The Luminaire Events for April 2008

01 April - PETER AND THE WOLF + Guests

2008-04-01

Tape This presents
PETER AND THE WOLF
+ Guests

Doors 8.00
£6 via WeGotTickets

Hailing from Austin, Texas, Red Hunters Peter & the Wolf project utilise little more than a guitar and vocals to create wondrous songs that examine past relationships through halcyon lens of hindsight. Known for his unconventional touring methods, including travelling by sailboat and playing in graveyards, Red will playing songs from his numerous beautifully hand crafted releases. Read Pitchfork\'s thoughts on him here.

Replete with the addition of violin, glockenspiel, casio & drums Planet Earth plays delicate songs fraught with the existential crises and political guilt of the modern life. Reminiscent of Phil Elverum or Jeffrey Lewis at his story telling best these are songs to hold close to the heart lest they break from the weight of the world.

02 April - PIVOT + Three Trapped Tigers

2008-04-02

The Luminaire in association with
Warp Records presents
PIVOT
+ Three Trapped Tigers
+ Warp DJs

Doors 7.30
£6 via WeGotTickets, Ticketweb and Warpmart
£7 door

New Warp signing Pivot will be arriving on European shores in the coming weeks and celebrate their arrival with their debut London show. They will be supported by the excellently monikered Three Trapped Tigers, and also accompanied by Warp DJs. If you buy your tickets from Warpmart, you\'ll receive a free MP3 of a track from the forthcoming \"In The Blood\" EP.

This Sydney-based post-rock act first came to be in 1999, when brothers Laurenz and Richard Pike created Pivot in order to play \"wordless music\". However, their highly acclaimed debut album would only see the light of day six long years later - the brothers worked on it relentlessly for four years with Richard Pike as the producer. By 2001 the group had grown significantly into a 5-member band.

The eagerly awaited \"Make Me Love You\" was finally released in 2005. It succesfully flirted with Tortoise-esque jazzy, yet subtle post-rock, electronica and minimalism without losing the sight of their own musical identity. The album was a critical success, and later that year it was nominated for Triple J\'s award (album of the year).

Pivot\'s rather unstable line-up would go through big changes as time progressed - Dave Miller, an electronica artist originally hailing from Perth was added to their line-up towards the end of 2005. Currently the line-up consists of only three members; Dave Miller and the Pike brothers. Pivot\'s second album, due out later this year (2007), was mixed by the legendary John McEntire (of Tortoise / The Sea and Cake fame) in Chicago, Illinois.

The Pike brothers have been rather active on other fronts as well, they seem to be associated in one way or the other with the following musical acts: Triosk, Flanger, Savalas Savalas and Roam the Hello Clouds.

Pivot comes highly recommended to fans of post-rock from the experimental end of the spectrum - Tortoise, The Samuel Jackson Five and to a lesser extent Jaga Jazzist. Only time will tell what the future holds for this highly promising band.

04 April - MIRACLE FORTRESS + The Joy Formidable

2008-04-04

Live Nation presents
MIRACLE FORTRESS
+ The Joy Formidable

Doors 7.30
£8.50 via WeGotTickets

Miracle Fortress is from the brainwaves of Graham Van Pelt, a Montreal-based multi-instrumentalist and vocalist who builds wall of sound pop songs in the tradition of Brian Wilson and Brian Eno. The first single, Have You Seen In Your Dreams is available now through iTunes.

In late 2005, Graham Van Pelt began recording as Miracle Fortress after co-founding the multi-functional art space/venue/studio space, Friendship Cove, with local artist Jack Dylan in Montreals Griffintown. Graham composed, recorded, and mixed the entire Five Roses album himself within a few months; only taking time out to perform as a solo act opening for bands like Love is All, Vic Chestnut, and locals Sunset Rubdown and Islands.

Five Roses is an ambitious and engaging record of sprawling pop songs that echo My Bloody Valentine, Animal Collective, the Beach Boys, John Cale and Arcade Fire. Originally from Stratford, Ontario, Graham (age 23) is also a member of Montreals Think About Life (Alien8 / Whats Your Rupture).

For a live band, Graham has assembled musicians including Sunset Rubdowns Jordan Robson-Cramer, Jesse Stein of SS Cardiacs and Adam Waito of Telefauna.

\"They\'re not the new Arcade Fire - they\'re Arcade Fire dreaming of unicorns and therefore a million times better\" - NME 8/10

\"If Arcade Fire\'s Win Butler didn\'t have the weight of the world on his shoulders, loved the Beach Boys, sang with susurrus sweetness and let Brian Eno produce, he might be capable of something as graceful and uplifting as Miracle Fortress\'s debut.\" - The Guardian 5/5

\"The sweetly scented Five Roses are so near perfection that they belong in the Garden Of Eden - The Sun 4.5/5

Good Vibrations, wherever you listen - The Independent 4/5

05 April - BELLERUCHE + Guests

2008-04-05

Soundcrash Productions presents
BELLERUCHE
+ Special guests

Doors 7.30
£5 via WeGotTickets

Belleruche produce handmade hip-hop-blues-soul. Like Sarah Vaughan, Django Reinhardt and Cut Chemist stuck in a lift with Russian beer and a sampler.

