Errors – Magna Encarta
Wild Beasts – Albatross
Kassidy – I Don’t Know
Godsmack – I Stand Alone
JX – There’s Nothing I Won’t Do
S.I.T Wolf X
Tag Archives: errors
SIT WOLF: Top 30 Albums of 2010
The best albums of 2010, much the same as 2009, were ridiculously hard to narrow down into a final 30. But after much of the obligatory mulling over nominees and usual bits of chopping and changing positions i’ve finally got a Top 30 Countdown. It was a pretty spectacular twelve months in terms of music. Full of all sorts of aural delights.
As customary the countdown is from Numero 30 to Numero 1 and with a short little description of each album. I’ve tried to keep it to short as i’m pushed for time and it is a school night afterall so it’s early to bed tonight for me.
30. !!! – STRANGE WEATHER ISN’T IT?
A colourful return to form from the dance punk Cali-NY group.
29. GIL SCOTT HERON – I’M NEW HERE
There’s still life in the old dog yet. Putting most of todays young guns to shame with this “post-modernised” blues album.
28. FUTURE ISLANDS – IN EVENING AIR
Fresh and backed with the unique voice of Samuel T Herring this album provided Future Islands with a huge step towards global recognition.
27. NEDRY – CONDOR
Glitch laden, echo filled debut from this seemingly ever evolving trio.
26. BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD – SUMMER HEART
Released on Christmas Day, this was the perfect stocking filler from Blackbird Blackbird. A collection of dream pop classics.
25. HOLY FUCK – LATIN
Holy Fuck? Holy Funk more like. Instrumental lords at their best but with added funkability.
24. MEURSAULT – ALL CREATURES WILL MAKE MERRY
Epic, sombre, intriguing album from the Scottish lo-fi folk experimentalists.
23. BATHS – CERULEAN
A wonderfully textured body of work forms the debut of Will Wiesenfeld aka Baths.
22. WARPAINT – THE FOOL
The all girl four piece dropped one of the most anticipated albums of 2010 and didn’t disappoint with “The Fool”.
21. THE NATIONAL – HIGH VIOLET
It had been a while, so to say, since the indie kids favourite miserablists had released a full length effort and this summer release was a blinding reminder of what they’re capable of.
20. MOUNT KIMBIE – CROOKS AND LOVERS
Blending every type of music there is into just under 40 minutes may seem impossible to most. Not to these guys though.
19. THESE NEW PURITANS – HIDDEN
The sounds of a band truly finding themselves has never been more enjoyable.
18. BEACH HOUSE – TEEN DREAM
Beguilling and warm. This mysterious offering only makes me love Beach House more than i already did.
17. WILD NOTHING – GEMINI
Unmistakably influenced by the 80’s, this wide eyed debut from Jack Tatum and co is literally summer on a disc.
16. GAYNGS – RELAYTED
The compelling tribe of artists known as Gayngs were always going to give us something special with all the collective talent they have in their possession.
15. FLYING LOTUS – COSMOGRAMMA
Giving us another multi layered odyssey was always going to be the main target for one of the most consistent IDM artists out there. He succeeded in typical mesmerising fashion.
14. SALEM – KING NIGHT
Mysterious, cold yet tender and encapsulating. A chilling album from these dark hosts.
13. ERRORS – COME DOWN WITH ME
Following up debut album “It’s Not Something…” was always gonna be hard but Errors managed to seemingly effortlessly succeed. Never has electronic instrumental music sounded so cool.
12. SURFER BLOOD – ASTRO COAST
With vocal melodies and lyrics evoking a heavier Beach Boys this was one of the first albums of 2010 that made my ears prick up and pay serious attention when it came out last January.
11. TOBACCO – MANIAC MEAT
The main man from Black Moth Super Rainbow continues his solo project in style. Roping in Beck for some guest vocals on this aggressive 16 track LP.
10. EIGHTIES MATCHBOX B-LINE DISASTER – BLOOD AND FIRE
The Brighton legends returned to form and then some with this tight, well structured sonically enticing outpouring. Sprucing up a few older tracks and adding in some amazing new ones was the perfect way to keep there notoriously loyal fans more than happy.
9. FOUR TET – THERE IS LOVE IN YOU
Keiran Hebden never lets us down and last years album was no different. Maybe more tender/softer than previous releases in some areas and certainly not as complicated but still groovy enough to make you want to dance away to your heart’s content.
