Exactly 1 year after a manic sold-out show at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg, English electropop / dance trio Friendly Fires have announced details of a forthcoming mix CD to be released through Rough Trade Records. The CD is one of a humorously-titled series called Bugged Out Presents Suck My Deck that has welcomed dance music acts / DJs such as Simian Mobile Disco and Brodinski to provide similar mixes. The Friendly Fires edition includes New York’s Phenomenal Handclap Band and Scandinavian disco-pop duo Lindstrom and Christabelle. While the album won’t be released until September 27, you can pre-order it now on Rough Trade’s website here.
In addition to 18 tracks hand-picked by the band from other artists, the compilation includes “Stay Here,” a collaboration with Toronto’s Azari & III. The tune will make its radio debut today on DJ Annie Mac’s Radio1 show tonight from 7 to 9 PM GMT (that’s 2 to 4 PM ET). No worries if you miss it today, it will available for 7 days after broadcast on the BBC iPlayer.
Friendly Fires have been previewing other new tracks while on the European festival circuit this summer. Their yet-to-be-titled sophomore album is due sometime in 2011, according to various media reports. Track titles include “Running Away” and “True Love”, and the band have divulged that the new release will feature the Brazilian cuíca (commonly used in samba music) and the African kalimba.
Mix CD tracklisting:
01. The Egyptian Lover – Freak-A-Holic
02. Bot’Ox – Bearded Lady Motorcycle Show
03. The Phenomenal Handclap Band – You’ll Disappear (Munk Remix)
04. Tom Trago – Lost In The Streets of NYC (Boris Werner Lost In Malta Remix)
05. Ryan Crosson – Metro Bunker (Original Mix)
06. Lindstrom and Christabelle – Baby Can’t Stop (Aeroplane Remix)
07. Rebotini – 777 (Discodeine Remix)
08. Tensnake – Coma Cat
09. Munk – La Musica (Azari & III Remix)
10. Friendly Fires and Azari & III – Stay Here
11. Redshape – Dog Day
12. The 2 Bears – Be Strong
13. Butch – No Worries
14. George Kranz – Din Daa Daa
15. Jody “Fingers” Finch – Jack Your Big Booty (BHQ No Acid Vocal)
16. BDI – City & Industry
17. Alan Fitzpatrick – Green Light
18. Boo Williams – Mortal Trance
19. Round Two – New Day (Club Vocal Mix)
Thumbnail Photo: Mary Chang
D.C. finally has a new, inviting dance club to call its own in the form of the U Street Music Hall. Just two blocks from the now world-famous Ben’s Chili Bowl, it has a façade so minimalist that you could completely miss it when you’re walking east on U Street unless you’re keeping your eyes peeled for it. This was the first show I’d ever seen there; the venue just opened on St. Patrick’s Day this year, with Belgian DJs/producers Aeroplane (known to me as the guys behind the popular remixes of Robbie Williams’ “Bodies” and Friendly Fires’ “Paris”) leading the welcome of the venue to our city. I was assured by the congenial doorman that the sound system was world-class (this makes sense, as five of the six owners of the place are DJs), the bartenders were nice (and that he was possibly the meanest person that worked there, which suggested the rest of the staff had to be super sweet), and the dance floor was reinforced with cork as to provide more support to dancegoers’ aching tootsies. All definite pluses.
Saturday night was the first Washington appearance of electronic dance duo Holy Ghost! Until last month, Holy Ghost! the live experience consisted of longtime friends Alex Frankel and Nick Millhiser DJaying and spinning records. Holy Ghost! have just released an EP on DFA Records called Static on the Wire, and it’s their first official release despite having been together for a long while. Now after supporting their friends LCD Soundsystem on a North American tour, the two are on their first headlining tour of America with a three-member backing band. When the band was first booked for the Saturday night timeslot of 9 PM, I thought that had to be a misprint. But the venue’s website was clear on this, even encouraging everyone to show up early and not to miss the live set. Between the club and the band however, they made the smart decision to delay the set start until after 10 to allow for the club to fill up further.
Some guys up front at the show were definite diehards, yelling out “fuck yeah!” at the conclusion of each of the band’s numbers. “I Will Come Back,” the crown jewel of their recent EP, was a revelation live. It’s the audience participation, “raise your hands in the air like you just don’t care, and sway your arms from side to side” kind of song. Terribly difficult to write but somehow dance acts always know how to put these together perfectly, and Holy Ghost! is no exception. During the set, Frankel alternated between lead vocals, keyboards, and a percussion setup that looked especially impressive under U Hall’s lighting scheme, so when you watched him, it was like seeing a National Geographic time lapse film. Track “Static on the Wire” featured a drumming duel between Frankel and one of the backing band. Awesome.
