The return of Kid Canaveral

Kate Canaveral

I’ve long championed Kid Canaveral on this blog – and interviewed them around the time of their first album Shouting At Wildlife.
The band are shortly to release their third album Faulty Inner Dialogue on July 29 on Lost Map Records, and are touring before the release of the album, with the launch taking place at Edinburgh’s Summerhall on July 30 (more details about the album launch and live dates here.

This is the video for the first single ‘First We Take Dumbarton.’

This is the album teaser video:

Album Review – Kid Canaveral

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Kid Canaveral -‘Now That You Are A Dancer.’ (Fence)

It’s been three years since Kid Canaveral’s debut Shouting At Wildlife. And in that time, they’ve gigged like fury, signed to Fence and collaborated with head honcho King Creosote (yours truly was privileged to be DJing at the launch party for the Last Battle’s Springwell EP where King Creosote played with Kid Canaveral as his backing band as the support), and found time to write and record their sophomore album.

Now That You Are A Dancer isn’t a wild break from the template that gave us Shouting At Wildlife, but what they have done is to hone their act even further, and listening to the two albums side by side, it’s their new album that emerges the stronger. Kid Canaveral have always specialised in their own unique brand of indie-pop (that’s as opposed to stadium indie-landfilll-by numbers variety, by the way), and to listen to this album is to feel that it holds its own with the likes of The Pastels and The Wedding Present.

Amongst the highlights are album opener and first single ‘The Wrench’ and the rather fabulously titled ‘Breaking Up Is The New Getting Married’ but I’m also head over heels for the Kate Lazda-sung ‘Skeletons’ and ‘Without A Backing Track.’ (I look forward to her solo album when she feels so inclined>)

In writing my review for this new album, I decided to check out what I’d written for Shouting At Wildlife, three years ago. I’d concluded then that ‘…regardless of how long the second album takes, I’m sure it will be worth the wait.’ I was right, it would seem!

****1/2

Now That You Are A Dancer is released by Fence on March 4.

Kid Canaveral’s awesome new video -and forthcoming live dates

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The continually excellent Kid Canaveral (who had two entries in my annual Festive Fifty at the end of last year and were no.5 in my end of year album chart) are shortly heading off to the US for SXSW (South by South West, do keep up).

They are playing two fundraiser gigs in Scotland before heading off; these are:

24th February at Stereo, Glasgow with support from Randolph’s Leap and Martin John Henry

26th February at The Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh with The Last Battle and Blue Sky Archives.

So far six dates have been announced in the US, these are:

12th March at Bruar Falls, NYC w/Rachel Sermanni
13th March at Fontana’s, NYC
14th March at The Cake Shop, NYC
16th March at Maggie Mae’s, Austin, TX (Official SXSW showcase)
18th March at Red House Pizzeria, Austin, TX (Music For Listeners daytime party)
19th March at Waterloo Cycles, Austin, TX (SXSWaterloo daytime party)

It’s actually genuinely exciting to see people that you know and have supported through your own blog heading off to the US.
It’s also great that they have asked 17 Seconds Records’ Last Battle to support them again. i saw The Last Battle live in Edinburgh last night, playing a lot of new stuff, so get along and see the edinburgh gig! Act quickly, tickets are selling fast…

Meanwhile, this is the video that kid Canaveral have made for their ‘You Only Went Out To Get Drunk Last Night’ single. It is awesome…

Two awesome shows!

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Two awesome shows involving our very own Last Battle which you should know about:

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This Thursday (November 4), they headline at the Wee Red bar at Edinburgh’s College of Art, with support from The Scottish Enlightenment and Very Well.

And on December 18, they join the bill for Kid Canaveral’s Christmas Party at the Lot in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket. The line-up for this is as follows:

“Kid Canaveral’s Christmas Baubles” will not include a Manger, probably no immaculate conceptions, but will include:

ballboy
King Creosote (solo)
Kid Canaveral
Come On Gang!
Cancel The Astronauts
The Last Battle
Gummi Bako

+ Song, By Toad and Straight to Video DJs

very exciting and excited! the Last battle are in the process of finalising their first ever tour, more info when it’s official…

Last Battle -‘Cutlass.’ mp3

Kid Canaveral -‘Good Morning.’ mp3

The Scottish Enlightenment -‘All Homemade Things.’ mp3

2010…so far

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Me on the decks at Pin Ups, Glasgow

It’s been a great start to the year, musically, and I’ve been trying to hear as much stuff as I possibly can. There’s been some wonderful stuff, some not so good stuff -and no doubt some stuff that I’ll rant about, and yet possibly even change my mind about.

