Better late than never here is a selection of the best music to find it’s way to Scots Whay Hae! in August. First off are Glasgow band Honey whose sound has been described as psychedelic pop and even shoegazing. Now in some corners these terms are seen as derisory, but not at Scots Whay Hae! where psychedelia, of the right kind, is positively embraced and the passing of Slowdive is still mourned. There is certainly a Cocteau Twins sensibility at work. The following track is Summertone from their EP Taste it And See, and there were a few early mornings where I had the windows open as the rain poured down outside and this was swimming around in my head:
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F14842250 Honey – Summertone by honeyband
Then there are This Silent Forest whose aim for August was to write, record and video a song a day for 30 days. Did they succeed? I don’t know, they haven’t told me. But from earlier in the year here they are with Falter Discover, and I think this is just gorgeous:
Prince Edward Island’s album This Day is a Good Enough Day has accompanied me up, down and around the streets of Edinburgh over the past month, and I can’t imagine a more suitable soundtrack. But don’t take my word for it, have a wee listen for yer self:
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F951135 Prince Edward Island – This day is a good enough day by Soundandvisionpr
The most anticipated album of the year, at least round our house, is The Other Half of Everything by ex De Rosa man Martin John Henry which is scheduled to arrive in October. I saw Henry supporting the Seventeenth Century last year and his new songs were of the quality that you immediately yearned to hear them again. Here’s one of them; this is First Light:
Finally here are two track from bands signed to the fine label Flowers in the Dustbin, who are building one of the most impressive collection of acts around. First is Mushroom Cloud from Kick to Kill. This is one of those songs which slowly picks up pace until a heads down rush to the finish leaves you breathless:
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F22224107 KICK TO KILL – Mushroom Cloud by Flowers In The Dustbin
And here is another track from the great Mummy Short Arms, who I’m becoming increasingly enamoured with. This is Where’s the Mortuary which has a pleasing Bad Seeds feel to it:
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F21176859 MUMMY SHORT ARMS – Where’s The Mortuary? by Flowers In The Dustbin
That’s it for August. That’s it for summer. It may have been a washout but its had a hell of a soundtrack.