Since I first encountered Altres' Brian Hutton by chance on a cycle track near Broughty Ferry in 2004, a meeting that led to me seeing my first Dundee "indie" band and being so bowled over, I just had to see what else the city had to offer in terms of original bands, I've been a passionate advocate of the Dundee Unsigned Music Scene - and those that got signed too - which eventually branched out into the Scottish Unsigned Scene in general, and then even outside of Scotland - for those bands that could match up!
I've written about them, been to many hundreds of gigs, organised, promoted, advertised and ran hundreds of gigs and a few festivals in the city at nearly all the major independent music venues, been a consistent and geuninely forthright advocate of the bands' and artists' music, and have even been given the chance to promote all the music via my ongoing weekly radio show on Radio North Angus,"The Sound", that's now actually streamed live every Saturday via their website.
A change in my working hours meant that, since start of 2010 I don't get to nearly as many gigs as I used to, something the medical people responsible for the well being of my hearing, will at least be breathing a sigh of relief about, but I still try to cover what I can - because I enjoy the ones I know and I still want to "discover" the ones I don't.
This site has always been meant to satisfy my desires to write and to present you with a gateway towards some fantastic bands and their songs & music - to that end, it still fulfills its function. Never intended to be anything above its station, I hope that what you see here will continue to be informative, interesting and entertaining.
Concert Reviews Venues - Dundee (& Beyond...) Dead Earnest Myspace site
Radio North Angus: Playlists for my Saturday Show" Scottish Unsigned (mainly) Artist & Bands' CD Reviews
Scottish Unsigned Bands "Download-Only" Reviews
The Bang- New young band on the scene with incredibly strong vocalist, almost Ian Cutris-esque, and a stunning set of songs with twin guitars and very adept and explosive young female drummer
The Balaclava Models - New young trio already causing a stir in Dundee with their mix of razor sharp songs that mix The View, The Clash & The Ramones with explosively addictive ska-laced punk rock effect.
The Boy Orchestra - Powerful dual-guitar fuelled indie intricacy, dynamic, addictive, with more twists than Hampton Court Maze
Cha Cha Heels - Sort of indie meets Rocky Horror Show cabaret with rock and pop overtones or think Hawkwind meets the B52's!!
Colour Coded - strong, flowing songs with ringing guitar, soaring heartfelt vocals and solid arrangements
Dave? - Trio with a kind of electrified Dylan injected with a dose of Television adrenaline and topped off with a contemporary indie hunger
Deadlight Red - incl a keyboard player, surging indie songs with a powerful twin guitar attack, ranging from indie anthems through strident ballads to contemporary indie-rock bite
Dormant Figure - almost Krautrock-meets-Velvets as a solid surge of electric guitar-led indie-rock oddness with a commercial heart, riffing guitars, upfront bass, sense of menace and lashings of weirdness to the lyrics
The Eddies - blistering punk rock with a heart of classic rock
Endeavour - slow-burning,low-key atmospheric indie songs
14 Miles From Home - surging Scottish indie-rock with angst,emotion, dynamics, intricacies, soaring arrangements, hot guitars, choppy rhythms and classic Scottish lead vocals
General Judgement - the more relaxed face of contemporary indie songwriting displaying wide range of emotions on shorter tracks of quality and distinction
Hanney - Mighty industrial-punk hybrid for the dancefloor
Hazey Janes - Quality songs with a touch of Americana and strong folk-rock, a sort of Fleetwood Mac for the contemporary generation.
Hennisi- the new millennium face of space-rock injected with a strong indie power, distinctive vocals, insanely catchy rock riffing and beefy, flowing arrangements.
iDrivehome - rollercoaster approach to indie songwriting and arranging as distinctively Scottis band explode into action with harmonies, rolling rhythms, surging guitars and engaging vocals on forceful, emotive songs
Isis - Stunningly catchy songs from powerful indie pop-punk-rockers ft Zara on vocals - the real face of punk in that they do what they do regardless of trend, commerce or expectation.
Killing Floor -electrifying blues-rock as modern indie with a manguid vocalist and a red hot electric slide guitarist - will blow you away!
