A Heart Can Stop A Bullet

2012-01-29T13:59:00.000-08:00

THE BEST LIVE ACTS OF TWO THOUSAND AND ELEVEN

Only 81 shows last year. I'm a disgrace to my younger self.

30. I BREAK HORSES- London Cargo
Three shows into their career, and the Swedish shoegazers sound more accomplished than bands with years of experience under their belt. Perhaps they lose their way mid-set with a surfeit of amelodic noodling, but when they hit the mark, they hit it hard. I predict a bright future.

29. THE NATIONAL- Eindhoven Fritz Philips
Half the tracks off “High Violet” may sound like uninspired mash-ups of older, better National songs, but they’re still an force to be reckoned with live. I’ll never tire of hearing “Apartment Story” or watching Matt Berninger clambering over the audience during “Mr November”, and the unplugged sing-along of “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks” (with added Owen Pallett) was a memorable closer to the best one-day festival I’ve ever attended.

28. DEERHOOF- London Garage
Angular funk-laden basslines, star-jumps, blistering jazz drumming, painfully awkward banter, PANDA-PANDA-PANDA-PANDA-PAN-PANDA. Yup, another year, another Deerhoof appearance in my Best Gigs list. Live with it.

27. WYE OAK- London Water Rats
Their monicker may give the impression they’re beardy folkie types, but don’t worry; though acoustic guitars do enter the equation, there’s nary an earnestly crooned cliche in sight. Equally as home with scintillating rock-outs as much as subtle atmospherics, Wye Oak are Americana with edge.

26. TU FAWNING- London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
To quote my TLOBF review: “At heart, their music can be broadly defined as indie-pop underpinned with a gothic aesthetic, but there’s more to them than that. At times, they sound like a vaudeville Menomena; clattering percussion and jagged, staccato guitar lines, married to a manic, brassy energy that’s one part New Orleans marching band, one part Man Man.” So there you go.

25. tUnE-YaRdS- London Scala
To be honest, I think the new band distracts from Merrill Garbus’ idiosyncratic brilliance, but then again, she could have Nickleback backing her and that wouldn’t make that high note at the end of “Powa” any less tremendous. Not as stellar as 2010’s Cargo show, but then again, few things are.

24. PETER BJORN AND JOHN- London Old Blue Last
Jetlagged to buggery, and clearly wanting to be anywhere but a sweaty East London pub, Peter Bjorn and John drew upon their simmering rage to put on a ferocious, punchy set that far eclipsed any previous time I’d seen them. And they didn’t even play That Song. An unexpected treat.

23. ARCADE FIRE- Warsaw Torwar Arena
I’m not the zealous fanboy I used to be, but if I ever tire of “Tunnels” or “Wake Up”, I don’t want to live any more.

22. BRAIDS- London XOYO
The dreadfulness of XOYO ultimately got the better of them, but the first half of Braids’ set verged on divine. If Animal Collective had a female vocalist and weren’t utterly bobbins live, they might sound a bit like this.

21. AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR- London HMV Forum
The Norn Iron band are often shoehorned into the “post-rock” genre, but that label insufficiently conveys the orgy of math-rock rhythms, blistering guitar pyrotechnics and grade-A badassery they actually deliver. Blinding stuff, shame their name makes them sound proper emo.

20. ST VINCENT- London Queen Elizabeth Hall
Despite a very shaky start, this turned out to be one of the better shows I’ve seen from Annie Clark. To be honest, I’m bound to endorse anyone who runs into the audience, randomly collapses into people’s laps and screaming “MOTHERFUCKER” at the top of her lungs whilst shredding her guitar to buggery, but the rest of the show wasn’t too shabby either.

19. OLAFUR ARNALDS- London Tabernacle
For a country whose population equals that of Leicester, Iceland sure produces more than its fair share of geniuses. Olafur Arnalds isn’t quite in the Bjork/Sigur Ros league (yet), but his cinematic instrumentals rival World’s End Girlfriend in their heart-stirring intensity.

18. MATT & KIM- London Garage
One plays keyboards and talks a bit too much; the other enthusiastically hits things with drumsticks and, to quote her always-flattering bandmate, has “the mouth of a 6 year old sailor and the body of a 12 year old boy”. Unpretentious, hyperactive synth-pop par excellence, guaranteed to make any venue descend into a sweatpit by the third song.

17. O’ DEATH- London Cargo
Apocalyptic Appalachian bluegrass delivered with near-religious fervour by wild eyed, bearded mentalists. Gogol Bordello meets Deliverance, essentially.

16. BORIS- London ULU
From abrasive, Melt-Banana-esque noise interludes, to Melvins-ish sludge-rock, all the way to disco-infused power-pop, the veteran Japanese rockers combine a tremendous degree of musical versatility with earth-splintering loudness and a massive fuck-off gong.

15. SUUNS- Brussels Botanique
Suuns' whispered vocals don't do that much for me, but their tight Holy Fuck/!!!-esque grooves and punchy Wolf Parade synths make them the best live band to come out of Montreal since Handsome Furs.

14. HANDSOME FURS- London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
…and on the subject of Handsome Furs, I’m glad to report Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry remain the most adorable couple in music. As vibrant and energetic as ever, they’re also aided by some stellar new material, including the exhilarating anthemics of “Serve The People.”

13. JENS LEKMAN- London Nettlefold Hall
Trekking over from Gothenburg to play a charity fundraiser for Lambeth Libraries, Jens’ solo set was even more enchanting than his full band show the previous year. His reliance on backing tapes wasn't ideal, but the stripped down arrangements served to focus attention on his impressive vocal talents, and the Sipping On The Sweet Nectar-centric dance party encore was great fun.

12. CONGOTRONICS vs. ROCKERS- London Barbican
A wonderful, groove-laden collaboration between some of the most talented names in western and African music, albeit one very much dominated by the latter. I mean, sure, Greg Saunier’s jazz drumming is always dazzling to behold, but at the end of the day he and his fellow Westerners were simply outclassed by the likembes, car-part percussion and breathtaking vocal harmonies of Konono No 1 and the Kasai All-Stars. They even got the prim and proper audience at the Barbican to get out of their seats and dance, a minor miracle in itself.

11. GIRL TALK- Primavera Festival, Barcelona
Purists would argue mash-up king Greg Gillis isn’t a musician at all, but when it’s 5am, you’re drunk and surrounded by people in a similar state of mind, splicing the greatest hits of the last fifty years with contemporary rap is exactly what you need.

10. SCREAMING FEMALES- London Lexington
Marissa Pasternoster may seem like an unlikely guitar hero with her conservative dress-sense, miniscule stature and unassuming demeanour, but man, she can sure rock the hell out with the best of them. If the Thermals sounded less like Green Day and more like Dinosaur Jr (with hints of Sleater-Kinney and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs), they’d probably sound somewhat like this.

9. YNDI HALDA- London Lexington
Epic, raw instrumentals providing visceral, rafter-shaking thrills without skimping on depth or beauty, Yndi Halda are the band Hope of the States should have been. The best band in Britain right now.

8. I’M FROM BARCELONA- London Tabernacle
They’re still not from Barcelona. There’s still roughly fifteen thousand of them. They’re still one of the most all-out joyous bands out there.

7. MERCURY REV- Primavera Festival, Barcelona
Opus 40 at sunset. Enough said.

6. PULP- Primavera Festival, Barcelona
I was ten rows from the front when they played Common People. I don’t think I’ve recovered.

5. DUSTIN WONG- London Lexington
One man, one guitar, 45 minutes of unalloyed delight. Ponytail may be no more, but their kaleidoscopic melodies and tropical-tinged vibrancy remains alive through their guitarist’s breathtaking solo project. I can’t overstate how talented this guy is; if there’s only one act from this list you check out, make it Dustin Wong.

4. EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROES- London Old Vic Tunnels
Knives are thrown at innocent members of the crowd, gymnasts gyrated on ropes to the strains of “Duelling Banjos”, puppets are dramatically claimed by Death, the sun is worshipped in melodramatic fashion and zombie harlots shuffle around the bar in sinister fashion - and that’s before the show’s even started. Edward Sharpe and his Magnetic Zeros did an amazing job transforming the tunnels under Waterloo Station into a skewed recreation of the Wild West, but ultimately, it’s the music that matters, and they didn’t fail in that respect either. Joyous from start to finish, their unpretentious countrified sing-alongs may lack sophistication, but damn, if you left without a huge grin on your face, you ain’t got no soul.

3. EFTERKLANG- Eindhoven Fritz Philips
If this performance is anything to go by, every band should be accompanied by a 10-piece jazz orchestra by law. The Danish septet’s ethereal beauty was magnified tenfold by the brassier arrangements, and “Modern Drift”, complete with an extended jazz outro performed whilst marching through the audience was one of the best things I’ve ever seen. Glorious.

2. DAN DEACON- London Bussey Building
I got to hold the Trippy Green Skull aloft during “Wham City”. Actual life highlight, right there.

1. SUFJAN STEVENS- Copenhagen Vega
Sufjan’s most recent full-length offering Age of Adz represented a rather startling departure from his previous work. Gone are the banjos and alt-folk sensibilities of old; replaced by a chaotic, cacophonic odyssey of electronica, vocodered vocals and the subtlety of a bull covered with strobe lights. It’s a glorious, ridiculous mess of an album, demanding a suitably insane live show to do it justice - and luckily, that’s exactly what we got. Extrapolating the grandiose technicolour vision of the new album to every element of the performance, Sufjan’s live set-up gave the Flaming Lips a run for the money for eye-popping extravagance – psychedelic projections, dancers, angel wings, confetti, a surplus of neon face paint and at one point a costume incorporating a spinning mirror ball.

But in contrast to the Lips, there’s no undue reliance of backing tapes. As stunningly immersive as the visuals are, it’s the band that ultimately make the show – from the majestic swell of brass during ‘Seven Swans’ to the intense choral chanting of ‘I Want To Be Well,’ the eleven musicians delivered everything from spectral harmonies to high-energy disco with impeccable skill and vitality. ‘Vesuvius’ was a personal highlight, but there is nary a song in the entire two-and-a-half hour set that sounds less than astounding.

Stupidly, breathtakingly, self-indulgently, sublimely brilliant, Sufjan Stevens raised the bar for what a live show should be.

Photo Credits:

Marc Lindsay-Scott (I Break Horses)
David Emery (tUnE-YaRdS)
John Gleeson (St. Vincent, I'm From Barcelona, Pulp, Sufjan Stevens)
Bourgol (Suuns)
Magic Photography (Screaming Females)
Oz Villanueva (Mercury Rev)
Shanda Boyett (Dustin Wong)
Kelly Anne (Edward Sharpe)
Vince Kmeron (Efterklang)
Tim Boddy/The 405 (Dan Deacon)

2011-12-17T07:05:00.000-08:00

MR HEAVENLY (London Cargo, 12/12/11)

In summary: Honus Honus hollered and hammered his keyboard like a badass. Nick Thorburn shredded on guitar and said weird things. The guy from Modest Mouse looked like Jamie Summers of ATP fame. Michael Cera was Michael Cera. Fun was had by all.

2011-12-11T03:30:00.001-08:00

I BREAK HORSES (London Cargo, 05/12/11)

The main thing that strikes you about I Break Horses’ live show is how accomplished it all is. Tonight’s London performance is their third ever, but there’s a notable lack of amateurishness; the band are tight, the visuals are striking and the arrangements, although lacking in brevity, recreate the shoegaze-y atmospherics of the album well. Sure, the mix isn’t always favourable and there’s too much aimless filler, but when they hit their stride, you just know that in a few months time they're going to be something really special.

(Photo: Marc Lindsay-Scott)

2011-12-03T02:40:00.000-08:00

STARFUCKER (London Madame JoJo’s, 29/11/11)

Their name may change every other day (STRFCKR? Pyramid? PYRAMIDDD?), but at least the tunes are consistent in their awesomeness. Tonight their glam-tinged electro-pop was ill-served by a series of technical hitches, but, man, they still deliver grade-A technicolour disco-camp like few others.

2011-11-13T14:04:00.000-08:00

ST VINCENT (London Queen Elizabeth Hall, 10/11/11)

Over the years, I’ve seen Annie Clark a number of times; twice she’s been brilliant, twice dreadful (with one other show falling somewhere in between). For the first two songs, I genuinely feared tonight's show would fall into the latter camp, with an atrocious, bassy mix decimating the 80’s-tastic brilliance of “Surgeon,” the best song off her new album. But things rapidly improved, with an stellar “Cruel”, a beautifully brutal Pop Group cover (complete with Mark Stewart strutting around and screaming like a madman) and a beastly rendition of old favourite “Marrow.” I sometimes think that her experimentation with loops and pedals leads to performances easier to admire than enjoy, but tonight she got the balance between the accessible and the avant-garde just right. Plus, she stormed into the audience repeatedly screaming “MOTHERFUCKER” at the top of her lungs, shredding wildly on her guitar and falling into the laps of certain (bloody lucky) audience members, a practice I always approve of.

(Photo: John Gleeson)

2011-11-13T14:03:00.000-08:00

BRAIDS (London XOYO, 09/11/11)

XOYO may be the second worst gig venue in the whole of London (after Proud Galleries, a den of such unspeakable dreadfulness that it may, in itself, constitute a whole new circle of Hell), but not even its crap acoustics, lack of air conditioning, ill-placed pillars and clientele straight out of “Being A Dickhead’s Cool” could ruin the blissful majesty of Braids. I’ve been a fan since first hearing “Liver And Tan” back in 2009, and although their set was rather front-loaded, their lush, synth-driven pop (think a chilled out, female-fronted Alvin Band) ticked all the right boxes for me. Hope to see them back soon- but in a less relentlessly shit venue.

2011-11-13T13:57:00.000-08:00

DUSTIN WONG (London Old Blue Last, 02/11/11)

Ex-Ponytail guitarist brings his kaleidoscopic, tropic-tinged guitar-looping brilliance to London once again. Perhaps a little more reined-in than his joyous show at the Lexington, but still a marvel to behold.

(Photo: Shanda Boyett)

2011-10-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

TWIN SISTER (London Garage, 25/10/11)

Despite Twin Sister devolving between their EPs and their debut from one of the most promising young bands around to sub-M83 retro enthusiasts, this show wasn’t the disaster it could have been. Started off a bit ropey with out-of-tune vocals and a run of weak material, but things massively improved once they got into full-on 80’s funk-odyssey mode. Not a patch on last November’s Lexington show, but at least the gorgeous sleepy-eyed groove of “I Want A House” remains as mesmerising as ever.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

2011-10-22T03:24:00.000-07:00

THE JOY FORMIDABLE (London HMV Forum, 14/10/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Marc Lindsay-Scott)

2011-09-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

ELEANOR FRIEDBURGER (London Netil House, 29/09/11)

Given poptastic synths are a major part of the charm of the Fiery Furnaces’ frontwoman’s solo album, I wasn’t sure how much I was going to enjoy this stipped-down set in the deepest, darkest depths of East London. But Friedburger’s got a understated, idiosyncratic charm which allows her to carry off the whole “singer with acoustic guitar” schtick, resulting in a thoroughly agreeable performance that held my attention from start to finish.

(Photo: NME)

2011-09-25T03:42:00.000-07:00

I’M FROM BARCELONA (London Tabernacle, 20/09/11)

After a two year absence from these shores, I’m delightful to confirm the Swedish joy Collective retain their crown as the Most Fun Live Band In The World Ever. Their charming low budget take on the Flaming Lips (Balloons! Confetti! Co-ordinated singalongs!) is even more welcome now the real Flips have steadily succumbed to unbearable pretention, and it’s easy to forget how many insanely catchy tunes they have under their belt. New songs such as “The Game Is On” segue seamlessly into old classics, and Emmanuel remains one of the most likeable frontmen in music. I’m not a naturally religious man, but if I’m From Barcelona were a cult, I’d sign up without a second thought.

(Photo: John Gleeson)

2011-09-25T03:40:00.000-07:00

HANDSOME FURS (London Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, 13/09/11)

The most electrifyingly passionate musical duo around return to London for the second time this year, producing a show not too dissimilar to their Lexington triumph but none the worse for that. Their energy and obvious love for each other never fails to endear, and “Serve The People” remains an absolute stone-cold beast of a song – although the demise of Wolf Parade will forever sadden me, it’s good to see its constituent members remain a force to be reckoned with.

