[email protected] @NightshiftMag NightshiftMag nightshiftmag.co.uk Free every month NIGHTSHIFT Issue 285 April Oxford’s Music Magazine 2019

“The mask probably is a defence mechanism. Focussing on this character of Tiger Mendoza rather than photo: Helen Messenger me as a person removes the notion of personality or race or even gender.”

tiger mendoza Oxford’s collaboration king talks masks, movies & Also in this issue: THE CELLAR - RIP WHEATSHEAF in peril? Introducing MEANS OF PRODUCTION FESTIVAL NEWS - the latest on Truck, Cornbury, Supernormal, Tandem & more plus all your Oxford music news, previews, reviews and five pages of gigs for April NIGHTSHIFT: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU. Phone: 01865 372255 NEWS Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] Online: nightshiftmag.co.uk

THE CELLAR CLOSED ITS agreed, there were no guarantees doors for the last time on the 11th on the time frame of the building March. work, which required access to the The venue, which has been at the shop above and various structural heart of the Oxford music scene for considerations. Essentially, the 40 years under the ownership of the whole process took far longer than Hopkins family, was forced to shut we were expecting, and we simply after it failed to reach an agreement could not keep operating under these with landlords The St Michael’s and conditions. All Saints “charity”, over a new rent “We are grateful to the landlords for deal. recognising the cultural importance The closure comes at the end of of the venue, and we hope that an 18-month period that saw The we have saved this space from Cellar survive an application for a becoming a store room. Moreover, change of use from the landlords – we hope that the space, in some with almost 15,000 people signing a shape or form, will continue as petition supporting the venue – and a live music venue. Over 2,000 a severe cut in its capacity following people donated to the Cellar Forever a safety inspection, with supporters campaign, showing that the people raising over £90,000 to help pay for of Oxford really care about what structural alterations to the building. The Cellar stands for, and the The closure of The Cellar leaves values it embodies – independence, a huge hole in Oxford’s live music individuality and creativity. The scene and is yet another blow to amazing £92K that we raised will the city’s culture and independent be returned to everyone’s bank business sector, already suffering accounts. from high rents and rates. “We’d like to thank all of our Cellar Forever supporters from Announcing the end of the struggle the bottom of our hearts. You guys to stay open, Cellar manager Tim have kept us going through what Hopkins said in a statement: “We has been a very tough two years. are very sad to inform you that The We’d also like to thank the brilliant Cellar has closed its doors for the last people at Crowdfunder for being time. After crunching the numbers so supportive and understanding. a thousand times over the Hopkins Lastly, thank you to that money to the Music Venue Trust, require an investor with the money family, who have run the independent Venues Trust who gave us so much which works tirelessly to protect live to fund the building work and the music venue for nearly 40 years, valuable advice and guidance. music venues across the UK and was increased rent, and the “charity”’s have sadly come to conclusion that Without them, we certainly wouldn’t instrumental in aiding the Cellar’s claims to be supportive of live music they cannot continue. have come this far.” campaign. Many of the rewards rings hollow when you consider they “After months of negotiations, we offered in the campaign remain open originally tried to get permission for would have loved to have been able While everyone who pledged to to anyone doing so. a change of usage for the building. to take the landlord’s final rent offer, the fundraising campaign will have but it came too late. What’s more, their money refunded automatically, Hundreds of music fans took to Meanwhile The Wheatsheaf even with a vaguely do-able rent supporters have been urged to donate social media in the wake of The continues to face issues that could Cellar’s announcement, both to decry affect its live music. A planning the loss of such an iconic venue and application has been put in for two to share memories of the place, many flats directly adjoining the venue, from musicians and DJs who played which could potentially open it up to their first shows at the venue and gig noise complaints – one of the main goers who had met lifelong friends causes of venue closures across the and even future spouses down there. UK in recent years – while ongoing The sense of loss of such a pivotal noise complaints from a single part of the local community was resident who moved into the vicinity palpable. last year continues to affect both live Foals, Stornoway, Glass Animals music curfews and the ability to host and Young Knives are among local music in the pub’s downstairs bar. acts who cut their teeth at The Cellar. To read The Cellar’s full statement, What becomes of the empty share your own photos and building now is anyone’s guess. memories of the venue, or see how St. Michael’s and All Saints’ own you can register your concerns about statement suggests they are open to it The Wheatsheaf, visit remaining as a venue, but that would facebook.com/nightshiftmag. the Pilgrim, Elliot Fresh, King money to mix, master and edit AP ENC Boyden and more, play the whole performance. It’s an M … ING ENT AD ES RE PR from last year’s collective opportunity for those who were at P, DS PO IEN Y FR debut ‘The Forge’. The former the show to relive the experience, AV D HE AN NEWS Nightshift cover stars were one maybe spot themselves in the video the first hometown festival to be of the star turns at last summer’s and ultimately be able to contribute organised by the award-winning Common People. Tickets, priced towards the band’s success. It’s indie label. The event takes place £9+bf, are on sale now from also a chance for fans in other on Saturday 22nd June across a the Academy box office and countries, or fans who simply live number of venues in East Oxford, Ticketmaster. too far away, to see and hear what in aid of including Fusion Arts; Port Mahon; we’re about. There are lots of photo: Pier Corona The Library; Truck Store and NUBIYAN TWIST will headline exclusive rewards on offer and we Brew Dog. Acts so far confirmed this year’s Tandem Festival. The perform several tracks we haven’t include: Tangled Hair; Gender -based afro-jazz yet released on the .” Roles; Colossal Squid; Lucy Collective, renowned for their Full details on the band’s Leave; Flirts; Worry; Junk Whale; fusion of jazz, soul, hip hop, Facebook and Twitter and at African styles, Latin, dub and littlebrothereli.com. JOHN KENNEDY PHIL TAGGART Masiro, and Egrets. The day runs (from Radio X) (from BBC Radio 1) from 3pm-2am. Early bird tickets electronics, are the first act are on sale now, priced £11, from announced for the eco-friendly TRUCK STORE plays host to ANOTHER SKY • AVALANCHE PARTY • BIG LAD Wegottickets.com. More info at world, folk and roots music and Record Store Day once again BUG PRENTICE • CANDY SAYS • CATGOD SUPERNORMAL FESTIVAL bsmrocks.com. arts festival, which takes place this month. The international DEATH OF THE MAIDEN • GENTLY TENDER sold out within hours of tickets over the weekend the 21st-23rd celebration of JEN BERKOVA • KIRAN LEONARD • MADONNATRON going on sale last month. The DEATH OF THE MAIDEN, June at Lower Farm in Ramsden, stores takes place on Saturday OUR GIRL • PEANESS • PEERLESS PIRATES experimental music and arts th Candy Says and Willie J Healey celebrating its fifth year with 13 April, with the Cowley Road PENELOPE ISLES • ROZI PLAIN • SK SHLOMO festival, which takes place at are among a host of Oxford acts 2018’s event selling out. Store – and its Witney cousin, Braziers Park in Ipsden, has THE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS • TIGER MENDOZA playing this year’s Are You The volunteer-run, cycle- Rapture – selling a host of limited TVAM • WANDERING WIRES • WHENYOUNG earned a reputation as one of powered festival celebrates world edition vinyl releases as well Listening? Festival in Reading. WILLIE J HEALEY • WORKIN’ MAN NOISE UNIT the UK’s most original and The one-day festival, which takes folk sounds and features talks, as hosting live music across the …and loads more! uncompromising festivals and place across seven venues in workshops, dance and vegan food day. The store will open at 8am, despite taking a year off in 2018 Reading town centre on Saturday alongside the live music. with early birds able to join in th to give its volunteer organisers 27th April, is organised by Heavy Tickets are on sale now, priced the shop’s now traditional quiz. SATURDAY 27 APRIL 2019 a break, its reputation has only READING Pop, who also run live music at JOHNNY MARR, PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING AND £85 for adults, with concessions For a full list of special releases grown. Adult £25.00 adv / £30.00 on day The Jericho Tavern. Flamingods; are among a host of new acts confirmed for group bookings and under- available, visit This year’s event takes place over Teen* £17.50 adv / £20.00 on day Gengahr; Bad Sounds; Krafty for this year’s Truck Festival. 18s. Under-12s go free. Visit truckmusicstore.co.uk. the weekend of the nd th , *(Strictly 14 -17 years old) 2 -4 August Kuts; Kiran Leonard; Peaness; The second wave of acts was announced on the 18th March, with other tandemfestival.com for full Truck also hosts a number of with the line-up to be announced. wegottickets.com Truck Store areyoulistening.org.uk Madonnatron, and The Menstrual names including: Yonaka; Sunset Sons; Dodie; Island; Mallory details. instore shows and signings in the Previous years have seen sets from Cramps are among the acts Knox; Hot 8 Brass Band; Fatherson; Gurr; Sean McGowan; coming weeks. the likes of Pigs x7, Hookworms, st playing. Other Oxford acts Indoor Pets; Psychedelic Porn Crumpets; My Nu Leng; Macky G; On Sunday 31 March Emily JK Flesh, Evil Blizzard, Sacred performing are: Bug Prentice; Ocean Wisdom; Notion; Emerald, and K Motionz & MC Skibadee. Barker and Marry Waterson Paws, Big Joanie, Comanechi Catgod; Peerless Pirates, and They, and many more acts announced, join headliners Foals, Wolf will be performing songs from (pictured) and Clinic, but it is Tiger Mendoza. Tickets, priced Alice, Two Door Cinema Club and Slaves at Hill Farm in Steventon their new album together. On the event’s adventurousness and th £25 in advance, are on sale from from the 25th-28th July. Other acts already confirmed include Idles; Sunday 7 April Rozi Plain plays eclectic and esoteric nature that has Wegottickets. All proceeds go to Kate Nash; Shame; You Me At Six; ; She Drew the Gun and an afternoon show, promoting her made it such a favourite of leftfield Reading Mencap. Full line-up at Fontaines DC. new album ‘What A Boost’. music fans, with off-the-wall th areyoulistening.org.uk or Are You Over 75% of tickets for this year’s Truck have already been sold. On Thursday 25 April Nightshift activities like metal yoga, Listening? on Facebook. Remaining tickets are on sale at truckfestival.com. cover star Tiger Mendoza Bowie-oke, jug playing and a bat launches his new album, orchestra lending it an anything- GLOVEBOX host a one-day ‘New Ideas’, while Saturday goes charm. th Americana and roots festival The Ramshackle Band; Trevor details at www.gloveboxlive.uk. 27 sees signing Line-up news as it comes at: at Cogges Farm in Witney Moss & Hannah-Lou; The Black INNER PEACE RECORDS LITTLE BROTHER ELI launch copies of new album ‘Eton Alive’ . th supernormalfestival.co.uk on Monday 26 August. Acts Feathers; Paul McClure; Ags perform their biggest hometown a Kickstarter campaign this month ahead of their show at the O2 confirmed so far include: Danny Connolly, and The Niall Kelly gig to date when they play The to fund a live album. The band Academy that evening. Again, for host BIG SCARY MONSTERS & The Champions of the World; Band. Tickets, priced £30, are on O2 Academy on Saturday 25th recorded their show at the O2 full details and timings, visit the a one-day live music festival in William the Conqueror; Naomi sale now through Wegottickets.com May. The local hip hop collective, Academy in November 2018, and Truck Store website. June. is Summer in the City Bedford & Paul Simmonds with or at Truck Store and Rapture. More featuring Rawz, Tiece, Tang plan to release a thirteen-track album in June. AS EVER, don’t forget to tune Bass player Joh Rigal told into BBC Oxford Introducing ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN, GAZ COOMBES AND KT Nightshift: “Releasing a live every Saturday night between TUNSTALL are among the latest acts to be added to this year’s album has always been an 8-9pm on 95.2fm. The dedicated Cornbury Festival line up. ambition of ours. People are local music show plays the best The sixteenth Cornbury Festival takes place at Great Tew Country often telling us how energetic our Oxford releases and demos as Park over the weekend of the 5th-7th July. live shows are and that energy is well as featuring interviews and Legendary Liverpudlian band Echo & the Bunnymen and Oxford sometime difficult to reproduce in sessions with local acts. The show hero Gaz Coombes will join headliners on the Friday, the studio. For us, our show at the is available to stream or download alongside Beverly Knight. Saturday sees Keane topping the bill, joined end of last year was one of those as a podcast at bbc.co.uk/oxford. by Scottish hitmaker KT Tunstall, plus Elkie Brooks, The Shires, The performances where everything Trevor Horn Band and Billy Lockett, while Sunday’s headliners The just clicked into place; thankfully OXFORD GIGBOT provides a Beach Boys will be joined by Paul Carrack, Alfie Boe, Steeleye Span we filmed and recorded the regular local gig listing update on and Hothouse Flowers. audio from the entire gig and we Twitter (@oxgigbot), bringing Tickets for the festival are on sale now, priced £215 for weekend decided that it’s too good to keep you new gigs as soon as they go camping tickets, with concessions for over-70s and under-16s, and VIP to ourselves. live. They also provide a free tickets also available. “We’re doing a Kickstarter weekly listings email. Just contact Visit www.cornburyfestival.com for full details. campaign to generate enough [email protected] to join. A Quiet Word With shows, depending on the occasion chop it up in a sampler, re-jig it and the results and picking a favourite is Is it a particular interest of his to see and bandmate availability, exploring a send it back. The big shift between kind of unfair because they all bring what happens when you give, say, an more ambient/atmospheric direction. ‘ADR’ and ‘The Shadow’ was that something unique to the album but industrial hip hop track to a hardcore “My first thing is to realise that I am we became friends while working I have to say getting Mowves (aka punk band, as with Worry and not a five-piece band and work from on the first release so just got more Nick and Mooney, previously known ‘Maverick Souls’? tiger mendoza there. One of the things I learned comfortable working together. Rather as Coloureds) to do a remix was “Yes! It’s a kind of a perverse ‘let’s The man behind the mask - Ian from listening to DJ Shadow and Jack than rigidly sticking to ‘Dave does pretty fecking great! Them and The see if they can hack it’ thing I guess de Quadros with Asher Dust White talking about their live shows strings, Ian does beats’, Dave started Evenings really heavily inspired me although that does sound kind of is that it’s not necessarily a bad idea doing drums and Ian maybe adds to start Tiger Mendoza.” mean. Also, an act may be known for to make things a little bit difficult for a mellotron – because everything Any surprises compared to what you being a punk band but I know they yourself when playing live. I mean sounds great on mellotron!” expected from someone? all have other musical interests so it I could just hit a button and play a “Pretty much all of them! I had no gives them a chance to let some of drum break or predefined synth line, Prior to the ‘New Ideas’ idea what Octavia Freud were going those other influences come through.” or I could try a play a version of it album, Tiger Mendoza’s most to do. Like some of the best remixes, Is the idea of genre dead, or do live. It may not be what you hear on recent releases were the ‘Old I created a skeletal track initially and people still cling to, albeit looser, the recorded version but hey, it’s live, Ideas’ EPs, featuring all of those they fleshed it out. Dan Clear’s remix tribal and stylistic loyalties?

