J U LY 2 0 1 5 ISSUE 28 // FREE
METROPOLIS MUSIC PRESENTS
METROPOLIS MUSIC BY ARRANGEMENT WITH THE AGENCY GROUP PRESENTS
PLUS SUPPORT
RYAN O’REILLY
MONDAY13 JULY
T H U R S DAY 2 n d J U LY OSLO. HACKNEY
ALT-TICKETS.CO.UK | GIGSANDTOURS.COM | TICKETMASTER.CO.UK THISISTHEMILK.COM | /THISISTHEMILK
GIGSANDTOURS.COM / SONGKICK.COM / STARGREEN.COM / AXS.COM
f/WERAUR
U@RAURY
A METROPOLIS MUSIC AND GOLDENVOICE PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH CODA
METROPOLIS MUSIC BY ARRANGEMENT WITH PRIMARY TALENT INTERNATIONAL PRESENT
Thursday 10 September
OSLO
Gigsandtours.com Ticketmaster.co.uk Stargreen.com A Metropolis Music presentation by arrangement with The Agency
haydenjamesmusic.com f haydenjamesartist New single ‘Something About You’ available now on Spotify
+ GUESTS
FRIDAY 25 SEPTEMBER
TUFNELL PARK DOME SEETICKETS.COM TICKETMASTER.CO.UK
TUESDAY 27 OCTOBER
MURA MASA TUE 20 OCTOBER - VILLAGE UNDERGROUND g i g s a n d t o u r s . c o m / s o n g k i ck . c o m / s t a r g r e e n . c o m
A Metropolis Music presentation by arrangement with Primary Talent
UNION CHAPEL GIGSANDTOURS.COM SONGKICK.COM STARGREEN.COM
DEBUT ALBUM ‘BEFORE WE FORGOT HOW TO DREAM’ OUT NOW SOAKMUSIC.CO.UK A METROPOLIS MUSIC PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH ATC LIVE
P R I O R I T Y B O O K I N GS
WELCOME
JULIO BASHMORE
July is undoubtedly a quieter month for music, as we all pack up and head for fields around the country to soak up some sun (hopefully) and catch our favourite bands. That's not to say it's not an incredibly strong month for releases, we were super excited when house-music extraordinaire Julio Bashmore announced that he's finally releasing his debut album, don't miss Rob Leedham's brilliant interview with
him inside, it's been quite the journey. So with less new music, more festivals and the tempratures rising, this month we're going to jump off the crazy roundabout of making a magazine and try and spend some time taking it all in. Hopefully, so will you. See you in August
STAFF ON REPEAT the tracks we can’t stop listening to this month JESS: KIIARA - GOLD DAVE: THE RADIO DEPT. - OCCUPIED LOKI: AMATEUR BEST - MARZIPAN DANNY: BECK - DREAMS AMATEUR BEST
GEMMA: MBONGWANA STAR - MALUKAYI LiS 03
PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING
29 | 11 | 15 O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON PUBLICSERVICEBROADCASTING.NET O2ACADEMYBRIXTON.CO.UK | AXS.COM | TICKETWEB.CO.UK A goldenvoice PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH THIS IS NOW AGENCY
CONTENTS 08. ON THE STEREO
LONDON IN STEREO IS:
13. NEW SOUNDS
Editor: Jess Partridge jess@londoninstereo.co.uk
17. TALES FROM THE CITY
Deputy Editor: Dave Rowlinson dave@londoninstereo.co.uk
20. EZRA FURMAN
Sub-Editor/Sales: Loki Lillistone loki@londoninstereo.co.uk
26. JULIO BASHMORE
Staff Writers: Danny Wright Gemma Samways Jack Urwin
32. ALBUM REVIEWS 40. EVENTS
Photography: Cover story: Sebastian Nevols
45. GIGS OF THE MONTH
Field Day: Sebastian Barros & Jess Maddock.
49. LIVE LISTINGS 69. IN LONDON 70. LIVE REVIEWS 73. PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
Contributors: Rob Leedham, Sammy Maine, Tim Hakki, Geoff Cowart, Lucie Grace, Thomas Hannan, Hayley Scott, Nick Mee, Simone Scott Warren, George O’Brien, Tom Johnson, Henry Wilkinson, Grant Bailey.
EZRA FURMAN londoninstereo.com
@LondonInStereo
/londoninstereo
/london-in-stereo
londoninstereo LiS 05
— F RI 0 3 J U L
[18+]
—
— T H U 0 6 AUG —
CUBANISTO PRESENTS
THE AVENGERS
A HIDDEN PARTY FEATURING
— SAT 0 8 AUG —
HOUSE OF MASK
SPECIAL GUESTS
WEISS + PETE GRIFFITHS
— SAT 11 J U L —
PLEASURE HOUSE
CC SMUGGLERS
REAL LIFE CHARM + SAHARA
— SAT 1 5 AUG
THE FELICE BROTHERS
—
SPECIAL GUESTS
— SAT 1 9 S EP —
SPECIAL GUESTS
RACHAEL YAMAGATA
— T HU 2 3 J U L —
THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART
SPECIAL GUESTS
— TH U 0 8 O CT —
SPECIAL GUESTS
[18+]
[18+]
DELUXE
— T U E 14 J U L —
— F RI 24 J U L
HERMITAGE GREEN
WILL & THE PEOPLE
—
THE ONLY ONES’ PETER PERRETT
MORE LIKE TREES
STRANGEFRUIT + THE LOST BOYS + CLUB.THE.MAMMOTH. AFTER PARTY
— WED 29 JUL —
RICHIE CAMPBELL
— EVERY FI RST SATURDAY — A MONTHLY BRITPOP PARTY
SPECIAL GUESTS
— F R I 31 J U L —
LUNA
SPECIAL GUESTS + CLUB.THE.MAMMOTH. AFTER PARTY
— SAT 01 AU G —
THE LEE THOMPSON SKA ORCHESTRA
— EVERY LAST SATURDAY —
HOMETOWN HIFI + DJ DARREN BENETT
60S SOUL & ROCK N ROLL
FO LLOW US THEGARAGEHIGHBURY
THEGARAGEHQ
THEGARAGELONDON
THEGARAGEHIGHBURY.COM 20-22 Highbury Corner, London, N5 1RD, United Kingdom. Tickets available from ticketweb.co.uk or 0844 847 2424 (24hr)
MINI MANSIONS
BRONCHO
OSLO LONDON TUE 30 JUN
DINGWALLS LONDON WED 01 JUL
KINS
NOTHING BUT THIEVES
SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS LONDON TUE 07 JUL
BOB MOSES
LEXINGTON LONDON THU 20 AUG
MT WOLF
BUSH HALL LONDON WED 14 OCT
JOSEF SALVAT LONDON HEAVEN TUE 20 OCT
THE DOME LONDON WED 08 JUL
RADKEY
OLD BLUE LAST LONDON TUE 01 SEP
GEORGE THE POET
NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS AT CALLING FESTIVAL CLAPHAM COMMON LONDON SAT 04 JUL
BILLIE BLACK
THE WAITING ROOM LONDON WED 08 JUL
ODESZA
KOKO LONDON WED 14 OCT
AURORA
O 2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE LONDON FRI 16 OCT
HOXTON BAR & KITCHEN LONDON FRI 18 SEP
YO LA TENGO
WALKING ON CARS
O 2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE TUE 20 OCT
@ L NSo u rce
ELECTRIC BALLROOM LONDON FRI 23 OCT
Tickets | Exclusives | Win | livenation.co.uk
OSCAR KEY SUNG BRUSH
Melbourne’s Oscar Key Sung is one of the best electronic-R&B artists out right now, and in our favorite song from his Altruism EP, he’s managed to capture a rare emotion: the magical attraction that sparks when you see someone special for the first time. With his distinctly smooth vocals and stunning synth work, Oscar’s masterminded a piece that always retains its charm by emitting the same delightfully stirring feeling each time it’s played.
POWERS
BEAT OF MY DRUM
OSCAR KEY SUNG
New York and Los Angeles duo POWERS have been making clean, exciting pop for over a year now, and following their super refreshing version of The Knocks’ ‘Classic’ track seven months ago, they've come back with an original tune titled ‘Beat Of My Drum’ that’s resumed their ultra-infectious ways. The track is upbeat, sunlit, and absolutely radio-ready, so with warmer and more fun summer months ahead, this track will certainly see its play.
M.I.L.K. IF WE WANT TO It isn't peculiar to yearn for a life less stressful, to give it all away for a more carefree, sun-filled existence. Is this irresponsible? Perhaps, but as the gentle sway of tropical sounds from M.I.L.K. wash over us we can’t help but be lost in our own personal wanderlust fantasy.
