This week opens with no less than six eye-catching gigs taking place across the capital on Monday 26th September. Slow Club promote their excellent new album of roughly hewn, impassioned boy-girl indie at their biggest London show to date at Shepherd's Bush Empire whilst Echo & The Bunnymen play their majestic, career-best album Ocean Rain in full at the Palladium.
Elsewhere Boom Bip plays a solo show at XOYO in support of new album Zig Zaj (following his Neon Neon collaboration last year with Gruff Rhys). Meanwhile, Toynbee Studios in Whitechapel sees a set of glacial electro-noir by Zola Jesus.
On other matters, what is it these days with bands whose name begins with the word black? Last week London saw gigs by The Black Angels and The Black Keys and the triumvirate would have been made complete on Monday with a show by Black Lips, who were to bring their unruly, youthful punk exuberance to Heaven. Sadly, they've cancelled due to exhaustion. A John Vanderslice/Loney Dear double-bill at the Lexington completes the strong start to the gig week.
The gigs taking place on Tuesday 27th see no let up in quality. The War On Drugs follow up their recent appearance at Cargo with a show at Corsica Studios, while American duo The Civil Wars play their emotive Adele-endorsed modern country in the hushed surroundings of Union Chapel. Their album Barton Hollow is the closest 2011 will get to the celebrated pairing of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss and this show should have its fair share of spine-tingling moments. Elsewhere on Tuesday, alt-country storytellers Richmond Fontaine perform two albums at the Scala - new album The High Country gets an airing alongside old favourite Post To Wire. American singer-songwriter Laura Gibson supports. Tuesday also sees Britpop survivors The Bluetones call an end to their career, playing their final show at Shepherd's Bush Empire.
Wednesday 28th has an intriguing selection of gigs to choose from. The Barbican hosts a night of Sufi music, promising songs from Morocco, Pakistan, India and Indonesia played by artists such as Sain Zahoor and Marouane Hajji amongst others, while Dalston is the setting for two of the more experimental shows of the week. Ben Vida and Mark Fell showcase their contemporary modular-synth driven electronica at Cafe Oto whilst a short distance away French jazz sextet Le Bruit Du Sign headline a show at the Vortex supported by a collaboration between modern British jazz outfit Outhouse and Icelandic guitairist Hilmar Jensson. The brilliantly/terribly named When Saints Go Machine also play their synth-encased, otherworldy electro-pop at Camp Shoreditch.
Thursday 29th sees Fiery Furnaces singer Eleanor Friedberger play her debut London solo show at new venue Platform Cafe. Expect to hear off-kilter pop from her recently released debut album Last Summer. Thursday also witnesses the return of The Bees to the live circuit, playing a sold-out show at St. James Church in Piccadilly, whilst Chilly Gonzales also plays the first of eight nights at the Soho Theatre.
It is also a case of 'another week, another London-based festival of experimental music' as Thursday marks the opening of the Sottovoce festival. Now in its fourth year, Sottovoce has an admirably challenging, esoteric line-up which takes in jazz, electronica, improv and sound art across various east London venues. Read more here.
Finally, on Saturday The Cinematic Orchestra will live soundtrack a selection of films at the Barbican, whilst William Tyler (ex-Lambchop and Silver Jews) plays Cafe Oto, supported by Hiss Golden Messenger.
Also recommended:
North Atlantic Oscillation - Cargo - Tuesday 27th September
Connan Mockasin - Bush Hall - Wednesday 28th September
Fenech Soler - KOKO - Wednesday 28th & Thursday 29th September
Ganglians - Corsica Studios - Thursday 29th September
Just announced:
Jeffrey Lewis - Rough Trade East - 10th October
Jeffrey Lewis will appear at RTE in support of his forthcoming album A Turn In Dream-Songs. This is a show with a difference however that will feature Lewis hosting a personal slideshow presentation about the album's artwork. Read more here.
Barn Owl - Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen - 19th November
Lost In The Glare, the latest album from San Francisco's Barn Owl saw them deliver another set of arid, smouldering guitar landscapes. This show in Hoxton should see much of it performed live alongside other instrumental avant-Americana.
The Dø - Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen - 23rd November
Franco-Finnish outfit The Dø play their Cardigans-esque, left-leaning, delicate orch-pop in support of second album Both Ways Open Jaws.
Panda Bear - Electric Ballroom - 1st December
Tomboy, the second album from Panda Bear may have been slightly underwhelming for some but this show at the Electric Ballroom provides a chance to see if it translates more successfully when played live.