The band\'s new album provides a fuzzy snapshot of the Belleruche trio\'s different approach to music and production combining heartfelt melodies with twisted scratched drums, snap sharp snares with chopped vintage basslines, and vinyl soul with hook filled songs.

The tracks on \'Turntable Soul Music\' conjure thoughts of Stax Records recording Django Rheinhardt with Dr Dre controlling the mixing desk. Or Eryka Badu jamming with Mixmaster Mike recorded onto analogue tape by the Dust Brothers.

07 April - CHRIS T-T + Lucy and the Caterpillar

2008-04-07

The Luminaire presents
CHRIS T-T
+ Lucy and the Caterpillar

Doors 7.30
£6 via WeGotTickets and Ticketweb

\"Chris T-T creates fragmented songs that verge on the cool side of lo-fi without losing a love for pop. He\'s the Phil Redmond of the DIY music scene, sweet on the outside, bitter at the centre. Simple, often humourous gems with twisted lyrics. His voice is Billy Bragg without the affectation but has power when he chooses to unleash it. And he can rock when he wants to, as guitars screech and build to a blistering climax.\" (The Guardian)

\"A capital-centric folk wonder, he specialises in finding romance in the tiniest details of urban living, crystallising them in string-powered urban folk. Funny, touching and smart.\" (NME)

\"Fantastically intricate masterpieces... utterly indispensable... genius... a modern-day Blake.\" (Sunday Times)

\"The joy of Flaming Lips and the humanity of Ray Davies. A heartening, hopeful, sad record.\" (Time Out)

\"A national gem of a songwriter.\" (The Independent)

In support is Lucy & The Caterpillar

\"The hotly tipped Lucy & the Caterpillar has an enchanting style, captivating the audience with her perky reflective musings of alcoholic dreams and matters of the heart.\" - XFM The interest in Lucy & The Caterpillar is a fairytale in the making. Having completed a string of high profile support slots through 2006 and 2007 for Scott Matthews, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, Simple Kid, The Earlies, Jeremy Warmsley and Im From Barcelona, Lucy has been winning audiences over country-wide. Hailing from Burnley, 19 year-old singer-songwriter Lucy Conroy has been making waves for the past year along with her Caterpillar, the pet name for her trusty miniature acoustic guitar.

Drawing comparisons to Regina Spektor and describing herself as a cross between Vashti Bunyan and Destinys Child, Lucys style is inimitable. A refreshing antithesis to the sickly-sweet, tasteless chart pop currently dominating the Top-40. Drenched in honesty and openness, her style is unique, and the songs speak for themselves.

08 April - MAKE MODEL + Guests

2008-04-08

The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance presents
MAKE MODEL
+ Guests

Doors 7.45
Free entry upon request - contact Sarah Warburton for guestlist.

Since the A&R furor surrounding their discovery, and the low key release of their debut single last July, Glasgow six-piece Make Model have been quietly but resolutely setting themselves up as one of the most promising UK acts of 2008. Having spent the past six months hard at work in the studio getting to grip with their collective talents, crafting raw demos into an arsenal of pop thunderstorms, future greatness, nay success, seems eerily ripe for the picking.

Despite their indie credentials, widespread appeal, and huge mainstream potential then, Make Model can most certainly NOT be crammed into the usual shoegaze-y, inward-looking, kitchen-sink-drama-esque brackets. Their music is instilled with a sense of belief, frustration and hope - in six short months, theyve developed a vice-like grip on their inherent bent for crafting powerful, intelligent, emotional pop music. With their as yet untitled debut album due early summer, a hardcore touring schedule ahead of them (including pivotal US showcase SXSW in March), and a snowballing fanbase, 2008 is a Make Model-shaped oyster that will be inevitably prized open. This is one Model you should definitely check.

10 April - RED + FULL FAT + KIDS IN TRACKSUITS + MEMORY 9 [DJ SET]

2008-04-10

Soundcrash Productions presents
RED
+ FULL FAT
+ KIDS IN TRACKSUITS
+ MEMORY 9 [DJ set]

Doors 7.30
£5 via WeGotTickets

A belter of a quadruple headliner show. Tomorrow\'s cutting edge beats today...

Reds debut album, Fingerprints, is a masterpiece in instrumental hip hop production. Not only does the album advance the jazz styles of ATCQ, Gangstarr & Pete Rock, it solidifies Red as one of scratch musics most recent innovative exponents. The album features a handful of tracks made entirely from scratching. From the drums to the melodies, each track is produced purely from turntable manipulation. These tracks, Samba Scratch, Alls Fair, Clock Watching, and Snow explore moods and techniques seldom heard in the scratch world, and demonstrate Reds pioneering spirit.

