The Radio Magnetic blog brings you the latest gigs, clubs, festivals and music news from throughout the UK and worldwide.

It’s that time of the year again, and as February comes around in the city of Glasgow once again so does the Glasgow Film Festival (GFF). Running from Thursday 16 February till Sunday 26 February and spanning across 16 different venues across the city, including a swimming pool and The Tall Ship, the GFF always offers many unique and exciting experiences for locals and visitors to Glasgow.

As well as some of the best of global cinema, both new and old, this year will transcend the big screen to include many enticing special events in addition to various live and interactive happenings. With so much going on to choose from Radio Magnetic has done a bit of research and pulled together some of the things we are most looking forward to seeing for your browsing pleasure.

Naturally the first thing that jumps out at us on the programme is the Music and Film festival section. Called a festival within the festival there is some truly enough great stuff happening, and enough to immerse yourself in that you could quite easily dedicate your whole festival experience to this one part of the GFF. Cry Parrot presents: Umberto looks a particular highlight. Umberto is a true master of the horror soundtrack, think John Carpenter’s dark and unsettling synth-work crossed with the disturbing prog-rock of Goblin. He will be flying over from Kansas for this special performance on Saturday 25 February at SWG3, the film he will be providing the soundtrack for remains a secret, but whatever he chooses we are sure it will be a terrifying night’s entertainment. We are also excited by the performance of space and electro rock pioneers Silver Apples appearance on Sunday 26 February at Mono. Formed in the New York in 1968, Silver Apples were well ahead of their time, ignoring the psychedelic rock going on around them in 60’s New York they instead opted to create a minimalist experimental electro sound that influenced countless musicians, including Suicide and Kraftwerk. We really can’t recommend getting a ticket to this enough.

There is also a retrospective of the work of revered Scottish filmmaker Douglas Hart, perhaps best known for his cutting edge promo videos for the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Stone Roses, Primal Scream and Paul Weller. And, in 2009 Glasgow indie-pop outfit, Butcher Boy performed a live soundtrack to Scottish director Enrico Cocozza’s film Chick’s Day at Glasgow Film Theatre. Glasgow Short Film festival is delighted to invite the band to perform to film again, in a special event for this year’s Festival at the Berkeley Suite. Both these music related events at the film festival should be worth checking out. And, a film sure to have a fantastic a soundtrack is the Scottish screen debut of Irvine Welsh’s Ecstasy. A must-see.

Filmaticly, GFF has been offering a diverse variety of cinematic genres, styles and experiences since its inception and this year is no different. One of the best cinematic experiences you can have at the GFF is the Frightfest’s frightpass, which offers you the chance to see 11 horror films over two days. It is a truly great and unsettling happening and in our opinion there really is no better way to watch horror films than one after the other with minimal rest bite. Beginning on Friday 24 February and running right through till the following evening, it’s always a unique experience to submerge yourself in film after film in the GFT’s large cinema, breaking only to get snacks, go to the bathroom and get a quick kip before returning the following morning for further frights. Some of the creepiest highlights include the ‘found footage’ shockumentary Evidence, apocalyptic dystopian adventure, The Day and the UK premiere of chilling slasher flick Rites of Spring. The brand new strand, Crossing The Line series of experimental films also has some wonderfully bizarre looking events and films including 85A Present: Jan Svankmajer, Finisterrae and The Forgotten Space.

When a festival can lurch from the depths of horror goodness to a celebration of Weimar Republic Germany’s cabaret tradition then it’s quite obvious that it’s got some variety about it, and so it is as GFF presents Weimarvellous. Adding some glamour to the cold winter months Weimarvellous kicks off with a screening of Blue Angel in the CCA on Friday 17 February. Featuring the queen of Cabaret, Marlene Dietrich as Lola-Lola, a Cabaret performer and femme fatal who is the downfall of besotted high school tutor Immanual Rath, The Blue Angel is a true classic. With Cabaret performances in the CCA bar after the film and a chance for you to to perform in Cabaroke (Cabaret themed Karaoke) it should be a cracking night to glam yourself up and strut your stuff.

There is so much really credible and exciting stuff to see at this year’s GFF we couldn’t possibly cover it all but suffice to say that whatever you’re into, you will find something that suits you at Glasgow Film Festival 2012. The above are our top picks.

glasgowfilm.org/festival

The Radio Magnetic blog brings you the latest gigs, clubs, festivals and music news from throughout the UK and worldwide.

In association with the Hyphae festival, an innovative music platform which provides insight into the nowadays exploding digital and web-based music culture, and presented by Josh Hill (Wavy Graves) & Joe Howe (Ben Butler & Mousepad), A Global Video Party at the Old Hairdressers on Saturday 25 February from 8 – 12pm should be a terrific night of international musical goodness for only £5.

Sets will be beamed in downstairs from Jimmy Pe, Oknai, Mux Mool, Pazes and more, from locations such as Berlin, Lisbon and Brussels, with live sets from Stefan Bloemeier, Silk Cut and Ben Butler and Mousepad beamed out upstairs.

More info on the Facebook Event page.

Platform in association with Celtic Connections presents two great and eclectic nights of music on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 January. We can’t wait for this.

The first sees the fantastic cult British Indian/indie-pop outift, Cornershop headlinine. Cornershop‘s latest album, Cornershop and the Double ‘O’ Groove Of  was released to critical acclaim back in March 2011. The LP was six years in the making and is a collaboration with Bubbley Kaur, a previously unrecorded Punjabi singer. Throughout their 20 year career Cornershop have managed to successfully combine their psychedelic sound of guitar and sitar within pop songs that as well as bringing mainstream success didn’t lose any of their cultural significance.

The biggest and most popular example of this heard on their 1997 album, When I Was Born for the 7th Time and the iconic and timeless Brimful of Asha, the unique sound of which lead to praise not only from John Peel but lead them to completing sold-out tours in the UK and supporting the likes of Oasis and Beck in the United States. Watch the video for new tune, United Provinces of India, taken from Cornershop and the Double ‘O’ Groove Of below.

In keeping with Celtic Connections‘ ethos of using the festival to bring together both local and global artistic talent, supporting Cornershop will be Glasgow’s own indie-pop group, 1990s.

Tickets cost £12.50/£10 and are available from the Platform box-office as well as Monorail, Tickets Scotland and Celtic Connections.

The following night it’s the turn of Laetitia Sadier, Jo Mango and Dan Haywood’s New Hawks to take to the Platform stage.

The amazing Laetitia Sadier is best known as the lead singer of Stereolab. When the band announced an indefinite hiatus in 2009 Laetitia set to work on what would be her first ‘official’ solo album The Trip. The record was well received by critics for it’s intensely emotive look at the sometimes unexpected personal kicks life can bring. Sadier is renowned for her beautiful and sometimes unexpected live performances which you can get a preview of below.

Jo Mango is an alternative folk and acoustic band from Glasgow and also the adopted name of the group’s front-woman and primary songwriter. Mango has collaborated with musicians such as David Byrne, Devandra Banhart, Vashti Bunyan and Teenage Fanclub. During the gig Jo Mango will premiere a brand new work created especially for Celtic Connections, There Was and There was Not… a collection of songs inspired by Angela Carter’s wild and dark, Book of Fairy Tales.

Dan Haywood’s New Hawks are a new literate voice on the British musical landscape. Their epic scope marries transatlantic cosmic roots music with a poetic and soulful British folk. A rambling, rolling band whose crazed stage presence, with various players swapping instruments and psychic powers amongst themselves, has already assured them cult status.

Tickets cost £10/£7.50 and can be purchased from the Platform box-office, Monorail, Tickets Scotland and Celtic Connections.

Both events include bus transport to and from Mono to Platform, costing £4 and leaving promptly at 6.30pm!

platform-online.co.uk
celticconnections.com

Fans of Americana and alternative-folk have a double dose in store on Friday 9 December when The Felice Brothers and AA Bondy play O2 ABC, Glasgow.

The Fat Possum label-mates both had new albums out this year which they are touring in support of. For The Felice Brothers this is Celebration, Florida which came out back in May. The album marked a new recording approach for the band, with the folk balladeers going more electric. Thankfully, the change in direction has been much more well received than that of their music hero Bob Dylan, who’ve they’re also often compared to!

AA Bondy has just released his third album, Believers, the follow-up to 2009′s When the Devil’s Loose. Not only is the album already one of Radio Magnetic’s top albums of the year, given its dark yet lush and beautiful sound but its received high praise across the board from reviewers.

Buy tickets for the gig here and listen to album tracks by both The Felice Brothers and AA Bondy.

The Felice Brothers “Ponzi” by fatpossum

AA Bondy – The Heart Is Willing by fatpossum

thefelicebrothers.com
facebook.com/aabondy

Hüsker Dü and Nova Mob legend, Grant Hart plays Mono Cafe Bar in Glasgow on Wednesday 30 November.

Hart is touring in support of his latest artistic project, a musical rendering of John Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost. Despite his erratic post Nova Mob solo releases, albums like 2009′s Hot Wax show the emotional depth and ancient historical interest he possesses and therefore the complexity of this project’s subject matter comes as no surprise.

Hart formed Nova Mob after the demise of the incredibly influential hardcore band, Hüsker Dü in 1987. Despite being seen as pioneers of the U.S alternative music scene which even led to them being signed by a major label following the release of great albums like New Day Rising, Hart and fellow band member Bob Mould couldn’t overcome their long-standing feud over song-writing credentials, leading to a split before they could in anyway profit from their big label deal. They also faced criticism from their peers for what was seen as selling out by leaving the indie label, SST for a major like Warner.

Although experiencing a turbulent personal life particularly towards the end of Hüsker Dü and for many years not focusing full-time on music, he has maintained a dedicated fan base with people appreciating that despite the internal song-writing rivalry which existed between Hart and Mould, for those on the outside, the band clearly possessed two very different but talented song-writers.

Purchase tickets here or in person from Monorail music to catch one of Hart’s extremely rare UK gig dates. Check out the video for You’re the Reflection of the Moon on the Water from Hot Wax.

monocafebar.com
granthart.com

The Radio Magnetic blog brings you the latest gigs, clubs, festivals and music news from throughout the UK and worldwide.

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks play The Arches in Glasgow on Friday 11 November.

The gig takes place as part of the band’s current UK tour in support of their fifth album, Mirror Traffic. Despite Malkmus having spent much of last year completing a worldwide reunion tour with Pavement, he managed to fit in time to record the Beck produced album. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks was formed in 2000 shortly after what turned out to be a prolonged “hiatus” by Pavement, which didn’t see the band playing together again until last year’s reunion tour. Although early Jicks material was based on songs written originally penned by Malkmus for Pavement, since then the band has carved out a separate entity as purveyors of perfect melodic indie pop.

If you’ve never had the chance to see Malkmus live with either band, then this is the perfect opportunity to see a true indie icon show the kids how its done. Buy tickets here. Support on the night comes from Weird Dreams.

Watch the video for Tigers, the latest single from Mirror Traffic which includes a guest appearance from Jack Black. The album is out now on the band’s long-term label, Matador Records.

stephenmalkmus.com
thearches.co.uk

The Radio Magnetic blog brings you the latest gigs, clubs, festivals and music news from throughout the UK and worldwide.

Okkervil River return to Glasgow on Saturday 19 November, to play a gig at the Classic Grand venue and we’re giving away a pair of tickets. The band’s clever lyrics, intricate instrumentation and talent for creating interesting and rounded albums, have earned them critical acclaim  since their debut release came out back in 2002.

The band have followed up on the success of last year’s collaboration with Roky Erikkson with their latest album, I Am Very Far. This is the first non-concept album the band have recorded in eight years but the well thought out lyrics of the band’s primary songwriter Will Sheff and the immense wall of sound they create on each track makes it another great addition to their rich catalogue of work. Watch the video for album track Wake and Be Fine below.

Okkervil River are an incredibly creative band with high standards on themselves, which they incorporate into their live performances. The Classic Grand will provide a suitably grand back-drop to catching them live. The lovely folks at PCL have given us two tickets for the gig, to be in with a chance of winning enter the competition below. Visit the PCL website for a full listing of all their forthcoming gigs.

Competition

To win a pair of tickets to see Okkervil River on Saturday 19 November in Glasgow, simply tell us the name of the band’s long-term record label.

Answers in the comments box below please and good luck!

Rules and Biz

1. By entering the competition you agree to subscribing to our newsletter.
2. You must be 18 years of age or older.
3. The prize is 1 x pair of tickets.
4. Competition will run until 10am on Thursday 17 November.
5. You must tell everyone how much you LOVE Radio Magnetic!
6. By entering this competition you agree to our terms and conditions

On Saturday 5 November Kitty Kat Klub welcome In Flagranti to Glasgow. The New York based  duo play Stereo on Renfield Lane and we highly recommend you go.

