Tweet Nothings, feat. Frightened Rabbit, The Vaselines, De Rosa

We could sense the anticipation building in the blogosphere, but the wait is over. It's time for part deux of our now regular (until the sheer inanity of it all hits us like a Tyson uppercut to the chin) Twitter round-up. This week: band news, recommendations and even a spot of film criticism.


Tango in the Attic have a hair-raising time in Stirling...
@TangointheAttic: Just back from Cape in Stirling - fun gig, the mics gave us all electric shocks! Ouch!"

Miss the Occupier set up Twitter account, fail to tweet...
@MisstheOccupier: "______________"

Come on John B McKenna! We're not as bright as you...
@JohnBMcKenna: "Annona humboldtii Dunal [Monogr. Anonac. 64, t. 3. 1817] (= Annona humboldtiana Kunth)"

Frightened Rabbit threaten to go all Big Brother on us...
@FRabbits: "Getting a camera tomorrow so we might film ourselves making dinner if that's ok with you? Suggestions for ingredients welcome..."

While My Latest Novel threaten to go all rap on us...
@MyLatestNovel: "On the way home from our session for Marc Riley on 6Music. Felt good. Real good. In the hood. Don't be rude."

Jonathon of My Cousin I Bid You Farewell consults his inner film critic...
@mcibyf: "Michael Bay needs an editor badly. Seriously. I completely lost interest. I miss the theme tune too. 'Transformers! Robots in Disguise!"

We Were Promised Jetpacks big up their Mancunian contemporaries...
@wwpj: "In case anyone was curious, Tell You So by The Longcut is the best song ever."

The Gothenburg Address make a half-hearted attempt at a gig plug...
@gothenaddy: "playing 13th Note this wednesday .. come doon .. unless your at the ATP premiere .. which would be understandable .. "

The Vaselines have some good news...
@the_vaselines: "We've been writing new tunes this evening. Cant wait to finish them so we can play them for you. Soon."

While De Rosa have some bad news...
@wearederosa: "To all who listened. De Rosa has come to an end. If you liked our music or came to see us play we'd like to thank you all. Goodbye, De Rosa."

Words: Nick Mitchell (and Twitter)

Musicians of Scotland: Tweet something interesting/funny/newsworthy this week and you too could feature in Tweet Nothings. Just think how proud your Mum will be.

Spotted any other tweeting gems we've missed out on? Share your favourite weekly tweets with us below...

Radar recommends: 7 - 13 June

[Miss The Occupier: playing The Twisted Wheel on Sunday]

In the past we've been guilty of catering only to the gig-goers of Edinburgh and Glasgow in these here Radar Recommends. Granted, that's because 95% of the best gigs take place in Scotland's 'big two'. But we don't want to be seen as narrow-minded Central Belters (especially when one of us hails from wind-battered Thurso), so this week we've tried to cast our nets a bit wider.

Miss the Occupier, Come in Tokyo, We, The Last Men
Sun 7 Jun, The Twisted Wheel, Glasgow. Doors 7pm, FREE
Widely touted as one of Scotland's most exciting bands, Miss the Occupier make clattering, vampish alt-rock in the style of Sonic Youth and Sleater Kinney. We featured them on the eve of their Hinterland show, and this date, with support from bluesy Edinburghers Come In Tokyo and local hardcore trio We, The Last Men, promises to be unmissable. [NM]

Play: Miss The Occupier - Whilst I Stared


Teitur, The Seventeenth Century, Empires
Sun 7 Jun, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow. Doors 8pm, £8
The Faroe Islands may be just beyone our musical radar, but that doesn't mean we can't recommend you head along to this gig by Teitur, an inventive singer-songwriter who opened for Radiohead at the Roskilde festival last year. Especially when he's playing with recent UtR stars The Seventeenth Century and Glasgow rockers Empires. [NM]

Play: The Seventeenth Century - Traffic


The Void, cryoverbillionaires
Tue 9 Jun, The Tunnels , Aberdeen. Doors 8pm, £tbc
Big, swooping indie always has a place on the UtR stereo and The Void are quickly becoming regulars on our shamefully beat-up tape deck. Both anthemic and anathemic, the Glasgow/Edinburgh ensemble produce effervescent, guitar driven totems tinged with sleek college rock production. No stranger to these pages, the hard-working cryoverbillionaires expel chiming chasms of riff across taut, hairpin percussion to produce a sound that quivers neck hairs and shudders the soul. [BH]