(Photo: John Gleeson)

2011-09-25T03:32:00.000-07:00

MAN MAN (London Cargo, 12/09/11)

Despite the world’s longest and most tiresome soundcheck pushing this performance an hour later than expected, it’s good to see everyone’s favourite vaudeville maniacs back on these shores. The first few songs were a bit underwhelming, mostly due to sub-par mixing but once they got into their stride, they were pretty amazing. Honus Honus seems to be channelling Tom Waits even more these days, and although “Black Mission Goggles” was sadly missed, there’s no beating the beautifully wistful, whisky-soaked singalong of “Van Helsing Boombox”.

(Photo: Rob Hakimian)

2011-09-10T14:14:00.000-07:00

SCREAMING FEMALES (London Lexington, 09/09/11)

It’s been a while since a band I’ve known nothing about have blown me away with such panache as Screaming Females. Marissa Pasternoster may seem like an unlikely guitar hero with her conservative dress-sense, miniscule stature and unassuming demeanour, but man, she can sure rock the hell out with the best of them. If the Thermals sounded less like Green Day and more like Dinosaur Jr (with hints of Sleater-Kinney and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs), they might sound as good as this. One of the most enjoyable performances I’ve seen this year.

(Photo: Kimberly Powenski)

2011-09-03T04:30:00.000-07:00

PULP (London Brixton Academy, 31/08/11 & 01/09/11)

Let’s be honest, Pulp aren’t the greatest live band on earth. Their musicianship is adequate; their visuals par-for-the-course, their energy nothing out of the ordinary. But when you got some of the best songs ever written under your belt, and the charisma powerhouse that is Jarvis Cocker , that doesn’t matter one bit. Great to see they’ve added more pre-His ‘n Hers and post-Different Class songs to the setlists, and of course there’s no greater singalong on Earth than Common People. Fantastically good fun.

(Photo: Mark Reed)

2011-08-27T05:33:00.000-07:00

ONEIDA (London Lexington, 13/08/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: The 405)

2011-08-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

THE OSAKA RAMONES (Brixton Windmill, 11/08/11)

Well, those Osaka Ramones sure played a lot of Shonen Knife covers. Great fun while it lasted, but a 35 minute headline set (of which only 20 minutes included the works of that seminal New York punk band) seemed a little on the short side.

(Photo: AltSounds)

2011-07-29T02:45:00.000-07:00

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER (London Old Blue Last, 25/07/11)

Shambolic, good-natured and thoroughly entertaining anti-folk courtesy of two Minnesotan mentalists, whose wit and enthusiasm more than makes up for any minor deficiencies in actual musical talent.

(Photo: Odhran O'Donoghue (of the amazing Wears The Trousers))

2011-07-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

TWO GALLANTS (London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, 19/07/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw/The Line of Best Fit)

2011-07-24T11:17:00.000-07:00

BJORK (Manchester Campfield Market Hall, 16/07/11)

The previous Bjork show I went to was the best gig of my life. This show was, sadly, the third best gig of the week. The “Biophilia” set-up is a triumph of invention and innovation, but bassy sound, amelodic and challenging new material and the alienating effects of a stage ‘in the round’ made this a much less engaging and immersive experience than I’d hoped for. A show more to be admired than enjoyed, although they did have LIGHTNING ARCING OUT OF GIANT SPEAKER-THINGS WHICH WAS PRETTY SWEET.

(Photo: Can You 'Ear Me)

2011-07-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

YNDI HALDA (London Lexington, 15/07/11)

Review: HERE

2011-07-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

RAINDOGS REVISITED (London Barbican, 13/07/11)

Kinda suspected this tribute to Tom Waits’ seminal album would be a pretty mixed bag, and I certainly wasn’t wrong. Camille O’ Sullivan’s eccentric cabaret and St. Vincent’s fuzzed-up rawness worked a treat, but the rest of the acts veered from poor imitations to over-zany quirkiness. Can’t stand the Tiger Lillies either, which made their contributions a chore to sit through.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

2011-07-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

CONGOTRONICS VS ROCKERS (London Barbican, 12/07/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Robocod)

2011-07-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

PULP (London Hyde Park, 03/07/11)

They played Mis-Shapes. THAT IS ALL. <3 <3 <3 <3

(Also enjoyed the mad granny diva posturings of Grace Jones, the OTT showmanship of the Hives and the euphonium gypsy-folk dance party of Devotchka. Didn’t approve of TVOTR’s appalling sound mix though.)

(Photo: NME)

2011-07-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

ARCADE FIRE (London Hyde Park, 30/06/11)

Not a classic AF show by any means. Setlist was average, although the unusual running order (Wake Up as the second track!) was a bit of a treat. The fact most of the show was in daylight seriously impacted on the atmosphere, and the crowd where I was standing were really passive and unenthusiastic. Enjoyable enough, but Warsaw was considerably better.

Also, tried to give Mumford and Sons the benefit of the doubt, but they were utter bollocks. True, their session musicians delivered some nice brass flourishes but at the end of they day, they've only got one song and it ain't a particularly good one. And as one of my friends pointed out- Marcus sure does look a bit like Nick Griffin.

(Photo: Lickmybattery)

2011-07-04T12:57:00.001-07:00

ARCADE FIRE (Warsaw Torwar, 24/06/11)

Despite taking place in a soulless, half-sold, alcohol-free stadium, this turned out to be my favourite show of the Suburbs tour so far. The Polish crowd were great – receptive but not aggressive - and the band put 100% into the entire performance. Particularly dug the extended version of Modern Man, with its 80’s-tastic electro-synth outro; would appreciate more of this in Album 4.

2011-07-03T05:03:00.000-07:00

PATRICK WOLF (London Garage, 20/06/11)

Too many screaming fangirls and overwrought love songs for my tastes, but worth it just for the glorious guilty pleasure that is “Magic Position.”

(Photo: John Gleeson)

2011-07-03T04:56:00.000-07:00

BORIS (University of London, 19/06/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Matt Brown)

2011-07-03T04:30:00.000-07:00

tUnE-YaRdS (London Scala 08/06/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: David Emery)

2011-07-03T04:17:00.000-07:00

MONO (London Koko 07/06/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Kristian James)

2011-06-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

PRIMAVERA SOUND FESTIVAL (Barcelona Park del Forum, 25/05/11-29/05/11)

HIGHLIGHTS
-Pulp, naturally. Managed to pogo my way to the front during opener Do You Remember The First Time?, sang my heart out to the likes of Disco 2000, This Is Hardcore and Babies, absolutely lost my shit when they played F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E and managed not to die during the inevitable insanity that accompanied Common People. Everything I could have hoped for, really.
-Mercury Rev playing Deserter's Songs. Absolutely magnificent, I nearly cried during “Opus 40”.
-Girl Talk's 5am dance party extravaganza. Ended up with several hundred hipsters singing along to Lulu. Yup.
-El Guincho, and not just because of the hot ladies in short shorts throwing pillows at each other/lezzing out.
-Dean Wareham. Haven't listened to much Galaxie 500, but this was gorgeous stuff.
-tUnE-YaRdS cajoling everyone to sing along to Hatari (although overall she's better without her band)
-Sufjan Stevens' Auditori light show.
-Of Montreal's Hissing Fauna-centric setlist. A Sentence of Sorts->Heidmalsgate->She's A Rejector = YES.
-Battles being Battles.
-John Cale's Paris 1919, although the newer songs he played afterwards were a tad ropey.
-Picnic at the Parc Central del Poblenou soundtracked by the 90’s indie-pop strains Comet Gain. Lovely way to spend an afternoon.

LOWLIGHTS
-James Blake. Whiney bollocks of the worst kind.
-Missing Gang Gang Dance/Glasser/Suicide Of Western Culture/Holy Ghost!
-Wayne Coyne becoming a parody of himself. His constant exhortations to "COME ON!" annoyed me so much I left after four songs. That said, still gutted that he arrived at the absinthe bar on Tuesday two minutes after we’d departed.
-Not seeing Emeralds because I got lost in the mountains and ended up 15 miles away from where I was supposed to be. Again.

2011-05-21T04:15:00.000-07:00

STAG & DAGGER FESTIVAL (Various Hoxton Venues, 19/05/11)

Echo Lake’s voluminous spectral shoegaze aside, this year’s edition of EastLondonMoodyHipsterFest failed to impress. D/R/U/G/S was a bit too bleepy-bloopy for a 9pm time-slot and Post War Years had promise but were too slavishly in hock to LCD Soundsystem and Foals to stand out on their own merits.

(Photo: Tony Coleby)

2011-05-21T04:14:00.000-07:00

HANDSOME FURS (London Lexington, 16/05/11)

Man, Handsome Furs are awesome. As well as being the most lovable (and loved-up) couple in the whole of indie-rock, their ferociously dynamic performance, combined with some blinding new material made this one of the most exhilarating sets of the year so far. RADIO KALININGRAD, STATIC ON A BROKEN WIRE!

(Photo: John Gleeson)

2011-05-21T04:11:00.000-07:00

SUFJAN STEVENS (London Royal Festival Hall; 12/05/11 & 13/05/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: John Gleeson)

2011-05-21T04:07:00.000-07:00

REVERBERATIONS FESTIVAL: SESSION 6 (London Barbican, 08/05/11)

God knows what Owen Pallett was doing at a festival dedicated to one of the forefathers of minimalism in the first place, but I couldn’t help thinking his orchestra-augmented performance of “Heartland” was a slight disappointment. Fact is, Owen’s own looping skills are so phenomenal that not even a full retinue of classically-trained musicians could really add that much to his sound, and indeed, only the last song truly made full use of their talents. Also could have done with 90% less drums. Ah well.

On the plus side, Clogs were excellent. The lullaby they performed with a children’s choir was one of the most beautiful things I’ve heard this year.

(Photo: John Gleeson)

2011-05-21T04:02:00.000-07:00

REVERBERATIONS FESTIVAL: SESSION 3 (London Barbican, 07/05/11)

Review: HERE

2011-05-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

DEERHOOF (London Garage, 04/05/11)

It’s Deerhoof. Of course they were great. My admiration for Greg Saunier’s drumming skills and bemusement by his raconteurship remains unabated, and Satomi Matsuzaki can still star-jump like the best of ‘em.

(Photo: Anika "Tang Fiend" Mottershaw)

2011-05-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

O’DEATH (London Cargo, 02/05/11)

First time I’ve seen O’Death in two and a half years, and I fucking miss “Adelita.” Grrr. That apart, I'm glad to report there’s still no-one who can match them in the frenzied, Deliverance-tinged hoedown stakes. Nearly lost my voice during "Lay Me Down"...

(Photo: James Evans)

2011-05-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

SUFJAN STEVENS (Copenhagen Vega, 01/05/11)

If you're a stickler for subtle, low key performances, you may not enjoy Sufjan Stevens' current tour. If you like things that are totally awesome, I suspect you will. "Age of Adz" is a glorious mess of an album, and his live set-up accentuates that a hundredfold; I don't wish to spoil too much for those who are yet to experience it, but we're talking Flaming Lips levels of audio-visual ridiculousness here. But unlike the Lips, there's no undue reliance on backing tapes; Sufjan's gathered together an incredible band that takes the material from the new album and significantly enhances it ("Vesuvius" was an absolute fucking blinder). I was expecting good things, but last night blew all my expectations out of the water – one of the most riveting, over-the-top, luscious live performances I've ever seen.

Oh, and he played "Casimir Pulaski Day." That was pretty sweet.

2011-04-29T01:43:00.000-07:00

BATTLES (London Institute of Contemporary Arts, 20/04/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Sebastien Dehesdin/The Line of Best Fit)

2011-04-29T01:38:00.000-07:00

DUSTIN WONG (London Lexington, 18/04/11)

Review: HERE

2011-04-16T02:57:00.001-07:00

JENIFEREVER (London Lexington, 11/04/11)

Post-rock Mew. Had their moments (I mean, an epic crescendo IS an epic crescendo), but all a bit too generic for my tastes.

(Photo: eyeball.fm)

2011-04-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

DAN DEACON (Peckham Bussey Building, 01/04/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Tim Boddy/The 405)

2011-04-02T02:30:00.000-07:00

MATT & KIM (London Garage, 23/03/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Cornish Boy)

2011-03-29T16:40:00.000-07:00

JENS LEKMAN (London Nettlefold Hall, 19/03/11)

Oh, you're so amazing Jens. Not only did he trek over from Gothenburg to play a charity all-dayer protesting the UK Government's dreadfully misguided cuts in library funding but his hour long solo set was perhaps even more joyous than his excellent Union Chapel show last summer. True, the reliance on backing tapes wasn't ideal, but the stripped down arrangements served to focus attention on his impressive vocal talents, which he too often swamps with orchestral frippery. Drawing heavily on "Night Falls over Kortedela," he also previewed some new songs (including one about stalking Kirsten Dunst, which seemed to resonate with an alarmingly high percentage of the audience), and broke the venue's curfew for a Sipping On The Sweet Nectar-centric dance party encore. Oh, and he waived his performance fee for the event too. What a gent.

(Photo: The Line Of Best Fit)

2011-03-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROES (London Old Vic Tunnels, 11/03/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Kelly Anne)

2011-03-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

TU FAWNING (London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, 10/03/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: The Line Of Best Fit)

2011-03-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

MONOTONIX (London Cargo, 06/03/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

2011-03-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

ROBYN (London Roundhouse, 03/03/11)

Unpretentious, all-out Swedish pop goodness, delivered by a woman who seems to be on a perpetual sugar rush even when recovering from a throat infection. Frankly, it's exhausting just watching her.

(Photo: Tom Salter/The Line Of Best Fit)

2011-03-12T14:25:00.000-08:00

SEA OF BEES (London Westminster Reference Library, 26/02/11)

Contrary to popular belief, I don't hate all acoustic-guitar-wielding solo artists. I just hate the vast, vast majority of them. A rare exception is Julie Baenziger, an wonderfully eccentric, emotionally open figure with a voice that could charm the most hard-hearted of cynics. I mean, seriously, check out "The Woods." Spine-tingling stuff.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

2011-03-12T14:20:00.000-08:00

SUUNS (Brussels Botanique, 24/02/11)

It's awesome being blown away by a band you know nothing about. Suuns' whispered vocals don't do much for me, but the Holy Fuck/!!!-esque grooves and punchy Wolf Parade synths make this four-piece the best live band to come out of Montreal since Handsome Furs.

(Photo: Bourgol)

2011-03-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

WYE OAK (London Water Rats, 22/02/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

2011-03-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

PJ HARVEY (Berlin Admiralspalast, 21/02/11)

Polly Jean ain't really my thing, but I enjoyed this well enough. Can't help but think her headwear overshadowed her performance though

2011-03-05T07:40:00.000-08:00

CROSS-LINX FESTIVAL (Eindhoven Frits Philips, 18/02/11)

27 Euros for The National, Owen Pallett, Efterklang and Peter Broderick, performing full sets in amazing venues? I think yes.The National put on a typically accomplished performance, and Owen Pallett was fantastic after a shaky start (the new arrangements of "Arctic Circle" and "This Lamb Sells Condos" sounded amazing.) But without a doubt, the night belonged to Efterklang- the closing rendition of "Modern Drift", re-arranged for jazz orchestra with 17 musicians snaking through the audience was one of the most joyous gig moments I've experienced in a long, long time. Good work, Netherlands!

2011-03-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

LITTLE DRAGON (London Garage, 08/02/11)

Left me cold, to be honest. Support wasn't great either. Can't win 'em all, eh?

(Photo: HMV Closer (Flickr))

2011-03-05T07:31:00.000-08:00

OLAFUR ARNALDS (London Tabernacle, 07/02/11)

It's been a while since Olafur Arnalds graced London with his cinematic instrumentals, and to be honest, I'd forgot quite how epic he can be. Indeed, his new tracks have more than a hint of World's End Girlfriend about them- not exactly high on subtlety, but damn, they sound incredible. If you've not seen him before, he's playing Queen Elizabeth Hall in July- would highly recommend you check him out.

(Photo: OlafurArnalds.com)

2011-03-05T07:27:00.000-08:00

PETER, BJORN AND JOHN (London Old Blue Last, 03/02/11)

Jet-lagged and clearly forced into it against their will, it's odd that Peter, Bjorn and John's intimate OBL show was as good as it was- perversely, it appears a chronic lack of sleep lends them a ferocious dynamism they don't normally have. Their new material sounds fantastic - high-quality, no-nonsense indie rock with hints of afrobeat and hair metal, and not even the non-appearance of "Young Folks" could detract from an excellent performance.