Paula Knight - when she rocks, there's few to touch her, but she exhibits a softer side, too, as well as being one of the finest guitarists in Dundee
The Law - The nu-Beatles for the modern generation
Lord Luken- More Americana sounding band with a seriously good set of solid songs, great harmonies and soaring guitar work
Lost City Soul - Alan Turner's new band focusing on strong songs from anthemic to almost Oasis-esque delivered with Alan's distinctive vocal, full of emotion and a tight, flowing band
Love Susan - Female fronted indie pop with a cabaret styled quality to the songs and singing, but deceptively addictive
Make Sparks - Formerly Secrets We've Told and now back with an energetic set of solid indie songs
Mass Concensus - Mix of jazz, reggae, indie and rock with a strong vocalist, well arranged songs and tight instrumnetally
Maxwells Dead - primarily driving punk-rock songs with a wry lyrical talent
Non Zero - driving indie grunge rock with a melodic heart and angst-riden vocals
Panic By Flare - Dundee's answer to Americana punk-pop a la Blink 182, only these guys are way more solid, more electrifying and ooze songwriting talent from every pore
Small Feet Little Toes - electro-acoustic trio feat Rachel Anderson with songs from heartwarming to quirky.
Rush Hour Soul - solid, instant Oasis-esque songs from powerful indie trio
Seams - almost like the fiery angular indie rock of The Floor only possessing a young female vocalist who's got more than a touch of the Bjork's about her
Spare Snare - Dundee's answer to a contemporary indie song-based version of Faust-era Krautrock
Stoor - Dundee's answer to a cross between Talking Heads and A.F.T
3 Times Over - off-the-wall, complex, powerful and mighty indie band with somgs that really take you by the throat and sink in to your consciousness
The Twist - worthy muscial successors to The View - simple as that, really
The View - The nu face of contemporary catchy indie rock-pop
The Wildhouse -"A space-rock Velvet Underground-meets-Krautrock" for the now generation"
Excellent Cadaver - the Dundee kings of mixing thrash metal with classic rock and surging songs that are hammered out with the efficiency of a wrecking ball
Fake - hardriving rock with emphasis on songs and strong cohesive band playing
Hikari Rising - female fronted metal band with an unusually mid-ranged vocalist, powerful songs and solid classic rock tendencies
Indica - champions of stoner rock anthems delivered with a soul of sensitivity and electric guitar crystalline purity
Paula Knight - Dundee's leading female multi-instrumentalist/vocalist in AOR, Morissette influenced guise or solo.
Masonic Abyss - not only Dundee's but Scotland's new face of Marilyn Manson, all injected with searing heat dual guitrs, industrial strength rhythms and the amazing vocals of Serotonin
Millsyeck - tight and driving, unique brew of indie anthems, seventies-esque blues-rock and searing '80's-'90's electric guitar-driven metal
Pariah -Metallica-esque intelligent hardcore eruption that fires out thrash, Classic Rock and metal at the same time.
SAZ
SAZ Myspace
Potentially the most addictive metal-punk crossover band in Dundee. Including the unique frontline of two female lead singers and female bassist, they are visually mesmerising with immediate hard-rockin'songs.
Silent Nothing - Dundee's answer to Heart in some ways as female vocal-led rock band deliver commercial and cohesive with strength and power
a contemporary indie song-based version of Faust-era Krautrock
Swordmaster - instrumental metal of the highest quality.
3rd Born Sun - The long-awaited return of the supercharged, ultra heavy and intense hardcore metal gods
Box - the "out there" electronic music project of Neil McIntee
K Fox - Electronic indie songs in a kind of Depeche Mode-goes-indie vein
Rachel Anderson - the unique and wonderful voice, songs and guitar playing that is Rachel!
Small feet Little Toes - new trio formed by Dundee singer Rachel Anderson
Arkanna - diminutive female with "out there" attitude to singer-songwriting
Sarah Coloso - mid-range vocalist with great delivery on intelligent and well executred songs.
