Live Music Highlights - November, 2008

Shellac set the bar high for November with a gig at Glasgow ABC on 2 Nov. What with Steve Albini seemingly on a mission to engineer at least one album by every single band in the world, Shellac only play live once in a blue moon, but when they do they don’t fucking mess about. Impossibly tight, impressively muscular and sporting a guitar sound that gives a whole new meaning to the word ‘lacerating’, you’d better hold on to your hats.

The Voodoo Rooms will play host to infamous (if only for their superb moniker) psychedelic/noise/whatthefuck stalwarts Jackie-O Motherfucker on 4 Nov, with a subsequent gig going down in Glasgow at Captain’s Rest on 5 Nov. It would be absurd of me to try and describe the breadth of their sound here, but let it be said that this is a band who rarely make things easy for their audience. For those that make the effort there are great rewards to be found though, and with support from the superb Valet this promises to be a fascinating event.

At first glance quirky pop princess Florence and the Machine would seem quite easy to dismiss: an overtly sexy image, a penchant for cover versions and a self-consciously ‘soulful’ voice do her no favours in this respect. Look past these baubles however and you’ll find something genuinely strange and interesting. For one thing, she has real charisma, and her songs are anything but run of the mill (see the Blue Velvet-tastic Kiss with a Fist for further evidence of this). A talented lass no doubt, and as far as female pop stars go, ruddy unorthodox to boot. Glasgow King Tut's 4 Nov, Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire 5 Nov.

Energetic Chicago experimentalists Volcano! are tearing it up in Glasgow at The Arches (playroom) on 10 Nov and Aberdeen The Tunnels on 11 Nov. Mixing improvisation with soaring pop hooks and brutal percussion with delicate dreaminess, there is just no way you’d want to miss these gigs. Following on from the dazzling gorgeousness of 2006’s Beautiful Seizure album, 2008’s Paperwork is currently working its magic on the collective consciousness and this pair of gigs has the potential to knock Scotland for six.

Once in a while a group appears that threatens to drag indie-rock kicking and screaming into strange and exciting new places. In 2008 Grammatics could well be that band. Unapologetically pretentious (their bio proudly proclaims they are ‘deluded with grandeur’), their compositions transcend genre boundaries to produce something magical and revelatory. King Tut's on 15 Nov sounds like a safe bet to us.

Controversy-courting, super-prolific lo-fi indie superstar (and hyphen-magnet) Jay Reatard brings the ruckus to Glasgow ABC2 on 18 Nov. Every blogger this side of the Kingdom of Fife can’t seem to stop bleating about the dude. Something must be afoot - grab a piece of the crazy while it’s hot.

So you checked out the man Reatard last night and you had your ass well and truly blasted, yeah? Nae bother, the Notwist are offering the perfect comedown trip at King Tut's on 19 Nov. Trippy, melancholy but strangely uplifting, this talented German posse mix guitars and electronics to sublime effect. Hey, these bruises seem to be healing already!

Video: The Notwist - Where In This World?

Recently reformed instrumental collective Red Snapper round out another cracking month with gigs at Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire on 28 Nov and Glasgow Oran Mor on 29 Nov. Fusing psych, hip-hop, jazz and funk, these shows promise to provide an atmospheric setting for you to throw down slick moves to some deep grooves. Lush.