MPEG-1 Audio Layer III HD more commonly known and advertised by its abbreviation mp3HD is an audio compression codec developed by Technicolor formerly known as Thomson.^[2] It achieves lossless data compression, and is backwards compatible with the MP3 format by storing two data streams in one file.^[3]

Development[link]

mp3HD was released in march 2009 as a lossless competitor to the already popular FLAC, Apple Lossless, and WavPack. In theory, the format provides a convenient container in the form of a single file, which includes the standard lossy stream playable on any mp3-capable device and the lossless data which is stored in the ID3v2 tag. To play the lossless data you need a compatible mp3HD player with decoder otherwise you would be playing just the lossy data. Also, Being a compression method, files produced by the algorithm are substantially smaller than the uncompressed source files, though they are roughly comparable to other similar lossless formats. The format is still in development with Technicolor releasing tools for consumers who are into the format. Sites are saying that it can be the one that achieves mainstream adoption, due to the advantage that the mp3 brand is well known.^[4] Since 2009 Technicolor has updated the format and encoding tools to make it more efficient, while also adding a plugin for Winamp (Windows only), a direct show filter for Windows Media Player, and a mp3HD converter. On October 7, 2010 Topspin, a music distributor became the first retailer to start offering mp3HD files, stating that now their customers can have lossless audio without leaving the mp3 format. Technicolor are also saying that the agreement is very important for the growth of the format.^[5] Starting June 19, 2011 Technicolor and 10 ambassadors and Sound Souvenirs are doing a marketing campaign where they will transform 10 songs into mp3HD. People get to vote for 100 songs from their top charts which ends July 21 and the top 10 get to be mp3HD files.^[6]

Encoding[link]

As of yet, the only thing capable of encoding wav files to mp3HD is the technicolor toolkit which contains a command-line encoder and decoder. This can be used with the Exact Audio Copy to rip CDs into WAVE files and then automatically convert them to mp3HD files. Another method, only available for Windows is the mp3HD Converter, which converts already uncompressed WAVE files to mp3HD and can also decompress them back to WAVE files. Currently mp3HD supports CD audio (PCM) at 44.1, 48 kHz sampling rates at 16 bit/sample.^[7]

Audio Quality[link]

The lossless mp3HD stream allows for 100% bit-exact replication of CD-quality audio tracks. Average bitrates vary between 500kbit/s to 900kbit/s depending on genre, similar to other lossless codecs. The lossy stream uses the same bit rates as a normal mp3 file and the lossy portion can even use VBR or CBR depending on the user's preference for compression and quality.

Pros and Cons[link]

Pros

• Exact replica of a CD
• Lossy/Lossless Hybrid
• Size is about the same compared to other lossless formats
• Backwards compatible with standard mp3 players
• retains .mp3 file extension
• Embedded mp3 track and the mp3HD file share the same id3 metadata
• Popularity of the mp3 brand

Cons

• Not very widespread
• Lack of support
• Bigger than standard mp3
• No quality boost if player only supports standard mp3
• The lossless part is stored in an ID3v2 tag.
• Size of ID3v2 tags is limited to 256MB by specifications; as a result, lossless part of an mp3hd file can't be larger than 256MB.
• Editing certain information in the ID3v2 tag can sometimes result in losing the lossless data stored in the tag, making the mp3HD file a standard MP3.^[8]

Products that support mp3HD[link]

Hardware

• Samsung IceTouch (YP-H1), Samsung announced that they will be releasing the first mp3 player capable of playing mp3HD lossless part of the format at CES 2010. They were supposed to be released sometime in 2010, but as of April 8, 2011 nothing has been released.^[9]
• Samsung YP-Z3 is the world first mp3 player released to support mp3HD (released end of August 2011)
• Samsung YP-R2 (released in November 2011)

Software^[10]

• Winamp w/ plugin (Windows Only)
• Windows Media Player w/ direct show filter
• mp3/HD/surround/SX player (Windows and Mac)

Alternative Technologies[link]

Lossy

• MP3
• MP3 Surround
• AAC
• OGG

Lossless

• FLAC
• WavPack
• TTA
• Apple Lossless

See also[link]

• Lossless Compression
• Lossy Compression
• Audio Compression

References[link]

External links[link]

• Technical specification

Calvin Harris
Background information
Birth name	Adam Richard Wiles
Born	(1984-01-17) 17 January 1984 (age 28) Dumfries, Scotland
Genres	Electropop, electro house, nu-disco, synthpop, Eurodance
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer, DJ
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards, synthesizer
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Fly Eye, Columbia, Ministry of Sound, Ultra
Website	www.calvinharris.co.uk

Adam Richard Wiles^[1] (born 17 January 1984)^[2], better known by his stage name Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His gold-selling debut album, I Created Disco, was released in 2007 and contained the top ten singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls". His second studio album, Ready for the Weekend (2009), reached number one in the UK Album Chart and includes the chart-topper "I'm Not Alone", the UK top five hit "Ready for the Weekend", and the singles "Flashback" and "You Used to Hold Me".

