Radar recommends: 9 - 15 August

[Dollskabeat: playing support to Telepathe on Wednesday]

The size of this column seems to ebb and flow from week to week. Last week there was little musical sustenance for Scotland's music lovers; this week there's enough out there to give you a dose of heartburn if they're not careful. If you happen to live in the 'big two' that is...


Edinburgh

The Lost Brothers, The Kays Lavelle
Sunday @ Sneaky Pete's £6 7pm
Melancholy folk from The Lost Brothers, with piano-led indie-rock from Edinburgh's Kays Lavelle.

Telepathe, Dollskabeat
Wednesday @ Sneaky Pete's £7 7pm
Trendier-than-thou Brooklyn electro dames roll into town, flanked by Edinburgh's own glitch queen, Dollskabeat.

This is Music: Dead Boy Robotics, The Foundling Wheel
Friday @ Sneaky Pete's 7pm £tbc
The August instalment of Auld Reekie's finest monthly gig night showcases the talents of two noise-inclined members of the Bear Scotland collective.

The GRV Fest: Ritalin Kids, Dupec, Boycotts, The Nature Boys
Friday @ The GRV £tbc 5pm onwards
The first night of The GRV's big bash is stuffed with local talent, including two of our favourites in Dupec and Boycotts.

The GRV Fest: The Debuts, Epic 26, OK Social Club, 10:04s, The Breech, Homework, The Steals
Saturday @ The GRV £tbc 3pm onwards
Day two of The GRV Fest is even bigger. Can you last the distance?

Young Fathers, Unicorn Kid
Saturday @ Cabaret Voltaire £7 8pm
Proving that Edinburgh's music scene is more diverse than first meets the eye, Young Fathers and Unicorn Kid bring bombastic hip hop and sugar-rich techno to the table respectively.


Glasgow

Stellar Sounds: Rio Callahan, Funksion, Federation of the Disco Pimp
Wednesday @ Glasgow Science Centre | £12 | 7pm
A gig with a difference this, given that it takes place in a planetarium. See Stevie's preview a few posts down the page.

The Mill: Maple Leaves, Panda Su
Thursday @ Òran Mór | Free but ticketed | 8pm
Delectable folk-flecked indie from two of Scotland's brightest acts.

Telepathe, RBRBR, Super Adventure Club
Thursday @ King Tut's | £7.50 | 8.30pm
The aforementioned Telepathe head west, bringing with them two of Edinburgh's best new bands as support.

Attic Lights, The Seers, Invisible Republic
Friday @ Stereo | £9 | 7pm
Fundraiser for the Scottish Epilepsy Initiative, headed up by the winsome indie-pop of Attic Lights.

Boycotts, French Wives, Kalla Heartshake

Saturday @ ABC2 | £5 | 7pm

Boycotts launch their eagerly anticipated EP at this gig, with excellent support from French Wives and Kalla Heartshake.

Múm, My Latest Novel
Saturday @ Òran Mór | £15 | 7pm
Exquisite electronica-tinged indie from Icelanders Múm, not to mention the forward thinking sounds of Greenock-based My Latest Novel.

The Second Hand Marching Band, Over the Wall
Saturday @ The 13th Note | £tbc | 9pm
We can't get enough of SHMB's heartfelt shanties - or Over the Wall's textured pop for that matter.

Words: Nick Mitchell

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

T in the Park review: Saturday

[Broken Records on stage at T. Picture: Su Anderson]

The Radar-mobile raced up the M90 on Saturday morning (without breaking the speed limit, officer) to scope out the best new music at T in the Park this year. Already a bit miffed that we'd missed sets by Ming Ming & the Ching Chings and Dead Boy Robotics the previous night, we were determined to make amends over the two days by going where the tabloid hacks fear to tread. And what a day Saturday turned out to be ...


The French Quarter
T Break Stage, 1.40pm

With rumours that the band had broken up floating around Balado earlier in the day, it's both a pleasure and a relief to see Stirling's The French Quarter take to the stage.

Awash in swathes of blue light and shimmering guitars, the band play a sublime set, taking the emergent song structures of post-rock and adding melancholic vocals and elaborate layers of instrumentation, from keyboards to xylophones. The brave decision to play new material, recorded with members of Mogwai, whets appetites for what will surely be great things to come from the band.

The majestic 'Time to Leave' closes the set, its ethereal keyboard and slide guitar intro gradually giving way to a steady, pulsating rhythm and leaving no doubt as to why The French Quarter are regarded as one of Scotland's premier unsigned acts. [JM]


Sucioperro
T Break Stage, 2.30pm

Having secured a timeslot clashing with Lady Gaga on the main stage, Sucioperro were always going to prove a draw for punters hungry for substance over spectacle, but the Ayrshire alt rock outfit have surpassed all expectations by packing the T Break tent to capacity.

