Introducing... Das Contras

Published on Friday 20 March 2009 16:38

One accusation that might be levelled at independent Scottish music is that it's often too inward-looking or parochial: take elements of native folk, plug in the guitars, sing in yer native brogue and hey presto, Scottish indie!

Das Contras are one of the exceptions to this (by no means absolute) rule. The Fifers describe themselves as "a six-headed musical monster with a Latin temperament, an axe to grind, two devilish horns and a rock'n'roll heart."

Since winning the PRS New Music Award in 2006, the "monster" has played hundreds of concerts from Edinburgh to New York, supporting such musical luminaries as Terry Callier, Ozomatli, Acoustic Ladyland, Marlena Shaw and Candi Staton, who said that they "had blown her away".

Lofty praise indeed.

Das Contras play the Jazz Bar, Chambers Street, Edinburgh at midnight on Saturday 21st March.

• For more blogs on the best unsigned bands in Scotland, visit Under the Radar