For Folk's Sake » Caitlin Rose

Festival: Green Man

FFS writers — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:24:18 +0000

The ladies of First Aid Kit

The Green Man promised magic and he didn’t disappoint.

Once again the organisers pulled off the spectacular trick of attracting the friendliest festival crowd to the most laid-back festival there is, while enticing some of the weirdest and most wonderful bands out there to perform.

Manchester krautrockers Plank get the party started in fine style over in the Far Out tent, while heirs to Hefner’s geek-pop throne, Wave Pictures, are the first of many great acts to grace the main stage.
Travel disruption sees Mountain Man miss their main-stage slot; they are replaced by the idiosyncratic but weirdly compelling songs of Sweet Baboo (check his track ‘Who Would Have Thought’ for evidence) and the wonderful Caitlin Rose, who looks a little nervous on the big stage but plays her heart out. When Mountain Man do eventually take to the intimate Green Man Pub stage, their intricate harmonies impress but are perhaps not quite as mind-blowing as hoped for.

The Majestic Ms. Marling.

That particular honour goes first to Steve Mason, who delivers a confident set that includes classic Beta Band and King Biscuit Time tracks (’Dry the Rain’ and ‘No Style’ respectively). The fans are thrilled and the newcomers are impressed. Fuck Buttons follow and they drop an immense set of looping and building multi-textured behemoths as only they can.

Where to go from there? An Horse are playing their hearts out at the GM Pub, while Doves are plodding and pounding through their back catalogue in a vaguely stirring way. Time for bed.

Come Saturday, the sun has come out (as have a sea of blankets and festival chairs) and normality is restored. Welsh warhorses El Goodo kick things off on the main stage, wearing their Super Furry influences proudly on their ragtag sleeves, and Race Horses also represent the home nation proudly with their Gorky-esque indie-pop.

Over in the Far Out, the absurdly young Egyptian Hip Hop kids impress with their gothy rock, Voice of the Seven Thunders feel slightly anonymous in comparison, and Summer Camp arrive like a summer breeze with their pre-meditated, almost sycophantic ode to 80s pop, but are fantastic with it.

Elizabeth Sankey of Summer Camp

Avi Buffalo show enough potential to suggest good things may yet come from them, while These New Puritans are just a bit miserable and, well, puritanical to really go down well in these idyllic environs. Wild Beasts, on the other hand, hoot their way through a polished, brilliant set that has the tent howling for more. Over on the main stage, things are getting weird with Wayne Coyne’s lazer-jazz-hands – his band the Flaming Lips are predictably epic as ever. But the real freakiness is going on elsewhere, with Neon Indian’s set-of-the-weekend for the 100 or so people there to witness it. “Like a discofied version of Chk Chk Chk….” they are one of the discoveries of the weekend, month, year even. But the night is not over yet. There’s still time to squeeze in a bit of Metronomy before bed. These guys really have developed into the finished article, the perfect party band – absolutely immense! Honourable mentions too for the lovely First Aid Kit, who are just great, and the quietly impressive Scottish folkie Rachel Sermanni.

Sunday starts in sardonic style, with the deadpan Steve Adams showing off his new band, Singing Adams (”A big hand for Melinda on the drums. She’s a horrible person but a great drummer”). The lyrics are great and the sing-along moments are rather lovely too. And if the band thing doesn’t work out, Steve has a sure fire future in stand-up comedy. Things go from sunny to surreal with the arrival of Darwin Deez, who pull a big crowd, possibly due to their camp-as-Christmas dance routines rather than the music. Nowt wrong with that, mind. By contrast, Alasdair Roberts sits at the other end of the music spectrum, with his serious, traditional folk songs culled from as far afield as New Zealand and 9th century Persia. The final tune, an epic for all the people in the crowd on anti-depressents, is about as eccentric as it gets though.