8. ARCADE FIRE – THE SUBURBS
The big one that everybody was and still is talking about. The album that turned Arcade Fire from indie playlist stalwarts to world renowned epic song possessing music Gods.
7. PANTHA DU PRINCE – BLACK NOISE
Another early bird, released in February ’10, that stuck around in my head all year long. An expressive and ever expanding work of art.
6. GOLD PANDA – LUCKY SHINER
Previous EP releases from Gold Panda gave us an idea of what was gonna be in store for his debut album but nothing could have prepared us for the twist and turns that “Lucky Shiner” slides through. It’s a story of an album. One that’s worth reading over and over again.
5. DEFTONES – DIAMOND EYES
There’s no doubt about it, the Deftones are timeless. Diamond Eyes was a long time coming. The band have been through a very tough time over the last few year and if anybody deserves to be praised this year it is them. Combining styles form all of their previous albums to create an elegant piece of alternative rock. Nobody does it as good as the Deftones. They’ve been around for over two decades but show no sign of slowing up and tracks like “Royal” show they still have that bite that all other modern rock bands envy. They’ve left their calling card once again.
4. MF/MB/ – FOLDED
This was a late discovery of mine last year. I’m honest enough to admit i’d never even heard of the band until a friend recommended them to me in the winter. And what a recommendation. The material on this album ranges from the simple stuff to the extravagant experimental stuff. Staying sublime the whole way through and not losing sight of the art rock/pop stylings.
3. KANYE WEST – MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY
The best word i can think of to describe this album is primordial. It’s the beginning of a new vein of hip hop and RnB. Jam packed full of special guests ranging from Jay Z to Bon Iver and full of ideas. It’s an essential listen from start to end.
2. 65DAYSOFSTATIC – WE WERE EXPLODING ANYWAY
Colossal riffs and beats as always from the Sheffield masters of post rock. Adding that little something different with each passing song. They’re gaining an ever growing fan base throughout the world and it’s easy to hear why. They’re at the forefront of everything that is modern instrumental music. They’re the pioneers of sonic brutality and this album shows that they plan on keeping that title for a long time to come.
and the WINNER of Best Album of 2010 is…..
1. O.CHILDREN – O.CHILDREN
The self titled effort form O.Children was pretty much a shoe in for Number 1 on this list from the moment i heard it. You’d need to reform Death From Above 1979 and get them in a studio with Queens of the Stone Age to make the best album they possibly could to even make me THINK about changing my mind on this one. Back to O.Children though, being named after a Nick Cave song meant they were always going to be dark/gothic but they’ve just taken dark and made it darker. Eerie in parts,atmpospheric and always moody and intense. They wear their influences on their sleeve (Joy Divison, Echo and the Bunnymen etc) and use them to carve their own niche. They embrace the miserable side of things and somehow turn it into catchy hooks and perfectly timed choruses. They’ve sombrely embraced the world and with this album as their introduction the world will surely return the favour. They deserve it.
I’ve made ZIP files with one track from each album and posted them on mediafire. Below are the tracks included and download links.
SIT WOLF: TOP 30 ALBUMS OF 2010 (Part 1)
30. !!! – AM/FM
29. Gil Scott Heron – Me And The Devil
28. Future Islands – Tin Man
27. Nedry – A42
26. Blackbird Blackbird – Avalanche
25. Holy Fuck – Stay Lit
24. Meursault – One Day This’ll All Be Fields
23. Baths – Maximalist
22. Warpaint – Shadows
21. The National – Runaway
20. Mt. Kimbie – Ruby
19. These New Puritans – Attack Music
18. Beach House – Silver Soul
17. Wild Nothing – Live In Dreams
16. Gayngs – Crystal Rope
DOWNLOAD PART 1 (30-16) here
SIT WOLF: TOP 30 ALBUMS OF 2010 PART 2
15. Flying Lotus – Do The Astral Plane
14. Salem – Frost
13. Errors – Antipode
12. Surfer Blood – Floating Vibes
11. Tobacco – Fresh Hex (feat. Beck)
10. Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster – Monsieur Cutts
9. Four Tet – Sing
8. Arcade Fire – Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
7. Pantha Du Prince – Lay In A Shimmer
6. Gold Panda – Parents
5. Deftones – You’ve Seen The Butcher
4. MF/MB/ – 1000 Times
3. Kanye West – So Appalled
2. 65daysofstatic – Crash Tactics
1. O.Children – Ruins
DOWNLOAD PART 2 (15-1) here
Filed under best of 2010
Attention Span
I’ve not had nearly enough time to get as much 2011 posts up as i’d like to. As usual it’s a culmination of many things preventing me. Lack of time, work, family, friends and a new addition to the reasons…..jamming. My old band “The Gorecki” have got back together. So we’ve been busy jamming and rehearsing new tracks and i’ve been spending a lot of time writing some new material for both “The Gorecki” and for an other upcoming boy/girl project i have planned with one of my best friends. More news on that to follow though.
