Anti-folk [anti]hero Jeffrey Lewis and his band took the stage at Scala last night armed with energy, good humour, and cartoons. The packed room was dead silent for finger-picked acoustic melodies while the floor heaved during fuzzed out rock stomps (including a cover of a Crass song). While some of his New York-centric references might only make sense if you visit our cousins over at Gothamist regularly, the majority of his songs are on......

We are very excited about this year's Nationwide Mercury Music Prize nominations. Not only did we personally manage to guess 9 out of 12 correctly, but some Londonist favourites are nicely sitting in the mix with the unnervingly young Laura Marling, the mighty Elbow, dazzling jazz stars Portico Quartet and dubstep hero Burial all on the list. What we're really excited about is the inclusion of Neon Neon - Gruff Rhys and Boom Bip's......

The reward for the extensive queuing outside of Rough Trade East last night was a set of deliciously dirty tunes by London-based duo the Kills. Their equipment wasn't on their side, and a finicky drum machine meant we didn't get to hear more than the first 30 seconds of "U.R.A. Fever," but there were still plenty of raucous riffs and electronic blips to satisfy. Rough Trade has never felt more eerie than it did......

You don't need us to remind you that the weather on Monday was terrible. The whole day off work and not the smallest bit of sun to be seen. We had it all planned out to stay tucked in bed listening to Spiritualized records until we remembered that we actually had to go outside and trudge through the rain to see them play at Rough Trade East that night. Hard life we have, yeah?......

It's officially Spring and by Pisces it's lovely out there in the sunshine. Crocuses have been spotted in Highbury Fields so our biggest recommendation for expenditure light trips this week is get to the parks and into the gardens and witness the miracles of the changing seasons. If you're in need of more artificial stimulation, however, and are squirrelling all your spare cash into your ISA before the end of the tax year then......

Having treated audiences at the May 2007 All Tomorrow's Parties' "ATP vs. The Fans" festival to her gentle brand of Northern Californian folk, Mariee Sioux returns to the UK this week to play a series of London gigs. A childhood friend of Rough Trade favourite Alela Diane, Sioux also grew up in the mountainous, artist-friendly town of Nevada City, a landscape which can be heard speaking through both singer's works. With a languid step......

Right, this sounds like it's going to be very messy in an attempt to get in, but Radiohead fans - listen up! The band have just announced a mini gig tonight at Rough Trade East. Here are the details direct from their site: So, we've got a small gig tonight. It's in London at the Rough Trade East shop on Brick Lane, and we're planning to play a short set of in rainbows material.......

To be honest the rain and coldness is kind of making us not want to go to gigs at the moment, preferring instead to wrap ourselves up warmly at home. But if we did, this is what we'd be bouncing at. Monday: The biggie tomorrow is of course Led Zep at the O2, but you've more chance of meeting Santa than getting tickets for that. So instead, forget the dinosaurs and try something new......

As reported last week, Monday should see you going crazy to hear that one good song (are there others) by Peter Bjorn and John at the forum. More importantly make sure you get there in time to see support act Those Dancing Days. We caught them at Water Rats on Saturday and are pleased to report they combine cuteness and moodiness with alarming grace. The much loved Beirut play an instore at Rough Trade......

Meet Language. Based in East London (but not defined by it!), they've chosen their myspace category to be "melodramatic popular song", are obsessed with falafel, like dressing in black, have a song called "Theme for a Porno", record on Hornsey Road and were screwed out of a producer by Kate Nash. They're not bitter mind. We were going to tell you our favourite song but having just listened to them all again on myspace......

For most of you, it was pay day this weekend. Wahey! This also means if you're like us, you've spent all your cash in the pub and will now be eating beans on toast all week. Which after going to The Edinboro Castle and having spent so long at the bar you sobered up, doesn't really seem worth the effort any more, does it? But don't worry! All is going to be fine. Even......

It may be 9.30pm on a Monday night but the Borderline is rammed with exiled-Glaswegians and suitably ‘indiefied’ Japanese fashion students, assembled to jolly along Jackie McKeown and his band, the 1990s, for the launch of their debut album ‘Cookies’. Spreading the rumour that CSS will be DJing afterwards probably hasn’t hurt attendance figures. Now, this isn’t just any album launch. Hotly tipped, well-connected (McKeown spent much of the 90’s – the actual decade......

The ICA is one of those venues where you tend to get an eclectic crowd, and Irish singer-songwriter David Kitt attracted an equally diverse range of fans to the ICA on Friday. It wasn’t a full house, but the venue is cosy and the gig felt very intimate, more like you were sitting in Kitt’s bedroom, where he allegedly produces most of his songs. Kitt, affectionately known as Kittser, was joined by his equally......

Every once in a while a rock band comes along that thinks they're something special and tries to stir things up. Lord knows the Towers of London have tried their best, but unlike The Horrors they don't have the have the songs to boot. The Horrors are easy to recognise. For starters, their frontman has taken the name of Faris Rotter and they all have big, black hair, like a motley bunch of Russell......

