ROSCOE VACANT “NO ATTACK/NO DECAY” mini-album out now

Hi all

This weekend I played two fantastic gigs solo gigs with Patrik Fitzgerald, a performer who I hold in very high regard as one of the UK’s most original and nuanced voices and a man who put acoustic punk on the map in this country. It was an honour and a privilege to perform alongside him, as well as with my good friends from the Doom Valley area Jim Monaghan and Tartan Heather. Here are two of the features in the local papers for the Ayr gig.  Many thanks to Sammy B and the staff at the Courtyard Bar, and Mr Mainy and all at Pivo Pivo for putting these great nights on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week I also released a mini-album entitled “NO ATTACK/NO DECAY” on Topplers Records, a 9-track collection of solo acoustic recordings comprising new versions of old songs and a couple of new tracks.  The first review is HERE, and I think it gives an accurate description of what I was trying to do with it.  It’s an attempt to move on from a lot of things and came out of a desire to restate who I am and what I’m actually doing musically.  I really hope you enjoy it.  You can listen to it in the player below, or at http://roscoevacant.bandcamp.com .

The CD is available as a limited edition of 50, with each disc housed in handmade packaging, made by my friends at Topplers HQ.  Check out the video for “Shortbread Tins and Tartan Hats” below to get a look at the production process!

The album is available for purchase from Topplers HERE, or together with my other releases HERE.

Thanks again for reading these things, and I hope you enjoy the new stuff.

All the best

Roscoe Vacant

Roscoe Vacant supporting Patrik Fitzgerald / New Bandcamp site

Hi all

It’s been kind of quiet round here for a while, but we hope you’ve not forgotten about us.

Roscoe Vacant supporting Patrik Fitzgerald

At the moment the Screichs are on something of a hiatus, but I’m happy to announce that I’ll be performing my first full Roscoe Vacant solo gigs in almost 2 years at Pivo Pivo in Glasgow (Monday 16th September) and The Courtyard Bar in Ayr (Saturday 14th September).  For the Glasgow gig I’m very proud to be supporting a great hero of mine, the eclectic punk poet and acoustic punk progenitor Patrik Fitzgerald.  I’ll also be performing alongside two guys who I both like and respect, Cumnock’s own poet prole-auriate Jim Monaghan and the talented and ever entertaining Shambles Miller.  It will be a tremendous evening, so I encourage you to head along if you can.  The Ayr gig promises to be an intimate fun gig in one of the most welcoming pubs in Ayrshire.  More details to follow on the lineup.

In a further bizarre twist, I’ve finally got round to pulling together a Bandcamp page.  From here you can buy CDs, tapes and T-shirts if you’re so inclined.  There’s also a bundle where you can get a CD, cassette and a shirt for £10 + p&p.  Head over to http://roscoevacant.bandcamp.com to get a listen, or use the player below.

I’m also in the process of recording an album’s worth of solo material featuring old songs, new songs and hope to also include 2 radio sessions as bonus tracks.  That CD should be available at the solo gigs in September, all being well.

Thank you for continuing to read these missives, and my warmest regards as ever

Aye yours,

Roscoe Vacant

Ladies and gentlemen… The Screichs!

So it’s finally here.  After a year of re-tooling, recording and reshaping, we’re really proud to be able to bring you the new video for our song “Conrad Brooks”, directed by our own John Grant.  Over the last year we’ve changed a lot as a band, playing only a small number of gigs whilst bringing Cal Murray (guitar) and John (fiddle) into the fold.  The songwriting process has changed significantly, and to recognise that, we’re no longer going to be Roscoe Vacant & the Gantin’ Screichs.  From today, we’re The Screichs.  A simple punk rock-era type band name that keeps one foot in the past whilst trying to make strides forward.

We really hope you like the new material.  “Conrad Brooks” is a part of that, but we’ve got more tricks up our sleeves.  We’re going to endeavour to play live a lot more over the coming months, so if you’re looking for a group to bring some roots-based chaos to the mix, we’re your guys.

Anyway, thanks to all for your continued support.  We appreciate it so much and we look forward to bringing something new to the party in the coming months and years.

