“Like Pere Ubu’s David Thomas fronting New Order … they’re obviously quite weird people”

Like many people, including my brother in law Nik Sutherland and Guardian blogger Tim Jonze I was sideswiped by this completely unexpected discovery on the David Letterman Show.  A desperately badly named band called Future Islands; but what a song this is and what a performance.

This is the single best musical interpretation of a song that I’ve seen since, Oh I don’t know, ever?

Frontman Samuel T. Herring (great name unlike the band’s)  looks like a young Marlon Brando ripping the guts out of a tortured Shakespearian soliloque whilst student-dancing in a low ceilinged room.

It’s frankly miraculous.

And if you like that try his Gary Numan look in this Tiny Desk Concert…