I have a love/hate relationship with BBC Radio1 evening show host Zane Lowe. He often gets on my nerves because he likes to shout. A lot. I chalk this up to the fact that he has the privilege of talking to rock stars on a regular basis, and should I ever get a cushy job like that, I would probably be overexcited and shouty as well. However, I digress. It’s thanks to Lowe’s regular choosing of the “Hottest Record in the World” (at 7:30 PM GMT most evenings Monday through Thursday) that I get to hear some of the most hotly-tipped songs before their official release. And here is a prime example of his good taste – PopWreckoning favorites Friendly Fires covering Holy Ghost!’s now classic “Hold On,” which was chosen as a “Hottest Record” for February 4.

I’ve done research in the blogosphere and heard quite a bit about the backstory of this single from interviews the BBC did last month with Friendly Fires’s Ed Macfarlane (vocals / bass / synths). What I’ve gathered is that the two acts ran into each other last summer at the dance music festival Calvi on the Rocks in Corsica. It’s unclear which parties were inebriated but Holy Ghost!’s Alex Frankel made the suggestion of recording covers of each other’s songs. Macfarlane, a self-admitted fanatic of Holy Ghost!’s work, concurred. Further, Macfarlane told a BBC 6music news reporter that he spent so much time and effort remixing Phoenix’s “Fences” that given the choice, his preference with respect to Holy Ghost! was to do “a proper reinterpretation” of one of their songs rather than simply a remix.

You may wonder, “if they talked about doing this last summer, why is it taking so long for it to be released?” Further in the folklore is that Friendly Fires, so enthused about the project, got their cover finished quickly. However, Holy Ghost!’s recording of their track was riddled by bad luck. Word on the street is that their already recorded session tapes and vocal tracks vanished, and they suffered a hard drive meltdown. It should also be noted that there was further delay caused by the untimely death of !!!/LCD Soundsystem drummer Jerry Fuchs. (Incidentally, the “On Board” track is one of the last recordings Fuchs played on.)

If you’ve listened to Friendly Fires’s “Paris” as many times as I have, the intro to their cover of Holy Ghost!’s “Hold on” should sound welcome as an old friend. The pronounced bass line, as well as winning cowbell and agogô – hallmarks of tracks by this XL Recordings act – make this cover memorably different than the original. The disco dancefloor vibe and the short-sounding lyrics have gone, replaced by in-your-face percussion (thanks to surely one of music’s hardest-working drummers, Jack Savidge) and sexy as hell lead vocals. Edd Gibson’s guitar riffs three-quarters of the way in are also a totally appreciated addition.

DFA Records duo Holy Ghost! decided they wanted to put their own stamp on the Friendly Fires’s boisterous singalong “On Board.” (You may recall hearing the original on commercials for the Wii Fit and Gran Turismo 5.) Their take features, as should be expected from them, a disco sensibility; however, it also comes complete with angelic female voices credited as “the DFA Celestial Choir,” lending a vocal richness not present in the original. The lead vocal is more intelligible as well. (Sorry Ed Mac, but if someone hadn’t told me the lyrics included “without your own defiling / you’d backwards circle right above our heads“, I never would have guessed). I also really dig the tacking-on of the catchy, repeated “Don’t stop! Don’t stop!” squarely in the middle of the track.

Because of the mutual admiration Friendly Fires and Holy Ghost! have for each other, I think it’s safe to say that should these two dance music acts ever decide to go on tour together, that would make for one hell of a bill.

The “Hold On” / “On Board” double-A-sided single will be released on 12″ vinyl and digitally on March 8 by XL Recordings. Check out the original versions of both below (Holy Ghost! don’t have a promo video for “Hold On” so only audio is available for that one.)

Friendly Fires - “On Board”

Holy Ghost! - “Hold On”

Track Listing
1. Friendly Fires – Hold On
2. Friendly Fires – Hold On (instrumental)
3. Holy Ghost! – On Board
4. Holy Ghost! – On Board (instrumental)
5. Holy Ghost! – On Board (dub – on download version only)

Friendly Fires: website | myspace | Friendly Fires review | Remix Monday: “Skeleton Boy” | @ Black Cat | @ Dot to Dot Festival | interview with pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3 | Mercury Prize Nominations Announced | New Video on MTV, To Play Jimmy Kimmel and Winter Nylon Tour, Release Expanded Version of Debut Album | @ Lollapalooza 2009 | @ le poisson rouge | @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | on Jimmy Kimmel | Remix Monday: “Paris” | Remix Monday: Phoenix’s “Fences” | NYLON Winter Music Tour Starring Friendly Fires with the xx @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston
Holy Ghost!: website | myspace | Remix Monday: Cut Copy “Hearts on Fire” | Remix Monday: Phoenix “Lisztomania”

Had you told me five years ago, when I was listening primarily to Morrissey and the Killers, that in a few short years I would be going mental over London folk musicians and the music they make, I would have laughed in your face. I’m definitely not laughing now, having fallen in love first with Noah and the Whale, then Fanfarlo, and now Mumford and Sons. They’re the latest success story to come out of the London folk music scene and the band comprises four close friends (Marcus Mumford, Country Winston, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane), all in their early twenties, who came together thanks to a shared love of country, bluegrass, and folk. They describe themselves on their website as having “…fire in their bellies, romance in their hearts, and rapture in their masterful, melancholy voices.” I can’t think of a more appropriate description for men who have created a magnificently emotional album such as Sigh No More.

