Dear Scotland

My my, this has been a long time coming, this particular review.  I put a song from this album on a podcast months ago, and have somehow never quite managed to write a review so umm… apologies for keeping you all waiting. Whilst this is was presented to me as an album, I get a [...]

I haven’t been all that excited by new Scottish bands for a while, so it’s quite nice to see some more interesting ones emerging again.

There were so many s***e puns I nearly used for this title (PAWSome!, PAWS; the BAWS! and other abominations) but I showed some unusual restraint in the end, which will surprise some.  It certainly surprised me. This lot surprised me too, I have to confess. 

This is going to be a really difficult record for me to review sensibly.  This is not for the usual reasons – that I happen to consider the band to be good friends, although I do – but for a more mundane one: I actually know this music and these songs so well that sitting [...]

After shaking the music industry to its very foundations by announcing the release of his debut album on Song, by Toad Records (cough cough), Charlie from King Post Kitsch has decided that waiting around and giving himself a pat on the back is not for him: he has decided to release a free EP called [...]

It has become something of a tradition, on the Sunday following South by Southwest, for the visiting Scots to convene here at Dear Scotland HQ for the recording of a margarita infused podcast, and then to go bowling. And so it came to pass:

On the fourth and final day of SXSW, music and hipster fatigue often begins to sink in. It did for Matthew, so he spent the Saturday exploring some of the real Austin: South Congress, End of an Ear Records and the legendary Donn’s Depot:

Matthew’s video diary from SXSW continues as he strolls through the University campus to the Muzzle of Bees BBQ where he meets up with Erland from Erland and the Carnival and Josh T Pearson.

Matthew’s video diary from SXSW continues as he ventures into the East Side of Austin, recruits more unwilling participants to ‘Hipster Cam’ and catches a late night performance from Orkney’s Erland and the Carnival.