Cheers,

The Screichs

Hello 2013…

Salut…

Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year and are all suitably motivated for 2013…  Apologies for the long periods of silence on this site and from us generally.  We’re all still here! Thanks to all who attended the few gigs we played in 2012, and everyone who put us on.  We really appreciate it a lot.  Our voluntary hiatus has mostly been spent adding members (Cal/guitar and John/fiddle) and writing new material.  We’ve been recording with Tommy Duffin at 16 Ohm Studios in Glasgow as a 5-piece and can’t wait to be in a position to share some of it with you.  We’re not sure what to do with it yet, but we think it’s pretty good.

As attendees at the Algernon Doll gig will testify, the sound has changed a bit (“…like Fairport Convention on glue” – Intrepid Anorak), emphasising early rock ‘n’ roll, country and folk influences but it’s still recognisably the Gantin’ Screichs.  Stick with us, we think it’ll be worth the wait.

Anyway, we’re all still alive, and we hope we can bring you more soon.

All the best,

Gantin’ Screichs 2013.

Adam Boucher & the Dead Set: “A Farewell to Harrington”

Hi folks

My friend Adam Boucher and his band The Dead Set last week released their new album, the “Beginners EP”.  Adam asked if I would make a video in support of one of the songs from the release, and having heard the album I was happy to oblige. 

I made this video using very primitive movie-editing tools, so please forgive its hokey stoppy starty bits.  I think it’s fun, and if you dig the song, be sure to buy a copy of Adam Boucher & the Dead Set’s “Beginners EP” from http://adamboucher.limitedrun.com or www.adamboucher.co.uk Also, if you enjoy the video, please feel free to share it far and wide.  Much appreciated.

Take care,

RV.

“I have not led a blameless life” ltd. edition CD EP released today

Hi folks,

Our second release on Newtown Products is out today.  The CD features “I have not led a blameless life” from our album “Reckurdt” (NTP9), plus 2 brand new full band demo recordings and a live solo acoustic performance of “Static voices trace the dark”.  The CD features exclusive artwork by Gareth Dawid, and handmade packaging designed and constructed by minim.  It’s available to buy  here http://newtownproducts.bandcamp.com/album/i-have-not-led-a-blameless-life-ep, and is up for streaming on the MUSIC page. 

The idea for the single followed the excellent video created by Iain Mutch in December 2011, which follows below.

In other news, I am delighted to announce we will be supporting Jon Snodgrass (Drag the River) & Cory Branan (The Revival Tour) on Friday June 8th 2012, and it would be great if you could come along.  This is a real honour, and we’re very much looking forward to this opportunity. 

Next gig is a solo performance as part of “Spoken Word” at Govanhill Baths this Friday (4th May 2012), with Colin Storrie, Jane Overton and Jim Monaghan.  Come along if you can, it’s going to be great.

Cheers

Roscoe Vacant & the Gantin’ Screichs

Daily Reckurdt, interviews and comps…

Hi guys

Just a quick update on all things Screichish…

Last month we were delighted to receive a very favourable review from the Daily Record’s Rick Fulton, published on Friday 19th August.  The album was described as a “strident effort of intent”, and you can read the full review by clicking the image to the left.

We also had the pleasure of playing a few excellent launch nights in Glasgow, Irvine and Edinburgh with some of our good friends, including Acid Fascists, Christie Connor-Vernal, Tango Rhums, Delusional, Colin Hunter, Bunny & the Misshapes and Dave Hughes & his RFPB.  I’d like to take this opportunity to say thanks so much to everyone who was involved in organising and playing the nights, as well as to everyone who turned up and bought a CD.  Very much appreciated.

On top of that, we’ve been fortunate enough to have had some great features written about our music recently, by Last Year’s Girl (Lis) and KittyNation/Kitty Licks…  Get a look if you have a chance (opens in a new window). 

humans talking to humans: the roscoe vacant interview

Kitty Questions: ROSCOE VACANT

This month we’ve also had a few tracks featured on some very cool compilation albums.  Make-That-A-Take Records recently released their “Make-Yer-Ane Comp II” which features our song “Misery Loves Company” from our debut album “Reckurdt”.  The comp also features Billy Liar, the Stay Gones, the Murderburgers, Shields Up and more, and is available to buy HERE and features 20 songs from some of the best punk, hardcore and emo bands in Scotland.  KittyNation Vintage Emporium have also released a rare demo version of “All in the Reel of the Summer” on their Kitty Licks Volume 5 CD, which also features our friends Vincent Nifigance and the Paraffins.  Kitty Licks 5 is available free with any purchase from the excellent KittyNation website at www.kittynation.com.    

We’ve got a few gigs in the pipeline, hopefully including a mini-tour with the legendary Jinx Lennon  in November, so stay tuned. 

Oh, and if you haven’t already picked up “Reckurdt”, it’s available to buy online from our friends at NEWTOWN PRODUCTS, as well as on iTunes, Amazon and eMusic.  The album is also available for £5 from Love Music/Elvis Shakespeare in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Take care,
Roscoe Vacant & the Gantin’ Screichs

“Reckurdt” CD released today!

We’re proud to announce that the debut Roscoe Vacant & the Gantin’ Screichs album “reckurdt” is now available to buy from today (Monday 8th August 2011). 

Physical copies are available from Newtown Products – www.newtownproducts.com , as well as independent retailers such as Love Music in Glasgow and Elvis Shakespeare in Edinburgh, while digital copies may be obtained through iTunes, amazon.co.uk, Bandcamp and other digital distributors.  Please note that the cheapest way to purchase the album is direct through the Newtown Products website, where the album is £5 + p&p for the physical CD and £3.99 for download.

The CD was recorded and produced by Tommy Duffin at 16 Ohm Studios, Glasgow and our own Ross Gilchrist, with exclusive artwork by the photographer Gareth Dawid. 

The album is now streaming in its entirety on our MUSIC page, so please feel free to listen to the album and share tracks with your friends via the Share facility on the page before nabbing a copy. 

This week the album also received a very favourable review from the “It’s a **** thing” blog, who described “reckurdt” as having “all the hallmarks of a classic album”, concluding that “I genuinely don’t hold out much hope of anyone else bringing anything to the table this year that will match ‘Reckurdt’ for its original passion and its brutally joyous effervescence”.  You can read the whole review HERE.

Finally, I personally would like to thank everyone who has helped to make this album possible.  From the initial demos recorded in May 2010 with James Gibb, Jim Mackellar and Joe Jaconelli, through to the manufacture and release of the album by our friends at Newtown Products, this album would not have been possible without the assistance of many, many good people giving up their time and talents for little or no return.  We really appreciate the help you’ve given us and I just wanted to say thank you so much for this.  We’d also like to thank everyone who has supported our music since we started doing this, whether by writing about us, playing our music on the radio, sharing the music with friends, putting us on at gigs or just by letting us know you liked it.  It means the world to us, so thanks a lot.

Take care, and all the very best

Roscoe Vacant & the Gantin’ Screichs

“All in the Reel of the Summer”/Album news…

This is the zero budget video for our song “All in the Reel of the Summer”, from our debut album “Reckurdt”.  It was shot, directed and knitted together by Gilleathain McLean, who can be found at www.smallpbigandas.tk and to whom we are forever indebted for his efforts.

This week we also received the album from the manufacturers, and will be available to buy from the 8th of August via Newtown Products (www.newtownproducts.com), and also on this website.  Downloads will be available through Bandcamp as well as through the usual digital distribution channels, such as iTunes and amazon.co.uk

We also this week received an amazing review of the album by Nuzz Prowling Wolf’s blog, who described the album as “brutal, beautiful and brilliant”, “fast, frantic and furious” with songs which “tear into your brain then rip out your spine before giving you the kiss of life”. 

You can read the full review HERE. 

That’s about it for today, so best wishes, and if you enjoy the video or the song at all, drop us a line, share the page, recommend us to your friends or whatever..  We really appreciate it.

Roscoe Vacant & the Gantin’ Screichs.

Album launch gigs – August 2011

Hi all

It’s been a busy few weeks, but we’re delighted to announce that we’ve now confirmed 2 launch gigs for our debut album “Reckurdt”, to be released in August on Newtown Products (www.newtownproducts.com). These gigs will take place at the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine, Ayrshire and Nice & Sleazy in Glasgow on the 19th and 25th of August respectively. In addition, we will be playing our first in-store performances at Elvis Shakespeare on Leith Walk, Edinburgh on the 13th of August and Love Music on Dundas Street, Glasgow on the 20th of August.

Copies of the album will be available at all of these performances, and we hope to organise some way to give away CDs as a part of the ticket price. We’re also planning to release a download-only single in July, featuring 2 album tracks and a bonus demo track that’s never been previously released.

In the meantime, why not subscribe to our blog in the sidebar, or LIKE Roscoe Vacant & the Gantin’ Screichs on Facebook HERE to be kept up to date with the latest information about the album…

Take care,
Roscoe Vacant & the Gantin’ Screichs