London Live: 10 - 16 November

Nov 092008

Gig Of The Week: Mencap Music’s Little Noise Sessions

Nothing like a good cause to stir bands into action, and this week sees several take the stage to raise funds and awareness for leading mental health charity Mencap. There’s some big names; Stereophonics, Kasabian, Keane amongst the varied line-up. They do seem a bit short of ‘wow’ factor this year after previous sessions had seen the likes of U2 and Noel Gallagher playing sets.

Wednesday’s offering looks the toast of the bunch with Biffy Clyro, Friendly Fires and Frank Turner making up probably the least-known bill of all the sessions. Get along if you can, most of the sessions are sold out but tickets for some of the lesser lights are still available.

Tickets

Biffy Clyro – Now I’m Everyone
Friendly Fires – Photobooth
Frank Turner – Vital Signs

Read on for the week’s best gigs in London town…

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Selected Releases: Monday 31 March

Mar 312008

 

R.E.M.
Accelerate

 

The Black Keys
Attack And Release

 

Gnarls Barkley
The Odd Couple

 

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Frank Turner
Love, Ire And Song

 

Brian Jonestown
Massacre
My Bloody
Underground

 

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Sun Kil Moon
April

 

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Boy Kill Boy
Stars And The Sea

 

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Barry Adamson
Back To The Cat

 

Shooting At
Unarmed Men
Triptych

 

The Most
Serene Republic
Population

 

Windmill
Puddle City Racing
Lights

 

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Lowgold
Promise Land
To be honest, not a great deal out this week that excites me too much. Obviously, its always nice to have an R.E.M. album floating around, though to call it a return to the form of Out Of Time, New Adventures… and Automatic For The People is stretching that welcome a bit far. Yes, it sounds a bit like Monster, but I never liked that a great deal anyway. The Black Keys new LP is pretty good though, stripped and rough-hewn. Chart-humpers Gnarls Barkley’s new record The Odd Couple has been released weeks ahead of schedule due to a massive internet leak, expect the same radio friendly, foot-tapping fluff as their debut. Indie, indie, indie is the sound of the week as Lowgold, Windmill, Boy Kill Boy all put out new records; whilst Barry Adamson holds up crooner’s corner. Frank Turner likes to think he sounds like Billy Bragg with tunes like Thatcher Fucked The Kids, but the former Million Dead frontman isn’t fit to lick Bragg’s boots. Sun Kil Moon (named after two-weight Korean boxer Sung-Kil Moon) put out the album of the week in April, a haunting, sparse record in the vein of Low, or collaborator Will Oldham, with tracks given the space to evolve and breathe. The album is underpinned by Kozelek’s glorious voice, an instrument used to endearing use. Check it out on Caldo Verde.