Into Music Reviews: A Scottish Summer

Now and again we leave Into Creative Towers and head out on a road trip. And this year, for our Scottish sojourn, that’s exactly what we did. Granted, summer was a blink and you’ll miss it affair but there was plenty of music related stuff to keep our minds away from those pesky midges for a wee while. So read on, and do check out our recommendations which kept us entertained during a Scottish summer………

Artist: Jesse Garon & the Desperadoes
EP: Janice Long Session 11.11.86
Label: Precious Recordings of London

As I traversed the tricky world of C86 and the like in the mid 1980’s, Jesse Garon & the Desperadoes were a band I had heard of but to my shame, I had never actually listened to. Of course, I’ve put since that right but it does remain a head scratcher how I managed to miss them, the first time around.

Pleasingly, PRoL have managed to unearth a simply scintillating session from the Janice Long show recorded in late 1986. Four songs that run to less than ten minutes so no messing about here. Opener Laughing, Smiling And Failing Again is utterly hypnotic, Angus McPake’s bass is woozy and rhythmic, the perfect foil for the slash of guitars and Fran Schoppler’s hazy vocals. Douglas Hart of The Jesus & Mary Chan was supposed to produce the session but the BBC wouldn’t allow it so he had to be content with advisory duties. His influence is there though, that familiar fuzz and feedback sound is at the fore on Hank Williams Is Dead, mixing both nightmare and dreamlike vibes, a great way to end the session.

In many ways, this is a great way to discover Jesse Garon & the Desperadoes and it is also their first release in 35 years so will no doubt satisfy longer term fans too. Head over to the PRoL Bandcamp page here to order the record.

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Artist: 22 Beaches
LP: Dust Recordings 1980-1984
Label: Seated Records

The great thing about punk was the ethos that anyone could form a band, make music and play gigs. That was it, pure and simple, a real do-it-yourself attitude to make art as you wanted. A group of old school friends and cool cats did exactly that by forming 22 Beaches in late 1970s Stirling, standing out from the crowd with their (initially) minimalist and unique sound.

Early gigs included one at The International in Grangemouth with The Exploited and the Cocteau Twins also on the bill. Interestingly, the show was stopped for a buffet part way through! (surely this should be brought back as a thing!!!) The band’s reputation grew with releases on a number of compilation albums, fanzine articles and word of mouth so it was no surprise that 22 Beaches were asked to support Orange Juice.

The sound and production on the record is excellent and the opener, Dust has a real psychedelic edge while leaving plenty of open space to breathe. Sometimes less is more and that is certainly the case here, a great way to start the album. That Girl has an almost funereal tone but with the merest hint of jangly guitar before the song mushrooms, expands and flourishes.

Elsewhere, One Of Us and Somebody Got It Wrong showcase elements of funk, the latter in particular wouldn’t be out of place in The B-52’s/ Talking Heads back catalogue. There is a clear shift in the musical trajectory of the band as you listen to the eight songs on offer here. Breathing is perhaps the highlight, a higher energy track with back and forth vocals and a bass line Mick Karn would’ve been proud of.

In short, it’s taken forty years for this album by 22 Beaches to be released but I’ll tell you what, it’s been worth the wait. Go check it out via the Bandcamp page here.

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Book: Postcards From Scotland: Scottish Independent Music 1983-1985
Author: Grant McPhee
Publisher: Omnibus Press

There is simply not one person who has done more to advance the history of music in Scotland between the late 1970s through to the mid 1990s than Grant McPhee and for that, we should all be eternally grateful. The film director, cinematographer and author has been the driving force behind the music documentaries Big Gold Dream and Teenage Superstars, the five CD box-set Big Gold Dreams: A Story of Scottish Independent Music 1977-1989 and the excellent book (co-written with Douglas MacIntyre and Neil Cooper) Hungry Beat: The Scottish Independent Pop Underground Movement 1977-1984.

Not content with that, McPhee has recently released Postcards From Scotland: Scottish Independent Music 1983-1995 which delves further into the most fascinating period of Scottish music, covering that nascent post-punk period when numerous bands and artists burst out of the blocks, burned brightly, some for a brief moment but all leaving an indelible mark on a scene that is to be celebrated.

Reading the book gives a real sense of being in the moment, being “there” and I couldn’t put it down, devouring the back stories, the failures, the successes and really the sheer joy in music. That’s not necessarily an easy thing to bring across in a book but McPhee’s passion for the task at hand is evident, clearly filled with joie de vivre. As Grant mentions, his approach to interviewing was akin to a chat in a pub allowing all to tell their story and it really works.

Of course, it’s not just about the bands, the story could not be told/have happened without the independent record labels that shared their vision with the likes of Fast Product, Postcard and 53rd and 3rd Records well represented here. Add in a healthy dose of small venues, promoters, journalists, music magazines and fans and it all adds up to the perfect storm.

With over 100 interviews, the book is hefty and is thick enough to stun an ox. Too many interviewees to mention but a select few include musicians who played with The Pastels, Teenage Fanclub, Beta Band, Ege Bam Yasi, Thrum, Rote Kapelle.

If you love music, this is a must read book which charts the inside story of the outsiders, the players, the movers, the shakers and the dreamers.

To buy Postcards From Scotland, head to the website here.

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Artist: The Jesus and Mary Chain
Single: Pop Seeds
Label: Fuzz Club

If you want to plug into sibling rivalry, forget the Gallaghers and all that nonsense. (De-)Tune into East Kilbride’s finest, devilish brothers, Jim and William Reid who have just released their excellent autobiography, Never Understand, a fascinating book that charts their own rock and roll excesses and travails with uncommon insight.

Somewhat surprisingly, they’ve also slipped out a stand alone single with the excellent Pop Seeds which was recorded during the sessions for the Glasgow Eyes album. It’s a slab of three minute psychedelic fuzz pop that sees the band seemingly look back and reminisce about those old punk magazines and plastic tambourines, the embryonic stage for what was to come next, hinting at optimism and putting the world to rights.

The Jesus and Mary Chain are also touring and include a date at Glasgow Barrowland on 07th December. Head to their website here for more.

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Artist: el Galvarino
Venue: Glasgow, Drygate Brewery
Date: Saturday 21st September 2024

With endorsements from The Black Crowes and Loudon Wainwright III plus regular radio play from Jim Gellatly it’s fair to say that Glasgow teenage band el Galvarino are making quite the name for themselves having released only three singles to date. Their latest track, Freckles came out at the start of the summer and is a confident, ambient affair that is totally comfortable in its own skin. The song’s long intro sets up a vocal that drips with soul as some fine fret work compliments the background rhythm section, which in my opinion is the glue that binds it all together.

The band comprises Catalina, Carini, Carlito and Chris and have already cut their live teeth with a gig at the Bungalow Bar in Paisley. Next up is a show at Glasgow’s Drygate Brewery on Saturday 21st September so if you want to see and support one of Scotland’s most exciting and upcoming bands, get yourself along. And take a pal too.

Tickets are available here.