In a reasonably sedate month for Cardiff gigs, it’s your most reliable local promoters who bring you the choicest cuts.  Lesson #1 get things off to a rousing start with the bats Gallic folk-hardcore of VIALKA (Buffalo, 2^nd; Cube, 1^st), supported in style by their never-better Welsh equivalent THREATMANTICS and the glowering, face-pulling AmRep hardcore fun of BRANDYMAN.  Nice.  The Rusty Trombone of God follow up a podium finish of a show at CAI last month with some freaky electroacoustic drone/folk tackle at Thé Pot Café in Cathays (15^th), where VAMPIRE BLUES, AKKE PHALLUS CARTOGRAPHY and H. HAWKLINE will do their thing.  Tickets are super limited due to space, so get to Spillers for that one.  Your Joy Collective pals, undaunted by your blanket snubbing of our last top-drawer presentation, again team up with Loose to bring a double-header of US garage fuzz and lo-fi pop from NODZZZ and THE MANTLES (Undertone, 16^th) with a frightening supporting cast of (hopefully not literally) balls-out punk from STRANGE NEWS FROM ANOTHER STAR and DRAINS.  Be afraid.  SNFAS launch their split EP with SAMOANS at Clwb on the 18^th, too.  There’s also a welcome return for MUNCH MUNCH this month, the polyrhythmic Bristolian quartet touring their long-awaited debut LP at Buffalo (19^th) with an intriguing live debut from JAMES JAMES (two thirds of King Alexander, giving it some No Age-style thump) on the undercard.

Continuing the theme, there’s predictably high levels of activity from Bristol’s noisy, industrious underground.  Café Kino continue their recent run of form with a crammed album launch gig for WAR AGAINST SLEEP (12^th), whose acidic, melodramatic creations feature support and contributions from members of GRAVENHURST, BRONNT INDUSTRIES KAPITAL and BUCKY.  “Bring a clock”, they ask.  But of course.  Bristolian DIY luminaries THE BALKY MULE and (ex-Headfall peeps) MOTES appear there on the 24^th with Cardiff’s own THINGS MAKE ELECTRIC, whose considered take on Thrill Jockey post-rock and neat Stereolab pop also turns up at Gwdi Hw on the 11^th.  The Middle Ones’ monthly residence (27^th, this month) sees them joined by MAT RIVIERE, whose Brainlove labelmates NAPOLEON III and PAGAN WANDERER LU are in action at 10 Feet Tall on the 7^th. 

Nice to see sold-out crowds at a number of Cardiff shows recently.  As more than one promoter has remarked, as much as anything it helps them plan ahead with some confidence, so if you fancy some of March’s treats you’d do well to book in advance.  Already putting up the ‘no vacancy’ signs are the 02 Academy, for surprise recent US chart-toppers THE DECEMBERISTS (8^th), recently detoured into bare-faced REM worship but with a fine back catalogue to fall back on, the Thekla (for JAMES BLAKE, 23^rd) and, soon, the CIA (where ELBOW bring their soon-come fifth album, again 23^rd).  You probably think Elbow are rubbish, but you’re wrong, so shut up.  Avoid such disappointment by investing in the mighty DAEDELUS, who packed out Clwb for Swn two years ago and should do the same at CAI (11^th) and the Thekla (10^th, with TEEBS’ FlyLo-approved moody beats in tow), HJALTALIN’s blending of familiar Scandinavian Big Music anthemics with proggy subtleties (Buffalo, 5^th, with Among Brothers; Start The Bus, 4^th) and JAMIE WOON’s soulboy take on dubstep and electro (rescheduled for CAI, 6^th).  Recent bookings of Mount Kimbie and James Blake and a forthcoming date for Joy Orbison suggest there’s as healthy a take-up for club gigs too, so moody Detroit-influenced dubsteppers  INSTRA:MENTAL’s headline show (Buffalo, 31^st) and Wiley acolyte SKEPTA’s appearance at MMH with BENGA, P MONEY and others (21^st) should be ticket-only affairs.

