[email protected] nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month NIGHTSHIFT Issue 208 November Oxford’s Music Magazine 2012

All aboard for LISTINGLISTING SHIPSSHIPS photo: Giulia Biasibetti

High seas adventure and homelessness with Oxford’s nautical post-rockers NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 DHP Concerts Presents

THU 01 NOV TUE 29 NOV MAD DOG MCREA MICHELE STODART £10 ADV | 18+ £8 ADV | 18+ NEWS THE JERICHO THE JERICHO Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] FRI 02 NOV FRI 30 NOV Online: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net 2:54 THE MILK This Feeling In’ on iTunes on £8 ADV | 18+ £10 ADV | ALL AGES the 12th November. The single is THE JERICHO O 2 ACADEMY2 taken from the band’s `Brothers In Brooklyn’ album, which was SAT 03 NOV FRI 30 NOV released in June on Clubhouse Records. The track recently won JACK SAVORETTI THE REVIVAL HOUR 6Music’s Rebel Playlist vote, while the album has been picking STORNOWAY play two homecoming shows at Oxford Town Hall in £9 ADV | 18+ £9 ADV | 18+ th th THE JERICHO THE JERICHO up rave reviews in the national February. The band will perform on Thursday 14 and Friday 15 press. The Dreaming Spires February, ahead of the release of their long-awaited second album, the SPRING OFFENSIVE play a launch the new single with a follow-up 2010’s `Beachcomber’s Window’ on 4AD. Tickets, priced £15, WED 07 NOV SAT 01 DEC special show at a secret location hometown show at the Bullingdon are on sale now from www.alt-tickets.co.uk and Truck Store on Cowley SAINT SAVIOUR ICEAGE in east Oxford this month. The on Saturday 10th November, with Road. local faves, who released a support from The Hi & Lo and £7 ADV | 18+ nd £8 ADV | 18+ new single, `Not Drowning But The Relationships. Visit www. This year’s event featured sets 22 ) and Tellison with My First THE JERICHO THE CELLAR th Waving’, last month, will play at thedreamingspires.co.uk for from Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Wilco Tooth (Fri 30 ). Visit www. an undisclosed location on Sunday more news. and Spiritualized. Visit www. truckmusicstore.co.uk for more FRI 09 NOV TUE 11 DEC 18th November. Ticketholders wildernessfestival.com for details. info and set times. will be told of the show’s location CATWEAZLE CLUB has THE D.O.T ADMIRAL FALLOW the day before. The band’s last launched a new weekly open mic THIS YEAR’S WINTER BEN PERRIER’s new band Oxford gig was a spectacular show club night in east Oxford. The WARMER takes place over Blasted release their debut EP next £15 ADV | 18+ £9 ADV | 18+ th th THE BULLINGDON THE JERICHO at St. Barnabas Church in Jericho Bluebird Club runs every Tuesday the weekend of the 15 and 16 month. The former-Winnebago in June. Tickets are on sale now, night at the Oxford Blue on December at the Wheatsheaf. The Deal singer and guitarist priced £6, from Wegottickets. Marston Street (at the Iffley Road annual mini-festival, organised has teamed up with Tommy TUE 13 NOV 01 FEB com. Support comes from Among end) and follows in Catweazle’s by Gappy Tooth Industries and Randhawa, formerly of Do Me Brothers and ToLiesel. footsteps of showcasing the best Swiss Concrete, this year features Bad Things. `Exposed/Time To JIM LOCKEY & THE SOLEMN SUN rd THE REVIVAL TOUR local singers, musicians, poets, two nights of four bands. Saturday Die’ is out on the 3 December on £14 ADV | 14+ £9 ADV | 18+ LITTLE FISH play a special storytellers and performance sees sets from Graceful Slicks, Dry Heave Records, via Plastic O 2 ACADEMY2 THE JERICHO pre-Christmas show at the artists. More details of both clubs Ulysses Storm, Yellow Fever and Head. The colour splatter 7” Rotunda in Iffley on Sunday 16th at catweazleclub.com. Very Nice Harry, while Sunday’s features four tracks of velocity bill is Undersmile, Dallas Don’t, 80s-styled hardcore, proving that 14 NOV THU 14 & 15 FEB December. The show takes place in the afternoon, with a 3pm start, WILDERNESS FESTIVAL won Tiger Mendoza and D Gwalia. Ben isn’t ready for piano ballads IMAGINE DRAGONS STORNOWAY with children welcome. There’ll the award for Best Festival under Additionally Sunday features just yet. Find out more at www. be mince pies and mulled wine 15,000 capacity at the UK Live a free acoustic session in the facebook.com/blastedband. £9 ADV | 18+ £15 ADV | ALL AGES as part of the ticket price and a Music Awards in October, beating downstairs bar hosted by Klub O 2 ACADEMY2 OXFORD TOWN HALL support set from Candy Says. the likes of Kendal Calling and Kakofanney. Advance tickets, PHIL McMINN releases his Tickets, priced £15 (kids free with 2,000 Trees. Early bird tickets priced £4 per night, are on sale at debut solo EP next month. ‘A FRI 16 NOV SUN 17 MAR a paying adult), are on sale from for next year’s Wilderness, which Wegottickets.com. Crystal / A Diamond / An End littlefishmusic.com. takes place at Cornbury Park / A Start’ is released on Beard RUFUS WAINWRIGHT MARTIN HARLEY BAND over the weekend of the 9th-11th ETHAN JOHNS makes a rare Museum Records in the first week £26+ ADV | ALL AGES £12.50 ADV | 18+ DREAMING SPIRES release August, are sold out, with tickets live appearance at Truck Store of December as a limited edition OXFORD NEW THEATRE THE JERICHO their new single `Just Can’t Keep on general sale now, priced £139. on Cowley Road this month. The of 100 CDs with sleeve artwork renowned producer, whose credits by local artist Theo Peters, include The Vaccines, Kaiser available from Truck Store. FRI 16 NOV WED 20 MAR SUPERGRASS reconvened for Chiefs, Laura Marling, Tom Phil plays at the Jericho Tavern the unveiling of a PRS Heritage Jones and Kings of Leon, is on on Saturday 17th November as LAU THE TRAVELLING BAND Award at the Jericho Tavern last a UK tour of independent record support to See Of Bees. £14 ADV | 18+ £8 ADV | 18+ month. Gaz, Danny, Mick and stores to promote his new album THE JERICHO THE JERICHO Rob came together onstage for the `If Not Now Then When. He first time since they split in 2010 will be on stage at 5pm and fans TUE 27 NOV for a question and answer session are encouraged to contact Truck SAT 23 MAR with an invited audience before Store to register their interest as a commemorative plaque was the show is likely to be extremely JUAN ZELADA RUARRI JOSEPH photo: Jonny Pugsley unveiled on the front of the pub popular with capacity limited. £8 ADV | 18+ £8.50 ADV | 18+ THE JERICHO where the band played their first Other instore appearances at Truck THE JERICHO shows back in 1993. In a slightly this month are recent Gathering embarrassing faux pas, the plaque stars Wall (Wed 7th); Listing quoted their first show as 1994. Ships (Fri 9th); Black Hats and Still, it’s all rock and roll, isn’t it? Matt Midgely (Sat 10th); Trevor W WW.GIGSINOXFORD.CO.UK Don’t let minor details get in the Moss & Hannah Lou and Jess way of an afternoon of free booze. Hall (Sun 11th); Natureboy (Thu photo: Jonny Moto www.alt-tickets.co.uk / www.facebook.com/alttickets.co.uk / All shows 18+ unless stated otherwise JACKNEWS GOLDSTEIN curates local community radio station and performs at an evening of launching in the New Year. Part music by and inspired by John of the station’s programme will Cage in the New Year. The Fixers be a local music show called,The singer will be joined by fellow Local (did you see what they did Fixer Roo Bhasin, as well as there?). Organisers are looking for King of Cats’ Max Levy, and Ian unsigned local acts to play on the Staples from improv band Red station. Acts interested can visit Square at the Port Mahon on www.abingdonxtra.co.uk and the 12th January. Explaining the upload their tunes. performance, Jack told Nightshift, THERE WAS MUCH EXCITEMENT AT NIGHTSHIFT HQ “The venue is the perfect small, AS EVER, don’t forget to tune back in July when the excellent new ULTRASOUND album dropped non-academic receptacle for the into BBC Oxford Introducing unexpectedly through the letterbox – a mere 13 years after their performance and it should be very every Sunday night between `Everything Picture’ debut, which pre-empted the band’s acrimonious exciting. I want the evening to 9-10pm on 95.2fm. The dedicated split shortly after. That excitement reached fever-pitch with the teach as well as invite critique, not local music show plays the best announcement the band will be playing at the Jericho Tavern on necessarily of Cage’s work but of Oxford releases and demos as Thursday 6th December. A chance to revisit the epic rock and roll the performers’ understanding of well as featuring interviews and extravaganzas Ultrasound regularly visited upon Oxford in the mid- the composer; you could almost sessions with local acts. The show 90s, when they were adopted as honorary Oxfordians – becoming the refer to the idea as a ‘practical is available as a podcast at bbc. only non-Oxford band ever to play at the legendary Your Song parties. assignment’. The pieces we will be co.uk/oxford. Tickets for the show are on sale now from www.alt-tickets.co.uk. It’s performing are `Indeterminacy’, Regularly updated local music gonna be awesome, we tells you. Awesome. `4’33’, `Water Walk’ and an news is available online at www. improv piece inspired by the musicinoxford.co.uk. The site also anti-disciplines of Cage himself. features interactive reviews, a photo Scene quarterly magazine is Another locally-themed music There’s more info on the blog site gallery and gig guide. available as a PDF online at www. podcast is From The Ladder eachoneofushashisownstomach. Nightshift’s online forum is open to oxfordmusicscene.co.uk featuring Factory, which plays music from tumblr.com. all local music fans and musicians interviews with local singer- Oxfordshire and Wiltshire – get it at nightshift.oxfordmusic.net, songwriters Lewis Watson and at www.fromtheladderfactory. ABINGDONXTRA is a new while the new Oxfordshire Music Richard Walters. com. Pete Galpin 1950 - 2012 Oxford musicians have been Liz Henry from Headington paying tribute to Pete Galpin, the Hillbillies added, “Pete had been singer and guitarist nicknamed on the Oxford music scene for Cowley Road’s `Mr Chillout’. about 20 years, running a regular Pete passed away on October Sunday afternoon jazz/blues 7th at Sobell House after battling session at the Bullingdon and was mesothelioma. a frequent contributor at many A popular veteran of the local other venues, as well as being blues and jazz scenes, Pete a well-known friendly face on started playing working men’s Cowley Road.” clubs at the age of 14 and played Nightshift’s thoughts go out to all in a number of local bands of Pete’s family and many friends. over the years as well as solo. Tony Jezzard of Reservoir Cats said of his friend, “He was a restless intellectual and musical spirit, sometimes challenging but always generous with his time and opinions. He was an accomplished guitarist and musician - his knowledge of jazz theory and chords was unrivalled and at times daunting.” Dai Amos, who played with Pete in Blues Rumour, said, “Pete had a unique laid-back CHRISTMAS SALE NOW ON!! style, part groove, part jazz which he pedalled every Sunday 24 Stert Street Abingdon, OX14 3JP afternoon at the Bully in the early noughties. He could be found Tel: 01235 530673 hanging out at the Music Box, Open Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm talking politics in the Excelsior, and jamming at the Chester. He ( 2 HRS FREE PARKING) was, indisputably, Cowley Road’s Mr Chill-out.” www.fineguitars.co.uk [email protected] a quiet word with that’s different? music is often one of the more stuck to: that the festival would guest musicians. It’s going to be STUART: Oxford certainly did post- satisfying sources of genuinely be dedicated to raising money for quite an experience to see how he rock and instrumental music well groundbreaking, exciting Shelter, a charity we both feel really plays with all those drummers, and I - there was a real high water mark instrumental music, far away from passionate about, and that both imagine a bloody nightmare getting around the time of Youthmovies’ plodding post-rockers. Right the way Simon and I would both agree on them all on the stage. Other than early records, The Rock of Travolta from Goblin in the 1970s creating every band, trying to make a bill that that, Laura Moody is unmissably LISTING SHIPS enjoying loads of success, and back mental psychedelic masterpieces to just interested us both and made us bonkers and I’m really happy to have dropped them a ‘we’re not mental or then I was trying something different soundtrack Dario Argento movies both happy. We figured there must Land Observations on. It’s James anything, but...’ email. Then about with Sunnyvale Noise Sub-element through to the amazing stuff Clint be enough other like-minded people from Appliance, who played for us three weeks later they got back to us too, but over recent years there’s Mansell produces, there’s some out there to enjoy it, so although the ten years ago, and he remembered with a very enthusiastic ‘sounds like been a move away from that part of really inspiring stuff out there once first festival was cobbled together the show very fondly and wanted to a great idea’. The tricky thing for the musical map. In terms of what you get past 4Music’s ‘50 Greatest with the goodwill of bands we were come back and play again for us.” them was to find a station that suited Listing Ships bring, I’d say there’s an Movie Tunes Of All Time’. The friends with, the guiding principles “My favourite ever Audioscope our needs, and would also allow us absolute determination not to sound pieces Kryzsztof Penderecki put stay the same. moment may well have been to let them keep it open as a working like generic post-rock; I’d hate for together for The Exorcist are some of “Now, though, the entire landscape offstage, though: taking Michael rescue station while we were people to think we’re a knock-off of the most astonishing music I’ve ever of music has changed, as the Rother from Neu!, who if you’re recording. We needed somewhere big Explosions In The Sky or something. heard - for something to have the recession kicked in, plus people talking personal heroes, is up there enough to set up a full band, far away I also feel like there’s a restlessness ability to genuinely scare you almost stopped buying music, which meant for me, to the Gardeners in Jericho, from main roads, and quiet enough to make the sounds as interesting and every time you hear it is outstanding. live was where bands made their watching him get drunk on two that we could actually record without melodic as possible while pushing It’s a far more durable form of horror money, so it was harder to book pints and start singing Harmonia all sorts of harbour noises all over ourselves in new directions. There’s a even than the film itself.” bigger acts without being quoted lyrics in the bar. Like I said earlier, the tunes. In the end they settled on huge range of influences we bring to Asked which film from history thousands of pounds. But what I love it’s the surreal moments that make Hayling Island down by Portsmouth. bear on the sound too; the krautrock Listing Ships would most love to is that means every band that plays Audioscope worth doing every year.” The staff and volunteers were elements are pretty much just my have soundtracked, Stuart answers does it because they care about the absolutely lovely and gave us the run personal obsession for which the with typically dry self-deprecation. cause, and about the show. So we’re Audioscope has raised of the station, literally pushing the rest of the band shouldn’t be held “Das Boot, because like one of both still really excited about the £23,000 for Shelter over the years; boat out for us and letting us take as accountable. They’re more musically our songs there are a few really event, and as long as people keep do Stuart and Simon get to see much time as we needed. We got a balanced than me, by which I mean directly how the money has helped? lot of interest from dog-walkers and they’re not completely rooted in “Yes, Shelter keep in touch with us all passers-by, and a few rescue radio 1970s Dusseldorf.” “I’d like to do the soundtrack to Das Boot, year round and are super-happy about interruptions but that was about MIKE: “We’ve realised that you because like one of our songs there are a what we do for them – always up for it. The weekend doubled as a field have to work a lot harder as an putting things out on their website and recording exercise as well, sampling instrumental band. Vocalists carry so on. We went on a visit to one of photo: Giulia Biasibetti few really interesting bits, but mostly it’s everything from beaches and waves a lot of musical dead weight that their services a few years ago and met “I’m interested in the coming, though, was to what extent Listing Ships’ origins, “but things to the radio transmissions and putting you only notice when it’s absent. incomprehensible, not that much happens some families who were helped by history of how we used the oceans the concept would come to shape rarely work out how you’d imagined them onto the new record. One I’d like to think we breathe energy and it’s at least three times as long as it their work; they provided a day care for discovery and trade and what many of our songs. Several of the when you get into a room, especially track, `Nutcracker Six’, is entirely and ideas into this area and add our centre for children whose parents were it must have been like. Particularly band, if they were still at school, when several of us hadn’t actually composed of RNLI samples.” own nautical theme to hold things should be.” suffering housing problems, and it was what ancient mariners must have would be what you’d call ‘visual met each other before the first How much did the station itself together. Live is a pretty cathartic the absolute highlight of their week, imagined lay beneath the surface of learners’, and creating a story or rehearsal. Originally it was a case of become part of the music and the experience for us.” interesting bits, but mostly it’s coming we’ll keep them supplied their chance to get to know other kids our oceans: the fear of the unknown. strong image that we want a song me asking around among people who recording process, we wonder. Get Stuart talking about krautrock incomprehensible, not that much with interesting bands. To be honest, in the same situation, and for their lives Catching a glimpse of a huge