BREATHING IN FUMES 15 - OUT NOW

Once again, let me draw your attention to the fantastic Breathing In Fumes podcast, the only Depeche Mode podcast you'll need. Each episode host Glen Hammarstrom (Glen_101 on Twitter) puts together a show made up of rare Depeche tracks, live tracks, remixes and much more. It's 100% free to get so there is no reason not to go and get it now. As you'll see it features two support acts from legendary DM shows - OMD from the Rose Bowl and Electronic from Dodgers' Stadium in 1990. Very cool.  Links below

Tracklist for BIF 15

Interview from 120 Minutes, Crystal Palace 1993

I Feel You (Live from Crystal Palace 31/7/93)

Black Celebration (Live Birmingham NEC 10/4/86)

Artisan News - The Remixes 81-11

Personal Jesus (Alex Metric Remix)

Suffer Well (M83 Remix)

Interview - Dave loves Porsche

Nothing's Impossible (Demo)

Heaven (Justin Warfield Remix)

Dave Gahan - Bottle Living (Machine Head Lyric Remix)

OMD - Secret (Live Rose Bowl, Pasadena CA - 18/6/88)

Electronic - Patience Of A Saint (Live Los Angeles CA 5/8/90)

Podcast link http://breathinginfumes.podomatic.com/entry/2014-05-28T22_53_16-07_00

Breathing In Fumes Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BreathingInFumes?fref=nf

Breathing In Fumes Twitter https://twitter.com/breathefumes

I should also add that Glen has started a Breathing in Fumes blog that will contain all manner of Depeche related stuff. It is, of course, well worth a read. Well, once you've read my blog anyway ;)

Here it is http://breathinginfumespodcast.wordpress.com/

REVIEW - NINE INCH NAILS, THE HYDRO, GLASGOW 20 MAY 2014

Wow. My ears are still vibrating. That was one of the best, loudest and most intense concerts I have ever been to. I'd never seen Nine Inch Nails before last night and the sheer bloody marvellousness of it all transported me back to my teenage/Uni borderline goth years which was a joyous thing. Support came from Cold Cave who did a good job of warming up the crowd who were already hungry for NIN. They played a mix of their newer tracks from Full Cold Moon and older stuff including one or two from the excellent Cherish The Light Years and didn't seem out of place in such a large venue. There are echoes of classic era New Order, Depeche Mode and even Erasure in their music which is no bad thing. Trust me on the Erasure reference - my mate John who was with me is something of an expert in that field. Wesley even name checked Mono in Glasgow as being his favourite restaurant so they couldn't fail to impress the home crowd.

Picture courtesy of Stephanie Gerber @StephaneeGerber

Nine Inch Nails came on to a mix of Pinion and The Eater of Dreams before appearing onstage like a terrifying, musclebound version of Kraftwerk and blasting through Me,I'm Not and Copy Of A. For the next two hours there was an aural and visual onslaught the sheer power of which is impossible to accurately convey in words. Once the synths were removed the live drums and guitars kicked in and gave new life to songs that were already pretty lively in the first place. Kudos especially to Ilan Rubin who among other things plays the drums like no other person on earth has before.

Nine Inch Nails - Gave Up (live Glasgow 20 May 2014)

We were treated to what you might call the band's greatest hits. March Of The Pigs nearly blew the roof off the Hydro and, when that was followed by an onimous version of Piggy, it dawned on me that I was watching tracks from The Downward Spiral being played live and that very nearly blew my brain. The Downward Spiral and Broken are two of my favourite albums of all time and seeing large chunks of them live for the first time ever was quite remarkable. Every song the band played added a new high to the night which, for me, peaked with an explosive version of my favourite NIN track, Wish. Absolutely remarkable. The versions of Eraser, Came Back Haunted and Head Like A Hole were out of this world too.

Trent Reznor really is a captivating frontman, He prowls the stage jumping around from scary sounding synths, to treated guitars and even to a piano solo on The Frail and never once do you take your eyes off him. This is a unique band and they deserve far more praise than they will ever get. It was as powerful as any gig I have ever been to and I really hope I get the chance to see them again. If you get an opportunity go and see them as soon as you can. 

