Earlier this year Matthew recorded a stunning session with Ziggy and Tommy from Edinburgh band FOUND. The inventors of the magnificent Cybraphon, which later won a BAFTA, were on top form and Matthew captured something really special on a beautiful summer’s day in Edinburgh.

Earlier this year Alec brought us his top 20 Scottish cover versions. 20 through 11 can be found here. His top ten included classics from Belle and Sebastian, Aztec Camera, Travis and Biffy Clyro.

The full story can never be made public, but I had to leave New York in a hurry; angry people were looking for me.  I left my apartment with just a few minutes’ warning carrying nothing except my passport, the Williamson cats, and Mrs Williamson (she didn’t want to go).

Stuart Adamson on guitar. Paul Thompson on drums. Derek Forbes on bass. On vocals…? From almost a hundred suggestions we finally came up with this shortlist: Liz Fraser, Alex Harvey, Jim Kerr, King Creosote, Annie Lennox, Billy Mackenzie, Frankie Miller, Paolo Nutini, Bon Scott and Rod Stewart. Voting closes Jan 5, 2010.

Hi. Tomorrow we’ll publish our shortlist of Scotland’s Ten Greatest Vocalists for you to vote on (and for you to give us pelters for leaving out Susan Boyle etc). So today, in the calm before the storm, I thought I’d reflect on Dear Scotland’s first six months and, with your help, look forward to 2010.

This week in Scottish Entertainment / Actor News, Ewan McGregor’s film with Roman Polanski gets a name change, Dougray Scott has a new project, Kevin McKidd stars in a new BBC drama from the writer of Black Watch and more news on Gerard Butler, David Tennant, James McAvoy and Craig Ferguson.

Well, it’s that time of year… best album of the year, best single of the year, best weekly gig blog on Dear Scotland etc! Yes, it makes sense for me to do my best gig of the year! It’s a tricky one as I’ve seen so many. However, one really sticks in my mind:

Each Sunday we present some of the best new photos of Scotland in the gloaming, the magical time before sunrise or after sunset. This week featuring images of Aberdour, Dundee, Loch Tummel and East Beach, Moray.

Dan Willson is a clever fucker, really he is.  I always think indie Christmas music fails somewhat, primarily because all the pain and unhappiness which I tend to like in music clashes with what tiny of fragment of Christmas spirit may still survive within me.