Reds band Full Fat formed initially to recreate the tracks from another Red release, the Seen EP, using the turntable as the lead instrument, along with guitar, bass guitar, drums, and synths. The Seen EP is seen as the seed that flourished into one of the most exciting live acts rocking the UK at the moment.

Hangin tough on their second release, Kids in Tracksuits cut up a range of hip-hop styles and beat Rolf Harris to a paste with heavy block-rocking rhythms and scratched-up down-tempo beats. KiT all started around 02 when a couple of Nottingham kids got too bored/lazy to go out on their skateboards anymore and decided to stay indoors with their Wu-tang records, making beats, dj-ing and eating toast. The two Kids in question are Andy (hip-hop govnor/DJ/turntablist) and Matt (drum surgeon/sample geek). Matt sent minidiscs of his beats to Andy for scratch over-dubs and Kids in Tracksuits was born. Although nowadays the two work more closely, producing everything together in the same room, the raw feel of those early minidiscs is still present, something like a vintage NY mix-tape thrown through a scratched-up electro blender. Kids in Tracksuits have been taking their lap-top/turntablist shizzle to live venues since 03, playing gigs with a diverse set of artists including Peanut Butter Wolf, Coldcut, Jehst, 808 State, Treva Whateva, Bonobo, Cylob, Alice Russell, TM Juke, WHYy, Subtitle, Aquasky, Larrikin Love, Lethal Bizzle, Jap Sluts and more.

11 April - KIMMIE RHODES + Emil Friis

2008-04-11

The Luminaire presents
KIMMIE RHODES
+ Emil Friis

Doors 7.30
£10 via TicketWeb and WeGotTickets
£12 door

Willie Nelson-endorsed Austin-based Kimmie Rhodes brings her rootsty songcraft and liberating country to town.

Kimmie is a native Texan who grew up in Lubbock, Texas and began her singing career at the age of six with her family gospel trio. She moved to Austin in 1979, where she met DJ and producer Joe Gracey, an instrumental figure in the Austin progressive country scene who she eventually married. In 1981 she recorded her first album \'Kimmie Rhodes and the Jackalope Brothers\' when Willie Nelson invited her to use his studio. In 1985 she recorded her second album, \'Man In the Moon\'. Her third album \'Angels Get The Blues\', recorded at the original Sun Studio in Memphis, was released in 1989. These records led to a series of British and European tours which received rave reviews.

Since then she\'s recorded many albums, played with just about anyone you care to mention and had her songs recorded by just about anyone else you care to mention.

You might want to get yourself along to hear why.

Supporting is Emil Friis, a western soul, more cowboy than neo-country. His true nature reveals itself in his ability to find emotions in simplicity. A basic rhythm section and some elegantly simple arrangements create space for a persistent voice, unafraid to sing songs of lost love and better days to come.

While reminded of Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and Will Oldham one quickly avoids foolish comparisons. This album delivers authentic music with a darker, pirate edge, miles from the joyous naivety of much neo-folk today.

Friis new album Mutineer\', recorded and engineered by Lionel Darenne (former assistant to Steve Albini at his famous EAR studio in Chicago) is out in France on Darenne/PIAS and available in Denmark on Southern Imperial Recordings.

15 April - MONTE MONTGOMERY

2008-04-15

Mean Fiddler presents
MONTE MONTGOMERY

Doors 7.30
£7 via Ticketweb

Please note: Monte will be onstage at 8.30pm.

Montgomery\'s initial claim to fame happened on January 29th, 1999 when he appeared on PBS\'s Austin City Limits original program (episode #2411 originally aired on April 17th, 1999) and recorded a five-song set (which included his original composition \"When Will I,\" co-written with Scott Byers, Chris Maresh Phil Bass.

Since then, Montgomery has graced the covers of the 2005 November issue of Acoustic Guitar, the 2005 Winter edition of Frets, and the 2006 December issue of Guitar Club (Italy) Magazine while being hailed by Guitar Player Magazine in 2004 as one of \"The Top 50 All-Time Greatest Guitarists\" as well as listed atop of Guitar One Magazine\'s \"Top 10 Best Undiscovered Guitarists in America\" list in the late 1990s. Montgomery has also won the \"Best Acoustic Guitar Player\" award at the SXSW Festival\'s Austin Music Awards seven years in a row (1998-2004), the only artist to have ever done so.

16 April - AIDAN JOHN MOFFAT + George Pringle

2008-04-16

The Luminaire presents
AIDAN JOHN MOFFAT
+ George Pringle

Doors 7.30
£10.00 via TicketWeb and WeGotTickets
£12 door

Aidan Moffat, hirsute frontman of sadly missed Falkirk outfit Arab Strap, may have taken his time returning to London with new material, but given the response to his new solo album, it seems the wait is going to be worth it.

