It’s official: Los Bitchos have returned, dropping the slick disco banger “La Bomba.”
Inspired by Nile Rodgers and Anita Ward, the track stays true to the group’s signature sound — a swirling concoction of vibrant disco energy, Eighties Turkish psych-rock, and pure funk. Check out the shimmering video below, where the quartet holds a crystal ball and dances in front of a full moon.
“‘La Bomba’ is a burst of energy and power!” the band said in a statement. “The disco era influence is quite evident in this song,...
Inspired by Nile Rodgers and Anita Ward, the track stays true to the group’s signature sound — a swirling concoction of vibrant disco energy, Eighties Turkish psych-rock, and pure funk. Check out the shimmering video below, where the quartet holds a crystal ball and dances in front of a full moon.
“‘La Bomba’ is a burst of energy and power!” the band said in a statement. “The disco era influence is quite evident in this song,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Nolita Cinema’s musical Hear Me Love, starring France’s biggest pop star Clara Luciani in her first lead role, has started shooting in Paris as part of a revival of the film musical in France.
Set between Paris and Rome’s Cinecitta’s Studios in the 1970s, Hear Me Love (Joli Joli) follows a struggling writer looking for inspiration for his second novel who falls in love with a famous movie star. It is the fifth feature by French film and theatre director Diastème and is being scored by composer Alex Beaupain.
Ginger & Fed is selling the film...
Set between Paris and Rome’s Cinecitta’s Studios in the 1970s, Hear Me Love (Joli Joli) follows a struggling writer looking for inspiration for his second novel who falls in love with a famous movie star. It is the fifth feature by French film and theatre director Diastème and is being scored by composer Alex Beaupain.
Ginger & Fed is selling the film...
- 2/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
Wilko Johnson, an English guitarist and singer for the band Dr. Feelgood who also played the executioner Ser Ilyn Payne on HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” died on Monday. He was 75.
“This is the announcement we never wanted to make, and we do so with a very heavy heart: Wilko Johnson has died. He passed away at home on Monday 21st November. Thank you for respecting the family’s privacy at this very sad time. Rip Wilko Johnson,” his official Twitter account posted on Wednesday.
This is the announcement we never wanted to make, & we do so with a very heavy heart: Wilko Johnson has died. He passed away at home on Monday 21st November. Thank you for respecting the family's privacy at this very sad time. Rip Wilko Johnson.
(Image: Leif Laaksonen) pic.twitter.com/1cRqyi9b9X
In 1971, Johnson formed Dr. Feelgood with Lee Brilleaux and John B.
“This is the announcement we never wanted to make, and we do so with a very heavy heart: Wilko Johnson has died. He passed away at home on Monday 21st November. Thank you for respecting the family’s privacy at this very sad time. Rip Wilko Johnson,” his official Twitter account posted on Wednesday.
This is the announcement we never wanted to make, & we do so with a very heavy heart: Wilko Johnson has died. He passed away at home on Monday 21st November. Thank you for respecting the family's privacy at this very sad time. Rip Wilko Johnson.
(Image: Leif Laaksonen) pic.twitter.com/1cRqyi9b9X
In 1971, Johnson formed Dr. Feelgood with Lee Brilleaux and John B.
- 11/23/2022
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
Rose Matafeo has left This Morning viewers baffled by performing on stage with Franz Ferdinand.
The Scottish rock band performed on Friday’s episode (7 October) of the ITV show as they celebrated their 20th anniversary.
However, viewers were left confused as they spotted comedian and Starstruck creator Matafeo standing among the band during their interview.
Mid-interview, host Alison Hammond said: “You’ve got a special guest over there, is that Rose?”
“I won a competition, I wrote into a magazine,” Matafeo replied, with frontman Alex Kapranos saying: “Julian [Corrie] couldn’t make it today.”
“We heard you were banned,” O’Leary said, with Matafeo replying: “No, I just used a different name when I entered the competition… I’m keeping a low profile.”
The New Zealand comic then joined the band on guitar for their rendition of hit song “Take Me Out”.
“Hang on…was that actually Rose Matafeo on Guitar with Franz Ferdinand?...
The Scottish rock band performed on Friday’s episode (7 October) of the ITV show as they celebrated their 20th anniversary.
However, viewers were left confused as they spotted comedian and Starstruck creator Matafeo standing among the band during their interview.
Mid-interview, host Alison Hammond said: “You’ve got a special guest over there, is that Rose?”
“I won a competition, I wrote into a magazine,” Matafeo replied, with frontman Alex Kapranos saying: “Julian [Corrie] couldn’t make it today.”
“We heard you were banned,” O’Leary said, with Matafeo replying: “No, I just used a different name when I entered the competition… I’m keeping a low profile.”
The New Zealand comic then joined the band on guitar for their rendition of hit song “Take Me Out”.
“Hang on…was that actually Rose Matafeo on Guitar with Franz Ferdinand?...
- 10/7/2022
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - TV
Franz Ferdinand visited the Late Late Show Wednesday to deliver an electrifying rendition of their song “Curious,” one of the new tracks the Scottish indie rockers recorded for their greatest hits collection Hits to the Head.
The 20-song best-of compilation arrived in March; in addition to the band’s hits like “Take Me Out” and “Do You Want To” and other songs scattered from their nearly 20-year catalog, the collection featured a pair of new songs, “Billy Goodbye” and “Curious.”
In a statement prior to Hits to the Head’s release,...
The 20-song best-of compilation arrived in March; in addition to the band’s hits like “Take Me Out” and “Do You Want To” and other songs scattered from their nearly 20-year catalog, the collection featured a pair of new songs, “Billy Goodbye” and “Curious.”
In a statement prior to Hits to the Head’s release,...
