The Needles (band)
Encyclopedia
The Needles were a four-piece band who formed in their mid-teens in late 90s Aberdeen
, relocating to Glasgow
in 2001. Influenced heavily by 60s garage punk and late 70s new wave/powerpop, their first single on newly formed indie label Lithium Records attracted a great deal of attention for such a young band, and the follow-up 'We Got the Soul' continued the momentum, garnerning positive notices in the Melody Maker and NME, not to mention Radio 1 airplay.
Various delays and false dawns followed, and although they continued to release records for a good few years afterwards, switching to the better-funded Dangerous Records, in 2002, this early momentum was never truly regained, although their last three singles, Dianne, Summer Girls and Girl I used to Know received a degree of exposure on MTV2, Radio 1, and XFM.
The band finally split to pursue new projects in 2007, and some of them went on to form the Hidden Masters with Nic Denholm (ex-Owsley Sunshine/Uncle John & Whitelock
) and late-period Needles bassist Alpha Mitchell, also previously of the Owsley Sunshine. Original bassist Paul Curtiss and keyboard player Nic Denholm later moved to London and formed The Snap Elect, a psychedelic/powerpop four piece that released one album, 'Mangled Angle Land', in November 2010.
The Needles recorded several sessions for the BBC, most notably for the Mark Lamarr show on Radio 2 in 2006, and played their last gig with the original line up at the South by Southwest music festival in Texas in 2007, before finally calling it a day later that year. Probably their finest moments on disc came with their first release 'Teenage Bomb', the 7"-only single 'Let You Down', and the compilation track 'Any Other Girl'.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, relocating to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
in 2001. Influenced heavily by 60s garage punk and late 70s new wave/powerpop, their first single on newly formed indie label Lithium Records attracted a great deal of attention for such a young band, and the follow-up 'We Got the Soul' continued the momentum, garnerning positive notices in the Melody Maker and NME, not to mention Radio 1 airplay.
Various delays and false dawns followed, and although they continued to release records for a good few years afterwards, switching to the better-funded Dangerous Records, in 2002, this early momentum was never truly regained, although their last three singles, Dianne, Summer Girls and Girl I used to Know received a degree of exposure on MTV2, Radio 1, and XFM.
The band finally split to pursue new projects in 2007, and some of them went on to form the Hidden Masters with Nic Denholm (ex-Owsley Sunshine/Uncle John & Whitelock
Uncle John & Whitelock
Uncle John & Whitelock were a 'horror blues' band from Glasgow. They were active from 2001 to 2006 and were noted for their live shows which incorporated elements of performance art.-History:...
) and late-period Needles bassist Alpha Mitchell, also previously of the Owsley Sunshine. Original bassist Paul Curtiss and keyboard player Nic Denholm later moved to London and formed The Snap Elect, a psychedelic/powerpop four piece that released one album, 'Mangled Angle Land', in November 2010.
The Needles recorded several sessions for the BBC, most notably for the Mark Lamarr show on Radio 2 in 2006, and played their last gig with the original line up at the South by Southwest music festival in Texas in 2007, before finally calling it a day later that year. Probably their finest moments on disc came with their first release 'Teenage Bomb', the 7"-only single 'Let You Down', and the compilation track 'Any Other Girl'.
Albums
- In Search of The Needles (2007)
- Richie and the Magic Hammond on Lithium records Vol. 2 (2000)
- Any Other Girl on Lithium records Vol. 1 (1999)
EPs and Singles
- Girl I used to Know 7"/CD (2007)
- Summer Girls 7"/CD (2006)
- Dianne 7"/CD (2006)
- 1,2,3..5 EP (2005)
- Under The City EP (2004)
- The King and the Queen of Style EP(2002)
- Let You Down 7"(2001)
- Beat of the City EP(BBC sessions, 1999)
- We Got the Soul EP(1999)
- Teenage Bomb EP (1998)