email: [email protected] website: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net Free every month. NIGHTSHIFT Issue 187 February Oxford’s Music Magazine 2011

Blessed are the chic JONQUILJONQUILJONQUIL Oxford’s pop mavericks on Blessing Force and overdue acclaim

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NEWNEWSS Nightshift: PO Box 312, Kidlington, OX5 1ZU Phone: 01865 372255 email: [email protected] Online: nightshift.oxfordmusic.net

TRUCK FESTIVAL TICKETS go on Rooms and the Castle complex. Visit sale exclusively from the new Truck www.oxfordfolkfestival.com for Store on Cowley Road at 6pm on updated news and ticket information. Thursday 10th February. This year’s festival takes place over the weekend KLUB KAKOFANNEY is set to of 22nd-14th July at Hill Farm in celebrate its 20th anniversary later Steventon. this year and hosts Phil and Sue are looking for any acts who have played FIXERS launch their new single, ‘Iron Deer Dream’, with a headline show CORNBURY FESTIVAL has had its the monthly club night to get in at the Bullingdon on Friday 25th February. The local quintet recently licence approved for this year’s touch for the chance to join in the signed to the legendary Vertigo imprint, home also to The Killers, event, which takes place at the new celebrations. The first ever Klub Noisettes and The Rapture, and the label that was previously home to location in the grounds of the Great Kakofanney took place in 1991 at Kraftwerk, Black Sabbath and Aphrodite’s Child in the 60s and 70s. An Tew Estate, near Charlbury. Keeping Ruskin College and featured live sets EP, apparently to be themed on the band’s fascination with UFO-based the name Cornbury Festival, from Tin Tin Tin, The Honkies and religions, is due later in the year. Fixers singer Jack Goldstein said he was organiser Hugh Phillimore has teamed Sue’s Blister. Bands can call 01865 “Enlightened” by the deal, adding, “we’ve found our Apollo ship and now up with 3A entertainment, promising 721277 or email we’re going to sail on a sea of scientology and smoked-out witchdances to more big name acts while keeping the [email protected]. uncharted waters. We are all incredibly excited, nervous and looking festival’s renowned family-friendly forward to a busy 2011”. ‘Iron Deer Dream’ is released on London-based atmosphere. This year’s event takes RICHARD WALTERS is set to indie label Young & Lost Club. Support for the Bullingdon show comes st rd place over the weekend of 1 -3 release his new album in April. from Sealings and Girl Sweat. July. Early bird tickets are due to go ‘Pacing’ is the follow-up to 2009’s on sale soon at ‘The Animal’ and sees Richard taking www.cornburyfestival.com. on a poppier, more electronic style. in the 1970s. The album is available Winkworthers Originals, The Speaking to Nightshift he hoped fans to download at Freemantle and Nairobi, plus an OXFORD FOLK FESTIVAL returns would like the new record, despite its refugeforhomelessprose.bandcamp.com/ open mic session in the upstairs bar. for the weekend of 15th-17th April change of musical style: “If I’m album/vol-1. Things kick off at 6pm. Any local promising more acts and venues than honest I found it tough to make, and bands wanting to play at the Regal in previous years. This year’s I have mixed feelings about the MARK CROZER has two of his old should email Katie Stevens at headline acts are award-winning duo recording experience, but I’m very solo albums re-released by Planting [email protected]. Spiers & Boden, traditional Irish folk proud of the record now its all done. Trees Records this month. ‘Shining supergroup Dervish and Ade I’ve started on recording the next Down On Me’ was originally released A NEW ELECTRONIC MUSIC Edmundson’s folk-punk outfit The one now, so that should be finished up in 1999, while ‘Unnatural World’ NIGHT starts at the Port Mahon in Bad Shepherds. Other acts confirmed in the next few months and hopefully came out in 2002. The Jesus & Mary March. Run by Jericho Tavern sound include Peatbog Faeries, Coope, out this year too, fingers crossed.” Chain guitarist and International engineer Andy and Tim from PMT, Boyes & Simpson, Hut People, Jetsetters frontman has a new solo the new club is looking for any Reverenzas, Mabon, The Shee, LEE CHRISTIAN FROM SMILEX EP out this month, with a new album laptop or electro-based acts to play. Magpie Lane, Torivaki and Karavei. and Richard Ramage of The to follow later in the spring. Email Tim at [email protected]. As well as live music from bands from Relationships have teamed up to around the UK and Europe, there will record a download album in aid of THE REGAL launches a new AS EVER, don’t forget to tune into be the usual array of workshops, Oxford homeless charity Oxhop. monthly local unsigned showcase BBC Oxford Introducing every parades, ceilidhs and family activities ‘Refuge For Homeless Prose Volume night this month. The launch night Saturday 6-7pm on 95.2fm. The taking place at Oxford Town Hall, St 1’ features music created by Lee and on Friday 18th February features local music show is also available as Michael’s Church, The Newman narratives by Richard that he wrote Matt Winkworth & The a podcast at bbc.co.uk/oxford.

COWLEY ROAD will get its own independent CD and record shop again the combination of a strong music scene and a large student population this month as Truck team up with Rapture in Witney to open a new mean there is surely a need for somewhere to buy offbeat and up-and- TRUCK STORE on the site of the old Videosyncratic store, which closed coming music, and for a hub of local music and culture. We intend the Truck down early last year. Store to be a destination as well as a shop. Time will tell whether it’s With the new shop set to sell Oxford releases alongside a wide range of sustainable; we believe it is and our test run during OX4, when we opened our stock, plans are to make it a new hub of the local music scene, with live sets guerrilla record store for three days and had the Magic Numbers play instore, planned instore. was very promising. We plan to construct a special stage area for instore Truck founder Robin Bennett and Rapture owner Gary Smith explained performances, to create that festival feeling. Of course, it will depend on the why they are undertaking such a welcome but risky venture. support of local people.” Robin: “We tend to do things because there’s something missing in the area Gary: “We did the OX4 mini-festival, which included a lot of workshops that we think would work - and Oxford is certainly missing an independent and gigs around the Cowley Road, and opened a shop as part of that just for record store. Although the mass closures of traditional record stores been one day. We had a really great response - lots of people were saying they much publicised, Rough Trade East has pointed the way for a different breed wished we were here permanently, so we said we would look into it. It is very of shop. Truck have always wanted a physical location of some kind, and exciting. We will be using our experience and contacts and relationships with we’ve always enjoyed working with the guys from Rapture on the record companies that we have built up with the two stores we have got. It is merchandise stall at our events. They were keen on the idea of trying an a real shame with Oxford’s musical history and legacy, and with the current Oxford store so we’re working on this together, along with Jon Spira who crop of bands based in and around the city, that there is no decent ran Videosyncratic; he’ll be stocking his comics in the store too. So, as well independent shop. It is a risk, but when we opened in Witney six years ago, as records and CDs you’ll be able to buy comics and Truck tickets and people said it was a risky business back then, but we are still going strong.” memorabilia too. “It seems crazy that, since Fopp, Polar Bear and Avid closed, HMV is the Truck opens early February. Local bands can email [email protected] only place in Oxford you can buy music. Although Oxford is a small city, to organise selling their releases, or drop into the store at 101 Cowley Road. JonquilJonquilJonquila quiet word with

very different drummer to Kit, so things have changed, although we are still in the early stages of writing new material with him for the album.”

