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Pere Ubu
For more than three decades, the Ubu King sideshow has been drawing images from the European absurd, turning them inside out and backwards, placing them among rock'n'roll paraphernalia in a result that is different than the sum of its parts.
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Noah and the Whale - Film and Gig
"My cynical take on Fink’s film was thwarted within an instant of hearing the band’s brilliant beats."
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Slow Club / Viking Moses / Pete Ingo
"The communal singsong couldn't have better summed up the feel-good vibe of the night."
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Chad VanGaalen interview
"Chad VanGaalen is unimpressed, although you wouldn't think it to look at him."
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Danceschool
"Perhaps the most frightening of all was the theatre, the den for hardcore electro and trance, dark enough to encourage all sorts of immoral behaviour and wicked dance moves."
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Akron/Family / Blind Pilot
"Quiet, ambling moments, followed by twenty-minute walls of sound"
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Crystal Stilts / The Bats / Comet Gain
"The Brooklyn five-piece had the audience simultaneously tapping their feet and nodding their heads to their post-punk, bassy sounds."
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The Mummers
"Despite my various fashion qualms about band members, I was instantly swayed by the pleasantness of the music and thanks to the card minimum at the bar, the gin and tonic had me dancing."
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Micachu and the Shapes
"If you don't like Micachu and the Shapes, you probably shouldn't have ears."
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Juana Molina + Blue Roses
"Juana Molina demanded authority like Mother Earth, with hair like a briar patch and sturdy art teacher shoes; she was nonetheless sexy in a fair trade, organic kind of way."
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The Big Pink + The XX + Loverman + A Grave With No Name
"This wistful, encompassing band combine dance rhythms and drone rock that go together like strawberries and cream."
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We Fell to Earth
"Looking at this diversity in the crowd was like watching a David Attenborough mating ritual documentary."
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Errors + BLK JKS + Tiny Masters Of Today
"These boys are the perfect formula for success. They're clean, polite, well dressed and make danceable glitch post rock and even have time to charm the crowd in between songs"
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Apes and Androids + Heartbreak
"And then the noise arrived, thick and fast. Lights went up, drums were beaten, guitars and synthesisers tinkled masterfully and an array of operatic vocals spilled into the air."
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thecocknbullkid
"...Herald the Nu-Rave-Soul Diva..."
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Wales Uber Alles
"Events on the rugby field in Paris may well have been - quite frankly- a mess, but for anyone who saw Wales Uber Alles, this time around, they were more than tidy."
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Dengue Fever + Cassie and the Cassettes
"The band rose to their feet as one and bounced maniacally, with a sound that was a wonderfully broad palette of delightful flavours."
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Emmy The Great + Blue Roses
Is Emmy really the great? Of course she is, but upstaged tonight by a new kid in town.
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The Bookhouse Boys + Johnny Flynn
A rock'n'roll rabble at the ICA, with a band who echo the spirit of The Pogues.
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Esser / Micachu & The Shapes / Ou est le Swimming Pool
A performance to make the audience want to put Esser in a real headlock.
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White Lies: Interview
Another product of the hype machine, or really the 'next big thing'?
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White Lies
The band of the moment don't disappoint with a mature, storming set…..
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Adem
An evening of eclectic sounds, visuals, and song covers, with the real gems emerging from the supporting acts.
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Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
"Then Hypnotic Brass Ensemble bounced energetically onto the stage and everyone went nuts."
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Devotchka
"Devotchka got the whole audience clapping, stamping, singing and skanking before dropping their epic ‘How it Ends' to raucous delight."
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These New Puritans / Zombie Zombie / Nelson
"The drama and urgency they possess on the stage is something."
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Nightclub
"Nightclub was in full swing by now as the fusion of the music, visuals and performances blended with the crowd to create a lovely melee and it was only 1:30am!"
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Sunburned Hand of The Man & guests
"Tambourines were circulated around the audience and soon the sound seemed to be coming from every direction as people caught on to the savage, ritualistic vibe and beat their tambourine as if in a trance."
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Midnight Juggernauts
"We're riding the Milky Way and leaving a trail of beer cans, party scrapes, sweat and tears behind."
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Matthew Dear's Big Hands
"Almost every song ended with an Elvisesque, "Thank you very much," as Dear exuded the essence of the rock star in all of its glory and none of its conceit."
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Lykke Li / El Perro del Mar
"Confidence, real attitude, kazoo solos and some very hot dance moves, Lykke Li threw herself into the performance with such heartfelt emotion and the crowd responded with great spirit."
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Sierra Casady & Gael Rakotondrabe present Cellar Door
"It looked like it was to be a busy evening as both bar and exhibition were buzzing with people, grabbing a drink and the chance to take in the late night opening of Cellar Door."
