The first singles roundup of the Summer is usually brought to you by the words ‘shirrirriery'. 'jangly' and ‘harrnony‘. and allhOUgl‘, it's essentially a vitriolic. bitchy Dear John. Glaswegian t‘riiartet Le Reno Amps' 'Poison
Letter' (Pet Piranha) O... ticks all three boxes. T tere's a whole lot of underage action this fortnight. too: brilliant crazy punk kids Damn Shames have an articulate adolescent strep all over Dancing in the Aisles (Golden Eagle)... . while unsigned Gorebridgians Capstin Pole have bottled the sound of a teenager going clubbing for the very first time on their ‘.‘l-’l{,t(-E-€;'y{?(t disco cheon lit the Way You Move' 0..
Let's just skip past Editors dolorous 'Sriiokers Outside Hospital Doors' (Kitcl‘ienware) O. . shall we? Goickly! I don't think they saw us. Far more summery is ‘Generator’ by The HollowaystTVD 0.. . a rollicking indie-ska Larbemie of a tune tailor-made for festival siiig-a-lengs. Posh Aussie bohos Angus and Julia Stone have produced a quiet. sardonic Cl‘.(llt?":(-}f wrth the Nouvelle Vague-y ‘Private Lana/ris' ilridependientelooo . Sweet relief to my ears after enduring Enter Shikari's ‘Jonny Sriiper‘ (Ambush Reality) 0 . a self- congratutatory. utterly pointless hotchpotch of screamcore. emo and mocknc-y rave.
Oot. l feet better for that. The latest De-Fence EP. lelO:()4 000. pairs up Welsh weirdo Weasel Squeezer with Edinburgh's own Found. wno can Currently do very little i.-vrong as far as this magazine is concerned. Their bit's lovely: all catty bleeps arid hazily niurrriured exhodations that 'it's time to make some music'. but the Weasel fella makes heavy work of some dated samples. l-lonotirable mention to Blood Red Shoes: the grrly. punky yowl of ‘lt's Getting Boring by the Sea' (Wt .000. has an excellent call-response chorus. replete with shimmery i'dingl‘). janeg lding!) harmonies (dinglj.
Then there's Jape. ‘f’loating' (V2) .0000 IS a blissed-out. drugged~up 5am love song about dancing all night and holding hands as yOu watch the sun come up. It's out through with Gregorian chants and a slowed—dov-rn raag that hypi'iotises you into believing it‘s the best thing over As he got to me in a romantic. vulnerable moment. Jape nails it: Single of a Fortnight by a dreamy wee whisper. (Kirstin lnnes)
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62 THE LIST ' .'.' .'
fjood xvii: dance music
today. Playful synth pop. gritty funk riffs cut and spliced \‘Vlllllll an inch of their lives v- this album has it all. Opening track 'Geriesis' offers a r>sycho—charged mash- up of weird and i.'-.ronderful electronic noises while 'Str‘ess' is a mind-bloWing ascension through an unnervuig mix of sirens. alarms and kick drums. Willi production of this guality it won't belong before this French duo earn themselves as many friends as their
ltf 3; tvyweigl it predecessors.
(Jimmy Mclnnes)
MEDESKI SCOFIELD MARTIN & WOOD
Out Louder llndrrecto Records) 0..
The combination of guitarist John Scofield vxith the Medeski. Martin 8; Wood trio was first heard back in 1999 on Scofield's A Go~Go album. On that occasion. (I was very much the guitarist's project the music was his. and the trio essentially played the role of sidenion. This
re match on MM&W's new label is presented as a more collective project. With both sides contributing compositions and taking a more democratic share of the musical spotlight.
It's not hard to predict thooutconie. The combination works best when they settle into the up tempo. (:r‘rzrgrsed funk blues grooves that underpin most of the compositions. while both Scoliold and John Medeski haxc- ample room to stretch out in their solos. The package comes With an additional live CD that has an even more spontaneous fool. and repeats only one tune from the studio disc. (Kenny Mathieson)
POP
CALVIN HARRIS l Created Disco lSonyBMG) .0.
Already a serious challenger to Mylo's title as Scotland's favourite rumourerl-to-be-but- not-really—Kylre- collaborating bedroom producer. Duriifries'
Calvin Harris has made a thoroughly convincing debut album on his battered old Amiga. By the very nature of its construction, however. it does threaten to get a bit grating after the first few key tracks — Harris' Ya/oo-like hoops and sguawks might sound great in small chunks amidst the Sunday afternoon charts. but you find yourself wishing for a bit more of his hands; electric live presence.
Undoubted uvinners include the lascrvrous ‘The Girls' and the healthin ironic staccato electro of ‘Colours'. 'Electro Man' and the title track. Fortunately for Harris these just outweigh the likes of ‘Merrymaking at My Place'. which rather annoyingly take the joke just that bit too far. (David Pollock)
(JON l liMf )ORAHY JOHN SURMAN The Spaces in Between
(ECM Records) 0...
The line~up on the great saxophonist's latest outing features his own magisterial horn work (on his usual combination of baritone sax. soprano sax and b; ss clarinet) With ja// b; ssist Chris Laurence and the 'lrans-lmation String Quartet. the resulting ambrence falls somewhere between ja// and chamber music and results in a quiet
gem of a recording that is even better than its impressive predecessor with these forces.
Corr rscatrr ig ( 1999).
The integration of the various elements feeding into this project is well-night perfect. The LNG-“RU structure of the music. pivoting around the centrally-placed title track for Rita Manning's solo violin. and the balance and interplay of the sonorities and tirnbres of the instruments is beautifully done. The pastoral feel familiar from much of Surman's output is always in evidence. and if you are not gorng to be partying to it. it is one of the year's most satisfying listening experiences.
(Kenny Mathieson)
l' OLK
F INLAY MACDONALD BAND
Re-Echo (Greentrax) 0000
Finlay MacDonald has emerged as one of the leading lights in the current wave of experimental Scottish pipers. Like a number of his conteriiporarres. he combines firm roots and a family connection in the pipe band tradition wrth a distinctly coritemporary and wide ranging riiusical sensibility. The result is a powerful hybrid that pulls together folk. ja/x. rock and urban dance influences into a compelling whole.
His powerful piping and whistle playing is supported by his regular band. featuring the eclectic fiddler Chris Stout. ja// guitarist Kevin MacKen/ie. electric bassist John Speirs and drummer Fergus MacKen/ie. MacDonald's compositions are complemented by distinctive arrangements of both traditional tunes and pipe compositions by RS MacDonald. Chris Armstrong and Martyn Bennett. all
delivered wrth drivrng. crisply-focused energy on the uptempo tunes. leavened by more relaxed interludes. (Kenny Mathieson)
ROCK
VARIOUS Predestination Records: Volume Two lPredestination) 0000
An ambitious venture from new Stirling indie label Predestination. this compilation is the second in a series that charts some of Scotland's (and. indeed. the UK's) finest young unsigned rock acts.
As ever with such a project. there's great and not so great rnusrc on offer here. Dead or American. for example. are one of the most stridently melodic of the ten bands. yet they might be seen as a little timid by those who appreciate. for example. Take a Worm For a Walk Week -- grirnacing thrash metal that can't be faulted for reaching its target audience. Le Singe Blanc have a rather annoying way with mock-theatrical lyrics. whereas the ever reliable piano-led thrash of Lapsus Linguae constitutes the album's real touch of demented class. (David Pollock)
KIISCH
PINK MARTINI Hey Eugene! (Wrasse) 0.00
A rinsing on Radio 2 no longer holds the stigma it once did. and rightly so. Current favourites Pink Martini are deservrng of the attention With their third long player holding many more delights than just the antheriiic soul of the title track. The listener is whisked off on a fabulous journey