‘ONE HUNDRED SUNS’ IS OUT IN THE States now; how different was the writing and recording process compared to ‘Lions’? “The process was very different; on Lions we wrote as we recorded, in Hugo’s bedroom, layer by layer, rarely all in the same place at the same time. It was all about experimenting with sound and textures rather than songwriting, I always think. On `One Hundred Suns’ we wrote every song together, in a practice room with the intent to create a fun, exciting live show. We always felt in the old days that our live show was a bit of a disappointment to people who had heard the records, as the subtleties and instrumentation were lost, and also that our records were a disappointment to people who had seen our rather loud, full-on live show. So our idea now is to create less of a blur between the two, but to be honest we are all such studio geeks that we always end up layering countless things on top when we’re recording.” What would you say are the main differences between the two records? Tracks like ‘Fighting “I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR A cause for celebration then, and judging by the Smiles’ and ‘Get Up’ on the new album sound far people to have a sense of community amongst mood of the new record, Jonquil have got in there more celebratory than the more wistful, questing your contemporaries, and so many artistic scenes early. Jonquil’s debut album, ‘Sunny Casinos’, moods of ‘Lions’. have evolved through this; it’s tried and tested. pretty much a solo project for Hugo after the “The differences to me are huge, the two records Blessing Force was simply us putting a name to disbanding of his old band The Modern, was sound like separate bands. The idea that every our own little community, and is never really bleached-out lo-fi psychedelia; its follow-up, track is actually a song on the new record rather intended as more than anything other than ‘Lions’, was a warm, folksy mood piece, full of than an idea or ditty stands out to me; we tried to something that we can all identify and unify with. longing and dreams of escape. But ‘One Hundred give everything structure and direction which I Suns’ finds the songs fuller, more rhythmic, think is a product of having written as a group. HUGO MANUEL, FOUNDER AND CENTRAL almost joyous in their upbeat vibe. The singing is also very different: more falsetto figure of Jonquil, is extolling the virtues of and more character. I suppose `Lions’ is the sound Blessing Force, the self-styled community of MUCH HAS CHANGED IN JONQUIL’S of a young band still finding their feet and taking musicians and artists brought together by mutual world since we last interviewed them in the wake their first steps, whereas `One Hundred Suns’ friendship and a desire for mutual help which has of ‘Lions” release. For starters, half of that line- sounds far more like a mature, fully-formed band.” lately catapulted Oxford’s music scene into the up has departed; Jody Prewett, Kit Monteith and Back in 2008 you said that ‘Lions’ was you trying national press in a way not seen since the mid- Ben Rimmer have formed Trophy Wife, leaving to be a pop band but not committing properly. Is 1990s. Double-page features in NME and regular singer and keyboard player Hugo to continue with ‘One Hundred Suns’ your full-fledged pop album? references everywhere from The Guardian to bassist and trumpeter Sam Scott and guitarist “We’ve certainly learned more about how to write numerous online blog sites have made Blessing Robin McDiarmid. The new Jonquil are a leaner, a pop song but full-fledged pop wasn’t the Force a serious talking point, but more more cohesive unit. Talking to Hugo, we wonder commitment either. It feels like a compilation of a importantly, helped introduce the bands involved first how the split affected the band. period of writing for the band because there was to a far wider audience than they might otherwise “They had been recording songs as Trophy Wife never a focused ‘this is all for a record’ mindset and have managed left to fend for themselves. The for a while before they left, and them leaving was some songs were written over a year apart. The likes of Trophy Wife, Pet Moon and Fixers are quite an easy decision for everyone; there are no next record will be more poppy still, but will being raved about in the press and courted by bad feelings. We all have other things going on hopefully convey a greater range, as we are writing record labels. And amid all the furore, Jonquil are and Jonquil is, in a way, quite a loose collective of as ‘an album’, from track one to the end.” finally getting the attention they have long since sorts, in that we don’t all play on every song, and There seem to be stronger influences from deserved. we use ourselves sparingly, but to each of our African, the Caribbean and South American music strengths. When it came to deciding how to do on the new album. How much have your IT’S SOME FOUR YEARS SINCE JONQUIL the band without them we never really had any influences, and what you’re listing to in general, were described by one Nightshift reviewer as “The other idea other than that we wanted to just changed in the past couple of years? Previously best band in Oxford”, and almost three years since replace Kit, so that we could size down, for you spoke enthusiastically about acts on Kranky we featured the band on the front cover. In musical and monetary reasons! Records, as well as the likes of Animal Collective different circumstances they could have faded “We called up our old friend Dom Hand, who we and Akron/Family. Is that stuff you still feel away, another cult local favourite to file next to knew from the band Great Eskimo Hoax, with inspired by? myriad others. But with this increased attention, whom we played loads of shows and it had just so “All of us have fairly rapidly changing taste in coinciding with the release of a new mini-album, happened that this coincided with Great Eskimo music. When we first started to change the sound `One Hundred Suns’, on New York-based indie Hoax breaking up, so it seemed like fate. Also of Jonquil I had become totally obsessed with label Dovecote Records, perhaps Jonquil’s time Andrew Halford from GEH now plays live with Soukous music from central Africa, and that also I really has come. Trophy Wife, so it all comes full circle. Dom is a think influenced a lot of Robin’s guitar lines as well as the rhythms and general celebratory style. The Futureheads and Ed Harcourt. They NO-ONE WHO HAS FOLLOWED THE Akron/Family were in fact a band that turned me approached us through hearing us fairly randomly, Oxford scene for the past few years can deny that on to African music, themselves having also as far as I know. It’s exciting for us because it Hugo fully deserves the attention he’s getting, both moved away from a folky sound to more worldy means a new frontier yet again for Jonquil as they with Jonquil and Chad Valley. Whether newcomers, sounds. Similarly with Animal Collective; these are are giving us an excuse to come over to The States. locally or nationally, can see past the Blessing bands that have moved in vaguely similar We are currently planning our trip to SXSW and Force tag matters little at the moment; its directions, and I think it shows how it is just we’ll have a couple of shows in New York with our existence is proving fruitful for all involved. Hugo natural for a band as independent as ourselves. friends Bombay Bicycle Club beforehand.” seems happy that the collective has worked so well Major label bands aren’t allowed to do what we for him, and while he’s not being over-confident have done, and I think that our past has become ALONGSIDE JONQUIL, HUGO ALSO HAS about the future, he seems hopeful that it will such an important part of what the band is now, his Chad Valley solo project, a more dance- continue to benefit all the acts involved. that we couldn’t exist if we hadn’t been this orientated act with heavy echoes of chilled-out “Of course we knew that by doing this we would experimental folk band in years gone-by.” Ibiza house and 80s-inspired summer pop. Was potentially get more exposure, because it makes there initially an attempt to incorporate what everything a little but more palpable and it is a THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STYLE AND you’re doing with Chad Valley into Jonquil’s sound little like spoon-feeding journalists, telling them mood of the new album is typical of Jonquil’s or did you always see it as a completely separate what to listen to. I know that you had some manner, a constantly shifting musical force; does entity? reservations about being part of a scene, and that Hugo think he is creatively restless; is there a “I have been a lifelong fan of a lot of dance music. it is a little like shooting yourself in the foot, but conscious desire to move things on, musically? One of the main reasons I started Chad Valley was these scenes always seem so much bigger in “For sure. Take influences all you want but always to get back into doing stuff on my own on the retrospect. It is nice to make things out to be endeavour to create something new. I would say computer since Jonquil had become more of a live- more important than they are, but in actual fact that we often think too fast, and get bored too based band. The influences are obviously the same they have little, or no affect on what happens to fast. We need to let our ideas sink in before we to a large extent, because it’s still me. But with your band. Lots of people don’t read NME or move on to new ones.” Chad Valley I’m more aware of the conventions of whatever blogs have featured us and I don’t think You’ve always been a band who have evaded any dance music, not that I adhere to them all the that it has any effect on people’s perception of us attempt to stick you in a genre or pigeonhole, and time. I realise that the two are not completely other than for them to maybe check out the been able to play alongside all manner of different removed, but I like it like this... it gives the fans other Blessing Force bands, which is the whole acts; is that important to you? more music to enjoy, after all.” idea! The best thing I’ve seen is people in other “We don’t want to play shows with bands that What happens next for Jonquil, and for Chad cities saying on Twitter ‘I’m going to start my sound just like us but it has been pretty tiring Valley? Do you do the year-long touring slog, or own Blessing Force in Cardiff...’ or wherever. I constantly playing with either folk outfits or are their more recordings to come? hope people do that.” fiddly math bands. For understandable reasons, “We are deep in the writing and recording of our these are only kinds of bands people seem to third full album for the Autumn, and getting ready ‘One Hundred Suns’ is out now on Dovecote associate us with, to a large extent.” for playing shows in the States for the first time, Records. Jonquil and Chad Valley play at the ‘One Million Suns’ is released on Dovecote, a label and some festivals. `One Hundred Suns’ was only Blessing Force weekender at the Old Bookbinders in the States. How did you hook up with them? meant as a taster for the album, and as a clearing- on Green Street over the weekend of 12th-13th “They are an indie label based in New York and the-slate for us. So when the album finally comes February. Visit www.myspace.com/jonquiluk to they release a few British bands over there, like around we’ll be doing a hell of a lot more touring.” hear tracks. RELEASED Sponsored by but our highspots are Alphabet Backwards’ VARIOUS ARTISTS ‘Collide’, whose dual vocals and tinny guitar sounds like two siblings singing along to their ‘Spires’ favourite pop song, recorded by holding a tape (free download compilation) player up to Top Of The Pops, and ‘Filofax’ by For the most part, twenty-first century culture Coloureds, a stutterjack dance track which is like leaves us enraged or mordantly amused, a fax machine mauling a ZX Spectrum to the provoking spittle-flecked rants that paint us as sound of Korean synth pop. some unholy cross between David Mitchell and Only Vixens, with their clunking off-the-peg Travis Bickle. But, when Aaron Delgado from indie rock and stodgily portentous TK Maxx Phantom Theory decides to get some of his goth vocals, let the side down. ‘The Hearts They favourite local acts together for a free download Cannot Love’? Nor these ears, son. It’s also a compilation celebrating Oxford music you’d have pity that Dial F For Frankenstein’s demise to say that this is what the internet age is all means that the record is already one step away about: the album is free, effortless, and was all from being a scene sampler, but ‘Thought Police’ round the world in the time it must have taken is a decent valediction, like a Mudhoney dirge the curators of the old `OXCD’ album to retooled for maximum amphetamine effect by investigate the cover printing costs. And what’s Spring Offensive’s sprawling epic, `The First Of The Only Ones. In some ways, the greatest more, it’s actually damned good too. Many Dreams About Monsters’, works in bijou tribute we could give Oxford music in 2011 is From the opening trio of tracks that could be edited segments. Also, Secret Rivals’ `It Would that we love this LP, but it’s not the compilation subtitled “the riff in Oxford”, there’s a pleasing Be Colder Here Without You’ is a lovely chirpy we’d put together, which only goes to show how variety to the selections, and there are even a few ditty with fluffy vocals which is like being on a many good bands are currently working in the eyebrow raisers for jaded Oxford cognoscenti – bouncy castle made of cappuccino froth, and city. And if you don’t like it? Well, it’s the 21st we were pleasantly surprised that The Winchell goes some way towards eradicating the effect of Century: there are lots and lots of other things Riots could ease off the bombast with the some woefully slipshod live sets. you could be doing. Pity they’re all shit, really. affecting `My Young Arms’, and gratified that Every listener will have their own favourites, David Murphy

Elsewhere, ‘Get Up’ comes across like a Jonsi overseeing a Take That reunion that came about JONQUIL track with all the glacial cool stripped out, as if when Robbie, Gary and the rest bonded over a ‘One Hundred Suns’ he’d spent more time in St. Lucia than giant spliff and a copy of Mercury Rev’s Reykjavik, and the space and building synth ‘Deserter’s Songs’. It’s got sleigh bells all over (Dovecote Records) burbles of ‘Sunday Night’ recall La Düsseldorf it, which in February feels slightly perverse, but Jonquil are, of course, one of that handful of flag- updated for 21st-century rural Oxfordshire. it makes you feel happy because you know that bearers whose endeavours in 2011 will mean ‘One Hundred Suns’ is interestingly poised – it next Christmas isn’t that far off and we’ve got a there’s a keen critical eye being cast on this city’s simultaneously does its own thing, without a glorious Californian-style summer of surf to music, so it’s fitting that they should kick off care in the world for whatever horrible 80s-tinged come in the meantime. Really, what’s not to proceedings with a mini-album that really electro-pop is doing the popular rounds right love? doesn’t sound like much else that’s out there – now, yet with its particular combination of And just to really keep you on your toes, their own prior output included. influences feels poised to make great waves this Fixers add the oddball ‘Egyptian Aberration’ as The hallmarks of the 2011 version of Jonquil are year. b-side, off on a completely different tack pretty straightforward: twinkly, high-end For once, I’m pleased to be able to say that I altogether, spaced-out Detroit techno by way arpeggios, reverb-drenched, hooky vocal lines could easily hear this being played in Topshop, of Future Sound Of London. Perverse you see. and splashy, capricious drum patterns. Their and not mean that as an insult. Brilliantly so. own definition of ‘tropical pop’, arch as it may Robert Hansen Dale Kattack seem, is pretty much on the money – it’s such undeniably summery music that to be listening to it on a freezing January evening just feels FIXERS misplaced. At their best, they’re somewhere between a more straightforward `Merriweather ‘Iron Deer Dream’ Post Pavilion’ Animal Collective and one of the Vampire Weekend crew of intellectual pop (Young & Lost Club) outfits wearing their Talking Heads influences February is way too early to be talking about proudly on their sleeve. At their worst, they can singles of the year, right? But why the hell not, still come across as insubstantial and overly eh? Fixers’ new single, for London indie label whimsical. I have an up-and-down relationship Young & Lost Club, is so awash with mad with opener ‘Fighting Smiles’ already. The ambition, you’ll be hard pressed to unearth opening synth melody is children’s-TV-theme- much else around that can match it. The vision annoying, but singer Hugo Manuel has such a that was all too apparent even in their early gigs way with vocal melodies that the song pulls here feels fully realised as the band trade multi- itself up into a joyous climax: the final run- part vocal harmonies over crashing, euphoric through of the chorus is a triumph. psychedelia, sounding like Brian Wilson THE ORIGINAL KOMRAD RABBIT FOOT SPASM ‘Cowley Necktie’ BAND (Own label) Featuring former-Suitable Case For Treatment ‘Year Of The Rabbit’ guitarist Jimmy Evil, Komrad are almost as (Own label) much of a square peg in a round hole as far as heavy rock goes, less dark and twisted Arriving wrapped in a yellowing page from a perhaps, but similarly convoluted and 1966 copy of The Oxford Mail and musically confrontational, coming on, as we’ve accompanied by a cute pin badge, there’s stated before, like a Mike Patton experiment something magically lost in time about The to remould King Crimson in his own image. Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band’s debut ‘Cowley Necktie’ references Big Black’s album before you even get to the music. ‘Colombian Necktie’ and Jimmy’s sheet-metal Born of a love for jazz’s lost soul and fire, The guitar attack pays due respect to Steve Albini, Rabbits have been tearing up local venues for although the song’s diversionary breakdown the past couple of years, converting confirmed slam-down, while ‘Grandpa’s Shed’ is simple, moves them closer to Pink Floyd’s more hipsters and rock die-hards at every turn with a raw jump-up jive. spaced-out moments or even – gulp – Spinal live show that’s pure, unadulterated fun – a The whole album carries a yobbish disregard Tap’s Stonehenge song. non-stop one-night-only trip back to a 1930s for good manners – something the smooth ‘Melancholy’ is anything but – initially a New Orleans speakeasy where whisky and operators and freeform virtuosos too quickly sweat lubricate the party til the last man drops. lost sight of. If The Original Rabbit Foot Spasm four-to-the-floor hardcore chug with one-time The big question of course is, can an album Band are nothing more than torch bearers for a Underbelly vocalist James Green bellowing work the same magic as the band’s live show? lost age of jazz, so be it: they still have a big militantly before it throws itself down the Without the raw performances, drunken onstage part to play. Every cool kid who comes away nearest flight of concrete steps by way of humour and bonhomie and a seriously up-for-it from one of their bacchanalian gigs with a copy some fantastic tom-heavy drumming and a packed house to add vital party ingredients to of this album stuffed in their pocket to remind guitar solo that sounds like it’s being played the mix, the music is left to stand on its own them of the night the haze of booze and dancing by a wayward box of fireworks. two feet (something some of the band are often would otherwise erase will maybe realise this is If there’s the merest hint of Killing Joke incapable of). Here the band’s authenticity some hot shit and then their musical journey about that song, ‘Staring Through Leonard’ is comes into its own. Listen to ‘If I Had A will really begin. less equivocal, a bullish industrial grind until, House’, with Bunny Eros’ sweet vocal croon Incidentally, The Oxford Mail from September like its predecessors, it takes a detour through over the band’s loose swing and you could be 1966 reports a downpour at Thame Show and a proggy contemplation and then into a slow- tuning into a genuine period piece. ‘I’m The fire in a shed in Didcot. No mention of a jazz burning post-punk fizz, proving once again Taxidermy Man’ is part war-years American- riot. That’s what this album’s for, obviously. that music can be both contrary and fun. Italian funeral party, part Louis Armstrong Dale Kattack Ian Chesterton gig guide

