"But I poisoned you with every kiss/Smothered you with domestic bliss," go the words, touching upon the general ennui that can arise among those in holy matrimony. "This is where your misery starts/This is where your mystery stops" -- for this wedlocked couple, there's no more secrets to share, the new car smell is gone, the flame has been snuffed.

"I make a metaphor for the way being married can kind of kill your potential," Momus once said when discussing the song. (And yes, he took the plunge himself once: in 1994, marrying a 17-year-old Bangladeshi girl.)

No. 15: "Top Of The Pops"
The Rezillos
Can't Stand The Rezillos, 1978
In 1978, The Rezillos lampooned the long-running music program Top Of The Pops, poking fun at its penchant for showcasing hackneyed, soulless artists miming to pre-recorded dross. Naturally, the guitar-accelerated number soared to No. 17 on the U.K. charts -- and earned the group an invitation to "play" on the show.

The Rezillos agreed. Wonder if the TOTP producers knew the joke was on them upon hearing couplets like, "There's one -- born every day/Sing song -- then fade away," or, "What is selling, what to buy/The stock market for your hi-fi."

No. 14: "Falling And Laughing"
Orange Juice
1979
Steven Daly's thoughts on the single (from The Glasgow School liner notes):

"'Falling And Laughing' was a fairly ambitious choice for Orange Juice's 1979 debut single. As a recent addition to the Orange Juice repertoire, the song offered clear and early evidence that Edwyn's songwriting was developing at a pace that his youthful band would be hard pressed to match. Since we neither a publicist nor a single contact in the London media, we had to just send out review copies of 'Falling And Laughing' and hope someone out there would understand a record that used the word 'consequently.'"

They did -- and so did countless of inspired artists in the decades to follow.

No. 13: "To You Alone"
The Beta Band
2000
Don't be fooled by the crude cover art, as there is nothing amateurish about this rich and complex release.

"To You Alone" came on the heels of the group's eponymous debut, which received its share of sour press, mainly after the band distanced itself from the release (citing tight deadlines and a lack of money as two factors prohibiting them from crafting the LP they wished). The single earned The Beta Band berths on a number of 2000 "best-of" lists and helped establish the act as one of the most influential of the last decade.

No. 12: "Iceblink Luck"
Cocteau Twins
Heaven Or Las Vegas, 1990

"Iceblink Luck" -- and much of Heaven Or Las Vegas, for that matter -- is where Cocteau Twins finally drift down from the substratosphere like a golden eagle feather and land delicately upon solid ground.

Guitars so incandescent you feel the need to squint, pulsing and brazen basslines, burnished vocals from Elisabeth Fraser -- but it's all toned down enough to allow the song to pass as standard pop fare. Cocteau Twins produced more inspiring, seminal works earlier in its career, but nothing as engaging as "Iceblink Luck."

The top 26 Scottish singles of all-time, Part 2

2006-09-12T09:04:00.000-04:00

No. 21: "All You Need Is Hate"
The Delgados
Hate, 2002
Here's what I recently wrote about the single "Hate":

Of course, much like The Beatles' number, this little pastiche is done with a smidge of humor (an element of the song oblivious to most Beatles zealots, methinks). With "All You Need Is Hate," lines such as "I believe it's better to inflict than to attempt relief" and Hate is everywhere/Inside your mother's heart and you will find it there" are particularly dispiriting, sure, hinting at a dystopia that perfectly contrasts The Beatles' utopia, but the track's sunny backdrops burn away a fair bit of the grey clouds.

With Dave Fridmann (known for his production work with The Flaming Lips) on board to produce, the music is grandiose, soaring, flippantly pompous. "All You Need Is Hate" manages to achieve the same sweeping anthem status as The Beatles' number, only with far more thorny subject matter -- a feat more impressive, to say the least.

No. 20: "What You Do To Me"
Teenage Fanclub
Bandwagonesque, 1991
"Keep it simple, stupid." It was an oft-repeated maxim by my high school algebra teacher. And Teenage Fanclub takes it to heart on its '91 single "What You Do To Me."

Checking in at less than two minutes long, and featuring simple power chords and just 20 words -- The couplet "I know, I can't believe/There's something about you got me down on my knees" and the chorus of "What you do to me" -- the Norman Blake-penned ditty spits in the eye of overindulgent rock balladry. Mr. Corey would have been proud.

No. 19: "Take Me Out"
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand, 2004
Franz Ferdinand took the jittery, angular riffing of Josef K and Fire Engines, and smoothed it over for mainstream rock radio. The result? An unbridled smash, as Franz achieved what neither of those aforementioned bands ever dreamed of: Top 40 success in both the U.K. and America.

"Take Me Out" is not as challenging as anything, say . . . Paul Haig ever wrote, but it's fun and frisky, nonetheless.

No. 18: "Happy Birthday"
Altered Images
Happy Birthday, 1981
If you've been paying any attention the last 7 months or so, then you already know how I feel about Ms. Clare Grogan, who, for my money, was one of the U.K.'s most compelling pop frontwomen in the 1980s.

On "Happy Birthday" her vocals shine, alternating between seductively playful on lyrics like "Happy, happy birthday in a hot bath/To those nice nice nights," and coyishly domineering on lines like "If they were me and I was you/Would you have liked a present too?"

She must have made the teen boys swoon in '81.

No. 17: "Cold Heart"
The Jasmine Minks
The Jasmine Minks, 1985
"Timeless" is the immediate word that comes to mind when discussing "Cold Heart," the finest track The Jasmine Minks ever wrote. Vocalists Jim Shepherd and Adam Sanderson exchanging playful couplets ("They took the chain and they broke the link/The revenge of the Jasmine Minks") over '60s-style melodies that call to mind a breezy, summery Scottish day.

Eighties guitar pop was never more soulful and infectious than here.

The top 26 Scottish singles of all-time, Part 1

2006-09-11T12:26:00.000-04:00

So . . . . Why 26? I'd like to say the number owes to my needling desire to be creatively deviant, but really, I'm only adding one more selection to the standard 25, right? Not exactly revolutionary. Besides, I just couldn't find any reason to omit any track from the list I had painstakingly poured over (not really) and thus decided to keep it at 26. No further BS from me; here's the list:

No. 26: "Chocolate Girl"
Deacon Blue
Raintown, 1987
Ricky Ross entered the pantheon of great Scottish songwriters when he penned the chorus to this track: "He calls her the Chocolate Girl/'Cause he thinks she melts when he touches her/She knows she's the Chocolate Girl/'Cause she's broken up and swallowed/And wrapped in bits of silver."

Sickly sweet? A tad, but also grinningly clever and touching.

No. 25: "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?"
Travis
The Man Who, 1999
Finally! The Merry Muses tackles Travis. All snide jokes aside, "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" could have been a bonus track on the anniversary re-release of the aforementioned Raintown. Simple, contemplative lyrics complemented by a mournful sound. You'd like to say that if dreary, dreich Glasgow had an anthem, this would be it. Until you learn that Fran Healy wrote the ditty while holidaying in Israel. Ah well . . . .

No. 24: "Eternity Road"
Lowlife
Swirl, It Swings EP, 1987
I've long championed for Orange Juice and its deserved status as indie pop deities, but have cut back my eye-glazing rhetoric as of late on account of this long overdue 2005 release and the fact that the uninitiated will always have the still-popular 22nd track on this list (see below) as their in when stumbling upon the band. So with that in mind, I've begun touting Lowlife. Prepare for future diatribes.

Swirl, It Swings could be used to describe the band's brilliant sound, which was equally bleak and bouncey, a little of Joy Division, a dab of New Order. Truly one of Scotland's most underappreciated acts.

No. 23: "Into The Valley"
The Skids
Scared To Dance, 1979
A massive hit for The Skids in '79, the single is still popular with Charlton Athletic supporters. Fitting, I suppose, since the writer of the song, singer Ricky Jobson, was said to have a bit of "terrace lout" in him. Sing along to the lyrics, and you want to both sneer and smile.

No. 22: "A Girl Like You"
Edwyn Collins
Gorgeous George, 1994
Countless folks unfamiliar with Collins heard the couplet, "You've made me acknowledge the devil in me/I hope to God I'm talkin' metaphorically," and thought to themselves, "Good golly, there's no way a man who penned that could only have one hit." And those folks were right.

"A Girl Like You" -- with all its worldwide acclaim, which was payback for the years Collins spent struggling to secure a recording contract -- was just another feather in the cap of one of Scotland's most gifted songwriters. Seductive melodies mixed with clever turns of phrase (a Collins staple) and some of his best vocal work.

Calling it quits . . . sort of

2006-09-08T12:02:00.000-04:00

I feel constrained. I've been by no means grow disenchanted with music of the tartan variety -- merely grown tired of writing about it. So next week I plan on officially closing up shop by dropping one of them pretentious and pervasive "all-time best" lists we've all come to so dearly loathe. In this case, it will be the top 30 Scottish singles of all-time. I may even include a Travis song; fuck you, haters.

