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!