Stuart Staples - Mr. Tindersticks

Field Music, Laura Marling and folk boy-band Mumford & Sons all come and go with impressive, if perfunctory sets, leaving the crowd in the capable hands of the swoonsome but slightly world-weary Tindersticks. The bubble and squeak of Joanna Newsom soothes a massive main-stage crowd as night falls and the rain returns with a vengeance. But there’s one more surprise in store for people down the GM pub – Silver Columns are the most baffling, nuts act of the whole weekend. Comprising folkie stalwarts Adem and Pictish Trail, the Silver Columns are early 90s rave, Erasure and c.2007 handbag house all rolled into one. You get the feeling the whole project is a bit of a joke, but there’s no denying it’s a pretty good one.

A weird way to end the festival perhaps but this is Green Man where, as they say, you should always expect the unexpected…

Words and pictures: Joe Downie

Brian’s Mixtape #41: Pick of the Schmercuries 2010

Lynn Roberts — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 12:22:58 +0000

This weekend we launched our Schmercury Poll – FFS’s best album award, in which we’re asking you to vote for your favourite of 12 albums released in the past year. While the FFS editors were tearing our hair out, trying to whittle down the huge pile of wonderful albums released this year to our favourite 12 being forced to discard dearly-loved works of art to get down to the requisite dozen, Brian was sitting back, tapping the armrests with the tips of his wings, and biding his time.

Then when we announced the list, he took a quick glance over it, scribbled down 12 tracks with an air of nonchalance that was frankly a little irritating to the frazzled of nerve, and handed over this list with a wryly arched eyebrow.

As much as we hate to admit it, Brian is right to be smug. We think this might be his best playlist ever. The swine.

Listen on Spotify: Brian’s Mixtape #41: Pick of the Schmercuries 2010

Caitlin Rose – For The Rabbits
Field Music – Them That Do Nothing
Laura Marling – Goodbye England (Covered In Snow)
Noah And The Whale – Love Of An Orchestra
Broadcast 2000 – Your Own Worst Enemy
Peggy Sue – Watchman
Midlake – Acts Of Man
Anais Mitchell – Way Down Hadestown
Cocos Lovers – Time To Stand
Mountain Man – Dog Song
Sea Of Bees – Wizbot
Local Natives – World News

Spotify is now freeeee. You can download it here for access to tons and tons of music. As the name suggests Brian has put together rather more playlists than just this, with themes to suit your every mood. Pop over to our mixtapes section to discover them all.

Schmercury Awards 2010: Shortlist announced

Lynn Roberts — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:13:37 +0000

Not one to be left out of all this Mercury spoofing, FFS is delighted to announce this year’s Schmercury Awards shortlist. We had such a hard time whittling all the fantastic albums released this year down to just 12 that we had to have a sit down with some tea and Belle & Sebastian to calm our nerves. However, it is done, and here – in alphabetical order – are our finalists.

Broadcast 2000 – Broadcast 2000
Gemma Hampson said: “This album is a hit waiting in the wings. It’s eclectic enough to be accepted by some of the alt-folk fanatics, different enough to be listened to by those dipping a toe into the more avant-garde acoustic and commercial enough to be played all over every radio station and snapped up by the masses.”
(Spotify, MySpace, FFS Review)

Caitlin Rose – Own Side Now
Helen True said: “Caitlin Rose is a young, fresh, twenty-something who knows her way around country music backwards and upside-down. There’s nothing remotely cheesy or outdated about her lyrics, and yet they fit beautifully over what is undeniably very traditional country music. She writes witty words packed with verve and intelligence, all set alight when she sings with the most gorgeous Tennessee drawl.
(Spotify, MySpace, FFS Review)

Cocos Lovers – Johannes
Alice Knapp said: “Kentish folk stalwarts Cocos Lovers’ latest album, Johannes, captures all the beauty of their live singing. The clear-toned guitars, flickering mandolin and chorus vocals are filled with British tradition. At the same time, other worldwide musical references can be heard in the use of upbeats, hand drums, accordions and operatic vocal cords.”
(Spotify, MySpace, FFS Review)

