Micachu looks so much like Micachu it’s bizarre. Like a magazine page come to life, and barely bigger. Her trademark ultra-lovable squishy face runs through a whole bookfull of odd expressions, her mouth constantly trying to escape her phizzog; thankfully the actual tunes bear this charismatic weight nicely, and dish up their own treats. The music of Micachu is a lesson in wrenching life from the limited: all instruments small, home modified, pieces missing, all songs bold and anxious and out there. Tonight’s set is equal parts clattering racket, guitar and yelping nudged sideways by stabs of keyboard and cowbell, and ghostly sketches, skeletal motifs looped and held up to the light. It’s alien lo-fi, thrillingly influenced by modern pop and R&B, and a refusal to be hamstrung by a lack of anything. It’s all the unloved, wonky bits of life and music stitched together, because they can. It’s a tiny woman and her two mates, held together by string and beer bottles, and it’s great.

Right, Picture Books In Winter, anyone who has read my posts of late will know that I love this band, they have crazy time signature changes without being twatty and annoying, they have a singer that looks like he’s going to scratch his way out of his own skin, they have a violin player so get called folk but best of all, they have a set of fucking awesome songs. Very original songs. Bit of a reviewers nightmare when they take away your option of describing them as Great Lake Swimmers on Ritalin. They play folk infused math punk. There. Go and see them, that’s what this site is about, either just take my word for it or go and listen to their Myspace.

I was really looking forward to seeing Samamidon. In my mind it was a hushed room entranced by his gravelly voice and effortless charm. But this is Buffalo so my review of Samamidon is going to consist of a conversation myself and Neil had with a group of girls in their early twenties sat on a table at the back of the crowd screaching, shouting and sounding like they were at the fun fair rather than an acoustic gig.

Neil: Have you paid to get in this evening?
Girls: Yes.
Neil: Well shut up then.

Head screacher girl then comes up to us, obviously a bit put out that she didn’t have the last word.

Girl: Did you just tell us to shut up?
Me/Neil: Yes.
Girl: Why?
Me: Because you are squealing and shouting while a man is on stage trying very hard to play his music to an audience that have paid to see him.
Girl: (she was about to speak but before words came out her mouth…)
Neil: Fuck off you mad cow.*

This had numerous effects, firstly she realised that she may not get the last word in again, secondly, we started laughing, thirdly she trudged back to her table and started getting the girls to screach on the count of 3. This, ladies and gentlemen is the type of people that pay 7 quid to get into a gig to not watch a band. It just wouldn’t happen in Clwb or Barfly would it? They left shortly after, whether it was a coincidence that it wasn’t long after I’d casually told a bouncer about their behaviour is debatable.

To be honest Anathallo were a bit of an anticlimax. There are lots of them and Buffalo’s stage ain’t built for those numbers. There was nothing wrong with their American take on the alt.twee.folk.college.rock genre, I just thought they’d be a bit more energetic on stage. The first song had two of them playing wooden blocks, no band needs two wooden block players. My girlfriend said that they sounded clockwork and I could see where she was coming from but to me it sounded a bit like a percussion workshop run in a teppee by velvet jacket wearing hippies.
Maybe I was in the wrong frame of mind at this point, if anyone was there and thought they were brilliant (which the crowd generally did) then feel free to write a review!!

* Neil did actually feel guilty for telling her to fuck off.

ANATHALLO
Chicago indie art-pop ensemble ANATHALLO are an absolute explosion on stage – totally impossible to stop watching!! In Europe for only a few dates, and we just got the good news that they have more time for a few UK dates, we hustled super hard to nail this one for you!!

ANATHALLO are the tightest band you will EVER see live, an almost robotic precision. Utilizing a wide variety of instruments, including horns, guitars, drums, piano, bells, and even unconventional objects like chains, velcro strips, stomp boxes, and pipes.

A micro approach to macro ability.

Calm, considered, yet wide-eyed in approach, and coloured by Kaleidoscopic detail. ‘Canopy Glow’, ANATHALLO’s second full-length album (and first for Anticon Records), could be described just the same. It is a lush pile-up of ‘Pet Sounds’ harmony and ‘Sung Tongs’ texture. Imagine if SUFJAN STEVENS, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE and ARCADE FIRE are all members of the same LSD laced marching band.

Texture and temperament play paramount for ANATHALLO. Due in no small part to ANATHALLO’s multi-instrumentalist might. Creeping, slow, taut moodpieces with choral tendencies. Epic piano-driven modesty to Baroquen beauty – climbing strings, layered voices, crashing drums and darkly buoyant instrumentation.

To be sure, this is up there for gig of the year. Just wait and see what everyone who actually comes says to the ones of you who don’t.

SAMAMIDON
Singer-banjoist SAMAMIDON hails from Vermont and is the scion of a musical family with roots in Appalachia. A contributor to such indie projects as DOVEMAN and STARS LIKE FLEAS, he recorded five albums with his band ASSEMBLY before releasing a debut solo album of traditional Irish tunes performed on solo fiddle. A second full-length, ‘But This Chicken Proved Falsehearted,’ out last year on Plug Research, might be called his first “proper” release, if only because it was the first with a marketing push and a wide availability. Even so, it didn’t move too far from what came before: old folk songs translated to new, modern contexts. And a TEARS FOR FEARS cover.

