Fleet Foxes had a big job on there hands with record No. 2. 2008′s self titled debut was an incredible record, and so many people thought so. So could they live up to it on album No.2? Well no they didn’t quite. As a complete record, I don’t think this fits together as well. But its the individual songs that triumph alone and make up a album more than worthy of a No.4 slot on my list.
Every track on this record is stunning in its own right, my favourite is The Shrine/An Argument, purely for the melody on ‘Sunlight over me no matter what I do’ which shows Robin Peckford’s voice off at its very best. Blue Spotted Tail is a delicate solo track with the most stunningly insightful lyrics. Sim Sala Bim is another one of my favourites. Fleet Foxes are a band who have already made two incredible records, and I know there will be many more to come.
Standout Tracks: The Shrine/An Argument, Blue Spotted Tail, Sim Sala Bim
Welcome to the first of a brand new feature on my blog, My Musical Profile. The idea is to get artists I like to answer a couple of questions about the music they love. I hope that from it you will find something new to love and listen to and hopefully I will too! I am delighted to say that the first of these posts comes from the stunning Laura Boyle.
When I first heard Laura Boyle I knew she was something very special. I have followed her now for several months and her development is wonderful to watch and it was a true delight to have her play the Mountain Bea show at the Gallery Cafe. I am sure we can expect much, much more from this young lady. Here is a demo of her latest song which you can grab as a free download!..
My favourite Bands/Artists (Also my dream line-up!);
Fleet Foxes/Laura Marling/Jackson C.Frank/Johnny Cash/ Mumford & Sons/ First Aid Kit/ Joni Mitchell/ Bon Iver/ Nick Drake/Lucy Rose/Peggy Sue/Slow Club/ Dry The River/ Alessi’s Ark.
My favourite Album; right now would probably be ‘A Creature I Don’t Know’, but I’ve been listening to ‘Acrobats’ (Peggy Sue) and ‘Paradise’ (Slow Club) and think both of those records are pretty amazing.
My favourite song;
‘Blue Spotted Tail’ is a song that I literally haven’t stopped listening to since I first heard it. It’s something about the lyrics, and Robin Pecknold’s voice… Everything about that song is captivating.
My favourite gig;
Ah, I have quite a few. I went to Mumford & Sons’ album launch in a barn in Hertfordshire; the atmosphere at that gig was just extraordinary… Oh, when I was about 13 or 14, I saw Laura Marling play in a church in Piccadilly. It was the first time I was able to see her live, and most of the church was lit by candles. So that would probably be my favourite gig.
My favourite lyric;
It’s probably between, ‘Why is life made only for to end? Why do I do all this waiting then? Why this frightened part of me that’s fated to pretend?’ (Blue Spotted Tail/Fleet Foxes) or ‘Someday someone will leave you, and I know you’ll feel the same. You’ll mark it down to memory and the dream that never came’ (You Never Wanted Me /Jackson C.Frank)
My favourite new band/artist;
Ellie Makes Music writes absolutely beautiful songs, I went on holiday recently and couldn’t stop listening to the songs on her soundcloud. I also really like Lucy Rose, and I’ve only recently heard Emily & The Woods, but I think she’s got a wonderful voice.
Right now I love;
Herbal tea, my new guitar, and open tunings. Oh, and the fact it’s quickly becoming winter!
Wonderful music taste would you not agree!? Laura Boyle also plays The Betsy Trotwood with Laura Hocking and Bella Spinks on October 19th. Lots more of these posts to come soon I hope.
Glastonbury Festival is my favorite place on earth. There is no where else which condenses an amazing atmosphere, great music, and a positive spirit quite as well as that place. As Jarvis Cocker said ‘Glastonbury is more than just a festival, its a feeling’, and he couldn’t be more spot on. This year of Glastonbury was my forth year, for me each year gets better, and that was defintely the case this time. Despite the terrible weather of the first few days, we got through and I think everyone their would agree, we had a blast!