A remix album titled L.E.D. Festival was released in July 2010 as a free album in the August issue of Mixmag. Harris is currently working on his third studio album—due for release in 2012—which has produced the singles "Awooga", "Bounce", "Feel So Close", and "Let's Go". He has written and produced records for other recording artists including Kylie Minogue, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Dizzee Rascal, Rihanna (on the international chart topper "We Found Love"),^[3] and Kesha.^[4]

Biography[link]

Early life and career[link]

Harris was born in Dumfries, Scotland. He states that his childhood hero was football star Steve McManaman,^[5] but because he could not play [the game] nor have McManaman's 'curly hair', music was the next best option for a career.^[6] He was first attracted to electronic music in his teens and was recording bedroom demos by 1999.^[7] According to an interview with News of the World, all the while he created music, he started becoming an antisocial person, which affected his personality.^[8] His earliest success was when he was 21: the songs "Da Bongos" and "Brighter Days" were released as a 12" club single and CD-EP by the Prima Facie label in early 2002 under the name Stouffer.^[9] He released one song in 2004, "Let Me Know", with artist Ayah Marar. The song appears on The Unabombers' Electric Soul 2.

[edit] 2006–08: I Created Disco

Harris performing in 2008

Harris signed contracts with EMI (publishing) and Sony BMG (recording) in 2006 after he had been discovered by Tommie Sunshine on the social networking website MySpace and his music was released on Sunshine's label Xylophone Jones Recordings previous to his album on Sony BMG.^[10] Harris had recently moved back from London to his hometown of Dumfries because he was unable to find a job.^[11] Later in 2006, Harris produced a remix of All Saints' hit single "Rock Steady".

Harris' first album, I Created Disco, was released in June 2007. The album contains uptempo electroclash songs that were influenced by music from the 1980s. To promote I Created Disco, Harris embarked on a tour of the UK, supporting Faithless and Groove Armada.^[12][13] I Created Disco has been certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry for sales of 100,000 copies in the UK, where it reached number eight on the UK Albums Chart.

The first single, "Vegas", was issued on limited edition vinyl; the first wide-release single from the album was "Acceptable in the 80s", a tribute to the style and culture of the decade. The song reached the top ten on the UK Singles Chart, remaining on the chart for fifteen weeks.^[14] "The Girls", the album's third single, peaked at number three in the UK, although the fourth release, "Merrymaking at My Place", reached only number forty-three. The fifth and final single, "Colours", was featured in television advertisements for DFS sofas and Kia Motors. In October 2008, Harris was featured on BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix with a two-hour set.

[edit] 2008–10: Ready for the Weekend

In April 2008, Harris stated that the only existing copy of his upcoming album work was lost when his was misplaced during the baggage handling problems at the opening of London Heathrow Terminal 5.^[15] Harris later admitted that this was a lie as the album was not in his luggage at all, and that he hoped that what he said would buy him some more time to finish recording the LP.^[16] The album, Ready for the Weekend, was released in August 2009 in the United Kingdom^[17] and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, eventually being certified gold by the BPI for selling 100,000 copies. The first single, "I'm Not Alone", released in April 2009, debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number one and was shortlisted for the Popjustice £20 Music Prize. The follow-up single, "Ready for the Weekend" (featuring singer Mary Pearce), went to number three. Other tracks included on the album are "Worst Day" featuring Izza Kizza^[18] and "Yeah Yeah Yeah La La La", which was used in a Coca-Cola advertisement.^[19]

Harris toured around the UK, Ireland, France, the Netherlands and the United States promoting the album. In June 2009, Harris appeared at the Summertime Ball at the Emirates Stadium, and in August, he made an appearance on the first Soccer AM show of the season. Harris performed at Wembley Stadium in October 2009 as part of the pre-game entertainment for the NFL International Series game between the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The third single from Ready for the Weekend, "Flashback", reached the top twenty in the UK, and the fourth, "You Used to Hold Me", entered the top forty. During promotion of the album, Harris hosted a series of videos on YouTube titled JAM TV, in which musicians such as Florence Welch, Goldie and Katy Perry tried to open pots of jam.^[20] In 2010, Harris received a BRIT Award nomination for British Male.