Elsewhere in Bristol, Qu Junktions diversify neatly into timeless British folk traditions, with THE UNTHANKS (see Vivers’ review for Buzz magazine this month for breathless approval) and the utterly awesome TREMBLING BELLS in the refined settings of the Arnolfini (21^st), with the Unthanks alone continuing on to St David’s Hall (22^nd).  Also recommended is the PJ Harvey-via-Angelo Badalamenti psychodrama of ANNA CALVI (Cooler, 4^th) and AIDAN MOFFAT’s characteristically boozy, lovelorn, tender and filthy vignettes (Cooler, 5^th, with ex-bandmate MALCOLM MIDDLETON’s new project supporting).  If that’s your cup of gut-rot, perm any one from BAREFOOT DANCE OF THE SEA supporting both PHILIP HENRY (10 Feet Tall, 6^th) and Curly Hair (Buffalo, 27^th) ahead of their split EP with Evening Chorus; countercultural activist and protest singer DAVID ROVICS (Buffalo, 28^th); a Journal of Plastik-hosted gig for HAIL! THE PLANES (Millennium Centre, 4^th) or, assuming it’s still on, Fence Collective associate ROZI PLAIN’s Cube gig (4^th, now without Death Vessel).

Aside from the aforementioned Daedelus and James Blake shows, expect frenzied paroxysms of hipster love for HYPE WILLIAMS’s creeping, muffled lo-fi approximations of much better modern R&B and Southern hip-hop (Croft, 25^th, topping a packed Qu Junktions line-up) and the intriguing tribal hybrid pop of shadowy Manc collective WU LYF (Start The Bus, 21^st).  OPTIMO play out at STB on the 11^th, too, which should be ace, and FUJIYA & MIYAGI’s progressive electro-pop is perfectly serviceable if you ignore the lyrics (Fleece, 5^th).  Two more massive pop shows at the 02 Academy, too, where the unimpeachably great ROBYN (4^th) and chart-smashing soul brother CEE-LO GREEN (31^st) should both be top value for not inconsiderable money.  Changing tack ever so slightly, ace heavy stoner jams abound as ELECTRIC WIZARD have a sole UK date at the Bierkeller (6^th); more interestingly still, hyper-technical, prog/jazz/fusion metallers SECRET CHIEFS 3 appear alongside avant-garde conceptualist pranksters a.P.A.t.T. at the Croft (22^nd).   Ever-brilliant Portland lo-fi indie-rockers with stadium hearts, THE THERMALS give the Fleece a big messy hug (31^st) with the splendidly/appallingly named grrl-punk foursome THE COATHANGERS in support.  That’s not to mention folk-rock cause celebre JOHN GRANT – the ex-Czars frontman’s star has gone supernova this last year, so expect St George’s to be rammed on the 28^th – or for that matter the farewell tour from Seb Roachford’s nu-jazzers POLAR BEAR (Thekla, 19^th), gloomy Mary Chain-esque indie-poppers CRYSTAL STILTS (Start The Bus, 25^th), cracking lovelorn indiepop from the lovely PETE & THE PIRATES (Cooler, 11^th) or even INTERPOL, surprisingly still able to command the Colston Hall after several limp albums (19^th).  Phew.

Quick round-up of what’s left, then; Gathered In Song continue to strive on behalf of alt.country fans the region over with SOCIETY, Joshua Caole and Ffred Jones hitting Le Pub (11^th), while on the 19^th ex-IK Plus dudes THE MILK RACE support one Benjamin Bloom.  Both worth your time, Newporters.  There’s a patchy Artrocker tour at Buffalo (21^st); spooky French duo JOHN & JEHN open, and are the best of the bunch, and THE CHAPMAN FAMILY’s chaotic garage is decent enough, but leave before pompous headliners O.Children start.  Idlewild’s RODDY WOOMBLE gives it some folky solo meandering (Clwb, 29^th), Mad Decent affiliate KITO is at CAI (4^th), there’s well-crafted, vaguely tribal indie from CRYSTAL FIGHTERS at the Fleece (17^th), PATRICK WOLF’s peacock electropop (Thekla, 28^th) and is that resurrected C86 fuzz-pop darlings THE PRIMITIVES at Start The Bus (18^th)?  It seems it is.  Well I never.  See you in April.