... Edinburgh
The floor was dank, the walls sweaty, the stage little more than a corner of a tiny room littered with obscure, arty posters. In short, it was the perfect place for a gig. The Wee Red bar in Edinburgh was to play host to its annual art school battle of the bands tonight, and being the cultured chap I consider myself(rightly or wrongly) to be, I gathered some like-minded individuals to explore Edinburgh’s musical underground.
First up was the elegantly named Bukkake Birthday Party (www.myspace.com/bukkakebirthdayparty), a band exactly like something you’d expect out of art school. Describing themselves as "Ukulele-Fuelled-Rock-'N'-Roll ....IN YER' FACE!", lead man Kev did things to ukes I never thought possible whilst straining his gravelled voice to the max. Further down the line was My Electric Love Affair (www.myspace.com/myelectricloveaffair), a band joining the shoegaze revival in Glasgow of bands like the Twilight Sad and Glasvegas. Donning absurd aeroplane goggles, they took to the stage with their echo pedals turned up to 11 and made me feel like I was in a giant concert hall.
But the stars of the show were Blank Canvas (www.myspace.com/blankcanvas). Barely, if even, post pubescent, this bunch are further proof to the jury that the young ‘uns can write damn good music. Situating themselves perfectly between the shoutalong indie of the Cribs and the sonic experimentation of Animal Collective and even Health, tracks like “Half-lit Alleyways” had me jiving around whilst simultaneously stroking my chin. While Blank Canvas deservedly left with the extremely makeshift trophy (think a glass tile abused with tip-ex and you’re not far off), I left with renewed faith in Edinburgh’s music scene.
Gordon Bruce
