Sound of Young Scotland

Been a bit busy over the past few weeks and haven't had much time to take care of business here at SoYS. Will have a couple of new posts up soon.
Promise!

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The Sound of Young Scotland button badges

Part of my collection of authenic Postcard Records related button badges.
Have had them almost since I first discovered the label all those years ago.
Photo also features the generic back cover artwork that some of the singles came in.
Image ©japanese forms

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Orange Juice : Salmon Fishing in New York (badge)

Orange Juice : Salmon Fishing in New York (button badge - circa 1984-85)

An artefact from my badge collection. I've had this authentic article for nigh on 30 years now. Also have with a few other Postcard Records related ones. I've already posted pics of these badges before but the quality wasn't up to much so I'm updating them. Expect to see some more shots here soon.
japanese forms

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A Trainspotter Writes...

This post previously appeared here in June, 2007. It's been updated with a better photograph.

image ©japanese forms

While packing some things the other day, I came across an old notebook in which I used to write lists and references of discs that I wanted to acquire. Inside this, I found some cuttings from long-binned copies of the NME.-I've no idea when this one was printed but I imagine it was in the early 90s or thereabouts. The cuttings were mostly lists that the magazine published of the ten most sought after / best releases by various bands or labels. There were Sonic Youth and Suicide lists among others and, amazingly, the one above featuring Postcard Records. Back then, I had marked the discs that I had in the list -correcting an error for the 'Simply Thrilled Honey' catalogue number- and, in my atrocious handwriting, added below the cat. N°, the title, and band name for Josef K's 'It's Kinda Funny' single that wasn't included in the list. In all, just a bit of paper but a nice little addition to the blog. The paper has yellowed a bit. Image also features Orange Juice's 'Love Sick / Blue Boy sleeve. japanese forms

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Simply Thrilled...

Simply Thrilled : The Preposterous Story of Postcard Records*

Well, I was indeed "simply thrilled" when I found this review copy of Simon Goddard's Postcard Records book in my letter box this morning. Would like to thank Maria Hughes at Random House for sending it to me. Will be writing/posting a review of the book very soon. Stay tuned!

image ©japanese forms

*Available @ Amazon

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The Jesus And Mary Chain : Riot!

The Jesus and Mary Chain - ‘Riot : North London Polytechnic, 15/3/85’
Box set includes 2 postcards & 3 button badges.

Fierce Panda Recordings - Fright046A
image ©japanese forms

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On my desk - A Scene in Between

'A Scene In Between' by Sam Knee

A ‘must-have’ book for anyone at all interested in UK indie music in the 80s. Features lots a photos of SoYS’s favourites: Orange Juice, Josef K, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Pastels, etc. [image ©japanese forms]

Grateful thanks to Gianni Motti Assistant & Outrelenoir for this wonderful gift.

Original photo credits: ©James Finch (left) ©BRT/RTBF (right)

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Nyah Fearties : 'Skud' Tour

Nyah Fearties : Geein’ it laldy

European ‘Skud’ Tour (circa 1994-1995)
Collection : japanese forms

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Dora Maar : 'Dora Marr' - tape

Well, as we plod on towards the end of 2013, with everyone and anyone making their -often predictable- end of the year 'best of' lists, it was a nice surprise this week to get acces to two extremely enjoyable recordings hailing from Bonnie Scotland. The first one is a recording from yesteryear; of one of the mighty Orange Juice's very early concerts at Glasgow Technical College in 1980 (more about this at a later date), and the other one is the debut release from Dora Maar.
No, not the Dora Maar, French photographer, poet and painter who is, unfortunately, better known for having been one of Picasso's lovers than for her own work, but a young band from Leith, Edinburgh. A place I don't really know much about except that it's a port/docks area in Edinburgh and that (in)famous Scots novelist, Hibernian F.C. fan, Irvine Welsh grew up there. In fact, the very few times I've ever visited the place it would have been to see football games between the Hibees and Rangers F.C. Way back in the day when I was interested in football. A time when clubs didn't even have sponsors' names on their shirts so you can imagine how long ago that was.
 Anyhow, according to their press release, the band is made up of "two Andrews, an Erika and a Liam". I'm not really sure who plays what in the band but I'm certain that it's one of the male members on vocals. From the very, and wee bit ramshackle, start it's clear whom the band's influences are. In fact, they could have called this release, en hommage, 'A Postcard From Leith' as they sound and appear to be highly influenced by early ('80/'81) Postcard Records' bands Josef K and Orange Juice. Besides the 'Postcard' influence there's also some Monochrome Set, Pastels, Vic Godard shaping their sound. Not to forget the Velvet Undergound which appears to me to be most visible on the opening 'Jessica Says' track. Starting off with jangly guitar, pounding drumbeat, followed by vocals that sound like a hybrid version of Edwyn Collins and Paul Haig, 'Jessica Says' has me thinking of a speeded-up version of VU's 'Stephanie Says'. This is followed by my favourite track 'The 'Fetch'', which commences with a militarylike drumbeat, laid back guitar, before the dulcet tones of the vocalist come to the forefront and, in spite of what sounds like a sorry tale of "punishment", delivers a beauty of a song.  'Anna Karina, 1965' is a close second fave; I'll put this down to it being, in my mind, the most Josef K-like track along with the sublime 'I Won't Be Back' which is the last track on this, too short, tape. Lots of varying influences doesn't mean lack of originality and Dora Marr have the spunk and promise of greater things to come.
At any rate; despite recording/mixing quality, which isn't that great but at the same time is definitely part of its charm, this is a very commendable and exciting debut release. So, if jangling guitars and compelling melodies are your thing, get your hands on a copy a.s.a.p.* (japanese forms)
* ‘Dora Maar’ is limited to an initial run of 50 hand-numbered, hand-stamped cassettes (download included) will be available from the band’s Bandcamp on 11 December 2013 (11.12.13, ya dig?). Further physical stockists TBA.
Dora Maar : Bandcamp
Dora Maar : Website
.................................................
Listen to 'Dora Marr' below

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Orange Juice : Love Sick / Blue Boy (original and reissue)

image © japanese forms

Orange Juice - Blue Boy / Lovesick - DUBH 934 - Postcard Records (1993)
Orange Juice - Blue Boy / Lovesick - PC 80 - 2 - Postcard Records (1980)

On the right the original Postcard Records' Lovesick / Blue Boy single by Orange Juice -which came in a wraparound sleeve. This was the second single released by the band on the label. The first pressing (above) had blue labels and the sleeve was hand-coloured by the band. A second pressing featured brown labels and a brown 'cowboy' sleeve. Apparently there were also a few mispressings issued with yellow and red labels and a white 'cowboy' sleeve.
On the left the reissue version released a few years later when Postcard re-emerged for a short spell in the early 90s. Artwork for both singles by Sharon Acker.

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drumming kitten

image © japanese forms
sound of young scotland @ flickr

Postcard Records of Glasgow, in the early 80s, used one of Louis Wain's cat drawings as their logo. Blue version by japanese forms.

glasgow, postcard records, kitten, logo, sound of young scotland, japanese forms,

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