Friendly Fires - Photo by Dominic Storer

Friendly Fires - Photo by Dominic Storer

The xx - Photo by Terryfy

The xx - Photo by Terryfy


Friendly Fires/Nylon Winter Music Tour featuring The xx
at the Paradise Rock Club, Boston, Friday, December 4
(doors at 8pm; 18+ show)

[Note: at this writing, the show is sold out, but I’ve been told that a limited number of additional tickets will likely be released, so keep an eye on the Paradise site and also Live Nation]

My first time seeing Friendly Fires was back in March, also at the Paradise. While I’ve never been a huge fan of or terribly knowledgeable about the British synth-pop dance scene, they were highly recommended to me as a band I should definitely check out. What impressed me then (and what I’m sure has been even more finely honed through a great deal of touring) was their explosive energy and enthusiasm, and the serious tribal groove and crazy frenzy they worked themselves and their delirious audience into.

They just have one full-length album, their self-titled debut on XL Recordings, plus a few singles and three EPs (Photobooth (2006), Cross The Line (2007) and The Remix (2007)).

In August, they released a new single “Kiss of Life” (which is also on the deluxe edition release of their debut album), with an official video filmed on a remote beach on Ibiza. This Boston show is their second to last stop here in the U.S. on the Nylon Winter Music Tour; the final show is the next night at Webster Hall in New York City.

Friendly Fires: “Kiss Of Life”

Friendly Fires official site | MySpace

Also featured on this tour presented by Nylon Magazine is the London-based dream pop trio The xx, which is now Jamie Smith, Romy Madley Croft, and Oliver Sim (keyboardist Baria Qureshi left the band earlier this month). Their debut release (on Young Turks Records) came out in August, and they have a very nice, ethereal sound. A new discovery for me, though likely not for those who keep a more watchful eye on the UK music scene. They performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals this year, as well as supporting Florence and the Machine in September, their own tour in October, and then this current tour with Friendly Fires.

The xx: “Basic Space”

The xx official site | MySpace

share this: Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail