The Joy Formidable have announced the release of a special commemorative 10-year double album edition of their acclaimed debut release ‘A Balloon Called Moaning’. The double album, is due October 25 via Hassle Records, and include their 2009 EP ‘A Balloon Called Moaning’ plus a newly recorded acoustic Welsh language version, Y Falŵn. ‘A Balloon Called Moaning’ (10th Anniversary Edition) will be available on double CD and double coloured vinyl, limited to 1000 copies and you can pre-order it here.
You can listen to an acoustic version + Welsh version of their track Whirring via YouTube below.
Written and recorded in a bedroom over a decade ago by lead singer and guitarist Ritzy Bryan, and bass player and vocalist Rhydian Davies in North Wales, ‘A Balloon Called Moaning’ was an instant hit. Rated 8/10 by NME, it was the first of the band’s releases to feature their now iconic single Whirring – a track that was named amongst Pitchfork’s Top 100 Tracks of The Year and described as “the song of the year” by Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl.
In the passing decade, as the world tours, festival main stages and stadium shows have racked up, it has always been especially important to the band that they continue to recognise and highlight the importance of their Welsh heritage. In this new anniversary edition, each song from the original release is re-worked acoustically and presented again in the Welsh language. On the new release, Ritzy explains; “We’ve been through such a lot as a band over the years, it’s been a really reflective studio session, returning to the old recordings and transforming them into these beautiful stripped back, intimate versions. It’s exciting hearing them in the Welsh language because now they have new life too and can be a celebration of language as well as memory.”
‘A Balloon Called Moaning’ track listing
1. The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade
2. Cradle
3. Austere
4. While the Flies
5. Whirring
6. 9669
7. The Last Drop
8. Ostrich
‘Y Falŵn Drom’ track listing
1. Y Golau Mwyaf yw’r Cysgod Mwyaf
2. Crud
3. Llym
4. Tra bo’r gwybed
5. Chwyrlio
6. 9669
7. Y Diferyn Olaf
8. Estrys
In celebration of ‘A Balloon Called Moaning / Y Falŵn Drom’, The Joy Formidable are pleased to announce a North American tour this winter, “The Ten Years Floating Tour” as well as the recently-announced co-headline acoustic shows with Devotchka. All upcoming shows are listed below and tickets are available here.
The Joy Formidable – Tour dates
August 31 – Pasadena, CA @ Brookside At The Rosebowl ^
September 18 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall *
September 19 – Las Vegas, NV @ Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas *
September 20 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Press Room *
September 21 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theater *
September 24 – Norman, OK @ Opolis *
September 25 – Little Rock, AR @ Revolution Music Room *
September 27 – Cincinnati, OH @ Woodward Theater *
September 28 – McMinnville, TN @ Cumberland Caverns Live *
September 29 – Millville, PA @ Mr Smalls Theatre *
September 30 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall *
October 1 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom *
October 2 – Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch *
October 3 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme *
October 4 – Maquoketa, IA @ Codfish Hollow Barnstormers *
November 29 – Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
November 30 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle
December 3 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
December 6 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
December 7 – Albany, NY @ The Hollow
December 10 – Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
December 12 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
December 13 – Milwaukee, WI @ Colectivo
December 14 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
December 17 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
December 18 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
December 20 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel^ Pasadena Daydream Festival with The Cure, Pixies, Mogwai and more
* with Devotchka
