Tindersticks don’t play London gigs often, which was why the dedicated were out in force tonight. The notoriously chatty Shepherds Bush Empire (which Stuart Staples professes a dislike for) was almost totally without back whispers. It was quite a nice change.

The group arrive on stage with the self assurance of a band with nothing left to prove. They may have experienced a few line-up changes, but they play with supreme confidence. It’s almost as if the audience isn’t there – that’s not a bad thing, it creates a kind of intimacy; like you’ve snuck into a private performance, where everyone concerned is playing as if no one is watching.

The set list unsurprisingly is made up mostly of tracks from their new album Falling Down A Mountain. However, fans of all periods were appeased with at least one track from every long player, although not necessarily an obvious one. Although known for their dark brooding songs, it’s actually their more (relatively) uptempo numbers which get new life on stage. They start off with the new album opener and title track, and tackle it without restraint, making it a more chaotic, more raucous mixture. They even manage to get the crowd dancing for new number Harmony Around My Table and for the classic Can We Start Again, which turns into one of the real highlights of the evening.

In contrast the slower brooding ballads, for which the band are more widely known, become more restrictive. They must remain wrought and carefully restrained. Stuart Staples’ elegant howl remains tender and beautiful; his performance sometimes tugging hard on your heart strings. But several of these slow ballads together, begins to make the audience a little restless. They save the tracks from their most adored albums, 1 and 2, till the latter portion of the set, but patience is rewarded in the encore, with a couple from album 1, City Sickness and Raindrops, which both go down a treat.

But a few minor complaints aside, this was a triumphant performance. A good live show should leave you with a greater appreciation of a band’s music. Tonight Tindersticks gave their music volume, what might seem quiet, sparse, restrained on record, was lively and full bodied live, even danceable.  It was a different experience; and for that it was worth every penny.

Rating: 5 out of 6 stars

Tindersticks – Keep You Beautiful (mp3)

Photo: Maurice @ Paard van Troje – The Hague, Netherlands, 03/10

Setlist:

Falling Down A Mountain
Keep You Beautiful
Sometimes It Hurts
Bathtime
The Other Side Of The World
Dying Slowly – Can Our Love
Hubbard’s Hill
Peanuts
Factory Girls
Marbles
Black Smoke
A Night In
Harmony Around My Table

No Man In The World
Can We Start Again?

City Sickness
Raindrops

Gig Of The Week – Parallel Voices 2010 @ Siobahn Davies Studios

Pulling together an incredible cast of cross-media artists, Parallel Voices 2010 is the third event of it’s kind at the Siobahn Davies Studios in Elephant & Castle. Curated this year by Carsten Nicolai the event aims to bring together performers that bridge the gap between the audio and visual mediums and the two headline figures for me are Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten, The Bad Seeds) and electronic maestro Christian Fennesz. Given the supreme quality of their musical work, you’d expect their discussions to be equally vital. Both discuss the fertile land where art forms meet – music and poetry, dance, video. Each talk is accompanied by a short performance piece featuring some of the panel – an intriguing event.

If you hanker after something a little more traditional then there are gigs aplenty throughout town this week. On Monday try Mono at Scala, or the latest ATP event – The Retribution Gospel Choir at Cargo. Tom McRae is back, still searching for the awesome form of his first two records, and plays Scala on Wednesday. The influential Chapterhouse, along with Engineers, also play Scala on Thursday. MGMT hit the promo trail at Heaven, part of an ever-expanding live music line-up at the club. Fabric on Friday sees an incredible lineup, highlights of which are Skream, Benga and Caspa. As a final recommendation why not try and catch the inimitable Patti Smith, who performs at the branch of Foyles in the RFH, and then a fully fledged gig at the Union Chapel on Sunday – still, I imagine, something worth seeing.

Einstürzende Neubauten – Die Wellen

Fennesz – Grey Scale

Parallel Voices website

Photo: Kentaro_m_photography @ The Triple Door, Seattle WA, 02/06.

Read on for all this week’s recommendations.

