Whitney Houston. R.I.P.

London Gigs Diary: 6 February - 12 February 2012

Monday sees Montreal sound artist Tim Hecker play two special shows at St Giles-in-the-Fields, where he will use the church pipe organ, channelling the sound into his laptop and running it through guitar distortion pedals to generate the kind of towering, decaying soundscapes most recently showcased on 2011’s much praised Ravedeath 1972 album.

On Wednesday the Barbican promises “an intimate evening of free-wheeling musical collaboration” for The Floating Palace, featuring appearances from curator Robyn Hitchcock, Howe Gelb, Krystle Warren, Martin & Eliza Carthy and KT Tunstall amongst others.

Elsewhere on Wednesday Still Corners play from their excellent second album Creatures Of An Hour at a show at Cargo and Anglo-American alt-country husband and wife duo The Arlenes return to the live circuit after several years away with an intimate show at the 12 Bar Club. Wednesday also sees Nada Surf play a show at KOKO in support of seventh album The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy while Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Meursault appear at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire on the same night.

Hotly-tipped Brooklyn outfit Friends play two shows in London this week, at the Lexington on Tuesday and XOYO on Wednesday, whilst The Black Keys plays two slightly larger shows at Alexandra Palace on Thursday and Friday (supported on both nights by Band Of Skulls). Finally, two acclaimed Malian singers appear in London this week. Vieux Farka Touré plays from latest album The Secret at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Sunday, whilst Fatoumata Diawara appears at the Jazz Cafe on Monday, promoting debut release Fatou.

Also taking place this week:

Gentle Friendly, Way Through & Peepholes - Cafe OTO - 7th February

Aidan Moffat - Old Queen's Head - 8th February

Slow Club - Heaven - 9th February

Niki & The Dove - Seabright Arms - 9th February

Danny & The Champions Of The World - Brixton Windmill - 11th February

The History Of Apple Pie - Barfly - 11th February

Alasdair Roberts - Lexington - 12th February

Michael Chapman - Vortex - 12th February

Just announced

The most exciting news last week was the announcement of the line up for the inaugural BLOC Festival due to take place in the London Pleasure Gardens in Royal Victoria Docks over 6/7^th July. Orbital, Flying Lotus, Gary Numan, Battles and Squarepusher are all due to appear. You can read full details here.

I Break Horses – Scala – 1^st April

Retribution Gospel Choir – Old Blue Last – 5^th April

Francois & The Atlas Mountains– Cargo – 18^th April 

Sunn O))) & Nurse With Wound – KOKO – 12^th June

New Order – Brixton Academy – 2^nd & 3^rd May

Garbage – Troxy - 9^th May

Happy Mondays & Inspiral Carpets – Brixton Academy – 10^th & 11^th May

Islet – Cargo – 30^th May

SBRTKT – Shepherd’s Bush Empire - 4^th October

London Gigs Diary: 30 January - 5 February 2012

Thursday sees two gigs take place by artists that released two of the stand-out albums of 2011. American-Chilean musician Nicolas Jaar’s Space Is Only Noise seemed to exist in its own little world where all stylistic concerns were pleasingly blurred. His show at the Roundhouse represents the beginning of something of a new chapter for him, being centred around his Don’t Break My Love EP, and seeing him perform for the first time in the UK with his new band featuring Acid Pauli and Soul Keita.

Diamond Mine by King Creosote & Jon Hopkins was an album of a very different nature that developed into arguably one of the most loved albums of last year, as steady word-of-mouth appeal combined with widespread critical acclaim to propel it towards the top of several end of year lists. They play their biggest London show to date at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire on Thursday, with support from Francois And The Atlas Mountains and Withered Hand. Withered Hand (Scottish singer Dan Wilson) also plays a solo show at the Shacklewell Arms on the following evening.

Thursday also has a gig by Canadian electronic quartet Azari & III, who play from eponymous release at Heaven and it also sees the first of three performances of The Long Count, the multimedia show by Aaron & Bryce Dessner of The National. You can catch it at the Barbican from 2^nd-4^th February.

Friday sees Factory Floor play a show at Village Underground as part of club night DURRR’s 5^th birthday celebrations, whilst Kings Place is the venue for former El Hombre Trajeado man RM Hubbert’s album launch show (with an array special guests promised, including Aidan Moffat, Emma Pollock and Alasdair Roberts).

Meanwhile, Laura Veirs plays a show at the QEH on Monday. Last year she released Tumble Bee, a fun-filled album aimed at children, although this show may feature more in the way of selections from her impressive back catalogue. Fellow Bella Union signed singer-songwriter Jonathan Wilson plays a show at the Scala on the same night. Elsewhere, Wild Flag (featuring former members of Sleater Kinney) play a show at the Electric Ballroom on Wednesday in support of their self-titled debut album.

Wu-Tang Clan member GZA plays a solo show at the Islington Academy on Tuesday, seminal Senegalese outfit Orchestra Baobab return to London on Monday for a show at the Barbican whilst Roots Manuva also makes an appearance at the Roundhouse on Saturday.

