HIATUS KAIYOTE
LAURA MVULA
CARAVAN PALACE
PAUL HEATON & JACQUI ABBOTT
EVERYTHING EVERYTHING
JACK SAVORETTI
BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE
JAMES MORRISON
THURSDAY 7 JULY 2016
FRIDAY 8 JULY 2016
SATURDAY 9 JULY 2016
SUNDAY 10 JULY 2016
MONDAY 11 JULY 2016
TUESDAY 12 JULY 2016
COURTNEY BARNETT
THURSDAY 14 JULY 2016
FRIDAY 15 JULY 2016
ST GERMAIN SATURDAY 16 JULY 2016
UNKLE:REDUX SUNDAY 17 JULY 2016
WEDNESDAY 13 JULY 2016
SOMERSETHOUSE.ORG.UK/ SUMMERSERIES
#SUMMERSERIESGIGS
DESIGN: LUKECHARLES.COM
BOOKING DETAILS
WELCOME EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
As we sit here, putting together a magazine and looking at all the photos of BBQ and free frozen margaritas at SXSW, we can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. But, you know what? It’s actually getting me really excited for the festivals we have coming up here. With The Great Escape just around the corner, Visions and their stupidly good first announcement, Raw Power (the festival for the more weird and wonderfully-minded of you – check out this month’s On The Stereo), plus the sun of Field Day on the horizon...it’s probably better we sit this one out, anyway. April is kicking-off with a ridiculous list of new albums, it was basically impossible to work out who to cram into these tiny pages. What’s that saying again? Like a kid in a candy store. Exactly.
STAFF ON REPEAT the tracks we can’t stop listening to this month JESS: ANNA WISE - BITCHSLUT DAVE: SWIMMING TAPES - SOUVENIRS LOKI: GLASS - BROKEN BONES DANNY: MITSKI - YOUR BEST AMERICAN GIRL GEMMA: ANOHNI - DRONE BOMB ME MITSKI
JACK: FAMILY SCRAPS - IT FOLLOWS LiS 03
SET IN HENHAM PARK SUFFOLK
14th - 17th july 2016
COURTNEY BARNETT BRITISH SEA POWER
DAUGHTER SQUEEZE
CHET FAKER LAURA MVULA
NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS
MICHAEL KIWANUKA
STURGILL SIMPSON / ALIF BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC STAGE
KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS MIIKE SNOW / CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS / HALF MOON RUN / POLIÇA / PERFUME GENIUS FRIGHTENED RABBIT / OH WONDER / MØ / ROOTS MANUVA / JAMIE WOON / RAT BOY / AURORA LÅPSLEY / MURA MASA / LUCIUS SUNRISE ARENA
PANTHA DU PRINCE PRESENTS THE TRIAD / BLACK MOUNTAIN ANNA MEREDITH / BLANCK MASS / BOB MOSES / CLOVES / DRONES CLUB / HAYDEN JAMES HIGHASAKITE / HOLLY MACVE / KELLY LEE OWENS / LAMBERT / LITTLE GREEN CARS / MARLON WILLIAMS / MONEY PROTOMARTYR / SUUNS / WEAVES LATE NIGHT ARENA
JUNGLE (DJ SET) / DAVID RODIGAN (A JOURNEY THROUGH REGGAE) / MIKE SKINNER & MURKAGE PRESENT TONGA
Music, Theatre, C omedy & Dance AND MUCH MORE TO DISCOVER
FOR LINE UP SO FAR VISIT LATITUDEFESTIVAL.CO.UK TICKETS FROM SEETICKETS.COM / 0871 231 0846 CALLS COST 10P PLUS NETWORK CHARGES. BILL SUBJECT TO CHANGE
CONTENTS 08. ON THE STEREO
LONDON IN STEREO IS:
13. NEW SOUNDS
Editor: Jess Partridge jess@londoninstereo.co.uk
17. TALES FROM THE CITY
Deputy Editor: Dave Rowlinson dave@londoninstereo.co.uk
20. YEASAYER
Sub-Editor/Sales: Loki Lillistone loki@londoninstereo.co.uk
26. EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
Staff Writers: Danny Wright, Gemma Samways Jack Urwin
32. ALBUM REVIEWS
Photography: EitS: Pooneh Ghana (poonehghana.com) Yeasayer: Rachel Lipsitz (littletrousers.com)
40. EVENTS 45. GIGS OF THE MONTH 48. LIVE LISTINGS 69. IN LONDON 70. LIVE REVIEWS 73. PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
Contributors: Merlin Jobst, Rachel Grace Almeida, Jake May, Michelle Kambasha, Tim Hakki, Rhian Daly, Woodrow Whyte, Kate Solomon, Geoff Cowart, Thomas Hannan, Tom Walters, George O’Brien, Lee Wakefield.
YEASAYER londoninstereo.com
@LondonInStereo
/londoninstereo
/london-in-stereo
londoninstereo LiS 05
April 2016 ~ LIV E ~ 1st
Snow Ghosts / 12th
4th
Aldous Harding /
Hot Sugar /
13th
Basia Bulat /
Ray Blk /
19th
Jakob /
18th
21st
The King’s Parade /
24th
20th
22nd
The Red Paintings /
14th
7th
Ben Hobbs
Dan Owen
Mike Dignam
False Advertising
26th
Laura Gibson
~ LATE ~ every friday
2nd
9th
Weekly Friday alt-pop
Bridging the gap between
A cosmic journey
& contemporary sounds
live and electronic
through music
16th
23rd
30th
Wedding themed, time
Fresh bands straight
90s hip hop and r’n’b knees
travelling party
off the stove
up for all you cool kids
HOXTONSQUAREBAR
|
HOXTONHQ
|
HOXTONSQUAREBAR
Dates, times & tickets: www.hoxtonsquarebar.com
SELVHENTER
SELVHENTER
GOLDEN BOY
PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS
Undoubtedly one of the most anticipated sets of the weekend is going to be Selvhenter. This is only the second UK trip for the Copenhagen industrial jazz quintet. Not many bands make this sort of a racket with drums, violin, trombone and a saxophone! They were probably the best set I saw at Supersonic 2015 along with Tomaga and The Bug. Can’t wait for the new album from these ladies but, until then, Motion Of Large Bodies is the one to pick up.
We try not to have too many repeats at Raw Power from one year to the next, but Pigs... were so damn good in 2015 we had to have them back. This time to close the festival after Part Chimp and FĂśllakzoid on Sunday night. The Newcastle five-piece play in a host of amazing bands from Tyneside including Khunnt, Haikai No Ku, Blown Out and many more. Heavy as anything with a psychedelic edge basically.
PSYCHOPOMP PART 2
SLABDRAGGER
SLABDRAGGER
MERCENARY BLUES Probably my favourite metal band in London right now, they recently released an amazing new album on Holy Roar Records. We don’t have that much metal generally, but with Melt Banana heading up Saturday I thought the day could do with some more heavy riffs! Any album with five songs that come to the best part of 40 minutes gets my approval.
ORCHESTRA OF SPHERES MIND OVER MIGHT I must have played this track on the radio as many times as anything else I own since putting on them on at Power Lunches in 2014. This New Zealand band make incredibly catchy postpunk and synthpop with a great stage show to boot. Looking forward to hearing their new album on Fire Records a lot.
TAMAN SHUD VIPER SMOKE
ORCHESTRA OF SPHERES
Another band whose next album I'm looking forward to after having played their debut to death is Taman Shud. First heard on a split with Fat White Family in 2014, they have now grown into one of the best bands in London. The title track of their debut album ‘Viper Smoke’ is definitely a stand-out and be sure to check out the video on Youtube, which is a cracker. With thanks to Anthony Chalmers of Baba Yaga’s Hut
Raw Power Festival runs May 27th-29th at The Dome and Boston Music Rooms. babayagashut.com // @rawpowerfest // facebook.com/rawpowerfest LiS 09
NEW SOUNDS by Gemma Samways
DREAM WIFE Dream Wife wasn’t even meant to be a real band. Devised as a conceptual performance piece - by Icelandic singer Rakel Mjöll and fellow art school students Alice Go and Bella Podpadec - the line between fantasy and reality rapidly blurred when it transpired the trio’s material was too strong to remain confined within its intended parameters. Two years and a brace of killer songs and riotous live shows later, the Brighton-formed, London-based three-piece are rapidly establishing themselves as one of the most exciting young groups in the country.
