London Gigs Diary: 27 February - 4 March 2012

This week sees some of the most talked about ladies of alternative music treat London to a series of shows.

Tramp, the third album Sharon Van Etten has attracted much attention so far this year and you can catch her play from it at Cargo on Thursday. If you weren’t quick enough to secure a ticket she also plays a free in-store show at Rough Trade East the night before. It’s unlikely she’ll be playing venues of this size next time she’s in town. Elsewhere, Monday sees St. Vincent play her biggest London show to date at Shepherd’s Bush Empire whilst Azealia Banks follows up her involvement in the NME Awards tour with her own solo show at Heaven on the same night. Shows by high profile female musicians seem to be a recurring theme throughout the week, with Kathleen Edwards promoting debut album Voyageur at the Islington Academy on Tuesday, whilst on Friday Liz Harris plays a show as Grouper at the Swiss Church in Covent Garden.

Django Django’s self-titled debut album has impressed many since its release earlier this year, not least us here at musicOMH, our review proclaiming it to be a “a striking blend of understated electro groove and top shelf singles”. You can catch them play from it at XOYO on Monday. Another notable album released this year has come from alt.country favourites Lambchop. Mr M is the 11th offering of their elevated career and they play a show at the Barbican on Thursday with support from Cortney Tidwell. Two acts that featured highly on albums of 2011 lists also hit London this week. The War On Drugs appear at Electric Ballroom on Tuesday, while KOKO is the setting for SBTRKT’s soul-tinted, electro-infused dubstep on Thursday.

Meanwhile, two performers with more in the way of hard-earned experience and extensive back catalogues also find themselves in London this week. American proto-punk songwriter Jonathan Richman has a busy few days, playing a trio of shows across the capital. He’s at Bush Hall on Wednesday, the Tabernacle on Thursday and Union Chapel on Friday while Randy Newman plays a rare show at the Royal Festival Hall on Tuesday.

In jazzier territory, Mercury Prize-nominated outfits Portico Quartet play York Hall on Wednesday (in support of excellent eponymous third album) while the Kit Downes Trio appear at the Vortex on Saturday.

Also taking place this week:

Scroobius Pip – KOKO – 27^th February

The Drums – Roundhouse – 27^th February

Grouplove – Garage – 28^th February

Keiji Haino – Cafe OTO – 28^th/29^th February

Atari Teenage Riot – Garage – 29^th February 

Benoit Pioulard – Cafe   OTO – 1^st March 

Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves Of Destiny – Hoxton Square Bar +Kitchen – 1^st March

Sleigh Bells – Electric Ballroom – 1^st March

Just announced:

Willy Mason – Hoxton Square Bar + Kitchen – 27^th March

Lee Ranaldo – Scala – 6^th June

2:54 – Scala – 7^th June

Richard Hawley – Forum – 8^th June

Cud – Garage – 16^th June

Blur, New Order and The Specials – Hyde Park – 12^th August

Field Music – Electric Ballroom – 17^th October

Fatoumata Diawara – Village Underground – 15^th November