POLYSICS (Islington Academy, 09/02/08)

Hyperactive Japanese mentalists in bright orange boiler suits, hi-energy surf-rock melodies and nonsensical Japlish exhortations? Yup, you got to love the Polysics. After enduring Cutting Pink With Knives, the most breathtakingly dire support act I’ve ever seen, the Oriental four-piece had quite the task in winning back over the audience, but thankfully their day-glo pogo punk par excellence swiftly erased memories of the distressing awfulness of their openers. Their live sound isn’t drastically different to their albums, except that everything’s twice as fast, twice as loud and fuck loads more energetic which, you know, is pretty fine by me. New songs sparkled with life, and the oldies got the whole crowd moving and singing along incomprehensibly like no other band I’ve seen since Gogol Bordello. Like most essentially novelty acts, one could argue they lack subtlety and variety but that’d be missing the point- this band’s all about having fun, and in this they succeed with flying colours.

RACHEL UNTHANK AND THE WINTERSET (London Borderline, 08/02/08)

Amiable Geordie Rachel, her little sister and their two bandmates have done the near-impossible: they’ve persuaded me trad folk is a good thing. There’s nothing intrinsically innovative about the Winterset; their songs are all folk standards from across the British Isles, with the earnest lyrics and parochial themes that’s typical of the genre, but their performed with such flair and charm that it’s impossible not to fall in love. Both Unthank sisters are blessed with the most amazingly ethereal voices, perfectly complimented by their effervescent cello and piano arrangements and their unassuming, down-to-earth charisma makes them just as likeable as their music. The Lonely Cutter, with its cute tap-dancing interludes and big ol’ audience singalongs was a highlight, as was the marvellous Bleezing Blind Drunk, but it was accapella closer The Shetland Boat Song that really blew me away. One of those rare acts that can open up a genre to non-traditional fans, I cannot recommend them highly enough.

BLACK KIDS (London Water Rats, 06/02/08)

Of all the bands that have been tipped for success this year, there’s none that have won me over more than Black Kids. Their marvellous Wizard of Ahhhs EP has been soundtracking my last couple of months, and their live show, although not quite as good as it could have been, showed enough promise to suggest a band destined for big things. Sounding like the Go! Team spliced with The Cure and Bowie, their soulful, nostalgic, slightly melancholic but wonderfully uplifting lo-fi pop is as instantly catchy as anything I’ve heard since Little Man Tate and it was great to see that they managed to convey this in their live show. Reggie Youngblood isn’t the most likable of frontman, true, and their musical proficiency isn’t jaw-dropping by any means, but when you’ve got songs as deliriously awesome as “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You” criticisms tend to just melt away. Loads of room for improvement, but I’ve got high hopes for these guys.

OKKERVIL RIVER (London Scala, 05/02/08)

With the possible exceptions of the National and Sigur Ros, never has my opinion of a band changed so dramatically as with Okkervil River. Yeah, I’m still to be convinced about the brilliance of their recorded material, but for sheer passion and musicianship and all round proficiency, they’re one of the best bands touring today. Texan folk-rock with a touch of the flamboyant, Will Sheff’s rough-edged voice is less hoarse than at their sublime Luminaire performance, and although the Scala is much less intimate than Kilburn’s finest, the same degree of brilliance is on show here. My friend derided the rest of his band as “pub-band musicians,” which I think is unfair- true, they don’t try to steal the limelight (although the maniacally grinning drummer Travis deserves a mention), but they’re all superb musicians, adding the perfect degree of instrumental flair to accentuate the richness of Sheff’s melodies. John Allen Smyth Sails merging into A Life Is Not A Movie merging into For Real was as sublime a twenty minutes of live music I’ve heard for months, and if the encore went on a bit too long, there’s no denying one got their money’s worth. Best show of 2008 so far.

MAKE MODEL (London Water Rats, 31/01/08)

Part of a new wave of Scottish bands bent on erasing the bad taste of The View and their talentless ilk, Make Model’s impressive if succinct set at the Water Rats suggests an exciting new talent with a bright future ahead of them. Eschewing the Libertines derived sound commandeered by so many of the peers, the dense synth pop and lovely wall-of-sound harmonies of debut single The Was comes across as a heady mix of Glasvegas and Los Campesinos, whilst having a distinctive edge of its own. And unlike so many new bands, they seem to have more to them than their one big song; the fuzzy guitars and irregular time signatures of Czech Neck recall Broken Social Scene at their most accessible. Plus, they have a track named after a Brass Eye joke- what more could you want?

(Photo: John Lewis)

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY (London Astoria, 30/01/08)

Two hours of music, roughly five songs played. In most cases, you’d feel pretty short changed, but with a line up of Explosions In The Sky and Eluvium you wouldn’t expect any different. One man sonic magician Matthew Cooper starts the night’s proceedings with his looping, minimalist soundscapes; it’s not often you’d hear 16 minute stretches of ambience at the rock ‘n roll Astoria, but on a night like this, it seems to fit. Not everyone’s cup of tea, definitely, but for fans of Alexander Tucker and Boards of Canada he comes much recommended.

In any case, he set the tone perfectly for the headliners. Not a band to rush things, Explosions In The Sky’s slow-burning, considered instrumentals may strike a newcomer to their music as Sigur Ros without the orchestra, but I think EITS’ charms are more subtle, if perhaps not quite as breathtaking. Yeah, they can slowly swell to a climax of ground-sundering aural intensity with the best of them but their more reserved moments can be just as impressive. Although banter is a no-no (would have broken the flow of the show), they put a surprising amount of passion into their performance, Munaf Rayani on his knees during the more intense moments and if there were some idiots who persisted on talking through the quiet bits, the vast majority seemed to be enraptured. Being someone’s who’s always preferred a bit more instrumental variety in his post-rock, Explosions In The Sky will never be my favourite exponents of the genre, but especially given the simplicity of their set-up, there’s no denying they’re an incredible experience live. Let’s just hope their proposed hiatus doesn’t turn to be a permanent one- it’d be a shame to see these guys fizzle out.

(Photo: Jacob Saunders)

STARS (London Koko, 29/01/08)

I first saw the increasingly-popular Canadian sixpiece back in October, and as this review testifies, I thought they were pretty great. And their show at the Koko was another satisfying dose of shimmering pop and lush melodies, but with a slightly more downbeat, reflective setlist and a lesser degree of intimacy. Impressive support set from Apostle of Hustle too, much better than his solo show supporting Broken Social Scene back in the day.