Sign up for our mailing list Real artists creating records on their own terms
Close

Sign up for our mailing list

News

Tuesday, March 11th, 2014

The Melodic Embark On US Tour

Brixton’s THE MELODIC have been garnering heaps of praise on both sides of the Atlantic for their effervescent blend of melodic English folk with African and Caribbean rhythms. The band have just embarked on a seven week tour of the USA, which see’s them take to the road supporting label peers Saintseneca for a collection of dates leading into SXSW Festival in Austin (March 10-15). After SXSW, the band will take to the road for a 20 date tour with West African blues legends Tinariwen as well as playing a string of their own headline shows. Their debut album, EFFRA PARADE is out now.

Paste recently wrote of the young group,"with their bright melodies and bouncy, bare-boned instrumentation, The Melodic couldn't be more aptly named. Percussion shuffles along as the group's harmonies intertwine, coalescing into a soft yet poignant timbre that evokes shimmering memories of careless days."

The band recently covered the song “Love Letters” by English electronic group Metronomy. You can listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ7bwd7s9Cc

On a previous US tour with Johnny Flynn, The Melodic captivated packed venues with their unique and moving sound. Mother Jones wrote of a show in San Francisco, “The sold-out crowd showed up for Flynn, but gave The Melodic its full attention and was rewarded with a set of richly layered, harmony-laden, often upbeat, evocative music.”

Tour Dates:

3/11-3/16 - SXSW Festival - Austin, TX
3/18 - Nashville, TN - High Watt w/Tinariwen
3/19 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre w/Tinariwen
3/20 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle w/Tinariwen
3/21 - Philadelphia, PA - Prince Music Theatre w/Tinariwen
3/22 – Washington, DC - Sixth & I w/Tinariwen
3/23 & 3/24 - Brooklyn, NY- Brooklyn Bowl w/Tinariwen
3/25 – Boston, MA- Paradise w/Tinariwen
3/26 – Ridgefield, CT- Ridgefield Playhouse w/Tinariwen
3/27 – Northampton, MA- Iron Horse w/Tinariwen
3/28 - Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall w/Tinariwen
3/29 – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground w/Tinariwen
3/30 - Fall River, MA - Narrow Centre for The Arts (Headline show)
4/2 – Kent, OH - Kent Stage w/Tinariwen
4/3 – Cincinnati, OH - MOTR Pub (Headline show)
4/4 – Nelsonville, OH - Stuart’s w/Tinariwen
4/6 – Minneapolis, MN - Cedar’s w/Tinariwen
4/8 – Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre w/Tinariwen
4/9 - St Louis, MO - Old Rock House w/Tinariwen
4/10 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar (Headline show)
4/11 – Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre w/Tinariwen
4/12 - Salt Lake City, UT- State Room w/Tinariwen
4/14 – Seattle, WA - Sunset Tavern (Headline show)
4/15 – Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater w/Tinariwen
4/18 - St Grass Valley, CA - Centre for The Arts w/Tinariwen
4/19 – Berkeley, CA - Starry Plough (Headline show)
4/20 - Los Angeles, CA - The Satellite (Headline show)
4/22 - New York, NY - Rockwood Music Hall (Headline show)

Critical Acclaim For The Melodic:

“The Melodic’s debut prove unexpectedly life-affirming” – Q

“The Melodic don't sound much like anyone else in British pop, and their individuality, imagination, and vision already make them something special.” – All Music Guide

“For a band in their early 20s, the Melodic’s debut, Effra Parade, sounds aged and knowing.” – Electronic Musician

“Effra Parade packs impressive arrangements…Effra Parade is a desirable locale." - Mojo Magazine

“Much of the Melodic’s orientation is reminiscent of the Simon & Garfunkel hit ‘El Condor Pasa (If I Could).’” – Kansas City Star

"Employing such worldly instruments as the charango, kora, and melodica, the band's sound is one filled with globe-bouncing catchiness, young spirited harmonies, and melodically whimsical rhythms." - No Depression

“Their blend of folk, world music and pop is incredibly earnest and aurally pleasing with hints of bands like The Magnetic Fields, The Decemberists, and Belle and Sebastian...this it what good folk pop should sound like." – OurVinyl.com