It was the first single from their debut album, “Little Lion Man,” aggressive with its driving guitar, banjo, and mandolin, that first brought the quartet fully to my attention. The chorus of “but it was not your fault but mine / and it was your heart on the line / I really fucked it up this time / didn’t I, my dear?” is more jaunty than it should be for the subject matter, but it works splendidly with the backing instrumentation. “Dust Bowl Dance” is a little slower but feels just as insistent.

However, it’s the reflective brilliance of “Winter Winds” (released as a single in the UK appropriately in early December 2009) that truly made me a Mumford fan. The beauty of this track cannot be overstated: I actually felt my heart ache upon hearing its first verse: “As the winter winds litter London with lonely hearts / oh the warmth in your eyes swept me into your arms / was it love or fear of the cold that led us through the night? / for every kiss your beauty trumped my doubt” (watch the official promo video below). Romantic? Yes. “Awake My Soul” and the closing track on the album, “After the Storm,” are equally gorgeous.

Successful folk music depends on strong vocals and equally strong musicianship, each providing support for whilst highlighting the other. Songs like “Roll Away Your Stone,” “White Blank Page,” and their current single “The Cave” showcase lead singer Marcus Mumford’s authoritative yet poignant voice, beautifully supported by Winston, Lovett, and Dwane’s backing vocals, while also sounding more like traditional folk. The minor-keyed “Thistle and Weeds” later in the album proves the band can also excel in less poppy folk. “I Gave You All” is a wild card of the bunch, beginning as a seemingly soft, thoughtful piece before ripping hearts wide open halfway through the song.

Having been on the long-list for the BBC Sound of 2009 poll in late 2008, Mumford and Sons were just getting started on their steady rise to fame in Britain around the time I could have seen them live for the first time, had I known more about them. I might have seen them perform at Rock City in Nottingham, England, at the Dot to Dot Festival last May, had I not been interviewing Friendly Fires. I learned of my “mistake” in the most unexpected way: Friendly Fires’s guitar tech appeared from nowhere shortly after our interview was over and announced to us all that we were fools to have missed such an amazing performance.

Thankfully, this quartet have achieved a level of success that has allowed them to tour North America, and I for one will definitely see them live when they come to my town. Need further evidence of how big they are? Despite having only been together for less than 3 years, there is already a Mumford and Sons spoof tribute band from Ireland called Sonford and Mums. What’s that they say, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” or something like that? I think Mumford and Sons deserve all the flattery bestowed upon them for their debut effort.

Sigh No More is available now on Glassnote Records in America (the band is signed to Island Records in the UK).

Tracklisting
01. Sigh No More
02. The Cave
03. Winter Winds
04. Roll Away Your Stone
05. White Blank Page
06. I Gave You All
07. Little Lion Man
08. Thistle and Weeds
09. Awake My Soul
10. Dust Bowl Dance
11. After the Storm

Tour Dates
May 13 – Cabaret du Musee Juste Pour Rire / Montreal*
May 14 – Middle East Downstairs / Cambridge, MA*
May 16 – Fillmore at TLA / Philadelphia*
May 18 – Webster Hall / New York City*
May 20 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC*
May 21 – Beachland Ballroom / Cleveland*
May 22 – Wexner Center / Columbus*
May 24 - Lincoln Hall / Chicago*
May 25 – Varsity Theatre / Minneapolis*
May 29 – Sasquatch Music Festival / George, WA*
May 30 – 560 Club / Vancouver*
May 31 – Aladdin Theatre / Portland*
Jun 03 – Great American Music Hall / San Francisco*
Jun 04 – Henry Fonda Theatre / Los Angeles*
Jun 07 – Rhythm Room / Phoenix*
Jun 09 – Antone’s / Austin*
Jun 10 – House of Blues / Dallas*
Jun 12 – Bonnaroo Music Festival / Manchester, TN
Jun 14 – Bluebird / Bloomington, IN
Jun 15 – Off Broadway / St. Louis
Jun 16 – Record Bar / Kansas City, KS
*with the Middle East

Mumford and Sons: website | myspace | MP3 Minute: Mumford and Sons Cover Vampire Weekend | The Middle East Announces North American Festival Dates, Spring Tour with Mumford and Sons

I always feel it’s a privilege to see a band on the last date of a tour. By then, all the bugs have been worked out of a band’s set and they’ve got everything down pat to every last detail, so what you see before you is a culmination of nights and nights of “rehearsal” (if you will) for their final parting bow. A sold-out crowd in Washington greeted Editors, kings of the dark indie rock genre in Britain and the Continent, when they appeared at the 9:30 Club Sunday night, the final date of a 2-week North American tour.

Two New York bands assumed supporting act duties for the night. The first band to play was the unsigned quartet the Dig. When I know little about an opening band, I keep an open mind but also accept the fact that their music might not float my boat. In the Dig’s case, I really liked what I heard and from what I could tell by the applause from people around me, they went over pretty well with the folks that claimed places near the front early. They play pretty much straight forward rock ‘n’ roll, switching off between two lead singers (Emile Mosseri [bassist] and David Baldwin [guitar]). Two of the highlights of their short set were “You’re Already Gone,” a song I can see having radio hit potential, and “Two Sisters in Love.”

I won’t name any names for fear of stoning, but despite the super stardom of some American rock bands here and abroad, I can’t name one that has fully captured my attention in some time. The Dig’s final song, “I Just Want to Talk to You,” is one down and dirty number that sounded like the love child between Aerosmith (raw vocals and guitar riffs) and Led Zeppelin (bluesy, jammy goodness). Wicked. Keep an eye on these guys. Their debut album Electric Toys will drop in America on April 27.

