The good Hold days

It's hard to feel an affinity for a band when their musical influence is so one-dimensional. Not only is there no room for doubt about who they've been brazenly stealing from, but you can't help but wonder what is to be gained from subjecting yourself to a watered down version of the real thing.

Nevertheless there are a few acts who, with shocking defiance to our opening paragraph, have a rare class for recreating the sound of another without making you want to reminisce about the good old days like grandpa.

Midlake somehow manage to make you think Fleetwood Mac were cool, Mika could have been Freddie Mercury's alter-ego, while Vampire Weekend aren't influenced by a band but a specific album, namely Paul Simon's Graceland.

And so this brings us conveniently to THE HOLD STEADY and their faithful devotion to the gospel according to Bruce Springsteen.

The Brooklyn-based group's latest album Boys And Girls In America has already been hailed as a classic rock classic. However, it's like a print of a priceless painting - it may look the same but only the original will ever be untouchable.

MP3:
The Hold Steady - Stuck Between Stations

LIVE:
September 1, Connect Music Festival, Inverary

Read them like a book

When MY LATEST NOVEL first appeared on the Scottish music scene, their name was bandied around so often that most folk knew what to expect before they'd even had a chance to hear them first-hand. Or at least they thought they did.

Reports of the Greenock quintet's fondness for instrument swapping, multiple harmonies and a liberal use of strings came at a time when no other band had been burdened with the 'new Arcade Fire' tag.

So when English label Bella Union won the race to sign My Latest Novel, it simply became a matter of counting down the days until they inevitably failed to live up to the most impossible of expectations. And so it proved.

Their debut album Wolves eschewed Arcade Fire's sex and violins approach in favour of something altogether more dark and experimental. Most frustratingly, it left The Pop Cop wondering what might have been, especially when their one stab at a bite-sized singalong, The Reputation Of Ross Francis, ends the record on such a high. We can only hope it's a taste of the direction they're headed in.

MP3:
My Latest Novel - The Reputation Of Ross Francis

LIVE:
September 2, Connect Music Festival, Inverary

Split personality

Tenderness and noise, strings and screams, mild-mannered yet angry... AEREOGRAMME have always come across as a band of beautiful contradiction.

The nice guys of post-rock have been a fixture of the Glasgow music scene for nearly a decade and the realisation that they will be playing their last-ever gig on Friday makes us genuinely sad.

While most bands fail to exhibit any hint of possessing more than one string to their bow, Aereogramme really did offer the best of both worlds. Assuming, that is, the first world is filled with delicate ballads while the second one spins to the sound of thrash metal.

With three albums released on Chemikal Underground to remember them by, the bearded quartet's contribution to the rich tapestry of Scotland's recent musical landscape will not be forgotten by us nor, indeed, their curiously large following in the Netherlands. Like we said, Aereogramme are full of surprises.

MP3:
Aereogramme - The Art Of Belief

LIVE:
August 31, Connect Music Festival, Inverary

Alternative medicine

Most people would say MODEST MOUSE make 'alternative' music, but that tag takes on the air of the vaguely ridiculous when what we're talking about is a band whose last two albums have shifted a combined total of two million copies in their native America alone.

At this point we're going to preempt your counter-argument that what we're actually referring to is the byproduct of linguistic development in popular culture (a can of worms whose opening will surely end in death by boredom or, worse still, the nature/nurture debate), so just go with us here.

It would be convenient to forget that bands so universally adored and critically worshipped like Bright Eyes, Death Cab For Cutie, The Flaming Lips and The Shins all started their careers making albums no one cared about. These days, though, their visits to Britain are invariably the hottest tickets in town and they give rap stars a run for their money at the top of the American charts.

And good on them. The indie (another term whose meaning has changed out of sight) rulebook has been torn up and our day-to-day existence is better for it. In the average household, you're just as likely to find some Modest Mouse as an actual rodent with no sense of humility whatsoever.

