Coastal Skid Spy Wok v5.0

Happy Easter folks!  Hope you enjoyed the tracks chosen last week by the wonderful Mr. K. P. Son. Since I've had almost two weeks off from doing this notcast lark, there's been a load of new songs on SoundCloud that I'm itching to share with you. As has become the norm, here's half-a-dozen for you with some textual babble thrown in for good measure.

Kicking things off this week is a song which I've played on loop since it was uploaded. Like many Scottish bands, Edinburgh's Letters have been busy over the last few weeks uploading their trio of T Break entries. If they're not on the bill this summer on the back of their three tracks, then the world will have officially gone doolally! Here's one of them, the title track from their upcoming debut EP, Older Motion Pictures.

Older Motion Pictures by Letters

Now, don't tell me you're not impressed.  Seriously... don't!  This band is supoib!  It's funny how things turn out sometimes.  After I'd favourited that track, and said favouritation was sent around twitter, I got chatting to another band who, up 'til then, had flown under my radar.  But no more thanks to their impressive early demos.  A name to take note of folks... The Beautiful Lies.

    Youth Passing Through by The Beautiful Lies

And this next chap ain't half bad either.  Nice chap too.  All those months/years ago, Paul Kelly was one of the five artists I emailed asking if they'd like to road test an idea I had - to be on the first of my free monthly 5-track Scottish EPs.  He, or rather, The Martial Arts, said yes and kindly allowed me to help unleash the demo of Empty Out Here on the world.  Well, it's been almost 2 years but he's now got two more for us.  It's a toughie, but here's my favourite of the pair.  Both are free by the way!

   Nicechap (demo) by The Martial Arts

Right, not wanting to sound like a miserable bastard, but it's no coincidence that if you say T in the Park backwards, it kinda sound like Crap, innit?  The only reason you'd get me anywhere near Balado these days is for T Break.  Especially given one of the other sets I've been listening to.  I assume it's for T Break submission anyway.   Why Trapped Mice still fulfill the 'unsigned' criterion to enter is a fucking travesty!  Still, they are, so for now lets just be thankful that we're getting to hear their three new tracks.  You have no idea how tempted I was to finish off the notcast with all three, but I resisted.  

   Arthur's Seat by Trapped Mice

That's yer Trapped Mice lot!  The other two tracks can be heard over here.  Two more then that's your notcast lot for the week too.  I should probably stop favouriting tracks to be honest since it probably gives you an idea what I'm gonna include here.  So it may come as no surprise, but I love the latest single from Aerials Up.  The Old and the Innocent is out now and you can get your grubby mitts on it over here.   

   The Old and the Innocent by Aerials Up

Signing us off this week we have someone who just launched her new album last night in Edinburgh.  By all accounts, the night was pretty special, and so too is the album itself.  I am of course talking about The Seed by Plum a.k.a. Shona Maguire.  You can buy the album here.  To whet your appetite in the meantime, have a listen to the title track below.   'Til next week...

   The Seed by Plum

Peenko's Friday Freebies feat. Kowalskiy! July Roundup

Bit late this one! Here's a recap of my contribution for Peenko's Friday Freebies in July!

Week #1 - Glasgow's best kept secret The Martial Arts are giving their entire album "Your Sinclair" away for free. It fills the Weezer/Shins-shaped void in my life just now.

Week #2 - The wunderbar Robocop Kraus have a new album out and are giving away the track "Sometimes I Wonder If You'd Been A Dog In A Previous Life" absolutely free.

Week #3 - The first ever Kowalskiy Free Monthly 5-track Scottish EP was released featuring exclusive/rare tracks from Curators, Cancel The Astronauts, Arran Arctic, Punch & the Apostles and The Martial Arts. Head on over to my bandcamp!

Week #4 - Get your free download of "Boy" from Ra Ra Riot's superb new album "The Orchard".

Week #5 - Fancy a free live track from California's Dios?

Kowalskiy's Free Monthly 5-track Scottish EP #1

Mark your calendars folks! The 16^th of each month shall forever be known as Kowalskiy's Free 5-track Scottish EP Day. Catchy, eh? From now on, I'll endeavour to bring you a free EP featuring 5 cracking exclusive/rare tracks from some of Scotland's best up-and-coming bands. For the first in what will hopefully be a series of many, I asked 5 of my favourite artists at the moment to contribute. For some reason I'm still trying to suss out, they all said a very enthusiastic yes!

These kind, brave souls, and their tracks appearing on EP #1, are:

1. Curators - "Turn The Lights Down" (from their eagerly-anticipated, as-of-yet untitled, debut album)

"As far as Lights goes, it is relatively straight forward. I suppose you could say that it's about domestic disharmony being overcome by hearing a good song on the radio, but that sounds a bit wanky. Let's call it a love song to the art of the single." - Jon Dick (Curators)

2. Punch & The Apostles - "Wintertime Blues" (from their upcoming "Meat In Summerland" album)

"The song was written during the winter of 08/09 whilst three of the band were living in a small cottage in Ayrshire. We had no heating or hot water because we couldn't afford to buy oil, so would huddle round the fireplace as late as possible. Because of the lack of heating we started developing damp problems, with mould appearing on shoes, jackets and bedding. It was great in some ways to have that seclusion, but the conditions made it pretty unbearable at times. We lasted the winter out and then moved back to the city in April. That's the song." - Rory Haye (Punch & the Apostles)

3. Arran Arctic - "Ask For It" (opening track from his debut album)

"This track appeared on the first Arran Arctic record (By The Sea) way back in 2005. 'Ask For It' was one of my earliest songs, which I'd originally written because a friend of mine at school was quite a prolific songwriter, and I felt guilty because I thought I was somehow stealing his thunder. You can find videos of this track being performed live at www.arranarctic.com/videos. I may re-record it in order to perform it live alongside some of the new tracks from the forthcoming album 'In My Hands'." - Arran Southall (Arran Arctic)

4. The Martial Arts - "Empty Out Here (demo)" (which was only recorded and mastered this week.)

"This is the demo for new song 'Empty Out Here' as recorded in my kitchen by myself, though I got Gregor Barclay in to add some handclaps and Nicola West, also of How To Swim, in to play some 'Good Vibrations' cello on the outro - let's face it, you can't do that with Reason. Joe Kane kindly mastered it and I used Jeremy Mills' bass guitar after he left it at mine. The song itself has some Spector-like ambitions with the tiniest hint of Squeeze's 'Maidstone' thrown in for any Record Collector readers to spot." - Paul Kelly (The Martial Arts)

5. Cancel The Astronauts - "Could You Love Me? (live)" (rare live version of a previously unreleased track)

"The inspiration behind Could You Love Me? is, like every CTA song (sadly), an unrequited love song. Awkward boy meets gorgeous girl, chases her around the schoolyard, and years later hides her body in his fridgefreezer. We've all been there. Recorded live at Studio Kay in summer 2009, it will probably be a B-side one day. It has a delightful guitar riff, even if Kieran does say so himself." - Matt Riley (Cancel The Astronauts)

Thanks to each and every one of them for giving up their time, and song, to get this idea off the ground. I can't thank them enough!

Anyway, for those who like the sound of it, the EP is now up for free download on my shiny new bandcamp site. Hope you enjoy it!

As a warning to all you bands out there, I have a shortlist for EP #2 and I'll be in touch soon! Although if you have a mouthwatering exclusive or rare track and fancy appearing on a future EP, feel free to send me a wee email.