Live Music Roundup for August

The beautiful beast that is Quasi rolls into Mono on August 23 for an all too rare appearance on these shores

Article by Jay Shukla | 14 Aug 2006
Edinburgh

The always surprising Scritti Politti check into the Liquid Room on August 7 on the back of a new LP release 'White Bread, Black Beer'. Originally a shambolic, Marxist post-punk oddity, Scritti spent the best part of the 80s mutating into a dreamy, soul-inflected pop group. The new LP finds the band in their most mature and intimate incarnation yet. Recent shows have seen Gartside revisiting all of these periods, so this is bound to be a special night.

The sublime Metric drag their new wave asses over from Canada on August 28 for what will no doubt be a storming set at Cabaret Voltaire. So called because of the seductive precision of their compositions, Metric really cut loose on the live stage, with magnetic front-woman Emily Haines showing her synth no mercy in pursuit of the perfect electronic groove. Recommended.

Experimental noise heroes the Telescopes round things off this month at Cabaret Voltaire on August 31. Their back catalogue ranges from fragile, dreamy pop to churning, ambient soundscapes and every gig they play is a forum for experimentation, improvisation and imagination. Recent gigs have showcased the band's penchant for sprawling, freeform drone rock, yet this is a band that is capable of just about anything musically. They're the best band you've never heard of. Go and see them.


Glasgow

Locked away on the Isle of Wight, The Bees have come up with some fantastic sounds over the years; plundering 60s pop, reggae and jazz else to create some of the most unnervingly authentic retro sounds you'll hear anywhere. This is lush, layered, joyous music – the ideal soundtrack to the summer and a real antidote to the stylish, self conscious pap that fills the airwaves and the magazines each week. Don't miss this. They play Glasgow University Union on August 11.

The beautiful beast that is Quasi rolls into Mono on August 23 for an all too rare appearance on these shores. The Skinny has been banging on about this pair for a while now and with good reason – they write some of the most gorgeous, poignant and unpretentious pop songs, and they rock like hell too. Also, in the wake of the demise of Sleater-Kinney, this is currently the only place you'll be able to hear the fantastic drum work of Janet Weiss. An essential gig.

The recently rejuvinated Cursive round things off in Glasgow with a set at King Tuts on August 25. Fiercely emotive, the band combine inventive instrumentation with incisive riffing and a propensity towards the epic. This is a band who have been through a hell of a lot and have the scars to prove it. All of which makes for some fantastic, dramatic music. Investigate them if you have not done so already.