st Academy – Punky power-pop from Florida’s TUESDAY 1 We The Kings, playing a headline tour ahead of JOAN AS POLICEWOMAN: O2 Academy – FEBRUARY their forthcoming third album, following tour Gorgeous, ethereal soul-pop from the New nd supports to The Academy Is… and You Me At York siren, on tour to support her third album, WEDNESDAY 2 Six in recent times. ‘The Deep Field’ – see main preview MAPS & ATLASES + GALLOPS + KLUB KAKOFANNEY with INVISIBLE JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Free weekly NAIROBI: The Jericho Tavern – Pop- VEGAS + ECHOBOOMER + NOT TOO live jazz club, tonight featuring funky friendly technical rocking from Chicago’s cult SHABBY: The Wheatsheaf – Approaching keyboard-led ensemble The Howard Peacock faves, drawing elements of folk and pop into their 20th anniversary and merrily showing no Quintet. their maths grooves, earning themselves a tour sign of acting grown up, Klub Kak continue to BARE YOUR BONES: Café Tarifa – Weekly support to Foals in the process. Errors-style plough their own very individual furrow, acoustic and semi-acoustic night. electronics mixed with Mogwai-inspired post- tonight in the company of rocking roadhouse OPEN MIC SESSION: The James Street rock drama from Wrexham’s Gallops in bluesers Invisible Vegas and indie power-pop Tavern support. types Echoboomer. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Port Mahon ANTHON BARBEAU: The Wheatsheaf – ANNERO: The Bullingdon – Brutal death- MEDITATE: The Cellar – Afro-futurism, Moshka club night featuring psychedelic folk- thrash in the vein of Meshuggah and Pantera garage and dub. pop troubadour Anton, in the mould of Robyn from the local heavyweights. Hitchcock and Syd Barrett. SKYLARKIN SOUNDSYSTEM: The PHAT SESSIONS: The Cellar – Live jam Cellar – Reggae reggae party time with Count Tuesday 1st session, plus DJs playing funk, hip hop, Skylarkin, playing a mix of reggae, rocksteady, drum&bass and more. dancehall, hip hop and dubstep. There’s a live JOAN AS POLICE ACOUSTIC LOUNGE: Fat Lil’s, Witney set from Intensified, playing authentic 60s-style rocksteady and reggae, having backed Prince WOMAN: O2 Academy THURSDAY 3 rd Buster, Dennis Alcapone and the late, great From in-demand backing singer to cult pop THE PHANTOM BAND + FOUND: The Alton Ellis. One third of Daddy G’s Bristol Hi- heroine in her own right, New Yorker Joan Jericho Tavern – Glasgow’s Chemikal Fi Mr Benn is also on hand with his mix of Wasser’s rise and rise under the guise of Joan Underground-signed robo-folk rockers The reggae grooves and hip hop beats. As Policewoman might have seemed as Phantom Band brew up a heady mix of TV On DESMOND CHANCER & THE LONG smooth as it was deserved but hers is a the Radio, Clinic and Johnny Cash in their MEMORIES: The Port Mahon - Gutter blues career borne on the wings of sadness. Armed brooding, atmospheric sound, where menacing and jazz from whisky-voiced crooner Desmond with a sublime voice, sweetly soulful with a electronics meets gloomy country-folk; they’re and co. jazz heart, akin to Nina Simone with just a out on tour to promote their acclaimed second ZZ TOPS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Tribute band. hint of Dusty Springfield, she’s sung album, ‘The Wants’. COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN + BEARD OF emotive eulogies to her mother, who died of SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – DESTINY: The Chester Arms – Cajun-tinged cancer just as Joan was making her big Smooth and soulful jazz from saxophonist country’n’western from Country For Old Men. breakthrough, while an ode to the loneliness Snake Davis, best known as a session player FUNKY FRIDAY: The Bullingdon – Classic of being an orphan was as heartbreaking as it who has worked with the likes of George soul, funk and r’n’b every Friday. was musically striking. Having started out Michael, Pet Shop Boys, M People, Ray FOUNDATION REGGAE: East Oxford working as back-up to Lou Reed, Rufus Charles and – oh yes – Motorhead. Community Centre – Roots and dub every Wainwright and Anthony Hegarty (with ZEM + YELLOW FEVER: The Bullingdon week. whom she duetted on her debut album, ‘Real TAMARA PARSONS-BAKER: The Port th Life’), before being championed by the likes Mahon – Dark-hearted, melodramatic acoustic SATURDAY 5 of Elton John and supporting The folk-pop from the local songstress. THE ORIGINAL RABBIT FOOT SPASM Guillemots, her spectral, almost funereal CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford BAND + THE LONG INSIDERS + jazz torch songs (she calls it punk r’n’b) Community Centre – Oxford’s longest- INFLATABLE BUDDHA: The Jericho have seen her compared to Billie Holiday running, and best, open-mic club night Tavern – Album launch gig for Oxford’s very and Joni Mitchell but she’s often as close to continues to showcase local singers, musicians, own hot jazz combo, keeping the raw, whisky- Shostakovich, with her strong classical storytellers and poets every week. fuelled spirit of classic 30s jazz alive, tonight in REIGN UPON US + VENTFLOW + tendencies (helped by being a talented the company of rock’n’roll and garage-surf APPARITIONS OF THE END: The violinist), and her new album, ‘The Deep heroes The Long Insiders and ever-entertaining Hobgoblin, Bicester – Monstrous death- Field’, continues to showcase Joan as the gypsy-dance outfit Inflatable Buddha. thrash from Bicester’s Reign Upon Us at siren in the darkest corner of the cocktail YOOF! with TRIBES + SWANTON tonight’s Jambox rock night. lounge. BOMBS + DEER CHICAGO: The Cellar – OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon Yoof! continues to showcase rising indie stars, BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston with Camden’s nu-grunge outfit Tribes paying OUT LIKE A LION + DEER CHICAGO + due homage at the altar of Cobain, but mixing in CRACKER DUMMY: Fat Lil’s, Witney some T-Rex-style pop along the way. London’s WORDPLAY: The Cellar – Hip hop, Strokes-y garage-rock duo Swanton Bombs dubstep, reggae and drum&bass with DJs support, alongside local indie newcomers Deer Geenee and Kid Fu. Chicago, coming in somewhere between Explosions In The Sky and Death Cab For FRIDAY 4th Cutie. Afterwards there are DJs sets from Radio WE THE KINGS + VERSA EMERGE + ALL Clubfoot’s Wil Gilgrass and Progressively Less FORGOTTEN + I SEE STARS: O2 Elephant. PROSPEKT + THE CRUSHING + AGNESS glam and 80s upstairs at Trashy and metal and PIKE + MUTAGENOCIDE: The Wheatsheaf rock at Room 101. – Buried In Smoke club night with a quartet of CABARET CLANDESTINO: East Oxford local metal talents. There’s epic, technical prog- Community – Music, cabaret, comedy and art tinged metal from Prospekt, plus theatrically- in one, with live sets from Matt Winkworth, executed classic thrash from The Crushing and Alamakota, and Oxford Belles. monstrous metalcore from Agness Pike VAUDEVILLE RAVE: The Regal – Retro TAKING DAWN: O2 Academy – Glam-tinged costume dance fun as the Regal revisits its metal from Las Vegas’ Taking Dawn, recent Vaudevillian rave party, with live acts, cabaret support to Kiss, as well as Dragonforce and and DJs. Airbourne. HAIRFORCE 5: Fat Lil’s, Witney - 80s hair BLACK POWDER + DAISY & THE metal covers, from Bon Jovi to Van Halen. UNSTEADIES + CARETAKER + HALF THE PETE FRYER BAND: The Standard, NAKED: The Port Mahon – Classic thrash- Headington – Eccentric blues-rocking. th punk noise from Black Powder. REIGN UPON US + LEATHER PIG + MASK Tuesday 5 PROPAGANDA / TRASHY / ROOM 101: O2 OF JUDAS + HERA: The Wheatsheaf, Academy – Indie superclub Propaganda in the Banbury – Jambox metal night. THE GO! TEAM: main room every Saturday, plus kitsch pop, WHO DO YOU LOVE?: The Duke, St. The Academy Clement’s – DJ night playing alt.rock, 60s Go! Team’s existence should bring a warm garage, punk, pop, and electro. feeling to the hardest of hearts. From th th SIMPLE: The Bullingdon – House and techno Saturday 12 – Sunday 13 underground thrill-givers, riding a reputation club night. BLESSING FORCE for some of the most life-affirming live SUNDAY 6th shows in the country, to national recognition WEEKENDER: The and a Mercury Prize nomination, they’ve C.W. STONEKING: O2 Academy – Delta- remained the sound of eternal summer. In Old Bookbinders style blues and jazz from the Melbourne singer Go! Team’s supercharged pop world, it’s and guitarist. The emergence of Blessing Force is a cause always sunny and it’s always time for a ILIKETRAINS + CAT MATADOR: The party (no doubt fuelled by lashings of for celebration; the collective has seen Oxford Jericho Tavern – Leeds’ iLiketrains continue to bands being talked about in the national strawberry jelly and fizzy pop). Their 30- be one of the UK scene’s most consistently minute, ultra-compact, fun-packed 2004 media to a degree it hasn’t for many years underrated bands, never achieving the commercial and cements the city’s reputation far and debut album, ‘Thunder Lighting Strike’, set success of Editors or British Sea Power, but the scene and this month they release their wide. Rather than a secretive clique it is an equal to both in the brooding, drama-fuelled pop third opus, ‘Rolling Blackouts’, proving that extension of the mutual-support system that stakes. From sprawling ten-minute epics the party has never stopped since. The has existed in Oxford for years. Most documenting the assassination of British prime Brighton crew’s good-time mash up of old importantly the acts involved are both varied minister Spencer Perceval, to pop songs about school hip hop, cheerleader pop, northern and talented and this weekend warehouse the Beeching Report and odes to chess champion soul and NYC punk remains decidely simple party, in association with Truck, is a great Bobby Fischer, they take the funereal moodiness and slightly ramshackle but all the better for way for people to discover more about the of Dead Can Dance and Joy Division and marry that, the mood of unbridled childlike glee music, video and art involved. Amongst those it to shoegazing atmospherics and a heavy hint of more important than production values. playing live are this month’s Nightshift cover goth and create music that is unabashedly stars Jonquil, whose wider acclaim is long melodramatic. They’re out on tour to promote Fronted by a girl simply called Ninja, The overdue, as well as frontman Hugo Manuel’s new album ‘He Who Saw The Deep’. Local Go! Team (even the name bleeds positively) solo dance project Chad Valley (pictured). support comes from similarly dark-minded and hark back to the glory days of uplifting, Joining them are Pet Moon, the new project dramatic pop types Cat Matador. slightly mischievous hip hop, like from Youthmovies singer and guitarist DARREN LESTER + SAM & KARL + RYAN Salt’n’Pepa and Neneh Cherry, but updated Andrew Mears; erratic math-techno crazies MITCHELL: The Hobgoblin, Bicester – by way of The Avalanches’ bamboozling Coloureds; an acoustic set from the superb Jambox acoustic and open mic night. sampladelica. 