popwreckoning

The third album from English folk songbird Laura Marling is called A Creature I Don’t Know and the approach this time around seems to be a mature one (like Marling’s second, I Speak Because I Can) but more raw and back to basics, more similar to Marling’s 2008 debut and Mercury Prize-nominated album Alas I Cannot Swim. Take, for instance, the opening track “The Muse.” A fast folk guitar, honky tonk piano, and drum brushes were adopted for this song, and the overall vibe is very laid back. Too laid back I think: Marling’s voice is jazzy, and it’s not really the best to showcase Marling’s otherwise beautiful singing voice. Check out “Don’t Ask Me Why” and “All My Friends” for clear evidence of this and Marling’s mastery of songwriting. The only problem I see with this album is that it is uneven in song quality.

The lead single for A Creature I Don’t Know is “Sophia,” which begins with spare guitar chords and a dry vocal from Marling. With beautiful backing singers harmonizing perfectly with her, it’s so gentle, as if you were in a boat going down a gentle river. But this doesn’t last long: confusingly two-thirds into the song, you are jolted back into reality when the song turns Mumford and Sons-ized. It’s a knee-slapper, folks. The first couple times I heard this song this summer on British radio, I was really unhappy with it because Marling is such a talented woman, I felt like she sold out trying to make it more radio-friendly. The song has grown on me since I’ve seen the video for the song (watch it below) because it feels less contrived when you see her and her band playing it in a church. The video is a nice preview of her upcoming tour at home in the UK, as she will be playing churches across the country.

“Salinas” appears to be a nod to John Steinbeck (the Nobel Prize-winning author’s hometown) and possibly his most famous work The Grapes of Wrath. The song speaks of strong women and questions of morality and mortality. Heavy stuff. Then again, no one ever said folk music was for the weak-hearted. Also see “The Beast,” which may be a reference to Satan and viewing sex as a sin. The instrumentation is probably the hardest we’re going to get from Marling – unless she does a complete 180 and completely gives up folk for hard rock, which I highly doubt – and while there have been aggressive tracks like “Devil’s Spoke” from her in the past, this one is a definite ratcheting up on the rockiness.

Unfortunately, if you’re more of a rock than a folk fan like me, the album plods along instead of continuing in a jaunty fashion. Things can get a little…well…boring. Marling is 21 now, has 3 albums under her belt, and has had two high profile relationships with fellow musicians Charlie Fink (Noah and the Whale) and Marcus Mumford. The question now is, how will Marling change as the years go on?

A Creature I Don’t Know will be released in the U.S. on September 12 on Ribbon Records. Catch Marling on tour in North America this month, starting on September 17 in San Francisco. The opener for the tour is Alessi’s Ark, another amazing female English singer/songwriter.

Track Listing
01. The Muse
02. I Was Just a Card
03. Don’t Ask Me Why
04. Salinas
05. The Beast
06. Night After Night
07. My Friends
08. Rest in the Bed
09. Sophia
10. All My Rage

Tour Dates
Sept 17 – Bimbo’s 365 Club / San Francisco
Sept 18 – Masonic Temple / Los Angeles
Sept 20 – Troubadour / Los Angeles
Sept 22 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago
Sept 23 – Great Hall / Toronto
Sept 24 – Corona / Montreal
Sept 25 – Brighton Music Hall / Boston
Sept 27 – Sixth & I Historic Synagogue / Washington, DC
Sept 28 – Webster Hall / New York City

Laura Marling: website | myspace

Noah And The Whale will release a new single ’Life Is Life’ on August 8th. The third single to be taken from the band’s Top 10 third album Last Night On Earth, ‘Life Is Life,’ follows Tonight’s The Kind Of Night and L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N., which took up residence in the chart for an impressive 12 straight weeks earlier this year.

Check out the video below, and be sure to visit www.noahandthewhale.com for a complete list of UK tour dates.

I spent the second birthday in a row at Sasquatch – this year it was my 22nd birthday, on Monday. And this year I can clearly say was better than last year’s birthday when Kid Cudi fans started booing They Might Be Giants.