Also recommended:

Emit Bloch – Slaughtered Lamb – 31^st January

Portico Quartet – Rough Trade East – 31st February

Django Django – Rough Trade East – 1^st February

James Ferraro – Tufnell Park Dome – 1^st February

William D. Drake – Windmill – 3^rd February

Crewdson – The Nest – 3^rd February

Just announced:

M. Ward – Leicester Square Theatre – 20^th March

Craig Finn – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen – 29^th March

When Saints Go Machine – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen – 2^nd April

The Dø – Garage – 11^th April

Marion – Islington Academy – 12^th April

Trembling Bells & Bonnie Prince Billy – Union Chapel – 6^th May

London Gigs Diary: 23 January - 29 January 2012

Texan post-rock mainstays  Explosions In The Sky play their biggest UK show to date at Brixton Academy on Friday in support of last year's fine Take Care, Take Care, Take Care album (with support from Lanterns On The Lake and Blanck Mass).

2011 also saw Will Oldham release Wolfroy Goes To Town, the 11th album under his Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy guise. It is arguably his best album for several years, characteristically stripped down, confessional and intimate and he plays from it at Hackney Empire on Wednesday.

Seattle singer-songwriter Damien Jurado returns to London to play a small show at the Enterprise on Monday ahead of forthcoming release Maraqopa. Later in the week Franco-Finnish outfit The Dø play Bush Hall on Thursday. They have been compared to Vashti Bunyan, The Cardigans and Björk and play ahead of the release of their second album, Both Ways Open Jaws. A show at XOYO on Tuesday showcases two of the most hotly-tipped emerging talents, namely Scottish R&B songwriter and BRITs Critics Choice winner Emeli Sandé and BBC Sound Of 2012 winner Michael Kiwanuka. Elsewhere, electronica pioneers 808 State play a rare live show at the Village Underground on Friday.

One of the more experimental/leftfield gigs of the week takes place at the Bishopsgate Institute on Friday as part of their ongoing Vortex City Session series. King Midas Sound, Raime and Leyland James Kirby provide an evening of esoteric electronic soundworlds and darkly abstact noisescapes. Meanwhile, over at the Vortex in Dalston hosts a week long series of shows that celebrate Anglo-German musical collaborations (curated by avant-jazz legend Evan Parker). Finally, reggae/dub maverick Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry plays a pair of shows at the Jazz Café on Friday and Saturday.

Also recommended:

Jason McNiff – Borderline – 23^rd January

Casiokids – Cargo – 24^th January

Get Cape Wear Cape Fly – Cargo – 24^th January

Francois & The Atlas Mountains – Slaughtered Lamb – 25^th January

Toy – Shacklewell Arms – 25^th January

Madison Violet – Borderline – 25^th January

Josh Rouse – Union Chapel – 28^th January

Pulled Apart By Horses – Barfly – 28^th January

Just announced:

The Shins – Kentish Town Forum – 22^nd March

Laura Gibson – Lexington – 10^th April

The Apple Cart Festival – Victoria Park – 3^rd June (the first set of bands announced to play “London’s boutique festival of music, comedy, art, cabaret and magic) include Billy Bragg, Jeffrey Lewis, Penguin Café, Neneh Cherry, Stornoway and Noah & The Whale.

London Gigs Diary: 16 January - 22 January 2012

Dustin O’Halloran and Adam Wiltzie have both released beautifully crafted, moving music independently over the years but their collaboration as A Winged Victory For The Sullen has arguably seen them make a bigger impact, with their debut album picking up significant critical praise throughout 2011. They play their first London show at Cecil Sharp House on Monday and it promises to be a rather special occasion.

On Saturday KOKO hosts Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards, which features live performances from the likes of Thundercat, BBC Sound Of 2012 winner Michael Kiwanuka and SBTRKT as well as various DJ sets.

British psychedelic four-piece Wolf People impressed with their debut album Steeple back in 2010 and they return to play a date at the Garage on Tuesday before returning to the studio to complete their second album.

Tuesday also sees Piney Gir bring her sweetly-sung, clean-cut, feminine guitar-pop to the Lexington, whilst the same venue hosts a show on the following night by Tunng frontman Sam Genders under his Diagrams guise, playing from debut release Black Light.

Darren Hayman plays the second of his January Songs shows at the Hideaway Bar on Friday, and also appears at Cecil Sharp House on Saturday, supporting Butcher Boy (who released their third album Helping Hands to some acclaim last year).

Cafe Oto has a two night residency from avant-garde, spiritual jazz troupe The Pyramids on Wednesday and Thursday and also has a show by British experimental guitarist Richard Youngs on Saturday.

Also recommended:

Anja McCloskey - Slaughtered Lamb - Monday 16th January

Nonclassical presents J.D. Twitch (Optimo) & Gabriel Prokofiev - XOYO - Thursday 19th January

Bleeding Heart Narrative - 93 ft East - Friday 20th January

Monocle & Hong Kong In The 60s - Power Lunches Arts Cafe - Friday 20th January

Just announced:

Graham Coxon - Kentish Town Forum - 25th April

Dan Mangan - Bush Hall - 3rd May

Bowerbirds - Cargo - 7th May

The Handsome Family - 100 Club - 27th May

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Royal Albert Hall - 20th June