The band's enthusiasm is somehow surpassed by the crowd's, with a circle pit forming within seconds of the first chord of opener 'Tem V Com' ringing out, in spite of the baking heat. Though somewhat hampered by muddy sound, Sucioperro's eight-song set delivers choice cuts from new album Pain Agency as well as a sprinkling of older material, with penultimate song 'The Final Confessions of Mabel Stark' a particular highlight. [JM]


Unicorn Kid
BBC Introducing Stage, 3.30pm

Just 17, Unicorn Kid (AKA Oliver Sabin) isn’t even old enough to sip the nectar that sponsors the Balado shindig. But that doesn’t stop the electro-bending prodigy kicking up one hell of a storm on the BBC Introducing stage.

Adorning his obligatory lion-shaped headgear, the Leith-born prodigy blurts out reams of Gameboy-inspired bleeps and wonky synth notes to an insatiable contingent of similarly aged hip-flingers. Teasing the crowd into a Haribo-induced frenzy, Sabin struts his hyperactive stuff as if playing to a house party of Skins worshipping teens and not one of the UK’s largest music festivals.

Once the last deranged beat drops into the ether, a sweat-soaked Sabin greets his adoring masses with full moonbeam smile and a triumphant shake of the fist. Perhaps next year he can celebrate with something a little stronger than Orange Juice? [BH]


Young Fathers
BBC Introducing Stage, 5pm

Lauded throughout the blogosphere’s hype-driving microcosm, Edinburgh’s Young Fathers have a right to feel disappointed in the sparse turnout for their TitP showing. Maybe it was a question of scheduling or perhaps their glam-hop fare just didn’t fit with Balado’s alcohol-intense disposition, but as the psychedelically garbed trio took to the stage the polite smattering of applause was telling.

Yet what ensued over the next half-hour was worthy of a more illustrious and appreciative platform. By battling the initial ambivalence with a spate of Outkast-like beats and tongue-knotting rhymes, the band’s party-time ethos rose to the fore; stirring the attention of curious waifs and strays making their way back from the Main Stage

And if their hook-heavy tunes weren’t enough to convince that this is an act on an upward trajectory, their perfectly choreographed dance routines and pistol-quick quips, surely, remove all doubt.

Today’s TitP show might have been lightly-attended, but this time next year Young Fathers should be preparing for much, much bigger things. [BH]


Broken Records
BBC Introducing Stage, 7.45pm

It’s been a tumultuous 18 months for Edinburgh’s Broken Records. After an inaugural baptism of praise, the instrumentally-endowed septet’s debut LP, Until the Earth Begins to Part, was shredded by the sharpened claws of the UK’s music press core.

Champing at the bit to prove they’re more than just a flash in TitP’s airfield-sized pan, the group storm through a set brimming with the same feral intensity that made the early day showings such breathless propositions.

Breakneck renditions of live favourites ‘If the News Makes You Sad...’ and ‘A Good Reason’ fizz the crowd into a sea of flailing limbs and sweaty torsos that verges on utter discord. Thankfully, closing candle-burner ‘Slow Parade’ restores order; uniting punters and band via the glory of heart-struck song.

The slog’s been troubled, but on this performance Broken Records prove they’re more than up to the challenge. [BH]


Bronto Skylift
T Break Stage, 8.20pm

Confounding all logic, Glasgow two-piece noise rockers Bronto Skylift somehow manage to be the loudest band to grace the T Break tent all weekend. On stage, the secrets behind Bronto's massive wall of sound are revealed quickly enough, with frontman Niall Strachan jacking into no less than four amps at the same time and wielding an impressive array of pedals.

It's all too much for some people to take, with a few casualties staggering out clutching their ears as Iain Stewart's snare drum hits reached ear-splitting levels. Those who do stay, however, are rewarded with a breathtaking set and an impromptu jam session with the band, as Strachan takes his guitar into the crowd to close the show, paying no heed to minor details like instrument cables and panicking stewards. [JM]


Trapped in Kansas
T Break Stage, 9.10pm

After only a year in existence, Trapped in Kansas are headlining the T Break stage. That’s no small feat, but could the West Coast band back up their billing? At least they don’t seem nervous, cheekily announcing themselves as The Killers.

Aside from a few sound problems early on, the aplomb with which they take such complex musical wares to the live table casts any doubt aside.

An enthusiastically vocal crowd – most of whom seem to be cheering on guitarist Gregor – obviously appreciate their brand of yearning, icily melodic post-rock, and by the end of set-closer 'The Idiot' they have grown into their headliner status, delivering a set that turns out to be much more killer than filler. [NM]

Words: Billy Hamilton, Jodi Mullen, Nick Mitchell

Our verdict on Sunday will be online later this week...

Revealed: Edge festival line-up

[Malcolm Middleton: playing in Edinburgh this August]

The Edge Festival, formerly known as T on the Fringe, today announced its line-up for 2009.

The main draw for many will be ex-Talking Heads man David Byrne, who recently wowed fans in Glasgow during his Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno world tour.

The other big-hitters are The Streets and The Stranglers, while acts further down the bill include Múm, Enter Shikari, Mumford & Sons, The Bluetones, Amanda Palmer, Andrew Bird, Emiliana Torrini and Foy Vance.

