Sunday 01
SPOKES (pictured) / REDWORD / JONNY FRAME
Spokes: "It's incredibly easy to fall in love with an album when it takes in elements of slow-core, post-rock, shoe-gaze, folk and pop music so effortlessly, and when the richly textured instrumentation balances out grandiose gestures with quietly reflective passages, we're primed for singing praises to anyone who'll bother listening. Absolutely gorgeous stuff and a real find...." (Boomkat) "Given the right push Spokes have the potential to breach the mainstream, the potential is there for all to see on this record. Memories of your first experience of Broken Social Scene or even Arcade Fire are sure to come flooding back, as the five-piece tap into the celebratory nature of both revered Canadian acts. Spokes are definite 'ones to watch', long may it continue." (Angry Ape) / Red Word - The music of Red Word is marked by the construction of atmospheres and moods, using epic, melancholy guitar work, and haunting vocals. The use of a piano in the place of a rhythm guitar allows them to create cinematic pieces, the like of which are rarely heard, and adds another layer of orchestration. Songs that are rich in feeling also contain the tension between contrasting parts, emotions, and genres. Frequently favouring unorthodox structures, a Red Word song does not take the listener on a journey, but instead takes the listener's surroundings and changes them. Drive Carefully Records .....redword's sound is very striking and like nothing we've ever heard before.
www.myspace.com/spokessound
www.myspace.com/redword
www.myspace.com/jonnyframe
Wednesday 04
THE GHOSTIES (pictured) / AIRSPEIL
"Exciting prospects", "Well crafted, and well honed songs that could open up doors for a band who are well known as a great live act." Rick Fulton - Daily Record.... "People couldn't help but dance through this engaging set", "It is very difficult to find fault with this band", "The night undoubtedly belonged to The Ghosties who I am sure we will be hearing a lot more of in the not too distant future." Review of our gig at the Glasgow Barfly 20/02/08, David E - The Mag....
www.myspace.com/theghosties1
Friday 06
VESSELS / BARN OWL / MISURA
Vessels: "...They gently glow and ease you in to their sunlit days with a beautiful uplifting song called Two Words And A Gesture, they taste of Battles and 65Days and Brian Eno as they build up the well of positive emotion." (The Organ, single of the week) / Barn Owl:" claim to sound like: "the pull of the out-going tide as your feet sink into the sand; whilst four young children subject you to the cruel truths of playground abuse." Well whatever they had been ingesting that day obviously wasn't bought at the local Tesco. I can hear hints of the Arcade Fire (minus the desire to make every song "anthemic"), the Field Mice (the best band on Sarah records), Joy Division (and by implication the Editors and Interpol) and Mogwai. The owl, as i'm sure they'll be shortened to by their growing legions of fans, make a quiet racket that manages to sound avant garde and mainstream simultaneously, a difficult trick to pull off.
www.vesselsband.com
www.myspace.com/vesselsband
www.myspace.com/misuramusic
Saturday 07
THE PLIMPTONS - Single Launch (pictured) / THE SQUID / THE MURDERBURGERS (pictured)
A special night of plimp action at the note as they unveil their new single (and video!). "nobody likes a comedy rock band" you'll hear them sing but i beg to differ. Genre shifting in the blink of an eye, the plimptons will have you traveling from ramones style punk, through kinks influenced pop and a cursory step into world of ska reggae. There's also to be a "drummer new year" and, therefore, a seeing out of the old and bringing in of the new...be sure to bring some drummer shortbread and a lump of drummer coal. All this topped of with a lovely squid and murder burger side salad should make for another swell plimptons note extravaganza!!!!
www.myspace.com/theplimptonsuk
www.myspace.com/themurderburgers
Wednesday 11
Struck Dum Records: AUTOSAFARI / + GUESTS
"Guitar-driven melodies sure to be the city's next big noise" "... another fine emerging Edinburgh band - the explosively exciting AUTOSAFARI - demonstrated why they'll be one to watch this year. A charismatic bunch sporting scruffy, black T-shirts, their tight-as-a-pin-cushion rhythms and compact grungy sound conjured up comparisons with those other great influential rock trios, Nirvana and Husker Du. They like to throw themselves about the stage a bit, although they can't be short of a bob or two, throwing their bass guitars to the ground at the end of an intense, yet thoroughly enjoyable set. The fact those in the audience who had never seen them before clapped loudly and enthusiastically told its own story."