(Photo: Mike Hughes (Catshoe))

2011-03-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

FREELANCE WHALES (London XOYO, 02/02/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Tamara Craiu (Flickr))

2011-01-29T08:48:00.000-08:00

TREEFIGHT FOR SUNLIGHT (Camden Barfly, 21/01/11)

High-quality Danish indie-pop, with a dash of Grizzly/Panda bear harmonic blissfulness and a fine line in Kate Bush covers. No complaints here.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

2011-01-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

AUSTRA (Brixton Windmill, 17/01/11)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

2011-01-02T07:48:00.000-08:00

THE BEST LIVE ACTS OF TWO THOUSAND AND TEN

419 sets, 341 individual acts, 151 gigs. Considerably less than last year. I’m clearly getting old.

50. PAVEMENT (New York Central Park)
This year I’ve seen Steve Malkmus’ ramshackle mob in Brixton, Barcelona, California and New York. Don’t know why, I’m not even that much of a fan, but their first Big Apple show in over a decade did feel pretty special.

49. !!! (Toronto Lee’s Palace)
Ah, for more venues like Lee’s Palace - give me character over corporate branding any day. Gig was excellent too; being a Sunday night it wasn’t as manic as you might expect, but good craic nonetheless.

48. THAO WITH THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN (London Camden Barfly)
Thao Nguyen will never redefine the way you think about music, but her charming shows always make me smile.

47. DIRTY PROJECTORS (London Barbican)
Let’s be honest, this was pretty pretentious. But you wouldn’t expect any less from The Dirty Projectors, and when their intricate, offbeat guitar works and gorgeous harmonising meshes together it sounds bloody marvellous. I also learnt a valuable lesson about not drinking too much before a seated gig, especially if you’re mid-row. Hmm.

46. JAPANDROIDS (Primavera Festival, Barcelona)
Saw ‘em at Pitchfork. Hated ‘em. Saw ‘em at Primavera. Loved ‘em. So it goes.

45. BEACH HOUSE (London Roundhouse)
Some people think Beach House are an amazing live band. They’re not. But when they’ve got a sound system to do their gorgeous dream-pop justice, that doesn’t mean they can’t sound mighty fine.

44. AMADOU & MARIAM (ATP: Curated By Matt Groening, Minehead)
This most eclectic of ATP’s showcased a lot of interesting bands, but few brought the dance-party more ably than the groove-laden Malian duo.

43. WHY? (London Heaven)
Heaven may be to London gig venues what Nickleback is to proof of a benevolent God, but I’ve never seen Yoni Wolf in such exuberant spirits. Excellent setlist too.

42. GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT (London Islington Academy)
One of the more \m/-tinged headliners I’ve seen this year, they (along with support band Caspian) almost single-handedly reinvigorated my faith in post-rock shows.

41. FANG ISLAND (London Madame JoJo’s)
Riff-tastic indie-pop. If the Mae Shi could play their instruments, they might sound like this.

40. SLEIGH BELLS (London Lexington)
Glorified karaoke perhaps, but a damn sight more fun than the vast majority of 2010’s hype-magnets.

39. MATT & KIM (Primavera Festival, Barcelona)
Any band that covers “The Final Countdown” is A-OK by me.

38. DEERHOOF (ATP: Curated by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Minehead)
Another excellent set from this most reliable of live bands; their poppier, more melodic new material works a real treat. PANDA PANDA PANDA etc.

37. PONYTAIL (ATP: Curated by Matt Groening, Minehead)
Not the best I’ve seen them thanks to crappy mixing but they’re still by far my favourite band fronted by an androgynous child-thing.

36. CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE (London Cargo)
His last ever London show, and as understatedly poignant as you’d expect. Sad I may never hear “Jeanne, If You’re Ever In Portland” again. :-(

35. THOSE DANCING DAYS (London Lexington)
Five pretty Swedish teenagers with a superlative ear for indie-pop gorgeousness. What’s not to like?

34. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS (End Of The Road Festival, Dorset)
The New Pornos play the hits straight and simple, but there’s sometimes nothing wrong with that- when you’ve got a back catalogue as strong as theirs, there’s no need to faff about.

33. MARTHA WAINWRIGHT (London Jazz Café)
A beautiful, heartfelt show from my favourite member of the Wainwright clan, featuring a sublime selection of Edith Piaf covers.

32. FAITH NO MORE (Coachella Festival, Indio, California)
EPIC. Also, I’d quite like to be Mike Patton.

31. PETER BRODERICK (London St.Giles-In-The-Fields)
One day, he’ll get the critical acclaim he deserves, but for the time being I’m glad to have had the opportunity to see this immensely talented multi-instrumentalist in such intimate settings.

30. THE NATIONAL (London Electric Ballroom)
“High Violet” may be the National-by-numbers, but Matt Berninger’s blossomed into quite the front man. Brilliant, visceral encore made up for the so-so new material.

29. FIGHT LIKE APES (London Bull And Gate)
Despite a group of overzealous moshers threatening to ruin everyone’s day, the cynical Irish synth-popper’s talent for obscenely catchy melodies made the bruises more than worth it.

28. THEM CROOKED VULTURES (Coachella Festival, Indio, California)
No-nonsense heavy rock from Grohl, Homme and Jones. Perfect festival fare.

27. BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE (London Forum)
No “Anthems” or “Ibi Dreams Of Pavement”, but a celebratory two hours nonetheless. Kevin Drew still babbles on too much, but the songs more than compensated.

26. BO NINGEN (London Macbeth)
Long-haired Japanese men play loud, chaotic psychedelic rock; cause mild tinnitus.

25. DAN DEACON (London Fabric)
His ensemble shows may have diminished the impact of his solo sets for me, but he played ‘Wham City’ and that’s all that matters.

24. JANELLE MONAE (London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen)
Leaving aside the sauna-like atmosphere of the venue and the sheer gall of her trying to demand £50 for a “Meet-And-Greet” session, there’s no denying Ms. Monae has the kind of star quality that’s rarer than hen’s teeth these days. Also, “Tightrope” is one hell of a tune.

23. MENOMENA (London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen)
Although they were a great live band in years past, I always felt they struggled to fully capture the density and texture of their recorded work. Expanding to a four-piece has rectified this.

22. JENS LEKMAN (London Union Chapel)
Most definitely *not* the Opposite of Hallelujah.

21. OF MONTREAL (London Koko)
A typically exuberant camp-fest from Kevin Barnes and co. - and with “She’s a Rejector” and “The Past Is a Grotesque Animal” sounding better than ever, they didn’t skimp on the musical quality this time.

20. FEVER RAY (London Brixton Academy)
Moody, atmospheric and with bass to shake the heavens, Karin Dreijer Andersson’s side-project almost made me think that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if the Knife never reformed. Almost.

19. TOUMANI DIABATE (ATP: Curated by Matt Groening, Minehead)
Intricate, engaging and thoroughly danceable, Toumani Diabate’s ATP set was an unexpected but welcome highlight of this year’s festival season.

18. COCOROSIE (ATP: Curated by Matt Groening, Minehead)
Always dismissed them on record, but they were a revelation live. Angelic sopranos and luscious melodies married with hip-hop elements and incredible beatboxing... fantastic way to finish a festival.

17. MELT-BANANA (London Islington Academy)
Japanese noise-rock par excellence. My ears were ringing for four days after this.

16. JOANNA NEWSOM (ATP: Curated By Matt Groening)
"It's a particular honour to be playing ATP: Matt Groening, as people have told me I sound like Lisa Simpson for years."

15. MONOTONIX (End Of The Road Festival, Dorset)
Monotonix are not a band. They're a force of nature.

14. SOAP & SKIN (London Union Chapel)
Almost uncomfortably bleak at times, I’m not entirely sure if Anja Plaschg’s unsettling intensity
is genuine or a cleverly constructed act, but in either event it’s something quite memorable to behold.

13. LCD SOUNDSYSTEM (London Alexandra Palace)
In a less shit venue, this may well have been in my Top 3. “Dance Yrself Clean” is a BEAST of a live song, and “All My Friends“ has rarely sounded better.

12. WOLF PARADE (London Borderline)
It’s a shame Wolf Parade have decided to go on “indefinite hiatus,” because as live shows go, they’re at the top of their game. And even though the last two albums haven’t been stellar, they’ll always have “I’ll Believe In Anything”.

11. OWEN PALLETT (Primavera Festival, Barcelona)
The Artist-Formerly-Known-As-Final-Fantasy never disappoints, and “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt” has to be one of the most wonderful live songs in existence. Brillaint cover of Caribou’s “Andorra” too.

10. NISSENNENMONDAI (London Nest)
All-female Japanese krautrock/noise trio with one of the most dazzling percussionists I’ve ever seen. When John Stanier calls you “sick” you know you’re doing well.

9. JONSI (Coachella Festival, Indio, California)
“Grow Till Tall” + sunset over the mountains: the very definition of epic.

8. TWIN SISTER (London Lexington)
“Vampires With Dreaming Kids” was my favourite EP of the last year, and to hear those songs delivered with such enthusiasm made me incredibly happy. Talented, versatile and great fun to watch, I think 2011 is going to be a good year for them.

7. TUNE-YARDS (London Cargo)
Merrill Garbus must be one of the most startlingly brilliant vocalists in the world right now. Charismatic, quirky, unique and almost impossibly versatile, she weaves more magic with just her voice and a loop pedal than 99% of bands do with all the personnel and instruments they desire.

6. DRUM EYES (End Of The Road Festival, Dorset)
I had no expectations at all, none whatsoever, but then it turned out DJ Scotch Egg’s new project sounds like Dan Deacon covering Melt-Banana and all was good with the world.

5. ARCADE FIRE (London Hackney Empire)
Crown of Love->Tunnels-> Keep The Car Running->Wake Up. ‘Nuff said.

4. BOREDOMS (ATP: Curated by Matt Groening, Minehead)
Any band with less than nine drum-kits clearly isn’t trying hard enough.

3. BOBAN I MARKO MARKOVIC ORKESTRA (ATP: Curated by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Minehead)
After three solid days of atonal noise, the 11-piece Serbian marching band almost single-handedly rebalanced ATP’s fun deficit with one of the most joyous festival sets I’ve ever seen. For hours after they’d finished, you could hear the refrain of “Siki Siki Baba” reverberating through Butlins. Incredible scenes.

2. TITUS ANDRONICUS (London CAMP Basement)
One big, fuck-off anthemic knees-up of a gig; 90 minutes of sweat, screaming and what loosely could be described as “singing.” Altogether now: “YOU WILL ALWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYS BE A LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSER…”

1. WILDBIRDS & PEACEDRUMS (London Union Chapel)
I didn’t think gigs could make me feel like this any more. The Swedish husband-and-wife duo have been slowly moving up the ranks of my Top 10 lists since I first saw them in 2008, but with the sublime acoustics of Union Chapel and a 20-strong choir in tow, this show stands not only as my Gig of 2010, but also as one of the finest live music experiences of my life.

Photo Credits:
Anika Mottershaw (Of Montreal/Beach House/tUnE-YaRds/Wildbirds & Peacedrums)
John Gleeson (The National/Fever Ray/Monotonix/Drum Eyes/Arcade Fire)
Tim Boddy (Sleigh Bells/Dan Deacon)
Sebastian Faber (Those Dancing Days)
Biostuart (Nisennenmondai)
ACB (Twin Sister)
Mark Thomsett (Boredoms)
Stefanos Zachariadis (Boban I Marko Markovic)
Stinker (Titus Andronicus)

2011-01-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

THE TOP 40 SONGS OF 2010

40. Fight Bite- Swiss Ex-Lover
A lot of the songs in this Top 40 sound a bit like Beach House. This is one of them.

39. Blue Hawaii- Blue Gowns
Featuring perhaps the least subtle allusion to the act of lovemaking of any song this year.

38. Sunset- Late Night Dawning
ABBA-esque, but not in the high energy "Music Go Music" sense. Rest of their stuff's worth checking out too.

37. Fight Like Apes- Come On, Let's Talk About Our Feelings
Typically confrontational synth-pop goodness from angry Irish folk.

36. Pigeons- No Other Way
Pigeons are rubbish. This song isn't.

35. Com Truise- 2 Sundriped
M83, but even more 80's. Yeah, I didn't think that wasn't possible either.

34. Teen Daze- Let's Fall Asleep Together
Teen Daze's album is called "Beach Dreams". At least they're honest about who they're ripping off.

33. My People Sleeping- Take Anything
If you like the Besnard Lakes/very high falsettos, you'll probably like this.

32. Young Galaxy- Cover Your Tracks
Adequately fulfilling my marimba quota for 2010.

31. Zola Jesus- Run Me Out
OH HAI 80'S GOTH BALLAD REVIVALISM.

30. Sufjan Stevens- I Walked
One of the less infuriatingly self-indulgent messes Sufjan's come out with this year.

29. Twin Sister- All Around And Away We Go
Not quite as amazing as anything off "Vampires with Dreaming Kids" but gotta love that 70's Motown bassline.

28. Dom- Jesus
Like listening to Camera Obscura through a bedroom wall. But in a good way.

27. The Besnard Lakes- Chicago Train
I've actually listened to this song on a train from Chicago. TRUFAX.

26. Dirty Projectors w/ Bjork- On And Ever Onward
You wouldn't necessarily think a mostly a capella Bjork/Dave Longstreth collaboration would be this accessible/enjoyable, but there you go.

25. Arcade Fire- The Sprawl II
Regine Chassigne channels spirit of Blondie, with surprisingly palatable results.

24. O Paon- Masques
Dark, atmospheric and unsettling, like Soap & Skin at her most gothic. Nice Spiracle-esque scream of anguish towards the end.

23. Florene- Space Cadets
Fuck Buttons, but more so. Pretty intense.

22. Cults- Go Outside
Obligatory 'glockenspiel-heavy tweefest' entry.

21. School Of Seven Bells- Windstorm
Shoegaze-y/dream-pop band channels the Eighties. AGAIN.

20. Oberhofer- I Could Go
Dan Deacon meets Alvin Band. I'm genetically predisposed to like this.

19. Wet Wings- Running Like A Man
Due to an clerical error, a song that could be vaguely classified as "folk" has slipped into this list. Sorry for any inconvenience.

18. Emily Neveu- I Wonder If The Children Know
Impossibly pretty piano-led balladry. -10 Masculinity Points for every minute spent listening to this.

17. Janelle Monae- Tightrope
To summarise:

16. Braids vs Green Go- Lemonade
Wonderful, propulsive remix of one of my favourite songs of 2009.

15. The National- Blood Buzz Ohio
"I was carried to Ohio in a swarm of bees." Don't try this at home, kids.

14. Menomena- Queen Black Acid
Most beautiful song Menomena have ever written. Think Modest Mouse before they went shit.

13. Happy Birthday- Subliminal Message
As you may have gathered, woozy lo-fi indie-pop is in vogue at the moment. That doesn't necessarily make it a bad thing.

12. Holy Fuck- Stilettos
ADRENALIN RUSH: ACTIVATE!

11. PAVLOVR- Hell, Heaven
If Menomena and Dan Boeckner ever joined forces, they might sound like a bit like this.

10. Sleigh Bells- Infinity Guitars
Music to annoy your parents.

9. Fang Island- Welcome Wagon
The Mae Shi with riffs. What more could you possibly want?

8. Ava Luna- Black Diamond I
The rattling, lo-fi chaos of early Wolf Parade/Cold War Kids with added horns and female harmonies? Yes please.

7. Titus Andronicus- The Battle Of Hampton Roads
Best experienced with a bottle of bourbon in one hand and a bayonetted Limey in the other.

6. CocoRosie- Lemonade
Delightfully winsome whimsy courtesy of mustachioed oddballs.

5. Joanna Newsom- Good Intentions Paving Company
Screechy harp lady evolves into Carole King.

4. The Whiskers- Ornithopters
Frog Eyes fanboys shift allegiance to Sunset Rubdown, with pretty spectacular results.

3. Beach House- Walk In The Park
Not fully sold on the cult of Mme. Legrand, but this song = dream-pop perfection.

2. Owen Pallett- Lewis Takes Off His Shirt
Yeah, this was in my 2009 list. Yeah, I posted this video then too. What of it?

