Burger with Relish

In an old "Saturday Night Live" sketch, Mike Myers' character Stuart Rankin would always say, "If it's not Scottish, it's crap!"

Three rock bands from Scotland -- none of them named The Proclaimers -- will be at the Urban Lounge Monday without kilts, bagpipes or copies of the movie "Braveheart."
"Mel Gibson wasn't our country's first choice," said Grant Hutchison, drummer for Frightened Rabbit.

Hutchison and his brother, singer and guitarist Scott Hutchison, should know. They formed their folk-rock band in Selkirk, one of the oldest boroughs in Scotland, the site where William Wallace -- portrayed by Gibson in "Braveheart" -- was declared guardian of Scotland. Their small town is filled with statues and homages to Wallace. "He's always been a national hero," Grant said.

But Selkirk is a small town, 50 miles from other cities. To escape boredom, Scott created the band in 2003 as a solo project, but decided to add members, such as Grant, when he wanted to recreate the grand, layered sounds he heard in his head.

The band released two critically acclaimed albums, 2006's "Sing the Greys" and 2008's "The Midnight Organ Flight," with their highly anticipated next album due in early 2010.

The band's lyrics and themes differentiate them from lightweight folk-pop bands, with Frightened Rabbit dwelling on darkness, lost love and grief. Such material leads to comparisons to Death Cab for Cutie, a band Frightened Rabbit has opened for.
The upcoming album, though, will focus on decidedly happier subjects. "Mentally, I'm in a very different place," Scott said. "The positivity came out. It's less foreboding."

While we can't attribute the band's positivity to its Urban Lounge show, the band is excited about having three Scottish bands on the bill. Scott said that while they have toured with both Twilight Sad and We Were Promised Jetpacks before, never have all three played together.

And if fans don't get their fill of Scottish music that night, not to worry. The Proclaimers, also from Scotland, will perform at the Urban Lounge on Sept. 20.

Frightened Rabbit
When » Sept. 14. Doors open at 9 p.m.
Where » Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, Salt Lake City
Tickets » $10 at SmithsTix and 24Tix
Opening acts » Twilight Sad, We Were Promised Jetpacks