Here’s a reminder of the diverse Scottish talent featured on the long list
Scottish Album of the Year Awards 2013: Longlist
Admiral Fallow – Tree Bursts In Snow
Auntie Flo – Future Rhythm Machine
Calvin Harris – 18 Months
Dam Mantle – Brothers Fowl
Django Django – Django Django
Duncan Chisholm – Affric
Emeli Sandé – Our Version of Events
Errors – Have Some Faith In Magic
Human Don’t Be Angry – Human Don’t Be Angry
Karine Polwart – Traces
Konrad Wiszniewski & Euan Stevenson – New Focus
Lau – Race The Loser
Meursault – Something For The Weakened
Miaoux Miaoux – Light of the North
Paul Buchanan – Mid Air
PAWS – Cokefloat
RM Hubbert – Thirteen Lost & Found
Stanley Odd – Reject
The Twilight Sad – No One Can Ever Know
The Unwinding Hours – Afterlives
On Monday, May 27th, the public can cast their vote for their favourite album from the longlist. The album receiving the most public votes secures one of ten shortlist places, with the other nine being decided by a twelve-strong judging panel. The SAY Shortlist will be announced on Thursday, May 30th with the ten albums going forward to the award ceremony in The Barrowlands on Thursday, June 20th.
Of the final ten shortlisted, nine will win a prize of £1000, with a grand prize of £20,000 to be bagged by the winner.
Keep an eye on the SAY website for news on how to vote.
Some of the finest emerging talent from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland have been added to the line up of this year’s RockNess.
They join 2013′s hottest rising stars alongside some of the more established names like Basement Jaxx and Madness. The new additions from the Highlands and Islands offers a real opportunity for the Rockness audience to also discover some of the best emerging acts the area has to offer.
Netsounds Unsigned along with Inverness Gigs were asked once again by the festival organisers to select 5 of the most promising acts from the Highlands and Islands to appear at the Black Isle Tent at this year’s RockNess.
The 5 acts we selected are:
Niteworks (Isle of Skye) After a busy year of playing the length and breadth of the UK, Celtic Electronica act Niteworks are using 2013 to focus on writing new material, and to continue honing their skill as one of the most exciting and energetic live acts on the scene. Niteworks, who hail from Isle Of Skye told us they are very excited to make their RockNess debut which will be one of a select few appearances for the band in 2013. They will be using RockNess as a test bed for new ideas and live concepts, and it is the perfect opportunity to do so by playing to a local crowd.
The Boy Who Trapped The Sun (Stornoway)
Colin Macleod from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides goes under the name of The Boy Who Trapped The Sun. In 2010 he released his beautifully crafted folk-rock debut album Fireplace on the legendary Geffen record label to critical acclaim. Now free from Geffen, he is continuing his DIY ethic under his own steam with tour dates and brand new material for 2013. Colin returns to RockNess having previously played in 2010 as well as appearances at Belladrum and T In The Park.
The Little Mill Of Happiness (Inverness)
The Little Mill of Happiness will be a great addition to the number of the rock bands already lined up for RockNess. Their massive, guitar driven layered sound and powerful and dark lyrics make them one of the most passionate bands around. To date the band have released their debut 5 track strong EP Capsized Sailors, and are likely to unleash brand new songs for Rockness. They have previously played at Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival and goNORTH Festival to name but two.
Toby Michaels Rolling Damned (Inverness)
The zany Scottish rock act recently told us they were delighted to be part of the Rockness party. “Rock ‘n’ Roll ain’t nothing without soul, so we promise to bring absolute anarchy, hilarity and hard rock power to the festival.” claims front man Toby Michaels. Their Rockness debut follows on from their recent successful single launch at Ironworks in Inverness. In timely fashion they release the double A side single featuring the songs ‘Rolling Damned’ & live favourite ‘A Little Bit of What You Fancy (Does You Good)’ on Monday June 3rd, just in time for Rockness! Toby added, “RockNess is a perfect opportunity for people to jump on the Rolling Damned Freight Train and come party with us!”