Monday 15 March

Delphic – Heaven

Mono – Scala

Retribution Gospel Choir, These Monsters – Cargo

The Tallest Man On Earth, Alessi’s Ark – Bush Hall

Tuesday 16 March

The Avett Brothers – Relentless Garage

Emma Pollock + Josh Pyke – The Tabernacle

George Pringle + Robot Disaster + more – Club Fandango @ Buffalo Bar

Why? + I Might Be Wrong – Heaven

Wednesday 17 March

Cara Dillon + Seth Lakeman – East Wintergarden

Tom McRae – Scala

Spectrum + Hush Arbours – Luminaire

Thursday 18 March

Bad Lieutenant + Factory Floor – Electric Ballroom

Blixa Bargeld + Christain Fennesz + many more – Parallel Voices 2010 @ Siobahn Davies Studios

Eliza Carthy – Water Rats

Chapterhouse + Engineers – Club AC30 @ Scala

The Hidden Cameras – Shoreditch Church

MGMT + Television Personalities – Heaven

Nosaj Thing – The Rhythm Factory

Two Door Cinema Club – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Friday 19 March

The Bloody Beetroots + Does It Offend You, Yeah? + Kissy Sell Out + more – Together @ The Coronet

Caspa + Skream + Benga + more – Fabric

Dan Michaelson & The Coastguards – The Local @ The King’s Head

Vitalic – Matter

Saturday 20 March

Foals (DJ set) + D.N.T + No Pain In Pop – London Sunshine @ Amersham Arms

IAMX – ULU

Free - Patti Smith – Foyles, Royal Festival Hall

Times New Viking – The Dome

Sunday 21 March

DM Stith + Mechanical Bride – The Slaughtered Lamb

Patti Smith – Union Chapel

Gig of the week: Los Campesinos, The Hippodrome, Thursday 4 March

I fell in love with Los Campesinos at The Works in Kingston back in February 2008. This Thursday I return to the scene of the crime (the venue now bears the dreadful moniker The Hippodrome) to witness the band two years and three albums later. No doubt they’ll be excellent, after all all three LPs have their shining moments – their most recent, Romance Is Boring, containing some of their most successfully constructed tunes to date. The show is put on by the incomparable Banquet Records under their New Slang banner, bringing excellent bands to the otherwise barren south west suburbs of London. This year alone they’ve hosted Vampire Weekend, British Sea Power and last week, Blood Red Shoes. If you’re in the area, or even if you’re not, get yourself down here – cheap entry, cheap drinks, cheap thrills.

More centrally there are in-stores from Blood Red Shoes, Scary Mansion and Late of the Pier for those who like their thrills more free than cheap. For those who don’t mind paying don’t look much further than U.S. Girls at Cafe OTO on Monday – another cracker from Upset The Rhythm. Tuesday and Wednesday sees the fucking awesome xx play at Shepherd’s Bush Empire – supported by These New Puritans, who have never really filled my boots – or Esben & The Witch on the latter date. You could also catch Hot Hot Heat - remember them? – at Scala on Tuesday. If you’re not headed down to Kingston on Thursday there’s two spiffing options in town, Jealousy favourites Errors at Scala, and Wild Beasts at Koko. Yet again things dry up towards the end of the week, unless you’re plumping for the corporate cowshed and the Dizzee / Lily hoedown. Whatever you’re up to this week, enjoy – why not let us know about it!

Los Campesinos! – There Are Listed Buildings

Photo: Barry Yanowitz @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC, 12-07

Read on for all our recommended gigs this week.

Monday 1 March

FREE – Blood Red Shoes – Rough Trade East

FREE – Scary Mansion – Pure Groove Records

Shy Child – ICA

US Girls – Cafe OTO

Tuesday 2 March

FM Belfast – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Hot Hot Heat – Scala

Polar Bear – Relentless Garage

The xx / These New Puritans – Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Wednesday 3 March

The Antlers – Union Chapel

Broken Bells – ICA

Field Music – Scala

Groove Armada – HMV Forum

Kitty, Daisy & Lewis – Relentless Garage

FREE – Late Of The Pier – Pure Groove Records

The xx / Esben & The Witch – Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Thursday 4 March

