Music

720 Hours

Snipe Staff | Sunday 5 September, 2010 19:55

ZOLA JESUS » 1 September
CAMP Basement | 70-74 City Road, EC1Y 2BJ

Hailing from Madison Wisconsin, Zola Jesus is the latest musical incarnation of the classically trained 21-year-old Nika Roza Danilova. Both haunting and beautiful in equal measure, Danilova’s gloomy stentorian voice is punctuated by menacing synths, sparse percussion and cautiously uplifting melodies. Call it ‘Drag’, call it ‘Witch-House’, call it whatever the hell sub-genre you feel you need to, just please don’t repeat ad-nauseam whilst glossing over the much more complex and interesting reality of Zola Jesus’ ethereal output – especially not without experiencing such breath-taking and dramatic overtures firsthand. Lauren Down

The Tim & Sam Band » 8 September
The Rest Is Noise | 442 Brixton Road SW9 8BH

Pastoral, pretty and increasingly popular, this band’s currently diminutive monicker has been trimmed from “Tim and Sam’s Tim and The Sam Band with Tim and Sam”, a name made more odd by the fact that none of the nine musicians credited are called “Sam” at all. But, possibilities of Fight Club style alter egos aside, the name may refer to the use of multiple instruments and looping technology on seemingly every song as they weave their sun-dappled melodies. You can observe their current configuration of musicians and judge for yourself at this intimate show at Brixton drinking den The Rest Is Noise. John Rogers

Les Savy Fav » 10 September 2010
Cargo | 83 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY

There are bands whose records you should sit and spend time with. Then there’s Les Savy Fav, who come into their own playing live arena. The last time I saw them was at ATP in 2007: it started with crazed, giant, bearded, balding frontman Tim Harrington performing stand-up while receiving a haircut, continued with at least five costume changes (leotards, animal costumes, Victorian bathing suits), made an imprint of his face in some poor sod’s t-shirt using fake blood and got everyone to chant “WE WERE THERE WHEN THE WORLD GOT GREAT, AND WE HELPED TO MAKE IT THAT WAY”. THIS WILL BE WORTH IT. Jonathan Fisher

WHALE WATCHING TOUR » 27 September
The Barbican | Silk Street EC2

The London date of this tour from the Icelandic Bedroom Community label was ashed off during the Eyjafjallajokull last year, but thankfully this unmissable bill has rescheduled. The tour features four singular talents. The brilliant Sam Amidon you can read more about a few pages on. Ben Frost makes textured drones and long instrumentals in a fusion of post-rock and electronica. Valgeir Sigurðsson is most famous for his work producing Bjórk, but his recent soundtrack piece Draumalandið is also well worth a look. Nico Muhly is perhaps the brightest in this constellation after his universally acclaimed mould breaking contemporary classical opus, Mothertongue. Apparently the four play during each other’s sets live just as they do in the studio: this is an essential show. John Rogers

BRAINLOVE TOUR » 28 September
CAMP Basement | 70-74 City Road, EC1Y 2BJ

As Autumn sets in, Brainlove Records sends out four solo artists for eleven dates around the UK. Pagan Wanderer Lu and Napoleon IIIrd have new records out, the former writing from the head, the latter yelping from the heart, but then meeting somewhere in the middle in a meld of hyperactive electronic pop and programmed beats. Stairs To Korea and Mat Riviere, however, start in the same place (bedroom recordings of pop songs) and end up poles apart, the former crafting huge indie anthems and the latter sharing misanthropic howls with jagged instrumentation. Wrap up warm, this is a must-see. Jonathon Fisher

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