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I'm pretty sure I say this every year, but how is it already September?? We're okay with it though because it means we get to shout about new records from Vagabon, Jenny Hval, Girl Band, Muna and Kano, which is one hell of a line-up for one issue if we do say so ourselves. Festival season is drawing to a close but the good news? London's venues are really filling up with some incredible gigs. It's always a good sign when we're looking through the listings and we're constantly making notes of 'cannot miss' shows. Use our listings to make plans of your own, and if you need a reminder head to our website and sign up to our mailing list too. Talking of ‘cannot miss’ shows: September marks the return of Ja Ja Ja! Our favourite Nordic night takes over the Lexington for its autumn/ winter series and we promise you the line-ups are all stellar. See you there.
STAFF ON REPEAT
the music we can’t stop listening to this month Jess: Clipping. - Nothing Is Safe Dave: Clairo - Sofia Loki: Angel Olsen – All Mirrors Danny: Normani - Motivation Gemma: Purple Mountains - Snow is falling in Manhattan Kezia: Richard Dawson - Jogging Katie: Yu Su - Watermelon Woman CLAIRO
Jack: Big Thief - Not London in Stereo: 07
INTERVIEWS 22
REVIEWS
JENNY HVAL
28
80
20 76
LIVE
WHAT’S ON
MUNA
16
GIRL BAND 56
FEATURES 12
ALBUM RELEASES
VAGABON 36
40
46
59
NEW SOUNDS
EVENTS
GIGS OF THE MONTH
FULL SEPTEMBER LISTINGS Vagabon cover story: page 28
ON THE STEREO
TALES FROM THE CITY 78 85
IN LONDON
THOUGHTS...
Editor: Jess Partridge jess@instereomag.com
Deputy Editor: Dave Rowlinson dave@instereomag.com
Online Editor: Kezia Cochrane kezia@instereomag.com
Festival/Clubs Editor: Katie Thomas katie@instereomag.com
Sub-Editor: Loki Lillistone loki@instereomag.com
New Sounds Editor: Gemma Samways
Staff Writers: Danny Wright, Jack Urwin
Advertising: sales@londoninstereo.co.uk
Photography: Vagabon cover story: David Studarus (davidstudarus.com) Contributors: Caitlin Clark, Geoff Cowart, Georgia Evans, Rachel Michaella Finn, Thomas Hannan, Jon Kean, Charlotte Krol, Nick Mee, Robin Murray, Stephanie Phillips, Kelly Ronaldson, Simone Scott Warren, Harriet Taylor, Lee Wakefield. londoninstereo.com
@londoninstereo
London in Stereo: 09
COMMON LET LOVE TOUR CHE LINGO
+ SASHA KEABLE + BARNEY ARTIST TUE 10 SEPTEMBER
+ RACHEL CHINOURIRI
K-TRAP
SOPHIE AND THE GIANTS
O2 SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE
THU 12 SEPTEMBER
THU 12 SEPTEMBER
THU 12 SEPTEMBER
YOU AM I
PIP MILLETT
KYLE DION
VICENTE GARCIA
THU 12 SEPTEMBER
SUN 15 SEPTEMBER
THU 19 SEPTEMBER
FRI 20 SEPTEMBER
LIL HALIMA
DUCKWRTH
SNOH AALEGRA
ARCHIVE
TUE 24 SEPTEMBER
FRI 27 SEPTEMBER
THE GARAGE
JAZZ CAFE
OMEARA
+ BLACKWAVE.
OVAL SPACE
OMEARA
+ BABY ROSE
THE LEXINGTON
ELECTRIC BRIXTON
MON 23 SEPTEMBER
TUE 24 SEPTEMBER
RED RUM CLUB
IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE
ELLE YAYA
MONARCHY
WED 02 OCTOBER
FRI 04 OCTOBER
WED 09 OCTOBER LP @ THE CURTAIN HOTEL
WED 09 OCTOBER
THIS FEELING ALIVE
HOUSE OF PHARAOHS
JOSIN
THE DIVINE COMEDY
FRI 11 OCTOBER
THU 17 OCTOBER
THE COURTYARD THEATRE
THE LEXINGTON
FEAT. THE ESTEVANS, SUGARTHIEF, THE KICKLIPS, HOURGLVSS THU 10 OCTOBER
THOUSAND ISLAND
JAZZ CAFE
EARTH
O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
O2 SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE
ALEXANDRA PALACE THEATRE
COLOURS
+ MAN & THE ECHO
THE COURTYARD THEATRE
THU 17 OCTOBER
EVENTIM APOLLO
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SL
TOP TEN: New Sounds Sui Zhen - Matsudo City Life Penny Police - Make it Move Perera Elsewhere - Wait N See Shannon Lay - August Sig Nu Gris - The Un-know Joy Postell - Back and Forth Shards - Unrest Chynna - ASMR Oh, Rose - Baby Kirby Forest - To a Tee
GLOO
FOLLOW OUR SPOTIFY ‘ALL THOSE TRACKS OF THE WEEK’ PLAYLIST FOR ALWAYS-UPDATED NEW MUSIC
SL by Gemma Samways With Skengdo & AM handed suspended sentences for performing Drill music back in January, and the Government continuing to falsely conflate the genre with gang violence, it’s definitely an interesting time to be a UK Drill artist. Nobody knows that better than SL, the teenage MC currently leading the vanguard for the next gen from behind his distinctive ski mask. In four years, the Peckham-born, Croydon-raised rapper has done just two official interviews, partly to preserve some artistic mystery, and partly to protect him from the scrutiny of authorities dead set on demonising Drill MCs. Instead, he’s largely allowed his music to speak for itself, and it’s a tactic
that’s paid off, with YouTube views on his tracks currently in the millions. Despite the lean-back approach to promo, there’s definitely a sense that SL’s now stepping it up a gear creatively. Following a sporadic run of standalone tracks in 2017/18, in April he dropped his debut EP, Everything Good Is Bad, followed by the single ‘Gigantalous’ in early August. The latter serves as a particularly potent introduction to the 18-year-old MC’s oeuvre, bearing the hallmarks of SL’s early heroes DMX and Wu Tang Clan, with production that offers a tropical twist on the UK’s most contentious sub-genre. LISTEN TO: Gigantalous
@officialsl
GLOO by Jess Partridge It's always a nice surprise to find truly innovative and exciting new artists aren't just supporting and inspiring each other but actually collaborating and sharing ideas. Roll-up the surprise announcement from Gloo this month - a group made up of the independently brilliant Babii, Kai Whiston and iglooghost - a group that's just as much fun as you'd expect them to be. First track 'Lockii' is weird, uncomfortable and ridiculously fun, and bursts with energy. As summer comes to a close, what better time for it to appear in our lives? LISTEN TO: Lockii @GLOOGLOOGLOO London in Stereo: 13
new things happening soon that you just don’t want to miss out on
COLOURS Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen was a huge part of London in Stereo’s life. We saw countless shows, put on a couple, and spent more £ on Orange Buffalo’s chicken wings than bears thinking about. But all good things come to an end, and we’re so excited for its replacement: Colours. A venue that promises to be a celebration of (genuinely) accessible creativity where arts, music and cultural events will be impeccably programmed, staged (Village Underground and EartH are collaborating on the music side) and given equal billing. The place looks incredible, the sound-system and lighting set-ups are as good as it gets and (yesss!) Orange Buffalo are still there. An real exciting and very welcome addition to London’s venues. OPENS SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2-4 HOXTON SQUARE, N1 6NU colourshoxton.co.uk // @ColoursHoxton
Kerb Seven Dials ( + new Monty’s Deli!) The closure of Monty’s Deli on Hoxton Market led to LiS moving out of the area (or maybe it was coincidence, who knows?), but at least there’s some good news. Yep, complementing their sites in Spitalfields and Market Hall Victoria, Monty’s are part of the brand new Kerb in Seven Dials. And we’ve always got tons of time for street food pioneers Kerb. Among the other traders at the converted banana warehouse you’ll find Claw, Club Mexicana and Pick & Cheese. Long story short: can’t go wrong. OPENS EARLY SEPTEMBER. SEVEN DIALS, WC2H 9HD sevendialsmarket.com // @sevendialsmkt
Emerge Festival It's a universal fact that one of the best cheap nights out in London is a museum late - it's pretty much our favourite way to see London's best cultural spaces. This month we're celebrating them with Emerge Festival, one weekend, one ticket, a huge list of museums open late and unique events. See Poppy Ajudha on the Horniman Bandstand or join the silent disco on London Bridge, it's an event of endless possibilities. SEPTEMBER 27TH-28TH VARIOUS VENUES emergefestival.co.uk @EmergeLondon
Space Rocks The award-winning Space Rocks returns this year and it's bigger than ever with the 50th anniversary of the moon landing to celebrate. With a hugely impressive panel of speakers that include actual-real-life-astronaut Tim Peake and ESA space robot engineer Shahrzad Timman it's an event for the mildly curious and highly knowledgeable alike. Oh and don't worry there's even some live music with headliners Anathema playing a one-off set in collaboration with Somerset House resident multimedia artist Kristina Pulejkova. SEPTEMBER 21ST, THE INDIGO, O2, SE10 0ES spacerocksofficial.com // @spacerockslive LAUREL HALO
