Straight From The Horse's Mouth

Let me introduce myself, I'm The Ramisco Maki Maki Rocking Horse, I've never reviewed a record in my life. Alas, here I am, ears cleaned thoroughly and equalised by Steve Wonder's Higher Ground. I've got two records in the pile, first up is All That Glitters by Homework.

If I could dance myself into another dimension, I'd like to feature this record on the soundtrack. There's something cosmic about it, something that displaces reality with visions of another universe. I'm wearing a space suit. My synth envy is heavy. There's a tinfoil tree on a hill top and it's fruit glows. I'd like to taste the fruit, but I'm timid, the bass line leads me towards it regardless. I see fuzzy shapes. Everything seems so fantastic when you're travelling through sound, each track is an adventure and each adventure is unique. Have a listen, start at the beginning, go on an adventure with Homework and take your friends with you.

Next up we have What Might Happen by Hold The Suspect, atmospheric and melodically frantic. I'm swimming in puddles of wonder, slightly fearful, the darkness comes for me, but I have a pocket light switch. Redemption is available, there's a slice for you too. Visions of yesteryear are present, it's kinda emotional, slightly haunting, but the Horse don't cry. Hold The Suspect would like to get acquainted with your ears, nice to meet you.

From Kowalskiy (with love):  The EPs can be bought here (Homework) and here (Hold The Suspect).  Thanks to The Horse for his unique, eye (and indeed, ear) opening take on two EPs from last year.  Hopefully this will whet your appetite for later in the year when The Horse returns to TakeOver the offices of Kowalskiy!  In the meantime, you can have a listen to the man himself over here.

Kowalskiy's Free Monthly 5-track Scottish EP #15

Don't ask... it just looked good! So once again, the cover art doesn't exactly match any of this months five brilliant tracks, which are once again, supplied by five of the country's best up-and-coming bands.  You know what to do by now, but if not, just click the cover art to get your free download.  Here's the five cracking bands on KEP#15... 

1.  Will Hanson - Hope On Top (A great track from Mr. Hanson's archives.)

"This is the closer from my previous album, and was recorded in my friend's bedroom in London. The lyrics are quite simple and are about the moment when boredom can turn into excitement. Production-wise it was all about making as much noise as possible with just voices and guitars...It started life as a kind of hymn with a droning atmosphere in the background, and ends up as an optimistic chant. It was really different to the rest of that record and really set the tone for alot of the tunes on Moving A Body..." - Will Hanson

2.  Adopted As Holograph - The Animal Man (An exclusive track from their upcoming, debut EP.)

"The Animal Man' is from the forthcoming debut EP by Glasgow based band, 'Adopted as Holograph' due for release later this year." - Dave Philp (Adopted As Holograph)

3.  Capitals - Hello World (I'll never tire of their cracking debut single!)

"Hello World was the first in a series of a few songs where we tried to do everything as naturally as possible. About 95% of this song was written, recorded and mixed in 24 hours. It was a bloody tiring 24 hours, but this process was the antithesis of the way we’d written earlier demos like Coastlines and Waking Life. I think this song is also responsible for the now staple routine we use when writing which is 'write, record, play, de-stress with FIFA'. Earlier in the year we also made a video for this song with our friend Ian Webster, a true gent who did a great job getting the feel of the song into film." - Keir MacCulloch (Capitals)

4.  Hold The Suspect - 1324 (another exclusive, this time from Hold The Suspect's latest EP.)

"1324 is the first track from our new EP 'what might happen'. 1324 is a song about struggling through a relationship but remembering that your friends have always got your back." - Hold The Suspect

5.  Trapped Mice - Dance While Winter Cries (This is just stunning!  It bodes very well for the album.)

"This is the first track to see the light of day from our forthcoming (we're still recording it) debut album. It's a love song (simple as that). It will probably be the happiest song on the album, and definitely the most depressing. I started with the first line and the rest followed from there, which is always a nice way of doing things." - Ian Tilling (Trapped Mice)

So there you go!  Let me know what you think of this months collection.  As always, it's FREE, so head on over to my bandcamp page now to get your download.  Have a wee look and listen to the other 14 while you're at it!

Next month there'll be more of the same, five great free tracks from Scotland's finest!  If any bands out there fancy making my life that wee bit easier by volunteering a track for one of these EPs, then send me a wee email too and see if it tickles my fancy.  Enjoy... and let the Cancel The Astronauts Takeover! continue.

Kowalskiy Belated Review #2

Hold the Suspect - Are You Home Yet?
Once again, there's been too many cracking releases I've been asked to review recently and I've fallen behind. The first is this great wee EP from Edinburgh's Hold the Suspect. Comparisons with fellow Scots Biffy Clyro and The Xcerts are bound to be made based on the opening, title track which is punchy and laden with some seriously catchy riffs. It's the next two songs though, Dive Into The Sun and Glass Half Full, that jump out at you. While the first is a reminiscent of Transformers-era Linkin Park (my guilty pleasure), the latter starts off as a surprising, stunning ballad with friend-of-the-band Freya Binning's angelic backing vocals, before exploding into life. All this before the all-guns-blazing finale of Society. It's only a few quid, so get it bought!

The Paraffins - Snout To The Grindstone
Technically speaking, as this cracking, crazy album isn't released until Monday, this review isn't belated. But given the time it's taken me to write about it, it feels that way. The Paraffins (or Billy) hail from the 'remote Scottish outpost of Knockentiber', and Snout To The Grindstone is the first in what will hopefully be many albums. Opener Untitleable is a taster of what the album has in store: hypnotic rattling, tribal drumming, high pitched wails and warped growls.... all in just over a minute! The rest is a bit more structured, with layer upon layer of sounds (conventional or otherwise), built up like Talking Heads going off theirs! Standout tracks are Something Good and the frantic People Like You which invites comparisons with Punch & the Apostles. To be honest though, the cover art sums the album up better than I can. It'll mess with your mind. A quite remarkable, musical mind f**ck!

Call To Mind - EP
It's been 2 years since I first seen Inverness' Call To Mind at King Tuts (in their fetching white rainsuits) threatening to steal the show from the headline act Broken Records. Since then, the band have been busy recording their debut eponymous EP. Finally, the fruit of their labour was released back in March. Every bit as captivating as their live show, this EP is great! It 'calls to mind' the atmospheric soundscapes of Sigur Ros with a dark, moody, almost Joy Divisionesque feel to it. The opening and closing tracks, A9 and I Have A Photograph, are proof you don't have to be Icelandic to pull this sound off. I don't know who coined the phrase, but if this is 'Highland glacial pop', then this is it at its very best!