And what is dance music without the mad beats? Nothing. Millhiser, wearing a t-shirt proclaiming “J DILLA CHANGED MY LIFE,” was inexhaustible on drums. I think it’s entirely possible that he could beat a drum machine in a face-off. At one point during new song “Slow Motion,” Frankel lost a drumstick and later another in the reckless revelry of hitting a tom. The devoted fans were also respectful, pushing the wayward drumsticks out of harm’s way (and out of the path of Frankel’s dancing feet), not shamelessly grabbing them as souvenirs as I’ve seen at other shows. When it came time for the band’s 2008 epic hit “Hold On,” bodies were bumping. Is the world ready for Holy Ghost! ? I think so.
Set List
Do It Again
It’s Not Over
Static on the Wire
Say My Name
Slow Motion
I Will Come Back
Hold On
New song (title unknown)
Tour Dates
Jun 24 – le poisson rouge / New York City
Jun 25 – Making Time / Philadelphia
Jun 26 – Club Vinyl / Denver (DJ set)
Jul 23 – Bushnell Park Pavilion / Hartford, CT
Jul 26 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC#
Jul 27 – Trocadero / Philadelphia, PA#
Jul 29 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City#
Aug 02 – Capital Music Hall / Ottawa#
Aug 03 – Phoenix / Toronto#
Aug 04 – Central Park SummerStage / New York City^
Aug 05 – Majestic Theater / Detroit#
Aug 06 – Lollapalooza / Chicago
Aug 07 – First Avenue / Minneapolis#
Aug 10 – Flames Central / Calgary#
Aug 11 – Commodore Ballroom / Vancouver#
Aug 12 – Showbox Market / Seattle#
Aug 13 – Roseland Ballroom / Portland#
Aug 16 – House of Blues / San Diego#
Aug 19 – Twilight Concert Series / Salt Lake City
Aug 20 – Ogden Theater / Denver#
Aug 24 – Stubb’s / Austin#
Aug 25 – Palladium / Dallas, TX#
Aug 26 – Cannery Ballroom / Nashville#
Aug 27 – Masquerade / Atlanta#
* with Altered Egos
^ with Hot Chip
# supporting Chromeo
(Author’s note: Despite my securing prior approval from Holy Ghost!’s people to take photos at the show, U Street Music Hall has a no photography during shows policy. For live photos from their first-ever live gig on May 15, 2010, at Under 100 in New York City, check out this post at Tastes Like Caramel.)
Alex Frankel, one half of New York City electronic act Holy Ghost!, was kind enough to lend his typing fingers and answer some questions for me while he and his partner in crime Nick Millhiser are busy touring North America as support for LCD Soundsystem. The duo recently released their first “album” of material, the Static on the Wire EP, and they’re set for a summer full of shows and festival appearances. I ask him about how they got into recording music, his philosophy behind “good” dance music, and their recent cover of Friendly Fires‘ “On Board,” amongst other things. Have a read.
Mary Chang, PopWreckoning: I’ve read that you two met in grade school. Did you bond immediately over music, certain bands, in band class, etc.? How did you become friends? Alex Frankel, Holy Ghost!: Nick was more skateboardy and I was more, sweat pantsy? We did play in a band in 5th grade (ages 9/10, respectively) that practiced in “The Cage” [a storage space in their elementary school] and was instructed by our social science teacher, Mrs. Preston, who was a very cosmic lady seemingly stuck in the late 1970s. But yeah, we always were doing some music here and there together.
MC: I’ve also read that you were members of a short-lived teen hip hop act in the ’90s called Automato. What instruments did you play, did you sing…? What happened with it? AF: Nick played drums, I played keys. It started when we were 15 but we did it until 2005 actually. It’s how we met James [Murphy] and Tim [Goldsworthy, founders of independent label DFA Records], who produced the record. It faded out, too many cooks in the kitchen, too long spent on the same bunch of songs…we’re all still friends.
MC: How did you get involved with spinning and the making of dance music? Do you each have a personal philosophy towards dance music and what makes it great for you? Is this philosophy different when you yourselves are enjoying the beats in a club vs. when you’re DJaying or performing live? AF: I like music that I have a pleasurable physical response to. I usually go “oooooooohhh” if I like something. And that means some wiring in my brain has been stimulated by the sounds or chords or whatever. But I guess what makes it GREAT is when the physical thing is there, but additionally there is also something emotional that I relate to on top of the music…like lyrics. Like LCD Soundsystem. Or Chic. Or David Bowie. Or Talking Heads.
