Hornblower Bros at the Freebutt

A horribly late one today, apologies. We aren't doing a massive write-up for this one because we've been distracted by holiday cheer. However, a great gig to get yourselves to today is The Hornblower Bros at the Freebutt. You can find their myspace here.

Lots of nice things from good people:

"Put a smile on your face ...very uplifting"
Steve Lamacq

"Completely irresistible!"
Marc Riley

"Charmingly shambolic"
The Guardian

"They occupy a genre that is entirely their own"
BBC.co.uk

Doors at 7:30 with a smile. £4 advance so we reckon £6ish on the door.

See Slaraffenland play at the Freebutt

At the risk of being repetitive, today's recommendation (like yesterday's) is another gig at Brighton's excellent Freebutt venue, where another excellent Brighton band support a highly rated Scandinavian act. This time both are well worthy of your attention.

Denmark's Slaraffenland, who headline, play an uplifting brand of intriguing, delicately nuanced indie-rock with nods to prog, folk and jazz, using chamber instruments as well as the more usual guitar, bass and drums. Their songs have a lovely, wintery, hypnotic quality which marks them out as a perfect fit for this time of year. Do the Freebutt serve mulled wine? They should do.

Their support act, Crowns On The Rats Orchestra, share an affection for orchestral compositions and imaginative time-signatures. Rather less accessible - their virtuosity means they can rarely resist an opportunity to spin a song into a new direction - they are one of Brighton's best and most consistent live acts, on the occasions where they can find a venue with a big enough stage to fit them all on. Here's a sample.



Freebutt, doors open at 7.30. No info on pricing, I'm afraid, but I'd expect it to be around £5-7.

Catch Guided By Lights play live at the Freebutt

Brighton's live music scene may attract a steady stream of international talents, but it's propped up on a network of local bands who, occasionally, are more than capable of outshining the bands they invariably end up supporting. One such giant-killing may be on the cards tonight, where Brighton's excellent Guided By Lights support Thomas Dybdahl at The Freebutt.

Up in Norway Thomas Dybdahl is one of the country's biggest pop stars, attracting huge affection for his warm-hearted but gentle folk-pop, which draws evenly from the likes of Jeff Buckley and Nick Drake. His broad-appeal is understandable: Dybdahl is as relentlessly melodic and soppy as the anodyne likes of Damien Rice or David Gray, but manages to combine his low-key classicism with rather more charm. Today's gig at the Freebutt, if Dybdahl's previous UK shows is anything to go by, will have the same celebratory warmth, for his UK fans seem to replicate his countryman's enthusiasm.

Guided By Lights aren't dramatically dissimilar in terms of their musical palette - here too we find acoustic guitars, violins and delicate folk-pop. But there's something more ambitious and unconventional going on here - there's a hint of The Cure's Robert Smith in Adam Bones's hiccupy, skittering vocals, and the juxtaposition of his odd, appealing vocals with the clever, Pogues-tinged arrangements are really pleasing. They sound, unlike Thomas Dybdahl, like they've been through the wringer a few times, and have come out tuneful, rich, but somehow wonky. In short, I think they're worth a look.

Here's a sample:
This time next year by guidedbylights

Guided By Lights - and Thomas Dybahl - play The Freebutt tonight. Tickets are £7 and doors open at 7.30pm.