Monday 01
STOLEN ORDER (pictured) / THE DETOURS (pictured)
Some rock music coming directly towards your face and ears.
www.myspace.com/stolenorderband
www.myspace.com/thedetoursinfo
Tuesday 02
JIMMY RICHARDS (pictured) / A STILL FRAME SKYLINE (pictured) / PABLO GONE NUTS
Jimmy Richards: "...takes sentences and chats with friends and turns them in to 3 minute pop-songs." - Dave Hughes "... If Morrissey and David Bowie had sex and Frank Turner was watching." - Sophi Lee / A Still Frame Skyline: hi octane modern rock music. / Pablo Gone Nuts: A four piece band from Glasgow that enjoy a good old musical gallivant! The band formed in May 05 and instantly began writing with the common goal to induce emu filled joy in everyones life this goal instantly died after the realisation that ducks are better! The band script their own music, create their own ruckus and tune their own guitars! The band practise at busbys riverside studios and have taken part in the optimus project 5. Featuring on a compliation, producing a single, getting played on XFM.
www.myspace.com/jimmyrichardsmusic
www.myspace.com/astillframeskyline
www.myspace.com/pablogonenuts
Thursday 04
DOWN THE TINY STEPS / + GUESTS
Glasgow's Down The Tiny Steps ..... opener, 'Infinitea', began with a summery, chiming xylophone, and frontman Jonnie drawled "Is this the end of the world or is he fooling around?" in his cosy Scottish burr before everything kicked off into a glorious declaration of lo-fi electro intent. DtTS manage to be acoustic blues, funk and nu-rave (*shudder*) all at once, while still maintaining a lovably daft demeanour. One particularly heartfelt moment was played in a pair of laboratory goggles which had been modified with feathers ("I want to detract from the emotional content of this song with my goggles", explained Jonnie) to resemble Altern8 at a burlesque night. Not only were they a forcible talent, this band of Celtic jokers were a refreshingly lively spectacle. More synthesized bluesy madness please.
www.downthetinysteps.co.uk
www.myspace.com/downthetinysteps
Friday 05
HAND OF DOG / THE FIGHTING 69TH
Formed in the middle of 2007 and hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, Hand of Dog play an original, straight forward and barnstorming style of rock music, their up and coming album entitled "Perfect for the paranoid" will be put in front of industry moguls and music fans in the Autumn of 2008!!
www.handofdog.com
Saturday 06
Flowers In The Dustbin presents: SEDITIONARIES feat: THE COVERGIRLS / THE ECHO SESSION / THE RETROFRETS (pictured) / INTERVALS
The Cover Girls: "ALTERNATIVE POPULAR MUSIC. Fans of ... Deerhoof, Pavement, The Fall, Blur, Pixies, Evil Superstars, Melt Banana" yum!!! / The Echo Session: " play the sorta music that gives you melodic chills down your backbone" it's the truth! / The Retrofrets: garage / blues / rock influenced shenanigans. / Intervals: Instrumental and introspective, interval's recent Chemikal Underground endorsed demo shows a band uncomfortable with just going through the post-rock motions. Though their influences are clear, from Low to Mogwai to Dirty Three to Explosions in the Sky, their expansive sound is more than the sum of its parts.Doors 8.00pm, entry £5
www.myspace.com/flowersinthedustbin
www.myspace.com/itsthecovergirls
www.myspace.com/theechosession
www.myspace.com/theretrofrets
www.myspace.com/thehardtimesareover (intervals)
Sunday 07
Gigswap UK Tour 2008: CHANNAH VAN'T RIET (Amsterdam) (pictured) / TOMMY BEAVITT / SKIFF (Utrecht) / THE LAYERS / NOT IN THIS TOWN
Skiff' is a bandproject of Dutch singer-songwriter Henk van der Veen. Skiff is pop, folk, rock, has funk en humour. But it also has edge, may offer you emotional comfort, and even - this is your fair warning - may contain some sort of explicit messages... Music varies form Dutch language lowland-ballades to english-language 'trippy neo-hippy urban fungrunge', in all cases they are original compositions and lyrics by Henk.
