Kowalskiy Singles Club #10

Here we go folks, your last chance this year to bag yourself a hot single.  I've went all out this time 'round, scouring the land to bring you this bevvy of beauties.  Some gentle and laid-back, and some are just downright dirty!  Whatever floats your boat, hopefully you'll find something here that ticks all your boxes.   Click on the artwork to have a listen, and remember to read the small print!  There's some freebies, a video and even a launch gig that may be of interest...

Christmas All Over This Town by The Plimptons

"Lanarkshire’s longest running successless band WLTM committed pub in grim town for festive booze shenanigans. Looking to get over 12-year relationship with a bar which ended tragically with its conversion into a spuriously-named chain restaurant. We’re ready to love again, but don’t want to be hurt. If you reckon you’re pub enough, get in touch before Dec 24th. We like: poignant walks home in the snow, soapy pint glasses and communal beerstalgia." - Martin Smith (The Plimptons)

Kicking things off with the new 3-track Christmas single from The Plimptons.  Consider it an early Christmas present, 'cos it's FREE on their website.  Just click the artwork and scroll down to the bottom.. if you're 'pub' enough that is!

We Are Here by GoGoBot

"Two swell guys and one super-swell girl seek like-minded 'individuals' for warm cosy nights in by the fire and moon-lit walks by the canal (also trips to the moon). "We are Here" willing and able to take your call - think robot with a heart x" - Marko Kelly (GoGoBot)

Go go download this single! Throughout 2011, GoGoBot have released their See Saw Series of bi-monthly singles, a series which culminated with the release of We Are Here yesterday.  All can be bought over here.  They'll mark it in style with a headline gig at King Tuts this Friday (2nd December).  Interested??  Then click here!

Camino De Soda by The Machine Room

"Better with the lights off, a zero-pinter. Likes window shopping, non-commitment, surfing the edge of something meaningful, staying afloat and everything from a distance. Pick up the phone." - John (The Machine Room)

RING RING, RING RING!  "Hello, is that The Machine Room?"  These guys are fast becoming one of my favourite new bands around these parts.  Camino De Soda is their second appearance on the Singles Club... will someone snap them up already?!!!

One Night In Kevin by Fat Goth

"Utterly heinous bull seeks willing body (preferably female) to soil. Sucessful candidate must possess a strong mental disposition as psychological assaults and attacks will occur frequently. A caring and compassionate nature is also desired in order to tackle continuous bouts of severe depression and extreme self-loathing. Willingness to assist with bathing is essential! Interests: baking, prehistoric crustaceans, John Leslie, the pre 'Magic Hour' output of Liverpudlian pop group Cast, tabacco, Jersey, dogging, etc. Give us a call and lets have a time!!!" - Mark Keiller (Fat Goth)

Fat Goth eh?  One for the fetishists out there it would seem. So if you're into baking, providing bathing assistance and appreciate the music of Cast circa. 1995, then pick up the phone.  Or alternatively, click on the artwork and get downloading!

Prometheus by IndianRedLopez

"Single man with god complex wishes to meet fiery mortal with a love of percussion to care and nurture. Correct footwear for running is a must. " - Mike Chang (IndianRedLopez)

Now, the return of the brilliant IndianRedLopez.  Their debut album Empty Your Lungs And Breathe is up there with the years best, and this hints at something even better to come next year.  It's out on the 5th of December through Aberdeen's Bedford Records.  Mark your calendars!   

Like Like Unlike/Midnight Clear by Ed Muirhead

"Old-fashioned type, fed-up of social-networking (but glad of the technology), yearns for the good old days before networking was a word, and amuses himself with amateur paintings of 150-year-old festive poem lyrics." - Ed Muirhead

The second of the festive-themed singles courtesy of Mr. Muirhead. It's a double A-side ode to one man's social media gripes/Christmas classic, plus if you invest £2, it's also an 11-track CD with "a bunch of live tracks with voice and fender rhodes". PLUS, Ed's made another great wee video to accompany it.  Someone get that man some more white ink for Christmas!