Taking their name from a progressive, 1950s romantic comedy, and boasting an impeccable set of influences that range from Debbie Harry and Kathleen Hanna to Grimes, the trio use pastel-coloured power-pop as a vehicle for feminist messaging. Last July’s breakout track, ‘F.U.U’, found Mjöll purring, “I’m gonna fuck you up, gonna cut you up, gonna fuck you up,” over a malevolent, glitter-smeared groove located somewhere between CSS and Peaches. The lead track from last month’s self-titled EP only raised the bar higher. From its flirtatious, handclap-sprinkled verses, to the predatory chorus driven by Le Tigre-flavoured girl-gang vocals, the Ex Hex-ish ‘Hey Heartbreaker’ is pretty much the perfect ode to a crush. Who LISTEN TO: Hey Heartbreaker knows, if Dream Wife can keep up this ONLINE: dreamwife.co // @DreamWifeMusic level of brilliance, they might just end up facebook.com/dreamwifedream being our dream band. LiS 13
UPCOMING LONDON SHOWS rockfeedback.com
presents
BORN RUFFIANS / CRISTOBAL AND THE SEA
SOPHIA
MATMOS
RADICAL FACE
THOMAS COHEN
TITUS ANDRONICUS
MELT YOURSELF DOWN
FATHER JOHN Out MISTY* Sold
THE MYSTERY LIGHTS
THREE TRAPPED TIGERS
BLACK PEACHES
D∆WN
Moth Club 31 Mar 2016
The Forge 26/ 27/ 28 Apr 2016
Shapes 27 Apr 2016
Scala 28 Apr 2016
MUTUAL BENEFIT
The Lexington 09 May 2016
Chats Palace 16 May 2016
Roundhouse 18/19/20 May 2016
Moth Club 19 May 2016
SONGHOY BLUES
Oslo 07 Jun 2016
The Dome 09 Jun 2016
The Shacklewell Arms 09 Jun 2016
Xoyo 15 Jun 2016
NEON INDIAN
Bush Hall 28 Apr 2016
+ FATOUMATA DIAWARA Roundhouse 21 May 2016
THE FIELD
SPRING KING
VISIONS FESTIVAL 2016
RADIATION CITY
BLAENAVON
SUNFLOWER BEAN
KEVIN MORBY
JULIEN BAKER
BY THE SEA
CHASTITY BELT
AMBER ARCADES
POLIÇA
Moth Club 30 Apr 2016
The Victoria 04 May 2016
Oslo 05 May 2016
The Dome 06 May 2016
Scala 26 May 2016
Dingwalls 26 May 2016
The Forge 26 May 2016
The Lexington 07 Jun 2016
Oval Space 16 Jun 2016
Various Venues 06 Aug 2016
Scala 15 Sep 2016
Dreamland, Margate 30 Sep 2016
Roundhouse 19 Oct 2016
TALES FROM THE CITY by DOOMSQUAD
Our first show in London was definitely a memorable one. It was at a legendary venue in Shoreditch owned by a mega media conglomerate. We’d caught a super hype Sleigh Bells show there the previous summer. SO, this was the type of psychic image we had manifested in our minds. It certainly wasn’t like that. Sound check should have given some indication as to how the night would progress. The sound tech was a sickly, scaly young buck who spent the entire time allotted for our sound check regaling us with exciting tales of his rampant crack use. When he found out we were from Toronto, his demeanour lit up like a broken incandescent bulb that had been used to smoke his drug of choice, and he recalled an episode he had in The Six, asking us if we knew a guy named Chaz. (Actually, we did.) Then the doors to the show opened and we hadn’t made a single sound on stage yet, but the sound tech assured us he knew what he was doing. Now, we’ve been working the DIY circuit for years, so we don’t harbour illusions, and we consider ourselves adaptable in most situations. We love London, and every other show we’ve played here have been among our favourites ever. So, even though our UK debut was starting to resemble a reality show nightmare, we remained unfazed and were more than thrilled to be playing. When our set time rolled around, we hit the stage with the same amount of enthusiasm that our sound guy apparently had as well.
We were totally fucking high and jolted on life. He was also totally fucking high and jolted …… on crack. We started to blast some beats. No sound. The DIs weren’t connected. He connected them. Tons of obnoxious feed back? Check. A thick wall of nearly inaudible haze that would send even the most devoted My Bloody Valentine fans into a hellish spiral? Double check. Meanwhile, the whole time, our jacked-up antihero working the boards had absolutely no clue of either the obvious issues regarding sound, or our fervent attempts to signal him, as he was deeply invested in a conversation with a young blonde of the opposite sex. Judging from the disgruntled facial expressions of the crowd, and the newly formed gaping holes left by our now-massacred spirits, we ended our set after three songs and thanked everyone for coming out. The sound guy ran up to us, gave us all high fives, and said we “killed it". Apparently we were now one of his new fav bands. Gosh. To end on a high note, our cosmic scales were rebalanced the next day when we went to the Warp Records takeover of the Tate Modern and our aural and visual cortexes got totally blasted just like our beloved little sound tech hitting the pipe. DOOMSQUAD release Total Time May 6th, via Bella Union. LIVE: May 26th, Moth Club. ONLINE: @elDOOMSQUAD // facebook.com/elDoomSquad
LiS 17
fabric
Marcel Dettmann Marcel Fengler Matt Tolfrey Mike Dehnert (live) Milton Bradley Reset Robot Robert Hood Sonja Moonear Plus Many More...
www.fabriclondon.com
Craig Richards Terry Francis Adriatique Alan Fitzpatrick Alex Celler Anthony Parasole Audion (live) Claude VonStroke Esteban Adame (live) Fumiya Tanaka Heartthrob (live) House of Black Lanterns Jamie Jones Joris Voorn Joseph Capriati Laura Jones Magda
APRIL 2016 ALIX PEREZ B2B IVY LAB BIG NARSTIE BUGZY MALONE CALYX & TEEBEE CASPA & RUSKO CHAMPION CRAZE DJ HYPE (2 HOUR SET) DJ Q DRUMSOUND & BASSLINE SMITH DUB PHIZIX & STRATEGY
ELIJAH & SKILLIAM EMPEROR FEKKY FLAVA D FRICTION (2 HOUR SET) HAZARD ICICLE B2B PROXIMA LOADSTAR B2B CULTURE SHOCK LOGAN SAMA MADAM X MAXIMUM (BBK)
www.fabriclondon.com
MEFJUS B2B INSIDE INFO NICKY BLACKMARKET ONEMAN B2B BOK BOK ROCKWELL ROYAL T SKEPTICAL SPECTRASOUL STÖÖKI SOUND T Q D (LONDON DEBUT) TERROR DANJAH TROJAN SOUNDSYSTEM PLUS MANY MORE...
yeasayer words: rachel grace almeida photos: rachel lipsitz “We didn’t want to go for that lowest common-denominator pop formula that so many of our peers seem to be shooting for” - Anand Wilder easayer have big ideas. In February this year, they released a visually stunning music video for new single ‘Prophecy Gun’, which travelled through the set on which the album art was shot. Sculptures of Donald Trump, Caitlyn Jenner and Mark Twain litter the pastelcoloured world whilst the slow-burning track takes you on the sinister journey of their pop culture charade. The Brooklyn band have a unique set up: there are two lead vocalists, fronted by Anand Wilder and Chris Keating. When I spoke to Wilder about the complexities this might bring to their creative process, he told me that time has allowed them pick up the pieces and figure out where to go. “We didn’t have a recording advance for a while so we had to work on the project little by little. It ended up being a worthwhile process because we were able to make tons of revisions and get tired of inferior songs that might’ve gone out into the world if we hadn’t had so much time to ruminate on them.”
It has been four years since their last full-length release, and Wilder told me that the album process was more gruelling than usual: “This has been the longest and most arduous process for us in our career - and there's definitely a feeling of relief and sense of accomplishment now we've completed it.” Amen & Goodbye possesses a dull flamboyance that you’d usually associate with a Yeasayer record – it embraces the classic pop album format, employing a range of
tempos and emotion. Still, this album wasn’t intended to be pop at all. “We didn’t want to go for that lowest commondenominator pop formula that so many of our peers seem to be shooting for. Instead, our intent was to respect our fans’ intelligence and give them a final product that was all over the map.” However, texture isn’t the only thing that they boast – there’s substance. The language surrounding this record is one that nods heavily to religion, and not just as blatantly as the album title and tracks.
