[email protected] nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month NIGHTSHIFT Issue 207 October Oxford’s Music Magazine 2012 Alphabet

Backwards photo: Jenny Hardcore Go pop!

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DAMO SUZUKI is set to headline The album is available to download this year’s Audioscope festival. The for a bargain £5 at legendary former Can singer will www.musicforagoodhome.com. play a set with The ODC Drumline at the Jericho Tavern on Saturday NIGHTSHIFT PHOTOGRAPHER 10th November. Damo first headlined Johnny Moto officially launches his Audioscope back in 2003 and has new photo exhibition at the Jericho SUPERGRASS will receive a special Performing Rights Society Heritage made occasional return visits to Tavern with a gig at the same venue Award this month. The band, who formed in 1993, will receive the award Oxford since, including a spectacular this month. at The Jericho Tavern, the legendary venue where they signed their record set at Truck Festival in 2009 backed Johnny has been taking photos of deal back in 1994 before going on to release six studio albums and a string by an all-star cast of Oxfordshire local gigs for over 25 years now, of hit singles, helping to put the Oxford music scene on the world map in the musicians. capturing many of the best local and process. Joining Suzuki at Audioscope, which touring acts to pass through the city Gaz Coombes, Mick Quinn and Danny Goffey will receive the award at the raises money for homeless charity in that time and a remains a familiar Tavern on October 3rd. Previous recipients of a PRS Heritage Award include Shelter, will be Baltimore’s alt. figure down the front of local gigs. Blur, Squeeze, Elton John, Dire Straits, Status Quo and Faithless. folkies Arboretum; Manchester/ A selection of his best shots are now Talking about the Jericho Tavern, Mick said, “Everyone aspired to play the Newcastle krautrock duo Warm framed and hung around the Tavern’s venue back in the day and I remember seeing my brother’s band This Way Up Digits; new Mute Records signings upstairs venue. play there as early as 1983. We received our first positive reviews as Theodore Land Observatory; technical rock The gig takes place on Saturday Supergrass at the Jericho in 1994, when the promoter Maccy burst into the th experimenters Alright The Captain; 6 October and features The dressing room after our gig telling us, `You’ve got it!’ Soon after, the feeding metronomic rockers Baltic Fleet; Goggenheim, The Lamppost frenzy of record company A&R men started.” Elysian Quartet cellist and singer Gullivers – the new band formed by PRS chair Guy Fletcher added, “It’s a rare talent that epitomises the feeling Laura Moody and the brilliantly former-Suitable Case For Treatment and energy of an entire decade. Supergrass were so much a part of our named and fantastically noisy and Mephisto Grande frontman soundtrack to the 90s and the guys worked incredibly hard. Their output was crazies Dethscalator. Local acts Liam Ings-Reeves – Vienna Ditto impressive and it is a genuine privilege to be presenting the group with this Gunning For Tamar, Message To and Francis Pugh & The Whisky well deserved award. Oxford is an important hub for British music and live Bears and Listing Ships complete Singers. music venues like the Jericho Tavern need to be celebrated. It’s going to be a an impressive bill of leftfield really special day.” music. Tickets for the all-day event, GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES Meanwhile, as he continues life after Supergrass, Gaz plays his biggest solo priced £12, are on sale now from are looking for more bands to play hometown show this month, when he headlines the O2 Academy on Saturday Wegottickets. their monthly club nights. GTI, 27th October. Tickets, priced £12.50, are on sale now. Audioscope also have a new which has been running for ten years compilation album out. `Music now, is renowned for its eclectic mix For A Good Home 2’ features 40 and match bills, providing an outlet AS EVER, don’t forget to tune into and demos as well as featuring exclusive tracks from the likes of for unsigned out of town bands as BBC Oxford Introducing every interviews and sessions with local Ride, Wire, Four Tet, Beak>, Karma well as local bands of any and all Sunday night between 9-10pm on acts. To Burn, Warm Digits and SJ Esau, style. Acts can email rcatherall@ 95.2fm. The dedicated local music The show is available as a podcast at as well as a strong local contingent. gappytooth.com. show plays the best Oxford releases bbc.co.uk/oxford.

HUGO MANUEL has been talking think when I first finished it I was tuning and the bigger structural and together in the US last year and then to Nightshift about hisnew Chad quite scared about the direction I sequencing decisions seem like a Twin Shadow from a short UK tour Valley album, which is released next had taken the Chad Valley project... distant memory. Which is nice.” and playing at loads of the same month. it’s a dangerous move to make a pop The numerous guest appearances festivals. Then El Perro Del Mar `Young Hunger’ is released on album, because a lot of people don’t across the new album came about by and Glasser were people who I am 19th November on Loose Lips, the like pop music, full stop, which I a combination of chance meetings, massive fans of, so it was just a lot of follow-up to last year’s acclaimed don’t get. But anyway, now it’s a few old friendships and a bit of begging, begging and hassling going on there, `Equatorial Ultravox’ mini- months in the past all the hardship I explained Hugo. “I became friends and it worked! Of course Jack and album. The new album features had whilst making it, the little fine- with Active Child through touring Orlando from TEED I know from contributions from Totally Enormous Oxford.” Extinct Dinosaurs and Fixers’ Jack Hugo also admitted he enjoyed the Goldstein, among others. pressure of balancing his work with “I finished up my debut album a Chad Valley and his other band, couple of months ago,” explained Jonquil. “It keeps me busy, but I’m Hugo, “I was working at Evolution much happier when I am busy! We Studios in Botley, mixing it with take it in turns to an extent. Jonquil are Jonathan Shakhovskoy and then, playing some more shows in October since it’s been finished I’ve been around the country and some more working on my live show, building a European shows too, but then I will be kind of light show for it, and working concentrating on Chad stuff. Easy.” on all the artwork and videos and Chad Valley plays at The Cellar on things like that. Content, y’know. Sunday 25th November as part of his “I feel incredibly proud of the UK tour. Visit www.facebook.com/ album. The more time that passes chadvalleymusic for more news, since making it the more I like it. I music and tour dates. a quiet word with Alphabet Backwards pitch up to see you.” Last summer Alphabet Backwards played eleven different festivals around the UK and, Nightshift having witnessed them at three of them, they do seem to be the natural environment for the band, a little bit photo: Jonny Moto of sunshine seeming to coat every song, fresh air and summer vibes perfect side orders to their effusively melodic brew.

This summer has been equally busy on the live front, including a short tour of Spain, but the central focus for Alphabet Backwards has been the recording of their debut album, `Little Victories’ (see, even the title exudes a sweetly understated sense of positivity), for Highline Records, the follow-up to a series of EP releases, and finally released this month. It’s almost four years now since we first had the band, then a newly emerging talent on the local scene, on the front cover of Nightshift. We wonder what they (James: vocals and guitar; bassist Josh Ward; singer Steph Ward; drummer Paul Townsend, and keyboard player Bob Thomas) have been up to since we “We just want to write the most cynical hacks; their big- gig-going collective consciousness. last interviewed them. songs we enjoy playing and it’s hearted songs are perfect for getting At Cornbury, meanwhile, a wholly “A new sibling, a new drummer, one awesome that potentially we can stuck in your internal jukebox for different crowd instantly took to the university degree, two car crashes, bridge that divide. Josh and I joke days, enormous singalong choruses band, struck by songs that sound three EPs, a new x-reg Citroën. New that we are essentially a metal band demanding to be sung right back at instantly familiar to the point one label, new album, new nickname. underneath. We are a bit heavier the band by enthralled crowds, while punter close to us to was moved to Same outfit, same white socks.” than your average Radio 2 act but often hiding lyrics infused with deep express her astonishment that the You’ve kept your hand in with EP not quite eccentric, hip or indie cynicism or a cute sense of whimsy five-piece weren’t already major releases over the past few years; enough to be, say, Los Campesinos.” that most chart-friendly pop would league chart stars. has there been a wish through that find too quirky to embrace. though to get a full album out? James Hitchman is Recent Nightshift reviews of James puts Alphabet “The EPs were very deliberate. talking to Nightshift about his band’s Alphabet Backwards’ gigs have Backwards’ mass appeal at such In November 2010 we felt fresh. new-found crossover appeal between pointed to a meeting point of events down to the band’s simple We had a new drummer, no label – Radio 2 and 6Music, both stations Buggles and S Club 7, suggesting enjoyment of being up on stage, a though `The Superhero’ was released having played Alphabet Backward the likes of Lily Allen could easily bunch of mates intent on having fun by Kittiwake – and a fresh start. I songs lately ahead of the release of slip one of their songs into their set, and wanting everyone else in the think all bands evolve over time; their full album debut. while reasoning that in Alphabet vicinity to join in. you become better musicians and “We just do what we do and make Backwards’ world every day must “Festivals are great! It’s a weekend your influences change, so we set the most of every moment, continues feel like the first day of summer. away on a mini adventure with some ourselves the task of releasing four James, “I would always hope if we From their earliest demos, all of your best friends. We did a couple EPs over the course of the next year. do bridge that divide we can stay shimmering synthesizers and of really small ones last year and a In the end we only made it to three on the 6Music side as our land of chirpy odes to Primark, the band’s private one down in Devon. These and I think we scraped it by a day opportunity, but have free reign in sound has moved into sometimes can sometimes be the most fun and with the `British Explorer EP’. The Radio 2 land. Radio 2 is not seen as more acoustic guitar and piano- have a slightly different feel to them end goal was an album though, and the hip one; 6Music has that edge. based territory, but still awash to say Truck or any of your more when Highline Records came along Your Mark Radcliffes and Marc with pretty melodies and a chirpy established festivals. It does seem to it all seemed to work out very well Rileys to your Steve Wrights, or soulfulness that at its best, as on work though, and be where we as a timing wise.” Chris Evans.” the jaunty, piano-led `Ladybird’, band do well. A really positive thing Did the songs come together over a would sit merrily alongside Belle & I have noticed is that people always period of time or was it a concerted Lately the wider world Sebastian’s more extrovert moments. tend to start standing up half way writing and recording process has been learning what Oxford’s gig Two local festival appearances last through, and by `Elton John’ a few specifically for the album? goers have known for a long time, summer displayed just how inclusive people are having a bit of a dance. “We knew what songs we wanted that Alphabet Backwards are a band Alphabet Backwards are when it “We really enjoy playing live and to take into the studio early in the who appeal to all sorts of different comes to winning over crowds. At move around, and look like we want year. Some we had already written audiences on different levels. Truck they were received as true to be there. The audience does make but were able to hone over time, The ebullient nature of their live sets local heroes, long-time favourites on a difference though, it’s so easy to others were new. Writing these has always been a joy, provoking the Oxford gig circuit whose songs feed off the energy of people who was fun: we set up at Little P’s a grins and dancing feet in even had buried themselves in the local know your music and deliberately lot with an endless supply of tea, and Science played through his weight about them now? mini Marshall stack. We worked “Potentially yes, I like to think on basic ideas that I had, lyric and the whimsical observation is there, chord wise, before going to a proper just perhaps more introspective practice room. Recording them was than before. All the words carry a a pleasure. A man called Brian made personal weight though, I feel you THE CELLAR this record with us. You know you kinda have to believe what you are EST 1999 have the right man for the job when saying. We must all have conviction your producer has a gold disc on in what we do no matter how big his wall from his work with Primal or small otherwise there is no Scream next to a silver disc for point in doing it. I enjoy wordplay his work with The Firm. Amazing. and rhythms and as I get a little We had about twelve days in the older I learn more and can use this studio, I think, so time was tight. experience to write. They are usually But doing this enabled us to have just stories of what has happened time before heading back for a few or what I have been thinking about augmentations and the mix which that day; it’s potentially a vessel for was a pleasure.” me to just get it out, you know. The How do you all feel about it now lyrics are reasonably important but I it’s finished? Anything you would think a decent melody can hide some change given the chance? of the most awful tripe.” HOME OF OXFORD’S “`Screenplays’ is a definite CUTTING EDGE MUSIC SCENE highlight; it’s one of my favourite Going back to Alphabet tracks. It’s got a killer bass line in Backwards’ live incarnation, last Oxford’s Best Independent Live Music Venue the chorus. The bass can sometimes time we interviewed James, he said be a melody of its own in our tunes. the exuberant mood of the band’s With no electric guitars there is gigs came from “the fun of feeling The Cellar, Frewin Court that space and I think that track is like you were up on stage having a (Off Cornmarket St), a prime example of where we get it party with your mates” – does that Oxford, OX1 3HZ right. I wouldn’t change a thing, not feeling still exist after four years t 01865 244 761 because I would not want to, just of gigging together? Don’t even because you can’t. It is what it is.” they ever go on stage feeling like they want to trash the place and tell While `Little Victories’ everyone where to go? sounds unmistakably like Alphabet “The positive feeling is still WWW.CELLAROXFORD.CO.UK Backwards, there are subtle there. If we find a good place and WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/THECELLAR.OXFORD differences from their earliest good people we generally go back 


 

 


  