Beat Your Fist by Underclass

"5 riff driven rockers seek place to dance and a bowl for car keys. Can bring own nibbles." - Underclass

Short but sweet, but boy does it pack a punch!  The second single from this Edinburgh bunch is released on Friday (2nd December) via Bainbridge Music and like an increasingly large number of recent Singles Club 'singles', was recorded at Tape Studios in Edinburgh. It's another one to mark in your diaries.  Until then, you can stream the track here.

House by Dems

"Multi-instrumentalist mournful architecture trio seek similarly construction obsessed individual(s) for enthusiastic MPC-and-guitar-based-funtimes; haunting whispy-yet-masculine voice essential." - Dan, Dave, Duncan (Dems)

A late, but very welcome addition from the newly '3-pieced' Dems.  They love their D's those guys!  Their 2-track House EP is out now on 7" with band-designed sleeve artwork (just click the cover above!) or you can download it here. Sounds great, and looks pretty good too!

K&A with Alex Fenton (Swanfield Studios)

Something a bit different now... only a wee bit mind you!  He's the music producer of choice for a lot of my favourite up-and-coming Scottish bands, so it's about time I had a wee chat with the man himself, the man behind Swanfield Studios over in Leith...  Alex Fenton.   Not content with his recording studio which (cue plug) offers track mastering, production and training sessions for any music tech wannabes out there, Alex has recently..., well, I'll let him tell you...

Kowalskiy:  Who is Alex Fenton?

Alex:  Music producer, audiophile and sound engineer jedi.

Kowalskiy:  You've got your fingers in a lot of pies these days, what with Swanfield Studios and rumour has it you're starting a label AND you've just joined one of Scotland's most exciting new bands on bass. Fancy filling us in?

Alex:  Sure can David (K: that's me by the way!). We try to cater for as many areas as we can that can help the modern musician. Rather than just recording bands, we help with producer advice, offer video services, mastering and production as well as providing training and courses in mixing and recording techniques. We’ve recently set up Fentek Records and the label thing is definitely a work in progress. If we can help bands we like by releasing their stuff and helping out with replication etc., it becomes easier for them to get to the stage they want.

The exciting band you refer to must be The Stormy Seas. After recording the album for them over the last year or so I’ve just joined them playing bass. My first proper gig was the album launch which was a bit scary! Awesome gig though and absolutely packed as well.

Kowalskiy:  The exciting band I was referring to was indeed The Stormy Seas. The debut album Of Rust And Loss is brilliant. How'd you sum it up for folk out there who haven't heard it yet?

Alex:  A crashing wall of jangly raucous bitterness.

(K: As a fairly substantial aside, the debut album from The Stormy Seas is a fantastic record, the sort that conjures images of Skuobhie Dubh Orchestra, Meursault (minus the laptop - there'd be nowhere to plug it in you see!) and Thirty Pounds Of Bone all cooped up below deck on an old, ramshackle boat being battered by the wind and rain.  I do have an overactive imagination though!   Of Rust And Loss is out now and you can get your copy over here.  Here's one of my favourite tracks, The Tall Ships...)

Kowalskiy:  What's going on at Swanfield Studios at the moment? Any recent bands in that we should be keeping an ear out for?

Alex:  There’s quite a variety of music we get through the studio. Recent projects include production on some reggae rock and hip hop stuff, plus recording sessions for Thank You So Nice and Snide Rhythms. I’ve also recently finished a couple of songs for singer songwriter Ewan Butler and a live gig recording for Iron Sun. Obviously the Stormy Seas album has just been released but other recent projects include Kung Fu Academy (who also did one of our live video sessions) and a solo album from Hugo de Verteuil. Plus we’ve got some other albums in the pipeline which I’m really looking forward to but won’t mention just yet!

Kowalskiy:  So who else have you had in for one of your live sessions?
Alex:  There’s two sessions in the series so far. Blues rock outfit Underclass did our first one and Kung Fu Academy brought us some post funk in the second. I’d like to do more video sessions to be honest but there’s loads of other stuff keeping me busy so there’s no regularity to the sessions.

Kowalskiy:  If you had your pick of any unsigned band to bring in and work with on their debut album, who'd it be?

Alex:  That’s a really tricky question. There’s something a bit mystical about the recording process and it’s really hard to predict how sessions are going to go. I depends on so many factors like the mood everyone is in, how well the various personalities work together and how receptive the band is to producer input. There’s a few bands I’d really have liked to work with but rather than pine after them I try to relish the opportunities I do get. Albums are my favourite kind of work. I prefer to work on bigger projects where it’s more like a piece of art than just an audio recording.

