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SoundsXP Presents

Pictures from some recent gigs we've hosted:

29 March 2013 - Brixton, London

Viv Albertine, VuVuVultures, Left Leg, Mickey Gloss, Big Wave, No Cars, Arthur Gunn, Simon Love (Pictures)

8 March 2013 - Lexington, London

R.Ring, Golden Grrrls, Slushy Guts and Equinox (Pictures)

On Our iPod

Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold (album)

Antony Harding - Why Do Birds Suddenly Appear (album)

Black Angels - Indigo Meadow (album)

Thee Oh Sees - Floating Coffin (album)

Still Corners - Strange Pleasures (album)

Savages - Silence Yourself (album)

Mikal Cronin - MC II (album)

Can’s Ege Bamyasi played by Stephen Malkmus and Friends(album)

Victoria and Jacob - Festival 7"

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City (album)

Sauna Youth - False Jesii Part II 7”

Lightning Bolt - Oblivion Hunter

Robyn Hitchcock - There Goes The Ice (2x 12")

Latest Forum Posts

Album Review

Pere Ubu
Lady From Shanghai Fire

Article written by Michael H - Dec 15, 2012

The uncompromising nature of this album is obvious from the start with Pere Ubu’s David Thomas singing, “You can go to hell” repeatedly over a mess of electro and rumbling noise.

The density of sound doesn’t relent for the rest of ‘Lady in Shanghai’. This is a release to ponder at length; its construction is surrealist without seeming arbitrary, it follows an odd dream-logic that see it all hang together coherently. Functionally, a dance rock album, the jump of the post-punk rhythms are, however, constantly pulled off-kilter by things like wasp-in-a-jar electronics (Mandy), a disturbing take on ‘Mary had a Little Lamb (Feuksley Ma’am, The Hearing) or a CD-skipping loop that builds to a clatter of chimes and guitar mangling (And Then Nothing Happened). There is something of The Fall circa The Unutterable about the whole thing, apparent in its ramshackle broken-ness, mysterious vocal utterances and astute rock subversions.

With this release Pere Ubu have added to Fire Records growing roster of alt-delights alongside Josephine Foster, Guided by Voices and Mission of Burma. ‘Lady From Shanghai’ is an album of depth; repeated listens only invite further exploration, its truth is artfully obscured or perhaps entirely absent. This is art-rock at its best. Conventions and clichés are either exploded or distorted into incomprehensible shapes.

Links:
http://www.ubuprojex.net/
http://www.firerecords.com/