80s US TV themes mingle Fixers, reimagining Brian Wilson’s BEARD OF DESTINY + THE NEW MOON with sweet strings and children’s voices and psychedelic dream by way of Detroit techno; + MIKE ABBOTT + DAVE & JEREMY: any urge to resist the temptation to dance melodramatic art-rockers Ute; innovative Donnington Community Centre – Free will be roundly mocked. string quartet (with drummer) Rhosyn; ex- acoustic session. Tired Irie people Sisterland and ambient BARE YOUR BONES: Café Tarifa th electro-glitch from Neon Pulse. Beyond the MONDAY 7 INTRUSION: The Cellar – Goth, industrial, music there’s art illustrations from Foals BAYOU BROTHERS: The Bullingdon – A darkwave and EBM club night. illustrator Tinhead, video artist Dave Ma rare UK showing for Louisiana’s Cajun and OPEN MIC SESSION: The James Street (who’s worked with Foals and The Horrors) zydeco-infused blues outfit, long-time Tavern and sculptor Seb Thomas. A celebratory favourites on the southern states festival circuit. OPEN MIC SESSION: The Port Mahon weekend then, and with many of the acts HEAVENLY RECORDS involved set for far bigger things over the next SHOWCASE: The Old year or so, a great chance to explore it all for Bookbinders, Green Street – yourself early on. Truck hosts an evening of Heavenly Records artists, headed by Sacramento singer-songwriter Julie Ann Baenziger, better known as Sea Of Bees, a geeky freak-folkster partway between Joanna Newsom Bare Your Bones and Cat Power. Live music every Tuesday night @ Cafe Tarifa We are looking for acts to perform acoustic / TUESDAY 8 th semi-acoustic sets. JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – Please send demos to: With a live set from jazz singer [email protected] or drop them in to Alison Bentley. Café Tarifa, 56-60 Cowley Rd, Oxford. UNDERSMILE + KOMRAD + TRIDEM: The Rootsy indie rocking from Shaker Heights, plus Bullingdon – Sludgy slow-core and no-wave orchestral electro-rocking from The Rock in grind from Undersmile, plus technical hardcore support. from Komrad. JACK’D OFF: The Regal – Chase & Status SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – return to town after their sold-out show at the Experimental, improvised jazz tonight from Academy for a DJ set at tonight’s urban music pianist Alexander Hawkins and multi- extravaganza, which also includes live sets from instrumentalist Nick Malcolm. Ms Dynamite and Tempa T, as well as DEDLOK: The Port Mahon – Super- appearances from Modestep, Maverick Sabre heavyweight thrash-core from Dedlok, mixing and Grifta. Boltthrower-style grind with hardcore punk. WELCOME TO PEEPWORLD + THE NEW AMBET SUIT: Fat Lil’s, Witney – London- MOON + MARK PAVEY + JACK HARLEY based indie rockers. BOURNE: The Port Mahon – Acoustic pop rd Wednesday 23 CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford night. MOGWAI: The Regal Community Centre PORK CHOP EXPRESS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon Hard rock covers. The Regal feels like it was built for gigs like BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston PROPAGANDA / TRASHY / ROOM 101: O2 this. Few acts are as suited to its grand, MEAN POPPA LEAN: Wahoo – Funk rock Academy ornate and expansive interior as Glasgow’s from the Brighton outfit, plus DJ Zappa RELOAD THE RADIO + WE’RE NOT post-rock overlords Mogwai. They dislike spinning a selection of swing, jive, funk, soul and MEXICANS + KAPTAINS: The Centurion, the term post-rock but few bands have rock’n’roll. Bicester helped defined a genre so strongly: HOUSE OF ROOTS: The Cellar – Reggae, THE MIGHTY REDOX: The Bear & Ragged Mogwai’s astute grasp of dynamic contrast dub and roots. Staff, Cumnor – Psychedelic blues-rocking and has been much copied but never bettered and festival funk from the enduring local faves. 15 years on from their debut, only Sonic FRIDAY 11th DUBSTEP CLUB NIGHT: The Bullingdon Youth and My Bloody Valentine can claim TEDDY THOMPSON + DAVID FORD: O2 BASSMENTALITY: The Cellar – Hip hop, to have influenced so many bands in the Academy – Teddy Thompson returns to Oxford ska and reggae. alternative rock field. That Mogwai with his poppy take on folk and country, having themselves have evolved while retaining th earned his dues playing live with his dad, SUNDAY 13 pretty much the same line-up for their Richard, and producing his mum Linda’s come- BLESSING FORCE WEEKENDER: The Old duration is exceptional in itself and while back album. Steeped in classic folk-rock, his solo Bookbinders, Green Street – Second day of their sound is now familiar, they remain material is closer to the sound of Jackson the weekend party – see main preview pioneers, whether exploring new levels of Browne and Crowded House. CHARLY COOMBES & THE NEW BREED: musical austerity, championing challenging JUNKIE BRUSH + SPANGLE + SMALL The Bullingdon – Raw, 70s-style rock’n’soul in new bands on their own Rock Action label MACHINE: The Wheatsheaf – Righteous the vein of Little Feat from the singer and or retaining their confrontational and punk rock anger from Junkie Brush, melding keyboardist and his band. humorous edge in a genre too often American hardcore with UK street punk into a renowned for po-faced indulgence. After last sloganeering musical attack dog at tonight’s MONDAY 14th year’s live album and film, the band release Moshka club night. THE ADAM BOMB BAND: The Bullingdon their seventh studio album this year. Entitled PPC & THE QV + THE LEG: Modern Art ‘Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will’, it – Return to The Famous Monday Blues for LA’s Oxford – Experimental pop in the gallery’s big-haired glam-metal axe hero, who, as well as sums up their sound and attitude to basement this evening with London-Berlin outfit supporting Chuck Berry and Johnny Thunders perfection. Blanket’s new project PPC & The QV alongside during his career, has also auditioned for Kiss, Edinburgh’s ‘anti-song’ outfit The Leg. shared an apartment with Izzy Stradlin and WEDNESDAY 9 th SWITCH 60: The Bullingdon jammed with Eddie Van Halen. His is an old- FREE RANGE: The Cellar – Hip hop and THE RELATIONSHIPS + MOIETY + NIGEL school form of heavy rocking, with nods to drum&bass from Iration Steppas, DJ Fu, Count BROWN + STUART BOON + GYPSY FOX: Hanoi Rocks and The Sweet along the way. Skylarkin and Zeitlin. The Hollybush, Osney – Free gig in aid of this ACOUSTIC LOUNGE: Fat Lil’s, Witney summer’s Wittstock festival. Tweedy th psychedelia from The Relationships atop the TUESDAY 15 THE GO! TEAM: O2 Academy – Brighton’s th bill, plus whimsical acoustic pop from Moiety THURSDAY 10 and more – fans can donate towards the festival lo-fi pop cheerleaders bring the party – see main SPARKADIA: The Jericho Tavern – After a on the door. preview fair amount of critical and commercial success as ACHTUNG BABY: Fat Lil’s, Witney – UK’s GRINSPOON + JETTBLACK + a fully-fledged band, Sydney’s Sparkadia is now longest-running U2 tribute act. PHANTOM THEORY + SMILEX: O2 just main man Alex Burnett, relocated to London NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK: The Port Mahon Academy – Ballsy, anthemic stadium rocking and hoping to build on the cult success earned FUNKY FRIDAY: The Bullingdon from long-time Aussie chart stars Grinspoon, supporting the likes of Elbow, Death Cab For FOUNDATION REGGAE: East Oxford over for a UK tour to promote their ‘Six To Cutie and Jimmy Eatworld on tour. Community Centre Midnight’ comeback album, now plying a BOSSAPHONIK: The Cellar – poppier sound after their early grunge-inspired Dancefloor Latin, Balkan beats, world noise. Local support comes from heavyweight breaks and nu-jazz club night featuring riffmeisters Phantom Theory and enduring live a live set from Brighton’s reggae and favourites Smilex. ska band Samsara. JAZZ CLUB: The Bullingdon – With The Howard Peacock Quintet. th BARE YOUR BONES: Café Tarifa – SATURDAY 12 Faringdon’s emotive acoustic singer and guitarist BLESSING FORCE Trev Williams plays Tarifa’s weekly unplugged WEEKENDER: The Old night. Bookbinders, Green Street – First OPEN MIC SESSION: The James Street day of the BF warehouse party – see Tavern main preview OPEN MIC SESSION: The Port Mahon SHAKER HEIGHTS + THE ROCK ON THE OFFBEAT: The Cellar – Funky OF TRAVOLTA: The Wheatsheaf – breaks, nu-funk and old school funk club night. WEDNESDAY 16th is tonight’s guest player. ADAM BARNES + SPRING OFFENSIVE: LITTLE COMETS + THE BIG SLEEP: The Fat Lil’s, Witney – Soulful acoustic pop from Jericho Tavern – Sunderland’s guerrilla gigsters Mr Barnes, with support from angular get set to release their debut album, ‘In Search Of alt.popsters Spring Offensive. Elusive Little Comets’ for Universal this month, THE CAPER + HOT CITY SYMPHONY: adding a few pinches of hip hop and Afrobeat The Hobgoblin, Bicester – Roustabout good- into their sharp, airy indie pop sound, with nods time rocking from Banbury’s Caper at tonight’s to Mystery Jets and Vampire Weekend along the Jambox night. way. CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford PHAT SESSIONS: The Cellar Community Centre th OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon THURSDAY 17 BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston Thursday 24th ROCKINGBIRDS + DREAMING SPIRES + WORDPLAY: The Cellar – Hip hop, dubstep THE MARMADUKES: The Bullingdon – The and more with US MC Homeboy Sandman. ROLL DEEP: reformed pioneering alt.country heroes come to O2 Academy town, playing songs from their cult classic FRIDAY 18th albums, ‘The Rockingbirds’ and ‘Whatever After the disappointment of Wiley’s WOLF PEOPLE: The Jericho Tavern – Like Happened To The Rockingbirds?’, having split cancelled show here at the end of 2010, Jagjaguar labelmates Black Mountain, Bedford’s up in 1995 before getting back together in 2008. hopefully the man will make it this time Wolf People seem to exist in a separate time and Local support from Band and Flying Burrito with his East End grime crew, one that he space, somewhere between 1969 and 1972, Brothers-inspired country rockers Dreaming started way back in 2002 when grime looked where they can be found mixing up Black Spires and folksters The Marmadukes. like the future for urban music and dubstep Sabbath’s metal riffery with Fairport HALF NAKED + THE DACOITS: The Port was still a twinkle in someone’s eye. Having Convention’s rustic electric folk-rock and Mahon – Punk-pop in a Blink 182 and Green previously counted Dizzee Rascal and copious amounts of multi-part harmonies. It’s an Day vein from local youngsters Half Naked, plus Tinchy Stryder as members of its rolling authentic period piece and monstrous good fun. PJ Harvey-inspired rockers Dacoits in support. cast of characters, and having enjoyed DOLOREAN + RICHARD WALTERS: The SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – Number 1 hits with ‘Good Times’ and most Bullingdon – Double headline show for local London-based alto-saxophonist Jamie O’Donnell singing star Rich Walters, set to release his recently ‘Green Light’, Roll Deep feel like second album this spring, and Portland, Oregon’s they should have enjoyed more mainstream Thursday 24th psychedelic indie-folksters Dolorean. success than they actually have, though it’s BLACK HATS + REDTRUCK + VERY NICE not for trying – they’ve worked with Alesha LA SHARK / HARRY: The Wheatsheaf – Daisy Rodgers Dixon and there are plans to collaborate monthly music club night, which means one of with The Saturdays, but perhaps the answer A.HUMAN: The tonight’s acts gets voted to play a bizarre cover lies in being just a tad too gritty and grimy Jericho Tavern version. Headliners are moddish power-pop trio for pop acceptance, but too commercial for and recent Nightshift cover stars Black Hats. the underground cutting edge. Their strength A superb double dose of theatrically-minded They’re joined by Essex pop-punk outfit lies in the rapid-fire interaction between electro-pop tonight as La Shark follow on Redtruck and local indie-rockers Very Nice their myriad rap talents and they’re best from supporting Paloma Faith and Harry. when they keep it down and dirty, but the Maccabees on tour to head out under their MUNDANE SANDS: The Chester Arms – big r’n’b hooks, Kanye-style rap own steam, no doubt having disconcerted Folk-rock in the vein of Mark Knopfler and The techniques, acoustic soul and catchy electro fans of their previous tour-mates with their Oyster Band. all add to the collective’s variety. decidedly oddball fusion of vaudevillian MATT WINKWORTH & THE cabaret, skewed and squelchy electro-pop, WINKWORTHERS ORIGINALS + THE hysterical prog and quirky French chanson. BEN MONTAGUE: O2 Academy – Slick FREEMANTLE + NAIROBI: The Regal – power-soul balladry from the Kent singer- Like our own Borderville La Shark have a First night of the Regal’s new monthly Regal finely-honed sense of both drama and gothic songwriter. Unsigned showcase, featuring local and out of JAMIE WOON + GHOSTPOET: The camp, and if a wider audience can get its town bands. The ever-entertaining Mr Jericho Tavern – Sultry electro-soul and head round their peculiar musical theatre, Winkworth headlines with his mix of burlesque dubstep from the singer and producer behind chart and club success should duly follow. piano pop and lyrical wit. ‘Night Air’ and tour support to fellow BRIT Vintage synth aficionados A.Human THE STONES: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Rolling School graduate Amy Winehouse. returned to action last year with one of the Stones tribute MESSAGE TO BEARS + RUE ROYALE + most critically-acclaimed albums of 2010 in RELOAD THE RADIO + SPIRAL DRIVE + SAMUEL ZASADA: St Michael’s Church, ‘Third Hand Prophesy’, a sleek, silicon CARAVAN OF WHORES + AGE OF Cornmarket – Another chance to enjoy fusion of New Order’s electro-dance, MISRULE: The Wheatsheaf, Banbury – contemporary music in the grand, atmospheric Kraftwerk’s linear grooves and DFA’s disco- Jambox rock night with pop-punk outfit Reload setting of St. Michael’s, where Message To soul. From Glastonbury Festival to an Ibiza The Radio coming in from the New Found Bear’s delicate, ambient chamber pop should residency, via tours with Metronomy, Shy Glory, Alkaline Trio and Ataris side of things, shine at its brightest; similarly Samuel Zasada’s Child and Art Brut, they proved you can be plus stoner-metal from Caravan of Whores and gloomy, emotionally intense folk-pop and Anglo- coolly clinical and waywardly expressive at bluesy grunge rock from Age of Misrule. American acoustic duo Rue Royale, drawing