MC: There are so many great clubs in New York. What are your favorites to spin at? What about when you’ve got a day off and you just want to hear good music and/or dance? AF: This is such an interesting question because everyone asks it and here’s the deal: New York clubs rotate their musical style on a night to night basis these days. Meaning, one night the same club has techno, the next night is ska-fusion night. So, there are no clubs that are ALWAYS good. Like Paradise Garage once was. So I don’t know anyone who just “goes out to dance” and “hopes it’ll be good.” We go to places we know our friends or artists we like listening to will be at. But that venue changes every night. Places of interest are le poisson rouge, Santos Party House, Glasslands.
MC: As for dance scenes, do you each have a favorite? London? Ibiza? Berlin? AF: I’m not sure how to answer that, I guess every place is different? I really love the classic sounds of New York City and Chicago and Detroit. The grit. But I also love the clean, sharp music from Germany, starting from Kraftwerk all the way up to today. We’re pretty open-minded.
MC: Your 2008 single “Hold On” has really taken on a life of its own. During an informal trawling of the Web, I found evidence that fans of dance music think it’s one of those tracks that will live on in dance music history forever (for one, check this link out). Did you have any idea that “Hold On” was going to blow up as big as it did? AF: Absolutely no idea it would go beyond our circle of friends!!
MC: When you started writing and recording music as Holy Ghost!, did you already have an idea of where you wanted to go musically? Did you / do you feel influenced by any artists past or present, dance or not? AF: We wanted to make something that didn’t embarrass our friends, and we wanted to make something that sounded like the music we liked. We wanted to make music that people could dance to but that also was in line with our love of pop music structures.
MC: Let’s switch gears and talk about your releases for this year. In March, you put out a split single with one of PopWreckoning’s favorites, Friendly Fires. The BBC and British music media did a pretty good job of covering their side of what happened on this came about. Is it true that the idea came up over a drunken haze at Calvi on the Rocks in Ibiza last summer? How do you guys know each other? Tell us more. AF: Haha! Yeah, me and Ed [Macfarlane] met at Calvi last year during our DJ set, and I think about 30 minutes later we had agreed on a cover swap. Just clicked right off the bat. Good bloke.
MC: I really liked what you did with “On Board”, the DFA Celestial Choir was a nice touch, as was the bounce of “don’t stop, don’t stop” in the middle. How did you choose that track, and how did you approach doing this cover? AF: Thanks!!! It took forever. There were a bunch of huge personal and technical setbacks during the recording, and it took about 6 weeks. In the end we were really happy with it, felt like we made it our own but kept their original ideas relatively intact. Really fun project.
MC: It must have felt really different doing a full-fledged cover than a remix, being so famous for doing remixes for such high-profile friends like Moby and James Murphy / LCD Soundsystem. AF: Eh, not really. Our “remixes” are often times covers. See the Moby remix (“I Love to Move in Here”) for evidence, where not one sound from the original was used, including vocals.
MC: Your first album-type release, the Static on the Wire EP, was released last month (May 18) on DFA Records. Only four songs but I think it’s a great taster to get people into what Holy Ghost! the recording act is all about. How long did it take to record them? Was it quick from start to finish or have these ideas been percolating since the days of “Hold On”? AF: I don’t know, it’s hard to distinguish things in retrospect. But we’ve been working on a batch of about 13 to 14 songs for 2 or 3 years. These are four. The rest are on the album.
MC: Last month you played your first live, non-DJ gig at Under 100 on May 15. I didn’t have the privilege of being there but some friends were there and really enjoyed the show. What was going through your mind before you went on? AF: STAGE FRIGHT!!!! (Alex provided us with the below YouTube link)
MC: What’s it been like touring with LCD Soundsystem on your first “tour” of the continent? AF: AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING. BEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. BEST BAND IN THE WORLD. WE WAKE UP SO HAPPY EVERY DAY.
MC: You have some high profile appearances in Europe coming up this summer – Calvi on the Rocks to do a live set, London appearances at [the now endangered] Fabric club and the Groove Armada-founded festival Lovebox, and a festival slot at Germany’s Melt. Are there any particular shows that you are most looking forward to? I know I’m looking forward to your appearance in DC at the U Street Music Hall in less than 3 weeks. AF: Actually, aside from Calvi, I’m most psyched for U Street. I’ve heard unbelievable things about the club! Oh, and Summerstage in Central Park because my mom and dad can walk from their houses.
