Apache Darling - Go

Top tip - if you really want us to really, really like your song, you should call it "Go". At least this is the conclusion that we have reached in the past few years, when we've noticed that we've been dis-proportionally attracted to songs of said name within the past few years. In 2015 no more than THREE songs made our list of top songs of the year, from Chemical Brothers, Public Service Broadcasting and Pleasure Beach. Then in 2016, we added another song to our Go-tastic quiver when M83 blew our little cotton socks off with a similarly named song. And of course, there's been other older songs that we love that are called "Go" as well, such as ones by Delilah & Moby.

We're somewhat at a loss to explain why we're so drawn to songs that are called "Go", aside from the obvious fact that they are all rather awesome songs. If I were to put on my amateur cognitive scientist hat on, I may posit that as the word usually denotes a call to action, when our simple little brain sees the word, we are immediately triggered by our innate survival instinct into taking action. I know that whenever I hear the word 'go', I immediately feel the need to take action, regardless of where I am, and regardless of whether it is being directly addressed to me, and I'm sure it would be the same for you.

 In the example of songs called "Go", we are immediately drawn to pressing the play button of a song with this name more than songs with other, less active words attached to them, and by the balance of probabilities, I am more likely to listen to more songs with this word, ergo like more songs that are called "Go". But then again, what do I know? I'm a number-cruncher with a degree in Drama, maybe I'll leave the sciencing to actual scientists.

All that preamble leads us on nicely to the new single from Glasgow quartet Apache Darling. The band have certainly managed to pique our initial interest and trick my simple little brain into hitting play by cleverly titling their single "Go". What made us stick around however, is the fact that it is quite a wonderful song indeed. Written about a prior band break-up, it is a tender yet soaring synth-pop song in the mold of Chvrches or Goldfrapp. A great introduction to a band whom we expect to hear much more from.

"Go" is out now, and will feature on the band's debut E.P, which will be released in the summer.

Yakima - Burn

If you've read this blog before, then you'll be well aware that in our humble opinion the greatest band of all time is Suede. Because our love of the band is so great, we don't normally tend to be big fans of artists that tend to have a sound that is too similar to Suede, as the only band that should sound like Suede are Suede themselves. Of course like most self-imposed rules there are a number of exceptions - Geneva, Placebo and Tribes tend to spring to mind, and in those cases there is just enough going on in their music to fully differentiate themselves from Brett & co's pantheon.

And now we're going to have to add another exception to our list - Glaswegian four-piece Yakima. They've released two E.Ps in the past under the name Franklln, but "Burn" is the first single released under their current guise, and it's an absolute  joy. Those meandering guitars are pure, pure Suede-y goodness. You could have put those guitars on their most recent album, "Night Thoughts", and they would have fit in exceedingly well, which given that that album has been called their best one in 20 years, is mighty high praise indeed.

Of course there's enough here to differentiate them from being solely indebted to the mighty Suede - their vocals sit more on the dreamy end of the spectrum and are more shoegaze inflected than Brett Anderson's straight-up rock singing style for example. And if "Burn" shows us the direction that the band are going to be taking from here on in, we're going to have to sign up for the journey.

"Burn" is taken from their self-titled E.P, which will be released on March 15th.

C Duncan - Garden

Glasgow singer-songwriter Christopher Duncan (who records under the name C Duncan) first came to this blog's attention last month after hearing his song "Castle Walls" on Alcopop! Records' Record Store Day compilation album, being floored by the wonderful wall of voices that it contains (that version seems to only be available to people who buy the E.P, although there is a video of him performing it in session with BBC Radio Scotland).

It would appear that we're not the only ones enamoured with Mr Duncan at the moment, seeing that his new single "Garden" has already been playlisted on BBC 6music, and with good reason. It might be a little premature, but "Garden" is an early contender for our song of the year. Like "Castle Walls" before it, its bedrock is wonderful multi-multi layered vocals that just sump out of the speakers, but this time it's been augmented with a 60s psychedelic pop sound to create something both ethereal and fantastic. Plus, it reminds us a little bit of Geneva, which is always a good thing. C Duncan has hit on something good here, let's hope he can continue to deliver.

"Garden" will be released on July 10th, with his debut album "Architect" out on July 17th.

Prides - Messiah

Having introduced themselves to the world last year with the fantastic "Out Of The Blue" last year, and re-reminded us of their brilliance a few months ago with "The Seeds You Sow", everyone's favourite non-Chvrches Scottish synth-pop trio Prides have announced the release of their brand new single.

