Issue 33 / May 2013

10
Bido Lito! May 2013
SOUND CITY
2013
Words: Jennifer Perkin / @jhperkin
Melody’s Echo Chamber
Ours
is
a city with a perennial
music heartbeat; this is a well-established
fact. LIVERPOOL SOUND CITY FESTIVAL is simply the perfect excuse
to hide the breakables, push the furniture aside, open all the
windows and amplify it to the max.
During these three days, the whole geography of Liverpool is
altered; the centre of the city shifts to the Ropewalks and music
fans of all persuasions flood the streets, brandishing wristbands
and gorging on the offerings. It’s a time to both welcome our
global musical brethren, and show off our own splendour.
Some of the best moments will come from the unplanned:
the stumbled-across, the mis-timed and the accidental. But
we wouldn’t send you out without at least a fistful of names,
Gig Guide and Ticket Shop live at www.bidolito.co.uk
places and ideas before you choose your own
adventure.
Of course there are the raise-the-roof, pull-outthe-stops
biggies; for one, eclectic pop rockers
EVERYTHING EVERYTHING, returning just a couple
months after their O2 Academy show, to entertain
and confuse us in equal measure at The Garage.
This venue is just one example of the festival
maximising the city’s potential and squeezing music
into every cranny. The rest of the year it’s a fairly
nondescript car park, but for Sound City it transforms
into a heaving gem of excitement, an epicentre for the
festival.
Those seeking instant gratification should hone in
on red-hot duo ALUNAGEORGE – to hear their fresh and
immediate pop nugget
Attracting Flies once is to
have it stuck in your head
forever. Likewise, LULU JAMES’
song Closer, a throwback to
80s disco fillers that pretty
much guarantees some
serious hoof-flicking.
The Anglican Cathedral is
another space that will be
gloriously re-imagined for
the festival; and the chance
to hear Friday headliners THE
WALKMEN’s The Rat resonate
in such splendid surrounds will
be a special one.
The Kazimier should be a
natural home for MELODY’S
ECHO CHAMBER, who shares
a link with Pond, one of the mindmelting
highlights at the venue last year. Melody Prochet is the
Parisian protégé of Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker (Pond’s producer).
Her gently swirling brand of psychedelia is a logical fit for his
retro stylings, as his producer’s stamp is clearly discernable. Come
sporting your finest paisley, and while you’re dressed for it you
want to check out TEMPLES who groove on a similar, if more
Austin Powers-y, wavelength. Yeah Baby.
Needless to say the line-up is liberally seasoned with some
of the best and brightest of this fine city’s offerings – for soulsoothing
sounds see the ethereal melodies of BIRD, or the
whimsical indie pop of ALL WE ARE and STEALING SHEEP. For
catharsis, bang your head to the dark, driving instrumentalism of
BALTIC FLEET, the post-rock weirdos known as ALPHA MALE TEA
PARTY, or the proper energetic punk of BAD MEDS. But to lose
your shit – or at least stand stunned at the sidelines as they
lose theirs - we have just one word: JAZZHANDS.
For the letting down of one’s (preferably long, quite possibly
matted) hair, do not miss Japan-via-London’s finest crazymakers
BO NINGEN - translation service not included. They’ll
bring their kinda punky, sorta psychey and wholly awesome
show to Sound City’s headbang hub, Screenadelica. Not only
will Screenadelica host some of our most anticipated bands
of the heavy variety, but for the festival the Liverpool Academy of
Arts space will be transformed into a pop-up exhibition of some
of the best music poster art in the world right now. Bring your
credit card.
Other acts ac Screenadelica include WET NUNS, whose music
can most accurately be
Lulu James
described as rawk, and the groove-heavy HAWK
EYES, who could be loosely be described as a melodic math-rock
Mastodon. Fans of skuzzy 90s style power pop (think Hüsker
Dü meets Foo Fighters) should not forget to check out locals
AEROPLANE FLIES HIGH, or to wear their most worn-in flannel.
Save some energy, however, for the blindingly brilliant FUTURE
OF THE LEFT. Headed by inimitable ex-Mclusky man Andy Falkous,
they have been building on that band’s furious legacy since 2005
while being one of the single best live acts in the country. Aw
heck, the world. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and if you miss it you’ll hurl
with jealousy when everyone’s talking about it. Do it.