18. October 2013

The Joy Formidable 

by Molly Smith

The Joy Formidable

London-based band The Joy Formidable are as powerful as they are charming. Lead vocalist Ritzy Bryan met Rhydian Dafydd as children, and officially formed as a group in 2007 with drummer Justin Stalhey, who was later replaced by Matthew James Thomas. Their debut album The Big Roar overflowed with dark rock, energy, and sexy boldness. Bryan's voice is like a charm as she refuses to break focus, and the force in their sound is unmatchable. Sophomore album Wolf's Law is more contemplative and lyric focused, but doesn't back off by any means. Their best asset is the ability to be haunting, beautiful, and aggressive all at once, and their tireless emotion is fueled by the strength and force of the music. This Welsh trio successfully creates dynamic music, and are tirelessly expressive.  

   The Joy Formidable Photo Gallery

Browse The Joy Formidable image gallery posted by proffesional and fans at Flickr

   Discography

The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law

Studio albums

  • The Big Roar (Atlantic Records, 2011)
  • Wolf's Law (Atlantic Records, 2013)

EP's

  • A Balloon Called Moaning (Rallye Records, 2008; Pure Groove Records, 2009; Black Berd Records, 2010)
  • Roarities (Sept 2011)
  • The Big More (Oct 2011)

The Joy Formidable - Wolf's Law (2013)

Stream The Joy Formidable EP's at their Soundlcoud page here

   Videos

   Live

The Joy Formidable + Passion Pit. Spokane, Washington. Oct 18, 2013

An anthemetic introduction of strings on an empty stage began The Joy Formidable's set at the Knitting Factory last Friday night. A long buildup led into “This Ladder is Ours”, and high energy established the scene for the remainder of the show. The three piece band is comprised of vocalist and lead guitarist Ritzy Bryan, whose big, intimidating eyes stared down the crowd with unrelenting intensity, bassist Rhydian Dafydd, who got up in the faces of the front row fans to encourage a rowdy crowd, and drummer Matthew James Thomas, whose wild hair simply spoke for itself. At first, hearing Bryan's voice was difficult among rest of the high voltage noise, but this was more of a technical mistake than a musical one and was fixed after a couple of songs. Each song was intensified by flashing and alternating colors, extended instrumentals, and abrupt endings that were perfectly orchestrated with the lights. Chemistry between the band members revealed their level of comfort with each other as they played each others' instruments, messed up each others' hair, and made teasing faces between songs. “Maw Maw Song” had the most dramatic and drawn out introduction, though the most intense song was the closing one, “Whirring”, which was extended to about ten minutes, and concluded with Bryan throwing her guitar to the ground, kicking the amp, and blowing a kiss as she left the stage. Read full article

   Live Videos (full performances)


   Links (Support The Joy Formidable by following their links)

   

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