If you wanna keep up to date with any happenings on The Gorecki front then the places to check are The-Gorecki/2 or for a studio diary from our newest member check over at thetwosimons.wordpress.com/.
It’s looking like i’ll have a relatively free evening tomorrow night so i’ll 100% get the rest of the “Best of 2010” lists posted up over the weekend and then we can look ahead to what 2011 has to offer on the music front.
In the meantime, here’s a few songs on rotation on my iPod that have currently been keeping me sane during my busy week at work.
S.I.T Wolf X
Filed under the quiet things that...
Latha Naomh Anndra
Yesterday was St Andrews Day.
Yesterday i was too busy getting drunk to do this post. Today i’m too hungover to make a serious attempt at one and do it justice so instead i’ll just post some random stuff.
Some really good Scottish music of all varieties and sounds will do for a start.
Some famous ones, some semi famous ones, some lesser known ones…..
MP3: Frightened Rabbit – The Loneliness
MP3: The Beta Band – She’s The One
MP3: De Rosa – Prelude To Entropic Doom
MP3: Galoshins – Sprayed with Blood
MP3: Bwani Junction – Two Bridges
MP3: Sons and Daughters – Taste The Last Girl
MP3: Eagleowl – This Is Not Your Lucky Day
MP3: Adam Stafford – Shot Down You Summer Wannabes
Oh and the never forgotten ones…
Which reminds me, i’m off to see Song of Return on saturday night..
MP3: Song Of Return – Shackles
Song Of Return free show at Flat 0/1
An amazing band and a cool venue. What more could i want for a Saturday nights entertainment?
Bonus stuff
————–
Anyone fancy a free download of a concept album all about Glasgow?
Sings Of A Dear Green Place
Or what about a song from Manchester via London but all about Glasgow..
MP3: Sparky Deathcap – Glasgow Is A Punk Rock Town
Remember these guys!? I was like 8 or 9 when this came out!
There are so so many amazing Scottish artists out there and i’m going to get a post up before the end of the year (yes, i said this aaages ago but i’ll do it this time!) with a massive list of Scottish bands old and new. I’m going to sit down, roll a few and dedicate a night to it but right now i’m away for a pint of my favourite hangover cure and some Rab C.
S.I.T Wolf X
Filed under aye choons
THE MONDAY LIST #17: It Began In Africa
Unless you’ve been living on the moon for the past few weeks you’ll know that the World Cup is on. It is after all the single most watched sports event in on this planet of ours, with millions (billions if you believe FIFA) tuning in worldwide. You can’t escape it at the moment. Not that i’m complaining, i love it. But it’s everywhere. Every time you turn on the TV, every little advert that pops up online, every time you open the paper it’s there staring back at you. To be fair that is the case with most World Cups but this one even more so because it’s the first time it’s been held in Africa and it’s been celebrated just that little bit more. And so it should be.
Since the World Cup is now past the cat and mouse tactics of the group stages and is actually getting exciting it’s time to dedicate a post to it. So to celebrate this momentous World Cup i’ve compiled a list of songs in honour of the great continent of Africa. I’m not gonna lie i could only come up with about 7 or 8 tracks i knew so i had to search for some more online and came across two Paul Simon and David Bowie tracks i could use. The first songs that came to mind for the list were the obvious ones by Toto, Errors, The Very Best, Leftfield and The Chemical Brothers then there were one or two i found by searching my external hard drive then i got stuck and reverted to Google. The song that actually made me think of doing the post was “Bloemfontein” by a band i’ve just got into called Junior Fencing Club (post more soon). I was listening to them on the way to work this morning and the idea came to me to do an African based post after seeing the song title. For those unaware, The Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein is one of the venues used during the World Cup and is coincidentally the stadium at which Germany beat England 4-1 yesterday 🙂 Apologies to any English readers but with me being half Scottish half German you can imagine that i was very, very happy with that result.