Vetiver - Dingwalls - 5th December
The Errant Charm saw Vetiver return with their fifth album, another offering of soft-edged, beautifully handcrafted songs. See them play from it at Dingwalls in December.
Euros Childs - Vortex - 14th December
Ex-Gorky's Zygotic Mynci frontman Euros Childs plays a nigh at the Vortex as part of his short solo piano tour. It is an opportunity to see one of the most endearing men in music play a slightly different show drawing from his solo material, re-worked for piano.
Thursday marks the opening of Alpha-ville 2011, the 'festival of post-digital culture', which sees a selection of experimental acts perform live shows alongside art installations and film screenings. Rich Mix in Bethnal Green hosts an experimental dark ambient/modern classical evening that includes Svarte Greiner and Jacaszek on Thursday 22nd. This is followed by a show at XOYO on 23rd that boasts an impressive line-up of Pantha du Prince, Jon Hopkins and Andy Stott. A Matthew Dear (pictured) DJ set is the highlight of an evening of live shows at Hearn Street Warehouse on 24th.
Another (very different) mini-festival takes place at the Garage over the weekend of 24th & 25th September. The Pure Festival will see performances from the likes of The Ravonettes and The Electric Soft Parade on Saturday 24th and James Yorkston, Steve Mason (ex Beta-Band) and Martin Rossiter (former Gene frontman) on Sunday 25th. The ticket price also includes the chance to sample various whiskies in between bands!
American bluesy-pysch-rock outfit The Black Angels play a show at the Scala in Kings Cross on Monday 19th and fashion industry-lauded London five-piece The Duke Spirit appear at the same venue two days later on Wednesday 21st in support of third album Bruiser.
A short distance away in Islington two ATP-sponsored gigs take place this week. Godspeed You! Black Emperor side-project Esmerine promote their new album La Lechuza at Electrowerkz on Wednesday 23rd (note venue change), whilst electroacoustic ambient drone pioneers Emeralds and Fennesz play a sold-out show at Union Chapel on Sunday 25th.
Friday 23rd sees a pair of gigs by (old and new) legends of the folk scene. Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick play Union Chapel whilst down the road in the heart of the square mile Martin Simpson and Alasdair Roberts showcase their more contemporary-toned folk at a show at the Bishopsgate Institute. If that isn't enough of the f word for you, the genre of indie-folk is also represented this week as Fionn Regan plays a show in support of his new album at Bush Hall on Tuesday 20th. Support comes from Jack White-produced Australian singer Lanie Lane.
A smattering of notable smaller gigs also takes place across the capital this week.
American singer-songwriter Sarabeth Tucek has experienced an eventful couple of years which she chronicles in her excellent latest album Get Well Soon. She is not short on admirers - Bob Dylan, Laura Marling and Bill Callahan have all sang her praises - and you can catch her play an intimate show at the Windmill in Brixton on Wednesday 21st.
Swedish indie-pop starlets I'm From Barcelona play Notting Hill's Tabernacle on Tuesday 20th, whilst on Wednesday 21st ex-Hefner frontman Darren Hayman headlines a night of bands at the Wilmington Arms in Clerkenwell.
Leeds based, concept album-releasing outfit I Like Trains ply their dark, post-rock-tinged guitar soundscapes at the Bull & Gate in Kentish Town on 21st September. Meanwhile, The Broken Family Band's Steven Adams plays a solo show at the Borderline under his Singing Adams guise on Thursday 22nd.
Also recommended:
Lanie Lane - Garage - 19th September
Teeth - Lexington - 21st September
Remember Remember - Servant Jazz Quarters - 22nd September
Damo Suzuki - Brixton Windmill - 23rd September
Four Tet & Caribou (DJ sets) - Fabric - 23rd September
Just announced:
Ryan Adams - Union Chapel - 27th October 2011
Amercian alt country troubadour Ryan Adams returns to play an intimate show at Union Chapel in October after his appearance earlier this year at the Barbican. His 13th studio album Ashes & Fire will be released in the UK on 10th October.
Nils Frahm - Cafe Oto - 12th November 2011
Berlin based pianist Nils Frahm is due to release his (rather excellent) second full length album Felt in October through Erased Tapes, and will play selections from it in Dalston on 12th November.
Gang Gang Dance & About Group - ULU - 23rd November
American experimental-art-mavericks Gang Gang Dance have announced a show at ULU, with support from the excellent About Group. Expect to hear tracks from their latest album Eye Contact, alongside other genre-defying material.
