''Postcards from Scotland'' is a 2024 book by Scottish film director Grant McPhee that covers Scotland's 1980's and 1990's independent music scene. It focuses on the stories of

The Pastels The Pastels are an indie rock group from Glasgow formed in 1981. They were a key act of the Scottish and British independent music scenes of the 1980s, and are specifically credited for the development of an independent and confident music scen ...

Shop Assistants Shop Assistants were a Scottish indie pop band from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed in 1984, initially as 'Buba & The Shop Assistants'.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Canongate, , p. 502 After achieving success with indepe ...

The Jesus and Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride in 1983. The band revolves around the songwriting partnership of brothers Jim and William Reid, who are the two founders and only consistent members of the ...

Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock music, rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie (musician), Jim Beattie (guitar). The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simon ...

The Soup Dragons The Soup Dragons are a Scottish alternative rock band of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Named after a character in the 1970s children's television series ''Clangers'', the group is best known for its cover of the Rolling Stones' song " I'm Fre ...

, BMX Bandits, The Vaselines,

Eugenius Eugenius (died 6 September 394) was a Western Roman emperor from 392 to 394, unrecognized by the Eastern Roman emperor Theodosius I. While Christian himself, Eugenius capitalized on the discontent in the West caused by Theodosius' religious p ...

, Jesse Garon, and the Desperadoes, Finitribe, The Motorcycle Boy, The Big Gun, and Rote Kapelle. The book was launched with two live events featuring a ‘supergroup’ made up of members of Shop Assistants, BMX Bandits, Fizzbombs, Rote Kapelle and Jesse Garon and the Desperadoes while being backed by The Cords. A second volume has been completed and will be released by Omnibus books. This volume tells an alternative story of Scotland's Underground Music scene during a similar time-frame, featuring Dawson, Badgewearer, Stretcheads, The Yummy Fur, Lung Leg, Mogwai, Bis, Chemikal Underground, The Delgadoes, Belle and Sebastian, Arab Strap and Franz Ferdinand.

Reception

''Postcards from Scotland'' received positive reviews from critics. ''Product Magazine'''s Alistair Braidwood said the book is "as close to an essential read as I can imagine." According to ''

The Big Issue ''The Big Issue'' is a United Kingdom–based street newspaper founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991 and published in four continents. ''The Big Issue'' is one of the UK's leading social businesses and exists to offer ho ...

'', the book is a "definitive account of a seminal period in pop history", while calling it "a labour of love, it's sometimes funny, sometimes bittersweet tribute." Louder Than War's Iain Key called it a "compelling and dynamic oral history".

References

{{reflist, 30em History books about Scotland 2024 non-fiction books English-language non-fiction books