Mumford & Sons hit the road for UK gigs

The recent inclusion of the so called Nu Folk artists Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons amongst the Mercury Prize 2010 nominees has proven that the genre is on its peak, even though the music scene has seen reverberations of new waves of folk taking over main stages since the 60s.

Part of a group of musicians sharing stages and spreading the word, alongside Marling and Noah and the Whale, the four-piece Mumford & Sons sound like old timers but have sat together for their first rehearsal only in late 2007. They toured extensively throughout UK, quickly harvesting sold out gigs in London plus a successful performance in Glastonbury in 2008.

Mumford & Sons engaging performances and jubilant music caught the attention of producer Marcus Dravs, who recorded Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible, resulting in their first album Sigh No More, which brings uplifting harmonies and big sounds similar to the Canadians. Since their debut they have been on several awards lists such as BBC Sound of 2009 poll. It’s early days for the group but it seems the sky is the limit; be it in a campfire or not.

Mumford & Sons tour dates: Glasgow Academy (Oct 01), Manchester Apollo (Oct 02), Brighton Dome (Oct 04), Nottingham Rock City (Oct 05), Bristol Academy (Oct 06), London Hammersmith Apollo (Oct 08-09).

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Badly Drawn Boy’s trilogy in UK dates

It’s the old tale of the awarded artist who fails to live up to a promising career of masterpieces’ mass production after making into several music-to-listen-before-you-die lists, then getting dropped by big label and going into a few years of introspection before coming out with something more thoughtful and confessional. Badly Drawn Boy even has the look and name that fit perfectly on the tale, now in its final part.

Damon Gough is back with the very same old bobble hat, warmly framing his head to help him make songs that somehow manage to merge beauty and queasiness. The new album, What I Am Thinking Part 1: Photographing Snowflakes, is the first instalment of a trilogy and comes a decade after the Mercury Music Prize winner The Hour of Bewilderbeast and eight years after penning the entire soundtrack of the hit movie About A Boy. The new release has gathered stamps of approval, not exactly heralding a return to form but nodding at BDB’s clever arrangements of good pop and rock with competent folk songwriting. It is also a return to basics, produced by Andy Votel, co-founder of Gough’s debut label Twisted Nerve.

Badly Drawn Boy UK tour dates: Birmingham (Oct 18), Glasgow (Oct 20), Manchester (Oct 21, 22), Bristol (Oct 25), Brighton (Oct 26) and London (Oct 27, 28).

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Jakob Dylan to showcase new album in UK dates

Jakob Dylan brings to the Barbican in July a taste of the long running conversation between pop music and folk traditions. He will be showcasing his second solo work since leading The Wallflowers. Woman + Country was released earlier this year and brings references from folk lyricism to the mythic America and has been received with warm reviews. Jakob Dylan is accompanied both in the album and live by the band Three Legs, with singer- songwriters Neko Case and Kelly Hogan in most of the background vocals and an acclaimed group of musicians playing from bass and drums to mandolin, trumpet and horns. The album was produced by the prolific T Bone Burnett, who worked on The Wallflowers’ most successful record to date, Bringing Down the Horse, resulting in Grammy awards and selling millions of copies.

Jakob Dylan, now in his 40s and with a lengthy history in music recordings since the late 80s, bares the inescapable tag of “Bob Dylan’s son”, which puts him in the shadow of one of the greatest songwriters of all times. What might be seen as a mixed blessing when comparisons and similarities are concerned, doesn’t seem to pose as a challenge for Jakob’s heartfelt songs. His gentle vocal and the grown-up big label production of the album are confident enough, often playing in a relaxed safety zone. In songs such as Everybody’s Hurting, a more political agenda is in tune with today’s America search for a soul, but even this engagement is done in a humble, more tactful fashion. Which is pretty much Jakob Dylan’s trademark and also his secret to be out there for some time now. No pressure.

Jakob Dylan & Three Legs play London Barbican on July 23, Gateshead on July 25 and Glasgow on July 26.

In the midst of a soap opera and an opera, there goes a flourishing Rufus Wainwright

Lust, love, death, family rivalry, tortured relationships, deception, violence, drug abuse…
For almost every human drama, there is an episode in Rufus Wainwright life. And for every episode, there is a song. Lauded by his peers as the most extraordinary songwriter of his generation, Rufus sings of imaginary love, absent fathers, narcotic romance and foolish aspirations in a operatic way, with violins swirling as he unpacks his heart in self-revelatory songs.
All Days are Nights: Songs for Lulu, his latest work, was acclaimed by critics and loved by fans and it’s his most intimate and moving work to date and a welcome shift from the increasingly extravagant previous albums. With no full band to hide behind, the Canadian-American artist mourns the passing of his mother in an intense performance of piano and voice. Its this less exuberant albeit more complex side that Rufus Wainwright will be showing in his many UK concerts.
A much more lavish Rufus was available to UK audiences recently as his debut opera, Prima Donna, showed in the Sadler’s Wells. If his songs are like his life and his life is like an soap opera, it seemed a natural move when the musician announced he was composing an actual opera. But the ambitious project received mixed reviews and failed to impress the traditionally conservative opera-goers and critics. Nevertheless, Rufus deserves respect for challenging himself recklessly while he could have stayed in the comfort zone of his acclaimed performances. But then, there would be no drama – and that’s a no no.

Rufus Wainwright is currently on tour with many dates scheduled for the UK. He plays Gateshead on April 19, Birmingham on April 20, Manchester on April 22, Bristol on April 23, Nottingham on April 25, Oxford on April 26, Dublin on April 28, Ipswich on April 29, London on July 03, Brighton on July 04, and a Royal Albert Hall gig on November 22.

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