ALL that’s going on this week in the local music scene

Connor Browne

Gig Review

Hot Chip

WITH a colossal headline slot at Lovebox Festival pencilled in for a few weeks time, The Junction seems tiny tonight for Hot Chip, one of the most popular indie-dance acts in the country.

Support this time comes from Cambridge’s very own cult legend Pete Um. Mill Road’s original maverick shuffles onstage with his minidisc player in hand and his sunglasses perched on his head. Um’s tracks are usually around the minute mark, his witty and poetic ramblings set to jittery electronics.

The set of songs he performs here in J1 are mostly those present on his greatest hits album Can’t Get Started, bar a couple of new tracks. As a friend of Hot Chip and a local man, Pete Um’s set of utterly bonkers electronica goes down fairly well, and rightly so.

Between the sets comes a 2 Bears DJ Set, made up of some great dance, electronica and hip-hop tracks that are selected well.

Though when the music fades and the light fades, anticipation is in the air. Have Hot Chip still got it?

The answer is undoubtedly yes. The band succeed in playing a selection of tracks from both their new LP In Our Heads and their extensive back catalogue. Classics like The Warning’s And I Was A Boy From School blend seamlessly with new tracks like comeback single Flutes.

The throng of fans seem to great the new equally with the old, not surprising given the band’s consistently fantastic output. Over And Over however buzzes with energy and colour; the crowd do too. In spite of their success, they’ve lost none of their humble attitude, so perhaps they feel more at home at a venue such as this, though there’s no reason why they don’t deserve to conquer the arenas.

Album Of The Week

Two Wounded Birds - Two Wounded Birds

MARGATE’S foremost alt-rock band have arrived with their debut album at last, after a long time touring and recording a few singles and EPs. They reference doo-wop to guitar pop to 60s girl groups among more, perhaps an explanation for the varying scope of the album.

Together Forever, an early single, still exudes the same energetic guitar pop feel as it did on it’s release, it’s catchy lyrics from frontman Johnny Danger giving it a real pop sensibility.

The album shifts into a completely different gear on My Lonesome however, moody basslines slowing things down a bit into a Doors-esque organ solo. To Be Young is more an exercise in a track like the first, though it explores a more sullen, thoughtful route.

There’s a real surf-pop feel too it, but Two Wounded Birds’ love of the 50s is evident on Daddy’s Junk, a positive result at the end though.

Slower tempos permeate the latter stages of the album; more angst-filled lyrics, The Outer World in particular a highlight, though this whole album is very good start to finish.

New Band Of The Week

Wild Swim

THE Oxford art-pop troupe’s dreamy soundscapes and theatrical vocals call to mind a Wild Beasts-esque sound with it’s intricacy. However their sound is still quite original and their music is a very captivating listen.