Aidan\'s critically acclaimed new release \'I Can Hear Your Heart\' is part solo album, part spoken word project, part audio book and has already been heralded as a landmark release from a bold, uncompromising talent. Those of you familiar with Aidan\'s work with The Strap will already know of his flair for a provocative, voyeuristic lyric or ten, so it should come as no surprise that the subject matter explored in \'I Can Hear Your Heart\' is rooted firmly in the more shadowy recesses of the social/sexual spectrum.

Moffat himself cites Ivor Cutler and William Burroughs as inspirations for making his first spoken word album, but there are things in there that could make Charles Bukowski blush in fact, compared to Arab Straps famously frank lyrics, \'I Can Hear Your Heart\' is astonishingly raw:

\"I did actually blush a couple of times the last time I listened to it, but its really the thoughts and mistakes of a different man, a younger and idiotic me that has thankfully since grown up, so I find that I can just laugh at myself.

Decide for yourself at one of only two shows Aidan has scheduled this year so far. He\'ll be performing material from \'I Can Hear Your Heart\' in addition to some tracks from his up-coming \'Aidan Moffat & The Best Ofs\' project, backed up on guitar by Alun Woodward (Chemikal Underground colleague and ex-Delgados frontman).

Praise for \'I Can Hear Your Heart\':

\"A stupendous album...one of Britain\'s greatest lyricists.\" - The Sunday Times (CD Of The Week) [5/5]

\"A startling and beautiful art package.\" Observer Music Monthly [4/5]

\"Captures the highs and lows of carnal pleasures with Wildean wit and sass...the spokesman for a generation of romantic degenerates.\" - Independent On Sunday

\"A beautiful flower growing out of the filth.\" - NME [8/10]

\"Buoyed up with powerful humanity, warnth and wit...highly recommended.\" - Word

\"An album of astonishing frankness and unimpeachable ambition...inspired punchlines and masterful storytelling...certain to be 08\'s most intimate album, and an early contender for its best.\" - Rocksound [9/10]

Main support, George Pringle - with her Warholian social comment and homespun lo-fi electro - has marked herself as a truly modern artist (in all senses of the word), capable of muddling Ab Fab\'ish humour with a smidgen of Patrick Wolf\'s odd-ball exploration and glints of Jarvis-like poignancy.

What the critics say:

(Carte Postale) has huge gravitas as a touching tale of when you try to conceal your very core beneath bullshit image changes just to hide the creeping loneliness. Single of the wintery NME

\"It\'s diffident. Its smart. I like it a whole bunch.\" - Everett True PLAN B \'Single Of The Month\'

\"Crown princess of blogtronica... like if Mike Skinner was a girl with a fine art degree.\" - MIXMAG

Upper-crust to the marrow, she is almost punk rock in her refusal to be anything other then herself Pringle is coming. GUARDIAN

Starting out by creating her own genre, George continues to keep things unique iD

Watch this latest Myspace phenomenon Shes dead funny and brilliantly self-aware. TIME OUT

Weird but rather wonderfully posh electro THE SUNDAY TIMES

18 April - GREG BROWN + Bo Ramsey

2008-04-18

The Luminaire presents
GREG BROWN
+ Bo Ramsey

Doors 7.30
£12.50 via TicketWeb and WeGotTickets
£15 door

Here are the lyrics to one of Greg\'s songs, \"Jesus and Elvis\". We shouldn\'t need to tell you more. Once you\'ve read these, show up and be in awe.

\"Jesus & Elvis\"

Jesus had some water, said \"Wine\'d be better yet\".
Elvis picked up a guitar and made all women wet.

Elvis he died young - Jesus he died younger.
Elvis died of too much - Jesus died of hunger.

Jesus sang down through the ages: \"Do like you\'d have\'em do you\".
Elvis rocked the universe with be-bop-a-lu-la -

Now here they are on black velvet, in a parking lot in Missouri -
rocking my soul with rock\'n\'roll, soulful harmony.

Jesus went back to heaven to be the King of Kings,
but I hear the King of Rock\'n\'Roll is still restlessly roaming.

Go on home to Jesus, El - he\'s waiting there you\'ll find.
You two can jam on old gospel songs - them are the best kind.

Greg Brown\'s mother played electric guitar, his grandfather played banjo, and his father was a Holy Roller preacher in the Hacklebarney section of Iowa, where the Gospel and music are a way of life. Brown\'s first professional singing job came at age 18 in New York City, running hootenannies (folksinger get-togethers) at the legendary Gerdes Folk City. After a year, Brown moved west to Los Angeles and Las Vegas, where he was a ghostwriter for Buck Ram, founder of the Platters. Tired of the fast-paced life, Brown traveled with a band for a few years, and even quit playing for a while before he moved back to Iowa and began writing songs and playing in midwestern clubs and coffeehouses.

