AND THE ROYAL PHARAOHS BUILDING A BEGINNING TOUR 2016 2017 tour
T H U R S D AY 27 OC TOBER
KOKO
gigsandtours.com t i c k e t m a s t e r. c o. u k
A Metropolis Music presentation by arrangement with Primary Talent International
New album ‘Building A Beginning’ coming October 2016 jamielidellmusic.com
THURSDAY 23 FEBRUARY
TROXY
GIGSANDTOURS.COM TICKETMASTER.CO.UK EVENTIM.CO.UK NEW ALBUM ‘ WHY ARE YOU OK’ OUT NOW BANDOFHORSES.COM A Metropolis Music presentation by arrangement with CAA
BADBADNOTGOOD plus support
+ special guests Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation
TUE 18 OCTOBER THE CORONET
gigsandtours.com / songkick.com / dice.fm
Tuesday 1st November / Goatsweden A Metropolis Music presentation by arrangement with Luger
Electric Brixton
ticketweb.co.uk / gigsandtours.com badbadnotgood.com
A Metropolis Music presentation by arrangement with United Talent Agency
TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM GIGSANDTOURS.COM & VENUE BOX OFFICES
WELCOME
RAY BLK
Hello and welcome to our New Music issue! In August, as releases go quieter we like to shift the focus to the new acts we're really excited about. And it happens to coincide with one of our favourite new music festivals - Visions. If you haven't already caught on to RAY BLK – and since teaming up with Stormzy for her latest track it's been hard to miss her – then you will soon. We've had a sneak peek at what she’s got coming up and it’s going to blow you away. We also chat to Japanese Breakfast and Iglooghost who both play Visions this year, and really emphasise the diverse range of acts that play the festival. Find timings, a map and our top picks for the festival inside. So anyway, dig in and hopefully you’ll find your new obsession. See you on the sunny streets of Hackney, August 6th. BANKS
STAFF ON REPEAT
the tracks we can’t stop listening to this month JESS: ANGEL OLSEN - SHUT UP KISS ME DAVE: BANKS - FUCK WITH MYSELF LOKI: WILD BEASTS - CELESTIAL CREATURES DANNY: JAMILA WOODS - VRY BLK GEMMA: ABRA - VEGAS JACK: KISHI BASHI - SAY YEAH RACHEL: INHEAVEN - BABY’S ALRIGHT LiS 03
CONTENTS 08. ON THE STEREO
LONDON IN STEREO IS:
13. NEW SOUNDS
Editor: Jess Partridge jess@londoninstereo.co.uk
16. RAY BLK
Deputy Editor: Dave Rowlinson dave@londoninstereo.co.uk
22. JAPANESE BREAKFAST 26. IGLOOGHOST
Online Editor: Rachel Finn rachel@londoninstereo.co.uk
30. ALBUM REVIEWS
Sub-Editor/Sales: Loki Lillistone sales@londoninstereo.co.uk
38. VISIONS FESTIVAL PREVIEW
Staff Writers: Danny Wright, Gemma Samways, Jack Urwin.
42. EVENTS
Photography: RAY BLK cover story: Tim Boddy (timboddy.com)
45. GIGS OF THE MONTH 49. LIVE LISTINGS 63. TALES FROM THE CITY 65. IN LONDON 66. LIVE REVIEWS 69. PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
Contributors: Rachel Grace Almeida, Tim Hakki, Geoff Cowart, Kate Solomon, Tom Johnson, Jake May, Rhian Daly, Thomas Hannan, Sarah Sahim, George O’Brien, Grant Bailey, Henry Wilkinson, Richard Walsh, Nate Rockwell.
JAPANESE BREAKFAST
londoninstereo.com
@LondonInStereo
/londoninstereo
/london-in-stereo
londoninstereo LiS 05
AUGUST 2016 ~ LIV E ~ 3rd
X&Y / 10th
11th 16th 24th
Sound & Vision: MAVIS!
Jaij Hollands IR AY BUJU /
Giraffage /
Kilter /
8th
Sounds Familiar Music Quiz
25th
19th
Fairchild /
Joe Grind /
28th
22nd
12th
CLAY
August /
23rd
Gnash
Frankie & The Heartstrings
Coming Up 6th Sept 29 sept
K Flay /
Avelino /
16 sept
30 sept
Nothing /
Toh Kay /
21 sept
Matt Wills
1st+2nd oct
The Warlocks
~ LATE ~ every friday
6th
13th
NIGHT CALL
MOHO
UNDER_TONE
Weekly
90s hip hop and r’n’b knees
Bridging the gap between
Friday Club
up for all you cool kids
live and electronic
20th
27th
SICK CHIRPSE
FUTURA
Cult classics
Cutting edge live acts and
not best sellers
eclectic selectors
Dates, times & tickets: www.hoxtonsquarebar.com
| HOXTONSQUAREBAR
TOO MANY ZOOZ
GNASH
LANY
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL AUG 03
HOXTON BAR & KITCHEN AUG 30
HEAVEN SEP 01
K FLAY
IZZY BIZU
JEZ DIOR
HOXTON BAR & KITCHEN SEP 06
KOKO SEP 14
BIRTHDAYS SEP 16
NORMA JEAN MARTINE
GROUPLOVE
WATSKY
OSLO SEP 21
ELECTRIC BALLROOM SEP 27
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL SEP 29
SAMM HENSHAW
SKIES
GOLD CLASS
VILLAGE UNDERGROUND OCT 10
THE CAMDEN ASSEMBLY OCT 19
THE VICTORIA OCT 26
THE BEST IN NEW LIVE MUSIC L O
N
D
O
N
@LNSOURCE LIVENATION.CO.UK
KARL BLAU
THAT'S HOW I GOT TO MEMPHIS I've been obsessed with this cover for a fair few years now. Bella Union have finally given it a proper UK release now and we finally got him over to play the festival. This track seems o have crept onto any compilation I've made for the last few years. He’s released more than 40 records in 20odd years (many self-released in handmade packaging). He’s also toured and recorded for years with Laura Veirs, the Microphones, Little Wings, D+, and Earth and his music is just as eclectic – to say Karl is prolific is an understatement and I’m excited to finally have him play at EOTR.
JENNY HVAL SABBATH
EOTR photos: Sonny Malhotra
This track is a track I love playing a lot - every time I play it people are like ‘who’s that, what an interesting voice.’ I also find the subject matter really intriguing - I believe the song is about a dream she had as a child when she dreamt she was a boy... I think she is one of the most original and interesting artists in a while. And live, her performance art makes her show a genuine one-off. Expect her to slip onto the stage wearing a velour sweatsuit and pink wig and to sit down on a small yoga ball. It’ll be the show you’ll be talking about all weekend.
THEE OH SEES
MARTHA
THE DREAM A band we have been trying to get for a few years now. A whole career of making the most terrific rock racket has seen them build up a fearsome back catalogue that combines sublime rhythmic focus and freaked-out guitar intensity. That’s the key: the thrill of The Oh Sees is in the way they find that perfect balance between chaos and control. Can’t believe they’re playing the festival this year, they’re absolutely one of my all time favourites.
MARTHA
DUST, JUICE, BONES AND HAIR This band for me sum up indie music in the right way. You just don’t hear proper DIY indie punk bands like this any more. One of the most thrilling bands to emerge from the North East, I find their records so witty and fun – their 2014 debut album Courting Strong showed off songs packed with energetic, impassioned power pop and intricate vocal interplay.
