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Issue 658

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Q&A: Tom Smith

Q&A: Tom Smith from Editors

10 Jun 2010

Tom Smith is frontman for acclaimed post-punk-influenced indie band Editors. He discusses cramped tubes, Chris Rea and getting ‘papped’ with girlfriend Edith Bowman

Home Truths: Human Trafficking

Roadkill - Cora Bissett interview

10 Jun 2010

The shocking realities of human trafficking come under the spotlight in a new off piece of work. Anna Millar meets its maker

Shore thing

Schnapps, Jakil and Little Eskimos among highlights Leith Festival's Batter of the Bands

10 Jun 2010

David Pollock takes a look at some Leith Festival highlights, including Leith Records’ chip shop-based music competition, Batter of the Bands

Dennis Hopper RIP 1936-2010.

Dennis Hopper - 1936-2010

10 Jun 2010

Actor, director, writer, photographer and artist Dennis Hopper died on 29 May at the age of 74. Here, fans and old friends pay tribute

Neighbourhoods, Watch! - Leith Festival Vs West End Festival

Neighbourhoods, Watch! - Leith Festival Vs West End Festival

10 Jun 2010

In the East corner, Edinburgh’s Leith Festival! In the West corner, Glasgow’s West End Festival! Kirstin Innes adjudicates the battle of the community fests.

Privilege, The Squeeze and Private Road among highlights of EIFF After the Wave retrospective

Privilege, The Squeeze and Private Road among highlights of EIFF After the Wave retrospective

10 Jun 2010

Paul Dale rediscovers the unappreciated strangeness of 70s UK cinema through the After the Wave retrospective

Taylor Mac

Taylor Mac set for Arches show

10 Jun 2010

Taylor Mac is a once-seen, never forgotten sort of an act. His previous spell at the Edinburgh Fringe – and indeed the Arches – was met with plaudits and gongs galore. Denying any clichéd ticking of boxes, Mac’s gregarious hat-trick as performance…

Greenberg

Greenberg

(4 stars)10 Jun 2010

(15) 107min The worst thing about a mid life crisis? You are only half way through. Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller) is 40 years old, unemployed, house-sitting for his rich brother and a minefield of mildly autistic behaviour. Obnoxious…

Johan Grimonprez - dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y

Johan Grimonprez - dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y

(4 stars)10 Jun 2010

Johan Grimonprez Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, until Sun 11 July. By concluding his 60-minute history of airplane hijackings with a slow-motion sequence of explosive crash landings set to the saccharine tones of Van McCoy’s ‘The Hustle’, Grimonprez…

Insider Raving

Rock Ness: Festival director Jim King's guide to the event

10 Jun 2010

Rock Ness festival director Jim King guides us through the three days of must-see acts

2 Many DJs/Soulwax at Rock Ness

2 Many DJs/Soulwax at Rock Ness

10 Jun 2010

They’ve been at Rock Ness four times before, now they’re back in 2010, hosting their own tent. Henry Northmore speaks to David and Stephen Dewaele, aka Soulwax It Takes Two They’ve been at Rock Ness four times before, now they’re back in 2010…

Exposure: The Swiss

Exposure: The Swiss

10 Jun 2010

New recruits to the stable of electronic pop acts on Melbourne’s Modular Records, Adelaide trio The Swiss have just touched down in the UK for their first ever European tour when The List catches up with bassist Surahn ‘Sid’ Sidhu. ‘We [also drummer…

ECA Annual Summer Revel

The Pineapple Chunks head up ECA Annual Summer Revel

10 Jun 2010

If ever there was a party in Edinburgh’s calendar that deserves the term legendary, the Revel is it. Everyone knows about Hogmanay, the Festival and even Beltane, but Edinburgh College of Art’s traditional end of term blowout tends to be both truly…

Christopher Hitchens - Hitch-22

Christopher Hitchens - Hitch-22

(4 stars)10 Jun 2010

Hitch-22 (Atlantic) Many of history’s key figures have contradictory sides to their nature. Churchill was a focussed leader who often sank a quart of vodka before lunch. Hitler loved animals so much he couldn’t bring himself to chomp on them, but was…

Rock Ness, the Rest of the Fest

Kevin Bridges, Derrick May and Green Velvet on Rock Ness 2010 bill

10 Jun 2010

Rock Ness has more to offer than just great DJs and lashings of live music, as Henry Northmore finds out

Phillip Glass

Phillip Glass performs Drift 2010

10 Jun 2010

If any show being staged in the grand old (but newly renovated) Usher Hall counts as being an intimate one, then this is it. The American composer Philip Glass, famed for his film scores, operas and popular collaborations, will be performing a set of…

The Happiest Girl in the World (Cea Mai Fericita Fata din Lume)

The Happiest Girl in the World (Cea Mai Fericita Fata din Lume)

(3 stars)10 Jun 2010

(15) 100min The debut feature of Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude, this ironically titled comedy unfolds over the course of a sweltering summer day in Bucharest. Provincial working-class teenager Delia (Andrea Bosneag) has won a new car in a competition…

Haute Cuisine

Haute Cuisine as Festival in the Sky takes Edinburgh diners to new heights

10 Jun 2010

Edinburgh Festivals endeavour to take their audience to new heights: and this year they look set to take that idea further still, as diners are invited to eat at a table suspended 100ft above the city. The 22-seat dinner table will be suspended over…

Christos Tsiolkas - The Slap

Christos Tsiolkas - The Slap

(4 stars)10 Jun 2010

(Tuskar Rock) Christos Tsiolkas may have chosen the eponymous chastisement to hang his novel on, but his engaging look at Australian life could easily have functioned without it. The slap in question is visited upon an ill-mannered child by the…

Name Changes and Food News - June 2010

Edinburgh's Monster Mash becomes Mum's Great Comfort Food

10 Jun 2010

Hot on the heels of Ashes to Ashes, a Conservative prime minister and not overlooking Marc Almond’s 25th anniversary tour, the 80s and 90s revival continues with the return of the old green and gold livery of Pierre Victoire to the streets of Edinburgh.

5 Paperback Memoirs out in July 2010

Five paperback memoirs published in July 2010

10 Jun 2010

Buzz Aldrin Magnificent Desolation The never-dull story of the moon landing and Buzz’s subsequent struggle to cope. Bloomsbury. Alex Marsh Sex & Bowls & Rock and Roll A terribly witty blog-to-book affair about a disillusioned househusband who…

Scissor Sisters set for Glasgow Barrowlands show

Scissor Sisters set for Glasgow Barrowlands show

10 Jun 2010

Scissor Sisters Jake Shears and the gang are back, following up 2006’s ridiculously successful Ta-Dah with third album Night Work. It’s a dance record, but not completely electronic, with Shears promising that the band dynamic will shine through…

Central Station: Julia Smith

Central Station: Julia Smith

10 Jun 2010

Julia Smith is a ceramicist working from the Deepfired Ceramic Studio in Govan, Glasgow. She makes a range of ceramics intended for everyday use, from bowls, plates, cups and mugs to sugar pots, clocks, spoons, buttons and brooches. By intentionally…

Pekko Kappi and Alasdair Roberts

Pekko Kappi and Alasdair Roberts play Edinburgh's Roxy Art House

10 Jun 2010

If you feel like your life has been lacking in folk/drone crossovers recently – and let’s be honest, we could all use a bit more of that - there’s a treat in store. Finnish improv artist Pekko Kappi plays the jouhikko (pictured), an archaic bowed…

The Gaslight Anthem

The Gaslight Anthem on 2010 UK tour

10 Jun 2010

New Jersey’s TGA return, celebrating the release of a new album and single, both titled ‘American Slang. American Slang picks up where the last year’s The ‘59 Sound left off, demonstrating that these boys are masters of the seemingly oxymoronic ‘soul…

Electric Honey label showcase, featuring Woodenbox With A Fistful Of Fivers and White Heath

Electric Honey label showcase hosts Woodenbox with a Fistful of Fivers and White Heath

10 Jun 2010

Electric Honey, those bright young sparks based in Stow College, are treating us to a fresh clutch of artists from their stable – the self same stable that was instrumental in building the careers of Belle & Sebastian, Snow Patrol and Biffy Clyro.

!!! - Music, Film and Art Night

!!! - Music, Film and Art Night set for Glasgow Arches

10 Jun 2010

!!! (or ‘chk chk chk’ to punctuation-phobics) are set to take part in this multi-disciplined live music, film and art night, which will also feature a short film about master tattooist Norman Collins, as well as lashings and lashings of spiced rum. The…

Raphael Danke - Levitation Party

Raphael Danke - Levitation Party

(4 stars)10 Jun 2010

Raphael Danke The Berlin-based Danke’s collages, photography and sculptures have been stunningly re-envisaging the legacy of Surrealism since he graduated in 1999. Today his work continues to capture the imagination and defy expectation, and following a…

Jay Lafferty

Jay Lafferty lines up Glasgow Stand show

10 Jun 2010

One of the rising stars of the Scottish stand-up scene, La Lafferty has consolidated the high profile she gained back in 2007 through her spot as runner-up in the Scottish Comedian of the Year final at the Old Fruitmarket. Cuddly one sec, cruel the…

The Herbaliser - Herbal Tonic

The Herbaliser - Herbal Tonic

(3 stars)10 Jun 2010

(Ninja Tune) This ‘best of’ is undeniable funky fun, but often just serves as a reminder of acts (eg DJ Shadow, The Avalanches) who have done something similar but with more subtlety and panache.

Oasis - Time Flies

Oasis - Time Flies

(3 stars)10 Jun 2010

(Big Brother) A roughly chronological greatest hits, with the earlier and latter days of Oasis’ career divided across two CDs. Throw away forgettable CD two and you can add another star.

Allo Darlin’ - Allo Darlin’

Allo Darlin’ - Allo Darlin’

(2 stars)10 Jun 2010

Magic Numbers-style summery pop put through the twee blender, but it’s got all the nutritional value of a bag of sugar – overly sweet, and it’ll rot your teeth.

Seth Lakeman - Hearts and Minds

Seth Lakeman - Hearts and Minds

(3 stars)10 Jun 2010

(Relentless/Virgin) In the wake of the folk modernism of Mumford and Marling, Lakeman’s latest is occasionally at risk of sounding a little too rustic and antiquated.

Matisyahu - Light

Matisyahu - Light

(4 stars)10 Jun 2010

(100%) Hasidic-Jewish electro-rap-reggae? It’s better than it sounds – you’ll be hard-pressed to keep your head from nodding. Loses a star for featuring Akon though.

King Creosote, Meursault & Animal Magic Tricks - Cold Seeds

King Creosote, Meursault & Animal Magic Tricks - Cold Seeds

(4 stars)10 Jun 2010

(Song, by Toad) Eerie and sumptuous as the participants list might suggest, this corker’s only let-down is its sporadic tendency to meander without direction.

Sick Note Saturday

Young Fathers play Sick Note Saturday

10 Jun 2010

Once again SN take advantage of their monthly weekend slot with alt.hip hoppers Young Fathers going live.

Return to Mono

Cajmere brings Green Velvet to Return to Mono

10 Jun 2010

Old school house and electro from Chicago’s Cajmere, aka Green Velvet, at Slam’s regular monthly bash.

Leftfield: Active Progressive

Leftfield headline Rock Ness 2010 - Neil Barnes interview

9 Jun 2010

Electronic duo Leftfield (aka Neil Barnes and Paul Daley) are responsible for some of electronic music’s most enduring tracks. Their debut, Leftism (1995) mixed house, techno, deep dub and post punk in a unique exploration of the possibilities of…

The Big Draw

The Illusionist opens EIFF 2010 - Sylvain Chomet interview

9 Jun 2010

The year after French animator Sylvain Chomet knocked out cinema-goers at the 2003 Edinburgh International Film Festival with his wildly eccentric and utterly charming double-Oscar nominated debut feature, Belleville Rendez-vous (aka The Triplets of…

Staycation : Scottish Travel A-Z

How to holiday in Scotland: Scottish Travel A-Z

9 Jun 2010

We’re here to persuade you that you don’t need foreign beaches or backpacking tours to make the most of the summer. There’s a world of wonder right on your doorstep, with plenty of Scottish excursions to keep you entertained until autumn. Anna Millar…

Staycation - Scottish Travel

How to holiday in Scotland

9 Jun 2010

Forget ash clouds and airline strikes, there’s plenty of fun to be had on your doorstep, at a fraction of the cost. If you’re itching to get out of Edinburgh or Glasgow, but want to leave the car at home, then look no further for some great deals, by…

