London Gigs Diary: 19 December - 31 December 2011

The last two weeks of the year may see Londoners occupied more with gift-purchasing and mince pie-eating rather than gig-going but there are still a few events for those keen to experience one last evening of live music before the year ends.

Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys promotes his Atheist Xmas EP with a free show at Rough Trade East on Monday 19th while on the same night Slow Club cap a successful 2011 by playing a special Christmas show at Union Chapel. If you still haven't heard their second album Paradise this would be a good time to do so. Fellow indie-types The Wave Pictures also play two Christmas themed shows at Hackney's Railroad Cafe on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd.

On Wednesday 21st Alasdair Roberts appears at Rout Of The Blues, the folk night at Clerkenwell's Wilmington Arms whilst fellow folk troubadour James Yorkston appears at Union Chapel with support from Pictish Trail (and a guest appearance from Jon Hopkins no less). Meanwhile Blanck Mass (side project of Benjamin John Power of Fuck Buttons fame) play their maiden live show on Monday at the Shacklewell Arms on the back of releasing their debut eponymous album earlier this year.

The period in between Christmas and New Year is fairly quiet as you'd expect but the Lexington hosts a couple of noteworthy shows. Teeth Of The Sea play their pysch-post-rock from debut album Your Mercury on Wednesday 28th and London based chamber folk-pop ensemble Left With Pictures appear on the following evening.

New Years Eve sees a few indie-guitar acts welcome in 2012. The Wedding Present play a show at Dingwalls whilst Ed Harcourt appears just down the road at the Kentish Town Bull And Gate.

Elsewhere, several club nights take place, the pick of which you can read about below:

New Years Eve Club Nights:

Defected In The House - Proud2 (at the O2) - details

Electric Minds - venue TBA - details

Secretsundaze - Troxy - details

Spectrum NYE - Electric Brixton - details

Eastern Electrics - Coronet - details (including Laurent Garnier DJ set, Mount Kimbie live set)

Club NME NYE Ball - KOKO - details

The Christmas Club NYE Party - Borderline - details

Soundtrack: Trent Reznor's 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'

Sam Shepherd writes: Trent Reznor and collaborator Atticus Ross have come up with a rather confusing way of introducing their soundtrack for the forthcoming film The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

The 39 track long soundtrack is available as a download, released on 9th December, with the actual physical product arriving sometime later. For those willing to wait until February and who happen to have nearly £200 knocking about, there's a signed vinyl set available too. There's also the opportunity to sample six songs of the soundtrack as a free download on the nullco website. Which is not a bad deal.

Those who've caught the teaser for the movie (a remake of the rather-splendid-already-Swedish adaptations of Stieg Larsson book) will already be familiar with the thumping cover of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song. Featuring Karen O's fine vocals and typical Nine Inch Nails pomp, it's a ripping blast through one of Zeppelin's finest moments. It also finds time via the lyrics to assure any prospective audience that this is a story set in a land of ice and snow, just in case they weren't entirely convinced by the visuals alone.

The tracklisting also includes a version of Bryan Ferry's Is Your Love Strong Enough? which is probably best remembered for appearing on the soundtrack of the Ridley Scott film Legend. Quite what Reznor and Ross have done with that, we'll have to wait and see, but it should be an interesting take if the reworking of Immigrant Song is anything to go by.

Away from the cover versions, there are some quite ethereal ambient moments to be found. The mournful piano workout of What If We Could sounds suitably heartbreaking and somewhat disturbing thanks to a layer of unsettling noise. Please Take Your Hand Away just sticks to building tension and keeping things decidedly dark and unpleasant. Fans of drone will warm instantly to the light and shade that populates all seven minutes of Under The Midnight Sun which at times sounds not unlike an electro SunnO))).

Those hoping for something for a little more in keeping with Reznor's NIN output will find solace in the rattling electro ambience of Oraculum, a piece of music whose beats are apparently provided by 8-bit computers and an array of kitchen utensils. It's better than it sounds.

Whether Reznor and Ross can repeat the Oscar success of their soundtrack for The Social Network remains to be seen, but on this evidence, it seems entirely possible that they're on to another winner.

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's album The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo OST is out now through Mute. The film, starring Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara and Stellan Skarsgard, is released theatrically in the UK through Sony on 26th December. More can be found on the soundtrack here.

London Gigs Diary: 12 December - 18 December 2011

One of 2011’s lesser noticed events saw Death In Vegas return with their fifth album Trans-Love Energies after a period of seven years away. When we caught up with Richard Fearless earlier in the year he explained more about how the band decided to regroup and he plays a comeback show at the Electric Ballroom on Thursday. It's arguably the stand-out show in a week that sees the gig scene slow down somewhat in anticipation of the Christmas break. However, that's not to say there aren't several shows worthy of your attention.

Tim Wheeler and Emmy The Great join forces for a Christmas-themed show at Bush Hall on Wednesday, whilst Ex-Gorky's Zygotic Mynci frontman Euros Childs plays a solo piano show at the Vortex on the same night. Swedish duo Korallreven play from debut album An Album By Korallreven at the Shacklewell Arms on Monday and the North Sea Radio Orchestra play their uniquely beguiling, contemporary chamber music at St Olaves Church by Bank on Friday.

Elsewhere, AA Bondy appears at the Lexington on Tuesday in support of third album Believers and in a similar musical vein, singer-songwriter Dan Michaelson plays from current album Sudden Fiction at St Pancras Old Church on Wednesday. Dutch jazz songstress Caro Emerald appears at Shepherd's Bush Empire on Tuesday, Black Lips play a rescheduled gig at Heaven on Sunday and Zun Zun Egui promote acclaimed debut album Katang at the Nest in Dalston on Friday.

There are a few gigs that prefer to look back at past glories, the pick being The Lemonheads performing their classic It's A Shame About Ray and The Wonder Stuff playing Never Loved Elvis. Both take place at Shepherd's Bush Empire on Monday and Friday respectively, while Levellers play the whole of their second album Levelling The Land at the Brixton Academy on Sunday.

Also recommended:

Gallows - XOYO - Tuesday 13th December

Hundreds - Borderline - Tuesday 13th December

Being There - Bull and Gate - Thursday 15th December

Chad Valley & Jonquil - Corsica Studios - Thursday 15th December

Echo Lake, The History Of Apple Pie & Novella - Shacklewell Arms - Thursday 15th December

Komputer - Finsbury - Saturday 17th December

Just announced:

The line up for the 2012 Field Day festival was revealed this week and it contains the usual pleasing mix of indie big-hitters, familiar names and leftfield choices. Franz Ferdinand, Metronomy, SBTRKT, Zomby, Beirut, Gold Panda, Tortoise and Afrocubism are the highlights of the first set of bands to be announced. Get full details here.

In other news, the magnificent Dirty Three were added to the line up for the ATP I'll Be Your Mirror London show on 26th May next year, whilst The Afghan Whigs have reformed to replace Guided By Voices in headlining the final show on 27th May. Read more here.

BBC Sound Of 2012 Longlist Revealed

Now in its 10th year, the BBC Sound Of... poll is once again upon us, provoking the usual debate about whether this artist or that band were robbed/didn't deserve to be in the list. 

With previous winners including Ellie Goulding, Jessie J and Little Boots, it's a chart that's long been the preserve of major labels, and this year all but one act is on the books of the biggest hitters.

Yet with Lana Del Rey and Emili Sandé both ineligible, the field this year has looked unusually open. And it's noticeably less the preserve of female solo artists and guitar bands than it has been in recent years.

The 15 acts meeting with the approval of a selection of 'tastemakers' (disclaimer: I was one) are: A$AP Rocky, Azealia Banks, Dot Rotten, Dry The River, Flux Pavilion, Frank Ocean, Friends, Jamie N Commons, Lianne La Havas, Michael Kiwanuka, Niki & The Dove (pictured), Ren Harvieu, Skrillex, Spector, Stooshe.

This list will be narrowed to a Top 5 in January. I'm hoping at least one of my choices makes it, though it's quite possible that the rookie of the year will be someone not listed here. With omissions like Tribes and 2:54, as ever the fun will be in being surprised by something unexpected.

Did your choices make the longlist? Who will be crowned the BBC Sound Of 2012? Let us know below.

London Gigs Diary: 5 December - 11 December 2011

It’s another week in London where gig goers may have to give careful consideration as to which gigging option they go for on certain evenings. Monday offers three enticing selections to kick things off. Swedish nu-shoegaze sensations I Break Horses play their debut UK show at Cargo, showcasing the hazy, electronically embellished guitar-pop of debut album Hearts. Elsewhere Vetiver  appear at Dingwalls in support of excellent fifth album The Errant Charm. Finally sometime Espers vocalist Meg Baird promotes sophomore release Seasons On Earth at a show at Cafe OTO, with support from Sharron Kraus and Fursaxa.

A similar situation exists on Tuesday. Cult Syrian techno maestro Omar Souleyman follows up his crowd-pleasing appearance at the Field Day festival earlier in the year with a headline show at XOYO. The Sun Ra Arkestra begin a three night residency at Cafe OTO, whilst Tuesday also boasts appearances from Real Estate at the Scala, Peaking Lights at Plastic People and Iceage at Corsica Studios.

On Wednesday the Caribou Vibration Ensemble play the Scala, free-jazz legend Pharoah Sanders plays the Jazz Cafe, ex-Arab Strap guitarist Malcolm Middleton plays a solo show at the Shacklewell Arms and Toro Y Moi promote current album Underneath The Pine at the Garage.

Thursday sees an evening of ambient electronic at XOYO courtesy of Kompakt-signed pair The Field and Walls (read about their respective current albums here and here), Wild Flag (featuring ex-Sleater Kinney personnel) play the Lexington whilst The Leisure Society play their biggest show to date at the Barbican.

On Friday the Vortex is the location for a fantastic double bill of experimental post-rock/drone/noise featuring Bleeding Heart Narrative and Petrels. Haeligewielle, the debut album from Petrels in particular is a stunning piece of work and it should be fascinating to see how it translates live. Elsewhere, DJ Shadow appears at the Kentish Town Forum on the same night.

The weekend sees the pace slow slightly, although you can still catch New Order (sans Peter Hook) at the Troxy and Miracle Fortress playing from second album Was I The Wave? at Hoxton square Bar & Kitchen on Sunday.

So, another excellent offering of gigs in the capital. You should really go to one.

Also recommended:

Spank Rock – Scala – 5^th December

Fairewell  - Shacklewell Arms – 6^th December

Felice Brothers – KOKO – 6^th December

First Aid Kit – Bush Hall – 6^th December

We Were Evergreen – Borderline – 6^th December

Allo Darlin – Ritzy Cinema – 7^th December

CSS – Heaven – 7^th December

Art Brut – Bull And Gate – 8^th December

Mull Historical Society – Bush Hall – 8^th December

Left With Pictures & William D Drake – Union Chapel – 10^th December (lunch time set 12:00 – 14:00)

Just announced:

Field Music – Kings College – 24th February

Goyte - Shepherd's Bush Empire - 29th February

Youth Lagoon – Electrowerkz – 6th March

Spiritualized – Hackney Empire – 19^th March

Summer Camp - Scala - 21st March 

The Antlers - Shepherd's Bush Empire - 26th April

Ane Brun - Shepherd's Bush Empire - 28th April

The Monochrome Set - Dingwalls - 29th April

The Rapture - Shepherd's Bush Empire - 2nd May