1,000 blogs

Welcome to my 1,000th blog!

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit. 

I write about & highlight music I love, whether it's a new discovery or a song/album I have treasured for decades. Ultimately, I hope I turn you on to an amazing song you've never heard before, or cause you to rediscover an old favourite you've not listened to in ages. It's been nice to receive some feedback over the years.

I've taken a little bit of time to reflect on reaching this landmark. What has happened over the lifespan of my blog? 

I've thought of other Scottish music blogs, favourite bands, local bands that made it, bands that were signed and dropped/flopped, helping bands, putting on bands, forming a label, putting out self releases ...

An old photo from my music room in 2012, before kids took over!

Looking back over the time I've been writing the blog, I've been fortunate to experience some very memorable shows, discover some incredible music (whether newly released, or older songs/albums) and I've met and made friends with some brilliant people through a shared love of music.

As a kid I devoured the music weeklies and then spent fortunes on Uncut & Mojo, along with numerous other magazines like Loaded, FHM, Select, Vox, Q (only sometimes - never a real favourite) and many more short lived Britpop era mags.

I dreamed of being in bands, or of becoming a music journalist. 

I had no idea of how to form a band, although I did draft a few adverts for the NME & Melody Maker and jammed a little with a few people I met in Glasgow. But other than a few open mic nights and a MySpace page with Garage Band demos under the name Acid Hazes, I never explored forming a band with any real conviction. 

But now I have, finally, formed a (real) band! We're called Starboard Hazes and our debut EP is out today. It even features Norman Blake on backing vocals on the song Kicking Our Heels! 

Find out more about how the band formed HERE and check our debut EP HERE

And I didn't have the grades to get into the journalism course at Napier University. So my dreams remained dreams.

Then, all of a sudden, it became a lot easier to do either. Social networking websites like MySpace meant you could release music, or write about music to a (potentially) worldwide audience!

Back in August 2008, just after returning from a year of travelling (during which I wrote a blog), I wrote and published a blog about the Glasgow Music Scene at the time. I referenced venues, record shops and 5 of my favourite ever gigs from King Tuts Wah Wah Hut and The Barrowland.

Outside King Tuts in June 2020, lockdown - the city centre was deserted

While travelling, I though of the name Aye Tunes for a blog, but that was sadly taken. Aye Tunes ran for quite some time, Jim (the guy who ran it) put on shows and worked incredibly hard to promote the DIY Scottish scene.

Some other blogs from around that time were;

• Pop Cop - This was my favourite blog. On the ball with snapshot news and superb in depth articles and interviews. I met Jason once or twice at gigs and I hope he is still writing in some form.

• Peenko - Lloyd from Peenko went on to co-form Olive Grove Records with Halina from Podcart (Lloyd now runs on his own and has for some time). As Peenko he put on shows and put out DIY releases. Lloyd is one of the most positive and friendly people I have met through the Glasgow/Scottish music scene. I've got to know Lloyd pretty well through Olive Grove as he has been releasing my sister Carla's albums. One of the most friendly and helpful people out there.

• Podcart - Halina from Podcart is another exceptional person I've met through the scene. Halina's passion for music shines through and creates an infectious energy. From memory, there have been a few name changes, but looking back (at least for me), Halina really pioneered podcasting in the Scottish music scene. Her knowledge of the scene and podcasting has led to radio appearances. Podcart is still going strong.

• Scottish Fiction - Another blog that ended up putting on shows and releasing albums. Mt. Doubt, Annie Booth and Lovers Turn To Monsters were among their roster. Neil somehow did this for quite some time while studying, working and creating quite a big family! (not sure of the exact order!). Oh, and Neil also ran a radio show for a while! 

• Jock Rock - Still going strong! Good for news and views on the Scottish music scene.

The DIY scene was incredibly healthy and I'd check these blogs daily - expecting a big announcement about a band getting signed to a major! Most of the bands stayed local, adored by blogs and a tight knit scene - although you'd get bands like Frightened Rabbit and Admiral Fallow (pictured below) breaking through. Both bands also had singer-songwriters who cut their teeth on the Glasgow open mic scene.

Following my first blog, I then mainly wrote about gigs I attended through to November, then I didn't write anything again until September 2009! It was only in 2011 that I started to really begin to blog consistently.

And now I've written 1,000 blogs and at the time of writing, they have been viewed 754,483 times! 

Three quarters of a million views! Thanks so much for reading my musings!

Some have had mere dozens of views, lots of have had hundreds, many have had a few thousand, a half dozen have had 5,000/6,000 views and then one has had almost 50,000! (see below)

It's been interesting to look back over old blogs and think about what I've seen, experienced and written about over the last 14-years and 1,000 blogs! It's like a diary! 

I've put on some bands/artists that have gone on to quite big things!

• Gerry Cinnamon - I was introduced to The Cinnamons by my friends in the band Sonny Marvello. They introduced me to an amazing group of people from Castlemilk who lived and breathed for music.  I remember one memorable night at Stereo when I put on Sonny Marvello and The Cinnamons and half of Castlemilk turned up. 

