Sure they may look a little like a bunch of teachers. And that’s because they are. Well, lead singer Phil Shaw is anyway.
And good for him. A man after my own heart, he’s an English professor (Romantic Studies, if you will) at the University of Leicester. An acclaimed writer too, he also penned a study of Patti Smith’s debut album Horses for the series 33/3.
So far, so literary. But what’s the music like? A bit 60s, a bit ‘C86′, a bit cinematic. You could almost imagine them performing in a nightmarish dream sequence in Twin Peaks.
If you’re an Alberteen virgin (the name obliquely references the Slits’ guitarist, by the way), head straight to noir-ish classic Girl and a Gun: the kind of opus – with its addictive riff – that sounds so familiar it must have been the soundtrack to something or other.
Like the sound of it? Check out the album Metal Book (which picked up some five-star reviews in the broadsheets) or latest release, the Dead Language EP. And the Aces show promises to be a bit spesh as it’s their first time on stage in a year. Highgate folk might also be interested to know that the bass player is Ade Berry, the artistic director at Jackson’s Lane arts centre.
What’s more, support comes from Alan D Boyd – of Sendo Senshi fame – and his new band. Eagle-eyed readers will remember Alan is a K-Town composer and musician with a studio in Queen’s Crescent, so that’s one more good reason to grab yourself a ticket.
