The Huntingtons
The Huntingtons debut album "Sweet Sixteen" was released in 1996 by Flying Tart Records. A few months later, their first attempt at recording Ramones covers, entitled "Rocket to Ramonia" saw limited release via the Burnt Toast Vinyl label. At this point the band added a second guitarist, Tom Rehbein (later in Small Towns Burn a Little Slower). After working with producer Mass Giorgini for the band's next album, "Fun and Games", Tom was replaced by Brad Ber. After the album's release in mid-1997, the band started touring and gained a cult following. Their big break came in 1998, when they signed to Tooth & Nail Records and released "High School Rock".
Malcolm Middleton
Middleton released his first solo album "" in 2002, followed by "Into the Woods" in 2005. After Arab Strap split in 2006, the album "A Brighter Beat" was released in 2007. The first song on the album "We're All Going To Die" was released as a single on 17 December and started off with odds of 1,000–1 against becoming the Christmas number one – reportedly the highest odds ever quoted. After support from social networking websites and from BBC Radio 1 DJ Colin Murray, the odds dropped to 9–1, and Middleton was 4th favourite for Christmas Number One behind Leona Lewis, Katie Melua ft Eva Cassidy and "The X Factor" winner Leon Jackson. Murray started supporting the song as a response to repeated Christmas chart domination by manufactured pop acts churned out by the likes of "The X Factor". Middleton has said that, despite the song's negative-sounding title, he feels the song perfectly sums up the spirit of Christmas – the need to make the most of life while we have it. On the UK singles chart dated 23 December 2007 the song reached number 31, with the Christmas Number One being a cover of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston's "When You Believe" performed by Leon Jackson. The publicity around the single gave Middleton significant mainstream exposure for the first time in his career.