The band have stated that the goal of their new single, "Messiah", is to bring back pitch bent keyboard sounds into popular music. To allow it to rise from the dead, if you will. And I think it's fair to say that they have done a pretty decent job of it. Prides seem to specialise in making synth-pop that is just screaming out to be played in stadiums, and if "Messiah", a track that's as 80s as the Rubik's Cube and as big as Giant Haystacks, is anything to go by, they are gradually inching their way there.

"Messiah" will be released on June 23rd. They play at The Great Escape, Brighton on May 9th, and spend the rest of the month supporting Foxes, the lucky beggars.

Prides - The Seeds You Sow

Q. What type of material is "The Seeds You Sow", the new single from Glasgow based trio Prides, made out of?

A. Chart material. It is made of chart material.

Prides crashed onto our radar back in May with the stonkingly good "Out Of The Blue", a track so good that the only people who hate it are those without ears and prog-rock fans. Now with a major label behind them, the band are lining up their first E.P release in March. Before that, they've got new single "The Seeds You Sow" coming out, and if that song doesn't give them their first charting single, then I honestly don't know what will. It's a fantastic slice of synth-pop that isn't afraid to overload on infectious hooks. Prides are on the tipping point to greatness, and "The Seeds You Sow" deserves to be the song that pushes them there.

"The Seeds You Sow" will be released as a single on February 10th, with the E.P to follow on March 31st.

Lost Ghosts - Tunnels

With so much electronic music coming out of Glasgow at the moment, it's nice to hear a band adding something a little bit more organic to the mix. Lost Ghosts, a self-described post-pop group, have just released their debut single, "Tunnels".

The song is a strange beast indeed, as it's not immediately clear what it's supposed to be. It starts as an atmospheric synth-led track, yet this is instantly uprooted once the violin lines are added to the mix. It then appears to go into the raw style of The xx, something which it instantly betrays by going straight into classic rock guitar solos. The final two minutes sees the group attempting an anthemic yet restrained sound, like Frightening Rabbit channeling the spirit of Kings of Leon.

There are a lot of different ideas thrown into the melting pot on this first single by Lost Ghosts. It's an ambitious debut, and one which should make people take notice of them, but at the same time, hopefully their next few releases will be a bit more focused.

Prides - Out of the Blue

Oh, don't we all just love a good old bandwagon?

Several months after Glaswegian synth-pop trio Chvrches became blog catnip on the back of just one song, another Glaswegian synth-pop trio have released a single song onto the wild wild web, which has been met with the predictable glowing praise from many corners of the blogosphere and has shot up the Hype Machine chart rather nicely. The group in question are Prides, who according to one blog previously made mini-roars under the name Midnight Lion, and the song that has tickled the fancy of so many is "Out of the Blue".

And of course, there's a reason why the song has excited so many people - it's a ruddy brilliant song indeed. The song is fashioned around a synth riff that isn't too dissimilar to "Take a Walk" by Passion Pit, a harsh electronic production somewhat akin to The Naked and Famous, and most excitingly of all, a massive chorus the size of the Sea of Tranquility.

As a "calling card track," it makes a rather marvelous first impression. The question is where the band are going to go next. If I was a wittier blogger, I would suggest that they ask Mark E. Smith if they can support his band so they can finally prove once and for all that Prides come before The Fall, but alas, I'm not. For now, I'm just happy enough to get on the bandwagon of the makers of a song indeed.

Randolph's Leap - News

Like many bloggers, Glasgow based octet Randolph's Leap first sprang to my attention when they were something of a surprise inclusion on the Blog Sound of 2013 longlist, most likely aided by the Scottish contingent. That boost gained them a lot more admirers, especially as the band found themselves amongst 6music's most blogged UK artists of 2012.

Building on this support, the group have released their first single of 2013, and whilst one might expect a band to release something grandiose and attention-seeking to build on their publicity, Randolph's Leap have seemingly done the opposite by releasing "News", a song that clocks in at the 77 second mark. It's a charming little folksy indie-pop ditty about not being able to spend time with the person you adore. It makes great use of brass instruments, with the end result sounding like a Mumford & Sons track that you don't feel the need to mutter under your breath.

"News" is out to download now, and is available to buy as a limited edition mug single.

The Deadline Shakes - Boy

Glasgow quartet The Deadline Shakes have picked up a bit of support recently for their first two singles. They have received radio support from the likes of Steve Lamacq and Tom Robinson, as well as being featured in various corners of the blogosphere. Now the band have lined up the release of their second official single, "Boy", which is a shiny little gem indeed.

"Boy" is a tune that straddles the lines between indie-rock, folk and power-pop, coming across like a mixture between The Leisure Society and Belle & Sebastian. With a pure sense of joyous wistfulness, as well as a great appreciation for a well-constructed wall of sound, The Deadline Shakes have a style that should find them great admires across the UK.

"Boy" will be released on March 18th.