So what’s floated my boat this year so far? Well, I’ve really, really loved the latest eagleowl EP Into The Fold, the closing track ‘No Conjunction’ is without a doubt my song of the year so far. I’ve also been knocked for six by Delorean’s latest album, Subiza, and the Call to Mind EP, all of which got five stars here.

Sure, the scots have had some excellent albums so far this year, what with the sophomore from Meursault, All Creatures Will Make Merry, and debuts from Kid Canaveral and Mitchell Museum. To say nothing of a slew of excellent releases from the likes of Burnt Island, The Scottish Enlightenment, Cancel the astronauts and Fear the Fives.

Further afield, I’ve been loving The Drums, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Dum Dum Girls and the Soft Pack, and the Futureheads have returned with what is clearly their best record since their debut. It’s not all been indie round these parts, though, as you’ll see when I post my review of the latest M.I.A. album, and releases from Konono No.1, Four Tet and Yeasayer have also kept their place around here. I was less than impressed by latest offerings from the likes of The New Pornographers and The National, though…

There’s still another six months left to go, of course, but it’s been great, so far…

Delorean -‘Stay Close.’ mp3

Dum Dum Girls -‘Jail La La.’ mp3

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti -‘Round and Round.’ mp3

Meursault -‘Crank resolutions.’ mp3

The Drums -‘Let’s Go Surfing.’ mp3

Soft Pack -‘C’mon.’ mp3

Yeasayer -‘O.N.E.’ mp3

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

Album Review -Kid Canaveral

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Kid Canaveral -‘Shouting At Wildlife.’ (Straight To Video)

..and here it finally comes! Three years after their debut single ‘Smash Hits’ single arrived, and following a host of excellent singles (including the recent ‘You Only Went Out To get Drunk Last Night’, surely a contender for single of the year). Interviewing the band a few months ago, it was clear that this has taken its’ time, but that the end result is one that they’re pleased with, and justifiably so. And it’s not called Shooting At Wildlife as I misheard, initially (they’re vegans, apparently).

At the start of the year, album opener ‘Good Morning’ started doing the rounds and kept my appetite fully whetted until the review copy dropped into my inbox. It sets the tone for the album. Here are a band with an excellent way with a tune that invades your head and stays, very pleasantly indeed.

Kid Canaveral have understood that what makes an album are great songs that all stand on their own merits, that are individual and flow together. Here we have tweve distinct songs that showcase the band’s distinctive way with a tune. How many times over the last week I have found myself humming several of the tunes as I go about my daily work. What they also have shown that many bands would do to remember is that freshness is important, and that there is a difference between being anemic sounding stadium fodder and truly great indie-guitar-pop.

It’s been more than worth the wait, I’m already onto my third listening of the album today and that’s not uncommon. And regardless of how long the second album takes, I’m sure it will be worth the wait.

****1/2

Shouting at Wildlife is released this Monday on Straight To Video. The launch night takes place tonight at Edinburgh’s Roxy Art House. This will feature live performances from Kid Canaveral, Come On Gang! and The Scottish Enlightenment with DJ sets from Cancel The Astronauts and Award Winning Blogger, Peenko.

Kid Canaveral -‘Good Morning.’ mp3

Kid Canaveral’s myspace

Interview – Kid Canaveral

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When I go to meet Kid Canaveral, all we have agreed is a time and a place, a pub in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge district. They’re going to grab tea before heading off to a rehearsal and in the intervening time we’ve arranged a chat. I needn’t have worried, though; you couldn’t possible miss them: they are the only group of people in the pub who could possibly be in a band. Kid Canaveral do what the best bands do: the exude an air of being a gang. It always bodes well.

Kid Canaveral in 2010 are David MacGregor, Kate Lazda, Rose McConnachie and Scott McMaster. One of Scotland’s finest bands, they have steadily released a stream of excellent singles over the past few years, and July will see the release of their long-awaited debut release, entitled Shouting at Wildlife.

