The Independent from London, Greater London, England • 147

THE INDEPENDENT 5 11 JANUARY 2008, GOING OUT POP 33 Album reviews By Kevin Hariey Neutral Milk Hotel: On Avery Island (Rre Records) 9.99 Released in 1096, the Elephant 6 indie-rockers' debut album gets the reissue treatment here. Much revered among Pitchfork types, its appeal rests on a fertile anchoring oflo-fi distortion in effervescent melody, with Jeff Mangum's cryptic wordplay and catchy tune-play finding their match in fuzz-clouds of noise and clearsighted pop. Fans of Beirut and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah will be at home on these rickety shores. Sarabeth Tucek: Sarabeth Tucek (Pinnacle) 9.99 With properly enunciated vocals pitched somewhere between Nico and Cat Power, plus tunes of a Carpenters-ish quality, this New Yorker's debut lip eajttrnte Sons of the Nng Grime-rock and indie-pop. 730pm, 6, cones 5.ICIub,OxfordStreet, WK02Q-74370964)0 Tottenham Court Road Monkey Swalows the Universe Sheffield-cased indie-pop outfit 730pm B.BushmUxbridgeRd,W12 Lee 'Scratch' Ferry The Studio One veteran with some danced-up tunes.

7pm 28-3Q, 2250-25inadv. (020-7916 6060) Camden Town Pet Shop Boys See Five Best page 32 9pm, 20-30. Barbican Hall, Barbican Centre, SilkSt, EQ(O84S-12O7SSO)0Moorgate. StayawaysThe Camden trio play perky indie-punk. 730pm The Barfly, Camden, ChalkFarmRoad HW (0870-907 0999) Chalk Farm Marbn Stephenson The former member of the Daintees on tour.

830pm BLKtogsHeadOwchEndGouti HilN8(020m)l028) BRCrouchHil. Underground Heroes Ska-tinged grunge and punk-rodt 7pm, 7. 93 feet East BrickLane El (Q2Q-Z2473293J! 0 liverpod. Street StVfcbWiChken Shack The blues singer and his band. 730pm, 15, B3nati.100aub,OxforQ'StreetlWl mH636O933)0CvfortiGrm Birmingham BoomshadowAcaistkalttria 8pm 4 The Jug (012W91082) mm iw majnau mi mr wm GM4)oysAtHxxjritryfam8prn pnoneforprteJurjCbmr Bristol fanes Sun Blues guitar.

Spm 4 77ie Prom, The Promenade, Goucesfer Road (0117-9427319) Cardiff SbMestoGravftyThe argry rock group tour to promote Iheirrievv single, "Meantime''. 730pm 6 Vi adv. Barfly, Kingswdy (0870-9070999) solo album is a dreamily wistful, wooze-rock thing, at its best on the choked "Stillborn" and "Holy Smoke" The lyrics aren't always a match for her industrial dosages of anguish, but the mood is seductive, irkik The Gas Bluesy Wie-rockers, 8pm, 5.Dublin(Me,Parhmy,Hm (020-88062668) Camden Town The Gentlemen Indie-rockers. 7pm, 6i Water Rats Theatre, Gray's Inn Road WO (02O7813 1079) King's Cross. HeadhaayArhock Hucknall quintet 8pm 5.

Metro Dub, Oxford Street Wl (020-74370964)0 Tottenham CtRd lidjBmper Hardcore 750, mems CA, The Mall, SWI (O2fr7W3ffl0CharirqCrass, Lahayna Soulful indie-rock from the London tria730pm 6. The Barfly, Camden, Chalk Form Road, NW1 (0870WQm)MTwn JoeNlslurySlaToe-fappir acoustfca. 8pm, B. Half Moon, Putney, Lower Richmond (020-8780 9383) 0 Putney Bridge. Msrafeehjood RifaajEnda Kelly Dickson and her retro band, Spm 15, 12 in adv.

live! on the Parkat Pizza on the Park, Knightstxidge, SWI (O2O72355273)0HydeParkCorner. The Teeth Beats-laden dance-poet 7pm 5, 4 before 8pm The Good (07949408253)6 Kilbum tWadclMoods See Five Best page 32 730pm 8. The tuhinaire, Kilbutn High Road, HW6 (020-73727123)0 Kilbum. Bath quartet 730pm free. Porter Cellar Bar, GeorgeSM(012254241Q4) Bristol DarfcfcMkhok Band The fok sger and her acoustic guitar-led band.

Spm free. The Prom, The Promenade, Gloucester Road (0117-942 7319) JeWrg Electronic infe 4 in adv. The fleece, St Thomas Street (08704444400) Cardiff Car i Tbnat Progressive expenmental-rock four-piece. 730pm, (0870-9070999) Swindon Mabnhy Gypsy and Eastern European roots band. 830pm, free.