.“You’re Already Gone” by The Dig.

I’ve read some reviewer’ suggestions that Brooklyn trio the Antlers makes music that fits the shoegaze and/or dream pop genres, and I can see why. They released their latest album, Hospice, last year. And as the album title suggests, this is heavy stuff and deals with tough subjects, weightier than your average shoegaze or dream pop band certainly and overall, they’re a bit quirky. I mean, really, what rock band nowadays plays with potted plants attached to their synths? Big Antlers fans were definitely in attendance, cheering appreciatively whenever frontman/guitarist Peter Silberman spoke to the crowd or introduced a number such as “Two,” the song that received the loudest cheers.

Silberman’s voice has an ephemeral quality, which at times sounds perfect against the swirly synths and effects of their keyboardist Darby Cicci and at other times at odds with drummer Michael Lerner’s pounding beats. Structurally, their songs remind me of those of Cymbals Eat Guitars as they feel like mini-operas, songs that have distinct parts led by either the vocals or synths. Their set ender, “Wake,” implores the listener “don’t let anyone tell you you deserve that.” If you like songs with deep lyrics light on the guitars and heavy on the synths, this is the band for you.

The Antlers Set List:
Kettering
Sylvia
Bear
Two
Wake

It’s been over two2 years since Editors last visited Washington, and having talked to fans down at the front, I was not alone in never having seen the band before. Last year I made a pact with one of my best friends that if I saw Editors (one of her favorite bands) in 2010, she would have to see Friendly Fires (one of my favorite bands). To be honest, I really didn’t need much persuading, with Editors’ latest album In This Light and On This Evening drawing on synths and electronic drum beats to great effect and as a result being a major departure from the band’s previous blockbuster albums 2005’s The Back Room and 2007’s An End Has a Start.

Fans from back in the day as well as newer ones will enjoy their current live set, a fine selection of tracks from all three of the band’s albums. It was cool to watch lead guitarist Chris Urbanowicz and bassist Russell Leetch switch effortlessly between their usual axes to play synths when needed on the latest tracks, and it just goes to show that Editors aren’t afraid to try something new.

“You Don’t Know Love,” one of my favorite tracks off the new album, was amazing live, the emotion just oozing out of frontman Tom Smith. I’ve never really cared for his deep voice, but wow, I quickly became mesmerized by the man, crooning into his microphone all night and going from playing guitar, piano, and keyboards. Long-time Editors fans went crazy for tracks “The Racing Rats,” “Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors,” and “Munich,” Urbanowicz and Leetch’s guitars and Ed Lay’s drums driving the songs. “Munich” in particular had the crowd pumping their fists in the air, everyone shouting with Smith on the chorus of “people are fragile things / you should know by now / be careful what you put them through / people are fragile things / you should know by now / you’ll speak when you’re spoken to.”

“Bricks and Mortar” was the surprising highlight of the night for me. Ever since I got the new album, I’ve wondered who played what synths-wise on which songs, but I got my answer Sunday night watching Smith and Urbanowicz furiously tap their synths side by side – totally awesome. They recently played on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and you can watch their performance below.

Editors Set List:
In This Light and On This Evening
Lights
An End Has a Start
You Don’t Know Love
Bullets
The Boxer
The Big Exit
Blood
Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool
The Racing Rats
Escape the Nest
Like Treasure
Bones
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
Bricks and Mortar
//
Munich
Papillon
Fingers in the Factories

Editors: website | myspace| In This Light and On This Evening review | Editors Announce February North American Tour Dates
The Dig: myspace
The Antlers: website | myspace | The Antlers to Tour with Editors

2010 just might be the year female English singers break through big in America. Just like electropop goddesses La Roux and Little Boots, (Vanessa) VV Brown is already a major deal at home in England. But she’s cut from a slightly different cloth. Originally from Northampton, the 5-foot, 11-inch tall songstress is a model (recently scoring an advertising deal with UK supermarket chain Marks and Spencer) and has her own online vintage clothing store, in addition to being a successful songwriter not only for her own music but for other artists as well. Friday night Brown played to a packed club during Liberation Dance Party at Washington’s DC9. D.C. was just one of four stops on her first-ever headlining tour of America.

One of my picks for best bet in town, Liberation Dance Party goes on at DC9 every Friday night. I love it because Bill Spieler, the DJ / compère, does his research and always spins great dance, pop, and electronic tracks, mostly stuff I know well and mostly English. Right up my alley. Here’s a short list to give you an idea of what kind of music they played:

Editors – “Papillon”
the Drums - “I Feel Stupid”
Ellie Goulding – “Under the Sheets”
Friendly Fires – “Hold On” (Holy Ghost! cover)
Delphic – “Halcyon”
the Courteeners - “You Overdid It Doll”
Marina and the Diamonds - “Hollywood”
Florence and the Machine - “You’ve Got the Love” (the Source / Candi Staton cover)
Passion Pit - “Sleepyhead”
Ladyhawke – “Magic”

Brown and her three-piece band arrived on stage to loud, appreciative cheering. Her headgear should have been my first clue that this show was going to be as crazy as a Mardi Gras celebration, just 3 days late. I was a bit disappointed that her trademark retro hairdo and most of her face was obscured by a red, glittery, feathered headdress. But this was just part of the VV Brown spectacle. During her less than 40-minute set, she played most of the songs off her debut album released last year in the UK, Travelling Like the Light, written about a failed relationship.

