A note from reader Ray Favourite, who tells is in his hand-written note that he has “some songs and half a band”. [...]

The Highland pop explosion continues unabated with this gem of a demo. London record executives can be heard packing their gaelic dictionaries, passports and snow boots [...]

Nice presentation - blue Saltire paint-splattered on the flexible plastic CD sleeve.
Sadly the CD doesn’t actually play, which does put the mockers on things a little. [...]

Apparently this CD has lain undiscovered in the pile for so long that the band concerned have since split up. Which is maybe for the best [...]

Piano. Drums. IS THAT IT? Anyone else thinking Keane? Ok, maybe the Dresden Dolls? [...]

For some reason I’d expected full-on in-yer-face punk rock from this Glasgow 4-piece but what they offer is something much more considered and indeed more up-to-date. Certainly, the influences are closer to the 80s than 70s - acerbic guitar in the Gang of 4 vein, gothy vocals from a darker place la Sisters of Mercy, and shifting, jerky rhythms which would do Talking Heads proud. The sleeve imparts the surprising info that - remarkably for such a pro-sounding EP, it’s “recorded at Larry’s flat”. And the cover also bears the legend “best played at excessive volumes to masses of people.” Such is the quality of songs and recording I’d recommend you do just that.

Decidedly pastoral sounds. Or maybe that should be ‘seascape’? ‘Zoonosis’ (eh?) is a lazy mess of strummy acoustics and occasional shards of jagged fuzzy guitar offset by top class harmonies. The band exhibit a whole mess of influences or sounds - Martin Stephenson, the Wonderstuff on ‘Old Snow Plough’ as well as the more obvious choices like Handsome Family or Wilco. While ‘Birds’ is another lazy soundtrack to a day spent gazing at the ocean.

Pop in pop socks? We’re off to a good start. Hailed by those who are deemed to know about such things as being “rather good”, this grrrl power trio are kicking up a storm, mostly by selling advertisement space on their arse to fund their forthcoming trip to the Baybeats Festival in Singapore. Anyway, evidence of their genius is apparent in the line “I saw you eat the fish/ I saw you eat the fish/ I saw you eat the fish/ YOU ARE A BAD VEGETARIAN!”. Outstanding.

For every underachiever, there is an overachiever. The founders of Record Playerz, not content with creating one of the most important club nights in Glasgow, DJ’s Hushpuppy and Hi-Fi Sean started an offshoot band under the same name to make trashy and fun pop. A contemporary equivalent to Gary Glitter but without all the kiddy stuff. The result of this demo is pure, manufactured, shoe shuffle pop. Dance, ask for details at the DJ booth, whistle in the street on Friday afternoon, repeat.

A startling mix of dreamy vocals and vaguely industrial feedback, all punctuated by some reliably metronomic beats, The Kut look and feel like a prospect for the future. Sounding like a pared-down version of Nineties indie-dance almost-rans Curve, they have the potential to cross genre boundaries without resorting to the glo-stick waving antics of nu-rave. ‘The Vision’ rattles along like the echo of a distant goth-dance party, while ‘Brother’ is a funk-dance steam train puffing its way through indie ballad territory. If their demos sound this good, then presumably their debut album will be something to get truly excited about. Definitely a cut above the rest.