Tuesday, May 29, 2012

If It's Not Scottish It's Crap (20 Great Bands From Scotland)

On this Wednesday, let's give a quick look at twenty bands from Scotland with a song a piece for each one. I've always had a soft spot for bands from Scotland, lately I've been digging a little bit of the new album from The Twilight Sad. So below is a list of 20 Great Bands From Scotland. It's in no particular order, think of it more of a playlist. Each band's song has a link to a Youtube video and at the bottom is a link to Spotify (if you can get it to work...then hats off to you). And in the words of Mike Myers on SNL...If it's not Scottish, It's Crap!

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20 Great Bands From Scotland:
 1. Artist: The Beta Band
Random Song: Dry The Rain (1997)
Origin: Edinburgh
Formed:1996
Ripped from Wikipedia: The Beta Band were a British musical group formed in 1996. They were critically acclaimed and achieved a cult status. Their style was described as being "folktronica", a blend of folk, electronic, rock, trip hop, and experimental jamming. The Beta Band disbanded in 2004 but during the course of their career, they were hailed by both Radiohead and Oasis. 

2. Artist: Primal Scream
Random Song: Kowolski (1997)
Origin: Edinburgh
Formed: 1982
Ripped from Wikipedia: Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie and now based in London. Their 1991 album Screamadelica broke the band into the mainstream. Despite multiple lineup changes, the band has remained commercially successful and continues to tour and record. 

3. Artist: Cocteau Twins
Random Song: Carolyn's Fingers (1988)
Origin: Grangemouth
Formed: 1979
Ripped From Wikipedia: The Cocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals. The original members were Elizabeth Fraser (vocals), Robin Guthrie (guitar, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass guitar), who was replaced by Simon Raymonde (also bass guitar) early in the band's career.

4. Artist: Average White Band
Random Song: Cut The Cake (1975)
Origin: Dundee
Formed: 1972
Ripped From Wikipedia: Average White Band (also AWB) is a Scottish funk and R&B band, who had a series of soul and disco hits between 1974 and 1980. They are best known for their million selling song, "Pick Up the Pieces".

5. Artist: Simple Minds
Song: Waterfront (1983)
Origin: Glasgow
Formed: 1978
Ripped From Wikipedia: Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s.

6. Artist: Frightened Rabbit
Random Song: The Modern Leper (2008)
Origin: Selkirk
Formed: 2003
Ripped From Wikipedia: Frightened Rabbit are a Scottish indie rock band from Selkirk, formed in 2003. The lineup consists of lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and lyricist Scott Hutchison, guitarist and bassist Billy Kennedy, guitarist Andy Monaghan, drummer Grant Hutchison and guitarist and keyboardist Gordon Skene. Since 2004 the band has been based in Glasgow.

7. Artist: Jesus and Mary Chain
Random Song: Snakedriver (1993)
Origin: East Kilbride
Formed: 1983
Ripped From Wikipedia: The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Glasgow in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid. They released a string of albums, singles and EPs between their 1983 formation and their 1999 breakup, and gained notoriety in their early days for short sets and violence that became common at their live shows. In 2007, the band reunited.

8. Artist: Teenage Fanclub
Random Song: Star Sign (1991)
Origin: Bellshill
Formed: 1989
Ripped From Wikipedia:  Teenage Fanclub are an alternative rock band from Bellshill, Scotland. The band's sound relies heavily on chiming, Byrds-esque guitars and harmony vocals. As well as being compared to the Byrds, Teenage Fanclub have also been compared to Big Star, Neil Young, and Dinosaur Jr. Although often pegged as alternative rock, the group has incorporated a wide variety of elements from various music styles in its songs.

9. Artist: Franz Ferdinand
Random Song: The Dark Of The Matinee (2004)
Origin: Glasgow
Formed: 2002
Ripped From Wikipedia: Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band has been nominated for several Grammy Awards, becoming one of the few Scottish bands or artists to do so. They have been nominated for several BRIT Awards in the UK, and have won an NME Award. With their three studio albums, the band sold over 3 million albums worldwide in 2009.

10. Artist: Aztec Camera
Random Song: Somewhere In My Heart (1988)
Origin: Glasgow, East Gilbride
Formed: 1980 
Ripped From Wikipedia: Aztec Camera were a Scottish New Wave band from the Glasgow suburb of East Kilbride, formed in 1980 and centered around teenage singer-songwriter, Roddy Frame. Their album Love was among the nominations for Best British Album at the 1989 BRIT Awards. 

