GaGa or GA?

It's the last day in February of a common year 2010, which indicates extremely poor research on the part of the Universal Pictures' marketing team behind new dross romcom, Leap Year. As Jaz's off-nights don't get any more exciting than soap-flicking and staring at wood-chipped walls, the film's trailer provides nil incentive to break that comparably gut-busting cycle. Tonight, however, Jaz has quite the pickle to prepare for and needs help from anyone with experience of trying to squeeze two entirely separate affairs into one hoodwinking, two-timing evening...

Several months ago Jaz attempted to secure a date with a certain up-and-comer who you may have heard of. The one they call Lady Gaga (or Stefani) is in Glasgow tomorrow but after a mere year in the limelight would not have time for press and shot us down. It was disappointing, yet in the grand scheme of things it's unlikely to be as dashing (depending on your levels of optimism) as spending a tenner going to see Leap Year. With their 13 years or so near the top of UK dance charts, however, the far humbler Groove Armada who also perform in Glasgow on Monday, were more than happy to accommodate a Jaz request for tea and biscuits.

Then, in typical fashionably-late style, Jaz is invited via e-mail this Friday past to watch her Gaga-ness. Despite prior rejection, Jaz throws aside any pride and self-respect and laps up the offer like a thick, tongue-waggling puppy dog. Now we must cover both GA and Gaga in approximately four hours. Already it's causing much anxiety: Jaz jump-starts this morning with a premonition of stumbling over mispronunciations of Groove Argaga, quoting "I'm a free bitch baby... shakin' that ass", and co-ordinating an outfit at once chillout sophisti-cat and bizarr-o Glamorama...

Stresses aside, Jaz is surprised to learn that Groove Armada's latest album is only just hitting the shops tomorrow. Our promo copy of Black Light has been on loop since December. And, before you ask, Jaz hasn't descended into tragic, middle-class, generically soundtracked dinner party territory. This really is a very exciting release. In fact, you won't even recognise the House-bestselling, advertisement-monopolising duo. This time they've swapped Mutya for Empire Of The Sun's Nick Littlemore, Will Young and Roxy Music's legendary Bryan Ferry. Think dark, think '80s, think... guitars?! One highlight is lead single and soulful spirit-lifter, I Won't Kneel. Enjoy the lie-in fishies...



Jaz x

Just Say Yes...

Just say yes. Not to Snore Patrol, to Yeasayer. Jaz went backwards to go forwards on Wednesday night. Confused? So were we. Oran Mor, an old converted church in the heart of Glasgow University land, is difficult to navigate at the best of times with several floors, windy staircases and probably the odd secret passageway here and there. Brooklyn threesome Yeasayer, however, were there in earnest... somewhere.

Unprepared for a reconnaissance mission and without night vision goggles, Jaz feels about in the pitch black guided only by the dirge of 'Middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel' (their words) in soundcheck. Eventually spotting the target, Jaz refuses to accommodate the "neat" suggestion of performing an interview travelling up and down inside an elevator for an hour due to past claustrophobic trauma of reliving Speed while trapped in a school lift for 45 minutes. As lead singer Chris Keating comments on Jaz's Scottish tones and informs that several formative years listening to rap resulted in his Method Man accent, Jaz gets ready for an evening of pseudo-geek hilarity.



Described by some journalists as the thinking man's pop band, bassist Ira Wolf Tuton (his middle name really is Wolf and he's not in Twilight) spends an hour theorising, analysing and criticising pretty much everything. But if you're looking for an explanation as to their name don't bother.



"If I had to do it again I'd probably pick AAAA and a bunch of exclamation marks. We're at the bottom of every list."

Playing a set to several hundred students who all look like they've walked straight out an MGMT/Empire Of The Sun video, Yeasayer's nonsensically infectious electro-psychedelic-indie-dance (to use my own ridiculous concoction) creates a hedonistic utopia of one-ness in the room. That is never more apparent than when a young war-painted jumping jack decides to share their stage and throw his own shapes. Why not?


For the full interview which is at once intellectual, irritating and downright amusing visit Q online: http://news.qthemusic.com/2010/02/interview_a_brief_history_of_t.html

Become a facebook fan to check out more pics: http://tinyurl.com/yhxcbhr

Yeasayer's new pop-fectious single O.N.E. has more Conga fever than you can shake a stick at:





Jaz x