Swiss Concrete no. 54 - October 17th

In case you don't know already, Swiss Concrete is the night that some friends and I run in Oxford. Here is the lovely flyer for the next night, which is this Friday. For this gig we have the following:

More Silage
More Silage all grew up together in a Somerset village called East Harptree. Indeed, guitarist David held drummer Joel in his arms when he was not yet a day old. David still regularly holds Joel in his arms, although usually around the neck in a strangling motion. Banjoer Thomas and accordionist Robert are brothers, although in the genetically tangled web of East Harptree this means they could just as well be father and son, uncle and nephew, or even their own siamese twin. (Work that one out, biologists.) The band are trained in a highly specialised brand of full-voiced, ill-rehearsed, real-ale-fuelled, multi-hyphenated folk-pop. This genre may be described as 'Silage' in years to come.

Borderville
Many indie bands falsely claim they sound nothing like their peers; for good or ill, Borderville can make that claim with a cocksure degree of certainty. Chanelling the spirits of Kate Bush, Bowie, Brel and even Stephen Sondheim, Borderville re-imagine glam rock with towering walls of sound and ornate flourishes of baroque piano, all imbued with the morbid romanticism of a drunken Rufus Wainwright harbouring an ugly vendetta.

Schuman The Human
Following in the footsteps of groups like the Broken Family Band and the Barker Band, Schuman the Human, gives his Americana music a decidedly cheeky and remarkably British twist. Also known as Mark Foster and the former guitarist with Vic Godard, Schuman sings along with his rippling banjo, like he's gathered round the 'old Joanna' in an East End pub, blasting away those It's-a-long-way-to-Tipperary war-time-blues, helped on occasion by a soft voiced lady called Chilli Gold. And while this isn't the most sophisticated collection of songs to be released this year, the lack of pretension and good-time feel of SHOWTIME is somewhat charming. A blend of bluegrass, cowpunk and country pop, not afraid to throw in something a little off the wall, like a kids choir singing along on Oh How Happy, a harpsichord on A Weekend Away, and some amusing lyrics. Highlights include Tow That Line!, a song that flip-flops from sad to happy more times than a bipolar Robbie Williams and the disco-banjo opener Klutz, which has a kind of slapstick Monty Python feel to it. A cult-classic if nothing else. - Maverick Magazine

All this will only cost you £4 on the door or £3 in advance here

Swiss Concrete are on Myspace and Facebook (Group) (Event)