MURA MASA LOVESICK FUCK Mura Masa's ‘Lovesick Fuck’ is one of the best electronic tracks of 2015, period. In a genre where it's hard to be unique or stand out, it’s rare that you ever hear a track like this one. The creativity that the English producer shows on the track is simply peerless.
M.I.L.K.
RATIONALE FAST LANE Rationale is the kind of artist that makes you question exactly how making something this smooth could be possible with human technology. This London based artist is brand new, but already he’s taking over, and his debut track, ‘Fast Lane’ is a juggernaut by all measures. hillydilly.com @hillydilly facebook.com/hillydillyblog soundcloud.com/hillydilly
MURA MASA LiS 09
METROPOLIS MUSIC PRESENTS
T H U R S DAY 01 O C TO B E R
ALEX ANDR A PA L AC E SEETICKETS.COM TICKETMASTER.CO.UK STARGREEN.COM THE NEW ALBUM ‘GLITTERBUG’ OUT NOW THEWOMBATS.CO.UK A METROPOLIS MUSIC PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH PRIMARY TALENT INTERNATIONAL
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS (EXCEPT 26)
SUNDAY 22 & MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER NEW DATE ADDED DUE TO DEMAND
THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER
O 2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
TICKETWEB.CO.UK GIGSANDTOURS.COM STARGREEN.COM THEVACCINES.COM /THEVACCINES NEW ALBUM ‘ENGLISH GRAFFITI’ OUT NOW A METROPOLIS MUSIC PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH CODA
P R I O R I T Y B O O K I N GS
NEW SOUNDS by Gemma Samways ANNA B SAVAGE
Is there a more overused descriptor in music than “confessional”? Carelessly flung at any singer-songwriter who favours first-person narratives, its frequent misuse encourages reductive, literal readings of songs that are – most likely – informed by a tangle of autobiographical, observational and hypothetical scenarios. As if foreseeing a slew of lazy c-bombs from the music press, Anna B Savage’s publicists have been quick to emphasise the distinction between the “candid” and the “confessional” in her work. Listening to the Londoner’s stunning debut EP, you can understand why they felt so compelled. “He’s left the lights on, so I’ve kept my shirt on,” sings Savage in a tremulous near-whisper at the start of ‘I’, “I’m too insecure for this / For him to undress me and take the piss.” Cradled by the rippling warmth of acoustic guitar – and
later by a full-band – Savage’s eloquent words on self-doubt and trust feel arrestingly unfiltered. That honesty is mirrored by DM Stith’s minimal production, which foregrounds those magnetic vocals in the mix. Whether set to skeletal guitar in the verses of ‘II’, or amongst waves of warm instrumentation on ‘III’, Savage’s voice is always the focus. Rich in timbre and deeply-expressive, it wrings emotion from every syllable, and lends a sense of sincerity to her fearless, frequently painful lyrics. At this stage, we don’t know if Savage’s dark stories emanate from personal experience, and it doesn’t matter; they resonate deeply, all the same. LISTEN TO: 1 ONLINE: annabsavage.com // @annaBEsavage facebook.com/AnnaBSavage LiS 13
Goldenvoice Presents
21.09.15 ALEXANDRA PALACE
WHILK AND MISKY 22.09.15 08.07.15 BIRTHDAYS
THE MAGIC GANG 10.07.15 BOSTON MUSIC ROOM
RAURY 13.07.15 VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
YAK 18.07.15 LANGHAM WORKING MEN’S CLUB
LEO KALYAN 29.07.15 THE WAITING ROOM
HUNTAR 10.08.15 ELECTROWERKZ
WAND 09.09.15 ELECTROWERKZ
SHURA 17.09.15 BRIXTON ELECTRIC
ALEXANDRA PALACE
SPEEDY ORTIZ 21.10.15 DOME TUFNELL PARK
SWIM DEEP
+ THE MAGIC GANG
24.09.15 ALEXANDRA PALACE
22.10.15 ROUNDHOUSE
25.09.15 ALEXANDRA PALACE
MARIBOU STATE
WOLF ALICE 26.09.15 BRIXTON 02 ACADEMY
SLEAFORD MODS 02.10.15 FORUM
THE STRYPES 02.10.15 KOKO
MEADOWLARK 06.10.15 THE LEXINGTON
GENGAHR 08.10.15 SCALA
EDITORS 13.10.15 EVENTIM APOLLO
ALL WE ARE 14.10.15 SCALA
JP COOPER 15.10.15 KOKO
2 7.1 0.1 5 VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
YEARS & YEARS
28.10.15 SOLD OUT BRIXTON O2 ACADEMY
VAULTS 11.11.15 KOKO
LUCY ROSE 18.11.15 FORUM
ALABAMA SHAKES
UT
18.11.15 SOLD O BRIXTON O2 ACADEMY 18.11.15 BRIXTON O2 ACADEMY
PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING 29.11.15 BRIXTON 02 ACADEMY
goldenvoiceuk
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE
goldenvoice.co.uk
08.07.15 OSLO HACKNEY
JUL – NOV
EMILIE NICOLAS
Goldenvoice Presents
goldenvoice.co.uk
PLUS
SATURDAY 26 SEPTEMBER
O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON WOLFALICE.CO.UK
DEBUT ALBUM ‘MY LOVE IS COOL’ OUT NOW
THURSDAY 22 OCTOBER
ROUNDHOUSE SONGKICK.COM SWIM- DEEP.CO.UK
WAND THURSDAY 17 SEPTEMBER
ELECTRIC BRIXTON
wedNESDAY 09 SEPTEMBER
Electrowerkz Golem available now on In The Red rcds
WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER
KOKO
DEBUT ALBUM ‘A DREAM OUTSIDE’ OUT NOW ON TRANSGRESSIVE RECORDS.
TALES FROM THE CITY
by Ducktails
Ducktails’ new album St. Catherine is released July 24th via Domino.
photo: Giovanni Duca
I don’t think I’ve ever had a boring time in London. I’ve actually just returned from the city today as I write this at home in New Jersey and the last trip did not disappoint. We were in town to play songs from my new album St. Catherine at Field Day and our set time got changed because another band cancelled so we had more time than we thought after and decided to head out to a BBQ we’d been invited to nearby. When we arrived I realised a couple of things. Firstly I remembered that I’d been to the exact same place five years before. Well, almost been. I’d actually slept outside on the grass all night when I realised I couldn’t get in. I’d been trying to go to a party at my A&R’s apartment after the first Real Estate show in London but he had fallen asleep so I came to this place, where another friend lived at the time and he wasn’t in either. The place must have bad vibes for me because this time around we quickly realised we weren’t really invited to the BBQ, which was bad because I’d invited all of Mac DeMarco and DIIV to come along also. By the time they turned up we had already been told to leave and so I briefly found myself stuck outside on that very same doomed grass again. Thankfully I wasn’t alone this time though and the next thing I knew I was watching Mac sing Elton John at karaoke at the Dolphin where he attracted the attention of a porn director who invited us all to drink tequila at his penthouse. The night ended with the city skyline as viewed from the balcony and then City View, our ironically named three-to-a-room budget hotel on Bethnal Green Road. Touring’s all about taking the rough with the smooth.
LiS 17
Craig Richards Terry Francis Adam Shelton Bob Moses (live) Cobblestone Jazz (live) Cari Lekebusch D’Julz Damaged Frank & Tony Fumiya Tanaka Giles Smith James Priestley
fabric July Jamie Jones Mike Huckaby Palms Trax (live) 3DWULFH 6FRΆ Radio Slave S.A.M. Skudge (live) Stacey Pullen ɦH 0ROH ɦH 5HYHQJH OLYH
Zip Plus Many More...
