Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Seven - The Belle Hops

Oh look, one week down already. Everyone enjoying their musical treats?

Today's Christmas song comes from The Belle Hops. Titled A Belle Hops Christmas Song it fulfils everything it promises in the name.

They do a sort of 50s-60s girl group thing, with Scottish accents. Something nice and poppy for your Tuesday morning.

Now, let's see if I'm still snowed in, or if I need to go to work today...

The Belle Hops: MySpace - Facebook - Bandcamp

Aye Tunes Presents...

Hello again! I'm still snowed in, so you are getting a variety of unplanned blog posts this afternoon.

This is one I've been desperate to make for a few weeks, but tinkering with a few details held it off a bit.

After the fun of putting on the AvsP trilogy with Peenko I've gotten a bit of a taste for putting on gigs. The Aye Tunes Vs Peenko gigs are on hiatus for now, so... I'm doing the next one, at least, by myself.

Some kind of weird OCD type affliction made me decide that for the first Aye Tunes Presents gig I wanted a theme. After a bit of humming and hawing I picked one - animals! This worked out well for me, since there are TONS of bands named after or related to animals around that I like.

It is with great pleasure then that I can now announce the line-up, especially since details have already popped up on Stereo's website, and in an interview on of all places Peenko Blog.

Joining me for an evening of animal themed fun and frolics are Boygirlanimalcolour, Kochka and Trapped Mice.

The gig takes place on the 21st of January next year in Stereo in Glasgow, so you have plenty of time to save up some pennies to come along.

If you are into that kind of thing here's a Facebook event page for the gig.

Please come x

Frightened Rabbit's Snow Show

I'm snowed in, apparently. I tried to get to work this morning but after waiting for a while on a bus I was told they've been cancelled for the day, so back off home I trotted. How awful.

Chances are some of you are in the same boat. Even worse, some of you may have seen your plans to go to tonight's, or the one that was on on Friday for that matter, Frightened Rabbit gig in Glasgow vanish into heaps of white fluffy stuff.

If so, worry not. The Skinny reported on Twitter that the band will be streaming a special live acoustic "snow show" at 6:30pm to go some way to cheering up the folks that can't make it.

You'll be able to watch the show here or if the embed thing works, down below.

Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Six - The Last Battle

the Last Battle have a new single out today. The A-side is Nature's Glorious Rage, taken from their debut album Heart of the Land Soul of the Sea. You can download the single here.

Since one of the b-sides is a Christmas song that gives me an excuse to plug the single and some upcoming tour dates. Listen to and download Once Upon a Boxing Day below, visit Bandcamp for the rest.

The Last Battle head off on a wee tour this week, kicking off with a free gig at Bloc in Glasgow on Tuesday night. Here's all the dates:

7 Dec 2010 Bloc Glasgow

9 Dec 20101 Old Bridge Inn Aviemore

10 Dec 2010 Musa Aberdeen

12 Dec 2010 The Adelphi w/The Book Club Hull

13 Dec 2010 The Well w/The Book Club Leeds

15 Dec 2010 The Garage w/The Book Club London

The Last Battle: Website - MySpace - Facebook

This Week's Gigs: 6th - 12th December

Is everyone enjoying the Christmas songs so far?

Last week's gig guide was a bit of a nightmare, let's see if I can get through it in one go this time.

Monday:

Fightened Rabbit, Admiral Fallow, The John Knox Sex Club. Barrowlands.

The second of Frightened Rabbit's sold out Barrowlands gigs, this time with added John Knox Sex Club.

Tuesday:

The Last Battle. Bloc, free entry.

Wednesday:

Little Fire, Matt Johnston, David Burns. The 13th Note.

Thursday:

Electopapknit Compilation Launch. The Winchester.

Bit more on this coming during the week, but the basis are Electropapknit are releasing an excellent, and free, compilation on Thursday, which this is a launch gig for. Playing on the night will be Galoshins, Min Diesel, Battery Face and Public Spaces.

The Last Battle. Old Bridge Inn, Aviemore.

Cracker. King Tut's. (Tickets)

David Lowery and Johnny Hickman do the songs of Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven

Alasdair Roberts, RM Hubbert. Mono.

Friday:

Six Storeys High, Penny Black, Lost in Audio, Waverley. Studio 24, Edinburgh.

Launch gig for the new Six Storeys High single, My Last Favour.

Saturday:

Christmas Picante. The Flying Duck.

Christmas party from the club night side of El Rancho Records. Playing live are Schnapps, PAWS, recent Spotlight stars/victims Male Pattern Band, Blood of the Bull, North American War and Organs of Love.

Gargleblast Records Christmas Party. Gargleblast Studio, Hamilton.

Bring your own booze, £4 in. The Clyde and Escape Act playing live, with special guest DJs.

