p.s. apologies to Kate Bush who I didn’t get any decent footage of but she was fantastic.

p.p.s. The night before was the Song, By Toad Christmas Party which was also a superb night, with excellent performances by The Savings & Loan, Jesus H. Foxx, Yusuf Azak, Inspector Tapehead, Rob St. John & an incredible headline set by Meursault topping off an amazing year for them and the label. Unfortunately the Burgh Bootlegs cameraman was a little worse for wear so didn’t have much usable footage! Read The Scotsman’s 5 star review

Now I find myself at the end of the year and not having heard half as much of the year’s music as I’d like to, especially Scottish stuff. So instead I will succumb to the wisdom of the following crowd-sourced end of year lists (which I just happen to also have contributed to)

1. The Scottish BAMS

The second annual Scottish BAMS (blogs and music sites) awards was announced on Monday – it was an honour to be asked to contribute, even though I can hardly claim to be a proper music blogger these days and my tastes veer into pop and hip hop quite often as well as the alternative rock/indie/folk that this list mainly covers (which is obviously sacrilege).

But the bloggers/podcasters involved are a good bunch with a massive enthusiasm for music, and are incredibly supportive of the Scottish scene. Because of that it’s one of the few places you’ll see great Scottish music given a fair run against the better known alternative bands/artists, and I believe the high placings they’ve received here are well deserved.

Here’s the results:

1. The National – High Violet

2. Admiral Fallow – Boots Met My Face

3. Meursault – All Creatures Will Make Merry

4. Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks

5. Kid Canaveral – Shouting at Wildlife

6. The Phantom Band – The Wants

7. The Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

8. The Last Battle – Heart of the Land, Soul of the Sea

9. Broken Records – Let Me Come Home

10. Bronto Skylift – The White Crow

11. Beach House – Teen Dream

12. The Fire & I – Stampede Finale

13. Sufjan Stevens – Age Of Adz

14. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest

15. Best Coast – Crazy For You

16. Mitchell Museum – The Peters Port Memorial Service

17. Teenage Fanclub – Shadows

18. The Scottish Enlightenment – St Thomas

19. Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me

20. jonsi – go do

21. RM Hubbert – First & Last

22. Errors – Come Down With Me

23. Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can

24. Sleigh Bells – Treats

25. The Boy Who Trapped The Sun – Fireplace

26. Micah P Hinson and the Pioneer Saboteurs

27. Bruce Springsteen – The Promise

28. How To Swim – Retina (Or More Fun Than A Vat Of Love)

29. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach

30. Silver Columns – Yes and Dance

Thanks to Peenko for organising this and all the other blogs involved who are listed below:

Timothy London, Jock N Roll, The Daily Dose, Resound Scotland, The Steinberg Principle, Dauphin, Hercules Moments, Argos Barks, The Web Is Not A Cold Dead Place, The Tidal Wave of Indifference, Ed Rock, Off the Beaten Tracks, Found In Sound, Elba Sessions, Kowalskiy, Have Fun At Dinner, Ayetunes, Edinburgh Man,17 Seconds, Scots Whay Hae, Open Till Midnight, Products of a Gaseous Brain,The Spill, Last Years Girl, Is This Music, JockRock, Dear Scotland, Manic Pop Thrills, Favourite Son, Peenko, Jim Gellatly, My Portis Wasp Says, Never Make Friends, Detour, Jenny Soep, Net Sounds Unsigned, Listen Before You Buy, Song By Toad, The Daily Growl, Earz Mag, Glasgow Podcart, Rokbun, The Pop Cop, Pin Up Nights, Traffic Cone Music, Radar & Blueback Hotrod

Listen to the Scottish BAMS playlist by Ian from Have Fun at Dinner

2. Said The Gramophone’s Best Songs of 2010

I also made a modest contribution to Said The Gramophone’s  best songs of 2010 list (only one of my five suggested songs – Spanish Sahara by Foals,  was included but it’s better than none, and I like quite a few of the ones others chose as well).

This is my favourite music blog post of the year because you can download them all at once and listen to them at your leisure. Last year I listened to it while I was eating my Christmas dinner and it was great to hear Withered Hand and Meursault popping up. This year I don’t think any of my fave Scottish stuff made the cut, but it’s still an essential treasure trove of lovely tunes.