on the same time. FUNKY FRIDAY: The Bullingdon Fleetwood Mac, John Martyn and Doves for FOUNDATION REGGAE: East Oxford inspiration. Community Centre THE SATURDAYS: The New Theatre – Hey, WE ARE ELEMENTS: The Cellar – Hip hop, The Saturdays are playing on a Saturday! What house, ragga, soul and soca with Alexander Nut. are the chances of that? They’re still shit, mind. PROGRESSIVELY LESS ELEPHANT: Baby AUDIOGRAFT: Modern Art Oxford – An Love evening of sound art and contemporary music curated by the Sonic Art Research Unit at th SATURDAY 19 Brookes University, including a duo performance CARL BARAT: O2 Academy – The sometime by internationally-renowned sound artist Max Libertine fella unleashes his inner James Blunt on Eastley and contemporary harpist Rhodri his introverted recent eponymous solo debut. Davies, plus the Automated Noise Ensemble’s AGE OF MISRULE + REFUGEES OF For Orchestra’, featuring contributions from CULTURE + MOTHER CORONA: The Thomas himself alongside Jon Segroatt, Trevor Folly Bridge Inn – Grungy blues-rock from Taylor, John Russell and Stefan Keune. The Age of Misrule, plus bluesy psychedelia and improv collective also bids a fond farewell to hard rock from Refugees of Culture and sludgy, bassist Dominic Lash, who is moving to the groove-led metal from Mother Corona. States. PHISH: The Bullingdon – 90s retro tunes. OPEN MIC SESSION: The James Street Tavern SUNDAY 20th OPEN MIC SESSION: The Port Mahon BEETROOT JAM: The Port Mahon – Live rd bands and open jam session. WEDNESDAY 23 MOGWAI: The Regal – Suitably ornate MONDAY 21st surroundings for the post-rock behemoths – see Friday 25th THE BLACK ATLANTIC + PHIL McMINN + main preview PAUL AXL ASKEW: The Jericho Tavern – THE STREETS: O2 Academy – And so Mike RAY LAMONTAGNE: Minimalist melancholy and ambient acoustic Skinner prepares to release his final album, the pop from Dutch singer-songwriter Geers van dark, futuristic ‘Computers & Blues’, although The New Theatre der Velde, previously frontman for ferocious whether this spells the end for The Streets While the Stateside drifter-turned-troubadour metalcore outfit Shai Hulud, but now drifting forever is still open to debate; certainly Skinner enjoyed a Top 5 UK hit with his debut wistfully closer to The Beach Boys, Bon Iver himself seems sick of the whole thing. Perhaps album, ‘Trouble’, back in 2004, Ray and Fleet Foxes with his new band. Great it’s just a part of his life that’s run its course, but it’s a part that has helped redefine UK hip LaMontagne is now a bona fide star in his support from local songsmith Phil McMinn, hop, from the epoch-making ‘Original Pirate home country, recent fourth album ‘God frontman with The Winchell Riots and Material’ onwards, his influence is everywhere Willin’ and The Creek Don’t Rise’ reaching possessed of a startlingly fragile voice. and ‘OPM’ and ‘A Grand Don’t Come For Number 3 in the national charts, bringing EUROPE: O2 Academy – Return to the O2 for Free’ will stand as classics for years to come. with it a slew of Grammy nominations; a Joey Tempest and the gang, banging out ‘The Tonight’s show is already sold out. sure sign of mainstream acceptance. And yet Final Countdown’ alongside their retinue of THE NAKED & FAMOUS + WOLF GANG: the man remains the most reluctant of stars, classic power-rocking. The Jericho Tavern – New Kiwi starlets on refusing even to take centre stage in his own THE BILLY WALTON BAND: The the block head for the big time – see main band. The quiet, uncommunicative Bullingdon – Virtuoso electric blues-rocking from the New Jersey axeman who has played preview songmaker prefers to let his songs do the ACOUSTIC LOUNGE: Fat Lil’s, Witney talking, mining a deep seam of sumptuous alongside Springsteen, Gary US Bonds and Double Trouble, inspired by Hendrix, Stevie FREE RANGE: The Cellar – Drum&bass melancholy and regret, delivered by way of with Sigma, Need For Mirrors and Conrank. stark, rootsy country blues and his smoky, Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton. rasping vocal style that’s drawn comparisons th nd to Van Morrison, Tim Buckley and Hank TUESDAY 22 THURSDAY 24 Williams. Ian Duncan Smith might not have FRANKIE & THE HEARTSTRINGS: The ROLL DEEP: O2 Academy – Wiley brings his been a winner with the slogan, “do not Cellar – Sunderland’s new stars in waiting grime collective to town – see main preview underestimate the determination of a quiet recall the literate jangle pop of Orange Juice and LA SHARK + A.HUMAN: The Jericho man”, but it’s a maxim that seems to be doing the rousing, footstomping soul of Dexy’s, Tavern – Theatrical electro-pop double bill – see main preview Ray here no harm at all. equally emotional and satirical and fronted by the foppish, bequiffed Frankie Francis, an indie BLACK SKIES BURN + MUTAGENOCIDE + RISEN IN BLACK: The Bullingdon – electro mechanical mischievousness; improvised heart-throb in waiting, already compared to Skeletor’s monthly metal night showcases uber- live electronics from composer Paul Whitty and Morrissey and Edwyn Collins. heavy death-thrash monsters Black Skies Burn, artist Stephen Cornford, and an experimental THE WHIGS + DEAD CONFEDERATE: plus thrash, death and industrial noise from the DJ relay programmed by Shit, I can DJ! The Jericho Tavern – Kings Of Leon’s mighty Risen In Black, inspired by In Flames COCAINE COWBOYS + YELLOW FEVER: favourite band and regular tourmates play a and The Haunted. The Port Mahon low-key headline show, out on tour with SPIN JAZZ CLUB: The Wheatsheaf – With BRICKWORK LIZARDS: The Cellar – Athens, Georgia neighbours Dead Confederate tenor saxophonist Julian Nicholas. 1930s swing with Arabic folk and hip hop from ahead of the release of their new album, ‘In The CAT MATADOR + WE AERONAUTS: The Tarik Beshir and chums. Dark’, kicking out a raw, rootsy brand of post- Cellar – Dark-hearted and delicate new wave PROPAGANDA / TRASHY / ROOM 101: O2 grunge rock that’s also seen them tour with pop from Cat Matador, with support from Academy Black Keys, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and The Kooks. expansive folk-rock collective We Aeronauts in JAZZ CLUB: support The CARMENTA + K-LACURA: The Hobgoblin, Bullingdon – Bicester – Jambox metal night with frenzied Live set from metalcore outfit K-Lacura. The Hugh IN THE POCKET: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Indie Turner Band. club night and bands. BARE YOUR CATWEAZLE CLUB: East Oxford BONES: Café Community Centre Tarifa OPEN MIC SESSION: The Half Moon OXFORD BLUES JAM: The Jack Russell, Marston IMPROVISERS: HOUSE OF ROOTS: The Cellar Folly Bridge th Inn – Launch FRIDAY 25 gig for FIXERS + SEALINGS + GIRL SWEAT: The keyboard Bullingdon – Single launch gig for Fixers as virtuoso Pat they release the superb ‘Iron Deer Dream’ on Thomas’ new the Young & Lost Club label this month. album, ‘Four Channelling Brian Wilson’s psychedelic Compositions sunshine pop dream through Animal Collective’s wigged-out mutant pop and a hefty Aiden, following on from supports to the likes slice of Detroit techno, Fixers are going to be of Canterbury and The Broadcast. the Oxford band to watch in 2011. Great PRISM REUNION: O2 Academy – Classic support too from lo-fi duo Sealings, taking dour rave tunes at tonight’s one-off reunion night for to new extremes with their machine beat-led the legendary Oxford acid house and trance guitar noise, coming in like very early Mary club. Old hands Keiran, Marty P and Osprey Chain and Sisters of Mercy. will be on the decks. RAY LAMONTAGNE: The New Theatre – FAUX FIGHTERS: Fat Lil’s, Witney – The Stateside drifter-turned-troubadour come to Puntastic tribute to The Foos. the UK to promot recent fourth album ‘God DENNY ILETT Jr + JUNE + THE NEW Willin’ and The Creek Don’t Rise’ - see main MOGMATIC + KILL CITY SAINTS: The preview Port Mahon – Local guitarist Denny plays FRANCESQA + DANGEROUS SUMMER: tribute to Led Zeppelin. O2 Academy – Emotive power rock out of FUNKY FRIDAY: The Bullingdon Newbury from the recent tour support to FOUNDATION REGGAE: East Oxford Community Centre HQ: The Cellar Saturday 26th THREE BLIND MICE PRESENTS: The THE OSCILLATION / Wheatsheaf SATURDAY 26th LISTING SHIPS / th GAPPY TOOTH INDUSTRY with THE Monday 28 VILESWARM: The OSCILLATION + LISTING SHIPS + KILL IT KID / HUCK & VILESWARM: The Wheatsheaf – Kraut- Wheatsheaf psych grooves aplenty at tonight’s Gappy THE HANDSOME FEE: Having had their Winter Warmer mini- Tooth show – see main preview festival destroyed by snow last month, SHAKIN’ STEVENS: O2 Academy – The The Jericho Tavern Gappy Tooth Industries return to action rockabilly troubadour opens up the green door There’s no shortage of young British acts with possibly their strongest regular gig once again for a run through 80s hits like ‘Oh trying to sound like old American ones but line-up. London’s The Oscillation were the Julie’, ‘This Ol’ House’ and, erm, ‘Green Door’. few do it as convincingly as Bath’s Kill It undisputed highlight of last year’s SENSES FAIL: O2 Academy – New Jersey’s Kid. Having started off semi-accidentally Audioscope, mixing krautrock rhythmic emo and post-hardcore veterans. working with producer John Parish as part intensity, shoegaze dreaminess and electro- DAVID’S LYRE: The Jericho Tavern – of a college project, the resulting demo ambience into a simultaneously hypnotic, Fulsome folk-cum-dubstep with a flourish from earned them a deal with One Little Indian icy and enervating whole that recalls Manchester’s Paul Dixon, thus far better known and subsequently found them working in for his cover of Ellie Goulding and remixes for elements of Silver Apples, Spacemen 3, Seattle with Ryan Hadlock, whose previous Marina & the Diamonds and Everything Neu! and The BBC Radiophonic Workshop credits include Foo Fighters, The Strokes Everything than his own material, but with and should provoke a mass outbreak of and The Gossip. The result of that recent single ‘Tear Them Down’ pointing to an zonked-out head-nodding amongst the collaboration was one of the critically- exotic pop talent in waiting and admiring gathered throng. Joining them tonight, and acclaimed surprises of last year, the band’s comparisons to Jack Penate and Wild Beasts playing their debut gig, are Listing Ships, eponymous debut album. Like the old Deep under his belt, his own talents look set to come the new band formed by former-members of South masters, Kill It Kid utilise traditional to the fore sooner rather than later. Sunnyvale Noise Sub-Element, Witches and instrumentation like slide guitar, fiddle and THE CELLAR FAMILY + AGE OF MISRULE From Light To Sound, continuing to explore + GENERALS & MAJORS: The Port najo, but it’s Chris Turpin’s gruff, wide- the outer reaches of instrumental Mahon – Dirty, angular, uptight post-punk ranging voice that’s the star of the show, synthscapes. The darker reaches of your from The Cellar Family, plus grungy blues-rock giving it all an authentic layer of grime, nightmares is where you’ll find openers from Age Of Misrule. leavened slightly by pianist Stephanie Vileswarm lurking, with their eerie, toxic SPRING OFFENSIVE + ADAM BARNES + Ward’s sweet-natured harmonies. They sludge of noise. Which is exactly what BROTHERS WELSH: The Cellar – Spiky, cover Delta blues, Cajun, country, bluegrass you’d hope for from a collaboration convoluted math-folk-pop from Spring and rockabilly with all the energy, passion between Euhedral and David K Frampton, Offensive, plus soulful emotive acoustic pop and drive you’d hope for, boisterous but both purveyors of dark-edged electronic from Adam Barnes in support. melodically strong and easily capable of sound, together putting voices, harmonica, PROPAGANDA / TRASHY / ROOM 101: O2 selling coals to Newcastle. A new album, bows and guitars through an unholy array of Academy produced by Steve Albini, is due soon. processors and effects. DUB POLITICS: The Bullingdon Suitably raw, downbeat blues support from VON BRAUN + TAMARA: The Stocks, local faves Huck and the Handsome Fee. Crown & Thistle, Abingdon – Skittle Alley club night with post-rock and indie noise from BLUES JAM: Fat Lil’s, Witney (3pm) – Von Braun, plus local songstress Tamara. Open blues jam with in-house band. THE MIGHTY REDOX: The Chequers, Headington Quarry MONDAY 28th FREEFALL: Fat Lil’s, Witney – Rock covers. KILL IT KID + SCOUNDRELS + HUCK & THE HANDSOME FEE: The Jericho Tavern th SUNDAY 27 – Delta blues, Bath-style – see main preview LO COR DE LA PLANA: Chipping Norton DANI WILDE BAND: The Bullingdon – Theatre – Oxford Contemporary Music kicks Rocking blues, soul and piano-led power ballads off its spring season with a show from from the Brighton singer at tonight’s Famous Marseilles’ male vocal ensemble. Monday Blues.

