Shows

Alberta Cross, Babel, Eoin O Ruainigh Wed 22nd October 2008 Hoxton Bar and Kitchen 2-4 Hoxton Square London N1 6NU

Alberta Cross 

Once in a while a great band comes along who sound nothing like anything else that’s going on around them. On hearing “The Thief & The Heartbreaker”, it might surprise you to find out that song-writing partners Petter Ericson Stakee & Terry Wolfers brought Alberta Cross to life in London’s East End.

Alberta Cross is a dichotomous band front to back: the group comprises two permanent members, Petter Ericson Stakee and Terry Wolfers (best described as Anglo-Swedish); their sound flips between the White Stripes and the Band; and their repeat-worthy debut is called The Thief & The Heartbreaker. Alberta's got the dusty, gospel-tinged Americana rock thing down, pushed by Petter's star sailing vocals and loose, rootsy arrangements. Stereogum's band to watch.

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Babel

Like ‘Bay-bull’. Not ‘bar-bell’ or ‘babble’.
Born in Bristol, they started out all kind of small, folky & a bit shy but then fell in dirty love with pounding tambourines and volume knobs. Songs led to concerts, concerts led to the recording two self-financed EPs, 'The Golden Acre EP' & 'The Arc EP'. Both were sold from tables in tiny venues. Some of which reached places far beyond their own postcode.

Pearl Street Raga, the band’s debut mini-album, was one of those hauntingly beautiful records destined to end up at the top of those end of year polls. A  jaw-dropping seven tracks veering from Tim Buckley-ish  raga’n’roll (‘Pearl Street Raga’)  to melancholic,  Radiohead-esque laments  (‘Disarm’ , Shangri la’), culminating in final bucolic blues,  ‘My Cup Is Running Over’, it  confirms  talk of Babel being nothing less than the British answer to Midlake.  Now with finished first album proper ‘Crooked Timber’ in hand, they affirmed their credentials with an explosive set at Glastonbury and Green Man 08 and look set to get tongues really wagging.   

Eoin O Ruainigh

He’s playing with the likes of By The Fireside and Alma NoFear right now, and we’re very excited to have Eoin (say Owen) play this show!