So… they have finally done it. After 15 years of bickering, arguing and rumours of reunions The Stone Roses have finally reformed. Playing 2 gigs in Manchester next June, doing a World Tour and releasing an album. This may be big news in todays media however I am very much in the “couldn’t care less” camp, A camp in which going by Facebook etc is bigger than i thought it would be. One good album and a questionable follow-up does not make you one of the worlds “greatest bands” that has been sprawled everywhere in recent days. I, for one, can’t see it lasting much longer than said gigs next summer. Maybe Ian Brown and co. seen the hype Steps have received in the last couple of weeks and thought “we’ll have a bit of that”. Co-headling tour anyone??
Anyway onto more relevant things in a blog about Edinburgh’s local music scene. As I said in the last post there have been loads of bands putting stuff out recently so I’m gonna mention a few more on this.
We’ll kick off with The Stagger Rats who release “I’m In Love” on the 26th. Follow up to (proper) debut single “Fuzzy Fuzzy” Callum Easter takes lead vocals on this one, highlighting the diversity in his and co-lead Daniel Paylor’s voices. This being the case The Rats still manage to keep the sound of that “gypsy punk” they have been telling us about. The single was recorded in Hungary last year and was produced by Owen Morris (Oasis, The View) and the production definitely see’s the guys take a step up from recordings of the past. A cracking tune to say the least.
Hold The Suspect have recently released a new EP. It is available here for a very reasonable £1.50. Hold The Suspect always remind me of other local acts such as The Winter Tradition and Make Sparks. I think the EP sounds a lot more grown up that its predecessor “Are You Home Yet” however “Glass Half Full” was one of my favourite tracks of last year so while you are on the bandcamp why not pick up a free copy of that EP here.
Frantic Chant are releasing new album “Oscillator” on 12th November and they are having a launch party on The Cruz in Leith on the same night. So get yourself along to that and have a listen to the bands lead single “Let In The Sound” from the new album here.
A bit of a live news update, last week I told you Stanley Odd would be launching their latest EP “The Day I Went Deaf” at the Liquid Room on Friday night (21st) and I was delighted to hear that in support that night will be the fabulous Banana Sessions. This is made what was already going to be an excellent night into an even better one. I saw Banana Sessions at Glastonbury and the gripped the crowd with an energetic set which had everyone dancing and singing along. I interviewed Roberta (for a podcast that I must complete) and she told me that the album is almost ready to go, so more on that in the coming weeks hopefully.
Also on friday night is the Edinburgh takeover of Oxjam. Running in various venues (see line up below) the cost of a single ticket gets you into everything and makes you feel slighty better about yourselves having that 10th pint knowing you have donated to charity. The line up is..
The City Cafe
18:00-18:30 I Build Collapsible Mountains
18:45 Smithsonian
22:15 DJ sets
Electric Circus
18:30-19:00 Loch Awe
19:15-19:45 Letters
20:00-20:30 Verse Metrics
20:45-21:15 Sebastian Dangerfield
21:30-22:00 Endor
Sneaky Pete’s
19:15-19:45 The Spook School
20:00-20:30 Dead Boy Robotics
20:45-21:15 FOUND
21:30-22:00 Black International
Medina
19:15-19:45 Trapped Mice
20:00-20:30 Esperi
20:45-21:15 Broken Records (solo)
Cabaret Voltaire
19:45-20:15 Trapped In Kansas
20:30-21:00 PAWS
21:15-21:45 Meursault
The Wee Red Bar
20:00-20:30 The Last Battle
20:45-21:15 French Wives
21:30-22:00 The Machine Room
The Banshee Labyrinth
20:30-21:00 Vasquez
21:15-21:45 As In Bear
22:00-22:30 Citizens
Tickets are £10 from Avalanche or We Got Tickets
What Have I Been Listening To While Writing This
Grouplove – Never Trust A Happy Song
The Duke Spirit – Bruiser
The Stagger Rats – I’m In Love
Frantic Chant – Let In The Sound
Sunday Sessions Playlist 9/10/11
We Were Promised Jetpacks – Medicine
U Me – Captive
The Gold Lions – Broken Bones
Campbells Wild – High Me
Grouplove – Tongue Tied
Music Math – Blood Pressure
Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto/Hurts Like Heaven
Stanley Odd – The Day I Went Deaf
The Detours – One Last Chance
The Draymin – Don’t Fade Away
Wild Beasts – Thankless They
TV Girl – Benny & The Jets
Bert Jansch – Needle Of Death
Pet – What You Building
Biffy Clyro – Buddy Holly
The Stagger Rats – Fuzzy Fuzzy
Cate Le Bon – Puts Me To World
The Horrors – I Can See Through You
Mayre Hawthorne – A Long Time
Saint Saviour – Here In Me
Seafield Road – Crammond Island Causeway
Frightened Rabbit – Living In Colour
Discopolis – Weekenders
Contact
Facebook – www.facebook.com/aliveandamplifiedmusic
Twitter – www.twitter.com/alivenamplified
Email – craig@aliveandamplified.co.uk
The Sunday Sessions Twitter – www.twitter.com/lfmsessions
Tune into The Sunday Sessions at 4pm on Sunday on 98.8FM or www.leithfm.co.uk/listen