Errors – Scala

First Aid Kit – Union Chapel

Los Campesinos! / Swanton Bombs – New Slang & The Hippodrome

Richmond Fontaine – Bush Hall

Wild Beasts / Erland & The Carnival – Koko

Friday 5 March

Brendan Benson / Heartless Bastards – Koko

DD: MM: YYYY – The Lexington

Four Tet / MF DOOM & many more – A Taste of Sónar @ Roundhouse

Idlewild – The Watershed

John Cale – Royal Festival Hall

Saturday 6 March

Billy Bragg – ULU

Kathryn Williams – Purcell Room

Plaid / Luke Vibert – Koko

Sunday 7 March

FACT / Joy Orbison / MJ Cole – The Lock Tavern

Lily Allen / Dizzee Rascal – O2 Arena

Gig Of The Week: Dum Dum Girls / MALE BONDING, Barden’s Boudoir, Thursday

A bumper, bumper week sees the return of our weekly gig guide to what’s happening on London’s live music scene. So bumper that I really struggled to pick a single gig – but the one that has come out on top is a cracker. Get yourselves down to Barden’s Boudoir on Thursday night to check out two of legendary label Sub Pop’s latest signings. From LA there is the awesome Dum Dum Girls, playing in advance of their debut full length, I Will Be, due out in March. Playing too are Dalston’s MALE BONDING – who recently rocked as support for the Vivian Girls on home turf at the Trinity Hall, Dalston. Both bring ferocious pace and lo-fi thrills to the party, expect it fast and loud and Barden’s is a great place to watch it unfold.

Sadly I’ll be missing the show in favour of the live return of Brighton’s Blood Red Shoes who play the regular New Slang show out in Kingston. Box Of Secrets was a joy for me, and remains a regular feature on my playlists and I cannot wait to see what their forthcoming sophomore LP, Fire Like This, will bring. Elsewhere, the ongoing rush of the NME Awards shows continues with New Young Pony Club headlining a bill that also includes the excellent Chew Lips and Teeth on Monday at the Islington Academy. Girls at Scala should be a riot too, and if you fancy something a little quieter try the Jagjaguwar showcase at the Windmill, Brixton on Tuesday. Two big shows in support of the ongoing Haiti Earthquake appeal are obviously for a good cause but the line ups are deeply uninspiring.

Brain-melters Ungdomskulen play The Lexington on Thursday – the busiest day of the week. You could also pick Los Campesinos! at Koko, but if like me you like things a bit more intimate – wait a week and catch them at New Slang, Shearwater (Scala), Casiokids (Barfly) or if you like things a but more retro try Pere Ubu at the Garage. Things slow down a bit as the weekend draws near but Friday sees Xiu Xiu rip up the Luminaire which has to be worth a view. If you’ve got nowt to do all day Saturday there’s an excellent one day festival – Owl Parliament – happening at Union Chapel. Featuring  Mount Eerie, Jeremy Walmsley, Aidan Moffat and Darren Hayman amongst others this should be a fantastic day, evening tickets are a little less than all-day ones. Finally, Hot Chip play a couple of nights down at the Brixton Academy.

Dum Dum Girls – Catholicked

Male Bonding – Rehearsal Song

Photo: MALE BONDING. Taken by Sebastián J @ Barden’s Boudoir, 20/12/09

If you’re struggling to find any of the venues listed, they’re all on our map of London’s gig venues and record shops – here. Read on for all our recommendations this week.

Monday 22 February

Delphic – Cargo

New Young Pony Club / Chew Lips / Teeth – O2 Academy Islington

Tuesday 23 February

Girls – Scala

Japandroids – ICA

Marina & The Diamonds – Bush Hall

We Are Scientists – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Wolf People / Johnny Barry Trio / Bert Page – Jagjaguwar Records @ Brixton Windmill

Yeasayer / Javelin – Heaven

Wednesday 24 February

Cymbals Eat Guitars – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Dum Dum Girls / Yuck / La La Vasquez – The Old Blue Last

Fionn Regan – ULU

Hockey – Koko

Thursday 25 February

Blood Red Shoes – New Slang @ The Hippodrome

Broadcast 2000 / Alessi’s Ark – The Luminaire

Casiokids – Camden Barfly

Dum Dum Girls / MALE BONDING – Barden’s Boudoir

Haiti Earthquake Fundraiser ft. Zero 7 / Hexstatic / Stereo MCs / Maxi Jazz – Proud Galleries Camden

