Tuff Love are in a class of their own

This old-school approach to promotion befits a release which will excite fans of Eighties indie popsters such as the Shop Assistants, as well as subsequent American bands such as The Breeders. Tuff Love is the latest act to come out on Lynch’s new label, Lost Map Records. Sweet Discontent, along with four other tracks, is released on 5 May on 10” white vinyl, and will coincide with several live appearances. Expect to see these great newcomers at a summer festival near you. www.lostmap.com

Hidden Door festival, a multi-arts event covering music, theatre, art installations, film and more returns to the capital with a jam-packed nine-day programme from 28 March to 5 April. This year the festival will transform 24 disused vaults on Market Street into a unique variety of pop-up entertainment venues. Some highlights include a Lost Map records showcase featuring our track of the month act Tuff Love, along with label mates Kid Canaveral, Pictish Trail and Randolph’s Leap on 31 March. There is also a night programmed by the innovative Tinderbox Orchestra (2 April) and music subscription service Ten Tracks (3 April). Meursault, Miaoux Miaoux and LAW feature on 4 April. For more information visit www.hiddendoorblog.org/

The Wee Dub Festival also returns to Edinburgh from 7-9 March, with a selection of acts spanning the full spectrum of this reggae sub-genre. Since its launch in 2011 the event has actually turned into the Quite Big Dub Festival, with gigs taking place in venues including the Liquid Room, Summerhall, The Caves, Teviot Underground and Studio 24. Local outfits include Mungo’s Hi-fi and Samson Sounds, and there is a kid’s Dub Station at the Hemma Bar on Saturday, as well as a Dub Clinic workshop at Red Dog Music shop in the Grassmarket. See www.weedubfestival.co.uk/

In the Highlands, The Ironworks have teamed up with the goNORTH Festival for Ironworks Easter Showcase featuring local talent. Artists announced so far include Garden of Elks, Dylan Tierney and Lionel, with goNORTH due to add a band from their showcase list which is finalised in early April. See www.ironworksvenue.com/whatson.php

The Scottish Alternative Music Awards or SAMAs, created by former UWS music business student Richy Muirhead in 2010, takes place on Friday 7 March at The Garage in Glasgow. Live entertainment comes courtesy of Model Aeroplanes,The LaFontaines, Brown Bear & The Bandits and Bear Arms. Full information, including nominated bands in each of the seven categories, can be found at http://www.officialsama.co.uk/vote

The city of Perth hosts the Words and Music festival from 14-1 5 March, a collaboration between Perth College and Horsecross’ Talent Hub for Scottish Traditional and Gaelic Music. The event is a two-day industry event, not unlike our own Wide Days, complete with seminars, talks and free live music showcases. Some highlights of the live programme include Model Aeroplanes, Pinact and Fatherson at The Twa Tams on 14 March and Siobhan Wilson at Greyfriars Bar and The Jellyman’s Daughter at The Green Room on 15 March. Visit www.wordsandmusic.co.uk for full info

Ex-pat Scot Craig Ferguson has long been a champion of Scottish acts on his long-running talk show on US television. However, Glasgow band Roddy Hart & the Lonesome Fire impressed him so much he invited them to stay for a week-long residency, playing tracks from their album. The story was broken by influential trade magazine Hollywood Reporter and footage from the first show’s performance can be seen here http://youtu.be/pH4YRAZDfa8  l Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run Scottish music industry social night, Born To Be Wide. The next event takes place on Thursday, 6 March, at Edinburgh’s Electric Circus, titled How To Make Friends and Influence People. The night will feature a discussion about building contacts and networking within the music business, followed by guests playing their favourite music. See www.borntobewide.co.uk