The Joy

The Joy may refer to:

The Joy Formidable

The Joy Formidable is a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in 2007 in North Wales and currently located in London, England. The band consists of Rhiannon "Ritzy" Bryan (lead vocals, guitar), Rhydian Dafydd (bass, backing vocals) and Matthew James Thomas (drums, percussion).

History

2007-2009: Beginnings and A Balloon Called Moaning

Childhood friends and then couple Ritzy Bryan and bassist Rhydian Dafydd originally played together as part of Manchester band Tricky Nixon, which later reformed into Sidecar Kisses. After Sidecar Kisses split up in 2007, they regrouped, returning to their Welsh home town of Mold, and formed The Joy Formidable with Justin Stahley on drums. In July 2008, they released their first official single, "Austere". It was followed by a Christmas single, "My Beerdrunk Soul Is Sadder than a Hundred Dead Christmas Trees", issued as a 2008 digital download, and the "Cradle" double 7" in 2009. The band's debut EP, A Balloon Called Moaning was released exclusively in Japan on 17 December 2008, followed by a UK release in March 2009.

Whirring

"Whirring" is a song by the Welsh alternative rock band The Joy Formidable. Written by the band, it was originally released on the band's debut EP A Balloon Called Moaning in 2009 before being re-released on the band's debut full-length album The Big Roar in 2011.

Reception

Pitchfork Media ranked the song #68 on its list of the Top 100 Tracks of 2011, with author Amy Phillips writing: "The Joy Formidable aren't headlining soccer stadiums quite yet, but you wouldn't know it from listening to 'Whirring'. An aerobic rush of a song that builds to the kind of explosive alt-rock chorus that would've blown the roof off of '120 Minutes' circa 1995, it's the kind of thing that gets you pumped to run up a steep hill, lift heavy objects, or defeat Bob Dole's Presidential run."

Music video

The original music video for "Whirring", directed by Dain Bedford, was released in 2009 and was filmed in Northern Wales. A second music video, directed by Christopher Mills, was released on March 8, 2011 on MTV's website. The 2011 version is a surrealist music video featuring the band exploring a house full of cats and them descending deeper and deeper through the house's layers.

Formidable

Formidable is the soundtrack to the show performed at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, France by American singer La Toya Jackson. Only 3,000 copies were created and it has become one of the most sought-after albums by La Toya's fans.

La Toya was the main attraction at the Moulin Rouge for four months, at which point she broke her contract and was ordered by the French courts to pay $550,000 in damages to the owners of Moulin Rouge.

Track listing

An asterisk (*) notates songs where La Toya performed.