Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · 23d

Feature: James Yorkston unites First Kit and Cardigans @jksoderberg @theninapersson @jamesyorkston @dominorecordco

James Yorkston / Nina Persson / Johanna Söderberg

If you travel from Fife across the North Sea, you can get straight to Sweden. Although this may not be the route James Yorkston took on the way to his latest collaboration.

www.isthismusic.com

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · 26d

Video of the week: Peter Cat - 'Mango Season'

Video of the week: Peter Cat – ‘Mango Season’

To prove that it's never too late to catch onto a good thing, here's the new-ish video from innovative Glasgow act Peter Cat.

www.isthismusic.com

1

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Sep 8

Festival review: Outwith, Dunfermline Pittencrieff Park, Saturday 7th September 2025 @outwithfestival

Outwith Festival

"Are The Skids playing?" is the response when I tell a pal I'm off to an all-day festival in Dunfermline.

www.isthismusic.com

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Sep 5

Gig review: The Burning Hell / Jon McKiel, Glasgow Nice n Sleazy, Wednesday 3rd September 2025 @theburninghellband @jon_mckiel_ @nicensleazy

The Burning Hell / Jon McKiel

There are of course many parallels to be drawn between Scotland and Canada.

www.isthismusic.com

2 2

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Aug 21

Feature: Terry Edwards - stepping into the spotlight

Terry Edwards

They are the unsung heroes of music – the sidemen, the often uncredited musicians who are the backbone of pop, rock and jazz.

www.isthismusic.com

1

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Aug 3

Caught on Camera: The Grand Gestures w/Phill Jupitus @phillipjupitus5276 @vadundee @spare_snare

Caught on Camera: The Grand Gestures w/Phill Jupitus

Sadly the dodgiest-quality video from the The Grand Gestures show at Dundee's V&A was the one featuring Phill Jupitus performing 'The Sailor of Bari' - but still thoroughly worth a watch / listen. Subscribe to is this music?'s video channel

www.isthismusic.com

1

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Jul 28

Caught on Camera: The Grand Gestures w/Sanjeev Kohli @terminatorsanj @thegrandgestures

Caught on Camera: The Grand Gestures w/Sanjeev Kohli

🎤Another from our fan caught archive, this time with The Grand Gestures featuring Sanjeev Kohli performing his personal poem 'You To Me Are Everything'. Subscribe to is this music?'s video channel

www.isthismusic.com

1

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Jul 27

Caught on Camera: Robert Dallas Gray @robertdallasgray_music

Caught on Camera: Robert Dallas Gray

More footage from our fan-caught archive, this time with Robert Dallas Gray (of Life Without Buildings fame) performing the atmospheric 'Come Home' at Leith Depot to launch his own new solo album. Subscribe to is this music?'s video channel

www.isthismusic.com

1 2

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Jul 27

Archive feature: Finiflex - looking to the future @finitribe_

Finiflex

Never look back, they say. And Edinburgh electronic combo Finiflex are taking that adage to heart.

www.isthismusic.com

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Jul 26

Caught on camera: Spare Snare @vadundee @spare_snare

Caught on camera: Spare Snare

First in a hopefully bountiful series of scratchy fan-shot live video from gigs that itm? has been out and about at. Spare Snare, along with The Grand Gestures, played Dundee's V&A in July '25 to celebrate the 33 1/3 birthday of their Chute Records label. Subscribe to is this music?'s video channel

www.isthismusic.com

1 1

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Jul 20

Gig review: Sparks, Edinburgh Playhouse, Friday 18th July 2025 @sparks_official @edinplayhouse

Sparks

The first time I was at a Sparks show was just over 30 years ago - also in Edinburgh, but at the Usher Hall.

www.isthismusic.com

1

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Jul 13

Feature: Paul Vickers / The Leg - Lunatic fringe @twonkeyverse @the_leg_band @___px4m___

Paul Vickers / The Leg

Inspiration for a musician can come in take many forms – politics and the state of the world, life and death, or just all-out hedonistic fun.

www.isthismusic.com

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Jul 11

Feature: Sparks - It's a Mad Mad Mad Mael world

Sparks

If ever there was a band whose carer was summed up in a song title, it’d be the opening track from the latest Sparks album, ‘MAD!’.

www.isthismusic.com

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Jul 11

Feature: M. John Henry - Industrial music

M. John Henry

Lanarkshire is probably known for two things – its industrial heritage, and its rich array of musical talent.

www.isthismusic.com

2 4

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Jul 8

Gig review: Spare Snare / The Grand Gestures, Chute 33.3 @ Dundee V&A, Monday 7th July 2025 @spare_snare @vadundee

Spare Snare / The Grand Gestures

With so many acts reliving their pasts with the flimsiest of excuses (e.g. divorce settlements), you can forgive Spare Snare's Jan Burnett for luring fans of the band to hometown Dundee

www.isthismusic.com

1 1 2

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Jun 9

Gig review: The Get Up Kids / Lakes, Glasgow St Luke's, Sunday 8th June 2025 @ourbandlakes @thegetupkids @stlukesglasgow

The Get Up Kids / Lakes

What is emo?

www.isthismusic.com

1

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Jun 2

Gig review: Jorja Smith, Glasgow O2 Academy, Monday 26th May 2025 @jorjasmith_ @o2academygla

Jorja Smith

Despite the evening starting off with a cool, breezy air - a stark contrast to the sunshine that dominated the week before - the atmosphere outside the O2 Academy was anything but dull.

www.isthismusic.com

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Jun 1

Archive feature: Wojtek The Bear - Perfectly reasonable

Wojtek The Bear

For aspiring musicians, getting featured by the press is a pretty essential factor in ‘making it’ in the business.

www.isthismusic.com

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · May 31

Archive feature: A Certain Ratio - Unfinished business

A Certain Ratio

Sometimes, it’s good to get back to basics. But for Manchester act A Certain Ratio this means entering rather uncharted territory.

www.isthismusic.com

1

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · May 30

Archive feature: Xmal Deutschland - summoning Goth's godmother @xmaldeutschland_official

Xmal Deutschland

Nowadays they’re part of society’s furniture – out and about in shops and pubs as well as in graveyards – but in the 1980s the Goth subculture was new and striking.

www.isthismusic.com

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · May 26

Feature: The Supernaturals - Smiling again @supernaturalsband

The Supernaturals

You might imagine that there’s something of a Britpop revival going on, with Oasis reforming, and Pulp going one better with new material.

www.isthismusic.com

1 1

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Apr 18

Feature: F.O. Machete

F.O. Machete

There’s no such thing as bad publicity, goes the old saying, and Natasha Noramly and Paul Mellon would certainly agree.

www.isthismusic.com

1

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Apr 18

Feature: Henge

Henge

Plenty of acts over the years have described their sound as “space rock” – but only a select few claim to have their roots in another part of the universe.

www.isthismusic.com

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Apr 16

Feature: Beautiful Cosmos

Beautiful Cosmos

Vinyl’s revival is all the rage now with the format shifting its highest units since 1990 and indie shops opening around the UK.

www.isthismusic.com

is this music? @isthismusic.bsky.social · Apr 15

Feature: Constant Follower @constantfollower

Constant Follower

It’s often said that music can be a healing process but for Steven McAll – the frontman and songwriter behind Constant Follower – it’s much more than that.

www.isthismusic.com