Under the Radar podcast #7

It was looking like it might never happen, but finally we have recorded our first podcast of 2010.

Two months away from the microphone has rendered some of our chat slightly nonsensical (what's new?), but the standard of music on this podcast is probably the best so far...

We were fans of The Japanese War Effort from the first time we saw him play at the erstwhile Bowery venue last year, and we open on 'Usain Bolt', taken from his new LP, I Will Leave You Now, And Two Loudspeakers Will Take My Place. The fastest man alive should be proud.

Another act to have graced this blog are The Unwinding Hours, the new band comprising one half of Aereogramme, and from their self-titled debut album we've chosen the spine-tinglingly epic 'Tightrope'.

We also turn our attention to this weekend's main event, the Fence Collective's annual Homegame festival in Anstruther, Fife. In anticipation of three days and nights of crammed pubs, fish suppers and maybe even the odd bit of music, we've got tracks from a trio of acts on this year's bill: Django Django, Findo Gask and Silver Columns.

And that's not all. There's more tuneage from the sickeningly talented Miaoux Miaoux and the ethereal Call To Mind (both of whom have new EPs on the way), as well as the obligatory 6 Music post-match analysis.

Hope you enjoy, and, as ever, let us know what you think below...

Play: Podcast #7


Running order:
00:00: The Japanese War Effort - Usain Bolt
04:04: The Unwinding Hours - Tightrope
08:58: Django Django - Storm
14:59: Findo Gask - Va Va Va
18:42: Silver Columns - Brow Beaten
25:10: Miaoux Miaoux - Dream On
34:02: Call To Mind - Breathe Pt. 1

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Podcast: Billy Hamilton, Nick Mitchell

Previous UtR podcasts

On the radar: Miaoux Miaoux

Miaoux Miaoux - Dream On


Miaoux Miaoux - Snow


At the end of our Django Django interview last month we offered some priceless advice to new bands: name yourself twice. And although we can't claim credit for the latest double-barreled music maestro, perhaps it shows there's something in this ludicrous theory after all.

Because Miaoux Miaoux, the nametag for Julian Corrie's creative endeavours, is gaining admirers at a rate roughly twice as fast as could normally be expected (by my estimates).

But Corrie, it seems, had less careerist intentions in his choice of name: "When I thought of the name Miaoux Miaoux it was kind of a catch-all phrase for 'anything that I write with no specific purpose' - offcuts, ideas, beats - but it's definitely taken on its own identity. Plus it's the noise that French cats make, and I like cats!"

Indulging in a boundary-crushing mélange of electronica and post-rock sounds which he describes as "tricky beats, harsh glitches and soft pulses", Miaoux Miaoux is enjoying a return to underground prominence after a couple of years on the sidelines. He recently played warm-up for Geoff "Portishead" Barrow's new band, Beak, at King Tut's, he remixed a song for Zoey Van Goey, and he has a new EP (called Blooms) on the way.

In case you missed him first time around, Miaoux Miaoux put out an album in 2007 called Rainbow Bubbles - although its timing wasn't exactly ideal for Corrie: "I had to leave Glasgow more or less the day after it was released, so didn't get much chance to promote it. People have said some very nice things though. Hopefully with the new EP coming out I can give it a better shot."

Unlike some of his glitchy contemporaries, Corrie, who also plays guitar in indie-pop outfit Maple Leaves (UtR profile), does not shy away from singing duties. "I've been listening to a lot of Apparat and Postal Service recently, and maybe because of that the new record has a lot of vocals on it," he says. "But then I'm a massive fan of Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, Godspeed etc, and I think my stuff bridges the gap quite well. Oh, and decent dubstep, like Mount Kimbie and Appleblim."

And anyone planning to attend one of his live shows with visions of one-man-and-his-MacBook might have a surprise in store. "I was obsessed with doing an improvisational show for ages, where I go on stage with nothing prepared and program everything live, but it got very stressful and complicated," Corrie says. "Now I've got more song-based stuff it's me, an electric guitar, a synth and an MPC (Music Production Centre). I like to avoid using computers on stage if I can help it - I've been to a few electronica shows that look like a sales conference."

Miaoux Miaoux is the latest in a succession of electro-flavoured artists to set sparks flying in Scotland, and Corrie is upbeat about the current scene. "Scotland's always been amazing for music of all kinds, and electronic music is no exception - producers like Akira Kiteshi and Loops Haunt are doing completely mindblowing things on a regular basis, not to mention the LuckyMe guys. I guess it's that much smaller that you can build communities, and support one another a lot easier."

With his thoughts already turning to a second album, it looks like Miaoux Miaoux could soon rank in reputation alongside such mirror-image names as Django Django, Zombie Zombie, Liquid Liquid, and - dare I say it - Duran Duran.

Words: Nick Mitchell

You can see Miaoux Miaoux live TONIGHT (16 Feb), supporting Unicorn Kid at King Tut's.

The Blooms EP is released on 16 March with a launch party at The 13th Note. As well as a live set from Miaoux Miaoux, the night will feature Firebrand Boy and a DJ set from Errors.

Editorial: The tipping point

If you're an avid consumer of music journalism you could be forgiven at this time of year for picturing every blogger and critic to look like John McCririck.

OK, maybe they don't look like the Ascot-frequenting eccentric, but they're all having a go at being excitable tipsters.

Perhaps the most high profile formcard for the year ahead is the BBC's Sound of 2010, which today crowned Ellie Goulding as the artist primed for stardom. Having already vented about the selection process behind their shortlist, I'll refrain from any more cynicism now, but the comment from Drunk Country on our original editorial is worth a read.

Over the festive period a few of our writers offered their own Scottish tips for 2010, but we have refrained from compiling a thorough run-down or poll of the most exciting acts of the moment.

Why? Because that's essentially what we've been doing for the past year anyway. The bands and artists we have profiled have been emergent by definition, the vast majority of them unsigned. If 2009 was the year of their formation, or the year they started gigging or self-released an EP, perhaps 2010 is the year they'll 'make it' - and I'll let you be the judge of what 'making it' entails.

Some of our choices from the class of 2009 - Withered Hand, North Atlantic Oscillation, There Will Be Fireworks, Copy Haho, Panda Su, to name a select few - are already growing their audience beyond the cosy confines of the Scottish scene. Others will undoubtedly come to nothing and fade back into obscurity. As any pundit will tell you though, that's the risk you take in this game.

But like everyone else, we can't resist the appeal of the crystal ball, so I'll add a few more new names that have recently appeared as blips on our collective radar:

Django Django
Nomogram
The Last Battle
Midnight Lion
miaoux miaoux
Three Blind Wolves (Ross Clark's renamed band)

Who are you tipping for 2010? Do you actually look like John McCririck? Let us know...