Music

Mercury Music Prize 2008 shortlist announced

22 Jul 2008

The shortlist for the Mercury Music Prize 2008 has been announced.

After the flood

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

22 Jul 2008

Hurricane Katrina not only devastated a whole city, it nearly destroyed a legendary jazz culture. Malcolm Jack hears how Edinburgh has opened its arms to the top New Orleans players.

A show of force - Edinburgh Military Tattoo

22 Jul 2008

A festival spectacle global in design is this year’s The Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which prepares once again to set its stall on the esplanade under the impressive backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, as it showcases the best military musicians from around…

Up close and personal - Niki King

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

22 Jul 2008

For Niki King, intimacy is something to be embraced rather than feared. Claire Sawers lends an ear as the local singer gently explains why she loves getting confessional on stage.

Bow Selecta - Dizzee Rascal Interview

22 Jul 2008

He’s worked with Arctic Monkeys and Calvin Harris while giving British rap a good name. With his own record label on the rise, urban music star Dizzee Rascal tells Miles Johnson about a life of grime.

Sultans of swing - Pendulum Interview

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

22 Jul 2008

Hardcore drum & bass fans may have objected to the rockier feel of Pendulum’s new sound, but Richie Meldrum finds original member Rob Swire in no mood to apologise

Messiaen 100

Edinburgh International Festival

22 Jul 2008

Celebrating a centenary with intimate recitals and orchestral drama. As a composer he was the epitome of innovation; as a musician he could move a room to silent awe. That the EIF is choosing to celebrate the centenary of Olivier Messiaen as part of its…

Omar Sosa

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

22 Jul 2008

Diverse, dynamic and daring approach inspired by Afro-Cuban folklore. You never know what Omar Sosa will do next. The Cuban-born virtuoso musician has turned his hand to everything from composing and arranging records to producing them, leading bands…

Burt MacDonald with Lol Coxhill

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

22 Jul 2008

A reunion with free jazz, lyrical flourishes and popcorn machines. One of Scotland’s most adventurous jazz groups, the Burt MacDonald Quintet are reuniting with Lol Coxhill. A legend of the soprano saxophone, Coxhill has worked with the band on five…

Scouting For Girls

Edge Festival

22 Jul 2008

What a rollercoaster ride it’s been for this London-based indie pop outfit since ‘She’s So Lovely’ crashed into the top ten in 2007. Typical of their instantly catchy, mass-audience appeal, the single had four old school friends finally leaving behind…

Best of the rest - Edinburgh International Festival

Edinburgh International Festival

22 Jul 2008

Giselle. Under the artistic direction of Nina Ananiashvili, the State Ballet of Georgia will be performing what many view as the definitive interpretation of this romantic ballet. Gabriela Montero Two performances here from the superb Venezuelan…

Best of the rest - Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

22 Jul 2008

The Big Chris Barber Band. Blues standards, New Orleans classics and tunes from Duke Ellington and Miles Davis are all in the Barber repertoire as he and his band do early jazz like few others. Paul Towndrow Quartet ‘Better drowned than duffers…

Bittersweet symphony - Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny

Edinburgh International Festival

22 Jul 2008

Brecht and Weill’s Mahagonny has inspired an artistic generation. Neil Cooper analyses the pair’s enduring appeal.

Camille O'Sullivan

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

22 Jul 2008

Sliding onstage in a red corset and heels, sipping a glass of red wine, French-Irish chanteuse Camille O’Sullivan likes keeping her audience on their toes when she performs. She may launch into a tear-stained Edith Piaf cover or an angry Tom Waits…

Isoceles

Edinburgh Festival Fringe

22 Jul 2008

This Glasgow-based foursome jump to the sound of the raging bull. Or so say their Japanese fans, according to glowing reviews reworked by one of the internet’s more established language translators.