Watch Giddy Stratospheres: here Screw the Arctic Monkeys - those of us unblinded by intense hype have been well aware that the best band to come out of Sheffield after 1978 is the dazzlingly glamourous Long Blondes. Taking much inspiration from Pulp themselves, the LBs were the country's finest unsigned band until they finally joined forces with Rough Trade last year. Kate Jackson, Dorian Cox, Reenie Hollis, Emma Chaplin and Screech Louder formed the......

Fell City Girl consist of Phil McMinn on vocals/guitar, Joe Gibbons on guitar, Adam Drake on bass and James "Shrek" Pamphilon on drums. They've been around a couple of years now, and by all accounts have been pretty busy boys, opening both the Carling Reading and Leeds weekends, supporting Longview on a UK tour and playing three sell out gigs in their native Oxford's Zodiac. They say they're here to break your heart and......

Last night, we calmly mooched along Oxford Street at 8pm taking our time to get to the pleasantly open late Apple Store on Regent Street to buy a birthday present for today. When we got there it was shut, and there were a gaggle of teenagers outside. Checking exactly what was going on via web on our phones (asking a real person is too much), we were mildly pissed off to find that Richard......

Formed out of members of Art of Noise & The Auteurs, we first came across Infantjoy while wallowing in 'OMG SARAH NIXEY IS BACK!!!111!!' induced glee a few months ago. Guest starring on their working of 'Silent Night', we were intrigued by this duo who seemed to produce mesmerizing, elegant instrumental music. Almost cinematic sounding, their concept album Where The Night Goes is based on the idea that 'each track takes place at a......

We had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Miss Kate Stables on a Southbound train from Clapham Junction. It was Christmas and we were, of course, packed in like sardines. So much for finding one's seat; this Londonista's bags - stuffed with presents for the family - was too heavy and cumbersome to move, let alone navigate down the all-too-narrow aisle (seriously, South West Trains, did luggage not exist when you built your......

Time to line up a few recommendations for the gig going glitterati amongst you for the cold winter's days ahead. Tonight: If you're staying in then The Rakes, David Gray and the rather awesome The National are on Jools at 11.35. Saturday: nu metal is probablythe music critics all time favourit genre so expect to see a full turn out from the OMM and NME amongst others as nu metal pioneers Korn make a......

Time for a mini music update. If you're bored this lunchtime and anywhere remotely near the Covent Garden area, then you could do worse than get you tushi down to the Rough Trade Shop down on Neal's Yard for 1pm. New York band, akron / family, are down at the shop doing an acoustic set ahead of their gig supporting Devandra Banhart tonight at the Astoria. They've only played 2 UK gigs so far,......

Another week of gig going upon us and much to recommend so without further whatever here's the Londonist Music team's guide to what we think you should be doing for the next seven days. Wednesday: Well if you've not made plans for tonight yet you could head down to the Garage to check out San Fransican art pop punkers Deerhoof. Otherwise we suggest you kick off John Peel Day at the 12 Bar Club......

Instores, gigs, festivals, clubs, forthcoming releases, iPods and men in pants. It must be time for our regular Mid-Week Music News slot, brought to you this week by the schizoid-country ADD stylings of the Meat Puppets. So with a packed programme it’s enough of us and on with the music. First off the instores, via a special small gig. Londonist favourites The Magic Numbers will be continuing their mammoth effort to conquer the world......

A Midweek Music News already? It seems like only yesterday we posted the albums round-up. That's the trouble with these Bank Holidays; nice as they are, they do screw up the body clock somewhat. It doesn't help when you're writing about bands called The Eighteenth Day of May on the fourth day of May (on the second working day of May) who have a gig on the sixth day of May but told you......

Another pic'n'mix of live treats for you this week. So without further ado grab your scoops and we're off. This week's giant fizzy cola bottle has to be the return of the Man Called Boss. In support of Devils and Dust, Bruce Springsteen will be at the Royal Albert Hall on May 27th and 28th. Anyone who caught his shows at Crystal Palace a couple of years ago will know he's still knocks out......

A New Hairdo by The Tailors is the third release on the indie label Trash Aesthetics. The previous two singles on the label were by Bloc Party and The Rakes, which tells you something about the quality control at the label. A New Hairdo is reminiscent of The Rockingbirds, in the very obvious country influence. Let's be clear, though: we're not talking Shania Twain commercial country-pap, but a more relaxed, slacker kind of country......

Do you remember shoegazing? Do you want to know what shoegazing is? Do you wish it was still 1991? Well get yourself along to the Sonic Cathedral. "The night that celebrates itself" will feature a set from Engineers (right) and a DJ set from Sonic Boom. If that's not enough then there are even some surprise guests. Look away now, if you don't want to know who the surprise guests are: Emma Anderson of......

The devastating news this week is that Vanilla Ice has had to cancel his gig with Wolfpac at the Electric Ballroom tomorrow night. To help you get over the blow here's a few other things which might just help fill the void. (We try not to list gigs when we know they're already sold out but if you think we should, please make use of the comments section.) Monday 29th Club:Hedonistic is a free band......