My day began at the Bigfoot stage for Givers, the Lafayette, LA natives with an insane amount of energy, and they all look to be about 18 years old. I’d seen Givers earlier this year when they toured with Ra Ra Riot, and when I saw them then, they out-shined both acts they played with. I was not disappointed seeing them the second time around, in the early afternoon of the last day. This band is full of a bunch of kooky hippies that was some of the most genuine people I’ve ever met. Givers played the Endsession tent later that day, and when I arrived, Taylor Guarisco came up to me and another photographer.

“So you guys are the ones who are taking photos?”

“Yep.”

“We don’t usually let strangers take pictures of us, so… I’m Taylor.”

“I’m Abby.”

“There, now we aren’t strangers anymore!”

And there were several other instances throughout the day that exemplified their friendliness and sincerity, but then this would get to be a really long post.

Noah and the Whale was next up on my agenda, the English folk rock band, whom I’d been anxiously awaiting to see. The whole band looked quite dapper on stage, with well-coiffed hair and sharp suits, and the sound that came from the band definitely didn’t match the appearance. They looked like New Order, but sounded like Mumford and Sons (in the simplest of analogies). I’ll gladly see them again, because they were pleasant, but not boring.

There were plenty of bands that fit into that category during the weekend – pleasant but boring.

Local dance rock band Head Like A Kite merely gained my attention when I was sitting in the media room right next to the Yeti stage. I’d completely forgot that they were playing, and when I heard the frantic dance music from outside, I had to run out. It’s a testament to Head Like A Kite’s persona. No matter how you feel about their music (which I quite enjoy), they put on a showstopper – with just two band members I might add.

Back at the Bigfoot stage was Black Mountain, a Black Keys-esque (not just because of the name) blues rock band, but with a female singer. I was rushing around like a chicken with my head cut off at this point, but from what I did see of Black Mountain, they had a lot of soul and a lot of edge. I’ll have to check them out again.

Stornoway also hit the Bigfoot stage that afternoon, but they couldn’t be more different from Black Mountain – English, alternative folk, and a majority of the band looked like squares. But they were equally as enjoyable. They were like Noah and the Whale, but more adorable, and I wish I’d seen more of their set, but like I said before – chicken with my head cut off.

I followed my fellow photographers over to the Yeti stage for Foster the People, as they were highly anticipated – and rightly so. I hadn’t seen a crowd for the Yeti stage bigger all weekend. I honestly thought they should have put Foster the People at the Bigfoot stage because the crowd was so big. But with how much radio play “Pumped Up Kicks” has been getting, I wasn’t surprised. The band was good, had plenty of energy, but to me, didn’t live up to the hype.

However, this next performer surpassed my expectations by miles (or kilometers for the Canadians at the festival).

Macklemore is amazing. I’ll just say that. If you haven’t heard his music, you may have heard his song “My Oh My” if you’re local. He sang it at opening day of the Mariners’ baseball season this year, and when I first heard that song it brought me to tears and gave me goosebumps. I didn’t know his whole performance would be that fantastic. The guy can put on a show, I’ll tell you. He had conversations with the audience, gave shout-outs to people born in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, crowd surfed, and jumped around the stage in a fringe jean jacket with David Bowie (circa Labyrinth) on the back. I cannot give Macklemore any more praise than anyone else can, but I will say that his album with his producer Ryan Lewis “VS” was the only album I bought for myself at the festival.

Seriously. Even after I was done shooting the first three songs, I went back in the media room to charge my camera battery for just a bit, but as soon as I heard the opening chords to “My Oh My,” I literally sprinted outside to listen. And again, I got goosebumps and I teared up. Thankfully I had sunglasses on.

I dare say that there wasn’t a greater moment at the whole festival, than when the huge crowd of his local fans screamed at the top of their lungs, “MY OH MY!”

I don’t even like hip-hop, and when Macklemore and Ryan Lewis did that Monday afternoon was perhaps my favorite performance of Sasquatch (except for the Foo Fighters). He’s just awesome.

So after that spectacular display of musical perfection (pardon the hyperbole, but it’s not all that hyperbolic!), the rest of the evening just paled in comparison.