- 9/1/2022
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
People often talk about second album syndrome, and the pressures that follow a great first record. Often it can overshadow conversation around the debut itself: “Brilliant album… shame about the second one.”
But while it’s true that many an artist has struggled to meet expectations after a triumphant beginning, it shouldn’t take away from the achievements made on those first records. They serve as statements of intent and have the power to change or reshape the industry, inspire fellow musicians, and drive essential conversation about our understanding of music.
Whether it’s the rock on The Strokes’ much-hyped 2001 album Is This It or the rap prowess of Notorious Big on Ready to Die, introducing a genre to the rest of the world via Daft Punk’s Homework or creating a new one entirely with Black Sabbath – debut albums can take a previously unknown artist and lift them up to global adulation.
But while it’s true that many an artist has struggled to meet expectations after a triumphant beginning, it shouldn’t take away from the achievements made on those first records. They serve as statements of intent and have the power to change or reshape the industry, inspire fellow musicians, and drive essential conversation about our understanding of music.
Whether it’s the rock on The Strokes’ much-hyped 2001 album Is This It or the rap prowess of Notorious Big on Ready to Die, introducing a genre to the rest of the world via Daft Punk’s Homework or creating a new one entirely with Black Sabbath – debut albums can take a previously unknown artist and lift them up to global adulation.
- 8/24/2022
- by Roisin O'Connor
- The Independent - Music
People often talk about second album syndrome, and the pressures that follow a great first record. Often it can overshadow conversation around the debut itself: “Brilliant album… shame about the second one.”
But while it’s true that many an artist has struggled to meet expectations after a triumphant beginning, it shouldn’t take away from the achievements made on those first records. They serve as statements of intent and have the power to change or reshape the industry, inspire fellow musicians, and drive essential conversation about our understanding of music.
Whether it’s the rock on The Strokes’ much-hyped 2001 album Is This It or the rap prowess of Notorious Big on Ready to Die, introducing a genre to the rest of the world via Daft Punk’s Homework or creating a new one entirely with Black Sabbath – debut albums can take a previously unknown artist and lift them up to global adulation.
But while it’s true that many an artist has struggled to meet expectations after a triumphant beginning, it shouldn’t take away from the achievements made on those first records. They serve as statements of intent and have the power to change or reshape the industry, inspire fellow musicians, and drive essential conversation about our understanding of music.
Whether it’s the rock on The Strokes’ much-hyped 2001 album Is This It or the rap prowess of Notorious Big on Ready to Die, introducing a genre to the rest of the world via Daft Punk’s Homework or creating a new one entirely with Black Sabbath – debut albums can take a previously unknown artist and lift them up to global adulation.
- 8/21/2022
- by Roisin O'Connor
- The Independent - Music
You won’t hear any singing when you put on Let the Festivities Begin!, the debut album by Los Bitchos. However, you will hear yips of joy, party-starting yeahs and woo-hoos, ecstatic chanting, and one anticipatory presong “1! … 2! …” count-off worthy of the Ramones. There isn’t a vocal or lyric on the record, but the sense of shared elation in this ebulliently entertaining new band’s music is communicated in everything they do.
Los Bitchos are a four-piece dance-rock band from London, who take their influences from well-beyond the usual dance-rock template,...
Los Bitchos are a four-piece dance-rock band from London, who take their influences from well-beyond the usual dance-rock template,...
- 2/7/2022
- by Jon Dolan
- Rollingstone.com
Franz Ferdinand are back with a new track, “Billy Goodbye,” which will appear on the Scottish outfit’s upcoming compilation, Hits to the Head, out March 11 via Domino.
“Billy Goodbye” finds Franz Ferdinand firmly in their wheelhouse, blending grin-inducing power pop with some clever art-rock flourishes. The track arrives with a black-and-white video — directed by Diane Martel, Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos, and Ben Cole — that captures Franz Ferdinand delivering a lively performance of the song as they and their friends joyously bounce around a studio space.
“Billy Goodbye” is...
“Billy Goodbye” finds Franz Ferdinand firmly in their wheelhouse, blending grin-inducing power pop with some clever art-rock flourishes. The track arrives with a black-and-white video — directed by Diane Martel, Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos, and Ben Cole — that captures Franz Ferdinand delivering a lively performance of the song as they and their friends joyously bounce around a studio space.
“Billy Goodbye” is...
- 11/2/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
If your typical conversation with a Sparks devotee is fannish evangelizing about why you must hear this album and that album is better than its non-existent reputation, it would follow that a Sparks superfan (hello) getting just ten minutes with his favorite working band turns that way. Which is to say I had the extreme fortune of speaking with Ron Mael, Russell Mael, and Edgar Wright about The Sparks Brothers, a new documentary as much tailored for acolytes who delight at seeing Christi Haydon as it is for the neophyte attracted by the director’s name, but I was happy to spend most of our time on minutiae.
The Film Stage: 10 or so minutes to speak with a director I greatly admire and literally my favorite working band—let’s make every second count.
Edgar Wright: Just talk to Sparks. This is why we’re all here!
I can’t...
The Film Stage: 10 or so minutes to speak with a director I greatly admire and literally my favorite working band—let’s make every second count.
Edgar Wright: Just talk to Sparks. This is why we’re all here!
I can’t...
- 6/17/2021
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
This year, Sparks celebrate half a century as America’s ultimate cult band — a group with a discography marginally less daunting to newcomers than Frank Zappa’s. None of the nearly two-dozen studio records they’ve released since ditching the admittedly terrible name Halfnelson sound alike (are they glam? pop? prog? new-wave? orchestral rock? synth-rock? rock-rock?), and their perfidious genre-hopping has hopelessly stunted the Southern California group’s popularity in their home country. One moment, founders Ron and Russell Mael sound like Roxy Music if Brian Eno tried on Bryan Ferry...
