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list.co.uk/music Records | MUSIC
MOODY POP STEVE ADEY The Tower of Silence (Grand Harmonium) ●●●●● GARAGE ROCK HEAVY WAR The Primevals (Twenty Stone Blatt) ●●●●●
GLASGOW COMPILATION VARIOUS ARTISTS Some Songs Side By Side (Stereo/Watts of Goodwill/RE:PEATER) ●●●●● So-called ‘regional’ compilations were crucial statements of independence during the post-punk fall-out that briefly shook up the bone-idle London-centric record company hegemony. Snapshots of Manchester, Brighton and other scenes proliferated on shoestring DIY labels, which were as much about self-determination as music.
Edinburgh resident Steve Adey is blessed with a voice which teeters between Feargal Sharkey and Paul Buchanan, the latter’s band being an especially pertinent touchstone for The Tower of Silence – recorded in a 19th century church in Edinburgh. All told, there are three attempts to produce a new ‘Easter Parade’ while the production gig is taken by Calum Malcolm, who helped give the Blue Nile their special brand of lush austerity.
By collecting material from eight Glasgow acts, this new collaboration But while the overall effect here is
by three of the city’s micro-labels (it's the debut release by venue Stereo) also captures the here-and-nowness of a fecund, forever-changing independent musical landscape. Tut Vu Vu, The Rosy Crucifixion, Palms, Organs of Love, Gummy Stumps, Sacred Paws, Muscles of Joy (above) and Jacob Yates & the Pearly Gate Lock Pickers all present new work in a boxset with two 12” vinyl LPs, a CD and a booklet with an essay by ex- Belle & Sebastian manager John Williamson, plus art from David Shrigley and Richard Wright. In execution, this reflects the spirit of Edinburgh's Fast Product label’s three Earcom compilations, in 1979. Like them, this puts visual presentation to the fore, demonstrating the umbilical links between artforms that keep ‘local’ scenes so vital. (Neil Cooper)
being repeatedly bashed over the head by the most maudlin hammer in the world, when Adey gets it right, he really gets it right.
‘The Field’ is a stand-out classic, gelling musically, lyrically and emotionally to create a song that should haunt your days and plague your nights for a very long time. (Brian Donaldson)
Discovering The Primevals are still above ground was a pleasant surprise. In the days when being in a Glasgow band meant regulation tank tops, shorts and sandals, The Primevals loitered like bad boys outside the chippie. Their thing was trashy Americana: a bit of the Cramps, some MC5; stuff the Jesus and Mary Chain would later refine. The guys in the songs were forever having, like, heavy scenes with chicks in shades and Gun Club T-shirts. The problem was The Primevals were always a local, pubby, cartoon-sneery band rather than proper contenders. Little has changed on this, their 30th anniversary album. You can almost hear the amps being lifted out the Ford Mondeo as the old warriors reconvene to evoke the scuzzy allure of post-industrial Detroit. It’s good, serviceable stuff but strictly of the Conference League. (Allan Brown)
HIP HOP/ELECTRO YOUNG FATHERS Tape One (Anticon) ●●●●● ROCK/ POP YO LA TENGO Fade (Matador) ●●●●●
HIP HOP WU BLOCK Wu Block (E1) ●●●●●
Edinburgh rap trio Young Fathers have been the pick of the new music litter for countless critics over the past three years. Mixing dancefloor- ready hip hop and pop sensibilities with an old school party spirit, their live shows have been consistently impressive. Having recently signed to US label Anticon earlier this year, the Fathers have not only earned their fair share of scene points but have also secured an impressive stepping stone from which they will no doubt launch themselves in the new year. In the meantime, however, the head-turning mini-album, Tape One, is getting a proper global release, and is pretty much the perfect introduction. On the strength of lead single ‘Deadline’ alone, you’ll be blasting this for weeks. (Ryan Drever) Album launch night, Broadcast, Glasgow, Sat 19 Jan, free in, and first come get chicken & rice. Tape Two is out in March.
Yo La Tengo hold that enviable position as a veteran cult indie band – well-earned after 29 years and now 13 albums – of being able to do much as they please and keep their fans keen, be it movie soundtracks, side-projects or re-enacting classic episodes of Seinfeld onstage. So for the Hoboken trio to crowd-pleasingly re-invoke the kaleidoscopically eclectic mid-period spirit of 1997’s I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One through 2003’s Today is the Day with such success on Fade is a surprising and generous gift indeed.
From the fuzzed-out bliss of ‘Ohm’ to the picked acoustic and synth drones of ‘I’ll Be Around’, to magisterial orchestra-adorned closer ‘Before We Run’, this is vintage sweet’n’noisy stuff. Your love for YLT probably didn’t need reaffirming, but hey, they just did it anyway. (Malcolm Jack) 02 ABC, Glasgow, Fri 22 Mar.
With countless ‘affiliated’ Wu Tang releases on the go, from themed collaborations, bit-part reunions, half- cocked mix-tapes and Wu-inspired compilations inbetween regular solo runs and the rare full-clan outing, it’s difficult to keep up, let alone cut the wheat from the chaff; which sadly, there is a lot off. Wu Block is the latest effort,
and it attempts to function as a collaboration between Wu Tang and fellow NY crew D-Block (AKA The L.O.X.), headed up by Ghostface Killah and Sheek Louch respectively. It takes a surprisingly satisfying and soulful approach to production, and features celebrated alumni from both sides such as Raekwon, Method Man, Jadakiss and even Erykah Badu.
However, beyond occasional bursts of brilliance from Ghostface himself, it’s anything but essential. (Ryan Drever)
POST PUNK SNIDE RHYTHMS Snide Rhythms (The Bonjour Branch) ●●●●●
With art school credentials to spare, Colvin Cruikshank’s trio of Edinburgh scene-setters mash up a grab-bag of leftfield post-punk conceptualists to make something that seems to channel the ghosts of every act who ever made the Wee Red Bar such a crucial hot-bed of musical and artistic eclectica – while still sounding oh so very now.
There’s even a glam rock styled tribute to the band's alma mater on ‘E.C.A’. Musically jaunty and lyrically wry, Snide Rhythms are possessed with an off-kilter quirkiness bordering on brilliance that more than justifies the band’s name. On ‘Yah Versus Schemie’, they even manage to dissect the sociological roots of class war in one minute and 15 seconds with a wit that withers even as it puts two fingers up to both parties before running away snickering. (Neil Cooper)
13 Dec 2012–24 Jan 2013 THE LIST 109