Subcity's "What's In My Bag" by Cara McKean & Fin Logie

For our second instalment of What's In My Bag, follow Cara McKean (host of Clockwork Orange and member of the support and programmes team) and Fin Logie (host of No Soap) as they take us through their fantastic discoveries journeying through Glasgow's record shops!

Cara: Rickie Lee Jones - Rickie Lee Jones - Missing Records

I felt a bit clueless walking into Missing Records due to their huge selection, but my Dad recommended Rickie Lee Jones’ 1979 debut album. With it being £4 I took a punt and am glad I trusted his judgment!
This album contains an artful blend of some skip in your step songs, such as the opening track ‘Chuck E’s in Love’ (written about her pal, Charles Edward Weiss) alongside some more mellow, thoughtful and visceral songwriting (as seen in the hazy track ‘night train’ & reminiscent ‘on Saturday afternoons in 1963’) all paired with unique Americana / R&B / pop/ jazz infused sounds.
This self titled album was foundational for building Rickie Lee Jones’ career and subsequent status as a respected songwriter. I think it makes for a perfect record to spin on a slow, sunny morning as you fry your eggs or sip your tea.
Rickie Lee Jones feels reflective of Joni Mitchell as well as Shawn Colvin, Joanna Newsom, Tori Amos or Suzanne Vega, whom I think she’s helped pave the way for.
I enjoyed this blind buy and now intend to explore Rickie Lee Jone’s discography more, especially her following accalimed albums ‘Pirates’ and ‘Flying Cowboys.’ She just exudes coolness in this album cover and I really want her hat as well.

Fin: Faust IV - Faust - Fopp

I’ve been searching for this record for a long time and I think it’s finally had a reissue so now I’m finding copies in every record shop in town - feels like waiting ages for a bus and then loads coming along all at once. This album was my first proper foray into the world of Krautrock - for some reason I’d had this notion that most of that genre was either static, ordered synth pop or indulgent psych-rock jams. Hearing the track ‘Jennifer’ for the first time a few years ago completely changed my perspective and opened up my mind to the diversity of sound and the far reaching influence of the music that came out of that time and place - I’m still constantly discovering the real expanse of it all. I remember being mesmerised by the droning repetitive bass lines and poetic accented singing on this album. There’s a great fan-made video on Youtube of ‘Jennifer’ set to scenes from the film Christiane F. and those images capture the atmosphere of that song so well, with its vivid lyricism and mellow rhythm. This is a beautiful record and I’m very happy to finally own a copy.

Fin: Wesley’s Convertible Tape For The South - April Magazine - Missing Records

I was excited to find this record by April Magazine in Missing Records - that place is vast and it sometimes feels like you can be digging around for hours before you strike gold, but I lucked out on finding this one pretty much straight away. These guys are from San Francisco and they make what’s sometimes termed ‘fog pop’ - it kind of sounds like The Velvet Underground shrouded in tape hiss with the low-end bumped all the way up. The first song I heard by them was ‘Pink Hair’ from their record If The Ceiling Were A Kite: Vol. 1., which is a muffled spoken word track with a shoegazey soundscape background. This record is similar to that, but feels a bit more symphonic with melancholic hazy waltzes interspersed. One track even has a kind of lofi club beat to it which I like a lot. Very glad to be adding this one to my collection.

Fin: Ruff Dog - Mica Levi - Missing Records

I had never listened to this record before, but I thought I’d take a chance on it because it was only £4 and I tend to love all of Mica Levi’s undertakings. I first knew of them as the composer for Under the Skin - I watched that film for a course at uni and I remember the intense darkness of the score really stood out to me. I only later discovered that they make more guitar-based music too. On the recommendation of my friend Alex, I got really into their band Good Sad, Happy Bad a few years ago and then also discovered their project Spresso off the back of that. They’re extremely prolific - I play selections from their various projects all the time on my show, so I’m really looking forward to properly sinking into this album.

Gordon: I can't help myself (long version), B side tongues begin to wag + barbecue, POSPX 522, 12" single - Orange Juice - Missing Records

Featuring an extra special guest: Dad/ uncle / musician / all round absolute legend, Gordon, who opted to get an Orange Juice single to add to his eclectic and ever growing record collection.

“ I like ‘What Presence’ (the OJ song) as it’s got such an infectious wee groove with some great guitar playing (and a lyric in the fist verse that I bet Morrissey wished he’d written). To coin a Glasgow phrase, it sounds ‘pure gallus’ (which is very Edwyn really.)”

Cara: Titanic Rising - Weyes Blood - Monorail.

