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Interview: Camera Obscura set for Rockness 2013
17 May 2013
Glasgow band whose recent history takes US recording sessions, cancer and pregnancy
‘It’s the ultimate test,’ begins Camera Obscura singer and songwriter Tracyanne Campbell, in describing how the band assessed the roadworthiness (literally) of new album Desire Lines. ‘The studio intern Michael had this crappy little car. Every time we…
Eagleowl - This Silent Year
19 Apr 2013
Languorous chamber-pop full of silence, distortion and exquisite humour
(Fence) Here are a few clues that this is a rare and unhurried debut album: it starts with a beat, and then the beat slows down; the instruments come in one by one; the opening words are ‘some other time’. The album’s centrepiece is in fact its…
Lana Del Rey returns to 'second home' Glasgow as part of the Born to Die Tour
16 Apr 2013
The sepia-toned chanteuse is being supported by boyfriend Barrie-James O'Neill's band, Kassidy
Lana Del Rey’s ascension from all-but-unknown singer-songwriter ‘Lizzy Grant’ to the enormously successful, sepia-soaked sweetheart we know today has been quite remarkable. Coming to prominence in an age where ‘overnight sensation’ is a literal term…
The Fall - Re-Mit
15 May 2013
Suggests insistent inter-band chemistry despite there being no real surprises here
(Cherry Red) Whoa-whoa-whoa, etc! Don't ever underestimate Mark E Smith, The Fall's founder, writer, vocalist and sole surviving member since they formed 35 years ago. Some may dismiss him as a past-his-best drunken parody of many former glories, and…
The National - Trouble Will Find Me
15 May 2013
A great sixth record, but not one which parades the fact before you
(4AD) The idea that much of the music here was written by guitarist Aaron Desner while bedevilled by bone-aching fatigue and sleepless nights following the birth of his baby daughter is a compelling one. It ties into the sense of a band shattered…
Sparrow and the Workshop - Murderopolis
15 May 2013
Third album from Glasgow rock-noir trio has psych-rock heart
(Song, By Toad) This album starts with the words ‘when love was the greatest thing’ - and it is all you need to unravel the third long-player from a Glasgow rock-noir trio who variously conjure The Bad Seeds, The Shangri-Las, Johnny Cash and Melanie…
Exposure: Haim set for 2013 UK tour dates
15 May 2013
Sweet, yearning, retro pop melodies from sister-heavy band
When Haim look towards their future, do they see anything between themselves and a torrent of riches and acclaim? We’ve checked, and we can detect nothing. Were we to be unimaginative, in fact, we’d say they have all the retroisms to one day go on to be…
Lorraine McIntosh, actor in stage production of Let The Right One In - interview
17 May 2013
The erstwhile Deacon Blue singer has a love for big dogs and Bruce Springsteen
First record you ever bought ‘Cavatina’ by The Shadows. Last book you read The Blind Man’s Garden by Nadeem Aslam. First film you saw that really moved you Shenandoah with Jimmy Stewart. Last lie you told ‘Oh, I can’t make that night, I’m…
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - King Tuts, Glasgow, Wed 1 May 2013
15 May 2013
Infectious, hallucinatory reveries, marred slightly by too much sound desk tweaking
Perhaps it is shell-shock after their recent propulsive success at SXSW, or possibly their own astonishment at selling out King Tuts on their first UK headline tour, but Unknown Mortal Orchestra turn up tonight as nervous as if it were the first day at…
Sweet Baboo - King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, Tue 7 May 2013
15 May 2013
Charming set combines lyrical originality with self-deprecating humour
‘I go dancing and chancing my luck with all those girls - that’s why I’m bound for hell’, sings Stephen Black, aka Welshman Sweet Baboo, on catchy 2010 single ‘I’m a Dancer’. To look at this freckly face, rabbit-in-the-headlights expression and guitar…
James and Twin Atlantic announced for Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival 2013 line-up
18 Apr 2013
The fest will also host The Straits, Noisettes, Admiral Fallow, The Horrors and Dougie Maclean
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival’s 10th anniversary with be headlined by Manchester indie rock band James and Glasgow rockers Twin Atlantic. James, formed in 1982, produced one of the Bella’s most celebrated performances in 2007. 12 studio albums…
Interview with Canadian soprano-turned-pop soloist Rachel Zeffira
4 Apr 2013
The vocalist has previously teamed up with The Horrors' Faris Badwan for goth-pop outfit Cat's Eyes
It was a clash of two very different worlds when Rachel Zeffira, a young Canadian opera soprano and classical multi-instrumentalist based in London, got together with Faris Badwan, the frontman from British psychedelic-rockers The Horrors, to form the…
New announcements for RockNess 2013 include Lianne la Havas, Rolando and Kerri Chandler
28 Mar 2013
Reverend & The Makers, Dog is Dead, Henrik Schwarz and more join the line up
The latest additions to 2013’s RockNess festival include soul singer Lianne la Havas; upbeat indie poppers Dog is Dead; Sheffield’s Reverend & The Makers fronted by the outspoken Jon McClure; Detroit techno master Rolando (Underground Resistance/Soma…
Steve Mason - King Tut’s, Glasgow, Tue 9 Apr 2013
22 Apr 2013
Heady atmosphere evidence of deep personal and musical connection
The beered-up battalion swarming the venue are celebrating like a home game victory. Why wouldn’t they be on this Tuesday? (Insert obvious Thatcher comment here.) But it’s Mason’s danceable, wry mid-tempo indie that's the primary source of the crowd’s…
Phoenix - Bankrupt!
