ETIQUETTE - REMINISCE

Etiquette are yet another band to feature on here who are part of the Hand Drawn Dracula roster. You know the rules by now - if it's on that label then it's going to be good. Like two of my favourite local labels Hot Gem and Night School, Hand Drawn Dracula turns out one superb release after another and Reminisce, the debut album by Etiquette is another such record.

Etiquette are Graham Walsh and Julie Fader, both of who have been around on Canada's incredibly diverse and rich indie scene. Reminisce is primarily synth dominated with many of the songs having a feel of a combination of cold wave, mid 80's Cure and melodies that bring to mind Depeche Mode somewhere between Some Great Reward and Black Celebration. That kind of combination only means one thing - Reminisce is exactly the sort of thing that I, and regular readers of this blog, love.

A couple of tracks aside, more of which shortly, Reminisce moves at a dreamlike pace, working as a whole rather than as a collection of songs which is impressive. The opening bleeps and synth washes of Pleasantries almost immediately surround you in virtual dry ice and they lead to Brown & Blue which increases the pace, bringing to mind the more pop oriented synth led sounds of the mid 80's albeit with a distinctly modern feel. As the album progresses via Attention Seeker, Outside In and Sleep To Wake Up, you become immersed in Etiquette's very clever electronic pop, with Julie's vocals being a standout. Their crisp clarity is a perfect counterpoint to the music.

Suddenly though, Twinkling Stars arrives. It's a riot of Vince Clarke like synths taking on Ladytron at their peak with Kraftwerk refereeing and it's an absolute gem as you can hear below. It's not the most representative track when you consider the album as a whole but it really works in the context of the record.


The last three tracks, Promises, On And On and Island round off the album perfectly, with On And On being one of the other notable tracks here. Reminisce really is a wonderfully autumnal, electronic album that manages to give atmospheric tracks enough edge to keep your attention throughout and it's one that I'd recommend you check out.

Reminisce by Etiquette is available now on Hand Drawn Dracula.

Etiquette Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ETIQUETTExo/?fref=ts
Hand Drawn Dracula http://handdrawndracula.com/

LIVE: MIRACLE STRIP, LE THUG, APACHE DARLING - KING TUTS, GLASGOW 21 JULY

Over two weeks in July, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut is hosting a series of gigs under the heading Summer Nights. Throughout the month, over 50 Scottish bands and DJ's are playing at the venue, showcasing the best new music Scotland has to offer. The full list of gigs is pretty impressive and can be viewed here - click

Last night, I went along to a show to see three of my favourite new bands. Unfortunately, I had to leave before AmatrArt came on which was a pity as I'd have love to have seen them too. Before I go on to the bands, I've got to say how much I enjoyed the Podcart DJ set betI cween bands too. Superb tracks including Bjork's Violently Happy which never fails to make me make me at least consider dancing. Nice work Halina

Miracle Strip (dodgy pics above and below my own) kicked off the night and started us off well. Their Miracle Milk  is something I've been playing a lot recently and it was really pleasing to see how well the songs came across live. Took A Running Jump was a highlight for me, mainly because it's one of the best tracks I've heard in a while but the whole set worked. The band's combination of New Order and early Cure like atmospherics with vocals that marvellously bring to mind The Magnetic Fields is a winner and tracks like Lemon Sorbet  and Girl Gang were just fantastic.

Le Thug followed Miracle Strip and their set was just as good as I hoped it would be. Their Place Is ep is a stunner and it's one that I've played over and over on my clear vinyl 12" copy. I have to mention that as clear vinyl is surely the coolest of the coloured vinyls. Anyway, their set featured most of the e.p.with Pals  and Basketball Land sounding just as menacing yet noisily beautiful as the do on record. Live, the band generate a quite mesmerising sound and it was a really powerful show that I couldn't take my eyes off. There's a shoegaze influence at play no doubt but more towards the louder end of Ride or My Bloody Valentine where noise meets melody and works incredibly well. Le Thug are a special band no doubt.

