Tartan Clef Music Awards 2007

‘Tartan’ and ‘Clef’
….are words many Indie Musicians’ would rarely utter in the same sentence, unless harking back to Archie Gemmell and school music lessons. However the 2007 ‘Tartan Clef Music Awards’, with Biffy Clyro, Idlewild, Gun, Franz Ferdinand and new boys The Law proved without a doubt this event is every bit as cool as a low slung Les Paul and shades indoors – yes people those are still cool if you’re rocknroll enough to pull it off…

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Ken Garner

The Peel Sessions

Almost 15 years ago a Glasgow-based journalist (not a musicologist, he insists) wrote a book called In Session Tonight. I say “wrote”, there is a considerable amount of interesting prose in there, but perhaps ’compiled’ would be a more accurate part – certainly the bulk of Garner’s work will have been trawling the BBC archives gathering details on every session ever recorded for John Peel’s radio shows. more… “Ken Garner”

Aberfeldy

It’s good to know that sometimes even rock musicians are troubled by the minutiae of everyday life that bother the rest of us. When I arrive at Riley Briggs’ home in Edinburgh, the singer is in the middle of dealing with someone in a call centre. more… “Aberfeldy”

The National – interview

Waiting outside the ABC for my arranged meeting with one of the most lauded bands of the year, The National, I look up at the huge sign with the band’s name in lights and curse myself for not having managed to see them at any one of the smaller gigs they have played in Glasgow before tonight. more… “The National – interview”

SAY

Musically they couldn’t be much further away from arch-miserabalists Radiohead, but SAY – Lancashire’s most cheerily optimistic popsters – are with their Oxford antitheses on the subject of free music. Singer Jay Sansfield also can see the logic behind the ‘pricing’ model. more… “SAY”

Art School Dance

Anyone as tired of myself of the seemingly constant festival TV over the summer – interminable showings of Oasis and Klaxon-a-like bands – may find themselves welcoming any live music – even if it has the ‘Art School’ tag. more… “Art School Dance”

Stephen Fretwell

I ascended the tour bus as Stephen Fretwell was changing his trousers. Having just played the eleventh gig of his tour at The Classic Grand on Jamaica Street, he was probably looking forward to relaxing. more… “Stephen Fretwell”

The Rock & Roll Times Guide To The Music Industry

HowToBooks

Why would anyone want to get into the music business? Famously visualised by Steve Albini as a shit-filled trench where aspiring bands swim towards the contract-wielding cigar-chomper at the other end, he showed that for anyone with ideas of ‘success’ (which may start as low as ‘not losing your house’) even taking the DIY approach necessitates some sort of savvy. more… “The Rock & Roll Times Guide To The Music Industry”

On the couch with Calvin Harris

Calvin Harris is ILL. Throat problems saw him struggle through his set at Glasgow’s Old Fruit Market, part of the Beck’s Fusions gigs around the UK. But is he OK besides that? The lofty love machine took some time (not much, mind) to answer some of Is This Music’s? probing psychological questions after the show. more… “On the couch with Calvin Harris”