Kowalskiy:  If I can't draw you on which unsigned band you'd like to record, how about which unsigned band(s) are catching your eye at the moment?  Let's assume no future recording obligation!

Alex:  I can give you a list if you want but I’m not going to single out anyone! Birdhead, Woodenbox, The Last Battle, Jonnie Common, Verse Metrics, Shooting Stansfield, Star Wheel Press, Cancel the Astronauts, esperi, Randan Discotheque.

Kowalskiy:  Very diplomatic Alex!  So, who's the biggest divas you've had in the studio??
Alex:  Fortunately, I don’t have to work with divas and I’d generally choose not to! I’ve had a few run ins with music industry folk, generally those who think they’re better than everyone else. This tends to be in a live situation rather than recording though. If any ego battle kicks off I tend to stay out the way. In my experience, I’ve found tour managers and guitar techs to be the most unreasonable!

Kowalskiy:  What else can we expect from you and Swanfield Studios in the future?

Alex:  We’ve got some big plans for new projects. The tuition and training side is a big focus so we’re enhancing the courses and workshops we provide down at the studio so anyone who records their own music can get some hands on tips and a leg-up in the quality of their production. Our next free workshop in Red Dog Music is on 1^st December where we’ll be going through the ins and outs of mixing technique. Sign up page here - musicmixologist.eventbrite.com.  We’ll have another live video session in the new year with Scotsman Radar Prize winners Sebastian Dangerfield which I’m looking forward to. You can check the series so far at live.swanfieldstudios.co.uk.  There are some other quite exciting ideas in the pipeline but I’d rather keep them to myself at the moment ;-)

We'll just have to keep an eye out for these new exciting ideas then!  So, just a reminder for anyone interested in the ins and outs of mixing, all info on next Thursday's workshop can be found over here.

...Wiredrawn!

Who here remembers Won Mississippi?  A while back, they released one of my favourite Scottish albums, Welcomes Careful Drivers, which was rightly voted by the good folk over at jockrock as one of the Top 10 Scottish Albums of the Noughties.

So why am I babbling on about all this then?  Well, Patrick Baird, their lead singer has been busying himself recently, ahead of the release of his debut EP under his solo guise Wiredrawn.  Loose Lips Sink Ships is released next Tuesday and can be bought over here.  I had a wee chat to Patrick to get the lowdown on his solo project but before we hear what he had to say for himself, here's a sneak preview of what you can expect...

 This City On Fire by Wiredrawn

...and judging by the comments, I'm not the only one who loves it! Over to Patrick now...

Kowalskiy: Who is Wiredrawn?

Patrick: Wiredrawn is the musical pseudonym of ex Won Mississippi frontman and all round musical gobshite Patrick Baird. I've been sonically procrastinating in a solo capacity for about a year now.

Kowalskiy:  How would you describe 'your sound'?

Patrick: I'm like a giant influence sponge - I try to listen to as much music as I can. I store it all up, jumble it around and try to spit it out again in interesting and different ways...... I've been described as sounding like a ' Scottish Death Cab' and some folks have cited similarities to bands like Slint, Guided By Voices and Reuben.

Kowalskiy: PLUG AWAY!!!

Patrick: I've got an EP coming out on the 29th of November entitled 'Loose Lips Sink Ships' - Grab it for free over at http://wiredrawn.bandcamp.com. I also update frequently and get involved on http://soundcloud.com/wiredrawn and the obligatory bookface page.

Kowalskiy: What else can we expect from Wiredrawn in the future?

Patrick: More collaborations, a single with a 'proper' video along the tantalising possibility of some live shows in the second half of the new year.  I can't wait..............

Nor can I!  Until then, I'll leave you with another belter from the EP.  Mind again, and get your free copy next week!

    The Silver Screen by Wiredrawn

Kowalskiy's Free Monthly 5-track Scottish EP #17

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for KEP#17!  I may be biased, but I think it's an amazing line-up this month, and I'm over the moon to feature each of these five artists.  So I'd like to say a huge 'thank you' to them all.  Just click on the artwork above for your free download.  Hope you enjoy it... 