Next up were blog favourites and recent interviewees Apache Darling who, despite writing about a lot, I'd never managed to see live. Like Le Thug, Apache Darling's live show more than matched up to their releases and they gave the crowd half an hour of quite marvellous synthpop. Opening with the superb More Than Me the band grabbed the crowd's attention from the off and the whole set was excellent. More Than Me aside, one song that really stood out for me was Go which was almost Yazoo like and that can only ever be a good thing. The band have recently spent a good bit of time honing their live sound and that work has paid off. The combination of their crisp electropop with Stefanie's frankly brilliant voice is a winner and you really want to catch them live if you can. The fact Andrew manages to play three live synths with no backing tracks is no mean feat either. It was a great set and it really got the whole room going, 

As I said at the start, apologies to AmatrArt who I really wanted to see but couldn't stick around for. I gather their set was unsurprisingly great and I'll make sure I catch them next time. In the meantime, if you can, try and get along to one or two of the remaining King Tut's Summer Nights and enjoy what is clearly something of a golden age for Scottish music. Keep an eye on all the bands above too as you will want to see them live as soon as you can

Miracle Strip Facebook

Le Thug Facebook

Apache Darling Facebook

AmatrArt Facebook

NEW BANDS 2015 NO. 13 - AQUAFAUX

As is now traditional on this post, I find myself apologising for this band only being "new" in the sense of being new to me. Edinburgh synthpoppers Aquafaux are a trio, formed in 2014 and they immediately caught many people's attention with their really rather catchy 80's influenced pop. Their debut e.p. Spellbound (available here https://aquafaux.bandcamp.com/album/spellbound-ep ) is an excellent debut and one you can enjoy as a free download at the address above or by streaming below

The whole e.p. is worth your time with See The Rain, which featured on this week's Almost Scottish Fiction ep, a superb example of electronic pop music. She Will Deceive You is another great track and I especially love it's Cure like guitars that have a wonderfully spiky feel to them. It's a another, really rather wonderful track. Pleasingly for these ears, Fame Game, the e.p's closer sounds a lot like a lost Yazoo track and that is a very good thing.

Aquafaux will be recording a new e.p. soon and appearing live and I for one hope to catch them soon. Keep an eye on their Facebook and Twitter pages for more information.

Aquafaux Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Aquafaux?fref=ts

Aquafaux Twitter https://twitter.com/Aquafaux_

Aquafaux http://aquafaux.weebly.com

KILL THE WAVES - THE ONE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN

Kill The Waves are a Glasgow based six piece who first appeared on many people's radars this year with the release of the tracks Vow and Better Days on Soundcloud, both of which are storming tracks. Better Days is simply sublime and, if you do nothing else after reading this, go and grab that song free from the band's Soundcloud page as it will simply make your life better. Hot on the heels of that free download, the band have released their debut album The One That Could Have Been and, pleasingly, the album is a real triumph.

The band combine a mix of electronics and stirring Radiohead or Arcade Fire like power to produce a collection of tracks that grow and develop with each listen. Opener Oak Tree sets the scene perfectly; a brooding tale of love backed with some superbly flickery electronic percussive sounds that ploughs the same furrow Radiohead's Talk Show Host does. Mine follows, slapping you in the face with some quite magnificent electropop before the title track slows the pace and darkens the mood with distinct echoes of The Cure in places. It's followed by Vow which you should already know (see previous praise from me) which then leads into the driving Friends and Deadwave which has a lead synth line Vince Clarke would be proud of. That the song then turns into a gothic, rated vocal joy only adds to the enjoyment. Plastic Face is another slice of excellent synthpop before the once again Cure influenced Shadow enters, with its sound and feel redolent of that band's Disintegration high point , specifically Homesick, which can never be a bad thing can it? Up next is the genuinely brilliant Better Days. It would have been easy to kick the album off with this track as it is a incredibly striking song but I'm glad that easy path wasn't followed as it sits really well at this stage in the album and Oak Tree is an excellent opener. We round off with  Sun Song  and the initially playfully electro sound but all of a sudden guitar explosions of Part 2 which finishes the album off perfectly. 

