Scottish Music Highlights: 23-29 Jan

Album launches from LYLO and The Spook School, more Celtic Connections fun and a folky celebration of Robert Burns feature in this week's gig round-up

Preview by Music Team | 23 Jan 2018

Sextile @ Sneaky Pete's, 23 Jan
LA four-piece Sextile have all the makings of your favourite new punk band. Their latest album Albeit Living is less than half an hour long, with only three of its ten tracks exceeding three minutes, in true punk-rock style. Catch them tonight at Sneaky's.

Rachel Sermanni @ Summerhall, 26 Jan  
Rachel Sermanni is playing a special Nothing Ever Happens Here show tonight as part of Summerhall’s Burns Unbroke festival. Sermanni is the perfect choice to play as she cites Burns as an inspiration and has previously performed her own versions of Ae Fond Kiss and My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose. For Burns Unbroke, Sermanni brings a special one-off set featuring new instrumentation and many a nod to Burns. On support duty is Broken Records’ frontman, Jamie Sutherland.

Rituals, The Ninth Wave & Wylde @ Sneaky Pete's, 29 Jan 
Psych four-piece Rituals head up this Independent Venue Week show, and they're joined by freshly-revamped Glasgow outfit The Ninth Wave, and youthful Edinburgh shoegazers Wylde.


Gig of the Week


[Photo: Sarah Donley]

The Spook School @ Stereo, Glasgow, 27 Jan 
The Spookies' third album Could it Be Different? is a fantastic evolution of their active, engaging and thought-provoking sound, and they're launching the record at Stereo with an all-star  line-up. The Spook School are joined by much-loved Durham power-pop quartet Martha, and top-notch post-punk trio Shopping who just released their excellent new record The Official Body.


Start to End: John Martyn – Solid Air @ Oran Mor, 23 Jan 
After taking on Joni Mitchell in last week's gig round-up, the Start to End bring their interpretation of John Martyn's classic fourth LP Solid Air to Oran Mor. It's been one of the most sought-after tickets at this year's Celtic Connections, to the extent that an early show kicking off at 6pm has been added – details here.

Carla J Easton @ The Hug & Pint, 25 Jan
With her new album (produced by former Arcade Fire drummer Howard Bilerman) on the way, and the video for new track Lights in the Dark premiering elsewhere on this site at this very minute, it's an ideal time to catch up with TeenCanteen founder Carla J Easton. She heads up a Celtic Connections showcase curated by the Last Night From Glasgow label, with Zoe Bestell and The Miss’s also on the bill.

Hot Snakes @ Broadcast, 26 Jan 
John Reis' merry band of San Diegan punks are back, with their first new studio album in 14 years set to hit the streets this March. They play Broadcast tonight with support from Glasgow's own Jutland Songs.

LYLO @ Stereo, 26 Jan
Glaswegian indie five-piece LYLO celebrate the release of second album Post Era at Stereo, and as our reviewer writes: "If the name is anything to go by, they're ready to usher in a new direction in the city's musical output with a resounding kick up the arse."

Marnie @ The Hug & Pint, 27 Jan
Helen Marnie is perhaps best known as the vocalist of Liverpool electronic outfit, Ladytron (Seventeen will forever be a banger) – as a soloist, Marnie is based in Glasgow and released her second solo album, Strange Words and Weird Wars, via Disco Piñata last June. Tonight she plays The Hug & Pint as part of this year’s Celtic Connections festival and we reckon her brand of pop will be perfect for dancing away those January blues.

Hannah Peel @ Old Fruitmarket, 27 Jan
Peel's latest album Mary Casio: Journey to Cassiopeia is a tale of one person's journey to outer space, with each piece composed using both analogue synthesizers and a full, traditional 29-piece colliery brass band. The results are extraordinary, as, we suspect, will be this live show which sees Peel joined by the Tubular Brass ensemble.

Isle of Eigg 20th anniversary celebration @ Drygate, 28 Jan 
A reprise of the celebratory knees-up that took place on the island last summer, featuring a host of locally-connected acts ranging from the cosmic indie of Lost Map label boss Pictish Trail to local metalheads Massacre Cave.

Richard Dawson @ Platform, 28 Jan
Richard Dawson performs songs that are both chucklesome and tragic, rooted in a febrile imagination that references worlds held dear and worlds unknown. His 2017 album Peasant featured on a number of 'Best Of...' lists at the end of last year, so this is one not to be missed.

Eugene Kelly @ The Hug & Pint, 29 Jan
Eugene Kelly is a Glasgow born musician-songwriter who began writing and recording music in 1987 with The Vaselines as well as his band Eugenius. Catch him tonight at The Hug & Pint as part of Celtic Connections. 

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