Django Django bring their widely imaginative psychedelia that both beguiles and delights to Norwich Arts Centre, making them the perfect answer to those who've written off British guitar music. Plus Dog Is Dead, Skrillex, Pulled Apart By Horses.
DJANGO DJANGO
Norwich Arts Centre, February 17
For the last three years, Django Django have been busy doing great things in the bedroom of their drummer, producer and de facto leader David Maclean. No sniggering — they've been recording and the result is a self-titled debut album that includes some widely imaginative psychedelia that both beguiles and delights, making them the perfect answer to those who've written off British guitar music.
The London-based foursome have come up with something far more unpredictable and playful than bog standard landfill indie. Their dancey stew of sounds and styles hurls together everything from psychedelia to house music to Krautrock.
Their foundations are a rickety, minimal take on the music of the immediate pre-psychedelic era, employing heavily tremeloed surf guitar — oh and coconut halves – that infant-school music staple, which forms the distinctive beat of their unusual, mantra-like song Love's Dart.
'When we first got the coconuts out, I think we were aware it was all a bit Monty Python,' sniggers Maclean, who refreshingly admits the band are prepared to experiment even if they risk sounding daft.
'Music's so mad and widespread and varied, that eclecticism's the only way to be for us,' he reasons. 'That said, I think you can draw a line through all the music we're into. It's about creativity and experimentation and the quest to find a new sound.'
t Further listening: www.djangodjango.co.uk
DOG IS DEAD
Norwich Arts Centre, February 18
Formed from the meeting of five lively minds in Nottingham in 2008 Dog Is Dead have self-released a trilogy of singles, consisting of Glockenspiel Song, Young and River Jordan.
Captivating their home town almost immediately, a string of festival performances across the likes of Dot to Dot and Splendour in 2009 had suggested this might be the way and confirmation came in repeat showings in 2010 in the fields of Glastonbury, where they became the only unsigned band to feature on the BBC2 coverage, and Summer Sundae.
The harmonious disco and indie pop five-piece — think early Mystery Jets — headlined the NME's New Year's Eve celebrations while their music also made an appearance in Skins.
After supporting Bombay Bicycle Club at the end of last year they arrive in Norwich as part of a UK tour timed to coincide with the release of their new single Two Devils (out March 4), which also includes a remix of the track by Bombay Bicycle Club.
They are currently working on their debut album with producer David Kosten, who has worked with Everything Everything and Bat For Lashes.
Support comes from indie-folk five-piece Boat To Row and Suffolk band Solko.
t Further listening: www.dogisdead.co.uk
SKRILLEX
UEA, February 20
Following last year's sell out tour, Skrillex — aka Sonny Moore — returns to Norwich on the Grey Daze Tour, his biggest headline UK tour to date.
Last year was undoubtedly Skrillex's breakout year on the global stage, pushing the boundaries of electronic music he has become one of the few DJ/producers on the scene today that truly has a style of his own.
His unique brand of dubstep, electro and glitch has caught the imagination of the planets dancefloors and dominated the airwaves.
He kick-started his career early, dabbling in electronic tracks from the tender age of 14 his early influences include The Prodigy, Aphex Twin and Nine Inch Nails.
He first came to public attention as the singer for post-hardcore 'screamo' band From First To Last, before going solo and fine tuning his craft resulting in a trademark hyperactive, no holds barred sound of dubstep, hardcore and noise.
t Further listening: www.skrillex.com
PULLED APART BY HORSES
Waterfront, February 21
Young Leeds quartet Pulled Apart by Horses arrive in Norwich to play a play a set of their shouty and aggressive, yet oddly funky alternative rock tunes — it's been dubbed 'Yorkshire grunge' — to coincide with the release of their highly-anticipated second album Tough Love.
Formed in 2007, the band rehearsed above a pub in Leeds which was also where they performed their first secret show to a full house of attendees who had been invited by text message. After a slot at Manfest 2008 they soon began to get good press, gig offers and a quickly growing fan base. They also began to be known for their very frantic injury-inducing live shows.