Jemma Tweedie (Nairn)
Nairn singer songwriter Jemma Tweedie was nominated in the ‘Best Acoustic’ category at the 2013 Scottish Alternative Music Awards and her debut EP Two Hands received exposure on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music. Her appearance at RockNess will precede her first UK tour which starts in June touring the length and breadth of the country as one of Caffé Nero’s featured artists. Jemma will be doing in-store performances playing in over 40 Caffé Nero stores starting in Aberdeen and finishing up in London. Jemma has also been confirmed to play at the 10th Corbury Festival in Oxfordshire alongside the likes of Squeeze, Keane and Van Morrison.
Further line up announcement
In addition RockNess has also announced that Scottish Electro producers Them & Us will be making their debut at RockNess. Their appearance will mark a roller-coaster 18 months for the duo (Mark Mackenzie and Liam Macleod) in which they released their debut single The Bomb and also their debut EP Neon Lights with a powerhouse launch party at Ironworks in Inverness. Since the end of 2011 the hard working pair have also showcased at goNORTH, appeared at B Fest in Wick, Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival and supported Annie Mac, Zane Lowe, Simian Mobile Disco and Jack Beats.
Also added to the line up Electronic glam from Fenech-Soler, concept rock funk from Public Service Broadcasting, Scottish rock power pop kings Fatherson and Highland Electro house masters the Filth DJs.
More details on these acts and others on our forthcoming Rockness Podcast.
They all join Example, Basement Jaxx, Madness, The Vaccines, Bombay Bicycle Club, Ben Howard, Ellie Goulding, Madeon, The Maccabees, Jessie Ware, Camera Obscura, Newton Faulkner, The Temper Trap and special guest Fatboy Slim.
Tier 1 and Tier 2 sold out. Tier 3 still available. For details of the full line-up and all ticket types go to www.rockness.co.uk
This week on our podcast we have some truly tantalising new music for you, all from Scotland. Fresh from our first festival of 2013, Brew At The Bog we have interviews with The Winter Tradition and Cherri Fosphate and some glorious new sounds from around the land.
Rockness and the Scottish Daily Record have teamed up to give one act the chance to perform on the main stage at RockNess 2013.
This is a brilliant opportunity to play in front of a potential audience of thousands. All you have to do is upload a video or audio, which should be less than five minutes in length to YouTube. Then complete the RockNess application form including the link for the judges to access the track. You’ll also need to provide a short biography of less than 200 words about your act.
You have until Sunday, May 12 to submit your entry.
One of last year’s winners were Glasgow based So Many Animal Calls. They went on to release the brilliant She Was Speaking From The Bottom Of The Sea which as a song sits comfortably next to output from the likes of The Xcerts or even Frightened Rabbit. In 2013 they are set to appear at goNORTH in Inverness in June and are currently hard at work on a new EP. Hurry up lads.
RockNess takes place from June 7-9 at Clune Farm, Dores, on the banks of Loch Ness, near Inverness. For details of the line up and ticket types visit www.rockness.co.uk
The second line up announcement for the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival reveals a number of brilliant alternative acts added to their tenth anniversary festival.
The excitement is still running through our veins as I type the names Meursault, Washington Irving, PAWS and The LaFontaines.
This is in addition to the previous line up announcement that included the brilliant Fatherson, Largs 3-piece Brown Bear and the Bandits, Admiral Fallow and Inverness based ”rock juggernaut freight train” that is Toby Michaels Rolling Damned.
And, if you needed any more they’ve only gone and added Seasick Steve to the bill as well! The now legendary Californian bluesman last played at Bella in 2006 before his career went sky high and he went onto play Glastonbury and host of other major festivals worldwide.