MC: When will your first full-length album hit store shelves? (Or maybe “available for electronic download” is a more appropriate phrase.) Anything you can tell us about it now? AF: It’s not dissimilar from what you’ve heard already. Some shorter, “poppier” songs, but not really. It’s funky. I hope. January [2011 release]?
MC: Some last questions. Your name Holy Ghost! with the exclamation point – who came up with it? Were you ever concerned about the obvious religious connotation? AF: It’s from a Bar-Kays’s song [a soul, r&b, and funk band founded in the mid-60s that had a single called "Holy Ghost Pt. I / Holy Ghost Pt. II" in 1975], we needed a name. We think it looks cool too.
Holy Ghost!’s Static on the Wire EP is available from DFA Records now.
Tour Dates
Jun 04 – Hollywood Palladium / Los Angeles*
Jun 05 – Standard Hotel – Los Angeles
Jun 08 – Stubb’s / Austin*
Jun 09 – Palladium / Dallas*
Jun 12 – 88 Palace / New York City (DJ set)
Jun 18 – Sonar / Baltimore
Jun 19 – U Street Music Hall / Washington, DC
Jun 25 – Making Time / Philadelphia
Jun 25 – Vinyl / Denver (DJ set)
Jul 26 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC#
Jul 27 – Trocadero / Philadelphia#
Jul 29 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City#
Jul 30 – MEG Festival / Montreal#
Aug 02 – Capital Music Hall / Ottawa#
Aug 03 – Phoenix / Toronto#
Aug 04 – Central Park SummerStage / New York City^
Aug 05 – Majestic Theater / Detroit#
Aug 06 – Lollapalooza / Chicago
Aug 07 – First Avenue / Minneapolis#
Aug 10 – Flames Central / Calgary#
Aug 11 – Commodore Ballroom / Vancouver#
Aug 12 – Showbox Market / Seattle#
Aug 13 – Roseland Ballroom / Portland#
Aug 16 – House of Blues / San Diego#
Aug 19 – Twilight Concert Series / Salt Lake City
Aug 20 – Ogden Theater / Denver#
Aug 24 – Stubb’s / Austin#
Aug 25 – Palladium / Dallas#
Aug 26 – Cannery Ballroom / Nashville#
Aug 27 – Masquerade / Atlanta#
* supporting LCD Soundsystem
^ with Hot Chip
# with Chromeo
Like Passion Pit, Hockey is an American band I was introduced to last winter not by American radio but by the lovely Nemone Metaxas, one of my favorite DJs on BBC 6music. I loved the exuberant “Too Fake” the first time I heard its electronic dance pop goodness through my computer speakers. My interest in the Portland band was further piqued when I learned they had toured in the UK in early 2009 as support for Friendly Fires. The problem was getting a chance to see the band stateside. The band has toured North America a couple times now, but had never played in D.C., so when I got the alert a while back that they would be playing the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel, I was chomping at the bit.
The opening act for the night were the Postelles, a New York City band that Rolling Stone has described as “channel[ing] Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello and – more recently – the Arctic Monkeys and the Strokes, building songs from brief guitar stabs and sounding like the wound-up early hours of what will be a long Saturday night on the town. There are elements of both mod and post-punk, but the Postelles have a sneering attitude all their own…” Interesting description. Frankly, they sound to me more similar to New York-based indie rockers Locksley and Sunderland, England’s Frankie and the Heartstrings, bands that have gone back in time to perfect the ‘60s pop / rock ‘n’ roll band model.
Make no mistake: the Postelles have a sound all their own and they sound great live, led by lead singer/guitarist Daniel Balk’s yearning vocals. Sometimes I wish I had the talent to come up with a good pop melody. The Postelles definitely can, as evidenced by the guitar-jangly “Sleep on the Dance Floor,” one of their set’s highlights. The title of the song “Hey Little Sister” sounds like it was written by Lennon/McCartney (do “Hello Little Girl” and “Little Child” ring any bells?), and I thought it was just amazing live, guitarist David Dargahi taking on lead vocals and mixing things up a bit. In a way, I was glad the Constellations canceled, because that meant we got a longer set from the Postelles than fans in other cities. The band’s debut EP White Nights was released the first week of March on Capitol Records / Astralwerks and is available now.