However, I will say that !!! (Chk chk chk) is now my new favorite band to shoot. Not because I love their music (which I do), but after I thought I’d missed the first three songs, a friend of mine came into the media room and asked me, “Did you shoot Chk chk chk?”

“No, I missed the first three songs.”

“Get out there right now. He’s letting photographers in the pit the whole time. He said, ‘don’t let the photographers leave!’”

So I did, and I was glad I did, because he was strutting all over the stage, shaking his hips all which ways, going into the crowd multiple times, and loving the photographers. When a musician loves the photographers, we love him right back.

As I stumbled back to my computer and clean water, I saw the sky start to darken – and not just sunset dark, like storm cloud dark. Soon after, thunder and lightning. Lots of lightning. All I could think of was, poor Wilco. They were playing the mainstage last that night, and I didn’t even stay late enough to see them, to avoid the nasty storm coming our way on my three-hour drive home.

But I did stay late enough to catch all of Deerhunter‘s set at the Bigfoot stage, where I ran into Givers again, so we all stood in the middle of the crowd for our last performance of the night. I could not have thought of a better way to end the festival. All of Deerhunter was rocking hoodies with their hoods up, in case the rain decided to invade their stage, but it held out for the hour of moving ambient rock. The last time I’d seen Deerhunter was last April when they opened for Spoon, and this was so much better with the eerie color of the sky matched with Deerhunter’s sweeping melodies and Bradford Cox‘s lulling voice.

I wouldn’t have closed the night any other way.

Lollapalooza is celebrating its 20th anniversary and as promised, the recently announced delivers some pretty hefty acts. 

Eminem, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Muse, My Morning Jacket, Deadmau5 and A Perfect Circle will headline the annual event in Grant Park from August 5-7, 2011.

If you missed Death From Above 1979‘s Coachella reunion, Lolla gives fans another chance. There’s also many other classic acts such as The Cars to up and comers The Naked and Famous. You can see the rest of the announced lineup below:

Eminem, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Muse, My Morning Jacket, Deadmau5, A Perfect Circle, Cee Lo Green, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley & Nas, the Cars, Ween, Bright Eyes, Arctic Monkeys, Big Audio Dynamite, Deftones, Beirut, Explosions in the Sky, Death From Above 1979, Ratatat, Crystal Castles, Flogging Molly, Atmosphere, Cold War Kids, Lykke Li, Cage the Elephant, OK GO, Local Natives, The Kills, White Lies, Portugal. The Man, Two Door Cinema Club, Ellie Goulding, Delta Spirit, Beats Antique, Mountain Goats, Sleigh Bells, Manchester Orchestra, Smith Westerns, Best Coast, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, The Drums, Black Lips, Fitz & the Tantrums, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, City and Colour, Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses, Cults, Noah and the Whale, Sam Adams, J. Roddy Walston and the Business, Tinie Tempah, Lissie, Dom, The Vaccines, Foster the People, Titus Andronicus, Mayer Hawthorne and the County, Chico Trujillo, The Naked and Famous, Phantogram, Rival Schools, Friendly Fires, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Reptar, Maps & Atlases, Fences, Tennis, An Horse, Young the Giant, Los Bunkers, Imelda May, Grouplove, Wye Oak, The Joy Formidable, Lord Huron, Disappears, Walk the Moon, Gold Motel, Iration, Ryan Leslie, Tab the Band, Skylar Grey, Christina Perri, Black Cards, The Pretty Reckless, Boy and Bear, Patrick Stump, Kids These Days, Young Man, The Kingston Springs, Lia Ices, The Chain Gang of 1974, Ximena Sarinana, Typhoon, Electric Touch, Kerli, Ruby Jane, Julia Easterlin, and DJ Mel.

On Perry’s Stage:

Girl Talk, Pretty Lights, Kid Cudi, the Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77, AfroJack, Modeselektor, Skrillex, Perryetty vs. Chris Cox, Chuckie, The Glitch MOb, Busy P, Joachim Garraud, Super Mash Bros., Jay Electronica, 12th Planet, Daedulus, Feed Me, JackMaster, Collie Buddz, Savoy, Kyle Lucas and Captain Midnite, Ana Tijouxana, Midnight Conspiracy, L1ght, and Lady D.

