Archive for May, 2008
Celtic connections
Friday, May 23rd, 2008
If further proof were ever needed of Scotland’s world-renowned reputation as a nation of live music lovers you only have to check out the latest Irn-Bru advert, which attempts to capture the essence of what it truly means to be Scottish without resorting to stereotypes of kilts and haggis.
The opening scene has the very familiar sight of two joyful teenage girls pogoing at a Barras gig while Martin Compston’s voice-over declares: “If you can bounce in six-inch heels all night and still walk home in your bare feet…”. We’ve all been there, right guys?
We’d be interested to hear if our Irish friends similarly identify with the popular Magners ad, or whether the scenes of lush rural greenery, a bonnie lassie dancing at a party and stubbled men playing folk music are simply a cosy cliché to keep the tourists flocking in.
Either way, it’s a good excuse to hear The Galway Girl by American troubadour STEVE EARLE – an impossibly jaunty song that somehow sounds even more Irish than the version re-recorded by Leinster singer-songwriterMUNDY which has been top of Ireland’s charts for months.
4 Steve Earle – The Galway Girl
4 Mundy – Galway Girl
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Pure dead brilliant
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
Scotland seems to have a knack of producing bands who can take whatever scene is flavour of the month, mix up the ingredients with gallus disrespect then smugly unleash a reinvention that is at least 10 times better than the original ever was or could have been.
The current electro/synth revival has never managed to disguise itself as anything other than a desperate attempt to resuscitate the sound of decade that’s dated worse than any other in history, yet somehow Glasgow quintet DANCE LAZARUS DANCE have used that template as their starting point to create something quite supreme.
Their frantic emo-disco sound comes in two speeds: fast and faster. Of course, you’ll immediately be reminded of groups such as Foals, Forward Russia, The Automatic, Panic At The Disco and At The Drive-In… and then you’ll quickly realise Dance Lazarus Dance are clever enough to only take the good bits (and, just as importantly, ditch the guff) to conjure up their very own nuggets of genius.
Best of all is the fact they still sound unmistakably Scottish – we predict those crazy kids at XFM Scotland (check out their antics in the video below) will soon be miming to DLD anthem-in-waiting Faxing Me, Faxing You.
Popout
4 Dance Lazarus Dance – Faxing Me, Faxing You
4 Dance Lazarus Dance – Team Boombox
b May 24, Henry’s Cellar Bar, Edinburgh
b May 27, Nice ‘n’ Sleazy, Glasgow
b May 29, Stereo, Glasgow
P.S. The winner of the Martha Wainwright competition was Lisa-Marie from Glasgow.
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The Ting kings
Sunday, May 18th, 2008
It would be pretty easy to not like THE TING TINGS what with their ridiculous moniker, cooler than thou image (singer Katie White has steadfastly stuck to her indie credentials by refusing to strip off for FHM) and That’s Not My Name, a song so annoyingly memorable it currently tops the UK singles charts.
But here’s the thing. While The Ting Tings may only be the fifth act to take the No.1 spot this year (and the only guitar band to do so since Kaiser Chiefs’ awful Ruby in March 2007), it would be a great injustice if That’s Not My Name was branded a novelty tune. It is, in fact, perfectly indicative of the sharp melodies and even sharper lyrics found in their debut album We Started Nothing.
You don’t need to take our word for it – check out the blistering electro-rock of Keep Your Head for proof that the Salford duo have substance as well as style.
4 The Ting Tings – That’s Not My Name
4 The Ting Tings – Keep Your Head
b May 24, QMU, Glasgow (tickets)
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