AVERAGE WHITE BAND (London Jazz Cafe, 24/05/08)

Although they must be like a hundred years old now, the classic “Tartan funk” act’s virtuoso grooves, Motown falsettos and peerless instrumentals still put most modern imitators to shame. The classic triple-whammy of Pick Up The Pieces, Cut The Cake and Let’s Go Round Again sent the surprisingly eclectic audience into raptures, they delivered an fine cover of Dionne Warwick’s “Walk On By” and if their occasional attempt at balladry fell a bit flat, they made up for it with obscene levels of unrelenting funk. Unlike so many retro bands embarrassingly clinging to fame (and talent) long gone, AWB haven’t tried to adapt to modern times- they just do what they do best. And by gum, they sure do it well.

(Photo: Jules2View (Flickr))

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE (Shepherd’s Bush Empire, 23/05/08)

Well, it was certainly better than the crushingly disappointing Scala show last year. Sure, it was very jam-bandy and self-indulgent at parts, and Kevin Drew really needs to learn to curtail his yapping but thus it ever was. The point is, it was a proper BSS gig this time, with a dozen plus members, a zillion guitars and most importantly, the classic tunes that made their Leeds show 2006 such a memorable experience. Opening up with KC Accidental and Shorelines was a fantastic decision, and made the following Drew and Brandon Canning solo songs more palatable. Anthems For A 17 Year Old Girl was beautifully performed by Stars’ Amy Milian although it wasn’t quite as heartbreaking sans strings, but Ibi Dreams of Pavement (WITH SEVEN BRASS PLAYERS!!!) followed by Major Label Debut (Fast) were the unquestionable highlights, with the whole front half of the venue pogoing to the latter tune. The twats heckling for Feist were to be disappointed- she didn’t turn up- but a solo Lover’s Spit from Drew and the ten minute finale of It’s Gonna Break definitely compensated. Not quite the best I’ve seen them, but a brilliant return to form nonetheless.

(Photo: Jesusthepixie (Flickr))

SUNSET RUBDOWN (London Luminaire, 22/05/08)

I’ve been waiting two years to see Sunset Rubdown, the most brilliant member of that incestuous circle of Canadian indie acts centered around Wolf Parade, so to say I was eagerly awaiting their first ever London show would be a gross understatement. I knew their swirling, synthy technicolour bombast would work well in a live setting , but in the event they completely blew away even my exceptionally high expectations, elevating an already excellent oeuvre of work to new, breathtaking levels of brilliance. It’s difficult to pick a highlight from a show of such consistent high quality, but the unhinged vaudeville mania of Trumpet Trumpet Toot Toot and the stately transcendence of Stadiums and Shrines II are up there, as is the quasi-mystical spendour of The Mending Of The Gown. One could bemoan the relative lack of “Shut Up I Am Dreaming” material, but I get the impression Spencer Krug’s not the sort of guy to dwell on past glories- the three new songs previewed were all the equal of his previous work and far more impressive than his mildly disappointing contributions to the new Wolf Parade album. The intimacy of the Luminaire and the reverence of the crowd only contributed to the vibrancy of the band’s performance, and drummer Jordan Robson-Cramer deserves particular credit for his stunning contributions to his band’s viscous, layered sound. Spot-on in every respect, it’s hard to think how they can better this- it’s one of the most goddamn perfect shows I’ve ever been to.

(Photo: John Gleeson)

MGMT (London Astoria, 21/05/08)

A decidedly mixed bag from the Brooklyn duo, as detailed below:

The Bad: Starting 75 minutes late because of the football, iffy sound, a performance that was competent but decidedly unspectacular, constant self-indulgent improv sessions (especially during the encore), plus deadening arrangements of Time To Pretend and Weekend Wars.

The Good: More members than anticipated (five, plus a flautist during Electric Feel), a new guitarist whose constant hair metal soloing was pretty entertaining in a guilty way, The Youth and Kids were genuinely excellent, and a really good atmosphere throughout (especially when the venue went apeshit during Kids).

Overall, it wasn’t quite as bad as I feared they might be, but neither did it come close to living up to the excellence of their recorded stuff. I don't feel like I wasted my money, but neither do I have the inclination to see them again. Support act Florence and the Machine (think Emmy The Great doing the blues) was generally more impressive- think I may check her out at her headline show at the 229 next month.

(Photo: Valido (Flickr))

JENS LEKMAN (London Scala, 20/05/08)

I’ve often commented on the seemingly innate ability of our Scandinavian cousins to produce peerless sunny pop, aand Swedish maestro Jens Lekman is one of the finest proponents of the art I’ve had the pleasure to see. A hilarious raconteur and a dab hand at lyrical wit, he’d be worth seeing even without his glorious Abba-meets-Motown melodies, fantastically rendered here by his all-female string quartet (his violinist is incidentally the most beautiful woman I have ever seen) and duo of brass players. Truth be told, the gig itself was far from perfect- dodgy sound, technical gremlins galore, an often funereal hipster audience- but the fact is I was grinning ear to ear from start to finish, and that doesn’t happen often these days. Wonderful.

