The Downtown Lights

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 14) 01/04/12”...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:44:07 +0100

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 14) 01/04/12” to www.mixcloud.com - listen now!

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 13) 25/03/12”...

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:46:56 +0100

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 13) 25/03/12” to www.mixcloud.com - listen now!

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 12) 18/03/12”...

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 20:57:38 +0100

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 12) 18/03/12” to www.mixcloud.com - listen now!

I just uploaded “The HP Show (episode 11) 11/03/12”...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 18:17:14 +0100

I just uploaded “The HP Show (episode 11) 11/03/12” to www.mixcloud.com - listen now!

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 10) 04/03/12”...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:36:16 +0100

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 10) 04/03/12” to www.mixcloud.com - listen now!

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 9) 26/02/12”...

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 16:34:34 +0100

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 9) 26/02/12” to www.mixcloud.com - listen now!

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 8) 05/02/12”...

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:08:05 +0000

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 8) 05/02/12” to www.mixcloud.com - listen now!

Getting my Hogmanay started with this bad boy, random discovery...

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:53:00 +0000

Getting my Hogmanay started with this bad boy, random discovery of the year. Happy New Year y’all xo

My Favourite Albums of 2011

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:11:39 +0000

Yay, that time of year again. Allow me to force my own opinions and tastes on you dear reader. I’ll keep it brief, promise.

Please note: this list is in no particular order, its music I’m writing about not the fucking Premier League.

Adam Stafford - “Build a Harbor Immediately” Not only was this album released on groovy yellow cassette but it also contains “Fire & Theft” one of the best tunes of the year.

Metronomy - “The English Riviera” A perfect summer pop record. Quite sad I didn’t get to see them at T In The Park due to bad weather and drink (lots of drink).

Friendly Fires - “Pala” I’m including this record not because I think its as good or better than their first effort but this album sound tracked my runs round Arthurs Seat. I just took up running this year (running is fucking amazing by the way) and the songs on Pala are just the right tempo for a 40 min run, its also the right length.

Wilco - “The Whole Love” The strongest Wilco record in years, I love how confident and comfortable they sound on this album as demonstrated on “One Sunday Morning” where they just keep chipping away at that lovely refrain.

FOUND - “Factory Craft” Like a good wine FOUND just get better with every passing year. Factory Craft sees them take what appears to be a stylistic jump after the organic sound-scapes of “This Mess….” but if you check out the remixes and EPs in between its more of an evolution.

Jonnie Common - “Master of None” Is it Hip-Hop? Is it folk-tronica? Is it Electro pop? Is it Indie? Answer: none of the above. Its just fucking glorious. Never fails to put a smile on my face even after repeated listens.

We Were Promised Jet Packs - “In the Pit of the Stomach” Furious, epic, dark and angry. Just how I like my rock served. Bravo boys.

James Blake - “James Blake” A heart break album for the Dub-Step Generation. Pretty much listened to this on repeat when my relationship broke down at the start of the year, I owe this bugger a lot.

John Knox Sex Club - “Raise Ravens” The enigmatic Glasgow collective draw more on folk influences for their sophomore release but still keeping their Old Testament/Dooms Day fire and brim-stone rhetoric. They are fucking fantastic live as well.

Radiohead - “King of Limbs” Another delightful Radiohead record. Thom and the boys move the goal posts and piss off a lot of people who just don’t get it. Good work lads.

Rob St John - “Weald” A bit biased of me to add this due to it featuring some friends of mine but fuck it its a beautiful album.

Mogwai - “Hardcore will never die but you will” Best album title of the year. Great to hear the ‘gwai exploring new sounds and being just magnificent as usual.

Arctic Monkeys - “Suck it and see” Five years a go I didn’t care much for this band. I’ve now warmed to them and I think Alex Turner’s lyrics on this record are some of the wittiest I’ve heard in a while.

Edinburgh School For The Deaf - “New Youth Bible” This is such a cool record. They have blended their influences in to a magic sonic soup.

Battles - “Gloss Drop” Listening to this record is fun, the interplay and flowing of ideas is so well timed the whole thing could be one big long track. Sounds like the band were having the time of their lives making this album.

Over the Wall - “Treacherous” Yeah yeah I know it was released at the end of 2010 (its my blog and I make the rules, ok?). This album sound tracked the first half of 2011 for me. Its a fucking joyous celebration of being alive from start to finish.

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 7) 11/12/11”...

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:12:29 +0000

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 7) 11/12/11” to www.mixcloud.com - listen now!

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 6) 04/12/11”...

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:25:05 +0000

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 6) 04/12/11” to www.mixcloud.com - listen now!

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 5) Live Session...

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:27:00 +0000

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 5) Live Session Special” to www.mixcloud.com - listen now!

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 4) 20/11/11”...

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:27:54 +0000

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 4) 20/11/11” to www.mixcloud.com - listen now!

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 3) 13/11/11”...

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:10:03 +0000

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 3) 13/11/11” to www.mixcloud.com - listen now!

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 2) 06/11/11”...

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:43:16 +0000

I just uploaded “The HP Show (Episode 2) 06/11/11” to www.mixcloud.com - listen now!

I just uploaded “The HP Show 30/10/11” to...

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 01:13:24 +0000

I just uploaded “The HP Show 30/10/11” to www.mixcloud.com - listen now!

10 years a go this month I bought a half pint of lager on a...

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:15:34 +0100

10 years a go this month I bought a half pint of lager on a night out (I was a poor student). I got a ribbing from my mates who re-named me “Half Pint” it soon got shortened to “HP”. 10 years on the nickname has stuck. Happy Birthday “HP”.

Here’s a clip of me playing one of my tunes...

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:16:38 +0100

Here’s a clip of me playing one of my tunes “Saturday” at Carters bar a few weeks back. I’ll be playing a few open stage shows at the Fringe this coming month (keep an eye on Twitter/Facebook for details). I’m the host of The Live Lounge this coming Friday (29th July) at Electric Circus. On the bill: I Build Collapsible Mountains, FinLe Marinel, Debutant and Jonny Rapeseed. 7pm start, Free entry. Come along, its going to be a great night.

The Rewards of Exercise. I snapped this picture while out for a...

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 13:38:54 +0100

The Rewards of Exercise.

I snapped this picture while out for a run last night, I took a longer and more challenging route through Holyrood Park and was rewarded with this amazing sunset over Auld Reekie.

Two months ago I decided for my own good I should get fit so I started running. At first it was just around the block (about half a mile) and it nearly killed me. However, I stuck with it an I now do roughly 12 miles a week. I feel great, I sleep better most nights, I look better, my general mood is more positive, I want to eat more healthy foods (I’m having a salad as I write this) I can wear t-shirts that haven’t seen the light of day for two years or more, its bloody fantastic. Given the history of heart disease in my family its about time I started looking after my self a bit more.

This lovely photo of Hawick Town Hall at dawn is a test post for...

Sun, 29 May 2011 10:45:51 +0100

This lovely photo of Hawick Town Hall at dawn is a test post for the tumblr app for my phone. Im going to see Morissey there next month, I can’t wait!