The core of this section is the updated and expanded version of my guide (in brief) to the Dundee Scene bands that I know and love, the one that appeared originally (and somewhat controversially according to the people on UGS) in the May 2006 edition of Student Gossip magazine. By the time you read this, it'll probably have expanded a bit more (I hope) to include the bands that I didn't know that well, back when it first appeared (if you get my drift).
This is the only section of this site that gets changed on an irregular basis - or even a regular basis (some hope!!) - as bands develop and change shape.
If you want to see the original original (jeez!!), and I can't imagine why, but those of you crying out for historical chronology and accuracy of a fashion may well be fascinated enough, then click here. Then once you've read that, carry on with this bit..........
(THE) A FOREST - Sextet featuring guitars, bass, drums and female vocalist plus the unusual addition of electric cello. The combination of the shimmering guitars, the cosmic gliding cello and the ethereal female vocal can take you to the heart of space, but then they'll light the touch paper and the whole thing soars into another dimension. This is a band into whose universe you dive freely, to great effect.
ALAN (FAE THE RISE) - The Rise's rhythm guitarist and co-vocalist in a solo acoustic setting proving that he's got a strong vocal that can be tender and impassioned while writing some heartfelt and quality songs.
ALTRES- Dundee's leading electronic music band - a 2 synthesizer- 2 electric guitar quartet, their brand of electronic music takes in influences from modern King Crimson to the synthesizer music of the seventies (as evidenced by Tangerine Dream and Jarre) as well as Moroccan, downtempo ambient and Hawkwind-influenced space- rock. Inventive, commercial and addictive, they chill you out then launch you into hyperspace. In 2006, they recruited none other than singer "par excellence" Electra to the line-up, while in May 2007, the ranks were swelled by Henissi drummer Cath Costello, this time playing an exotic array of percussion with the band. Expect the full sextet to debut sometime in the winter of 2007.
RACHEL ANDERSON - One of Dundee's finest female solo, acoustic singer-songwriter with a pure and high register vocal. Performing sets that mix warm-feeling originals with the occasional classic cover (her version of van Morrison's "Crazy Love" is one of the best covers of a Van song around), she mixes eclectic with tender to a consistent degree, combined with great acoustic guitar playing. Recent newer tracks have injected an almost mediterranean feel to the guitar work, while her vocals proceed to climb and soar. In May 2007, she's also got a band together with drummer and bassist, that brings a more powerful edge to her original songs.
ARKANNA- Female singer who also mixes electronics with her acoustic work to provide a singer-songwriter style of performing with a unique slant. Her vocal is pure and high while her songs possess shade and light, more of a fascinating trip than a commercial acceptability
AWAITING EXILE - sadly a band no more!!!! Carnoustie quartet, they play a brand of rock that has as much of its roots in the classics of rock from USA "Suvvern Rock" to an almost bluesy metal heat, as it does in the supercharged indie guitar scene of today. Complete with two electric guitarists, they have an appeal to anyone liking strong songs with stirring guitar work and while solos are kept to an economical minimum, the dual guitar distinctiveness still electrifies above vocalist Barry's bluesy, throaty holler.
BIG BIG SOUND - Taken from their website: "Big Big Sound is a 10 piece outfit based in Dundee, Scotland. We're a sound clash / mash-up of everything that's influenced all of us over the years - and that's a lot. Be prepared for a finely tuned, but edgy, blend of hip-hop, drum 'n' bass, reggae, ska, electro, techno rock, jazz and all else".
BLINSHALL- sadly a band no more!!!! Started life as a trio with two acoustic guitarists/vocalists and an electric bassist playing largely covers of things from old Simon & Garfunkel to modern indie chart hits, now with added drummer and doing more originals and becoming a tight unit. Still perform as an acoustic duet and have become Dundee's ultimate "flexible band", capable of playing anywhere at the drop of a hat
BOX - The solo project of Neil McIntee, Box could be called an avant-garde electronic/electric music act, but with every concert a different experience, the music is much more than that term applies. From drifting waves of sound through rhythmic muscle to squalls of drones, searing guitar textures and treatments, and beyond, you never quite know what you're going to hear when he plays live - heck, even he doesn't know, some of the time - but the one thing you can be sure of - as a sonic experience it will be unique and intense.
BOY ORCHESTRA - young quartet with the most remarkable use of two lead guitarists that you'll find, Playing a smoking brew of songs that includes almost Beefheartian guitar time signatures at one end and roaring punk riffs at the other, this is a band playing solid indie rock but for whom you listen intently to the guitar work throughout the set.
THE BROGUES - indie band who manage to fuse new millennium indie-punk with sense of '60's skiffle to provide a live set where short and snappy tracks that are modern day good-time anthems seems always to go far too quickly, the songs both whipping up a storm and a smile, with cohesive group playing and driving vocal work. One of the Dundee bands most likely to make it big in 2008.
COLOUR CODED- Solid consistent songs that promise much to come from a relatively new indie band who keep things tight and powerful in concert, and when they allow the songs to speak for themselves, provide a fine blend of lead and harmony vocal on a strident set of arrangements with strong guitar work and occasional American influences
CORE - Essentially a metal band but with an extreme sense of dynamics, where songs manage to combine brooding intensity next to all-guns-blazing raging power. Hints of stoner and blues stand next to hardcore and electrifying, as the band improves with every gig.
DAVE? - probably the most eclectic of the current Dundee indie bands, this quartet fuses influences that no other band would dare take on, so that at times during their live set you'll have images of The View, Nirvana, The Damned, Captain Beefheart's Magic Band, Television and lord know's what else, twisting, turning and cooking on gas, right before your very ears. Unafraid to twist and take musical twists, riff till your ears bleed then surprise you with eloquence and songwriting, this is a seriously hot band. Gotta be heard to be believed.
THE DAZE - fastest rising and most respected new band of 2007 on the Dundee indie music scene, the quartet are already famous for their two left-handed electric guitarists, not to mention a set of songs that are collectively some of the most commercial and timeless tracks that any band has come up with for a long time. With sets already sounding like a "greatest hits" dispaly, this band are increasingly gather ing fans far and wide. Influences number Beatles to Stone Roses, Oasis and beyond, but this band are so fresh and original, you'll want to see - and hear - them long, loud and often.
THE DESCARTES- Recently resurrected indie band (new line-up) who perform a driving mix of indie songs and manage to inject a certain deceptive complexity into songs that are performed with passion and conviction
DIRTY WEE MIDDENS - sadly, a band no more!! In terms of seventies punk as evidenced by the likes of Sex Pistols, Buzzcocks and the like, mixed with the roaring howl that is today's punk scene, the Dirty Wee Middens have become a tight as f**k unit that spit out some great originals and covers with the real punk attitude that got it noticed all that time ago. With vocalist Lee out front, their sets are pure hi-octane energy-laden good-time down n dirty anthemic fun as well as being a visual treat and guaranteed good-time. Recent 2007 gigs have seen the new quartet power out their own brew of orignal punk gems that put them way up the ladder of potential success
DISSOLVED- sadly a band no more!!!!Deliberate hardcore metal attack but all carefully written and arranged to provide aset of songs that, while crushingly heavy, are also decidedly weighted towards home listening enjoyment,a testament to a trio who can seriously deliver the roaring goods with conviction.
DUBHEAD - Dundee's only dub-reggae band but WHAT A BAND!!!! This lot could give any leading dub-reggae band a run for thewir money. The standard of playing is astounding as every member injects pure passion into their heady and addictive brew of originals and covers. Including Dundee's finest female percussionist Cath Costello (who also drums for Altres and Hennisi) on bongos and percussion, plus a drummer/vocalist who is spectacular, guitarist/vocalist Lefty who injects the searing heat, plus sax, bass and keys, this band are awesome - rarely perform live so if you get the chance, don't miss them!!!
THE ELECTROLITES - made a big impression at a prestigious debut gig at Fat Sams, yet this unique duo are yet to make their presence felt on the city. With one guy on synths, samplers and enough armoury behind something that looks like a preachers pulpit, plus the other guy wielding some seriously wicked electric bass, this is live techno/trance/house music that is guaranteed to rip up the dancefloors wherever they are let loose.