"For its debut LP, Effra Parade, the band self-recorded a shuffling set of beautiful tunes, utilizing 18 different instruments, over several years. Although the album was recorded in a “modest” studio built out of a former South London bedroom, the sound is as gorgeous and explorative as the music. Songs such as “Roots” and “Runaway” are perfectly plucked gems, while “On My Way” could be a legit hit. But the Melodic, which releases its debut on the Anti- label, following its acclaimed EP On My Way, don’t seem too concerned about hits. The innovative Brit pop ensemble would rather take its time crafting retro sounds, saluting English ’60s folk heroes such as Bert Jansch, the Incredible String Band, Vashti Bunyan, Fairport Convention and Nick Drake while taking the baton from Scotland’s Belle & Sebastian for a stretch. – Atlantic City Weekly

Browse by Artist

2077All Artists 99Tom Waits 73Mavis Staples 59Neko Case 51Lost In The Trees 50Sean Rowe 48Dr. Dog 45The Milk Carton Kids
41Jolie Holland 40Bettye LaVette 37Man Man 36Son Little 35Tinariwen 33DeVotchKa 33Tim Fite 31Islands 31Grinderman 29Glen Hansard 28Saintseneca 27Galactic 27Wilco 26Andy Shauf 24Xenia Rubinos 24Michael Franti and Spe... 24The Drums 24Delicate Steve 22Doe Paoro 22William Elliott Whitmo... 22Bob Mould 21The Frames 21Nick Cave & The Bad Se... 20Christopher Paul Stell... 20Joe Henry 19Sage Francis 19Cass McCombs 19Yves Jarvis 19Booker T. Jones 18Deafheaven 18Calexico 18Gary V 17Yann Tiersen 17John K. Samson 16The Antlers 16Jason Lytle 16Ramblin Jack Elliott 16Danny Elfman 14Daniel Lanois 14Jeremy Ivey 13Billy Bragg 13The Dream Syndicate 13Madi Diaz 12Peter Silberman 12Leyla McCalla 12Xavier Rudd 12Combo Chimbita 12Girlpool 11Roky Erickson 11Mose Allison 11Purr 11Lyrics Born 11The Weakerthans 11Ryan Pollie 11Rain Machine 11Glitterer 11Jade Jackson 10Half Waif 10The Swell Season 10High Pulp 10The Melodic 10So Much Light 10Alfa Mist 10Darrin Bradbury 9Hey, King! 9M. Ward 9N.A.S.A. 9Cameron Avery 9Lido Pimienta 9Marianne Faithfull 9Curtis Harding 9Josiah Johnson 9Wynonna 9Moor Mother 8Katy Kirby 8Greg Graffin 8Christian Lee Hutson 8Slow Pulp 8The Coup 8Solillaquists of Sound 8Cadence Weapon 7Richard Reed Parry 7Dead Man's Bones 7Alec Ounsworth 7Title Fight 7Ben Harper and Charlie... 7Beth Orton 7Elliott Smith 7Ben Harper 7Kelly Hogan 7Kate Davis 7Japandroids 7Eddie Izzard 6Broken Twin 6Busdriver 6A Girl Called Eddy 6Rafiq Bhatia 6Os Mutantes 6Deradoorian 6Kate Bush 5James Brandon Lewis 5Art Moore 5Kristine Leschper 5Keaton Henson 5The Field 5Jasmyn 5Foxwarren 5Ezra Furman 5Beat Connection 5The Tallest Man On Ear... 5One Day As A Lion 5Scott McMicken and THE... 5Bonny Doon 4Sparklehorse 4The Good Ones 4Pops Staples 4sunking 4Marketa Irglova 4Ersi Arvizu 4Jackson+Sellers 3MJ Lenderman 3Danny Cohen 3Walter Wolfman Washing... 3Plains 3Mavis Staples & Levon... 3Mothers 3Sierra Leones Refugee... 3Marc Ribot 3Waxahatchee 3Petra Haden 2Jeff Tweedy 2Sam Akpro 2Fleet Foxes 2Various Artists: RANGO 1Lightman Jarvis Ecstat... 1Youth Group 1Merle Haggard 1Taylor Vick 1case/lang/veirs 1Joe Strummer And The M... 1The Locust 1Tricky 1Antibalas 1Simian Mobile Disco 1Various Artists: ROGUE... 1Rogue's Gallery 1ANTI- Records 1Solomon Burke 1Kronos Quartet with Br... 1Porter Wagoner 1Blackalicious
See Full List+