1. LCD Soundsystem- Dance Yrself Clean
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, aaaah-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah....T-T-T-T-BA-BA-BA-BOOM (and so forth).

2010-12-20T14:18:00.000-08:00

THE LIST O' GIGS

Oh dear.

09/03/03: RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS (w/ The Mars Volta)- London Arena
16/08/03-17/08/03: V2003 FESTIVAL (w/ Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age, The Coral, The Cardigans, Ash, Reel Big Fish, PJ Harvey, The Hives, Shack, Tom McRae)- Hylands Park
10/06/04: THE DIVINE COMEDY (w/ Adem)- Sheffield Leadmill
14/07/04: HOPE OF THE STATES (w/ The Duke Spirit; Adem)- London Electric Ballroom
31/10/04: THE POLYPHONIC SPREE (w/ Mandarin)- Sheffield Leadmill
08/11/04: HOPE OF THE STATES (w/ The Open; Komakino)- University of York Student Union
17/02/05: KT TUNSTALL (w/ Sons of Jim)- York Fibbers
18/02/05: THE GO! TEAM (w/ The Pipettes; DJ Scotch Egg)- Leeds Cockpit
04/05/05: ARCADE FIRE (w/ Final Fantasy)- Manchester Academy
26/05/05: KT TUNSTALL (w/ Stephen Fretwell)- Liverpool Academy
28/06/05: RILO KILEY (w/ The Shortwave Set)- Manchester Night and Day
11/07/05: HAYSEED DIXIE (w/ Bex Marshall)- York Fibbers
31/08/05: FRANZ FERDINAND (w/ Arcade Fire)- Edinburgh Princes Street Gardens
13/10/05: EELS- Manchester Apollo
03/11/05: ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI (w/ The Chemistry Experiment; Downdime)- Leeds Brudenell Social Club
09/11/05: ¡FORWARD RUSSIA! (w/ iLiKETRAiNS)- York Fibbers
15/11/05: CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH! (w/ Hockey Night!)- Leeds Faversham
17/11/05: THE MYSTERY JETS (w/ The Noisettes)- York Fibbers
18/01/06: THE RESEARCH (w/ Mono Taxi; The Author, The Title)- York Fibbers
24/01/06: THE SPINTO BAND (w /Fields)- Leeds Cockpit
29/01/06: REGINA SPEKTOR (w/ Only Son)- Leeds Cockpit
13/02/06: TWO GALLANTS (w/ Owen Richards)- York Fibbers
16/02/06: BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE (w/ Apostle of Hustle)- Leeds Irish Centre
23/02/06: THE FEELING (w/ Lorraine; The Measures)- York Fibbers
25/02/06: THE BOY LEAST LIKELY TO (w/ BC Camplight)- York Fibbers
27/02/06: THE AUTOMATIC (w/ The Marshals; Roman Candle)- York Fibbers
07/03/06: GOGOL BORDELLO (w/ The Fighting Cocks)- Leeds Cockpit
20/03/06: MY LATEST NOVEL (w/ Semifinallists)- Leeds Cockpit
27/03/06: SIGUR ROS (w/ Amiina)- Manchester Apollo
28/03/06: HOPE OF THE STATES (w/ Richard James)- Leeds Cockpit
30/03/06: PATRICK WOLF- London Bloomsbury Theatre
01/04/06: GUILLEMOTS (w/ Misty’s Big Adventure)- Leeds Cockpit
03/04/06: IMOGEN HEAP (w/ Zoe Keating)- York Fibbers
10/04/06: JEREMY WARMSLEY (w/ Rose Kemp; Andy Curry; Tremulous Monk)- York Fibbers
21/04/06: CALEXICO (w/ Iron and Wine; Salvador Duran)- Manchester Academy
23/04/06: HOPE OF THE STATES (w/ Devics)- York Fibbers
25/04/06: THE FLAMING LIPS (w/ The Go! Team)- Manchester Apollo
03/05/06: OKKERVIL RIVER (w/ Rob Nichols)- Leeds Cockpit
04/05/06: LITTLE MAN TATE (w/ Pint Shot Riot; Cardboard Radio)- York Fibbers
08/05/06: THE FIERY FURNACES (w/ Scissors For Lefty)- Leeds Cockpit
13/05/06: FINAL FANTASY (w/ Corey Dargel, At Swim Two Birds)- Manchester Circle Club
14/05/06: THE EARLIES (w/ Midlake; Dawn Landes)- York Fibbers
15/05/06: METRIC (w/ Komakino, The Suffrajets)- York Fibbers
17/05/06: TILLY AND THE WALL (w/ Semifinallists; Ali Whitton)- York Fibbers
19/05/06: THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS (w/ Mates Of State)- Leeds Cockpit
21/05/06: THE DIVINE COMEDY (w/ Declan O’Rourke)- Sheffield Leadmill
23/05/06: 65DAYSOFSTATIC (w/ The Morning After Girls; Disco Ensemble)- York Fibbers
27/05/06: JIM NOIR (w/ Thom Mills)- York Fibbers
02/06/06: THEE SILVER MOUNT ZION MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA AND TRALALA BAND- Leeds Brudenell Social Club
25/06/06: O2 WIRELESS FESTIVAL (w/ The Who; The Flaming Lips; Robyn Hitchcock; The Zutons; Eels; The Answer) - Leeds Harewood House
27/06/06: DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE (w/ Viva Voce)- Leeds Refectory
06/07/06: GOGOL BORDELLO (w/ Babar Luck; King Blues)- London Koko
11/07/06: SIGUR ROS (w/ Amiina)- Southampton Guildhall
17/07/06: GEORGE CLINTON/PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC- Hammersmith Apollo
23/08/06: REGINA SPEKTOR (w/ Arkham Razor)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
24/10/06: FINAL FANTASY (w/ Sebastian Tellier; Adjagas)- London Scala
26/10/06: THE DEARS (w/ Favourite Son)- London Koko
02/11/06: GUILLEMOTS (w/ The Last Town Chorus, Alex J. Ward)- London Astoria
05/11/06: CALEXICO (w/ Beirut; A Hawk And A Hacksaw)- London Roundhouse
07/11/06: MOJAVE 3 (w/ Tim Keegan;Crayola Lectern)- London Jazz Cafe
09/11/06: TWO GALLANTS (w/ Cold War Kids)- London Scala
18/11/06: THE MAGIC NUMBERS (w/ Doctor Dog; Cherry Ghost)- Hammersmith Apollo
23/11/06: RODRIGO Y GABRIELA (w/ James Yorkston)- Kentish Town Forum
25/11/06: SCISSOR SISTERS (w/ Lily Allen)- Wembley Arena
26/11/06: EMMY THE GREAT (w/ Noah and the Whale; Johnny Flynn; Fireworks Night)- London Old Blue Last
30/11/06: THE BLUETONES (w/ My Elvis Blackout; Seven Heroes)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
08/12/06: MY LIFE STORY (w/ Soho Dolls; 4 Star Lovers)- London Astoria
13/12/06: GUILLEMOTS (w/ GoodBooks; Jeremy Warmsley; Laura Groves)- Kings College London Student Union
21/12/06: HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT (w/ Sonnenberg)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
17/01/07: LIAM FROST (w/ Bonebox; Kathryn Edwards; John Stammers)- London Spitz
23/01/07: GHOSTS (w/ Low Vs. Diamond; Make Good Your Escape)- London Water Rats
24/01/07: I’M FROM BARCELONA (w/ Irene; Thom Stone and the Barrow Boys)- University of London Union
25/01/07: THE BOY LEAST LIKELY TO (w/ The Little Ones; Loney, Dear)- London Scala
29/01/07: ARCADE FIRE- London St. John’s Square
01/02/07: ARCADE FIRE- London Porchester Hall
08/02/07: THE DECEMBERISTS (w/ Lavender Diamond)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
10/02/07: FRANK TURNER (w/ Dive Dive; Beans On Toast)- York Fibbers
16/02/07: GUILLEMOTS (w/ The Courtesy Group; Jonny Race)- Brixton Academy
23/02/07: MATT BERRY (w/ Jonas 3)- London Spitz
28/02/07: MY LATEST NOVEL (w/ Peter And The Wolf (UK))- London Spitz
01/03/07: EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY (w/ Alexander Tucker)- London Koko
05/03/07: LOS CAMPESINOS! (w/ Sky Larkin; Nosferatu D2)- London Spitz
06/03/07: THE EARLIES (w/ Maps)- London Scala
11/03/07: EAGLES OF DEATH METAL (w/ Stone Sour)- London Astoria
14/03/07: ARCADE FIRE (w/ Patrick Wolf)- Brixton Academy
15/03/07: ARCADE FIRE (w/ Patrick Wolf)- Brixton Academy
16/03/07: ARCADE FIRE (w/ Electrelane)- Brixton Academy
17/03/07: ARCADE FIRE (w/ Electrelane)- Brixton Academy
27/03/07: I’M FROM BARCELONA (w/ Connan and the Mockasins; Samuraj Cities; Paris Motel)- London Koko
30/03/07: TROUBLES (w/ Cheap Hotel; Revere)- London Water Rats
11/04/07: MIDLAKE (w/ Richard Gomez; Stephanie Dosen)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
17/04/07: FEIST (w/ Mayor McCa)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
18/04/07: CAMERA OBSCURA (w/ Au Revoir Simone)- London Koko
21/04/07: TWISTED FOLK FESTIVAL (w/ The Earlies; Lucy And The Caterpillar; Alele Diane, John Smith, Virgin Passages)- London Arts Depot
22/04/07: CSS (w/ Tilly And The Wall; Ratatat)- London Astoria
25/04/07: PETER AND THE WOLF (UK) (w/ Thom Stone, Animal Kingdom)- Hoxton Bar And Kitchen
29/04/07: YANN TIERSEN- London Scala
01/05/07: CAT POWER (w/ Dexter Romweber; The Childballads)- Kentish Town Forum
10/05/07: THE TWILIGHT SAD (w/ Story One, Christine Oniyama)- London Borderline
16/05/07: BATTLES (w/ Clark; Four Tet (DJ Set))- London Scala
20/05/07: 65DAYSOFSTATIC (w/ Lethal Bizzle; Josh T Pearson; The Mirimar Disaster; Rolo Tomassi)- London Koko
21/05/07: THE NATIONAL- London Tottenham Court Road FOPP
21/05/07: GRIZZLY BEAR (w/ Gravenhurst)- London Scala
22/05/07: THE NATIONAL (w/ Annuals)- London Astoria
23/05/07: MODEST MOUSE (w/ Billy Childish)- London Royal Albert Hall
24/05/07: BUILT TO SPILL (w/ Youth Movies)- London Scala
25/05/07: THE BESNARD LAKES (w/ Land of Talk)- London Water Rats
26/05/07: SANDRO PERRI (w/ Mandelbrot; Mantler)- Finchley Red Rose
28/05/07: BLONDE REDHEAD- Tottenham Court Road FOPP
29/05/07: OF MONTREAL (w/ Video Nasties; Strange Death Of Liberal England)- London Cargo
30/05/07: GOGOL BORDELLO (w/ DJ Scratchy (DJ Set))- London Electric Ballroom
04/06/07: ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI (w/ The Chap)- Kings College London Student Union
05/06/07: LOS CAMPESINOS! (w/ Malajube, Lightspeed Champion)- London Scala
06/06/07: THE CONCRETES (w/ Lawrence Arabia)- London Luminaire
07/06/07: ANDREW BIRD (w/ St. Vincent; Dosh)- London Scala
16/06/07: MUSE (w/ The Streets, Dirty Pretty Things, Rodrigo y Gabriela)- Wembley Stadium
19/06/07: ARCADE FIRE- London BBC Maida Vale Studio
22/06/07-24/06/07: GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL (w/ Seasick Steve, Adjagas, The View, The Earlies, Gogol Bordello, Bright Eyes, Super Furry Animals, The Coral, Rufus Wainwright, Arcade Fire, Bjork, The Hours, Guillemots, Holy Fuck, Duke Special, Klaxons, Pigeon Detectives, Paul Weller, The Kooks, The Killers, Aqualung, Tiny Dancers, The Noisettes, Cold War Kids, The Rumble Strips, Pete Doherty, Beirut, Billy Bragg, The Bootleg Beatles)- Worthy Farm, Somerset
25/05/07: BEIRUT- London Queen Elizabeth Hall
26/06/07: BEIRUT (w/ Dirty Projectors)- London Koko
27/06/07: MENOMENA (w/ O Death!)- Camden Barfly
02/07/07: THE HOLD STEADY (w/ The Steers)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
03/07/07: BRIGHT EYES (w/ Lightspeed Champion)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
09/07/07: MENOMENA (w/ Derek Beans)- London Old Blue Last
11/07/07: JOAN AS POLICEWOMAN (w/ Andrew Bird; Loney Dear)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
13/07/07-15/07/07: LATITUDE FESTIVAL (w/ The Kissaway Trail, Emmy The Great, Midlake, Tinariwen, Wilco, Patrick Wolf, Annuals, Loney Dear, Bat For Lashes, The Hold Steady, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, I’m From Barcelona, The Strange Death Of Liberal England, The Silversun Pickups, Au Revoir Simone, Two Gallants, Andrew Bird, The National, Cold War Kids, Camera Obscura, Final Fantasy, Jarvis Cocker, Arcade Fire)- Henham Park, Suffolk
20/07/07: BRITISH SEA POWER (Oli‘n Clive; The Magnificent Shimmering Beasts)- Brixton Windmill
25/07/07: UKULELE ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN- London Spitz
01/08/07: MOUNT EERIE (w/ Alex Mahan; Sly Hats and Guy Blackman)- London Bush Hall
02/08/07: OF MONTREAL (w/ Pull Tiger Tail; Wave Machine) - London Scala
11/08/07: FIELD DAY FESTIVAL (w/ Battles, Justice, The Earlies, Caribou, Fridge, Foals, The Aliens, Lightspeed Champion, Absentee)- Victoria Park, Hackney
14/08/07: SPARTA (w/ Cat The Dog)- University of London Union
16/08/07: SPOON (w/ It Hugs Back)- London Cargo
17/08/07: MARTHA WAINWRIGHT (w/ Terra Naomi)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
20/08/07: RILO KILEY (w/ Eugene McGuinness)- Islington Academy
03/09/07: THE POLYPHONIC SPREE (w/ Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man)- London Astoria
04/09/07: ST. VINCENT (w/ Noah and the Whale)- London 229 Bar
05/09/07: BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE (w/ Noah and the Whale)- London Scala
07/09/07: REGINA SPEKTOR (w/ Eugene McGuinness)- London Royal Festival Hall
10/09/07: ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI (w/ Caribou; Wave Pictures)- London Koko
24/09/07: FEIST (w/ Bob Wiseman)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
28/09/07: JOANNA NEWSOM (w/ Roy Harper)- London Royal Albert Hall
02/10/07: THE DECEMBERISTS (w/ Land Of Talk) - London Royal Festival Hall
04/10/07: THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS (w/ Peter Van Poehl, School Of Language)- London Koko
08/10/07: STARS (w/ Lily Fraser)- London Scala
11/10/07: BATTLES (w/ Parts and Labor)- London Koko
13/10/07: THE OUTSIDE ROYALTY- London Dublin Castle
17/10/07: THE RUMBLE STRIPS (w/ Kitty, Daisy and Lewis; The Answering Machine)- London Scala
22/10/07: LES SAVY FAV (w/ Cut Off Your Hands; Graffiti Island)- London Scala
23/10/07: LCD SOUNDSYSTEM (w/ Prinzhorn Dance School)- Brixton Academy
25/10/07: AMIINA (w/ Josh Geffin)- London Bush Hall
27/10/07: ARCADE FIRE (w/ Clinic; Wild Light) - Manchester MEN Arena
30/10/07: ARCADE FIRE (w/ Clinic; Wild Light) - Cardiff International Arena
31/10/07: RUFUS WAINWRIGHT (w/ Scott Matthews)- Hammersmith Apollo
01/11/07: O DEATH! (w/ Duke Garwood; George Thomas and the Owls)- London Luminaire
03/11/07: THOSE DANCING DAYS (w/ The Veez; Sam Reed)- London Water Rats
05/11/07: BEIRUT- London Rough Trade East
07/11/07: !!! (w/ Holy Fuck; Midnight Juggernauts)- London Koko
08/11/07: THE NATIONAL (w/ Broken Family Band)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
09/11/07: ANDREW BIRD (w/ Loney Dear)- London Koko
10/11/07: BEIRUT (w/ Tunng; The Twilight Sad)- London Roundhouse
11/11/07: FROG EYES (w/ Fireworks Night)- London Luminaire
14/11/07: TWO GALLANTS (w/ Blitzen Trapper; Kelley Stoltz)- London Koko
16/11/07: WILD LIGHT – London Nambuca
17/11/07: ARCADE FIRE (w/ Clinic; Wild Light) - London Alexandra Palace
18/11/07: ARCADE FIRE (w/ Clinic; Wild Light) - London Alexandra Palace
19/11/07: ARCADE FIRE (w/ Wild Light; Yeasayer) - London Alexandra Palace
23/11/07: EFTERKLANG (w/ Peter Broderick; Denis Jones)- London Bush Hall
30/11/07: ST. VINCENT (w/ Peter van Poehl; Clare and the Reasons)- London Bush Hall
01/12/07: AKRON/FAMILY (w/ Phosphorescent) - Leeds Faversham
04/12/07: A HAWK AND A HACKSAW- London Romanian Restaurant
05/12/07: BLACK MOUNTAIN (w/ Miracle Fortress)- London Cargo
08/12/07: GOGOL BORDELLO (w/ La Phaze; DJ Scratchy)- Hammersmith Apollo
09/12/07: OKKERVIL RIVER (w/ Jaymay; A.A. Bondy)- London Luminaire
11/12/07: MÚM (w/ Benni Hemm Hemm; Seabear)- London Scala
18/12/07: JEFFREY LEWIS AND THE JITTERS (w/ Misty’s Big Adventure; Emmy The Great; Planet Earth)- London Cargo
20/12/07: PATRICK WOLF- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
17/01/08: JIM NOIR (w/ The 586; Sir Simon)- London Borderline
21/01/08: MORRISSEY (w/ Girl In A Coma)- London Roundhouse
24/01/08: REVERE (w/ Wojtek Godzisz; Kaiko)- London Luminaire
29/01/08: STARS (w/ Apostle of Hustle; The Thurston Revival)- London Koko
30/01/08: EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY (w/ Eluvium)- London Astoria
31/01/08: MAKE MODEL (w/ Man From Michael; Trail)- London Water Rats
05/02/08: OKKERVIL RIVER (w/ Jay Jay Pistolet; Rachel Unthank And The Winterset)- London Scala
06/02/08: BLACK KIDS (w/ The Author; Cage The Elephant)- London Water Rats
08/02/08: RACHEL UNTHANK AND THE WINTERSET (w/ Jaymay)- London Borderline
09/02/08: POLYSICS (w/ Cutting Pink With Knives)- Islington Academy
13/02/08: BLACK FRANCIS- London Social
21/02/08: VAMPIRE WEEKEND (w/ Bobby Cook; Esser)- University of London Union
25/02/08: EELS- London Royal Festival Hall
26/02/08: ISLANDS (w Damn Shames)- Hoxton Bar and Kitchen
27/02/08: MENOMENA (w/ Land of Talk; Sky Larkin)- Kings College London Student Union
29/02/08: FINAL FANTASY (w/ Alexander Tucker and Stephen O’ Malley; Dirty Projectors; Six Organs of Admittance; Frog Eyes)- Kentish Town Forum
05/03/08: CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE (w/ Max Tundra)- London Bush Hall
06/03/08: YEASAYER (w/ Dragons of Zynth)- London Institute of Contemporary Arts
07/03/08: MARTHA WAINWRIGHT (w/ Dockers MC; Catherine Anne Davies; Monade; Piney Gir)- London Queen Elizabeth Hall
11/03/08: BROKEN RECORDS (w/ Richard Walters)- London Soho Revue Bar
13/03/08: BLACK KIDS (w/ The Magistrates) - London Institute of Contemporary Arts
19/03/08: CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE (w/ a.P.a.T.t; Harry Merry)- London Luminaire
01/04/08: PETER AND THE WOLF (US) (w/ Planet Earth)- London Luminarie
02/04/08: GOGOL BORDELLO (w/ Skindred)- Brixton Academy
04/04/08: MIRACLE FORTRESS (w/ The Joy Formidable)- London Luminaire
05/04/08: BROKEN RECORDS (w/ Vessels; Fireworks Night)- Notting Hill Arts Club
08/04/08: HOLY FUCK (w/ Free Blood)- London 100 Club
09/04/08: DEVOTCHKA (w/ Dawn Kinnard)- London Scala
10/04/08: ALASKA IN WINTER (w/ Mitch and Murray; Marianne Dissard)- London 93 Feet East
14/04/08: BJORK (w/ Leila)- Hammersmith Apollo
17/04/08: PORTISHEAD (w/ A Hawk and a Hacksaw)- Brixton Academy
19/04/08: RECORD STORE DAY (w/ Lykke Li; The Metros; Jason Molina)- London Rough Trade East
26/04/08: ANDREW BIRD (w/ Loney, Dear)- London IndigO2
29/04/08: MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND (w/ Rodney Fisher; Clare and the Reasons; Jay Jay Pistolet; Paul Frith and the Considerate Lovers)- London Luminaire
01/05/08: HEALTH (w/ Skeletons and the King of All Cities; Pre)- London Luminaire
06/05/08: DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE (w/ Clearlake)- London Electric Ballroom
07/05/08: NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS (w/ Barry Adamson)- Hammersmith Apollo
09/05/08: THAO NYUGEN AND THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN (w/ Jersey Budd) - London Luminaire
12/05/08: THE OCTOPUS PROJECT (w/ It Hugs Back; Kaputt)- London Madame JoJo’s
13/05/08: DAN LE SAC VS. SCROOBIUS PIP- London Oxford Street Zavvi
13/05/08: MAN MAN (w/ Bloodgroup; Three Trapped Tigers )- London Cargo
14/05/08: BATTLES (w/ Dirty Projectors; Fuck Buttons)- London Astoria
15/05/08: THE NATIONAL (w/ Two Gallants)- Dublin Olympia
16/05/08: IRON AND WINE (w/ Bon Iver)- Kentish Town Forum
19/05/08: XIU XIU (w/ Chris Garneau; Telepathe; Soiled Mattress and the Springs)- University of London Union
20/05/08: JENS LEKMAN (w/ Bon Iver; Jaymay)- London Scala
21/05/08: MGMT (w/ Florence and the Machine; The Runaway Sons)- London Astoria
22/05/08: SUNSET RUBDOWN (w/ Fireworks Night)- London Luminaire
23/05/08: BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE (w/ The Brunettes)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
24/05/08: AVERAGE WHITE BAND- London Jazz Café
29/05/08: SILVER JEWS (w/ Monotonix; Port O’ Brien)- University of London Union
04/06/08: LYKKE LI (w/ Shout Out Louds)- London Cargo
05/06/08: WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS (w/ Joe Gideon and the Shark; Banjo or Freakout)- London Luminaire
11/06/08: FLEET FOXES (w/ Beach House)- University of London Union
16/06/08: MELT-BANANA (w/ DJ Scotch Egg)- University of London Union
17/06/08: LIARS (w/ Deerhunter)- London Koko
20/06/08: MY BLOODY VALENTINE - London Roundhouse
24/06/08: SIGUR ROS (w/ Helgi Jonsson)- Westminster Methodist Hall
25/06/08: RADIOHEAD (w/ Bat For Lashes)- London Victoria Park
29/06/08: WHY? (w/ S.J Esau; My Sad Captains)- London Madame JoJo’s
04/07/08: O2 WIRELESS FESTIVAL (w/ Morrissey, The National (x2), Guillemots, Siouxsie, The Wombats, Dirty Pretty Things)- London Hyde Park
08/07/08: FRIGHTENED RABBIT (w/ Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit; Collapsing Cities)- London Madame JoJo’s
09/07/08: THE MAGNETIC FIELDS (w/ Darren Hanlon)- London Cadogan Hall
14/07/08: THE HOLD STEADY- London HMV Oxford Circus
14/07/08: PARTS AND LABOR (w/ Screaming Tea Party; The International)- London Corsica Studios
16/07/08: MICAH P. HINSON (w/ Absentee)- London Bush Hall
18/07/08-20/07/08: LATITUDE FESTIVAL (w/ The Godwits; The Joy Formidable; Rosie And The Goldbug; Broken Records; Slow Club; Derwyddon Dr. Gonzo; Micah P. Hinson; Bearsuit; a.P.A.t.T; British Sea Power; The Go! Team; Death Cab For Cutie; Franz Ferdinand; The Magistrates; Golden Silvers; Wild Beasts; Beth Rowley; Fanfarlo; dEUS; Seasick Steve; Elbow; Sigur Ros; Joanna Newsom; Polly Scattergood; Those Dancing Days; Noah And The Whale; Patrick Watson; Glasvegas; Okkervil River; Blondie; Interpol; Tindersticks)- Henham Park, Suffolk
23/07/08: RATATAT (w/ Micachu and the Shapes)- London Cargo
04/08/08: THE MAE SHI (w/ Dananananaykroyd)- London Old Blue Last
09/08/08: FIELD DAY FESTIVAL (w/ Of Montreal; Efterklang; Les Savy Fav; the Howling Bells; Laura Marling; Noah and the Whale; The Mae Shi, The Emperor Machine; Emma Pollock; The Magistrates;One Little Plane; Edward J. Hicks)- London Victoria Park
12/08/08: THE DODOS (w/ Collapsing Cities; Swanton Bombs)- London 100 Club
13/08/08: NINA NASTASIA (w/ O’ Death)- London Roundhouse
14/08/08: O’ DEATH (w/ Sennen; Rod Thomas)- London Cargo
18/08/08: WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS (w/ Bowerbirds)- London Social
20/08/08: FUTURE OF THE LEFT (w/ Fighting With Wire; Truckers Of Husk)- London Water Rats
22/08/08: THE SMOKE FAIRIES- London Rough Trade East
23/08/08: THE HIDDEN CAMERAS (w/ The Gadsdens; Lianne Hall) - London St. Leonards Church
27/08/08: RA RA RIOT (w/ Inbetween Days; The Daves; Rocketeer)- London Water Rats
28/08/08: YACHT (w/ Sportsday Megaphone; Applicants)- London Institute of Contemporary Arts
02/09/08: SHOUT OUT LOUDS (w/ The Boy Least Likely To; Peter and the Wolf)- London 229 Bar
05/09/08: BROKEN RECORDS- (w/ The Ruling Class; Prego; Capital) London 229 Bar
06/09/08: CAMERA OBSCURA (w/ The Clientele; Frightened Rabbit; Wave Pictures; Lawrence of Arabia)- London 229 Bar
08/09/08: AKRON/FAMILY (w/ The Acorn; Hush Arbors)- London Luminaire
09/09/08: CLARE AND THE REASONS (w/ Brendan Campbell)- London Borderline
11/09/08: SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN (w/ Stagecoach; The Noughts and Crosses Band)- London Borderline
12/09/08: DOVES (w/ Manic Street Preachers)- London Royal Festival Hall
13/09/08: DEERHUNTER- London Rough Trade East
15/09/08: THE MOUNTAIN GOATS (w/ The Young Republic)- University of London Union
17/09/08: SHEARWATER (w/ The Constantines)- London Bush Hall
21/09/08: WOODPIGEON- London Rough Trade East
23/09/08: BROKEN RECORDS (w/ The Ryes)- London Luminaire
24/09/08: FUJIYA & MIYAGI (w/ Project Jenny, Project Jan)- London Bush Hall
25/09/08: THE SPINTO BAND- London Borderline
28/09/08: GET WELL SOON (w/ Hadar Manor)- London Luminaire
01/10/08: ISLANDS (w/ Lord Auch; Married To The Sea)- London Dingwalls
02/10/08: O’DEATH (w/ Bodies of Water; Frightened Rabbit)- Hoxton Bar and Kitchen
03/10/08: CONCRETE AND GLASS FESTIVAL (w/ Anni Rossi; Liz Green; Wildbirds and Peacedrums; Micachu and the Shapes; James Yuill)- London Strongroom/Café 1001/Old Blue Last
09/10/08: COLLAPSING CITIES (w/ The Hosts)- London Water Rats
13/10/08: OF MONTREAL- London Rough Trade East
15/10/08: THE DEARS- London Rough Trade East
16/10/08: OF MONTREAL (w/ Eugene McGuinness)- London Koko
17/10/08: TILLY AND THE WALL- London Pure Groove
17/10/08: JENNY LEWIS (w/ Benji Hughes)- London Koko
17/10/08: THE OUTSIDE ROYALTY (w/ The Jukebox Vandals)- London Tommy Flynn’s
18/10/08: HOLY FUCK (w/ Kelpe)- Kings College London Student Union
19/10/08: EDDI READER (w/ Lucy Wainwright Roche)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
21/10/08: MIRACLE FORTRESS (w/ Swanton Bombs)- London 93 Feet East
22/10/08: M83 (w/ The Domino State)- London Scala
24/10/08: MOGWAI (w/ Fuck Buttons; Errors)- Hammersmith Apollo
25/10/08: OLAFUR ARNALDS (w/ finn)- London Union Chapel
26/10/08: THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS (w/ Ipso Facto)- Hammersmith Apollo
28/10/08: MARTHA WAINWRIGHT (w/ Angus and Julia Stone)- London Roundhouse
30/10/08: ERIN McKEOWN (w/ Ella Edmondson)- London Green Note
04/11/08: WHY? (w/ The Dead Science; Munch Munch)- London Scala
05/11/08: RUBY SUNS (w/ A.J. Holmes; Mike Bones)- London Lexington
11/11/08: OKKERVIL RIVER (w/ The Dodos; Stars and Sons)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
13/11/08: EMMY THE GREAT- Rough Trade East
13/11/08: MERCURY REV (w/ The Howling Bells)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
18/11/08: CHAIRLIFT- London Pure Groove Records
19/11/08: TV ON THE RADIO (w/ The Big Pink)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
20/11/08: SIGUR ROS (w/ For A Minor Reflection)- London Alexandra Palace
21/11/08: SIGUR ROS (w/ For A Minor Reflection)- London Alexandra Palace
22/11/08: SHEARWATER (w/ Absentee; Great Weeks; Bird Engine)- London St. Giles-In-The-Fields Church
24/11/08: JEFFREY LEWIS- Brixton Windmill
25/11/08: I’M FROM BARCELONA (w/ Soko)- London Scala
26/11/08: WOMEN- London Pure Groove Records
27/11/08: V.V. BROWN (w/ Birdpen)- London Scala
28/11/08: WOLF PARADE (w/ Dag for Dag)- Manchester Ruby Lounge
29/11/08: WOLF PARADE (w/ Giveamanakick)- Dublin Vicars Street
01/12/08: WOLF PARADE (w/ Chad VanGaalen; Dag for Dag)- London Electric Ballroom
02/12/08: DEERHOOF (w/ Underground Railroad)- University of London Union
03/12/08: DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES (w/ Hush Arbors)- London Borderline
06/12/08: THE OUTSIDE ROYALTY (w/ The Ruling Class; Molotov)- London Metro Club
07/12/08: GREGORY AND THE HAWK- London Northampton Square
07/12/08: BON IVER (w/ Sarah Siskind)- London Victoria Apollo
09/12/08: VIVIAN GIRLS- London Rough Trade East
11/12/08: ALESSI’S ARK- London Pure Groove Records
11/12/08: RACHEL UNTHANK AND THE WINTERSET (w/ Felix Lajko)- London Union Chapel
12/12/08: M83- London St. Giles-In-The-Fields Church
14/12/08: JAMIE LIDELL (w/ Fujiya & Miyagi)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
