Guardian Music — Deaf Institute, Manchester"Is everyone alright up there?" asks Roddy Frame, eyeing the venue's miniscule balcony. "It's just like the Palladium in here." Hardly, but the Scottish singer-songwriter has been daring to dream ever since his old band Azte... more info

The Vinyl Villain — I thought long and hard about this.Do I include five songs from just the one solo album from 2003 that James Kirk has released?  Or do I include tracks he recorded in the 80s under the moniker of Memphis??  Either way, the songs would make this a m... more info

The Vinyl Villain — Back in April this year the world of Scottish music lost one it’s unsung heroes to cancer.David Band, who designed record sleeves for Altered Images, Aztec Camera and Spandau Ballet died aged 51.All of the early singles by Altered Images including ... more info

Guardian Music — November 1983: Number 28 in our series of the 50 key events in the history of indie musicI wrote This Charming Man for a John Peel session. I just leapt out of bed and wrote it. It was the culmination of trying to find a way of playing that was non-r... more info

Guardian Music — As Google celebrates the 96th anniversary of the guitar legend's birth, Michael Hann picks his three favourite electric guitarsAnyone who has seen Google's rather brilliant working guitar doodle will know that Les Paul would have been 96 today. And e... more info

Guardian Music — From the luscious Les Paul to the glorious Gretsch, here are my three favourite electric guitar models. What are yours?Les Paul would have been 96 today. And even now, nearly a century after his birth (and two years after he died), his name is synony... more info

The Vinyl Villain — The dilemma today.  This boy wonders whether I should go for tracks from what I consider to be bona-fide LPs by Aztec Camera and exclude some LPs recorded and released by an act of that name which were in fact really Roddy Frame solo records backed ... more info

Guardian Music — 'Rousing orch-folk' is what we noted when we saw this lot play live. Yes, we took notes. We don't do that for just any bandHometown: London.The lineup: Ralph Pelleymounter (vocals, acoustic guitar), Josh Platman (bass), Jon Willoughby (drums), Ian Du... more info

Aquarium Drunkard — Whatever it is about Scotland that makes its songwriters singularly smart devotees of pop music, it has continued unabated for some time. Alongside the power-pop titans of Teenage Fanclub and twee-minstrels of Belle and Sebastian stands Roddy Frame, ... more info

The Vinyl Villain — The subject of yesterday's post - Scritti Politti - would find fame and fortune after departing Rough Trade Records for Virgin Records.A similar outcome befell Aztec Camera after they left Rough Trade for a major.I don't think I'm alone in thinking ... more info