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Today's Boing Boing Video installment marks the return of UK-based music journalist Russell Porter to our blog, doing what he does best: exposing us to acts music critics are freaking out over in London, just before they blow up in the states.
I'll be blogging another BB Video with Russell a bit later today, and I'll make a personal confession, too: nearly every report Russell brings us involves an act I haven't heard of, either. But more often than not, a few weeks after we hear about a band from him, I'll start seeing them pop up on American music blogs, or I'll hear DJs on my favorite radio station (KCRW!) hitting their tracks. And within a month or two, they're on SNL or Letterman or whatever, and voilá, history.
So, back to this episode above. Russell introduces us to Florence Welch, the voice behind Florence and the Machine. Their Myspace profile describes their work as " Grindcore / Acousmatic / Tape music / Melodramatic Popular Song," and you can get a taste by listening to tracks here, or watching both of the music videos embedded below (more on their YouTube channel here). I really dig the psychedelic-emo-crazy-art vibe.
The band's Wikipedia page explains that "[their] music has received praise across the British music media, especially from the BBC who have played a large part in Florence And The Machine's rise to prominence by bringing them into the spotlight as part of BBC introducing." They've been playing high on the headline list at some of the more prominent music festivals in the UK, and that's where our Russell caught up with them for today's conversation. We also get an impromptu, back-of-the-trailer performance from Florence in this episode, between sets at Standon Calling.
Florence says she's a big fan of The White Stripes, The Cockettes and Kate Bush, and it shows.
* Boing Boing Video Archives
* Previous posts with Russell Porter music interviews
* Russell's Porter Report website.