- 6/17/2021
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
In 1979, when Edgar Wright was five years old, he turned on Top of the Pops to find a boyish-looking singer bopping manically in place. A keyboardist next to him stood stock still, sporting floppy bangs and a Hitler-esque mustache, looking alternately bored and angry. The music sounded like a disco LP played at 45 rpm. “If you should die while crossing the street,” the first guy sang in a near falsetto, “The song you’ll hear, I guarantee/It’s number one all over heaven!”
“If I had to describe what that performance was like,...
“If I had to describe what that performance was like,...
- 6/15/2021
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
, Edgar Wright’s “The Sparks Brothers” is a beat-for-beat celebration of the band’s deathless creative odyssey, an irresistible invitation to join their small but devoted cult of diehard fans, and a beautifully wrapped gift to anyone who’s ever had angst in their pants about Ron and Russell Mael before. But most of all, Wright’s documentary is a gift to the Sparks brothers themselves — something these baby boomers have wanted ever since they were film-obsessed little kids in Westside Los Angeles — and we get to see them open it right before our eyes.
Under-rated, over-looked, and hugely influential all at the same time — to paraphrase one of the many stars who Wright arranges into a veritable galaxy of talking heads — Sparks has survived more than five decades in the music business due to their almost pathological inability to stagnate or write music for anyone but each other, an...
Under-rated, over-looked, and hugely influential all at the same time — to paraphrase one of the many stars who Wright arranges into a veritable galaxy of talking heads — Sparks has survived more than five decades in the music business due to their almost pathological inability to stagnate or write music for anyone but each other, an...
- 1/31/2021
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
How to introduce an entity as mercurial as Sparks, the band that forms the subject of Edgar Wright’s fantastic, fond, fizzy documentary portrait, to those who don’t know them? With over five decades and 25 albums’ worth of music, sibling frontmen Ron and Russell Mael have been virtually the only constant in a group whose lineup has changed with roughly the frequency of iPhone updates, and whose sound pinballs around the pop-musical map, from glam-rock to prog-rock to electro to disco to techno. So maybe, given their fondness for the French New Wave, we’ll just say: one sings, the other doesn’t. Or, as suggested by a great clip of an aghast Shelley Winters on a 1981 talk show: One sings, the other looks a bit like Hitler.
In any case, after the 140 minutes of “The Sparks Brothers” zip by like a tight half-hour, even the previously uninitiated may...
In any case, after the 140 minutes of “The Sparks Brothers” zip by like a tight half-hour, even the previously uninitiated may...
- 1/31/2021
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
Tim Burgess is on Twitter a lot, even when there’s not a global pandemic that’s keeping him and everyone else indoors. The lead vocalist of British alt band the Charlatans spends an inordinate amount of time on the social platform, tweeting dozens of times a day on just about everything — promoting his new solo album, daily updates on his life at home, and of course, what music he’s been listening to.
Recently, though, the musician’s Twitter has been transformed into a calendar and promotional tool for Tim’s Twitter Listening Party,...
Recently, though, the musician’s Twitter has been transformed into a calendar and promotional tool for Tim’s Twitter Listening Party,...
- 4/15/2020
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos responded with some dismay to the fact that his band had inadvertently started trending as people drew comparisons between the assassination of the group’s namesake, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and the United States’ assassination of Iran’s top military commander, Qassim Suleimani.
Suleimani was killed in a drone strike, which President Donald Trump authorized, at Baghdad International Airport Friday morning, as The New York Times reports. The move came after months of mounting tensions between the United States and Iran, and the assassination of Suleimani...
Suleimani was killed in a drone strike, which President Donald Trump authorized, at Baghdad International Airport Friday morning, as The New York Times reports. The move came after months of mounting tensions between the United States and Iran, and the assassination of Suleimani...
- 1/3/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Franz Ferdinand surprised an audience in Porto, Portugal with a new song, “Black Tuesday.” The terse, swaggering track, captured and posted to YouTube by a fan, features the band’s edgy rock style. In the clip, shot during the North Music Festival, the musicians go all in on the performance, bringing the song to a rousing finish as the audience claps and cheers.
“Black Tuesday” marks the band’s first new music since last year’s album Always Ascending, the band’s fifth full-length, which dropped in February. The group...
“Black Tuesday” marks the band’s first new music since last year’s album Always Ascending, the band’s fifth full-length, which dropped in February. The group...
- 5/29/2019
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
A body found Thursday night is that of missing Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison, police in Scotland confirmed Friday. The body was discovered about 8:30 p.m. local time Thursday (12:30 p.m. Pt) in Port Edgar, Queensferry, just west of Edinburgh, the Scottish capital.
No official cause of death was given. A statement from Hutchison’s family, issued Friday afternoon by Police Scotland, said the singer had been struggling with mental health problems.
“As a family, we are utterly devastated with the tragic loss of our beloved Scott,” the statement said. “Despite his disappearance, and the recent concerns over his mental health, we had all remained positive and hopeful that he would walk back through the door, having taken some time away to compose himself. Scott, like many artists, wore his heart on his sleeve and that was evident in the lyrics of his music and the content of...
No official cause of death was given. A statement from Hutchison’s family, issued Friday afternoon by Police Scotland, said the singer had been struggling with mental health problems.
“As a family, we are utterly devastated with the tragic loss of our beloved Scott,” the statement said. “Despite his disappearance, and the recent concerns over his mental health, we had all remained positive and hopeful that he would walk back through the door, having taken some time away to compose himself. Scott, like many artists, wore his heart on his sleeve and that was evident in the lyrics of his music and the content of...