On 14 November, Harris invaded the stage of The X Factor during a performance by John & Edward, holding a pineapple on his head and bending over to point at his buttocks. He was subsequently evicted from the studio by the security team and told not to return to have his say on the ITV2 programme The Xtra Factor—in which he was to have been a "Celebrity Guest". He later apologised on Twitter, saying he was a fan of the boys, "At the end of the day, I had a pineapple on my head. Sorry if I caused anyone embarrassment. PS, I love Jedward (sic)".^[21] The same week, Harris spoke to The Chris Moyles Show and revealed that he had been "inspired to make a mockery of the show", as well as stating that "If you look at music it's a frightening stranglehold that Simon Cowell has got over the entire music chart in the UK at the moment."^[22] On the same day, John and Edward's "mentor" Louis Walsh, appearing on The Paul O'Grady Show, accused Harris of trying to "cash in" on John & Edward's fame, and claimed to not know who he was.^[23]

2010–present: Third album and touring[link]

Harris performing in Australia

Harris played at the 2010 Big Day Out, a music festival which takes place in several major cities in Australia and Auckland, New Zealand. In May 2010, he performed at Evolution Festival, UK in Newcastle upon Tyne, Quayside, and in July he played at Nottingham Splendour and headlined at the Stockton International Riverside Festival in Stockton-on-Tees. In July 2010, Harris released a mix, titled L.E.D. Festival (short for L.E.D. Festival Presents... Calvin Harris). It was available for one month as a free covermount CD in Mixmag.

Harris appeared at the tenth birthday of Our:House in Auckland, New Zealand, in November 2010, alongside Afrojack,^[24] and performed an hour-long DJ set at Australia's Steresonic Festival alongside Tiesto, Carl Cox, Afrojack and Major Lazer in November/December 2010, in several major Australian cities including Sydney and Melbourne. In 2011, he toured with Rihanna in Australia, Poland and the UK as a support act on her Loud Tour; Rihanna was quoted to say that "Calvin is the perfect fit for the Loud tour. He is going to bring something unique and fun for the fans."^[25] Harris headlined the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2011 party.

During March and April 2011, Harris was scheduled to be an opening act/DJ for Katy Perry on the UK leg of her California Dreams Tour, but he withdrew from the tour shortly before his first date, citing production issues and difficulties with Perry's management in his apology to her fans.^[26] Perry publicly criticised Harris via her Twitter feed, stating that the tour's other support acts had expressed no problems with their production arrangements,^[27] but Harris later said "it's all fine" between them and that he would still like to work with her in the future.^[28]

Harris headlined Limelite at Metropolis Fremantle (Western Australia) in March 2011 in celebration of the event's fourth birthday, where he played small samples of his new track, "Awooga", which was subsequently uploaded onto YouTube via his channel, icreateddisco.^[29] Following "Awooga", Harris released the single "Bounce", a collaboration with Kelis that debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart in June 2011. Another single, "Feel So Close", was released in August 2011 and also reached number two, as did the third single, "Let's Go" featuring Ne-Yo (released in April 2012), commissioned for a Pepsi Max advertising campaign. "Feel So Close" became Harris's first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100 in America, peaking at number twelve. These singles precede Harris's third studio album, which will be released in 2012;^[30] he has said of the LP, "I'm going for pretty epic-sounding dance records. I guess the whole sound has just moved on in terms of production as I've got a new studio and some new gear to make the sounds I wasn't able to make before."^[31] Singer/rapper Example announced via Twitter that he will be featured on Harris's next single, "We'll Be Coming Back".^{[citation needed]}

Harris performed at the 2011 Jingle Bell Ball concert, and has been announced as one of the headline acts at a number of Southern Hemisphere 2011/2012 new year music festivals, including Shore Thing and Field Day^[32] in Sydney, as well as Rhythm and Vines in New Zealand.^[33]

Productions and songwriting[link]

In 2007, Harris caught the attention of pop singer Kylie Minogue after his recordings had been passed on to her by another record producer.^[12] This led to him co-writing and producing two songs on her 2007 album X—"Heart Beat Rock" and "In My Arms", the latter a top ten hit in the UK. Harris said that working with Minogue was "surreal, but fun" although he admitted to Mixmag in 2007 to "needing a few drinks before meeting her". Harris returned to work with Minogue on her album Aphrodite (2010), co-producing the track "Too Much".

