MUSIC: Folk Friday {Florence & The Machine}

This week I continue the apparent tradition of not featuring folk music. After I get off this kick & as the suns warms up a bit & my toes & the grass reunite I promise to play some soul soothing folk.

Florence & The Machine

Florence Welch, a 23 year old from London, & her back-up band make up Florence & The Machine. Her debut album, Lungs, was released on July 6, 2009. Apparently, she's very popular in the UK, but is basically unknown here. Her voice is insanely powerful & I'm very jealous of her hair {I harbor not so secret desires to be a redhead} & her style rocks. I think she might be a little bit of a kook {watch her videos}, but I like that quality in a person.

Interesting non-musical fact: Florence has been diagnosed with dyslexia & dysmetria, but also thinks she has OCD, ADD, & insomnia. Oh, those creatives!

Check her out below:

This video reminds of of a Rock&Roll version of this scene from one of my most beloved movies: Anne of Green Gables. In the beginning of the first movie, while the credits roll, Anne can be seen walking through the woods repeating the poem Lady of Shalot & in the scene below, Anne & her friends recreate the poem in a watery burial that doesn't go as planned. Oh, that Anne!

Lady of Shalot by Alfred Lord Tenneyson

On either side the river lie

Long fields of barley and of rye,

That clothe the wold and meet the sky;

And thro' the field the road runs by

To many-tower'd Camelot;

And up and down the people go,

Gazing where the lilies blow

Round an island there below,

The island of Shalott.

Willows whiten, aspens quiver,

Little breezes dusk and shiver

Through the wave that runs for ever

By the island in the river

Flowing down to Camelot.

Four grey walls, and four grey towers,

Overlook a space of flowers,

And the silent isle imbowers

The Lady of Shalott.

{image: The Lady of Shallot by John William Waterhouse, 1888}

It's about 17 more stanzas, so if you're truly inspired go read the rest here.