“We were toying with the idea of the pop music album as religious manifesto, and it seems to me that the main concern of religious texts is helping humanity cope with mortality, the fleeting nature of life,” Wilder told me. “Say a little prayer and kiss your ass goodbye.” However, these sacred themes aren’t new for the band – this is something they’ve been exploring since their first release in 2007, when they described themselves as "middle Eastern-psych-snap-gospel”. Sonically, their influences sound spiritual, with multi-harmony choruses LiS 21
that build up a tension so counterclimactic it feels like the tedious wait for Judgement Day. Previously expanding on the subject, Wilder once stated: "When you lack any specific religion, you become open to all sorts of religious music. And I think everyone can agree that some of the most beautiful music ever written was done so in the name of God or gods." Amen & Goodbye is a dig on the connection between violence and religion; pop culture and surrealism; mockery and truth. It’s a listen that will bewilder, challenge and comfort loyal fans and casual listeners alike. I asked Wilder if that was their intention, and if those were emotions they wanted to provoke in people. “I want a healthy balance of joy, comfort, sexual arousal, anger, fear, frustration and violence, all with a vocal you can sing along to and a backbeat for bobbing the head. I'd rather someone hate one of our songs that not be able to remember how it goes.”
Ultimately, Amen & Goodbye doesn’t leave you scratched beneath the surface like previous records, but it does assert their craftsmanship and vision. Although it relies heavily on nostalgia, they’ve found the right sounds to fit the emotion they want to convey and they exist comfortably within a cultural landscape they can occupy. Before ending our conversation, I asked Wilder where he wanted Yeasayer to stand as a band. “I want to be considered a relevant piece of the pop cultural landscape, to reach as many people as possible without losing my street anonymity,” he told me, with an air of calmness. “So far, so good.”
Yeasayer release Amen & Goodbye April 1st via Mute LIVE: Oslo, June 10th. Field Day, June 11th ONLINE: yeasayer.xyz @Yeasayer facebook.com/yeasayer
explosions in the sky »» words: merlin jobst »» photography: pooneh ghana
ontemporary instrumental music has its ups and downs; its bold composers, and its many less adventurous; its genuine masterpieces, and its shallow pomp. However, the most compelling artists within the genre tend to possess a decent dollop of self-awareness, allowing them to continually innovate. Often this will exist most intrinsically in acts that have lived through the whole arc of the genre – and from their humble beginnings in Texas in 1999, Explosions in the Sky have pretty much seen it all. The band’s road to becoming one of the the most significant instrumental groups in modern history has seen them in constant state of humbleness, introspection, and development. This is, in part, how their latest studio album, The Wilderness, can follow a five-year stretch of composing exclusively for film, and still be possibly their most realised release yet – no minor achievement, considering their existing legacy. In conversation with guitarist Mark T. Smith, we discussed a genre and band set-up (generally three guitars and a drum kit) which, on paper, could seem restrictive – and found out exactly why that’s never really been an issue for the band, or their fans.
Contemporary instrumental music boomed in the late 1990s – how has it evolved, and what place do you think it has in the current musical landscape? Once genre classifications enter the picture, it feels like a distraction rather than a benefit to the music. We owe some huge debts to bands from that era, but not just instrumental bands. In terms of the current landscape – maybe every generation feels this way – but it just feels like we’ve reached a point where anything goes, in a positive sense. With everyone being able to find any and all music at any time, you can see people taking influences from all these different cultures and eras, and that’s incredible. What ground do you feel you hold, in a way other bands, instrumental or vocal, may not? I don’t necessarily think we own some specific piece of the ground or territory, but I like to think we’re right there in terms of the spirit of wanting to mix music in ways that feel unique. Whatever can make the music as full of life as it can be. In the past, obviously that has meant huge distortion peaks. But now, we’re moved to find new ways to be transported – we’re just as likely to have the song unfold like a vocal-less Neil Young decrescendo (‘Landing Cliffs’ on the new record), or we’re just as likely to feature the dulcimer as the melodic focal point in a song (‘Infinite Orbit’), or have the song build to a melting maelstrom of » feedback and cello wails followed LiS 27
fifteen seconds later by transitioning into what sounds like a version of Pavement’s ‘Range Life’ based around a harp melody (’Logic of a Dream’). When you look at the landscape of contemporary music now – live-instrument, instrumental, or otherwise – what evolutions interest you as composers, or even as musicians within it? That’s an ever-changing proposition. One day I can hear the newest Burial and be like “I want to devote the next six months to learning how to work with some of the stuff he does.” And I do feel like I personally went into a period during the songwriting where I got away from melody and structure and went a little bit into a rabbit hole of noise and samples and textures. And I think that pursuit did add some really cool stuff to the record. But then, after that, I can see something like Paul Thomas Anderson’s documentary, Junun, which documents the making of Jonny Greenwood’s album he co-wrote with Shye Ben Tzur and The Rajasthan Express, which I think is glorious. And I was truly inspired by seeing them work with each other, playing traditional instruments all in a circle mixed with more modern composition. Like I said earlier, we as a band seem to be really interested in the dynamics of mixing up our sound, in subtle ways and in more overt ways, taking some from full-out rock bands like Fugazi and some from classical composers, etc. We don’t actually talk about it in those terms, but that’s how it happens and how our album turned out the way it did. Specifically, what does this album say that you haven’t said before, and how? What is sonically present this time round? The big sea change for us was making the mental leap to writing a studio album. We have always written music live, and meant for the live show, in a
This new record is my favourite we’ve ever made, and I think a big part of that is because it was the hardest. way that the four of us (now with help of our great friend Carlos Torres who tours and plays with us) can play in a straightforward fashion. That was awesome, that is of course how music began, and is maybe how a lot of people think music should be. But after doing that for so long... we just wondered what it would be like to enter the songwriting with no restrictions of that nature. We can add essentially unplayable elements to a song – including additional instruments far outnumbering the number of musicians in the band – which add greatly to our listening. We can go into the studio without the songs completely written (another new twist for us), and see what experiments and surprises happen in the studio. We can hire people to play strings (there is some cello and double bass scattered throughout the record). We can feature the harmonium, or ribbon synth, or use a MIDI harp. We can enlist John Congleton (who has recorded our last three records) to be a producer this time, and ask him to help us affect sounds in ways we never have done before. In terms of unspoken but clearly still very present emotional, human content, what is this new work dealing with? To me it’s about looking outside of yourself. I think it’s this way with a lot of people, but every time there is bad emotional stuff going on with me, it’s because I’m too focused on myself. I perceive these small things in my daily life as huge. And literally every time, the answer is to have some shift in scale and perspective. Looking out and seeing the mysteries of the wilderness around us. When I can appreciate the fear and » LiS 29
This record is an attempt to sort of look at...and honour that wilderness above us and around us.