In 2008, Harris collaborated with rapper Dizzee Rascal on his single "Dance wiv Me", producing the track and singing the hook. The single reached number one in the UK and has been certified platinum by the BPI, selling 300,000 copies. It was shortlisted for the 2008 Popjustice £20 Music Prize and, in 2009, received a BRIT Award nomination for British Single and an Ivor Novello Award nomination for Best Contemporary Song. In 2009, he produced Dizzee Rascal's next single entitled "Holiday", which also reached number one. He was supposed to make an appearance in its music video, but objected to dancing along in some scenes, wearing a certain shirt for the video and not wearing his "fly eye" glasses.^[1] Also in 2009, Harris made a guest appearance on Tiësto's song "Century" on the Dutch producer's album Kaleidoscope.^[34] Harris produced a track for English singer/rapper Example for his second album Won't Go Quietly (2010), "Time Machine", and mixed The Ting Tings' UK top forty single "Hands", having previously remixed the band's singles "Great DJ" (2008) and "We Walk" (2009).

In 2011, Harris featured on LMFAO's album Sorry for Party Rocking, appearing on the track "Reminds Me of You" which is based on Harris's own song "Awooga". Harris produced Tinchy Stryder's second single, "Off the Record" from his fourth studio album, Full Tank. The track had its première on 15 September 2011, and was released in the UK on 6 November 2011. Following a stint as her support act on the Australian leg of her tour, Harris produced "We Found Love" and "Where Have You Been" for Barbadian singer Rihanna. The former is the lead single from her sixth studio album, Talk That Talk, and was premiered in September 2011. It has reached number one in countries such as the UK and the United States, becoming Harris's first charting appearance on the Billboard Hot 100. He co-wrote and co-produced the bonus track "One Life" for R&B singer Mary J. Blige's album My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1) (2011).

In mid April 2012, Billboard published an article on their website claiming that Harris had contributed several tracks to Kesha's upcoming album Spandex on the Distant Horizon, with their specific recording date being left unknown.^[35] Calvin Harris worked with American pop band Scissor Sisters on the single "Only the Horses" from their fourth studio album, Magic Hour. He wrote and produced Cheryl Cole's comeback single "Call My Name", the lead single from her upcoming third album A Million Lights.^[36]. It was also revealed that Calvin is to collaborate with singer/rapper Example again on his upcoming album titled 'Coming Back'.

Failed collaborations[link]

In 2007, Harris contributed the song "Off & On" to Róisín Murphy's album Overpowered, but it was cut from the album; Harris later gave the song to Sophie Ellis-Bextor to record for her 2011 album Make a Scene. He said that Murphy was "a bit mental", "crazy" and a "twat" to reject the songs,^[37] though subsequently apologized in person to Murphy "for throwing my toys out of the pram because I said things that weren't very nice. She said: 'That's all right, we all say silly things sometimes.'"^[38] Harris also produced a remix of Dragonette's debut single "I Get Around" that was rejected by the band, whom he said "weren't very nice to me [...] they said, 'by the way, it's s—t', and then asked me to change everything about it. I told them I couldn't because I was on a bus and that they could basically F--- OFF. That's where we left it."^[37]

In 2007, Kelis discussed plans to work with Harris on her fifth studio album, Flesh Tone (2010), saying that he was "very creative and exciting [...] very, very talented". Although she said they were "looking at doing something together" for the album,^[39] this did not materialise; Harris did, however, produce a remix of Flesh Tone's second single, "4th of July (Fireworks)" and later collaborated with her on his 2011 single "Bounce".

Harris has said that in early 2008, he turned down the opportunity to work with American singer Lady Gaga before the release of her top-selling debut album, The Fame. He recalled: "When Lady Gaga first came out, her name rang a bell, so I checked my emails—and it turns out that on 1 January 2008, I got an email asking to work with her. I thought, 'Lady Gaga, what sort of name is that?' So I replied saying, 'Nah, I’m not into that.' Fast forward a year and she's the biggest thing. But I don't regret turning her down as I didn't think the song I heard then was that good."^[40] In a later interview, Harris stated he considers Gaga to be a "good artist".^[41]

American singer Katy Perry expressed an interest in working with Harris in 2009,^[42] and at one point they had pencilled recording sessions for her second album, Teenage Dream (2010),^[43] but no material was released. Harris worked with boyband JLS on songs for their second album, Outta This World (2010), but none of his work appeared on the released LP.^[44] The third single from that album, "Eyes Wide Shut", was said to copy heavily from Harris's own single "I'm Not Alone", but Harris said that it "wasn't [JLS's] fault and had nothing to do with them".^[45]

Concert tours[link]

