Dear readers, I write to you in the most difficult of circumstances. It’s the most wonderful time of the year for a whole lot of people. Not for owls. At Christmas owls are ridiculed, patronised and treated like adorable ornaments,…
Ekstasis is a shape-shifting album, reminding me of Grimes, Little Dragon, Laurie Anderson, Sigur Ros, Emilie Simon and Miles Davis by turns, blended into chorally-minded, near-orchestral compositions that defy any simple explanation. ‘This Is Ekstasis’ is a true soundscape, evoking…
Matt Corby arrives in the bar of busy east London pub/venue The Cornershop having completed the sound check in the basement for tonight’s special, one-off, acoustic show. The preparations have taken an hour longer than expected, and the 22-year-old Australian is clearly…
As a general rule of thumb, adding an orchestra to something makes it vastly different. Examples of things that would be made wildly more interesting by the addition of an orchestra include train stations, casual conversation and bathtime. The opposing…
You may well have noticed that here at FFS, we’re pretty keen on Christmas music. No doubt you already have your copy of For Folk’s Sake it’s Christmas 2012… right? Well, if you do, you’ll know our Canadian chums Friend…
Stomping onto the stage at Shepherd’s Bush Empire with a jumper wrapped turban-wise around her head and a Norwegian fox dangling from her throat, Martha Wainwright bursts straight into a rendition of ‘Factory’. Choosing to begin the evening with a…