Gerry Cinnamon with his band The Cinnamons 

 Photo by Dave Taylor

So it's amazing to see Gerry Cinnamon doing so well. I once watched him playing solo at Love Music on a Record Store Day to around 10 people. Gerry's personality, charisma and talent were always there. His cheeky charm won friends and his rise is a truly remarkable example of the importance of word-of-mouth.

Cinnamon gigged regularly around Scotland and his open mic night in Glasgow really helped him hone his talent. I was pretty humbled when Gerry kindly put me on the guestlist 2-years running for his incredible shows at the Barrowland in December 2017 & 2018. The atmosphere at these shows (the first in particular) were like nothing I had experienced previously. I hope the blog reviews capture some of it.

Gerry recently headlined 2 nights at Hampden Park - INCREDIBLE. My most viewed blog is one I wrote called The Rise & Rise of Gerry Cinnamon. Gerry was doing everything under the radar, with no press agent, so his growing fanbase were searching for info about him and found my blog! Incredibly, no mainstream media were writing about him! It has almost 48,000 views.

• Stevie McCrorie - Stevie and the Moon came from a little scene that formed around Alloa/Stirling. There were some cracking bands like Little Eskimos (Kevin Harper is one of the most talented and funny people I have met through this blog), Minature Dinosaurs and an electronic producer called MOPP who I really thought was going to blow up. I loved his song Dream About You. I put Stevie and the Moon on at the old Captain's Rest on one boiling hot summer night as part of a charity show for Maggie's. I got a t-shirt that my daughter ended up wearing as a nightshirt for a while! Stevie's voice was (and is) very rich and soulful and years later he showed up on BBC's The Voice. I stuck a fiver on him and won £70! I should have bet more. Stevie showed what a funny, humble and family orientated guy he was on the show. Check his blind audition HERE. 

Stevie is still singing. Another great guy from Alloa is Craig Johnston who cut his teeth putting on shows at Maggie Mays in town, before going on to work with DF Concerts, booking supports at King Tuts, then headliners and he's now putting on Lewis Capaldi and others! Craig's warm personality shone through in the darkest of basements. I'm so pleased he's worked his way up and is living his dream.

• Emma's Imagination - One day I was walking down Sauchiehall Street when I saw a really cool looking, kind of grungey, girl busking. She had a sign in front of her advertising her MySpace page. I followed her page and sent a message to say that I had a spare support slot going at the 13th Note that very weekend for a Sonny Marvello show I was putting on. Emma came down and played a stunning little set. Kind of bluesy, kind of folky, possibly a little stoned. Lyrics were full of humour. She was great. The next year Emma entered Sky 1's Must Be The Music TV show, wowed the judges and audience, won a record contract (and £100,000!) and got a deal with Gary Barlow's label! I don't think she was ever cut out to be a Gary Barlow kind of songwriter or performer. Things never really took off. I hope Emma is still writing and singing.

Emma Gillespie, AKA Emma's Imagination

• Saint PHNX - I met a lovely girl called Helen Keenan on a charity walk. We were walking at the same pace and discovered we grew up in relatively close proximity (Carluke and Wishaw) and that we loved music. Helen's brother Jamie is in The La Fontaines and both of them are absolute gems of human beings - up for mischief, laughs and fun. Helen told me about a band Vigo Thieves that were playing upstairs in The Commercial Hotel in Wishaw the next Sunday night. I went along and they'd packed the place out, playing some kind of ramshackle Libertines style songs. But their closing numbers hinted a bigger and better things. I met singer Stevie Jukes and his people skills and work rate blew me away. He have me a name check on the back of a CD single and hand delivered it along with a ticket to a show. I ended up helping Stevie to manage the band. Truth be told, Stevie did most things and I was someone to bounce off. But I did arrange some London shows and actually managed to get some meetings with record labels! 

It was really exciting. Stevie and I got the overnight train to London and spent the day meeting lawyers, labels and pluggers. Some (pluggers!) were chancers. The label meetings were very exciting and I thought a deal might be incoming! It didn't happen though and after pushing things with Vigo Thieves as far as possible,  Stevie and his brother formed Saint PHNX who have had a big hit with Happy Place and earned a deal with Atlantic Records! The band smashed T in the Park this summer and have SOLD OUT the Barrowland Ballroom next year.

Stevie Jukes crowdsurfing at King Tuts with Vigo Thieves

The band sold out 2 nights back to back - unsigned

Over the years I've helped bands and artists with self releases and putting on nights. These have included;

• A Futuristic Retro Champions single, May the Forth b/w Settle Down with artwork by Martin Creed. The launch night at Mono was incredible. Also their Homemade Lemonade retrospective album. 

• A Miaoux Miaoux single, Knitted, in limited edition knitted sleeves - each one unique! They were hand knitted by ladies that attended a women's group at Maggie's where I was working at the time. All proceeds went to Maggie's Glasgow Centre. Julian (Miaoux Miaoux) is now in Franz Ferdinand!

Watching Miaoux Miaoux create, layer & loop sounds was a joy - a real talent

• Sonny Marvello's 100 club mini-album containing the beautiful Fire Went Out - one of my favourite songs. Also their Easy Boys b/w We're All Cruel 7-inch. Two real favourites. Check my 10 memories of Sonny Marvello blog HERE for more details about the adventures we had together including putting on our own festival!