tail to represent can have a strong I’d always thought I’d like to play MIKE: “It influenced everything. and you can settle yourself in for the happens and it’s at least three times even if the audience dried up we’d just to feel a bit more normalised and flying past a ship must have been bearing not just on the samples we in a band with, and remarkably all The natural reverb sound created in evening, but it’s a source material as long as it should be. Dammit no, probably do Audioscope round my balanced. Really moving and humbling terrifying in the 15th Century. Old use or the accompanying video, of them being up for it at the same the main hall, once we’d cranked up that’s become increasingly influential Jaws! I meant Jaws!” house.” to see, and at the same time there’s a badly rendered maps illustrate this but on the shape of the song. ‘Then time. But then things always sound our guitars, was immense. The only on new bands in recent times, huge part of Shelter that’s hardcore well; I’m fascinated by those odd Venice Sank’, for instance, takes different once you start playing other time I’ve been that excited including Oxford’s own Radiohead, On Saturday 10th November One of Audioscope’s all- lobbying to tackle the root causes of looking sea creatures that apparently the suggestion that Venice may one together and we ended up sounding about playing guitar was when I first Foals and Gaz Coombes. Why does Listing Ships will open Audioscope time great sets came courtesy of homelessness, which is the only way used to roam our oceans.” day become a second Atlantis to how we do now very naturally.” kicked on a grunge pedal, aged 15.” Stuart think it retains such an appeal at the Jericho Tavern, the annual Damo Suzuki, former frontman we’ll ever end the problem. Really, create something around the panic Can you imagine any other similar over 40 years later? mini-festival organised by Stuart of Krautrock legends Can. Suzuki no government for the last thirty years Listing Ships guitarist of inevitable decline. ‘The 100 Gun In keeping with the recording or gigging scenarios you’d STUART: “I think fundamentally alongside long-time friend and played an improvised set with has helped the housing situation: and keyboard player Mike Bingham Ship’ is entirely based around a nautical theme Listing Ships recorded like to explore? An underwater because it was so far ahead of its time, fellow former Sunnyvale Noise Sub- members of Bilge Pump and Wolves there’s been no real commitment to is explaining his band’s fascination victorious sea battle, right down to the new EP at the RNLI’s Hayling recording session on a sunken wreck that people are just catching up now Element chap Simon Minter. (Of Greece); this time round his affordable housing for everyone, which with all things nautical. the Morse code for SOS coming into Island lifeboat station. That must have perhaps, or a tour of North Sea oil on the possibilities that Neu!’s first Since its 2001 inception Audioscope “sound carriers” will be local you would hope would be a basic Formed two years ago by Mike the final section as the vanquished been a challenge to organise – they rigs? record opened up, and no one has has raised over £23,000 for homeless experimental drum troupe The ODC human right. People certainly do have along with former Sunnyvale Noise vessel sinks.” couldn’t have been too keen on a JIM: “I’m not actually sure any of us really ever caught up with what Can charity Shelter, while showcasing Drumline. What’s it like for Stuart a misconception of homelessness - if Sub-Element and From Light To bunch of scruffy musicians cluttering are actually great swimmers, so not did. It was genuinely groundbreaking, some of the most innovative to be dealing with someone who’s you’re not sleeping rough, for many Sound chap Stuart Fowkes (bass, Purely instrumental, up the slipways, surely? sure how we would fair underwater. exploratory music that made its own leftfield and underground bands and both a personal hero and a genuine people, you’re not homeless. But the keyboards); Stuart’s friend Jim Hey Listing Ship’s sound is an alternately MIKE: “They couldn’t have been I think we would like to play places rules. And it’s such a vague term musicians from around the world, musical legend? problems are so much deeper and (guitars), and ex-Witches drummer intricate and bullish brew of more helpful and accommodating to like the Thekla in Bristol though and covering so many bands that it can including, in the past, Michael STUART: By turns strange and more complex than that; imagine being Dave Balch, everything about Listing post-rock textures, film score be honest. They offered us full use even perhaps record on a ship. cover everyone from ice-cool synth- Rother and Dieter Moebius from completely normal. Picking Damo forced to live in a B&B more or less Ships, from the band name to each atmospherics and Krautrock grooves. of the station and moved boats out STUART: “I don’t think we’d go pop bands nodding to Kraftwerk Neu! and Harmonia; Four-Tet; Six Suzuki up at Stansted and then indefinitely, with no cooking facilities, and every one of their song titles They’ve drawn comparisons to acts to make way for our amps and kit. back to recording in a regular studio through to acid-frazzled maniacs By Seven; Clinic and Deerhoof. Its talking to him about German football no home address, no stability and no carries this sea-faring theme. as diverse as Tortoise and Neu!, There was always the ‘four minute if we can help it. We’d love to do who’ve heard a few Guru Guru uncompromisingly esoteric nature on the way home was one of the sense of ever being at home. To be “It was a convenient way to tie Billy Mahonie and Holy Fuck – all response’ we needed to be weary of, a lighthouse next, although getting records. There’s a really satisfying has made Audioscope an essential, most surreal experiences of my trite about it, after Audioscope, we all everything together,” continues Jim. similarly instrumental or sparing on though. If alarm bells kicked off we the gear up all those stairs may and growing number of neo-krautrock if sometimes overlooked, part of life; all the time my head was just go back to our homes and reflect on “We found that as we played together the vocal front. Their music glides were warned we’d have to clear out kill at least one of us. We’d love to bands, for want of a better word, in Oxford’s music calendar, one that has screaming ‘YOU’RE TALKING a brilliant day, but for the people for more and got into the whole nautical or lurches from moments of pensive of the way pretty sharpish, which tour only coastal towns in the UK, recent years, all putting their own provided Nightshift with some of its TO THE SINGER FROM CAN whom Shelter is working, that simple vibe, it became an interesting vehicle ambience to bone-crushing brutality, wasn’t easy with all the kit we’d set record on an oil rig - anything! If the slant on the sound rather than just most spectacular musical memories. ABOUT FOOTBALL!’ And that’s fact of being able to go home at the end for the songs. Even without the and when they’re in full flow, as on up. We got lucky though with no call Elysian Quartet can record a piece whacking down a straight 4/4 beat It is an event, and a cause, very part of the great thing of Audioscope of the day isn’t possible.” obvious samples that we add in, tracks like `The 100 Gun Ship’, or outs during our visit. The day before in four helicopters, I reckon we can and calling it motorik. Baltic Fleet and close to Stuart’s heart. – the moments of surrealism, the the structure and general feel of the `Alba Adriatica’, from their new EP, they’d had three. For the record get ourselves set up on a battleship Warm Digits are both doing amazing “It originally came out of a bored unexpected parts and the moments `The Hayling Island Sessions’ songs feels very nautical. released this month, they’re as all- we’re pretty well kempt too.” sometime.” things.” day at work, when me and Simon of pure joy that make nine months of is out this month on Idle Fret. “When we established that as the consuming as a north Atlantic storm. STUART: The original idea was The quartet There’s also an interest decided to see if we could put on working on it worthwhile, every year. Listing Ships play at Truck Store on ‘theme’ for the band, we were pretty “Originally the plan was to put my partner Giulia’s – brilliant in Oxford has always done from the band in soundtrack music; a music festival, ‘cos, y’know, “We’re really proud of this year’s Friday 9th November and as part of determined to avoid it becoming together some kind of multi-guitar its simplicity! It made total sense post-rock, instrumental and more who in particular has inspired them it looked easy. We set out two show; the band we’ve got lined Audioscope on Saturday 10th. Visit gimmicky as far as we could,” adds no wave ensemble along the lines of and we figured we had nothing to experimental music pretty well; what from that side of things? parameters right at the beginning up for Damo is amazing, with five listingships.bandcamp.com and Stuart. “What we didn’t really see Rhys Chatham,” explains Stuart of lose from asking, so basically just do Listing Ships bring to the party STUART: “For me, soundtrack that I’m really proud we’ve always brilliant drummers and some other www.musicforagoodhome.com. Sponsored by WILD SWIM THE FAMILY `Echo’ MACHINE (Believe) Like fellow current Oxford rising stars Glass `Skeletons & That’ RELEASED Animals, Wild Swim’s music often feels like (Beard Museum) it comes from a strange, ghostly netherworld, The Family Machine release a second single synthesised sounds, providing familiar hooks possessing no corporeal presence. The opening ahead of their long-awaited second album, CHAD VALLEY to create reminders of mid-80s John Hughes two-thirds of this debut release for Believe and like the last – the sweetly underplayed but `Young Hunger’ soundtracks, ‘Beat It’ dry drum hits, Joyce Sims Records is a mist-shrouded drift through sinister `Quiet As A Mouse’ – it’s a song that r’n’b gloss and Tears For Fears’ neo-bombast. delicately twinkling guitar, softly shimmering feels almost too delicately constructed to make (Loose Lips) The overall feel for `Young Hunger’ is one of synths and shuffling, barely-there beats, it all the way to the end without being swept Here’s an album that forces either a warmth, and it seems to be an album with a lot with singer Richard Sansom’s voice casting away by a gentle passing breeze. Yes, there’s an reassessment of cynicism or an unpicking of heart. While there’s no dramatic variation in an almost operatic, oriental shadow over almost orchestral feel about the arrangement, of the listener’s approach to music. `Young style across its eleven tracks – it stays relatively proceedings, one small – but all-important but then again it might as well have been put Hunger’ is heavily, unashamedly indebted to close to a heartfelt, medium-tempo, synthesised – step away from being preposterously over- together using blossom and confetti, although mainstream pop music of the mid-1980s, and pop sound throughout – in its detail there’s egged. Like Foals, and to a lesser extent The (guitarists and keyboard players Jamie Jay even that suggests some kind of cheeriness and as such, it’s tempting to dismiss it as shallow enough going on to repay repeat listens. That xx, Wild Swim coalesce the shifting separate and Carlos Posada) stetches the canvas even an air of springtime joy de vivre, rather than pastiche or snarky comment on the state of said, it’s certainly no one-trick pony of a record; parts of their songs with a deft hand, `Echo’ further, a taut, meandering pathway between the reflective autumnal lament that Jamie Hyatt current independent music. To do so would alongside all of its sonic nods to Dire Straits, discovering rock courage deep in its pockets Japan’s early-80s ambient experimentation and delivers here. be a disservice to what is in fact a collection Talking Heads and The Cars, there are tracks somewhere around the three minute mark, a Radiohead’s trippier explorations. Even the song’s title, and the way it is of incredibly well-crafted songs, and looking like ‘Interlude’, an almost Tangerine Dream- bolshy guitar attack bringing everything into Such a leaning towards musical understatement delivered in the song, feels like a self-conscious beyond the production values – and, indeed, esque tone poem, and ‘Up & Down’, which stark focus. means Wild Swim might never be an instant hit, shrug to ward off feelings of self pity as he analysing why the album’s influences generate could almost be an offcut from New Order’s Such a delicate touch is very much their bag, relying on repeated listens to get in your head contemplates a life without a certain special such a knee-jerk response – helps to define had the nous to invite guest vocalists onto more `Low-Life’. In the 1980s, many musical artists the skittish, airy `Bright Eyes’ offering the and under your skin, but once there they’re other; Jamie has a natural ability to convey `Young Hunger’ as a great record, regardless of than half of the songs here, and this fends off used new technology to experiment with and lightest funk touch, while Richard’s voice difficult to dislodge, and almost two years on wistful melancholy without ever sounding sorry the listener’s hang-ups or expectations. one-dimensionality by introducing otherwise augment songwriting: then, it wasn’t ironic or comes at you from the ether, hints of James from their first Nightshift Demo Of The Month, for himself. Most of all, it sounds effortlessly Chad Valley – or Hugo Manuel – has a singing impossible vocal ranges and textures (including knowing. The technology may now be old, but Blake in his tremulous vocal delivery as well as they’re as fascinatingly evasive and bewitching lovely – something The Family Machine have voice not dissimilar to A-Ha’s Morten Harket, a the familiar pseudo-American style of Fixers’ Chad Valley lets the songs, not the tools - or our the song’s scrabbling electro coda. A remix of as they ever were. long since excelled at. velvety-smooth slow honk of a vocal style that’s Jack Goldstein, on ‘My Girl’). modern-day attitudes to them - dictate `Young `Echo’ by the band’s own side project Cubiq Dale Kattack Dale Kattack echoed, Auto-Tuned and processed in various Such sensitivity in production and songwriting Hunger’’s success. fashions across the album’s eleven tracks. He’s is reflected in some very subtle working of Simon Minter Next month - Hot Hooves, Black Hats, Crysis, Death Of Hi-Fi, and more

Add to this a tale of rebellion, death and love and featuring cameos from The Three Little THE SCHOLARS Pigs, Red Riding Hood, Jack The Giant Killer `Wired’ and even Gepetto as a war criminal, and you’ve got a recipe for silliness on a dramatic scale. (Own label download) Having been quiet over the past year during And so it is. which they slimmed down to a three-piece, Alternating spoken word passages that move The Scholars return with the first of a planned the story on with shanties and madrigals and series of six new singles. Their reduction in the odd skit and the whole thing feels more like band members hasn’t made their sound any an experimental stage play than an album. No more slender, mind, `Wired’ carrying all their surprise to learn then, that The Mechanisms old hallmarks of drama-laden gothic indie performed the story as part of this year’s rock, all coruscating synths, driving guitars Edinburgh Fringe festival. and portentous vocals. Like Editors – still the As with Borderville’s recent concept album closest comparison – and fellow local rockers reworking of `Metamorphosis’, `Once Upon The Half Rabbits, The Scholars make a virtue A Time…’ relies on lashings of almost of sounding impossibly serious without being operatic excess and a degree of camp that pompous or histrionic. `Wired’ maybe doesn’t THE MECHANISMS makes Lady Gaga look like Liam Gallagher, have the melodic depth or scope of previous and while at times it feels a bit like Andrew Scholars favourites like `This Heart’s Built `Once Upon A Time (In Lloyd Webber presenting Jethro Tull – The To Break’ or `Turbulence’, but still sounds Space)’ Musical!, something keeps you listening, ambitious with its stretch to sound epic. even if it’s simply morbid curiosity. There are Dale Kattack (Own label download) nods – knowing or otherwise – to Star Trek “The Mechanisms are an Oxford based seven- and Red Dwarf, while the idea of assorted piece steampunk space pirate band, who (in fairytale characters thrown together in an alien character) travel the universe in the starship adventure, with a bit of Sapphic desire thrown Aurora, spreading death, destruction, story in for good measure, seems to owe something and song. “ So runs the introduction to The to Alan Moore’s Lost Girls. Mechanism’s press release for their debut studio So does everybody get to live happily ever album, and we’re briefly unsure whether to kick after? We’re not going to spoil the ending them firmly in the nether regions and tell them for you, other than to say there’s no knight in to grow up. But read a little further in and it shining armour riding in to save the day, and if starts to sound interesting, the album being a ostentatious prog-folk really isn’t your thing, concept album (“a space opera” in their words) then maybe you won’t want or need to find based on old folk songs and fairy tales with Old out, but for anyone inclined towards something King Cole cast as a vicious tyrant, Rose Red his more out of the ordinary and, yes, slightly silly, cloned supersoldier, Snow White as Rose Red’s it might just be your bag of cosmic acorns. sister and Cinderella as Rose’s bride. Ian Chesterton kicking it out raw, dirty and bluesy. They’re joined – Caustic melancholy from the Edinburgh indie- by sludgy downtempo brutalists Diesel King and folksters – see main preview Cardiff’s heavyweight garage and psych-metal ROB TOGNONI: The Jericho Tavern – The riffmeisters The Witches Drum. Tasmanian blues devil returns to the Famous PUNK OLYMPIA: The Cellar (5pm) – An Monday Blues club, displaying the powerful and extended session of punk and punk-inspired noise versatile electric style that’s served him well in his from the likes of Twat Daddies, Barmy Army, 30 plus years on the road, his style owing much to GIG GUIDE Nuclear Skyline, The