www.gigswap.org
www.channah.vantriet.nl
www.myspace.com/notinthistown
Wednesday 10
tick tok: 3 BANDS tba
Three bands from the lovely tick toks folks
Thursday 11
is this music? – THE ARCADIAN KICKS (pictured) / AGENT RIBBONS (pictured) / PLASTIC STASI
The Arcadian Kicks: "Many of their tunes start out sounding traditional, morph into a psychedelic middle sections, then come out growling like werewolves at the other end...........Between them and the inventive boys are tunes like 'Charlie' - part Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, part LSD freak out." Artrocker Magazine "The Arcadian Kicks are one group whose star is most certainly on the ascension, and their hybrid of indie rock and a smattering of funk and soul............Finishing with a funked up swagger" FUSED MAGAZINE / Agent Ribbons: "Their collection of love songs is charming, pleasantly full of sass and embodies a whimsy more along the lines of LA's the Ditty Bops, though without the signature vocal harmonies and less complex songs. However, the lyrics are intricate and clever; paired with the music, the songs bring to mind the some Anne of Green Gables universe where troubles are something that can be kissed away. Considering that Agent Ribbons boasts a mere two musicians, drummer Lauren Hess and singer/guitarist Natalie Gordon who play without a backing band, they're also remarkably complete. "Birds and Bees," a fifties throwback ballad, is filled in on the chorus with a quickly strummed guitar and Lauren's tom playing keeping time until the music simplifies to the next verse to give attention to the lyrics." Doors 8.30pm, entry £4
www.myspace.com/isthismusic
www.myspace.com/thearcadiankicks
www.myspace.com/agentribbons
www.myspace.com/plasticstasi
Friday 12
LA ROCHE RUMBA / I.D. PARADE / ROLLOR (pictured)
Another power trio, but slightly weirder, Rollor slap out of the speakers with Stranglers bass, chunkerter-chunk guitar prongs, deranged harmonica a la Beefheart & dense titles like 'Walking Parade Of Curiosity'. Great. One minute you're rolling along in a dusty desertscape, next it's interstellar overdrive, then rickety-tick drumstick breaks deposit you in an alley scratching your head... then that wobbly bass links arms with you & whips you off to a bar to start over. Nuts. An intriguing pairing. Time to roll your Rs down & really rock out, roger?
Saturday 13
WEENLIZ / AIR RAIDER / GATR
Glitched up super fuzzy plinky plonks from weenliz....but i mean that in the best possible way! As if rapeman had gone out and bought some stuff from maplins.
www.myspace.com/weenlizweenlizweenliz
Sunday 14
STAND-UP GUY (pictured) / THE FINAL SIGH (pictured) / BLACK SUN (tbc) (pictured)
Stand-up Guy: 'Has Anything You've Done Made Your Life Better?': 'CD Of The Month' - Irish Metal Forum, July 2001; 'Demo Of The Month' - Terrorizer, November 2001. 'Immobiliare': 'CD Of The Month' - Irish Metal Forum, October 2002; "If there was one band that could probably make me cry with joy, with fear, with a need to change gears on my life, then we have the band right here." - Paul Priest, Raw Nerve Promotions, December 2002 'In Fixation, Conspire': 8/10, Rock Sound Magazine, Issue 68, January 2005 - "Listening to it through seems to communicate that these songs were genuinely borne of adversity, and the passion that comes across through the excellent arrangements and passionate vocals is totally heartfelt."; 4.6/5, www.metalireland.com November 2004. 