 





 songs, the giddy synth-pop of songs because we like each other. Tommy like `80s Pop Video’ and `Polar Farmyard in Nottingham; Tim, an Bears. `Ladybird’, for instance, old Oxford boy at the Windmill in has a real soul feel about it; is Brixton with the mildly racist dog this something you’re particularly on the roof. They all provide us with influenced by? great moments to savour. In addition “Not knowingly; it’s structured in a to this, Highline have given us the very simple pop way, I suppose, in opportunity to play in pastures new, a slightly timeless way. I remember like Madame Jo Jo’s in London. Brian commenting on how it was Definitely one of my favourite one of our most generic songs venues.” structure wise, with a standard That last interview also preceded an middle-eight and what not.” event that got Alphabet Backwards Overall the album sounds more as much wider attention at the time organic than your older songs; would as any of their songs could have you agree? done – bassist Josh’s appearance in “I would definitely agree. It was T-Mobile’s advertising campaign, built very organically through an which found the bassist’s face analogue desk using real pianos and plastered over bus shelters the instruments in a bit of a ramshackle, country over. Does James think that quite unique studio in Walthamstow. had any effect, positive or negative I liked being there because of the on the band’s fortunes? song by Bromheads Jacket. So the “If it did in either way, I was never end result is a very honest album and aware of it. The only time I think I hopefully real enough, while trying ever saw the two linked was on our to embrace good pop sensibilities, as trip to Dunoon in Scotland where it I am sure all `good’ music does, no was under our name on the poster: matter the genre.” `feat Joshward 84’. In a way a Saying that, `Elton John’ is a `feat’ is pretty sweet. Having seen reminder of a more `old-school’ Kanye West’s latest potential album Alphabet Backwards song, all big, tracklisting leak, he has them littered jolly squelchy synths. all over. Common, R Kelly, you “True, you can’t replace the reason name them he got them. As did we.” that synth was made.” How does James feel his lyric `Little Victories’ is released writing has evolved since he first on the 1st October on Highline started the band? Is that sense of Records. Visit www.facebook.com/ whimsical observation still there, or alphabackwards to hear tracks from do his lyrics carry a more personal the album. Sponsored by RELEASED RICHARD WALTERS SEABUCKTHORN `Regret Less’ `The Silence Woke Me’ (Beard Museum) (Bookmaker) With Record Labels in their own age of austerity, Seabuckthorn is one of those artists best enjoyed the resulting increase in album releases like this, over the course of an album rather than in small funded by fan pledges and the sale of personal doses and on this latest release his impressionistic treasured possessions, puts an added burden on acoustic guitar work once again manages to reviewers, like having to comment on an infant with conjure up dreamy landscapes, campfires and the mother stood next to you rather than just not woodlands, all with his signature sense of menace clicking ‘like’ to a Facebook photo of it. and foreboding. `The Silence Woke Me’ is Andy Happily we’re talking Richard S. Walters here, Cartwright’s second album for French label owner of one of the most distinctive and haunting Bookmaker Records but is at least his fifth release voices on the planet, and while at one point he (not taking into account various self-released EPs croons that it’s “Brian Wilson’s baby”, the DNA and small-runs of mini CDs) and at this point in results still suggest it’s more like the grown up love time Cartwright is a masterful composer. child of Clifford T. Ward and David Gates. `Pedal Steel’, where he sings “the car is waiting Building upon last year’s excellent `In Nightfall’, After the sparse arrangements and psychological here”, and as ever, you are never sure if someone is `The Silence Woke Me’ weaves a lot more rhythm dramas of debut album ‘The Animal’, ‘Regret being taken from him or if he is imploring someone into the mix, drums adding heft to Cartwright’s Less’ sets off almost jauntily, with producer Rob to drive off into the sunset with him. 12-string flourishes, and even going so far as Stevenson’s warm bubble bath electronica behind That said, it’s optimism that colours more areas to introduce a pretty funky groove to final duo ‘King Of Leaves’, an ideal William Orbit waveform than not; `Tomorrow Begins Today’ has the ‘Gathered and Unkempt’ and ‘Good Honest for that voice to surf in on. The Cafe del Mar feel positive force of a Sigur Ros piano line guiding it, Thievery.’ While Cartwright’s music has always is further explored in ‘Blossom’, a hopeful, giddy while `Walk Softly, Stranger’ finds Richard urging flirted between atmospheric minimalism and frantic, shimmy that makes you think of finding new love the listener, in a Brett Anderson yowl, to take risks multi-instrumental frenzy, the layered, rhythmic and arranging your first far off beach holiday and “Go put yourself into the night”. approach applied here strikes a perfect balance together. But lest you get too cosy, it’s wise to `Regret Less’ is more soul-searching than between scarcity and bombast which gives the remember that Richard is the supreme master at heartrending, not so much a rush of blood to the album a more dynamic feel as a whole. And while soundtracking the deep emotions of leaving, and wrists as, well, less regretful, and while I am guilty it’s not a term that really applies to the kind of of being left, and dotted throughout the album are of not pledging this time, you can put me down now music Seabuckthorn makes, `The Silence Woke several classic examples of his skill, most notably for the next one. Me’ has more hooks than anything he has done in the tear jerking `Tethered’, and the Lennon-esque Paul Carrera in years. Many of the songs elegantly shimmy in from silence and build mantra-like before reaching a central pattern of notes around which the guitar Alphabet meanders – ‘As Fire Moves’, ‘The Cool Of The Coming Dark’ and the closing track all find Backwards repetitions which give the songs a heated, hypnotic feel. The cymbal washes and relentless stomp `Little Victories’ of ‘It Swept Across the Open’ creep up on you (Highline) before you realise you’re in the centre of a storm of It seems overwhelmingly correct to refer to Cutesy and just-on-the-right-side-of-cloying arpeggiating guitars and reverb-drenched notes that Alphabet Backwards as pop music, although one their lyrics may often be – the joint male/ sound like whale song. man’s pop can be another man’s poison, as it’s a female vocal delivery gently sounding like Where fellow Oxford instrumental prodigy term that is often used perjoratively to represent teen lovers splitting up before making up, and Jerome ‘Message to Bears’ Alexander’s pastoral music that’s free of soul and meaning. On `Little speaking of a microscopic attention to the detail chamber folk evokes a sense of child-like nostalgia, Victories’, as with their several preceding EPs of relationships – they’d be nothing without a Cartwright is like Jerome’s feral brother, raised and singles, Alphabet Backwards display endless, musical base that can bear repeat listens. It’s after in the forest by wolves. His music, while equally unbounded joy and glee, unfurling melodies and several plays of `Little Victories’ that Alphabet evocative, feels exotic and otherwordly; it invites bouncy rhythms with abandon. Never, though, do Backwards really make sense, although yes, you in with it’s warm, campfire tones but leads they forego the importance of having a point, and ‘Panda Eyes’ is almost too twee an image; yes, you on a journey through treacherous, bizarre their songs, whilst superficially fun, reveal lyrical ‘Elton John’ sports an unbearably ridiculous landscapes, under the cover of darkness with only and emotional depths, and a degree of quality synth sound; yes, the twelve tracks here push fire and moonlight illuminating you on your way. control that rarely dips. no boundaries in terms of either sonic variety or Tom McKibbin groundbreaking composition. That quickly ceases to matter, as it becomes clear that this is a band with an extraordinarily good way with a tune, and the skill to build a song around it. What initially seemed like limitations of the album - a lack of texture and variety, a non-stop ‘up’ feel - begins to redefine the experience as a glimpse into a specific world. Alphabet Backwards are undeniably pop. Guitar- based, bit-o’-synth, nice-smattering-of-electric- piano, chirpy-tunes pop, building on intelligent 1980s guitar pop shone through a knowing, almost hipsterish lens. For this, and for the self- belief which shines through `Little Victories’, it’s impossible to fault them for creating an album which is brash and proud, and unashamedly pop. Simon Minter

GIG GUIDE MONDAY 1st quiet defiance with lovelorn rock storms has AIDEN GRIMSHAW: O2 Academy – The seen her compared to Florence & The Machine, former X-Factor finalist (he came th9 in 2010) OCTOBER Marianne Faithful and Stevie Nicks. hits the road under his own steam in support of DUOTONE: The Pegasus Theatre – Cello and his debut album, `Misty Eye’, adding elements of Gilmore and Jamie Roberts, touring their new, percussion duo Barney Morse-Brown and James dubstep and drum&bass to his fragile-voiced pop, third, album `The Innocent Left’. Garrett play a hometown show at the end of a leaning towards the Coldplay, Damien Rice and JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Free live jazz national tour to promote new single `Alphabet’, Paulo Nutini scheme of things. every Tuesday at the Bully. Tonight’s band are the latest to be drawn from their acclaimed CASSIE TAYLOR & SOUL CAVALRY: The Heavy Dexters. `Ropes’ album. Jericho Tavern – Sultry, soulful blues and pop BEATS AT THE BAR: The Cellar – New hip KLUB KAKOFANNEY with THE MARK from the Colorado songstress and daughter of hop club night with local DJs, MCs and live BOSLEY BAND + DEAD GIRL PARK + renowned bluesman Otis Taylor at tonight’s bands. BEAVER FUEL: The Wheatsheaf – Dark-hued Famous Monday Blues. OPEN MIC: James Street Tavern gothic pop and arch humour from Mr Bosley and GET YOUR ROCKS OFF: The Cellar – The chums at this month’s regular Klub Kak session, th Cellar launches its new free weekly indie disco WEDNESDAY 3rd ahead of their coming of age party on the 13 . night, with resident DJs alongside live band sets. He’s joined by grungy garage rockers Dead Girl THE ENEMY: O2 Academy – Lustily militant Park and potty-minded indie rockers Beaver Fuel. indie punk from Coventry’s Enemy, back on the ULTRAISTA: The Jericho Tavern – Poppy nd TUESDAY 2 road in support of recent Top 5 album `Streets In electronica from Radiohead producer Nigel MAYDAY PARADE + THE SUMMER SET + The Sky’, kicking it out in the grand tradition of Godrich and Joey Waronker’s new band, formed NATIVES: O2 Academy – Lily-livered, girly- The Jam, The Clash and The Libertines. with artist Laura Bettinson. haired soft rock and laughingly self-described WE CAME OUT LIKE TIGERS + SKYLARKIN SOUNDSYSTEM: The Cellar punk-pop from Florida’s space wasters, fresh from CAVALCADES: The Wheatsheaf – 100% Mosh – Count Skylarkin presents his monthly serving an extended jaunt on the Warped tour. Support presents a night of hardcore with Liverpool’s of dub, reggae, ska, soul and more, tonight joined from the equally asinine Summer Set. incendiary WCOLT. by Bristolian reggae stars Laidblak, whose ‘Red’ GILMORE & ROBERTS: The Unicorn FREE RANGE: The Cellar – Drum&bass, hip and ‘Bristol Love’ have become modern-day UK Theatre, Abingdon – Harmony-heavy trad folk hop and dubstep club night. dancehall classics. On the decks, DJ Wrongtom is and bluegrass from fiddle and guitar duo Katriona ACOUSTIC LOUNGE: Fat Lil’s, Witney accompanied by his MC foil Deemas J, spinning dubplates from their new `Tru Thoughts’ album. Friday 5th THURSDAY 4th ZANADU + COLOUR CHANGE FOR RICHARD WALTERS + WE AERONAUTS + CAMOUFLAGE + ELA MERTINI: The FLUX PAVILION: ADAM BARNES: St Alban’s Church – Album Bullingdon – It’s All About The Music local launch show from the emotionally turbulent, bands night. O2 Academy angel-voiced local songmeister Walters in the MR SHAODOW: Truck Store - The travelling After Skrillex’s show here a few months suitably rarefied setting of St Alban’s Church. rapper returns to town to plug his new album, back, another dubstep act for the purists to Support from rousing folk-popsters We Aeronauts `Cut The Bullspit’, with support from Bartoven get in a froth about. Like his Stateside peer, and soulful acoustic balladeer Adam Barnes. and Manny-O. Northamptonshire’s Joshua Steele came into MOGMATIC + DAMN VANDALS FUNKY FRIDAYS: The Bullingdon – Classic dubstep from a rock background and has set ARTCLASSSINK: The Bullingdon – Bluesy funk, soul, r’n’b and house, every week. about replacing the subtleties and atmosphere rocking from local stalwarts Mogmatic, with WHOLE LOTTA DC: Fat Lil’s, Witney – AC/ of dubstep with a raucous, crowd-pleasing dark-hearted, Stentorian-voiced rock drama in the DC tribute. gaudiness that appeals to rock crowds as vein of The Godfathers and Divine Comedy from THE COAL PORTERS: The Three Horse much as clubbers, and tends to get dismissed recent Nightshift Demo Of The Month winners Shoes, Towersey – Bluesgrass with punk attitude as brostep by detractors. Doubtless Steele Damn Vandals, launching their new single. from former-Long Ryders man Sid Griffin, a remains nonplussed by such attitudes as he SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – With pioneer of the resurgent roots scene over the past finds himself playing to large festival crowds guest Julian Nicholas on tenor sax. 20 years. in America, sampled by Jay-Z and Kanye, used COLLISIONS + I CRIED WOLF + DEMASK ERIN BARDWELL COLLECTIVE: The on the Kony 2012 viral campaign and remixing THYSELF: The Bell, Bicester – Jambox metal Swan, Wantage Neo, Example, M.I.A and DJ Fresh. Setting out night. COLLISIONS + I CRIED WOLF + ANNERO his stall with 2011’s `Bass Cannon’, he’s yet CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford + IMMINENT ANNIHILATION: The to produce an album, but found himself in the Community Centre – Oxford’s longest-running, Wheatsheaf, Banbury – Jambox metal night. BBC’s Sound of 2012 longlist, so commercial and best, open mic club continues to showcase WHO DO YOU LOVE?: The Duke, St success looks likely to be his reward over local singers, musicians, poets and more every Clement’s - Alt.rock, 60s garage rock, soul, new critical acclaim all the way. Something he’s week. wave, punk, surf-pop and electro DJ session with unlikely to be complaining about any time ROLL ON THURSDAYS: The Cellar – Floor Jim, Jens and Grizilla. soon. fillers and party tunes ever Thursday. OPEN MIC: The Half Moon SATURDAY 6th BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston ARTMUSIC: Truck Store - Suede guitarist Richard Oakes brings his new band to Oxford’s FRIDAY 5th indie store for an intimate show. FLUX PAVILION: O2 Academy – Joshua AZEALIA BANKS: O2 Academy – Uh oh, Steele cranks out dem brostep beats big’n’shrill, she said the C word! Burn the witch! – see main yeah – see main preview preview KYLA LA GRANGE: O2 Academy – Darkly KARINE POLWART: The Old Fire Station dramatic witch-pop from the Watford songstress, – The acclaimed Scottish folk singer comes to whose mix of emotionally injured restraint and town to promote her new album, `Traces’, a new orchestral approach to her sound complementing with Aikz, Death Of Hi-Fi, Rawz, MannyO and her poetic lyricism and acute social commentary. Half Decent. As well as her solo career, Karine is also a ABDABS: Fat Lil’s, Witney member of The Burns Unit, alongside King Creosote and Emma Pollock, as well as being a th former member of The Battlefield Band. MONDAY 8 THE GOGGENHEIM + THE LAMPPOST BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWICH: Oxford GULLIVERS + VIENNA DITTO + FRANCIS Town Hall – Soul-bearing acoustic sweetness PUGH & THE WHISKY SINGERS: The from York’s travelling troubadour – see main Jericho Tavern – To celebrate his current preview exhibition of photos from over 20 years of local TURBOWOLF + BLACK MOTH: O2 Academy – Brilliantly overblown psychedelic gigs, Nightshift snapper Johnny Moto presents a Saturday 6th night of his favourite current local acts, including pomp-rock from Bristol’s recent Truck Festival a return to live action for The Goggenheim, whose stars. AZEALIA BANKS: wayward collision of Krautrock, space-rock, NORTHSYDE: The Jericho Tavern – Funk, psychedelia, free jazz, post-punk and something rock, blues and soul from Newport Pagnell’s O2 Academy indescribable and highly likely borrowed from Northsyde at tonight’s Famous Monday Blues. Slick, sassy, soulful and fantastically potty- Jupiter, makes them one of the most fun and GET YOUR ROCKS OFF: The Cellar mouthed, Harlem rapper Azealia is also the unclassifiable acts in town. They’re joined by budding rap star all the indie kids love, and, Lamppost Gullivers, featuring former Suitable TUESDAY 9th hopefully, a major league star in the making. Case For Treatment and Mephisto Grande FOREIGN BEGGARS + TRUE TIGER + Having escaped her abusive upbringing in frontman Liam Ings-Reeves and Nought drummer UZ: O2 Academy – Grime, dubstep and hip New York to attend stage school, she adopted Johnny Mitchell; spectral trip-pop types Vienna hop of the old and new schools from London’s the moniker Miss Bank$ and signed, albeit Ditto and barroom country-blues crew Francis veteran collective, out on tour with their sixth briefly, to XL Records for whom she released Pugh & The Whisky Singers. album, `The Uprising’, at their best playful and `Seventeen’, sampling Ladytron along the way. GURT + BEARD OF ZEUSS + PROFANE inventive, referencing American underground A falling out with label boss Richard Russell & SACRED + EMPIRE DIVIDED: The hip hop as well as the likes of Dizzee Rascal saw her leave the label, ditch the Miss Bank$ Wheatsheaf – Buried In Smoke metal night, and Danger Doom and mashing up anything and name and sign to Universal, for whom she with London’s sludge outfit Gurt, joined by local everything from metal to classical along the way, recorded `212’, a single as catchy as it was stoner/sludge titans Beard Of Zeuss, London’s an eclectic approach that’s seen them support the unsuitable for daytime airplay. Along the way southern stoner-rock crew Profane & Sacred and diverse likes of Public Enemy, The Prodigy, Amy she’s covered both Interpol and The Zutons and local death-metallers Empire Divided. Winehouse and Ian Brown. toured alongside Metronomy and Two Door DONNINGTON COMMUNTY MUSIC JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – The New Jazz Cinema Club as part of the NME Awards Tour FESTIVAL: Donnington Community Centre Collective are tonight’s live guests at the free earlier this year. But lest anyone think she’s (2-10pm) – A full day of free live music, weekly jazz club. simply a niche hipster-friendly act, she’s also presented by local stalwart Jeremy Hughes and INTRUSION: The Cellar – Goth, industrial, added vocals to songs for Lana Del Ray, M.I.A featuring sets from Beard of Destiny, Daisy, ebm and darkwave club night. and Scissor Sisters, cementing her claims to the Dangerous Dave, Danny Kaye, Des Barkus, OPEN MIC: James Street Tavern proper big time. All this and she hasn’t even Glenda Huish, The Green Children Of Wolfpit, released her debut album proper yet, though her Little Drum, The Mighty Redox, Mike Abbott, `Fantasea’ mixtape helped keep things moving th Moon Rabbit, Penny and Phil, The Riverside WEDNESDAY 10 when it came out in July. Did we mention she Voices, Stem and Superloose. SUBVERSE: The Cellar – Subverse Radio DJs topped NME’s Cool List last year? It’s all going PROPAGANDA + JACK FM DJs + TRASHY: play the best new house, techno, garage and bass. one way for Azealia Banks and if you haven’t O2 Academy – Indie and rock at Propaganda, got your ticket for tonight yet, beg, borrow or plus kitsch pop and 80s sounds at Trashy. th steal one; it’ll likely be your last chance to see SONIC: The Bullingdon – Launch night for the THURSDAY 11 her in Oxford for some time to come. THE COCKNEY REJECTS: O2 Academy – Bully’s new electro night, with Southpaw, Systoly The return of the veteran East End skinhead punk and Lucid playing the best underground house noise, trip hop, hip hop and techno, alongside band whose `Oi Oi Oi’ chant lent the streetpunk tunes. occasional guest singers and MCs. They were movement its name back in the late-70s. They’re WHAT YOU CALL IT GARAGE: The Cellar one of the highlights of this year’s Oxford Punt, back on the road to coincide with an EMI – Underground UK garage, 2-step, 4x4 and as was Witney rapper and producer Half Decent, retrospective and a new studio album, but misty- bassline. possessed of a playful and inventive lyrical flow. eyed terrace fighters can drink heavily and sing FUSED: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Rock covers. They’re joined by fellow local rapper Silecta, along to old faves like `Bad Man’, `The Greatest FRAGMENT + UNDER BLACKENED SKIES soon to depart dear old Oxford for academia in Cockney Rip-Off’ and `We Are The Firm’. + VYRAL + ANNERO: The Port Mahon – Bristol. STRAIGHT LINES: The Jericho Tavern Local metal night. SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – With – Generic “post-hardcore” tedium from improvisational Latin-jazz flavoured singing Pontypridd’s musical midgets whose list of bands from guest Emily Saunders. th they’ve supported unsurprisingly includes Kids In SUNDAY 7 JANE LIKES BOOKS + THE Glass Houses, InME and Less Than Jake. We’re THE SELECTER: O2 Academy – Coventry’s MECHANISMS + DIRECTORS OF SPACE: less than impressed. Two-Tone legends return to action, still featuring The Bullingdon – Punked-up classic rock’n’roll original members Pauline Black and Arthur FRED HERSCH: St John The Evangelist, ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson, playing new material Iffley Road – Jazz standards, numbers alongside classic hits like `On My Radio’, `Three from the great American songbook and Minute Hero’ and `Missing Words’. original material from the renowned LEVEL 42: The New Theatre – You know when American pianist, winner of the 2011 you’re watching a BBC2 documentary on some Jazz Journalists Association Best lost Amazonian tribe and they show them fishing Jazz Pianist award as well as being with wooden spears and you see the fish impaled nominated for two Grammys for his on the end of the spear, thrashing and struggling new `Alone At The Vanguard’ album. for life, gasping for breath and knowing it’s close TIGER MENDOZA + HALF to death? Yeah? Well that’s how we feel whenever DECENT + SILECTA: Fat Lil’s, we hear a Level 42 song. `Running In The Witney – Great night of locally- Family’? Running through a quagmire of shite, sourced electronica and hip hop, more like. with Tiger Mendoza cranking out a TUNG FU: The Bullingdon – Rap club night raw, often bruising mix of industrial dance club celebrates it eighth birthday, SIMPLE: The Bullingdon – House and techno playing its regular mix of jazz dance, Afrobeat, club night. dancefloor Latin, Balkan beats, nu-jazz and EVOLUTION: Fat Lil’s, Witney world breaks, and tonight featuring a live set LEWIS NEWCOMBE-JONES + RACHEL from Dakla, a sax, trumpet and drums quartet RUSCOMBE + SWINDLESTOCK: The Port blending harmonies and intricate rhythms, plus Mahon Inc. A, a seven-piece mash-up of jazz, eastern European folk, Arabic and film music set to live th breakbeat, hip hop and drum&bass rhythms. SUNDAY 14 1000 MILE HIGHWAY + ADY DAVEY + SUBMOTION ORCHESTRA: O2 Academy AGS CONNOLLY: The Bullingdon – Rocking – Formed by a collective of Leeds music scene Americana from Charlbury’s 1000 Mile Highway luminaries after the Arts Council commissioned at tonight’s It’s All About The Music promotion, a live dubstep piece to be performed at York with support from veteran local songsmith Ady Minster, Submotion Orchestra are actually less Davey, and country singer Ags Connolly. dubstep, more a woozy fusion of dub, funk, jazz HUFFENPUFF + SIMON DAVIES & EVAN and drum&bass, a bit like Sade fronting Massive MCGREGOR + TARIK BESHIR: Albion Attack and, unsurprisingly, beloved of Gilles Beatnik Bookstore – A night of acoustic music Peterson. MERCILESS PRECISION + BLACK SKIES Monday 8th in aid of Amnesty International. FUNKY FRIDAYS: The Bullingdon BURN + FRAGMENT + BERSICKER: BENJAMIN FRANCIS BON GIOVI: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Bon Jovi The Wheatsheaf – A night of extreme metal tribute. Saturday 13th LEFTWICH: Oxford STEPHEN LANGSTAFF: The Cornerstone, Didcot Town Hall PROGRESSIVELY LESS ELEPHANT: Baby JULIAN COPE: Romantic poet troubadour worthy of unstinting Love – Monthly indie, soul and electronic club O2 Academy devotion, or professional wet blanket in need night. Julian Cope is a little like a musical Tom of a spell in the army? Depending on which Baker – he’s a national treasure, someone camp you’re already in nothing in this preview th capable of playing many parts, but always is going to change your mind much, though SATURDAY 13 DOG IS DEAD: Truck Store - Nottingham’s at the heart of it his own personality shines we should point out that James Blunt spent through. And like Baker’s most famous some years in the army and look what he indie starlets launch their album, `All Our Favourite Stories’. character part, Cope seems lost in time. From ended up sounding like. Benjamin, a shy wee his earliest forays into music he’s trodden lad with a heart full of yearning, is no James OXJAM: Various venues – Multi-venue fundraiser for Oxfam as part of a national series his own path and compromised for no-one. Blunt. His brand of wistful melancholia is far The Teardrop Explodes were peerless pop more appealing, in the same ballpark as Jose of shows – see main preview JULIAN COPE + ANTON BARBEAU: O2 explorers and Cope continued that tradition Gonzalez, Eliot Smith and Ryan Adams. On through his solo commercial peak with albums last year’s debut album, `Last Smoke Before Academy – The Arch Drood returns, no less magnificent and strange than before. Support like `World Shut Your Mouth’, `My Nation The Snowstorm’, he tackled the big issues – Underground’ and `Peggy Suicide’, singalong God, love, regret and being lost at sea – all from psychedelic troubadour Anton Barbeau – see main preview hit singles sat aside explorative missions into with the sort of wide-eyed vulnerability that strange and sometimes unfathomable places. makes girls and grown women come on all WHY?: The Bullingdon – Lysergic folk’n’beats pop with nods to Beck and Eels from former Even he admits his Brain Donor project was motherly. Which is partly why he’s picked up unlistenable, but Julian being Julian, all was a particularly devoted fanbase, one big enough Clouddead chap Yoni Wolf’s folk-pop-hip-hop outfit, over in the UK to promote new album quickly forgiven. In recent years he’s settled to pack out the Shepherd’s Bush Empire lately into his Head Heritage label, allowing him when it wasn’t so long since he was playing at `Mumps, Etc’. PROPAGANDA featuring THE SUBWAYS: space to really do whatever he fancies, and the Jericho Tavern. So far in 2012 he’s toured if he sometimes misfires, he remains both across the States and Canada and this current O2 Academy – The O2’s weekly indie and rock club night features a live set from Welwyn an inspirationally independent musical spirit 29-date UK tour is followed by another visit and one of the best male vocalists of the past Stateside and then on to Australia and New Garden City’s post-grunge trio in the wake of their Stephen Street-produced album, `Money & few decades. As well as his own music, Cope Zealand, a gentle-voiced preacherman picking is one of the finest music writers around, an up converts with every tenderfooted step. Not Celebrity’. st unbending champion of innovative sounds that he’s particularly precious – his recent set KLUB KAKOFANNEY 21 BIRTHDAY PARTY: The Wheatsheaf – Arguably Oxford’s new and old, as well as an expert writer on at Wilderness showed him to be both warm archaeology and antiquarianism. With his and witty, a nice bloke making sweet, pretty longest running live music club night comes of age, still peddling its highly individual mix and new album, `Psychedelic Revolution’, out, he music for people who wish the world could be continues to rail against capitalism, organised a more romantic place. Nowt wrong with that. match of musical oddities, local pop newcomers and old friends. Tonight’s extended bill includes religion and environmental desecration alt.country crew Fuzzy Logic, eclectic turkobilly and, while he may not be particularly well from Jane Likes Books, plus pirate-obsessed 60s outfit Brickwork Lizards, billowing eurogoth preserved, he is priceless. folk-rockers The Mechanisms. rockers Mary’s Garden, ballsy blues-rockers CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford Empty Vessels, Torn Like Colours and of course Community Centre your hosts, The Mighty Redox. ROLL ON THURSDAYS: The Cellar SUSANNAH: The North Wall – Oxford OPEN MIC: The Half Moon Contemporary Music presents an intimate BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston evening with the Norwegian singer, compared THE PETE FRYER BAND: Copa Bar on occasions to Carole King and Nico and who has collaborated with Will Oldham and FRIDAY 12th Tord Gustavsen among others. She’s touring to T-REXTACY: O2 Academy – T-Rex tribute. promote new album `Wild Dog’, the follow-up JAGUAR SKILLS & HIS AMAZING to 2008’s cover album `Flower Of Evil’, which FRIENDS: O2 Academy – Return to town featured takes on `Love Will Tear Us Apart’, for the enigmatic ninja-obsessed hip hop and `Hallelujah’ and `Jolene’. drum&bass DJ, adopting a cut’n’paste approach FRESH OUT THE BOX: The Cellar – Eclectic to mixing. mix of disco, house, breaks and old skool dance BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar – The world tunes. including skullcrushing heavyweights Black But for frontman Green Gartside’s perfectionism Skies Burn and bulldozing uber-thrash crew and stage fright, his band might have been even Bersicker. bigger; their early forays into hip hop were years KLUB KAKOFANNEY UNPLUGGED: The ahead of the popular curve and tonight’s show Wheatsheaf – Free downstairs show from the should be far more than a wallow in past glories Klub Kak crew, featuring acoustic sets from with a new album promised for next year. Green Children of the Wolfpit, Zim Grady, DEACON BLUE: The New Theatre – Ricky Headington Hillbillies, Moon Rabbit, Charms Ross and the gang play `Real Gone Kid’ and all Against The Evil Eye and Beard Of Destiny. the other ones whose titles we’ve forgotten but SKIN THE CAT + PAUL MORRIS & THE are probably really great and stuff. REVALATORS: The Bullingdon – Soul, funk ALASDAIR ROBERTS + THE COOLING and r’n’b from local outfit Skin The Cat. PEARLS + BILLY TRIVERS: St Michael’s ALICE GERAD & BEVERLY SMITH: The @ The Northgate – A suitably intimate and Saturday 13th Three Horseshoes, Towersey – Old-time, rarefied venue for the visit of cult Scottish singer bluegrass, country and American folk music. Alasdair Roberts, a veteran of the trad folk OXJAM OXFORD: THREE MINUTE TEASE: Truck Store - revival, mixing up ancient celtic sounds with Anton Barbeau’s freak-pop band promote their lo-fi indie and alt.country, his songs spanning Various venues new eponymous album instore after supporting centuries of British folk sounds, particularly After a series of one-off takeovers at venues as Julian Cope at the Academy last night. traditional murder ballads (check out his diverse as the roof of the Said Business School, excellent `No Earthly Man’ album, produced by G&D’s ice cream parlour and the Swan in th Will Oldham). Tonight’s show is promoted by Wantage, the Oxford branch of Oxfam’s annual MONDAY 15 the reliably excellent Pindrop Performances with Oxjam festival spreads its musical tentacles NEWTON FAULKNER: The New Theatre – Roberts joined by ghostly local alt.folk outfit around Oxford city centre for an evening of The dreadlocked songsmith continues his charm The Cooling Pearls. local bands playing venues like The Purple assault and inexorable rise to the top of the pop MARVELLOUS MEDICINE: The Turtle, The Cellar and The Turl Street Kitchen. tree – see main preview Wheatsheaf Blessing Force will be hosting a music and arts MARINA & THE DIAMONDS: O2 Academy FREE RANGE: The Cellar – Drum&bass, hip evening, including sets from psychedelic pop – Popped-up, toned-down return for the quirky hop and dubstep club night. dreamers Fixers, Andrew Mears’ r’n’b-infused Greek-Welsh songsmith – see main preview electro project Pet Moon and rising indie starlets BABAJACK + DES BARKUS & DAN th Sisterland. Elsewhere the list of acts confirmed BRANIGAN: The Jericho Tavern THURSDAY 18 includes Dubwiser, Kill Murray, Secret Rivals, GET YOUR ROCKS OFF: The Cellar BEN MONTAGUE: O2 Academy – Sing The Grinding Young, We Aeronauts, The Hosanna and hang out the bunting, Mr Bland Family Machine, Black Hats, Grudle Bay, TUESDAY 16th himself is back in town and ready to rip it up The Yarns, The Scholars, Brickwork Lizards, in the style of a semi-comatose parish rector The Wooden Sky, Evening Hymns, Flights of CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX: The who fancies himself as “a bit funky”. If you’re Wheatsheaf – After their semi-secret show Helios, Cat Matador, ToLiesel, Empty White really lucky he’ll even play his cover of Gnarls Circles, Robots With Souls, ArtClassSink, We at Fat Lil’s in Witney back in March, Justin Barkley’s `Crazy’. Actually, if you’re really Greaves’ grandiose prog-rockers play another Are Goose, Ragged Claws, Dropout and Ioneye, lucky you’ll be in Aberdeen or Western Samoa providing a decent cross section of established intimate local show, drawing on the darker side tonight and miss the whole crazy spectacle. of Pink Floyd’s extravagant sonic expeditions for local favourites and scene newcomers. An all- ECHO LAKE: Truck Store - Intimate instore venue wristband gets you into each show and their monolithic slabs of eloquent noise. show for the celestial noisemakers ahead of their LIFE IN FILM: O2 Academy – London full line-up details with times should be online Bully show later tonight. at www.oxjamoxford.co.uk nearer the event. rockers return to action after seeming to drop off ECHO LAKE + GRUDLE BAY + THE the radar a couple of years back, with a gruffly A chance for a great night out gigging while GULLIVERS: The Bullingdon – Billowing, adding your contribution to Oxfam’s ongoing melodic sound vaguely reminiscent of Kings of celestial shoegaze noise from London’s quite Leon. campaign to eradicate global poverty. It’s a win- divine Echo Lake at tonight’s inaugural win situation. THE SENSATIONAL 60s EXPERIENCE: Divine Schism promotion, the band’s recent The New Theatre – The Tremeloes, Herman’s debut album, `Wild Peace’, having attracted Hermits, Union Gap and The Ivy League run comparisons to The Cocteau Twins, Slowdive Foreboding new rockers named after a Nick through their hits for the delight of an audience and Beach House. Delicately chilled electro-pop Cave song and similarly inspired by his dark highly likely to involuntarily wee on the seat. from Grudle Bay in support alongside starry- craftsmanship. JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – With singer eyed indie popstrels The Gullivers. WE ARE ELEMENTS: The Cellar – Funk, Alison Bentley. THE MIGHTY REDOX UNPLUGGED: boogie, beats, house and soul from the cosmic SOULFARM & FRIENDS: The Cellar – Rock The Wheatsheaf – Free acoustic session in the monthly dance club. and bluegrass drawing on folk and traditional downstairs bar. TENTH LISTEN + RECTIFIERS: The Jewish music from the rising stars of the FRANKIE’S WHISKY NIGHT: The Port Wheatsheaf American roots revival scene. Support from local Mahon – Whisky-fuelled Americana singalongs A TRUST UNCLEAN + ZAOS: The newcomers Becks. from Francis Pugh & The Whisky Singers, Courtyard, Bicester – Vicious death metal and OPEN MIC: James Street Tavern alongside bluesgrass and country crew Knights grindcore from A Trust Unclean, plus doomy of Mentis and acoustic folk from Daniel thrash from Zaos at the Courtyard’s metal night. WEDNESDAY 17th McKean. THE MIGHTY REDOX: James Street Tavern WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS: CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford DARK SIDE OF THE: Fat Lil’s, Witney – The Jericho Tavern – Return to town for Community Centre Pink Floyd tribute. Edinburgh’s big-hearted post-punk-inspired indie OPEN MIC: The Half Moon rockers. BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston th SCRITTI POLITTI: O2 Academy – One of FUNKY FRIDAYS: The Bullingdon SATURDAY 20 GATHERING: Various venues (4pm) – Multi- two 80s pop revivals going on in town tonight, venue all-dayer with Dry The River, Liars, but the only one worth investing your time and th FRIDAY 19 Spector and more – see main preview money in – from post-punk agit-pop to early- SKELETOR: O2 Academy – The monthly AHAB: The Jericho Tavern – Country rocking 80s soul, funk and reggae-influenced pure pop metal extravaganza presents a night of upcoming and old time American folk from London’s Ahab hitmakers, Scritti Politti’s legacy outshines their local bands, including teen thrash merchants to coincide with their new live album. chart success of the time, even given the success The Reaper, alongside I Cried Wolf, Pitch Black SHAKER HEIGHTS + TORN LIKE of albums like `Songs To Remember’ and `Cupid Summer, Twisted State Of Mind and Indigo COLOURS: The Wheatsheaf – Americana and & Psyche’ and hit singles `The Sweetest Girl’ Montoya. indie rocking from Shaker Heights. and `Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)’. O.CHILDREN: Modern Art Oxford – PROPAGANDA + JACK FM DJs + TRASHY: boys, kicking it out in the style of Van Halen, SUBVERSE PRESENTS: The Cellar Kiss and Poison. NATUREBOY: The Cellar – Dave Noble th returns in his Natureboy guise, conjuring dense, THURSDAY 25 ambitious music in a homespun style, mixing up THE BLACKOUT: O2 Academy – Merthyr nu-jazz, folky psychedelia and 60s acoustic pop. Tydfil’s post-hardcore heroes continue their FAY HEILD & THE HURRICANE PARTY: never-ending road trip ahead of the release of The Cornerstone, Didcot – Traditional English their new album early next year, the follow-up folk connoisseur Fay Heild continues to unearth to `Hope’. Having started 2011 supporting My hidden gems from centuries of song. The title Chemical Romance before going on to play track of her latest album, `Orfeo’, is based on a Reading and Leeds, they stood in for Sum 41 on 13th Century folk retelling of the ancient Greek this year’s Kerrang! tour. myth of Orpheus, while she resurrects everything ACE BUSHY STRIPTEASE + MARTHA: from old industrial revolution-era mill tales to The Cellar – Proudly dishevelled fuzz-pop from obscure folklore from across the ages. In this Birmingham’s lo-fi darlings, channelling the she’s abetted by an all-star band that features spirits of The Pastels and Huggy Bear in their Jon Boden, Martin Simpson, Sam Sweeney and self-described cuddlecore. Andy Cutting. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC ACOUSTIC RED CEILIDH: The Bullingdon CLUB: The Bullingdon – Unplugged sets from RAG MAMA RAG: The Three Horse Shoes, local singers, including wistful folkster Lewis Towersey – Mississippi Blues, east coast ragtime Newcombe-Jones, plus Stuart Noha, Tom Ivey, and early country tunes from the 1920s and 30s. Gemma Moss and Nikki Loy. Monday 15th SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – Trumpeter Damon Brown is tonight’s guest nd MARINA & THE MONDAY 22 player. LIANNE LA HAVAS: O2 Academy – Smoky, CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford DIAMONDS: passionate soul from Paloma Faith’s former Community Centre backing singer, championed by everyone from PETE FRYER BAND: The Wheatsheaf – Free 02 Academy Gary Barlow and Jools Holland to Bon Iver and You can almost picture the scene in the record coming on like a young Erykah Badu at times Monday 15th company marketing room as appealingly with her tales of broken romances set to a classic quirky songstress Marina Diamandis is soul and jazz soundtrack. NEWTON informed by some soulless dronebot with a ROADHOUSE: The Jericho Tavern – Rocking diploma in accounting that the fun, alternately blues from the UK circuit stalwarts at tonight’s FAULKNER: simple and decidedly weird music and singing Famous Monday Blues. on her debut album, `The Family Jewels’, GET YOUR ROCKS OFF: The Cellar The New Theatre didn’t shift the requisite number of units and Newton Faulkner is one of those pop people would she mind awfully teaming up with a rd who, if we succumbed to first impressions bunch of people who have written hits for TUESDAY 23 and followed our prejudices, we wouldn’t like THE CRIBS: O2 Academy – Raucous indie the likes of Ronan Keating, Katy Perry and very much at all. No sir. It’s not so much the rock theatre from Wakefield’s Jarman brothers, fucking Dido, toning it all down a bit and being beard and the ginger waist-length dreadlocks back as a trio after the departure of Johnny a nice pop star girlie. It’s the only explanation and whole “questing folk troubadour” thing, Marr last year. The former-Smiths guitarist’s for Marina & The Diamonds’ second album, as the fact the first thing we ever heard by him recruitment may have helped bolster The Cribs’ `Electra Heart’, a project Marina’s been gamely was his astonishingly awful cover of Massive profile but in truth they’ve long been one of the talking up within the context of inhabiting a Attack’s glorious `Teardrop’, and the fact his UK’s most successful cult bands, scoring regular character, while admitting it goes against the debut album got shoved in our face every time Top 20 albums in the face of general music press grain of everything she’s done previously. So, we turned the telly on back in the day. But then apathy. It’s their high-octane live shows that while `Family Jewels’, released in the wake we actually saw him live – at Cornbury Festival have made their name – far more aggressive, of coming second in the 2010 BBC Sound Of – and found ourselves, to our astonishment, chaotic and laddish than their albums, though award (which went to Ellie Goulding), sounded really rather enjoying him. For starters he’s Ryan Jarman’s hooligan poet persona cuts at times like a heady brew-up between Lene a pretty affable and often very funny bloke, through even those lager-sodden ceremonies. Lovich, Sparks and even Flying Lizards, the self-effacing and, beyond the cheesy cover PALMA VIOLETS: The Jericho Tavern – new album veers far closer to Katy Perry, versions, possessed of a whole load of decent Back in town after supporting Savages here in with mixed results. Record company people: tunes beyond the big hit, `Dream Catch Me’. August and Alabama Shakes at the Academy in if the artist you signed says they love Daniel He’s talented too, with a subtle touch and a fine September, harking back to a darker age of indie, Johnston and makes great pop music that’s sense of the ridiculous, and might be the most from Echo & The Bunnymen and The Cramps to a bit crazy and even daft at times, encourage unlikely proper pop star of recent times – debut Joy Division and Bauhaus. them, don’t try and neuter them. If the album `Handbuilt By Robots’ hit Number TRIPPY WICKED + MOTHER CORONA + unwashed masses won’t buy it, that’s their loss. 1 and its follow-up `Rebuilt By Humans’, GROAN: The Wheatsheaf – Buried in Smoke recorded in the wake of a career-threatening metal night with St Albans’ stoner/sludge/ O2 Academy injury to his wrist did equally well. Even if the doom crew Trippy Wicked, plus local oceanic AS GODS + PROSPEKT + K-LACURA albums aren’t for you, you’ll struggle not to be riffmeisters Mother Corona. + SLEEPWALKERS: The Cellar – The charmed by the man live; quite simply he’s a JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – With The New University Rock Society presents a night of genuinely excellent entertainer. heaviosity, including prog-metal stars Prospekt Jazz Collective. and metalcore outfit K-Lacura. Followed by SOUL TRAIN: The Cellar – Motown, funk, electronic and bass-heavy dance club night Extra soul, r’n’b and disco. Curricular. OPEN MIC: James Street Tavern AIRTIGHT: Fat Lil’s, Witney THE MIGHTY REDOX: The Red Lion, th Eynsham WEDNESDAY 24 SPACE: O2 Academy – Liverpool’s 90s indie stars reunite – sadly minus late drummer SUNDAY 21st Andy Parle – for another run through hits like RECKLESS LOVE + MALLORY KNOX: O2 `Female Of The Species’, `Neighbourhood’ Academy – Yer actual proper old-school funtime and `The Ballad Of Tom Jones’, their mega-hit heavy rocking from the windswept Finnish pretty collaboration with Cerys Matthews. show in the downstairs bar. disco sci-fi folk-pop. Not sure what that actually OPEN MIC: The Half Moon entails but they’ve supported The Unthanks and BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston Anais Mitchell and played The Cambridge Folk Festival, Wilderness and No Direction Home, so th quality pretty much assured. Followed by Extra FRIDAY 26 Curricular. LISTING SHIPS + GO ROMANO + VIENNA GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRIES with RED DITTO: The Wheatsheaf – Daisy Rodgers VALVE + ONE MAN TEAM DANCE + Music night with local post-rock outfit Listing LEWIS NEWCOMBE: The Wheatsheaf – Soft Ships launching their new EP, recorded at the rock from two-times Nightshift Demo Dumper Royal National Lifeboat Institute’s Hayling recipients Red Valve at tonight’s Gappy Tooth Island base and featuring samples of the centre’s Industries night, joined tonight by synth’n’drums activities alongside their alternately heavyweight outfit One Man Team Dance, looking towards and intricate electro-tinged instrumental noise. Hella and Lightning Bolt for inspiration in their Saturday 20th Support comes from funk-rockers Go Romano high-octane noise. Pretty, pastoral acoustic folk- and trippy, atmospheric popstrels Vienna Ditto. pop in the vein of Nick Drake and Bert Jansch GATHERING: MOTHER OF GOD + ABRAHMA + from Lewis Newcombe. MOTHER CORONA: The Cellar – Buried EMPTY WHITE CIRCLES + JESS HALL Various venues In Smoke night with Sweden’s epic prog-tinged + UNTIL THE BIRD: Modern Art Oxford While it isn’t officially heir to previous all-day metallers, alongside France’s psychedelic heavy – Pindrop Performance night with local indie- festivals along the Cowley Road like OX4 rockers and local oceanic groovemongers Mother folksters Empty White Circles and emotive folk- and Leylines, Gathering occupies similar Corona. pop songstress Jess Hall. territory at the same time of year, but boasts HOSPITALITY: O2 Academy THE YOUNG’UNS: Abingdon Guildhall a far superior line-up to either. Taking place SURFIN’ SPOOKS + RECKLESS SLEEPERS PROPAGANDA + JACK FM DJs + TRASHY: through the afternoon and into the night at the + WOLFISTON + BASKERVILLES FROM O2 Academy Academy, the Bullingdon, The Port Mahon, BARKING + SALTY DOG: The Hollybush, SELECTA: The Bullingdon – Drum&bass club East Oxford Community Centre and Cowley Osney – A pre-Halloween party with surf-rockers night. Road Methodist Church, Gathering is extensive Vicars Of Twiddly donning ghoulish garb under SHEPHERD’S PIE: Fat Lil’s, Witney in scope and ambitious in its line-up. Nominal the guise of Surfin’ Spooks. They’re joined headliners are London’s folk-pop collective by Phil Garvey’s Reckless Sleepers, Bristol’s th Dry The River, mixing intimate, rustic zombie-pop outfit Wolfiston, acoustic guitar SUNDAY 28 acoustic pop with anthemic stadium-fillers, picker Chris Padmore’s Baskervilles and acoustic JOOLS HOLLAND: The New Theatre – The sort of a cross between Mumford & Sons and bluesman Steve Morris in his Salty Dog guise. geezerish big band r’n’b ringmaster returns Radiohead. Spector’s arch, image-conscious RAPLH McTELL: The Cornerstone, Didcot – gamely to town after his headline set at Cornbury electro-tinged indie touches base with Pulp, The British folk legend returns to the county for a back in July, with guests aplenty running through Killers and The Smiths, while Bombay Bicycle run-through of his extensive catalogue, including classic standards with a swing. Club collaborator Lucy Rose has proved timeless monster hit `Streets Of London’. CHURCH OF THE HEAVY: The Bullingdon – herself a breathtaking vocal talent in her own ABSOLUTE BOWIE: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Return of the Bully’s metal night, featuring tech- right. Clock Opera’s so-called `chop-pop’ Bowie tribute, unsurprisingly. core titans Komrad, metalcore ragers K-Lacura, mines a similarly euphoric sense of desolation HQ: The Cellar – Drum&bass club night. plus Annero and Masiro. nas Elbow and Field Music, but it’s likely to FUNKY FRIDAYS: The Bullingdon BLUES JAM: Fat Lil’s, Witney (3pm) be Brooklyn’s Liars who provide the chief OXEDELICA: The Duke, St. Clement’s highlight of Gathering, their restless blend of – Monthly DJ session playing garage rock, MONDAY 29th post-punk, noise, electronic experimentation psychedelia, Krautrock, post-punk and acid house. and art-rock consistently ahead of and beyond PETE FRYER BAND: The Prince of Wales, WORLD PARTY: O2 Academy – Karl Wallinger’s enduring solo project comes to any chasing pack for a decade now. Beyond Horspath Rd these main attractions there’s the likes of BUILDINGS ON FIRE + WILD SWIMMERS town ahead of a show at the Royal Albert Hall, celebrating the release of a new five-CD album of Bastille, Fossil Collective and Karima + BILLY TRIVERS + SWEET BREAD: The Francis, while a strong local contingent features Port Mahon new songs and covers. PETE BOSS & THE BLUEHEARTS: The Glass Animals, Wild Swim, Black Hats, Bullingdon – Clapton-esque blues from Oxford’s Lewis Watson and Beta Blocker & The Body th SATURDAY 27 own Slowhand at the Bully’s Haven Club. Clock. GAZ COOMBES: O2 Academy – Gaz plays KENT DUCHAINE: The Jericho Tavern – his biggest local headline set to date, having Return to The Famous Monday Blues for long- centres as well as supporting the likes of Noisettes previously played a solo debut at the Rotunda time blues favourite Duchaine, singer and slide and The Twang. in Iffley last year and an intimate band show guitarist out of Minnesota, playing traditional JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – With guests at East Oxford Community Centre earlier this Delta blues in the style of Muddy Waters, Robert The Hugh Turner Band. year. While Supergrass are set to pick up a PRS Johnson and Lightnin’ Hopkins on his trusted OPEN MIC: James Street Tavern Heritage award this month, Gaz has firmly left all Leadbessy steel guitar. that behind with his new album, `Here Come The GET YOUR ROCKS OFF: The Cellar st Bombs’, playing every instrument, co-producing WEDNESDAY 31 OWL CITY: O2 Academy – Minnesota’s Adam with Sam Williams and looking towards th Young brings his lightweight electro-disco back Krautrock and electronica as well as glam rock TUESDAY 30 to the UK to plug new album `The Midsummer and disco for inspiration, making it his freshest LITTLE COMETS: O2 Academy – Newcastle’s Station’, following on from the massive chart sounding record in years. ebullient Afro-pop-flavoured indie rockers tour success of Postal Service-aping hit `Fireflies’ back BOWLING FOR SOUP + DOLLYROTS + their new `Life Is Elsewhere’ album, having in 2010. PATENT PENDING: O2 Academy – Return of originally made their name playing cheeky FREE RANGE: The Cellar Texas’ “comedy” punkers in full electric mode guerrilla gigs in university lecture halls and call after recent acoustic outings from Jaret and Erik. IRREGULAR FOLK with YARNS + MAIA: The Cellar – The Cellar launches its new alt.folk club night, with DJs spinning everything from Joanna Newsome and Bonnie Prince Billie to th Gravenhurst and Maddy Prior. There’s live music Nightshift listings are free. Deadline for inclusion in the gig guide is 6pm on the 20 of each from local indie-folksters The Yarns, adding month - no exceptions (not even for you). Call 01865 372255 (10am-6pm), or email listings to a fluffy roots edge to 80s indie sounds, plus [email protected]. All listings are copyright of Nightshift and may not be reproduced Huddersfield’s Maia, who describe themselves as without permission photo: Marc West In one corner of the labyrinthine castle complex, In one corner of the labyrinthine castle complex, local music scene documentary Anyone Can Play Guitar is playing on a loop, a little bit of more recent history in such an ancient setting, and even the Candyskins might not feel so hard done by compared to some of the poor souls information boards. documented on the Castle’s executed for simply At least they weren’t writing lyrics that criticised the king, like protestant poet Stephen Colledge. Dubwiser frontman Jonas, appropriately enough, dedicates a song to anyone who’s ever been incarcerated, though his band are better suited to an outdoor stage on a summer’s afternoon than within dark autumnal prison might Bicycle’ A Life Like Your walls. `Ride have been a good life lesson for Charles II as he sent his critics to the gallows and tempered just unrelenting positivity, Dubwiser’s occasionally by harsher political statements, could heal the world if only the world would give it the chance, and then every castle and prison could host a party such as this. Dale Kattack `Always Alright’. a more fitting end for a band get the big rockaboogie finale though, We If their dizzying to headline festivals the world over. who seem tailor-made currently enjoying, it’s upward trajectory continues at even half the pace could imagine and theirs issuch heights will come sooner than even they from the most modern popan inclusive enough sound to steal the crowns and roll too. to rattle Alabama Shakes never forget Just so long as royalty. Dale Kattack her opening number a tale of a love lost at sea, glorious reminding us of Sinead O’Connor’s Tamara’s both in its subject matter and `Jackie’ starkly beautiful voice, stunningly emotive and capable of plumbing the very depths of despair with poise and grace. The same could be said of Little Fish’s Julia-Sophie, tonight debuting her completely revamped band, now augmented by a floor Having recently tom-playing backing singer. become a mum, Ju declares she “can no longer be arsed to jump around anymore,” and the An more insular new sound reflects this. band’s opening number feels like a cousin to Bat For Lashes, before we’re into cowbells and buzzing r’n’b more than garage punk at territory, organ and a room for French chanson There’s times. completely stripped-back version of `Darling that somehow accentuates it debt to Dear’ strange, even It’s Underground. Velvet The disconcerting, hearing such familiar songs given a radical reworking but it shows the strength of voice that the whole both the material and Ju’s thing still works.

