Radar weekly: Musicians #UNRAVEL live on stage

Good Monday to you. Apparently the best things about British music are a new George Michael single, the Spice Girls, a hologram of Freddie Mercury, Jessie J singing the Bee Gees and The Who singing a 47-year-old song about young people. Not that any of that is wrong, if you like that sort of thing - I’ve got nothing against Elbow, but that song has been ruined by sports montages already; and no amount of Brian May can make up for a massive David Bowie tease like that. So we beg to differ, if we may.

So back to the future, and the latest Radar Weekly.

• We normally confine concerts to the gig guide at the bottom of this page, but sometimes they’re just so darn inventive that they warrant special attention (and yes, it’s a slow news week). In the invention stakes, Edinburgh band FOUND are strutting masters, with a Bafta already in their trophy cabinet for Cybraphon, a wardrobe-shaped musical robot whose mood was controlled by social media mentions.

Earlier this year they adapted the concept with the sound installation #UNRAVEL as part of Glasgow’s art festival. It was a collaboration with Arab Strap man Aidan Moffat which saw ten of his favourite records performed mechanically depending on what sort of mood the machine was in. This week they take it to the stage for what will be - if all goes alright on the night - a fully interactive gig, where the audience can influence what they hear by tweeting their thoughts throughout the concert.

As well as FOUND, the show at the Queen’s Hall will also feature SAY-Award winning Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat, live sets from Lomond Campbell and River of Slime, plus DJ sets. If you like the thought of shaping a gig as you watch, tickets priced at a £10 are available online.

• Last month we featured Glasgow rapper MOG. He is one of several artists, along with the likes of Hector Bizerk, to appear in Peter Ross’s look at the Scottish hip hop scene - and rap battles in particular - for Scotland on Sunday.

• Episode 3 of Detour’s half-hour forays into the Scottish music scene is now online, featuring performances from The Twilight Sad, Meursault, There Will Be Fireworks, Fridge Magnets, The LaFontaines and more.

NEW MUSIC

• Splendid Edinburgh indie-poppets Cancel the Astronauts have announced their debut album, Animal Love Match, will be out on September 17. Exciting times. More exciting is that you can now pre-order it, should you so desire, through their Bandcamp page. They’ll play a launch show at Sneaky Pete’s on September 15 as well.

• We Are the Physics have released new single, ‘Applied Robotics’ – and what they describe as a ‘nifty, VHS-tastic’ video to go with it. Nifty – good word. Hear it on SoundCloud where you can also find where to buy. The band is playing on August 22 at the Electric Circus with CHURCHES.

• Miniature Dinosaurs’ single, ‘Lemonade’, is also out today. The first from their Turn It On EP, the Stirling band says the single “charts the post-puppy-love romance of the twenty-something”. Bassist and lyricist Alban Dickson said: “After seminar upon seminar of awkward, and full Harvard-referenced, flirting, the perseverance eventually pays off; only setting him up for the ultimate mistake: ordering a soft drink on the date. The designated driver is just never cool.”

Hmm - anyone else with flashbacks to Steve Coogan on The Day Today? (“Is he cool? Are they cool? Is this cool?”) Remember kids, safety first. But don’t let that dampen your excitement about this super little pop single; available on iTunes.

• The new EP from Fifers Calm as the Colour, ‘Tomorrow Belongs to a World Apart’ is available from this week in HMV stores in Glasgow and Braehead; it is a CD cunningly disguised as a 7”. Oh you guys. You can also get a hold of it on Bandcamp.

• We spoke about the 10:04s single ‘Lights Out’ last week – well, they’ve now released a video in the dark and atmospheric vein. By which we mean it looks like they’re playing at the bottom of that thing Batman has to climb out of. And, fittingly, there’s a woman applying lipstick in the manner of the Joker.

• Oddly enough, Any Color Black seem to have gone for a similar approach on the video for debut single ‘You’, which will be out on September 24 – but with far more creepy, horror-movie/nightmare type imagery including being tied to a chair and chased by a car. Eeep. The single is from debut album Sex & Love which is available now.

THIS WEEK’S GIG PICKS

TUESDAY: The aforementioned Calm as the Colour are live at HMV in Buchanan Street. It’s an acoustic set, and the show begins at 5.30pm.

WEDNESDAY: MILK is back at Flat 0/1, Glasgow. Tonight’s line-up is Crusades, Bear Arms, and Hunt/Gather so it should be pretty loud.

WEDNESDAY Bwani Junction and The LaFontaines play at CIRCA at the Electric Circus, Edinburgh.

FRIDAY/SATURDAY: Glasgow’s newest venue, The Glad Café, opens on Pollokshaws Road with two nights of music which make for an extremely promising start. On Friday, Conquering Animal Sound headline with Daniel Padden and The One Ensemble and Jonnie Common making up the bill while on Saturday, Rustie, Ben Butler & Mousepad, and Cru Servers play.

SATURDAY: Miaoux Miaoux is joined by Teen Canteen and Tom for a festival show at Sneaky Pete’s.

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