Ryan Drever: My band of 2009

Bronto Skylift, who we first featured in the run-up to their T in the Park show, give rock fans everywhere hope for the future of their genre, argues Ryan Drever...


I've been lucky enough to worm my way into an unholy number of gigs this year, and found myself awestruck and frustrated by the vast number of kick-ass Scottish acts that have previously escaped my attention. Rather than punish myself for being so far off the ball I'm playing an entirely different sport: I took it upon myself to make up for lost time.

In my valiant quest I saw so many great bands that truly blew my mind that it would be difficult to pick just one, but in terms of the most fun I had and perhaps the most ridiculously over the top show I've had the privilege to be a part of, I would have to nominate Bronto Skylift.

Tearing up stage after stage from festivals to caravans, sometimes playing Glasgow three or four times in the same week and nearly always ending up on the floor, in the crowd or on the tables, Bronto spent 2009 scaring some, charming others and deafening most with their brilliant, pounding noise.

It's perhaps not always the easiest thing to listen to on record - though the band's EP The Bearded Fish and The Jackalope gets a good step closer - but there is no denying the draw of the band's audacious live presence and home-spun artwork.

Not to be confused with a two man novelty act, this pair possess enough chops to charm (or rather, melt) the ears off anybody yet to be convinced. Well, it worked for me.

Bronto Skylift: Danny Glover Isn't Dead


Bronto Skylift: Eagle Falcon

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.

Billy Hamilton: My band of 2009

UtR co-editor Billy Hamilton has been a vocal champion of his band of the year, both in our podcasts and in their profile feature back in June. Here he explains their (sometimes divisive) appeal...


2009 has been a dichotomous beast in terms of my musical fancy.

I started the year immersed in rich melodic folk. Now, at the end of the turkey-gorging season, I find myself cocooned by lightning-whipped electronica – a retreat I’m growing rather fond of, it must be said.

With this resting partially in mind then, my band of choice for the past 365 days has to be Edinburgh duo Dead Boy Robotics (DBR).

But it’s not because they’re the outfit I consider to be the most complete or impressive. No, quite simply, I cannot think of one act that has transformed quite so astonishingly in the space of just 12 months as DBR.

This time last year DBR were, in my mind at least, a plastecine-cast pairing exuding the obligatory pastiche of the hipster mass. I'd say Nick [Mitchell, UtR’s editor-in-chief] perfectly surmised DBR circa-2008 when he described them as “synth prodding wankery” (a pull quote that became their ironic MySpace strap line).

Yet, with 2010 on the horizon DBR are a band with one foot in the future. Tooled up with gun-totting synth and a penchant for pulsing tribal rhythm, Mike and Gregor are flying the flag for the criminally overlooked half of Auld Reekie’s creative undercurrent.

Their chaotic asylum-dwelling sound is founded on a throb of electro-bending and prolonged dog-like yelping. Live, it’s exhilarating: The duo meticulously build gigantic soundstacks that pierce the eardrums like the wrong side of a pneumatic pin-cushion.

On record, they're yet to do themselves justice, but that’s what makes DBR such an exciting proposition. It’s not what they can do that matters. It’s what they could do that really counts.

Words: Billy Hamilton

DBR: As Children We Fear The Dark (part 1)


DBR: We Drown Ourselves (Cartographer Exhales)


Who was your artist or band of 2009? Let us know below...

Craig Dickson: My band of 2009

The most notable new Scottish act of 2009 for me has been Edinburgh hardcore quintet Shields Up.

Despite only forming in March, they managed to self-record their debut album (released on local label Wasted State Records in October) and have completed three UK tours, playing any number of gigs in between - all while holding down full-time jobs.

It's a hardworking schedule that any band could be proud of, and was a deliberate choice, as singer James Johnson explains: “That was the plan from the start I think. Me and Jak (Camoletto, drums) have spent over ten years playing in bands so we knew what we had to do and decided to do it quickly."

Their self-titled debut was recorded over the course of a week or two at home, and the result is a blistering blast of unpretentious rock. The 13 tracks certainly don’t overstay their welcome, flying by in less than 25 minutes.

But where the band really come into their own is live. The frenetic pace and enthusiasm of their performances have been one of the highlights of my musical year. As Jak puts it: “We just want to have fun and our idea of fun is partying with loud music”.

It's their no-frills attitude, quality tunes and unbridled energy that make Shields Up my choice for new Scottish act of the year.

Shields Up - Death Of You

Stevie Kearney: My band of 2009

When the dark, mysterious powers behind UtR first suggested that each of us hacks pick a band of the year, I decided to let my iTunes play count decide it for me. So, Withered Hand it is then. Except, as phenomenal as Dan Willson is, it seemed too obvious.

So I looked to see who was second and found Meursault. Dear Lord, I am such an Edinburgh cliché. So I scrapped the preposterous iTunes notion and went back to searching around the disused back rooms of my mind.

After a mentally and sometimes physically painful deliberation, I decided the band who have given me the most enjoyment this year has been Glasgow’s How to Swim.

One key reason for this is that I hate being late to the party. I sometimes get there so late that the place is scattered with empty bottles and everyone has either gone home or crashed out.

With How to Swim, I was fairly punctual in my arrival at the metaphorical party. Not early exactly (the band have been playing in various forms since 2000), but early enough to make small talk in the hall about my job whilst glancing nervously towards the door to see if anyone else was going to turn up. How to Swim turned up and their live act is certainly something to treasure.

My affinity for the band is partly because I regard the 2005 It Stings When I EP as one of my finest ever random purchases. Then I lost my copy. But 2009 was the year a copy re-emerged to gift me joy in the form of Gregor Barclay’s haunting voice and the sinister imagery he creates. 'There’s a Building There' has to be my all time favourite stalker song.

The new material has also lived up to previous acclaim. Perhaps with the release of the album Retina, iTunes may well be able to pick my band of 2010. So, thanks to a combination of discovery and rediscovery, How to Swim have made me happier than any other band this year.

How To Swim - There's a Building There


How To Swim - Genesis P and Me