Radar recommends: 6 - 12 Feb

[The Low Miffs: appearing in Stereo-sound on Thursday]

Plan your gig-going with our pick of the week's finest live music nights...

The best...

Live at the Beach
Saturday @ The Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen / 7.30pm / £7.50
Some of Aberdeen's brightest bands play a rare live music night at the famous Beach Ballroom: The Little Kicks, Indian Red Lopez, Cast of the Capital and The Underkills.

Louise McVey and Cracks in the Concrete, Hitlist Youth, Skinny Villains
Saturday @ 13th Note / 9pm / £tbc
The gorgeous, gothic voice of Louise McVey has already turned our heads here at UtR, and Saturday night at the Note is definitely one to watch.

Sisqo
Tuesday @ Fat Sam's, Dundee / 10.30pm / £7-£10
Sorry, but the prospect of the man behind 'The Thong Song' coming to play Dundee just seemed too good to pass over.

Beach House, Lawrence Arabia, Washington Irving
Wednesday @ King Tut’s / £9 / 8.30pm
Baltimore duo Beach House are the new indie darlings, although their watercolour dream pop stylings won't appeal to everyone. Get there early for Washington Irving too.

The Low Miffs, Hidden Masters, Foxgang
Thursday @ Stereo / 7pm / £1
In troubled economic times, you’ll struggle to find a better-value line-up than Ten Tracks’ monthly night at Stereo. Three top-notch bands plus a ten-track download compilation (this month from Hijack), for the princely sum of £1 – bargain!

The Leith Tape Club
Thursday @ The ISO Lounge, Leith / 8.15pm / £tbc
Space is always limited at this low-key monthly night, but this instalment - with eagleowl, Hailey Beavis and The Stormy Seas - is the last until May, so it could well be packed to the rafters.

Limbo: Found, Three Blind Wolves, Over The Wall
Friday @ Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh / 8.30pm - 1.30am / £tbc
A three-pronged prognosis of the state of new music in Scotland, with local favourites Found and the Glasgow pairing of Three Blind Wolves and the infectious Over the Wall.

The Late Call, The Last Battle, Emily Scott
Friday @ Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh / 7pm / £5
The Late Call is Stockholm troubador Johannes Mayer, supported on this date by Edinburgh regulars The Last Battle and Emily Scott, who we profiled last year.


The rest...



Words: Lisa-Marie Ferla, Nick Mitchell

What have we missed? Tell us below, or add it to the calendar by emailing utr.scotsman@gmail.com

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...

Radar recommends: 18 - 24 Oct

[My Latest Novel: playing Edinburgh on Saturday]

Oxjam hovers over the end of this week's live music calendar like the alien mothership in Independence Day. We'll be closely encountering the multi-legged charity festival during the rest of the week, but before that here are a few gigs where you can splash the cash without any worthy intentions...

Aberdeen
Edwyn Collins, The 1990s
Sunday @ The Lemon Tree / 7.30pm / £15
One of the few Scottish pop stars of the 1980s with his credibility intact, former Orange Juice man Collins is joined by jingly-jangly popsters The 1990s. Touring the Highlands and Islands during the rest of the week, and playing

Everything Everything, Findo Gask, North Atlantic Oscillation, Kocha
Wednesday @ The Tunnels / 8pm / £5
Mancunian band on tour, with eye-catching support in the shape of UtR faves Findo Gask, North Atlantic Oscillation and Kochka. Also playing Cab Vol, Edinburgh on Tuesday.

Edinburgh
James Yorkston & The Big Eyes Family Players
Monday @ The Bongo Club / 7.30pm / £12.50
The Fence stalwart's tour rolls into the capital.

Bat for Lashes, Yeasayer
Tuesday @ HMV Picture House / 7pm / £17
New age pop pixie Natasha Khan tours her Two Suns album, with support from Brooklyn's finest sonic explorers, Yeasayer. Also playing ABC, Glasgow on Monday.

Maps
Thursday @ The Ark / 7pm / £8
Maps is Mercury nominated electro dude James Chapman. Quite a coup for The Ark.

**UtR's gig of the week**
My Latest Novel
Saturday @ Cabaret Voltaire / 7pm / £9
Stunning indie rock from the west coast. If you're not knackered from Oxjam the previous night, this should be worth making the effort for.

