300th post

..and a mere sixteen months after my first post, I finally do my three hundreth! What can I say, it’s been great fun, and continues to be so.

First of all, I thought I’d start off this post with the title track of the album that gave this blog its’ name. The pic at the top is The Cure circa this album. I didn’t do many 17 Seconds club nights but I’m pleased that the blog is still going.

The Cure -‘Seventeen Seconds.’ mp3

I’ve written about a lot of up and coming scottish bands, like the X-Vectors for example…

X-Vectors -‘Now Is The Winter Of Our Discotheque.’ mp3

and watched a few of my favourite bands split up…

Arab Strap -‘Here We Go.’ mp3

The Cooper Temple Clause -‘Let’s Kill Music.’ mp3

I still have to decide on my personal festive fifty, but I guarantee these tracks will be there…

Battles -‘Atlas.’ mp3

Hot Chip -‘My Piano.’ mp3

Justice -‘D.A.N.C.E.’ mp3

Penny Century -‘Nothing Burns Like Bridges.’ mp3

Emma Pollock -‘Adrenaline.’ mp3

As time went by, I got the vague hand of how to post tracks (which I was clueless about when I first started writing a blog!), and started doing interviews too. Getting listed at the Hype Machine was great (thanks Mr. Toad) and getting feedback still makes my day.

Personally, this blog has hinted at some of the ups and downs in life outside of this blog, but much love is due to Mrs. 17 Seconds (I wasn’t even planning it when I started writing this!) and our two cats, our families and friends for keeping me sane.

Here’s to the next X posts…

Edx

200th post!

[Edinburgh’s X-Vectors]

Yup, just as it says on the tin, this is the 200th post of 17 Seconds. I started writing this blog over a year ago now, doing my first post on July 15 2006. the reason I didn’t do a anniversary one was that it was the day after my wedding and I know which side my bread is buttered (generally the side that lands face down, particularly if it’s a carpet).

During the time of doing writing 17 Seconds so far, I have posted all manor of weird and wonderful sounds, from the unsigned to the massively successful. Anyone who says it’s all just ‘indie’ hasn’t been paying attention (Wiley? Dizzee rascal? Missy Elliott). I can’t claim to have launched any bands, and a few of the bands I have written about have split (Arab Strap, Death From Above 1979 and The Cooper Temple Clause) although there are one or two who have a higher profile, which I can’t really claim to much credit for, but hey…There have been people who have thanked me for bringing them to the attention of stuff they hadn’t heard before, so RESULT!

Thanks to everyone who has read this blog, encouraged me, and helped, in what ever way. It’s been an interesting year -getting cats, starting my first ever full-time teaching post, being signed off work and getting married. And more than just a bit of music along the way.

Now that Mrs. 17 Seconds and I are the owners of a USB turntable, expect more ‘interesting’ types of stuff to continue appearing here.

For the 200th post, I present an Arab Strap cover version, doing a Van Halen song…

Arab Strap-‘Why Can’t This Be Love? (Van Halen cover).’ mp3(taken from The Shy Retirer ep)

…and also two tracks from a 12″ single that was no.6 in last year’s festive 50 on this site, Edinburgh band the X-vectors.

X-Vectors -‘Now Is The Winter Of Our Discotheque.’ mp3

X-Vectors -‘Your Love.’ mp3

(both tracks from Now Is the Winter Of Our Discotheque/Your Love 12″ single)

X-Vectors’ MySpace is here, with details of how to buy their music.

As always, tracks will be up here for one week only -if you like what you hear GO BUY IT.

Ten Scottish bands for today


(A shot of Aberfeldy live last October. One of the bands you need in your life).

Okay, having done ten tracks last time, this time I thought I would point you in the direction of ten scottish bands you ought to hear.

This is not a definitive list, either of my own making or anyone else’s, but it’s 10 from a selection on my Myspace page that I would like to point you in the direction of. Some of these bands I have written about here, others I haven’t -yet!- so this should serve as an introduction.

Just in case anyone is very highly strung out there, this is not to slag off anyone, but highlight some great bands who are – by and large – active today, and is in no way a slight to The Associates, The Delgados (my favourite ever scottish band), Josef K, Aztec Camera, The Skids, Franz Ferdinand, Arab Strap, Belle and Sebastian…but you need to hear these guys and gals too:

Aberfeldy official site myspace

Ballboy official site myspace

The Cinematics official site myspace

The Fire Engines official site myspace

Mother and the addicts official site myspace

My Latest Novel official site myspace

Odeon Beat Club official site myspace

Sons and Daughters official site myspace

Swimmer One official site myspace

X-Vectors official site myspace

All of these acts have tracks for you to hear on their myspace pages, and many have mp3s for you to download, either on their mypsace page or on their own web pages.

Happy listening, and happy discovering!

Remember: artists cannot survive on goodwill alone. If you like what you hear, please, Please, PLEASE support them. Buy their music, go to the gigs, tell your friends about them. Snobbery and elitism is for losers.

BTW, two more Scottish based blogs you should check out: The Face Of Today and And Before The First Kiss.