Gridskipper

It's a big month for scanty electro-rock, with both Peaches and Goldfrapp making the Paris rounds. But guitar lovers have nothing to complain about in April. Along with plenty of Brit rock, the coming weeks will bring the Bellrays and our pick of the month - the Hives with Gogol Bordello. For those shows that are already sold out, fans can try eBay, the local message boards, or just show up at the venue with a sign reading "cherche billet." That mess can be avoiding by checking our calendar of what's Coming Soon. That list, plus videos and a radio player await you after the jump.

Coming in April:

Shout Out Louds 4/1 @ la Boule Noire
An indie-rock band from Stockholm, the Shout Out Louds mix plaintive please-don't-go lyrics with rambunctious pop melodies. The concert is free and State Radio opens at 8:00.

Editors 4/7 @ Bataclan
Darlings of the UK music press, Editors are often compared with Interpol and their forerunners Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen. They're touring heavily in support of An End Has a Start, and will be playing at 8:00. Tickets at €29 are sold out.

DeVotchKa 4/13 @ Café de la Danse
If DeVotchKa sounds familiar, you've either seen Little Miss Sunshine or caught them touring with burlesque star Dita von Teese. Either way, the gypsy-tinged band from Denver is one to learn a bit more about, beginning with this 8:00 concert. Tickets are €22.

Goldfrapp 4/16 @ Casino de Paris
The latest release from this electronic duo is down-tempo and mellow, quite a change from the dance beats of Supernova. Both styles should be on display in this 8:00 show, along with plenty of visual theatrics. Syd Matters opens, and tickets are €39.

Foals 4/16 @ le Trabendo
NME picked them as a "band of the year" for 2008, and Foals were just featured in March as a "breaking artist" in Rolling Stone. That makes right now the perfect time to go and see this jittery indie rock band from Oxford. Tickets are €22 and the show starts at 8:00.

The Breeders 4/18 @ la Cigale
In this MTV broadcast from 1994, Jon Norris thanks the Breeders for bringing back knee socks and insinuates that the song "Divine Hammer" might be about sex. The Deal twins and Co. will play at 7:30 for €28.

The Hives & Gogol Bordello 4/20 @ le Zénith
This video from 2000 shows the Hives performing "Hate to Say I Told You So" in a Swedish radio station. Before the days of matching suits, Pelle is beating on his knees and reading lyrics from a paper. This is much rougher by comparison to the tight stadium sets they're pulling off today, but watching it is pure joy. Gogol Bordello, whose last concert in Paris ended with a group of 100 fans rushing the stage and carrying the singer on their shoulders, will open at 7:00. Tickets are €33.

Peaches 4/25 @ Elysée Montmartre
It certainly isn't Peaches giving Sheriff Andy a hard-on in this video, and we're not even sure that it's authorized. But it's a damn funny substitute if you can't make it to her €17 show. Headbangirl opens, and the concert begins at 11:45.

The Long Blondes 4/26 @ la Maroquinerie

The Long Blondes came together in Sheffield only a few years ago, but were awarded shortly thereafter with an NME Radar prize. The barely legal references in this video for "Once and Never Again" are of course not endorsed by Gridskipper. Ipso Facto opens at 7:00, and tickets are €18.

The Bellrays 4/27 @ la Maroquinerie
The Bellrays from California are so much greater than the sum of their rock and soul parts. This video, featuring a live performance of "Highway to Hell" is a good indication of the kind of fun you're in for. Power Solo, the Danish "donkey punk" band that we loved last year at the Flèche d'Or, will open at 7:30, and tickets are €20.

Sebadoh 4/28 @ le Trabendo
Sebadoh was the quintessential lo-fi band of the '90s, formed by Lou Barlow while he was a frustrated bassist for Dinosaur Jr. Their sound swings from jangle pop to experimental noise, and they play at 7:30 for €22.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds 4/29 @ Casino de Paris
For those of you who can't take the moustache, we offer this alternate video featuring a young Nick Cave in the ghetto. Tickets for this 8:00 show are already well sold-out. But never fear: the man and his Seeds will be returning in June. Check our list of upcoming concerts below.

Coming Soon:
Broken Social Scene 5/4 @ Elysée Montmartre, Portishead 5/5 @ le Zénith, Jonathan Richman 5/07 @ Nouveau Casino, Xiu Xiu 5/10 @ Point Éphémère, Morcheeba 5/14 @ le Grand Rex, Scout Niblett 5/17
@ la Maroquinerie, Justice 5/18 @ l'Olympia, Vampire Weekend 5/19 @ le Trabendo, Yelle 5/23 @ Bataclan, Animal Collective 5/24 @ l'Alhambra, Bon Iver + Tunng @ le Trabendo, Cat Power 6/1 @ l'Olympia, Chris Garneau @ Théâtre de la Bastille, Feist 6/4 & 6/5 @ le Grand Rex, Radiohead 6/9 & 6/10 @ POPB, Tapes 'n Tapes 6/3 @ Bataclan, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks 6/4 @ la Maroquinerie, The Notwist 6/5 @ la Maroquinerie, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds 6/09 @ l'Olympia, Kiss 6/17 @ POPB, Foo Fighters 6/19 @ POPB, Beirut 6/24 @ l'Olympia.

Bands Playing April - June: