Music

Hot 100 2012: Not 100

They’re not hot, and there are only five of them - our pick of those who’ve not had such a good year

Donald Trump The Obama ‘birther’ conspiracist and owner of the only ego visible from space isn’t technically Scottish, but his anti-wind farm stance and opposition to a BBC screening of Anthony Baxter’s documentary You’ve Been Trumped mean he’s…

My Bloody Valentine to play UK gigs in 2013

Glasgow, London and Manchester shows announced, with new album incoming soon

Shoegaze giants My Bloody Valentine are set to play three UK gigs next March following a February tour of Japan and Australia. A headline slot at Japan’s Tokyo Rocks festival has also been set. The band has also confirmed that their third album – the…

Rihanna, Killers and Mumford & Sons to headline T in the Park 2013

Other confirmed artists for T’s 20th anniversary include Paloma Faith, alt-J and Monsters and Men

The first acts of Scotland’s biggest festival have been announced, with Rihanna and Mumford & Sons headlining. Other confirmed artist include: Paloma Faith, alt-J, Monsters and Men and The Script. Rihanna cut her festival teeth at London’s Wireless…

A History of Classical Music: Part 2 - Really Early Music

Alex Johnston's series of articles outlining the history of classical music - with Spotify playlist

People have been making music as long as there's been people. The earliest musical instruments we have appear to be bone flutes, around 40,000 years old, found in Germany and Slovenia. The earliest composer whose name we know was from Ur, in what's now…

A History of Classical Music: Part 1 - Introduction

Alex Johnston's series of articles outlining the history of classical music - with Spotify playlist

Do you like the odd piece of classical music, but you also feel like you can't tell one composer from another, and you don't know who wrote your favourite bits, and you're finding it all it a bit intimidating, but you'd like to know more? We can…

Rustie and TNGHT to perform at Pleasure Principle 2013

Weekend dance festival in Cornwall is the product of a collaboration between Numbers and Dedbeat

Glasgow’s Numbers and the team behind former Dedbeat festival have jointly created Pleasure Principle, a new music weekender to add to the 2013 calendar. The already confirmed lineup features a mix of big names in hip hop and electronic music…

The Fall - Arches, Glasgow, Wed 21 Nov

Mark E Smith and co deliver set lacking structure but brimming with unapologetic integrity

Mark E Smith is often hailed as the most enigmatic frontman of his generation. Predictably unpredictable, with a biting wit that pours scorn over the most trivial of subjects, generally casting a sardonic sneer down from his perch above, he's certainly…

Interview: Peter Hook performs Joy Division's new wave, melancholy masterpieces, Unknown Pleasures and Closer

Uber-fan of Joy Division Allan Brown gets a chat with one of his musical heroes, Peter Hook

Peter Hook is one of the most gratifyingly paradoxical figures in all of heritage indie-rock, if that’s a thing. The man and the music just don’t match. The latter, as represented by New Order and particularly by Joy Division, is by turns intense…

Matthew Herbert: One Pig - Tramway, Glasgow, Sat 3 Nov 2012

An unusual though certainly intriguing sound performance exploring the life of a pig

Initially gaining recognition for his mid-90s forays into deep house, Matthew Herbert has long since favoured more experimental musical endeavours. Whether recording as Wishmountain, Radio Boy, Matthew Herbert Big Band or under his own name, there's…

Django Django to headline NME Awards Tour 2013

Miles Kane, Palma Violets and Peace also on tour, which will take place in February 2013

Django Django, Miles Kane, Palma Violets and Peace have been announced as the lineup for the 2012 NME Awards Tour. The headline slot for Django Django follows wide-spread praise for the psychedelic indie pop quartet's eponymous debut album and…

Alvin Stardust - Cottiers Theatre, Glasgow, Fri 9 Nov 2012

A polished and engaging, but somehow lacking, show from the 70s rock'n'roll megastar

For those not entirely certain, Alvin Stardust was a kind of evil Shakin’ Stevens. Or a less sinister Alice Cooper. He was a pantomime bad boy rocker, essentially, whose trademark was a single black leather glove and a John Craven’s Newsround sneer.

