It’s an action packed week this week, so I’m sneaking out from behind all the piles of stuff that usually prevent me from reaching my keyboard to point at things and go “that looks fun!” while you all ignore me because no one even kids on to read the blog anymore, with good reason.

You may detect a hint of smugness through this blog entry. Loads of the bands playing this week have done Aye Tunes gigs before, proving that not every band that does one then splits up or plummets to failure.

Now:

My handsome Welsh friends FALLS, who played up here for a gig the other week for me that was, happily, not a financial disaster, have released their very first proper EP today. You can get a copy of Dirtbox here, as a pay what you want download.

Monday:

The Spook School play Edinburgh, with Heathers and Dora Maar. That’s at Sneaky Pete’s.

Tuesday:

The Spook School play Glasgow! This is more exciting to me, since I’ll be going. Me missing The Spook School in Glasgow is a rare occurrence. They’ll be bringing Heathers with them to The Roxy 171, where they’ll be joined by Mistake Pageant and old pal of the blog Kevin P. Gilday. Many years ago Kev & The Spook School both did a gig together for me, so I’m going to claim all the credit for this, even though it doesn’t belong to me.

Wednesday:

Campfires In Winter play at Bar Bloc, in what they say will be their last headline gig in Glasgow for a while. Go see them while you have a chance then. Also stick a note in your diary that there’s a new Campfires single coming out on the 12th of May and keep a few quid ready for that.

Thursday:

The Last Battle have been working on their second album for what feels like an eternity. Their Chinese Democracy is finally ready for public consumption - and very enjoyable an album it is too. This is the first of their album launches, taking place at The Roxy 171. Support comes from Neil from Meursault and Adam from Randolph’s Leap. Lay Your Burden Down, the new The Last Battle album, is available here.

Friday:

Edinburgh gets a chance to in in on The Last Battle album launches. They’ll be at the Liquid Rooms, joined by Lidh and J. Wright Presents.

Back in Glasgow it’s another album launch, as Poor Things through a party to welcome their first, self titled, album into the World. Helping them party down at Stereo are the fantastic Book Group, who have a new EP of their own imminent, and the far from shabby Secret Motorbikes. You can get tickets, or a ticket and album bundle for the gig here.

Saturday:

“Jim, how can we end such a fun packed happy week?” you ask? Well, how about going to see anther of the blog favourite bands play their last gig? That’s right, those bastards A Fight You Can’t Win will be breathing their last at Opium in Edinburgh on Saturday, with Hagana and Birdhead helping give AFYCW a fine send off. I can’t make it to this because I’ll be stuck at work, which will save me crying on folk on the Cowgate I suppose.

December 6th and not a single Christmas song posted so far. Why? Well, a couple of reasons. Number one being that my computer took another of its funny turns and didn’t work for several days, number two is that there’s been very little interest in the series. My blogging motivation has been very low all year already, so there was nothing that made me feel there was a pressing need to post stuff.

Added into number two is that working in retail in the run up to Christmas means that free time is as rare as a unicorn, a bad release by Song, by Toad or Gerry Loves Records, a financially successful Aye Tunes gig, Niall from The Spook School keeping his top on, or a good Fatherson song.

Not much time to do stuff then, and since I’ve missed a week already it seems a bit late to start an advent calendar now.

There’s still Christmas music to be posted though, I just won’t be doing it in the usual format.

Since this is getting written on my phone there’s nae music to go here, I’ll shove some stuff up over the weekend if I get a minute.

We all knew it was only a matter of time before I blew the deadline for the freebies one week. Today is that momentous day.

Short version, continued computer problems means I’ve listened to nothing this week, and work schedule means I’ve not had time to even draft up stuff I already know I’ll like. I don’t have time to get a post written before I start today.

Better news, I’ve got a new HD, so once I complete the long and tedious data transfer process, I’ll be able to listen to music on my computer again. Hooray.

Freebies will be written up when I come home from work tonight, but that’s not going to be till after Midnight, so you’ll likely get your weekly dose of freebies at around lunchtime on Saturday instead of on Friday this week. Sorry.

Anyway, here’s a picture of a thing I’m doing with some friends at the end of the month.

Today sees a bit of a milestone for our pals over at Glasgow Podcart, as they hit their 100th episode of the podcast. For their 100th episode Halina roped in Vic Galloway to swap songs and have a chat. On the podcast are Hidden Orchestra, Salo, Wounded Knee, Craig_FS, Clean George IV, an exclusive new song from Julia & The Doogans, Young Fathers , PAWS, Django Django and Die Hard. You can listen to the podcast down below.
Episode 100: The Milestone by GlasgowPodcART

The podcasts have been in less regular supply this year with “weeks” becoming “episodes”, no doubt the folk that like to complain about Podcart are no doubt happy about that, but when a new one comes along it is always worth a listen. The Glasgow Podcart team do plenty other than the podcast though, so pointing at them and mocking their move from a weekly schedule to a more leisurely one is rather missing the point a bit.

Podcart were a big help to me when I was getting things up and running around here, though these days they are less helpful, mostly choosing instead just to swear at me online when they have an opportunity, but I’ll forgive them for that. Those interested in new music in and around Scotland should be checking in on the Glasgow Podcart website and Facebook for news, tips and gig info. Plus of course the kind of language you’d expect from an inebriated sailor.

Glasgow Podcart - Website - Facebook

This afternoon my computer contracted a nasty bit of malware, and is currently, in technical terms, fucked.

We’ll be back when it works again.

Pop Goes The Revolution that is.

It is all too easy to sneer at pop music, especially if you ever inflict listening to the top 40 on yourself and drown in a sea of identikit, characterless autotune nonsense.

I’m snowed in, apparently. I tried to get to work this morning but after waiting for a while on a bus I was told they’ve been cancelled for the day, so back off home I trotted. How awful.

You may know already, but Neil & Heidi of We Sink Ships have gone their separate ways on to new projects of their own, at least for now.

The first of Neil’s new projects, the 2mfcast launched last week. The Too Many Fireworks podcast promises to be a semi-regular stab at creating a decent music show playing the best in modern classical, ambient, electronic and post-rock music. It will features occasional guest podcasts, interviews, DJ sets and other chat as well as the odd surprise thrown in.