I started writing a Glastonbury review, but found I had far too much to say and too many bands to write about! So I have decided to simmer it down and just write about my 10 favorite performances of the weekend. So here goes…
1. Coldplay
Undoubtedly my favorite performance of the weekend was Coldplay. I had never seen them before, but am a big fan of their first two albums, so they were a must see for me. However they managed to far exceed my expectations. Everything about the performance was perfect, an abundance of hits, a fantastic performance from the band and the most incredible atmosphere. I have never been in a crowd quite like it, and I think it is obvious how much everyone is loving it from watching the footage back. Hearing the sing-a-long and seeing every single persons arms in the air for ‘In My Place’, ‘Viva La Vida’ and ‘Fix You’ among many others, created a moment I will never forget. A proper Glastonbury performance.
2. Pulp
Pulp were the secret, or not-so-secret, special guests in the Park on Saturday. Jarvis and co completely stormed the farm showing they would have been more than capable of headlining the bash (maybe in 2013 they will?). They rolled through hits, ending, of course with ‘Common People’. Jarvis’ rather hilarious banter filled in between the songs, and he expressed his love for the festival which transformed Pulp’s career when they headlined in 1995.
3. Beyonce
I went to see Beyonce partly for curiosity, partly because there was nothing else I really wanted to see, and partly because I knew I would probably never get the opportunity to see her again. And I am so glad I went as I thought she was amazing! There had been some controversy surrounding her performance, does pop belong in Pilton? But I didn’t really see the issue since Lady Gaga, Scissor Sisters and Black Eyed Peas have also been given major slots in the last few years. As Jay-Z did back in 2008, she completely ruled the farm, bringing her big tunes, diva moves and flawless voice to the festival. She too, like so many performers this year, expressed her love for the festival, and said she was living her dream by playing at the farm. Aww!
4. Melanie
Back in 1971 Melanie wowed a crowd of hippies with her stunning voice and flower child songs. And in 2011, I think she did exactly the same. The Spirit of ’71 stage was a new addition to this years festival, hosting many acts who played the original festival as well as other oldies. I also saw the Crazy World of Arthur Brown there, but Melanie stole the show. Her voice is still so radiant, but its her songs and love of life and humanity which came across the best. ‘Look What They’ve done to my Song’ was a highlight and she said that if there was to be a film made of her life, that song would be the soundtrack. If only more artists nowadays had that kind of sensibility.
5. Mumford and Sons
In 2009 I saw Mumford and Sons play the Greenpeace stage, on a bill which also included Laura Marling and King Charles. I would guess the capacity was under 300. Two years later, the same band play the Other Stage in front of one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. And they have only released one album. That’s incredible. But from watching their performance its clear to see why. They have so much raw energy, and really brought the folk hoedown to Glastonbury. I predict future headliners for sure.
6. Laura Marling
And following on from the Mumford comment, Laura Marling played the Pyramid Stage. There were concerns that the stage would swamp her but I knew her voice would manage to fill the space and it did. She put on a wonderful show, all songs with a band unlike normally when she plays a solo set in the middle, but the addition of lots of new songs made up for it. ‘A Creature I Don’t Know’, out September 12th, is going to be very special.
7. Grouplove
I love this band at the moment! So great live and such a fantastic way to start my weekend. They played at 12pm on Friday and attracted a surprisingly large crowd for so early in the day.Being billed so early didn’t stop them from producing the same wild energetic show they normally do. So great!
8. Fleet Foxes
Last time I saw Fleet Foxes at Glastonbury I was rather disappointed. They played the Pyramid Stage but their sound just didn’t fill the space and many punters were left bored. I was disappointed to see that they had been placed on the Other Stage, another whopper, but this year it was a totally different story. They were wonderful, playing a mixture of new songs from ‘Helplessness Blues’ and tracks from the debut. Robin also managed to sneak in ‘Blue Spotted Tail’, my favorite from the new album, so I was very pleased about that!