And then I helped to form a record label - Last Night From Glasgow. It's incredible to think of the amount of music that has been released via LNFG (and their various offshoots) since 2016. The label has grown way beyond initial ideas of 100 members and printing limited runs of 300 copies of 6 releases a year.

There are now over 600 members which gives the label an incredible platform and scope (and funds) to do all kinds of things; re-issues, books, a record shop ... it's a remarkable story. I've not been involved with the label for some time, but I still keep up with all their news - just about!

Ian Smith, who runs the label, is a force of nature. It's nice when dreams come true and Ian is now working full-time to run the label. Truth be told he probably needed to do that from year 3, but he has knocked things into such good shape that it needs someone working on it. I hope to catch up with him soon. Check a recent interview he did about the label.

I've also helped my sister with her fanclubs that allow her to be independent and prolific in her art. And helped run her Since Yesterday crowdfunder for a documentary about Scottish girl groups. 

It's nice to help artists and creative types to make/release music. I have always got a buzz out of it.

Long term favourite bands like Teenage Fanclub, The Charlatans and The Lemonheads are still recording, releasing & touring. They've been my favourite bands for a long, long time! 

Change happens naturally over time. I was very sad to see Gerry Love leave Teenage Fanclub.  At the same time I was very grateful that the band didn't split up. Endless Arcade, their first post Gerry album, was excellent - it had to be really. And their live shows still bring so much joy. 

I hope Gerry records and releases soon. What a talent. It's been great to see Gerry playing live again recently and I'll be seeing him again this month. It sounds like he is getting ready to record an album.

Of course, I also hope to see the band reunited at some point in the future as well. Norman & Gerry's voices gel so well.  

It sounds like Teenage Fanclub will follow up Endless Arcade pretty swiftly which is great for fans like me. I've seen them live more than ever over the last 6-years or so.

Teenage Fanclub, Edinburgh Assembly Rooms, September 2021

My first post lockdown show

The Charlatans, led by the effervescent Tim Burgess, haven't release an album since 2017's Different Days. Sadly, founding member Jon Brookes died in 2013. I loved his drumming style so much. This White Room performance of Crashin' In highlights what a sensational performer he was - look at the way Tim gazes fondly at him.

However they are still very active on the touring and festival circuit. Meanwhile, Tim has just released Typical Music, his 3rd solo album (a double at that) since Different Days was released. It does make me wonder if The Charlatans will record again. My gut says that they will. Tim's Twitter Listening Parties have helped so many people across the world over the last few years. I love his energy, attitude, taste and style and I'm enjoying his new album.

Evan Dando hasn't been very prolific over the last couple of decades. Certainly not in terms of releasing. The last 2 Lemonheads albums have been covers (I am particularly fond of Varshons 2), while it's almost 20-years since the release of his only solo album, the stunning Baby I'm Bored. Evan tours regularly and played in Glasgow this week for the 30th anniversary of It's A Shame About Ray. I could watch and listen to him playing acoustic guitar all night long. BLOG HERE.

A real highlight of mine since I started the blog was finally getting to see the Stone Roses live; Amsterdam, the Sunday at Heaton Park, Glasgow Green and T in the Park.  And the 30th anniversary show of Primal Scream playing Screamadelica in Manchester was one of the most mind blowing shows I've ever experienced. Jim Lambie's visuals were a real trip. 

It's been nice to take some time to reflect on things I've been involved in, bands I've fallen for, gigs I've been to and friends I have met. Lots of highlights, lots of great memories. My blog has documented quite a lot! 

However my most personal highlight has been watching the development of my sister Carla as a songwriter, artist & performer over the history of my blog. With Futuristic Retro Champions, TeenCanteen, as a solo perfomer and with her new band Poster Paints. She's a wee gem, works super hard and has an amazing talent for words and melodies. I  hope she gets a bigger break sometime soon. 

I'll end with a few things I have learned along the way, just in case anyone reading this is considering writing a blog, or recording a podcast, or whatever young kids do these days!

1) Write/Talk about what you genuinely love and care about - it will help you stick with it

2) Don't expect many views/listens early on. Especially if you are writing about a band that attract an audience of 15/20 to a local show. They might go on and do something, but if they can't get a crowd of their mates interested, the chance are no-one else will be either!

3) Reviewing shows sharply helps. The turning point in my blog was when I reviewed an Echo and the Bunnymen show at the Royal Concert Hall.  I was shocked by singer Ian McCulloch's behaviour and wrote about the incident(s) that occurred when I got home. My tweet quickly gained traction and my blog had over 1,000 views in a couple of hours. So I always try to review gigs sharply while interest levels are still high - and I can remember everything! The flip side is that there are memorable gigs that I haven't reviewed. I've started a blog, or left it a day or two .... and then the moment has gone.

4) Building content helps. It takes time, but having a good bank of content ensures that people will find your blog while searching for band/album/single/gig reviews. I have some 'steady performers' like Nirvana covers The Vaselines

5) You'll sometimes be surprised by what blogs do well. Another one of my steady performers is a review of BiS and Cloth playing at The Old Hairdressers. BiS have an incredibly loyal fanbase and Cloth were really developing as a band. So there was a lot of curiosity about them and BiS have a loyal fanbase across the globe. That blog has almost 3,000 views.