MODE 2019 All you really need to know about Mode this year is that it's a series of events in London curated by the one and only Laurel Halo. Over a three week period this month you'll be able to catch some of the most innovative and exciting musicians and visual artists in unique spaces across the capital. Having picked artists that inspire and inform her own work, you'll be able to catch the likes of Julia Holter, Japanese sound designer Yosuke Fujita, and Beatrice Dillion performing tailor made pieces that respond to and work with the unique architectural site of each event. These are once in a life time opportunities so don't miss out. SEPTEMBER 18TH - OCTOBER 6TH VARIOUS VENUES mode.exchange London in Stereo: 17
SAN SCOUT
ROMAN LEWIS
FREYA RIDINGS
MIKEY MIKE
BRISTON MARONEY
NIKKI LANE
GEORGE EZRA
SYML
LANTA
ELOISE
HARRY MARSHALL
JADE BIRD
FRIEDBERG
JONATHAN WILSON
JENS KUROSS
KYAN
HONEYBLOOD
LYVES
MARTHAGUNN
PICTURE THIS
DERMOT KENNEDY
CHRISTOF VAN DER VEN
HALF MOON RUN
DUNE RATS
JOSEPH
SCARYPOOLPARTY
THU 19 SEPTEMBER THE LEXINGTON
FRI 20 SEPTEMBER THE WAITING ROOM
TUE 24 & WED 25 SEPTEMBER ROYAL ALBERT HALL WED 2 OCTOBER HOXTON HALL
THU 3 OCTOBER THE WAITING ROOM THU 3 OCTOBER OMEARA THU 3 OCTOBER SEBRIGHT ARMS
TUE 8 OCTOBER THE LEXINGTON
DWY
THU 10 OCTOBER PAPER DRESS VINTAGE
SEA GIRLS
THU 10 OCTOBER O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
ZACH SAID
THU 10 OCTOBER SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
FLAWES
TUE 15 OCTOBER THOUSAND ISLAND
WED 23 OCTOBER THE COURTYARD THEATRE MON 28 OCTOBER THE LEXINGTON TUE 29 OCTOBER SCALA
WED 30 OCTOBER DINGWALLS
WED 30 OCTOBER ST JAMES’S CHURCH PICCADILLY THU 31 OCTOBER THE GARAGE FRI 1 NOVEMBER ROUNDHOUSE
THU 7 NOVEMBER ELECTRIC BRIXTON TUE 12 NOVEMBER BUSH HALL
FINK
SAT 16 NOVEMBER ROUNDHOUSE
NOAH KAHAN MON 18 NOVEMBER SCALA
HOLLOW COVES TUE 19 NOVEMBER DINGWALLS
RICHARD FAIRLIE
MATTHEW AND THE ATLAS
TWIN PEAKS
RATIONALE
CUB SPORT
RAE MORRIS
WED 16 OCTOBER SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
WED 16 OCTOBER THE DOME, TUFNELL PARK THU 17 OCTOBER SCALA
WED 20 NOVEMBER EARTH
WED 20 NOVEMBER ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL WED 20 & THU 21 NOVEMBER HOXTON HALL
FRI 22 NOVEMBER EVENTIM APOLLO
SAT 23 NOVEMBER DINGWALLS
TUE 26 NOVEMBER SEBRIGHT ARMS WED 27 NOVEMBER O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE WED 27 NOVEMBER ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH MON 2 DECEMBER CORSICA STUDIOS
MON 2 & TUE 3 DECEMBER EVENTIM APOLLO WED 4 DECEMBER THE GARAGE
MON 9 & TUE 10 DECEMBER HOXTON SQUARE BAR & KITCHEN
HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER
TUE 10 DECEMBER VILLAGE UNDERGROUND
SAM FENDER
TUE 10 & WED 11 DECEMBER O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
THE PAPER KITES SUN 15 DECEMBER ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
THE LONE BELLOW WED 22 & THU 23 JANUARY ST PANCRAS OLD CHURCH
THE TESKEY BROTHERS
THU 23 JANUARY O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE
AMBER RUN
FOY VANCE
MICHAEL KIWANUKA
JOHN SMITH
LUNA BAY
ZIGGY ALBERTS
SAT 19 OCTOBER ROUNDHOUSE
SAT 19 OCTOBER ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL
THU 21 NOVEMBER LONDON PALLADIUM THU 21 NOVEMBER SCALA
THU 5 MARCH O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON SAT 21 MARCH ROUNDHOUSE
with INTRO Hackney Road will always have a special place in London in Stereo’s heart. We were living on it when the magazine started, and if there had been a Yard Sale Pizza then, we might have stayed. So it’s felt a real long time coming, but Yard Sale is finally coming to Hackney-proper. Yup, their 5th branch is opening on the site of former pop-up wonders Bad Sports and Lucky & Joy - but this one’s for keeps, and we could not be happier. There’s promise of special menu items (calzone!) plus, of course, our faves the Holy Pepperoni and, oh god, that cheesy Marmite garlic bread. In celebration of this wondrous time, we asked Yard Sale’s Dan Spinney to talk us through five tracks that have defined the history of Yard Sale. Turns out they’ve got good taste in music and some good stories, too. Still recovering from that Pizza Underground show, tbh. LiS Yard Sale Pizza, Hackney Road will open mid-September. 184 Hackney Road, E2 7QL. yardsalepizza.com @YardSalePizza @yardsalepizza
KING CURTIS MEMPHIS SOUL STEW
THE PIZZA UNDERGROUND TAKE A BITE OF THE WILD SLICE
Back in September 2013 we hosted a few informal pizza parties in Johnnie’s back yard where we fine-tuned some pizza recipes and tested them out on some willing guinea pigs. With a small pizza oven built in the garden we crammed 25-30 people into the front lounge around a couple of long tables, some old Christmas tree string lights, plenty of beers and a live ‘Oven Cam’. We may also have ruined one person’s birthday with a chilli roulette pizza with some hidden scotch bonnet! I built this old school rhythm & blues, soul and funk playlist which we played for each party as well as the opening of our Clapton shop and this track always signified to me that we were ready to serve up some pizza!
Our first shop in Clapton opened in May 2014 and we somehow managed to get The Pizza Underground ft. Macauley Culkin for a UK debut live performance in the kitchen for 25 of our friends and family. It was super surreal, Macauley played a little plastic trombone kazoo and the drummer Deenah used one of our pizza boxes as a drum as they rattled through a set of purely Velvet Underground covers changing the words to be about pizza. People still ask if the local legend is true – London in Stereo can vouch for it as they were there!
YARD SALE, HACKNEY ROAD
THE PIZZA UNDERGROUND YARD SALE, CLAPTON
LOYLE CARNER OTTOLENGHI Last year we collaborated with Loyle Carner who was a fan of our pizza having moved close to one of our shops. The Christmas Con Carner featured turkey chilli and teardrop peppers and raised money for Loyle’s Chilli Con Carner cooking school which supports kids with ADHD. Known for his love of food this was Loyle’s single at the time, a tribute to his inspiration and passion outside of music.
MC CASHBACK WHAT TO DO? (FOR MY DINNER TONIGHT) If you like food and rap then get to know MC Cashback! A few years back I had this ridiculous idea to create a musical pizza box and enlisted Oscar Cash of Metronomy and his pal Angus aka MC Cashback to create some musical weirdness to insert into our boxes, like a musical birthday card. We celebrated the launch with a shop performance in which MC Cashback built a real-life pizza synth which people prodded with fingers and forks to trigger midi samples of MC Cashback hollering pizza references! This track is off his album The Dinnersty which sounds exactly as you would imagine.
BEASTIE BOYS FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT The Beasties are a firm Yard Sale favourite and no pizza party would be complete without this on the stereo. I love the shot of them outside Stromboli Pizza in NYC from 1987 following the release of Licensed to Ill. We aspire to those staple neighbourhood pizza joints of NYC and were fortunate to have collaborated with the likes of Frank Pinello of Brooklyn’s Best Pizza & Anthony Falco, previously of Robertas. Check out The Pizza Show: Extra Slice - London on YouTube. London in Stereo: 2 1
words: Kezia Cochrane photography: Lasse Marhaug
Jenny Hval he prolific creative curiosity that Jenny Hval embodies is innately tangible in her wealth of multidisciplinary works and equally so in her verbal expression. Since her last record, Blood Bitch, the Norwegian artist has released her debut novel, Paradise Rot, and her second one is already out in Norway. On The Practice of Love there’s a multi-layered voice that offers a distinct approach in Hval’s songwriting.
“I feel like I’m always somewhere in between art forms because I think so much in images. What I’m drawn to is to have a constant shifting image...”