She has excellent stage presence, giving insight into her songs, and effectively pumping up the crowd. Brown described one of her major hits, “Crying Blood,” as “the first song I ever wrote, the first song I ever released on 7″, the first song I ever wrote on a one-string guitar.” This is a good example of her music, with Brown’s punchy vocals, driving drums, and an overall infectious retro sound that mixes elements of pop and soul. After playing this, she talked about her background – her mother is Jamaican, and her father is Puerto Rican – and in honor of her heritage did a shortened version of the song in a reggae style, encouraging everyone in the club to raise their hands in the air and sway along to the island beat. “Back in Time,” a song about love and time travel, was prefaced with Brown’s cheeky insistence, “I would date Albert Einstein if I could.”

The most surprising moment of the night? Brown asking the audience, “Do you like hip hop? Can I do a cover of Drake’s ‘Best I Ever Had’? Will you all go fuckin’ crazy?” What kind of questions are those for a D.C audience? Of course the crowd went crazy as she launched into her take of the Drake hit. The best moment of the night? Hands down it was “Shark in the Water,” the whole crowd bouncing to the rhythm and singing along to the fun chorus of the unconventional poppy love song. The smile on Brown’s face made me melt. Check out this live performance of the song on ITV’s “This Morning” show from last year.

After Brown and company left the stage, Spieler reappeared, encouraging us to make some noise for Brown and her band. The crowd’s efforts at hooting and hollering worked; they returned for a one-song encore to play what Brown admitted was a complete improvisation. (I really don’t think she was expecting this kind of reception in D.C. at all and looked sincerely touched by the adulation.) But it didn’t matter: with all arms waving in the air and gig goers shouting back lyrics to Brown, it was clear she had already won over the crowd with her animated live act.

It was sheer magic to witness the realization of a dream for the young woman standing before us. Years ago she wrote songs, alone in her bedroom, hoping for success one day. The audience’s excitement was not lost on Brown, who after the show Tweeted, “this was an absolutley [sic] fuckin unbelievable gig !!! sold out gig, absolutley [sic] amazing !! Im totally on a high !!! big time !!!!” And I agree. If Friday’s show was any indication, Brown is ready to take on the world.

VV Brown has another headlining date at the Great Scott in Allston, Massachusetts, on Monday before going on tour as a supporting act for Swedish electronic band Little Dragon starting in March. If you can’t see her live on this go-around, no worries, you’ll be able to see Brown on the small screen in the near future: she announced at the DC9 show that she and her band will be appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and the Late Show with David Letterman soon.

Tour Dates:
Feb 22 – Great Scott / Allston, MA
Mar 22 – Rapture / Charlottesville, VA*
Mar 25 – Music Hall of Williamsburg / Brooklyn*
Apr 01 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago*
Apr 04 – Walnut Lounge / Denver*
Apr 05 – Urban Lounge / Salt Lake City*
Apr 09 – Nectar Lounge / Seattle*
Apr 11 – Wild Buffalo / Bellingham, WA*
Apr 12 – Mississippi Studios / Portland*
Apr 13-14 - Independent / San Francisco*
* supporting Little Dragon

The backstory of London, England’s the Big Pink is, shall we say, quite interesting. Robbie Furze (vocals/guitar) and Milo Cordell (programming/keyboards/synthesizer/vocals) first joined up to run a record label called Hatechannel. At the end of 2007, they got to the point where they wanted to make some noise of their own and see where it would lead. They’ve admitted that they originally wanted to be “the digital Velvet Underground” and “more Phil Spector than My Bloody Valentine“; these descriptions may give you some indication of what they sound like if you’ve never heard a tune of theirs. But their foundations in loving the Band (whose first album provided the band’s name – Furze’s parents were huge fans of Robbie Robertson’s group) and soul legends like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding should not be dismissed. In fact, the duo now say they are more of a “soul band” than anything else; they are quick to dismiss the lazy “shoegaze” label that was applied to them almost immediately when they first appeared on the British music scene. They appeared at the Black Cat Saturday night with Long Beach indie rock band Crystal Antlers.

Because of the freak D.C. area snowstorm earlier and the deathly cold temperatures, I wasn’t sure how many people would actually be in attendance. Before the Friendly Fires / the xx show at the Paradise in Boston the night before, I chatted with some fellow English music fans who said the crowd for the Big Pink at that venue earlier in the week was small (around 100 people). So I wasn’t sure if Washington would make a good showing. When my friend and I arrived in our winter coats and stepped on the main stage floor at 10, my worries disappeared as I saw the crowd that had assembled and ready to receive the opening band (which, in my experience, isn’t always the case at a local show). Phew.

Crystal Antlers launched into a set of psychedelic but raucous numbers. The first question that came to mind when they started playing: do you like Procol Harum? (Their classic “A Whiter Shade of Pale” should jog your memory, if you ever listen to compilations with names like Songs of the Sixties.) If yes, you will like what organ player Cora Foxx brings to the table. Jonny Bell, the band’s singer/bassist, has a shouty style of vocal delivery that didn’t impress me much, but the audience was receptive and overall approved of the band’s sound, especially when they went for it, guitars flying and percussion crashing (drums by Kevin Stuart and all manners of other percussion by a very lively Damian Edwards). A good example of their style was “Tentacles,” the title track off their 2009 debut album.