www.fabriclondon.com
July 2015 Ben UFO Black Sun Empire Critical Sound Culture Shock DJ EZ DJ Haus DJ Hype DJ Marky Elijah & Skilliam Fred V & Grafix Hamilton Hazard Illum Sphere Krystal Klear Legowelt (DJ Set) Lenzman LTJ Bukem Moxie Mumdance Optiv & Btk Pangaea Pearson Sound State Of Mind Surgeon Plus Many More... www.fabriclondon.com
Photography: Phil Sharp
EZRA FURMAN words - danny wright
Ezra Furman ponders the question. There’s a long pause before he answers. “I think it’s, erm, better than any of the records I’ve made before…” Another pregnant pause follows. “But I can’t think too much about that. I can’t be pleased for long because that’s not good for me. I thrive on feeling dissatisfied with what I’ve done – that’s how I do a good thing next.” This sense of uneasiness with settling not only drives and motivates him; it also seems to manifest itself as we speak. He leaves long gaps in between sentences, so much so that you think he’s finished. Yet, rather than dissatisfaction, the truth seems to be that he’s simply searching for the exact meaning he wants to convey. This is a man who only wants to do something if it can be the best; who cares intensely about every single aspect of putting his music together. He’s also unflinchingly honest about his music and his life. This intensity and passion means he goes through waves of how he views what he’s created. Take his lyric writing: “It’s always painful and it’s always embarrassing. I write something and it seems terrible – that’s always my first reaction. Well, first there’s half of an hour of ‘Well, this is the greatest thing ever’ and then I listen to it again an hour later and I’m like ‘This is so embarrassing, I can never let anybody hear this’. ”
Yet he shouldn’t worry – his initial instinct was correct. With Perpetual Motion People, he’s created one of the albums of the year. It builds on 2013’s Day of the Dog; filling it out and colouring it in. “I feel like I went for a certain world [with Day of the Dog], and I reached my ideal of perfection within those bounds.” But he wanted to go further, to stretch himself. Perpetual Motion People certainly feels like that step up. “I wanted to make one that was less a band just doing it’s thing and one that’s more orchestrated and had a little bit more complexity to it.” “There was a lot of discovery in making this which wasn’t really true for Day of the Dog. I learnt as I went and it kind of got out of my hands, which I found really interesting.” Sonically it’s a technicolour mélange of doo-wop, sax and 50s rock’n’roll, while lyrically a central theme of ambiguity emerged – rejoicing in just being himself and not part of any bigger notions of identity. “The themes emerged on their own. I kind of just wanted it to be a document of where this band is right now, stretching its limits. But it did turn out to have real recurring themes that I wasn’t even aware of - and an overarching theme of something to do with perpetual motion.” So that title came at the end? “I went through a million titles that eventually didn’t ring true. But when Perpetual Motion People came to me I realised that was who it’s by and who it’s for.” “I think the real theme of the record is restlessness and ambiguity and being in LiS 21
“I thrive on feeling dissatisfied with what I’ve done...” between things. I’m undecidable about who I am, and what kind of music we play and my gender is liminal – it’s ambiguous. Also, where do I exactly live in the world?” “There’s a lot of ambiguity about me and about the band. And I’m proud of it – that’s what I realised. Declaring one’s independence from all categories is quite empowering for me.” Perpetual Motion People can be seen as a celebration of those frictions – a discovery of a self-assurance in finding his own place and asserting it. I mention that I’d read that an epiphany of sorts had come to him when he realised he had to stop thinking about his audience entirely, and start creating music to satisfy himself. “Yeah, I didn’t realise early in my music career how crucial it was to forget the audience. You have to know that this is its
own world and that the world outside this recording studio has no bearing on what’s good, because it doesn’t. It’ll paralyse you – if you sit down to create something to please people you will come out with something bad.” Now with this album ready to wow the public and superlative reviews of his live shows coming in, the doubts that pervade him may start to slowly evaporate. He won’t tour extensively (“One of the problems is that I’m a person who needs to be alone and it’s hard to be on tour as much as I should. I’d suffocate.”) but when he does it’s always an experience. We speak a few days after one of these incendiary show at The Lexington. “It was a bit insane – the audience got real physical. Music biz people even got in the moshpit.” I ask him why he thinks it’s taken off so well in the UK. “It’s miraculous to me. That kind of question I can only say a really grateful ‘I don’t know’. How come oil and water separate? You could find the scientific reason but I find it more interesting just to be amazed. It’s a gift from God.” Yet despite all of this, the doubts persist. He admits there’s always the nagging doubt he will write a terrible song. “That’s something I fear – that I’ll write a bad song and then play it with the band and because it sounds good with them I won’t notice how bad it is. I’m actually really careful to not let a bad lyric on to my record. Whenever I hear a bad lyric on a finished album I’m like ‘HOW did they let that get on there?’ That’s because that’s what I care about.” There’s certainly no doubting that. Perpetual Motion People is released July 6th via Bella Union Ezra Furman plays Rough Trade East July 6th and O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire October 22nd.
HOXTON SQUARE BAR AND KITCHEN GIG LISTINGS THU 02 JUL 8PM 18+ £15
WED 26 AUG 8PM 18+ £7
THU 09 JUL 8PM 18+ £7
THU 27 AUG 8PM 18+ £11
ERIC HUTCHINSON SPECIAL GUESTS
KASSASSIN STREET FACE
LITTLE GRIM THE HACIENDA + THE LIMITED
BROKEN BRASS ENSEMBLE SPECIAL GUESTS
+ NAPALM BETTY
FRI 10 JUL 7:30PM 18+ £8
FRI 28 AUG 7:30PM 18+ £14
MUJERES SPECIAL GUESTS
THU 16 JUL 8PM 18+ £6
BAD FOR LAZARUS SAINT AGNES + PINK LIZARDS SUN 19 JUL 8PM 18+ FREE ENTRY
FASHAWN FT. SPECIAL GUESTS: RED PILL (DETROIT) SAGA (NEW YORK) + DJ FLEX + SIREN DIPITY
SAT 29 AUG 7PM 18+ £10
THE MARIACHIS
ARRIVAL FEAT. BOOGIE
WED 22 JUL 8PM 18+ £12
RODRIGO AMARANTE SPECIAL GUESTS
WED 02 SEP 8PM 18+ £9.50
RYLEY WALKER SPECIAL GUESTS
THU 23 JUL 8PM 18+ £17.50
FRI 04 SEP 7PM 18+ £10
KAWEHI SPECIAL GUESTS
THE DEAR HUNTER SPECIAL GUESTS
THU 20 AUG 8PM 18+ £8
SAT 05 SEP 7PM 18+ £9
SOLA ROSA SOUNDSYSTEM SPECIAL GUESTS
JULIA MARCELL SPECIAL GUESTS CLUB NIGHTS
FRI 03 JUL 9PM-2AM 18+ £5
THE SUNSHINE UNDERGROUND DJ SET PROJECT FRESH SOCKS SAT 04 JUL 9PM-2AM 18+ £5
DJ FLEX SIREN DIPITY
FRI 17 JUL 9PM-2AM 18+ £5.00
FRAU DJS AARON WALKER
SAT 18 JUL 9PM-2AM 18+ £5.00
LAURENT SCHARK & FRIENDS DANNY SANCHEZ (RACKET 808)
DJS EVERY WEDNESDAY – SUNDAY UNTIL LATE Hoxtonsquarebar
@HoxtonHQ
@HoxtonSquareBar
2-4 Hoxton Square, London, N1 6NU Tickets from hoxtonsquarebar.com or 0844 847 2316 (24hr)
HOXTONSQUAREBAR.COM
JULIO BASHMORE Matthew Walker was barely a teen when he first touched a turntable. His elder brother Greg had bought some decks to DJ with around Bristol and, after some relentless nagging, finally agreed to let his sibling have a go. “I remember I bought my first record, probably some really bad funky house track,” recalls the man now known as Julio Bashmore. “I stuck it on the mat, got everything ready, slowly lowered the needle and then ‘Bam!’” “I pressed the button way too hard. He just looked at me like I’d spat in his face. It was about four years until he let me use them again.” If you’ve heard ‘Au Seve’, ‘Battle For Middle You’ or ‘Running’, you’ll know this story has a happy ending. Now, having soundtracked two summers on the trot and helped create a bonafide star in Jessie Ware, Bashmore is back with his debut album: Knockin' Boots. “A lot of people have been asking, ‘Why have you even done an album?’” he reflects indignantly. “What relevance does it have these days?’” The more you talk to Walker, the more you wonder why it took him so long to make a record. Given the chance, he’ll rave on about early LPs from Daft Punk and The Prodigy before gushing over Michael Jackson’s Bad. But what really turned one of the biggest names in house
music onto the album format? That would be prog rock. "There’s an Emerson, Lake & Palmer album called Tarkus - it’s one song and it’s 40 minutes long,” he explains. “And it had this armoured giant armadillo with a canon built into its back blasting a scorpion on the cover.” “I’d just sit there when I was five years old listening to this odyssey.” Years later that same boy decided he was going to write an erotic novel. Julio Bashmore would be his pen name and he’d also make a soundtrack for the science fiction-themed epic. Despite the success of 50 Shades..., Walker has never quite got round to writing that book. DJing has gone far too well for him.