“I think that working with three languages and also having music influences the way I write when I write in book form” she muses, as we discuss how these different forms of writing inform each other. “I’ve been very much trying to access the energy of performance, and even themes that come up when you are performing something live. So it’s not just songwriting it’s also the aspect of doing a performance” she continues. “I feel like I’m always somewhere in between art forms because I think so much in images. What I’m drawn to is to have a constant shifting image and that’s maybe because I work with durational performance, or durational in that aspect of music that it’s never there in front of you in any stable way, it’s always shifting”. This sense of transience is something that frequently manifests itself within Hval’s music. On The Practice of Love there’s an existential exploration of human ephemerality through meditations on love, intimacy, connection and being a childless woman. Speaking of the latter, the title track reflects on realising your place as such. “I grew up thinking that wanting to have children London in Stereo: 23
was a girly sort of traditional negative feeling that kind of held you back,” Hval laughs. “I’m talking about myself as a child” she emphasises. “I think there’s something really wonderful about not being the central character of a story,” Hval further expresses, in line with Laura Jean’s speech on the aforementioned track. “I still wanted on this record to be more central in terms of being more common with my references and really trying to battle with Alice in Wonderland and the ocean and love and stuff, themes that I’ve avoided because I’ve seen myself as a voice of difference”. A common theme throughout Hval’s work is this exploration of otherness. “I’m glad I’ve got a song called ‘Ordinary’ in there,” Hval says, (the closing track of the record). “On the one hand to feel like you’re apart, or you embody difference in opposition to the norm, maybe does not mean that you’re not ordinary as well.” There’s something reassuring about this state of being other yet ordinary. As someone who’s always contended with being an outsider I’ve always found a certain solace in the way Hval vocalises this, and we discuss how it’s something we’ve grown to find peace with and a sense of belonging over time. There is, however, a fetishisation of being different that feels insincere and exploitatively capitalised on; “the ordinary is often seen as trivial or not so interesting, sometimes we’re a bit too obsessed with being different,” Hval conveys. “I think for someone who feels different, or is treated differently, being able to feel ordinary is a place of calm”. Although certain references might be more “common” as Hval puts it - “I probably wouldn’t have thought I’d end up with an album with love in the title,” she laughs there’s still her characteristic subversion. The title track poses a questioning of the universality of love from a linguistic perspective, “the Norwegian version to me is strongly tied to a Protestant Christianity type of mind-set,” Hval details. “Which is why
honesty is 80% of the Norwegian word for love because it sits inside it.” Listening to ‘Ashes to Ashes’ I can’t help but think of the religious context and how Hval transforms this. “I wanted it to be more like you’re a voice and this image turns into this image and I can turn into you, it’s more of a transforming image so the cigarette can turn into the ashes of a person. It’s kind of a way of showing the intimacy of art.” Musing further on intimacy, Hval alights on this sense of “spiritual intimacy in a way, reaching out to others who are maybe not present in the way we usually think of as in the flesh but more close because you feel close to them or there is something you recognise of yourself in them or you’re longing for them”. And there is something truly liberating and comforting in approaching intimacy and connection with these different notions. The Practice of Love is released September 13th via Sacred Bones LIVE: Milton Court, September 29th @jennyhval
@jennyhval
Academy Events present STRAIGHT & ACADEMY EVENTS PRESENTS
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FRIDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2019 O2 ACADEMY2 ISLINGTON, LONDON THELOTTERYWINNERS.CO.UK presents
THE OCTOBER SESSION
CASWELL ZOEY LILY ROTHWELL PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS
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WED 9th OCTOBER 2019 O2 ACADEMY2 ISLINGTON, LONDON ACADEMY EVENTS & THIS IS HIP HOP PRESENT
O2 ACADEMY ISLINGTON, LONDON An Academy Events presentation by arrangement with ATC Live
presents
DEBUT UK SHOW
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PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS
plus guests
W E D 23 OCT 2019
O2 ACADEMY2 ISLINGTON LONDON
Friday 22nd November 2019 O2 ACADEMY2 ISLINGTON, LONDON
Saturday 7 December 2019 O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire London
TICKETMASTER.CO.UK & ALL USUAL AGENTS
21 Sept
MUM
Union Chapel 26 Sept
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Islington Assembly Hall 2 & 3 Oct
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St Matthias Church 6 Oct
EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE EartH 9 Oct
FAR CASPIAN Moth Club 16 Oct
HOLLY HERNDON Barbican 16 Oct
MELT YOURSELF DOWN
24 Oct
PEGGY SUE The Dome 25 Oct
BATTLES EartH 25 Oct
JACKIE MENDOZA Sebright Arms 26 Oct
WHY?
Islington Assembly Hall 27 Oct
CHROMATICS Roundhouse 28 Oct
ORVILLE PECK Scala 28 Oct
CHAI
Studio 9294 18 Oct
Village Underground 28 Oct
Studio 9294 18 Oct
Bermondsey Social Club
MURKAGE DAVE HARRIET BROWN
Redon 19 Oct
DEEPER
Shacklewell Arms 20 Oct
ELENA SETIEN The Islington 21 Oct
HOT FLASH HEAT WAVE
Shacklewell Arms 21 Oct
THE DREAM SYNDICATE Scala 22 Oct
BLACK MOUNTAIN
The Garage 24 Oct
CHASTITY BELT
Islington Assembly Hall
JULIEN CHANG 29 Oct
HELADO NEGRO Jazz Cafe 29 Oct
COMBO CHIMBITA The Lexington 29 Oct
RAYANA JAY
Camden Assembly 29 Oct
JULIEN CHANG
Servant Jazz Quarters 30 Oct
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Shacklewell Arms
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MODEL MAN
Studio 9294 10 Nov
THE RAINCOATS EartH 19 Nov
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ALASKALASKA XOYO 24 Nov
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Village Underground 26 Nov
RADICAL FACE Union Chapel 29 Nov
!!!
EartH 3 Dec
SARAH KLANG The Lexington 4 Dec
CRUMB
The Dome
UPCOMING LONDON SHOWS
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GIANT PARTY TUES 17 SEPT ELECTROWERKZ
JERKCURB THURS 17 OCT CHATS PALACE
STEVE GUNN TUES 17 SEPT OMEARA
OTHA FRI 18 OCT BERMONDSEY SOCIAL CLUB
NATALIE EVANS THURS 19 SEPT THE ISLINGTON ELSA HEWITT TUES 24 SEPT RYE WAX BABII THURS 26 SEPT SET DALSTON PLASTIC MERMAIDS THURS 3 OCT SCALA SKYLARK AND THE SCORPION FRI 4 OCT ST MATTHIAS CHURCH BESS ATWELL THURS 10 OCT OMEARA GHUM THURS 10 OCT THE WAITING ROOM
LAURA MISCH FRI 18 OCT CORSICA STUDIOS EGYPTIAN BLUE WED 23 OCT SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS ROSIE LOWE WED 23 OCT VILLAGE UNDERGROUND LISA MORGENSTERN THURS 24 OCT SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS EVADNEY MON 28 OCT THE WAITING ROOM SHUNAJI TUES 29 OCT THE WAITING ROOM
BAMBARA TUES 29 OCT ROZI PLAIN SEBRIGHT ARMS TUES 15 OCT VILLAGE UNDERGROUND CAROLINE POLACHEK WED 30 OCT KELLY MORAN HOXTON HALL WED 16 OCT KINGS PLACE BLUE BENDY WED 30 OCT SKINNY PELEMBE BERMONDSEY SOCIAL WED 16 OCT CLUB MOTH CLUB IRAH WED 16 OCT THE ISLINGTON
ERIN DURANT THURS 31 OCT SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
GEORGIA TUES 5 NOV SCALA GIRL BAND TUES 5 NOV ELECTRIC BALLROOM ALICE HUBBLE TUES 5 NOV SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS CORRIDOR WED 6 NOV THE WAITING ROOM PALACE SAT 9 NOV ROUNDHOUSE SHARDS WED 13 NOV CHATS PALACE SHURA THURS 14 NOV ROUNDHOUSE EZRA FURMAN THURS 14 NOV O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN MEGA BOG THURS 14 NOV THE ISLINGTON KATHRYN JOSEPH MON 18 NOV EARTH HACKNEY DOG IN THE SNOW TUES 19 NOV SET DALSTON HONEYMOAN WED 20 NOV PAPER DRESS VINTAGE KEDR LIVANSKIY THURS 21 NOV BLOC
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ART SCHOOL GIRLFRIEND TUES 26 NOV RICH MIX SIR WAS WED 27 NOV SCALA PONGO WED 27 NOV REDON BETHNAL GREEN BC CAMPLIGHT THURS 28 NOV ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL PEOPLE CLUB THURS 28 NOV THE ISLINGTON GREAT DAD THURS 28 NOV BERMONDSEY SOCIAL CLUB FAT WHITE FAMILY MON 2 - THURS 5 DEC EARTH HACKNEY5 SOLD OUT th
IDER WED 5 FEB 2020 ELECTRIC BRIXTON ANNA MEREDITH WED 5 FEB 2020 EARTH HACKNEY (SANDY) ALEX G WED 12 FEB 2020 EARTH HACKNEY SLEATER-KINNEY WED 26 FEB 2020 O2 ACADEMY BRIXTON
make up:
Erinn N Pea
Vagabon words: Stephanie Phillips photography: David Studarus
t was during the recording of her debut album Infinite Worlds that singersongwriter Lætitia Tamko, who performs under the moniker Vagabon, first heard her voice clearly, and it frightened her. A deep, rumbling vocal with a timbre so warm it almost resembled a brass instrument at its brightest moments. Rather than shy away from her fears, Tamko’s relentless touring schedule forced her to know her voice and herself more intimately than before. “Through performing I thought there are valleys in my voice that I'm not sure are pleasant or pretty or beautiful but I want to step into them confidently,” says Tamko. It is a confidence that carried her through the creation of her latest release, Vagabon, an evocative, masterful record which sees Tamko embody the multi-talented auteur she was clearly born to be. The album crosses into new territory for Tamko as she largely trades in the distorted guitar driven melodies of Infinite Worlds in favour of hypnotic pop song structures. It is a move she claims was spurred by writing on tour, growing weary of her guitar, and having her new-found confidence in herself. London in Stereo: 29
To understand how she could come to doubt a talent so obvious to many (Pitchfork once called her a “game changer” in indie rock) we only have to look at Tamko’s sharp ascent into the spotlight. Born in Cameroon, Tamko relocated to New York with her family as a teenager where she was introduced to the pillars of American pop music and soon fell in love with stars like Brandy and Mariah Carey. While studying engineering at college she was convinced by a friend to record and upload the songs she had been working on to Bandcamp. Shortly after Tamko was introduced to the scrappy New York DIY indie scene where she made her mark performing at the former staple venue Silent Barn, alongside her peers Mitski and Frankie Cosmos. Tamko connected with audiences almost instantly through her introspective songs that tackled regret, longing, and loneliness with an honesty that was rarely matched. The praise placed a weighty pressure on her shoulders. Where previously she could write alone in her bedroom just for herself she now had the world watching. It wasn’t until an opportunity to write for another artist came along that she felt comfortable writing for herself again. The resulting song from that session was ‘Flood’ the first single from Vagabon and a noted change in direction. “Through writing for other people and through writing that song for someone else I learned that it’s within me so I can get started,” explains Tamko. Pushing back against the fear that once quashed her creativity, Tamko was determined to challenge herself at every conceivable point. She was the sole producer, played instruments she had never even held before, and worked expansively with hazy, trap-inspired beats. The process was thrilling to Tamko and allowed her to become the same awestruck songwriter she once was. “I'm kind of like a kid in a candy store where I’m able to touch all these different instruments and see what sparks
the naivety inside of me and what sparks this excitement and this beginner's mind mentality,” she exclaims. Her experimental creative process can be heard in some of the highlights of Vagabon. The buoyant, dancing on my own number ‘Water Me Down’ catches the ear in the same way Rihanna’s recent cover of Tame Impala does. While the experimental piece ‘Please Don’t Leave The Table’ could easily sound at home anywhere in Solange’s back catalogue. Would Vagabon ever make a more deliberate move towards the pop world? She insists her writing process does not centre around reaching specific audiences or genres. “I know the feeling I want to convey and I know the feeling I want the listener to have when they hear a specific part,” she explains. The noted difference between her previous release and Vagabon is not lost on Tamko: “I'd be lying if I said I didn't think ‘Oh, this is so different from Infinite Worlds, what does that mean?’ but the thought was not enough of a hindrance for me to change course.” Her move away from indie, both in terms of her sound and her real life community, was necessary for Tamko who at times felt at odds with the scene’s lack of diversity. Now for Tamko creating a community where there were no limits on who could feel at home was imperative to her. It is a notion captured effortlessly on ‘Wits About You’ as Tamko sings “I was invited to the party / They won’t let my people in / Well then never mind, never mind, never mind / We don’t wanna go to your function”. It is a process that allows Tamko to prioritise those who she sees as her community in every aspect of her work: “When I'm headlining and I have a say in who opens I know who to go to. When I am asked ‘who are you listening to today?’ I know who I want to talk about.” Her ever-growing community now consists of fellow touring musicians who contribute to a “solid group chat” sharing road stories
“Through performing I thought there are valleys in my voice that I'm not sure are pleasant or pretty or beautiful but I want to step into them confidently...”
