School of Seven Bells, Nadine Khouri, Jess Bryant

Two exciting gigs for me this week. First is Nadine Khouri's album launch on Wednesday (7th July) at the Queen of Hoxton


Doubly good because also on the bill is the ever so interesting Jess Bryant, who I saw doing another show with Nadine a couple of weeks ago.

Second is on Thursday (8th July) when the excellent School of Seven Bells play a 'secret gig' in North London, and I'm gonna be there courtesy of Pure Groove (the deal is you pre-order the new album, which be autographed, and you get to go to the gig - works for me! I'm really quite excited, I saw SVIIB three times last year and I'm really keen on hearing the new album live.

http://www.puregroove.co.uk/itemview.aspx?item=1424

The album is streaming at http://www.sviib.com/ if you give them your email address. It's a lovely thing. I'm still getting over the fact that they said they'd got a bit tired of playing their old album, but this totally makes up for it and more. I'm still listening, but it's smoother. Ali and Claudia's voices sort of jet-stream along together while with Ben in the back it drives along quite massively. I'll get shot for saying this, but if you could imagine Faithless but with gorgeous harmonic singing over the top. Hmmm, I'll think some more about that, but it'll do for now

Hesta Prynn [supporting T&S @ Roundhouse, 24 June]

I haven't seen or heard Hesta Prynn before tonight. She was otherwise in all girl rap ensemble Northern State but tonight is out on her own with a new touring band. She sure ripped it up rock star stylee, exuding buckets of sheer stage presence. This earned her dance-rock a loud and cheering welcome. She was exactly right, flamboyant and exciting whilst reverential of what was to come. Admittedly, she'd have to rip their hearts out to get between this crowd and the Quin sisters they were here to see. I'll check her out some more though, I liked what I heard. From what I read on the Tegan and Sara forum later, at least a proportion of what I might presume to be the younger female element of the audience found Hesta's in your face sexy style provocative and scary in equal measures. The 'old' band broke some preconceptions, mainly that three white girls from the right side of town could do rap and eventually gain critical acceptance and even praise. Hesta out on her own was well worth seeing and I was slightly gutted to find out I'd missed her doing her own gig in London that same weekend.




a few more pics at http://www.flickr.com/photos/catshoe/sets/72157624409172516/