Song, by Toad

When I first moved up here, just about three and a half years ago, I was moaning about the lifelessness of the Edinburgh music scene and the fact that the long lost T on the Fringe was the only time anything interesting at all actually happened.

These days that is bollocks, of course, so it was with some pride that I read this little something in the NME letters page this morning. Actually, Bart scanned it and emailed it to me because I don’t buy the NME, but you know what I mean. I don’t know who you are, Scott the Thief, but I will buy you a pint if you ever reveal your secret identity!

And now, to celebrate, some “snobby art school jazz pish”. Life is sweet!

Enfant Bastard – Outside

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Enfant Bastard – Plastic Bag

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I bumped into Bart of Eagleowl and Kays Lavelle fame the other day. We were both hanging out in one of the achingly cool vintage vinyl record stores where you tend to find hip cats like us…

Okay, it was Tesco’s… but anyway, I promised I’d post a reminder about the fabulous Retreat festival Bart’s involved in that’s coming up this week.

The Retreat festival has everything going for it: All the shows take place over a series of nights throughout August, and in one centrally-located venue; St. John’s Church hall on the corner of Princes’ Street and Lothian Road (The one in the photo). The festival is charging a bargain flat-rate entry fee of just £3 for each show, doors are at 8pm each night, and an irresistable array of local talent will be on display. It would be plain daft to miss out.

Monday 4th August
Rob St. John, Emily Scott

Wednesday 6th August
The Pictish Trail, Button Series, HMS Ginafore

Friday 8th August
Randan Discotheque, The Wee Rogue

Monday 11th August
Wounded Knee, Jess Bryant

Friday 15th August
Withered Hand, Jo Foster

Saturday 16th August
Eagleowl EP launch featuring Allo, Darlin’

Wednesday 20th August
Ziggy Campbell, Little Pebble

Saturday 23rd August
My Kappa Roots, Royal Edinburgh Music

Sunday 24th August
Mersault, John Egdell