Nick Mitchell: My band of 2009

OK, let's get the niggling doubts out of the way first.

Yes, There Will Be Fireworks alternate rather too diametrically between quiet and (very) loud in that tried and tested post-rock manner. Yes, anyone who runs at the mere mention of the word 'earnest' will balk at some of the gushy sentiment. And yes, there is a feeling that their ship may have sailed, with the success of aesthetically similar bands like Frightened Rabbit, My Latest Novel et al.

But... I don't subscribe to any of these caveats. In all honesty there have been perhaps a handful of new Scottish acts this year who really (and I mean REALLY) impressed me, and TWBF lead the pack.

I think it was their shameless, sky-high ambition that first landed its hooks on me. Without any commercial backing, to go away and record a debut album of such beauty and depth (the whole thing flows like a chilly Scottish burn) comes across like an affront to the usual way bands start out - tentative EP release, followed by another, then perhaps a long-player.

But a watertight test of music is its longevity, and the TWBF LP, along with the likes of Merriweather Post Pavillion, Veckatimest and Fever Ray, has maintained its position as one of the most-played new albums on my MP3 player this year. I can't think of a better barometer than that.

As well as making an excellent album in 2009, TWBF managed to wreck their tour van, appear on STV daytime, blow the roof off any venue they played (metaphorically), write a Christmas song and are rumoured to be well on their way to album number two. Band of the year at a canter.

Nick Mitchell: My gig of 2009

David Byrne, Glasgow Concert Hall
31 March

No grassroots event this, but Dumbarton-born David Byrne's show in the classical setting of the Glasgow Concert Hall was at least a pseudo-Scottish event.

And frankly I'd be telling a lie if I chose any other gig as the best I witnessed this year.

Why? Part of it must have been that strange feeling of collective awe when a roomful of lifelong fans is finally sat face-to-face with one of their musical idols - even if it was from a distant balcony seat in my case.

Byrne restricted the scope of the gig to his work with Brian Eno, but seeing as the famed studio boffin produced three of Talking Heads' best albums, that certainly didn't make for a defiantly obscure song selection.

Byrne has always conducted himself as a multi-faceted artist, a New York Renaissance Man, so the appearance of a trio of modern ballet dancers wasn't exactly a shock (it actually worked well as a visual accoutrement).

What was more surprising was just how great an entertainer the silver-haired Byrne still is at the age of 56, and the entire crowd of fanboys and girls defied the conventions of the venue and were off their seats for the latter portion of the night, when Byrne & band blazed through songs like Burning Down the House and Crosseyed & Painless.

I don't meant to dismiss the exploits of Scotland's younger generation by picking a middle-aged Manhattanite as my live performer of the year, but Byrne was clearly still proud of his roots, and - for what's it's worth - he would no doubt be impressed by the music scene if he still lived here.

(For the record, my favourite smaller gigs of the year included The Japanese War Effort supporting Meursault at The Bowery, We Were Promised Jetpacks and Findo Gask's triumphant sets at T in the Park, the mesmerising Rob St John at Edinburgh's Retreat all-dayer, and an early Dupec show at Sneaky Pete's.)

What was your gig of 2009? Let us know below...