Effectively, it means you'll have to try that little bit harder to keep those hidden gems to yourself.

MP3:
Modest Mouse - Dashboard

LIVE:
September 1, Connect Music Festival, Inverary

"There's a song about throwing yourself off the Forth Road Bridge. I've thought about it before."

Date: August 16, 2007
Time: 20.30

Location: 13th Note, Glasgow

Interview subjects: Frightened Rabbit

Background info: Frightened Rabbit are a band based in Glasgow, comprising Selkirk-born Scott Hutchison (vocals, guitar), his brother Grant (drums) and Billy Kennedy (guitar). The band brought out Sing The Greys – effectively an album of demos - last year, pressing 1000 copies. This summer they signed to FatCat, who are releasing Be Less Rude as a single next month as a preview to a revamped version of Sing The Greys (out in October). Their first proper album is released in March - read on to find out exclusively what it's called...

Today we bring you The Pop Cop's first interview. We bestowed FRIGHTENED RABBIT with this honour (right, guys?) because they symbolise a certain quality that's common in all of the best Scottish alternative bands. It's in their drive to push the boundaries of pop music and a willingness to graft in order to make themselves heard. Frightened Rabbit deserve every reward that is coming their way and if The Pop Cop can help them reach out to a few more fans, that'll give us our own sense of satisfaction.

THE POP COP: What’s the difference between the old Sing The Greys and the new one?
SCOTT: Little bits and pieces have been re-recorded. We’ve re-amped some of the drums in different rooms to get an ambience about it. It’s louder and everything is fuller and bigger.

GRANT: Originally FatCat were just going to release it on a low scale as a taster for the new album. But when we remixed and mastered it, it sounded like a proper album and we felt those songs were too good to just brush under carpet.

THE POP COP: Tell us about the album you’ve just recorded.
SCOTT: It’s called The Midnight Organ Fight. It’s a line in a song. There’s a running theme throughout the album - it’s quite relationshipy. I wanted it to have a sort of lightness, a different interpretation rather than ‘this is all about me’. I don’t think anyone knows the title apart from our label.

It was produced by Peter Katis. He produced the last two National records and the first two Interpol records, so there was a way it was always going to sound given who he is. We went to his house in Connecticut. Peter was always talking about the last National record which took four and a half months. You stay in his house while you’re recording so he had them in his house that whole time. I don’t even know what they would have been doing in that last month! We were there for a month and managed to get something we were pretty chuffed with.

It sounds a little less indie, a lot more polished, which I’m happy with. I always wanted Frightened Rabbit to be a really good pop band as opposed to a scrappy indie band. The record still sounds like it was made by a Scottish band, in the lyrics and the chords we use. Plus it’s still pretty miserable to the core!

THE POP COP: Which track on The Midnight Organ Fight most stands out for you?
SCOTT: There’s a song about throwing yourself off the Forth Road Bridge. I’ve thought about it before. I’m not bullshitting. When I’m miserable, I’m genuinely miserable. I don’t think you can write without having a real intensity. This album is a lot more intense than the first one. There’s a lot more blunt imagery. It almost spells out what’s happened.

Socially, I’m maladjusted in a lot of ways and I don’t really talk about things. In terms of my personal life I don’t always express myself properly and this is a way of doing that. Most of the lyrics are pretty direct. It’s not metaphorical, not at all.

However, I always feel that no matter how morose the subject matter there’s always a way that we as a group find of putting a positive slant on it, whether it be a depressing lyric put to a really pleasant melody or just a positive spin in the end. I hope people don’t feel depressed when they listen to our music.

THE POP COP: How did you come to sign for FatCat?
SCOTT: We had a bad experience with a label last year, a major label. They pulled out the day before we were due to sign. They wasted six months of our time. It was bad. When we were dealing with them we were always speaking to someone three steps down from where the decisions were being made.

