Keef’s full review will be along shortly (along with a guide by the band themselves), but you can note these celebratory dates now. The first launch night happens in fine style at Chapter Arts Centre, taking over the monthly MovieMaker upcoming artists slot to show the ten music videos especially commissioned for the album. From Ellen Los Campesinos! to BAFTA dude Matt Brown to MovieMaker’s own hero Tom Betts, there’s some good stuff there, only some of them featuring the band being murdered. AND – live musical launching will take place at beautiful Clwb Ifor Bach a few days after, also with another of Keef’s fave bands Vvolves, as well as Without Maps and Effort’s winningly slack pop. PLUS – Kutosis take to the road with fellow Cardiff screamers Samoans for a jaunt that takes in Bristol’s Croft on the 13th. Time to get fanatical, he said poorly. 

Exciting change to the programme this month: in August we launched a contest to produce music videos for every track on Kutosis’ upcoming album, and on Monday 07/11 we’re going to be screening all the results! Admission is free and all are welcome. However, tickets still need to be collected from the box office and since so many of you lovely people have been coming lately (and the cinema only has 60 seats) it’s sometimes best to pick them up early. More details and links to previous films screened can be found on the MovieMaker blog at http://chaptermoviemaker.blogspot.com/. If you’d like more information, or have a film you’d like to show, please get in touch. Ideally submissions should be on DVD.

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Dave Stapleton

Thu 3 Nov
8pm
Iau 3 Tach

Dave Stapleton’s latest album ‘Catching Sunlight’ is filled with gorgeous melodies, drenched in lush harmonies and driven by subtle, shifting, exotic rhythms. Commissioned by the Lunar Saxophone Quartet, who join Stapleton for this special concert, it has been described as ‘simply brilliant, both in execution and conception’, with a sound half-way between Gil Evans / Miles Davis and Arve Henriksen.

The band features Neil Yates, one of the purest trumpet players in British jazz, alongside Stapleton’s regular rhythm section of Paula Gardiner and Elliot Bennett.

£12/£10/£8

www.editionrecords.com

“so well conceived that it’s sometimes difficult to separate the written from the improvised” — Irish Times

buy tickets

Eleven years old and toting a manifesto as vivid and defiant as any young pup, Chapter’s Experimentica festival hosts an exhausting four days of performance, discourse and installations starting today.  Dive into the full programme for more information; tickets are per day or for the whole event, details below. 

For a musical contribution, the choice of ThingsMakeElectric (punctuation model’s own) seems a natural one, even before the nature of their performance is considered.  Amongst their multifarious other works, virtuoso jazz pianist, composer and improviser Paul Jones and Tina Hitchens also link up in Dots.filmband, whose soundtracks for contemporary short films will be showcased at Chapter during Swn later this month.  Percussionist Matthew Lovett, meanwhile, will play as part of the excellent improv trio Team Sports.  TME ordinarily represents poppier territory for them, drawing on Chicago post-rock, metronomic kraut-pop and kaleidoscopic, retro-futurist electronica.  This show cuts loose of any modest moorings  the band usually has, promising improvisations in music, light and film.  A proper happening.  Starts late (11pm), so whatever else you do this Friday, make room for this.

ThingsMakeElectric

Chapter Arts Centre | Friday 14th Oct | 11pm

This live performance comprises improvised music and visuals; the idea being that each influences the other in order to develop and learn a common language of improvisation and thereby generate a new set of responses for the audience.

Drawing inspiration from Jacques Attali who said that ‘the only worthwhile researchers are undisciplined ones’ and from interdisciplinary work by the likes of Black Mountain experimentalists Cage and Cunningham, TME is a multisensory experience, where sound, images and light create sensations that are greater than the sum of their parts.

TME are Matthew Lovett, Ben Owen, Tina Hitchens and Paul Jones.

Experimentica 1.1

This festival is for challenging, provocative and imaginative artworks.  The 11th annual edition of Experimentica focuses on pedagogy, art and performance; hopefully with energy, care and intelligence.

An Experimentica day pass costs £6 / £5 (book here); or for £22 / £18 / £14 you can gain entry to any event over the five days (book here).

Thu 14 April
9pm
Iau 14 Ebrill

To coincide with our 40th birthday celebrations, Chapter employee and mastermind of Six Glass Fingers, Oliver Mitchell is directing a short film showcasing local musicians playing around the building — a diverse mix of genres in a variety of locations, from old school classrooms to newly renovated function rooms.

From folk to improvised soundscape, the musicians will take inspiration from the surroundings, lending a unique soundtrack to their environment.