Africa List
—————–
1. Leftfield and Afrika Bambaataa – Afrika Shox
2. Chemical Brothers – It Began In Afrika
3. Air – African Velvet
4. Toto – Africa
5. Errors – A Rumour In Africa
6. Trentemoller – African People
7. J Dilla – African Rhythms
8. The Very Best (feat Ezra Koenig) – Warm Heart of Africa
9. Paul Simon – Under African Skies
10. David Bowie – African Night Flight
BONUS TRACKS:
MP3: Junior Fencing Club – Bloemfontein
MP3: The Housemartins – Johannesburg
As another bonus i thought i’d put in a bit about this man….
Mr Lucas Radebe. He’s so much more than a footballer. He’s a national hero in South Africa where he holds almost god like status among the fanatical football fans. He’s also the influence behind (i shudder to say the name cos i HATE the frontman) the Kaiser Chiefs. Yes, this pain in the arse of a band are all Leeds United fans. Radebe played for Leeds United for almost a decade and was their favourite player so they decided to name their band after Radebe’s first club a South African team named Kaizer Chiefs. So, it was with the swift swapping of an “S” for a “Z” (probably to avoid legal wrangles) and the band formerly known as “Parva” (Parva? Kinda fucking name is that anyway?) became the Kaiser Chiefs and proceeded to irritate the ears of the world.
The Good Kaizer Chiefs
The Irritating, Evil Kaiser Chiefs
Ok, so maybe i’m being a bit harsh. It’s not the actual band i have this massive dislike for, it’s just the main dude. Singer Ricky Wilson looks and acts like an overweight, arrogant, smarmy, chipmunk on speed. I’m not and never will be a fan of the group, i don’t really like their music, it doesn’t do anything for me but seeing as i’ve verbally denounced them so much tonight i suppose it’s only fair they get a song up.
It could’ve been worse for them. They should be grateful that Lucas Radebe’s team before signing for Leeds wasn’t a club called Moroka_Swallows. Sounds more like an African XXX effort than a football team.
Just for the record, my money’s on Argentina for the World Cup. I stand to when a fair old amount of crispy notes if they win it.
S.I.T Wolf X
Filed under the monday list
Too Much Time To Waste (Part 1)
Apologies for the complete lack of attention i’ve being giving to the blog recently. I’ve had a fairly busy and eventful couple of weeks since i last posted. I’ve been to 4 gigs and also took a road trip to Aberdeen for a few days. I’ve put in a lot of overtime at work. I’ve helped my sister move house. I’ve gained a nice PA System. Oh and i’ve slept a lot. Exciting stuff or what?
Ok let’s see….my last post was on the 22nd February so lets begin the update from the 23rd.
23rd February
God Is An Astronaut @ Oran Mor
This gig was definitely one of the haziest i’ve ever been to. And i don’t just mean because of the smoke machines and lighting. Me and Simon somehow managed to work our way through an astronomical amount of our bag of weed. We didn’t touch one drop of alcohol all night. It was just weed, water, weed, water, weed. You get the picture. Some would maybe think that getting that stoned before and during a gig would maybe hinder or lessen the experience. Which is more than likely true in quite a few cases. But not God Is An Astronaut. It brings a whole new dimension to their music. I felt like i could almost see the music. Weird, yes? But i tend to find that with a lot of post-rock and instrumental bands. That type of music is one that heightens my aural and visual senses. It gives me visions, makes me see things, mainly colours but other things too. Just random stuff that i couldn’t describe. Not because i don’t want to but i simply don’t know how to. The band also had a screen behind them so that would have added to the visual side of things. Butterfly Explosion provided the support for God Is An Astronaut and they were the perfect build up. Two bands i’ve wanted to see live for years and here they both were together. Couldn’t ask for much more really.
MP3: God Is An Astronaut – Suicide By Star
MP3: Butterfly Explosion – Sophia
Also, as a bonus (because i feel guilty about the lack of posting) here are some tracks by a few other bands i’ve really enjoyed seeing whilst under the influence of Dr Greenthumb.