and offering much needed support. Outside of the group chat her friends have influenced her work in other ways. Melina Duterte, of dream pop outfit Jay Som, featured Tamko on her latest release, Anak Ko. Tamko returned the favour, enlisting Duterte on trumpet and backing vocals on ‘Please Don’t Leave the Table’. It is a reciprocal friendship that naturally sparks creativity in both women. “Coming over to her house and seeing what she's working on, it's like, ‘Oh wow’ we get to talk technically but we're
also just seeing mirrors and I think that's really important,” says Tamko. In September 2018, Tamko performed album opener ‘Full Moon in Gemini’ at The Getty Museum, accompanied only by a string section. Commanding the stage in an asymmetric black safety pin dress in green tights and white heels Tamko was in the early stages of her evolution towards her new stage look. Her fresh faced, Instagram-ready look is a far cry from her London in Stereo: 31
previous stage outfits, which usually consisted of jeans, a t-shirt and beanie hat. Her deliberate efforts to showcase a curated style are part of her want to bring more showmanship into her performances. Tamko says: “Now I want to create a space with my shows where I'm now performing with a little bit more intention because I'm more available to give that whether it’s through a look or dancing, or putting the guitar down and interacting with the audience. Her excitement with performing filters down to the rest of her life. When I ask whether her confidence in her music affected her personally, she is quick to reply with a hearty ‘yes’, adding, “there is such an affirmation to follow your instinct and to have your instinct
lead you in the right direction”. Considering Tamko is only 26, it is thrilling to consider how much she has already achieved and how far the rest of her career could take her. It is a thought that keeps Tamko inspired. “I’m trying to live a full life,” she explains. “I've lived many lives at this point. I've lived in a totally different place in the world, I have lived a life where I only spoke French and not English, now I'm living a life where I'm here.” Considering she has so many plans for her future, we hope she gets more lives. Vagabon is released October 18th via Nonesuch Records LIVE: St Pancras Old Church, October 21st @vagabonvagabon
@vagabonjour
“. . . t a l k i ng a b o ut wo rl d s aving a nd t a l k i ng a b o ut s av i ng yo u rs elf, all of t he s e t hi ng s , we wa nt t o p o s ition t he m a s p o l i t i c a l st at e m e nts ...”
MUNA words: Rachel Finn
photography: Isaac Schneider
t’s a cliche that the second record is a difficult one, but for MUNA it was one that rang true. After they came off the road from touring their 2017 debut record, About U, and tried to settle back into life in their adopted hometown of LA, the trio - made up of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin, Naomi McPherson, who met as students at the University of Southern California in 2013 - found the initial process of going back to their normal lives daunting. And once they had, they were faced with the pressure of delivering a follow-up record that matched the hype of their first.
“The press had been so kind to us about our record, we're treated like absolute darlings and everyone's very sweet to us...” Katie explains of their time spent making new album Saves The World. “Now, I look back on the first record and I'm like that's a fucking good album, but that is not always how I felt. There was definitely a lot of pressure. I think most of it was internal. All three of us are really hard on ourselves as workers and we expect a lot of ourselves.” Without the cheers of the crowd and the validation that came from being on tour and interacting with an audience every night, making their second album partially became an exercise in learning to believe in yourself without having to rely on something external to tell you you’re doing okay. It’s a message that went on to be the central
theme of the album as a whole: Saves The World embodies the idea that sometimes the most radical and important thing you can do is commit to looking after yourself before you can concentrate properly on anything else. Nowhere is this better found than on the album’s lead single ‘Number One Fan’, which marks a sonic departure from the synth-heavy ‘goth-pop’ of some of their
earlier songs in favour of glossy pop kitsch. It also just so happens to have one of the best opening lines of any comeback song from recent memory: “So I heard the bad news / Nobody likes me and I'm gonna die alone / In my bedroom / Looking at strangers on my telephone,” the song begins, before stressing the importance of speaking back to the negative voices in your head and looking inwards for growth. London in Stereo: 37
“We'd been away for almost two years and we were on this path of trying to reinvent ourselves and it's like ‘What is a better way to come back out of the gates with guns blazing than with a song that literally punches you in the face with sincerity and comedy?’,” Josette says of how choosing the song as their first single was easy. It’s a song that will be highly relatable to anyone who’s ever spent an evening in, scrolling themselves into a FOMO-heavy internet hole, wondering how their life ended up being so underwhelming. But despite the song’s melodramatic edge, MUNA still intend their second album to act as many of their previous releases have done: using personal storytelling to act as a response to the political. From performing in t-shirts that proudly declare ‘FUCK TRUMP’ in bold, red capital letters to regularly speaking out about issues ranging from gun violence to climate change and reproductive rights, politics have - and continue to - form a central part to their existence as a band.
“Just calling the record ‘Saves The World’ and talking about world saving and talking about saving yourself, all of these things, we want to position them as political statements because I think the idea that the world can be saved and that we have within us creative solutions to these problems, it just seems…” Katie begins, before continuing: “It's kind of hard to accept that there is even any bit of hope left, because that's scary. It's scary to try and make things better, but that's kind of the question we're asking with this record. It's an exploration of that.” “We're not nihilists,” Naomi adds. “I think we feel like there has to be a reason to wake up everyday and keep going. We’re just trying to figure out a way to say something political without making everyone really fucking depressed.” Saves The World is released September 6th via Columbia Records LIVE: Village Underground, September 9th & 10th @whereisMUNA
@whereismuna
G I R L
B A N D
words: Danny Wright photography: Richard Gilligan crobats Stab Orcas / Do Geese see God? / Party Booby Trap” Dara Kiely sings over echoing guitar riffs recorded backwards on ‘Aibohphobia’, midway through Girl Band’s new record, The Talkies. If you didn’t know, aibohphobia means a fear of palindromes (and is in itself a palindrome). Naturally, Dara sings the whole song in palindromes, which must have taken a while… “Well, I actually went to palindromes.com so it didn't take that long…” he smiles. “It’s kind of cheating really.”
The band, sat in a sun drenched beer garden near the offices of their label Rough Trade, reassure him. “It’s research, really,” says Adam, the drummer. “A bit of homework.” Four years on from their debut, Holding Hand With Jamie, it’s been a long road to this record’s release. Back in May 2017, the band suddenly cancelled their tour dates citing “health reasons” (they’ve made no secret of Dara’s mental health issues) and all went quiet. It was questioned whether they’d return. Now they’re back, though they’re understandably keen to avoid focusing on those issues. “It's just nice to have music out and be a band again,” Alan, the guitarist, says. “Though you’re always a little unsure if people will still care.”
“We wanted the same sounds to pop up again and again, though He shouldn’t worry - The Talkies is a record that’s hard to ignore. A brutal, brilliant record - both a darkly visceral, experimental rock album and one that locks into intense, dissonant grooves. Repeated listens reveal more sonic details – it’s a complex, fascinating record that obliterates you each time you hear it. “The first one was very much ‘OK cool, we’ve got this many songs, that sounds like an album’”, says Alan. “But with this one we wanted to stitch the songs together - that was something that was new for us.” Inspiration came from a rather surprising source: Marvin Gaye. “I really love What’s Going On,” acknowledges Alan. “The way the tracks bleed into each other and the fact that it's got a very obvious start and end point – I wanted to mirror something like that.”
obviously our record is nothing like What’s Going On… in many, many respects...” So the record begins and ends with the sound of Dara breathing, and motifs are repeated across the album. “We wanted the same sounds to pop up again and again, though obviously our record is nothing like What’s Going On… in many, many respects,” adds Daniel, the band’s producer and bass player, with knowing understatement. London in Stereo: 41
It was recorded in Ballintubbert House, a historic home outside of Dublin dating back to 1540. “The house is insane,” says Alan. “It’s a wedding venue so everyone was able to have their own en suite bedroom.” And this strange, surreal environment influenced the recording. The band even created an ‘audio representation’ of it on the sprawling ‘Prefab Castle’. “We did field recordings around the house. There's a huge fountain in the grounds. So we recorded that. And the fridge. And all of the doors.” They also had two sets of drums - one upstairs and one in the cellar - and experimented with different sounds. “We were like ‘Let’s pile up a load of cymbals and see how that sounds’,” says Adam. “One of Adam’s nicknames is Buckaroo cause we’re always saying ‘Can you try to hit that stack and this one as well’ to hear what it sounds like,” laughs Alan. Over the top of this combustible, unsettling din are Dara’s obtuse, often hilarious lyrics. “It’s too late For Ricki Lake” he sings on ‘Shoulderblades’ while ‘Couch Combover’ features the lines “Called The Teacher Mammy / Gave Birth to a Fax Machine”. Humour has always been key to his storytelling. “Eddie Izzard's humour had a huge influence on me growing up and later I got into Stewart Lee and Armando Iannucci’s writing,” he says. “Some words together sound silly and if I am shouting them, I'll get a kick out of the weird side of it.” He describes his writing process as “stream of consciousness at first… I’ll gradually make sense of some words and the more we play, the more the meaning will get clearer to me”. He admits to being understandably apprehensive about playing again. “We started practising a few days ago and I was a bit nervous beforehand, but then it was muscle memory and everything was fine. It’s really enjoyable playing again because we haven’t played stuff like ‘Lawman’ in ages.”