Early Bird tickets have already sold out, but you can now buy regular priced tickets for $215 while supplies last. VIP Passes and Travel Packages are also available. A limited number of
Single Day tickets will go on sale June 7. Go here to buy tickets.

Organizers are expecting over 240,000 people.

Just as important as going to Austin to see music is going to Austin for the food. I’ve previously mentioned my affinity for breakfast tacos, but Friday I tried a different culture’s food. Not sure if it blasphemy to eat something that isn’t Mexican that close to Texas, but this morning called for Coffee with a capital “c.” No one does Coffee like the French. So Friday morning, I found myself at Le Café Crépe, being handed a menu by a Frenchman who was greeting me with a “Bonjour, mademoiselle.” Behind a glass window, employees were preparing mouth-watering crépes. Sadly, we were in a rush (as always), so we got our mochas to go and paired then with pain au chocolat, which is bread with chocolate. The flaky bread was fresh from the oven and filled with gooey chocolate. A light dousing on powdered sugar made this perfectly delectable. As we walked toward a first venue in considerably better moods, we promised to revisit the restaurant when we had more time, which we did Sunday morning before driving home.

After brushing some spilled powdered sugar off my shirt, I dashed into Emo’s for the mysterious Cults. For a long time, it was downright impossible to find out anything about this band and hopes of catching them on tour were slim to none. Fortunately, they seemed to have changed their mind on that as they have started touring more extensively and the band was practically everywhere at SXSW. The band is essentially the pop project of couple Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin, but they were joined by a full band for the performance. “Go Outside” was the only tune I really knew, but the lo-fi pop songs were all catchy and light-hearted…at least in sound. Lyrically, the duo likes to stay true to their name and often draw inspiration from cult leaders.

Chain Gang of 1974 was playing in another room at Emo’s just above Cults, so I went to check out this buzz band. Don’t be fooled by the 1974 in their name. They sound like a better fit for the 80s, but without going overboard on synths. There was an edge to the music, but also a danceable beat. If you’re like me and have heard the buzz about this band, but hadn’t checked them out before, start by giving their epic “Hold On” a listen.

Foster the People is a band that I was saying should be huge since last year. “Pumped Up Kicks” was my summer jam. Radio was a little slower to recognize its catchy awesomeness, so a lot of people are just discovering Foster the People. In the year since I’ve first learned of this band, I’ve only come to love them even more and seeing them live only solidified my love. At times this piano pop rock group sounds like Peter Bjorn and John and then other times it seems like they’ve got some Vampire Weekend thrown in, but with the subtlety of a group like Tennis. There are a lot of diverse influences working together very smoothly for this band, so if you’re lagging behind with the radio stations, get on it and check this band out asap.

Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt was a performance that was so epic that it got its own post. You can find that here. In short, the wild performance art band got us to run around the venue, freestyle dance in the middle of a clapping circle of strangers and jump up and down under a parachute while shouting, “We’re alive! We’re in love! We’ve got hope…just because!” Definitely gets the award for most memorable set of SXSW.

Reeling from the insanely fun experience of Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, I stumbled out to Sixth Street a bit dazed and unsure of what to do next. How do you follow up a band with a parachute? I found myself wandering. First I traveled up to Mohawk, where Ted Leo was starting an acoustic set a little early. Crisp vocals and friendly tone demonstrated why this guy is a favorite of so many. From Ted Leo, I bounced to a tent next door where Glasser was taking the stage for the Rhapsody Party. A beautiful set, but one that couldn’t quite match the almost holy experience of seeing that band the night before at Central Presbyterian Church.

When I wandered out of Rhapsody, I honestly had every intention of giving the music watching a break and finding a spot to charge my phone. But then luck took me by Stubbs and a woman asked me to check-in on Foursquare in exchange for two passes to the exclusive Spin Party.  How can you pass up something as simple as that? I love social media!

Some middle age guy that I had never seen before was on the mainstage when I walked in. In awe of my sheer luck, it took me a moment to realize I knew the song being performed: “Touch Me once, touch me twice…” Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark was singing the song from one of my favorite soundtracks of all time (and no this was not the OMD performance at Stubbs with the camera boom incident). I might have dismissed OMD when I first walked in as some rando middle age dude, but he’s still got it. As an added bonus, Moby joined OMD on bass.

