Introducing Radhika

 

Photo by Future Pilot Art

INTRODUCING - Radhika

Signed to David Barker's Glass Modern label, Radhika is singer-songwriter Radhika Meera Dade who is joined by various guests to create warm and gorgeous melodic dream pop, citing The Pastels, Cocteau Twins and Strawberry Switchblade as inspiration

Starry Eyes is Radhika's first release on Glass Modern, ahead of forthcoming debut album CINE POP. Gerry Love (vocals, acoustic guitar/piano) and Mitch Mitchell (backing vocals) guest on the single, which originally came out as a super rare transparent green flexi-disc. It's will be released on all the usual streaming and download sites on Friday 9th January. You can check it on Bandcamp below and watch the video further down this blog.

https://glassmodern.bandcamp.com/album/starry-eyes

Sushil K Dade is a staple feature on bass and electronics, with other guests/members to date including Eric MacDonald, Stu Kidd and Jack Wilson. The variety of guests helps to keep things fresh.

Radhika's song Future Me on her Bandcamp is gorgeous dreamy indie pop, I hear a tinge of Belle & Sebastian (especially in the outro) in addition to her aforementioned influences. Starry Eyes (video below) is swirling, swoony and sublime. 

Radhika has a number of live dates coming up, including a residency night at Paisley Arts Centre and London and Manchester shows with support from Gerry Love and Wor_kspace (Finlay MacDonald) sandwiched in between.

• 30th January - Paisley Arts Centre, with Primevals and DJ Chris Geddes
• 14th February - The Betsey Trotwood, London
• 15th February - The Peer Hat, Manchester
• 27th February - Paisley Arts Centre, with Debbie Googe (My Bloody Valentine)

I love what I have heard of Radhika, so sent off a few questions to learn more.

Bandcamp  Instagram

1. When did you start playing music? Can you remember writing your first song? Was there a moment when you thought - I want to start recording now? 

The earliest memory I have of playing music was in the summer of 2015. My parents had bought me a baby pink acoustic guitar at aged 10 and I was completely infatuated with it and started getting guitar lessons in 2016. My first song Golden Stars was written on Christmas Eve in 2015 and I remember feeling such joy and thinking, I would love to do more of this and write forever.

2. What inspires your songwriting? Do you think of melodies/lyrics? Or do they come when you have the music? 

My take on songwriting fluctuates quite often! Recently when writing new material, I have created the melodies first and as I get comfortable with the chord progressions I will gradually think of lyrics. However, writing lyrics does take me time! It varies from days to weeks. When it comes to inspiration, I am inspired by experiences of not only myself but also writing from the perspective of other people.

3. You come from a very musical family, do you have an early musical memory you could share? As a father myself, it must be incredibly special for your Dad ( Future Pilot AKA/Sushil K Dade ) to not only be encouraging you, but to be playing with you. How does it feel for you? Has (or how much has) his musical style and taste influenced you? 

An early musical memory I have is singing songs standing on top of an Asda shopping basket ( as my stage ) at my childminder’s house with a plastic Disney microphone that played Under The Sea from the film The Little Mermaid on repeat. I was pretending I was performing in front of a large crowd... that memory will always be dear to me. Playing with my dad is the most beautiful thing to me, it is an ongoing experience I will truly never take for granted. I owe majority of my music taste to my dad. Growing up alongside hundreds of vinyl from my dad’s record collection has been inspiring my music taste ever since I entered this world.

4. What kind of music are you listening to at present? Have any bands/artists in particular influenced you? 

Working at a record store in Glasgow allows for me to explore current bands as well as musicians of the past. It is so special to have so much music at my finger tips. With my upcoming debut album coming out next year, I was particularly inspired by sunshine pop music from the 60s. However all summer I was listening to The Left Banke, Astrud Gilberto, The Beach Boys, Roger Nichols And The Small Circle Of Friends and lots of Teenage Fanclub. With the changing of seasons I am now listening to more shoegaze and dreamy music, having just seen one of my favourite bands live ( My Bloody Valentine ) I have been falling in love with their whole discography all over again.

5. When you think of Glasgow and music, what comes to mind? 

When I think of Glasgow, I think of all my favourite musicians. All of my favourites are from Glasgow and the surrounding areas ( The Pastels, The Shop Assistants, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Cocteau Twins.) I feel like the luckiest soul to have been brought up in Glasgow and feel absorbed within the Scottish music scene. I think Glasgow is in a beautiful place creatively right now and there are so many young bands flourishing. There really is no place I would rather be .

