Adventures Close To Home

We are currently on gardening leave and have no ACTH shows planned for the near future.

Don’t be sad, Kolaveri!

Tickets on sale here.

“Allo Darlin’ are many things. They can turn a room in a famous punk venue into a joyous, jumping, sweaty, pop-mosh pit. Or bring a room of 500 to hushed silence with the few strums of a ukulele and a love song about cooking. Among the many shows they’ve played have been End Of The Road, Indietracks, and SXSW festivals. They’ve also had airplay on BBC Radio 1 & 2, BBC 6music and XFM and were selected by Steve Lamacq as his personal choice for BBC Radio’s Introducing week. Their self-titled debut album was released to universal acclaim last year and was named No. 2 record of the 2010 by eMusic.” Red Hot Velvet

“This debut is a joy from beginning to end, a fully-formed talent at the first attempt – as rare as it is welcome.” BBC

“The real revelation of this year’s NYC Popfest came during the Friday night encore of Allo Darlin’, from London. First, that there was an encore at all: the middle act on a five-band lineup playing its first New York show rarely gets that privilege. But for its allotted half-hour at Don Hill’s, Allo Darlin’ had been terrific, witty and heartfelt, like a less moody Belle & Sebastian.” The New York Times

“The fact that the debut album from Elizabeth Morris’s Allo Darlin’ has received near-universal critical acclaim is not surprising. Although it kind of is. Not because the quality to and ability to write an array of singable and hummable pop songs came from nowhere but more because it’s easy to get used to seeing very good bands going very unappreciated. Anyway, they’re second on in the triumvirate of acts on Friday. A smile is never far from Morris’s mouth and nor is a killer melody. ‘Polaroid’ and particularly ‘Dreaming’ turn my mood from early festival optimism to something near universal love for humanity backed by a very lovely setting sun. This says enough!” Drowned in Sound

“From the very first track it’s clear they’ve got that ephemeral something that separates the pretty good from the truly magical.” The Fly

“This is twee pop par excellence. Oh, don’t be put off by the use of the word ‘twee’ in these circumstances either. I too despise it with a vengeance, but sometimes it’s easier just to bow gracefully and acquiesce with the crowd. I didn’t even know this band existed 15 minutes ago, now I have a crush on them like every other former owner of a Pastels badge.” Everett True

WAY THROUGH are a pastoral punk duo originally from Shropshire, now residing in London. Informed by the field as much as the flyover, Way Through write songs which phase in and out with guitar, tapes, damaged drums and vocals. Using wrong-footed repetition, rapid interplay and free-looping happenstance the band create a ragged yet intuitive tapestry of sound. Their songs walk the streets of market towns, wait forever at bus stops and lose themselves in edgelands.

“Invest in this musical and pictoral tribute to East London while you can… heartily recommended” The Quietus

“punk sentimentalities with an English candour” Dazed & Confused

“A refreshing rejection of punk-pop’s tired uniformity” NME 

Tickets on sale here (£5/4).

Facebook event here.

On Saturday 17th December, Adventures Close to Home are delighted to present our last show of the year, a festive celebration of the darkest months with two great pals, Alasdair Roberts and David A Jaycock.

ALASDAIR ROBERTS (Drag City) is Swabian-born, Kilmahog-bred alumnus of Appendix Out and single-handed re-reinventor of the Scots ballad tradition. He’s a recent Wire cover star, and has been hailed as ‘a genius’ in fRoots for his treatment of traditional tunes as well as for his songwriting, which, drawing on mythic motifs and ancient tunings, seems to reflect and distort the ballads he sings.

A keen collaborator, already this year Alasdair has recorded a Gaelic language album with Lewis singer Mairi Morrison; as part of the Archive Trails project at the Edinburgh School of Scottish Studies he’s been creating new work based on the folk play Galoshins; he’s recorded the soundtrack for ‘Dighty Burn’, a short film by Michael Windle and Edward Summerton; and is currently writing and arranging new material to be recorded later in 2011.



