Florence and the Machine (Weekend Two only)

I don't know what is wrong with me, but I clearly recall walking away from the Alabama Shakes show in 2012 to get some food before the Black Keys, and thinking "Eh, Florence and the Machine, who cares." as I ignored her set and got a Mighty Cone or three.  Fool.  I should have gotten up close and personal to hear this thing right then and there.

Her voice is a force of nature.  So lush and powerful and demanding, with a switch that can click it right up into an slight, angelic falsetto.  If it doesn't get your attention, then I can't believe you are really listening.  I think the thing that I previously thought had always left me wanting with them is the music behind that voice.  Not bad music, but just kind of there. Now, after really digging into this music, I think that old reaction was wrong.  This music is good as well - kind of bombastic and over-the-top, but good stuff.  Three albums, including one that just recently came out in 2015.  Their big, first hit is still their second most popular track on Spotify, with just over 73 million listens.  "Dog Days are Over," from 2009's Lungs.

Love the intro to that song, with the light back and forth in the stereo speakers of that mandolin or uke.  Distinctive and cool.  And then the thump and hand-claps of classic 50's rock, it was something new and fun back at the start of the decade.  But their most popular track is off of 2011's Ceremonials, "Shake it Out," with almost 80 million listens on Spotify.

"Regrets collect like old friends, Here to relive your darkest moments, I can see no way, I can see now way...Its always darkest before the dawn."  And then the music builds until it all peaks.  Great tune.
Their new album is really solid as well, I've listened to it a couple of times over the past two days, and its not just the singles.  Here is the hit, "What Kind of Man," with over 23.2 million listens.

I have to say, it was confusing to hear at first, until I figured out that she is saying the word "this" as though it was "these."  She's not talking about some group of inanimate objects when asking about man's love.  Makes me think of the scene in the Matrix when one of the minor crew members is about to die by getting disconnected by the bad guy from the Goonies and she says "Not like dis, not like dis" before she collapses.  Off that new album, "Ship to Wreck" and "Queen of Peace" are also killer tracks.

Now, with hindsight, I wish I'd bought weekend Two passes instead of weekend One.  I'd hate to miss Alabama Shakes, but they are doing an ACL taping on the Friday night of first weekend, so I could have fit everything in, avoided the Strokes, and jammed both Modest Mouse and Florence into the weekend.  Oh well!  I'll just keep listening to her tunes on Spotify!