The Antlers’ last release, 2009’s Hospice, was many things – a story of love and loss, a tragedy, an allegory, a (say it softly) concept album – and could be described in many ways – emotional, heartwrenching, shattering, beautiful. To…
Category: Reviews
Album: The Felice Brothers – Celebration, Florida
When I think of Americana, I think of banjos, harmonica, gritty vocals with a bit of a twang. Frankly, I think of songs like the Felice Brothers’ ‘Frankie’s Gun!!’, with its old-time storyline and humming accordion. The New York band’s…
Compilation: Communion Records – The Flowerpot Sessions
There’s something that I’ve always found very compelling about music or collections of musi, which are intrinsically connected to the place in which they’re recorded. Tally that with the sheer sense of togetherness and collaboration that radiates out of anything…
Live: Unplugged Sessions at the Windmill, Mayfair
When a polite young man writes to you offering you a night of brilliant unplugged music, it’s generally a good idea to say yes. If said young man mentions pie, it’s basically impossible to keep FFS away. We were delighted…
Live: Smoke Fairies @ The Duchess, York
In the shadow of York’s great gothic Minster, the Smoke Fairies have come to weave their magic. Their haunting, ethereal music is ideal for this ancient city. While we may, in fact, be gathered in the basement of a 1960s…
Singles: Smoke Fairies, To Kill A King, The Musgraves, Billy Vincent, Looking Glass & Common Tongues
Smoke Fairies – Storm Song (V2) If you like the Smoke Fairies (and frankly you should) then you will love their latest single ‘Storm Song’. The song opens quietly but gradually builds to become something pretty epic. Always with the…
EP: Daughter – His Young Heart
Solo Londoner Elena Tonra, known musically as Daughter, quickly gained an online following after the release of a four track demo EP earlier this year. That collection, almost entirely recorded with just a guitar and Tonra’ s delicate vocals, revealed…
Emmy the Great’s album showcase – Virtue
Emmy the Great launched her second album Virtue with an album showcase at the Wheelbarrow in Camden tonight. Accompanied by a six-piece band she played the album in full and in order, before treating the audience to an encore of…
Album: Devon Sproule – I Love You, Go Easy
“Let’s all get up and dance to a song/That was a hit before your mother was born”, sang Paul McCartney on ‘Your Mother Should Know’, and I Love You, Go Easy, the sixth album by Devon Sproule, answers the call:…
Album: Ra Ra Riot – The Orchard
The second offering from Ra Ra Riot, The Orchard, is more of the same from this rather fun, quirky band, and that is certainly no bad thing. The title track leads things off but is a poor indication of how…