Jane Weaver: Loops in the Secret Society, Komedia,Thursday, 8 November 2018

November 11, 2018

If not for the glitter, sparkly shoes and theatrical blue dress, you’d be forgiven for assuming Jane Weaver had wandered onto the stage as a sound technician, not the headline act, such is her down-to-earth aura. The alt-kraut-synth-pop veteran of eight albums was performing at Komedia as part of her Loops in the Secret Society … More Jane Weaver: Loops in the Secret Society, Komedia,Thursday, 8 November 2018

Kurt Vile & The Violators, Concorde 2, Monday, 5 November 2018

November 6, 2018

There is a comforting familiarity to Kurt Vile’s hazy, cosmic brand of rock and roll. Since 2011 breakthrough Smoke Ring for my Halo, the Philadelphian singer songwriter has delivered an impressively consistent run of records, rooted in classic American guitar music and carried by his distinctive vocals and offhand lyrics. Bottle It In, the 38-year-old’s … More Kurt Vile & The Violators, Concorde 2, Monday, 5 November 2018

Wolfgang Flür, The Haunt, Saturday, 29 September 2018

October 7, 2018

There is no denying the significance of Wolfgang Flür’s role in the development of electronic music. As chief percussionist in Kraftwerk during the synthesiser pioneers’ heyday, the 71-year-old shaped some of the genre’s most influential records as an engineer, composer and performer. Flür’s appearance in the relatively modest surroundings of the Haunt, then, represented something … More Wolfgang Flür, The Haunt, Saturday, 29 September 2018

Ólafur Arnalds, Brighton Dome, Wednesday, 26 September 2018

October 7, 2018

Over the last decade, Icelandic multi-instrumentalist Ólafur Arnalds has established himself as one of the most ambitious and in-demand composers of film and television scores around, winning a BAFTA in 2014 for his Broadchurch soundtrack.But it was his solo work and, specifically, latest album Re:member, that was the focus of this show at a bustling … More Ólafur Arnalds, Brighton Dome, Wednesday, 26 September 2018

Vital Idles, Sticky Mike’s, Friday 13 July 2018

October 7, 2018

DIY minimalists Vital Idles have quietly grown a reputation as one of the UK’s most promising new post-punk bands. Freshly-released Left Hand, the four-piece’s debut album, is an irreverent and confident slice of taut, punchy guitar-pop that speaks to outsiders and awkward dancers alike. Formed in Glasgow in 2015, the band’s origins lie in the … More Vital Idles, Sticky Mike’s, Friday 13 July 2018

Omni, Patterns, Saturday, 23 September 2017

October 1, 2017

A fresh declaration of the death of guitar music seems to come around as frequently as Christmas. The chart dominance of hip hop and dance, so the assumption goes, shows that there is no appetite for guitar music anymore, and that every innovation within the genre has been exhausted.   This is obviously complete nonsense. … More Omni, Patterns, Saturday, 23 September 2017

Michael Nau, The Greys, Thursday, 21 September 2017

October 1, 2017

It is always a matter of intrigue when an experienced frontman embarks on a solo career, and the case of Michael Nau is no different. The 32-year-old once fronted US indie pop group Page France and remains a member of americana troupe Cotton Jones, alongside his wife, Whitney McGraw. He made waves last year with … More Michael Nau, The Greys, Thursday, 21 September 2017

The Magnetic Fields, Brighton Dome, 7-8 September 2017

October 1, 2017

How did you celebrate your last big birthday? Stephin Merritt, the eccentric multi-instrumentalist and prolific songwriter behind US indie band The Magnetic Fields, marked his half-century with 50 Song Memoir, a sprawling and eclectic 5-disc magnum opus featuring a song for every year of his life.   Anyone familiar with 2004 Magnetic Fields triple album … More The Magnetic Fields, Brighton Dome, 7-8 September 2017