Esperi - deeply introspective acoustic songs and instrumental excursions
Mr Gavin McGinty - Ex Magdalen Green lead singer/guitarist with strong and emotive story-telling songs
Airspiel - Flowing songs with emotive vocals, strong harmonies and stirring guitar work
Alfonzo - Glasgow indie band with solid, straight-ahead, memorable songs.
Amid Concrete & Callousness - mixing complexity, commerciality and surging indie-rock with an added depth and strength from some amazing arranging and playing, all topped off with stunning songs
Annie Stevenson - bizarrely named Glasgow indie band with great bassist, strong songs and a solid sense of playing and arrangement
Any Colour Black - red hot duo of electric guitars with programmed backing and a stunning female vocal that blazes a solid indie inferno of Jesus and Mary Chain-meets-pop rock in a hurricane.
The Arguments - relaxed and strong songs from rhythm 'n' soul band
Be A Familiar - Sort of mix of Bjork, ELO and Broken Records
Beatnic Prestige - mix of mod a la Jam, punk and modern day indie, with insistent and consistent songs which are instant and long-lived enjoyment
Bronto Skylift - grungy mix of early Nirvana, Ghosts of Progress and Fire & I - hot and fiery
Call To Mind - unique indie band with high-register male vocals that are so out there, the world needs to wake up just to see them fly - songs that you die for
Copy Haho - indie rock but not as we know it
The Draymin - soon-to-be huge, modern day potential best selling indie band that's up there with the likes of Fratellis, Killers, Kaiser Chiefs and similar.
Dropkick - Sort of Americans meets Scottish indie with jangly guitars and flowing songs
Emerald Sunday - Kirriemuir's fast-rising indie-rock band that are genuinely a combination of the two as the set of recent songs serves to testify
Endor - perfect mix of emotive indie songwriting, commercial potential and solid electro-acoustic playing
Farewell Singapore - one of the very finest female-fronted Scottish indie bands that can mix disstinctively Scottish vocals with stunningly addictive, quirky songs, jangly guitars, soaring riffinf, textural guitar shimmer and strong rhythms, all on songs that can do no wrong
The Fire And I - the most amazing band on the whole Scottish indie scene by virtue of the fact that they are just bass, drums and vocals, playing real songs and not making you miss anything else that you might expect to be there
Frightened Rabbit - Selkirk's one man anthemic army of gloriously fullsounding Scottish indie songs that are simply electrifying
Ghosts Of Progress - amazing duo of electric guitars and vocals, the vocalist playing kick drum and cymbal with his foot. Play this massive balst of indie, blues and rock with awesome guitar work and irresistible rhythms.
Healthy Minds Collapse - Indie band with grungy, Foo Fighters-esque tendencies who write shit hot songs and perform stunning concerts
The Hype - a sort of solid, almost punky indie band who manage to inject a strong flavour of Stone Roses into a fine set of quality compositions
Le Reno Amps - almost country-punk with solid indie leanings and some great songs plus stunning guitar work
Little Kicks - strident indie-rock with a taste of Americana & Talking Heads, real strength and direction
Maya 29 - female fronted band standing between rock and indie
Louise McVey & Cracks In The Concrete - former Hamper vocalist's new band with warm, atmospheric and deep songs and arrangements
My Fallen Idea - Young indie band with a sound that belies their age, songs and arrangements that verge on the mature and confident in concert
Playtone multi-faceted indie band from Glasgow capable of making hard-hitting surging songs sound every bit as intense as the more introspective slower songs, as the vocals take hold, the guitars fire up and soar back down on songs that are higly engaging
Quiver & The Ladysnatchers - distinctive band from the start of every song delivering harmony-laden indie folk-rock with an almost early Luva Anna icing on a surging bed of adictive songwriting
The Ray Summers - reinventing the sixties Woodstock era in a contemporary indie setting
Sonnet 65 - solid to tender, driving mix of indie, folk and prog-rock with violinist and strong songs
The Trade - Forfar band with strong, catchy solid indie songs, a pssionate, raw-voiced stunner of a vocalist, solid playing, surging guitars, and songs that reach huge heights of rock-indie magic
Val Verde - Dunfermline's sensational mix of contemporary indie, songwriting passion and Americana-esque guitars
We Were Promised Jetpacks - from all-out attack to solid shimmering sections with wide-eyed guitars, a veritable roar of distinctively Scottish vocal and guitar attack with attention to detail
The Wyre - seventies influenced band with quality songs and lots of instrumental excursions, brought up to date.