EZRA FURMAN
EZRA FURMAN
WILD FEELING Slightly biased with this pick since I work with Ezra! But this is an old one and more people should hear it. The first time I heard it played at a house party I turned to my friend and said “Is this a Dylan or Townes song that I don't know?” Turns out it was an Ezra song, which sums it up really; a classy and classic songwriter. Really pleased to have them back at the festival this year, look for a few surprises from Ezra Furman and the Boyfriends around the site… With thanks to EOTR’s co-founder and curator, Simon Taffe
End Of The Road: September 1st-4th Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset. facebook.com/EOTRFestival // @EOTR endoftheroadfestival.com
LiS 09
HÆLOS
A sensational series of live global music and fresh festival favourites bac.org.uk/borderless Box Office 020 7223 2223 Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN
supported by Wandsworth Council
photo: Autumn de Wilde
NEW SOUNDS by Gemma Samways
THE LEMON TWIGS
As the world falls apart around us, now feels like a pretty great time to temporarily bury our heads in music that feels as far removed from the realities of 2016 as possible. Enter 4AD’s latest signing, a pair of precociously-talented siblings from Long Island, New York, whose wistful songwriting will make you nostalgic for the 1970s adolescence you never had. Though still only seventeen and nineteen respectively, Michael and Brian D’Addario have been “playing rock music since they were old enough to walk and talk”, and performing as The Lemon Twigs for a couple of years. The duo’s new, double A-side single was recorded with Jonathan Rado of Foxygen, and his lo-fi production lends the songs a soothingly retro feel, like watching grainy Super 8 footage. But where Foxygen revel in seeming artfully strung-out, The Lemon Twigs’ appeal lies in their youthful enthusiasm.
You can see it in their unstudied approach to arranging on ‘These Words’. A more self-conscious group probably wouldn’t dare combine soft-focus vocal harmonies with a hyperactive xylophone solo, horn fanfares and an ‘Oh! You Pretty Things’-style piano break. Compositionally, ‘As Long As We’re Together’ is less complex, but it‘s scattered with subtle details - warped production, sparse glockenspiel, sporadic bum notes - that augment the song’s romantic, against-all-odds message. To listen is to be transported to a simpler, happier time, if only for five minutes.
LISTEN TO: As Long As We're Together ONLINE: facebook.com/TheLemonTwigs @thelemontwigs // soundcloud.com/thelemontwigs LIVE: Sebright Arms, August 9th LiS 13
fabric August 2016
Craig Richards / Terry Francis Abdulla Rashim (Live) / Acid Mondays Anthony Parasole / Apollonia / Cesare V Disorder Cyrk (Live) / Daniel Avery / Echonomist (Live) Guy Gerber / Jesse Calosso / Locked Groove Low Jack (Live) / Lucy / Mr Jones / Phil Kieran (Live) Phil Moffa (live) / Ron Morelli / Scuba / Shall Ocin Sterac AKA Steve Rachmad / The Martinez Brothers Thugfucker / Tiefschwarz / Volte-Face www.fabriclondon.com
AU GU ST
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FA BR IC LI VE
RAY BLK words: rachel grace almeida photography: tim boddy
he moment Ray and I sat down after shooting on a non-assuming roof terrace in Shoreditch, the news of the military coup in Turkey broke out. It was a quiet Friday night upstairs in the offices at Red Gallery, and the dystopian nature of the story made for an eerie setting. I told her I was convinced the world was ending after the shit storm that has been 2016, to which she exclaimed: “No, please, not until my career is where I want it to be.” I then asked her where that is. “I want to be as successful as I possibly can and in a place where I can maintain my artistic integrity. I want to sing for the rest of my life,” she tells me, with the ease returning to her voice. Right now, RAY BLK sits comfortably as a rising R&B singer from South London. Ray’s thick, raspy voice is especially unique in a sea of female vocalists – it emits the same comfort and authenticity that you’d expect from Amy Winehouse or Lauryn Hill. Growing up, she watched back-to- back hours of MTV Base and was inspired to create music of her own, which all started by writing raps as a teenager. Although she doesn’t rap now, she’s stayed true to the dominantbut-gentle attitude of the genre. Ray’s brand of R&B doesn’t go down the traditional path – the production on her records is sparse, but intensely layered and thought out. In 2015, she released her first project called Havisham, which was directly inspired by Charles Dickens’
Great Expectations. The novel follows the heartbreak of a woman – Miss Havisham – who was left at the altar and vowed to never love again, with revenge in the form of persecuting any man she encountered. Ray studied English Literature at university and told me she was moved by the permanent, almost heedless, reaction Miss Havisham had to being hurt. The debut EP featured leading track ‘50/50’ – a moody, slow-burning song pining after equal love in relationships, and knowing when you’ve had enough. It seems that Ray is no stranger to heartache. The themes in her music are simple, as she puts it: “My music is about all the relationships I have. A lot of it is about redemption from my relationships – redeeming myself from my home, my past relationships.” Fast forward a year and a half, and she’s just released a video for ‘My Hood’ – a collaboration with grime’s most captivating MC, Stormzy. On the surface it’s an ode to her South London – a celebration of Catford and its colourful-yet-fractured community. When she wrote the song, she was feeling disillusioned after her neighbours had robbed her, but quickly realized that the beauty encompassing her hometown was inimitable. The vibrancy that she saw in South London’s people and aesthetics is one that made her come to peace with the deprivation and hardships her community faces. ‘My Hood’ serves as a mutual understanding; a compromise. “I never usually ride buses, but whenever I do, something happens. And that’s
“My music is about all the relationships I have. A lot of it is about redemption from my relationships” LiS 17
“Empowerment, to me, is whenever I speak my mind. I want to express myself as a woman, so whenever I have the opportunity to do that, I feel very strong.�
what South London is like. A crazy man gets on the bus; someone starts singing; a fight breaks out; the bus driver turns off the bus,” she laughs. Ultimately, though, the surroundings that have shaped her the most as an artist have been the women in her life. “The females in my life have shaped my person entirely. My mum, sister and girlfriends have helped me become stronger, wiser. The women in my life are so important to me. I wouldn’t be the same person.”
We speak about the healing powers of female friendships, and how it’s important to have an honest, empowered voice within your womanhood. She mentions how important it is to recover when you’ve been betrayed, and when it’s time to stand up for yourself. “A big part of British culture is not causing a fuss, so we rarely speak up about things. Empowerment, to me, is whenever I speak my mind. I want to express myself as a woman, so whenever I have the opportunity to do that, I feel very strong.”
