The week in music

The Yorker presents this week's succinct guide to goings-on of the musical variety, both locally and nationally. Here you'll find previews of a selection of album and single releases from the week ahead, as well as a guide to the hottest tickets in town for live music.

Gigs

Things really begin to pick up gig-wise this week, with a number of big acts visiting the region. In promotion of their latest album Contra, Vampire Weekend stop off in the midst of their UK tour, calling at the O2 Academy, Leeds on Tuesday 9th February, and then the O2 Academy, Newcastle on Friday 12th. Also in promotion of their latest album, Cardiff-formed seven piece Los Campesinos! journey even closer with their tour date at Fibbers, York on Saturday 13th.

Fibbers also plays host this week to Sheffield band Rolo Tomassi on Monday 8th, but while you’re there it might be a good idea to grab tickets (while you still can) for the NME Awards Tour. Hitting Fibbers on Tuesday 16th, it showcases some of the up-and-coming bands of the moment with Newcastle band Little Comets headlining, and support coming from Frankie & The Heartstrings and The Chapman Family.

The Duchess stage also sees some high quality action this week, with North-Eastern rising-stars Detroit Social Club on Tuesday 9th, and Dead Rebellion on Friday 12th.

Albums

By far the biggest release of the week, today sees the launch of Massive Attack’s first regular studio album in seven years. Featuring guest vocals from such artists as Guy Garvey and Damon Albarn, the Bristol-based trip-hop duo have dedicated Heligoland to the memory of Jonny Dollar, the co-producer on their debut album Blue Lines, who recently passed away.

This week sees a significant release in the shape of Odd Blood, the second album from experimental Brooklyn band Yeasayer. Just don’t let the fact that they spent downtime in the studio killing mice deter you from giving them a listen. Or it may encourage you! We, at The Yorker, don’t judge. Here’s the album’s lead single, ‘Ambling Alp’.

Singles

Helping Haiti - 'Everybody Hurts' (R.E.M. Cover)

Charity singles are great for raising money quickly for a good cause, but when so many artists are given one line to sing, it ends up sounding like a competition of who can do it with the most emotion and self-righteousness, effectively becoming unbearable to listen to. While this Simon Cowell cover doesn’t overly brutalise the R.E.M. classic, it’s still preferable to listen to the understated original. And if you’re looking to buy music to help Haiti, I would suggest the much more moving Hope for Haiti Now album on iTunes.

Natalija Sasic

Liars – 'Scissor'

I’m finding it difficult to define Liars. The band shows glimmers of potential; the opening of this latest track puts me in mind of Radiohead’s ‘Reckoner’ and TV on the Radio’s ‘Staring at the Sun’, but don’t let me give you the wrong impression – it’s nowhere near as good as either of these. It’s demanding to listen to and would be so much better if they’d developed the opening instead of going off on a completely different tangent and ending abruptly, all of which left me feeling slightly confused.

Lucie Vincer

Add Comment

You must log in to submit a comment.