Well looky here. I am featuring yet another artist from the UK. Maybe it’s because of all of the Monty Python I am watching and the tea I am drinking. My affinity for the UK aside, what it all comes down to is the fact that Florence and the Machine is jolly good. So jolly good, in fact, that I featured them back on June 28, 2010 in our Weekly Jukebox. Some time has passed and yet my love for their music has not waned. If anything, my love for Ms. Florence Welch has only grown stronger.
Why do I love the music of Florence and the Machine? Ah, let me count the ways.
- The cover art for Lungs is both beautiful and creepy all rolled into one. Therefore, I love it.
- The album is chocked full of stand along singles like “Kiss with a Fist”, “Dog Days Are Over”, and “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)”.
- “Kiss with a Fist” is one helluva punky love song.
- The video for “Dog Days Are Over” is so incredibly artistic and creative. It also made me dream about Smurfs.
- Florence is breathtaking. Her voice, her style and her presence is magical. I get the sense that if I ever stumble into a enchanted forest, Florence would be waiting in a clearing welcoming me.
So yeah, the soulful indie rock styling of Florence and the Machine had me at hello. Their music is catching on in the States with tons of placements in popular television shows. All of you Twilight fans may also recognize her from the Eclipse soundtrack. As the summer continues on, you can rest assured knowing that you will be hearing Florence’s voice calling to you. Florence is getting everything thing she can get out of Lungs, and rumors are out there speculating on the much anticipated second album that is in the works. The music of Florence and the Machine is creative, bright, and powerful. Take time to sit down with some tea and crumpets and soak in the music of the incredibly talented Ms. Florence Welch.
KC’s Personal Picks: “Dog Days Are Over”, “Cosmic Love”, and “Kiss with a Fist”
Experience the video for “Dog Days Are Over”
Feel the love with “Kiss with a Fist”
Buy the Album
We featured Civil Twilight a few weeks back for their wildly popular single “Letters From the Sky”. This alt/punk band has exploded on the alt/punk rock scene as of late and for good reason. Their haunting melodies mixed with smooth piano and percussion as steady as a heartbeat make their sound comparable to Muse or Barcelona (without emulating their exact sound of course.)
But how do these guys’ success translate beyond their wildly popular single? Well, they’ve been around since their debut release in 2007, but really only started to receive notable success with their 2009 self-titled release. “Letters From the Sky” reached #7 on the U.S. Alternative charts and #1 in my heart. So their single helped open the doorway to the great tracks on the self-titled album (which just so happen to be just as good.) After hearing the album in its entirety, I was immediately drawn to the vocals which lend an almost eerie ambiance to an interesting mix of emotional tracks.
It is quite easy to get lost in the music which, to me, is a unique quality that few bands possess. You could close your eyes and forget for a moment where you are and what you’re doing. I suppose that could be dangerous on most occassions (say, for example, you were driving a race car or skydiving or something…that would probably be un-good.) But in most normal situations, it is a pleasant escape from the busy ramblings of everyday life.
Check out the video for “Letters From the Sky”:
Buy Civil Twilight:
I always enjoy good compilation albums. It really says something when artists come together to create an album that really connects with a number of different fan bases. Sort of like a “Now That’s What I Call Music!” CD except without all of the, you know, suck. And sometimes, you get an album that surpasses the occasional “Various Artists” Christmas Album or the “We Are The World” compilation that rocked the ripe year of 1985. Maybe Dark Night of the Soul isn’t the earth-shattering compilation to overtake “We Are the World”, but it’s pretty damn good.
The album is written by Danger Mouse, of The Grey Album fame that mixed Jay-Z’s The Black Album with The Beatles’ The White Album. He also formed Gnarls Barkley with Cee-Lo producing both albums as well as producing other projects for the likes of Beck and Gorillaz. Dark Night of the Soul is also written by the band Sparklehorse.
The whole project is a compilation of different artists that lend their talents to the album including Iggy Pop, James Mercer of The Shins, The Flaming Lips, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes and Nina Persson of The Cardigans. Of course there are more, but you’ll just have to check out the album for the whole scoop. Will there be someone else? Is your favorite artist on the album? Listen and find out! That’s what we call a cliff hanger.
Buy Dark Night of the Soul:
So you’ll start to notice (if you haven’t already) that most of my Throwback Thursday artists are from the 90′s. I can’t help it. In fact, I have a whole list of artists just waiting to be remembered from the 90′s that belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At least in my personal Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The “Tank Memorial Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”. Not sure why it’s a memorial. I guess it just sounds better.
So who better to go into my personal Memorial Rock and Roll Hall of Fame than Fuel. These guys produced a slew of hits (mostly in 1998) with the release of their first album Sunburn. Most notably, their singles “Shimmer”, “Sunburn” and “Jesus or a Gun”. And how could one forget their first single of the new millennium, “Hemorrhage (In My Hands)” which appeared at #30 on the Billboard Top 100 chart.
Since then, the band has gone through multiple personnel changes and has shown little to no activity for an official re-uniting. In fact, the odds of them getting back together are about as good as the odds that led me to lose $300 at the casino last weekend. But if you’re looking for a Fuel-like show with Fuel-like qualities, a reformed band is still touring around playing Fuel-like songs. If you’re a purist, you can still re-live the golden Fuel days via compact disc. Toss on your ripped jeans and flannel shirt for the best overall experience.
Buy Sunburn:
Neon Trees – “Animal”
Neon Trees did a great job putting together the video for their new single “Animal”. You will thoroughly enjoy it if you hate boring art galleries and if you love people walking around with animal heads. On top of all of that goodness you have a track that is catchy and sure to dominate the airwaves. Make sure you catch the Neon Trees this summer as they headline the Bang the Gong Tour with Civil Twilight and Paper Tongues.
Buy the Single
The Spill Canvas – “Our Song”
The Spill Canvas has been on my musical radar for the past six years or so. These South Dakota boys have something special cooking with “Our Song”. The track is a fun little ditty about youthful romancing and all of that sappy stuff. Expect a great deal of radio play for this track as is supports the guys as they continue to play an insane about of live shows this summer.
Buy the Single
Nikki & Rich – “Next Best Thing”
It comes down to this. Are you with Team Nikki or with Team Rich? Me? I am Team Nikki all of the way. You will have to decide for yourself. While you ponder over which one of the duo to get airbrushed on to a t-shirt you can enjoy their track “Next Best Thing”. Would it be too cliché to say they are the next best thing? Hey, I made a reference to Twilight in the first sentence so it is obvious I don’t have a problem with being cliché. Let’s just say that you will enjoy this song a lot. Now, where do you suppose I can find a Team Nikki lunchbox?
Buy the Single
