For those who missed their tour with Blink 182 this summer (or who just can't get enough), European fans of the incredibly named indie rock band The Front Bottoms will be excited to hear that they're coming back over to see us early next year.
What's more, my favourite Australian rockers - The Smith Street Band - will be joining them. Could a gig get any more perfect, I hear you ask? Well yes, Brick + Mortar will be the other support act.
It is impossible to ignore the fact that TFB have changed a huge amount since their angsty early releases (for example Swimming Pool, Father). Fortunately, Brian's distinctive vocals still steal the show.
Having tragically missed them no less than three times during my university years, I finally saw TFB when they played at Kentish Town in December 2016. They certainly did not disappoint.
This tour will be our first opportunity to hear TFB's new album, Going Grey, live. With the album set to be released on 13th October, this gives fans plenty of time to know each lyric by heart. No pressure...
What makes me so excited about this tour is the support. I love The Smith Street Band and, after their incredible performance at The Garage in June, I'll certainly be attending February's show at Camden's Roundhouse.
Tickets go on general sale on 13th September. See you there?
For a two piece band, the Canadian rockers that make up Japandroids certainly know how to make a lot of noise.
Formed in 2006, Brian King and David Prowse's band caught the public's attention through a combination of an interesting portmanteau, angry lyrics and energetic live shows.
Incredible artwork
In celebration of the band's third studio album, Near to the Wild Heart of Life, which was released in January this year, the duo headed to London for a special gig.
A secret East London venue, a 360° pit design stage and the promise of a very late night set the scene for Wednesday's antics.
Supported by the wonderfully angry Yowl (known for such songs as My Headache Likes To Speak) and the even angrier Bad Breeding, Japandroids entered the pit just after 10pm. What followed was an explosive evening of old classics and new material.
The title track from the new album kicked off proceedings and was well received. As is often the case certain songs pleased the crowd more than others, but on the whole the setlist was well chosen to encourage everyone to keep dancing.
It became clear that, while in theory the 360° stage meant everyone would get a good view of King (guitar, vocals) and Prowse (drums, vocals), there was one side which got particularly rowdy. Intrigued, I headed over to investigate.
What followed was a sweaty and intense dance/mosh experience. Crowd surfing and general (lighthearted) crushing ensued, and I amusingly noticed a lonely deodorant rolling along the beer-covered floor. We definitely needed that by the end of the evening.
The duo managed to keep the intensity going throughout the hour and a half set, finishing with a energetic rendition of The House That Heaven Built. A sweaty yet euphoric audience screamed along to the chorus 'And if they try to slow you down/ Tell 'em all to go to hell'.
And that was very much my takeaway from last night. When we were in the pit, nothing mattered apart from the music and how much enjoyment we get out of it. Nothing can slow down Japandroids - or its fans - at the moment.
Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, The Smith Street Band formed in 2010, originally under the name Wil Wagner and The Smith Street Band, in a nod to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. In 2011 the rock band changed its name to signify a whole-band songwriting style.
The band is currently made up of four members; Wil Wagner, Lee Hartney, Michael "Fitzy" Fitzgerald and Chris Cowburn. To celebrate the release of their 4th studio album, More Scared of You Than You Are of Me, The Smith Street Band have been touring in Europe.
I first discovered The Smith Street Band through the magic of Spotify. While stalking the band on Facebook, I came across a picture of a fan's tattoo which made reference to Ducks Fly Together, my favourite single, and realised just how much of an impact this band has on its fans.
As seems to be a trend with musicians I admire, The Smith Street Band's lyrics focus heavily on depression and heartbreak, and the intensity of the music both heightens and alleviates the sadness. There's something incredibly addictive about the band's style, and also I'm a sucker for an Australian accent.
Seeing The Smith Street Band live was an incredible experience, simultaneously exactly what I expected and 100 times more. Firstly, the venue (The Garage, Highbury Islington) was intimate, while providing enough space for dancing. They sold cider/beer in two pint glasses which certainly set the scene for the night.
Support came from Shit Present (who I unfortunately missed) and The Bennies, another Australian rock band who are slightly more punky than Smith Street. They were so energetic and got everyone ready for the evening. While waiting for The Smith Street Band to start, I noticed someone wearing a Los Campesinos! t-shirt and another with a Modern Baseball jumper. I was clearly in the right place.
The Smith Street Band!
Each song the Smithies (I'm getting more casual now) played got me more and more excited. I love loud rock music, when the crowd starts jumping and screaming together, and this is exactly what I experienced. It was beautiful.
Being conscious that I don't want to fangirl too much, I'll list some of my favourite songs for those who haven't had a chance to experience this band yet.
