A quick listen of London-via-Sweden sextet Fanfarlo suggests they’re building from the finer stock of 2006′s crop, with surging melodramatics and instrumentation in the Arcade Fire and Beirut vein, lead vocals that are something like David Byrne via Alec Ounsworth, and as was a sign o’ those times, a David Bowie endorsement. Underneath those trappings, though, are windswept indie pop songs that have their own heart, as seen on this year’s debut LP Reservoir, an 11-song set that’s been a blogger’s delight since February and is now seeing major re-release via Atlantic. With the label upgrade comes a proper video budget, so the band mined their influences some more by enlisting past Beirut-video director Alma Har’el (of the unforgettable “Elephant Gun” clip) and traveling up to Mirror Lake near Lake Placid, NY to flesh out their ode to sc-fi writer Harold T. Wilkins. The group’s busy “telegraphing thoughts to each other and controlling each other’s movements” by dancing in the fog, which is indeed a little bit science-fiction, and a little bit third-base coach signaling for a bunt.
A few tracks for the road:
And here’s an old video for “The Walls Are Coming Down”:
Fanfarlo’s in the States this month:
12/03 – Dallas, TX @ The Loft
12/04 – Houston, TX @ Cactus Records Instore
12/04 -Houston, TX @ Walter’s On Washington
12/06 – Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree
12/09 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
12/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
12/11 – Arlington, VA @ IOTA Club
12/12 – Pittsburg, PA @ Brillobox
12/14 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Cafe
12/15 – Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo
12/16 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore
12/17 – Cambridge, MA @ T.T. The Bear’s
12/18 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
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so much better than the low budget one they used have…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pySzy1wepdg
The Harold T. Wilkins video is amazing! I love this band!
They’re my friends and I’m really proud of them! I saw them play their first gig in London when it was just Simon and a mate.
thanks for covering a good band!!
Great band, good to see they’re getting theirs.
However the snob in me is sad they’re signed to a major label. goodbye best kept secret.
I hear you on the major label thing. I saw them last week at the echo in LA and it was memorable. I wrote about them and shared a couple of tracks, diggin that they are here too.
Oh, is this what you meant by ‘new arcade fire album’? ‘Cause if so I’ll pass.
you could say the same thing about David Byrne. shouldn’t matter, they are real too.
Why are your mp3s cut off? They miss quite a bit from the end!
Amazing video. Saw them at the echo a few weeks back and they were awesome. I’m psyched to see what they do next
I truly love this band.
MP3′s cut out the end of the song.
this is really gorgeous. It seems like a have a new favorite track from this album every few days since seeing them at the crocodile.
Agreed, I have a new favorite track from this album every few days as well. Beautiful song, amazing band.
LOVE FANFARLO! Cannot wait for the Webster Hall show! Such a talented bunch.