There’s a palpable sense of excitement about playing live together again, after such a long time away. This time they’ll play fewer shows (so it doesn’t feel “like a slog,” says Alan). They’re also hoping for dancing. “There’s something really gratifying about seeing a crowd dancing together,” says Daniel. “Also I don't like mosh pits when I go to gigs - I’m like 5 foot 6 so it’s really annoying…” The Talkies is released September 27th via Rough Trade Records. LIVE: Electric Ballroom, November 5th @girl_band
@girlband
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KANO (photos: Olivia Rose)
Grime pioneer, t-shirt weather fan, Mercury Prize nominee, N.A.S.T.Y. Crew alumni - East Ham’s Kano really needs no introduction. Nearly 15 years after his debut album, Home Sweet Home, he’s back with album number six - Hoodies All Summer - so Danny Wright got Robin Murray and Caitlin Clark together to talk all things Kano. How have you been enjoying the Kano record? Robin: It's fantastic. It’s a lot starker than his last record, but it’s a real showcase for him as an MC - there are some amazing moments. Caitlin: It's rad. Despite him moving on from talking directly about himself, there's huge depth in the tracks. Sometimes it can feel like an artist discusses these sorts of issues… just because, but this feels really raw. Robin: Completely. It feels very timely - the lessons about knife crime and gang culture are incredibly potent. And it's very outward looking - the features from Popcaan and Kojo Funds take him somewhere new. That said, ‘Class Of Deja’ is a brilliant throwback moment. An all out banger! That's key - he balances the meaning, with some fantastic club moments.
KANO HOODIES ALL SUMMER August 30th Parlophone Have you always been Kano fans? What were you expecting with this one? Robin: I'm a fan, yeah - I felt this one would be a progression of Made In The Manor, but it's very distinct. It really exists on its own terms. Caitlin: I, wrongly, expected more dancing at Dalston Superstore at 2am than substance. But, like Robin said, he's really struck a wonderful balance between meaning and club bangers. I've always been a really big fan of Kano. I think I found him through D Double E's early grime freestyles on YouTube.
Robin: Yeah and Kano vs Wiley on Lord Of The Mics is a classic. So, is it a step up from Manor...? Or just different? Robin: I felt Manor... had lots of amazing ideas but no one track to pull it altogether. So in that respect, this album's slew of bangers is a step up. Caitlin: It feels more mature. He's made an album that's current, politically and socially astute, but still touching on that format for some fun moments. His sounds also have a bit more clarity. Those eery, pan-pipes running through ‘Good Youtes Walk Amongst Evil’ are SO FRESH. Robin: Yes and Lil Silva's production on ‘Got My Brandy’ is fantastic - so nuanced. Did you watch the Aneil Karia ‘Trouble’ short? It seemed to bring the themes together… Robin: Yeah I did - very powerful. It brought out the narrative aspect of his lyrics as well and made me consider the album as a whole entity, rather than just individual tracks. Caitlin: Yes! It really tied a lot of the central themes together. I don't think it's a necessary watch to understand the album, but it definitely gives it a sense of togetherness. Those iPhone clips really hit home too. Robin: Yeah it’s very stark, very honest. One of the things I like about the way Kano tackles those social themes is that it's completely unvarnished. There's no easy answers at all. In terms of that narrative, those themes, are there any lines or samples that stuck in your mind? Robin: The samples are incredible. I don't know the full stories of each one, but it seems to be genuine community workers. The record feels like a very honest reflection of those communities. Caitlin: For sure. Those samples really say "this is our reality". It's less about what needs to change and what could be done in the future, more immediate action. As ‘Good Youtes Walk Amongst Evil’, Kano says "Let's talk about it" over and over. It feels so NOW.
Robin: Yeah, there's a real urgency and intensity to what he says. There are moments when the arrangement drops out completely but his flow is still incredibly intense - it's a real testament to the musicality of UK rap. Caitlin: Kano really emphasises the urgency for action. The arrangements and flow fit that urgency too. There's a lot of chopping and changing in the arrangement and flow. You've mentioned ‘Class Of Deja’ - are there any other tracks that blew you away? ‘SYM’ took me by surprise! Robin: I really like ‘Pan-Fried’ with Kojo Funds. And yes, ‘SYM’ was quite a twist! Caitlin: I really like how ‘Can't Hold We Down’ hops on an R&B rhythm and turns it into this wicked UK rap hybrid. And Kojo in ‘Pan-Fried’ is really refreshing. ‘SYM’ was... not expected. It's so… unassuming with that lovely little twinkly piano and then… oh. suck your mum? k cool. Is it strange to think of Kano as the elder statesman of UK rap? Caitlin: He's always been up there for me with the godfathers Wiley and D Double E. I'm not really sure what UK rap and grime would be without them, to be honest. Robin: Kano is really influential - like he draws from grime and hip-hop and dancehall while having his own sound, so it's almost a forebear of the way Dave or AJ create music. Caitlin: Definitely – he's paved the way for experimenting in rap music, and pulling on other genres to give his sound a unique edge. LIVE: Royal Albert Hall, October 7th @TheRealKano
@TheRealKano London in Stereo: 47
EFTERKLANG ALTID SAMMEN 4AD September 20th
PIXIES BENEATH THE EYRIE 4AD September 13th On Beneath The Eyrie, the Pixies have left their surfboards hanging in the garage and gone for a walk in the woods. Sometimes those woods sound like a glorious place to light fires and pitch tents, sometimes those woods sound like they’re shadowy and sinister. In true Pixies style, tracks are diverse. They could soundtrack anything from a cowboy bromance (‘Daniel Boone’) to a rebellious road movie (‘Long Rider’). When Laurence Binyon wrote, “Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn,” it sprang from far more heroic life-and-death shit than rock ‘n’ roll, but there’s no better phrase to sum up the irresistible form demonstrated on the Pixies’ latest release. How an album can sound so 1989 and so 2019 at once is remarkable. Jon Kean
Time has only sharpened Efterklang’s ability to tug at the heartstrings. But now – seven years since their last album – they can do it with a fraction of the fireworks. Sparse and sonorous is the new mission, beautifully weighting each plucked note and every Danish coo. The pace is a glacial baroque funk as Casper Clausen (vocals), Mads Brauer (synths/electronics) and Rasmus Stolberg (bass) are joined by Belgian ensemble B.O.X to channel the majestic pop pomp of Peter Gabriel and Talk Talk. There’s not a bum note to be found in these superbly played and recorded nine songs. Special mention goes to the taut march of ‘Supertanker’. Despite being a Low-like lesson in economy, it won’t fail to get your head nodding in approval. Geoff Cowart
(SANDY) ALEX G HOUSE OF SUGAR Domino Records September 13th A long drawling howl flows into plucking guitars, disjointed harmonies and contrasting rich layers of metallic twanging. As they soften, the words “not today” repeatedly break through, driving forward the pulsating cumulation. Here, (Sandy) Alex G is displaying an expansion of his melodic talents. His latest release House of Sugar is characterised by its combined elements of country music with dense and meticulouslycurated textures from strings and fuzzy synthesisers. It feels like a natural progression from low-fi bedroom creations to a slicker studio operation, with tracks like 'Project 2' toying with 80’s-esque drum machines while robotic vocal distortion adds flair to 'Sugar'. This is (Sandy) Alex G's most progressive work yet, proving he's moved away from being a cult prodigy to one of the industry's most prolific artists. Georgia Evans
METRONOMY METRONOMY FOREVER Because Music September 13th In an attempt to recapture the naive self-sufficiency of his earliest recordings, Joseph Mount temporarily reclaimed Metronomy as a solo project in 2016 and produced Summer ‘08, a nostalgic set capturing the chaos of the band’s beginnings. At the time, it was billed as a back-to-basics statement of intent. In reality, Summer ‘08 seems to have functioned as a palette cleanser for Mount, as evidenced by his subsequent, sterling work branching out on productions for Robyn and Jessie Ware. And yet, this sixth LP provides the most compelling evidence yet that Mount has turned a corner creatively. Perhaps it’s swapping the bustle of Paris for the bucolic surrounds of Kent, perhaps it’s reuniting with the rest of the band: whatever the reason, Mount sounds more relaxed than he has in years. Consequently, Metronomy Forever possesses a playfulness and an effortless sophistication that was often lacking from the comparatively sluggish Summer ‘08. ‘Wedding Bells’ is an instant highlight, a cross-pollination of Kim Wilde’s ‘Kids In America’ and John Hughes-movie wistfulness, while ‘Salted Caramel Ice Cream’ is ridiculously moreish, its buoyant melody liberally sprinkled with kitsch keyboard effects. Lead single ‘Lately’ is better still, its haunting vocal hook descending incrementally over taut guitar and sparkling keyboard arpeggios. Structurally, Mount is taking risks too. Designed to evoke a radio-like listening experience, the album offers a constantly shifting carousel of styles, often interspersed with interludes. In less experienced hands, such a format could feel disjointed, but in Mount’s it’s immersive. Gemma Samways
ALEX CAMERON MIAMI MEMORY
Secretly Canadian September 13th Criminally underrated songwriter Alex Cameron has made something of a name for himself by pretending to be all manner of other, largely deplorable, characters. But Miami Memory, his third album, represents something of a shift in approach. Flanked as ever by his esteemed saxophonist and “business partner” Roy Malloy, here Cameron doesn’t so much inhabit characters as observe them, musing on peoples’ flaws and peculiarities while acknowledging he’s in no position to pass (much) judgement. We are – all of us – pretty fucked up. This new perspective suits him; the mechanical funk of the opening ‘Stepdad’ is among the finest things he’s written, while the irresistible ‘Bad For the Boys’ tackles the #MeToo movement with admirable tact, all the while sounding like a woke Thin Lizzy. Thomas Hannan London in Stereo: 49
GRUFF RHYS PANG!
