London Gigs Diary: 27 June – 10 July 2011

London’s outdoor spaces face colonisation by music events in the next fortnight. For one thing, Wireless With Barclaycard returns to Hyde Park this weekend. As usual, the organisers have tried to find something for everyone with more diverse than ever headliners of The Black Eyed Peas, The Chemical Brothers and Pulp (pictured). Acts not to miss include StooShe on Friday, Glastonbury-conqueror Janelle Monae on Saturday and a vintage line-up of on-trend indie sorts on Sunday including TV On The Radio, The Horrors, Metronomy and Foals. More details here.

American alt-indie outsiders Eels kick off the Somerset House Summer Series on 7 July. Always a summer highlight in its intimate and beautiful surrounding, the organisers again tend to find an interesting mix of acts to put on. Other early appearances in the series will include shows by those harmonising boys you could take home to meet your mum, Stornoway, and Californian soulman Aloe Blacc. More details here.

For those who want something a little less mainstream, 1234 Festival is back in Shoreditch Park on 9 July.  Vice Records’ signings Black Lips and The Raveonettes head the line-up alongside post-punk temptress Lydia Lunch. With Rainbow Arabia, Becoming Real and The History Of Apple Pie also listed, and entrance to a variety of late night after-parties included, it should be up there as one of the better Shoreditch one-dayers this summer. More details here. 

Gigs Of The Fortnight: 27 June – 10 July 2011

 

iTunes Festival – Roundhouse, London – 1-31 July

Of course it’s hardly advisable to depend on the British weather for your live music needs. The iTunes festival begins its month-long residency at the Roundhouse on 1 July with a typically starry array of acts promoting their work to those with a lucky winning touch as all tickets are given away for free. Early highlights will include Paul Simon, Manic Street Preachers, Arctic Monkeys and Adele (if her doctor says she can).

More details here.

Arcade Fire + Mumford And Sons + Beirut + The Vaccines + Owen Pallett – Hyde Park, London – 30 June

With Hyde Park continuing to attract the biggest commercial names in music, having Arcade Fire headline a day event there pulls their achievements into sharp focus, because despite their awards and critical adoration, a lot of people still don’t seem to know what they do. It’ll be interesting to see whether their fans take to Mumford And Sons (and vice versa) who will appear immediately before them, but when you add Beirut and Owen Pallett into the equation, this is an extraordinary roster for a day of fine rabble-rousing.

More details here.

Flaming Lips + Dinosaur Jr + Deerhoof – Alexandra Palace, London – 1 July

We’ve come a long way since the days when a band could get away with just recreating one album live and passing it off as a gig. Suede upped the ante with their three night/three album residency at Brixton Academy last month, but now ATP Concerts have put together this one night/three album session at the sprawling Alexandra Palace. Main draw is The Flaming Lips who will play their 1999 album The Soft Bulletin, an album full of addictive, sideways melodies like Race For The Prize, What Is The Light? and ending with Buggin’. But before that comes Californians Deerhoof playing their 2004 concept album Milk Man and Dinosaur Jr playing 1988’s Bug.

More details here.

Hidden Cameras + Chilly Gonzales + Woodpigeon + Devon Sproule – Barbican, London – 2 July

So it turns out that 1 July is Canada Day. Who knew? Probably a lot of people as it happens, because 1 July is Canada Day every year. And the always extraordinary Blaze Festival, which centres itself around the Barbican Centre (although also uses other venues including Hackney Empire) is getting involved with this celebration, titled “Canadian Blast: A Celebration Of Contemporary Canadian Sound & Vision”. And while we all know by now that Canada is full to the brim with amazing music, selecting the songwriting shtick of Hidden Cameras, the influential multi-talents of Chilly Gonzales and the orchestral romanticism of Woodpigeon gives us all a lot to celebrate.

More details here.

Also Recommended:

Paul Simon – Hammersmith Apollo, London – 29 June (rescheduled from 28 June)

Tasseomancy – Dalston Roof Gardens, London – 29 June

Vetiver – XOYO, London – 29 June

Cyndi Lauper – Hammersmith Apollo, London – 30 June

Oumou Sangare – Barbican, London – 30 June

Lou Reed – Hammersmith Apollo, London – 4 July

Weekend + Givers – Madame Jojo’s, London – 5 July

Tennis – Cargo, London – 6 July

Taraf De Haïdouks + Kocani Orkestar – Hackney Empire, London – 6 July

Gross Magic + Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Hoxton Bar & Kitchen – 6 July

Memory Tapes + Star Slinger – XOYO, London – 6 July

Ed Sheeran – Scala, London – 6, 7 July

Death Cab For Cutie – Brixton Academy, London – 7 July

Austra – Cargo, London – 7 July

Hugh Masakela + Miriam Makeba – Hackney Empire, London – 10 July

Just Announced:

Steve Mason & Dennis Bovell – Shacklewell Arms, London – 27 July

John Grant & Midlake – Royal Festival Hall, London – 7 September

EMA – Cargo, London – 14 September

Todd Rundgren – Jazz Café, London – 3 October

The Subways – Koko, London – 4 October

Planningtorock – Scala, London – 11 October

Bardo Pond + Bo Ningen + Agathe Max – XOYO, London – 20 October

Foster The People – Shepherds Bush Empire, London – 25 November

Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa - Barbican, London - 29 November

London Gigs Diary: 13 - 19 June 2011

Annual fundraiser for Macmillan Cancer Support, the Brick Lane Takeover is back this Saturday and rebranded. Now Macmillan's The Big Mix, it's expanded its remit to include not just music showcases, but also attractions from the comedy, cabaret, fashion and art worlds, and has stretched its reach into nine venues in and around Shoreditch.

Acts to catch include James Yuill, CocknBullKid (pictured) and Treetop Flyers who'll be playing at Rich Mix. Meanwhile Cargo hosts a night of hip hop influenced culture with Le Scratch curating a night of live art, hip hop karaoke and MCs to include Mikill Payne & XO Man.

Other venues taken over include The Light Bar for DJ sets, Concrete for comedy, The Brickhouse for cabaret and a silent disco on the roof terrace at The Queen Of Hoxton.

Tickets for the all day event will cost £25 on the day, or £20 in advance. More details here.

Gigs Of The Week: 13 – 19 June 2011

Tom Vek – Heaven, London – 16 June

Many words have been spoken about the fact that Vek has taken five years to get from album 1, We Have Sound, to album 2, Leisure Seizure. However, on the back of typically glitchy and twitchy returning single, A Chore, people's chatter has turned to whether he's met the expectations that such a lengthy gap seem to have given rise to. A rare tour around the UK takes him to Heaven in London, as well as gigs in Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and Brighton this week.

More details here.

The Horrors - York Hall, London - 17 June

Not content with his Spektor-opera side project Cat's Eyes garnering praise in all quarters, Faris Badwan's year also features the release of Skying, the third album from his day job band, The Horrors. They've just announced a full UK tour for November which will feature a date at the Roundhouse. But this week, they'll be previewing the new material with dates in Glasgow, Manchester and this rarely-used Bethnal Green venue, York Hall.

More details here.

Also Recommended:

Alicia Keys – Royal Albert Hall, London – 13 June

LMFAO + Far East Movement + Frankmusic + Natalia Kills – Islington Academy, London – 13 June

Marcus Foster – Barfly, London – 13, 14 June

James Blake – Koko, London – 14 June

SBTRKT – Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London – 14 June

Angie Stone – Jazz Cafe, London – 14, 15, 16 June

The Pierces + Alice Gold + Delta Maid – Bush Hall, London – 15, 16 June

Zun Zun Egui – Dalston Roof Park, London – 16 June

Wolf Gang + Kyla La Grange – XOYO, London – 17 June

Wu Lyf – Village Underground, London – 17 June

George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic – Forum, London - 18 June

Ryan Adams – Barbican, London – 19 June

Just Announced:

YACHT - Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London - 26 July

Jona Becholt's band will be back in town for this date in celebration of the release of their second album, Shangri-La on DFA Records. Opening track Utopia is due for release on 11 July. They'll also be playing at Manchester's Ruby Lounge on 25 July.

More details here.

Arctic Monkeys - O2, London - 29 October

With their fourth album, Suck It And See, safely out, Alex Turner and the other monkeys have announced a typically large-scale tour of arenas for October and November. With one date at the O2 on 29 October, they'll also be playing Nottingham, Cardiff, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Liverpool.

More details here.

London Gigs Diary: 6 - 12 June 2011

Meltdown returns to the South Bank Centre this week with a series of gigs, talks and events, this time curated by Ray Davies. With previous line-ups chosen by artists as diverse and revolutionary as Lee "Scratch" Perry, Patti Smith and Ornette Coleman, it wasn't clear how employing the relatively straightforward former frontman of The Kinks would pan out. As it turns out he's come up with a vibrant and unusual collection of talent that celebrates mastery of songwriting within some of the more eccentric corners of the music industry.

Featuring the Crazy World Of Arthur Brown and the iconic jolliness of Madness, the legendary songwriting of Nick Lowe and the New York punk royalty of Lydia Lunch, he's put together an admirable and far-reaching selection. Add in spoken word turns by Roger McGough, Clive Anderson, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, and John Cooper Clarke, and while it may be more of a nostalgic trip than a vision of the future, it has every chance of emerging as a truly memorable series.

Davies will, himself, both open and close the festival at the Royal Festival Hall, first with his own band, and then with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Crouch End Festival Chorus, for an evening that will revisit The Kinks' 1968 album Village Green Preservation Society.