The film will be shown on a temporary cinema screen in the box office.

Free

Fri 15 April
11pm
Gwe 15 Ebrill

Under the guise of his laptop-wielding alter ego Zwolf, Cardiff-based composer Tom Raybould (Arc Vertiac) performs a live electronic soundtrack to a smorgasbord of cinematic visuals and real time improvised film manipulation (provided by Nic Finch and Casey Raymond). This event takes place in Cinema 1 — be careful which seat you choose as it could lead to unwelcome audience participation.

This multimedia event will contain strobe effects, unsuitable images and irregular subsonic frequencies not suitable for pace-makers.

£3

Soundcloud.com/zwolf

“Better late than never”. Sometimes false, sometimes true; when applied to the reviews that sporadically hobble onto this site from my laptop, it’s a moot point. When applied to a launch gig for Ratatosk’s captivating 2010 album C’est La Via Tragique, though, it’s a big fat thumbs up. We reviewed it back in August, and its ornate, impressionistic tableaux still trigger new shivers with each listen. Matt Elliott’s post-Third Eye Foundation work is a regular touchstone and a fully-admitted inspiration, but there’s touches of the soundtrack work of Tiersen and Preisner and the dark drone-folk (if not the er, lyrical preoccupations) of early Coil too. It’s bewitching to observe live, layer upon layer of treated guitar, wordless vocals, saw and anything else within reach forming huge, looping crescendos behind Viney’s terrible tales of desperation and loneliness.  At least one new song will be heard (a second album is promised soon), and a few CLVT songs will get a first live outing.

In support are Evening Chorus, Cardiff’s go-to guys for a more broadly expansive, sing-it-out form of folk music. No gig too small or too far, they’ve played tea shops, undefinably sinister West Country hotels and artists’ studios in recent months, and everywhere else in between. Heart-tugging songs from bashful talents, there’s proof at their Bandcamp (link below) and on a forthcoming double A-side release.  Also featured is Dewi Griffiths, rated by promoters Six Glass Fingers as “stunning Bert Jansch style acoustic folk”. Take up thy pint of Cairngorm Ale (plastic beakers, please) and enjoy.

Six Glass Fingers presents:

RATATOSK – A mischievous squirrel from Norse mythology and/or Rhodri Viney who plays a melancholic, zen-like repetition of guitar, vocal, piano, musical saw and pedal steel. A wonderment to watch and hear live.

EVENING CHORUS – A raw and simplistic folk band that write beautifully constructed, poignant songs from the heart.

DEWI GRIFFITHS – Exquisite technical, impassioned classic folk played with genuine beauty.

Chapter Theatre
8pm Friday 14th January
£4 on the door

www.myspace.com/ratatoskisnow
http://ratatosk.bandcamp.com
www.myspace.com/eveningchorus
http://eveningchorus.bandcamp.com
www.myspace.com/dewigriffiths

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Assuming you like running at pace around various Cardiff venues, that is, and if you don’t you’re in the wrong place.  There’s a massive amount of ace new music to explore – trust me, I’ve spent the last fortnight on Myspace seeking it out – so spreadsheets at the ready, and off we go…

Thursday packs a punishing amount into six hours and seven venues.  Christen the festival in familiar style with Threatmantics (Clwb), currently on career-best form – loud, delirious folk-rock with cracking tunes.    Or try Dad Rocks (Y Fuwch Goch), belying an awful name with intricate plucking, mournful trumpet and lyrical quirkiness.  Kutosis kick off a fine evening with the Barely Regal label, bringing whipsmart indie punk tautness to Dempseys; dip in there then back to Clwb for Sweet Baboo’s country-rock reboot of his endlessly charming songbook before taking in Sun Drums (Model Inn), alternately blissed-out and uneasy with spooked vocal hiccups woven into pitter-patter electronica.  Your appetite for some mid-evening beats duly whetted, Chad Valley’s beautifully melancholic Balearic euphoria – think Tough Alliance, Dolorean etc – should be a must, and Nedry’s marriage of Bjork/Fever Ray ethereal gloom to dubstep wobble in CAI wil stop you in your tracks.  An alternate route can be found via Spectrals’ bus station doo-wop fuzz  (Clwb) or Right Hand Left Hand’s ever-brilliant math-rock genius (Dempseys), followed by either the redoubtable, insidiously eerie pop of Clinic (Clwb) or Attack + Defend’s one-off live return (Model).  Three choices, all excellent, and it’s only Thursday evening.  Whichever you choose, haste ye then to Lesson No. 1’s showcase at the Model in time for Nordic tundra-metal titans Arabrot; from there, White Ring’s foggy, bad-acid slo-mo electronica (Undertone), Talons’ fret-tappy post-rock epics (Dempseys) and Samoans’ widescreen, Aereogramme-recalling math-prog (Fuwch) would all be fine options before taking in the twisting, soul-baring tension/release and Shellacian tautness of Bellini (Model).  That seems an ideal point to close the first day.  You’ll need your rest, after all.

