New York antifolk legend and all round swell guy Jeffrey Lewis has concocted a special Christmas comic book tale for the Guardian. It offers a rare and valuable insight into the philosophical musings of our pine-beneedled Christmas friends, and just in time too.
Author: Helen
Helen is Folk's Sake's Live Editor. She loves many things, including: cookbooks, massive novels, Kings of Convenience, Beirut, Kristin Hersh, Dolly Parton, Willy Mason, St Vincent, The Divine Comedy, Mumford and Sons, The Carpenters, Cocorosie, Eels, Belle and Sebastian, Martha Wainwright, Joanna Newsom and The Smiths.
Album Review: Insects and Apples by Lyla Foy
Insects and Apples sits firmly on the pop side of folk-pop and nods, constantly and rather emphatically, at Kate Nash throughout its 11 tracks. It’s a fantastically varied album – Foy’s style takes in music boxes, harmonicas and the crack of biting an apple in its instrumental repertoire, occasionally creeping over to the wrong side of perky. The opening track, ‘Fly on the Wall’, is screaming out to be a sitcom theme tune and ts Kafka-gone-wrong chorus, in which she sings about being a frustrated fly/bee, is so insanely catchy it’s actually quite frightening, particularly when combined with the insane circus-act refrain. Coulrophobics beware.
Single Review: Emmy the Great – We Almost Had a Baby
Whilst we wait eagerly for the arrival of Emmy the Great’s new album, ‘First Love’ in early 2009, FFS have been giving this wee single rather a lot of attention.
Live Review: Jeremy Warmsley @ Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, October 20th 2008
With a genealogy that straddles the Channel and a musical career which already spans multiple locations and genres, Jeremy Warmsley seemed perfectly at home in this splendid little venue in ‘trendy’ Hoxton.
Jeremy Warmsley
Jeremy Warmsley: Londoner by way of Cambridge, this young man started music night Songs in the Dark at university before moving to the bright lights of our nation’s capital and transferring the evening to the delectable Betsy Trotwood in Farringdon.…
Album Review: Babel – Crooked Timber
Bristolian sextet Babel have produced an album they describe as an “erstwhile search for ‘the essence’ of things”.
Festival Review: End of the Road – Sunday
The last day of the festival began for FFS at the Garden Stage. Spirits were high –conditions underfoot were dramatically improved from the night before and the sun was showing its face once again. The Wave Pictures performed an accomplished and lively set which saw lead singer David Tattersal accidentally insulting his mother before dedicating scrumptious pop fiesta ‘Love You Like a Madman’ to her. I’d have forgiven him. There followed drum, lead and bass solos to showcase the not inconsiderable talent of this three-piece. Indeed, bassist Franic Rozycki’s solo was so good that Tattersal could not help but declare his surprise. Stand-out songs included ‘Now You’re Pregnant’ sung by drummer Jonny Helm, which featured these delightfully funny lines on the death of Johnny Cash: ‘And you say “It’s not like Elvis” / and you would be right’. For we sleepers-in, this was the perfect way to begin our Sunday. (Keep your eyes peeled for appearances from the members of the Wave Pictures in the ensuing account of the day. They really do get about a bit). [HT]
Live review: Shearwater @ Rough Trade East, September 18th 2008
The remit for Shearwater’s live appearance at Rough Trade East was simple: play the new album, “Rook” in its entirety, in order. Unusually for an album exposition, this would take less than 40 minutes. And what splendid minutes they were.
Album Review: Shearwater – Rook
Shearwater are not normal. Not even slightly. The title track of this album (their first since signing to Matador) is an apocalyptic vision of a world where all the birds fall from the sky whilst the people all cower indoors.
Live Review: Slow Club @ Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, August 28th 2008
Slow Club ripped up Shoreditch, and FFS were there to see it all.