Aereogramme – THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN

SATURDAY’S SCOTTISH SONG :#5 : AEREOGRAMME

Aereogramme were a Scottish alternative/post-rock rock band from Glasgow, consisting of Craig B. (vocals, guitar), Iain Cook (guitar, programming), Campbell McNeil (bass) and Martin Scott (drums).

Formed in April 1998, the band released two 7″ singles in 1999 before signing the following year to Chemikal Underground on which they released two EPs and two LPs over a three-year period before a short-lived move to Undergroove Records in 2003 for whom they released their third LP.

By 2006, Aereogramme were back at Chem (as the Glasgow-based label is affectionately known) and their fourth, and what turned out to be their final LP, was released in January 2007 just a few months before they called it a day with the following message to all and sundry:-

“ It is with heavy hearts that we tell you all that Aereogramme have decided to split up. Reasons are multiple and complex. It is however fair to say that the never-ending financial struggle coupled with an almost superhuman ability to dodge the zeitgeist have taken their toll, ensuring that we just don’t have any fight left in us.

We are immensely proud of the four albums that we made over the past seven years. We hope that they continue to grow in your hearts. We plan to honour and celebrate the beautiful friendships we have made along the way with these final shows over the summer.”

The band then saw out various contractual obligations on the gigging front and played their last ever show at the Connect Festival in the Highland town of Inverary on 31 August 2007.

Iain Cook and Craig B. have since formed another successful and highly regarded band, The Unwinding Hours with two critically acclaimed albums released by Chem in 2010 and 2012 but more recently Cook has found more fame and a little fortune as a member of Chvrches.

As for the other two past members of Aereogramme, Martin Scott is the tour manager for Biffy Clyro while Campbell McNeil works in the same capacity with Chvrches.

I was very late in discovering Aereogramme with my first exposure coming via a Chemikal Underground compilation LP around the time of their final material.

More fool me.

Other than the compilation material, there’s just one rather splendid single – Barriers – from 2006 in the cupboard and I thought that given the b-side is otherwise unavailable to showcase that as this weekend’s Scottish song:-

mp3 : Aereogramme – Dissolve

Enjoy

Aberfeldy, Aereogramme, Aidan Moffat & The Best Ofs, Alan Rankine, Aloha Hawaii

SATURDAY’S SCOTTISH SINGLE (Parts 1-5)

Back on 8 October 2011, I started a series called ‘Saturday’s Scottish Single’. The aim was to feature one 45 or CD single by a Scottish singer or band with the proviso that the 45 or CD single was in the collection. I had got to Part 60-something and as far as Kid Canaveral when the rug was pulled out from under TVV.

I’ll catch up soon enough by featuring 5 at a time from the archives..

(1) Aberfeldy : Vegetarian Restaurant b/w What You Do : Rough Trade 7″ (2003)

Read more about Alan Rankine here

(5) Aloha Hawaii – Towns On The Moon b/w I’ve Been Bad For Years and Years b/w Untitled Third Track : Chemikal Underground 10″ (2008)

This is what the record label said upon its release:-

The brainchild of our very own Aidan Moffat and Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite, Aloha Hawaii will, according to the two protagonists themselves, be bringing you random releases of sonic experimentalism as and when they can be arsed. I’ll leave it to their self-penned press release to explain exactly where they’re coming from with this…

Aloha Hawaii is the result of at least a decade of (often drunken) planning that has finally come to some form of fruition: to record any kind of sounds that please our four ears whenever we have the time, inspiration and enthusiasm. There is no game-plan, no style, no genre; anything that makes us smile will make it onto our records, which will take the form of sporadic, vinyl-only singles to be released on any record label willing to accommodate us over the next year or two. The first label to support our efforts will be our good friends, Chemikal Underground, who release the 10″ single Towns On The Moon b/w I’ve Been Bad For Years And Years on September 8th 2008.

There will be no digital formats whatsoever.
This could be a statement about the cheapening of an art-form in a world of disposable download culture or it could simply mean that we’re interminably old-fashioned and hopelessly out of date. We also reserve the right to change our minds.

These five are a bit of a mixed bag and are meant to reflect the series’ aim to have lesser known stuff posted. I will say however, that if you’re not familiar with it, I recommend you give the Aereogramme single a listen as it’s an absolute belter.

Enjoy!!