Setlist: Pinion/The Eater of Dreams, Me I'm Not, Copy of A, 1000000, March Of The Pigs, Piggy, The Frail, The Wretched, Gave Up, Sanctified, Closer, The Warning, Find My Way, Disappointed, Came Back Haunted, The Great Destroyer, Eraser, Wish, Only, The Hand That Feeds, Head Like A Hole (ENCORE) The Day The World Went Away, Hurt

REVIEW - MACHINES IN HEAVEN 10 May 2014, Electropolis at The Art School, Glasgow

Electropolis is a night that is regularly put on at the Art School in Glasgow that promises to showcase  the finest up and coming Scottish electronica nights and so it was inevitably a good thing that the Electropolis night on 10 May was headlined by blog favourites Machines In Heaven.

After some great support from the bands above plus special guest Loki, Machines took to the stage and played a set heavy on debut album bordersbreakdown, but one which delighted and surprised both with the way the album tracks sounded and with the way the new track, Taxpayers' Compass, showed a definite progression from the tracks everyone should already be familiar with.

Machines In Heaven, live at The Art School Glasgow 10 May 2014

The whole set was great and I was taken with the way the bordersbreakdown tracks have developed their own life live. On the album their electronic influence comes across, whilst live they develop a power of their own, reminiscent in places of the Pixies or My Bloody Valentine. There are moments of spine tingling majesty in songs like The Eternal Now or Remembrance that set this band above others on the live scene at the moment. Like I have said many times before, you owe it to yourself to check Machines out. When Taxpayers' Compass was played, I could easily have been back in the big top at the Radiohead gigs on Glasgow Green in 2001 - it's of that standard. This is impressive music. Keep an eye out for any Machines In Heaven gigs in your area. You MUST see them.

Setlist: We Fall/The National Monument/Parliament Is Made Of Rice Paper/Mumbo Jingo/Remembrance/The Eternal/Taxpayers' Compass/bordersbreakdown

Stream debut album bordersbreakdown here https://soundcloud.com/machinesinheaven/sets/bordersbreakdown

Machines In Heaven Facebook https://www.facebook.com/machinesinheaven

NEW SCOTTISH SINGLES REVIEW - TUFF LOVE, CAMPFIRES IN WINTER, FRIENDS IN AMERICA AND PREHISTORIC FRIENDS

There has been a spate of great new singles released by a few excellent Scottish bands recently, so to help you navigate your way to them, I thought I'd do a Singles Review section rather than the usual thing focusing on one band only. So here we go.

TUFF LOVE - JUNK EP

Tuff Love are a Glasgow based three piece who make summery sounding almost lo fi in places guitar pop that instantly catches and burrows into your brain from where you'll struggle to remove it. Imagine if the Pixies had let Kim Deal sing more or if REM had managed to fuse the jangle of their Fables era to the amps they discovered they had around Monster time and you'll get part of the story here. All 5 songs on this e.p. are wroth your time. This is a hugely promising debut release and whats more it's available on a rather lovely 10" white vinyl from the marvellous Lost Map records.  

Tuff Love Faebook page https://www.facebook.com/ReallyTuffLove

Lost Map band page http://lostmap.com/tuff-love/

CAMPFIRES IN WINTER - WE'LL EXIST

Campfires In Winter are one of the most exciting bands around on the Glasgow, or more precisely Croy, scene at the moment. Their new single We'll Exist is an absolute cracker and, frankly, you're letting yourself down if you don't get it. I heard it live a few weeks ago at the Call To Mind album release show and loved it from the off. It is an example of the power and just general genius of Campfires In Winter and from May 12th you can own it. Here's the video in the meantime

Campfires In Winter webiste http://www.campfiresinwinter.com/

Campfires In Winter Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CampfiresInWinter?fref=ts

FRIENDS IN AMERICA - THE MORE I HAVE THE LESS I OWN THE MORE LEARN THE LESS I KNOW

It's lucky people don't copy songs onto tape anymore (ask your parents) as writing that on an inlay card would be a nightmare. Thankfully, that's the only quibble I have with this single which is another first class release from Friends In America. Carrying on from their impressive debut album What It Is To Be, the band again show why they are one to watch with another fantastic combination of guitar pop and thought provoking lyrics. The single release party is on 15 May at Nice N Sleazy's and you can get tickets and the single form the link below