'Avenue Unawares': "this album has been a slowly cauterising burn; the feeling of being privy to some uncomfortable goings on is palpable; like some nightshift of an album, it works its own necessary business while the rest of the world sleeps comfortably; Katatonia now a surprising tonal comparison" - 4.1 / 5 - Ciaran Tracey, www.metalireland.com. / The Final Sigh: "200 hyperactive toddlers given instruments and locked in a studio with a paddling pool full of extra sugar high caffeine cola" / Glaswegian doomsters Black Sun manages to capture some of the essence of their formidable and incendiary live shows. Black Sun have always been an uncompromising and deliberately contrary band - early gigs would see them play with a confrontational (and occasionally violent) performance artist called Poledancer and anything up to 5 guitarists. This latest offering does nothing to reconcile that stance, with harmony and melody being neglected in favour of crushing and often sickening noise. This is coloured, thankfully, with passages of almost ambient instrumental scarcity. It is difficult to find a niche to neatly tidy this away into. While undoubtedly a doom band they, like Unearthly Trance, bring something new and unwholesome to the genre, giving it an attitude and vitality too often missing. Stand out track Seven Rooms nods in the direction of the post-hardcore prog leanings of Cult of Luna, but it's the briefest of nods and only then in acknowledgement of fellow seekers. If Black Sun can maintain their momentum and gather the new fans this CD demands then their future is looking very grim
www.myspace.com/thefinalsigh
www.myspace.com/black_sun_1000
Tuesday 16
Beyond Good & Evil: STARVING WEIRDOS / VODKA SOAP / NACKT INSECTEN (pictured) / SINGLE HELIX
"Sudden Fear is The Starving Weirdos first foray in soundtracking(that's been releashed) with images based around elements from 1952 film featuring Joan Crawford & Jack Palance. Merrick McKinlay from the SW's kindly gave me an email interview regards the project- but first a brief review. WithThe Sudden fear project they've managed to build such a tight feeling of almost unbearable tension, making an very uneasy, edgy and on a knife-edge audio/visual attack on the sensors. As we follow Joan Crawford on her plans to murder and her carrying out of the task, over it's half an hour running time they turning this noir classic into an hallucinogenic knife-edge ride. The SW soundtracking of tense / inister drone textures, sawing guitars, weird percussive elements and creepy music boxes unwinds makes it near on in possible to take your eyes of the screen. In summing up total un-missable really, here's hoping they do some more soundtrack work very soon." / Vodka Soap, which is the solo project of James Ferraro of The Skaters, a group whose made a lot of noise (pun intended!) on this site for releasing countless awesome albums, my favorite of which is Crowned Purple Gowns. His set was fantastically out-there. He showed wearing short-shorts, a peach-colored, button-down t-shirt and a multi-colored lei. The table where his Line6 DL4, ghetto-blaster and broken keyboards sat was adorned with plants and a stuffed camel holding sticks of incense. He sat in a chair covered in a beach towel depicting a caricature of a Rastafarian fellow surrounded by pot leaves. His set was like a jungle trance drone. Intense, intense, intense. / Nackt insecten - Hollow-skull Spekter - is an unholy spew of overloaded guitar(?), the air tasting metallic in the fizzle n crack – like a screaming beast of burden writhing around in slowly decreasing and gratuitous circles. St. Mary of the Storms – supplies a welcomed reprieve from the torn noise onslaught, a rippling of bass fuzz, a low prairie of shimmering glass-like reflections. Yellow Wraith – is blistering noise bubbling up and expanding in explosive release, a sickening cyclone that cuts away to reveal the last trk - Still Tide. This is Gregorian moan over a gorgeous bed of metallic wreckage that slips queasily through your ears, and dies off to a few sax squeaks. excellent stuff.. / Single Helix – "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" whilst making awesome drones / scrapes / tones / harmonics. It should be pointed out the the quick brown fox is bilingual (not that his sexuality should matter), well above 6 ft tall and a member of the entertainment duo lanterns.