MP3: Aphex Twin – Windowlicker
MP3: Unkle – Lonely Soul
————————————————————————–
25th February
Errors @ The Grand Ole Opry
This was all set to be a strange night and if truth be told, one that i was a bit nervous/sceptical about. The Grand Ole Opry you see is a Western Themed venue. See for yourself….http://www.glasgowsgrandoleopry.co.uk/
It’s more famous for it’s live country music that takes centre stage every weekend. There are also “shootouts” (not real one’s of course…i hope) and Cowboy and Indian theme nights. And there’s no bar…..oh no, there’s a saloon instead. Nice. So as you can imagine i found it very strange yet somehow appealing that an electronic instrumental band such as Errors would choose such a venue. Could it work?
Yes it could and it did. It was a brilliant gig. One that will stay in the memory for a long time. The crowd were full of nice cheery faces, a mixture of the bearded muso types and trendy indie types and their girlfriends. The only gripe i would have was the amount of time it took to get served a drink. The venue has probably never been so busy before and you could almost see the panic written across the faces of the staff. You could see that the barmaids, sorry, Saloon staff (Saloonettes?) were every but as bemused by us as we were by them. The staff is made up of mainly people that are about 50+ so it was surprising to see them cheerily bop along to the Errors chimes and beats. The new song “Rumour In Africa” seemed a favourite. It was the fourth time i’d seen Errors and they seem to be progressing at an almost perfect rate. Each album or EP becoming more expansive and complex than the previous. As the band themselves said in a recent interview it’s hard to keep making instrumental music that remains interesting and not dull. I know from experience that that is very true but they just happen make it look so easy and effortless. After the gig me and Gustav got a free taxi back to the city centre. We spotted a taxi driver stuck in a rut, well a big puddle to be more precise and decided to help him out in his hour of need. He repayed us with a fare-less journey. Nice man. We then proceeded to enter a club in Glasgow, those few hours however are a blur of strange coloured shots and plastic pint glasses.
MP3: Errors – Bridge Or Cloud?
———————————————————————————————————
26th February
Japandroids @ King Tuts
Another great gig at the most reliable venue in Scotland. I don’t think i’ve ever left King Tuts disappointed. Ok, maybe once when my ex girlfriend happened to spill her blackcurrant and cider all over my freshly bought brand new Oceansize t-shirt but that’s all in the past. I’m over the t-shirt heartache.
The Japandroids seem to be getting a taste for this whole live headlining show malarky. They oozed charisma and charm on stage and had the crowd eating out the palms of their hands. They have anthems in waiting coming out of those amps and they’re finally just starting to truly embrace it. There was a lot of foot stomping from band and crowd alike. A lot of sweat (for once, not from me, i stayed up back this time). A lot of beer. And a lot of banter and sing-a-longs. The songs were making the crowd happy and in return the crowd’s reactions were making the Japandroids happy. Afterwards i took the option of a train home and a reasonably early night (1am) as i was up early the next morning.
MP3: Japandroids – The Boys Are Leaving Town
————————————————————————-
27th February
Lisa moves house…..i’m hungover.
The sole reason i decided to head home after the Japandroids gig and not join my friends at a club was because i had to get up early to help my sister and her family move house. In hindsight i should probably just have stayed in the night before. I had no idea how much stuff they had in that little flat of theirs! I was anticipating beds, some furniture, a dozen or so bags of random stuff, tvs etc. The usual really. What we (me, Symey, Graham and my dad) were faced with was box upon box of things. Really heavy things. I have a lot of DVDs and CDs but my collection pales into comparison with Garys (my brother in law). He’s been collecting vinyl, cassettes, CDs, VHS, DVDs, boxsets, and all other sorts of memorabilia since his pre-teen days. He’s now coming up for 28. So work that out. That’s right, about 22 years worth of stuff squeezed into about fifty million boxes. And that was just for starters. That was before we started on the really heavy stuff. And that’s just what it was just stuff. I asked Lisa what was in these heavy boxes and bags. Her reply? “Just stuff“. “What kind of stuff?” i asked. “I have the right to know what i’m lugging up and down stairs all day!” Once more the reply came, “I told you John, it’s just stuff, so just get lifting!” That was me told. So after all the “stuff” was out the way it was the turn of the sofa and wardrobes. Followed closely by the beds and baby cot. We started the moving at 10am and were finished by 4pm. That’s a fine shift if you ask me. Especially when you consider the amount of stuff to be moved and also the “sensitive” mood i was in. A hard days work followed by a night in bed and The IT Crowd Boxset. Why do i find Jen from the IT Crowd so attractive? There’s just something about her. It might be the whole ordinary girl from next door look and her sense of humour.