Glasgow
Dirty Bingo vs Loud & Quiet Tour: Crocodiles, Divorce, Golden Grrrls, She’s Hit
Monday @ Stereo / 7pm / £tbc
Touted toothy San Diego duo swim over with their brand of electronic rock. If you get into them now you can say … I was into them before … blah blah blah. Couple of Scottish bands in support, including She’s Hit who we were into before ... blah blah blah.

Jon Allen, The Boy Who Trapped the Sun
Wednesday @ King Tuts / 9pm / £8
Bluesy acoustic fare from main act and London based Scots lovely Colin MacLeod.

Basshunter (really? - Ed)
Wednesday @ O2 Academy / 7pm / £21.50
If you want to know what it feels like to spend your money on the worst Eurodance cretin, here’s your opportunity.

Fleetwood Mac
Thursday @ SECC / 7pm / Sold out
4/5th - an almost reunion is good enough for me. Stevie Nicks and co present their beautiful back catalogue that includes songs you’ll remember from your childhood like Rhiannon, Little Lies and The Chain.

The Mill: Light Guides, Pacific Theatre
Thursday @ Oran Mor / 7pm / Free
Pepper your evening with new music at The Mill.

Johnny Flynn
Thursday @ Nice’n’Sleazy / 7.30pm / £9
A wee solo-burst from the male Laura Marling before he jaunts off to support Noah and the Whale.

ATP film screening, feat. Les Savy Fav
Saturday @ O2 ABC / 7pm doors – film starts 8.15pm sharp / £10
ATP and Warp Films showcase their Butlins-style festival film with music from the brilliant art rockers.

Words: Aimi Gold, Nick Mitchell

What have we missed? Tell us below, or add it to our gig guide by emailing utr.scotsman@gmail.com

For all your Oxjam information check back tomorrow and the rest of this week...

Radar recommends: 4 - 10 Oct

[Over the Wall, playing The Skinny's Birthday Party. Image: David Forcier]

In true Scottish style, we seem to have left our damp squib of a summer behind, skipped over autumn and plunged headfirst into the tree-bending winds and Arctic chills of winter.

On the bright side, at least 'fashion scarves' can now serve a practical purpose, and we can all converge at the nearest gig venue to huddle together like penguins and maybe even watch a decent band...


Aberdeen
Sky Larkin, Copy Haho, Marionettes
Monday @ Cafe Drummonds / 8pm / £6
Still promoting their album six months after its release, Leeds band Sky Larkin come to Aberdeen with support from the very tight Stonehaven boys Copy Haho and Killers-like Marionettes.

Cats & Cats & Cats, Greater The Shadow, Katerwaul, Free Korps
Monday @ The Tunnels / 7.30pm / £5
Ahead of the release of their new single Staines band Cats & Cats & Cats travel north with support from the brilliant Aberdeen band Katerwaul, as well as Greater the Shadow and Free Korps in this rather epic line up.

Three Blind Wolves, Washington Irving
Thursday @ Snafu / 10pm / £3/£2
A busy, busy week in Aberdeen with Bloc Party, Turin Brakes and Nerina Pallot but the cool kids will be going to the Dirty Hearts Club to see Ross Clark's newly renamed band play some top class alt-folk.

Dundee
RBRBR, Call To Mind
Thursday @ The Doghouse / 8pm / £5
Edinburgh electro five-piece come to Dundee supported by the rather beautiful sounds of Call To Mind.

Edinburgh
Dizzee Rascal
Sunday @ HMV Picture House / 7pm / £17.50
He's just a rascal, a sell-out rascal.

Indian Red Lopez
Tuesday @ The GRV / 7pm / Free
Aberdonian band with "great tunes, clever lyrics and top class musicianship." According to us.

Cats & Cats & Cats, There Will Be Fireworks, Free Korps
Tuesday @ Cabaret Voltaire / 7pm / £6
Every old spinster's dream scenario are also London indie types, but we're more interested in one of 2009's finest new bands, There Will Be Fireworks.

Mudhoney, The Vaselines, St Deluxe
Friday @ HMV Picture House / 7pm / £17.50
Pretend it's 1992 all over again. And don't say you're too young to remember 1992.

This is Music: Jesus H. Foxx, Boycotts
Friday @ Sneaky Pete's / 8pm / £3
A night of clattering punk-funk and sharp garage rock as these Edinburgh and Glasgow bands go head to head.

Micachu & the Shapes, The Invisible
Saturday @ Sneaky Pete's / 7pm / £6.50
Quirky pop from these mega-hyped Londoners.

Ten Tracks
Saturday @ Electric Circus / 11pm - 3am / £6
Scotland's version of iTunes hosts its own gig night, featuring Popscure and The Vangelis.