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SHITMAT / P45 / Shitmat photo:Sam Shepherd COLOUREDS The Cellar Tonight’s excellent Audioscope line-up essentially constitutes a free-party in a pub; so the only drug of choice available is good old taxable booze. Still, the old adage that you don’t need drugs to have a good time definitely applies tonight. First up are Coloureds, who, for the uninitiated, were members of phenomenally brutal and much- missed metal types Xmas Lights. Despite expectations, Coloureds take on hard-edged electronic music is actually reasonably accessible. Get past the spectacle of those primary-coloured gimp masks (which at least provides some kind of visual stimulus) and they clearly want to bring the dance tonight rather than confound with visceral noise. Hunched over the central command post of their laptop they manipulate their way through a startlingly comprehensive history of electronic dance music. Quirky glitches, false starts, and swelling bass patterns fill the room, but at the heart of it is their ability to use inventive bass-drum patterns to inspire movement rather than have it pound the audience into submission. P45 is at an instant disadvantage. For a start he doesn’t have a fucking cool mask, which means that he looks isolated centre stage like an IT desk support worker. Still it’s not all about visuals, it’s about connecting with the innate need to dance, and sadly, it just doesn’t quite work tonight. Surprisingly, his set tonight feels more inaccessible than Coloureds; moreover, it’s less inspired. Even soon as he drops the first jungle the majority of his set dismantling which gently takes the piss, dropping the intro to Radiohead’s beat into the mix. He might look 25 years of the dance scene, critiques the pomposity that at ‘Street Spirit’ doesn’t do the trick, like he’s defragging his hard-drive banging a metaphorical V-Snare and times exists within the dance and rather than utilising it as a but all around him people are losing injecting a health dose of humour fraternity and yet still makes jumping off point, he just shifts the their heads as he fills his with beer via a series of mash-ups, knowing people dance like there’s no tempo around a bit. and drops a mash-up of Thomas samples (was that Bad News? Yes it tomorrow. Shitmat is about as good After a slow start Shitmat really the Tank Engine and Dancehall was….) and enormous hardcore as it gets. gets things moving; it kicks off as twat Snow’s ‘Informer’. He spends beats. It’s a clever combination, Sam Shepherd EQUITRUCK BEAT SEEKING MISSILES O2 Academy The Cellar Organised to mark the equidistant to embrace the good, the bad and the No post-Christmas lull for Count like intensity, the emphasis more on point between Truck’s main ugly to reconstruct their Skylarkin’s Big Ten Inch club night power than subtlety. ‘The Hooded summer festivals, Equitruck is individuality as psychedelic circus tonight, as a heaving crowd turns Claw’ conjures images of Bo more low-key event, providing a troubadours and nostalgia twisters out early for the regular mix of soul, Diddley or even early Captain snapshot of the sort of local acts in one go. Dirty, smoking swirls of ska and other unexpected musical Beefheart in collision with The you’d expect to see on the main rock and roll, heavy bass and big gems. The Long Insiders have cried Buzzcocks, and is one of many event’s stages; in today’s case guitar riffs intermingling with acute off, citing intestinal issues, but tunes with chorus crying out for a revisiting many of the bands who tenderness are key to their there’s a palpable buzz surrounding football terrace singalong. The played at Truck last summer. successful delivery. Here is a band the debut performance of Beat crowd respond as if they know Cat Matador bring a little to keep an eye and both ears on. Seeking Missiles. every note by heart and, though chirpiness, quirkiness and Fixers are the pearl in the oyster; Bass player Mick Quinn from variety may not be their middle freshness to the early part of the a pearl everyone dreams to own. Supergrass, now with added beard, name, the pace and the dancing day, but it’s a shame to see a half- The pearl however is oblivious of may be the most high profile player never flag till they finally run out of empty venue bobbing their heads its own beauty and value because it onstage, but frontman and songs. shyly in response. Regardless, their has not been polished, handled or songwriter Sir Bald Diddley is a My mind keeps wandering back to performance is acute, raw and manipulated yet. Fixers have been tireless veteran of numerous local catching a very early Supergrass fulfilling with an angular identity all described as 80s disco, surf dance, bands, as well as a well-known DJ. show at the East Oxford of their own. eclectic psychedelic, Along with Kid Wig on second Community Centre, and the thrill of I seem to be alone in seeing what experimental… but what is clear is guitar, drummer Bash Brand from being there at the start of something the hype about Dead Jerichos is. that it is as rare, beautiful and conceptual artist Billy Childish’s truly special. Whether Beat Seeking Their set feels flimsy, disconnected delightful as any gem can be. bands The Headcoats and The Missiles are likely to follow such a and nervous. They sound like a Animal Collective, MGMT, Brian Milkshakes completes the lineup. A meteoric path is anyone’s guess: band that still needs to perfect their Wilson, Van Dyke Parks… few first-night nerves are in The accepted wisdom is that sound; the gaps are clearly whatever their influences they evidence but dissipate fast as we nowadays a musical career relies on perceptible in the songs, like manage to make the whole room soon learn that the name was not live performance rather than selling droplets of naivety that are being dance and sway in total release, and chosen idly. Their own description, records, and if so this band are shifted aside through attitude and all this at the strike of the first a garage surf beat punk combo, clearly destined to be a success. As high chins. Sorry, I’m not note. Fixers are gold headlining sums matters up nicely, with maybe Count Skylarkin launches in to convinced. material for festivals larger than a bit more emphasis on the garage another live mash-up on the decks Thank the Lord, then, for Ute. Last this. Watch out for them in the than the surf. Baldy’s guitar the future’s looking rather bright. time I saw them was two years ago upcoming months, they’ll be neon dominates the sound with chainsaw- Art Lagun and today’s performance is a glowing. blissful surprise. Ute have managed Liane Escorza WHITE NOISE SOUND / THE BIRTHMARK / UTE BRAINDEAD COLLECTIVE The Jericho Tavern The Bullingdon Tonight’s a night for having your Each song is chosen for its diversity By all that’s rational and reasonable, White Noise Sound’s drone rock wordy, interpretative, even lysergic, to the last one, but all have that The Braindead Collective should an owes a fair amount to Spacemen 3, head on, as two musically bearded, serene softness of Eels, as embarrassment. Imagine it, Seb although the unexpected synth challenging bands test a JCR-minded lo-fi as its possible to get, while Reynolds, ex-Sexy Breakfast and chugs also recall Add N To (X). audience that is, to put it mildly, all occasionally blooming into a Evenings keyboard player, being While the simple music might sound too ready to start talking amongst Flaming Lips-style poppy garden smug enough to convene a loose as though it just fell out of bed into itself. before fading back into murmuring improvised collective based around a bigger bed, the material is actually Ute are slowly beginning to leave introspection. The violin looped whichever of his old scenester chums carefully thought out, and it’s rare to their Radiohead-inspired cocoon and dream-dub of ‘Fossil Record’ sits is around on a given night. But in find a band with three guitarists that explore a more labyrinthine, well next to the bossanova rhythms actuality they’re excellent, not only a can so effortlessly control the Borderville-like narrative. Theirs is a of ‘Looking For Flights To Tokyo’, surprisingly well-controlled unit, but texture of a piece. The emphasis on set of progressive abstract folk, of which itself transports you, via a also one that can balance awkward song structure makes them come off battering intensity, that includes a three-note xylophone, to a gentle, noise with alluring melody better a little like Black Rebel Spaceship curious paean to the Queen, who Japanese koi pond atmosphere in than many bands that have practised Club, and this is what lets them has her photograph on all the ‘The Layer’. twice a week since the fourth form. down a little. Nothing wrong with guitars, and culminates in The talking out front troubles Nate They start with an eerie, reverby any of the vocals, but tracks stop everybody and his dog, howling like not a jot, as he is not only pulse of a piece that sounds like Pink because the song has finished , when coyotes during the murderous, overwhelmingly modest and Floyd’s ‘Astronomy Domine’ left it sounds like the music is just drunken merry-go-round epic of the grateful, but has a Mr Magoo-like out in the rain for six months, and warming up. The final two pieces ‘Innocent Tailor’. Primal therapy on otherworldliness about him, where develop a balance between Chris are comfortably the best, a pair of a stick. music is an all-enveloping myopic Beard’s chiming vocals and oscillating longer instrumentals that use the Birthmark, in a studio in Urbana, lifestyle rather than a tool to keys. Over all this Seb spills reverby humming guitars as a launch pad for Illinois, is just multi-instrumentalist anything greater. He’s even sweet sax trills and Jimmy Evil throws in hypnotic repetition, rather than a Nate Kinsella. Birthmark, at this, and unknowing enough to think he’s some ornery guitar figures that were peg on which to hang three verses. their first ever UK gig, is Nate, his being followed by a headline act, as left over from Suitable Case For It’s not often you see a band, and wife on keys, and a couple of the Jericho band running order Treatment. The reading from wish they’d done half as many musical pals, who as a band at the pinned on the wall near him, ends William Burroughs might be tracks in twice as much time, but if end of each song, like the Mad with; Curfew:11.50pm. Here, sophomoric, but in other ways the this is space rock, it helps to give it Hatters Tea Party, all move one seat people, is one contented guy. band is highly original, irrational, some space. to the left and change instruments. Paul Carrera unreasonable, and rather great. David Murphy DR SHOTOVER: Dear Doctor Shotover Dear Dr Shotover, I am sick and tired of people having a go at the Blessing Force bands… Just because they all went to school together and know Yannis personally surely does not mean that they should not be listened to? Toffs have feelings too! Lord Ffowles, North Oxford Dear Lord Ffowles, I know exactly what you mean… I went to school with their grandfather, but that does not stop me from thinking they are a talentless bunch of Posh Young People with a couple of borrowed Talking Heads riffs and too much parental money. Dr S, East Indies Club (PS I was kidding about knowing exactly what you mean) Dear Dr S, I am a Grime Fan with a Problem! How can I get rid of my recurrent spots? I have tried the Nightshift Message Boards, but they were no help at all. In fact, my skin became worse after reading the interminable ramblings of [letter becomes illegible here]… Please help! Mr I. Podd, Cowley Dear Mr Quite Odd, Pharmacists used to stock a skin preparation called PhisoHex when I was an urchin, but now it has been withdrawn from the February shops due to doubtless unfounded health-scare rumours… Have you tried sawing your own head off? Or indeed, that of [letter becomes illegible here]…? Dr S, East Indies Club Dear Dr S, I think you were really really unfair about the Blessing Force Every Monday bands… NEXT! THE FAMOUS MONDAY NIGHT BLUES Dear Doctor Handsome, I am a Karen Gillan look-alike and I would treasure The best in UK, European and US blues. 8-12. the opportunity of buying you a drinkie in the olde-worlde tavern of your th choice while putting 7 BAYOU BROTHERS (USA) the complete works of 14th THE ADAM BOMB BAND (USA) Dr Feelgood on the st jukebox. Please make 21 THE BILLY WALTON BAND (USA) a lassie’s dream come 28th THE DANI WILDE BAND (UK) true… Pretty please? Miss D. Meanour, Headington Every Tuesday I say! Now THAT’s more like it… Hmm, that THE OXFORD JAZZ CLUB reminds me - I really Free live jazz plus DJs playing r’n’b, funk and soul until 2am need a drink! [Dr S puts st th down his pen and 1 / 15 THE HOWARD PEACOCK QUINTET wanders off towards 8th THE HUGH TURNER BAND the bar, humming “Milk nd and Alcohol” by Dr 22 THE HUGH TURNER BAND Feelgood] Next month: “Ian DR S’s LETTERS PAGE - All enquiries of an Gillan Karen Gillan’s embarrassing personal nature will be dealt with in Thursdays Dad” Shock! strictest lack of confidence… 3rd ZEM / YELLOW FEVER 10th UNDERSMILE / KOMRAD / TRIDEM 17th THE ROCKINGBIRDS / DREAMING SPIRES / THE MARMADUKES 24th SKELETOR presents BLACK SKIES BURN / MUTAGENOCIDE / RISEN IN BLACK