Rough Trade Records September 13th Gruff Rhys has the best imagination. If he’s not regaling us with tales of Candylions straight outta seventies BBC kids teevee, then he’s teaching us all about Welsh explorer John Evans with a Sesame Street puppet. Which makes Pang! a touch different, being in Welsh with a smattering of Zulu, two languages in which I am not proficient, for shame. But fear not, because in Gruff’s capable hands, there’s still enough dreamy musical landscapes to make you want to spend half an hour inside his head. ‘Digidigol’ is sublime, resplendent with a brass section and a chorus that makes your feet tap, ‘Ol Bys/Nodau Clust’ is a slice of electro-heaven, and ‘Taranau Mai’, with its thunderous drums and rolling humming, is just gorgeous. Just add a puppet, and it’d be perfect. Simone Scott Warren
G-FLIP
ABOUT US Future Classic August 30th Very few artists come forth with a knockout debut single, but last February Georgia Flipo aka G-Flip appeared out of nowhere with the 10/10 ‘About You’. We were ready to be hooked up to whatever drip of incessantly catchy percussion-heavy pop she had coming next. The Australian — deep breath — drum teacher-turned-multiinstrumentalist-bedroom producer has since released a host of brilliantly zestful singles. The trop-pop warps of ‘Killing My Time’ and her ode to misanthropy on shuffle jam ‘Drink Too Much’ have been surefire stand-outs. Thankfully, G-Flip has placed these singles on her debut album About Us, a collection of songs written largely about the on-off relationship with her girlfriend. Without those singles, the record’s tendency to veer into uninspired piano-laced balladry would regrettably overwhelm the record. Charlotte Krol
JERKCURB AIR CON EDEN Handsome Dad Records September 13th Family ties inspired Jacob Read AKA Jerkcurb’s obsession with all things Americana of old. With his parents residing there before he was born, Air Con Eden is the sound of Read piecing those memories together through nostalgia-soaked love letters and whimsical ballads. His bedroom pop sensibilities remain, but this is a vision that feels vastly widescreen this time around. Read weaves charming stories throughout his songwriting in the same vein as Metronomy’s Joseph Mount, one of the UK’s most creative forces, and Read has an equally adept ear for a hook, even if it’s on a more stripped back basis. ‘Water’s unfussy keys are a perfect example; melancholic, desolate and barely there, yet enticing. Jacob Read can seemingly produce something essential from almost nothing. Lee Wakefield
BAT FOR LASHES
LOST GIRLS AWAL Recordings September 6th Bat for Lashes’ latest release Lost Girls is inspired by night time LA drives, sound- tracking an 80s cult classic film which only exists in singersongwriter Natasha Khan's head. The joyful funk guitar licks, ominous melodies, and tales of coming of age escapades set the scene for the album. The record opens with the buoyant synth-pop of ‘Kids in the Dark’, equal parts nostalgia and regret. Each song acts as a vignette in Khan’s imaginary film noir; ‘Feel For You’ is the steely, dance number in a pivotal club scene, while the earworm pop of ‘So Good’ finds our protagonist questioning her lover’s commitment. Lost Girls benefits from Khan’s unwavering dedication to scoring the scenes in her head, transporting listeners to a world of pleasures unknown. Stephanie Phillips
CHARLI XCX CHARLI
Asylum/Atlantic Records September 13th From early Soundcloud success, teen movie anthems, and transformative mixtapes, it’s fair to say Charli XCX has shed any doubts about being merely a one-hit wonder. Love her or not, her presence is inescapable and entirely uncompromising as she prepares to release her third studio album – the eponymous Charli. Certainly, it’s her most eclectic release to date, though the monotonous, hyperactive trills of ‘Next Level Charli’ definitely wrongfoot this notion. It’s composed as though on a sugar rush. When it peaks, though, it’s clear to see why there’s so much buzz surrounding the artist. Take ‘1999’ with Troye Sivan, which shines through as a vibrant, glossy pop marvel, a jewel in the crown of her career. Because let’s be honest, she’s royalty-tier now. Harriet Taylor
BELLE AND SEBASTIAN DAYS OF THE BAGNOLD SUMMER (OST) Matador Records September 13th Who better to soundtrack a “tender, touching and acutely observed” British comedydrama than a band who excel at songs of precisely that description? So here are Belle & Sebastian composing for Simon Bird’s debut film Days of the Bagnold Summer, aware that a score shouldn’t overbear – of several wistful instrumentals, the countryish ‘Jill Pole’ and ambient ‘The Colour’s Gonna Run’ are understated treats. There are conventional pop songs too, among them ‘Did The Day Go Just Like You Wanted’, a melancholic contender for the B&S best-of. A couple of band classics have also been reworked, and the fact that ‘Get Me Away From Here I’m Dying’ and ‘I Know Where The Summer Goes’ are standouts is testament to their qualities rather than any slight on the rest of this likeable collection. Nick Mee London in Stereo: 51
SAMPA THE GREAT THE RETURN
Ninja Tune // September 13th Sampa The Great’s debut LP, 19-track The Return, will cement her position as one of contemporary hip-hop’s freshest and most intriguing voices. Real name Sampa Tempo, the Melbourne-based artist has spent four years exploring notions of home, and notions of the outsider, harvesting inspiration from her birthplace of Zambia and Botswana, where she was raised. The result is a record that melds neo-soul with hip-hop, gospel and jazz. Though she makes her declaration in the opening tracks, The Return’s latter half is, musically, more solid, from the fiery and percussive ‘OMG’, to triumphant single ‘Final Form’, to the soulful, aching tenderness of closer ‘Made Us Better’. With a host of collaborators including London jazz outfits Steam Down and Blue Lab Beats, Sampa The Great marries warm, textured instrumentation and fiercely delivered lyricism with resounding success. Katie Thomas
BODYWASH COMFORTER
Luminelle Recordings August 30th
Montréal’s Bodywash sit comfortably between experimental chaos and a calm serenity on their outstanding debut album, Comforter. 'Reverie' kicks off the hazy, dream-like atmosphere of the record, and the track's beat transitions maintain an upbeat energy throughout, contrasting with its closing counterpart. 'Twins' presents Bodywash at their finest, blending harmonic vocals and pulsating synths as the band seek peace and emotional stability, a concept later torn apart as the spectacular 'With Heat' layers heart-wrenching guitars with a bittersweet sense of longing. Imaginative and emotionally raw, Comforter remains hypnotic throughout every track, as the gold-tinted waves of ‘Sunspots’ move effortlessly through ‘Eye to Eye’ and into the distorted soundscapes of ‘Reprise’ and ‘Paradisiac’. Kelly Ronaldson
27.08.19--hatari hatari 27.08.19 06.09.19--babe babe rainbow rainbow 06.09.19 24.09.19--black black country, country, new new road* 24.09.19 road* 29.09.19--emma emma ruth ruth rundle rundle 29.09.19 03.10.19--gender gender roles* roles* 03.10.19 10.10.19 the murder capital 10.10.19 - the murder capital 10.10.19 bis + liines* 10.10.19 - bis + liines* 11.10.19--broncho broncho 11.10.19 16.10.19 - twin peaks 16.10.19 - twin peaks 17.10.19 - bloxx 17.10.19 - bloxx 24.10.19 - peggy sue 24.10.19 - peggy sue 12.11.19 - mannequin pussy + cocaine piss* 12.11.19 - mannequin pussy + cocaine piss* 04.12.19 - crumb 04.12.19 05.12.19--crumb honey lung* 05.12.19 lung* 17.12.19--honey the slow readers club 17.12.19 - the slow readers club
our selection of the best shows coming up this month
O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE
O2 ACADEMY ISLINGTON
SNOH AALEGRA
BEA MILLER
September 24th £21.20adv // @o2sbe
Shepherd’s Bush
September 23rd £16.50adv // @O2Islington
Angel
THE WAITING ROOM LAS AVES September 27th £9.90adv // @WaitingRoomN16
Dalston Junction / Kingsland
THE LEXINGTON LOS BITCHOS September 25th £7.70adv // @thelexington
Angel
SNOH AALEGRA
THE SHACKLEWELL ARMS
SERVANT JAZZ QUARTERS
PARTNER
MATTHIEU BOOGAERTS September 11th £8adv // @ServantJazz
Dalston Junction / Kingsland
September 5th £8.50adv // @shacklewell Arms
Dalston Junction / Kingsland
COLOURS
THE CAMDEN ASSEMBLY
KALEEM TAYLOR
MOSS KENA September 11th £10adv // @CamdenAssembly
Chalk Farm / Camden Town
September 27th £7adv // @ColoursHoxton
Old Street
OHTIS
BOSTON MUSIC ROOM BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD September 24th £9adv // @BostonMusicRoom
Tuffnell Park
BRIXTON WINDMILL
THE DOME CRUMB September 4th £12.50adv // @DomeTufnellPark
OHTIS + TIÑA Tuffnell Park
September 4th £9adv // @WindmillBrixton
Brixton
MOTH CLUB
BUSH HALL
SASAMI + LAZY DAY
THE CACTUS BLOSSOMS
September 24th £19.50adv // @Moth_Club
Hackney Central
SASAMI (photo: Alice Baxley )
September 4th Shepherd’s Bush Market / Shepherd’s Bush £17adv // @Bushhallmusic
O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN FETTY WAP September 23rd £34.75adv // @O2ForumKTown
Kentish Town
PAPER DRESS VINTAGE BIG NOTHING (US) + DANGERS OF LOVE September 19th £10adv // @paperdressed
JAZZ CAFE
THE OLD BLUE LAST DAMO SUZUKI + GENTLY TENDER September 19th £13.20adv // @theoldbluelast
Hackney Central
Old Street / Liverpool Street
BAHAMADIA + LAVA LA RUE September 10th £17.50adv // @TheJazzCafe
Camden Town
THE SEBRIGHT ARMS NOVA TWINS September 18th £8.80adv // @SebrightArms
Bethnal Green/ Cambridge Heath
XOYO
SPIELBERGS
MNEK September 25th £11adv // @XOYO_London
OSLO Old Street / Liverpool Street
September 27th £10adv // @OsloHackney
NOTTING HILL ARTS CLUB MASK ON: P WAVE + LORDSIKA + BIG CHRIS + SPIRITZ + SLIMBABY + KIZZYKUSH + TIBBZ + Y.K + JUST J September 22nd FREE // @NHAClub
SPIELBERGS
Notting Hill Gate
Hackney Central
THE SLAUGHTERED LAMB NADINE KHOURI September 26th £8.50adv // @slaughteredlam
Farringdon/ Old Street London in Stereo: 57
X