3. Song, By Toad Readers’ Top 5 Songs of 2010

Spanish Sahara pops up here again, as does the beautiful No Conjunction by eagleowl which thoroughly deserves its high placing (and featured on one of my few podcasts from this year). I can’t really argue with the other tunes either though I have other tunes which I prefer. And The National have never quite moved from ‘substantially satisfying’ to ‘awe-inspiring’ for me, a good band but a little over-rated in my opinion. Then again I’ve never seen them live and that might change my mind.

4. Scrawls and Bawls Festive Fifty - I’ve put my pennies worth in to this as well, which should be published soon. In the meantime Finbarr’s own top 20 albums list is well worth perusing.

THE REST.

Some other end of year lists worth checking out are listed below:

Peenko also has an excellent end of year list chosen by various Scottish musicians

Japanese War Effort’s favourite songs of the year (a mix)

The Year Is 2010, And These Are Some Songs: Mix by thejapanesewareffort

Ian Rankin’s Albums of the Year for The Spectator

Mr Douglas Anderson’s albums of the year

The Tidal Wave of Indifference albums of the year

Vic Galloway’s top 75 albums!

Sorry if I missed yours – this post could potentially have been endless. But please add a link in the comments below if I have, or if there’s another good list I’ve missed. Or if you just want to tell me your own favourite albums or songs.

After a slow start I’ve finally, slightly reluctantly, got into the Edinburgh Festival spirit. Although I enjoyed covering shows as a reviewer for the Edinburgh Evening News many moons ago, I have to admit I also have mixed feelings about it – after all the huge influx of tourists and increased pedestrian and road traffic is an almighty hassle for residents who are working and trying to get on with their lives (of quiet desperation – or is that just me).

However a lot of this is just bitterness because every time I’ve gone out during the festival I’ve had a brilliant laugh, an it’s most likely that my mixed feelings are just based on my jealousy of all the lucky swines who are prancing around for  month getting boozed up while I have to get up for work.

Because of this I never really get round to sitting down and planning to attend any fringe shows, but if the opportunity comes up through a friend I’m more than happy to go along to something. And it’s hard to beat boozing outside, shaking random celebrities’ hands and telling them ‘I love your work’ (at the weekend I drunkenly accosted the bloke from the Gadget Show and renowned luvvy Alan Cumming both of whom were very friendly, if slightly terrified) and taking advantage of the extended opening hours (5am!) at least once during August.

BROKEN RECORDS & BART FROM EAGLEOWL AT LACH’S ANTIHOOT

As usual I’m more attracted to the music stuff that’s happening – the only actual show I’ve been to so far was Lach’s Antihoot on Saturday night – again it was unexpected, I’d been at the cinema and got a text from Dylan who told me Bart from eagleowl was playing. As the Antihoot only starts at half past midnight and goes on to 3, I couldn’t resist hopping on a nightbus after seeing the film at Ocean Terminal  (Inception – which I thought was very good indeed).

The antihoot is on at the Gilded Balloon Nightclub at Teviot (tickets), which was packed and really buzzing, and as well as Bart’s short but sinister song which I think was called ‘Don’t Put That in Your Mouth’ or something similarly suggestive (the video below was suspiciously similar),  the guys from Broken Records played a couple of songs from their new album, both of which sounded great.

We were also treated to an extract from the late night Fringe comedy show ‘Lesbian Bathhouse’ which featured some surprisingly raunchy wet t-shirt action, and other treats included an inspired monologue about vans by the bizarre comedian Paul Foot, a brilliant RnB parody by ‘HP’s mate whose name escapes me’ who has sadly not recorded any of his songs yet but MUST (Pub Grub is a classic) – and a really varied selection of stand-up and songs, most of which was very good, some of which was amusing for all the wrong reasons, but which ultimately led to an extremely entertaining night.

FAMOUS DRUNK & THE DEVIL’S BUTTERMILKERS DO LACH’S ANTIHOOT

Being a masochist, and despite being stressed to the max every time I attempt to play live (and never learning that if I actually practiced the guitar it might make it less traumatic) I’ve signed up to play the antihoot next Saturday night. Having played the Sidewalk Café in New York where the antihoot has been for years, I couldn’t really not take part when Lach brought it to Edinburgh. My friend Iain and I are playing as ‘Famous Drunk’ – and then he and his lovely lady Aileen will be taking to the stage as ‘The Devil’s Buttermilkers’ (you might guess the connection if you’ve been reading the blog recently!).