- 5/11/2018
- by Robert Mitchell
- Variety Film + TV
A nostalgic look at Glasgow’s Chemikal Underground, complete with interviews with key players from the Delgados, Franz Ferdinand and more
Intercut with VHS and Super-8 archive inserts, Niall McCann’s documentary is part concert film, part nostalgic love letter to Glaswegian indie record label Chemikal Underground and the Scottish socialism of its 1990s heyday. Members of the Delgados, Franz Ferdinand and Bis offer colourful anecdotes, though even superfans may find their patience waning when Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite starts spouting platitudes about how music “can’t be quantified”.
Far more interesting than their personal ruminations are the musicians’ reflections on Glasgow as a post-industrial creative hub and their memories of the welfare state that once enabled the scene to thrive. “Nobody I knew was idle,” remembers Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos, in a reminder that it was dole money that allowed artists to “resource themselves” and labels to take risks.
Intercut with VHS and Super-8 archive inserts, Niall McCann’s documentary is part concert film, part nostalgic love letter to Glaswegian indie record label Chemikal Underground and the Scottish socialism of its 1990s heyday. Members of the Delgados, Franz Ferdinand and Bis offer colourful anecdotes, though even superfans may find their patience waning when Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite starts spouting platitudes about how music “can’t be quantified”.
Far more interesting than their personal ruminations are the musicians’ reflections on Glasgow as a post-industrial creative hub and their memories of the welfare state that once enabled the scene to thrive. “Nobody I knew was idle,” remembers Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos, in a reminder that it was dole money that allowed artists to “resource themselves” and labels to take risks.
- 2/19/2017
- by Simran Hans
- The Guardian - Film News
Scottish record label Chemikal Underground takes members of Mogwai and Franz Ferdinand to France to reminisce about a 1997 festival. One for the fans
A good music documentary can get you excited about an artist or scene you’ve never heard of, but this one, on Glasgow indie label Chemikal Underground, assumes you’re already a convert, and probably a middle-aged bloke. Even if you are, you might feel slightly deflated by this subdued nostalgia trip, which returns the label’s key figures (chiefly, members of the Delgados and Mogwai, plus Alex Kapranos, latterly of Franz Ferdinand) to the French town of Mauron, where they played an apparently seminal festival in 1997. “Apparently” because there’s virtually no record of the original event. Instead, we get six musicians reminiscing about the 90s glory days before playing a low-key gig in a cafe. The musicians are talented, thoughtful and charming, and their story...
A good music documentary can get you excited about an artist or scene you’ve never heard of, but this one, on Glasgow indie label Chemikal Underground, assumes you’re already a convert, and probably a middle-aged bloke. Even if you are, you might feel slightly deflated by this subdued nostalgia trip, which returns the label’s key figures (chiefly, members of the Delgados and Mogwai, plus Alex Kapranos, latterly of Franz Ferdinand) to the French town of Mauron, where they played an apparently seminal festival in 1997. “Apparently” because there’s virtually no record of the original event. Instead, we get six musicians reminiscing about the 90s glory days before playing a low-key gig in a cafe. The musicians are talented, thoughtful and charming, and their story...
- 2/16/2017
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
At the tail end of last year, Gregory Burkart presented you with his top 10 favorite horror inspired music videos of the year, a gory collection of horrific imagery mashed together with delightful sounds; a combination that I personally can't get enough of. Be sure to go back and check out his picks, if you missed that post or just want to re-watch some kickass videos.
Today, I've queued up ten more awesome horror-themed music videos that I think you're going to like. So instead of sitting here and talking to you any further, I invite you to turn up the volume and dig in!
Franz Ferdinand: "Evil Eye"
This here is actually the video that inspired this whole list. Released just a few days ago, Franz Ferdinand's new video "Evil Eye" is an absolute must-watch, a blood-soaked ode to those cheesy '80s shot-on-video horror flicks that we all love so much.
- 9/16/2013
- by John Squires
- FEARnet
Weather permitting, Franz Ferdinand are Scotland’s The Strokes – except catchier, funkier, and (maybe) better looking. Find this statement as shallow as possible. The band’s hiatus left us feeling a little bland and bored, but now that their newest album is out, we’re all revitalized with the zany insanity of hooky material that we’ll be listening to for a long while. The band finds the right thoughts, right words, and right actions throughout this LP with very few missteps or jarring content.
One of the better and easier listens of this year, Franz Ferdinand avoids playing it safe with boisterous, thrillingly fun songs. The band’s fourth album just might be their best one yet, and I’m bringing a track-by-track breakdown to really get into the swing of thalbum.
1. Right Action
There’s very few tunes that are better than this one on this LP. We...
One of the better and easier listens of this year, Franz Ferdinand avoids playing it safe with boisterous, thrillingly fun songs. The band’s fourth album just might be their best one yet, and I’m bringing a track-by-track breakdown to really get into the swing of thalbum.
1. Right Action
There’s very few tunes that are better than this one on this LP. We...
- 9/3/2013
- by Dylan Tracy
- Obsessed with Film
We've seen a bounty of famous faces chime in on the reactions to Miley Cyrus' contentious MTV Video Music Awards performance from last weekend, and now Lady Gaga is the latest to tell people to "lighten up."
"I don't like to pass judgment on Miley Cyrus. Generally, people need to lighten up about pop music -- it's about entertainment," the singer, who opened the VMAs with a performance of her new song "Applause," reportedly told The Sun. "It is here to make you smile and make you happy. Especially in America, there is an excessive dragging of female artists, and I don't want to contribute to that."
Gaga went on to admit that Cyrus' performance was "polarizing" -- "but that's it," she said.
