Hank & Cupcakes

Last October Laissez Faire Club teamed up with NYC's RethinkPopMusic to bring two of their premier bands, The Vanguard and Ambassadors, over to London for a week of shows. The trip was a great success - notable gigs were Communion at Audio (Brighton) and Notting Hill Arts Club, our very own showcase at The Legion and On The Bus at Power's Bar. In all cases the turnouts were good and crowds enthusiastic, boding well for any future trips and potential single releases here in the UK.

Over the last few weeks I've been booking London shows for another RPM associated act, Brooklyn-based duo Hank & Cupcakes. I first saw them in New York last September when I had to pleasure of DJ'ing at the RPM launch party at Crash Mansion on the Lower East Side, where they were playing alongside The Vanguard, Ambassadors and The Aviation Orange.

What struck me instantly was the rawness and immediacy of their songs - frontwoman Cupcakes sings with a wide-ranging, piercing voice and smacks the drums in a primal manner, backed up by some virtuoso bass playing from Hank.

They look great on stage and the hooks are ever present, never once allowing the listener to lose interest. And their Joy Division cover (She's Lost Control) is pretty spectacular, doing what many covers often fail to do - breathe new life into the original. This is what The Ting Tings would love to sound like.

File next to: YYYs, The Kills, DFA 1979



They'll be over in late March and appearing at the following venues:

Thu 25 March - Smash & Grab @ Proud Galleries, Camden (myspace.com/smashandgrab)

Fri 26 March - Ace Motel @ The Enterprise, Camden (myspace.com/acemotel)

Sat 27 March - On The Bus @ Power's Bar, Kilburn (myspace.com/onthebusatpowers)

Hank & Cupcakes MySpace