Long Fin Killie
Country of origin:
Scotland
Type of music generally:
Evocative/eclectic alternative pop
Status:
Final release, Amelia (1997)
See also:
A Long Fin Killie discographyThe Ectophiles' Guide entry for Luke Sutherland's new band, Bows (other Long Fin Killie members also participate in this project)
Comparisons:
if one is at all familiar with earwig or insides (the latter is just a later incarnation of the former) or dif juz or duritti column, one will have an starting point for knowing what long fin killie sounds like. sort of. (woj@smoe.org)
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
i'd be hard-pressed to call them "rock", but no other genre can really contain them. their sound is dense and repetitive, but not droney. they use conventional instruments (with the exception of a hammered dulcimer and bouzouki), but have a very unconventional sound. (woj@smoe.org)Long Kin Fillie was a strange band, with their amalglam of post-rock tendencies: stabs of rhythmic frenzy and blasts of pure white sound alternating with almost ambient pauses and outbreaks of *traditional* Celtic instruments. Add to this the warm, muttering voice of Luke Sutherland waxing poetic and weird on subjects that ranged from the arty (Man Ray, the surrealists) to the political (sexism, racism). What stopped this Scottish band from their entrance into, say, the Stereolab/art-rock crowd was that they defied classification. Stereolab can almost be used and listened to in the same way people listen to the Cocteaus; Long Kin Fillie was too out-there and wore their artiness on their sleeves. Luke Sutherland was/is anomaly even in the rarified world of art-rock. He's a published novelist (his first book was short-listed for the Whitbread Award); he's a black man who embraces his Scottish identity; and he's a queer unafraid of taking potshots at identity politics. It was a sad day when they broke up. (ethereal_lad@livejournal.com)
Wonderful stuff, with all kinds of strange influences: experimental, Celtic, a touch of Gothic, weirdness, great rock, alternative. You name it, it's all in this wonderful stew. Punk- and Celtic-tinged angry-and-ironic-young Scotsmen rock. Lead singer has a pleasant but not outstanding voice, but his delivery is great. The music has hooks but is more insidious than that. The lyrics are full of sneaky little hooks. The music varies between being quite heavy rock to being a little folky. (Neile)
Recommended first album:
Houdini
Recordings:
Houdini
Release info:
1995—Too Pure—pure cd 47
Availability:
Wide on release
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for fans of unusual rock
Group members:
Colin Grieg, David Turner, Phil Cameron, Luke Sutherland—drums, assorted percussion, bass, guitars, bouzouki, violin, mandolin, saxophone, hammer dulcimer, thumb piano, vocals
Produced by:
Jamie and Long Fin Killie
Comments:
Long Fin Killie is one of the rare bands that has a boy singer that I love. I also really love how they pull traditional elements into experimental rock and great songwriting, and sound like no one else. A Houdini of an album. (Neile)wow. it took a couple listens to really get into it, but once i did...well, wow. it has incredibly intricate instrumentation (the standard stuff, with hammered dulcimers, violins and bouzoukis tossed in for good measure), slightly maniacal vocals, pretty weird lyrics (i read the liner notes—they are, for the most part, difficult to decode without mucho listens). i'm not even sure how to describe the music. it's generally slow, somewhat droney, very dense, often acoustic, but that does not preclude the occasional foray into noisy guitar riffs á la my bloody valentine. i did finally figure out who they reminded me of (only took two weeks): earwig/insides with a male singer. definitely two thumbs up. (woj@smoe.org)
Valentino
Release info:
1996—Too Pure—9 43076-2
Availability:
Wide on release
Ecto priority:
Recommended for fans of unusual rock
Group members:
Colin Grieg, David Turner, Phil Cameron, Luke Sutherland—drums, assorted percussion, bass, guitars, bouzouki, violin, saxophone, piano strings, hammer dulcimer, glockenspiel, vocals
Produced by:
Jamie and Long Fin Killie
Comments:
Not quite as stunning as Houdini but I still love it. The lead singer/songwriter has a strange and wonderfully warped view of the world. (Neile)
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