Milky Chance Review

A couple of weeks ago I headed over to O2 Shepherds Bush to see Milky Chance live. I have been a fan of this band for the last year and a half, and so I was ecstatic to get my hands on tickets.

Milky Chance, made up of Clemens Rehbein (on vocals) and Philipp Dausch (DJing), are a reggae psychedelic folk band (i.e. folk mixed with reggae electronics) from Germany.

Milky Chance has achieved great success from the very beginning. Their first single "Stolen Dance" was released in April 2013 and went straight to number 1 in many European countries such as France and Hungary.

The pair released their debut album "Sadnecessary" back in October 2013. If you haven't done so yet, I would highly recommend you checking it out. Personal favourites of mine include "Becoming" and "Down By The River."

Due to work commitments I sadly missed the support act: Kafka, a three piece band from Southampton.

So onto the main event; Kicking things off, the boys came out onto the stage in complete darkness and performed a 5 minute intro song. I thought this was great way to start - the dramatic, electric track mixed with reggae guitar beats seemed to really build up the atmosphere of the venue. After a 2.5 minute instrumental intro, the feeling of anticipation from the 4,000 strong crowd was finally answered when Clemens delivered the first vocals of the evening. And boy was the build up worth it! A man with such a distinct and raspy voice, Clemens, with his mass of wild hair, looked  completely relaxed and at ease out on stage.

For me another highlight was when the third man on stage (not entirely sure who he was) played a harmonica solo during two of their tracks (Loveland and a single that has yet to be released). The harmonica went down a treat and had the crowd going crazy. For me, the harmonica just added something extra to their already feel good tracks.

I will add this gig did leave me feeling a little unsure. There is no question these guys are talented - just listen to their album if you are not sure! No, what was missing for me was the signs of a fine tuned/ well oiled gig. The transition between songs were at times quite poor, with the stage often falling into complete darkness between tracks. Also, it wasn't until after the third track that Clemens  actually even said anything to the crowd. Don't get me wrong, I had a great night of live music. I just felt it took a good hour for Milky Chance to really get into their performance and get the party started. Negatives aside however, I did think the lighting and staging set up was brilliant. The two were completely on theme and further exposes the reggae influences in their tracks.

The set list for the evening was: intro, Stunner, Fairytale, Sadnecessary, Flashed Junk Mind, Given, Nevermind, Loveland, Sweet Sun, Indigo, Feathery, Running, Stolen Dance and the Encore: Down By the River.

Although I talk about some finer tuning needed to be made, I found the gig to be highly enjoyable. Going by their new track, these boys have kept to what they know, and for that reason I am excited to hear what new music they will be treating us to later in the year.

Upcoming tour dates: 
Sat 28th March. Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NYC
Tues 31st March. Webster Hall - NYC
Wed 1st April. Webster Hall - NYC

To see more dates for their North American tour check Tour Dates and tickets

For more information about Milky Chance check out their Twitter

Miner

After listening to this band on repeat for the last week I have decided it is time to spread the word.

Although I would love to say I found this band purely on my own, alas this wasn't the case. No, I sadly have to give all the credit to the american TV show 'Hart of Dixie' which featured this band in last weeks episode.

So who are they? Well, Miner are a six piece folk band from Los Angeles who formed together last year (2013). Made up of mostly family members, the line up consists of Justin & Kate Miner (husband & wife), Jeremy Miner (brother), Amanda Koosed (cousin), Justin Krook and Dave Schechtman.

When it comes to their sound, Miner reminds me a great deal of The Lumineers and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics. Their upbeat, stomp-and-clap, catchy music is the perfect answer to providing that all important feel good factor. With a highly anticipated  debut album 'Into The Mountain' set to release on February 25th, I urge you all to check them out.

Here is the official video for their single 'Hey Love.'

Although they are only currently touring around the West Coast of America, I will be keeping a close eye on further tour dates and locations.

For more information check out their
           Web page: http://www.thisisminer.com/

           Twitter: @thisisminer

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics

Love this band.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics are an American indie folk band from LA. What sets this band apart from all other indie folk bands out there is the pure number of band members it has! The band consists of; Alex Ebert (vocals, guitar, percussion, piano), Jade Castrinos, Stewart Cole, Josh Collazo, Orpheo McCord, Nora Kirkpatrick, Christian Letts, Seth Ford-Young, Mark Noseworthy and Aaron Arntz - yes that is 10 members!!! On top of the ten mentioned there are also 8/9 additional members who help with general percussion and instruments.