9. Summer Camp
Since last summer I have seen Summer Camp countless numbers of times in different situations and atmospheres. This was by far my favorite, perhaps since the first time I ever saw them. They played the Crow’s Nest, a tiny tent at the top of the Park with a semi-secret but absolutely excellent line-up and a stunning view of the entire site. Summer Camp played an acoustic set which worked wonderfully in the setting and their pop songs translated brilliantly to the audience. An album should be out soon and I am very much looking forward to it!
Summer Camp- I Want You
10. Emily and the Woods
Emily was one of the finalists of the Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition which I helped to judge. Treetop Flyers were the eventual winners, and well deserved, but this lady also turned a lot of heads through the competition and the audience in her set in the acoustic tent was surprisingly numerous. I’m hoping that through her sweet attire and stunning set, she managed to gain many more fans on the day too. Get her newest EP ‘Eye to Eye’, its wonderful!
Emily and the Woods- Eye to Eye
Also worth a mention: Sea of Bees and Sweet Baboo in the Crow’s Nest, the Crows Nest in general and Caitlin Rose at the Park. The tipi field, Shangri La, and the wonderful events at the Stone Circle.
Thank you to Michael and Emily Eavis for such a wonderful festival! See you in 2013!
This time next week we will all be ready to watch Coldplay on the Pyramid stage of Glastonbury festival 2011. Well, thats who I’ll be watching but with over 60 stages to choice from, it might not be where you will be. This is a post of 10 bands I really think are must sees at this years festival. There might be a few obvious choices, but these are often obvious for a reason, they are almost guaranteed to be great. I am going to do a couple of ‘less obvious’ Glastonbury posts on new bands and the likes so look out for them in the next few days.
Coldplay
Pyramid Stage, Saturday, 22:15-22:45
So you might not be a fan, but its going to be epic. The headliners at Glastonbury are usually the best anyway, purely because of the atmosphere of the pyramid stage. Coldplay are a true Glastonbury band, friends of the Eavis’s and having played several times before over the last 10 years or so. It’s gonna be a moment.
Paul Simon
Pyramid Stage, Sunday, 16:30-17:45
The legend rightly takes the legends slot on the Pyramid on Sunday afternoon, previously host to Ray Davies and Leonard Cohen. Prepare for some sing-a-longs and hopefully some Simon & Garfunkel tracks slipped in, we’ll have to see!
The Park Special Guests
The Park, Friday, 20:00-21:15
The Park, Saturday, 19:45-21:00
The rumors, as usual, for these slots have been rife. Arcade Fire, The Strokes, Pulp, Radiohead have all been mentioned. And big names do come true, last year it was Radiohead and Biffy Clyro. Sure to be exciting anyway, so if you have no one else to see, pop to the park.
Mumford and Sons
Other Stage, Friday, 20:45-22:00
They were the band to see last summer, and are doing a limited amount of festivals this year, they are sure to take the Other Stage by storm on Friday evening. I predict it will be packed, and its already pretty tricky to see anything at the Other Stage, but the sing song shall echo through the whole crowd.
Melanie
Spirit of ’71, Friday, 22:00-23:00
The Sprit of 71 is one of the new stages for this year and one I am most excited about, especially as this lady headlines on Friday night. If you’ve not heard of Melanie, she is the original flower child of the hippie movement. She played at Woodstock, Isle of Wight 1970 and of course, Glastonbury in 1971. Her songs are fun spirited and her voice is beautiful.
U2
Pyramid Stage, Friday, 22:00-23:45
A pretty controversial choice as most people who read this blog probably won’t be U2 fans, but as with Coldplay, this is going to be an epic moment. A band who are undoubtably brilliant live, bring their spirit and over ambitious set to the Friday night at Glastonbury.
