After a fine January, it all went a bit chilly willy with February opening on layers of white stuff falling from the skies. Also a bummer of a month in the main for me too, most of it I spent in my sickbed lamenting on all the fab gigs I was missing (I gave up counting when the tally reached 7 in that 3-week period!)
It was a little colder too for Chapel Club, losing out on the Xfm New Music Award for Best Debut Album of 2011 to The Vaccines. Still they DID make the shortlist of ten, so well done them - and I succeeded in my job as 'Campaigns Officer' as well!
Back at the start of the month, I caught up with the rather blissful Portlanders Blouse at The Shacklewell Arms. But the artist that rather left an impression with me from the night was oFF Love. Venturing into the The Shacky, this guy was already in mid-flow. And that is about all one knows of this mystery figure. Bedecked in baseball cap and his entire face entirely covered (see vid below for glimpse of apparel), nothing was being given away - and you'll find little elsewhere either. But, he was rather intriguing, and not just by appearance, so much so that I spent half the night listening further. He has been opening for Chairlift across Europe over February and hits the London Borderline on March 6 with them. I shall be there! (Ills permitting!)
Loads of interesting - and many excellent - tracks have passed my way over the month. Since I was tasked with reviewing (this last week of February) for Shout 4 Music
http://shout4music.com/ a batch of singles. Some of the best I have been hearing:
Born Blonde - I Just Wanna Be: their forthcoming single and totally fab. Instant love on first 60 seconds (see previous link below)- and it so impressed me that I rushed down to their Tuesday night gig at the Notting Hill Arts Club just to hear it live. This is a band, given the right exposure, who have an immense amount of potential. Remember the name.
http://littleindieblogs.blogspot.com/2012/02/one-to-watch-born-blonde.htm
Trust - Sulk: another I fell in love with on first hearing. Side project of Austra drummer Maya Postepski. What's not to love about electro?!
Ideals - Altar: A London indie band with a kind of Sixties influence and some great brooding pop-ness from Andrew Major to boot!
Also liking this a lot, from Theatre Royal - Katherine's Sleeping
And last on the list, Strangers - Shine On You
http://soundcloud.com/bornstrangers/shine-on-you-radio-mix
It was fantastic to see Zulu Winter headlining their first show on Monday (Feb 27) night at Cargo in London. I saw them on their first gig proper last September and earmarked them straight away for big things. One of just a handful of bands that I return to time after time, simply because they are THAT good a band and a always put on an excellent live show. Their new single We Should Be Swimming also now out. Watch and hear below. Caught up to have a brief chat with the lovely Will Daunt, their vox, before the start. At least this time he didn't have to sneak me into the gig through the back door, as was the case at a previous show!
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