Newsflash: Eurosonic | SL Records | Festivals latest | alt.music awards

Scots bands at Eurosonic

Two of Scotland's most blogged-about bands will be playing a music industry conference in Holland this week that acts as a showcase for summer festival bookers across Europe.

A disproportionately high number of agents, promoters and bookers will be in the crowd when Broken Records and We Were Promised Jetpacks (pictured) ply their live wares at the Eurosonic conference in Groningen, which takes place from Thursday to Saturday.

Developments at SL Records

Edinburgh-based SL Records have announced that they're now working with local anti-folk dude, Les Enfant Bastard. They have three of the songwriter's lo-fi albums available and reveal that he's currently working on a new, Gameboy-inspired LP. More info here.

In other SL-related news, Paul Vickers and The Leg are to return with a new album in February. Itchy Grumble is billed, intriguingly, as "a rock opera album concept; an epic in which an immortal anti-hero is given the task of revolving a lighthouse on the Firth of Forth."

You can listen to some of the album tracks on the SL Records site.

Festivals off

After a grim year for Scotland's major music festivals in 2009, it looks like 2010 isn't going to be a whole lot better. Connect, Outsider, Big in Falkirk, Live at Loch Lomond and EH1 are among festivals shelved in the wake of poor ticket sales and funding problems. The more established events, including T in the Park, Rock Ness, Wickerman and Belladrum, are to go ahead as planned.

Full story in The Scotsman.

Festivals on

But it's not all bad news, especially if you prefer a smaller-scale festival experience. Two such events which debuted in Glasgow last year are set to make their return. Stag & Dagger, a one-night, multi-venue event which last year featured the likes of Cold War Kids and The Phantom Band, returns on Saturday 22 May. And Hinterland, a similar event over two days which had well-documented problems with ticket sales, makes a surprising return, but (perhaps having learned their lesson) takes place on a single weekend day, Saturday 3 April.

And that's not all. Edinburgh gets in on the action with a brand new mini arts festival at the end of this month. Hidden Door takes over the Roxy Art House and The Bowery with a wide selection of leftfield delights, from the bright electro of RBRBR to the anarchic racket of The Leg.

Polls open in alt music awards

Promoter Richy Muirhead has launched his Scottish Alternative Music Awards for 2010. Anyone can vote in the four rock-focussed categories, with bands featured including UtR-tipped names like Trapped in Kansas, Bronto Skylift and The Darien Venture. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Classic Grand, Glasgow on 24 February. More info here.

Words: Nick Mitchell

Got any other Scottish music news tips? Send them to utr.scotsman@gmail.com or get in touch via Twitter