When the crew began setting up the stage for the Big Pink, I spied strobe lights, big and small, being hauled out and carefully arranged. The last time I’d seen anything like it at the Cat was for White Lies last winter. In a ridiculous way, the Big Pink’s lights and fog far surpassed that of White Lies’s set-up in March. I think both the lights and fog detracted from the fantastic, but brief performance they put on for us. Furze stood center stage in a black muscle tank – note emphasis on the muscle. The boy is ripped. He was also sporting a Metallica tattoo on his right arm and multiple gold necklaces (with key pendants) around his neck that looked like they were stolen from the stylist’s trunk of the xx. Cordell stood behind his synthesizer, wearing a hoodie and looking completely content to let Furze take the limelight.

Live, Cordell and Furze are augmented by Leopold Ross (bass) and Akiko Matsuura (drums/vocals). One of the best moments of the night was when Furze and Ross went balls to the wall with their guitars, like in “At War with the Sun,” balanced oh so well with the wistful refrain of “Young hearts know nothing but say it all / celebrate no control / but it is enough to realize / and miss us when we’re gone / live for the words that we sung / and don’t let go.” Breathtaking. Furze slowed things down a bit with a cover of Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine,” which showcased his amazing voice. The Big Pink’s far too brief set was punctuated by their latest single, the almost celebratory “Dominos,” fists a-flying in the crowd to the band’s rhythms. Bloody fantastic. Following the 2010 Shockwaves NME Awards Tour in the UK in February, the band will return to North America next year for a March-April tour – I highly recommend seeing them before they start filling bigger venues.

The Big Pink Set List:
Too Young to Love
Frisk
At War with the Sun
Velvet
Crystal Visions
Count Backwards to Ten
Tonight
These Arms of Mine (Otis Redding cover)
Dominos

Tour Dates:
Mar 10 – Great American Music Hall / San Francisco*
Mar 12 – Neumo’s / Seattle*
Mar 13 – Venue / Vancouver*
Mar 14 – Doug Fir / Portland*
Mar 18 – First Ave / Minneapolis*
Mar 19 – Turner Hall / Madison, WI*
Mar 20 – Metro / Chicago*
Mar 22 – Southgate House / Newport, KY*
Mar 23 – Grog Shop / Cleveland*
Mar 24 – Mod Club / Toronto*
Mar 26 – Cabaret / Montreal*
Mar 27 – Paradise / Boston*
Mar 28 – Maxwell’s / Hoboken*
Mar 30 – Webster Hall / New York City*
Mar 31 – Theatre of Living Arts / Philadelphia*
Apr 01 – Rams Head Live / Baltimore*
Apr 02 – Cat’s Cradle / Chapel Hill, NC*
Apr 03 – Masquerade / Atlanta*
Apr 05 – Club Downunder / Tallahassee*
Apr 07 – Warehouse Live Studio / Houston*
Apr 08 – Parish / Austin*
Apr 09 – Granada / Dallas*
Apr 10 – Bottleneck / Lawrence, KS*
Apr 11 – Bluebird / Denver*
Apr 12 – Urban Lounge / Salt Lake City*
Apr 14 – Rhythm Room / Phoenix*
Apr 15 – Casbah / San Diego*
* with A Place to Bury Strangers

The Big Pink: website | myspace
Crystal Antlers: myspace

Since I was already scheduled to be in Boston for the second-to-last date of the Nylon Magazine Winter Music Tour, finding out that the xx would be doing an in-store performance earlier on the same day was just icing on the cake. I had gone to pick up my wristband for the event early Friday morning. When I asked the clerk on duty how many wristbands were left, she gave me this “are you out of your mind?” look, saying, “we just started giving wristbands out half an hour ago. We have plenty.” This gave me what turned out to be a false sense of security (figuring that maybe, just maybe not too many people in Boston knew who the xx were), so my friend and I would have plenty of time to get to the in-store at 5 and wouldn’t have any trouble having a good vantage point to take photos from.

When we arrived to line up outside the Newbury Street store at 4:30, there were at least 50 people in front of me. As quickly as the sun set and disappeared, the line on the sidewalk outside the store grew and grew until it went all the way down the block. I started chatting with other people in line, finding out that I was in the minority (being the owner of a coveted ticket to the sold-out Friendly Fires / the xx gig later on) and that many of them had shown up for the free in-store simply for a chance to see the xx. They appreciated finding out from me that the xx would return to Boston to play the Paradise again on April 2.

Five o’clock came and went, and I started to lose feeling in my feet and arms despite it being unseasonably warm for a winter evening in Boston. Someone asked staff who was monitoring the front door why we weren’t allowed in, and we were told that the band’s equipment hadn’t arrived yet. At about 5:50, the main door finally opened and fans trooped into the store. People and their winter coats were crammed into the store between the CD racks and unusual merchandise. A bit stifling.

A short while later, the xx appeared and the crowd that assembled for them cheered. They launched into the instrumental “Intro.” Unfortunately, I couldn’t see much with many taller people in front of me, but I could occasionally make out bassist Oliver Sim and electronic percussion / synth player Jamie Smith as heads bobbed up and down to the music in front of me. I was skeptical about how the band would sound in small record store, but as soon as the band started into “VCR,” I knew this was going to be one great performance.

The sparseness of the xx sound sounded gorgeous in the cramped, enclosed space. Several in the crowd shouted for “Islands,” which began beautifully with Romy Madley-Croft’s tender voice that was later joined with Sim’s. “Crystalised,” the first song by this band that I’d ever heard, was spectacular. Interestingly, this song was left off their set list at the Paradise three hours later, so if any of my new “friends” I met at Newbury Comics that night are reading this: you got a special treat!

