Return of the Scots

[Frau_Blucher]

Two really good Scottish releases already for 2009...

Franz Ferdinand's "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand": Pretty mainstream you might say, but I have to say that this third album is surprisingly excellent. It takes the best elements of the 1st album's driving singles and seems to add more flavor from the 2nd's more-interesting deeper album cuts. It's probably not very [i]alternative[/i] to say that I really like this FF album, but so be it.

The Phantom Band's debut "Checkmate Savage": Nice! One review says "A vibrant collage of Kraftwerk-synthesised squelches, west coast guitar twangs and gorgeous contorted rhythms, let's hope this and not endless Mary Chain retreads is the true sound of Young(ish) Scotland. 'Folk Song Oblivion' is a thrilling throwback to early Floyd yet sounds like some mad Celtic Americana, while 'Crocodile' evolves into an instrumental monster embracing all manner of electro rock. 'Halfhound' bounds along like an ancient Lowland anthem, gliding over higher ground with the gently pulsing 'Left Hand Wave'. Fantastic." For me, it's a rare band that can throw in elements of Terry Riley as well as Franz Ferdinand in the same song!

The Phantom Band's "Folksong Oblivion":
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[SwampThing]

I really like the Scottish band "The Twilight Sad". Glasvegas have a couple of really good singles, but overall I don't care for them. I'll have to check out the new Franz release.

Quote about The Twilight Sad from a Scotsman music journalist:
[quote]Top dogs among the current crop of Scottish contenders (apart from Glasvegas that is), the Twilight Sad come across like a fantasy supergroup consisting of members of Joy Division, My Bloody Valentine and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. This is not the first time this newspaper has raved about them, and probably won't be the last.[/quote]


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[Frau_Blucher]

[quote][i]Originally posted by SwampThing[/i]
<br>I really like the Scottish band "The Twilight Sad". Glasvegas have a couple of really good singles, but overall I don't care for them. I'll have to check out the new Franz release.
[/quote]
Have to agree about Glasvegas. 2 trick pony? Rather than being a grower like a lot of recent albums, I just kinda feel there's a sameness after awhile. Thanks for the Twilight Sad reminder. I remember chatting about them awhile ago and forgot completely about them. Funky album and EP covers.