Bloody better!  I've come out my sick bed to post this.  Anyway, before you get your free EP, here's what they each had to say about their tracks... 

1.  IndianRedLopez - Life Back In Me (demo) (Kicking things off this month with a brilliant new demo from one of my favourite bands of the year.  Short, but amazing!)

"It's just a demo that Darren and I did in a morning. He had this really nice arpeggiating keyboard line, and a few other lines that he wanted to work on. It happened quite naturally really. We're chiseling it out now, but I think the intent is there." - Mike Chang (IndianRedLopez)

2.  Rose Parade - Midnight Wine (...closely followed by another!  This'll whet your appetite until they release their debut album.)

"Midnight Wine is going to be the first song on our debut album! The song is about a relationship between two people that is falling apart, bad habits and the dark art of recovering from these situations. It was recorded and produced by Paul Gallagher in June 2011. For more tracks, gigs and updates check our Facebook page here as we will be coming to a basement near you very soon!" - Rose Parade x

3.  Graveyard Tapes - Bloodbridge (Ghosts version) (A stunning track from Edinburgh's Graveyard Tapes featuring a certain, übertalented, ex-Kays Lavelle frontman.)

"Graveyard Tapes is Euan McMeeken and Matthew Collings. The pair met when Matthew moved from Iceland to Edinburgh in 2010. Coming from very different musical backgrounds but sharing a love of many of the same artists the pair have been working together on recordings ever since. Approximately 16 tracks are currently in various states of disrepair with the duo working towards a 2012 release." - Euan McMeeken (Graveyard Tapes)

4.  Minor Delilah - All I Ever Wanted (an amazing track from their debut EP... available now from all good online download stockists.)

" 'All I Ever Wanted' is a song written in praise of the underdog and anyone who despite all the doubters looks at themselves in the eye and says fuck it I am going to do this" - Nick Scroggie (Minor Delilah)

5.  Jack James - Top Of The Hill (An exclusive track from Jack's upcoming third album Leaving Town.  On the back of this and his other free track, it's gonna be great!)

"Top of the Hill appears on my 3rd album which is coming out next month. The song, and also a large part of the new album, is about escapism. The track is also quite sparse, although there's pretty much a full band there of acoustic guitar, bass, banjo and drums. Like all my songs though, it starts out with a single guitar and vocal take that I then build around, only adding extra parts when necessary." - Jack James

Not bad eh??  Well, as always, the EP is free for you to download and do with what you will... presumably listen to.  So head on over to my bandcamp page now to get your download.  There's 16 more while you're at it.  Enjoy!

Next month, on the 16^th, there'll be more of the same.  Maybe even a Christmas song thrown in for good measure.  If you'd like to design the artwork, fire over your entry (at least 350px by 350px) to kowalskiy2@gmail.com by the 13^th December.  Best of luck!

...Toy Machine!

Another week, another great new Scottish band to introduce you all too.  I'm in danger of making this a regular, weekly thing.  It won't last though, I promise you!  Today, it's the turn of a rather fine Edinburgh trio, Toy Machine.  Before we hear from them, here's the first track from their FREE debut EP for you to have a wee listen to.  It's a home-recorded effort entitled Council Flat Sessions.  Does exactly what it says on the...

   I Feel Low by Toy Machine

Kowalskiy:  Who Are Toy Machine?
Leo: We are Toy Machine.

Graeme: We're not so much a band, more a way of life.

Dan: ... three strangers on the same path to enlightement through noise and sweat and sexy things.

Kowalskiy:  How would you describe 'your sound'?

Dan: Alice beating the white rabbit to death with her electric guitar.

Leo: Way to sell it Dan. Sure, if you like to get down and dirty and like to rock out then you’ll like it. We just released an EP for free on the good old world wide web so you can hear for yourself what awesome sounds like. Those songs were recorded a couple of weeks after we got together and seeing a live show now is a different experience: we’re so into making it exciting and urgent for the audience that we’re always pushing the sounds and the songs onwards.

Graeme: The songs have depth and variation: our live shows don't confront you with a wall of noise. Each instrument brings it's own food to the table, which ultimately makes for a tasty treat. See us live and you'll dance, you'll kiss, you'll jump about. But we're not into following the trend, there's no ukeles on stage.