photo: GlassHertzz photography go with it. I’m not going to pretend regular bedfellows and more, the of ‘Missing You’ was a really nice “Saying that genres are dead is a bit that I play every piece live – not first EP a brooding and angry set take too: totally different vibe to the much. I always preferred where the enough hands, sorry – but I also don’t of songs that married Deftones to original and a great guitar line.” lines started to blur: UNKLE working want it to be a just a light show with Arab Strap and beyond, while Part Some new names to Oxford music with Thom Yorke; Massive Attack pristine CD-ready audio playing over 2 was, in Ian’s own words, “the fans on there – Twin Replica in and Hope Sandoval; 65daysofstatic the top. Imperfections can be good morning after”: spacier and warmer, particular sound great, and Kate and , etc. When hip hop and it keeps things interesting for me closer to Vangelis and The Orb at Herridge. started there were no hip hop records and the audience.” times, leaving behind the earlier “It’s really great to hear that! I love to sample; it evolved out of people abrasiveness. that people might go ‘I wonder what finding snippets from old rock and Of all of Ian’s “I didn’t initially plan it that way but their other stuff is like?’ then go check soul records. And listen out for it collaborators, his longest-running and you’ll hear hip hop and dance and most regular is Asher Dust – the samples in many rock band set ups chief musical moniker of maverick “An act may be known for being a punk these days. I guess the key thing is singer and musical explorer Andrew to try and have a set vision of what Jones. Both have appeared on each band but I know they all have other musical you want your sound to be otherwise other’s records and played in each interests so it’s gives them a chance to let things can get a bit… confused. other’s live bands, while the track Although, to be honest, that can be ‘Perish the Thought’ will appear on those other influences come through.” fun too. And then push the limits of both artists’ records. that sound as far as you can.” “I knew of AJ before but the first as I was putting them together they them out. Twin Replica are hella time I had heard him properly was on seemed to form these two halves. cool. They do the powerful synth pop Talking of genres, the Death of Hi-Fi single ‘Jericho’, The first half was dark and angry; thing so well; a great local Instagram Oxford’s electronic music scene has I think. I just thought that he had a I don’t exactly make club bangers find. And I’ve thought Kate was just always been fertile but never on a “Tigers are pretty This month the favours are returned kind of hippy-ish band Ian’s musical output to make for a great voice. I was working on the normally but a lot of stuff was a proper rock star with a great voice par popularity wise with its indie or great, aren’t they. Although to be fair as Tiger Mendoza releases ‘New who actually got the Demo Dumper highly dynamic show. The band’s set beat that would become ‘Lovesick happening personally and nationally since seeing her band Ocean Ruins a rock scenes; why does Ian think that I’m more of a dog person. I could Ideas’, a full album of remixes of – a rite of passage, innit? There was at last year’s Common People was a Vandal’ and sent it to him to see at the time and I think that seeped in while back. Always good to have a is, and what does it need to break be a Sea lion maybe. They’re pretty tracks from his recent ‘Old Ideas’ a very short-lived three-piece called high point of the weekend. what he thought. To my surprise to the EP. ‘Old Ideas 2’ was a sense proper rock star in there somewhere.” through more fully? good.” EPs, where acts as diverse as Worry, the Tiger Mendoza Project, then Toy That live band features Dave Griffith he liked it and sent over a bunch of of realisation: I may not happy about Anyone who’s ever declined your “That’s a great question. To be honest Kid Kin, Octavia Freud, Mowves, #1, who were sort of post-, and Asher Dust as well as Luke demo vocals. I used them all in the what’s happening but fuck ‘em, offer to collaborate or remix? I’m not sure. My own personal thing So Says Ian de Quadros, Breezewax, Self Help’s Silke which overlapped with starting Tiger Allmond from Daisy and Blood track and we’ve been collaborating you’ve got to keep going.” And anyone, either locally or on a is to just get out there and contact the artist better known as Tiger Blansjaar and long-time collaborator Mendoza properly with Helena Horse; Dan Clear from Death of Hi- ever since. Honestly, he has so much megastar level, you’d really love to promoters and play some gigs rather Mendoza and a man now Asher Dust have remodelled Ian’s Markou in 2008 and then Dan Fi and Peter Lloyd from Kid Kin. energy and positivity on stage with This month of course, work with? than just staying at home producing synonymous with the tiger mask he’s songs and soundscapes. The result O’Driscoll joining a bit later. “The band came together very these dark and personal lyrics, that the songs from those EPs re-emerge “I’m not going to name names about it. I am not having a go at bedroom worn onstage for the last decade. is as eclectic and engaging as you’d “The main difference now from organically. When we were practising I’m just glad to have him there. I remodelled and mutated by 14 the ones that got away. Dodging producers – I still think of myself as So much so that anyone who’s only hope, especially given Ian’s own the early Tiger Mendoza days is for Common People, the genuine don’t think I’ve ever thought ‘Okay, different remixers. We wonder how the question completely I would one – but the fact that I’m used to ever seen him up onstage might not wide-ranging musical output, one that the change in focus from more of a smiles when we were in the practice now I need to write the Asher Dust Ian went about selecting people to really love to score something – a playing in front of people at gigs from have a clue what the chap behind the encompasses industrial electronics, band-type structure when Dan and room bringing these little songs that I beat’, it just kind of happens. We’ve work on his original tunes and who film would be great but particularly my time in bands helps. Not getting mask actually looks like. Is it, then, a hip hop, metal, synth-pop, film score- Helena were involved, a structure I had mostly recorded myself to life in managed to strike a good relationship got to remix which tracks. a game. I do love a good game too worked up about replicating the defence mechanism? like ambience and doom. was more used to playing within at a live context was amazing! They’re where we record independently and “It was a 50/50 split of ‘oh, X would soundtrack. But you know if produced sound exactly helps to “It probably is a defence mechanism the time, to more of an UNKLE-style all such great musicians. I know it then swap ideas over the internet. I do a great remix of this! I wonder if Chino from Deftones wants to do some extent. Technology has moved thing. It’s kind of funny how upset Moving to Oxford in producer/writer solo pseudonym must sound clichéd but I honestly am glad he’s put his retirement on they would be up for it?’ and saying something, or maybe MSRY, that on so that moving equipment around people get if I play without the 1998, having grown up in Slough, project thing. There are times that consider myself privileged that they hold for a bit longer too.” to people ‘how would you like to do a would be pretty cool...” isn’t as difficult as it used to be but mask on now. I don’t know if I’m Tiger Mendoza is at the forefront of I miss the camaraderie of a more agreed to join in. And it was great to remix for me? You pick a track’. I’m Nightshift has long thought Ian you still need a pretty decent sound clever enough to make any form Oxford’s small but fertile electronic regular band style set up but I’m get Helena back involved for the set Almost as long-running not going to tell you which is which would make a great composer for system which could limit where you of commentary, although I guess music scene, but Ian’s formative really enjoying the flexibility that at Common People last year too. is Ian’s musical relationship with though! film scores, particularly sci-fi. Any can play. focussing on this character of Tiger musical years were a mixed bag. working independently and bringing “I guess the unspoken thing is Dave Griffith. The pair recorded “I have friends who are my go-tos film he’d like to soundtrack? “I can’t over emphasise the value Mendoza with the mask rather than “Music was always a big part of my in collaborators gives me. I’m still a that everyone knows that it’s not the ‘Along Dangerous Roads’ and in terms of collaborating and just “Oooh now there’s a question. I’m a of having a good stage presence and me as a person partially removes the family’s day to day life but no one bit of a frustrated drummer though.” permanent which in a way is quite ‘Shadow’ together in 2016, being musical sounding boards for huge fan of Vangelis, John Carpenter, trying to form a connection with the notion of personality or race or even played any instruments when I was freeing. All of the guys you’ve marrying Ian’s electronics to Dave’s ideas; people like Skhellter and Clint Mansell, , Atticus audience and not just being about gender. Maybe. I dunno.” at home. I have many fond memories It’s fair to say that mentioned, plus Half Decent, Lee poems and prose and guitar playing. David Griffiths were just obvious Ross and Adrian Younge, etc. I’m the producer. I love what Means of family parties and my Dad DJing Tiger Mendoza is the collaboration Christian and all of the others I’ve “Those two releases were so much choices and are great producers in not sure I completely agree with re- of Production are currently doing A face hidden behind a the night from his massive stack king in Oxford. As well as the coerced in to playing with Tiger fun! We met properly when we were their own right. A lot of people on soundtracking a film; I know it’s been musically and visually. mask he might be as far as gigging of cassettes: lots of 60s , remixing, he’s released EPs and Mendoza over the years, have their both playing with Mark Wilden and this collection, like Silke and Worry, done for things like Blade Runner “The decreasing number of smaller goes, but Tiger Mendoza has been Kraftwerk, disco, Swahili songs from albums with former eeebleee and own thing going on which they can The Evenings and it was actually had never done a remix before and and Silent Running but…. why? venues in Oxford doesn’t help. Fewer one of the most prolific musicians Tanzania and Black Sabbath. Oh, and Witches singer Dave Griffith and get right back to afterwards. The Dave that asked me if I wanted to really liked the idea of giving a go. Something like the original Robocop venues means less opportunity to play and producers on the local scene Dire Straits. singer Asher Dust and recorded with other thing is that I’ve never really work on stuff with him. And I’m With this release particularly I wanted would be kind of fun though.” which in turn means promoters have over the last decade, both for his “I was in a couple of well meaning a host of others, many of whom have been one to trek around the country very glad he did! He has such a great to look outside the normal ‘electro fewer slots to fill and often putting own releases and for his regular but shambolic indie bands before I gone on to become part of the Tiger gigging all of the time so it really is sense of melody and poeticism; I dudes’ a bit and see what other people For someone best known on a rock band or singer- remixes of other Oxford artists as got to Oxford but the first Oxford Mendoza live band, which brings an intense but temporary thing.” kind of treated it like doing a remix in could do. as an electronic artist, there’s a lot can seem like a safer bet to get people well as the likes of Public Enemy. band I was in were EveryWhen, a together the multifaceted strands of Ian also performs occasional solo that he’d send me stuff and then I’d “I’m very, very, very happy with of riffage in Tiger Mendoza’s music. through the door.” Sponsored by DEATH OF THE MAIDEN ‘The Girl With the Secret Fire’ (Self released) RELEASED A quote oft repeated in the wake of Mark Hollis’ honed voice and clipped delivery, reminiscent FOALS TIGER MENDOZA death in February went: “Before you play two of Aldous Harding, combined with the sparsest notes learn how to play one note, and don’t play of guitars and tom-heavy drums, cranks up ‘Everything Not Saved ‘New Ideas’ one note unless you’ve got a reason to play it.” the claustrophobia perfectly. Elsewhere album (Self released) It’s a maxim Death of the Maiden seem to have highlight ‘A Pair of Blue Eyes’ finds Tamara Will Be Lost’ Described by Tiger Mendoza’s Ian De Quadros taken to heart on this stunning debut album. on , accompanied just by Ben (Warner Music) as “A remix album. Of sorts”, ‘New Ideas’ takes Notes are used sparingly and every one comes Heaney’s almost flute-like violin; it’s nothing The past year or so has doubtless been a time the collaborations forged across previous EPs with the precision and sense of purpose of a short of magnificent, a gorgeous slice of gothic of re-evaluation for Foals, with the departure – 2017’s ‘Old Ideas 1’ and 2018’s ‘Old Ideas 2’ spectral assassin. Throughout ‘The Girl With folk with a deathly romantic heart. of bassist Walter Gervers. One of the more – and explores a kind of reciprocal collaboration the Secret Fire’ you’ll find death, grief, drama, Water, particularly the sea, also plays a big prominent results of this has been the decision alongside two new tracks. passion, longing, militant determination and part in songs like ‘The Love of Phlebas’ and to self produce their new album, with Yannis There are four versions of the originally grungy an emotional turbulence that sucks you in and ‘Dream of Drowning’, consuming the narrator taking over control in the studio. Not a man hip-hop ‘Maverick Souls’ from ‘Old Ideas 2’; shakes you to the core, but delivered with an or presenting an endless, dispassionate barrier. the sombre desolation of ‘Waiting For You’, to lacking in confidence when it comes to music, Asher Dust’s earnest vocals get a variety of understatement that simultaneously throws Tamara’s songs carry an air of Bertolt Brecht’s the imperious venom of ‘His House’, Death of ‘Everything Not Saved...’ is a reflection of both interpretations, the most striking of which is the everything into sharper focus while making some and Amanda Palmer’s contorted dramas displaced the Maiden hold up their deepest, darkest, most that confidence and Foals’ restless creativity. swift two-minute remix by hardcore punkers of the stories sound like they’re coming at you into TS Eliot’s ‘The Waste Land’ but beneath and intimate emotions to the listener but instead of It’s not an album that will shock or surprise Worry, who cover it with a wall of frantic from a dream. around them is almost a sense of serenity: be it in horror, there is poetry and musical beauty. This longstanding fans, almost serving to encapsulate sampling and noise. Dreams play an important part in Death of the Hannah Bruce’s discreetly powerful guitar, almost is a magnificent set of songs from a group of everything they already love about the band’s half minutes. ‘White Onions’ is more feral, given The remix by Carterton’s Dan Clear of Maiden’s songs. Album opener ‘Horses’ is based flamenco-like on occasions, or Ben Walker’s musicians who realise that less is so often more, many changing moods over the past decade or so, a longer leash to snap at you from, but quickly ‘Missing You’ – with vocals from Lucy Vee and on a nightmare singer Tamara Parson’s Baker elegant Satie-like playing, or Emma and in stripping their songs down to bare bones, but it never sounds complacent or flat. they’re back to their rinky dink funk-pop and early rapper Half Decent – becomes an even more had where she’s pursued by midnight beasts, any Coombs’ judiciously sparing use of percussion. give us everything. Album opener ‘Moonlight’ washes in on a bed 80s influences on ‘In Degrees’. ‘Syrups’ finds blissed-out stark juxtaposition of choppy rap escape cut off by black, icy waters. Her softly From the breathless passion of ‘Walls’, through Dale Kattack of wintry electronics, reminiscent of some of the groove more rigid and urgent, where Steve and the ethereal, while ‘Jazzer’ is transformed This Mortal Coil’s most expansive pieces, while Reich meets , while ‘Cafe D’Athens’ is by REELS from what Nightshift originally Yannis sounds simultaneously tremulous and spacier, and funkier, based on a marimba rhythm. described as a “hypnotic afro-hop babble” into TOM WOODHOUSE There’s a lot to take in across the album: a huge credit. The EP has a soft, wintry beauty we stout of heart, like a more bullish Anohni. It closes Lyrically the sense of longing that permeated a starker, more frantic house number, and by diversity of sonics, and those arcane track titles recommend to anyone who appreciates understated in reflective fashion, firstly with the downbeat like ‘London Thunder’ seems to have been Breezewax into a slower and surprisingly even ‘Slowstrung’ suggest that this is more a collection of individual and intelligent pop. Like a blurred ‘Sunday’, which initially feels laborious compared replaced by a sense of future fear – for the planet more hypnotic piece that gives the beautiful pieces than a planned whole. Despite that, there’s and washed out old family snap, ‘Atigheh’ is life- to what’s come before, but then blossoms and and everything on it, but as that closer shows, acoustic guitar and orchestral backing of the (Self released) such strong evidence that Woodhouse is in full affirming and achingly sad at the same time. A very impressive collection of electronica from finally soars, and an almost obligatory piano-led Yannis can still shift down several gears and bring original more prominence. control of what he’s doing that it doesn’t matter. David Murphy Tom Woodhouse, who in earlier life was the coda ‘I’m Done With The World & It’s Done With the emotion. New track ‘Find You’ has vocals from Kate This is mighty good stuff that demands, and then pianist/keyboard player of flamboyant indie-prog- Me’, the album’s most personal moment lyrically, ‘Everything Not Saved...’ is no wild departure Herridge from Reading’s Ocean Ruins; her rewards, close listening. glam-stomp types Borderville. but in between there is muscle and groove and nor a resting on laurels, but a continuation of shaky “Am I not enough?” refrain loops over Simon Minter That band’s complicated take on catchy melody is SPANK HAIR more than enough to suggest Foals remain at the Foals’ upward journey. The next peak will heavy beats and reverbed synths, and eventually evident in the fourteen tracks of Slowstrung, albeit top of their highly accomplished game. be their headline set at Truck in July. It’s no crunchy guitars, to create a mesmerising whole. with a more serious and studied feel. ‘What’s The Rush’ First single from the record ‘Exits’ is lithe and exaggeration to say it’s likely to be one of the most The other new track, ‘Perish The Thought’, The catchily-titled ‘Xmas pt 1 [39. (ex. 26 DESPICABLE ZEE (Self released) broad shouldered, a condensed take on the band’s triumphant spectacles Oxford or the band has ever which will feature on Asher Dust’s upcoming arpytarpyw*kyfu*o R.I.P) v2.1]’ opens the album Despite a slating in these pages the first time big riffs and electro-pop, which keeps up the experienced. final album, is an off-kilter hip-hop meld of like a swelling Ibiza-euphoria hands-in-the-air ‘Atigheh’ around, Spank Hair are back with a second release. slow-build pressure over an impressive five and Dale Kattack seemingly detuned guitars and Asher’s trademark anthem, before gleefully pitchbending everything Conceived as another genre experiment from the paradoxically menacing yet comforting vibrato (Self released) into a sludgy, paranoid morass of digital noise. It’s The latest release from local drummer, producer makers of Blood Horse (-hardcore), Holy voice. the billowing, epic stakes, the song is strong and a deft way to announce that “This is IDM territory, and Young Women’s Music Project mainstay Moments (emo-grunge) and Daisy (emo-emo), the The sheer variety of approaches explored ZURICH subtle enough to survive the journey. listener”. Zahra Tehrani has an accompanying book, a trio’s math-y, proggy tendencies – changing times justifies the rationale of giving a track of one Ian Chesterton Intelligent Dance Music, of course, can represent rough-snipped 70s sepia collage of photographs and tempos, constant flourishes of guitar virtuosity genre to a musician from another and seeing ‘Out of Dust’ anything from the pulsing abstractions of Autechre, of her father after his emigration from Iran to – are worn so lightly that to describe them as what they come up with. (Self released) to Future Sound Of London, to the post- the UK. The music has a similarly handmade math-y or proggy doesn’t really make sense. The album is well worth exploring, especially In the wake of a series of singles over the past experiments of Warp’s ‘Artificial Intelligence’ feel, combining fuzzy loops and vocal snippets Instead, the rhythms gently shift rather than step THE DEADBEAT since the profits from the release will go to The year that have cemented their reputation as one compilation; Tom Woodhouse sits in a similar with the artful looseness of a Kurt Schwitters theatrically, and the guitar stays pretty static, which Oxford Foodbank. Above all, however, ‘New of Oxfordshire’s most cultured and accomplished position to Aphex Twin, his music sounding like piece, and also a similar air of parallel pride and helps it avoid becoming too outlandish. More APOSTLES Ideas’ is a fresh testament to the cohesion and rock bands, Zurich pull those singles, plus a the result of listening to a lot of other music (in melancholy. The EP feels wonderfully like a importantly, ‘Not Enough’ is about concise, hooky, bonhomie of the Oxford music scene at a time couple of new songs, together as a full EP release all senses of the word), and his production and low-key, dewy-eyed version all your favourite melodic (and yes, emo) songs. Still, some of Luke ‘Bigger Man’ when such harmony and unity is sorely and sadly that confirms their ambition with an unabashed arrangements able to maintain multiple rhythmic highbrow electro-pop: ‘We Won’t Stop’ is late Allmond’s guitar diddles are a bit much for me, but (Self released) needed. stadium-friendly sound. cores while spiralling off in many directions. Bjork without the grandstanding and abstract at their plaintive, ringing best, they are gorgeous, as From The August List’s drone-laden country Kirsten Etheridge Leading Zurich’s charge is singer Adrian Banks’ gothic, through The Epstein’s cinematic prairie The whole album has keyboard, and keyboard- frocks; ‘Counting Cars’ is The Knife with on the blissed-out final, title track. Silke Blansjaar rich, nuanced baritone, which is matched by pop, to Ags Connolly’s outlaw ballads, country like melody, at its core: no real surprise given verdigris tarnishing all the shiny cyborg surfaces, is a brilliant drummer, and I wish her playing had the epic scale of the band’s guitars, while fluid music has a firm grip on the local scene, and The Woodhouse’s specialties. The tunes are wrapped up and when the drums kick in on ‘Sidhe’ it’s like a been given a bit more space here, but her peppy keyboard lines cut rivers of darkness through Deadbeat Apostles offer another angle on the in various interlocking layers of tempo, timbre and timid, battle-weary Add N To (X). groove is the making of opener ‘Nothing Left’, bold, anthemic songs which sound like they’d go scene: bold, earthy and maybe a little more showy tone. That organic-sounding centre to everything “There are holes in our children’s memories”, allowing Ali Stores’ bass to do a great, keening into orbit if they weren’t tethered. ‘My Protocol’ than some of their counterparts. That probably deals with an issue that can often occur with claims the opening track, and although ‘Atigheh’ counter-melody thing, and that stick-click/muted- is the band at their melodic best with a chorus comes from the vocal interaction between Mike electronic music: that it doesn’t sound ‘real’, or like is allusive and mysterious, lyrically and sonically, guitar second verse is very fine. who’d swear you’ve heard blossoming from every Ginger and Michelle Mayes: he rough hewn and it carries any emotion or meaning. ‘Slowstrung’ it may be about what is lost and what is gained The vocal dueting is more developed this time, radio station going, so immediate and familiar is roustabout; her richly soulful, all Stetsons and is rewarding in its intricate digital constructions, as cultures meet and merge. Whilst the booklet especially effective on ‘Best Intentions’ and ‘My it. Best of the five songs featured here is ‘While leopard print, together uplifting even while singing its ability to feel natural, and its boundless variety. tells of the marriage of an Iranian man and an Bed’, while the latter has some lovely crunchy You Sleep’, a simmering, electro-heavy slice of the . Backed by traditional steel twang and ‘Xmas pt 4 [9. REWORKED v2.12]’ places Irish woman, the low-level police persecution chords as it pulls back, then somehow rushes to darkwave that’s equal to anything Editors have scraping ‘Bigger Man’ marks The Deadbeats a portentous piano riff over an insistent pulse, and a hilarious British culinary baptism in a plate a close. But it’s the writing that carries this EP, conjured. out as Oxford’s most unabashedly Nashville- building carefully into a energetic dance workout; of beans on toast, it also tells of the beginning the tunes and the words that stick; despite their Showing their lighter side ‘Where You’ve Been’ friendly country act, no little hint of Kenny Rogers ‘Thirty Two [Gritty v2.1]’ tinkles the ivories of a new family. The conflicting statements in members’ myriad other projects, Spank Hair have features Dolly Mavies, whose smokehouse voice and Tammy Wynette about this rousingly hangdog with some Jan-Hammer-does-thundering-electro- ‘Counting Cars’ are that “no matter where we land a distinctive sound that’s well worth your time, counterpoints Adrian’s and reminds us of Snow anthem. Two more fingers of gulping whiskey synthwave mashed in; ‘OB (“Oatsmulk”) [v15.1 we always feel alone” and “keep on going, keep with details that reward repeated listening. So not Patrol’s collaboration with Martha Wainwright, please barman, we’re gonna be here all night. from v12]’ is futuristic gamelan for some alternate- on living, keep on striving”. The booklet states ‘irredeemable’ after all. and if the guitar solo maybe oversteps the line in Ian Chesterton world science fiction piece. simply “roses grow, limes dry up”. Debit/ Mike Smith quintet Caravela, playing samba-jazz and music classic songs from his partnership with Paul of the Lusophone world of yesteryear with Simon – ‘Bridge Over Trouble Water’, ‘The a contemporary groove and the spirit of jazz Boxer’, ‘Homeward Bound’, ‘Sound of Silence’, improvisation. Host Dan Ofer is on the decks, alongside his own solo compositions and playing a world of jazz dance. traditional songs, like ‘Scarborough Fair’, and of HI-ON MAIDEN: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Iron course the best bunny song ever, ‘Bright Eyes’. Maiden tribute. ANIMAL HOUSE + SEMPRE CAOZ + SELF GIG GUIDE HELP: The Wheatsheaf – Brighton-based th Aussie rockers Animal House return to town for st and purveyor of “scally folk”, Matt McManamon, SATURDAY 6 MONDAY 1 THE DUALERS + ZAIA: O2 Academy – the first time in five years, channelling The Kinks plus Oxford-resident scouse songsmith Jules SLOW READERS CLUB + BRIDGES: O2 and from Croydon’s enduring outfit, and Small Faces through The Strokes’ garage Reid. th Academy – Manchester’s elegantly doomy formed back in 1999 by brothers Tiber and Si rock. Top drawer local support from fuzzgun pop Friday 12 THE BREW + TWISTED STATE OF MIND: synth-popsters come to town on the back of Cranston, themselves sons of renowned 60s ska kittens Self Help. recent Top 20 album ‘Build a Tower’ – see main APRIL The Bullingdon – A return to the Haven Club UKULELE NIGHT: Harcourt Arms – Pop DJ Bill Cranston. After Top 40 hits in 2004 with JIM JONES & THE for ever-gigging heavy rockers The Brew, preview Folk Club – Nettlebed hosts new vocal and ‘Truly Madly Deeply’ and ‘Kiss On the Lips’, hits, rock classics and more on the uke. channelling classic 70s rock and blues in the vein PASADENA ROOF ORCHESTRA: Oxford instrumental trio Banter, featuring Melodeon, they continue to tour, despite the departure of Si MUSICAL MEDICINE: The Bullingdon RIGHTEOUS MIND: of Led Zep, Hendrix and Deep Purple and touring Playhouse – The long-running orchestra keyboards, brass and percussion, tonight back in 2010. Tonight is the band’s first Oxford – House, funk, soul and disco club night with celebrate 50 years playing around the globe, alongside singer/guitarist Becky Mils and new album ‘The Art of Persuasion’. Support eclectic collective and community Rhythm Sister. The Bullingdon show for five years; support comes from pop- Jim Jones is a man on a mission. Jim Jones keeping the classic swing, ragtime and hot Fairport founder Ashley Hutchings, playing the from local hard rock crew Twisted State of Mind, SPARKY’S SPONTANEOUS SHOWCASE & friendly local dub crew Zaia. has always been on a mission. Seemingly, like jazz dance sounds of the 1920s and 30s alive, band’s early songs. mixing 80s thrash, NWOBHM and 70s blues- SPOTLIGHT JAM: The Port Mahon – Sparky ART GARFUNKEL: The New Theatre – One some obsessive Victorian explorer searching collaborating with the likes of Bryan Ferry and OPEN MIC SESSION: The Castle – Weekly rock. hosts his monthly bands’n’jam session, this time of the most recognisable voices in music over for the source of the Nile, to discover the Robbie Williams along the way. open session. SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – Jazz round with sets from Jesters, Mudlside Morris the last 50 years, Garfunkel continues to give raw, untamed heart and soul of rock and BANTER + THE BEGINNINGS OF fusion and funk from guitarist Mike Walker at the & the Revelators and No Horses. Band sets are his tremulous, keening tenor an airing, revisiting roll. He began his mission back in the mid- FAIRPORT CONVENTION: Nettlebed nd weekly jazz club. followed by an open jam, then a late night open TUESDAY 2 CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford session at The Half Moon. 80s in High Wycombe of all places where YAK: O2 Academy – High-energy alt.rocking, th Community Centre – Oxford’s longest running Wednesday 10 APOLLO SYNDROME: Fat Lil’s, Witney – he formed psychedelic garage rockers Thee channelling the spirits of The Rolling Stones, st open night, with a varied selection of singers, Pop punk covers, including Jimmy Eat World, Hypnotics. When they split at the end of the Monday 1 Doors and even Black Sabbath at times from the musicians, poets, storytellers and performance PIGS PIGS PIGS Blink 182, Fallout Boy, Bowling For Soup and 90s, he formed Black Moses, briefly signed Wolverhampton band, who’ve overcome their artists. more. to Oxford label Shifty Disco, and after that SLOW READERS self-destructive tendencies to release overdue SPARKY’S NEW MOON: The Half Moon – PIGS PIGS PIGS NINEBARROW + ODETTE MICHELL: The Jim Jones Review. Since 2014 though second album ‘Pursuit of Momentary Happiness’ CLUB / BRIDGES: Local stalwart Sparky hosts an open session on Tiddy Hall, Ascott-under-Wychwood – he’s journeyed under the name Jim Jones & earlier this year. the first and third Thursday of every month. PIGS: The Bullingdon the Righteous Mind, but while the names Pigs x7. That’s a lot of pigs. How much Traditional folk songs and stories rooted in O2 Academy DREAM STATE + PARTING GIFT + AS BLUES JAM: The Catherine Wheel, Sandford change and the sound follows different paths would seven pigs weigh? Helluva lot, English history and landscape from award- Selling out a venue like Manchester’s Albert EVERYTHING UNFOLDS + LASTELLE: – Open blues session. winning harmony-heavy duo Ninebarrow at at times, the mission remains resolute: taking South Wales’ post-hardcore obviously. But not nearly as much as just Hall suggests you’re not really a secret, but The Bullingdon – IOTA: The Unicorn, Abingdon – Folk-rock tonight’s Wychwood folk Club show, the band inspiration of the most primal rockers through starlets, and winners of last year’s Kerrang! one of Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs’ there was a feeling for a while that Slow supergroup Anna Ryder, Marion Fleetwood and championed by Mark Radcliffe and Mike history: from Little Richard and Jerry Lee Awards Best Newcomers, Dream State come to riffs, which sound like they’re made of Readers Club were the city’s best kept secret, Sally Barker come to the Unicorn. Harding as well as Seth Lakeman and Kate Lewis, through The Stooges and MC5 to town on the back of new single ‘Hand in Hand’, thunder and mountains and old Norse gods. a bit like James before them, another band Rusby. Motorhead and The Birthday Party. It’s always the band racking up over 10 million plays of Or maybe a terrifying iron foundry fusion of who built a fiercely loyal following at home th QUAD: The Red Lion, Kidlington – Britpop righteous and raw, Jones a preacher who ‘White Lies’, playing at Download, Slamdunk FRIDAY 5 Black Sabbath, The Stooges, Motorhead and before breaking through big time. Given tribute. BELIEVES. And something else to believe and 2000 Trees as well as supporting Baby Metal, DMA’s: O2 Academy – In a classic case of coals Hawkwind. Did we mention the riffs? Those the Top 20 success of SRC’s third album, THE A-WATTS: The Bikers Club, Littlemore in is the ongoing fight against racism, which Neck Deep and The Amity Affliction on tour. to Newcastle, Australia’s DMA’s continue to sell huge, blackened, solid granite riffs? We ‘Build a Tower’, at the end of 2018, that – Classic 50s rock’n’roll from the local vets. tonight’s gig is in aid of, ahead of Oxford breakthrough has just happened. On their second tier Britpop back to the UK, not so much did? Oh good. Cos you’ll need to be aware Standing Up To Racism’s main summer event. the Aussie Oasis as the Antipodean Cast. way up the quartet, led by the rich, versatile rd of those lest they crush you to a puddle of There’s never been a place for racism in music WEDNESDAY 3 GOLDIE LOOKIN’ CHAIN: O2 Academy plasma and ooze. Possibly in the heart of a SUNDAY 7th voice of Aaron Starkie, supported James, as MASTER OF NONE + OCEAN RUINS + and never will be, but there is always a place – Newport With Attitude keeps the comic rap white dwarf star. We first encountered Pigs x7 SUNDAY SOCIAL: The Wheatsheaf (3.30) – well as Catfish & the Bottlemen, but now Little Red in it for blood and guts and soul and swagger BRUNO MUERTE: The Library – bandwagon rolling. at Supernormal Festival (as we have so many Afternoon session in the downstairs bar, with sets they’re headline material and tonight’s show man Ian Mitchell brings his electro-heavy side – things Jim Jones has by the tanker load. KLUB KAKOFANNEY with CALLOW of our favourite mad, noisy bastard fave from Delta Hardware, Scott Gordon and more. should, by rights, be a sell out. Their sound, project Master of None to The Library as part SAINTS + EDWIN & THE KEPPERS bands in recent years), where their crushing THE ROCK PROJECT: The Bullingdon – an elegantly doomy mix of synth-pop, indie of an All Will Be Well label showcase. Joined + ENJOYABLE LISTENS + CAROL heaviosity was at once at home with the Live show from the youth and children’s music tonight’s Snuggle Dice show as both bands rock and electro-funk, harks back to another live by this month’s Nightshift cover star, Tiger WHITWORTH: The Wheatsheaf – The propensity for way-out noise and at odds with project. head towards Washed Out Festival. The former Manchester band, New Order, as well as Mendoza, Master of None heads into the dark draw inspiration from Motion City Soundtrack, monthly Klub Kakofanney party swings back the summery good vibes the festival revels FRANKLIN’S TOWER + SCOTT GORDON to Depeche Mode and Interpol at times, depths, inspired by Mark Lanegan, The National, Modern Baseball and The Wonder Years, while into town, offering inclusive good vibes ad live in. Since then their bludgeoning, downtuned + BEARD OF DESTINY + SONG & SUPPER alternately stately, dreamy and fidgety, while The Horrors and Suicide among others. They’re the latter’s sound leans more to the hook-heavy sets from Aylesbury rockers The Callow Saints psychedelic sacrifices to Thor have earned ROOMS: Donnington Community Centre Starkie’s voice recalls Editors’ Tom Smith joined by Berkshire power rockers Ocean Ruins and more. them hefty airplay both on 6Music and (6pm) – Free evening of unplugged live music. pop-punk of Jimmy Eatworld. Local emo support and even the great Julian Cope, but they’re and cigar box guitar swamp blues from Bruno from Spankhair. OXPHWOARD: The Bullingdon – Burlesque more dedicated metal stations and playlists OPEN MIC SESSION: Harcourt Arms – more than the sum of their parts, writing Muerte. and drag night with Feast. and latest album ‘King of Cowards’ has Weekly open session. JEWELIA + STORYTELLER + RITCHIE festival-friendly tunes that sound like the OUR FAVOURITE THINGS: The Bullingdon Floaty, folksy piano pop from GOOD LOVELIES: The Jericho Tavern threatened to turn the band into household FOLK SESSION: The Half Moon – Weekly STIX: Cirkus – idea of being anthemic is somehow slightly Live jazz hosted by Brookes Uni’s Jazz Society. – – Toronto’s close harmony country-folk trio names, at least in those houses not stomped folk night. Romanian singer/songwriter Jewelia, touring her crass and they’d prefer to remain discreet. debut album ‘City of My Mind’. Funky fusion come to the UK as they tour latest album into dust by those riffs. We did mention the THE JAM BAND: The Red Lion, Kidlington Their breakthrough success is well deserved. th pop support from Storyteller. Support comes from London’s indie cult THURSDAY 4 ‘Shapeshifters, Caroline Brooks, Kerri Ough riffs, didn’t we? Sorry, we just don’t want (5.30-8.30pm) IAN PROWSE + MATT McMANAMON + and Sue Passmore having almost made the Juno anyone getting hurt. Them things is heavy, faves Bridges who’ve toured with We Were th Promised Jetpacks previously, rocking out JULES REID: The Jericho Tavern – A solo, Awards and Canadian Folk Awards their own right. MONDAY 8th WEDNESDAY 10 acoustic show from Liverpool rock legend Ian over the past decade, but taking a poppier path on in the vein of and The Gaslight DAOIRI FARRELL: Nettlebed Folk Club – PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS: Prowse, former frontman of 90s indie stars the new record. Anthem. Traditional Irish folk from BBC Folk Awards The Bullingdon – Behold the pig riff apocalypse Pele before forming Amsterdam with former GLENN TILBROOK: John the Evangelist – Horizon winner Farrell, playing songs from – see main preview Blow Monkeys drummer Tom Kiley. He wrote Squeeze’s melody man comes to SJE as guest his recent ‘Trueborn Irishman’ album, drawing KING NO-ONE: O2 Academy – fidgety, the anthemic hit ‘Does This Train Stop on of Glovebox, playing songs from across his comparisons to Christy Moore, Andy Irvine and spangly indie rocking in a post-Foals / Klaxons Merseyside’, a song covered by Christy Moore extensive and varied career, including classic Paul Brady. vein from the York trio, touring new single and known to reduce the late, great to Squeeze hits like ‘Take Me I’m Yours’, ‘Up the ‘Lemonade’. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Castle tears. While best known as an earthy, emotive Junction’ and ‘Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)’. HEJIRA + FRAN & FLORA: Tap Social, songwriter documenting Liverpudlian life, he’s BOSSAPHONIK with CARAVELA: East Botley – Tandem Festival and Upcycled Sounds th also backed, duetted with and supported Elvis Oxford Community Centre – With the closure TUESDAY 9 come together to bring London’s Hejira to town, Costello. He’s out on tour to promote his new of The Cellar, long-running jazz dance club night H_NGM_N + ALL BETTER + SPANKHAIR the London-based band’s new album, ‘Thread of album, ‘Here I Lie’. Support comes from ‘Riot Bossaphonik takes up its new home at EOCC, + DAZE: The Library – Co-headline tour Gold’, a mix of Ethiopian funk and jazz, r’n’b Radio’ rudeboy, former member of The Dead 60s tonight featuring a live set from Afro-Brazilian from Brighton’s H_ngm_n and All Better at and atmospheric electronic pop. They’re joined Bullingdon – Anti-racism benefit for the local hardcore ragers Worry; Italian emo outfit hoedown crew, recent tour support to Ferocious hosted by local drone and improv star Lee Riley. rock’n’roll veteran – see main preview Dags; anarcho-punk vegancore scrappers Basic Dog. He joins sound scavenger Stuart Chalmers who METAL TO THE MASSES: The Wheatsheaf Dicks and lo-fi bedroom popsters Jeff. SKERRYVORE: The Cornerstone, Didcot – puts his array of acquired sounds through myriad – Second quarter-final of the rock and metal THE SHEE: Nettlebed Folk Club – All-female Celtic folk/rock fusion from the Scottish outfit. FX pedals and more. He’ll also be playing a battle of the bands to win a slot at Bloodstock harmony folk at Nettlebed tonight from the CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford solo set; support comes from cello and violin this summer. award-winning trio, featuring harp player Rachel Community Centre maker Bruno Guastakla, a member of Oxford SHADES OF SEATTLE: Fat Lil’s, Witney – , 2017 BBC Folk Awards musician of the SPARKY’S NEW MOON: The Half Moon Improvisers, MUE and Set Ensemble, plus a Grunge tribute band, playing Alice In Chains, year. BLUES JAM: The Catherine Wheel, Sandford drone set from Masiro and Unman chap Mike Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Stone Temple OPEN MIC SESSION: The Castle Bannard. Pilots, QOTSA et al. th SINGING WITH NIGHTINGALES: Old FRIDAY 19 rd th Fire Station – Another magical journey into Tuesday 23 th TUESDAY 16 DIRTY JACK + THE FOOZ: The Bullingdon Saturday 13 th music’s more unusual realms courtesy of Oxford SATURDAY 13 PENELOPE ISLES: The Jericho Tavern – A – AC/DC tribute meets Foo Fighters tribute. JOSEFIN ÖHRN + NILUFER YANYA / NILUFER YANYA + WESTERMAN: O2 spingle, a spangle, a sweet indie – see PRISM / SPECTRUM: The Bullingdon – Contemporary Music, tonight hosting Mercury- Academy – Sparse, acoustic soul from the rising main preview Annual reunion night for the leading 80s and nominated folk singer, storyteller and song THE LIBERATION: London singer – see main preview 90s acid house and techno club night, with host collector Sam Lee, joined by singer and violinist WESTERMAN: Alice Zawadski and kora virtuoso Kadialy THE SHAPES + BAND OF HOPE + THE WEDNESDAY 17th Keiran and more. The Bullingdon SCOTT GORDON BAND: Modern Art K-LACURA + VILLAINOUS: The Kouyate for an evening of music linked to a live Nightshift’s favourite album of 2016 by some O2 Academy FIVE FATHOMS DEEP: The Wheatsheaf streaming of nightingales’ courtship songs, with Further proof that genre boundaries are now Oxford – Unifying mix of 60s r’n’b, folk, punk Wheatsheaf – Rabidfest warm-up gig with distance was Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation’s – Traditional folk and ceilidh tunes from the stories from an on-site ornithologist to tell tales so blurred as to be virtually redundant, west and 80s from the ever-excellent local super heavyweight thrashcore merchants ‘Mirage’: a shimmering, hypnotic slab of London crew at tonight’s It’s All About the Music of how the birds’ song has influenced musicians London r’n’b / soul / indie rising star Nilufer Shapes, mixing ruminative Oxford nostalgia with K-Lacura. silicon synth-pop, , psychedelia show. and writers over the years. Yanya grew up listening to Nina Simone, politics by way of Tom Petty, The Pogues and LEO RONDEAU + AGS CONNOLLY: Isis and scuzzy art-pop that immersed itself in Winehouse and Pixies, but also to her Elvis Costello. in the vein of Villagers Farmhouse, Iffley Lock – LITTLE THIEF + SCREAMIN’ IRENE: The all the best bits of Stereolab, The Velvet th Heavy, hairy rocking from the Turkish father’s music collection, jazz, trip and Neil Halstead from Wallingford’s Band of THURSDAY 18 and Americana from Austin, Texas singer Leo Wheatsheaf – Underground, Suicide, Neu!, Portishead and Bristol trio. hop and acoustic pop, all of which distil Hope, plus blues, folk and Americana from The THE NOBLE JACKS: The Bullingdon – Rondeau, alongside local Ameripolitan country Ladytron. Seriously, if you’re going to print a themselves into her new soul sound. And Scott Gordon Band. Rowdy folk-rocking at The Haven Club tonight roots star Ags Connolly. list of influences, why not make it the best list while she’s being tipped as a contender for METAL TO THE MASSES: The Wheatsheaf from Brighton’s fiddle-led, Levellers-inspired HANNAH SANDERS & BEN SAVAGE: WEDNESDAY 24th of influences ever? But the Stockholm-based the British r’n’b crown, she’s built up to – Third quarter-final. Holywell Music Room – Gently intimate close WHENYOUNG: The Bullingdon – London/ singer and her band went well beyond such the release of her debut album this month HARCOURT UNPLUGGED: Harcourt Arms harmony folk from the acclaimed duo, touring Limerick folky indie popsters on the rise influences on ‘Mirage’. Across the album she by supporting Broken Social Scene, being – Acoustic night at the Jericho drinkery, tonight Tuesday 16th ahead of the release of a trio of singles together, Whenyoung come to town for their first headline, created a dreamlike atmosphere with guitars mentored by The Invisible’s Dave Okumu with sets from Alf Laila and Five Gallons Deep. beginning with ‘Hidden Things’. having been out as tour support to Blossoms, and electronics and a voice that was on the and covering Pixies’ ‘Hey’. Yanya’s voice TOM WILLIAMS + BRYDE: The Jericho PENELOPE ISLES: The Vaccines, Dreamwife and Sundara Karma seductive side of sultry, while propelling is softly husky, her music sparse yet raw, Tavern – Dark-hearted but soulful gothic blues SATURDAY 20th in the past and opened for Nick Cave, the band everything along on motorik grooves. A brace mostly played on acoustic guitar, her lyrics in the vein of Nick Cave, Lloyd Cole and Elliot The Jericho Tavern K-FUNKZ HOUSE PARTY: The Bullingdon – promoting new single ‘Never Let Go’. of shows in Oxford, including the inaugural Bella Union was practically invented to driven equally by personal experiences and Smith from the Kent songsmith, back in town as Bassline, drum&bass and hip hop club night. BRIGID MAE POWER + AOIFE NESSA Ritual Union, were just stunning and to say provide a home and an outlet for bands like stories, and social injustices, while she and a he tours new album ‘What Did You Want to Be?’. SUPERNAUT: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Tribute to FRANCES + ROSIE CALDECOTT: Deaf & we’re excited to see her back in town goes Penelope Isles. The band are one of those group of friends founded the Artists in Transit He’s joined by poetic former Paper Aeroplanes Black Sabbath. Hard of Hearing Centre – Galway’s haunting, well beyond understatement. This time groups who sound like third generation charity, taking art, music and sports to refugee sing Bryde. STEAMROLLER: Stonesfield Sports & Social ethereal singer and multi-instrumentalist Brigid round she’s touring her third album, ‘Sacred descendents of label founder Simon camps in southern Europe. She’s returning to GROOVE: The Bullingdon – disco and house Club – Heavyweight 60s-style r’n’b in the vein Mae Power returns to town having played with Dreams’, on first listen a softer set of songs Raymonde’s old outfit Cocteau Twins, the region as part of the tour for the album, club night. of Hendrix and Cream from the veteran local long-time collaborator Peter Broderick here back but a definite grower that will be up there possessed of an almost ethereal grace and playing in Istanbul – her dad’s ancestral FUSED: Fat Lil’s, Witney – 90s and Noughties rockers. in 2016. She’s touring most recent album ‘The with Ladytron and Cosey Fanni Tutti for title home. Hers is likely a voice you’ll hear a lot rock and indie covers. spectral spangle that draws together spider Two Worlds’, her trademark mix of aching torch of album of 2019. It’s a variously hushed, silk threads of 60s West Coast harmony pop; songs, otherworldly folk tunes and clangourous coruscating and breathless mix of lysergic more of through 2019. She’s joined on tour THE A-WATTS: Ex Servicemen’s Club, st by near neighbour Westerman, whose chilled, Bicester shimmering dream-pop; classic indie jangle SUNDAY 21 piano making for a highly charged atmospheric dreampop, hypnotic synth-pop and those romantic acoustic pop comes with a dose of and the wooziest of motorik grooves. Formed WITCHING WAVES + SUGGESTED sound. Poetic folk and psychedelic rock from classic 60s and 70s psych-rock influences that Arthur Russell-like vocals. SUNDAY 14th in Brighton by brother and sister Jack and FRIENDS + LUCY LEAVE + DAISY + Dublin’s Aoife Nessa Frances in support. comes with a double dusting of magic from Lily Wolter, who’d grown up playing music MYLES MANLEY: Deaf & Hard of Hearing RARE AMERICANS: The Bullingdon – A first JOEY LANDRETH: Fat Lil’s, Witney – one of the most exciting musicians on the together in the Isle of Man, and friends Becky Centre – Another quality bill of DIY pop from by violin and cello duo Fran & Flora, mixing up Oxford gig for Canadian crew Rare Americans, Rootsy, soul and gospel-infused Americana from planet right now. So yeah, we’re excited. In Redford and Jack Sowton, Penelope Isles Divine Schism, tonight bringing London’s Eastern European folk and experimental sounds, touring their debut album, featuring contributions Canadian singer-songwriter Landreth at tonight’s bold type, underlined twice. have spent the past few years drip feeding fuzzed-up pop/punk trio Witching Waves to having previously worked with Sam Lee and from Modest Mouse and Shins and produced Empty Rooms show, the Bros.Landreth man fans with single releases but signing to Bella town, the band touring new album ‘Persistence’. Talvin Singh. by ten-times Grammy winner Joe Chiccarelli, and Juno Award winner going solo on acclaimed Union finally brings their debut album, ‘Until They’re joined by indie jangle/ CORDUROY: The Bullingdon – The best, and whose credits include White Stripes, The Strokes debut ‘Whiskey’. the Tide Creeps In’, this month. Inspired crew Suggested Friends, back in Oxford after least pretentious of the 90s Acid Jazz brigade th and My Morning Jacket. The band’s hot mess THURSDAY 11 by the highly textured sounds of Radiohead supporting Fightmilk here last year; local reform once again, brothers Ben and Scott of pop-punk, garage rock, funk, indie and hip THURSDAY 25th BLUE ROSE CODE: The Bullingdon – Rich, and Deerhunter, their delicate touch, driving oddball shape shifters Lucy Leave, mixing up Addison touring their first album in 18 years – hop drawing comparisons to 21 Pilots and They UNDER THE APPLETREE ON TOUR with soulful roots music from Edinburgh-via-London grooves and multi-way harmonies have seen Minutemen, Deerhoof, Can and Soft Machine ‘The Return of the Fabric Four’, their cinematic, Might Be Giants. WILDWOOD KIN + LOUD MOUNTAINS songsmith Ross Wilson, out on tour to promote them compared to Grizzly Bear, Tame Impala into a many-angled pop broth, and Irish acoustic mostly instrumental take on the genre eschewing THE BOOTLEG BEATLES: The New + FERRIS & SYLVESTER: O2 Academy his new EP ‘Sunday, the follow-up to last and Beach House, though they might be what singer/songwriter Myles Manley. muso indulgence in favour of fun. Theatre – Big stage tribute to the Fab Four with – Daytime radio-friendly folk-pop in the vein year’s ‘The Water of Leith’ album, featuring Magic Number would have sounded like had SUNDAY SOCIAL: The Wheatsheaf (3.30) DAVID THOMAS BROUGHTON: The a two-hour set spanning their entire 60s career. of Haim, Fleetwood Mac and The Staves from contributions from Karine Polwart and Julie they signed to 4AD back in the late-80s, or – Afternoon session in the downstairs bar with Port Mahon – Rare chance to catch the West OPEN MIC SESSION: Harcourt Arms Exeter’s close-harmony trio Wildwood Kin, Fowlis among others – his eclectic range weaving kindred spirits of lost etherealists AC Marias. Superloose and more. Yorkshire troubadour in Oxford. His last local in strands of jazz, blues and downbeat pop and FOLK SESSION: The Half Moon headlining the inaugural Under Last time they were in town was supporting OPEN MIC SESSION: Harcourt Arms drawing comparisons with Van Morrison and THE A-WATTS: The Black Swan the Appletree tour – the first time BC Camplight on tour, but now the spotlight FOLK SESSION: The Half Moon John Martyn. legendary DJ and is all on them and on the evidence of that last EASTER JAZZ SUPPER: The Abingdon SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – th champ Bob Harris has taken his MONDAY 15 gig and the new record, they’ll shine. Arms, Beckley (6pm) – Free live jazz. Technical, fluid jazz trumpet from Manchester’s CIRCA WAVES: O2 Academy – Anthem- Under the Appletree Sessions on the road. WK have recently been backing Damon Brown at tonight’s Spin session. friendly indie-grunge from Liverpool’s Circa nd NEW DEPTH: Fat Lil’s, Witney – EP launch MONDAY 22 Seth Lakeman, touring their slickly Waves, back in town after their showing at Truck OPEN MIC SESSION: The Castle show for Witney’s heavy rockers. Festival last summer, touring new album ‘What’s produced debut album `Turning Tides’, CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford It Like Over There?’, the follow-up to 2017’s and are joined for this stop-off on the rd Community Centre ‘Different Creatures’, the band increasingly TUESDAY 23 tour by local American ex pats Loud BLUES JAM: The Catherine Wheel, Sandford moving into darker indie waters. JOSEFIN ÖHRN + THE LIBERATION: The Mountains, helmed by Connecticut MARY BELL + WORRY + DAGS + BASIC Bullingdon – Hell, yes – see main preview brothers Sean and Kevin Duggan, FRIDAY 12th DICKS + JEFF: The Library – Shred or Die STUART CHALMERS & LEE RILEY + mixing roadhouse blues and harmony- JIM JONES & THE RIGHTEOUS MIND punk and hardcore night, with French grunge and BRUNO GUASTAKLA + MIKE BANNARD: heavy country-folk in the vein of Bob + THE DEADBEAT APOSTLES: The punk crew Mary Bell headlining. Support from Fusion Arts – A night of experimental noise, Dylan and Whiskeytown. showing was at Supernormal in 2013, and he’s BLUES JAM: The Catherine Wheel, Sandford resident in Korea for the most part. His ethereal, BOOT-LED ZEPPELIN: Cornerstone, Didcot often improvised style of experimental folk music utilises loops, filed recordings and the use of FRIDAY 26th radios, alarms and tellies alongside his delicate, NOASIS: The Bullingdon – tribute to Blur... no, ethereal voice, which has seen him compared to Pulp... is it Elastica? Anthony Hegarty/Anohni. METAL TO THE MASSES: The Wheatsheaf – MOOGIEMAN + PANDAPOPALYPSE + Fourth quarterfinal of the rock and metal BOTB. GOOD CANARY: The Jericho Tavern – YOUTH AVOIDERS + SCRAP BRAIN + Idiosyncratic post-punk, electro-pop and lyrical BASIC DICKS + DSA: The Library – High- esoterica from Moogieman at this month’s Jericho octane hardcore and speedpunk from France’s Live showcase, Shan and band joined by ebullient longstanding underground noise scene faves Youth big beat cheerleader popsters Pandapopalypse Avoiders, taking