Tag Archive for 'the second hand marching band'

we’re gonna build something this summer;

Published on July 13, 2010 in books & literature and music. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

It seems like I’ve been spending much of the last week declining Facebook event invites because they coincide with my upcoming New York trip – oh GOD Lis, I KNOW, your life is so bloody hard isn’t it? Anyway, as I take my duties as both lazy blogger and public service announcer very seriously indeed here is a roundup of some of the events coming up in the central belt in the next fortnight that you really should try to get along to.

Aye Tunes vs Peenko Round 2: We’re Only Afraid of NYC, Randolph’s Leap and Little Yellow Ukuleles
Glasgow, Saturday 17th July
Okay, this one I am hoping to get along to – stress levels permitting. Lloyd and Jim’s first foray into gig promotion was an epic, sweaty success so this show – particularly We’re Only Afraid of NYC, who already get my vote despite the name – should be a good’un.
MORE INFO: via Peenko.
BUY TICKETS: and download a song from each of the bands at Ayetunes Bandcamp.

King Tut’s Summer Nights: Kitty The Lion, Julia and the Doogans, Martin James, Second Hand Marching Band
Glasgow, Tuesday 20th July
Sometimes, the best festivals don’t even need a field. King Tut’s Summer Nights aims to bring 75 top Scottish acts to Glasgow over the space of a fortnight and this show – four class acts, most of whom I’ve written about before, who put a thoroughly modern spin on weirdly-vaguely-folky-sounding stuff – is a definite highlight.
BUY TICKETS: for cheaps from SHMB.

Launch party: The Year of Open Doors
Glasgow, Tuesday 27th July
Burnt Island’s ridiculously talented Rodge Glass got in touch recently to let me know about the launch of The Year of Open Doors, a great new anthology featuring a host of up-and-coming Scottish authors, that he is editing. Musician and storyteller Aidan Moffat – better known as one half of Arab Strap – will be performing at the publication’s launch at Waterstones, Sauchiehall St, which will also feature readings from some of the book’s contributors including Words Per Minute maestro and good friend Kirstin Innes. Also featured between the covers are Kevin MacNeil, Duncan McLean, Sophie Cooke and Alan Bissett – and there’ll be an audiobook version out too through none other than Chemikal Underground records. Burnt Island themselves will also be supporting Adrian Crowle of Chemikal, along with some of the book’s writers, on the last night of the Edinburgh Book Festival and hopefully things will have quietened down somewhat by then so I can make it along and report back.

Never one to waste good email space, Rodge has also pointed out that his band’s track “Hiding Out”, from the Music and Maths EP, is out now as a free download (backed with new track “Gambler’s Dream) through Wiseblood Industries.

Trapped In Kansas/Yahweh split single release shows
Edinburgh, Thursday 29th July and Glasgow, Friday 30th July
Edinburgh DIY label Gerry Loves Records’ second release is a split single from two of Scotland’s most exciting young acts, both of whom have crafted sunny, anthemic pop songs which fit together perfectly. Single release shows will take place on both sides of the M8: at Edinburgh’s Wee Red Bar on Thursday, 29th July [tickets] and Glasgow’s Nice n Sleazy on Friday, 30th July [tickets].
PREORDER: the 7″, complete with download codes and exclusive bonus tracks from both artists, at gerrylovesrecords.com [out 2nd August].

We Sink Ships: Elements
Edinburgh, Saturday 31st July
Photographic and musical pals We Sink Ships will be screening their first short film at the Wee Red Bar as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival 2010, accompanied by music from eagleowl and previous Gerry Loves alumni Conquering Animal Sound. We Sink Ships: Elements contains material from the collective’s recent online exhibitions themed around the medieval elements, put together by London-based Scottish independent filmmaker Sleepsoul.
VISIT: wesinkships.co.uk for more information.

Got any tips that I’ve missed? Feel free to plug your wares in the comments!

in pictures: the secondhand marching band;

Published on December 1, 2009 in music and photography. 6 Comments Tags: , , .

secondhand marching band
secondhand marching band
secondhand marching band
secondhand marching band
secondhand marching band
secondhand marching band

The lovely Secondhand Marching Banders invited me down to their show at Stereo with Benni Hemm Hemm, Apples of Energy and Meursalt on Sunday night, in a semi-official (gulp!) picture-taking capacity. You can see more here and remember, you can still download the band’s A Dance To Half Death EP for freeeeee!

Also, how the fuck is it December?!

new music mondays: the second hand marching band;

Published on August 17, 2009 in music. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

IMG_3672

The words I LOVE YOU in six foot letters
on a motorway sign on a bypass home
The Second Hand Marching Band, “Bypass”

The Second Hand Marching Band: the biggest band in Scotland, and you probably haven’t heard of them. Ho ho! As if that play on their twenty-two-I-think-at-last-count members hasn’t opened every piece about the central Scotland collective since they first appeared on the scene towards the end of last year, although they’ve already started to pick up some high calibre support including the Scotman’s Under the Radar bloggers and Vic Galloway, who had them in session for Radio Scotland last week (you can still catch it here).

There’s a reason I remember exactly where I was the first time I listened to them properly: it was February, in the middle of that terrible London snowstorm and as I was trying to drag my little wheeled suitcase along a particularly treacherous pavement so that my best friend and I would make it off on holiday cheeky voices in rough harmony poured out from my earphones: there is something you should know, don’t go outside in the rain and the snow. Thankfully Lola and I made it to Bath, and the Second Hand Marching Band made their way into my heart.

Although comprised of a multitude of extremely talented musicians, whether on flute or accordion or trombone or guitar, there is something delightfully ramshackle about the Second Hand Marching Band’s sound – even in their recordings. They’re like the school band you never had, because they’re infinitely wiser and more charming, and because rather than playing a discordant rendition of the Star Wars theme it’s a brand of darkly melodic folk, with gorgeous snatched riffs and choruses you can’t help but sing along to because it sounds a little bit as if everybody else is.

At Saturday night’s Drive Carefully charity show in aid of ENABLE Scotland the band have a new drummer. It’s not just her first show, but apparently her first day, yet the band’s fluid setup means she fits into their sound seamlessly. It’s one of those fantastic nights at the 13th Note where the line between performer and audience is blurred, not least because they start the show from the floor and we’ve already seen half of them up as part of the open mic section of the night. Openers Annie Accidental (sort of from the acoustic Kate Nash school of songwriting, if only Kate Nash sang in a proppur accent likes) and Esperi (gorgeous, wistful folk by one man and a guitar, accompanying himself with a veritable toyshop’s worth of rainbow-coloured bells and plastic percussion) set the mood perfectly.

They’re just bloody brilliant. Did I mention that bit?

It’s at this point on New Music Mondays I’d normally send you in the direction of some retailer or other, but since all 150 copies of the Second Hand Marching Band’s debut EP have already sold out they’ve been good enough to offer the whole thing as a free download. If you’re lazy you can also stream some tracks and check out forthcoming gigs on Myspace.