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

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

The Last Battle - Hope is Gold.  Available for purchase on Monday 11th June.

The Icelandic champions of artistic, plinky plonky soundscapes have done it again.

Valtari, released on May 23rd, is Sigur Ros’ sixth album and is yet another example of outstandingly ambient and heart-felt post rock. The album consists of eight fairly lengthy tracks, featuring their ever so distinctive slow builds and gentle lifts. Jonsi’s unique falsetto vocals are a large part of the album and although we have no idea what he’s harping on about, the sound of his voice is pretty damn magical. 

Valtari translates as ‘Steamroll,’ which is gloriously appropriate as this album most definitely flattens all other current releases.

I feel like i should be watching Blue Planet when I hear this album. Or maybe hanging out with David Attenborough. You know, wholesome things. 

New Music Monday!

My happiest day of the week because I get paid to spend hours and hours listening to fantastical new music.  Dream job or what eh?!

This week is extra special though because for this NMM, I’m having a cheeky look at not one, but two brand spanking new albums.

First up (as you probably guessed from the video above), its Liars and their album “WIXIW”.  I had to think for a long time about what I was going to say about this album.  I do really love it, but that doesn’t make it any easier to review because it’s so brilliantly unique.  It’s the kind of album I’d put on as background music if I were to entertain a lady friend at my house.  Is that weird? Maybe, but trust me, in my eyes that makes this album a success, but rather than trying to make sense of my ramblings, just buy it eh?!

Secondly, I’ve been listening to Olympic Swimmers new album “No Flags Will Fly” and the first thing I’ve got to say is how wonderfully ironic this album title - I think it’s safe to say most have us have a niggling feeling that London 2012 is going to be a disaster, it’s in our nature to be pessimistic!  But, more importantly, it more than lives up to the high standard we’ve all grown to expect from Olympic Swimmers.  You all know who they are, and you all love them so I don’t even feel the need to encourage you to buy this album.  Olympic Swimmers really are one of Scotland’s favorites at the moment and thankfully, this album is going to keep that ball rolling.  Much bigger things to come for this lot I believe!

So, that concludes another New Music Monday ladies and gents.  I’m well aware that this is been a particularly disjointed edition, but that’s just the kind of mood I’m in.  Let’s all just move past it and enjoy some brilliant music!

Ciao!

Stewart @ Sound of Scotland

New Music Monday!

And what a happy monday it is.  I’ve had an astonishingly good week which culminated last night in me witnessing an attempted robbery at a Lidl supermarket swiftly followed by a police van crashing into two parked cars and a fence whilst attempting to chase down the crim.  It was like a scene from “Limmys Show”.  Class.

Anyway, Mr Woodenbox himself posted a link to the new track “Kings Liar” from “The Vanishing Act” EP on our Facebook today and I appreciated that so I gave it a good few listens. 

You can get the track as a free download from SoundCloud and hell yes it deserves to be on your playlist.  There’s something truely unique about Woodenbox and this track pretty must emphasises that.  An excellent song which makes me even more excited about the Westend Fest this week.  On top of that, the tinkling of those piano keys definately puts wood in our box.

Crude I know, but what cha gonna do.

Anyway, I’m off to steal a loaf of bread and some mutha-fu*kin raspberry tarts out of Aldi.

Stewart @ Sound of Scotland