“Anyone Who’s Anyone” by Fleet Foxes, Friday, February 18, 2022

Before they recorded their breakthrough EP, Sun Giant or their self-titled album that was so loved by Rolling Stone that it was included in their book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, the folk-rock band Fleet Foxes released their debut eponymous EP in 2006. The Seattle-based band appeared on the music scene around the time when mellow music started flooding Alternative music, which had been dominated by hard rock-leaning acts since Nirvana crashed onto the scene. But along with British folk-rockers Mumford & Sons changing the focus from power chords on electric guitars to acoustic guitars and folk instruments, the template was set for a very different, post-rock scene.

Fleet Foxes used Flemish painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s Netherlandish Proverbs for their self-titled album cover.

I’M JUST A LITTLE MIRAGE. The YouTube channel Polyphonic released a video in September 2021 called "A Love Letter to Pop Punk." The video reminded me of all of the colliding styles in the early '00s, especially the different flavors of rock. The argument  of the video is that indie rock seems to be most remembered fondly by the critics, whereas the pop punk is often overlooked. Of course, most of my blog is about pop punk nostalgia, so today we're going to dive into the pretentious indie side. I certainly blasted my share of The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army." I loved Franz Ferdinand's first album, and could tolerate Modest Mouse's lead singer for a couple of songs. I loved The Shins for a couple of albums. But then there was Fleet Foxes, a band that sounded unlike anything in the indie rock roster. First of all, their artwork of their first album, a painting by Flemish Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Netherlandish Proverbs, the scene depicting a medieval fiefdom occupied by the townspeople acting out proverbs. The sounds of the guitars and the harmonies of the Fleet Fox singers reminded me of Renaissance troubadours. The music is beautiful and complex, but much too mellow to listen to on the drive home from college. 

IT’S SO MUCH BETTER IN THE SUNLIGHT. "Anyone Who's Anyone" sounds more like The Shins than Fleet Foxes, with the upbeat guitar and driving beat. It also reminds of Franz Ferdinand's "Jaqueline," the opening track on their debut album. It makes sense that the band was formed after frontman Robin Pecknold and guitarist/mandolinist Skyler Skjelset discovered their mutual love of Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Although the direction the band took with tracks like "Mykonos," "White Winter Hymnal," and "Blue Ridge Mountains," sounds different from "Anyone Who's Anyone," though it does sound similar to "He Doesn't Know Why." Lyrically, too, "Anyone Who's Anyone" sounds like a hipster pop song, mentioning the names of several people, making Fleet Foxes sound oddly--dare I say refreshingly-- contemporary. In the middle of a hectic Friday, it was nice to be reminded of Fleet Foxes. While "Anyone Who's Anyone" wasn't one of the songs I listened to much back in college, revisiting the other songs in the band's box set of their first album, first two EPs, and rarities/b-sides was just the calming walk down memory lane I needed. And who knows, when I might also want to explore the 1000 other albums that I'm supposed to listen to before I die. Maybe I'll blog about it if I ever get a death wish.

Read “Anyone Who's Anyone” by Fleet Foxes on Genius