Sonic Youth, Shellac & Factory Floor» 31 December
Hammersmith Apollo | 45 Queen Caroline St., W6 9QH
Forget about house parties and Hootenannies and head over to deepest West London this New Year’s Eve for this stellar ATP party, featuring old hands Sonic Youth and Shellac and bright new talents Factory Floor. Evergreen alt-rock heroes Sonic Youth are in a rich run of form, making some of the best music of their career in recent albums Sonic Nurse and The Eternal. Shellac’s better material might be a bit farther in the past, but their brutal, ferocious live shows simply never disappoint. Factory Floor aren’t built to open for anyone, but their relentless, pounding krautrock-noise-techno is reason in self to attend.
02 Dec 2010
Bleeding Heart Narrative » 11 December
Union Chapel | Compton Avenue, N1 2X (FREE)
Head down to Union Chapel at noon on a Saturday and you can check out daylight music: the gig series in London most likely to be completely vampire free. The brilliant Bleeding Heart Narrative is the brainchild of cellist Oliver Barrett – they take anthemic, euphoric moments reminiscent of early Arcade Fire, and set them against grand, far-reaching orchestration. Support comes from Brighton scene stalwarts Junkboy and Misty Miller.
02 Dec 2010
Slow Club » 9 December
Union Chapel | Compton Avenue, N1 2X
Having released their incredibly saccharine debut full-length last year, Slow Club’s records have done away with the brash harmonies of many contemporary duos and headed into infectiously cute territory. However, with more recent efforts proving the band are not ones to rest on their laurels, tonight’s performance promises to be an compelling blend of romantic folk pop sensibilities and more mature, cynical numbers. That, combined with a sparser live aesthetic and the raw acoustics of the Union Chapel, is bound to result in rather lovely, warming winter evening.
02 Dec 2010
Tanlines » 4 December
XOYO | 32-37 Cowper Street, EC2A 4AP
Experimental NYC pop duo Tanlines hit UK shores having cut their teeth supporting Julian Casablancas and HEALTH in the US. Their rhythmic, danceable genre-mash brings to mind the light, twinkling amble of High Places as well as the strident, cosmopolitan pop sound of Yeasayer. They’re certainly on trend, wielding clear Afrobeat influences a la Animal Collective and El Guincho in their sunny, percussive singalongs. Head down to XOYO, the controversial venue that’s hitting its stride after a stuttering start, and see if they can warm up the chilly London winter.
02 Dec 2010
The Radio Department » 5 December
Scala | 275 Pentonville Rd, N1 9NL
Swedish indie-popsters The Radio Department hit the tenth anniversary of their (formal) inception this year, celebrating with their biggest UK headline show to date in support of their latest studio offering Clinging To A Scheme. They’ve long been signed to Labrador Records, the indie-pop label immortalised in song by Manchester’s Jam On Bread (read more about him in the New Bands section of this issue). If you’ve even a passing interest in thick-knit jumpers, cross stitch or anything twee, this could be your new favourite band. Their last London show at Bush Hall sold out well in advance though, so get in quick if you fancy it. John Rogers
02 Dec 2010
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart & 14 Iced Bears » 2 December
229 | 229 Great Portland Street, W1W 5PN
This pairing gives fans of indie-pop an exciting chance to catch two generations of their favourite genre at one brilliant night. C86 band 14 Iced Bears kick things off, mixing psychedelic, post-punk and 60 garage rock influences – think fuzzy guitars, distorted vocals with a side of frenzied jangle and chime. Indie darlings The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart are no strangers to C86 references and comparisons with influential shoegaze forerunners such as the Jesus and Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine. Combining delicious girl/boy interchanges with dreamy melodies and blistering drums, they have it right – draw on your influences, and have fun with them, but always make sure that there’s a respectful nod in the right direction.
