We’ve been listening to Admiral Fallow’s ‘Tree Bursts in Snow,’ on repeat since its release in May of this year, and it just does not seem to be getting old.
The twelve track pop-folk album, including their latest single, Beetle in the Box, is packed with anthemic and beautifully arranged pieces. There is significantly more female vocals from Sarah Hayes, which is great news because her distinct style of singing compliments the vocals of front man, Louis Abbott something lovely.
The lyrical work in this album is brave, tackling issues like the high value of life, losing friends and growing old alone…fairly heavy stuff handled incredibly. The songwriting behind this album is sincere, heart-felt and what really makes the record special. Not to mention the outstanding and diverse instrumentation found in the Flute and Clarinet sections.
Admiral Fallow will being playing the BBC Introducing stage at T in the Park this weekend, so if you’re braving the rain in Balado, make sure you don’t miss them!
The snap is of Louis Abbott, taken at their performance at Insider Festival last month. ©Beth Chalmers
This weeks gigs!
Wednesday
MILK presents Archimedes Principle +Fantastic Man DJ Set // Flat 0 /1 // £4
Thursday
Unsane + Big Business + Holy Mountain // Nice n Sleazy // £12 - a tad pricey but promises to be worth it.
Jo Mango + Body Parts + Adam Stafford // Mono // £4
CHURCHES Debut Show // The Art School // £4
Saturday
Meursault + Rob St John + Jill O’Sullivan + Jenny Reeve // Queen’s Hall Edinburgh // £10 - this gig will blow your mind.
Whatever Gets You Through The Night.
“Whatever Gets You Through The Night is a compilation of stories happening across Scotland between the hours of midnight and 4am. From a heartfelt goodbye on the shore of Loch Lomond to an encounter in a late night Aberdeen taxi queue, we meet lost souls, party animals and dreamers, in a snapshot of an entire nation at its most vulnerable and revealing.
Some of Scotland’s most distinctive writing voices and songwriting talents, and you: a nation of people, awake in the dark, waiting for the light to come…”
Whatever Gets You Through The Night is an astounding, new media project featuring some of Scotland’s most eclectic musicians, novelists, artists and play-writes.
We’ve been spending a lot of time in Glasgow’s Brewdog bar this weekend for some ‘affa fine craft beer and their Acoustic Weekend, a Fringe event for the West End Festival.
The whole line up was a mighty affair however it was Michael Cassidy, a Paisley-bred, Folk Pop, rarity who dragged our attention away from our delicious pints of 5am Saint.
Michael Cassidy’s music varies in style. ‘Everybody’s Scared,’ the first track on his debut EP has a boyish charm about it and a folky sound while the third track, ‘Meet You At The Corner,’ with its Country-style harmonies has a distinctive Bluesy, Southern feel to it.
Michael Cassidy is an outstanding live performer and is headlining a show at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut on the 5th of August, so be sure to pop down! His set at the Brewdog bar was heartfelt, interactive and frankly, a breath of fresh, beer-tainted air.
Music of the live variety.
Our pick of this weeks gigs.
Tuesday
Whatever gets you through the night: Featuring words and music by Errors, Alan Bissett, Rachel Sermanni, Withered Hand, Annie Griffin, Meursault, David Greig, RM Hubbert, Wounded Knee, Alan Spence, Ricky Ross, Isabel Wright, Conquering Animal Sound, Emma Pollock, Kirstin Innes, Swimmer One, Bigg Taj, Stef Smith, Eugene Kelly, Talkingmakesnosense, David Ireland, Skye Loneragan, Kieran Hurley // Arches // from £12
The Ting Tings // Queen Margaret Union // £15
Wednesday
Stanley Odd + Gasp + The Lafontaines (DJ set) // Bar Bloc // FREE
Saturday
Asthmatic Astronaut + Texture + Tickle // Bar Bloc // £2
Ben Butler & Mousepad + Mother Ganga + We Can Still picnic DJs (Wake the President) and very special guests! // Mono // Free
Upcoming Gigs.