ECA and GSA Degree Shows 2010

ECA and GSA Degree Shows 2010

9 Jun 2010

As Glasgow and Edinburgh prepare to showcase their finest outgoing talent with their much anticipated degree shows, Talitha Kotzé meets some of the makers

Singles and Downloads - June 2010

Singles and Downloads - June 2010

(4 stars)9 Jun 2010

And so the hominids of this wretched earth confronted the perpetual question, as they had done oft since time immemorial, or at least since Charlene soared out of Neighbours and onto the pop throne 23 (23!) years ago: have you heard the new Kylie…

Rose and Bones: Spirit and Stones

Rose and Bones: Spirit and Stones

9 Jun 2010

Glasgow’s Tramway has always been a venue that dares to be different. So it stands to reason that its in-house artists’ collective takes a unique approach to integrated work. Co-ordinated by Rachel Clive, the Theatre Arts Group is a coming together of…

Gerard Byrne: Images or Shadows of Divine Things

Gerard Byrne: Images or Shadows of Divine Things

(4 stars)9 Jun 2010

Gerard Byrne’s exhibition appears to be a straight show of framed black and white photography. However, Images or shadows of divine things is only nominally an exhibition of photographs. Byrne uses photography as a conduit to express a series of highly…

Wild Target

Wild Target

(1 star)9 Jun 2010

(12A) 90min Hitman farce Wild Target consistently shoots wide of the mark in spite of some promising ingredients. A remake of 1994 French film, it’s directed by Jonathan Lynn (My Cousin Vinny, The Whole Nine Yards) and boasts a strong cast…

The Wee Chill

The Wee Chill

(4 stars)9 Jun 2010

Here’s a first: this is surely the only festival in the world that greets you upon entry with a glass case of shed tarantula skins, or comes with its own wishing pond and potting sheds as standard. This is The Wee Chill and, for the first time, this…

Where Do You Draw the Line with Cloning?

After Dolly: Where Do You Draw the Line?

9 Jun 2010

It’s been 13 years since Edinburgh-based scientists successfully cloned a sheep, and as the first man-made life forms blubber onto the planet, scientists from Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, where Dolly the Sheep was created, get together with their…

Jazz Bar hits a high note

Jazz Bar hits a high note

9 Jun 2010

Huge congratulations to Edinburgh Jazz Bar following their award for the UK Jazz Bar of the Year. The award was presented to Jazz Bar creator Bill Kyle last month, and marks the third major award the venue has picked up in under a year, having been…

Rockness 2010 Helpful Travel Info

Rock Ness 2010: Travel info

9 Jun 2010

The easiest way to get yourself to Rock Ness is via Citylink’s direct bus service. Here’s our handy guide to their services:

Gok Wan glams up Glasgow

Gok Wan glams up Glasgow at Glam in the City

9 Jun 2010

Spandy dandy Gok Wan joins forces with Lorraine Kelly (yeah, we’re scared too...) for three days of fashion shows, workshops, makeovers and exclusive evening events, all based out of a great big tent on George Square. Tickets from www.glaminthecity.co.uk.

Death Disco

The Swiss hit Death Disco

9 Jun 2010

Belgian electro from Aeroplane and Australian disco-pop from newcomers The Swiss at the Arches’ neon-flared and enduringly popular monthly party.

Substance

Planetary Assault System visit Substance

9 Jun 2010

A killer techno exclusive as Planetary Assault System lays waste to the GRV.

Yann Martel's Shoah business

Yann Martel's Shoah business

3 Jun 2010

Yann Martel is using more fable and allegory in the follow-up to his Man Booker winner. Camilla Pia hears from an author at his artistic peak and in domestic bliss

Band of Horses are Back in the Saddle

Band of Horses are back in the saddle

3 Jun 2010

Get your lighters out. Band of Horses are bringing their country-tinged rock to Bellahouston Park. Ryan Drever traces the path that brought them here. Upon forming in Seattle in 2004, Band Of Horses hit the ground running. After landing an early break…

The JD Set with Malcolm Middleton, Casiokids, James Yuill, Silver Columns and Cocknbullkid

