Boston, MA – The Fenway Recordings Sessions has added three shows to the 2012 series lineup. On August 1st Charli XCX and St. Lucia will co-headline at Brighton Music Hall with support from Magic Man, and then on September 17th, Alt-J (∆) will be at Great Scott, followed by Hundred Waters on September 17th, also at Great Scott.
On Wednesday, August 1st the Fenway Recordings Sessions will welcome Charli XCX and St. Lucia for a co-headlining show at Brighton Music Hall. Boston’s Magic Man will open. 19-year-old UK-based singer Charli XCX got her start playing clubs and warehouse parties in London when she was just 14. Her career began to explode in 2011 when she released the singles “Stay Away” and “Nuclear Seasons.” Among other accolades, both songs earned the “Best New Track” distinction from Pitchfork, with “Stay Away” making it onto the site’s list of the top 100 songs of 2011. In a live review of one of her recent shows in Brooklyn, The New York Times remarked that, “at times it recalled the elasticity of Robyn or the dark pomp of Zola Jesus but mostly it landed on styles that would have made for hits in 1984: the spookiness of Siouxsie Sioux, or flawless early-Madonna, a surprisingly uncommon shtick, and one she nails flawlessly.” She is currently working on her debut album with producers Ariel Rechtshaid (Usher, Snoop Dog) and Patrick Berger (Robyn), and will be supporting Coldplay on select dates this summer. Jean-Philip Grobler, aka electro-pop act St. Lucia, will join Charli XCX for this show. Grobler grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa where he spent his childhood performing and traveling with the Drakensburg Boys Choir. As a teenager, having “had is fill of classical music” Grobler discovered Radiohead’s Ok Computer, an experience he describes as a musical epiphany. After spending 3 years in Liverpool, Groebler eventually ended up in New York City, where he began developing the shimmery, synth-laden and layered vocal sound of St. Lucia. He released his debut album on Neon Gold Records earlier this year, and has spent much of the summer supporting Passion Pit and Young the Giant.
On September 17th, Alt-J (∆) will play Great Scott as part of Fenway Recordings Sessions. The four-piece from Cambridgeshire, UK is made up college friends Gwil Sainsbury, Joe Newman [guitar/vocals], Gus Unger-Hamilton [keyboards] and Thom Green [drums]. Since releasing their debut ‘Bloodflood’ / ‘Tellasette” 7”in 2011 on Loud & Quiet, the group has benefitted from strong UK radio support, getting plays on BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens, Zane Lowe and Nick Grimshaw shows. They have supported Wild Beasts, garnered comparisons to Hot Chip and in May of this year released their debut full-length album, An Awesome Wave, to critical acclaim. In its review of the album,The Guardian observed the band’s “innovative and electrifying musicianship", their "exemplary songwriting…creatively ambitious lyrics" and "captivating blend of insatiable grooves and profound poignancy.” An Awesome Wave in currently streaming in full on Alt-j’s Soundcloud. Listen to what the band describes as their “precise and unique brand of alt. pop that draws on poignant folk verses, crushing synths, smart hip hop syncopations and tight vocal harmonies.” They will be at Great Scott as part of a fall North American tour that includes dates supporting Grouplove.
Two days later, on September 19th, Great Scott will host Hundred Waters for Fenway Recordings Sessions #182. Hundred Waters is a Gainesville, FL-based sextet that plays expertly arranged lush indie rock. Earlier this year, they released their self-titled debut album on Elestial Sound. In it’s review of the release, Consequence of Sound’s Ryan Staskel said “true song craft and musicianship is at work within Hundred Waters, and that warrants some serious attention.” In Pitchfork’s 8.1 review the site notes that “their debut does more than enough to stand on its own, not only ambitious in its own right, but leaving little doubt about Hundred Waters' capability of handling wherever their ambition takes them from here.” The Orlando Weekly described their sound as “meshing complex, organic pop…music that’s as gentle as it is commanding.” During July the band will be joining a lineup of artists that includes Grimes, Diplo, Pretty Lights, and Skrillex on the Full Flex Express tour through Canada. After the Full Flex tour, Hundred Waters will support Julia Holter on her tour behind her record Ekstasis.