www.myspace.com/struckdumrecords
Thursday 12
WEENLIZ / + GUESTS
Glitched up super fuzzy plinky plonks from weenliz....but i mean that in the best possible way! As if rapeman had gone out and bought some stuff from maplins.
www.myspace.com/weenlizweenlizweenliz
Friday 13
is this music? - Q WITHOUT U (album launch) (pictured) / THERE WILL BE FIREWORKS / ODEON BEATCLUB (pictured)
Q Without U 'one piece puzzle' (single review) - Been a while but we like to think its been worth the wait. Glaswegian buzz beat posters Q without U came to our attention following a record buying foray where we happened upon picking up their ultra limited debut single 'slow clap' around this time last year (see missive 107).Self released on the quartets newly set up Hot Guts imprint this twin set of tastiness steals a march their last visit to this turntable, packed with drilled guitars, stop starting ruptured rhythms and blessed with an irrefutable eye for a sly pop coda 'one piece puzzle' mainlines casually into territories more commonly associated with Chris Brokaw - more notably his woefully underrated Snares and Kites debut 'trick of trapping' back from a few years ago - for a slice of seriously unassuming off road power pop gold that insidiously wires itself into your affections the minute your back is turned - a bit like imagining a superb charged Raspberries acquiring a vibrant post rock dialect to their artillery replete with devilishly corkscrewing hooks and packing a boot full of subtle west coast struts. 'numbers!' over on the flip is an altogether stranger beast all said and done that appears to freewheel undecidedly through an array of generic styles so that sometimes you'll hear shades of classic styled early 70's pub rock a la Dr Feelgood interloping with shards of unravelling psyche flashbacks all the way to a more defined 60's styled blossoming retro beat pop persona decorated in all manner of effects laden reverb riffs and swirling synth sequences - those needing reference points think of a more sugar glazed pre acid house Shamen od'ing on Traffic - quite frankly I think your record collection deserves this There Will Be Fireworks is four people. Two of them are twins. Three of them were in the band then got the other one and changed the name. We imagine the Eponymous Economist is distraught. We imagine lots of things. The other one makes us better than we were before. Except his timekeeping. He is a distimeous mess who should frankly sort his life out. Sometimes we do silly things but mostly we talk about doing them. One day we discovered delay and thought it was funny in a good way. We are thusly post-rock to appease our friend Vinny The Barrier-Jumper. But we aren't actually, except that we don't know what we are or whatever. Three of us are in the EngLitSoc, one only nominally though. One of us is shoe-rave and wears white hoodies. One of us is obsessed with Jeff Mangum. One of us is obsessed with German nuns. One of us likes to move all the furniture in his house from one room to another as a pastime. And he never answers his phone. One of us took one for the team once but we don't talk about that unless we are making fun of him. So we talk about it pseudo-regularly. We have two guitars, a bass guitar and a drum set. Once or twice we use violin. We like pia-pia-piano. We like delay and distortion and capos and slides. We hope you do too. We don't take ourselves seriously. We'd like to, but we can't. After many moons of faffing about, we have started to get our act together over the last few months and actually feel quite good about the little cleety niche we have eeked out for ourselves. We are quiet sometimes and loud sometimes. Sometimes in-between. You should come round one day and listen to the four-track and eat Flake cakes in the dark with us. Odeon beatclub - Wow. There's no other word for it. Who could have suspected that Glasgow four-piece Odeon Beatclub would produce such a polished, memorable and downright fantastic debut album? They've had their fair share of setbacks – including their bassist's departure earlier this year – but time spent touring with the likes of Arab Strap, My Latest Novel and, er, Babyshambles has obviously paid off. Franz Ferdinand had better watch their backs. Opening with a burst of indie fuzz that sounds surprisingly like kooky Swedes The Wannadies, they work their way through a catalogue of pop tunes that will have Brandon Flowers foaming at the mouth. 'Trouble Ticket' contains shades of Teenage Fanclub at their most rousing, 'Burn The Flags' takes a more folksy turn, while 'The Past Gone Mad' could almost be Green Day exploring their Scottish heritage, now that the whole Irish thing's looking a bit tired. This isn't an album that grows on you slowly, either – it hits you square between the eyes from the first chord, bathing you in the kind of intelligent, jangling indie pop that careers are made of. Catchy, addictive and startlingly good, if there's any justice still left in the music industry then Odeon Beatclub should be a household name within the next few months. Even if they aren't, make sure that this album graces your music collection. They might be low-key enough to avoid the headlines, but these eleven tunes scream out to be noticed.