• Groove Armada: Soundboy Rock tour (2007)
• Faithless: To All New Arrivals tour (2007)
• Ready for the Weekend tour (2009–2010)
• Deadmau5 & Skrillex: 'Unhooked' tour (2010)
• Rihanna: Loud Tour (2011)

Discography[link]

• I Created Disco (2007)
• Ready for the Weekend (2009)
• Third coming album (2012)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Calvin Harris

• Official website
• Calvin Harris at Ultra Records

Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine performing at Coachella.
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Indie pop, indie rock, baroque pop, art rock, soul
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Moshi Moshi, IAMSOUND, Island
Associated acts	Kid Harpoon, The xx, The Big Pink, Lightspeed Champion, The Horrors, Drake, The Weeknd
Website	florenceandthemachine.net
Members
Florence Welch Robert Ackroyd Christopher Lloyd Hayden Isabella Summers Tom Monger Mark Saunders Rusty Bradshaw

Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine)^[1] are an English indie pop band, consisting of lead singer Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide backing music. The band's music received praise across the music media, especially from the BBC, before they gained mainstream success. Specifically, the BBC played a large part in their rise to prominence by promoting Florence and the Machine as part of BBC Introducing.

The band's debut album, Lungs, was released on 6 July 2009, and held the number-two position for its first five weeks on the UK Albums Chart.^[2] On 17 January 2010, the album reached the top position, after being on the chart for twenty-eight consecutive weeks.^[3] As of October 2010, the album had been in the top forty in the United Kingdom for sixty-five consecutive weeks, making it one of the best-selling albums of 2009 and 2010. The group's second studio album, Ceremonials, released in October 2011, debuted at number one in the UK and number six in the US.

Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul.^[4][5] Lungs won the MasterCard British Album award at the 2010 BRIT Awards. At the 53rd Grammy Awards, Florence and the Machine were nominated for Best New Artist. Additionally, the band performed at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, and the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Concert.

Recording history[link]

2007: Formation and early years[link]

The name of Florence and the Machine is attributed to Florence Welch's teenage collaboration with Isabella "Machine" Summers. Welch and Summers performed together for a time under the name Florence Robot/Isa Machine. Later, this was shortened to Florence and the Machine as it was felt to be too cumbersome. The current band members include musicians Robert Ackroyd (guitar and backing vocals), Chris Hayden (drums, percussion and backing vocals), Isabella Summers (keyboards and backing vocals), Mark Saunders (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Tom Monger (harp).^[6] In the past, Welch has praised the Machine for understanding her creative process, claiming, "I've worked with most of them for a long time and they know my style, know the way I write, they know what I want."^[7]

According to Welch, "The name Florence and the Machines started off as a private joke that got out of hand. I made music with my friend, who we called Isabella Machine to which I was Florence Robot. When I was about an hour away from my first gig, I still didn't have a name, so I thought 'Okay, I'll be Florence Robot/Isa Machine', before realising that name was so long it'd drive me mad."^[8][9]

In 2007, Welch recorded with a band named Ashok, who released an album titled Plans on the Filthy Lucre/About Records label. This album included the earliest version of her later hit "Kiss with a Fist", which at this point was titled "Happy Slap".^[10] She signed a contract for Ashok with a manager, but feeling that she was "in the wrong band" she resigned, which cancelled the contract.^[8] Florence and the Machine are managed by Mairead Nash (one half of the DJ duo Queens of Noize), who decided to manage the singer when an inebriated Welch followed Nash into the toilets at a club^[8][11] and sang Etta James' 1962 song "Something's Got a Hold on Me".^[12]

[edit] 2008–10: Lungs

Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine performing at the Brixton Academy, London on 13 December 2009

Florence and the Machine released their debut album Lungs in the United Kingdom on 6 July 2009. The album was produced by James Ford, Paul Epworth, Steve Mackey and Charlie Hugall.^[5] Much of the material on the album was written as reaction to what turned out to be a temporary break-up with Welch's former boyfriend. Welch said, "He prefers me not to talk about it. It's funny then singing about it."^[13] The album was officially launched with a set at the Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley, South East London. It peaked at number one in the UK and number two in Ireland. As of 6 August 2009, the album had sold over 100,000 copies in the UK and by 10 August it had been at number two for five consecutive weeks.^[13][14] Following its 25 July 2009 release for download in the United States, the album debuted at number seventeen on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart,^[15] ultimately peaking at number one.^[16] The album was released physically in the US on 20 October by Universal Republic.^[17]

