Paradise found

Merry Christmas from all at Laissez Faire Club! It's been a great 2008 for us, with a whole host of exciting new bands gracing our stage throughout the last 12 months.

Memorable performances include Golden Silvers at The Old Blue Last in Feb (there was a sense that something big was brewing), Post War Years at the same venue in March and Micachu & The Shapes at our Bestival warm-up show at the start of September. Anna Calvi in November was pretty special as well, she's certainly one to watch out for in 2009, for those of you who like their music dark, cinematic and Tarantino-esque anyway.

Micachu performing 'Golden Phone' (released on Accidental earlier this year) at LFC:




However - looking forward, 2009 promises to be even better with our just confirmed residency at Paradise in Kensal Green in West London. From January onwards, LFC will be appearing on the last Thursday of every month at the venue, with a late licence till 1am. This means more bands, DJs and general good times (We'll of course still be putting on special one-off events elsewhere, so keep checking the MySpace or Facebook group for all the latest news).



We've booked a corker of a lineup to kick things off on Thursday 29 Jan, too. We're absolutely delighted to announce that We Have Band will be appearing live, with support from LFC regulars The Collectable Few and electronic experimentalist Phantom.

Unless you've been subsistence farming in Mongolia in the last six months, WHB are sure to have come under your radar - their track 'Hear It In The Cans' features on Kitsune's latest compilation (alongside the likes of La Roux and Heartsrevolution) and their debut single proper 'Oh' has been recently put out by the uber-hip 50 Bones (The Virgins, Little Boots).

They've played all the top London nights since their first gig in May (Durrr, YoYo, White Heat, dollop), already toured Europe and have been booked to appear at SXSW in March. And what's more, there's mention of them on just about every music blog this side of Beijing, mostly offering up remixes of their tracks by equally cool artists.

This is what's getting people excited:



In simpler terms perhaps, they are going to be massive. In a Hot Chip or Metronomy sort of way, appealing to the electro and indie kids alike. This is one of the last times they'll play a 130-capacity pub, we'd wager, so if you like what you hear, grab yourself a ticket from www.wegottickets.com and we'll see you by the bar.

MP3:
We Have Band - 'West End Girls' (Pet Shop Boys cover)


LFC
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Who?

Five O'Clock Heroes are our favourite NYC rock band. They headlined the first ever LFC at The Brixton Windmill back in November 2006, and anyone that was there will remember how electrifying it was, what with 150 people crammed into the shed that is The Windmill singing along on a boozy Friday night.

Only problem was that not enough people heard the tunes, which was a damn shame. Elvis Costello meets The Police tinged pop-rock, with more hooks than a fisherman's box, or something like that. Their debut album had around 10 potential singles on it.

Anyway, that was then. Now, they're back with a new album, out in July and entitled 'Speak Your Language'. Its first cut, 'Who', features everyone's favourite ubiquitous supermodel Agyness Deyn on guest vocals. It's a lovely little, radio-friendly pop song that'll undoubtebly turn a whole host of new people onto their MySpace page and subsequent live shows (Look out for the LP's title track too, another sure fire hit).

Indeed, it's got the feeling of a song that usually propels a struggling rock band into the public limelight. It'll be nothing more than they deserve.

Out and about with LFC

Primary 1 played a blinder at Vice Kills at Proud the other day (11 April), these guys will be massive in six months. Electro based, cut and paste pop in the broadest sense (LOTP, Cut Copy, Metronomy, Friendly Fires for reference points) think great, perfectly formed and memorable songs, with BIG choruses that don't leave your head quickly (if ever). And that's after one listen.

They've not done a lot of shows to date, but they're already a formidable proposition live. LFC was so impressed we invited them to DJ at our last event at The Old Blue Last on May 5th, and latterly discovered that their record collection is far cooler than ours. Who'd have thought.

Check them out this summer (they're appearing at most good festivals) and download their debut single Hold Me Down (out on Erol Alkan's Phantasy Sound) from iTunes before they become uncool...



www.myspace.com/primary1

Golden Silvers have been on the rise since the blog below was written, treading boards around the country with Mystery Jets and The Wombats. We caught up with them at Hoxton Bar & Grill last week (30 April), where they played another effortlessly cool set to a lot of people eager to see what all the fuss is about. Even the weekly music press has latched on, declaring 'Arrows Of Eros' as a song you 'must hear'. It also happens to be their debut single, out this summer on Young & Lost. Watch them soar.

www.myspace.com/thegoldensilvers

LFC alumni Post War Years have been a busy bunch of late, gearing up for the release of their debut single 'Black Morning' on 12 May. Since they graced our stage in early March, their ambient, electro-y, poppy and intricate sounds have wowed crowds in many English towns and villages as well as at The Camden Crawl.

