Scottish bands

[cilamc]

Are we seeing a resurgence of pop and rock music coming from Scotland? So many good bands around like Franz Ferdinand, B&S, Arab Strap. What I like lots though is how FF and B&S are so influenced by people like Orange Juice, Aztec Camera and Josef K.

Orange Juice were a very funky group, weren't they? "You Can't Hide Your Love Forever" and "Rip It Up" are superb. I love Simple Minds too (up to 82), Altered Images' back catalogue has been reissued - I think they're very overlooked. I think even "Kite" their last record is a really good album!

Anyway, it'd be great if the whole Postcard scene got a proper reissue treatment.

[Gazeuse]

I love Simple Minds too...It's really BIG music made up of quite simple and concise parts. I saw them a couple of times at Wembley after being taken with Waterfront on TOTP.

There was a time when you'd get taken the piss out of for liking them (Perhaps that's still so!!!) but I don't care...I think it's still very stirring stuff.

[MonkeyDrummer]

a resurgence of pop and rock music coming from Scotland?

Quality music has never stopped coming out of Scotland, and more specifically Glasgow. It's just that it's now commercially successful.
Thinking of bands like, Teenage Fanclub, The Pastels,  The BMX Bandits, The Soup Dragons,  The Beta Band,  The Vaselines, Mogwai.
Belle & Sebastian, to be fair have been out for donkeys now and Arab Strap have too and let's not forget Idlewild.

What am i trying to say? I don't think we're witnessing a "resurgence" at all. Just an awakening.

[Neville Chamberlain]

Teenage Fanclub, The Pastels,  The BMX Bandits, The Soup Dragons,  The Beta Band,  The Vaselines, Mogwai...

...Runrig, The Bluebells, Deacon Blue...

[no_offenc]

Dead good band out of Glasgow called Lapsus Linguae, they've supported 80s Matchbox b-line disaster and a few others, did a gig with them in Liverpool a year or so back.  sound lads, odd music (think piano/classical music crossed with shellac-styled metal sounds and you're halfway there, i think) and they all wear leather keks onstage too, which is a bonus.

Did I mention they're really sound?  Unless you rip em off.  Then you get yelled at.  Like some old gang of twats who just wandered in and walked right past the guy taking money.  Dickheads.

[Neville Chamberlain]

Dead good band out of Glasgow called Lapsus Linguae

Good call!

Bis. They're Scottish. And very good too, as were that Urusereusrei Yatsuarara.

What about good bands from Ireland, though? I can't think of a single one off the top of my head.

[no_offenc]

The Evangelists.  Are pretty good.

There's a couple of songs on www.straightouttaclapton.com if you're up for a listen.

[another Mr. Lizard]

What about good bands from Ireland, though? I can't think of a single one off the top of my head.

Dunno about current ones, but from the past there's The Undertones, Stiff Little Fingers, U2 of course, and at a push The Pogues and My Bloody Valentine might be counted too.

Funny that this thread should have emerged just now, as me and a couple of mates at work spent most of last week discussing this very subject. We went so far as to compiling our lists of best and worst Scottish bands:

"Hoots Mon! - the best"
1. The Jesus And Mary Chain
2. Teenage Fanclub
3. Orange Juice
4. Primal Scream
5. Mogwai
6. The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
7. Cocteau Twins
8. The KLF (the Scotsman website calls them Scottish, who am I to argue?)
9. The Associates
10. Urusei Yatsura

runners-up  - Bis, Beta Band, Skids, Big Country, Pastels, Josef K, Aztec Camera, The Vaselines/Captain America/Eugenius, Meat Whiplash, Altered Images, Pilot, The Rezillos, Scars, Boards Of Canada.



"England 5 Scotland 1  - the worst"
1. The Proclaimers
2. Texas
3. Runrig
4. Deacon Blue
5. Danny Wilson
6. Hue And Cry
7. Travis
8. Wet Wet Wet
9. Belle And Sebastian (I know they've got their admirers, but they're rubbish, aren't they?)
10. The Exploited


And our track list for "Noo That's What I Call Deep Fried", the Scottish compilation album (limiting ourselves to one track per artist, this was our 'best Scottish tracks of all time')
:
1. Donald Where's Yer Troosers  - Andy Stewart
2. Never Understand  - Jesus And Mary Chain
3. Forest Fire - Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
4. Consolation Prize - Orange Juice
5. Norman 3  - Teenage Fanclub
6. Damaged  - Primal Scream
7. Vambo - Sensational Alex Harvey Band
8. TV Stars  - Skids
9. Rebels Rule  - Iron Virgin
10. Donimo  - Cocteau Twins
11. Oomalama  - Eugenius
12. O-li O-le  - Rod Stewart/Scotland World Cup Squad
13. Yes I Am A Long Way From Home  - Mogwai
14. Give A Little Love - Bay City Rollers
15. Fandabidozi  - The Krankies

[MonkeyDrummer]

9. Belle And Sebastian (I know they've got their admirers, but they're rubbish, aren't they?)

No.