WITHERED HAND,  STEVE MASON & RETREAT!

I’m also hoping to go and see my favourite Edinburgh-based songwriter Withered Hand and the legend that is Steve Mason (The Beta Band/King Biscuit Time/Black Affair) who are playing as part of the Edge Festival. Also, hotly tipped locals The Last Battle are supporting Mr Hand, and I’ve not had a chance to see them yet so that would also be a good reason to go.

Then the following weekend is the return of the wonderful Retreat! Festival which has a stellar line up of Edinburgh’s best bands (including that bloke Withered Hand again).  I can’t overstate the importance of promoters like Bart and Emily from Retreat!, and Tallah from the Antihoot for making sure the best local acts are involved in the festival this year more than ever before, and actually convincing me to leave the house – not an easy task.

Free Retreat! Sampler:

Photo by Dylan Matthews, taken from Song, By Toad session (click for link)

This is the first in a new series of interviews with people who are doing great things creatively both locally and hopefully a little bit further afield too. First up we have the ridiculously likeable Bart from eagleowl, the stunning Edinburgh band whose music has genuinely moved me to tears on more than one occasion.

Bart. You’re in a band called eagleowl. You’ve got a new EP out called ‘Into the Fold’ which is already getting a bunch of good reviews. It is of course, beautiful and literally made me cry 3 times. Cos I am a girly boy, or a complete wuss. Are you trying to make people cry? Why, why are you trying to make people cry?

That’s really touching. People have said that before – not often, granted – but a few people have said that certain songs on certain occasions have moved them to tears. It’s quite a compliment. I think to have someone cry – to have that level of unreserved emotional response – is hugely flattering. It feels more genuine, since its almost involuntary. Obviously we don’t set out with the intention of making people cry, but I think the songs are intended to instill at least some kind of emotional response or involvement from people.

And you’re launching the EP this weekend with gigs in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Given the emotional quality of your music, I find at your gigs I often start daydreaming about a litany of lost loves and remembering a bittersweet combination of events in my life, like the day my dog died crossed with the day I got my first Bontempi keyboard. is there anything I can do to emotionally prepare for this trauma prior to the gig?

Oh my, I really don’t know. We’re not really as miserable as we appear, honest. We’ve been discussing playing a show in animal costumes at some point. I think it’d help lighten the mood.

I asked you to do the first ever ‘Creative Types’ interview because like a great number of people I admire, you’re multi-talented. Not only have you played in every band in Edinburgh ™ but you also promote excellent gigs under the name The Gentle Invasion’ and if I’m not wrong design gig posters and the like. Do you have any advice for other creative types on (a) how to fit it all in, and (b) how to stay motivated and focused. (Ok, I say other people but really I desperately need this advice myself.)

I’m not sure if I’m the best person to give advice. But I think just stay focused, and remind yourself why you’re doing it in the first place. Be sure you’re in it for the right reasons. Don’t be put off by one bad show or one bad review or whatever. As to how to fit it all in – I’ve really no idea. Make sure you have a very understanding partner. I think that’s a key factor.

You did a really great interview with Ewen over at the Steinberg Principle about how good the local scene is at the moment but what are your thoughts on spreading the word beyond Scotland? I know people like Marc Riley are doing a good job, but is it difficult to break out beyond that? I really think you guys deserve to be heard by as many people as possible.

We’ve been talking about that a lot recently. I think we’re planning to try and do more English shows this year and play in more cities outside Edinburgh and outside Scotland. There does seem to be fewer and fewer outlets for smaller bands at the moment, and I do think that a lot of the National press does have a distinctly English bias. But I think that will come from them being London-based. It ‘s only natural, I guess, but no less frustrating.

I feel that the internet is becoming more and more important in giving the smaller bands a voice. The current rash of new bands in Scotland over the last couple of years seems to have coincided with a lot of new music blogs starting up as well. And with less and less space being devoted to smaller releases in the National press, it’s really nice that sites like Drowned in Sound are giving those releases the attention they deserve.