Laura Marling
Pyramid Stage, Sunday, 15:00-16:00
We all know I can’t make a list without including Laura Marling in it. This year she moves from her gorgeous Park set last year to the whopping Pyramid Stage, playing between Don McLean and Paul Simon, wow. And I’m sure it will be wow. Her third album ‘A Creature I Don’t Know’ is due for a September release and I hope she plays some new songs from it and not just crowd pleasers!
Bright Eyes
Other Stage, Friday, 17:35-18:40
If anyone has seen the video of Conor Oberst playing Lua at Coachella (above), you know this is gonna be special. I’ve never seen Bright Eyes before but am a big fan, especially of the Wide Awake it’s morning album. So I think this will be great!
Bombay Bicycle Club
Other Stage, Sunday, 16:00-17:00
BBC step up to the Other Stage this year, its gonna be great. I hope they play lots of stuff from ‘Flaws’ as well as, of course, the lively stuff from the debut.
Fleet Foxes
Other Stage, Friday, 19:10-20:15
I was disappointed by their performance at Glastonbury 2009, and then even more disappointed when I found out they were this year on another massive stage. The songs on the new album are bigger though and I’m willing to see whether they can WOW me like everyone says they do in a indoor venue.
We are now up to 20 of these posts! It started out as a bit of a ‘music I am listening to right now’ sort of thing, and I guess thats what its still about, but its also hopefully things you might not have heard. Hope you have been enjoying this series, here’s somethings for you this week!
Florence is back! Well, a new album isn’t due till the end of summer. But this Buddy Holly video has been unleashed onto YouTube and its great, I hope this sort of thing influences the rest of the album. Its much more raw sounding, which I like.
The new Fleet Foxes album has been slowly growing on me, I am now listening to it a lot, and this is my favourite tune from it. Just delightful!
Beirut is back, i’ll be seeing him in Hyde Park with Arcade Fire on June 30th for the first time which should be really great (Mumford and Sons too!). He is releasing a new album called ‘The Rip Tide’ on August 31st, followed by Manchester and London shows as well as a headline set at End of the Road festival. What a great summer for Beirut fans! This song is called ‘East Harlem’, I like it a lot, its quite sparse and more chilled than some of the older stuff, but in a good way.
The new soundtrack from the film Submarine has been raved about a lot and rightly so. I think its better than the actual film. Its made up of original songs from Alex Turner. All the songs are lovely and chilled and I think may become quite an integral part to my summer soundtrack. This is ‘Stuck on the Puzzle’.
Oh Land was the lady to see at this years Great Escape. I went to see her but couldn’t find the venue, which is a shame, she could be big news in the future. This song is incredibly catchy. She reminds me of a mixture between Lykke Li and Ellie Goulding.
Stealing Sheep have just released a new EP called ‘I am the Rain’ its lovely, you can listen to it on Spotify if you like. I like this band a lot. Heres a little video from when they recorded the EP in Abbey Road Studios.
The Staves completely blew me away at Bushstock, really beautiful stuff. I’ve been listening to their EP a lot, its beautiful. I hope they record something else soon so I don’t have to keep repeating the same 3 songs over and over.
I am going to end with a clip from the epic performance Arcade Fire gave at Coachella this year. I have watched almost their whole set now on youtube and it just seems EPIC. So excited to see them in Hyde Park this summer and then again at Benicassim in Spain. Incredible live band! This is the wonderful ‘Mountains Beyond Mountains’ from The Suburbs.
The moment we have all been waiting for since 2008′s stunning self-titled debut, yes, Fleet Foxes are back! Their new album ‘Helpless Blues’ is due to be released on May 2nd 2011 on Bella Union and they have even been kind enough to offer us a free download of the title track. Download it here below and clicking on ‘Song’. You can also check out their tour dates, their is only 1 UK one which is…
31st May 2011- Hammersmith Apollo, London- £23.50
I also expect lots of festival dates from the band. Enjoy!