Little Feat

Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival

22 Jul 2008

Formed in 1969 by Lowell George, one of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, Little Feat were always going to be different from the blues bands of the period. Small in stature, guitarist and lead singer George was a talented firebrand of R&B, country…

Regal king size - Król Roger

Edinburgh International Festival

22 Jul 2008

Fitting neatly into the EIF’s theme of Artists Without Borders, the majestic Król Roger opens up audiences to an innovative collaboration. Carol Main chats to Festival director Jonathan Mills about the opera’s arrival in the city. Listening to a…

Jay-Z - live review

SECC, Glasgow, 20th July 2008

21 Jul 2008

If there were any haters still doubting after his decisive clamping of Noel Gallagher at Glastonbury a couple of weeks back, this man of a thousand monikers, J Hova, God MC, Hovito, Jigga or, as his mother knows him best, Shawn Carter remains very much…

25 things you might not know about Tom Waits

17 Jul 2008

The chance to see Tom Waits, one of the planet’s true music raconteurs, is worth £100 of anyone’s money. But did you know he once worked for the coastguard? If not, Jonny Ensall suggests you read on…

Tom Waits - Live Review

17 Jul 2008

Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, Wed 18 Jun The seldom touring ‘love or hate him’ artist transported his trademark whisky-soaked growl to the desert to kick off only his third tour of the decade. And, judging by his polished performance, one can…

5 Reasons to Go See - Jay-Z

17 Jul 2008

He stuck it right up Noel Gallagherafter Noel made some rash remarks about Jay-Z being chosen to headline Glastonbury this year. In retaliation, Jay-Z ran an intro tape mocking Gallagher, then proceeded to lead the huge crowd through a sarcastic version…

Brigade

17 Jul 2008

When it comes to rock us Brits are often in the thrall of the US, and Londoners Brigade certainly don’t buck that trend with a mix of pop punk meets post-hardcore, featuring Will Simpson (brother of Busted/Fightstar frontman Charlie) on vocals and…

Dananananaykroyd

17 Jul 2008

PREVIEW FIGHT-POP Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Wed 30 Jul; The Arches, Glasgow, Thu 31 Jul ‘I break an average of three drumsticks per show,’ nods John Baillie Jnr, one of the two drummers in crashing, Glasgow guitar-rock band Dananananaykroyd.

Exposure - Gin Goblins

17 Jul 2008

Gin Goblins are Edinburgh punk legends, having delivered a unique brand of schlocky horror doom hardcore for the last 16 years. When The Horrors were still in short pants, Gin Goblins were getting victimised by Scottish tabloids and banned from…

Flaming marvellous - Wickerman festival

17 Jul 2008

David Pollock meets apisrant Scottish indie heroes Attic Lights, one of the plethora of quality acts at this year’s ever vibrant and varied Wickerman festival

Kora

17 Jul 2008

With a platinum album that has spent six months inside the New Zealand top 20 with rave reviews, the Maori brothers that make up four fifths of Kora are on something of a roll. Their sound is a unique blend of reggae/roots/dub/rock for which the quintet…

Momus

17 Jul 2008

PREVIEW POP Stereo, Glasgow, Sun 27 Jul When Nick Currie named himself after the Greek god of mockery, being clever, like ridicule, was nothing to be scared of. Edinburgh-based Currie had already fronted The Happy Family, a band that featured half…

Music at Paxton

17 Jul 2008

Established just a couple of years ago, Music at Paxton hasn’t taken long to realise its ambition of presenting high quality chamber music, whether home-grown or from further afield, within the impressive splendour of Paxton House, just outside…

Paul Towndrow

17 Jul 2008

Star soloist with the Scottish National Orchestra, Edinburgh-based saxophonist Paul Towndrow brings his quartet to the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival for an evening of upbeat and expressive tunes that will have your toes tapping. The melodic…

Singles & Downloads roundup

17 Jul 2008

Dublin’s Fight Like Apes ’ ‘Lend Me Your Face’ (Model Citizen Records) •• is a three-minute, high-voltage pop song full of dance beats and female vocals with attitude. ‘Radio Friendly’ (Stereotone) ••• from The Starlets is a perfect example of Scottish…