inspiration from Discharge, and off-kilter piano-pop singer/songwriter Good Conflict, Minor Threat et al. Nihilistic noiseniks Canary. Scrap Brain – recent support to Screaming REVEREND BLACK’S ACOUSTIC Females – anarcho-punk fighters Basic Dicks and CABARET: The Half Moon – Acoustic blues, Reading skatepunks DSA support. Sunday 28th country, folk and classic rock, with sets from Rich WILLIAM THE CONQUERER: Fat Lil’s, Rainford, Kef Mackowski and Richard Brotherton. Witney – Back in the Shire after their set at Truck GIRLI: The Bullingdon CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford store in February, Ruarri Joseph’s new band Community Centre Fair to say that Girli likes the colour pink. tour their album ‘Bleeding on the Soundtrack’, From her hair to her threads, she’s more often the trio’s earthy blues rocking inspired by Jim th than not a vision in pink, like a bubblegum Saturday 27 Morrison and JJ Cale. pop explosion in Smiggle. The singer/rapper born Milly Toomey from south London has SLEAFORD MODS: SATURDAY 27th emerged as a sassily feminist but cutesy and O2 Academy SLEAFORD MODS: O2 Academy – Notes from kitsch star in waiting on the back of singles Four years ago, when Sleaford Mods made the underside of life – see main preview like ‘Girl I Met on the Internet’ and ‘Hot their Oxford debut they were a scabrous UK FOO FIGHTERS: O2 Academy – Kinda Mess’, a potty-mouthed heir of and thorn in music’s side, a bent and battered does what it says on the packet. Kate Nash’s Londoncentric pop storytelling, sore thumb of a band, telling tales from those GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with laying her playfully militant lyrics over DIY neglected corners of Nottinghamshire life. MOBIUS + DEATHLY PALE PARTY + Taylor Swift-like electro pop, seemingly They were pissed off and uncompromising KNOBBLEHEAD: The Wheatsheaf – A existing at the intersection between the in the language they used to convey their quality mixed bag of sounds at the monthly GTI cocksure swagger of grime, off-key emo and disgust, gob-on-a-stick frontman Jason with former Nightshift Demo of the Monthers high performance camp. Serious, sensible Williamson mining the lost art of articulating Mobius offering sullen, drama-laden fans might baulk at an act that appears to the experience of life at the coalface (or noise outta the house of shadows. They’re joined be made up of luridly-coloured plastic, glitter call centre, or job centre, or pretty much by atmospheric electro brooders Deathly Pale and fun, but Girli’s set at Truck last summer any scabby, dead-end place you care to Party, inspired by Broadcast, Portishead and – and her last show at the Bully last year imagine and wish you could unimagine) David Lynch soundtracks, and psych-folk crew – showed her mastery of getting a crowd with a vengeance while partner in crime Knobblehead. going, backed by DJ Kitty, whipping a Andrew Fearn stood behind him prodding NICK HARPER: Modern Art Oxford – room into a gleeful pop frenzy while royally buttons to make lo-fi hip hop soundtracks The acoustic guitar virtuoso, highly eclectic ripping the piss out of those who’d doubt her while supping cans of strong lager. 2014 songwriter and political folk singer returns to pop chops (“She doesn’t even write her own breakthrough album ‘Divide & Exit’ featured town, touring his new album, ‘58 Fordwych songs” she quips on ‘Hot Mess’, a brilliant highly in every decent end of year poll, Road’, having first made his name as a member slice of self aware pop which pokes fun at a while Williamson was an interviewer’s of his dad Roy’s band, before collaborating with certain kind of music fan). New single ‘Deal dream in an age of say-nothing rock stars, Glenn Tilbrook and The Levellers, among others. With It’, true to form so far, is an up-and- with a tumultuous personal past to draw THE PEPPERMINTS: Harcourt Arms – at-‘em slab of cheerleader electro-pop that’s on. Fast forward five years and the duo’s Classic Motown hits from the Banbury soul equal parts sweetness, light and raw attitude. sound continues to evolve while their ensemble. She and her ever-growing army of fans are modus operandi has stayed pretty much the VOLUME D&B: The Bullingdon – Drum&bass here to have fun; go on, join in, you might same – lean, mean, witty, poetic and potty- club night. just enjoy yourself. mouthed, with a keen eye to often revolting QUAD: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Britpop covers. or bleakly funny details – and if a recent THE A-WATTS: The Ampleforth Arms, Risinghurst of childlike wonder, from the former Candyskins unprovoked spat with Idles about working star. class credentials, when the two acts should th BLUES JAM: Fat Lil’s, Witney (3pm) – Open be natural allies, threatens to derail their SUNDAY 28 blues jam session. righteous mission, new album ‘Eton Alive’ MAPS & ATLASES: O2 Academy – Chicago’s sees their popularity undiminished, with multifaceted math/prog/folk/jazz/grunge-infused th tonight’s show set for a sell out. Sleaford rockers return to Oxford for the first time in MONDAY 29 Mods: always different yet always the same, almost a decade, the band having regrouped TALISK: Nettlebed Folk Club – Lively Scottish and still here for the nasty things in life. after their 2012 hiatus and releasing new album folk dance from the former winners of the BBC ‘Lightlessness Is Nothing New’. Young Folk Awards and the Danny Kyle Award at GIRLI: The Bullingdon – Visions in pink with Celtic Connections, back at Nettlebed after sets at the London singer/rapper – see main preview Cropredy and Cambridge Folk Festival. OPEN MIC SESSION: Harcourt Arms OPEN MIC SESSION: The Castle FOLK SESSION: The Half Moon NICK COPE: The Cornerstone, Didcot (11am) TUESDAY 30th – Whimsical, funny and educational songs for SIMPLE: The Bullingdon – May Day Eve house children, and adults who’ve never lost their sense party with DJ Rum.

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2628 JULY 2019  HILL FARM, OXFORDSHIRE, OX13 6AB photo: GlassHertzz photography

THURSDAY HEADLINERS PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING IDLES KATE NASH SHAME LEWIS CAPALDI

presents PALM CITY MACKY GEE MY NU LENG OCEAN WISDOM NOTION W DREAD MC K MOTIONZ W MC SKIBADEE TURNO EMERALD SWITCH DJS

THE FUTUREHEADS HOT 8 BRASS BAND PALACE DODIE SUNSET SONS the way Pixies managed so adeptly. SOEUR / THE OTHER DRAMAS / PET SEMATARY Sharp, succinct harmonies between THE JAPANESE HOUSE MALLORY KNOX SEA GIRLS YONAKA TEN TONNES The Jericho Tavern Tina Maynard and Anya Pulver FONTAINES D.C. SPECTOR CLEAN CUT KID Pet Sematary was initially rather than in on herself. It’s as ‘The Future is a Holiday’ manages give the band an almost folky edge Gaby-Elise Monaghan’s deeply good as we’ve seen her, tonight’s set to keep its head above the onward at times, and a couple of times introspective solo project intended earning an extra star for a cover of rush but tonight’s highlight is the we’re reminded of brilliant, lost 90s SHE DREW THE GUN EASY LIFE CASSIA FATHERSON WHENYOUNG to work through dark times but Sneaker Pimps’ ‘Six Underground’, driving, groove-heavy ‘Something indie stars Sidi Bou Said. Nirvana’s SPORTS TEAM PSYCHEDELIC PORN CRUMPETS MILK TEETH PUPPY tonight sees her backed with its sultry trip-pop given a right royal You Didn’t Know’, with the band at wrecking ball is a full band, including Daisy’s rocking shake-up. their most rocked out, simplest and where the trio’s heart lies though, ONLY THE POETS ISLAND PIP BLOM Luke Allmond and long-time Rocking out royally being heaviest. set closer ‘Fight’ encapsulating Coldredlight/Le Feye drummer something The Other Dramas are Bristol’s Soeur are heavier still, what the band do so well – militant, INDOOR PETS* HEAVY LUNGS VISTAS SALTWATER SUN THE MURDER CAPITAL GURR ANTEROS Casper Miles. Any worries such a similarly adept at. On record the going the full axe hero, hair metal intricate, venomous and proper set-up would bulldoze the ghostly pair all are warm, honeyed pop histrionics for their opening number damn noisy. “I don’t want to fight FEET LUCIA LADY BIRD* SWIMMING GIRLS PRESS TO MECO SEAN MCGOWAN HOT MILK MARTHA mood of he songs are quickly charm; on stage they dispense with and giving it some proper welly for anymore” hollers Pulver at its peak, GAFFA TAPE SANDY APRE dispelled, the band going the full production niceties and bring the the duration. Songs come out sugar but here’s a band who could take on grunge while Gaby is at her most garage noise side of their sound to sweet but with serious grunge bite, all comers. MARSICANS ALFIE TEMPLEMAN HAZE DEVON THE MYSTERINES KAGOULE ZUZU ANNABEL ALLUM ferocious, turning the hurt outwards the fore. The sunshine melody of teetering on the edge of hysteria in Dale Kattack FUR DECO INHALER SPINN CASSELS CHEERBLEEDERZ SUNSHINE FRISBEE LASER BEAM LACUNA COMMON SELF HELP* FALSE ADVERTISING are particularly enthralling; you never know what he’ll come up with next. OXFORD MAQAM The expressive singing of Tariq Bashir and Yara Salahidden conveys the Grove Auditorium, Magdalen College emotional feel of the songs to non Arabic speakers, and when Tariq and RED RUM CLUB SAINT AGNES SUGARTHIEF THE VAN T'S BLACK DOLDRUMS PLANET THE ESTEVANS Oxford Maqam’s repertoire is unusual. For the first half of tonight’s concert Yara harmonise their voices blend beautifully. The range and richness AIRWAYS THE KICKLIPS LACUNA BLOOME LATENIGHT HONEYMOON RATS YOUNG GARBO they recreate classical Egyptian Ottoman instrumentals and songs from of oud maestro and singer Tariq’s baritone is well known to followers of THE OXFORD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA MR MOTIVATOR the 19th Century and earlier. Then, in the second half, they play songs from Brickwork Lizards but Yara’s singing is a revelation. Her bold, confident Egyptian films and theatre of the early 20th Century and, in a nice touch, performance is in striking contrast to when she started with the band; it is as * THURSDAY ARTISTS NEW ADDITIONS project black and white images of the onto the back wall. if she found a new voice. The band started exploring this musical heritage ten years ago and have After an intriguing first half when they seem a little serious the band have been making steady progress ever since. Their only album, in 2017, used fun with the songs from the movies, and their ensemble playing becomes wax cylinders as part of the recording process, and earned four stars from increasingly lively. The audience has fun too, and many join in with a song world music magazine Songlines; they’ve played in Egypt and Turkey and associated with the great late Egyptian diva Oum Kalthoum. the eight-strong acoustic ensemble are playing here prior to an Australian Oxford Maqam play both the classical and the songs from the movie tour. revivals with a verve and freshness that makes the concert a treat not only From the start their performance is highly atmospheric; the sound of the for fans of Arabic music but for anyone who loves the flow of rhythm and Arabic zither, the fiddle, the oud, and the Arabic flute are all prominent and melody and is willing to try something different. Long may they continue the music is anchored by three hand percussionists and the satisfying deep onward and upward. notes of a double bass. Mina Mikhail Salama’s virtuoso, sinuous flute solos Colin May LIVE photo: GlassHertzz photography

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THE DOLLYMOPS / PINUPS / DAISY him a Suggs-meets-Ian McCulloch-like cool and his mix of caustic spite and poetic drama lifts him The Jericho Tavern several levels above the legions of Gallagher/ Where once it was considered a dirty word that reminded of The Lemonheads at times. So say it Turner/Doherty wannabes that have dragged bands would try and disassociate themselves loud: we’re emo and we’re proud. indie into a blokey cul-de-sac over the past from even faster than ‘goth’, emo looks like it’s Reading’s Pinups formed in the 90s but couple of decades. back as a badge of honour. Leading Oxford’s disbanded to pursue sensible life goals before Songs like ‘Gap Year Tourist’ and ‘Plastic rescue mission are Daisy who refuse to hide reforming. Their frothy take on Teenage Fanclub- Proletariat’ are beautifully barbed skewerings behind tags like post-hardcore, happy to wear style indie suggests they’ve kept their original of middle class pretentions and faux rebellious their hearts on their sleeves while making a influences close to their hearts over the years. At posturing, Stevens’ words set to a backdrop of SUNDAY 7 th fuzzy, angular old racket. Angus Mackay’s rinky their lightest there’s something of 80s Antipodean full-blooded guitar noise that makes a virtue of dink guitar spangle provides a stable focal point indie jangle about them, while at their heaviest, its repetition, so they end up sounding like The for the band’s sound around, above and below as on new single ‘Cocaine Shoes’, they’re all Wedding Present battling Josef K to get Postcard which Luke Allmond provides alternately tender meaty riffs and Who-like rock heroism, their mod Records’ attention. Prolific – three full EPs in pop-punk balladry or wide-eyed, wide-mouthed tendencies all the more apparent for the singer barely a year – The Dollymops sound like a band spit and spirit, everything given extra welly with looking like a cross between a young Paul Weller still honing their art at times but exploring darker, the recruitment of Hannah Watts on bass. They’re and a young Phil Daniels. harder to access corners than so many of their melodically strongest on the slow numbers like The Dollymops owe a sizeable debt to 80s indie peers, and increasingly sounding like a force to ‘Waiting’ but their ability to crank it all up a too, but of the more awkward and serrated kind. be reckoned with. gear gives the set variety and energy and we’re Singer Sean Stevens’ shades’n’jacket attire gives Dale Kattack

The pace of the set flits between punchy jangle and synth-laden dream-pop THE ORIELLES glory, infusing what could have been a generic trip down indie-pop lane The Bullingdon with dizzy excursions into disco and funk. Songs like ‘Sunflower Seeds’ The Bullingdon doesn’t have windows but sunshine spills into the dingy, exhibit the beauty of the speed-up, slow-down trick, yet every song brings beer-stained main venue tonight in the form of Halifax three-piece The with it the personality that’s fast becoming synonymous with The Orielles. Orielles. They bring with them a taste of surf-pop and summer funk on the The highlights of tonight’s set include support act Lylo – a brilliant last night of their tour. opening act who ensure the crowd are excitably warmed up – tumbling The band’s DIY roots could easily be forgotten given the sharp drums, onto the stage to join in towards the end, bringing a saxophone, cow-bells enchanting guitar work and the mellifluous vocals, which add up to a tightly and a whistle in their midst, infusing an already vibrant show with a burst delivered performance boasting catchy hooks, tangible energy and rich of dynamic energy. But The Orielles’ real magnum opus is, of course, substance. Their spatial energy is palpable, and as we look around the room, ‘Sugar Tastes Like Salt’, which spans almost nine minutes of sprawling and we’re surprised to see the turnout for such a young band has commandeered glorious experimentation. a generally older crowd; yet that doesn’t stop the room from buzzing with And with such a show, in front of such an audience, The Orielles prove to RIVERSIDE STAGE | BERK’S NEST COMEDY STAGE | BEAUTIFUL CAMPING | GORGEOUS GLAMPING something like electricity. It’s a testament to their composite of genres, be the lovechild of psychedelic disco, post-punk and emphatic funk, packed KIDS ZONE | MAYFLOWER TEEN TENT | TERRIFIC TRADERS | GOURMET CATERERS experimentation and mastery of instrumentation that such a diverse range of into a universally palatable pop format. TEA FOR GREAT TEW | FAIRGROUND VILLAGE music fans have gathered to witness them. Amy Barker ENGLAND’S MOST CIVILISED GATHERING CORNBURYMUSICFESTIVAL.COM Nilsson sample looming up from a cloud of intergalactic fuzz, then JUNIPER NIGHTS / EASTER ISLAND LIVE chopped up and looped. Random STATUES / QUARTERMELON radio snippets and a BBC nature program give way to a techno The Jericho Tavern bass drum groove and some flying Each of Oxford’s small indie promoters has flavoured blues-rock. At their best they photo: Leo Bowder symbols. Not so much walls, but their own niche or quirk that makes them can be a powerful unit and their poppier heavy curtains of sound waft unique and for Daisy Rodgers Music it’s the moments have a sunny side of slacker vibe around the venue, the very capable opportunity for anyone buying an advance to match their Hawaiian shirts, but the sense house PA being squeezed for every ticket to vote for a cover version to be of unpredictability they used to carry seems last decibel. played by one of the acts. have been lost along the way. Patterson operates three CD Tonight’s winners are Easter Island Juniper Nights’ influences are worn players simultaneously (I’ve seen Statues with a rugged take on Pixies’ ‘Here proudly on their sleeves but, a little like him do four) while young co-pilot Comes Your Man’ that’s respectable if not Easter Island Statues, they escape their Michael runs a laptop and MIDI revelatory. It’s a few minutes of familiarity gravity when they’re at their best, so while controller. They start with ‘Blue and fun at the end of yet another bravura the shadow of Radiohead looms large Room’ (the longest UK single ever performance from a band who continue to and they very occasionally flap about released at 40 mins and named transcend the constraints of indie rock with in standard post-grunge bluster, they’re after NASA’s UFO evidence a boldness and rich melodic edge that gives capable of melodic elegance, wigged-out chamber): all sirens, train sounds us the likes of ‘Laika’ and set closer ‘Run psych-rock and something dark, almost and washes of ambient keys before to the Shadows’ as well as their new single, gothic. Unusually for most rock bands Jah Wobble’s rolling bassline the lovably roustabout and ramshackle they’re best when they slow things down, loops in. They do ‘Towers of Dub’, indie shanty ‘Skeleton Quay’. Everything strip away some of the superfluous noise sampling a Revolutionaries 1977 is simple and singalong, which isn’t always and let the singer’s voice be heard, and his single, barking dogs, a harmonica easy when you’re singing about obscure is a voice worth hearing. At these times and a Woody Allen film. ‘Perpetual historical events on the Venezualan border, they’re atmospheric, well structured and Dawn’is mixed with some African or President Roosevelt’s domestic manners, the sparseness of sound actually makes guitar. They finish, naturally, with but Easter Island Statues make it all sound them sound heavier, with echoes of Mark THE ORB ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’, so mangled effortless. Lanegan. That said, the all-out noise finale and disorientating, it could be at A shame perhaps that Quartermelon’s is fun and then they cheekily play their The Bullingdon least three different tracks played chosen cover, TLC’s ‘Waterfalls’, didn’t chosen cover, despite not having won the The Good Ship Orb has been discover the DR stands for Duncan regarding his approach to acoustics. in four different dimensions, but win the vote as it might have made their vote, giving us a suitably brazen but moody circling this planet for three Robert; I still prefer to think he No warm-up, but two hours of all held together by the kind of set a bit more fun. We think they’ve had a take on Echo & the Bunnymen’s ‘Killing decades now but tonight docks, is a professor in audio-nautic uninterrupted musical bliss is just sonic alchemy that is all too rare. line-up change since we last caught them Moon’. That they execute it with enough briefly, at The Bully. The sound of Ox3 Audio engineering) is the only original what the Duncan Robert ordered. Visuals with footage from the at The Cellar but that quirky wanderlust style for us not to want to execute them says my – and doubtless other readers member of various line-ups, Made up of dense collages of moon landing, rotating dancers and their songs used to have seems to have a lot about Juniper Night’s appeal. Audio & Sound Engineer Hire of a certain age’s – misspent youth, including Killing Joke’s Youth, sound, each track is more of random colourful imagery make the been replaced by a more solid southern- Dale Kattack they are still going strong. Last a school buddy from Kingham, a process than a song in any experience even more intense. Events, Festivals, Bands, Weddings year’s album ‘No Sounds Are Out Oxfordshire. Previously Alex traditionally recognisable sense. Here’s to the next anniversary of call or email Spike for a quote of Bounds’ neatly encapsulates played drums with a punk band and There is a beginning, and a lot The Orb: catch them on their next their creative ethos. Dr Alex was also a reggae DJ, he tells me of middle. Then something else rotation. JERAMESA / GRAVID / DAYDREAMER? 