Leo: That's for sure. Bands that play shows where they mope about on stage, playing their record note for note are so god damn boring it makes me die a little. You need a fire inside you if you want to stay alive and our sound is about that.

Kowalskiy:  PLUG AWAY!!!

Leo: Toy Machine should be huge, the songs and live shows speak for themselves: we like free shows and we like free beer so we try to bring those ideals to our shows when we can, you should come along and experience.

Dan: Absolutely. We will keep it fresh, evolving and surprising: eccentric, eclectic and electric.

Graeme: In our live shows, there's always that heightened sense of energy and the unexpected.

Kowalskiy:  What can we expect from Toy Machine in the future?

Leo: Raucous musical adventure played far and wide, the creation of a legion of super mice trained to do our bidding, endless overblown pronouncements on our imminent but not yet realised multinational success…

Dan: More records, gigs and sublime artwork.

Graeme: Mugs, t-shirts, tweets, podcasts and stage invasions. I also like the idea of having our own Toy Machine soup, although the EU will probably demand we change the name of it as I suspect it'll contain neither Toys or Machines (sigh).

   Come On, Get Better by Toy Machine

Their great Council Flat Sessions is out now for free over here and features that above gem which could've been lifted straight off Lou Reed's Transformer.  More of the same please guys! If you fancy seeing the guys live, they'll be headlining the Love Music Hate Racism weekend at The Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh College of Art on Sunday 27^th November

K&A with French Wives

Glasgow's French Wives are a band who have been featured on here a few, fleeting times.  Finally though, as they've been busy recording their debut album, I got the chance to ask them a few questions.  Here you go!

Kowalskiy:  Who are French Wives and how'd you all get together?

French Wives:  We're a 5 piece indie pop band from Glasgow who got together in the most boring of ways, i.e. responding to adverts and friends of friends. I wish that story could be more interesting, but unfortunately it can't.

Kowalskiy:  How would you describe 'your sound'?

FW:  Definitely not folk music. Aside from that we tend to aim to write intelligent pop music. Whether we do or not is up to the listeners, if there are any!

Kowalskiy:  I'm sure there are many!  Especially now that new single 'Numbers' has just been released.  How does it compare to your previous singles?

FW:  I think it's a big improvement both in terms of songwriting and arrangement and production. We've been lucky enough to work with the producer Tony Doogan and he's really brought us along. He's like our Mary Poppins, although if he knew I said that he wouldn't be happy!

Kowalskiy:  I'll keep that between us then...  Anyway, if the track is anything to go by, your debut album should be great.  Fancy whetting our appetites further and tell us what else can we expect it?

FW:  Lots of new songs basically! We really wanted to write an album where the songs would connect thematically and in terms of sound, so we pretty much spent the whole of this year writing new songs to go on the record. After our last release I think we basically thought that we could do a lot better than the stuff we were playing at that point, so we hired a studio in the south side and basically knuckled down writing and demoing for months. Hopefully it will pay off! We've only retained two songs that were our singles but Mary Poppins, eh I mean Tony, has helped us shape them in a new direction, and I think they'll be a lot more hard hitting and direct.

Kowalskiy:  Apologies this interview will come after the single release night! How'd it go, and are there any other gigs lined up?

FW:  Apologies for filling out this interview long after the tour, haha! The single launch was good, and then we did a few gigs after that in various places around Britain. We had a fun time and all the gigs went pretty well, so no complaints. We're mainly finishing work on the album this month, however we're playing three gigs this month, all of which should be good fun. This Saturday (12th) we're at the Greenside Hotel in Leslie, the following Sunday (20th) we're playing at the Kinross-shire Music Festival, and then we're taking part in the final night of the Sleazy's 20th birthday celebrations with FOUND and Over the Wall, so it should be a belter.

Kowalskiy:  What would be your ideal gig?

FW:  Can't think of a venue at the moment, but Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac in a small venue (let's say the Captain's) would have been amazing. Wouldn't really care about anything else if I got to see them then.

Kowalskiy:  Oh yeah, what's with the band name??