FatCat were so loyal and were always there. I have the number of the FatCat boss on my mobile. I can call him any time and I know if he’s says yes or no, it’s yes or no. He makes the decisions.

THE POP COP: How do you fund the rock star lifestyle?
SCOTT: It’s hard. At the moment none of us have jobs. We all need jobs but we don’t have the time to be working. We did more than five festivals this summer, which is weekends. You can’t have a part-time job and say you can’t work weekends.

GRANT: But the stuff we do is pretty good fun so I’m not complaining. We’re lucky to be able play music to people who enjoy it. That’s kind of the point.

THE POP COP: Where does the band's name come from?
SCOTT: Our mother. Like I said, I’m socially retarded. When I was younger, if you put me in a social situation I would just retreat into a corner and become scared - ‘frightened rabbit’.

THE POP COP: Would you consider adding more members to the band?
SCOTT: Definitely. The new record is not the sound of a three-piece. It’s complex. In some songs there’s hardly any guitar and there are a lot more keyboard elements. I don’t know how we could recreate it with just the three of us, we just wouldn’t do it justice. The next record’s going to require someone else.

However, we’re a bit anal and controlling about the band. It has to be understood that no one else is going to get involved in the songwriting. We all have different roles within the band. The key to this person is that they’ll have to take the parts that they play and just be happy with that.

THE POP COP: How would you describe the energy of your live shows?
GRANT: People who have seen us several times say it’s almost like the first time we’ve played together, or the first time they’ve seen us. A lot of bands don’t understand it’s their job to makes things exciting. Some people miss that point.

MP3:

Frightened Rabbit - Head Rolls Off

LIVE:

September 1, Connect Music Festival, Inverary

September 4, Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh

September 6, Lemon Tree, Aberdeen

September 15, The Admiral, Glasgow

September 21, Oran Mor, Glasgow

September 25, Underground, Dundee

Wild abandoned

Everyone has loved Idlewild at some point, but not necessarily the same point.

The hardest of the hardcore reckon their early punk days of chaos and semi-structured noise was the most exciting time to jump on the Idlewild bandwagon. Others got on board as the decibels decreased between Hope Is Important and 100 Broken Windows. More still were drawn to The Remote Part, easily their most accomplished piece of work. As for the last two albums, well, let's just say more people have bought timeshares in Afghanistan.

During this time the Edinburgh band have astonishingly gone through five bass players and just as many changes in musical direction, not to mention Roddy Woomble's solo diversion into woolly jumpered folk.

So where does this leave Idlewild, now in the second decade of existence? With their old label about to release a greatest hits album against the group's wishes and their popularity on the wane, the pressure is on them to recapture what made Idlewild so special in the first place.

MP3:

Idlewild - 1903-70

LIVE:

September 2, Connect Music Festival, Inverary

King Kenny

It's easy to be intimidated by KING CREOSOTE. Not due to his regal moniker, hirsute features and intense stare, but because of the sheer shitload of records he has put his name to.

The prolific Fifer has over two dozen recorded albums, but only three of these have been released through "official channels". And the fourth record Bombshell, released next month, is possibly about to see him find his place in the mainstream if the instant appeal of You've No Clue Do You is anything to go by.

After years of refusing to play the corporate game - and even managing to avoid gigging outside his hometown of St Andrews for a while - the man otherwise known as Kenny Anderson is finally ready to rule outside the walls of his kingdom.

MP3:
King Creosote - You Are Could I

LIVE:
August 31, Connect Music Festival, Inverary
September 26, Lemon Tree, Aberdeen
September 28, Northern Lights Festival, Durness
September 29, Queens Hall, Edinburgh

Weapon of choice

Pop quiz, hotshot: What do Karma Police, Nightswimming, Clocks, Sunburn, Fake Empire, 9 Crimes and Hoppípolla have in common? They all illustrate why the piano is the most affecting instrument in music.