"Kiss with a Fist" was released as the album's lead single on 9 June 2008. The track was featured on the soundtrack to the films Wild Child,^[18] Jennifer's Body,^[19] and St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold,^[20] as well as in the television series 90210 and Saving Grace.^[21][22] Follow-up single "Dog Days Are Over", released on 1 December 2008, was recorded with no instruments in a studio the "size of a loo".^[23] The song was used in the American television series Gossip Girl,^[24] Community^[25] and Covert Affairs,^[26] in the British television series Skins,^[27] and in the theatrical trailer for the 2010 comedy-drama film Eat Pray Love, starring Julia Roberts.^[28] "Dog Days Are Over" was also featured in the Glee episode "Special Education", where it was covered by Jenna Ushkowitz and Amber Riley.^[29] "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" was released on 22 June 2009 as the third single from the album. A small part of the song's melody, as well as the lyric "How quickly the glamour fades", were lifted from New York band Gang Gang Dance's 2008 song "House Jam" without credit on the Lungs liner notes. Members of the group noticed this and brought it to the attention of Florence and the Machine's label. Island Records acknowledged infringement and agreed to pay Gang Gang Dance a share of the song's publishing royalties. Welch agreed that she erred and said her intent was to pay homage.^[30][31]

After the release of Lungs, "Drumming Song" and a cover of The Source and Candi Staton's 1986 song "You've Got the Love" were released as singles,^[32][33] the latter of which also went on to become part of a mashup titled "You Got the Dirtee Love" between Welch and English rapper Dizzee Rascal. The two performed the mashup together at the 2010 BRIT Awards on 16 February 2010 and the recorded performance was subsequently released as a single the following day.^[34][35]

On 5 January 2010, "Hurricane Drunk" was originally announced as the next single from the album.^[36] However, on 3 March a re-release of "Dog Days Are Over" was announced on the band's website; it was released digitally on 11 April 2010 and on 7" vinyl the following day, coinciding with the release of a brand-new video.^[37] "Cosmic Love" was released on 5 July 2010 as the sixth and final single from Lungs, with a music video having already been shot.^[38] The song was featured in several American television shows, including Grey's Anatomy,^[39] The Vampire Diaries,^[40] V,^[41] Nikita^[42] and So You Think You Can Dance.^[43] The band also made a guest appearance in the 7 February 2011 episode of Gossip Girl, titled "Panic Roommate", where they performed an acoustic rendition of "Cosmic Love".^[44] On 12 May 2010, it was announced that Florence and the Machine would provide a track called "Heavy in Your Arms" for the soundtrack to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third film of The Twilight Saga.^[45] Eclipse was released in cinemas on 30 June 2010, with "Heavy in Your Arms" playing during the end credits. The music video followed on 7 July 2010. An exclusive remix of "I'm Not Calling You a Liar" is featured in the 2011 video game Dragon Age II as "I'm Not Calling You a Liar (Dragon Age II: Varric's Theme)", produced by the game's composer Inon Zur.^[46]

[edit] 2011–present: Ceremonials

Initially, Welch considered offers from the band's record label to record their second album in the USA to work with writers and producers in Los Angeles,^[47] but ultimately decided to record the album in the UK. The first demo session occurred in January 2010 with Welch and Paul Epworth at a small London studio. Numerous producers expressed an interest in working on the album but Welch rejected the offers because she wanted Ceremonials to be a better version of Lungs with a "more dark, more heavy, bigger drum sounds, bigger bass, but with more of a whole sound". For the rest of the year work on the album continued only intermittently as the band concentrated on an extensive tour of the United States, where Lungs had become popular. The majority of the writing for the album was done between January and April 2011, with recording taking place in April at Abbey Road Studios. Refinement took place at Epworth's own London studios while Welch recorded vocal tracks in various US studios, during days off from touring. The final recording session took place in July at Epworth's studio.^[47] Epworth co-wrote seven tracks. Several other British writers share credits on the album, including Summers, Kid Harpoon, James Ford and composer Eg White.^[47]

In June 2011 a cover of the Buddy Holly classic "Not Fade Away," which Florence and the Machine recorded for the tribute album Rave On Buddy Holly tied to Holly's seventy-fifth birthday year, was released^[48] and they debuted Ceremonials' setup track "What the Water Gave Me" at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California.^[49] In August 2011, the single "What the Water Gave Me" was released on iTunes^[50] along with an accompanying video on the band's website and YouTube channel.^[51] The video drew 1.5 million YouTube views in two days and the track received play on US alternative radio with strong support from Los Angeles radio station KROQ.^[47] The single "Shake It Out" was released over the internet in September 2011, with standard release 11 October. In Australia, the song was playlisted at Triple J and Nova radio networks and received strong airplay in Scandinavia, Italy and Canada.^[47]