The B-52s

Preview - Carling Academy, Glasgow, Mon 21 Jul

17 Jul 2008

Aside from almost daily radio outings for ‘Love Shack’ and ‘Rock Lobster’, new wave pioneers turned camp party pop stars The B-52s have been all but unheard of since their last album Good Stuff came out in 1992. The Athens Georgia quartet have been…

The Nelson Mandela Birthday Party Tour

17 Jul 2008

For the Nobel Peace Prize-winner’s 90th birthday Scots/African artists will be offering a tribute to the defender of democracy from Scotland’s three major cities over the course of a single weekend. Performances from the Berlin-based Senegalese reggae…

Claire Wood

17 Jul 2008

REVIEW POP The Halt Bar, Glasgow, Sun 6 Jul Claire Wood is off to seek her fame and fortune in London after spending the last ten years in Glasgow’s piano bars. She decided to launch her EP, Grow‚ and say farewell to her friends, family and…

CSS - Donkey

17 Jul 2008

When CSS exploded into our lives two years ago, a thrilling, party-starting blend of dazzling colours, beautiful faces, bizarre outfits, eccentric showmanship and wonderfully quirky sing-alongs, all seemed bright for the Brazilian electro-poppers. Since…

Edinburgh Fringe - LGBT Highlights

17 Jul 2008

Allan Radcliffe selects the best the Fringe has to offer in comedy, theatre and music

Fraser Fifield Band - Traces of Thrace

17 Jul 2008

It is tempting to assume that the fascinating meeting of musical minds reflected here is in some way down to the on-the-road developments worked out on their Tune Up tour featuring Fifield’s band and the Nedyalko Nedyalkov band from Bulgaria earlier…

Ida Maria - Fortress Round My Heart

17 Jul 2008

This is hands down the album of the year, so there. Distilling down everything that’s great about rock’n’roll from the last 40 years, Norwegian force of nature Ida Maria and her band have made a debut packed with hit singles, dripping with heartbreaking…

KT Tunstall and The Pictish Trail

17 Jul 2008

ROCK Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline, Thu 10 Jul This first proper gig for the newly-refurbished 1700-seater Alhambra is a fitting one, with returning Fifer Tunstall warming up for T in the Park. Opening is Johnny Lynch, aka The Pictish Trail…

Last Word - Rigmor Gustafsson

17 Jul 2008

Rigmor Gustafsson is one of Sweden’s premiere jazz vocalists and brings her show to Scotland for the first time as part of the jazz festival. Welcome her with open arms and wild strawberries First record you ever bought The first one I can…

Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning

17 Jul 2008

Like father like son, New Zealand-born Liam (offspring of Crowded House’s Neil Finn), finally comes-of-age courtesy of his long-awaited debut set. Now 23, and several years on from his initial live workouts in London (where he’s based), the man highly…

Music - List picks

17 Jul 2008

Jay-Z Sadly not collaborating with the Butthole Surfers across town on the same evening, Jigga man shows us how it’s done after his triumphant Glasto shindig. SECC, Glasgow, Sun 20 Jul. (Rock & Pop) Butthole Surfers and Desalvo Texas’ most wonderfully…

Primal Scream - ABC2 Glasgow

17 Jul 2008

What’s the easiest way to create an atmosphere thick with tension, excitement at a gig? Firstly, choose a small venue and pack it with members from the official fan site then keep them waiting for almost three hours, giving them plenty of time to get…

Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura Group

17 Jul 2008

This collaboration between the Japanese husband and wife team of pianist Satoko Fujii and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura with a quartet culled from Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra was a bijou precursor to a full GIO blow-out with the pair later in the week at…

Sound offering - sound 2008 Festival

17 Jul 2008

It might be all quiet in the Central Belt, but the cultural flurry up North continues this fortnight with the launch of sound 2008, which sets its musical stall in Aberdeen this October. Now in its fourth year, the multi-genre festival will feature two…

The Shakes

17 Jul 2008

ROCK King Tut’s, Glasgow, Thu 10 Jul Gracing the stage at King Tut’s with their presence for the first time, Dumbarton band The Shakes played to a full house. As the first guitar pickings of ‘Every Time I Go Away’ begin the audience cheers…