The Vaselines/Captain America/Eugenius

That's 3 different bands you've listed there. Varying from legendary to dross.

[another Mr. Lizard]

The Vaselines/Captain America/Eugenius

That's 3 different bands you've listed there. Varying from legendary to dross.

Two, surely (Captain America had to change their name to Eugenius), and with Eugene Kelly connecting them all.

[the hum]

Scottish bands eh? Hmmm, well to add to all that we have

Win - probably best known for their tune 'You've got the power', which was in a McEwan's lager advert in the mid/late 80s.

Pallas - prog rock from Aberdeen.  Ridiculously melodramatic but good fun all the same.

Goodbye Mr Mackenzie - Shirley Manson was with this lot before Garbage came into being.  They were a vastly superior band and she looked prettier back then as well.

The Blue Nile - nice, and a new album out soon.

[fanny splendid]

I can't wait for the MOSO awards.

It's shit, but it's our culture, innit?

[MonkeyDrummer]

The Vaselines/Captain America/Eugenius

That's 3 different bands you've listed there. Varying from legendary to dross.

Two, surely (Captain America had to change their name to Eugenius), and with Eugene Kelly connecting them all.

Yeah, ok. You got me, but it should have been written

The Vaselines, Captain America/Euguenis.

[another Mr. Lizard]

Win - probably best known for their tune 'You've got the power', which was in a McEwan's lager advert in the mid/late 80s.

Am I right in thinking Win featured Davey Henderson of the legendary Fire Engines (another band we've all forgotten to mention so far)? Win did a brilliant 12" single called 'Unamerican Broadcasting' that I've got lying around somewhere.

[NattyDread]

runners-up  -Boards Of Canada.

"England 5 Scotland 1  - the worst"
1. The Proclaimers

9. Belle And Sebastian (I know they've got their admirers, but they're rubbish, aren't they?)

Shurely shome mishtake? Boards Of Canada runners up behind Big Country? They'd be in anyone with a working pair of ears' top ten!

The Proclaimers have great comedy value and '500 Miles' should become the new national anthem. Especially for the fitba'. It's great when they play that after a goal at Hampden.  Whoever's idea it was to get those opera singers and the dude with the Gibson sg guitar belting out Flower Of Scotland before the last few games should be pelted with pies.

B&S are one of the finest bands on the planet. Clean your ears out laddie.

[splattermac]

some current Scots, fae Glasgae , Sons and Daughters - self titled ep, listen here

on the same site theres some stuff by fellow Scots Aereogramme but they aren't really my bag.

p.s

I take back what I've previously said about B&S's If You're Feeling Sinister LP being a bit rubbish, it's really a lot good :)

[Neil]

Are any of these new bands anywhere approaching the greatness of Teenage Fanclub or The Sensational Alex Harvey Band?  I can't get enough of Teenage Fanclub at the minute, especially the track "Don't Look Back" which is an absolutely stunning bit of music.  There's a nice collection of acoustic stuff by the Fannies on Soulseek, with a lot of the tracks taken from the old Graveyard Shift shows.  There's a cover of The Creepers' "Shadows" on there which is beautiful, harmonica ahoy.  I'll be buggered if I can find the original version on Soulseek though.

In fact, Teenage Fanclub covers are always worth listening to, I much prefer their version of Between Us!

[NattyDread]

Are any of these new bands anywhere approaching the greatness of Teenage Fanclub?

No.


If that acoustic collection you mention doesn't have it, look out for the 'Teenage Fanclub Have Lost It' e.p. It's all acoustic versions of their old songs. Everything Flows (their finest moment) and Don't Look Back are the highlights.

[The Man With Brass Eyes]

Dead good band out of Glasgow called Lapsus Linguae, they've supported 80s Matchbox b-line disaster and a few others ...(think piano/classical music crossed with shellac-styled metal sounds and you're halfway there, i think) and they all wear leather keks onstage too, which is a bonus.

This might be the band I head on a Peel session recently (someone played me a CD with it on).  They were definately Scottish.  Sounded very great, but I can't remember their name.  The Shellac-line fits.  I think the vocals were sort of At the Drive In speed.

Are they a two-piece?  I think a drummer & guitar.

