Archive for April, 2006

Bill Wells with Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Tenniscoats, Kama Aimi & Nikaidoh Kazumi.

8 Comments Published by Matthias April 25th, 2006 in Reviews.

Woodwick House hosted the final leg of pianist Bill Well’s Scottish tour, featuring four modern Japanese acts as part of the Arts Council’s programme of cultural exchanges. The format of the gig was ill conceived, fragmented into many different sets that were too short to develop fully. The collaborative pieces, which should have been a […]

Next Big Thing: Lily Allen.

46 Comments Published by Matthias April 23rd, 2006 in The Next Big Thing.

Tomorrow see’s the release of Lily Allen’s first single ‘LDN’, a limited edition 7inch which will likely be snapped up exclusively by Shoreditchers and not make it anywhere near this far north. But don’t worry, Lily’s hit on the sound of the summer (not bad going for April), and if we’re lucky might even bring […]

Orkney Compilation CD

7 Comments Published by Ian April 22nd, 2006 in Side Column.

Recording began today in Orkney Arts Theatre for a new compilation CD featuring 10 young Orkney bands . Two sisters - Katie and Emma Thomas, recorded two songs for the CD on various instruments. Two bands, Superego and Vague Inspiration also recorded tracks. Vague Inspiration recorded “Celestial Suicide” which was played at their previous Town […]

Woodwick: Bill Wells / Japanese Musicians

1 Comment Published by Matthias April 22nd, 2006 in Gigs.

Saturday April 22nd, 2006: 8pm
Woodwick House, Evie
£10: Call 01856 751330 for tickets.
A unique performance by Scottish pianist Bill Wells with exciting Japanese musicians.
Bill Wells’ latest project presents a unique Japanese pop adventure. Wells, one of Scotland’s most forward-looking musicians, joins four of Japan’s leading acts on a TUNE UP tour that promises some of the […]

Town Hall gig reviewed in The Orcadian.

4 Comments Published by Matthias April 13th, 2006 in Reviews.

Fundraising gig is spot-on for young bands.
By Craig Corse. The Orcadian, Thursday, 13th April, 2006.
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Remember the name - Blindspot. In just a few years this Orkney band may well have moved on to bigger things, if their spectacular performance in Kirkwall’s Town Hall on Friday was anything to go by. From […]

Town Hall gig reviewed in Orkney Today.

3 Comments Published by Clazz April 13th, 2006 in Reviews.

Young band set to go on record after successful fundraiser gig.
By Clarissa Linnit. Orkney Today, Thursday, 13th April, 2006.
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BLINDSPOT are the latest young local musicians to head into the studio and record an EP of self-written songs. The CD is being funded partially by an event held by the band last […]

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Highlights



Side Column

  • Finding New Music Online
    The Hype Machine is an audio blog aggregator that tracks songs posted on music blogs and lets you listen to them all from within the site. It often has a bit more of a varied selection than you find on Myspace, and is alot less annoying. Basically you just go there and type in the name of an artist and it'll search through hundreds of sites for all audio files. It also shows you related music videos on Youtube. It's especially useful when you hear a new track on the radio and want to listen to it again and find a few more tracks by the same band. For example, a quick search for Klaxons yields a plethora of tracks from the band, including remixes and live tracks. Go try it out with you favourites and let us know what you find. - #

  • Imaginative Fundraiser
    "Relay for life" was a fundraising event staged at Picky sports track on August 12th by Macmillan cancer care, who raised the astonishing sum of £50,000. Live music was provided aboard an open sided truck to spur the runners on. Sadly, I missed local blues band "Mean Business", but next up were two of the members of Blindspot - Josh McGregor and Darren Tait. The boys played electro & acoustic guitars and sang in harmony, providing a wide range of tones and textures. The songs penned by themselves were particularly striking - "White Spark" mirroring the drive and optimism of the crowd, and "Hold On" displaying Darren's masterful control of his instrument. Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah" was a fitting song to choose for the finale, and the boys gave a tender performance of this difficult number with it's high vocals and irregular tuning. - #

  • Matt Willis (Busted) Interview
    By Clarissa Linnet. He might not be to everyone's tastes, but former bassist of Busted, now solo singer Matt Willis was recently interviewed by Orkney-based magazine Musicadian. Here, you can watch the exclusive video, where we discuss what we can expect from his forthcoming debut album and why he preferred being in a band... Click here to watch. - #

  • Darkness dropped?
    Gossip-by-email rag Popbitch reported today (without any explanation) that "The Darkness have been dropped". This seems a bit suss to me as you would have expected them to have had more than a 2-album deal when they signed with Atlantic. Still, after a disappointing second album the label may have got out on a contractual obligations clause. Lead singer Justin (of the mtv: "go away your teeth are wonky" fame) has just checked into the Priory, where he will be joined by Pete Doherty later today for a court-appointed stay. Rock n' Rehab baby! - #

  • Mars Patrol didn't make it up
    Sadly The Mars Patrol ran into boat trouble and Wednesday's gig had to be cancelled. We had arranged an interview, so hopefully the gig will be rescheduled soon and we can catch up with them. - #

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