The Xcerts - solid indie anthems with distinctive vocalist from hot Fife trio
Attica Rage - Dual guitar driven killer of a rock band with power, dynamics and seventies influences from Scorpions to Motorhead to Priest.
The Colony - jaw-dropping power on real songs sung with intensity and passion from a band who will blow you away
Dead At The Scene - hardcore metal with variation, range and dynamics, unafraid to go quiet and show that they can really sing and compose
Firebrand Superrock - fiery female fronted Classic metal
Forevervoid - roaring metal band in a hinterland between classic metal and harder edged elements.
Here Lies A Warning - from all-out hardcore metal blitz to dynamic complex songs.
Jack Glass - heavy metal with a mixed '70's and '90's style from all-round quality rocking band
Marvel Heights - solid rocking songs with female vocals, storming guitars and rhythms plus a commercial sense of songwriting that really takes hold
The Other Side - Fife blues-rock maestros with tasty songs and searing guitar work
Retract The Accolade - Red hot contemporary rock band from Montrose area who really whip up a metal storm but with real songs and strong vocals
Siphon Plane - Glasgow metal band with Metallica leanings but managing to introduce their own fiery originality in there too
Sol Diablos - Strong, straight and streaming hard rock of a Classic variety from powerful and commercial Glasgow band
Soul Remover - electrifying "classic rock" band that tick all the boxes
Storm In A D Cup - all female mix of classic rock and metal, more Pat Benatar-esque rock than firepower metal.
Supercharger - fiery mix of psychedelic metal and hard driving classic rock with storming riffs and red hot lead guitars
Syth - ultra heavy Classic Rock metallers from Glasgow
Thirteenseven - sort of Scottish King's X with Led Zep touches and songwriting that mixes contemporary flavours with classic rock tendencies
Thula Borah - even though they can provide surging anthems, this band mainly rocks with a blazing intensity that few can manage on compositions that are outside of indie and rock categorisation
Twin Atlantic - seriously intense mix of rock and indie delivered with passion, firepower and the commercial mix of emo and hardcore
Vantage Point - Iron Maiden/Judas Priest styled classic metal
Wired Desire - Classic Rock with an AC/DC twist from red hot metal band
Shock And Awe - Ramones-esque punk rockers from Edinburgh
Broken Records - wondrous mix of Dundee's A Forest, The Levellers and ELO with more intesnity and an indie-rock base
Dropkick - the Scottish kings of quality Americana-laced compositions with all manner of quality dual guitar work on harmony-laden, sung-to-perfection songs of the highest quality
Electra Myspace - the most quality vocal in female rock and song
Inner Sight - powerful new twist on heavy duty space-rock as 7 piece band get set for world takeover
Gerry Jablonski & The Electric Band - Scotland's finest purveyor of electric blues-rock bringing new life to a tired genre
Modus - unashamedly sixties styled modern indie band with fantastic female vocalist.
Pearl & The Puppets - wondrous femsle vocalists that lifts you up snd lays you down on songs that are ethereal strength personified, backed by a flowing electro-acoustic band.
The Ray Summers - Falkirk band who've come straight out of '69-era Woodstock into the indie noughties keeping both worlds intact.
Joe Viterbo indie-ska with power and passion on songs that recognise few barriers
Modus - Edinburgh's finest '60's influenced soulful R'n'B band with a contemporary indie twist.
RBRBR - chilled out 'n' bluesy progressive dancefloor
Root System - Fife's finest ska band guaranteed to get the floors shakin'
Panda Su - female electro-acoustic singer songwriter somewhere between Esperi (musically) and Pearl & The Puppets (vocally)
Shoshana - Powerful voiced singer who oozes strong songs, confidence and passion
Beth Wilmshurst - Pure , powerful and sultry voiced singer-songwriter