6) A bit of luck helps with views. So Hot Chip, Gerry Cinnamon or Britpop Memories retweeting my blogs hugely helps with views. 

7) But.... don't worry about views. Going back to point 1, write about what you genuinely love and care about. I write because I enjoy it. These days I sometimes just post the blog and don't bother to tweet about it, or post about it. People will find it if they are that interested. But thank you so much to my loyal readers!!!

8) Having regular features helps with content. I have tried a few things over the years including; 5 for Friday, Three for Thursday or Magic Motown. But I've now settled on;

• My Never Ending Mixtape - a monthly blog with a link to a playlist. 
• Trust Me - a monthly feature on songs I discover or old favourites.
• Cover version of the month - a monthly blog on cool cover versions. And maybe the odd dodgy one (David Haselhoff covering The Jesus & Mary Chain!) as well!

It means I always have a minimum of 3 blogs per month, complete with playlists.. I'm also up to #17 in a series called Anything Goes & Everything Flows where I create a 60-minute DJ mix/playlist. But I don't want to commit to that forever!

I now tend to average 7/8 per month. We'll see if that continues as I'm not getting out to quite as many gigs as I once did!

So ... 1,000 blogs. Loads of good memories. I enjoy writing, so who knows how many I'll get to, or how long I'll keep it going for. 

Thanks so much for visiting.

As always, I hope you discover something new to fall in love with, or rediscover an old favourite.

Here is an old blog on my 10 favourite songs ... at least at that time. Most of them still are!

Take care & very best wishes

Murray

Flower Power

Me, in Lisbon, summer 2022

A year of Spotify

Around a year ago I joined Spotify!!!!

F**K!

I always said I wouldn't......I held off for so long.......but I joined. Read on as I try to justify it to myself, try to do the sums for the company and for artists and scroll right down to the first playlist I created- almost 7 hours long and featuring 100 songs by Scottish artists!

I can actually remember the day I joined.  I spent a pleasant day off with no kids, anything on my to do list or anything really to do at all. That doesn't happen too often! I spent about 4 hours listening to loads of Scottish music. Some of my faves, songs I haven't heard in ages and bands/songs I have always wanted to check out.

And then on Saturday when the kids went to bed I checked out an album Carole King made with her short-lived band The City. I had read about it in The Times that day and then, just like that, it was at my fingertips.

Fear not artists and record shops. I will always buy records or merch. It is vitally important to support musicians by buying their work...if you enjoy it. They need money to to buy equipment, to rehearse, learn and gel, to get around and ultimately to record. And quite simply, I do love browsing in a record shop! I don't think I have ever been into Monorail without coming away with something!

Spotify - it initially felt like cheating. Even though it is legal.

A year down the line, any thoughts of cheating have long been banished. Spotify is now part of my life on a daily basis, it is the new norm. It is convenient, user friendly and it allows me to explore all kinds of stuff quickly and with ease. I don't think I have used iTunes since I joined Spotify for the pricely sum of £9.99 per month. Jeez, when I think of what I used to spend on a Monday lunchtime in HMV in the mid-90's!

I'm not alone, more and more people are joining the Spotify revolution - Forbes reported that they had hit 50 million paid subscribers back in March 2017. That was less than 6-months after reporting they had hit 40-million. Pretty strong growth!

The amount of money actually paid out to artists is negligible. Something like 0.004p per play/stream. In comparison, 1 play on Radio 1 will earn the songwriter around £50.

So for the likes of Calvin Harris whose This Is What You Came For is approaching an unbelievable 800,000,000 (yeah 800 million) plays - he should be earning around £3.2 million from Spotify just for that one song.

For another Scottish artist Duglas T Stewart has seen his seminal BMX Bandits song Serious Drugs achieve over 55,000 plays. Sounds like a lot, but it only earns the artist (the songwriter) around £220.

Gerry Love from Teenage Fanclub should have earned around £8,800 for the 2.2 million plays of one of his most loved songs - Sparky's Dream.

But do the sums. Lets say they now have 60 million subscribers paying £9.99 per month. So, unless my calculator is mistaken, that is a whopping £599,400,000 per month that Spotify rakes in. I know they have a lot of songs - but how much goes out to artists on a monthly basis?!

All quite interesting. Songs (to an extent) have a shelf life on radio, unless you are talking Christmas hits. Online and on Spotify, they are timeless.

One of the reasons that I used to put off joining Spotify was the fact that I want artists to be rewarded for their efforts. So Spotify do....whether they pay enough or not is another matter entirely.

It doesn't look like Spotify is going anywhere anytime soon and artists are having to adapt to the fact that actual physical sales will never return to way they once were and why download when you can stream?

I regularly blog about my Never Ending Mixtape playlist on Spotify, but here is my first playlist. It has 100 songs and clocks in at almost 7-hours!

