Music Of Quality And Distinction - Served With A Smile

THE DUNDEE MUSIC SCENE!!


(and beyond...)

When I started to discover a local music scene in Dundee in 2004, it was disparate and unfocused. Throughout the next three years, it rose to become the dominant force in the unsigned Scottish music scene. Then the rest of Scotland woke up and rhe standard of bands throughout the nation improved at a rapid rate. To this end, it's no longer JUST the Dundee Scene that's the sole "raison d'etre" of this site, but still the hub around which the rest revolves. But, one thing certainly remains as true now, as it was then, and that is....

THE SCOTTISH UNSIGNED MUSIC SCENE GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH!!! -
........AND THE WORLD IS WATCHING

More by accident than design, this has become the leading single non-profit making website that promotes the causes of the Scottish, in particular Dundee, "unsigned" Music Scene across all genres and styles. For what it's all about, the sections below will tell you all that - but for now, I'd like to dedicate this to those very bands - without whom this wouldn't exist - and for every one of them, I owe a huge debt of gratitude for making some of the best music around and providing me with so much enjoyment - I only hope you feel the same way once you've heard and seen these bands and artists!

LIVE IN CONCERT


Concert Reviews Forthcoming Concerts Winter Warmers 2006 - Concert Reviews In Brief

Summer Shorts 2005 - Concert Reviews In brief Autumn Leaves 2005 - Concert Reviews In Brief

The Full Reviews of Emergenza Battle Of The Bands 2006 Scottish Finals! Autumn 2007 - concert reviews in brief

Venues - Dundee (& Beyond...)     Essential Dundee Music Scene Links - (media, places, publications, etc)


DUNDEE SCENE - LOOSE ENDS


Dead Earnest Myspace site     Radio North Angus: Playlists for my Saturday Show"


THE BANDS & ARTISTS - DUNDEE (& Beyond)


Dundee("and beyond"....)Artist & Bands' CD Reviews What this site's all about Andy G & Electra's Leith FM Radio Show

Your guide to the Dundee bands & Artists

Scottish Unsigned: The best tracks reviewed here (coming soon)


The following section is a sort of "at-a-glance" guide/link to a whole stack of bands from Dundee and the Scottish unsigned scene in general (plus a few others worthy of inclusion). For those that wonder why certain bands are not on the list, at the moment, the main criteria for inclusion is "have I seen the band play in concert?", and if I have, they're here. While that's hardly fair on the bands I've not seen live, then hopefully that will be redressed once we start up the part of the site that reviews the music that's not generally available to the public, but which can be heard on the bands'/artists' myspace sites. But for now..........

DUNDEE BANDS & ARTISTS:

THE "INDIE"BANDS


Yeh, OK - crap term - I know - but it's just a guide.........
Alto Elite - band who sound just fantastic live with soaring songs of huge depth and emotion delivered by an electrifying indie band and a sensational vocalist.

Athletico Pop - hints of The Law and The View mixed with a sixties Flamin' Groovies twist.

The Boy Orchestra - Powerful dual-guitar fuelled indie intricacy, dynamic, addictive, with more twists than Hampton Court Maze

The Brogues - unique take on commercial indie-punk-pop with set of songs most bands would kill for.

Cha Cha Heels - Sort of indie meets Rocky Horror Show cabaret with rock and pop overtones

Colour Coded - strong, flowing songs with ringing guitar, soaring heartfelt vocals and solid arrangements

Dave? - Trio with a kind of electrified Dylan injected with a dose of Television adrenaline and topped off with a contemporary indie hunger

The Daze - classic and catchy indie anthems, stunning dual guitar work and hotly tipped.