From OMD to DOM, the inside of Stubbs was getting packed for this buzz band. “Living in America,” has long been my jam. How can you resist the slinky chorus, “It’s so sexy to be living in America”?

And back outside, the Spin Party band I was most anxious for: The Kills. With Jack White in attendance at SXSW, there were some rumors of some special collab, but this was a straight up the Kills set. And I was ok with that. Allison Mosshart continues to steal the show no matter who she’s on the stage with – her vocals, her attitude – it’s just impossible not to watch her.

I left the Spin Party before TV on the Radio to chat with the duo behind Acrylics. Look for that interview soon on PopWreckoning. After my chat with Acrylics, I wandered through the Brooklyn Vegan Party to briefly watch the Dodos, Middle Brother and J. Mascis. I had heard a lot about J. Mascis, but I found the set kind of boring. The falsetto just wasn’t my thing. So I quickly left and went to catch a band from across the great pond that I knew would entertain: A Silent Film. I had the privilege of seeing this passionate piano rock band at their first US show ever back in Kansas City during the Fall. They seem a lot more confident now and delivered such a great set that people even asked for an encore and the venue guys, who had at first seemed very anti-encore to stay on schedule, even gave their approval because they were enjoying it so much. This band could easily draw some comparisons to Keane, but I find Keane rather sleepy. If anyone has heard of the UK’s Embrace, I would say that is a more apt comparison.

!!! might not be a band name that everyone can understand or say, but people have no problem understand the band’s music. The tent that !!! was a non-stop dance party. It kind of reminded me of seeing LCD Soundsystem at Bonnaroo – a little similar with the music and with the vibe.

I trekked far from Sixth to the Lustre Pearl to catch the next two acts. Noah and the Whale is a band that I had been eagerly anticipating for SXSW. Their romantic folk ballads had won my heart on recordings, but I had yet to see them live. They were supposed to play SXSW two years ago when I was here, but canceled. Then I was supposed to see them at Lollapalooza and they canceled. This year was to be my chance. Now, after finally getting the chance to see them, I think I’m ok that they canceled. Love their music, but they were one of the most boring bands of the festival. I didn’t need another Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, but I just didn’t feel any energy or passion from these guys. I’d rather just go home and listen to my CDs because this particular live performance added nothing.

In contrast, the band that followed had plenty to watch on stage. Gayngs followed and this is autotune done right. This is a supergroup featuring members of Bon Iver, Doomtree, The Rosebuds and more. I don’t believe I counted all 23 members there for this performance, but they sure came close to a full group. The stage was packed. The soft-rock set got the audience dancing and I think any Austinites holding a grudge for the band’s unfortunate cancellation at ACL was quickly forgiven by this performance.

When I returned back to the main area of SXSW, I headed back to Stubbs for an old SXSW favorite of mine. The Airborne Toxic Event has this amazing ability of making viola look badass. Viola is not a badass instrument, but this band knows how to make it rock. And if one viola wasn’t enough, the band had another join the performance as part of a string quartet set up on the side of the stage. Awesome. They played through songs from their popular debut and several from their upcoming release. The Airborne Toxic Event never disappoints. But the rest of the night did disappoint. TATE would end up being my last of the night. After waiting in another line for an hour and encountering several venues that ended up being Badges only, I gave up on Friday and decided to call it an early night before the final day of SXSW.

—
Check back for more to come from PopWreckoning’s Bethany and her experience at SXSW. You can see more photos from Day 3, Friday, March 18 below and click these links for Day 1 and Day 2:

Honestly, I don’t even know where to begin with Thursday’s blog. It was St. Patrick’s Day and I had originally RSVP’d to a few daytime showcases, expecting to see a handful of smaller, lesser known bands. However, without the wristbands of the day before and with the confusion of RSVP lists, I didn’t actually end up getting into anything for the first part of the day. It was a minor disappointment but it did allow me time to go find the press room and photo edit for a bit- something I desperately needed to get caught up on before I was drowning in a five day backlog.