The singer, no stranger to Vma controversy herself thanks to the blood-splattered rendition of "Paparazzi" performed in 2009, joins the camp of Cyrus supporters that includes Justin Timberlake,...
"I don't like to pass judgment on Miley Cyrus. Generally, people need to lighten up about pop music -- it's about entertainment," the singer, who opened the VMAs with a performance of her new song "Applause," reportedly told The Sun. "It is here to make you smile and make you happy. Especially in America, there is an excessive dragging of female artists, and I don't want to contribute to that."
Gaga went on to admit that Cyrus' performance was "polarizing" -- "but that's it," she said.
The singer, no stranger to Vma controversy herself thanks to the blood-splattered rendition of "Paparazzi" performed in 2009, joins the camp of Cyrus supporters that includes Justin Timberlake,...
- 9/1/2013
- by Matthew Jacobs
- Huffington Post
The members of Franz Ferdinand are in a good mood. In fact, they usually are. It's something I ask lead singer Alex Kapranos about when I speak to him via phone call from London. Unlike some indie-rock outfits, Franz Ferdinand's lyrics tend to be sanguine -- less melancholic. Kapranos recognizes this quality about his band, even if he chuckles at the question like the observation is foreign to him.
It may help that Franz Ferdinand has maintained a pretty even level of fame for quite some time. After hitting mainstream success with 2004's "Take Me Out," the quartet from Glasgow was everywhere, at least as far as indie crossovers go. The group hasn't seen a single as monstrous as that breakout, but the band remains a staple among fans. They recently performed on "The Late Show with David Letterman" and "Conan," ushering in the release of their fourth album, "Right Thoughts,...
It may help that Franz Ferdinand has maintained a pretty even level of fame for quite some time. After hitting mainstream success with 2004's "Take Me Out," the quartet from Glasgow was everywhere, at least as far as indie crossovers go. The group hasn't seen a single as monstrous as that breakout, but the band remains a staple among fans. They recently performed on "The Late Show with David Letterman" and "Conan," ushering in the release of their fourth album, "Right Thoughts,...
- 8/29/2013
- by Matthew Jacobs
- Huffington Post
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
After putting out a few records, many bands would attempt to reinvent themselves or try something experimental. In the four year gap since their last record, ‘Tonight’, Franz Ferdinand have laughed at the notion as they not only stick to their own successful formula but do so by releasing their most defiantly pop record to date. Everything you would expect is here: the staccato guitars, the art-school lyrics and the streak of humour that runs down the spine of everything they release.
As cheeky and as avant-garde as their hits ‘Do You Want To’ and ‘Take Me Out’, lead single ‘Right Action’ is the sound of a band that has never doubted itself and knows exactly what is required of them on this, their fourth full length release. With the sound of a sleazy dance floor there is a real sense of command on the single...
After putting out a few records, many bands would attempt to reinvent themselves or try something experimental. In the four year gap since their last record, ‘Tonight’, Franz Ferdinand have laughed at the notion as they not only stick to their own successful formula but do so by releasing their most defiantly pop record to date. Everything you would expect is here: the staccato guitars, the art-school lyrics and the streak of humour that runs down the spine of everything they release.
As cheeky and as avant-garde as their hits ‘Do You Want To’ and ‘Take Me Out’, lead single ‘Right Action’ is the sound of a band that has never doubted itself and knows exactly what is required of them on this, their fourth full length release. With the sound of a sleazy dance floor there is a real sense of command on the single...
- 8/27/2013
- by Terry Hearn
- Obsessed with Film
The new Doctor Who has finally been revealed! Are You a fan of the casting choice? Keep reading to see what fans are saying on Twitter!
It was announced on August 4 that Peter Capaldi will be the 12th actor to play Doctor Who in the legendary BBC show of the same name. Thankfully, fans appear to be ecstatic over the casting decision!
Peter Capaldi: Doctor Who — Fans React To The Actor Cast As The Next Time Lord
Craig Ferguson: Great news that Peter Capaldi is the new Doctor. A spectacular talent and a beautiful man. #DoctorWho
Nat Guest: Have they even Seen Peter Capaldi?! The man literally has sexgrime oozing out of every filthy scottish pore.
Avan Tudor Jogia: Loved the idea of Helen Mirren as The Doctor but Peter Capaldi is an amazingly skilled actor. He’ll be a lot of fun to watch.
Alex Kapranos...
It was announced on August 4 that Peter Capaldi will be the 12th actor to play Doctor Who in the legendary BBC show of the same name. Thankfully, fans appear to be ecstatic over the casting decision!
Peter Capaldi: Doctor Who — Fans React To The Actor Cast As The Next Time Lord
Craig Ferguson: Great news that Peter Capaldi is the new Doctor. A spectacular talent and a beautiful man. #DoctorWho
Nat Guest: Have they even Seen Peter Capaldi?! The man literally has sexgrime oozing out of every filthy scottish pore.
Avan Tudor Jogia: Loved the idea of Helen Mirren as The Doctor but Peter Capaldi is an amazingly skilled actor. He’ll be a lot of fun to watch.
Alex Kapranos...
- 8/5/2013
- by Christopher Rogers
- HollywoodLife
Do you remember Franz Ferdinand's 2004 breakout single "Take Me Out?" Their new music video for fresh single "Right Action" should jog your memory. The slick animated clip features a similar style of instructional-manual-meets-lyric-video, as the band mugs old-school. The quartet rocks through their cool chorus and lead singer's Alex Kapranos allows his wry sarcasm over lines like "Sometimes I wish you were here / weather permitting." The instrumentals feel a bit forced, which is why the video helps it to work a bit better, smoothing its odd angles. "Right Action" is the first single from Franz Ferdinand's next album, "Right Thoughts,...