Penguins Kill Polar Bears, Shutter, I Build Collapsible Mountains. Electric Circus, Edinburgh.

Emma's Imagination, Aaron Wright and the Aprils. The Classic Grand (Tickets)

Pretty Ugly Christmas Party. The Hold (The Admiral), Glasgow.

Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Five - Sonorous Breaks

Sunday afternoon bonus song!

Since Campfires In Winter earlier today was a repeat, here's something new for you.

Also since Campfires In Winter was much different from how they normally sound it seems apt to pick another band doing likewise with their Christmas song.

I don't know an awful lot about Sonorous Breaks really, but the little bit I have heard tends to be much on the heavier side than their Christmas offering.

For Christmas they've recorded Santa Baby and gone all bluesy and sexy. Which is pretty much what you should do if you are covering Santa Baby if you ask me. Lovely.

Sonorous Breaks - Santa Baby

Sonorous Breaks: MySpace - Website

Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Five - Campfires In Winter

Day five of the Christmas songs, and I'm digging up another repeat from last year.

I was sent this by Campfires In Winter last year and almost burst something laughing. It wasn't up for long and I've had a couple of emails over the last year asking about it, so I'm happy to represent Campfires In Winter's Christmas Song this year.

I'll quote repeat Boab from CiW's description of the song and, down below, the disclaimer I promised to post along with it - "it's about 2 guys getting pished, one of them decides to burn down the tree and pretends to be a bear and asks the other one to join him. It's a lot of shite."

Campfires in Winter - Christmas Song

It doesn't represent the music Campfires in Winter make in the slightest though, it was something they put together as a pisstake, for a laugh. It does that job nicely and Christmas is all about having fun. To hear what Campfires In Winter normally sound like hop over to their Bandcamp page and download this year's Cardboard Ships EP.

There's another bonus Christmas song at lunchtime, so come back later.

Campfires In Winter: MySpace - Bandcamp

Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Four - How To Swim

Since today's Christmas choice was a repeat and since it is the weekend, here's a bonus song.

That's right, I'm feeling generous, so today and tomorrow you get to open an extra door on the musical advent calendar.

This song was one of the reccomendations I got when I asked for Christmas songs the other week. I'd just about given up on finding it too, when How To Swim handily made it available again.

So, thanks to them, you can listen to How To Swim's Christmas song from a few years ago - Sleighbells (Christmas Makes me Blue) - and download it for free below. It is pretty Spector-esque, and a barrel of fun.

You can listen to and buy loads more of How To Swim's stuff over at their Bandcamp page. Their debut album Retina (or More Fun Than a Vat of Love) came out a couple of months back and is quite splendid.

How To Swim: MySpace - Facebook - Bandcamp

Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Four - Dan Lyth

Day four of the Christmas songs brings the first repeat, of sorts, from last year.

A track from Dan Lyth's The Fat Man and Baby Boy EP appeared last year, but since the EP has been rereleased for this Christmas and is well worth your fiver I'm using it again today.

Thanks to the wonders of Bandcamp I don't have to pick a song, you can listen to the whole thing down below.

Stuck for Christmas gifts for your loved ones? Well, if you buy four copies of the EP you'll get a fifth free, so there's always that. Buy the EP here.

Check back again at lunchtime today for a bonus Christmas song!

Dan Lyth: Website - Bandcamp

Eclectic Peel

Somehow managed to miss this off the gig guide this week. Exhibition runs from the 4th - 11th of December, with a special launch night of the 4th. On with the details...

December 4th sees Glasgow Podcart launch their biggest exhibition/event to date. The newly regenerated Barras Courtyard will house something extremely special for 1 week only

Glasgow Podcart have selected over 20 artists of all disciplines. This includes musicians, photographers, animators, illustrators, a sculptor, dancers and we even have a fashion designer! We have then paired these different artists up and asked them to create an original piece of work. The theme we have chosen is the late, great inspirational DJ: John Peel.

The exhibition will run from December 4th – December 11th; however we will be kicking things off with a fantastic live launch on the evening of December 4th. This will include special live music performances and refreshments not to mention the abundance of artwork that will be on show!

The aforementioned Barras Courtyard is beginning to establish itself as something vitally important in Glasgow and to prove this it houses two notable vintage retailers. Made In The Shade and Che Camille have both opened up shops in this breathtaking space. We will be transforming the courtyard into something visually stunning at night for Eclectic Peel and we hope you can come and be part of this!

