Historically, Scottish indie rock favours either the transcendental power of feedback, from the surly Jesus And Mary Chain to the spiritual Snow Patrol, or winningly winsome feyness, from The Pastels to Belle And Sebastian. Teenage Fanclub switched from the former for the latter. Edinburgh School For The Deaf do both simultaneously.
Like all today’s youngsters, the group are liberated by the internet from the tyranny of imagining that musical evolution follows some restrictive linear progression.
They take whatever they need. Their debut opens with the seven minute Of Scottish Blood And Sympathy, alternately softening or serrating the same repeated female vocal phrase with digitised Wall of Sound echo or flagellated guitar fuzz.
Having established its operational procedures, the album then wears the fragments its cannibalised influences on its sleeve with devil-may-care insolence.
Thirteen Holy Crowns smothers Joy Division in sugary space dust. All Hands Lost and Eleven Kinds Of Loneliness brutalise Brill Building pop classicism. The Memories Of Wounds shares The Jesus And Mary Chain’s dependence on snatches of trademark Phil Spector sounds amidst dirty guitar noise, the spoken word section echoing those desperate Ronettes dramatic interludes.
Lonely Hearts Beat As One is a narcoleptic Mazzy Star pastiche. And Run With The Hunted has an authentically lysergic, sixties Texas vibe, like something rare on the International Artists label.
This conveyorbelt of grade A source material represents a grounding in the greats, of whom ignorance is now inexcusable. But the question, for this and all today’s well schooled indie bands, remains.
What next, with all your learning?
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Idrie, Youtube
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
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Tin Frog, Twitter
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Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
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A D Ward, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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World Without End, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
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Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Etienne, Chortle.com
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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FBC, finalgear.com
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Joycey, readytogo.net
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Robert Gavin, Twitter
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Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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John Robins, Comedian
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Mpf1947, Youtube
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Wharto15, Twitter
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Chez, Chortle.com
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Anamatronix, Youtube
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
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Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Gabrielle, Chortle.com
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Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Tokyofist, Youtube
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Stuart, Chortle
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
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Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Fairy Pingu, Twitter
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Peter Fears, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Brighton Argus
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Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Peter Ould, Youtube
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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Anon, westhamonline.com
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Peter Ould, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Bosco239, youtube
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Mini-x2, readytogo.net
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
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Sidsings000, Youtube
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
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Funday’schild, youtube.
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph