Born to Harangue
~~~
This is my new favourite band. They have EVERYTHING as far as I’m concerned. The songs, the melodies, the visuals, a wide range of influences, they don’t take themselves too seriously, the quirkiness doesn’t seem forced, they’re French but live in the USA so the songs have a Europop flair with American influence, they take the listener to unexpected places sonically, each song is filled with hooks, and so on! I say “and so on” because like I said, they have everything so there’s no point in sitting here and listing everything, because ‘everything’ means everything.
But I’ve started now so here’s another thing: one of the two brothers looks a lot like Klaus Kinski which I deem to be the icing on the cake. What they’re doing is joyous *and* musically interesting which is rarer than it should be, since modern music is often - not always, but often - either joyous and vacant or musically interesting and gloomy. It’s surprising to me that they’re not all over the radio and as big as Daft Punk were, but they haven’t released an album yet, just an EP and a few singles, so there’s still time!
A comment on one of their videos says “it’s like Yello and The Residents ended up in Eurotrash land”. They get plenty of negative comments as well, although that Yello/Eurotrash one could also be viewed as negative depending on your taste in music. A few of the comments are saying they get 80s vibes from the songs but I disagree — it sounds more like 2001 to me except better than 99% of what was being released in 2001.
I’m reluctant to compare their sound to older bands and eras because that’s all we seem to do with new music nowadays, but if I had to, then yes I would say they’re taking the music of the early 00s and improving upon it. Taking it to where it should have gone. In comparison with Lemon Twigs— I saw someone saying in a YouTube comment that Lemon Twigs is “not breaking any new ground in the best way possible”. And that’s fine too.
But with Faux Real, for the first time in a long time I’m hearing a band where I want to know everything about them, all their influences (even though I’m not finding much), and I’m genuinely intrigued/enthusiastic about what I’m hearing and invested in finding out what direction they go in next. I’ve listened to 252 singles from 2024 so far and this is the first band I’ve come across where it feels like in some way I’m hearing music being pushed forward.
I doubt most of you will get it though! You’ll listen to 30 seconds of one song, laugh, shake your head, switch it off, and never think of them again. I’m right aren’t I!? You’re going to make me regret showing you!!
2022
2024
2022
2020
But I’ve started now so here’s another thing: one of the two brothers looks a lot like Klaus Kinski which I deem to be the icing on the cake. What they’re doing is joyous *and* musically interesting which is rarer than it should be, since modern music is often - not always, but often - either joyous and vacant or musically interesting and gloomy. It’s surprising to me that they’re not all over the radio and as big as Daft Punk were, but they haven’t released an album yet, just an EP and a few singles, so there’s still time!
A comment on one of their videos says “it’s like Yello and The Residents ended up in Eurotrash land”. They get plenty of negative comments as well, although that Yello/Eurotrash one could also be viewed as negative depending on your taste in music. A few of the comments are saying they get 80s vibes from the songs but I disagree — it sounds more like 2001 to me except better than 99% of what was being released in 2001.
I’m reluctant to compare their sound to older bands and eras because that’s all we seem to do with new music nowadays, but if I had to, then yes I would say they’re taking the music of the early 00s and improving upon it. Taking it to where it should have gone. In comparison with Lemon Twigs— I saw someone saying in a YouTube comment that Lemon Twigs is “not breaking any new ground in the best way possible”. And that’s fine too.
But with Faux Real, for the first time in a long time I’m hearing a band where I want to know everything about them, all their influences (even though I’m not finding much), and I’m genuinely intrigued/enthusiastic about what I’m hearing and invested in finding out what direction they go in next. I’ve listened to 252 singles from 2024 so far and this is the first band I’ve come across where it feels like in some way I’m hearing music being pushed forward.
I doubt most of you will get it though! You’ll listen to 30 seconds of one song, laugh, shake your head, switch it off, and never think of them again. I’m right aren’t I!? You’re going to make me regret showing you!!
2022
2024
2022
2020
(how’s that for netiquette). Anyway here’s the list!!