We usually write up our pick of gigs on sunday nights but it’s festival season you see and we are all getting mad wi’ it. So, for the tardiness we apologise, but we can only hope that the lack of gig post has impregnated you with anticipation for what is to follow..
Thursday
Detour Presents: Midnight Lion + Vukovi + Honeyblood // The Art School
Friday
Fridge Magnets // Nice ‘n’ Sleazys
Saturday
The Dirty Beggars // Flat 0/1
Sunday
RM Hubbert + Withered Hand + Remember Remember + We Were Promised Jetpacks + Olympic Swimmers + John Knox Sex Club + Three Blind Wolves + Miaoux Miaoux // Oran Mor
What a MASSIVE way to end your weekend. If you only go to one of these gigs, make it this one, lads.
Set includes highlights from the Wisconsin outfit’s sophomore full-length as well as a cover of Bjork’s ‘Who Is It’
On June 19, Bon Iver will release their first iTunes session, a special seven-song set that Justin Vernon and his nine-member touring outfit recorded last summer.
(Source Spin)
Friday Review - What happened to June being the first of the summer months?! You’d think I’d be used to this by now having lived in Scotland all my life, yet I still get bummed out by crap weather at this time of year. On the flip-side though, I have learnt how to deal the wintery-summer blues - a hefty heating bill and proper summer tunes, so here’s one right here!
The State Broadcasters are a Glasgow based 6-piece and are part of the wonderfully organic Olive Grove Records. This September the gang are releasing their 2nd album titled “Ghosts We Must Carry” which personally I am really looking forward to. “Trespassers” is the first singled to be released from said album and gives us a taster of what we should perhaps expect. I wasn’t lying when I said this is a summer tune - I don’t think there’s any depth of bad-mood that this track couldn’t pull you out of.
So, next time you’re feeling blue, give this a listen and my bet is that everything will seem substantially peachier!
Stewart @ Sound of Scotland
This weeks review on an intenational release features: ANDREW BIRD.
Andrew Bird’s endearing whistly music and impressive violin playing make him, in our opinion, one of the leading acts in this huge folk-rock revival that seems to be happening right under our noses.
Break it Yourself, released in March 2012 is Andrew Bird’s sixth solo effort and is a much more mellow and mature album in comparison to his previous work. Maybe he’s getting old.. We don’t mind though because his moody, contemplative lyrics are what make this record.
Andrew Bird’s violin playing and whistling are what make his music so distinctive. The man has somehow taken two things that a lot of people can do and made them completely his own. Can you be trained in whistling? If not, there’s a definite gap in the market. “Andrew Bird’s Whistling School for excellence?” Just a thought.
The instrumental work, perfect harmonies from Annie Clark (and did i mention the whistling?) add the ‘old-country’ feel to the whole album. There is something very Ryan Adams-esque about the whole record so if you’re a RA fan or just have good taste, you’ll really enjoy it.
New Music Monday!
So this week was a no brainer for me…Usually it takes a bit of time/research/alcohol to help me decide who and what I want to review for my Monday posts - primarily due to the insane amount of new talent circulating at the moment. This week though, my twitter feed has been absolutely polluted by chit-chat surrounding “Little Eye”.
Headed by vocalist/guitarist Allan Sieczkowski’s, this band is just amazing. I had already listened to a fair amount of their material previous to this week, but after further investigation it’s safe to say they 100% deserve all the attention they’re getting right now. Their fan base is growing at a staggering rate and it really isn’t a surprise given that they’re banging out tune after tune all of which has a remarkably high standard.
The song above is a newly recorded “Summer Sessions” track titled “Everbetter” and it’s one of my favourites. In fact it’s one of my favourite songs of the year - seriously! On top of that, the video, shot in Aberfoyle, is not only a quality video, but a hella good tourist propo for Scotland - two birds eh?!
Get on this lot now, of get left behind because it’s all up from here for Little Eye, and I for one can’t wait to see what they get up to next.
Stewart @ Sound of Scotland
