Top Five

Scottish Bands

Why Scotland? Well, the charming highlands of the northern UK are not only home to kilts, haggis, and my favorite accent in the world, but also to a disproportionate number of fantastic rock groups. Here are my top five, with a track by each.




5.The Beta Band
In the film High Fidelity, record store owner Rob Gordon (John Cusack) tells his employees, "I will now sell five copies of The 3 E.P.'s by the Beta Band" and puts "Dry the Rain" on the stereo. Shoppers' heads begin bobbing.
- "Who is this?"
- "The Beta Band."
- "It's good."
- " I know."
That's the kind of "no doy" appeal the Beta Band have, fastening simple Brit-Poppy melodies to simple trip-hoppy beats. They called it quits after2004's Heroes to Zeros - let's hope it doesn't put John Cusack out of business.

MP3: Dry the Rain

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4. Teenage Fanclub
These guys have been making albums for 15 years now, but they have stayed unswervingly faithful to their power pop ambitions. Big Star comparisons are inevitable, and in fact the Fanclub have the same kind of cult status. And that is because they are not just great pop songwriters, but they also bring a unique sense of personality (and humor) to the proceedings. Their early records (like the excellent Bandwagonesque) also mix in crunchy and noisy guitars a la Sonic Youth and Nirvana, giving them a grungy edge. Try to imagine a world in which neo-grunge snoozes like Staind and Nickelback had listened to Teenage Fanclub instead of Pearl Jam. Sigh. If only. Maybe someday pop will be popular again. Now that's a concept.

ceMP3: The Concept

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3. Cocteau Twins
At the core of the Cocteau Twins are the extremely processed guitar sounds of Robin Guthrie and the light, indecipherable vocals of Elizabeth Fraser. Both musicians are utterly unique in their own rights, which insures that the band sounds like no one else. Most of their output was released on the influential 4AD label, and their sound was aptly described as "dream pop." Occasionally their songs become so light and effortless that it seems like they will simply float away, but when they stumble upon a great pop melody they can be both ethereal and fun. Maybe this is what dance parties in heaven sound like.

MP3: Lorelei

2. The Jesus and Mary Chain
An essential link in a long chain of bands that fused pop songs with guitar noise, The Jesus and Mary Chain served as an influential midpoint between The Velvet Underground and more modern groups like My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr. Their debut, Psychocandy, is also one of the very best albums of the eighties. Of all the noise pop bands, they sound the most detached, delivering both the deceptively pretty pop songs and the punky rockers without so much as a sneer. The drumming is sparse and unambitious, and every song is injected with with icy distortion. They may be something of a one-trick pony, but it's a stunning trick, and on Psychocandy at least, it never gets old.

MP3: Just Like Honey

1. Belle and Sebastian
Alright, I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for the wussy stuff. Belle and Sebastian are known for being vulnerable and precious, making "twee" something of a household term. But the scope and consistency of their career is really stunning, and they are still going. They would never put themselves at the top of this list, especially since they count Teenage Fanclub and the Cocteau Twins among their favourite bands, but I think they are definitely deserving. Stuart Murdoch and friends started out as something of a lo-fi chamber pop outfit, crafting simple, pretty little songs about schoolkids and outcasts that were augmented by modest horn and string arrangements. They've blossomed into a capable electric pop outfit, and though some fans have decried the more intricate arrangements and production of recent albums, it makes perfect sense as the trajectory of a career that has always been driven by an unabashed love for pop records. The quietest punks have the most charming revolutions, and this is not one to be missed.

MP3: Like Dylan in the Movies