We end our conversation on the topic of nostalgia, and how it’s a comforting device, even if it reminds you of a bad time. Often looking back can feel sombre, like the past is following you, but Ray insists that challenging feeling has become a staple part of her songwriting process. “I think reflection is positive. It’s important to feel two things at the once. It helps you grow,” she tells me. Now, with new project Everybody Loves Ray due to be released this year, she’s preparing herself for future nostalgia, with a smile on her face. “I hope I’ll be able to look back at how I started and feel happy about what I’ve achieved.” RAY BLK plays Bush Hall September 26th. online: soundcloud.com/rayblk // @RayBLK_ facebook.com/RayBlkMusic Styling: Rachel Grace Almeida. Styling Assistant: Victoria Parkey. pg3: jacket by Onar, top by Nicce, bottoms by Le Coq Sportif, shoes by Fila. pg16: jacket by ASOS. pg18: dress & jacket by Lazy Oaf. pg19: dress by Fila, jacket by Schott, earrings by ASOS. LiS 19
japanese breakfast words: kate solomon Try to decipher the hidden meaning behind Michelle Zauner’s stage name and you will fail. “I just liked the way the words sounded together,” she tells us on the phone from Seattle, where she’s staring down the barrel of a nine hour drive to the next stop on tour. “Breakfast sounds like a very American idea and I wanted to pollute it with something that sounds foreign to most people.” Japanese Breakfast’s music couldn’t sound less like cold noodles and kobachi; her debut release Pyschopomp is a blast of “psychotic pop” sprinkled with sparkling synth that glints like tears. The disco sounds will surprise any fans of Zauner’s previous outfit, Little Big League, a grungier guitar band and staple of the Philly scene. They took her by surprise too, growing out of the work she and producing partner Ned Eisenberg did after “opening the back up” of the more traditional guitar record she’d made. “It had waaaay less synth on it originally,” she says. “I kind of thought it was too straightforward as a rock record and wanted to take it to the next level. We added a bunch of synth and sped up some songs, and it grew to be a different beast during that process.” Getting the sound right was crucial for songs that had such personal significance for Zauner, who channeled her feelings
“I kind of thought it was too straightforward as a rock record and wanted to take it to the next level.” about her mother’s illness and death into much of the album. After moving back to her hometown from Philadelphia when her mother fell ill, she felt isolated and sought solace both in her own songwriting and that of others. Sufjan Stevens’ Carrie and Lowell “hit so close to home for me”, she says, now Psychopomp seems to be doing the same for others. And it’s hard work. “I have a lot of kids come to my shows telling me about their parents who have also passed away and how much the record has helped them. To feel like I can do that for other people is really, really exciting - but it’s also really, really hard to hear about all the time. It makes me so sad.” That’s not to say that Psychopomp is a relentlessly sad record; there are moments of euphoria amid the pain and country-inspired melodrama alongside the autobiography. Her playful side comes out particularly in Japanese Breakfast’s videos, which are variously inspired by The Craft and a night belting out karaoke classics with friends. You’ll want to laugh five seconds after wanting to cry; and then you’ll just want to dance. Japanese Breakfast’s Psychopomp is released in Europe August 19th via Dead Oceans. LIVE: Rough Trade East, August 4th. Visions Festival, August 6th. ONLINE: @Jbrekkie facebook.com/japanesebreakfast michellezauner.bandcamp.com
LiS 23
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iglooghost words: geoff cowart
Being shot at light speed through wormholes is probably fucking terrifying, says oddball producer Iglooghost. And it’s hard to argue with his logic. So I don’t. Instead, I’m on a mission to explore the outer limits of his bizarre sonic world before he heads to London Fields for this month’s Visions festival. Communicating from his bedroom studio the eighteen-year-old Londoner finds himself a university dropout, hooked on Pokémon GO and signed to Brainfeeder – the imprint from Flying Lotus. Luckily he’s one of the hottest new producers in the land having caught the attention of FlyLo by tossing cassettes in clubs at the Los Angeles producer. It’s a novel approach. But it worked. And after being tapped up via Twitter to record for Brainfeeder he dropped his debut EP – Chinese Nü Yr – last October. It tells the story of a sad gelatinous worm with a witch’s hat getting blasted into different nonsensical worlds of floating fruit and pink mist. It was released when he was still in university in Bath. “Haha, I dropped out,” says Iglooghost (real name Seamus). “I couldn’t stand dividing my time between music and studying – so I picked the cool one. Whoops.” Strangely, this makes his days rather more studious as he habitually works from 9am to 8pm. “It’s really horrible. But if I lock myself in I just make more stuff,” he says with a laugh.
“I couldn’t stand dividing my time between music and studying – so I picked the cool one. Whoops.” What happens inside his lab is a mystery. But one thing is for certain, the results don’t sound like he’s playing the digital instruments. Rather, they sound like they’re playing him as he shifts styles, tempos or soundworlds faster than a jellyworm hits warp speed. And when a rapper – such as Mr Yote – steps up to the plate things are guaranteed to get real weird, real fast. Seamus says it’s ‘usually a new drum pattern’ or a ‘cool sad melody’ that kickstarts him into writing a new tune. “I really like specific things so it’s hard not to gravitate to the same sounds again and again. I’m trapped in a cycle of pain. But the label at least lets me do my own damn thang.” When he’s not cooking up his unique brand of dusted beats and bleepedout electronica he’s busy exploring his other favourite digital world: Pokémon GO. “I’m having a lot of fun skating around with my pals, drinking beer and wasting my data allowance.” Iglooghost’s Chinese Nü Yr EP is out now via Brainfeeder. LIVE: Visions Festival August 6th. ONLINE: @IGLOOGHOST facebook.com/iglooghost soundcloud.com/IGLOOGHOST LiS 27
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ALBUMS
RECORD OF THE MONTH FACTORY FLOOR 25 25
If you’ve seen Factory Floor live you’ll know just how gut-tremblingly, shellshockingly brilliant they are. Their shows, whether they took place in art galleries or dank early AM clubs, were brilliant unsettling things, grabbing hold of your brain, and violently shaking it. These were pummelling, viscerally intense, raw and brilliant shows. Brutal. They locked in on a tempo and, like a malfunctioning robot having a intense internal failure, they fired out pulse after pulse of warped sound at you, until your mind was obliterated. Word of these shows spread. The band were invited to play more and more late night clubs. So they started writing new material which zeroed in on the dancefloor. “Our shows were steadily moving towards late night club stompers,” Nic Void has said.
DFA // August 19th Stand Out Tracks: Dial Me In Wave Ya Meet Me At The End Live: August 25th, ICA
So here we have 25 25, an album born out of this desire Online: @factoryfloor to capture the raw energy of those live performances. facebook.com/factoryfloor Since their eponymous debut album they have slimmed down to operating as a duo (Dominic Butler has left) and it’s mirrored by a contoured and aerodynamic focus to their sound. You can hear it here right from the start of opener ‘Meet Me At The End’, with its surge of raw momentum. Songs spark and nag and needle away, making your body jam involuntarily and your head throb. That’s not to say there has been a seismic shift in their sound. It’s still a warped tangle of frazzled, traumatising industrial, post-punk and post-acid. But things seem more focused. Just take first single ‘Dial Me In’, a song that seems built for these shows - a veritable ‘late night club stomper’ - the snippets of Void’s emotionless voice echoing and intoning over a bouncing alien beat. I’m listening to it now in my room but I already feel like I’m disoriented, in a warehouse in Berlin at 4am, sweat dripping down the walls. Then there’s the layered nine-minute laser bounce of ‘Wave’. It feels like ‘Two Different Ways’ but seems to get to where it needs to get to more quickly - it finds its centre and pushes and pulls throughout. Now I’m onto the thuds of ‘Ya’ decelerating and accelerating as a voice dully and dispassionately intoning ‘Ya’. The song crackles with kinetic force, building and dropping throughout its seven minutes, the broad circles of hypnotic pulses getting tighter and tighter, before it becomes a rousing vortex. And now I might actually be in Berlin and I haven’t slept for 23 hours and there wasn’t this exposed brick work in my room before, and where am I? Danny Wright
DINOSAUR JR
GIVE A GLIMPSE OF WHAT YER NOT Jagjaguwar // August 5th One could quite feasibly write a review of Dinosaur Jr.’s 1987 masterpiece You’re Living All Over Me, change the song titles to ones relevant to their latest release, call it excellent, and have a perfectly functional review of 11th album Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not. I’ve never been happier at the lack of development in sound than when opener ‘Goin Down’ blasted out of my speakers, all huge chugging riffs and solos that hit you right in the spine. There’s slightly more polish to proceedings these days, and Lou Barlow is rightly given room to shine (‘Love Is…’ and ‘Left/Right’ are two of his finest songs in years), but for the most part, it’s just a welcome elongation of their heyday. Thomas Hannan
ALEX CAMERON
JUMPING THE SHARK Secretly Canadian // August 19th If you were to line up eight varying breeds of canine and make them jump in sequence, chances are their diverse weights and sizes would result in eight varied landings. Some louder and yelpier, some significantly more elegant. Deciding who receives the blue ribbon is tough (woe is liberal me), so it’s blue ribbons for all. The midi-malism of Alex Cameron’s eight-track debut-proper is impressive. Tick-tock drum machines cheer the record across the hurdles. ‘The Comeback’ is Springsteen sharpening his teeth with Casio. John Maus infusion leaks all over the place. There are even hairs of St Vincent caught in the rug of the confusingly-titled ‘Mongrel’. The strut and seriousness as he barks the line ‘who the hell are they to tell me I can’t leave my kid in the car’ sum the entire record up: deadpan synth ditties vs tongue-in cheek-croon. Though it’s not all yap‘n’strut - there’s something soothing in his company, something reassuring. Jumping The Shark feels like Cameron’s mach 1. Here’s hoping he trots back to Nuke The Fridge. Richard Walsh
KNOX BROWN
SEARCHING EP Virgin EMI // August 5th A cursory glance at Knox Brown’s repertoire suggests he’s a pretty busy ghostwriter. Tracks like Mary J Blige’s ‘Whole Damn Year’ or his work with Wretch 32 or Jess Glynne reveal an unobtrusive technical competence that could easily be his bread and butter for years to come, but so far they fail to provide any tinderbox moments. Searching is Knox finding his own voice after standout solo track ‘Harry’s Code’. The EP is often affecting, as in the opener ‘Dear Mr Brown’ which sees Brown looking for an absent father figure. It’s all set with the kind of dubby production values that could only come from a bookish interest in reggae. It’s early days but he would do well to avoid being typecast as easy listening. Tim Hakki LiS 31
WILD BEASTS BOY KING
Domino // August 5th From the brooding, sexual power play of Smother to Present Tense’s tentative tenderness, Wild Beasts’ most recent work has been characterised by lyrical introspection and a more synth-driven sound. By contrast, Boy King is an extroverted, guitar-focused, groove-laden beast, and thematically predatory to the point of parody. A parade of hyper-macho anti-heroes peacock before us, from ‘Big Cat’ to Adonis and ‘He The Colossus’. This sexual aggression is perhaps best illustrated on the latter track, finding Hayden Thorpe snarling, “Stuff your chastity, your wait and see, your not ready / Because we are vigilantes.” Running in tandem is the crisp thwack of gated drums, stuttering synths, and distorted, fx-laden guitars, similar to those on St. Vincent’s last LP (also produced by John Congleton). In both its nihilistic tone and industrial sound, Boy King feels comparable to The Downward Spiral. But where Trent Reznor was laying bare a living nightmare, Thorpe and Tom Fleming embody these characters to address the toxic nature of performative masculinity. “Now I’m all fucked up, and I can’t stand up, so I’d better suck it up like a tough guy would,” Thorpe resolves on ‘Tough Guy’, while on the fantastic, serpentine funk of ‘Ponytail’, Fleming feverishly recounts empty sex (“I saw death up the skirts of the world”), and ricochets between violent threats and desperate pleas for intimacy. And while there are no happy endings for these flawed boy kings, it’s an apocalyptic vision you can dance to. Gemma Samways
CASS MCCOMBS MANGY LOVE
ANTI- // August 26th In many ways you know what you're getting with Cass Mccombs and eight albums and nearly fifteen years into his career, that's alright by me. Playing like a thinking man’s collection of middle of the road jams (only penned for people who hate MOR), new record Mangy Love sees him at his most provocative and playful, and stands toeto-toe with his best releases. Beneath the laid-back muzak-haze of tracks like ‘Opposite House’ and ‘Bum Bum Bum’ things aren't as calm as they seem, and lyrically the album purrs with dark sentiments and politically loaded sermons. On album opener he sings “Bloods in the streets/Our eternal river/I know the killer/He counts my silver” and compares his congressman to the KKK, while on ‘Rancid Girl’ he jarringly tackles addiction and prostitution with the half-slurred delivery of Kurt Vile. There’s a strong sense of humour though (as a quick glance at the track listing hints), perhaps best captured on the sickly surreal voice over of ‘Laughter is the Best Medicine’ that proclaims “Sugar and spice and everything... weird”. It’s weird alright, especially as the track winds down to the sounds of strained gargling, flute and harp; a unique compositional recipe. Sure, Mangy Love may sound effortless but, to coin a line from ‘Medusa's Outhouse’, “if it's so easy, you try”. Henry Wilkinson
A GRAVE WITH NO NAME WOODEN MASK
Forged Artifacts // August 12th As the city of London rushes and pushes and barks its way through the weeks and months and years, A Grave With No Name’s Alexander Shields sits and reflects amongst it all, as he has done now for pushing the last decade. Just over a year since the release of the London-based artist’s last full-length, Feathers Wet, Under the Moon, Wooden Mask is the latest addition to Shields’ extensive and expansive back catalogue – and it’s a thing of subtle, pensive beauty. Moving from ambient, sparse minimalism which often hears little more than voice and acoustic guitar combine delicately, to crashing noise and walls of reverb, it’s a gentle, hypnotic and stunning journey throughout which Shields comfortingly holds your hand tight. Jake May
ARC IRIS
VOMITFACE
Bella Union // August 19th
Help Yourself Records // August 26th
As soon as the bending cello welcomes you into Arc Iris’ Moon Saloon, you are transported, much like its cover suggests, to an otherworldly place; “What is reality? Not this place I see” coos Jocie Adams early in the piece. The mind-bending, Lewis Carol-esque hue continues through ‘Kingdom Come’ with its “eee-eee-eee” refrain and wonderfully wild orchestration. Indeed this intelligent mix of instrumentation is an eye-opening feature that appears throughout, as sliding guitars sit next to bucolic string work and triumphant brass, best seen in the wonderfully intricate and rhythmic ‘Paint With The Sun’. At times epic, at times uneasy, always thought-provoking and clever, you will find yourself returning to the Moon Saloon and you’ll feel like a better person when you come out. George O’Brien
New Jersey group Vomitface (now relocated to Canada) formed after Jared Micah and drummer Preetma Singh found themselves with nothing to do as Hurricane Sandy battered the city outside their window. Such a turbulent environment seems the perfect beginning for a band whose debut album Hooray For Me could easily soundtrack each phase of a storm, from the brutal peak to the eerie quiet once it has all wound down. “I hear applause, it’s all for me/Hooray for me” howls Micah on ‘Chew Toy’, his throat sandpaper rough. ‘Eastern Bloc Party’ bounces ominously on a gloomy bassline like it’s setting the pace for a twisted marching band, while ‘Dramamine’’s softer start finds the pair at their most restrained. A brittle yet powerful first step. Rhian Daly LiS 33
MOON SALOON
HOORAY FOR ME
EZRA FURMAN
BIG FUGITIVE LIFE EP Bella Union // August 19th Since opening up about their gender identity and related issues on last year’s Perpetual Motion People, Ezra Furman’s been on a deserved whirlwind. This year brings with it a conclusive EP, showing a more subdued, but just as emotive, side to their traditionally aggressive lyricism and musicianship. Furman’s records are often windows into their soul, exploring the depths of their emotional and religious path. They touch upon their Jewish identity in ‘The Refugee’, telling of how their grandfather left Nazi Germany for The States. This more positive self-reflective nature can be attributed in part to Furman commenting that they're finally closing a chapter; one filled with uncertainty and depression. The catharsis comes to an end with opener ‘Teddy I'm Ready’ when they shout “I’m ready to rock and roll”. Sarah Sahim
HIEROGLYPHIC BEING