Friends In America single party info https://friendsinamericamusic.bandcamp.com/merch/ticket-to-friends-in-america-the-more-i-single-launch-may-15th-with-free-single-download-a-week-early

Friends In American Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FriendsInAmerica?fref=ts

PREHISTORIC FRIENDS - BERMUDA TRIANGLE

Prehistoric Friends  first came to my attention at the Call To Mind album release show and I was impressed from the off. Their debut single Bermuda Triangle was one of the highlights of an excellent set and you can watch the video, which is currently streaming on The Skinny, below. The band are an intriguing mix of synth pop, lo fi and much more and you should really investigate them.

Prehistoric Friends Facebook https://www.facebook.com/prehistoricfriends?fref=ts

So there you are. Four Scottish bands, four new things for you to get. Do try and check them all out

ELECTRONIC INSPIRATIONS #2: PET SHOP BOYS - INTROSPECTIVE

It is hard to overstate how important a band the Pet Shop Boys are. Their contribution to British pop music deserves constant praise, from the perfection of What I Have Done To Deserve This to the sheer brilliance of So Hard, to pick two examples at random. Like most people of my era, growing up I was a huge fan and it was a time when they seemed to be in the Top 10 every week cornering the pop market with Erasure as both bands produced classic single after classic single. Pet Shop Boys have always been more than a singles band with a catalogue of genuinely brilliant albums and for years, Behaviour has been my favourite. Its' mix of nostalgia, pop and melody make it near perfect. This whole series is about electronic inspirations however, and that is what I want to look at Pet Shop Boys' second greatest album, 1988's Introspective.

The album was released on 11 October 1988 and it instantly altered any preconceptions I held about the band. Instead of the tried and tested pop formula of Please and Actually, the band put out a 6 track album with each song lasting over six minutes with every song firmly focused on the dancefloor. Each of the 4 singles released from the album were classic Pet Shop Boys' singles in their own right and each was a pop gem along the lines we had come to expect from the band. That said, one of these singles was Always On My Mind which was released some 11 months before the album came out so it's tricky to suggest that its release was truly part of the Instrospective release campaign. I'm not going to find fault with that however, as the band's version of Always On My Mind remains one of the greatest pieces of music anyone has released ever. 

Anyway, back to Introspective. Other than Always On My Mind, the singles released were Domino Dancing, Left To My Own Devices and It's Alright. The first two were the only tracks written for Introspective, the remaining four consisting of two covers (Always On My Mind and It's Alright), an old b-side (I Want A Dog) and a cover of a song that the Pet Shop Boys wrote for Eighth Wonder (I'm Not Scared). They covered their own song - at least I think that's how you'd put it. 

The album opens with the stunning Left To My Own Devices, a track that manages to sound like the world's biggest orchestra playing in the middle of a club and which has one of the greatest choruses of all time. From there we're straight into I Want A Dog, a tale of loneliness that is driven along by an almost acid like bass. Chris Lowe has always had one eye on the prevailing club scenes of the time and dances influences inf you want to call them that have always been prevalent in PSB's music. Much more than just a pop band you see. Track 3, or the end of side 1 in old money, is the mindblowing Domino Dancing. What does this track not have? We've got a Latin influence, perfect synth sounds, dance beats, housey piano and yet another classic chorus. In the midst of all that we have a sort of scratchy, basey breakdown that smacks the listener right in the face. Majestic.

The sound of a fairgound heralds the start of Side 2 as we swoop into I'm Not Scared. This version is so far superior to Eighth Wonder's version it's silly. The atmosphere of the track changes entirely from their version and it is a really is a wonderful thing. The penultimate song is a 9 minute version of Always On My Mind called Always On My Mind/In My House which is almost indescribably good. It twists and turns the band's 7" version adding heavy bass, ahead of their time beats, more housey elements and a mid section rap by neil that is actually fantastic. All this carries on and then suddenly builds to a euphoric climax that I defy anyone to listen to and not enjoy. Staggeringly good. Finally, continuing the house theme, we have It's Alright, a cover of a track by Sterling Void. As well as the many elements mentioned above we have a choir thrown in at the start which is no bad thing at all.

