The Look Out Post :: August '09

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Wilco: set to return to the UK in August.

Aha! Yes! We’re back… after a brief *ahem* hiatus, our monthly look ahead at, erm, stuff is back. We’ve all been very busy recently, and it’s nice that TLOBF is going from strength to strength… of course, without our team of exceedingly talented writers and you, our dear readers, we’d be getting bored and snorting coco pops in the afternoons. The British Summertime is always a quiet affair. Major releases, tours etc are briefly paused as BBQ’s and Festivals take over the agenda. As this goes to press, I’m trying to sun myself at the Cambridge Folk Festival – one of the best known and impressively supported festivals. I usually avoid the headline acts (unless it’s Steve Earle) and make my way to the smaller tents. It’s a better environment to have a beer, sit back and experience some more traditional music, with the odd blow-your-socks-off experiences, like Lau back in 2007.

Leading on from that, the latest from James Yorkston, released via Domino on the 10th, is a back-to-basics affair. One of the first artists to get me into “folk” music, he’s slowly made a move to the middle of the road, Radio 2 listening crowd, but it’s nice to see him return to his roots again.

Another band stripping things back a bit this month are the Fiery Furnaces. I’m Going Away is release on the 28th via Thrill Jockey and finds the brother/sister combo at their most straightforward and accessible. However, even at this level, this is a band who are determined to break some boundaries and offend some listeners /fans every time they release an album. You never quite know which Furnaces incarnation you’re going to get…

One of my favourite albums of the year finally gets a release on the 17th via Bella Union. The debut album from Sleeping States is what I’ve been waiting from a British band in years. An intelligent, literary, impressive album full of rural charm, quasi-urban lyrics and nicely off-kilter arrangements that make you wonder whether your ears are deceiving you or not.

To finish off my album recommendations for the month, Thought Forms release their self-titled album via Invada on the 3rd. From the Shellac stable of bands, this is raw, mainly instrumental, post-punk rock that treads the fine line between noise and tunes – forever shredding your ears before quickly soothing them with jangling rhythms. Seeing them live at this year’s Supersonic festival just reaffirmed my impression that these guys are ones to watch.

Time seems to be a precious commodity at the moment, but i’m trying set time aside to read The Long-player Goodbye by Travis Elborough. A historical look at the rise, fall and rise-again of vinyl, it’s a surprisingly interesting read. The story of how the record companies decided on 78 rpm records is full of back-stabbing, self interest and money making. A proper story. It’s also interesting to draw parallels between the apparent death (and now resurrection of) vinyl and that of CD’s… plenty of life in the old girls yet I reckon…

So, whilst you’re probably at the bottom of your cup of tea now, one last mention. Off to see Wilco this month at the wonderful looking Troxy venue in London. It might be a nightmare to get to, but worth it to see one of the finest live acts around. Their latest might not have set the world alight, but it’s unadulterated loveliness has wooed and melted my cold, cold heart.

What have I missed? What are YOU looking forward to this month?