Olivia Tremor Control - Cargo - 30th November
Olivia Tremor Control return to play their first UK show in over 5 years at Cargo in November (ahead of their appearance at the Jeff Mangum curated ATP festival).
I Break Horses - Cargo - 5th December
Exciting shoegazy-guitar-sensations I Break Horses play a highly anticipated show at Cargo in December to showcase tracks from their euphoria-flooded, Bella Union-released debut album Hearts.
The Black Keys - Alexandra Palace - 10th February 2012
American duo The Black Keys announce their biggest UK show to date at Alexandra Palace. Expect to hear tracks from last album Brothers along with other feelgood, soul-tinged rock'n'roll.
SBTRKT - KOKO - 1st March 2012
If the size of the crowd that attempted to see SBTRKT play the recent Field Day festival is anything to go by, tickets for this new show at Koko will sell fast. This presents another chance to hear one of the most critically acclaimed albums of 2011 in a live environment.
A new concept on the London one-dayer scene is being tested out this Saturday as Sound Tracks Festival has a go at joining up venues near to stations strung out along the East London line. The intimate venues chosen are Cafe Oto in Dalston which will feature acts including the double-drums of Shabaka And The Sons Of Kemet and Elan Tamara, Shoreditch’s Concrete which will host Fantastic Mr Fox and Age Of Consent, and at the other end of the commute, the Amersham Arms down in New Cross.
Later on, the music continues with DJ sets in Concrete, the Amersham Arms, and added venues Dalston Eastern Curve Gardens and the New Cross Inn. To keep people enamoured with the idea while stuck on an alcohol-free transport system, the London Overground trains will host the Travelling Stage with acts playing short sets on the journeys between venues.
It’s a risky set-up in a city that hosts numerous walkable one-dayer events, but its brave and experimental selection of artists, together with a well-worth-it advance price of £12.50 suggest it'll be worth going along for the ride.
Marques Toliver – Tabernacle, London – 13 September
Violin at the ready, this recent Bella Union signing from South Daytona is back in the UK for a one-off gig. He’s already impressed with four-song EP, Butterflies Are Not Free, released earlier this year, and an appearance on Later With Jools Holland, and following many years of career busking, and a summer of festivals, his live skills have been fine tuned. This occasional music venue near Portobello Road, complete with its excellent bar and café, should be a good location for him.
Beirut + tUnE-yArDs – Brixton Academy, London – 16 September
In support of their third studio album, The Rip Tide, Beirut will be in town to showcase what is a fairly accessible development in their catalogue. They’ve already played in London once this summer, when they found themselves supporting Arcade Fire and Mumford And Sons to an audience of 50,000 in Hyde Park. This time they’re at the top of the bill, with Merrill Garbus’s tUnE-yArDs playing their second gig in two nights, following Thursday’s foray to the Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen. Two of the most visionary talents in music right now, this is a line-up that promises much, and will surely deliver.
Alexander Tucker + The War On Drugs – Cargo, London – 13 September
Handsome Furs + Little Scream – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, London – 13 September
EMA – Cargo, London – 14 September
Crystal Fighters - Shepherd’s Bush Empire – 14 September
Clock Opera – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, London – 14 September
tUnE-yArDs – Hoxton Squar Bar & Kitchen, London – 15 September
Wise Blood + Cloud Boat – The Shacklewell Arms, London – 15 September
The Silver Seas – Islington Academy, London – 15 September
Jack Lukeman – McQueen, London – 15 September
The Bluetones – Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London – 16 September
Tribes + Resonance – Village Underground, London – 16 September
Miles Kane – KCLSU, London – 16 September
Daedalus + Luke Vibert – Koko, London – 17 September
Just Announced:
Camille – Hackney Empire, London – 3 November
French singer Camille Dalmais has become synonymous with creative, risk-taking, adrenaline-fueled art-pop with her albums Le Fil in 2005 and Music Hole in 2008 confounding and exciting listeners in equal parts. Thankfully she’s coming back to find her way into our earholes again, with the release of Ilo Veyou on 24 October. This one night in Hackney is currently the only date she has lined up in the UK.
An all-girl indie rock supergroup, Wild Flag is made up of members of Sleater-Kinney, Helium and other bands that came out of the late ‘90s American garage-rock scene. Led by Carrie Brownstein, whose comic skills have been put to impressive use in Portlandia, a comedy tribute series to her native city in Oregon, recent video Romance carries on in the same light-hearted vein, and their music would appear to be in keeping with the sweet but jagged riffs that made their previous bands beloved to so many.
