As festival season approaches and Scotland's number one favourite band gets another airing before being boxed up 'til Hogmanay; the Proclaimer twins are a reminder of the joke that surrounds Scottish music scene- a parody of a nation who can be summed up with an end of night disco classic about being that man who wakes up next to you. ?As long as I can remember I've been under my mother's scrutiny about the music I listen to; yes, Mrs Doherty the closet Cliffy fan and apparent guru of the indie scene, will often pop her head into my room and comment on whatever's playing on my CD player at that moment, and more often than not I'll hear, without a note of irony: 'Och! She's awffy Scottish, isn't she?' How 'Scottish' somebody sounds in a song is something that I remain fairly oblivious to until it's expressly pointed out to me by others. Obviously we're used to hearing our own accent everyday all around us, but when most are faced with a few colloquial words in a song, sung honestly, they'll shy away in the fear of being outed as Reid twin aficionados; why are we still ashamed of hearing our own regional accent in music? Ever since I was a wee teen listening to John Peel under the covers late at night, from the first time I heard Tracey-Anne Campbell lull about how she doesn't know her 'elbow from her arse' it seems I've been hooked on the sincerity of a good Glaswegian twang. In fact, when checking out local bands I'm prone to quickly losing interest when a clearly Scottish front-person loses any indication of their true inflections when they start to croon.

There's something refreshing in the expression of self through an accent; it's brave, it's honest and it makes everything else in the music seem, consequently, more real. And I'm not strictly all about Scotland either; give me a good Futurehead or good old Johnny Cash; whether it be a Southern drawl or a jerky Mackem, or, what the hell, even Lily Allen doing a Chas and Dave, rhyming alfresco and Tesco; anybody really who's not afraid to step away from the General American or Generic English which dominated the 90s and the post Britpop years. But still the question remains, is the Scottish accent still seen as something to be ashamed of and still ridiculed even today?

It seems things are changing; it's clear in recent Scottish compilations (Chemikal Underground's 'Ballads of the Book' or German label, with a love of Scottish music, Aufgeladen Und Bereit's 'Get While the Getting's Good') that the use of the accent just might be coming back into fashion. Whether it's the snippets of Gaelic in Foxface; traditional Scots in Mouse Eat Mouse (their politically charged debut album's entitled 'Mair Licht', need you really say much more?) or the aggressive vocals of Adele Bethel from Sons and Daughters; it seems there's not much stigma left surrounding the use of accent in the music scene itself, in fact, it might even now be becoming a means through which to express national pride.

A band who've caused segregation amongst listeners with their blatant use of their own accent is the Glasgow based Popup. While being likened 'Arab Strap on happy pills' their pop rock jerky charm is doubtlessly sweetened by singer Damian Gilhooly's spitfire delivery of witty and observant lyrics with an overtly Scottish appeal. Damian gave his opinion on the recent 'phenomena' of the use of the accent in music today:

"I think comparisons or getting grouped together with other bands because of the accent kind of makes you think twice about doing it…but we just do it anyway.
There are bands out there who use the accent where it sounds a bit contrived, where it sounds uber Scottish, you know?

But the whole point, with our band anyway, was that when we started out we weren't particularly good musicians, but we had good ideas and thought the best way to present them was to make sure you were as honest as possible in everything you do. It [the accent] wasn't a conscious decision; it was just that when we arrived at it after trying out other ideas that was the first that sounded natural…part of it was just that I couldn't really sing in any voice other than my own. I'm not making a statement about Scotland or anything; it's just that I am Scottish and speak in an accent and therefore should sing in it.

It's not to say that any bands who don't sound any less genuine; I don't think there's anything at all dishonest about what they're doing. For me it was just about being comfortable singing about what I had to say.

"Certainly all music, pop music or rock music, was something invented by the Americans, and maybe made more interesting by the English 15 years later, so they became a standard; the whole sound became American-English and the accent reflected that; the mid-Atlantic, regional-free accent became synonymous with it.

Scotland has become more important for music; from the end of punk a lot of bands started to creep up, from Orange Juice onwards, that were important and innovative and gradually over the last ten, fifteen years- particularly over the past five- that I think Scottish bands have found their own voice, or their own confidence, and it's just allowed them to do that."

After our chat I thought about some of the bands we'd spoken about whom I hadn't previously considered; bands like The Delegados, Aereogramme, Frightened Rabbit; bands who are well respected, passionate about what they do and are (or, sadly on the most part, were) part of a definite movement in decent music coming out of Scotland, yet bands who don't have their national identity plastered all over their work. Perhaps their identity is so imbedded in the songs that they don't use inflections to make their work really 'theirs'. Maybe there's more to be said about the accent in music, but at the end of the day as long as it's this good, it doesn't really matter either way; I guess Scotland's lucky to have such a strong identity in the music world, whether it's in the accent or not.

