Us English swine only ever look
north of the border when we’re forced, like we might grow a coarse ginger beard
just by looking in that general direction, or something equally as terrifying.
But experience should be teaching us to do so more often, as a matter of course.
Union Of Knives are one of the latest in a long line of tight, punishing, assorted
rabbles careering out of Glasgow with aplomb. They don’t sound a thing like Franz
Ferdinand, but then why should they? Geography isn’t a disease with finite qualities.
UoK (as you might like to know them) are 3 chaps (Chris, Dave and Craig) closely
linked to the city’s creative heart already, having set up a studio together (The
Beef Room), where they’ve recorded albums and demos for the likes of Terra Diablo
and Dead Fly Buckowski and done remix work and b-sides for El Presidente and Snow
Patrol, amongst others. Gaps in their schedule were filled by working on their
own material, the first fruits of which emerged last year on the ‘Union Of Knives
EP’, a paranoid warped cityscape of intense rhythms and claustrophobic atmospherics
reminding of minimalist krautrock Primal Scream, Death In Vegas and The Faint.
They tour Scotland in February and there’s a new single and debut album to follow
in the spring. 1. Who are you? Where do you come from? Why are you here?
My name is Craig from 'Union of Knives', I come from Scotland and I came here
to rock and relax. 2. Who set the watermark for you in 2005? Who's the
one to beat?
The two best albums in 2005 were ‘Funeral’ by Arcade
Fire and ‘Takk’ by Sigur Ros. They're at the front, but everyone knows that. I
don't think we want to "beat" anyone, just be on a respected par maybe? 3.
Name one way you see the world changing in 2006.
Other than everyone
being a Union of Knives fan, I don't think much will change. More natural disasters,
same old third world poverty, same old Bono, same old new Labour. Oh, plus everyone
will have hover boards like in Back to the Future 2. 4. Have you made
a new year's resolution?
Be good. Be genuine. Be pure. But I say that
every year, but I DO resolve not to talk so much. 5. We're going to still
give a damn about you in January 2007 because...
You love us. We are
part of you. Maybe like your heartbeat, or a nicely healing scab. Either way,
we are here for good. 6. Name your tip for '06 (other than yourself
- watch that ego!)
Mocha Nights, Beerjacket, Orko, No Kilter, Orla,
Flying Matchstick Men, etc, etc. Glasgow is over flowing with talent. It's crazy.
There's a lot of shit too, but those are the 6 names to watch out for.
Relevant
sites:
http://www.unionofknives.com
James Berry for Crud Magazine 2006©
More 06 for '06:
#1
The Longcut
#2 Akira
The Don
#3 The Spinto
Band
#4 Union of Knives
#5
The Morning After Girls
#6
The Roger Sisters
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|
| 01/06 Morning After Girls Interview
01/06 The Roger Sisters Interview
01/06 The Spinto Band Interview
01/06 The Longcut Interview
01/06 Union of Knives Interview
01/06 7/7 July Bombings London
01/06 Adem / Tunng - Live - West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
01/06 Beach Boys - Pet Sounds - 40th Anniversary Deluxe CD / DVD
01/06 Broken Social Scene - London Astoria
01/06 Camden Crawl 2006
01/06 Editors - LIve - Brixton Academy
01/06 Elliott Kennedy - Song Meanings
01/06 Four Day Hombre Interview
01/06 Gram Parsons - Fallen Angel DVD
01/06 Hot Chip Live - LIve - Caberte Volatire - Edinburgh
01/06 Jackson Analogue, Digital, Newcastle
01/06 Latitude Festival, Henham Park, Beccles, Suffolk
01/06 Liam Frost - Live - Cockpit, Leeds
01/06 Little Man Tate, Cockpit, Leeds
01/06 Monty Python Remastered Collection
|  | 01/06 New Pornographers / Spoon - Live - London Koko
01/06 NME Shows 2006
01/06 Orange Lights - Carling Academy, Newcastle
01/06 Protokoll - Live - Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh
01/06 Shout Out Louds - Live - Leeds, Cockpit
01/06 Airlines, Flights, Terror Plot July 2006
01/06 The National - Brixton Academy, London
01/06 Wireless Festival 2006
January 2001
July - August 2001
September - October 2001
November - December 2001
January - March 2002
April - July 2002
August - December 2002
January - March 2003
May - August 2003
November 2003
January - March 2004
April - September 2004
October - December 2004
January - March 2005
April - December 2005
January - August 2006
September - December 2006
January - September 2007
October - December 2007
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