THE DISCO’S OF IMHOTEP Technicolour // August 5th Lofty would be an understatement when describing this solo album from veteran Chicago producer Jamal Moss. Its ambitious dedication to ‘one of Earth’s first healers’ in High Priest Imhotep sees Moss call the music ‘frequency medicine’ involving ‘hemi-synced harmonies with binaural beats’. But don’t be convinced it’s anything more than a high-grade and darkly potent club record. Rather than fly off the hook, its dusky sonic atmosphere patiently bubbles up as its mutated synth lines and beefy 4/4 beats begin to rule. And it’s perfected not just in the odd combinations of skittering snare fills, bleeps and pulsating ambient washes – but in the way he’s mixed it, with each element cleverly balanced and holistically intertwined. Take two and call me in the morning. Geoff Cowart
TOBACCO
SWEATBOX DYNASTY Ghostly International // August 19th Tobacco is back to melt your VHS tapes and corrupt your 80s nostalgia with another wave of heat-warped electro. For all of Sweatbox Dynasty's sonic torture, Thomas Fec's fifth fulllength is infested with glittering earworms. A slasher in synth form, manipulated analogues scream and chop into each other in melodic distress, while android vocals narrate the magnetic dancefloor deathmarch. ‘Home Invasionaries’ is the ‘Billie Jean’ rendition HAL 9000 would conjure from his murderous robot mind, and ‘Dimensional Hum’ has a pneumatic garage stomp to crush the skulls of any human resistance. ‘The Madonna’ meanwhile is a searing spiritual brother to Ultima II Massage’s ‘Pool City, McKnight Road’. While Ultima… remains Tobacco’s most balanced and bombastic release, Sweatbox Dynasty has your itch for twisted Out Run hellscapes auto-targeted in its sights. Grant Bailey
Goldenvoice Presents JADU HEART
FUFANU
04.08.16 ECHOES
06.10.16 HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN
THE STRUMBELLAS 24.08.16 BORDERLINE
KHRUANGBIN 25.10.16 ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
JP COOPER
THE SPECIALS 15.11.16 TROXY 16.11.16 TROXY
RIVRS
26.10.16 O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
15.09.16 RED GALLERY
YAK
+GOAT GIRL
16.11.16 HEAVEN
TOM WALKER
27.10.16 SCALA
TOURIST
+CUCKOOLANDER
20.09.16 THE WAITING ROOM
CLARE MAGUIRE 26.09.16 ST GILES IN THE FIELDS
MEADOWLARK 27.09.16 THE WAITING ROOM
THE MAGIC GANG 28.09.16 SCALA
THE INVISIBLE 28.09.16 OSLO HACKNEY
BABY STRANGE 28.09.16 CAMDEN ASSEMBLY HALL
PHANTOGRAM
HONNE
02.12.16 OVAL SPACE
28.10.16 ROUNDHOUSE
SHURA
CROWS 31.10.16 100 CLUB
ISLAND 02.11.16 SCALA
07.12.16 O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
SCHOOLBOY Q 14.12.16 O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
WAND 04.11.16 BOSTON ARMS
SLEAFORD MODS 10.11.16 ROUNDHOUSE
goldenvoice.co.uk
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07.11.16 T U SOLD O CHAPEL UNION 08.11.16 T U SOLD O CHAPEL UNION
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BILLY BRAGG & JOE HENRY
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We’re so excited to introduce you to what is another A+ line-up from our friends at Visions. This year it cements a place on our list of 'favourite ever festivals' by expanding to include such ridiculous delights as a dog show (no kidding, an actual dog show), tattooing sessions and the exceptional fried chicken of Mother Clucker. Also, of course, there's some music. Excelling in finding the best new sounds around, regardless of genre, background or influence the team have once again delivered a line-up that will surprise, excite and undoubtedly impress you. It’s so chocka with treats it’s tough to pick highlights, but here we pick out a selection of the acts we’re most excited about, plus we have a handy map to make sure you catch as much as possible, and the all-important stage times*. Have fun out there. ELF KID: Heading over the river from Lewisham Mcdeez to Hackney, The Square’s golden boy is all yr grime party, fixed up Jamie xx’s ‘Gosh’, tore The Great Escape apart and is going to run the world so yeah, be at Elf Kid, it’ll be a stonker. JESSY LANZA: Supplying the odd pop sounds to Visions this year, Jessy Lanza celebrates releasing one of the best albums of 2106 - OH NO - bringing her wrought-with-tension, confrontational yet ridiculously enjoyable tracks to life. SHOW ME THE BODY: The kind of adrenaline rush that can only come with a raw, confusing and in-your-face-show is what we’re here for. Think Girl Band with even more power, think punk on pills, but do not think about missing Show Me The Body. LET’S EAT GRANDMA: If Heavenly Creatures were remade by David Lynch, he’d probably commission these two multi-instrumentalist school pals to compose the score. Experimental pop that’s as unsettling as it is imaginative.
* stage times correct at time of print. Check for updates on the day on Twitter via @VisionsFestival
LiS 39
EVENTS
a selection of new stuff we’re excited about: BORDERLESS Once upon a time in Battersea, The Jam and Fleetwood Mac played the local arts centre. Decades later, live music is now set to make an explosive return to the same Battersea Arts Centre with a genre-defying new Borderless festival in August and September. The South London space has teamed up with former Roundhouse music programmers GOAT Music to present Borderless – a series of live music gigs featuring artists such as the interstellar London jazz trio Sons of Kemet, British-Ghanian soulman Andrew Ashong and African funk legend Dele Sosimi set to grace the venue’s beautiful Council Chamber. Running throughout the entirety of August and September there’s plenty of opportunity to check out this amazing venue and a whole array of excellent music. August/September, Battersea Arts Centre, SW11 5TN @battersea_arts. Tickets: bac.org.uk/borderless
FARMOPOLIS Farmopolis is a unique partnership between Secret Productions - best known for co-organising creative festivals around the world, Wayward - the pioneering art, design and farming practice, and Greenwich Peninsula - London’s largest regeneration project. The Great Plant Rescue has salvaged tens of thousands of Chelsea Flower Show plants to create a truly unique floating garden on the Thames. Opening on July 30th, The Great Plant Rescue at Farmopolis will host all kinds of fun this summer, with live music, supper clubs, creative workshops and tons more. Tickets are available now for certain events but, to be honest, the best thing to do is head over, pay the £3 suggested donation, and indulge in all things bucolic by the river. The Jetty, Greenwich Peninsula, SE10 0FL @Farmopolis // farmopolis.com LiS 42
GIN FESTIVAL It's hard to come prepared for Gin Festival, take it from people who went earlier this year. The sheer array of treats that await you is overwhelming and well, by the third perfectly-balanced, juniper-tinged delight, who cares anyway? In all seriousness, if you want to try some rare, interesting and carefully picked gins (shout out to the overproof 60%ers) without having to buy an entire bottle then this is your place. Located in the intriguing and complex Tobacco Dock we can barely think of a better afternoon, just don't plan anything for afterwards. August 26th-28th, Tobacco Dock, E1W 2SF @GinFestival // ginfestival.com
CLEAN PRESENTS: SO YOUNG FESTIVAL When two excellent pals come together to throw a three day party, it's going to pique anyone's interest, let alone if you throw in the likes of Traams, Babystrange, Dream Wife and from the rumours we're hearing, some pretty incredible secret guests too. So Young celebrated their third birthday, making the finest, fully-illustrated magazine around. What better way to celebrate than piling people into The Old Blue Last and getting excited for some of your favourite new bands. Get down early, this’ll be real busy. August 10th. FREE. The Old Blue Last, EC2A 3ES. @_cleanfun // @SoYoungMagazine
WILLIAM EGGLESTON PORTRAITS When William Eggleston first started displaying his work, serious art critics utterly dismissed him. Most shocking was his use of colour, because obviously serious art is black and white. Those days are now long gone, and Eggleston is revered, respected and back in London at the National Portrait Gallery. Finding serene beauty and nuance in the apparently mundane, in fleeting glances of American life that any other eye might miss, Eggleston has a capacity to move and transfix like few other photographers. Open now - October 23rd, National Portrait Gallery. @NPGLondon // npg.org.uk
William Eggleston’s Untitled, c1975 ©Eggleston Artistic Trust
LiS 43
GIGS OF THE MONTH
OUR PICK OF THE BEST SHOWS HAPPENING IN AUGUST 2016
THE OLD BLUE LAST SO YOUNG FESTIVAL
Three days of ridiculously ace bands (hello our favourites Dream Wife), genuinely great surprise guests and all for £0.00. Get down early.
10-13/08/16 FREE @theoldbluelast OLD STREET
SHACKLEWELL ARMS
BRIXTON WINDMILL
Everyone’s favourite mesmerising motorik psych band TOY are back, and playing at a venue you could call their spiritual home after a previous four-week residency. Even better, it’s free.
It’s the time of year when we start to worry BBQ season is almost over, but The Windmill is here for us with Yards, USA Nails, Love Buzzard + tons more.
