Fanfarlo frontman Simon Balthazar took a break from their UK tour to answer FFS’s questions.
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.
Single: Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes
‘Summertime Clothes‘ is one of the best tracks on one of the best records of the year, Merriweather Post Pavilion. If you don’t own the album, stop reading now and go and buy it. The real challenge for Animal Collective now is to make the single worth getting as well.
FFS Interview: Butcher Boy
Butcher Boy have had quite a year. Their second album React or Die received rave reviews across the board with the Times rock critic Pete Paphides declaring “Butcher Boy have set a standard against which every other release this year must surely be judged”. The band are set to fulfil a long-held ambition this month by performing a live film score to Cocozza film Chick’s Day at Glasgow Film Theatre. Songwriter and frontman John Blain Hunt kindly agreed to answer our questions…
Young and Lost Club competition winners announced
FFS are pleased to announce the winners of our competition to win Young and Lost Club goodies.
Slow Club play free North London gig tonight!
Folk-pop darlings Slow Club are to play a secret show at Camden’s Flowerpot tonight.
The Sheffield charmers, who release their debut album next month, are playing a previously annanounced spot at the one-month-old venue and will be on stage at 10pm.
Alessi, Peggy Sue, The Leisure Society for gig at Brighton stately home
The Brighton-based Willkommen collective – which includes The Leisure Society, The Miserable Rich, Sons of Noel and Adrien and more – have moved their mini festival from one stately home to another and tickets are now available.
King Creosote for impromptu Bandstand Busk tonight
King Creosote will play an impromptu set in Hyde Park this evening ahead of their gig at the 100 Club.
The Fife based collective are the latest band to perform on one of the many bandstands in London’s parks this summer.
Album: Caroline Weeks – Songs for Edna
Caroline Weeks (multi-instrumentalist from Bat for Lashes) presents her solo debut in tribute to poet Edna St. Vincent. Which for starters may I just say- feels incredibly refreshing. Not to have a ‘self titled’ album with narcissistic tales of a tortured band member previously in the shadows. Caroline has put nine of Edna’s poems to music with a simple backdrop of finger picked guitar loveliness. Simplicity is the running theme here, with only the odd flute and bell making a cameo with her voice and guitar double act. She eases you into her world gently with ‘See where capella with her golden kids’ and takes you on a slow boat ride through Edna’s works.
Album: Mascott – Art Project
Art Project is the third time lucky album for Detroit based group Mascott, with indie veteran Kendal Mead running the show. While she may have been going a while, to date this is her first UK release — and what a cute one it is. The first song, ‘Live Again’ is bringing back the “la la la’s” in a way the Kooks wish they’d thought of. Incredibly upbeat and sunny, it offers a decent sampling of what’s to come.
Album: Iron & Wine — Around The Well
The long awaited Around The Well is split into two halves, the first a soft collection of home recordings, the second a spruced up smattering of studio work. Disc one is reminiscent of 2002’s “The Creek Drank The Cradle” in that it is restrained of detail and relies solely on a minimal amount of musical instruments. This gives it a wholesome, stripped down atmosphere, and seeing as all 11 tracks on the first part are unedited and raw, there is nothing to distract from Iron & Wine’s (Sam Beam’s) genius.