Sorry, another non-video. But here’s a picture…

It’s of up-and-coming Glasgow band Blank Canvas, who were for me one of the highlights of the Doune The Rabbit Hole festival. I was up on Saturday and the band played in a wee tent (as you can see) in a clearing in the woods.
I know that at least a few of people who view these posts are either of a certain age, or enjoy bands either from the 80s or are influenced by them. So without wanting to pigeonhole them too much, hopefully there’ll be a few people who are tempted to find out more about the band…

In an attempt to appear topical for once, here’s a band who… well, they could be described as music biz ‘veterans’ (John Wills was in Loop, Pinkie Maclure has worked with Tindersticks), but they are still fully operational, and in fact playing at the Doune the Rabbit Hole festival this weekend (probably as I type, they’re on early evening at a time when I’ll be unable to see them… I’ll hopefully get to the festival tomorrow)
Anyway, you can find out more about them at www.pumajaw.co.uk

I’ve realised that I’ve sometimes been typing the title Scottish Song of the day, and other times I’ve been leaving it off. Continue reading →

I wish there was a Youtube filter or something that could let you know easily if a ‘video’ was an actual video.
It’s not great surprise to me that there’s nothing for Frog Pocket – that I can find – even though John Charles Wilson (yup, his actual name) had an album released on Planet Mu – a ‘big’ label unlike his own Mouth Moth.
He has a new album on the way, but contrary as ever for this series, this is an oldie…

There are a couple of versions of this tune available, including a real curio with the band on telly, on Pebble Mill at One

However, this one gets the nod because, for some unfathomable reason, it’s introduced by Ivor Cutler (more of him in future weeks I’m quite sure).
There are many Aztec Camera tunes I could have chosen as well, but the guitar solo on this one is what sets it aside from the rest.

This is a tricky one. The video is from a lager advert, and only lasts a minute. The actual single – which people kind of forget about – is three minutes of should-have-been-a-hit pop genuis. (The band grew out of Fire Engines and eventually became the Nectarine No. 9).
The video is brilliant as well – there must be a story there, surely whoever made it went onto greater things? (Anyone?)
So here’s the ad version (sadly it’s from the 80s so not great quality):

Continue reading →

Saw this lot the other night, supporting Happy Particles. Their album, maybe 10 years in the making, got some criticism for being a bit underpowered. Which I can see the argument for.
However, this is one of the real oldies, done in the new style. I quite like it…

This is maybe the longest tune/video I’ve featured so far. Esperi is the stagename of Chris Lee-Marr, a Dundonian multi-instrumentalist who I think I first saw live at Wickerman 4 or 5 years ago.
There are a few videos of him – including a very funny one which sadly features too many dogs for my liking – but this captures what his live shows are like given that he tends to build loops up to eventually create the full band sound you can hear.
(Actually, I’ve not seen him live for a bit, could well be that he’s got lazy and just hires in loads of musicians instead. Probably not though).

I got thinking about this lot last night at a gig with Jesus H Foxx – an earlier incarnation of that band supported this lot ages ago (I mean ages, maybe 10 years back? I have no idea where HG#1 are now, I might post on the Jockrock forum and see what happens – probably very little!)
Couldn’t find anything from their fine debut album online either, but as it happened this is well worth sharing, even if it sounds quite far removed from their old sound (this is actually not unlike current plat de jour, Happy Particles – who were headlining last night).
I love it when a post comes together. Continue reading →

Something a bit more up-to-date – though this is one of Dan Willson’s older songs Continue reading →