EHR @ Foxy Digitalis
For most of the '90s, it seemed, you could turn on the radio station and actually get some good music. Great 'alternative' bands like Weezer and Pavement became relatively famous. You actually had a choice between mindless pop and, say, Radiohead. It is this that Kasino reminds me of, my teenage years. They don't sound exactly like these bands, but they formed at the same time, and it seems that something similar informs them. I most want to compare them to the first c.d. of a particular Swedish band called that also came out in the '90s (though I doubt that a lot of people other than Swedes know who they are); Kasino is equally as adept at heart-rending ballads. On songs like "Miles Away," which features either Gary Marshall singing to/with himself or someone who sounds exactly like it, it comes off a little weird and a little too earnest. But the best song on this EP, the title track, is close to brilliance, especially when Marshall quietly admits, "I'm giving up./ Thank you and goodnight." It almost makes me forget what year it is.



Alex Botten @ is this music?
Issue 11: Summer 2004
Kasino are a band who have been ploughing their own lonely furrow in the Scottish music scene for some time now. Too mainstream to fit into the healthy Scottish Underground and too indie to be accepted by the major labels that surely should be signing their brand of anthemic rock, Kasino have been pretty much left to fend for themselves against what appears to be blanket indifference. Out of this has developed something quite unexpected: a band that has such a fiercely independent ethos that they put most of the 'cool' DIY outfits to shame. Where others merely pay lip service to notions of being independent (whilst often being at least partly in bed with 'The Man'), Kasino are genuinely doing things ENTIRELY alone. They don't even have a tiny indie willing to help them out. After a self-released EP and a well received debut album Kasino are no closer to that elusive record deal than they were 4 or 5 years ago, but one gets the feeling they don't care any more. Their latest step is recording a 5 song ep and releasing it on the web - for free. That the songs are merely (to my ears) pleasantly melodic in a way that would please supporters of Bono and the boys matters very little - this is a band fighting the good fight with a conviction and dedication rarely seen these days. They could sell a lot of records if (as they almost sing in Kodachrome) their 'ship...come[s] in' but I get the feeling that isn't why they are doing this. And for that they should be applauded.



Jon @ Blue Mag
Thank You And Goodnight is a limited-edition EP from little-known veteren Scottish guitar band Kasino. The opening title track is earnest and anthemic, evoking bands like the Alarm, U2, and Starsailor. The overaching impression of Kasino's music is that it sounds big and radio ready, albeit ready for a radio of a distant, mythical past. "Walk Through Walls" sounds like a minor hit from pre-1984 MTV when most of the channel's content came from obscure UK bands wearing dodgy blouses and playing Japanese-made guitars. The song sounds like a Naked Eyes single, in a good way. "Kodachrome" and "Miles Away" continue with the shimmering heavy mellow, whereas "Sunshine", which closes the under 20 minute EP, hints at a slightly more aggressive Kasino sound. The driving beat, catchy chorus and melodic, overdriven guitar solo on "Sunshine" makes for the most satisfying track on the EP. Throughout Thank You And Goodnight Kasino masterfully maintains their clean, bright guitar sounds, understated drumming and clear vocals for a polish rarely seen in this post-Pavement world on either side of the Atlantic. Memories of J. J. Jackson aside, everything is in its right place.



JP @ CrookedCamera.net
Short and charming songs from these Glascow, Scotland natives crooned in the vein of Coldplay, Sea Ray, and at times, The Flaming Lips. The disc evokes an introspective glimpse and memory flickers like an old 8mm movie - this could almost be an excellent soundtrack to a great film. Tracks range from smiling optimism to self-doubt and defeated courage bouts. This is the type of record that, when played, reminds you of the summer you first heard it, in every sunny detail. This is going to be hard to find. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.