The JD Set with Malcolm Middleton, Casiokids, James Yuill, Silver Columns and Cocknbullkid

3 Jun 2010

‘Take an album like Madonna’s Immaculate Collection,’ says Johnny Lynch. ‘That’s basically exactly what it is; immaculate. It’s a perfect pop record in the same way as Erasure’s Pop, or Pet Shop Boys’ Discography are.’ Lynch, who you may also know as…

Best bars in and around Leith

Best bars in and around Leith

3 Jun 2010

David Pollock suggests the finest locations for a festival beverage, or two

James Ferraro

James Ferraro

3 Jun 2010

‘Don’t expect “bands” or straightforward “songs”. Just leave musical logic at the door and have some fun,’ advises Edinburgh promoter Nick Herd, the man behind grassroots endeavour Braw Gigs. He’s referring to the upcoming show from press-shy…

5 reasons to see - Paul McCartney

5 reasons to see - Paul McCartney

3 Jun 2010

He hasn’t played Scotland in twenty years. Not since a show at the SECC almost to the day in 1990. Can you believe that? No, nor can we. ‘Scotland holds such a special place for me,’ Sir Macca has stated, ‘I have loads of Scottish mates and so many…

Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra with George Burt and Susan Alcorn

Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra with George Burt and Susan Alcorn

3 Jun 2010

Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra, led by saxophonist Raymond MacDonald, can always be relied upon to add some experimental intrigue to the largely classicist Jazz Festival, and this year sees them develop their relationship with Baltimore pedal steel…

MacGruber

MacGruber

(4 stars)3 Jun 2010

(15) 98min After the deluge of unfocused Scary Movie/Date Movie parodies, green shoots of comedic recovery arrived in the form of last year’s witty blaxploitation spoof Black Dynamite and this revival of Saturday Night Live character MacGruber, an…

5 Things you might not know about - Rob Rouse

5 Things you might not know about - Rob Rouse

3 Jun 2010

1. Having trained as a geography teacher, Rob Rouse decided that a career in education wasn’t really his bag and so tried his hand at stand-up, a profession that he describes as ‘easier’. 2. In 1998 he beat off competition from Alex Zane, Dan…

Shopping in and around Leith

Shopping in and around Leith

3 Jun 2010

There’s no better place to begin than legendary Italian food emporium and Edinburgh institution Valvona & Crolla at Elm Row. Open since 1934, this is as close to food shopping in Rome as you’ll get in Scotland. Further down Leith Walk, St…

Cardboard

Cardboard

(4 stars)3 Jun 2010

The Magic Orifice is a temporary architectural intervention designed by the Roxy’s resident handyman Tom Clowney. What this amounts to is a hive-shaped pod made out of triangular panels that looks like a miniature festival stage squeezed inside the…

Adam Ross - Mr Peanut

Adam Ross - Mr Peanut

(3 stars)3 Jun 2010

(Jonathan Cape) A terse thriller, Mr Peanut pivots along three narrative threads, each of which takes a look at the sinister side of marriage, and two of which end in murder. That they do not become entangled is a testament to the skilfulness with…

Sam Lipsyte - The Ask

Sam Lipsyte - The Ask

(4 stars)3 Jun 2010

(Old Street) Satire has become a dirty word in Britain, devalued through excessive application to intelligent but superficial, self-satisfied observations of our uncertain times. In the US though, where The Daily Show and The Onion set the standard…

Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit - Been Listening

Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit - Been Listening

(3 stars)3 Jun 2010

Transgressive Alongside 27-year-old Flynn’s mature-beyond-his-years lyricism and songwriting ability, as demonstrated on 2008’s A Larum, Been Listening reveals a much broader musical palate, and a band on very fine form indeed. Blues influences are…

We Saw You: Heather Steele

We Saw You: Heather Steele

3 Jun 2010

Heather Steele, trainee journalist, 22, Cardiff My shoes are from Urban Outfitters and the leggings are from Old Navy. I got the skirt on holiday in Montreal. It’s by InSight, which I think is an Australian label. My jumper is vintage, I got it…

Trainspotting Tour

Trainspotting Tour

3 Jun 2010

There are few books that have changed the landscape of contemporary Scottish literature quite like Irvine Welsh’s debut novel of 1993. Over the course of two hours, you’ll spot Irvo’s flat, Sick Boy’s pub and Leith police station on your way to getting…