Dirty Wee Middens - Visually stunning, tight catchy and memorable songs from Dundee's goth-horror-punk sensation

The Final Stand - Stunningly catchy songs from powerful indie folk-rockers ft Zara on vocals
Isis Myspace

The Floor - electrifying energy as massive guitar riffs scythe through surging rhythms, songs with a nuclear core, taking no prisoners

For My Next Miracle - on CD, fantastic indie-rock that spans the best of both genres with great singing and songwriting plus solid arrangements
The Goodnights - incl a keyboard player, laid-back indie songs with a heart of folk, a soul of blues and a body of rock

Hanney - Mighty industrial-punk hybrid for the dancefloor

Hazey Janes - Quality songs with a touch of Americana and strong folk-rock.

Hello Pirates - sensational female fronted band with inventive arrangements, addictive songs and a solid strength

Hennisi- Taking indie rock into new dimensions of excellence

The Heralds - Fiercely passionate punk-indie crossover with a songwriting sensibility like early Oasis

Hiro!

Kalel - Inventive, multi-directional indie complexity with a heart of album-style seriousness and a hint of rock excitement.

King Thing - Indie rock's intelligent-songwriting trio.

Paula Knight - For the new Paula Knight Band + her own acoustic solo gigs

The Law - The nu-Beatles for the modern generation

Luva Anna Insanely catchy, unique indie-folk band ft the incredible vocals of Dave Webster

Make Sparks - Formerly Secrets We've Told and now back with an energetic set of solid indie songs

Mason - stunning dual guitar fronted indie band with a sligly more languid approach than their cohorts The Floor but take in some red hot guitar work along a set of strong contemporary individually written and arranged songs

Maxwells Dead - primarily driving punk-rock songs with a wry lyrical talent

Millsyeck - Combination of 1-man operation in the studio and live band on a tight and driving, unique brew of indie and rock

Modern Culture - Contemporary indie with hints of '70's and distinctive vocals - bit like "Mott-meets-Eddie & Hot Rods in 2007"

The New Times

The New Tomorrow

Non Zero - driving indie grunge rock with a melodic heart and angst-riden vocals

Our Future Glory - passionate, powerful and melancholy songs with twists and turns

Peg And The Bouffants - with two female lead singers, a jazzy blend of pop, funk, dance, reggae and indie

Peski Kings - good time indie with a country rock-meets-power pop flavour

Pretty Species - catchy if riotous punk rock with charged electric guitars and a totally in your face attitude

Rapture Of Vertigo - purveyors of short-ish tight, punchy songs with plenty of guitar breaks

Rush Hour Soul - solid, instant Oasis-esque songs from powerful indie trio
Rush Hour Soul (alt website)

Sharp Edge

Small Feet Little Toes - electro-acoustic trio feat Rachel Anderson with songs from heartwarming to quirky.

Spankys Heroes - anthemic melancholia for a lovelorn generation

Team:Frances

Three Times Over

The Twist - worthy muscial successors to The View - simple as that, really

Valentine Project - mixing emo, indie and rock in a powerful song-based brew.

The View - The nu face of contemporary catchy indie rock-pop

Waylander - young trio with complex arrangements, a hot guitarist, a wild drummer and decent songs.

The Weekend Pickups - driving indie songs with infectious riffs, great vocals, memorable hooks, solid guitar work and powerful passion

The Wildhouse -"A space-rock Velvet Underground-meets-Krautrock" for the now generation"

The Wildhouse (Myspace)

DUNDEE ROCKS


Core - fast rising surging mix of stoner, metal and hardcore

Excellent Cadaver

Fake - hardriving rock with emphasis on songs and strong cohesive band playing

Goom

Indica - champions of stoner rock

Khoda - dynamic and powerful band founded on stoner rock but taking it into way more ear catching realms.

Killer Angels - between driving indie and intense grunge rock with hi-flying guitar leads and classic rock-styled vocal

Paula Knight - Dundee's leading female multi-instrumentalist/vocalist in AOR, Morissette influenced guise or solo.

Masonic Abyss - yet to take to ther stage, new breed of industrial metal out of the ashes of Self Made Man and Serotonin

No Ohio - More AOR rock in a kind of early Bonjovi vein only harder with an indie edge.

Pariah - intelligent hardcore eruption that fires out thrash, Classic Rock and metal at the same time.

