Cardboard Ships - Campfires In Winter

North Lanarkshire trio Campfires in Winter are set to release their debut EP, Cardboard Ships, and it's certainly worth the wait. For two years the band have been piecing together and perfecting their sound and their hard work has definitely paid off.

I hate to use such lazy comparisons but it's hard not to compare this band to The Twilight Sad. Both share a love for powerful vocals, combining heavy emotions with rousing choruses and blazing guitars and both do it exceptionally well. Even when listening to the title track, you would be forgiven for thinking someone had leaked a rare TS song.

However, comparisons aside, Campfires in Winter are more than capable of standing on their own two feet as the rest of their epic EP shows. The word epic may be over used nowadays but for a three track EP at almost twenty minutes long, epic seems to be the most appropriate word. As an introduction to a band, I would usually expect the EP to be short and snappy, a teaser if you like of what a band is capable of. Yet, despite two of the three tracks exceeding seven minutes in duration, this EP never loses my attention. It's a risky move but they might just have got away with it.

To celebrate the release of the EP the band will be embarking on a mini 'Flat Tour', seeing the guys play intimate acoustic sets in people's living rooms. The tour kicks off on the 26th of July to coincide with the release of Cardboard Ships and will end with an appearance at the Pin Ups Festival on Friday 30th July at The Flying Duck. The dates and locations are as follows:

Mon 26th - Halina's flat
Tue 27th - Steven and Jenny's flat
Wed 28th - Sean's flat
Thu 29th - Lloyd's back garden
Fri 30th - Pin Up Festival @ The Flying Duck

For more information contact Lloyd Meredith (who has now turned his hand to band management) at peenkoblog@gmail.com


Cardboard Ships is avilable as a free download from 26th July or at gigs in the form of 50 hand-made, limited edition CDs.

You can find Campfires in Winter on Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp.

Exclusive: Come Home EP - Julia and the Doogans

Folk fever has swept across Britain with the folk scene in Glasgow gradually blossoming into a beautiful flower. This, however, makes it harder to get yourself noticed with such a wealth of talented musicians (and some not so) vying to be heard. It's just as well then that Julia and the Doogans debut EP is simply stunning.

Despite being released at the tail end of May, this is already a strong contender for my EP of the year. Julia's voice is truly beautiful. Her dulcet, soothing tones help to wash away your troubles as she tells tales of love, loss and longing. Subtle melodies and exquisite instrumentation flow around honest and beautifully poetic lyrics as Julia wears her heart firmly on her sleeve. Trust me when I say, it's hard not to fall in love with this EP.

Julia kindly agreed to give us a little insight into each track.

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Come Home



"This song is basically about losing someone close. When they're gone life goes on as normal but even though everything looks the same, everything has changed. And for a long time after, everything reminds you of the person."

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Hummingbird



"I wont say who this song is about but the idea was someone doing loads for you and meaning a lot. So much so that they become so special to you that you'll never be as giving as them. If tables were turned, you would be selfish. Something like that."

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Borderline



"No one writes about that stage in the middle, it's either being in love or falling out of love. When you're in between it can go either way; you can progress to love, or go seperate ways. After a while a decision has to be made."

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New York City



"This is a song about someone leaving for bigger and better things. Quite simply, you wish them success and know that they will prove you wrong and do well."

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"But that's what they mean to me. They can mean anything to anyone."

...and that's the beauty of it.


Come Home EP is available now from the Julia and the Doogans' Bandcamp.

You can also buy tickets (at a slightly cheaper price) for Julia's King Tuts gig with Kitty the Lion. Just follow the link to her Bandcamp page.

Find Julia and the Doogans on Myspace, Twitter and Facebook.

Leave If You Want To - The Cinnamons

To kick start what is set to be a busy week, The Cinnamons' second single of their 5 Songs of Summer EP is released today.

Leave If You Want To is a throwback to the electronic 80s, choosing a more synth-driven approach as opposed to the guitar pop of the previous single. Even as I write this at 03:06 am in preparation for later on in the day (it's not like me to be organised) I've had it on repeat for the past fifteen minutes. It's a lovely wee track, pure synthy goodness.

Just as a reminder, or for any one who hasn't read my previous post, The Cinnamons will be releasing five singles at various dates throughout Summer 2010 each of which will gradually form the band's next EP set for release in mid August.