ENDEAVOUR- The softer side of indie rock in Dundee, a band who prefer to draw you into their world with a siren-call of singing and playing rather than an all out attack. With strong dynamics and quality musicianship, theirs is a mix of ancient and modern
ERGO - Relatively new band on the bloc (as of early 2007), to a degree following a similar line to the indie-funk of Page 6, but tend to inject more of a soulful approach into the songs, so that there's more emphasis on the atmospheric as the set progresses, with subtlety and a mesmerising quality to the singing and playing. With a couple of seriously memorable songs to bolster a strong raft of material, and recent influxes of AOR stylings, this could be the next step in the Dundee funk-rock invasion of the UK.
ESPERI - A mix of one-man singer-songwriter with brooding songs that you don't wanna hear if you're feeling down (or maybe you do) alternating with electronic and experimental sonic excursions that take you "out there". A live experience where anything could happen.
THE FLOOR - Incendiary young quartet playing this on-fire brew of molten indie-rock with some incredibly tight, intense and ferocious dual guitar work that highlights a set of driving songs which come at you with the effect of a wrecking ball yet totally mesmerise - have to be seen live!!!
FMW - sadly a band no more!!! Their fiery brew of all-guns blazing thrash metal attack set on an intensity level of "stun" reveals compositions that are inventive and a good deal more "musical" for the genre than many would expect. Including covers of Pantera and Sepultura tracks in concert, this band is well worth catching. Look out for their debut CD album coming soon.
GETDOWNS - Hailing from Monifieth just outside of Dundee, The Getdowns erupted onto the Dundee music scene in early 2006, and play a supercharged brew of punk rock with sixties psych and early sixties rock overtones, led by a guitarist/vocalist with an almost strangled yet in tune vocal, they are a trio that can really kick ass. Have supported The View on tour and continue to dazzle with a mix of energy and humour. Recent sets have got increasingly tighter and faster, makin g them the "indie Ramones" of the Dundee Scene!
THE GOODNIGHTS - Out of the ashes of The Unknown comes a band that combines many of the elements of that band, including the ability to deliver slower songs with meaning, heart and passion, while the "new"vocalist/guitarist sings to perfection over a set of songs that mixes a sort of indie-AOR, with rock, funk, commercial indie and a searing heat set of electric guitar work.
GRACE EMILYS - band that play a most unique brand of songs which mix quirky pop, with driving indie and almost country-punk stylings to produce tracks that seem at first quite light, but there's an intensity brewing within as they creep under your skin and refuse to leave. Once exposed to this band's songs, there's no turning back
HANNEY - Electro-industrial punk band that play both styles separately and mix the two in huge wedges of floor-shaking power with a singer who, in concert, really commands your attention as he hollers and flies through a selection of songs that range from snarling punk with attitude to anarcho electro-punk with an industrial EBM backbone that will have the dancefloors shaking in their foundations.
HAZEY JANES- One of the longest standing successes of all the Dundee bands, this outfit perform a magical brew of carefully crafted songs laced with strong vocals, glorious harmonies and injected with a commercial slice of Americana as icing on the cake
HENNISI - How do you describe Hennisi - you don't - you experience them first - Indie rock? Maybe! - as good as any - only this band are soooo much more inventive and incendiary. In Don, they have a singer who grabs your attention the moment he begins, while the core unit of Cath on drums and Micheal on electric guitar provide the drive and explosive dynamics at the heart of a band with the potential to be massive. With full time bass duties shared by Brian from Altres and normal bassist Dave H, their recent live sets have shown that if any one band of older players has the potential to reach across and show the younger indie bands how it's done, then Hennisi is the band to do it.
HOFFS - sadly a band no more!!!! Indie band with a decidedly Doors-Sisters-Joe Cocker influenced vocalist and a band delivering a truly uniquely flavoured brew of psychedelic indie rock with, at times, an almost Floydian twist. Recent live sets have seen the band carve out a whole new genre for themselves, one that is seriously promising. A debut EP and album plus a surging supercharged energy in their live sets, recently winning a battle of the bands competition narrowly from stablemates Isis, have turned heads and made this band one to watch
INDIANAPOLIS - Originally a quintet, now a quartet, this is a "guitar band" with a great vocalist, more along the lines of Rising Signs line of "album oriented" songs with tasty guitar work and highly engaging tracks. More indie rock than the Signs, but equally strong sounding. Vocals are tuneful, impassioned and quite harmonic, so much so that, on occasion, the guy almost sounds like he's doing his own backing. With recent tracks showing a much greater sense of consistency, dynamics, strength and quality, the pace of the set now really catches fire, while the songs themselves really capture the spirit of the band and that Coldplay-esque guitar-rock feel.