awe of being one of all these billions of humans each being alone and even now still somewhat clueless about our “place” in the cosmos... that’s when I feel the most balanced. It’s maybe a strange perspective. The things that seem like the most interesting and noteworthy details of our existence – the moon and sun up there, the science of life – these are the things we talk about the least. So this record is an attempt to sort of look at that and honour that wilderness above us and around us. The last five years have clearly been full of new, pretty massive experiences. What have you gained and/or loved? As a band it has been five years full of a lot of changes. Munaf got married, and Michael got married, and also he and his wife had a baby. I’ve seen my kids grow from newborn and two years old to being five and seven, and basically whole new humans. We have gotten to see a tonne of new places around the world (loved
going to India and South America for the first times). And it has been great making soundtracks for movies. Another thing is that I’m just glad we have stayed together as a band. This new record is my favourite we’ve ever made, and I think a big part of that is because it was the hardest. A lot of searching and soul-searching. And I don’t know if people think it just comes easy and we all get along and agree 100% of the time. We don’t. Just like any other group of people. We had arguments and falling-outs and had to regroup any number of times. But we always did, and yeah – just really grateful for that. The Wilderness is released, April 1st via Bella Union. LIVE: Royal Albert Hall, April 25th. Rough Trade East April 26th. ONLINE: @EITS // explosionsinthesky.com
BABA YAGA’S HUT PRESENTS
Melt-Banana Part Chimp Test Dept: Redux Selvhenter Follakzoid Teeth of the Sea =
Agathe Max = Anonymous Bash = Bonnacons of Doom
Cult of Dom Keller = Gum Takes Tooth
Housewives = Ill = Lower Slaughter
Pikacyu-Makoto = Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs
QUJAKU = Mechanical Techno = Melting Hand Mugstar = Orchestra of Spheres = Slabdragger Sly & The Family Drone = Stearica = Taman Shud
Workin’ Man Noise Unit = Woven Skull
27/28/29 MAY 2016 Weekend Tickets £60 Day And Two Passes From £15-£50 RAW POWER FESTIVAL THE DOME & THE BOSTON MUSIC ROOMS, 2A DARTMOUTH PARK HILL, LONDON, NW5 1HL
facebook.com/rawpowerfest / twitter.com/rawpowerfest / www.babayagashut.com
ALBUMS
RECORD OF THE MONTH PJ HARVEY
THE HOPE SIX DEMOLITION PROJECT At the beginning of 2015, PJ Harvey offered us a window into her creative process. In collaboration with installation specialists Artangel, a temporary studio was erected at Somerset House, and curious fans could listen and watch through one-way glazing as she recorded the follow-up to 2011’s Let England Shake. It was a landmark initiative, made even more remarkable by the fact it offered rare access to a notoriously private artist. As Harvey explained in the exhibition pamphlet, “I’m not sure how it’ll affect us… But what I do know is that whenever I feel scared it’s usually a Island Records good sign, because it means that I’m doing something I April 15th haven’t done before.” Stand Out Tracks: The resulting record takes its title from HOPE XI, a US The Ministry of Defence urban renewal scheme set up to create mixed-income developments from dilapidated public housing projects, but The Wheel Dollar, Dollar that has since been criticised for leaving a deficit in social The Ministry Of Social Affairs housing. This project - unflatteringly referenced in album Live: June 12th, Field Day opener ‘The Community Of Hope’ - sets the framework for a record that deals with ideas of displacement and poverty. Online: @PJHarveyUK Inspired by trips to Afghanistan, Kosovo and Washington facebook.com/PJHarvey D.C., songs offer vivid snapshots of all three locations. On ‘The Ministry Of Defence’, Harvey guides us through the ruined headquarters in Kabul, sifting through debris to a warning “scratched in the wall in biro pen: ‘This is how the world will end.’” Its disturbing imagery is mirrored in the main musical motif of a doomy, repeated guitar chord, interspersed with ominous pauses and Harvey’s bluesy vocals. Blues figures heavily throughout the album, though most explicitly on ‘The Ministry Of Social Affairs’. The song begins with a vintage sample - and it remains underneath the first verse, jarring with the main melody - before its central refrain is co-opted by blank-eyed male voices at the climax, almost buried beneath the squalling sax solo. The roots of this almost-discordant sampling technique can be traced back to Let England Shake (see ‘Written on the Forehead’ and ‘This Glorious Land’), as can Harvey’s increasingly politicised outlook. However, the wraith-like airiness that clung to the last LP has been replaced by melodies that feel more urgent, and that are unafraid to embrace dissonance. Not only does Harvey break new ground with this more-direct musical approach, she adds weight to the album’s overriding message. Whether it’s the young boy stopping traffic to beg for money in ‘Dollar, Dollar’, the 28,000 missing children mourned during ‘The Wheel’, or the refugees displaced by conflict in ‘A Line In The Sand’, it’s the most vulnerable members of society who ultimately suffer most at the hands of these unfeeling - or downright tyrannous - regimes. And as Harvey sings on the latter track, “Enough is enough.” Gemma Samways
FRANKIE COSMOS NEXT THING
Bayonet Records // April 1st For an artist occupying the ‘bedroom pop’ ground that so many others inhabit today, Frankie Cosmos – the moniker of New York-based musician Greta Kline – has a real knack for making songs that sound very much her own. Following on from her brilliant and critically-acclaimed Zentropy debut, Next Thing is the second full-length from the 22-year-old and, though it might be less immediate than the sweet and melodic indie pop charm of its predecessor, make no mistake, it’s no less brilliant. Through changes of pace, volume and mood (usually all within the same song), smart, often seemingly-innocent but wholly self-aware lyrics, and her apparently effortless flair for a vocal melody, Next Thing more than keeps your attention across its fifteen songs – and still leaves you wanting even more. Jake May
PET SHOP BOYS SUPER
x2 Records // April 1st If you and I got together to make a series of studio albums, we’d probably just be churning out a few unreleased demos and whacking a cover on by our thirteenth. But you and I are not the Pet Shop Boys and we are not in one of the most fruitful creative collaborations of all time. The one thing Super is not is tired; it crackles with energy and is at once lusty, sad and amazing. On what other album this year will you find club-ready hits about a dictator longing to be overthrown, melancholy machinery, millennial dickheads and the long and possibly unending pursuit of happiness? You and I don’t have to make this stuff, thank god. We just have to decide whether to dance or cry: the correct answer is both. Kate Solomon
SUUNS
HOLD/STILL Secretly Canadian // April 15th Suuns’ sonic journey over three albums is an intriguing one: a fascinating story of dissolving sounds and erosion, a shift from the propulsive dynamism of their first album towards a hypnotic sparse krautrock. Hold/Still is ominously and eerily beautiful, a headphones record, one which feels like it was created in the shadows. And it has that thrill of the noir. The first single, ‘Translate’, sets the scene with its bone-dry grooves, warped guitar line and a pervading sense of paranoia (thanks largely to Ben Shemie’s murmured vocals). ‘Careful’s ticking bomb rhythm and dark synths is another highlight. On ‘Resistance’ Shemie naggingly keeps repeating the mantra “Resist”. You can try, but it’s nearly impossible. Danny Wright
J DILLA
THE DIARY PayJay/Mass Appeal // April 15th Hints abound on this long lost vocal LP of the esoteric sample-obsessed style that would characterise Dilla’s death bed opus Donuts. Originally intended as the follow-up to debut Welcome 2 Detroit, The Diary showcases the musically voracious approach that characterised Dilla’s whole career. Gary Numan’s ‘Cars’ gets remoulded as feel-good anthem ‘Trucks’, and Kansas’s ‘Nobody’s Home’ gets twisted into the heart wrenching ‘So Far’. Such unexpected sleights of hand reveal a man intent on challenging the self-reflexivity of hip hop long before the shadow of death crossed his path. Without Dilla paving the way, it’s probable that DJ Dahi wouldn’t have sampled Beach House for Kendrick Lamar’s trap classic ‘Money Trees’, and throughout The Diary Dilla’s sample choices serve as a reminder that the best music always comes from thinking outside the box. Lyrically the album feels a little prone to hip hop cliches (Frank N Dank’s “smoke a doobie with a cutie”) but often it’s the result of Dilla’s collaborators. Some of his own bars are fire, such as early anthem ‘Fuck the Police’ - as much a tribute to Ice Cube’s penmanship in NWA as it is to Dilla’s own disillusionment as a young police cadet. But the lyrical gem here is in ‘The Introduction’ which sees Dilla musing upon the cyclical nature of music and where he fits in. Della was a rare breed of genius and this album reveals penetrating new perspectives on his artistry. Tim Hakki
