Radiohead

It's hard to explain in mere words the feelings this wide and encapsulating music generates - that reverberates and expands and contracts and ebbs, send shivers or vibrates you soul.
Yorke has a voice that grabs your attention as it surrounds the bass, drums, guitar, and piano. It's a fluid instrument that can be scary at times, exhilarating, escapist, mesmerising, unpredictable... In fact the opposite of your average MOR sounds! So beware! Their music is not for the weak of heart - but rather those who wish the journey to challenge, surprise and inform their senses.. If I feel full of unresolved conflicts or confusions - their music heals. I'll never forget how I felt at their gig in Edinburgh 2006 - and to appreciate this band you need to hear them live. It was a warm summer August night during the festival and it felt as if their music floated us upwards into the air, the way the wind might surge and groan... Well maybe it was simply the crowds all singing along to their songs - and jumping and waving their arms in the air or was it rather Colin Greenwood's bass thudding upwards through the grass under our feet.

In February they surprised us all, yet again, with a new album- with none of the usual pre-album build up or single releases (how wonderful!) - yet everyone wants to listen. It all reminded me of the Beatles in their day- when everyone simply couldn't wait to get their hands on their next album.

On watching the new 'Lotus flower' video - I was struck how closely photography, dance and music can be as one. One of the joys of Radiohead is knowing you'll discover more and enjoy the album more over time. Radiohead released their eighth album, The King of Limbs (2011) in a variety of formats.

Pearl and the Puppets

I have been taking photos of 'Pearl and the Puppets' (aka Katie Sutherland from Kirkintolloch) the past 2 years at Glasgow venues King Tuts, Oran Mor, Classic Grande etc. She has such expressive eyes, that are full of mischief. I noticed immediately her soft engrossing vocals and catchy acoustic pop tunes. She is signed to the Universal Republic and her song 'Because I Do' was featured in a Vodafone ad in Australia, and 'Make Me Smile' in a ad in the USA. 

And a PS - PLAN B!
I heard this song on the radio today that sounded like 'Tamala Motown', and I wondered was it 'Smokey Robinson' - cool voice, those funky bass lines etc. - then I hear it is 'Plan B's' new single 'Writings on the Wall' - isn't it odd how sometimes straight imitating works!

Also ELBOW. I was just reading about 'Elbow''s new album 'Build a Rocket Boys'. I saw them supporting Snowpatrol in Edinburgh in 2006 - and thought it was hard for any band to follow them!   After 20 years in the business Elbow won the Mercury Prize in 2008 for their album 'The Seldom Seen Kid' (ahead of Radiohead's In Rainbows)...  'Build a Rocket Boys' is released 7th March 2011.

The Milngavie Folk club March

Is having two of Scotland folk songwriting legends!

Rab Noakes - 26th February 2011.
Michael Marra - 12th March 2011

Rod Stewart - Reason to Believe

Feelin' Nostalgic....
Many moons ago in my school days in Edinburgh - Mr Rod Stewart was played constantly - the one song that was great to sing was 'Reason to Believe' written by folk singer Tim Hardin (along with B side 'Maggie May' of course) . Ah lovin' the joys of Youtube...! Even if I've never seen the old crooner live I can watch him live there. He's not one of my favourites to listen to his albums - but he sure did record some singable songs.

Reason To Believe - sung by Rod Stewart :
This was written by Folk singer Tim Hardin, who originally recorded it in 1965. Hardin wrote some popular songs and was a very influential musician, but he had severe drug problems and died in December, 1980 at age 39. His death came shortly after John Lennon's. Stewart released this again in 1993 as a live, acoustic version for MTV Unplugged. Appearing on the album Unplugged... and Seated, this is the version that charted. Stewart's original version was released as a single with "Maggie May" as the B-side. Disc Jockeys liked the flip side better and played "Maggie May" instead, which became the hit. The 1993 Unplugged version was recorded at an MTV special with Ron Wood, who played with Stewart in The Faces. It was the first time they performed it together in 22 years. Stewart commented that his wife at the time, Rachel Hunter, was 1 year-old when it was first released.

T IN PARK- tickets on sale Friday 25th February 2011. Headliners, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Artic Monkeys, (plus Tom Jones, White Lies, Noah and the Whale, Hurts, Bright Eyes, more )