Category Archives: Indie Rock
MIAOUX MIAOUX-SCHOOL OF VELOCITY.
MIAOUX MIAOUX-SCHOOL OF VELOCITY. Following up a critically acclaimed debut album is never easy. It never has been, and never will be. That’s why many artists labour long and hard over their sophomore album. In some cases, three years pass by. During this creative struggle, an artist is said to be suffering from second album …
WOODENBOX-FOREIGN ORGAN.
WOODENBOX-FOREIGN ORGAN. When Woodenbox entered Chem 19 recording studio in Blantyre back in August 2011, the Glasgow based sextet were fuelled by the sound of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band and Kayne West. They set about recording End Game. Four years on, it was a much more subdued Woodenbox that began recording their latest album …
LAU-THE BELL THAT NEVER RANG.
LAU-THE BELL THAT NEVER RANG. Ever since the release of their 2007 debut album. Lightweights and Gentlemen, Lau have been variously described as “adventurous,” and “modern folk’s most innovative band.” That’s no exaggeration. Lau are, without doubt, one of the most exciting and ambitious folk bands of their generation. That’s why Kris Drever, Martin Green …
ERRORS-LEASE OF LIFE.
ERRORS-LEASE OF LIFE. After weeks of speculation, the long-list for the Scottish Album Of The Year Award 2015 was recently announced. Most of the albums that made the final twenty got there on merit. Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, Phantom Band, Withered Hand, King Creosote,Twihlight Sad and Kathryn Joseph all deserve their place on the long-list. …
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN-GIRLS IN PEACETIME WANT TO DANCE.
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN-GIRLS IN PEACETIME WANT TO DANCE. Over four years have passed since Belle and Sebastian released their eighth studio album, Belle and Sebastian Write About Love. Since then, Belle and Sebastian’s only release was The Third Eye Centre, a nineteen track retrospective released in August 2013. It featured rarities, remixes, B-Sides, non-album tracks …
THE PHANTOM BAND-STRANGE FRIEND.
THE PHANTOM BAND-STRANGE FRIEND. Over the last year, The Phantom Band have been one of the hardest working bands in Scottish music. They’ve released two albums, Strange Friend and Fears Trending. Strange Friend was released in June 2014, and Fears Trending in January 2015. Both albums were released to widespread critical acclaim, and are among the …
STORNOWAY-BONXIE.
STORNOWAY-BONXIE. It was nine years ago that Brian Briggs first met Jon Quin, at a Freshers Week at Oxford University. Brian’s first words to Jon were that he looked like a member of Scottish indie rock band Teenage Fanclub. That broke the ice. Brian and Jon realised they both shared a love of music. So, …
KING CREOSOTE-FROM SCOTLAND FROM LOVE.
KING CREOSOTE-FROM SCOTLAND FROM LOVE. At this time of the year, Scottish artists start to think of the Scottish Album Of The Year Award. It’s the most prestigious Scottish musical award. So the great and good of Scottish music wait with baited breath the announcement of the long-list of twenty. It’s then narrowed down to just ten albums. …
ERRORS-LEASE OF LIFE.
ERRORS-LEASE OF LIFE. Errors have come a long way since they were formed in Glasgow, in 2004, by Simon Ward, Greg Paterson and Stephen Livingstone. Back then, Errors’ makeshift studio was a bedroom. That was the Glasgow based musical alchemists laboratory. Through experimentation and innovation, Errors sound began to evolve. A years later, in 2005, …
BILL WELLS AND AIDAN MOFFAT-THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE WORLD.
BILL WELLS AND AIDAN MOFFAT-THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE WORLD. Four years after the last musical sojourn, Scotland’s musical odd couple of Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat return with their long awaited sophomore album The Most Important Place In The World. It’s the followup to Bill and Aidan’s 2011 debut album, Everything’s Getting Older. …
THE PHANTOM BAND-FEARS TRENDING.
THE PHANTOM BAND-FEARS TRENDING. For fans of The Phantom Band, it’s either a case of feast of famine. Having released their debut album Checkmate Savage in January 2009, The Phantom Band returned in October 2010 with their sophomore album The Wants. After that, nothing was heard from The Phantom Band for four long years. During …
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN-GIRLS IN PEACETIME WANT TO DANCE.
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN-GIRLS IN PEACETIME WANT TO DANCE. Over four years have passed since Belle and Sebastian released their eighth studio album, Belle and Sebastian Write About Love. Since then, Belle and Sebastian’s only release was The Third Eye Centre, a nineteen track retrospective released in August 2013. It featured rarities, remixes, B-Sides, non-album tracks …
THE BATHERS-KELVINGROVE BABY.
THE BATHERS-KELVINGROVE BABY. 2015 marks the thirtieth anniversary of a Scottish musical institution, The Bathers. They were formed in Glasgow, in 1985, by singer, songwriter and troubled troubadour Chris Thomson and released six albums between 1987 and 1999. The Bathers fifth album was Kelvingrove Baby, a minor classic, that’s one of the finest Scottish albums …
THE FIFTY BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2014-PART 1.
THE FIFTY BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2014-PART 1. RODRIGO AMARANTE-CAVALO. Previously, Rodrigo Amarante was part of one of the most successful Brazilian bands of all time, Los Hermanos. However, this year, he embarked upon his solo career. His debut solo album Cavalo, was released in May 2014, on Mais Um Discos. Cavalo shows a new …
THE FIFTY BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2014-PART 3.
THE FIFTY BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2014-PART 3. KROKOFANT-KROKOFANT. What do you get if you cross a crocodile with an elephant? A Krokofant. For those not familiar with this surreal hybrid, then you’ve never heard the popular Norwegian children’s song. The Krokofant has been described as “a lumbering trumpeting beast with a fearsome array of …
THE FIFTY BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2014-PART 5.
THE FIFTY BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2014-PART 5. SUPERSILENT-12. Four long years have passed, since Supersilent released their eighth album 11 on Rune Grammofon. Since 2010, Supersilent’s fans have eagerly awaited the next chapter in the Supersilent story. At last, the wait is over. Supersilent recently released their ninth album 12, on Rune Grammofon. 12 …
TRAMPLORD-FROM BUDDY HOLLY TO PETULANT SOUNDS.
TRAMPLORD-FROM BUDDY HOLLY TO PETULANT SOUNDS. It was back in 2010, that the enigmatic, London based, Tramplord released their debut album Buddy Holly. Critics were won over by Tramplord’s unique fusion of jangling indie pop, psychedelia and Brit Pop. No wonder. The music on Buddy Holly was anthemic, joyous and melancholy. It was also melodic and …
FIELD REPORT-MARIGOLDEN.
FIELD REPORT-MARIGOLDEN. It was back in 2012, that Field Report, released their eponymous debut album. Two years later, and singer-songwriter Chris Porterfield and his band return with their sophomore album, Marigolden, which was recently released by Partisan Records. However, much has happened to Field Report in the intervening two years. Since the release of Field …