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The Notwist
"Having been away for six years life as a Notwist fan has been relatively quiet, so tonight is like therapy to let it all out and no ones holding back."
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CMM: Raster Noton 12 years
"Mechanical patterns became rhythmical loops as did clicks and beeps as layers of fuzz drifted overhead."
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XX Teens / Ipso Facto / S.C.U.M.
"Messy, drawled vocals slurred over the top added a real flavour as the crowd got stuck into the skank-out friendly instrumentals"
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CMM: Outhouse Ruhabi
"Working together in unison to create potent rhythms of free flowing sax entwined with pounding drums before riffing off one another with ease."
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CMM: [no.signal] present Swedish Outsiders
"The music dipped and soared, full of short, sharp bursts and mini crescendos with Gustafsson bobbing and weaving like Ali in his prime as both men put their all into a vibrant performance."
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Patrice Babatunde / Visitor Q / Trio
"Gradually joined on stage by his band, Patrice launched into a rhythm heavy, bass bumping, reggae-tinged set that had both energy and depth."
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Black Angels / Sian Alice Group
"Driving and spinning, their material was full of psychedelic quirks and free-minded compositions along with some heavyweight lyrics."
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CMM: Notes Inegales
"Sometimes an abstract, building, beat-less atmosphere, other times a bass heavy hip hop-style instrumental and everything in between, the performance was absolutely absorbing."
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Gravenhurst / Pivot
"Talbot's bluesy folk guitar sent mellow vibes across the room as couples joined hands and a gentle sway ensued."
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Gonzales & Le Together Ensemble / Poni Hoax
"As the mammoth set drew to a close Gonzales once more took to the crowd, climbing onto some shoulders and being carried back to the stage like some sort of sweaty deity."
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Quiet Nights: Fanfarlo / Serafina Steer / Orphans and Vandals
"Fanfarlo's charm lay as much in their relaxed, fun attitude as it did in their material."
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Quiet Nights: Hexicon / Naked and The Boys
"Lady Luck has been kind to the ICA's Quiet Night's season, bestowing upon it a dedicated crowd, a beautiful setting and most importantly, a great programme of bands each and every week."
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Twisted Wheel / Operahouse / Lowline
"Tonight was more polished (better sound, nice lighting) but the songs were still powerful chunks of unreconstructed our-kid rock’n’roll."
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Quiet Nights: The Bronsteins / Jack Shirt
"Opening with dreamy layers of guitar tones and riffs, sampled then looped, he built an atmosphere in the room that gathered our attention and gently guided and coaxed us into his set."
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Quiet Nights: F.Lunaire / Plaster of Paris
"Performing their acoustic sets were the fantastic F.Lunaire and marvellous Plaster of Paris, and having caught a bit of their soundchecks I knew the crowd were in for a treat."
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Youthmovies / Lovvers / House of Brothers
"Stopping, starting and changing, there was a certain drama to their performance that gave it an epic, exuberant feel without ever slipping into self indulgency."
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Black Kids
"The recommendations have been coming thick and fast for the Jacksonville quintet and the levels of expectancy were high as they arrived on stage to cheers and whistles."
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Yeasayer / Ipso Facto
"There’s something remarkably organic and unpretentious about Yeasayer. Their sound combines a humbling sense of concentrated precision and nervous energy"
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Yeasayer / Dragon Zynth
"As you can probably imagine, absolute madness ensued as the stage became a frenetic epicentre of rhythm and song."
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MGMT
"This is not just music to listen to, but an invitation to live a rockstar lifestyle from times gone by."
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The Kills
"With little to no chatter between songs, The Kills' set was fast and furious"
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Huw Stephens presents....
"Who said there was no longer any steel in Wales?"
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Metronomy / Primary1 / Thecocknbullkid
"This was to be his first headlining set in London and by the looks of things, no punches would be pulled."
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Sebastien Tellier / Poney Poney
"Pop melodies, programmed drum beats, electro synth parts and vocoder vocals followed by luscious ballads and orgasmic guitar solos."
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To Rococo Rot / Bradley & Poulet
"TRR's infectious German geekiness had taken over the crowd and turned head nods into foot taps and more."
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Young & Lost Club Tour: Noah and the Whale / Pull Tiger Tail / Naked and the Boys / Lord Auch
"Gripped by the dreamy quality, only to be sent into folk ecstacy by violin riffs and shuffling drums"
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Fuck Buttons / Alexander Tucker
"Distorted drones, resonating bass swoops and glitchy synth parts develop the impending primordial tension as vocals shriek and scream with startling urgency"
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Welcome to the ICA Music Blog
Reviews and photos of the ICA's music programme by the ICA Music team.