INDICA - The undisputed champions of stoner rock in Dundee, this trio of musicians takes a more atmospheric brew of psychedelic rock and stretches it out, flies it skywards and provides a set that embraces some excellent guitar playing backed by the engine room of the rhythm section. From tracks that develop in all manner of directions to shorter more song-oriented material, a heady band for sure.
INTRO/FADEOUT - the hinterland where quality rock, contmeporary sounding indie and the sheer excellence of songwriting stand side by side as this Dundee band breathes similar air to that of Pearl Jam with a lead guitarist and lead vocalist who can seriously put the icing on the cake.
ISIS - Probably the most all-ages appealingly commercial of all the young Dundee bands. A trio of Zara on rhythm and occasional lead, guitar and vocals and bass god Martin, they play a brand of short but infectious folk-punk songs - nearly all originals written by Zara and arranged by the band - plus the occasional cover of things from Tori Amos to Nanci Griffiths. If you have a liking for some fantastic, driving punk-pop songs delivered with passion by one of Dundee's finest vocalists, then you owe it to yourself to check out this trio.
THE JOOTS - Indie band with a strong sense of sixties roots with a more intense kind of Beatles-esque ferocity mixed in with some seriously memorable songs, but still sounding bang up to date.
JULIET KILO - Dundee's guitar band featuring two seriously expressive guitarists, played originally mainly instrumental sets with a range of moods from chiming guitar heaven to seriously dirty riffing, have now gone into a more song-based sensibility, and even though they're not the most vibrant of things on a visual level, if you're into the music, then you enter their world with ease.
KALEL - With two fifth of legendary Dundee band The Rising Signs sitting in The Brogues, two other fifths are in Kalel, one of the city's finest new bands to mix really strong songs with some seriously solid rhythm section work, red hot guitar work from Mark who also plays in Khoda, and compositions that are consistent, cohesive and memorable. With influences ranging from the Beatles through psychedelic to contemporary indie writing, this is a quality band to watch.
KHODA - Too energised for stoner rock with more of a dynamic metal feel, this new Dundee rock band feature one of the best male rock vocalists in the area, while the guitar work ranges from languid restraint to all-out attack. Unafraid to deliver songs long and short, songs that flow but never quite go where you think and songs that build to a crescendo with fire and brimstone, this is a metal band with that special something that sets it apart from the rest in its field.
KILLER ANGELS - Newly returned to the live scene complete with a more hard rock style complete with some seriously hot new songs although they've stil retained that element of contemporary indie rush to go with the more metallic arranging and playing.
KING THING - Indie band who really write engaging lyrics with the emphasis on the songs, managing to mix the structure and strength of modern day indie rock with a lyrical and commercial sensibility, of which "Trophy Wives" is a strong example.
PAULA KNIGHT - Multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer Paula Knight, she has two alter-egos on the go right now. One is the acoustic singer-songwriter, performing a strong blend of originals and covers that always go down well wherever she plays. Then there is the newly formed Paula Knight Band, blending rock, indie and pop, all wrapped up in one unique blend of songs which will be swirling around your head after each hearing. With influences prevalent from the likes of Alanis Morissette and similar, they are powerful and passionate, playing songs that are solid and memorable. Quite unique, both live and in the studio, pop-rock never sounded so strong.
THE LAW - Probably Dundee's leading indie-pop band with the material and polish to do any potential label proud. Their songs are original but somehow sound familiar - endearing themselves to you every time you hear them. The group deliver a consistently smoking and memorable live set wherever they play, as 4 decades of influences make this a Beatles for the now generation.
THE LEATHERETTES - out of the ashes of Trash Superstar, this is one of the most unique bands on a decidedly unique Dundee music scene. Numbering just two people on guitars, a drum machine and including female vocalist Becca, they play a kind of raw-sounding, explosive seventies styled, Jesus and Mary Chain-esque punk, with a passion and power that is simply jaw-dropping. Visually and audibly, this band are unlike anything you've seen or heard to date and have to be witnessed live for maximum impact.