SAZ
SAZ Myspace
Potentially the most addictive metal-punk crossover band in Dundee. Including the unique frontline of two female lead singers and female bassist, they are visually mesmerising with immediate hard-rockin'songs.

Shotgun Libido - single handedly furthering the causes of sleaze-rock

Swordmaster - instrumental metal of the highest quality.

THE ELECTRONIC JOURNEY NEVER ENDS.....


Altres - Instrumental King Crimson-meets-T Dream/Jarre styled synths/guitars
Altres Myspace

Box - the "out there" electronic music project of Neil McIntee

K Fox - Electronic indie songs in a kinf of Depeche Mode-goes-indie vein

Reverbaphon - Ambient complexity and melodic/rhythmic songs from avant-guitarist/vocalist

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO DANCE........


Big Big Sound - with reeds, guitar, bass, computer drums and vocals, mix of rap, ska, reggae and dance that's irresistible in concert

Coma-Toast - band that mixes rock and dance and clever arrangements sort of like a cross between Funkadelic, Frank Zappa and The Levellers

The Electrolites - Two guys destroying the dancefloors with synths, samples and mighty electric bass

Page 6 - Tight and tasty funk-rock with stunning songs and consistent live performances

SOLO ARTISTS - WE SALUTE YOU.....


Alan Turner - Rise rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist going solo with heartfelt, soaring, catchy and intropsective songs and acoustic dexterity

Rachel Anderson - the unique and wonderful voice, songs and guitar playing that is Rachel!
The RachelAndersons - new trio formed by Dundee singer Rachel Anderson

Arkanna - diminutive female with "out there" attitude to singer-songwriting

Sarah Coloso - mid-range vocalist with great delivery on intelligent and well executred songs.

Esperi - deeply introspective acoustic songs and instrumental excursions

Mr Gavin McGinty - Ex Magdalen Green lead singer/guitarist with strong and emotive story-telling songs

Panda Su - female electro-acoustic singer songwriter somewhere between Esperi (musically) and Pearl & The Puppets (vocally)

THE BANDS WHICH, SO FAR, WE'VE SOMEHOW MANAGED TO MISS!!


Alamos
A Parting Shot
Apathy Is The Killer
Dormant Figure
Duty Calls
The Eddies
14 Miles From Home
Idrivehome
None Of The Above
The Rants
Something For Example
Spare Snare

THE GRAVEYARD:


A list of some of the finest Dundee bands who are sadly no longer with us (or simply in hibernation) are listed here


NOT FORGETTING............our not-so-distant cousins:


Seeing what is happening in Dundee, and the quality gauntlets laid down, has led to a general raising of standards from many bands and artists around Scotland, and it is those bands that we feel deserve to be mentioned and heard, in the hope that you'll feel the same way. Editorial liberty allows me also to feature a very choice few non-Scottish bands who have taken Dundee into their hearts at certain times, and which are simply sensational bands - the list continues..........

RULERS OF THE INDIE WAVES


Airspiel - Flowing songs with emotive vocals, strong harmonies and stirring guitar work

Alfonzo - Glasgow indie band with solid, straight-ahead, memorable songs.

The Algarves

Annie Stevenson - bizarrely named Glasgow indie band with great bassist, strong songs and a solid sense of playing and arrangement

Any Colour Black - red hot duo of electric guitars with programmed backing and a stunning female vocal that blazes a solid indie inferno of Jesus and Mary Chain-meets-pop rock in a hurricane.

The Apple Scruffs - between Ramones and restrained, indie tearaways with red-hot guitars and insanely catchy songs

The Arguments - relaxed and strong songs from rhythm 'n' soul band

Be A Familiar - Sort of mix of Bjork, ELO and Broken Records

Beatnic Prestige - mix of mod a la Jam, punk and modern day indie, with insistent and consistent songs which are instant and long-lived enjoyment

Call To Mind

Come On Gang! - Edinburgh trio playing driving indie pop-punk with a female drummer who's lead singer and a voice so pure and strong, it'll take your breath away!