My impression of the crowd was that it was a mixture of fans and others who looked upon the xx as a curiosity. Either way, there was little doubt in my mind that each person left that night thinking, “Wow, I need to make sure I get a ticket when the band comes back here in April.” You can catch the band on a short headlining tour of America in March and April (touring with mysterious Swedish electronic group jj), followed by a turn as the opener for Hot Chip in late April.

Set List:
Intro
VCR
Basic Space
Islands
Crystalised
Nighttime
Infinity

Tour dates:
Mar 22 – Spanish Moon / Baton Rouge*
Mar 24 – Earl / Atlanta*
Mar 25 – Cat’s Cradle / Carrboro, NC*
Mar 28 – Sixth & I Synagogue / Washington, DC*
Mar 29 – First Unitarian Church / Philadelphia*
Apr 02 – Paradise / Boston*
Apr 05 – Wexner Center / Columbus*
Apr 06 – Buskirk Chumley Theater / Bloomington, IN*
Apr 19 – Riviera Theatre / Chicago%
Apr 20 – Koolhaus / Toronto%
Apr 22 – Terminal 5 / New York City%
Apr 24 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC%
* with jj
% supporting Hot Chip

The xx: website | myspace | @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | @ DC9 | @ Paradise

Performance photos: Julie Stoller

The inaugural Winter Nylon Music Tour stopped by Boston’s Paradise Friday night for an absolutely, positively sold-out show. If it is humanly possible, both the headliners Friendly Fires and the opener, current darlings of the blogosphere the xx, keep getting better and better with each additional time I have the privilege of seeing them perform. Both are young bands from England, yet with all the globetrotting they’ve done this year, they’ve honed their skills so that every performance will leave you wanting more. When I heard and subsequently groaned inwardly that the Nylon tour would not be stopping by Washington, I decided a trip up north was in order.

In the case of London’s the xx, their sound is relatively simplistic, but they are extremely successful in bringing out the emotions of anyone who’s ever felt anything for someone else or perhaps more accurately, the xx make you feel you aren’t alone when you’ve lost that magical thing called love. I still can’t get over how guitarist Romy Madley-Croft and bassist Oliver Sim’s voices, though gentle, can be so poignant and achingly beautiful, causing you the listener to feel the same yearning that exists in the heart of their songs in your bones.

This was the first time the band had ever played in Boston (not counting the in-store they played three hours earlier at Newbury Comics), and the excited crowd was certainly appreciative of their visit. They took to the stage on time at 9. The extended live version of “Basic Space,” their second single released on Young Turks in the UK in August, confused some members of the audience, some of them prematurely clapping while the band headed into an outro not on the album. “Fantasy,” starting off with Sim’s spare, scorching vocals paired with Madley-Croft’s fantastic guitar playing, was a major highlight, as was “Nighttime,” with such monstrous beats from Jamie Smith that you felt the backbeats pounding through your body.

“Infinity,” an example of serious yearning turned into an xx song, starts with guitar work that is as sensual at those in Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.” But what the xx’s tune has over Isaak’s are the call and response lyrics of “I can’t give it up / to someone else’s touch / because I care too much” between Madley-Croft and Sim, punctuated by Smith’s drum machine and cymbal crashing. Talk about dramatic to the max and perfectly suited for their usual black attire and minimalist stage set-up. Be sure to catch this trio when they tour America starting in March 2010, first on a short tour of their own on the eastern half of the U.S., followed by a couple of dates opening for Hot Chip.

The xx Set List:
Intro
VCR
Basic Space
Fantasy
Shelter
Islands
Nighttime
Infinity

Like clockwork, crew set up quickly for the main event, St. Albans’ own Friendly Fires, so that they were ready to roll punctually at the Paradise-appointed time of 10:15. This band’s shows are 100 times better than their records because you get the full audio and visual experience right in front of you. On this particular night, multi-colored lights flashed feverishly across the stage, lending a carnival-like atmosphere quite appropriate for this kind of music. On stage left is drummer Jack Savidge on his riser, beating on his drums at a furious pace that it’s a wonder he ever manages to leave a gig with his hands intact. In the center of it all is lead singer Ed Macfarlane with his bevy of synthesizers ever at the ready, in front of touring bassist Rob Lee and their touring brass section (trumpeter and saxophonist). And lastly and certainly not least, on stage right is guitarist Edd Gibson shredding it on his axe in a way that should inspire generations to pick up a guitar and try it for themselves.

Having not seen them in about four months, I’d nearly forgotten just how tremendously punishing physically their set is on all the players. This was their second to last date on a grueling 3-week tour of North America, and I’d heard that everyone by this point was exhausted (and understandably so). However, I didn’t see any indication that the band wasn’t giving their usual 110%. When it came time for Macfarlane to break out his now world-famous dance moves, the man showed no sign of fatigue, most memorably on the wonky-waltzy “White Diamonds,” to which he threw his whole body into the song. “Photobooth,” an ode to young lovers taking an innocent photograph together, was preceded by him saying, “Are you going to join us [in the revelry and dance]?” Thanks to a long guitar cord, throughout the set Gibson was able to run back and forth across the Paradise stage, climbing on top of a speaker in front of Savidge several times to serenade those up in the balcony. So very rock ‘n’ roll.