As we write they've just finished supporting Crystal Castles, and are set to play two gigs at The Great Escape next week. They're also all big fans of Tom Vek, which probably says more good things about them than anything else.

LFC caught them at Durrr at The End on Monday (5 May), and were treated to a storming rendition of said single, as well as B-side Latin Holiday (We got there late so can't comment on the rest of the set, but doubtless it was up to their usual high standards). We can't stop listening to this:



www.myspace.com/thempostwaryears

Gold, silver and bronze

Golden Silvers are a band causing a real buzz around London town right now. Formed from the ashes of the once XL-signed Dolly Daggers, GS peddle in feelgood, soulful and guitar-less pop music using an organ, bass, drums alongside three part vocal harmonies.

A quirky but compelling sound it certainly is, one that has seen them likened to quintissential British twists Ian Drury & The Blockheads. Front man Gwilym Gold's lazy, nonchlant and endearing vocals and strong stage presence have also evoked comparisons to a certain Pete Doherty.

In any case - with songs the quality of 'Magic Touch', 'Arrows Of Eros' and 'Train For A Brain' (all available on their MySpace), it surely won't be long till they're snapped up by a label and are being namedropped by the geezer down your local who reckons he knows his music.

Their LFC appearance at The Old Blue Last in February was a veritable corker, one which saw the near-capacity crowd shake their hips in a way you wouldn't necessarily expect on a Monday night. Check out their debut, homemade video of 'Magic Touch' below, partly filmed at this very gig:



The band also host their own night each month at Hoxton's fashionable Macbeth, the cunningly titled 'Bronze Club'. Each time they headline, with a series of special guests appearing below them - recent months have seen the likes of Young And Lost signed Naked & The Boys play, as well as hotly tipped eccentric singer-songwriter Josh Weller. Be sure not to miss the next one on Friday 18 April. If you can't make that, they're gigging pretty furiously around the capital at the moment - check out their MySpace for details.

myspace.com/thegoldensilvers

Freaking Out Neighbours

On 11 March, LFC played host to Eight Legs' single launch party for 'Freaking Out The Neighbours' at 93 Feet East on Brick Lane. It was also their UK homecoming after an extensive, sold-out (as good as) tour of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Their 45-minute set saw them air their forthcoming debut album 'Searching For The Simple Life' (out next month through Weekender Records) in its entirety, alongside a handful of B-sides. Highlights included the aforementioned single, which was dispatched early on, the punchy, concise and punk-spirited 'Pass The Bucket' (see clip from the gig below) and the more and more regal sounding set-closer 'These Grey Days' - the song which soundtracked the Christian Dior fashion show a couple of years back and subsequently thrust these four lads from Shakespeare country into the public limelight.



Their romantic, jingly-jangly sound certainly recalls seminal British groups of the 1980s such as The Smiths and The Cure, but at times it also possesses a punkier, meaner edge which references the likes of The Stooges, The Clash and latterly The Libertines. Fans of any of these bands could do a lot worse than to check out Eight Legs - ones to keep a beady little eye on in 2008 they are indeed.

myspace.com/eightlegs

Support on the night came from firm LFC favourites Right Turn Left, the Exeter based quartet who specialise in outrageously hook laden, tight-as-a-bolt, charismatic and literate three minute indie-pop songs (See 'Sloe Gin', 'Comic Book Picture' for starters), a la Good Shoes, Maccabees, Wombats - a formula which has seen them break out of their local scene onto stages as far afield as Paris' illustrious Fleche d'Or venue in a remarkably short space of time.

Sure, it's been done plenty of times before and isn't going to reinvent any wheels, but these guys look the part and quite simply do it a lot better than most. There'll always be room for new music when such boxes are ticked. Watch out for more LFC appearances from this bunch later on in the year...

myspace.com/rightturnleft

Animals in London

Remember Komakino? Once signed to DiS Recordings, they released one brilliant single in Say Something Else, supported everyone from Bloc Party to Metric to Hope Of The States and were described by the NME as 'Brit rock's best new band'. For various reasons (departing bass players, general bad luck), they decided to call it a day last year and start afresh with two new members and under a new name - You Animals.

Here's something to jog the memory:



Anyway - Laissez Faire Club is delighted to announce that it will be hosting the new incarnation's first ever London show. The date is Wednesday 5 March, and the venue The Old Blue Last in Shoreditch. And although there isn't yet any YA material to listen to, recent reviews have suggested a more brash, heavier sound than what we were used to with Komakino. Whatever the case, this is set to be a most interesting comeback, and one certainly not to be missed.

Support comes from the utterly fantastic Post War Years, who've been causing a stir for some time now with their beguiling blend of electro, jazz, pop and rock. Also on the bill are are Butterfly Bangs, who'll be launching their new single Junk Sky, out Mon 3/3 on Weekender.

Detailed information on the event and the bands can be found at myspace.com/laissezfaireclub.