Unicorn Kid, Soft Toy Emergency, Crayons, Skitten
Tue 9 Jun, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow. Doors 8pm, £tbc
Not since The Proclaimers wrote a song about that very long walk has Leith known a success story like that of Unicorn Kid. 17-year-old Oliver Sabin is the epitome of the bedroom DJ, except he also has a nationwide and American tour lined up and is fast becoming a worldwide hit with his ringtone-friendly electro-pop. [NM]

We Were Promised Jetpacks
Wed 10 Jun, Doghouse, Dundee, 8pm
If it’s indie-pop you’re after then look no further than the spikey guitar riffs of We Were Promised Jetpacks. The quartet's new album These Four Walls is due out on 15 June and has been produced by Ken Thomas, who has previously worked with the Sigur Ros and David Bowie. Featuring guitar driven pop ranging from 70s influences such as the legendary Gang of Four to more modern tracks reminiscent of British Sea Power, their sound blends seamlessly over Adam Thompson’s distinctly Scottish vocals. [SK]

Play: We Were Promised Jetpacks - Quiet Little Voices



Punch and the Apostles
Thu 11 Jun, Captain’s Rest, Glasgow. Doors 8pm, £3
If you're in Glasgow this Thursday evening, head along to Captain’s Rest to catch the wonderful Punch and the Apostles, who will be performing a new show complete with visuals by Graham Tiler. For the uninitiated, Punch and the Apostles bring a frenetic energy to their live set with stylings not unlike a mid-80s freak show era Tom Waits crossed with some Balkan plate smashing. A mysterious and eclectic band, fans of the musically diverse will be delighted to find something macabre straight out of the leftfield. [SK]

Trampoline featuring Meursault, Wounded Knee, The Foundling Wheel
Sat 13 Jun, The Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh. Doors 7pm, £5
Another month, another stellar line-up at Trampoline. Local luminaries Meursault need little introduction, their startling folk-tronica having already broached public consciousness over the last 12 months. Less renowned, the hymnal rabble of Wounded Knee and The Foundling Wheel's serrated electro-bending are just as beguiling; both beginning to ripple waves of interest in Edinburgh's oceanic scene. [BH]

Woodenbox With a Fistful of Fivers, Wilson Tan, The Parsonage
Sat 13 Jun, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow. Doors 8pm, £tbc
You only need to ponder their name for a moment to realise that Woodenbox With a Fistful of Fivers are more than a little indebted to one Ennio Morricone. There's a distinct Wild West feel to their trumpet-led folk-rock, so get your Winklepickers out and mosey on down to Tut's for on Saturday, where you'll hear more Americana stylings from Wilson Tan and The Parsonage. [NM]

Words: Stevie Kearney, Billy Hamilton, Nick Mitchell

Have we missed something? Tell us about it below, or add it to the gig guide...

On the radar: Miss The Occupier

Hinterland Preview

It has been some time since a female as arresting as Kim Gordon of the era-defining Sonic Youth graced a stage. But Roz Davies from innovative Glasgow band Miss The Occupier seems to follow in the same vein as her stylistic peer.

Miss The Occupier are one of the many unsigned acts to be playing this year's Hinterland festival. The three-piece easily master a punk-rock sound that is reminiscent of great acts such as the aforementioned Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney and the Riot Grrl scene. These along with Nick Cave are cited as some of their major influences by guitarist Magnus Hughson.

Under The Radar’s featured track, ‘Whilst I Stared’ is a total summation of how mighty this act are. The distortion threaded throughout is as forceful as a tsunami on upsurge, glistening with Davies' curious vocal that somehow tames the wave before it hits the audience.

Play: Miss The Occupier - Whilst I Stared


Magnus also tells us that the rest of 2009 is shaping up to be as exciting as their music. "We've been recording new material with Thomas McNiece who's currently playing bass with Gang of Four. We also hope to play some gigs in the more remote parts of Scotland this year."

Miss The Occupier are undoubtedly one of the must-see acts of Hinterland. True to their name, they easily occupy your attention - soon they'll occupy your senses in Glasgow.

Watch Miss The Occupier at Hinterland: downstairs at the Classic Grand at 7pm tonight (Friday 1 May).

- Halina Rifai