But which one is Ian? Crystal Stilts get closer. Photography by Angel Ceballos

TUESDAY 9 AUGUST
Melkweg (Oude Zaal), 19.30, €11 + membership

Crystal Stilts could be the newest Joy Division for the modern generation. Listening to their latest album In Love with Oblivion (released 12 April on Slumberland Records), it harkens back to simpler times, with a fine mixture of jangle pop, indie rock and folk, all rolled into one. Their unique sound resembles that of ’60s psychedelic and ’80s rock, with cavernous vocals and percussion tinkling in the background, making it an aural delight. Their previously released album Alight of Night, received mixed reviews, as some said it was too dark and bass-heavy, with unclear vocals while others proclaimed it a stroke of genius.

Listening to some of their most accessible tracks – the self-titled ‘Crystal Stilts’, ‘Through the Floor’ and ‘Shake the Shackles’ (released separately as a 7″ in 2010) – I’m hurled back into a ’60s psych album quicker than I can say ‘groovy, baby’, with quickening riffs, battering drums and acid-tinged vocals. When I come to, I realise I’ve been listening to songs inspired by many of the bands I used to adore in my teenage years: Joy Division, Jesus and Mary Chain and The Velvet Underground. An epic stage presence and those indescribable vocals make Crystal Stilts a force to be reckoned with.

Decide for yourself if they are Joy Division for the modern generation! Email win@unfoldamsterdam.nl with I’m Ian! in the subject, and you and a friend could be going.