Field Music – Measure
Liane Escorza said: “A kaleidoscope of textures and a versatile canvas of sounds… it opens up shyly, gets confident and alert on its own toes and then bursts into wings of indulgence… a brilliant surge of compelling music and a jungle of brilliant surprises.”
(Spotify, MySpace, FFS Review)

Local Natives – Gorilla Manor
Lynn Roberts said: “Mixing Beach Boys’ sunny Californian harmonies and Simon & Garfunkel’s syncopated rhythms with a raucous, upbeat and infectious dollup of youthful energy, Local Natives’ soaring vocals and everyday, truthful lyrics make Gorilla Manor a true delight… and what’s more, one you can dance to.”
(Spotify, MySpace, FFS Interview)

Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
Lynn Roberts said: “The most surprising aspect of I Speak Because I Can is just how robust the once painfully shy Laura now sounds. With rousingly primal tracks like opener Devil’s Spoke, she has extended her repertoire from the meeker sounds of Alas I Cannot Swim. In fact, this LP is in danger of totally overshadowing her Mercury-nominated debut.”
(Spotify, MySpace, FFS Review)

Midlake – The Courage of Others
Stephen Thomas said: “Present on Courage is the sort of sweeping majesty that was a staple ingredient of the folk scene in the early seventies. With this album Midlake have realised their position in the world, and in the music industry – and it’s right at the top of the pile.”
(Spotify, MySpace, FFS Review)

Anais Mitchell – Hadestown
Lynn Roberts said: “It’s been all I could do to tear myself away from Anais Mitchell’s concept album/folk opera Hadestown. A modern retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, it features guest vocals from Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Ben Knox Milller from the Low Anthem as well as Greg Brown and Ani DeFranco. It’s definitely one of the best things I’ve heard all year.”
(Spotify, MySpace, FFS Review)

Mountain Man – Made the Harbor
Ali Mason said: “Bluegrass-tinged folk songs bringing to mind the vast sweeping landscapes of the United States, from the New England hills through the Rockies and the Deep South and beyond, as they sing about buffalos and herons and rivers and bees. What marks it out more than the complex, three-part harmonies which flit so gracefully on the air is the sense of stillness and calm which pervades. A perfectly-formed work of understated joy.”
(Spotify, MySpace, FFS Review)

Noah & the Whale – The First Days of Spring
Lois Jeary said: “A lifetime of heartbreak away from the whistling and clapping of their twee-folk debut, the album is Charlie Fink’s brutal confession on the state of his heart following his relationship with Laura Marling. But with the imagery of approaching “blue skies” recurring throughout, the lingering impression left by this beautiful album is not of desolation, but of the broken heart’s cautious optimism at the freedom to pursue new possibilities and loves.”
(Spotify, MySpace, FFS Review)

Peggy Sue – Fossils & Other Phantoms
Mary Machin said: “Peggy Sue have concocted a heady mixture of blues, rock and doo-wap with their debut. Fossils is a flawlessly contained world all of its own. Its remarkable coherance makes it a body of work to be cherished for years to come.”
(Spotify, MySpace, FFS Review)

Sea of Bees – Songs for the Ravens
Nikki Dodds said: “This sweet and complex record presents a hybrid of tunes all tied together via the lazy warmth of Baenziger’s voice. It is interesting and moreish as you witness the tracks tumble between dark and light.”
(Spotify, MySpace, FFS Review)

Like last year — when The Leisure Society’s debut album The Sleeper won the first FFS Schmercury Poll after a battle with Camera Obscura’s My Maudlin Career — we’ve refused to be constrained by geography as the Mercury Prize is, and so this list features our favourite records from around the world.

Have yourselves a listen, and then vote for your pick of the bunch below (you can vote once a day, if you’re keen). But whichever wins, know that we recommend all of these records very highly indeed and urge you to seek out the ones you haven’t heard. Because there’re few things nicer than discovering another brilliant album.