Calgary Girls, Forrest, Ducks Fly Together, Shine, Song For You, Passiona
I'm even more in love with The Smith Street Band than I was before, so much so that I'm considering a (permanent) trip to Australia to see them more regularly... Until then, I'll content myself with the great t-shirt I got from the show and the music.
It feels like I've had a crazy month or so and I feel sorry for neglecting this blog. I have been lucky enough to see The Jesus and Mary Chain, Los Campesinos! and Kate Tempest while I've been 'away'.
Before I continue, I must address the atrocities that took place in Manchester last Monday. As a huge fan of live music, and having lived in Paris when the Bataclan attack took place, it really affected me. To deliberately kill young children during what should have been the best night of their lives is both cowardly and sickening. I'm very grateful to my parents for allowing me to attend concerts on my own since I turned 14, and believe it is essential to keep living and enjoying the things that make life worthwhile.
I saw Kate Tempest on Saturday and would like to thank the staff at Brixton for making us feel completely safe. It was incredible to see such a diverse mix of people enjoying her politically and emotionally charged performance.
I've added a few more gigs to my calendar for this year including The Smith Street Band in July. I'm also considering getting The National tickets for September and Future Islands for November, and while I definitely want to see them I'm also finding it hard to think ahead to those cold winter days right now. That being said, I have bought tickets to see Enter Shikari at the end of the year.
During my seemingly constant train journeys recently I've stumbled across a band that I like, so thought I'd take a moment to enthuse about them. (I stress that, while they are new to me, they are almost certainly known to others).
Car Seat Headrest
My dad recently bought Car Seat Headrest's twelfth album, Teens of Denial, which was my first taste of this American indie rock band. I instantly identified with the music style, lead singer Will Toledo often shouts on the songs which reminds me of The Front Bottoms or Modern Baseball.
I'd recommend listening to Car Seat Headrest loudly on your headphones, it made a big impact on my commute to work.
As is often the case with me, I've discovered this band far into their career... Now it's time for me to go through their back catalogue!
Songs: Not What I Needed, Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales
Stay safe, keep doing what makes your heart race and stick together. As Kate Tempest eloquently put it: the point of life is live, love if you can, then pass it on.
The best band ever, Los Campesinos!, were recently touring in the US (on an awesome looking tour bus, I wish I'd been there...) I thought I'd share with you a video of their live performance at the KEXP studio in Seattle.
Enjoy listening to 'I Broke Up In Amarante', 'Here's To The Forth Time!', 'The Fall Of Home' and '5 Flucloxacillin'.
LC! sound even more emotional and desperate when performing live and this video really moved me. You can also hear a mini interview with the band halfway through.
Happy Tuesday everyone! I'll be back next week with thoughts on my next gig - The Jesus and Mary Chain - which is tomorrow.
I've been meaning to write about The Shins' latest album release for a few weeks now, but I thought I'd save my thoughts until I'd also seen them perform it live.
To my disappointment, I only discovered The Shins relatively recently. Last November a friend of mine told me I had to watch Garden State (which incidentally I loved and now have seen approx. five times), and The Shins figure heavily on its soundtrack.
In the film, Natalie Portman's character is a big Shins fan, and goes as far to say that listening to 'New Slang' will change your life. I wouldn't go as far to say the track is life-changing, but it is certainly life-enhancing.
To cut a long and potentially rambling story short, I quickly caught up for lost time and got my virtual hands on all their back catalogue and a pair of tickets for the London show on 29th March.
Five years since their last album, Port of Morrow, James Mercer & co. released their fifth record last month. I must have listened to the album at least 15 times, and while it's very engaging as you listen to it, I'm still struggling to pick out key songs or lyrics that really resonate with me.
Unlike earlier albums (Oh, Inverted World immediately springs to mind), Heartworms lacks urgency. Perhaps this is an obvious result of being five years in the making, but it did mean that I felt less 'sure' of myself as I headed over to the Hammersmith Eventim Apollo last Wednesday.
Despite my initial reservations, I was blown away by the concert. When a band has an extensive back catalogue you sometimes find yourself slightly disappointed when your favourite - often obscure - song isn't played, but this was not the case.
The band selected a roughly proportionate number of songs from each album to play, starting with 'Kissing the Lipless' which captivated the crowd. Other stand out moments were 'Mine's Not a High Horse' - also from the Chutes Too Narrow album and, maybe surprisingly, 'Mildenhall' from Heartworms.
The incredible 'Caring is Creepy' was the perfect 'final' song (we all knew they had to return for 'New Slang'). Since the gig I've been listening to a lot of songs from Oh, Inverted World. I love when a concert inspires you to return back to old favourites and doesn't just try to plug the newest release.