So it's no surprise REGINA SPEKTOR provokes such feverish excitement with The Pop Cop. The Moscow-born singer's gorgeously grandiose piano melodies form the backbone of her songs, which mix amusing lyrical stories with some unique vocal jousting.

Her utterly alluring charm is more than backed up by an extraordinary natural talent and she can't help but make audiences fall for her as she regales them with her quaint tales of Jesus statues and stepping in snot.

Regina is a must-see if ever there was one.

MP3:
Regina Spektor - Samson (original version)

LIVE:
September 2, Connect Music Festival, Inverary

Mind the gap

The return of SONS AND DAUGHTERS can't come soon enough. The much-loved Glaswegians have been in hibernation for two years working on the follow-up to The Repulsion Box and nobody has come close to filling the gap.

After all, who else writes lyrics as if torn from the pages of a bestseller? The intensity of the imagery in their songwriting builds a poetic sense of drama that is matched by its soundtrack - frantic, restless and immensely satisfying.

And if that wasn't enough, the on-stage rowing couple routine of Adele Bethel and Scott Paterson is an irresistible spectacle that makes divorce look appealing.

MP3:
Sons And Daughters - Johnny Cash (single version)

LIVE:
September 1, Connect Festival, Inverary

Connect phwoar!

Believe it or not, the majority of music festivals are doomed to failure. Most struggle to come even close to breaking even, crippled by astronomical running costs and poor ticket sales caused by apathy from punters who have already been there and bought the T in the Park shirt.

The organisers of the inaugural Connect Music Festival have attempted to carve out their own niche in an already swamped market by describing their three-day bonanza as a "boutique event" - which, reading between the lines, clearly means "no neds, please". Fair enough.

Indeed, the line-up for Connect makes us so excited you'll be reading about the cream of the acts playing in Inverary for the next two weeks on The Pop Cop. Lucky you, eh?

Our first offering is RILO KILEY, the lady-fronted Los Angeles band. Part funky, part sensual and one-quarter attractive (see picture), their pop is almost too polished and self-assured for them to be keeping company with such miserable indie comrades.

With four smashing albums including new effort Under The Blacklight to choose from, not only will Jenny Lewis and Co bring diversity to their performance, but a rare star quality too.

MP3:

Rilo Kiley - Silver Lining

LIVE:

September 1, Connect Festival, Inverary

Pop and ceremony

The fact that a band like GUILLEMOTS are thriving at the sharp end of today's musical climate proves just how gloriously all-embracing it is.

The English/Scottish/Brazilian/Canadian group are adventurous, eccentric and a little bonkers - three qualities any major label would usually run a mile from. But not Guillemots. Their charm is so irresistible it's no surprise their carnival pop has brought unbridled cheer to mud-caked festival-goers this summer.

But while other wunderkinds often allow their talent for invention to spiral out of control, Guillemots aren't too aloof to channel their chaotic melodies and full orchestra sound into four-minute treasures. So everyone's a winner.

MP3:
Guillemots - Made Up Love Song #43

LIVE:
August 20, Corn Exchange, Edinburgh (supported by Beerjacket)

Hard to beat

It's amazing how one song can make you rethink your opinion of a band you'd previously written off as a bunch of losers. Like a naked driver who has just realised he's missed his turn-off, HARD-FI have made The Pop Cop do an embarrassing U-turn.

Their new single Suburban Knights is a swaggering beast of a tune like no other this year. Its rousing verses build to a call-to-arms chorus full of a-e-i-o-u harmonies that any idiot could sing along with. And then you have to hear it again. And again.

Of course, Suburban Knights could turn out to be a complete one-off and the Staines band's impending second album Once Upon A Time In The West may yet prove as god-awful as its predecessor. But did that stop the masses playing fastest finger first at 9am this morning to buy tickets for their just-announced Glasgow gig? Not a chance.

MP3:
Hard-Fi - Suburban Knights

LIVE:
September 4, ABC, Glasgow

Commercial potential

Although Scotland is in the midst of its worst summer in decades, our music scene is enjoying something of a hot flush.