www.myspace.com/nacktinsecten
Thursday 18
is this music? – ZOEY VAN GOEY (pictured) / THE STARLETS (pictured) / JOHN B McKENNA
ZVG have been tipped in many quarters as ones to watch this year and I am happy to report that they managed to live up to the hype. A stripped down three piece, the band is made up of dispirit figures each with a very individual onstage persona - featuring Canadian (nerd) Matt Brennan, Ireland's (brooding muso geek) Michael John McCarthy and (beguiling chanteuse) Kim Moore from England. Utilising guitars (acoustic & electric), drums, keyboards, a violin and assorted sequencers and percussion the sound created was a delight. Each member displayed their virtuosity with regular instrument swaps. Unlike many other acts this did not disrupt the flow of the set or the fragile beauty of the songs being sung. The haunting vocals of Kim Moore dovetailed nicely with Brennan's slightly gruffer tones. The overall impact of the set and sound is mightier than the sum of their individual parts. That it works at all is mainly down to the individual characters involved. Whilst the overall appearance of the band is of three random strangers the beauty and intensity of their music clearly shows that they are working towards a common goal. Each member plays up (or down) to their onstage persona wonderfully with Brennan especially adept at self-effacing humour. / The Starlets always confuse me. On one hand, there's the neo-noir band that have brass and strings and a cool, sinister edge, on the other, there's the full-on guitar band with the emphasis on a raw energy. As ever, we get both tonight, and while the stripped down, full-on Starlets sound catchy, angular and frenetic, it's the more thoughtful, stretched out songs that I prefer, when the trumpet and violin are brought into play and they sound like a bruised, elegant Glaswegian Tindersticks. Still, they are engaging and entertaining performers, hitting us with an array of great songs, full of melodies, hooklines and great banter in between songs. When The Starlets hit their stride they have a real magic about them.Doors 8.30pm, entry £4
www.myspace.com/isthismusic
www.myspace.com/zoeyvangoey
www.myspace.com/starletsuk
Friday 19
LES BOF! / THE BRUTES / THE PHARISEES (pictured)
After years as a musical enemy number one of the town council of Marseilles, Laurent Mombel estimated that his talents were ignored and wrongfully punished. In exile in the United Kingdom, Laurent, put himself about to find the musicians of Garage that were most endowed within their neighbourhoods - unfortunately they all were occupied and thus decided to make do with a few old tearaways met in the wild regions of Scotland - Thus Les BOF! were formed and after that, a series of concerts left them in the not very enviable situation of premier garage rockers of French language in Great Britain. 'BOF!' literally translates as `don't care!' or `not interested!' but do not see there a group for which one would not have to be interested, but rather a group universally rejected by the established order - a situation, we are sure, you all know too well and with which you can only sympathize. Les BOF! play regularly not only in the dull cellars and dusty cafes of Edinburgh and its neighbourhoods but also abroad - try to see them whether they come in your city - or better, invite them to play in your own living room - it will not cost you the eyes teeth – Vive Les BOF! / The Brutes: The double Gordons & Jim have played in a vast array of bands, including THE SINISTER URGE, BANGTWISTER, THE CAMPUS TRAMPS, ONE GOD UNIVERSE, GLEN OR GLENDA, MACROCOSMICA, a Black Flag covers band called SIX PACK, THE UNDERGROUND APES, THE GOLDEN GUINEAS, BUG POWDER aka COLD SICK, BULB, BUBBLEWRAP HOLOCAUST, TROUSERED, THE GREASE MONKEYS, and THE POISON SISTERS, but eventually decided playing this kinda dumb stuff is more fun.
www.myspace.com/theebrutes
Saturday 20
Drive Carefully Records: FREIGHT LOGISTICS / OCCASIONAL FLICKERS / + GUESTS
The Occassional Flickers are originally from Athens, Greece. The band centres around Giorgos who has since relocated to Edinburgh. Judging by the bands "Scottish" sound you would have thought that is where he originally hailed from! Giorgos has been going under the Occasional Flickers guise for a couple of years now and the début album Scattered Songs has just been released on Peru's Plastilna Records which is the home to the likes of Annemarie and Amida amongst others. If you head over to My Space you will find three tracks from the album available for streaming. It's hard not to think of bands like Belle & Sebastian or Butcher Boy when listening to these songs. There is also an obvious influence taken from singer songwriters especially those who lean to a more folkish sound such as Nick Drake for example. Of the three I really like Sunward and on it you will hear where I am coming from regarding the comparisons. These are heartfelt indie pop songs of the lo-fi variety you will definitely want in your collection.