Album: Caitlin Rose – Own Side Now

Helen True — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 07:23:36 +0000

Speaking as a sincere and devoted life-long Dolly Parton fan, I can’t really begin to explain how wonderful it is that Caitlin Rose even exists – she’s a young, fresh, twenty-something who knows her way around country music backwards and upside-down. There’s nothing remotely cheesy or outdated about her lyrics, and yet they fit beautifully over what is undeniably very traditional country music. She writes witty words packed with verve and intelligence, all set alight when she sings with the most gorgeous Tennessee drawl.

Album opener ‘Learnin’ to Ride’ immediately sets out this lady’s country credentials: a dreamy, summer-breeze melody accompanies the gentle account of repeatedly getting back in the saddle, beginning an album that’s fraught with emotion, yet endlessly smart and jocular. There’s also a Fleetwood Mac cover thrown in there for good measure. ‘That’s Alright’ has had a sweeter-than-wine makeover that suits it down to the ground, frankly.

‘For the Rabbits’ is a rhythmic little number that would get any 60s dance hall swaying. Juxtapose a swaying waltz with Rose’s cutting portrayal of a relationship gone-boring, and you’ve got a song that endlessly surprises with its unassuming force:

“Why is your love so unfulfilling, and why can’t my heart stand the test?

You’re playing this game of kiss-or-kill-me. Won’t you give it a rest?”

I might be missing something pretty obvious, but I’m not entirely sure why this song’s for rabbits, unless the decision to stick with a dead relationship instead of risking it alone makes you feel like a frightened rabbit, hiding down a hole? Rose was only 16 when she wrote this song, and it remains beautiful and perplexing in equal measure.

Lay your hands on Own Side Now in the UK on 9th Augus. Rough Trade have a special package deal going on here.

Caitlin Rose announces UK tour ahead of her album release

FFS writers — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:28:21 +0000

Allotment veteran Caitlin Rose has announced a UK tour to mark the release of her debut album.

Caitlin from Nashville makes fresh, modern country music with honest, clever lyrics. Her voice is rich and knowing and her music is proud of rather than apologetic about its roots.

Her first album ‘Own Side Now’ is released on the 9^th of August and she has announced the following dates for her UK tour to accompany it:

Thu 19 Aug London Camp w/ Sam Amidon £11 www.seetickets.com
Fri 20 Aug Green Man www.greenman.net
Wed 25 Aug Manchester Night & Day Café www.nightnday.org
Fri 27 Aug Birmingham Glee www.glee.co.uk
Sun 29 Aug North Yorkshire Moors The Band Room w/ Megafaun www.thebandroom.co.uk
Wed 1 Sept London Slaughtered Lamb www.electroacousticclub.com
Thu 2 Sept Bristol Bonaventure www.crhmusic.com
Fri 10 Sept End of the Road www.endoftheroadfestival.com

In the meantime you can watch her live session for Daytrotter here.

Caitlin will also be releasing ‘For Rabbits’ the first single from the record on the 26^th of July. It’s a brilliant ballad about staying in relationships which shows Caitlin’s stunning voice and story- telling ability to the full.

Words: Kim Deadman

Singles round up: Caitlin Rose, Frightened Rabbit, School of Seven Bells

Jess — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:36:33 +0000

Frightened Rabbit ‘Living in Colour’
While it may not seem like summer has arrived yet, technically it has and Frightened Rabbit latest single ‘Living in Colour’ will make it seem as if the sun is splitting the trees, not hiding behind a cloud. Taken from their latest album Winter of Mixed Drinks (out now), its one of those songs that just makes you feel happy, the anthemic chorus will make you want to shout it from the rooftops, or more practically the middle of a field (tents and stages optional) packaged nicely with Scott Hutchison’s compelling voice ensures this is to be a festival favourite. Playing the likes of Glastonbury, Summer Sundae and Latitude this festival season, they are certainly a band not to be missed. Out 14th June.

School of Seven Bells, ‘Windstorm’
School of Seven Bells latest single ‘Windstorm’, taken from their up coming debut album Disconnect from Desire, takes you on a perfect dreamy summer journey, think a stroll through an English meadow, getting lost in singer Alejandra Deheza’s voice on the way, which by all accounts is not a bad place to get lost at all, the track is simply beautiful. With Latitude being the only festival they are playing this summer, those of you lucky enough to be going, be sure not to miss out on what is sure to be a well worth stroll. Out 19th July.

