Live Music Highlights - August, 2009
Art rock weirdos Victorian English Gentlemen's Club impressed the pants off us with their punchy, unpredictable 2006 debut but they never really got the attention they deserved. Now expanded to a four-piece and with a new record on the way, they bring their beautiful bluster to Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire on 4 Aug and Glasgow King Tut's on 5 Aug. We are the Physics support on both nights.
Final Fantasy has to be one of the most singular artists operating in the indie mainstream right now: Using just voice, violin and and a few looping pedals, Canadian prodigy Owen Pallett creates compelling, multi-layered song structures of rare beauty. The lad has quite a following so move now if you want to catch what will be one of August's best shows. Glasgow Classic Grand 5 Aug.
Lobster, foie gras and deep-fried lizard are all well and good, but sometimes you just feel like beans on toast. Enter The Holloways: their no-frills indie will fill your hole (fnar) in a predictably satisfying way, but if you're looking for a dish with a little more spice or originality then you may be disappointed. Everyone else who's up for a dance and a good time, we'll see you at Dundee Doghouse on 6 Aug and Glasgow QMU on 7 Aug.
NYC hipster-magnets Telepathe beam into Glasgow on 13 Aug for a set at King Tut's. Known for their minimalistic live shows which feature little more than a laptop and a couple of mics, Telepathe deploy spacey synth moves and repeating vocal motifs to create a deep, hypnotic sound. Open minded fans of arty electro-pop will lap it up.
Amongst the US's burgeoning psych scene Crystal Stilts have managed to forge a strong reputation on the back of their white-hot live performances and hook-laden songwriting. More than just another jam band with too many reverb pedals, Crystal Stilts inject real verve and majesty into the psychedelic rock formula - see them at Glasgow Stereo on 18 Aug.
Following on from an impressive, lengthy set in a heatwave-stricken Glasgow at the end of June, Malcolm Middleton heads over to Edinburgh for a set at Cabaret Voltaire on 27 Aug. Having just released possibly his best collection of solo songs - accompanied by murmurs that it may well be his last - now could be a wise time to catch this local hero ply his self-reflective blend of folk and pop.
Now in its third year, Wizard Festival takes place in New Deer, Aberdeenshire on Fri 28 and Sat 29 Aug. Featuring arena acts and family entertainment, the main draw is the music, with the Levellers and Idlewild heading up the Friday bill, while the Charlatans and the Buzzcocks head a varied line-up on the Saturday. See wizardfestival.com for more info.
With the doom drone scene currently experiencing an unexpected rennaisance thanks to the likes of Boris, Grails, Sunn O))) et al., Canadian duo Nadja are likely to attract a sizeable throng of scene kids when they play the V Club in Glasgow on 28 Aug. The uninitiated should track down The Bungled and the Botched from their intimidating back catalogue - pure sonic bliss.
Manchester post-punk legends Magazine played together for the first time in 28 years earlier this year, and on 30 Aug they'll play Edinburgh's HMV Picture House - a must see gig for anyone who's aware of the impact that Howard Devoto has had on modern music.