Ray Davies' Meltdown takes place at the South Bank Centre from 10-20 June 2011. More details here.

Gigs Of The Week: 6 – 12 June 2011 

MEN + Light Asylum + Bonjay - Bush Hall, London - 7 June

Brooklyn band MEN always put on a good show. And so, while their album Talk About Body is a good noisy listen, the joy of MEN is experiencing them in person. With JD Samson (formerly of Le Tigre) at the helm, their fun, rebellious nature shines through. Always surrounded by the coolest, their support acts are awesome fellow New Yorkers Light Asylum and Toronto-based buzz-band Bonjay, whose infectious electronic pop will get people dancing from the outset.

More details here.

tUnE-yArDs - Scala, London - 8 June

tUnE-yArDs' second album w h o k i l l has already booked its place on many an end-of-year list. But again it's in the live setting that the woman behind tUnE-yArDs, Merrill Garbus, shines. As her profile has increased so has her accompaniment section. No longer just Garbus, a ukulele, a drum and a loop pedal, her recent appearance at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona featured a band, complete with trumpets and bass. But ultimately it's Garbus's exquisite technical skill and her ferocious voice that will get people screaming for more which she pulls out the big tracks like Gangsta and Fi-Ya.

More details here.

Also Recommended: 

Sparrow And The Workshop – Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, London – 6 June

Ludovico Einaudi – The Old Vic Tunnels, London – 6 June

Phosphorescent – Heaven, London – 7 June

Saint Saviour + When Saints Go Machines – XOYO, London – 7 June

MONO and The Holy Ground Orchestra – Koko, London – 7 June

Scala & Kolacny Brothers – Union Chapel, London – 7 June

Howe Gelb and A Band Of Gypsies – Union Chapel, London – 8 June

Emmy The Great – St Pancras Old Church, London – 8, 9, 10 June

Tim And Jean – The Wheelbarrow, London – 9 June

Sons And Daughters – Lexington, London – 9 June

Fatoumata Diawara - Slaughtered Lamb, London - 9 June

Tribes – Dingwalls, London – 9 June

Wild Swans – Bush Hall, London – 10 June

Wu Tang Clan – Forum, London – 11, 12 June 

Just Announced:

CSS

After the sexy chaos of their 2006 debut and the unfocused maturity of 2008's Donkey that left us wondering who they really were, CSS will hopefully have found a balanced path for this summer's third album release, La Liberación. Featuring collaborations with Ratatat and even Bobby Gillespie on forthcoming single Hits Me Like A Rock, it'll be interesting to find out which direction they've decided to head in this time. Lovefoxxx, Adriano and the other Brazilian party animals will be in town for a series of gigs to mark their return. They'll be playing a Rough Trade East instore on 22 August and at XOYO on 23 August as well as dates in Brighton, Birmingham, York, Manchester and Glasgow.

More details here.

The Antlers

Wrenching. You couldn't read a review of The Antlers' 2009 album Hospice without reading that word. It either wrenched the heart or the gut, but it definitely wrenched something. Following up an album as affecting as that isn't an easy thing to do, but the Brooklynites have managed with new release Burst Apart. Catch them at Koko on 8 November as part of a tour that will also take them to Brighton, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Glasgow.

More details here.

UPCOMING: Björk - Crystalline

Björk, who is a pixie from Iceland, and who is pictured on the left making a pixie spell, is putting together a new album.

It will be released in at least 17 billion formats including an iPhone app for each note and a vinyl edition made of jelly tots. It is called Biophilia. We suffer from all sorts of philia-type conditions; Björkophilia, for instance. We're comforted to know she does too. 

The first slice-of-a-slice of Biophilia has been played through a car radio in Iceland. There was a camera in the car at the time, which made a video recording. And there was a message from Björk. Björk said: "Hi, Björk here. I guess it's time to let you know about my first song from 'Biophilia', 'Crystalline'. It will appear towards end of June." 

The video clip, which lasts for 30 seconds, is below. Press play and, through the windscreen, you will see that there is Icelandic terrain. You will also see that, in the driving seat, is the driver. The driver is Björk.

This is amazing because:

1. Björk drives. We did not know this. But we love her for it. We actually thought she hovered on a cloud of pixie dust, but no. She's a normal person who drives.

2. Björk HAS A NEW ALBUM OUT SOON. Actually we did know this. But it's so lovely to write it. So lovely it has to be done again. BJÖRK HAS A NEW ALBUM OUT SOON.

Anyway. Crystalline is the song that is playing on the car radio. It is to be released as a single in late June. There's not a date (yet); having an actual release date for a single would be just too normal. You can probably pin her down to some Manchester International Festival dates though, if you snoop around a bit.

Meantime, feast thy retinae ici: