GLASGOW “ned punks” The Girobabies have always been hard to pigeonhole, and their influences run amok on new single Equinox.
There are surprises at every turn, beginning with a scuzzy guitar intro that suggests we’re in for a psychedelic rollercoaster. The track morphs into one of their catchiest yet, eventually settling into a mid-tempo rock n’ roller that fizzes around the brain on repeat.
Attention should also be drawn to the quality of frontman Mark McG’s brooding lyrics. He proclaims that there’s “a spring in our step as winter’s outlasted, the best is yet to come and now we’re past the bad bit” – poetic sentiments from a band that often tend towards the irreverent.
Former Oceansize frontman and current Biffy Clyro touring guitarist Mike Vennart has a similar disregard for convention. Having dropped his first name for the release of his official debut The Demon Joke, Vennart has also dropped a second single from it this week.
Retaliate poses as what Vennart himself calls “a big dumb, stomper rock tune” but also features some bizarre keyboard sounds and an outlandish guitar solo, all naturally achieved in an awkward 5/4 time signature.
So far, Vennart’s full album, to be released on June 22, looks set to be both catchy and unorthodox.
Post-punk has been done to death over the past decade, but Dundee quintet The Mirror Trap have been deservedly making a name for themselves recently.
Their latest single Silent Men might echo the moody stylings of The Strokes, but vocalist Gary “Panther” Moore has an emotive voice that may help them stand out from their peers in the long term.
Further afield, Cameroon-born, France-based duo Air Bag One are set to be the latest synth-pop act to explode on the continent.
Their second single You’ve Got Somethin’ is as deliciously cheesy as the title suggests, featuring an anthemic chorus that recalls compatriots Phoenix and classic 1980s pop in equal measure. The album Rich Kids, coming later this year, is yet another display of 1980s revivalism that may prove to be a theme this summer.
Meanwhile, stateside grunge act Happy Diving, above, are channelling a different decade entirely.
Their track So Bunted may be a prime example of Nirvana-worship, but they have a flair for catchy melodies that makes them listenable regardless.
They’ve recently signed to Topshelf Records, who have exposed the UK to a host of quality bands. If So Bunted does well, expect them to be filling venues here in no time.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here