Steve’s Tracks of the Day
Here’s another special collection of songs by bands/artists playing the Doune the Rabbit Hole festival later this month. We’re very excited about the interviews were have coming up over the course of the weeks running up to the festival kick off plus there should (if I have time) be some reviews focusing on albums by some of the bands/artists involved.
Olympic Swimmers: Apples and Pears
Olympic Swimmers are a five piece indie rock band based in Glasgow. I discovered them whilst poring over the Doune the Rabbit Hole line-up in an effort to put together some sort of plan of action; not only for the bands What F**king Ian Guy? intends to focus its attentions on in the lead up to the festival, but also to determine who I want to see play over the course of the weekend. Their debut album, No Flags Will Fly, was released on 4th June earlier this year to universal acclaim. I’ve yet to pick up a copy but it’s now something of a priority and if Apples and Pears (and the other songs on Youtube) are anything to go by it’s going to knock me clean out of my boots. When I get a hold of the album I’ll be running a review.
Bills Wells & Aidan Moffat: The Copper Top
Bill Wells is a bit of a restless soul; a journeyman musician who has collaborated with an ever growing list of artists including Isobel Campbell, Future Pilot A.K.A and German electronic musician Barbara Morgenstern. The Copper Top can be found on his Everything’s Getting Older album, an album made in partnership with songwriter/musician and ex-Arab Strap man Aidan Moffat. Released in 2011 to much critical praise it went on to win the first Scottish Album of the Year award which is basically a north of the border version of The Mercury Prize in that it’s voted for by a panel made of people who are part of or affiliated with the Scottish music industry. With its tear soaked piano and sighing strings providing the perfect backdrop to Moffat’s spoken work delivery, this is a song that bleeds sadness from it’s very pores. And that’s before the horn section joins the “party” bringing with it an extra layer of grief. Great video by Paul Fegan too.
Pumajaw: Mask
Purveyors of dark electronic delights, Pumajaw are composed of John Wills (ex-Loop) and Pinkie McClure. Their earlier sound was built around guitar loops, samples and Pinkie’s remarkable, otherworldly vocals and they often wandered into folky territory (2008’s Curiosity Box featured collaborations with Alasdair Roberts and James Yorkston). More recently they seem to have undergone something of an artistic rebirth with the end result being a dense, throbbing electro sound more akin to Portishead and Fever Ray. Sometimes a band attempt a drastic change of direction and fall flat on their collective faces. This is so not the case with Pumajaw. Latest album Demonmeowmeow has been met with a warm reception from critics and rightly so. From opening track The Mazy Laws right through until sinister closing track Tumbledown it’s a remarkable piece of work. Mask, with it’s stark but effective video, is a great example of what they do.
...WHAT F**KING IAN GUY? 