PREVIEW INDlE ROCK STAPLETON
Nice ‘n' Sleazy, Glasgow, Tue 8 Jul
It must be tiring, constantly being referred to as unsung heroes. Who wouldn’t rather be a sung hero than an unsung one?
If Scottish outfit Stapleton feel any of that frustration they hide it well, but they’d be within their rights to be grumpy old bastards, given their career so far. The last decade has seen them influence a generation of post-rock outfits on both sides of the Atlantic, and yet they’ve been left on the commercial sidelines as other bands have built on what they’ve done and taken it to the masses. But they ain’t fussed.
‘There are always bands that don’t sell many records who seem to create a path a lot of other bands want to follow,’ says drummer and vocalist Gordon Farquhar. ‘I don’t think there’s ever been any desire on our part to think of ourselves as an influential band, but lots of bands have recently been referencing us. It’s quite a nice feeling, getting respect from other musicians.’
That respect looks set to continue with the band’s fourth long player, Rest and Be Thankful. It sees the band maturing, replacing some of the jagged rough edges of earlier recordings with a more sumptuous melodic content, not a million miles away from indie college darlings Death Cab for Cutie. The coherence of the record is remarkable, considering the members are scattered as far apart as New York and Glasgow these days.
‘This one was really carefree, we weren’t so analytical about it, which was great,’ says Farquar, and that unfussed attitude extends to every facet of the band’s life. ‘We’ve not really played that much, so we never really felt like we fitted in, especially to any Scottish music scene. We’ve always been on the outside of a lot of things, which is the best place to be.’ (Doug Johnstone)
PREVIEW KRAUTROCK HARMONIA ABC, Glasgow, Fri 11 Jul
As long lost supergroups go. the reignition of Harmonia is the musical equivalent of discovering some buried mythical city. When Michael Rother. Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius got together again in 2007 following the belated release of their Live 1974 album. the prospect of seeing such doyens of the so- called krautrock wave of 1970s German experimentalists was a dream come true. Roether. after all. had been one half of Neul, whose rnotorik rhythms had profoundly influenced latter-day pop boffins Such as Stereolab. As Cluster. Roedelius and Moebius pioneered a form of proto-ambient space rock. The two acts joined forces for two albums, including a 1976 collaboration Tracks and Traces. not released until 1997. the effect was quietly seismic.
'We did our first concert in Berlin last year'. says Rother. who played a low-key Edinburgh date With Moebius in 2006. ‘We didn't have a chance to rehearse. but once we accepted that risk. it added to the excitement. I was overwhelmed by the reception to the album, though l'd had that tape in my archive for years.‘
While recording new material hasn‘t been ruled out. Harmonia are currently concentrating on the live arena. with a mooted jam with Sonic Youth pending.
'lt's strange.‘ says Rother. 'because we got lost in the 808. Now. it feels like our music has gone round the world and come back with an echo.‘ (Neil Cooper)
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PREVIEW INDIE COME ON GANG! Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, Thu 10 Jul
'l'm a nightmare on a train.‘ says Sarah Tanat Jones. drummer and lead singer of Come on Gang! ‘l’m that annoying person who can't help tapping a beat with my feet or hands. Or both.‘ She wanted to channel her itchy energy into a pop-punk noise, so teamed up With band members. Mikey Morrison and Trev Courtney after they replied to her ad on the Edinburgh College of Art noticeboard.
'lt’s like a bullet out of a gun once you get started.‘ Jones says of the band's fast growing momentum. They'd written ten songs two months after getting together. and have been shifting up the gears ever since. Now. a year after playing their first gig at ECA to a piddly crowd of 20. they're releasing their first single. ‘Wheels', an upbeat. twitchy anthem which sounds like a chow girl wandering into a bedroom full of boys and fuzzy. throbbing guitars. A few days later they'll be storming T in the Park on the T—Break stage.
It's the combo of her folky. sweet vocals against a garage-rock squall that has been sucking in fans. and getting the press dribbling with excitement. Between their frantic noise and her kitten soft singing. a lot of energy is burned up onstage. ‘That's why we picked the name. we liked the retro. Enid Blyton sound to it.’ says Jones. “We're not one of these bands who try to look all laidback and cool. We're about naive energy and honest enthusiasm.‘ (Claire Sawers)