Live Music Roundup - February

Warped Detroit visionaries ADULT. are the soundtrack to your most beautiful, paranoid fantasies.

Article by Jay Shukla | 15 Feb 2006

Edinburgh

Moscow-born poster-girl for the NYC Antifolk scene Regina Spektor will push her piano into Cabaret Voltaire on Feb 1. Spektor has built up a huge cult following on the back of her intimate, witty live performances and charming, charismatic recordings. Whereas many bands in the Antifolk scene subsist on gimmicks and gobbiness, Spektor has set herself apart by dint of her genuine vocal and compositional talent.

Having recently scored their first top 20 hit, The Kooks should be in the mood for celebrating when they play The Venue on Feb 5. Deploying their mercilessly catchy songs with ruthless bombast, The Kooks will show you a good time and leave you begging for more. Is it pop? Is it rock? I dunno, but it sounds good.

The Research play quirky Casio keyboard-led songs with lyrics like 'I love you/but I'm scared of fucking up'. This is brilliant, skewed pop music for people who don't want to be condescended to by the same old stream of expensive haircut/chugging riff chancers. They play Cabaret Voltaire on Feb 14. Go. Listen. Fall in Love.


Glasgow

Warped Detroit visionaries ADULT. Play the ABC on Feb 11. A couple of years back they had the electro scene by the balls with their challenging, nihilistic take on Techno, but 2005 saw them pursue an even more unhinged and visceral direction through their collaboration with Samuel Consiglio. ADULT. are the soundtrack to your most beautiful, paranoid fantasies. Go and see them, they're really fucking good.

The Chalets deal in frisky, infectious pop with an intense rock and roll undercurrent. Having shaken up the stuffy Dublin club circuit, the Chalets have their sights set on world domination, and by fuck, they might just have the tunes to pull it off. This is sexy, propulsive pop music that you shouldn't be afraid to dance to. They play King Tut's on Feb 11.

The inimitable Beth Orton rolls into Glasgow Barrowland on Feb 23 to promote her fantastic new album 'Comfort of Strangers'; a return to the beguiling form that made her name. Orton has a bag full of amazing tunes (has there ever been another song as sad as Blood Red River?) and a voice that sounds like no one else. Should be great.