Haiti Earthquake Fundraiser ft. KT Tunstall / Paul Weller / The Futureheads / The Maccabees / Seasick Steve & more – The Roundhouse

Hauschka / Hildur Guðnadóttir / ISAN – The Bubbly Blue & Green @ Kings Place

Los Campesinos! / Swanton Bombs – Koko

Pere Ubu – Garage

Shearwater – Scala

The Strange Death Of Liberal England – Underbelly

Ungdomskulen – The Lexington

Friday 26 February

Air – Roundhouse

DD: MM: YYYY – The Windmill, Brixton

Hot Chip / Casiokids – O2 Academy Brixton

Sir Richard Bishop – Whitechapel Gallery

Xiu Xiu – The Luminaire

Saturday 27 February

GZA / Genius – Jazz Cafe

Hot Chip – O2 Academy Brixton

Mt Eerie / The Microphones / Emmy The Great / Jeremy Walmsley / Darren Hayman / Aidan Moffat – Owl Parliament 2010 @ Union Chapel

Sunday 28 February

James Chance & Les Contorsions – The Victoria

Marcus Foster / Alessi’s Ark / Broadcast 2000 & more – Communion: The Compilation Launch @ Notting Hill Arts Club

Gig Of The Week:

Celebrating 20 years of recording activity, the Hartnoll brothers make their indoor live return this month – culminating in a pair of shows at Brixton Academy. The tour is celebrating their entire groundbreaking output, from Chime onwards so expect a thumping catalogue-raiding set and a stage show to singe your eyeballs.

Elsewhere the London scene is coming back to life following its summer slumber. Check out the superb double header at the Queen of Hoxton on Tuesday – Epic45 and Piano Magic should be an excellent evening’s entertainment. There’s an Aphex Twin led bash at Matter this Saturday too, with a strong support line up led by Luke Vibert and Leila. Possibly the mist interesting free gig of the week takes place on Thursday at the lovely Jamm in Brixton, where White Town (remember Your Woman, what a track!) play with Arthur and Martha. See you stageside.

Orbital – The Box

Read on for the week’s recommended gigs across town…

Monday 21 September

And So I Watch You From Afar – Barfly

Girls – The Lexington

The Veils – Scala

Tuesday 22 September

Charlotte Hatherly – Highbury Garage

Epic45, Piano Magic – Queen of Hoxton

Golden Silvers – The Flowerpot

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool – The Legion

Wednesday 23 September

Lamb – Koko

The Temper Trap – Highbury Garage

Times New Viking, Male Bonding, Pens – Cargo

Thursday 24 September

Euros Childs – Tamesis Dock

Orbital – Brixton Academy

Slow Club – Scala

White Town, Arthur + Martha – Jamm, Brixton

The Young Knives, Esser, Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man – Heaven

Friday 25 September

DARTZ!, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly

Dinosaur Jr – Koko

Foals – Heaven

Orbital – Brixton Academy

Pere Ubu – ICA

Zu – The Lexington

Saturday 26 September

Aphex Twin, Luke Vibert, Leila – Matter

Gang Of Four – Kentish Town Forum

I Am Kloot – Highbury Garage

Johnny Flynn, Jeremy Walmsley, Dan Michaelson & The Coastguards – Union Chapel

Sunday 27 September

Florence And The Machine – Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Lovvers – Rough Trade East Instore

Talvin Singh – Dingwalls

Summer season finally starts to bite, with a much slower week this week. Still, there are still a few great shows dotted around town. The plumb draw has to be The Twilight Sad at the Lexington on Wednesday. The show happens in advance of a month long jaunt around North America, and in support of their new single, I Became A Prostitute, out on Monday. Their support comes from a fantastic London band Factory Floor, whose hypnotic, swirling songs blew Piano Magic off the stage at Barden’s earlier this year.

Otherwise, catch Fucked Up at the relaunched Higbury Garage on Monday – surely a fabulous venue in which to catch such an intense live band. Tuesday sees The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart backed by Hatcham Social at the same venue.