PJ Harvey's Let England Shake has been announced as this year's Mercury Music Prize winner. In doing so, she becomes the first artist to ever win the prize twice, having already scooped the award in 2001. On September 11, 2001 to be precise, when the eyes of the world were certainly not on Jools Holland in a swanky London hotel.
In retrospect, it was written in the stars (to quote another nominee, Tinie Tempah). If there's been an album that best sums up the fractured, divided state of the nation in 2011, it's Let England Shake. Ostensibly about the horrors of war, it's impossible not to think of this summer's riots when you hear a lyric such as "England's dancing days are done".
It's an edgy, difficult album, which makes its victory all the more pleasing. Not many artists could get away with the sound of a hunting bugle at the start of a track. Nor produce a apocalyptic reggae stormer which samples Niney The Observer. Or indeed, cleverly swipe Eddie Cochran's famous refrain of "Gonna take my troubles to the United Nations" and make it sound so hopeless and futile.
Some people say that the Mercury Prize should only be for newcomers - it's true that it does provide a vital function in giving acts a wider audience that, say, Anna Calvi, Ghostpoet or Gwilym Simcock would have benefited from. Yet if the Mercury is to reward the best British album of the year, then surely all-comers have to be accepted. And, in a year which has produced some astonishing records already, it would be churlish to deny Polly Jean Harvey her second Mercury Music Prize.
What did you think of the Mercury Music Prize this year? Was PJ Harvey the right winner? Let us know your thoughts below.
Scala in King’s Cross has a string of awesome gigs this week. Canadian Domino-signings Austra are enjoying increasingly larger venues as they graduate from the likes of Corsica Studios and Cargo, having released one of this year’s most promising debut albums, Feel It Break. Catch their female-led electro-soul on Tuesday.
Then on Wednesday it’s Clap Your Hands Say Yeah who, with third album Hysterical ready for release, will be bringing their brand of indie rock to London. Thursday sees Kurt Vile And The Violators, supported by Woods. But perhaps most excitingly, Sunday offers up Japanese all-female punk-popsters Shonen Knife (pictured) who are incredibly celebrating their 30th anniversary. Rest assured, they will be nothing other than pure fun.
The Drums – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen/Lexington/XOYO, London – 5/6/7 September
London welcomes back the stage antics of theatrical skinny indie Brooklyn boys The Drums with a trio of intimate gigs in the city as their second album Portamento goes on sale this week. Choose your venue.
Joan As Policewoman – Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London – 9 September
Joan Wasser completes her UK tour this week with a night in London. With third album, The Deep Field, cementing her position as one of the most intriguing female singers around, and recent singles The Magic and Chemmie providing two of the most captivating songs of the year, laced with sensuality and soul, she’s always a good live prospect.
John Grant & Midlake - Royal Festival Hall, London - 7 September
The love affair carries on between John Grant and Midlake, his Bella Union labelmates and collaborators on last year's slow-burner masterpiece The Queen Of Denmark. Having supported them, Grant now gets to use Midlake as his live backing band at his own show at the Royal Festival Hall. It's been a long year for him in which he's come a long way and deserves every bit of this success.
Snow Patrol – Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London – 5 September
Austra – Scala, London – 6 September
Blonde Redhead – Union Chapel, London – 6 September
Rainbow Arabia – Shacklewell Arms, London – 6 September
Teebs + Jeremiah Jae – Corsica Studios, London – 6 September
Mara Carlyle – Green Note, London – 7 September
Big Deal + Weird Dreams + Netherlands – Tamesis Dock, London – 7 September
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Scala, London – 7 September
Chairlift – Shacklewell Arms, London – 7 September
Laki Mera - various venues, London – 7-11 September
Public Enemy - Forum, London - 8 September
Kurt Vile + Woods – Scala, London – 8 September
Toots And The Maytals – Brixton Academy, London – 9 September
DJ Yoda – Roundhouse, London – 10 September
Shonen Knife - Scala, London - 11 September
Just Announced:
Neon Indian – Heaven, London – 16 November
Two years on from debut album Psychic Chasms, the electronic wonderland created by Neon Indian returns on follow-up Era Extraña later this year. This night at Heaven will be his biggest London show to date.
After what seems like forever, Summer Camp are finally ready to release their first full album, Welcome To Condale. The pop nostalgic boy/girl duo will play this tiny gig as part of a nationwide tour that’ll also find them popping in to venues in Lancaster, Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds, Southampton, Oxford, Canterbury and Brighton.