6. You're heading to Manchester and London in February with an excellent triple line up of Wor_kspace and Gerry Love. And you've signed to the lovely Dave Barker's Glass Modern Records. What do you have coming up in terms of gigs, recording and releasing? (that you can tell us about) 

The diary for 2026 is looking to be a busy one ! Our next gig is at Paisley Arts Centre on the 30th of January playing with the iconic garage rockers The Primevals alongside Chris Geddes ( Belle and Sebastian ) where he will be spinning psychedelic tunes all night long. 

On February 27th I will be playing with my band and will be sharing a stage with one of my all time heroes, Debbie Googe, of My Bloody Valentine at Paisley Arts Centre. This is a dream come true and I am already getting so excited at the thought of it, as we also have a special collaboration planned on the night!

 My debut album Cinepop will be released in May and I truly can’t wait for the world to hear it. It was an honour having some of my personal heroes featuring on some of the tracks: Mitch Mitchell ( The Pastels ) Gerard Love ( Ex Teenage Fanclub , Lightships ) and Tracyanne Campbell ( Camera Obscura). 

Expect 33 and a third minutes of cinematic dream pop with swirling harmoniums and ethereal drones. Many albums are too long these days so we wanted to create an album that you could enjoy in one sitting without any interruptions. Music deserves our full attention and we felt 33 minutes and a third was the perfect length.

Slight Return

 

Trust me #87
Slight Return by The Bluetones

30-years ago, on 22nd February 1995 I visited King Tuts Wah Wah Hut to catch a couple of hotly tipped bands - Supergrass and The Bluetones. Exceptional value for a fiver!

Supergrass were building towards the release of debut album I Should Coco and had made waves with debut single Caught By The Fuzz in late October 1994.

Meanwhile, The Bluetones were being spoken of in hushed tones by the NME and Melody Maker. A 4-piece who had been holed up in a garage crafting melodic guitar pop songs inspired by the Roses. I can't remember where I bought it, possibly at the gig or maybe in HMV Sauchiehall Street, but I managed to get my hands on their debut single, a beautiful blue limited edition 7-inch of Slight Return b/w The Fountainhead.

Despite being such an incredible double header, I really don't remember too much about this gig! That could be down to the fact that it was 30-years ago, or be down to the fact that I probably had 3 or 4 beers as I do distinctly remember my friend Scott driving. 

My memories of those heady Britpop days may be a little hazey at times, but Slight Return still sounds as fresh and effortless as the first time I heard it. Cool, melodic and full of charm, The Bluetones re-released it in January 1996 and it reached number 2 in the charts.

The Roses influence was clear from the off with Adam Devlin playing a beautifully warm guitar chord to allow Mark Morris to come in with the opening lines

Where did you go?

When things went wrong for you

When the knives came out for you

Devlin begins to riff after the delivery of the opening line with a tight yet loose rhythm section coming in alongside him. There is plenty of space throughout Slight Return, a purity that ensures it has a timeless quality, unlike many of the songs from around this time that could easily be identified as mi-90's Britpop wannabe's. It doesn’t try too hard; it just flows. The rhythm section, led by Scott Morriss on bass and Eds Chesters on drums, keeps things tight but never overpowering, allowing the song’s melody and atmosphere to shine through. There’s an understated confidence to it—a song that doesn’t need to shout to be heard.

You don't have to have the solution

You've got to understand the problem

And don't go hoping for a miracle

All this will fade away

So I'm coming home, I'm coming home

Around 10 or so years later, Mark Morriss played at Maggie's London Night Hike as a lovely colleague of mine at the time (Claire) was friends with him through being a bit of a superfan. Mark was absolutely lovely and played a cracking acoustic set as hundreds of people arrived to hike through the night. Claire also managed to get me backstage at a Bluetones gig at the QMU - good times.

30-years on from seeing The Bluetones for the first time and buying their debut single, the band are playing in my home town of Uddingston. Almost literally in my Mum's back garden! I must message Claire!

Musicfest Mainstage has a line-up of The Bluetones, Echobelly & The Supernaturals with more to be announced. It's a brilliant family-friendly event, held at Uddingston Cricket & Hockey Club, 10-15 minutes walk from the train station. That in itself is a mere 14-minute train ride from Glasgow Central.

MUSICFEST MAINSTAGE - INFO & TICKETS
Slight Return - original video 

Slight Return - Later with Jools, 1996

Slight Return is added to my Trust Me playlist; search for Everything Flows - Trust Me on Spotify or CLICK HERE  Check below for all previous blogs in my Trust Me series.

Previous Trust Me blogs

1. Something On Your Mind by Karen Dalton

1A. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells

2. I Am, I Said  by Neil Diamond

3. Where's The Playground Susie?   by Glen Campbell

4. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lighfoot

5. Gimme Some Truth by John Lennon

6. Gone With The Wind Is My Love by Rita and the Tiaras

7. In The Year 2525 by Zager and Evans

8. The Music Box by Ruth Copeland

9. The Ship Song by Nick Cave

10. Sometimes by James

11. I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time

12. Didn't Know What I Was In For by Better Oblivion Community Centre

13. When My Boy Walks Down The Street by The Magnetic Fields

14. The Man Don't Give A F**k by Super Furry Animals

15. All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser

16. Are You Lookin' by The Tymes

17. A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth

18. Feelings Gone by Callum Easter

19. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground

20. Did I Say by Teenage Fanclub

21. Don't Look Back by Teenage Fanclub

22. Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From by Teenage Fanclub

23. Belfast by Orbital

24. Clouds by The Jayhawks

25. Dreaming Of You by The Coral

26. Everlasting Love by Love Affair

27. Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke

28. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones

29. Shaky Ground by Sneeze

29. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells

30. I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor

31. The State We're In by The Chemical Brothers w/ Beth Orton

32. Sunshine After The Rain by Ellie Greenwich

33. Losing My Edge by LCD Soundsystem

34. Mondo 77 by Looper

35. Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton

36. Rat Trap by The Boomtown Rats

37. How High by The Charlatans

38. I Can't Let Go by Evie Sands

39. Pop Song 89 by R.E.M.

40. Summertime Clothes by Animal Collective

41. There She Goes by The Las

42. We're Going To Be Friends by White Stripes

43. Autumn Sweater by Yo La Tengo

44. Sister Rena by Lomond Campbell

45. Revolution by The Beatles

46. Lazarus by The Boo Radleys

47. Wrote For Luck by Happy Mondays

48. American Trilogy by The Delgados

49. Loser by Beck 

50. Silent Sigh by Badly Drawn Boy

51. Comedy by Shack

52. Take The Skinheads Bowling by Camper Van Beethoven

53. Freakscene by Dinosaur Jr

54. Thank You For Being You by The Pastels

55. I Think I'm In Love by Spiritualized

56. Chestnut Mare by The Byrds

57. Cannonball by The Breeders

58. Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan

59. You Make Me Weak At The Knees by Electrelane

60. Lucky by Radiohead

61. Strange Currencies by R.E.M.

61. I Am The Cosmos by Chris Bell

62. Like A Ship (Without A Sail) by Pastor TL Barrett and the Youth for Christ Choir

63. Nothing But A Heartache by The Flirtations

64. Made of Stone by The Stone Roses

65. Tonight In Belfast by Orbital, David Holmes, DJ Helen and Mike Garry

66. Anything by Adrianne Lenker

67. I Hold Something In My Hand by Bill Ryder-Jones

68. I Meant Every Word by Burnett Sisters

69. Dream Baby Dream by Suicide

70. Stove by The Lemonheads

71. Red Lady by Phil Cordell

72. Little Fluffy Clouds by The Orb

73. I Can Do It With A Broken Heart by Taylor Swift

74. Turnin' My Heartbeat Up by The M.V.P.'s

75. Razzle Dazzle Rose by Camera Obscura

76. Such Great Heights by The Postal Service

77. The Rat by The Walkmen

78. My God Has A Telephone by Aaron Frazer

79. Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack

80. Sweet and Tender Romance by The McKinleys

81. Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros

82. 69 Police by David Holmes

83. Hey Lisa by David Holmes

84. I Am A Rock by Simon & Garfunkel

85. Kung Fu by Ash

86. Kids by MGMT

Kerr Mercer at Saint Luke's

"I started off the year playing to 100 of you at the Poetry Club. Then 300 at King Tuts and now ... now 600 of you are here with me in Saint Lukes ... it's mad ... Thank you so much."

Kyle Mercer was visibly moved on stage at Saint Luke's in Glasgow last night. No wonder. Just over a year ago Kerr was the opening act in the venue for Tenement Trail. I was fortunate to catch him on that wet and windy day last October and you would have been lucky if there was a tenth of last nights crowd in.

Since then Kerr (only 18) has been gigging heavily, picking up loads of support slots across Glasgow and beyond to build his experience. Something he also highlighted on stage.

"Thanks again for coming. I nearly came on stage at 7.30 tonight as that's when I'm usually on."

There is a lovely dash of humility and cheek about Kerr when he chats between songs. He took the time to record a video message to a fan who had unfortunately dislocated her knee (after arriving early at the venue) and missed the show, also promising to put her on the guestlist for his next Glasgow show. 