Brown\'s songwriting has been lauded by many, and his songs have been performed by Willie Nelson, Carlos Santana, Michael Johnson, Shawn Colvin, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. He has also recorded more than a dozen albums, including his 1986 release, Songs of Innocence and of Experience, when he put aside his own songwriting to set poems of William Blake to music. One Big Town, recorded in 1989, earned Brown three and a half stars in Rolling Stone, chart-topping status in AAA and The Gavin Report\'s Americana rankings and Brown\'s first Indie Award from NAIRD (National Association of Independent Record Distributors). The Poet Game, his 1994 CD, received another Indie award from NAIRD. His critically acclaimed 1996 release, Further In, was a finalist for the same award. Rolling Stone\'s four-star review of Further In called Brown \"a wickedly sharp observer of the human condition.\" 1997\'s Slant 6 Mind (Red House Records) earned Brown his second Grammy nomination. His latest CD, One Night (Red House), is a re-release of a 1983 live performance originally on Minneapolis\' Coffeehouse Extemporé Records.

19 April - SHAPE OF BROAD MINDS + Guests

2008-04-19

Soundcrash Productions presents
SHAPE OF BROAD MINDS
+ Kid Acne
+ DJs

Doors 7.30
£6 via WeGotTickets

In 2006, all-round hip hop maestro Jneiro Jarel set off on a pan-American voyage to assemble a team of rappers and producers who shared his aim... to create a unique hip hop record unbothered by trend, time and location. In 2007 Shape of Broad Minds is a force to be reckoned with.

Bringing together Dr Who Daty (producer of the Beat Journey album), multi-instrumentalist and rapper jAWWAAD from Houston, Panama Black from Atlanta, Rocque Wun from NYC and of course JJ himself.

Their debut record, The Blue Experience features none other than rap super-villain MF DOOM and is available now.

A modern day renaissance man, Kid Acne is an internationally acclaimed artist having created his own comic book (Zebra Face 2001), designed numerous record sleeves for the likes of Big Dada & Chocolate Industries, customized spray cans for Montana Colors, an entire T-shirt range for Prada and exhibited in galleries throughout the world.

Don\'t worry about all of this for now, just concern yourself with is his latest set, Romance Ain\'t Dead - a short, sharp shock to the lug-holes from a punch-drunk MC messed up on spray-paint fumes, nicking a moped to write his girlfriend\'s initials and a love heart in her front garden with the back wheel. The 11 track banger, laced with hip-hop, punk and old school rave is the sounds of a illegal party held in the village hall, while someone sicks up Buckfast inside their friend\'s dad\'s car, listening to Mike Allen on the radio.

21 April - BLACK GRASS + Guests - CANCELLED

2008-04-21

Soundcrash Productions presents
BLACK GRASS
+ Guests

WE REGRET TO ANNOUNCE THAT THIS SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELLED. REFUNDS WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM THE POINT OF PURCHASE.

Catskills release the third album from Black Grass simply entitled \'Three\'. The project of DJ/producer Mex, Black Grass involves a floating cast of guests including hip hop legend J-Live, vocalist Dionne Charles from funk sensations Baby Charles, Hearin\' Aid\'s Aaron Phiri, reggae representation by Benjammin\' and Jah Marnyah, along with many more talented contributors.

With this being the third Black Grass album, according to Mex it mirrors another famous trilogy. \"This album is my Return of the Jedi, whereas \'A Hundred Days In One\' was my Empire Strikes Back and was quite dark, this is more fun with couple of Ewoks thrown for laughs. Rest assured I won\'t be ruining it with a load of unnecessary CGI though.\"

Mex\'s career spans 20 years and during this time he has built up a reputation as one of the most talented but under-rated DJs. He was resident at the seminal Brighton night \'Knowledge of Self\', then moved on to open for the likes of OC, Jurassic 5 and Big L whilst also producing the self-titled album \'Black Grass\' in 2004, and then the critically-acclaimed follow up \'A Hundred Days in One\' in 2006.

Black Grass has a series of live gigs coming up including The Luminaire in London and a series of festivals across the UK, Europe and Australia.

\"Exceptional\" - Observer
\"A fantastic albumtop notch\" - 5/5 Mixmag
\"Brooding, rich, home grown soul music\" - Fact Magazine
\"A super talented man! A pure listening pleasure.\" - Laurent Garnier

22 April - THE JACKSON ANALOGUE + Wolfpeople + The Lovebirds + DJ Cherrystones + DJ Stuart Souter

2008-04-22

Giant Village presents
THE JACKSON ANALOGUE
+ Wolf People
+ The Lovebirds
+ DJs Cherrystones and Stuart Souter

Doors 7.30
Free entry

A free night out, hosted by Giant Village, to showcase new Jackson Analogue material ahead of their UK and European tour. Also playing will be Wolfpeople and The Lovebirds. This will be the dirtiest rock and roll event of the month, if not the year, in the capital and DJs Cherrystones and Stuart Souter will be on the decks to round off the occasion.

