Scotland, besides one of the most imposing musical instruments in the world - aye, massed bands of pipers will bring tears to the wee one's eyes - the country can boast some very fine musicians of all sorts of styles.

To the right (or down below depending on what you're using to view this) a list of artists featuring in my playlist, with brief annotations.

Below two artists I have the utmost respect for. I listen to them to work, calm down, bounce up and down, and write. My notebooks mention specific songs with which to write certain parts of my novels; one of their songs even triggered an entire book.

One is well-known outside Scotland; the other - undeservedly - is less. Born a mere fortnight apart in April 1959, they are Craig Armstrong and Paul Mounsey.

Further down is a band that really brightens my mood: The Peatbog Faeries.

Craig Armstrong

Someone once said listening to Craig Armstrong's music is like sinking into a three-feet thick carpet. I'd call that a pretty accurate description. He's a classical composer who can write opera as well as collaborate with trip hop bands such as Massive Attack. He wrote film music, including songs for Romeo & Juliet, Moulin Rouge, Love Actually, and entire albums for a multitude of films - on average one a year - including Plunkett & Macleane, In Time, The Bone Collector, and Elizabeth: the Golden Age. His solo albums are as varied as they are stunningly beautiful. His songs can leave you exhilarated, sad, hopeful, melancholic... The man is a genius when it comes to creating an environment that swallows you whole.
"Rise" on "The Space Between Us" leaves a haunting atmosphere, whereas the opening number "Ruthless Gravity", on the "As if to nothing" album, is so powerful it spontaneously evoked pictures of a ruinous castle and, inspired by Tioram Castle, an entire story developed that would turn out to be "Sgeulachd Castle".

I could write a lot more, but his music is readily available, EVERYWHERE. Go and enjoy.

You can find out all you need to know on his website: http://craigarmstrong.com.

 

Paul Mounsey

Like his fellow Scotsman Craig Armstrong Paul Mounsey has written music for film, theatre and solo albums. But still he's slightly different. Born in Scotland, but having lived in Brazil for 20 years definitely has something to do with it. It's a fascinating mix. Scottish Carnival! He can write the most intimate songs saturated with an overpowering melancholy while the next will make me pity those one floor down as I'll be relentlessly tapping my feet and fingers as well as bouncing up and down my chair.
As the man has no website, and I think I wrote the entire trilogy with Alex and Kenneth (The Stained Family Tree, The Martlets' Nest and The Road to the Isles) listening to these albums, I'll happily elaborate on his music.

The song that introduced me to his work is actually the very first song on his first album "Nahoo": "Passing Away". It voices so much sadness and hope at the same time and that sentiment is not far off, as it was written because the man was homesick. The rest of the album is truly experimental, but still Scotland all around.
After "Nahoo" came "NahooToo", which has a bigger Brazilian influence (surprise). One of the songs, "Fall", I used to write an important scene in "The Road to the Isles" (the cellar scene, if you must know).
"NahooToo" was followed by "Nahoo 3 - Notes from the Republic". I find it even more consistent than the previous two. Exciting rhythms, playful violins, gripping voices. One of my favourite songs is the inspiring and yet haunting "The Keening" (keening is a form of vocal lament).
No Nahoo 4, but "City of Walls", which I think must be my favourite. It's even faster and certainly more commanding than the previous three and I can definitely never sit still when listening to this album. "Dunfermline", home town of Kenneth, is such a powerful song, although I have one serious complaint: lasting barely three minutes, it's just way too short. But there are so many brilliant songs on this album.
His last album dates from 2005: "Tha Na Laithean A'Dol Seachad", and this one was commissioned to celebrate the opening of an arts centre on Lewis. Plenty of Gaelic on this album. I particularly like "TimE", voiced by a Scottish poet. Again, a haunting rhythm; I seem to be particularly fond of those.

His albums are available on iTunes or via Amazon.

If you want to listen to some fine examples, here are some videos:

Passing Away:

Fall:

The Keening:

Dunfermline:

TimE:

 

Peatbog Faeries

I discovered these faeries only a few years ago, but they fast became one of my favourite bands. They also hail from Skye (see the list on the right for more examples), but their sound is quite unique. All songs are instrumental, but bagpipes and fiddles speak louder than words in their songs. They play traditional folk (which - I'm not ashamed to admit - I don't tend to download), but also something I'm heavily drawn to. It's novel, it's experimental, it's highly energetic and when it's not, their music manages to touch a chord. It's folk with an edge, or not quite folk. Whatever you name it, I love it.

Up till now, they have 7 albums (and one live album).

Mellowosity
Their debut album from 1996. Noop, sorry. That's the only album I haven't downloaded a single song from.

 

 

 

Faerie Stories
Released in 2001, and up till 2015, this was by far my favourite album... for the sole reason that it's full of brilliant songs. That is one album I downloaded as a whole.
It has some absolutely fantastic numbers such as The Folk Police, Captain Coull's Parrot and Namedropper/The Little Cascade. If I want to drive my better/other half mad, all I need to do is play Caberdrone. This album never fails to please.

Welcome to Dun Vegas
Dating from 2003, my favourite number on this album is Teuchstar, where the piper goes absolutely mental (and so do I). Wacko King Hako comes a very decent second (and don't you just love the title?). As far as titles go, how about this one: Ironing Maiden?

 

Croftwork
Released in 2005. My favourite songs (the ones I downloaded at least) are Scots on the Rocks, Croftwork and Trans Island Express.

 

 

What Men Deserve to Lose
Their fifth album came out in 2005.
The only song that instantly caught my attention was There's a Girl Behind the Bar Who Thinks She's Garbo. Pretty folky, but this song always makes me happy.

