Where do we start? With London's rich musical history, stretching from the mod and northern scene in the sixties, through punk and post-punk in the seventies, indie pop and shoegazing in the eighties and Britpop in the nineties, right up to the city's thriving underground in the present day? With a live circuit that boasts any number and range of gigs on any day of the week, taking in indie pop, art rock, lo fi, post rock, haircut indie, and whatever else can be mangled from six strings and an overheating amp? With an equally as vibrant club scene that encompasses small scale fan only gatherings in pub back rooms and garguantuan multi-room nights in state of the art venues that will assault your wallet as well as your senses? With online communities based in London, magazines based in London, radio stations....? It's impossible to cover everything, but here are our favourite things about our hometown....

How Does It Feel To Be Loved?
Canterbury Arms in Brixton and The Phoenix, Cavendish Square, every first Friday and third Saturday, £3 members, £5 non members, 9pm-2am
Run by our good selves, so we're a little biased. Why not take The Guardian's word for it instead? "Absolutely the best night in the whole of the world!" Phew. We play indie pop, northern soul, Tamla Motown, girl groups and sixties heartbreak, and every month we put on live shows at Jamm in Brixton. If you want to dance to The Smiths and The Supremes in a friendly, unpretentious setting, then we might just be able to help...
(www.howdoesitfeel.co.uk)

Basement Scam
Buffalo Bar, 259 Upper Street, London N1, every fourth Friday, £3, 9pm-2am
Fortuna Pop DJs and guests serve a melting portion of soul, psych, punk and indiepop. Expect the likes of Television Personalities, The Monks, Graham Coxon, Cornershop, The Standells, Bearsuit, Alternative TV, Syd Barrett and loads more. Plus live bands.

AC30
Times and places vary
Excellent shoegazing and post rock night. AC30 also promote gigs, usually at the Water Rats and the Marquee. Cool club and good people.
(www.clubac30.com)

Spiral Scratch
Times and places vary
Superb indiepop and electropop club night. They also promote gigs, and so far have put on shows by the likes of Pipas and Suburban Kids With Biblical Names. Always worth checking out what they're up to.
(www.spiralscratchpop.com)

PopArt
Times and places vary
London's indiepop pranksters, responsible for some of the most fun nights out in town. Previous events have included the Pop Art Pirate Party, held on a boat on the Thames, and Bowl & Sebastian, a B&S-themed night at the Bloomsbury Bowling alley.
(www.popartlondon.co.uk)

Baby Honey
Buffalo Bar, second Friday of the month
New monthly indie pop club night from the people responsible for So Tough So Cute and Twee As Fuck. Expect cool indie pop bands and dancing afterwards.
(www.myspace.com/babyhoneyclub)

Tapestry Club
St Aloysius Social Club, 20 Phoenix Road, London NW1, last Friday of the month
Their myspace may give the impression that this club has long gone, but it's still alive and kicking, in its coolly low key fashion. You'll see live bands like The Clientele and The Pipettes here, and dance to country and country rock a plenty.
(www.myspace.com/tapestryclub)

Scared To Dance
Slaughtered Lamb, 34-35 Great Sutton Street, London EC1V
Post punk, indiepop and more at this monthly free party.
(www.myspace.com/scaredtodanceclub)

Venues

The Buffalo Bar
259 Upper Street, London N1, prices vary, 9pm-2am
North London's finest small venue. Gorgeous 150 capacity basement bar, home to Artrocker, Crimes Against Pop and several excellent club nights. The original base for How Does It Feel To Be Loved? - you'll find the coolest, more inventive small club nights in London here.
(www.buffalobar.co.uk)

The Windmill
22 Blenheim Gardens, Brixton, SW2 5BZ, prices vary, 8pm-late
South London's finest small venue. New music seven days at week at this atmospheric pub just off Brixton Hill. Don't be fooled by The Windmill's rough'n'ready exterior - inside lie fairy lights, wooden tables with candles and Brixton's freaks and hipsters determined to have a good time.
(www.windmillbrixton.co.uk)

Bush Hall
310 Uxbridge Roadm London, W12 7LJ, prices and times vary
West London's finest small venue. Well, relatively small venue. This early 20th century dance hall is elegance personified - chandeliers and red velvet carpets are the order of the day here. When the likes of Nick Cave or R.E.M want to throw a stylish secret gig, this is where they come.
(www.bushhallmusic.co.uk)

The Luminaire
311 Kilburn High Road, London NW6, prices and times vary
North west London's finest small venue. A brand new addition to the London gig circuit - a converted cinema that's been turned into a sophisticated live music space with superb sound, great lighting and a cute little photo pit. The glitter ball in a domed recess behind the bands is a lovely touch.

