I love Koko in London - some of my favourite gigs of the year have taken place there (Stars, Air Traffic and Death Cab to list three - I also caught Tegan and Sara and Delays there, but didn’t write a review). They’re upping their game a bit, and have released some quick “highlights” programmes if you will - below is the Gossip @ Koko, or if guitar rock is more your sorta thing then catch The Enemy here.

Black Cab Sessions have garnered quite a cult following recently, with some massive artists playing the back of a cab… these include Brian Wilson,  Badly Drawn Boy, Lykke Li and Death Cab For Cutie. However, I honestly think that the latest one with Kurt from Lambchop was the best… catch it below:

Stumbled across this music video that recycles clips from 41 TV adverts - it’s by a Los Angeles band called From, and sounds pretty good, but the video is what takes a good song to an amazing combination.

Swedish duo First Aid Kit are Wichita’s latest signings, and are playing the label’s Christmas bash at Hoxton Bar and Grill (tickets £5). To get in the seasonal spirit of things they’ve done a special video… sounds like Tegan and Sara gone all Fleet Foxes on us. And that’s a good thing.

MUZU.tv has a great video from a band calling themselves the British Port Authority. Their new single, Seattle, is taken from their forthcoming album “I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat” which features the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Jack Penate, David Byrne, Iggy Pop and Martha Wainwright. I can’t find an official website, but watch the video and enjoy anyway!

I don’t know about you, but I’m having a really hard time this Christmas finding books within budget for my friends and family… Following on from our previous post about musical gifts, those lovely people at Virgin Books have been in touch to offer you 35% off their range of music books and free postage and packing this Christmas - what more could you ask for?

To get the 35% off AND free P&P simply enter the code VIRGINXMAS into the coupon box at the end of the checkout.

Have a browse around on the links below, and maybe and buy something - they’re actually cheaper than Amazon at the moment on a fair few books, and there really is something for everyone, from your Dad (Meatloaf perhaps?) to your Gran (BB King?) via your older cousin who you always knew was a tad strange (David Bowie!)

(Please note: I don’t get any comission from these book sales, nor am I affiliated in any way with Virgin Books - I just thought you might be interested in some Christmas ideas!)

Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called “Pixies” RRP: £7.99 Offer price: : £5.99 Inc. P&P	How to Make it in the Music Business RRP: £8.99 Offer price: : £6.74 Inc. P&P	How to Make Music in Your Bedroom RRP: £7.99 Offer price: : £5.99 Inc. P&P
Music: The Business RRP: £25 Offer price: : £18.75 Inc. P&P	Hallelujah!: The Extraordinary Story of Shaun Ryder and “Happy Mondays” RRP: £8.99 Offer price: : £6.74 Inc. P&P	Strange Fascination: David Bowie RRP: £12.99 Offer price: : £9.74 Inc. P&P
The B. B. King Treasures RRP: £30 Offer price: : £22.50 Inc. P&P	“Cream”: How Eric Clapton Took the World by Storm RRP: £9.99 Offer price: : £7.49 Inc. P&P	The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles RRP: £20 Offer price: : £15 Inc. P&P
Billy Bragg: Still Suitable for Miners RRP: £9.99 Offer price: : £7.49 Inc. P&P	The Lost Beach Boy: The True Story of David Marks, One of the Founding Members of the “Beach Boys” RRP: £17.99 Offer price: : £13.49 Inc. P&P	Willie Nelson: The Outlaw RRP: £9.99 Offer price: : £7.49 Inc. P&P
To Hell and Back: An Autobiography RRP: £9.99 Offer price: : £7.49 Inc. P&P	Anyway Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the “Who” 1958-1978 RRP: £9.99 Offer price: : £7.49 Inc. P&P	Cash: A Tribute to Johnny Cash RRP: £8.99 Offer price: : £6.74 Inc. P&P
Liverpool - Wondrous Place: From the Cavern to the Capital of Culture RRP: £9.99 Offer price: : £7.49 Inc. P&P	Changeling: The Autobiography of Mike Oldfield RRP: £8.99 Offer price: : £6.74 Inc. P&P

It’s that time of year again when the Pogues announce their Christmas shows, culminating in a two night stand at the Brixton Academy at the end of December.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, 31st August at 9am.

Catch them at the following dates:

Wednesday 12th December - Newcastle Carling Academy
Friday 14th December - Nottingham Ice Arena
Saturday 15th December - Manchester Central (formerly GMEX)
Sunday 16th December - Birmingham Carling Academy
Tuesday 18th December - London Brixton Academy
Wednesday 19th December - London Brixton Academy

Taken from Wicho’s flickr stream under the Creative Commons License.

Along with the Christmas party, another British institution of late appears to be the trend of bands doing a special one-off Christmas show in their hometown. This is the case with Southampton’s Delays, who played Oxford’s tiny Zodiac on Tuesday ahead of their hometown gig at Southampton’s Guildhall on Wednesday.

Their epic, summery songs are the perfect antidote to the freezing temperatures outside, adding some warmth to the audience. After a short intense set by Oxford based Fell City Girl for support, Delays walked on stage and burst right into “Lost in a Melody”, an electronic tinged stomper that is equally at home in the fields of festivals and the caverns of clubs. With this, Aaron, Greg, Colin and Rowly ran headlong into about 20 songs of pure quality that could convert even the most hardened of sceptics.

“On” has reminded me of Hot Chip’s “Over and Over” for a while now, with its catchy repetitiveness, and rather nice use of the strobes in the tiny Zodiac made for an entrancing song. “Bedroom Scene” was a chance for three quarters of Delays to take a break, as they left Greg to do the gentle strum with a lone light and a mass sing-along that didn’t quite work. The rest of Delays returned for new song “Girls on Fire”, which is tipped to be on their new album that’s going to be out next Summer reportedly, and if all goes to plan should set the festival scene on fire.

They closed their main set with “Long Time Coming” from their debut “Faded Seaside Glamour”, and Greg’s masterful footwork and over-excitability clearly made several girls at the front’s day. This was the song that got everybody going, having shaken off the winter blues and finally embraced the warmth they were giving off to the crowd.

When they came back for an encore we got a special version of “White Christmas” with Greg solo on his guitar, which was sublime and made my evening. We then got treated to two of Delays best songs from their last album, “Hideaway” and “Valentine”, both pop-classics in the making, and both failed to make much entry into the public’s mind.

Sometimes bands just don’t make as much impact into the public’s consciousness as they should, and Delays appear to have this misfortune. However, whilst this is the case they’ll continue to play small shows of people “in the know”.