Ugly Truths: The Dry Land

Ugly Truths: The Dry Land

2 Jun 2010

‘I’m not a professional expert in post-traumatic stress disorder,’ says Ugly Betty star America Ferrera. On the strength of the popular fashion-industry sitcom, few would have any expectations that the LA-born actress would have much flair for examining…

Die Laughing: Bored To Death

Die Laughing: Bored To Death

2 Jun 2010

Jonathan Ames is a writer of books, graphic novels, movie scripts and TV shows. He’s just finished a HBO comedy series called Bored To Death which follows a fictional writer and magazine journalist who, finding himself dumped by his girlfriend and…

Combat Models: Jackboots on Whitehall

Combat Models: Jackboots on Whitehall

2 Jun 2010

If you only see one puppet-based, all-star World War II comedy epic at this year’s EIFF, it surely has to be Jackboots on Whitehall, the long-gestated project of the McHenry brothers, Ed and Rory. Set in an alternative universe where Nazis have…

Edinburgh Festival of Sport

Edinburgh Festival of Sport

2 Jun 2010

It’s a sad but true fact that the closest many parents come to sporting activity is dropping their kids off at the swimming pool or standing at the touchline on a Saturday morning. Which is why Edinburgh’s Active Schools campaign has just launched its…

Robert Wyatt - Greatest Misses

Robert Wyatt - Greatest Misses

(5 stars)1 Jun 2010

(Domino) Its title may be a wry acknowledgment of Robert Wyatt’s enduring cult status, but Greatest Misses stands as a fine introduction to a truly great artist. As the drummer in Soft Machine, Wyatt was at the forefront of English psychedelia, but…

Stag & Dagger Day Festival

Stag & Dagger Day Festival

(3 stars)1 Jun 2010

Stag & Dagger is Glasgow’s other one-ticket, multi-venue festival, and it lands on what must be the hottest day of the year so far. Its rival Hinterland only took place in April, but this is a decidedly more underground effort, lacking the big names and…

Ozzy Osbourne - Scream

Ozzy Osbourne - Scream

(2 stars)1 Jun 2010

Rock/ Metal Ozzy Osbourne Scream (Columbia) ‘I’m a rock star,’ growls Ozzy at the start of this, his tenth solo album. Well, not really, Ozzy, you’re primarily a global reality television celebrity, something you’re actually better at these days.

Chez Roux, Elià and Los Cardos amongst recent Glasgow and Edinburgh restaurant openings

Chez Roux, Elià and Los Cardos amongst recent Glasgow and Edinburgh restaurant openings

1 Jun 2010

OTHER RECENT OPENINGS Independent write-ups on all the restaurants worth knowing about in Edinburgh and Glasgow are available on our online Eating & Drinking Guide at list.co.uk/food-and-drink. Prices shown are for an average two-course meal for…

Edinburgh's Six of the Best

Edinburgh's Six of the Best

1 Jun 2010

Porto & Fi 47 Newhaven Mainstreet, 0131 551 1900 In the mornings and mid-afternoon, this Newhaven eatery is a bustling café, serving a range of breakfast options, coffees and cakes to tourists and regulars attracted by the light, airy space…

Stan Tracey

Stan Tracey

1 Jun 2010

Back in 1997, the Glasgow Jazz Festival staged a special concert celebrating Stan Tracey’s 70th birthday. We wondered then how much longer the pianist would continue to perform. The answer is that he is beginning to look indestructible. Regularly…

Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra

Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra

1 Jun 2010

Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Centre Jazz Orchestra have performed in Edinburgh a couple of times, but this closing night concert will be the Glasgow debut for the celebrated New York-based big band. They take their name from their base of…

Profile: Planetary Assault Systems

Profile: Planetary Assault Systems

1 Jun 2010

Name: Planetary Assault Systems Real name: Luke Slater Occupation: DJ and producer Luke Slater has been part of the electronic music scene since the late 80s, releasing records on labels including Peacefrog and Novamute. In 1995 Soma…