FRIGHTENED RABBIT
PAINTING OF A PANIC ATTACK Atlantic // April 8th If you’re Frightened Rabbit, how do you possibly build on the success of Pedestrian Verse? While arguably their most accessible work, it also felt oddly underrated despite the critical acclaim. Arguably, it deserved more than a slot in the Top 10 or an airing at Brixton Academy. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that, at times, the band were somewhat unrecognisable, buoyed by triumphant crescendos and beefed up riffs, while the more familiar moments of quiet reflection and sobering lyricism felt ever so slightly sidelined. If Painting Of A Panic Attack isn’t a backwards step, it certainly casts a fond glance in the direction of much older material. A lot of the bombast that skyrocketed the previous record has been hushed in favour of ominous electronic flourishes and subtle, scratchy orchestration, and tracks like ‘400 Bones’ and ‘Get Out’ are better for the simplicity. Where a solo may have screeched into earshot before, many of the songs gorgeously fade away, Scott Hutchison’s brutal wordplay thrashing and bruising and shining on countless occasions. Despite its effortlessness, ‘Die Like A Rich Boy’ is the track that leaves the bloodiest mark. “Fuck these faceless homes and all that live in them”, Hutchison spits on ‘Still Want To Be Here’, a scathing assessment of LA as he struggles to find his place. In stark contrast, Frightened Rabbit have forged a fresh identity and it’s anything but forgettable. Painting Of A Panic Attack is impossible to shake. Lee Wakefield
CATE LE BON CRAB DAY
Turnstile // April 15th Crab Day has a way of getting gently under the skin. From the opening jabs of its title track opener Cate Le Bon creates a hypnotic and mind-bending journey of an LP. When Le Bon wants to, she is capable of elegant moments, but she doesn’t want to make it too easy. “Sing my name again love,” she pines in the glorious ‘Love Is Not Love’ before diving straight into the almost Madness-esque chaos of ‘Wonderful’. And at times Crab Day can be just that: the beautiful chorus of ‘Yellow Blinds, Cream Shadows’ recalls Nico, while ‘I Was Born On The Wrong Day’ is a stunning but mysterious cut, showing off her effortless falsetto. It feels like Le Bon is jabbing fun at us all, and we wouldn’t want it any other way. George O’Brien
TACOCAT
WOODS CITY SUN EATER IN
Hardly Art Records // April 1st
Woodist // April 22nd
Seattle’s Tacocat are a band that can’t help but have fun. Even on a song where they’re asserting "don’t fuck with me" (‘FDP’) or talking about the world ending (‘I Love Seattle’) they do it with pep and enthusiasm, and via sugary earworm melodies. There’s a lot that is playful about the quartet’s new album, from its X-Files references (‘Lost Time’ refers to time loss suffered by UFO abductees, the album’s first track is called ‘Dana Katherine Scully’) to its breezy pop-punk sounds. That sense of glee extends to matters others would deliver with a heap of hand-wringing issues of feminism like mansplaining and internet abuse. It’s a refreshing approach and one that makes Lost Time gloriously unique from start to finish. Rhian Daly
With Woods’ ninth album marking ten years since their debut, it’s remarkable to hear just how far they’ve come. City Sun Eater In The River Of Light reaffirms the band hasn’t run out of steam yet, instead emphasising and improving on their best elements. Mesmerising, incessantly catchy psychedelia (‘Can’t See At All’), massive, riff-heavy freakouts (‘Sun City Creeps’) and intricate, soulful folk instills the band as purveyors of what they do, rather than being another pastiche. Lo-fi recordings behind them, they sound brilliantly produced, with many songs fleshed out with brilliant strings, horns and new wave keys. Woods have been many things over the years, but on this - their best effort to date - their psych-pop sensibilities have never sounded so bright, bold and delightfully accessible. Tom Walters
LOST TIME
THE RIVER OF LIGHT
LiS 35
NIKI & THE DOVE
EVERYBODY’S HEART IS BROKEN NOW Ten Records // April 8th It’s been four years since Niki & The Dove left us without a dope beat to step to. The Swedish duo hit hard with electropop stomper ‘The Drummer’, but their full-length debut struggled to match its impact. Everybody’s Heart Is Broken Now fairs better than its predecessor by taking an emancipatory trip to early-80s Manhattan. R&B and disco influences abound on tracks like the life-giving ‘You Stole My Heart Away’ and the lavish, Michael Jackson-esque ‘Play It On My Radio’. Sure, the sonic references are heavy, but the ascendant, seven-minute closer ‘Ode To The Dancefloor’, with its refrain, “Leave me in the glow with you”, serves as a rapturous love note to the night, as well as the overwhelming feeling once the record closes. Woodrow Whyte
DÄLEK
ASPHALT FOR EDEN Profound Lore // April 22nd Here’s the thing: dälek are great. They've made six albums of wonderfully imaginative, noise-ridden hip hop, and Asphalt For Eden - their seventh - is as fine as any. However, it'll also be difficult for non-devotees to separate it from its predecessors. If smitten already, there'll be little not to love; ‘Critical’ is the band at their most oppressive and accessible simultaneously, while punchdrunk closer ‘It Just Is’ and its refrain of “it ain't gon' be alright” offers a chillingly alternative, despondent state of the union address from the fringes of rap. A fine record that's far from a blot on their reputation, the fact that an LP this commendable does little to further dälek's legacy only speaks to the quality of their wider canon. Thomas Hannan
THE FIELD
THE FOLLOWER Kompakt // April 1st The start of Swedish soundsmith Axel Willner’s fifth album picks up just where he left off on Cupid’s Head with an austere 4/4 beat and a swirling pitched synth line drilling into your skull. But the epiphany comes halfway through the ten-minute track when he drops in a lovely booming and fuzzy bassline. It’s enough to drive you loopy. But that’s always been Willner’s calling card as he pushes, pulls and layers loops within an inch of their lives. Unusually he’s coated each of the six tracks here with a majestic smear of hazy pop sheen to offer a bit more warmth. Yet whenever he drops that veneer out of the mix he’s serving notice that his hard-edged techno is still as commanding as ever. Geoff Cowart
Goldenvoice Presents WOLF ALICE
MATT & KIM
27.03.16 O2 FORUM UT SOLD O TOWN KENTISH
YEARS & YEARS
29.03.16 O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
PREP
29.03.16 OUT SOLDWAITING THE ROOM
BRYSON TILLER 28.03.16UT SOLD O KOKO 29.03.16 UT SOLD O KOKO 30.03.16 UT SOLD O KOKO
BIG UPS
+ CROWS 30.03.16 LEXINGTON
BILL BAIRD 4.04.16 SCOTCH
ALLIE X
5.04.16 BIRTHDAYS
EKKAH
7.04.16 OSLO HACKNEY
+ MØ 08.04.16 OUT SOLDSSE THE ARENA WEMBLEY
VAULTS
+ STEALTH 13.04.16 HEAVEN
ISLAND
+ ISAAC GRACIE 20.04.16T U SOLD OHACKNEY OSLO
GABRIEL BRUCE 21.04.16 BRIXTON WINDMILL
BROKEN HANDS 28.04.16 DINGWALLS
VANESSA CARLTON
FATHER JOHN MISTY 18.05.16 T OU SOLDROUNDHOUSE THE 19.05.16 T OU THE ROUNDHOUSE SOLD 20.05.16 OUT THE ROUNDHOUSE SOLD
YAK
+ INHEAVEN 24.05.16 DINGWALLS
SHURA
+ PUMAROSA 26.05.16 O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE
ALGIERS 30.05.16 100 CLUB
THE SPECIALS 15.11.16 THE TROXY 16.11.16 THE TROXY
03.05.16 OUT SOLDLEXINGTON THE 18.05.16 SCALA
TOURIST 11.05.16 XOYO
EAGULLS
19.05.16 ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
MAR – NOV
28.03.16 OUT O2 FORUM SOLD KENTISH TOWN
08.04.16 SCALA
goldenvoice.co.uk
26.03.16 O2 FORUM UT SOLD O TOWN KENTISH
TUE.05.APR.16
THE BESNARD LAKES
TUE.19.APR.16
TRIXIE WHITLEY THE LEXINGTON
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
TUE.19.APR.16
WED.06.APR.16
THE POSIES
ARDYN
MOTH CLUB
SAT.23.APR.16
MOULETTES
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
MON.25.APR.16
DR DOG OSLO
100 CLUB
CHOIR OF YOUNG BELIEVERS
WILL ROBERT
SEBRIGHT ARMS
BLAIR DUNLOP THE LEXINGTON
THE KINGS PARADE
HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN
ELECTRIC BALLROOM
THU.21.APR.16
FRI.15.APR.16
MY BABY
BORDERLINE
SAT.30.APR.16
DAN SARTAIN OSLO
THU.21.APR.16
MEXRRISSEY
FRI.29.APR.16