LIMBER - indie band with energy, attack, aggression and bite - but also with a set of songs in 2007 that are both the stuff of concert enthusiasm and home listening enjoyment. With the mix of catchy songs, well sung, a chunky, expansive sounding band and solid to the core, this is a band that is on the ascendancy.
THE LIVING - Unique band in that they're just a duo of acosutic guitar/vocals and drums, playing songs that are almost a kind of insistent indie-gospel with a native feel. Sometimes the vocalist is harmonic, other times more intense, while the combination of drumming and acoustic guitars is quite riveting.
LUVA ANNA - Making big waves wherever they play, they're a quartet that manage to combine elements of folk-rock, manic pop, rock and folk-boogie, plus elements yet to be given a name! The band cooks up a brew that is totally unique but utterly compulsive listening. From insanely catchy to positively heartfelt, they have two great vocalists with Dave Webster leading the way and this is one good time band to catch live.
MODERN CULTURE - modern band with a slight seventies twist in that they play a smoking set of indie-scented songs combined with a failt echo of Mott and Bowie from the mid-seventies and slight sniffs of pop-punk from the late seventies, all wrapped up in a surging blast of original songwriting. With a distinctive vocalist and a hot guitarist, this fires the enjoyment in new ways.
MR SPIDER - For a blues-rock band that plays covers and originals in its set, it cooks! The trio of John on electric/electric slide guitar, Mike on bass and Paul on drums, were fronted by strong and sultry voiced singer Michele McLaren and they performed legendary tracks from the likes of Cream, Sabbath, Hendrix, Thin Lizzy, ZZ Top & AC/DC, while Michele made them her own with a vocal performance that put her right on top. With a whole set of originals along the way, this is a band you have to catch live. Their debut CD album of all original tracks on Dead Earnest label is out now. In Nov 2007, Michele parted company from the band.
NON-ZERO - Band that inhabits that hinterland between indie and metal, with a set of songs that feature driving riffs and thunderous angst, raging and flowing at the same time.
OSPREY HEIGHTS -sadly a band no more!!!!Sort of emo-paced metal, they have a very chunky guitar sound but tend to stray away from solo space. The vocalist is a good frontman, while the songs are what you might call 'intelligent rock' but in now way what you'd call "catchy", athough they are bluesy in nature, with the vocalist powering out the songs as the band riff and roll to the stars. They've only been going 6 months so what they have is the embryo of what could turn out to be one unique rock band.
OUR FUTURE GLORY - A sort of mix of indie funk and impassioned soul delivered with a sharp edge and vocals like they mean it, also featuring keyboard work as well as guitar and managing to be a contemporary indie band at the edges for good measure.
PAGE 6 - Highly charged funk-rock band. Possessing great stage presence largely thanks to the supercharged frontman who never pauses for breath, they possess fantastic stage charisma. Pounding funk bass drives and underpins tasty and searing rhythm guitar and red hot leads as the drums provide the foundations above which the vocalist sings with amazing energy. No-one else like them around and one of the fastest rising quality bands on the whole Dundee Scene.
PEG & THE BOUFFANTS - Sextet who feature two lead female singers, guitar, bass and drums, plus a sax player, and who deliver this extraordinarily addictive mix of pop, reggae, funk, punk and jazz that works amazingly well and hangs around in your head long after you've witnessed their visually mesmerising live concerts.
PESKI KINGS - Quintet with three vocalists, an acoustic and an electric guitarist, a main female lead vocal, who looks just out of one of the '80's "peroxide pop" bands, and a set of songs that are so infectious, they should have a government health warning slapped on them. From memorable songs through unforgettable riffs to gloriously delivered ballads and indie-pop anthems, this band looks and sounds fantastic, and are surely destined for big things.
THE REBELHEARTS - started life as a rock trio more known for the fiery guitarist/lead vocalist than anything, but the addition of a new drummer and some focused songwriting has now produced a band that rocks but one which shares as much with the indie fraternity as it does with the more metal masses. Songs such as "Heist" and "Chameleon Viper" illustrate the intensity, explosive yet quality song sides to the band in two short-sharp killer blows.
