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REVIEW GARAGE ROCK THE FNORDS
Hobo at the Bongo Club, Edinburgh, Sun 24 Aug .00
Anyone familiar with Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea's doorstep epic of conspiratorial speculative fiction The ///um/natus.’ Tri/ogy will know where the Fnords name comes from. and might well expect big things from a band who use it. In y-x'nich case. they'd be pleasantly surprised.
The Scots power trio 'their MySpace says they're from Edinburgh Glasgow Stirling. so take your pick: are crisply presented. but a bit dirty too. Drummer Derek and bassist Megan look like your typical rhythm section. but it's guitai':st and singer Sarah who seems at odds with the band's whole aesthetic. Blonde- haired and blue eveiling-dressetl. she looks like she's ready tor a night out with the office on George Street. but her v()ice and guitar form the kind of rough gi‘oy'xl that even PJ Harvey hasn't engaged in for a while.
The psych-garage onslaught becomes a little samey after a \.'.’ll|i(}. but on tracks such as ‘V‘l/ay Out'. 'Starstruck' :the lyrical reply: 'gust a cheap fuck'i and a cover of punk favourite ‘il'ni Not Your: Steppin' Stone. The Fnords show signs of delivery on their already considerable promise. iDavid Pollocki
REVIEW ROCK
TWIN ATLANTIC
AND THE XCERTS
Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Wed 3 Sep .0.
Both bands here follow in the wake of Biffy Clyro. and evoke moments of their early racket-making with considerable style. While The Xcerts (who are from Aberdeen and Exeter. collectivelyi are the poppier proposition of the pair. and have been gathering a lot of good word- of-mouth recommenclations as a live band to watch. much of this seems based on singer Murray MacLeod's angsty charm. They could be big with old-school Manic Street Preachers fans — haying actually y'rorked with Manics producer Dave Eringa - but their sound doesn't seem meaty enough yet to enthral an all-ages crowd.
New King Tut's Recordings signings Twin Atlantic. on the other hand. are an altogether more textured proposition. although they're still a bit 20 in their fraught. heads- down i'o(:kii‘.ess. A little bst Biffy. a little bit Foo Fighters. perhaps guite Idlewild as well. their music and singer Sam McTrusty 's studiedly intense demeanour on stage wOuId transfer well to being played before a festival-sized mosh pit. iDaVid Pollocki
REVlEW GLAM POP
VELCRO QUARTET
The Mill at the Caves, Edinburgh, Thu 4 Sep 000
Many f:i‘.e young Scots bands are already lured-up to play The Mrll. Miller beer's new branding (‘ioohckey come y'reekty live gig in Et‘iinburgh and Glasgoy'x. and The List can report :t's a<.:tt.-aiiy a pretty good night out. The bands are y'rell-chosei‘ and re‘lect've of wi‘at's happening on the see-"e. ‘.'.'l‘.il(} the brand in gtiestaoi‘ :sn't shoyeu (l()‘.'.’tt your throat. On bed or‘. yes it is — even better.
One less y'rc-li-kr‘owi‘ name on Edinburgh's opening bill though. is ll‘t‘: Velcro Quartet. here ta cg top r). ing from Il‘t) (:apltai's atinos::"er'cally sitoega/ey Action Group. You“ know Glasgoy'r's Velcro before hear tnem — thev're tne ones n. the Adam and the Ants tartai‘ cita >s and “lifted snirts: the gays uncaring more make-up :ltan Russel Brand. They're pretty good ft."
*. t"e r cheery Ar‘gio-ocp sound reaiy' set of‘ by sti‘ger Joe Rodgers flower; yocai. '.'."‘.'(Z." s::"‘e‘.'."‘.ere t>e:'.'.'ec-" t'ie sty es of Jan. COCK-1}.“ (“Wit Johnny Borre i. Just as: "-c'. ac- and NI'flE-‘r'tilkll‘y ei‘ougn to Siétf‘it a rea chance of success. t'ie a“ectat O'iS — y-rncr‘ ‘eao to their: ca'i ng songs tltii‘gs ke 'Cét". \VO Go Yet Mummy"? and ‘Joi‘n'ty Casr‘oacx' —- are a tiny o:
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rock band in Scotland today. ‘ngl‘ maintenance day pus
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why aren’t you?