- 7/9/2013
- Hitfix
Scottish rock troupe Franz Ferdinand have announced details on their next new album. "Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action" will be out on Aug. 27 via Domino. The foursome Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy, Bob Hardy and Paul Thomson recorded the 10-song set at frontman Kapranos' home studio in Scotland, guitarist McCarthy's Sausage Studio in London and at sessions in Stockholm and Oslo. Kapranos said of the effort: "The Intellect Vs The Soul, played out by some dumb band." We don't know what that means either. This is the Glasgow-bred rockers' fourth studio album, and their first in four year. Their previous...
- 5/16/2013
- by Katie Hasty
- Hitfix
Franz Ferdinand will headline next year's Field Day music festival, it has been announced. The 'Take Me Out' band will mark their comeback and tenth anniversary in 2012, and will be the main act to perform at the event at Victoria Park, East London. Frontman Alex Kapranos said in a statement: "I'm looking forward to Field Day this coming summer. I've been the last couple of years and the line-up's always been excellent. Electrelane playing 'Small Town Boy' and Martin Creed's set were last year's highlights for me. "This year's line-up is already shaping up well... [and] being in walking distance of a good pub at the end of the night works well for me too." (more)...
- 12/6/2011
- by By Tom Eames
- Digital Spy
From Feist, Björk and Laura Marling, to Noel Gallagher, Roots Manuva and Tom Waits – plus a promising debut by one David Lynch, director – our writers run you through the most anticipated releases of the season
BJöRK: Biophilia
(One Little Indian)
Usually with each new Björk album comes the often wishful mutterings of it finally representing her "return to pop", as if she's about to recreate Debut, move back to London and start dating Goldie again. Needless to say, Biophilia – an album prefaced by an elaborate iPad app and thematically encompassing the entire universe – isn't loaded with singles. Björk chooses instead to flit between the beautiful ("Cosmogony"), the downright creepy ("Hollow") and, in "Mutual Core", the world's first song about tectonic plates set to a ravey mesh of bleeps and whooshes. Lyrically, it finds Björk musing on both the universal and the personal in a way she's only hinted at before,...
BJöRK: Biophilia
(One Little Indian)
Usually with each new Björk album comes the often wishful mutterings of it finally representing her "return to pop", as if she's about to recreate Debut, move back to London and start dating Goldie again. Needless to say, Biophilia – an album prefaced by an elaborate iPad app and thematically encompassing the entire universe – isn't loaded with singles. Björk chooses instead to flit between the beautiful ("Cosmogony"), the downright creepy ("Hollow") and, in "Mutual Core", the world's first song about tectonic plates set to a ravey mesh of bleeps and whooshes. Lyrically, it finds Björk musing on both the universal and the personal in a way she's only hinted at before,...
- 9/3/2011
- by Kitty Empire, Luke Bainbridge, Hermione Hoby, Michael Cragg, Tim Jonze
- The Guardian - Film News
The Vaccines have claimed that the hype surrounding the band was just something that happened, rather than being the result of a PR campaign. The group's frontman Justin Young told Absolute Radio Hometime Show host Geoff Lloyd that he could not think of any of his friends who are more deserving of the attention. Of Franz Ferdinand star Alex Kapranos and other musicians attending the first London Vaccines gig and hundreds of people reportedly being turned away, Young said: "I guess it is something that happens. I guess there's... I don't know, you know what Chinese whispers are like - there's always a good, boring explanation for everything. (more)...
- 3/28/2011
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
Scottish singer Edwyn Collins is glad he suffered no serious longterm effects from his stroke five years ago - because he would rather die than stop making music. The former Orange Juice star was struck down by two cerebral hemorrhages, and was left with an inability to communicate after falling ill.
He is still recovering from the stroke but has returned to the studio and is working on his next album, which will feature contributions from artists including Johnny Marr and Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos. And the star is so passionate about making music, he insists he would rather have died from the stroke than be left unable to write and record songs.
Collins tells Britain's The Sun, "Music is my life and my happiness. It gives me the energy to carry on. I would rather not have survived the stroke if I had lost the ability to make music.
He is still recovering from the stroke but has returned to the studio and is working on his next album, which will feature contributions from artists including Johnny Marr and Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos. And the star is so passionate about making music, he insists he would rather have died from the stroke than be left unable to write and record songs.
Collins tells Britain's The Sun, "Music is my life and my happiness. It gives me the energy to carry on. I would rather not have survived the stroke if I had lost the ability to make music.
- 9/18/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Edwyn Collins has confirmed a series of UK dates in support of his upcoming album Losing Sleep. The dates mark the first full-scale tour from the former Orange Juice frontman since he suffered two cerebral haemorrhages in 2005, Clash Magazine reports. Collins's follow-up to 2007's Home Again is released on September 13 and will feature contributions from Cribs stars Ryan Jarman and Johnny Marr, and Nick McCarthy and Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand. On the November dates, the singer will be joined by The Kinbeats, a German group (more)...
- 8/3/2010
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
Franz Ferdinand stars Alex Kapranos and Nick McCarthy, The Magic Numbers' frontman Romeo Stoddart and Johnny Marr are among the stars who will appear on Scottish singer/songwriter Edwyn Collins' first full-length album since suffering a stroke in 2005.
The former Orange Juice star's Losing Sleep is set for release later this year. Collins was struck down by two cerebral hemorrhages, and was left with an inability to speak or understand language. The "Rip It Up" singer has made steady progress since his health emergency.
Edwyn Collins' website also revealed that his new album was recorded at his own West Heath Studios in London together with long-term collaborator Sebastian Lewsley. It sees Collins working with the "widest array of musical talent he's ever been blessed with."...