Glasgow
The xx
Monday @ The Captain’s Rest / 8pm / Sold out
Gothy, moody, minimal-electro; were you cool enough to buy a ticket in advance? Me neither, wow – you think the hype is unfounded too. We’re so similar.

Sky Larkin, Copy Haho
Tuesday @ Classic Grand (2nd Floor) / 7pm / £7
Can’t think of anything good that comes from Leeds? (Don’t you dare say Chris Moyles.) Meet Sky Larkin, a bit Pretty Girls Make Graves, a lot awesome. With Copy Haho in support the night can only go well.

The Mill: United Fruit, Orko
Thursday @ Oran Mor / 7pm / Free but ticketed
We’re in a recession. This is free. You should go.

Kill it Kid, Sparrow and the Workshop
Thursday @ The Captain’s Rest / 7.30pm / £6
Kill your Thursday by kindly treating it to this combo of Arcade Fire likened headliner and Glasgow based folk-pop support. Also playing Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh on Wednesday.

J. Tillman
Friday @ Nice’n’Sleazy / 9pm / £TBC
Bluesy, soul solo show by one quarter of Fleet Foxes.

Fiery Furnaces, French Wives
Saturday @ Nice’n’Sleazys / 7.30pm / £8.50
Boy/Girl Indie Rock served up on American and Scottish platters.

**UtR's gig of the week**
The Skinny and Ten Tracks Twisted Kids Birthday Party
Saturday @ The Arches / 10pm-3am / £7
A proper celebration; P.A.R.T.Y through to the wee hours with Meursault, The Blessings, Over the Wall, RBRBR and a whole host of DJs.

Words: Aimi Gold, Nick Mitchell, Andrew Learmonth


What have we missed? Tell us below, or add it to our gig guide by emailing utr.scotsman@gmail.com

Radar recommends: 27 Sep - 3 Oct

[Kochka: launching their second EP at Mono on Thursday]

It's Sunday. Perhaps you're still in bed nursing a hangover. Or maybe you're surrounded by the papers and coffee. Or idly browsing your friends' Facebook updates.

Whatever you're doing, it can't be that important. So go and grab your diary and take note of which gigs to attend this week...

Edinburgh
Strike the Colours, Zoey Van Goey
Sunday @ Electric Circus / 7pm / £4
The twee-meter will probably self-combust at this leg of these two bands' joint UK tour. Also playing Stereo, Glasgow on Friday.

Trapped in Kansas - CANCELLED, Glasgow gig still on
Wednesday @ Sneaky Pete's / 7pm / £tbc
One of the most talked about bands in Scotland at the moment, and rightly so. Also playing Stirling Uni on Thursday and the Flying Duck, Glasgow on Friday.

The Mill: Be A Familiar, Cancel the Astronauts
Thursday @ Cabaret Voltaire / 7pm / Free but ticketed
We were wondering if straight-up indie-pop bands still existed. This gig may be the proof.

Stanley Odd
Friday @ The GRV / 7pm / £5
The latest act to come off Scotland's small but diverse hip hop production line.

Bloc Party, Grammatics
Saturday @ HMV Picture House / 7pm / £22.50
Never heard of 'em. Much kop?

Glasgow
The Low Miffs & Malcolm Ross
Sunday @ Nice N Sleazy's / 7.30pm / £tbc
Killer kitsch guitar pop - 80s indie legend joins forces with the energetic Miffs.

**UtR's gig of the week**
Kochka (EP launch)
Thursday @ Mono / 8pm / £tbc
The Glasgow/Falkirk/Stirling/Perth/York band (how the heck do they rehearse?) launch their Dacha/Summerhouse EP, with help from Idlewild guitarist Rod Jones (his first ever solo gig), The John Langan Band and Errors' Stephen Livingstone on the decks.

Any Color Black, RBRBR, Fridge Magnets, Skitten
Friday @ Captain's Rest / 8pm / £tbc
Pull some shapes (the more angular the better) at this Friday night electro-frazzled party.

Three Blind Wolves, The John Knox Sex Club, Martin John Henry
Saturday @ Captain's Rest / 7.30pm / £4
Three Blind Wolves used to be Ross Clark & the Scarves Go Missing but have opted for a more equalitarian name now. Support from the enigmatically brilliant John Knox Sex Club and former De Rosa frontman Martin John Henry.


What have we missed? Tell us below, or add it to our gig guide by emailing utr.scotsman@gmail.com