Avi Buffalo @ Rough Trade East 25/05/10

"We met Jimmy Page today" says Avi Buffalo drummer Sheridan Riley, "He looked like David Carradine." Given that Carradine accidentally killed himself by auto-asphyxiation last year many might consider being a lookalike something of an insult but coming from the innocent lips of this band? It's nothing more than giddy excitement.

Making a whistlestop tour of the UK, Avi met the Led Zeppelin hero at the BBC6Music studios and though he is not in attendance this evening the spirit of his guitar don skills certainly are. To put it simply Avi Zahner-Isenberg is an astounding six stringer, an acolyte of the axe. Throughout this short, instore appearance so many of the songs are transformed from pleasant tales of lovelorn indie romance into something entirely diffrerent through Avi attacking his fret board and stroking the strings just so.

'Truth Sets In' transforms from delicate and pastoral to wild and psychedelic and the charmingly coy 'Jessica' raises itself on its hind legs when Avi brings a wall of distorted noise three quarters of the way through. It's an excellent tool to have in the bag for a band who without it could be accused of being slightly dull. There is nothing wrong with the hazy summer afternoon jams like 'Where's Your Dirty Mind' but perhaps their ideal setting is, y'know, in the sun and not a small London record shop.

However, the guitar skills combined with a dorky sense of humour and the bands undeniable, Shins-inspired songs proves a hard combination to resist. As the ringing notes and yearning passion of 'What's In It For?' ring out Avi Buffalo extend the afternoon sun for one blissful extra hour.

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For The Record: April 2010

April has been a fairly quiet month with sub-standard albums from Plan B, MGMT and Kate Nash dominating the release schedules. Luckily May is shaping up to be the busiest month of all time. Technically the new Crystal Castles album is not out until June but was rushed out digitally following a leak. Alice and Ethan have taken their shredded brutslity of yore and smoothed the edges, created a violent club soundtrack that pushes boundaries and demands attention. Having only ever heard the album played at ear lacerating volume I can only assume how monumental tracks like Celestica and Baptism are going to sound when played out live...

The best albums of April:

She & Him - Volume 2
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (II) (Album of the month)
Caribou - Swim
Avi Buffalo - Avi Buffalo
Darwin Deez - Darwin Deez

Also reccomended: Starkey, Peggy Sue, Ikonika, The Fall, Futureheads and Jonsi.

I'm aware there are a few key releases I haven't properly covered in 2010, hopefully next week there will be a post plugging any such gaps.

April was however a bumper month for great tracks. To see everything (a la Patrick Stewart) that was written about over the last month the click HERE. There you will find stuff by Hot Chip, Beck, MIA, jj, HEALTH, Big Boi, Rolo Tomassi, Blur, Active Child, The Big Pink, Toro Y Moi and more...

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Avi Buffalo - What's In It For?

What's your favourite record label right now? Mine's got to be Sub Pop, which although always stellar, is really putting out some great new bands at the moment. Male Bonding, Dum Dum Girls, Magic Kids and Happy Birthday all making stunning music from giddy child like pop to down and dirty punk. It's Avi Buffalo who's peaking my interest the most at the moment however.

'What's In It For?' is apparently picking up Radio 1 play (day and night time) and you can see why. Deceptively simple but layered thick Avi holds his guitar up to the sun and makes it twinkle beautifully. Killer melodies, total Summer sing along this song could be for Avi Buffalo what Lust For Life was for Girls last year.

MP3: Avi Buffalo - What's In It For? (Demo)

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