(Many, many thanks to Damian Gilhooly: www.popuptheband.co.uk )

Bands tae check oot:

Dumb Instrument (an urban poet philosophising about condom strewn streets and soft drug use): http://www.myspace.com/dumbinstrument

Goldfish (more quickfire Scottish slang): ww.myspace.com/goldfisharepeopletoo

Q Without U (new-wave noise): www.qwithoutu.com

Found (found make music you can move to): www.surfacepressure.co.uk/found

View original article here: www.isthismusic.com/reclaiming-the-accent

www.northhighlandsscotland.com/festival

The band that John Lennon made his first public appearance with 50 years ago today (July 6) are to play at a festival being held in his honour in the remotest corner of mainland Scotland.

The Quarrymen will spend three days at the John Lennon Northern Lights Festival in Durness - even playing in Britain's own natural Cavern... Smoo Cave, the country's longest sea cave!

It now means that the festival being held in Lennon's beloved Durness - where he spent many childhood holidays - now carries the endorsement of his family, including the ex-Beatle's widow Yoko Ono Lennon, will be attended by several of them, including his sister Julia Baird, as well as artists who knew him and his original band.

Ironically both Ms Baird and Stan Parkes, Lennon's oldest surviving relative - who will be attending the festival in Durness - were both at John's first Quarrymen gig 50 years ago today (July 6)! At the same event Lennon met Paul McCartney for the first time.

Now as well as The Quarrymen, the cream of British arts will be descending on Durness, a village of just 356 people, for three days between September 28-30 for the John Lennon Northern Lights Festival.

But today (July 6) n the 50th anniversary of John Lennon's first public appearance, festival promoter North Highland Tourism announced that Lennon's original Quarrymen, the band that gave birth to The Beatles, will be joining an all ready impressive bill at the Sutherland village.

The Quarrymen - who normally only play a couple of gigs a year - got back together in 1997 to celebrate the most momentous meeting in pop music history. They enjoyed themselves so much and interest from fans was so great that they decided to re-form the group forty years on!

The current Quarrymen lineup comprises three of those five original musicians - Colin Hanton on drums, Len Garry, former bass player, now playing guitar and replacing Lennon as lead singer and Rod Davis, from Quarry Bank School, at first the banjo player but now on guitar.

Davis played when Lennon was in the group, Garry played with Lennon and McCartney, and Hanton played with all The Beatles - except Ringo Starr - on the famous Percy Phillips recording session which produced "In spite of all the danger" and "That'll be the day" which feature on the famous Beatles "Anthology" album. The Quarrymen, of course, eventually evolved into The Beatles.

The other members of the original group were Lennon's lifelong friend, washboard player Pete Shotton, who retired in Dec 2000 for health reasons and guitarist Eric Griffiths who sadly died in January 2005.

"We really wanted to play this festival because Durness meant so much to John," said Rod Davis.

"We have played all the other important places like The Cavern so this was the missing piece in the jigsaw for us.

"We can't wait to come and play and talk to people about John and those times. And playing in Smoo Cave really excites us. It will be just like The
Cavern!"

The Quarrymen play the music which influenced the birth of The Beatles, the
skiffle and Rock 'n' Roll of the mid fifties.

The Quarrymen usually only play a handful of gigs each year. So far in 2007
they have played in Liverpool, New Jersey and Russia.

Beatle biographer Hunter Davies wrote the story of The Quarrymen, which was published in 2001.

In it he chartered how on July 6, 1957 John Lennon and The Quarrymen were playing at St Peter's Rose Queen Celebrations and Garden Fete in their home village of Woolton.

They were on stage singing their version of the Del Vikings 'Come go with me' when one of their old friends Ivan Vaughan arrived with a schoolmate from Liverpool Institute High School. That schoolmate was Paul McCartney and that was the moment The Beatles began.

Later that day McCartney met Lennon face to face and demonstrated his prowess on the guitar. Lennon realised that he had to persuade the talented "Macca" to join The Quarrymen and a few weeks later he became part of the group.

Shortly before his death Lennon tried to buy Durness, where he spent many a happy holiday in his childhood. He previously returned in 1969 with Yoko Ono and their respective children Julian and Kyoko, but suffered a car crash which hospitalised them for several days in Golspie.

Film writer Derek Yeaman, who has meticulously researched that incident, will also be presenting a talk on those events during the festival.

The cream of British arts including top musicians, poets, writers, artists and photographers are taking part in the John Lennon Northern Lights Festival.

Among those taking part are chart toppers Nizlopi, the Queen's Master of Music Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, artist Peter Howson, poets Carol Ann Duffy and John Cooper Clarke and singers Julie Fowlis and Donnie Munro.