16/12/08: EMMY THE GREAT- London Pure Groove Records
17/12/08: THE HOLD STEADY (w/ The Mark Inside)- London Roundhouse
18/12/08: GOGOL BORDELLO (w/ Superamazoo)- London Roundhouse
21/12/08: THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH COVERS (w/ 4 Or 5 Magicians; William; Stagecoach; Chris Alcock; Adam Carrier) - Brixton Windmill
11/01/09: EMMY THE GREAT (w/ The Leisure Society)- London Northampton Square
12/01/09: ANIMAL COLLECTIVE (w/ Charles Hayward)- London Koko
23/01/09: HJARTALÍN (w/ City Reverb; The Ark People; Kat and the Half Step Uncles)- London Luminaire
24/01/09: OF MONTREAL (w/ Casiokids)- Brighton Digital
27/01/09: GREGOR SAMSA (w/ The Sleeping Years; Evi Vine)- London Luminaire
28/01/09: LONEY DEAR (w/ Blue Roses)- London St. Giles-In-The-Fields Church
30/01/09: DAVID THOMAS BROUGHTON (w/ Sam Amidon; Doveman)- London Bush Hall
04/02/09: PETER BRODERICK (w/ Hush Arbors; The Trimdon Grange Explosion)- London Social
05/02/09: FRIDA HYVONEN (w/ Joe Gideon and the Shark)- London Bush Hall
06/02/09: ALESSI’S ARK (w/ No Sorrows)- Camden Barfly
09/02/09: ASOBI SEKSU- Islington Academy
09/02/09: THE THERMALS (w/ Calories)- London Lexington
12/02/09: PONYTAIL (w/ Future Islands; Gentle Friendly) 31- London 100 Club
14/02/09: TOBACCO ROAD (w/ Mat Riviere; Jam On Bread; Grace Denton)- London Good Ship
17/02/09: THE JOY FORMIDABLE- London Pure Groove
19/02/09: PASSION PIT- London Pure Groove
19/02/09: PARTS AND LABOR (w/ An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump)- London Cargo
20/02/09: JEFFREY LEWIS- London Betsey Trotwood
21/02/09: OWL PARLIAMENT FESTIVAL (w/ Herman Dune; Jeffrey Lewis; Laura Marling; Johnny Flynn; Peggy Sue and the Pirates; Mechanical Bride; Planet Earth; We Aeronauts; Stars of Sunday League)- London Union Chapel
23/02/09: FIRST AID KIT- London Pure Groove Records
23/02/09: TITUS ANDRONICUS (w/ Little Death; Plug)- London Hoxton Bar and Kitchen
24/02/09: THE DEER TRACKS- London Pure Groove Records
24/02/09: FLEET FOXES (w/ Vetiver)- London Roundhouse
25/02/09: AMADOU AND MIRIAM- London Pure Groove Records
25/02/09: CHAIRLIFT- London Pure Groove Records
25/02/09: M. WARD (w/ Sleeping States)- London Borderline
27/02/09: EMMY THE GREAT (w/ Exlovers)- University of London Union
01/02/09: WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS (w/ Brakes)- London Arnold Circus
02/03/09: HOWLING BELLS- FOPP Covent Garden
02/03/09: WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS (w/ The Tailors)- London Social
05/03/09: PETER, BJORN AND JOHN- London Pure Groove Records
05/03/09: FANFARLO (w/ Dear Reader; Martin & James)- London 229 Bar
10/03/09: THE BOY LEAST LIKELY TO- London Rough Trade East
10/03/09: PONYTAIL (w/ Skeletons; Gentle Friendly)- London Lexington
12/03/09: PATRICK WOLF (w/ Micachu and the Shapes; Craig Template)- London Heaven
13/03/09: THE ACORN (w/ Babel; Arthur Delaney)- Brixton Windmill
14/03/09: HAUSCHKA- London Arnold Circus
16/03/09: CAMERA OBSCURA (w/ Francois)- London Lexington
26/03/09: MONO (w/ Iroha)- London Scala
31/03/09: BROKEN RECORDS (w/ De Rosa)- London Water Rats
03/04/09: DENT MAY AND HIS MAGNIFICENT UKULELE- London Betsey Trotwood
07/04/09: WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS- London Pure Groove
07/04/09: WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS (w/ Volcano!)- London Luminaire
08/04/09: HANDSOME FURS (w/ Dan Smith)- London 93 Feet East
12/04/09: DAVID BYRNE- London Royal Festival Hall
17/04/09-19/04/09: COACHELLA FESTIVAL (w/ Dear And The Headlights; Gui Boratto; The Hold Steady; Buraka Som Sistema; Franz Ferdinand; Leonard Cohen; Girl Talk; Paul McCartney; Zizek Club; Cloud Cult; Liars; Dr. Dog, Amanda Palmer; TV On The Radio; Fleet Foxes; MIA; Gang Gang Dance; Themselves; Vivian Girls; The Night Marchers; Okkervil River; Lykke Li; Peter, Bjorn and John; Anthony and The Johnsons; Yeah Yeah Yeahs; My Bloody Valentine; Public Enemy; The Cure; The Kills; Throbbing Gristle; Etienne De Crecy)- Indio, California, USA
23/04/09: DAN DEACON (w/ Future Islands; Teeth Mountain)- San Francisco Great American Music Hall
29/04/09: ORPHANS & VANDALS- London Pure Groove Records
06/05/09: AU REVOIR SIMONE (w/ Cortney Tidwell)- London Bush Hall
07/05/09: BISHOP ALLEN (w/ Tin Can Telephone; Stagecoach)- London Bardens Boudoir
08/05/09-10/05/09: ATP: VERSUS THE FANS FESTIVAL (w/ Grouper; Casiotone For The Painfully Alone; Jeffrey Lewis; M83; Andrew W.K.; Devo; Pink Mountaintops; Antipop Consortium; Retribution Gospel Choir; The Cave Singers; The Acorn; Young Marble Giants; Grizzly Bear; Beirut; Errors; Sleepy Sun; The Jesus Lizard; Sleep; Shearwater; Grails; !!!; Parts & Labor; Spiritualized; School Of Seven Bells; The Mae Shi)- Minehead, Somerset
11/05/09: ANDREW BIRD (w/ Cortney Tidwell; Snowbird)- Shepherd’s Bush Empire
12/05/09: SOY UN CABALLO (w/ This Is The Kit)- London Pure Groove Records
12/05/09: CURSIVE (w/ Airship)- London Dingwalls
13/05/09: HJARTALÍN- London Pure Groove Records
15/05/09-17/05/09: ATP: CURATED BY THE BREEDERS FESTIVAL (w/ The Holloys; Giant Sand; The Bronx; Throwing Muses; Yann Tiersen; Bon Iver; Pit Er Pat; The Whispertown 2000; Blood Red Shoes; Th’ Faith Healers; Teenage Fanclub; Shellac; The Breeders; Times New Viking; Heartless Bastards; Dianogah; Melt-Banana, Deerhunter; Kimya Dawson; Gang Of Four; Shellac)- Minehead, Somerset
19/05/09: MAGIC ARM- London Pure Groove Records
19/05/09: METRIC (w/ Connan and the Mockasins)- London Electric Ballroom
20/05/09: TITUS ANDRONICUS- London Pure Groove Records
20/05/09: DM STITH (w/ Marla Hansen)- London Hoxton Hall
26/05/09: THE RIGHT ON’S- Barcelona Salo Apolo
27/05/09: DAVID GEDGE- Barcelona Rift Shop
27/05/09: ZU (w/ Dalek)- Barcelona Salo Apolo
28/05/09-30/05/09: PRIMAVERA SOUND FESTIVAL (w/ Women; Magik Markers; Marnie Stern; Lightning Bolt; Yo La Tengo; Bowerbirds; The Jesus Lizard; Andrew Bird; My Bloody Valentine; Ponytail; The Horrors; WAVVES; Aphex Twin; Damien Jurado; Magnolia Electric Co.; Bat For Lashes; Sleepy Sun; Spiritualized; The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart; My Bloody Valentine; The Mae Shi; The Drones; Dan Deacon; The New Year; Maika Makovski; Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti; The Bad Plus; Flow; Michael Nyman; Neil Young; Oneida; Lemonade; Sonic Youth; Black Lips)- Barcelona Parc del Forum
30/05/09: CRYSTAL STILTS (w/ Bowerbirds; Ponytail)- Barcelona Joan Miro Park
31/05/09: KIMYA DAWSON (w/ Plants And Animals)- Barcelona Joan Miro Park
31/05/09: STANLEY BRINKS- Barcelona Salo Apolo
03/06/09: PLANTS AND ANIMALS (w/ Spokes; Sinking Cruise Ship Rescue Drama)- London Luminaire
05/06/09: DAN DEACON (w/ Future Islands; Adventure; Teeth Mountain)- University of London Union
08/06/09: MADENSUYU- London Pure Groove Records
08/06/09: THE DRONES- London Rough Trade East
10/06/09: FOL CHEN- London Pure Groove Records
11/06/09: COPY HAHO- London Pure Groove Records
17/06/09: DENGUE FEVER- London Pure Groove Records
17/06/09: SHONEN KNIFE (w/ Screaming Tea Party; Sputniko!)- Brixton Windmill
18/06/09: PATTI SMITH & A SILVER MT. ZION (w/ Soap & Skin)- London Royal Festival Hall
20/06/09: YNDI HALDA (w/ Paul Marshall; Snowbird)- London Union Chapel (85)
25/06/09: SHONEN KNIFE- London Pure Groove Records
25/06/09: THE LOW ANTHEM- London Rough Trade East
27/06/09: NEIL YOUNG (w/ Fleet Foxes; Alan Pownall; Alessi’s Ark; Steve Appleton)- London Hyde Park
30/06/09: PORTUGAL THE MAN- London Madame JoJo’s
01/07/09: DEERHOOF (w/ Anabel’s Poppy Day)- London Scala
03/07/09: BLUR (w/ Vampire Weekend; Florence and the Machine; Amadou and Mariam; Deerhoof)- London Hyde Park
08/07/09: ST. VINCENT (w/ Blue Roses)- London Institute of Contemporary Arts
10/07/09: CYMBALS EAT GUITARS- London Pure Groove Records
10/07/09: FENECH-SOLER- London Cargo
13/07/09: MÚM- London Pure Groove Records
13/07/09: MÚM- London Tabernacle
17/07/09-19/07/09: PITCHFORK FESTIVAL (w/ Tortoise; The Jesus Lizard; Built To Spill;
Cymbals Eat Guitars; Fucked Up; The Antlers; The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Final Fantasy; Lindstrom; Beirut; The National; The Mae Shi; Dianogah; Killer Whales; The Walkmen, Japandroids; M83; Mew; The Flaming Lips)- Union Park, Chicago, Illinois
18/07/09: THE DEPRECIATION GUILD- The Hideout, Chicago, Illinois
24/07/09: YACHT- London Pure Groove Records
02/08/09: FIRST AID KIT (w/ Treetop Flyers)- London Arnold Circus
03/08/09: DENT MAY AND HIS MAGNIFICENT UKULELE- London Pure Groove Records
06/08/09: WILD BEASTS- London Pure Groove Records
10/08/09: THE NATIONAL (w/ Broken Records)- London Royal Festival Hall
11/08/09: DEVOTCHKA (w/ Tristram Funnyman)- London Cargo
14/08/09: BROADCAST 2000 (w/ Forest Fire; We Aeronauts)- London Luminaire
18/08/09: PORT O’ BRIEN (w/ Kurran and the Wolfnotes)- London Borderline
19/08/09: BILL CALLAHAN (w/ Sophia Knapp)- London Union Chapel
21/08/09: BEACH HOUSE (w/ Vetiver; Papercuts)- London Union Chapel
24/08/09: MONOTONIX (w/ Astro Henge)- London Garage
27/08/09: I’M FROM BARCELONA- London Favela Chic
01/09/09: THE WELCOME WAGON (w/ Nicky)- London St. Leonard’s Church
02/09/09: THE ANTLERS (w/ Downdime; Trail)- London 229
03/09/09: THE DODOS (w/ Dan Michaelson and The Coastguards)- London Bush Hall
04/09/09: THE ANTLERS- London Pure Groove Records
04/09/09: THE ANTLERS- London Lexington
07/09/09: THE KISSAWAY TRAIL (w/ Chimes and Bells)- London Bush Hall
09/09/09: BELL ORCHESTRE (w/ The Luyas; Dan Smith)- London Garage
10/09/09: LONEY DEAR (w/ Wildbirds and Peacedrums; The Whispertown 2000)- London Union Chapel
12/09/09: ANDREW W.K- London Rough Trade East
13/09/09: DIRTY PROJECTORS (w/ tUnE-YaRdS)- London Scala
14/09/09: CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX- London Dingwalls
15/09/09: SUNSET RUBDOWN (w/ Oh Ruin)- London Garage
16/09/09: AU (w/ Twi The Humble Feather)- London Café Oto
19/09/09: THE WHISPERTOWN 2000 (w/ Anna Calvi; Joe McAdam; Planet Earth)- London Luminaire
21/09/09: THE VEILS (w/ Swimming; Say So)- London Scala
22/09/09: MUSIC GO MUSIC- London Institute Of Contemporary Arts
24/09/09: SLOW CLUB (w/ The Cheeks; Cate Le Bon)- London Scala
25/09/09: LOVELIKEFIRE- London Pure Groove Records
26/09/09: MOGWAI (w/ Zun Zun Egui; Zu; Crippled Black Phoenix; Team Brick; Thought Forms)- Bristol Colston Hall
29/09/09: JULIE DOIRON- London Pure Groove Records
30/09/09: JULIE DOIRON (w/ Construction & Destruction; Lazarus Clamp; Future Utopia)- London Luminaire
04/10/09: PLAYER PIANO (w/ Tap Tap; Lofty Heights; Stairs To Korea)- London Northampton Square
06/10/09: CHRIS GARNEAU (w/ Mary Hampton; Richard Walters)- London Luminaire
08/10/09: THE FIERY FURNACES- London Cargo
12/10/09: IMMACULATE MACHINE (Stained Glass Heroes; Joy Of Sex)- Brixton Windmill
13/10/09: SPIRITUALIZED- London Royal Festival Hall
20/10/09: GIRLS- London Pure Groove Records
20/10/09: SOAP AND SKIN (w/ Jon Hopkins)- London Purcell Rooms
22/10/09: DOVES (w/ Magazine)- London Roundhouse
23/10/09: CROCODILES- London Pure Groove Records
26/10/09: CLUES- London Pure Groove Records
26/10/09: OUR BROTHER THE NATIVE (w/ Zun Zun Egui; Freeze Puppy)- London Luminaire
27/10/09: YETI LANE- London Pure Groove Records
27/10/09: FREE ENERGY- London Rough Trade East
27/10/09: PORTUGAL THE MAN (w/ Sir Yes Sir; Baby Monster)- London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
28/10/09: EFTERKLANG (w/ Jaga Jazzist; Sons of Noel And Adrian)- London Barbican
31/10/09: GRIZZLY BEAR (w/ St. Vincent)- London Barbican
02/11/09: HANDSOME FURS- London Garage
03/11/09: JOHN VANDERSLICE- London Pure Groove Records
04/11/09: ALESSI’S ARK (w/ The Momeraths; Brooke Parrott)- London Betsey Trotwood
05/11/09: ROYKSOPP (w/ James Yuill)- London Shepherd’s Bush Empire
10/11/09: THE FLAMING LIPS (w/ Stardeath and White Dwarfs; Cymbals Eat Guitars)- London Troxy
11/11/09: CHOIR OF YOUNG BELIEVERS- London Pure Groove Records
14/11/09: REVERE- London Flowerpot
17/11/09: LULU AND THE LAMPSHADES- London Pure Groove Records
17/11/09: AKRON/FAMILY (w/ Slaraffenland; Wolf People)- London Garage
18/11/09: WHITE RABBITS (w/ Django Django; The Conservatives)- London Water Rats
19/11/09: THE DECEMBERISTS (w/ Emmy The Great)- London Coronet
20/11/09: I WAS A KING- London Pure Groove
21/11/09: GOD HELP THE GIRL (w/ Pocketbooks)- London 100 Club
24/11/09: ROYAL BANGS- London Pure Groove Records
24/11/09: STARFUCKER- London Flowerpot
25/11/09: THE ANTLERS (w/ I Was a King)- London Bush Hall
26/11/09: BLACK HEART PROCESSION (w/ Phosphorescent; Monotonix, Dosh; Githead; TODD)- London Scala
30/11/09: HAR MAR SUPERSTAR- London Pure Groove Records
30/11/09: LIGHTNING DUST (w/ Early Day Miners)- London Bush Hall