The Postelles Set List
Looking Glass
White Nights
She She
New song
Beat on the Brat (Ramones cover)
Stella
Hey Little Sister
Can’t Stand Still
Sleep on the Dance Floor
1, 2, 3 Stop
Hockey were supposed to go on at 10 (with the Postelles at 9) but they didn’t actually get on stage until 10:40, fortuitous for latecomers who crammed in at the front of the stage. When the band came on stage to tinker with their instruments, lead singer Ben Grubin flashed me a grin, so I knew I was in for a good show. Their debut album Mind Chaos is such a fun, fun record that I had way too high expectations, envisioning that they’d all appear dressed as colorfully as their record with hats and bandannas, and be jumping all over the stage. No such luck.
Instead, Grubin came on in a trademark hoodie but soon peeled it off to reveal a stripy white and orange tunic over black jeans. He was bopping around the stage excitedly and man-handling his microphone reminiscent of another of my favorite musicians, Londoner Patrick Wolf. Alternately between guitar, harmonica (for the folky “Four Holy Photos,” proving the band’s versatility), and a percussion set-up, he was clearly the star of the night. Seeing that Wednesday was St. Patrick’s Day and the crowd at the RnR was rowdier than normal for a weeknight, a new song that I think is called “DJ” seemed entirely appropriate, introduced by Grubin as “[Irish] jig and bluegrass music.”
“3 A.M. Spanish” was a high point of their set, the bass lines from Brian White and hot beats from touring keyboardist Ryan Dolliver just fabulous with Grubin’s hip hoppy vocal approach, punctuated by yelps for the chorus. They also didn’t disappoint with my absolute favorite song from Mind Chaos, “Song Away.” If there was ever a song that could lift your spirits, this is definitely it, with its refrain of “tomorrow’s just a song away.” And really, it is, isn’t it?
Check out this video of the song from their performance at Lollapalooza last summer. I hope this explains why I don’t have too many good photos of him, the man cannot keep still! Just thinking about it, I’m so eager to see the band again very soon.
Hockey Set List
Work
Learn to Lose
Rebels Marry Young (new song)
3 A.M. Spanish
Four Holy Photos
DJ (new song)
Curse This City
Song Away
Preacher
Wanna Be Black
Everyone’s the Same Age
Too Fake
Put the Game Down
Tour Dates
Mar 21 – Snug Harbor / Charlotte
Mar 23 – Mercy Lounge / Nashville*
Mar 24 – Drunken Unicorn / Atlanta*
Mar 25 – Cafe 11 / St. Augustine, FL*
Mar 26 – Club Downunder / Tallahassee, FL*
Mar 27 – Bottletree / Birmingham*
Mar 29 – Thirsty Hippo / Hattiesburg, MS*
Mar 30 – Spanish Moon / Baton Rouge*
Apr 01 – Warehouse Live / Houston*
Apr 02 – Emo’s / Austin*
Apr 03 – Loft / Dallas*
Apr 05 – Brewing Company / Santa Fe*
Apr 06 – Larimer Lounge / Denver*
Apr 07 – Kilby Court / Salt Lake City
Apr 08 – Neurolux / Boise*
Apr 10 – Wonder Ballroom / Portland*
Apr 16 – Coachella Music Festival / Indio, CA
* with the Postelles
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 remixingPhoenix’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)
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
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.
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
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 Brownis 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
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
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Exactly 1 year after a manic sold-out show at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg, English electropop / dance trio Friendly Fires have announced details of a forthcoming mix CD to be released through Rough Trade Records. The CD is one of a humorously-titled series called Bugged Out Presents Suck My Deck that has welcomed dance music acts / DJs such as Simian Mobile Disco and Brodinski to provide similar mixes. The Friendly Fires edition includes New York’s Phenomenal Handclap Band and Scandinavian disco-pop duo Lindstrom and Christabelle. While the album won’t be released until September 27, you can pre-order it now on Rough Trade’s website here.
D.C. finally has a new, inviting dance club to call its own in the form of the U Street Music Hall. Just two blocks from the now world-famous Ben’s Chili Bowl, it has a façade so minimalist that you could completely miss it when you’re walking east on U Street unless you’re keeping your eyes peeled for it. This was the first show I’d ever seen there; the venue just opened on St. Patrick’s Day this year, with Belgian DJs/producers Aeroplane (known to me as the guys behind the popular remixes of Robbie Williams’ “Bodies” and Friendly Fires’ “Paris”) leading the welcome of the venue to our city. I was assured by the congenial doorman that the sound system was world-class (this makes sense, as five of the six owners of the place are DJs), the bartenders were nice (and that he was possibly the meanest person that worked there, which suggested the rest of the staff had to be super sweet), and the dance floor was reinforced with cork as to provide more support to dancegoers’ aching tootsies. All definite pluses.
I have a love/hate relationship with 
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 