The band's debut single, Meat Balloon, came with a free comic created by singer Tom Hudson, while their eponymous debut album, released in 2010, saw the band were personally invited by Muse to support them on their UK tour.
The machine-gun drumrolls and marauding riffs are faster, and the melodies on Tough Love which has won them some rave reviews. Support comes from The Computers.
t Further listening: www.pulledapartbyhorses.com
SOUNDS IN THE CITY
February 17
NME Awards Tour (rock/indie) — UEA
Django Django (indie) — Arts Centre
BBC Music Video Festival: feat. The Barlights + more (indie) — Epic
Ivyrise + more (rock/pop) — B2
Hotwired Punk Band + more (punk) — Olives
Pout At The Devil (rock) — Brickmakers
Them Harvey Boys (roots) — Brewery Tap
Llewellin & The Condors — King Edward VII
The Cream Horns (blues/funk) — Walnut Tree Shades
Hank's Hillbilly Hayride (country) — Rumsey Wells
Sugar Rush (indie/pop) — Lakenham Cock
Rox Off — The Griffin
Terry Adams — Perseverance
Noah Fentz — Angel Gardens
Jody Bling — Rivergarden
Danny Reno — Fiveways
February 18
Forward: feat. Rebel Lion + Foundation Sound + more (reggae) — Norfolk Showground
Dog Is Dead (indie) — Arts Centre
Saigon Kiss (rock) — King Edward VII
Avenge Thee + more (metal/punk) — B2
The Stylotones (ska) — The Talk
Dressed To Kill + more (metal/tribute) — Waterfront
Small Fakers (rock/tribute) — The Talk
Frozen Raspberries (rock) — Boundary
Outathablues (blues) — The Heartsease
The Strollers (60s) — Arkwrights
Loose Change — The Stanley
Pure Passion (rock) — Brickmakers
Adenland (rock) — Jolly Farmers
Super Action Heroes (rock) — Horsford Social Club
Dan Star (60s-90s) — Angel Gardens
Claire Barker — Spixworth Social Club
Alan Ley — Bread & Cheese
Clive Paul — Heath House
Tony Cann — Quebec Tavern
Pyevorotti — Trowel & Hammer
February 19
Rizzle Kicks (hip hop/pop) — UEA
Metal Lust: feat. Alestorm + more (rock) — Waterfront
Rue Royale (indie/acoustic) — Bicycle Shop
The Dirigibles (blues/2.30pm) — Brewery Tap
Chippy (4pm) — Boundary
Lee Vasey Big Band (12pm) — Brickmakers
Claire Barker — Lakenham Cock
February 20
Skrillex (electronic/pop) — UEA
Stacked Mondays: feat. Big Band Red + more (folk/rock) — Bedfords
Stookey Blue (folk) — Micawbers Tavern
Swing City (50s/60s) — Keir Hardie Hall
Brickie Sessions (open mic) — Brickmakers
Monday Night Jazz — Walnut Tree Shades
Jazz Jam — B2
February 21
Pulled Apart By Horses (indie/rock) — Waterfront
Pandemonium (rock) — Brickmakers
Soothsayer Promo (metal) — B2
Live & Direct (acoustic) — Rumsey Wells
February 22
Ben Howard (folk/pop) — UEA
Twee Off: feat. The Men (indie/punk) — Arts Centre
Unchained Syns + more (rock) — B2
Live Reggae — Ten Bells
Pure Acoustic (open mic) — Brickmakers
Lee Vasey & Friends — Trowel & Hammer
Open Mic — Angel Gardens
February 23
Acoustic & Eclectic: feat. Chad Mason + Andy Kirkham + more (acoustic) — Olives
Cash (country/tribute) — Waterfront
Alex Highton (acoustic) — Bicycle Shop
Ghostriders Western Club: feat. Blood Brothers (country) — TA Centre
Electricity (rock/blues) — Walnut Tree Shades
Johnny Jump Band (punk/skiffle) — Micawbers Tavern
Albert Cooper's Jazz Life (jazz) — Rumsey Wells
Burning Crows (rock) — The Stanley
Dumfoundus (pop) — Belgua
Midnight Blue — Rose Tavern
Cat Acoustic Session — Brewery Tap
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