Named after a classic Fanclub album the 100 songs fly through Scottish musical history; from The Poets and Lulu in the 60's, early Simple Minds with the glorious Chelsea Girl, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, The Skids, 80's heavyweights like Deacon Blue, Wet Wet Wet and Texas, loads of indie legends like Orange Juice, Teenage Fanclub, The Vaselines, The Pastels, BMX Bandits and Jesus and Mary Chain, gone but not forgotten acts like AC Acoustics (great to listen to them again), Dogs Die In Hot Cars, the likes of Churches, Catholic Action and loads of DIY bands like Stanley Odd, Colonel Mustard and the Djion 5.

Not to mention Mogwai, Remember Remember, Arab Strap, The Blue Nile.....

Too many to mention, but check the playlist here. Volume 2 might follow soon. Arguably I should have titled the playlist after the first song!

Thanks - 10 years of the blog

Hi

Thank you all for visiting my little blog where I get to review, interview, reminisce, compile playlists and generally write about bands, artists and music I enjoy. I have even recorded a few podcasts! I need to try and find the time to do so again.

I have now been writing blogs for 10-years! Things got off to a very slow start over the first few years but I then began to write more frequently (and learn how to insert pictures, videos and links!) and people began to visit the blog regularly - some have even subscribed!

The blog has now received over 333,000 page views in 10-years, with a very large chunk of those views coming in the last few years. Regular content has definitely encouraged repeat visits. While I really write for my own enjoyment, it is nice to know that my blogs are being read and appreciated.

So thanks, I hope I might have turned you on to some bands, artists, discoveries and great music.

A lot has changed in the last 10-years; it's been nice to look back. Personally, the major change for me is that I now have 2 daughters. So in that sense the blog has taken on a whole new meaning - maybe one day as teenagers they will sit down and read some of my blogs and discover some of the music I have enjoyed.

Here, in no particular order, are 10 of my favourite blogs from 10-years of Everything Flows. Will I still be writing in 2027?!

Incidentally - the list doesn't include my all-time top blog in terms of stats which is on an incredible mix by The Man In Blue on Daft Punk - probably because it lists a lot of Daft Punk songs so it gets picked up in google searches!!!! It's a great mix so check it out.

1. Paul McCartney at Hampden Park
Ah the days where I could go out drinking all day and see a genuine legend with great friends. The sun shone, we drank, we sung and had one of my best ever experiences at a show - even though it was at Hampden! I will always remember this day and show.

Macca in action at Hampden

2. Last Night From Glasgow launch
So I co-founded a record label last year and we've done rather well! The launch party was exceptionally exciting and the friendly and appreciative audience and atmosphere was truly special. It has been quite an adventure - check the website www.lastnightfromglasgow.com

Stephen Solo cast a spell over the room

3. TeenCanteen present The Girl Effect and the review
My sister did something rather special to celebrate her 30th birthday. I interviewed her (it was nice to catch up!) and then reviewed the show which raised an exceptional amount of money and awareness for Scottish Womens Aid. Bands and artists including Duglas T Stewart, Norman Blake, Eugene Kelly, The Spook School and Machines In Heaven came together to play girl group covers - awesome!

A very happy sister

4. Remember Remember at Bar Brel 
My wife and I sat in the front row at Bar Brel and witnessed a staggering show by Remember Remember. I could have stretched a leg and pressed a couple of Graeme Ronald's effects pedals I was that close. Instead I just sat open mouthed at the way Graeme and his 6 piece band conjoured up beautiful soundscapes - they really took us on a journey and it was very memorable in such an intimate venue.

Remember Remember - Graeme Donald

5. Stone Roses at Heaton Park and Stone Roses in Amsterdam 
I never thought I would get to see them live. In 2012 I caught them twice in quick succession and both shows were very memorable for different reasons. The Sunday at Heaton Park was mind blowing, a real celebration of the Roses music.

6. Sonny Marvello at Rowardennan Youth Hostel
Where and when did I find the energy to manage a band and co-ordinate a mini-festival at a youth hostel on the banks of Loch Lomond? Oh yeah, before kids. Well our eldest was a few months old and I was kindly allowed out for the night!

This felt like a real achievement; bringing together some great people to watch great bands and artists. As Marty McFly would say - you put your mind to it and you can accomplish anything.

7. Churches/Chrvches at the Art School 
I've seen loads of great shows by unsigned bands and heard all kinds of rumours about labels coming up to scout, but never in all my gig going years have I experienced anything like I did at the first official show by Chvrches....or Churches as they were then known. The buzz was enormous, almost as big as their shiny pop tunes, they delivered and then some.

8. Echo and the Bunnymen at The Concert Hall 
Memorable for not all the right reasons as Ian McCulloch had a bit of a melt down and stormed off the stage. But hey, that is rock n roll.

I really enjoyed reading this blog again and my line about the fact that Coldplay would never do something like this! Of course they wouldn't and that is one of the reasons the Bunnymen and McCulloch have lasted the test of time. They are special, unique and unpredictable.

9. Ronnie Spector 
I have been fortunate to catch many legends from the 60's. Macca, Wilson, Arthur Lee, Martha Reeves (I have even danced on stage with her), Marlena Shaw, The Who, Neil Young..... but this was pretty special. What a voice!

