Was gonna be greedy and sleep on this but…

click the links to go and get:

Edinburgh doesn’t really produce good music (before the torrent of abuse flies in about the burgeoning hip-hop scene, sorry, there’s something simply insurmountably shit about rapping in a Scottish accent, get over it), off the top of my head Finlay Quaye’s about the only one I can recall. But, while the music media turned it’s eyes to a bunch of stroppy, angry, shouty Glaswegian kids stropping about in jeans two sizes too small, and ironic neon shoe laces, the burg cranked out the Joe Acheson quartet on the sly. As everyone already knows, they’re on Tru Thoughts as the Hidden Orchestra, go here to get a mixtape they’ve released to promote their first release Footsteps.

Bounce on over to Potholesonmyblog for a pretty decent mixtape by Natural Self

Labels of Love

Label Love is a free compilation of free music that you can download for free right here. Free.

The compilation brings together music from a bunch of dope-as-hell imprints including heavyweight winners like Tru Thoughts, Ubiquity and Stones Throw sister-label Now Again, plus something amazing called Bastard Jazz.

It’s all sounding pretty nice but I highly recommend Quantic’s newish Dog With A Rope, plus there’s a Dimlite tune on there that’s comfortably the best Swiss bleep-jazz record I’ve heard in days. Get involved.

Tru Thoughts Mixcloud

I was knocking about on the Tru Thoughts blog, and they’ve joined Mixcloud.In honour of this occasion Robert Luis, the man behind their podcasts (and the whole label), has knocked up a pretty decent reggae/dubstep/funk/soul mix. WordPress don’t accept the mixcloud widget so you’ll have to go here to check it, I’d recommend it just for the Paul McCartney Check My Machine Nirobi edit, which actually manages to make him sound good.

The blogs worth keeping an eye on as well as they’ve usually got free tracks from upcoming releases knocking about. It’s a bit like try-before-you buy for something like haribo or beer – you’re gonna buy it anyway but a free one’s always nice.

Portico Quartet

And one of my favorites from One Taste is these guys. Reminds me a little bit of Tru Thoughts new signing.

Hidden Orchestra

A firm favorite with the Lemonade crew, formally know as Joe Acheson Quartet, Hidden Orchestra have just been signed to Tru Thoughts with an album due for release autumn this year. Its been a long time coming for this Edinburgh band and Im sure you will agree is very much deserved, congratulations!

I was lucky enough to catch them last weekend at the amazing Insider festival and if you are one of the lucky few to be going to Glasto this weekend then be sure to head to the Arcadia stage where they are playing on Saturday.