Hopscotch Premiere: Future Islands’ “Balance”
Submitted on Aug 29, 2011
When we began crafting the lineup for the second Hopscotch Music Festival, which happens next week in Raleigh, we immediately knew that we would repeat very few acts. Sure, the 2010 lineup worked well, and reports about the festival and its talent were generally positive, but there were so many more bands we wanted to get onstage that duplicates didn't seem like an option. One band that was an exception was Future Islands: Their enthusiasm for the first year of the festival led to a succesfull partnership, whereby the band brought in four other acts—Javelin, Pictureplane, Double Dagger and EAR PWR—to throw a Thursday night party in Berkeley Cafe that people around town still knowingly mention. What's more, they keep getting better, sharpening their showmanship into hourlong installations of dynamic dance with feeling. They're one of the best live bands in America, and Raleigh is their second home: How could we pass?
What's more, in the year between the first and the second Hopscotch, Future Islands made a new album, the terrific On the Water. Due in October on Thrill Jockey, On the Water again finds Future Islands exploring a mix of open heartbreak and veiled hope. This time, though, they've added more texture and tempo control, building these anthems with the same patience they've used to conquer crowds across several continents. We're happy to offer the world premiere of "Balance," the romantic second video from On the Water. Directed by Jay Buim, it's bound to make you smile.
Future Islands perform at Hopscotch on Saturday, Sept. 10, with Yelawolf, Toro y Moi and All Tiny Creatures.