Also, because I tend to listen to the albums while walking around, I can't always associate the track names to the song itself, so reading setlists before doesn't always help and I found myself dancing away to every song.
Another point to mention is the intricate artwork found on the Heartworms album and subsequently repeated on stage. The skull lit up in various ways which added to the whole experience, I really appreciated how much effort they put in.
Following the gig I have been listening to a mix of Heartworms and The Jesus and Mary Chain, so I've been pretty content. My initial thoughts on the album were certainly changed by the concert, and having some time to reflect has made me realise just how great a band The Shins are. I'd really like to see them again soon.
Following its release last Friday, I've had Los Campesinos!' sixth album on constant repeat. It has followed me on a ten-hour return trip to Devon, daily commute to work and baking cheese scones. I guess you could say it's an adaptable album.
LC! are a band very close to my heart. They accompanied a large part of my adolescence and then followed me through my uni years. I found the 'Romance is Boring' album really helped my essay writing. Sadly I've had to grow up and now I listen to them as the 'business woman' I've accidentally ended up badly becoming (help).
This seven-piece band have a talent at producing catchy and (for the most part) upbeat songs which give an illusion of happiness while you're aimlessly walking along, but Gareth's intelligent lyrics mean that when you decipher the true message you're left as anything but elate. And I really, really enjoy it.
After a three year break, the first hint at new LC! music came in November with the release of 'I Broke Up In Amarante.' I'd just come back to live at home after three years in Paris, felt I'd reverted back to pre-uni depression and the lyrics 'It seems unfair to try your best but feel the worst' really resonated with me.
As we finally waved goodbye to the terrible year that was 2016, Los Campesinos! released the second track from the album: '5 Flucloxacillin.' An ode to our doomed generation who are struggling with medications just to feel something, but who are ultimately still judged by parents for not feeling enough.
'The Fall of Home' was the final track to be released before the album's release date. Ballad-esque in nature, it greatly differs to the previous singles. Gareth sings about those who, having left their home town, find themselves alienated from it when they return.
Enough of the previews, now I can get to the crux of the matter: the album itself. Visually speaking, it is a work of art. Musically speaking, it is beautifully self-deprecating and certainly worth the wait. The band recorded 'Sick Scenes' in Portugal in June during two important events: the UEFA 2016 tournament and the UK referendum. Both negative results are strikingly obvious in the album's sound.
The album opens with 'Renato Dall'Ara (2008)', which I actually first heard in December during a tiny gig at Hackney's Moth Club. With its chanting and catchy chorus, it's a great way to start the album. 'Sad Suppers' is next which sees Gareth claiming he's 'never a miser with the misery.' LC! made me realise it's OK not to be OK all the time, and there's something satisfying in allowing yourself to be miserable (listen to 'Miserabilia' for more on that.) In my humble opinion it is both impossible and uninteresting to be constantly happy.
Following on from 'I Broke Up In Amarante' is 'A Slow, Slow Death', one of my favourite songs on the album. I'm very tempted to get some initials inside a heart tattoo. Then we get 'The Fall of Home' and '5 Flucloxacillin' in quick succession before 'Here's To The Fourth Time!' - a song about that one person you keep going back to, despite knowing the relationship is ultimately doomed.
The album continues with the amusingly titled 'For Whom The Belly Tolls' and then 'Got Stendhal's', another of my favourite songs. In a great interview with The 405 that you can read here, Gareth explains: "I guess this is a love song; it's about being overwhelmed by somebody else, and by being overwhelmed that you find yourself in love. But also being aware that life and love is fickle and that although you may be experiencing happiness it always feels like sadness and disappointment is not very far away."
'Sick Scenes' approaches its conclusion with 'A Litany/Heart Swells'. Swelling hearts is a recurring theme in LC! songs, so it was nice to see it repeated in the new album. This is a song that manages to be beautiful while also referencing a chicken shop, something only Los Campesinos! could do.
LC! albums have a tendency to end on a pretty depressing note (see 'Light Leaves, Dark Sees pt. II' and 'Coda: A Burn Scar In The Shape Of The Sooner State' - which also happens to also be my favourite song.) 'Hung Empty' is somewhat an exception to this rule, it is fast paced and vaguely positive at points, yet the final lyric 'what if this is how we die?' brings us back to reality.
So to conclude this rambling blog post, if you haven't guessed I really enjoy 'Sick Scenes'. This came at no surprise to me, I knew I would. I am looking forward to 1st May, when I get to see some of these new songs played live at London's KOKO (I've had these tickets since mid November...). In the meantime, you should all watch the video for '5 Flucloxacillin', it made my day.