When I return the following week, I plan on unveiling a new look, as well as some new folks who will be expanding our tiny hamlet here to cover more than just hard-to-find Scottish pop and rock.

Here's how it will all break down. On Mondays, my gal pal Bindie Indie will chit-chat about whatever new music she's dipping her beak into. On Tuesdays, Speranza will prattle on about Irish folk and trad, and try not to stumble over his illiteracy. Thursdays will feature Spring Heeled Jack reminiscing about the 1980s, the decade he spent bumming and slumming 'round England, listening to guitar pop -- from The Sound Of Leamington Spa to The Living Room -- on a beat-up cassette player. On Wednesdays or Fridays, depending on my mood that week, I will continue to bring you the obscure Scottish pop and rock you so achingly crave.

And it will all still be under the Merry Muses Of Caledonia brand name. Noice!

In closing, I leave you with some Orange Juice.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Falling And Laughing" by Orange Juice.

Calling it quits . . . yet again

2006-09-07T13:17:00.000-04:00

So they called it quits back in May. Again. Only this time, they assure us, it's for good. What a shame.

After 23 years apart, Edinburgh's Fire Engines reformed in 2004, mainly on account of an offer to support artists they've long revered, the one-time Beefheart-led The Magic Band. However, the reunion proved to be more than just a simple one-off, as Fire Engines stuck around to pursue such endeavors as recording a limited edition collaboration single with Franz Ferdinand and performing at the Triptych Festival. Ironically, enough Fire Engines' much lauded comeback stretched longer than its original incarnation in the early 1980s.

In May, however, the group called it quits a second time, playing its final gig at Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline, on May 13 as part of the annual Tigerfest concert series. "We're hanging up the hose," is how frontman Davy Henderson so eloquently put it.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Candyskin" by Fire Engines. Okay, so as any true Fire Engines zealot knows, "Candyskin" is not indicative of the group's frenetic and jagged sound, thanks to the track's shiny pop ambitions (hinting towards Henderson's later outfit, Win). But I'll never grow tired of those strings. So catchy and kitschy.

Some garage rock with The Thanes

2006-09-06T09:29:00.000-04:00

Joe Foster once said, "I was a drug addict . . . A well educated and articulate one, but one nonetheless." He was describing his hazy and halcyon days spent at Creation Records. While employed for Creation, Foster started up the Rev-ola subsidiary, which today, dabbles in album re-issues.

The always articulate and educated Foster has made certain Rev-Ola reflects his catholic tastes, as the label has released material from former Creation acts such as Slaughter Joe and The Jazz Butcher, as well as everything from calypso by Maya Angelou to legendary blues standards by Leadbelly to pre-superstar Buddy Holly.

Edinburgh's The Thanes were never members of the Creation cabal, but the band, like many on Rev-Ola, has influenced its share of modern day acts, particularly those of the garage rock variety. Fronted by indie busyman Lenny Helsing, The Thanes officially came together in 1986. Two decades later, the act is still churning out its trademark, 60s-style, organ-driven melodies.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "No Need To Worry" by The Thanes.

Another lost Scottish act gets re-issued

2006-09-05T09:40:00.000-04:00

Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines. Argh, work. No time for a full write-up on a band that truly deserves one, APB, so I will just reprint a few graphs from a review I did awhile back for a rather prominent Boston alt-weekly.

Thanks largely to frequent name-drops from current rock outfits, as well as the popularity of music tomes such as Simon Reynolds' Rip It Up And Start Again, 1980s Scottish pop is in the midst of a resurgence. Last year saw the release of Orange Juice and Fire Engines, compilations from Domino; a Josef K comp is set for release Nov. 7.

The latest group of Scots to get the re-issue treatment is Aberdeen's APB, as earlier this year Young American released a two-disc, 20th anniversary edition of the dance-rock trio's hard-to-find underground classic, Something To Believe In. (Original copies of the album were once listed on Amazon for as high as $2,500).

Influencing modern acts such as Franz Ferdinand, The Rapture, and LCD Soundsystem, APB fused funky bass licks and rhythmic drum beats with blasts of sputtering guitar.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Chain Reaction" by ABP. What gives the energetic track an extra flair: the thick, accented voice of singer Iain Slater, curling 'round the lyrics.

Electrodiscowonkpop at its finest

2006-09-01T11:25:00.000-04:00

Little write-ups such as this one touch upon the way Flying Matchstick Men have come to polarize today's Glasgow music crowd. You either love 'em or you loathe 'em. Pick a side.

Of course, fellow Scots Bis are namedropped in that piece, a band known for its Powerpuff Girls-inspired pop and childish potterings, which -- much like Flying Matchstick Men -- staunchly divided fans in the mid-1990s. However, Flying Matchstick Men dislike such comparisons.

The Glasgow act prefers to travel its own path, one that curves and dips like the "electrodiscowonkpop" (their term, not ours) Flying Matchstick Men have become known for. That sound was showcased on the unsigned group's last single, "All Your Secrets," which was released back in February. It's a track that features sampled snatches of everything from Arcade Fire's "Rebellion (Lies)" to Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" to the equally ubiquitous "Funkytown" by Lipps Inc. So playful it threatens to leap out of your headphones and do hopscotch across the room.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "All Your Secrets" by Flying Matchstick Men.

Look out below -- The Fizzbombs

2006-08-31T12:16:00.000-04:00

"If you weren't in at least two different bands," vocalist Andrew Tully once said, "something was wrong."

Such was the state of Edinburgh's music scene in the mid- to late-1980s: incestous and chaotic. (Tully, for example, was in both Rote Kapelle and Jesse Garon And The Desperadoes.) Vinyl, instruments, and ideas were frequently exchanged. Lineups morphed, as members departed to spawn their own bands, only to return soon after. Regular gigs were a rare occurence, so schedule conflicts were hardly a concern.

Of those acts, The Fizzbombs ranked at the bottom of the Edinburgh music food chain, below the influential, white-noise popsters Shop Assistants and the Rough Trade-aspiring Jesse Garon And The Desperadoes. (Three members of The Fizzbombs were previously in the latter group.)

The low standing is on account of The Fizzbombs cutting just two releases: the single "Sign On The Line" and The Surfin' Winter EP, which showcased the group's affinity for surf rock. Included on that EP is a thick, fuzzy cover of Neil Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry."

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Cherry, Cherry" by The Fizzbombs.

Hate is all you need

2006-08-30T11:41:00.000-04:00

The Beatles were broadcasting hippie optimism to 350 millions folks worldwide when they performed the tune "All You Need Is Love" during the "Our World" special. The Delgados? Well, they certainly weren't reaching the same vast audience, but their message was just as powerful and immediate: All you need is hate.

Of course, much like The Beatles' number, this little pastiche is done with a smidge of humor (an element of the song oblivious to most Beatles zealots, methinks). With "All You Need Is Hate," lines such as "I believe it's better to inflict than to attempt relief" and Hate is everywhere/Inside your mother's heart and you will find it there" are particularly dispiriting, sure, hinting at a dystopia that perfectly contrasts The Beatles' utopia, but the track's sunny backdrops burn away a fair bit of the grey clouds.

With Dave Fridmann (known for his production work with The Flaming Lips) on board to produce, the music is grandiose, soaring, flippantly pompous. "All You Need Is Hate" manages to achieve the same sweeping anthem status as The Beatles' number, only with far more thorny subject matter -- a feat more impressive, to say the least.

"It was an inspired song and they really wanted to give the world a message," Brian Epstein once said when discussing "All You Need Is Love. "The nice thing about it is that it cannot be misinterpreted." Let's pretend he was discussing The Delgados' tune as well.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "All You Need Is Hate" by The Delgados.

Al Larsen's side project

2006-08-29T13:37:00.000-04:00

While still fronting K Records mainstays Some Velvet Sidewalk, lo-fi connoissieur Al Larsen took a three-month sabbatical to Glasgow starting in the fall of 1994. While there, he toured the U.K. as a guest guitarist for The Pastels, gigging with acts such as Movietone, Cornershop, and Comet Gain. Larsen also spent time with The Pastels in the studio, and what emerged was the five-song EP Klein International Blue, released by Domino Records in '95.

Four of the tracks are original while the fifth is a cover of Van Morrison's classic "Slim Slow Slider." Lyrically, the reputed drug song is a big departure for the enigmatic Larsen, who once penned an ode to ice cream and an album based on the themes from the children's book Danny And The Dinosaur.

However, Larsen and his Pastels crew do pull it off. The song's opening has a hypnotic feel to it, with Larsen delivering vocals more detached than Morrison's. Halfway through, the "slim slow slider" punctures the vein, delivering the hit, as clipped guitar parts rise to a crescendo. Then the track continues to drift along -- blithe, lazy-eyed, lolling – until the final lyrics: "Everytime I see you/I just don't know what to do."

