THE STONE ROSES (London Finsbury Park, 08/06/13)

I've always thought there's been a bit of Pitchfork revisionism around The Stone Roses. Yes, Ian Brown couldn't hit a note if his life depended on it; yes,“The Second Coming” is a very uneven album; yes, there is a distinct air of “aggressive neanderthalism” that surrounds a proportion of their fanbase, but goddamn, if they didn't write some fantastic songs in their time. This wasn't an masterclass in performance by any means, but I'd forgotten what a tight musical unit Squire, Mani and Reni were, and any quibbles about Ian Brown's tunelessness were moot as you couldn't hear him over the audience. “Made of Stone” was my (surprise) highlight of the night, but “Fools' Gold's” irresistably aggressive funkiness and the closing double-whammy of “Breaking Into Heaven” and “I Am The Resurrection” (be still, my 16 year old heart) all contributed to a show that flicked all the nostalgia switches, whilst providing a much-needed reminder that under the bullshit and swagger, the Stone Roses were actually pretty special.

CAMERA OBSCURA (London Heaven, 06/06/13)

 

Camera Obscura have never been an epoch-defining live act, but they've not needed to be. Tonight isn't exactly the best performance I've ever seen, but with a strong new album to showcase, interspersed with the glorious Northern Soul stylings of “French Navy” and “Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken,” there's also very little to complain about.

OLAFUR ARNALDS (London St John's-In-Hackney Church 03/06/13)
 

I can only presume Icelandic children must be taught to compose ethereal soundscapes as part of their national curriculum, for how else can a country with a population roughly the size of Watford produce so much wonderful music? This was far from the best Olafur Arnalds show I've seen, with technical problems galore and echoey sound (at least where I was standing), but it had enough moments of majestic beauty to make the trek to the Far North East (of London) worth it.

TITUS ANDRONICUS (Leeds Brudenell Social Club, 27/05/13)

Patrick Stickles sans beard may be a perplexing, nay, frightening notion, but fear not, his clean-shavenness has not had a Samson-esque effect on his shouting abilities. Even though this set largely centered on Titus Andronicus' so-so third album “Local Business”, it remained an absolute riot thanks to the Pogues-y vitality of the band, the fervent enthusiasm of their fans, and Stickles' constant, near-feral wildness. Plus, any gig that incorporates both “Killing In The Name Of” AND “Battle of Hampton Roads” is, by law, automatically going to be one of my shows of the year.

(Photo: Manchester Scenewipe)

SARAH NEUFELD (London Bush Hall, 26/05/13)

 

An intimate, experimental and beautiful solo performance from the Arcade Fire violinist. In many ways, it reminded me of the work of her saxophonist boyfriend Colin Stetson- unafraid to draw the most unusual sounds out of their instrument, whilst remaining accessible even to a cultural philistine like me. A most sophisticated way to spend a Sunday evening.

JEFFREY LEWIS & PETER STAMPFEL (Brixton Windmill, 23/05/13)


It's been three years since I last saw Jeff Lewis, and I'm not entirely sure why. Combining forces with wonderfully eccentric 74-year old ex-hippy Peter Stampfel, this show deftly incorporated material from their joint album (highlight: the peerlessly titled “Do You Know Who I Am, I'm Fucking Snooki”), energetic takes on classic tunes (well, “Surfin' Bird” at least) and of course, Jeff's gloriously rendered flipboard “movies” (not suitable for under-18's or people averse to bird-on-nerd sexual proclivities.) And what an absolute blast it was too.

THE POSTAL SERVICE (Brixton Academy, 20/05/13)

  Oh Ben Gibbard. Just because you split from Zooey Deschanel, it doesn't give you the excuse to dance like a drunken dad at a wedding party. That aside, this long-awaited reunion of the indietronic emos was at best a satisfactory affair, a perfunctorily run through the hits which really ever engaged the emotions. Decidedly meh.

(Photo: John Gleeson)

CELEBRATION (London Waiting Room, 19/05/13)



Not quite as much of a celebration as I'd hoped, alas. I'd been looking forward to seeing the joyfully eclectic Baltimore band for years, and whilst they didn't disappoint, they did seem somewhat fatigued from a rather intense spate of touring. Still, Katrina Ford has one hell of a voice, and I hope the shamefully small audience doesn't put them off from returning to the UK in the near future.

SHUGO TOKUMARU (London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, 14/05/13)
 

Review: HERE