10. Futuristic Retro Champions at Mono 
DIY pop at its best as the FRC's held a mini-festival in Mono that ended with Samba Ya Bamba playing! Their single had artwork by Martin Creed and he turned up to play with his band, Eugene Kelly played, the FRC's blasted out infectious pop music and then we danced like crazy to Samba Ya Bamba. A special night and again, as Marty McFly once said you put your mind to it and you can accomplish anything.

Barrowland idea

Calvin Harris to blow the roof off the Barrowland......imagine.....

Scottish music fans regularly debated the future of Glasgow's world famous Barrowland Ballroom for a number of years, particularly when the Academy and the ABC came on to the scene. There was no doubt that the number of shows at the legendary venue fell in number, but 2016 saw Barras end the year in a rich vein of form.

Teenage Fanclub, Deacon Blue, Frightened Rabbit, Twin Atlantic and Fatherson were Scottish acts who elected to have homecoming Christmas shows at the Barrowland Ballroom.

It got me thinking.....

Could the Barras have a month of Christmas shows? Turn it into a Barrowland Homecoming Festival?

It easily could. Here is the Scottish acts who could feasibly book their Christmas show for 2017 already, many would sell out instantly. Can you imagine Calvin Harris blowing the roof off the place? Paolo Nutini ripping it up and singing his heart out and going for a pint in McChuills afterwards?

Paulo could probably do a  month at the Barras on his own!

Many acts (Scottish or otherwise) still prefer two or three nights at the Barrowland than opting for a larger single show. Who can blame them for choosing the best venue in the world with the best atmosphere?!

I have let my imagination run (easily) wild and made up a few imaginary support slots/double bills just to fit a number of bands in. I guess you would have give some acts a couple of nights. Who have I missed?

Over to the venue and promoters who could make this happen....

2017 (Imaginary) Christmas Homecoming Festival at Glasgow Barrowland

Friday 1st Dec - Teenage Fanclub with special guest Edwyn Collins
2nd - Deacon Blue with special guests Justin Currie (I know from playing football with Justin Currie that he would love to play the Barrowland again - ideally with Del Amitri!)
3rd - The Twilight Sad

Mon 4th - Idlewild 
5th - The Waterboys
6th - Frightened Rabbit
7th - Twin Atlantic
8th - The View
9th - Franz Ferdinand with special guests The Vaselines
10th - Belle and Sebastian with special guests BMX Bandits

Mon 11th - Mogwai with special guests The Pastels
12th - Simple Minds
13th - Simple Minds
14th  -  Chvrches
15th - Primal Scream with special guests The Jesus and Mary Chain
16th - Travis
17th - Arab Strap

Mon 18th - Amy McDonald with special guest KT Tunstall
19th - Biffy Clyro with special guests Fatherson
20th - Biffy Clyro with special guests Fatherson
21st - Paulo Nutini with special guest Gerry Cinnamon
22nd - Paolo Nutini with special guest Gerry Cinnamon
23rd - Calvin Harris 
24th -  Calvin Harris 

27th - Texas
28th - Runrig
29th - Runrig
30th - Edinburgh Hogmanay warm up show (for whoever is heading to Edinburgh for the bells). Worked well for Primal Scream a number of years back. Failing that The Bay City Rollers

Miaoux Miaoux interview

My aims ..... to try and write catchy songs that don't have traditional structures or do things that you're not expecting. How far can you push 'pop' song structure with it still working?

Julian Corrie (Miaoux Miaoux) 

Long term readers of this blog will know how fond I am of the artist Miaoux Miaoux, AKA Julian Corrie.

Julian produced a string of sublime self releases that led to a deal with Chemikal Underground and the 2012 release of the album Light of the North. Julian's ear for sound and melody is exceptional, his ability to create beats and layer sonic soundscapes is joyful. Oh and he has a beautiful voice as well!

This clearly evident talent has led to (increasingly) strong support of Miaoux Miaoux in Scotland from bloggers, publications like The List and The Skinny, bookers, Chemikal and fellow artists - ranging from the DIY scene up to Chvrches and Belle and Sebastian, as well as music fans of all ages and backgrounds.

A positive response to It's The Quick, the lead single from the forthcoming album School of Velocity, and also Unbeatable Slow Machine, by 6Music bodes well. This could be the album that pushes Miaoux Miaoux on to a new level and it would be richly deserved and celebrated by his loyal fanbase.

I caught up with Julian to see how he is getting on ahead of what could be an extremely busy second half of 2015.

1. Light of the North was your first album released via Chemikal Underground. What were the main differences you noticed from a self release?

Well, it was great to get a vinyl release haha! All of the physical product was much better obviously, I wasn't designing and sorting the printing out myself. They're also really supportive guys, great to phone up if you need help with something or just want to rant. As I'm basically a solo artist it helps to have that support there.

2. The album gathered some incredible reviews; 3-years since release, what are your favourite moments from the album?

I think 'Stop The Clocks' is probably my favourite moment, although I'm proud of the whole thing. But, you know, I probably haven't listened to it for three years. Once something's done, I tend to put it behind me and move on, although those tracks that I made really fast and seem to be accidentally great (my Chvrches remix for example) I can come back to. But it seems weird to listen to stuff once you've made it. Maybe I'll give it another 3 years.

Stop the Clocks

3. Since then you’ve commandeered a band for live shows- were they involved in the writing/recording? What do the band bring to the live shows?