The former Orange Juice star's Losing Sleep is set for release later this year. Collins was struck down by two cerebral hemorrhages, and was left with an inability to speak or understand language. The "Rip It Up" singer has made steady progress since his health emergency.
Edwyn Collins' website also revealed that his new album was recorded at his own West Heath Studios in London together with long-term collaborator Sebastian Lewsley. It sees Collins working with the "widest array of musical talent he's ever been blessed with."...
- 6/17/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Franz Ferdinand have insisted that they will not discuss their new album because they do not want to "spoil" the surprise for fans. The 'Take Me Out' group are currently working on their new LP, but frontman Alex Kapranos admitted that he will not be discussing any new material after 'mouthing' off too much about their last album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand before its release. "There's a couple of songs we're working on but we're still writing," Bang Showbiz quotes him as saying. "It's too early to say what it's about (more)...
- 5/21/2010
- by By Robert Copsey
- Digital Spy
Franz Ferdinand are determined to keep their new album a secret. The Scottish rockers are currently working on the follow-up to 2009's "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" but frontman Alex Kapranos is concerned he will "spoil" the record for fans if he talks about the direction their material is taking.
"There's a couple of songs we're working on but we're still writing," he explained to Bang Showbiz. "It's too early to say what it's about and also, with our last record, I shot my mouth off a little bit too much and said too much about it before it came out, so I'm keeping my mouth closed this time and not spoiling the surprise, I think that spoils it, so it's best to stay quiet."
However, the "Take Me Out" hitmaker revealed he has been speaking regularly with fellow Edwyn Collins, hinting he may be collaborating with the "Girl Like You" hitmaker.
"There's a couple of songs we're working on but we're still writing," he explained to Bang Showbiz. "It's too early to say what it's about and also, with our last record, I shot my mouth off a little bit too much and said too much about it before it came out, so I'm keeping my mouth closed this time and not spoiling the surprise, I think that spoils it, so it's best to stay quiet."
However, the "Take Me Out" hitmaker revealed he has been speaking regularly with fellow Edwyn Collins, hinting he may be collaborating with the "Girl Like You" hitmaker.
- 5/21/2010
- by celebrity-mania.com
- Celebrity Mania
Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos was "busted" by cops in Mexico over the weekend after he was caught drinking on the street. The singer was enjoying a night out with pals in Mexico City on Saturday, April 10, celebrating the conclusion of the band's Latin American tour.
But the festivities came to an early halt when Kapranos was stopped by police who questioned him over concerns he was drinking alcohol in public, which is considered a criminal offense by Mexican authorities.
Kapranos escaped with a fine, and joked about handing over a U.S. fifty-dollar bill, which features a portrait of former president Ulysses S. Grant. In a post on his Twitter.com page, he writes, "Just been busted by Mexico City cops for drinking tequila in street. All fine. My American friend Grant sorted it. My friend Grant, for those who haven't met him. Mexican cops seem to hold him in high regard.
But the festivities came to an early halt when Kapranos was stopped by police who questioned him over concerns he was drinking alcohol in public, which is considered a criminal offense by Mexican authorities.
Kapranos escaped with a fine, and joked about handing over a U.S. fifty-dollar bill, which features a portrait of former president Ulysses S. Grant. In a post on his Twitter.com page, he writes, "Just been busted by Mexico City cops for drinking tequila in street. All fine. My American friend Grant sorted it. My friend Grant, for those who haven't met him. Mexican cops seem to hold him in high regard.
- 4/13/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos was charged after being caught drinking on the street in Mexico. The singer, who was celebrating the end of the band's Latin American tour at the weekend, was stopped and questioned by Mexican authorities over allegations that he had been drinking in public - a criminal offence in the country. Kapranos wrote on Twitter: "Just been busted by Mexico City cops for drinking tequila (more)...
- 4/12/2010
- by By Robert Copsey
- Digital Spy
Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos has dismissed reports that he is planning to write a musical. Despite recently declaring on Australian radio that he had "an amazing idea" for a stage show, the singer has since taken to Twitter to refute rumours of an impending production. "I'm not writing a bloody musical. I was talking about an idea I had for one. Doesn't mean I'm going to write it," he posted, before adding that it was just one of several fantasy projects he has previously considered. "I had an idea for a sitcom in a Russian abattoir. I'm not writing that either. Or the sci-fi movie script (more)...
- 3/9/2010
- by By Oli Simpson
- Digital Spy
Franz Ferdinand singer Alex Kapranos has admitted that he would like to wrtie a musical. The Tonight star revealed to Australian radio station Triple J that he has harboured the idea for some time, although is yet to put pen to paper and start the project. "I did have this amazing idea, I've been keeping it a secret for ages!" he said. "I think it would make an amazing musical." Kapranos went on to say that the mooted musical would focus on a modern (more)...
- 3/8/2010
- by By Oli Simpson
- Digital Spy
Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos has revealed that the band are hard at work on their new album. The singer told BBC 6 Music that he had recently begun writing songs with bandmate Nick McCarthy for the follow-up to 2009's Tonight. "I've been round at Nick's and we've been writing some things, and trying to do things in a different way again," he said. "You'll hear it before too long." However, Kapranos insisted that he wants to keep a lid on the Scottish (more)...
- 2/15/2010
- by By Oli Simpson
- Digital Spy
Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos has blasted the band's Us record label for allowing McDonald's to use one of the group's tracks on its website. The 'Can't Stop This Feeling' singer took to his Twitter page to launch a scathing tirade against Epic Records after discovering that their music is being played on LateNightMcDonalds.com. Kapranos wrote: "This http://www.latenightmcdonalds.com/ is an example of how a band falls out with their Us label. Did they think we'd approve (more)...
