Ghostpoet | Tue 31 Oct | Mama Roux’s | £15
Obaro Ejimiwe has never stayed still: constantly adding new layers to his sound, building in confidence and adventurousness – by now his repertoire is an outstanding cornucopia of deep house, trance and indie folk, all drawn together by that familiar Maxi Jazz drawl. See our full preview here.
Mount Kimbie | Wed 1 Nov | O2 Institute | £16.50
Mount Kimbie’s triumphant new album, ‘Love What Survives’, picks up star turns from King Krule and James Blake: but even the appearance of cult names doesn’t overshadow the focused, effervescent churn of the duo’s electronic post-punk dramatics. Meticulous, strange and immersive, Kimbie are a must-see. seetickets.com
Switchfoot + Alvarez Kings | Wed 1 Nov | O2 Institute | £19.50
San Diego’s Switchfoot seem to have been around forever; one of those affably charming pop-rock bands that, like Spoon or the Walkmen, rely on a middleweight cult status to keep punching out tightly refined albums. Support comes from Alvarez Kings, power pop bastions who deliver punchy, summery 80s anthems following in the footsteps of the 1975. seetickets.com
Big Thief | Thu 2 Nov | Hare & Hounds | SOLD OUT
Like all great folk music, storytelling sits at the heart of Big Thief’s cavernous sound – cathartic, confusing, contradictory stories that forcefully pull the music one way, then the other; the band by turns quiet, dry and minimal, then loud and untamed. Versatile, beautiful, immediate; Big Thief’s music is like spending time with an old friend. See our full preview here.
AJ Tracey | Thu 2 Nov | O2 Institute | £17
Hailed as one of the great new hopes of British music, rising grime star AJ Tracey delivers the anarchic fury of a punk show through a grid of tightly-wound trap beats. Young and hungry, with Craig David and Stormzy among his fans, this 23-year-old is on the up, now touring hot on the heels of his new ‘Secure the Bag!’ EP. seetickets.com
Francobollo | Thu 2 Nov | Sunflower Lounge | £6
Swedish indie-pop weirdos Francobollo hit the Sunflower Lounge in support of their debut album ‘Long Live Life’ – a punchy, screwy, charming little ruffian of an album that channels its slacker punk tendencies into some tasty pop morsels. seetickets.com
Youth Man | Fri 3 Nov | Dark Horse | FREE
Brum’s own Youth Man never disappoint: an afropunk trio slinging their sleazy trash anthems with aggressive abandon and destructive joy. Last year’s ‘Wax’ EP cemented their raw sound and their one-to-watch status beyond dispute. With support from Bad Girlfriend.
Starcrawler | Sat 4 Nov | Actress & Bishop | £8
Starcrawler could only really come from LA: the type of retro, rock ‘n roll teenagers that have US critics reaching for the Ramone and T-Rex references and generally losing their collective shit. With their Ryan Adams-produced debut about to drop on Rough Trade, it looks like Starcrawler’s moment is upon us. seetickets.com
Akala | Sun 5 Nov | O2 Academy | £16.95
A unique voice in hip-hop culture, Akala is a forward-thinking MC, whose versatility and caustic, incisive lyricism has captured a huge audience over the last decade. Last year’s sell-out Institute show saw the London rapper take the roof off the venue; expect no different this week. See our full preview here.
Words: Chris Donald - Gigs Editor
Published on: Wed 4 Oct 2017