October - so it's officially Autumn, which is deeply apparent from the traditionally blustery weather. There's been rather a lot going on in general life, so finding a moment to catch up on some music has been more of a challenge, but with so much happening this month it's a welcome one.

Starting things off for the round-up are Cuddly Shark, who if you don't already know are a group of Highlanders who relocated to Glasgow a few years ago, and whose first album made a nice impact. They're now preparing for the follow-up, which is where new EP, The Body Mass Index comes in. It'll be out on October 8 on Armellodie Records on both CD and digital download.

Congratulations are in order for Randolph's Leap, who signed to Fence records in September. Their first official release on the label will be The Hermit EP, which will be out on October 26. They'll celebrate with a show the same night at The Glad Café in Glasgow, with special performances from Fence Collective members to boot.

Johnny & the Giros are releasing their single, 'I Don't Need a Lover' on midnight on October 5 (or is that October 6 technically?) - the first of a series of free downloads. Don't worry - it's not a Texas cover. In fact, it sounds a little like this:

Not content with simply releasing the single, the band is also starting a new club night, Short Back and Sides, at The Old Hairdressers, Glasgow. It starts on Friday, October 5, which will be the release show for the single.

You know, when you get a link to a video saying it features giant origami eagles, it'll be worth clicking. So it was with The Leg's single, 'An Eagle to Saturn':

No more needs to be said.

The Tidal Wave of Indifference blog has put out a digital album of sessions in aid of the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home. It features Fuzzystar, The Bad Books and The Son(s), and is available on Bandcamp.

Trapped in Kansas man Finn LeMarinel is releasing his first solo album, Violence, on October 15 and it's certainly one which deserves some attention. For example:

Gigs

Various dates, Oxjam. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Shetland and Falkirk.

It's October, so it's Oxjam month. Although there are gigs set up across the country, the five big takeover shows are the biggest you'll find. Some highlights:

October 6 - We're Skint, They're Skinter is a one-day mini-festival for a fiver, in the west end of Glasgow.

October 19 - Johnny Foreigner, Playlounge, Pinact and Verse Metrics are part of Glasgow's takeover at Flat 0/1 , while Falkirk Takeover runs on the same night. Also on the 19th is the Aberdeen Takeover, with a line-up including Stanley, Indian Red Lopez, The Marionettes, Amy Sawyers and Steve Milne of The Little Kicks.

October 20 - It's Shetland's turn, and details of a 12-hour spectacular will be appearing on Facebook.

October 20 - Edinburgh -- It's been pointed out (below, ta!) that the line-up for Edinburgh was off. Huge apologies - here's information on this year's.

More this month:

October 5-6, ReLoaded Fest. The Tolbooth, Stirling. Broken Records, Song of Return, Errors, Fatherson, The Mouse That Ate the Cat, Blank Canvas, Two Stripe, End of Neil, and many more are taking part in the fifth ReLoaded festival in Stirling. Ooft.

October 10, Bellow Below, Vasquez and Kimmy Yeah. Bar Bloc, Glasgow. A nice wee line-up as Bellow Below celebrate the release of their new EP 'Hooks'.

October 11 - The OK Social Club, The Holy Ghosts, and Randolph's Leap. Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh. Three very-decent bands, raising money for music therapy under the umbrella Tune into Autism. Said Adam Ross of Randolph's Leap: "I think it is important for music therapy to be promoted and funded. It is good to know that people with autism can benefit from the interaction and creativity associated with making music and I hope that ‘Tune Into Autism’ project will continue to help provide care and assistance to those who need it."

October 25 to 28, The Spree. Paisley. A brand new arts festival for Paisley, The Spree includes a gig from Human Don't Be Angry and Miaoux Miaoux and a free show from Julia and the Doogans on October 25, and Francois and the Atlas Mountains on October 28.

Introducing… We Came From Wolves

"I'm looking out at Perth Prison at the moment, which is what our rehearsal room looks towards," says We Came From Wolves' Kyle Burgess, on the phone just before they band headed out for their current tour. "Every so often we open the door and let the sound waft towards the inmates."

As mental images go, it's an interesting one; which seems somehow to fit quite nicely with the band's ability to fit some of the grit and rawness of life alongside some rather gorgeous soundscapes.

We Came From Wolves started from a couple of songs Kyle recorded in his bedroom. When they were picked up for radio play, "I thought, OK, maybe there's something in this," says Kyle. "And that's how it started."

The debut EP, 'Cope', came out at the end of September - along with a beautifully shot, mini-melodrama of a video.

"We didn't want it to just be a performance video, so we got Tom Mitchell, a good friend of ours who is doing some great stuff, to help out. He came up with a great concept and we're really happy with the outcome."

The EP is their first since signing with Engineer records in April.

"I think we were a little apprehensive," says Kyle, "because it was new to us. I had never been signed before and had no idea what to expect.

"Plus, we're protective of our work - we've always wanted to be involved in everything; not just the songs but the artwork and everything connected to each release.

"But the label have been so supportive of our ideas. At heart, they're just really big music fans, so they're great people to work with."

The band is currently on UK tour; they've already been through parts of Scotland, but you can still find them on: October 3, The Tunnels, Aberdeen; October 5, Henry's Cellar Bar, Edinburgh; plus dates in England throughout the month.

Autumn in Scotland pic from here..

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