So far the band have released two singles, both of which are available as a free download from the band's Bandcamp. Here is a list of the three remaining tracks and their release dates:


July 26th - Where we're Going

August 9th - Soul for Sale

August 16th - Analog Man


Two down, three to go.

Leave If You Want To is available to download now from Bandcamp.



You can also find The Cinnamons on MySpace, Facebook, LastFM, Twitter, and Youtube.

Your House Is A Hospice - So Many Animal Calls

It's Friday and what better way to start the weekend than with a free download, courtesy of one of the most new, exciting and promising Scottish bands of 2010?

So Many Animal Calls have made available Your House Is A Hospice for free download from their Bandcamp. This three track EP acts as a teaser for their full debut EP which will be released soon. It has certainly got me excited about their forthcoming release and if this download is anything to go by, the full EP is going to be huge.

Go get your free copy here.



You can catch So Many Animal Calls live at The Captain's Rest with 100 Paper Boats and Queen Jane on the 14th July. I'll post where to buy tickets when I actually find out.

For all you Twitter fiends, you can follow the band by clicking here.

EP: 5 Songs of Summer - The Cinnamons

They say they began as a bedroom recording project but The Cinnamons have progressed far and beyond messing around in the front room of a house in Castlemilk. This is synth-pop at its finest complete with awesome hooks and catchy melodies, all of which provide the perfect soundtrack to Summer - and that's exactly what The Cinnamons will be providing.

The band will release five singles at various dates throughout Summer 2010 each of which will gradually form the band's next EP, 5 Songs of Summer, set for release in mid August. Interestingly, each song was performed, recorded, mixed and mastered by the band in a bedroom. No fancy studios or expensive sound producers involved in the making of this EP, yet you would never guess otherwise.

Each track will be available as a free download from the band's Bandcamp with the first, Welcome to the Business, available now. Here is a full list of the tracks and their release dates:

June 28th - Welcome to the Business

July 12th - Leave if you want to

July 26th - Where we're Going

August 9th - Soul for Sale

August 16th - Analog Man


I'll be posting reminders each time a new track is released, so don't worry about missing a date.

The end of Summer will see a Cinnamons hosted party and EP launch which, if you're fans of the band, you won't want to miss. So what are you waiting for? Get downloading!

The first of the five singles is available to download now from the bands Bandcamp.



You can also find The Cinnamons on MySpace, Facebook, LastFM, Twitter, and Youtube.

EP Review: Shambles Vs The Dragonwizard

Someone once told Shambles Miller, "When you sing you sound like Frankie Boyle" - he doesn't. However, on opening track 'Pssst!', I couldn't help but draw comparisons with Billy Connolly. Why? I have no idea. I would like to point out that this is neither a criticism nor a compliment, it's just an odd thought which was playing on my mind.

With that said, for me 'Pssst!' is the stand out track. The song moves along at a sprightly pace, illustrating Shambles' talent for writing amusing lyrics and uplifting melodies. It's a cheery little number and a pleasant opening to his debut EP.

The rest of the EP doesn't disappoint either. 'Robots' is a relaxing and dreamy track, despite it's punky edge, and 'My Best Friend Is An Outsider' is performed with such passion that it really helps to separate Shambles Miller from the countless other singer/songwriters across the country. However, it was 'Nothing Unfolding' which really struck a chord with me. This track took me on a melodic journey as I found myself submerged in the music, hanging on Shambles' every word. The song plays like a scrapbook, the imagery created through the heartfelt lyrics and the story progressing as though pages are being turned.

Overall, this is an impressive debut. The only possible problem with the EP is the huge contrast between the likes of the witty, upbeat 'Pssst!' and the more somber 'Nothing Unfolding'. However, bearing in mind that this is a debut EP, the chance to showcase two different sides to his music is not necessarily a bad thing. Shambles Miller's simple approach to songwriting takes acoustic music back to basics, stripping it down to the bare minimum and producing raw, heartfelt and at times humorous songs. It's an excellent beginning for my new favourite soloist and still with lots of room for improvement, things can only get better for Shambles Miller.


You can see Shambles Miller for free at MacSorley's in Glasgow on April 14th.
You can find him here on MySpace, Twitter and WordPress.
Buy the EP here or download the digital version.