www.myspace.com/isthismusic
www.myspace.com/qwithoutu
www.myspace.com/gliderglasgow
www.myspace.com/odeonbeatclub
Saturday 14
Moonshaker: WULL THE THIEF / CHIEF / ELKS (pictured)
Dome indy rock from london tonight with local supports from the moonshaker folks.
www.myspace.com/moonshaker
Tuesday 17
DEADOTTER / THE ANTIKYTHERA MACHINA / LSD (pictured)
Deadotter: Dreamlike stoner rock / The Antikythera Machina: Experimental intrumental strangeness / LSD: Perched precariously on the verge between stoner rock and doom metal
www.myspace.com/lsdmusic
Wednesday 18
Broken Friends Records Night: GDANSK / KARTTA / LYONS / SUPER ADVENTURE CLUB (pictured)
Gdansk have been a band for perhaps three or four years. They have only been called Gdansk for one of these years. History does not record what the original name was. The name change to Gdansk was prompted by Joe's addition to the band, thus completing the line-up. David suggested the name. At time of writing this remains his only notable contribution to the project. Gdansk number four; Andrew Campbell sings, plays guitar and occasionally plays an old yamaha keyboard. David Ward plays guitar and sings backing vocals. Max Slaven plays (a rather handsome Fender Precision) Bass and sings backing vocals. Joe Campbell plays Drums. Andy, David and Max met at school in Govanhill and have been friends for longer than is surely necessary or productive. Joe is Andy's wee brother. Max and David prefer Joe to Andy. Joe's introduction to the drum-stool coincided with a remarkable advance in the creativity and sophistication of the band's output. Where once the sound had been formless and noisy there was now a new-found sense of dynamic and an understated weight provided by Campbell Junior's uncluttered and driving rhythms. Combined with Max's punk informed basslines, by turns insistent and direct, by others stuttering and melodic, the rhythm section of Gdansk directs the serrated, reverberant jangle of Andy and David's intertwined guitars towards a darkly atmospheric and arresting point between the indie band heroes and more grandiose influences who inform their sound. Some more obvious than others. Gdansk are enamoured with... Pixies, The Smiths, Radiohead, The Wedding Present, Mogwai, Belle and Sebastian, The Velvet Underground, Interpol, The Delgados, Joy Division, Teenage Fanclub, Sonic Youth, The Jesus And Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Pavement, Cocteau Twins, New Order, Fugazi, Weezer,...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. Kartta is a band. We like melodic and rhythmic noise. To achieve this we have been known to use: drums; bass; guitars; glockenspiel; tambourine; jingle bells; delay, distortion, and reverb pedals (sometimes all at once); melodica (that's a miniature mouth organ, don't ya know); miniature accordian; handclaps; and a beautifully beautiful korg keyboard. We party frequently. Come and join us. Super Adventure Club were quite simply one of the most exciting and intriguing Scottish bands I've seen in ages. (Which admittedly shouldn't be too hard when I mostly work night-shifts and can't actually attend many shows, but still.) The idiosyncratic Edinburgh outfit superglue such disparate influences as Pavement, Frank Zappa and The Paper Chase together with ease, while apparently having so much fun the main post-gig regret I had was that I couldn't be in the band myself. (Hopefully I can ruin their recorded achievements with a rubbish remix soon.) Built-in Redundancy is a more laidback track than some of their other riff-heavy numbers, blessed with a breezy and welcome laziness that's reminiscent of Stephen Malkmus, and replete with a slinky guitar solo that unexpectedly peppers the end of the track, provding a welcome indicator of their boisterous unpredictability. With worrying rumours of them moving to foreign climes in the near future, best catch them while you can.