There is a gaggle of new bands battling for attention and THE ADS have a fighting chance of being the country's next indie stallions.

If the all the sharpest music brains in Scotland got together for a powwow, they would probably invent a band that sounded much like the East Kilbride foursome. Frontman Kemy sings with a thick Scottish brogue, they share the same spiky guitar racket as Franz and have an urgency in their music that suggests their ambitions are suitably lofty.

They have just released their debut single Autopilot on King Tut's Recordings, the label that gave The Dykeenies a leg-up. If anything, The Ads have even more potential.

MP3:
The Ads - Things Get So Much Better

LIVE:
August 15, Henry's Cellar Bar, Edinburgh
September 1, Connect Festival, Inverary
September 10, Stirling University, Stirling

Inter-changeable

Five years ago, you couldn't have named a band whose future career path whetted the appetite more than INTERPOL.

That was when - on the back of their Fukd ID EP on Chemikal Underground - the New Yorkers revisited the darkest sounds of the 80s to create the entrancingly atmospheric Turn On The Bright Lights, an album so unlike anything else of its time (don't get us started on Editors) it relied on word of mouth to seal its steady ascent into the realms of a recognised modern masterpiece.

Since then, the commercial success that has come their way with Antics and Our Love To Admire has coincided with a creative decline that was somewhat inevitable (peak so spectacularly with your debut album and the only way is down after all) albeit no less disappointing.

But although Interpol's second and third albums have lost that edge, The Pop Cop will forever bow down to them for their respective comeback singles Slow Hands and The Heinrich Maneuver. It takes a different kind of genius to perfect the formula of killer riff + pumping drums = indie disco anthem.

MP3:
Interpol - Obstacle 1 (Arthur Baker remix)

LIVE:
August 22, Corn Exchange, Edinburgh

Wall of sound

Well I'll be damned. Howdy y'all! Excuse us for coming over all hillbilly but it's impossible not to draw your imagery pistols and grab your partner by the hand when you've just seen the next big thing... and they're a little bit country.

Last night The Pop Cop ventured out to see Beerjacket's long-awaited return to the gigging scene and it was a double treat thanks to the unexpectedly impressive second band on the bill, THE WALLBIRDS.

The fresh-faced Doncaster trio go for the fast and fun approach and we can't praise them highly enough for their unsatiable desire to crowd-please with their uninhibited stage moves. So if you like your pop songs to be short and sweet while filling in the blanks between Hank Williams and Ryan Adams, slap your thigh and step right this way.

MP3:
The Wallbirds - Valentine

LIVE:
September 21/22, Loopallu Festival, Ullapool
October 15, Lemon Tree, Aberdeen
October 16, The Raigmore, Inverness
October 18, Fat Sams, Dundee
October 19, Ba Club, Fort William
October 20, Village Hall, Ullapool
October 21, The Arches, Glasgow

Leg ends

THE SHINS inspire the kind of adulation that, if you were ever to meet them in person, would surely end up in acute embarrassment. You'd find yourself uncontrollably blabbering to James Mercer about how extraordinary his lyrics are, how you made a mix tape of their songs while courting your true love and as a result your life has never been the same since.

The American band's debut album Oh, Inverted World introduced mankind to New Slang, a song so moving it pretty much inspired an entire movie (Garden State); second album Chutes Too Narrow is possibly the best record ever made, 10 tracks of unadulterated musical intoxication; while this year's Wincing The Night Away enchants with its peerless pop splendour.

What makes The Shins so special? It's in their effortless vocal harmonies, it's in their impeccable musicianship which brims with melody, it's in Mercer's storytelling which is rich in imagery and beautifully poetic, and it's in the fact they can pull it all together on stage to make an experience that would be almost religious if we weren't such raving atheists.

They'll soon be gracing Scotland with their presence. Leave your inhibitions at the door.