The band make the live shows so much better. Everything is lifted, and it's great to have the dynamic between people - even though we're working with a lot of playback, there still feels like there's some flexibility. I'm not on my jimmy lonesome frantically pressing buttons. Drummer Liam recorded some drums for the album, which sound great. Writing-wise, they don't contribute, although there's always scope for that.

4. You recorded a lot of Light of the North in your own little studio that you owned at the time. Where did you write and record School of Velocity?

An even smaller studio, haha. Both were rented, actually, although the old one was in a trendy location and was getting expensive, so I moved to a rundown building north of the city centre, where my friend and collaborator James Houston was working at the time. It's great to have your own space but the move was definitely a little disruptive and contributed to the gap between records! I'll be staying there for at least another year I think.

5. Who/what influenced the sound of the album?

This is such a difficult question. I listen to a whole load of stuff, but I'd say my aims are pretty similar to Light of the North - to try and write catchy songs that don't have traditional structures or do things that you're not expecting. How far can you push 'pop' song structure with it still working? Actually I think other people do this a lot better than I do. Sound wise, I borrowed some great analogue synths from a friend at work, Michael Hines, who is forever in my debt, and that's something I ended up using a lot of.

6. Have you favoured any particular synths, effects or gadgets for School of Velocity?

I bought a Juno 106 after borrowing one for a while and that's all over the record. Also I've got a little battery powered synth that's great for spacey noises and sound effects, I have to stop myself using it too much.

7. The teaser that you have released is very impressive. Are there any songs you are particularly proud of?

I guess 'Luxury Discovery', the first song on the video, because it was written really really fast (the bassline is pretty much the first take and I could never play it better), the original demo sounded great, and then it became an absolute bitch to mix and master the final version. That's often the case if the demo is too good. Jamie Savage and I pushed through and I think it turned out really well.

School of Velocity teaser

8. You've remixed Chvrches and Belle and Sebastian (among others)- how do you tackle a remix?

Those were both very different processes - the Chvrches remix, I may have said this before, but I didn't actually listen to the original before I started. Which was a good thing, because I ended up writing very different chords to Lauren's vocal, then when I heard the original I was like 'ooh, this is weird'. And it let me put my own stamp on the song without being intimidated. The Belle and Sebastian one - they were very specifically looking for an update on an existing song. So it wasn't so much a 'remix' as a 'reproduction'. I beefed up the drums and added some arpeggiators but the song itself stayed the same.

Chvrches remix

9. The Cairn String Quartet feature on the new album - are there any other Scottish artists you would like to work with in the future?

We'll see! I enjoyed producing last years' Body Parts single, so I'm interested in doing some production work with other artists. I'm in the process of starting work with someone just now.

10. What music are you enjoying at present?

In preparation for the next album I'm listening to a lot of Afrobeat and related / influenced stuff. So Fela Kuti, Talking Heads' Remain In Light album, Floating Points - beats that trip over themselves a little, that sound like water, are fluid. I've got a strong idea about what I want the new stuff to sound like. Also revisiting Matthew Dear's output - he's an absolute genius, and one of those people who's doing what I want to do so much better!

Miaoux Miaoux play a number of shows and festivals over the summer to promote the album including Stereo on May 27th. Give him a like on Facebook to get details of all the shows planned.

Blog Sound Of 2015 - Lapsley

Blogs are becoming increasingly important in breaking artists, a prime Scottish example being Chvrches who exploded as a result of their debut single Lies being released  through the blog/label Neon Gold. 

The Blog Sound of Poll is organised by the Breaking More Waves blog -  set up as an experiment to see if music bloggers would choose different emerging acts to those on the ubiquitous BBC Sound of Poll. However as bloggers vote around the same time as those voting for the BBC poll vote there is no way of knowing if they will choose the same artists or different ones. This year 3 of the 15 acts on the BBC list were also on the Blog Sound list. (Låpsley, Shura and Soak).  Previous winners are Banks, Marika Hackman, Haim and Friends.

The 15 most voted for acts which formed the full Blog Sound of 2015 longlist announced in early December 2014 were: All We Are, Black Honey, Chloe Black, Coasts, Deers, Fickle Friends, Flyte, Halfrican, Honne, Låpsley, Prides, Shura, Soak, Sophie Jamieson, Tei Shi

And the winner is.....Liverpool's Holly Lapsley Fletcher has been named the winner of the Blog Sound of 2015, a poll of 62 UK based music bloggers. Each blogger was asked to vote for their 3 favourite emerging artists.

Låpsley was the clear winner of the poll with double the number of points than any other act on the 15 strong long list.

The producer and songwriter became an instant hit with music bloggers when she uploaded her song Station to Soundcloud towards the end of 2013. She subsequently signed to XL records in 2014 and releases her debut EP for the label on January 5th.

Låpsley is a worthy winner; gorgeous, heartbreaking vocals over minimal beats and electro. She has already released some DIY singles and EP's and i have spent the last week listening to them - they are beautiful. I look forward to seeing how she progresses under the brilliant XL Recordings.