Whenever I listen to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics I find myself smiling and jamming along to the beat. Their music is insanely catchy and uplifting, and leaves the listener with the impression of a band just having one big musical party. It is clear this huge band is doing what they love most - creating great folk music.

To date, this band have released two albums; "Up From Below," and "Here." Songs which have proven to be hugely popular from their albums are: 40 Day Dream, Janglin and Home. My personal favorites are Man on Fire, and Mayla.

In terms of live performances you can be sure of a great evening. Likened to being 'one big family' on stage, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics all perform with such enthusiasm and passion it becomes impossible for the audience not to join in. Expect an active (sold out) crowd - i'm talking singing, clapping, stomping...oh and sweating!! Hey it's party!!!

So if Mumford and Sons and Alabama Shakes are your calling than you would be a fool to ignore this band.

For a recent review of this band, check out: http://musicgigsnfestivals.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/gentleman-of-road-mumford-sons-review.html

Tour dates: 
26th July.  Xponential Music Festival - Camden, NJ

For more information regarding tour dates and tickets, check out: http://edwardsharpeandthemagneticzeros.com/tour/

The Lumineers Review

10 out of 10. I loved it.

I was fortunate to see The Lumineers live at O2 Academy Brixton, London last month with my friend. I cannot stress enough how fantastic they were. I have previously posted about The Lumineers: The Lumineers.

The evening started with support act Langhorne Slim, a country folk singer/songwriter from Pennsylvania, US. Langhorne Slim did a tremendous job of building the crowd up before the main headliner came on stage, and even came back on stage during The Lumineers set to accompany them for one song. Having never heard of this artist before I would certainly suggest folk fans to check him out - he was great!

Langhorne Slim (Support)

With the 5,000 strong crowd closing in around the stage, the atmosphere soon became electric with anticipation and excitement. As soon as the five piece folk band stepped on stage the party began! From start to finish, The Lumineers frontman Wesley Shultz had the sold out crowd eating out of his hand, and on their feet, singing and dancing along!

The evenings set list was: Submarines, I Aint Nobody's Problem, Flowers in Your Hair, Subterranean Homesick Blues (Bob Dylan Cover), Ho Hey, Classy Girls, Dead Sea, Slow It Down, Love, Love Love (new song), Charlie Boy, Stubborn Love, Big Parade. The encore: Morning Song, This Must Be The Place (cover), Flapper Girl.

Jeremiah Fraites, Neyla Pekarek, and Wesley Schultz together with the rest of the band delivered a flawless performance of upbeat, soulful and raw folk music. For me, one of the highlights of the evening was Wesley Schultz singing the first half of my favorite track "Slow it Down" all stripped back and acoustic.

Musicians to the core, this band is all about the music. As the crowd sang and danced in a frenzy to their hit single "Ho Hey" Wesley mid way told the crowd to "put away cameras and recording devices and just be human with us for a while." If anyone was on the fence about this band before that statement, it seemed clear they were sold! A huge cheer rang out from around the venue as people put away their phones/recorders and let themselves get lost in the music.

As the show came to an end, the crowds cheers and applause was huge. Wanting to show their appreciation (and hear more), the crowd knew they had just been treated to a joyous evening of live music.

If I ever get the opportunity, I will certainly buy tickets to see them live again. This group proved to London that they are by no means a one track wonder and are here to stay.

Pictures from the evening:

Langhorne Slim joining The Lumineers on stage

Tour dates: 

7th June.CMAC - NY

8th June. Mountain Jam - NY

9th June. The Grovernors  Ball Music Festival - NYC

13th July. T In The Park - Scotland, UK

27th July. XPoNential Music Festival - Camden, NJ 

23rd August. Leeds Festival - Leeds, UK

25th August. Reading Festival - Reading, UK

For more information regarding tour dates and tickets check out: http://thelumineers.com/tour-dates/

Noah and the Whale

Noah And The Whale are a folk band from London, UK.

This band first hit the music scene in 2006 and have since proven to be very popular. To date, they have released three albums "Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down," "The First Days of Spring," and "Last Night on Earth," and have performed at numerous festivals including Latitude, Glastonbury and V.

I would say that since the departure of Laura Marling in 2009, the group definitely changed the style of their music. Instead of more traditional sounds represented in songs "Give a Little Love," "5 Years Time" and "Mary" from their first album, Noah and the Whale have become a lot more main stream and indie.

The lead singer Charlie Fink has a very distinct and unique voice it always makes it easy to identify a Noah And The Whale song. Noah and the Whale are a melancholic group that sing mostly about love, making it the perfect choice for a chilled out session on a Sunday afternoon. Due to sounding as good live as they do on their albums, this gig may not be the most action packed, but it does promise to deliver some great tunes and quality music. 

