Following on from last weeks, ‘Satan & St Paul‘ by John Fulbright, another sensational writer, performer and producer, who expresses and tackles life’s demons with charm and elegant imagery, is Simone Felice.
Having come back from the dead twice himself, once aged just thirteen and again in his thirties, Felice is more capable than most in depicting dark thoughts and events. Still, he does it with a faith which casts grace over the shadowy subjects. And, as if that was not sensational enough, his prolific work as a producer for the likes of Bat for Lashes, Jade Bird and The Lumineers to name just a few, is to be celebrated also. Enjoy this live performance of his song ‘Bye Bye Palenville‘ (and while you’re at it veer off-piste for a couple of minutes into a sample of his production work with Bat for Lashes, and the haunting ‘In Gods House‘ from the Mercury Prize (2016) nominated album ‘The Bride‘)
Tag: The Lumineers
RS Country: “How Americana Went Mainstream in the 2010s”
Rolling Stone Country published a really interesting piece just before we had our Christmas break which described how americana was once a niche genre (rude), before finding a wider audience in the last decade citing artists like the Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, and the Avett Brothers. Cue the heated debate over what constitutes americana but hey, if a band causes a banjo to be played on Radio 1, who are we to cast the first stone. Continue reading “RS Country: “How Americana Went Mainstream in the 2010s””
The Lumineers “III” (Decca, 2019)
If you only give the new album ‘III’ by The Lumineers a surface listen, you’ll probably find yourself thinking something along the lines of: “well isn’t that nice, there’s a new Lumineers album”. And on that surface level, you’ll be right. As background music – there’s nothing new here. But there are two points to make following that observation. First, why would you change anything up when you’ve found something that works for you and your fans? Second, the best of what’s on offer in The Lumineers’ music lies beneath the surface. Continue reading “The Lumineers “III” (Decca, 2019)”
The Lumineers’ next album will also be a film – Watch the trailer
The Lumineers will release their third album creatively titled ‘III’ (a la the band Chicago) on September 13th via Decca Records in the UK, and the Toronto International Film Festival have announced they’ll be premiering “a visual exploration” of that album the week before. In three chapters corresponding with the album’s 10 tracks, the film explores addiction over three generations of a working-class family in the American Northeast. Initially inspired by The Lumineers’ lead vocalist Wesley Schultz’s own family members, the film is directed by Kevin Phillips (Super Dark Times) from a story by Schultz and The Lumineers’ drummer and pianist Jeremiah Fraites. Have a look at the slightly surreal trailer below.
Van Morrison joins Americana Awards 2017 line-up
If we could afford to cover this in person we would, although you do avoid Van on a bad day biting your head off (sorry, lazy journalism there). Rolling Stone Country reports: “Eclectic UK rock legends Van Morrison and Graham Nash, both of whom have been directly influenced by American music will both take the stage to perform at the Americana Honors & Awards Show on September 13th at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Continue reading “Van Morrison joins Americana Awards 2017 line-up”
Lumineers release exclusive vinyl for Record Store Day
Yes, it’s that time of the year again – Eggs and records are what April is all about – and to mark the occasion The Lumineers have announced the release of ‘Seeds’, an exclusive 10” vinyl set to be released in conjunction with Record Store Day which takes place. The limited edition release from the Denver-based outfit shows the progression of two of the most popular tracks from their No.1 sophomore album ‘Cleopatra’ (“Echo-laden, sparse Americana illuminated by Wesley Schultz’s remarkable voice” – so says the Evening Standard – just wait till George Osborne gets his hand on the music reviews) from initial demo, through recording to the live entity. Discussing the release, Schultz says: “With ‘Angela’, you’ll hear how lyrics change and bridges and verses are moved around. And with ‘Long Way From Home’ you’ll hear an entire intro, i.e. a brand new part of the song that was omitted on the studio album, but can be heard in the live version.” Here’s the full track list. Continue reading “Lumineers release exclusive vinyl for Record Store Day”