However, this stroke of luck landed me in the line for Stubb’s about two hours before the doors, meaning I was one of the first twenty people in the door. Stubb’s tends to be one of the more popular venues (and it’s one of the few all ages venues) so it tends to get pretty full fairly quickly. Meanwhile hundreds of people filled out the outdoor venue (something this Seattle girl wasn’t used to). I planned on staying at Stubb’s for most of the evening, then wandering to see what was going on at a few other places.

Before that night, I had never even heard of Foster the People (I know this is practically blasphemy, but I live under a rock sometimes). After listening to amazing songs like “Pumped Up Kicks”, “Helena Beat”, and “Houdini,” I’m more than convinced that they will be one of the defining bands of this decade and quite possibly in the genre of indie pop. For a band that has been out about a year and a half, they are already playing Coachella and SXSW. Their first full length album, Torches, is due out May 24^th. For someone who absolutely can’t stand most mainstream indie bands, they caught me by surprise.

For me, they aren’t just another cookie cutter indie pop band. Their anthems are catchy, California summers recorded for posterity against a background of synth and some addictive drums, all layered with a dose of frontman Mark Foster’s incredibly dulcet tones. The Los Angeles based band is not just musically sound, but they are an amazing live act as well. Every single person in the crowd was dancing, clapping, and singing along, and the show was a blast. Next to Flogging Molly, they were probably one of the better shows I saw all week.  From lo-fi pop to catchy dance hits, they are going to be one of this summers greatest new bands.

Up next was Noah and the Whale, playing new tracks off their early March release, Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down. Overall they weren’t bad, but they weren’t exactly to my tastes either. An almost painfully stereotypical English indie folk band, they are classically talented and good, if that’s the sort of thing you are into. Visually, they weren’t very entertaining, but overall they had a fairly solid set. Good acoustics, decent music, and a breezy, warm summer night and you’ve got a decent show. Even if you don’t like indie folk, they are worth a listen and even maybe a gander at a live show.

The third act of the night at Stubb’s was Portugal. The Man. I had never gotten to see them live, and due to press restrictions in the photo pit, I couldn’t actually shoot the show. However, I did get to stand back and really listen- something that I don’t get to do too often at festivals. After about twenty minutes I came to the conclusion that it was minorly anticlimactic. As good as they are recorded, I just wasn’t feeling their live set. For an indie prog rock band of this magnitude, I was expecting more energy, more precision, more general enthusiasm. That just wasn’t the case for that night. I plan on catching them in Seattle at some point, but until then, I can’t really make an adequate assessment of their live set.

After two vaguely disappointing sets, I decided to hit the Velveeta Room, a tiny bar on 6^th to catch Adam Arcuragi & The Lupine Chorale Society with some friends. Surprisingly, for this infectious blend of blues, country, indie folk, alt rock, and soul, their set was pretty amazing. It was two-step at its finest and was a great way to mellow out between the other sets. Adam Arcuragi is immensely talented, but from what I could see and hear of the Lupine Chorale Society, they either needed a better sound tech or a whole new ensemble – I’m honestly not sure which. Adam’s songs are soulful, a coined “Death Gospel” of poignancy and cathartic lyrics and melodic ballads. Probably one of the more heartfelt sets of the festival, I was truly blown away by the artistry and skill that was apparent in every note of his. Some tracks could have used more piano, some a fiddle or a cello, but overall they were obscenely good to be playing a half empty venue on St. Patrick’s Day.

To round off the night, I found out that Ron Sexsmith was playing an acoustic set at the Hilton Garden at Creekside (a trek and some hunting to find, but worth it for Sexsmith). Acoustics in conference rooms are barely adequate for someone of this caliber, but with an acoustic set, I was surprised. The Canadian singer-songwriter played some of his more popular works, taking requests from the sheepish and adoring crowd. Ron played his guitar and sang his heart out, soulfully pouring passion and skill out into the waiting crowd with precision of a master of his craft. Between songs, he charmed the audience with a running commentary and some general discussion about his works and his life. Pushing the boundaries of intimacy with his fans, Sexsmith managed it with stammering grace.  One of the best acoustic performances I have seen to date and another highlight of the festival, I will definitely be checking out his catalogue and film extensively in the near future.