The artists confirmed for the event are:

Abi Lewis

Alan Moore

Christine Jones

Douglas King

Roddy MacNeil

Robbie Porter

Ingrid Mur

Jamie Ross

Joan Beattie

Lindsay Docherty

Louise McVey

Mal Young

Michael Corr

Neil Warrack

Myriam Ceglarek

Paolo Caravello

Stephen Bloe

Ben Rowe

Neil Thomas Douglas

Lisa-Marie Ferla

There will be special musical performances from Blochestra and Esperi. Blochestra has a 22 member plus strong collective that boasts members from some of the most influential grass roots bands and also individual artists. They will be performing a very special set to pay homage to the legendary John Peel and his memory. If you have yet to experience Blochestra then you are in for something heart lifting.

Esperi will be performing a very eclectic set with some special surprises and will have the aid of Mal Young and RM * 3D visuals to round off the evening.

Oh, and be nice to the guy on the door please.

Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Three - Frightened Rabbit

Day three of the Christmas songs brings us our first cover version so far.

Recorded for Vic Galloway last year, this is Frightened Rabbit taking on Aled Jones and Snowmen at their own game.

Frightened Rabbit play The Barrowlands in Glasgow tonight, and again on Monday. Both gigs are sold out, and I don't have a ticket for either. Arse.

Frightened Rabbit - Walking In The Air

There's video of this too, probably only available for people in the UK, the few people that I get from elsewhere will probably just have an ugly black box below.

Frightened Rabbit: Website

Advent Calendar 2010 - Day Two - The Porch Song Anthology

For the second day of the Aye Tunes Advent Calendar we are staying a bit downbeat and moody.

Don't worry, cheery Christmas tunes are on the way later.

The Porch Song Anthology contain former Telstar Ponies members Rachel Devine, Gavin Laird and Raymond Prior, with JC Devine completing the line-up. They released their debut album in 2006, with their second due next year. Not ones to be rushed then...

Before the album comes this though, Christmas Is Cold, their new Christmassy single.

It is a bit of a bittersweet, folk tinged Americana number, and really gorgeous. It might not be happy and sparkly, but it's got a good heart. We at Aye Tunes are suckers for a good harmony too, and Christmas Is Cold delivers beautifully.

The single was released on Monday and can be bought from Amazon and iTunes.

The Porch Song Anthology play Brel in Glasgow tonight (Thursday 2nd) to launch the single.

Don't have a stream of the song available, so here's the video.

The Porch Song Anthology: Website

Bronto Skylift December Tour & Single

The loudest duo around, Bronto Skylift, are chasing off the Winter blues with a series of dates around Scotland in the coming weeks. All the details are on the poster above, but in case you can't see that I'll handily list them all here too.

Bronto Skylift December Tour

:9th - Inverness - Madhatters (with He Slept On 57 and Detour DJs)

10th - Stornoway - Jäger Room

11th - Aviemore - Old Bridge Inn

12th - Edinburgh – Sneaky Pete’s (with Lady North) (There's a small number of cheap tickets for this one HERE)

13th – Glasgow – The Art School (with Lady North, LightGuides & Departures)

16th - Leslie - The Greenside (with The Fire & I)

17th - Dundee – Doghouse (with Pensioner)

Coinciding with the tour is a new single, Gameboy, lifted from the band's debut album The White Crow. Gameboy is a bit like what I imagine would happen if you combined a pop song with a wrecking ball, which is of course a good thing.

Backing Gameboy on the single is the previously unreleased rarity Cross Dressing Thumbwar Championship, which I think you'll agree is a top class title.

The single is limited to 70 hand numbered copies with new artwork designed by the band.

Bronto Skylift: MySpace - Bandcamp - Shop

Advent Calendar 2010 - Day One - Chris Flew

It is December now and like it or not I'm going to spend the next 24 days ramming Christmas spirit down your throat.

I'm going to start off on a downbeat note with Chris Flew's Christmas on Ward #7.

This is a gorgeous song, which I kept meaning to include last year, but kept forgetting about, much like I've meant to feature Chris himself more prominently here over the time I've been writing Aye Tunes. He is an excellent songwriter, who should really be more well known.

The song is a bit of a look at the other side of Christmas, away from the tinsel and happy, smiley faces.

You can listen below and if you follow the links to Bandcamp you can snag a free download of the whole Kingston Bridge album the song comes from.

Also, video!

Chris Flew: Website - Facebook - Bandcamp

T in the Park 2011 Tickets Presale

Want to buy a ticket for next year's T in the Park, but don't want to wait till they go on sale on Friday? Well then, don't wait. So long as I've scheduled this post properly there's a presale starting in about an hour (it starts at 9am) which you can find here, with tickets on sale at 2010 prices.

Early bird tickets go on general sale at 9am on Friday, you'll be able to find those here.

In the interests of full disclosure, I'm posting this because if you buy tickets from that link, I get a tiny wee bit of commission. I know, I know, I'm a sell out, but a guy's gotta eat, and no one ever clicks the adverts over on the sidebar.