RESTRICTION OF LIBERTY - sadly a band no more!!!! Dundee's very own rock quintet who mix a kind of stoner-blues kind of metally rock with a seventies seam running through it, yet sound remarkably contemporary too. Some great lead guitar work and a vocalist who could be described as laid-back, in parts, they also possess a drummer who is not only jaw-droppingly brilliant, but who could single-handedly make in-concert drum solos, cool, for the first time in 30 years. Their originals are tight and fluid, with a quite unique feel, and the whole band is one to watch.
THE RISE - From the moment they begin to play in concert, you are carried along irresistibly by the swirling riffs and addictive rhythms kicked up by Dundee's most electrifying heavy indie-boogie band. Influenced by '70's metal in Zeppelin/Faces vein at one end, and roaring contemporary indie-metal at the other, this is one heavy band that don't conform to anything you might expect - they roar their way through a set with vocals howling away and some searing guitar work from the two guitarists, while bass and drums keep up a barrage of body-shaking rhythms as song after song has you up and moving.
RISING SIGNS _ sadly a band no more - The quintet had all the qualities that made bands like Stone Roses such a force in music but their combination of twin guitars, superb vocals from lead singer Frankie and harmonies with drummer Michael, a solid rhythm section and a wealth of addictive original songs added up to a tasty song-based style that is purely theirs. A band with genuine similarities to acts such as Coldplay and The Doves!!
RUSH HOUR SOUL - One of the most promising bands on the Dundee Scene, this trio play live sets that start blazing then gradually build and build so that by the end you're up and moving in irresistible fashion. With a lead guitarist and vocalist who oozes charisma on stage, they come across as very much a kind of Oasis with ferocity-styled band with a stronger sense of urgency and a more modern approach thus immediately endearing themselves to the mainstream indie market. With a set of totally commercial rockin' indie tunes, they surely can't fail to light up your life.
SAZ - A blend of "old school" metal with the speed of classic punk and commercial to the core, delivered with the firepower of a small army - featuring new vocalist Amy fronting Kev on electric guitar, Marina on electric bass and Ritchie on drums and Nicola on co-lead and harmony vocals. Dundee's finest and most commercial metal band.
Read more about SAZ here
SELF MADE MAN - sadly a band no more - A ferocious hardcore band who play things highly intense, with intelligent songs backed by roaring guitars and crunching rhythm section. In lead singer Norrie they have the consummate front-man who transfixes you with his onstage delivery and intensity of performance, while the band deliver the hardcore goods with a vengeance. The songs are both thought-provoking and addictive, possessing a force, an electricity, that has you utterly hooked from start to finish. A stunning experience.
SEROTONIN - sadly a band no more!!!! New take on almost orchestral Goth-metal as the sound of synthesizers and crushing guitar riffs put the icing on the cake of a band that writes some of the finest lyrics and combines them with almost industrial metal arrangements, the powerhouse rhythm section topped by the amazing voice of group-titled singer, Serotonin.
SHOTGUN LIBIDO - Dundee band that mixes sleaze-rock and commercial punk in equal doses to come up with a scorching brew of metallic songs where the lead singer is the undoubted front-man and anyone who's seen the band live will be only too aware of this. Dripping sex and shock, their songs are explosive and melodic at the same time, while rocking and rolling your feet off.
SPEYSIDE -sadly a band no more!!!! Dundee quartet that play quality songs that rock and riff, a mixture of psychedelia as practiced by the likes of King Black Acid and Mellonova (as was) and rocking Americana, with some sizzling guitar work from the twin leads, roaring riffs, solid rhythm section and vocals that range from forceful to yearning optimism, with some great harmony vocals in there too.
SPLATTERHEAD - the raging end of metal, rap and hardcore as this band literally explodes into life with an unbridled energy, a ferocious attitude and enough metal riffing to destroy small land masses at large distances.
STOOR - sadly a band no more!! A band that is the musical love of a number of musicians whose hands are also in other musical pies but this is their main focus of attention and, when time allows, this band comes out of action and reveals themselves as Dundee's answer to modern, on-fire, King Crimson, only with a slightly more "indie" nature. That said, their, largely instrumental, brand of "art-rock" is sensational. A song-based CD is around, but if you get the chance to catch a rare concert, just don't miss out.