Copy Haho - indie rock but not as we know it

The Draymin - soon-to-be huge, modern day potential best selling indie band that's up there with the likes of Fratellis, Killers, Kaiser Chiefs and similar.

Electrolite

Ghosts Of Progress - amazing duo of electric guitars and vocals, the vocalist playing kick drum and cymbal with his foot. Play this massive balst of indie, blues and rock with awesome guitar work and irresistible rhythms.

Healthy Minds Collapse - Indie band with grungy, Foo Fighters-esque tendencies who write shit hot songs and perform stunning concerts

The Hedrons - Glasgow answer to Girlschool with more of a contemporary indie attack.

Hi 5 Alive - multi-textured, catchy mix of indie, pop and folkish-rock with surging songs and tight ensemble playing

The Janes - Female singer fronting band that crosses '90's AOR, 21st century indie and '80's styled punk-pop with addictive songs

Jocasta Sleeps - strong songs with memorable hooks and choruses from rising Glaswegians

The Korovas - hi-octane indie roar to intense shimmering ballads with ringing guitars and churning riffs on strong song base

The Lane

Le Reno Amps

Little Buddha

Little Kicks - strident indie-rock with a taste of Americana & Talking Heads, real strength and direction

Magma Child - bluesy indie-rock with guts and funk

The Manikees - horizon-stretching indie anthems and Foo Fighters-esque rockers in good-time, uptempo indie-pop vein

Manor Park Elite

Maya 29 - female fronted band standing between rock and indie

Louise McVey & Cracks In The Concrete - former Hamper vocalist's new band with warm, atmospheric and deep songs and arrangements

My Fallen Idea - Young indie band with a sound that belies their age, songs and arrangements that verge on the mature and confident in concert

The New Rock Chemists

The Nineties Remake

The Number - Formerly Our Name Is Legion - female vocal led hybrid of space-rock psychedelia and contemporary indie songwriting

The 123's - raw indie-rock with stirring arrangements, hot guitar and throaty vocals

The Paranoid Monkeys - magical mix of Radiohead and Coldplay with intricate arrangements

Playtone

Quiver & The Ladysnatchers

The Ramblers

The Ray Summers - reinventing the sixties Woodstock era in a contemporary indie setting

Ricoshay - Indie with a slight element of sleaze rock of hi-intensity proportions

Safe2Say

Sergeant - Fife's perfect indie-pop band

The Shermans - Stirling's finest exponents of higly energised indie songwriting of quality and consistency

The Skinflints - mighty indie-rock band with almost industrial strength, allied to full-sounding songs with power and passion, like mix of Hawkwind and Hanney

The Sleepwalkers

Sonnet 65 - solid to tender, driving mix of indie, folk and prog-rock with violinist and strong songs

The Technophobes - Devo-esque indie band

The Trade - Forfar band with strong, catchy solid indie songs

Val Verde - Dunfermline's sensational mix of contemporary indie, songwriting passion and Americana-esque guitars

The White Light - powerful and strong indie-rock songs with a distinct vocalist and a hi-octane band capable of blowing your head off

The Wyre - seventies influenced band with quality songs and lots of instrumental excursions, brought up to date.

The Xcerts - solid indie anthems with distinctive vocalist from hot Fife trio

MONSTERS OF ROCK


Abel Ganz - Glasgow's answer to classic Genesis/Marillion.

Aggressus - hardcore metal carnage of brutal qualities.

Attica Rage - Dual guitar driven killer of a rock band with power, dynamics and seventies influences from Scorpions to Motorhead to Priest.

The Blessed Order Of Fallen Stars - that rare thing - a thrash band who can write and arrange stunning songs

Communicator

Dirty Rose

Estrella - sensational '80's influenced rock-metal from Aberdeen

Ex Machina - mix of prog-rock, goth-rock and classic rock from St Andrews with strong female singer.

Fed On Fear - Montrose's finest thrash merchants with a seriously strong vocalist, incendiary guitar work and excellent dynamic writing and arranging.