Also, is that enough if most people aren’t willing to pay for music? What do you think musicians should be aiming at these days? (I know this is a tough question)

Oh my. It’s a conundrum. With our releases we try and make sure that we do everything to ensure it’s nicely packaged. With the shift towards downloads, to ask someone to fork out for a hard copy you have to make sure it’s an attractive item in itself, asides fro the musical content. I think the rules are changing and there’s been this huge shift in the industry, and everyone’s still not sure how to deal with that. Time will tell, I suppose.

Thanks to Bart for taking the time to answer these daft questions with such honesty. Don’t forget to check out eagleowl’s new EP ‘Into The Fold’ – (you can hear the song No Conjunction on April’s podcast). It’s being launched with two gigs this weekend:

30th April at the Roxy Room, Edinburgh

1st May at the Flying Duck, Glasgow

Also, check out their recent session for Song, By Toad at which Dylan Matthews took the excellent photo above.

April’s slightly belated podcast features:

1. Bury Parts 1 & 3 from The Fall’s superb new album Your Future, Our Clutter, out today on Domino Records

2. Lemonade by CocoRosie plus the chance to win two tickets to their gig in Glasgow on May 12th at the Classic Grand (listen for instructions on how to enter (it’s really easy)!)

3. The King of Doublespeak by Debutant (check out their Ltd double A-side 7″ with Conquering Animal Sounds via Gerry Loves Records)

4. No Conjunction by the fabulous eagleowl (pre-order their new EP Into The Fold here and buy tickets for their launch gig on Friday in Edinburgh here)

Subscribe in iTunes

The wind is battering the windows, whistling through the doors and buzzing through the nooks and crannies of my ancient old tenement flat. It’s winter alright.

I’m playing the new single by eagleowl, Sleep The Winter. It’s achingly sad, like standing on the windswept petrol-perfumed deck of a ferry and seeing a beautiful coastline of a country you never wanted to leave fading into the distance. 

Today is unofficial ‘Sleep The Winter’ day. Almost all my favourite Scottish music blogs are very excited about this release and rightly so. As well as making amazing music, eagleowl are lovely people and the slow, sure beating heart of Edinburgh’s alternative scene. The addition of this band to any bill makes it a special night. 

They are launching the single with a gig at the Bowery on 11th December and the 13th Note on the 14th itself.

In the meantime, check out their last EP, For The Thoughts You Never Had on Bandcamp (you choose what to pay)

More info:

www.eagleowlattack.co.uk

www.kilterschmilter.co.uk

I’m delighted to say that Playing with the Past is back in Edinburgh for a second night on August 22nd. This combination of film and live music was my highlight of this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival (ok I only saw one other film, what of it?) bringing together three of my favourite Edinburgh bands eagleowl, Meursault and Found, to provide original soundtracks to some bloody ancient, but fascinating pieces of footage.

The picture above is from the film Granton Trawler, for which eagelowl provided a lovely instrumental sea-shanty, complete with a brilliant replication of a creaking boat, which Bart somehow created merely by twisting his guitar strap (via an effects pedal). Living in the vicinity of Granton Harbour, it was great to see this genuine slice of life from over 70 years ago, and although the fisherman’s life looked very tough indeed, it’s hard not to romanticise their seafaring ways just a little bit when you’re stuck on the number 8 bus due to endless roadworks. Notice I didn’t mention the word ‘salty’ once. The ‘owl also provided a fast and furious accompaniment to a strange little animated film from Canada called Begone Dull Care which let us see the other, less laid back side of the band.

Meursault were up next, for Stan and Ollie, a bizarre piece of newsreel about Laurel and Hardy’s visit to Edinburgh, back in the day when there were those old-fashioned trams.. (cough). Their accompaniment to this piece was quite subtle, with their main contribution to the event an epic twenty minute piece de resistance to the 1936 short Night Mail, about the postal train from England to Scotland.

This was a bit of a blast from the past as I was shown this film as part of my degree many moons ago. Like Granton Trawler it made by the GPO film unit, which was a pioneer of British documentary, if I remember rightly.