Also announced are indie rockers Pigeon Detectives, Celtic artist Julie Fowlis making her first appearance at the event, emerging singer-songwriters Tich and Nick Mulvey, former Razorlight singer-songwriter Andy Burrows and Leeds dub band Gentleman’s Dub Club
Speaking to Phil from PAWS on the line up announcement he said, “We can’t wait to come back to Bella. It’s our favourite festival.”
PAWS who are based in Glasgow and trace their origins back to Tain in the Highlands of Scotland.
Their brilliantly fuzzy garage pop-rock and vibrant live shows helped build up a loyal following for the band. They have recorded sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, not to mention a session for ourselves and goNORTH in Inverness before signing to Fat Cat Records. In 2012 they released their debut album Cokefloat which we featured as one of our albums of 2012.
The Scottish trio recently played SXSW 2013 where they they were listed as one of the top bands to have appeared at the showcase.
A band also with their heart in the Highlands and Islands but now based in Glasgow is Washington Irving.
The poetic folk rock five-piece have a strong Scottish heritage running through their music that is currently showcased on part one of their debut album Palomides. The band have built up a strong momentum over the past couple of years through numerous gigs and festival appearances. They picked up the pace at the start of 2013 performing at Celtic Connections, released the single single Holy Company and completed more live dates, this time supporting Frightened Rabbit.
Along with Cokefloat by PAWS, one of our favourite albums from 2012 was Something For The Weakend by Meursault. The album went on to top 2012′s Scottish BAMS (Blogs and Music Sites) poll for the best Scottish Album of the Year.
The innovative Edinburgh based folktronica band are led by powerful lead singer Neil Pennycook. He’s been going under the name of Meursault since 2006, sometimes on his own and often with his friends. Lazy comparisons to Beirut, King Creosote and Arcade Fire are abound but in truth Meursault create their own expansive soundscape of beautifully arranged, emotional lo-fi indie folk.
It will also be a delight to see The LaFontainesreturn to the Highlands. It’s always a euphoric and triumphant occasion. The Glasgow 5-piece hip-hop fusion crew were previous and worthy winners of “Best Live Act” at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards and were previously chosen to support heavyweights such as Pendulum, Example, Beardyman and fellow Belladrum 13 act Twin Atlantic. They recently finished a series of tours across the UK with The Blackout, 3OH!3 and Sonic Boom Six and staged their biggest headline show to date at the Classic Grand in Glasgow.
Expect a couple of exciting Bella podcasts to land here soon!
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival’s tenth anniversary takes place at Beauly, Inverness-shire; 2nd and 3rd August 2013.
Headliners are Manchester indie legends James and Glasgow rock prodigies Twin Atlantic along with an exciting and wide-ranging list of other acts that you can find listed at the Belladrum website or on our previous Belladrum post here.
Tickets
Saturday day tickets are currently on sale on-line and retail through The Ironworks and Eden Court in Inverness and TicketScotland in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Full weekend tickets can also be purchased in person at Ironworks, Cafferys, Hootananny and Eden Court in Inverness. You can also pop into a number of trusted vendors in the Inverness surrounding area, Elgin, Inverness, Dingwall, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Full details here.
One of the ways we use this site is to give further spotlight to some of the acts we feature on our podcast. Scottish singer songwriter James Mackenzie has popped up/invaded a couple of our past podcasts and he is currently on our Brew At The Bog podcast.
The reason he appears on our latest podcast is not just due to the fact we rather like the lad or solely due to him playing at Brew At The Bog but because he is heading back out on the road in May to promote his new self titled EP.
During the tour James will also be joined by Bedford-based folk group, The Darling Mundaring. Scroll your wee fingers down to the bottom of this page to see a lovely wee video from them.
Not to be outdone Mr Mackenzie too has also gone and done a promotional film with music.
James Mackenzie’s self-titled EP is released on 5th May on iTunes and bandcamp.
In just under 10 days the Scottish Album Of The Year (SAY) Awards shortlist for 2013 will be announced.