- 1/22/2010
- by By Oli Simpson
- Digital Spy
Annie has announced that she will release her long-awaited second album on October 19. Don't Stop will feature 11 tracks, including collaborations with Xenomania, Richard X, Timo Kaukolampi, Paul Epworth and Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos. However, there is no place for Annie's two most recent singles, 'Anthonio' and 'I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me'. The album was originally scheduled for release on Island Records in Autumn 2008, but Annie parted ways with the label after the disappointing chart performance of 'I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me'. "I was working with a team who didn't really understand the project at all and didn't share (more)...
- 8/14/2009
- by By Nick Levine
- Digital Spy
Franz Ferdinand have announced plans to officially release a dub version of last studio album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand. Frontman Alex Kapranos told NME that the Dan Carey-mixed record was his preferred way of listening to the album. Kapranos said: "What you're hearing is Franz Ferdinand through Dan's filter. There's a lot of his personality in there and a lot of his own (more)...
- 4/22/2009
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
A music video in companion of Franz Ferdinand's track entitled "No You Girls" has been released. It features the band performing the song in a room accompanied by beautiful girls dancing around them with handy cameras on their hands.
"No You Girls" is the second single lifted from Franz Ferdinand's third studio album titled "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand". It is written by the band's members Alex Kapranos and Nicholas McCarthy.
Franz Ferdinand have been hitting the road for a promotional project to support their new album, which has been in stores since January. They will next be seen performing in Paris, Milan, Rome and several major cities in United States. More details on their upcoming shows can be obtained on their MySpace .
Franz Ferdinand's "No You Girls" music video:...
"No You Girls" is the second single lifted from Franz Ferdinand's third studio album titled "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand". It is written by the band's members Alex Kapranos and Nicholas McCarthy.
Franz Ferdinand have been hitting the road for a promotional project to support their new album, which has been in stores since January. They will next be seen performing in Paris, Milan, Rome and several major cities in United States. More details on their upcoming shows can be obtained on their MySpace .
Franz Ferdinand's "No You Girls" music video:...
- 3/14/2009
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Franz Ferdinand have admitted that they would not be able to succeed on a reality TV show. The Glasgow band claimed that they do not have the self-belief required to win a competition like the X Factor. "We and most of our contemporaries would fail the X Factor auditions. I couldn't sing a Robbie Williams song," frontman Alex Kapranos told Q magazine. "I love the self-belief of those people." The band, who will open tonight's NME Awards, added that they would be wary of letting (more)...
- 2/25/2009
- by By David Balls
- Digital Spy
Coming out with third studio album "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand", Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand have experimented with electronic tune, making it a danceable rock music. They even used human bones in an attempt to "have a real dry, percussive sound."
"Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" has been available in U.K. stores since January 26. Loosely based around a night of partying and its morning effects, the Dan Carey-produced record debuted at number 2 on U.K. Albums chart as well as number 9 on Billboard Hot 200, selling about 31,000 copies in its first week of release.
"Ulysses", the catchy piece which let Alex Kapranos' gorgeous voice flowing through electronic-based rock, has been chosen as the album's first single and released for digital purchase since December 2008. Performed live for the first time by the band during 2007 "Hey You Get off My Pavement" festival in Glasgow, it reached number 20 on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
In support of their latest effort,...
"Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" has been available in U.K. stores since January 26. Loosely based around a night of partying and its morning effects, the Dan Carey-produced record debuted at number 2 on U.K. Albums chart as well as number 9 on Billboard Hot 200, selling about 31,000 copies in its first week of release.
"Ulysses", the catchy piece which let Alex Kapranos' gorgeous voice flowing through electronic-based rock, has been chosen as the album's first single and released for digital purchase since December 2008. Performed live for the first time by the band during 2007 "Hey You Get off My Pavement" festival in Glasgow, it reached number 20 on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
In support of their latest effort,...
- 2/16/2009
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Franz Ferdinand blew up a pub in their "craziest" show. The "Take Me Out" musicians - who recently released their third album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand in the U.K. - once accidentally destroyed a Scottish venue before getting into a fight with the barman.
Alex Kapranos, the band's frontman, explained to NME magazine: "I think the craziest was when we played the Captain's Rest, a pub in Glasgow."
"We got three songs into it but we'd plugged the Pa and all the amplifiers and the lights into one socket and we fused the whole place and ended up getting in a fight with the barman because we'd blown the whole pub up."
The band recently revealed they now play their new songs on a piano to see if they have written a potential hit or not.
Alex Kapranos, the band's frontman, explained to NME magazine: "I think the craziest was when we played the Captain's Rest, a pub in Glasgow."
"We got three songs into it but we'd plugged the Pa and all the amplifiers and the lights into one socket and we fused the whole place and ended up getting in a fight with the barman because we'd blown the whole pub up."
The band recently revealed they now play their new songs on a piano to see if they have written a potential hit or not.
- 1/29/2009
- icelebz.com
Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos has revealed that recording the band's second album You Could Have It So Much Better was not an enjoyable experience. The group attempted to change their approach in the studio when they worked on their latest offering Tonight, which is being released more than three years after their last disc. "Making this album was more enjoyable than making the second one," Kapranos told The Scotsman. "I got sick of being asked, 'Did you feel the pressure of making the second record after people liked your (more)...
- 1/24/2009
- by By Daniel Kilkelly
- Digital Spy
Franz Ferdinand have described Jonathan Ross's chatshow return as "spectacular". The band taped an appearance for the presenter's first show since serving his three-month suspension yesterday, and they told BBC Newsbeat that they had no reservations about their decision to appear. "He's a funny guy. No matter what anybody else has been saying about it at all," said frontman Alex Kapranos. When asked to describe Ross's demeanour, he replied: "He didn't seem (more)...
- 1/23/2009
- by By Lara Martin
- Digital Spy
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