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Slim Slow Slider" by Sandy Dirt. Also, here's the original by Morrison.

Egg's latest collection of can't-miss, can't-find indie rock

2006-08-28T13:13:00.000-04:00

I already covered Egg Records and their fantastic An Introduction To 1988-1991 here, but felt the desire to revisit the label since another compilation has been issued.

Titled Souvenirs From Egg Records, the collection will feature nearly twice as many tracks as its predecessor and three times as many artists. Also, if it's anything like An Introduction To 1988-1991, Souvenirs will prove to be wildly popular. (An Introduction sold out long ago and has even become difficult to track down on sites such as Poppolar; I've already secured meself a copy of the new comp.)

A quick history lesson for the uninitiated (and those too lazy too click on the aforementioned link): Egg Records, which was based in Glasgow, kicked around for just three years ('88 to '91), during which it churned out just five singles, a live album, a studio album, and a four-song compilation EP. The label primarily focused on Scottish bands, but did feature one from across the Atlantic (Canada's Change Of Seasons). In 2003, Egg returned to reissue its original catalogue; it also expanded its releases to include artists not originally on the label's roll call, such as New Zealand's The Bats.

One of the bands featured on the new compilation is Scotland's The Prayers, described by the NME's Stephen Dalton as a band who's "fragmented beauty sites somewhere along the Pale Saints/Lush/My Bloody Valentine axis." The Prayers released two singles for Egg during its initial run: "Fingerdips" in November of 1990 and the 12-inch "Sister Goodbye" that same month.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Puppet Clouds" by The Prayers.

Catching up with Jamie Watson

2006-08-25T10:19:00.000-04:00

I never expected to make any coin (and still don't) penning a blog focusing on obscure Scottish pop music. But I will say, a few fringe benefits have presented themselves since I started this little endeavor back in February. One is getting in touch with those individuals who have long since bid the music industry adieu. A quick email, a where-I-am-now type update, a few kinds words about the blog, maybe an mp3 of some tune from a long-lost gig -- it's all good.

Jamie Watson's case, however, is different, as meeking out a meager band existence didn't forever sour him on the whole music-making process. Watson was once a member of The Solos/The Monos, as well as a later act dubbed Persian Rugs. Today, he's prominently involved with the other side of the business: he owns a small record label named Human Condition Records, which he founded in 1990, and runs Chamber Recording Studio, located in Edinburgh.

"Our main claim to fame was releasing the first Idlewild single," Watson said, "a 7'' three-track called 'Queen Of The Troubled Teens.' I have recorded and produced many, many bands over the years, including Snow Patrol, Mark E. Smith, The Vaselines' Dum Dum album, and many more."

As for his earlier days . . . . Watson helped form The Monos, who changed their moniker to The Solos following a record deal with EMI. The group cut the single "Talking Pictures" and support of the release included a 1979 tour with the pre-Eurythmics band The Tourists, who had recently bagged a No. 1 hit with their cover of Dusty Springfield's "I Only Want To Be With You."

"The last night we played the Hammersmith Odeon," Watson said, "After that, the band went belly-up. I formed a new group with the Solos drummer and Kieth Grant who had played bass in a band called The Freeze."

This new outfit was Persian Rugs, which went on to release a pair of 7'' singles and an album.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Talking Pictures" by The Solos.

Keep toiling away

2006-08-24T13:09:00.000-04:00

You gig tirelessly, you jam in whatever space is available, you pound the pavement, promotional band paraphernalia in hand. You juggle your personal and band lives, smoothing over any rough spots when one impedes on the other. You sheepishly state your long-term music goals to those brave enough to ask, and defiantly defend your aspirations when the naysayers point out the short-term hasn't been all that grand.

And if you're Glasgow's Symbolics, you keep toiling away, even if five years after officially forming, you're still without a record deal.

Their MySpace page sums up their existence best: "Symbolics formed in 2001. At the time they were four naive young men without a record deal. Times have changed, and now they are five naive young men without a record deal."

Symbolics have achieved a bit of success in their native Scotland: a runner-up in Fury Murrys' King of Bands contest; gigs at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut and Glasgow School Of Art; airplay on BBC Radio 1, Beat 106, and Virgin Radio Glasgow. However, that record deal remains ever elusive.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Social Dancing" by Symbolics. Melodic, relentless, and a bit trashy -- that's Symbolics. Also, more tracks are available on the band's MySpace page.

The story of Creation (part 10)

2006-08-23T14:23:00.000-04:00

Deadline approaching. Work piling up. Mini fan on my desk oscillating as I sweat under the pressure.

Maybe I'll throw in the C86 tape. It's jingle-jangly goodness will get the ole blood pressure up. Energy level . . . rising. I'll work more diligently, get more accomplished, be handsomely rewarded by my superiors.

"Therese" by The Bodines is now blasting. I'm dancing on the cheap Oriental rug in my office. Jump jive and wail. The folks in the office downstairs just called. "We've got plaster in our hair -- cut the crapola!"

Hear it for yourself. Download: CRE 028: The Bodines - "Therese," (7"+12"), 1986.

A tribute album dandy

2006-08-22T13:28:00.000-04:00

The ubiquitous tribute album: The modern concept can trace its roots to Hal Willner and his Amarcord Nino Rota, which was an LP featuring both jazz and pop musicians covering the work of Italian composer Nino Rota; nearly 20 years later, the concept had sunk to the level of Train covering The Doors

At any rate, there are some dandies out there and Everything Is Ending Here is certainly one of them. Checking in at 36 tracks longs, the album features indie bands such as Airport Girl and Comet Gain doing covers of their favorite Pavement tunes.

Kilmahog's Alasdair Roberts gets in on the fun, as well. Roberts, who spent the first half of his career recording under the pseudonym Appendix Out (including on Everything Is Ending Here), is one of Scotland's more notable recent folk artists. All told, he's released six albums, including 2001's Farewell Sorrow, which was issued on Rough Trade.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Frontwards" by Appendix Out. An achingly beautiful cover song; the way Roberts' voice cracks during the last word in the chorus, "So much style that it's wasting," will make your heart rend in two.

A far cry from Primal Scream

2006-08-21T13:35:00.000-04:00

Sonic Flower Groove Scream was a dud, both criticially and commercially; understanding the distress and disenchantment that typically hounds an artist following such a derided record, one can see why Primal Scream co-founder Jim Beattie decided to take a let's-deconstruct-pop-music approach with his subsequent work.

In '87, Beattie left the band he helped create and after the short-lived Spirea X, formed Adventures In Stereo. The Glasgow group's singular approach to music-crafting consisted of cutting and pasting loops, snatches, and samples of previous work, mixing in original tidbits by Beattie, and polishing up the veneer with the heavenly voice of Judith Boyle. Yes, it was a far cry from anything early Primal Scream had churned out.

"In reviews, people have said, 'It reminds me of a time, but I can't put a finger on it,'" Beattie once remarked when talking about Adventures In Stereo's early output. "And it's probably because there are so many influences from so many different eras of music."

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Traffic" by Adventures In Stereo. A nice example of what Beattie and crew did best: get-in/get-out pop songs of the astral and infectious variety.

In their own words

2006-08-17T13:10:00.000-04:00

"Punks. They stopped The Pistols! See them tomorrow at the Burns Howff, Glasgow."
-- From an advert announcing an April of 1977 gig by The Jolt. (Courtesy of The ModPopPunk Archives.)

"There was a great sense of something happening in Scotland. We felt that anyway and the gigs used to be really great. There was a spirit of being part of some sort of revolution."
Singer/guitarist Robbie Collins on the U.K. punk scene. (Courtesy of Punk 77.)

"If London's burning, Glasgow's razed."
-- Lyrics from the song "Mr. Radio Man."

"Really its the other way about. It takes guts to go out on a limb, but some people turned their backs on us because we went."
-- Drummer Ian Sheddon on The Jolt being accused of "selling out" following the band's move to London. (Courtesy of Punk 77.)

"We're wearing these suits out of genuine affection for other groups who had that style."
Bassist Jim Doaks on The Jolt's penchant for wearing 1960s era Decca LP jackets, clothing associated with the Mod movement. (Courtesy of Punk 77.)

"Having (we thought) survived The Jam comparisons, we would like to say we do not rip off The Jam. But if you just glanced at us, it might appear that way."
-- From a letter The Jolt penned to the Record Mirror regarding reviews of The Jolt's first album. (Courtesy of The ModPopPunk Archives.)

"Considering what our roots are what we've done is take our influences and move them on. Maybe it comes over sounding a bit safe, but I think that's a lot to with the production."
-- Collins on The Jolt's eponymous debut.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "What'cha Gonna Do About It" by The Jolt. A cover version of The Small Faces' debut single, which was a top 15 hit back in 1965.

