Stereo Jealousy

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.

Read more…

Now Record Store Day is upon us (I’ve fallen a little behind with updates – blame late nights with Errors and Bat For Lashes!) how could I pick any other store than my local – the veritable Banquet. Located in London satellite town Kingston-upon-Thames the shop is a wonderful little place, and a success story in these times of music business downturn. Local blogger Kittens In Mittens has a great piece on their phoenix from the flames story, so have a read here. Suffice to say that these days the shop is always bustling, stacked with a great variety of customers, all catered for by the wide-reaching knowledge of the staff. Undoubtedly the best bit about Banquet is their in-stores and local club shows (New Slang and more) , always featuring a stellar cast of big, or soon-to-be, bands. In 2008 they hosted shows from Cut Copy, Los Campesinos!, Be Your Own Pet, Hot Chip, Laura Marling, Friendly Fires and so many more; all for around a fiver a pop. Not only that but a fair number of their in-stores are under-18s only, meaning that local kids really get a feel for being part of a local scene – genius.

Star Find: Less of a record, more the experience of first seeing Los Campesinos! for the first time. The sound in New Slang’s old venue, decrepid Kingston hole The Works, was dreadful but the Welsh whizzkids really lit the place up. I’d been keen to see them since the release of You! Me! Dancing but was a bit suspect they’d be a one trick pony – not at all. My first trip to New Slang, despite being a local for years – the first of many!

Los Campesinos! – Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks

Gig Of The Week: Mogwai, Fuck Buttons & Errors

A stellar post-rock lineup this Friday at Hammersmith’s venerable Apollo. Though The Hawk Is Howling is a little hard work Mogwai still have a live reputation that is untarnished. If they needed any encouragement to be on top form, there’s the potential for an upstaging from both bands. Bristol’s Fuck Buttons have produced a fantastic record in Street Horrrsing, and are a live draw on their own. Mogwai’s Glaswegian labelmates Errors complete the bill, and with tracks like Salut! France and National Prism look set to win some new friends. Obviously this is largely sold out, but I think there are a few seats left…

Gigantic / Stargreen

Mogwai – Hunted By A Freak (Live)
Fuck Buttons – Ribs Out
Errors – Cutlery Drawer

The gig that Hunted By A Freak is from can be found in full, and in great quality, here.

Read on for the best of the week’s gigs around the capital…

Read more…

First things first, The Works is a dive. Housed in a cavernous space in the centre of teen-drinking capital, Kingston, the club looks like it is more used to nights of ‘banging’ house and bland Euro-trance than be-cardiganned indie hordes. Because of this, the stage is cramped and the sound is truly dreadful. On the upside, big kudos to Banquet for trying something like this in the otherwise barren music landscape that makes up South-West London.The first couple of bands grab my attention, but in the wrong way. The openers, 4 or 5 Magicians unfortunately sounded too bland, and their banter went on too long. Next up were Johnny Foreigner, who to be honest weren’t much better. The four people I’d dragged with me on the promise of good music were distinctly unimpressed, and we retired halfway through their set to a nearby quiz machine…

My credibility as a font of musical knowledge lay squarely in the seven Welsh laps of Los Campesinos! who thankfully did not let me down. Barely fitting on the tiny stage, they set about making a mockery of the soundsystem, glockenspiel notes ringing clearly through the fuzz, Gareth and Aleks yelping and soothing the lyrics. Already leaked to the net, and the band not seeming too mind too much, a great chunk of debut LP, Hold On Now, Youngster, was played and devoured by the enthusiastic crowd.

The singles-so-far provided the obvious highlights, Death to Los Campesinos! and International Tweexcore Underground sounded fantastic, with the undeniable pinnacle being reached with the superb You! Me! Dancing!.  The band ended with old favourite Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks ringing through the massive space, triumphant in the knowledge that their album, illegally gained or not, worked wonders live.

MP3: You! Me! Dancing!
Download here / Buy here