LiS 27
Since his first release, the thunderous ‘Um Bongo’s Revenge’ on San Francisco’s Dirtybird label, Julio Bashmore has become synonymous with big hooks and good times. Taking cues from house music titans like Thomas Bangalter, Robert Hood and Glenn Underground, the silky-voiced producer has played rapturous club nights the world over while remixing Justin Timberlake and collaborating on two Top ten albums. In a lot of ways, those two Jessie Ware records really set the tone for how Knockin’ Boots was made. “I was still living with my parents when I first met Jessie,” explains Walker. “She came round my studio and we made 110%. She’s one my best friends now.” Although Walker has penned his fair share of floorfillers, he’s often best when
“When I started working with J’Danna she was only sixteen years old,” he explains. “When I look back to what I was doing when I was sixteen... Jesus.” “My hair was long, I’d mastered all the Sabbath riffs on guitar and I was just playing computer games. I wasn’t being a badass soul vocalist.” Surely he got up to some trouble though? “I went to an ATP festival with friends. We went to see the MC5, ‘cos we loved them, and I kind of had a good time. But there were a lot of noise bands on and I remember a friend accidentally smoked crack. He didn’t have a bad time.” Now he’s settled in London, recording out of a cabin-sized studio by Westfield shopping centre, you get the impression Walker is far too busy to spend a squalid weekend in Butlins. He layered live
“I love the idea of some kid sat down listening to the album while playing Minecraft.” teasing at the boundaries between club music and the Top 40. "All the pop in dance music, there’s so much of it,” he says. “The quality isn’t there." “So many dance music albums are just a list of beats though. All the albums I grew up listening to, they’ve got diversity, they’ve got a story that they’re telling.” And so, over the course of almost three years, Walker built up a cast of collaborators to tell his SFW tale. In total, Knockin’ Boots features seven different singers who all carry a theme of soulful ecstasy. From the sultry sweet nothings of Bixby (‘Kong’) to J’Danna’s impeccable coo (‘Simple Love’ & ‘Rhythm Of Auld’), every voice you hear seems blissfully innocent.
drums, bass and organ into the recording of Knockin’ Boots, breaking away from his usual beat-reliant approach something that’s constrained him in the past. “I was fortunate that none of the people I sampled were dicks about it, because people can just say, ‘I want 100%,’” he says. Walker is also planning to work further with the cast of Knockin’ Boots via his own Broadwalk Records. Initially established as a means of releasing Julio Bashmore tracks, the label has expanded to feature fellow Bristolian Shanti Celeste. Cultivating fresh talent is a subject that frequently inspires enthusiastic praise from its founder. “Sam Dew who sings on ‘Holding On’ really blew my mind,” he says. “I’ve
“All the albums I grew up listening to, they’ve got diversity, they’ve got a story that they’re telling.”
never seen someone pick out harmonies like I can pick out a 909 hi-hat.” It’s this ear for thrilling new artists and an old fashioned ability to move a crowd in unison that’s positioned Walker at the very forefront of dance music’s popular vanguard. Alongside Disclosure and Jamie xx, he’s shown that it’s possible to get played on the radio without reducing yourself to dayglo conformity. “I think a lot of people see house music as this very linear thing like, ‘Boom! Boom! Boom!” says Walker. “That’s not what I’ve always played. That’s not what I’ve always listened to.”
“I love the idea of some kid sat down listening to the album while playing Minecraft.” Despite its smutty origins, Knockin’ Boots promises fun for all ages. Big brothers beware! It’s time to lock away your turntables again. Julio Bashmore releases Knockin’ Boots 10th August via Broadwalk Records
D SOLUT O
MORE INFO & ADVANCE TICKETS WWW.BIRDONTHEWIRE.NET
ALBUMS
RECORD OF THE MONTH TAME IMPALA CURRENTS Kevin Parker has built his career on the exhumed remains of pop past, unearthing obscurities and chart classics alike and churning them through his kaleidoscopic mill, watching everything plash out into technicolour pools of liquid fractal goodness to be lovingly lapped up by the hordes of psychedelic mongooses among us. Not content with arriving at perfection on sophomore effort Lonerism he’s drastically changed the recipe for third album Currents. Where Innerspeaker and Lonerism were intensely solipsistic albums, Currents is a record about outward change and interaction. Innerspeaker re-examined the proto-metal blues of Cream and Led Zeppelin. Lonerism then channelled them through the production techniques of Todd Rundgren’s A Wizard, A True Star album. For many, the references on Currents will be tantamount to sacrilege: Discovery era Daft Punk and late Fiction nineties MJ and Britney Spears are the most obvious. July 17th The writing was on the wall last year when Kevin covered Stand Out Tracks: Jacko’s ‘Stranger In Moscow’. That thick synth-heavy The Less I Know The Better texturing is omnipresent throughout Currents, from the New Person, Same Old Mistakes doleful swells of ‘Cause I’m A Man’ to the starry droplets Nangs chiming and descending through the build-up of ‘Yes I’m Love/Paranoia Changing’. All the guitars have either been warped almost @tameimpala beyond recognition or relegated to subtleties: nuanced textures helping to flesh out a brilliantly vibrant and Live: September 5th, coruscating inter-dimensional tapestry. End Of The Road Festival Recently, Parker admitted to Under the Radar that he’d “only recently learned how to mix a song properly”. Arguably the biggest problem with Lonerism was that it sounded too compressed and lacked bottom end, but from the start Currents is totally full-bodied. ‘Nangs’ is especially demonstrative of this; the introductory synths wall the listener between two colossal sheets of wobbling metal. The biggest swerve is kernelled in two of the best songs: ‘The Less I Know The Better’ and closer ‘New Person, Same Old Mistakes’. Kevin’s an avowed fan of saccharine pop like Kylie and Britney, and both basslines brazenly crib from Britney’s imperial period – think ‘Stronger’ or ‘I’m A Slave 4 U’. And, pre-empting the disgusted responses from indie circles, Kevin begins the latter with “I can just hear them now / ‘How could you let us down?’ / They don’t know what I’ve found” as the album comes to its twisted climax. Eastern strings intersperse with the insistent bassline as Kevin continues “I know that you think it’s fake / Maybe fake’s what I like”. This isn’t better than Lonerism, this isn’t worse than Lonerism; this is a completely different yet profoundly psychedelic album. Kevin’s place in the annals of pop is assured. Time will agree. Tim Hakki
HAIKU SALUT
ETCH AND ETCH DEEP How Does It Feel To Be Loved? // July 31st We have a tendency to place instrumental music into two camps: classical (or thereabouts) or gloomy (or thereabouts). What's so refreshing about Haiku Salut's magical new record Etch and Etch Deep - is just how all-encompassing the whole thing feels. Across its ten tracks, the record weaves in and out of varying genres with sumptuous ease; rising from minimal, glitchy pop songs into moments of distinct and awe-inspiring grandiosity. Unburdened by the need to give any of the tracks a human voice, the music simply unravels. From stunning, organic pastures to its more electronic-led parameters, Etch and Etch Deep is a refreshingly vague document, and the most compelling soundtrack for dreams and dreamers alike. Tom Johnson
BLEACHERS STRANGE DESIRE Columbia Records // July 6th It’s likely that anyone who finds themselves listening to Bleachers will have first arrived at Jack Antonoff’s efforts with Steel Train and fun. Some Nights, fun.’s latest album was a slick slice of infectious pop, due in no small part to Antonoff’s appreciation for melody and impressive chops. Strange Desire occupies the same sugary pop-sphere but lacks the charm, and the tunes. ‘I wanna get better’ and ‘Rollercoaster’ are the stand-out tracks here, deftly balancing nostalgia and progressive pop vibes, and while there is a spark to each track (the cool groove of ‘Take Me Away’, the colourful pop of ‘Like a River Run’) the overall experience feels hollow. And the less said about the collaboration with Yoko Ono, the better. Grant Bailey
GWENNO
