Well after a weekend of total mayhem in Scotland’s capital city, what the fuck are we in for this time around?  Well there’s a few things actually, although one of my personal choices is pretty much sold out, I do believe: that being Withered Hand & the Pictish Trail at the Caves on Thursday. If there are a few tickets left I suggest you turn up at the door pretty promptly in order to score one.

The other stuff, as usual, is listed below:

[Meanwhile, in the now traditional 'Matthew is an idiot and has left something out' slot we have the following: on Thursday 1st March Thomas Truax is playing in a rather surprising choice of venue - Opium nightclub on the Cowgate.]

Tuesday 28th Feb: The Cast of Cheers & Theme Park at the Electric Circus.

I think ‘sprightly guitar pop’ best sums this up.  It’s cheerful, upbeat and bouncy – perhaps not entirely my kind of thing at the moment, but I reckon those of you who like your music a little less growly might enjoy this.

The Cast of Cheers – Goose

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Friday 2nd March: Wet Nuns, Fat Goth & Hagana at the Electric Circus.

If you fancy a bit of pantomime villian blues rock (to coin the stupidest genre designation I’ve heard in a while) then you might well like this.  Despite being tipped by the NME, Wet Nuns sound pretty good, and there’s a sort of over-the-top camp to this bill which looks like great fun.  The names alone are worth going for.

Saturday 3rd March: The Machine Room, Blank Canvas & Zed Penguin at the Wee Red Bar.

This gig is the launch night for the Machine Room’s new EP, which you can preview on the Bandcamp embed below. I am reserving judgment on the band for the time being, but it’s certainly very promising and contains lots of individual moments I do like.  The support bands are pretty varied too, with bluesy screech from Zed Penguin and rollicking piano pop from Blank Canvas.

Sunday 4th March: Adam Stafford, Radio Trees & Loch Awe at the Third Door.

I am such a latecomer to the Adam Stafford Appreciation Party that I am probably really annoying everyone who’s been banging on about him for ages. Nevertheless, the way he builds his songs out of looped vocals and guitar is nevertheless something to behold.  I confess I know nothing about Radio Trees, but Loch Awe have been recording in Chem19 recently and the one song I’ve heard from those sessions sounds bloody great.

Sunday 4th March: A Hawk and a Hacksaw at the Filmhouse.

A Hawk and a Hacksaw’s last visit to Edinburgh brought them to the Caves, if I remember, but this occasion will be rather different: they are here, I think, to play a live soundtrack to the Russian film Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors.  I am a bit sketchy on the details I have to confess, but this looks rather fascinating.

Michael John McCarthy is a very talented young man.  As well as being one third of the highly rated Glasgow popsters Zoey Van Goey (though not my favourite third!) he is also the accordian player for Adian Moffat’s Best Ofs.  Well, on top of all this he’s found time, in his no doubt ridiculously busy schedule, to record and release a mini album under the name Radio Trees.  The album is FREE to download over at Wiseblood Industries a mega cool Glasgow indie label run by Adam Stafford of Y’all Is Fantasy Island fame and soon to be home of The Kays Lavelle!  Anyways, there will be more info on the Kays album later in this 2 week run of mine, but for now lets focus on this little piece of Alt.pop beauty that is Outside World Strategies Vol.1.  There are a lot of lovely pop songs on this but this is far from straight up pop.  There’s beatboxing, instrumentals, accordian, blues piano and some real vibes going on in there - ‘Keep Your Stick To The Ice’ actually reminds me, musically at least, of the Fun Lovin Criminals!  So yeah, I’m finding it hard to pin this down to any one particular style but I am really, really enjoying it.  It’s got to be a definite for all the Zoey Van Goey fans out there for sure.  It shows time and time again that MJ has a brilliant ear for a melody and for that pop hook which I guess is why Zoey Van Goey are doing so well and getting so much positive recognition.  Don’t over look this mini album though and make sure you get across to The Kays Lavelle’s new record labels website and download this record.  hehehe.  Sorry, that still makes me smile!  Anyways, the blurb on wiseblood’s website suggests that this will appeal to fans of Sparklehorse, Okkervill River and early Neutral Milk Hotel.  As a fan of all of these bands, I am inclined to agree, but this should appeal to a wide sprectrum of music fans,  those who like shimmering pop and those who like it a little edgier alike.  Enjoy.

Old Folks – Radio Trees

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Haunted – Radio Trees

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