MP3:

The Shins - New Slang feat Sam Beam (live)

LIVE:

August 23, Corn Exchange, Edinburgh

Drinking buddy

You might not be able to judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a man by the company he keeps.

Feist, The National, Rilo Kiley, Guillemots, Giant Drag, Tom Vek, Sean Lennon, Bat For Lashes, Ed Harcourt, Liam Frost and Malcolm Middleton may sound like some sort of fantasy festival line-up, but this who's who of international music deity have one thing in common - they've all personally requested that BEERJACKET support them.

The Glaswegian's golden circle is no fluke. He has earned his celebrity admirers through sheer hard work - five albums in three years - and a knack of avoiding every cliché associated with the overeager singer-songwriter. His lyrics rarely follow the usual love lost and found theme, he's not vain enough to use his own name (Peter Kelly by day) and he plays acoustic guitar and tambourine (with his foot) on stage without coming across as a one-man-band. Oh, and he's not a miserable sod.

Instead, the 29-year-old has a magic touch that turns songs into precious keepsakes, gigs into warm memories and Beerjacket virgins into lifelong fans.

And there's no sign of the momentum slowing down. His excellent new album of alt.folk, the aptly-named A Boy Of Action, was released on Monday on iTunes and it could soon make him as revered as his friends.

MP3:
Beerjacket - Dance Dance Dance

LIVE:
August 12, Nice'n'Sleazy, Glasgow
October 6, King Tut's, Glasgow
November 2, ABC, Glasgow (with The National)

Anyone for seconds?

The world is full of disappointing second albums: The Libertines, Justin Timberlake, The Futureheads, The Coral and The Darkness are all guilty offenders. The Pop Cop are hopeful STEPHEN FRETWELL won't be joining the list.

It's been three years since the release of his sublime debut album Magpie and its greatness only heightens the nervous anticipation that, God forbid, he might not actually be able to better it.

The easy charm of Stephen's engaging live performances belie the dark heart at the root of his songwriting, as his disarmingly humble nature and Mancunian patter make for an endearing interpretation of his acoustic folk songs.

So now comes the hard part. Man On The Roof, his long-awaited follow-up is out next month. Will it sink like a stone or soar like a Magpie? Fingers crossed it's the latter.

MP3:
Stephen Fretwell - Emily (live)

LIVE:
August 17, Liquid Room, Edinburgh
August 31, Connect Festival, Inverary

Nash-ville!

It would be a shame if most people bought into the misguided but popular theory that there would be no KATE NASH without Lily Allen. Apart from the fact they both sing in London accents (a city of eight million residents spawns more than one female singer... what are the chances?!), there really isn't any direct comparison.

Musically, 20-year-old Kate clearly owes everything to Regina Spektor, from her quirky storytelling lyrics and vocal delivery to her style of playing the piano.

But even at this early stage in her apprenticeship, the English redhead with the girl-next-door looks can already claim to have one over Regina. The enduring success of Foundations to become a (the?) defining song of 2007 has given Kate an unquestionable crossover hit single, something her kooky American idol has yet to savour after four albums.

With debut LP Made Of Bricks a stick-on for No.1 this week and her headline shows sold out months in advance, not only is the future bright for Kate Nash but mainstream pop music is in good hands.

MP3:
Kate Nash - Foundations

LIVE:
August 11, Belladrum Festival, Inverness
August 23, Liquid Room, Edinburgh
October 28, Lemon Tree, Aberdeen
October 29, Oran Mor, Glasgow

Mumm's the word

The Pop Cop never used to believe you really could have too much of a good thing but the sheer number of sharp new bands we've been listening to in 2007 often makes us wonder how we find time to empty the bins.

In previous years These Things Move In Threes, the wonderfully slick debut album from MUMM-RA, would have been as familiar to us as a knife and fork; the East Sussex group have key changes in all the right places, choruses that soar as if fuelled by Viagra and an unashamed streak of fun in their music.

