Friendly Fires is a dancepunk/new wave band which formed in 2006 in St Albans, England. They consist of Ed MacFarlane (vocals), Edd Gibson (guitar) and Jack Savidge (drums). The band released their self-titled debut album on 1 September 2008. It contains the singles “Paris”, “Jump in the Pool”, and “Skeleton Boy”.

Formed out of the ashes of First Day Back, the St Albans, United Kingdomhardcore band they formed while still at school, Friendly Fires make razor-sharp post-punk that burns through the memories of all the dismal, skinny jeaned ‘80s revivalists you’ve been hearing these past few years. Sounding brittle, knotty and urgent, Friendly Fires are the real deal. With no fat or padding on them at all, their songs possess an elegant sparseness. As guitarist Edd Gibson notes: “The hardest thing I think is to know what to leave out, to know when something is enough.” But amongst all the stripped-back twists, there are also moments full of deep, blissed-out melodies. “I love lush, massive, tingly chords; the My Bloody Valentine sound,” says bassist and singer Ed MacFarlane.

The Phenomenal Handclap Band is a tight-knit aggregation of musicians and artists from Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. At the center of it is Daniel Collás and Sean Marquand who, after years of searching and contemplation, through live performance and the manipulation of recorded music, have finally succeeded in assembling the personification of their holy vision: a musical juggernaut comprised of Daniel, Sean, and their supremely talented friends Patrick Wood, Nicholas Movshon, Luke O'Malley, Laura Marin, Bing Ji Ling, Pier Pappalardo and Joan Tick.

The collective started when Collás and Marquand, two New York underground club DJs, became restless with the concept of playing other people's music. Both had also been involved in the thriving nightlife scene, and had an almost encyclopedic knowledge of esoteric music ranging from Brazilian soul to vintage psych-rock, so becoming producers seemed to be the next logical step.

After working with a wide range of artists, from veteran soul acts to up-and-coming rock n' rollers, the duo set their sights on The Phenomenal Handclap Band, a collective comprised of various luminaries of the indie rock and underground soul scenes. The resulting self-titled debut (which boasts guest appearances by Aurelio Valle, Carol C, Jaleel Bunton, Bart Davenport, Jon Spencer, and Lady Tigra) is the harmonious culmination of numerous diverse musical backgrounds, as well as a testament to Collás’ and Marquand’s singular musical vision. They have crafted a sound that is equal parts anthemic, dancefloor-oriented and orchestral, borrowing elements from progressive rock, disco, electro, and psychedelia.

Live, The Phenomenal Handclap Band is distilled to an eight-member powerhouse, an eye-popping spectacle that overwhelms the senses. It pulses with a savage rhythm section that provides the ultimate foil for cascading guitars and electrified washes of organ and synthesizers. Their delirious sermonizing whips crowds into a charismatic frenzy. Needless to say, their live shows are more akin to a spiritual church revival than an actual rock show.

Download: The Phenomenal Handclap Band, "You'll Dissappear" remixes (via RCRD LBL)