JESS AND THE BANDITS
MON.25.APR.16
OSLO
THU.14.APR.16
BORDERLINE
BUSH HALL
WED.20.APR.16
FRI.08.APR.16
THU.28.APR.16
GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS
WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS ST GILES IN THE FIELDS
TUE.26.APR.16
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
TAKE ALL MY LOVES: 9 SHAKESPEARE SONNETS
TUE.03.MAY.16
MINOR VICTORIES VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
ST JOHN’S AT HACKNEY
WED.04.MAY.16
WED.27.APR.16
LOU DOILLON
GIUDA
THE UNDERWORLD
BUSH HALL
MON.18.APR.16
NERINA PALLOT UNION CHAPEL
SAT.23.APR.16
EAT
BORDERLINE
THU.05.MAY.16
MOLOTOV JUKEBOX VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
06 & 07.MAY.16
LUSH
ROUNDHOUSE
WED.18.MAY.16
DAY WAVE
BIRTHDAYS
MON.23.MAY.16
LAURENCE FOX 100 CLUB
SUN.29.MAY.16
SON OF DAVE
THE LEXINGTON
TUE.10.MAY.16
INTO IT. OVER IT. WED.18.MAY.16 // THE HOTELIER THE PUPPINI SCALA SISTERS
O 2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE
WED.25.MAY.16
SEGO
SEVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
TUE.31.MAY.16
MATT SIMONS OSLO
TUE.10.MAY.16
MT. WOLF OSLO
THU.19.MAY.16
9BACH
BUSH HALL
WED.25.MAY.16
100 CLUB
TUE.10.MAY.16
XIXA
BORDERLINE
FRI.20.SAT.21 & SUN.22.MAY.16
BRIAN WILSON SUN.15.MAY.16
PATRICK WOLF
PRESENTS PET SOUNDS
UNION CHAPEL
FRI.17.JUN.16
BRISTOL OSLO
SAT.28.MAY.16
SAT.21.MAY.16
INTO THE ARK
FRI.27.MAY.16
JOHN MORELAND
PALLADIUM
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
MON.16.MAY.16
FRI.10.JUN.16
THE COMPUTERS THOUSAND YARD HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN STARE
NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE
PAUL KELLY
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
THE GARAGE
THE FORGE
ALT-TICKETS.CO.UK | FB.COM/ ALT.TICKETS.CO.UK | @ ALT_TICKETS
EVENTS
a selection of new stuff we’re excited about: DIY POPFEST Rising, phoenix-like, from the ashes of the Odd Box Weekender this brand new festival brings a heap of exciting acts to The Shacklewell Arms via three promoters with a keener-than-keen eye for some of the sweetest music around. Taking place over three days, bands are travelling from all over the globe to partake in this celebration of the DIY scene and culture, so we’re expecting a really positive and life-affirming event. A brief glance over the line-up reveals a host of prime LiS choices such as Two White Cranes, Trust Fund and Tim Ten Yen, but we’re equally excited to just get lost amongst the fun, and do some learns about some brand new acts. Hell, if Otoboke Beaver are coming all the way from Japan, we can definitely hop on the 76 bus to Dalston. April 29th-May 1st. Weekend, 2 day & 1 day passes. facebook.com/DIYpopfest // @diypopfest2016
BYRON - THE COOKBOOK A few years back we were at the Admiral Codrington eating Fred Smith’s already famous burgers. Also there? A certain Tom Byng. Turns out he had the proverbial lightbulb above his head, as well as a burger in his hands. Did you spot our claim at being present when burger history was made there? Since then Tom and Fred have worked together on all kinds of Byron magic, starting the Byron Burger Club and coming up with countless specials (Chilli Queen, Le Smokey and the Freddar Dawg still our favourites). The good news? They’re all in this book. In fact, almost the entire Byron menu is in this book, as well as recipes for all our favourite foods (so yes: chicken wings, wedge salad and cheesecake, plus much much more). The book itself is sumptuous, dripping with burger knowledge and so many hunger-inducing photos. And ain’t it gonna look just great sitting next to the Pitt Cue book on your shelf? Out April 7th via Quadrille Publishing Ltd. £20. byronhamburgers.com // @byronhamburgers LiS 40
CHICK‘N’SOURS vs BREDDOS TACOS Well, we’ve not mentioned chicken wings since, erm, the previous page. We really like chicken wings, and whilst there’s no playing favourites in wing world, if you’ve found better than Chick‘n’Sours, please let us know. Do we like tacos? We are humans, of course we like tacos – and few more than those dished up by StreetFeast stalwarts Breddos. They also won Taco Wars, so... What do we know about this event? We know it’s free, we know it lasts all day, we know Chick‘n’Sours and Breddos are total fryer bosses. We know enough to know we’ll go. April 9th. FREE. 390 Kingsland Road, E8 4AA. @ChicknSours // @breddostacos
RUMBLE IN THE JUMBLE 5 We’re giving you an early heads-up on this as it’s an event we always get in our diaries as soon as possible. Now in it’s fifth year, Rumble In The Jumble returns to Oval Space for another opportunity to furtively hunt for celebrity jumble. With donations from people you might have heard of like, oh: Kate Moss, Gizzi Erskine, Foals, Mark Ronson, All Saints and Little Simz, there’s bound to be some incredible finds. More importantly, all proceeds go toward Oxfam’s efforts to establish greater gender equality in Myanmar. May 14th, 12-5pm. Entry £5. Oval Space, E2. @themusic_circle // facebook.com/themusiccircle
CULTURE NOW: BRIAN ENO Ahead of a new exhibition, Brian Eno: Light Music, opening April 29th at the Paul Stolper gallery, this event finds Eno in discussion with writer Paul Bracewell. Given the artist’s long-time fascination with the visual and aesthetic possibilities of light (something that seems to tie-in with his legendary explorations in ambient music), this should be a revealing conversation as they delve into the themes and inspirations that fire Eno’s creative synapses in the fields of light and music manipulation, and that resulted in these six new pieces of art. April 19th, 1pm. £5. The ICA, The Mall, SW1Y 5AH ica.org.uk // @ICALondon LiS 41
BIRD ON THE WIRE PRESENTS
Damien Jurado
MON 18TH APR ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
Dungen
MON 18TH APR OSLO
Susanna TUE 19TH APR CAFE OTO
Kaki King
TUE 17TH MAY HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN
Bleached WED 18TH MAY MOTH CLUB
Homeshake
THU 19TH MAY THE VICTORIA UTw/ Mass Gothic DO FRI 27TH SOLMAY RED GALLERY
Blanck Mass
Nonkeen
Amanda Bergman
Porches & Frankie Cosmos
SUN 10TH APR SEBRIGHT ARMS
Virginia Wing FREE
SAT 23RD APR BIRTHDAYS
Giant続 Sand & Jason Lytle
Laura Gibson
Suuns
THU 31ST MAR OSLO
MON 11TH APR VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
Liima
WED 20TH APR UT DO VILLAGE SOLUNDERGROUND
TUE 26TH APR HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN
MON 23 MAY OSLO
TUE 24TH MAY ICA
Teho Teardo & She Drew The Gun Blixa Bargeld
MON 11TH APR RICH MIX
THU 28TH APR THE VICTORIA
THU 2ND JUN RICH MIX
Basia Bulat
Great Lake Swimmers
Destroyer
WED 13TH APR HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN
Ulrika Spacek WED 13TH APR UT D O ROOM THE WAITING SOL
Kimya Dawson
THU 14TH APR ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
Scout Niblett
THU 14TH APR THE SHACKLEWELL ARMS FRI 15TH APR T U THE LEXINGTON DO SOL
TUE 3RD MAY THE FORGE
Shobaleader One
WED 15TH JUN KOKO
The Tallest Man on Earth
THE BRAND NEW PROJECT FROM SQUAREPUSHER SUN 8TH MAY ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
TUE 21ST JUN ROYAL ALBERT HALL
Juan Wauters
SAT 6TH AUG HACKNEY / LONDON FIELDS
MON 16TH MAY MOTH CLUB
Quilt
MON 16TH MAY HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN
Visions Festival Nzca Lines
WED 28TH SEPT VILLAGE UNDERGROUND MORE INFO AND TICKETS BIRDONTHEWIRE.NET
GIGS OF THE MONTH
OUR PICK OF THE BEST SHOWS HAPPENING IN APRIL 2016
THE OLD BLUE LAST
PLAGUE VENDOR // LOVE BUZZARDS If you like guitars and you like loud and you like party then this is the night to be at. See if the roof is still on when you leave.
SHACKLEWELL ARMS
DARREN HAYMAN // RALEGH LONG // DEERFUL Any chance to catch Darren Hayman live is always a treat, and hopefully we’ll get to hear some music from his new ‘Thankful Villages’ album. 08/04/16 £8 @Shacklewell Arms
DALSTON JUNCTION / KINGSLAND
21/04/16 FREE @theoldbluelast OLD STREET
BRIXTON WINDMILL GABRIEL BRUCE
Dramatic, lush and rich, with comparisons to Nick Cave and Tindersticks. This is going to be huge. 21/04/16 £6adv @windmillbrixton
BRIXTON
BUSH HALL
MUTUAL BENEFIT Recent single ‘Not For Nothing’ had us celebrating the return of Mutual Benefit, and his gently swaying pop will sound so good at Bush Hall. 28/04/16 £13 @Bushhallmusic
SHEPHERD’S BUSH
THE LEXINGTON
HELEN LOVE // THE DONALDS // JURASSIC POP Our love for Helen Love runs deep; one of the smartest, wittiest most fun pop bands you’ll ever hear. Back with a new album, ‘Smash Hits’, out on Alcopop! Records, your heart will go boom. HELEN LOVE
24/04/16 - £12adv // @thelexington
DIY SPACE FOR LONDON
MAKTHAVERSKAN // CARAMEL // WEDDINGS We’re expecting this show from these Swedish post-punkers to be quite the spectacle. Expect astonishing scenes, and sweet support acts.