Don’t know how to tell you this, but Thursday’s just an icebreaker.  Friday stretches the legs and the stamina still further, typified by the corking one-two across the bows that is Drains‘ cheeky, grungey hood-wearing punk (Chapter) and the magnificent Jesus Lizard creep and flex of the splendid Brandyman (Clwb).  A gentler introduction lies with Lucky Delucci (Undertone), reborn as gently anthemic folk-rockers.  Standard Fare‘s last Cardiff appearance was blighted by braying goons sharing the venue; their smart, vulnerable and hugely catchy indie-pop deserves better and will be one of the day’s treats.  Skip across town to Chapter for more big-hearted joy from Steve Baboo and Rob Voluntary Butler Scheme’s supergroup Wickes, perhaps; followed by a sly outside bet in the form of Stricken City (Undertone), all strident Polly Harvey/Zola Jesus vocals and luminous reverb-soaked, darkly inviting odd-pop.  Clwb, meanwhile, sees the re-energised Truckers Of Husk showcase new additions to their supremely catchy math-pop catalogue, and from there half an hour of Bastions‘ furious North Walian hardcore should naturally follow.  Plenty of top-drawer electronica once again today – Dam Mantle‘s glitchy, stuttering breaks and burbling dubstep-not-dubstep synths and the sublime Warp Records IDM classicism of Quinoline Yellow go back-to-back at CAI, while the skeletal Nintendo beats and Zomby-esque bleeps of Becoming Real are a hot tip for excellent leery, bassy fun at Buffalo.  Hang on there for Visions Of Trees, perhaps, whose horrid name hides an unexpectedly lovely, ghostly North Africa-goes-R n’ B take on Telepathe’s crystalline darkness.  Or take in a rare visit from legendary Dutch anarchist post-punks The Ex (Clwb), restless experimental visionaries as relevant now as ever.  Lesson No.1 strike again, there.   The confident, gleaming psych-pop classicism of The Keys will be a revitalising pop rush for tired ears and legs, so stop in at Y Fuwch Goch for that before deciding between Raffertie‘s queasy, rollercoaster dubstep/rave hybrid (Buffalo) or the Ras Kwame-helmed late-nighter at Clwb where grime don P Money holds court.  Or both.  No work tomorrow, y’know?

Saturday.  Plenty of ways to start day 3 in relaxed fashion, with Ballad of Britain taking a Welsh slant on the UK’s folk music history in the company of Trembling Bells and Richard James.  That’s in Chapter, with DJs and Scrabble in Dempseys; hardier souls will dive straight back in to the live tackle.  Undertone hosts H. Hawkline, now offering chewy psych-folk songwriting with krautrock leanings, and the lo-fi Welsh language glam-pop of Mr Huw.  Throats‘ overdriven math-metal lunacy is the pick of an earthier line-up at Clwb.  One of the year’s must-see bands play twice today; Y Niwl‘s expertly turned out surf twang will have you twisting in the aisles at both CAI and the Model.  See ‘em twice, pausing inbetween to take in the a nice counterpoint of Still Corners (Buffalo), whose glowing girl group balladry recalls trashy death-disc sadness and Broadcast’s exquisite poise.  Nice.   Tough choices abound come the evening, and weariness may play a part.  The Legendary Meic Stevens (TM), the increasingly ace stirring folk of Evening Chorus, the sweet acoustic sampledelia of Huw M and The Gentle Good‘s reliably pretty Welsh folk tales all feature on a great  bill at Chapter, where the day’s standouts Trembling Bells later bring awesome, soaring Incredible String Band folk-rock.  Do. Not. Miss.  Cate Le Bon clashes directly with them, which is truly gutting as her bucolic, earthy psych is ever a treat.  She’s on in Buffalo, and should you be in town you can also catch Let’s Wrestle and their endearing, shambolic lo-fi heartbreak pop, or the return of elusive Peel faves Melys (Clwb).  Spector-worthy pop thrills abound in Clwb, too, with the way-underrated wistful C86 joys of The School and the unnervingly young Magic Kids‘ Sesame Street Beach Boys vibe.  Clutch them to your weary bosom, before racing off to the Model to catch some of Beach Fossils‘ insidiously catchy, chiming indie pop, then to Dempseys where Veronica Falls offer expertly poised girl-group angst and smart male/female harmonies.  James Blackshaw should not be missed, should you be able to get into the MMH; his staggering 12-string guitar mantras would ideally be showcased at Chapter, but that’s my tough luck.  Whether you’ve chosen some of the above, or Perfume Genius‘ much-vaunted exploration of crushingly bittersweet Sufjan Stevens balladry, shoegazey FX and Antony Hegarty’s glassy vulnerability, do whatever is necessary to cram into the Model Inn for Islet‘s closing set.  Surely hopelessly oversubscribed, their feverish, joyous polyrhythmic attack and crowd-bothering interaction will echo the crazed scenes of last year’s Strange News and Right Hand Left Hand shows.  Those forking out the extra dollar can move on to catch the once-in-a-lifetime realignment of Swans at the MMH; the rest will drag their sorry frames to Clwb, or to the Silent Disco, and reconvene at Dim Swn (Gwdihw) on Sunday to drink away the pain to the strains of Gruff Rhys and Pete Fowler’s soothing DJ sets.  I’ll be there.  I might need a hug.