And he also half-joked about seeing us all at the Barrowland (across the road) next year. That seems the next logical step up for the teenager who has yet to release his debut single. Kerr also promised us that was coming soon and that he didn't want to be the person that played 7 million gigs without releasing something.

Having followed Kerr's journey and heard him introduce lots of new songs to his set, in addition to keeping some firm favourites, I am intrigued to see what he goes with. It could have been any single one from last nights set!

Kerr was on stage at 9pm sharp, opening with a song that may or may not be called I'll Be Your Soldier. His voice soared effortlessly, he was straight into it, absolutely incredible.

Jealous followed. I mentioned earlier on that Kerr was moved on stage, now his songs and voice were moving people in the audience. Gazing around, you could see people nudging their friends and nodding as Mercer stretched his vocal chords to really go for it. The melody already sounds familiar, this could be coming out of your radio next year.

Waves was another new song that I hadn't heard before, the chorus and lyrics seem instantly relatable. Petals generated an incredible response from the crowd with Kerr's guitarist also playing a kick bass drum which encouraged the audience to clap along. 

Die While I Remember and One In A Million were more mellow, tugging on heartstrings in all the right ways. Mercer's songs have a beautiful, soulful and melancholic feel to them. There is a sadness, but there is a very powerful connection between him and whoever is watching him sing. It's quite something to witness and feel.

Adam Frame was excellent on guitar, allowing Kerr to switch from standing up to sing some songs, then sitting behind his electric piano for others. The two work so naturally together. It feels like a treat to hear these songs played in this way and to see them work so effortlessly together.

Given the fact that Kerr has yet to release anything, Mercer had asked his Instagram fans to choose a cover for him to play and they voted for Sabrina Carpenter's ace Please, Please, Please, a big favourite in our house. The pure pop song was stripped back and sounded sublime.

Carry Me Home was introduced as being 'the only song that I wrote when I was 15 that I still play, the rest were all sh*te' and as Kerr started, while sat at his electric piano, a mini choir of 3 backing singers came on stage to join him. They were definitely backing! As Kerr's voice soared, they were almost redundant. But when Mercer's voice dropped a little, you could hear what they were adding to the song and it was quite beautiful. I left the show imagining how massive this song could sound when (if it hasn't been already) it is recorded in the studio. Strings and choir ... oooft. It will be huge.

Closing with Never Be You, with the choir backing him and the crowd clapping along, my wife and I left to pick up our car round the back of the Barrowland and we both felt like the next time we see Kerr in Glasgow he could be playing there. 

Kerr has sold out his first headline tour; playing Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester in the week ahead. Keep an eye on his Instagram.

Bo's New Haircut / Rather Not Stay by The Cords

Back in January I interviewed The Cords, a young band of two sisters from Inverkip. They'd been on my radar for a while, thanks to my own sister Carla who met them at Rig Arts Centre in Greenock where she helps out with a community class. Carla sent me recordings that she had captured on her phone and raved about their creative nature and pure raw pop guitar sound. Pretty much everyone who meets and sees The Cords live goes on to rave about them. 

Eva and Grace Tedeschi are young teenagers who, if they had a Delorean, access to a flux capacitor, plutonium or the ability to harness a bolt of lightning, would set their time circuit settings to circa 1985 so they could try and get a song on NME's C86 compilation. 

The Cords have racked up some impressive support slots (including The Vaselines and The Umbrellas) and won the heart of Lauren who runs the label Heavenly Creatures (check the Adventure Club album they have just released) and most (probably all) of Monorail where they regularly hang out and buy records.

And now, if you haven't seen them live yet, you can hear why.

Bo's New Haircut / Rather Not Stay is the debut single by The Cords, released on limited edition tape. 

Bo's New Haircut has an instantly pure and catchy vocal melody over fast paced guitar (with limited or no effects) and beats. Told from the perspective of their dog Bo, this is over in a beautiful 100 seconds and a flash of sunshine. Three verses. Fast paced fun indie guitar pop. Pure. No pretence. No bullshit. Just naturally cool without trying. 

I think it might be cool if I looked like you

Give me a new haircut and I will be happy

Grace (drums) and Eva (guitar an vocals) - The Cords

Rather Not Stay sounds absolutely ripe for a good old indie disco (National Pop League) at the Woodside Social Club! After a slow burning 20 second intro, the fuse is well and truly lit and the song explodes delightfully into life. Eva's vocals sound pretty angelic and her lyrics are full of teenage innocence and honesty. The chorus will win your heart.

I don't want to go away

But I'd rather not stay

Produced by Simon Liddell and Jonny Scott and mastered by Nova Sound, The Cords have captured a beautiful moment in time for their debut single. I can't wait to hear what they capture next.