MP3: Moving Units – Between Us And Them
MP3: Ryan Adams – This House Is Not For Sale
MP3: MiKiX The Cat – Movin’ Around
“If you type google into google you will…break the internet”
Tomorrow or Thursday i’ll post the rest of the update which will predominantly be about the trip to Aberdeen.
Before i go though….i want to know exactly what it is that i’ve said/someone else has said/what i’ve seen in these pictures….
Any ideas?
S.I.T Wolf X
Filed under gig reviews, random
Caught In The Act
Didn’t have much time to do a post this afternoon…… i had an important meeting with a few friends and a few pints of Tennents round the local pub.
So, i’m just gonna do a quick post on some upcoming events that i’ll be attending. Some i already have tickets for, some i’m buying on pay day. Which is this Friday coming thankfully and boy could i do with it. I do the same thing every year, spend the November/December wage on Christmas presents for people and spend the majority of the Christmas wages during the festive season (nights out, parties etc) then realise, too late nonetheless, that i have the whole of January to wait before i get paid again. Maybe i’ll finally learn this year. Probably not.
Back to the gigs though..
You Can’t Eat The Word Food @ McChuils, Glasgow
Saturday 30th January
You may think i’m being biased here (the singer/guitarist is my brother in law) but if you want jagged indie rhythms that come tinged with many different influences from ska (Soap Opera King) to mod era punk (Rudiments Of No) and with a unique vocal delivery then get yourself along to one of their shows. Or at least their MySpace if you can’t make it. They’ve been together for years now and are one of the hardest working bands on the Glasgow scene, they’ve played all over Scotland and last year managed to get a London show in and impressed the audience. They’re signed to Headhunter Records and released their debut album in November 2008. They deserve to reap the rewards for their hard work, i’m sure they will this year. This show at McChuils is already their 3rd gig of 2010 and they’ve got many more to come this year. Try and catch them if you can. Oh and bring some food along if you do, they’ll appreciate it.
http://www.myspace.com/youcanteatthewordfood
The Sunshine Underground @ ABC, Glasgow
Wednesday 3rd February
MP3: The Sunshine Underground – Borders
The Leeds quartet have finally decided to return and give us another album. And with it another tour. They release their second album “Nobody’s Coming To Save You” on the 1st of February. Will it have been worth the wait? Judging by new lead single “We’ve Always Been Your Friends” it’s a yes. Catch them live if you can. They come across as a very different animal in the flesh. Punk, indie and they tend to show their dancier edge when performing live.
God Is An Astronaut @ Oran Mor, Glasgow
Tuesday 23rd February
MP3: God Is An Astronaut- Forever Lost
These guys are all set to unleash their new album “Age of the Fifth Sun” at some point this summer or before and are proceeding that release with a tour. I only got into them a few years back through my friend Keane, they reminded me a lot of Mogwai and i’ve liked them ever since. They are one band that i’ve never managed to see live before and quite frankly i can’t wait to get the chance to bask in their audio/visual arrangements. Apparently their live shows are immense.
Errors @ Grand Ole Opry, Glasgow
Thursday 25th February
MP3: Errors – National Prism
I’ve already seen these dudes three times before. Each time was a stand out gig in it’s own right. The first was seeing them as a support band back in 2006 and i was very impressed. The second time was a herbal drug induced haze at the Connect Festival in 2008 and then i went and seen them again in October 2008 at the Oran Mor, that night was just unreal. One of the best gigs (and nights) of my life to be perfectly honest. They have an avid fanbase and trusted live reputation and when you add the fact that they have a new album on its way then this show begins to look even more appealing than it possibly ever could. They’re definitely one of Scotlands leading musical lights and they look like burning bright for many years to come.
Japandroids @ King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow
Friday 26th February
MP3: Japandroids – Young Hearts Spark Fire
Anybody who is a regular reader on here will probably have read my review of the A Place To Bury Strangers gig back in November last year. Japandroids supported that night and added to the immense volume of that particular gig. I was hooked before i seen them live. Their hook laden anthems dragged me in from the first time i heard the opening chord of their debut album “Post Nothing”. Their care free lyrics are a refreshing change from a time where too much lyrics are focussed on the negative. And after witnessing them live, even if it was just for the modest 35 minutes or so they played, i wanted more. After that support slot they announced they’d be coming back to Scotland..and well, here they are. Headlining. This is one gig not too miss.