07752 887737 Patterson (I was disappointed to before the gig, which explains a lot happens. There could be a Harry Leo Bowder The Jericho Tavern [email protected] An unusually warm February night signals Koyannisqatsi is a distraction from the the start of spring, re-birth and extended sun; band’s almost orchestral setup. A sleepy I CRIED WOLF THE JAPANESE HOUSE what better way to welcome the new than by and atmospheric melodica cuts through the O2 Academy O2 Academy burying yourself in psychedelia. room, turning the page onto an ambitious Emerging local trio Daydreamer? set the and mathematical beat pattern: 5/7…7/8, Blustering winds and icy rains drive their stage show more charged and The entire upstairs of the O2 The autotune used to create the scene with a projection of the sky and an no, 5/4! You realise there’s no need us towards the Academy tonight for energetic; you can feel the energy Academy enters a trance the androgynous and experimental anxiety-inducing come-up. The steady for overthinking it here and quickly let this month’s BBC Uprising show. emanating from all five members, moment The Japanese House, solo vocals on the album translates drumming and bass licks juxtapose the yourself go in whatever direction it takes Fortunately, I Cried Wolf are exactly particularly guitarist Alex Gibbons, project of London-based singer/ well to the live set, creating an spectrum-spanning heaviness of the guitar you. They burst into an intense krautrock/ the band to heat up the room with a who can be found several times songwriter Amber Bain, emerges on incorporeal presence that commands and the trio’s chemistry is apparent as their drone session leaving you questioning barrage of noise that we’ve come to in the middle of the crowd, and stage. Listeners have waited with awe from the audience. Ethereal but intensity builds; before you can ask “what whether it’s acceptable to mosh at a free- expect from them. with this level of energy, it’s easy baited breath for her recent debut sharp is complemented the fuck was in my drink?” it hits you again, love psych event in the heart of Jericho. Dressed in their signature all-white to see why I Cried Wolf are often album to be released, after being fed by delicate percussion and serene looping and rolling organically. Some After some technical hitches are tight t-shirts and jeans, they drag compared to metalcore heroes morsels of EPs and singles over the instrumentation throughout, keeping transitions are a reminder that the band is resolved, the vocals bellow as if it were a our heads away from wondering Architects. last few years. Bain had kept her the audience suspended from reality still in its infancy but regardless they evoke loudspeaker in Jonestown, reminding you whether they did their white- Occasionally it becomes difficult identity obscured for a while, with for just over an hour. similarities to The Flaming Lips and Sleep of SOCIETY while the sitar chirps in and wash together and instead blast it to fathom one song from another, fans musing that she might even The Japanese House’s debut album, and serve as a reminder that it’s amazing out of the soundscape. The unpredictability with some extremely well-honed such is the similarity of many be the side-project of ’s ‘’, encapsulates what you can do with three instruments and of the direction keeps you hanging at atmospheric metalcore. numbers and the intensity of their Matt Healy. Eventually, though, the every emotion experienced during a a carpet of pedals. every odd beat. At times soft and dreamy, Charging out with new single performance throughout the gig unassuming Amber Bain emerged relationship, from being set up with a Now we’ve come up, we’re looking for otherwise a precise chaos, matching the ‘BRKN’, I Cried Wolf remind us of makes it a struggle to keep the as the creator behind The Japanese friend-of-a-friend, to the despondency good vibes only and welcome the funky, projections like The Dark Side of The Rage Against the Machine; singer excitement alive mid-set, and House, much like she emerges experienced after a turbulent end. feel-good sounds of Gravid. The playful Rainbow. It comes down with a call to the Harry Davies growls out lyrics like yet I Cried Wolf hit us right back shrouded in a cloud of smoke on These emotions are at the core of offshoot of The Elephant Trip is a patchouli- beginning, creating a cyclical yet satisfying “But if you’re like me / We thrive with ‘It Takes A Slave’, from their this Tuesday evening, modest but the set, with songs such as ‘Lilo’ heavy palate cleanser where the mic being end. as we suffer / We’re alive tonight / 2015 EP ‘Hollow Heart’ to finish powerful. enchanting the audience with its plugged in actually matters. Those seasoned Though an encore is encouraged by the We’re alive tonight / We’re better the set and it’s again possible to As the set begins with established earnest narrative of falling in love in the psychedelic scene know that seeing crowd, it just wouldn’t have been right. off broken”, telling of troubled witness the sheer delight they take classic ‘Face Like Thunder’, a almost instantly.The real gem of the anyone other than a long-haired, lanky Refreshed, yet suitably alienated, you get times in the band’s recent history, in performing with one of their futuristic, woozy mood is cultivated evening is the heavenly ‘Saw You In lad on stage is a rare occurrence and it’s the message loud and clear: the whole set’s but their quest to make music you oldest songs. Relaxed, smiling and by the sonic layering of harmonies a Dream’ performed acoustically; if refreshing to see a woman in the spotlight. focus on the music as well as the band’s can just have a good mosh to. It confident in themselves, these are, in and synth textures, presenting an you don’t believe in love at first sight, Jeramesa use a conglomeration of field aversion to the crowd creates an experience can’t be doubted they stuck by their the end, five guys who just love to unlikely harmony between the with The Japanese House, you might recordings and eerie sounds to prolong the rather than a performance, a welcome break word to Nightshift, having recently make some big sounds. pensiveness of the tone, and the perhaps believe in love at first listen. tension in their music. Above them, slow from fashionable egocentrism. said they’ve worked on making Emily Freeman dreamlike delivery of the songs. Amy Barker footage from the 80s experimental film Ziggy Duangjinda KRISTIN HERSH MEANS OF PRODUCTION / KANADIA / CANDY SAYS / Holywell Music Room CYNTHIA’S PERISCOPE / LINA THE AUGUST LIST “It’s so quiet,” says Kristin Hersh of the most beautiful songs ever by way of a greeting to the hushed written, feels like it’s being stamped SIMON O2 Academy throng packing out Europe’s oldest on slightly and by the time we’ve It’s one thing to see a band playing live, soar, equalled by the band’s hushed, almost purpose-built concert venue. reached ‘Crooked’, we’re wishing The Wheatsheaf it’s quite another watching the music alien take on ‘Running Up That Hill’ from It isn’t for long, as Hersh and her terrible misfortune on the drummer. Gappy Tooth Industries has subtitled and thrashing through the set like a course through their veins and leave you the soundtrack to Close. A shame they band clatter purposefully through All is not lost, though; ‘Loud this evening as Shut Up Drumkit and particularly animated incarnation of believing the players are merely conduits don’t play their other song from that movie, their set, seemingly trying to make Mouth’ benefits from being scheduled an evening of electronic Bez, he gives the evening a sense of for a greater force. So it is at times seeing ‘Beautiful Feeling’, already contender up for centuries of classical recitals, hollowed out, almost gothic, and joys. Presumably Shut Up Drumkit the wild-eyed, dance-like-nobody’s- The August List. Whether it’s Martin Child for best Oxford song of the year, but an choral concerts and occasional folk a stripped-back ‘Husk’ reveals II will be all about Throat Singing. looking, storm-out-of the-venue-mid- hunched intensely over his guitar, seemingly energised ‘Crave Easy’ wipes away any gigs over the years. And this, it Hersh’s voice in all its glory. Even Fingers crossed. song, spirit of rave. oblivious to anything else around him, lingering memory of that false start and ends turns out, is the defining issue of some of the harder tracks make the Lina Simon is a name familiar to Performing in front of and behind a electric violinist Ben Heaney a doubled-up the set in triumphant fashion. tonight’s show. cut: ‘Halfway Home’ is thunderous those of a certain vintage in Oxford series of projections is something of dervish as he drags hellish birdsong from his Triumph being what tonight is all about for Kristin Hersh is possessed of and militant, a reminder that Hersh music circles. In a previous life a first, and suggests that Means Of instrument, or Kerraleigh Child stood eyes Kanadia, launching their debut album in one of the most gorgeous singing was always the twisted knife to she was part of the pre-Foals bands Production have embraced at least closed conducting an elaborate hand dance front of a sold-out Academy crowd. They voices in : slightly Tanya Donnelly’s sunshine in Elizabeth and The Edmund Fitzgerald one of the clichés of electronica. while exorcising demons and bad memories play the album in full, from the slowly cracked and husky, but all the better Throwing Muses, and a couple of but now she’s sailing alone and However, their commitment to the or summoning storms. The former on expanding ‘Into the Flames’ and ending to deliver the emotional bruises that old band’s songs, ‘Limbo’ and exploring stripped back electro. authentic sounds of the form means ‘Wooden Trunk Blues’, casting her past into with singer James Bettis sat alone on stage she’s weathered along a life and ‘Sunray Venus’, are a reminder of Armed only with a laptop, a Slint that they’re anything but clichéd. This the river; the latter on set closer ‘Distorted for the sparse, solemn ballad ‘Anything career often beset by mental health what a gem they were and what an t-shirt and a long, dark coat, Lina’s is no homage; this is not worshipping Mountain’, a meeting point between The For a Good Time’. In between everything problems and addiction. But for enduringly great songwriter Hersh presence onstage is almost painfully at the altar of Kraftwerk et al. It is, Velvet Underground’s ‘Heroin’ and a pagan is pretty much unstoppably epic, from the much of this show she’s barely is. awkward, something magnified however, utterly spellbinding. incantation. Like the storms and wildfire ambitiously expansive guitar sound to the audible above the battering drums Closing number ‘Broke’, a cover considerably by the vulnerability at ‘Static Test Anomaly’ sounds like of that song, at their best The August List elaborate light towers that adorn the stage. and meaty basslines that make up of a Fifty Foot Wave song, is the the heart of her songs. A fascinating the kind of future that was being are less just a band, more an elemental Album highlight ‘Meet the End’ is also the a full band show. Perhaps in the kind of big, psychedelic wig-out mix of disjointed disco, envisioned in the 1960s when it was force, and to watch them on stage is both live zenith, showing Kanadia’s songcraft in Bullingdon this would work, but you need to bring a gig to a climax, chill, atonal vocals and occasional predicted that robots would serve humbling and exhilarating. its clearest light while also demonstrating the Holywell would have suited one and it’s another example of how the waves of serrated guitar noise, her our every whim, food would come Few in Oxford – or some way beyond – can just how important Melissa Marshall’s of her mesmerising solo, acoustic louder pieces can work, even in this set possesses a power that comes in pill form and our global leader match Kerraleigh in the singing stakes, but powerful keyboard sound is to the band, shows instead, or at least a half and environment, but we’re left slightly directly from its naivety and honesty. would be a nose on life-support. The one who can is Candy Says’ Julia Walker. giving the band so much extra muscle when half set. bemused, even disappointed, that It’s tempting to say that a little more Three Rs is the key to their approach: Things don’t start well: the trio (Julia and they kick back into the chorus. The scree and fizz of opener ‘LAX’ across the full hour we don’t get to confidence in her performance would Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. It’s husband Ben now joined by drummer Silke The whole show feels like a last-night-of- sets the scene, while ‘No Shade in hear too much of Kristin Hersh’s go a long way, but maybe it would something that defines ‘Recognizer’ Blansjaar) taking to the stage in matching the-tour celebration and proves that, after Shadow’ sounds muddy up to the voice, and it is a voice that deserves take away some of that awkward (the 4th R) with its hypnotic pulse and beanie hats that make them look like Smurfs years of building to this point, Kanadia point it becomes a mantra and rises to be heard. charm. refrain of “Switch On / Switch Off” and opening with what feels more like are big enough, bold enough and talented above the clutter. ‘Your Ghost’, one Dale Kattack The whirring mechanical becoming impossible to resist. ‘The a chaotic set closer. It’s a bit of a mess, enough, to take on any stage in any venue in outpourings of Paul Morrice, aka Depths’ pulls a similar trick, forcing but soon they find their feet, a gorgeous any corner of the world. Cynthia’s Periscope, come from the an impulse to dance robotically “in ‘London’ allowing Julia’s voice to really Sue Foreman opposite end of the spectrum to Lina the middle of the landslide” into our Simon. Intropection is not something poor fleshy human brains. O2 Academy on his radar. Mashing up a range of Drums? Where we’re going, we There are several different genres classic rock is fine, but never varies influences as diverse as David Byrne, don’t need drums. TIECE / ELOUIZA / THEO / ANNA of bad gig. There are gigs where the from the same chord sequence. The Human League and The Knife Sam Shepherd musicians are simply incompetent; Prescient, too, is the Coral’s opener McCRAE there are gigs where something’s ‘Sweet Release’, a less-than- happening, but it’s in poor taste, interesting track from last album NO VIOLET / SELF HELP / CIPHERS Womanity, Makespace and then there are the worst bad ‘Move Through the Dawn’. On Tonight’s gig is the topper on the great day political storytelling. HARCOURT ARMS gigs of all: the gigs that are simply record, the song’s driving rhythm The Wheatsheaf of talks and workshops that has been Young Elouiza’s ‘Gold’ is the track of hers you bone-dry, soil-of-the-earth, honest- and syncopated jangles at least give Ciphers open tonight’s Divine Schism dozen punk-attitude sounds of the Women’s Music Project’s annual Womanity might have heard before, given its local Sat April 6th to-goodness boring. it a kind of forward movement; but show with a series of lo-fi warbles last 30 years, from Seattle grunge to festival, and as such features a bill including radio play, and its Dua Lipa-lite is nice The Coral’s performance at the O2 on stage it falls victim to Skelly’s that erupt into a brutal rhythm-led current darlings Idles and the jagged, some current and past members of the and everything, but her other songs tonight Academy captures the essence of rare talent for sucking the life out onslaught that would make even your cheeky indie of the mid-Noughties. project. are more striking: jazzier, more dramatic, Ukulele what a boring gig is all about: the of a performance, and the endless granny head-bang, while the guitar Surprisingly this all gels together into While Anna McCrae’s excellent new EP uncool-er certainly, with more than a bit of reduction of songs that at least had repetitions of “I’m in love, I’m in noise just grows and squeals with one glorious half-hour of guitar rock. ‘Everytime I Let You In’ is all dreamy synths lounge about them. The theatricality