Y DYDD OLAF Heavenly Recordings // July 24th While Muse sit around in tinfoil hats, muttering furiously about UAVs, the former Pipette has quietly created the best concept record of the decade so far. Inspired by Owain Owain’s 1976 sci-fi novel of the same name, Y Dydd Olaf is sung entirely in Welsh – with the exception of Cornish-language closer ‘Amser’ – and sets critiques of technology, patriarchy and state-approved propaganda to silver-suited Kraut-pop, sprinkled with ray gun synth effects and warm vocal harmonies. In keeping with the 70s source material, Saunders’ dystopian vision feels purposely retro, but beneath its dreamy veneer is pin-sharp songwriting, skilfully executed. A world away from those heavy-handed conspiracy theorists, Gwenno relies on language and layering to deliver subtlety and depth, and it means her political messages will permeate stealthily. Gemma Samways LiS 33
MAMMOTH PENGUINS HIDE AND SEEK
Fortuna POP! // July 10th When Sheffield indie pop band Standard Fair disbanded in 2013, there was much consternation amongst fans: with a shambolic aesthetic that was nothing short of perfection, their melodic punk sensibility drew inspiration from the noisier aspects of C86. Singer Emma Kupa’s new venture, Mammoth Penguins, are similarly adept at combining frantic euphony with candid songwriting: rejection, hope, despair and all the usual common grievances of being in your late twenties/early thirties are a persistent theme. Kupa’s wry, literate refrains add bite to the more reflective moments on tracks like the heartfelt ‘We Won’t Go There’. Elsewhere, guitars are typically ramshackle and memorable hooks are aplenty, often sounding like a lost Weezer record with more power in the pop. Ultimately, though, it’s Emma Kupa’s pronounced, emphatic vocals that define this band. Hayley Scott
VINYL WILLIAMS
VETIVER
Company Records // July 24th
Easy Sound // July 31st
If your grandfather is legendary film score composer John Williams, you’ve grown up in a Mormon community in Utah and your first name is Vinyl, chances are you’re going to have a career in music. Into, the second album from Vinyl Williams (real name Lionel), sees this musical auteur guide us lysergically through an expansive, Grand Canyon of an album. The first half takes us on a peyote-fuelled voyage of jazz and bossa nova, gently persistent krautrock guitar and half-whispered, faintly heard mumblings, before the second half experiments a bit more electronically; ‘Eter-Wave-Agreement’ and ‘Plinth of Uncanny Design’ in particular play like a stupefied Neon Indian. It closes on a ten minute epic, and by the time that's over you'll feel more than a little groggy. Henry Wilkinson
“It feels like someone I’ve just met, yet known for a long time.” It’s a perplexing confession from Andy Cabic given his new album’s title. Apart from long-time engineer/producer Thom Monahan, Andy is Vetiver of San Francisco, the city where all of his ‘fits and starts’ demos eventually birthed these ten songs of human foibles. From the opener ‘Stranger Still’ – an “anthem for insomniacs” – to ‘Confiding’, with its reflections on how “vulnerable we are when chasing love” and its irresistible ‘Fools rush in’ chorus, the album is a masterclass in understatement. Its breezy classic rock vibe mixes expertly with relaxed electronica to create a bizarrely ballsy listen, evoking a somewhat more bitter and twisted version of Iron and Wine. Geoff Cowart
INTO
COMPLETE STRANGERS
LiS 35
SLEAFORD MODS KEY MARKETS Harbinger Sound // July 10th
“Hands up if you think Sleaford Mods are the best band in the world. The rest of you a wrong.” So spoke Steve Albini during Shellac’s set at Primavera Sound this month. I was one of the ones holding my hand up, and as such, the arrival of a new Sleaford Mods record is something I can only welcome – downtrodden, bilious and not at all celebratory though it is. Despite gaining Albini’s endorsement, along with that of most of the rapidly dwindling left-leaning indie set, Key Markets won’t change the minds of anyone who previously thought Sleaford Mods were a load of old guff. If you like one of their songs, chances are you’ll like them all. And if you hate what you’ve heard already, this is going to be a very long 39 minutes. But Steve Albini’s right about pretty much everything (apart from Bush), and he’s right about this too. The squelchy semi dub of ‘Silly Me’ represents the slightest of left turns, but for the most part, it’s the erudite effing and jeffing of ‘Face to Faces’ (with its spewing of “Boris on a bike, quick, knock the cunt over!”) that is, thankfully, still more representative of what they’re about. It’s as funny, cutting and numbingly repetitive as you either expect, or dread. Their best album? Fuck knows. Telling them apart is difficult. But until everything gets well and truly sorted out, there’s room for thousands more. Thomas Hannan
THE MACCABEES MARKS TO PROVE IT Fiction // July 31st
Just as Foals left behind math-rock and Arctic Monkeys moved on from tongue-in-cheek social commentary, with Marks To Prove It The Maccabees have fully grown-up from that exciting mid/late 2000s UK rock scene. All-but-gone are the bounding, boisterous cuts that dominated Colour It In and so hooked fans to the Brighton five-piece. This fourth LP is undoubtedly the band’s most mature to date; it would have been hard to imagine The Maccabees utilising melancholic trumpet lines (the beautiful ‘Slow Sun’) back in the revved-up old days of Latchmere and Lego - there’s little bombing or heavy-petting in sight beyond the wonderfully infectious title track. In truth, its 2012 predecessor hinted at real development but this feels like they’ve arrived where they were heading: ‘River Song’ is a hugely accomplished anthem to the city with its wailing, kazoo-sounding riff and a military build-up underneath Weeks’ trademark vocal to a crescendo of voices crying “You’re not getting any younger”. Indeed this theme of growing-up reappears almost immediately with the aforementioned ‘Slow Sun’: “Old enough, enough to know better” the romantic cut - which brings in a gorgeous female vocal too - calls out. ‘Silence’ offers more gentle sadness, tinged with hope thanks to twinkling piano punctuation, while ‘Something Like Happiness’ picks-up the mood with layers of vocals and brass; the single is a festival-ready fist pump. Powerful, wholly confident and at their most thought-provoking; The Maccabees have grown-up exceptionally well and they’re wearing the marks to prove it. George O’Brien
ASIAN DUB FOUNDATION
MORE SIGNAL MORE NOISE ADF Communications // July 10th ADF’s latest bid to bottle their incendiary live energy finds electro-dub maestro Adrian Sherwood at the controls and the righteous ire still burning. The reworked ‘Flyover’, for instance, peppers urgent (concrete) jungle with a claustrophobic capital vision that’s like a pavement exploding under Lily Allen’s ‘LDN’. Though the occasional rallying cry (‘Stand Up’) is dated by agit-skank circa the band’s Nineties inception, and ‘Radio Bubblegum’ is trumped by its dub version – forged on Dr Das’ platinum bass and ex-boxer Nathan Lee’s float-like-a-butterfly flute – ADF’s ace remains their fusion of bhangra, ragas and Eastern percussion to punky dancehall and drum’n’bass. ‘The Signal And The Noise’ and ‘Get Lost Bashir’ (sampling a murdered Syrian poet) are thrilling affirmations that, as the album’s opener attests, “a Zigzag Nation is better than straight lines”. Nick Mee
FRANKIE & THE HEARTSTRINGS DECENCY
Pop Sex Ltd // July 10th Somewhat overshadowing the release of this album is the news that Frankie and the Heartstrings beloved record shop is being forced to close down, courtesy of developers moving in. I’m not the sort of girl to kick a band when they’re down, but Decency doesn’t deviate enough from the blueprint of their previous two long players. There’s the standout number with the catchy chorus, ‘Think Yourself Lucky’, (insert obligatory Dexy’s reference), a couple of ballads to show off Frankie’s vocals, (‘Hate Me Like You Used To’ and ‘Knife In My Back’), and the one with slightly clunky lyrics, ‘Money’ (“friends of mine have got it all, even bad cholesterol”). It’s decent enough, but essentially more of the same, and ultimately a bit forgettable for it. Simone Scott Warren
BEST FRIENDS
