Isle Of Skye Music Fest Canceled

NME shares the following piece of news: *The Isle Of Skye Music Festival 2008 has been canceled after organizers incurred a £500,000 shortfall and administrators were called in to sort the financial mess. John Gilbertson, director of the festival, admitted that they had "jumped out of their league", budgeting for 8,000 customers a day but attracting half that figure.*

What a bummer! Read the full article here.

MP3: The Teenagers - End Of The Road [alt link]

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Trainspotting: The Sequel!

Being as the film falls within my all-time top 10, I'm thrilled to report this news, direct from Scotsman.com:

"ITS portrayal of the lives of heroin addicts in Scotland's capital was the unlikely smash that put the country on the movie-making map and brought international fame and fortune to its home-grown cast. Trainspotting became one of the greatest British films ever made, ushering in a new era of gritty Scottish films that have generated millions of pounds for the economy.

Now, more than ten years on from its release, Danny Boyle, the film's director, has confirmed that Renton, Begbie, Spud and co will return to the silver screen in a follow-up to Trainspotting, revealing that he has been given the rights to the much-talked-about sequel.

Boyle has also given the clearest indication yet that the original film's leading star, Ewan McGregor, will be reunited with fellow actors Robert Carlyle, Ewen Bremner and co, claiming that "all the actors" have agreed to reprise their unforgettable roles. Boyle has long talked about his desire to bring Porno, Irvine Welsh's follow-up to the cult novel that spawned Trainspotting, to the silver screen. However, the project has long been shrouded in doubt, with McGregor reportedly insisting that he does not want to be involved.

The news has been described as "fantastic" by film critics and Scottish Screen, which says there is a massive public appetite for a follow-up. It is widely held among film critics that Porno cannot be made without McGregor, and public comments from the Crieff-born actor have seemingly killed off the possibility of a follow-up. As recently as last week the star was reported to have said: "They can go ahead and do it if they want, but it will be without me on board."

He said he was "very proud" of Trainspotting and insisted he "wouldn't do anything to damage it... I read Porno and I didn't think it was as good as Trainspotting. There was nothing new in it," he added. McGregor was furious with Boyle when he chose Leonardo DiCaprio to star as the traveller on a Thai adventure in The Beach, a decision the director has apologised for. But speaking this week at a preview of his latest movie, the science-fiction thriller Sunshine, Boyle reiterated plans to bring Porno to the cinema and indicated that McGregor was on board."

MP3: Iggy Pop - The Passenger

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Sons And Daughters & 1990s @ Bowery Ballroom (Matt's Take): Dance Me In!

Scottish four-piece, Sons & Daughters, stormed into Bowery Ballroom last night for a sold out show that was the equivalent of 60 minutes of pure bliss.

Opening with perhaps, their biggest single to date, 'Dance Me In', brought the crowd into an uproar, including yours truly. Thankfully, the band's energy didn't cease for one second during the entire set.

Sons & Daughters' unique blend of dirty guitar-driven 3-minute foot-stomping tracks alongside organic, country-esque ditties is truly an award winning (The Music Slut Honors, of course) combination. Last night's set focused mostly on new tracks as well as a handful of tunes from their first full-length, 2005's The Repulsion Box. Both groups of songs sounded flawless.

Somehow I've let close to three years pass since I last saw S&D; I surely will NOT make that mistake twice. For more on Sons & Daughters, check out their official site, here. Also of note, Bowery Ballroom was all decked out for Tartan week - we're talking balloons, umbrellas, and Scottish flags hanging from the balcony. Quite the transformation, I must say. It looked great.



Setlist: Dance Me In/Hunt/The Nest/This Gift/Red Receiver/Taste The Last Girl/War On Love/Rebel/Choked/Gilt Complex/Johnny Cash//Rama Lama/Girl Group

MP3: Sons & Daughters - Johnny Cash

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Opening the show was Nicole Atkins & The Sea, and following her set, sandwiched in the middle were fellow Scots that make up 1990s (no 'The', FYI).

As the story goes, 1990s consists of a member (John Mckweon) of the (former) Yummy Fur, a band that was also comprised of Alex Kapranos & Paul Thompson of a little band you may have heard of called Franz Ferdinand. That group split a few years back and while Alex & Paul were busy taking you out, 1990s were dusting off their engines. Now, 1990s have arrived.

According to the band, they play music "like a blonde gets out of a car". It's sassy, exciting and groovy. With influences ranging from Bowie to The Fall, there's surely a classic rock feeling to many of their tracks, but I prefer to think of them as the Scottish version of Locksley. For more info on the band, check out their MySpace page!

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Scotland Rocks

But we already knew that.

Saturday, March 31st, is the kick-off of Tartan Week here in New York City. A couple of years ago, William Wallace's sword visited from Stirling for the event, this year we might have something even better.

Wednesday, April 4th, is Scottish hipster night at the Bowery Ballroom. Scotland Rocks New York will be hosting a special show featuring not only one of this site's all time favourite bands, Sons and Daughters, but openers 1990s, DJs John Cummings from Mogwai and Bobby Kildea of Belle and Sebastian and, randomly, Nicole Atkins (is she Scottish?). For reasons unbeknownst to us, you can still buy a ticket for the show. For 15 bucks, that's a damn bargain. We have been looking forward to this gig for months.

1990s fans can also catch the group April 6th at Union Pool in Brooklyn. Show is $5, doors at 8 pm with opener Clock Cleaner.

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Wrapped up in books

Note March 5th in your diary for the launch of Idlewild's Roddy Woomble's next mega-project... following on from the heels of Idlewild's collaboration with Glaswegian poet Edwin Morgan on their last record, Roddy's put together a wider ranging record involving collaborations between Scottish poets and bands that will showcase the best of Scotland's high- and pop-cultures (there's even a T.V. tie in! Truly multimediatastic!)

With contributions from musical luminaries such as the Delgados' Alun Woodward and Emma Pollock, Aiden Smith from Arab Strap, TMS faves Sons & Daughters , Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake as well as Fife's own King Creosote, and authors such as Edwin Morgan, St Andrews' AL Kennedy, the incredible Alasdair Gray (who also provides the record cover) and Ian Rankine, this is something that is very special indeed.

Pre-order it from amazon.co.uk

More on the project here!

Sons & Daughters and AL Kennedy - The War on Love Song

Tracklisting:

01. Mike Heron & John Burnside - Song For Irena
02. De Rosa & Michel Faber - Steam Comes Off Our House
03. James Yorkston & Bill Duncan - A Calvinist Narrowly Avoids Pleasure
04. Foxface & Rody Gorman - Dreamcatcher
05. Alun Woodward & Alasdair Gray - A Sentimental Song
06. Aidan Moffat & Ian Rankine - The Sixth Stone
07. Norman Blake & John Burnside - Girl
08. Karine Polwart & Edwin Morgan - The Good Years
09. Sons And Daughters & A L Kennedy - The War On Love Song
10. Alisdair Roberts & Robin Robertson - The Leaving
11. Strike The Colours & Rody Gorman - Message In A Bottle
12. Aereogramme & Hal Duncan - If You Love Me You'd Destroy Me
13. Malcolm Middleton & Alan Bisset - The Rebel On His Own Tonight
14. Trashcan Sinatras & Ali Smith - Half An Apple
15. Vashti Bunyan & Rodge Glass - The Fire
16. King Creosote & Laura Hird - Where And When
17. Emma Pollock & Louise Welsh - Jesus On The Cross
18. Idlewild & Edwin Morgan - The Weight Of Years

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