The Scottish quota isn't particularly expansive, but it is stylistically eclectic: Calvin Harris, Malcolm Middleton, Young Fathers, Unicorn Kid, Broken Records and Frightened Rabbit.

There is also a showcase for YourSound, the new talent initiative from King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, so perhaps there will be a few more UtR favourites in the mix come August.

Gigs are scheduled from August 8-27 at venues including the Playhouse, HMV Picture House, Sneaky Pete's, Studio 24, Cabaret Voltaire, Queen's Hall and the Corn Exchange.

Words: Nick Mitchell

What do you think of the line-up? Cutting-edge or in need of a sharpening?

Radar recommends: 12 - 18 April

[Young Fathers: playing King Tut's on Friday]

After the copious delights of the past couple of weeks, things slow down on the gig front this week. But we've still managed to select a few choice nights to keep you busy.

Oso, Enemies and Super Adventure Club
Monday 13 Apr, Cassette, Glasgow, FREE, Doors 8pm
Respect to Oso. The polyrhythmic Californians have packed six (yes, six) Scottish dates into their UK jaunt, and this one could well be the highlight, because sharing the bill are UtR favourites Super Adventure Club. [NM]

Play: SAC - Tommy Sheridan


Withered Hand, Ray Rumours, Francois
Mon 13 April, The Bowery, Edinburgh. Doors 7.30pm, £5
We can’t tell you much about support acts Ray Rumours and Francois, but we do know Withered Hand (aka Dan Wilson) are absolutely sublime. Skewering crisp melodies with arresting experimentation, Wilson’s textured folk canters are a dichotomous sonic treat that never fail to captivate the ear-canals. Backed by myriad local luminaries, it’s also an ideal opportunity to spot a few Auld Reekie celebrities. [BH]

Wine, Women and Song featuring L-Marie, Jake Cogan, Nuala Kennedy
Wed 15 April, Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh. Doors 7.30pm, £8
A new night on the Edinburgh circuit, Wine, Women and Song’s raison d’etre is to highlight the fairer sex's musical virtues. This inaugural eve sees a sterling line-up of nu-soul cooer Lizzie-Marie, Edinburgh songstress Jake Corgan and folk hustler Nuala Kennedy appropriate the Voodoo Rooms' ballroom. Here come the girls? You bet. [BH]

**UtR's gig of the week**
We Are Trapped in Kansas, The Darien Venture and Esperi
Thursday 16 Apr, Captain's Rest, Glasgow, £tbc, Doors 8pm
This night of semi-experimental sounds is headed by Scotland's most accomplished math rock act (and there aren't too many of those at the last count), We Are Trapped in Kansas, and bolstered by the poppier Darien Venture and recent UtR stars Esperi. [NM]

Play: Esperi - Proverb

Limbo featuring Marina and The Diamonds, My Cousin I Bid You Farewell
Thursday 16 April, Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh. Doors 8pm, £4
In a week where Edinburgh gig pickings are slimmer than Kate Moss on Atkins, it’s left to old faithful Limbo to once again produce the goods. On the cusp of a major league breakthrough, Marina and The Diamonds’ acrobatic trinkets soar skywards with the grace of Kate Bush and the brazen intensity of Bat for Lashes. Supported by My Cousin I Bid You Farewell (soon to be ‘on the radar’), this is sure to be another corking Limbo showing. [BH]

Esser, Young Fathers and Jesus H Foxx
Friday 17 Apr, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, £6, Doors 8.30pm
Young London trendy Ben Esser headlines this gig at Tut's, but it's the supporting acts we're more interested in. Young Fathers are leading the way for Scottish hip-hop in their own blistering style, while Jesus H Foxx are finally set to deliver on the hype with a new EP. [NM]

The Sexual Objects
Saturday 18 Apr, Mono, Glasgow, FREE, Noon-Midnight
To mark Record Store Day, the muso haven that is Monorail plays host to live music and DJs in an all-day event. Don't miss The Sexual Objects at 7pm, the enigmatic group fronted by ex-Fire Engines veteran Davey Henderson. More info here. [NM]

Goodbye Lenin, Sebastian Dangerfield, The Byrons
Saturday 18 April, Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh. Doors 7pm, £5
We’re suckers for an old-fashion slosh of indie here at UtR and, fortunately for us, that’s exactly what this trio of Edinburgh-based miscreants do best. Radiohead (well, Ed O'Brien) commended riff-mongers Goodbye Lenin are the vanguards of a night that showcases the exuberant guitar flutterings of Sebastian Dangerfield and The Byrons’ caged-beast schlock ‘n’ roll. Definitely one for Converse loving indie-aficionados. [BH]

- Billy Hamilton & Nick Mitchell

Have we missed something? Let us know below...

Latest column: Young Fathers, Aidan John Moffat and more

Olaf and Derick's latest Under the Radar newspaper column (which appears in Scotsman Review every month) last week featured a track from hyped Edinburgh hip-hop act Young Fathers (pictured), as well as news about a musical bottle opener from former Arab Strap man Aidan John Moffat and the usual local gigs round-up.

Read and listen here.