“Some of the weirdest wordplay this side of Damo Suzuki, Doom or Scott Walker.” The Wire

“Alasdair Roberts is a cult hero” The Guardian

“Effortlessly imbuing ancient folk song with renewed relevance.” **** MOJO

“One of Britain’s most singular and original talents.” fROOTS

“A warm, accessible continuation of the tradition that delights with every listen” BBC

“Roberts has wandered with care through Britain’s folk tradition, proving himself an idiosyncratic interpreter, it’s a long time since balladry has sounded this vital and primordial – so soaked in ancient blood “ **** UNCUT

http://www.alasdairroberts.com/
DAVID A JAYCOCK‘s “The Improvised Killing’s miniature set-pieces are hard to document in real time. Each one’s self-contained, delicately detailed like an entry in a Victorian child’s encyclopaedia, and as with an encyclopaedia you can dip in and out, follow your own path through the album. But listened to as a whole, its secrets creep out at the listener: constant sonic flourishes of mystery, ripples at the edges of reality.
For even as Jaycock’s accomplished guitar playing creates a still, bright core to the music, there’s always something amiss, awry: a keening, vintage synth; a diabolical fairground-organ lilt in the sweetest of tunes; a darkening drone in the distance; or a sinister chorus of voices. On the title track, the guitar stands strong amid a rumble of kettle drums and growling electronics, and a found flute straight from an MR James tale.
While drawing subtly from classical, folk and blues techniques (and the extended, experimental style established by Fahey and carried on by the likes of Jack Rose and Ben Chasny), Jaycock colours his take on acoustic guitar’s traditional warmth with an edge of thoroughly chilling British oddness. Listen close, and you’ll hear the ghostly textures of hauntology pioneers Broadcast or Belbury Poly; the sinister regularity of a Hawksmoor church; the inevitable, fateful ending of a folk tale; the clash of reason and superstition that gives tension to a Victorian ghost story; and always, somewhere, a sense of quite beautiful unease…”

 Frances May Morgan, Editor, Plan B Magazine

http://www.myspace.com/davidajaycockmusic

On Saturday 17th December, Adventures Close to Home are delighted to present our last show of the year, a festive celebration of the darkest months with two great pals, Alasdair Roberts and David A Jaycock.

ALASDAIR ROBERTS (Drag City) is Swabian-born, Kilmahog-bred alumnus of Appendix Out and single-handed re-reinventor of the Scots ballad tradition. He’s a recent Wire cover star, and has been hailed as ‘a genius’ in fRoots for his treatment of traditional tunes as well as for his songwriting, which, drawing on mythic motifs and ancient tunings, seems to reflect and distort the ballads he sings.

A keen collaborator, already this year Alasdair has recorded a Gaelic language album with Lewis singer Mairi Morrison; as part of the Archive Trails project at the Edinburgh School of Scottish Studies he’s been creating new work based on the folk play Galoshins; he’s recorded the soundtrack for ‘Dighty Burn’, a short film by Michael Windle and Edward Summerton; and is currently writing and arranging new material to be recorded later in 2011.



“Some of the weirdest wordplay this side of Damo Suzuki, Doom or Scott Walker.” The Wire

“Alasdair Roberts is a cult hero” The Guardian

“Effortlessly imbuing ancient folk song with renewed relevance.” **** MOJO

“One of Britain’s most singular and original talents.” fROOTS

“A warm, accessible continuation of the tradition that delights with every listen” BBC

