NEW MUSIC SPECIAL
12 THE LIST IS Feb—1 Mar 2001
Astrid, Cherryfire Ashes, Cosmic Rough Riders, Aereogramme
‘ ASTRID
Sound like If this were charades, then the gesture WOulcl be a huge grin and thumbs up It’s happy Jineg pop With a flake on tOp If you’re depressed this Will cheer you up, if you’re already cheery then get a new hobby or something.
Who Three-quarters of them are Isle of Lewis natives, but their adopted home is Glasgow Their new drummer used to be in a band called the Smiles who once played on TF/ Friday and the main stage of T in the Park before they disintegrated.
Astrid’s second album Play Dead should hit the shops in late March. They are quite possibly turning into the new Belle & Sebastian - same producer, band members leaVing, Cult fan worship, hard-to-find releases. All they need to do now is set in place an interwew refusal contract and world domination must surely be theirs.
Hear Strange Weather Late/y album on Fantastic Plastic. (JC) Web www . astridhq . com
SOPHIE BANCROFT
Sound like A harmonious example of soulful, uplifting vocals With truly eclectic backing.
Who Vocalist Bancroft is most recognised for her JdZZ and folk work in recent years, but has taken another musical turn With a collaboration With Scottish electronicists Spylab. Signed to underground tech house label Goidance in Chicago, tracks have been turning up all over the shop, including as part of the soundtrack to the new HBO (responSible for The Sopranos and Oz) TV speCial in the US Six Feet Under.
Hear This Utopia on Guidance Records out in April. (MR) web www. sophiebancroft . co . uk
BELLWEATHER
Sound like Pared-down 60s version of a DiVine Comedy who’ve been to the dark side.
Who Lead singer Ewan Burke has plied his trade With solo acoustic gigs arOund Edinburgh, and it's his vocals which form the bedrock of the band. Their December release ’Christmas Songs’ took the traditional JOHy tidings and turned them — in the words of And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead — into ’a spundtrack to holiday SuiCide’. There’s another single or maybe even album planned in the spring and you can catch them gigging at various Edinburgh hostelries,
Hear ’Orange Sun’ single on Lost Cat Music, 'Christmas Songs' EP on Pretty Horse, (LP)
Web Not at present, but sign up for the newsletter by contacting ewaburGyahoo . com
BESPOKE
Sound like A Jazzy version of The Doors With Dusty Springfield replacmg Jim Morrison.
Who Formed in 1997, the six-piece band are regulars on the Edinburgh scene and have had airplay on Radio One's Session In Scotland. With several members of the group classically trained there’s no questioning the musiCianship and their sound comes across like a Jazz/trip-hop fUSion TriCia Thom's smoky vocals and the Hammond keys combine to give a real 605 flavour, They've had interest from V2 and Polydor records and are continUing to gig regularly.
Hear Used To Be album on B-Spoke. (LP)
Web wwwublcom or be_spoke@hotmail . com
BIG HAND
Sound like David Byrne fronting The Spec ials after a heavy night on the ganja
Who Writing and producing their ow). material, this young five—piece are determined to keep the ska sOund aiive and fresh More established acts on the ska scene such as Bombskare, have started singing their praises and offering support after hearing their mellow, Latin-fused version of the i'ocksteady sound
Hear The appropriately titled ’One Glove' EP is well worth tracking down as are their regular pei‘foiiiianc es on the local gig cirCtiit (HN)
Web BigHand2000@hotmail . com
CHERRYFIRE ASHES
Sound like The grandiloctuent drama of early Suede meets the lacerating stomp 'n’ mash of prime Placebo
Who An Edinburgh—based Quartet fronted by the deliciously monikered Newton Harper, Cherryfii‘e Ashes seein hell bent on provmg that Goth is not JUSI a four-letter word The Ashes recently relaunched their career With the impressive 'Wireworks' EP released on the local Starshapecl label, which necessitated the filming of a promo Video outside Grangemouth chemikal plant, an experience which resulted in Harper contracting a distressuigly VOCiferous skin condition. Now thankfully welt free, the band are set to release a follow-up single in May, With bizarrely, a Christmas single to follow.
Hear ‘Wireworks’ EP on Starshaped Records (PW) Web www . starshaped . co . uk
COSMIC ROUGH RIERS
Sound like A more adventurous Teenage Fanclub
Who Though hardly the first to trammel the (angle—pop influences such as Big Star and the Byrds, Glasgow's CRR manage to evade the conservatism that highlights inost post— Fanclub bands by appropriating the essence, rather than the surface style of their hallowed forebears Following a spate of limited edition singles on Alan McGee’s Poptones label, last year they released a debut LP Enjoy The Me/odic Sunshine to almost unanimously positive reViews. After the release of ’Melanie’, their first single proper, they can be heard supporting both Paul Weller and Ocean Colour Scene.
Hear Enjoy The Melodic Sunshine album on Poptones (PW)
Web www. cosmicroughriders . com and www.poptones.co.uk
DEE J A' LA FU
Sound like Scritchy, scratchy hip hop
Who Spurred on by the success of his fellow Scottish turntablists, Kenny Atkin (aka Dee J A’ La FU) is pOised to break free from the shackles of a restrictive (and no d0ubt dull) eXistence in Aberdeen, HaVing made a name for himself there at the explosive hip hop night TNT, he has cemented links With his crew, Observatory SWivel, in California and hopes to record new material on a forthcoming Stateside Visit before movrng to London in the near future.
Before all this happens the Central Belt Will be able to sample the wares of this up-and-coming hip hop DJ when he appears With luminaries such as Goldie and fermer Scratch Pervert Mr Thing at the launch of TNT’s Glasgow residency on Friday 9 March.
Hear Observatory Swrvel's ’lt’s All There In Black & \ White’ EP on Cargo Records. (CB) "‘ Web alafu@hotmail . co