1: Logic
The 26-year-old Def Jam rapper experienced a childhood that involved crack and food stamps – so you wouldn’t blame him for a bit of escapism. Last year’s second album The Incredible True Story was set one century in the future and involved the story of the quest to find a successor to planet Earth.
KOKO, NW1, Tue & Wed; O2 Institute, Birmingham, Fri
2: Boredoms
In this world of shrinking revenue streams, it’s kind of boggling that a band of punky Japanese psychedelicists can keep a career going for more than three decades. But here the Osaka band are, back in the UK and still making Spiritualized sound as if they’ve never taken anything stronger than Calpol.
3: Nao
Frank Ocean’s growing influence over modern pop can be heard in Nao, that infectious melding of classic soul with its fractured, electronic offspring. She has shades of Kelis, fka twigs and 90s new jill swing to her, but the east Londoner always sounds comfortably herself. A recent Guardian review claimed her charismatic stage presence could “melt icebergs”, so if global warming doesn’t finish us off, this UK tour almost certainly will.
Birmingham, Wed; Manchester, Thu; Nottingham, Fri
4: Bellowhead
Praise to any band who can survive for 11 years – with all the squabbling over service station instant noodles that involves – and still plan an exit with dignity. Jig goodbye to their furiously delivered folk shanties before they call it a day in May.
5: ATP 2.0 Curated By Drive Like Jehu
Put aside the shambolic organisation (this was originally to be held in Prestatyn) and the fact you’ve never heard of Drive Like Jehu (oh, you’re an aficionado of early 90s San Diego hardcore, are you? Our profuse apologies). Instead, marvel at the only place you’re likely to hear music from John Cale, Mission Of Burma, Omar Souleyman and – of course – Drive Like Jehu all at once.