But undoubtedly the biggest challenge facing the quintet is to make themselves heard above the volume of their peers. If Mumm-Ra take a listen to Pull Tiger Tail, Scouting For Girls, Switches, The Rumble Strips, Ghosts, The Pigeon Detectives, Good Shoes, GoodBooks, Kubichek! and The Maccabees (phew), they'll quickly realise they're far from the only fresh-faced English boys who know their way around a tune.

Only time (and possibly luck) will tell which wannabes last the pace.

MP3:
Mumm-Ra - Out Of The Question

LIVE:
August 11, Belladrum Festival, Inverness

Hart and soul

Here's a conversation that came up between us a couple of months ago:

POP: Why is Roddy Hart not famous?
COP: Fucked if I know, he's magic.
POP: No, seriously, why is he not more well-known? He writes amazing songs, he's got the best voice in Scotland and seeing him live is as good as it gets. And he has great hair.
COP: Easy tiger! What do you want me to do about it?
POP: Well, funny you should ask...

When we first had the idea of creating a Scottish music blog, it was to allow us to share the greatness of musicians like RODDY HART with people we might never meet. Seven weeks of posting later and we finally think we've have had enough practise to do him justice.

He began his solo career with residencies at The Universal and Brel in Glasgow, armed with an acoustic guitar, keyboard, harmonica and a bag full of demo album Home Tapes. Roddy sold enough of the latter at £5 a time to fund the recording of his debut studio album Bookmarks, a veritable masterpiece.

His Americana-influenced songwriting bursts with yearning intensity and his genuine gift for crafting melodies is delivered with real maturity. Roddy is currently in the studio working on his new album but keep checking The Pop Cop for an interview with the man himself in the near future.

Rest assured, we won't be the last to feel compelled to write about his genius.

MP3:
Roddy Hart - She Is All I Need

LIVE:
August 11, Belladrum Festival, Inverness
September 22, Ramshorn Theatre, Glasgow
October 4, Darvel Music Festival, Ayrshire

Pollock country nous

You could probably write a thesis on the wonder that was The Delgados. To know them was to love them, yet their frustrating battle to turn critical adulation, public fondness and a succession of unswervingly ambitious albums into proportionate profit ultimately proved their undoing.

If there's any justice, EMMA POLLOCK will enjoy better fortune in her solo career. She's taken Delgados drummer Paul Savage (otherwise known as Emma's husband) with her and from what we've heard of forthcoming debut album Watch The Fireworks, Lanarkshire's favourite daughter has made a piano-driven record of graceful beauty with strong folk and alt.country influences.

Although The Pop Cop recently spotted Mr and Mrs Savage in full-on family mode swinging their nipper Ben at a park in Glasgow's southside, the solo model of Emma still has that reassuringly bittersweet tone in her voice and previous single Adrenaline should leave you feeling just that for what is yet to come.

LIVE:
August 10, Liquid Room, Edinburgh

Spot the Cop...

...he's the one who's not Stereophonic (and the least vertically challenged). While in Latvia last week for New Wave 2007 - as mentioned in yesterday's post - who should we bump into but Kelly and Co.

Sadly they weren't involved in the International Competition Of Young Singers Of Popular Music but were instead staying at our hotel in Riga, having played another less cringeworthy Latvian music festival.

The first sighting of the band in the hotel bar prompted a long and heated discussion amongst we Pop Cops (there are two of us, remember) as to whether STEREOPHONICS had made a decent song since the Word Gets Around album, excluding the mighty Dakota. Tellingly, one of us felt strongly enough not to appear in a photo with the band.

Nevertheless, we could at least agree that their first album was marvellous and they were very friendly, if hungover, guys. Kelly kindly treated us to renditions of Sit Down by James and Last Nite by The Strokes over his tour bus tannoy as The Pop Cop waved goodbye to Stereophonics and Latvia.

LIVE:

November 24, AECC, Aberdeen

November 25, SECC, Glasgow