01/12/09: DEER TICK (w/ Megafaun)- London Borderline
02/12/09: OH NO ONO (w/ My Pretend Orchestra)- London 229
03/12/09: YO LA TENGO- London Rough Trade East
05/12/09: FEVER RAY (w/ Hildur Gudnadottir)- London Forum
06/12/09: FYFE DANGERFIELD (w/ Tristram)- London Victoria Park
07/12/09: DIRTY THREE (w/ Josh T. Pearson)- London Queen Elizabeth Hall
09/12/09: GLASS ROCK- London Pure Groove Records
09/12/09: BEACH HOUSE- London Fleapit
10/12/09: JAKE BELLOWS- London Pure Groove Records
10/12/09: TREETOP FLYERS (w/ Jake Bellows; Tom Basden; Matt Tiller)- London Luminaire
11/12/09-13/12/09: TEN YEARS OF ATP FESTIVAL (w/ Bardo Pond; Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks; J. Mascis and the Fog; Yeah Yeah Yeahs; Mum; Tortoise; Papa M; Afrirampo; Dirty Three; Shellac; Battles; The Melvins; Modest Mouse; Apse; The For Carnation; Shellac; Deerhoof; Explosions In The Sky; Fuck Buttons; Sunn O))); Apse) - Minehead, Somerset
14/12/09: TAKEN BY TREES (w/ Laetitia Sadler)- London Garage
17/12/09: AMIINA (w/ Esben and the Witch; Plaster of Paris)- London St. Leonard’s Church
07/01/10: FIELD MUSIC (w/ Lawrence Arabia)- London Hoxton Bar & Grill
12/01/10: MARTHA WAINWRIGHT (w/ The Boy Who Trapped The Sun)- London Jazz Café
20/01/10: MEMORY TAPES (w/ Fitness Tape Fiasco)- London Luminaire
23/01/10: SHH! FESTIVAL (w/ David Thomas Broughton; Sam Amidon; Coming Soon; Felix; Dry The River; Revere; Spencer McLean; Emit Bloch; Tim n Sam; Andrew Vincent)- London Cecil Sharp House
25/01/10: FINAL FANTASY(w/ Sam Amidon; Nico Muhly; Lightspeed Champion)- London Union Chapel
26/01/10: MEURSAULT- London Pure Groove Records
27/01/10: SHE KEEPS BEES (w/ Peggy Sue And The Pirates; Lulu And The Lampshades)- London Blackheart
28/01/10: MIDLAKE (w/ The Kissaway Trail)- London Tabernacle
29/01/10: SHUGO TOKUMARU (w/ Ana De Silva)- London Betsey Trotwood
01/02/10: DAG FOR DAG- London Pure Groove Records
01/02/10: THAO WITH THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN (w/ Dag For Dag; Foreign Slippers)- Camden Barfly
04/02/10: STILL FLYIN’ (w/ Bearsuit; Cats in Paris; Ella Janes)- London Proud Galleries
11/02/10: MUSIC GO MUSIC- University of London Union
12/02/10: AIR WAVES- London Pure Groove Records
15/02/10: tUne-YaRdS (w/ Trash Kit; Think About Life)- London Cargo
16/02/10: THINK ABOUT LIFE- London Pure Groove Records
16/02/10: SAM AMIDON- London Bacchus Pub and Kitchen
17/02/10: BEACH HOUSE (w/ Lawrence Arabia)- London Bush Hall
19/02/10: IMOGEN HEAP (w/ Tim Exile; Back Ted ‘n Ted)- London Shepherd’s Bush Empire
23/02/10: YEASAYER (w/ Javelin)- London Heaven
25/02/10: UNGDOMSKULEN (w/ The Good The Bad; Vuh)- London Lexington
27/02/10: IARLA Ó LIONAIRD (w/ Hildur Gudnadottir)- London Kings Place
28/02/10: SCARY MANSION (w/ The Tailors; A Line And A Dot)- London Slaughtered Lamb
01/03/10: SCARY MANSION- London Pure Groove Records
03/03/10: THE ANTLERS (w/ Marquis Tolliver)- London Union Chapel
04/03/10: ROSE MELBURG- London Pure Groove Records
05/03/10: GAGGLE- London Pure Groove Records
05/03/10: ZUN ZUN EGUI- London Notting Hill Arts Club
10/03/10: MUSEE MECANIQUE- London Pure Groove Records
10/03/10: GET WELL SOON (w/ Musee Mecanique)- London Borderline
11/03/10: PANDA BEAR (w/ Kurt Vile)- London Heaven
13/03/10: SUMMER CAMP (w/ The Last Dinosaur) - London Notting Hill Arts Club
13/03/10: GRIZZLY BEAR (w/ Beach House)- London Roundhouse
15/03/10: THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH (w/ Alessi‘s Ark)- London Bush Hall
16/03/10: WHY? (w/ I Might Be Wrong; Popular Damage)- London Heaven
18/03/10: THE HIDDEN CAMERAS (w/ The Psychologists)- London St. Leonard’s Church
18/03/10: ACTUAL AIR (w/ Dusty Cut)- London Gramaphone
22/03/10: THE MAGNETIC FIELDS- London Barbican
23/03/10: SLEIGH BELLS (w/ Vision of Trees)- London Madame JoJo’s
24/03/10: CLARE AND THE REASONS (w/ Laura Hocking)- London Luminaire
26/03/10: OWEN PALLETT (w/ Next Life)- London Koko
31/03/10: THE BESNARD LAKES- London Cargo
10/04/10: THE YOUNG REPUBLIC- Pike Street, Boulder, Colorado
16/04/10-18/04/10: COACHELLA FESTIVAL (w/ Deer Tick; The Avett Brothers; Dillinger Escape Plan, The Specials; Them Crooked Vultures; LCD Soundsystem; Vampire Weekend; Benny Benassi; Fever Ray; The Almighty Defenders; Portugal The Man; Camera Obscura; Beach House; Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes; Faith No More; Muse; Tiesto; The Middle East; The Soft Pack; Owen Pallett; Deerhunter; Jonsi; Infected Mushroom; Phoenix; Pavement; Thom Yorke; Gorillaz)- Indio, California
26/04/10: BASIA BULAT- London Luminaire
27/04/10: CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX (w/ Bodukwe)- London Luminaire
30/04/10: PRINCETON- London Pure Groove Records
03/05/10: THE TINY (w/ Louise Le May)- London Borderline
04/05/10: HIGH PLACES (w/ Bachelorette; Chen Santa Maria)- London Cargo
05/05/10: THE NATIONAL (w/ Buke & Gass)- London Electric Ballroom
06/05/10: THE NATIONAL (w/ Buke & Gass)- London Royal Albert Hall
07/05/10-09/05/10: ATP: CURATED BY MATT GROENING (w/ James Blackshaw; Broadcast; Built To Spill; Iggy and the Stooges; Toumani Diabate, Shonen Knife; The Fresh & Onlys; Liars; Boredoms; Danielson; Deerhunter; Konono No.1; She & Him; The Residents; Amadou & Mariam; Thee Oh Sees; Ponytail; Panda Bear; Boredoms; The Tiger Lillies; Daniel Johnston; Spiritualized; Joanna Newsom; The XX; The Raincoats; CocoRosie)- Minehead, Somerset
11/05/10: JOANNA NEWSOM- London Royal Festival Hall
12/05/10: JOANNA NEWSOM- London Royal Festival Hall
13/05/10: PAVEMENT (w/ Broken Social Scene)- London Brixton Academy
14/05/10: JEFFREY LEWIS (w/ Martin Creed)- London Tate Modern
15/05/10: WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS (w/ Choir of Young Believers)- London Bishopsgate Institute
17/05/10: BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE (w/ Timbre Timbre)- London Heaven
18/05/10: FOREST AND THE TREES- London Pure Groove Records
18/05/10: WOLF PARADE (w/ Joensuu 1685; Oh No Ono)- London Borderline
21/05/10: WOLF PARADE (w/ Joensuu 1685)- Manchester Club Academy
23/05/10: GHOST BEES (w/ Forest City Lovers; Joe Innes)- London Blackheart
24/05/10: HOLY FUCK- London Heaven
25/05/10: TITUS ANDRONICUS (w/ Friendship)- London The Camp
27/05/10-29/05/10: PRIMAVERA SOUND FESTIVAL (w/ Monotonix; A Sunny Day In Glasgow; Surfer Blood; The Fall; Titus Andronicus; Ui; Superchunk; Broken Social Scene; The Books; Mission Of Burma; Pavement; Owen Pallett; Wild Honey; Cohete; Low; Ganglians; CocoRosie; Wilco; Japandroids; Marc Almond; Shellac; Pixies; Yeasayer; Van Dyke Parks; Nana Grizol; Polvo; Grizzly Bear; Matt & Kim; Liquid Liquid; Pet Shop Boys)- Parc del Forum, Barcelona
29/05/10: THEE OH SEES (w/ A Sunny Day In Glasgow; Circulatory System)- Barcelona Joan Miro Park
30/05/10: REAL ESTATE (w/ King Khan and BBQ Show)- Barcelona Joan Miro Park
07/06/10: ‘ALLO DARLIN- London Rough Trade East
07/06/10: MENOMENA- London Hoxton Bar and Kitchen
10/06/10: AU REVOIR SIMONE (w/ Silver Columns; Clock Opera)- London Scala
11/06/10: LOVE IS ALL- London CAMP Basement
22/06/10: THE HOLD STEADY (w/ Cymbals Eat Guitars)- London Forum
23/06/10: tUnE-YaRdS (w/ Trash Kit)- London Scala
25/06/10: DIRTY PROJECTORS- London Barbican
30/06/10: BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE (w/ Here We Go Magic)- London Forum
01/07/10: JANELLE MONAE- London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen
03/07/10: LCD SOUNDSYSTEM (w/ DJ Shadow; 2ManyDJs; Unkle; Snoop Dogg; Jamie Lidell; Missy Elliot)- London Hyde Park
05/07/10: ARCADE FIRE- Casino De Paris, Paris
07/07/10: ARCADE FIRE- London Hackney Empire
20/07/10: SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS (w/ Active Child)- London Scala
03/08/10: JENS LEKMAN (w/ The Blow; Bill Wells)- London Union Chapel
09/08/10: SLEIGH BELLS (w/ TEETH; Becoming Real)- London Lexington
16/08/10: FOOL’S GOLD (w/ DM Stith)- London Borderline
25/08/10: THE WALKMEN (w/ Avi Buffalo)- London Islington Academy
26/08/10: WILDBIRDS & PEACEDRUMS (w/ Dan Michaelson and the Coastguards)- London Lexington
01/09/10: ZOLA JESUS (w/ Haxen Cloth)- London CAMP Basement
02/09/10: BO NINGEN (w/ Veni Vidi)- London Macbeth
07/09/10: FANG ISLAND (w/ Cymbals)- London Madame JoJo’s
08/09/10: FEVER RAY (w/ Zola Jesus)- Brixton Academy
10/09/10-12/09/10: END OF THE ROAD FESTIVAL (w/ CW Stoneking; Ruby Suns; Allo‘ Darlin‘; Freelance Whales; The Mountain Goats; Cymbals Eat Guitars; Wolf Parade; Modest Mouse; Edwyn Collins, The New Pornographers; Snowman; Nurses; Left With Pictures; Voice of the Seven Thunders; Monotonix; Iron & Wine; Brakes; Black Mountain; Caribou; Dylan LeBlanc; The Schizophrenics; The Antlers; The Felice Brothers; Django Django; Yuck; Mountain Man; Olof Arnalds; Errors; Wilco; Pulled Apart By Horses; Drum Eyes; The Felice Brothers)- Larmer Park, Dorset
16/09/10: DAN DEACON (w/ Sewn Leather; DJ Dog Dick)- London Fabric
18/09/10: BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE (w/ The Sea And Cake)- New York Central Park
18/09/10: OF MONTREAL- New York Terminal 5
19/09/10: YO LA TENGO- New York Bell House
20/09/10: SEA WOLF (w/ Sera Cahoone) - New York Knitting Factory
21/09/10: PAVEMENT- New York Central Park
26/09/10: !!! (w/ Fol Chen; Young Empires)- Toronto Lee’s Palace
29/09/10: BLONDE REDHEAD (w/ Porcelain Raft)- London Shepherd’s Bush Empire
01/10/10: OCEANSIZE (w/ This Town Needs Guns; Yndi Halda)- London Barfly
06/10/10: OF MONTREAL (w/ Cats In Paris)- London Koko
08/10/10: GIRLS’ NAMES (w/ Peep Holes; Weird Dreams)- London Drop
09/10/10: NO CARS (w/ Nitkowski)- London Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes
09/10/10: BO NINGEN- London Café Oto
12/10/10: MELT BANANA (w/ Throats; Humanfly)- London Islington Academy
16/10/10: PETER BRODERICK (w/ Bill Wells; Tsukimono)- London St. Giles Church
16/10/10: HEALTH (w/ Dam Mantle)- Lfondon EC2 Warehouse
18/10/10: SOAP & SKIN- London Union Chapel
19/10/10: PERFUME GENIUS (w/ Lonely Galaxy)- London Cecil Sharp House
20/10/10: DRUM EYES (w/ Becoming Real; Nedry; Devil Man; Rocketnumbernine)- London Corsica Studios
21/10/10: THE LOW FREQUENCY (w/ The Deer Tracks)- London Lexington
23/10/10: AMAZON MOLLY (w/ Minnie Birch; She Makes War; Birds of Paradise)- London Horatia
26/10/10: NISENNENMONDAI (w/ Cold Pumas; Waiters)- London The Nest
27/10/10: TWIN SHADOW- London Rough Trade East
27/10/10: KITTEN- London Flowerpot
30/10/10: POLVO (w/ BEAK; Factory Floor; Tweak Bird)- London Forum
31/10/10: DEAR WINESBURG (w/ Stealing Sheep)- London Arnold Square Bandstand
01/11/10: ZOLA JESUS (w/ Former Ghosts)- London Xoyo
03/11/10: SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS- London Roundhouse
04/11/10: HAPPY BIRTHDAY (w/ Spectrals; Fanzine)- Hoxton Bar And Kitchen
08/11/10: BO NINGEN (w/ Invasion; Lasers From Atlantis)- London Nest
09/11/10: HAUSCHKA (w/ Clem Leek)- London Bush Hall
10/11/10: LCD SOUNDSYSTEM (w/ Hot Chip)- London Alexandra Palace
12/11/10: GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT (w/ Caspian)- London Islington Academy
15/11/10: CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE (w/ Munch Munch)- London Cargo
18/11/10: FIGHT LIKE APES (w/ Standard Fare)- London Bull & Gate
19/11/10: TITUS ANDRONICUS (w/ Bravo Brave Bats)- Bristol Cooler
20/11/10: MARNIE STERN (w/ The Agitator)- Bristol Thekla
24/11/10: BO NINGEN (w/ Factory Floor)- London Heaven
25/11/10: TWIN SISTER (w/ Still Corners; Kotki Dwa)- London Lexington
26/11/10: JONSI (w/ Timber Timbre)- London Hammersmith Apollo
27/11/10: WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS (w/ Little Children)- London Union Chapel
29/11/10: GET WELL SOON (w/ Ben Sollee and David Lamaitre)- London Garage
01/12/10: ARCADE FIRE (w/ Devendra Banhart)- London O2 Arena
03/12/10-05/12/10: ATP: CURATED BY GODSPEED! YOU BLACK EMPEROR (w/ Growing; Black Dice; The Berg Sans Nipple; Tindersticks; Godspeed You! Black Emperor; Bardo Pond; Matana Roberts; The Dead C; Borbetomagus; Oneida; Nomeansno; Marissa Nadler; Godspeed You! Black Emperor; Rangda; Charlemagne Palestine; Neurosis; Weird Al Yankovic; Boban I Marko Markovic Orkestra; Deerhoof)- Minehead, Somerset
07/12/10: RATATAT- London Heaven
08/12/10: THOSE DANCING DAYS (w/ Stricken City)- London Lexington
09/12/10: THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS (w/ ‘Allo Darlin)- London Shepherd’s Bush Empire
11/10/10: ARCADE FIRE (w/ Devendra Banhart)- Manchester Central
14/12/10: THE BOY LEAST LIKELY TO (w/ Candle Thieves)- London Hoxton Bar and Kitchen
16/12/10: PETER BRODERICK (w/ Alessi‘s Ark; Lanterns On The Lake)- London Union Chapel
18/12/10: SHADY BARD (w/ The Maladies of Bellafontaine; Aiden Smith)- London Union Chapel