WARMLAND THE HOLY PINK MILK
(IS)
THURSDAY 26 7.30 PM
TH
(FI)
(SE)
SEPTEMBER
T H E L E X I N G T O N , L O N D O N , N1 9JB TICKETS AVAILABLE VIA BILLETTO, DICE AND EVENTBRITE £5 MEMBERS / £8 NON-MEMBERS TWITTER.COM/JAJAJANORDIC
FULL SEPTEMBER LISTINGS
LONDON’S GIG GUIDE
Tuesday September 3rd
Your full listings guide to all the best shows happening across North, East, South and West London this month. Wednesday September 4th Sunday September 1st
Monday September 2nd
visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo
Thursday September 5th Friday September 6th
WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing
FULL SEPTEMBER LISTINGS
Saturday September 7th
Sunday September 8th
Monday September 9th
visit londoninstereo.com/subscribe to get London in Stereo delivered every month
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo
Wednesday September 11th
Tuesday September 10th
WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing
FULL SEPTEMBER LISTINGS Thursday September 12th
Saturday September 14th
Friday September 13th
see londoninstereo.com/venues for up-to-date listings at all our favourite venues
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo
Monday September 16th
Tuesday September 17th Sunday September 15th
WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing
FULL SEPTEMBER LISTINGS
Thursday September 19th Wednesday September 18th
find us on Spotify at London in Stereo to keep up with our weekly new music playlists
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo Friday September 20th
Saturday September 21st
WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing
FULL SEPTEMBER LISTINGS Sunday September 22nd
Monday September 23rd
Tuesday September 24th
visit londoninstereo.com for all the latest listings, & to sign up to our Gigs Of The Week email
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo Wednesday September 25th
Thursday September 26th
WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing
FULL SEPTEMBER LISTINGS
Friday September 27th
Saturday September 28th
see londoninstereo.com/venues for up-to-date listings at all our favourite venues
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo
Monday September 30th
Sunday September 29th
WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing
OCTOBER LISTINGS Tuesday October 1st
Thursday October 3rd Wednesday October 2nd
see londoninstereo.com/venues for up-to-date listings at all our favourite venues
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo
Friday October 4th
Saturday October 5th
WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing
OCTOBER LISTINGS
Monday October 7th
Tuesday October 8th
Sunday October 6th
see londoninstereo.com/venues for up-to-date listings at all our favourite venues
LONDON TICKETS: WeGotTickets.com/LondonInStereo
Wednesday October 9th
Thursday October 10th
WeGotTickets.com | Simple, honest ticketing
OCTOBER LISTINGS
Friday October 11th
Saturday October 12th
find us on Spotify at London in Stereo to keep up with our weekly new music playlists
by
Sui Zhen
It was in the subject line of an email - something spammy like, ‘We can’t wait for you to join us for high tea in London’. I almost deleted it. My confirmation for being accepted into the Red Bull Music Academy slipped into my life suddenly. Coincidentally it happened during the first and only year I ever worked full-time at one job almost as a message-frombeyond saying “don’t do that”. And so, it set certain actions into motion. I resigned from the job and set about this new adventure in pursuit of a music led life. London. I extended my trip a couple of weeks either side and to my astonishment the Academy accommodated me. My first impression was bizarre. I was met at the airport at midnight by a driver. They carried my things and dropped me to my apartment – Bermondsey. My apartment. Alone. Kitchenette. Queen Bed. One of those wide rain-style showerheads that was somehow still eco-friendly and none of which I was paying for. I was twenty-four and for the prior few years I’d been in a relationship with a musician whom I’d known since childhood. It wasn’t working out but I had felt stuck and obligated. Too young to understand the roots of my feelings being linked to paternal guilt and the other person’s abandonment issues. But when I stepped off that plane, I felt free. Free in London. We had said goodbye and I had promised, vaguely, to remain intact however here, how could I be? I could finally be, me. It wasn’t Shoreditch or Angel but I liked that. I traveled from My Apartment to those places to visit friends. I met up with an old teenage rave acquaintance who was living large in his own flat. Apparently he was dating a French Princess but they were on-again-off-again. She was always away. A model. He would look toward me with adoration - in the way some non-musos look
“But when I stepped off that plane, I felt free. Free in London...” upon musicians as if they are complicated individuals in need of unpacking. And I looked to him lustfully. I tried to smoke rollies on my friend’s rooftop. And I descended into a deep obsessive musicmaking mode, sunken eyes too close to my laptop screen. Not giving the city proper attention – only requiring the idea of it as stimulus for my emotional outpourings. To be away. To be alone. To be free. To be here, for music in this old city. By the time the Academy started I was already wired from lack of sleep and too much time alone taking all the newness in. My heart pangs just thinking about it. I embarked on love affairs with people, their ideas, their difference in reflection to who I saw myself to be. I’d revitalised my obsessive creative process and found focus for the thing I’d been only just squeezing into spare time. In London for the first time I learned that I would always be a musician, no matter how little or much I produced. You do the things you have to do to get by but you always make time for music. In London, I lied to someone for the last time. I cried in public. I ate an English Breakfast for five pounds then chased it with a Bratwurst from Borough Market. And I loved the shit out of it. Sui Zhen release new album, Losing, Linda, September 27th via Cascine @BeckySuiZhen
@suizhen London in Stereo: 77
ARLO DAY (photo: Lara Laeverenz)
with
Arlo Day “South east is down to earth! It produces very special music and art, good food and has lots of great parks.”
Why do you live in London? I moved here when I was 9 and its home for me. It's a melting pot of everything and there's always something to see or do. What are your go-to places to eat and drink? For go-to food spots are Silk Road in Camberwell or Goddard’s pie and mash in Greenwich. To drink, I’m often at the Royal Albert in New Cross, they have great live jazz there on a Sunday evening. Do you have any favourite outdoor spaces? I am a big fan of green spaces so I’d say Greenwich Park, Telegraph Hill or Hampstead Heath ponds for a swim. And the best place to get some peace and quiet? Any park in south east for a walk or to read, or a solitary gallery trip to the Tate or Barbican. Do you prefer London in the sun or in its regular overcast glory? London in the sun is my favourite place - but I’m sure the regular grey skies make me appreciate the good weather all the more. What’s the bit of London you live in got that the rest of London hasn’t? South east is down to earth! It produces very special music and art, good food and has lots of great parks. What’s the best way to spend one great day here? Fill it with food, drink and go and find something going on like a great show or some art. Do you have any favourite venues? It used to be The Montague Arms in New Cross but that was sadly redeveloped like many places these days, so my favourites are probably Union Chapel and Village Underground - they are very special settings to watch music in. Does living here influence your music? I’d say so, I have been surrounded by great musicians in London since I can remember, all coming from different backgrounds with different tastes and skills and I think that alone has been a big influence. What’s the worst thing about London? Winter can definitely have its bleak moments. How would you advise someone to get the most out of living here? Keep an eye out for things to see and do, and support your local communities as it wouldn’t be London without them. Arlo Day’s Bad Timing EP is out now via Domino Records. LIVE: Mirrors Festival, November 2nd @arlodaymusic
@arlodaymusic
3 Steps to an Arlo Day LDN
Goddards WHERE? 22 King William Walk, Greenwich, SE10 9HU
Roya l Albert WHERE? 460 New Cross Road, SE14 6TJ
The Barbica n WHERE? Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS London in Stereo: 79
Dekmantel Amsterdamse Bos, August 2nd-4th words: Katie Thomas
“Friends, this is a set you’ll tell your children about. In 20 years time, you will tell your kids why you went to the club every weekend, and Ben UFO will be part of those stories. He’s part of our story, and we fucking love him for that.” On the receiving end of this hair-raising send off, closing Boiler Room’s stage on the Saturday of this year’s Dekmantel, Ben UFO shook his head in disbelief. He is, without a doubt, part of my dance music blueprint. Boiler Room’s MC was right, Ben is responsible for many of our most memorable dance floor moments. The crème de la crème of dance music festivals, Dekmantel serves up memorable dance floor moments, even for people that aren’t physically on their dance floor. This was their seventh edition, and the Amsterdam festival has long since been the frontrunner of astute video content. Dekmantel is slick and sophisticated with unparalleled attention to detail, and it’s not unreasonable to suggest that their icon status was cemented much faster thanks to our newsfeeds being inundated with those moments. So after years of watching Dekmantel unfold on a screen, 2019 marked my first year at the festival to experience the hype for myself.