TOY
10/08/16 FREE @Shacklewell Arms
SUNBURN - A NOIZEY ALLDAYER
DALSTON JUNCTION / KINGSLAND JULIA JACKLIN
06/08/16 £5adv @windmillbrixton
BRIXTON
THE FORGE
WILLIS EARL BEAL Since 2012’s ‘Evening’s Kiss’ we’ve been fans of this unique talent, so it’s great to see him back in London. 09/08/16 £10 @TheForgeCamden
CAMDEN TOWN
THE LEXINGTON JULIA JACKLIN
This Australian newcomer has already had a Track Of The Week from us and we can’t wait to see her bring ‘Leadlight’ to life. Kinda reminds of a downcast Slow Club, which is very much what we like. 31/08/16 - £9adv // @thelexington
DIY SPACE FOR LONDON
BRUISING // DOE // TOM AYLOTT Rough estimates would put the times we’ve seen Bruising and Doe at about a 1,000000 and we’re 100% making it 1,000001. Best bands.
ANGEL
12/08/16 £6adv @diyspace4london SOUTH BERMONDSEY LiS 45
SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
THE GOOD SHIP
Our love runs deep for Alexander Shields’ wonderful band. Check our review of his new record on page 33.
Longy do uplifting and soulful indierock, full of brass and feeling. Reckon this is a band going places, so catch ‘em now.
18/08/16 £5adv @ServantJazz
13/08/16 £4adv @thegoodshipNW6
A GRAVE WITH NO NAME
LONGY // MOONLANDS + MORE
DALSTON JUNCTION / KINGSLAND
CORSICA STUDIO
TEETH OF THE SEA // GUM TAKES TOOTH + MORE A Rocket Recordings all-dayer from Baba Yaga’s Hut, so you know what to expect: the unexpected, wonderful noise and plenty of it.
OSLO
FRANKIE & THE HEARTSTRINGS
Sounds like prime undiscovered Scandinavian dreampop, is actually a Michigan-native called Garrett Borns, also the recent guest on Dagny’s ‘Fool’s Gold’. HACKNEY CENTRAL
3 days of live music, a beer festival and more celebrating the music and art of SE London + raising money for local projects. @NewCrossInn
28/08/16 £TBC @HoxtonHQ
OLD STREET
DAG NASTY
CROSS FEST
(suggested waged donation)
Everyone’s favourite Sunderland band are back, with their giant choruses and sweet indiepop suss.
O2 ISLINGTON ACADEMY
NEW CROSS INN
12-14/08/16 £5
20/08/16 £12adv @Corsica_Studios ELEPHANT & CASTLE
HOXTON BAR AND KITCHEN
BØRNS
24/08/16 £11adv @OsloHackney
KILBURN
NEW CROSS / NEW CROSS GATE
Washington DC pioneers of melodic hardcore, this is somehow their debut UK show, with the full and original 80s line-up, and a new single. 10/08/16 £17.50adv @O2Islington
ANGEL
THE DOME
QUANTIC // FLAMINGODS Quantic carnival afterparty: the day before they’re on a boat, but seeing Quantic’s tropical kicks and Flamingods’ twisted psychedelica on dry land sounds much smarter. QUANTIC LiS 46
28/08/16 £14.50adv (early bird) @DomeTufnellPark
TUFNELL PARK
FABRIC
LTJ BUKEM // DILLINJA // YOUNGSTA // DBRIDGE // SWINDLE The drum‘n’bass innovator takes over Room 1 for a night that’s guaranteed to be pretty damn special. 19/08/16 £14adv @fabriclondon
FARRINGDON
WAITING ROOM
SHINAMO MOKI + MORE This is a Racket 808 night so, as the name hints, expect A) a chaotic night of all things electronic. B) Awesomeness LTJ BUKEM
04/08/16 FREE @WaitingRoomN16
BIRTHDAYS
TKAY MAIDZA // YUKI AME Oh god, we love the ridiculously great r‘n’b of Tkay Maidza so much. Might just listen to ‘Switch Lanes’ from now until the 24th.
BEDROOM BAR
LENA LAKI // JACK ELLISTER + MORE German born and influenced by Goldfrapp, Nina Simone and more, Lena Laki celebrates her ‘Take Me With You’ EP. 17/08/16 FREE @Bedroom_Bar
OLD STREET
DALSTON JUNCTION/ KINGSLAND
24/08/16 FREE @_Birthdays DALSTON JUNCTION/ KINGSLAND
PAPER DRESS VINTAGE WITCHING WAVES
A fundraiser For Hackney Food Bank, this promises to be a hot’n’sweaty night upstairs at Paper Dress. Take £, raise £. 25/08/16 donations @paperdressed
HACKNEY CENTRAL
THE LOCK TAVERN
100 CLUB
This Liverpudlian duo make Joy Division-ish, Arctic Monkeys-ish music that we reckon is gonna see them win plenty of fans.
Everyone loves Kiran Leonard, don’t they? So we guess we’ll see everyone at the 100 Club to celebrate his ‘Grapefruit’ LP.
26/08/16 FREE @thelocktavern
24/08/16 £11adv @100clubLondon
KIRAN LEONARD
HER’S
CHALK FARM / CAMDEN TOWN
TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD LiS 47
SERATONES THURS 1 SEPT THE LEXINGTON
BEATY HEART THURS 6 OCT BUSSEY BUILDING
MERCHANDISE WED 2 NOV THE LEXINGTON
THE GARDEN THURS 1 SEPT MOTH CLUB
MITSKI THURS 6 OCT TUFNELL PARK DOME
THE BIG MOON THURS 3 NOV SCALA
BO ROCHA MON 12 SEPT RYE WAX
SNOW GHOSTS THURS 6 OCT THE WAITING ROOM
STEVE GUNN MON 14 NOV 100 CLUB
FAT WHITE FAMILY + THE BLACK LIPS SAT 17 SEPT O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
PARQUET COURTS TUES 11 OCT O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
LA FEMME THURS 17 NOV O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE
OPERATORS TUES 18 OCT THE LEXINGTON
BC CAMPLIGHT FRI 18 NOV OSLO HACKNEY
MARTHA FFION FRI 21 OCT SEBRIGHT ARMS
ANNA MEREDITH WED 23 NOV SCALA
GLASS ANIMALS TUES 25 OCT ROUNDHOUSE
PALACE WED 23 NOV BRIXTON ELECTRIC
EZRA FURMAN MON 31 OCT ROUNDHOUSE
HINDS FRI 2 DEC O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
DILLY DALLY THURS 22 SEPT SCALA LOOSE MEAT FRI 23 SEPT MOTH CLUB CHELOU WED 28 SEPT ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH THE MOONLANDINGZ THURS 29 SEPT OSLO HACKNEY WILD BEASTS TUES 4 OCT & WED 5 OCT ROUNDHOUSE
THIS IS THE KIT TUES 1 NOV UNION CHAPEL PARALLELLINESPROMOTIONS.COM
AUGUST’S FULL LISTINGS
FRIDAY 1ST AUGUST
YOUR DAY-BY-DAY GUIDE TO ALL THE GIGS, AT ALL THE VENUES, IN LONDON THIS MONTH. FOR ALL THE LATEST & MOST UP-TO-DATE LISTINGS, AND TO SIGN UP TO OUR GIGS OF THE WEEK EMAIL, VISIT LONDONINSTEREO.COM MONDAY 1ST AUGUST
TUESDAY 2ND AUGUST
WEDNESDAY 3RD AUGUST
FRIDAY 5TH AUGUST
THURSDAY 4TH AUGUST
SATURDAY 6TH AUGUST
SUNDAY 7TH AUGUST
MONDAY 15TH AUGUST
TUESDAY 16TH AUGUST
THURSDAY 18TH AUGUST
WEDNESDAY 17TH AUGUST
SATURDAY 20TH AUGUST
FRIDAY 19TH AUGUST
SUNDAY 21ST AUGUST
MONDAY 22ND AUGUST
WEDNESDAY 24TH AUGUST
TUESDAY 23RD AUGUST
THURSDAY 25TH AUGUST
Theme Park Moth Club Friday July 15th
SATURDAY 27TH AUGUST
FRIDAY 26TH AUGUST
SUNDAY 28TH AUGUST
MONDAY 29TH AUGUST
TUESDAY 30TH AUGUST
THURSDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER
FRIDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER WEDNESDAY 31ST AUGUST
SATURDAY 3RD SEPTEMBER
presents VISIONS FESTIVAL
WILLIS EARL BEAL
[PIAS] NITES
MOTHERS
XYLAROO & FIL BO RIVA
VARIOUS, HACKNEY
THE FORGE
Saturday 06 August.
