Lost Ticker Tape

There is something about 'the nights fair drawing in' that makes me nostalgic for the winters and bonfire nights of childhood. I know the history behind Guy Fawkes night but for me it's all about being 5 again and standing in my Aunt's garden all snug and warm, wooly jumpers having being dug out for the winter ahead, watching the fireworks explode over her garden and jumping every time a really loud one went off! When I was older it was the muddy walks in the dark to Crawl Park, with wellies and waterproofs where there would be a huge bonfire and us kids would be allowed sweets and sparklers (not at the same time mind) and we would watch the display with huge grins on our faces. I would stand with my head tipped skyward and watch a woven gold brocade falling towards me and fountains of coloured sparks that are bright only for a moment. Stars burst and light up the dark then drift slowly to earth, fading as they fall. Beautiful tracer trails fill the night

I know it's such a damn cliche but I couldn't imagine my life without music, I play it, I sing it, I (try to) write it, I listen to it at every opportunity and now I seem to consume it faster than ever before which is why I take time out to write about it once in a while. I have previously written a little here about music and how I still love it the same way I did when I was 15 years old. This is the reason why I can't describe the feeling I get when I discover a beautiful piece of music, that first spark of realisation that what you are listening to is something special, something affecting and truly beautiful. I don't review music, I simply post about new-to-me music that I love and hope that other people will also discover and fall in love with too, so here goes....... First off are Honeybear, utterly beguiling music and beautiful illustrations.....I need say no more: http://www.therealhoneybear.com/ Some perfect indie pop in the form of

I need to head west and get some sand in-between my toes before the seasons change. I need to look out on water that that shimmers in the summer sun and goes further than the eye can see before the sky is cobalt at 3pm with a sea to match. The city is starting to wear me down like a weight on my shoulders I can't shift and I think this feeling has a lot to do with not making music. I have this feeling of being adrift without Incrediboy & The Forget Me Nots as we had 18 months of making something fun and quite often beautiful. But times change, there are things brewing and directions to be chosen and decisions to be made so watch this space for something new.

It's been.....well......erm......months. I am rubbish at this blogging lark but I will persevere! I saw Open Swimmer again recently and once again was totally enthralled (see previous post). If you can see them then please do! You can hear Canyon here: http://www.facebook.com/openswimmer?ref=ts

This is really just a quick post to mention a band I saw at The Captain's Rest in Glasgow last night. I didn't catch their name during their set so after the gig I went up to the singer to ask the name of the band, I did mean to stop at this question but ended up the gushing idiot you see at gigs telling the band how good they were with way too much enthusiasm! However, in my defence, the reason for this enthusiasm was that this was their first gig and they just looked, sounded and acted like seasoned professionals. Ben (the singer) was extremely polite and listened, with what seemed like slight bemusement, to my enthusiastic praise. I only wish there were some songs from last night for you to hear, the music was simply beautiful. A small concession is that there are three videos of Ben playing the Tram Sessions here: http://vimeo.com/9851988 They are playing The Captain's Rest on 2nd of June, I for one will be there but will be sworn to silence this time!

Based on everything written here you think it would be safe to assume that I am your run of the mill, indie loving, dress and cardi wearing, tea drinking, whimiscal girly singer however you would only be partly correct. Admittedly, Eurythmics were my first musical love. I was obsessed by them and by Annie Lennox when I was about 11. I remember buying Eurythmics Greatest Hits on cassette from John Menzies, it was the first album I ever bought (I still have it!). My tastes have expanded over the years from 80s legends at 11, to chart bothering indie rock at 13, through to 'proper alternative' music from about 15 onwards. Like most teenagers I would listen to Lamacq and then Peel and that was, for a long time, my only source of new music. It's probably fairly obvious that Belle & Sebastian, The Smiths, Mogwai, Arab Strap, Idlewild, Pavement, The Delgados, PJ Harvey among many others were on heavy rotation on my CD player and then it happened.............I w

It is with a heavy heart I write that Incrediboy is leaving The Forget Me Nots behind in a few weeks as he has a new job that is too far from here to make playing together possible. I can't say this is the end as I sincerely hope that I will have the pleasure of standing on a stage with him again, singing some songs and making a general din sometime in the future. I owe him more than I can say here and more than he knows, without his encouragement I would still be that girl who was too nervous and too scared sing a single note. Thanks for everything Incrediboy. xxx

...it is in in the 45 minute album that has been on repeat on my MP3 player for the last 5 days. The long wait was finally over on Monday when The Unwinding Hours released their self titled debut album. From the first shimmering notes to the heart stopping end, I have been captivated by this album. A beautiful mix of fragility and sheer noise makes this essential listening. The gut wrenching tenderness of the vocals singing lyrics which are heartfelt and bittersweet continues to catch me out. I am no reviewer (which is very clear from what's above) however that is never my intention. I just think this is an album that people should be aware exists! You can listen to Knut and Solstice at http://www.myspace.com/theunwindinghours and if you like what you hear then you can catch them at Stereo in Glasgow on 5th March. They were brilliant at Chemickal Underground's 15th Birthday party so this gig should be a cracker!

A band I have been meaning to mention for a while is The Unwinding Hours. The two slightly gruff looking men above are Iain Cook and Craig B (both previously of the wonderful Aereogramme) and they are getting people excited. They currently have two songs up, Solstice and Knut, both are fragile, extremely beautiful and captivating and if these two tracks online are anything to go by, the album is going to be brilliant. Pop over to www.myspace.com/theunwindinghours and have a listen. They will be playing at Chemikal Underground's 15th Birthday party on 31/01/2009 at the ABC in Glasgow. It should be a fantastic evening as the line up also includes Emma Pollock, Zoey Van Goey, Lord Cut Glass and Aidan Moffat.