FW:  Again, it's a boring story. We got our name, like so many others do from someone suggesting it out of a conversation and us not thinking of anything better before our first gig, where it just stuck. However, there is a porn film from the 70s called French Wives which none of us have seen, but not through lack of trying.

Kowalskiy:  I was a big fan of your Home Fires series of releases and videos. Any plans to re-record/revamp any of these tracks for the album or are those resigned to the musical history bin (if such a thing existed)?

FW:  The reason we gave most of those tracks away was because they kind of were already resigned to the musical history bin. We'd been going as a band for quite a wee while and realised that most of the people who were our out and out "fans" rather than just our pals probably wouldn't have heard most of the songs as we'd stopped playing them live/never released them long before they even knew who we were. So instead of them just sitting on a hard drive we thought that whilst we don't really consider them to be our finest works or have any long term ambitions for them, some people might still be interested in hearing them, so we stuck them up online and people could download them at their leisure. I think it worked out quite well in the end. The videos were definitely fun, apart from the Housemartins cover, which took 23 takes and until 3 in the morning and still wasn't right. We'll be doing something similar in the lead up to the release of the album, I think.

Kowalskiy:  I look forward to it!  Aside from the album, is there anything exciting gonna be happening with French Wives in the future?

FW:  It's all album related really. We've worked really hard getting the songs ready, and there were loads of administrative problems, so we want to really focus on getting all the plans for the release right, just to kind of make sure that people can hear it!

Kowalskiy:  Lastly, with the time fast approaching, it seems fitting to end the interview by asking what you'll be dressing up as for Halloween??

FW:  I've done this interview so late, I'm so sorry! However, I didn't think I was going out for Halloween until the last minute. Thankfully, I'm very well prepared and turned to the spot under my bed reserved for my emergency back-up costume, which has never let me down. It's an "Army Officer's" uniform my gran made and it's crackin'. I saluted everything in sight that evening!

New single Numbers is out now, over here, for you to download.  Hopefully it won't be too long until we can get our hands on the album!  Until then, remember you can get your hands on the Home Fires series for nowt and you can still catch French Wives live a few times before the end of the year:

Upcoming Gigs

12^th Nov - The Greenside Hotel, Leslie

20^th Nov - Kinross-Shire Music Festival

30^th Nov - Nice'N'Sleazy, Glasgow

Kowalskiy Singles Club #9

Hey folks, I've got a brand new bevvy of beauties for you.  All ready to whisper sweet nothings into your ears!  If any of them sound like they're up your street, then click on the artwork, have a wee listen and get downloading.  Who knows, one of them might strike a chord with you...

Middle Child Syndrome by PET

"Middle child Hilton heiress seeks last born ‘Golf Sale’ sign holder to spawn progeny and re-adjust the imbalances of world" - Matthew (PET)

Sounds like a very worthy cause!  And a brilliant song to boot!  Middle Child Syndrome is the second release from one of Edinburgh's brightest new bands, PET.  All three tracks are very good indeed!  Oh, and it's out today!

Change by Mummy Short Arms

"Lonely Mum with arm disability seeks a nice man or woman to listen to her stories. Must like shaving Mummy’s legs." - Stuart Brown (Mummy Short Arms)

How tragic does that sound?!?  The song though, is anything but.  It's a great song, and one of a surge of beauties from newbie Glasgow label Flowers In The Dustbin... whose name sounds ever-so-slightly romantically-tragic too.  

The Art of Temptation by Wolves Of Winter

"Devilishly handsome, charming, gentlemanly types seek patient listeners with an interest in melancholy, movies, pianos and reverbs. Must also have a keen interest in sitting, xbox, sleeping, football, more sitting, eating, wine, sleeping." - Scotty (Wolves Of Winter)

This one's a revelation!  They've just popped up out of the blue with a track that is fast-becoming one of my favourite tracks of the year.   Keep an eye on this mob!  The track was recorded at Elba Studios and it's out NOW!

(I Am So Bored Of) Acoustic Guitars by Otherpeople

"Video Director seeks emotionless band, willing to sit and stare at a square of black sticky tape on the wall opposite for 4 minutes straight while being doused in various substances.  Reverse thinking a bonus, catchy indie music preferable, hatred of acoustic guitars vital." - Ben Cowie

You may know Ben from the brilliant video-blog Detour. So you know he's a dab hand at making videos... just like the one he done below for this track from Otherpeople's EP!  Feast your eyes below...