Tuesday 09 August.
Monday 17 August.
SUNFLOWER BEAN
COLLEEN GREEN CASSIE RAMONE
KIRAN LEONARD
THE LEXINGTON
100 CLUB
SCALA
MOTH CLUB
Wednesday 24 August.
Thursday 15 September.
Thursday 22 September.
BOXED IN
CHAD LAWSON
WOLF ALICE, WILD BEAST SUPER FURRY ANIMALS & MORE
By The Sea Festival
KAMIO
THE FORGE
DREAMLAND, MARGATE
Thursday 29 September.
Thursday 29 September.
Friday 30 Sept & Saturday 01 Oct.
OSCAR
SWANS
POLIÇA
THE DOME
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
ROUNDHOUSE
Tuesday 04 October.
Thursday 13 & Friday 14 October.
Wednesday 19 October.
AMBER ARCADES
MØ
HALEY BONAR
MOTH CLUB
ROUNDHOUSE
MOTH CLUB
Thursday 20 October.
Saturday 22 October.
Thursday 27 October.
SPRING KING
THE BUG presents ‘SIRENS’
Illuminations Festival
Illuminations Festival
KOKO
AUTUMN STREET STUDIOS
OVAL SPACE
Friday 28 October.
Friday 28 October.
Sunday 30 October.
Illuminations Festival
Illuminations Festival
Illuminations Festival
BLACKOUT
LUBOMYR MELNYK & MURCOF AND VANESSA WAGNER
LET’S EAT GRANDMA
BARBICAN
OVAL SPACE
TROXY
Monday 31 October.
Wednesday 02 November.
Friday 04 November.
RUN LOLA RUN
KEVIN MORBY
PANTHA DU PRINCE
MICK’S GARAGE WAREHOUSE
ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
ELECTRIC BRIXTON
Thursday 03 November.
Tuesday 08 November.
Friday 11 November.
BLACK MOUNTAIN
Illuminations Festival
JUNUN
Illuminations Festival
FLUME
MUTUAL BENEFIT
ALEXANDRA PALACE
CECIL SHARP HOUSE
THE DOME
Thursday 17 November.
Thursday 17 November.
Thursday 17 November.
WILLIAM TYLER
RADICAL FACE
BLACK PEACHES
BUSH HALL
SCALA
KAMIO
Sunday 20 November.
Tuesday 22 November.
Thursday 08 December.
TALES FROM THE CITY Blisters from carrying heavy equipment, suffering on the tube for hours, confused and overwhelmed by the manic people, eating cheap chicken and stealing beers from a Tesco; this is a pretty accurate representation of our first few trips to London as a band. With no cash we ended up relying on promoters to take pity on us and feed us with cheap food and drink. Sure, we’ve played like this a million times in Spain, but being lost in a new city was a totally new adventure for us. Our saving grace has been the crazy people we have met in London. Taking us under their wing, they have treated us like family, let us stay in their houses for free (or for a free ticket to our gig) and without them we’d be stuck sleeping on the streets of London. One of the best people we’ve met is Danny, he plays in a band called Mohit, and fuck, we love that guy more than most of our actual family. Although we had friends in common, Danny didn’t know us at all when he let us stay at his house and bought us pizzas. After a few visits, Danny has become a friend for life, and we know that if we are lost in the city that we always can count
photo: Simon Sarin
by
The Parrots
on him. Then there’s Zak, he works at Division PR, who we have worked with previously. Recently Zak came to one of our gigs, unfortunately as we went on stage we still had no where to stay, so during the concert we asked the crowd if anyone could let us sleep on their couch. At the end of the gig Zak came up to me and gave me his number, saying that if we needed anything he would always be happy to help. And he stayed true to his word: due to the horrendous English weather we had become sick but Zak kindly provided us with zinc pills that sorted us out. Our friend Paul Bridgewater has helped us out big time: during one trip to the city he allowed us to stay at his house for two days, as we were totally broke. I really don’t know what we would have done without his generosity. We have bonded with his cat, which we named John Lewis after the washing machine. Finally I’d like to give a shout out to our friend Raul and his girlfriend Charlotte, and the many other people we have missed off, thanks to them we are still alive, we still have most of our teeth and we are able to play in your city again.
The Parrots release their debut album Los Niños Sin Miedo August 26th, via Heavenly Recordings. LIVE: Rough Trade East, August 25th, The Victoria, September 7th, On Blackheath Festival, September 11th. ONLINE: @theparrotsband // facebook.com/theparrots1 LiS 63
08—16 Shacklewell Arms 71 Shacklewell Lane London E8 Tuesday 23 August
EXPLODED VIEW Wednesday 24 August
ST. TROPEZ Thursday 25 August
THE WEATHER STATION Wednesday 14 September
LIOLIMB Wednesday 21 September
Lanzarote
lanzaroteworks.com #lanzaroteworks
presents
The Waiting Room 175 Stoke Newington High St N16 Tuesday 9 August
LABRADOOR Monday 15 August
YUKKA Tuesday 15 August
EKKOES Wednesday 7 September
THOSS Tuesday 27 September
LEVITATION ROOM
MEADOWLARK
The Lock Tavern
MOTH Club
35 Chalk Farm Rd London NW1 Wednesday 3 August
NANCY PANTS Saturday 6 August
ABJECTS Sunday 7 August
SULK Friday 26 August
HER’S Saturday 27 August
HIGH FIDELITY
Valette St London E8 Monday 15 August
MORGAN DELT Tuesday 23 August
MARGARET GLASPY Thursday 1 September
THE GARDEN Friday 2 September
COLD PUMAS Tuesday 6 September
THE CULT OF DOM KELLER
IN LONDON GIRLI w ith
Why do you live in London? I have severe FOMO. I couldn’t live in a place where there wasn’t stuff going on every day/night like in London or where I would have to drive 30 minutes to see a friend or person my age – I would go ballistic. There’s so much going on in London that even when you change what you like doing as a person there’ll always be things to do and new places to go. Where do you like to eat and drink? Beigel Bake on Brick Lane. Every day. 30p bagels. It’s too good. And my flatmate works at Cereal Killer in Camden so she gets me free cereal cocktails (i.e diabetes) in a bowl whenever I visit her at work. She brings me Reese’s Cups and Happy Hippos after work too. Summer’s (kinda) here, how do you like London when the sun’s shining? It’s gorgeous – the best bit is being in a park in the evening when the sun’s setting and listening to music and it still being warm at 10pm. What’s the best day you can have in London? The day would start in the evening. I’d pull an allnighter dancing and chatting shit with my friends at some house party or rave or maybe a mate’s gig all night then get the first train at 6am to go to Beigel Bake on Brick Lane for 30p bagels. After that a skate around Victoria Park with all my mates if we have the energy. But to be honest the best days are the ones where cool shit happens most unexpectedly. What’s the worst thing about London? Gentrification of the city driving out legit people, businesses, families, young people. Does London ever influence the music you write? Constantly. London and the people I meet here are my main influence for my lyrics and the sound of my music. Your favourite outdoor space? The roof of my block of flats. It’s such a health and safety hazard but has the best view. I like being above the streets, I feel like Spider-Man.
Girli’s single It Was My Party is out now and impacts August 19th via PMR Records. ONLINE: girlimusic.com/ // @GIRLImusic // facebook.com/girlimusic LiS 65
LIVE Photo: Daniela Vesco / Parkwood Entertainment / AP Invision
BEYONCÉ - Wembley Stadium, July 2nd Countless effusive epithets were spewed forth from the vast online hive mind this year informing us that Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade is Significant Stuff, but who really needed reminding that Queen Bey slays all day? Music’s zeitgeist clearly does its bidding through her and Max Martin. No other artists can claim to so uniquely capture today’s epochal spirit, sat saucily as they are astride three decades of chart conquering greatness. They couldn’t be more distinct: the latter, a Swedish songwriting phantom with all the melodic panache of ABBA, and the former? Well, she just blitzed 2016. This tour was announced, and tickets bought en masse shortly after the release of ‘Formation’ - the single that, together with The Life Of Pablo, turned Tidal from an awkward failure into a streaming powerhouse with entrepreneurial exclusive content. That said, Lemonade is central to the production of The Formation World Tour. After Lemonade and 2013’s Beyoncé, her total creative output now incorporates music, dance, film, poetry, fashion and performance. Tonight’s show adds another facet to her resplendent artistry. Some time after a bizarre and seemingly unplanned opening slot from Tinie Tempah, the giant screen that’s been sat motionless onstage whirs into life.