The Beehfa PrQspectHiH01793-5m7) Vinny Peculiar: Goodbye My rz; Anom Crianrl rPrnnnia Parnrrlc fl QQ Lias mane type uumys kvij acrosslikealo-fiLukeHainesona The Brain Farriy Bnd See Five Best cage3Z 730pm 10 in adv. The Lurrinaire, Kilbum High Road, The Goohess Indie-rock and arholL 730pm, free 93 Feet East, Brick Lane, El Sophie Deb Pop and indie-rock, OxbrrfSteet W7 (020-74370964) Tottenham Court Road Rathe Jkrides Experimental blues, prog and psychedelia. 8pm 6i Buff and Gate, KentishlownRiiNWS Rnr Inttefxk band 730pm 5. Half Afoot fttrey, fiMwRfctoriorrifySWE (D20S383)flrfd3e R1hestDriMHanieFjnk-rocking alt-pop foursome. 7pm 5, WaterRots Theatre.Gray's Inn Roai WC1 Horsebox Psyrfrtinged pop and punk.

830pm GNUS 4 fJuflafoftoc UpperSW(V20r73S9ei9f). '0 Highbury and Islington MfeoGfld FYDg-rodcing indie-folc 8pm, 5, cones 450. Dublin Casile, 0 Camden Tcm Park Bench Polk Rapped -up rock. 8pm cones 4 The Comedy Pub, 7267 Leicester Square. Pitts of Whales Blueg-ass tunes.

830pm, 4 cones 2. Easycome Aausfc Oufe Nunhead Green SETS Prong Industrial metallers 7pm, 12 (020-7482 1932) 0 Camden Tom Bath The Nan Acousticlridie-rockdua 730pm free Porter Cellar Bar, George Street (01225-424104) Bristol PosHHhi5pjsii Aggressive art-rockers. 8prrt47fteCtaft5fotesCh (0870-4444400) fok 8pm, free, The Prom, The Pwme- Cardiff lint Among toCiftbased alternative punk-rack tria 8pm 3. Buffalo, WindsorFiace(029-20310312) Norwich bn Segal Band The blues man and his band. 830pm 10, cones 8.

NavArts Centre, ReevesYard St BenedtfsStrvet(0W3-66Q352) THURSDAY 10 CrifcdMh Emchtinged alt-rode and Gate, Kentish. Town Road, NWS (020-8826 5000) Kentish Town Ziggy Stardust trip, killing ego in the opening track before ranting I at the cruel world thereafter. A bracing sourness, redolent of Stephin Merritt adds an arch-tragedian flavour; elsewhere, he's a bittersweet, bargain-basement Bowie of a bedsitrdwelling stripe. JHHrk Sia: Some People Have Real Problems (Monkey Puzzle Records 11.99 The former Zero 7 singer cranks up the kook levels and over-sung affectations on her third, verge-of-fame album. Nothing here is as direct as "Breathe off his alter HSSrfd vigorous 11 i i her Six Feet Under song, although "Lentil" is chill-out pop with a "Day Too Soon" casts rays of sunshine soul and a cover of the Pretenders' "I Go to Sleep" is gently lush.

Otherwise, too fussy by half. Kit Adrian Crowley: Long Distance Swimmer (Tin Angel Records) 9.99 This eloquent Dublin folkie's fourth album marshals just the right ratio of sensitivity to strength. Nautical images aside, this is no drippy set: Kaaidred Reasons Mekxfc post-hardcore rock, 7pm 1150. The Lemon GmatExeterUni(0m-42S309) Leamington Spa Pad Carrack The former Mike and the Mechanics frorrtrnanjprn, 2450. foyof Spa Centre, Newbok Terrace (01926-334418) Norwich Orcus Rock and funk outfit 8pm, 5, 4 'n afaNonMchArts Centre, Reeves Yard St Benedkfs St (01603-460352) Wolveriiamptoft mm mi I new ran MoonoK Mnony man Punk-rock and indie sounds.

730pm 5. ftudayti London Braid Psych-tinged pepsters. 8pm 5i Tommy Flynh's, Camden High St, NW1 (020-73873691) 0 Camden Tom CainrV5loon Trie purics play S7S7)0LadbrokeGrm See Sunday. Homchurch: 730pm 2Q, A850 in adv. The Amersham Arms, New Cross Road SE14 (020-8469 1499) BR: Afew Cross, violins and tales of endurance are ever-present, and the twilit "Walk on Part" would be Tindersticks-ish if he had the voice for it.

Stout-hearted stuff as this is, the vocals only skim the surfaces of the songs, ieihk To order any CD been or reviewed in The Independent call 01634 832 789 (all prides quoted include UK.