The Twilight Sad – Modern Romance
The Twilight Sad – I Became A Prostitute (video)
Factory Floor – Taxidermist

Photo: Jacob Earl, Metropolis, Montréal, 03.05.08

Monday 3 August

The Blackout, We Are The Ocean – Barfly, Camden

Songs of David Byrne & Brian Eno – Barbican

Fucked Up, Ghost Of A Thousand, Tubelord – Garage

Dent May and his Magnificent Ukelele – Brixton Windmill

Stars Of Sunday League, Jeremy Walmsley, Broadcast 2000 + more – The Luminaire

Tuesday 4 August

Crocodiles, Colours, Jelas – Barden’s Boudoir

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Hatcham Social – Garage

Pharoahe Monch – Jazz Café

Wednesday 5 August

The Twilight Sad, Factory Floor – The Lexington

Thursday 6 August

PENS, Graffiti Island + more – Old Blue Last

Wild Beasts – Album Launch @ Hoxton Hall

Friday 7 August

Mariee Sioux, Alessi’s Ark – Café OTO

Saturday 8 August

4 or 5 Magicians, Winnebago Deal + loads more – Our Band Could BBQ Your Life @ Brixton Windmill (Day 1)

Sunday 9 August

Ice, Sea, Dead People, 4 or 5 Magicians, The Muscle Club + loads more – Our Band Could BBQ Your Life @ Brixton Windmill (Day 2)

Gig Of The Week – Marnie Stern @ The Luminaire

A relatively quiet start to the week soon gives way to a first class end with my undoubted highlight being the appearance of Marnie Stern at Kilburn’s Luminaire on Thursday. The New Yorker has been around town a few times since the release of last year’s excellent This Is It… (which made #5 in my Best of ’08 list) but I’ve missed her each time. No doubt the intimate venue will be shredded by her awesome guitar work. A few tickets are still available from We Got Tickets.

The week ends with two varied festivals in Clapham and Shoreditch. The two line ups are wildly different, with Ben & Jerry’s sponsored affair on Clapham Common seeing some well established acts like The Human League, Teenage Fanclub and Super Furry Animals lead a solid but slightly anodyne line up. A more of-the-moment line up can be found at Sunday’s 1-2-3-4 Festival taking place in Shoreditch Park, headed up by The Rakes, Patrick Wolf, Chrome Hoof and S.C.U.M. Also in the festival vein the iTunes festival and Somerset House summer series continue, although with slightly less big hitters than the previous week.

Listen:

Marnie Stern – Letters From Rimbaud
Marnie Stern – Vault

Watch:

Marnie Stern – Transformer
Marnie Stern – Ruler

Find out more:

Marnie Stern Myspace / Last.fm / Wikipedia / Label

Photo: Sexy Fitsum

Read on for the rest of the week’s highlights below…

Monday 20 July

Bloc Party, Delphic – iTunes Live @ Roundhouse

Marianne Faithful – Queen Elizabeth Hall

Calvin Harris, Mr Hudson – Somerset House

Let’s Wrestle – Barfly

Tuesday 21 July

Au Revoir Simone – Pure Groove Instore

Morrissey – Doll And The Kicks

Oasis – iTunes Live @ Roundhouse

Wednesday 22 July

The Death Set – Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen

Kasabian, Twisted Wheel – iTunes Live @ Roundhouse

Thursday 23 July

Black Box Recorder – Queen Elizabeth Hall

Frankmusik – Heaven

Graham Coxon, Esser – iTunes Live @ Roundhouse

Marnie Stern – The Luminaire

Rachel Unthank & The Winterset – Royal Opera House, Linbury Studio

Friday 24 July

Caribou – The Luminaire

Ipso Facto, HTRK – Queen of Hoxton

The Dø, Speech Debelle – Barfly

Sky Larkin – White Light @  The Lexington

Vitalic, The Horrors + more – Cocadisco @ Corsica Studios

Yacht – Cargo

Saturday 25 July

Au Revoir Simone – Proud Galleries

Ben & Jerry’s Sundae ft The Human League, Super Furry Animals, The Futureheads, Camera Obscura, Teenage Fanclub + more – Clapham Common

