Under the radar: Soundz like summer and time to check out new talent at the festivals

Published on Thursday 26 June 2008 20:52

Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon report from Scotland’s underground music scene

JOHNNY Lynch, aka Pictish Trail ( www.myspace.com/pictishtrail), will be a familiar face to anybody who has attended a Fence Collective event or seen him playing with King Creosote and James Yorkston’s bands. But despite his extensive musical endeavours, his solo recordings have been limited to 200 CDRs.

This is about to change in September, though, with the release of Secret Soundz, a brilliant collection of songs which blend warm electronic instrumentation with guitars and Mr Lynch’s distinctive vocal talent. Words Fail Me Now, our Track of the Month, which you can hear by clicking on the green button at the top of this page, gives a little taster of what is to come.

• Last month saw dozens of bands perform at showcase event goNorth in Dundee, as well as on the Xposure stage at Rockness. Highlights included charming acoustic singer/songwriter Amber Wilson (www.myspace.com/amberacoustic); Big Big Sound’s (bigbigsound.co.uk) brand of Dundonian hip-hop, ska and dancehall and Lewis’ Dot Jr (www.myspace.com/dotjrmusic), who have the songs and talent to be the new Waterboys.

• The two big festivals taking place in July will also be setting aside showcase stages for new music. The T Break Stage at T In The Park (11-13 July) includes Isosceles, Frightened Rabbit and Twilight Sad, as well as the highly energetic, poptastic indie sounds of the Down And Outs (www.myspace.com/thedownouts).

• A little later in the month, the Wickerman Festival (www.thewickermanfestival.co.uk) boasts big names including KT Tunstall and The Fall. It will be worth hitting the Solus Emerging New Talent Tent, however, where exciting acts include Broken Records (playing at Born to be Wide) and Attic Lights.

Wickerman also offers a rare opportunity to check out The Kazoo Funk Orchestra (www.myspace.com/bigbeardlittlebeard), and art school groovemeisters Action Group (www.myspace.com/actiongroup) return to the scene with a collection of great new songs with a distinctly electronic and percussive feel.

• Edinburgh’s Cabaret Voltaire (www.thecabaretvoltaire.co.uk) is hosting numerous free gigs in July under the Duty Free banner, whereby the bar takings are split with bands. In effect this means that audiences can register their approval by getting completely hosed up, safe in the knowledge that pints mean pounds for the bands. Participants include Juno (www.myspace.com/junovision), Ross Clark (www.myspace.com/electricpolyester) and Jakil (www.myspace.com/jakilonline).

Scottish hip-hop is a brutally underrated genre, despite boasting some excellent exponents. Michael Douglas Galloway has been championing Glasgow’s The Being (www.myspace.com/thebeingcrew). Also worth checking out is the Somniloquy EP by the former Disciples Of Panic Earth frontman, Solareye (ww.myspace.com/stanleyodd). He combines social observations with gentle grooves and excellent live musicianship, creating a mix which should be on everyone’s iPod.

In other news, Scottish literary pioneer and Rebel Inc founder Kevin Williamson will be playing his favourite records at Born To Be Wide on 3 July. The night will also feature a free seminar titled “Unveiling The Mind Of A Music Journalist” in conjunction with the Musicians’ Union. To reserve a seat contact: [e-mail]

• Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run Born to be Wide ( www.myspace.com/borntobewide) where bands and people involved in the music industry are invited to play their favourite records (but not The Smiths or Joy Division). The night takes place monthly at the Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh.