Maybe it's the deep Sco-ish brogue. Maybe it's the unlikely abundance of dark, curly mop-tops. Maybe it's just that they're all really good. Whatever it is, there's something going on with Scottish music right now.

The folks at Apple seem to think so—the frantic antics of The Fratellis "Flathead" provide the rousing backing track for those ubiquitous silhouetted figures on the latest iTunes ad. Bands like The Twilight Sad, Errors and My Latest Novel are already getting pre-SXSW buzz. Even that guy you totally thought was Italian —VH1's latest darling Paolo Nutini— hails from Paisley, Scotland. London and Liverpool be damned, Glasgow is now the hot bed of Brit pop.

"There's such a diverse sound in Glasgow," says Scott Rinning, lead singer of Glasgow's The Cinematics. "It's not a scene like Manchester or Seattle. I think what ties us all together is not our sound—I think we all have a no bullshit attitude. I suppose all bands have that, but it's a bit more deep rooted in Scottish bands because I think all Scottish people have this attitude."

You can find out for yourself this spring when a slew of Scottish bands are touring the States. New York's Bowery Ballroom is even hosting a Scotland Rocks New York night April 4th, headlined by upstarts Sons and Daughters and 1990s. If you're in the area, break out the whiskey and give 'em a try. More acts are sure to head across the pond, but right now, check out these Scots who are leading the pack:

The Cinematics (A Strange Education, March 6th)
It won't be long before you'll be hearing The Cinematics' hook-driven single "Break" blasting at your local hipster dance party. Lead singer Scott Rinning's deep, Jeff Buckley-like wail glides over irresistible beats—a combo you'd think would never work, but does—and well. Brooding anthem "Human" and the sing-along pop gem "Chase" prove these guys have real singing chops.

The Twilight Sad (Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, April 24th)
If Mogwai had a younger, more vocal, heavily distorted cousin, The Twilight Sad would be it. Indeed they do seem a bit sad, especially with tracks like "Last Year's Rain Didn't Fall Quite So Hard" and "Walking for Two Hours," but with jangling guitars and distorted jams that rise and fall with varying intensity, it kind of seems like that's the point.

The View (Hats Off To The Buskers, May 8th)
They may look like your little brother's stoner friends, but these radio-friendly garage rockers managed to top the UK charts on their first try. Led by grungy, floppy-haired Kyle Falconer, the band owes most of its success to Pete Doherty, who invited them to open for Babyshambles after hearing a demo. With endearing lyrics like, "I've had the same jeans on for four days now...everybody's dressing up, I'm dressing down," they're hard not to love.

-Robin Monheit

RANDOM TANGENT:
The View were banned from their namesake pub, The Bayview, after riding a scooter across the bar.

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