Check the stunning Painter (Valentine) for starters;

The blogs that voted for the Blog Sound of 2015:

17 Seconds, A New Band A Day, A Pocket Full Of Seeds, A World Of Music And Madness, Across The Kitchen Table, Alphabet Bands, Beat Surrender, Beat2aChord, Both Bars On, Brapscallions, Bratfaced LDN, Breaking More Waves, Brighton Music Blog, Daisy Digital, Dots And Dashes, Drunken Werewolf, Echoes and Dust, Electronic Rumors, Even The Stars, Everything Flows, Getintothis, God Is In The TV, Hearty Vibes, Hitsville UK, I Love Pie, Just Music That I Like, Kemptation, Like 1999, Lipstick Disco, Little Indie Blogs, Love Music : Love Life, Music Broke My Bones, Music Liberation, Music Like Dirt, My Day By Day Music, Never Enough Notes, Not Many Experts, Notes For A Road Sign, One Album A Week, Popped Music, Queen Beetch, Rave Child, Scientists Of Sound, Some Of It Is True, Song By Toad, Sounds Good To Me Too, Sound Of Now Music, Spectral Nights, Sweeping The Nation, The Blue Walrus, The Devil Has The Best Tuna, The Electricity Club, The Evening's Empire, The Mad Mackerel, The Metaphorical Boat, The Paper Penguins, This Must Be Pop, Thoughts On Music, Three Beams, Too Many Blogs, The VPME, What If I Had A Music Blog.

You can hear Låpsley's music here : https://soundcloud.com/hollylapsleyfletcher

SAY Award 2014 shortlist

The Scottish Album of the Year Award (SAY Award) has been a welcome addition to the Scottish music calendar since it was established in 2012.

The Award really highlights the incredible diverse musical and artistic talent throughout Scotland.

The winning artist receives a cheque for £20,000 - a lot of money to some of the artists on this years shortlist and previous winners; RM Hubbert in 2013 for Thirteen Lost and Found and Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat in 2012 for Everything's Getting Older.

I'm surprised albums by Adam Holmes and Adam Stafford didn't make the cut from the long list - two beautiful albums.

The shortlist is below and the winner will be announced at the Barrowland ceremony on 19th June. Good luck to all the artists below and well done for making the shortlist.

Biffy Clyro - Opposites
Starting with a big hitter - the mighty Biffy. A double album that gave them plenty of scope to show how far they have come as a band - musically and lyrically. Biffy have a knack for writing anthems and there are some wonderful warm guitar sounds on Opposites.

Boards Of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
Boards Of Canada came back from the wilderness to take everyone by surprise with the release of this album. Another unique talent that produce some beautiful soundscapes that build and take the listener on a journey.

Chvrches - The Bones Of What You Believe
I blogged about this album HERE and if anything my affection for it has grown. In with a real chance and I'm sure it would be a popular choice. Pop with a cutting edge.

Edwyn Collins - Understated
I'm very fond of Edwyn Collins music and the man as an artist. Dilemma is a very strong album taking in Edwyn's fondness for Velvet's style ballads and his love of Northern Soul, also rocking out at times. Too Bad (That's Sad) was one of my faves from 2013.

Hector Bizerk - Nodoby Seen Nothing
The lyrics, humour and social commentary in some of the songs I've listened to are clever. This just isn't for me at all.

Mogwai - Les Revenants
Mogwai are in quite formidable and prolific form at the moment. Their Mogwai play Zidane show was a highlight from last summer and their latest album Rave Tapes and tour saw them in powerful and mesmerising form. They play by their rules and their rules only. Les Revenants finds them in mellow form at times with xylophones and acoustic guitars. What Are They Doing In Heaven Today? is a stunning cover song featuring Stuart Braithwaite delivering a brilliant vocal performance.

RM Hubbert - Breaks Bone
Can Hubbert follow up last years victory? He is certainly in with a chance after delivering a strong and very personal album. Hubbert's guitar playing is wonderful and unique.

Steve Mason - Monkey Minds In The Devil's Time
Following on from the wonderful Boys Outside album, Mason is in typically eclectic form. Mason's voice is lovely, he sounds like he is harmonising with himself. It is just so sing song and likeable. Mason also has a fantastic ear for a tune; be it acoustic or electronic. Monkey.... allows him the space to fully explore his talent; instrumental tracks separate the full songs. Lonely is a standout for me from a brilliant album.

The Pastels - Slow Summits
I would personally be delighted if The Pastels walked away with the prize next week. I've been into them since the early 1990's, discovering them through Teenage Fanclub and enjoying their wonderful contribution to music. The Pastels love of music shines through in their albums and Slow Summits is a real highlight from a long career. From the pure pop of Check My Heart to the melancholy loveliness of Summer Rain, to the stunning largely instrumental title track - The Pastels have produced a brilliant album.

Young Fathers - Tape 2
I bought this album after the journalist Nicola Meighan played a couple of tracks whilst standing in for Vic Galloway on Radio Scotland. They've come a long way since I first saw them playing with my sisters old band Futuristic Retro Champions. There is a real melting pot of influences encompassed in Tape 2; I hear echoes of Marvin Gaye and Massive Attack amongst others. A win for Young Fathers would really make a statement for the wonderfully rich, eclectic music scene that we have in Scotland and that the SAY Awards celebrate.