TARTAN RIOT - sadly a band no more!!!! Dundee's answer to the Dropkick Murphys with a twin guitar-fuelled set of songs that simply ooze a good time as well as being strong originals in their own right. Complete with a sense of humour that endears their potent brew of addictive indie-punk with blazing guitar riffs to anyone hearing them, this is a band that is gauranted to leave a smile on your face as you rock 'n' roll your way through an intense wave of smokin' songs and solid playing.
3RD BORN SUN - sadly a band no more - Dundee's kings of "the riff", this band take thrash metal by the scruff of the neck and wring it till it screams. With a dual lead guitar line-up, they launch into a veritable wall of sonic eruption on stage as lead singer Gav hollers, roars and howls through an impenetrable mass of molten guitar riffs and juggernaut rhythms. The musical equivalent of a nuclear warhead, you'll be searching for your head by the end.
TRASH SUPERSTAR - sadly a band no more But they were....."two male- two female quartet in which the spirit of late '70's CBGB's stands proud as this searing slice of commercial punk that is this band, launches into action. With nods to the late '70's/early '80's punk and rock scenes (they do a storming version of The Runaways' "Cherry Bomb"), you can see all sorts of influences in this band from then till now. Either way, in concert, they're tight, fun, loud and raw, but their songs show a writing talent that will see them rise up from the rest".......(or maybe not, as fate would have it!!)
THE TREND - New kids on the block with a fanatical following and charting a blazing course through a set of originals and covers that mixes the likes of Fratellis and Razorlight indfluenced songs with an almost Ramones-ish desrire for speed, but all arranged and played with dynamics and intensity.
THE UNKNOWN - sadly a band no more - One of the rare things in Dundee - a group with a keyboard player - and not just any old keyboard player, either, for this guy is dead adept at electric piano and organ, injecting the songs with an atmospheric sea of leads or giving them a more seventies-styled bluesy UK feel, akin to acts as diverse as Traffic and Supertramp. The songs range from ballads to rockers, but this band does slow-burners better than practically any other band in Dundee, injecting them with the necessary atmosphere for them to work perfectly in a live setting. With a tange of influences, old and new, this is a difficult band to categorise, but one that is decidedly unique among a city of bands, equally so.
VAARSTRAAT 66 - The group led by Dundee guitar legend Lefty, and essentially the first of the "Dundee Scene" bands to release a CD album. Combining all manner of elements to their music ranging from seventies rock through prog to dub and funk, their compositions and concert performances make them almost Dundee's answer to vintage Frank Zappa in their breadth and ecelcticism of songwriting and arranging.
THE VIEW - if you've not heard The View by now and you live in Dundee - hell, even if you live outside of Dundee - you're either dead or been living in a monastery. That they have proved to be this rolling ball of unpredicatble indie-rock fire, darlings of the NME, headline grabbers extraordinaire and capable of writing some of the most infectious 2007 youth-culture songs around today, is of no doubt. The world is theirs to play with.
THE WEEKEND PICKUPS - one of the newest bands on the Dundee block and a seriously exciting live band with some high-octane indie songs that are full of strength and cohesion, twin guitar work that duels and riffs and takes off like a rocket, while the rhythm section keep it all driving headlong. Witha now trademark surprise ending to the set that has the dancefloors leaping about, this is a band to watch.
THE WILDHOUSE - Described as "Velvet Underground-meets-Can-meets Neil Young's feedback", Carnoustie's The Wildhouse are an awesome live experience that is pretty well guaranteed to leave you jaw-dropped in amazement. With Sheila on 2 drums, playing standing up, and the two electric guitarists (no bass, no keys, no synths), this trio whip up a furnace heat with the effect of a small nuclear reactor - you owe it to yourself to see this band. With a guitar attack to level small buildings, drumming that explodes and a set consisting of songs and lengthy jams, The Wildhouse take no prisoners.
BETH WILMSHURST - Female singer songwriter from St Andrews but gigs regularly in Dundee. Proud owner of a powerful, mid-register sultry kind of vocal, she writes strong and engaging original songs that really captivate at the same time as coming across more powerfully than many of her counterparts. With straight down the line acoustic guitar work backing up the songs, a definite new talent.