of the Night some energy on record to flat, rock- love, I’m in love” end up sounding intensity. For the rest of the set Mila Bristol’s No Violet launch into their and moody beats – “if that’s your jam then performance, and Elouiza’s vocal presence, Sat April 13th by-numbers covers of themselves; more like a ritualistic plea to feel Todd joins on vocals giving it her all set with frenetic, angular punches of I’m here for you,” she says disarmingly – is pretty overwhelming; there are outrageous the complete absence of any stage something – anything – rather than somewhere between Gwen Stefani noise bursting through slow hypnotic tonight the songs are very effectively stripped pauses and rubatos and cadenzas, the banter or even any tension created a genuine statement. “Play the and Skunk Anansie’s Skin. The band grooves, creating something you down to their guitar-and-vocals core. The barbed lyrics provoking big cheers from the by a lack of stage banter; that hits!” yells a guy behind us two shift from twinkling post-rock guitar might try and label as math-grunge dreaminess remains though, especially in the audience, and it’s great fun, if you can hack Unplugged sense of horrifying foreboding as songs in. This crowd is getting to heavy, driving riffs and punchy if you really wanted, but for the knowing melodrama of ‘Wasted On You’, the camp. Alf Laila + Five Fathoms Deep we realise that frontman James restless. basslines a little haphazardly. While first time in a while I am genuinely and throughout the set McCrae’s melismatic Tiece’s set tonight is primarily a showcase Skelly is never, ever going to Of course, it’s unfair to say that all the parts are good individually, left feeling I’ve heard something but unshowy vocals carry all the humour for last year’s terrific EP ‘WMN’, its Sat April 27th take his sunglasses off. There are there are no enjoyable moments: Ciphers’ set can feel disjointed, as unique. Ellie Godwin’s vocals are a and the anger of her melancholy songs concise, catchy, often experimental flashes amongst the plastered-over new track ‘She’s a Runaway’ is if too many songs are happening at think to behold, evoking Patti Smith beautifully. songs archly acted out, hand gestures nothingness of the same spark good fun, and we’re treated to a once. The seeds of something great and Screaming Females’ Marissa Theo, another YWMP alumna, plays accompanying every lyric. Her entirely self- The that animated the band back in decent instrumental jam with a bit are all there, but they haven’t quite . They regularly make thoughtful, weightless, gorgeous -soul, produced beats are rich and intoxicating, the Noughties but they’re few of Black Sabbath thrown in. But grown together yet. unexpected shifts in tempo, mood, her songs inventive and atmospheric and and her matter-of-fact, languorous vocals and far between, and by the time those are like lunchbreaks at an Self Help introduce themselves volume all over the place. The catchy. The wordless chorus of ‘Yeti’ is a knit the whole thing together with dark Peppermints a surprisingly jaunty ‘Dreaming office job; even ‘In the Morning’, with a quick count in and are off in quiet sections are just as powerful hook for the ages, and the way ‘Like You humour and buried pathos. Open Mic Every of You’ closes the set, even the the Coral’s jaunty smash-hit from a blur of power-chords and joy. The as the loud, but where one has you Do’’s florid electric piano arpeggios give All of tonight’s acts create daring, inspired, superfans look depressed. It’s just 2005, sounds like a chore when it’s start of their set feels like being a nodding along, reflecting on the way to an altogether moodier texture is vital music that perhaps wouldn’t get made Sunday fucking boring. played by such a lacklustre group child dizzy on lemonade who’s then lyrics, the other throws you against exhilarating. Her looper-aided closing cover without the kind of safe spaces provided by live music at the heart of jericho There are omens of what’s to come of individuals. All in all, it’s a been thrown in a mosh pit. With the back wall, gasping for breath in of Nina Simone’s ‘Four Women’ is jaw- organisations like YWMP. After all, when Cranham Terrace Jericho Oxford ox2 6dg with support act Cut Glass Kings, thoroughly disappointing affair. rotating vocalists the quartet manage astonishment. dropping, both as a technical achievement was the last time you saw an all-female bill? whose backing-tracked, riff-driven Tom Kingsley to sit at an intersection of half a Matt Chapman Jones and as a beautiful, stark example of brilliant Mike Smith 01865 556669 TIM TURAN’S SESSION NOTES Part Three INTRODUCING.... CD BUSINESS - Putting it all together Nightshift’s monthly guide to the best local music bubbling under So far we have peeped at file preparation, mused over metadata and now we CD timings are expressed are going to put it all together to make a CD. One of the first questions I have as Mins, Seconds and for bands coming in to master their magnum opus is “Do you have a running Frames. There are 75 Means of Production order?” Mastering an album/EP is the last stage of production before mass frames per second on a Who are they? duplication. So please have a track list sorted. I’ve had people ask me “well what CD so your total time Electro duo Means of Production are Tim Day (synths and vocals) and do you think?” and my usual reply is “I think you should have thought about will always read in this Jeremy Day (glitchers and visuals). Tim previously played in Space Heroes this earlier.” I have enough on my plate making the music sound great, getting format. Eg 68:23:72. of the People, but when that came to an end, “I kind of carried on writing. It a decent flow to the album in terms of relative volumes and EQ and of course There are 8 channels of soon became fairly clear that the stuff I was doing had a very different sound: the dreaded ‘gap’ between the songs. Most artists have a computer that they can subcode on a CD labelled Space Heroes was optimistic and I wanted to do something that seemed more mess around with running orders etc. Do this before mastering. P through W. CD’s use of an adequate response to the times. Also, I had started spending my money P & Q for pause and on hardware synths rather than doing everything from the laptop and the And the lowlight: 1.There are two main indices on a regular CD-DA. Index 1 denotes the track control and R through W whole workflow kind of leads to different sounding music.” Partner Jeremy, “Finding out that The Cellar wasn’t going to be saved after all.” index from which play will start. There is one index 1 per track. There is also for CD Text data. I used meanwhile, had started taking photographs: images, of warehouses, buildings, Their favourite other Oxfordshire act is: index 0. Index 0 is defined as the “pre-gap”. On older CDs the pre-gap would to print off the PQ sheet junctions, roads, traffic queues and car-parks. “As I heard the new tracks, the “Right now it’s The Overload. We supported them shortly before Christmas show the seconds counting down to the start of the track (index 1). There is for inclusion with the physical CD Production Master Disc. These days the PQ bleak, open, rhythmic nature of the music seemed to intersect with those cold, and they played a fantastic show.” ALWAYS a two second pre-gap at the start of the disc. So if you want to put sheet is included in the DDP (Disc Description Protocol) folder. DDP is now grubby modern images.” The band have released a series of singles to date, If they could only keep one album in the world, it would be: the total time on your artwork, wait until the CD is authored or your timing will the standard for sending material off to the duplicators. including ‘The Depths’, which was in Nightshift’s Top 10 tracks of 2018, and “‘After Dark 2’, a compilation from the Italians Do It Better label. Every be out by two seconds! Index 0 was generally used for the gap between songs ‘Recogniser’, released last month. track on it is immaculate; it’s been a big influence on the sound of the band.” on a live album so you could skip the banter, so to speak. 4. Gaps between the tracks are also very important to the flow of the record. What do they sound like? When is their next local gig and what can newcomers expect? There is no standard gap. Play it by ear and feel. Sometimes (not often these Austere, minimalist and futuristic, in a strangely retro kind of way. Drawing “2nd May at the O2 Academy. This will be the first time we’ve played there. 2. The “secret” track on a CD is now almost a thing of the past. I used to put days) there will be a crossfade. The trouble with crossfades is that for iTunes, on post-punk, early synth music and acid house, the duo create sleek, bunker Expect minimal synth, moments of beauty, stark visuals and dancing.” secret tracks on nearly every CD a few years ago. This is obviously a band download and streaming they are not accepted for single tracks. The start of grey lines of electro-pop and dystopian lyricism, usually with a backdrop of Their favourite and least favourite things about Oxford music are: request and not something i do as a bit of fun. The trouble with secret tracks one track will be contaminated with the end of the previous track and the end of brutalist architecture, motorways and technological nightmares. At their best “We love the enthusiasm and diversity of the artists and the small venue is that THEY ARE NOT A SECRET. You can clearly see that the CD is still the previous track will be contaminated with the start of the ensuing track. they sound like a future factory with all humanity removed. scene. There always seems to be something new and exciting on. You get to playing and the ‘remain time’ on the counter is still turning. The big drawback What inspires them? see lots of upcoming bands from all over. But that scene seems to be being is that iTunes and streaming platforms take no notice of them. Also they are 5. Finally, the total time allowable on a CD is 79:59:00. There are a few CD’s “Science; architecture; space exploration; artificial intelligence; the hope squeezed at the moment: The Cellar obviously but also the Wheatsheaf and a pain in the body part, particularly if there is a 20 minute gap between the out there that transcend these limits but you’ll need to sign a waiver for the for a better future; the fear of a worse one; the sound of tyres on tarmac; others. There ought to be more of a commitment from local decision makers “album” and the piece of nonsense that usually constitutes the (not so) secret duplication plant in case CD players refuse to play the disc. Also, there is a municipal lighting; construction sites; safety videos.” to support local culture, because it matters!” track. It is also possible to put the secret track into the index 0 at the start of the maximum of 99 tracks per disc. All CD-DA’s are 16 bit/44.1Khz. They DO Career highlight so far: You might love them if you love: album. This means you have to rewind back from the start to play it. Not fun. NOT contain files but a continuous stream of data. “We were headlining at The Cellar on the night of the crowdfunder deadline Factory Floor; Chromatics; Cabaret Voltaire; Wrangler; Depeche Mode; and as we went onstage it became increasingly clear that they were going A Guy Called Gerald; Throbbing Gristle. 3. The PQ sheet is a comprehensive list of the CD contents. Track names, index Next month I will simplify the unbelievably complex issues regarding to make it. When we came off it was a real party atmosphere as they started Hear them here: points, ISRC’s, and all text info is included along with track and total times. mastering for VINYL, not VINYLS. setting up for the club. We were all so happy!” mnsfprdctn.bandcamp.com THIS MONTH IN OXFORD Dr SHOTOVER: Velvet Punderground T H E W H E A T S H E A F Ah, there you are, Newbie Darling. Welcome to the East Indies Club bar. ALL OUR YESTERDAYS MUSIC HISTORY th Thursday 4 April – 7:45pm Or should I say, ‘Hey posh boy, what you doing uptown? Hey posh boy, you 20 YEARS AGO the pair, dubbed “the first couple of Oxford 5 YEARS AGO chasing our women around?’ Whateverrr. Pull up a Warhol silver-sprayed sofa How things change. How things stay the same. music,” having formed their own Garrett-Brown Nightshift, as anyone with a brain can tell you, is th and buy us all a Pernod. I know it’s dark in here, but try not to remove your Music label together, releasing EPs by each of Friday 5 April – 7:45pm Back in April 1999 Truck Festival announced always ahead of the pack when it comes to spotting shades. See that sign over there? ‘No-one served unless wearing shades’? it would be returning for its second outing in the them. Kate’s `King of the Birds’ was her finest bright young talent, and so it was that back in April Yes, that one. Oh, of course, you can’t read it. You’re wearing shades. Anyway, recording since The Mystics’ debut single, and summer and local bands were invited to send 2014 we featured the latest in a long line of future nice of you to make it along to the inaugural meeting of The VU. Yes, The VU. demos into organiser Robin Bennett. By post. her last ever release, the influential singer and global stars on the cover in the form of Glass th 7:45pm Let me explain. Soooo, we figure that with all these, uh, gosh-darned Muscle guiding light of the local Young Women’s Music Saturday 6 April His home address was even printed in Nightshift. Animals. Back then the quartet had just returned Mary VEGANS everywhere, it’s becoming less and less possible to, uh, dine Tickets for the return Truck trip were on sale too, Project succumbing to cancer at a tragically from South By Southwest (“we played eight shows out if one is a mere old-fashioned vegetarian… or, gee, [whispers] a carnivore. priced at a whopping £8 (or £5 for under-18s), young age. Cellist Barney continues to create in six days, two of which were an hour apart, so it That’s why Morrison, Tucker and I decided to form our own sub-committee, available from Chalky’s Records in Oxford, and enigmatically inventive music under his Duotone was quite mental,” said frontman Dave Bayley of th 7:45pm which, as you may have gathered, we are calling ‘The VU’. Some claim it moniker and is the go-to cellist for a host of Thursday 11 April – Modern Music in Abingdon. All of which probably their week in the industry spotlight, before adding, stands for ‘Vegan Upsetters’. Others say it means ‘Veggie Underground’. sounds entirely alien to modern day Truck-goers. artists. “we’re a bit overwhelmed right now.”) Things were Whicheverrr… your function, Newbie, (aside from getting the drinks in) is to th Something else different but the same was Local music news this month was dominated starting to pick up at a frightening rate for the band Friday 12 April 7:35pm sort out the music for the first VU fundraiser – to be held on Sunday morning political protest music. 20 years ago we had King by local festival line-up announcements, with in the wake of debut album ‘Zaba’. But before their in the Exploding Plastic Inevitable Suite (situated in the club’s basement). Prawn back in town, the rap/ska/punk warriors at Sugababes and Scouting For Girls set for Spotify plays started to be counted in the tens of th Black will, obviously, be worn. Strobes will flicker. All kinds of non-vegan food Saturday 13 April 7:35pm the forefront of an underground punk movement, Cornbury, and Dodgy and Karine Polwart millions and they were headlining festivals as far will be served. Here is a list of song titles to work around [injects methedrine raging against racism and inequality at The Point. confirmed forWOOD , while The Original away as America and Australia, they were still able into a Linda McCartney burger, clears throat]. Now that’s what I CALL fast Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, Desert Storm, th Good job we don’t need bands like that anymore to remember their first ever review – a Demo of Wednesday 17 April – 7:45pm food! Where were we? Oh yes… I’m Waiting for the Mac… Who Loves the in this perfect world. Winchell Riots, Black Hats and We Aeronauts the Month in Nightshift. “We were really hoping Bun?... I’ll Be Your Elsewhere in Oxford this month in history were among the local hopefuls set for May’s Oxford for Demo Dumper,” they admitted, “that is still our th Mayo… Vegan Friday 19 April – 7:45pm gigs by Add N To (X), Pitchshifter, Jah Wobble Punt. The inaugural Indie Guitar Company first port of call in Nightshift; people care about that in Furs… Ham and Ultrasound at The Zodiac, while Pram Festival was announced, to take place at Acott much more than Demo of the Month, don’t they?” Fatale...The Black Under Wychwood, with British Sea Power, th and Dawn of the Replicants were at The Point; Glass Animals were playing a rare hometown Saturday 20 April – 7:45pm Angel Delight Banco de Gaia was at Brookes Union; 808 Mungo Jerry and Pigeon Detectives set to show this month, supporting Metronomy at the O2 Song… Oh! Sweet State were at Po Na Na and, just to keep one foot headline. The festival never happened though, the Academy. Also playing there were Sophie Ellis rd Trolley… Danish Tuesday 23 April – 7:35pm firmly in rock’s past,Dumpy’s Rusty Nuts were company going into liquidation soon after. They Bextor; Deaf Havana; Gorgon City and Matt Blue Eyes… All weren’t the first and they certainly wouldn’t be Cardle, while elsewhere in town were Polar Bear Tomorrow’s gracing the stage at The Dolly. Unbelievably, th the last to do so. (St. John the Evangelist); The Irrespressibles Friday 26 April 7:35pm a quick check on Wikipedia shows they’re still Pasties… etc etc. David Byrne was at The New Theatre this (The Cellar); Howling Bells (Jericho Tavern), Cheers! Now I’d going. Credit where it’s due, that’s some serious longevity. month and PJ Harvey and John Parish were and Pulled Apart by Horses (The Bullingdon in th better eat this Saturday 27 April – 7:45pm together up at Brookes Union, while a double its brief, unmissed Art Bar phase) and… Run, Run, dose of Jamaican reggae legends in a week found Elsewhere we featured a new country singer in our Run. 10 YEARS AGO both and The Wailers playing the Introducing piece, Ags Connolly. “Country of the Next month: Kate Garrett and Barney Morse-Brown O2 Academy, as were Cancer Bats and Hundred old school, none of yer polished Nashville rubbish,” Wheatsheaf 129 High Street, Oxford OX1 4DF / www.facebook.com/wheatsheaf.oxford Dessert Shore Nico: ‘Is this a WEGAN bar, Endy?’ gazed from the cover of April 2009’s Nightshift, Reasons, featuring a young Frank Turner. we said. He’s still avoiding that polish.