Rotating and flashing red, the monolith serves us cryptic tableaus: Beyoncé with an orchid in her mouth, a stormy sky, a bird taking flight. And then the opening stabs of ‘Formation’. A deafening scream surges through the crowd before Queen Bey emerges with her dancers in matching fuck-you fedoras. This evening is the height of tasteful decadence. No single era elicits most of the roaring tonight. From Destiny’s Child’s ‘Survivor’ through Dangerously In Love cuts ‘Baby Boy’ and ‘Crazy In Love’ to ‘Drunk In Love’ and ‘Hold Up’ Beyoncé reminds us that she defined every stage of our youth. Towards the end, peals of military percussion ring out as Beyoncé and her dancers step onto the catwalk which has just metamorphosed into a conveyor belt to carry them to the newly flooded B-stage, - a baptismal font where they perform ‘Freedom’ having been symbolically purified. It’s a stupefying spectacle, like the starry sea of phone lights that greet her during ‘Love On Top’, or her breathtaking rendition of Prince’s ‘The Beautiful Ones’. To hear it live is to be clobbered with the realisation that Beyoncé’s voice is the most singular in pop. She woke up like this. Bow down bitches. Tim Hakki
Bassekou Kouyaté and Seckou Keita Photo: Mark Allen
The Orchestra of Syrian Musicians with Damon Albarn & Guests Southbank Centre - June 25th
Jude Kelly, the artistic director of The Southbank, is onstage explaining the legacy of The Southbank where, as far back as 1951, 57% of the artists performing at their Festival of Britain were refugees. It’s something to be proud of and, as we sit here two days after Britain voted to leave the EU, it’s a stark reminder of how far we’ve moved backwards. The anger of the last couple of days is still rife, but bafflement and crestfallen disappointment also hang heavy in the air. Thank goodness then for this wonderful evening, for the positivity cascading from the stage, thank goodness for the countless standing ovations and the slightly awkward but never less than joyful dancing in these Southbank seats. “He’s a good thing, is Damon” says Jude, introducing the most recognisable face behind African Express, and, y’know, he really is. What better use of fame than to bring this astonishing cast together? As the various acts play, you see the delight on his face as he goofily dances around side stage, and you can’t doubt his love for the music or the occasion. This night isn’t about him though, and he doesn’t try and make it so. There’s a gentle stroll through ‘Out Of Time’ with Bassekou
Kouyaté accompanying on ngoni, and a bash through The Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’ with Paul Weller, but that’s his whole stage time. “Art, music, culture and happiness, that’s the real face of Syria” we’re told and the night leaves us in no doubt as we witness myriad performances of intricate technique and celebration. How good is it? Well, Seckou Keita even manages to find a pulse in Weller’s dadrock clunker ‘Wild Wood’ so, yeah: exceptional. We’re treated to the dexterity of the Orchestra Of Syrian Musicians who are subtly moving in a way you can never imagine the bombast of The Proms matching, switching between solemnity and celebration with ease. We get a riotous run-through of Gorillaz’ ‘White Flag’ and are dazzled by the voice of Faia Younan. The highlight though is a twenty minute ngoni and kora duel between a gleeful Bassekou Kouyaté and Seckou Keita which blows our minds with its intensity and finesse. At a time where rage and despair have ruled, this night briefly patches up the soul, as the healing power of music and a coming-together of those not ruled by hate reminds you the world can be a better place if we embrace all it has to offer. Nate Rockwell LiS 67
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PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS by Tom Johnson When I agreed to write this I hadn’t really thought through the logistics. My reaction was just “Gah! I love London in Stereo!” which I’ve found to be a reasonable barometer when deciding what, and what not, to say yes to. Which isn’t to say I regret agreeing to write this column, more that I suddenly realised that when it comes to talking about new music (my given topic) - discovering it, consuming it, sharing it - I freeze; my mind flailing around for some empowering sentiments it should have learned off-by-heart by now. But the truth is that more than six years after starting my own “new music blog” and working on it very-nearly-literally every day since, I still don’t really have any profound articulations on the subject. Anyway, to bring you up to speed, because one thing I did quickly learn was that whoever you’re talking to probably hasn’t heard of your blog, I run a website called GoldFlakePaint. I post music on it every day, some old, but mostly new, and almost-always accompanied by some personal reflection that will hit me like a sucker-punch at some undetermined future date when I realise what I’ve shared on a public forum. My own ignominy aside, what the site has always tried to do is give an equal platform to the music I love - in my bones regardless of hype, reputation, or that intangible balderdash of perceived coolness. And I think it’s for that reason I’m not very good at actually talking about new music as a thing. It seems to be that when more-and-more people talk about new music, what they really mean is ‘Who’s going to be the next big thing?’. And the truth is, I don’t know (joke, it’s Bossy Love), but I’m fine with not knowing. I’ve always felt that that side of the industry totally devalues the music it’s supposed to represent. I’ve spent many a long night digging for bands that aren’t attached to the hype machine and it’s there that I’ve found the music that has had the most profound effect on me. I don’t know if this makes me sound cripplingly cynical or just painfully holier-than-thou but I don’t mean it to be either. I adore music. I adore finding new music; a buried gem in the proverbial mud. Discovering a song hidden in the shadows of Bandcamp, and being able to wrap it up and deliver it to a few keen ears is genuinely the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done. Ever. EVER! I’ve been substantially moved by it. I’ve seen the effect it has on the artist, and to that one other person who connects with it in the same way as me. There are times, of course, when I’ve questioned what the hell I’m doing with my life but I’ve made peace with the fact that music is fundamentally important; it just is. Being a small cog in this magnificently weird, grotesque, but often wonderful, machine is a monumental honour, every single day. So now, as a legitimised expert in the field (thanks Jess and Dave), I say go forth and seek it out. Don’t search for the next big thing but find the music that matters the most to you. Find it and then share it, shout about it, or just keep it all for yourself. Whatever you decide; celebrate it. LiS 69 73
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JOANNA NEWSOM THE SHINS •
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE BAT FOR LASHES •
CAT POWER • TEENAGE FANCLUB • DEVENDRA BANHART LOCAL NATIVES • GOAT • SAVAGES • EZRA FURMAN • THEE OH SEES BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE • PHOSPHORESCENT • THE THURSTON MOORE GROUP CAT’S EYES • SAM BEAM & JESCA HOOP • FIELD MUSIC • TELEMAN • BEAK> M. WARD • SCRITTI POLITTI • JEFFREY LEWIS & LOS BOLTS • STEVE MASON •JD MCPHERSON SHURA • OMAR SOULEYMAN • KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD • BILL RYDER-JONES KEVIN MORBY • ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER • DR. DOG • KELLEY STOLTZ • U.S. GIRLS • MONEY • OSCAR WHITNEY • ANNA MEREDITH • JENNY HVAL • MEILYR JONES • DILLY DALLY • SUNFLOWER BEAN IMARHAN • THE BLIND SHAKE • THE BIG MOON • AMBER ARCADES • FRANKIE COSMOS • & MORE Plus Comedy, Literature, Late Night Dance Floors, Hidden Woodland Wonders, Delicious Food & Real Ale
special musical celebration “ A trulyღღღღღ ” The Guardian
A strikingly potent bill “ღღღღღ ” The Independent
of the season “ The best festival ” Time Out
perfection ” “ Nearing festival CLASH