So Many Animal Calls - TRAPS

Glaswegian "Fail-pop" four-piece's debut single TRAPS

I featured this delightful Glasgow quartet on the blog almost a couple of years ago upon the release of their demo EP, Your House Is A Hospice, describing them as "one of the most new, exciting and promising Scottish bands of 2010". It's now 2012 and after the release of their debut full-length EP, Eulogy, and having been signed to Glasgow label Overlook Records, that opinion has only been reinforced by their latest release.

TRAPS, released today on Overlook Records, is a whirlwind of infectious guitar pop. Delivering angular, jittery but finely crafted guitar melodies along with fervent vocals and heartfelt harmonies, this latest effort from So Many Animal Calls exudes a naturally youthful energy that's as charming as it is raucous. The B-Side, The Best Way To Be Broken, is far more refined as the pace slows and the vocals are beautifully complimented by delicate piano melodies before the guitar and drums gradually rise to perfectly layer the vocals for a rousing finish.

So Many Animal Calls will be launching their single at MILK in Flat 0/1 this Wednesday along with Paisley riff kings Carnivores. So until then, here's the video of the single (filmed, directed and edited by Emily Wylde) to whet your appetite.

You can purchase the single by clicking here and visit So Many Animal Calls official website here.

Scottish Alternative Music Awards

Now in its third year, the Scottish Alternative Music Awards are growing from strength to strength. Giving well deserved recognition to the dedicated, talented and hard working musicians across the length and breadth of Scotland, the awards also provide a platform to showcase the best of what the Scottish music industry has to offer.

Having recently been commended by the Scottish Parliament for his creativity and passion for Scottish music, founder and creative director Richy Muirhead has been hard at work to make this years awards bigger and better than ever. With the introduction of a new category, Best Hip Hop, the awards are striving to represent the diversity of a booming Scottish music industry. This year the awards will be run in association with retro clothing store Vintage Guru with various sponsors including Bar Bloc, Ignite Records and the Cathouse Rock Club having been secured for each of the seven categories.

Official Launch Night @ Bar Bloc

To celebrate its much anticipated return, Bar Bloc will be hosting the official launch party on Wednesday night featuring performances from some of this years nominees including Brown Bear & the Bandits, Athos and A Fight You Can't Win. As always with Bloc, the event is free from 9pm but it's set to be a busy one so get down early to avoid disappointment.

Main Event @ The Garage

The main event will see an upgrade in venue as the SAMAs 2012 take over The Garage on Thursday 1st March. The show will be hosted by stand-up comedian Billy Kirkwood with tickets priced at £10 via Tickets Scotland. There is also the addition of an exclusive VIP Experience for a mere £20 giving you the chance to experience the buzz of backstage with access to the balcony, complimentary drinks and an exclusive "Meet 'n' Greet".

The nominees across each of the seven categories for the SAMAs 2012 are as follows:


Best Rock/Alternative
(sponsored by Ignite Records)

Aerials Up
Fatherson
Little Eye
Lady North
Iain McLaughlin and the Outsiders
Johnny and the Giros


Best Newcomer
(sponsored by Cathouse Glasgow)

Athos
Vukovi
Forest Fires
Bwani Junction
Oskar Empire
Davey Horne


Best Live Act
(sponsored by Messer Schmitt)

Admiral Fallow
Song Of Return
We Were Promised Jetpacks
The Little Kicks
PAWS
Miniature Dinosaurs


Best Acoustic
(sponsored by JamHut Studios)

Brown Bear & The Bandits
Beerjacket
Amber Wilson
Colin James Murphy
Mike Nisbet
I Build Collapsible Mountains


Best Metal
(sponsored by Departed Apparel)

Constellations
The Recovery!
Autumn In Disguise
A Fight You Can't Win
Ten Tonne Dozer
Lost In Echoes


Best Hip Hop
(sponsored by Young Scot)

Madhat McGore
Hector Bizerk
Bigg Taj
Stanley Odd
Team Kapowski
Profisee


Best Electronic
(sponsored by Bar Bloc)

Rustie
Miaoux Miaoux
Fridge Magnets
Discopolis
Niteworks
Teklo

You can visit the Official SAMAs site here or visit the Facebook page here.
The event page for the Official Launch Party at Bloc can be viewed here and tickets for the Main Event at the Garage can be purchased online here.
To download the Official SAMAs iPhone and Android app, click here.

Introducing: Holy Childhood

Formed in early 2011 and fusing members of the now defunct Think:Fire and All My Logic, Holy Childhood are an alternative five piece from Glasgow. Bursting with melodic hooks that gently caress the eardrums, the gentle Scottish lull of vocalist Bruce McKenzie lends to an earthly sound that floats effortlessly into beautifully constructed instrumentation. With haunting melodies and poignant lyrics wonderfully complimented by piano et al, Holy Childhood are set to make their mark on 2012 beginning with their debut show tonight at Classic Grand. Having sold out of their original batch, the gig has been moved upstairs to the larger hall to accommodate the demand for tickets providing you with a chance to snap up one of the few remaining. Tickets for tonight's show are selling very fast with only a limited amount remaining on the door, so get down early to avoid disappointment. I predict we'll be hearing a lot more of Holy Childhood as the year progresses, and I for one can't wait.



You can find out more about Holy Childhood here where you can also stream some tracks, or visit their Soundcloud page here.