Hooting and Hollowing is the latest musical gem from the Wild Beasts. Although the four piece from Kendal still ooze theatrical charisma, the absurdly fantastic quirks that defined their first album are slightly diluted and replaced by mystical guitar echoes, layered arrangements laced with understated funk and a deep bass that punctuates the song.
Author: Lynn Roberts
Lynn founded For Folk's Sake in 2008. Her favourite artists are Joni Mitchell, The Leisure Society and The Mountain Goats. She plays keyboards in Joe Innes & the Cavalcade.
Album: Pocketbooks – Flight Paths
On first listen to Pocketbooks debut album there is one band name that pops into your head that you fear will be haunting this young group for their whole artistic career. This album sounds so much like Belle & Sebastian you wonder if they would have a leg to stand on if taken to court for plagiarizing by a furious Stuart Murdoch. The vocal tune structure is the biggest give away, rising and falling melodies that continue for longer than groups think to try (maybe this is because B&S made it their own), and that steamroll through each song almost pulling the rest of the instruments with it.
Festival: For Folk’s Sake’s Glastonbury
The mud on your wellies has dried, and everyone’s finally stopped talking about The Boss’s set (yes he played for two and a half hours, yes there was steam coming off him – we know), blubbing at Blur’s emotionally-charged reunion and the has he/hasn’t he rumour that turned out to be very true indeed.
So now is the time to step back and take a look at Glastonbury’s hidden treasures. Three FFS journalists went off the squelchy track to find the gems the BBC didn’t show us.
FFS’s Glasto part #3: Adam Wilkinson – Dan Black, The Dead Weather, Bombay Bicycle Club, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Another year and new legends are born. Which moment will be remember for the longest from this year’s Glastonbury Festival is as impossible to guess as the weather was through this unpredictable June weekend. Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen showed the world that rock stars approaching, or even well into, their sixties can still blow their younger counterparts off the stage, Blur drew tears from everyone as Damon Albarn broke down on stage during the tear jerking classic ‘To The End’ and secret guest appearances from Jack White’s Dead Weather, The Klaxons and even The Boss himself ensured that this would be a year to remember.
FFS’s Glasto part #2: Joe Downie – Stornaway, Regina Spektor, Noah and the Whale, Emmy the Great
The wonder of a festival as big and beautiful as Glastonbury is that it caters to so many different tastes. With a tiny bit of planing (and a lot of walking), if you want to skank to ska all weekend or get deep in dubstep, you can.
FFS’s Glasto part #1: Rich Furlong – Slow Club, Fleet Foxes, Animal Collective, Bat For Lashes, Bon Iver, Blur
“I hate Glastonbury so much, I really do.” Now, as festival gambits go, this is a feisty (if not downright wreckless) one. However, 10 minutes into a Worthy Farm debut marred by sound problems, tetchy stewards and an unresponsive crowd, Slow Club perhaps have the right to be a little miffed. Fortunately, as the set develops, Rebecca’s spikiness serves to cajole the initially apathetic Guardian Lounge crowd to life and lends the songs a feverous energy which, coupled with the pair’s increasing confidence on stage, gets people on their feet. Such is the group’s enthusiasm, that by the time Giving Up On Love has rollocked its way to glorious conclusion even the floating voters have no choice but to get up and boogie. The world is going love Slow Club, or Rebecca is going to have words…
FFS Interview: The Angel Brothers
The Angel Brothers say the new album – their first in four years – call their new album is “cinematic folk funk”. FFS’s Kat Nichols spoke to them about their return to the music business.
EP: Blitzen Trapper – Black River Killer
Blitzen Trapper is a folk rock band based in Portand Oregon. Recently signed with Sub Pop Records and with an album (Furr) by the label released in 2008, which became an instant American success, they have just given born to their EP baby ‘Black River Killer’.
Southbank announces Emmy the Great and Laura Marling summer shows
The Southbank Centre has announced it’s series of summer gigs, which features folk artists Laura Marling, Emmy the Great, Mary Gaulthier and Emiliana Torrini.
The gigs begin on July 19th. Here are FFS’s picks:
Laura Marling releases more tickets for Royal Festival Hall show
Laura Marling has released extra tickets for the ‘Laura Marling and Friends’ Royal Festival Hall show on 11th August.