15 Times Dead - Paisley's kings of straight ahead, no frills, guitar driven classic rock/metal

Firebrand Superrock - fiery female fronted Classic metal

Forevervoid - roaring metal band in a hinterland between classic metal and harder edged elements.

Full Metal Racket - Classic Rock covers band

Hand Canon - formerly Gamble, Gamble and Drever; classic rock with a proggy twist.

Heavy Mama - blues-rock covers band with red hot guitarist. Cream + Hendrix lives here!!

Here Lies A Warning - from all-out hardcore metal blitz to dynamic complex songs.

Hot Mangu

The Jack

Jack Glass - heavy metal with a mixed '70's and '90's style from all-round quality rocking band

Lady Mercedes - solid classic rock with seventies Zep/Cult influences

Preacher

Rodan

Sol Diablos - Strong, straight and streaming hard rock of a Classic variety from powerful and commercial Glasgow band

Soul Remover - electrifying "classic rock" band that tick all the boxes

Storm In A D Cup - all female mix of classic rock and metal.

Supercharger - fiery mix of psychedelic metal and hard driving classic rock with storming riffs and red hot lead guitars

Syth - ultra heavy Classic Rock metallers from Glasgow

Too Much Too Young - seriously tight classic rock and metal band with great songs and smokin' guitars.

Twin Atlantic - seriously intense mix of rock and indie delivered with passion, firepower and the commercial mix of emo and hardcore

Vantage Point - Iron Maiden/Judas Priest styled classic metal

Wired Desire - Classic Rock with an AC/DC twist from red hot metal band

PUNK ROCK's DEAD? NOT IF YOU'VE GOT BANDS AS GOOD AS THIS....


Leather Zoo Myspace
Leather Zoo - Sheffield's finest female vocal-led, powerful pop-punk band

Shock And Awe - Ramones-esque punk rockers from Edinburgh

We Were Promised Jetpacks - from all-out attack to solid shimmering sections with wide-eyed guitars, a veritable roar of vocal and guitar attack with attention to detail

IN A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN


Broken Records - wondrous mix of Dundee's A Forest, The Levellers and ELO with more intesnity and an indie-rock base

Electra Myspace - the most quality vocal in female rock and song
Gerry Jablonski & The Electric Band - Scotland's finest purveyor of electric blues-rock bringing new life to a tired genre

Modus - unashamedly sixties styled modern indie band with fantastic female vocalist.

Pearl & The Puppets - wondrous femsle vocalists that lifts you up snd lays you down on songs that are ethereal strength personified, backed by a flowing electro-acoustic band.

Sonnet 65

The Ray Summers - Falkirk band who've come straight out of '69-era Woodstock into the indie noughties keeping both worlds intact.

Valmyer Pass

The Viragoes - fantastic dual female-fronted indie-folk-rock band from Glasgow who cover all emotions from hot rockin' to memorable pop, with an electric folk-rock sound.

FOR THOSE ABOUT TO DANCE....


Capstin Pole - a band with two sides - fiercely danceable and mesmerising indie songs

Modus - Edinburgh's finest '60's influenced soulful R'n'B band with a contemporary indie twist.

RBRBR - chilled out 'n' bluesy progressive dancefloor

Root System - Fife's finest ska band guaranteed to get the floors shakin'

SOLO AND PROUD OF IT


Don Nicolson - soft voice, strong songs and vice-versa

Esther O'Connor - Glasgow's answer to Tori Amos

Keith Rodgerz

Shoshana - Powerful voiced singer who oozes strong songs, confidence and passion

Beth Wilmshurst - Pure , powerful and sultry voiced singer-songwriter

.......Dead Earnest has a Myspace website

Not forgetting, my partner in crime......Marina Mermaid

Late Nite Access - Read the extraordinary story behind how we
discovered this sensational new Australian band.
Late Nite Access Myspace


ALL Dead Earnest mail to be posted to:
Dead Earnest, PO Box 10170, Dundee, Tayside, DD4 8WW, Scotland

Send us an e mail

Home Page