(Photo: Dave The Beetle (Flickr))

XIU XIU (University of London Union, 19/05/08)

Not a band for the light-hearted. Oppressive, anguished, intense- Jamie Stewart’s London show certainly wasn’t a barrel of laughs, but the ferocity of their angular, often atonal percussion-heavy set certainly grabbed your attention. Stewart’s curious yelp is an acquired taste, sounding like Carey Mercer at his most unhinged but it fits perfectly with the disturbing air his music creates. Impressive stuff, if hard-going at times; music to be admired rather than enjoyed.

(Photo: Swansea Photographer (Flickr))

IRON AND WINE and BON IVER (Kentish Town Forum, 16/05/08)

It was all about Bon Iver. Seriously, For Emma, Forever Ago is a good album but I sure wasn’t expecting him to be THAT good. Men playing acoustic guitars are generally a signal for me to escape to the bar, but Justin Vernon’s got the kind of voice that stops you in your tracks and commands your absolute attention. Aided by a drummer and guitarist, his material is given a rockier, more intense edge, the vocal harmonising is second-to-none and for a man who was headlining the 120-capacity Social later that week, he effortlessly managed to hold his own at the 2000-capacity Forum.

In comparison, the newly expanded Iron and Wine (eight members!) came across as a little tepid- whilst Sam Beam’s trademark whispered vocals have their charm, the relentless jazz-rock jamming and soullessly smooth arrangements got tiresome after a while. Nice beard though.

(Photo: Max Tollworthy (Flickr))

THE NATIONAL (Dublin Academy, 15/05/08)

What happened to Two Gallants?! It’s hard to believe that the hoary, half-arsed blues peddlers that bored the audience to tears at the Dublin Olympia are the same group that blew me away with their ferocity and primal energy at Fibbers two years ago. Thankfully, the same cannot be said of The National who were as amazing as eve. Matt Berninger was in unusually fine fettle- he even looked like he was enjoying himself at times- and his band (including an all-new brass section) have honed their musical skills to perfection. If there’s a lack of rawness and spontaneity, it’s more than compensated by the sheer quality of their music- they absolutely nailed Apartment Story and Fake Empire and the enthusiasm of the Irish crowds (so much better than their London counterparts) made this one of the most downright enjoyable gigs I’ve been to all year.

(Photo: Wheatin2 (Flickr))

BATTLES (London Astoria, 14/05/08)

John Stanier obliterating his drumsticks with his inhuman precision drumming, Tyondai Braxton’s curious gurning as he takes on guitar and keyboard duties at the same time, Dave Konopka hiding down back with his bass and five gazillion effects peddles and Ian Williams dancing in the corner whilst he strikes his synths with irregular precision- yup, it’s Battles time again. And whilst they put on a typically excellent performance, it has to be said their identikit setlists are starting to get a little dull. Nice of them give EP favourite Hi Lo a rare airing, and Atlas was absolutely immense as ever but there’s so little variation between performances that I think I’ve finally had my fill.

Dirty Projectors were once again a divisive proposition- weird time signatures, wall-of-sound female harmonies and the lead singer’s high-pitched wail definitely aren’t for everyone. But I enjoyed them, despite their characteristically intricate guitar work being sloppier than normal. Fuckbuttons also showed intermittent moments of greatness, although their intense noise rock had too many stretches of pointlessness to reach its full potential.

(Photo: Lucy Johnson (DrownedInSound))

MAN MAN (London Cargo, 13/05/08)

Described variously in the press as “gypsy pirates” and “Viking vaudeville”, I had really, really high hopes for the much-praised war-paint clad crazies called Man Man. And it must be said, there’s absolutely no faulting the performance aspect of their show; moustachioed frontman Honus Honus leaping from stools onto his keyboard, drummers playing kits with their feet, saucepan and drain-pipe jams, bells and whistles galore and all manner of mindboggling craziness. But the sheer brilliance of their antics couldn’t mask the deficiencies in some of their music-although at their best they were incredible (Black Mission Goggles and Van Helsing Boombox FTW!), there was a lot of weak stuff that not even their riotous frolicking could save. A great gig with flashes with magnificence, but not the world-beater I was expecting.

(Photo: Alan Bee (Flickr))

THE OCTOPUS PROJECT (London Madame JoJo’s, 12/05/08)

Whilst most of London’s regular gig vultures descended upon Brooklyn’s highly-hyped trance-folkers Yeasayer, I decided to rebel and see Texan four piece The Octopus Project play their first ever London show at London’s infamous Madame JoJo’s. Imagine Of Montreal covering Holy Fuck and you’re mostly there; an addictive mix of day-glo indie-pop and pounding 65daysofstatic-style percussion with a pinch of theremin for good measure. A few of their sparser moments occasionally cause the set to sag, but the spine-tingling beauty of I Saw The Bright Shinies and their irrepressible enthusiasm took my breath away. Shame that most of the audience left after the bog-standard indie-by-numbers of openers Kaputt!- they missed one of the surprise musical highlights of the year so far.