Barden's Boudoir
38-44 Stoke Newington Road, London N16 7XJ
Super hip indie venue in the wilds of north London. Fans of avant noise, left field indie and forward thinking underground music will find something to delight them here.
(www.bardensbar.co.uk)

ULU
Malet Street, London WC1E 7HY
Short for University Of London Union. A mid sized, 800 capacity, rites-of-passage gig for any band heading seriously for the big time. Ricky Gervais of The Office fame was once Events Manager here.
(www.ulu.co.uk/ululive/)

The Star Of Bethnal Green
359 Bethnal Green Road, London E2
Bethnal Green's answer to the Buffalo Bar, a mod-themed 150 capacity venue renouned for new bands and small club nights.
(www.pleasureunitbar.com/)

The Lexington
96-98 Pentonville Road, London N1
Owned and run by the same people who own the Buffalo Bar, this 200 capacity venue boasts a gorgeous bar downstairs, and a cool venue upstairs.
(www.thelexington.co.uk)

100 Club
100 Oxford Street, London, W1D 1LL
Historic 300 capacity family-run venue in the very centre of London that's played host to everyone from Jackie Wilson, The Who and The Rolling Stones to the Sex Pistols and Oasis. The legendary 6Ts northern soul all nighters are currently based here.
(www.the100club.co.uk)

Scala
275-277 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9NL
Once a down-at-heel cinema famous for its smokey and boozy all night movie and rock'n'roll sessions (Hawkwind and Iggy Pop both played here in the 70s, while Blitz-era Spandau Ballet did the honours in the early 80s), the Scala is now a modern, air-conditioned 900 capacity venue.
(www.scala-london.co.uk)

Jamm
261 Brixton Road, London, SW9 6LH
As the Old White Horse, this 200 capacity Brixton venue regularly played host to punk bands like The Clash, and these days they host techno, house and reggae clubs at the weekend, as well as after show parties for bands playing at the Brixton Academy down the road. On the fourth Thursday of the month, How Does It Feel To Be Loved? host free indie pop nights. Jamm's excellent sound system, and cool front patio make it more than worth the visit.
(www.brixtonjamm.org)

The Boogaloo
312 Archway Rd, London, N6 5AT
Proclaimed "London's greatest rock pub" by Time Out, and supposedly boasting the "number one jukebox in London" (Time Out again), The Boogaloo is a coolly unpretentious drinker in the leafy middle class borough of Highgate. Famed as much for its events as its day to day ambience, The Boogaloo hosts spoken word nights, a movie and pop quiz, live music nights with the likes of Shane MacGowan and Pete Doherty, and anything else with a tinge of rock'n'roll.
(www.theboogaloo.co.uk)

The Prince Albert
418 Coldharbour Lane, London, SW9 8L
Much loved Brixton boozer, despite having a bright orange frontage. Relaxed atmosphere, excellent music ranging from indie to punk controlled by a laptop on the bar, and a cool patio beer garden out the back which hosts poetry evenings and the occasional gig during the summer.

The Phoenix Theatre Bar
Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H
Known to some as Shuttleworths, this atmospheric basement bar is often packed with indie musicians and music journalists taking in a pint or seven either before or after catching a show at the nearby Astoria, Mean Fiddler or Borderline venues. Admission is restricted to members after 11pm, although guests can be signed in.