time, especially with Kev Riddle’s gravelly Influences include , Bach, Cream, vocals and spidery guitar leading the line. Stravinsky, Nirvanna (sic) and Stockhausen. Here’s a band made to perform in dark, But, like Farage’s heroic heralding of sunlit dingy, low-ceilinged basement bars (shame uplands, this turns out to be so much fudge TRACks Oxford’s finest one just got shut down, and nonsense, and like his people’s march, Sponsored by Track of the Month wins a free remix eh), even when they’re playing it clean, as a very muddy plod to nowhere. Vocally from Soundworks studio in Oxford, on ‘Honeybourne’, sounding like music there’s a hint of Syd Barret about it, but that’s courtesy of Umair Chaudhry. Visit dragged backwards through a hedge and as psychedelic as things get; musically it’s www.umairchaudhry.co.uk/nightshift contemplating the void and all the bad stuff a mushy muddle of noisy bits of stuff that within. This set of new songs maybe isn’t neither fit together or seem to know where, get to percussion. Instead the murmured/ quite up there with their last Demo of the if anywhere, they’re going. The sound levels TOP almost whispered vocals wander, hesitate Month winning effort, but it’s another sliver, are as consistent as a drunkenly wielded and procrastinate along a meandering path, or shiver, of ruggedly glum gothic country megaphone and lyrically and musically it sounding a bit like Jarvis Cocker trying blues of the sort incorrigible nihilists like us all makes about as much sense as giving a TRACKS to decide if he wants to be Chris Rea or revel in, particularly extended gothic workout ferry contract to a bankrupt company with no 80s oddball Momus. Second track, ‘Psalm ‘Pipistrelle’, which growls like a hungry wolf ferries. Like the Brexit process itself this is 22’, is an instrumental built from lysergic and spangles like the stars on a moonless horribly strained, feels like it goes on forever MILTON J REWOLF night. In fact if the real world weren’t such and at the end there’s nothing approaching We probably shouldn’t be encouraging piano, plucked strings and what sounds a depressing shit heap, we’d make this Top a resolution, nor, for that matter, any bloody such silliness but in a world where striking suspiciously like a sample of a creaky office Track, but even we feel the need for some tunes. The Complete Set? Complete Shit, schoolkids are having to show grown-ups chair. It’s all simultaneously soothing and lighthearted silliness right now. more like. what’s important, where politicians are slightly irritating. What next, we wonder: a sending the country to hell for the sake of Beethoven sonata underpinned by someone their own greed and egos and where maniac repeatedly clearing their throat, or maybe a PRINCESS TOILET white supremacists can murder scores of tender acoustic ballad backed by a sample people peacefully living their lives, we need of a mosquito whining inside a lampshade. Just give us the pretty tunes and leave the GRAPEFRUIT some silliness. So here’s Milton J Rewolf Oh come on, this is getting daft now. Princess TRACKS “found sounds” where you found them. It’s to lead the merry dance. It’s a decade near Grapefruit might be a new name in Nightshift for the best. enough since we last heard from the Banbury but the man behind it, George O’Connor, APRIL balladeer and almost twice as long since he isn’t. Under various guises, notably Sugar was last atop this pile (with his excellent BACK POCKET Darling, he’s kept us supplied with a steady EIGHTEENTH song ‘Insecurity Guard’) and the first bit of stream of homemade oddness and outright Songwriting is a difficult art to master, so good news is he doesn’t seem to have got PROPHET cheese for a fair while, sometimes missing perhaps it’s understandable that some people TURAN AUDIO.co.uk any more adept at playing his instruments Blimey, it’s wall-to-wall blasts from the past the target but often taking an engaging left can’t be bothered. Why try writing something Professional, independent in the meantime. This is pure bedroom- this month. Last time we reviewed a set of turn into something weird and daft. After approaching a recognisable melody when audio mastering based indulgence and whimsy from start to Back Pocket Prophet’s songs was in 2008 recent journeys into hairy rock, this is a trip you can hack out a few lumps of noise and shout a bit and pretend it’s . Initially finish. Start being ‘Chauffeur Dog’, a song and not only have they steadfastly refused to into the odder side of George’s psych, a set Mastered in the studio last month; Apple approved about, well, a dog who can drive, which move with the fickle passing of fashion, we of maniacal electronic beat-driven pieces, at least it’s almost possible to imagine what DENNY ILETT, LIMPET SPACE RACE, RYAN mastering ADAMS, PAULINE MURRAY, DEATH OF is a right cheery heap of nonsense. Finish still find it hard to type or pronounce their mostly instrumental, or dotted with snatches April Eighteenth had in mind when they got together, first track here, ‘Keaton’, a distant, THE MAIDEN, SEN 3, CATGOD, GRATEFUL DEAD, THE is ‘Pink Cat’, a ukulele thrum featuring name without getting all tongue twisted. of repeated vocal samples (“Who is that!”; BRICKWORK LIZARDS, THE OTHER DRAMAS, ROBBIE samples of a cat chirruping and is sung by On the musical stasis front, that’s no bad It’s the truth!”), which occasionally remind failed first draft of something approaching a SLOAN & PAOLO RUIU, VELVET UNDERGROUND, CHARMS a small child. In between we get ‘Myrtle’, a thing given the band’s remit is classic thrash us of a stripped-back Avalanches, and at bad Rancid tribute, all on-off ska rhythms, AGAINST THE EVIL EYE, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, THE sort of lo-fi, ramshackle skiffle number that metal, whose blueprint has been in no need other times, some long lost Playstation game basic rock riffage and shouting, but anything FLUFFY JACKETS, SEAN POWER, JANE’S ADDICTION, CARLOS SANTANA & JON McLAUGHLIN. might think it’s psychedelic-period Beatles of alteration for the past 35 years. So we get soundtrack of Czech kids cartoon. Onward that might be mistaken for cohesion or focus or some throwaway Syd Barrett piece, but seven songs of thundering bass, pummelling gradually gets shovelled out the window, they all rush, stuttering and tripping over 01865 716466 [email protected] is more like a wide-eyed pub-rock take on drums, shredded guitars and rasping, ogreish themselves, electronic squiggles and belches either through apathy, drunken confusion Nick Cope’s kiddie songs, this one being vocals which all add up to something and the ping of a microwave punctuating or the guitarist deciding that kicking down about a girl who finds a headless toy in a bin that exists in a pleasingly filthy swamp in the skittering beats. Nothing really shows statues and manning barricades isn’t for him and finally has a friend (until said toy gets between Judas Priest and Metallica, just any sign of developing into anything and he’d rather join an 80s stadium rock band COURTYARD washed down a drain). Anyone not singing along the road from Faith No More who more advanced than the frenzied doodles where his random, elongated solos might be along by the end should be forced to go and occasionally pop round for tea and beer. of an untidy, unquiet mind or something better appreciated. As far as rabble rousing RECORDING STUDIO 2 Tracking Rooms. Superb Control Room with: live with Chris Grayling, forever. “He sees It’s all a bit hacked out and straight down mechanical that’s going very wrong but as a revolution rock goes, ‘Milford’ is as defiant as the line, but if you’re wanting odd time a badly tuned transistor radio left in the path NEVE 5106 32 Channel Console. ProTools HD3 things in a different way” sings Milton during metaphor for a world pulling itself apart from MTR 90 2” 24 Track Tape Machine. Vintage EMT Plate Reverb ‘Sykesville’. Yes he does, and the world is a signatures and genre-bending exploration, the inside, it’s pretty effective. of a force 5 hurricane and ends up sounding Loads of Brilliant Outboard Gear tiny bit better for it. thrash metal probably isn’t the place you like it’s in as many different splintered pieces Loads of Great Mics, Vintage and Modern should be looking. Here be riffs. Here be as that hapless appliance. At least it does Old School Akai/Roland Synth Modules beats. Here be the occasionally tolling bell THE COMPLETE sound mildly vexed (in the same sort of way Upright Piano, Fender Rhodes, Amps and great vibes. (now there’s a found sound we can get as a lost tourist with an upside down map of Residential recording studio in Sutton Courtenay. www.courtyardrecordingstudio.co.uk on board with) and here be the sound of a a different city to the one they’re in might BEN OSBORN SET In-house producer: Ian Davenport www.ian-davenport.co.uk Ben Osborn similarly doesn’t seem to possibly large and hairy man pulling his Ah, at last... an actual new name to us, be vexed); ‘Until Further Notice’ just gives own tonsils out with a pair of pliers. It’s Email: [email protected] have a sensible or straightforward way of confirmation hopefully that people haven’t up the fight, the guitarist winning out and Phone: Kate on 01235 845800 approaching songwriting. Ben used to be in metal. It does what it says on the tin. A tin abandoned making music in favour of, heading off on a spangled solo that might ace local popstrels Where I’m Calling From made of metal. dunno, prepping for the apocalypse or be a hitherto unexplored fusion of many moons ago but now lives in Berlin joining Nigel Farage’s glorious gammonball and easy reggae. Unexplored for a reason. and has attracted the attention of Nonostar run march (its few dozen slightly miffed After a couple of minutes it simply fades out Records who have also released stuff by MONKFISH pensioners set to torch parliament if and and dies quietly in the corner while everyone Oxford keyboard wiz Seb Reynolds. “When More veterans! This month’s Tracks section when they find the capital). The Complete concerned buggers off to the pub, accepting I am an architect, I will build a complex is starting to look like an Oxford music scene Set sound interesting on paper, promising: that, yes, songwriting should be left to those bridge: a double helix, a whirlwind, a version of MOJO (except that none of the “no musical boundaries. Our aim is to create with an inkling of what it entails. Give it a acts we’re writing about, so far as we know, Rehearsal and Recording studios murmuration of static starlings...” writes music with strong melodies and interesting few days and that’s likely be what the ragged Ben of his song ‘A Bridge of Starlings’, a are dead). Death of course being something a harmonic structures, with , stragglers on Farage’s march will similarly Four state of the art rehearsal rooms hushed, glacial tromp and shuffle through band like Monkfish would probably heartily psychadelic (sic), indie and musical hall slant. decide. Best place for them. and a professional recording studio. something vaguely approaching a tune, approve of, what with them being a bit gothy backed by a distracting clutter of vinyl and growly and living a darker shade of the Send tracks for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU, or email links to For bookings call Jamie on 07917685935 crackle and what sounds like a toddler idly blues. The first time we ever heard Monkfish [email protected], clearly marked Demos. IMPORTANT: no review without a Glasshouse studios, Cumnor, Oxford • glasshousestudios.org knocking a small wooden mallet against we compared them to Thin White Rope and contact phone number. If you can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. Same goes a kitchen worktop. That’s as close as we that’s a comparison that still stands the test of for your stupid, over-sensitive mates. facebook.com/o2academyoxford twitter.com/o2academyoxford instagram.com/o2academyoxford youtube.com/o2academytv

Sat 23rd Mar • 11pm Wed 10th Apr • 6.30pm Wed 15th May • 6.30pm Fri 4th Oct • 6.30pm Straight Outta KING NO-ONE SOAK CoCo and the + Pillow Queens Cowley vs Brooklyn Sat 13th Apr • 6.30pm Butterfields Zoo Hip Hop Special Nilufer Yanya Sat 18th May • 6.30pm Fri 11th Oct • 11pm Samantha Fish Sun 24th Mar • 6.30pm Sat 13th Apr • 9pm The Greatest Bars and Melody Cirque Du Soul: Tue 21st May Showman Oxford // Crazy P End Of An Era - Vol 1 Tue 26th Mar Singalong Club Tour Soundsystem Wed 22nd May • 6.30pm Gerry Cinnamon Sat 12th Oct • 6.30pm Mon 15th Apr Sons of the East Antarctic Monkeys Tue 26th Mar Circa Waves Skarlett Riot Thur 23rd May Fri 18th Oct • 6.30pm Thur 25th Apr + Fahran + Sister Shotgun End Of An Era - Vol 2 Amber Run + Broken Empire Under The Apple Sat 25th May • 6.30pm Sat 2nd Nov • 6.30pm Thur 28th Mar Tree – Live on tour Inner Peace Records The Dualers with Wildwood Kin Fun Lovin’ Criminals Sat 25th May • 11pm Sat 9th Nov • 6.30pm + Loud Mountains Fri 29th Mar • 6.30pm + Ferris & Sylvester I LOVE REGGAETON Snarky Puppy

Wille & The Bandits Sat 27th Apr • 6.30pm Sat 25th May • 11pm Mon 11th Nov + Rainbreakers Sleaford Mods #6MILLI Summer Elder Island + The Autumn Saints Sat 27th Apr • 6.30pm Send Off Thur 14th Nov Fri 29th Mar • 11pm UK Foo Fighters Fri 31st May • 11pm The Smyths... The Oxford Soul Train Sun 28th Apr Bass Odyssey A celebration Sat 30th Mar • 9.30pm Maps & Atlases Sat 8th Jun of the debut L.P Varsity + Ciphers + Sam Martin Trio Honeyblood Fri 22nd Nov • 6.30pm Mon 1st Apr + Ideal Marriage Thur 20th Jun Half Man Thur 2nd May The Slow Half Biscuit Aliens Band Of Horses Readers Club + Lion Tue 26th Nov + Bridges Fri 3rd May • 11pm Tue 25th Jun Fontaines D.C. Tue 2nd Apr Robbo Ranx Bank The Dead South Wed 27th Nov • 6.30pm Yak Holiday Special Fri 28th Jun • 11pm Electric Six + Mush + Mother Sat 4th May • 6.30pm Mad Cobra Thur 28th Nov Fri 5th Apr • 6.30pm The Wedding Present DMA’s - Bizarro Tour Sat 29th Jun Happy Mondays - The AC/DC Greatest Hits Tour Fri 5th Apr • 6.30pm Sat 11th May • 6.30pm Experience Sat 30th Nov • 6.30pm Goldie Lookin Chain Blaenavon Thur 25th Jul + Shortwave Sat 11th May • 11pm Definitely Mightbe Sat 6th Apr • 6.30pm • SOLD OUT The Oxford Soul Train Elvana: Elvis (Oasis tribute) Fri 6th Dec • 6.30pm The Dualers Tue 14th May Fronted Nirvana + ZAIA J Mascis Fri 20th Sep • 6.30pm Pearl Jam UK Sat 6th Apr + Rosali Boyzlife Thur 12th Dec Switch Presents Tue 14th May Thur 3rd Oct The SUPERSONIC 70s Holy Goof Lucy Spraggan Pierce Brothers XMAS SHOW

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