Jackson Analogue are a band for all those who still believe that music is about passion not fashion and the right song counts for more than the right hair cut. The lusty five piece create music that is raw and vibrant, characterized by epic riffs, memorable songwriting, killer vocals and maverick attitude.

The band have a deep respect for the blues-rock of Muddy Waters and Credence Clearwater Revival, a classic British sensibility that derives from a love of The Who, Led Zep and Family and an affinity with the \'90s rock and grunge of the bands own youth. These wildly divergent influences are all mixed and matched to create a sound that is uniquely their own, taking the best of rock \'n\' roll\'s rich patchwork and re-stitching it in new shapes and patterns. The perfect analogue music for the digital agey You decide.

23 April - JOHN & JEHN + Joe Gideon & The Shark + Duke Garwood

2008-04-23

Phuckit and Faculty Music present
JOHN & JEHN
+ Joe Gideon & The Shark
+ Duke Garwood

Doors 8.00
£5 via WeGotTickets

£3 door concessions with student card
Flyer here

This night will be dedicated to the celebration of the release in April 2008 of the eponymous first album of the French London-based duo John & Jehn. (Phuckit! / Faculty Music)

John & Jehn are a visually arresting, explosive, dueling boy-girl set up, where he plays guitar and she plays Farfisa organ and bass. Both sing. They play the whole thing through old Leslie amps. Live, they are slightly unhinged yet superfocused. They are very, very, very good and this is the part where I say that the Myspace songs don\'t do them any kind of justice. They sound sanitized, whereas their live shows are unhinged, super-focused affairs. I can personally 100% guarantee entertainment.
[Andy Inglis, Director at the Luminaire]

John & Jehns physical presence alone is mesmerizing. John, the feed-back-favoring guitarist, has cheekbones that could cut-glass, while his band mate Jehn manages to pull off being both gawky and sexy. Shes a little girl lost and femme fatale in equal measures. And their music doesnt fail to disappoint either. [Artrocker Magazine]
\"These guys are the sexiest Parisians in the French capital, and they deal in beautiful ascendant, lustful alt.pop. Unsurprisingly for such a pair of sexy, talented bastards, they couldn\'t resist each other and so now they\'re the coolest touring couple in town.\" [NME]

Joe Gideon plucks six strings, dreams stories and sings. Kid sister Viva, a.k.a. \'The Shark\', plonks, stomps and honks. Formerly members of Bikini Atoll, Joe Gideon & The Shark released two albums on Bella Union, second album recorded by geeky genius Steve Albini. Then, they formed a family band and spent summer 06\' getting drunk in a barn writing songs on their 8 track recorder. It\'s been a year now and in this time they\'ve been invited to play with great bands and musicians around europe; Archie Bronson Outfit, Sons & Daughters, Scout Niblett, Michael Gira to name but a few. Their tales are beginning and their tails are wagging...

How to describe London-based duo Joe Gideon & The Shark without you being in the same room as me it\'s tough, for sure. Without waving hands and pulling shapes it\'s tough to convey what this music can and usually does do to a body exposed to it; it\'s rough, ragged, blues in its veins. It\'s dark, atmospheric, oddball and surreal; it\'s on your doorstep and in your airspace, alien yet talking the same language about the same ol\' trials and tribulations of a life lived. Uppers and downers: expected and accepted. [Drowned in Sound]

Once Jehn said to me about Duke Garwood \'Well, if this man touches his guitar like he touches a woman, Ill try to marry him\'. I answered: \'No way! Because I will propose him first.\' The Duke is the kind of man you envy for his style and talent. In his music, he plays with silence, for real. Every move on his guitar, every word seems to be at the right place, at the right time. It looks like The Duke cannot be wrong when he plays, he is where he has to be. Duke Garwood is not playing Blues, he is the blues, and I hate to say that but, I think I found a master. John

Also part of the indie-rock trio Archie Bronson Outfit, Garwood has been compared to Mark Lanegan, who has himself been compared to Tom Waits; certainly, there\'s a sepulchral, basement-register Waitsian rasp here, not to mention a comparably startling surrealism to the lyrics. It\'s like traditional country blues subjected to a barrage of 21st-century urban noise, () It\'s music from the margins, but from the margins of several genres. [Guardian review of the album Emerald Palace]

Watch his video here.