“Roberts has wandered with care through Britain’s folk tradition, proving himself an idiosyncratic interpreter, it’s a long time since balladry has sounded this vital and primordial – so soaked in ancient blood “ **** UNCUT

http://www.alasdairroberts.com/

DAVID A JAYCOCK‘s “The Improvised Killing’s miniature set-pieces are hard to document in real time. Each one’s self-contained, delicately detailed like an entry in a Victorian child’s encyclopaedia, and as with an encyclopaedia you can dip in and out, follow your own path through the album. But listened to as a whole, its secrets creep out at the listener: constant sonic flourishes of mystery, ripples at the edges of reality.
For even as Jaycock’s accomplished guitar playing creates a still, bright core to the music, there’s always something amiss, awry: a keening, vintage synth; a diabolical fairground-organ lilt in the sweetest of tunes; a darkening drone in the distance; or a sinister chorus of voices. On the title track, the guitar stands strong amid a rumble of kettle drums and growling electronics, and a found flute straight from an MR James tale.
While drawing subtly from classical, folk and blues techniques (and the extended, experimental style established by Fahey and carried on by the likes of Jack Rose and Ben Chasny), Jaycock colours his take on acoustic guitar’s traditional warmth with an edge of thoroughly chilling British oddness. Listen close, and you’ll hear the ghostly textures of hauntology pioneers Broadcast or Belbury Poly; the sinister regularity of a Hawksmoor church; the inevitable, fateful ending of a folk tale; the clash of reason and superstition that gives tension to a Victorian ghost story; and always, somewhere, a sense of quite beautiful unease…”

 Frances May Morgan, Editor, Plan B Magazine
http://www.myspace.com/davidajaycockmusic

Tickets shortly on sale here (£5/4).

Facebook event here.

A special homecoming for ex-of-Oxford Sharron Kraus. Sharron Kraus is a singer, musician and songwriter who both defiantly recasts and tenderly cherishes the folk traditions of England and Appalachia. Her songs tell intricate tales of rootless souls, dark secrets and earthy joys, the lyrics plucked as sonorously as her acoustic guitar. Her latest solo album, The Woody Nightshade, is her finest and most ambitious to date. The songs undulate through delicate rhythmic heartbeats, understated folk sculptures and a shattering lyrical intensity. Claustrophobia permeates the tracks, brought on by Sharron’s wraithlike vocals and the glistening, taut acoustics, but there are also shining moments of serenity to ease the foreboding tension. The songs are mercury for the soul; the modern, yet timeless, wind-whipped myths will mark Sharron Kraus out as one of the most original and innovative artists in the UK today.

“British singer and musician Sharron Kraus has firmly established herself as a genuine heiress to the UK folk ancestry of Shirley Collins, Lal Waterson, or Maddy Prior…performing with a sparkling clear voice that can sound as ancient and elemental as rain, stone, or soil.” Matthew Murphy, Pitchfork

“
Exquisite… wonderful singer. She conjures up visions of Karen Dalton, Shirley Collins, Judy Dyble and even early Joni. Live she was fantastic too.” Byron Coley & Thurston Moore, Arthur Magazine

“The second album from Oxford’s fabulous Sharron Kraus is a wonderful follow-up to the haunting debut ‘Beautiful Twisted’. … this moves from traditional folk (in a Shirley Collins, Anne Briggs style) to her own songs and enchants all the way. An immaculate album from a major new singer.” Rough Trade

“Kraus’ gorgeously crystalline voice [is] perhaps one of the clearest, sweetest, and most lilting instruments in the current female folk canon.” Fake Jazz

“Sharron Kraus shows the dark side of old folk music. [Her voice] reaches a kind of emotional depth which is only rarely heard. The varied acoustic (string instrument and acoustic guitars or banjo) accompaniment makes the listening pleasure complete, an enthralling experience. This is very rich music showing different aspects of feelings and expressions with each listen. Now I consider it already as a classic. Highly recommended!” Psyche Van Het Folk

“Dense, fraught with emotional tension and little release, folksinger Sharron Kraus’ second album updates the past couple of centuries of acoustic music for a contemporary audience, without resorting to modern gimmickry. …Reporting from the field in a beautifully modulated soprano, Kraus walks us through a world of pre-dawn darkness, with an assurance that the sun will come up any minute. Brilliant.” Michael Toland, High Bias 


“Sharron Kraus goes about her musical business in a very unique way … giving each song a folksy nature with a grace that matches contemporaries like Kate Rusby and Cara Dillon. … a haunting performance.” Jason MacNeil, Pop Matters 


