Musée imaginaire

Lulu & The Lampshades - 'Feet To The Sky' [Voga Parochia]

Tension building xylophone and ukulele open the track immediately drawing you in. Then the humming starts and soon turns into harmonious folky vocals, not unlike Kate Nash, just more delicate and dreamy. Apparently this track was written whilst cycling to France on New Year's Eve and explains the running undercurrent of the rhythm and the change in time signature - like a bike stopping at traffic lights then speeding on ahead. Singer Luisa's lyrics on the other hand describe an adventure into unknown territories - drink the wine to the bottom of the glass and watch it refill from air, turn our cheeks to the ground and feet to the sky and take it from there.

The other track here is 'Rose Tint' and is more of the same, slightly less upbeat with even more hand claps and hooky vocal aahs. These Lampshades are ornate, detailed and well designed.

• Available to download 18 October and the 7" is out on 26 October.

• Jamming with plastic containers Lampshade style here.

Lulu & the Lampshades @ the Flowerpot, Kentish Town, 01 October 2009

 

Ok so the dancing lampshades with the nipple tassels are on holiday, but this band are really worth catching. They tread the boards of the balcony in the happening house inhabited by Micachu & the Shapes and Conan Mockasin. Their blend of folk, 3 way harmonies, thoughtful use of original objects to make music including a wooden trailer box, typewriter and pint glasses, along with the whole coy/aloof persona make them a great catch before they ascend to mid sized London venue mayhem.

Tonight the Flowerpot crowd are a surprise to the band as singer Luisa remarks they thought the venue would be empty. Throughout the set Luisa and her main accomplice Heloise are constantly swapping round instruments and taking time out between songs to compose themselves and get their set up just right. They play a handful of new songs, including new single 'Feet to the Sky / Rose Tint' and as the crowd are so receptive to their sound they come back for one encore initially offering a choice of three older songs with Luisa quickly narrowing this down to two. Catch them:

5 October - Lofty Heights (single launch) @ the Slaughtered Lamb
6 November - ICA with Peggy Sue
28 November - Libre Infancia @ Passing Clouds