ANGEL
28/04/16 £7adv @diyspace4london SOUTH BERMONDSEY LiS 45
SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
THE GOOD SHIP
This Danish songwriter has had love from our friends at GoldFlakePaint, and that’s enough to get us down to this show.
A night of psychy rock and all genres close to that. And open till 4am!
TICKTOCK
12/04/16 £7adv @ServantJazz
DALSTON JUNCTION / KINGSLAND
THE STICK FIGURES // HATS OFF GENTLEMEN IT'S ADEQUATE 15/04/16 £5adv @thegoodshipNW6
BORDERLINE
BLACK PEAKS // PALM READER // TOSKA Black Peaks’ debut album ‘Statues’ is shaping up to be one of the rock albums of the year. Gonna be a great one.
THE DOME
06/04/16 £10adv @theborderline TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD
HOXTON BAR AND KITCHEN
OUGHT
SNOW GHOSTS
You could call it art-rock, but there’s so much more to this astonishing band. 26/04/16 £13adv @DomeTufnellPark
TUFNELL PARK
We’re really excited to see our favourites, and now X-Men approved, Snow Ghosts back doing their experimental, atmospheric thing. 01/04/16 £9adv @HoxtonHQ
NEW CROSS INN
THE TOASTERS // POPES OF CHILLITOWN
OLD STREET
O2 ISLINGTON ACADEMY
Classic ska action in New Cross with the legendary The Toasters in town. 30/04/16 £8 @NewCrossInn
KILBURN
NEW CROSS / NEW CROSS GATE ELLIPHANT
UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER // ANVIL Udo plays Accept songs for the very last time ever in a two hour show, and Anvil (yes, that Anvil) are supporting. 19/04/16 £20adv @O2Islington
ANGEL
OSLO
ELLIPHANT We saw Elliphant once and it was hands-down the greatest live show of the year. So much fun. So much party. Plus, who knows, maybe our old friend MØ will turn up, too. 16/04/16 £6.50adv @OsloHackney LiS 46
HACKNEY CENTRAL
SLOW CLUB
(photo: Lucy Johnston)
FABRIC
BIG NARSTIE // FEKKY // TROJAN SOUNDSYSTEM + MORE Grime all night in Room 1, the legendary Trojan Soundsystem and more in Room 2. Which to choose? 15/04/16 £14adv @fabriclondon
FARRINGDON
PAPER DRESS VINTAGE SLOW CLUB
Yes, these 4 shows are sold-out - but they’re going to be incredible. Keep asking about, someone will have a spare, surely. 06+13+20+27/04/16 £10 @paperdressed
BIRTHDAYS ALLIE X
Tipping Allie X for 2016 we said “edgy electro-pop which is soaring, theatrical and weird in the best possible way.” This is gonna be A+.
HACKNEY CENTRAL
05/04/16 £10adv @_Birthdays DALSTON JUNCTION/ KINGSLAND
BEDROOM BAR
WAITING ROOM
Acoustica, looping electronica, an array of odd instruments - this show from Scotland’s Esperi sounds awesome.
Makers of delightful noise, Ulrika Spacek have been winning over all that have seen them live. Be one of them.
06/04/16 FREE @Bedroom_Bar
13/04/16 £7.50 @WaitingRoomN16
ESPERI // ANNIE MAKE BELIVE
OLD STREET
ULRIKA SPACEK
DALSTON JUNCTION/ KINGSLAND
THE LOCK TAVERN
100 CLUB
Sunday all-dayer from the Bad Vibrations people? Yep, that’ll do us. Sweet line-up.
Another of our 2016 picks, The Big Moon just keep doing their grungy-indie thing better. New track ‘Cupid’ is so good.
03/04/16 FREE @thelocktavern
13/04/16 £9.50adv @100clubLondon
GREAT YTENE // DOGFEET // PSYCHIC MARKERS // BÊTE NOIRE
CHALK FARM / CAMDEN TOWN
THE BIG MOON // VIRGIN KIDS
TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD LiS 47
ANNA MEREDITH TUES 29 MARCH ICA
FEAR OF MEN FRI 8 APRIL VICTORIA
ROSIE LOWE WED 11 MAY SCALA
BEAU WED 30 MARCH SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
GET WELL SOON WED 13 APRIL THE LEXINGTON
LAIL ARAD TUES 17 MAY CHATS PALACE
BEATY HEART WED 13 APRIL ELECTROWERKZ
SOCIETY TUES 17 MAY THE LEXINGTON
THE BIG MOON WED 13 APRIL 100 CLUB
BEVERLY WED 18 MAY DALSTON VICTORIA
MITSKI TUES 19 APRIL BIRTHDAYS
MONIKA WED 18 MAY OSLO HACKNEY
CAR SEAT HEADREST TUES 21 JUNE 100 CLUB
STEVE GUNN THURS 21 APRIL THE LEXINGTON
MOTHERS WED 18 MAY CHATS PALACE
SERATONES THURS 1 SEPT THE LEXINGTON
MISTY MILLER MON 25 APRIL MOTH CLUB
JESSY LANZA THURS 19 MAY CORSICA STUDIOS
EZRA FURMAN MON 31 OCT ROUNDHOUSE
BEACH BABY WED 27 APRIL THE LEXINGTON
WHITE LUNG THURS 26 MAY VICTORIA
WOVOKA GENTLE THURS 28 APRIL THE PICKLE FACTORY
CATE LE BON THURS 26 MAY OVAL SPACE
LA FEMME THURS 17 NOV O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE
ELIZA SHADDAD TUES 31 MARCH SEBRIGHT ARMS SNOW GHOSTS FRI 1 APRIL HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN THE KVB TUES 5 APRIL MOTH CLUB COVES WED 6 APRIL DALSTON VICTORIA JOHN JOSEPH BRILL WED 6 APRIL ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH SOLOMON GREY WED 6 APRIL ELECTROWERKZ
ROYAL HEADACHE TUES 31 MAY TUFNELL PARK DOME ASTRONAUTALIS THURS 2 & FRI 3 JUNE THE WATER RATS WOLF PARADE TUES 14 & WED 15 JUNE SCALA
PARALLELLINESPROMOTIONS.COM
FRIDAY 1ST APRIL
SATURDAY 2ND APRIL
SNOW GHOSTS
SUNDAY 3RD APRIL
MONDAY 11TH APRIL
TUESDAY 12TH APRIL WEDNESDAY 13TH APRIL
THURSDAY 14TH APRIL
FRIDAY 15TH APRIL
SATURDAY 16TH APRIL
MONDAY 18TH APRIL
SUNDAY 17TH APRIL
TUESDAY 19TH APRIL
WEDNESDAY 20TH APRIL
THURSDAY 21ST APRIL
FRIDAY 22ND APRIL
SATURDAY 23RD APRIL SUNDAY 24TH APRIL
MONDAY 25TH APRIL
TUESDAY 26TH APRIL
WEDNESDAY 27TH APRIL
THURSDAY 28TH APRIL
FRIDAY 29TH APRIL
SATURDAY 30TH APRIL
FOR ALL THE LATEST LISTINGS, AND TO SIGN UP TO OUR GIGS OF THE WEEK EMAIL, VISIT LONDONINSTEREO.COM
Subscribe at londoninstereo.com and get every issue through your door for £10 a year.
