Eclectic performances on the cards at Spaced in the City, Mono books Franz for birthday gig, Aberfeldy Festival returns and Celtic Connections launches; plus new music from Miniature Dinosaurs, Verse Metrics and Yusuf Azak and this week’s gig guide.
Welcome to this week’s compendium of news, music and gigs from Scotland. Have we missed something? Get in touch via email or Twitter.
• An interesting event in Glasgow this weekend: Spaced in the City is billed as “an unpretentious platform” for artists, musicians, actors and designers to exhibit and perform. Taking place at the Barras Art and Design Centre on Saturday, from 12noon right through till 2am, there is a detailed (and rather amusing) itinerary for the day, and live music comes from the likes of Blank Canvas, Holy Mountain and Woodenbox. Tickets, priced £8, are available in advance.
• Glasgow venue Mono have a 10th birthday treat in store, with Franz Ferdinand booked for an intimate show on Friday 16 November. An impressive line-up is completed by RM Hubbert, Muscles of Joy and DJ sets from Optimo’s JD Twitch and Veronica Falls. Tickets are only available in person from Monorail, more info on Facebook.
• As previously reported, the Aberfeldy Festival returns this week, with bands handpicked by crime writer / music aficionado Ian Rankin. On Friday local band Star Wheel Press get things going, alongwith Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat, The Phantom Band, Withered Hand and Meursault. Then on Saturday it’s all about Fence Records, with performances from King Creosote, The Pictish Trail, Rozi Plain, FOUND and Gummi Bako. Unfortunately we hear it’s already sold out, but more info can be found this way.
• The first tranche of artists for Celtic Connections 2013 was announced last week, with the usual mix of festival favourites, major names and world music maestros set to visit Glasgow. It runs from January 17 to February 3 and, as The Scotsman reported, will now include shows at the Barrowlands and Kelvingrove.
• A track by rap group Stanley Odd features in a new advert to help sell Edinburgh to the world. It also features animation from some of the team who made The Illusionist, as The Scotsman reported.
• Detour have another episode of their online TV show in the can, and now streaming on their website. This time they feature CHVRCHES, Crusades and Michael Cassidy.
• Music industry seminar series Born to be Wide returns to the Electric Circus in Edinburgh this week, with visuals to the fore this time. Sleeve design is the topic of discussion, and there will be insights from Alison Fielding of record label firm Beggars Group, photographer Jannica Honey, Sandy McLean of Glasgow record shop Love Music and Tommy Perman of Edinburgh band FOUND. More info.
• Olympic Swimmers, whose new video we alerted you to last week, have been announced as the support for Admiral Fallow’s UK tour in December, which includes a show at the Barrowlands in Glasgow. Full itinerary...
NEW MUSIC
• Stirling band Miniature Dinosaurs have a new EP out. ‘Turn it On is released on Integrity Records and, as well as featuring summer single ‘Lemonade’, also includes current lead track ‘Next of Kin’. They launch the EP with a show at Stereo in Glasgow this Thursday. Watch the video.
• Verse Metrics, who featured highly in the first Scotsman Radar Prize, have new music on the way. Their new ‘Radians’ EP is out on December 1 via Return of Order Records. In the meantime you can stream and download the track ‘Aches’ from SoundCloud.
• Radar-featured singer-songwriter Yusuf Azak has a new album out shortly. Go Native will be released by Song by Toad Records on November 12, and as a teaser, you can grab a free download of the single ‘Smile Tactics’ right now on SoundCloud.
THIS WEEK’S GIG PICKS
Monday: Baltimore band Beach House make The Arches in Glasgow the only Scottish date on their current tour. Their rich, haunting sound should suit the cloistered surroundings nicely.
Monday/Tuesday: Glasgow alt-rockers Twin Atlantic stop at the Music Hall in Aberdeen (Mon) and the HMV Picture House in Edinburgh (Tue).
Thursday: Edinburgh’s Broken Records play a show at the new Broadcast venue in Glasgow.
Thursday: Miniature Dinosaurs launch their new EP at Stereo in Glasgow. See above.
Thursday: Bi-monthly music showcase Cast the Net brings together The Winter Tradition, The King Hats, Two Stripe and The Boscos at Bloc, Glasgow.
Thursday-Monday: Innovative folk trio Lau tour their new concept album Race The Loser at The Ironworks, Inverness (Thu), The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen (Fri), Oran Mor, Glasgow (Sat), the Gardyne Theatre, Dundee and the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh (next Mon).
Friday: Welshman Euros Childs, former frontman of Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci and more recently Jonny (with Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake), plays the Wee Red Bar in Edinburgh.
Saturday: Psych-rock of the finest order with Tame Impala, who have a new album to show off at the O2 ABC, Glasgow.
Saturday: Newly signed to Olive Grove Records, Jo Mango is at the Glad Cafe in Glasgow, with top notch support from Adem and Louis Abbot of Admiral Fallow.
Saturday: Edinburgh’s Wee Red Bar plays host to a benefit gig in aid of the Sick Kids Hospital, with music from Broken Records and ballboy.
Saturday: Spaced in the City welcomes an eclectic mix of musicians, artists and actors to the Barra’s Art and Design Centre, Glasgow. See above.
Sunday: Punk-pop from Ayrshire band Vukovi (with support from The Mirror Trap) at the Electric Circus in Edinburgh.
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