24 April - THE WAVE PICTURES + Matthew Sawyer & The Ghosts + Esiotrot

2008-04-24

Mean Fiddler presents
THE WAVE PICTURES
+ Matthew Sawyer & The Ghosts
+ Esiotrot

Doors 7.30
£6 via SeeTickets and TicketWeb

With an extraordinary lyrical confidence and a dark yet comical outlook, The Wave Pictures have a stripped down rock n roll feel that has their audiences both transfixed and highly amused. Singing about statues which may or may not be made out of marmalade and dressing up like snowmen, this is certainly a band to catch. With the new album, Instant Coffee Baby, released through Moshi Moshi records on April 28th, be sure not to miss this launch show!

28 April - THE LADYBUG TRANSISTOR + The Beep Seals + Amor De Dias

2008-04-28

Fortuna Pop! presents
THE LADYBUG TRANSISTOR
+ The Beep Seals
+ Amor de Dias

Doors 7.30
£10 via WeGotTickets

Americas finest purveyors of lush, formalist pop music, The Ladybug Transistor formed in Brooklyn, NY during the mid-1990s, where they soon came to the attention of Merge Records. Since then they have released six perfectly formed albums, including the classic trilogy of The Albemarle Sound (1999), Argyle Heir (2001), and The Ladybug Transistor (2003), and developed and honed their trademark sound - a distillation of classic pop, characterized by a precise melodicism that is anchored by the restrained baritone of Olson. Recently the band also contributed to Soft Machine legend Kevin Ayers critically acclaimed album Unfairground. Their own new album Cant Wait Another Day (on Fortuna POP! in the UK) continues the Ladybug Transistors gradual shift away from their somewhat psychedelic beginnings towards a more open, timeless sound and features contributions from members of The Aislers Set, Architecture in Helsinki, The Clientele, Jens Lekman and Kevin Barker (Currituck Co., Vetiver). Much like the band themselves, it is, in every sense, classic.

The finest baritone warble in indie rock, unfailingly catchy pop tunes and perfectly pitched melancholy ballads the Ladybug Transistor\'s best work equals the best pop music made at any time in the past 50 years. (Cant Wait Another Day review, All Music Guide)

The Beep Seals formed many moons ago thanks to a mutual admiration of each other and a shared love of various things predominantly the rock band Pavement, visionary demi-god Todd Rundgren, the Animal Collective, long walks on rainy days, the sound of a really good fuzz pedal and the Beatles (obviously). Spending 2007 touring some of the world and cultivating a fearsome live reputation centred around the best drummer since Animal from the Muppets and vocal harmonies that\'d make Brian Wilson punch Carl in the face; the Beeps somehow managed to release two sold out singles of pure psych-slacker pop as well. They are currently recording their debut longplayer with Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub at the controls.
\"This could have been air-freighted from Athens, Georgia by Neutral Milk Hotel and gives you a feeling of endless summers and the gentle buzz\" (SoundsXP)

Amor De Dias featuring Lupe Núñez-Fernández (Pipas) and Alasdair Maclean ( The Clientele) are a new pop superduo featuring Lupe from Pipas and Alasdair from The Clientele promising both Spanish guitar versions of Clientele songs and new songs from both protagonists. They are currently recording with Ken Brake of Louis Philippe and Denim fame and, despite not so much as a note being heard, wild internet speculation suggests that they sound like Caetano Veloso and Gal Costa - a South London Domingo.

Opening proceedings are Beep Seals who formed many moons ago thanks to a mutual admiration of each other and a shared love of various things; predominantly the rock band Pavement, visionary demi-god Todd Rundgren, the Animal Collective, long walks on rainy days, the sound of a really good fuzz pedal and the Beatles (obviously). Spending 2007 touring some of the world and cultivating a fearsome live reputation centered around the best drummer since Animal from the Muppets and vocal harmonies that\'d make Brian Wilson punch Carl in the face; The Beeps somehow managed to release two sold out singles of pure psych-slacker pop as well. They are currently recording their debut longplayer with Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub at the controls.

\"This could have been air-freighted from Athens, Georgia by Neutral Milk Hotel and gives you a feeling of endless summers and the gentle buzz\" (SoundsXP)

29 April - MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND + Clare and the Reasons + Paul Frith and the Considerate Lovers

2008-04-29

A Night With Strings presents
MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND
+ Clare and the Reasons
+ Paul Frith and the Considerate Lovers

Doors 7.30
£7 via WeGotTickets

A Night with Strings sees three beautifully unique singer songwriters perform together in a one off event, showcasing their diverse approach to writing for and performing with strings.

My Brightest Diamond is Shara Worden, granddaughter of an Epiphone-playing traveling evangelist, fathered by a National Accordion Champion, and mothered by a church organist. Spanish tango, Sunday morning gospel, classical and jazz were the accompaniment to her home life. Her first song was recorded at age three and by age eight she was studying piano and performing in community musical productions.

Shara honed her musical prowess singing along to Whitney Houston music videos and Mariah Carey albums. Wanting to explore the voice more deeply, she enrolled in the music program at the University of North Texas, immersing herself in the songs of Purcell and Debussy. After college, she moved to New York City and fell in love with its cold winters and busy streets. She continued to study opera on the Upper West Side during the day, but at night she frequented downtown clubs such as Tonic, Knitting Factory, and The Living Room, catching performances by Antony & The Johnsons, Nina Nastasia, and Rebecca Moore. She began to spend less time sight-reading Mozart and more time de-tuning her Gibson electric guitar to play her own newly-written songs. On the small stages of Lower East Side bars and clubs, Shara assembled a coterie of musicians to accompany her with bass and drums, music boxes, wine glasses, and wind chimes.

About Clare and the Reasons:

First, Clare writes songs.
Then she brings them to the Reasons\' test lab. There, the songs are submitted to a series of intense treatments and tests until they become what some people call: \"lush and sinfully beautiful\". This process named in the scientific community \"Reasonitis Polymorpheus Synthesis\" or RPS, lead to the making of \"The Movie\" (Frogstand Records) their debut album. (no known side effects. FDA approval pending).

But who is this Clare anywayy

She was born on the island of Martha\'s Vineyard, in a vegetable garden amongst the most incredible tomatoes grown by her mother Sheila. Her father, music innovator Geoff Muldaur, introduced her to artists such as Mildred Bailey, Bessie Smith and Sam Cooke. Clare rode hundreds and hundreds of horses and listened to these inspiring musicians on her walkman while working in the barn.

One day, she rode her horse all the way to Berklee College of Music. With a handsome scholarship she was able to study jazz arranging and composition. There, she met now long time collaborator Olivier Manchon. On their first encounter, he made her cry and then they got married.

But who are \"The Reasons\"y

Alan Hampton, Olivier Manchon, Christopher Hoffman, Beth Meyers,Greg Ritchie and Bob Hart can be found in Brooklyn, NY. Most of the time, they are rehearsing, singing harmony vocals, pretending that their string trio is an orchestra, or playing very embarrassing football (the real name of soccer) in Prospect Park while discussing how to get endorsed by big sports gear corporations.

\"The Movie,\" was released November 2007. It features guests such as Van Dyke Parks, Gregoire Maret, Sufjan Stevens and an augmented string section of nothing but the best string players in the universe.

You can hear Clare sing 2 songs on the Fox show \"Arrested Development\". She also has songs in 2 Lion\'s Gate films. Most recently, her song \"Cactus Tree\", can be heard in the HBO show \"Cathouse\". Clare and Olivier have toured together in Japan, Ireland, France and the US of A.

In September 2007, Clare and the Reasons did a compact European tour and ate really good food, they returned to the UK and to France in early December 2007 for a tour supporting St. Vincent, Joseph Arthur and the amazing Duke Special, as well as headlining their own shows.

Paul Frith is an experienced and accomplished musician who has played with the likes of Sufjan Stevens and Rodney Fisher. His bardish lyrics recount tales of humanity with themes ranging from The Spanish Civil War to the Umpa Loompas of Willy Wonka\'s Chocolate Factory...

\"...I\'m not often inclined to offer up hyperbole, but I think the evening ranked among the top musical experiences of my life...\"

\"...I was overwhelmed with the feeling of needing to do more than listen... I needed to create - write, draw, sing, even dance!\"

30 April - SUSANNA AND THE MAGICAL ORCHESTRA + Leona Naess

2008-04-30

The Luminaire presents
SUSANNA AND THE MAGICAL ORCHESTRA
+ Leona Naess

Supported by

Doors 7.30
£8.50 via Ticketweb and WeGotTickets
£10 door

Susanna And The Magical Orchestra is in fact a duo, consisting of keyboard-magician Morten Qvenild and singer Susanna K. Wallumrod. The duo has existed for eight years, and released two critically acclaimed albums besides playing a numerous concerts throughout Europe for the past years.

Susanna And The Magical Orchestra write their own beautiful music, besides their outstanding interpretations of songs by Joy Division, Leonard Cohen and AC/DC among others. This exclusive London-concert will be the first in UK in a year and a half, which the duo is very much looking forward to.

\"Otherworldly hymns of Nordic elegance. A beguiling and moving experience.\" - Clash (UK)
\"There is a seductively hypnotic power to her trancelike ability to hold a note, slowing a song\'s narrative to a single moment of distillation against Qvenild´s mystical electronic washes.\" - Jazzwise (UK)
\"Susanna answers with a performance of such distilled tenderness it´ll stop you in your tracks. \" - Mojo (UK)
\"A lovely new album of cover songs.\" - New York Times (US)
\"A dolorous delight.\" - Uncut (UK)
\"The 50 greatest covers ever\" - The Observer

Susanna And The Magical Orchestra, Love Will Tear Us Apart ranked to number 34. Susanna´s song Believer, and Love Will Tear Us Apart are both used in the NCB Tv-series \"Grey´s Anatomy\".