 

 

Dust
After a break of a fair few years, Dust was released in 2011. More bagpipes in this one, with The Naughty Step as my favourite. Impossible not to move on that one.

 

 

Blackhouse
Now this album blew my mind in 2015. Only discovered it in December and the glittering ball is my Christmas light. The entire album is absolutely stunning. It has a wide span of atmospheric music, from highly energetic to truly heartwarming. Some make me want to cry for sheer beauty. My favourites? Uhm. The Chatham Lassies move me every time. Every note increases the lump in my throat. The Dragons Apprentice and Strictly Sambuca are electronic folk lifted to a higher level.

You can find out all about them on their website.

Craig Armstrong

Far too important to discuss in two lines. See bigger picture.

Martyn Bennett

Sadly departed well before his time (he was not even 34), this piper and fiddler mixed traditional Scottish music with hardcore techno... and made it work. The song Blackbird of his final album Grit was used for the brilliant video of Danny MacAskill's The Ridge. Check it out on youtube.

Biffy Clyro

Their latest album "Opposites" (from early 2013) is their first number one hit in the UK. Scottish rock.

Big Country

With their biggest hit: Big Country

The Blue Nile

Does anybody know any song other than the delicious "Tinseltown in the Rain"?

Chvrches

Electropop from Glasgow. Rather new, this one, with debut album out in September 2013.

Cocteau Twins

Alternative pop which nowadays puts a grin on my face as I remember how much fun it was discovering the love of my life.
My favourites: Fifty-fifty clown

Deacon Blue

I spent my late teenage years singing their stuff. Still horribly confused by their grammar "I'll do what I should have did".
Favourites: I was Right And You Were Wrong & Your Town

Del Amitri

I had a cassette (dinosaur age) which got permanently damaged when my dad decided to drown it in the paint for the living room back in 1999.
Their singalongs: Nothing Ever Happens & Always the Last to Know

Eurythmics' Annie Lennox

Aye, remember when you're listening to "Sweet Dreams" or "There Must Be An Angel" that the angelic voice you're hearing is from a Scotswoman.

Franz Ferdinand

They're very good for some bouncing up and down my chair when working at my computer.

Frightened Rabbit

Indie-band with a shy lead singer.

Garbage's Shirley Manson

Aye, indeed, the cursing lead singer is Scottish.
My favourites: Queer (obviously) & Stupid Girl

Dougie MacLean

I "discovered" Dougie MacLean on an album full of alternative Celtic music. In Scotland he's world-famous for his song "Caledonia" and the world may know him for "The Gael" which has been covered in more versions that he probably cares about. But the bagpipe version is brilliant.
My favourite still: All Together

Niteworks: Obair Oidhche

Skye is fertile grounds. Their 2011 EP promised a class act of traditional music and electronic, but the wait for more is not over yet.

Paolo Nutini

Born only in 1987, this Scot with Italian roots (really? Italian? With such a name?) has a voice of one who has lived to tell a tale. Listen to Iron Sky. Sit back and be amazed.

Paul Mounsey

Far too big to discuss in two lines. See bigger picture.

Peatbog Faeries

The mere name of the band makes me smile. Brilliant bagpipes, fervent violins, strapped together with an experimental ribbon. More info below.

Placebo's Brian Molko

American father with French-Italian roots; Scottish mother; born in Brussels. Enough to make truly mental stuff.
Absolute favourite: Without You I'm Nothing

The Proclaimers

And we all sing out loud: And I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more.

Runrig

Now here's a band I can tell a few things about. From Skye, have been around since 1973, sing in English and Gaelic and combine rock with bagpipes. One of their songs is played in a Skye museum. One of their albums saw Paul Mounsey arrange two tracks and what he did with "An Toll Dubh" is absolutely mind-blowing.
My favourites: the entire The Big Wheel album & Siol Ghoraidh & Cnoc na Feille & Meadham Oidhche Air an Acairseid & The Message (oh, I'm in a very good mood when hearing that) & The Stamping Ground (used in one of my books) & Running to the Light
Actually I think I like them a lot...

The Shamen

I can move move Move Any Mountain.

Shooglenifty

As folky and upbeat as you can get.

The Silencers

Late teenage years and early student ones. Used to listen a lot to the lyrics.
My favourites: Bulletproof Heart & Rosanne

Simple Minds

What can I say? I already gave essays about the band when I was sixteen.
If I have to give favourites: New Gold Dream & Theme for Great Cities & Street Fighting Years

Slam

Dance.
My favourites: Lifetimes & This World & Lie To Me

Jimmy Somerville

Whom you may know from Bronski Beat and the Communards. Excellent dancing material for wee ones like me.

Snow Patrol

Should I put this in here? More Northern Irish than Scottish but still...
One of my favourites: Set the Fire to the Third Bar

Stiltskin

Mostly remembered for the jeans commercial. I had the privilege of talking to the man behind the band, Peter Lawlor. "Take care with the lyrics; they can be dangerous." Aye, they were. They still got me an A for my Aesthetics exam.
My favourite: When my ship comes in

Texas

I used to love hearing Sharleen Spiteri speak her wonderful Glaswegian accent. I spent hours singing songs from their first two albums. And then it got less interesting.

Travis

Why Does It Always Rain On Me? Because you're going to Scotland in the summer and those are the wettest months.

The Twilight Sad

Their latest album Nobody Wants To Be Here & Nobody Wants to Leave is a fine, fine album. A Glasgow band with the lead singer using the Scottish R. Brrrrrrilliant.

Ultravox' Midge Ure

Oh, Vienna!

Waterboys

Now here's a mix of folk and rock.
My favourites: The Whole of the Moon (obviously) & Don't Bang the Drum