Every Friday FUNKY FRIDAY Funk, soul, boogie and R&B. 10.30pm-2.30am; £2.

Early Friday shows 4th ANNERO / support 11th SWITCH 60 18th DELOREAN / RICHARD WALTERS 25th FIXERS / SEALINGS / GIRL SWEAT Includes entry to FUNKY FRIDAY afterwards

Saturdays 5th SIMPLE – House & techno 12th DUBSTEP 19th PHISH - 90s retro 26th DUB POLITICS – Dubstep

Sunday 13th CHARLY COOMBES & THE NEW BREED

Join us on Facebook: Backroom @ The Bully Introducing….

Nightshift’s monthly guide to the best local bands bubbling under PET MOON Who are they? Pet Moon is the solo project of former-Youthmovies singer and guitarist Andrew Mears. As frontman of that band and a founding member of Foals, Andrew is one of the most influential local musicians of the past decade, while as the central figure in the Blessing Force community, his influence and adherence to the DIY ethic remains as high as ever. As he explains himself, “After eight years I needed to do something completely different from Youthmovies musically and logistically. I wanted to be as self-sufficient as possible; able to travel light and write and record without consideration for other people. It’s felt like coming out of a long-term relationship and wanting to be single for a while.” Pet Moon played their first show at the Bullingdon late last year before heading off to support Foals on tour. An Their favourite other Oxfordshire act is: album is already recorded and Andrew has already received enthusiastic press “Coloureds. Go see them.” coverage. He is set to release a book, `Songs Without Restraint’, chronicling If they could only keep one album in the world, it would be: his experiences of the music industry. “`Vespertine’ by Bjork: it’s ambitious but never at the expense of its purity; What do they sound like? lyrically perfect; full of incredible vocal melodies, and completely unique to After the highly-technical but visceral rock thrills of Youthmovies, Pet its creator. It’s a timeless record from a self-defined artist.” Moon finds Andrew drifting into more minimalist electronic territory, with a When is the next gig and what can newcomers expect? heavy r’n’b influence, taking in 80s pop, euphoric electronic psychedelia “The Blessing Force warehouse party on Green Street over the weekend of and acoustic balladeering, the emphasis still on complexity and innovation February 12th and 13th. Expect it shoved in your face.” and with a restless creativity that keep you guessing. Or, in Andrew’s own Their favourite and least favourite things about Oxford music are: words, “Theatrical, processed, tuneful, confident, ultraviolet, “The wealth of musicians is unbelievable. I’m from Brighton originally and overwhelmingly sexual, self-hyped hipster bullshit.” the scene is nowhere near as diverse. That said, the in-fighting here nails me. What inspires them? I’m pleased for any band who makes a go of it outside the local scene. The “People who get shit done.” drive to make music is a parasite that clings into your stomach; it ruins your Career highlight so far: relationships, bank balance and self esteem. If I could I’d probably have it cut “Being given the platform to talk-up Blessing Force artists. It’s pleasing to out. Since we all have the same problem we should show each other support.” see things you believe in getting shown the same belief elsewhere.” You might love them if you love: And the lowlight: Tears For Fears, Prince, D’Angelo, Foals, Jonquil. “On tour with Foals I got “fuck off, Boy George” and “Foals! Foals! Foals! Hear them here: Foals! Foals...”; I like heckling though, it galvanises you.” www.myspace.com/apetmoon DEMOSDEMOS