Envelopes – Kicker Conspiracy @ Barden’s Boudoir

Gary Numan – Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Sunday 26 July

1-2-3-4 Festival ft. The Rakes, Patrick Wolf, autoKratz, S.C.U.M. + more – Shoreditch Park

Cornershop – Jazz Cafe

Remember Remember – Cafe Oto

Oi Va Voi were up first, and an enthusiastic crowd rose to their energetic performance, led by the engaging Bridgette Amofah. Whilst the frontwoman’s vocals ranged across the soul influenced end of the pop spectrum, the rest of the band mined a eclectic seam. There were the obvious Jewish klezmer influences (the band’s name roughly translates from the Yiddish for oh dear!), shot across by the Balkan folk strings from violinist Anna Phoebe, all revolving around a resolutely western European rhythm section. It struck me as slightly too busy, the highlight coming on the relatively laid back Photograph off the band’s recent Travelling The Face Of The Globe LP. Judging by the reaction of the crowd, who joined in clear favourite Refugee, they’d won a fair number of new fans.

Shortly afterwards an array of small amplifiers and acoustic guitars had lined the stage, and the seven members of Tinariwen appeared – clad, as always in traditional gear. As they began their set the band could seldom be heard amongst the hubbub of the more apathetic members of the crowd, sadly a trait that seems to be overcoming even the most expensive of London shows. Despite a quiet start the band quickly hit their stride, with vocal harmonies ringing across the stage. Percussive duties were filled by a single man and multiple hand claps, providing a playful rhythm around which multiple guitar lines wound.

In complete contrast to Oi Va Voi it was easy to place the sound of the band, not needing the colourful imagery of their homeland behind them to highlight its origin. However it was also in complete contrast to Amadou & Mariam, the Malian band I’d seen support Blur a few days earlier, despite sharing the same musical cues. This was undoubtedly the music of the desert, the wonderfully ceaseless and cyclical bass mimicking the never-ending dunes. And yet it fitted the venue perfectly. There was no jarring juxtaposition – Tinariwen deserve to playing venues like this to crowds this size and I doff my cap to iTunes for putting the band on an otherwise pretty conservative bill. A mesmeric performance by the former Touareg rebels.

Oi Va Voi – Photograph
Tinariwen – Imidiwan Afrik Tendam

Watch Tinariwen perform Amassakoul at Live 8 Eden

Gig Of The Week – Nine Inch Nails, Jane’s Addiction, Mew – O2 Arena

Although ordinarily I would never recommend a gig at the corporate cowshed, this little soiree should be one of the gigs of the year for those who attend. Not only is it probably the last chance to catch Trent Reznor for quite some time, earlier this year he claimed that NiN were done with touring for the foreseeable future, but also see the iconic Jane’s Addiction and the excellent Mew.

Elsewhere in town we have the Summer Series at Somerset House, with the Mars Volta tonight and Bat for Lashes, The Ting Tings and Super Furry Animals appearing throughout the week. It’s a beautiful setting to see a show and last time I went the sound was perfect. Lovebox also takes place this weekend in Victoria Park, with a crazily haphazard lineup that sways from Duran Duran to Rodrigo Y Gabriela. Stand-out individual gig of the week has to be Fever Ray appearing at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, her glacial electronics slightly out of sync with the rising mercury.

It also happens to be the week when Michael Jackson’s This Is It tour was due to kick off in earnest, a huge gap in the O2 – and London’s – musical summer that will be impossible to replace.

Nine Inch Nails -Discipline

Jane’s Addiction – Just Because

Mew – Swimmer’s Chant

Photo: Nine Inch Nails Official, Worcester MA, 09.11.08

Monday 13 July

Duckworth Lewis Method – Rough Trade East Instore

Mars Volta – Somerset House

Múm – Tabernacle, Notting Hill

TV On The Radio, Noisettes – Brixton Academy

Tuesday 14 July

Alessi’s Ark – Tamesis Dock

Of Montreal – Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Placebo – iTunes Live @ Roundhouse