Tricky - Knowle West Boy

17 Jul 2008

Fifteen years in and Tricky remains a fascinatingly contradictory figure. This debut for esteemed indie Domino sees him more eclectic than ever, with a raft of obscure guest vocalists adding to that vibe, and features both some of his most commercial…

White Denim

17 Jul 2008

GARAGE ROCK Captain’s Rest, Glasgow, Thu 10 Jul Sweaty, shoebox-sized spaces like the Captain’s Rest are just the sort of venues Glasgow needs more of, and rough’n’ready, in yer face, garage rock trios like Austin’s White Denim are just the sort…

5 Reasons To Go See - Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip

3 Jul 2008

They’re unclassifiable - to some they’re outsider pop, to others they’re hip hop played through a punk filter. Then again their recent debut album Angles could easily be called lo-fi electronica mixed with spoken word poetry. Whatever, the end result is…

Rock of Ages

3 Jul 2008

In a bid end that long-standing argument about just how old that guy from The Prodigy really is, Josie Balfour digs out the birth certificates of those appearing at T in the Park.

Good Vibrations

3 Jul 2008

One of the Capital’s most exciting visitor attractions, Our Dynamic Earth, has teamed up with Edinburgh International Science Festival to bring you Good Vibrations. Join Maestro and Bella as they embark on a journey of discovery to find out how noise is…

Duty Free

3 Jul 2008

The Cab once again bring us an enviable line-up of the best up-and-coming live acts Scotland has to offer all at the bargain price of absolutely jack. Not only are they free entry but you can enjoy the guitar/synths line-up of Smoked Glass and psych…

Exposure - Ross Clark

3 Jul 2008

Looking like the bastard rockabilly son of a Proclaimer and with a singing voice like a shot of raw Glasgow bluegrass, 20-year-old Ross Clark’s exuberant, sweat-drenched live sets have been getting him a reputation. He sings brainy songs about girls and…

Singles & Downloads

3 Jul 2008

Why is there so much slickly produced, pretend-to-be-credible pop around these days? Newton Faulkner, Amy MacDonald, The Hoosiers, Sara Bareilles – the insipid list just keeps on getting longer. Eurgh, and here’s another one; the emotionless and utterly…

T in the Park - Biffy's James Johnston recommends

3 Jul 2008

I n Case of Fire Festivals are always a great place to check out new bands, and T in the Park has a great tradition for uncovering hidden gems. In Case of Fire are definitely worth checking out. We played some shows with them last year in their native…

T in the Park - KT Tunstall

3 Jul 2008

‘I remember playing T in the Park for the first time in 1996. I was 21 and a backing singer with the Skuobhie Dubh Orchestra, the band led by the man now known as King Creosote. We played in the ceilidh tent and Radiohead, Alanis Morrisette and Beck…

T in the Park - Panic at the Disco

3 Jul 2008

It’s hard to be cool when you were ‘discovered’ on the internet by Pete Wentz with only three songs in your repertoire and your ‘fans’ were a few thousand e-friends who thought you were totally hot. Still, you’ve got to give Panic at the Disco points…

T in the Park - Rob da Bank

3 Jul 2008

Richie Hawtin ‘Spastik’ ‘Will he play it, won’t he play it? Hawtin is the don, and this record lives on and on. This track IS the Slam Tent at T.’ http://tiny.cc/Plastik Aphex Twin ‘Analogue Bubblebath’ ‘Heard this at sundown at Sonar…

T in the Park - Running order

3 Jul 2008

FRIDAY MAIN STAGE The Verve Richard Ashcroft and co make a long-awaited return promising all the hits and some newly recorded material. Stereophonics Welsh outfit still successfully peddling their distinctive brand of pub rock with…

T in the Park - T Break Stage

3 Jul 2008

Friday State of Affairs Promising Edinburgh-based foursome who cater in wonderfully heartfelt indie rock. No Kilter Excitingly frenzied math-punk quartet from Glasgow. Figure 5 Much-adored skiffle-tinged, psychedelic garage pop…