The Monorail edition SOLD OUT IN 15-MINUTES!

A Heavenly Creatures version is out this evening complete with handwritten lyrics and lollipops! 

NOW - available on all streaming/download platforms.

Keep an eye on The Cords Instagram where they may be announcing a show real soon. 

I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor

Cover version of the month #85
Baby Charles covers Artic Monkeys

As debut singles go, Artic Monkeys I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor was an absolute banger. Kids, adults, radio, MTV, indie dance clubs and the music press went absolutely nuts for this seemingly perfectly formed band that exploded out of Sheffield.

And they really did explode. Sharing their Beneath The Boardwalk demos online built a sizeable local following which filled the band with the confidence to release an EP Five Minutes With Artic Monkeys on their own Bang Bang label. The EP featured Fake Tales From San Francisco that also had a video of rehearsals and local gigs, capturing the band at a time before things went properly crazy.

'We're Artic Monkeys, this is I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor. Don't believe the hype.'

Alex Turner's introduction on the video for his bands debut single was apt. The band were being hyped beyond belief. The music weeklies sometimes get it right and they certainly did with Artic Monkeys.

Artic Monkeys immediately came across as a real gang , who were still in their teens. They had a cool frontman who happened to be a witty lyricist with a knack for hooks and youthful social observations and commentary. 

I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor is 100 mph punk pop to dance and pogo to, to play along on air guitar, to crank up the volume and to play again. Turner's lyrics have humour, teenage honesty and are delivered in a frenetic manner that makes me smile every time I hear the song.

Oh there ain't no love, no Montagues or Capulets

Just banging tunes and DJ sets

And dirty dance floors and dreams of naughtiness

Artic Monkeys are not a favourite band of mine, but I couldn't help but fall for this single. I still get a kick from the energy that leaps from it every time I hear it.

Baby Charles was a 10-piece Brighton based funk/soul outfit who released their self titled album back in 2008. It contains an outrageous cover of I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor. The bass is funky, horns and percussion are introduced, while singer Dionne Charles plays on Turner's melody, urgency and slight sauciness. This is a super sexy cover version. 

An additional 100-seconds are added on to the Artic Monkeys version. Their explosive intro is replaced by a long funk jazz workout and the band strip the song back to beats and percussion mid-song before building it back up again for a ferocious final 30-seconds and one final chorus. 

All previous cover version of the month blogs are listed below. To listen on Spotify, search for Everything Flows Cool Cover Versions playlist, featuring all of the songs below, or CLICK HERE

Artic Monkeys official video

Baby Charles version

Previous covers of the month

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' 

2. Going Back To My Roots

3. Nirvana play The Vaselines

4. Slip Inside This House

5. Top 10 covers by Teenage Fanclub

6. Only Love Can Break Your Heart

7. Time For Livin' 

8. Sound and Vision 

9. All Along The Watchtower

10. I Am The Walrus 

11. Guiding Star

12. You’ll Never Walk Alone

13. Hurt

14. This Guy's In Love With You

15. I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine

16. California Soul

18. Wonder wall 

19. Dancing In The Dark

20. Always On My Mind

21. Ceremony

22. Heroes

23. Different Drum

24. Wild Horses

25. Respect

26. Mr Tambourine Man

27. I Heard It Through The Grapevine

28. Superstar

29. Twist and Shout

30. Purple Rain

31. Baker Street

32. Not Fade Away

33. Stop Your Sobbing

34. I Don't Want To Grow Up

35. Serious Drugs

36. Dancing With Myself

37. How Does It Feel To Feel?

38. Love Buzz

39. ABBA-esque
40. Jumpin' Jack Flash

41. Discoland

42. Varshons 2 by The Lemonheads

43. The Langley Schools Music Project
44. Witchi Tai To
45. Our Lips Are Sealed
46. Sunshine Of Your Love
47. Here Comes The Sun
48. I Think We're Alone Now
49. Don't Let Me Down 
50. It's Oh So Quiet
51. Alcoholiday 
52. Summer Holiday
53. Who Do You Think You Are?
54. Head On
55. Nothing Compares 2 U

56. Hey Jude

57. Seven Days Too Long

58. L.O.V.E Love

59. Into Your Arms

60. Heart Of Glass

61. Take Me To The River

62. We Can Work It Out 

63. Talking In My Sleep

64. Lola

65. Lost In Music

66. My Little Red Book

67. Isn't It A Pity

68. Walk On By

69. Walk Away Renee

70. Tainted Love

71. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

72. Listen The Snow Is Falling

73. Mrs Robinson

74. He's Gonna Step On You Again

75. In My Life

76. Caravan Of Love

77. The Only Way Is Up

78. Dancin' Round & Round

79. With A Little Help From My Friends

80. Killing Me Softly

81. Ain't No Mountain High Enough

82. Drop

Alex Turner introduction to his band in the video to their debut single 

kjkjhhk

top making the eyes at me
I'll stop making the eyes at you
What it is that surprises me
Is that I don't really want you to