The Good Ship
89 Kilburn High Road, NW6 7JR
Cool bar on Kilburn High Road. Entertainment comes in the form of live bands of all types, a 100 CD jukebox (including Tom Vek, The Smiths, Sly and The Family Stone, Interpol and a load of Nuggets and Rough Trade compilations), a pop quiz, a general knowledge quiz, open mic night and DJs on Friday and Saturday.
(www.thegoodship.co.uk)

Rough Trade
130 Talbot Road, W11 1JA/91 Brick Lane, London, E16Q
Legendary record stores that spawned not only the Rough Trade label but also highly regarded indie Wiiija (named after the postcode of the Talbot Road stores). The larger Brick Lane branch also hosts live shows at lunchtime.
(www.roughtrade.com)

Sister Ray
34-35 Berwick Street, London, W1F 8RP
Cut price indie store in the heart of Soho stocking a decent range of underground and alternative sounds. Cool range of t shirts too.
(www.sisterray.co.uk)

Revival Records
30 Berwick Street, W1V 3RF
New and second hand indie rarities abound in this famous Soho record shop.
(www.reckless.co.uk)

Intoxica! Records
231 Portobello Rd, W11
Sixties beat, soul and jazz at this famous west London record store.
(www.intoxica.co.uk)

Sounds Of The Universe
7 Broadwick St, W1
Soul, ska, jazz and more at this super cool Soho record shop.
(www.soundsoftheuniverse.com)

Pure Groove
6-7 West Smithfield, London, EC1A 9JX
Record shop/music bar/gallery space in central London, hosting regular instore performances.
(www.puregroove.co.uk)

Flashback
50 Essex Road, London, N1 8LR
Rare and second hand CDs and vinyl in this cool north London shop.
(www.flashback.co.uk)

Alan's Record Shop
212 High Road, London N2 9AY
Well worth braving the trek to East Finchley in north London for this excellent record shop, supposedly Bob Stanley of Saint Etienne's favourite.

Haggle Vinyl
114 Essex Road, London N1
Vinyl-only record store in Islington. The shop's own myspace describes the owner as "famously grumpy".
(www.myspace.com/hagglevinyl)

Music And Video Exchange
38 Notting Hill Gate, W11; 23 Greenwich Church St, SE10; 95 Berwick Street, W1; 208 Camden High St, NW1
Legendary chain of second hand record stores.
(www.mveshops.co.uk)

Alternative Music Shop
267 Archway Road London N6 5BS
Does exactly what it says on the tin.
(www.myspace.com/alternativemusicshop)

Sounds That Swing
88 Parkway, Camden Town, London, NW1 7AN
Excellent 50s, 60s record store in swinging Camden.
(www.myspace.com/nohitrecordssoundsthatswing)

On The Beat
22 Hanway Street, London, W1T 1UQ
Small but perfectly formed second hand record shop in the very centre of London

Division One
36 Hanway Street, London W1P 9DE
"Tunes to make you dribble", at this small central London shop.
(www.divisionone.co.uk)

Soul Brother
1 Keswick Road, Putney, SW15 2HL
Excellent soul, funk and jazz shop selling new and second hand CDs and vinyl.
(www.soulbrother.com)

Out On The Floor
10 Inverness Street, London, NW1 7HJ
Soul, jazz, rock, reggae and punk in this small split-level shop named after a northern soul classic.

Local Bands

Veronica Falls
Known until very recently as The Draculas, this is the latest band from the people responsible for Sexy Kids and The Royal We. Expect taut, thrilling indie pop that sounds like Young Marble Giants tussling with The Delgados.
(www.myspace.com/veronicafallshard)

Fanfarlo
Fragile, romantic orchestral pop.in thrall to Sufjan Stevens, Beirut and Arcade Fire.
(www.myspace.com/fanfarlo)

Pocketbooks
Pocketbooks are an indiepop group from London, brought together through a shared love of tambourines, handclaps, glockenspiels, jangly guitars and boy/girl harmonies. Think Belle & Sebastian and The Boy Least Likely To.
(www.myspace.com/pocketbooks)

Lucky Soul
A female fronted five piece from Greenwich, Lucky Soul sound like The Pipettes flirting with Saint Etienne (them again!), all sleek sixties melodies and songs to make your heart melt.
(www.luckysoul.co.uk)