Great Big Bargain, Cocaine Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Cowboys, Jane Likes Book and Beaver Fuel. OPEN MIC SESSION: Far From The Madding PROPAGANDA + JACK FM DJs + TRASHY: Crowd st thrash merchants Agness Pike, taking Anthrax and THURSDAY 1 O2 Academy – Indie and rock at Propaganda every Metallica out shopping for fancy handbags, plus THE PROCLAIMERS + BLUEFLINT: O2 Saturday, plus kitsch pop, glam and 80s at Trashy, th Rami’s Talc Demons and Phil Garvey’s Reckless TUESDAY 6 th Academy – Always bound to be remembered for NOVEMBER and party tunes from Jack FM DJs. Sleepers. ADAM ANT & THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE MONDAY 5 their 80s chart hits `I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) Staples on vocals and was produced by Rat WHAT YOU CALL IT GARAGE: The Cellar – SKYLARKIN SOUNDSYSTEM: The Cellar – LOVELY POSSE: O2 Academy – The Dandy and `Letter From America’, Fife’s identical twin Scabies. Compared variously to Tom Waits, The UK garage, 2-step, 4x4 and bassline. Your monthly dose of ska, reggae, dancehall and Highwayman returns after successfully resurrecting MEURSAULT / ROB brothers Charlie and Craig Reid had a brief return Kinks and Elvis Costello, they supported Donovan soul in the company of Count Skylarkin. Tonight’s his pop career last year, his recent Bestival set to the national consciousness a couple of years on his last UK tour. St JOHN: The Cellar live guest turn comes from Phoenix City Allstars th critically lauded as a triumph. Having dominated back with the Comic Relief appropriation of their MAD DOG McREA: The Jericho Tavern SUNDAY 4 Another minor coup from local promoters with their Skatalites and Studio 1-style ska, LARRY McCRAY: The Bullingdon – Blues the early-80s charts with theatrical glee and monster biggest hit, but that aside, they’ve continued to – Folk-rock, bluegrass and gypsy jazz from Pindrop Performances, tonight bringing rocksteady and early reggae, reworking 2 Tone rocking guitar and big, soulful vocals from hits like `Ant Music’, `Stand & Deliver’ and `Prince tour and release increasingly accomplished albums Plymouth’s Mad Dog McRea, championed by Edinburgh’s Meursault to town, a band much classics into a 1960s Jamaican style and featuring Arkansas’ veteran bluesman McCray, inspired by Charming’, a gradual retreat into a less successful that mix up their traditional Scottish folk ancestry Mike Harding and chums with Seth Lakeman. loved in the late night outer reaches of 6 Music members of Pama International and The Sidewalk the three Kings – BB, Albert and Freddie, and over solo career and mental health issues followed, so with a punky attitude that complements their CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford and the darker corners of the music press, but Doctors. Legendary septuagenarian DJ Derek on a rare UK visit ahead of a headline show at the Ant’s return to performing was as much a personal unwavering political campaigning, and as their last Community Centre – Oxford’s longest-running typically overlooked by a mainstream hooked makes the trip over from his native Bristol again Carlisle Blues Festival. triumph as it was a welcome return of a man whose show here, back in 2009, showed, they’re pretty and best open mic club night showcases local on polish and style over substance. Neil for his trademark mix of reggae, dancehall and MYSTERY JETS: O2 Academy – Back in town dedication to proper pop star entertainment puts much unbeatable for a spot of singalong folk singers, musicians, poets and more every week. Pennyhook’s nine-strong band are generally soul on the decks. after their shows at the Bully and at Truck Festival most modern day manufactured nobodies to shame. anthem fun. SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – labelled folktronic, but that’s a simplistic MAEVE BAYTON + IAN WYCHERLEY earlier this year, plying a rootsier form of harmony- As well as the hits there’s be plenty of early Adam KATZENJAMMER + BEN CAPLAN: O2 Contemporary big band jazz from The Tommy term for a band named after a character in an + JANE GRIFFITHS + THE FLETCHER heavy pop these days having recorded most recent & The Ants gems to keep the old guard happy. Academy – Never mind Gangnam, it’s time to Evans Orchestra. Albert Camus-penned existential novel. And BROTHERS: East Oxford Community Centre album `Radlands’ in Texas. JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Free live jazz party Viking style – see main preview HEADINGTON HILLBILLIES: The it’s increasingly a misleading term since the – Local folk singer Maeve launches her new MOON RABBIT + BEARD OF DESTINY every week, tonight with The New Jazz Collective FLIPRON: The Bullingdon – Upbeat Wheatsheaf – Folk and Americana free in the band’s recent third album, `Something For album. + OXFORD UKULELE GROUP + PHIL OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern barrelhouse pop and psychedelia with the odd downstairs bar. The Weakened’, has left much of their earlier FUNKY FRIDAYS: The Bullingdon – Funk, FREIZINGER & CHRIS HILLS: Donnington THE BLUEBIRD CLUB: The Oxford Blue – ska flourish from Somerset’s Flipron, whose new ANNERO + TIGERS OF JUNCTION STREET lo-fi electronic elements behind in favour of soul, r’n’b and house every Friday. Community Centre (6pm) – Free acoustic session. Launch night for Catweazle Club’s new weekly single, `The Comet Returns’, features Neville + CONFRONT THE CARNAGE: The Bell, a more rounded and well-produced organic WHO DO YOU LOVE? The Duke, St open mic session, following on similar lines, Bicester – Jambox metal night. instrumentation, notably piano. What you get, Clement’s - Alt.rock, surf, garage-punk, 60s, th showcasing local singers, musicians, poets and st ROLL ON THURSDAYS: The Cellar – Floor MONDAY 5 though, isn’t a huge shift in stylistic gears from Thursday 1 soul, new wave and electro session with DJs Jim, performance artists. fillers and party tunes every week. MEURSAULT + ROB St JOHN: The Cellar acclaimed debut album `Pissing On Bonfires / Jens and Grizilla. BEATS AT THE BAR: The Cellar – Hip hop OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon Kissing With Tongues’, morose, slow-burning KATZENJAMMER: DISCO MUTANTE: The Library – Disco, session. BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston laments with the occasional upbeat rock-out to cosmic funk, electro boogie and acid house Friday 2nd leaven the mood, Pennycook’s richly intoned O2 Academy session. th Cornbury Festival definitely saved the best til FRIDAY 2nd WEDNESDAY 7 melancholy offset by moments of real contempt last when they chose Katzenjammer to close ALT.J: O2 Academy WALL: Truck Store – The sludgy posters return to and menace. Tonight’s show is a benefit gig 2:54 + PINS: The Jericho Tavern – Slowburning, the festival back in July. The Oslo quartet cut rd You’d hope and expect a bunch of fine art town for an instore after their showing at Gathering for Helen & Douglas House Hospice, with claustrophobic gloom-pop from 2.54, sisters SATURDAY 3 through all the reverential blues and staid soul SKA CUBANO + THE ORIGINAL RABBIT graduates to make music that was a bit, well, Festival. Meursault joined by locally-based Scottish Hannah and Colette Thurlow, fusing elements of prevalent over the festival weekend with a set FOOT SPASM BAND: O2 Academy – A repeat arty wouldn’t you? And so it turns out with SAINT SAVIOUR: The Jericho Tavern – songsmith and sometime collaborator Rob St goth, shoegaze, folk and grunge. The pair signed that oozed a sense of fun, as well as packing a of the party-starting double bill that rocked the Alt.J who have gone from virtual unknowns Ethereal, hymnal electronic pop from London’s John. to Fiction last year and recorded their album with serious musical punch. The description “Four Academy last time round and will do again. Led to Top 20 chart stars and one of the favourites Becky Jones, previously singer with Groove Rob Ellis, who’s previously produced PJ Harvey. Norwegian girls playing Balkan folk music” by irrepressible frontman Natty Bo, Cuban ska and for this year’s Mercury Prize in the space of a Armada, under her guise of Saint Saviour, drawing `Hidden People’, mixing tender folk ballads with HEAVEN 17: O2 Academy – From founding barely scratches the surface of Katzenjammer’s mambo crew Ska Cubano mix traditional Cuban few months. Listing to their debut album, `An comparisons with Elizabeth Frazer and Kate Bush stomping acoustic rock, having previously formed the original Human League, to their era-defining sound and live show, which involves not just dance with Jamaican rocksteady and ska, plus a Awesome Wave’, it’s not hard to hear why. It’s on her debut album, `Union’, featuring reworkings Equation with Kate Rusby and Sean’s brother `Penthouse & Pavement’, Martin Ware and Ian 20-plus instruments and a dizzying amount of hefty dose of Calypso and the spirit of rock’n’roll, just great. Comparisons have been made to of songs by Bowie, Siouxise and The Banshees, Seth. Craig Marsh, along with singer Glenn Gregory, swapping around, but also a range of sound that while local hot jazz combo The Original Rabbit Radiohead, Foals, Wild Beasts and The xx, as Depeche Mode and M83 among others. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon brought a sense of soul to previously austere stretches from a polka take on Genesis to some Foot Spasm Band live life onstage like it’s still well as Fairport Convention, but none of those SUBVERSE presents DJRUM + PRVDNT + BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston electronic pop in the 80s and proved to be an heart-stopping choral balladry reminiscent of prohibition-era New Orleans. Together they make really fits and Alt.J do seem to be out in their JEZEBEL + SKINS: The Cellar – House, techno, influence on the likes of La Roux, with whom they the `Voix Bulgares’ albums that 4AD released an irresistible force for fun and you will dance til own little musical word, one where chamber garage and bass club night with guest DjRUM th recorded a 6Music session back in 2010. Marsh FRIDAY 9 in the 1980s. And then on through some classic you drop. folk, dubstep, electronica, jazz, murder ballads joining club residents on the decks. having departed the line-up, Ware and Gregory LISTING SHIPS: Truck Store (6pm) – This rock’n’roll, bluesgrass, Cossack dance and some JACK SAVORETTI + KARIMA FRANCIS: and ecclesiastical chants not so much collide return to town, touring their second album, `The month’s Nightshift cover stars launch their new EP shiny pure pop for good measure. There’s a The Jericho Tavern – Poetic acoustic folk as drift airily towards each other. Radio hit th Luxury Gap’, particularly pertinent given the THURSDAY 8 and preview their Audioscope show tomorrow night sense of burlesque about the band’s stage show, and pop from Anglo-Italian singer-songwriter `Tessellate’ has helped bring them even closer current political and social environment, so expect DAMN THE TORPEDOES + THE MAGIC with this instore appearance. but they’re too seriously rocking to be cast aside Savoretti, touring his third album, `Before The to household name status, though they all seem hits like `Temptation’, `Come Live With Me’ and MANGO BAND: The Bullingdon – Tribute to THE D.O.T: The Bullingdon – What Mike as some cabaret turn. Hell, if you can’t witness Storm’, having been spotted by and toured with far too nice and polite to make for proper rock `Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry’. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Skinner did next – see main preview Katzenjammer live and come away happy as a Corinne Bailey Rae. Support from Oxford regular stars, so instead they’re going to let the music ALT.J: O2 Academy – Time to tessellate – see LIMEHOUSE LIZZY: O2 Academy – Tribute to MIKE PETERS: O2 Academy – The Alarm clam and in love with every thing about them, Karima Francis with her rootsy acoustic soul that’s do the talking, teasing critics by being almost main preview Thin Lizzy. singer keeps on keeping on. you probably died sometime in the last century. seen her compared to Tracy Chapman and Joan impossible to categorise, but gently helping to ANNIE MAC: O2 Academy – Electro and house SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – Eclectic PUNCH BROTHERS: O2 Academy – Apparently the name translates as a fit of self- Armatrading. drag guitar based music out of its self-imposed from the influential Radio 1 DJ. mix of Flamenco, Latin, oriental and rock-inflected Progressive bluegrass and contemporary classical pity; an ironic moniker for a band capable of DAVID RODIGAN: The Bullingdon – A night doldrums. Tonight’s show is sold out already, JOSEPHINE FOSTER + BRICKWORK jazz from the renowned guitarist. fusion from New York’s Punch Brothers, formed by bringing such joy. of reggae and dancehall from an undisputed king unsurprisingly. LIZARDS: The Bullingdon – Delicate, sombre MARVELLOUS MEDICINE + HEMAN former-Nickel Creek man Chris Thile, adding some of the genre, the recently MBE’d Mr Rodigan, and inventively poetic American folk and acoustic SHEMAN + GABE ANDERSON + JACK rock dynamics, jazz timings and virtuoso mandolin the former Kidlington schoolboy who is now blues from Colorado’s reclusive but prolific STANTON: The Cellar – University magazine Isis playing into a live set that stretches from traditional widely recognised as one of the chief authorities th songstress, mining a sparse, traditional early-20th celebrates its 120 anniversary with a night of live folk songs to the odd Radiohead cover. on reggae, as well as one of the finest and most Century style, augmented by an almost operatic music from student bands. Followed by Roll On KILL MURRAY + MILLION FACES: The respected reggae DJs in the UK, having toured voice. She’s over in the UK to promote her new Thursdays. Jericho Tavern – Daisy Rodgers Music night with with Shinehead and been name-checked in song by album, `Blood Rising’, her ninth solo outing. CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Community electro-tinged slacker pop fighters Kill Murray. The Beastie Boys along the way. Turkobilly support from Brickwork Lizards. Centre BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar – Dancefloor Latin, DESERT STORM + DIESEL KING + KLUB KAKOFANNEY with AGNESS PIKE + KATHRYN ROBERTS + SEAN LAKEMAN: Balkan beats, global grooves and nu-jazz club night, THE WITCHES DRUM + KOMRAD: The TALC DEMONS + RECKLESS SLEEPERS: The Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon – Husband and with a live set from Klezmer and Balkan folk band Wheatsheaf – Buried In Smoke night with local The Wheatsheaf – Klub Kak’s monthly mixed wife duo Kathryn and Sean return to playing and She’Koyokh, and guest DJ Jokakeli. stoner and psych-metal heroes Desert Storm bag of musical fruits, tonight with theatrical recording with each other with their new album THE DEPUTEES: The Wheatsheaf Coltrane, Sun Ra and Black Sabbath, their aim is Elvis tribute spectacular. JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Live jazz from black-hearted death and ruin. cranial damage and broken musical barriers and if OPEN MIC SESSION: Far From The Madding The Hugh Turner Band. LAU: The Jericho Tavern – Trad-folk innovation you strain, you can probably hear them playing all Crowd THE BLUEBIRD CLUB: The Oxford Blue and experimentation from the award-winning the way up in Bicester. More bands should be so GET YOUR ROCKS OFF: The Cellar – Indie INTRUSION: The Cellar – Goth, industrial, ebm Scottish trio – see main preview challenging. Alternatively you can go and watch a club night. and darkwave club night. YASHIN + WE BUTTER THE BREAD WITH Stone Roses tribute band. BUTTER + SHADOWS CHASING GHOSTS: THE COMPLETE STONE ROSES: O2 TUESDAY 13th WEDNESDAY 14th O2 Academy – More identikit post-hardcore/ Academy – Relive your Heaton Park summer fun THE REVIVAL TOUR: O2 Academy – Chuck IMAGINE DRAGONS: O2 Academy – Pumped- screamo/whatever from Glasgow’s Yashin. Why are in the cosier confines of the Academy. Ragan’s back-to-grassroots tour continues apace, up, polished stadium-rock from the Las Vegas band they playing in town and not Fucked Up? Not fair. THIS TOWN NEEDS GUNS + DALLAS Nyer nyer, not fair, whine whine, whimper, wee in Friday 9th the Hot Water Man joined by an international cast whose `It’s Time’ was a massive radio hit Stateside DON’T + RIVALRIES: The Cellar – Return of roots musicians, including, for this latest leg over the summer, sounding a bit like Killers by way our pants. Oh no, we’ve only gone and written a THE D.O.T: to local live action for Oxford’s mathsy rockers, of the tour, Australia’s Emily Barker, Canada’s of Take That. They’re over in the UK to promote new song for Yashin. Bad Nightshift. leaning towards the Owls and Death Cab For Jay Malinowski and American singer-songwriters debut album `Night Visions’, tonight’s show THE BIG TEN INCH: The Cellar – Count Cutie scheme of things. Support at tonight’s 100% Skylarkin’s monthly celebration of classic Rocky Votolato and Cory Branan. They don’t allow upgraded from the Jericho Tavern. th The Bullingdon Mosh show comes from spiky Pixies and Idlewild- rock’n’roll, jump blues and rockabilly, with live Sunday 11 The Streets had barely been and gone before campfires inside the O2 but if they did, it’d be the FREERANGE: The Cellar – Drum&bass, hip hop inspired starlets Dallas Don’t. Followed by Extra sets from Hipbone Slim & The Kneetremblers and Mike Skinner announced his new musical perfect setting for such an evening of downhome and dubstep club night. Curricular, playing a mix of garage, bass and house. Crown Toppers, plus Bestival’s Greg Butler and HALLS: project at the end of last year – The D.O.T, musical intimacy. WATER PAGEANT + JESS HALL + Count Skylarkin on the decks. a collaboration with Rob Harvey, previously BETA BLOCKER & THE BODYCLOCK: th WELCOME TO PEEPWORLD: Fusion Arts THURSDAY 15 KILL CITY SAINTS + REEDS: The Bullingdon The Bullingdon frontman of Leeds’ epic indie rockers The Ovada Gallery, Osney Lane – Dirty lo-fi groove- Centre – Wistful, folksy indie from Water Pageant GRAVENHURST + SEABUCKTHORN + – Blues, country and rock from Kill City Saints at It is, as you read this, officially the very Music. How that clash of musical worlds heavy noise from Beta Blocker at the opening of at tonight’s album launch gig, where they’re joined SOLEDAD VELEZ: The Cellar – In a fair and tonight’s It’s All About The Music show. deepest, darkest depths of autumn, so what was going to pan out was anybody’s guess new warehouse gallery Ovada. by excellent local folk-pop songstress Jess Hall and just world Gravenhurst would be far, far bigger EMPTY VESSELS + CHARMS AGAINST we need right now is a soundtrack to all that but they’ve quickly put a dozen songs online, OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern acoustic pop outfit Welcome To Peepworld. than Coldplay but it seems the great CD-buying THE EVIL EYE + ARTCLASSSINK: The solitude and solemnity. And hey, here’s Halls to while building momentum with a series of droll provide just that. Halls is the musical moniker PROPAGANDA + JACK FM DJs + TRASHY: th public doesn’t like its melancholy too honest or Wheatsheaf – Moshka club night with heavyweight moc-doc monthly video diaries. The result isn’t Saturday 10 O2 Academy intimate. So Bristol’s Nick Talbot remains a cult blues and proto-metal in the vein of Led Zep and of south London’s Sam Howard, a man who a world away from The Streets’ take on UK hip HOUSEWURK: The Duke’s Cut – Old school concern, utterly beloved of a small but dedicated, Blue Cheer from the mighty Empty Vessels. records in churches and gives the resultant hop, Skinner’s sample-heavy collages, replete AUDIOSCOPE: house session with Tony Nanton. and hopefully growing, fanbase. He’s just released EMPTY WHITE CIRCLES + ALEX KEALY + tracks titles like `Roses For The Dead’ and with electronic squiggles, wobbly synths THE NEW ESSEX BLUEGRASS BAND: Three his fourth album for Warp Records, `The Ghost BEN WALKER + JONATHAN O’NEILL: The `Shadow Of The Colossus’. Have you got and sometimes almost dubby beats, backing The Jericho Tavern your dancing shoes on yet? But really, this is Horseshoes, Towersey – Harmony-heavy trad Twelve years in, Audioscope remains one In Daylight’, with its almost hymnal psychedelic Port Mahon – A night of live music and comedy Harvey’s slightly epic soulful vocals. The pair beautiful stuff – eerily atmospheric and glitch blouses tunes. of Oxford’s most understated but musically leanings but that fragile, hushed sense of autumnal with local newcomers Empty White Circles adding have collaborated with Ghostpoet and a recent in equal measures, mixing ambient electronica ambitious annual events. Previous years have melancholy remains. Tonight’s show is part of the an electronic edge to their folky pop, leaning single, `You Never Asked’, features Danny with choral and classical music and sombre th seen underground stars like Wire, Four-Tet, Cellar’s new Irregular Folk club and Talbot is joined towards the Stornoway and King Creosote scheme Brown and Clare Maguire to good effect. SUNDAY 11 dubstep atmospherics, a sepulchral soundtrack Deerhoof, Rother & Moebius and Luke Vibert by atmospheric local soundscapist Seabuckthorn, of things. The pair’s debut album, `And That’ is due out HALLS: The Bullingdon – Ecclesiastical to solitude and possibly films with lots of snow grace the bill, while 2007’s set by Shit & Shine who’s just released his new album `The Silence THE MANATEES: The Duke’s Cut – Folk around about now, and The D.O.T seem to chamber-pop from Sam Howard’s Halls – see main and death and reflections on the meaningless remains one of the greatest gigs Nightshift has Woke Me’, plus Valencia’s emotive indie-folkster session; new musicians welcome. be adopting a back-to-basics approach with a preview of it all. No wonder much of Howard’s music ever witnessed. And all the while Audioscope Soledad Velez. PAUL HANDYSIDE: Cornerstone Arts Centre, relatively low-key UK tour, so make the most TREVOR MOSS & HANNAH LOU + JESS was created as he sat confined to his house has raised thousands of pounds for homeless EMPTY WHITE CIRCLES + RED CROW Didcot – Emotive rootsy acoustic folk. of seeing them up close while you can. HALL: Truck Store – Instore show from Trevor for a period. Comparison-wise, you can hear charity Shelter. This year’s event finds one + THIRD LIGHT + THE METHOD + THE FUNKY FRIDAYS: The Bullingdon and Hannah Lou ahead of their Jericho show later echoes of Thom Yorke’s most insular recent of the star turns of old return, in the form of ATTITUDE BOYS: The Bullingdon – Highly tonight. work as well as Burial’s doomiest pieces, while Damo Suzuki, the legendary former Can promising rootsy folk-pop from Empty White th COUNTRY FOLK SINGER-SONGWRITERS TOM McRAE + TREVOR MOSS & HANNAH- SATURDAY 17 Dead Can Dance’s gothic-mediaeval portent singer, who for tonight’s headline set, is Circles and others at tonight’s It’s All About The CIRCLE: The Port Mahon – Like what it says LOU: The Jericho Tavern – Chelmsford’s Music show. ETHAN JOHNS: Truck Store (5pm) – The BRIT encroaches at times. Christchurch Cathedral joined by the ODC Drumline, making their Award-winning producer, who’s worked with The on the tin, an intimate night of local country- master of mirth returns to town to promote his new SPIN JAZZ CLUB with SIMON SPILLETT: might be a more apt arena for all this but Audioscope debut. Expect the unexpected Vaccines, Kaiser Chiefs, Laura Marling, Tom Jones folk singer-songwriters. Possibly sitting in a album, `From The Lowlands’, a direct follow-up The Wheatsheaf – English jazz tenor saxophonist wherever you listen to him, Halls will sound with a hefty side order of rhythmic, spaced-out and Kings of Leon among many, many others, circle. The Epstein’s Ollie Wills is playing, as are to `Alphabet Of Hurricanes’, continuing to plumb Spillett guests at the Spin, drawing on Courtney nothing short of wonderful. krautrocking psychedelic madness. Also on as well as playing with Ryan Adams and Rufus Swindlestock, Ags Connolly and Ragdoll. Bring the depths of musical sorrow and melancholy in Pine and Wynton and Branford Marsalis for an impressive bill are Baltimore’s psychedelic Wainwright, launches his new album `If Not Now marshmallows and wood for the fire. rather splendid style and with a featherlight vocal inspiration. club night with Exit Records’ DJ Loxy. grunge-folksters Arbouretum, groove-farmers Then When’ – his first since 1992 – with a tour of BREEZE: The Duke’s Cut – Live party tunes touch that leavens his tales of gloom and lost love. FRANKIE’S WHISKY NIGHT: The Port TOM & BEN PALEY: Three Horseshoes, par excellence, who are like an epic collision the UK’s best independent record stores, plying from the local band. Support from lovey-dovey alt.country duo Trevor Mahon – Whisky-fuelled Americana from Francis Towersey – Founder member of The New Lost of early Fairport and Earth; Manchester- a suitably intimate form of campfire country and FUNKY FRIDAYS: The Bullingdon and Hannah-Lou. Pugh & The Whisky Singers at tonight’s malt- City Ramblers Tony Paley performs with his son Newcastle duo Warm Digits, bringing Neu!’s American folk music. THE BEAT: O2 Academy – The Ranking Roger infused session, plus folk-pop from The Oh So Ben on fiddle. motorik electronic up to date in scintillating THE WEDDING PRESENT: O2 Academy – th and Everett Morton version of the 80s hitmakers Many and acoustic songs from Oliver Talkes. 1000 MILE HIGHWAY + KING TERRIBLE SATURDAY 10 fashion; new Mute Records signings Land David Gedge’s enduring indie heroes play their BLACK HATS + MATT MIDGELY: Truck return to town, revisiting `Mirror In The Bathroom’, CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Community + JEREMY + TREV WILLIAMS: The Observatory; technical rock experimenters 1991 third album, `Seamonsters’ in full, the harsher, Store – Spiky new wave-inspired power pop from `Too Nice To Talk To’ and more. Centre Hollybush, Osney – Wittstock fundraiser with Alright The Captain; ambient Krautrock- Steve Albini-produced album spawning chart local faves Black Hats. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon Charlbury’s rootsy Americana and alt.country inspired rockers Baltic Fleet and Elysian singles `Lovenest’ and `Dalliance’. AUDIOSCOPE: The Jericho Tavern – A full th BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston MONDAY 12 Quartet cellist Laura Moody. Not to mention UPSTAIRS with CHEW LIPS: O2 Academy – day and night of leftfield music in aid of Shelter, THE NOISETTES: O2 Academy – Frothy, chart- the fantastically named, and fantastically London electro-pop duo Chew Lips return to action including a headline set from Damo Suzuki. th friendly electro-pop and retro soul from the indie noisy Dethscalator. A strong local contingent FRIDAY 16 with a slicker, more disco-fied sound on new single Alternatively you can go and watch a Stone Roses scrappers turned chart stormers. Having made the features Gunning For Tamar, Message To RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: The New Theatre – `Hurricane’, having opened their pop account with tribute band – see main preview leap from the toilet circuit to hitting the charts with Bears and this month’s Nightshift cover stars Showtunes and romance from the quirky troubadour a brace of excellent singles on Kitsune back in DREAMING SPIRES + THE HI & LO + THE 2009’s `Wild Young Hearts’ and its unmissable Listing Ships. It’s a full day of music that’s – see main preview 2009 and toured with Killers, We Are Scientists and RELATIONSHIPS: The Bullingdon – Warm- accompanying single, `Don’t Upset The Rhythm’, often challenging, occasionally confrontational GOJIRA: O2 Academy –As you’d hope and Howling Bells. Local support from funky electro- hearted Americana and 60s West Coast harmony they’re still on course for pop glory with eclectic but always rewarding and for anyone wanting expect, French rockers Gojira are every bit as rockers Grudle Bay; industrial electro and hip hop pop from Dreaming Spires at tonight’s Empty new album `Contact’. their ears opened to new and exciting sounds, monstrous as their namesake – the original Japanese starlets Tiger Mendoza and trip-hop outfit Stem. Room Promotions show, the Brothers Bennett MAX MILNER: O2 Academy – Saucy rhymes while benefitting a very worthwhile cause, it’s moniker for Godzilla. In fact Gojira used to be SEE OF BEES + PHIL McMINN: The Jericho continuing to explore their love for The Band, and innuendo from the veteran music hall singer an event not to be missed. called Godzilla before they had to change their Tavern – Delicate, cutesy folk-pop and Americana Teenage Fanclub and Big Star on recent album and comedian who died in 1963. name for legal reasons. Formed in 1996, theirs is a from Julie Baeziger’s Sea Of Bees, with angelic `Brothers In Brooklyn, while local psychedelic pop GRAINNE DUFFY: The Jericho Tavern mid-tempo, sometimes meandering, but technical dream-pop support from former-Winchell Riots legends The Relationships open the show. – Powerful blues and soul from the County and highly rhythmic form of death-metal with all its frontman Phil McMinn. SIMPLE: The Bullingdon – Thirteenth birthday Monaghan singer, whose debut album, `Out Of hallmark sounds, from the double kick drum salvos EXTRA CURRICULAR featuring party for the long-running house and electro club, The Dark’, was recorded with members of Sharon to Joe Duplantier’s death growl vocals. Somewhere COLOUREDS: The Cellar – Local electro crazies with guests Eats and residents. Shannon and Van Morrison’s bands. In her native between Meshuggah, Morbid Angel and Sepultura, Coloureds return to live action at the weekly Extra RED SQUARE: Modern Art Oxford – Ireland she’s supported everyone from Little Feat to they’re brutal but (for the genre) melodic. New Curricular dance club, the duo now augmented on Confrontational avant-jazz-cum-metal sonic Ocean Colour Scene and now heads off around the album `L’enfant Sauvage’ continues their run of drums by former-Youthmovies man Graeme Murray. explorers Red Square, the band formed by Oxford UK again as headliner ahead of the release of her epic releases, with a running fascination with all PROPAGANDA + JACK FM DJs + TRASHY: music scene vets Jon Seagroat and Ian Staples back second album. things spiritual and environmental, beacons of O2 Academy in the 1970s in Southend. Somewhere between John ONE NIGHT OF ELVIS: The New Theatre – positivity in a genre more normally obsessed with TERRAFORMS: The Bullingdon – Drum&bass & RICK ASHERSON: The Jericho Tavern – comparisons to Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell SATURDAY 24th FAMOUS MONDAY BLUES: The Jericho Wales’ rising blues singer Mewis returns to the and James Taylor along the way. Since her SKELETOR WITH UNKNOWN FLOW + Tavern – Live blues at the long-standing club, with Famous Monday Blues after her show there last acclaimed 2002 debut, `Bramble Rose’, she’s MILK WHITE THROAT: O2 Academy – Jazz acts to be confirmed. year, playing a style of blues akin to a young toured with the likes of Ryan Adams, Joan Baez, and prog-inspired rocking from Unknown Flow at OPEN MIC: Far From The Madding Crowd Bonnie Raitt, with a powerful old-time blues voice Iron and Wine and Elvis Costello, as well as tonight’s Skeletor monthly metal extravaganza, plus that sees her doing justice to songs by the likes of playing for Barack Obama. Brighton’s prog-metallers Milk White Throat. TUESDAY 27th Koko Taylor, Blind Willie McTell and Memphis VIENNA DITTO + DEAD GIRL PARK + GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with SPINNER JUAN ZELADA: The Jericho Tavern – We last Minnie alongside her own material, while her MARY BENDYTOY: The Wheatsheaf – FALL + LIONFACE + RUSKIN BOB: The encountered Juan Zelada at Cornbury Festival. His classic sound is mixed with hillbilly boogie, 50s Electro-heavy rockabilly from the jazz lounge Wheatsheaf – More mix’n’match fun at GTI’s set coincided with a torrential downpour which skiffle, jazz and soul. She’s supported tonight by monthly club night. There’s shoegaze and post- meant we had to huddle under a clump of trees Alabama’s Debbie Bond, a long-time favourite at from Vienna Ditto, conjuring up a jarring mix of Suicide, Portishead, Sneaker Pimps and Nina punk noise, mixing up elements of The Fall, Ride while getting bitten to buggery by mosquitoes. It th the FMB and, like Mewis, a singer often compared and Husker Du from Spinner Fall, featuring former th Friday 16 Simone. Melodic fuzzcore from Dead Girl Park was more fun than his set. Monday 26 to Bonnie Raitt for her mix of rocking blues and members of Skydrive, Callous and From Light To and industrial gothic drama from Mary Bendytoy AKALA: O2 Academy – Politicised rap from soul. Sound, plus dramatic, almost operatic pop in the LAU: in support. the Camden rhymer, inspired by the likes of Gil FRANK TURNER THE FEELERS: The O2 Academy – Pumping vein of Kate Bush and Florence & The Machine Scott Heron as he explores racism, child poverty THE LAUREL COLLECTIVE + PETER & The Jericho Tavern stadium rock from New Zealand’s enduring from Devon’s Lionface and acoustic blues and folk and more, cramming Shakespeare and sampling & THE SLEEPING KERRY + AFTER THE THOUGHT: Modern Having won Best Group three years running faves, touring their fifth album, `Hope Nature from Ruskin Bob. Siouxsie & The Banshees as he uses hip hop at the BBC Folk Awards, you might expect Forgiveness’. Art – Eclectic mix-up of funk and soul grooves, POLLY & THE BILLETS DOUX + KNIGHTS as much as an educational tool as a form of SOULS: O2 Academy Lau to be playing bigger venues than this as GET YOUR ROCKS OFF: The Cellar dancehall rhythms and psychedelia from Domino OF MENTIS: The Cellar – Winchester’s twee, entertainment, harking back to old school sounds For all the manufactured, TV-hyped pop they head out on tour to promote their third signings The Laurel Collective, likened variously smooth-edged country-folk and jazz outfit Polly & and style. nobodies clogging the charts and gossip album, `Race The Loser’, but you need such TUESDAY 20th to Dexy’s, The Specials, Sly & The Family Stone co. return to town with local Americana outfit The OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern column inches, you can’t beat a genuine hard intimacy to really appreciate the three-piece. PETER ANDRE: The New Theatre – Shit on and Super Furry Animals. Knights of Mentis in support. JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Alvin Roy & graft musical triumph story, and Frank Turner Singer and guitarist Kris Drever, fiddle player stilts. IN ZANADU: The Port Mahon – Jazz and SABRINA CHAP + ELLIE JAMISON + Reeds Unlimited are tonight’s guests at the Bully’s is that story. Nightshift remembers Frank when Aidan O’Rourke and accordionist Martin Green DOT’S FUNK ODYSSEY: The Cellar – Funk soul-influenced groove pop from the Banbury UNEEK + ELOISE REES: Studio Blanco – free weekly jazz club. he was playing support down at the Wheatsheaf are inspired by the landscapes of their native and soul club night. collective. Oxford Young Women’s Music Project presents THE BLUEBIRD CLUB: The Oxford Blue and now here he is, performing in front of an Scotland, so there’s a rugged homeliness about OPEN MIC SESSION: James Street Tavern THE RIFLES: O2 Academy – East London’s a night of female artists, including Chicago’s audience of a billion as part of the Olympics opening ceremony. Mr Turner has been an much of Lau’s jigs, reels, drones and ballads, JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Live jazz from laddish rockers return, still sounding a bit like burlesque pianist Sabrina Chap, mixing balladry, th WEDNESDAY 28 honorary citizen of Oxford for many years now but unlike most folk traditionalists the interplay The New Jazz Collective. The Jam. ragtime and cabaret with a fair dash of humour. between three such virtuoso musicians twists MARVELLOUS MEDICINE: The Wheatsheaf of course, in part, be due to his regular visits THE BLUEBIRD CLUB: The Oxford Blue THE CORSAIRS: The Duke’s Cut – She’s joined by Cambridge soul-folk singer Ellie everything into new territory. On the new Jamison and excellent local rapper Uneek. – Jazz, folk and reggae-infused pop from the to our venues, including appearances at Truck Rockabilly and psychobilly covers. album they’ve even teamed up with producer PROPAGANDA + JACK FM DJs + TRASHY: University band. Festival, but also due to his backing band being st RORY JAMS MOONLIGHT: Phoenix Tucker Martine, who’s worked with REM, WEDNESDAY 21 O2 Academy FREERANGE: The Cellar – Drum&bass, hip hop mostly made up of local punk-pop heroes Dive and introduced electronic beats that power REVOKER + SACRED MOTHER TONGUE + Picturehouse – Live guitar jam duel. BEN WATERS: Cornerstone Arts Centre, and dubstep club night. Dive. The Bahrain-born, Eton-educated Turner their complex, often improvised arrangements, KORROZION + OVERLORD: The Courtyard, FUNKY FRIDAYS: The Bullingdon Didcot – Boogie woogie piano from Jools has made the unusual but not unprecedented negotiating tricky time signatures and an almost Bicester – Arguably the biggest name band to Holland’s favourite ivory thumper. THURSDAY 29th journey from hardcore punk screamer to folk orchestral feel to some of their more expansive come to Bicester in many years, Welsh metallers ALABAMA 3: O2 Academy – Larry Love and the singer over the past decade, from his days in Revoker play a special show at the Courtyard th pieces. Beyond the instrumentals, Drever’s Friday 16 th Very Reverend Dr D Wayne Love return once more Million Dead to his more mild-mannered, but stirring, reflective vocals bring the best out of youth centre after touring with Anthrax and SUNDAY 25 no less politicised modern day incarnation, CHAD VALLEY + TROPHY WIFE + SOLID with another dose of acid house blues and country songs about the death and decay of old ways before that Ozzy Osbourne. Their first album for RUFUS Turner finding many of his songs working GOLD DRAGONS: The Cellar – Hugo Manuel medicine, riding the rough highway between Hank and old industries, though, just as the band have Roadrunner, `Revenge Of The Ruthless’, exposes better stripped of their noise, and his debut solo cracks open his little box of electronic tricks again Williams and Happy Mondays, spreading a little bit integrated the modern into the traditional, they their hardcore thrash in the vein of Metallica and WAINWRIGHT: release, `Campfire Punk Rock’, was as much as he launches his new album, `Young Hunger’, of worldly wit and chemically-enhanced joy. offer hope for the future. Pantera. Joining them are EMI signings Sacred a perfect description of his music as it was which features collaborations from Twin Shadow, HOT HOOVES + X1: The Cellar – Powerhouse Mother Tongue, melodic tech-metallers inspired The New Theatre a title. Since then he’s managed to mix love Seven albums in and Rufus Wainwright finally Active Child, Fixers’ Jack Goldstein and Orlando punk-inspired rocking somewhere between Husker outfit 1000 Mile Highway, plus soulful acoustic by System Of A Down and Killswitch, plus songs and social commentary over a succession feels like the major playing international from Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. Top Du, Guided By Voices and early Teenage Fanclub troubadour Trev Williams. Towcester’s metalcore and classic hard rock outfit of increasingly commercially successful star he’s always been capable of but perhaps drawer support comes from exotically airy popsters from Hot Hooves ahead of the release of their Korrozion, and local psych-metallers Overlord. albums, including last year’s `England Keep seemed a bit quirky to ever really become. For Trophy Wife and Solid Gold Dragons. second album. Malevolent old school hardcore from th My Bones’, in much the same way as his most SUNDAY 18 all the big, orchestral arrangements, almost CHURCH OF THE HEAVY with MOTHER the recently reformed X1 in support. Followed by nd obvious antecedent, Billy Bragg. Given his SPRING OFFENSIVE + AMONG BROTHERS THURSDAY 22 operatic excess and expert songwriting, he’s CORONA + CARAVAN OF WHORES + LAST Roll On Thursdays club night. background his is hardly a rags to riches story + TOLIESEL: Venue to be announced – Spring NATUREBOY: Truck Store – Instore gig for the always felt a bit leftfield for mass acceptance, DAYS OF SUN + GOD SPEED: The Bullingdon MICHELE STODART: The Jericho Tavern – but it is heartening to see such dedication to Offensive continue their habit of playing unusual local nu-jazz, folky psychedelia and 60s acoustic but with his new album, `Out Of The Game’, – Metal night with Groove metal behemoths Mother Solo show from the Magic Numbers singer and constant gigging and song writing, beyond semi-secret shows, this time keeping the location pop chap Dave Noble. recorded with Mark Ronson, he’s made his Corona unleashing the spirits of Black Sabbath, bassist. major label funding and hype, reap such of their east Oxford gig under wraps until the day DANCE A LA PLAGE + JOHN WEAN + poppiest and most soulful record to date and Electric Wizard and Smashing Pumpkins on the IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC ACOUSTIC rewards and he’ll get a fanatical reception at before the show. Get your ticket and await further YELLOW FEVER + NORTHMOOR: O2 there’s little doubt he’ll sell out tonight’s show. world. Fantastically dirty stoner-metal noise from CLUB: The Bullingdon – Unplugged sets from tonight’s already sold out show worthy of any instructions. Academy – Blokey indie-funk in the style of Ronson’s production doesn’t seem to have Caravan of Whores. Moogie Man, Rory Evans, Rachel Ruscombe King hometown hero. JOAN ARMATRADING: The New Theatre – Scouting For Girls and Kooks from Banbury’s impinged too much on Wainwright’s trademark THE STUART BROTHERS: Three Horseshoes, and The Art, among others. Dance a la Plage. romanticism, just made it all feel a bit simpler, SPIN JAZZ CLUB with CHRIS GARRICK: After a headline set at this summer’s Cropredy Towersey – Songs and stories from the Appalachian vein of Nirvana and The Pixies from Von Braun. OX MARKS THE SPOT: The Cellar – Hip hop and the grand themes of his songs remain – The Wheatsheaf – Jazz violin from Garrick. Festival, the veteran singer enters her fifth decade mountains. Plus a debut gig from former-Witches frontman club night with a local bias, featuring homegrown love, loss, family, politics. Recently married to CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Community of pop with a new album, `Starlight’, still a major Dave Griffiths’ Grey Children, joined by Witches sets from Rhymeskeemz, Universal Protection his long-term partner, Jӧrn Weisbrodt, maybe Centre league act after her commercial heyday in the th bandmate Rich Thomas and Evenings main man early-80s with `Me, Myself & I’ and `Walk Under Collective, Pilgrim, Benofficial and Pierce Artists, Rufus’s emotional lyricism is becoming less MONDAY 26 OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS: Mark Wilden, together coming on somewhere Ladders’. plus DJ sets from Bagul and Ideal Self. turbulent, but however grand the concert halls BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston O2 Academy – Our Frank returns to his spiritual between Neil Young and Daniel Johnston. GONG: O2 Academy – Daevid Allen and Gilli SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – Live jazz and big the album sales figures, his charm second home after playing to a billion people at the REVIVAL HOUR: The Jericho Tavern – Smyth continue to explore the mythology of the from Gary Crosby and Denys Baptiste. remains the feeling of a slightly troubled th Olympics opening ceremony – see main preview FRIDAY 30 Soulful electro-rocking from sometime Sufjan Gong universe, the pair – the only remaining CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford outsider, and long may that continue. MATT SCHOFIELD: The Bullingdon – The TELLISON + MY FIRST TOOTH: Truck Stevens collaborator DM Stith and former-Earlies members of the classic early-70s Gong line-up – Community Centre Haven blues club hosts the acclaimed guitarist who Store – Intimate instore show from London’s alt. chap JM Lapham. adding 2009’s `2032’ to the concept album stream OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon started his career playing with Lee Sankey and rockers Tellison, in the vein of Get Up Kids and THE MILK: O2 Academy – Chelmsford’s gustily that started back in 1973 with `Flying Teapot’. BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston Dana Gillespie, as well as The Lester Butler Tribute Jimmy Eatworld, but mixing militant indie funk and soulful crew in thrall to Stax and Motown, as well SIOBHAN McCLUSKY + THE SHAPES + Band, before going out on the road with his own Foals-y guitar trilling into their deceptively catchy as offering nods to The Style Council and Dexy’s. THE AUCTIONEERS + JANE LIKES BOOKS rd FRIDAY 23 band, mixing traditional electric blues with New indie anthems. IMPERIAL LEISURE: The Cellar – Ska and + LES CLOCHARDS + MARK ATHERTON THE TIFT MERRITT BAND + ROD Orleans funk and soul. Amid a slew of awards, he’s VON BRAUN + GREY CHILDREN: The rap-inspired party tunes from the ever-popular band. & FRIENDS: The Wheatsheaf (2.30) – Free PICOTT: The Bullingdon – Another quality been hailed as one of the ten greatest UK blues Wheatsheaf – Serrated grunge rocking in the Followed by drum&bass club night HQ. acoustic Klub Kakofanney-hosted session in the dose of American roots courtesy of Empty Room guitarists of all time, alongside Eric Clapton and Sheaf’s downstairs bar. th Promotions, tonight hosting North Carolina’s Peter Green, and his eclectic style incorporates Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion in the gig guide is 6pm on the 20 of each Tift Merritt, over in the UK to promote her new influences from The Meters and Box Tops alongside month - no exceptions (not even for you). Call 01865 372255 (10am-6pm), or email listings to th MONDAY 19 album, `Travelling Alone’, mixing up classic more traditional blues innovators like Freddie and [email protected]. All listings are copyright of Nightshift and may not be reproduced CHERRY LEE MEWIS + DEBBIE BOND country, r’n’b, soul and folk-rock, drawing Albert King. without permission Glass Animals photo: Marc West. Thanks to Tim Hughes Hipstamatic slacker-indie thatcalls nicely blurred-around-the-edges a trio-specialise in abrandof CLOCK. The band - nowapparently BODY THE BLOCKER AND judging bythefrontmanof as wellamusicalgodinOX4, ItseemsJMascisisasartorialicon out). points ratherthananoutrightknock- allowed moreofavictory(thoughon to getout;perhapstheycouldbe buried inthemtheresongs,scrapping mistake though,therearetunes head byanangrybear. Makeno hook likebeingpawedaroundthe heavier endof80salt-rock,each finesse-free thrashthroughthe lie. Their setisafrenzied, resolutely POLEDO’s particularaffections it’s clearfromtheoutsetwhere T-shirts arehardlynecessary- The HuskerDuandDinosaurJr what wewereborntodo. hands likeNightshift,butit’s also is goingsomeevenforseasonedgig Forty actsinalittleovereighthours Cowley RoadMethodistChurch. as disparate Truck Storeand along CowleyRoadbetweenvenues shifting tideofgiggoersmeandering buzz abouttheplace,withasteady a triumph.Evenat4pmthere’s a be describedasanythingotherthan east Oxfordfestival,Gatheringcan’t but understatedattemptataone-day Iflastyear’s Leylineswasabrave time Saturdayafternoon. busy Cowley Road is, even for a term The firstthingyounoticeishow Various venues GATHERING LIVE BETA I’m notsure whatheexpected returning fromwhence hecame. promptly pirouetting onthespotand one festival-goer to hismate, “Fuck this,it’s tooquiet”,exclaims then. to thelengthylistofloveablelocals, the worseforit. Another band toadd ‘Change InMe’ -butcertainlynone folk-rock/alt-country hoedownslike imagine parentsenjoyingrollicking the otherartistsonbill-youcan or self-consciously cool) than most of conventional (andfarlessstudiously popsters Binary, arefarmore minute replacementsforgothy Anglo-American collective,last- any oftheposeurishattitude. The equally accomplishedbutwithout EMPTYCIRCLES WHITE rather pompousandself-important. Community Centreitinevitablyfeels afternoon intheEastOxford big, butinthecontextofaSaturday can faultthemfordaringtothink superstardom. Idon’t supposeyou sights setfirmlyonglobe-straddling rock andmagnifiedvocalssuggests of stridentelectronicallyinflected SEASFIRE nowhere (andnoone)inparticular, Clock arequitecontenttomeander While BetaBlocker And The Body crowd appreciationtheydeserve. solipsistic) gemwhodon’t getthe they’re anunderstated(ifslightly meekly -butonthisperformance song bythestagemanager, theyend to mind Atlas Sound.Deniedafinal ’s slick combination are the dayis Also downfromtheNorth West for justified. attention ofheraudienceisentirely and therespectfulsilencerapt songs arestrong,hervoiceistrue breaking anynewground,buther native ofBlackpoolmaynotbe There. The JoolsHolland-approved Haynes’ eccentricbiopic portrayal ofBobDylanin Todd coming acrosslikeCateBlanchett’s FRANCIS performing inachurch. of anacousticsinger-songwriter down at the PortMahon,where an Farmoreexcitement istobefound Wales musicscene? represent thedregs ofthesouth this weekend,theLlanelliquintet of Gathering,alsotakingplace with Swn,Cardiff’s equivalent it bemischievoustosuggestthat vocals beinglostinthemix. Would bit dull,nothelpedbythefemale by-numbers rockismorethana CUT RIBBONS’leaden-footed the longterm. everything shouldturnoutjustfinein single ‘FromNowhere’ inhislocker, Metronomy-does-Grizzly Bear with thelikesofplayful,infectious we’re happytobehere”.However, vinyl merchandise-“but,y’know, amidst thestressheforgot allthe of crampedcarandtrain, from Liverpoolbyacombination left himandhisbandtotraveldown A van bookingcancelledat3.30am whom fateseemstobeconspiring. DAN CROLL cutsastrikingfigure, KARIMA , against I’m Not that aloanshark might introducea you’d assume)in thesameway George Osborne referstotheBudget, ‘Austerity For The HoiPolloi’ (how introducing thecrowdtonewalbum accident –andtheywastenotime shoulder sustainedinamotorcycle Bud isevenplayingwithabroken are farmorerockandroll–bassist rabble-rousers THEBLACKHATS Upstairsinthe Academy, local They’re dreadful. of oneherebutwe’llnotconcede. goes madforit. We’re inaminority occasionally Take That. Everyone mostly theysoundlikeBlue,and smattering ofdubstep-liteelectronic, you getsometribalindiefunkanda to aboybandaudience.Sowhile a bitcoolbutshouldappealmore company execthoughtFoalssounded wondering why. It’s likesomerecord for BASTILLE,butwe’releft noisiest –crowdofthedayis Without doubtthe biggest–and too muchwhitecider. maybe thatshouldbeattributedto be assistedoutsideforfreshair. Or one weak-at-the-kneesgirltohave You’ issufficientlyswoonsomefor guitar andfragilecroon.‘FailFor nothing morethanintricateelectric stripped-back setcraftedoutof who tonightperformsaspellbinding a BritishanswertoBonIverbut SINGH, whoonrecordsoundslike Store’s headlineact, Muchmorelow-keyisthe Truck heart andhead. headrush climaxwhichsatisfiesboth typical, aballadthatbuildsto stand-out track‘Belongings’ is of thoseleftfieldroots. Tonight’s Moshi whileneverquitelosingsight on uber-hip labelsKitsuneandMoshi closer tothemainstreamviareleases single ‘WhiteNoise’,inchingever Collectivesque stylings of 2009 debut long waysincetheloosely Animal CLOCK OPERAhavecomea perform his‘choppop’ compositions. basslines whoputtogetherabandto and remixerwithaloveoflithe was originallyabedroomproducer luxuriantly beardedGuyConnelly LikeMetronomy’s JosephMount, wait provestobeworthit. Academy, butitmovesfastandthe There’s afairqueuetogetintothe future ofhumanity. enough torestoreone’s faithinthe more, butoverallit’s morethan is tobebatteredandbruisedsome slower whenwhatwereallywant to gotitsup”-isabitofmisstep, admission “unfinished”and“likely benefit. Thelasttrack-bytheirown to thespeakerreapmaximum We positionourselvesrightnext ‘Teenager’”. Ofcourseitis. darned effective. “Thissong’s called No Age and Wavves -simplebut fuzz-punk racketintheveinof YRRS unbelievably fresh-facedduocalled arekickingoutasuperb LUKE SITAL- experience down to audiencesinthe band andlabelwill probablyputthe and choreographed warblepop. The fact they’repathetically contrived or BatForLashes,wheninactual experimental electroalaZolaJesus synths andpercussionasice-cool two prettyboysflankingheron see LouisaRose Allen andthe reliable labelNeonGoldpresumably formerly ofthisparish).Normally (not tobeconfusedwithFoxes!, The samecan’t be saidof capacity crowd. - andarerapturouslyreceivedbya and echoesofMyMorningJacket band -alltossedlocks,hornsections and blusterofafullyfledgedrock pastoral, theynowcarrytheclout troubadours withapenchantforthe their destination.Nolongerfolky them, theyseemtohavearrivedat debut album‘ShallowBed’ behind ‘Big Time’ forthreeyearsnow. With been followingthesignsmarked DRYRIVER THE pop intothewiderworld. currently takingrarefiedelectronic SWIM, Oxford’s otherchampions set coincidesexactlywith only complaintwecanmakeistheir It’s simply gorgeous stuff andthe reimagined by`Tin Drum’eraJapan. like GnarlsBarkley’s `Crazy’ when theyditchtheguitars,sounding moors. The set’s highlightcomes synths wutheringlikeawindoff the ambience waftingtheirsetalong, music, adreamysomnambulating hanging orleavespacesintheir are abandunafraidtoleavenotes the hauntedfeeling.Glass Animals David Bayley, asiftoreinforce creatures arevampires,”croons from darkenedcorners.“These shadows andvoicesthatreachout window intoaworldofshifting their musicaspooked,frosted-glass ANIMALS Bystarkcomparison in placewithherfoot. helping outbyholdingthebassdrum proud dad,mostdefinitely)tothegirl bloke grinningfromearto(a sensibly dressedfifty-something for everyonepresent,fromthe Bonding’s secondalbumandindeed by theairbrushedsheenofMale delight forthoseofusdismayed furious blitzkriegisanunmitigated by justoverasecond. This fastand miss outonimprovingtheirtime of thecurrenttour, andtonightonly breakneck songquickereverynight trying toplayoneparticularly punks withaneedforspeed. They’re repeatedly bythreeGlaswegian casualties ofawarragedonthem the Port,PAWS It’s equipmentthat’s brokenat Futureheads. composed byalagered-upandlairy tinged poppunk,terracechant-alongs It’s no-nonsense,brusquenewwave- baseball battoadebtor’s kneecaps. arepositivelyghostly, ’ instrumentsthe seemtohave GLASS FOXES WILD So, howdoLIARS until Mondaymorning. hands intheairandcavortawood pills, grabaglowstick,waveyour almost makesyouwanttoneckafew ‘skool’?) -atechnodancepartythat of theoldschool(orshouldthatbe ceremony. Sodnu-rave,thisisrave undergoing somekindofinitiation for euphoricsingle‘Skirts’,we’reall band. Muchlikethegirlinvideo headdress andthey’renoteveninthe with facepaint.Someone’s wearinga by thenumberofpeopledaubed members verging onfifty, judging they do. This particulartribehasfive really gottostandanddeliver- dressing roomforafortnight,you’ve been imprisonedin Adam Ant’s When you’redressedlikeyou’ve OTHER TRIBE. UnlikeTHE instantly forgettable. leaf ofstudiotrickery. Muchhyped, embarrassingly denudedofthefig live environment,findthemselves impression isofabandwho,inthe a touchmoreaboutit,buttheoverall ‘Need It’ (what,aspellchecker?)has like verymilddisgust.Set-closer someone say Yuck? This ismore enough -waterygrungelite.Did to offer otherthan-appropriately for SPLASHH,whohavelittle Backtothelate-runningBully Centre. lobby oftheEastOxfordCommunity everyone packingoutthehalland sure yoursecretissafewithmeand between us”.Don’t worry, we’re but wehavetopromise“keepthat are actors’ lovechildreneverywhere, the desertinSpain. Apparently there the setofanoldwesternmovieoutin of theirrecentlyfilmedvideoshoton we’re commended,beforebeingtold quiet, andclapintherightplaces”, female FleetFoxes.