BLUEGRASS THE GREENMAN
BLUEGRASS BOYS Octopus Diamond, Edinburgh,
Thu 1 Mar 000
Out of the ashes to scratch Edinburgh's leftfield itch. Octopus Diamond has inherited much of the feel (as well as the previously flouted constrictive license) of its predecessor The Left Bank. It is early days and for now the decorative odds'n‘sods are a little lost in the unforgiving church hall environs — a whiff of paint adding to the air of the no frills music box. Tonight's attraction seemed somewhat typical of the venue's atypical roster. The Boys being a rough and ready five-piece that err more on the side of spit and sawdust than Grand Ole Opry. There's a real authenticity to their two-minute wonders (I’m pretty sure ‘Teenage Kicks' came in at under 90 seconds). and while they took a few numbers to get up a head of steam the hoedown moshpit was soon knees-up and elbows out. The banjo and banter were a little lost in the levelling but fiddle. skiffle and string bass proved top draw indeed. (Mark Edmundson)
INDIE
PEEPSHOW LAUNCH
Classic Grand, Glasgow, Wed 28 Feb 0...
Already inundated most nights of the week. cynics might say that Glasgow needs a new band night like it does another rainy day. Peepshow. refreshingly. is a showcase with a difference. however. On the last Wednesday of every month at The Classic Grand. the night purports to bring in the very best of the unknowns — fresh. local talent ripe for the signing.
The bands on display at Peepshow's opening night did well to back up the wisdom of such an idea. San Sebastian make all the right references with ambitious. spacey mini- epics that s0und a bit like Bloc Party given a shoega7e makeover. The Ads. meanwhile. go for the jugular a bit more directly. churning out sharp. visceral Scots inflected rock reminiscent of ldlewild. They're good fun, if lacking in any real individuality.
Sandwiched in between. on the other hand. was a band that definitely stood out. Not exactly unsigned (by virtue of their affiliation with Greenock-based indie Grace Records). but certainly unheralded thus far. Stopstarts make spiky. energetic punk. early 80s NYC- style. full of popping bass and close harmonies. ‘My Watch ls Digital‘ is particularly excellent: taut. clever and tighter than a clenched fist. More of the same please Peepshow.
(Malcolm Jack)
INDIE
CALLEL oooo
THE DEBUTS 000
THE SCOTTISH ENLIGHTENMENT ooooo Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Sat 3 Mar
The crowd are still filtering in when the openers take the stage. but are slowly drawn towards The Scottish Enlightenment — a Dunfermline four- piece with the menace of Joy Division and the slacker indie cool of Pavement. Whether it‘s their engrossing hooks. guitar flurries. or the occasional brooding s0undscape. the band set a high benchmark.
The Debuts take a different direction. offering enthusiastic but workmanlike rock — apart from ten glorious mid-set seconds where they hit a Mogwai- does-Queen vibe. which is over all too soon.
Aptly. perhaps. Callel attempt to bridge the gap between their predecessors. And. unsurprisingly perhaps. it's a mess. Employing glockenspiel. kazoo and under-used strings. they seemingly aim to capture the essence of The Beach Boys. Weezer and The Delgados — sometimes all in the one song. Despite this excessive ambition. they have something: their airy tunes. lofty ideas. and engaging stage presence may see them become worthy bill-toppers on bigger stages. (Stuart McHugh)
INDIE
THE TWANG
ABC 2, Glasgow, Tue 27 Feb 0.
Never underestimate beery lads in big jackets. While it‘s easy to believe that they're all still swaggering to the sound of the Happy Mondays. Stone Roses et al. many are (if this sell out crowd was anything to go by at least) entirely susceptible to new sounds. Such as that of lairy Birmingham quintet The Twang — a band tipped for big things. albeit a band that have taken their lead straight from Madchester.
Their musical coup d'etat has been to unite that movement's janeg guitars and baggy beats with the mockney urban poet thing that Mike Skinner does so well. At times it works — 'Either Way' is a heartfelt number ('for the ladeez'). on which duel frontrnen Phil Etheridge and Martin Saunders toss the lyrical baton manfully. The like of brash. druggy stomp ‘Cloudy Boom' makes up the mainstay of their sound. though. the tune sounding much like the vast lager tossing frenzy it prompts: entertaining enough from a distance. but ultimately a bit stupid. (Malcolm Jack)
Tomorrow's music today. This issue: The Sounds
Like Debbie Harry in a dance-off with Roxette, this sexy Swedish pop-punk band set tongues wagging with last year’s synth-heavy hit, ‘Tony the Beat’. Their debut, Living in America, established them in the States, and Pharrell Williams and Quentin Tarantino are big fans. With a second album out, they’re tipped as the next big thing to hit Britain.
Lead singer Maia Ivarsson describes their live shows.
It's a positive experience with a punky vibe. We're a very confident band. and sometimes attitude gets mixed up with confidence. Onstage I see it as my mission to kill your boredom and be entertaining for an hour. no matter what.
Are you happy to be putting Sweden on the map?
Sure. Like most Swedish kids. I love Abba. I listened to American grunge growrng up. so was a little insecure going into the business as a woman. and being Swedish. But modern bands like The Cardigans proved it wasn't just American men making good music. That opened doors for us and The Hives or The Soundtrack of Our Lives.
Are you fed up being compared to Blondie?
No way. Any female in a rock band who says she's not influenced by Deborah Harry is lying. She‘s rock history's biggest female icon. and drop—dead gorgeous. Listening to Blondie taught me about hit singles. You can have a super-cool image or haircut. but if you don't have good songs. that's all very shallow. I love stuff you can sing along to. that makes your heart pump. (Claire Sawers)
I King Tuts. Glasgow. Fri 23 Mar. The sing/e. ‘Tony the Beat' is out now on Korova. their album Dying to Say This To You is released Mon IQ Mar:
15—29 Mar 2300/ THE LIST 61