T in the Park - The Fratellis

3 Jul 2008

The Fratellis aren’t a band you’d think of as suffering from existential self-doubt, eh? But a spell out of the spotlight has left singer and guitarist Jon Fratelli with the slightest lingering doubt about his band’s success and longevity. ‘I’m…

T in the Park - The Ting Tings

3 Jul 2008

Walking through Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens with the band who are number one in both the UK singles and downloads chart is a cheerful feeling, and it’s not purely down to the bright, sunny Saturday afternoon weather. Katie White and Jules De Martino…

T in the Park - Up-and-comers

3 Jul 2008

MGMT What Psychedelic synth-pop duo from Brooklyn Unique Selling Point They sound wonderfully woozy on record but the MGMT live experience reveals a harder, darker and much more edgy side to the band. Imagine full-on swampy rock colliding with…

Found

3 Jul 2008

ART/MUSIC INSTALLATION Dialogues of Wind and Bamboo, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Sat 21 Jun It was the all-you-can-eat buffet of line-ups. There were robots playing bamboo instruments, dancing in the sculpture garden, tai chi and the chance to…

John B McKenna, We Were Promised Jetpacks and Over the Wall

3 Jul 2008

ROCK Captain’s Rest, Glasgow, Thu 5 Jun Starting with suitably hushed reverence for John B McKenna’s gentle powerhouse of a voice in an acoustic set, and ending with the squawking guitar, pounding keyboard and trumpet combo of Over the Wall, tonight’s…

Kevin McDermott

3 Jul 2008

ROCK Oran Mor, Glasgow, Mon 23 Jun ‘Was that good?’ says the chipper Scots musician early on in his set, and 20 years into his career as a singer-songwriter. ‘I thought so,’ he adds, tongue in cheek. ‘And I liked the guitar solo.’ But he has every…

Kid Canaveral

3 Jul 2008

INDIE Henry’s Cellar Bar, Fri 20 Jun Henry’s, for all its charms, is hardly the most sparkly place in town. However, bringing a solid dose of summer to the venue’s dimly lit confines, St Andrews four-piece Kid Canaveral’s lively guitar pop does the…

Come on Gang!

3 Jul 2008

INDIE Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, Thu 10 Jul ‘I’m a nightmare on a train,’ says Sarah Tanat Jones, drummer and lead singer of Come on Gang! ‘I’m that annoying person who can’t help tapping a beat with my feet or hands. Or both.’ She wanted to channel her…

Harmonia

3 Jul 2008

KRAUTROCK ABC, Glasgow, Fri 11 Jul As long lost supergroups go, the reignition of Harmonia is the musical equivalent of discovering some buried mythical city. When Michael Rother, Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius got together again in 2007…

Stapleton

3 Jul 2008

INDIE ROCK Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, Glasgow, Tue 8 Jul It must be tiring, constantly being referred to as unsung heroes. Who wouldn’t rather be a sung hero than an unsung one? If Scottish outfit Stapleton feel any of that frustration they hide it well, but…

Steve Mason - Black Affair

3 Jul 2008

The last many people will remember hearing of Steve Mason was when, in April 2006, he prompted much head scratching amongst the press by cancelling a nationwide tour with his post-Beta Band project King Biscuit Time, before leaving a curiously oblique…

T in the Park line-up 2008

3 Jul 2008

The full line-up for Scotland's biggest music festival, which takes place 11th to July 13th in Balado, Kinross.