DEMO OF CUBIQ Featuring two members of last month’s Demo THE MONTH Of The Month winners Wild Swim, Cubiq similarly take on myriad cool influences but perhaps take them to a less unique place. UNEEK This is good stuff, no doubt about it, but The latest starlet to emerge from Ark-T’s tracks like ‘Ideas’ don’t stray too far from excellent Young Women’s Music Project, what Orbital and Future Sound Of London mentored by Baby Gravy’s Zahra Tehrani, were doing back in the 90s. Still, it makes for teenage rapper Uneek may be that rarest of a pleasantly spaced-out trance trip, four things locally, a female MC, but there’s tracks over 35 minutes based on deep house nothing tokenistic about her as she displays beats and some Ibiza-style chill-out moments, a giddy, skittish delivery with an easy flow with ‘Ninyo’ a glitchier and more minimal across ten tracks here, at her best when she’s diversion, lacking the sumptuous feel of the speeding along, potty-mouthed and spouting earlier tracks on the CD, like teasing sexual politics, a squelchy electro ‘Claustrophobia’, with its stoner ambience. back-up with a fulsome production adding an Best of the lot is the slightly daft ‘Keep It assertiveness to tracks like ‘Glow’, or the Simple’, a lean rhythm-based trip featuring sparse electro-funk stab of ‘Shivers’, with its broadcaster Peter Jay narrating a journey vocal chant reminding us of M.I.A. at times. through a drum kit. The likes of ‘Marijuana Madman’ find Uneek slowing it down and sounding less comfortable, although even here the SMILE churning industrial backing gives her rhymes With Yuck currently leading the charge of some authority. She also benefits from late-80s/early-90s indie revivalism, here trading rhymes with the characteristically come Smile to join the party, even going so soulful Asher Dust, particularly on ‘Role far as to name themselves after an old Ride Rehearsal’, and Silecta on demo highlight release. Harking unapologetically back to ‘Soul Destroyer’, which comes with a great Teenage Fanclub, Pavement and Ride chorus hook, the pair’s duelling carrying themselves, they bury their songs in good- some serious bite. Perhaps ten tracks is natured layers of guitar fuzz and froth, vocals pushing it a bit for such a new, young artist, half-buried in reverb and heavily-effected but Uneek’s talent is all too apparent, and guitar noise so they sound like they’re makes her emergence on to the local scene harmonising beneath a blanket of fog. Like even more welcome. those bands they so obviously draw upon for inspiration, Smile take a lo-fi battering ram to late-period Beatles, ‘Karma Comedian’ flitting past with its copy of ‘Revolver’ BUG PRENTICE tucked under its arm, although ‘Nightlife’ is Records, CDs and Bug Prentice is the new band fronted by closer to Ride covering Ben Folds Five’s singer and guitarist Ally Craig, a man who, ‘Underground’. ‘Swim’ opts for a noisier DVD Fair like former musical collaborator Rebecca approach, coming on like a lost Dinosaur Jr Mosley, seems to be on a mission to find the piece, and while the whole thing offers ugliness in the prettiest of tunes. Quoting precious little by way of anything particularly SATURDAY 5th March Thelonious Monk and Deerhoof as primary new, it’s all cheerily messy fun while it lasts. influences, Ally and co. proceed to stab, 10.30am-3.30pm strangle and generally bully their songs into CRYSIS ROCK-POP-DANCE-GOLDEN OLDIES-INDIE- nasty, twisted shapes, notably demo opener SOUL-TECHNO-HIP-HOP-JAZZ-LATIN-REGGAE- ‘Ceilidh Dancer’, which forever sounds on Metal time again. Relative newcomers to the DRUM&BASS-GARAGE—R&B-DISCO-1950s- the verge of collapse as they take a Fugazi- local scene, Crysis seem to have been gigging style post-hardcore toolbox to what might, all over the county in the last few months 2000s. Brand new back catalogue CDs £4 - £7 beneath the cacophony, be a delicate wee and it’s made for a tight old ship here as they jazz-pop melody, Ally’s fragile, slightly grind through the usual litany of breakneck strained vocal delivery accentuating the riffage, breakdowns, pummelling blast beats dissonance around him. By contrast and ogre-ish vocals, screaming and roaring at ‘Chicago Baxters’ is sparse and introverted, the twin altars of Lamb of God and Pantera. R A D I A T E rocking oh-so gently on an easy jazz groove So what, you say, Nightshift reviews at least A NEW MONTHLY BAND NIGHT before being impolitely punctured by stabs of one new demo of this ilk every month. And guitar noise. The mood of the demo darkens yes, it’s true, but by God, every month it THE JERICHO TAVERN, OXFORD and subsides as it progresses, so ‘Nebraska makes us very HAPPY!. Because we get a brief Admiral’ is a contemplative acoustic reverie break from trying to think of interesting, band submissions : where Ally’s vocals work best and fully philosophical stuff to write about music and demonstrate his ability to pen and execute a just bash our heads repeatedly against the wall [email protected] pretty bucolic folk-pop song and only while scaring the neighbours. And if you think ‘Lovitz Vs Dick’ sounds laboured, sinking we’re just nice about every metal band in a No covers bands, please into something approaching despair, coming fifty-mile vicinity, check out the review of www.radiatepromotions.com across as clumsy even as it closes with a Dead Man’s Crossing below to see how badly typically calamitous finale. this stuff can sound when it’s done wrong. Hard, fast and nasty – that’s the right way to without respite. `Tears of a Dead Man’ finds do it and Crysis do it right. Now, if you’ve them getting even more serious and, y’know, quite finished asking stupid questions, we’ve deep and meaningful, which only makes us got a brick wall to punch holes in and this want to point at them and laugh and then makes the perfect soundtrack. pay small urchins to follow them home and point and laugh some more and throw stones at their windows and it all comes to an MY PRESERVER inglorious head with the supposedly Introducing themselves as old mates of Dial apocalyptic `Orpheus’, which is about the F For Frankenstein, My Preserver’s band end of the world and stuff but sounds as mad name makes them sound more like a and evil as a never-ending sleepwalk around a favourite aunt with a penchant for jam multi-story carpark that smells strongly of making than a bunch of gnarly old rock old urine. Great metal bands can recite their warriors, but gnarly old rock warriors is very shopping lists and make it sound like much what they want to be, proffering an Ragnarok. The closest Dead Man’s Crossing epic type of distorted indie-inclined rawk on are likely to come to The Final Battle is ‘Loose Change’ that initially at least seems accidentally bumping a stack of those THE COURTYARD STUDIO to be aiming for Primal Scream’s more ballsy shopping trolleys into someone’s 4x4, the outings, or that moment in time when useless fucking wankers silly old sausages. PROTOOLS HD2, MTA 980 CONSOLE 32/24/ Depeche Mode started fancying themselves 24, OTARI MTR90 MK2 24 TRACK TAPE as stadium rock gods. Hell, there’s even a bit MACHINE, 2 TRACKING ROOMS, SUPERB of Queen in there, although Freddie and the CONTROL ROOM WITH GOOD SELECTION gang could hardly be accused of being grizzled THE DEMO OF MICS & OUTBOARD GEAR, + MIDI rockers, what with all that prancing about FACILITIES (INC LOGIC AUDIO, AKAI and the like. We’re starting to think maybe DUMPER S1000, OLD SKOOL ROLAND ETC.) My Preserver are a sort of less effective kid brother to Domes Of Silence, whose strength THE PORN ISSUE Residential facilities included. lies in sounding like their songs could really www.courtyardrecordingstudio.com crush your house without caring too much Pardon us if we’re staggeringly wide of the PHONE PIPPA FOR DETAILS about it, but the more the singer emotes mark, but isn’t funk meant to be… well, ON 01235 845800 earnestly and the more epic the guitars get funky? Something to get your feet and hips and the more fancy electronic bits they try a-moving? Not a tired, turgid trail of to tag on the sides, the more the moaning, groaning old sludge that drags itself uncomfortable truth hits home that maybe along the floor like a toddler with an over- they’re just trying to be a Muse tribute band. full nappy, leaving a foul-smelling residue in A shame since ‘King Jesus’ points to a more its wake? Still, what else should we expect productive future path, angry and angular, from a band who quote Jamiroquai as with better use of electronics, until it fades inspiration and claim, amid one of the most out prematurely. gut-heavingly awful press blurbs we’ve ever had the misfortune to trawl through, that they “dip their toes into a broad spectrum of DEAD MAN’S musical styles”. Blimey fellas, don’t hold back there will you? Give those toes a good CROSSING old dip. Fuck it, dive right in; with any luck Oh Christ. Praise for Dead Man’s Crossing you’ll drown and spare us the torture of that accompanies their press blurb centres on having to sit through any more of this word like “Solid”, “Proficient” and “Meaty”, crippled tenth-rate Hendrix-cum-Neil Young all of which might be more appropriate to a dung in a bucket, with its chain-rattling vocal League 2 centre-half than an artistic horror show that positively screams endeavour, but then not everyone can aim `Provincial Band Competition Runners-Up’. for the stars or discover a cure for cancer. `Space Beyond Space’ (like, hey, man, that’s Some fucker still has to collect the trolleys almost like philosophy. Or maybe in Sainsbury’s car-park. With so much great astrophysics. Or possibly just wanky old metal around, we wonder why anyone still hippy guff) is a half-speed `Rocking In The feels compelled to cling to dated old bollocks Free World’ with all the hooks replaced by like this. `Neon Lights’ is solid (bing!) grungy lazy guitar soloing; the week-long `My hard rock fronted by an overwrought Eddie Disguise’ sounds like an outtake from one of Vedder impersonator, the odd stolen Iron the Saw sequels – the bit where the victim Maiden riff the only respite from its turgid lies bleeding slowly to death after having lifelessness and tediously obligatory guitar several limbs and his private parts removed solo. `Ashes’ serves only to emphasise Dead with a blunt object. According to that Man’s Crossing’s musical proficiency (bing!), riveting press blurb we were on about before, while they get on with the job of sounding The Porn issue “leave much in reserve for windswept and, y’know, deep and meaningful, future releases”. Presumably that’ll be the instead of saying, “fuck it all,” and just tunes, energy, soul and sense of fun. Here at making a nice big hellish racket. We do learn, Nightshift we keep a little something in though, that war is, like, y’know, A BAD reserve for demos like this. It’s called a car THING as the song chugs and churns in battery attacked to a pair of electrodes. Come meaty (bing!) fashion for several weeks round and collect your prize any time, chaps.

Send demos for review to: Nightshift, PO Box 312, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1ZU. Or email MySpace link to [email protected], clearly marked Demo for review. IMPORTANT: no review without a contact address and phone number. No more than four tracks on a demo. If you can’t handle criticism, please don’t send us your demo.