www.myspace.com/gdanskmusic
www.myspace.com/karttamusic
www.myspace.com/superadventuremusic
Friday 20
NAKED SHIT (pictured) / BONESAW (pictured) / BLACK SUN (pictured) / SEPPUKU
"Naked Shit, as the name implies, take a more irreverant route, opening their half of this split with the sound of a distant church bell tolling through a thunderstorm - now where have we heard that before? - and subjecting listeners to a confused eighteen-minute deconstruction of Hawkwind's "Silver Machine" as well as their own half hour composition. These guys are much meaner and more anarchic than IX, occupying extreme doom rather than funeral doom territory, but they're treading dangerous ground between snide psych-out and aimless cacophony." TERRORIZER Feb 2007. Black Sun as Black Sun Machine was formed in Glasgow as a solo side project initially in the demise of the 20th Century by Russell McEwan. McEwan felt he had served his time with über-rockers Macrocosmica and was feeling the need to explore his own songwriting capabilities after many years solely on the drums. McEwan was joined by Guitarist/Vocalist Kevin Hare of Glasgow stoners Lotus Lounge around the embryonic stages of Black Suns first album Fleshmarket, released to critical acclaim on Londons Over Records. Fleshmarket was constructed from loops and samples of McEwan and Hare on an ancient Pentium P90 PC. Soon after the release of this album McEwan moved back to the live drum kit and Graeme Leggate joined the band on Bass guitar. Black Sun spent a long time in the practice room in order to perfect their sound for the live environment. They also began writing their second album. As Leggate became a bass player, Black Sun became a band. Another release (Circus of the Fallen) was followed by the temporary recruitment of Guitar player Kerr Robin. With a stable line-up Black Sun set about infecting the UK and Ireland with their particular brand of sonic filth. Consistent gigging in 2004/05 culminated in landing the support slot with Khanate at the Barfly, Glasgow in November 2005. The tracks for Sacred Eternal Eclipse were recorded on location at Berkeley 2 studios, Glasgow in November of 2004, and were mastered by none other than James Plotkin of OLD / Atomsmasher / Khanate fame. The Distortion Project picked up the bands signature in September 2005 and are proud to release this awesome behemoth of an album. This 8 track, 56 minute CD contains the blackest, filth-encrusted doom this side of the river Styx. Tracks like Vena Cava and Airstrike slowly grind along in a deeply satisfying fashion, whereas Red Rain pummels the listener into submission with its relentlessly churning riff and violently anguished vocals. This is an album that bristles with malicious intent from start to finish. Sacred Eternal Eclipse is tortured, doom-laden metal at its finest. However, as well as being a brutal album, Sacred Eternal Eclipse also has some reflective and melancholic moments. Parts of Dumb show highlight a more sombre Black Sun, and this song is tinged with a profound sadness. All in all, this is genre defining stuff, and no self respecting fan of extreme doom should be without this very important CD. Bonesaw - The presentation of this demo looks shite but musically Smack Zombie proves a pretty good death/gore demo. Six tracks of frantic, rock and rolling with heavy guitars and pounding drums would drive anyone insane in the moshpit.
www.myspace.com/nakedshittheband
www.myspace.com/bonesawuk
www.myspace.com/legionofblacksun
Saturday 21
Drive Carefully Records present: VARS OF LITCHI / YOUR LOYAL SUBJECTS (pictured)
Vars of Litchi, "Live 190706" Written by Scott Mckeating Friday, 12 January 2007 "This review is long overdue. This disc has been slipping up and down the pile of music that I feel has to be covered for a while now. Whenever I find myself getting around to playing it, I'm left thinking what an incredible debut release this is, and that the word needs to be spread. So finally five months later I've gotten my finger out. This four-tracker was recorded at Glasgow's Nice & Sleazy and captures the drums/guitar duo of Jack Figgis and Gordon McDougal in a form that belies the fact that this is their first release. The playing scarcely contains the music's constructive but experimental nature and the very obvious sense of molten energetic live playing. The punchy beats and circular guitar of "Beastie Blotch" blast Live 190706 off in style, the solidly hit but rattling kit keeping the song fuelled up. Strafing treble ends notes make threats to sunder the song in two, there's a real raw-boned fire to the playing. The dark post punk shapings and the Ad Rock rant gives the song a vigorous focus to its rage, letting it work both as a head nodding rush and something deeper. Lyrically, I'm not sure, as it's difficult to make out, but a sense of confusion and reproach is spat out through the mouth of a heartbroken drill sergeant. This melodious racket feel is also found on "Free to Thrash" whose explosions into virulent expulsions (like it says in the title) are interspersed with sci-fi drone guitar. The third track "F Sweet" rides a clinically clear pop groove that gradually begins to warp into something a little more crystalline and spindly. "12 Minutes, " the closer (which is only actually 6:14 long), twists up from the ground and delicately chimes its way into great sucking black holes of static flecked din. The strong echoes of John McGeoch style guitar through the early part of the track, ending in a spilt river of melted guitar parts. There seems to be a great chemistry between the pair, backing each other as they extend the duo sound down different very different paths to most other pairings. It's great to hear a new band that sound able to competently and thoroughly brilliantly tackle diverse material in a live setting. More please." "Your Loyal Subjects make use of some spazzy noises and Shellac style scratchy guitar sound all topped off with Pixies style screeches. They have a loose and fierce style which sound expertly captured here. Very Oxes, very good indeed!" Pete Stanley, The Plastic Ashtray (review of PRE2) "…flying the flag high as some of Scotland's finest purveyors of raw, unconstrained and non contrived attitude…" Dave Kerr, The Skinny (review of PRE2)
www.drivecarefullyrecords.co.uk
www.myspace.com/drivecarefullyrecords
www.myspace.com/varsoflitchi
www.myspace.com/yourloyalsubjects
Sunday 22
THE FEBRUARY SOLUTION (pictured) / FRIDAY NIGHT GUNFIGHT (pictured) / BLACK CHAIN / DEPARTURES
The February Solution formed in 2002 after meeting at college in Glasgow. We have played various support slots with bands such as: Textures, Hopesfall, Khoma, Eden Maine, Aconite Thrill, All Shall Perish, and The Abominable Iron Sloth. In May 2006 we completed a UK tour sponsored by UK Metal Underground. In February 2007 we were selected to play Bloodbath all day festival in Nottingham along with the likes of Devil Sold His Soul, Shaped By Fate and Eternal Lord. We have recorded and self released three EPs two of which have sold out and only one remains for purchase through our online store. The "W54 st" EP is our second EP and was released in 2005. This 15 minute long three track EP makes up some of the founding ideas of the current February Solution sound and live set list. The most recent, and only available, release is the "Only Heroes Make It Home Alive" EP which sees us further cement our style with over 25 minutes of music spread over 5 tracks. We have successfully sold over 300 copies of our three EPs independently through gigs and our website. Work has already been completed on writing an albums worth of songs which will see some freshening up of a couple of old tracks being added to a vast quantity of newly written material. Friday Night Gunfight are a 5-piece 'contemporary self-styled new school hardcore band'. The band has achieved a great deal since forming in early 2004 however this is only the beginning! Expect brutal attacks, innovative riffs, aggression, technicality, fast! mosh! Chug! melody, insane vocals, and crushing beatdowns. Departures is: love for music / love for schwarzenegger / love for partridge. Doors 8.30pm / £4
www.myspace.com/thefebruarysolution54
www.myspace.com/fridaynightgunfight
www.myspace.com/departuresmusic
Monday 23
JOHN KNOX SEX CLUB / JANET AND THE BOOWALKS / + GUESTS
It's rock music with a calvinist edge....so kinda less druggy but with more of an understanding of the relationship between god and man. There's no need for a middle man.
Wednesday 25
CULANN (pictured) / ABOVE AIR / WHAT THE BLOOD REVEALED / ATHOS VIENNA (pictured)
A night of heavy, heavy, black, black, metal, metal. It's going to be a sweaty one! Doors 8pm
www.myspace.com/culannband
www.myspace.com/aboveair
www.myspace.com/wtbr
www.myspace.com/athosvienna
Friday 27
THE GEORGE CARNIVAL 25th Anniversary Gig / SONIK / DJ DOWNSTAT
Out of the mists of time comes.... George Carnival. Bringing forth a new age forged from 1980`s synth pop melodia and meshed with a new beat and a dark light that will free your mind from the decay of this modern world. And thus it shall be called Neo Futurism. A new dawn will rise for the masses. Neo Futurism will Rejuvinate your soul. With DJ Downstat djing before, after and between George Carnival and Sonik.
www.georgecarnival.co.uk
Saturday 28
STABWOUND / + GUESTS
Doors 9pm
Monday 30
The End of the Month Club: OVER THE WALL (pictured) / THE TECHNOPHOBES / BOZILLA & Friends
Hosts BOZiLLA plus the loverly boys from OVER THE WALL and the full powered version of THE TECHNOPHOBES. The usual fantastical antics from the ever topical end of the month club.....find out who died in the last month.....listen to songs based on current events.....espy a weebil doing stunts in an evel kneivel outfit....marvel at the tightness of the evenings schedule...find catharsis in a sheet of paper! What more could you ask for?
www.eotmc.com
www.myspace.com/overthewall
www.technophobes.net
www.myspace.com/technophobes
www.bozilla.co.uk
www.myspace.com/bozillabozilla
