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

The Vinyl Villain — I've been included in a Top 100 list!!!Now its not the sort of list that ranks everyone from 1-100, so whether the organisers of the Top 100 indie music blogs for students felt I was worthy of being near the top or I just scraped in at #99 (or lower!... more info

Guardian Music — Originally published in the Guardian on 21 January 1985BRIXTONOn a Saturday night in the large and freezing Brixton Academy, four British pop bands raised an estimated £18,000 for the striking miners in a remarkable show that mixed political idealis... more info