An electronic influence then? Certainly. In releasing Introspective, Pet Shop Boys tore up the pop rule book and showed that 12" remixes weren't just something for 12" singles. They made a genuinely brilliant album where innovative takes on the the prevalent club and dances scenes merged effortlessly with their trademark pop brilliance. This strange album sold 4.5 million copies worldwide which is extraordinary and a testament to just how good it is. If you haven't heard it, have a listen - you'll be impressed. 

CALL TO MIND - THE WINTER IS WHITE

I first heard of Call To Mind when Neil at Scottish Fiction asked me to review their A Family Sketch single last year. I was instantly struck by the sheer beauty of the track which was one of the best things I heard last year and, given that 2013 was a Depeche Mode release year, that says a lot. Happily, their debut album The Winter Is White (Olive Grove Records) builds on the power of A Family Sketch, giving us of the most exciting debut albums of the year.

The album opens with A Family Sketch, meaning that you're instantly hooked. To my ears, the band's Highlands roots give this album its' atmospheric feel, much in the same way Sigur Ros' music puts you in mind of wandering around Iceland even if you haven't been there. January (You Are All I See) follows A Family Sketch and we continue on the almost ambient in parts, almost motorik in others path which is no bad thing at all. Energy//Blast,  the fantastic The Wound & The Gift and Passing Drumochter round off Side 1 (yes this is a vinyl review and yes there's that Highlands influence - see?). The Wound & The Gift is a beautiful song with a piano line that sits quite far back in the mix but grabs you before you're hit with some almost My Bloody Valentine like feedback guitar as the song ends. Clever stuff

Side two opens with the almost poppy Breathe which should be a smash hit single if there's any justice. The second half of the album is more conventional perhaps that the first half but that's absolutely fine. The band aren't frightened to mix experimental with more straightforward music and both styles compliment each other perfectly. Over The Machair follows Breathe and it's another song that takes you on a journey that you won't forget. Untitled, Sightlines and the marvellous Chemotherapy round off the album and straightaway you want to get back up, turn it over and start playing it again.

This is s special album and is another example of why the Scottish music scene is in its' most vibrant state for years. More and more bands are releasing great quality work and Call To Mind are right there at the forefront. You must hear this album.

Call To Mind website

Call To Mind Facebook

Call To Mind Twitter  

Olive Grove Records website

Scottish Album of The Year

The Scottish Album of The Year (SAY) longlist has been announced. The 20 albums on the list are:

Adam Holmes and The Embers - Heirs and Graces
Adam Stafford - Imaginary Walls Collapse
Biffy Clyro - Opposites
Boards Of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest
Camera Obscura - Desire Lines
CHVRCHES - The Bones Of What You Believe
Dunedin Consort (Dir. John Butt) - J.S. Bach: Six Brandenburg Concertos
Edwyn Collins - Understated
Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse
Hector Bizerk - Nobody Seen Nothing
Kid Canaveral - Now That You Are A Dancer
Mogwai - Les Revenants
Rick Redbeard - No Selfish Heart
RM Hubbert - Breaks And Bone
Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire - Roddy Heart & The Lonesome Fire
Scottish Chamber Orchestra (R Ticciati) - Berlioz: Les Nuits D'ete
Scottish National Jazz Orchestra -  In The Spirit Of Duke
Steve Mason - Monkey Minds In The Devil's Time
The Pastels - Slow Summits
Young Fathers - Tape Two

The longlist will be promoted through the SAY website (click) for four weeks during which time one of the longlisted albums can be streamed each weekday. A public vote begins on 26 May for 72 hours to allow the public to choose one album to go onto the final shortlist of 10, the other nine being chosen by the judging panel. 

Get listening and then get voting. It's a hugely impressive list that reflects the quality of music coming out of Scotland at the moment. Like I keep saying, we are in the midst of a great period for Scottish music and that's why it's really important to support awards like this and the music scene in general.

SAY Facebook page 

SAY Twitter