Century crypt, which th

LIVE stand-alone numbers but they just feel more alive when they’re cranking outstand-alone numbers but they just feel more alive by the hand and just run with it. `Be Mine’ and `You Ain’t Alone’ are great Alone’ Ain’t `You and by the hand and just run with it. `Be Mine’ bit too hard to sound authentic, instead of letting their natural vim take thembit too hard to sound authentic, instead of letting heavily towards mid-paced numbers where it can sound like they’re trying aheavily towards mid-paced numbers where it If there’s any disappointment to be had it’s that tonight’s set veers too that tonight’s it’s any disappointment to be had If there’s Man’s Man’s World’ or `Roll Over Beethoven’ at any given point. Over Beethoven’ or `Roll World’ Man’s Man’s It’s A Man’s Man’s A to morph into `It’s the fact that fleeting moments of songs threaten their set sounds instantly familiar, either due to their extensive airplay or either due to their extensive airplay their set sounds instantly familiar, singalong anthem from some indeterminate point in time. In fact much ofsingalong anthem from some indeterminate point way for `Hold On’, a huge mess of driving blues-rock and euphoric soul, away for `Hold On’, a huge mess of driving blues-rock Alabama Shakes’ set out their stall early, an opening honky tonk jam making set out their stall early, Alabama Shakes’ disembowel buffalo at fifty paces with a voice like Brittany’s? disembowel buffalo artificial pop and dance sound. C’mon, who needs Autotune when you can needs artificial pop and dance sound. C’mon, who chief weapon – a sense of earthy authenticity in the face of an ever morechief weapon – a sense of earthy authenticity sound out of place on a 1960s soul revue. But then maybe that’s their then maybe that’s sound out of place on a 1960s soul revue. But half hour or so on 6Music. Not bad for a band playing music that wouldn’t playing music that wouldn’t half hour or so on 6Music. Not bad for a band charts, while riding a wave of universal press acclaim and popping up everycharts, while riding a wave of universal press out every date of their UK tour and debuting at Number 3 in the albumout every date of their UK tour and debuting at And yet the band have become possibly the rock sensation of 2012, sellingAnd yet the band have become possibly might well be Jarvis Cocker’s even skinnier kid brother. might well be Jarvis Cocker’s tractors and manually castrating bullocks, but keyboard player Ben Tanner Tanner keyboard player Ben tractors and manually castrating bullocks, but rock heroes. Bassist Zac Cockrell looks like his day job could involve liftingrock heroes. Bassist Zac Cockrell looks like his Behind Brittany, Alabama Shakes are an equally oddball mix of unlikely Behind Brittany, South crossroads wouldn’t be out of the question. South crossroads wouldn’t guess, though some kind of deal with the Devil at some benighted Deepguess, though some kind entirety of tonight’s set, never mind night after night on tour, is anyone’s is anyone’s set, never mind night after night on tour, entirety of tonight’s How she manages to keep her voice sounding so strong and so fresh for the her voice sounding so strong and so fresh How she manages to keep have sounded like had he been born on the other side of the gender divide.have sounded like had Brown, once in a while tempered by forays into what Percy Sledge mightBrown, once in a while has a simply phenomenal voice, a huge, rich, raw holler like a female James voice, a huge, rich, raw holler like a female has a simply phenomenal To say that Brittany can sing is like saying Usain Bolt can run a bit. She say that Brittany can sing is To to kingdom come. sister. She only need to open her mouth though to blow such preconceptions She only need sister. capacity crowd sternly but looks like anything but an axe-wielding soulcapacity crowd sternly schoolmistress. With her bottle-top specs and sensible frock, she eyes the her bottle-top specs With schoolmistress. As far as rock stars go, Brittany Howard looks like she’d make a greatAs far as rock stars go, O2 Academy ALABAMA SHAKES ALABAMA playing down in the 11 , The music we can hear turns out to be Nairobi just another gig. Hughes and it feels more like an adventure than Oxford Mail contributors Marc West and Tim Tim and West Oxford Mail contributors Marc only host to a selection of local acts chosen by Actually, we’re in Oxford Castle, for one night Actually, Wheatsheaf anymore. somewhere. Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in the Toto, somewhere. catacomb and we can hear music coming from We’re lost. We appear to be in some ancient appear to be in some We lost. We’re Oxford Castle LIVE & UNLOCKED and tonight’s set is perfectly suited to the setting, and tonight’s She was seemingly born to play by candlelight ’s your woman. Parsons-Baker’s want, Tamara Mind you, if it’s crypt-friendly gothic music you Mind you, if it’s than Ghosts Of The Civil Dead, we must stress). quaint, old-fashioned prison riot (more Porridge 90s indie synth-pop a suitable soundtrack to a better, their sweetly riotous update on 80s and their sweetly riotous better, spacious and band-friendly prison wing, fare far Secret Rivals, playing in the considerably more Secret band’s uptight and fidgety township pop. band’s maybe doesn’t best suit the trebly acoustics of the maybe doesn’t adds plenty of gothic atmosphere to their set but THE GRACEFUL SLICKS / THE HAWKHURST / CHARMS AGAINST THE EVIL EYE The Wheatsheaf There’s a sense of wonder about Charms somewhere between The Oysterband and Against The Evil Eye. Not only are they Chumbawamba. When they ease off the named after a creepy exhibit in the Pitt throttle, and start indulging in fraught, Rivers – there must have already been a wordy ballads that sound like Counting band called Shrunken Heads Are Bare Cool Crows, we lose interest drastically. Come – but their lyrics, concerning topics such on, guys, stay irate: why not tape a picture as interstellar dark matter and autumnal of the MP for Witney to the backs of your ambience could have been swiped from The instruments? Boys’ Big Book Of Science and I-Spy The The Graceful Slicks aren’t a band who look Undergrowth. Spread a little wide-eyed, as though they notice politics. Or anything mild psychedelia over friendly three chord since 1968. Their early gigs were good, but jaunts in the manner of Robyn Hitchcock – prone to slip into tired Brit-pop grooves or or even their chum Anton Barbeau – and the Black Rebel self-consciousness, but now effect is winning in the extreme. It’s great they’ve uncovered the true elixir of sloppy to see Matt Sewell, a strong writer who’s psych garage in the spirit of Sky Saxon, never quite delivered live, finally find a The Velvet Underground, or The Morlocks, rhythm section that can make these songs and are wonderful. breathe. Charming stuff, if you’ll forgive All their songs are identical, thrashing the pun. a multi-guitar groove relentlessly whilst The Hawkshurst aren’t charming. vocals mutate from murmur to howl: they They’re angry. Angry, political and into change instruments and mic duties after danceable folk, in a mid-80s antagonistic each track, but it always sounds the same. hoedown, unsure whether to neck some It will always sound the same. Life is a cider or start a riot. They’re definitely at myth, space is an illusion, and time one their best channelling their rage, Fleur livid final flame. Until it’s time to get the Fatale’s warm yet strident vocals trading bus home, anyway. haranguing licks with John West’s pipes, David Murphy

ALPHABET BACKWARDS / WE AERONAUTS / THE YARNS O2 Academy Without wishing to reduce the whole scene the mix, but nonetheless it’s an impressive to one lazy stereotype, Oxford does have set. a tendency toward producing miserable By the time Alphabet Backwards take music. This isn’t necessarily a flaw; as to the stage, to the earnest vocals of fan a rule, the depressing stuff is generally favourite ‘Blink of An Eye’, the room is better. After all, who in their right mind packed, and the crowd animated. They would pick Rick Astley over Radiohead launch into the jaunty piano-led new (for the sake of this analogy, let’s say single ‘Ladybird’ to huge applause, and that’s a fair comparison). Sometimes after a brief discussion about muesli though, you just need a break from all the (apparently Co-op does a good blend) wailing. Enter Alphabet Backwards, whose comes the wistful ‘Big Top’, from last at THE JERICHO TAVERN decidedly upbeat melodies have been year’s ‘British Explorer’ EP. Though a 56 WALTON STREET, OXFORD, OX2 6AE cheering up the dejected masses of Oxford good amount of the album is made up of (and beyond) since 2008. Tonight’s ‘Little songs that have been previously released 01865 311775 Victories’ album launch is their biggest as singles or EPs, there’s a smattering Oxford gig to date, and – something of of entirely new material, including the a milestone for any local band breaking idiosyncratic ‘Panda Eyes’, and bass driven, October out of the scene – they’re headlining the tongue-in-cheek ‘Lipshakes’. Though 1st CASSIE TAYLOR & SOUL Academy. the new stuff goes down well, the best There’s a good sized crowd already in reactions of the night go to the established CAVALRY (feat. Jack Moore) (USA) position for openers The Yarns, whose favourites – the massive synth of ‘Elton th trumpet-infused triumphant folk rock, John’, accomplished harmonies of ‘Plastic’, 8 NORTHSYDE (UK) complete with literate vocals and confident and effervescent choruses in ‘80s Pop 15th BABAJACK / DES BARKUS & yet understated rhythm section, sets the Video’. The set concludes with ‘Taller’, tone of the night admirably. accompanied by a string section and mass DAN BRANIGAN (UK) Next up We Aeronauts, who tonight, a far crowd sing-along. nd cry from the pretty acoustic folk of their Though it’s often their fun, upbeat 22 ROADHOUSE (UK) earlier material, are fully electric, with disposition that people focus on with th six different instrumentalists building up Alphabet Backwards, their foundations lie 29 KENT DUCHAINE (USA) multifaceted layers of sound, which drop in a bunch of brilliantly written, expertly and crescendo, seamlessly underpinning arranged songs, and as such, they deserve to Check our website for info gigs, photos etc frontwoman Anna’s compelling vocals. The be taken as seriously as any whiny Oxford sound levels are slightly off, and as a result, alt-folk band. www.famousmondayblues.co.uk some of the more intricate parts get lost in Caroline Corke photo: Colin May LIVE BUNKFEST ELEVEN Wallingford Part music event, part family greeted with universalacclaim. event, part town community event, On Sunday a Bunkfest coup Bunkfest keeps on growing and brings the Warsaw Village Band developing. all the way from, well, Warsaw As well as two and a half days to Wallingford for a one off gig of folk and roots gigs from over of what their leader calls “pagan 60 singers and bands and dance Polish traditional music,” enhanced displays from over 30 dance teams, with nicely understated trance and this year’s Bunkfest, the eleventh, electronica influences. While the presents music on steam trains and high-pitched singing-cum-chanting costume and a horse’s head, are not the tea and coffee tent when it got river boats, story telling, a children’s from the frontline three female your usual folk festival band and chillier and for an energy boost, Mr Bunkfest, a late night club, expanded vocalists, who also played fiddles whose main asset is hyperactivity, Alexander’s Travelling Unicycle and food and craft fairs, a community and dulcimer, lack variety, it’s still and who start by asking “Are you magic show, reported by friends to be street fair, workshops and of course mesmeric and meshes well with the ready to get wasted?” which tells you brilliant. And finally the bravery of two a beer festival. percussion and double bass backline. all you need to know. young singers on stage after midnight They easily win over the audience with only a ukulele between them and The event takes over the entire and in a new twist to the dreaded Other little Bunkfest gems: the the beery crowd at the late night club. town for the weekend, especially on audience participation get seemingly natural amphitheatre of The Cross Saturday with the community street everyone doing wolf howls at the Keys garden stage make it a favourite The eleventh edition of Bunkfest fair occupying the market square. moon. to relax with a pint, listening to shows it must now be up there with The main stage and much else music; probably the best chips in the best of Oxfordshire’s festivals and happens outdoors on the green space Highlight of the under card is the Oxfordshire from the fish and chip that it should be cherished as much of the Kinecroft nearby to the town opportunity to see gentle psych-folk van parked outside The Cross Keys; as any of them. Bunkfest is back centre, with most of the other gigs in veterans from the early 70s, Heron. the Thames Bus Company who again next year, no early bird ticket close by pubs and social clubs, plus, Known for recording their first album magic up an overflow bus to get the necessary. Isn’t that a marvel. for one afternoon, the foyer of the in a Berkshire field, and a paired long bus queue back home very late Corn Exchange Cinema and Theatre. down acoustic sound, harmonies on Saturday; spiced chai from Colin May Remarkably again this year all the and melancholy lyrics which had gigs and nearly all entertainment them sometimes bracketed with is free. This, plus warm sunshine Nick Drake, their musical style now on Saturday, helps Bunkfest attract is as then except for jazz influences possibly 20,000 people over the being more noticeable. Their music weekend with Saturday maybe the is best suited to late at night in more busiest ever day. Yet even when intimate surroundings, but the rare space is squeezed and when the sighting of this almost mythic band is beer tent is almost drunk dry, it an event, and for some the highlight continues to enjoy a friendly, relaxed, of this year. jovial and hassle-free community atmosphere. Of the other 55-plus bands and The general level of enjoyment singers, if you are doing the full goes up several more levels with weekend it’s helpful to have a the outstanding gigs under the night high tolerance level for singer- sky from each of the festival’s three songwriters, especially as most play headline bands. On Friday, it’s roots several gigs during the fest. reggae folk veterans Edward II, However, one I shall look out for reformed again after a three-year again is Jon Harvison, folk club break. circuit regular but new to me whom Starting with ‘People Get Ready’, I caught on his fourth or fifth gig of the words of which must make it a the weekend, still going strong and contender for best set opener ever, who has a fine song about dementia and led by the still charismatic Glen in his bag, which must make him no Latouche’s smooth vocals, alongside ordinary singer songwriter. Simon Care on melodeon, they’re Jody Wyatt is also lodged in the right on the money from the start memory for taking on ‘All Along in a set that never dips and includes The Watchtower’ and coming out favourites ‘Dashin’ Away’ and ‘Night on top. Three very different bands Nurse’. also caught the eye and ear. The On Saturday fellow veterans The Andy Raven Band because of Oyster Band play in their full-on songs so into politics; Swing ‘Em roots rock style, yet with plenty of Fair who make listening to arcane variety for what might have been the instruments playing 17th Century biggest ever Bunkfest gig crowd. tunes entertaining and enjoyable, ‘When I’m Up I Can’t Get Down’ and youthful ska folk punk outfit and ‘Bury Me Standing Up’ are just Will Tun and the Wasters, who two of the highlights from a set that’s with appearances from a crocodile DR SHOTOVER: Donor Kebabs Tory Donor Kebabs were all the rage for a bit, weren’t they? Give a whopping super-donation to the Party and you could have a slap-up dinner with His Ham-ship. Clearly a mixed blessing, even for the most dyed-in- the-wool Monday Clubber – imagine the potential outbreak of projectile vomiting on getting a close-up view of the shiny Cameron jowls chomping away on grouse and woodcock. (No, Lewinsky, WOODcock). Cash for access? Cash for excess, more like. Now, vile as this sort of thing is, we live in recessionary times, and fund-raising is always on our minds here at the East Indies Club. Not that we would in any way align ourselves with the sad deluded scum at Conservative HQ… but we are seriously considering setting up a similar arrangement involving members of the Oxford Music Scene. For, say, 500 guineas you could sit round a noisy pub table with Radiohead, sharing jokes, beers and burgers with “the guys”, and maybe the odd game of darts or shove-ha’penny; 200 guineas would get you a OCTOBER slap-up meal at Browns with The Candyskins - with a side-serving of Alka Seltzer for the next morning. 100 guineas? A serious post-rock dinner Every Tuesday with Listing Ships, perhaps, or a tweedy psychedelic knees-up with The Relationships (dress code: paisley miniskirts for the ladies and shiny THE OXFORD JAZZ CLUB waistcoats, gentlemen, please). Tariffs have yet to be fixed for Half Rabbits Free live jazz plus DJs playing r’n’b, funk and soul until 2am and Little Fish. On the menu, that is. In the meantime, allow me to get the nd 2 HEAVY DEXTERS ball rolling… if you buy me a Very Large Tiffin on the rocks, I will sit with 9th / 23rd NEW JAZZ COLLECTIVE you at the bar 16th ALISON BENTLEY for at least 15 th minutes and 30 THE HUGH TURNER BAND delight you with my anecdotes Thursdays about the th good old days, 4 It’s All About Music presents MOGMATIC / DAMN hats I have VANDALS / ARTCLASSSINK worn, colonic 11th It’s All About Music presents JANE LIKES BOOKS / irrigations I have THE MECHANISMS / DIRECTORS OF SPACE enjoyed etc th etc…. Hang on 18 The Divine Schism presents ECHO LAKE / GRUDLE – WHERE ARE BAY / BILLY TRIVERS YOU GOING? 25th It’s All About Music Acoustic Club with LEWIS Harrumph. NEWCOMBE-JONES / STUART NOHA / TOM IVEY / Next Month: Colonial The Annual Blessing Force Sponsors’ Dinner GEMMA MOSS / NIKKI LOY / SHARANG SHARMA Irrigation gets off to a good start… Every Friday

FUNKY FRIDAY Wednesday 3rd October Funk, soul, boogie, house and R&B. 11pm-2.30am; £3.