Sasha Crnobrnja and Alex Gloor, the two founding members of In Flagranti met in the 90s in a record shop in Basel Switzerland, where they both grew up. They shared a love for music and while Sasha was mainly involved in music making, Alex was a qualified graphic designer based in NYC. They decided to start a collaboration and Alex convinced Sasha to follow him to Manhattan. There, in 1993, In Flagranti was born, self releasing under the name, Codek Records.

Aside from an obvious disco influence In Flagranti have a very punk edge to their music which makes them stand out from other more electronic acts. Influences in their sound range from disco to the dancer side of post punk acts like Liquid Liquid and A Certain Ratio. What makes In Flagranti standout is their marrying together of the post punk sound with modern clubbing culture.

Check out In Flagranti’s Interdisciplinary video below for a taste of what to expect from them on the night.

Support on the night comes from cratedigger and Glasgow disco legend, Billy Woods and resident Bosco.

Tickets are available on the night at the venue and cost £10. Should be a great night.

Join us at Film City, Glasgow on Friday 28 October for the Black Bottle Halloween party club night with sounds by DJs Harri (Sub Club), Dave Congreve (RGC/Leftroom/Soma) and James McArdle (Construct). We’ve wangled a free ticket deal with the organisers for all Radio Magnetic listeners.

All you need to do to take advantage of this offer is like Black Bottle on Facebook, go to Film City (the old Govan Town Hall in Glasgow) and tell the people on the door you’re with Radio Magnetic. We’ll sort you out.

You’ll also get a free Black Bottle whisky cocktail on arrival. If you haven’t had that particular whisky before, try it. It’s from Islay and is our favourite blend, and we really like whisky. We really like house music too which is why we’re looking forward to some serious sets by all three acts on the bill. To get you in the party mood, check out these tracks and mixes.

Dave Congreve Live @ The Bomb May ’99. by Dave Congreve

DJ Harri ‘The Pleasure Principle Mix’ Feb 2011 by Pleasure Principle

http://soundcloud.com/dave-congreve
http://www.myspace.com/subclubharri
http://soundcloud.com/pleasure-principle/dj-harri-the-pleasure
http://www.mixcloud.com/CONSTRUCT/james-mcardle-construct-the-burgundy-house-los-angeles-220411/
http://www.facebook.com/blackbottlewhisky

The Radio Magnetic blog brings you the latest gigs, clubs, festivals and music news from throughout the UK and worldwide.

On Thursday 8 December Omar Souleyman plays at Oran Mor in Glasgow. This is another excellent promotional collaboration between Synergy Concerts and Optimo which we can’t wait for quite frankly! Due to his style, past performances and collaborations (a legendary Glastonbury performance and Bjork remixes for a start!) we highly recommend this gig. It’ll be great.

Coming from a small town located in northeastern Syria, Souleyman began his singing career in the mid 1990s. Soon after he started out, Omar approached a young local musician, Rizan Sa’ id, a talented multi-instrumentalist, at a time when a new wave of dabke (the regional folk/dance music) was emerging. Armed with Arabic-modified synthesisers, Rizan shaped a distinctive and driving sound, incorporating Syrian, Iraqi, Kurdish and other Arabic styles, resulting in some of the most uniquely furious and delirious sound to be heard anywhere in the world. They first became very popular in Syria and also performed abroad in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. In 1998 Omar met Mark Gergis, a California-based musician, documentarian and frequent collaborator with the Sublime Frequencies label, with whom he started a friendship and partnership, which led to the first western releases on the label and acclaimed international tours.

In past performances Souleyman tends to stand impassively on stage barely moving, always dressed in his traditional clothes: a floor-length tunic, aviator sunglasses, a red-and-white-checked kaffiyeh. He seduces the party attendees with methaphors and verses whispered in his ear by a poet that always travels with him and composes alongside Souleyman. On the other hand Mr Sa’id creates driven synthetised sounds within upbeat dancey rhythms which are guaranteed to make the audience move. As described by The Wire in a 2010 article Souleymann is “the outlaw of syrian dabke music” which present “the most unintentionally punk celebration of pure sound since the early days of techno”.

We can’t wait to see him again. You should get yourself a ticket.

Tickets are available on ticketweb.co.uk

synergyconcerts.com
optimo.co.uk