HDIF: Butcher Boy - The Luminaire

My ladyfriend thinks that Butcher Boy sound nicer than Cats on fire, more gentle, its elegant. Its the strings and the melodica that do it.

Some tunes are bouncy and some lull you to sleep.

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HDIF: Cats On Fire - The Luminaire

Cats on Fire a little better than they were the other night.

Oh aren't I the prettiest boy in the playground.

Does a pouty thing like what an ex- in Glasgow used to do.

My attractive young ladyfriend was giggling and blushing after every song, but she did say she thinks I look like the guitarist, so thats kind of okay.

Keyboard girl looks like a twelve year old, that can't be right.

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HDIF: Pocketbooks - The Luminaire

We wander in a few moments into Pocketbooks's first song, the sound guy still tweaking the vocals.

Hmm, there's something awkward about the gaps between songs tonight.

Ooh occasionally flashes of Saint Etienne, their projection of London.

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Cats On Fire - The Windmill

They're a gaunt looking mob, Cats On Fire from Finland. Kind of sound like The Smiths minus Gene, with plinky plonky keyboards. A little bit of Runrig too, when they have vocal harmonies kicking in.

I'm not sure how much like them playing live compared to how they sound on Spotify. At times the sound's a lot richer, but other times the vocals have lost something.

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Je Suis Animal - The Windmill

Have I seen this mob before? Je Suis Animal don't look familiar, they're like one of these PopFest or Indietracks bands. Someone stood nearby is wearing strong perfume. It smells like sherbert, aw man, I should have bought some in the between band gap.

I think Je Suis Animal are from Oslo, they're a five-piece, two guitar girls from the sixties at the front and St John McKeown from the Yummy Fur on guitar on the left side of the stage. Aw man, four of them are on guitars. Its a bit of an overwealming wall of guitars sound, a little Sons and Daughters-ish, but more upbeat, with thems indiepop girl vocals.

Occasional flashes of Stereolab too, it'll be the keyboardy noodles that do it and throbbing driving bass.

The singing girl looks a bit rockabilly.

I imagine seeing this band with the sun shining rather than at night.

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Little My - The Windmill

There was debate earlier this month with my attractive young ladyfriend, about whether they are Little My or Little My pronounced Moo as in the Finnish or Russian pronunciation of y as ooh.

Tonight only on chap in an animal costume, but the rest of them wear animal ears. They verbally confirm the My pronunciation. My ladyfriend will be disappointed.

More strings, treble and reverb than I remember from last time.

They're on form tonight, with twenty-sic people on stage, seventeen of them guitarists, no drummer, and still the violin was audible. Vocals could have done with being a touch louder and the toy megaphone, that I couldn't hear at all. Maybe it was where I was standing.

They're jolly good fun, mind. I rank this as one of the top five shows of their's that I've seen.

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Electophonvintage - The Windmill

In addition to the usual ubiquitous french Electrophonvintage kids, the guitar and drummer chaps from Pocketbooks take to the stage, but Ian's on bass.

It must have been at least six months since I was at The Windmill, its a summer venue, for gigs where its warm enough to sit outside between bands. Familiar faces in the crowd tonight, the rest of Pocketbooks, Camilla from WeePop, Marianthi from Spiral Scratch and El Presidente from Fortuna.

Its very pastoral music on stage. I think I said that first time I saw them, that 'Country where you're not' is probly their most pastoral, everything else seems heavier tonight, more driven.

And I've never noticed how often the girl leaves the stage, did that always happen? I think I prefer the songs she plays on to the ones where she doesn't. The sound man had a little trouble with her melodica, it was like there were wolfnotes where you could only hear it sometimes.

I'm going to have to scrape some of their recordings from somewhere, its good music for car journeys in the summertime with someone you love.

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Lost Music : Rose Elinor Dougall - The Enterprise

Its really loud in The Enterprise tonight, or I haven't been to any gigs in weeks, dark and moody, always reminds me of the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks. On stage is a five piece, really skinny people. Sassy dark-haired girl center-stage surrounded by keyboards, killer cheekbones and sparkly bustier.

The music is overwealmingly loud and strangely hypnotic. Like what I'd heard on Rose Elinor Dougall's Myspace page but with the overdrive pedal firmly pressed.

There's something of the early era Johnny Greenwood about their left side guitarist, I wonder if anyone else though so.

The crowd is a little sparse tonight, the only familiar faces I can see are Trevor and Tom the promoters and the woman on the door. Trevor let's me know that he's going to be winding up Lost Music after four more shows. The recession's biting and folk aren't coming out as much as in the halcyon days of 2007 and 2008.

Anyhoo, Rose Elinor Dougall was mighty fine and gets extra bonus points in my book for sticking around to see the next band.

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Shrag - The Lexington

This one time someone left a snotty comment on here or possibly my other blog, complaining that I'd spelt Shragg wrong, so I'm starting off here remembering them as being quite snotty, rather than any preconception of what they sound like.

Its quite clunky painful music. Piercing girl vocals, organ-like keyboards from two keyboard players, and then the obligatory electric guitar, bass and drums.

The crowd seem to like them, roaring after each song and occasionally after hearing the opening chords of songs.

Ooh, painful microphone feedback.

Hmm, maybe I'm getting old, but how can anyone find these vocals nice to listen to? Maybe its supposed to instill pain and flinching? If it is, then they're very good.

I'm getting deja vu, is this what I wrote last time?

According to the last review I wrote, I fancy the one on the right, she's alright I guess.

Lily Allen-like in the slower more reflective numbers, also a little like The Deirdres occasionally, but with a bit of sandpaper stitched to the side. The girlie vox are a mile less 'cutesy' than I had them down for last time.

People are shouting out reviewish adjectives: 'sub-standard' - nah, they're better than last time, just still not my cup of tea.

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Tender Trap - The Lexington

Its my first time at The Lexington. I was being all political earlier in the evening so I arrived here late and missed Arthur and Martha.

The place is like King Tuts but with a higher ceiling. Its dark and its full, there is a glitterball disorientating me. But I see lots of familiar faces. I must break from standard operating procedure and speak with people I know.

Tender Trap are on stage, they are currently a five-piece band, electric guitar, bass, standing uppy drummer, Elizabeth Darling on keys and melodica, and singing Amelia Fletcher.

Former members of the legendary Talulah Gosh and Heavenly. Definitely shades of them in the sound, all bright-eyed and innocent not just the singing, but the melodies and lyrics and stuff. Does she qualify as a national institution?

Very English sounding. Slightly dischordant and a little nervous-sounding, which must be just a thing rather than for real, all things considered.

The ladies on stage look like they're enjoying themselves. Which is nice. I wonder why? Is it cos of the warm appreciative crowd, the venue or just euphoria?

Obligatory mention of them playing Indietracks this summer. Its going to be great in the sunshine.

Ooh, that girl who looks like Heather Graham is here. Its been years since I saw her at a gig.

So aye, my three year old niece is named after the singing girl, warm fuzzy feelings.

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