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25/01/2025

A brief history of Robert Burns in Edinburgh and locations you can see whilst in the city.

15/12/2024

This little beauty went live late last night. It’s been ages since our last interview, but we’re back and it’s a banger.

We’re graced by the presence of the inimitable who somehow squeezed us into her busy schedule, just ahead of the launch of her new album Defixio (spoiler alert: Defixio is out now and it’s brilliant - go listen to it).

We start with an extended Q&A followed by an in-depth discussion on Defixio (did I mention it’s brilliant? - go listen to it). Also, we asked Becca to give us one of her favourite albums to listen to and discuss. Her choice? Portishead’s “Dummy” - a trip hop classic to round out the show (it's also brilliant - go listen to it too).

This is The Scratch Cast x Becca Starr, enjoy!

The cover art is by and inspired by the themes of Defixio.

The intro music, which will be stuck in your head for days, is taken from "Parkinson", an old British television chat show presented by Michael Parkinson. Please don't sue us, Parky!

17/11/2024

Haven't posted on here for a while so here are some of the books I've read over the last 6 months or so. Couple of bonus ebooks at the end.

1. Black No More by George S. Schuyler. A hilariously scathing satire of race relations in 1930s America that asks the question: What if there were a cure to being black? Completely absurd, but much like the best satire, it's message still rings true to this day.

2. God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert. The first book in Frank Herbert's second great Dune trilogy, picking up thousands of years later. Not as action packed as some of the earlier books, but brilliant nonetheless.

3. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilmore. A fascinating short story written in the late 19th century. It's part critique of the era's attitudes towards female mental health, part horror/ghost story. Essential reading.

4. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. More 1950s post-apocalyptic sci-fi. I'd only ever seen the rubbish Will Smith movie previously. This book is 1000x better. It's a unique take on classic vampire lore, the world it describes is devastatingly lonely, and the story is gripping, exciting and heart wrenching.

5. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. Classic 1950s post-apocalyptic sci-fi. A strange set of circumstances leaves everyone in the world blind (except for a lucky few) while a deadly plant starts to take over. It sounds ridiculous but it's so well written. A classic for a reason.

6. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. The long awaited sequel to The Handmaid's Tale. Luckily I only read the original last year so didn't have to wait for this. It fills in a lot of the gaps on the rise and fall of The Republic of Gilead. Pairs well with The Yellow Wallpaper.

7. Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds. I picked up this ebook after recommended the author. The ideas and scope of this standalone novel are just mind boggling. A good place to start if you're unfamiliar with his work.

8. Wool by Hugh Howey. I really enjoyed the Silo TV show earlier this year and am just over half-way through the book. Thoroughly enjoying it so far.

20/09/2024

Quietly dropped a new episode of The Scratch Cast a couple of days ago 🎙️ 🎶

Feat reviews of

Get your lugs round it 👂

Link in bio 🔗

08/09/2024

Last month was pretty busy. Here's a few things I saw, listened to, and wrote about in August.

1. - I just came across this when I was in records for a coffee and a browse. Absolutely wild. If you're a fan of the Dune series, keep an eye out for it next year 🪱 🪱 🪱 🪱

2. - Saw this one for at as part of . A decent romp through the centuries and worth the watch for Alice Lowe's unusual humour and deadpan performance. Full review at snackmag.co.uk 🍫🍫🍫

3. - The closing film was this absolute belter from .j.easton screening in . Championing Scotland's girl bands. If you love music this is a must watch. Full review at snackmag.co.uk 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫

4. Out of Woodstock - An enthralling one man show that drops you at ground zero of Woodstock 99. If you're a fan of Korn, Limp Bizkit et al, don't miss this if it's back next year. Full review at snackmag.co.uk 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫

5. Tones: A Hip-Hop Opera - Brilliantly performed by , the story of protagonist Jerome (and his struggles to find his own identity) told entirely through rap. Full review at snackmag.co.uk 🍫🍫🍫🍫

6. Outwith Words - An irresistible collaboration between and for fans of loud eccentric music, hip hop and spoken word. Turned a beautiful library into a vibrant stage. Full review at snackmag.co.uk 🍫🍫🍫🍫

7. The End of the Times? - A mind bending audio visual show in aid of . If you're into Burial, Apex Twin and full sensory overload this one's for you. Full review at snackmag.co.uk 🍫🍫🍫

8. .online Home In Another Life - I was lucky enough to review the brilliant sophomore album from the Tacoma, Washington band for . Irresistible alt-rock / grunge music. Full review at the skinny.co.uk ⭐⭐⭐⭐

9. - Happy For Now. I absolutely loved his debut album and jumped at the chance to review the second for The Skinny. It's not out until 20th September but go check out the singles so far, especially "Hairline". Full review at the skinny.co.uk ⭐⭐⭐⭐

16/08/2024

Edinburgh Fringe is here and in full force.
Gearing up to see a few different shows and some of the Edinburgh Film Festival next week.
Are you seeing anything this year? 📽️🎶

11/08/2024

Sandwalked my way down to tonight to see as part of the

It turned out to be just one man with a 12 string guitar telling a witty and passionate abridgement of Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi story. If you've seen the films you'll be able to follow along but with a plethora of knowing winks and nods to the wider Dune series, fans of the books will get much more out of this.

The songs are dense and complex, jumping from the whimsical to the insane, and the tragic story is woven together by a delightfully playful narrator - the one and only Gurney Halleck.

Sound like your thing? Go see it for yourself but be warned, it gets pretty intense. The show is on at 17.15 every night until 25th August (except the 14th & 21st).

If you're a dork like me you can even grab a recording on cassette tape.

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