With that chilling beautiful set, it was time to return my gear to the hotel, a long walk to the breezy Austin night and catch some sleep before the weekend events and the upcoming long haul.

(Look for the rest of my SXSW coverage coming soon!)

Find the artists here:

Foster The People
Noah and the Whale
Portugal. The Man
Adam Arcuragi & The Lupine Chorale Society
Ron Sexsmith

SXSW

Check out more of my Day 2 photos here!
(Please note that due to memory card failure, this is a fairly small set).

London indie folk pop outfit Noah and the Whale have just released the promo video for “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.”

The track is from their forthcoming third album, Last Night on Earth, to be released on March 7 on Young and Lost Club in the UK (we’re not sure about the US release date as of yet). The tune is classic Noah and the Whale – primary singer/songwriter Charlie Fink‘s fragile yet life-affirming vocals backed back equally impressive folk-tinged pop instrumentation.

If you live in Los Angeles, New York City, or Toronto, you’re in luck: the band will be making appearances in those cities in the second half of March.

Tour Dates
Mar 15 – Troubadour / Los Angeles
Mar 21-22 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City
Mar 24 – Mod Club / Toronto

Noah and the Whale: website | myspace | The First Days of Spring review | @ black cat | interview with:

In this golden age of supergroups (think Broken Bells and Them Crooked Vultures), Mt. Desolation is a supergroup with a difference. The band plays alternative country – not exactly mainstream in the U.S. – and features Keane‘s principal songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley and touring musician Jesse Quin. Also along to assist are Ronnie Vannucci Jr. of the Killers, Country Winston of Mumford and Sons, and members of Noah and the Whale, the Long Winters, and the Staves. Got all that? Good.

Mt. Desolation is set to release its self-titled debut album on October 19 on Cherry Tree Records and is going on tour later this month, playing some dates handily enough with Mumford and Sons. If you like what you hear in the video below for their song, “Departure,” catch them at a venue near you.

Tour Dates
Oct 18 – Palladium / Los Angeles*
Oct 20 – Warfield / San Francisco*
Oct 22 – Crystal Ballroom / Portland*
Oct 23 – Vogue Theatre / Vancouver*
Oct 24 – Moore Theatre / Seattle*
Oct 27 – Mercury Lounge / New York City
Oct 28 – Drake / Toronto
Oct 29 – Pike Room / Detroit
Oct 30 – Schubas / Chicago
*with Mumford and Sons

Photo: Alex Lake

Mt. Desolation: website | myspace

Laura Marling, London folk songbird and former member of Noah and the Whale, has announced an extended tour of America in May. This will be her second set of dates on this side of the pond this year after a short tour in February. Marling is scheduled to perform at two of the more alternative summer music festivals in the UK, Hop Farm Festival in Kent and Latitude Festival in Suffolk, both in July.

I Speak Because I Can, Marling’s second album that sees her going back to a more traditional folk sound, was released in the UK on March 22. The album will be released in America on April 6.

Tour Dates
May 04 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago
May 06 – Ladies Literary Club / Grand Rapids, MI
May 07 – Magic Stick / Detroit
May 08 – Andy Warhol Museum / Pittsburgh
May 09 – Big Obit Sound Lab / Buffalo
May 11 – Space Gallery / Portland, ME
May 12 – First Church in Cambridge / Cambridge, MA
May 13 – Music Hall of Williamsburg / Brooklyn
May 14 – City Winery / New York City
May 15 – Johnny Brenda’s / Philadelphia
May 16 – Iota / Arlington, VA
May 18 – Earl/ Atlanta
May 19 – 3rd & Lindsley / Nashville
May 21 – Warehouse Live / Houston
May 22 – Central Presbyterian Church / Austin
May 23 – Loft / Dallas
May 24 – Larimer Lounge / Denver
May 25 – Kilby Court / Salt Lake City
May 26 – Neurolux / Boise
May 28 – Doug Fir / Portland, OR

Laura Marling: website | myspace | Laura Marling Plans February 2010 North American Tour

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