Monticule

This Tuesday we all get the chance to create a new myth with the added complication that this week’s debutantes have been recorded and put on film for posterity. We’re proud to bring you a new band from Edinburgh as part of BBC introducing. We’ve already played you some of Monticule‘s records and on this week’s Another Country you can hear what happened when they are let loose in AC towers and we let the tapes roll. I have a strong feeling you will love the sound of a band who have taken all of their influences (and a few off their folks’) and cooked them into a great rock/soul/country blues stew. Once you’ve got them into that swampy bracket of White Stripes/Black Keys/Tony Joe White you’ll be pleasantly surprised to realise that their influences spread so much further. The cover they have chosen to perform comes from one of Americana and Folk’s finest albums of the last 10 years, ‘Anais Mitchell‘s Hadestown.’ Pay close attention as you may well want to be having the, ‘Do you remember Monticule when they did their first radio session?’ chat a few years down the line. - Ricky Ross

Edinburgh’s Monticule are set to keep the train rolling with their bluesy new single, Pros & Cons, out Friday 26th.

The trio combine the power of the blues with their natural soul roots, expressed in Jamie Struthers’ effortless vocals, to bring a well honed yet still enticingly raw sound to your lugs.

Having launched their first single, Vultures, last year, they received a good deal of interest, most notably airtime on BBC Introducing and plenty of radio play. And this pearler of a new single is sure to keep the momentum going.

As for the track itself, there’s a real foot stompin’, whiskey ‘n’ smokes vibe to the affair. You can hear guitarist, Mike Sturthers (brother of Jamie) echoing the unschooled talents of the likes of Seasick Steve with his gritty slide. And the jazzy influences of drummer, Jason Irvine, propel this track, and the band’s tone in general, to more than just a standard blues trio.

There’s a also a hint of some early Black Keys albums in there and it almost sounds like a one-take live session. The golden touch of a sing-along spiritual at the start gives the record a great energy that will definitely rub off on you, trust me!

If you want to catch Monticule live, sorry, their single launch at Voodoo Rooms on Friday the 26th of February is sold out but you can get to see them play Sneaky Pete’s on 14 March as support for Holy Wave. Tickets here: www.seetickets.com/event/holy-wave

For more about the band please visit www.facebook.com/monticuleband - Channel 7A

Monticule, the Edinburgh based soul/blues band, delivered a smashing set on the Cal Mac stage – one of several early on which deserved a bigger audience.

Read more at: http://www.buteman.co.uk/what-s-on/leisure/review-butefest-opening-day-packed-with-great-music-1-4190153 - The Buteman