While the throng was vocal in their appreciation for the Fires’ music, some people in the crowd clearly needed to loosen up, so much that Ed Mac had to implore, “Come on Boston, dance with me, please!” When they played “On Board,” then “Paris” (the obvious crowd-pleaser), the audience was finally moving and grooving in a way that the band approved. While it was disappointing that they played the exact same set list that I’ve gotten used to and we didn’t get a preview of the four songs Friendly Fires have already finished for album #2, we’ll have the new material and a brand-new set list to look forward to the next time they visit us stateside. The band’s sophomore album is expected to be released in May 2010. I can’t wait.

Friendly Fires Set List:
Lovesick
Jump in the Pool
Skeleton Boy
In the Hospital
White Diamonds
Strobe
Kiss of Life
Photobooth
On Board
Paris
//
Ex Lover

Friendly Fires: website | myspace | Friendly Fires review | Remix Monday: “Skeleton Boy” | @ Black Cat | @ Dot to Dot Festival | interview with pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3 | Mercury Prize Nominations Announced | New Video on MTV, To Play Jimmy Kimmel and Winter Nylon Tour, Release Expanded Version of Debut Album | @ Lollapalooza 2009 | @ le poisson rouge | @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | on Jimmy Kimmel | Remix Monday: “Paris”
The xx: website | myspace | @ Music Hall of Williamsburg | @ DC9

Certainly one of the most popular albums of 2009 was Phoenix’s fourth release, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. I’ve always liked Phoenix’s music from their debut in 2000 with United, but this album was something else. And I’m glad to see Phoenix getting the attention and stardom they deserve. One of my favorite tracks off of the album was “Fences” and I really like the remixes that have been done for this song.

.Phoenix – “Fences”
Fences is a mid tempo track that feels faster with the music, but slower through lead singer Thomas Mars’ vocals. The song has a romantic tinge to it with the highs and lows of Mars’ crooning voice. The vocals are really the best part that reach a falsetto, the music pursuing the change, creating a song with a lot of variety. The music is a beautiful blend of rock, jangly guitars with touches of synthesizers and light body moving drums.

.Def Starr Remix
This is by far the best remix of the song. The synthy beginning reminds me of the intro to “Forever Young” by Alphaville. The mix then jumps into squiggles and rubs on a synthesizer, which create sounds as such. The rock aesthetic of the song is subtly peeled away to be replaced by soft electronic music. The music is incredibly hushed and delicate; the altered version comes across as something simpler and purer. It’s the track I listen to the most out of all of them. Mars’ vocals seemed enhanced here, perhaps because they stand out amongst the softer music.

.Friendly Fires Remix
Friendly Fires change up things significantly here. The music is louder, jumpier and definitely faster. I see this one being played on dance floors. It has an old schools 90s dance vibe to it, mixed with jangly pianos, splinter splashed drums, and eventually some heavy presses on the trusty synth. The vocals are of course left in place, because they’re oh so good, though at times come across muffled by the music. Either way, a great re-working of the original.

.Neo Tokyo Remix
The Neo Tokyo mix is an even further cry away from the original. All rock/soft aesthetics are stripped to be replaced by French electro trash instrumentation; all very distorted, jarring, sleazy and buzzy. But it’s a fun mix to get into, as it has typical house builds up and come downs. It’s got all sorts of craziness in it throughout.

Phoenix: website | myspace | @ rumsey playfield | @ monolith | @ record bar | remix monday “love like a sunset”

Photo by: Dese’Rae L. Stage

Losing a band member for any reason during any point in a band’s history can be traumatic, even devastating. In the case of the xx, losing fourth member and guitarist/synth player Baria Qureshi happening at the exact same time while the band’s meteoric rise in profile and acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic appears seemingly unstoppable is probably even more traumatic. The first sign of trouble was when the band had to cancel a couple European dates last month, Qureshi citing “exhaustion”; this seemed reasonable, considering how much the band has been touring since they were tipped by various media outlets and people in the business for being the next “it band.” But then a few days ago, the band announced that Qureshi had left the band permanently, owing to “personal differences,” leaving those of us already devoted to the xx wondering, “are they going to soldier on with a replacement, or is this the end?”

But the band has decided to continue as a trio. Having seen the xx as a quartet three months ago in New York in a supporting slot and having enjoyed their set, I hoped that having one less member wouldn’t affect the sound – at least, too much. I am happy to report that the xx sound excellent in their current configuration and, if anything, I think the trifecta of Romy Madley-Croft (guitar/vocals), Oliver Sim (bass/vocals), and Jamie Smith (percussion and electronics et al.) sounded even better to this night than they did previously.

Sunday night was a London doubleheader with the opening act, electronica artist Jon Hopkins. Here in front of us was not your run-of-the-mill mixmaster DJ. The lanky Hopkins effectively threw his body into his performance, all the while a master of his machines, adding layer upon layer of sonic goodness by manipulating his synths full of buttons, switches, dials and knobs. He said nothing throughout the set, instead preferring to reach for and occasionally take a swig from a well-placed bottle of Budweiser between the seamlessly segueing tracks. “Vessel”, with its dramatic, haunting piano arpeggios, was especially intriguing to me (as I’d been trained in classical piano when I was younger), especially so because it was played among songs that could be regarded electro mini-symphonies to tracks that ring out like they’d feel at home in outer space, like “Insides”. The crowd was quiet but that was probably because everyone’s eyes were glued to Hopkins’s hands during his set. Interesting choice for an opener.