A Band Called Quinn - Sun Moon Stars

3 Jul 2008

INDIE POP (Tromolo) Boasting a guest guitarist spot from Echo and the Bunnymen’s Gordy Goudie, a chrome and polish from Parisian producer Kid Loco and delightful artwork care of Bruno Gallagher, this industrious Glasgow trio’s latest offering is an…

Also Released - Music

3 Jul 2008

Daedelus - Love to Make Music To (Ninja Tune) This leftfield hip hop doyen takes a few trips into the unknown, expanding his repertoire of beats bleats and cuts into hunks of textured, hypnotic, mirthful magic. Our Sleepless Forest - Our Sleepless…

Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold

3 Jul 2008

HIP HOP (Rhymesayers) The sixth studio album arrives from Slug and Ant, long time contributors of non-formula hip hop weirdness, but it ain’t going to please everyone with its more polished slant. There’s the live sounding funkster groove ‘Dreamer’…

Beck - Modern Guilt

3 Jul 2008

POP (XL Recordings) Beck seems to have found his mojo over the last few albums, the self-conscious idea of him being an ‘artist’ is gone and he lets the ideas flow. Modern Guilt is as sharp, clean and crisp a record as you’ll find, a compact, focussed…

Cappella Nova - Voices of Scotland

3 Jul 2008

CLASSICAL St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, Fri 4 Jul A fascinating concert of sung Scottish texts from the 6th to the 16th centuries seems the ideal way to close an international conference on the language and literature of Scotland in mediaeval and…

Chris Bradley - Voices

3 Jul 2008

COUNTRY ROCK (Splashing Duck) Edinburgh-based Chris Bradley’s biography is an impressive read, all tales of musical scholarships, first class honours studying Music at Newcastle University and – most memorably – forming Ukrainian folk groups in Kiev.

Cult of Luna - Eternal Kingdom

3 Jul 2008

METAL (Earache) Once pegged as post-metal rip-offs in the vein of Neurosis, Sweden’s Cult of Luna are fast becoming a formidable outfit in their own right and Eternal Kingdom strengthens that reputation. A concept album lyrically and musically based…

Dirty Pretty Things - Romance at Short Notice

3 Jul 2008

INDIE (Vertigo) This fiery London bunch have always seemed very much like a Carl Barât-centred, post-Libertines offshoot but with their second full-length release, Dirty Pretty Things take one step closer to being a proper band. More polished than…

Dundee Guitar Festival

3 Jul 2008

The sixteenth annual celebration of the guitar as an international line-up returns to take over the Marryat Hall in Dundee. Hungarian duo the The Katrona Twins (11 Jul) Poland’s Andrzej Mokry and Czech soloist Pavel Steidl (both play 12 Jul) and ending…

Extra Golden

3 Jul 2008

Described as ‘an incendiary union of Kenyan benga and Stateside rock’ there’s a soft side to these cross-continental superstars. Their track ‘Obama’ is dedicated to the Presidential front runner, not for political reasons, but as a thank you for helping…

Free Kitten - Inherit

3 Jul 2008

ART ROCK (Ecstatic Peace) It’s been eleven years since we last heard from this art rock supergroup of sorts, but on the evidence of this fourth album, it’s not been worth the wait. Featuring Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth alongside Pussy Galore’s Julie…

Hebrides Ensemble - Olivier Messiaen – Chamber Works

3 Jul 2008

CLASSICAL (Linn Records) The Hebrides Ensemble are now firmly established as Scotland’s leading contemporary music group, and their stock is rising well beyond their native turf as well. The enthusiastic acclaim for their recent imaginative Wigmore…

Infadels - Universe in Reverse

3 Jul 2008

INDIE (Wall of Sound) Indie festive season is in full swing and the Infadels’ reinvention proves they’re wise to it. On Universe in Reverse, producer Youth turns their sound upside down, taking them out of the rave fields and into the main arena.

Judas Priest - Nostradamus

3 Jul 2008

METAL (Columbia) Rob Halford’s howl and tracks as powerful as ‘Breaking the Law’ and ‘Painkiller’ have cemented Judas Priest’s status as a driving force that helped shape the entire metal genre. Formed back in the early 70s vocalist Halford left…

Kylie

3 Jul 2008

She may have been in the headlines for her health troubles and boy troubles more recently but now it is time to remember why the world really loves Kylie. The show. While Madge is throwing in Pantera covers to her set and bashing on her Strat and…

