Around the traps: Coming at you live

If you’re not flying to Byron Bay for Spendour in the Grass, there are plenty of sideshows to keep you entertained throughout the end of July. To cover some of the many highlights, English rock outfit Band of Skulls will be bringing their distinctive guitar sounds to Melbourne on Thu Jul 26 at the Corner Hotel.

Several acts whose debut albums have set the agenda this year will be visiting, including BBC Sound of 2012 winner Michael Kiwanuka. His Home Again album is a distinctly modern take on a timeless folk-infused soul style, and local audiences can see Kiwanuka perform along with Ben Howard on Wed Jul 25, also at the Corner Hotel. Fellow UK outfit Django Django have also adopted a distinctive blend of styles for their debut album released this year, incorporating elements of electronic, blues, acoustic instrumentation, and experimental rock. Catch Django Django at the Corner Hotel the following Tue Jul 31.

From the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, New York’s Friends are reviving a different hybrid sound, bringing ’80s-inspired post punk and new wave back to the fore with their new album Manifest! They play the Northcote Social Club on Wed Jul 25.

Fans of neo-folk and psychedelic sounds can see former Fleet Foxes drummer Joshua Tillman performing under the moniker Father John Misty. His album Fear Fun – released in May – was a kaleidoscopic pop adventure, and will be brought to life for audiences at the Corner Hotel on Sat Jul 28.

For a more reflective musical experience, a series of events called The Story So Far will be held every Sunday during July at the Bella Union in Trades Hall. Hosted by Sunny Leunig and Jacinta Parsons of 3RRR radio, the shows offer conversation and song with some of Australia’s premier artists, looking at the music that has inspired and influenced them. Included in the program will be Kim Salmon and Angie Hart, Dan Kelly and Pikelet, and Joe Camilleri and Jess Cornelius.