Scottish Music Highlights: 3-9 Oct

Gigs in Edinburgh

Ducktails @ Sneaky Pete's, 3 Oct
Matt Mondaline's new album as Ducktails, Jersey Devil, is a deep dive into the inner workings of the former Real Estate man. Get an early listen to tracks from the LP at Sneaky's tonight.

Tim Hecker @ Summerhall, 4 Oct
His sixth studio album Love Streams is "a dense, paranoid and phenomenally pretty exploration of post-millennial wonder", and now the ambient maestro brings his textured and foreboding electronic sound to Summerhall. Hecker also plays Stereo in Glasgow on 3 Oct.

James Yorkston / Kris Drever / Withered Hand @ Summerhall, 6 Oct
A trio of the country's best songwriters together in one place – expect excellent storytelling and musicianship from messrs Yorkston, Drever and Willson. Also playing the Lemon Tree, Aberdeen (4 Oct) and Tolbooth, Stirling (5 Oct). 

Peaness @ Sneaky Pete's, 7 Oct 
The Chester indie-pop trio are one of our faves, combining lyrics on politics and empowerment with fantastic melodies and fun, sunshine vibes – anyone who can write a cracker of a guitar-pop song while also having a go at George Osborne is alright in our book. Peaness play a trio of Scottish shows this week; they're at the Hug and Pint in Glasgow on 5 Oct, the Tunnels in Aberdeen on 6 Oct, and finish their mini-tour at Sneaky's on Saturday night.

Sløtface @ Sneaky Pete's, 9 Oct
The riot grrrl-influenced Norwegian punk quartet are at the forefront of the 90s punk resurgence, aiming to make their shows as inclusive and female-friendly as possible. We spoke to the band last month – read our chat with the band on changing their name, the role of feminism in their sound, and their debut album Try Not to Freak Out.

Gigs in Glasgow

Dizzee Rascal @ O2 Academy, 3 Oct
He tore it up at Electric Fields at the tailend of the summer, and now Dizzee's back for a headline show at the Academy. Expect classics from grime-defining LP Boy in da Corner, brace yourself for cuts from excellent new album Raskit, and prepare (if you can) for Bonkers and Holiday.

DJ Shadow @ O2 ABC, 3 Oct 
Josh Davis returns to town, still riding high from 2016 album The Mountain Will Fall and Nas and Danny Brown-featuring EP The Mountain Has Fallen.

Sacred Paws @ Art School, 6 Oct
The Scottish Album of the Year winners present their rough-edged take on highlife, tiger-striped with great guitar hooks and overlapping vocals.

Eastern Promise 2017 @ Platform, 6 & 7 Oct
Eastern Promise is back for its seventh outing, with this year's line-up expanded to include a theatre programme. The music line-up for 2017 features Pictish Trail, Visible Cloaks, and the Sexual Objects.

EMA @ Broadcast, 6 Oct
In August Erika M. Anderson, aka EMA, released her third studio album, Exile in the Outer Ring, and it was our album of the month. Although it’s a challenging listen, both musically and lyrically – it deals with tough subject matters such as working class alienation, Middle America poverty, and rising anger at inequality and injustice – it’s utterly captivating from start to finish and we reckon this will make for one of your standout live shows of the year.

Vessels @ Art School, 7 Oct
Their new styling is packed with electronic influences that take them closer to techno than their previous post-rock sound; find out how it translates to the live arena at the Art School.

Grizzly Bear @ O2 ABC, 8 Oct
The Brooklyn art-rock quartet break out the pulsing oceans of sound that make up their five-star new album, Painted Ruins. Support comes from Liima, the new band formed by three members of Efterklang and percussionist Tatu Rönkkö.

Slowdive @ O2 ABC, 9 Oct
The shoegaze pioneers made a highly impressive return earlier this year with their five-star, self-titled album, their first new record in more than two decades. Catch them at the ABC and see those new tracks spring to life, and get down early for what's sure to be an earplug-testing and viscerally exciting support set from Blanck Mass.

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Gig of the week

Jonnie Common @ Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, 5 Oct
As well as scoring new theatre piece You Can’t Go Back by poet and playwright Ross Sutherland, and working with Duncan Marquiss on a commission for the McManus Gallery in Dundee, Stirling-based Jonnie Common has a new single out this month and it’s bloody great! Restless is out 6 October via Song, by Toad and to celebrate its release, Common is going on a wee Scottish tour taking in Edinburgh tonight; he's also at Tolbooth, Stirling (6 Oct), and Hug & Pint, Glasgow (7 Oct).

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Scottish Clubbing Highlights

Erol Alkan @ Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh, 5 Oct & Sub Club, Glasgow, 6 Oct
Fresh from a three-month residency at XOYO in London and a production credit on the latest album from Ride, Erol Alkan is back in Scotland with all-night shows at either end of the M8 this week. Join him at Sneaky's on Thursday, or in the company of the I Am crew at Sub Club on Friday. 

Leftfield @ Sub Club, Glasgow, 5 Oct 
22 years on from the release of the pioneering Leftism, the record's influence and power hasn't waned, so expect a big night at the Sub Club. Leftfield recently told us about the music which influenced Leftism, which you can read here.

Rum Shack Birthday: JD Twitch & Fergus Clark @ The Rum Shack, Glasgow, 6 Oct
Rum Shack are celebrating their third birthday, and they’ve brought in two special guests in the form of Optimo’s JD Twitch and rising young talent Fergus Clark. Twitch will be playing Jamaican-inspired bangers from the 1960s to the present day, while 12th Isle associate Clark will be spinning a selection of rare 7"s spanning reggae, roots, dub and more.

Lezure (LNS) @ La Cheetah, Glasgow, 7 Oct
Rising Vancouver star and Sex Tags / Wania affiliate LNS brings her unique and masterful blend of electro and dreamy techno to the La Cheetah basement.

Late Nite Tuff Guy (Prince Tribute) @ SWG3, Glasgow, 7 Oct
'King of the edit' Late Nite Tuff Guy takes a journey back to celebrate the life's work of one of the greatest showmen, producers and songwriters to ever grace a stage.

Nightvision x Elektrical: My Lu Neng (Dread MC) @ La Belle Angele, Edinburgh, 7 Oct
My Nu Leng blend everything from bass through to house. Best known for their blistering sets and dark, smouldering vibe. Heavy on the mood but always compulsively danceable.