Ex Lovers @ The Warehouse, Aberdeen
Wednesday 3rd March
MP3: Ex Lovers – Incomplete
This is another gig that i’ve been looking forward to for a while. I only discovered this band last summer and since then i’ve been waiting for them to announce a Scottish gig. I didn’t have to wait that long. The band seem to have decided to miss out Glasgow and Edinburgh right enough and have chosen Aberdeen as the destination. It’s a bit of a journey for me to make but i’m sure it’ll be worth it. If not for the gig itself then i know it’ll be worth the journey to see my friend Emma who is currently living and studying in Aberdeen.
The Unwinding Hours @ Stereo, Glasgow
Friday 5th March
MP3: The Unwinding Hours – Little One
The Unwinding Hours gig at Stereo has the potential to be gig of the year i reckon, the return of legends . I’ll start from the beginning. Some people will know Aereogramme, some won’t. For those who don’t, i’ll explain. Aereogramme were Scottish post-rock cult legends that decided to call it a day in 2007. They were held in the same bracket as Mogwai when it came to pioneering Scottish music acts. Well, anyway the man with that distinctive, delicate voice known as Craig B has went on to form The Unwinding Hours with fellow ex-Aereogramme member Iain Cook. I bore witness to Aereogrammes last show in 2007 and it’s going to be amazing to see The Unwinding Hours first headline gig at Stereo. They have a small gig on the 31st January right enough as part of the Celtic Connection shows happening in Glasgow but Stereo will be their first headline gig and after managing to get my hands on a promo of their debut album (due out on the 15th February) i can safely say that this gig promises to be immense. Ps. their debut is an early contender for album of the year.
Four Tet @ The Bongo Club, Edinburgh
Saturday 13th March
MP3: Four Tet – Love Cry
It’s all set to be a chilled out noise fest when this one man show rolls into Edinburgh. Four Tet (Keiran Hebden to his freinds) is known for being very improvisational during his live shows. He can be dark sometimes but usually sticks to his more breezy brand of electronica, it’ll be the perfect gig to stand back and just admire. However, with the release of his new album “There Is Love In You” (out officially tomorrow but it’s being doing the rounds for a few weeks online now) he has glided into an even more ‘dancier’ sound than usual. “Love Cry”, the lead single from the new album, is more than enough proof of this. It was the perfect way to tease his fans and build up anticipation of the new long player.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ The Barrowlands, Glasgow
Friday 16th April
MP3: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – As Sure As The Sun
I’ve seen these guys so many times now that i could be forgiven for deciding just to give this gig a miss. But i’m going, i’m despearte to see them live again. I’ve seen pretty much every single show they’ve done in Glasgow since they got together. First time i caught them live was back in 2001 at the tender age of 16 and i was taken in by the “cool” image they so effortlessly portrayed. They were named after a motorbike gang from a Marlon Brando film right enough. Cool? No? Every time i see them though they still amaze me. Their musicianship is second to none, they’re unbelievably tight as a unit and they swap between instruments and songs structures with enviable ease. They’ve also had their fair share of problems, like most bands do eventually i suppose, but they always come back stronger. They grow with every offering, each album bringing something different from the last.
65Daysofstatic @ Oran Mor, Glasgow
Monday 3rd May
MP3: 65Daysofstatic – Retreat! Retreat! (live in NY)
I’m actually just smiling to myself with the thought of seeing these guys once more. They’re everything you want and need in a modern band and then more, the Sheffield natives are an awesome proposition on stage. Live, they have the opportunity to delve into their impressive back catalogue and use any number of amazing tracks they have at their disposal. And being brave enough to have break beat samples backing up their live shows alongside live drums only adds to the appeal. They are certainly among the elite of instrumental bands of today. Like i mentioned before their discography/output is frighteningly good, in fact, the vast amount of unreleased tracks they have recorded (remixes etc) have inspired many a mash up i’ve made. And i’m not ashamed to say i’ve “borrowed” samples from them on more than a few occasions. This will no doubt be an absolute epic gig from start to finish and along with The Unwinding Hours this is the gig i’m looking forward to the most.
S.I.T Wolf X
Filed under attacking your speakers
Someones In The Wolf 