The first thing the band would like to clear up is that -despite popular conception – they aren’t actually from Fife. They formed at St. Andrew’s University in 2004 and in 2007 they got serious, with the release of their debut single ‘Smash Hits.’ Putting their releases out on their own, excellently titled label Straight To Video label, they are proudly independent, in the best sense of the word. They’re all quick to give thanks to Rose’s sister who they name as the ‘very talented and quite affordable Eve McConnachie.’ Amongst those bands they are matey with are Come On Gang!, Cancel the Astronauts and The Pictish Trail’s Johnny Lynch. Their connections have helped them to produce a record that’s shaped how they want with assistance from creative friends. Kenny Anderson AKA King Creosote has done an excellent remix of the ‘You Only Went Out To Get Drunk Last Night’ single.

Sessions for the album started in May 2009, and it was recorded over thirty days. Says David about the album. ‘It sounds how we want it.’ He clarifies that the money going into the record is their own and no label racking up debts. At the beginning of this year a track from the sessions entitled ‘Good Morning’ started circulating, and it was clear that things had stepped up a gear. I wrote a piece on the band and they were good enough to refer to me as their new best friend.

David’s the principal songwriter in the band. When asked about the forthcoming album he states that ‘most of the stuff on the album I wrotemost of the stuff on the album I wrote’ and adds ‘But Kate wrote 3 of the 12 songs outright and we’ve been collaborating more than ever before.’Kate says that they’re definitely part of the DIY ethic. Things have evolved and they are very much a band. Rose comments that ’What we start off with is often not what we end up with.’ ‘You Only Went Out To get Drunk Last Night’ started out as a vocal riff, for example.

The band are clear that they didn’t want the album to be largely made up of songs that had appeared across the earlier singles releases. ‘We’d be ripping off people who’d bought them before,’ says Dave, firmly. So although their excellent call to arms ‘SmasH hits’ does make an appearance, songs like ‘I Don’t have The Heart For This’ and ‘Second Time Around’ -the latter also appearing on the Limbo Live compilation, which compiled bands who’d appeared at the legendary Edinburgh Indie night -are not there. So while you’re waiting for the album -and I’ve heard it, and it’s awesome! -make sure you gets your hands on the singles which are still available digitally. One of the best songs of theirs that’s been relegated to a b-side is ‘Teenage Fanclub Song’ the b-side to the ‘Couldn’t Dance’ single. ’What You Do To Me’ from 1991’s Bandwagonesque had a big impact on Dave. They are also keen to state the importance of The Fire Engines.

Speaking of singles, the band would love to be involved in putting out singles on that most maligned of formats, the cassette single. ‘We like tactile releases,’ announces Rose. ‘The artwork doesn’t work in electronic formats.’

Having played the album several time since it arrived subsequent to our meeting, it deserves to be a breakthrough for them. They’ve been supported by the likes of Vic Galloway and this record deserves to break them through to a wider audience. They’re all still doing day jobs. They’re oddly shy about revealing their day jobs -until I point out that I’ve been a door to door salesman, an RE teacher and a call centre worker. David’s a Geologist, Rose works as an engineering scheduler, Kate runs a website and Scott is a trainee Solicitor. Hopefully it will be time for them to give up the day jobs soon.

‘You Only Went Out To Get Drunk Last Night’ is out now. Shouting At Wildlife will be released on July 5. Both releases on Straight To Video.

To celebrate the release of the album, there will be a special night in Edinburgh at the Roxy Art House on Saturday 3rd of July 2010. This will feature live performances from Kid Canaveral, fellow power pop, Come On Gang! and The Scottish Enlightenment with DJ sets from Cancel The Astronauts and Award Winning Blogger, Peenko.

Kid Canaveral -‘Good Morning.’ mp3

More excellent music for 2010 – Kid Canaveral

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The rather excellent Kid Canaveral have been around for several years now, and have some released some excellent singles in that time. They have been in the studio and this year should see the release of their long awaited debut LP.

David MacGregor, Kate Lazda, Rose McConnachie and Scott McMaster have also now ensured that their back catalogue is now available from all major download services, including eMusic. So pleased am I about this, that I have been adding their releases on eMusic to my best Scottish acts of the noughties list on eMusic (my lists for the 1980s and 1990s are also there, should you be so inclined).

This is a free download -check it out, then go and investigate the rest of their back catalogue!

Kid Canaveral -‘Good Morning.’ mp3