Anyway, brutal honesty says this is Event time for one reason only: Truckers Of Husk‘s first gig for nearly two years is like some weird school reunion of slinky math rock freaks. The line up’s rejigged – out goes Swarthy Cello Man and Ben Now Of Brandyman, in comes a keyboardist, an extra guitarist and, most notably, rocking the permanent gay stormtrooper look, Kelson from Future Of The Left and Jarcrew. His bass is whacked up at high volume throughout, snaking through the twinkly-toed guitars like a horse’s cock. New material sounds either glassy and bleakly ’80s smooth, with a fair whack of drummer vocals (first two songs say ‘Bluetip’ and ‘Billy’ on the setlist) or pivoting weirdly on a rockabilly beat (‘Dino’). Chewy, tasty stuff, but not subject to the months of pummelling and tweaking in front of grinning chumps the rest of the set has had: big smiles and crap dancing break out as the serpentine rush of ‘Panther Party’ and, particularly, the endorphin feast of ‘Gracelands’ disco killer ‘Awesome Tapes From Africa’ and dusted off. A little tentative tonight maybe; still a fret-tapping joy.

Over in Chapter’s darkened room, Circa Regna Tonat are holding forth. Except the spindly rockers split up a few hours before the gig, leaving singer Dan Barnett to move into rescue rock, via a chair and an acoustic guitar. It’s a strangely sweet experience, Dan’s membership of additional bands Samoans and Rescue Party giving plenty material to play with, from ballsy, big hearted rawk to fret-tapping and pedal looping. Occasional over emotive yearn-vocals grate; a fantastic instrumental closer, quietly pitched between Mogwai and Ratatosk, strikes oil.

Press ups and Big Amps. Strange News From Another Star is Man Rock, though all the sweat and bad hormones are served with a nicely psychotic edge. Like a bull having sex with a china shop, their garage clatter flails noisily about, locking on to targets, crushing choruses. Songs from their ‘Full Frontal’ EP bang hardest – a shouty and ferocious ‘Oh My God They’ve Given Me The Suburbs’, a playful ‘Letter From The Queen’ with a ricocheting Barnett on guest screaming – but as ever, yer actual songs are only half the fun. The spew of compressed, ratchet-tight guitaring, the babbling stage banter; it all builds its own demented momentum, snowballing into ten final minutes of semi-nudity, instruments round audience members’ necks, and a wandering bass player gently coercing each person to shout into the microphone. It’s the kind of fun that’s dirty, addictive and slightly scary, and sticks Strange News into the top localist drawer every time.

Deborah Withers: Adventures in Kate Bush and Theory

Thu 2 Sept
8pm
Iau 2 Medi

Drawing on elements of feminism, queer theory, post-colonial theory and fairy tales, Deborah Withers uses the music, film, video and dance of Kate Bush to explore ideas of subjectivity and the body.

This performance/lecture includes material from Withers’ new book, and attempts to unravel the mystery and complexity of key themes in Kate Bush’s art, from her debut ‘Wuthering Heights’ to her most recent album ‘Aerial’.

Withers’ acclaimed work breaks down boundaries between the academic and popular, presenting theoretical interpretations that are lively, engaging and funny.