[Jemble Fred]

Wet Wet Wet are the only band worth listening to yet mentioned on this thread. Cheeky young funsters that they were. I'm not being sarcastic...


Okay, Franz Ferdinand are alright.

[MonkeyDrummer]

Are any of these new bands anywhere approaching the greatness of Teenage Fanclub or The Sensational Alex Harvey Band?

IMHO Belle & Sebastian do.  In fact, in a many ways I'd say they were far superior to the Fannies at least, I'm not so familiar with Alex Harvey's music.

[BetaKarraTene]

"England 5 Scotland 1  - the worst"

7. Travis

9. Belle And Sebastian

Can't agree with you there. B&S have all ready been mentioned, but The Man Who and 12 Memories are great records and songs like U16 Girls and Peace The Fuck Out smash the myth that that Travis only make music for wussies.

Other bands that haven't been mentioned: Dogs Die In Hot Cars, Snow Patrol (adopted Scots these days) and the associated Reindeer Section, Dot Allison and the triple assault of Arab Strap, Malcolm Middleton and Lucky Pierre.

[NattyDread]

Are any of these new bands anywhere approaching the greatness of Teenage Fanclub or The Sensational Alex Harvey Band?

IMHO Belle & Sebastian do.  In fact, in a many ways I'd say they were far superior to the Fannies at least, I'm not so familiar with Alex Harvey's music.

They're not new though. Same goes for Mogwai and Boards Of Canada.

[MonkeyDrummer]

Are any of these new bands anywhere approaching the greatness of Teenage Fanclub or The Sensational Alex Harvey Band?

IMHO Belle & Sebastian do.  In fact, in a many ways I'd say they were far superior to the Fannies at least, I'm not so familiar with Alex Harvey's music.

They're not new though. Same goes for Mogwai and Boards Of Canada.

Bugger, didn't see that word.New. Still, they're newer than the Fannies.

[A Passing Turk Slipper]

Teenage Fanclub's cover of take the skinheads bowling is class too.

[no_offenc]

Dead good band out of Glasgow called Lapsus Linguae, they've supported 80s Matchbox b-line disaster and a few others ...(think piano/classical music crossed with shellac-styled metal sounds and you're halfway there, i think) and they all wear leather keks onstage too, which is a bonus.

This might be the band I head on a Peel session recently (someone played me a CD with it on).  They were definately Scottish.  Sounded very great, but I can't remember their name.  The Shellac-line fits.  I think the vocals were sort of At the Drive In speed.

Are they a two-piece?  I think a drummer & guitar.

They're a few-piece, but I dunno exactly how many, 3 or 4 i think.  www.lapsuslinguae.co.uk if you want, there's mp3s there as well.

[poison popcorn]

i saw lapsus linguae on a trip to glasgow some months ago, fucking great they were too. mad noisy clatter with occasional tinkly piano bits, and surreal gibberish banter. top stuff.

another glasgow band worth a mention are el hombre trajeado, absolutely brilliant live http://www.elhombre.co.uk/ i got their mp3's when they had them for free download, alas that's no more. i might pop one in song du jour soon.

judging by the accents prolapse are scottish too, and bloody good to boot.

[the hum]

Win - probably best known for their tune 'You've got the power', which was in a McEwan's lager advert in the mid/late 80s.

Am I right in thinking Win featured Davey Henderson of the legendary Fire Engines (another band we've all forgotten to mention so far)? Win did a brilliant 12" single called 'Unamerican Broadcasting' that I've got lying around somewhere.

Yep, Davey Henderson was Win's frontman.  Both tracks are on their '87 album 'Uh! Tears Baby' (which is bloody difficult to track down in any format).

[Doctor Stamen]

"England 5 Scotland 1  - the worst"
1. The Proclaimers
2. Texas
3. Runrig
4. Deacon Blue
5. Danny Wilson
6. Hue And Cry
7. Travis
8. Wet Wet Wet
9. Belle And Sebastian (I know they've got their admirers, but they're rubbish, aren't they?)
10. The Exploited

You forgot Gun.  I saw them get an amazing reception once at T In The Park (as did Texas) purely on the basis of them being Scottish (or maybe they had 40,000 friends in the crowd) and was dumbstruck.  Fucking dire!

[Bert Thung]

10. The Exploited

The great anecdote about The Exploited is when main man Watty went to sign on at an Edinburgh dole office.  He was refused any benefits on the understandable grounds that the night before he was on Top of The Pops.

And if we're talking about jockpop, I also feel a compulsion to shoehorn the fact I lived in the same street as two Bay City Rollers.  My Dad's a cabbie, and whenever he gave them a lift somewhere, the next fare would be fans who wanted to sniff the seats they'd just sat on.