February 27, 2009
February 26, 2009
The Hazey Janes – Exposure
The Hazey Janes – Exposure
Like football, it seems like the west coast has always reigned supreme when it comes to Scots making music. Times are changing though. Celtic and Rangers may still dominate over the diddy Edinburgh sides, but with Broken Records and The View packing out venues all over the country, east-coast music is getting healthier by the day. Add to that list The Hazey Janes. From Dundee, they may share the same hometown as the boys from The View, but their sound offers a more delicate approach to pop, taking in influences from Nick Drake to Teenage Fanclub. Andrew Mitchell and Matthew Marra from the band have their thoughts exposed for The List.
The French Quarter – Exposure
Smoking is still cool.
The French Quarter – Exposure
Think of the formula for the perfect Scottish and, and, forgetting the Bay City Rollers ever existed, you’d probably come close to the French Quarter. Mogwai influenced post-rock mourning to soundtrack a sunset on Arthur’s Seat? Check. Bleak but beautiful vocals as foreboding as the rainclouds over Glasgow’s cityscape? Check. All performed with a resilience and passion of the perennial underdog? Check. The only thing not Scottish about them is their name. Why The French Quarter then? Any why should you let them in your life? Vocalist and guitarist, Frank Murray, answers all. And more. (more…)
February 17, 2009
The French Wives – Exposure
Another ‘Exposure’ for The List. This time, The French Wives.
The French Wives – Exposure
Coming from the same mould of sunshine boy/girl pop of Belle and Sebastian and Camera Obscura that the usually dreich and dour Glasgow seems to embrace, The French Wives are a young band with heart, talent and a trombone. Still all at university, they combine studying with a rigorous workout on the Glasgow live scene that has earned many a plaudit along the way. Perfect for wooly jumpers your nan made, leaf tea and walking barefoot in Kelvingrove Park, here’s The French Wives in their own words. Oh, and none of them are French. (more…)
The Doledrums – Exposure
Something I did for The List about the great new Falkirk band, The Doledrums.
The Doledrums- Exposure
Keeping Scotland’s great new music as diverse as possible, to follow the epic orchestra of Broken Records, the shoegaze intensity of Twilight Sad, and shouty passion of Frightened Rabbit comes the sort of gypsy folk of 30s France, taken to the 21st century via the route of intricate 60s rock and roll. And this from Falkirk too. Chances are you’ve seen them support one of your favourite bands on tour in Glasgow, but they’re soon to be headliners themselves. Here’s vocalist Craig Burke on why the country may soon be facing The Doledrums in 2009. (more…)
February 14, 2009
The Leisure Society – The Sleeper
The Leisure Society – The Sleeper
Their sublime, string-filled debut, The Last of the Melting Snow, was chosen by Elbow’s Guy Garvey as his single of the year. And this, their first LP, is full of a similar northern England charm akin to the Mercury winners.
From the delicate seed of A Fighting Chance, this album grows to a sweet whimsy that delights in a springtime ambience. Close your eyes and you can see the flowers blossom. (more…)
The View – Edinburgh, Picture House 12/02/09
A room with The View. In it.
It’s hard not to admire The View. They certainly have their flaws. Their records are, at best, ramshackle indie, spawned from a feigned belief that anyone could do ‘Up the Bracket’. They also have a cockiness in completely opposing correlation to their talent, imagination and ambition as a band. And of course, none seem to have the ability to make any sentence comprehensible in their fiercely Dundonian tones that resemble Rab C. Nesbit being felated by Lorraine Kelly whilst Runrig are played backwards on the oldest, most Tennant’s Super stained turntable imaginable. Yet despite all this, they’ve grabbed hold of a nation’s attention. And who’s to say they haven’t earnt it? (more…)