£6/£5/£4

With a bit of time to prepare this preview, I’m struck by the realisation that it’s not only easy to take Calvin Johnson‘s continued presence at the far periphery of the indie scene for granted, but it’s seriously difficult to understate the extent of his influence on two or more whole generations of artists, writers, organisers and DIY enthusiasts.  Snaking out from a localised Pacific Northwestern enclave in the early 80s across genders, musical styles and, yes, continents, it’s a spirit that endures in several of the Cardiff-bred and Cardiff-dwelling types he’ll rub shoulders with this coming weekend.

Founder of legendary Olympia, WN DIY outpost K Records (at some point home to Make-Up, the Microphones, Bikini Kill, Modest Mouse, Kimya Dawson, Mirah, Thee Headcoats, Love As Laughter, Built To Spill…), owner of Dub Narcotic studios, key organiser of ’91′s International Pop Underground Convention (watershed underground music festival both in terms of demonstrating possibilities and inspiring others, not least the Riot Grrrl movement) and oh yeah, damn fine songwriter (indiepop progenitors Beat Happening, killer Doug Martsch collab Halo Benders, indie-funk hipshakers Dub Narcotic Sound System and his three solo albums to date).

This last bit’s important – he’s still a captivating performer.  He’s visited Bristol a couple of times in recent years – a freezing basement in the Here shop, made to feel like the great cool-kid party you never got invited to, and the shabby grandeur of the Cube Cinema, where his trademark unaccompanied baritone rang around the old venue from bar to stage and back.  Almost logic-defyingly unselfconscious, his sweet, occasionally creepy hymns to classic teen themes of love, sex and dancing will be sung to sky and ceiling.

The Woodstick mini-festival has stayed under the radar for several reasons; it’s a classically word-of-mouth affair, the sort of thing you stumble across as you cross the bridge near Sophia Gardens and head through the park.  The rangers seem affable enough but you can never be sure with gatherings in public.  This year they welcome a fine line-up; acoustic singer-songwriter and School guitarist Ivan Moult, the folksy post-rock of Hail! The Planes, the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it return of Rhodri Viney’s early pseudonym Teflon Monkey (don’t miss), the skeletal post-punk aceness of Joy Of Sex, Threatmantics‘ newly fleshed-out viola-led charm and the 60s psych-pop nuggets of the Loves, all adapting to playing electricity-free under  the awning of a small tent to a crowd of cake and booze-addled wellwishers and curious passers-by.  Calvin Johnson has been snagged for a guest headline slot at 6pm, before he does his thing at Chapter in the tiny upstairs Media Point room – ticket details below, don’t dilly dally.

The following day, Ten Feet Tall host a showing of Heather Rose Dominic’s 2000 biopic of Johnson’s enduring label, The Shield Around The K, with a Q&A session with the man himself and discs spun by Gareth Campesinos! (an avowed fan who’s covered Johnson and referenced both he and K in lyrics), Lisa Cupcake (Bristol DIY mainstay, member of several Johnson-inspired bands and co-organiser of the Cafe Kino events in Grassroots Cafe a decade or so ago) and Gary Twisted.  All of whom, like Liz from Loose who’s hosting both events, could be said to have struck out in their fields as a result of the work of people like Calvin.  He finishes up the weekend back at the Cube on Monday 9th, with local indiepoppers the Bumblebees and the Middle Ones in support.  If any of this tedious waffle has struck a chord, you should be there for at least two of these events.  It won’t cost much.

WOODSTICK 3.0

Bute Park, Cardiff

Saturday 7th August 1.00pm – 6.30pm

CALVIN JOHNSON

THE LOVES

THREATMANTICS

JOY OF SEX

TEFLON MONKEY

HAIL! THE PLANES

IVAN MOULT

Compere DC Gates

Free ‘entry’ – donations/snack proceeds to CRY charity for Sudden Adult Death Syndrome

—————————————————————————————————————————————————-

CALVIN JOHNSON

Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff

Saturday 7th August 7.30pm

£5.00 from http://www.wegottickets.com/event/83333 / £6.00 doors

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K RECORDS NIGHT

Screening of ‘The Shield Around The K’ – K Records film

Calvin Johnson Q&A

DJs Gareth (Los Campesinos)! / Lisa Cupcake (Bristol) / Gary (Twisted By Design)

Sunday 8th August 8pm

Free Entry

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CALVIN JOHNSON

THE BUMBLEBEES

THE MIDDLE ONES

Monday 9th August, Cube Cinema, Bristol 7.30pm

£5.00adv / £6.00 doors