The One That Could Have Been is a superb debut album that is brim full of top tunes and Kill The Waves are clearly a band full of confidence in their sound and rightly so. A hugely enjoyable debut release.

The One That Could Have Been is released on Bloc+ Music and can be purchased on ITunes, 7Digital, Amazon mp3 and many more digital retailers.

Kill The Waves Facebook https://www.facebook.com/killthewavesofficial?fref=ts

Kill The Waves Twitter https://twitter.com/killthewaves

Bloc+ Music http://blocmusic.org

THE ALMOST PREDICTABLES 2014

It's December 1st so it seems an appropriate time to hand out this year's Almost Predictables. As ever, it's a random assortment of what's gone on this year musically and given that this year didn't feature a new Depeche Mode album (I'm not counting Live In Berlin), there's a gap at the top of the Album Of The Year list waiting to be filled. So let's start there....

ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

A top 16 this year. That seemed a satisfyingly random enough number.

16. Leyland Kirby Presents V/Vm - The Death Of Rave (A Partial Flashback)
Originally running to over 19 hours of material, 2006's V/Vm 365 project saw Leyland Kirby release a track a day for a whole year. With this album, 8 tracks are taken from the project and presented in sometimes bewildering but always compelling form. Not an easy listen but a worthwhile one

15. The 2 Bears - The Night Is Young
One of two Hot Chip side projects on the list, The Night Is Young is The 2 Bears best work yet combining a nostalgia for 90's House music with bang up to date beats. The standout track is the marvellous Not This Time

14. The Juan MacLean - In A Dream
See Review here http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/the-juan-maclean-in-dream.html

13. Jack White - Lazaretto
As ever, Jack White gives us a mix of styles, from country to White Stripes style blues rock. An excellent album itself, but the Ultra vinyl version enhances the experience. Heavyweight vinyl, playable labels, tracks at 78rpm, holograms and much more - a remarkable thing

12. New Build - Pour It On
See Review here http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/new-build-pour-it-on.html

11. Future Islands - Singles
Forget the whole Letterman dance thing, this is an album that deserves attention for the music itself. Pushing towards an overly retro sound but never going too far, Singles is a fascinating mix of synthpop and Samuel Herring's unique vocal style. The band are proof that hard work and perseverance can still work in the modern music industry - take heart everyone

10. Liars - Mess
For me, what was most pleasing about Mess was that it was a fully electronic album that was a riot of noise and magic. The super limited vinyl was cool too as was the Record Store Day 12" that actually contained string within the vinyl

9. Pixies - Indy Cindy
I know some people were pissed off when the band's new ep's were repackaged as this album but the fact the Pixies were recording new material again was a joy. Ok, it's no Surfer Rosa, but Indy Cindy is full of really cool songs and the ones the played live weren't our of place at all when up against the rest of the band's impressive setlist

8. Thom Yorke - Tomorrow's Modern Boxes
A bit like Martin Gore, Thom Yorke struggles to do any wrong in my eyes. This surprise Bit Torrent only or fancy white vinyl release didn't bring the music industry to its' knees but it did contain some of Yorke's most satisfying work n a long time. If this is where Radiohead are headed, I'm excited.

7. Aphex Twin - Syro
See Review here http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/aphex-twin-syro.html

6. Call To Mind - The Winter Is White
Call To Mind are one of the increasingly excellent list of bands on Olive Grove records roster and their debut album is a great work that deserves your attention. Full review here http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/call-to-mind-winter-is-white.html

5. Mogwai - Rave Tapes
Rave Tapes is Mogwai's best album yet, combining noise and melody in a way that no other band has yet to work out. Remurdered with it's Kraftwerk gone post rock feel is the best example of that but the whole album is full of standouts.

4. Machines In Heaven - bordersbreakdown
I make no apologies for mentioning this band again, as they really are one of the most exciting bands to come from Scotland in ages. bordersbreakdown is their debut album and, on release,  pointed to an exciting future but any expectations one had for the band going forward were superseded by the band's outstanding Hindu Milk ep in November. Doc check out bordersbreakdown however because as debuts go, it's a hugely impressive release.

3. Erasure - The Violet Flame
I don't think many people thought Erasure were capable of matching some of their best work anymore, but The Violet Flame is their best release since the classic Chorus album. Full review here http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/erasure-violet-flame.html

2. TV On The Radio - Seeds
This is a record that I simply can't stop playing. Like Mogwai, 2014 saw TV On The Radio produce their best album yet. Ok, it leans a little more towards the mainstream than previous releases but the band combine this approach with their usual sonic wizardry and it all works beautifully.

1. Caribou - Our Love
Simply fantastic. See Review here http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/caribou-our-love_14.html

So, congratulations to Caribou who takes away this year's Almost Predictable for Album Of The Year

THE ALMOST PREDICTABLE FOR SONG OF THE YEAR
There have been so many good tracks released this year that listing them would take too long. Go to Spotify, ITunes or whatever your choice of music provider is and seek out the following for maximum listening pleasure:

Not This Time - The 2 Bears, Love Look In Vain - New Build, Remurdered - Mogwai, Silver - Caribou, A Family Sketch - Call To Mind, Elevation - Erasure, Voodoo Mechanics - Machines In Heaven

If you're going to pick just one track, however, the make it Sinner by Atom Tree from November's Clouds e.p. It's an outstanding song and further evidence that Atom Tree are smarter than the average bear and are becoming a very exciting prospect indeed. Sinner wins the Almost Predictable for Song Of The Year and you can read a review of the e.p. here http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/atom-tree-clouds-ep.html

THE ALMOST PREDICTABLE FOR GIG OF THE YEAR
After last year's Depeche Mode excesses (or perfectly reasonable in fact slightly fewer than I hoped gigs) I had decided that this year would see me attend far fewer gigs that usual. That didn't quite work out that way however, to no-one's surprise really. I'm so lucky living in Glasgow as there are so many venues that are constantly putting on great shows and this year I've seen loads of great shows this year ranging from Call To Mind at The Glad Cafe (http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/review-call-to-mind-album-launch-party.html)  to Nine Inch Nails at The Hydro ( http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/review-nine-inch-nails-hydro-glasgow-20.html) but the best show for me this year was not in Glasgow, but London with The Cure at the Royal Albert Hall in March. Like Nine Inch Nails, I'd long loved but never seen The Cure play live so the gig was never really going to be a let down. It far exceeded all my expectations though and it was a stunning show. The full review is here http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/review-cure-royal-albert-hall-29-march.html

THE ALMOST PREDICTABLE FOR RECORD LABEL OF THE YEAR
As you may have noticed, I'm constantly amazed and therefore constantly going on about the music scene in Scotland. Bands, Record labels, podcasts and blogs are popping up all the time and keeping on top of it all is hard. This year there have been three standout labels for me. First up, Lost Map is one you should all check out (http://lostmap.com/ ) with its' roster of super artists such as Monoganon, Kid Canaveral, Randolph's Leap and Tuff Love whose forthcoming Dross e.p. will be one of 2015's early must have releases. Olive Grove Records are another favourite of mine (http://www.olivegroverecords.com/ ) and they bang out great release after great release from the likes of Call To Mind, The Son(s) and Skinny Dipper. Again, go and check them out,

The winner of this Almost Predictable is however, Hotgem which is home of Machines in Heaven and Atom Tree. The label has released two Atom Tree e.p's and an album and e.p. by Machines In Heaven and thus far it's played four, won four. Every release has been fantastic and if you want home grown, innovative and frankly marvellous electronic music, this is your go to place. Stop by Hotgem's Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/hotgemtunes?ref=br_rs ), read up on the label and then go and buy the music. Watch this label develop and watch its' artists get bigger and bigger

And finally....

