Live | Ani DiFranco @ Brighton Concorde 2

For Folk's Sake — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:45:44 +0000

Ani DiFranco has been through enough re-inventions and reincarnations over the last two decades to give David Bowie a run for his money.From her debut as a wide-eyed, shaven-headed 20-year-old, through the tortured, angsty mid-90s and into a more mellow maturity, the self-proclaimed “righteous babe” has long been a chameleon of the folk world.It is fitting that Bowie’s 65th birthday saw DiFranco kick off 2012 in style with an intimate solo gig on Brighton’s seafront.

Home-grown pianist Carly Bryant opened the show, nervously smiling her way through a charming set, her cover of Blossom Dearie’s Tout Doucement bringing to mind Fiona Apple and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

DiFranco then bounded on stage to storm through a selection of her vast repertoire, performed with as much skill and gusto as ever.

Songs from new record Which Side Are You On, her 17th studio album, sound fresh and intricate, and add to the overall reflective theme of the evening.

After a career of brutal honesty on the themes of sexuality, relationships and heartbreak, DiFranco seems to be reluctantly enjoying looking back at her younger self.

Now married for the second time and mother to a four-year-old daughter, she speaks of feeling settled and at peace with herself, and visibly cringes at the raging introspection of her early work.

But that’s not to say that the 41-year-old has lost her edge. Her thirst for political change is as strong as ever, as she speaks passionately about the Occupy movements and her frustration at creaking democracy on both sides of the Atlantic.

On ‘Promiscuity’, a stand-out track from the new record, DiFranco smirks: “How you gonna know what you need, what you like / till you been around the block a few times on that bike?”

It’s a lyric that is at once self-aware, cheeky, bold and mature, and it sums up the present mindset of this remarkable performer.

“It’s nice to see you smiling,” a member of the audience shouts during a break in the action. “Yeah, it’s nice to be happy again,” DiFranco replies. “It’s taken me a while.”

Sam Blackledge

Video Round up: She & Him, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Left With Pictures

Lynn Roberts — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:56:20 +0000

A smorgasbord of motion picture magic for you here including Charlotte Gainsbourg & Beck – Heaven Can Wait, She & Him – Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?, Left With Pictures – Constantly, Broken Bells – The High Road and Kate Bush – Babooshka

Charlotte Gainsbourg feat. Beck – Heaven Can Wait

Charlotte Gainsbourg’s creepy isn’t she? Okay…. disconcerting then? You certainly couldn’t have a normal conversation with her. Not about train times or where to find a good haberdashery or your love of Wensleydale with cranberries. Anyway, this song is ace – very Beck-ish.

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Juliana Hatfield – Until Tomorrow

So that Charlotte Gainsbourg single was very much NOT a cover of this song, which I thought it might be when I heard the title. This track is cheesier than I remember but my 12-year-old self could be found singing along to it in the mirror on many an occasion, so it still holds a certain charm for the much older version communicating with you now.

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She & Him – Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?

Staying on the actor-singer theme: Zooey Deschanel’s awesome. Here’s ‘Why Do You Let Me Stay’ Here from the debut album by She & Him - Zooey’s collaboration with M Ward. It’s just about the most wonderfully retro thing FFS has ever seen. Some disobedient person has put up a video with the audio of ‘In the Sun’, which is the first single to be taken from She & Him’s 2nd album, Volume 2. The single’s out on 15th March, followed by the LP on 5th April.

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Left With Pictures – Constantly

The first track from the Left With Pictures In Time series (read more about it here). You can also download the mp3 here. If you enjoyed that (and why on earth wouldn’t you’ve?) you can catch the band playing with The Laurel Collective at The Stags Head, Dalston, London on 6th February for free.

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Broken Bells – The High Road

We love love love the Shins at FFS HQ so it’s just mega exciting that James Mercer is back in any incarnation. Teaming up with Dangermouse in 2009 Mercer formed Broken Bells. The High Road is the first track to be released from their album, due on 8th March.

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Kate Bush – Babooshka

Helen was perusing the YouTube the other night for old Kate Bush videos. When I asked her which was the best she said: “Babushka. AMAZING AND INSANE.” Succinct, but I think you’ll agree she gets her point across. Have a gander above at the marvelous loon.

For Folk's Sake » Charlotte Gainsbourg