Went to two great gigs earlier this week; here are the inevitable reviews.

Los Campesinos! (London Spitz, 05/03/07)

Another day, another NME buzz band. But Los Campesinos! seem, for once, to be the real thing; a band that eschews the sub-Libertines claptrap that’s so in vogue at the moment and plays music that’s actually FUN to listen to. And so this gig at the Spitz was one I’d been really looking forward to- a test to see whether their unabashed sense of joy that infuses their songs came across in a live setting. Support came courtesy of another talked-about band, the Leeds three-piece Sky Larkin. The majority of their set consisted of guitar led tracks; above-average British indie fare to be sure, but nothing that really made them stand out amongst the milieu of similar UK bands. Their synth-led tracks on the other hand were a lot more intriguing; the lead singer seemed to grow in confidence, having the poise and energy of Emily ‘Metric’ Haines on happy pills. It was enough to make me want to check out their stuff in more detail, but it didn’t impress me nearly as much as Peter and the Wolf last week.

Luckily, the headliners more than lived up to their considerable promise. Fusing the hyper-active multi-instrumentation of Architecture of Helsinki, the lo-fi charm of the Research and the dynamic energy of the Arctic Monkeys, the bunch of hairy reprobate students and indie-chic ladyfolk that call themselves Los Campesinos! nonetheless have forged a sound that they can call their very own. Jangly glockenspiels, male/female call and response and post-rock-for-ADD-kids build-ups are the order of the day, and it’s a formula that works a treat. However, it’s also the source of the band’s one weakness- a lack of variety. Their reluctance to deviate from this blueprint means that too many of the songs run together and although they’re all a lot of fun, a bit of a change of pace once in a while would have made this a truly classic show. Saying that, any band that can produce a song as exhilaratingly joyous as “You! Me! Dancing!” (performed here with the members of Sky Larkin) could frankly fill the rest of their set with James Blunt covers and I’d still have come out happy. They’re still a bit rough round the edges and the overly-similar songs could stifle their potential, but with a bit of work I see no reason why Los Campesinos! won’t be HUGE when their album comes out later this year.

The Earlies (London Scala 06/03/07)

Last May, I decided to check out a band called the Earlies at York Fibbers. When I booked the tickets, I hadn’t heard a note by the half-Texan, half-Mancunian outfit but the radiant reviews of their live show were enough to tempt me to take the plunge. It’s something I’ve never regretted. Their debut, “These Were The Earlies,” is a glorious mix of 60’s West Coast harmonies, psychadelic prog and delightful orchestral flourishes which manages to combine a comforting familiarity with off-beat experimentalism- a kind of ‘Guillemots meets the Beach Boys’ vibes. And their live show is even better. With ten people on stage playing dozens of different instruments, they’re a sight to behold and the soothing ocean of sound that they produce have made them, in my opinion, one of the best live bands around.

Even though I hadn’t managed to listen to their darker second album, “The Enemy Chorus” before their headline show at the Scala, it proved no obstacle to enjoying the show- even though it was a whole eight songs before they played anything from the first album. The Earlies have always produced the kind of music one can really lose oneself in and the new material is no different; full of mesmerising grooves and lush harmonies that’s utterly blissful. The renditions of debut favourites ‘One Of Us Is Dead’ and ‘Wayward Song’ were both enhanced with some nice improvisational touches and the superb encore of ‘Morning Wonder’ was positively hypnotic. Perhaps some moments weren’t quite up to par with their recorded counterparts, but these were few and far between- I can think of only a handful bands who can maintain such a consistently high level of brilliance like these guys. As my friend Scott said, “I just can’t understand why crap like The View is hyped up so much, whilst great bands like the Earlies are ignored.” And on the evidence of Tuesday, it’s impossible to argue with him.

Oh, and one of the lead musicians (the guy who looks disconcertingly like Colonel Sanders) commended me on my badges. Go me!

Los Campesinos! - You! Me! Dancing!
The Earlies - 25 Easy Pieces