In total: 1762 sets, 1120 acts, 662 gigs.

2010-12-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

PETER BRODERICK (London Union Chapel, 16/12/10)

If Peter Broderick doesn’t achieve the critical acclaim of Owen Pallett or Andrew Bird in 2011, it’s proof that the world is a seriously messed-up place. His songs may not quite reach the heights of his peers, but his quirky, innovative, exceptional live performance is always a delight to behold.

(Photo: Sapphire Mason-Brown (Flickr))

2010-12-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

THE BOY LEAST LIKELY TO (London Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, 14/12/10)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Misselizabethlove (Flickr))

2010-12-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

ARCADE FIRE (Manchester Central, 11/12/10)

Not a vintage set, alas. A subdued crowd, an unremarkable setlist and an unfortunate "incident" involving a member of management does not a memorable show make; nice to hear “Deep Blue” get an airing though.

(Photo: Phil King (Flickr))

2010-12-20T13:51:00.000-08:00

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS (London Shepherd’s Bush Empire, 09/12/10)

Another straightforward, unfussy greatest hits set from the New Pornos, now with added Neko Case. They’ll never astound as a live band, but as long as they keep on playing “A Testament To Youth In Verse” I’m disinclined to care.

(Photo: LauraKateIsCrafty (Flickr))

2010-12-20T13:47:00.000-08:00

THOSE DANCING DAYS (London Lexington, 08/12/10)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Sebastian Faber (Flickr))

2010-12-20T13:45:00.000-08:00

RATATAT (London Heaven, 07/12/10)

It appears Heaven has wrested from Koko the questionable accolade of “Ruiner of Gigs”, and not even Ratatat could escape its inherent awfulness. Compared to the joyous dance party at Cargo (a venue that’s not generally known for its enthusiastic and non-pretentious audiences), I felt I was watching the normally brilliant indie/electronic duo in a morgue – and a morgue with bad acoustics at that. I actually spent most of the set at the back of the room reading the Economist; that’s how bored I was. Most disappointing set of the year.

(Photo: Pompous Iceburg (Flickr))

2010-12-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

ATP: CURATED BY GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR (Minehead Butlins, 03/12/10-05/12/10)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Stephanos Zachariadis (Flickr))

2010-12-20T13:39:00.000-08:00

ARCADE FIRE (London O2 Arena, 01/12/12)

Well, I wasn’t entirely convinced Arcade Fire would be able to hack the arena circuit, but happily my pessimism proved unfounded. True, I sorely miss the days where the band could spontaneously decide play outside churches, or when Win Butler would reckless throw himself into the audience during “Power Out”, but there’s no denying the anthemic qualities of their back catalogue translates fantastically into larger venues. True, a long string of slower numbers led to a mid-set lull (although no power on earth could compel me to criticise the airing of “Crown of Love”), but hearing the chorus of “Wake Up” resound around the O2 was something truly special.

(Photo: John Gleeson (Flickr))

2010-12-20T13:31:00.000-08:00

GET WELL SOON (London Garage, 29/11/10)

Despite the best efforts of the RMT to stop him, the German Neil Hannon returned to London to deliver another fine set of lusciously orchestrated chamber pop. Konstantin Gropper’s sharp sense of humour always entertains, and the band sound tighter than ever, but a few more songs from “Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon” wouldn’t have gone amiss.

(Photo: spiral_stairs (Flickr))

2010-11-28T08:46:00.000-08:00

WILDBIRDS AND PEACEDRUMS (London Union Chapel, 27/11/10)

I've seen Wildbirds and Peacedrums eleven times now, and every time I've written a post in this here blog to rave about them. But tonight...tonight was on a completely different level. Combined with Union Chapel's peerless acoustics and a twenty-piece choir, they delivered what has to be one of the top 10, if not 5 performances I have seen in my life (and as I've seen around 1,800 of them, that's saying something.) By the half-way mark, it was my already gig of the year - and then it got better. I can't remember the last time a show gave me so many goosebumps; “There Is No Light” and “Places” were breathtaking in a literal sense, and “My Heart” with full choral backing almost made me cry. Absolutely glorious.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

2010-11-28T08:41:00.000-08:00

JONSI (London Hammersmith Apollo, 26/11/10)

I wanted this to be the gig of the year…but it was merely very, very good indeed. Jonsi has one of the most truly beautiful voices in the business, and complete with some wonderful costumes, the most stunning projection work I’ve ever seen at a show and impeccable musicianship tonight certainly wasn’t lacking in memorable moments. But the songs are just too lightweight to engage on an emotional level; whilst I hoped for shivers down my spine, in general they were conspicuous by their absence- the one exception being the transcendentally epic "Grow Till Tall", which is up there with “Untitled 8” for sheer, mindblowing intensity. An excellent performance, for sure, but not the classic I’d anticipated.

(Photo: Visuels_ (Flickr))

2010-11-28T08:37:00.000-08:00

TWIN SISTER (London Lexington, 25/11/10)

One of my most anticipated shows this year…and my God it was wonderful. Like Beach House with more groove and a greater sense of fun, their dream-pop sounded even better live than on record, with tweaked arrangements, the occasional well-judged jam and a brilliantly 80’s-tastic cover that encompassed every retro synth tone you could possibly hope for. Only quibble was the length- 45 minutes simply wasn’t enough. Gorgeous.

(Photo: The Stool Pigeon)

2010-11-28T08:34:00.000-08:00

FACTORY FLOOR (London Heaven, 24/11/10)

Snoozeworthy. At least Bo Ningen’s support slot was entertaining, even though their psychedelic Japanese chaos was muted by a dreadfully mixed low-end.

(Photo: Kasper Vogelzang (Flickr))

2010-11-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

MARNIE STERN (Bristol Thekla, 20/11/10)

“Well, who *doesn’t* love clunge?” Yes indeed, Marnie, yes indeed. Dazzling guitar tapping skills from the mentalist Yank, even though you couldn’t hear her over the drum and bass for the first few songs.

(Photo: Mi_Mi (Flickr))

2010-11-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

TITUS ANDRONICUS (Bristol Cooler, 19/11/10)

I nearly lost my voice during “Battle of Hampton Roads.” That’s all you need to know.

(Photo: G. Ballantyne (Flickr))

2010-11-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

FIGHT LIKE APES (London Bull & Gate, 18/11/10)

High-energy, rowdy synth-pop from scintillating Irish beat combo; moshing was committed, t-shirts were thrown, ladders were climbed and “Something Global” was bellowed with much enthusiasm. Good craic.

(Photo: Lorne Thomson (Flickr))

2010-11-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE (London Cargo, 15/11/10)

Owen Ashworth’s last ever London show touring under the Casiotone monicker was a bittersweet occasion; it may have been our final opportunity to hear his poignant lo-fi indietronic ballads, but as send offs go it could have hardly been bettered. 90 minutes of all our favourite songs (White Corolla! Scattered Pearls! Jeane, If You’re Ever In Portland!) plus some delightful obscurities and impromptu moments of audience participation - the perfect swansong to a wonderful musical project.

(Photo: capitodeneuve (Flickr))

2010-11-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT (London Islington Academy, 12/11/10)

Live post-rock can be a chore sometimes; there's only so much you can do with meandering 15-minute instrumentals, especially if your palette is restricted to guitars and drums. Even genre stalwarts Explosions In The Sky have a tendency to lose my interest from time to time, which is why God Is An Astronaut and Caspian deserve major kudos from holding my attention from start to finish. Both bands are louder and rawer than your average post-rock outfit - Caspian's sound is edged with \M/etal, God Is An Astronaut with heavy rock, electronica and a touch of funk – resulting in a more satisfying and engaging experience than many of their peers. Having heard nothing at all by either act beforehand, I was thoroughly impressed- hope they come back to the UK soon.

(Photo: Innovating Concept (Flickr))

2010-11-14T12:32:00.000-08:00

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM (London Alexandra Palace, 10/11/10)

If this hadn't taken place in an atmosphere vacuum like Ally Pally, this could very well have been the gig of the year. Hot Chip's 70-minute support slot was the perfect warm-up for an absolute blinder of a set – “All My Friends” was phenomenal, “Daft Punk Are Playing In My House” sounded more raw and vital than ever, and as for "Dance Yrself Clean"...well, it's safe to say that it's a contender for the best opener I've heard in over 600 gigs. Let's hope James Murphy reconsiders his decision to end LCDSS after this tour, because on the evidence here, it's clear they're currently at the top of their game.

(Photo: Alex Twose (Flickr))

2010-11-14T12:30:00.000-08:00

HAUSCHKA (London Bush Hall, 09/11/10)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Schrollum (Flickr))

2010-11-14T12:27:00.000-08:00

BO NINGEN (London CAMP Basement, 08/11/10)

I refer you to the above photo by the exceptionally talented Stacy Liu. It sums up this show better than I ever could.

(Photo: Stacy Liu)

2010-11-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY (London Hoxton Bar & Kitchen, 04/11/10)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

2010-11-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

SHARON JONES AND THE DAP KINGS (London Roundhouse, 03/11/10)

On the whole I've got no beef with the Roundhouse, but it's sometimes curiously devoid of atmosphere. A case in point: Ms. Sharon Jones and her Dap Kings. She's a vital, overwhelmingly charismatic performer, blessed with powerhouse vocals and a repetoire of songs that make the most of her talents. Her band is excellent; brassy, punchy and soulful. If this had been at the Jazz Cafe, I don't doubt it would have been one of the more memorable, joyous gigs of the year. But at the Roundhouse, something was lacking - perhaps the crowd had been thinned out by Bob Crowe's strike-happiness or something, but it never quite sparked in the way I hoped it would.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

2010-11-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

ZOLA JESUS (London XOYO, 01/11/10)

XOYO is an "important new warehouse space in East London" according to its owners, a phrase that should strike fear into the hearts of any right-thinking person. And indeed, it's exactly what you'd imagine: an ill-ventilated, soulless concrete basement devoid of anything approaching charm or decent accoustics. A host of technical glitches, murky sound, and oppressive humidity overwhelmed the undoubtedly talented Former Ghosts; the bleak gothic intensity of Zola Jesus faired better, although without a backing band it did come across as karaoke with pretensions.

(Photo: Stefanos Zachariadis (Flickr))

2010-10-31T03:11:00.000-07:00

NISENNENMONDAI (London The Nest, 26/10/10)

Nisennenmondai's drummer must be a cyborg. That's the only way I can reconcile the fact that a 5ft tall Japanese lady can combine the ferociously exact, technically astounding human-drum-machine tendencies of John Stanier with the dazzling free-style wildness of a Greg Saunier or Tyson Vogel. I mean, I've seen perhaps a thousand percussionists in my time, but few quite match up to the jaw-dropping brilliance I witnessed from Sayaka Himeno. At times, she looked like she had been fast-forwarded to 1.5x speed; quite a sight to behold for those of us not hindered from seeing anything by the unfortunate new layout of The Venue Formerly Known As Bardens. Their pulsing, krautrock-y, groove-laden instrumentals may not be to everyone's taste, but it certainly ticked all my boxes- an absolutely blinding performance, and a definite contender for my revelation of 2010.

(Photo: AllThatImprobableBlue (Flickr))

2010-10-23T17:45:00.000-07:00

THE DEER TRACKS (London Lexington, 21/10/10)

I’m not entirely sure about the new glam-rock look, but the Deer Tracks’ first UK show in 18 months generally bodes well for their upcoming semaphore album. They’re understandably a bit rusty after their touring hiatus, but the new material appears to retain the same Mew-like majesty that made “Aurora” such an underrated pleasure, and “Yes, You Are My Broken Shield” remains an absolute blinder of a tune.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

2010-10-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

DRUM EYES (London Corsica Studios, 20/10/10)

Although less focused than their End of The Road set, Drum Eyes nonetheless cemented their place in my Top Live Bands of the year list with another stunning performance. Sounding like Dan Deacon remixing Bo Ningen, their mix of melodic synth-heavy electronica and heavy psychedelic rock couldn’t be more attuned to my tastes if they tried. Shame the audience wasn’t quite as amazing as EOTR, but you can’t have everything. Also, mad props to support acts Nedry (Portishead-esque minimalist loveliness) and Devil Man (ear shattering electro-dubstep).

(Photo: Tim Boddy (Flickr))

2010-10-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

PERFUME GENIUS (London Cecil Sharp House, 19/10/10)

After all the hype, I must admit to being a little underwhelmed by Perfume Genius. Sure, he’s obviously immensely talented and there were individual moments of delicate beauty, but after the multi-instrumental virtuosity of Peter Broderick, and the terrifying intensity of Soap & Skin, this couldn’t help but feel a little insubstantial in comparison.

(Photo: Christoper Walmsley (Flickr))

2010-10-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

SOAP&SKIN (London Union Chapel, 18/10/10)

Woah. In seven years of ardent gig-going, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like THAT. Anja Plaschg is clearly an incredibly gifted musician; but she’s also got some serious demons in her past. Tonight, the 20-year-old Austrian wunderkund performed with a string ensemble, and they certainly added much to the performance; “Cry Wolf” was one of the most achingly beautiful songs I‘ve heard this year, “Marche Funebre” more bleakly gothic than ever. But it’s her personal intensity that makes her such a compelling, unsettling presence. During Spiracle, one of her most powerful songs, she froze - completely. People started to tentatively clap; she shouted at them to stop. She ran to her backing singer who quietly comforted her, and then, a full minute later she returned, imbuing the rest of a song with a vitriolic passion that genuinely scared me a little. Ditto a German song she dedicated to her father; whilst one couldn’t understand the words, the ill-suppressed rage was clear to see. Of course, she could be an amazing actress, but even if she was, that doesn’t detract from the power of her live performance; whilst she can be draining, cold, even frightening, she’s also one-of-a-kind.

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

2010-10-18T04:10:00.000-07:00

HEALTH (London EC2 Warehouse, 16/10/10)

My eternal disdain for East London is well-documented, but there’s no denying that there’s few places that suit a band like HEALTH more than a hipster-filled warehouse in the depths of Shoreditch. And man, did they kill it tonight, with a show that wasn’t so much a musical experience as a brutal, unyielding assault on the senses. Absolute chaotic brilliance, with one of the most impressive drummers in the business - £15 may have been a steep asking price, but it was worth every penny.

(Photo: Sleeparchive (Songkick))

2010-10-18T04:04:00.000-07:00

PETER BRODERICK (London St. Giles Church, 16/10/10)

With the advent of Andrew Bird, Owen Pallett et al., loop-pedalists have lost the novelty they once had, but the depressingly youthful Peter Broderick is something rather special. His lyrics may not meet the ambition and craft of his astounding musicianship (encompassing piano, violin, guitar and musical saw), but when he’s on form, he can send shivers down the spine like few others. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to experience his music in such an intimate setting - it’s only a matter of time before he gets the critical recognition he deserves, and venues like St. Giles are lost to him for ever.

(Photo: Abroadjz (Flickr))

2010-10-18T03:56:00.000-07:00

MELT BANANA (London Islington Academy, 12/10/10)

The fact my ears were still ringing three days later was perhaps the best testament to the visceral brilliance of the veteran Japanese noise-rockers. Mixing their “traditional” (but still ear-splitting) fare with their more offbeat sonic experiments (including a series of 7-second songs during the encore), they’re not a band for the light-hearted, but for those who can handle the punishment they make all other music seem weaksauce in comparison.

(Photo: Sukesukesue (Flickr))

2010-10-18T03:49:00.000-07:00

NO CARS (London Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes, 09/10/10)

All-girl Japanese three-piece, playing shambolic but strangely endearing lofi 60’s-influenced pop-rock. Worth it for the bewildering banter alone.

2010-10-18T03:44:00.000-07:00

GIRLS’ NAMES (Stoke Newington Drop, 08/10/10)

I don’t actually remember much about this gig, but I do recall Peep Holes started promisingly before technical problems scuppered their set. *Think* I enjoyed Girls’ Names, but I also think I’d drunk quite a bit by that stage...

2010-10-18T03:39:00.000-07:00

OF MONTREAL (London Koko, 06/10/10)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Anika Mottershaw)

2010-10-18T03:34:00.000-07:00

OCEANSIZE (London Koko, 01/10/10)

Yndi Halda are one of the best post-rock bands in the UK, which made it particularly gutting that they were cut off 20 minutes into their set for the breathtakingly mediocre TTNG, one of those identikit math rock bands I thought (and hoped) disappeared circa 2005. As for Oceansize…they were alright, I guess.

(Photo: Sicksadlittleworld (Flickr))

2010-10-18T03:26:00.000-07:00

BLONDE REDHEAD (London Shepherd’s Bush Empire, 29/09/10)

Review: HERE

(Photo: Ely Collini (Flickr)