Revisiting The Gold Blades

2006-08-16T08:04:00.000-04:00

So I received a little missive from Ian Thomson yesterday, guitarist for Arbroath's The Gold Blades, a band that dabbled in guitar pop during the late 1980s.

Here is Ian's take on the group, which consisted of himself, Lynn Nicoll (vocals), Wendy Henderson (guitar and backing vocals), Gordon Will (bass), and John Weir (drums).

We were rather amateurish. We only practiced once a week, and this was in Gordon's house. His mum would bring us juice and biscuits! None of us could really play our instruments too well. John was probably the most competent, but he still had his limitations. Gordon never really mastered the bass and as far as I'm aware never really played it after the band broke up.

Since the band broke up, everyone seems to have gone their own way. Wendy and Lynn are both single mums in Arbroath, John lives with an artist/lecturer in Dundee, I'm a teacher in Lancashire, and Gordon is a computer expert in Broughty Ferry.

I've not seen Gordon or Wendy for years and rarely see John. The only one I see is Lynn, because she is my sister-in-law. Nepotism was an interesting part of The Gold Blades' story. Gordon went out with Lynn at the time of the band, Wendy is Lynn's cousin, and John was living with Wendy's sister!

Unfortunately no photos exist of the band. Just download a photograph of Arbroath Smokies [see above] to illustrate the story if you decide to go ahead with it.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "The Sun Seems To Shine In The Depths Of My Heart" by The Gold Blades. Nicoll's vocals are like a gentler, more restrained version of Alex Taylor's, who sang with both The Shop Assistants and Motorcycle Boy. Fittingly, The Gold Blades supported the latter group during a gig at Edinburgh University. That, and airplay on Radio Scotland was, to quote Thomson, "As big time as it got."

(The group's MySpace page has the above track available for download, as well as two others.)

Leading a 'Velvets existence'

2006-08-15T10:22:00.000-04:00

The Beta Band were once described as The Velvet Underground of the 1990s, on account of the act's influence upon its contemporaries surmounting the actual number of records sold. I mean shit, even members of the celestial Radiohead considered themselves ardent fans: Yorke and crew had the Edinburgh act open for them during their 2001 summer tour; in the studio, Radiohead even expressed an interest in crafting "a Beta Band-type record."

The group's debut release came in July of 1997 with the EP Champion Versions. One aspect of the album that garnered attention was the eye-catching, cut-and-paste sleeve design, which was rather fitting since The Beta Band became known for employing a similar approach with its music.

Pick a genre and The Beta Band's members likely dipped their hands in it: folk, electronica, hip-hop (a bit unusual for a Scottish act), country, prog rock. But as with a collage, the key when listening to The Beta Band is not focusing on individual pieces within the assemblage of different forms, but on the new whole that was created. And more often than not, that new whole was fucking extraordinary.

Ultimately (and ironically), it was the aforementioned "Velvets existence" that did the group in: At the end of 2004, The Beta Band officially broke up, the frustration over much critical praise but no commercial impact cited as the main reason why.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "She's The One" by The Beta Band.

Work for it

2006-08-14T10:48:00.000-04:00

In this piece penned for the The Guardian, Dave Eggers writes about the lengths him and his cohorts would go to satiate their Anglophiliac music addictions.

"When my friends and I wanted something like The June Brides," Eggers writes, "or, say, Icicle Works' Love Is a Wonderful Colour picture disc, we had to ride our bicycles 22 miles, to Evanston, the closest college town, where stood Vintage Vinyl."

Of course, Eggers and co. had to bike those 22 miles because there was no other way him and his friends could procure that hard-to-find June Brides EP. The tiny college music shop, weekly publications, traveling record shows, exchanged mix tapes -- these were the only tools an indie fan had during the pre-Internet days.

Today, if one wishes to give The June Brides a whirl, they only need visit a database such as the All Music Guide, find the name of a release, and then log onto a music-sharing program such as Soulseek. No hassles, no disappointments, no 22-mile bike rides.

Music has never been so readily accessible and this has resulted in those fans of the zealous variety becoming sonically inundated if they so choose to (my new music folder has just under 1,000 mp3s). Of course, when one is bombarded in such a manner, the natural inclination is to give a set piece of music a few listens, make a quick conclusion (yea or nay), and then move onto the next batch of mp3s. Rinse, repeat.

However, one thing hasn't changed since Eggers was puffing away on his Huffy to Vintage Vinyl: When one does haul in that prized catch, there among the undulating sea of downloaded music, the strong feelings of satisfaction and entitlement still surface. The band that tickles a fancy like few others -- unearthing them may not be as exhaustive, arduous, or expensive as it once was, but it still elicits those Damn it, I found them and you didn't type responses.

At least, that's how I feel when discussing the little known act that grew up around Jasmine Terrace in Aberdeen, a seaport city where individuals of the "scruffy" variety were dubbed "minks."

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Veronica" by The Jasmine Minks.

Scottish punk timeline (part 5)

2006-08-11T11:12:00.000-04:00

1978

May 6
May proves to be a busy month for The Skids, who officially sign on the dotted line with Virgin May 6. Ten days later, the act will do a Peel session on the legendary deejay's BBC Radio 1 show.

July 4
The Clash's On Parole tour arrives in Glasgow to play at the Apollo. The show becomes infamous for the disturbances that take place during and after the band's performance. The venue's bouncers battle with concertgoers for much of The Clash's set. Later, Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon are arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct, and spend the night in a Glasgow clink. This leads to the legend that at one point The Clash members joined their detained fans in singing a version of their song "The Prisoner." As far as we know, it was all bullshit. The bouncer-on-fan crimes are also re-enacted for the film Rude Boy.

July 6
The Jolt, now in full-on mod mode, appear decked out in 1960s era Decca LP jackets on the cover of their eponymous album, which is released today.

July 21
The Rezillos become the first of the U.K. punk/new wave bands to record an album in America. The LP is recorded at the Power Station in New York City. Titled Can't Stand The Rezillos, it's released on July 21. Five days later, the first single is issued: "Top Of The Pops." The song hits No. 17 on the single charts and the band is invited to play on the long-running BBC music program of the same name. The song, of course, lampoons the television show, a joke obviously lost on producers. In the fall, The Rezillos will capitalize on their burgeoning success by going on a tour of the U.K. with The Undertones in support.

July 28
The Zones, now with Arista, issue their second single: "Sign Of The Times"/"Away From It All."

September 1
The Skids' first release on Virgin is officially out: the single "Sweet Suburbia." The band's debut album will not hit record stores for another five months (Feb. 23).

1979

March 20
The Scars cut one of the last (and best) Scottish punk singles, "Adult/ery"/"Horror Show." The record is issued on Fast Records. The band is also in the midst of winding down an English tour supporting The Human League.

April 12
The day Scottish punk unceremoniously gave away to post-punk? Maybe. On April 1, Scotland's oldest punk band, The Rezillos -- who officially called it quits weeks before -- release Mission Accomplished, a live recording of their final show, which took place at The Glasgow Apollo.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Horrorshow" by The Scars.

Scottish punk timeline (part 4)

2006-08-10T11:06:00.000-04:00

1977

December 12
Johnny & The Self Abusers cut their only single: a seven-inch on Chiswick Records, "Saints And Sinners"/"Dead Vandals." As the stories go, the band splits the day its record hit the shops. And from the ashes emerge two new acts: Simple Minds and another group that will proove to be significantly less successful, The Cuban Heels. According to stories, Johnny And The Self Abusers contact Chiswick to have Simple Minds printed on the singles, as Jim Kerr has grown weary of the sophomoric moniker. ("I began to feel Johnny And The Self Abusers sounded like Big Dick And The Four Skins," he says. "I can do without that kind of toilet humor.") However, it's too late; the singles have already gone to press.

Christmas
Bruce Haggerty retires the Silver Thread Hotel in Paisley, which has reigned as the Glasgow area's offical punk headquarters since September. Haggerty begins promoting punk shows. One of his first takes place in Glasgow: a gig featuring The Backstabbers that famously degenerates into violence.

1978

February 17
Scottish punk fans double their pleasure: two releases on the same day. The Zones -- who are essentially PVC2 without Midge Ure -- release their debut single on Zoom: "Stuck With You"/"No Angels." Meanwhile, The Exile issue their follow-up to last June's EP: "The Real People"/"Tomorrow Today"/"Disaster Movie."

February 24
The Stiff/Chiswick challenge series -- designed to highlight the U.K.’s top, unsigned acts -- hits Edinburgh’s Clouds Disco. Among those Scottish performing are The Skids, The Subs, The Monos, The Cuban Heels, Groper, The Freeze, and The Scars. Thanks to the event, The Subs will ink a deal with Stiff's One Off label and release "Gimme Your Heart"/"Party Clothes" March 3.

