Music, Rock, Issue 619

Songs of the Year 2008

‘Skinny Love’ Bon Iver One man’s heartbreak becomes our joy from the album of the year. ‘Like the Rest of Us’ Atmosphere The leftfield dwelling purists may sneer but this is beguiling, introspective hip hop brilliance. ‘Run Run’ Those Dancing Days…

Biffy Clyro headline Rockness 2009

If all the world’s a stage, there are an impressive amount of players lining up to showcase their wares in Scotland over the coming months. Local lads, Biffy Clyro will take to the stage as one of the headliners of RockNess, setting out their stall in…

Idlewild

ROCK RESIDENCY It’s a good time to be an Idlewild fan. For one thing there’s a new album on the way, set to be released in April, and before that we have this one-off run of King Tut’s shows – that’s six brilliant records delivered live, across five…

Rozi Plain - Inside Over Here and Pictish Trail - Secret Soundz Vol 1

FOLK-POP-ROCK These two wonderful offerings from the ever-expanding Fence Collective serve to highlight just how diverse and ambitious the East Neuk’s musical cottage industry has become. Rozi Plain is a young Bristol-based singer-songwriter, and…

Asobi Seksu

SHOEGAZE One thing people weren’t doing a lot of during Ladytron’s support slot, a shimmering, feedback-drenched set from New York’s Asobi Seksu, was gaze at their shoes. Frontwoman Yuki Chikudate, a stony-faced dainty doll of a girl, kept her small…

Dean Owens

ACOUSTIC ROCK Every singer-songwriter has their holy trinity; those singers who inform what they do at the very core. During this intimate evening, the one-time Felsons’ head honcho, Dean Owens gives away Elvis Costello and Johnny Cash straight off…

Biffy Clyro

The Biffy have been huge in Scotland for a good while now (hence selling out the SECC) but it’s been gratifying to see the rest of the world catch on to their off centre rock brilliance. For a band who create such complex rock it’s perhaps strange to…

Runrig's Loch Lomond voted Scotland's greatest song

Runrig’s Loch Lomond has pocketed the title Scotland’s Greatest Song in a poll run by charity ScotsCare. The band secured 40% of the vote narrowly beating Big Country who scored 37% of the vote. Surprisingly, Dougie McLean’s stirring Caledonia…