Allo Darlin'
Four piece fronted by uke-toting Elizabeth Morris who play giddy, infectious indie pop that sounds like Jens Lekman in a spin with Camera Obscura.
(www.myspace.com/allodarlin)

King And The Olive Fields
Philip Serfaty and a rotating cast of friends play swoonsome, literate indie pop festooned with ukuleles, cellos, banjos and the like. For fans of early Magnetic Fields, The Wave Pictures and Herman Dune.
(www.myspace.com/kingsongs)

Tender Trap
Legendary indiepop outfit, fronted by Amelia Fletcher of Talulah Gosh/Heavenly fame. The now five strong Tender Trap - Rob Pursey and DJ Downfall being joined by Katrina Dixon on stand up drums and Elizabeth Darling (of Allo Darlin') on guitar - sound brimful with energy, ideas and that unquenchable pop spirit.
(www.myspace.com/tendertrap)

Arthur And Martha
London electropop duo who employ moogs, melodicas and antique drum machines to create brilliant deadpan pop. Or as The Guardian put it: ""This tweetronica duo create a sort of cutie krautrock with poignant pulsebeats that propel achingly pretty melodies".
(www.myspace.com/arthurandmartha)

Moustache Of Insanity
A duo comprising a Swede and an Australian, Moustache Of Insanity play ”a daft combination of twee bedroom pop and the Moldy Peaches”. We hear the wry pop of Jens Lekman and the Salty Pirates, and a whole bundle of fun.
(www.myspace.com/moustacheofinsanity)

The Bridport Dagger
The trio of the Dagger create clattering, folk-shanty hymns to burning houses, excessive drinking and the horrors of the working week while musically joining the dots between diseased waltz-time, distressed flamenco, marching band rhythms and eerie acoustic-drone.
(www.myspace.com/thebridportdagger)

Betty And The Werewolves
Betty And The Werewolves play classic, head-over-heels indiepop in the vein of Heavenly and Talulah Gosh.
(www.myspace.com/bettyandthewerewolves)

Hissing At Swans
Hissing at Swans call themselves "a ramshakle ukelele and 80's keyboard demo collective from Essex/East London" - which means they're a female duo in thrall to Magnetic Fields and Moldy Peaches who approach gigs as if they're art installations. Expect homemade films and lots of off-kilter charm.
(www.myspace.com/hissingatswans)

The Give It Ups
Give it up for…a cool new five piece from south London, who cite the Vaselines, the Swell Maps, the Mountain Goats and Beat Happening as influences. Their debut single is out now on Cloudberry records.
(www.myspace.com/theegiveitups)

The Gresham Flyers
London-based sextet The Gresham Flyers are the hybrid of their diverse geographical backgrounds (north, midlands, south and Slough) and the best bits of your record collection, all sprinkled with a little sugar - David Gedge fronting an unruly combination of Sparks and Pulp. Classy, energetic pop, boy/girl singers, handclaps, and hooks you can hang your duffel coat on.
(www.thegreshamflyers.com)

Wintergreen
Classy pop music with chugging guitars, bloopy analogue synths, tinkly pianos and shiny, sunny harmonies as though Mercury Rev were dirtying up Belle & Sebastian with ideas of Aphex Twin and Stereolab.
(www.iwantwintergreen.com)

The Postcards
Perfect pop played on big red guitars. Indie pop as it was meant to be, effortlessly delivered by this cool new foursome from Brockley in south London. Think The Lucksmiths, think Postcard records, think guitars that jangle and harmonies that soar.
(www.myspace.com/thepostcards)

Urban75
Brixton based online community that takes in political protest, music, sport, travel, education, relationships, the lot. Also hosts a club night, Offline, at JAMM in Brixton, where Indietravelguide DJs have been known to spin the odd tune. A vital part of south London life.
(www.urban75.com)

London Gig Guide
The pick of the capital's live shows. You'll find the coolest gigs happening in London listed here. Updated weekly.
(www.howdoesitfeel.co.uk/londongigguide.html)

Main London photo © Urban75

If you'd like to recommend a club, bar, record shop, band or any indie delight for inclusion in the Indie Travel Guide, please email us. If we've included a link to your band/shop etc, it would be lovely if you could link back to us. Thank you!