The band's second album, Ceremonials, was released on 31 October 2011. It reached the number one position on the UK Albums Chart in its first week of release and number six on the US Billboard 200.^[52][53] On 12 January 2012, Florence and the Machine were nominated for two Brit Awards, with the awards ceremony taking place on 21 February 2012 at the O2 Arena, London.^[54]

On 26 April 2012, the band released "Breath of Life", a song which was recorded as the official theme song for the upcoming film Snow White and the Huntsman.^[55][56]

Performances[link]

Florence and the Machine performing at the O2 ABC Glasgow during their Lungs Tour

Florence and the Machine started off by playing a handful of gigs in and around London, and in August 2007, the band performed at the debut year of the 1-2-3-4 Shoreditch Festival, performing alongside Lightspeed Champion on the MySpace Main Stage which was hosted by manager Nash's DJ double act, Queens of Noize.^[11][57] In May 2008, they supported MGMT on tour in Europe.^[58] The BBC played a large part in Florence and the Machine's rise to prominence by promoting her as part of BBC Introducing.^[59] This led to them playing music festivals in 2008, including Glastonbury,^[60] Reading and Leeds^[61] and Bestival.^[62] Florence and the Machine were also part of the Shockwaves NME Awards Tour 2009 in January and February.^[63]

The group played the Concerts for Teenage Cancer Trust charity event at the Royal Albert Hall in March 2009.^[64] Florence and The Machine supported Blur for their 26 June comeback performance at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester.^[65] They played at the Lovebox Festival on 18 and 19 July.^[66] In July 2009, the group was supporting Duran Duran.^[9] They performed at the Glastonbury Festival 2009,^[67] the Reading and Leeds 2009,^[68] Electric Picnic 2009^[69] and T in the Park 2009.^[70]

Florence and the Machine played at Australia's Splendour in the Grass music festival in July 2010. The group drew one of the biggest crowds of the three-day festival. They performed in the natural open-air amphitheater, which had to be closed off by security due to safety concerns as an unprecedented number of festivalgoers rushed to see the performance. It is estimated that 28,000 people of the 33,000 people that attended the festival crammed in to see Florence and the Machine. The amphitheater was reopened shortly after the start, once the safety fear was over.^[71] In October 2009, the band's equipment and instruments were caught in a trailer fire during their European tour, forcing the band to use rented instruments to complete their remaining shows.^[72] Welch stated, "You could hear the harp's strings ping in the fire. Strange sound. We recorded it and I want to use it in a song."^[73]

On 27 October 2009, Florence and the Machine played their first official New York City gig at the Bowery Ballroom,^[74] and performed "Kiss with a Fist" on The Late Show with David Letterman.^[75][76] On 5 November, the band performed "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!^[77] Welch stated although she would like to tour the United States, she is fearful of becoming homesick due to the time it would take to tour the country.^[78]

After the success of Lungs topping the UK Albums Chart in January 2010, seven months after the album was released, Florence and the Machine announced an eleven-date UK and Ireland tour called The Cosmic Love Tour in May 2010.^[79] Support acts include Babe Shadow and The Drums.^[79][80] Florence and the Machine performed at Oxegen 2010,^[81] T in the Park 2010,^[82] the Isle of Wight Festival 2010,^[83] Roskilde Festival 2010,^[84] V Festival 2010,^[85][86] and the San Miguel Primavera Sound 2010.^[87] In March 2010, it was that confirmed that the band's first headlining festival would be Latitude 2010, having been booked the previous September before achieving mainstream success.^[88]

The Cosmic Love Tour kicked off at Dublin's Olympia Theatre on 2 May 2010 where the group debuted a new song called "Strangeness and Charm" ^[89] and ended at London's Hammersmith Apollo on 15 May 2010.^[90] On 25 June, the group played the Glastonbury Festival 2010, where they performed "Strangeness and Charm" and a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" during their ten-song set.^[91] Their performance drew one of the biggest crowds of the day and one of the biggest in the Other Stage's history.^[91]

Welch and Dizzee Rascal's performance of a mashup version of the band's single "You've Got the Love" and Dizzee's single "Dirtee Cash", titled "You Got the Dirtee Love", at the 2010 BRIT Awards on 16 February 2010 was described as "a definite highlight of the evening".^[92] This collaboration was released as a charity single the following day, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart.^[92] She reprised the performance when she joined Dizzee on stage during his performance at the Glastonbury Festival 2010.^[93] Florence and the Machine opened for U2 on the North American leg of their U2 360° Tour in June and July 2011.^[94]

International appearances solo and as a group[link]