Dan Sartain

Dan Sartain

(3 stars)1 Jun 2010

Dan Sartain bounds onto the stage, guitar in hand, to whoops of delight from a mostly male crowd. He is not the kind of guy you bring home to mom – which is why all guys want to be him – he’s more like the one upon whom your mum secretly harbours a…

Nat Birchall - Guiding Spirit

Nat Birchall - Guiding Spirit

(3 stars)1 Jun 2010

(Gondwana) Nat Birchall is a saxophonist from the Manchester area, deeply in thrall to the example of John Coltrane, and especially Coltrane’s strongly modal 60s music. Even his tune titles carry a distinctly Trane echo, but it would be wrong to mark…

James Morton's Porkchop - Don’t You Worry ‘Bout That

James Morton's Porkchop - Don’t You Worry ‘Bout That

(3 stars)1 Jun 2010

(Fresh Ground Records) Bristol alto saxophonist James Morton has worked regularly with Pee Wee Ellis (of James Brown fame), and clearly soaked up the American saxophonist’s soul-jazz-funk ethos. The dance-floor friendly grooves and soulful licks draw…

We Are Scientists - Barbara

We Are Scientists - Barbara

(2 stars)1 Jun 2010

(Masterswan) Scientists are often not the most exciting of people, and on this showing, We Are Scientists live up to their name. When not playing music however, they’re hugely entertaining and endearing, but ‘Barbara’ fails to find their much…

Various - The Essential Guide To South Africa

Various - The Essential Guide To South Africa

(3 stars)1 Jun 2010

(Union Square) Time for a rich South African soundscape to celebrate World Cup time. Many will recognise the deep harmonies of Ladysmith Black Mambazo from baked beans ads if not from Paul Simon’s Graceland. This exuberant panorama also stretches…

Luísa Maita - Lero Lero

Luísa Maita - Lero Lero

(4 stars)1 Jun 2010

(Cumbancha) São Paolo singer Luísa Maita can do fresh and fragile as with ‘Aí Ven Ele’ (There He Comes), Brazilian north-eastern zippy with ‘Fulaninha’ (What’s Her Name), funky upbeat with ‘Lero Lero’ (Hey, What’s Up) and modern bossa with…

Lisa O Piu - Behind the Bend

Lisa O Piu - Behind the Bend

(3 stars)1 Jun 2010

(Subliminal Sounds) Swedish folk sorceress Lisa Isaksson first made our acquaintance via quality Scottish micro-imprint Autumn Ferment, who released her single, ‘Whisperers, Wavers...’ in 2008. Since then she’s released a lovely debut album…

Pernice Brothers - Goodbye, Killer

Pernice Brothers - Goodbye, Killer

(3 stars)1 Jun 2010

(One Little Indian) There’s a lot to like about this sixth album from the veteran Massachusetts indie outfit, but somehow it never quite coheres into a standout record. The mood is generally strummy, melancholic and mature, somewhere between the…

Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void

Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void

(4 stars)1 Jun 2010

Alt. country/ rock Blitzen Trapper Destroyer of the Void (Sub Pop) Portland rock-classicists Blitzen Trapper are all about the big stuff on their fifth long-player: ‘Love and Hate’, ‘Heaven and Earth’, hurricanes, dragons and stars all play their…

Robyn - Body Talk Pt 1

Robyn - Body Talk Pt 1

(4 stars)1 Jun 2010

Glorious pop android Robyn has two modes: LOVE ME and FUCK YOU, and they are both wonderful. Body Talk Pt 1, which features Diplo and Royksopp, is the follow-up to the Swedish icon’s 2007 self-titled album, and the first of three long-players due this…

Susie Hug - Tucson Moonshine

Susie Hug - Tucson Moonshine

(4 stars)1 Jun 2010

(Vacilando ‘68) Having collaborated on previous ‘solo’ projects with, variously, Fatima Mansions, The Blue Aeroplanes and Travis, the former Katydids frontwoman has now flown across the Atlantic to team up with south-western alt.country outfit…

Music festivals 2010: Festival profiles

Music festivals 2010: Festival profiles

28 May 2010

Big or small, loud or quiet, dry or muddy – we love festivals whatever their size, sound or likelihood to leave you soaking wet. Over the next 20 pages we'll give you the lowdown on every major fest hitting Scotland this summer, and information on a few…

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