02 Dec 2010
Veronica Falls
Veronica Falls are a retro sounding four-piece band from Glasgow. Their old-school, lo-fi vibes can be put down to influences such as The Velvet Underground, whom the band claim are one of a selection of artists who bind Veronica Falls sounds and styles together, other names they drop including Felt and Beat Happening. Tracks like ‘Beachy Head’ give the feel of a watered down (though by that I mean more stripped down, and not lacking in quality) version of the Violent Femmes, with a nod to the English landscape marking them as our own breed of pop punk. In terms of genre, don’t call them “twee”; it doesn’t mean what it used to, having been bandied about to the point of meaninglessness; but, that said, ‘Starry Eyes’ is decidedly light-hearted, carefree pop, with lyrics like “I wish that I could reach out and touch you”. ‘Staying Here’ is the kind of sentimental boy/girl harmonising and alternating that makes us question their goth-punk billing. The album, Right Side of My Brain, is released at the end of the month, available on their website merely by signing up to the mailing list. After the success of macabre titled single ‘Found Love in a Graveyard’ earlier this year, they’re headed for good/dark things…
02 Dec 2010
Jam on Bread
There’s nothing like a bit of self-deprecating modesty. Jam on Bread—aka Steve Carlton—describes his music as having “basic ukulele, rubbish voice, amateurish recording”. But the lo-fi, sounds-like-it-was-recorded-in-a-bathroom thing is what makes his songs so captivating – there’s a simplicity in the sounds and a striking, silly smartness in his lyrics. Hailing from Manchester, he recorded his recently released nine track album ‘A Railcard Adventure in Hackney’—a series of darkly comic, adorable accounts of hope, heartache and hypochondria. The LP offers a delightful selection of oddball titled tracks such as ‘I Wish I Was a Manatee’ and ‘Wikipedia Says I’m Dying’. ‘Let Jason Donovan Do The Talking’ sees Carlton writing love letters to girlfriends using lyrics from 80s pop songs “because the 80s say it best”. All are perfectly messy pop songs sung with the voice of a forlorn folk troubadour. He claims he is inspired by “the melancholy sounds of the ocean” but much remains mysterious about this bearded chap – his songs that are fictitious and often ludicrous, but also somehow relatable. The jammy man is one to watch for those looking for some kind of ukulele playing version of the ridiculously entertaining brilliance that is The Wave Pictures.
02 Dec 2010
ANR
ANR play the Lexington with The Concretes, 1 December
“Tropical bohemia” is how the New York Times described the Miami duo (Brian Robertson & Michael John Hancock) ANR. And who am I to argue with that? Their rhythmical and mysterious sounds bring to mind a multitude of influences – having had a sneaky listen to their debut long-player, not out till early next year, I pick out the sounds of Prince in their funk fuelled pop gems, with TV on the Radio’s density; and a pinch of Yeasayer, in the way they drive their joyful melodies into the psychedelic stratosphere. The most amazing fact is that this IS their debut. It sounds so controlled, so focused; it belies their tender years and relative inexperience. Touring with the likes of Gang Gang Dance, No Age and Animal Collective has obviously been a positive influence. ANR is the kind of band you can imagine Bowie or Byrne raving about with their complete disregard for categories, their magpie approach to composition. It’s perhaps no surprise that Brian Robertson was trained as a jazz pianist – he’s brought that exploratory nature together with Michael John’s love of home recording and of comic books, giving a playful and bright sheen to everything. Looking for ones to watch for 2011? You’ve found them.
02 Dec 2010
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone: Small and handmade and… over
Owen Ashworth is most definitely in London. Shoreditch is screaming in the background of our call—car horns, sirens, roaring trucks and buses, trains rumbling overhead, passers-by shouting. He’s visited the city a lot these past few years, but this is the last time he’ll be here for a while. Because after fifteen years of writing and performing his keenly observed lo-fi ditties under the name Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, he’s decided to call it a day.
02 Dec 2010
Snipe Highlights
Some popular articles from past years
- A unique collection of photos of Edwardian Londoners
- Could red kites be London's next big nature success story?
- Only 16 commuters touch in to Emirates Air Line, figures reveal
- The five best places in London to have an epiphany
- Random Interview: Eileen Conn, co-ordinator of Peckham Vision
- Nice Interactive timeline lets you follow Londoners' historic fight against racism
- Silencing the Brick Lane curry touts could be fatal for the city's self-esteem
- The five spookiest abandoned London hospitals
- Hope and despair in Woolwich town centre
- Diary of the shy Londoner
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