Poster
Setlist
Tour Dates
04/14 - Detroit, MI - Shelter
04/16 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace 04/17 - Montreal, QB - La Sala Rossa 04/19 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair 04/22 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom 04/23 - Brooklyn, NY - Rough Trade 04/25 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts 04/26 - Washington, DC - U Street Music Hall Read More
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The playful and eclectic Fanfarlo is currently out on tour, in promotion of their third and latest, Let’s Go Extinct (on Blue Horizon Ventures), that is a sort-of concept album on human evolution and possible futures. Though seemingly complicated in theme, the London band, led by Swedish musician Simon Balthazar, makes it all eminently palatable with hook-laden choruses and a relaxed delivery. This strange but pleasing amalgam of sounds made for an enjoyable evening earlier this week at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis.
Opening up the show was Lilies on Mars, an electro dream pop band from Sardinia, Italy (now London-based), in support of their debut, Dot to Dot (Saint Marie Records). The band consists of guitarist Lisa Masia and bassist Marina Cristofalo, who took turns in singing lead vocals, and would sometimes employ their laptop to mix in some unusual effects such as echoes and oscillations.
Lilies on Mars
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It was hard to understand their thick Italian accents, but I believe the song asks "where is America?"... well, they've found America. Let's hope they'll return back here again.
Cathy Lucas on the musical saw
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Fanfarlo
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‘Vostok, I know You Are Waiting’ is about an underground lake deep underneath the Antarctic ice and ‘Comets’ from Reservoir, with its “Look up, open the clouds; here comes the bombshell” lyric were themes that might intimidate other bands, but fearless for Balthazar and Fanfarlo.
Simon Balthazar
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The encore began as a gentle roll with the title track from their latest album, then finished with signature song, ‘The Walls Are Coming Down’; before which, Lucas had to remind Balthazar to plug the latest album, which he did in deadpanned style, “it’s very fresh…like a freshly baked cinnamon bun”.
Though the band has fallen off some hipsters’ radars, the new album reflects a noticeable growth in their complex sound that is genuinely rewarding and makes them as mandatory to listen to, as when they released their debut. Far out, man.
Fanfarlo at Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis (07 April 2014) |
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