CAVALCADES 8pm/£5 Early Friday shows Friday 5th October 5th ZANADU / COLOUR CHANGE FOR CAMOUFLAGE / ELA MARTINI DEAD GIRL PARK + BEAVER FUEL 8pm/£5 th 12th 1000 MILE HIGHWAY / ADY DAVEY / AGS Saturday 6 October CONNOLLY GURT + PROFANE THE SACRED + EMPIRE DIVIDED 8pm/£5 Saturday 13th October Saturdays 6th SONIC – launch night – underground house and electro THE MIGHTY REDOX + MARY’S GARDEN + THE EMPTY VESSELS 8pm/£5 with SOUTHPAW / SYSTOLY / LUCID. 10-3am; £5 adv Sunday 14th October 13th WHY? Followed by SIMPLE – house & techno. 10-4am th 20 GATHERING BLACK SKIES BURN + FRAGMENT + BERSIKER 8pm/£4 Tuesday 16th October 27th SELECTA – Drum’n’bass. 8pm/£8 Wednesday 17th October Sundays th 8pm/£5 7 TUNG FU – rap night with AIKZ / DEATH OF HI-FI / Friday 19th October RAWZ / MANNYO / HALF DECENT. th + TENTH LISTEN + SHARDS 8pm/£5 14 BLUES Saturday 20th October 21st RED CEILIDH TORN LIKE COLOURS 8pm/£5 th 28 CHURCH OF THE HEAVY with KOMRAD / Tuesday 23rd October K-LACURA / ANNERO / MASIRO + GROAN + MOTHER CORONA 8pm/£5 Friday 26th October Coming up in November... + GO ROMANO + VIENNA DITO 8pm/£5 th Thursday 1st FLIPRON (live ska); Saturday 3rd DAVID RODIGAN Saturday 27 October (£10adv); Sunday 4th LARRY McCRAY (live blues from the USA) + ONE MAN TEAM DANCE + LEWIS NEWCOMBE 8pm/£4.50 Saturday 24th 2 BLIND MICE; Monday 26th MATT SCHOFIELD The Wheatsheaf, 129 High Street, Oxford, OX1 4DF [email protected] / www.facebook.com/wheatsheaf.oxford Advanced Tickets @ www.wegottickets.com INTRODUCING.... Nightshift’s monthly guide to the best local music bubbling under Glass Animals Who are they? Oxford quartet Glass Animals are David Bayley (vocals and guitar); Drew MacFarlane (backing vocals, synths); Edmund Irwin Singer (synths, bass), and Jo Seaward (drums). They all grew up in Oxford together but started making music together while they were at university. Live shows have been relatively infrequent and low-key but the band scored a Nightshift Demo Of The Month as far back as April 2010 before signing to XL imprint Kaya Kaya and retreating into the studio to record their debut EP, `Leaflings’, which was released last month. Since the EP was released they’ve been picking up radio play and enthusiastic reviews, including over in the States. They play a hometown in a tin of sardines in a Scandinavian sauna.” show this month as part of Gathering Festival on Saturday 20th October. And the lowlight: What do they sound like? “There really haven’t been any lowlights yet. We ain’t been doing it long, `Leaflings’ is spooked, trippy and ambient but breathlessly soulful rather though. Maybe that’s one for the battle hardened veterans to answer. We’re than glitchy. Glass Animals manage to create a smoky jazz club ambience still young, naive and smiling.” out of electronic instruments, merging elements of woozy psychedelia with Their favourite other Oxfordshire band is: trip-hop, drone-rock and minimalist electronic. In their own words, they “Foals: so good live.” are making “the soundtrack in our heads when adventuring through a forest If they could only keep one album, it would be: at night. Kinda eerie ambient electronics, mixed in with organic sounds – “Radiohead - `In Rainbows’.” enough so it makes sense in a wood, so the badgers dig it.” When is their next gig and what can newcomers expect? What inspires them? “Gathering on the 20th October. Hopefully it’ll be a bonanza.” “We all love nature. Having a studio surrounded by squirrels and field mice Their favourite and least favourite things about Oxford music are: is great. We walk past their homes every morning; they’re really friendly “Oxford has lots of cool things going on musically. It’s really bubbling at neighbours. There is also a really handsome fox who lives in the hedge the moment. There is definitely a buzz from outsiders looking in. The only next door. He’s eyeing up the chickens whose pen is just around the corner. sad thing is that The Zodiac got lost. Someone needs to go find it pronto.” We’re keeping tabs on him though, so they’ll be okay.” You might love them if you love: Career highlight so far: Radiohead; Anthony & The Johnsons; Pink Floyd; Tanlines; Wild Swim. “There’s been a few. Our EP launch in London was amazing fun. It was Hear them here: packed out, which was pretty special. It was hot in there though, like being glass-animals.tumblr.com

THIS MONTH IN OXFORD ALL OUR YESTERDAYS MUSIC HISTORY 20 YEARS AGO 10 YEARS AGO 5 YEARS AGO “I hate you, you complete bastard.” Such was the While Supergrass were the featured band in Youthmovies glowered moodily from the cover delightful opening gambit from Curfew magazine’s October 2002’s Nightshift, talking about the release of October 2007’s Nightshift, the second time interview with psychotic local grunge darlings of `Life On Other Planets’, their fourth studio they had graced the cover. The band, prolific as Squid, who graced the front cover in October album, (“There are points during the recording of all ever, had numerous releases coming out, notably a 1992, while hanging upside down from some local our albums where I think I’m going to have a heart collaboration with American poet Adam Gnade, railings. Singer Matt was a bit miffed to learn that attack through stress,” declared Mickey Quinn), the who was set to join them at their headline show the interviewer has been to see Jane’s Addiction, his lead news story this month concerned the state of at the Zodiac this month. With typical modesty favourite band, before they split up, hence his slight The Pub Oxford on The Plain. Previously home to Youthmovies denied they were Oxford’s most outburst. Squid were also Curfew’s Demo Of The the legendary Point venue, a year after the venue’s influential band, despite having helped inspired Month that issue, having been given £500 by East forced closure, the room was still standing idle, everyone from Foals and Jonquil to This Town West Records to go into the studio – no small sum while the manager declared the pub’s takings had Needs Guns and plenty more besides – an influence for an unknown band back then. They were also fallen dramatically, giving lie to Six Continents’ they still exert on Oxford acts of a more esoteric being courted by LA-based label Katalina, who, previous claims that the live music venue was bad nature. Back then they’d just played ATP, signed an like many local fans, had fallen for their effusive for trade. The company was also responsible for album deal with Drowned In Sound and appeared blend of Smashing Pumpkins, Buffalo Tom and ending the Famous Monday Blues’ tenure at the at three Carling Weekend Festivals. A five-week Teenage Fanclub and their legendarily raucous live Fuggle & Firkin, making them pariahs as far as UK tour was due to kick off and plans were in the shows. They also talked about recording with Alan Oxford gig goers were concerned. pipeline for a Japanese tour. Titchmarsh and partying with Frank Bough and In other local news Nightshift was set to celebrate In local music news Supergrass’s homecoming wearing pants that were too small. Most of which another great year in local music with a show show at the newly-opened O2 was cancelled after they’d made up. Bands, eh? at the Zodiac featuring South Sea Company bassist Mickey broke two vertebrae during a fall in In other local music news, the mighty Radiohead Prospectus, The Young Knives, Ivy’s Itch and France. Thankfully he was to make a full recovery. had filmed the video for their new single, `Creep’, Psychid. Elsewhere on the local gig calendar were Longstanding local favourites The Thieves, who at the Oxford Venue and promptly donated Oceansize, Danko Jones and Puressence. had been living and touring in the States for the all the door takings to Curfew to keep it afloat. Over in the demo pages, Ivy’s Itch topped the previous few years, announced they were to split, Chaps. The show was reviewed more than a little pile for “wearing a pretty floral frock and smiling and The Epstein, Young Knives, Headcount and enthusiastically in the mag, declaring that “the like butter wouldn’t melt in their mouth, before This Town Needs Guns all had new CDs out. whole set blazed with fire.” turning on a sixpence and shoving a hand grenade Editors, Harold Budd, Seth Lakeman, Seasick Coming to town this month were two of the down your pants.” At the other end of the room Steve, Kate Nash and Super Furry Animals greatest live bands we’ve ever had the privilege Echo Royal were “Shouty funk-metal – our were among the big names coming to town; to witness: Th’Faith Healers and The God favourite.” Their declaration that they were “The noisemongers supreme Xmas Lights topped the Machine, both at the Jericho Tavern, while local bastard offspring of Curtis Mayfield and The demo pile, while InLight were dumped for their acts treading the boards included The Bigger The Stones,” which we thought was less accurate than “soulless MOR rock” that made us want to “hurl God, Damage, The Daisies and a headline show “A thoroughly unpleasant hybrid of The Cult and the singer across the room like a twee porcelain from The Candyskins at the Venue. Jamiroquai.” We also said, “Get out and stay out.” ornament and hope he breaks into tiny pieces.” DEMOS Sponsored by Demo of the Month wins a free half day at Silver Street Studios in Reading, courtesy of Trojan Horse Recordings. Visit www. trojanhorserecordings.co.uk

