Newsflash: Going for a gong

[Dananananaykroyd: in the running for award. Photo: Su Anderson]

In an attempt to stave off the general ennui of the first few weeks of the year, when we're all coming to terms with the return to work/school/studies and the weather's still pelting us with sub-zero sleet, people make up awards.

Have a glitzy, booze-fuelled party and cheer up, the thinking goes.

Earlier this week we told you about the Scottish Alternative Music Awards (see below), and today we've got wind of a few more.

Radio station Xfm have launched their New Music Awards for 2010, which considers any bands who have released a debut album over the past year. You can vote for whoever you like here, but they have published a list of suggestions, which includes Scots acts Broken Records, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Wake the President and Dananananaykroyd.

But as long as La Roux doesn't win we'll be happy.

In other award-related news, Under the Radar is up for another gong, in the Scotblog Awards 2010. As anyone could nominate anyone, there's a massive longlist of 142 Scottish blogs, and you can vote for as many as you like. Other music sites in the running include The Pop Cop, Peenko and Aye Tunes.

Cast your vote here.

And finally... Celtic Connections starts in Glasgow today, with over 200 artists set to take the stage over the next fortnight. There are opportunities aplenty to discover new talent, especially at the Danny Kyle Open Stage, and we'll pick a few of our favourites in Radar Recommends this week and next.

Got any other Scottish music news tips? Send them to utr.scotsman@gmail.com or get in touch via Twitter

Check the label: Lucky Number Nine

In the first in our new series of record label profiles, Elaine Liddle speaks to the man behind Lucky Number Nine...

It's notoriously difficult to agree on a good band name. It turns out that naming a record label is tricky too.

Even more so if your chosen title's already taken by one of the Stone Roses. "I was trying to come up with a name and quite liked North Country Records - but I Googled it and John Squire had it" explains Stevie McCaffrey, founder of Glasgow-based Lucky Number Nine [LNN] records.

"In my frustration, I named the label after the song I was listening to at that moment. I nicked it from Moldy Peaches."

Dave Beaton joined as a partner, Liz Eeuwes to contribute artwork and Stuart Purcell to pitch in with press, and in September 2007 LNN released The Metro-gnomes' I Have a Photograph EP.

An exciting and prolific two years since has seen co-releases with Say Dirty Records (Zoey Van Goey, Peter Parker) and Electric Honey (Wake the President, Je Suis Animal) as well as singles by Golden Ghost, Symbolics, Mike Hastings & Solveig Askvik and Punch & the Apostles.

Play: Punch & the Apostles - I'm a Hobo


"The accepted practice for starting a label seems to be to pick a genre, stick to it and forge a niche in the market, but we aren't trying to make a living out of it so we have the freedom to showcase any act we like," says Stevie.

"Scotland has loads of talented musicians playing many different styles of music. Our Seven Inch Club singles series seemed a good way to feature as many as possible.

"Picking the bands is always done after seeing them live - sometimes recommended by friends, but for the most part luck and coincidence has led to us finding them".

The next release - in conjunction with Say Dirty Records - is single 'Doris Day' from UtR-tipped Paper Planes, available on October 12th on 7" and download.

Play: Paper Planes - Doris Day


"I really love Paper Planes," Stevie enthuses. "They have loads of great tracks, are amazing live and are nice folk too."

The label's sole LP thus far is by Rags & Feathers - former Dead Fly Buchowski member Tom Davis plus friends - which Stevie is "really proud of. Tom's a great lyricist and there's not one mediocre song on there".

Stevie also runs gig night Silence Can Break Your Heart - "a good way to see the bands I like or have heard good things about. I'm studying, working and running the label, so I don't get to gigs very much," he admits.

"It's been great as we've found two bands through it - Peter Parker and Paper Planes".

Words: Elaine Liddle

The Paper Planes singles launch is at the Grand Ole Opry on Oct 8 with She's Hit and DJ sets from Gerry Love and Stephen Pastel.

Silence Can Break Your Heart presents Wave Pictures, Stanley Brinks and Freschard at Mono on Oct 19.