Leon Jean Marie - Bent Out of Shape

3 Jul 2008

POP (Island Records) This talented Londoner must collect up a helluva lot of artists inside his dreadlocked head to conjure up such interesting pop brilliance. Leon’s inspired opener forecasts the outrageously catchy hooks which lie ahead on his…

Lykke Li - Youth Novels

3 Jul 2008

EXPERIMENTAL POP (LL Recordings) Every now and again a new artist pops up that’s captivating, edgy and touching all at the same time; Lykke Li (pronounced Licky-Lee) is all of these things. The album, produced by Björn Yttling (of Peter, Björn and…

My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges

3 Jul 2008

ROCK (Rough Trade) Having never trod the most conventional paths, Kentucky natives MMJ have almost been Wilco, The Eagles and The Grateful Dead in their long, productive life but have always spun off into their own otherwordly orbit. Evil Urges is a…

Natty - Man Like I

3 Jul 2008

REGGAE GOT SOUL (Atlantic Records) Reggae music has taken many diversions since its heyday in the 60s and 70s. Its newest purveyor, Natty – a 24 year-old former mixer turned guitar-plucking singer-songwriter – chooses to smooth out the genre’s rougher…

Pentangle

3 Jul 2008

Legendary folk-rock-jazz ensemble who's roots stretch back into the 60s. Pentangle are back with their original line-up of guitarists Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, singer Jacqui McShee, bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Terry Cox. They also take a…

Radiohead Nude remix film finds audience

3 Jul 2008

A Glasgow School of Art student has become a YouTube sensation. James Houston featured a remix of the Radiohead single 'Nude' from their album In Rainbows in a four minute video, 'Big Ideas (Don't Get Any)', as part of his Degree Show. Houston has…

Red Sparowes

3 Jul 2008

Los Angeles post-rockers Red Sparowes have supported the likes of Dilllinger Escape Plan and feature members of Isis, Halifax Pier and Angel Hair. They plough a deliberately experimental furrow of epic ambient rock, but distinguish themselves form the…

Rock Ness early bird scheme announced

3 Jul 2008

Many may still be reeling from this year's Rock Ness festival, but the event organizers have already set up an Early Bird 'buy now, pay later' scheme for 2009 tickets. For a deposit of £30+booking fee, festival lovers can eliminate any worry about…

Sharleen Spiteri - Melody

3 Jul 2008

BLUE-EYED SOUL-POP (Mercury Records) What’s the difference between Glasgow act Texas and its frontwoman Sharleen Spiteri? If listening to the latter’s debut solo album is any clue: very little. Wearing her Dusty Springfield influences proudly on her…

Sigur Rós - Meo Suo í Eyrum Vio Spilum Endalaust

3 Jul 2008

ROCK (EMI) Iceland’s favourite sons recently toured their homeland for free and released a stunning acoustic record, and these both rejuvenating processes seem to have fed into the joyous spirit of this fifth studio album. Opener ‘Gobbledigook…

Soundshok - The Bringers of Bloodshed

3 Jul 2008

METAL (Rising Records) Metal from the small Scottish town of Arbroath as Soundshok unleash their debut on an unsuspecting world. If you hadn’t already guessed from the title, The Bringers of Bloodshed, Soundshok are heavy - very fucking heavy - and…

Terry Callier - Welcome Home

3 Jul 2008

SOUL JAZZ (Mr Bongo Recordings) Terry Callier, a true great, overlooked back in the day, but now receiving the recognition he deserves after UK DJ’s picked up his classic 70’s cuts. Welcome is a live recording from The Jazz Café, a taster prior to his…

The Ex-Men - A Life of Love

3 Jul 2008

SPOKEN ELECTRO (Beanstalk Records) At first, I took this to be a spoof. Why else would anyone rhyme ‘expressionism’ with ‘jism’? What possible other reason could there be for someone to warble ‘a word is a picture/made out of sound/a sound you can…

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive

3 Jul 2008

ROCK (Rough Trade) If ever a band suited a time, a place and a mood then it is The Hold Steady. Their innate ability to capture that great moment on a warm summer Friday night when everything comes together and things are just . . . right. For four…