Caitlin Rose, ‘For the Rabbits’
Hailing from Nashville Tennessee Caitlin Rose is a country girl through and through, while she may be accompanied by a full band when on stage including everything from the piano to the tambourine, when all the glitz and glamour of the stage is removed, Caitlin proves she can sing country the way it should be sung, with raw intregety and only a guitar for company. Her new single ‘For the Rabbits’ is a tale about a disastrous love affair, in which she ponders the questions I’m sure we all have in past relationships, Caitlin has the guts to sing about her mistakes, her regrets and her needs and it’s her brutal honesty joined with her alluring voice that makes this darling single so appealing. Out 26th July.

Caitlin Rose offers free download from debut album

Ian Parker — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 08:09:05 +0000

Caitlin Rose is celebrating the upcoming release of her debut album by offering fans a frree download of ‘Sinful Wishing Well’. Caitlin has announced that ‘One Side Now’ will be released on August 9 through Names Records, but if you can’t wait that long, you can get the free track here and also enjoy her Daytrotter session here.

‘One Side Now’ has been one of the most anticipated records of 2010 since Caitlin burst onto the scene with the wonderful ‘Dead Flowers’ EP, which offered a contemporary take on proper country music a la Patsy Cline or Linda Ronstadt, the sort of which we’d almost forgotten Nashville could still produce.

The album was recorded in the Music City and produced by Mark Nevers (Lambchop, Will Oldham, Andrew Bird), and will be preceded by a new single, ‘For The Rabbits’ on July 26. Caitlin will then head back across the water to play the Green Man and End of the Road festivals while tourning the UK again in August and September.

The Folk Artist Twitter Directory

Stephen W Thomas — Thu, 06 May 2010 08:30:09 +0000

Below is our attempt at a comprehensive directory of folk artists currently on Twitter – of course, we aren’t Twitter deities and as such will almost certainly have missed out on certain artists. Let us know if you can think of any tweeting folk musicians in the comments below.

Akron/Family

Angus and Julia Stone

Asthmatic Kitty (Label)

Brian: FFS’s Mixtape-Making Owl

Broadcast 2000

Caitlin Rose

Cherbourg

Colin Meloy (Decemberists)

Damien Rice (PR Account)

Dev Hynes (Lightspeed Champion)

Divine Comedy (PR account)

Efterklang

Emmy the Great

Fanfarlo

FFS (Official Account)

Kurran & the Wolfnotes

Laura Marling (PR account)

Lisa Hannigan (PR account)

Lisa Mitchell

Lissie

The Living Sisters (PR account)

Local Natives

The Low Anthem

Midlake

Monsters of Folk (PR account)

The New Pornographers

Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy)

Peggy Sue

Rebecca Taylor (Slow Club)

Rufus Wainwright (PR account)

She & Him (PR account)

St. Vincent

Sweet Billy Pilgrim

The Swell Season (PR account)

The Swell Season (Glen Hansard)

The Local combines cinema and music in Islington

Lynn Roberts — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:13:01 +0000

Our friends-of-friends the Local have announced a brilliant-sounding series of gigs at Islington’s Screen on the Green cinema.

The weekly shows feature a set from a brilliant artist — Caitlin Rose, Dan Michaelson & the Coastguards and Natty are lined up — followed by a screening of that artist’s favourite film.

The folks at the Local said: “We’ve always fantasised at The Local that it would be amazing to put on shows in a cinema and to blend film and music in a live event. We’re delighted to be able to work with the excellent Everyman Screen on the Green for this series of events which is special beyond all belief!

“How about some fantastic live music, a classic film, in comfy seats with a fancy schmancy bar at the back. Got it.”

The listings so far are:
24.04.2010: Natty plus a screening of La Haine tickets

01.05.2010: Dan Michealson and The Coastguards plus a screening of No Country for Old Men tickets

08.05.2010: Caitlin Rose plus a screening of Badlands tickets

This is about the best idea we’ve ever heard and we reckon it could run and run. What films d’you think go with which bands?