www.drivecarefullyrecords.co.uk
www.myspace.com/drivecarefullyrecords
www.myspace.com/freightlogistics
Sunday 21
is this music? – JONQUIL / THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS / PETER PARKER
Jonquil - "This is a masterclass in how to purvey experimentalism without foregoing accessibility, and for that alone, Jonquil need to become huge" Clash. "The tone is deadpan and resonant, the voice more instrument than flowery embellishment, while the tenderness and fragility is left to the other musicians" The Wire. "Beautiful weirdness" Metro. "The times i've seen Jonquil play live, its been in tiny, intimate venues in Oxford and they've inspired these mass sing-alongs each time... its pretty special to watch" Yannis Philippakis (Foals). "Jonquil's efforts create the atmosphere in which one could slice through the air with a knife" Rock Sound. "Its a tranquil and soothing listen with moments of euphoric chanting and the wonderful lapping of shifting harmonies and textures, and ever present thrill" Notion. / This Town Needs Guns - Effortless is a word that comes up in music reviews quite a bit. Usually its usage is incorrect and quite ironic. To say musicians don't spend countless hours tweaking the tiniest little things – tambourine tempos, lyrical nuances, oddball t-shirt designs – is unfair and really quite rude. Songs don't appear out of thin air; song ideas do. There's no doubt in my mind This Town Needs Guns ruminated for hours and hours, creating every angular guitar riff and swift-footed time signature through sheer force of will. But if I was being naïve and, possibly, listening for the first time, I'd tell you these British dudes have some mad improv skills. Each song naturally finds its way into a room already inhabited by bands like American Football and demands floor space with rumbling guitars and especially insightful lyrics. This Town Needs Guns might be far from effortless, but boy if it ain't a graceful lil' bastard.Doors 8.30pm, entry £4
www.myspace.com/isthismusic
www.myspace.com/jonquiluk
www.myspace.com/thistownneedsguns
Monday 22
The Go Button: IBSIAS / NATIONS CAPITAL / + 1
3 bands from the lovely go-button peoples.
www.myspace.com/thegobutton
Tuesday 23
ACTION BEAT / BOB CORN / JER REID & SHANE CONNOLLY
Some rock music from down south in the forms of action beat (milton keynes) and bob corn! Yas! With amazing local support from Jer Reid & Shane Connolly "...some tight corners....some long straights..." what a great bit o'blurb!
www.myspace.com/actionbeat
Thursday 25
THE BUCKY RAGE / THE SUEDE DENIM SECRET POLICE
Doors 9pmr.
Friday 26
MULEHOG / WELCOME TO SPOOK CLUB
Mulehog - Two mates with a lot of time on their hands, who have decided to put their musical talents, dedicate their spare time and love of all good tunes together to create a blend of rockin, bluesy, ear-popping, big riff, big beat, toe-tapping, jaw-dropping 2-piece musical phenomenon! - Music for the heart and soul of all those who love to ROCK!!!! "Sounds Like The jam carriage of 'Festival Express' if The Yardbirds, Keith Moon & Howlin' Wolf had been on board - served up with a nice cold Jack Daniels, case of lager, packet of smokes & a pint of Guiness." :-)
Saturday 27 / Sunday 28 - 13 BANDS EACH DAY FROM 2PM
September Merchant City Festival Weekender: free shows!!!!
collecting donations for Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy: www.tartanclef.org
Saturday: TOM DAVIS / THE MISS'S / OLD SOLAR / BEN REYNOLDS / BOOMEDAN / SINGLE HELIX / ALLY KERR / LITTLE PEBBLE / DOWN THE TINY STEPS / KID CANAVERAL / TOKAMAK / GDANSK
Sunday: NACKT INSECTEN / ALISTAIR CROSBIE / CHEER / IF YOU LIVED HERE YOU'D BE HOME BY NOW / RICHARD HOLMES / DROPKICK / GLIDER / JOHN McFARLANE (sluts of trust) / CUDDLY HSARK / SUPER ADVENTURE CLUB / VARS OF LITCHI / HYENA
Monday 29
2STOREYS / THE A51s
Doors 9pm
www.myspace.com/2storeys
Tuesday 30
The End of the Month Club: BOZILLA / THE EX-MEN
The Ex-Men - "... claustraphobic... bleak... eerie... grotesque... funky... melodic... sparse... trippy... unsettling... euphoric... infectious... scathing... odd... compelling... highly recommended" Is this music?. "Ex-men, divine intervention" Daily Record. "Underworld after six pints of mild" The Sunday Times. "Sort of swing-beat with a little pop sensibility" Gill Mills. "We are loving this at BBC Radio Scotland headquarters" Vic Galloway, Radio 1 "I'd rather live out the rest of my days high on skag than allow The Ex-men to sully my senses ever again" The List Top 5 albums of the month: Skinny. "Not sure how the references to jism and Tracy Emin's bush would go down with the teatime millions" Metro. and all the usual excellent topical shenanigans from the bozilla / EOTMC folks!
www.eotmc.com
www.bozilla.co.uk
www.myspace.com/bozillabozilla
www.myspace.com/theexmen
