Right now, I am pretty much obsessed about Florence and the Machine, which is a famous British act that I love with all my heart- their sound is beautiful, majestic, but sometimes peaceful and serene, and Florence's Welsh voice is out of this world (it can go so high and her vibrato is very interesting). I like the fact that their music is written by them and it always has hidden meaning or it is written in metaphors, with lovely lyrics, certainly better composed than the hip hop or pop songs of our days.
The name can be confusing for some: Florence started the band with a female DJ (which she called herself the Machine), but after a while she was gone, and so now The Machine is basically her backup band, containing guitarist, pianist/keyboards, harp player, choir and sometimes an orchestra. Other sources claim that Isabella Summers, her pianist, is actually the Machine...either way, now, the Machine is the band behind her.
So far, they (she?) have released two albums: Lungs and Ceremonials. Although I am not very familiar with the first one (I do love some songs from it), Ceremonials is just fantastic; most of it is breathtaking and has one of the most special sounds I have ever heard. You should really listen to it!
Recently, I had the pleasure of going to see Florence the Machine in concert, with the help of my friends, who gave me a ticket for it for my birthday. It was, by far, one of the most amazing concert experiences I have ever had. Held in Alexandra Palace, a large, spacious building on the hills of London, it featured a choir, an orchestra, visual effects, great lighting and amazing music. As I said, I love their music, and I was so happy to be able to sing along 90% of their songs, as I knew most of them. Florence's voice is stunning and sometimes she sounds like an angel; it feels surreal just listening to her. Yes, sometimes her voice cracks or she goes too high and it sounds wrong, but honestly, even that is part of her charm, and I don't mind!
Favorite songs: You've got the love, Dog days are over, My boy builds coffins, Cosmic Love, No light,no light, Shake it up, Only if for the night, Leave my body, Water gave me and my latest obsession is Never let me go.
Below you'll find some peculiar videos of Florence and the Machine
- Florence and Robert (her guitarist) playing You've got the love in an abandoned zoo
- A rare, old, but very sweet and informative video of early F&tM singing My Boy builds coffins in the park (watch the intro as well)
- Dog days are over at Glastonbury Festival in 2010- wait til the second part of the video and watch the audience's reaction (it must feel so amazing for an artist to see that)
- Florence and the Machine covering Drake ft Rihanna- Take care [you will be surprised, it's very good]
Let me know if you like Florence and the Machine and what songs are your favorites in the comments!
p.s. My Coen Brothers mini marathon continues tomorrow or Monday, stay tuned!
I've only heard Lungs which I thought was a really good album. That was before she became really big.
ReplyDeleteI like her but I'm just not really into her stuff. Then again, I'm not really into any new music these days.
Awesome post! Florence is one of my favorites, I listen to Lungs on repeat when I discovered it. Their new album is not as good as the first one, but it still has some great songs "No light, no light" and "What the water gave me". I also adore the music videos, especially for Rabbit Heart.
ReplyDeleteI was always curious about the buzz surrounding Florence and the Machine. I know they are playing here in NYC in May, so that may be one way to spend an evening.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVE Florence And The Machine, and am jealous that you got to see her. My favorite song is definitely Dog Days Are Over!
ReplyDelete@Steven: I've heard of her and I know a couple of songs from Lungs (Dog days, You've got the love), but my love started with Ceremonials. I recently got the first album and I love that, as well, especially Girl with one eye and Between two lungs
ReplyDelete@Sati: The music videos are always weird, although I do love You've got the love and their latest, Never let me go, as dark as it is! The second album is also very good, it just takes time to adjust to it and learn to appreciate it. Just give it another try and pay attention to the lyrics and the sound, most songs are very good (my fav are Water gave me, Never Let me go, Only if for the night, Shake it out, No light, and Leave my body)
@iluvcinema: You should definitely see them in concert, they're amazing!
@NeverTooEarlyMP: Yeah, I love that song, too! Check out the Glastonbury performance, it's great!
Love Flo-Ma (as my friend refers to them, haha) - I have to love Girl With One Eye and Shake it out :)
ReplyDelete@Ruth: Oh, Girl with one eye is a current obsession, I discovered it after I wrote the post, it's amazing, especially the guitar and the rough, aggressive sound of her voice
ReplyDeleteThe radio I'm listening to play 'em quite often. Yeah I like the sound of this band, they're quite unique. I usually like British bands/singers, same with actors I guess, not sure why, ahah.
ReplyDeleteThe radio I'm listening to play 'em quite often. Yeah I like the sound of this band, they're quite unique. I usually like British bands/singers, same with actors I guess, not sure why, ahah.
ReplyDeleteI love this band. I really like their new single - Shake It Up...well, it isn't that new anymore but it is a great follow up to their previous album.
ReplyDelete@Ruth: Yeah, these British people are something else, the level of talent is off the charts
ReplyDelete@Dan: I agree, a great follow up to their first album and Shake it out is amazing!
I don't connect with all their material, but I'm really enjoying Florence and The Machine's new song Never Let Me Go
ReplyDelete@Chris: Oh, I love that song, one of my favorites from the album- her voice is great!
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