Bands like Mr Hudson and The Library, King Creosote, Blazin Fiddles and Eclipse and writer Kevin MacNeil are also taking part.

A whole range of up and coming bands and performers are also on the bill - plus there is even a rave in Smoo Cave. Details can be found at www.northhighlandsscotland.com/festival or 01971511777.

Organisers also announced that singer Allison Crowe will be coming all the way from Canada, just to perform. Allison has simultaneously been in the top three on Amazon's free downloads in the Rock Singer-Songwriters, Hymns, Blues, Jazz, Broadway and British and Celtic Folk charts.

In addition top Glasgow band Popup - hailed as "one of the hottest bands of 2007" by NME - have also been added to the festival bill. www.myspace.com/popuptheband

"We are daily receiving requests from bands and performers from around the world to take part. This event has really caught the imagination of a great number of artists," said a spokesman.

Astronomer Jim Johnston, the head of Farr High School in Bettyhill will even be presenting a unique Skywatch talk by projecting images on to the wall of historic Balnakiel House, once home of the Lords of Reay, while pointing to the stars above (weather permitting)!

Details and tickets for the festival are at www.northhighlandsscotland.com/festival

or

01971511777

The next edition of London Calling is june 1st; London Calling goes Glasgow. Line up: 1990s, Mother and the Addicts and We are the Physics, Malcolm Middleton, Bricolage, De Rosa & Popup.....

1 June 2007 @ The Paradiso Amsterdam

www.myspace.com/londoncallingfestival

Malcom Middleton
www.myspace.com/malcolmmiddleton

De Rosa
www.myspace.com/wearederosa

Mother & the Addicts
www.myspace.com/motherandtheaddicts

Popup
www.myspace.com/popuptheband

Bricolage
www.myspace.com/bricolagetheband

We are the Physics
www.myspace.com/wearethephysics

www.myspace.com/londoncallingfestival

INDIAN SUMMER

www.myspace.com/indian_summer_glasgow

BROUGHT TO YOU BY PCL FOR YOU OUTSIDE IN ASSOCIATION WITH BBC 6 MUSIC and BBC RADIO SCOTLAND

Victoria Park, Glasgow July 14th and 15th

Day Tickets On Sale Now!

We thought you'd want to be the first to know that due to public demand a limited number of day tickets are on sale now.

Priced at a pleasing £37.50 a day you can't say fairer than that!

Don't dilly dally though, when we say limited we mean limited. Spread the word.

We can also let you in on how the each day among the trees of Victoria Park will be split... Come join us on Saturday for:

WILCO
THE RAPTURE
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
MIDLAKE
EMMA POLLOCK
POLYTECHNIC
AU REVOIR SIMONE
ALBERTA CROSS
RUARRI JOSEPH
CORRECTO
OPTIMO (ESPACIO)
PRINS THOMAS
ADULT.

and tasty food like porridge, strawberries, and curries, cool record stalls, and gleeful dancing, and then do it all again on Sunday for:

THE FLAMING LIPS
SPIRITUALIZED – ACOUSTIC MAINLINES
CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH
I'M FROM BARCELONA
ANNUALS
WHEAT
LONEY, DEAR
ELVIS PERKINS
120 DAYS
VIETNAM
MAKE MODEL
OPTIMO (ESPACIO)
THE PRESETS
RHYTHM & SOUND w/ TIKIMAN

and of course croquet, bowling, massage, a fantastic crowd and then there're oh so much more music to be announced for each day too...

To find out myspace links for all the acts and to buy tickets log on to www.indiansummerglasgow.com or call 08700 600 100 (24 hour booking line)

Please note: There are indeed still weekend tickets available at £65 each. All tickets prices are subject to booking fee.

Putting, Bowls, Croquet!

More cheery news is that the elegantly silly Summer Sports area will be returning for another year! You'd better start brushing up on those bowls and croquet skills this weekend – it's not long til July now...

Accommodation

If you're not from Glasgow and need a place to stay then check our website as we've specially arranged some reasonably priced options for accommodation in the vicinity which should allow you to enjoy the weekend without having to stay on old auntie doris' sofa or shell out too much on a hotel. Choose from either single/twin rooms or five person apartments...

www.indiansummerglasgow.com/accommodation

With giant thanks to our broadcast partners:

www.bbc.co.uk/6music

www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/music

Keep checking:

www.indiansummerglasgow.com

Be our friend at:

www.myspace.com/indian_summer_glasgow

Once again, cheers! x

www.myspace.com/glasgowbarrowlandballroom

It's been nearly two months since T Break 2007 launched and in that time, Tennets and their panel of music industry judges have been inundated with submissions.

The judges have now whittled these down to 48 bands who will play at the T Break Showcases taking place at Edinburgh's Liquidroom 3-6 May and Glasgow's King Tut's Wah Wah Hut 7-10 May.