Fursaxa (ATP) is Philadelphia musician Tara Burke. Formerly a member of the Silbreeze band UN, Tara started her Fursaxa project in 1999 after UN disbanded. Since then Fursaxa has released six full length albums on the Acid Mothers Temple label, Ecstatic Peace, Time Lag, Eclipse, Last Visible Dog, and ATP. In addition there have been 3 self released CD-Rs and a CD on the her own Sylph recordings. In the summer of 2008 Fursaxa started recording her seventh full length record “Mycorrhizae Realm” at Hexham Head studio in Philadelphia, which was released in 2010. In her live sets she uses mainly layered vocals, keyboards, and percussion.

“[Fursaxa's songs] don’t evoke environments as much as they create sonic universes…Fursaxa’s music is a Zen koan, as mysteriously unsolvable as it is beautifully simple.” Pitchfork

“This free-folk is holy and mystical, the sound of a high priestess inducting her audience into magic, very witchy and esoteric… psychedelia in its purest form, guaranteed to transport you to another space and time… Burke has neatly sidestepped some of the denser atmospherics of contemporaries Charalambides and Bardo Pond in favour of a brighter more pastoral sound, something closer to artists like Espers and harpist Joanna Newsom, or even folk veteran Vashti Bunyan who Burke has also worked with recently. Bi-normal herb gardens and crystal sets may still infuse Fursaxa’s music, but when the smoke clears, the pop-tinged psych-folk tapestry of Mycorrhizae Realm is a beautiful thing… and still truly “smoking”.” Line of Best Fit, reviewing Mycorrhizae Realm

“ancient music caught in the synthetic fibres of today” The Quietus

This gig is extra special in that it is the first music event ever to be held in The China Shop, Oxford’s newest pop-up gallery space. Expect something very special, and perhaps one of the only chances you’ll ever get to see Sharron and Tara play in such an intimate and unusual space.

Tickets available from We Got Tickets & Truck Store on Cowley Road. £5 each.

                                                                                  Poster: Carolann Alexander

We’ve just about recovered from the awesome Viking Moses show this weekend, which saw brilliant sets from Brendon, Rob St. John and the amazing Petrels. Thanks to everyone that came and made it fantastic – what a great night.

We have some really exciting shows lined up for the future, the first of which we have the pleasure of announcing today – Lyrical Badlads, on the 12th November at Modern Art Oxford, featuring a wide range of exciting music, dance, performance and spoken word acts.

Since we started telling stories we have done so to the accompaniment of rhythm and melody, from campfire drums to Patti Smith’s guitar and hip hop. Lyrical Badlads is a celebrationof the fuzzy spaces where music and words continue to overlap. From the rhythms of slam poetry to musicians creating soundtracks for the written word, from soundscape backdrops to cabaret, this is storytelling as an immersive experience.

Lyrical Badlads is co-curated by the Oxford-based literary project eight cuts gallery, whose show The New Libertines played to sell-out crowds at Stoke Newington Literary Festival and Oxfringe. The collaboration was born out of our excitement on reading the  literature section of Oxford zine Wonderland, written by Dan Holloway, and discovering the rich variety of radical and DiY poetry and performance in the city: a must see human fireworks display of home-grown creativity.

The night will feature: a retelling of the Snow White story by award-winning slam poet Lucy Ayrton, told through words, belly dance, and gypsy orchestra; a performance from A Man In the Rain, the musical audiobook by Dave Griffiths, former frontman of the band Witches, and his new collaboration Grey Children; experimental electronica twosome To The Moon, known for their handmade costumes, films and puppet shows, who will be performing their own work and providing a soundscape for Literary Death Match winner Dan Holloway‘s prose-poem SKIN BOOK; poetry from Claire Trévien, one of the Salt Modern Voices; words and images from Anna Hobson, author of Tales of Unrequited Love; and doubtless the odd guest or two…

Thanks to Carolann Alexander for the awesome poster.

Buy tickets here.

Facebook event here.