TREVOR MOSS & HANNAH-LOU Prince Albert Thurs 5th
One half of a special Loose Music double bill at the Prince Albert, highly rated husband and wife duo Trevor Moss & Hannah-Lou have been gaining plenty of plaudits of late, continuing the rich heritage of classic English folk music – think Fairport Convention or Dylan at his most reflective and you’ll have some idea. Completing the line-up support comes in the form of some pastoral folk and Americana from the West Country courtesy of newest Loose signing and Drift Collective main-man The R.G Morrison. (JK)
BOSS KITE * Hectors House, Friday 6th
Boss Kite is a Brighton-based pioneer of the electro movement known as UK skweee. Originating in Sweden and Finland, Skweee combines minimalist synths and basslines with r’n’b, funk and soul rhythms, and has recently influenced dubstep artists such as Rusko, Joker and Zomby amongst others. With a slinky, sexy take on the genre and a fat bass injection, Boss Kite is giving UK skweee its own distinct identity; if you want to be part of an exciting, burgeoning scene, this is the place to be tonight. (RH)
KENELIS Hydrant Sat 7th
Loyal to the queercore circuit, Farnborough alt-rockers Kenelis make two appearances at Pride today: first on the Women’s Stage in Preston Park, and then at their own party at The Hydrant. Their post-grunge melodics (see free download single ‘Sick’) should fit in fine in the pub this evening, where their guest DJ is firebrand Big Brother contestant Shabby, fresh from performing with her own band Voodoo Hussy in the park that afternoon. Pride waverers may wish to note there’s lesbian mud-wrestling going on upstairs. (DL)
THE NUNS Hope Sat 7th
An all-woman, six-piece tribute to The Monks: the 60s GIs-in-Germany garage band whose repetitive, overdriven nuggets became an international cult (not least with The Fall, who covered them again and again). Following The Monks’ tonsures and cassocks image, The Nuns perform in habits, only slightly concealing their identities as various former Headcoatees and Mambo Taxi veterans. Riot grrrls down for Pride may wish to note that the very wonderful Debbie Smith (Echobelly, Curve, Nightnurse) is also a Nun. (DL)
WOLF GANG, Audio, Friday 13th
You have to tick a lot of boxes from day one in order to get noticed in the music industry. Wolf Gang managed it just right. Their first step was to get initial backing from the Neon Gold label, who consistently proves to be the tastemaker to the tastemakers. They followed that up with an online buzz so loud it would register on the Richter scale. Finally they knocked out timeless pop tune after timeless pop tune and the major labels dutifully wet their quills. (TR)
BRIGHTON RUMBLE – RUMBLE RECORDS SHOWCASE Concorde 2 Sat 14th
Since the demise of the Engine Room, Rumble has move upmarket somewhat to the Concorde for their showcase of Rumble Records bands. Dave Mumbles and Lucky Phil host Jessie & The Orbits, Kansas City Cryers and Knocksville, with guest DJs spinning rockabilly, rock’n’roll and blues bop. An added bonus comes in the shape of Modesty DJs in the front bar, with 60s, northern and garage grooves. It’s mods, it’s rockers, but the only fight should be to get a ticket. (NC)
JOHN BLEK & THE RATS Hope Sat 14th
Here’s a show to take a chance on if you’re up for a guaranteed Saturday night hoedown. Rounding off the UK leg of a tour in support of their debut single, the Rats will be bringing the hard-knock attitude of bottle living in Southern Ireland to our own south coast for the first time. But while the music might be the spirit of Ireland with a mixer of their American folk forefathers, this is a night for those who take it neat with a stamp of the foot on the floorboards. (NC)
THE LOWLAND HUNDRED Prince Albert Sat 14th
Experimental pastoral duo The Lowland Hundred are breaking out of their Aberystwyth ‘exile’ for this year’s Green Man Festival, and play a warm-up show at the Albert this afternoon for their label bosses Victory Garden Records. Mixing field recordings with strung-out song structures, their album ‘Under Cambrian Sky’ helps develop a hauntological strain of never-never folk music. Acoustic guitar instrumentalists -a+M are an unexpected, welcome addition to the supports. (DL)
EASY STAR ALL STARS Concorde 2 Tues 17th
You might not know it listening to ‘Climbing Up The Walls’ but ‘OK Computer’ has elements that are perfect for reggae - strong melodies, intense dynamics and trippy soundscapes.” So says Michael Goldwasser, who produced and arranged ‘Radiodread’, the New York band’s reworking of Thom and co’s landmark 1997 album, which followed 2003’s self-explanatory ‘Dub Side Of The Moon’. Expect to see Mrs SOURCE, who LOVES reggae, down the front for tonight’s encore of ‘Rockafella Skunk’, their special tribute to Brighton. (BG)
THE TELESCOPES Hector’s House Weds 18th
Back in the day, it was all baggy flares, long fringes and even longer faces around these parts. My Bloody Valentine ran the government, Ride had no defence and Jesus & Mary Chain were, controversially, on drugs. Meanwhile, the Telescopes headed up our fledgling space programme, issuing intergalactic anthems to the stars rather than fucking about with technology and satellites like the phoney Americans. With the band now back to playing soppy indie to UK shoeboxes, NASA clearly has a lot to learn. (BG)
THE BESNARD LAKES Freebutt Fri 20th
‘The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse’ proclaimed the band in 2007, only to then contradict themselves on their latest album by insisting ‘The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night’. Clearly, there is an identity crisis at the core of this group. Which is hardly surprising, given the fact they are a bold, brave blitz of Canadian indie rock from Montreal, Canada, centred around a husband and wife. But make no mistake, their explosive symphonic roar could put out any Arcade Fire. (BG)
THE LOW ANTHEM Komedia Weds 25th
How many more American bands must take the ancient, weary format of guitar music and imbue it with mystery and moonshine before we give up? Last year, the Rhode Island quartet issued their second album, ‘Oh My God, Charlie Darwin’, a wistful, blood on the tracks and whisky on the brain slow-burner, glowing with melancholic thirst, endless highways and barroom balls. We were seduced and the rest of the world will surely follow. “OMG, The Low Anthem!”, as the kids say outside Rounder. (BG)
THE WEDDING PRESENT Concorde 2 Sat 28th
They’re still going. Yes, 25 years after David Gedge formed a band, seemingly with the sole intention of exorcising his not-fit-for-purpose love life, many remain utterly enthralled to their glorious, indier than thou mosh. The Wedding Present may never recreate their 1999 pomp, which saw the release of 12 7″ singles in one year as they matched Elvis Presley’s record for the most UK Top 30 hits, but yeah they’re still going. Which is more than can be said for George Best. (BG)
MIRRORS • Audio Sat 28th
SOURCE is not one to blow our own trumpet. That’s what Mrs SOURCE is here for. However, it would be a disservice not to, once again, proclaim the monochrome, urbane sounds and style of Brighton natives Mirrors. For all their serious expressions, Kraftwerk robotics and cold, cool calculation, this is a group that recognises the waterfall of emotion before their fingertips. Everyone knows how good New Order, Depeche Mode and OMD were. No-one can say the same about this band. Yet. (BG)
WORDS BY DAN CHATFIELD, NICK COQUET, BEN GILBERT, ROSS HOGBEN, JAMES KENDALL. DAVID LETTS