(Photo: Martin Deutsch (Flickr))

THAO NYUGEN AND THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN (London Luminaire, 09/05/08)

Recalling an acoustic Rilo Kiley, Thai-American songstress Thao Nyugen is one of the more charismatic and vibrant performers I’ve seen recently, friendly, witty and obviously enjoying every moment of her performance.. Her husky voice has the occasional habit of slipping out of key, but she’s got a certain rawness that puts me in mind of Martha Wainwright and backing band The Get Down Stay Down compliment it well with their animated, percussive instrumentation. If there’s a weak element, it’s the songs themselves- a couple of mid-tempo tracks don’t go anywhere and even amongst her stronger tracks, there’s nothing you’d consider essential. But the sheer likeability of the band more than made up for the deficiencies in the songwriting, making for a modest but delightful little show.

(Photo: Anna Scialli (Flickr))

NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS (London Hammersmith Apollo, 07/05/08)

Fifty years young and as disreputable as ever, Ozzie legend Nick Cave’s ragged, energetic two-hour show proves the old hell raiser has no intention of slowing down. Taking more than a few tricks from his raw, non-nonsense side project Grinderman, the Bad Seeds add a uncompromisingly rock ‘n roll slant to their formidable back catalogue, particularly impressing when they dispense with the subtleties and went full-pelt towards tinnitus-inducing blasts of sound. Unfortunately, this bludgeoning approach works markedly less well for their slower numbers, and combined with several moment of scrappiness, the occasional technical hitch and more than a few instances of forgotten lyrics and it’s clear why some fans left the show disappointed. Overall though, the highs more than outnumbered the lows and at their best, with Cave in full preacher-man mode and the terrifying Warren Ellis rolling about the floor in a violin-induced freakout, they’re pretty much as cool as any goddamn band in the world.

(Photo: Big Marvin (Flickr))

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE (London Electric Ballroom, 06/05/08)

For a band long castigated for their emo-image, Death Cab For Cutie sure know how to rock out. Their generous 21-song set list was delivered with an energy that would surprise their detractors; a well-balanced mix of new stuff and crowd-pleasing oldies, the recent “Narrow Stairs” material particularly impresses with their return to a more guitar-based sound adding a bit of extra kick to their melodies. A couple of overly mellow tracks fizzed out unspectacularly, but there’s little else to criticise in a show the band admitted was “their best for ages”- the all-encompassing post-rock coda of closer Transatlanticism being a perfectly powerful closer for a night that never less than impressed.

(Photo: Lastyearsgirl_ (Flickr))

HEALTH (London Luminaire, 01/05/08)

Checked out hotly-tipped noise rockers HEALTH on a complete whim on Thursday, and was pretty damned impressed. Atonal spazz-rock isn't normally my bag, but even though I still wasn't entirely sold on their music their live performance is a jaw-dropping explosion of sound and energy- flailing guitarists, frantic fretwork and SO MUCH DRUMMING. Seriously, the Zangief-alike drummer was fucking AMAZING on his own (I'm talking John Stanier good) but with all other members joining on percussion duties the set descended into a veritable storm of 100-decibel drumbeats that left my ears ringing for days afterwards.

Really enjoyed openers Pre, who were a completely mental blend of CSS and Melt Banana; the other band Skeletons came across as Dirty Projectors-meets-Yeasayer-meets-Menomena-meets-total-insanity; a bit outre for my tastes but they definitely couldn't be accused of being 'generic'...

(Photo: Exceedingly Good Keex (Flickr))

A NIGHT OF STRINGS (London Luminiare, 29/04/08)

How could I resist an event with a name like that? Headliner was American songstress My Brightest Diamond; a charasmatic, eccentric character with a startlingly haunting voice which she marries to electric folk with impressive results. Did a great cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry" complete with beatbox and some, um, "funky" dance moves. Supports Clare and the Reasons once again astounded me with their brilliance; the gorgeous "Pluto" is one of those few songs that successfully combine quirkiness and utter lusciousness without coming across as irritating- for lovers of Regina Spektor et al. I'd recommend them wholeheartedly.

Zorro-lookalike Paul Frith, the organiser for the evening, was less impressive performing his own material; string arragements were decent (courtesy of the Reasons) but the songwriting and lyrics were painfully wet and generic. Luckily, he redeemed himself with a parochial folk reimaging of the Oompa Loompa song, which showed more imagination than the rest of his set combined. Add in some three-song mini-sets from London anti-folkers Jay Jay Pistola and Rodney Fisher and you've got the best bargain of the year so far.

(Photo: Estrelas e Limons (Flickr))