TUESDAY 03 MAY 2016
LONDON TUFNELL PARK DOME
GIGSANDTOURS.COM | TICKETWEB.CO.UK | 0844 811 0051 THEMOVIELIFE.NYC
@THEMOVIELIFENYC
@THEMOVIELIFE.NYC
AN SJM CONCERTS PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH UNITED TALENT AGENCY
Photo Credit: Lee Allen
04—16 Shacklewell Arms 71 Shacklewell Lane London E8 Saturday 2 April
PETE ASTOR Tuesday 5 April
CHARLES HOWL Thursday 14 April
SCOUT NIBLETT Wednesday 20 April
THE BONNEVILLES Saturday 23 April
Lanzarote
lanzaroteworks.com #lanzaroteworks
presents
The Waiting Room 175 Stoke Newington High St N16 Wednesday 13 April
ULRIKA SPACEK Friday 15 April
BEAU WANZER (LIVE) Wednesday 20 + Thursday 21 April
SPECTRES Saturday 23 April
MIKE SKINNER Saturday 30 April
POP. 1280
BEN PEARCE
The Lock Tavern
MOTH Club
35 Chalk Farm Rd London NW1 Sunday 3 April
GREAT YTENE Tuesday 5 April
SAMARIS Wednesday 6 April
GOLD CLASS Friday 8 April
VENICE TRIP Thursday 28 April
BEN HOLLAND BAND
Valette St London E8 Tuesday 5 April
THE KVB Friday 8 April
KLAVES Friday 22 April
LUST FOR YOUTH Saturday 23 April
IS TROPICAL Saturday 30 April
THE FIELD
IN LONDON
w ith
THREE TRAPPED TIGERS
Why do you live in London? I moved to London twelve years ago to leave Bournemouth and study music. So many of the people I met at college still form the centre of a lot of my music making today, and it’s here that my opportunities seem to stem. I’ve thought about living elsewhere, but London really does feel like home. I love the feeling that everywhere at any time, there is still a bustle of activity, and there are still pockets where there is a really wide cross-section of society living side by side. Where do you like to eat and drink? I’ve lived Southeast for years, and one of my favourite pubs is the Brockley Barge. It’s a Wetherspoons, and it really is a mix of everyone, from old boys to some pretty wide locals, to some pretty trendy Goldsmiths’ students, and everyone is all packed in. Also Four Quarters in Peckham is a great place for the Mario Kart. Eating-wise, Silk Road in Camberwell is amazing, and Meze Mangal in Lewisham, Panda Panda and Chiconia in Deptford. Best London show you've ever played? The last show we played at the Tufnell Park Dome was pretty euphoric, as the new stuff was really starting to make sense, the audience were amazing, and we were playing with the awesome Liturgy, so that ticked a lot of boxes for me! Also I guess (for Matt and I) the Goldie gigs at the festival hall last summer, and the Ibiza Prom at the Albert Hall were pretty amazing!
What gig venues do you like? My favourite gig venue used to be the Luminaire, like so many musicians. It was such a shame that place closed – amazing room for music and always a killer range of bands. London does miss that place. Some venues that mean a lot to me are the Servant Jazz Quarters, the Brixton Windmill, Camden Roundhouse, Royal Festival Hall, the Birds Nest in Deptford (again an amazing mix of people; the sound guy was in Ozric Tentacles for sixteen years for god’s sake!). The Old Blue Last still has a load of charm and a lot of good memories. Does London influence the music you write? London at night is an amazingly evocative place, almost now to the point of cliché – who could do it better than Burial? But in a real sense, London does influence the music we make because here we’re surrounded by so many amazing musicians all the time, be it heroes like Charles Hayward, friends’ bands, or interesting trends and movements that I just wouldn’t see in Bournemouth. What’s the perfect way to spend the day? God, all a bit Guardian Soulmates – searching for London’s Best Roast, some cheese from Borough Market surely? I think that’s officially it. by Three Trapped Tiger’s Adam Betts TTT release Silent Earthling April 1st via Superball Music. LIVE: Scala, April 28th. ONLINE: @3TrappedTigers // threetrappedtigers.com facebook.com/threetrappedtigers
LiS 69
LIVE GRIMES Brixton Academy, February 12th Claire Boucher has come to find her apex through much the same way any great artist does, by throwing all caution to the wind, incinerating the rulebook, and creating the perfect marriage between deeply expressive experimentation and technical skill. The world Claire has inhabited since Geidi Primes is an amorphous one, at times dark and dissonant but never without harmony. While her first musical steps were juvenile and self-indulgent for sure – usually hinged around one (often brilliant) idea repeated over – the arrival of 2012’s Visions saw her impose some muchneeded order and progression to her approach. Fast forward three years and she drops the seismic once-in-a-lifetime Art Angels. An album that not only seems to date everything she’s ever done before it, but also one that screams for the stage louder than any of its predecessors. Her fans know this when they walk through the door tonight. They bundle in expectantly, awaiting something seismic. And it arrives the moment Claire appears. “Hey London” she chirps nonchalantly before ‘Genesis’ and the ensuing hour-long shitstorm. She whips herself into such a frenzy onstage that she’s often breathless. We whip ourselves into such a frenzy offstage that we really don’t care. ‘REALiTi’ drops immediately after, and at this point
there’s little doubt as to what gets the audience going the hardest – it’s the new songs – in lesser hands that’s a tough feat… The performance is a spectacle in every sense of the word. Claire’s dancers and her amazing support act/bandmate HANA work out like fitness instructors from the dystopian LA of Blade Runner. After a visceral performance of ‘Flesh Without Blood’ (replete with a thick Stratocaster twang) Claire seems visibly overcome by the reaction to her music. ‘Oh thank you’ she says, disarmed, ‘you must stop because it makes me stress out – actually it’s good sorry, I appreciate you being vocal and clapping.’ Egged on by the love Brixton has for her, she proceeds to play a rendition of ‘Venus Fly’ that’s so stomachupsettingly intense that to behold it brings lumps of happy adrenaline sick up. At one point she alerts everyone to the fact that one of her own hairs is stuck in her throat but she soldiers on regardless. Ending with a whiteknuckle rendition of ‘Kill V Maim’ she imprints herself on the hearts and minds of everyone gathered. Perhaps we should all stop calling Grimes a pixie beatnik fairy queen (or whatever everyone calls her nowadays), but with a show as ineffable as this it seems like just the right amount of gobbledygook after all. Tim Hakki
Photo: Chloe Newman (chloe-newman.com)
LiS 71
PRESENTS
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MYTICKET.CO.UK
by Michelle Kambasha I’m a 23-year-old black woman who works in an industry that’s overwhelmingly comprised of white males. Still, they’re my peers, drinking buddies, best friends, dates and mistakes. For us, being broke and earning a regular wage are two sides of a coin. We talk each other out of adding up all the rent we paid since moving to London, we share thrills and help ease heartbreaks that come with living and working in music in the Big Smoke. But some experiences we don’t share, namely how music’s continued disregard for true diversity affects us all. The biggest lie they’ll tell you is that music is the liberal oasis in a desert of blood-sucking, coke-sniffing bankers. It’s as lazy and disaffected as the people it claims it hates, and the people who are affected the most are minority women. The pearly gates of post-race and sex society are beyond an arm’s stretch away and the nascent stages of diversity that ushered in incredibly talented women A&Rs, marketeers, PRs and digital executives has become incredibly static. If it continues, the industry will just become a microcosm of society in general, not trailblazing or forward thinking. Have you ever been to Cornwall? Cornwall’s pretty white, and Music Week’s 30 Under 30 for 2016 will have you thinking that Cornwall is a lot like the music industry. Faces devoid of melanin and the glossed-over stares remind me of when we took a family trip there when I was thirteen and some residents thought my dad and uncles were American. 93% of the list are white and are apparently the future of music and they should be commended for their successes. It’s great that for the the first time there’s a 50/50 man/woman split but it reminds me of one lesson my mum taught me about working in a white world: “You’re black and you’re a woman. You’ll have to push through the doors your peers walk straight through, but they’ll deny that that even happens”. It wasn’t meant to be discouraging, but a call to arms - like her, I’ve learned to use negative environments as a fuel to become better, but why should I have to, and why should other black women? At best, it’s tiring, at worst, it discourages participation and engagement from young, potential leaders in this industry. “It’s not my fault that I’m a white man”, “how can we hire black women if they don’t apply for roles?”; if I had a penny for every time someone said that, I’d be able to afford a one bed in Hackney for a month, which is a long fucking time. What these questions are indicative of is that the first issue is to change mentalities. Showing white men that, sure, they didn’t choose their race and gender, but if they’re aware of their power and their privilege, that they can be a great force for change. Aiding and enabling diversity is more than putting an ad up on CMU, eating a Chinese take-away on a Friday, lamenting about the ills of gentrification in Dalston and reciting Corbyn Quotables at Wetherspoons. It’s about helping create an environment that says ‘we care and we want you to be here’. Do the work now, you can move to Cornwall later. LiS 73
PRESENTS
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MYTICKET.CO.UK
PRESENTS
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT MYTICKET.CO.UK
S.J.M. CONCERTS PRESENTS
PLUS GUESTS
PLUS GUESTS
14 APR / BARFLY
24 MAY / THE LEXINGTON
PLUS TIGERCUB + GET INUIT
PLUS GUESTS
20 APR / TUFNELL PARK DOME
01 JUN / VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
PLUS GUESTS
PLUS GUESTS
04 MAY / KOKO
19 JUN / O2 BRIXTON ACADEMY
PLUS GUESTS
D OUT 15SOLJUL / ALEXANDRA PALACE 16 JUL / ALEXANDRA PALACE
PLUS GUESTS
06 MAY / O2 SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE
PLUS GUESTS
09 MAY / XOYO
PLUS GUESTS
19 OCT / O2 SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE
0844 811 0051