“You’re niceand storm andevokingthoughtsofanall- soft harmoniesabalmamidstthe elsewhere, theirfolkystylingsand respite fromthesoundandfury THE STAVES representawelcome with abloodynose. us onsendingthembacktoLondon and uncultured,butIsaywelldone ‘provinces’ beingunsophisticated Kattack Words: Ben Woolhead, Dale year. day’s entertainment.Here’s tonext memory ofavariedandenjoyable that shouldbeallowedtotarnishthe disappointing conclusion,butnotone (aka anightbushome). A desperately scented saunawiththecastof give upandtrudgeoff forakebab- might notbeallover, butfinally around intheforlornhopethatit citing technicaldifficulties. We hang another andthenabandontheset stage, playonesong,twiceattempt the Brooklynveteranstaketo Literally. It’s nearly2ambythetime Well, theansweristhattheydon’t. followthat? Skins tHe CLLar Cutting edgemuSiCene HOme FXFOrd’S Oxford’s BestindependentLivemusicVenue Oxford, OX13HZ (Off St), Cornmarket t 01865244761 The Cellar, It isanoffence tolitter. Dropping thisleafletontheground could result inamaximumfineof£2500 www.F www.CeLLarOXFOrd.CO.uK Frewin Court aCeBOOK.COm/tHeCeLLar.OXFOrd EST 1999 ULTRAVOX The New Theatre LIVE Bands from yesteryear returning with Europeans’ and the oddly mysterious a new album can be such sad, tawdry `Mr X’ a reminder that `Vienna’ was an spectacles. “Shut up and play the hits,” as exceptional album then and now. Further photo: Johnny Moto LCD Soundsystem would have it. LCD in `Visions In Blue’ is lush and almost Soundsystem along with the likes of Gary proggy, while `Rage In Eden’ is towering Numan and more recently Ladytron, who and hymnal, and you start to hear how drew inspiration from the early, John Ultravox, with all their pomp and musical Foxx-helmed, incarnation of Ultravox, grandeur, have helped define the likes now regarded as major league pioneers in of Muse, whether the latter would admit electronic music. it or not. Certainly the magnificently Less time or critical reappraisal is lent to overwrought `Vienna’ itself, or the the more commercially successful, Midge searing `Astrodyne’ carry echoes into Ure-led line-up. But tonight, mixing Matt Bellamy’s more outré pieces. tracks from their new album, `Brilliant’, Looking at Ultravox onstage, Midge Ure into a two-hour set of hits from their has retained a dapper demeanour, bald early-80s heyday, Ultravox Mk.2 dispel and besuited, as happy to underplay his both that initial reservation about new frontman role, stood behind a synth as songs, and suggest their influence over often as he’s lording it out front. subsequent generations might have been The rest of the band have worn slightly overlooked. less well, but remain an enigmatic `Brilliant’ might be overstating things as outfit, particularly Billy Currie when titles goes; `Far Better Than Expected’ he emerges from behind his bank of would be closer to the mark. The songs keyboards to revisit those scouring viola from the album played tonight suggest parts as the set builds to a heady climax a shift towards atmosphere and texture – the stark, dramatic `All Stood Still’ and over anthemic melodies, but the likes of a lustily singalong `Hymn’ in particular, `Rise’, with its jerky electronic rhythms while encore `Dancing With Tears In harks back to Ultravox’s old Kraftwerk My Eyes’ is a reminder that 30 years ago influences, while `The Change’ songs about nuclear annihilation were a somnambulates with moody intent and regular part of the Top 40 rundown. `Flow’ is positively oppressive in its The age of tonight’s crowd suggests a pensive nature. Only `Contact’, bizarrely younger generation aren’t ready to go played as tonight’s set closer, fails to in search of Ultravox just yet, but as a impress, an awkward, downbeat end to a spectacle the show is a nailed-on triumph show that is epic in intent and execution. and a reminder that this incarnation of the From the off Ultravox show their band is worthy of serious re-evaluation. songs have aged incredibly well - `New Dale Kattack THE GOGGENHEIM / THE LAMPPOST GULLIVERS / VIENNA DITTO / FRANCIS PUGH & THE WHISKY MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS SINGERS O2 Academy The Jericho Tavern Marina Diamandis’s PhD thesis would of her `Family Jewels’-era songs, such Fittingly for a gig organised by a music photographer – in tonight’s drummer Johnny Mitchell and one-time Silverfish bassist Chris surely be on the relationship between as `Hollywood’ and `Oh No!’ (albeit case long-time Nightshift snapper Jonny Moto, launching his exhibition Mowforth– lurch into a torrent of ugly, gnarled brutish blues metal. surface and substance, with special from a somewhat more cynical outside at the Tavern – all the acts tonight are as much about the visual It’s good but not immediately great, but when they hit one monstrously reference to American society. viewpoint of celebrity culture), but she spectacle as the music. That said, the music tonight is across the board hypnotic mantra and switch into jazz-inflected krautrock, like Can Her medium would be her remarkable still leaves the out-and-out bangers – the excellent. infected with death metal toothache, there’s no way back – as if you’d voice, blessed with a beguiling mix of Calvin Harris-esque metaphor-flogging Faced with a potentially empty room early on in the evening, Francis want one by now. Kate Bush, opera and the histrionics of a `Radioactive’ and latest single, `How To Pugh & The Whisky Singers serenade the punters in the downstairs bar, Trying to pin down The Goggenheim in simple words is like couple having an argument. Be A Heartbreaker’ – until later. inviting them to follow up into the venue where they proceed to play describing colours with sign language. They look like a bunch of Her conference papers would cover Given the many layers steeped in their entire set unamplified in the middle of the crowd. It makes for freaks – all dressed in safari shirts, thick-rimmed spectacles and flat the various personas manifested on her the obsession, it’s a relief to see her a more intimate show and a greater spectacle, the quartet – including caps, except for singer Grace Exley, who’s done up like a burlesque second album, `Electra Heart’, all of paraphernalia limited to a bit of set trumpet, banjo and fiddle – are just the right amount of ramshackle turn from the court of Cleopatra – and sound even stranger. First song which are present tonight: the regretful decoration (neon signs, an old TV) and a to suit their jug band-style blues, though you wish you could hear the in they could be Altered Images reimagined as a post-punk free jazz teen idol; the unapologetic, lock-twirling few props (like a veil, a negligee and the singer a little better, since you feel there’s some real wit on show here. collective, warped, wobbly bass and brass backing Grace’s cutesy girl homewrecker; the prima donna, and the toy dog, Marilyn, from the `Prima Donna’ Vienna Ditto are an Oxford-Reading boy-girl duo and are huddled vocals. Then comes `Moth’, a mad, metronomic slice of psychotic trapped-in-suburbia Su-Barbie-A from video); mock castles and hordes of cosily behind a bank of keyboards and gadgetry. Such closeness psychedelia, witchy Yoko Ono-like haziness infected by Renaldo & the nihilistic Valley of the Dolls, a nod dancers would have been overwhelming. accentuates the deliberately jarring nature of their music, Nigel’s The Loaf’s off-kiler mentalism. From here we get a fluid, groove- to the themes of fame, success and self- It’s an overtly confident performance, serrated sheet-metal guitar and Numanesque synth belches set uneasily led melange of mutant funk, spaghetti western soundtracks, swanny destruction of the 60s novel and film. even when the lyrical content is more against Hatty Taylor’s warm, almost jazzy vocals, alternately coquettish whistles and much, much more. “There’s the carrot, you’re the monkey It seems appropriate that to deliver vulnerable, as in `I Am Not A Robot’; and strident. He’s all fevered intensity, she’s calm and grinning like / Eat the fucking thing” intones Grace like the impish offspring of Lene `Electra Heart’ she’s plunged more fully whereas Lana del Rey seems to trade on a Cheshire cat; together they sound like a band from a forgotten Fritz Lovich, while the band make like Scissor Sisters fighting to hold their into what is often said to be the most being a victim of the American dream, Lang movie, robotic rockabilly in the jazz lounge. It’s simply stunning. own against a whacked-out practical joke by This Heat. ephemeral and transient mode of music: absorbed and confused, Marina Any worries that Liam Ings-Reeves’ voice might have mellowed with They’ve run out of songs by the time they’re called back for a pop. examines it from different sides, from age are instantly punctured as the quietly-spoken offstage persona deserved encore, so we get the first two songs of the set again. Back It’s a bit odd to pepper this concept `Power and Control’ to `Fear and switches to Hell’s own goblin king mode, growling and rasping, where we started. But what a trip. album with the earlier, more new wave Loathing’. gurning like a gargoyle while his new band – featuring Nought Dale Kattack stuff; she covered similar themes on a lot Kirsten Etheridge ULTRAISTA / CREWDSON JAGUAR SKILLS SUBMOTION ORCHESTRA / CORNELIA The Jericho Tavern O2 Academy O2 Academy London producer Crewdson has player Laura Bettinson, who also Let this be a warning. Always make lacking in Calvertron’s set. But like “I write songs and in turn they rewrite (ahem) orchestra as it does bashed together the stage crammed with hardware, makes music as Femme, looks very sure you read the advertised gig Calvertron before him, and Jaguar me”. So claims London-based Swede in FruityLoops, and aside from the odd including old computer game much in control of proceedings. correctly, or you too may turn up at Skills later on, he’s obsessed with Cornelia’s Facebook. It’s a nice sentiment dubstep-inspired chunk of bassweight, controllers and joysticks, his hands Poised and confident with perfect a venue expecting an indie band and getting everyone to put their hands but through the course of her solo show Submotion’s thin ditties mostly resemble darting all over to create itchy, timing, she exudes an aura of wind up faced with several late night in the air and screams for everyone we are diverted, even lightly intrigued, but off-cuts from the catalogues of Curiosity restless music with echoes of early sexuality that’s both coy and slightly hours of relentless drum&bass. to make some noise (phrase of the sadly untransformed. Her voice is strong, and Morcheeba remixed by Alex Reece. Aphex Twin. He’s not too cool unsettling. Error established (Jaguar Love/ night, which never gets tired). It low breathy intimacies turning to bright, The playing is technically strong, especially to sing and blows a mean sax but Things start well with ‘Bad Insect’, Jaguar Skills mix up) it’s with an seems to have escaped everyone harsh aluminium tones at the high end, the percussion and flugelhorn, but unlike it’s all a bit hard to pin down. He cascading keyboards and a catchy initially heavy heart that we arrive at that he’s the bloke with the and her synthesised backing errs on the the best dance productions the music has may have impressed Peter Saville vocal line building nicely and the O2. Things don’t get much better soundsystem. side of approachable chunky simplicity. no poise, no sense of space or balance, it’s into designing his album cover drawing us in as layers of sound when we’re asked if we’re dealing Just when all hope seems lost, She’s at her best when she rides simple just an endless smug celebration of proper but you can’t help thinking that meld perfectly together. It’s also a by an already gurning punter within Jaguar Skills lifts the roof off the keyboard hums or Omnichord buzzes, bold musoship for its own dubious sake: look, fifteen years ago this would have complete re-work of the version they several seconds of entering the place. He’s an easy target for dance enunciation and sudden changes in vocal Ma, both hands! been seen as exploring radical new put on Soundcloud only a few weeks venue. Just because we’re skulking snobs, but there’s little doubting register adding drama (although the kooky, Ironically, the band’s best weapon is its territory, whereas today it looks like ago. Keyboard lines work together in the darkest corner and looking out that he most certainly has skills. spooky hand jives are too much; Hot Gossip singer, who has a sweet voice slightly another addition to a rather crowded in unorthodox but fascinating ways, of place doesn’t necessarily mean A frenzy of nimble mixing tricks, disbanded years ago, you know). But we’ve reminiscent of Lamb’s Lou Rhodes, and her marketplace. competing but never clashing, and that we’re laden with happy pills, quick cuts, and all-too-knowing seen a lot of theatrical, artfully coiffured parts are smothered in clumsy digital delay. Ultraista don’t look exactly nervous despite Godrich’s comment that sadly. samples, the set is on another level. women channel their cyber-Kate Bush over It’s like they’re doing things arsefacewards but it comes as no surprise to learn they never thought they’d play the First up is Calvertron with a Never settling on a groove for too electronic beats and, likable though the set solely to annoy us. at THE JERICHO TAVERN that this is their fourth gig and the (imminent) album live, it actually strangely subdued and fairly generic long, it’s almost too clever for its 56 WALTON STREET, OXFORD, OX2 6AE is, by the end we’re just a bit Bjored. The harsh truth about Submotion is that first in the UK. Keyboard and bass sounds better tonight than the few stroll through wobbly drum&bass. own good, but there’s no denying Seven people are not an orchestra: fact. No they sound like Sting’s backing band 01865 311775 player Nigel Godrich is of course tracks posted online. The strength of His breaks are continuously that everything is finely crafted and surprise that Submotion Orchestra have hit cutting loose and jamming at soundcheck, best known as producer of Radiohead their collective musical pedigree is hampered by a lack of volume, so expertly executed. A few crowd on the term, though, as their whole show when he’s not looking (probably out back, (and no, they aren’t here), as well as all too clear, despite the unfamiliarity what should kick like a mule just pleasers later (`7 Nation Army’ is about justifying electronic comedown doing the Downward Dog on a mound of November playing in Thom Yorke’s Atoms For of the material, yet the determined taps like a toddler, so maybe it’s not mashed to death, a dash of Prodigy, th music through the supposed authentication quinoa and lutes). We don’t know whether (Australia) Peace, so it seems natural for him complexity stands in contrast with entirely Calvertron’s fault that they and a berzerk `Ace Of Spades’) of live musicianship, climbing out of the we’re writing this review or whether this 5 ROB TOGNONI to describe Oxford as “my spiritual the generally poppy vibe, with fail to make an impression. party mode has been established, th chillout room and into the salon. And review is writing us, but we know we’re 12 GRAINNE DUFFY (Eire) home”. Drummer Joey Waronker’s ‘Smalltalk’ a good example. Whether Adam F’s set is far punchier, a and it never lets up. This is a that’s all well and good, but the trouble is bored with this vapid, self-conscious th CV, meanwhile, includes spells this is a time-filling side project or master of his trade, he’s meaner, masterclass, and only an utter churl that crass, clumsy downtempo pop sounds stodge. 