Okay. So I’ve been rather neglectful the past month or so. To be perfectly honest I’m skint. I’m trying to save my moneys for a macbook and that seems to be proving troublesome. But I will get there eventually. I’ll try and do the odd post now and then when I get the chance, but for the time being I have nothing. Apolly loggies.

Anyway, check back soon for more disappointment.

Lord Cut-Glass – Holy Fuck mp3

Jesus fuck. This is genius.

This is just a wee ten track sampler that’s available for free download over at Adam Stafford’s Wise Blood Industries site, but by God is it fucking genius. Jocky Venkataraman has a full album out and another on the way.

Did I mention this is fucking genius?

Pop this on and you’re put straight into a Christmas song, which I find slightly funny seeing as it’s June. The songs are so odd and amusing, it’s hard not to find yourself singing along. The stand out tracks for me are Why Am I Stuck and Glasvegas mainly because they made me chuckle like a silly bastard. I guess they just appeal to my sense of humour.

I would write more, but I can’t be arsed. Just trust me; it’s fucking genius.

Why Am I Stuck – Jocky Venkataraman mp3

Glasvegas – Jocky Venkataraman mp3

MySpace

My Kappa Roots is the moniker of Pablo Clark, who hails from the mighty kingdom of Fife and is a co-founder of the Fife Kills collective.
 I want to try and keep this quite short, because I know I’ll end up talking irrelevent pish and I don’t want to ruin this.

I’m pretty much only at the stage where I can write about stuff I more or less listen to on a regular basis, which is to say things that have been about for a while. This album, it has to be said, is one of my all-time favourites. It really is outstandingly gorgeous. It’s one of those timeless albums that completely transports the listener somewhere only they can go. It’s like those afternoon naps that rid you of a particularly gruesome hangover; afterwards you wake up feeling totally transformed and refreshed.

The structure is gleamingly beautiful; an equilibrium of perfectly balanced ups and downs. Touched softly with additional bits of violin and other classicaly modest instruments, it’s mostly just the careful and soft plucking of guitar under a warm blanket of a voice that is the epitome of calm.

I think it would be rather daft to try and go into detail about the songs individually, as in some cases over-analysis can sometimes tarnish the integrity and the simple endearment of its artistic nature; be it a painting, poem, novel or song.

Please please please go and buy this album now. You won’t regret it… Not one bit.

Man of the Islands – My Kappa Roots mp3

MySpace

The first song No Cigarettes is a gem. Possibly one of the most honest and sadest songs I’ve heard in ages. I first heard No Cigarettes at one of his shows and it was incredibly touching and down to earth without being at all pretentious and in your face, and this recorded version captures the same sort of atmosphere perfectly.

Oldsmobile Car is a song I keep hearing different versions of. Meursault have done a cover called Red Candle Bulb which appeared on their Nothing Broke EP, which was smashing. This version, though, is a little different. That I suppose should be commended seeing as in an artistic point of view change and new perspectives show diversity and originality – I mean, you get bored hearing a song performed the same way again and again and again. It’s a good song with a good message, even if it is a bit of a retired one that doesn’t really get used properly anymore. Having said that…it may be ironic and I’ve missed the point completely.

Big Ten Four (Paul’s Song) is a complete mystery to me. It’s strange how the song is written specifically for someone else and yet I feel like I understand every detail as though it’s for me. Not because I’m anything like the person it’s for or that I can relate to it personally, but it’s played in a way that you can automatically empathise with ease. Anyway, it’s great.

R U Courageous? is a cover by Tigersaw, who, if I’m honest, I don’t know anything about so it’s kind of hard to write about. All I can really say is that it’s a well played song that finishes the EP comfortably and modestly.

MySpace

Anyway, I did buy three albums so here goes…

Aidan Moffat – How To Get To Heaven From Scotland

This is actually pretty decent. Not as good as I anticipated, but good nonetheless. I was expecting something slightly more sophisticated and quirky, but it turned out to be rather predictable in places. It has a rather safe structure and safe set of up and down tunes. Moffat’s lyrics are quite clever and witty, but seem to lack any real conviction, which is a bit of a problem for some, but it can be easily ignored so not to worry. The stand out songs on the album for me are Big Blonde and Oh Men! both with up-beat folky jingle-jangliness, if that makes sense.
Overall it’s not bad, but could be better.

