Playing catch-up with The Streetlamp - No. 2

Regular readers of this blog will not be surprised to learn that I will be involved in strike action at work next Wednesday, along with several million other UK public sector workers. You will also not be surprised to learn further that I am, right now, up to my ears in producing leaflets, painting banners and making placards in preparation for our showdown with the government. As a result, I have had to cancel a good few blogs which I've not had time to sit down and write. To make up for this, I'm making tonight's blog one of my 'Playing catch-up with The Streetlamp' pieces in a vain attempt to shoe-horn several bands, songs and pieces of information into one manageable, easily-digested form. Apologies to the artists involved for not giving you my usual fulsome coverage, but I'm sure you understand that the political struggle must always come first.



So, first up is a piece of news that I promised you back in October at the release of Stanley Odd's 'The Day I Went Deaf' EP (see 'here'). In that piece I hinted that a major show was in the offing for Stanley Odd in January but could not yet be confirmed. I can now confirm that they are playing in the O2 ABC in Glasgow on January 29th with the Peatbog Faeries as part of the Celtic Connections festival. If you're surprised at that bill and the union of what seems rather a strange mix of styles, then you're not alone. When I asked Stanley Odd frontman Solareye about it, he told me:

"Yup , we're playing O2 ABC with Peatbog Faeries. I agree it's quite an unorthodox lineup but we're really looking forward to it.

We actually played Solas Festival last year just before the Peatbog Faeries and it was a brilliant gig, so hopefully peeps will be kind to us as ABC."

I, for one, am certainly looking forward to it and I'm thankful to the eclectic nature of Celtic Connections that it can throw this sort of night up. See you there!



And staying with Scottish hip-hop for a bit, the next item I want to bring to your attention is the release of '.​.​.​Escape The Network' by Vizual Pupil & Th!nK. You will, hopefully, remember me writing previously about the smart and righteous taster track 'Madness' (see 'here'). Well, now the complete 7-track album is available as a free download on their bandcamp page, and is well worth checking out. Have a listen to the excellent 'Blade Running':

Blade Running by uncon




At the beginning of November, Gordon gave us a frank and honest article about his own, long-time struggle with depression (see 'here'), which like many sufferers he characterises as 'the black dog'. Coincidentally, at about the same time, Kevin P. Gilday , the knowing and witty, Glaswegian poet and musician (previously on The Streetlamp 'here'), released a fine, spoken-word track called 'Black Dog Days' . As usual, this is available as a free download from his soundcloud site. Have a listen:

Black Dog Days by Kevin P. Gilday






And speaking of poetic, introspective, spoken-word songs, there is a new album available from New Orleans Swim Team; the solo project of Alberta based, self-taught, multi-instrumentalist Jacob Ulickij ('here' previously on The Streetlamp). This latest work is called 'To be Something, to be Anything' and is available as a free download from the bandcamp page. Here's a track to get you in the mood:







Last, but not least, I'm delighted to say that the fine, young, Edinburgh-based indie-pop band The Spook School (see 'here' previously on The Streetlamp) have, at last, released some new material. A two-track, home-demo single 'Are You Who You Think You Are?' is now available as a free download from their bandcamp page. I think it's really rather good and find myself drawn to the rough-hewn nature of the songs in their demo form. Have a listen:





Well, I'm afraid that'll have to do for the time being, some of us have a class war to win, you know. Apologies to the artists involved in this roundup for my enforced brevity. I'll make it up to you in the future.


Griff
xx

Griff says; Spooky happenings in Edinburgh

Edinburgh, surely the most haunted place in Scotland judging by the sheer number of ghost walks put on for the eager tourists, and home for tonight's band; Scotland's own The Spook School. Those of you educated in art history may well be confused at this point, as previously the phrase 'Scotland's own Spook School' referred, of course, to Charles Rennie Mackintosh and friends and their Celtic influence on the Art Nouveau movement etc. But forget all that, it's irrelevant (unless the band get in touch and tell us that the Glasgow School is an influence on them, which would be unusual, admittedly, but pretty cool). Anyway, I digress, this The Spook School are a young, unsigned, indie-pop band from Edinburgh who have thus far recorded two songs, funded by Creative Scotland, both of which can be freely downloaded on either their last.fm page or bandcamp page.
I know very little about the band other than that the members are; Naomi Todd, Adam Todd, Anna Cory and Niall McCamley. I also really like this blurb on their bandcamp page:

NOTE: Even though it says 'Buy Album' above, you can download these songs FOR FREE. We wont mind. Honestly. Obviously we'd be very flattered if you decided to give us some money, but it's really not a requirement. We'd rather you had them. TAKE THEM!

Well, it would be rude not to do just that after such a generous invitation. As regards the songs, it's difficult to say just what sort of sound The Spook School will eventually evolve. The first track 'History' has a memorably oblique and quirky lyric, the backing though is a fairly standard but competent stab at indie-rock. The second song Hallam is, in this writers opinion, much more interesting and had me sitting up right away. Again the lyric is arresting and unusual; this time, however, the accompanying music is perfectly matched and every bit as attention grabbing. The track starts with the melancholy calling of seagulls before some lovely light mandolin(?) playing ushers in the music. The song then builds slowly up with sweeping reverb-laden guitar chords and some wonderfully ethereal backing vocals. This produces a marvellously evocative and eerily doomed air, which I found impossible to resist. Have a listen below and see what you think:




Excellent, I hope you'll agree. More like this please, guys.

Griff
xx