HOT. RECKLESS. TOTALLY INSANE FatCat Records // July 4th About a minute into the opening track on Best Friends’ debut, you get the feeling that, just maybe, everything is going to be okay. This is a triumphant record of fuzz-laden bright melodies and nods towards that pre-9/11 era when everything was fun and chill and, like, y’knooow, whatever. It’s the sound of all-day drinking followed by all-night drinking in the city in the summer and while I don’t know what ‘lilting’ means, if I did I am positive I would use it to describe this album and not only because it reminds me of Lilt, the drink of sunshine from the decade of near-ubiquitous sunshine. By which I mean, this is a good collection of garage-rock songs everyone will enjoy, even you. Especially you. Jack Urwin LiS 37
EVENTS
a selection of new stuff we’re excited about:
A NATIONAL GALLERY INSPIRES EXHIBITION: SOUNDSCAPES This July, The National Gallery are bringing a unique and fascinating look at the way music and art interact. Six leading contemporary musicians and sound artists have created a musical response to six paintings of their choice from the vast National Gallery collection. The artists include London in Stereo favourites Jamie xx and Nico Muhly, and you’ll only be able to hear these remarkable soundscapes within the exhibition space, for the duration of the exhibit. An ambitious project, it aims to illustrate new ways of thinking about classic pieces and their continued influence on contemporary artists. You’re invited to experience the pieces together, and reconsider your perception of the paintings and the affinities that exist between music and painting. July 8th-September 6th // £10 // National Gallery @NationalGallery // nationalgallery.org.uk
SEBRIGHT ARMS AND THE MILLER PRESENT: CIDERDOG So, that’s two of our favourite pubs, either side of the river, staging a cider and ale festival on consecutive weekends, which are free to get into, and the drinks cost £3 a pint? Well, that’s pretty much a no-brainer then. For those whose cider experiences don’t extend much beyond being sixteen, armed with a two litre Strongbow and the obvious consequences of finishing that bottle too quickly, this event promises to both educate palates, and redress those memories by offering up a multitude of ciders from some of the very best producers around. And what’s more, the good people of Bunsmiths (we are big fans of the menu they serve at both pubs) will be on hand to provide the necessary booze-soaking-up food. Good cidery times seem guaranteed. July 4th, @SebrightArms, Coate Street, E2 9AG July 11th, @themillerpub, Snowfields Rd SE1 3SS @CIDERDOGLONDON // Free Entry LiS 40
RED’S TRUE BBQ With the likes of Pitt Cue, Dukes and Berber & Q, London is currently in the midst of BBQ good times. Does that mean we’ve got enough? Well, of course not, and the arrival of Red’s True BBQ in Shoreditch is definitely a moment to high-five especially when you try the burnt ends and Texas brisket. Preaching the low’n’slow gospel, they’re currently set-up above the Old Blue Last, and opening the full restaurant on Great Eastern Street on July 24th. Praise be to the generous BBQ gods. Thursday - Saturday at @theoldbluelast till July 4th Opening on Great Eastern Street July 24th @redstruebbq // truebarbecue.com
DALSTON MUSIC FESTIVAL Dalston provides the base for another fantastic festival, putting its many venues to good use with a line-up of loud, guitar sounds next to some of our favourite dance names (including the likes of Daphni). With an outdoor stage in Gillett Square we can’t wait to see the likes of Rozi Plain, Fimber Bravo and Laetitia Sadier, then dance the night away with Phonica, NTS and more providing the soundtrack. The music, and the fun, is non-stop for 18 hours, all for only £15. We welcome this addition to the festival calendar with open arms. July 11th // Various venues, Dalston // £15 dalstonmusicfestival.com // @DalstonMusic
STATE OF INDEPENDENTS: HEAVENLY RECORDS The House of St Barnabas (an organisation that assists the homeless get into paid employment hosb.org.uk) are putting on a small run of shows highlighting independent record labels and it’s this one, showcasing the talents of the legendary Heavenly Records, that has particularly grabbed our attention. With the label also celebrating their 25th year, the line-up here includes the extraordinary live proposition of Stealing Sheep, the wonderful Gwenno (album review, pg.33) plus many more. July 11th // The House of St Barnabas, W1D 4NQ £20 // @HoStBarnabas // @heavenlyrecs LiS 41
oming London Shows Upcoming London Shows Upcoming London Shows w.rockfeedbackconcerts.com www.rockfeedbackconcerts.com www.rockfeedbackconcerts.com
COSMO RESTORATIONS RESTORATIONS LE1F E LE1F SHELDRAKE The XOYO Nest Lexington Shoreditch Dalston Islington
RESTORATIONS
Lexington The Nest Islington Dalston
Lexington Islington
uly Wednesday Thursday Thursday 2nd 8thJuly July 18th July
Thursday Wednesday 18th8th JulyJuly
Thursday 18th July
VISIONS PISSED SSELL ARTHUR RUSSELL FESTIVAL TALS INSTRUMENTALS JEANS
PISSED ARTHUR RUSSELL PISSED INSTRUMENTALS JEANS JEANS
Venues across Oval Space 1OO ClubLondon Soho ember Monday 10th 18 September & Fri8th 19 Sep Aug FieldsThu Saturday
1OO OvalClub Space Soho
1OO Club Soho
Thu Monday 18 & Fri 10th 19 September Aug
Thu 18 & Fri 19 Aug
JACCO S ALVVAYS CAYUCAS CAYUCAS ALVVAYS GARDNER
CAYUCAS
h Empire O2 Dingwalls Shepherds Sebright Camden Bush Arms Empire Bethnal Green Sebright O2 Shepherds Arms Bethnal Bush Empire Green Sebright Arms Bethnal Green mber Friday 11th September Friday 11th r Thursday Monday 3rd September 14th September Monday 14thSeptember September Monday 14th September
UNKNOWN UNKNOWN CHASTITY CHASTITY MORTAL MORTAL A ORCHESTRA ORCHESTRA GIRLPOOL BELT BELT
CHASTITY BELT
h Empire O2 Scala Shepherds The KingsVictoria Cross Bush Empire Dalston The O2 Shepherds Victoria Dalston Bush Empire The Victoria Dalston Sep Wednesday 23rd Sep OctoberThursday Wednesday Sep Tuesday Thursday 15th September 15th 15th23rd October Thursday 15th October
OY SONGHOY FATHER TITUS TITUS SONGHOY ANDRONICUS Y BLUES JOHN MISTY ANDRONICUS BLUES
Village Underground Underground re Koko O2 Shepherds Camden Bush Empire Village Koko Camden ct Wednesday Wed 28th &4th Thur 29th Oct Thursday Thursday 5th November 5th 4th November ovember November Wednesday November
MARIKA NATALIE B THE ORB HACKMAN PRASS
ney
Oval Union Space Koko Chapel Camden Hackney Islington
TITUS ANDRONICUS Village Underground Thursday 5th November
NATALIE THE ORB PRASS
NATALIE PRASS
Koko OvalCamden Space Hackney
Koko Camden
mber Friday Friday13th Monday 6thNovember November 30th November Monday Friday 13th 30thNovember November
Monday 30th November
ockfeedbackconcerts.com full info at: Getwww.rockfeedbackconcerts.com tickets and full info at: www.rockfeedbackconcerts.com
SATURDAY 8TH AUGUST CAMERA OBSCURA / HOLY FUCK / FAT WHITE FAMILY THE ANTLERS / TOY / JENS LEKMAN / ANDY STOTT / SON LUX HINDS / SHAMIR / CEREMONY / MERCHANDISE / HO99O9 BLANCK MASS / PEAKING LIGHTS / LUKE ABBOTT / JJ / GIRL BAND GAZELLE TWIN / TORN HAWK / OSCAR / JONES / LOYLE CARNER THEO VERNEY / PIX / THE BIG MOON / CLAW MARKS
+
STREET FOOD FESTIVAL, MARKETS, SCREEN PRINT CLASS, AV INSTALLATIONS ACROSS SIX HACKNEY VENUES
www.visionsfestival.com
THE BIG MOON WED 17 JUNE CORSICA STUDIOS
PLASTIC MERMAIDS THURS 1 OCT OSLO HACKNEY
PALACE THURS 22 OCT SCALA
WE ARE THE CITY WED 17 JUNE BIRTHDAYS DALSTON
LONELADY WED 7 OCT HEAVEN
SHINY DARKLY WED 10 JUNE THE WAITING ROOM
SEA OF BEES TUES 30 JUNE ST JOHN ON BETHNAL GREEN
BARLI THURS 8 OCT ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH
CURTIS HARDING WED 28 OCT VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
CROCODILES THURS 11 JUNE BOSTON MUSIC ROOMS
EARLY GHOST THURS 2 JULY THE WAITING ROOM
BEACH BABY THURS 8 OCT BOSTON MUSIC ROOM
HOLLYSIZ TUES 9 JUNE HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN OSLO PARKS TUES 9 JUNE THE WAITING ROOM
EVVOL WED 17 JUNE THE WAITING ROOM HENRY GREEN WED 17 JUNE THE ISLINGTON
FINE PRINT MON 20 JULY SEBRIGHT ARMS WYLES & SIMPSON WED 23 SEPT THE WAITING ROOM
ROSIE LOWE WED 28 OCT OSLO HACKNEY LA FEMME TUES 24 NOV KOKO
EZRA FURMAN THURS 22 OCT O2 SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE
THIS IS THE KIT WED 25 NOV SCALA
PARALLELLINESPROMOTIONS.COM
GIGS OF THE MONTH
OUR PICK OF THE BEST SHOWS HAPPENING IN JULY
SHACKLEWELL ARMS
REPEATER FESTIVAL: RATS ON RAFTS // THE NATURALS
10-12/07/15 FREE @Shacklewell Arms DALSTON KINGSLAND/JUNCTION
Repeater Festival is back, a bi-monthly event crammed full of new music, food and records.
THE LEXINGTON
BUSH HALL
C Duncan celebrates the release of his debut album. For fans of dreamy, elegant, crisp guitars with a 60s rock vocal.
A master storyteller, Finn is described as a cartographer for the unmapped hinterland of heart and soul.
17/07/15 £6adv @thelexington
12/07/15 £18.50adv @Bushhallmusic
TIM FINN
C DUNCAN
ANGEL
SHEPHERD’S BUSH
BRIXTON WINDMILL
MISTY MILLER // FRANCOBOLLO // MATT GROCOTT & THE SHRIVES Misty Miller starts her summer residency at Brixton Windmill, bringing her favourite bands to the stage each month. 23/07/15 £5adv @windmillbrixton
BRIXTON
THE SOCIAL
BAD BREEDING // THE BODIES Be prepared for noise, energy and huge amounts of fun; Bad Breeding don't hold back. MISTY MILLER
01/07/15 £6adv @thesociallondon
OXFORD CIRCUS
THE GARAGE
THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART // DESPERATE JOURNALIST Indie-pop to soundtrack the best of daydreams.
23/07/15 £15adv @TheGarageHQ HIGHBURY AND ISLINGTON LiS 45
SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
THE DOME
Introspective, mellow and subtly catchy, Oliver Newton celebrates the release of his new single.
Ecstatic psych rock by Japanese guitarist Makoto Kawabata and his group.
LUNCHTIME SARDINE CLUB
23/07/15 £5adv @ServantJazz
DALSTON JUNCTION / KINGSLAND
HOXTON BAR AND KITCHEN
BAD FOR LAZARUS // SAINT AGNES // PINK LIZARDS Punk infused garage rock from Brighton. 16/07/15 £6adv @HoxtonHQ
OLD STREET
BORDERLINE
03/07/15 £12adv @DomeTufnellPark
TUFNELL PARK
OSLO
FOXES Get a sneak peek of Foxes upcoming 2nd album, a night of huge pop brilliance. 29/07/15 £14adv @OsloHackney
HACKNEY CENTRAL
THE GOOD SHIP
JONAH MATRANGA // HUNTER KILL HUNTER Jonah Matranga’s solo work takes influence from a range of sounds from rock to experimental artists like Bjork. 08/07/15 £10adv @theborderline
ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE // FLAMINGODS
TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD
ORDINARY NOISE // TENDERLORE // MARTIN WESTON A night of alternative folk and alt-pop indie music from Peach in the City. 17/07/15 £5adv @thegoodshipNW6
KILBURN
O2 ISLINGTON ACADEMY ANVIL // DENDERA
The legendary Canadian rock band return to London. 12/07/15 £19.50adv @O2Islington
ANGEL
NEW CROSS INN
FEVER DREAM // EL CINE Signed to Club AC30, Fever Dream make wall-of-noise-shoegaze rooted in 90s influenced guitar hooks. FEVER DREAM LiS 46
15/07/15 £5 @NewCrossInn
NEW CROSS / NEW CROSS GATE
COLLEAGUES
FABRIC
BEN UFO // PEARSON SOUND // PANGAEA // SURGEON // LEGOWELT // KRYSTAL KLEAR One of electronic music’s most focused labels, Hessle Audio take over Fabric's Room One. 03/07/15 £19adv @fabriclondon
FARRINGDON
BIRTHDAYS
COLLEAGUES Signed to our very own In Stereo Records, Colleagues make exquisitely dreamy Swedish pop. Don't miss out, this will be special. 22/07/15 FREE @_Birthdays
THE FINSBURY
ESCAPISTS // BANFI // HOO HAS Escapists launch their new single 'Eat You Alive' at The Finsbury.
DALSTON JUNCTION/ KINGSLAND
21/07/15 FREE @TheFinPub MANOR HOUSE
THE LOCK TAVERN
STRONGROOM
Our friends at Cool For Cats Records throw another great all-dayer with loads of the best new bands.
Souterrain are back with a showcase of exciting, emerging talent.
KEEL HER // OUR GIRL // ALEX CHILTOWN + MORE
12/07/15 FREE @thelocktavern
CHALK FARM / CAMDEN TOWN
JACOB ALLEN // LITTLE BIRD // JAYAH
08/07/15 FREE @StrongroomBar
LIVERPOOL STREET
100 CLUB
WAITING ROOM
LET'S WRESTLE // GRIMM GRIMM
BILLIE BLACK
19-year-old Billie Black makes beautiful, jazz influenced pop songs.
The last ever Let's Wrestle show! The original line-up back together for one last time.
08/07/15 £6adv @WaitingRoomN16
10/07/15 £11.50adv @100clubLondon
DALSTON JUNCTION/ KINGSLAND
TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD LiS 47
WEDNESDAY 1ST JULY
THURSDAY 2ND JULY
FRIDAY 3RD JULY
SATURDAY 4TH JULY
SUNDAY 5TH JULY
MONDAY 13TH JULY
FREE / 7.00PM / KOPPABERG URBAN FOREST
TUESDAY 14TH JULY
WEDNESDAY 15TH JULY THURSDAY 16TH JULY
FRIDAY 17TH JULY
SATURDAY 18TH JULY
MONDAY 20TH JULY
TUESDAY 21ST JULY
SUNDAY 19TH JULY
WEDNESDAY 22ND JULY
THURSDAY 23RD JULY FRIDAY 24TH JULY
SATURDAY 25TH JULY
MONDAY 27TH JULY
TUESDAY 28TH JULY
SUNDAY 26TH JULY
WEDNESDAY 29TH JULY
FRIDAY 31ST JULY
THURSDAY 30TH JULY
FOR THE LATEST LISTINGS, AND TO SIGN UP TO OUR GIGS OF THE WEEK EMAIL, VISIT LONDONINSTEREO.COM
Orange Yard, off Manette St, London W1D 4JB Follow us @theborderline and facebook.com/theborderline Tickets from theborderlinelondon.com or 0844 847 2465 (24hr) FRI 10 JUL 7PM 14+ £5
TOM SMITH EP LAUNCH
RACHEL JANE + JOSH FLOWERS & THE WILD
SUN 12 JUL 7.30PM 14+ £10
OLD 97’S
THU 23 JUL 7PM 14+ £8
LOICK
FRI 24 JUL 7PM 14+ £12
PAUL CARELLA AND HIS BAND DEXETER
SAT 25 JUL 6.30PM 14+ £8
FRI 4 SEP 7PM £13.50
CRIME IN STEREO HINDSIGHTS + CASEY
WED 09 SEP 7PM 14+ £12
VERY HOPKIN - AN EVENING WITHOUT MARY HOPKIN CRAIG & WILLOUGHBY
TUE 15 SEP 7PM 14+ £10
LISA RONSON VITA AND THE VICIOUS
THU 17 SEP 7PM 14+ £11.50
YOUNG KATO
HARRY SLATER
TUE 22 SEP 7PM 14+ £10
SAT 01 AUG 7PM 14+ £12
MON 12 OCT 7.30PM 14+ £25
LUNA HIGHWAY + PETE GARDINER
BEN MILLER BAND SAT 15 AUG 6PM 14+ £13.50
THE CREEPSHOW SAT 29 AUG 7PM 14+ £10
SARABETH & GLEN MITCHELL UK TOUR TUE 01 SEP 7PM 14+ £12
MIRIAM JONES SCOTT WEILAND & THE WILDABOUTS TUE 13 OCT 7.30PM £10
GRAVE PLEASURES THU 22 OCT 7PM 14+ £8
I AM GIANT THE INTERSPHERE
HEARTLESS BASTARDS
THU 12 NOV 7PM 14+ £7
WED 02 SEP 7PM 14+ £7
WED 18 NOV 7PM 16+ £10
CARAVAN OF THIEVES
THE RED PAINTINGS THEM & US
STARSEED FERAL SUN
LAUNCHING MONDAY 6TH JULY
11pm – 3am Playing some of the hottest indie rock from the 60s up until the present day!
11pm – 4am Classic Indie, Rock & Brit Pop
...IN LONDON with JONES
Why do you live in London? Well I was born and raised here and I feel that London is part of my identity. I enjoy meeting people from all different walks of life on a regular basis, it is a renowned multicultural city with people from all over the world coming to live here thinking of it, most of my friends are not English! The downside to this is that on quite a few occasions I have befriended people that have wanted to make London their home but have to leave after falling in love with it due to the cost of living being too high - and knowing that rent/ buying is more affordable where they are from. Where do you like to eat? I’ve recently discovered Vietnamese Pho there are lots of places in Spitalfields, Shoreditch, Haggerston, Dalston that do it which is pretty perfect as I’m local to these. From authentic Vietnamese restaurants to Londoner-owned interpretations - I’ll take any! I’m also a sucker for a good medium-rare burger, there are lots of nice options all over London these days. If you could live anywhere in London where would it be? I think that there’s no clear definitive area in London I’d like to live. It’s such a diverse and culturally rich place that I’d quite like to move around and get the most out of a few different areas over a period of time. I think Westbourne Grove near Portobello Market is extremely lovely, but then I love the feel of being in east London as it’s where I’ve grown up. London remains exciting because there is always a new up-and-coming area and nothing really stays the same.