Numbers by French Wives

"Lonely 1 seeks another 1 to make 2 for general enjoyment and constant reassurance. 3 favourite things are arithmetic, thermometers and The Count from Sesame St.  You will be required to count to me like him late at night. It helps me sleep." - Scott Macpherson (French Wives)

A nice wee number this one is too!  It's the first track from their upcoming, and much, much, MUCH anticipated, debut album.  Stay tuned later this week for a wee interview with the band.   

Guild Of Defiants by My Tiny Robots

"Lonely and looking for love, four tired-looking males of differing size and shape seek friendship or more with anyone willing to listen to their inane ramblings and temper tantrums. Must love Chris Rea, own at least three fifths of the Kajagooggoo back catalogue, have an interest in amateur robotics and enjoy casual wood thievery of a weekend. An enjoyment of a certain brand of arty odd-pop would be good, but is in no way necessary." - Gareth Anderson (My Tiny Robots)

Kajagoogoo??  Get off my blog!!  This is the new single from odd-poppers My Tiny Robots.  It's out a week today from their Bandcamp site and follows hot on the heels from their free giveaway of the OUTSTANDING Rock Bossa Nova Fourbeat Black.   Until next week, you can hear the new single streaming on Soundcloud by clicking the artwork.

Crater (Mogwai remix) by Laki Mera

"Variable sound waves would love to meet primed ear canal for ritual union. Must be willing to vibrate violently to the sound of one hand clapping." - Laki Mera

Last but by no means least, here's a track from Glasgows Laki Mera's album The Proximity Effect, remixed by the mighty Mogwai.

...Minor Delilah!

I've been off for a week or so recharging my blogging batteries, but now I'm back to introduce you to a cracking new Lanarkshire band, Minor Delilah.   The band features Nick Scroggie (vocals, guitars, keyboards, programming), Paul Whyte (guitars) and Jamie McGregor (bass).  What started off as a project for their music course at college, has quickly grown legs, and this week, the guys have leaked all four tracks from their debut EP online.  They're all over on their SoundCloud, but here's my personal favourite Needles In The Hay.

   Needles In The Hay by Minor Delilah

I spoke to Nick (who you may also know from being in Annie Stevenson).  Here's what he had to say...

Kowalskiy:  Who Are Minor Delilah?

Nick:  Minor Delilah got together when myself and the guys met up at Motherwell college studying a music course. We started jamming together not really thinking much of it as we were all in other bands at the time, but as we kept going we decided we could take more seriously and write together. One of the first songs we had written was actually for a task at college. We had to write a piece of music incorporating an unusual instrument . We decided on using a Kalimba which you hold and play play like a Game Boy and we wrote the song "When I Know You Care" from that. Once we left college and put all our energy into writing enough songs so we could gig and get out there playing.

   When I Know You Care by Minor Delilah

Kowalskiy:  How would you describe 'your sound'?

Nick:  Its always tricky to describe the sound of your own stuff but Id say we have a kind of Coldplay vibe about us. We like to make big sounds with our songs and experiment with dynamics. ranging from chilled out acoustic to big and loud, light and shade sort of stuff. We love bands and artists like Pink Floyd, Beck, Kings Of Leon, Snow Patrol and I feel a lot of that shines through our music.

Kowalskiy:  PLUG AWAY!!!

Nick:  We have just currently recorded our first EP which you can hear on our Facebook band page. It will be available to buy soon off of iTunes and sites like that. At the moment we don't have any gigs lined up as we are on the look out for a drummer so if anyone's interested that's reading this don't hesitate to get in touch.

Kowalskiy:  What can we expect from Minor Delilah in the future?

Nick:  We are writing away but as soon as we find the right guy to hit the skins we will be gigging like crazy. Once everything in place we hope to create a following through our music and gigs and possibly attract attention from record labels and the like. We are very pleased with our EP and will continue to push our music as much as we can.

So keep your eyes peeled for any upcoming gigs and for news on the release of the EP.  In the meantime, you can get yourself a free download of one of the EP tracks if you sign up to their mailing list over on their Facebook. And, if you're any good with the sticks and fancy it, get in touch with the band!