At the risk of repeating herself, this was yet another great night at The Glad – BM’s favourite venue!
AA Records has put out some really interesting and diverse stuff in its short life so far and it is all about the DIY ethic – they just do it, on a shoestring, but they do it!
So first on are Lemon Drink, newly signed to Last Night From Glasgow, and you can see why. The four piece (although BM understands they are essentially a duo) indiepop band play a gorgeous blend of Britpop-era Lush (although band members say “never heard of ’em”) with singer/guitarist Sophie’s voice spiralling over the din.
There are some harder edges as well, ‘Paper Heart’ in particular being quite thrashy with some nods to Sleater-Kinney maybe. Guitarist Kirstie claimed not to have been given a setlist so widespread hilarity ensued until she was furnished with one. Other tracks like ‘Pull The House Down’, ‘Gomez’ and ‘Mercury’ went down a treat and BM is just stoked about the potential of this lot – quite amazing and hugely enjoyable.
Next up were AA Records supremo Angus’s band, Home Economics. BM had witnessed them live before but tonight they were even better, with Angus throwing guitar shapes at the others, as was his right (it was his birthday party after all) – BM thinks their sound recalls some classic Scottish indie acts, for example Edinburgh’s Ballboy (beloved of Peel) and maybe also the mighty Hector Collectors. But let us just say (and us critics are annoying for comparing one band with another band, it must be a pain in the arse for them) that their sound is of their own making, and these tracks have true originality and staying power. BM has no agenda or axe to grind on this but especially the two tracks currently available on Spotify, ‘Idiots’ and ‘Good Life’, are simply breathtaking.
Angus has a deadpan delivery which is all of his own, and around him the rest of the band create a laid back but righteous maelstrom of noise, a fucking great racket… There were more reflective moments such as “No-one Said This Was Easy’, but overall this was a concentrated blast of indierock frustration and anger, and all the better for it. Can BM just add there is something about ‘Good Life’ which really gets under the gusset, not in a sexual way but fuck what a riff, comparing it with Neil Young, maybe Teenage Fanclub, fucking hell the comparisons come on again, just listen to it. Angus may have been wearing a comedy birthday hat tonight but there are serious songwriting chops in that head.
And that wasn’t enough, Carla J Easton played what BM would say was her best (BM witnessed) gig yet as the headliner. It all just came together, with the full band (last week’s drum machine was presumably in a skip,… no, “having a wee rest”, CJE said!). Most selections were from last year’s album, along with the Stuart Murdoch co-write ‘Best Friend’.
Playing tonight with Gus, Callum and Ashley, and the florally besuited Paul Kelly on bass, this was truly magnificent.
Set highlights were ‘Lights In The Dark’, which has supersonic dynamics, Fleetwood Mac vs New Order and gave BM the first musical orgasm she has had in ages…
BM was by this time quite delirious, think the last track played was ‘Girl From Before’, another quite astonishing composition. BM understands Carla has funding for another record and is part of a Tramway show with Eugene Kelly in early July – go girl!
BM did not win anything in the raffle but it raised a good few quid for the Scott Hutchison memorial charity, a very worthwhile point to what was, thanks to Jer Reid’s spot-in sound and Joe Smillie’s organisational skills, an excellent night’s entertainment – roll on the third birthday!