And they are in alphabetical order:

Action Group www.myspace.com/theactiongroup Glasgow
Acute Riot www.myspace.com/acuteriot Glasgow
Aeronaut www.myspace.com/aeronaut Glasgow
Broken Records www.myspace.com/brokenrecordsedinburgh Edinburgh
Certain Death www.myspace.com/certaindeath Kircaldy
Chiaro www.myspace.com/chiaro Dundee
Chutes www.myspace.com/chutesmusic Edinburgh
Cryoverbillionaires www.myspace.com/cryoverbillionaires Edinburgh
Dance Lazarus Dance www.myspace.com/dancelazarusdance Glasgow
Down The Tiny Steps www.myspace.com/downthetinysteps Glasgow
Emotiquon www.myspace.com/emotiquon Glasgow
Fiction/Action www.myspace.com/fictionaction Aberdeen
Flaming Katy www.myspace.com/flamingkaty Aberdeen
Frankie Samba www.myspace.com/myfrankiesamba Glasgow
John Freestone
Kiddo www.myspace.com/kiddoband Edinburgh
Kobai www.myspace.com/kobai Glasgow
Little Doses www.myspace.com/littledoses Edinburgh
Miss The Occupier www.myspace.com/misstheoccupier Glasgow
Miyagi www.myspace.com/miyagimusic Edinburgh
Non-Zero www.myspace.com/nonzeroband Dundee
Opportunity Club www.myspace.com/opportunityclub Wishaw
Over The Wall www.myspace.com/overthewall Glasgow
Project:Venhell www.myspace.com/projectvenhell Aberdeen
Q Without U www.myspace.com/qwithoutu Glasgow
Radars www.myspace.com/radars Tayside
Red Snowman www.myspace.com/redsnowman Glasgow
Rune www.myspace.com/runemusic Glasgow
San Sebastian www.myspace.com/sansebastianband Glasgow
Shutter www.myspace.com/shutterscotland Highlands
Sixpeopleaway www.myspace.com/sixpeopleaway Glasgow
Team Turnip www.myspace.com/teamturnip Edinburgh
The Berriez www.myspace.com/theberriezmyspace
The Blimp www.myspace.com/theblimp Glasgow
The Cider Spiders www.myspace.com/theciderspiders
The Clicks www.myspace.com/theclicksglasgow Glasgow
The Costapeens www.myspace.com/thecostapeens Glasgow  
The Cuts www.myspace.com/thecutsmusic Paisley
The Draymin www.myspace.com/thedraymin Rosyth
The Leatherettes www.myspace.com/theleatherettes Dundee
The Little Kicks www.myspace.com/thelittlekicks Aberdeen
The Moth And The Mirror www.myspace.com/themothandthemirror Glasgow
The Sorren Maclean Band www.myspace.com/sorrenmaclean Isle of Mull
Theatre Fall www.myspace.com/theatrefall Inverness
This Is Geneva www.myspace.com/thisisgeneva Perth
Tokyo Blu www.myspace.com/2tokyoblu Edinburgh
V-2Schneider www.myspace.com/v2schneidermusic Edinburgh
Yashin www.myspace.com/theyashin Glasgow

www.tbreak.co.uk/whats_happening/feature-16

Submissions for this year's GoNorth festival being held in Inverness from the 2nd - 10th June will be open from January 30th. GoEvents has teamed up with US-based e-submissions group Sonicbids to use their technology for the artists submissions. Once signed up with Sonicbids, artists will have the opportunity to apply to perform at a number of different events at the click of a mouse, with submissions delivered to event organisers in a standardised format instantly.

More Info to follow!!!



www.myspace.com/gonorthmusic

Apply through

www.sonicbids.com

These invited artists (does not mean they have accepted) are starting to drift in but so far I know of:

Popup www.myspace.com/popuptheband
Driveblind www.myspace.com/driveblind
Emma Pollock www.myspace.com/emmapollock
Errors www.myspace.com/weareerrors
Jo Mango www.myspace.com/jomango
Jyrojets www.myspace.com/jyrojets
Motormark www.myspace.com/motormark
My Latest Novel www.myspace.com/mylatestnovel
Paolo Nutini www.myspace.com/paolonutini
Shitdisco www.myspace.com/shitdisco
The Draymin www.myspace.com/thedraymin 
The Fratellis www.myspace.com/littlebabyfratelli
The Hazey Janes www.myspace.com/thehazeyjanes
The Hedrons www.myspace.com/thehedrons
The Needles www.myspace.com/needlesuk
The Twilight Sad www.myspace.com/thetwilightsad
The View www.myspace.com/dryburgh

For more info on SxSW visit www.sxsw.com

Thanks

Alec

alec@nemis.org