March 14
The Skids, who are currently in the process of being courted by Virgin Records, issue their EP Charles on their own No Bad label. The Dunfermline group formed out of a David Bowie cover band regrettably dubbed Tattoo. The release also touches off a five-month flurry of tartan punk releases, as Scotland is now officially a player in the U.K. punk scene.

March 23
The Cuban Heels' debut single hits record shops: "Downtown"/"Do The Smok Walk," on Housewive's Choice. The release isn't a smash, but the band can take solace in the fact that it released a single before Simple Minds.

April 25
The Jolt have taken the first steps down the mod revival path, releasing a cover version of The Small Faces' "What'cha Gonna Do About It."

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Charles" by The Skids.

Scottish punk timeline (part 3)

2006-08-09T11:16:00.001-04:00

1977
August 3
The Rezillos release their first single, "I Can't Stand My Baby," on Edinburgh's Sensible Records. The B-side is a cover of The Beatles' "I Wanna Be Your Man." Recorded at Barclay Towers, it's the first release for Lenny Love's Sensible. Also this month: The Jolt ink a four-year, 90,000-pound deal with Polydor. This, coupled with a move down to London, leads to the inevitable backlash from both the press and musos alike.

Aug. 14
Glasgow's ongoing battle with punk continues as the city levies yet another ban. This one comes as a result of an Aug. 3 television special that aired on the movement.

Aug. 30
Bruce Findlay's Zoom Records releases its first single: The Valves' "Robot Love/For Adolfs Only." It's a smash success, selling over 15,000 copies.

September
The Glasgow District Council's insistence that punk be prohibited in the city has led many to take matters into their own hands. One such individual is Bruce Haggerty, a local record shop employee. He helps make Glasgow's official punk headquarters the Silver Thread Hotel, an establishment eight miles away in Paisley. There, avid punk fans gather every Wednesday night to hear bands like Buzzcocks and The Saints.

September 30
The Jolt's first single is released on Polydor: "You're Cold"/"All I Can Do." Unlike acts such as The Rezillos and The Valves -- who eschewed the common practice of heading to England in search of a record deal and instead, signed with fledgling Scottish labels -- The Jolt are fulltime residents of London and fully immersed in the city's punk scene.

October
The Stranglers and The Clash both play at the Glasgow Apollo (the former on the 16th, the latter on the 25th), as the city's punk ban is lifted once again. The Rezillos serve as the opening act for The Stranglers.

November 18
The Rezillos leave Sensible Records to ink a deal with Sire. The band's second single, "Flying Saucer Attack/(My Baby Does) Good Sculptures," was at the plant being pressed for Sensible, but then was shelved following the deal with Sire (today, those singles are regarded as collectibles). It will eventually be released for Sire Dec. 2.

December
Bob Last founds Fast Product. Last is an Englishman studying in Edinburgh and his label -- unlike Love's and Findlay's -- has an English tint to it. Fast Product will go on to release material from notable post-punk acts such as The Mekons and Gang Of Four.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "For Adolfs Only" by The Valves.

Scottish punk timeline (part 2)

2006-08-08T08:16:00.000-04:00

1977

February
One Saturday evening at Glasgow's Doune Castle, Alan Cairnduff meets with two lads named Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill. Cairnduff tells the pair about the group in his head that's going to "blast all those fucking bands here off the stage." Kerr and Burchill are now on board with Cairnduff and the next morning, find themselves wheeling an amp down to the home of one of Cairnduff’s punk acquaintances: John Milarky. Johnny And The Self Abusers are born. One week of rehearsals later, the band takes the stage at Dounce Castle with one original song (Milarky's quasi-cover of The Modern Lovers' "Pablo Picasso." Johnny And The Self Abusers aren't, however, the first Glasgow punk band to play live; The Jolt beat them to this distinction by two nights. The act's second gig takes place at Saints And Sinners on St. Vincent Street in Glasgow (today it's King Tut's Wah Wah Hut), and quickly descends into pint-glass-smashing and furniture-breaking chaos. The punk movement has officially arrived in Scotland.

March 12, 1977
By many accounts, the first English punk band to play in either Glasgow or Edinburgh is The Damned, when they support Marc Bolan at the Glasgow Apollo in March. The Damned will headline their own show at the same venue roughly nine months later.

May 7, 1977
The White Riot tour rolls into Edinburgh. Some of the biggest punk acts of the day perform: The Clash, The Jam, Buzzcocks, Subway Sect, The Slits, The Prefects. A young Edwyn Collins is in attendance, along with future Orange Juice members Steven Daly and James Kirk. The gig unofficially kicks off what turns out to be a wild summer of punk madness in Scotland.

June 9, 1977
Lenny Love signs The Rezillos to his Sensible Records, which is the first punk/new wave label in Scotland (it's based in Edinburgh). Love was formerly a promotion rep for Island Records.

June 22, 1977
Glasgow's ban on punk acts (following the Saints And Sinners incident) is lifted, as the city gets its first proper gig courtesy of The Stranglers. Predictably, the Apollo show descends into violence and the following morning, the city's papers are abuzz with the previous night's ruckus. The Evening Times reports: "Punk rock will never again be heard in any of Glasgow's theatres or halls." The movement has been forced out of the city a second time.

June 23, 1977
Scottish punk gets its first rightful D.I.Y. release as Glasgow's The Exile issue the Don't Tax Me EP on their own Boring Records. The four-song album is recorded in three hours at Thor Studios; only 500 copies are released.

July 11, 1977
Bruce Findlay -- who recently sold his highly successful, 13-shop record chain to Guinness -- starts up a record label: Zoom. The label releases just singles, with finance and distribution coming from Arista. One of Zoom's first big signings is Edinburgh's The Valves (nee The Sale), who are fresh from an opening gig for The Saints in Edinburgh. Like many other Scottish punk acts, The Valves initially dabble in other rock genres (in this case, pub rock) before gravitating towards punk.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Saints And Sinners" and "Dead Vandals" by Johnny And The Self Abusers.

Scottish punk timeline (part 1)

2006-08-07T12:05:00.000-04:00

Simply put, the mid- to late-70s Scottish punk scene rarely attracts the attention it rightfully deserves. In response to that, I've put together a timeline (which will be posted in installments throughout the week), chronicling the short-lived movement's most significant events. This timeline, together with a recent story I did for Stylus, should serve as a good primer for those looking to get into the scene.

And away we go . . . .

1976

March
Rising from the ashes of the party band The Knutsford Dominators comes Edinburgh's first punk group (though they've often labeled themselves otherwise, usually new wave ): The Rezillos. The eight-piece group forms at Edinburgh Art College, and features members named Hi-Fi Harris, Candy Floss, and William Mysterious. The Rezillos’ first official gig comes later in the year, however, on Guy Fawkes Night.

May
Copies of The Ramones' self-titled first album start to appear at record shops in Glasgow. Three months later, one of the songs on the LP, "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue," touches off a firestorm in the city, on account of the recent rash of Scottish teenagers inhaling solvents. MP James Dempsey of Scotland calls for the record's outright banning in the country.

September
There's considerable debate over just who was the first punk act from Glasgow: Johnny & The Self Abusers or The Jolt. According to Self Abuser vocalist Jim Kerr, it was his group, seeing how The Jolt are comprised of four blokes from Wishaw and Shotts, two small towns located outside Glasgow. Also, worth mentioning: When The Jolt come together in September of '76, they were initially a '60s-style rhythm and blues outfit. Punk came later.

October 12
The Sex Pistols make the first of what will be just two trips to Scotland (the other comes during the group's reunion tour: July, 16, 1996, at the S.E.C.C. in Glasgow.) The venue: Dundee Technical College. The band gets pissed on 10-pence pints, and is convinced to due an encore by fans, who pepper their dressing room door with beer cans.

November
The Sex Pistols announce plans for a UK tour. Two of their stops will be in Scotland. On the 26th of the month, the group's landmark single "Anarchy In The UK" is released.

December 1
"What a fucking rotter." These, and a few other choice words are uttered during The Sex Pistols now legendary interview with Bill Grundy on Thames Television's "Today" program. In the days to follow the band is skewered in the tabloids. The resulting fallout reaches all the way to Scotland, as Robert Gray, chairman of the Glasgow District Council licensing committee, announces he will close the Glasgow Apollo for the Dec. 15 Pistols show. The tour's other Scotland date (Dec. 16 at Caird Hall in Dundee) is also cancelled.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "I Can't Stand My Baby" by The Rezillos.

The story of Creation (part 9)

2006-08-04T10:41:00.000-04:00

Edward Ball had the distinct privilege of working with two individuals who are often regarded as being a tad nutters: Alan McGee and Dan Treacy. Lucky him.

