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WXPN's Free At Noon: Fanfarlo and The Swimmers

Presented by WXPN at World Cafe Live - Philadelphia

December 11, 2009

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Thanks to their soaring sound and down-to-earth songwriting sensibilities, London's Fanfarlo has been winning over audiences for years with their charming brand of indie pop-folk.

Led by Swedish songwriter Simon Balthazar, Fanfarlo formed in 2006 and steadily began streaming their music to the public while touring. In 2008, the group headed to the studio to record their first full-length album, Reservoir. Released earlier this year, the album's warming vocals and charming instrumentation marked it as an instant hit.

The band's style of indie pop feels nostalgically familiar (try hints of Neutral Milk Hotel and Beirut), but it still manages to be a refreshing palette pleaser. The band's uplifting sound is captured by sweeping vocals and a natural knack for thoughtful melodies.

Songs like the lead track "I'm a Pilot" are filled with the same upbeat whimsy that originally made Fanfarlo an underground hit. In addition to the normal lineup of drums, bass, and guitars, the group employs an array of instruments ranging from keyboards and mandolins to horns. The result is sonically ambitious and emotionally engaging.

Philadelphia's The Swimmers is one of the most exciting recent acts to hit the music circuit. After the release of their 2008 debut album Fighting Trees, they quickly evolved into one of the most inventive new bands to hit the scene. Receiving rave reviews from the Philadelphia Inquirer and a number of acclaimed music magazines, The Swimmers went from being a small local band to a sought after regional act. Their poignant indie rock style is full of reflective song-writing and billows with synthesizers, electric guitars and catchy melodies.

The band recently built themselves a new studio, in which they recorded a series of intricate and darker songs for their sophomore release People Are Soft. Soft, despite its familiar catchy tunes, demonstrates a newfound sense of maturity. Weaving together a jumble of human emotions with tender lyrics and handclapping electro-pop, The Swimmers will have you treading through waves of electric guitar and fun-filled rhythms.