Glasvegas

“Geraldine“
from the album Glasvegas
2008
iTunes

Alan McGee, the British record mogul who discovered Oasis, is pushing Glasvegas really hard overseas, claiming that they’re the best Scottish band of the last 20 years (sorry, Alex Kapranos). That can’t possibly be true, because the Jesus and Mary Chain didn’t break up until the late ’90s. Still, McGee’s definitely onto something.

These Glaswegians mix ’50s pop, Elvis aesthetics and the Chain’s droned-out buzzing guitars — an interesting backdrop for James Allan’s doo-wop-inspired vocals. “Daddy’s Gone,” a young lad’s damnation of his absent father, is a stand-out, as is “Geraldine”‘s revved-up Dion-like pop. This debut is mostly a collection of re-recorded singles so there aren’t any filler tracks. Excellent find, McGee.