What’s the perfect way to spend the day? I would describe my perfect day in London as having a lie-in and then getting ready to go and meet friends for a Sunday roast and cider in Dalston/Haggerston. My favourites are The Cat and Mutton on Broadway Market, The Talbot, The Scolt Head or The Fox. On a perfect day the sun would be out and we could head to a park nearby. Does London influence the music you write? I’d say definitely yes. I think that inevitably your surroundings can have an effect on your mentality. I think that in London there is definitely an air of ambition and a lot of people are striving to push themselves forward and step out of comfort zones. When you are around people that are making businesses out of their dreams in countless ways it encourages you to do the same, whether that be writing an album and embarking on a musical career or creating your own start-up company from an idea born in your mind. I think that living in London has definitely influenced my desire to have an individual sound and step back and be comfortable in my own style. It’s a place where there feels like there is a space for everyone, whatever or whoever you may be. @ISeeJones // facebook.com/jones Jones plays Visions Festival, August 8th LiS 69
LIVE FIELD DAY
Victoria Park // June 6th & 7th If you live in London, and you love music, missing Field Day just isn’t an option. What do the young folk call it? FOMO? Not to say that Field Day survives or indeed thrives off our FOMO, not at all. The line up this year was absolutely killer. Lord knows what we’re in for next year. I’ve got fear of missing out already. Anyway. Saturday was about as soulful and sultry as a park full of sunburnt Brits can be. Tei Shi was divine – there is a reason everyone raves on about her – followed by Tala whose bass infused vibes were quite enchanting. Owen Pallett was an absolute champion as always, Kindness oozed charm – hearing ‘House’ was a highlight of the day, Shura got all the hips swaying and LA Priest packed out his tent as an audience desperate for his Casio beats, cheered on jubilantly. We went to see Run the Jewels, who came on stage to Queen’s ‘We are the Champions’ but it was incredibly hard to hear them and macaroni cheese was calling. Caribou was beyond marvellous, thriving in the headline spotlight, delivering pulsating joy, and making sure we danced all the way down the canal paths, and home. Now Sunday – that was more my bag; guitars, noise and riffs for days. Oh and the crowd: on the hottest day of the year so far, my people were uniformly dressed in black. I respect that commitment. Ex Hex were glorious – Mary, I love you. Eagulls, well they sound like The Cure don’t they? Had a great time getting
lost trying to find The Allah-Las on the Shacklewell Stage. One day I’ll read a map. Stayed put for Viet Cong who were awesome as always. Now Mac DeMarco; I’ve heard some negative reviews of his Field Day performance and I’m having none of it. Playing tracks from his debut EP Rock n Roll Nightclub, breakthrough album 2 and 2014’s Salad Days Mac was the evercharming showman, crowd surfing and jesting his way through the set like the pro he has grown to become. I could write a small essay on why he is so great but let’s just say he covered Steely Dan’s ‘Reeling in the Years’ and gets all the medals for that. I don’t have words for how life-affirmingly good Patti Smith was. I’m not worthy. None of us are worthy. She is the queen of everything. Ahem. If you haven’t caught her on this tour, listen to Horses 100 times as penance. Watching Savages straight after Patti Smith was basically my idea of the perfect evening. The four piece are immeasurably cool and whizzed through tracks from their debut, before treating us to new songs which were thundering and got me drooling for the new album like nobody’s business. Jehnny Beth brings solace for our next five years of political forecast – “This is fucking hard times. I look at you all and I think you’re gonna be alright” before blasting in to ‘Fuckers’ – whose quasi-positive message ‘Don’t let the fuckers get you down’ was received with hands in the air, before the band closed with ‘Husbands’ and I think I had a religious epiphany. I ate more mac cheese and started the long walk home – and thought to myself – “Jeez we’re lucky to live in a city with so much great live music” and I’ll leave you with that. Lucie Grace
BLUR Hyde Park // June 20th Damon saunters on stage, grins, bellows a “Good evening, let’s ‘ave it”, and we’re back. Scarred by the 2012 Olympics show we’d said “No more”, no more Hyde Park, no more stodgy sound, ££££ beer and day-tripping casual observers. But, it’s Blur and there can be no not-going-to-Blur because it’s so important to treasure this unique band, important to see them play The Magic Whip and important to soak up every opportunity to bask in their generation-defining oeuvre. From the new record, ‘Ong Ong’ proves to be the lovably daft sing-along moment it always promised to be, and show opener ‘Go Out’ reminds us again of the band’s capacity to be forever inventive, imaginative and yet all the time still very much Blur. Of course, though, it’s the older magic that wins the night; ‘Badhead’ is the first “oh god, I love this band” moment, whilst the two double-headers of ‘He Thought Of Cars’ & ‘End Of A Century’ and, later, ‘To The End’ & ‘This Is A Low’ just absolutely floor us. The boisterous knock-about moments (‘Parklife’, ‘Girls & Boys’) seem imbued with fresh vigour, and ‘The Universal’ closes the night with wonderfully sad, life-affirming, grandeur. This feels so different to three years ago, more significant, more special. In short, it feels like a Blur show, and that’s something you should never miss. Dave Rowlinson LiS 71
AUTUMN 2015
Lanzarote presents
REPEATER
YOUNGHUSBAND. RATS ON RAFTS. THE NATURALS. STRANGE COLLECTIVE. FRANCOBOLLO. MEDICINE BOY. LAZY DAY. PHOBOPHOBES. FEATURE. MELLAH. with Black Wax Record Shack. 5 Points Ale Fest. Art Fair. Free Sailor Jerry. Tickets at shacklewellarms.com The Shacklewell Arms. July 10—12 2015
MOTH HACKNEY MothClub
by Sammy Maine In the digital world, album artwork is forced to become a square on a screen. We're not interacting with the physical aspect of music as much as we used to and because of that, album artists don't get the credit they deserve. Before music was digitalised, album artwork was anticipated with almost as much gusto as the record itself, with the album artists becoming iconic for their work. Nowadays, you'd be hard pressed to name the illustrators, photographers and graphic designers who created the artwork of recent releases without some serious googling. Working for a design website, I started writing a weekly 'Album Artwork of the Week' column to celebrate the medium but after a few months, I was told they didn't get enough traffic so it had to be scrapped. Sites like Sleevage have gone quiet and it's only on special occasions that album artists get any coverage at all. "I'm not necessarily the kind to seek credit when I've done work, that's not really why I do it, but I can't help but feel a little peeved when the artwork is almost presented on the side line, as though it's an afterthought," says Tyrannosaurus Dead artist Kieran Gabriel. "I think it's similar to film," continues Public Service Broadcasting artist Graham Pilling. "The majority of people aren't really interested in the design and production side of things but there are plenty of people who love that angle, so you could never say it's not appreciated. Appreciation and popularity are not mutually exclusive." The Cribs' artist Nick Scott says, "Apple have never really got to grips with the visual aspect of artwork, and what with them leading the market in how so many people interacted with music in the past decade we've seen artwork take a real hit; we often risk sleeves being lifeless, sad things." So basically, let's all start appreciating the art a bit more – seek out the artists and tell them you enjoy their work; share the imagery with your pals; pick up a record in the shop and shout "HEY ISN'T THIS A NICE PICTURE." Just don't scroll past it, k? LiS 73
PRESENTS
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT KILILIVE.COM
PRESENTS
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT KILILIVE.COM
SJM CONCERTS PRESENT
TV ON THE RADIO
DIY PRESENTS THE NEU TOUR 2015
VANT + INHEAVEN + THE BIG MOON
WITH HAELOS
30 AUG SOLD OUT – 31 AUG EXTRA DATE THE ROUNDHOUSE
14 OCT – DINGWALLS
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
28 SEP & 29 SEP O2 SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
22 OCT – BUSH HALL
IBEYI
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
07 OCT – LONDON KOKO
03 NOV – KOKO
GAZ COOMBES WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
09 OCT – THE FORUM
20 NOV – O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
WITH PUBLIC ENEMY
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS
10 OCT – O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
04 & 05 DEC – THE SSE ARENA WEMBLEY
0844 811 0051
f t Y p