While at Reading back in the summer, I didn’t get much of a chance to see bands playing on the BBC Introducing stage. The lowliest stage of the festival, it was just a small tent with bands you’ve never heard of playing to people passing by on their way to one of the chip vans. I’ve no doubt that a lot of these bands would have been talented, but in the limited time that a festival allows, you tend to head for what you know. So the only band I ended up seeing there was The Joy Formidable. In retrospect, I wish I’d gone to see the car crash of a set by the FF’ers, but that’s a different story.
I went along being vaguely familiar with one of their songs, and if I’m honest, because there was no one better on at the time. It was worthwhile though. They played a good little set to a good little crowd and all was right in the world. Then I didn’t think about them again for another six months. Exploring their website shows that things have seemingly picked up for them. Tours with Howling Bells, album and single releases are all in their recent past.
Which is good because there aren’t a great many bands around that sound like this at the moment. Or maybe there are and I’m unaware of them. But this is noisy, dirty pop, vocals leaping in all over the place even if you can hardly make them out. It feels like something that would be right at home next to My Bloody Valentine, just with a little more melody. Lazy comparisons aside, it works for them, and it seems to be getting them a following. Not bad for a band that was only being introduced by the BBC six months ago.
A Balloon Called Moaning is now available as a free download from the band’s website, or as a CD/poster pack from the same place.
The awesome Cradle single is also available now via Try Harder Records. On 7 fucking inch only.
The new single 'Popinjay' from the Joy Formidable is out immediately as a digital download, a limited run of 500 7" vinyls will be available from April 5th.
I never know whether or not to adopt the French pronunciation of 'Formidable' when talking about London-based but very much Welsh three-piece The Joy Formidable. What do ...
*Thursday* 1st *Wrexham* Central StationWe're excited to announce new single 'Popinjay' from the scintillating Joy Formid...
The Joy Formidable have announced that they will be release a new single called 'Popinjay'. The track is available now as a digital download, and limited run of 500 7" ...
03-14 Manchester, England - Ruby Lounge03-15 Liverpool, England - Korova03-16 Nottingham, England - Bodega03-17 Leeds, England - Cockpit03-19 Cambridge, England - Portlan...
"You only get to appreciate what you do when you're not doing it," says bassist Rob Canning, slurping on a tea. "and now we're back, we're buzzing to go."
PART ONE: WELCOME TO 2008
ARTROCKER:...
Legendary rock photographer Steve Gullick has a retrospective at Manchester’s KRAAK Gallery running from March 12th til March 27th, featuring shots taken for NME and Melody Maker as well as his...
To accompany the review of Tune-yards’ Monday gig at Cargo, a few tasty shots of Think about Life, Trash Kit and New England native Merrill Garbus aka tUnE-yArDs.
Read the review of the night...
We have collected some truly heinous examples of recent album covers, from Empire Of The Sun’s Star Wars travesty to the banal evil that is Razorlight’s Slipway Fire. Discretionary...
Album art in this gallery was selected based on several simple traits: strong concept, fine graphics including creative typography and general lushness. The first three of ‘The Best Record...
Placebo pictures: just in - some photos of Placebo and Brian Molko from last week’s gig at the Glasgow SECC.
Also check out the review here
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