Ball joined Treacy as one of the founding members of the seminal act Television Personalities. The group formed in August of 1977, the same month Elvis died. ("We started the Television Personalities because we'd killed Elvis," Ball joked in this interview. "He'd become fat, redundant, and useless.")

Gigging 'round London with the TVPs brought Ball in touch with McGee, who was kicking off The Living Room club nights and later, Creation Records. During his years associated with the label, Ball recorded with Biff Bang Pow!, toured with The Boo Radleys, and even released his own material.

Hear it for yourself. Download: CRE 239: Edward Ball - "The Mill Hill Self Hate Club," (CD5), 1997.

Paging Ian Thomson . . . .

2006-08-03T11:25:00.000-04:00

Procuring information on indie Scottish acts of the punk, post-punk, and new wave variety rarely presents any problems. Rekindled interest in said bands, thanks to frequent name-droppings by contemporary artists (hello) and a slew of recent compilations, is one of the main reasons why. Fast forward a tad to the Smiths-saturated, C86-dominated world of the mid- to late-80s, and well, your trawling efforts for info get a bit less fruitful (see this post).

Comps such as Egg Records: An Introduction To 1988 - 1991 and 53rd & 3rd's AGARR Retro: Fun While It Lasted, Part II have done an admirable job packaging some eighties Scottish guitar pop into one neat and tidy bundle, but releases such as these are indeed rare.

Which brings us to The Gold Blades. Information on this late-80s Arbroath outfit is limited to what's listed on its MySpace page: member names, influences, and a quick rundown of how the fivesome came together. (As well as a clever reference to any future plans: "The next bit of new music from us will probably be from our offspring.")

I've been in touch with guitarist Ian Thomson in the past (though briefly), so I dropped him a line, asking him to string together a few sentences on The Gold Blades. In the meantime, listen to this. (The group's MySpace page has the below track available for download, as well as two others.)

Hear it for yourself. Download: "The Day I Went Down To Texas, Part 3" by The Gold Blades.

Remembering a TOTP highlight

2006-08-01T11:35:00.000-04:00

After 42 seasons, well over 2,200 episodes, and 87 Status Quo performances (egads), the long-running BBC music program "Top Of The Pops" aired its last show Sunday evening.

The one-hour finale featured memorable clips from the program's four-decade run, as well as many former presenters, including Sir Jimmy Saville (decked out in a gold tracksuit and looking very much like the Crypt Keeper), Dave Lee Travis, and Mike Read.

According to recent numbers, "Top Of The Pops" -- long shunned by some (The Clash) and subtly mocked by others (The Rezillos) -- had seen its audience shrink to just one millions viewers, which was a far cry from the 15 million it would regularly attract during its heyday in the 1970s.

One of highlights for the long-running program aired in the spring of 1996, when Giffnock's Bis became the first unsigned band to perform on "Top Of The Pops" (playing the fittingly titled "Kandy Pop"). Barely old enough to legally have a pint, the trio -- comprised of keyboardist/vocalist Manda Rin, guitarist Sci-Fi Steve, and his younger brother, John Disco (guitar) -- became instant media darlings with the U.K. music press.

However, just as soon as the furor commenced, so too did the backlash, as the public quickly grew tired of the band's sophomoric nature, its pseudo cultural movement dubbed Teen-C Revolution, and in some instances, its Huggy Bear-meets-Sarah Records-meets-New Wave sound.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "What You're Afraid Of" by Bis.

Allow me to ramble on . . .

2006-07-31T11:36:00.000-04:00

This post here, as well as some recent ruminations on the use of The Jesus And Mary Chain's "Just Like Honey" during the final scenes of Lost In Translation, got the few marbles in my head to rolling.

We all have personal soundtracks: the Crowded House tape playing on her chic, hot pink boombox during your first kiss, the gangsta rap mix bumping at thunderous levels while you cruised the strip in your buddy's beat-up lemon Fourth of July weekend, the batch of grunge ditties that middling cover band pottered its way through during college graduation-related bacchanalia.

However, I've discovered that once I get past the true watershed moments of teenage and immediate post-teenage days, the music-attached memories are rare. I think back to the wedding reception I attended last summer; in the bathroom, members of the bridal party huddled around the urinals and expressed their general distaste for the music being played. "We need to hear fuckin' 'Black,'" our fratboy-turned-groomsman said, missing only his customary white ball cap. "Remember all those nights we spent hanging in your car, listening to that album?" I'm certain I spent numerous run-of-the-mill evenings on some lost weekend doing the same when I was 19; I just can't recall them.

I'm about to turn 32 (part of the inspiration for this little exercise) and what I've discovered is, as the years stack up, music and the past have become more adept at entwining themselves into a neat little double helix of a memory. Sure, some of the life moments are already noteworthy, snatches of the past I would recall even without the accompaniment of music -- this on my CD player during that bucolic drive from Killarney to Galway, or this song playing as I clung to the last scraps of hope during the ninth inning of Game 4 -- but countless are significantly less so.

The brisk, October Sunday spent raking leaves with this on the headphones. Pre-dawn walks on the beach, pushing a baby carriage, accompanied by this. A languid, slushy commute where only this kept my eyelids open.

Is there a reason for this phenomenon? The aging process, and as a result, one becoming keenly aware of his own mortality -- that's it, right there. As the days amble by, the desire to stockpile memories is exacerbated; for at the end of all things, recollection is a chest to treasure.

Often, I ask myself, "Years from now, will I ever remember this day, this moment?" when both the day and the moment are of the particularly innocuous variety (like today), and not likely to be forever stamped into my mind. But with a well-placed tune in the background, or two, such endeavors are indeed possible.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Just Like Honey" by The Jesus And Mary Chain.

Music for the missus (part 4)

2006-07-28T13:16:00.000-04:00

After scoring a trio of top 40 hits in the 1980s, Hue And Cry returned to the public consciousness last year when it was part of the ITV reality show "Hit Me Baby One More Time." The program's premise was simple: each week, five former pop stars sing their biggest hit along with a cover version of a contemporary hit; one winner is then picked from each via a phone vote.

Hue And Cry performed "Labour Of Love," which went to No. 6 in the U.K. in 1987, and ultimately won its group, besting performers such as China Black and The Real Thing. The Coatbridge duo, comprised of the brothers Pat and Greg Kane, ultimately finished second to Welshman Shakin' Stevens.

However, the Kane brothers did use their television stint as a means for reevaluating their careers ("The show revealed something surprising to us," Pat Kane said here, "which is that we could be a 'Saturday Night' act again, rather than a 'Tuesday Morning' one.") and eventually they parlayed the peformances into a string of sell-out dates in Scotland, including a support slot for Jamie Cullum at the Live On The Lawn festival, and a set in front of 25,000 at Glasgow's Hogmanay festivities.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Looking For Linda" by Hue And Cry. One of the group's bigger U.K. hits, the track was inspired by a true story of a woman who left home to buy cigarettes -- and ended up boarding a train to find a new life.

Music for the missus (part 3)

2006-07-27T11:31:00.000-04:00

Dogged comparisons to The Smiths have nipped at the heels of Trashcan Sinatras since the release of their first album, 1990's Cake. Such comparisons were frequently unfair, though, as Trashcan Sinatras lacked the noted urgency of a Johnny Marr and the lyrical irony of a Morrissey. (This, however, didn't stop the band from performing a Smiths' tune, "I Know It's Over," for the 1996 compilation, The Smiths Is Dead, which was released by the French magazine, Les Inrockuptibles.)

Regardless, Trashcan Sinatras -- who are more in line with acts such as fellow countrymen Travis -- have enjoyed a rather successful career (spats with the NME aside), emerging in the 1990s as one of the leading adult alternative pop acts in the U.K.

After following up two renowned first albums with the haphazard -- both for its songwriting and production -- A Happy Pocket, the Glasgow fivesome got back on track with 2004's Weightlifting. Filled with both uplifting, uptempo numbers and tracks of reflective melancholy, the album harkened back to the group's earlier, stronger days.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Got Carried Away" by Trashcan Sinatras.

Music for the missus (part 2)

2006-07-25T12:45:00.000-04:00

The Blue Nile are a study in contrasts. Crafting soundscapes with traditionally "cold" instruments (synthesizers and electronic percussion), they still manage to achieve a warmth in their music thanks to the tender, affecting voice of Paul Buchanan and his all-too-human lyrics. Also, there exists a geuine love for the songwriting craft, however, the Glasgow trio has released just four LPs in over 20 years of being together.

Hats is widely regarded as the group's masterwork album. Here, the band's character sketches of lovelorn and lonesome souls trapped in an urban purgatory are more vibrant than ever. "Hats is a synonym for people in all their faded glory," Buchanan once said. "A hat gives them a character and comes to represent the individual."

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Let's Go Out Tonight" by The Blue Nile. A song with a deceiving moniker, as it doesn't detail a couple celebrating their association, but rather, a relationship in its death throes.