19 Apr 2013
Post-breakthrough return is brash, unapologetic, full of pomp and self-assured tunes
(Atlantic) Bankrupt! begins with the brilliant bravura of ‘Entertainment’, a blitzkrieg of uptempo synths and guitars. It’s the kind of epic, contemporary new wave swagger that goes down just swell when performed in front of huge summer festival crowds.
Fun. - Picturehouse, Edinburgh, Mon 15 Apr 2013
17 Apr 2013
The New Yorkers' music may sometimes sound contrived, but Fun. bring a, er, fun live show
'You guys are awesome', Fun. frontman Nate Ruess declares, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Given their decibel-raising reception it’s easy to see why he looks ecstatic. The sold-out Edinburgh show felt predictably young, although a contingent of different…
Five reasons to head to Electric Circus' Big Day In
16 Apr 2013
Dutch Uncles, Discopolis, Dems, Jonnie Common and more head up the indoor mini-festival
1. It’s in, not out Worried about the shameful 'spring' weather we’ve been having? Wishing you could get away from it with some antipodean (autumn) sunshine and a bunch of bands in a field? Well, tough. But if you couldn’t afford the flight to Oz and…
Kate Nash – Oran Mor, Glasgow, Sun 14 April 2013
16 Apr 2013
Nash and her all-female band provide a rousing, affectionate show
Nash and her all-female band provide a rousing, affectionate show – and for anyone who grew up in the 90s, both the songs and visuals feel sweetly nostalgic. Nash is best known for her first album, Made of Bricks, and particularly the single…
Emeli Sandé - Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Mon 1 Apr 2013
16 Apr 2013
The soul singer's homecoming show reinforces the notion that genuine talent makes for success
In an age where so many so-called ‘singers’ rely on dancers, costumes, visuals, audio effects (or scandal in their personal life) to add impact to their performances, it’s by all means impressive when an artist delivers an incredible show without using…
Conquering Animal Sound - Kinning Park Complex, Glasgow, Fri 29 Mar 2013
16 Apr 2013
A late album launch from the divine bedroom experimenters turned revered live act
Kinning Park Complex doesn’t get enough recognition on account of its versatility and slightly tattered charm. As much the ideal setting for dance classes and community meetings as it is for grassroots punk shows, and intimate musical experiences off…
James Blake - Overgrown
3 Apr 2013
Troubadour for the Burial generation revisits fey, enigmatic stylings on second album
James Blake provokes that kind of feverish excitement you’d mostly associate with the giddy hormonal urges of Beliebers, but instead he enchants the coolly-detached habitués of Boiler Room. It’s understandable. He is after all, an impossibly zeitgeisty…
Interview: Edwyn Collins - 'I'm only a little famous. I move through life unmolested'
22 Mar 2013
The former Orange Juice frontman talks dignity, Donovan and being drop dead gorgeous
First record you ever bought ‘Jennifer Juniper’ by Donovan. Last extravagant purchase you made A 1958 Gretsch Anniversary guitar, laden with what we in the trade call ‘case candy’. All its original tags, paperwork, polishing cloth, etc. First…
Rita Ora and Frank Ocean join T in the Park 2013 line-up
22 Mar 2013
Additions include Frank Ocean, Rita Ora, Tyler, The Creator and Earl Sweatshirt
Rita Ora and Odd Future rappers Frank Ocean, Tyler, The Creator and Earl Sweatshirt are among the latest acts announced to perform at T in the Park. Bringing a decidedly hip hop flavour to this year’s festival at Balado, Kinross over the weekend of…
Singles and downloads - March 2013
19 Mar 2013
New music from Fat Goth, Holy Esque, Rungs and Woodpigeon
Woodpigeon - Red Rover, Red Rover (Fierce Panda) ●●● The lead single from Woodpigeon’s recent album Thumbtacks + Glue, is about as sweet and soothing as anything else to emanate from Mark Andrew Hamilton’s Calgary crew to date. Admittedly, it takes a…
Exposure: Glasgow act Golden Teacher take their live dance music to club nights
18 Mar 2013
Bells From the Deep End EP out on Optimo Music
Another winner has emerged from the Optimo Music stables, with the sleazy Dinosaur L-isms of Glasgow’s Golden Teacher. One of the greatest things to have hit the city’s dancefloors in memory, the ad hoc assembly are a collaboration between members of…