And your shoulders are frozen (cold as the night)
Oh, but you're an explosion (you're dynamite)
Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand
And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang-oh

I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said, I bet that you look good on the dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Well, from 1984

I wish you'd stop ignoring me
Because you're sending me to despair
Without a sound, yeah, you're calling me
And I don't think it's very fair

That your shoulders are frozen (cold as the night)
Oh, but you're an explosion (you're dynamite)
Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand
And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang-oh

I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said, I bet that you look good on the dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Well, from 1984

Oh, there ain't no love, no Montagues or Capulets
Just banging tunes and DJ sets and
Dirty dance floors and dreams of naughtiness

Well, I bet that you look good on the dance floor
I don't know if you're looking for romance or
I don't know what you're looking for
I said, I bet that you look good on the dance floor
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984
Said, from 1984

Supersonic

25-years ago today, 4-days after catching the band for the first time at the Tramway where they supported label mates The Boo Radleys as part of Radio 1's Sound City, I walked up to HMV in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, during my lunch hour to buy Supersonic, the debut single by Oasis.

I was falling for the band big time and was eager to explore the 4-tracks on the CD single, I also bought the 7-inch the following week and continued to collect both through the bands career.

Pre internet, iTunes and streaming etc, you could only hear songs live, on the radio or if you bought them. It is a time I often reminisce about, there was a sense of anticipation and eagerness around a release and I spent much more time with releases and albums than I admit to doing these days. You had to, you had invested in them, you took a chance or believed in a band. You followed and supported them like a football team. Thankfully I've supported a lot of bands that I fell for in my teens through to the present day and they have largely rewarded me.

The music weeklies had described Oasis as a cross between Happy Mondays and Sex Pistols and Supersonic lived up to that comparison. Starting with a primitive beat, guitars then squall and feedback into a riff and we're off, with a young 21-year old Liam Gallagher giving advice to himself, to others and making a statement about how he is feeling.

I need to be myself

I can't be no-one else

I'm feeling supersonic

Give me gin and tonic

You can have it all but how much do you want it?

From the start Oasis were themselves, in interviews, on stage and in person. They could have it all and oh how they wanted it. They went for it big time, early on Noel stated that he wanted to release singles as regularly as The Jam, they were backed with excellent b-sides, and the band toured relentlessly, not only in the UK, but across Europe and the States.

Supersonic is full of urgency, in the guitars, vocals, delivery, production and in some of the lyrics. Some of them are gibberish, while others seem to be Noel Gallagher sizing up where he is in life, a theme that recurs through a lot of the early Oasis material.

You need to find a way for what you want to say

But before tomorrow

Alan MacGee had wanted the punky Bring It On Down to be the debut single, but Supersonic, apparently written by Noel while the rest of the band were having a Chinese takeaway, was perfect.

I caught Oasis for the second time at the old Cathouse (before it moved into the centre of town) in June and as a group of us hung outside in the sunshine waiting for the venue to open we could hear Oasis soundchecking and kids sung along to Noel's guitar riffs in Supersonic.

Oasis were about to go Supersonic. From the release of their debut single in April through to December they would release 5 singles and Definitely Maybe. With b-sides like Fade Away, Listen Up, Half the World Away and a non-album single in Whatever, in 9-months Oasis had released more quality material than many bands would release in a career. They didn't let up through 1995 but we'll save that for another blog.

Speaking of b-sides;

Take Me Away is beautiful, sung and performed by Noel Gallagher, the song shows a different side to Oasis than the ram it down your throat a-side of Supersonic. It's gentle, tender, melancholic and has a lovely double chorus second time around, something that Noel would use to great effect through his Oasis days.

There is a huge sense of frustration balanced with the need for escapism and dreams in a lot of early Oasis songs and I Will Believe (live) is one that captures that perfectly. Gallagher's lyrics talk of being locked up in chains, lost at sea,  down on his knees, the man in the middle and not knowing his own mind. They are delivered superbly by his younger brother and there is a classic Noel guitar solo.

And then we come on to the Columbia (demo) which has a monster groove and feel to it. To this day I regret not buying the 12-inch white label promo when I saw it in Missing Records for £20 back when it came out. It would be worth a lot more now! The power of Columbia is enormous, highlighted when Oasis chose to open their huge Knebworth shows with it.

