Folkin’ Scotland (and their non-shite indie bands)

I’m not sure how this has escaped being a HUGE news item here at Criticism Ass Inspiration, but one of the most fascinating unmarried writers on this site is moving to SCOTLAND (the land of blue-faced warriors, heroin addicts and huge wicker men, if the movies are to be trusted) to pursue a graduate education…namely one Elijah Wade Smith.

I’ve expressed my sadness at his leaving in person, but I thought I would write, as a means of cheering myself up and convincing myself that he won’t be miserable and sad without me, a list of the 10 best indie/alternative bands from Scotland in tribute to his leaving.  I hope that not only is he able to hang out with all of these bands & become best pals and everything, but also that his OWN music takes off (he’s quite a talented singer, songwriter, instrumentalist) while he’s there.  (Full disclosure:  I’m his drummer & will happily go on tour with him in that great northern land should he need me.)

#10:  Glasvegas.  I only have one album from this band, their self-titled debut, & I bought it at Target, which either means Target is getting hip or this is not completely intended for the kind of cool kids I usually like to associate myself with, but it’s got some sweet hooks, particularly in my two favorite songs “Geraldine” and “It’s My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry.”  The down side (and reason they are number 10 of the 14 bands that made my initial cut) is a lyrical and musical immaturity that rears its pimply-faced head quite a few times on the album.

#9:  Franz Ferdinand.  I’m going to be honest…I haven’t listened to enough of this band to truly rate them.  But my friend Jess REALLY likes them and her opinion carries a great deal of weight.  I do know that “Take Me Out” is an amazing song & “Words So Leisured” reveals a totally different musical dimension of FF than the Interpol-y sound I often think of them having.  But there was some second album which apparently really sucked haggis…

#8:  We Were Promised Jetpacks.  Name alone gets props, huh?  They have the sound to back it up.  Half of their album “These Four Walls” is genius & the other half ain’t that bad neither.  They need to be watched.  By that I mean, listened to.

#7:  The Twilight Sad.  I have pretty much everything that they have released.  And much of it sounds VERY similar.  Fortunately, it’s a sound I am incredibly drawn to–POUNDING drums, punching and raging guitars, and passionate, crackling vocals (with thick Scots accent).  They did an acoustic album which showed they’re not totally a one-trick pony either.

#6:  The Jesus and Mary Chain.  Legends, seminal, gods of indie rock, coolness incarnate, innovative…ok, so I can only think of a few songs I’ve actually ever heard by them, so this is all cowering posture and ignorant sycophancy.  Many would probably put them higher, but this is as high as my grovelling gets.

#5:  Snow Patrol.  In light of the #6 ranking of J & M Chain, I am probably committing an enormous heresy here, but I have to admit that I really love these guys over their 4-5 album career.  Such good melodies, a mixture of brilliant & crap lyrics, but heart & soul for sure, despite what Grey’s Anatomy may have done to their indie cred.  I really love Lightbody’s songwriting on “The Reindeer Section” side projects as well.  He’s really quite good at what he does…and he loves Sufjan a ton.

#4:  Travis.  I’ve followed these guys for so long, based on the strength of two near perfect albums (“The Man Who” and “The Invisible Band”) and many great songs on their two latest releases (not so much the one before,”12 Songs,” which I never even downloaded to iTunes and their first album with its embarrassing New Kids on the Block-ish album cover).  Bless their folking hearts, they still rule.

#3:  Belle & Sebastian.  Elijah may kill me for this, but I love them less than he.  Still, this songwriting, performance, style, album art, etc. is so distinctive, wonderful, lovely, perceptive, original and other adjectives, that they are an essential for anyone checking out Scots music.  One of my all time favorite quotes comes from a B & S song:  “And so I gave myself to God.  There was a pregnant pause before he said…’Ok.'”

#2:  Frightened Rabbit.  With only two full-length studio albums, some would say it’s too soon to put these guys this high on the list.  But I listened to my heart.  Or rather, I listened to their albums and my heart told me that I loved them–frequent explicit language, sexual obsessiveness & melodramaticness and all.  “Midnight Organ Fight” will be on my top 20 albums probably for the rest of my life.

#1:  Teenage Fanclub.  The ones who started it all for me.  Not only Scottish alternative rock, but alt rock itself.  I love Norman Blake’s songs with a depth reserved for the greatest of the greats (Lennon/McFartney, Davies, Strummer, Mozzer/Marr, Yorke, Stevens, et al) .  This whole band sings, plays & writes rock songs like few can.  Which is why they reign.

I love you Elijah.  You’ll be so deeply missed.  Don’t forget about your yank pals, ok?  Say hi to Connor MacLeod if you see him around!

Man with an unidentifiable accent

(If Vance Williams ever reads this, I apologize that I never got around to listening to The Blue Nile… I’m sure they would have made this list!)

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