"I know a place/Where everything's alright, alright/Let's go out tonight." Buchanan could be singing about an old stomping ground, a locale where heavenly memories were once forged, or the very past itself: the relationship's dizzying, early days, alluring to the protagonist for their purity.

Music for the missus (part 1)

2006-07-24T12:08:00.000-04:00

Wife: My cousin was talking about blogs the other day. You ever heard of these?

Me: Sure have. I got one.

Wife: Really? What's it about?

Me: Pop music of the obscure and tartan kind, from Scottish artists that only myself and roughly a dozen others scattered across the globe deeply care about.

Wife, rendered speechless for probably the first time in her life.

Me: Basically, it means I won’t be writing about "American Idol."

I won't fib: I've been mired in general blog malaise as of late. So, rather than disappear for a few weeks and return with the customary "I'm sorry I haven't been around much, but I promise to update more in the future!" response, I've decided to shake things up. (The scant few of you who were expecting posts on say . . . APB, will be disappointed. Bear with me here.)

This week, I'm dedicating songs to my lovely wife, who's forever been a fan of them ditties of the fluffy and airy, radio friendly, soft AC variety (excluding that two-year NKOTB phase I’ve heard so much about).

And, keeping in mind my wife's affinity for all things "American Idol" . . . . I'll kick things off with a quote from good ol' Simon Cowell.

"If your lifeguard duties were as good as your singing, a lot of people would be drowning."

Simon would have never uttered this about Ricky Ross' smoky voice. Ross was the lead singer for Glasgow's Deacon Blue, who made a big splash (pun intended) with their 1987 debut, Raintown. Chronicling everyday life among grimy urban sprawl, Raintown was a masterpiece, both for its deft blend of melodies and melancholy, and its stunning visuals. (Raintown features some of my favorite album art; the cover shows a view of a dreich Glasgow skyline -- including the famous Finnieston Crane –- while the back features a long-exposure shot of the M8.)

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Chocolate Girl" by Deacon Blue.

Within Auld Reekie . . . .

2006-07-21T12:14:00.000-04:00

It's 1980, and Scotland's once nascent music scene has finally caught up to its English brethren. In the capital, the arty Josef K and the abrasive Fire Engines are leading the charge, two acts deeply inspired by the late 1970s New York scene: the former by Television and Talking Heads, the latter by the short-lived, atonal No Wave movement. Lesser acts (for their stature, productivity, and influences) have also emerged: TV21, Another Pretty Face, The Scars.

35mm Dreams was another of those "lesser" Edinburgh bands. Details regarding their lineup are sketchy. A gent named David McDonald was on bass; after his stint with 35mm Dreams, he played in a group named Rex Begonia. Moray Crawford was the vocalist/drummer; he lives in Japan now, having performed with acts such as Osaka Stainless and Shonen Knife.

During its short existence, 35mm Dreams released just two singles: "More Than This"/"The Bearer" was issued in 1980 with their follow-up coming a year later.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "More Than This" by 35mm Dreams. Features a bouncy, looping guitar line and a narrative detailing a lass' thoughts of an urban exodus ("She's not very sure/If she's gonna go").

Back in business

2006-07-20T10:27:00.000-04:00

"Damn it, let's get the band back together!" is a common sentiment heard from those dearly departed acts which once achieved a modicum of success in the music industry. When really, the phrase should be, "Why get the band back together?"

Quite often, of course, the reasons are rooted in the onerous desire to make oodles and oodles of cash. In the case of The Orchids, however, the reasons are different . . . particularly since The Orchids never made oodles and oodles of cash. So why an Act II then?

Well, there's that nagging sense of unfinished business, particularly when said band called it quits following what many consider to be their crowning achievement. There's also that arrogant desire to show folks music can be more titillating than today's standard refuse. Or something like that.

At any rate, The Orchids are back in business and quite busy to boot. The Glasgow outfit released a new single, "Another Saturday Night," which appears on the two-disc compilation Little Darla Has A Treat For You, Volume 24: Endless Summer. They're also working on a new album, entitled Good To Be A Stranger, which is due for release this fall.

The new music is The Orchids' first in a decade. The group, influenced heavily by the wave of Scottish pop bands that came directly before them (Orange Juice, Aztec Camera, jangly Primal Scream), were mainstays on Sarah Records, releasing what was the label's first full-length in 1989: Lyceum. Two more LPs followed -- the follow-up, Unholy Soul and the inspired yet capricious Striving For The Lazy Perfection -- before the curtain closed on the first part of their career.

Hear it for yourself. "Hold On" by The Orchids. Listen to the ache and desperation in James Hackett's voice. I want to give the lad a big hug.

Warning: Post on Irish folk to follow

2006-07-19T11:43:00.000-04:00

Ah, The Tones.

Banned on Radio Eireann, banned on Aer Lingus flights (thank-you, Roy Beggs, Jr.), banned at Celtic Park.

The last banning came as a result of the song "Celtic Symphony." Written in 1987 in honor of Glasgow Celtic's 100th anniversary, the tune honors the Bhoys' victory in the 1967 European Cup over Inter Milan. Nicknamed The Lisbon Lions, they were the first British squad to be crowned European champions.

Besides honoring the team's achivements, the song does feature the controversial (though catchy) chorus of, "Oh ah, up the 'RA/Say, oh ah up the 'RA." And it was this, learned The Wolfe Tones -- always ones to inject a bit of politics into their infectious brand of Irish folk -- that ultimately led to "Celtic Symphony" being summarily banned at Celtic Park. Here, Brian staunchly defended the song to Celtic, but it was to no avail.

So . . . Where does all this fit within the confines of a Scottish pop music blog? It doesn't. I'm attending tonight's Celtic match against the New England Revolution and merely wanted to upload the track. Turn it up and sing along.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Celtic Symphony" by The Wolfe Tones.

Stage fright?

2006-07-18T10:47:00.000-04:00

Alan Davidson was 12 years, and 20 LPs, 7-inches, cassettes, and CDs into his music career before he finally played a live gig back in 2002. So what finally prompted Davidson, who performs and records under the name The Kitchen Cynics, to finally hit the stage for the first time?

"The only reason I'm playing live is drink!" he joked in this interview. "I got somewhat inebriated at Terrastock 5 in Boston, where Tom Rapp kindly asked me to sing a verse of 'Another Time' with him."

Since then, Davidson's gig list (and lager habit; kidding, kidding) has grown significantly. He's supported The Iditarod, Charlemagne, and The Incredible String Band. Most of Davidson's shows take place in his hometown of Aberdeen, but he has made the occasional foray outside the city limits: doing a set at Nozstock in Bromyard, performing at a Nick Drake tribute weekend in Tanworth-in-Arden, and playing on a radio show with Irene Trudel in New York.

As for Davidson's music . . . . "His songs combine ancient folk roots with a lo-fi psychedelic aesthetic that effectively blurs the line between Syd Barrett and Pearls Before Swine," wrote critic George Parsons. With The Kitchen Cynics, it's all about light and shade: Gentle, breezy guitars and hushed vocals thinly veiling a world of bitterness and despair. Strongly recommended.

Hear it for yourself Download: "Jennifer Is There Anywhere?" by The Kitchen Cynics, a track from the album Seagul Girls.

Aberfeldy's sophomore effort

2006-07-17T11:35:00.000-04:00

Aberfeldy drew a plethora of Belle And Sebastian comparisons following the release of its 2004 debut, Young Forever. Musically, Aberfeldy sauntered down its own path (glockenspiel!), yet lyrically, the connections were apt, as Riley Briggs's tender, affecting words often called to mind the work of Stuart Murdoch.

More B&S comparisons are certain to flow from the ink-stained and Internet wretches now that Aberfeldy has released its follow-up, Do Whatever Turns You on. Here, the band leaps feet first into jubilant, 70s-inspired pop, much like Murdoch and company did upon their release earlier this year, The Life Pursuit.

Young Forever caused a bit of a stir in indie circles on account of the way it was recorded. For its second LP, Aberfeldy ditched the retro approach and went with a bigger budget and a bigger sound, hiring Callum Malcom (The Blue Nile) to produce. And while Do Whatever Turns You On does lack the warmth and intimacy of its predecessor, it does firmly establish Briggs as one of Scotland's more unique voices.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Up Tight" by Aberfeldy.

Mr. Busy Body

2006-07-14T10:43:00.000-04:00

William Hazlitt once said, "The more we do, the more we can do; the more busy we are the more leisure we have." Smart man, that Hazlitt.

Lenny Helsing would likely agree. The industrious Edinburgh man always has something on his plate. He's been prominently involved with three noteworthy indie bands: The Green Telescope, The Thanes, and The Wildebeests. He also played drums for Television Personalities during their 1993 tour of the US and their 1994 tour of Japan.

