Black Angels | Tue 26 Sep | O2 Institute | £18.75
Texan psych-rockers The Black Angels live in a perpetual state of menace: their music overflows with threatening drone sounds, topped by haunting melodies halfway between Maynard James Keenan and the mighty David Eugene Edwards. The dark, labyrinthine blues of new record ‘Death Song’ promises a considerable eardrum-pummelling. See our full preview here.
Selfridges: Breakout Bandstand | 25 Sep – 1 Oct
After kicking off last weekend with Ed Geater, Hoopla Blue, Soweto Kinch and more, Selfridges’ Breakout Bandstand sessions continue throughout the week, with free performances from math-rock oddballs Spoort, grunge-drone rockers Mutes, uber-prog jazzers Trope and many others to boot. See the full line-up here.
Sam Brookes | Wed 27 Sep | Hare & Hounds | £8.80
‘My Girl Drinks Coffee’ is the first glimpse of new music from singer-songwriter Sam Brookes since 2014’s Buckley-esque, keening ‘Kairos’. And yes, to paraphrase LCD Soundsystem, it sounds like he sold his guitar and bought synths: like a poppier James Blake or a less manic Baths, the song shimmers and glides, a mesmerizing trip. seetickets.com
Van Zeller | Wed 27 Sep | Sunflower Lounge | £6
Bristol rockers Van Zeller bring an unhinged rockabilly rush to the stage: latest effort ‘The Coward’ is the break-neck racket of a four-man White Stripes – replete with tambourine – earnest and wild, but with something of the hip-shaking, knowing wink of early Franz Ferdinand in there too. With their debut 7” produced by Spring King’s Tarek Musa, Van Zeller are poised to claim their spot among Bristol’s resurgent rock scene. seetickets.com
Meadowlark | Sat 30 Sep | Sunflower Lounge | £7.70
More talent from Bristol this week – in the form of understated folk-pop duo Meadowlark. The pair channel their mournful melodies through soft, lush production, organic to the core: new single ‘Sunlight’ comes with an incongruous and disturbing Trump-themed video, but the music is a sweet spot between London Grammar and Imogen Heap. seetickets.com
KRS One | Sun 1 Oct | Hawker Yard | £15
KRS-One’s legacy now spans three decades: a man powered by rugged boom-bap, a political sense of purpose and a room-shaking voice that has resonated from his Boogie Down Productions days up to the mind-meld of new album ‘The World is MIND’. Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival presents this intimate show along with the usual street food, drinks and cocktails on offer at Hawker Yard. mostlyjazz.com
Words: Chris Donald - Gigs Editor
Published on: Fri 1 Sep 2017