“They’ve spent all their budget on smoke machines”, a friend joked on Sunday afternoon at the Boiler Room stage. One of my moments came in the midst of the haze on the Saturday, courtesy of Bruce, who whipped out an atmospheric edit of Beyoncé’s ‘Naughty Girl’ that had the dance floor looking around in disbelief. Earlier that day, Octo Octa and Eris Drew delivered one of the weekend’s best sets. The white Main Stage structure glistening in the sunshine, Eris stopping at one point to fan herself with a record, the pair (who are both lovers and label co-founders) brought an enchanting cosmic energy to Amsterdamse Bos, opting for sun-drenched house, breaks, and old school rave cuts. On the Sunday, women reigned supreme. Marie Davidson whipped the Greenhouse stage into a frenzy in the afternoon, her hypnotising live show including renditions of ‘So Right’ and new single ‘Chasing The Light’. I appreciated Roisin Murphy’s pitch-perfect vocal just as much as I did the fact that she had a clothes rail on stage so that she could switch up her accessories whenever she saw fit. object blue and Yu Su brought their respective distinctive palettes to the Red Light Radio stage, before Darwin & re:ni’s b2b for Boiler Room was a definite highlight, the pair reaching for tracks like Trevino’s ‘Tweakonomics’ and Coco Bryce ‘Wish We Didn’t’. With a clued-up and respectful crowd, excellent sound, stylish design and seamless organisation, Dekmantel are doing it absolutely right. Long may she reign.
DEKMANTEL (photo: Bart Heemskerk)
OCTO OCTA & ERIS DREW (photo: Yannick van de Wijngaert)
BRUCE (photo: Bart Heemskerk)
London in Stereo: 81
five alive at...
Øya Festival Oslo, Norway August 6th-10th words: Jess Partridge
After a difficult few years and venue changes Oslo’s Øya festival had a triumphant return this year, offering one of the most relaxed, easy to navigate summer festivals, and that’s before we even mention the stunning line-up. Here’s our five top tips to getting the most out of your time there.
1
2
Don’t worry about planning your days too much One of the best things about Øya festival is its quality mix of huge acts (Robyn, James Blake and Sigrid all absolutely killed it on the main stage), smaller acts (Girl In Red, Pom Poko and a particularly dramatic set from Mitski were brilliant), and boundary-pushing greats (it was absolutely inspired to have Sweden’s Silvana Imam open the festival - a truly enthralling start), so don’t worry about planning what you want to see too much, wander round, catch something new, it’s the perfect place to find a new favourite.
3
Make the most of seeing Oslo during the day - with the festival opening a bit later in the day there’s loads of time for you to explore Norway’s capital city during. Grab a city pass and check out everything from the brand new Astrup Fearnley modern art museum, to the Nobel Peace Prize building and of course take a walk up the famous Oslo Opera House for some brilliant views.
Toyen Park is the perfect location for a festival - located just outside the city centre, Toyen is the perfect sized festival site, no more than a couple of minutes walk from stage to stage and with one of the loudest sound systems we’ve ever heard at an outdoor event, it’s ideal.
4 Swim in the Fjord - Stay with us on this one, because honestly there’s no better way to get rid of a festival hangover than a dip in the refreshing, clear waters of Oslo Fjord. There’s plenty of places to get in on the city side or if you’re feeling adventurous get a boat out to one of the beautiful islands for a secluded swim.
5
Drink well, eat better - It’s no secret that it’s expensive to drink in Norway (it’s also not in the EU so make sure you pick up a bottle in the UK duty free), but the festival offers some great local beers, and even better? It has some incredible food offerings, which meant returning at least twice to our favourite curry stand. Near the festival site you’ll find all kinds of great places too, kebabs, dumplings and Thai food all within a stones throw. Do your research, you’ll need the strength.
SIGRID
MITSKI London in Stereo: 83
sept oct = lanzaroteworks.com—@lnzrt MOTH CLUB Frankie And The Witch Fingers • Holiday Sidewinder • Beach Baby • Pile • Sasami • Sarathy Korwar • Exek THE SHACKLEWELL ARMS The Holydrug Couple • Cosmonauts • Together Pangea • Scott Yoder • Faux Ferocious • Partner THE WAITING ROOM Vox + Biianco • Cy An • Ceri • Private Agenda • The Wants • Ben Shemie (SUUNS) • Las Aves STUDIO 9294 Crack Cloud • Froth • Faust • Jacuzzi Boys • Sonny And The Sunsets MOTH CLUB mothclub.co.uk / THE SHACKLEWELL shacklewellarms.com / THE WAITING ROOM waitingroomn16.com STUDIO 9294 studio9294.co.uk
/
Hackney @mothclub ARMS Dalston @shacklewellarms Stoke Newington @waitingroomn16 Hackney
/
Wick @studio_9294
MUSIC WITH A MESSAGE by Jon Kean It’s not that long since music lovers were rather sceptical about songs with a ‘message’ and lyricists who took up any of our precious listening time to promote any sort of worthy lesson. Being advised/told what to do or think by our pop stars was all a bit sententious, just a bit too Bono. Yet popular music has modelled plenty of healthy philosophy over the years. Let us not forget Whitney Houston sounding millennial back in 1986, mindfully advising us that “Learning to love yourself can be the greatest love of all”, the less confrontational equivalent of Joe Talbot growling “If they spoke to you, like you do to you / I’d put their teeth through. Love yourself,” on IDLES’ ‘Television’. There can’t be many more divisive figures in pop history than Michael Jackson. When he sang ‘Earth Song’ in 1996 at the BRIT Awards, Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker was suitably irked to invade the stage, bend over and make a wafting gesture from his (clothed) arse. Yet if you take the lyrics on face value, they ask pertinent questions about how we mistreat our environment and what hope we’re likely to leave for our children. You could feasibly hear, “I used to glance beyond the stars / Now I don't know where we are / Although I know we've drifted far,” set to a much different beat, coming from a less questionable mouth and think, “I’m with you, brother,” rather than some manifestation of the phrase, “Go away sharply.”
70s punk was predominantly ‘smash the state’. Now, so much of it is ‘smash the (unhealthy) state of mind’ or ‘smash the (unfair) status quo’. Rap too often used to harbour tedious materialism and objectification of women. Now we can hear Kate Tempest’s compassionate social comment, “And yes our children are brave / But their mission is vague” on ‘People’s Faces’ or Loyle Carner model unconditional love and modern masculinity towards an imaginary little sister on ‘Florence’. It’s hard to deny that we live in curious, cartoonish, adrift times politically, personally and socially, so maybe it’s no surprise that we’re more willing to receive such direct societal, spiritual or ethical messages from our musical artists. Maybe we’ve reached an impasse where the environmental and mental health of the world means we can’t shrug off these messages anymore. Maybe we used to object to the deliverer more than what they said. This wisdom now comes from very different performers at earlier stages of their careers, within the context of a changed industry where success does not bring unreachable wealth. It makes artists sound more like us, their words more genuine. Popular music’s role is shifting from diversion towards direction, and when you’re lost, why not let someone show you where to go?
Jon Kean is the Deputy Editor of Bristol in Stereo. He likes open-water swimming, lowering the tone whenever possible and crisps. He is currently striving to attain new levels of adequacy. London in Stereo: 85
SOLD OUT5TH & FRI 6TH SEPTEMBER THUR OMEARA
FERRIS & SYLVESTER + JACK FRANCIS + SAM(THURJOHNSON 5TH ONLY) (FRI 6TH ONLY)
FRIDAY 27TH SEPTEMBER OMEARA
WINTERSLEEP
TUESDAY 8TH OCTOBER THE UNDERWORLD
DZ DEATHRAYS
MONDAY 23RD SEPTEMBER OMEARA
TUESDAY 24TH SEPTEMBER THE LEXINGTON
SATURDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER EVENTIM APOLLO, HAMMERSMITH
SATURDAY 5TH OCTOBER THE CAMDEN ASSEMBLY
LOUIS BAKER
WILCO
+ OHMME
WEDNESDAY 9TH OCTOBER XOYO
+ PLANET + WHARVES
LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER
FRIDAY 11TH OCTOBER ELECTRIC BALLROOM
FRIDAY 11TH OCTOBER DINGWALLS
BLACK PEAKS
+ BLACK FUTURES + BITCH FALCON
RYAN MCMULLAN + ROE
THE DELTA RIGGS
EMILY CAPELL
THURSDAY 10TH OCTOBER O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
SEA GIRLS
+ THE MYSTERINES
FRIDAY 11TH OCTOBER THE CAMDEN ASSEMBLY
TIGRESS
SATURDAY 12TH OCTOBER THE CAMDEN ASSEMBLY
TUESDAY 15TH OCTOBER EVENTIM APOLLO HAMMERSMITH
TUESDAY 15TH OCTOBER SCALA
WEDNESDAY 16TH OCTOBER THE SLAUGHTERED LAMB
WEDNESDAY 16TH OCTOBER 100 CLUB
THURSDAY 17TH OCTOBER PAPER DRESS VINTAGE
+ JOHN MURRY
+ MABES
DEVON
TALULAH RUBY
KATE TEMPEST
CURSE OF LONO
THE ACADEMIC
CALLUM PITT
FRIDAY 18TH OCTOBER THE PICKLE FACTORY
TUESDAY 22ND OCTOBER 100 CLUB
TUESDAY 22ND OCTOBER OLD BLUE LAST
TUESDAY 22ND OCTOBER O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
WEDNESDAY 30TH OCTOBER BUSH HALL
TUESDAY 3RD DECEMBER O2 FORUM KENTISH TOWN
TUNGZ
THE SHERLOCKS
+ MARSICANS + INDOOR PETS
THE ASTEROIDS GALAXY TOUR
TYLER RAMSEY
EUT
JULIA JACKLIN
S.J.M. CONCERTS PRESENTS
14 & 15 SEPT / THE O2
02 OCT / SCALA
08 OCT / SCALA
PLUS SPECIAL GUEST
10 OCT ELECTRIC BRIXTON
09 OCT ELECTRIC BALLROOM
11 OCT / THE O2
PLUS SPECIAL GUEST
ROSIE LOWE
25 OCT / O2 FORUM
26 OCT ALEXANDRA PALACE
06 DEC O2 SHEPHERDS BUSH EMPIRE
05 / 06 / 12 / 13 & 14 DEC ULU
29 OCT ELECTRIC BALLROOM
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS SOLD
OUT
SOLD
OUT
WITH VERY SPECIAL GUESTS
SOLD
OUT
SOLD
OUT
13 & 14 DEC O2 BRIXTON ACADEMY
RAZORLIGHT
01 FEB 20 / THE O2