19 CHERRY LEE MEWIS (UK) with Beck and REM, and tonight a serious stab at success remains to harder and seems to have would dismiss it as anything else. equally facile when played by a Leeds David Murphy with special guests seems happy tapping away at his be seen, and maybe they haven’t discovered how to make the bass What could have been a disastrous unamplified kit, producing rhythms decided themselves, but they’re really thunder out of the PA. Most evening turns out to be a pretty DEBBIE BOND & RICK ASHERSON that are at once simple and fiendishly definitely better than Garbage. importantly he scatters his set with fortuitous mistake. (USA) complicated. Singer and keyboard Art Lagun tunes and humour, both elements Sam Shepherd SHINY DARKLY / DALLAS DON’T / 26th To be confirmed Truck store NEON VIOLET / POLEDO The Cellar We’re not normally fans of fake American angular are Dallas Don’t, but no less Check our website for info gigs, photos etc accents, but in Poledo’s case we’ll make an uncompromising in their pursuit of noisy www.famousmondayblues.co.uk honourable exception. Twice Nightshift Demo oblivion, although when we (mis)hear the Of The Monthers, the band are a supernoisy lyric “I love your mind / I love your fluffy blend of Dinosaur Jr’s slacker grunge, head,” we’re rather disarmed. But, seriously, Pavement’s rough-hewn lo-fi rock and Yo la they’re bloody great, dealing in short, sharp Tengo’s chuck-it-all-in-the-blender pop noise. shocks of caustic guitar shrapnel that, allied Yeah, it’s a bit like finding yourself back in to singer Niall’s rich Scottish burr, makes 1990 as Poledo screel through a succession of us think of Arab Strap if they came armed frantic songs where the tune is forced to cling with power tools and Marshall stacks instead on for dear life by its fingernails, but the trio of a hazy sense of regret. At one point they are a deceptively cohesive unit and had they sound bizarrely like Hawkwind but end on grown up in the right town on the other side of a singular headlong rush into oblivion that the Atlantic, they’d doubtless have toured the finds Niall and guitarist Jenny trading vocal world with Sebadoh or Mudhoney and be cult lines in a style that reminds us joyously of heroes right now. Prolapse. You beauties. Neon Violets are back in live action with After such a tirade of quality local bands, a revamped line-up, bassist and singer Joe Copenhagen’s Shiny Darkly might easily Chapman still leading the line. With a history wither, but, despite all looking about 12 in local bands like The Factory and Spiral 25 years old, they’re equal to anything that’s it’s no surprise that Neon Violet mine a deep, gone before, an opening number coming on dense groove of psychedelic drone-rock. like `God Save The Queen’ rendered as a There are flange pedals and what occasionally gothic anthem and everything reverbed to sounds a bit like a sitar, and an obvious love absolute buggery. Killing Joke sheet metal for all things Velvet Underground, but what guitar clangs against the Bunnymen’s darkly you most need to know about Neon Violet is swirling sense of pop theatre, feedback oozes that they are seriously heavyweight. And dark from amps between songs and they even too; for a band with violet in their name there manage to out-Horror the Horrors on tracks are an awful lot of reminders of bands with like `She’s Suicidal’. On the one hand it’s black in theirs – Sabbath, Mountain, Angels like an early-80s indie-goth disco come to and Rebel Motorcycle Club, in roughly equal life in the 21st Century, but on the other it’s measure. They make our ears go numb. This simply the pitch black icing on top of what is is a good thing. a genuinely superb show. Lighter – relatively – spikier and more Dale Kattack KYLA LA GRANGE ECHO LAKE / THE GULLIVERS O2 Academy The Bullingdon LIVE Opener ‘Woke Up Dead’ sets the highlighting her vocal dexterity. So often in music less is more. It’s by comparison, given that he’s tone for tonight’s show, starting ‘Walk Through Walls’ carries an something The Gullivers might do replaced Pete Hayes, who died at with a heavier sound than the more anthemic quality to it, and it’s well to observe. Admirably giving the tragic age of 25 back in the subtle album sound, before building during this song I get drawn in by it their all in front of a virtually summer, but his inventiveness throughout the song to parallel the band, the punchy riffs and bass empty room, singer and keyboard and ability to recognise and utilise the album track. Though there are heavy sound carrying the song. It’s player Sophie is sounding sweetly space adds so much to the band’s technical issues with Kyla’s guitar the kind of song that is larger than off-key over tentative melodies, songs. Even when he’s sounding her vocals shine through, making the venue, calling for a festival like a cute kid sister of Pram or like the rumble of an oncoming the comparisons to Kate Bush and stage to really allow it the space even Young Marble Giants at storm, it’s a menace that lies well Florence And The Machine feel it commands. ‘To Be Torn’ on the times. The guitar is spangling beneath the celestial soar of the more than justified. While for me other hand carries a more haunting airily around her voice. But what songs. it takes until the marching rhythm style, and the band are sympathetic might be appealingly spaced-out Singer Linda’s voice carries a of ‘Been Better’ to really find to this swelling in the background pop is being rocked off its axis by similar tender power to Julee myself lost in the sound, it’s clear midway through the song to build the drummer’s incessant thump, Cruise or Cranes’ Alison Shaw the rest of the crowd are captivated before stripping it back for the final thump, thump. at times, in a perpetual state of from the word go. chorus and marking it as one of the Its swamping everything, tethering swooping and soaring, though live Though at times tonight’s set seems tracks of the night. the melodies firmly to the ground. there’s a heavier, more dynamic almost ominous, Kyla adds anger Sadly, the sound is suffering. The When they do clear away the feel to Echo Lake than on recent and sorrow to her sound, creating volume is pushed up too high, clutter, the drumming becoming debut album, `Wild Peace’. At a feeling that lingers long after the leaving it to become distorted sparser and more abstract for one one point they sound like they’re end of the set. ‘Heavy Stone’ is and muffled amid the black of number, the bass similarly taking a about to break into Joy Division’s comparatively stripped back the room, and Kyla’s vocals back seat, they’re exposed in a far `Atmosphere’, while the droning compared to the rest of the set and occasionally fall flat in the mixing. more flattering light. Thereafter the shoegaze guitar noise that swirls the pain in Kyla’s voice combines Despite this, by the end I’m won set drifts to an untidy conclusion around every melody reminds us with a drum beat akin to a heartbeat. over and though tonight is short, but we’ve caught a glimpse of of Slowdive’s morose grandeur. Meanwhile ‘Vampire Smile’ is it makes me realise that `Ashes’ is something better; you feel that if The set ends, predictably perhaps, clearly the song that has drawn the perhaps one of the most innovative they’d existed some time around but no less enthralling for it, a crowd in and her husky, seductive albums of 2012. the turn of the 1980s they’d have blizzard of glissando and a sense vocals give a hint of Katie Melua, Lisa Ward had a couple of Peel sessions and of gothic euphoria. Echo Lake collectors’ item of an album to may be a band who have endured their name. tragedy, but in their music rests the It feels cruel to point out the brightest of hopes. SUSANNA strength of Echo Lake’s drummer Sue Foreman The North Wall Seated at the piano and playing voice. During her cover of Agneta without a break, Norwegian singer Fältskog’s, ‘Can’t Shake Loose’, songwriter Susanna shreds her she squirms on her piano stool like emotions and those of the small an escapologist attempting to free crowd who enter her world for herself from lock and chains. No ninety minutes without mercy. It’s wonder that she later sings Thin intimate, intense and often very Lizzy’s ‘Jailbreak’. If Susanna has BLESSING FORCE OXJAM Chameleons at double speed and track is an oppressive `Venus bleak, and it seems almost improper been best known so far for covers, everything turned up to 11. In Furs’-like drone with Roo to be sitting comfortably in a well the self penned songs from her TAKEOVER At this point it’s perhaps necessary growling menacing nothings padded seat listening to such a public latest ‘Wild Dog‘ album show this for PET MOON to ease the tempo into the ether, which becomes a display of personal torment. could be about to change. Anyone Modern Art down a notch, and initially they scowling, skulking cacophony that Susanna started out as Susanna who writes lines as good as “I used While Blessing Force’s shows man who used to package his old do, the opening couple of numbers pervades every corner of the room & the Magical Orchestra; tonight to live a rock and roll life, offering have an enviable reputation for demos in origami Y-fronts. Once conjuring an almost doomy electro like a malignant wraith. Vague, she introduces her band as “we are free rides in my soul” (‘For You’) both quality and unpredictability, a solo performer now he’s backed vibe, glitchy and electronic as fleeting echoes of what we once all Susanna,” which is fitting since or “Winter please come and freeze tonight’s Oxjam takeover of by a full band, and while that Andrew Mears fronts proceedings knew to be Fixers flicker and fade guitarist and sound manipulator my heart” (‘Freeze’), deserves to be Modern Art surely surpasses means he’s got volume on his side, with poetic intensity. Once he’s amid a cartoonish, hallucinatory, Helge Sten, and percussionist Erland known as a songwriter in their own anything they’ve put on previously. he’s no less intense and warped. joined by Karina Scuteri on vocals ever-shifting tapestry of noise. Dahlen are as integral to her sound right. We only catch the last couple of “Sometimes I see you in the faces though, they ramp up the funk When respite comes it’s in world as her own sparse piano When she leaves her song songs by BETA BLOCKER & of aging porn stars,” he proclaims and soul side and we’re right back hilarious fashion, a sample of Paul playing and voice. They conjure ‘Believer’, one of the best break- THE BODY CLOCK but it’s splendidly at one point. If Bob in classic Heaven 17 territory, McCartney’s `Wonderful Christmas a bleak biting musical wind and up songs written, out of the set, enough to gauge their determinedly Dylan had take more acid and been Depeche Mode trying to gatecrash Time’ lefty hanging in the air. a storm of ice crystals seem to be and resists a repeated call her most lo-fi groove mining, as they make exposed to Sonic Youth as a kid, he the party, the whole thin coated in `Crystals’ comes by way of Pinky blowing through the venue. famous cover, ‘Hallelujah’, it’s a virtue of sounding like they’re might have been this much fun. a slick modern r’n’b sheen. and Perky on a serious acid trip Over tonight’s set, from opener confirmation she is confident she’s playing at the bottom of a well. After which anything would Nothing, absolutely nothing, and by the time the pair have ‘For You’, to her despondent cover an artist coming into her full power Or more precisely sounding like sound straightforward, but in could have prepared anyone smashed their guitar to pieces of `Love Will Tear Us Apart’, with and ever more comfortable with a container lorry full of cutlery SISTERLAND’s case their here for FIXERS’ set tonight. and ended in a prolonged onstage Susanna characteristically stretching what she does. What next? With falling down a well. Enough to direct approach is their strength, It’s not even really Fixers, just embrace, they’ve just strip mined syllables, the song’s bleakness the Oxford Lieder Festival on, the make us want to hear more. a reminder that sometimes great Jack Goldstein and guitarist Roo the very soul of Sabbath’s `Iron heightened by the eerie sound of fanciful thought occurs that with KING OF CATS is an unnerving songs really can be that simple. Bhasin, respectively dressed as Man’ and gutted every rule of rock Dahlen playing a saw, there’s hardly only a little re-ordering of her set experience when you first hear Theirs is a full-pelt punk-tinged a Mexican bandit and a satanic- and roll with Butthole Surfers’ a moment when the intensity drops. list she could have a modern day him sing. It’s like encountering the torrent at the heart of which are looking Geisha. The setlist boasts sense of macabre mischief. We’re ‘Jolene’ gives us the desperate voice equivalent of Franz Schubert’s 19th demonic toddler offspring of Joe great rough diamond melodies well-known titles like `Swimmhaus left giddy and slightly breathless. of a woman at the very point of Century song cycle, ‘Winterriesse’; Pasquale and Joe Pesci on the verge that sometimes feel too big for Johannesburg’, but what we get is Gig of the year. And next. breaking, with Susanna imploringly the greatest break-up epic of all time. of an almighty tantrum. Here’s a this intimate room, like The nothing of the sort. The opening Dale Kattack repeating “Jolene” in an ever-rising Colin May DR SHOTOVER: Children Of The Quorn Ah – talking of kebabs - there you are. Welcome to the East Indies INTRODUCING.... Club bar - pull up a vegeburger. It’s amazing – some would say stirring Nightshift’s monthly guide to the best local music bubbling under - how many members of the Oxford Music Scene are vegetarians. Remember 90s doom metal merchants Sevenchurch? Their mighty guitarist Dave “Man Mountain” Smart played so loud ‘n’ heavy that he made Black Sabbath’s riffs sound like mewing kittens – but slaughtered Vienna Ditto animal products never graced his plate, no-sirree. Mad punker/Arthur Who are they? Turner’s Lovechild? progenitor/fearless promoter Mac – there’s another Oxford-Reading duo Vienna Ditto are Hatty Taylor (vocals, synths, veg-botherer. Lamb, duck, bacon – he eschews it. (No, Pilkington – ES- glockenspiel) and Nigel Firth (guitar, synths). Nigel used to teach Hatty guitar chews it). Our Esteemed Editor – ditto. He sneers at mince, he laughs when she was small. “She was actually amazing at the guitar, but a total slacker. in the face of brisket. The ex-members of the legendary Ride? Beef- But she couldn’t half sing” remembers Nigel. The pair bumped into each other avoiders. Full-on Paul-and-Linda McCartney-ites. They love bean curd six years later and recorded “a Johnny Cash tune with a bit of a synthy arabic like they love the Beatles. Jon Anyone Can Play Guitar Spira? Cutlet feel to it,” and then “a kind of electronic rockabilly tune” of their own. It got NOVEMBER free. Thom Yorke? Vegan… he won’t even have cheese in the house, let played on Radio 1. That bagged them a slot on the BBC Introducing Stage alone black pudding. And so on and so forth. Which all goes to show that at Glastonbury and a Maida Vale session. Since then they’ve self-released a Mondays you don’t have to be Ted Nugent to be able to rock like a bastard. In fact, number of demos and EPs, most recently August’s `I Know His Blood Will Haven Club – live blues frankly I’d rather you weren’t. Give me Man Mountain over Man Huntin’ Make Me Whole’, with `Liar Liar’ set for release in February next year. Their favourite other Oxfordshire act is: any day. (For our younger, non-Americanized readers, Ted Nugent is a What do they sound like? “The Goggenheim. We really loved The Gog, and The Goggenheim are the th 26 MATT SCHOFIELD pathetic neanderthal At times slightly spooky, like a ghostly rockabilly-infused subterranean jazz hyper-amplified Technicolor Bollywood explosion version of the same.” who plays RAWK club band, or Portishead soundtracking a David Lynch film. At others the If they could only keep one album in the world, it would be: guitar, votes duo are harsher, with heavier electronics and a heavily-reverbed voodoo “`The La’s’ - it’s full of these understated, beautiful little songs.” Every Tuesday Republican, hunts rockabilly vibe, closer to Suicide backing Nina Simone as Hattie’s sweet, When is their next gig and what can newcomers expect? animals and supports sultry vocals rub uneasily against Nigel’s serrated guitar and synth scree. “23rd November at the Wheatsheaf. Expect to see us grappling with THE OXFORD JAZZ CLUB every reactionary, Free live jazz plus DJs playing r’n’b, funk and soul until 2am What inspires them? outmoded technology and our own emotions. There’s no consistency redneck, gun-totin’ “Train noises: a lot of stuff is written a boat on the Thames, and the trains run between what we record and what we play live. All our equipment’s a bit old th th cliché in the book). 6 / 20 NEW JAZZ COLLECTIVE parallel to the river most of the way. The empty rolling stock moans at night, and cantankerous and we can be a bit random too.” th (Plus, the arse-wipe 13 THE HUGH TURNER BAND a kind of empty metallic moan bouncing across the meadow, the loneliest Their favourite and least favourite things about Oxford music are: doesn’t touch drugs th sound I ever heard. That’s where the guitar comes from.” “It’s an amazing music scene really. For the size of the City the resources 27 ALVIN ROY & REEDS UNLIMITED or alcohol). Where Career highlight so far: and energy are phenomenal. I guess it’s a bit of a gravity-well and bands were we? Ah yes, you “Our session at Maida Vale; it was our third gig and we were petrified. They find it hard to break out from the city limits, and the early lockdown can be were about to buy filmed it and there were six camera persons peering at us. To be honest I wish Thursdays me a drink. Mine’s a a chore.” st we’d done it a bit later, I’m not sure we were worth all the expense.” 