The Ting Tings, Dan Black – Somerset House

Wednesday 15 July

Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster – 100 Club

Friendly Fires, Magistrates – iTunes Live @ Roundhosue

Nine Inch Nails, Jane’s Addiction, Mew – O2

Thursday 16 July

Bat For Lashes – Somerset House

Fever Ray – Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Mew – ICA

Spinnerette, Freeland – Electric Ballroom

Friday 17 July

Ladytron, Japanese Popstars – Remix Allnighter @ Matter

Madstock! ft. Madness, The Pogues, Hayseed Dixie +  more – Victoria Park

Saturday 18 July

Lovebox Weekender ft.  N*E*R*D, Dan Black, Florence & The Machine, Friendly Fires, Gang Of Four, VV Brown, – Victoria Park

Morrissey – Troxy

Super Furry Animals – Somerset House

Sunday 19 July

The Gutter Twins – Southbank Centre

Lovebox Weekender ft. Groove Armada, Datarock, Doves, Gary Numan, Ladyhawke, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Rokia Traore, Simian Mobile Disco, Wave Machines – Victoria Park

Gig of the Week: Tinariwen @ Roundhouse

Continuing my love affair with most things Malian, desert band extraordinaire Tinariwen hit the Roundhouse this Thursday as part of the third iTunes festival. Their follow up to 2007′s fantastic Aman Iman, Imidiwan, is garnering similar levels of adulation from both music and mainstream presses. Tickets for this show and all the others during the month long run at the Roundhouse are available for free from the iTunes festival Facebook page, or through their site here.

Elsewhere this week Welsh trio The Victorian English Gentlemen’s Club make their London return, in support of stomping new ‘un Parrot. Catch them Monday at The Lexington. Other recommendations include the incredible live experience that is !!! at Electric Ballroom, M83 wrapping up (surely!) their tour surrounding our 2008 album of the year Saturdays=Youth with support from the returning Maps. Also on the comeback trail are Jealousy faves Honey Pine Dresser, now with all members on the same patch of earth for the first time in months. They’re playing as part of the all-dayer on Saturday at the Cross Kings. Finally, in unusual venues of the week Morton Valence play on the Battersea Barge, their tales of Bob and Veronica surely set to rock the boat… cue groans.

Tinariwen – Tahult In

Check out the rest of this week’s fantastic haul below.

Photo: Mick Orlosky, Coachella 18.04.09

Monday 6 July

Florence & The Machine – Rough Trade East Instore

Franz Ferdinand, Passion Pit – iTunes Festival @ Roundhouse

Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi – Hammersmith Apollo

My Latest Novel, Here We Go Magic, Chimes & Bells – ICA

Victorian English Gentlemen’s Club – The Lexington

Why? – The Garage

Tuesday 7 July

!!! – Electric Ballroom

Alessi’s Ark – The Lexington

Dananananaykroyd, The Late Greats – Levi’s Ones To Watch @ Vibe Bar

Here We Go Magic, My Tiger Timing, Gallops – Madame JoJos

M83, Maps – Koko

Wednesday 8 July

Killa Kela – Cargo

Passion Pit, Fanfarlo – Levi’s Ones To Watch @ Vibe Bar

Revere, The Strange Death Of Liberal England – The Lexington

White Denim – Heaven

Thursday 9 July

The Bellrays – Borderline

Cymbals Eat Guitars – Brixton Windmill

Morton Valence – Battersea Barge

Tinariwen, Oi Va Voi – Roundhouse

The Twilight Sad, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Kill It Kid – ICA

Friday 10 July

Casiokids, Teeth, Django Django – Moshi Moshi @ The Garage

Daedalus – ICA

Engineers – Bush Hall

Everything Everything – Levi’s Ones To Watch @ Vibe Bar

Future Of The Left – Garage

Saturday 11 July

Lily Allen – Summer Series @ Somerset House

Honey Pine Dresser – Cross Kings

Kate Nash, Peggy Sue, Brigitte Aphrodite, Laura Dockrill – Ugly Shy Girls @ Queen Elizabeth Hall

La Roux, Dan Black – Roundhouse

Sunday 12 July

The Field – Queen Of Hoxton

Mumford & Sons, The Temper Trap – Roundhouse