SAMAMIDON’s new album, the ominously titled ‘All Is Well’ again includes new readings of public domain compositions, and yet it feels like a great leap forward, thanks to SAMAMIDON’s more relaxed approach and the contributions of composer NICO MUHLY, himself a Vermonter. The trio of artists responsible for the record – SAMAMIDON, NICO MUHLY and Icelandic producer VALGEIR SIGURDSSON (‘All Is Well’ was recorded at SIGURDSSON’s Greenhouse Studios in Reykjavik and released on his Bedroom Community label) create a very specific space with his arrangements, which goes beyond simply setting mood and atmosphere. SAMAMIDON’s inhabit their own world, closed off from the rest of humanity. Eschewing the hammy theatrics of indie folkies like LANGHORNE SLIM and TWO GALLANTS, ‘All Is Well’ is an exceedingly private album, designed to usher you in and shut out everything else around you. It’s a headphones album, but not one that relies on studio effects to maintain your interest.

NICO MUHLY’s arrangements prove decidedly more modern, drawing inspiration from the repetitions of PHILLIP GLASS, the drones of MAX RICHTER, and the flutteriness of SUFJAN STEVENS. With his team of musicians working so closely together, SAMAMIDON doesn’t just update the old world to the new, but finds the roots of the new world in the old.

PICTURE BOOKS IN WINTER
Started as an aimless songwriting session in a student kitchen in 2005, PICTURE BOOKS IN WINTER existed as a nameless, directionless entity for two years, gradually picking up members along the way.

In late summer 2007, the 5 members of PICTURE BOOKS IN WINTER decided to book some recording time, quickly wrote some 3 minute pop songs out of their 10 minute jams and stole a band name from a book of childrens poems found on the studio floor.

Cardiff is firmly back on the one’s to watch radar, with PICTURE BOOKS IN MAY already being dragged countrywide to play shows, most recently by our parents KRUGER MAGAZINE who have showcased them to a jaw-dropped crowd for their KRUGER PRESENTS series of gigs.

Watch this space, these guys are definitely ones to track, and coupled with ANATHALLO, will turn out to be one of the finest live shows you’ll see this year.

Ticket information: £6 ADV / £7 Door.

Online:

http://www.wegottickets.com/event/45705
http://www.seetickets.com/s.asp?a=anathallo&p=6806
http://shop.cardiffstudents.com/box-office/gigs/buy/anathallo

In the flesh: First come, first served on the door / Spillers Records / Cardiff S.U. Box Office

IN ASSOCIATION WITH KRUGER MAGAZINE.

On this day, all of these stores will simultaneously link and act as one with the purpose of celebrating the culture and unique place they occupy both nationally and most importantly in their local communities. Over 50 independent record shops across the UK will participate in Record Store Day and special events are being planned for those participating. These include free in-store performances by some of the best live acts and DJ’s around, signing sessions, free label samplers, goodie bags promoting new formats, releases and exciting information on music, as well as some very collectible Record Store Day exclusive vinyl and CD releases. The singles will be limited to less than 500 copies and only available on the day from 10am onwards. Working with our partners, stores will also run extensive marketing campaigns both on a national and local level.

Record Store Day UK is proud to announce the participation of the following labels Matador, Rhino, Anti, nonesuch, Numero, Holy Mountain, Forte Distribution, Transgressive, Thrill Jockey, Secretly Canadian, Domino, Touch And Go.

Diverse Music will be celebrating the day by letting the boys of Goldie Lookin’ Chain take over the shop for the day. They’ll be spinning some tunes, serving customers and probably standing outside smoking fags. Their new album ‘Asbo 4 Life’ is released on 30th March and they’ll happily sign any copies previously bought from the shop. They’ll be in store from 12 o’clock after they’ve rushed back from their appearance on Soccer AM that morning! Eggsy promises to be there earlier to make us all coffee.

Once the shop is locked up, we’re off down to Le Pub for a free Diverse gig. Opening the evening are fairly local boys Ok (who seem to have deleted their myspace, I’ll update when possible!!), hailing partly from Newport and partly from Swansea. Ok have a pure English pop sensibility. Reference points include The Smiths, The Kinks and Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd.

Next up are a London band named Local Girls, founder member Stephen used to front Stuffy & The Fuses and can often be found drumming for Graham Coxon. Deadpan female vocals overlay, in their own words, ‘B52s, The Ramones and Adam’s original Ants’.

Headliners are Cardiff’s Picture Books In Winter. They come across like a funk/folk Foals/Decemberists hybrid. They have a violinist, a hypnotic crazy dancing singer and a rhythm section that’ll get you dancing without you realising what your feet are doing. They’re a force to be taken very seriously whilst simultaneously giving you the most entertaining night you’ve had in a long time. Destined for great things.
Doors open at 8pm.

And it’s FREE to get in. FREE. Did I mention FREE?