I’ve included a very brief extract from the Meursault track below, to give you a sneak preview if you weren’t there, and am hoping that the band won’t mind (if they do though, it will be removed sharpish..) Cheers to Chris Bathgate for his recording expertise.

Finally it was Found (who I’ve seen live so often recently they must think I’m stalking them). They had a particularly tricky piece called Camera Makes Whoopee, which included montages of various instruments, making it difficult for them to deviate from the footage, but the band cleverly brought in samples and beats to match what was on screen.

What I enjoyed about this was the creative, and different approach taken by each band, and the genuine enthusiasm of the crowd. I’d like to see some contemporary local film-makers teaming up with the city’s musical talent more often, but I can see that it would take a lot of work to come up with something like this completely from scratch.

Anyway, it’s great that there’s another night in the offing making this an almost unique, two-night only event that you’ll not want to miss the second time around.

  Meursault – Night Mail (extract from Playing with the Past live performance)

Playing with the Past is on at the Filmhouse, Edinburgh on August 22nd: more info here.

Yes I have finally experienced the Fence Homegame in Anstruther and it was well worth the wait. The above video diary shows a few of the bands we saw, a lot of which have already featured on the podcasts. I only had very limited space on my wee digital camera so didn’t manage to capture everything, e.g.Viking Moses leading us in a mass singalong of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Lover Lover Lover’, Pictish Trail doing a lovely cover of Hot Chip’s Boy From School, James Yorkston doing a great live version of ‘Woozy with Cider’ and numerous other perfect moments.

In fact, because so much was going on simultaneously in different venues, we totally missed loads of special events like the Three Craws (the hall was full by the time we got there), Ichi who many said was their highlight, any other secret shows that I didn’t have a ticket for like James Yorkston doing Daniel Johnston covers.. the list goes on. I have to say I would be gutted to miss those things if I didn’t have such an amazing time at the things I did go to. 

I can see now that Fence is all about the Homegame experience, and the rest of the year I will be just biding time for the next one – it has to be the friendliest, most laid back festival I’ve been to. But it looks likely that next year’s event will be a smaller one, so good luck getting tickets if you fancy going…

Retreat! artwork by Withered Hand. www.myspace.com/witheredhandmusic.

www.myspace.com/edinburghretreat

Thee Moths – Don’t Let the Crows Take Your Eyes

“It’s
time to end. Thee Moths has been around in many forms for almost 8
years. Over 55 releases and hundreds of songs I’ve said all I can say
with the project.” So sayeth Alex Botten, the man behind Thee Moths and
countless other underground indie bands over the last 20 years, as
detailed in his tragi-comic self-published book Hanging Around,
available from Lulu.com  (well worth a read for insights into the
Dundee and Birmingham music scenes, and the strange workings of
Botten’s own mind).  This track is from a recent avian-themed
download-only EP, ‘Sparrows and more Sparrows’, and It’s a strange, sad
track, and suitably so, given that it’s quite possibly inspired by one
of the more brutal deaths in Omen II, and has a prescient feeling,
perhaps foreshadowing the end that was to come.  But not to worry,
because Botten is continuing along the feathered friends theme with new
project Wings and Claws.

Eagleowl – Blanket

This
song sums up why Eagleowl are so damn perfect – the name couldn’t be
more suitable for a song that envelops you in warm fuzziness, and
allows you to drift off into a melancholy, untroubled state of
consciousness. And with it’s mournful violins, warmly comforting double
bass, and delicately played guitars and gorgeous, understated
harmonies, Blanket is one dream you won’t want to wake up from. The
track is from their new EP ‘For the Thoughts You Never Had’  which they
are launching as part of the Retreat! anti-festival in Edinburgh during
August, as previewed elsewhere this issue.

Sans Trauma – The Day I Woke Up

Sans
Trauma are a sleeping giant of the Scottish music scene whose time must
surely be about to come.  And like a giant that’s woken up on the wrong
side of the bed, realising he’s wasted too much time, this epic
masterpiece wades ferociously through the listener’s psyche, leaving
huge footprints. Live, the band layer shoegaze guitars with krautrock
rhythms and post-rock violence, building whispers of lyrics and
modulating, fuzzed up guitar into monolithic soundscapes, that judder
off instinctively into different directions at the most unexpected
moments.