Tour dates:
24th Nov. St John at Hackney Church - London

For details about tickets check out: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Noah-The-Whale-tickets/artist/1245643

Dry The River

Another harmonious folk band for you all.

Athough I have definitely exceeded the quota for recommending folk music this month, I couldn't resist one more. Dry The River are an indie folk from London.

With the support from the BBC and extensive touring around the UK, Europe and N. America, Dry The River finally got their break and signed with Transgressive Records in 2010. In 2011 they released their debut single No Rest, and followed this by releasing their debut album "Shallow Bed" on 5th March 2012.

I love the fact that despite Dry The River being a folk band, their appearance suggests nothing of the sort - boasting the grunge look expect skinny guys wearing vests, with disheveled hair and a lot of tattoos. I Love it!

As far as their live performances go - they are good! Lead singer Peter Liddle has unbelievable vocals which during the numerous harmonies, ooze conviction and emotion wonderfully. This band although seeming relatively 'new' to the scene, are by no means amateurs when it comes to performing. Dry The River, who have toured with the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club, are great at interacting with their crowds and showing off their  light-hardheartedness, despite their sombre music.

Most of their gigs sell out so I urge you to buy tickets fast - I have!

Tour Dates:
11th August. BT London Live - Hyde Park, London
25th Aug. Edinburgh Festival Fringe - The Electric Circus, Edinburgh
27th Aug. Electric Circus - Edinburgh
20th Sept. The Bowery Ballroom - NYC
16th Oct. The Junction - Cambridge
17th Oct. Wedgewood  Rooms - Portsmouth
18th Oct. Gloucester Guildhall - Gloucester
18th - 21st Oct. Swn Festival - Cardiff
20th Oct. Oxford
23rd Oct. Central Station & Yales - Wrexham
24th Oct. The Kazimier- Liverpool
25th Oct. 53 Degrees at University of Central Lancashire- Preston
26th Oct. Fibbers - York
27th Oct. The Leadmill - Sheffield
29th Oct. The Sugarmill - Stoke-on-Trent
30th Oct. HMV Institute - Birmingham
31st Oct. Komedia- Bath
1st Nov. O2 Shpherds Bush Empire- London

For information regarding tickets and their N. American, European and UK tour dates, check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/2437361-dry-the-river/calendar?page=1

Julia Stone

Two words: soulful sounds.

Julia Stone, most notably known for being in "Angus and Julia Stone" with her brother, is a folk singer from Australia. Together this brother/sister duo followed in the footsteps of their parents into the folk scene and released two albums; "A Book Like This" and "Down The Way."

Currently both Angus and Julia are working on solo projects although, in 2011, Julia announced she would eventually reunite with her brother to create a third album. As a solo artist however, Julia has released two albums; "The Memory Machine" and "By The Horns."

Julia with her brother Angus. (Angus & Julia Stone)

Julia's voice can be instantly recognised due to the distinct sound she produces. Having been previously described as having a voice that has "a fractured feel like Jolie Holland," Julia's voice is perfect for that soft, soulful folk sound.

Known for her raw and emotional song writing, it is clear that Julia uses her past and current feelings/experiences in a way that makes her music both relatable and meaningful. Combine this honest emotion with her vocal ability and you have yourself an intimate performance in which you can allow yourself to be lost in the moment and music.

Certainly someone to check out if William Fitzsimmons and Bon Iver are your thing.

Tour dates:
31st October. Princess Pavilion - Falmout, UK
1st November. RNCM Theatre - Manchester, UK
2nd November. Oran Mor - Glasgow, UK
4th November. Thekla - Bristol, UK
5th November. Scala - London, UK

For information regarding tickets and dates for the rest of her European tour check out: http://juliastonemusic.com/

Under The Driftwood Tree Music Gig

I only heard about this band recently but I really like their sound. Under The Driftwood Tree are a five piece folk band from Wales. In addition to their strong vocals this band use an assortment of unusual instruments such as the ukulele, didgeridoos, djembe and accordion.

This band recently reached the final and were the Welsh winners of the Surface Unsigned battle of the bands. They have played numerous times on Fearne Cotton's Radio 1 show and even performed with Jack Johnson at the Eden Project.

Songs to check out by this band are If Only If and Under The Thumb. They are currently in the process of producing their debut album - so definitely keep your eyes out for this band in the future.

 Tour Dates:
19th - 21st Aug. Greenman Festival - Brecon, UK