Last year Burst Apart by The Antlers graced many a publication’s end of year ‘best of’ album lists (not least our own, where it reached the lofty heights of number six). On Thursday they play a show at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire and their emotionally resonant songs allied to a growing fanbase are sure to make for an affecting evening in west London.
It’s not the only high profile gig to be taking place in the capital this week. The Magnetic Fields also promote latest album Love At The Bottom Of The Sea at the Royal Festival Hall on Wednesday (read our recent interview with Stephin Merritt here).
Wednesday also sees shows by Of Montreal, who appear at KOKO, and Blur guitarist Graham Coxon who plays from 8th(!) solo album A+E at the Forum (we were suitably impressed by his show in Edinburgh last week). And there's a rather special triple bill of Neil Halstead, Gravenhurst and Fairewell to set things in a decidedly Sonic Cathedral direction at St Pancras Old Church on the same evening.
Elsewhere, Ryan Adams plays the first of two shows at the Palladium on Monday (he’s also there next week) in support of last year's Ashes & Fire, while the IndigO2 hosts an intriguing show by Tricky and Martina Topley-Bird that will see the latter’s seminal 1995 album Maxinquaye performed in full.
Luke Haines performs his recent quirkfest of an album Nine And A Half Psychedelic Meditations On British Wrestling Of The 1970s And Early '80s (he chatted with us about it here) on Tuesday at the Lexington, while music of a different order comes to Heaven as Santigold launches her long-awaited second album Master Of My Make-Believe on Thursday.
A handful of smaller acts to have released albums earlier this year are also in town this week. THEESatisfaction promote awE naturalE at Madame Jojo’s on Wednesday while two bands to have had their latest albums exclusively streamed on musicOMH also hit London this week. AU play from Both Lights at the Shacklewell Arms on Wednesday while on the same evening Nedry will give tracks from In A Dim Light a live airing at the Lexington.
Elsewhere, the Barbican host the first show in seven years by the Afro Cuban Allstars on Wednesday, whilst the Southbank Centre have a pair of intriguing free shows towards the end of the week; on Thursday Wildbirds & Peacedrums play the Front Room, while on Saturday Micachu & The Shapes and Kwes play individual sets before coming together to perform under the Kwesachu name.
Meanwhile up in Dalston, Café Oto has a reliably eclectic offering of gigs – Kevin Drumm plays his uncompromising noisescapes on Tuesday whilst Thursday has an appealing psych-guitar double bill in the shape of Sir Richard Bishop and Alexander Tucker.
Also taking place this week:
Jack White – Forum – 23rd April
Clock Opera – Scala – 23rd April
Gaz Coombes - Barfly – 24th April
Scritti Politti – Bush Hall – 25th/26th April
Bleeding Heart Narrative – Camp Basement – 25th April
Chairlift – Scala – 25th April
Esser - Shacklewell Arms – 26th April
Ané Brun – Shepherd's Bush Empire – 28th April
Just announced:
This week the Southbank Centre announced details of Africa Utopia, their month long festival that will include performances by the likes of Baaba Maal, Angelique Kidjo, Oumou Sangaré, Bela Fleck and Taj Mahal. It all takes place from 3rd – 28th July and you can read more here.
Other gigs recently announced include:
Milagres – Barfly – 9th May
Savages – Shacklewell Arms – 29th May
Milk Maid – Shacklewell Arms – 28th June
Faith No More – Hammersmith Apollo – 8th July
Grandaddy – Shepherds Bush Empire – 4th September
Patti Smith – Troxy – 13th September