For Folk’s Sake’s festival calendar

Lynn Roberts — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 08:28:17 +0000

We’ve gone through the folkier end of the festival calender, and hereby bring you our picks.

You won’t find any news on Glastonbury or Reading and Leeds, mind. We’re here to tell you about the things you might not have heard about yet.

And what a selection there is this year. You can see Bob Dylan and Laura Marling share a stage at one-day festival Hop Farm in Kent. The always wonderful End of the Road is bringing the legendary and elusive Diane Cluck over from the US as well as playing host to FFS’s favourite band in the world, The Mountain Goats.

For those who like their festivals crossed with city breaks, Open House is putting on an astonishing series of gigs in Belfast including Seasick Steve and Old Crow Medicine Show. And if you’ve got your tastes firmly set to folk of all kinds, the Divine Comedy, Donovan and Johnny Flynn play Moseley Folk Festival, which mixes traditional and new folk music in Birmingham.

Latitude is well on its way to getting the full folk set with Laura Marling, Noah & the Whale and Mumford & Sons all booked to play and also features chuckles from our favourite comedian Josie Long. Lounge on the Farm is putting on our live act of the moment, Cocos Lovers.

And finally, Green Man has got Joanna Newsom. That’s all I’m saying about that.

We don’t want you to have any nasty surprises when it comes to ticket costs so we’ve added booking fees and posting and what not into the prices below. Happy camping!

21-23 May
Wood Festival
Braziers Park, Oxfordshire
Peggy Sue, Cate Le Bon, Frank Turner, Tunng, Fionn Regan
Weekend ticket £72.74 (incl fees) link

3 July
Hop Farm Festival
Hop Farm, Kent
Bob Dylan, Ray Davies, Mumford & Sons, Seasick Steve, Laura Marling, The Magic Numbers
Day ticket without camping £76.25 (incl fees) link

9-11 July
Lounge on the Farm
Merton Farm, Canterbury
Cocos Lovers, Fionn Regan, Jesca Hoop, Tunng
Weekend ticket (incl fees & postage) £103.95 link

15-18 July
Latitude
Henham Park, Suffolk
Laura Marling, Midlake, Belle & Sebastian, Richard Hawley, Noah & the Whale, Grizzly Bear, Jonsi, Mumford & Sons, Frank Turner and comedy from Josie Long
Weekend tickets £167.20 (incl fees) link

13-15 August
Summer Sundae
De Monfort Hall & Gardens, Leicester
Fionn Regan, Fanfarlo, Johnny Flynn, Laura Veirs, Lissie, Local Natives, The Low Anthem, Mumford & Sons, Tunng, The Wave Pictures
Early Bird Weekend tickets £96 (incl fees & postage) link

20-22 August
Green Man Festival
Glanusk Park, Brecon Beacons
Joanna Newsom, Flaming Lips, Field Music, Fionn Regan, First Aid Kit, Matthew & the Atlas, The Smoke Fairies, Caitlin Rose
Weekend ticket £131.45 (incl fees & postage) link

3-5 September
Moseley Folk Festival
Moseley Park, Birmingham
Donovan, The Divine Comedy, Sparrow & the Workshop, Beth Jeans Houghton, The Low Anthem, Johnny Flynn, Cut-A-Shine
Weekend tickets £83.95 (incl fees & postage) link

7-12 September
Open House Festival
Various venues, Belfast
Seasick Steve, Wilco, The Felice Brothers, Field Music, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Low Anthem, AA Bondy
Events individually ticketed, see website

10-12 September
End of the Road
Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset
Iron & Wine, The Low Anthem, The Mountain Goats, The New Pornographers, Diane Cluck, The Antlers, Deer Tick
Weekend tickets £135 (incl postage) link

This list will be updated when announcements are made.

Is there anything we’ve missed? Let us know below.

For Folk's Sake » Caitlin Rose

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