Oasis had arrived. See below for live footage of the band performing Supersonic on The Word (their TV debut) in April 1994, also live in 1995 from Earls Court where Liam is looking and sounding and incredible, lastly footage of the band performing Columbia at the Chicago Metro in November that year, a show that many in the Oasis camp still cite as one of there best ever performances.

Hands Up Get Down

In the old days bands would form via friends and networks, adverts in the NME or Melody Maker or notices in record shops. New Scottish band Fat Cops formed in a much more modern way - via Twitter.

I'll get the full lowdown on that in a feature length blog (interview and review) on their forthcoming debut album that will be released through Absolute via Universal/Sony DADC at the start of March.

The forthcoming debut self-titled LP coming in March

Fat Cops are a six-piece featuring Chris Deerin (vocals), Robert Hodgens aka Bobby Bluebell (guitars and vocals), Chris Ayre (bass and vocals), Euan McColm (guitars), Al Murray (drums) and Neil Murray (keys).

Chris (bass) formed the band after he was bequeathed a black Rickenbacker bass guitar by his late Aunt, Maggie Gulliver, who played it as a member of legendary 1970's girl group The Wee Besoms, Fat Cops take their name from one of their songs and also cover another on their debut LP.

As I say, more of that later. In the meantime debut single Hands Up! Get Down! offers a tantalising taster of what we can perhaps expect.

The song grooves and is full of feeling, harmonies, harmonica, hooks, guitar riffs and beats - captivating on first listen, even more rewarding after repeated listens.

The video fits superbly, a silhouetted Bluebell plays wah wah riffs as a garage opens, a drone camera rises over a sunny Clyde while Deerin wanders and runs around Glasgow wearing boxing gloves.

The hook is one you can sing during your first listen, I can imagine it going down a storm in a sweaty venue or at a sunny festival. Hands up, everybody put your hands up, everybody put your hands up, everybody's gonna get down is a chorus/hook that could easily come out of peak Nile Rodgers Chic in the 70's. Simple, catchy and over a disco/Madchester beat with funky guitar licks - it certainly caught my attention. There is the added bonus of Norman Blake on backing vocals.

Fat Cops only have one show in the diary at present, a show at The Social in London on Monday 4th March. Tickets HERE. But I'm pretty sure there will be a Scottish date or two in the calendar in the not too distant future - I hope so.

I look forward to hearing what this six-piece offers from their album.The talent, taste and soul on their debut has definitely caught my attention.

Ceremony

Cover version of the month #21
Galaxie 500 cover New Order

Ceremony, the debut release by New Order, was a (kind of) cover version. The song was written by Ian Curtis and performed live by Joy Division and there is also a studio version that was recorded only 4-days before his death. However all 3 known recordings of Joy Division playing Ceremony have partially audible vocals.

New Order's version was released in early 1981, less than a year after Curtis' death. I have just finished reading Peter Hook's excellent Substance autobiography and he talks of how the band just didn't know how to react to Curtis' suicide, they didn't know how to grieve and they didn't know what to do. So, Sumner, Hook and Morris did the only thing they knew.... they met up and played music. Unable to decide on a singer (eventually landing at Sumner at default after a number of shows with all 3 taking on vocals), they also struggled with a  band name, thankfully choosing New Order over some bizarre suggestions by manager Rob Gretton.

New Order then rerecorded and rereleased Ceremony in the same year, due to the addition of Gillian Gilbert to the band.

Both versions are raw and full of urgency; the bass and guitar riff entwined with each other and Stephen Morris keeps the drums and percussion going throughout. Sumner's guitar is a delight - his playful style with New Order ensures he is one of my favourite guitarists.

Galaxie 500 are a band I discovered via Nirvana. I remember buying their On Fire album from Missing Records on Oswald Street. The album not only contains this excellent cover version of Ceremony, but also one of George Harrison's Isn't It A Pity.

Galaxie 500  recognise the beauty of Ceremony and add on an extra 90 seconds to the New Order version. They start with the guitar riff in all its raw glory, slowly coaxing in some light high hats and the second riff. The vocals are strained and sound all the better for it, the drums sound primitive in comparison to Stephen Morris' work with New Order, the bass is low in the mix, unlike Hook's mighty bass for New Order.

The build to the concluding Watching forever... segment is glorious - sounding fragile and soulful at the same time before the band get lost in guitars and drums for the final 90 seconds.

It is a cracking cover version that remains true to the original in many ways, but stretches it out and plays on the strength of the riffs, melody and lyrics.