MySpace

Zoey Van Goey – The Cage Was Unlocked All Along

When I uploaded this to my iTunes earlier the genre column was automatically filled with “Unclassifiable”, which perfectly describes this album. It has everything in it. To try and put a label to this band would be like trying to find a can of Irn Bru in America. Impossible. This album encompasses nearly every style of music I can think of. Well…you know what I mean. It’s got the obvious folk tinged indie that’s everywhere at the moment, but it has so much more. It’s hard to describe. There’s a vestige of electro and at times there’s a splash of reggae thrown in to the mix. There’s also a very comfortable classical feel to it, which may just be me, I don’t know. It’s weird, there’s so much to mention about this, but I really just want to say, fuck it…go and buy this, then sing and dance and have fun. You will not be disappointed. Really. There’s not one song you won’t like.
The nice guy at Avalanche let me know that they’re playing instore on the 25th of May at 2pm or thereabouts, so be there or be square.

MySpace

Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career

This is just fucking outstanding. Not much else to say. Camera Obscura’s previous releases have been brilliant, but this is the crème de la crème. Don’t think I can write about this without using the word perfect. There’s nothing wrong with this album. Tracyanne Campbell’s voice is to die for. If she doesn’t make you melt and reduce to a puddle on the floor then I don’t know what will. The lyrics are lovely, as is the music. The balance between the two is immaculate; they compliment one another magically, which seems to be slightly absent thesedays what with bands using the irony of happy music and sad lyrics.
I first put this on while I was tidying my house and within the five seconds it took to get a hang of the beat I was dancing with the Dyson.
It’s brilliant. End of. Buy it. Now.

MySpace

Upon first listening to this I thought it was boring and dreary, which is a little strange for me, because I can tolerate quite a bit of dreariness… but after a few listens it became clear this EP is quite extaordinary. It’s steady slow pace of gentle acoustic guitar and double bass resounding gently and reassuringly behind a brilliantly honest voice  makes you feel all cosy and comfortable. The First song Like Alchemy is wonderful, with it’s beautiful autumn imagery and solemn honesty – you can hear the creaking and moaning of floorboards from the church the EP was recorded in, which is in a way comforting and almost homely. I’m slightly lacking in what to say about the rest; perhaps I should let you listen for yourself. This is the sort of music that is perfect for both falling alseep and waking up to, it’s drowsiness will have you daydreaming instantly(that’s a good thing, by the way). You can buy a copy from Avalanche Edinburgh or from their MySpace page. Please do so soon, because they’re very limited and you wouldn’t want to miss out, would you?
There’s not really much to tell about the band itself. They’re from Edinburgh and regularly play shows… Rob has a solo project called The Great Bear and is part of Eagleowl, which is Bart’s band and very, very good may I add.

MySpace

By Glasgow local John B McKenna, To Glass In The Blast is quite frankly fucking amazing. I’m a huge fan of lo-fi folk and indie and such like, so this album basically is the bee’s knees. Perfectly balanced with all the personality and atmosphere you could ever ask for. Mostly this album is warm and friendly, but at times eerie and chilling so watch out.
This wee album just oozes with a clean-cut lo-fi tendency which causes you to feel like you’re in John’s living room having a cup of tea and a deep conversation with him about the mysteries of life, love and the general this and that. It’s so characteristically clever it’s quite unique, all of the songs seem to stand out with their own  lines that cause one to pause and think. McKenna’s voice is also soothingly present; it sounds like a distant memory or a dream, someone you know or used to know. The music swoops and sways with an overall acoustic backdrop of intricately played guitar and piano, layered and placed together brilliantly. McKenna deserves more recognition and you can do so by downloading the album by clicking the photo above or having a wee listen at myspace.

This album by John B McKenna is a complete and utter diamond. I can only say you’re a complete fool if you don’t have this already.

MySpace