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27 guide 12-18 Aug 2017 music

Until Father John Misty

came along, the music

industry had long been

bereft of wry crooner

types. Now, it seems,

droll lyrics, swelling

orchestration and

grandiose warbling are

back in a big way. Like

FJM, Londoner Matt

Maltese (pictured) deals

in stylishly sentimental

retro-pop with a sharp,

nihilistic twist. But

instead of being cloaked

in LA lethargy, Maltese’s

version has an air of

smoke-suff used pubs and

missed opportunities – as

the title of his new EP

Blood, Sweat And Beers

makes clear (7 to 13 Nov,

Oporto, Leeds). On 20

September, Amnesty

International is teaming

up with living-room gig

producers Sofar Sounds

for Give a Home, a series

of tiny concerts held in

200 cities across the

globe to raise money

for refugees. UK events

include Jessie Ware in

London and the National

in Edinburgh, and you

can apply for tickets

online until 10 Sep.

Finally, the Aussie psych

sector shows no sign of

slowing: Pond have just

announced a residency at

Bethnal Green’s Working

Men’s Club (E2, 28 to 30

Aug). Rachel Aroesti

Five of the best Rock and pop gigs

1

The Flaming Lips

Summer wouldn’t be summer

without Wayne Coyne Zorbing

overhead in a giant inflatable

ball at least once. Armed with

heaving slacker classic She Don’t

Use Jelly, cosmic lullaby Do You

Realize?? and their 2017 material

• described by the band as “Syd
  Barrett meets A$AP Rocky” –
  you’ll leave as euphoric as you
  are covered in confetti.
  Birmingham, Sat; Bristol, Sun;
  Glasgow, Tue; Nottingham, Wed

2

Hinds

The Madrid band are masters

of rabble rousing with their

scrappy, sun-scorched tunes

and, since the release of their

debut Leave Me Alone, they

have barely been off the road.

Given festival season is in its

final stages, their garage rock

racket ought to sound suitably

unhinged.

Summerhall, Edinburgh, Wed;

Green Man, Crickhowell, Fri

3

Green Man festival

The Brecon Beacons remains

one of the most scenic outdoor

sites in the country. This year

marks the eco-friendly festival’s

15th anniversary and, assuming

the weather is dry, its hilly

expanses should be the perfect

setting for the lofty soundscapes

of Michael Kiwanuka, PJ Harvey,

Ride, Actress and the Shins.

Glanusk Park, Crickhowell, Thu

to 20 Aug

4

Everything Everything

While their last record

mined the ugliness and

intricacies of global politics for

inspiration, the grottier elements

of the human condition loom

large over A Fever Dream – the

fourth album from the ever-

evolving guitar group. So far,

fans have heard the glam stomp

of Desire and the math-rock

trance of Can’t Do. Catchy,

convoluted pop.

The Hippodrome, Kingston, Thu;

HMV Manchester, Fri

5

Conor Oberst

Bringing the nostalgic charm

of 70s west coast rock, plaintive

piano and country melancholia

to London for one night only, the

Bright Eyes frontman manages

to turn tales of catheters

and a “cyst in the brain” into

something oddly romantic.

O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire,

W12, Fri

Harriet Gibsone

Booking now Wizards of awws

The Flaming Lips