Okay, so I get that the xx band uniform is black clothing from head to toe. I suppose this is a nod to the minimalist approach to their music, as is their generally unshakeable, unemotional manner when performing. Singers Romy Madley-Croft and Oliver Sim sport metal chains with charms around their necks, though I wonder if these chains are to aid the audience in seeing the two of them onstage. For both Jon Hopkins’s set and the xx’s, the club was very dark, and both professional and any kind flash photography were not allowed. The only two bright lights on at all times on stage were the two “X”s carved out of the front of Jamie Smith’s desk of electronic wonder. At one point, Madley-Croft had to ask for the lights onstage to be raised slightly, probably because she couldn’t see the strings of her guitar. Funny. After their second song, “VCR,” Sim announced, “this is a special night. This is the first time we’ve played in Washington!” His comment was met with universal cheers from the crowd.

The set list featured two covers, “Do You Mind?” by Filipino R&B/soul singer Kyla and “Teardrops” by Womack and Womack, the latter causing Sim to admit bashfully (but with a grin as he fingered his black bass guitar) that he was embarrassed that they had to play another cover and that he wanted to run and hide himself in the crowd. Aww. To be honest, they played exactly what I expected for a band with only a debut album to their name, playing every song on xx with growing conviction. Each song combined the gorgeously emotional voices of Madley-Croft and Sim with the perfectly spare instrumentation from the three of them, so much that just hearing everything together might make you cry. So to me, the covers were just icing on the cake. Further along in the set, Madley-Croft’s usual steely demeanor gave way to a smile. I was glad – she and her band mates are talented folks and have a lot to be proud of.

For the lack of banter between the acts and the audience at DC9, this show might have been subtitled “The Quiet One.” But in the end, it was what we’d all shown up at the club for – great music – that triumphed over everything else. If you didn’t get the chance to catch them on their short headlining tour of America this fall, catch this band opening for Friendly Fires on the Nylon Winter Music Tour before the end of the year or supporting Hot Chip next April.

Set List:
Intro
VCR
Heart Skipped a Beat
Islands
Basic Space
Fantasy
Shelter
Do You Mind? (Kyla)
Crystalised
Teardrops (Womack and Womack)
Nighttime
Infinity
Stars

Tour Dates:
Nov 17 – 529 / Atlanta#
Nov 19 – Mohawk / Austin*
Nov 20 – Casbah / San Diego*
Nov 23 – Independent / San Francisco*
Nov 24 – Sacramento State University / Sacramento*
Nov 25 – Doug Fir / Portland*
Nov 26 – Commodore Ballroom / Vancouver*
Nov 27 – Neumo’s / Seattle*
Nov 30 – Triple Rock / Minneapolis*
Dec 01 – Bottom Lounge / Chicago*
Dec 03 – Les Saints / Montreal*
Dec 04 – Paradise / Boston*
Dec 05 – Webster Hall / New York City*
Apr 19 – Riviera Theatre / Chicago%
Apr 20 – Koolhaus / Toronto%
Apr 22 – Terminal 5 / New York City%
Apr 24 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC%
# with Jon Hopkins
* supporting Friendly Fires on the Nylon Winter Music Tour
% supporting Hot Chip

The xx: website | myspace | @ music hall of williamsburg
Jon Hopkins: website | myspace

Friendly Fires is a pop trio from the UK and one of my favorite bands of the year. They’ve been making quite a name for themselves and were one of the nominated for this year’s Mercury Prize. I haven’t listened to their entire album in whole, but I keep running across its songs on different occasions and find myself loving them. I think I’ve covered the whole album by now and nothing on it disappoints me. They also make really fun and creative music videos, which all contain some pretty wild and funky dance moves by lead singer Ed McFarlane, which he alone could only pull off so that they don’t look lame, but instead rather impressive.

.Friendly Fires – “Paris”
“Paris” was the second single released from their album and a track that really started to get them noticed. It features backing vocals from Au Revoir Simone during the chorus, which to me is the best part of the song. I say so because the vocals are matched with Ed McFarlane’s words, which are sung so high they express a youthful yearning for something out of reach, both combining for a stargazing chorus. Musically it’s quick with soft percussion featuring cowbells and an immensely depressed synthesizer for an organ feel.

.Aeroplane Remix
I like this mix a lot more than the original. It starts off with moody synthesizers with every press on the keyboard an isolated note. The track employs some mixed cool and refreshing musical ‘ah’s’ that are more windy than wordy. It also isolates the best part of the song, Au Revoir Simone’s vocals. In fact, McFarlane’s vocals are absent, which isn’t really a loss, just because the female vocals make it an intimate song. The mix also takes the cowbells from the original and amplifies them with a slight electronic touch that bounce and prance across the song for a glockenspiel effect. It’s really just a pretty mix.

.Arto Mwambe Remix
A little rougher take on the song but still creative and good nonetheless. The Arto mix takes the soft, shoe gazey feel of the original and breathes a little more of a dance club vibe. We have some heavier dance beats, a touch of trance synths, and the lyrics come off more like rap than singing. This mix gets a little repetitive at times because it fails to diversify itself, but it really locks you in a trance if you’re on the dancefloor taking some medication you shouldn’t be taking.

.Justus Kohncke Remix
I have to say I really like this mix. It’s the most re-worked of them all with a long instrumental intro that keeps the soft, intimate mood of the track. It breaks in with the vocals, which are heavier, coming across more direct to the listener. It then features a multitude of sounds that keep churning in a light trance/electro vibe.

Friendly Fires: website | myspace | Friendly Fires review | remix monday: “skeleton boy” | @ black cat | @ Dot to Dot Festival | interview with pt. 1, pt. 2, pt. 3 | @ Lollapalooza 2009 | @ le poisson rouge | @ music hall of williamsburg

Photo by: Bethany Smith