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REVlEW Al TIF'OLK EUCRID EUCROW
The Gentle lnvasion@Henry’s Cellar Bar, Edinburgh, Sat 6 Sep 0000
Two young women in full-length angel-white Victorian frocks flank a bearded young man in a tank top sitting on a stool. As he clutches his acoustic guitar for dear life. the dark- haired woman on his right puts her bow to her viola while the accordion the ringlet-curled y'roman holds slowly whee/es into life. Led by the yOung man and blanketed by the spare. elongated and gothic but not Gothicki arrangements. all three give voice t > a Si()‘.'.’-l)tll'llll‘.§} funeral parlour entertainment that threatens to break down in tears any second.
This is Eucnrrd ELItZl'OX'J. the precious Brighton trio .tamed after the mute narrator of near neighbour Nick Caves 1988 bible-black novel. And the Ass 3’12".“ the Angel. Abi Fry rviolai and Caroline Weeks l£t(3(lt’)r(ll().’li may be kindred spirit collaborators of Bat For Lashes and British Sea Rona/er. but the =.'.'oo/ily desolate airs they produce are nore in tune with an. east European wake than anything resembling an alt.folk pop concert. In betsreen songs they're charm itself. but once they giye voice to the monster ‘.'.'|Illlll. the low keening hvmnals sound like something sacred. 'NOIl Cooperi
Tomorrow '5; music today: This issue: Desa/vo
Desalvo’s sound is a furious battle between prog showmanship and math metal technicality, all drenched in black, black humour. Imagine the aural equivalent of watching as that fella in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom tears your heart out and shows you it, laughing. Except in music form. We ask singer and renowned crowd terroriser P6 his thoughts on being in the best
Five years to make an album? What’s been keeping you? Allan Stewart is .n Id evgz d. Aex Grant and ltc'fle
via. the oti‘em dose 1) ; as. e am (:s
II" ( v‘/\(k i\ . \ . \lli 1(1\)|/\/\)\)'|/(/. .(,
:ne 'itasses o." boys .r‘ (I(t.’(ti§;£i"S and suspect facial ha '. Most it's gust o‘er“: see eac" ot"er "xic'x'
You’re now part of Mogwai’s Rock Action stable . . .
‘| sti: l}ll‘.(2:".'71y8t}:i£ii)()t.i that one. li‘ey ‘.
(j<l‘.(: as .r‘ree days of studio ill“(}. expectant; a" l P. (t"(l we no ne'er ar‘ atxim.
-v x1! nuxr’u‘v )1" n, ,, i\n'/\" / Irvin In,“ .(,.t} .,-.t,.>o,(,(. ..‘. ctr. ..U «tn. no.
It's so stuffed for of :ieas that the tars: six or seyer‘, soi‘gs yarittei‘ =.'.'e."e en'er‘tua ‘y condensed 'r‘to about a tl‘ird of we song. lhat's the deaf You’ve all been around the block enough to be cynical bastards,
‘Music now fees .ke tdio in the 80s. \\"(:-'-"(2- dictateo to by some "‘r;::: e aged yup )ie {il‘tl his .l’od so :t's hard .".()i to dismiss hugey nor yatxye. .rr‘imagt'iatrye -tl‘e wee gents out t'lere. to: as Is t"e pleasure in gettng out. no ng our set and eavr g peep e "u'hh. yazth (ta/ed expressions on their faces. Musically. we need a org harry brush to (:lOtil‘ :hii‘gs out: there's a manky crust forming and Desaivo is a pumoer.’ Mark Robertson I Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Thu 26 Sep: r‘v'i‘ono. Glasgow, Sat ()8 Sep. The album Mood Personer is out Mon 6 Oct on ROCK /l.':tror‘.
'5 Set 17.". THE LIST 65