1 FLIPRON (live ska) pint of Brian’s Saved You might love them if you love: And the lowlight: 8th DAMN THE TORPEDOES (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Badger, thank you Portishead; Sneaker Pimps; Suicide; The Cramps; Nina Simone; Gary “Some dive we played in Whitechapel, which had cockroaches crawling over Numan. tribute) / THE MAGIC MANGO BAND very much, Mr May. Cheers! the mixing desk. I seem to remember that the same place had a door for Pete Hear them here: 15th EMPTY WHITE CIRCLES / RED CROW / THIRD Ted Nugent: “Whatchoo say we shoot some Next month: squirrels then have us a wrestle in loincloths, Doherty’s exclusive use. For crack breaks maybe.” viennaditto.com LIGHT / THE METHOD / THE ATTITUDE BOYS Numan vs Nugent fella? Hell, you ain’t GAY, are ya?” 29th It’s All About The Music Acoustic Club with MOOGIE THIS MONTH IN OXFORD MAN / RORY EVANS / RACHEL RUSCOMBE KING / MUSIC HISTORY THE LOST ART ALL OUR YESTERDAYS Thursday 1st November 20 YEARS AGO 10 YEARS AGO 5 YEARS AGO Every Friday 8pm/£9 A bad month for the Oxford music scene this as the Plenty going on the local scene in November 2002, Little Fish, photoshopped into a sardine tin, Friday 2nd November November 1992 issue of Curfew reported a slew of with the main news being that Goldrush had left made their first appearance on the Nightshift FUNKY FRIDAY venues cutting back on their live music or stopping Virgin Records “by mutual agreement,” singer cover in November 2007. The band, back then a Funk, soul, boogie, house and R&B. 11pm-2.30am; £3. gigs altogether. The Brewhouse were stopping Robin Bennett explaining to Nightshift that “since duo consisting of Julia Sophie Heslop and Neil THE TALC DEMONS + THE RECKLESS SLEEPERS 8pm/£5 rd the people who signed us to Virgin got sacked last Saturday 3 November Saturday night blues shows and booking fewer big Greenaway, had established themselves as one name acts, while The Punchbowl in Woodstock year, things haven’t worked out, so we asked to of the most exciting live bands in town and were Early Friday shows too was ceasing its Thursday blues nights and The be released from our contract six months early as starting to attract a host of record labels to their nd 2 JOSEPHINE FOSTER / BRICKWORK LIZARDS DIESEL KING + THE WICHES DRUM + KOMRAD 8pm/£5 Old Fire Station had stoppe all midweek gigs. The we thought we could do a better job ourselves.” In incendiary shows. Julia revealed how, in the wake th 9th THE D.O.T Thursday 8 November Pennyfarthing and The Cape Of Good Hope on more positive news for the Bennett family sister of her previous band, Dolly, she had almost lost Katy, playing under the name KTB, was shortlisted 16th KILL CITY SAINTS / REEDS 8pm/£9 Cowley Road were putting a complete halt on gigs, her voice forever due to stress and what might be Friday 9th November for the BBC Young Folk Musicians of the Year on rd with the Cape being turned into a students-only politely described as unwise lifestyle choices, and 23 THE TIFT MERRITT BAND / ROD PICOTT bar (“Students don’t like live music,” explained the back of her acclaimed debut album, `All Quiet also managed to chop part of one of her fingers off. th 8pm/£5 30 BROOKES MUSIC SOCIETY th In Dreamland’. Elsewhere Oxford was named as Thursday 15 November the pub’s manager). One small chink of light was Elsewhere, Radiohead threw away the music the arrival of The Hollybush in Osney on the local the UK’s sixth best musical city in a BBC survey, industry rulebook by releasing their new album, 8pm/£9 gig scene, with shows promoted by musicians Dan with Liverpool topping the poll. Polling less well `In Rainbows’ as a download album with no nd Saturdays Thursday 22 November Goddard. The pub was later to host some of the was Shifty Disco release `Wheel On The Bus’ by pre-publicity and fans offered the chance to pay rd 3 DAVID RODIGAN (£10adv) 8pm/£9 first shows by Supergrass and The Nubiles. Madonna impersonator Mad Donna, which was whatever they wanted for the album, selling over 10th Early show - DREAMING SPIRES / THE HI & Friday 23rd November Local cult heroes The Bigger The God graced nominated for Best Novelty Single of the year at the 1.5million copies in its first week, and changing the cover of this month’s Curfew, a band who had National Music Awards having been awarded worst forever the way music is sold. LO / THE RELATIONSHIPS previously had a bit of a kicking from the mag record of the week in both NME and The Guardian. Coming to town this month were Dizzee th DEAD GIRL PARK + MARY BENDY TOY 8pm/£5 th Local garage-metallers Winnebago Deal pulled of Followed by SIMPLE – 13 birthday party with EATS. Saturday 24 November but, in their own words, “Got off lightly”, and Rascal, 65Daysofstatic, The Cardiacs and The 17th TERRAFORMS – drum’n’bass with DJ LOXY subsequently become enduring favourites around a coup when they were invited to support Fugazi at Raveonettes at the Academy, with Action Beat town. Singer David Cowells-Hamar informed us the Kentish Town Forum this month. and Jackie-O-Motherfucker offering more (Exit Records). £5 LIONFACE + RUSKIN BOB 8pm/£4.50 The main interview in this month’s Nightshift th his songs were all about sex (“Because I never get leftfield pleasures at the Wheatsheaf. A classic Wednesday 28 November any”); he had a habit of eating bananas onstage, was with The Young Knives, their first interview Audioscope featured Krautrock legends Michael 8pm/£5 “To try and bring out any homophobes”, and later anywhere, which found them declaring, “We’re Rother and Dieter Moebius, as well as the Sundays th th Thursday 29 November moved to Brighton and became a lady. inspired by Frank Black because he’s fat and plays incredible Shit & Shine, still one of the greatest 4 Haven Club presents LARRY McCRAY In the live reviews section, The God Machine’s rock, and so are we; Pavement because they’re sets Nightshift has ever witnessed. th 8pm/£9 11 Divine Schism presents HALLS Friday 30th November show at the Jericho Tavern was declared “The clever and funny and we try to be, and Steely Over in the demo pages, Mounted Insanity 25th CHURCH OF HEAVY with MOTHER CORONA / best gig in the entire history of the world,” which Dan, because they made rock music into amusing Cannon topped the pile, featuring one future half of CARAVAN OF WHORES / LAST DAYS OF THE SUN / weren’t far from the truth, even with twenty years’ shapes like we try to do.” Nightshift declared that Coloureds, while Lightbox were dumped for what 8pm/£5 hindsight. Whytehouse, playing at the Oxford meeting the band was “like entering another world, sounded like “all the most depressing aspects of X GOD SPEED The Wheatsheaf, 129 High Street, Oxford, OX1 4DF [email protected] / www.facebook.com/wheatsheaf.oxford Venue, meanwhile, were reviewed simply as where visitors have to be forever on guard for the Factor, regional battle of the bands competitions, Advanced Tickets @ www.wegottickets.com “Shitehouse”. Brevity being the soul of wit and all. understated and absurd humour that flies around.” village hall charity rock nights and James Blunt”. uncomfortably like “She’s an arsehole,” because someone is hammering it with the which will provide further comfort to sweet sensitivity and discretion of a Tutu- his other half as we titter like immature wearing clown armed with a jackhammer, schoolboys. `Goodbye Caroline’, although that image at least conjures up DEMOS meanwhile, is an imagined conversation some semblance of entertainment. The Demo of the Month wins a free half day at Sponsored by between Phil Lynott and his wife after first track here is called `It Has Left’, Silver Street Studios in Reading, courtesy he died, which is a novel concept for a which possibly refers to the melody, of Trojan Horse Recordings. Visit www. song if nothing else, but maybe lacks the while the second is entitled `Struggling trojanhorserecordings.co.uk poignancy and emotional drama such a For Breath’, which is appropriate, since situation might bring about, being a bit we’re struggling for anything resembling mopey and all. Sorry, Morning Slaves constructive criticism. What a fucking carries hefty hints of Dive Dive at times, were unhappy about life before we started racket. Even when they attempt to slightly but while there’s nothing particularly new DEMO OF on this demo; can’t imagine this review underplay things (which manifests itself as 01865 240250 or subtle going on, their energy levels will have improved their mood any more hammering the piano a bit less hard) the carry them over the finish line. THE MONTH than the weather has helped ours. singer’s overwrought look-at-me operatic howling drags it right back into JACK STANTON the land of excess. A Rainy Day In Like Half Naked, Jack Stanton isn’t DROPOUT Bergen, then: not so much a bit of drizzle CAMENA Amid the information we glean from It’s very definitely autumn; it’s getting someone you could accuse of being as a non-stop biblical downpour of the very nice letter Dropout send us, we cold and dark and when we look out of particularly original, but like the previous bombast. learn that there’s “only four songs and the window all we can see is drizzle and band, he wins us over by sounding like we don’t sound like Queen,” which is the lived-in-looking people wearing anoraks. he’s at least having fun making music. first good news we’ve had all day and gets We need something summery to cheer us Jack here likes Depeche Mode. No, that’s us onside from the off. Not that Dropout THE DEMO up. So it’s fortunate that Camena remind too much of an understatement. Jack loves sound like a particularly cheery bunch us a bit of The Beach Boys. Because Depeche Mode. A Lot. So much so that from their music, which starts all dark what’s more summery than The Beach pretty much everything here sounds like it DUMPER and broody before billowing into some Boys? Okay, other than ice cream. Yes, might have been begged, borrow or stolen monster-chorded Eurogoth noise with the and floods. Look, you get the idea, okay? from a mid-80s Depeche Mode album, female singer wailing like a proper old TORN LIKE We’re talking close harmony singing from the period-sounding synths to Jack’s blues harpy. The formula is played out in and a vaguely youthful spirit here, is all. voice which is an absolute dead ringer for identical fashion for the first two tracks, COLOURS `Monumentality’ in particular has that Dave Gahan’s. Even his lyrics have an air `Self Inflicted’ and `Pull Me Down’ (you There is, we’ve long since realised, a TURAN AUDIO.co.uk slightly hazy West Coast feel about it, of the Mode about them - `Don’t Worry’ Professional, independent CD mastering can almost feel the passion and hurt from particular type of band for whom the term although local music fans might equally reminds us of `Fly On The Windscreen’, `Generic Battle Of The Bands Regional the titles alone), churning and gurning Artists mastered in the studio last month include; point to a similarity with Fixers at times while `Keep Off The Road’ unsurprisingly in titanic fashion while the singer over Heat Runner-Up’ was coined. Torn Like and it’s got an almost Afro-funk fluidity carries echoes of `Behind The Wheel’. ROB COTTINGHAM, CAT MATADOR, ANAAL NATHRAKH, emotes in heroic fashion, but they up the Colours are one of those bands: a bit of about the groove that buoys it along Before you start thinking tribute bands, ante slightly with `Metallic Eyes’, with mid-paced, post-grunge pub rock fronted SIER PIN SKY, JAY N, STEAMROLLER, YOUNG ROMANCE, nicely even as it can feel a bit like lots though, demo highlight `Locker’ is closer its industrial metal chug and fuzz and by a singer who sounds like she might of really nice, clever bits that don’t quite to The Knife with its more atmospheric CARLITO, THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY, FOCUS, FEUD, AKARUSA what sounds like a witchy Elkie Brooks have had designs on a West End chorus fit together all the time, or maybe did fit synth curls and treated vocals, while in opera mode on vocals. They certainly line once upon a time – a bit showy, a YAMI, THE FINAL CRISIS, ELLIE JAMISON, THE J-PEGS, neatly together until someone put them in amid the 80s worship you might catch don’t do understatement but Dropout bit bluesy, sounding like the world’s a box and tilted it slightly so they got a bit glimpses of Blancmange and The Human SKYLINES, HONKEYFINGER, DUNCAN REID, SAM SEMPLE. at least never sound overblown and least enthusiastic receptionist phoning skewed, which isn’t such a bad thing, truth League. He’s most certainly got taste then pompous. Unlike this next lot… her lines in while wishing she could just be told. Better still is `Valentine And The has Jack, so we’re going to let him stay get on with eating her M&S tuna mayo 01865 716466 [email protected] Sea’, all sparse, tenderfooted twinkling around for a while and share our biscuits. sandwich, when even a modicum of guitar, handclap rhythms and clickety Did we mention he likes Depeche Mode? A RAINY DAY IN sultry soulfulness might have elevated the clack drumsticks over which the voices mundane nature of the music to at least THE COURTYARD STUDIO can intermingle. It sounds like His Name BERGEN bearable levels. `Take My Hand’ is six Is Alive being gently dissected by Steve MORNING SLAVES No idea what a rainy day in Bergen might and half minutes of droning tedium that PROTOOLS HD2, MTA 980 CONSOLE 32/24/24, Reich, though it might be more obvious We’re not sure exactly how we’re meant be like but we’d rather spend a week feels at least twice that length. And with OTARI MTR90 MK2 24 TRACK TAPE MACHINE, to compare Camena to Foals or even to pronounce this band name, but we in a typhoon-swept Arsehole-On-Sea every other song clocking in around the six 2 TRACKING ROOMS, SUPERB CONTROL ROOM Spring Offensive for their subtle blending decide we like to think of it as a cheery than sit through this album-length demo minute mark, brevity really isn’t Torn Like WITH GOOD SELECTION OF MICS & OUTBOARD greeting from some David Brent-like and bending of styles. Far more than a again. Overblown doesn’t even start to Colours’ strong point. Nor are memorable GEAR + MIDI FACILITIES (Inc LOGIC AUDIO, AKAI manager person as he strolls into his call composite of cool local contemporaries describe this guitar-free stadium rock tunes. Or rock’n’roll attitude. Or…. well, S1000, OLD SKOOL ROLAND etc.) though, Camena sound like a band capable centre every morning, winking at the band, who make Muse sound like The anything at all if we’re honest. It’s more pretty new graduate recruit who secretly of joining the likes of Wild Swim and Low Anthem in the subtlety stakes. In like rock music with creeping dementia, Residential facilities included. wants him dead in the most grotesque Glass Animals as an Oxford act with an fact a sizeable chunk of this demo sounds trying and failing to remember what it www.courtyardrecordings.com manner possible. But Morning Slaves ear for inventive poppiness. like something Muse might have carted once was, the odd flicker of recognition, PHONE PIPPA FOR DETAILS on 01235 845800 don’t seem like a particularly cheery to their nearest landfill site, deemed by way of a bolshy guitar flourish, snuffed bunch. The band introduce first song unworthy of inclusion on their latest opus out before it can take hold. By `One Day’ `She’s Lost’ by telling us it’s about (c’mon, if it’s Muse, it’s gotta be a proper they’ve sunk into a typically torpid girl HALF NAKED “Mark’s growing unhappiness at living a old opus, ennit?). Sorry, where were we? band-style ballad, all faux emotional Nothing particularly inventive about Half mundane life and his desire to just break Oh yeah, Bon Jovi on a Mogadon-induced turmoil and hurt, when the real pain is the Naked, though when you’re playing it free and have all of his dreams come true. go-slow. With a piano. Did we mention listener’s. Torn Like Colours? Torn like a straight-down-the-line fast and slightly Even his relationship with his partner the piano? You really can’t miss it, mainly new arsehole, more like. furious, we guess experimentation isn’t is making him unhappy. Of course he too high up your list of priorities. Pitched wouldn’t dream of writing about it in the partway between Rise Against’s militant 1st person, so he pours his emotions into post-hardcore and You, Me At Six without this `lonely girl’ character in this song.” the soppy bits, Half Naked plough through So if Mark Farrington’s partner is reading a brace of brief numbers with a tumbling- this she’ll be simply overjoyed. Musically Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU, or email links down-the-stairs dynamic about them, not it sounds like a slightly bland take on an to [email protected], clearly marked Demos. IMPORTANT: no review without even pausing for breath as they finish one old Billy Bragg love song, although when a contact address and phone number; no more than four tracks on a demo please. If you and start the second. `You Won’t Stop Us’ Mark sings “She’s a lost soul,” it sounds can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. 2ND FRIDAY Thurs 8th Nov • £12 adv Sat 17th Nov • £6 adv Sat 8th Dec • £6 adv 7.30pm 7pm - 11.30pm Upstairs EVERY MONTH Limehouse Lizzy Upstairs ft. Chew Lips £6 • £5 adv / NUS in association with BBC Introducing ft. Lewis Watson 10.30pm - 3am • over 18s only in association with BBC Introducing 9th Nov / 14th Dec / 11th Jan 2013 / 8th Feb 2013 Fri 9th Nov • £12 adv + Grudle Bay + Tiger Mendoza 7pm - 10pm + Stem + After the Thought Mike Peters Tues 11th Dec • £18 adv of The Alarm Sun 18th Nov • £18 adv The Damned (Red Poppy Tour) Gong + Dickies Thurs 13th Dec • £24 adv EVERY SATURDAY Fri 9th Nov • £15 adv Mon 19th Nov • £10 adv Band on stage at 7:45pm Orbital NIGHT Punch Brothers The Feelers + Nathan Fake £5 adv / NUS / members, £4 NHS 10.30pm - 3am • over 18s only Weds 21st Nov • £8 adv Sat 10th Nov • £10 adv Fri 14th Dec • £12.50 adv 7pm - 10pm Gentlemans Dub Club Electric Six Complete 10th Anniversary Tour, Thurs 22nd Nov • £5 adv Stone Roses performing FIRE in its entirety + Pete Macleod Dance a la Plage + John Wean Sat 15th Dec • £7 adv Sun 11th Nov • £15 adv + Yellow Fever Skeletor The Beat Fri 23rd Nov • £11 adv 7pm - 10pm Sun 16th Dec • £15 adv Mon 12th Nov • £14 adv The Rifles 7pm - 10pm Noisettes Dappy (Acoustic) Rescheduled from 28/9/12 • original tickets valid Thurs 1st Nov • £24.50 adv Mon 12th Nov • £8 adv Sat 24th Nov • £7 adv Fri 21st Dec • £8 adv The Proclaimers Max Milner 8pm - 12 midnight + Blue Flint Skeletor The Original Rabbit Tues 13th Nov • £14 adv ft. Unknown Flow Thurs 1st Nov • £9 adv + Milk White Throat Foot Spasm Band The Revival Tour 2012 + Fragment Katzenjammer ft. Chuck Ragan, Christmas Knees-Up + K-Lacura ft. The Original Rabbit Foot Jay Malinowski + Empire Divided Fri 2nd Nov • £20 adv (Bedouin Soundclash), Spasm Band (Live), 7pm - 10pm Count Skylarkin’ & more Cory Brana, Mon 26th Nov Heaven 17 Rocky Votolat, The Luxury Gap Tour Frank Turner & Mon 31st Dec • £10 adv Emily Barker 10.30pm - 3am • over 18s only Also featuring: The Sleeping Souls Fri 2nd Nov Propaganda 7pm - 10pm Jon Gaunt (Fiddle) + Tim Barry & Joe Ginsberg (Bass) + Jim Lockley & the Solemn Sun NYE Party Animal ∆ Alt-J with Jack FM & Trashy Weds 14th Nov • £5 adv Tues 27th Nov • £8.50 adv Fri 2nd Nov • £13 adv 7pm • Moved from The Jericho, Oxford, All Ages 10pm - 4am • over 18s only Akala Fri 15th Feb 2013 • £10 adv Annie Mac Imagine Dragons CASH (BBC R1) + Escapists Thurs 29th Nov • £18 adv Johnny Cash Tribute + Copy Paste Soul, Alabama 3 Fri 16th Nov • £10 adv Thurs 21st Feb 2013 • £12 adv Emily Williams, James Weston. Yashin Fri 30th Nov • £10 adv Jake Bugg Room 2: Hosted by Simple + We Butter The Bread With Butter 7pm - 10pm + Shadows Chasing Ghosts The Milk Sun 24th Feb 2013 • £20 adv + Azriel 7.30pm Sat 3rd Nov • £16 adv 7pm - 10pm Sat 1st Dec • £11.50 adv U.F.O. Fri 16th Nov • £14 adv 7pm - 10pm Ska Cubano 7pm - 10pm + Count Skylarkin Netsky Live Fri 1st Mar 2013 + Original Rabbit Foot Gojira Of Monsters and Men Spasm Band + Klone Sun 2nd Dec • £21.50 adv + Trepalium The Saw Doctors Thurs 7th Mar 2013 • £15 adv Sun 4th Nov • £14 adv Fri 16th Nov • £25 adv The Alarm Mystery Jets 11pm - 3am • over 18s only Sun 2nd Dec • £8 adv The Safe Sex Ball Sam & The Womp Mon 11th Mar 2013 • £14 adv Tues 6th Nov • £25 adv ft. Wiley, Jessie Ware Adam Ant & Drumsound & Bassline Smith, Thurs 6th Dec • £17.50 adv The Good The Mad Alphabet Pony, For Those Mon 18th Mar 2013 • £23 adv & The Lovely Posse Urban Knights About to Rock The Stranglers Sat 17th Nov • £13 adv with Livewire AC/DC and ZZ Tops Weds 7th Nov • CANCELLED 7pm - 10pm Fri 19th Apr 2013 • £22.50 adv 7pm - 10pm Refunds from point of purchase The Wedding Present Fri 7th Dec • £12 adv 7pm - 10pm Michael Schenker’s Pulled Apart Performing By Horses ‘Seamonsters’ in full Boot Led Zeppelin Temple Of Rock Tickets for Saturday night shows INCLUDE FREE ENTRY to Propaganda / Trashy (or £6, £5 NUS / members, £4 NHS on the door)

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