In an interview with New York Post's PopWrap, Welch revealed that, in the weeks and months prior to her 12 September performance at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, was so nervous she lost sleep and cried.^[95] In addition, she struggled during the pre-show rehearsal with a move that required her to stand up on a rotating platform.^[96] The performance was directed by So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Travis Wall and had Welch performing with a host of hyperactive dancers.^[96] It was described as "both ethereal and downright joyous".^[96] After the performance, Lungs rose to number two on the iTunes albums chart and "Dog Days Are Over" rose to number nine on the iTunes singles chart.^[97] In addition, Florence and the Machine became the number-one search on Google and received 1,700 tweets per minute on Twitter.^[97] Florence and the Machine performed "Dog Days Are Over" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on 15 October 2010.^[98] On 20 November 2010, the band performed "Dog Days Are Over" and "You've Got the Love" on Saturday Night Live.^[99] They performed an online-only concert at New York City's Ed Sullivan Theater on 16 December 2010 as part of the Live on Letterman concert series.^[100] Welch and a number of other female singers opened the 53rd Grammy Awards on 13 February 2011 with a tribute to an ailing Aretha Franklin.^[101] On 27 February 2011, Welch replaced pregnant Dido and sang her portion of Best Original Song nominee "If I Rise" (from 127 Hours) with A. R. Rahman at the 83rd Academy Awards.^[102][103] Two years of worldwide touring are scheduled to promote Ceremonials.^[104]

Welch led a tribute to Amy Winehouse by performing Winehouse's single "Back to Black" during "VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul" concert held in December 2011.^[105] The group performed in Times Square on 31 December 2011 for the 40th annual Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve special.^[106]

Style and influences[link]

Florence and the Machine performing at Terminal 5 in New York City, 1 November 2010

Florence Welch has been compared to other female singers such as Kate Bush,^[107][108] Siouxsie Sioux,^[107][108] PJ Harvey,^[107] and Björk.^[108] During an interview, Welch cited Grace Slick as her influence and "hero".^[109] Florence and the Machine's style has been described as "dark, robust and romantic".^[107] Their music is a mix of "classic soul and midnight-on-the-moors English art rock".^[107] Florence Welch stated that her lyrics related to Renaissance artists : "We're dealing with all of the same things they did : love and death, time and pain, heaven and hell".^[110] From 2008, Welch had a relationship with Stuart Hammond, a literary editor: their temporary split provided inspiration for much of the Lungs album.^[111] In 2011 the couple announced that they had broken up by mutual decision because of conflicting career demands: the breakup provided material for Florence and The Machine's second album.^[104]

Response[link]

Florence singing at the Berkeley Greek Theater on the Lungs Tour 2011.

Florence and the Machine won the Critic's Choice Award at the 2009 BRIT Awards after coming third in the BBC's Sound of 2009 poll.^[112][113] As well as attention from the BBC, the band received significant support from NME magazine, who included them on their annual Shockwaves NME Awards Tour for 2009, along with Glasvegas, Friendly Fires and White Lies.^[63]

The Sunday Times described Welch as "the most peculiar and most highly acclaimed female singer of the moment" and "the latest in a line of great English pop eccentrics".^[8] Allmusic referred to Lungs as "one of the most musically mature and emotionally mesmerising albums of 2009".^[114] Spin magazine rated Lungs eight out of ten and wrote, "You've gotta hand it to the girl: She always makes you feel something."^[115] The magazine named it the eighth best album of 2009.^[116] In December 2010, Florence and the Machine appeared on one of Spin's three holiday issue covers as Artist of the Year.^[117][118]

Florence and the Machine won the MasterCard British Album award for Lungs at the 2010 BRIT Awards,^[119] having also been nominated for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act.^[120] On 19 February 2010, Florence and the Machine won Best International Band at the 2010 Meteor Awards.^[121] The group led the nominations for the 2010 MOJO Awards, with four nods.^[122] They received a nomination for Best New Artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards.^[123] In April 2011, Florence and the Machine were ranked 51 in the 2011 Time 100 poll, which annually lists the 100 most influential people in the world.^[124] American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, cited Florence and the Machine as an influence on her 2011 album 4.^[125]

The band's music video for "No Light, No Light" sparked controversy after several online commentators addressed its religious and racial imagery, due to its perceived use of blackface and representations of voodoo.^{[126][127][128]} During an interview with MTV News, when asked by James Montgomery whether she was a part of the Illuminati due to the online accusations around the video, Welch said, "That's ridiculous. Really? So people [think that?]. I'm definitely not [a member]. It's just not true."^[129]

Discography[link]

• Lungs (2009)
• Ceremonials (2011)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]