Coachella, beyond the main stage: Florence + the Machine drapes its pop elegance with a snarl

COACHELLA COUNTDOWN: In the days leading up to the three-day Indio fest that begins Friday, Pop & Hiss gives you the reasons to arrive before the headliners. 

Who: Florence + the Machine

From: London

Reason to care: Let's get this out of the way: The act tours with a harpist. But don't stop reading yet. Florence + the Machine, led by red-headed wailer Florence Welch, isn't aiming for Björk-inspired oddness, nor does Welch seem eager to become the continent's celestial-heir Kate Bush, with whom her love of mysticism is often compared. But make no mistake, Welch can sing -- just check her cover of Candi Staton's "You've Got the Love," in which she shows off her soul-scorching pipes over a crisp, digitally glazed dance-pop arrangement. Welch's debut, "Lungs," was largely ignored in the U.S., a wrong that can be corrected Sunday afternoon. This is expansive stuff, and it comes with a knife-sharp blade. Need evidence? Welch croons like a top 40 answer to PJ Harvey on "Girl With One Eye," a devilishly Gothic blues number. "My reputation's kinda clouded with dirt," Welch sings, a moment that's full of cabaret-ready pride. 

Listen: Start with the rock ''n' roll raver "Kiss With a Fist," above, which shares a guitar scruff with Ida Maria and a theatricality with Regina Spektor. But it wastes no time in baring its fangs -- or its hooks. 

Fun fact: A press bio boasts that Welch writes her best songs when she's drunk, and while that reeks of cred-inducing bragging, it may help explain why the art-school dropout has been reported to perform in a Captain America outfit. 

What's next: After being nominated for pretty much every award that exists in the U.K., and winning best album at the Brit Awards, Florence + the Machine will head back overseas to work the market that's thus far been most accepting of the act. Meanwhile, the hand clap-boosted belter that opens "Lungs," "Dog Days Are Over," has just been released as a single. 

-- Todd Martens

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Comments

[Mamie]

You should know that "Girl With One Eye" is actually a cover of a song that was originally made by a punk band called The Ludes.

[Alex]

Apparently HBO may have caught on, "Kiss With a Fist" is currently being used to promote their programming lineup. Hopefully now more people will listen to "Lungs," as it really is a consistently great album throughout and probably one of the best albums I've heard in quite some time.

[Simon James]

I live in England, and I've seen her live myself and she is amazing live, they are my favorite band ever! And she's my favorite singer too lol, she's really energetic on stage, jumps on the speakers, shouts the lyrics in the microphone and i love it! I love music like their's with lots of drumming, loud rock lyrics!! its just too good to talk about lol