Live music listings: August 2006

THIS SHOW HAS SOLD OUT

Doors 7.00

"A wonderful London-based label with a truly faultless roster, featuring some of the greatest bands around today." [Cherryade]

The small dictatorship of Fortuna POP! has existed since winning its independence in the Brit-pop wars of the late 1990s. Its major export is the 7" single and the CD album, the sole produce of the country's various tribes, from the unfeasibly tall Butterflies of Love people of the east coast to the small pygmies of the Midlands known as The Chemistry Experiment.
Often unfairly grouped in the league of twee nations, the peoples of this small country are actually an incredibly diverse bunch, manufacturing everything from sixties pop psychedelia (The Loves) to stop-start riot grrrl shouty pop (Bearsuit), love songs for punk rockers (Milky Wimpshake) to sassy hip-hop sampling girl group pop (Cannonball Jane), mini-pop symphonies (Fanfarlo) to orchestral country (Airport Girl), sophisticated and elegant european art-pop (The Would-Be-Goods) to warm and literate indie (The Lucksmiths), lo-fi american rock (Finlay) to folk-prog-disco (The Chemistry Experiment), from punk-soul (Comet Gain) to classic americana (The Butterflies Of Love).

Australian band The Lucksmiths have been making their intelligent, melodic pop music for over a decade now, honing their songwriting skills and razor-sharp wordplay while broadening their musical palette to include a rich variety of additional instrumentation.
Constant touring of the USA, Europe and Japan has built an enthusiastic worldwide fanbase and led to them sharing the stage with the likes of Jonathan Richman, Belle & Sebastian and The Go-Betweens. Originally a three piece comprising Tali White (vocals, drums, piano), Marty Donald (guitar) and Mark Monnone (bass), they were joined by a fourth member, the multi-talented Louis Richter (guitar, organ, banjo), for the recording of their latest album Warmer Corners, a tour-de-force which Loud & Quiet magazine voted as their No. 2 album of 2005.
“No-one does great literate melodic Pop as effortlessly as The Lucksmiths.” [Tangents]
The Would-Be-Goods are an eccentric and evocative guitar pop helmed by Jessica Griffin, enigmatic star of eighties cult label él, with her crew of elegant rascals - Peter Momtchiloff, guitarist (Talulah Gosh, Razorcuts, Heavenly, Scarlet's Well) and occasional songsmith; Debbie Green, drummer and darling of the London nineties garage scene (Thee Headcoatees); and ex-Adam and the Ant and Monochrome Set bassist Andy Warren.
Their fourth album ‘The Morning After’, released last year on Fortuna POP!, was full of melancholy charm and wit coupled with a classic guitar pop sound ranging from new folk, tango to garage rock. Love songs to lions, frolics in the Garden of Eden, French Casanovas and personal demons await you. Let the Would-Be-Goods be your guides.
“Elegantly melancholy indie from a dapper London band” [Word]
Formed in 1997 in the East Midlands and led by singer-songwriter and duffelcoat devotee Rob Price, Airport Girl's influences ranged from the Scottish pop sounds of The Pastels and Belle and Sebastian to the American flavours of The Modern Lovers and Pavement. As well as a number of singles and compilation tracks on various independent labels they have made one album 'Honey, I'm An Artist' in 2001, released on Fortuna POP! in the UK and Matinee in the US, where it topped the Parasol distribution mail-order charts.
A new album 'Slow Light' is set for release later in 2006 and demonstrates a shift towards a more downbeat country pop sound, inspired by The Silver Jews and '16 Lover Lane'-era Go-Betweens.
“Have Airport Girl yet to release a less than spectacular record? If they have I'm yet to hear it.” [Tasty]
Led by Swedish singer-songwriter Simon Aurell, Fanfarlo play fragile, romantic orchestral pop, in thrall to Sufjan Stevens, Olivia Tremor Control and Arcade Fire. Their debut single 'Talking Backwards' is scheduled for release in August, after which a mighty A&R bidding war will undoubtedly ensue.
'Like a more scaled-down, vulnerable Arcade Fire, and with achingly mournful vocals... each track a mini-symphony."
[Tasty]