Robbie Williams announces 2013 UK tour dates

Singer set for summer 2013 solo shows in Glasgow, London, Manchester and Europe

Robbie Williams is set to play a series of concerts through the UK during the summer of 2013. The singer has lined up huge dates in Glasgow, Manchester and London. The 2013 tour follows on from 3 dates at London's O2 Arena and marks a return to…

The Unthanks - Diversions Vol. 3: Songs from the Shipyards

The Unthanks have shrunk. Less than half the size of previous incarnations (since 2009 they’ve hovered at around ten members at any one time), the band behind Diversions Vol 3 is leaner, meaner. There are only five of them. The third release in what…

The DOT - Electric Circus, Edinburgh, 19 Oct

Intimate indietronica show from Mike Skinner (The Streets) and Robert Harvey (The Music)

Where do you go after shifting tons of albums, topping the charts then folding your much loved project? For Mike Skinner it seems that life after The Streets has led to a far more personal project. Once again teaming up with Robert Harvey, of defunct…

Garage-funk posse Chain & the Gang return to Glasgow and Edinburgh

The group, led by DC punk veteran Ian Svenonius, promise 'minimal riffs with maximum fuzz'

Ian Svenonius, the outspoken and impeccably dressed originator of the garage-funk hybrid known as ‘gospel yeh yeh’, is returning to Glasgow for a night of shimmying and shrieking. ‘Depend on us for martial rhythms, minimal riffs with maximum fuzz…

Animal Collective O2 ABC, Glasgow, Wed 7 Nov 2012

The often unpredictable AnCo prove themselves hypeworthy, with a technicolour live show

After a frustrating headline performance at ATP last year, it was going to take an unprecedented effort to coax this writer onto the Animal Collective hype-wagon. But anything’s possible right? Having slowly but steadily won over fans and high-brow…

AlunaGeorge - Nice'n'Sleazy, Glasgow, Fri 16 Nov 2012

Urban pop duo share their love of love of catchy hooks and melodies

Although originating from more experimental musical backgrounds - George Reid as a member of a math rock band, Aluna Francis in an edgy, electronic collective - since meeting online and fusing their names to form Aluna George, the pair have been far…

Interview with The Fall's frontman Mark E Smith

Mark E Smith - the revered, unpredictable, controversial bandleader - discusses his latest tour

As the mercurial frontman of one of Britain's most iconic and enduring outfits, The Fall, Smith has developed a reputation for being surly and aggressive. This myth has, perhaps, been perpetuated by tales of debauchery on tour, a willingness to fire…

Interview: Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Mangan

The musician returns to Glasgow off the back of recent album Oh Fortune and new EP Radicals

It's quite rare for a band to release standalone single - how did 'Radicals' come about? It was a neat opportunity - we had a couple of extra songs left over from when we made Oh Fortune, particularly one with a very long title, ‘We Want to be…

The Twilight Sad's James Graham shares his Christmas likes and dislikes

The singer prefers Maltesers, Christmas jumpers and Chris de Burgh to socks and yellow snow

James likes... 1. Christmas Eve at our local pub, The Swan We don't really have many band traditions but this is one. We all go to my local pub the Swan on Christmas Eve and get steamin'. The only down side is that it pretty much destroys Christmas…

Open Art Surgery: Experiments in Hip Hop

Breakin’ Convention hip hop theatre event featuring Bigg Taj, Jackin’ the Box and Ready Ready Sauce

A big round of applause and a few cheers says it all when you’ve enjoyed a performance. But what if it wasn’t quite what it could have been? If you’ve ever felt like giving feedback after a dance show, now’s your chance. Hosted by Breakin’ Convention’s…

Documentary filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul discusses the remarkable story fo Sixto Rodriguez

The musician, the subject of Malik's Searching for Sugar Man, plays the Usher Hall this month

Like Robinson Crusoe in reverse, Sixto Rodriguez spent many decades oblivious to the fact that the world wished urgently to get in touch. In the early 70s, the young Latino songwriter (above) released a brace of albums. They sounded a bit like Bob…

Jack White - Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Thu 8 Nov 2012

The White Stripes man's show is by turns both surprising and comfortably predictable

Jack White’s come a long way since the days he could comfortably make a racket as part of a power duo with Meg in the White Stripes. A couple of regular bands have followed in between, and now for his first solo album, Blunderbuss, he’s touring with two…

Corin Roddick of Purity Ring explains the band's artistic processes

The duo are set to play Nice'n'Sleazy with cut'n'paste artist Doldrums

Purity Ring Montreal-based Corin Roddick started making gothy synth-pop with singer Megan James two years ago, and they brought out debut album, Shrines, this summer. He tells The List more, starting with their name... ‘I guess it’s not such a big…

The Intoxicating Rose Garden: a performance adaptation of Persian poet Hafez

Laurie Irvine, Jila Peacock, Michael Popper and Red Note Ensemble to perform score by Sally Beamish

Even the name of Sally Beamish’s latest score is something that sounds out of the ordinary. Delve further into what The Intoxicating Rose Garden is all about, and it’s clear that it is a new piece of work which is quite different from anything even the…