Offensive’s delicate alt.rocking, while DEMO OF `Faroe Islands’ is more wistful and reflective still, conjuring an engaging ambience before `Retreat’ closes with its haunting THE MONTH atonal piano and lo-fi crackle. Plenty if promise then and hopefully the band name 1877 is an indicator of their potential for musical We’ve been here before and enjoyed courage and adventure in the future. ourselves – not the actual year 1877 obviously, but this band. They’re from Aylesbury so maybe it’s a bit of a cheat EAT. LOVE. SING! giving them Demo Of The Month, but The name suggests one of those irritatingly they damn well deserve it and anyway, we prolific Facebook types whose wacky photos like Aylesbury cos it’s near Haddenham or posts of cod-spiritual wisdom tend to get and St Tiggywinkle’s animal hospital is in shared on a seemingly hourly basis by the Haddenham. They mend hedgehogs there. more puncheable of your FB `friends’. Get And badgers. And foxes. And, yeah, well, past that less than promising start and this is you get the picture. But anyway, 1877; this quite lovely, almost entirely due to a singer is bloody great, this. There’s two tracks called Luci, whose surname isn’t revealed, here; the lead one is called `Videophobia’ but whose musical partner is Sean Hodgson and it’s eight and half minutes long and is from the excellent From The Ladder Factory built from strips of rigid, steely melancholy podcast. He strums acoustic guitar and and buckets of tangible tension. Initially chants backing vocals, the latter of which it’s Autobahn’ by way of Joy Division, all become an unnecessary distraction after a motorik rhythms and desperate, hollowed- while, since Luci’s voice is a wonderfully out vocals and urgent electronic beats. The limpid affair, soft like cat fur and completely Chameleons pop in at some point to add unaffected. The one song here, `American to the general air of pensive moodiness, Hero’, is about American troops returning but by the end we’re reminded more of home injured, physically and mentally, and iLiketrains’ extended gothic trippiness, the in lesser hands it might be trite or overly band eschewing clichéd crescendo for a worthy but Luci sings it with such sweetness bleaker conclusion, fading out like a hazy, it could be about unicorns and pixies and half-remembered dream. `Icebergs’ can’t it’d sound just as sad and lovely. equal that. It is, predictably given its title, a chillier affair, shimmering trebly guitars, funereal beats and heavily Vocodered FRAGMENT vocals creating a mood piece that doesn’t So unreadable is this band’s none-more- really have a central tune to call its own metal font logo, we spent the first song but probably doesn’t need one since it’s so convinced they were called Fragrant, moody you’d never dare point such failings which would be a fantastic name for a out. Mighty stuff. hardcore death metal band. They even have a Hieronymus Bosch painting on their CD sleeve to prove their hellish credentials and songs with titles like `I’ll Watch You Rot’ TIGER TAMERS and `Stygian Abyss’ and `Two Thousand Some serious quality around in the demo Years Of Pain’. And of course they have pile this month and Tiger Tamers, a name double bass drum salvos and endlessly previously unknown to Nightshift, sound churning riffs and a singer who sounds like a band we’re going to enjoy keeping like an ogre what just stubbed his toe on an eye on in months to come if this demo a pile of human bones, and it crawls and is anything to go on. Like 1877 they’re a sprawls, churns and hellburns across a moody bunch, `Denmark’ arriving on a plateau of evil-sounding METUL that visits gloomy overture with a rugged beachcomber Napalm Death and Cannibal Corpse and vibe, all mournful piano and echoes of both Gojira, making occasional diversions into Stornoway and King Creosote before the something less extreme to let in a bit of wide-eyed, slightly plaintive vocals arrive, light, but not too much and not for long. taking the song to the more emotive side Maybe it adds little to an already crowded of modern shoegaze. It feels intimate yet genre but it growls and grumbles with widescreen and ambitious, its finale perhaps suitably vile style and would surely wreck predictably intense but well reined in. A your home and eat your neighbours just for good start. What follows is more mixed but the hell of it, so we love it obviously. always interesting: `Old Fur’ sounds like it’s trying too hard to attain the atmosphere and intensity that `Denmark’ managed seemingly ASHER DUST effortlessly. `Paper Cranes’ is folkier, closer As with pretty much everything Asher Dust to The Waterboys but with nods to Spring does these days, this is probably deserving of Demo Of The Month status, but the man red hot rock guitar. They are irresistible.” is up against stiff competition this time At least one of these statements is a wild round and anyway, since this latest offering exaggeration, while another is a downright is the fruits of his time in the studio with fib – can you guess which ones? So anyway, Umair Chaudhry that he won by coming top trusting types that we are, we’re sitting here last time, it’s probably best we give others fervently anticipating a high-octane musical a chance, eh? It feels like a bit of a hurried equivalent of triple chocolate fudge cake, affair truth be told, and AJ himself admits, crack cocaine and Natalie Portman in that “not everything works, as you will hear.” scene from V For Vendetta when she had The dedication to “pop hooks with fucked her head shaved so you could see just how up musical ideas” persists though and the utterly gorgeous and, well, irresistible she is. best tracks here are, as ever, a joy. `Tender What we actually get dumped in our lap is Pieces’, for example, an almost maniacal more like a cross between Garibaldi biscuits, 01865 240250 melange of Latino disco, swimming Tesco own brand cold and flu remedy and psychedelia, sci-fi electro craziness, a Julie Goodyear without her make-up on. 200MPH electro skitter and wacked-out For a few brief moments Red Axe Jam soul crooning, everything chucked in might be Arctic Monkeys with all their snap, the pot, the resulting mad fun a suitably crackle and pop filleted and replaced with messy affair. Elsewhere `Zodiac Signoff’ all the collected gas from a barrel of Fosters sounds like a deliberately malfunctioning lager, so bloated and inconsequential are android skank and `Shall I Name Names’ they. Ultimately they’re really too bland to mines industrial drum&bass. The thumping be truly offensive, but talking of rubbish ragamuffin scurry of `Flaming Hell’ doesn’t biscuits.... so much find the demo running out of steam as settling into a more steady pace. Asher Dust’s trademark style of shovelling THE DEMO everything and a bit more into the mix and hoping the resulting three and a bit minutes doesn’t burst under the strain will always DUMPER produce uneven, often idiosyncratic music, but when you consider the sensible, staid THE BOURBONS alternatives below, ain’t that really the best Yeah, yeah, they’re probably named after .co.uk way? the cranium-melting liquor not the cheapo TURAN AUDIO Professional, independent CD mastering chocolate-substitute accompaniment to a cup of weak tea down the local blood donor Artists mastered in the studio last month include; NIKKI NOODLES centre, but The Bourbons are still rubbish. THE OSMONDS, OUR KRYPTON SON, HELMET, THE & HELEN They were rubbish last time and they haven’t SCHOLARS, CO PILGRIM, N JAY, G SOUL, DAVID got any better. In fact, what in fuckery are CASSIDY, GIRLSCHOOL, THE REVERSE, THE DREAMING SANDERSON- you lot doing back here after we kicked SPIRES, BUMPSHKIN, BON JOVI, VISION OF DISORDER, your sorry retro soft rock arses out of the WINTERFYLLETH, NATHAN MAJOR, NEW WORLD, THE WHITE building a couple of months back? It’s not as EPSTEIN, THE CRAMATICS, TWISTED STATE OF MIND, There’s a perfectly reasonable argument – if you’ve changed or progressed or anything. SANGUINE HUM, ANDREW PEARSE, MACAMU. before you even hear the music – for anyone Maybe you’re gluttons for punishment, but calling themselves Nikki Noodles to be sat here faced with another of your demos, boiled alive with a sachet of chilli sauce it’s us doing the real suffering. Two songs 01865 716466 [email protected] for company. Nikki is a dance producer here: `Flavour’ is `Walk This Way’ with its and, like so many of her contemporaries, tune metaphorically replaced by a drawing she seems to have swallowed the Big Book of a rudimentary penis, all Aerosmith riffage, THE COURTYARD STUDIO Of Sounding Exactly Like David Guetta. Chili Peppers funk twang and characterless So instead of a madbastard gabba frenzy, soft rock hollering. Instead of kicking out PROTOOLS HD2, MTA 980 CONSOLE 32/24/24, `Insane’ is lightweight Eurohouse topped the jams it chugs along with a heap of macho OTARI MTR90 MK2 24 TRACK TAPE MACHINE, by a lightweight Kylie-style vocal from (but permed) posturing in place of actual 2 TRACKING ROOMS, SUPERB CONTROL ROOM (we presume) Helen Sanderson-White with talent. But at least it’s marginally better WITH GOOD SELECTION OF MICS & OUTBOARD a noticeable lack of welly, oomph or even than their acoustic number, `Shining Away’, GEAR + MIDI FACILITIES (Inc LOGIC AUDIO, AKAI wahey, sounding flat and characterless as it which isn’t even able to hide behind the funks and squelches its way unconvincingly bluster of `Flavour’. It truly is a wretched S1000, OLD SKOOL ROLAND etc.) along. There’s a more than a trace of affair, amply demonstrating that the singer Faithless in `Leaving Me’, and `Ricochet’ really can’t. Sing, that is. It ambles and Residential facilities included. mixes up a lightweight 70s funk groove with strums with little soul or conviction, just the www.courtyardrecordings.com a 90s disco vibe, but since it rarely sounds feeling there is a noise of some sort coming PHONE PIPPA FOR DETAILS on 01235 845800 like it’s interested enough to get the party out of the speakers. One that sounds like the started, we wonder why any dancefloor terminal ward of the local vets as it becomes would want to follow it. increasingly desperate and overwrought. “Let it shine, like a star-ee-eye-ee” wails the singer, as he shakes his tambourine like a RED AXE JAM right fey old fucker and we vow to hunt him Red Axe Jam’s accompanying blurb down and shove said jingly jangly object up describes them as “A blues-rock influenced his rectum. At least then he’d have an excuse band. Theatrical stylings crossed with for sounding in so much pain.

Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU, or email links to [email protected], clearly marked Demos. IMPORTANT: no review without a contact address and phone number; no more than four tracks on a demo please. If you can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo. Thurs 11th Oct • £16.50 adv Sat 27th Oct • £12.50 adv Sat 17th Nov • £13 adv EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT 7pm - 10pm £5 adv Cockney Rejects Gaz Coombes 10pm - 2am • over 18s only The Wedding Present Fri 12th Oct • £15 adv Mon 29th Oct • £22.50 adv Performing ‘Seamonsters’ in full 10.30pm - 3am • over 18s only World Party Jaguar Skills & Sat 17th Nov • £6 adv His Amazing Friends Tues 30th Oct • £10 adv 7pm - 10pm + Adam F + Calvertron + DJ@War Little Comets + General Fiasco Upstairs ft. Chew Lips in association with BBC Introducing Fri 12th Oct • £12 adv Weds 31st Oct • £16.50 adv T.Rextasy 7pm - 10pm Sun 18th Nov • £18 adv Owl City Gong Sat 13th Oct • £19.50 adv EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT 7pm - 10pm Thurs 1st Nov • £24.50 adv Weds 21st Nov • £8 adv £5 adv / NUS / members, £4 NHS 10.30pm - 3am • over 18s only Julian Cope The Proclaimers + Blue Flint Gentlemans Dub Club + Anton Barbeau Thurs 1st Nov • £9 adv Thurs 22nd Nov • £5 adv Sat 13th Oct • £5 adv Katzenjammer Dance a la Plage 10.30pm • over 18s only + John Wean + Yellow Fever Propaganda Fri 2nd Nov • £20 adv + Northmoor 7pm - 10pm Trashy & Jack FM , The Cocktail Bar, Heaven 17 The Luxury Gap Tour Fri 23rd Nov • £11 adv ft. The Subways Live 7pm - 10pm Fri 2nd Nov The Rifles (Acoustic) Sun 14th Oct • £8.50 adv 7pm - 10pm Submotion Orchestra ∆ Alt-J Sat 24th Nov • £7 adv + Zyklon Sound Skeletor Fri 2nd Nov • £11 adv Mon 15th Oct • £20 adv 10pm - 4am • over 18s only Mon 26th Nov Marina and the Diamonds Annie Mac (BBC R1) Frank Turner & Mon 1st Oct • £11.50 adv + Foxes + Copy Paste Soul, Emily Williams, James Weston Room 2: Hosted by Simple The Sleeping Souls Aiden Grimshaw Tues 16th Oct • £7 adv + Tim Barr + Jim Lockley & the Solemn Sun Tues 2nd Oct • £12.50 adv Life In Film + My Grey Horse Sat 3rd Nov • £16 adv 7pm - 10pm Tues 27th Nov • £8.50 adv Mayday Parade Weds 17th Oct • £16 adv Ska Cubano + Count Skylarkin Akala + Summer Set + Natives Scritti Politti Sun 4th Nov • £14 adv Thurs 29th Nov • £18 adv Weds 3rd Oct • £17.50 adv 7pm - 10pm Thurs 18th Oct • £8 adv Mystery Jets Alabama 3 Ben Montague The Enemy Tues 6th Nov • £25 adv Fri 30th Nov • £10 adv 7pm - 10pm Fri 5th Oct • £12.50 adv Fri 19th Oct • £7 adv Adam Ant & The Good The 7pm - 10pm Skeletor Mad & The Lovely Posse The Milk Flux Pavilion Sat 1st Dec • £11.50 adv Standing On A Hill Tour + Dillon Francis Fri 19th Oct • £12 adv Weds 7th Nov • £10 adv 7pm - 10pm 10pm - 3am • over 18s only 7pm - 10pm Netsky Live Fri 5th Oct • £7 adv Mr Scruff Pulled Apart By Horses 7pm - 10pm Keep It Unreal (5 hr Set) Sun 2nd Dec • £21.50 adv Kyla La Grange + Glass Animals Weds 7th Nov • £5 adv - Free with Club Class Sat 20th Oct • £15 adv 10pm - 2am • over 18s / students only The Saw Doctors Fri 5th Oct • £9 adv Brookes Big Night Out 11pm - 4am • over 18s only Gathering Festival Sun 2nd Dec • £8 adv ft. Dry the River, Spector, Liars, ft. Greg James plus Dub Focus (Room 2) Sam & The Womp Bedlam In Oxford Lucy Rose & Jake Bugg ft. Redlight + MC Dread Thurs 8th Nov • £12 adv Multi Venue Festival around Cowley Rd 7.30pm Thurs 6th Dec • £17.50 adv Sat 6th Oct www.gatheringfestival.co.uk Limehouse Lizzy For Those About to Rock 7pm - 10pm with Livewire AC/DC and ZZ Tops Azealia Banks Sun 21st Oct • £11 adv Fri 9th Nov • £12 adv Reckless Love 7pm - 10pm Tues 11th Dec • £18 adv Sat 6th Oct • £9 adv + Mallory Knox Mike Peters of The Alarm The Damned + Dickies 7pm - 10pm (Red Poppy Tour) Dan le Sac & Friends Mon 22nd Oct • £13 adv Thurs 13th Dec • £24 adv + Special Guest Merz Lianne La Havas Fri 9th Nov • £15 adv Orbital + Nathan Fake Punch Brothers Sat 6th Oct • £5 adv Tues 23rd Oct • £18 adv Fri 14th Dec • £12.50 adv 10.30pm • over 18s only The Cribs Sat 10th Nov • £10 adv 7pm - 10pm Electric Six Propaganda 10th Anniversary Tour, Trashy & Jack FM , The Cocktail Bar, Weds 24th Oct • £17.50 adv Complete Stone Roses 7pm - 10pm performing FIRE in its entirety ft.‘Vod’ from Fresh Meat (DJ set) Space Sun 11th Nov • £15 adv Sat 15th Dec • £7 adv Sun 7th Oct • £15 adv The Beat Skeletor The Selecter Thurs 25th Oct • £12.50 adv The Blackout Mon 12th Nov • £14 adv ft. Pauline Black Sun 16th Dec • £15 adv Noisettes 7pm - 10pm Fri 26th Oct • £15 adv Mon 8th Oct • £8 adv 11pm - 4am • over 18s only Dappy Tues 13th Nov • £14 adv Rescheduled from 28/9/12 • original tickets valid Turbowolf + Black Moth Hospitality The Revival Tour 2012 ft. Danny Byrd, London Elektricity, Fri 21st Dec • £8 adv Tues 9th Oct • £14 adv ft. Chuck Ragan, Jay Malinowski Camo & Krooked, Fred V & Grafix, 8pm - 12 midnight 10pm - 2am • over 18s only (Bedouin Soundclash), Cory Brana, Foreign Beggars Enei, Med School Rocky Votolat, Emily Barker The Original Rabbit Foot + True Tiger + UZ Fri 26th Oct • £12.50 adv Also featuring: Jon Gaunt (Fiddle) Spasm Band 7pm - 10pm & Joe Ginsberg (Bass) Christmas Knees-Up Weds 10th Oct • £5 adv - Free with Club Class Evile + Wolf ft. The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm 10pm - 2am • over 18s / students only Fri 16th Nov • £10 adv Band (Live), Count Skylarkin’ & more Brookes Big Night Out Sat 27th Oct • £18.50 adv Yashin ft. Lovable Rogues 7pm - 10pm + We Butter The Bread With Butter Fri 15th Feb 2013 • £10 adv plus Dub Focus (Room 2) Bowling For Soup + Shadows Chasing Ghosts + Azriel CASH Johnny Cash Tribute

Tickets for Saturday night shows include FREE ENTRY TO PROPAGANDA AND TRASHY (or £6, £5 NUS / members, £4 NHS on the door)

facebook.com/o2academyoxford 190 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1UE twitter.com/o2academyoxford Venue box office opening hours: Mon-Sat 12pm-5.30pm ticketweb.co.uk • wegottickets.com • seetickets.com • gigantic.com youtube.com/o2academytv