spOOOnful.com » Singer-Songwriter

Florence and the Machine

stacyamos — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:13:50 +0000

Artist: Florence and the Machine

Hails from: London

Musical Style: Indie Rock, Blues Rock, Singer/Songwriter

For Fans of: Amy Winehouse, PJ Harvey, The White Stripes

WHY YOU SHOULD CHECK THEM OUT:

England has crowned her the next big thing, and now the U.S. is starting to fall under her spell. Florence Welch and her backing band (The Machine) write and perform “soul inspired indie rock” that combines the dirt and grime of blues with the condensed sweetness of popular rock.
BACKGROUND CHECK:

Florence Welch writes songs that deal with both heartbreak and romance. The debut record, Lungs, was written during a rough patch between Florence and her boyfriend, and the result is a bittersweet combination of anger and love. It all works together to make a complicated and sincere picture of what it means to be in a relationship. The title of her first single, “Kiss with a Fist”, sums up the general aesthetic of the record.
Florence dropped out of art school and began working on her music career with a handful of London musicians. She was nabbed up by the managing and DJ duo Queens of Noize, and began recording her debut record. After the UK release of Lungs, there was a slew of critical and commercial success. At the Brit Awards 2009 Florence picked up the Critics Choice Award, and she’s been riding high ever since. Much of the attention that Florence + The Machine has garnered comes from their live show, which is filled with tons of energy and aggression. They shared the stage with Blur during their reunion show, and trotted around the world with other British buzz bands like Friendly Fires and White Lies.
There is a good chance this act might become a household name, so check out her music now, and be sure to catch her on tour.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

MySpace

Florencethemachine.net

On tour:

JamBase

Similar Artists:

Bat for Lashes

stacyamos — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:00:54 +0000

Artist: Bat for Lashes

Hails from: Brighton, United Kingdom

Musical Style: Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock, Singer/Songwriter

For fans of: PJ Harvey, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Dresden Dolls/Amanda Palmer

Why you should check her out:

Certain musicians bring the complete package, launching a multimedia bombast designed to assault numerous senses at once. Bat for Lashes – the handiwork of British songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Natasha Khan-combines visual art, video and sonic landscapes to draw the audience in and hold them captive until long after the presentation is complete.

Background Check:

Drawing comparissons to other boundery pushers like Bjork and Kate Bush, as well as collaborating with avant luminaries like Scott Walker, Bat for Lashes’ music is the soundtrack to nocturnal dreams…and nightmares. Their other-worldy, dark odes are jam packed with lush strings, layers of affected guitar, warped sounding folk instruments and loads of percussion.

The band’s recently released sophmore album, Two Suns, features a duet with the aforementioned Walker along with bass and beat programming contributions from Brooklyn-based psychedelic purveyors, Yeasayer. Accordign to Kahn, the work is a concept album, chronicling the self-destructive, hedonistic exploits of her blonde femme fatal alter ego, “Pearl”.

A Bat for Lashes documentary is in the works, so stay tuned. Also, be sure to check out their MySpace page, which affords fans the opportunity to remix the Two Suns track, “Pearl’s Dream”.

Fun Fact: Born into a ’world class squash-playing dynast,” Khan travelled a great deal as a child, spending several years in Pakistan where she claims to have lost a goat in a sacrificial religious ceremony.

Where you can find her in cyberspace:

Bat for Lashes Website

MySpace page

On Tour:

JamBase

Similar Artists:

Ezra Furman and the Harpoons

stacyamos — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:00:52 +0000

Artist: Ezra Furman and the Harpoons

Hails From: Boston and New York

Musical Style: Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Pop, Singer-songwriter

For Fans of: Violent Femmes, Okkervil River, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Bright Eyes

Why you should check them out:

These rockers, barely into their 20’s, have emerged fully-formed onto the scene and are not leaving anytime soon. Infectious and precocious, they’ve already released a few tunes that would be radio hits if, well, radio knew what was good for it.

Background Check:

Tufts University, an elite institution located just north of Boston, is not traditionally knows as a cutting-edge musical hotbed. Yet in 2006 it birthed young upstarts Ezra Furman and the Harpoons, formed as an outlet for Furman’s burgeoning catalog of songs. The band combines elements of lit-rock Americana, singer-songwriter folkiness, punk energy and good old fashion pop to produce an insistant and immediate brand of rock.

Singing of sunglasses, wolves and starlet Kirsten Dunst, Ezra Furman and the Harpoons churn out radio-ready ditties designed to invade your earholes and swim around for a while. A tight rhythm section coupled with ebulliently-strummed guitars carry Furman’s warbling, oft-center vocals. The tunes are heartfelt and sincere, and their exuberance jumps out of the speakers.

The prodigious band has already released two full-lengths on Chicago’s excellent Minty Fresh Records, the latter of which, 2008’s Inside the Human Body, cracked more than a few critics’ year end top 10 lists. The band has worked closely with producer Brian Deck, who sports an impressive resume which includes work with the likes of Iron and Wine and Modest Mouse.

Where you can find them in Cyberspace:

MySpace Page

Ezra Furman and the Harpoons Website

On Tour:

JamBase