This is why events unnerve me

They find it all, a different story

Notice whom for wheels are turning

Turn again and turn towards this time

All she asks the strength to hold me

Then again the same old story

World will travel, oh so quickly

Travel first and lean towards this time

Oh I'll break them down, no mercy shown

Heaven knows it's got to be this time

Watching her, these things she said

The times she cried

Too frail to wake this time

Oh I'll break them down, no mercy shown

Heaven knows it's got to be this time

Avenues all lined with trees

Picture me and then you start watching

Watching forever, forever

Watching love grow, forever

Letting me know, forever

Previous covers of the month

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' 

2. Going Back To My Roots

3. Nirvana play The Vaselines

4. Slip Inside This House

5. Top 10 covers by Teenage Fanclub

6. Only Love Can Break Your Heart

7. Time For Livin' 

8. Sound and Vision 

9. All Along The Watchtower

10. I Am The Walrus 

11. Guiding Star

12. You’ll Never Walk Alone

13. Hurt
14. This Guy's In Love With You

15. I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine
16. California Soul
18. Wonder wall 
19. Dancing In The Dark
20. Always On My Mind

The Insomniac Project

In And Out (of My Head) is the debut single by new Scottish band The Insomniac Project and it deserves your attention - remarkably fresh and polished, upbeat and flowing superbly with euphoric male and female vocals.

The band themselves describe it as disco infused electronic pop - and I can't argue with that description and I probably can't top it either!

There is a sense of urgency to the verses that is taken further when the female vocals kick in, but then when you listen to the song a few times in a row it kind of feels like there are 3 or 4 different choruses - it is just constant; flowing superbly, building all the time and keeping things going with cowbell and little twists and turns - bringing in guitar, adding more synths. A brilliant debut.

The Insomniac Project play only their fourth show (and first real official show) at Nice n Sleazys on Friday 4th September, so if you want to get into a band with huge potential from the off then you could do a lot worse than The Insomniac Project.

If In And Out (of My Head) is the shape of things to come then I am in for the ride. It is available on i-Tunes and all the regular places on 31st August. Get a note in your diary.

Postcards from Rome by The Velveteen Saints

I've been following the Velveteen Saints, a young 4-piece from the outskirts of Glasgow (now firmly based in Glasgow), since they sent me an email 2-years ago, inviting me to one of their very first gigs and sending me a link to their song Rock 'n' Roll Is Dead, blogging about them HERE.

The band have taken their time to release their debut single, building up a fine collection of songs and loads of live experience - including a huge show with The Charlatans and a European tour with The View. So for the Velveteen Saints - Rock 'n' Roll definitely isn't dead.

The bands debut single Postcards from Rome is out today on Dead Beet Records.

Postcards from Rome takes a dash of Eddie Cochran, adds a slice of Bolan and T-Rex and a generous helping of the Marychain; marrying guitars with hooks and melodies. It's good, fun, simple and pure rock 'n' roll guitar music - something there is an incredible dearth of in 2014.

So baby

Come on home

Don't leave your man alone

I got a feeling in my bones

That you'll send me

Postcards from Rome

100 ltd edition vinyl copies of the single will be available at a a hometown launch party show with secret special guests at Broadcast on 31st October. It's sure to be a good one.

Check the single below;

Honey by TeenCanteen

So my sisters band TeenCanteen release 'Honey' via Neu! Reekie Records this weekend. Only it's not a record, it is actually a cassette! Not just any old cassette but a delicious honey scented cassette!

Each tape comes wrapped in lino print on seeded paper which you can plant and when you do, a small patch of wildflowers will grow! A download link is thankfully included for those without cassette players.

On to the song...

'Honey' was recorded at the Old Mill Studios in Strathaven and is mixed by Bill Ryder-Jones, formerly of The Coral, now striking out on his own via Domino Records.

'Honey' is a beautiful song, a cross between a polished 60's girl group ballad mixed with the raw edge of punky Throwing Muses style guitar pop.

The melody and lyrics hooked me instantly (not that I'm biased or anything).

He is fun, like the sun, and he never complains

But I'm a mess, I confess, I am more like the rain

He is perfect like a cirlce

And a summer shade of purple

He's the crash of the wave, he makes me misbehave

He's the only one I want, so it pains me to say

That I'm a square trying to fit in a circle

And I am red when I want to be purple

........

The contrast between the slow and considered verses to the raw and fast flowing chorus that has a real sense of freedom is refreshing. There is even a good old fashioned false ending at one point.

We just talk about the weather

Not the fact that we're together

But he knows I'm so in love with him

That I'll stick around through thick and thin

Like honey

There are some glorious harmonies and the lyrics are heartfelt but with a sense of humour.

I look forward to hearing what TeenCanteen have to offer in the future.