THE ALMOST PREDICTABLE RANDOM MUSICAL THING OF 2014 (AKA SHOEHORNING DEPECHE MODE IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER)
Predictably enough, this goes to Depeche Mode. Ok, Live In Berlin is flawed, not in HD, a bit all over the place and contains Dave dancing like a drunk uncle at a party, but it does have Martin singing But Not Tonight which is one of the greatest things I have ever seen live anywhere, so the award goes to Martin Gore for deciding to pick that song to play live. Send me an email Martin and I'll let you know where to pick up the prize

And with that, the awards ceremony comes to a close. It's been a great year for music both in Scotland and further afield and 2015 will no doubt be even bigger and better. For all things Scottish, keep an eye on the Scottish Fiction blog ( http://scottishfiction.blogspot.co.uk/ ) and an ear on its' podcast and once you've found bands you love shop at the labels or at Glasgow's, if not the world's finest record shop Love Music Glasgow ( http://www.lovemusicglasgow.com/ ). For any and all Depeche Mode related business do have a look at depechemode.com and Home http://www.depeche-mode.com/ and for rare Depeche Mode sounds, never miss my mate Glen Hammarstrom's superb Breathing In Fumes podcast https://www.facebook.com/BreathingInFumes?fref=ts

As for this blog, 2015 will have more DM related exclusive, more Scottish music scene things than ever before and the usual random bits and bobs. I'd be delighted to spend 2015 reviewing new electronic releases from both Scotland and further afield too, so if please feel free to send music to almostpredictablealmost@gmail.com

Thanks very much for reading the blog throughout the year too. The number of views has far exceeded anything I'd ever expected and the number of people in so many different countries that read it baffles me and makes me so proud. You're all very lovely.

See you in 2015

REVIEW - THE CURE, ROYAL ALBERT HALL 29 MARCH 2014

I've been a Cure fan for years now but had never seen them live which was a source of constant frustration. I was then rather excited, to put it mildly, to head to the Albert Hall on Saturday for the Teenage Cancer Trust gig. It was a fantastic show, breathtaking in places, and it underlined just how incredible a back catalogue The Cure have. Whilst my wife and I are fans of the band, we're not quite at the level I am with Depeche Mode, so it was great to end up sitting beside Neale who helped guide us through the b-sides played in the show. It was great to chat to a Cure fan who clearly loves the band as much as the many Depeche fans I've met over the years love DM - she had some cool stories about following the band including a marathon 16 hour session standing up front at Glastonbury to see them. Impressive!

Plainsong

Anyway, to the show. I'd read the reviews of the Friday gig and couldn't quite believe that they'd played a 45 song set. Happily they matched that on Saturday and played a set that spanned their whole career. It's hard to pick highlights but if I'm forced to do so I'd have to say Pictures Of You as that was beyond brilliant. Or maybe Plainsong. Or perhaps Just Like Heaven. Or From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea. It's too hard to pick one.

The full setlist was:

Main set: Plainsong, Prayers For Rain, A Strange Day, A Night Like This, Stop Dead, Push, Inbetween Days, 2 Late, Jupiter Crash, The End Of The World, Lovesong, Mint Car, Friday I'm In Love, Doing The Unstuck, Trust, Pictures Of You, Lullaby, Harold And Joe, The Caterpillar, The Walk, Sleep When I'm Dead, Just Like Heaven, From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea, Want, The Hungry Ghost, Wrong Number, One Hundred Years, Disintegration

Lovesong

Encore 1: If Only Tonight We Could Sleep, Shake Dog Shake, Fascination Street, Bananafishbones, Play For Today, A Forest

A Forest

Encore 2: Catch, The Lovecats, Hot Hot Hot, Let's Go To Bed, Freakshow, Close To Me, Why Can't I Be You?

Encore 3: Boys Don't Cry, 10.15 Saturday Night, Killing An Arab

Typing that setlist makes me realise how many things I missed out in my highlights above. Pictures Of You followed by Lullaby was incredible, One Hundred Years was so powerful, A Forest was one of the greatest things I have ever seen live and Killing An Arab tore the roof off the RAH.

I had high expectations of my first Cure show but they were so far exceeded it's difficult to fully explain how incredible it was. Please tour again Robert - I will certainly be there.