Honorary mention to the record I bought in mono the day before: the one & only ‘Titanic Rising’ by Weyes Blood (stage name of Natalie Merring.) I probably wouldn’t have splashed on this if not for the few pints I’d had and encouragement of financial irresponsibility from my friend but I’m so thrilled to finally own this album (although, I forgot to get a picture of it rip.) The monorail shop assistant also gushed with me about how great it was, what a legend. This is an album perhaps already familiar with many, but I think it’s popular for its authenticity and ability to so effortlessly scrape the soul of its listeners.

Titanic rising, along with the rest of Weyes blood’s discography, blends soft folk, chamber pop, psychedelica, alt rock and orchestral elements with progressive instrumentals to create a distinct, vast and addictive sound.
Mering has one of the most cathartic, beautiful and moving vocals, which combined with her powerful songwriting has created a truly special, entrancing and world building album. What I like about Weyes blood’s writing is I don’t think she tries to be elusive or overly clever, but just manages to hit the nail on the head with every line.

The underwater cover so perfectly encapsulates the experience of listening to this album. It will submerge you with the breathtaking opener ‘A lot’s gonna change’ before bashing you about against an unpredictable tide with the following tracks. However, as this album progresses and builds, you can feel yourself slowly swimming, pushing through waves, breaking shore, and coming up for air with the title track ‘Titanic rising’. You are then offered the opportunity to just float along, letting this peaceful, transparent stream of music wash all over you as it takes you where it wants to go.

I found this album during lockdown, when I felt so reflected in the cover art: a girl floating around inside her bedroom, however, through these tracks I was transported far far elsewhere. The album also follows themes of navigating life & love throughout apocalyptic times, making the timing of this discovery all the more relevant and providing an excellent way to process that unpredictable chaos. Ever since, this album has acted like a little nostalgic locket, which I can open back up at anytime and relive my adolescence through a simple listen. I think the timeless lyricism portrayed here also allows you to re- contextualise and reconnect with the album as you grow alongside it, giving it a somewhat ‘coming of age’ feel.
This is an album which I believe aims to preserve and perpetuate hope in the face of misery; much like the Titanic band’s courageous efforts as the ship slowly surrendered to it’s fate. Therefore, this album’s imminent pre-pandemic release does feel somewhat foreshadowing of the incoming perseverance required against such upheaval & uncertainty. In following years, at times when the world has indeed felt like a sinking ship, Titanic Rising is an album which I’ve consistently turned to, and it’s held my hand so tightly along the way.
The power of music to open your eyes, change your perspective and envision further possibilities cannot be understated. A song can reduce what we often spend lifetimes choking on in trying to articulate, into a piece of music, digestible within a few minutes of listening. This is what I think artists like Weyes blood have managed to do so admirably well.
I’m very thankful for such staple contemporary musicians like Weyes Blood, and can’t wait to play this record to death!

Cara: Electrelane, Single’s B-sides & Live, Cultivarium (Liège.)

Also, going a bit off track but I just wanted to mention the record / dvd / bookshop I visited in Liège, Belgium on the day that I’m now writing this up. If anyone happens to find themselves in Liège, I’d highly recommend a visit to ‘Cultivarium.’ It feels like you could spend hours getting lost in their selection of records & CD’s. To add to this, they have a wee greenhouse in the middle of the shop which you can sit in and listen to any CD or Record you like. We sat and listened to the A side of Teenage Fanclub’s ‘Bandwagonesque,’ to connect with my roots. I’d love to see more of this set up in Glasgow’s record shops, it was so fun!! I wanted a souvenir so was delighted to spot Electrelane’s 2006 ‘Single’s, B sides & Live’ compilation album hiding away in the racks. This CD looks like it’s been through a lot given its condition (unsure about that random bit of duct tape) but it was only €1.50 and I like to think it’s been passed on and enjoyed before it reached me.
I’ve just recently discovered and gotten into Electralane who are a four piece, all girl band from early 2000’s Brighton. I find they create a really fun, quirky, experimental indie rock vibe by incorporating elements of explosive elctro jazz funk as well. Their music will be sure to have your head boppin or feat tappin if you enjoy the likes of stereolab, broadcast, pram, horsegirl and kitty craft, before this album gets very noisy at the end. I actually discovered Electrelane through Horsegirl’s NTS radio show! Some stand out tracks for me on this collection are ‘I love You my Farfisa,’ ‘I want to be President,’ ‘I’ve been your fan since yesterday’ and ‘I only always think.’ Just the whole album at this point, really. I don’t actually have a CD player yet but I’ll find a solution for this soon!

That’s all from us! We then we rewarded ourselves with a few pints in old hairdressers after a hard days work. Thanks for coming along on this record shopping spree and for reading! Make sure to come along to the next ‘No Soap’ gig at Old Hairdressers, 6th March if you’re free!