11. Artist: Big Country
Random Song: Fields Of Fire (1983)
Origin: Dunfermline, Fife
Formed: 1981
Ripped From Wikipedia: Big Country is an internationally-renowned Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife in 1981. The height of the band's popularity was in the 1980s, although it retained a cult following for many years after, including the release of several further titles. The band's music was most recognizable for the sounds it infused with Scottish folk and martial music styles, as well as for playing and engineering their guitar driven sound to evoke the inspirational spirit of bagpipes, fiddles and other traditional folk instruments.

12. Artist: Travis
Random Song: Turn (1999)
Origin: Glasgow
Formed: 1990
Ripped From Wikipedia: Travis are a post-Britpop band from Glasgow, Scotland, comprising Fran Healy (lead vocalist, guitar, piano, banjo), Dougie Payne (bass guitar, backing vocals), Andy Dunlop (lead guitar, banjo, keyboards, backing vocals) and Neil Primrose (drums, percussion). They named themselves after the Harry Dean Stanton character Travis Henderson from the film Paris, Texas.

13. Artist: Belle and Sebastian
Random Song: The Blues Are Still Blue (2006)
Origin: Glasgow
Formed: 1996
Ripped From Wikipedia: Belle and Sebastian are an indie pop band formed in Glasgow in January 1996.
Belle and Sebastian are often compared with bands such as The Smiths, Bob Dylan and Nick Drake. The name Belle & Sebastian comes from Belle et S�bastien, a 1965 children's book by French writer C�cile Aubry, later adapted for television and an anime. Though consistently lauded by critics, Belle & Sebastian's "wistful pop" has enjoyed only limited commercial success.

14. Artist: The Waterboys
Random Song: A Girl Called Johnny (1983)
Origin: Edinburgh
Formed:1983
Ripped From Wikipedia: The Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. The early Waterboys sound was dubbed "The Big Music" after a song on their second album, A Pagan Place. This musical style was described by Scott as "a metaphor for seeing God's signature in the world."

15. Artist: Mogwai
Random Song: 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong (2001)
Origin: Glasgow
Formed: 1995
Ripped From Wikipedia: Mogwai are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), John Cummings (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesiser, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drum kit). The band typically compose lengthy guitar-based instrumental pieces that feature dynamic contrast, melodic bass guitar lines, and heavy use of distortion and effects.

16. Artist: Boards Of Canada
Random Song: In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country (2000)
Origin: Edinburgh
Formed: 1986
Ripped From Wikipedia: Boards of Canada (commonly abbreviated BoC) are a Scottish electronic music duo consisting of brothers Mike Sandison (born June 1, 1970) and Marcus Eoin (born July 21, 1971). They are signed with Warp Records and have released several works on that label with little advertising and few interviews, while also having an elusive and obscure back-catalogue of releases on their self-run Music70 label.

17. Artist: One Dove
Random Song: White Love (1993)
Origin: Glasgow
Formed: 1991
Ripped From Wikipedia: One Dove was a Scottish alternative dance music group active in the early 1990s, consisting of Dot Allison, Ian Carmichael and Jim McKinven, a former member of Altered Images.

18. Artist: Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
Random Song: Perfect Skin (1984)
Origin: Glasgow
Formed: 1982
Ripped From Wikipedia: Lloyd Cole and the Commotions were a pop band that formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1982. Between 1984 and 1989, the band scored four Top 20 albums and five Top 40 singles in the UK.

19. Artist: Nazareth
Random Song: Carry Out Feelings (1976)
Origin: Dunfermline
Formed: 1968
Ripped From Wikipedia: Nazareth is a Scottish hard rock band, founded in 1968, that had several hits in the UK in the early 1970s, and established an international audience with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog. Perhaps their best-known hit single was a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts", in 1975.

20. Artist: The Twilight Sad
Random Song: Another Bed (2012)
Origin: Kilsyth
Formed: 2003
Ripped From Wikipedia: The Twilight Sad are an post punk band from Kilsyth, Scotland, comprising James Graham (vocals), Andy MacFarlane (guitar), and Mark Devine (drums). The band describes their sound as "folk with layers of noise," and music critics have described the band as "perennially unhappy" and "a band that inject some real emotion and dynamic excitement into a comparatively standard template."

Spotify Playlist:

Great Bands From Scotland

Source: http://www.jhostation.com/2012/04/if-its-not-scottish-its-crap-20-great.html

Shout Out Louds Imogen Heap The Unicorns MGMT

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