“Anyone Who’s Anyone” by Fleet Foxes, Friday, February 18, 2022
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
Before they recorded their breakthrough EP, Sun Giantor their self-titled album that was so loved by Rolling Stonethat 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.
"I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I. Don't want a lot for Christmas." *struggles to change the radio dial amid gridlocked holiday traffic* "There's just one thing I need" *hurry up with my damn latte! I think I'm going to die. Why the hell is Starbucks playing Christmas music in mid-October?* "I don't care about the presents" *internal Elaine monologue 'I think I'm going to die in this department store. Ma'am, why must you spray the perfume so close to my face. I can't breathe! What if the earth begins to shake and we're stuck in here forever underneath mannequins and holiday shoppers and that damn Mariah Carey song stuck on repeat?'* "Underneath the Christmas tree" "No" *raising a strict finger to students who should be studying in the back* "Not before Thanksgiving." "I just want you for my own/ More than you could ever know." Every year, Christmas music gets earlier and earli...
In the summer of 2003, a rock station in LA started playing an inside cut from The Ataris ' So Long, Astoria , an album built on the late '70s and early '80s nostalgia. The band's first single, " In This Diary " reached number 11 on the Modern Rock chart. They were set to release the second single, " My Reply ," but the accidental hit " The Boys of Summer " overshadowed anything the band would produce in their twenty-five-year career. A cover of Don Henley 's 1984 number 1 hit, The Ataris' punk-rock reworking took the single to number 20 on the Hot 100 and number 2 on the Modern Rock chart, unable to beat Linkin Park 's " Faint ." Eighteen or thirty-seven summers later, "The Boys of Summer" remains a melancholy reminder that summer is over and that we all are getting older. I SAW A BLACK FLAG STICKER ON A CADILLAC. Written by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ' guitarist, Mike Campbell , ...
It was Superbowl Sunday of 2005 when I bought Anberlin ’s Never Take Friendship Personal . It was the perfect album for high school. The band’s style took a turn on their sophomore album from a classic or '90s rock sound to a more emotional, mid-2000s sound. The band would redefine themselves with this album, becoming a lesser-known emo staple. Stephen Christian ’s vocals meeting Joseph Milligan ’s riffs, Deon Rexroat ’s heavy bass, and Nathan Young ’s reliance on the cymbals make this one of the band’s heaviest records. The band released two recordings of this song on two different albums and many fans debate which one is better. THIS WAS OVER BEFORE IT EVER BEGAN. The original version of "The Feel Good Drag" feels grungier and Stephen’s scream on the bridge was perfectly aligned with the musical trends of the day. The New Surrender version , renamed "Feel Good Drag," beefs up t he guitar intro, and the solo has a quite satisfying bend. However, having ...
Comments
Post a Comment