One of Helsing's more interesting projects involved Glasgow's The Beatstalkers, a pop/psychedelic outfit from the 1960s. Helsing befriended Beatstalkers bassist Alan Mair and thanks to some constant urging, as well as a trip to Mair's mum's attic (she still possessed copies of all the group's 45s; all were in mint condition), a compilation entitled Scotland's No. 1 Beat Group was born. Helsing handled the liner notes, amassing copies of vintage newspaper articles and photographs to be included in the CD's booklet.

This entry won't deal with The Beatstalkers, however, but The Green Telescope. The common sentiment when discussing Helsing is that he was born too late, and that's clearly evident with The Green Telescope, a band that wears its '60s garage rock influences on its sleeve. There's flecks of psychedelic and folk, too, but it's far from being revivalist claptrap, as Helsing and crew know how to keep things sounding fresh.

Also, here's a bit of additional information, now pertinent since The Madcap passed away: The Green Telescope were featured on this 1987 tribute album, contributing the song "Scream Thy Last Scream."

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Make Me Stay" by The Green Telescope.

Anyone know these lads?

2006-07-13T08:57:00.000-04:00

Awhile back, in my trawling for obscure Scottish acts, I stumbled upon The Wishing Stones, a band featured on The Sound Of Leamington Spa, Volume 1. Twee.net lists the group as being from Glasgow, however, following numerous forays on the ole search engines, I've discovered The Wishing Stones may not be as tartan as I originally thought.

As far as I can tell, the lone member with any sort of connection to Glasgow is John F. Niven, The Wishing Stones' guitarist. He graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1991 with a degree in English literature. Following his work with The Wishing Stones, Niven did A&R work with Scottish bands like Travis and Mogwai. He's made a career in writing, too, authoring a book for the highly recommended 33 1/3 series, as well as directing a short film named Tethered.

As for the rest of The Wishing Stones . . .

Information on drummer Andy Kerr is sparse. Those with a passing interest in popular music have likely heard the name Andrew Kerr, who helped found the Glastonbury Festival, but I'm highly doubtful this is the same individual, as the dates don't necessarily jive (the festival was founded in 1971; The Wishing Stones were recording and touring in the late 1980s).

The frontman, bassist Bill Prince, was once part of The Loft, the early Creation act that famously broke up during a gig at the Hammersmith Palais in London.

And then there's Stuart "The Bull" Garden . . . Nothing could be unearthed regarding this chap.

So there you have it: A blog entry that tells you next to nothing. Not my finest moment, I know. At any rate, here's The Wishing Stones' "Beat Girl," which was released on Head Records in September of 1986. Three more singles followed that release before The Wishing Stones recorded their lone album, Wildwood.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Beat Girl" by The Wishing Stones.

The story of Creation (part 8)

2006-07-12T10:12:00.000-04:00

Tell us, what's more tragic?

A nuclear power plant disaster rendering an entire region uninhabitable for the next 300 years and leading to countless human casualties, or a one-off, manufactured, schlocky hip-hop group consisting of female ex-Virgin Megastore employees actually scoring a hit on the indie charts and landing a spot on the cover of the NME?

Wait . . . . Don't answer that.

Hear it for yourself.
Download: CRE 041: Baby Amphetamine - "Chernobyl Baby," (7"+12"), 1987

Before he was known as Momus . . .

2006-07-11T10:29:00.000-04:00

The Happy Family is just a tiny blip on Nick Currie's impressive CV –- overshadowed by achievements such as the inventive (yet cash-inspired) Stars Forever, participation in a weekly webcast cabaret spectacle, and "Fakeways: Manhattan Folk," a documentary about the NYC art and music scene. Founded in 1981 after Currie took a sabbatical of sorts from the University of Aberdeen, where he was studying literature, The Happy Family recorded just one album, 1982's The Man On Your Street, before the group disbanded and Currie returned to his schooling.

The Happy Family garnered a fair amount of press during its short existence, mainly on account of the lineup consisting of three ex-Josef K members: guitarist and pianist Malcolm Ross (who was also a member of Orange Juice at the time), bassist David Wendell, and later, drummer Ronnie Torrance. (One of Josef K's roadies, Paul Mason, was The Happy Family's fifth member.) However, this helped contribute to the band's undoing, as comparisons to Josef K were both inevitable and frequent.

Unfair, too, as The Happy Family's The Man On Your Street bore little resemblance to anything produced by the aforementioned Sound Of Young Scotland act. The LP is billed as a "Brechtian concept album about a fascist dictator and the Red Brigades," and features sometimes bouncy, sometimes moody indie pop laced with Currie's typically wry lyrics. (Trivia which may only interest me: According to 4AD, which released the record, The Happy Family had some rather ambitious orchestrations planned for the LP, but the label lacked the funds to pay for it.)

Hear it for yourself. Download: “Revenge!” by The Happy Family.

'Edinburgh, thanks for absolutely nothing!'

2006-07-10T11:43:00.000-04:00

The following interview was featured in the House Of Dolls fanzine, Issue 21, January of 1989. Intrepid scribe Steev C sat down for a nice chat with AVO-8, an Edinburgh new wave act oft described as having an R&B meets dance vibe.

AVO-8 formed in 1979, released a single on Stroppo Records ("Gone Wrong"), and then called it a day. The band reformed with a different lineup in 1985 and subsequently released three more singles: one on their own AVO Records and two others on Cherry Red.

Here, members of the group offer up some particularly scathing, humorous, and oftentimes true comments about the Edinburgh music scene.

George Glen, bass: "Edinburgh's not the greatest scene in the world. We had to get out to make something."

Jan Hastie, vocals: "It's never done us any favours at all. Quite honestly, Edinburgh, thanks for absolutely nothing!"

Stephen Hastie, guitar: "It's amazing when you play a gig and think, 'What a great gig that was, everyone was jumping about at the front and cheering and thing.' And you read a review in the local Edinburgh newspaper thing and its like, 'AVO-8 had a couple of fans at the front and they were absolute shite,' and things like that."

Jan: "In Edinburgh, there's this big group of funk bands and this big group of soul bands and this big group of sort of funk/soul bands and there's only, like, two venues you can play."

Claire Gourlay, vocals: "No one goes out to see a band -- they go out for a drink and if there's a band on you don't get the comeback. They're not there to see you."

Glen: "Edinburgh's a city that's got a festival and a very arty reputation. People get entertainment through the festival and they get passive. They're very picky, very choosy, very stand-offish."

Jan: "So we're not that enamoured of Edinburgh music-wise at all."

Hear it for yourself. "When You're Gone" by AVO-8. The band also has a number of other tracks available for download here.

Perusing the T In The Park lineup (part 4)

2006-07-08T07:21:00.000-04:00

No time for a full-on, blathering entry (heading up to North Conway for the weekend), but that's quite okay since the band highlighted here is one I never intended to even post about (no offense, lads). Besides, what is there to write about these guys that hasn't been written already?

Franz Ferdinand will be playing the main stage today at T In The Park. Here, the boys from Glasgow cover a song by one of their Sound Of Young Scotland heroes: Fire Engines.

Hear it for yourself. "Get Up And Use Me (live)" by Franz Ferdinand.

Perusing the T In The Park lineup (part 3)

2006-07-07T11:36:00.000-04:00

Optimo's Twitch on his infatuation with Throbbing Gristle: "What they had to say," he wrote on the group's web site, "how they presented it, how they made one question and challenge things and most importantly, how they sounded had a profound impact on me."

So it was no shock to see a TG tune on the last full-length from Glasgow's Optimo: 2005's Psyche Out, a hypnotic, psychedelia-themed compilation of DJ mixes -- "head music that doesn't forget the body," as it was described.

The aforementioned TG song is "Hot On The Heels Of Love," from the group's 20 Jazz Funk Greats. That album's industrial-meets-synthpop aesthetic was clearly evident in "Hot On The Heels Of Love": noise absorbed from TG's Sheffield environment and regurgitated onto tape (whip-like cracks, a melody thats reminds one of air being slowly released from a balloon, blasts of sound that could be from a Yorkshire steelmaking plant), and then deftly blended with mesmerizing beats.

"Hot On The Heels of Love" calls to a mind a libidinous, indoor game of hide-and-seek -- the interminent, breathy vocals serving as the hider's "You're getting hotter/colder" hints. The version on Optimo's Psyche Out sounds like it was given a tablet of Bremelanotide by top Detroit techno producer Carl Craig. The music throbs, swells, threatens to burst. The stakes have been raised in that game of hide-and-seek: the seeker now blindfolded, the hider wearing nary a stitch, "gools" a bed with tousled sheets.

Hear it for yourself. Download: "Hot On The Heels Of Love (Carl Craig Re-Version).

Optimo -- who founded Scotland's first techno club (Pure, which ran for a decade) -- will be performing Sunday at T In The Park's Slam Tent.