hots for scots

so the other day i heard my hands down favourite song of the entire month. it happens to be by a scottish band, big country, and i love it so much, i'm kind of feeling sad for the twenty six years that i have been alive and not been listening to it, since it was released the same year i was born.

then i started going through my music collection, and i realised i've actually got a bit of a thing for scottish bands. then i started feeling guilty as i realised i've been the worst blogger ever and i've not tantalised your ears with mix for approximately a fortnight. now i give you a mixtape of ridiculously good songs by scots.

big country - a big country

i honestly can't believe i've never heard this song before, it's truly epic to my ears. anthemic and uplifting with just the right amount of electro-bagpipe.

life without buildings - the leanover

this song is very much one of those time and place tracks for me. once upon a time i lived in a tall concrete building in florence and one of my flatmates was scottish. she introduced me to the now defunct band life without buildings. actually we used to dj in a bar called pop cafe, and this song reminds me of mojito fuelled nights filled with music and misfits.

arab strap - the shy retirer

aidan moffat and malcolm middleton doing their sweet scottish thing together. i just love the name of the album this comes from, their 2003 offering, monday at the hug and pint. win.

belle and sebastian - step into my office baby

this song was the first belle and seb track i ever heard, and i immediately loved their eccentric and melodious way of telling stories. this song also has a wack film clip full of weird phallic references, and the most unlikely couple to ever do it in the office.

franz ferdinand - wine in the afternoon

firstly, i love the idea of wine in the afternoon. any afternoon. all afternoon. secondly... oh. i forget what my next point was going to be. where's my wine?

mogwai - stanley kubrik

mid mixtape wind down as i get all instrumental on you. this is an amazing track from mogwai, very internal organ grabbing and heartbeat quickening. one of those songs you don't want to end because you just love being wrapped up in it. like a blanket.

frightened rabbit - keep yourself warm

i saw these dudes at peat's ridge festival over new year's 09. i was so excited about seeing them, but a crazy leprechaun slipped me some fairy dust before i got there and all i really remember are lots of bright, streaky lights. according to my happy snaps though, i had a great time.

aberfeldy - summer's gone

maybe for you northern hemispherions, but our summer is just around the corner. have you been experiencing the amazing sydney weather lately? if i stick my tongue out far enough, i can practically lick summer on the face. it tastes good.

dogs die in hot cars - apples & oranges

for some reason when i think of this band, i can't help but chant "who let the dogs out...who who" in my head. which is weird, right? these scots are nothing like that song. they are my favourite brand of good time happy pop. bloody word association.

lord cut glass - look after your wife

this is a new gem i've just stumbled upon. the clip is super cute and lord cut glass is the new project from alun woodward, who you may know as a member of the delgados. i love how when alun sings, there is zero percent doubt of his nationality. that is what i'm talking about when i refer to hot scots.

wet wet wet - love is all around

and wrapping up the show today, i'm getting wet wet and wetter. i haven't heard this corny sparkler for ages. i had to get one syrupy effort in here, and i think i've already used up the proclaimers in a previous post. i'll be back sooner rather than later next time lads and lassies. stay scottish x

with a name like katie dazzle, i assume it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine i'm a quite a fan of all things sparkly. my friend bambi sent me a link to the website of this cute as a button designer victoria mason. this necklace of a pencil sharpening is my favourite for sure. and it got me thinking about writing, of the non electronic persuasion.

i used to live in overseas, and one of my most favourite things to do while i was away was write and receive handwritten letters. there's nothing quite like cracking open a lovingly sealed envelope and reading the freshly inked sentences of loved ones to give you a sense of connection that would never come from clicking open an email in hotmail.

it's just all too easy to send a text or shoot off an email these days. don't get me wrong, i appreciate the electronic medium as much as the next amateur blogger, but it's nice to remember that sometimes the simpler things in life can be way more rewarding. so today's mix, as you may or may not have already guessed, has everything to do with letters. and if there's someone you haven't said hello to for a while, pen + paper + envelope = all you need. x

envelope - the colorful quiet

this song is made up of 2 sentences that are only sung once, but it is a perfectly pensive tune for penning a letter to the one that you're missing.

blue letter - fleetwood mac

funnily enough, this song doesn't make me feel blue in the slightest. if i was writing a letter while listening to this track, it would probably be written with a novelty pen that had some sort of tassle attached to the end of it.

postcards from italy - beirut

i've sent a lot of postcards from italy in my time. postcards are just as awesome as letters. you can get them free from heaps of places, and you don't even need an envelope! go and send one to someone right now.

a pencil full of lead - paolo nutini

a surprise nugget from one hot scot. paolo nutini's last offering was pure pop - this is some old school sounding jazzy be-bop goodness. swoon.

please mr postman - the marvelettes

speaking of old-school. i was in a high school musical based on sister act one AND two. yes, it was amazing. i danced to this song in spangly blue bike pants. i wonder if my post man is nice, i'm always at work when he's delivering the letters.

stan - eminem

don't worry guys. i always answer my fanmail.

letter from an occupant - the new pornographers

i can't believe i sometimes forget how much i bloody love neko case. despite it's uptempo beat and general loudness, i reckon this song is even sadder than slim shady's contribution to the mix. i guess not all letters can be good.

the district sleeps alone tonight - the postal service

not techincally a song about letters, but these guys are the musical epitomy of snail mail and doing things organically.

a postcard to nina - jens lekman

when you write a postcard, how do you sign off? yours truly is quite formal. best is a bit weird and brief. cheers is a too matey. i like hugs and kisses xo

five letters - jeff lang

langers is a way under-rated australian musician. this track is from the album half seas over and it's really rather good. i reckon i could write a pretty intoxicating love letter while listening to this one.